Capítulo 73: I need your car, your nurse, your bike
"Would you like some tea?" Bang, I mean Saeko's father asks as he takes a sip of his usual, blistering hot tea while sitting on the opposite side of the table. Throwing a glance at the pink-haired girl that was for all intent and purpose, still attached to my arm. Saeko sitting next to me on the other side.
"No, thank you." I respond flatly. Saeko's father threw a one-eyed glance at me, before slowly leaving his cup on the table.
"My daughter told me that you wished to speak to me as soon as possible." He responds calmly.
"She told me you might have a plan? Something that could give us an, alternative to this place." I answer with a slight nod.
"You don't like it here?" He asks as he arks an eyebrow.
"As I matter of fact, I don't. You know what was the latest 'reward' I got for almost getting myself killed for a bunch of people that don't even know my name? A bunch of mouth breathers trying to rape Saya. So yes, I don't exactly find this place to be worth the effort." I respond with a slightly sarcastic tone as I motion my head towards the pinkette, who just kept staring at the floor. Saeko's father actually blinked at me in surprise as I spoke.
"That, is news to me. Does her father know about this?" He asks back as he glances at Saya, who kept her head down.
"I don't think so, I was not able to contact him since I returned. Nither did Saya." I respond.
"I see. I'll make sure to let him know of this then, he should be aware of the people he is dealing with. Do you, know who was responsible?" The old man nods slightly as he brings his hand to his chin.
"The actual groper? Some privileged tie in the high part of the camp. Personally though? I heard him mentioning the general. The same General that seems to have been caught a couple of times at the wrong place at the wrong time. That place being the camp's baths, the time being when it was full of naked girls." I respond as I tilt my head slightly.
"That, could indeed make things hard for you and your friends. Sadly, most of the general's bad points, are being ignored for the fact that he is in command of the safest base in the whole city." Saeko's father sighs slightly as he speaks.
"And it was because of his expertise I take it, not because the airport is essentially surrounded by sea with only one way through. Which happens to be an easily defendable bridge?" I 'ask'...
"Restarting the dam, linking up outposts. He might be a disgraceful individual. But we can't do anything as long as he gets results. Not in times like these. He also fills another important role for the rest of the government officials. One, of a scapegoat. He makes all the ugly decisions, conscripting civilians, sending people in essential suicide runs. The government will have to 'blame' somebody when balance returns and the masses will want justice for what they went through. The fact that he is a lecherous individual actually works for them, they let him do as he pleases, and when the time comes, they will come to 'slay the dragon'. I am actually, surprised if he has yet to realize that he is dancing around his own guillotine right now. "Saeko's father folds his arms as he speaks.
"But in all honesty, I am more worried about the 'new' arrivals. The general, for all his faults, has seen the chaos and knows of the danger the infected possess." He adds as he turns his stare towards his cup of tea.
"So you mean I have to choose between a fat lecher that thinks this place is his personal brothel and has 'already' provoked me more than once. Or a bunch of pencil pushers that fled in their private helicopters and jets at the first sign of trouble. Who, while the word was getting eaten alive, were snoring in their safe bunkers. And are as likely to fuck up and crawl back into their holes, leaving us to clean the mess, again. I think I'm better off living in the mountains if that's the case..." I sigh as I shake my head. Saeko's father closed his eyes and nods.
"And, as much as you, I am not interested in following people like that. So, that is why we are here now." He says as he opens his eyes.
"I would rather have a backup plan to fall back to. Should the infected outside prove to be more human than the humans here." He adds.
"And, what do you need me for?" I ask as I fold my arms.
"My estate." He replies flatly.
"It's located in a remote location on a rocky hill a bit outside of town. Only one way to get there, which is an easily guarded zig-zag uphill road. The place is big enough to act as storage. And safe enough to not be constantly on guard about it. It's protected by a sturdy outer wall should 'something' manage to get close. And has ample space inside to act as a farm to sustain a good amount of people. And, until the power cables have been repaired for it to draw power, it has its own generator. The place also has its own underground lake, so as long as we have power, we can draw water. Infected, they can only be 'let' in. And, if you are wondering why I had yet to mention this place, is because I don't want it to fall in the wrong hands. I trust you enough to belive you won't try to backstab me, or my daughter." As he speaks, he strokes his chin, seemingly proud of what he was saying.
