Another ordinary day in Tokyo - 428: Shibuya Scramble.

Put your Let's Plays in here.
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Image Decision.

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“Please, tell me. We’re past the point of keeping secrets.”

They’d come this far together. Surely it was too late to get all tight-lipped now.

“I’m sorry. I wish I could tell you more.” Stanley dropped his eyes.

Kano had a vague idea of what Stanley was up to. He probably felt he needed to keep things hidden even from his own allies, in order to help keep Alphard in the dark. Or at least, that was Kano’s guess.

“All right-I understand,” Kano said with resignation. “Do what you have to, and come back soon.”

With an apologetic look on his face, Stanley turned and hurried from the workroom.

  • Pressing Stanley for information is actually the wrong choice – if we do, then Stanley doesn't make Kano promise to go for a drink when everything is over – the resulting promise tip has a Jump point which we'll need later on to proceed.


ImagePride.

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“Yes. Yes, you’re right.” Kano did his best to quash his emotions.

“Then we’re good.” Tateno gave a slight nod, then headed out the door.

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Kano gave him a silent salute. It was a breach of protocol to salute while in plainclothes and without his cap. Still, it was the best way he had to let Tateno know how he felt.

“I’ll leave the rest to you.” Tateno took one last look over his shoulder before finally leaving the workroom.

Even after Tateno disappeared from view, Kano remained for a long time at attention, his fingertips pressed to his temple. He squeezed his eyes shut, but still the tears he’d been holding back poured down his cheeks.

  • Suppressing Kano's outward emotions when talking to Tateno opens up a new Jump point.


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Kyozo Tateno gingerly flexed his right elbow. It was still a little sore, but it shouldn’t interfere with his ability to drive.

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“Does that hurt?” asked the girl called Canaan.

“No. I’m all right.”

“Good thing I didn’t kill you,” she said, her tone matter-of-fact. “You ought to thank that younger detective. If he hadn’t stopped me, you wouldn’t be here right now.”

“Is that right?”

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Tateno looked over at Kano. He was talking to Achi and the others about something. The last time Tateno had seen Achi had been back at Kotone’s wake. He felt a strong surge of emotion, seeing how the boy had grown into a fine young man.

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“Are you sure you don’t mind driving?” Canaan’s voice snapped Tateno back into the moment.

“Yes, it won’t be a problem.”

Back when she’d attacked him on that rooftop, she’d moved too quickly for him even to get a glimpse of her face. Now that he was able to get a good look at her, he was shocked by how young she looked. And yet there was a cold gleam in her eyes-a glitter of awareness with no trace of emotion behind it whatsoever.

In his long career as a detective, Tateno had seen eyes like that before. It was a look he knew well. The look of someone who had killed, and had done so many times.

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“I’m so sorry about all this. Please, look after my sister,” Hitomi said. She bowed deeply.

“No. I’m the one who should apologize.” Tateno would have liked to go on-to say that helping now was the least he could do to atone for what he’d done earlier-but he stopped himself there. Nothing he could say to Hitomi Osawa could possibly earn her forgiveness.

Silently, Tateno lowered his head. His subsequent actions would have to make up for his crimes. He had to hope that this was possible.

“Canaan, you look after my sister, too.” Hitomi bowed once more.

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“You two know each other?” Tateno looked at the two girls in surprise.

“Canaan is my sister’s friend,” Hitomi said. “I just met her for the first time today.”

What strange series of events could have transpired for Maria and Canaan to wind up as friends? Tateno felt a prickle of curiosity, but now was not the time for that conversation.

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Daisuke reappeared; he had gone to fetch his car keys. “You know where it’s parked, yeah?” he asked.

“Same as back in the day?”

“That’s right. Over where we always hung out with Kotone back in grade school.”

All at once, Tateno was hit with a surge of childhood memories.

Image Chance Meeting.

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The sky was a piercing blue. The droning of cicadas echoed in his ears. A refreshing breeze brought intermittent respite from the heat. During summer vacation, they spent their days here, in the parking lot behind Daisuke’s house.

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As Tateno and Daisuke played near the stairs at the side of the lot, the blazing sun beating down on them, Kotone would always come along with some iced barley tea for them. The two boys would race to see who could drink theirs up the fastest. The cold and fragrant tea flowed down their welcoming throats. Most of the time, it was Tateno who would finish first. Daisuke often wound up choking and spitting his out. Kotone would flash him a motherly and sympathetic smile. Then Daisuke would grin back at her sheepishly and fuss with his hair.

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That had all been nearly forty years ago, but Tateno could envision their smiles as vividly now as ever. They were his only fond memories of his childhood.

Tateno took the keys from Daisuke, clutching them firmly in his fist.

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“All right,” he said. “We’ll be back.” He lifted up Maria and, with Canaan supporting her on the other side, began to head for the door.

Then Kano called out to him.

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“Detective Tateno, I...” There was a look of sadness on the younger man’s face.

Don’t let yourself become a detective like me. Tateno had the words right on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them back down. It suddenly seemed petty to trivialize the aspirations Kano had held for so long. “Once Maria is a safe, I’ll turn myself in.” After he made sure that Maria got to the laboratory, he would cease to be a detective, and instead would simply be a criminal. But despite the failures that had brought him to this position, nothing he had said up until now had been a lie. Of that much he could be proud.
General Tip – Criminal wrote:In Japan, a charge of plotting to commit the crime of murder carries a prison term with labor of not more than two years.
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“Never lose sight of what you’re supposed to protect. Ever.” He could at least try to be the detective Kano had so admired until the very end.

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As Tateno left the room, Kano saluted him crisply. Ordinarily, a detective wouldn’t salute in plainclothes or without his cap. The little breach of etiquette just showed all the more clearly how Kano felt. If Tateno hadn’t been holding Maria up, he would have returned the gesture.

Image Shibuya Scramble.

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Leaving Endo Electronics, Tateno and Canaan carried Maria up a hectic Dogenzaka. The parking lot was less than a minute away by foot. Before long, however, they found their way blocked by a veritable wall of people.

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It was a riot squad, with Kuze at the head.

“Director Kuze?”

“Tateno, what are you planning on doing with that girl?”

“What are you planning on doing with her?”

“I already informed Kano that she’s to be put under quarantine. If she’s allowed to remain free, all of Shibuya will be in danger.”
General Tip – Riot squad wrote:A police squad that carries out security and control activities in order to maintain or restore public order in the event of an emergency. The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has nine Riot Police Units, along with a Support Vehicle Unit, for a total of ten such squads. These also comprise teams that carry out certain specific functions, such as the Explosive Ordnance Division and Chemical Defense Unit.
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Canaan took a step forward.

Tateno could sense that she was about to move in for the kill. “Easy now,” he said softly. “Wait.”

As skilled as Canaan was, she was no match for an entire armed police squad.

“I’m not going to take all of them on,” she murmured. “I’m just going to take the man in charge hostage.”

Tateno swallowed. Capture Kuze and then run off? It could work. Considering the time limit they were facing, he knew that they had to find some way to force their way through here. Still, given how far they still had to go to reach the laboratory, he wanted to avoid direct conflict as much as possible. “Give me one minute-no, just thirty seconds.” Tateno turned and stared at Kuze.

The two had known each other since their rookie days.

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“Director Kuze, tell me-what is it that you believe in?”

“What do I believe in?”

“Yes. Weren’t you always the one who said that you needed to put faith in your subordinates no matter what?”

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“Well-yes. Yes, that’s right.” Kuze’s eyes wavered every so slightly.

“In that case, put your faith in me. No-put your faith in Kano.

“In Kano?”

“He believes that saving Maria Osawa will let us save Shibuya. He’s doing everything he can to make that happen.”

Kuze’s lips curled into a wry grin. “That sounds like Kano, all right. Always thinking in such simple terms.”

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“Usually, the simple answer is the right one, sir. People like you and me overthink things; we make them more complicated than they need to be. Just consider for a moment. Will putting Maria Osawa under quarantine clear up this case? No. It won’t. So long as we don’t know how she was infected with the virus, we can’t rule out the possibility that other people have been infected as well.” Tateno kept his eyes locked on Kuze’s. “Director Kuze, right now, what we need to do more than anything is get our hands on that antiviral drug. We need to be helping Kano. Please, sir.”

Kuze furrowed his brow in thought for a few moments, then shook his head. “Tateno, buddy, c’mon. I can’t do that. You gotta understand the position I’m in.”

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The director’s voice squeaked into his childish register.

Canaan narrowed her eyes. “What’s this guy’s deal?” she whispered.

“It’s...well...It’s hard to explain. But when his voice gets like that, it means...”

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He's confused. Run!

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Image Shibuya Scramble.

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He was confused.

Now was their chance to make a run for it. Tateno signaled with his eyes to Canaan, then got ready to sprint past Kuze and his team. He didn’t get the chance to, though.

“Ugh!”

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Suddenly, Kuze let out a pained yelp. Then, as Tateno watched in surprise, he proceeded to collapse onto the pavement.

“Argh! It hurts! It hurrrts!! Have I been infected with the virus too?!”

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The riot squad immediately rushed to the director’s side.

As Tateno stood there, dumbstruck, Kuze secretively flashed him a knowing wink.

“That was a terrible performance,” Canaan muttered.

“Yeah. But it was a tour de force as far as I’m concerned.” Inwardly, Tateno gave his boss a nod of respect.

Slipping past the riot squad, he and Canaan headed for the parking lot. Several members of Kuze’s team hurried to chase after them.

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“Don’t follow them!” Kuze cried out as he writhed on the ground. “Everyone, stay back! If you get too close to Maria Osawa, you’ll be infected as well!”

The riot squad stopped in their tracks. Tateno and Canaan took the opportunity to hurry out of sight.

Darting through some narrow alleyways, they arrived at the parking lot.

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The area had changed since Tateno’s youth, but some of the old air of nostalgia still lingered.

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“There it is.” He spotted the minivan with ‘Endo Electronics’ written on the side. Tateno gently laid Maria on the back seat. She was still apparently unconscious. Once Canaan had climbed into the passenger seat, Tateno hit the gas and sped off.

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“How far is it to the lab?” Canaan asked.

“Normally it would take about fifteen minutes, but with this traffic, it’s hard to say.” Tateno avoided the stop-and-go of Dogenzaka, taking side streets as he headed toward Shibuya Station.

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Once they had re-emerged on the main thoroughfare, however, he spotted a checkpoint set up ahead. Barricades and armored vehicles were blocking the road. The scale of the security effort showed just how grave the situation truly was. Tateno hit the brakes.

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Image Shibuya Scramble.

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They’d have to find another way around.

“Get in the back seat,” Tateno told Canaan.

“Why?”

“I want you to hold on to Maria so she doesn’t fall.”

A feisty grin came to Canaan’s face. “You got it.”

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Tateno waited until Canaan had made her way into the back, then he threw the minivan into reverse and jammed his foot on the gas. He cut the steering wheel sharply to one side; a loud screeching filling the air as centrifugal force made the vehicle tilt.

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Then, a patrol car came roaring out of a nearby side road.

“What the...?” Tateno reflexively jammed on the brakes.

Image Pursuit.

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The police cruiser cut in front of the minivan, turning to head right toward the roadblock. Crashing into the barricade, it plowed on through, not stopping until it slewed up onto the curb beyond.

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The car’s impact had made enough space for another vehicle to slip through in its wake.

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The minivan barreled on through the checkpoint.

Tateno wondered who in the world had been driving the cruiser.

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Tateno’s phone rang and he picked up as he sped onward.

“Were you...able to break through safely?”

It was the voice of Detective Kajiwara. Tateno had thought he was at the Osawa residence. “That patrol car just now-that was you?”

“A call came in from task force HQ...saying that Kano had found Maria. I figured...maybe Kano...was planning to take her to Okoshi Pharmaceutical. And so I...thought he’d need to...make his way through one of the checkpoints here. But the fact that it was you, Detective Tateno...haha. Now that was quite unexpected.” He let out a weak chuckle.

“Kajiwara, are you hurt?”

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“No. Don’t worry about me. Just...please, help Maria. I...I made a promise to her father...that I’d save his daughter...no matter what.” Tateno could hear the energy draining from Kajiwara’s voice.

“Understood. I’ll keep that promise for you, then.”

“Thank you...”

The line went dead.

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He’d crashed headlong through that barricade. There was no way he’d come out of that uninjured.

“I’m sorry, Kajiwara,” Tateno said to himself under his breath. “And thank you.” He bit his lip, then stepped hard on the gas again.

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  • Achi and Stanley are currently available.

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Image Decision.

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Image No music.

It was six o’clock p.m.

Alphard had contacted the motley team at Endo Electronics, and the situation had immediately deteriorated. But the new developments had also provided them with one big chance. A chance that Alphard might appear in person at long last.

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“You did fine.” Jack Stanley set his hand on Kano’s shoulder. A weak smile came to the detective’s face.

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Stanley paused, unexpectedly moved; for that one moment, he saw in Kano the image of his younger brother, Frank.

Image Shinya Kano

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“Jack, You have to get everyone to a safe place right away!” Frank’s nervous shout echoed through the hotel lobby. Stanley’s younger brother was a member of the Bomb and Arson Squad.
General Tip – Bomb and Arson Squad wrote:Subsection of the Chicago Police Department’s Bureau of Investigative Services (BIS) that handles investigation of bomb- and arson-related cases.
This was two years ago.

The CIA had obtained intel that Alphard was targeting a high-class hotel in Chicago for a terror attack. Stanley and his team had searched the hotel interior, and had discovered the bomb set inside a large planter.

When Frank arrived at the scene and saw the explosive, his expression grew grim. “The detonation trigger is set in the worst possible place. It’s going to be a bastard to remove it.”

“In that case, you need to get out of here, too, Frank,” Stanley said.

“No. I need to make sure I can figure out how this thing is set up so the disposal unit knows what to do when they get here. I’ll be all right. Look, you can probably see it from back there.”

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Stanley could indeed see the small explosive from where he stood.

It was held in place by several screws. The timer had just ticked down past the thirty minute mark.

“There’s plenty of time left for the disposal guys to get here. Jack, I need you to help finish evacuating the building; there are a lot of people who haven’t gotten out yet.”

“But...” Stanley hesitated. From a cold and logical perspective, Frank was right. He had a job to do, and if Stanley listened to his personal feelings and tried to usher his brother out of there, a lot of innocent people might die. “All right,” he said. “I understand.”

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“Heck, if we had something as simple as some dry ice, we could just freeze this thing.”

Frank grimaced as he eyed the bomb.“Dry ice, huh? I don’t suppose ice cream would do the trick?”

“That’d be a waste of ice cream. You’d be better off just eating it.”

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Of course, even dry ice would be a long-shot in place of actual liquid nitrogen.

The brothers looked at one another and for a moment the tension dissolved into laughter.

“All right,” Stanley said. “I’ll be back.”

“Hey Jack. Once this is all tidied up, I’m gonna need a drink. Let’s you and me have a beer together.”

“Sure. You got it.”

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Stanley headed for the hotel lobby, which was still overflowing with guests.

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“You made the right choice here.” Stanley gave Kano a thump on the back, and the detective cracked a tiny grin.

What about my choices, though?

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Debating his own next move, Stanley stepped away from the others and took out his cell phone. He made a call to his superior, Gordon.

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“It’s me,” he said.

“What’s the situation?”

“I hear the Japanese police want to put Maria Osawa under quarantine. I’m assuming that’s on your orders, sir?”

“It is. There are too many important people in Shibuya. We can’t allow that virus to get loose. Besides, we now know that Alphard is after Hitomi Osawa. There’s no reason to leave Maria at large any longer.”

“If you put Maria Osawa under quarantine, she is going to die.”

“I know that. But there will be far fewer victims as a result.” Gordon’s words made something inside Stanley snap.

In that moment, he lost any inclination to report that he was with Maria. Failure to do so would be dereliction of duty on his part. He knew that well enough. He knew it, but the fact couldn’t overcome his revulsion at Gordon’s callous attitude toward Maria. “Victims are still victims,” he said.

“What was that?”

