Alice in Borderland

Chapter 70 - Fingerbone

Chishiya's view

My eyes search the map of Tokyo again and again and I mark every place that comes into question as a hiding place with a red dot. I make this effort not for the beach or the leadership rule, but for myself alone. If I leave here and the military squad hasn't found the hiding place yet, I want to make sure that we don't run into these people and stay away from the hiding place. Still, the easiest way would be to let the military squad do the dirty work so I don't have to get my hands dirty.

Lead, dust and dirt is not a lot of information but it does narrow down the search. I'll have to wait for the interview later, I'll know more after that. I got a glimpse of the man yesterday when I walked by the hotel room after the meeting. It will be pretty easy to get something out of him, I wouldn't even have to get involved for that.

"That's quite a few places," Kuina remarks, twirling her straw thoughtfully.

"We'll be able to pinpoint it in an hour tops if this guy doesn't just tell us where the stash is," I say. People are fundamentally selfish, as soon as the man fears for his life he will sing like a nightingale. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Kuina pucker her mouth thoughtfully, so I look at her waiting, knowing full well that she's about to say something.      

"Have you been to Sayuuri's yet?"

Despite my hands clenching into fists, I just raise my eyebrows and look at her with a slight smirk. Of course this question had to come, I guess Yuudai or Izumi told her about what Niragi said yesterday.

"No," I say dryly and she looks at me in surprise. I can't deny that I toyed with the idea at the same moment the meeting ended. But I came to the conclusion last night not to knock at her room. For one thing, her eyes kept falling shut even while she was organizing the reconnaissance squad. For another, the questioning is pretty early today and I didn't want to risk staying with her. In the conference room, I had myself under control as usual, but I doubt I would have thought rationally if I had been in private with Sayuuri. I would have ended up spending the night with her and I am sure of it. I was about to give in but when I saw who knocked on her room it was clear I couldn't check on her. "Her uncle was with her"

I struggled all night to put the image of Sayuuri's split lip out of my mind, as well as Niragi's comment. I have to remain objective during the questioning, after all the hatter and number two are also present.

"Then I'll go by her place while you're at the questioning," the woman across from me says, and together we clear the map aside. Speaking of which, Niragi should be knocking on my room door any minute. My suspicions are confirmed when I open the door and discover Aguni's favorite lapdog. I stop and look at him for a moment before walking past him and ignoring him. I only hear him growling angrily, which makes me grin in satisfaction.

The Hatter and his number two are already waiting in front of hotel room 532. As soon as the Hatter spots me, he nods at me and the two guards in front of the room open the door for us. I stand on the right side and lean against the wall. From here I have a direct view of the man, who is taped to a chair, but also of the other people in the room. Apart from us, there are two of the military squad here, including Yuudai.

The Hatter makes a welcoming gesture and bows slightly to the man.

"I am very sorry that my soldiers treated you so roughly. My name is Danma, but here I am only called the Hatter."

I stifle a grin, for it was the Hatter himself who allowed the guards to beat the stranger. He tries kindness, probably he is about to give his speech and explain his golden rules to the man.

"Untie me," the man complains.

"Well, that's just a precaution. We don't know them, but once we change that they will be untied immediately. Maybe we start with their name"

The man is just silent and looks to the side, so the Hatter begins to explain to him how things work here at the Beach and that he would be accepting the man as the newest Beach member. Unmistakably, I can tell by the tone of his voice that the Hatter will have him killed when he has all the information. 

"Maybe your group could join us. We have electricity, supplies, water here," the hatter tries to draw him out.

"I don't think so, we can manage quite well without electricity. And the thing with the bathing suit is ridiculous, who had the stupid idea?" the man laughs and I snort with a grin. The Hatter stands with his back to me, but I can still see the small vein pulsing at his temple. I look boredly at the bound man and notice that soil has accumulated under his fingernails. Ann could take a sample of it and examine it in the lab.

"We're not getting anywhere like this, I think we should get Niragi. He doesn't like being held at gunpoint at all. You should know him, he bashed your friend's skull in," the Hatter says in a swinging voice to hide his anger. 

"Tell you what. Leave me alone with the bitch who put me through the car window yesterday and after that we can happily talk some more"

My gaze lingers on his obnoxious laugh and I shove my hands into the pockets of my vest. They tighten but I don't manage to clench them into fists. I look to the other side at number two and the corners of my mouth pull down in a grin. I nod slightly and raise my eyebrows. No question he'd leave this guy alone with Sayuuri without hesitation, probably take the tape off him too.

"No," Hatter says in slight surprise, walking to the door of the room, "I'll leave him to you two."

"She's not even part of the leadership rule, we should just bring Sayuuri in" Number Two says sternly, but Hatter just shakes his head and walks outside. The number two follows him, obviously trying to change his mind.

"Sayuuri it is," the man laughs with satisfaction. I know number two doesn't like her, but to just tell a guy her name like that. Suddenly Yuudai jumps forward and smacks the man, which makes me feel like I like him a little bit more.

"Watch what you say carefully. She's a friend of mine, understand?"

Punching a man who's tied up isn't much of an accomplishment, but Yuudai stands up for her. He's not the brightest, but he has a heart. For the first time, I'm glad for that combination, at least for that second.

"Of course, I don't want to risk a fat lip, do I?" the man laughs provocatively. Judging by the abrasions on his left hand, I already figured he hit her. I look around at the other man from the military squad and nod at him to leave the room. He obeys the word and I am alone with Yuudai. I walk beside him and just as he is about to strike again I hold him back. He looks at me angrily, which I just dismiss with my typical look. Yuudai runs a hand through his hair and takes a step back.

"What, are you going to punch me too?" the man asks me with amusement and with a big grin I stand next to the chair and look out the window. I take my hands out of my vest pockets and look down at the man.

"No."

I reach for his left hand and after a flick of my wrist the man screams out loud. Falange proximal, the proximal phalanx of the finger. It's so easy to break. I wait a moment for him to regain his composure to some extent and go up one finger bone. Falange media, the middle phalanx of the finger. I look out the window and relax my shoulders as I hear another scream of pain. He curses loudly and yells at me to stop. I look at him in amusement and when I see his hand, I break his finger phalanx, falange distal. I don't care about his screams or pain, but the fact that he touched Sayuuri with that very hand makes me enjoy it. Comfortably I dedicate myself to the next finger. And as expected, it slowly but surely buckles. 

"The hiding place is in an abandoned industrial plant," he says as I pause for a moment, and at the next finger bone he also shouts the name of the street. I let go of his hand and look back at Yuudai who is looking at me with wide eyes but he nods at me with a smile. I look straight ahead again and take the man's index finger. A jerk and his screams sound like music to my ears.

"I told you where the damn stash is, so stop it!" he yells at me and I just look at him in played amazement. I stand right in front of him and with a big grin I lean down slightly to make him look at me.

"I have not said with a word that I will stop then. Frankly, I don't care where your hiding place is," I say dryly and take a new finger in my hand. Five fingers on each hand, and I'm only on the third.