..............................................................................................................................................
Flashes of the cameras in the house and outside. Derek was standing next to the cops inspecting the ninja’s body. They were studying a tattoo on his back. It was a picture of a red tiger, its tail ended on the corpse’s neck.
“Yakuza man,” one of the cops said.
The tall American looked down at the small guy.
“Yakuza?”
“Your friend Choy Lu Feng had dealt with Yakuza, probably he disturbed their nest and they killed him.”
“Choy was a journalist, not a mafia dealer.”
“It’s clear that he stepped on Yakuza’s most painful bunion. They wouldn’t touch him otherwise.”
Derek sighed.
“And what does this tattoo mean?”
“Every Yakuza clan have their own symbol. These guys are very dangerous but they never touch you first until you touch them. You’re in danger now, they’ll try to kill you as soon as it’s possible.”
The small-height Japanese appeared from the house and came up to Derek.
“I feel sorry for your friend, Derek,” he said.
“Your words won’t bring him back, Seiji. So don’t say anything.”
Seiji glanced at the body of Yakuza man and shook his head.
“Looks like you’re in trouble, buddy. Hey, you look pretty tired. You’d better go home and have some rest. We’ll send you a couple of bodyguards, ok?”
“What bodyguards are you talking about?”
“Don’t worry, Derek. Go home.”
Derek turned his back to Seiji and went to his car.
“Wait, wait a minute,” Seiji’s voice sounded again.
The Japanese caught up with him.
“Derek, tell me please, has Choy left anything for you?”
Fraser unlocked the door of his Honda and climbed in. Seiji put his right hand on the door. Derek raised his eyes and froze them for an instant on Seiji’s white sleeve that showed up from beneath his black jacket. There was a tiny red spot on it but he noticed that. Then he glanced at Seiji.
“Has he left anything for you?” Seiji repeated.
“I don’t know. He couldn’t tell me anyway…What’s that on your sleeve?”
“Uh, this spot? Probably got it when I was inspecting the Choy’s body.”
Fraser started the car and left the guy standing alone.
Derek inserted the cassette into the video player and re-winded the tape back, after that he pressed the button PLAY and started watching. A Buddha temple on the foreground. A black Toyota parked next to it. Zooming on the entrance. The camera holder is inside. He hid somewhere. Dark inside. A monk appeared in the sight of vision. The shadow is falling upon his face. Someone else appeared behind him. His face is unseen either. He seems to be in the black suit. The monk has felt his presence and turned to him.
“You? What do you want?”
“Came to visit you just in case,” a silent voice answered.
“Leave me alone,” the monk added. He turned his back to the visitor and was about to go away but the guy in black suddenly approached him and plunged something sharp into his back. The monk groaned and gave up the ghost. His body fell on the floor. The visitor noiselessly disappeared.
“****!” Derek cursed. He rejected the cassette, placed it back into the “SUNNY” package and put it into his bag. Then he brought a cold bottle of beer from the kitchen and put it on the table. Fraser sat on the sofa, took a 45-calibre-gun from beneath the cushion and also put it on the table. Finally he could relax a little having leaned on the back of the sofa and sipping a cold beer. While he was relaxing a dark figure sneaked up on him from behind. Suddenly Derek noticed a reflection in the bottle-glass –a reflection of the head in a black mask bending over him. His left hand reached to the gun but a tight lace squeezed his throat and he capsized the table instead. The ninja was trying to throttle the American. Fraser was still holding a bottle in his right hand. He broke it against the killer’s head and threw him over his own back straight upon the capsized table. The table cracked into two halves. Unexpectedly a throwing star whizzed past his ear. Another ninja appeared in the room, preparing to throw another star. Fraser quickly grabbed the first ninja and covered himself with the assassin’s body. The throwing star spiked his breast and another one after it. Still holding the dead ninja with his left hand, Derek picked his gun from the floor. When he raised his eyes the second ninja was gone. He dropped the killed ninja down and moved to the cabinet where the other assassin was supposed to hide. Fraser drew out his right hand and directed the gun forward. He carefully stepped into the cabinet, turned to the left, to the right, made two more steps. He checked behind the desk but there was no one. The ninja sneaked up on him behind and dashed on his back. The gun fell out of the Derek’s hand. The two rolled down the floor in a grip. Derek pushed the ninja away and got up. The assassin got up too. Both looked at each other agressively.
“Give me the tape,” the Japanese insisted.
Derek sneered.
“You need a tape? Just this? And that’s why you came to kill me? I can give you a lot of tapes, just leave me alone.”