"What about 'not' infected." I ask. The old man just smiles.
"The place was outfitted for unwanted guests long before the outbreak. As people before the outbreak were not exactly any better than now. I might dare say that the chance of somebody trying to weasel their way in might has actually decreased now. Bulletproof windows, armored doors, thick walls. Did I mention the place has actual trap doors?" He chuckles.
(...Thi guy's nuts. And I love it.)
"But? There must be a but, otherwise, I would not be here, would I? This whole gig sounds a bit, too good." I ask as I fold my arms.
"You think I'll use you for my gain?" he asks.
"Yes." I reply flatly.
"And you are right. I want you to do two things. One is to go there, and clear the place for me, because as hard as it is to let infected in, it is as hard to drive them out, should they get in, which, they did. Now the second, is to find people you trust." He replies.
"People?" I ask.
"Unless you can make that place really impregnable and as self-sustainable as possible by yourself the go ahead. Just know that Souichiro is willing to spare me some people, in exchange for him being able to use it as well. I want you to be the one who picks who goes there. " He responds.
"All that sounds awesome. But I have yet to see 'why' I should do it." I ask again.
"After we take it back. You can stay there, no strings attached. That of course includes people close to you. I intend to use the place as a fallback location. A fallback location still needs to be guarded. I'd rather trust the man my daughter has put her faith in, rather some random people Souichiro handed me. If I had to say that there is an extra prerequisite. It would be that you don't lose it. And that taking my daughter with you, is mandatory." The old man finally adds as he picks up his teacup.
"Think about it, and when you decide, inform my daughter." He adds as he takes a sip, then closes his eyes...
(...Choices huh? Really, what do we have? One is, staying here. And considering it took less than a fucking day for somebody to try and molest Saya. Staying here is like I'm asking to one day wake up with me dead and some dudes over the girls. The second is leaving, and honestly, living like a caveman. I could get electricity as I studied some basics for solar panels, but water and food? Good luck with that. Add the risk of bandits and corpses. We will probably have to stay on the move if we go down that path. As none of us know to farm and even with a water purifier, I don't know how safe the rivers are. And it's not like I can internet that information now. Following Saeko's dad essentially is the best of both worlds, if things go as he said. Which probably won't. Though that mostly depends on 'who' will be in that estate with me...)
"And, there is another thing I want to ask you." Saeko's father then speaks up again, after taking a sip from his volcano tea.
"What are you going to do?" He asks right after.
"Uhh, do?" I ask back as I tilt my head questionably.
"These, people. They hurt somebody important to you. Are you going to seek revenge? Or?..." He asks again as she glances at Saya.
"My main target is to first and foremost make sure that these' important' people are safe. As much as I'd like to hijack a tank right now and run over a couple of people. It's just going to make things harder for us in the long run." I sigh slightly as I glance at the table. The old man just nodded and he closed his eyes, taking another sip of his tea.
"Keeping a clear head in times like these can make quite the difference." He adds as he glances at me.
"Also, I won't have to inform Saeko, of anything. We will go. I'll just need to find some people. And a transport." I respond as I start to get up.
"Very well. Come to me once you are set then. I'll see if I can maybe, sweeten the deal for you." The old man adds as he finally focuses solely on his teacup.
With that, me and the girls get up, and turn to leave the room.
The moment we entered the hallway, I turn to the pinkette still attached to my arm..
"Saya, are you alright?" I ask as I turn to lean towards the silent pinkette, who responded with a low-toned murmur. Her grip on my arm tightening.
"I know we didn't have any time to stop the moment I arrived. If you need a break, tell me." I add as I ruffle her hair.
"...I, am fine..." She answers with a whisper. Then closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. Before opening them, and lifting her head to look at me.
"I am fine. Really. Do not worry. I just. Just let me hold on to you for a bit longer..." She continues as she makes a slight smile. I just nod in response.
"Naier? Got any people we could take with us in mind?" Saeko asks right after.
"As a matter of fact. I do." I respond as we start walking.
"We will need some basics. A mechanic, a doctor, and a car or truck." I answer.
"For one, we don't know a doctor. But, we know someone close enough." I continue.
"You mean Shizuka?" Saeko asks back. I just nod.
