Parker Raymond recently inherited his estranged grandfather's large plantation home in Savannah, Georgia. The Spanish Moss hanging from the estate's large oaks, its massive gardens, and a near endless bank account were, in the end, not what captured...
Kanda took the left lane, navigating the SUV towards the parking garage and its promise of a break from the downpour. Heavy drops of rain relentlessly assaulted the windshield and flooded in through the broken windows, soaking everyone and everything inside the vehicle.
"Damn! We can't go to the airport, Kanda! Just keep driving." Ryohei shouted as he swiped a finger over the surface of his phone.
"Why? I'm so ready to get dry!" Kanda said sadly returning to the center lane that would take them away from their aerial escape route.
"It's the storm...the forecasters were wrong. Somehow it's mysteriously re-strengthened and turned around. Now, it's dumping on Tokyo. The airport is holding up flights and that means my jet's been rerouted. The pilot says she won't be able to return until tomorrow."
"What do we do until then?" Parker asked.
"We find somewhere to hide and we wait," Kanda said.
Ryohei looked down at Suke. "No. I'm not running anymore. We're going to see my father."
"That's not a good idea," Kanda said, looking into the rearview mirror at Ryohei. "My father will..."
"Will what? Kill him? My father is still alive, even after all of these years of threatening the Yakuza. I don't know why this is, but to me, it seems to be the safest place in Tokyo for us, right now."
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"Wow, looks like your father is doing well," Parker said as the SUV approached the security gate of the palatial estate. The morning sun was slowly creeping into the blue sky above the city. It was almost as if it were chasing away the darkness of the previous stormy night.
Ryohei rolled his eyes. "This gigantic place makes me sick whenever I lay eyes on it. My father threw my terminally ill mother in a hospital to rot and sent me away to boarding school. Then, surprise! He moves in his new, young wife as soon as we're out of the way."
Parker noticed the water sloshing around in the floorboard. "Oh, I imagine this must be tough for you to do."
"He treated us like we were garbage." Ryohei glanced toward the back of the SUV at his bodyguard's body. "When my mother died, Suke, he became my family."
"So, why are we here, then?" Kanda asked, spinning the steering wheel to align the SUV's driver side window with the guard shack.
"Because the son of a bitch owes me one night of shelter at least," Ryohei replied in a mix of English and Japanese.
With a creak the guard shack door opened only to slam closed as the guard noticed the bullet holes. "You must leave or I will call the authorities!" the muffled voice said through the door.
