Author's Note: Sailor Moon and all related characters are the property of Takeuchi Naoko, Toei Animation and DIC. So, please, don't sue me because I haven't any money. I do this strictly for entertainment purposes, not copyright infringement.
The Vengeance Factor
by Jeffrey C. Branch
Chapter Three: Angels And Devils
Rating: PG-13
Under the cool shade of a poplar tree in the city park, Lita and Mina enjoyed a private picnic. The girls talked, laughed, ate, drank and had a good time together, as they always did.
"Ooooooh! I ate way too much, girlfriend!" said Mina, leaning back against the tree and lightly patting her stomach. "Do you always make more food than people need to eat?"
Lita chuckled. "You forget who I cook for. Filling Serena's bottomless pit always figures into how much food I make. Come to think of it, sweetheart, you don't exactly eat like a bird either."
"What can I say? I'm a growing girl," said a chuckling Mina. With a sigh of contentment, Mina cuddled next to Lita. The brawny brunette grinned and slipped an arm around Mina's shoulders. For a long time, neither girl spoke as they were content to watch the world go by while enjoying the simple pleasure that came from being in each other's company.
"Mmmm. This feels so good," said Mina. "No battles, no life or death struggles to save the world, just peace, and you enjoy it with." When Mina saw a couple walk by, hand in hand and smiling lovingly at each other, it brought a sudden and painful twinge to her heart, killing her good mood as she was cruelly reminded of what was missing in her life. She then stared up at Lita. "Lita? Can I ask you something?"
"Sure, babe. What is it?"
"Are you happy?"
Lita smiled fondly at the blonde. "I'm always happy when I'm with you."
"I'm glad to hear you say that, love. But I'm talking about something else altogether. Do you think you and I will ever find our Prince Charming?"
"Is it that important?"
"Yeah, I think so. I mean, Serena has Darien, Raye has Chad wrapped around her finger, and Amy's chummy with Greg. For God's sake, even Talia's got a boyfriend! Sometimes, I can't help but feel....jealous of them. And I hate myself for that! Dammit, Lita! Why are we still on the outside looking in?"
"I don't know. Maybe the right guy just hasn't come along yet," Lita replied with a shrug. Despite her casual demeanor, Lita was concerned about Mina's abrupt change in mood. "Heaven knows it hasn't been for lack of effort, given the way we chase after boys. What brought this up?"
"A sad and painful memory from my past, triggered by an argument I had with Artemis this morning." Mina gave Lita a questioning look. "I've never told you about Alan, have I?"
Lita, puzzled, shook her head. Mina rarely talked about her past before arriving in Japan, in fact, Mina purposely avoided talking about anything regarding her adventures in England as the heroic Sailor V, the very first Sailor Scout. So the brawny brunette was surprised that her friend would bring it up now. "No, you hadn't. Was he someone special to you?"
"Yeah. He was the first guy I ever fell in love with. And the first guy who broke my heart." The memories of Alan, memories she enjoyed, then loathed came flooding into her mind. "I met Alan while I was living in England three years ago. In retrospect, it was just a schoolgirl crush, hell, I was all of thirteen at the time, and he was twenty-five, but age didn't matter to me. I loved him, Lita. I really loved him!"
Lita heard the crushing sadness in Mina's voice and was hesitant to ask the inevitable question. "What happened?"
"Turns out Alan was in love with my best friend, Katrina, an Inspector with the London Police who often worked with Sailor V on cases. She also knew my secret identity." Mina paused while tears came to her eyes. Much to Mina's chagrin, that deep hurt still existed in her heart. "On what wound up being my last case in England, I was nearly killed while nabbing a terrorist. Alan and Kat thought I died when that nutcase set off a bomb in a warehouse I was in. That's when they declared their love for each other....while I watched them from a nearby alley, half dead from injuries I suffered in the blast."
Lita's heart went out to the anguished Mina, and she enveloped the blonde in her arms. "Oh, angel. I'm so sorry. For them to have gone behind your back like that, it must've been awful!"
"More than you'll ever know. For a moment, I was so angry, I could have killed them both. I felt that hurt, that betrayed," said Mina, tears trickling down her cheeks. "But only for a moment. In the end, I left them alone because they were so happy. It was like my 'death' brought them together. I gave up being Sailor V that very day, then left for Japan a month later. The rest, as they say, was history."