"You think she would just come with us though? She has been with the rest of the group for far longer. She is probably more attached to them if I am to be plain." Saeko responds.
"Yes, that's where Rika come in." I answer. Saeko tilted her head questionably, even Saya lifted her head to look at me with a questioning look.
"She and Shizuka knew each other for much longer. Also, Rika owns the Humvee we used. Methinks with her on our team we can get both a nurse, and a car." I shrug slightly.
"Hmm, not a bad idea." Saeko nods slightly as we start going down the stairs.
"No idea about a mechanic though..." I sigh as we keep going.
"...I know one." Saya then speaks up.
"Hmm? You do?" I ask back, Saya just nods.
"He works for my father, he used to play with me sometimes when I was a kid. I think his name was, Mazato?" Saya continues.
(Oh? Oh Yea, the chubby guy that popped from under the Humvee and got an eyeful of Saya panties in the anime. Hmm, the guy did seem mellow enough. Didn't he have a loved one though? Or was he actually speaking about Saya...)
"Not a bad idea, and there's Igano. We could use a gun expert. I might know my way around a gun, but I ain't go mechanic." I respond.
"Won't Khota do for that?" Saeko asks back.
"Uhh, while I'd agree. Khota, means Asami. And, if we add a total of three people from our old group, something tells me they will just want to take everybody with..." I continue.
"Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not too keen on trusting Takashi after his last stunts. Plus, Rei ain't gonna be leaving without her dad, Takashi won't leave without Rei. And I'm not taking an unstable cop in a car full of guns." I sigh slightly as I shake my head.
"What about the other girl you saved?" Saeko asks again.
"Hmm? You mean Hitomi?" I ask back.
"Yes, she did tell that her father took her fishing did she not? Maybe she might know some skills that can help us." She continues, taking the final step off the stairs.
"That, is not a bad idea. We would hit jackpot if she knew something about farming or camping." I nod as I try to fold my arms, only to remember that one of them was still immobile because of a pinkette.
"So, Rika, Shizuka, Hitomi, Igano, and uhh, the mechanic." I say as I take a deep breath.
"Mazato." Saya corrects me with a mumble.
(Well, I would prefer Khota over Igano. Since I knew him longer. But...)
And so, we exit the main building...
"Alright. Where do we start?" Saeko asks right after.
"Car is mandatory. Even if we get absolutely anybody. We need it to even get there. So, Rika." I respond.
"Isn't she already part of the military though? If she comes with us, won't that by extension means the army can get involved?" Saeko asks as we start heading towards the bridge.
"Police, not army. And, I don't know. She didn't seem to take the army code to heart..." I respond.
(...Wait, Hitomi, is supposed to be at the camps right? The same camps where Saya almost got raped...)
"Uhh, did you two 'see' Hitomi by any chance?" I ask as I stop.
"Hmmm, no, not really. She was not in the newcomer part of the camp." Saeko responds.
"Is something on your mind?" She asks right after.
"Considering the way we found her. I just hope she did not end up in the hands of another bunch of dickheads..." I respond.
Saeko did not respond, and neither did Saya.
"Going back to the camps though, something tells me that there might be people looking for us there. While I guess the army won't interfere since we are still standing here. I don't know about the refugees themselves..." I sigh as I fold my arms.
"Uhh, I'll see if Rika can look for her. So let's go to her first." I add as we start walking again.
"You sure seem to have a lot of faith in her." Saeko responds, folding her arms and leaning slightly forward.
"More than everybody else in here. Minus you and Saya I mean." I answer as I turn to look at Saeko.
"I see. Forgive me If I sound envious." Saeko then lowers her head slightly.
"It is just. You have been a bit, distant. Ever since you returned." She adds as she lifts her head to look at me.
I take a deep breath, and stop.
"One of you almost got raped. And had I been too late, both you and Saya might have ended up being past the 'almost' part." I close my eyes before tapping my helmet.
"I'm really trying not just walk into that camp right now and burn all of it to the ground, innocent people or not. The idea that some fat ass prick is getting off thinking about you is, rubbing me the wrong way. At best." I add as I turn to look at her.
"I just want to be done with this place, as soon as possible. Because Hell knows I can't relax if I know that we have vultures drooling over you two." I add as I glance at Saya.
"I, am sorry. I did not mean to sound self-centered." Saeko lowers her head slightly.
