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Kogami sighed, lying in bed on his stomach. He was caught in that peaceful sanctum between sleep and first waking, where the sleeper is cradled on a perfect cloud of warmth and comfort. Akane ran her fingers through his hair, tickling his ear as she curled her body up close behind him. Cradling her cheek against his neck, she reached over his shoulder and ran her fingers across his chest until the goosebumps raced for position across his bare skin. He smiled, taking her hand in his, and then the door sensor chimed, alerting the presence of someone at the door. Reality returned, in stark color, and she was gone.
Growling into his pillow, Kogami punched the wall above the headboard and hurried from his bed to the dormitory door. The angry padding of his barefeet against the floor failed to announce the approaching danger to the person on the other side. Thus, it was with a high-pitched yelp of surprise that Kagari found Kogami’s hand wrapped around his throat, crushing his windpipe.
“Ko! Dammit! I c-can’t breathe!” Kagari did not resist as the hand suffocating him, dragged him into the dormitory’s front room. “W-what did I do?”
“You woke me up! That’s what!” Kogami gave Kagari a curt shove and walked away from him, afraid that he might do him serious harm in his present mood. “This better be good.”
“It is. Well, I think it is.” Kagari rubbed his throat, massaging away the sensation of Kogami’s firm grip. “If it weren’t important, I’d never come near your cave on your day off.”
Kagari was all playful bluster, a genuine human being, with not a serious bone in his body, even on his worst day. He was rarely without a smile, despite being easily angered, and his ill-temper never lasted more than a few minutes at a time. However that bluster was greatly diminished as if a great weight had settled over him, dampening his usual jovial mood. His hands were stuffed into the deep pockets of his red jacket, his neck tucked into the collar as if he were hiding, but from what, Kogami could not be certain.
Kogami carelessly threw himself onto the couch, tugging at his sweatpants as he propped his feet against the arm. Bare chested, he reached for the pack of Spinel on the coffee table. “Alright, I’m awake, and I’m listening.” He lit the cigarette and tossed the lighter back onto the table. “If I don’t like what you have to say, I’m breaking your arm. Again.”
“Cut me some slack, Ko. This is serious.” Knocking Kogami’s feet off the couch, Kagari threw himself down on the seat beside his colleague. “Akane has this crazy idea to showcase the MWPSB at the Daigo Children’s Mental Care Facility downtown.”
“Career day? Showcasing latent criminals to kids?” Kogami sat in disbelief. The idea was far-fetched, even for Akane. “I’m having a hard time believing Ginoza signed off on it. Had to be Kasei.”
“Most of the patients will never leave this facility, Ko. They’re already labeled as latent criminals. Akane wants to give them some hope for the future.”
“Didn’t you spend time in a similar facility?”
Kagari looked over at him with narrowed eyes and nodded pensively. “When she asked me to go with her, I said yes without thinking.”
“So what’s the problem? If you shave, you’ll fit right in with the rest of the delinquents.” Kogami regretted the comment when Kagari’s eyes went dark with anger and then darker still with sorrow. “Out with it, Kagari! I’m already annoyed that you woke me up.”
“Dammit, Ko! Are you going to actually make me say it. I want you to come along! There’s a lot of muddy water under the bridge here for me!”
Kogami crushed out the cigarette in the tray. “Or are you just afraid to be alone with Inspector Tsunemori?”
“Ko!”
“Alright! Alright! You’ve sold me. When do we leave?”
“An hour. I told Akane that I was going to the bathroom, but I came up here to get you instead.”
“You might want to inform her, so she doesn’t run afoul of Gino. I’ll grab a shower and meet you in the parking hub.”
No more than an hour later, Kogami stood in the back of an MWPSB paddy wagon with Kagari, waiting for the ramp to lower and extend to the ground. Outside, he could hear Akane’s excited voice as she greeted an older woman who rushed across the parking lot to greet her warmly.
“Hey?” He stepped in front of a distracted Kagari, who had not spoken a word since leaving headquarters. “Thought this was supposed to be a good will thing. You know, like a charity event?”
“It is.”
“Then why do you look so miserable? I feel like I’m at a funeral.” He gave the younger Enforcer a playful slap across the arm, but a dejected Kagari walked away from him, shoulders hunched over and hands in his pockets. “The least you could do is look happy to be here.”
“I grew up in a place like this, Ko. I thought it wouldn't bother me, but it does.”
“Then stop thinking about yourself and think about them.” Kogami nodded to a crowd of children whose faces and noses were pressed against the glass of the facility atrium. “This is probably the best thing that’s happened to them in months. You plan on ruining that?”
Kagari smiled, his old charm restored. His body language shifted dynamically as the bounce returned to his stride. “Hey, we’re like celebrities.” He laughed and waved at the kids, who cheered at his attention.
Five large men, hospital orderlies dressed in white uniforms, herded the children out of the welcoming area and farther back into the facility out of sight.
With a disappointed sigh, Kagari looked up at Kogami. “How are you so calm about walking into an isolation facility?”
“Done enough time inside one. As a patient and an Inspector for recruiting Enforcers.” He walked toward the chatting women when Akane waved them on to fall in behind her as they entered the building’s main floor.
“This show and tell thing can get really boring,” Kagari complained. “I should know.”
“Then let’s spice things up. While Akane makes nice with the grown ups, let's go get acquainted.”
Without waiting for a formal invitation, the two men made their way into a large dayroom. It was difficult to see what exactly was in the room due to the press of youngsters gawking at them from behind the walls of glass. They waited patiently as the large glass entrance slid open, admitting them to the ward.
The children, who ranged in ages from 5 to 15, hurriedly returned to their tables of crafts, books, or other activities. They squirmed in their seats and struggled to ignore the Enforcers as they went about their work, but the excitement was palpable.
Kogami produced his badge and holo ID, encouraging Kagari to follow his lead. “MWPSB. Somebody call for an Enforcer?”
The room erupted with elated shouts as a dozen chattering children crowded around the Enforcers, vying for space and attention. Anxious hands pulled or led them to tables filled with art work, clay sculptures, or advanced digital graphic designs that centered around the Ministry of Welfare’s Public Safety Bureau.
“Ko, check it out.” Kagari went over to a table where a young man was working on two Dominators. The realistic models were laying on newspaper while the boy hovered over them, putting the final touches of paint on the plastic. His fingers were smeared with black shoe polish. “They look like the real thing!” Kagari gasped.
“Then you're not much of an Enforcer, are you?” the young man sneered. He brushed a dark lock of hair from his forehead, accidentally leaving a smudge across his brow. “These models are one entire scale smaller than the genuine weapons. The government won’t release real-world replicas. Especially after someone successfully argued that they could escalate the crime coefficient of citizens who might obsess over collecting them.” From beneath that mane of dark hair, the youngster shoved his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
Kogami rolled his eyes, hands in his pockets, and walked away. Under his breath, he whispered, “And who does he remind you of?”
“No kidding.” Kagari’s body suddenly went still and rigid with the rapt attention of a hunting dog after catching the scent of yet-hidden prey. “Is that what I think it is?” he asked, gawking at a game console monitor across the room. “Is that—“
“Destiny Road?” a young woman replied. She smirked at him, as if an adult should not know such secrets. Bringing her knees up to her chin, she sat back in the large plush chair and scowled at him. “What would you know about it?”
Kagari pushed a hand through his red locks and glared down his nose at her. “I would know about the Easter egg on Level 15. The one inside the diner. But you can only know about it, if you can get your car there in under 1 minute.”
“Amateur. Is that supposed to be impressive?” she fired back. “What about the hidden track on Level 18? Where you take your car into the mineshaft instead of over the airport runway?”
“Noob. Try the same hidden track set on Blistering difficulty. At that level, the track teleports your car into orbit onto a space station?”
“Space station? I heard that was just a rumor.”
“Seriously, get on my level,” Kagari teased with a snort. He crossed his arms over his chest. “I made it there on my first run through on that difficulty.” Eyes closed, he held court to six other admiring children who hung on every word. “Of course, you’ll have to bypass the Badlands track to ever get there. If you don’t, you have to make a track record time of under 2 minutes, or else the door to the hidden area closes.”