The ninja pulled the sticks fixed on his back and started to twist them in his hands. Fraser assumed a defensive pose. The Japanese got closer. The American stepped back. Then a thought came to his mind, he grabbed a chair and deflected the strikes with it. He managed to dislodge the sticks from the adversary’s hands. Derek dropped the chair and dashed to pick his gun but the ninja knocked him down. He already had a sai in his right hand. The killer grabbed the American’s right foot trying to hinder him to get the gun.
Derek kicked the Yakuza man to the face, reached for the gun and jumped up. The ninja hurled the sai at him. Fraser dodged aside and shot the assassin.
Finally he breathed a sigh of relief.
“It’s time to change the job,” he said to himself.
Suddenly he heard a rustle behind the door. Someone was trying to open it. Derek approached the door and stood still behind it in the corner. When the door cracked open a Japanese in black suit came in. Fraser pointed the cocked gun at him.
“Don’t move!”
The Japanese turned around. It was Seiji.
“Relax, buddy, relax,” he shouted.
Derek lowered the gun.
“You’ve scared the daylights out of me,” he commented.
“What’s wrong, buddy?”
“I thought there would be no end of those ninjas today.”
Seiji noticed the dead one on the floor.
“Someone’s thinking of you, buddy,” he quipped, “ I told you they want you to give them something.”
Derek looked at his friend steadily.
“Why are you so sure of this?”
“It’s obvious to me. Choy knew something or saw something or had something or he had something they don’t want anybody else to know or to have.”
“Maybe they misunderstood Choy,” Derek sneered, “By the way how did they know I was here?”
Seiji leaned on the sofa.
“Yakuza have eyes and ears everywhere.”
Derek scowled.
“And where the hell are your damn bodyguards?”
An apologetic expression appeared on Seiji’s face.
“I’m sorry for the delay. I don’t know what took them so long. They promised to send them as soon as possible…”
Derek took his bag from the floor and started packing things.
“What are you gonna do now?” Seiji asked.
“Gotta get outta here. I don’t wanna see anyone and neither talk to anybody.”
The American put the gun into the bag and covered it with clothes.
His friend was watching him attentively.
“I’m sure there must be something they wanna get. Don’t you think so?”
Fraser zipped the bag, hung it on his shoulder and looked at Seiji in a mysterious way.
“I think you should look for it in Choy’s house. Maybe you’ll find it there.”
“Can I help you somehow?”
“Do your job, Seiji. I wanna be alone.”
“Be careful, Derek. If you need my help, just call me. I’m gonna take care of these two guys. See ya later, buddy.”
Fraser tapped his shoulder with his left hand and speechlessly left.
Derek entered the temple. There was a funeral ceremony. The monks were singing funeral songs. There was a young American female standing in front of him. Fraser came up closer and stopped next to her. She was dressed in beige short-sleeved blouse and blue jeans. She had straight brown hair reaching her shoulders. Derek put his hand on her shoulder.
“What a surprise to see you here.”
The girl shuddered and turned to him.
“Oh, Derek, you scared the hell out of me. It’s not like you. Bet you knew where to find me. Somebody told you probably…”
“Yeah, my inner voice.”
“You look like you’re in a big trouble…Where’s your friend Choy by the way? Ain’t he supposed to work with you?”
Fraser’s smiling face turned into a serious one.
“He wasn’t able to come with me. Since he can’t walk anymore and neither breathe.”
The girl looked at the man with a compassion.
“Poor man, the heat is affecting you too bad. Do you have a fever?”
“Choy’s dead.”
Now the young lady looked astonished.
“What? You can’t be joking this way.”
“Of course I can’t. Choy was my best friend. And he was killed this afternoon.”
She turned sad and touched Derek’s face with her right hand.
“I’m sorry. I misunderstood you. I’m very sorry for that.”
Fraser took her hand off his face.
“So, what did you get involved in this time?” she asked.
“I need information. You have links to some people…”
“What do you need exactly?”
Derek gave her a hint to go out. When they were out he invited the girl into his car. Fraser put the bag upon the backseat and looked seriously at his companion.
“I gotta know something about the Red Tigers, the Yakuza clan.”
“Yakuza? Oh god, I can’t imagine you got that far. Why Yakuza?”
“You probably have to blame Choy but since he’s dead it wouldn’t be nice at all.”
“Anyway… What did he have to do with Yakuza?”