"Don't worry about it. Essentially, it means that you care, no?" I chuckle as I pat her head. Saeko just closes her eyes and smiles slightly.
"Thank you." She whispers as she opens her eyes and stares right at me.
(They should consider themselves lucky that making you two are higher on my priority list.)
With that, we turn to head towards the bridge.
Saya finally let go of my arm mid-trip. She also stopped looking so, shaken...
(Rika is probably done with the boat loading by now, so. Where would I be if I was Rika? Hmmm. Oh wait, that guard by the airport checkpoint seemed to know Rika, at least by surname. If she left the airport he'd know.)
And so, the moment we reached the bridge, we passed the first checkpoint, and headed straight towards the exit, where the mentioned guard was at. Sitting on a chair in the corner of the barricade, drinking a bottle of something.
"Hey, mind if I ask you something?" And I speak up the moment I closed in, the man casually turning to look at me, then at Saeko, then at Saya.
"Uhh? The hero of the airport needs something of me?" The guy chuckles, sounding rather sarcastic, though the tone of his voice made it more sound like he was joking, rather than trying to sound diminishing.
"Minami has passed the checkpoint?" I ask.
"Hmm? Nope, apparently dead people can not pass." The guy shrugs.
"Dead? Care you explain that?" I ask again.
"Apparently, she's dead. In the papers at least. She is at the airport's main building now. Probably chocking some idiot that just labeled her whole team K.I.A. to avoid extra paperwork. Good thing you're not conscripted huh? You'd be dead too." The guy chuckles.
"I see, thanks." I nod, and turn to leave.
"I can bearly manage to hit one, he has two, three? Maybe I should get a mask too..." I hear him whisper as he turns to his drink.
(At least you are trying to change your approach instead of just pushing somebody down...)
And so, we headed towards the main building of the airport.
Upon getting closer to it, we spotted several piles of shattered glass around it. And the building itself, which used to have giant panes of glass walls, probably for visitors to look through towards the planes, was now essentially full of giant holes. Inside the building I could see people walk around, proving that the insides had been cleared.
"Ok, now where is Rika?" I ask as I look towards the entrance.
"Uhhh, there." Saeko then points to my right, towards a bench. A purple-haired woman, her elbows behind the bench's backrest, cigar between her fingers, staring at the sky as she was essentially sprawled on the bench.
(Purple-haired Samurai, found the purple-haired sniper.)
"Nice catch. That looks like her alright." I nod as we turn to head towards the woman, who indeed turned out to be Rika.
Upon closing in...
"First they sign me off as dead, now they tell me to wait in line..." Rika mumbled as she kept looking at the sky.
"The guy was not kidding huh. They labeled you as K.I.A..." I tilt my head as I speak. Rika lowers her head to look at me, and scoffs.
"Can you believe that? They already handed all of my stuff too." She responds as she lifts both her arms with a groan.
"But what about you?" She adds as she lowers her arms, taking a puff out of her cigar.
"Better than bad. Worse than good. Sadly, I was not that far off..." I respond, glancing at Saya.
"Oh shit. Sorry for acting so inconsiderate. Everything alright?" Rika then sits on the bench normally, her expression turning serious.
"No, not really. But let's just say that our damage was not permanent. Theirs, was." I respond as I take a deep breath.
"Ahhh, at least some good news is better than no good news." Rika sighs as she looks toward the sky.
"So, you're jobless now?" I ask as I fold my arms.
"More like lifeless." Rika chuckles.
"For how long?" I ask again.
"I don't know. Apparently, it takes a lot of paperwork to make somebody, 'not dead'." Rika huffs as she puffs her cigar.
"God this is annoying. They even tossed out my favorite vibrator..." she whispers as she keeps looking at the sky...
(...Did you really just say that or I'm hearing things...)
I glance at the girls, to find them also staring at Rika with a funny expression...
(Yep, she said that...)
"Why do we want her with us again?" Saya mumbles.
"Hmm? You want who with who?" Rika asks as she turns to look at Saya, who just turns to look away.
"So, uhh. Here's the gig. You know how everybody here is an asshole?" I speak up, Rika turning to look at me with one mean-ass frown, folding her arms as she narrows her eyes at me.
"Ok, almost everybody." I respond.
