Land of the Setting Sun
5/26/2007 - A Friend in Bo
I figured if anyone was going to talk from the crew, it would be Bo. He was chilling with everyone else, sitting around a makeshift table made up of a few packs and a large plywood slab, playing cards.
I slyly tapped his shoulder, and he excused himself from his game, meeting me behind one of the makeshift rooms for a private conversation.
“Hey, Bo. You know about Itaki and Ogasawara’s disappearances by now right?” He nodded his head slowly. “Look I hate to ask this, but your guys didn’t happen to have anything to do with it, did they?” He gave me an annoyed look, then spoke in his surprisingly good English dialect.
“Mr. Sutton, I understand you’re upset, but none of us would do such a thing. We make money off of a good reputation. Even our angry crew understand this.”
“Well do any of you have an idea of what happened?” He chuckled a little, forming dimples on his boyish face.
“No, when the Jai Li crew sleeps, not even a tsunami could wake us. I’m sorry, if I’d known I would have kept watch.”
“It’s alright, Bo. I believe you. Just be careful.” He nodded again, this time more determined. I did believe Bo, but I wasn’t sure I gave everyone else from his crew the same credit.
The night seemed to settle into the nooks of Miyazaki quickly, and the scavengers shooed everyone inside, warning of wild dogs and bears that lurked among the deserted streets. I hadn’t considered it, but perhaps Itaki was mauled by a beast and brought to its lair. The scavengers seemed fairly scared of the prospect of being out at night. I dismissed it quickly; surely a beast like that would’ve left some blood and tracks behind.
Bo sat peacefully against the far corner of the room, twiddling his thumbs idly. He caught my eye and winked at me: he was planning to keep watch after all. It was a nice weight off my shoulders as I crouched next to my bag, trying to sleep against the metal walls. It proved too troublesome, and soon I was laying on the smooth stone floor, hoping and hoping I’d find more sleep tonight.
—————
A creak and a shuffle. Whispers. Things that would’ve normally woken me up. Should have woken me up.
I sat straight up in the darkness, but there was hardly anything to see, and nobody to speak to. There was a new man, however, a scavenger sleeping next to me, slumped uncomfortably against a sharp street sign jutting from the wall. Before I could even question why he was there, he sprung forward, wrapping a glove covered hand around my nose and mouth, and another arm around my neck. I tried to kick, but someone else sat on my feet, and a needle was injected into my forearm. One moment I was there, and the next, everything went black.
I figured if anyone was going to talk from the crew, it would be Bo. He was chilling with everyone else, sitting around a makeshift table made up of a few packs and a large plywood slab, playing cards.
I slyly tapped his shoulder, and he excused himself from his game, meeting me behind one of the makeshift rooms for a private conversation.
“Hey, Bo. You know about Itaki and Ogasawara’s disappearances by now right?” He nodded his head slowly. “Look I hate to ask this, but your guys didn’t happen to have anything to do with it, did they?” He gave me an annoyed look, then spoke in his surprisingly good English dialect.
“Mr. Sutton, I understand you’re upset, but none of us would do such a thing. We make money off of a good reputation. Even our angry crew understand this.”
“Well do any of you have an idea of what happened?” He chuckled a little, forming dimples on his boyish face.
“No, when the Jai Li crew sleeps, not even a tsunami could wake us. I’m sorry, if I’d known I would have kept watch.”
“It’s alright, Bo. I believe you. Just be careful.” He nodded again, this time more determined. I did believe Bo, but I wasn’t sure I gave everyone else from his crew the same credit.
The night seemed to settle into the nooks of Miyazaki quickly, and the scavengers shooed everyone inside, warning of wild dogs and bears that lurked among the deserted streets. I hadn’t considered it, but perhaps Itaki was mauled by a beast and brought to its lair. The scavengers seemed fairly scared of the prospect of being out at night. I dismissed it quickly; surely a beast like that would’ve left some blood and tracks behind.
Bo sat peacefully against the far corner of the room, twiddling his thumbs idly. He caught my eye and winked at me: he was planning to keep watch after all. It was a nice weight off my shoulders as I crouched next to my bag, trying to sleep against the metal walls. It proved too troublesome, and soon I was laying on the smooth stone floor, hoping and hoping I’d find more sleep tonight.
—————
A creak and a shuffle. Whispers. Things that would’ve normally woken me up. Should have woken me up.
I sat straight up in the darkness, but there was hardly anything to see, and nobody to speak to. There was a new man, however, a scavenger sleeping next to me, slumped uncomfortably against a sharp street sign jutting from the wall. Before I could even question why he was there, he sprung forward, wrapping a glove covered hand around my nose and mouth, and another arm around my neck. I tried to kick, but someone else sat on my feet, and a needle was injected into my forearm. One moment I was there, and the next, everything went black.