“Dude,” a youngster whispered, looking over the back of a couch. “Someone better than Sachi at Destiny Road, and he’s a grown up.”
Sachi stood up, her cheeks crimson. “There’s always someone better than you, Isamu. Always. Better to learn from them then get burned by them.” The girl handed over the controller to Kagari. “Mind sharing your intel?” She abandoned the comfy gaming chair in front of the monitor and offered the seat to him.
“Don’t mind if I do,” Kagari said accepting the controller with a bow. “Prepare to schooled by a legend.” He flopped down in the chair and threw up his feet as he started the racing simulation. “Takeru Station or bust!”
Kogami laughed softly as Kagari’s new entourage gathered around to watch him work. Feeling a persistent tugging at his pant leg, he looked down to find a small child. She was no older than five, small even for her age, dressed in a pink onesy. With the hood pulled up over her black hair, two rigid ears stood out from her head, lending the appearance of a cat. Clutched against her, beneath her arm, was a weathered stuffed cat toy. “Well, hello,” he said.
The child’s response was to smile and silently extend her arms up to him, asking for the Enforcer to pick her up.
“Mi-Yeon, you know better,” said a tall man in a medical smock. “What have I told you about asking strangers or anyone for that matter to pick you up?”
At the sound of the man’s voice, the child visibly cringed and dropped her arms, leaving them swinging at her sides in defeat.
“You must forgive her, Enforcer,” the physician said. “Severe anxiety brought on by abandonment issues makes Mi-Yeon prey on the affections of others. Not unusual for an orphan really.” He grinned, his balding head giving him the look of a hyena before it pounced. “I’m Dr. Junko Torao.” Torao extended his hand in friendship.
Kogami refused to accept it. He felt an unsettled twitch in his jawbone. Torao’s uneven grin and cold eyes spoke of an ego far larger than what it deserved or what it had earned. The man’s voice was disingenuous and conveyed a conceit that grated against all that Kogami held sacred in a relationship between two human beings.
“Every now and again, you just need someone to lift you up and give you a different perspective,” Kogami said. He gently took the little girl by the waist and picked her up in arms. She embraced him tightly, hiding her face in his collar to avoid looking at the doctor. “Excuse me, we need a change of scenery.”
Kogami left the physician, feeling Torao’s eyes hard on his back. It would not go well for him to insult the man. His status as a latent criminal would explain away any poor behavior, at least to Ginoza and Kasei, but this was not the time to lay a scandal of impropriety at Akane’s feet.
“Making friends, Enforcer Kogami?” Akane asked with a smile. She rocked onto her toes, elated to be in the service of a good public relations event rather than an investigation.
“Hey, the kid found me,” Kogami replied.
“Consider yourself privileged, Mr. Kogami,” Director Ito explained. She grinned, clutching a clipboard against her hip. “Mi-Yeon is one of our very special cases here at the Daigo Children’s Facility. She only opens up to those whom she feels some affinity.” The Director who had met them in the parking lot tilted her head to the side as Mi-Yeon looked up from the protection of Kogami’s shoulder. The child signed to her, little hands and fingers forming words and silent syllables.
“Ah, Mi-Yeon says that you rescued her from Dr. Torao,” Ito frowned. “Mi-Yeon, you know Dr. Torao has your best interests in mind.” She sighed softly as the child replied in sign language.
“A big brother, huh?” Kogami looked into Mi-Yeon’s large brown eyes. “I can do that. Hope you’re not ticklish.”
Mi-Yeon squirmed with delight as he poked her in the ribs.
“Dr. Ito has graciously granted Kagari’s request for a manhunt,” Akane reported.
“To which I am opposed,” Dr. Torao said, interjecting himself into the conversation.
“All the more reason to do it,” Kogami grumbled under his breath. He adjusted Mi-Yeon in his arms to avoid Akane’s fierce glare.
“A bit of a chase will do the children good,” Ito argued. “I see no harm in it. They will play the role of the MWPSB, and Mr. Kogami and Mr. Kagari will be the hunted. Gin even helped the other children make Dominators out of popsicle sticks.”
“Sounds like fun. When do we start?” Kogami gave Torao a look of arrogant disdain. “Might be difficult to pull Kagari off the game console. He’s a king on his throne, sitting among his adoring court.”
Akane laughed, pinching Mi-Yeon’s rosy cheeks. “That might be a problem.”
“Is that how the MWPSB keeps its Enforcers restrained? Video games?” Torao asked.
“Better to act out in a virtual world than the real one,” Kogami replied, even as Mi-Yeon once more hid her face in his collar. It was evident that the child disliked the physician, but Kogami did not need her as an excuse to despise the man. He set her down on the ground beside him, keeping himself between the bombastic stress therapist and the child. She clung to his pants leg, refusing to let go of his hand. “Come on, Mi-Yeon, let’s go see what Enforcer Kagari is up to over here.”
It was Career Day at the Daigo Children’s Mental Care facility and the Minstry of Welfare’s Public Safety Bureau was on full display, much to the delight of 12 fortunate youngsters. A forty-minute show and tell brought the world of the MWPSB to life through interior holography of the Criminal Investigation Department.
Sharing center stage with Inspector Tsunemori and her Enforcers, detailed holograms of the Dominators, paddy wagon, security drones, and the wildly popular antics of a single pillbot stole the show. But it was Director Ito’s announcement of the main event—an official MWPSB manhunt—that brought a chorus of excitement that shook the windows of the dayroom.
The manhunt was restricted to the main patient-care level of the facility. On the run, Kogami and Kagari used what little of a head start they had to put as much space as they could between themselves and the half dozen, pint-sized Enforcers that pursued after them. Urged on by Akane and her team of prepubescent Inspectors, the children struggled to contain themselves and keep quiet on the hunt.
“These guys don’t quit.” Kogami raced down a set of stairs and into the atrium. The sounds of pursuit were just around the corner behind him on the landing.
“We’re so outnumbered. Hardly seems fair.” Kagari deftly slid down the railing on his backside and jumped down, clearing the final five steps.
“For them or us?”
The sky above the atrium had produced an overcast day, filled with heavy clouds and the threat of rain. In the atrium’s dimness, Kogami could see a dim blue light coming from the corridor above them. He signaled Kagari to be silent and pointed to the dull illumination.
“Gin and his model Dominator,” Kagari whispered. “That kid has a keen sense of direction.”
“He lives here. He should know the layout of the place better than two Enforcers who just walked through the door.”
“I heard him telling Akane how to organize the manhunt. Can’t wait to tell Ginoza he has a twin.”
“Who happens to be a latent criminal. That’ll go well. Better make sure he doesn’t have a Dominator in his hand.”
“I know, right!” Kagari dared to look out from a set of glass doors into a narrow corridor. “Never imagined this could be so much fun. Thanks for coming, Ko.”
“Beats sitting around watching Ginoza scowling all day.” Kogami pulled him back and pointed to a shadow coming around the corner of the lowest staircase landing. It’s was Mi-Yeon, who had jumped the gun, exposing the pursuers before Sachi could pull her back.
“What’s the deal with your tag-a-long? The little girl in the cat pajamas?”
“An orphan, according to Torao,” Kogami said. “Her parents immigrated here from North Korea for a chance at a better life.”
Kagari propped himself against the wall, his face grave. “How did she end up here?”
“Parents were killed in a traffic accident, two weeks after they arrived. She saw the whole thing. Stopped communicating.”
“Talk about clouding your psycho pass.”
“Shepherd 1, this is Hound 2,” Gin said. “We have them boxed in.”
Akane fought to keep a straight face and her composure, knowing the comlink was open to her Enforcers. “Hound 2, if you can safely take them into custody, proceed.”
“That’s our cue to surrender,” Kogami said. He leaned out of the door to watch the pursuers close in on them.