"Thank you." Rika makes an exaggerated nod before leaning back in her seat.
"I'm going to be leaving." I add right after, Rika blinking at me with a blank expression.
"Uhh, leaving as in..." She mumbles as she tilts her head.
"Packing up, and leaving, for good." I answer.
"I see. I'll admit it's not that surprising..." Rika shrugs slightly.
"Want to come with?" I add.
"...That, is surprising." Rika arcs an eyebrow as she looks at me, then, smirks.
(Oh god, that fucking smirk again.)
"Hmm? Are you inviting me somewhere commando?" Rika 'asks' as she leans toward me.
"No funny jokes here please, I'm being serious." I respond as I shake my head.
"Ahh, ok, ok I get it. We talk business then." Rika lifts both hands in surrender as she leans back up.
"I'll be plain. I need your car, your Shizuka, and your bike. And something tells me I'll need you for all of these." I say as I fold my arms.
"Uhhh, what? I need more information bub, we are talking business after all. You can't expect me to just blindly follow, even though I sort of owe you. Also, I'm not giving you my bike, you're not a killer robot from the future." Rika also folds her arms and crosses her legs with a smirk.
"Wait, you have a bike?" I ask back as I tilt my head.
"Nope, but you are not the terminator either." Rika chuckles.
"Fair enough. So, back to the point at hand. We are taking back the Busujima estate. Based on what Saeko's father said, that place should be able to be self-sufficient as an actual base, should we have the people for it. I need the car to get there, I need Shizuka because she is a doctor, and she's a person I trust more than some other random doctor. And if I should give a reason, I need you because you can bolster the place's defense after we get it back. " I answer as I keep staring at Rika.
"Hmmm, I see..." Rika narrows her eyes and lowers he sight, seemingly thinking...
A few seconds pass...
The seconds turn to minutes...
"...Well..." Saya whispers...
"Huh?' Rika lifts her head to look at the pinkette.
"Oh, yea sure I'll come with. Not much to think about that. After all, I'm dead no?" Rika casually answers.
"Uhh, wait. What were you thinking all this time then?" I ask.
"Which day of the week I'll be on in the harem." Rika answers flatly.
"...What..." I ask as I drop my shoulders.
"I mean, these two are probably the weekend. Everybody loves the weekend. Shizuka is too mellow, so, Friday? That leaves me all the bad days. Then again, I think Monday suits my temperament the most..." Rika puts her hand under her chin and narrows her eyes and looks towards the distance.
"...Why do we want her with us again?" Saya asks with a low tone, again.
"She has a car." I answer.
"I also have a nice ass." She continues with a casual tone.
"In that case, you won't mind going to the camp to find somebody for me." I respond as I tilt my head.
"Hue?..." Rika just blinks at me as she also tilts her head.
"Her name is Hitomi, we arrived with her. See if she's interested in joining us, or more like, if she can speak with us." I answer as I turn to look towards the bridge.
"The camp huh..." Rika gets up and tosses her cigar.
"Very well, boss." She continues as she makes a playful wink.
"She can be Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday." She chuckles as she starts walking.
"...Let's go see about the mechanic in the meantime. Since Saya's dad is willing to spare people, I want to check that mechanic..." I say as I turn to walk as well, ignoring Rika's remark.
"Hmm, what do you need a second mechanic for?" Rika asks as she turns to me.
"...You, know how to fix cars?" I ask.
"Well, I had taken some lessons. Not keen on letting people fiddle with my baby." Rika shrugs.
"And now you will tell me you are also a good weapon mechanic." I sarcastically add as I fold my arms.
"Weeeeellll. I can't engrave your gun, but other than that. I did custom-built and maintain mine myself~" Rika folds her arms and shrugs slightly as she smirks.
"...Guess we have a change of plans then. Hitomi is all we 'might' need." I tilt my head as I tap the mask with my finger.
"You sure you don't want me to find you two more girls? Just to close the days of the week?" Rika chuckles.
"...Maybe we should get Khota after all..." I groan as I roll my eyes.
"And, speaking of your baby. Where is it? Tell me they gave it away as well." I ask right after.
"Nope, her dad sort of took it when you arrived. Considering there's only one Humvee in the airport. And he has it." Rika points at Saya as she speaks.
"Well, hope they didn't wreck it..." I take a deep breath as I start to walk.