“Nothing, sir. I’ll continue my operation to apprehend Alphard.” Stanley hung up the phone.

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He didn’t care if his superiors took action against him once this was all over. They intended to sacrifice one person in order to save the lives of countless more. From a purely objective standpoint, it was the right call. But what if that person was a loved one? What would they have done then?

The dilemma gnawed at the back of Stanley’s mind. He couldn’t shake the feeling that it was wrong to just accept the lesser of two evils, to sacrifice an innocent for the greater good. No, dammit. He would save that one life, and then save the lives of the many. He needed to find a way to avoid the so-called easy way out, no matter what it took.

He wasn’t about to add a second big regret to his life. Not this time. Saving Maria was the right thing to do. His judgment wasn’t wrong-of that, he was sure. He reaffirmed that to himself inwardly, over and over.

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Kano was watching Tateno prepare to depart. The group had put together a reasonable plan of action:

Tateno and Canaan would head to the lab with Maria and attempt to get the antiviral for her; Stanley would accompany Kano and the others to the scramble to apprehend Alphard.

It was a two-pronged plan of attack.

Still, could they really count on things going as smoothly as Canaan had suggested? Stanley thought back on her earlier words.

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“Once Alphard has made contact with Hitomi, call my cell phone. I have plenty of information Alphard might want to bargain for. I can negotiate with him directly.”

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That meant that getting the password hinged on whatever deal they struck. What sort of things might Alphard request in exchange?

Stanley cast a thoughtful look at Canaan.

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She was helping Tateno to carry Maria out of the room.

Stanley doubted she’d answer if he asked just what her bargaining chips were. He held his tongue, watching as she left with the others. Whatever else happened, he needed to focus on capturing Alphard.

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He glanced at the monitor displays in the workroom. The disembodied sound of Alphard’s voice from earlier crept back into his mind.

“I will appear at the rendezvous in person. After all, it wouldn’t do for the star of the show to miss the final curtain.”

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Those words notwithstanding, it seemed absurd that Alphard would actually show up in the flesh.

Nationality, age, sex-so much about the terrorist mastermind was shrouded in mystery. Why would someone who had hidden so well for so long ever reveal their true identity? And yet Alphard had gone out of the way to claim that was precisely what was about to happen. It almost seemed like he’d made turning up in person a major selling point of the deal.

“I’m looking forward to meeting all of you then.”

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There was no doubt about it; Alphard wanted them to expect him on-site and in person. So...why would that be? He’s using himself as bait, to lure me and Canaan out This is a near-perfect opportunity to wipe out the two people who are gunning for him the most. That being the case, how might he attempt to kill me once I’m at the scramble?

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Stanley felt a sudden flash of insight. No, something was off, here. His thought process was running well, each deduction logically following from the last. But at a time like this, that could be a very dangerous thing. Alphard may well have anticipated where his logic would lead. Stanley needed to assume that any clue he thought he’d found was something Alphard had left behind on purpose. So...maybe the suggestion that their target would come to the scene was a different kind of trap.

At the risk of sending himself in circles, Stanley decided to rethink the whole case from the ground up. What was the single strangest part of this whole thing? Aha, there were go. Why had Alphard put an amateur like Daisuke Endo in charge of the kidnapping?

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Sure, being able to get a heart for his daughter gave Daisuke a strong incentive, but there still had to be a reason why he’d been chosen.

If the kidnapping had failed, what would have happened then? Of course, this was Alphard they were dealing with. Maybe the possibility of failure was somehow part of the plan.

Hell, Daisuke had managed to accidentally kidnap Maria instead of Hitomi, hadn’t he? If Alphard had gone with a professional, that sort of mix-up would never have happened. And yet, even if that degree of uncertainty was acceptable, or even desirable, using Daisuke seemed like far too big a risk. There must be some other motive for bringing in Daisuke into the plan.

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Of course. Advantage. Using Daisuke must have provided some important advantage that outweighed his flaws. It was the only thing that made sense.

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To carry out some other objective.

He’d set up the kidnapping, devised the ransom relay, and kept the full attention of the police on that. All the while, Alphard himself was working towards his true goal: getting Hitomi’s blood. Which meant that Daisuke kidnapping Maria by mistake had in fact been a misstep. That was why, in the end, Alphard had proposed trading the password for Hitomi’s blood.

Could that really be it?

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Stanley decided to take it up with the man himself. “Mr. Endo, let me ask you something. Did you know Hitomi had a twin sister before the kidnapping?”

“I didn’t, no.”

“So when did you find out?”

“After I’d had Maria kidnapped. The organ trafficker took one look at her and said...said I had the wrong girl. Said I was supposed to have abducted the younger one.”

“He never mentioned Hitomi having a twin before this all started?”

“No. If I’d known, I’d have been a lot more careful.”

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Alphard had certainly known that the Osawa girls were twins. But despite the added risk that fact implied, he hadn’t told Daisuke. There was only one logical conclusion: Daisuke’s mistake hadn’t been an accident. Alphard had intended for the wrong sister to get kidnapped.

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By using an amateur, Alphard had set up the police to write off Daisuke’s kidnapping of the ‘wrong’ target as a simple misstep. Had Daisuke been brought in simply in the name of camouflage?

But why?

Alphard was after Hitomi’s blood. Daisuke was after Hitomi’s heart. They both wanted the same thing-so why target Maria instead?

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Stanley’s train of logic had run out of steam again. Still, he was sure he was on the right track. He just needed to keep following till he found out where that track would lead.

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“Where’s the storeroom where you were keeping Maria?” he asked.

Daisuke hung his head. “It’s out behind the shop. Why do you ask?”

“Would you mind showing me? There’s something I’d like to check.” At this point, he needed to go back over everything, right from the beginning. He followed Daisuke out to the storeroom.

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“Speaking of this storeroom,” Daisuke said as they were walking to the back part of the building, “there’s something I’ve been wondering about. Just how did Maria manage to escape in the first place?”

“You’re certain you locked her in?” Stanley asked.

Daisuke nodded. “At eight o’clock this morning, the organ trafficker came by to check up on her. I made sure to lock the place back up after he left.”

“I see. That visit must have been when Maria was injected with the Ua virus. It makes sense, based on our working timeline of when we expect her to go symptomatic.”

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When they got to the storeroom, they spotted the padlock that had held it shut lying broken on the ground.

Daisuke picked it up, then opened the storeroom door. “Ah, look at this mess...”

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It was obvious immediately that merchandise had been stolen.

“I doubt Maria did this,” Daisuke said. “Maybe some thieves broke in?” He made a quick inspection, assessing what had been taken. Some digital cameras and laptop computers were missing. “Hmm. This looks like the work of some local thugs. This kind of thing has happened to me a few times before.” Daisuke let out a sigh of exasperation.

Stanley, meanwhile, was carefully looking around inside the storeroom.

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“Where did you have Maria Osawa?” he asked.

“Behind those cardboard boxes.” The boxes he indicated were piled high, closing off one corner of the room.

If Maria were unconscious behind them, the burglars might well have never noticed her.

“So Maria was able to escape from the storeroom thanks to the burglars breaking the lock,” Stanley mused. Just what impact had that stroke of misfortune had on Alphard’s plan, he wondered? What had Alphard planned to do with Maria if nobody had broken in?

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Image Doubt.

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He was going to release her at some later time. Since he’d gone to the trouble of infecting her with the virus, it only made sense.

And Stanley could only think of one reason to release an infected Maria: To turn Shibuya into ground zero for a pandemic that would sweep through all of Tokyo.

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A virus with a mortality rate of 100% would have spread throughout the region before anyone even realized it.

It would be impossible even to calculate the scope of such a disaster. First, it would run the circuit around the Yamanote Line, and then, if any of the infected happened to head to the airports at either Haneda or Narita, the virus would spread throughout Japan, and the rest of the world, in a matter of hours.

But that hadn’t come to pass. They’d managed to secure Maria before she could develop symptoms and become infectious.

Is that because we were better than Alphard? No, that can’t be it.

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Alphard wasn’t the sort to commit such indiscriminate acts of terror. The threat of the infection spreading, horrific as it was, was likely just cover to hide some other scheme.

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But then, what was the ultimate goal?

Stanley still didn’t have enough clues to go on.

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Stanley made his way behind the stack of cardboard boxes. He spotted something that had fallen on the floor. It was a cell phone. Next to it was a women’s handbag. Stanley unzipped it; it held a jumble of makeup, tissues, and other personal effects, but nothing at all unusual.

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If he was going to find any clues here, it would probably have to be from the cell phone. He tried turning it on. There was no response. It appeared to be broken.

“Let me see that,” Daisuke said from behind him. “I’ll see if I can fix it.”

“Do you think you can?” Stanley asked as he handed it over.

“I won’t know until I try. But that sign out front saying that I run an electronics shop isn’t just for show.”

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Turning his attention back to the handbag, Stanley searched it more thoroughly and found a photograph tucked inside that he’d overlooked on his first inspection. “What the hell?” He stared at the image, swallowing the lump in his throat.

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  • Achi and Kano are available.

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The S.O.S. members fanned out, positioning themselves as best they could to intercept the falling vials.

Kano likewise prepared to catch one that was heading straight toward him.

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As he did, he caught sight of Palmer speeding away. Kano made up his mind on the spot. There was only one right call, here.

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He had to protect the lives of the people nearby. As much as he wanted to apprehend this criminal, he couldn’t sacrifice innocent people to do it.

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Kano caught one of the vials deftly in both hands.

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Carefully, he examined it for damage. Seeing that the vial didn’t appear broken, he let out a sigh of relief.

ImagePowerless.

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Then he looked around for Palmer, but there was no sign of him.

“Dammit!”

The mastermind had gotten away. Vanished without a trace.

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Amidst the frenetic crowd of the scramble, a lone criminal could blend in in an instant, becoming just another pedestrian. Trying to find him now would probably be a hopeless endeavor.

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  • Let's try that again.
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ImageConflict.

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He had to chase after Palmer. It didn’t matter if he didn’t grab the vial. Something about the way this was playing out made Kano sure of it. Calling upon all his rugby training, he broke into a sprint.

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Deftly dodging through the crowd, Kano kept Palmer in sight. He would catch him. One way or another, he was going to bring this bastard down. Steadily, he gained on his quarry.

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At last he drew within striking range, and immediately dived into an expert tackle. He caught Palmer around the waist; their bodies collided with violent force.

“Oof!”

Palmer went down flailing and hit the pavement hard. Even then, he tried to resist, but Kano straddled him and held him down.

“Tell me the password!” Kano snarled.

The kidnapper sneered triumphantly.

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“You made the wrong choice.”

“Wrong choice?”

“The Ua is out now. Now nobody can be saved. You’ve just killed everyone in the city.”

“No,” Kano shot back. “Nobody’s going to die.”

“And what makes you so sure of that?”

“The way you fled the scene just now. If the virus had really been in those vials, you could never have hoped to escape infection. Running off on foot would be pointless.”

Palmer said nothing.

“Which means there was no virus in those vials-they were just a decoy in order to buy you time to escape.”

Now Palmer gritted his teeth and glared up at Kano. The look on his face confirmed the detective’s hunch.

“But more importantly...it was your eyes. You didn’t have the eyes of a man who was putting his life on the line.”

“My eyes? Who do you think you are, Sherlock Holmes?”

“1 know full well the look in a man’s eyes when he’s willing to die.”

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In the back of his mind Kano replayed the moment when Tateno, doused in gasoline, had marched into that financial office to talk down a would-be arsonist.

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“Now then, the password. Give it to me. Now!” Kano tightened his grip on Palmer’s collar, but the man just gazed back at him with an icy glare.

“Let me have Hitomi Osawa’s blood. That was our original deal.”

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Kano wasn’t surprised; he’d known it wouldn’t be easy to get him to talk. Maybe it really would be impossible to strike a deal without Canaan. But if getting her on the phone wasn’t an option, Kano had to figure out something else.

Sweat beaded on his brow as he cast about for ideas. Then he happened to catch sight of a car that had been overturned by an accident nearby.

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Gasoline had spilled from the vehicle, creating a broad, dark puddle on the pavement.

Kano took out his handcuffs, then cuffed Palmer’s arm to his own.

“Come with me.” Jerking his captive back to his feet, Kano led him over to the car.

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Then, without hesitation he sat down in the pool of gasoline. Yanking on the handcuffs, he pulled Palmer down beside him.

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Kano pulled a lighter from his pocket.

Palmer snorted. “And just what’s this supposed to be, hm?”

“Tell me the password.”

“Or else what? You’ll light the gas? You’ll be burned to a crisp yourself.”

“Yeah, probably.” Kano heard the casual desperation in his own voice.

“What the hell are you thinking?” The smile vanished from Palmer’s face.

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A

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Tie between A and C.

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ImageConflict.

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“I just want to know the password.”

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“If that’s really what you’re after, then you can’t kill me.” Palmer and Kano locked eyes, both refusing to back down.

The scent of gasoline fumes filled the air around them. Kano knew that the slightest spark could set off a massive fireball.

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Calmly, he flicked the lighter on.

“You can’t be serious.” Palmer’s eyes fixed on the tiny flicker of flame.

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“The password.”

“You value your life so little?”

“The password!”

In his mind, Kano could see the pages of the Dick Diary clear as day.

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“Dick Dictum #1.

Never lose sight of what you’re supposed to protect. Ever.”

Palmer glared in defiance.

Kano brought the lighter closer and closer to the gasoline. He could practically feel his own life growing shorter as his hand descended. And yet he felt no trace of fear. His body was numb, his senses strangely distant. Time seemed to slow; the world around him dissolved into a blur. He was surprised at how calm, how remote he felt, here in the midst of this life-or-death confrontation.

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And then, far in the depths of Palmer’s eyes, he saw the barest hint of doubt. He fixed his gaze on that point of weakness and did not look away.

Palmer’s shoulders slumped perceptibly.

Now, Kano was certain of it. This was a man who’d never put his life on the line before.

Shizuo’s words sounded in the back of his mind:

“You need a cool mind but a fiery spirit. A detective without both of those is worth nothing.”

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“Let me go...Promise to let me go and I’ll tell you.”

“Is that your answer? I don’t think you quite understand the situation here.” Kano brought the flame still closer to the gasoline.

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Palmer’s eyes went wide. No longer was he able to hide his trembling uncertainty. “All right. I’ll tell you. Just put that thing out!”

“The password first!”

His voice a strangled snarl, Palmer gave him the password.

Kano extinguished the lighter. Pulling out his cell phone, Kano dialed up Osawa. As he did, he recalled his last exchange with Stanley at the electronics shop.

Looks like we’ll be able to have that beer together after all.

But Osawa didn’t answer.

Kano guessed immediately that something was amiss.

“Detective!”

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Achi’s voice was full of worry. “I’ve got Stanley on the line! He says that Detective Tateno-”

Image The World Doesn't Change so Easy.

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Image Doubt.

Kano didn’t get to hear the rest of Achi’s words.

A thunderous blast hurled him to the pavement. Where had the explosion come from? His lighter certainly hadn’t set the gasoline ablaze. Kano hadn’t been that clumsy.

So what had happened?

Only one possible answer came to mind. Palmer had blown himself up. But that only confused Kano further. His captive had already given up the password. What would prompt him to set off a bomb at this juncture?

As he was losing consciousness, Kano continued to wrack his brain, but he found no answers.

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  • Achi and Stanley are available.

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Kano you mentalist, that was unhealthy

Let's check in with Achi.

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Tiebreaker between Achi and Stanley.

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ImageConflict.

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Image No music.

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Image Unrest.

Me & Canaan 7/30

Stanley hurriedly flipped the photo back over and looked at it again.

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What does this mean?

The girl in the photo with Maria looked nothing like the Canaan who had been there at Endo Electronics-who had left with Maria and Tateno just a few minutes ago.

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But if the girl they were working with wasn’t Canaan, then who was she?

No. No. No. Stanley felt his blood run cold.

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Could she be...?

Was she Alphard?

The more he thought about it, the more it all added up. Assuming Alphard were masquerading as Canaan, the whole sequence of events suddenly began to make sense.

