The Lycanthrope Club - An American Werewolf in Japan, Chapter XII

Masae's grandmother approached the front door with trepidation; she wasn't expecting any visitors and whoever was there was knocking frantically and noisily. She gripped the knob, cracked it open and peered through.

"Grandmother!" 

Masae was at the doorstep with a pleading look on her face. She was supporting someone by the shoulder.

"Masae-chan?" she said, opening the door all the way.

Junko, Taro and the security agent were there with her. All of them were red-faced and panting as though they had being running for hours. The agent - Kiseki - looked particularly winded. Far more disconcerting than this, however, was the fact that Junko was naked. The school girl was hugging her chest and crossing her legs to cover her intimate parts. She looked miserable. 

"Aaii! What happened!" exclaimed Masae's grandmother, horrified.

"We...we need to..." gasped Kiseki.

"Easy, easy," hissed Masae, gently gripping his shoulder.

"Come inside, quickly!" said her grandmother, frantically motioning for them to enter.

She stepped back as the four of them hurried inside, Masae half-leading half-carrying the agent. 

"Lock the door, grandmother," ordered Masae. 

"What?"

"We're in danger. Yakuza are coming for us."

Her grandmother stared at her for a few seconds. Then, wordlessly, she turned and closed the latch above the doorknob. "I'll lock the back door but it's just a glass door with a shoji screen," she said, already hurrying out of the foyer. "It won't hold long if they come through the yard." She paused. "Your friend can use one of my bathrobes, Masae-chan,"

Suddenly, Kiseki clutched his chest and started gasping.

"Can't...breathe..." he rasped, slumping in Masae's arms. He started coughing. 

"No-no-no-no-no!" cried Masae, lowering him to the floor. 

Junko and Taro hurried over to him.

"What's wrong with him?" said Junko, cupping her mouth in horror.

"I...that gangster was kicking him pretty hard," said Taro nervously. "He might be bleeding internally."

"No," whispered Masae as she watched his heaving chest rise and fall. She looked up. "I...think he has a collapsed lung! Remember how he said his ribs were broken? The rib bones must have penetrated them! That must be why he's having trouble breathing."

"He needs a hospital," said Taro. After some fumbling he pulled out his cell phone. "I'll call. Masae-sempai, try to...try to keep him from dying."

Masae nodded.

"Er."

"What, Junko-chan?" said Masae without looking up.

"We...do you think he's going to make it?" said Junko anxiously.

"It's...it's bad, but if it's only one lung...I don't know, Junko!" snapped Masae. "I'm not a doctor! I just did really well in anatomy!"

Behind them, Taro was tapping on his phone. He lifted the device in the air and walked a few steps forward and a few steps back, staring at its screen. He swallowed.

"There's...there's no signal!" he said. "No bars."

"What? That's impossible!" said Junko.

"The RF jammer," groaned Masae, remembering. "And that means they're already closing in."

The agent face was turning blue. He was intermittently coughing and wheezing. 

"S-Stay with us!" cried Masae. 

Junko silently regarded the agent. Masae's grandmother returned. She was carrying something about the size of a wallet in her hand. 

"I've locked all the doors," she said without a hint of emotion. "I'm going to call the police. We should barricade a room and wait there." 

"It's no use," said Masae, shaking her head in dismay. "They're jamming cell phone signals."

"Oh," said her grandmother, nonplussed. She hesitated. "Will it, er, affect regular phones?" she asked, gesturing at the receiver she was holding. 

"Regular?" 

"She means...landline!" exclaimed Taro. "She still has a landline! No, it shouldn't!"

"Call an ambulance first," said Masae quickly. "This man is dying!"

Masae's grandmother paled slightly but then nodded and started dialing.

"How's he doing, Masae-sempai?" inquired Junko anxiously.

"He's...he's still alive," said Masae. She suddenly looked up at glared at Junko. "Put something on! My grandmother's bathrobes are in the closet next to the bathroom."

"Do you think it's safe to call an ambulance with the yakuza coming?" said Taro.

"We'll take care of them before they arrive," growled Masae, checking on the agent. She looked back up. "Junko-kohai! Get a robe already!"

"...I'm not sure the ambulance will make it here on time," said Junko quietly. "And even if it does, the yakuza could get in the way."

"So? What else can we do?" snarled Masae.

"We could do...that."

Masae was silent for a time. A few meters away her grandmother was quietly conversing on the phone; her voice and Kiseki strained breaths were the only sounds in the room.

"You can't be serious."

"It's the only way."

"No, it isn't," said Masae, rising. "Think of everything we've been through since that...that creature changed us. We'd be putting him through all that! We'd be passing the curse onto him!"