"By the way, won't you get into trouble for, you know, being dead?" I ask as we head towards the bridge.
"Not if I'm no longer here. Might as well really be dead for them. Just another casualty." Rika shrugs.
"Oh and by the way. You know that Shizuka will essentially just beg you to bring everybody along right?" She adds right after...
"Aaaand you can't do anything about that I take it?" I ask.
"I ain't a miracle worker commando. If I tell her to decide with who to go, there's a bigger chance she'll just get so stressed she'll start crying instead of actually making a choice." Rika shakes her head as she speaks.
"Just perfect..." I groan under my breath as we keep walking.
(Essentially to get a medic, I'll have to get extra baggage. And while Kohta is fine, Asami and especially Rei and Takashi, I do not really trust. But, if there's no choice, might as well take them. Better than taking a random smuck that'll leave the doors open at night. Then again, I actually know the group better than Hitomi. I'm just counting that she'll feel at least partly indebted to us for saving her to not just stab us in the back...)
And, as we reached the bridge...
"Each time I see you you have more women around you. What gives?" The soldier, who was still on the chair, scoffs as he looks at us. Slowly getting up.
"He's building a harem." Rika casually answers.
"...Why do we need her again?..." Saya whispers from behind me.
"Car and nurse?" Saeko asks back.
"And ass." Rika continiues.
"..." I just kept staring at the soldier as the girls kept, trolling essentially.
"I have never been so jealous and so glad about not being somebody else in my entire life." The soldier chuckles as he opens the barricade.
"Take care not to die again huh." He adds as he motions to Rika.
"Hate to break it to you..." Rika speaks up as she passes the barricade with us.
"But I'm actually still dead." She adds as she turns to the soldier with a shrug.
And with that, Rika and the rest of us head over the bridge, exit through the barricade on the other side, and head towards the camp.
"So, what exactly do you want me to say to this Hitomi?" Rika asks as we stop nearby the camp.
"Just ask her if she's interested in hearing about an offer I got. Don't mention me though. " I respond. Rika just nods back.
"Now, we'll go check for your Humvee. Let's meet outside the main building." I continue, Rika nods again.
"Alright commando. I mean boss." She then adds with a chuckle.
"My friends call me Ninja penguin, the evil overlord." I respond with a deadpan voice.
"...How much of that, was Shizuka?" Rika asks as she tilts her head questionably.
"Ehh, maybe fifty percent?" I answer with a shrug.
"...Only? I'm impressed she managed to hold herself." Rika chuckles as she turns to enter the camp.
"Oh one last thing, part of the camp is for 'privileged' and civilians that have a 'use'." I bring my hands up and bend my index and middle fingers a couple of times as I speak. Rika just makes a thumbs-up as she keeps walking.
"...Is she going to make that harem joke for much longer?" Saya mumbles...
"You do seem to be gathering only girls to your team though. Rika, Shizuka, Hitomi." Saeko continues.
"...Fine, let's get Khota then." I groan as I turn to head towards the backyard of the main building, where Souchiro had set up camp. Hoping to find our car there. Saeko giggled behind me.
-A few minutes later-
Upon reaching the back of the building, we started looking around. For like, two minutes.
Since you know, most of their cars were the type 73 jeep. And a Humvee? There was only one of them. Parked in what I think was a makeshift garage on the corner of the field.
"Damn that beast sticks out like a sore thumb next to the other jeeps." I fold my arms as I walk up towards the Humvee.
"You think they will let us have it back?" Saeko asks right after.
"Souichiro is supposed to help us right?" I respond as we stop next to the car.
"Hmm? Miss Takagi?" And, a new voice speaks up. From under the Humvee. Matsudo, the mechanic Saya mentioned popping from under the Humvee...
(...Some things, never change...)
Thankfully, he did not actually end up right under Saya's skirt, unlike in the anime.
"Oh, you." Saya just glances at the man before turning to me.
"He's the mechanic I talked about." She adds as she turns to me.
The man then crawls out of the Humvee's underside and gets up. His clothes, a mess, for the lack of a better term.
"Your parents need me?" He asks right after.
"Huh? How would I know?" Saya tilts her head as she folds her arms.
"You didn't meet them? They were looking for you. Looked important, your mother looked a bit on edge to be honest." The mechanic responds as he blinks blankly.