“Shepherd 1, this is Hound 3. My flight drone has them in the atrium, headed back toward the dayroom.” Sachi laughed. “Did Mr. Kogami really think that switchback would fool me?”
“He’s a wily one,” Akane said.
“Okay, maybe me, but not my drone. This pillbot you brought is awesome!”
“I know Akane wanted us to surrender, but why do I feel outfoxed?” Kagari asked.
“The Inspector’s show and tell on CID protocol was a little too good!”
“Freeze! MWPSB!” Gin yelled, jumping down from the landing. He pointed the model Dominator at Kogami’s chest. A pinpoint of blue light appeared over the Enforcer’s heart.
“Crime Coefficient over regulation value,” Akane said in her best imitation of the Sibyl System. “Enforcement action required. Non-lethal paralyzer. The trigger safety is now released. Aim calmly and subdue the target.”
Kogami pretended to be hit and went down on one knee, sprawling to the floor.
In horror, Mi-Yeon leaped from Akane’s arms. Angrily, she beat her fists against Gin’s torso. “It’s just pretend, Mi-Yeon,” he grumbled, fending off her blows.
She ran to Kogami’s side, pulling worriedly on his sleeve even as he sat up and pulled her into his arms. “Gin’s right. I’m okay.”
Sachi’s drone hovered over him, and then ignoring the downed Enforcer, raced to Kagari. “Freeze! MWPSB!” a chorus of voices rang out in the hall. Without warning, Kagari was swarmed by a dozen little Inspectors with popsicle stick Dominators.
“Crime Coefficient way over regulation value,” Akane said, barely able to talk over her laughter. “Enforcement mode: non-lethal paralyzer. Trigger safety is now released. Aim calmly and subdue the target.”
But rather than aim their handcrafted Dominators, the children pounced on Kagari and knocked him to the floor. Tiny hands and tiny fingers poked and prodded, tickling the Enforcer into surrender while he wheezed with every attempt to breathe. “Are you kidding me?” he gasped, twisting and turning across the floor. “This might be worse than the real thing!”
The echo of innocent laughter slowly faltered and then died away, drowned out by a more immediate noise. It was the discordant sound of concrete cracking under the brunt of a freight train slamming into it. Such was the force of the earthquake that struck. Caught off guard, Kogami felt the ground beneath him suddenly shift. He tightly wrapped his arms about Mi-Yeon to protect her while he was thrown into the wall in front of him and then flung ten feet back.
Blood dripping from his forehead, he struggled to his knees to gain a better sense of balance as the floor continued to shudder beneath him. “You hurt?” He took a quick assessment of the frightened girl in his arms. “Kagari!”
“Right here, Ko! It’s an earthquake!” He grabbed Kogami’s outstretched hand and pulled him to his feet.
“Children!” Director Ito called. She came running down the landing. “Remember your drills. Calmly make your way to the emergency shelter now.”
“Got to love preparedness,” Kagari said.
“Enforcers!” Akane shouted, as the lights flickered above them. “Help with the smaller children.”
Kogami tightened his grip about Mi-Yeon and hurried after the director, who led two other children by the hand. Behind him, Kagari scooped up another as Akane brought the older children in a line.
“Dr. Torao!” Director Ito yelled. She trotted down the dust-filled corridor, screaming his name.
Kogami squinted as debris from the ceiling fell on them, creating a swirling fog of dust. He recognized the physician and saw several orderlies as they rushed into a smaller, narrower hallway ahead. Emergency lighting glowed from beyond the open shelter door. Torao seemed in a great hurry and not particularly interested in the children racing toward him. Seeking safety for himself, he stepped inside the door as it began to close.
“Son of a—“ Kagari quickened his steps. “I know he can see us!”
Kogami bit his lip in fury, not quite believing what was happening before his eyes. “What’s a few latent criminals in his view, even if they’re children?” He put his hand over Mi-Yeon’s head as larger pieces of debris from the ceiling began to fall. “Stay close to the walls to avoid rubble.”
“Dr. Torao!” Director Ito let go of the two children she had been leading and rushed forward to the shelter hatch. “The children! Dr. Torao!” She stumbled over a pile of rock and fell headlong between the closing doors.
Torao and his orderlies escaped into the recess of the earthquake shelter and stood idly by as the doors sealed on Ito. She screamed in terror, convulsing hysterically as the portal pressed against her body and cut her in half.
“Close your eyes and hang on me,” Kogami whispered to Mi-Yeon. He let go of her temporarily and snatched the other two children that Ito had been leading away from the door.
“Ko!” Kagari yelled in shock.
“Don’t let them look at it!”
“What are we going to do?”
“The dayroom?” Akane asked.
“No time!” Kogami ducked into an alcove beneath a nearby staircase. He pulled Akane into the makeshift shelter him. “Get the kids on their knees: crash positions, heads down.” Long legged and agile, he ran across the way and leaped onto a display case, which hung on the wall some 12 feet feet above the floor. Hanging onto it by his fingers, he used his weight to pull it loose. “Kagari, a little assistance.”
“You are redefining the term shelter in place!” Kagari jumped and landed on the display and gave it a violent pull until it broke free from the metal moorings in the wall.
As the earthquake continued to violently shake the building, Kogami and Kari rode the display case down from the wall, using it as a buffer against the falling debris above them. “Gonna need your belt, Kagari,” Ko said as he slipped the knot of his tie. He yanked it from his collar and lashed it against the edging of the board to use as a handle at one end. “Don’t want to lose any fingers while we hold this thing in place.”
Kagari laughed nervously and stripped the belt from his pants. “Think this will work?”
“It’s got to,” Kogami replied. “We don’t have much choice.”
While the building shook and rocked in the tumultuous throes of the earthquake, the two men took opposite sides of the dismantled case and held tight as debris fell against it. Kagari strained against the weight of the rubble dropping down on them. “Well, if we can hold it, we can keep the ceiling from killing us, but what about the dust. It’s going to get hard to breathe in here.”
“Put your shirts over your mouths,” Gin said.
“Kid’s got a point. Akane?” He leaned hard against the makeshift wall and lowered himself so that she could reach around him, button his shirt, and then pull it up around his mouth and nose. The worry in her eyes gave him a second wind, despite the strain on his muscles. “We’ll be alright, Inspector. Keep a brave face for the kids.”
Akane nodded and knelt down into the cramped space, whispering and gesturing for the children to pull their medical smocks over her mouths and noses. Beyond their makeshift shelter, the lights winked off in response to a powerful shockwave and then came back on. With a final thunderous noise that shook the entire building, the darkness returned bringing silence and finality.
“Ko, I can’t feel my fingers.” Kagari groaned, continuing to strain against the display case, their wall of protection where there had been none.
Kogami was having the same difficulty. As he propped his weight against their only protection from falling debris, his lower back became one roiling knot of spasming muscle. Strained by the sheer physical effort, it had grown so hot and intense that when he did release, he was certain to collapse.
Behind him, in the dark alcove, he heard the whimpering of frightened children, and Akane’s soothing voice as she tried to reassure them. It was ironic to him that they had ridden out the worst of the earthquake beneath a staircase, shielded behind a wall display that brandished the facility’s motto: One child at a time.
“Ko, I can’t keep this up.”
“On the count of three. One—two—three!” Kogami tried to step down from from his counterweight position, but his legs gave out. He fell to the floor on top of what he thought was a child. Scrambling in horror at harming any one of the children, he realized it was just a planter and collapsed to the floor beside it with an exhausted groan. On the opposite side, he heard a panting Kagari hit the floor.
“Mr. Kogami? Mr. Kagari?” Akane asked, concern in her voice.
“I’m good.”
“Me, too,” Kagari said. “Just have to get the feeling back in the rest of my body.” He chuckled, his soft voice echoing in the darkness. “Hey, Ko, our wall didn’t move. Must be a ton of debris out there.”
“Better out there than on top of us.”
The darkness under the staircase dissipated when Akane activated her wristcom. “No server connection,” she reported.
“Comm towers must be down,” Kagari said.
Kogami wiped the sweat from his brow and eyes. “Any chance of us restoring even a limited connection?”