She was strikingly audacious, and fiendishly clever. But she hadn’t outmaneuvered them just yet. As luck would have it, they still had a chance to stop her.

And at long last, Stanley could see the outline of Alphard’s plan.

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Her goal was to get the antiviral. But extracting the DDS from Hitomi’s blood wasn’t enough; Okoshi Pharmaceutical still had the drug at their laboratory.

The antiviral’s value came specifically from having a monopoly on it. Which meant that, in addition to obtaining the drug herself, Alphard also needed to destroy Okoshi’s research facilities.

That was the crux of her plan. The problem was finding a way to infiltrate those facilities. In all likelihood, Alphard’s scheme went something like this:

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Have Maria Osawa kidnapped, then infected with the Ua virus.

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After that, eliminate Tanaka.

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Once Osawa learned that Maria had been infected with the virus, he was certain to use the antiviral on her.

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But he’d need his partner Tanaka in order to access the storage facility—and Tanaka was dead.

That was why Alphard had been masquerading as Canaan.

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Canaan was Maria’s friend, and an expert at hacking passwords. If she could secure Osawa’s trust, he would let her into the research facility in order to carry out the hack. That’s why Alphard, in the guise of Canaan, had saved Hitomi’s life repeatedly. Getting Hitomi to trust her would likewise earn the trust of her father.

There were still some finer details that remained a mystery. For instance, how was Alphard going to destroy the lab? Still, Stanley could look into that once he had her in custody. He needed to move quickly and stop her from ever getting into the Okoshi facility.

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“I fixed it.” Daisuke approached Stanley and held out Maria’s cell phone. “Well, as best as I could, at any rate. It looks like it’ll get a signal, but whatever data was on it is all gone.”’

“I see.” Stanley took the phone and put it in his pocket. He’d hoped he might be able to learn something useful from it, but luck evidently wasn’t on his side. He was just going to have to go up against Alphard with what he already had.

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Now that he’d guessed what was really going on, Stanley went to talk to Kano. “You need to go to the scramble without me,” he said.

“What?!” Kano was visibly shocked. “Where’s this coming from all of a sudden?”

“Please, don’t ask me to explain. Something else has come up, and I have to see to it.”

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Stanley hated having to do this. He wished he could explain everything. But if he made any unusual moves now, there was a risk that Alphard would pick up on it. It was better to keep his companions in the dark, just in case.

“I understand,” Kano said. “Do what you have to, and come back soon.”

“I’m sorry. I wish I could tell you more.”

“It’s all right. I’ll find a way to get by.”

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Kano gave him the thumbs-up.

The sight brought back some painful memories. Up until just a few hours ago, Stanley had instinctively seen Kano as all too naive. And now, he finally knew why.

Kano was just like his younger brother, Frank.

Image Chance Meeting.

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They might have looked very different, but in the way they mixed up their responsibilities with their personal feelings, they were totally alike.

Stanley couldn’t discount that naivete. In the end, it was all a part of the human condition.

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“Jack, are you really okay with this?” Frank cast an anxious look at his older brother as they made their way onto the University of Chicago.

“It’s my responsibility to look after you,” Stanley told him. “As long as you take your studying seriously, I’m all for it.”
General Tip – University of Chicago wrote:A private university in Chicago, Illinois. Lauded as one of the foremost research institutions in the U.S.; more than ninety alumni have been awarded the Nobel Prize. The school has made a number of major contributions to the world beyond simple academics, including the construction of the world’s first artificial nuclear reactor, Chicago Pile-1, and the Chicago school of economics, a school of economic thought that stresses monetarism.
Frank had been worrying about tuition costs as he prepared for college. After losing their parents five years earlier, the two had struggled to get by.

“Yeah, but-”

Stanley set both hands on his brother’s shoulders. “Listen to me, Frank. You’re my brother, and I care about you. I just want whatever you do to be something you can be proud of.”

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“All right, Jack. I hear you. And thanks.”

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“Kano, promise me one thing.”

“What’s that?”

“Once this is all over, you’ll go have a beer with me.”

“Sure, all right.”

“That’s a promise now, remember.”

Kano flashed him a grateful smile.

And in that smile, Stanley again saw a little something of Frank.

Image Shibuya Scramble.

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Hurrying out of Endo Electronics, Stanley dialed up Tateno as he ran along. “Listen carefully-your life may depend on it,” he said as soon as Tateno picked up. He knew that the detective wouldn’t be able to respond openly, since Alphard was right there with him. On the spur of the moment, Stanley devised a simple code for how he should answer ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ He told Tateno to respond with ‘that’s right’ to mean ‘yes,’ and ‘will do’ to mean ‘no.’ There was no time for anything more complex. Right now, Stanley just needed to stop Alphard from getting into the lab.

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He quickly explained his suspicions about “Canaan”; Tateno sounded distinctly unnerved. “At any rate,” Stanley said, “you need to find a way to turn back without her realizing what’s going on.”

“Will do,” Tateno replied.

So, he was going to head to the laboratory despite Stanley’s instructions.

“Saving Maria is your top priority, isn’t it?”

“That’s right.” The detective’s affirmation was firm.

“All right, then. Guess I’ll have to head that way myself. In the meantime, do not let her inside that lab.”

“That’s right.”

Tateno was no match for Alphard. If she figured out what was going on, she’d probably kill him on the spot. Reassurance or encouragement would be meaningless right now.

Instead, Stanley left Tateno with one final warning.

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Image Shibuya Scramble.

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“If it comes down to it, just shoot her. If you hesitate for a moment she’ll have you dead.”

Tateno hung up without saying anything.

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The area around Dogenzaka was in disarray. The government had declared a state of high alert, and the people on the street were milling around uneasily, unsure just what was going on. The main roads had been blocked off and automobiles and motorcycles were at a standstill. Some vehicles had overturned on the curb in an apparent attempt to circumvent the blockade.
General Tip – State of high alert wrote:Modern-day Japan lacks both the infrastructure and the legal framework to properly deal with a large-scale bioterrorist threat; coordination between the police, Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF), health centers, and so forth would be a monumental task. In all likelihood, if a bioweapon was ever unleashed there, the target site would fall into chaos.
Any moment now, Kano’s team would be putting their plan into action at the scramble. Stanley wasn’t sure who they might have gotten to help, but Kano was certain to put them to good use.

Please, stay safe. Don’t you dare die on me. Stanley prayed silently as he darted underneath the railway overpass.

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He made it to his car, still parked on roadside-and, fortunately, beyond the blocked-off area. Jumping in, he sped off toward the laboratory.

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As he drove along, Stanley again tried to deduce Alphard’s plan of action. If Alphard herself was on the way to the lab now, then what was the objective of the fake who’d been sent to the scramble?

Image No music.

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A call came in from Tateno.

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“Stanley here.” He picked up quickly, but as he did, he wondered: why was Tateno calling him Alphard was right there. There was no way the detective should be risking a phone call. “What’s going on?”

Tateno said nothing; Stanley repeated the question.

Still, Tateno did not reply.

Stanley’s apprehension spread like a droplet of ink in water. “Hey! Has something happened? Hey! Answer me!”

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The call cut out. Stanley hurriedly dialed Tateno’s number, but he couldn’t get through.

Something had gone badly wrong-he was sure of it. Had he been too arrogant in thinking that he might be a match for Alphard? His worries turned to the team at the scramble. What if they had walked into a trap?

Figuring that it would be too dangerous to call Kano in the midst of the negotiations, Stanley instead dialed up Achi.

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“Mr. Stanley? What’s going on?”

To Stanley’s relief, it sounded like thing down at the scramble had gone well enough, so he asked Achi to put him on the phone with Kano.

“Yeah, gimme a sec!” the young man said. “Detective!”

Stanley could hear Achi shouting on the other end.

“I’ve got Stanley on the line! He said that Detective Tateno-”

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There was a sudden tremendous boom, and then the call cut out.

Stanley’s jaw dropped. He felt his mind emptied out by despair. He opened his mouth, but he couldn’t even bring himself to scream. All he could do was curse inwardly, again and again.

Image Chaos.

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Stanley slammed his fist into the steering wheel as hard as he could.

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Then he did it again, and again.

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And again and again and again.

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He didn’t stop even when his fists were marred with blood.

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Achi and Tateno are available.

User avatar
ImageAlphard.

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Image No music.

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Was this guy Alphard?

The man arrived in front of Hitomi and began speaking to her.

Hitomi, Maria, even Achi’s father-this must be the guy who was responsible for everything. Achi felt a pressing urge to flatten him right then and there.

Still, he knew he couldn’t blow his cover until Kano gave the signal. Suppressing his raw emotions, he readied himself for action.

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I have to set aside my hatred.

Right now, I need to just focus on catching this guy.

Why hasn’t it happened yet? Why hasn’t Kano given the signal?


Image Pressure.

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“Freeze!” Suddenly Kano rushed forward, his gun drawn.

Ignoring the pain in his leg, Achi dashed for Hitomi as fast as he could. He cut in between Kano and Alphard, quickly pulling Hitomi out of danger.

“Hitomi!” Kano shouted. “Call Canaan again.”

Shielded by Achi, now, she brought up her cell phone and dialed the number.

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But some time passed and there was no answer. Had there been some kind of trouble on Canaan’s end? Looking increasingly worried, Hitomi tried calling several more times.

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Then Alphard withdrew some strange vials from the attaché case he’d brought. Kano’s face wavered with alarm.

This had to be the terrorist’s trump card, then.

Kano and Alphard were having some sort of debate. Achi couldn’t hear the specifics, but tensions were clearly running high.

Kano hesitantly lowered his gun. Alphard flashed a haughty, confident grin.

Looks like it’s time for our trump card.

“Susumu!” Achi shouted at the top of his lungs.

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At his signal, the gang emerged from the crowd moved en masse to hem Alphard in.

“Surrounded?” Now the terrorist was visibly at a loss. “You certainly don’t look like police.”

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“You’re right about that,” Achi said. “I mean just take a look. I gathered up a bunch of people who love Shibuya more than their own lives in order to take your ass down.” As he spoke, he made sure to keep Hitomi shielded behind him. The pain in his leg was getting worse and worse, but he tried his utmost not to let it show. “There’s no escape!” he declared. “You’ve lost!”

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“Lost? Me?”

“Well it sure doesn’t look like you’re gonna get away.”

Alphard grimaced at Achi’s words. “I see. Then it appears our negotiations are at a close.”

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  • We already know that Palmer is bluffing.
This is just a bluff He knows he can’t get away.

His only chance would be to try to spread the virus around and then take off while everyone was distracted. Which meant they needed to just grab the guy and be done with it.

“Enough of the high-and-mighty act!” Susumu shouted. Evidently he shared Achi’s opinion. He began to stomp toward Alphard.

But he didn’t reach him in time.

Image No music.

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The vials in Alphard’s hand went sailing high into the air.

“Look out! Catch ‘em! Catch ‘em!” Achi gestured for his comrades to fan out across the open space. The vials seemed to almost vanish against the backdrop of the evening sky. How many of them had this guy even thrown? There was no way to tell for sure. And if even one of them broke open, it would be a death sentence for Shibuya. They had to make sure they caught them all.

Image Achi Endo.

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Spinning around in the midst of the chaos, Achi saw Susumu catch one vial deftly.

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Many of the other gang members appeared to have done the same.

“There’s one more! Over there!”

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The desperate shout had come from Hitomi. She’d spotted a vial sailing in a high arc away from all the S.O.S. members.

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“Dammit...” Achi launched into motion, ignoring the searing pain in his leg, but the falling vial was so far away... “Yaaaaaaahhhhh!” It was now or never; he threw himself into a headfirst slide.

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“Nice catch!” The gang members broke out into cheering and applause.

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Achi got to his feet and looked around, but saw no sign of either Kano or Alphard.

“Hey Achi, if you’re looking for the detective...” Susumu gestured with his chin; Achi looked and saw Kano far away across the scramble, chasing after Alphard. Soon, both men were lost in the crowd.

Achi would have charged off in pursuit as well, but his wounded leg made that impossible. “Get him, Detective...” he murmured under his breath. “We’re counting on you.”

Image No music.

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Achi’s cell phone rang. It was Stanley.

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“Mr. Stanley? What’s going on?”

“Something isn’t right.”

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“Huh?”

“I can’t get in touch with Tateno,” Stanley said. “What about on your end? Anything unusual going on?”

“No problems here for the moment. Detective Kano managed to catch Alphard.”

“Did he get the password?”

“Dunno-I think he just finished his interrogation.”

“Could you put me on the line with Kano?”

“Yeah, gimme a sec!”

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Achi turned to Kano and shouted. “Detective!” Kano turned to look at him as he was flipping his own cell phone closed.

“I’ve got Stanley on the line! He says that Detective Tateno-”

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Before he could complete his sentence, a massive explosion blasted Achi off his feet. Tiny bits of metal tore through his arms, legs, and torso. He crashed to the ground and crumpled like a tattered rag.

Image Echo.

There were screams coming from all directions. But as Achi started to fade from consciousness, the voices got softer and softer.

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Through the haze of pain he saw a bloodied arm stretched out before him. He saw a hand that had been clasped with his hand all day long. The fingers feebly reached for him, and Achi intertwined them with his own. It took the very last of his strength. Then, both hands subsided into stillness.

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Image Shibuya Scramble.

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Image Pursuit.

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Once they’d made it past Shibuya Station, the roads were relatively clear. They ought to make it to the lab in no time.

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The phone rang again. It was Stanley.

“What’s going on?” he asked the American.

“Listen carefully-your life may depend on it. I’m going to ask you some questions. If the answer is ‘yes,’ say ‘that’s right.’ If it’s ‘no,’ reply with ‘will do.’”

For a moment, Tateno was bewildered; from the urgency in Stanley’s voice, however, he realized that there was some kind of emergency. “That’s right,” he said after a moment’s thought. That ought to let Stanley know that he understood the code.

“Is Canaan with you right now?”

“That’s right.”

“That ‘Canaan’ is an impostor.”

Image Maneuvers.

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Tateno gripped his phone more tightly, hoping it would stop the trembling in his hand.

“It’s her,” Stanley said. “She’s Alphard.”

The detective had to stifle a gasp of alarm.

“I don’t have time to fill you in on the details, but I’ve got some pretty incontrovertible evidence. You need to turn back, now.”

Tateno struggled to come to terms with what he’d just heard.

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He glanced at Canaan through the rear-view mirror.

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She was holding Maria tightly in her arms. Was this really all an act on her part?

And if so-why?

There was only one possible reason. If Canaan really was Alphard, then she had only one goal. She was pretending to help Maria in order to get into the lab, where she would be able to steal the antiviral.

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But wait-hold on. Canaan was Maria’s friend, wasn’t she? Hitomi had said as much herself.

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“Canaan is my sister’s friend.”

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Maria certainly knew what her own friend looked like. And since it was obvious that Maria might be present, it didn’t make sense for a clever imposter to pretend to be Canaan.

Or did it?

When Canaan showed up on the roof of South Hill-making her surprise attack on Tateno-Maria had taken off down the staircase without ever looking back. And when she’d turned up at the Endo Electronics workroom, Maria had already collapsed and fallen unconscious.

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Tateno felt a chill spreading through his body.

As far as he knew, Maria had never actually seen the girl who was now sitting in the back seat. But then, what about Hitomi? Shouldn’t she have known what Canaan looked like?

Tateno tried to remember just what Hitomi had said.

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“Canaan is my sister’s friend. I just met her for the first time today.”

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If they’d never met each other before today, then maybe Hitomi didn’t know what the real Canaan looked like. That was the only explanation that made sense.

Image No music.

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“Hey, Tateno. Are you still with me?” Stanley sounded like he was on the verge of panic. “At any rate, you need to find a way to turn back without her realizing what’s going on.”

Even if Canaan really was Alphard, Tateno had to keep heading toward that lab. He went over the coded responses in his head.

‘Yes’ was ‘that’s right’;

‘No’ was ‘will do’

“Will do,” he said.

“Saving Maria is your top priority, isn’t it?”

“That’s right,” Tateno affirmed.