"They, did? Where, where are they now?" Saya asks, her eyes going slightly wide.
"The tent in the center last time I checked." Matsuro answers as he points behind us. Towards the maintenance tent.
Saya then quickly turned to almost run towards the tent.
(Did Saeko's dad tell them?)
"So, uhh, back to the point. I need that Humvee back." I then turn to the mechanic. Who just turned to look at me.
"Uhh..." The man just kept staring at me.
"Not exactly my jurisdiction to hand mister's Souichiro's assents." He scratches his cheek as he speaks.
"Mister Souichiro is supposed to support Mister Busujima Hideshi with a mission. I am here for that." I answer.
"I, have not been informed of such, sorry but I can't exactly give you one of our cars without having my boss's confirmation." The mechanic shakes his head negatively as he speaks.
(Your car. That car is Rika's, not yours.)
"Guess I'll go to Saya then, if her parents are there and they give the ok, it should be enough if Takagi mini informs you. Right?" I ask. The mechanic just nods.
With a small sigh, I turn around and start heading towards the main tent.
And, the moment I reached the tent and took a step in...
"M,mama, I said I'm, ok..." Saya, who was in the corner next to the entrance with her mother and father mumbled. As Yuriko, her mother, had both her hands on her cheeks.
"Are you sure? Does it hurt anywhere? Does anything feel off?..." Her mother asks, her face showing obvious concern. Her father standing next to her, arms folded. Looking, to be plain, genuinely angry. Angrier than usual at least.
"Mama, I said I'm fine. Naier beat them up before they could do anything..." Saya answers again, darting her eyes around, fiddling with her fingers.
"Do you know who they are?" Souichiro then speaks up. His question sounded more like a demand. Though Saya just shook her head.
"It won't be really hard to find them right now to be honest, one of em is missing three fingers. Probably still bleeding all over the place." I speak up as I stop next to the trio.
"His name." Shouchiro this time flatly demanded.
"That, I did not ask. I know he speaks with the army's general though, you know, the fat one. Also, is married? And lives in the 'good' part of the camp section." And as I finish, Souichiro walks past me...
"You! And you! Come with me! You! Go bring another five men!" He then shouts at the men scattered in the tent.
"We're about to start a shitstorm huh?" I ask as I look at Shouichiro leaving the tent.
"Naier, I have lost how many times I had thanked you so far. But it would seem I have to thank you, again." And Saya's mother speaks up as she finally lets go of her daughter.
"Well, if it's not much to ask, we could use a car. My car. The Humvee I arrived with. Mister Busujima gave me an offer I'm interested in taking." I respond.
"Ah, his estate? Yes, he has informed us of his plan along with..." She stops and turns to glance at Saya.
"You can take whatever you want. People, resources. It is the least we can do for you right now. As long as you take my daughter with you. I feel like she'll be safer with you around." Yuriko answers.
(...Deza vu)
"This place is not safe. And will probably become much less safe." She adds then turns to face Saya.
"Be very careful ok dear? And I know that you don't like listening to people. But, do listen to Naier. Ok?" She adds as she ruffles Saya's hair, then turns to leave the tent as well.
Saya just stood there looking, happy?
"They, they were actually worried about me..." She mumbled as she starts rubbing her eyes.
"...Wait, you honestly thought they would just scoff off the fact somebody tried to rape you?" I ask as I fold my arms.
"S, Shut up..." She mumbled as she kept rubbing her eyes.
"Now there's the Saya we all know and love." I chuckle as I walk up to her and pat her head.
"Shut up..." She mumbled again, this time with an even lower tone.
"Should we head back to the car?" Saeko then asks.
(...My, are you trying to actually cut this short? Almost feels like you feel left out. Which, uhh, is something I'm definitely not going to say. Because it is mostly true...)
"Yea. And, Saya, can we trust the mechanic? I'd like to ask him to join either way. As long as he won't run off with our equipment in the middle of the night." I ask.
"He has worked for my parents for years, his whole family is still alive because of my parents. I don't think he will do something like that." Saya responds as she takes a deep breath, then lifts her head to look at me, her eyes slightly red.
"Well, let's go ask him then." I respond as I motion with my head towards the exit of the tent, Saya makes a big nod and starts walking next to me.
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