"Well, their loss was my gain. If you stayed in England, I never would've met you. And you never would've changed my life," said Lita, gently drying Mina's tears.
Mina smiled, her blue eyes shining from deep affection. "Same here. Being with you means more to me than anything else in the world. What about you? Do you think about your old boyfriend?"
Lita had to think on that for a moment before she formed an answer. "Sometimes. During an idle moment in the day, or when I'm in bed at night and can't sleep, he'll pop into my mind. It's funny, I keep annoying the gang by saying every boy I see reminds me of him, yet, I can't even remember his name. Maybe it's a subconscious thing, to help dull the pain."
"He hurt you, didn't he?"
"Yeah. One day, he and I were the perfect couple, and the next, he's walking away after breaking off our relationship, leaving me alone and crying in the rain," said Lita, her eyes misting over. "Two years later, I still don't know what went wrong. He was the first boy I ever really loved, Mina, so I guess that's why he's still on my mind. Even though he dumped me, I keep hoping he'll come back one day. Kinda stupid, huh?"
"No. Not really. Being in love makes you do crazy things. God knows I'm the expert at that. Remember that disaster with Hawk-Eye and Tiger-Eye? You never saw him again, had you?"
"Uh-uh. I avoided him like the plague. I was afraid that if I saw him, I'd break his neck for hurting me," said Lita, her emotions stormy from those turbulent memories. "As big a troublemaker as I was before the break-up, I was worse after. I got into fights almost every day because I needed an outlet for my rage over being dumped. It even got to the point where I started threatening teachers when they gave me bad grades. Eventually, I was kicked out. My life just turned to shit. And all because of a boy."
"Yeah. Makes you wonder why we bother with them. All they do is lead us on, then cause us pain when they break our hearts," said a somber Mina, remembering similar words she said in anger while battering a purse snatcher three years ago. "You and I have a lot in common when it comes to losing at love. Maybe we'll never win at that game."
"Maybe we will, maybe we won't. But I'm not gonna worry myself to death about it," said Lita. Breaking out in a grin, she added, "As long as we have each other, that's enough for me. Boys are a dime a dozen, but a best friend like you is forever."
Mina, her heart aglow, planted a soft kiss on Lita's cheek. "That's so sweet. You make me feel warm all over." The blonde then giggled. "But, will you still feel that way after you've finally found Mr. Right and leave me in the dust?"
"Always, and that's a promise, Mina. Come hell or high water, I'll never leave you," said Lita in her most earnest voice. Her green eyes then twinkled mischievously. "Besides, without you around, who will I have other than Serena to taste test all those crazy dishes I whip up?"
"Is that all I am to you? A glorified guinea rat?" Mina asked in mock indignation.
"That's 'guinea pig'. And don't get so pissed off, blondie!" said a smirking Lita. "I haven't heard you complain when you beg like a dog for seconds!"
Mina shrugged. "Like I said, I'm a growing girl!" And the two close friends enjoyed a good laugh.
Haneda International Airport, two days later:
Seamus Duncan, a.k.a. 'Peter McDougal' never felt so happy in his life than when he deplaned after a fifteen hour trip from Dublin to Tokyo via London. For him, the flight was incredibly nerve wracking.
Having flown only on short hops within Europe, Duncan thought sure he would have a nervous breakdown after being confined on the British Airways 747 during the flight to Japan. The only thing that kept Duncan sane were his dark thoughts of vengeance against Sailor Venus. Killing the blond heroine had become an obsession for Duncan, one that drove him relentlessly ever since learning she hadn't died three years ago like he thought. Standing patiently in line to go through customs, Duncan dwelled on his hated enemy.
She's alive. That miserable blond bitch is still alive, thought Duncan, a deep scowl etching his face. Suddenly, he felt warm as his anger quickly mounted. Duncan fought to remain calm. The last thing he needed was to cause an incident, just like he had to stay calm during his long flight. Not that he cared about killing people, Duncan wanted to maintain a low profile until he was ready to launch his vendetta. The former IRA terrorist knew his crusade would be bloody, and that no one would be spared, not even family. Duncan idly wondered how long it would be before Jimmy Rollins' body was found.
Or, how much of his body would be found, Duncan thought, a sadistic grin curling his mouth.