“All right, then. Guess I’ll have to head that way myself. In the meantime, do not let her inside that lab.”

“That’s right.” Tateno hung up.

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“Who was that?” Canaan asked.

Tateno felt his heart skip a beat. “That was Kuze, that cop from earlier.” He tried to keep his voice as level as possible. “He was worried about us and wanted to check up.”

“Ah, okay,” Canaan muttered, sounding disinterested.

Tateno could only hope she hadn’t guessed the truth. It felt like the specter of Death himself was breathing down his neck.

At last, the minivan arrived at Okoshi Pharmaceutical.

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Tateno pulled up at the front gate and got out of the vehicle.

Off to one side of the entrance was an intercom for contacting the security room.

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“I’m assuming you’ve already heard the details from the director,” Tateno barked into the intercom. “Open up.”

“We haven’t heard anything from Director Osawa,” the security guard spat back.

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“And moreover, the laboratory is currently on lockdown. I’m sorry, but not even Director Osawa is allowed inside.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Tateno scowled at the intercom in frustration.

Then, a car came racing towards him along the street.

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The sound of screeching brakes filled the air as the vehicle skidded to a halt, and then Kenji Osawa jumped out from the driver’s seat.

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“Maria!”

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Osawa rushed over to Tateno, then to Maria where she lay in the minivan; he looked carefully at his daughter’s face. “Oh, thank goodness. She still hasn’t gone symptomatic.”

“Mr. Osawa, why aren’t people being allowed into the laboratory?”

Osawa tilted his head. “They’re not?”

Tateno explained what the guard had said.

“That’s ridiculous.”

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Osawa immediately called the security guard on the intercom. He got the same story.

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“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Osawa raged. “I’m the lab director here!”

But the security guard wasn’t hearing it. “I’m sorry, sir. These orders come from Mr. Makino.”

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“No...So am I just supposed to sit out here and watch my daughter die?!”

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Tateno wracked his brain for other ideas. Maybe they’d have to climb the gate and break their way in?

Then, over the intercom, they heard the sound of a phone ringing in the security room.

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The security guard answered it without muting the intercom speaker. His voice was faintly audible; he sounded rather deferential.

Who in the world could he be talking to? Before Tateno could muse further, the gate suddenly opened.

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“Huh? Why?” Tateno and Osawa looked at one another in surprise.

“I have a message for Director Osawa from Mr. Makino,” the security guard said.

“From Makino?” Osawa huddled over the intercom and had a brief sotto voce exchange with the guard.

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“What was that all about?” Tateno asked.

“It, ah, would seem that my wife was able to pull some strings for us.” Osawa smiled uncomfortably.

Tateno didn’t have time to wonder what that might mean.
428 Tip – Wife wrote:After Osawa left home, Ai had a change of heart. Even if it meant losing everything, she decided she wanted to save Maria’s life. Although Maria was not Ai’s real daughter, it turned out that the time they’d spent living together had sowed the first seeds of a familial bond.
“Has that lock been opened for us as well?” he asked.

The smile disappeared from Osawa’s face. “No, she wasn’t able to do anything about the final layer of security.”

“I see. Well, let’s regroup inside for now.”

“Very well,” Osawa said. “By the way, who’s going to be hacking the password?”

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“I am,” Canaan replied.

“Ah, so you’re Canaan? We should get you to the laboratory, then.” Osawa began to lead the way inside; Canaan followed.

Image Violation.

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If Canaan really was Alphard, Tateno couldn’t let her into that lab. But without getting that lock open, there was no way of getting Maria the antiviral she needed to survive.

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Image Violation.

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They couldn’t go anywhere until Stanley got there. Tateno knew exactly what he needed to do.

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“What’s the matter?” Osawa turned and cast a look of confusion back at Tateno and Canaan, both of whom had stopped in their tracks.

“We’ll wait out here,” Tateno said.

“But...I mean...isn’t Canaan going to hack the password?”

“There’s been a slight change of plans. Go ahead and wait for us at the lab, Director.”

“I...all right. But we don’t have much time before Maria develops symptoms. I’ll be inside. Please don’t keep me waiting too long.” With Maria in his arms and a worried look on his face, Osawa hurried through the gate and disappeared from view.

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“What do you think you’re doing?” Canaan asked, stiffening as Tateno nudged the barrel of his gun against her spine.

“You’re Alphard, aren’t you?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“It’s no use trying to play dumb. Stanley found proof-”

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Before he finished speaking, Canaan seemed to disappear from view.

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She cartwheeled away at blinding speed, too quick for Tateno to keep a bead on her. By the time she’d righted herself, she’d already drawn a gun of her own. Abruptly he found himself facing her in a stare-down, weapons aimed at one another.

Then Canaan’s phone rang, and she reached to answer it.

“Don’t move!” Tateno roared.

“Did you forget the plan? That might be Hitomi calling.”

“I don’t care! Don’t you move!” If Canaan really was Alphard, the whole plan might be a sham.

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Tateno kept the barrel of his gun squarely on its mark.

Canaan let out a little sigh. “Have you considered that Stanley might be lying to you?”

“Yes. It’s possible. But I need to make sure we avoid a worst-case scenario.”

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“If you don’t let me into the lab, who’s going to hack the password?”

“We’ve got your little decoy. My friends will get the fake Alphard to cough up the password.”

Once her phone had stopped ringing, Canaan sighed again. “And what about Stanley, then? Is he on his way here?”

“Who knows?” Tateno said.

At that, Canaan lowered her gun. She seemed disturbingly full of confidence.

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Canaan flipped open her cell phone.

“Who do you think you’re calling?” Tateno adjusted his aim, pointing his gun at the young woman’s head.

“Look, I’m going to call Hitomi and have her clear up these suspicions you have about me. We don’t have the time for this right now. Wouldn’t you agree?”

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“Stop. This is the sort of nonsense we don’t have time for right now.”

Canaan shook her head, then put her phone away.

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“If you’re really Alphard, then you don’t actually need to hack the password,” Tateno said. “I’m guessing you’ve already gotten it from Tanaka. Which means you’ll be able to get your hands on the antiviral as soon as you get into that lab.”

Canaan didn’t so much as flinch.

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“The only thing stopping you is the antiviral still in Hitomi Osawa’s body. Possessing the antiviral and having a monopoly on it are two very different things. You want to eliminate Hitomi. That’s why you lured her down to the scramble. Am I wrong?”

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“If that’s true, then how am I planning on getting rid of her? Using this so-called substitute Alphard or something?”

“Yes, that’s right.” Tateno couldn’t be certain. But he couldn’t think of any other way.

Canaan let out a laugh. “You don’t know the first thing about Alphard,” she said.

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“Alphard keeps the outlines of his plans blurred so that his deliberate actions just get lumped in with the coincidences. That’s the crux of all his plans-that’s how he’s able to pull off his schemes by himself. He’d never solicit help from a third party.”

The words seemed like they were Canaan’s, but also seemed like they were Alphard’s.

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With his gun still at the ready, Tateno got out his phone and called Kano.

The young detective was quick to pick up. “Detective Tateno? What’s going on?”

“You need to get Hitomi Osawa to safety immediately. Alphard isn’t trying to get at her blood. He wants her eliminated.”

“What?”

“Hurry!”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

Once he’d gotten Kano’s confirmation, Tateno hung up.

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“And now your little plan has been foiled,” Tateno said.

Canaan snorted. “Has it now? If I really am Alphard, then all I need to do is eliminate you here and head right on into that lab.” Even without her gun raised, she still radiated intimidation.

Tateno might have had her at gunpoint, but he could feel the threat of her presence like a gathering storm. “Eliminate me?” he said, doing his best to mask any sign of weakness. “You’re the one who doesn’t have your gun ready.”

“I don’t need my gun,” Canaan said simply.

“And why’s that?”

“Because you can’t shoot me.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Canaan glared sharply at Tateno. Her look pierced him like a blade. Then she quirked an unsettling smile, and took a step closer to him.

“Don’t move,” he warned.

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  • This is Tateno's true ending decision.

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“I don’t want to pull this trigger if I don’t have to.”

“It’s not that you don’t want to pull that trigger-it’s that you can’t pull that trigger.” Canaan took another step closer. “You’re still traumatized from that time you let your friend’s wife die.”

Image Despair.

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“How...how do you know about that?” Tateno was shaking now, his aim wavering.

“I heard you talking with the younger detective up on that rooftop.”

That was right-she had been there.

“Let’s test my theory out.” Canaan pointed her index finger at her own heart. “If you think I’m Alphard, then shoot me, right here.”

“Huh?”

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The corner of her mouth twisted up. “You can’t do it, can you?”

Tateno’s gun hand shook all the more.

“You’re afraid to pull the trigger.” It was as if her words were a spell she that she was casting over him. “You can hardly even stand the thought of pointing your gun at someone.”

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Tateno shook his head violently back and forth, but he couldn’t get Canaan’s words out of his head.

“If it comes down to it, just shoot her. If you hesitate for a moment she’ll have you dead.”

That’s what Stanley had said. And he was right.

Don’t hesitate. Don’t think.

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This was Alphard.

A sadistic terrorist.

He just needed to trust himself and pull the trigger.

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Pull it!

There was a horrid, visceral sound.

Gastric fluids rushed up Tateno’s throat; he pitched forward onto his hands and knees and vomited on the spot. The sensation of pulling the trigger, the recoil in the wake of the shot-it was exactly as it had been all those years ago. He never wanted to fire a gun again. At this point, he’d probably never be able to.

“Where were you even aiming?” The voice had come from right in front of him.

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He looked up to see Canaan standing right there.

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His heart began hammering like mad. This was the end. He braced himself for oblivion, even as his body cried out to survive.

There was the dull roar of a gunshot, and then silence.

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  • Achi, Kano and Stanley are available.

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ImageConflict.

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The phone rang several times before Osawa picked up.

“It’s Kano. I have the password.”

“Are-are you serious?” Osawa blurted in shock.

“Here, let me give it to you. Are you ready?”

“Yes!”

“59FBAI4QL1...” As he passed along the alphanumeric sequence, Kano kept his eyes on Palmer. The man stared back at him with an expression of bitter defeat.

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There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.

Then at last Osawa’s excited voice came through. “That did it! It opened! The lock opened!”

Kano let out a deep breath of utter relief.

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“Hmph,” Palmer snorted. “You’re really satisfied with catching me and saving the life of one girl? I suppose it’s the Japanese way to forget the pain that’s been visited upon you. But it’s not over; the bloodshed will continue. All over the world. Women, children, the elderly-innocent. All will bleed. Because absolute justice is on our side.”

“Is that right?”

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Kano drove his fist into Palmer’s face.

There was no such thing as ‘absolute justice.’ It was that kind of blind faith that kept the world in conflict.

“Well, this sure is quite the mess.”

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Whirling around in surprise, Kano saw Kuze standing there. “Director Kuze!” He bowed his head apologetically. He may have apprehended the criminal mastermind, but only because he’d ignored a direct order to place Maria under quarantine. “I’m sorry, sir. But, I-”

“Save the apology,” Kuze interrupted. “You’re the one who solved the case. You did good, kid.”

Once again Kano bowed, this time even more deeply.

“Oh, and one more thing, Kano.”

“Yes, sir?”

“Sasayama has regained consciousness. I thought you’d like to know.”

Image Chance Meeting.

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“Sasayama-they were able to save him?”

“I got a call from the hospital. Looks like he’s going to pull through.”

“That’s great! Really great news.” Tears of relief came to Kano’s eyes.

And if Osawa was able to get the lock at the lab open, he should also have been able to get Maria the antiviral without any further difficulty.

Kano dragged Palmer to his feet, then undid the handcuff from his own wrist, using it to properly bind his captive.

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The metal ring snapped shut with a soft, satisfying click. Palmer limply hung his head.

It was over.

It was all finally over.

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It really had been quite a day, Kano reflected. Beyond all the challenges he’d faced, he had come face to face with his own shortcomings. Now he knew what a long way he had to go to be the man he wanted to be. But at least he’d learned what it truly meant to be a detective.

“Hmm?” Kuze was muttering to himself nearby. “I mean you don’t even look alike, but...” The director shook his head and cleared his throat.

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“You know, Kano, for a second there, you looked just like Tateno.”

“Really, sir?” Kano smiled, fussing sheepishly with his hair. Kuze’s words were the finest praise he could have asked for.

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Someday, he hoped he really might be a detective like Tateno. No, he decided-he would be. And until then, he’d never give up on that dream. It might be a long, long road, but he would walk it.

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Kano looked up into the sky. The neon lights of the city shone from all over. This was the same old Shibuya that it always was, but one that he looked at now with new eyes.

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  • Achi and Stanley are available.

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Image Shibuya Scramble.

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  • We've already found the Jump point for this Keep Out.
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Image Shibuya Scramble.

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Image Shibuya Scramble.

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To act as a decoy.

Surely that was the imposter’s purpose. But it wouldn’t be a simple matter of providing a brief distraction.

Alphard had been careful to wipe out almost everyone she’d associated with in the past. That was precisely why all of her defining characteristics, such as age and sex and nationality, had been unknown. It was unthinkable that she’d allow this decoy-who almost certainly knew who she really was-to stay alive.

And since Hitomi carried the antiviral in her body, Alphard likely wanted to get rid of her, as well. In all likelihood, the terrorist mastermind was planning to steal the antiviral from the lab-but as long as some of it remained in Hitomi’s bloodstream, she wouldn’t have a monopoly on it.

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“Aha!” Stanley suddenly blurted aloud. He’d just realized what Alphard hoped to accomplish at the scramble. She meant to eliminate both Hitomi and her own decoy at the same time.

The question was how.

Beginning with her bombings in Chicago, Alphard had made frequent use of remote-controlled explosives. It was likely that she’d opt for something similar here, as well. But she wasn’t going to be at the scramble herself. So how in the world was she going to trigger the explosion? Was there some clue to be found in something she’d said or done earlier?

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Think.

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Try to remember.

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Think.

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Try to remember.


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If he didn’t do something, everyone at the scramble was probably going to die. Then, as he desperately wracked his brain, he remembered something Kano had said. It had been while they were at the scene of the minivan explosion together.

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“He said he heard a cell phone ringtone at the time of the explosion. Not sure if that’s significant, though.”

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Stanley recalled the recent exchange between Alphard and Hitomi. The two had called each other’s cell phones. Alphard hadn’t really been checking to make sure she had the right number. She’s been checking to make sure Hitomi hadn’t changed her ringtone.

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That was it! The bomb was set to detonate in response to a specific piece of music. And the ringtone on Hitomi’s phone was the trigger.

Where could the bomb be hidden, then? Stanley didn’t have the time to think. He needed to alert Kano and the others right away.

As he pulled out his phone again, he recalled the map of the stakeout positions. Kano would probably be right next to the decoy Alphard. It might be a mistake to call him, under the circumstances.

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Maybe he couldn’t risk calling Kano. But he could call Achi.

Stanley dialed Achi Endo’s number. “Please, don’t let me be too late,” he muttered to himself as he waited for the call to connect.

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Achi was quick to pick up. “Mr. Stanley? What’s going on?”

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  • Achi and Kano are available.

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Image Achi Endo.

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Image Chance Meeting.

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Eventually Achi spotted Kano on the far edge of the crowd.

The detective pumped his fist in victory. It looked like he’d gotten Alphard to cough up the password.

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Thank goodness. Finally, some really good news.

Now Hitomi and Maria were both safe. A surge of relief ran through Achi’s body.

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Unexpectedly, his cell phone rang. It was Stanley.

“Mr. Stanley? What’s going on?”

“How did the negotiations go?”

Achi quickly filled him in on the good news. “The detective caught Alphard. He got him to give up the password and I think he’s called the folks at the lab. Does that mean the case is closed, then?”

“No. Not yet. Right now, I need you to do exactly as I tell you.”

Image Contemplation.

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For a moment, Achi’s head swam. This isn’t over yet?

“Why? What’s going on?”

“If you want to save Hitomi, then shut up and listen!” Stanley barked.

“All right! Tell me what to do.”

“First, you need to power down Hitomi’s cell phone?