“That monk they’re mourning here..,” Derek almost whispered, “…he was killed this morning by Yakuza man. Choy filmed that murder, that’s why they killed him. Someone got to know that he had this video…”
“Derek, you’ve scared me… Who’s got the tape now?”
The young lady only glanced at him and understood.
“You…And now they’re chasing you?”
“They tried to kill me twice. They’re gonna try it once again.”
“Why didn’t Choy tell you that before?”
“He wanted more evidence. In fact he was gonna tell me but didn’t get enough time. That’s how I found the tape. It seems to me he was tracking someone. It’s something very big coz he knew that and somebody was afraid anybody else would get to know it too. Somebody very important…”
“Ok, Derek, it’s time to hurry up now. Every minute is dear. I know a man who has held an investigation on Yakuza for a long time. He’s an expert in this area. I can bring you to him.”
Fraser’s phone rang.
“Yeah…Oh, Seiji, hello…Where am I now? Walking around the town with my lady friend. Yes, I’m safe…at the moment…Don’t worry, Seiji…If I need your help I’ll call you…Bye.”
“Listen, Derek, does Seiji know about the tape? Maybe he can help you, provide some security…”
“No, I haven’t told him yet. Please don’t ask me why. I can’t tell you that. Ok, let’s go now.”
A biker in black helmet stopped at the opposite side of the road. He looked at the blue Honda and rode past it.
Derek was driving down the highway when he saw two patrol cars standing across the road. The cops were stopping everyone who was driving by.
“What the hell is this?” he cursed.
His companion shrugged her shoulders.
“I don’t know. Sure it seems strange that the cops are stopping everyone in the downtown…”
When Fraser got closer the patrol stopped him too. One of the cops came up to the blue Honda and knocked on the side window. The window rolled down.
“What’s up, guys? Derek asked. He noticed the second cop coming up to his car.
The cop that was standing near amiably smiled.
“Sorry to trouble you, sir, but we have an order to check everyone in this area. We’ve been informed that a criminal is hiding somewhere around. Can I take a look at your documents?”
Derek reached him his driving license. The cop studied it and gave back.
“Would you mind please going out? We must check your car.”
Fraser and his companion looked at each other.
“Well, if it’s so necessary..,” he commented.
The both got out of the car. The second cop opened the trunk. The first one opened the back door. He bent down to pick the bag. Derek was looking at him with a suspicion. Suddenly he noticed something on his neck. It looked like a tattoo. The American screwed up his eyes – it reminded him something.
“Excuse me,” he suddenly addressed to the cop.
The man turned to him.
“Any problems…”
Derek suddenly grabbed him and hit against the car.
“Get in!” he shouted to his companion. “C’mon, c’mon!”
He started the car and hit the gas pedal. He rapidly moved backwards having pushed the second cop down.
The girl slammed the door. The car rapidly turned and hardly escaped the collision with another car.
The cops shouted.
“Get ‘em! Get’ em now! They can’t get away!”
One of the patrol cars rushed after the blue Honda. Those were two cops who were hit by the American. Derek tried to skirt the cars increasing in numbers time by time. He saw a turn to the right and swerved there.
The patrol car was on their track.
“What’s up? Who are these guys?” the girl asked.
“They found me again. I don’t know how they do it so fast. It makes me worry.”
“How do you know?”
“I saw a tattoo on his neck. They all have that kind of tattoos. I’m sure it was one of the red tigers.”
Derek looked up in the front mirror. The police car was still chasing them. Suddenly the gunshots sounded. The back window broke into pieces. Fraser moved to the left and pushed the accelerator. The gunshots continued. The driver of the blue Honda kept moving from left to right to avoid the slugs hitting the target.
Right in front of Derek there was a huge trailer moving across the road. He accelerated again and managed to get past in front of the trailer before it totally closed the passage.
The chasers had to brake to avoid the collision.
“Derek, are you sure it ain’t a paranoia? The cops on the track would be too much.”
Fraser turned to the left without easing the speed off.
“Hey, stop driving so fast. They’re gone.”
He slowed down.
“They’re gonna get us soon… they ain’t cops, believe me.”
“Well, maybe you’re right. I wondered why he wanted to take the bag… Do you still wanna see Yamada?”
Derek nodded.
“Then I’ll tell you another road to him…”
The both came up to the door of an accurate house and rang the bell. The door was opened by a young boy. When he saw the young lady he smiled.
“Hello, Janise. Surprised to see you. Is it your friend?”
“This is Derek Fraser. He wants to see Yamada.”
The boy let them in and walked away to another room. In a few minutes he came back and called the guests to follow him.
