Nathan Pedde - Tokyo Tempest

Darren’s hands shook as he aimed his gun at the two young thugs that held Yuki’s child carrier.

They let go the child carrier. Yuki rode away from the young thugs towards Darren.

Darren looked at the thugs.

“Attacking two travelers in the middle of the night.” Darren said to the thugs, “You should be ashamed of yourselves.”

The swordsman stood up and started to walk towards Darren. Anger filled his eyes. It was Michio, the color gang leader. Darren could see the anger in his eyes.

“Fight me you Gaijin Punk.” The young man said, “That was my little sister.”

Darren pointed the gun at the swordsman.

“I’m trying to pass through.” Darren said, “I’m sorry your sister died, but you shouldn’t have attacked us.”

Michio charged forward towards Darren.

Darren steadied his hand and aimed his gun at Michio’s sword hand.

With a squeeze of the trigger, the gun went off. The bullet screamed through the air to smash into Michio’s forearm. He dropped the sword and crumpled to the ground.

He wept on the asphalt.

“Just kill me,” Michio said.

“No.” Darren said, “I do not kill the unarmed. I aimed at you, and I missed. If I didn’t, you would have killed my friend with that sword. I am sorry that your sister was in the line of fire.”

“Kill me!” Michio said.

Yuki rode past Darren.

Darren took Michio’s sheath out of his belt and picked the sword off of the ground.

“Get that looked at,” Darren said.

Darren got on his bike.

“What’s your sister’s name again?” Darren asked.

“Emiko Asahara.”

“I’ll remember that. I’m sorry about your sister.” Daren said.

Darren put the sword through his belt and rode down the street to catch up with Yuki. The group of thugs hung back and watched Darren and Yuki ride off into the darkness of the night.

They rode in silence down the dark streets for a few minutes. Darren was lost in thought as they glided down the road. The light from the stars and the moon lit up the street more than before. Darren could see the rough outlines of objects as they passed them.

“Thank you,” Yuki said.

“Your welcome.” Darren said, “I’am just kicking myself for missing that guy.”

“You saved my life.” Yuki said, “If you didn’t shoot at him, then I would be dead right now.”

“I know,” Darren said.

That fact didn’t help his thoughts though.

Darren followed Yuki down the road in a half daze. He remembered the girl he had killed back in the street. He remembered the girl’s shocked look on her face, the way she crumpled to the ground. Then he remembered the motorbiking color gang member and the two Kanata Club boys. A couple tears ran down his face.

He followed Yuki as she bounced off the road and onto a footpath. The path ran along the rows of houses. Darren followed behind Yuki as they meandered through the streets.

Yuki came to a halt, and Darren slid to a complete stop behind her. Stretched out in front of them, was a wall made out of stacked cars. The wall was three vehicles high, and it stretched as far as Darren could see. Stretched across the street was a cargo truck. The side of it had dusty, faded advertising of some soda company.

“JDF Roadblock.” Yuki said, “Get back.”

Yuki and Darren hid in an alley. The darkness of the alley hid them from sight.

Darren studied the roadblock, there were no lights on the other side. No floodlights shining across the area in front of it. No Guards standing out in front. There were no signs of people behind it. Darren knew that something was off.

“Is that roadblock full of soldiers?” Yuki said, “Or not?”

“I’m not sure.” Darren said, “I’m sure this is a trap.”

In the distance was a rumble of engines.

“Someone’s coming,” Yuki said.

Darren and Yuki hid further in the alley.

The rumble of the engines came closer and closer. To Darren, they didn’t sound like car or truck engines. They weren’t the rumble of a large diesel engine.

After a couple minutes, the first one came into view. It was a lone figure on a motorbike.

Darren could just make out the person, but he was too far away to tell anything else. Darren swore that he had seen him before.

“Color gang.” Yuki said, “That guy that followed us by that boat.”

“Right.” Darren said, “Michio’s gang.”

After a few moments, the single rider turned around and rode off down the street.

“Should we try to sneak through?” Yuki asked as she stood up.

Darren put a hand on her arm.

“Wait.” Darren said, “I bet he’s come to the same conclusion as us about that roadblock.”

“Which is?” Yuki asked.

“That it’s probably a trap,” Darren said, “but it might not be.”

“So what do we do?” Yuki asked.

“We wait.”

Darren and Yuki didn’t have to wait long. Not ten minutes after they sat down, the rumble of the engines came closer. Sitting on the front motorbike, was the distinct figure of Michio. Behind him was at least thirty other gang members. Behind them was a caravan of twelve mini-vans.

A light turned on in one of the mini-vans. In the van were women and children. But the term women was subjective. None of the women in the van looked to be older than Darren. A couple of the other vans turned their interior lights on, and Darren saw that they were much the same.

Darren immediately knew what this was. This was a migration, an exodus. Michio’s gang was leaving the ravaged city of Tokyo and leaving the area.

Michio said something to a gang member, and he ran towards the roadblock. He pulled a hatchet out of his belt and smashed the cargo vans window.

“Keys are in it.” Darren heard the gang member yell, “Give me a moment.”

Darren saw the bike-riding gang members pull weapons out of their belts. Darren thought they must believe it was a trap.

A moment later, the cargo van’s engine started, and it rumbled to life. The van rolled forward and out of the way. The van’s engine died a moment later.

The gang member exited the truck and ran back to Michio. Darren watched the gang member hand Michio the keys to the van. Michio threw the keys across the street.

Michio started his bike and bolted forward towards the roadblock. The gang started their engines, and they followed close behind Michio.

The echo of the engines faded into the night as the gang drove off into the night. The resulting silence was deafening. Darren found himself holding his breath.

“Are they gone?” A voice said behind Darren.

It wasn’t Yuki’s voice.

Darren had his handgun out a moment later and pointed at the figure behind him.

“Don’t shoot.” The figure said as he held up his hands.

Darren looked at the guy. It was a Japanese man who seemed to be in his fifties. He was dressed in a business suit and a tie.

“Do you want to get shot?” Darren asked.

“Sorry.” The man asked, “I watched them from above. I wanted to get a better look.”

“Then look.” Darren said, “Just don’t sneak up on people.”

“That JDF roadblock is empty.” The man said, “Isn’t it.”

“What do you think?” Darren said, he still pointed his handgun at the man.

“I’ve got to spread the word.” He said, “There has to be food and supplies on the other side.”

The man backed away and ran down the alley.

“The way is clear!” He yelled as he disappeared.

“We better get moving.” Darren said, “Before this roadblock gets closed again.”

“I agree,” Yuki said.

Yuki and Darren hopped on their bikes and rode through the roadblock. It was empty of people and material. There was no sign that the JDF was there.