“Ko, you’re confusing my good looks for Shion’s brains. I may be a world-class gamer, but my only concern is connection speed, not how to make them.”
“Wasn’t asking you,” Kogami said evenly. He jerked his thumb toward Sachi. “I was asking her.”
“Kogami, she’s just a kid,” Akane chided him. “We could send out the pillbots. But they work in teams of four, three at the minimum. We only have the one.”
“Inspector Tsunemori, we have one pillbot and my flight drone,” Sachi said from the corner. Her voice was subdued and frightened. “Mr. Kogami is right. There is a way to get a limited server connection. The dayroom is hard-wired and doesn’t rely on wireless communications. Even if it’s damaged, with my drone and the pillbot, we could temporarily fix it. That is...if we can get there.”
“There's no way to know if that part of the building survived,” Akane said.
“The dayroom was the first room built for this facility. Everything else was built around it,” Gin said. “It is structurally stronger than any other part of the building. If there was any place capable of surviving a quake, it’s there. Besides the hard-wired connection, it’s got supplies: food, water, and medical gear.”
“Which is where my flight drone and the pillbot come in. I can send the drone out to check the damage. Maybe even find a way back to the dayroom, which isn’t that far from the atrium.”
“Isn’t the flight drone’s range limited?” Kagari asked.
“Yes, but with the pillbot, the range is more than doubled.”
“CID standard operating procedures and protocols sunk in better than anticipated, Inspector Tsunemori.” Kogami sat up on his elbows as Mi-Yeon wrapped her arms about his neck. “Sounds like we have a plan. Permission to put it into action?”
“Absolutely.”
Kogami sent Mi-Yeon back into Akane’s embrace and got to his feet. Too tall to stand in the alcove, he was hunched over as he put his shoulder to the makeshift wall. “Have to assume the majority of the debris is at the bottom.” He was slightly out of breath from trying to push the wall free. “There’ll less weight at the top to make an opening for the drone. Kagari?”
“On it.” Kagari executed a front leap, jumping from his back into a squatting position. “Get ready, Sachi.”
As the Enforcers threw their combined weight against the ruined display wall, dust, rocks, and larger debris fell on top of them, thickening the cloud of irritants within their small alcove. Kogami coughed and leaned hard into the wall until the debris field above them cleared. The tumble of rubble was replaced by the steady whisper of the flight drone. It’s light winked on, bathing the area in brilliant illumination. With the pillbot latched tightly to the top of the drone, it flew unerringly through the small opening and into the area beyond their dark world.
“Oh, this doesn’t look good at all,” Akane said, peering over Sachi’s shoulder. “The entire atrium has sustained considerable damage.”
“Looks better than I expected actually.” Sachi manipulated the drone controls and guided it through the nearby ruins of the facility. “There’s the corridor to the dayroom. It looks accessible.”
“What’s that light?” Kogami asked. He brushed the debris from his hands, frowning at a bleeding cut between his fingers.
“Can’t tell,” Sachi said. She brought the drone in for closer examination. “Sunlight? I can try to get a better look.”
“Not worth it. Wherever it is, it’s somewhere we can’t get to right now.” Kogami pointed the drone’s readout sensors, which indicated a height of 50 feet. “Head into the corridor leading to the day room. Once we can get everyone into a safer area, we can come back and check out where the sunlight is coming from for ourselves.”
Sachi guided the drone back down and into the main corridor off the atrium. While heavily damaged by debris falling from the ceiling and general loss of structural integrity, the hallway was mostly intact. Large piles of debris and concrete offered only minor obstacles on the path.
“There it is!” Gin shouted, getting suddenly excited. He calmed himself, blushing from his reaction.
“And the emergency lights are on,” Sachi said.
“Seems safe enough,” Kagari said. “Ko?”
“I’d rather wait this out there than here under a staircase.” He climbed onto some of the debris that had fallen in on them. “Let’s just hope for a quick rescue and no aftershocks.“
Struggling with the enormity of the weight on the other side of their wall, Kogami and Kagari forced the display over onto its side. The case fell onto its side and made a steeply angled path on which to climb over the debris field and down into the atrium. Kogami positioned his hands on the staircase edge and with a pull up, kicked out of the alcove and onto the wall. Working to get his balance, he walked down to the floor.
“Wait before you send them.” The base of their walkway was right beside the severed lower half of Director Ito’s body. Tearing a decorative quilt from the wall, Kogami laid it over the body. “The kids shouldn’t have to see this.”
“Can you see where that light’s coming from?” Kagari asked. He helped Akane up onto the makeshift walkway and then began handing her kids as Kogami gathered them together on the floor.
“Looks like the top of the atrium,” Kogami replied.
“It is,” Gin said. He pointed in the direction of the one concentrated ray of sunlight in the darkness. “Looks like the building next door may have collapsed on top of us.”
“Talk about claustrophobia,” Kagari complained. He walked in the front of the group as they made the move to the dayroom. Akane was in the middle, among the children, while Kogami brought up the rear.
“I’m glad we came here today,” Kogami said.
Kagari shot him an odd look.
“If this happened on any other day, it might be days before anybody got to these kids. With an Inspector and two Enforcers unaccounted for, help will get here all the sooner.”
“Nothing wrong with rescuing ourselves.” Kagari went ahead at a distance and stood gazing up at the opening above them. “What? That’s got to be 50 feet up.” He searched around for a way to the rift. Finding none sturdy enough to hold his weight, he grasped a section of exposed rebar and started climbing.
“Kagari!” Akane shouted. “I don’t think that’s a good idea right now.”
“She’s right. Get down from there before—“ Kogami’s voice was drowned out by an aftershock that shook the building foundation. He pushed Akane and as many of the children as he could against a nearby wall and fought to shield them with his body as more debris and dust fell from the ruins of the damaged facility.
With a howling cry of alarm, Kagari fell thirty feet back to the floor, landing on a pile of broken columns. While conscious, he did not immediately move and groaned through grit teeth as he fought to brace himself through the pain. As quickly as it struck, the tremor ended, but it took several long minutes for the building to stop making noise as it resettled within its own crumbled foundation.
“Idiot.” Kogami pushed away from the wall. More light was streaming through the hole above them, highlighting Kagari’s dust-covered figure in the darkness. “Are you hurt?
“My wrist,” Kagari said in defeat.
“Looks broken.” Kogami glared at him. “Should have landed on your head. Would have caused less damage. This isn’t the time, Kagari. Not with the kids here. The priority is to get them to the dayroom.”
Kagari met his eyes and then looked away in shame, his cheeks matching the color of his hair. “I just thought the paddy wagon might have survived the earthquake. The parking lot wasn’t that far away.”
“That’s the problem, you were thinking.” Kogami pulled him to his feet. “I’m certain the van survived the quake, and we may even have a way up to it.” He looked at Sachi as she cradled the flight drone in her arms. “But now—”
“—isn’t the time,” Kagari said. He gasped as he tried to flex the wrist, and the broken bone shifted painfully.
Kogami looped Kagari’s belt around the younger Enforcer’s neck and gently helped him place his arm in it. “Until we can stabilize this, it’s going to hurt like hell.”
“Can I use your tie as a sling for my pride?”
Kogami rolled his eyes and gave the injured Enforcer a shove back toward the corridor. “Get moving before I break the other one.”
Without further incident, the MWPSB squad led the group of shell-shocked children to the dayroom. A heavy concrete girder had fallen across the main doorway, cracking the glass and preventing it from opening. Kogami busted the bottom section of the door with a kick and let the children crawl inside to the safety of reinforced glass walls. There was little structural damage evident inside, and Akane quickly went to work setting up an impromptu medical area.
Checking the children for injuries, the Inspector dismissed the uninjured and prioritized cuts and bleeds above any bruises or swellings. Once the children were triaged, she quickly tended to their minor wounds with the medical kit and their tears with soft words of encouragement. Kogami watched her go about the task with a bit of envy.