“He’s waiting for you in this room.”
The boy brought them to the Yamada’s room and left.
Janise entered first, her friend after her. They saw an elderly man with a small gray beard sitting in the chair. The windows were all curtained off.
The man was dressed in silky home clothes and looked a little bit eccentric. He stopped his look on the lanky American who came in, and started studying him. When he felt some satisfaction he let the both sit down.
“What made you come here?” the Japanese asked looking at Derek.
Fraser leaned on the back of the chair.
“Can you tell me about the Red Tigers?”
Yamada sneered.
“Got into serious troubles, huh? I know what means to deal with Yakuza.”
“Janise told me you could share with me some information about them.”
“Some time ago Choy Lu Feng came to ask me the same question. Now what has happened to him? Is he dead?”
Derek scowled having heard the Japanese mention his friend’s name.
“What do you know about Choy?”
Yamada remained calm.
“He was a reporter. He was too curious, wanted to know too much. I knew he’d get into trouble. Sometimes you don’t need to know the truth…”
“What truth? My friend is dead and now they wanna kill me. They killed the monk, they killed someone else. How many more people are they gonna kill? It seems to me you know something I don’t know…”
“I was a cop once in a lifetime and I faced Yakuza. They’ve destroyed all my family and think they’ve destroyed me too. I’m dead… for them. But I kept on my investigation on Yakuza. And yes, I know everything about the Red Tigers. That monk was one of them. He started to work for them unwillingly but he had no choice. Later he managed to run away to Singapore and that monastery accepted him. But Yakuza don’t play these games. They reached him and destroyed him. You have to be with them or not to be at all.”
“And who’s above all this? Who’s pushing the buttons?”
“You wanna know who’s the boss of the Red Tigers? Nobody knows that. Anybody who ever gets to know that dies. The monk knew, your friend knew. They’re both dead. And if you reveal the truth you’ll be dead too.”
The silence came in the room. It became so quiet that everybody heard the doorbell ringing.
Derek unzipped his bag and took out the gun. He came up to the window and moved the curtain a bit aside. There was an official minivan parked near the house.
The doorbell rang again.
The boy went to open. Derek walked out of the room to snoop who came.
The boy unlocked the door and saw a guy in gray uniform, who was holding a small box in his hands.
“A package for your master.”
“Just a minute, I’ll ask him. Can you wait a bit in the lobby?”
Derek was snooping from behind the corner holding the cocked gun in his right hand. He instinctively felt something was wrong about that guy.
The boy turned his back to the stranger. The guy in the uniform opened the box and pulled the gun out of it.
“No-o-o-o!” Derek shouted.
In a blink of an eye the gunshot sounded and the boy fell dead.
The shooter saw the American. Derek made a couple of shots at him but the killer jumped aside. Fraser rushed into the Yamada’s room.
“C’mon, guys, let’s get outta here. They’ve come to get us.”
He picked his bag. The steps were closer. Fraser shot twice to the doorway. Janise and Yamada were at the window already. Yamada had a gun in his hand too. The lady was the first to climb out the window. The steps suddenly stopped. Yamada commanded Derek to get out second. When Fraser was out too he heard a new gunshot. Yamada fell out the window with a hole in his head.
“Janise, run!” Derek ordered.
The both ran towards their car. The black minivan moved after them. It was just in a few yards.
Fraser passed the bag to his companion. They got in the car but it didn’t start. Derek tried again and again. The minivan was already behind them.
Finally he managed to start the car and hit the gas pedal. The car jerked and moved forward. The van overtook it and hit its back. Derek shifted gears and managed to get a bit away from the chaser but not for long. The van also increased the speed and hit the blue Honda again. Fraser suddenly swerved to the left. The chaser followed him. Suddenly he heard the gunshots. Somebody was shooting at the chaser. The slugs tore the van’s tires, the car skidded and crashed into the tree. Derek saw a white Toyota following them. He recognized Seiji at the steering wheel. The Japanese was signaling to them.
Fraser put the brakes on. Seiji also stopped the car.
“Get in!” he shouted, “I’ll bring you to a safe place.”
Derek and Janise transferred into the Seiji’s Toyota and it sped away.
Outside the town (in a suburb). The white Toyota parked near the house in an Eastern style. The three climbed out of the car. Derek, holding the bag over his right shoulder, put his left hand upon the Seiji’s shoulder.
“You came at the right moment. I’m very thankful to you but I’m curious how you found us…”
He was looking straight into his eyes. Seiji smiled.
