Neon District: Redux

Part Two Chapter Ten: Flipping the Board

       Yuka sat silently in the passenger seat of the beaten down vehicle that Manzo currently drove. When he arrived back at his office, he found Yuka already finished with her mourning. He led her to the underground parking garage, however, he hadn't told her what they out to accomplish. He didn't need to tell anything to her when they passed by multiple luxurious sports cars and stopped in front of a twenty-year-old beaten down sedan.

       The car had scratched up pine green paint that revealed the silver metal shell underneath it and small cracks all over the windows. She didn't understand why they took this hunk of junk instead of a better selection until he popped open the trunk of the sedan. 

       Eiji Okamoto laid in the back of the trunk with his hands tied together with zip ties and a gag over his mouth. He peered up at her with frightened eyes and then it appeared as if he gazed at her like she was his savior. But that look quickly disappeared when she shut the trunk door closed.

       Ten minutes had already passed since then with Yuka already knowing where they were taking Eiji. The sprawling District buildings whirled passed them as they took the main road out of the District. The landscape changed from gigantic glass structures to expansive freeways and overpasses that stretched on for miles. 

       Manzo veered off the freeway and drove through an exit that led down to a river bank. He parked the car under the freeway, out of the way of prying eyes and stopped the ignition. "It's disappointing that it has to end this way for him," Manzo sighed, turning himself around in his seat to face Yuka. He produced a small hand gun from his jacket pocket and held it out to her. He didn't give her any other orders or even what to do with the gun as she took the small weapon from his hand.

       Kill Eiji Okamoto. That was the silent order.

       She finally got to do what she had been hoping to do for a long time. Finally, her and everyone would be free of Mr. Propaganda's tyranny. But somehow it didn't feel right anymore. What can a powerless man do in a world like this? Eiji had nobody to help him or power to use against them as it all got transferred over to Manzo.    

       She shook those thoughts away and pushed open the car door, exiting the vehicle. Manzo followed her lead as they rounded to the back of the car and popped open the trunk. 

       Eiji wore the same outfit he did the day he got captured, according to Manzo. He wore a now wrinkled blue dress shirt and grey suit pants. His hair was matted near the back of his head with his bangs covering some of his dark eyes. He didn't wear his glasses as they still laid on the floor of his old office.

       Yuka would know, because she purposefully stomped on them in a fit of anger.

       Manzo bent over and removed the gag from Eiji's mouth and he immediately began going off on a tirade. "Manzo what are you doing?! Please, I beg of you!" Eiji screamed at Manzo with wide, frightful eyes. 

       Manzo only grimaced and snarled: "get up." 

       Manzo grabbed onto Eiji's shaking arm and forced him from the trunk, causing Eiji to fall to his knees on the dirt ground. Manzo then poked him in the shoulder with his own pistol and ordered Eiji to stand up and follow Yuka. Once he mentioned her name, Eiji darted his head to her and she could only grimace.

       She had never seen Eiji look so pitiful and it took every ounce in her body to not end him right there. She wouldn't do that to him, though. She wasn't about to let him take the easy way out.

       She kicked him in the shin and pointed her pistol at his back, barking for him to start walking. 

       "Please, Yuka! You have no idea who you're dealing with! You can't trust him!" Eiji pleaded with her, spinning himself around to meet her face to face. "You are making a big mistake! It isn't me you should worrying about!"