One of the children, Isamu, was giving Akane a particularly difficult time. “Mr. Kogami, is that blood on your shirt?” she asked. “Were you injured?” Her smile and the tone of her voice were pure subterfuge meant to lure him into a play.
Isamu sat in front of her, a small cut above his eye. The boy’s quiet sobbing only intensified every time the Inspector got close to him with an antiseptic swab.
“Yeah, hit my head on a wall right as the quake hit.” Kogami sat down on the bench next to the boy and let Akane examine the wound on his forehead.
“That could use a stitch or two,” Akane said with a coy wink. She cleaned the area and pulled a strip of suture tape from the roll. “But this will have to do.” Gently, she smoothed the tape down against his skin, leaning over Kogami’s face to make certain the adhesive stuck.
Kogami tried to stay focused on being a model patient for the the boy. It was a difficult task given that he could see down her shirt and caught a brief glimpse of her pink camisole.
“There,” Akane said. “That didn’t hurt a bit, did it?”
“Not at all, Inspector.” The Enforcer turned the young boy and saluted him. “Thanks for letting me slip in line, kid.”
Abruptly, their wristcoms gave out an alert tone. A holo appeared above the timepieces with the MWPSB logo. “Hey, we’re back online,” Akane said. “The servers are up.”
“Not quite,” Kagari shouted from across the room. “Just testing what Sachi can do with the pillbot.”
“This ought to be good,” Kogami mumbled. He glanced at Isamu. “You want to be a decent Enforcer some day?” When the child nodded, he said, “Then listen to the Inspector, and let her fix you up.” He glanced up at Akane. “Keep your comm open. I might need your help dashing Kagari’s latest hair-brain idea to get himself or me killed.”
Kogami headed to the gaming nook where Kagari had gathered with Gin and Sachi. Before he could shove his hands in his pocket, he felt a tugging at his pants leg and knew who would be waiting when he looked down. Without hesitation, he picked up Mi-Yeon in his arms. She yawned and nestled against his muscular neck. Exhausted from all the excitement, the child was asleep before he could take two steps. The stuffed cat was clutched in her hands against his chest.
“That looks good on you, Ko,” Kagari teased. “A kid might be just what you need to keep your crime coefficient in check. Maybe Inspector Akane could—“
“Finish that sentence and I promise it will be your last.” Sachi and even Gin laughed at the guttural threat. It was pleasant to hear, considering the situation they were in together. “What have you got?”
“Any access to the outside world is currently cut off,” Sachi said, “and it’s not due to a poor connection on our end.”
“Judging from the damage here at the facility,” Gin said, “we can only infer that the damage is citywide; therefore, communications are down everywhere that relied on wireless access. Cross referencing previous earthquakes, I can honestly say that what we experienced was between a 7.0 and an 8.0 event on the Richter scale, massive, particularly for an urban center.”
“Do you have any good news?” Kogami asked sarcastically.
“No, actually, it gets worse, Mr. Kogami.” Sachi’s checks flushed with embarrassment. “While trying to access the internal servers, I found something that might of interest to the MWPSB.”
“Kagari?”
Kagari threw up his good hand with a dismissive time. “Emergency situation, Ko. The kid was chasing down an important lead, and I wasn’t inclined to stop her. No one pulls you up when you’re on the scent. Hell, anybody who tries gets their jaw broken. Hear her out before you start lecturing us.”
“Why do I get the feeling I’m going to regret this.” He stepped closer to the jury-rigged network of wires and cables that was their only link to information beyond the facility building. “What is it?”
“It was no accident when the shelter doors closed and killed Director Ito. Dr. Torao triggered the doors with his emergency access code, which overrode any safety protocols that would have prevented what happened.”
“He murdered her,” Gin said flatly.
Kogami studied Sachi’s face for any sign of deception. Finding none, he said, “That's a stiff accusation, Sachi.”
“I checked the log five times, Mr. Kogami.”
“And then I checked it,” Gin said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “There is no mistake. Dr. Torao purposely closed the door, killing Director Ito and locking us out during the quake. I think that equates to no less than murder and attempted murder.” Crossing his arms over his chest, he turned to Sachi. “Tell him the rest.”
“I accidentally tapped into Dr. Torao’s research notes while I was trying to find an access code to maybe open the shelter door.”
Kogami tilted his head to the side, unconvinced. “Accidentally, huh?”
“Honestly, Mr. Kogami.” Sachi’s face went ashen. “I wouldn’t lie to you, sir. This was nerve-wracking enough, knowing that I was hacking into the hospital terminals. My psycho pass must be a cloudy mess.”
“Relax.” Kogami felt sorry for pressuring the young girl. “What did you find that’s got you so upset?”
“This.” She punched a key to bring up the research notes on the monitor.
As he quickly scanned the information scrolling across the screen, Kogami felt his chest tighten. “Is this accurate?”
“The timestamps are genuine,” Gin said. “Dr. Torao hasn’t even had the chance to make corrections to his typos.”
Kogami glanced over to Akane’s improvised medical station. She was pouring tea for Isamu and some other children. Something in his expression brought a look of alarm to her face. She masked it well as she grabbed a tray of cups and made her way over to him with the kettle.
“What’s wrong?” Akane whispered.
“Have a read,” Kogami said, gesturing toward the screen.
The young Inspector’s eyes darted across the monitor faster than Sachi could scroll through the information. “According to this document, the crime coefficients of every patient in this facility are not only below regulation value, but well below the norm.” She paused to read a bit further. “So why are you all still here? The course of treatment is working better than expected.”
“Keep reading,” Kagari hissed.
“The course of treatment is no different than the standard used for adults. With some variation. Typical. But—” Akane gasped, her hands balling into fists. “Dr. Torao notes that the medication used here is little more than a placebo. He’s fabricated elevated crime coefficients and falsified medical interaction in order to get authorization for a much larger human trial! But why?”
“Greed,” Gin said with a scowl. Shoving his glasses up the bridge of his nose, he answered his own question. “Because they can. Look who owns the controlling share of the pharmaceutical company who manufactures this miracle drug.”
“Dr. Junko Torao.” Akane shook her head, incredulous at the evidence of corruption in front of her. “He’s charging the facility a mint for the drug being used on the patients here.”
“And stands to make millions,” Kogami added. “There’s a press release due out next week when the drug goes public for its human trials.”
“This information could ruin Dr. Torao’s reputation and his company.”
“Not if he buries the data and the rest of his dirty little secrets,” Kagari said. “Sachi managed to put a security worm in place for now. He doesn’t know that she hacked the system, but once the main power is restored, he’ll get an alert.”
“He could delete everything,” Gin said. “And no one would be the wiser.”
“Worse, he’ll scrub the servers,” Sachi added, “ or fry them, saying the earthquake did it.”
Kogami swayed side to side rhythmically as Mi-Yeon opened her eyes for a few moments, awakened by their excited voices. She yawned mightily and curled her face away from them and went back to sleep with a lock of Kogami’s hair in her grasp.
“Without that data, we have nothing,” Kagari said angrily. “Nothing but the word of two Enforcers, a rookie Inspector, and a hacker just out of diapers. No offense, Sachi.” He offered the young girl a strained smile. “How much time do we have?”
“The damage in this area is extensive, but the power grid seems to be intact. Main power could be restored any minute,” she replied. “Or in three days. There’s no way to know for sure.”
“We’ve got to get to him first!” Kagari stood up, shaking visibly.
“Is that even possible?” Akane asked.
“It’s possible to re-enter Dr. Torao’s code. This time to open the doors,” Gin said. “That’s not the issue at hand. The issue is who is going inside to get him? And how many orderlies does he have with him?”
“If Inspector Ginoza was dead, I would swear you were his perfect reincarnation.” Kagari glared down at Gin. “Don’t be an ass. You already know who’s going in after him.” He grit his teeth until the muscles in his jaw popped audibly under the strain. “And who gives a damn about how many orderlies are with him? If we can get our hands on our Dominators, it’s game over! Even if we can’t get our hands on our Dominators, it’s lights out for this creep! He is so not getting away with this!”