At the customs counter, Duncan stood idly by while his briefcase was checked by a staffer. The uniformed man then looked up at Duncan who tried to remain calm. "Are you in Japan on business, or pleasure, Mr. McDougal?"
"Strictly pleasure, laddie. I'm a shutterbug and I'm dying to take pics of Tokyo," said Duncan with a pasted grin, rehearsing lines he dreamed up while on the flight over from Europe. Displaying his camera, he was prepared to kill if his ruse failed. "I like snapping architecture and I'll be in seventh heaven here."
"A lot of people say that, sir." The staffer, satisfied with his inspection, nodded. "You're all clear, Mr. McDougal. Enjoy your stay in our country."
"Thank you very much. Have a great day!" said Duncan, relieved that his ruse worked. And that he didn't have to kill. The urge to murder was there nonetheless, it always was, but Duncan controlled himself. Barely. He would have plenty of time to satisfy his need for carnage later. Thanks to fate, the former IRA criminal now had a powerful edge that gave him the ability to wreak destruction the likes of which he once only dreamed about.
With no other luggage, Duncan casually strolled through the main terminal to the monorail station that would take him into downtown Tokyo. Having bought a tourist guide of Japan during a layover at London's Heatherow Airport, Duncan studied the book extensively during his flight so he'd be well versed in how to get around in this strange, unfamiliar country. Already, plans were formulating in Duncan's head. First, he would check into a hotel so he'd have a base of operations, then he'd seek out I.G., the Yakuza gunrunner Rollins told him about for weapons.
Then, the fun would begin.
Passing by a newsstand, a magazine cover caught Duncan's eye. What he saw was an artist's rendition of the Sailor Scouts, Duncan fumed at seeing Venus who was in the front of the group. For what felt like hours, Duncan studied the figure. Her costume was different from what she had worn in England, and she no longer sported a mask, but there was no doubt in Duncan's mind that it was the same girl who captured him. The mere thought made him seethe, and his body temperature rose. Venus' face was permanently burned into his memory.
"It doesn't matter what you look like, or what you call yourself. I'm gonna find you, bitch. And then I'm gonna kill you," he whispered.
And with that powerful edge Duncan had, he felt confident that he could carry out his threat.
Cherry Hill Temple, the following day:
After three straight nights spent having the same terrible vision of bloodshed and destruction, Raye felt she had no choice but to call a meeting and tell the others about it. Behind the closed door of her bedroom, Raye, her eyes hollow and sunken told everyone about her dream----except the part about Sailor Venus having been slain at the hands of this new enemy.
"Wow! That was one spooky vision you had, Raye!" said a worried Serena Tsukino. She, and the others were stunned from what they had been told.
"That's why I called the meeting, meatball head," Raye grumbled. She hated keeping secrets from Mina regarding something that directly affected her. But do I dare reveal the full truth when I'm not sure about it myself, she wondered. God knows my visions aren't always right, and I don't want Mina to think she's living on borrowed time because of a dream I had.
"Most disturbing. Given Talia and Tanya's report about sleeper youmas loose in Japan, this makes for a very serious matter," said a concerned Amy Anderson. "Raye, were you able to discern where this new enemy came from? Was he human, or an agent from the Negaverse?"
Raye shook her head. "I don't know where he's from. It was all so vague. Still, it's a menace we've never seen before. And I definitely believe he's going to strike. And soon."
"From what you told us, Raye, there's no way on Earth that this creep can be human," said a frowning Tanya Cambridge, seated next to Talia Kirk. The pretty black girl and the stoic teenager from Vulcan had, in a short period of time become inseperable. The very best of friends. "He sounds like a real monster, just like Siryn."
"I agree, Tanya. Not to doubt your divinations, Raye, but specifics are sorely lacking here," Talia pointed out in her always logical manner. "We need more substantial facts before we can take any sort of action, otherwise we would strictly be in a reactive posture, waiting for something to happen. And when it does, casualties could well be the end result."
"Dammit, Kirk! You think I don't know that?" Raye suddenly roared. Despite her notoriously short temper, Raye's outburst startled everyone. Just as quickly, her anger faded and she lowered her head to Talia from contrition. "I'm sorry, Tal. I didn't mean to yell at you. I'm afraid this whole thing has me rattled."