"We know it will save him," countered Junko. "If we don't do it, he'll die."

"How do you know?" snarled Masae.

"Because he's not breathing."

Masae looked down and saw that the agent had gone still, head lolled to the side. His eyes were half-open, twitching slightly. She glared at Junko, down at the recumbent Kiseki, looked wildly around the room as though about to run. Then, she threw her arms in the air.

"AAAAAAAAAAAA!" she wailed - a keen of frustration, sorrow and fury. She fell her knees, grabbed Kiseki's left arm with both hands and bit his forearm, hard. Taro gasped and backed away. Junko stood there, watching, her face deadpan. 

Masae rose, wiping the blood from her lips. She noticed her grandmother staring at her, mouth agape, eyes wider than Masae had ever seen them. 

"He's going to be alright now, grandmother," said Masae.

"What did you do to him, Masae-chan," breathed her grandmother, trembling.

"It'd take too long to explain," she sighed. "I'll... explain everything later." Her expression hardened. "You need to get upstairs. Lock your door and barricade the door. Don't come out until we come for you." She turned to Taro. "Taro-kun, take him up there with her. We need to get ready."

Taro nodded and hurried over to the now breathing albeit unconscious Kiseki. Masae's grandmother opened her mouth to protest but stopped when she met Masae's gaze. She stared into her eyes. Her frightened expression faded. She too nodded. Taro carefully lifted the agent by his shoulders and carried him out of the foyer. Masae's grandmother followed him. Masae exhaled. She turned to Junko, who gave her an odd look.

"Should I...still get that robe?" asked Junko.

"...No," said Masae. "I don't think you're going to need it for this." She smiled deviously and glanced up at the locked door. 

* * *

Hajime motioned for his remaining two soldiers to stand guard by the car. The rest of his men had taken positions on either side of the front door as well as behind a few of the larger trees. All had earpieces and were holding guns; one of the men near the house had a shotgun. Hajime glared at the man with an odd sort of jealously; he absently scratched the cast on his right arm. He then looked up and noted the ancient telephone pole and connecting wires with dismay.

"They may have a landline," he said. "It took a while to find our guns so they have a good head start on us. We have to assume they've called the authorities. We need to move fast."

"Right, boss," said his lieutenant, who then raised his hand and gestured at the house. One of the men by the main door reached over and twisted the door knob. To Hajime's surprise the door creaked open. The men by the door looked back at him.

"You think they left?" asked his lieutenant.

Hajime paused, thinking. "No," he said. "We beat that agency pig pretty badly. He's in no condition to run." He nodded at the house. "They're going to try to ambush us." 

"They're just...high schoolers," said the lieutenant uneasily.

"They're also immortal wolf kami," snapped Hajime. He shook his head. "Gah, it sounds so stupid, but it's true." He spat. "We're never going to underestimate them again." He glanced back at his car. "Ito, shut off the jammer."

He waited a few seconds. Then, he pulled out his phone with his good hand. After confirming he had a signal he tapped an icon on the screen and then whispered into it.

"Go."

The two men at the entrance slipped inside. The men surrounding the house readied their weapons but did not raise them. They did, however, keep their eyes trained on the front yard.

Hajime's phone buzzed.

"We're in the back yard," whispered a gruff voice. 

"Good. Hold there."

Several, tense seconds passed. 

"Boss," whispered a different voice through his phone.

"What is it?" said Hajime.

"The lights are out but there's...someone standing at the end of the first floor hall."

"Take them out," said Hajime without hesitation.  

A second or two passed. Then, a loud albeit muffled series of rapid fire shots broke the silence. Hajime listened, his expression unchanging. 

"They're down."

"Finally," said Hajime. "Check the other rooms then the body. If they're still alive tie them up and drag them out here. Remember, there are at least three of them."

"Right."

Hajime lowered his phone and waited. He glanced back at his car and down the road. He listened. He heard no engines, no distant sirens, not even a dog barking.

"Idiots," he said softly, indulging in a brief, smug smile. "There's no one around here to help you. Should have kept moving or hid somewhere less obvious."

A few more seconds passed. Then, a strangled cry issued from the house. It was soon followed by an inhuman snarl. The yakuza positioned along the periphery of the house lifted their guns but did not fire.

"What's going on?" barked Hajime into his phone. 

There was no response.

"Itsuki! Yuuto! Respond!"

Again he was met with silence. Hajime stared at the residence in disbelief. Then, his face contorted into a mask of fury. Nostrils flaring, he jabbed an icon on his phone.

"Go in through the back," he ordered. "Shoot the door open if you have to. We'll be joining you shortly.