“Surely not all of the people who are with Dr. Torao can be latent criminals,” Akane said. “With what he's done here, to these children, I have no doubt that he is.”
“According to the facility records,” Kagari said, “he hasn't had an active scan in months. The Dominator might work on him, but what about the rest?” He punched the desk angrily, making the console shake. “If only we had access to our stun batons.”
“Not a problem,” Gin said. “The orderlies keep a stash of them hidden in a maintenance closet.” He met Kogami’s disbelieving eyes with a measure of cold spite. “Don't look so surprised, Mr. Kogami. This is a mental health facility, and we are patients. If the powers that be believe one of us is unruly, there are consequences. From the youngest of us,” he glanced at Mi-Yeon asleep on Kogami’s shoulder, “to the brightest.” His gaze fell on Sachi.
Kagari stood shaking for a moment and then went rigid. “Excuse me.” He left them in the gaming nook and ducked under the girder blocking the door. Leaving the dayroom, the furious Enforcer disappeared in the shadows beyond the adjoining corridor. There he preceded to take his frustrations out on a concrete slab that had fallen from the floor above them. The sound of punches and kicks reverberated through the hall, promptly followed by swearing when inadvertently Kagari hit the pillar with his broken wrist.
“I’ll handle this.” Kogami gently laid Mi-Yeon on a couch, covering her with his coat and followed after him.
Kogami knew better than to get in Kagari’s way when the younger man was in a mood. So he leaned against the wall and watched for a moment before retrieving a cigarette. Unsure if there might be combustible elements in the area, he thought better of lighting it, and simply savored the taste and the feel of it on his lips.
“I won't pretend to understand what you went through when you lived in a place like this, Shusei. For all the prosperity it claims to bring the Sibyl System brings its fair share of misery.”
“Save it, Ko. I can take that crap from Masaoka, but not you.” Kagari tried to force his way passed Kogami, but the veteran would not be moved. The passive stance prompted a ferocious punch, but Kogami caught his hand and held it, struggling to contain Kagari’s rage.
“The last time we fought didn't end so well for either of us, remember? We can't afford that, Shusei. Not here. Not now. These kids are depending on us. And I'm not talking about a rescue. I'm talking about their lives. If we break this case, they have a real chance to go home. But not if you lose it on me.” Kogami shoved him back, prepared for another swing.
Still in the grips of explosive fury, Kagari said, “What do you expect me to do?”
“What we do best.” Kogami grinned mischievously and slapped his cheek. “The MWPSB sent their hounds for a career showcase today. Let's show them what those hounds can do.”
“But the Dominators?”
“Akane, you there?”
Her voice sounded as if she had been crying. It made sense if she overheard his conversation with Kagari. “I’m here, Mr. Kogami. What is it?”
“Have Sachi power up her flight drone. With the pillbot. Need them for a little reconnaissance mission.”
“Does this have something to do with my idea to get to the paddy wagon?” Kagari asked.
“Uh huh,” Kogami responded. He watched as the drone flew out of the corridor beside them and directly up to the opening in the skylight.
“Standing by, Mr. Kogami,” Sachi said over the wristcom.
“You were able to restore our personal communication via our wristcoms. Think you can link us to our vehicle outside?”
“I don’t know why not. It’s the same basic telecom system. Just have to be careful not to overload the pillbox. It only has so much memory capacity. The trouble is range. I could get maybe six feet above that opening, but then I lose control. Unless I come out there where you are.”
Kogami hesitated at the notion. He did not want to risk the girl’s safety in the unsettled remains of the atrium. Then reluctantly, he said, “We’ll have to risk it. Gin, you stay with the other kids and keep everyone calm. Inspector Tsunemori, do you mind escorting Sachi and her controls to the atrium?”
“On our way,” Akane said.
“I thought those flight drones had better range,” Kagari said.
“They do.” Sachi joined them in the atrium with Akane at her side. “But Dr. Torao denied my request for an outdoor flight drone. It was only because of Director Ito that I got this model for flying indoors.”
“I get it,” Kagari said. “By bringing the controls here, how much will that boost the signal?”
“Fifty feet without interference. Here we go.” Sachi carefully guided the drone through the opening and into the world above them. As it banked slowly over the remains of the front entrance, the drone sent digital pictures back to the controller.
Kagari whistled at the devastation. The landscape was barely recognizable. “Something tells me that we better start rationing the cookies. We may be here for a while.”
“Once we get that shelter door open, we’ll have all the supplies we need,” Kogami said.
“Damn right!” Kagari slammed his fist into the hand of his broken wrist, wincing in pain. “Ouch!” One eye squeezed shut in pain, he pointed to the left side of the controller screen. “Look, there’s the paddy wagon.”
The MWPSB van sat at a 45-degree angle in the ruins of the parking lot. “Nice job, Sachi,” Kogami said. “There’s a mobile unit inside that van. Can you establish a link?”
The flight drone suddenly dipped down, falling out of the sky, before recovering a bit of height. Dangling by one leg over the drone’s camera, the pillbot struggled to re-establish a secure hold on its only mode of transportation.
“What just happened?”
“That’s what happens when the signal weakens,” Sachi sighed. “The pillbot is helping boost the range, but it’s not enough.”
“Keep going,” Kogami ordered. “Get a link to that utility drone. I’ll get you the signal boost.” Before Akane could protest, he ducked between her legs and lifted her up onto his shoulders. He braced himself for a protest flurry of fists, but none came. Just the awkward shifting of her weight as she found herself riding his shoulders and fought balance.
“A little warning next time, Mr. Kogami!” She tugged at his ear. “How’s that Sachi?”
“Better, but we’re still pushing the margin for error.”
Akane stretched her wrist upward toward the hole, gaining another two feet. “And now?”
“I’m linked! It’s asking for authorization.”
“Kagari, use your access code,” Akane said.
“That drone is never going to fit through that hole,” Kagari warned.
“Don’t need it to,” Kogami said. “Sachi, if we can get the mobile drone to the hole, we’ll need to flip it on its side somehow.”
“Like drifting a car and wrecking it?” Sachi said with excitement. “After watching Mr. Kagari drive in Destiny Road, that should be easy.”
“Hey, my driving is pure perfection in that game!”
“Putting my flight drone on hold.” Sachi worked furiously at the controls. “Alright,” she said, hacking the mobile unit, “I’m in. Ready?”
“We’ve got one shot at this,” Kagari warned. “Maybe I should do—“
“Save it!” Sachi griped. “You wrecked a perfectly good Supra in the easiest s-curve in the game. Amateur.” She took control of the mobile drone and gunned it over the ramp lip, freeing it from the trapped van. It fell to the rubble-strewn ground intact and on all wheels. In spurts, it worked its way through broken asphalt and rubble, heading in the direction of the hole, their only access to the outside world. Cutting hard to the left and then redirecting the drone back to the right, Sachi forced the mobile unit to drift. It careened onto two wheels before it crashed into a debris pile over top of them.
What little light they had was reduced by half as the drone came to rest on top of the hole. Their wristcoms signaled a distress alert from the mobile drone as it struggled to right itself but was unable to do so. “Nothing says SOS better than a Dominator-filled drone on top of your tomb,” Kagari remarked. “Think that message will get to headquarters?”
“The drones are connected directly to the Siybl System. With no way to know why it’s calling for help, I’d say we just put ourselves at the top of the priority rescue list.” Akane carefully balanced herself as Kogami took a knee beneath her.
Kogami bent down to let Akane dismount from his neck and shoulders. “Might want to lay off the ice cream, Inspector. It’s not showing, but—“
She punched him in the chest for the remark about her weight and gave him a playful shove. “Keep in mind, Mr. Kogami, that a Dominator is about to be in my hand.”
“Yes, ma’am.” He held up his hands in feigned surrender. “I take it back.”
“Okay, Kagari, open the drone.”
As the unit slid open, one Dominator fell into the space beneath and was caught by Kagari. “Maybe we should have opened the lid before we crashed it.”