“Turn off her phone? What for?” Was Stanley serious, or just messing with him?

“I’m pretty sure that there’s a bomb somewhere near your location.”

“A bomb?” Achi’s voice squeaked into falsetto.

“The guy that Kano just apprehended is a decoy. The real Alphard is planning to eliminate Hitomi and the false Alphard at the same time.”

Eliminate both Hitomi and his own decoy? Why would he do that? And if the guy they’d just captured was a fake, then who was the real Alphard? He couldn’t wrap his head around it; the more he tried, the more his thoughts became a jumbled mess.

“Listen. First, turn off that cell phone. Then, go and look for the bomb.”

“Okay! Got it!” Right now, he just needed to do what Stanley told him to do. He didn’t have time to make sense of the situation.

Hanging up, he called out to Hitomi.

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“Hitomi, you have to turn off your cell phone!”

She stared back at him, too confused to act.

“Look, just hurry up and do it!”

“Right! Okay!” Pulling her phone from her pocket, she switched the power off.

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Then Achi turned in Kano’s direction. “Detective!” he shouted.

Kano was looking toward him, seemingly already aware that something was amiss.

“Detective! That’s not the real Alphard-he’s a fake!”

“A fake?!” Kano looked understandably shocked.

“Yeah! I just got a call from Stanley! He said the real Alphard is planning to get rid of both Hitomi and the fake with some kind of bomb!”

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Kano hurriedly turned back to the fake Alphard and began a fresh barrage of questions.

Meanwhile, Achi’s mind was racing again. If the bomb was meant to wipe out both Hitomi and the imposter, it would have to be pretty powerful. So it couldn’t be anything particularly small... Where could the bomb be hidden, then? Achi scanned the area, but didn’t spot any place that seemed plausible.

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Kano made his way over to Hitomi. “Pardon me, miss. I just need to search you real quick.”

Wait-had Hitomi been planted with a bomb?

“Achi, keep an eye on this guy,” Kano said. “If he tries anything funny, feel free to punch his lights out.”

“Okay, sure thing.”

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Achi took up watch over the decoy Alphard. The guy was handcuffed, but he was still a diabolical terrorist. Achi knew he couldn’t let his guard down for a moment. He kept a close eye on the fake, ready to knock him cold at the first sign of mischief.

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Meanwhile, Kano continued to search Hitomi. “Did you buy all of the jewelry and accessories you’re wearing yourself?”

“Yes, most of them. The ring I got from my sister.”

“What about your clothes?”

“Oh, I bought them just this afternoon. The top I was wearing before got torn.”

“Hmm. I see.”

Then, as Kano continued his search, he cried out suddenly in realization. “Hitomi, you have to give me your cell phone! It’s a bomb!”

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Hitomi hurriedly pulled out her cell phone and handed it to Kano; Achi looked on in alarm as he realized the detective was going to turn the phone on.

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“Stop! Don’t turn that thing on!”

Kano froze at Achi’s sudden shout.

“Why not?” The detective quirked a quizzical eyebrow.

“I don’t know-it’s just what Stanley said. He told me to make sure her phone stayed off.”

The blood drained visibly from Kano’s face.

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Quickly pulling out his own cell phone, Kano dialed up the police. He launched into a discussion involving a lot of cop jargon that made no sense to Achi. But one thing seemed clear: Hitomi’s phone itself might be the bomb.

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But wait... Achi found himself doubting the phone-bomb idea.

If Hitomi hadn’t brought her cell phone with her, what would have happened then? Would that just mean there would be no explosion here?

He didn’t buy it.

Surely, Alphard would have thought of a way to eliminate Hitomi and the decoy crook whether she had her phone on her or not. It was too worrying a prospect to ignore.

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Achi waited impatiently for Kano to hang up, then asked, “Well? What do we do?”

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“For now, just let me handle this. We don’t know when or how this thing might explode. You guys get out of here.”

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Kano set the cell phone down on the ground and started to put some distance between himself and it.

Achi followed after him, dragging the fake Alphard along.

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Suddenly there was a tremendous boom, and a furious impact ripped through Achi’s body.

I knew it!, Achi thought as he lay crumpled on the pavement. Hitomi’s cell phone was powered off. So it couldn’t have been the bomb. Something else must have exploded instead... It was the last thought Achi ever had.

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  • Kano and Stanley are available.

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His cell phone rang. Tateno’s name appeared on the incoming call display. Kano quickly picked up.

Image Unrest.

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“Detective Tateno? What’s going on?”

“You need to get Hitomi Osawa to safety immediately. Alphard isn’t trying to get at her blood. He wants her eliminated.”

“What?” Tateno wasn’t making any sense. Alphard-Palmer-had already been arrested. The threat was over now.

“Hurry!” Tateno barked.

“Y-Yes, sir!”

“Detective!” Achi called out suddenly.

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He was standing with Hitomi and the others near the statue of Hachiko.

“Detective! That’s not the real Alphard-he’s a fake!”

“A fake?!”

“Yeah! I just got a call from Stanley!”

Kano didn’t want to believe it. If this Alphard was just a decoy, that meant the real culprit was elsewhere-still on the loose.

Achi’s voice rang with desperation. “He said the real Alphard is planning to get rid of both Hitomi and the fake with some kind of bomb!”

To get rid of Hitomi...? That lined up with what Tateno had just called to warn him about. It must be true, then.

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Once again, Kano tensed. A bomb-but where?

“Get me the Explosive Ordnance Division!” someone squawked. “We’ve got an emergency here!” It was Kuze, practically screaming into his cell phone.
General Tip – Explosive Ordnance Division wrote:A team made up of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Security Bureau’s First, Second, Third, and Sixth Riot Police Units, as well as the Support Vehicle Unit. Division members are trained in explosives disposal. Typically, a dangerous explosive is frozen with liquid nitrogen, then moved away from the site via support vehicle. The bomb is then detonated in a safe location. Explosives are almost never dismantled on-site.
“We’re at the scramble outside the station! Hurry!” The director started running toward the precinct, still shouting as he wove his way through the crowd.

Kano felt himself starting to panic. If Hitomi and Palmer were the targets, the bomb had to be nearby.

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He stormed over to his captive. “Okay, where’s the bomb?” he demanded.

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb with me!”

“I already told you the password,” Palmer said. “What point would there be in keeping things from you now?”

He had a point. And if he had known about the existence of the bomb, he’d kept it a secret so far. Getting him to reveal it now would not be easy.

Kano decided just have to go look for it himself. He took a deep breath and tried to think logically.

If he were Alphard, what would he do? How could he ensure that he’d eliminate both Hitomi and the fake Alphard at the same time? Where would he plant a bomb in order to pull that off?

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Image Unrest.

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On the fake. There was no other place he could possibly have planted it.

Kano began to pat Palmer down carefully. “Achi!” he shouted. “Check the case! Hurry!” He gestured to the attaché case Palmer had been carrying.

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“Don’t move.” Kano searched through his captive’s jacket and the pockets of his pants. But he came up with nothing. Perhaps Alphard had fitted the bomb into the man’s watch or belt?

“Stop this. I’m not carrying a bomb.”

“Shut your mouth!” But Kano couldn’t spot anything suspicious about the watch or the belt, either. He clenched his jaw in frustration. Did Palmer really not have it after all?

“Detective!”

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It was Achi; he looked alarmed. Kano hurried over to him, dragging Palmer along.

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When he looked inside the attaché case, Palmer’s face went pale. “No...it can’t be...Alphard...why...?” His voice was hoarse with betrayal.

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Then he abruptly broke into stilted laughter. “Heh. Heheheh. Trusting someone really does make you blind. Such a simple, childish ruse-and it went right under my nose.” Palmer looked over at Kano. “We need to get out of here immediately,” he said.

Image Shinya Kano

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“That right there is C-4-a high-yield plastic explosive used by the military. And that’s enough to blow this whole area to smithereens.”

A chill ran up Kano’s spine. “Do not let this man go,” he said, handing Palmer over to Susumu.

“Got it. Just leave it to us.”
General Tip – C-4 wrote:A plastic explosive created for military use. The chief component is RDX (Trimethylenetrinitramine), which is combined with a plasticizer such as diocytl sebacate. Is it highly reliable, and is used by many military forces around the world, most notably the U.S. Armed Forces.
Susumu signaled to his followers, who immediately dumped Palmer unceremoniously on the ground.

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Kano carefully inspected the inside of the attaché case.

Achi had found a false bottom in the case; the space beneath it was indeed packed full of plastic explosives. Set within it was what looked like a detonator.

Kano didn’t know much about bomb disposal. He’d only been taught the very basics during his police academy training. Nonetheless, something drew his eye.

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“A microphone...” There was a parabolic microphone attached to the detonator. In all likelihood, the detonator had been set to go off in response to some sort of sound.

“Hey, Detective? Is that thing gonna explode or not?” Achi’s voice was shaky.

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“It looks like it’s sound-activated. But it hasn’t gone off just from having people talking nearby. That means it must be set to explode in response to a specific sound trigger.”

“A specific sound, huh?” Achi took a moment to think. “That’s it! It must be Hitomi’s ringtone. That’s why Stanley had me power her cell phone off.”

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“So that means we’re safe, then?” Hitomi asked. “It’s not going to explode anymore, right?”

Kano had to fight back any feelings of relief. They couldn’t forget that this was Alphard they were dealing with. Assuming they were safe would be a dangerous mistake. Carefully lifting up the detonator, Kano spotted another cable connected to the bomb.

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As calmly as he could, he tried to remove the plastic explosive from the attaché case.

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He quickly discovered that the thinly stretched sheet of plastic explosive was only an intermediate layer, concealing a second false bottom. A small timer had been set beneath it.

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“There’s not just a sound trigger.” Kano’s mouth had gone dry; his voice came out as a whisper. “The bomb has also been fitted with a countdown timer.”

Stanley had been right on the mark. The ringtone of Hitomi’s cell phone would trigger the explosion-that way Alphard could eliminate both her and his stooge, Palmer, at the same time. But just in case the sound trigger were discovered, as a backup, the bomb had also been rigged to explode after a set time.

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Kano speed-dialed his boss. “Director Kuze! Where is that bomb squad?!”

01:51.

01:50.

Not even two minutes left to go. It didn’t look like the Explosive Ordnance Unit would make it in time.

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Kano scanned the area, weighing his options. He noticed Achi standing right beside the bomb case. “Achi!” he called out. “Leave that thing and get out of here!”

But Achi didn’t move. “No way.” He sat down, the attaché case cradled in his arms.

“Achi! What the hell are you doing?!”

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“I’m not going anywhere until everyone’s made it to safety. Detective, you need to get these people someplace safe right away. Clear the area first-then I’ll go.”

“But there’s no way I can do that!”

“Dammit, don’t you want to save these people too?!”

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Kano bit his lower lip in frustration. Achi was right. If the bomb went off amidst a crowd like this, there was no telling how many causalities there’d be. He needed to do whatever he could as quickly as possible.

Image Pursuit.

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“Get back! Everybody, get back!” Achi shouted at the top of his lungs. “There’s a bomb!Everyone, get out of here! Just run!” Following his lead, Kano started directing nearby civilians to safety.

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Hitomi, Susumu, and the others added their voices to his.

“There’s a bomb! Everybody, run!”

“Get away as fast as you can!”

“Please, you all have to get out of here!”

But the crowd wasn’t listening to their warnings. On the contrary, some people hurried closer to see what the commotion was all about.

It was no use. They were out of time. Kano had to save Achi, at least. He turned back to him and called out.

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“Achi, that’s enough! Leave the bomb and let’s go!”

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“Achi!” Hitomi shouted. “Come on!”

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But Achi only clutched the bomb more tightly.

“What are you doing?!” Kano screamed. “Come with us! Hurry!”

Still, Achi would not move.

Susumu’s face went pale. “Wait-Achi, your leg!”

“What about my leg?”

“Earlier, when you kicked that steel pipe...”

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What the heck? Finally Kano understood. It wasn’t that Achi didn’t want to move. He couldn’t move. And so he’d decided to get all heroic, and use himself as a human shield to minimize the impact of the explosion on everybody else. “That idiot,” Kano muttered. “If his leg was busted, why didn’t he say so? How’d he even make it this far?”

There couldn’t be much time left. If Kano rushed to help him now, he might not make it to safety before the bomb went off.

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Image Pursuit.

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Kano ran for Achi anyway. He couldn’t just abandon him.

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Achi was being an idiot. He wanted to sacrifice himself for the greater good, but Kano wasn’t going to let him do that. To have someone else be your shield, to have them up and give their life for yours-Achi had no idea just how hard that would be on the people he left behind, even if it did save their lives. And until he was capable of comprehending that, Kano wasn’t going to just let this kid die.

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He reached Achi in a matter of moments and grabbed him by the shoulder, hard. “Let go of the case! Now!”

But Achi reflexively hunched lower. “What the hell are you doing, man? Why’d you come back here?!”

“Just come with me! We have to get out of here!”

“Look, you need to run! I can’t move!”

“Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me!” Kano squatted down and looked Achi right in the eye. “Okay, you can’t move on your own. So I’m going to help you move, and unless you want to kill me, too, you better cooperate!”

“Dammit! Don’t be a fool, man!” The strength ebbed from Achi’s hands. Wasting no time, Kano pulled the case away, then slipped an arm around Achi’s side.

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Their legs got entangled as Kano dragged Achi to his feet. “C’mon, run!” the detective shouted when they were upright at last. They needed to get as far away as possible in the few seconds they had left. Kano didn’t know how big the explosion was going to be. Palmer had said it would be enough to blow the whole area to smithereens, though—and there’d been true terror in his voice when he said it. They just needed to keep moving, keep running as far as their legs would take them.

“Achi!” Hitomi shrieked.

Image Maneuvers.

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There was a blinding flash of light. Then, everything went dark. The force of the blast robbed Kano of his senses. He couldn’t tell what had happened to Achi. And in the end, Kano never even knew what cut his own life short.

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  • If we choose to have Kano think things over...
Image Pursuit.

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He couldn’t just rush in without a plan. A detective needed both a cool mind and a fiery spirit. And the more heated the situation was, the more he needed to stay cool.

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He could feel the muscles in his legs begin to stiffen. He did his best to slow his racing heartbeat as his mind sought desperately for a way out of this situation. But his eyes remained fixed on Achi, holding that bomb in his arms. Knowing that it could explode at any moment made it almost impossible to think. The harder he tried to calm himself, the more his panic grew. He cursed himself for not leaping into action immediately. He should have acted before thinking. That was the only thing he was good at.

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And still he stood frozen, staring at Achi. Then he felt the hairs rise up on the back of his neck.

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White smoke was pouring from an approaching minivan.

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The vehicle teetered to a stop along the shoulder of the road. Still the smoke spilled out, roiling from a partly open window.

Kano could feel a strange chill in the air. Is that...? Instinctively, he rushed toward it.

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Peering through the minivan’s windows, he saw a clunky, box-shaped device in the back; it was rumbling fiercely, spitting out an unending mound of white clumps. A dry ice machine.

“Hey!” Kano yelled, banging hard on the door. “Open up!”

By freezing a bomb that used an electronic activation trigger, it was possible to kill the battery cell and deactivate the detonator. The Explosive Ordnance Unit used liquid nitrogen, but maybe dry ice could work as well.
General Tip – Liquid nitrogen wrote:Nitrogen that has been cooled to a liquid state, with a temperature below -195.8° C. It can be poured onto explosives to stop the function of components such as the battery cell for the detonator. However, in situations where the surrounding area can be safely secured, it is preferable to destroy the explosive via detonation rather than simply arrest its function.
General Tip – Dry ice wrote:Carbon dioxide in its solid state. Because it evaporates at -79°C at standard atmospheric pressure, it must be kept refrigerated or it rapidly dissipates into mist-thus its use in smoke/fog machines. The odds of dry ice being able to stop the detonator of a bomb are quite low; battery cells do lose electromotive force in a subzero environment, but there is no guarantee that this would actually work.
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There were three men inside the vehicle. Kano shouted at the one in the driver’s seat. “I need to borrow that machine!”

