Volume 4
Chapter 4: The Enemy Within
February 13th, 2027.
Tokyo was approaching 10 PM.
Meanwhile, in Washington D.C., it had just turned 9 AM.
I was lying in a hospital bed.
Officially, I was supposed to be recovering.
Unofficially, I was wasting time.
The grip strengthener in my hand clicked rhythmically.
Compress.
Release.
Compress.
Release.
The repetitive motion helped me think.
My body was recovering.
My mind never stopped working.
Toshiro Sobu.
The abandoned facility.
The deadlock.
The inconsistencies.
Every time I reviewed the situation, I discovered another missing piece.
The door opened.
Doctor Walkins entered.
A smile rested on his face.
I didn't particularly like smiles.
People often revealed more through them than they intended.
"I'm afraid we still can't release you yet, Mr. Tadashi."
I continued squeezing the grip strengthener.
"Oh?"
I sat up slightly.
"But I feel fine."
That wasn't entirely true.
I was exhausted.
However, exhaustion had never stopped me before.
I swung my legs over the side of the bed.
"I think it's time I returned to Japan."
Before I could stand, Doctor Walkins grabbed my arm.
Firmly.
Too firmly.
"I suggest you sit down."
His tone remained polite.
His eyes did not.
I looked at him.
Something felt wrong.
Not enough to form a conclusion.
But enough to create suspicion.
So I sat back down.
For now.
---
Several hours later, Doctor Walkins returned carrying food.
I wasn't particularly hungry.
Still, refusing food would attract unnecessary attention.
So I ate.
Slowly.
Carefully.
Observing him.
The entire time, he watched me.
Most doctors observed patients.
This felt different.
His eyes reminded me of a hunter.
Not a physician.
A hunter.
The distinction mattered.
After finishing the meal, fatigue struck me almost immediately.
Interesting.
Far too quickly.
My vision blurred.
The last thing I saw was Doctor Walkins smiling.
Then darkness consumed everything.
---
I woke up restrained.
My first thought wasn't panic.
It was confirmation.
So that was it.
The ropes weren't particularly impressive.
Whoever tied them either underestimated me or lacked experience.
I freed myself within moments.
The larger problem was the weakness running through my body.
Sedatives.
Likely mixed into the food.
I stood slowly.
My balance wasn't perfect.
But it was sufficient.
I opened the door.
Then stopped.
Every instinct I possessed immediately activated.
The hallway was silent.
Too silent.
I checked the nearest nurse's station.
A nurse lay unconscious across a desk.
Another was collapsed beside a wall.
I moved through the floor.
Room after room.
Doctor.
Patient.
Staff member.
Unconscious.
Every single one.
This wasn't an assassination attempt.
It was an operation.
Someone had taken control of the entire floor.
Perhaps more.
I immediately headed toward the parking garage.
The moment I arrived, I located an employee vehicle and retrieved the keys from an unconscious staff member nearby.
Escape first.
Questions later.
I entered the car.
Started the engine.
Then paused.
The reflection in the side window caught my attention.
Something was pointed directly at me.
I moved instantly.
The driver's side window exploded.
Glass scattered across the seat.
A tranquilizer dart embedded itself in the tire.
Not the driver.
The tire.
Interesting.
They wanted me alive.
That narrowed the possibilities.
I exited the vehicle immediately and dropped behind a nearby row of parked cars.
Then I saw him.
Doctor Walkins.
Or rather, the man pretending to be Doctor Walkins.
He stood several rows away holding a tranquilizer rifle.
"Remember me, Tetsuya?"
His smile widened.
I did.
Immediately.
The realization arrived before he even finished speaking.
Three years ago.
While working as a police intern.
An investigation involving a serial murderer.
The media had given him a nickname.
The Red Ghoul.
One of the most notorious serial killers in recent history.
His preferred victims were government employees.
Law enforcement.
Investigators.
Federal agents.
People like me.
"It has been three years."
His voice sounded amused.
"You almost caught me back then."
I remained silent.
He laughed.
"Toshiro Sobu sends his regards."
That confirmed it.
Connection established.
The Red Ghoul wasn't acting independently.
He was connected to Sobu.
Or at the very least working for him.
My eyes quickly scanned the environment.
Distance.
Cover.
Potential weapons.
A fire extinguisher.
Good enough.
The Red Ghoul raised the rifle.
I moved.
Fast.
Not because I was stronger.
Not because I was faster.
Because hesitation gets people killed.
I grabbed the extinguisher.
He fired.
Missed.
I rolled across the pavement.
Pulled the pin.
Then discharged the extinguisher directly into his face.
A cloud erupted between us.
His vision disappeared instantly.
Mine didn't need to.
I already knew where he was.
I closed the distance.
One strike.
A pressure point.
His body collapsed.
Unconscious.
Efficient.
Not elegant.
But effective.
I turned.
Someone was standing nearby.
An FBI agent.
One of ours.
He looked relieved.
"Don't worry, Tetsuya."
He smiled.
"We'll take it from here."
I immediately knew something was wrong.
The timing was impossible.
Why appear now?
Why wait until the threat was neutralized?
And why was he carrying a crowbar?
I shifted my stance.
A fraction of a second later, he swung.
Exactly as expected.
I dodged.
The crowbar slammed into empty air.
He followed with a sweep.
This time I wasn't fast enough.
My weakened condition caught up to me.
I hit the ground.
The agent raised the crowbar again.
Then a dart struck his neck.
His body froze.
Then collapsed.
I looked toward the source.
Another man stood nearby.
Calm.
Composed.
Holding a tranquilizer gun.
He approached.
I immediately memorized every detail.
Height.
Build.
Posture.
Facial structure.
Potential accent.
Everything.
"I need you to return to Tokyo immediately."
His tone left little room for argument.
A set of car keys flew through the air.
I caught them.
"The airport."
He pointed toward the exit.
"Go."
I remained where I was.
"Who are you?"
The man smiled.
"My name is Merrin."
The name meant nothing to me.
Not yet.
"I'll catch up with you later."
His expression hardened.
"But right now, you need to leave."
I studied him.
"Why?"
For the first time, his confidence wavered.
Only slightly.
"Because part of the United States government knows about the project."
My eyes narrowed.
"They know."
His voice grew colder.
"And they're allowing it to continue."
That was a dangerous statement.
Potentially impossible.
Potentially true.
Neither option was comforting.
Merrin continued.
"Parts of the FBI have already been compromised."
My silence encouraged him to continue.
"They've been ordered to eliminate you."
A pause.
"Your associates too."
The implications were severe.
The enemy wasn't solely in Japan.
The enemy existed within our own institutions.
Within the systems designed to prevent things like this.
I looked directly into his eyes.
"How do you know about the project?"
For the first time, Merrin looked away.
Almost ashamed.
When he finally answered, his voice was quieter.
"Because I was hired."
I waited.
He met my gaze again.
"As a mercenary."
The pieces began connecting.
Then came the final piece.
"I was hired to assassinate you."
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Yet he was helping me escape.
The contradiction would have to wait.
I had more immediate concerns.
Tokyo.
Sobu.
The project.
The special exam.
I got into the vehicle.
Before leaving, I looked at Merrin one final time.
Questions remained unanswered.
But answers could be obtained later.
Opportunities could not.
The engine started.
I pulled away.
As the parking garage disappeared behind me, only one thought remained.
Toshiro Sobu had expanded the battlefield.
And now it extended far beyond Japan.
Which meant the game had become considerably more interesting.