“I’ve been following you all the way since you left. I worried about you and I knew they’d get you soon. It’s ok, buddy. This place is safer than others so you can relax a bit.”
Seiji approached Janise and gave her a hug.
“It’s a pleasure to see you. Please forgive Derek that he embroiled you into this stuff.”
Derek grinned to himself. Janise smiled.
“It’s ok. Since I met him I haven’t spent a single moment in peace and I’m getting used to that. He always gets me into his troubles. It’s become normal.”
“Ok, so let’s go into the house and have some lunch there, right?” Seiji offered. All three stepped into the building. Derek and Janise stayed in the guestroom. The Japanese went to the kitchen. The two set on the floor opposite each other, Derek’s bag near him.
“Listen, Derek, what are you gonna do with this tape?” Janise asked him in a half-whisper.
He shrugged his shoulders.
“And why don’t you tell it all to Seiji?”
“I can’t do that.”
“Why?”
Derek made a pause and then answered very quietly with a serious look in his eyes.
“This is my stone and I’ll carry it myself. I don’t want anybody else to take it. I don’t want anybody else to have problems because of me. And I want you to leave with him. I don’t want you to have these problems either.”
“No, no, you’re telling some nonsense. I can’t leave you this way when the danger is threatening you.”
Derek took her left hand into his both and looked at her with sadness. He looked like he made some decision and it was troubling him. That’s what Janise read in his eyes.
“You have to go,” he said.
These words told her everything that wasn’t told.
The door to the kitchen was slightly open and the Japanese was watching through the chink eavesdropping the conversation.
Seiji brought the snacks and the drinks. He sat next to his friends.
“Help yourself, guys. And you especially, Derek. Here are your favorite SUNNY cookies…”
Having said that, he looked at the lanky American but the one showed no sign it did tell something to him.
“Yeah… Haven’t had any food since early morning.”
Derek ate some cookies and sipped some green tea from the cup.
“Listen, Seiji, I gotta talk to you...,” Fraser suddenly said.
“I’m listening…”
“In private…”
“Ok, let’s go to another room.”
The both stood up, Derek picked his bag, winked at Janise and moved to the next room along with his Japanese friend.
In the other room. Seiji and Derek set upon the tatami.
“What’s that you wanna talk to me about?” the Japanese asked.
“I want you to go to the city with Janise.”
“And leave you alone here?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Absolutely sure?”
“Yes. I wanna be alone. If they come to kill me I wanna be sure they won’t kill both of you along.”
“I always knew you were crazy. If you want us to go I have to send you one of my people se he’d make you a good company.”
“I don’t need any bodyguards.”
“You managed to handle a couple of Yakuza men and you think you’re gonna do that again? Dear friend, they don’t play these games. If those two couldn’t make it they’re gonna send more people and you won’t be able to handle them all. If you want us to go I’ll send you a bodyguard…just in case.”
The last words struck Derek like a lightning.
“What’s up, buddy? You don’t trust me?” Seiji asked.
Fraser looked straight into his eyes again and put his left hand upon his friend’s shoulder.
“I do…”
He opened his bag and took a SUNNY package out of it.
“That’s why I’m giving it to you.”
Seiji accepted the box.
“What’s this? You’re giving me your favorite cookies because you trust me?”
All the time Derek was looking straight at him.
“This is a video tape that caused Choy’s death.”
“Are you kidding?”
“No.”
“So you had it all the time? And you didn’t tell me? But why now?”
“They want me, not you. So they’ll come and get me but not the tape.”
“Derek, you’re crazy. What do you want me to do with it?”
“Whatever. I don’t wanna see it anymore. And go right now.”
“I’ll bring it to the embassy. I’ll call one of my people and he’ll be here soon.”
Seiji got up and went to the room to pick Janise up.
Fraser accompanied them to the car. The girl turned to him and hugged him.
“Take care of yourself, Derek. Be careful.”
He smiled at her.
“Don’t worry.”
Seiji hugged him too.
“If I wasn’t sure you’ll get out of this I wouldn’t leave you here alone. But you’re a lucky *******. You always manage to save your ass. Take care.”
Seiji and Janise got into the car and left.
The white Toyota was driving up to a gas station.
“I’ll stop here and make a call, ok?” Seiji explained, “You stay here and wait.”
“Well, that ‘s not difficult.”
The Japanese climbed out of the car and went to search a telephone booth. In a few minutes he was back.
“Well, Derek is safe now. Ok, let’s go then.”
Seiji started the car and they moved. It was getting dark.
The car was peacefully rolling down the road.