"I understand. No apologies are necessary," said Talia. However, something in the back of her mind, an all-too human intuition gained from the blossoming of her emotions and her experiences with Tanya told the Vulcan girl that Raye was holding back. While her suspicion didn't sound logical, Talia considered it enough of a concern to mentally file away for future reference.
"So, what's the next move?" Mina asked. Unaware to her, Raye shot the blonde quick, worried look.
"The best we can do at present is to monitor the police bands and newscasts for any unusual activity," said Artemis. "All of you will have to be on call and ready to respond at a moment's notice, day or night in case something does happen."
"I couldn't agree more," said a stern faced Luna. "Since you girls haven't been in combat since you returned from Philadelphia two weeks ago, and you haven't worked with Tanya for even longer, I recommend we have a training session right away."
"Uhh, Luna? I don't wanna sound like I'm trying to skate out of work, but how can we train for an enemy we don't know anything about?" Serena asked.
"Serena has a point," said Lita to the black cat. "We couldn't be any more in the dark about this if our eyes were closed."
"If I might make a suggestion, we should concentrate on agility drills," Raye said hesitantly. "Put the emphasis on being able to dodge enemy attacks."
Tanya cocked an eyebrow from curiosity. "Agility drills, huh? Does that have something to do with your vision?"
"A little, Ti. A little." For a second time, Raye stole a worried glance in Mina's direction.
Downtown Tokyo:
Even though he had never been in Tokyo before, Duncan had no trouble getting around.
Thanks to precise directions given him by the late Jerry Rollins, Duncan wasted no time getting to his appointed destination. After taking the monorail from Haneda airport to it's termination point in downtown Tokyo, Duncan took the subway to the Shinjiku station where he found what he had been searching for. A ramen bar on the corner from the subway station called 'Mamoru-kun'.
Crossing the street, Duncan sauntered into the bar. The smells of cooking noodles wafted past his nose, making his stomach growl as it had been hours since his in-flight meal during the trip from London. While Duncan had no idea what ramen was, he figured by the smell that it was pretty decent.
Right away, the baldheaded foreigner drew plenty of attention from the patrons and wait staff, all of whom eyed Duncan suspiciously. Duncan didn't care. According to Jerry, the bar was a known hangout for Yakuza heavies, so it stood to reason they knew a thug when they saw one. The only problem Duncan figured on was the language barrier. He spoke no Japanese and had no idea who in here spoke English. Walking up to the counter, he decided to try his luck.
"Hullo there, mate. I'm lookin' for someone who frequents this place," he said casually to the man at the counter, a rail thin, bearded man in an apron who looked at him with slitted eyes. "He's called 'I.G.'. Can you help me?"
The thin man sneered at Duncan. "Sorry, gaijin. We don't serve your kind," he grumbled in broken English. "Go back to America where you belong."
Duncan scowled, his anger quickly rising. "Hey! I ain't no Yank, chum. I'm from Ireland. Don't go insultin' me," he growled. "I know you're a hood, just like me, and everyone else in this dump. Now how about a little help with this I.G. guy before I get pissed and break your face."
His face reddening, the thin man shouted something rapid fire in Japanese to a couple of burly thugs seated at a table to Duncan's left and they slowly stood up, glaring menacingly at the Irishman. Duncan, far from fazed shook his head and chuckled.
"Looks like I'll have to work for my supper," he said, cracking his knuckles. Duncan hadn't been in a good fight since his first year in Whitemoor when he started a riot in the chow hall. The Irishman looked forward to this.
The first thug, wearing a t-shirt and jeans unfurled a left hook at Duncan who ducked under the swing and drove his own fist into his solar plexus, driving the wind out of the hood. As the hood doubled over, Duncan floored him with a right uppercut. The second tough, wearing a sport jacket and pants surprised Duncan with a spinning wheel leg kick that caught the Irishman on the side of his head, sending him dazed to the floor.
"Damn! I hate that martial arts shit!" Duncan growled.
The thug, seeing Duncan helpless tried to stomp his head in, but the Irishman caught the thug's foot and threw him off-balance where he crashed into the table he and his friend had been sitting at. Shaking out the cobwebs, Duncan hopped up, grabbed a chair and slammed it down on the thug's back, knocking him out. Barely breathing hard, Duncan, feeling himself growing hot turned to glare at the man behind the counter.