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“Huh?” The man replied in a lethargic drawl.

“No way, man. We haven’t even paid this thing off yet.”

There was no time to explain or negotiate. Kano was just going to have to take it by force.

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“Hold it right there!”

Another man appeared suddenly in front of the vehicle-the pushy fellow Kano had run into at the scene of the explosion. “You guys are with that Wandering Angels theater troupe, yeah?” he said to the van’s occupants. He pointed at the dry ice machine.
428 Tip – Wandering Angels wrote:[Episode 6 (The Finale)] The minivan carrying Tozuka, Bando, and Amo veered wildly through the streets of Shibuya, leaving a trail of white smoke in its wake. The trio, now definitely impaired by oxygen deprivation, came close to causing several accidents. Teetering on the brink of consciousness, they were still trying to reach Endo Electronics when they ran into Kano and his companions instead. After Kano takes the machine off their hands, the three will happily head back to the theater, clean up, crack open some beers, and look back over one long, crazy day. (Fin)
“That thing’s defective! The guy from the electronics store said he’d refund your deposit!”

“Huh? For real?”

“Yeah, he told me to tell you-that the machine has been recalled! We’ll bring it back for you, so hurry up and open the door!”

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“Uh, yeah, okay!”

The newcomer helped the three men unload the dry ice machine from the minivan; then he turned to Kano.

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“Here, hurry up and take it!” he shouted.

“Right, thanks!”

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Kano wasn’t sure what was going on, but he took the machine and ran, pushing it ahead of him across the pavement.

“Achi!” Hitomi wailed, tears in her eyes.

The detective blew right past her, trailing a billowing plume of white smoke in his wake.

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Please let me make it in time! Please let me make it in time! Please let me make it in time!

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Kano let loose a wild yell. He ran as fast as his legs would take him toward Achi, and the bomb.

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Achi and Stanley are available.

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Image Contemplation.

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Image No music.

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Then his eyes happened to alight on the attaché case the decoy had discarded. Could it be?

No sooner had his suspicions been aroused than he heard Kano call out to him. “Achi! Check the case! Hurry!”

He hurriedly opened up the attaché case and searched the interior.

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But the only things inside were pieces of medical equipment-tubes and syringes and the like. There was nothing that looked remotely like a bomb. Still - where else could the bomb possibly be hidden?

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  • We already know the bomb is in the back of the case.
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I’II flip it over! Achi lifted the attaché case up high and flipped it upside down. But as he was about to throw it he heard a faint metallic sound. Quickly, he lowered the case again. He was certain the noise had come from inside.

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Once more, he opened the case and looked inside. But still he saw nothing of note. He tossed the medical equipment aside and slowly tilted the case from side to side. Although it looked empty, there was a distinct sound of something metal sliding back and forth. Hold on - could it be?

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Achi tugged at the case’s inner lining, quickly tearing it free.

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When he looked behind it, his eyes went wide. A thin layer of something that resembled white clay had been affixed inside the cover of the case. Several wires connected it to a small electronic device. This was it. The bomb really was inside the attaché case. “Here it is!” he shouted to Kano. “I found it!”

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Kano hurried over, bringing his captive with him. “There, Mr. Palmer. Take a look.”

When he saw what was inside the attaché case, the fake Alphard went pale.

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“No...it can’t be...Alphard...why...?” His voice was hoarse with betrayal. Then abruptly he broke into stilted laughter. “Heh. Heheheh. Trusting someone really does make you blind. Such a simple, childish ruse-and it went right under my nose.”

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The fake Alphard-Palmer-looked over at Kano. “We need to get out of here immediately,” he said. “That right there is C-4-a high-yield plastic explosive used by the military. And that’s enough to blow this whole area to smithereens.”

Blow the whole area to smithereens? Achi pictured Shibuya reduced to a blasted ruin.

Meanwhile, Kano frantically began searching the inside of the attaché case.

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“A microphone...” Kano muttered.

“Hey, Detective? Is that thing gonna explode or not?” Achi tried and failed to keep his voice from wavering.

“It looks like it’s sound-activated. But it hasn’t gone off just from having people talking nearby. That means it must be set to explode in response to a specific sound trigger.”

“A specific sound, huh?” Now Achi understood Stanley’s instructions.

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“That’s it! It must be Hitomi’s ringtone. That’s why Stanley had me power her cell phone off.”

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“So that means we’re safe, then?” Hitomi asked. “It’s not going to explode anymore, right?”

“Maybe. But I wouldn’t bet our lives on it.” Kano continued his examination of the case. He carefully loosened the bomb and the cables, pulling them away from the lid of the case.

The sight made Achi’s heart leap.

Then Kano went stock-still, as if caught in a hungry predator’s gaze.

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“There’s not just a sound trigger.” The detective’s voice was a raspy whisper.

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“The bomb has also been fitted with a countdown timer.”

Achi could see the timer now; it had been planted underneath the plastic explosive. His blood ran cold.

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“Director Kuze! Where is that bomb squad?!” While Kano made a desperate call to the police, Achi picked up the attaché case and peered inside.

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The digital timer was steadily ticking down the seconds.

Image Hope.

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Achi scanned the nearby area. There were too many people around the scramble. Hitomi was there. Susumu was there. Several more of his old pals. Along with a bunch of innocent bystanders.

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The people are the lifeblood, Achi reminded himself. The blood that coursed through the body that was the city. Like cells, they brought to life the city he so loved. And Achi wanted to be one of the red (or was it white?) blood cells of Shibuya.

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“Achi!” Kano called out. “Leave that thing and get out of here!”

“No way.” Achi sat down, cradling the case in his arms.

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“Achi! What the hell are you doing?!”

“I’m not going anywhere until everyone’s made it to safety. Detective, you need to get these people someplace safe right away. Clear the area first-then I’ll go.”

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“But there’s no way I can do that!”

“Dammit, don’t you want to save these people?!” Achi snapped.

Kano bit his lower lip.

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Hitomi wrapped her arms around Achi from behind. “Achi, don’t do this.”

“Hitomi...you need to get out of here, too.”

“Why? Why are you acting so crazy?” Tears blurred her words, and he could feel her trembling against him.

“It doesn’t matter. Just get as far away as you can.”

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“No. No, I’m not leaving you.”

After the day they’d spent together, Achi knew full well that telling Hitomi something once wasn’t enough to get her to listen. That stubbornness was one of the many things that made her so amazing in his eyes.

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“Hitomi.” Achi clasped one of her hands tightly. “Please. This is the one favor I will ever ask you.” His voice came out oddly soft and gentle.

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“All right,” she told him. “But let me just say one thing, first. There are still so many things I want to talk to you about. So much more that I want to know about you. So please, Achi. Don’t you die on me.”

“Hey, don’t worry. Once everyone’s made it to safety, I’ll clear out of here right away.”

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Hitomi squeezed his hand, then got up and silently hurried away.

“Susumu! You and S.O.S., start getting people out of the area.”

“Yeah. All right.” Susumu turned away and spurred the gang into motion.

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Then for an instant Achi’s eyes met Kano’s. Achi gave a tiny nod and looked down at the timer.

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“Get back!” Achi shouted at the top of his lungs. “Everybody, get back! There’s a bomb!” He held the attaché case tight against himself as he continued shouting. He ran his voice raw, trying to warn the crowd away.

“Everyone, get out of here! Just run!” Following his lead, Kano started directing nearby civilians to safety. “There’s a bomb!” the detective shouted. “Everybody run!”

“Get away as fast as you can!” Susumu waved his arms emphatically.

“Please,” Hitomi added, “You all have to get out of here!”

But the crowd didn’t heed their warnings. At last, apparently deciding that the time was up, Kano turned back to Achi.

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“Achi, that’s enough! Leave the bomb and let’s go!”

He could hear Susumu and Hitomi shouting as well.

“There’s no time left, man!”

“Achi! Come on!”

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The way Palmer had talked about this bomb, it sounded like a pretty dangerous one. It might be powerful enough to blow up the entire intersection.

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And there were still so many people nearby. There was no chance they’d be able to get to safety in the few dozen seconds that remained. Achi needed to minimize the force of the blast as much as possible.

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He cradled the bomb more tightly to his chest, huddling over it.

“What are you doing?! Come with us! Hurry!” screamed Kano.

“I don’t know how powerful this bomb is, but please, God, let my body be enough...to protect the people of Shibuya...and to protect Hitomi.” Achi squeezed his eyes tightly shut.

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I’m sorry, Suzune. Looks like I won’t be able to keep visiting you in the hospital anymore. You’ll forgive me, though, right? I stuck it through to the end, just like you told me to. I didn’t call it quits partway through. And so whatever you do, you can’t let that disease beat you. Don’t you dare let it beat you. Achi drew a deep breath as he finished his solitary little prayer.

He couldn’t have more than a few seconds left to go.

“Achi!”

It was Hitomi. He was glad that her voice was the last thing in this world he’d ever hear.

...or so he thought.

Image Main Theme.

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“Achi, bring the bomb over here!”

Hm? That wasn’t Hitomi’s voice. Achi opened his eyes and saw Kano racing toward him, pushing some big, weird piece of machinery.

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The detective flipped open the machine’s cover to reveal a huge mound of dry ice. “Stick it in here! Flash-freezing the timer ought to stop it!”

Achi did as he was told, shoving the attaché case into the dry ice. Kano helped him pile more dry ice on top of it.

“Let’s hope that’s enough!” Kano exclaimed. He looked like a man desperate for a miracle. They could see the timer display through a gap in the frozen hydrogen-still counting down.

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Was this not going to work? Achi and Kano held their breaths.

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Achi was quick to pick up. “Mr. Stanley? What’s going on?”

“How did the negotiations go?”

“The detective caught Alphard,” Achi replied happily. “He got him to give up the password and I think he’s called the folks at the lab. Does that mean the case is closed, then?”

“No. Not yet. Right now, I need you to do exactly as I tell you.”

There was a pause before Achi responded. “Why? What’s going on?”

“If you want to save Hitomi, then shut up and listen!” Stanley snapped.

“All right! Tell me what to do.”

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“First, you need to power down Hitomi’s cell phone!”

“Turn off her phone? What for?”

“I’m pretty sure that there’s a bomb somewhere near your location.” Stanley tried to keep his voice as calm and steady as possible.

“A bomb?” Achi’s voice squeaked into falsetto.

“The guy that Kano just apprehended is a decoy. The real Alphard is planning to eliminate Hitomi and the false Alphard at the same time.” Stanley didn’t have the time to explain that Canaan was Alphard. Besides, it would only confuse the matter all the more, at this point. “Listen. First, turn off that cell phone. Then, go and look for the bomb.”

“Okay! Got it!” Achi hung up.

ImageConflict.

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Hopefully, the team at the scramble would be able to pull through. Now, Stanley needed to focus on capturing Alphard.

He tightened his grip on the steering wheel. His emotions were coming on far too strongly for him to keep them in check.

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|In the back of his mind, Stanley thought about the last he’d ever seen of Frank. There had been nothing left of his brother but a bloodied hand reaching out from beneath the rubble.

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Even since that day-since that very moment-Jack Stanley had sworn vengeance upon Alphard. He would never forget the rage he’d felt at having what was left of his family taken from him.

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“Hey Jack. Once this is all tidied up, I’m gonna need a drink. Let’s you and me have a beer together.”

“Sure. You got it.”

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Stanley sprang into action, leading away the throng of panicking civilians. But all the while, he couldn’t help but worry about Frank. We’ve got almost thirty minutes left. He’ll be fine. Backup will definitely be here in time. He did his utmost to reassure himself, but still the doubts gnawed.

When the bomb squad descended upon the area, clad in their protective gear, Stanley shot a look at his watch. He felt a surge of relief.
General Tip – Protective gear wrote:Image
Only about fifteen minutes had passed. There was still plenty of time for them to deactivate the bomb with their liquid nitrogen.

Thank God. Frank’s going to be all right. But he got no chance to relish that thought.

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There was an ear-splitting boom as a powerful shockwave shook the area. Stanley whirled back around, staring in horror at the place that his brother had been. Nothing remained but a mound of rubble.

A later investigation would reveal that the timer on the bomb’s exterior had been a mere ruse.

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The explosive had never linked to a timer at all; instead, it had been detonated via remote control. Alphard had deceived them, using a visible timer to lull them into a false sense of security.
General Tip – Remote control wrote:When electrical detonators capable of triggering an explosion with electrical current were invented, they quickly rendered old-style fuses obsolete. In the modern day, many terrorists use small electronics such as cellular phones and keyless entry remotes for cars as explosive triggers.
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Stanley had managed to save many lives that day, to be sure. But it had come at the cost of his own brother’s life. Had he really made the best decisions he could have made? He was still asking himself the same question, over and over, even now. But no matter how much he blamed himself, it wouldn’t bring Frank back. If there was one thing he could still do for his brother, it was getting revenge on Alphard with his own hands.

Stanley had been in constant pursuit of Alphard ever since. He would stoop to any level for information, without remorse. His opponent was someone who would do anything-anything at all-to achieve a goal. It only made sense for him to do the same. At some point, he’d stopped even hesitating to get his own hands dirty. He would charge headlong into any danger if he sensed Alphard’s presence. Even his own life was a price he was willing to pay in the name of vengeance. He could never hope to latch his jaws onto his quarry’s throat if he behaved like prey himself. He must be the greater predator. He would cast aside his humanity, would become a blood-stained beast, if that improved his chances at the hunt. For the hunt was all the mattered. Pursuit of Alphard had become his only purpose. So it had been for the past two years; now those years flashed through Stanley’s mind in the blink of an eye. As he came back into the moment, he marveled at his own ferocity, and at the depth of the wound he’d suffered.

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  • This is Stanley's true ending decision.

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ImageConflict.

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If I do get my revenge, what would Frank think?

When Stanley pictured his younger brother, it wasn’t with a smile on his face. The realization gave him pause. In the end, killing Alphard wouldn’t bring his brother back. That went without saying. But although he could see, now, that revenge was an absurd goal, his heart still churned deep and dark with resentment.

Image No music.

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The Okoshi Pharmaceutical lab finally came into view. A large billow of black smoke was rising from one of the building’s windows.

Stanley felt a chill in the pit of his stomach. He hopped out of the car, and then gasped.

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“Tateno...”

The detective was sprawled face-down on the ground outside the laboratory gate, his gun still in his hand. Blood had pooled around his head. He’d been shot at close range. Death would have been instantaneous.

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All too late, Stanley felt the full weight of his mistake. Tateno had gone up against an opponent who was out of his league, and had gotten himself killed. And Stanley had put him up to it. He should never have let Tateno try to handle the situation on his own. He should have done whatever it took to stop the detective. There must have been some way he could have averted this disaster.

ImagePowerless.

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“Saving Maria is your top priority, isn’t it?”

“That’s right.”


There had been no hesitation in Tateno’s words. Stanley had known how badly the man wanted to save Maria. That’s why he’d deferred to the detective’s judgement. Now he was faced with the results of his own naiveté.

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The smoke pouring from the building showed no signs of diminishing. In all likelihood, the lab had been destroyed with a bomb. Alphard’s plan had run its course before Stanley had even got there. He couldn’t forgive himself for having been so thoroughly outwitted. Nor would he ever forgive Alphard for what the terrorist had done.

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Anger erupted inside him, raging like hellfire, driving him on to action. Death would be too kind a fate for Alphard. Now more than ever before the thirst for vengeance consumed him.

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But even as he began to stalk toward the laboratory, a bullet caught Stanley in the abdomen. For a moment, he couldn’t process what had happened. There was an intense, searing pain that spread through his gut; warm liquid began to soak through his shirt.

Then a figure emerged from within the smoke.

ImageAlphard.

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“I’ve been waiting for you to show up, Jack.”

Another bullet tore through Stanley’s body. Time seemed to slow for him; he watched the spray of blood scattering like a crimson mist.

“Alphard!” Stanley hissed the word through clenched teeth. Out of pure, stubborn spite, he managed to stay on his feet, tottering toward his foe; he raised his gun.

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He didn’t stop pulling the trigger until the very moment his world went dark.

