Nathan Pedde - Tokyo Tempest

Darren told them about their conversation.

“So they’re coming in tomorrow through the bay doors?” Sakiko said.

Darren nodded.

“Do we defend or do we flee?” Sakiko said.

“If we flee, we have to face the crowds of hungry, desperate people.”

“If we stay and defend we will have to defend the place from constant attack.” Darren said, “They intend on pulling down the bay doors.”

“I vote that we leave.” Sakiko said, “Better to leave and take everything of value with us. Leave them with nothing.”

“I vote that we leave, take it all with us, and then burn the building down as we leave,” Darren said.

Sakiko smiled.

“I like that idea,” Sakiko said.

“How do we get a building built out of bricks to burn?” Yuki asked.

“We pile all that crap in front of the door and set it on fire.” Darren said, “We have enough kerosene.”

“So we burn the door down for them?” Yuki asked.

“I was thinking of lighting it when they attack and use the fire as a distraction for us to get out,” Darren said.

“How do we get out?” Yuki asked, “We blocked all the doors?”

“We go out a back fire escape,” Darren said.

“Okay.” Yuki said, “Let’s do this. What’s the plan?”

“Are we starting now?” Darren asked.

“Yes. We’re up, we can nap once we’re ready for them.” Yuki said.

“Good idea,” Sakiko said, “That way if they attack earlier than we thought, we’re still ready.”

“Yuki and Sakiko,” Darren said, “Between the two of you, can you pack the bags up? Grab those child carriers and load them up with stuff.”

“We can do that.” Yuki said, “What are you gonna do?”

“I’m gonna start leaving some surprises for them.” Darren said, “I’ll have to clear out our escape route.”

Yuki lit the kerosene lamp, and the two girls got to work.

Darren grabbed a cart and started loading it full of random bits and pieces that he could find. Trip after trip he made. He would fill the cart full of items, then rush them to the big bay doors and piled them on. He grabbed the boxes of books from in front of the fire escape door. They were piled onto the heap of abandoned belongings.

After hours of work, Yuki approached him with a chunk of an MRI.

“Here.” Yuki said, “Eat.”

Darren stuffed his face with the food.

“Darren,” Yuki said, “I have a question for you.”

“What is it?” Darren asked.

“Do you think I’m being paranoid?” Yuki asked.

“No.” Darren said, “I think you’re scared and that you lost someone important to you. Now you don’t want that to happen again.”

“Where do we go?” Yuki asked.

“I thought we were headed to your bug out location,” Darren said.

“We should have left days ago.” Yuki said, “Our food situation is pretty low.”

“I know.” Darren said, “Maybe we can scavenge on the way.”

“Okay.” Yuki said, “Thanks for understanding.”

Yuki walked down the hallway, Darren knew she was lost in thought. She stopped a moment later.

“What type of relationship do we have?” Yuki asked.

“What do you mean?”

“We’re living in close quarters together, and Sakiko is with us. We’re all sleeping together. What does that make us?”

Darren thought about it for a minute.

“We’re family.” Darren said, “Our own original family is missing and probably dead, and that means that you two are my family. I’m not sure what our roles are, but I don’t think it matters. We’re family.”

“Family.” Yuki said, “So if I had slept with Sakiko, you wouldn’t be angry at me?”

“Only disappointed that you didn’t invite me to join.”

Yuki hugged and kissed him on the lips.

“Maybe once we get to where we’re going, we can have some fun times too,” Yuki said.

Yuki walked down the hallway and disappeared.

“When would they have time to do that?” Darren asked himself.

After ten minutes, Darren had finished eating his snack and was back to working on the pile of stuff. The pile completely blocked the entranceway to the front area from the bay doors. Darren thought he could climb over all the things, but there was no secure footing, and he was sure that they would break something climbing through.

Darren returned to the storage unit. The three bikes were lined up in the hall in front of it. Two of the bikes had child carriers bolted to the back. Small piles of supplies were next to each bike.

“We’re almost done.” Sakiko said, “Those child carriers are pretty empty. Are you sure you didn’t want to take the tent?”

“Its too big,” Yuki said.

“How much water are we taking?” Darren asked.

“All of it,” Sakiko said, “But we have sanitation tablets and that water filter straw thingy. We should be fine.”

Darren nodded.

“I need all the kerosene that we’re not going to take,” Darren said.

Sakiko pointed to a pile of kerosene jugs by the door.

“Where’s Yuki?” Darren asked.

“She’s taking a poop,” Sakiko said.

Sakiko turned to Darren.

“I’d like to apologize,” Sakiko said.

“For what?” Darren said.

“For not being upfront with my intentions with Yuki. She and I slept together, and I apologize.” Sakiko said.

Darren laughed.

“I know. Yuki told me.” Darren said, “And I’m not angry.”

“You aren’t…”

“We’re a family.” Darren said, “We may not be related by blood…”

“Thank god for that, or this would be really awkward,” Sakiko said.

“… we don’t have done a ceremony together. And our relationship is different than normal. But we’re a family, through thick and thin. I’ll stay with you two until the very end. Till whenever we meet our fates, whatever they may be.”

Sakiko kissed Darren on the lips.

Darren laughed as he loaded up the jugs of kerosene onto his cart.

He hauled the jugs over to the giant pile. Darren tossed jugs randomly throughout the piles of boxes and furniture.

Darren only saw one jug open up, but it ended up right side up.

Darren left three jugs sitting by the start of the pile. A pile of cotton rags and a lighter sat next to the jugs.

After completing his task, Darren walked back to the storage unit. He found Yuki and Sakiko packing the child carriers and the three backpacks.

“Drink all the water you can from that pile, we dump it before we leave,” Yuki said pointing to a small pile by the door.

“What time is it?” Darren asked.

“You have the working watch,” Yuki said.

Darren looked at his watch.

“Its four in the evening. Have we been working all day?” Darren said, “Are we loaded?”

“Yes, and yes,” Yuki said as she closed the child carrier.

“Then we should rest,” Darren said.

“And eat,” Sakiko said.

Darren, Yuki, and Sakiko sat on the ground next to each other. They ate out of a couple cans of pork and beans.

“We should rest up.” Yuki said, “I’ll take first watch at the pile. They could come anytime.”

Darren closed his eyes and fell asleep instantly. Something that had never happened in the last two weeks.

After what seemed like a moment had passed, Darren felt himself being shocked awake.

“Darren,” Sakiko said.

“What?” Darren said.

“They’re here.”

“How long?” Darren said.

Darren sprang to his feet. He grabbed his gun on the way up.

“Only minutes.” Sakiko said, “What do we do?”

Darren noticed that the food they couldn’t take was piled on a waiting cart.

“Dump the water.” Darren said, “Then get the bikes and bags to the door.”