“Too risky,” Akane said. “There was no guaranteeing where the drone might have landed or how.”
“One’s hardly enough.” Sachi once more took control her flight drone. “Incoming!” she yelled. Under her guidance, the drone abruptly gained altitude and then crashed into the MWPSB drone with violent force. A second Dominator slid from the unit and into the atrium where Kogami caught it and the pillbot that had been separated from the flight drone. “Well, that didn’t work.”
“Better than you think,” Kogami told her. “Two is all we need. The hounds have teeth now.”
“Are they working?” Akane asked.
Kagari pointed his Dominator at Kogami. “Dominator Portable Psychological Diagnosis and Suppression System has been activated. User authentication: Enforcer Shusei Kagari. You are a valid user.”
Kogami pointed the Dominator at Akane. “Crime coefficient 32. Target is a registered Inspector. Warning: Any rebellious conduct by an Enforcer will be reported to MWPSB headquarters.”
“They’re working,” Kogami said with a chuckle.
“For possible crimes against the Citizens’ Charter, Dr. Torao is your primary target,” Akane said. “If the Dominators don’t work or if anyone gets in your way, take these.” She handed a stun baton to each Enforcer. “Though we haven’t received any official orders, I’m claiming this as a special-circumstance MWPSB investigation. Dr. Torao is a person of interest. Bring him in. By the book, Mr. Kagari.”
“Copy that, Inspector.”
“Sachi,” Kogami said, “go back to the dayroom with the Inspector. On my mark, enter Torao’s access code to open the shelter door.”
“Right!”
Kogami turned and attempted to move into the corridor after Kagari, but he found himself rooted to the spot by an extra twenty pounds anchored to his leg. Mi-Yeon had slipped out of the dayroom, unseen, and joined them in the atrium. Trembling, she wrapped her arms about his lower leg and was squeezing him so tightly that her body quivered from the effort. Still wrapped in his jacket, the child looked up at him with tears streaming from her eyes.
“What’s this?” Kogami said in a stern voice.
Her brown eyes swimming with tears, Mi-Yeon reluctantly let go and started to sign frantically.
“Sachi?”
Voice overcome with emotion, Sachi translated. “She’s afraid. Not for herself, but for you.”
With a sigh, Kogami knelt down and wiped away the child’s tears. “Mi-Yeon, this will all be over soon—”
She vehemently shook her head, clutching the stuffed cat to her chest. The hood of her pajamas fell down over her curly pigtails. Tears renewed, she took a deep, stuttering breath and continued signing.
“She doesn’t believe that. Too many bad things have happened. You’re the only good thing that has happened to her since she can remember. Since her parents died. You’re like a big brother to her. She’s afraid that if you leave, you won’t come back.”
“Dr. Torao is a bad man, Mi-Yeon,” Kogami whispered. “I put bad men like him away, so they can never hurt anyone ever again.” He brushed a hand over her little head and straightened an unruly curl. “You want me to make him go away, right?”
Mi-Yeon sadly acknowledged her wish, but another deluge of tears came to her eyes, spilling over her cheeks and trembling lips. Hesitantly, she offered him his jacket, which he took and quickly threw over his shoulders.
“Hey, I promise to come right back to you.” Caught by surprise, Kogami gasped when the child held out the stuffed orange cat to him. “You hold on to Neko, alright? It won’t be safe for him—“
“Kogami-kun.” Her voice was so small and so frail that initially Kogami thought he had imagined her speak. “Kogami-kun,” she whispered again, holding out the cat with insistence.
“Did Mi-Yeon just talk?” Gin asked over the comm.
“Mi-Yeon just talked,” Sachi replied. “No wonder there was an earthquake.”
With a lump in his throat, Kogami took the toy cat from her. He placed it securely in his outer coat pocket, leaving the head to peek over the seam. Picking Mi-Yeon up, he gave her a close, reassuring squeeze and carried her to Akane. “You stay with Inspector Tsunemori. She has a tendency to get herself in trouble during an investigation. Keep an eye on her for me.”
Mi-Yeon wiped her eyes with the backs of her hand and nodded.
“Sachi and Gin, your crime coefficients might be within regulation, but for right now, your Inspector Tsunemori’s second-line Enforcers. Keep everyone safe until we get back. Got that?”
“Yes, Mr. Kogami!”
“Kagari?”
“Right, I’ll lead the way.”
Alone in the atrium with Kagari and the shadows, Kogami straightened his jacket and adjusted the sleeves. “You ready for this?”
“I was born ready for this shit.” He yanked at the collar of his red jacket with an indignant frown. “Putting bad men down is a calling. I live for it. How do you want to do this?”
“Raid style. High shock value.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Inspector Tsunemori is right. Not all of the people behind that door are latent criminals. If we go in loud enough and hard enough, the good citizens will back down.”
“And anyone who wants to get in the way will have the crime coefficient to prove it.”
“Think you can handle two Dominators?”
“You know it! Akane found a wrist brace in the medical kit. I may not be gaming for a few weeks, but I can hold a Dominator and pull the trigger, if that’s all you need.”
Kogami handed him his weapon and retrieved the other stun baton so that he was carrying two in the style of martial arts rattan fighting sticks. “When we get passed the door, you scan anybody we encounter. Call out their crime coefficient. If it’s over regulation—“
“I fire and drop them. If they’re under regulation, they shouldn’t be a problem.”
“And they become a problem,” Kogami said, twirling the stun batons in each hand, “that’s where these come in. Torao will answer for what he’s done.”
“Hell yeah, he will!”
The Enforcers stood on opposite sides of the earthquake shelter entrance. “Sachi, enter the access code.”
With a whirring of gears, the heavy portal slid open, and Director Ito’s torso was reunited with the rest of her corpse. Stepping over her, Kogami charged into the interior, loudly declaring, “Freeze! MWPSB special investigation. Dr. Torao is a person of interest. Do not interfere.”
“Come out with your hands in the air!” Kagari shouted behind him.
A trembling orderly came to an interior doorway with his hands up. He shuddered as Kogami turned on him with the stun batons. “Kagari?”
“Crime coefficient 59, Ko.”
Another man stepped into the doorway beside Kogami.
“Forty-one!”
Along the opposite wall, a third man stepped into the corridor. He was carrying a stun baton that crackled as he switched it to the on position.
“Eighty-nine! Wait! Siybl’s reassessing, 101! Ha, got you!” Kagari pulled the trigger of one Dominator when the trigger was released. The non-lethal paralyzer projectile struck the orderly in the neck and sent the man into an erratic freefall to the floor. Still clasped in his hands, the stun baton sputtered against the metal railing in the doorframe.
Kogami kicked it free and retrieved it. “I repeat, this is an MWPSB special investigation. Dr. Torao is a person of interest in the case. Do not interfere. Your psycho pass will be scanned. If you are out of regulation compliance, you will be shot.”
Another man came through a doorway on Kogami’s left side. He was wielding a stun baton in his hand.
“Fifty-two,” Kagari read the man’s psycho pass. “Trigger’s locked, Ko!” he shouted as the man charged his colleague. “Take him out the hard way!”
“Gladly.” Kogami easily dodged the orderly’s first clumsy attempt to jab at him with the baton. Twisting sharply to the right, he brought both batons across the orderly’s jaw, followed through from the left, and repeated the maneuver. “I’m not some little kid you can bully.” With a kick, he sent the man’s head flying back sharply, nose bloodied, where he fell unconscious to the floor.
“What is this!” Dr. Torao demanded. “Ah, Enforcer Kogami, so you survived. How nice.”
“Survived and found out what you’ve been doing here, doctor,” Kogami said. He saw recognition in Torao’s widened eyes. “You’re under arrest pending the conclusion of an MWPSB investigation into your drug company and the use of these children as lab rats in your experiments.”
“You have no rights here!” Torao tried to retreat into the room. “My research is above any reproach!”
“I may be a latent criminal, but with these Dominators in my hands,” Kagari said, holding up the signature weapons of the MWPSB, “I have all the rights I need.” He laughed and tossed his unruly locks of his red hair. “I’ve always wondered what it would be like to fire two of these little ladies at the same time.” He pulled both triggers.