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  • Anyone want to take a guess at which decision we need to revisit to prevent this bad ending? As implied, it's one of Stanley's decisions.

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Image Shibuya Scramble.

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  • Jumping forward a bit...
ImageConflict.


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Finally, the Okoshi Pharmaceutical laboratory came into view. There were two people standing outside the front gate.

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It was Tateno, and the girl who was pretending to be Canaan. Each had a gun drawn on the other. Somehow, Stanley had made it in time.

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He pulled his car up alongside them and reached down into the gun sleeve concealed beside his seat. He pulled out a .44 caliber Desert Eagle, one of the most powerful semi-automatic handguns in the world. His orders were to apprehend Alphard. The smaller Glock in his shoulder holster might be better suited to that end. Even so, he opted for the Desert Eagle.
General Tip – Desert Eagle wrote:Image
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Getting out of the car, he started pacing toward the young woman.

“Stanley.” Tateno glanced over at him, his face pale.

Stanley gave a silent nod in reply. He could see the hint of a smile on the girl’s face. Probably a smile of overconfidence. Well, her brazenness would get her no further. “I got in touch with the others,” Stanley said. “Told them to turn off Hitomi Osawa’s cell phone.” He could see her eyes react. “I imagine that, by now, they’ve also managed to deal with the bomb you planted on your decoy.”

The young woman remained silent.

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“And, of course, they’ve managed to bypass the lock inside the lab. You know what this means? Your little plan has failed. Completely.”

Stanley could see the girl’s stare sharpen. He’d chased Alphard all around the world, only to arrive here, at last, in this little island nation. It had been a long, long journey. And he’d spent a long time suffering. Now, both the journey and the suffering would be over.

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Image Despair.

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Kotone’s final moments flashed through Tateno’s mind.

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If he hadn’t fired back then, maybe Kotone would still be alive.

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“Your friend’s entire life was changed because of you.”

Why hadn’t he tried to talk the culprit down? He knew the reason why. Because he’d loved Kotone. He’d still loved her, even after she’d become Daisuke’s wife. His desire to be the one who saved her had warped his sense of judgment when things had come down to the wire.

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“Tateno, do you not enjoy being with me?” There was a forlorn look on Kotone’s face.

It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy being with her. Her very presence soothed him. But the more serious their relationship had grown, the more it tore at Tateno’s heart. The truth was that he didn’t really know what happiness was, and so he was incapable of making someone else happy. If it were possible, he’d want Kotone to be smiling always. And that meant her being with someone other than him.

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“I...think it would be best if we stopped seeing each other.” Tateno blurted out the words bluntly, and Kotone’s face fell.

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He hadn’t broken up with her because of any lack of feeling for her. Rather, the impulse had actually sprung out of his pursuit of human warmth-and his growing fear of losing it. He’d just been so uneasy. More than anything, he’d been afraid that he wanted too much love and affection from Kotone.

Image Pride.

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“I...” Bit by bit, Tateno lowered his gun, his hand ever more unsteady. His heart was on the cusp of breaking.

And still Canaan continued with her diabolic whispering. “You can go ahead and kill me. But if it turns out I’m not Alphard, what then?” Now she stared at Tateno with an almost pitiable look.

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“You’ll have once more done something that you can never undo.”

“Something I can never undo...” Tateno repeated the words dully, feeling himself forced into a trance.

“That’s right. Could you ever accept that?”

“No, I...I couldn’t...couldn’t make the same mistake...”

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His whole body felt like it might fall apart. He wanted to drop to the ground and curl up in a ball like a child.

“And that’s why you can’t shoot anyone.”

“I can’t shoot anyone...” As Tateno muttered the words, Kano’s face appeared in the back of his mind.

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“I can!”

Tears fell from Kano’s eyes as he looked down the barrel of his gun at Tateno. He’d become a detective who didn’t lose sight of what he was supposed to protect, no matter the situation.

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Tateno had nearly forgotten. Nearly abandoned his inward promise to be a detective worthy of that final salute Kano had given him.

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He brought his gun back up to bear.

“Don’t be absurd,” Canaan mocked. “You can’t shoot anyone.”

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“Actually, I can.” The words creaked dryly from Tateno’s throat.

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“When there’s something I’m supposed to protect, I can shoot.”

The memory of Kano weeping but taking aim had given him the resolve he needed to face down an opponent who ought to have terrified him.

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“I learned that from someone who was terrible at his job.”

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Canaan’s eyes went cold; immediately she lifted up her gun again. Once more, their eyes locked, sparks of hostility crackling between them.

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But almost immediately, Tateno could sense the difference in skill between his opponent and himself. The young woman radiated a deadly aura. The force of her stare was like a knife pressed to his throat. She had borne witness to carnage and bloodshed the likes of which he couldn’t even imagine.

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He couldn’t win this. She would kill him, guaranteed. Tateno braced himself for death, never taking his eyes off Canaan’s. If nothing else, he needed to buy time for Kano to get that password.

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But could he do that, given the opponent he faced? Yes-somehow, he would do it. As a detective. As a man. Even if he had to give his own life to succeed.

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Even if it couldn’t come close to making up for the sins he had committed.

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Image Setup..

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Image No music.

She felt a hand firmly clutching her own as she hazily returned to consciousness.

This hand...whose is it? My father’s?

Image Devotion.

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Maria’s eyelids slowly drifted open.

“Maria...you’re all right now.” Her father was indeed beside her, holding her hand. A surprising warmth radiated from his slender, bony palm.

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“Dad?” She was lying on a sofa. She craned her neck to look around, still trying to process what was going on. There were several monitors set up around the room.

“Where are we?”

“At my laboratory. You were infected with a virus. But I’ve given you the antiviral. You don’t have anything to worry about.” He squeezed Maria’s hand even more tightly.

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“That hurts...”

“Ah, right. Sorry.” Osawa eased up the pressure on his daughter’s hand. But he didn’t let go entirely.

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“This feels so strange,” Maria muttered, staring up at the ceiling. “I wonder why.”

“What does?”

“Having you hold my hand.”

“I used to hold your hand like this when we’d go on walks together-when you were little. I doubt you remember that, though.”

Maria considered. It was true-she didn’t have any clear memory of her father holding her hand like this. And yet the touch of her father’s palm felt distantly familiar. Gently, she squeezed back.

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“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” she said. “I mean, me looking you in the eye while I’m talking to you.”

“That’s only because I didn’t look you in the eye.” Osawa hung his head. “I’m so sorry,” he said. “Please, forgive me. I never meant to hurt you like I did.”

“Wait, hold on.” Maria was taken aback. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. What do you mean, hurt me?”

“Back on that rainy day...”

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Osawa told Maria about the day she’d run away from home. About how he’d known where she had gone, but hadn’t gone to find her. About how he’d given in to his anger and struck her once she came back home. When he’d finished, he hung his head once more. “I’m so sorry. I’ve been such a terrible father.”

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Maria cracked an impish smile. “Oh yeah. I guess that did happen.”

Osawa frowned.

“You know,” she said, “I’d totally forgotten about that. Until you mentioned it just now, I mean.”

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“No, I can’t believe that,” Osawa replied. “The way I hurt you, 1...” He sounded so disappointed in himself.

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“Dad. It’s not like I can let myself dwell on each and every detail of my childhood. I mean in the nineteen or so years I’ve been alive, I’ve been hurt in lots of different ways.”

A child experienced so much more than what her parents knew. That was what growing up was all about.

It was a happy thing, but also a little bit sad. Osawa was visibly grappling with his feelings.

“I see,” he said. “I guess you have gone through much pain...”

“Well, yeah-but there have been more things that were fun and happy.”

“I see.”

“It’s the sum of all those things that have made me who I am today. So please, don’t worry so much about the past.”

“I see.”

“Dad. You keep saying ‘I see.’ Stop it.”

“Sorry. It’s just...this is all so difficult to say.”

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Osawa was trying and failing to hold back his tears.

Maria wasn’t quite sure what those tears were for; but she felt a prickle of embarrassment.

Image No music.

Shyly, she looked away, and her eyes alighted on one of the monitors.

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The screen showed a view from outside the lab.

“Who are those people?” she asked, pointing.

Osawa looked, and his eyes widened in shock. Three people with guns were facing off with one another.

Maria recognized one of them: Tateno, the man with the cane.

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“Why are those two pointing guns at your friend?” Osawa’s voice was shaking.

My friend? What do you mean?”

“The one you met when we went to the Middle East. You know, Canaan.” Osawa switched the monitor to show a different camera angle.

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A close-up of the young woman’s face appeared on screen. Maria was at a loss for words. That certainly wasn’t Canaan. It was the girl who’d come to tell Maria that Hitomi was going to be kidnapped-Canaan’s ‘friend.’

Image Violation.

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It had happened three days earlier. While Maria was on her way home from campus, a girl approached her, telling her she was a friend of Canaan.

“Canaan asked me to pass along a message,” she said; then she showed Maria a video recording.

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The video quality was quite poor, and the voice indistinct.

“There’s a terrorist who’s after the antiviral agent your father is developing.”

Maria listened in shock as the message continued. The terrorist’s plan was already in motion, and Hitomi had been infected with a killer virus.

“Your father used the antiviral to save Hitomi. But the terrorist planned on that. I’ll spare you the details, but there’s a way to extract the antiviral from Hitomi’s blood. Stealing the drug from the laboratory directly is too problematic; the terrorist intends to get it directly from your sister. Hitomi is certain to be kidnapped some time in the next few days. And so I have something to ask you: I’d like you to get kidnapped in her place. Since you’re twins, it should be possible for you to trade places without the kidnappers realizing it. I gave the girl who’s passing along this message a necklace outfitted with a small GPS beacon. Make sure you wear the necklace. Switch it on, and it’ll allow me to keep tabs on your location. I promise I’ll come and rescue you. Please, help me. This is the only way we can keep the antiviral and Hitomi safe. ”

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The video ended, and the girl handed Maria a necklace with an ornate pendant and showed her the hidden switch on the back.

“Canaan’s coming to Japan?” Maria asked.

“She’s already here. She’s ready to risk her life for this mission.”

Risk her life? Maria started uneasily.

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“So, this terrorist who’s after the antiviral drug-is it Alphard?”

The girl looked shocked. “You know about Alphard?”

“Canaan told me that taking down Alphard is her purpose in life. But...”

“But...?”

“But Alphard has ties to the CIA, so it’s hard for Canaan to get any good leads.”

“That’s true. Which reminds me-you should have this.”

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The girl held out a photograph. “This man is dangerous. Stay away from him. He’s an ally of Alphard.”

Maria did her best to burn the man’s image into her mind.

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“All right,” the girl said. “I’ve passed along everything Canaan wanted me to tell you. What you do next is up to you.”

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“So wait-what the heck has been going on while I’ve been asleep?!”

Osawa recoiled from the ferocity on his daughter’s face. “That Canaan girl thought of a way to save you...” He went on to explain the plan to get the antiviral out of the locked down laboratory.

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Once again, Maria stared at the monitor. As she eyed ‘Canaan’s friend,’ another memory from before she’d blacked out drifted to the surface.

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Suddenly it dawned on Maria what this girl was planning. “She pretended to be Canaan in order to get into the lab,” she said, scowling at the image on the monitor.

Osawa looked at the screen and then at his daughter’s face. “Well then who in the world is she?”

Maria already had the answer.

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There was no doubt about it. That girl was Alphard.

Image Unrest.

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The instant she realized this, she knew they were in danger. If Alphard managed to infiltrate the lab, there was no way she’d be satisfied with simply getting her hands on the antiviral. She sowed ruin everywhere she went.

“Is something wrong?” Osawa asked uneasily. “Maria, what is it?”

Maria’s mind was racing; she spoke her thoughts out loud. “She’s going to kill you so the drug can’t be recreated. No- that’s not thorough enough. She’s going to destroy this whole facility.”

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But how? Vague possibilities tumbled through her mind, but she couldn’t be sure what the terrorist might be planning. She gritted her teeth in frustration.

“Don’t worry,” Osawa said. “I don’t know who that girl is, but right now, she’s outside the lab. There’s no way she can kill me, or plant a bomb in here or anything.”

“Yeah, I know.” Maria gave a tiny nod; but something gnawed at the back of her mind.

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Make sure you wear the necklace.

Hurriedly, Maria took hold of the pendant that hung around her neck. As soon as she did, she felt a chill run up her spine.

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She went back over the details of Alphard’s plan as her father had explained it. And then, finally, she understood.

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“I’ve got it!”

Osawa straightened up. “You’ve got what?”

“I need to get out there where those three are.”

“Don’t be absurd!”

“I have to go!”

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Osawa peered closely at his daughter’s face. Words weren’t going to stop her, and, as he realized that, his own face stiffened with determination. “All right. But I’m going with you. I can’t let you rush into danger all by yourself.”

“Thank you. Dad.” Maria tried to get up from the sofa; but she was struck by wave of vertigo, and her knees buckled.

“Are you all right?” Osawa caught her by the arm. “This is probably a side effect of the antiviral. You shouldn’t push yourself too much.”

Maria looked up at her father’s anxious face and shook her head. “Don’t worry. I’ll be okay.”

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Her body was weak with lethargy, her mind trapped in a disorienting haze. Every step was a monumental effort. But she clenched her jaw and forced herself onward, making her way down the laboratory hallway. A whirlwind of anger and sadness spurred her onward.

Alphard was masquerading as Canaan; the cruel truth was all too clear. The terrorist would never have been able to get away with the deception if Canaan were still alive. Which means that Canaan must be- Maria fought to hold back her tears. It was too early to cry just yet. That could wait until after she’d put a stop to Alphard’s plan. Using her rage to suppress her sorrow, she shoved open the door in front of her.

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“That isn’t Canaan!” Maria’s voice exploded into the silence of the standoff.

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“I doubt we’re getting better testimony than that,” Stanley said, his gun still at the ready. “There’s no talking your way out of things this time.”

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The expression on Alphard’s face didn’t change. She stood still, a mannequin without a soul.

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“What did you do to Canaan?” Maria demanded, marching unsteadily toward the terrorist.

“Maria, stay back!” Osawa exclaimed.

She ignored him.

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“Hey! Don’t get any closer!” Tateno barked. He looked exhausted, on the verge of collapse.

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“Answer me!” Maria cried, still advancing. “What happened to Canaan?!” But still Alphard said nothing.

Stanley, too, began edging toward her. “It doesn’t matter what you ask,” he said. “She won’t tell you anything.” Bit by bit he inched closer. He was going to try to take her down.

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“Let me turn your question around,” Alphard said abruptly. “What do you think?”

Maria paused, confused. “What do I think about what?”

“What do you think happened to Canaan?” The corners of her lips twisted up, shaping a mirthless smile.

“You killed her, didn’t you?” Maria’s words came out as a whisper.

“What was that? I couldn’t quite hear you.”

ImageAlphard.

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“You killed Canaan, didn’t you?!” This time Maria cried out with biting fury.

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Alphard snickered.

She’s provoking me, Maria thought, forcing herself to swallow her rage. She couldn’t let herself get caught up in Alphard’s game, or her anger would spill out of control.

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“Why are you laughing?” By force of will, Maria made her voice firm and steady.

“Because I’m guessing you weren’t expecting me to show up here.” Alphard raised an eyebrow ever so slightly.

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“This thing here-it’s a bomb isn’t it?” Maria held out the necklace.

“What?!” Stanley furrowed his brow. “-Ah, of course. Even if we managed to catch you here, you’d still be able to destroy the lab.”

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Still the smile remained on Alphard’s face. She seemed to enjoy watching the others figure out her intentions.

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“But you can’t trigger the bomb with me standing this close to you, can you?” Maria locked eyes with Alphard. “Unless you’re prepared to sacrifice yourself?” She stood like an image of bravery, while on the inside her apprehension threatened to tear her apart.

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She could feel her heart thudding so furiously that she thought it might explode. Cold sweat trickled down her spine. Only her rage at Canaan’s murder kept her from backing down. “Go ahead and blow yourself up if that’s what you want,” she said. “But you’ll die with nothing. Your death will mean nothing. But not mine. My death will avenge Canaan’s.”