“Why has he decided to give me this video?” suddenly the Japanese asked.
Janise shrugged her shoulders.
“You know Derek. He’s so spontaneous. Well, maybe he had nothing left to do and you’re the only one he can trust.”
Seiji grinned.
“It’s a great honor to me.”
Suddenly he saw a man on the road thumbing a ride and abruptly stopped the car.
“Excuse me, could you help me?” the man shouted, “We had a small crush here. Some crazy dude was speeding towards us and I had to swerve off the road. Could you help to get my car here?”
“Ok, I will help you.” Seiji agreed and got out. Janise followed him.
“So where’s your car?” the Japanese asked.
Unexpectedly someone sneaked up to them from behind and put the black plastic bags on their hands. Seiji tried to resist, Janise mooed something but they were conked and lost their consciousness. Then their bodies were dragged into a black Toyota.
Derek, dressed in black, was sitting on the tatami leaning against the wall, with a gun in his hands. He had a tense and thoughtful expression on his face. The doorbell rang.
Fraser quickly got up, came up to the door and opened it. There was another Asian guy standing on the threshold, dressed in blue jeans and gray jacket. Derek grabbed him and dragged him in, pointing the gun at his head.
“Who the hell are you?” he asked hoarsely.
The guy raised his hands.
“Easy, easy.”
With his right hand he pulled his documents out of the inner pocket of his jacket.
”Seiji sent me. Don’t you know?”
Derek took a look at the documents with a suspicion but lowered the gun.
“Ok, I believe you.”
“Seiji promised to call in half-an-hour… Damn! It’s still too hot. I’ll take a shower,” the so-called-bodyguard said.
He took the jacket off. Derek saw a double holster over his shoulders. He sat upon the floor again. The man went to the bath.
Half-an-hour later. The bodyguard, back again in his gray jacket, going back and forth around the room. Derek is peacefully sitting on the floor, looking very pleased.
“Listen, stop going back and forth, you’re getting on my nerves,” he addressed to the man, “Maybe you’ll take some cookies in the kitchen? I’ve got my favorite cookies here. You’ll like them.”
“No, thanks. I’m not hungry.”
The bodyguard seemed too nervous.
“I wonder why Seiji ain’t calling,” he added.
“Me too…Have you noticed something strange?”
The man stopped moving and looked at Fraser.
“What?”
“Time goes by but Yakuza ain’t coming. Ain’t it strange?” Derek looked mysteriously.
“All the time they would find me so quickly.”
The bodyguard shrugged.
“Maybe they haven’t revealed your location yet… Listen, Fraser, you’re risking too much. Why don’t you pass the tape to the embassy? Then you’ll be able to sleep in peace.”
“I won’t. They’ll get me anyway,” Derek looked at the man slyly, “Listen, who was talking about the tape? Hasn’t Seiji told you I passed it to him?”
Suddenly the bodyguard’s face changed. It turned aggressive. He pulled the gun from one of the holsters and pointed it at the American.
“You’re too smart. But you won’t last too long. I’m gonna kill you now.”
He cocked the gun. The American was still peacefully sitting not showing a sign of worry.
“Where’s the tape?”
“I don’t have it anymore.”
“The one you gave to your friend is wrong. You’re probably too smart. Where is it? In the house? Don’t offer me your damn SUNNY cookies anymore. Where is it, I’m asking you?” the man became too angry, he came up closer, still pointing the gun at the American.
“I’m gonna kill you, sonofabitch!”
“C’mon, do it right now and you’ll never know where the tape is. Never..,” Derek said quietly, looking defiantly into the opponent’s eyes.
The Yakuza man guffawed.
“We’ve got your friends. Do you know it?”
“I suspected…when you asked about the tape.”
“Do you suspect what we’re gonna do with them if you don’t give us the tape?”
“Probably… I’ve seen what you’ve done with Choy and Yamada so I can imagine.”
“It was a stupid act. You, stubborn American, betrayed your own friends for your own benefit. But the girl’s too pretty to die. That’s why I’m giving you a chance. Tonight, at 11:30 pm you’ll come to the central park and bring the tape with you. We’ll bring your friends with us…”
Derek stood up and came up so close to the Japanese that he could hear him breathing.
“And you play an honest game. You get the tape, and we’ve never seen you, never talked to you, never known you. There’s a code of honor. If you spot it you pay the cost. I’m gonna kill you. Then I agree… And you?”
The Japanese guffawed again.
“You were born to be a killer. You killed 2 our good people.”