Hajime pocketed his phone and awkwardly drew a small pistol with his remaining good hand. 

"You, you, you and you," he bellowed, gesturing at four of his men in turn. "You're with me. If you see something or someone you don't recognize, shoot it. The rest of you watch our backs and call if they send reinforcements."

One or two of his men looked hesitant.

"NOW!" yelled Hajime, brandishing his firearm. 

The four yakuza kyodai quickly formed around him as he strode up the path leading to the house. As he grew closer two of his men hurried ahead and peered through the door, weapons at the ready. One of them turned and nodded. Flanked by the other two soldiers - one of which was carrying the shotgun - Hajime stepped inside.

It was, as his underling had noted, dark inside. All the lights were off and all of the screens and blinds had been pulled down. The interior architecture and decor was traditional almost to the point of being archaic, though there were a few modern devices and objects here and there. There were shoji screens, tatami mats, decorative paper lanterns, laminated dark wood beams, and low tables with no chairs. There wasn't anyone else in sight - neither the occupants nor his two missing men.  It was, in a word, spooky, though Hajime would have never admitted this errant thought crossed his mind. 

Hajime's men slowly fanned out, guns half-raised. Their eyes darted back and forth searching for any flicker of movement or out-of-place shadow. Hajime himself took a deep breath and joined them. Rage and frustration gradually gave way to nervous trepidation. He nudged one of his men and nodded at another one - the one with the shotgun.

"Check the hallway," he whispered as quietly as he could while remaining audible. 

They turned and started walking down hall. With no windows it was even darker here. The kyodai without the shotgun fished a cell phone out of his coat pocket and turned on its flashlight app.

"Cover me," whispered the man with the cell phone, letting the kyodai with the shotgun take point. Hajime remained in the rear. 

The almost preternaturally bright white light shone down the hall, revealing a bare wooden floor and several doors on either side. As the three yakuza made their way down the corridor Hajime spied something on the ground towards the end.

"Cover our rear," he whispered to the shotgun wielder. He nodded, turned and started slowly walking backwards as Hajime and his other soldier continued on forward. Several, tense seconds passed, the ancient wooden floor creaking under their feet. When the three of them reached the end of the hall Hajime bent down and examined the object. It was a heavy blue kimino or bathrobe wrapped around a broom. Then, he then noticed something shiny next to it. He directed his underling to shift the light so he could get a better look and saw shell casings scattered across the floor. 

A deep, rumbling growl emanated from behind.

Hajime and his underling whirled around just in time to see a massive furry arm pull the shotgun wielder into one of the side rooms. There was a scream followed by the deafening boom of the shotgun being fired. There was a hideous, guttural roar.

"Go!" screamed Hajime, already racing down the hall. Ahead he made out the sound of his other men's footsteps converging on their location. 

Suddenly another one of the hallway doors ahead of him swung open mere decimeters away. Already in full run Hajime could not stop and slammed into the open door - his injured arm taking the brunt of the collision. Hajime screamed in agony and tumbled to the floor, dropping his gun. He saw his second man fall and the pulled into the room. The doors slammed shut.

Biting back the pain Haijime scrambled to his feet as three of his men rushed towards him.

"In there! In there!" he screamed, gesturing at the doors to his left. 

The trio nodded and turned. One of the three kicked down the door and the rest readied their guns. A bright yellow light filled the hallway when the door fell, forcing the three yakuza to squint as they charged into the room.

Hajime stood there, breathing.

"They went out the window, boss!"

Hajime snarled and rushed into the room. It was a small bedroom with a dark wooden cabinet, chair and several paintings hanging on the walls. The solitary window had been completely shattered, its blinds torn down. Dust danced lazily in the shaft of sunlight streaming in through the window. Hajime shouldered past the three remaining kyodai. Glass cracked beneath his feet as he examined the room. He noticed a smear of blood on jagged edge of the broken window. 

"They dragged Haru out there," he said. "They've left the house."

Seemingly on cue a terrified scream came from outside, soon followed by several gunshots. 

"Boss?" said one of his men nervously.

Hajime shut his eyes. His mouth tightened. 

"Stay together," he growled at last, exhaling. "Let's regroup at the foyer and search the house, room by room. No splitting up! We'll find the agent and use him as a hostage. Come on."

The four yakuza exited the room.

"And turn the damn lights on!" barked Hajime as they marched down the hall.

"There's no power, boss," said one of his men. "We think they hit the breakers."

"Who the hell are these kids?" breathed Hajime, shaking his head in disbelief. "They're better than half my old squad when I was still in the JDF." He took out his cell phone. "Everyone to the main foyer!" he ordered.