Silence fell outside the laboratory gates.

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Stanley and Tateno stood frozen, their guns still trained on Alphard. Both men were ready to pull the trigger at the slightest provocation.

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Just how long had they been there, staring one another down? The passage of time seemed to slow, seconds drawn into hours.

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Osawa swallowed audibly.

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Finally, Alphard tossed her gun onto the pavement and held up both hands in surrender. Stanley wasted no time, springing forward to secure her. He gave her a thorough pat-down from behind. He removed a small device that looked like a detonator from one of her pockets. “On your knees!”

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Alphard did as she was told.

“Good. Now, hands behind your head. Try anything funny and I will shoot.”

Without a word, Alphard placed her hands on the back of her head, fingers laced together.

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“What are you playing at?” Stanley growled disdainfully. “Finally realized you can only push your luck so far?”

She responded with a faint snicker.

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“It’s not my policy to resist when things are hopeless.” Her tone was detached, her intentions unreadable.

“Good. That’ll make this easy.” Stanley kept the barrel of his gun pointed at Alphard’s head.

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This is for my brother- The words hung in his throat, unspoken. A surge of emotion coursed through him. Just a tiny bit more pressure from his index finger, and he could put a bullet right through Alphard’s head. His long journey would finally reach its conclusion. But although he had wished for this moment more than anything, his finger did not move. If he pulled the trigger now, would that truly be the end? His mind reeled at the implications.

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Tateno watched Stanley closely, eventually letting out a tiny sigh of relief. They were in this together, after all. Now they just needed to be careful not to let down their guard. He kept one eye on Alphard as he went to pick up the gun she’d discarded. But he was too late. The gun was gone.

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“This is for Canaan...” Maria had lunged forward, snatching up the gun.

“Maria, no!” Osawa cried. “What are you thinking?!”

She ignored her father, taking aim at Alphard’s forehead.

ImagePride.

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Canaan’s dead.

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And you’re gonna pay.
The smoldering rage she’d fought to hold back blazed up with renewed fury.

“Maria,” Stanley said calmly, “put down the gun.” He had nothing but words to stop her. There was no telling what Alphard might do if he took his gun off her. “What what will this accomplish?” he asked, keeping his tone as level as possible. Maria’s face remained awash with anger.

“Maria!” her father pleaded. “Please, don’t do this!”

Tateno took a step forward. “Go on, hand me the gun,” he said.

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“Stay back!” Maria’s arm trembled as she aimed the gun.

Everyone stood frozen, not even daring to breathe. The slightest wrong move might bring disaster. The silence roared.

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“I don’t care,” Alphard sneered. “If you want to shoot, then shoot. You do want to avenge Canaan, don’t you?”

“Yes. Yes I do.”

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Maria tightened her grip on the gun. Memories of her friend drifted through her mind. To Maria, born into peace, meeting Canaan had been like touching a world beyond her own. A far more complicated world.

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Canaan had blood on her hands from the time she was a little girl. A walking contradiction of cruelty and childishness. And yet, she had lived her life according to her own unshakeable beliefs. Meeting her had made Maria think hard about her own identity.

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What did it mean to be Japanese? No, that wasn’t the question. What did it mean to be Maria Osawa? That was the crux of it all. They had been able to find common ground, despite differing ideals, because both possessed an unshakeable sense of self.

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User avatar
I hope everyone's story, including Yanagashita, Hana, and someone dressed up in the cat costume, ends up with them pointing a gun at Alphard.

Voting B since that's sure to end well.

User avatar
ImagePride.

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|Maria’s anger dissipated like smoke in a sudden wind.

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The tension seeped from her body, and she carefully lowered the gun.

“What’s the matter?” Alphard smirked. “Why won’t you shoot?” Her eyes blazed with contempt for Maria’s naiveté.

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No. I’m not being naive, Maria told herself.

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Do unto others as they have done to you. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. What does this recurring pattern of retribution really accomplish? It’s just an endless cycle of hatred. That’s why I’m not going to fight. Because I’m not like Canaan. Tears flooded from her eyes. I’m not like Canaan-but people who are different can still be friends. And I’m going to honor our friendship by not taking revenge. “No matter what happens, I’m not going to hurt anyone,” Maria said. “Maybe that’s not very realistic, but this is my fight, and I’ll fight the way I choose.” She wiped away her tears. For the first time, Maria felt that she understood Canaan. If she’d been able to see her just one more time, she would have be able to speak her mind without fear. I could show Canaan the true me. And maybe then, we would be friends for real. But that wasn’t going to happen. Not anymore.

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Maria handed the gun to Tateno, then looked up at the nighttime sky. In the distance, she could faintly hear the sound of police sirens. Not one star could be seen in the sky over Shibuya.

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A black car of foreign make arrived at the laboratory and pulled up to the curb. Stanley’s superior, Gordon, emerged from the back. A few of his men followed and promptly placed Alphard in handcuffs.

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“Well done,” Gordon said.

Stanley gave him a slight nod.

“I’ll be taking Alphard back to headquarters. You can finish up here.”

“Understood, sir.”

Gordon shoved Alphard into the back seat and slid in alongside her, and the car drove off.

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“Who was that just now?” Tateno asked Stanley.

“My boss. Sorry, but we’ll be taking Alphard into custody.”

You will, huh?” Tateno frowned, but decided not to press the point. They’d put a stop to Alphard’s plan, and they had saved Maria’s life. That was enough for him. Maybe it even began to atone for what he’d done to Hitomi.

Image Coming back alive.

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Kano, Suzune, Kotone-Tateno pictured all of their faces. Perhaps, in the end, he’d managed to become worthy of their respect.

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“It’s all over.” Stanley spoke under his breath, his gaze locked on the car taking Alphard away. The black cloud that hung over his heart had yet to lift. But he knew that today was the day he could finally put revenge aside. No longer would memories of his brother bring only sorrow. “This’ll do, won’t it, Frank?”

Abruptly, Maria’s cell phone rang in Stanley’s pocket

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“That’s right. I meant to give this back to you.” He handed the phone to Maria.

“I wonder who’s calling?” Maria picked up.

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She could hardly believe it when she heard the voice on the line.

Brusque, yet girlish, with a daredevil ring-a voice that had been burned into her mind since the day she met its owner.

“No, it can’t be...” She had been sure she’d never hear that voice again.

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In an instant Maria’s face was damp with tears of joy. “Thank goodness. Oh, thank goodness.”

Canaan...

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Maria couldn’t hold back her sobs. The tears kept coming and coming. She had never wept with joy like this in her life.

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00:02

Achi held his breath. He could no longer feel the seconds ticking by. The numbers on the display were changing more and more slowly. But still he watched in fear.

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00:02

It was impossible not to fixate on the countdown.

00:02

00:02

00:02

Kano and Achi continued to stare at the timer.

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00:02

It had stopped. The timer had actually stopped.

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“We did it!” Achi dropped to his knees with a cry of triumph. The rest of the Shibuya scramble burst into cheers.

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“You are one reckless guy, you know that?” Kano held his hand out.

Achi grinned up at him. “That makes two of us.”

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The two clasped hands firmly, their handshake conveying more than any words could have.

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“Achi!” Susumu came rushing over. “You did it, man. I knew you could do it.”

The two bumped fists.

“Aw, it weren’t just me,” Achi said. “Could never have done it without you guys’ help.”

Susumu smiled bashfully.

“Hey, Susumu-take care of S.O.S.. for me.”

“You got it.” Susumu looked him squarely in the eye.

Achi gave a little nod, and the two solemnly bumped fists again.

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Suddenly there was a blinding flash. Achi spun around to see Chiaki standing there, beaming happily, her digital camera ready for another shot.

“Hey, everyone gather up!” Minorikawa called out to Achi and his pals. “You guys are the heroes of Shibuya!”

“Photo time, everyone!” Chiaki said. “Get ready!”

The young men struck a pose together.

“Wait! Her too!”

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Minorikawa ushered Hitomi over to stand with Achi.

“Hitomi...” Achi flashed her a sheepish grin. It was all thanks to Hitomi that he’d been able to do what he had done. Keeping Shibuya safe, keeping his promise to Suzune-Hitomi had been his inspiration for it all. There were so many things he wanted to say, but he couldn’t get the right words out.

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“Achi, I...I...” Hitomi’s cheeks were damp with tears.

“Hey now, young lady!” Minorikawa called. “No crying, now! C’mon, show us a smile!” He struck a goofy pose beside Chiaki.

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At last, the smile returned to Hitomi’s face.

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“It really is the best.”

“Hm?” Hitomi looked up at Achi in confusion.

“Your smile,” he said. “It’s the best. I don’t care what anyone else says.” He spoke so earnestly that Hitomi couldn’t help but smile even more.

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“Okay, here we go, people! Get your best faces on!” At Minorikawa’s signal, everyone let out a joyous victory cry.

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“C’mon guys!” Susumu shouted. “Let’s lift Achi up where everyone can see ‘im!” The members of S.O.S. let out another roar.

“Huh? No, you don’t gotta do that, guys. Hey, cut it out!” But Achi had already been swallowed by the enthusiastic throng.

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“Heave-ho!”

“Heave-ho!”

“Heave-ho-o-o-o!”

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There in the middle of the scramble, Achi was being hailed as a hero.

Kano looked on with a satisfied smile. What they had achieved together was nothing less than a miracle. It had taken a lot of luck, and more than a few coincidences, for them to stop the bomb. “Coincidences...?” Kano muttered to himself. No, that wasn’t right. This was something different altogether. Fate, that’s what it was. And not just one person’s fate. The destinies of several people had collided, gathering momentum until coincidence became inevitability-and Shibuya was saved.

The raucous crowd tossed Achi high into the air again and again. As a plainclothes detective, Kano would probably never be showered with adulation quite like that. Well, that was all right. A detective’s duty was to ensure the safety of the people. He didn’t put his life on the line so that he could be a hero. Just seeing all those smiles-that was good enough for him.

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Kano only needed the approval of one person, and that was Rumi. Rumi...I hope she managed to get out of Shibuya okay. Suddenly worried, Kano pulled out his cell phone.

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There was a whole bunch of things he wanted to tell her. He couldn’t share the whole story-police rules wouldn’t allow it-but he wanted to let her know as much as he could. That the kidnapping case had been resolved safely, for instance. That he’d learned about the tortured past of the detective he so admired. That his partner was going to pull through. That he’d managed to finally talk to her father. That he’d put his life on the line to save Shibuva. from danger. Rumi would listen quietly to the very end; and then, Kano thought, he knew just what she’d say. Short and sweet, in that gentle voice of hers: “Good job.”

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“Ah, Rumi? Hello?” There was no response. Did they have a bad connection? “Hello? Rumi, are you there? Can you hear me? Look, the case is closed, now. If you’re still somewhere close to Shibuya, I’d love to see you, if I can.”

Image No music.

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“You want to see me, huh? Don’t you have a mountain of paperwork you should be doing first?” The gruff voice was Shizuo’s.

“Oh, uh...well you see, Father, I-”

“I told you not to call me that!” Shizuo barked so loudly over the phone that Kano’s ear rang.

“Right, no, of course! And yes-I’ll do my job. I just wanted to check and make sure that Rumi was all right.”

“Looks like I misjudged you! Maybe you are the kind of guy who’ll blow off work to go meet with a girl.”

“Dad! Hey!” Kano heard Rumi’s voice cry out with exasperation. “Come on, let me have my phone!”

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“I know that work is important, sir,” Kano said hurriedly. “But Rumi is even more important to me.” He felt his panic rising. After all that had happened, he didn’t want Shizuo to end up with a bad impression.

“Oh, be quiet. If you want to see Rumi, you can do it once you’ve finished your work.”

“Well, but...I’m not sure when that’s going to be.”

“I waited on you today a lot longer than I wanted. So at this point, I don’t care how long it takes you. We can wait all night if we have to.” Shizuo let out a peculiar sigh.

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“And then, you and I can talk again about you marrying my daughter.”

“Huh?” Before Kano could be sure he’d heard that right, Shizuo hung up. “Huh?! Wha-?” He stared at the phone, his mind reeling. And then he was hit with a veritable explosion of joy.

Image The World Doesn't Change so Easy.

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“Yesssss!” Kano leapt into the air and shouted with delight, his voice echoing through the Shibuya streets.

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Once the crowd had put Achi back down on his feet, he rushed over to Hitomi. “So, um, Hitomi—”

“Yes?”

“Hitomi, there’s so much stuff I want to talk to you about. So many things I want to tell you.” He gazed into her face.

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“But, Suzune...” He didn’t know how to continue.

Hitomi smiled warmly. She understood. “Go on, Achi. Go see your sister. There’s nobody here in trouble that you need to rescue now!”

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“Thank you. I better get going, then. To see Suzune.”

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Achi broke away from his circle of friends and headed out of the Shibuya scramble. Strangely enough, his leg didn’t hurt too much, now. Despite all that had happened, he felt invigorated, as if he was just waking to a brand new day.

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“Achi!” Hitomi called after him. “I will see you again, won’t I?”

Achi nodded vigorously. “Of course! Just come to Shibuya! You’ll find me!”

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He’d been born and raised in Shibuya, but after today, he loved the place more than ever.

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ImageAlphard.

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Gordon and Alphard sat in the back seat as the car sped along the highway.

“Here.” Gordon tossed the handcuff key onto the seat beside him.

“What happened down at the scramble?” Alphard asked, picking up the key and unlocking her cuffs.

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“Leland Palmer was arrested by the Japanese police. And the bomb in the attaché case was defused, apparently. Still, Palmer shouldn’t pose a problem once we get him into CIA custody.”

“I see. Much obliged.”

“You really got yourself backed into a corner, though, didn’t you?” Gordon said.

“Yeah. I was only able to accomplish half of what I intended.”

“Half?”

Alphard produced a vial from her pocket.

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It was filled with red liquid.

“Is that...Hitomi’s blood?” Gordon asked.

“Indeed. I managed to acquire the antiviral.”

“But...when?” Gordon peered at her in bewilderment.

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“When I blew up the minivan.”

  • Achi noticed a tiny spot of blood on Hitomi after the explosion.
In the dim light of the vehicle, Alphard’s eyes shone darkly, like those of a wounded animal. Extracting the blood from Hitomi while she was unconscious had been a simple matter. Saving the girl’s life had been more than just a means of ensuring her trust. Alphard had been looking for the right moment to carry out the extraction. Total secrecy was essential. If it became public knowledge that the drug existed-and that some of it had been stolen-the value of the Ua virus would plummet.

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“Our primary objective here was to destroy that research facility. Still, getting our hands on the antiviral is better than nothing. Well done as always, Alphard.”

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  • Alphard and the CIA march through an almost deserted airport.
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  • As Alphard passes a pillar, she suddenly stops, before spinning around with her gun drawn. The CIA continue walking without hesitation, they apparently haven't noticed whatever Alphard has.
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  • Alphard stands ready to shoot, she doesn't look quite as confident as usual.
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  • The camera moves to reveal the real Canaan, who silently moves towards Alphard.
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  • Despite Canaan's silent movement, Alphard still manages to detect her.
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  • The two face off, and a gun shot rings out...
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  • The story of the conflict between Canaan and Alphard is continued in the Canaan anime.
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  • This was the true ending – in the normal ending, Maria does try to shoot Alphard. She misses, but the shot is enough to distract Stanley long enough for Alphard to grab a gun she has strapped to her ankle. Alphard tries to shoot Maria, but Osawa jumps in front of Maria, and is badly injured. Alphard is again taken into CIA “custody”, Osawa is loaded into an ambulance, accompanied by Maria. It's heavily implied that Osawa's wound is fatal, and he goes out content that he was finally able to be there for Maria, and with the sole wish that Maria and Hitomi will lead happy lives. Because Maria leaves in the ambulance, she misses Canaan's call (Stanley still has her phone), and it's therefore not revealed that Canaan is still alive.

    Achi and Kano's scene cuts off at the part just before Kano calls Rumi. The airport scene is also omitted from the normal ending.

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