It took about a half hour for Toshi to figure out something was wrong.

 

 

 

Officer Mukai Yori had gotten Toshi into the back of an idling car that didn't seem like a normal police car. It was a plain brown car with the cage between the front and back seats. Yori insisted Toshi sit in back and after locking him in, performed the odd action of looking around, taking off his scarf and placing it carefully on the rim of a trashcan, leaving most of it hanging over the edge. Then he quickly got in the car and pulled away.

 

Twenty minutes later they were heading out of the city, and Toshi was certain this was NOT the way to his mother's office.

 

"We aren’t going to my mother’s office, are we?” Toshi finally remarked.

 

Yori said nothing.

 

There was nothing but silence as they drove along, ~Well, at least he isn’t trying to keep up the pretense anymore.~ Toshi looked around without trying to look like he was looking around. Mentally, he was sizing up his options. It seemed best to try and get information out of his captor, "So who do you work for?" He moved his head to one side so he could get a better angle on Yori's face, "Did Gen sent you?" Yori gave no response. He just kept driving.

 

Toshi settled back into his seat and looked around some more, wondering if he could pull off some sort of glitch to get out of here and what that would do if he did it while they were speeding down a highway. The mental image of him no clipping out of the car, only to bounce along the asphalt at seventy miles an hour gave Toshi the shivers. He refocused on the driver, "I hope the money was worth it.” Toshi tried to sound way more confident than he was, “You really have no idea what you have gotten yourself into."

 

That got Yori to look up at the review mirror and back at Toshi. His eyes resumed looking at the road when he final spoke, "Nobody is paying me."

 

Toshi squinted and leaned in closer, "Alright. Fill me in then. C'mon. I’m still alive so you need me for something. Let’s work this out. Now you don’t work for my mother, who do you work for?"

 

Yori took a deep breath and let it out real slow, as if this part was something he wasn’t looking forward to, "Actually, I really do work for your mother. My job is what allowed me to gather together the pieces and figure out what’s going on.” He paused then added, “At least enough of it to know you are the center of everything.”

 

Toshi squinted, "Come again?"

 

Yori sighed and reached over to open his bag and pull out a tablet. He put it in his lap and steered the car with his knee while fiddling with it. He tapped it a few times to get a power point presentation going, then wedged the tablet up against the iron grid separating the front and back seat so Toshi could watch.

 

---

 

SUBJECT: Kimoto Toshi

 

Observations of Subject have given rise to many questions. Answering those questions have lead to more questions.

 

Topic 1: Subject's miraculous resurrection.

 

The presentation went over Toshi's health, including before, during and after shots of his brain from the accident. Toshi blinked, "What the FUCK? That's my medical information! How they hell did you get that???" Yori remained silent. The presentation moved on.

 

Topic 2: Subject's investment firm.

 

The presentation started into the three businesses that Toshi owned and detailed many of his transactions. Toshi's heart sank when it came up with a very close approximation to his total wealth, as broken down by what country the wealth was currently hidden in. At this, Toshi went silent.

 

Topic 3: Subject's involvement with the criminal underworld.

 

Toshi became completely filled with dread when he was presented with a series of slides that included pictures of him with Naora, as well as a short video that shows the two of them kissing inside a parked car. No. Not just kissing. Toshi's hand was up her shirt and he was going to town on her boobs.

 

Topic 4: Subject's ability to manipulate time.

 

Toshi's jaw dropped when he saw the video of what happened at Naora's shooting. The video replayed three times. Once in full, once focusing on where Toshi was, and once where there was a break down of the inconsistencies in the video and comments on what appeared to be happening.

 

After the presentation ended, Yori took the tablet down and tossed it on the passenger seat next to him, "I made that to show your mother. Do I have your attention?"

 

Toshi made a gulping sound as he swallowed nervously and let out a soft, "Undivided."

 

Yori nodded as he glanced at the rear view mirror, "Good. Here's the ground rules. You are going off the grid until we're finished. Shouldn't take long... maybe a few hours at most. Once we're done, I bring you back to the city and we make up a story we both stick to. I don't tell your mother you are fucking the heir apparent of the Terauchi crime family, and you don't tell anyone I kidnapped you or what happened these next few hours."

 

He looked away from the road long enough to look over his shoulder at Toshi directly, "GOT IT?"

 

Toshi narrowed his eyes, "Depends on what we are doing, but got it."

 

Yori turned back to the road, "Depends on what we are doing?"

 

"Uh, Yeah. If we're going somewhere to murder someone and you need me to help hide the body, you got another thing coming." Toshi folded his arms and looked defiant.

 

Yori glanced up at the rearview mirror again, "We're going to help someone." He looked back at the road, "Actually, maybe you can save her." He turned on his signal and switched lanes.

 

Toshi relaxed his posture and leaned forward slightly, "Help someone?" He squinted with one eye, "Help... who?"

 

Yori was quiet for a long time. They got to an off ramp and started heading up a road that lead up a mountain to a compound of some sort. Seemingly at random, Yori asked, "Who is Yoshihide Suga?"

 

Toshi looked puzzled, "The prime-" He cut himself off by slapping his hand over his mouth.

 

"What? What were you going to say?" Yori looked up into the review mirror again, "Say it! You were going to say he was the prime minister, weren't you?"

 

Toshi lowered his hand and spoke with a hollow tone, "How do you know that name?"

 

Toshi was distracted as they apparently arrived at their destination. He couldn't help but see the sign as they drove up to the imposing gate that let you through the several meter tall wall that surrounded the top of this mountain.

 

 

Nichitsu Mental Health Facility

DO NOT PICK UP ANY HITCHHIKERS

 

"I learned it from my sister."