Chapter Twenty #3
We know they might still be in the car. Since they slipped us so fast in this direct vicinity, we assumed they’d only used the car to get to a train station and hop on a private car, possibly a Shinkansen line.
Irowen visibly fumed before muttering, “Shitballs. I forgot about the Shinkansens. How can we be sure they didn’t get on one? If that’s the case, they could be scaling Fuji by now—”
Or they could still be in that limousine, inching their way south through Yokohama.
As soon as Kaw made it clear where his assertion ended, Irowen’s scowl deepened. This time, Apollo joined his to it. “You throwing any theory against the wall now, Captain, just to see what sticks?”
And do you think my imagination is that good? Kaw weaved his head and flared his wings. Sadly, I’ve not returned here for the snacks, good anax. If that were the case, I’d be fighting my broheims between the leftovers down in Kabuchiko right now . . .
Before he got too far with the meandering, Apollo cut in again. “So what do you need from us?”
Some help, the corvid readily replied. At least that’s what we’re hoping.
“Help how?” Irowen asked.
We need information. About your sister.
“Okay, but what kind of information?” Her frown deepened.
“I can show you some more phone photos, but if you want anything like her own phone number to track, it’s a dead end.
I’ve not stopped trying that every hour of every day since they nicked her.
The signal’s not there. I mean, at all. Likely means they either destroyed the device or—”
We already know that, Kaw interjected. And we’ve been trying just as often, believe me.
And in less than ten words, showed off the firm compassion that made him a more effective right-hand ace than most mortals.
But at this point, I’m looking for deeper details.
Things that only you can provide, Irowen Steed.
“Me? Why? I mean, I’m at your service, Captain Kleos. But I’ve already told you everything I know—”
Yes. But I haven’t done the same.
The crow’s confession both impressed and troubled Apollo, especially since he suspected what his captain planned for a follow-up. It wasn’t like Kaw had never exposed key intel on a mission; the decision was usually just reserved for forcing an adversary’s hand instead of a situation like this.
Damn it.
The team must really be out of actionable options on this one.
“What are you talking about?” Irowen already recharged the wattage on her ire, exposing her own suspicions about Kaw’s diffidence. “Captain? Is there something I should know?”
Perhaps . . .
“And you’re only broaching the subject now?”
The crow danced more nervously on his branch. We chose not to tell you at first, because we weren’t totally sure about our hunches.
“Hunches,” she repeated. “About what?”
Yet again, after Kaw recounted the same impressions he’d exposed to Apollo a few hours ago, she returned the bird’s regard with a look that edged toward eerie.
The crow stuck to the assessment until she took a huge breath that heaved her shoulders, tensed her face, and conveyed her weary vulnerability.
“Okay,” she finally said, the word just as weighted. “So you’re saying Genny’s formed a mushy Stockholm thing for her guards. Not completely surprising, since it’s been several weeks since the kidnapping. And her direct detail is probably younger shatei, so they’re likely stacked and cute and—
No, Kaw broke in.
She slapped back by raising both eyebrows. “No, they’re not stacked, or no, they’re not cute?”
No, he qualified. There’s not a ‘them’.
“Excuse me?”
His captain stilled his wings and steadied his stare. When we spotted Eugenia leaving the airport, she wasn’t escorted by a detail, as you’ve implied. There was only one guard with her. And since the time has come for full honesty, we weren’t even sure he was her appointed guard.
“Huh?” Irowen stomped back toward the tree. “So what does that m—”
A scout on Quil’s squad faked intense interest in a rice snack on the ground near the two of them and their car, the bird went on as if she hadn’t spoken.
The spy was able to confirm a tantō sheath and a stun gun under the guy’s jacket.
The traditional blade and the alternative firearm led us to believe he was definitely one of Ito’s men; however, the behaviors we observed from the young man, as well as your sister, had us wondering about the true .
. . ermmm . . . circumstances of their travel arrangements.
“True circumstances? In what way?” She snorted for final punctuation, clearly not cool with her hazy grasp on Kaw’s ultimate purpose.
Admittedly, Kleos was taking the stressful scenic route to get to his damn point.
“Is there a way to cut the Clouseau complications and just spell out where you’re going with this?
” she demanded next. “Kaw, I don’t have time to be a sidepiece ditz here. ”
“You’re not a sidepiece,” Apollo gritted out.
“Not the point,” she snapped. Then with matching impatience to Kaw, “Which I’m still waiting for, Captain Kleos. You and the sun god airborne clearly have a hot take here, so let’s freaking hear it already.”