It was nearly thirty-six hours later when search crews reached the Daiago Children’s facility and initiated a priority rescue. Another twelve hours passed before the MWPSB allowed non-essential personnel onto the secured grounds. Reunification personnel teams were fully operational and security drones processed prisoners for immediate transport to isolation cells in the Ministry of Welfare’s building or nearby local facilities.
Medical professionals from various agencies descended on the mental care hospital to assess the young patients for injuries, both physical and mental, old and recent. Sachi’s discovery on the facility servers were proven correct. Every child held on the facility roster had crime coefficients well within standard compliance, with fewer than 3 scanned as cautious measurements.
News of the facility’s oversight and Torao’s corruption shared prime time news slots with the earthquake, a massive 8.1 that had caused significant damage throughout the city. The aftershock for Torao’s pharmaceutical company was just as devastating. Wealthy investors abandoned the company to distance themselves from the scandal. Falling stocks and tarnished reputations had the public and the government calling for a full investigation into the standing Board of Directors as well as anyone involved with the day-to-day dealings of the business.
Kogami watched it unfold on a digital ticker-tape display across the street. It was odd to be watching from eye level. The quake had toppled the ten-story building and the ticker tape at its crown. When the power was restored, the digital display was still functioning, despite being cracked and even shattered in some places. He wanted a cigarette in the worst way, but there was so much going on around and behind him that he felt the need to ignore his craving for more important distractions.
Construction bots were clearing heavy debris from the main intersection, while others reinforced nearby structures and roadways. All main roads leading to the area were closed due to fallen debris or damage. Despite the massive quake’s fury, the loss of life had been minimal.
Mother Nature was the greatest of all killers, Kogami thought. She would get away with her crimes today, but Dr. Torao would not.
The disgraced physician was going down on 30 counts of false imprisonment, compounded by the ages of the children at the facility. Ethics charges were pending against him for the corruption of his office and malpractice. The brutal murder of Director Ito would hang from his neck as well. There was no way he would ever see the light of day again, and Kogami was determined to see to that personally.
Laughter behind him proved too spontaneous to ignore. He smiled, watching as Sachi made her good byes to Kagari. The girl’s family had been the first to arrive on scene, thanks to their diplomatic ties to the government. After a briefing with Ginoza, they were permitted to reunite with their daughter. That’s when the first demands to meet Enforcer Kagari had come with great insistence and been answered.
Sachi was dressed in plain jeans and a t-shirt with the words—Warning: Offensive!—printed on the front. She was wearing hot pink Converse sneakers that were decorated with glue-on gems. Hard to believe that was the same little girl in the hospital smock who had hacked into the hospital servers to find a terrible crime in the middle of a terrible tragedy.
Happy endings, Kogami thought, she deserves to go home. Her crime coefficient was barely over 50, while Torao had it listed as 120. Her flight drone laid on a pile of discarded debris. After crashing into the MWPSB mobile drone, there was not much left to salvage and now that she was free, her parents had promised a custom-built model meant for the open skies.
Sachi’s one request from her parents had been a copy of the Destiny Road video game signed by the developer. What they brought was a signed copy of the game, an unreleased digital download, and a new game console as a gift for Kagari. Now sporting a cast for his broken wrist, the Enforcer howled with delight at his newly acquired treasure. It wasn’t long before the two were exchanging barbs and jeers over who was the better driver and who had found the most hidden tracks.
“All in a day’s work, Mr. Kogami?” Akane asked. She walked up beside him and kindly caressed his shoulder.
“More like two days,” he grumbled, despite a smile at his lips. “And one of them was my day off.”
“A detective is always on the job. Wasn’t it you who said those words?”
“Maybe—“
“Excuse me, Mr. Kogami,” Gin said. The young man was dressed in a dark business suit that was tailored to perfection. It was a sharp contrast to the yellow hospital smock. Taken aback, Kogami noted that he looked like a remarkably younger version of Ginoza. Gin bowed politely and handed Kogami a wooden box.
Taking the gift, Kogami pulled the purple ribbon off to the side and opened it. Inside was a freshly polished model of a Dominator. He was forced to smile at the gift, remembering the first encounter with the young man. “Scale’s a little off. Was that intentional?”
Gin smiled, then recomposed the usually smug look on his face. “You have a discerning eye, a capital trait in a good Enforcer.” He pushed his glasses awkwardly up the bridge of his nose and brushed a dark lock of hair from his face. “I wanted to thank you, Mr. Kogami, and you, Inspector Tsunemori. Because of you, I’m going home.”
Kogami straightened his tall frame, unable to mask the pride he felt. “Hope you put this to good use, Gin. Not everyone gets a chance like this.”
“I’ve decided to focus my studies towards becoming an Inspector in the MWPSB.”
Kogami pursed his lips tightly together and nodded his approval. “After what I’ve seen, you’ll make an excellent Inspector with all the potential to be a great one.”
“If I get to work with an Enforcer of your caliber, I have no doubt of that.” He bowed deeply to Kogami and then to Akane. “Good bye.” Gin returned to the main staging area where his mother and father were waiting. The three of them bowed deeply to Kogami and Akane before being led away to a transport.
“Wasn’t expecting that,” Kogami confessed. He tucked the model Dominator and its box under his arm.
“Our Career Day showcase was a resounding success, Mr. Kogami. Chief Kasei is ecstatic, or as excited as I’ve ever seen her. Commendations all around.”
“Is that why I saw Ginoza scowling? He’ll have to say something nice about me. Bet that hurt.”
“Kogami, you’re so difficult sometimes!” She cuffed him firmly on the arm.
“Admit it. It’s what gives me character.” Tapping a cigarette from its packet, Kogami lit it and walked over to the shade of a nearby rescue vehicle. He leaned his shoulders against it and inhaled deeply.
“Oh, look, Kogami,” Akane said, following him. “It’s Mi-Yeon.”
Escorted by a team of doctors and drones, Mi-Yeon was the last to emerge from the medical processing area. Dressed in a pink wool skirt with a black cat on it and matching coat, the little girl walked with a renewed sense of importance. Her outfit was complimented by an accompanying hat with cat ears protruding from the top. She smiled excitedly, seeing him, and waved while walking hand in hand with an older lady. Pulling the child close to her, the woman smiled sadly at Kogami, waved a gloved hand, and then lifted the child into a nearby transport.
“I’m so happy that Mi-Yeon found someone to care for her,” Akane said. She was grinning so widely that her cheeks burst with color. “I thought she was an orphan with no family.”
“She is.”
“Then who is that woman?”
“My mother.”
Akane’s head snapped around to look at him, her eyes so large they reflected the nearby rescue lights. “Your mother?”
Kogami felt a bit of a hot flush across his chest and anxiously ran a hand through his tousled hair. “She always did want a girl. I proved to be something of a handful.”
“Kogami?” Akane’s eyes welled up with tears. “I—I just—“
“Not you, too. Come on, Inspector.” He gently wiped away the track of a tear from her cheek with his thumb. “Mi-Yeon’s been through a lot. She needed a big brother, and she chose me. The least I can do is make it real.”
“This is the most wonderful thing I’ve ever heard in my life!” Akane snatched him by the lapel of his jacket and buried her face in his shirt. The warmth of her tears went through the thin fabric to his skin. “You can be such a jerk sometimes,” she cried, pounding a fist against his chest, “but then you go—you go and do something like this!”
Kogami chuckled softly and put his arms around her to comfort her. “Yeah, I know.”
Akane looked up at him. “Honestly, Mr. Kogami, you make me wonder how in the world the Siybl System could ever label a man like you as a latent criminal.” On tiptoe, she put her arms behind his neck, which forced him to bend over, and then kissed him on the cheek. “I guess Emerson was right. Good men really musn’t obey the law too well.” She smiled at him and pretended to pet the stuffed cat peeking out of his pocket. “Come on, you’ve done enough for one—two days. Let’s get you home.”