"C'mon, gook! Got any more losers you wanna see wasted?" he roared.
"Take it easy, guy. No need to bust up the joint. Draws too much attention," came a voice from behind a curtain near the bar. The curtains parted, and a smirking, oily looking man, wearing a dark blue polo shirt, jeans and a captain's hat on his head casually strolled out. The man looked at the two felled goons, then at Duncan. "Well, well, well. Looks like you can take care of yourself, gaijin. I'm impressed."
"I could care less!" Duncan growled. His body temperature soaring, he was ready to lay waste to the diner, low profile be damned. "Who the hell are you?"
"I'm I.G.. Only one person outside of Tokyo knows my handle," said the man, extending his hand to Duncan. "If he told it to you, then you're okay in my book. Welcome to Tokyo. My name's Isaki Goro."
Two hours later, Mina, stiff and sore from non-stop Sailor Scout agility drills with the others yawned as she walked up to her door. Artemis, walking alongside her looked up at her in concern.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Oh, sure. Nothing a long hot soak in the tub and about twelve hours worth of sleep can't cure," said Mina. "Were you and Luna Marine Corps drill sergeants in a past life? You nearly ran us into the ground!"
"Better to run you into the ground figuratively than to have you planted in same literally because we didn't train you enough," Artemis replied smugly.
"Hmph. Easy for you to say!"
Artemis smirked. "In your case, my dear, I would agree."
Mina, too tired to dream up a clever retort, gave Artemis the finger. The white cat shook his head sadly.
"Tsk. Young people."
Upon entering, Mina stopped short, her eyes widened and her mouth fell open when she saw the woman sitting on the couch talking to her mother. The woman stood and stared at Mina, a look of wide eyed awe, almost shock on her face. She was a tall, willowy and beautiful with shoulder length brown hair and chocolate brown eyes. Dressed in a white linen skirt suit, a navy blue turtleneck and matching low heeled pumps, the woman walked up to Mina, her eyes bright with tears as she smiled fondly at her.
"Hello, Mina," said Katrina Howell, her voice choked from emotion.
Mina's head spun and her legs turned rubbery as she stared at a woman she never expected to see again. He throat dry, Mina could only croak: "Oh....my....God. Kat?"
"Yes, love. It's me." Katrina threw her arms around Mina and hugged her tight. After a moment, Mina gave into her swirling emotions, hugged her old friend back and the two women openly sobbed. Mrs. Spencer smiled at seeing the happy reunion.
"Bloody hell!" growled Katrina after breaking the embrace to pull a sleeve across her eyes. "Thirty years old and I'm bawling like a baby!"
"Then you shouldn't have worn mascara. It's running like a scalded dog," said Mina in a broken voice.
"That's 'scalded cat'. Dear Lord, it's so good to see you again."
"Likewise. How....how'd you find me?" Mina wanted to know.
Katrina grinned. "I'm a full Interpol agent now, love. Transferred from the London Police two years ago. Finding people is my job."
"Miss Howell was telling me all about your relationship in England, dear," said Mina's mother, a smile on her face. "Sounds like the two of you were thick as thieves back then."
A sad expression briefly crossed Mina's face as the memories of her past returned. Then her expression turned to stone. "We were, mom. We were. Uh, do you mind if I borrow Kat for awhile? We have a few things to discuss."
"Not at all, honey. I imagine you both have a lot of catching up to do. Would you like to stay for dinner, Miss Howell?"
"Oh, I wouldn't want to be an imposition to you, Mrs. Spencer," said Katrina with a nervous grin.
"I insist. Any friend of my daughter's is a friend of mine. Please."
Katrina nodded, even though she suspected it might make for an uncomfortable situation, given her past with Mina. She glanced at the blonde and saw her eyes narrowed slightly. Still, it would be improper to turn down such a generous invitation. "Of course. I'd be happy to dine with you."
Mrs. Spencer grinned. "Excellent. Dinner will be ready in short while. That'll give you girls plenty of time to get reacquainted."
"Yeah. It sure will," Mina muttered. "C'mon, Kat. I'll show you around the neighborhood while we talk."
Katrina looked pensive. "Sure."