Derek grinned.
“Have you ever heard a saying “The tall eats the small”?
“Shut up. At 11:30 pm in the central park. No tricks. Don’t play the fool.”
Fraser squinted up.
“How can I be sure you’re not gonna kill me before I get there?
“Code of honor…”
The Japanese inserted the gun back into the holster and left.
23:00
Fraser parked a blue Subaru near the park, crossed the street and moved down the sidewalk. Then he turned to a narrow side-street and got past the bums dozing in their boxes. One of them suddenly woke up.
“Hey stranger, be merciful to the poor people,” he drawled.
Derek stopped and reached him some cash.
“Take care.”
“God bless you!” the bum exclaimed.
Derek walked through the side-street and turned to another street. He heard the bum’s high-pitched voice again.
“Be merciful, stranger!”
Fraser heard the steps and hid behind the corner, holding his breath. The steps were approaching. Someone walked carefully out of the side-street. He watched around as if looking for someone. Derek suddenly dashed at him. He knocked the man down. The streetlights fell upon his face and Fraser recognized the Yakuza man he had made an arrangement with. The Japanese pushed him aside with a strong kick. The lanky American got up but the adversary pulled the gun from the holster and pointed it at him.
“This is what you call the code of honor, huh?” Derek gritted his teeth, “You can’t kill me anyway…”
“Now I can. I know where you’re going…”
Derek grinned.
“Really? Ok, c’mon, kill me now.”
The Japanese pulled the trigger. It didn’t shoot. He pulled the trigger again. No result. Derek dislodged his gun with his right foot and punched him to his belly. The killer fell down. Then he quickly got up and in a high jump knocked the American down. Afterwards he pulled another gun and pointed it at Fraser again. This one didn’t shoot either.
Derek sneered and got on his feet.
“In the house…Remember? You went to the shower cabin… I took the bullets out… just in case.”
The Japanese brayed in anger and dashed at him.
Derek deflected his strikes and rushed into attack himself. There was one strike after another. The Yakuza man couldn’t parry any of them. Finally Fraser grabbed him close, put his right hand around his neck and… there was a bone-crack. The Japanese crashed on the ground breathless.
“It’s not the code of honor, it’s “the tall eats the small”,” Derek added.
He picked the both guns up and filled one of them with the bullets again, having marked it with a small scratch on the handle. He also took the holster and the Yakuza man’s cell phone and sent a message to the Yakuza. “Got the tape. Gonna get the American. Don’t wait for me. I’ll be back later.” After that he threw the phone away.
He ran to the park. There was a black Toyota moving away. Derek got into the car and followed it in a safe distance.
The black Toyota stopped by the suburban warehouse. The gate automatically opened, the car moved to the garage. The gate closed.
Derek stopped his car in 100 yards from the warehouse and crept up to the high fence. He climbed up and jumped off in the yard.
Two Japanese went out of the garage and entered the building.
Fraser turned around the corner and saw a ladder up to the roof. He got to the roof and found a trapdoor, then he got into the building through it and jumped down in an empty room. There was a door. Derek opened it, looked out – nobody, and he quietly passed through the corridor and found the stairs to the basement. He heard the voices from downstairs and stuck to the wall. The two Japanese were going up the stairs. When they appeared in the sight of vision Derek conked one with a gun-handle. The other turned and was knocked down by the American. Then Fraser grabbed him and throttled. He dragged them into the empty room.
Afterwards he ran down the stairs. There was a large corridor downstairs which lead two ways. Derek chose the right one and reached the door of some room. He applied his ear to it but heard no sound. Then he touched the door-handle and turned it. The door opened and the intruder came in. The room was like an office. Derek inspected it and finally noticed a ventilation hole in the ceiling. The steps sounded in the corridor. The American put a chair under his feet and reached the ventilation hole and got into the ventilation mine. He just got his feet up and the door into the room opened. A middle-aged Japanese in black suit appeared there. He lumped into the chair. Suddenly another Japanese entered the room. He came up to the one in the chair and told him in his language.
“Suzuki ain’t picking the phone.”
The man in black suit scowled.
Then another Yakuza man appeared in the room.
“We have a problem. We’ve found Kano and Itoshi dead.”
The man in black suit scowled even more. He stood up and started shouting.
“Is this problem’s name Fraser? If I were your boss I’d kill you both. The boss wants this man dead. And so do I. Why the hell can’t you all handle him? Search around the building and get him! He wants to take his girl away. Go and get him now!”