"Before the commotion downstairs we were trying to get one of the upstairs doors opened," said another one of the kyodai. "We think it was barred from the inside."

"That's probably where they stashed him. We'll start there."

They re-entered the foyer and waited. Only one other yakuza - a youngish, frightened looking shatei - joined them. 

"This is it?" exclaimed Hajime. "No matter. Listen! Either we kill or capture these creatures or Mr. Shen will put a bullet through our heads. We stay together and watch each others' backs. Clear?"

The assembled soldiers nodded solemnly. 

"Come on!" said Hajime.

With that the remaining yakuza hurried up the narrow stairs. The second floor hallway was virtually a mirror of the one below, only longer. Again, a cell phone flashlight was utilized. The kyodai who had spoken earlier motioned at a door near the middle of the hall on the left. 

"That's the one," he whispered. "It's barred."

"We check the other rooms first," hissed Hajime. "No more ambushes."

One by one, the yakuza opened each door and searched each room, a pair of them standing guard in the hallway each time. Closets were opened, beds overturned, bathrooms checked. Nothing. Finally, they reached the barred door.

"Open it," ordered Hajime.

His two stoutest men took positions next to the door and started slamming into it with their shoulders. After the first few collisions Hajime saw one of the hinges come off. He heard a soft yelp from inside. 

"That's it! Keep at it!" he urged.

Suddenly the door frame snapped and the door itself fell forward, banging against a large, wooden object that had apparently pressed up against it on the other side. Hajime peered through the two kyodai who had broken down the door and saw a frightened, wrinkled face staring back at him. He smiled wickedly.

"Get them," he ordered, pointing. "Be rough if you have to, but don't kill them."

His men started pulling the door out of its shattered frame.

"Boss!"

It had been the one shatei from before. He had been watching the rear. Hajime turned and saw the young gangster pointing down the hall. A large, dark figure was standing around ten meters away. Its eyes were glowing yellow. 

There was a moment of shocked silence. Then, all five yakuza turned and leveled their weapons at the creature.

"Don't shoot...yet," hissed Hajime, raising a hand. He glanced down the hall. "Nobu, keep an eye on our rear." 

He turned back to the creature. 

"If you come any closer, we'll kill them," he said, nodding at the door. 

The creature did not respond or move. It just stood there.

"Did you just prop that robe on a broom to draw fire?" he continued in a mocking tone. "Not bad for a bunch of snot-noised kids. Now, listen up. You can...change into a human, right?"

Again, the creature did not stir.

"Answer or I start shooting."

"Yes," intoned the creature in deep baritone that Hajime recognized.

"Good. Get the others, change into humans, come up here and surrender. We'll even leave the agent and..." he glanced back at the broken door "...And whoever that is behind for the police."

"How do we know you won't simply kill us?" asked the creature.

"You don't, but we will certainly kill them if you don't comply," said Hajime, inwardly reveling at finally being back in control of the situation. "And we know how to kill you, now, immortal wolf kami," he added sardonically.

"Oh?" 

"We have..." Hajime hesitated. This would be an empty boast that revealed his ignorance or a bluff. He had to pick one and it had to be right. "...We have silver bullets. Yes! We know your weakness."

There was silence.

"You're lying," said the creature, its eyes flaring. 

"What do you think was in that shotgun?" said Hajime, suddenly inspired. "I know we at least hurt one of you. We all have silver bullets." The former was indeed a bluff, but Hajime was feeling confident now. It seemed he'd guessed right. These things were vulnerable to silver!

"Show me," said the creature.

"Maybe I'll just shoot you with one," growled Hajime.

"I'm not afraid to die," said the creature calmly. "Even if you shoot me I will take you with me. Assuming, of course, you actually do have silver."

"Fine," growled Hajime. In truth he did have a few silver bullets - actually silver coated rounds he had ordered his confused gunsmith craft for him - in his pocket, but that was it. He held up a round. "See?"

"Toss it here."

Hajime scowled but tossed the tiny metal thing down the hall. It bounced and tumbled, making a soft, metallic ringing as it slid towards the creature. It stopped less than a decimeter away from the monster's feet. It slowly bent down, extended a huge, muscular arm and touched the round with its paw. It quickly withdrew it as though it had been stung.

"See!" laughed Hajime in almost hysterical triumph. "Now, ge-"

A thunderous boom filled the hallway. Hajime felt the house tremble beneath his feet. He gulped

"What the-"

There was a sharp cracking sound followed by weird, frighteningly loud splinting noise as the floor buckled beneath him. Hajime screamed as the floor collapsed. The last thing he saw before he fell through the gaping hole was the creature's blazing yellow eyes.