Artemis, equally surprised to see the British woman made a move to follow, but Mina shot the cat a quick but withering stare that told the familiar to stay. Reluctantly, Artemis obeyed and the women left. After leaving, Mina and Katrina walked to a nearby park and the women sat down on a bench. For several minutes, neither woman spoke, initially uncomfortable in each other's presence because of the past.
"Why, Mina? Why did you let everyone think you were dead?" asked Katrina. "My heart shattered when you didn't come out of that warehouse after it blew up. Why in heaven's name did you fake your own death?"
"Because of you and Alan. I knew that the two of you were in love," a downcast Mina replied.
Katrina's eyes widened from shock. "You....you knew? How?"
"I just knew. Now that you've barged back into my life, what I want to know is why you betrayed me?" Mina asked, her anger quickly rising. "Alan was the first man I ever loved! He meant everything to me, Kat! You were my best friend! How could you steal him from me?"
"Mina, you don't understand. Alan was never yours to steal. Not from the start," said a downcast Katrina, dreading this conversation from the moment she arrived in Japan. "You may have loved him, but he never loved you. He never could. For God's sake, you were only thirteen, and he was twenty-five!"
"So? What does that have to do with anything?"
"Are you serious? Even though you could fire laser beams from your fingertips, leap tall buildings in a single bound and twist steel bars into pretzels, the awful truth is that you were a child!" Katrina countered. "You were just out of puberty and led astray by your hormones when you fell for Alan!"
Mina scowled. "And what was your excuse?"
"Whether you believe me or not, I never meant to fall in love with Alan. It just happened, and, as it turned out, he was attracted to me as well," said a dour Katrina. "After the incident at the warehouse, we talked a long time about us, about you. You have no idea just how uncomfortable Alan was with your infatuation. Alan feared that if word got out about the two of you, he'd been charged with corrupting a minor. He knew he couldn't return your love, but didn't have the nerve to tell you the truth. Ironically enough, that was because Alan didn't want to hurt you."
"Really? That was mighty white of him. Sounds like you and Alan enjoyed a lot of pillow talk," said Mina, her voice dripping scorn. "Tell me something, Kat. How many minutes did you spend mourning my 'death' before you hopped in the sack with him?"
Before she could stop herself, Katrina, enraged, slapped Mina across her face with all her strength, the sound of flesh striking flesh loud as a gunshot. Mina, ramrod stiff, endured the pain without uttering a sound, she simply glared at Katrina with hateful eyes. Katrina, seeing Mina's fiery red left cheek paled from horror at what she had done.
"Oh, God! Mina! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to do that!" Katrina tried to hug Mina, but the blonde backed away.
"Now you know how I angry I was that day, Kat. How hurt I was," Mina hissed. "After the explosion, while you and Alan were literally kissing me off, I watched you from an alley, barely alive after recovering from the blast. I nearly died that day, and you screwed me over! But, I walked away, I let you and Alan be happy, something I'd never be!"
There was another long, uncomfortable silence between the two women before Katrina spoke. "If you're trying to make me feel like shit, then you've succeeded beyond your wildest dreams," she said, tears of guilt spilling from her eyes. "You gave me your friendship, entrusted me with your secret identity, and I stabbed you in the back. I don't blame you for hating me, Mina, but I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."
Now it was Mina who was at a loss for words, her mind in turmoil as fresh tears trickled down her face from the renewed ache in her heart. "I want to, Kat, I really do, but the pain from three years ago is still there. And I don't know if it'll ever go away."
"I understand. Believe me, if circumstances were different, I never would've come here. Never would've opened your old wounds over Alan." Katrina paused to gather her thoughts. "Unfortunately, this isn't a social call, I'm here on Interpol business. We have a problem, Mina. A huge problem."
"What are you talking about?"
Katrina took a deep breath before she responded. "Seamus Duncan escaped from prison. And I think he's come here to kill you."
"So, Jerry Rollins sent ya, eh?" said a grinning Goro to Duncan. After escorting him into the main cabin of his boat, 'Moon Princess', the Yakuza gunrunner sat Duncan down at his dining table. "How is Jerry doing these days, Mr. McDougal?"
"He's doing just fine, laddie," said Duncan, preferring to go by his alias in case Interpol had a warrant out on him. Duncan didn't want to risk being ratted out if there was a reward on his head. That's why he killed his cousin. Breaking out in a crooked grin, Duncan added, "In fact, Jerry told me he was goin' on vacation after helpin' me. Said he was gonna take a good long rest."