Derek slowly crawled further through the ventilation mine. He was searching the way to the room where the hostages were kept. Finally he was above that room where he saw Seiji and Janise tied up.
Derek jumped in through the ventilation hole. Seiji raised his eyes.
“Derek! I knew you’d come.”
“Sure you did.”
“I’m so happy to see you alive,” Janise added.
Derek took a knife from his pocket and cut the cords that were put around their wrists and ankles.
“It’s gonna be hard to get outta here. They’ve already revealed me.”
The three heard the steps from the corridor, approaching their room.
“Stay here like you did before. I’ll take care of them,” Fraser commanded.
Janise and Seiji sat back on their chairs and pretended they were still tied up. Derek stood in the corner behind the door with the cocked gun.
Two Japanese rushed into the room. The American shot them both.
“C’mon, let’s go,” he commanded to his friends.
They ran out of the room and went to the stairs. Two more Japanese got in the way. Derek shot one, Seiji handled another one by breaking his neck. They ran up the stairs, got to the corridor.
“To the left,” Seiji commanded.
The three reached the door which lead to the main warehouse hall. Derek smashed down the door with his foot and they got there. Three Japanese met them with a gunfire.
Derek, Seiji and Janise dashed to the containers and hid behind them.
“When they start reloading their guns I’ll run to the opposite corner and get them from behind,” Fraser said.
He reached 2 more guns to Janise and Seiji.
“And you’ll cover me, ok? Don’t shoot all at once. Keep the bullets.”
The Japanese stopped shooting and he heard them reloading their guns. Derek quickly moved to the opposite corner. One of the Red Tigers showed up from behind the barricade and started shooting at him. Derek avoided the slugs and landed on his back. Janise looked out and shot the Japanese. The gun-shooting stopped.
Fraser quietly sneaked up to the Yakuza men. When the two felt his presence they didn’t get enough time to react. He hit one of them against the container and kicked another one. The guy let the gun out of his hands but quickly got up to continue the fight. Derek deflected a couple of his strikes and then started to thump him with all his anger. The final blow was a kick of his right foot. The Red Tiger fell dead.
Derek showed up from the barricade. It seemed like there was nobody left from Yakuza.
“Is there anybody else out there?” he shouted.
Suddenly the slug whizzed past his head. He hid behind the barricade again and quietly moved to another spot. He noticed a slight moving between the other containers. Derek moved there.
“Don’t move!” he shouted.
The Japanese turned to him. It was the one in black suit.
“Drop your gun!” Derek commanded.
The Yakuza man put his gun on the floor.
“Kick it here!”
The man obeyed the order. Derek cocked the gun and pulled the trigger but there were no more bullets. The Japanese pulled a second gun from the holster but suddenly two gunshots sounded and he fell down.
Fraser saw Janise holding a gun. She was standing in a few meters from him.
Suddenly Seiji jumped from behind the container, dislodged the gun from her hands and knocked her down. She hit her head and lost her consciousness. Seiji pointed the gun at Derek.
“Now it’s you and me.”
He saw a derisive expression on Derek’s face.
“Is it funny to you that I’m gonna kill you now?”
“What’s funny to me is that you got into my trap.”
“Your trap? You wanna say that you knew from the start? Did Choy tell you anything?”
“No, it wasn’t him. It was you.”
“Me?”
Derek nodded.
“Yes, it was you. Everything you did seemed very suspicious to me. So I decided to be careful…just in case.”
Seiji guffawed.
“Oh, Derek, you’re such a good actor. And what’s really disappointing that I won’t have a chance to learn about your new hidden talents.”
Seiji cocked the gun but when he pulled the trigger it didn’t shoot.
Derek laughed.
“It’s too hot in Singapore this year. It makes my memory suck. This time I’ve forgotten to insert the bullets back.”
Seiji saw a gun near the Fraser’s feet and stepped towards him. Derek rapidly picked the gun and shot him. Seiji reeled backwards. Fraser scowled.
“It’s for Choy.”
The Japanese fumbled for knife in his pocket and wanted to throw it at the American. Derek shot again and again. Seiji crashed down.
“You were right. You’ll never know about my new hidden talents.”
He dropped the gun and came up to Janise who already regained her consciousness. She saw Seiji dead.
“Is it true? I can’t believe it was him…”
Derek hugged her.
“It’s all over now… it’s all over now…Let’s go outside and enjoy some cool breeze. I guess the heat is off now.”
Now looking back upon the time I wrote it I think it could've been better but I'll just leave it be the way it is.Mr Seagal should read first.And fire/hire me second 