"Well, he's rich enough. He can afford it. So, what can I do for you?"
"I need weapons. Jerry told me you're a top Yakuza gunrunner. I'm gonna need firepower, and manpower for a big job I've got here."
Goro couldn't help but be curious. What would an Irishman want here. "What sort of job, if you don't mind my asking?"
Duncan shrugged and decided to indulge the man. He already planned on killing the gangster once the job was finished. "I'm here to kill one of the Sailor Scouts. Sailor Venus to be exact."
Goro's eyes widened from shock. He still remembered the terrifying incident he got caught up in a year ago. Shanghaied by two Tokyo cops, Goro took them and a couple of the Scouts on his boat to an island miles out in the ocean where they and rogue U.S. Army soldiers fought a laboratory full of horrific monsters. For weeks afterward, the mobster had nightmares about that awful day, and the power he had seen the Scouts unleash. And this gaijin wants to fight one of them? Insane, he thought.
"You want to kill one of the Scouts? Pardon me for saying this, friend, but that's crazy," Goro growled. "I've seen those chippies in action, and they're hell on wheels. I've seen 'em fight monsters and even dodge gunfire! I'm tellin' ya, man, nothing human can stand up to them!"
Hearing that, Duncan chuckled. "So I've heard. But I've got an edge that puts me in their league. And then some."
"What sort of edge? A nuke?"
"Not quite, laddie." Duncan then pulled a fat wad of yen from the inside pocket of his blazer and plopped it down on the table. "One million, Japanese. You can count it if you like. What will that get me?"
Goro picked up the wad. He was suitably impressed. "A crew of six, complete with M-16's. But only for a couple of days. Manpower's at a premium these days, what with the cops cracking down on the gangs. If you can get your hands on more cash, you can have 'em for longer."
"That's just a down payment, laddie. I can get lots more cash. Anytime you want."
"Really? How much? And when?"
"How much is whatever you and your boys can carry. When, how about tomorrow?" said Duncan with an oily grin spreading across his face. "Where's the nearest big bank?"
Goro's mouth fell open from disbelief. "You want to rob a bank? Are you crazy?"
Duncan nodded. "Maybe. But with my edge, we can pull this off. Guaranteed. Interested?"
In spite of himself, Goro was intrigued. Hitting a bank on Sunday had never been done before. Perhaps it could work. "Okay. I'll give you a try. But you better know what you're doing. The Roppongi branch of Tokyo National Bank is three miles away from here. What time do you want to hit the place?"
"Ten or eleven a.m.. That should shake things up big time."
"In the morning? That's sure to bring the cops! Maybe even the Scouts!"
"That's exactly what I want, laddie. Anything that'll draw out Venus!" Duncan then glared at Goro. "Since I'm payin' the bills, I call the shots. Got a problem with that?"
Goro, unsettled as he stared into Duncan's eyes slowly nodded. "Nope. Not at all. Tell me something. Why are you so hot to kill Sailor Venus?"
"Why? Because that bitch put me in jail three years ago. I mean to pay her back for that by rippin' her head off and puttin' it on my mantle! I hate that stinkin' cunt! I HATE HER!" Duncan roared, his body instantly hot. He had to concentrate to bring himself under control. The time was not yet right to expose his secret. "Any more questions, laddie? Your curiosity satisfied?"
"Oh, yeah. It's satisfied alright," said Goro, convinced that the man seated in front of him was a raving lunatic. But as long as he had money, the Japanese gangster was more than willing to overlook his client's idiosyncrasies.
Duncan, content, nodded. "Good. In the meantime, do you know a place where I can get a decent plate of corned beef and cabbage?"
"Corned beef and cabbage? In Tokyo? No way!" said Goro with a hearty laugh. "But there's a good steakhouse four blocks from here. Will that fill the bill?"
Duncan, grinning nodded, his mouth watering. "If they've got cold beer, mate, I'm in. Let's go tie one on before we go to work tomorrow!"
And, after that, I'll start raising hell until I get my hands on Venus, he thought. So help me God, I'm gonna kill that lousy bitch! Even if I have to burn down this town to do it!
NEXT: Allies And Adversaries