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Eiji was alone. Ash usually left him alone during the day while he went out to conduct gang boss things by himself. Kong and Bones would be stationed nearby keeping watch on the building, and the two would sometimes stop by to check on him, but for the most part he was left entirely by himself in the large expensive apartment. It was lonely and, while he would never tell Ash, terrifying. Should anything happen, he was on his own, barely spoke the language fluently, and had no way of protecting himself beyond household implements. He would lock the doors and windows, even though they were several storeys up, and on Ash’s advice he kept the blinds closed, the only exception being a couple of slats in the spare bedroom where his camera was set up, trained on the building opposite.
Therefore, when someone hammered heavily at the front door while he was in the middle of heating up some tinned soup for his lunch, he was rightfully spooked.
Kong and Bones, as well as Alex and the rest of Ash’s gang, used a secret knock to let him know it was them. The neighbours would use the intercom before dropping by, to check if anyone was home. Rarely, Max and Ibe visited, but their knock was always polite and gentle, and they tended to come when Ash was home and expected them. Ash, of course, had his own key.
“I KNOW YOU’RE IN THERE!” A deep male voice shouted from the other side. A fist banged hard on the wood-panelled door a further time. “HEY – YOU LITTLE BITCH! OPEN UP!”
Eiji turned off the hob and hurriedly looked around for a weapon. The only thing of use nearby was a bread knife, so he grabbed it and began looking around desperately for a place to hide.
“I WILL BREAK DOWN THIS DOOR IF YOU DON’T OPEN UP!”
Eiji squeaked involuntarily, dashing across the living area nervously. He could hide under the dining table, but he’d be clearly visible there. Same was true for behind the sofa; he’d be hidden from the door, but the minute the assailant entered the room and began searching, he’d be spotted quickly. The kitchen cupboards were full of pots and pans and plates, so they were out. He could lock himself in the bathroom, but if they checked the door and found it locked, he would give himself away. The beds were all divan-style, so hiding under them wasn’t possible. That left just one place.
He ran into the bedroom, opened the wardrobe door, pushed the neatly hung clothes along to create a gap to stand in, and then squeezed himself inside and pulled the door closed. He could see nothing in the dark, and he gripped the kitchen knife while shaking, withering into the gloom of the wardrobe while sandwiched between a Nordic-patterned woollen jumper and a denim jacket.
“I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME, DAMMIT!” he heard the person at the door yell. The whole apartment seemed to shake as he flung himself at the door. Eiji put a hand over his mouth so he wouldn’t scream. “LET ME IN!”
Eiji remained quiet and hidden. He slid down to the floor of the wardrobe, hands over his ears to muffle the sound, and he silently prayed.
***
Ash had returned early following a tip-off from Bones that someone was acting weird outside the apartment block. They used payphones to contact each other, Bones phoning the bartender at the Pink Pig, and him relaying the information to Alex and the other’s stationed there, who in turn ran the news to him personally. Bones had seen a clearly drunk man enter the building and, while he didn’t recognise him or think he was a threat to Eiji as such, it set Ash’s sixth sense tingling. He’d returned early just to ease his own anxieties, and was glad he had.
Outside their apartment was a middle-aged, slightly overweight, balding man, hammering desperately on the door. The stench of cheap liquor wafted off him, and his black suit was dishevelled, the shirt stained and untucked, a tie hanging loose and askew round his neck. He’d clearly been on a binge all night, collapsed somewhere, and had awoken and gone looking for a scorned ex.
“C’MON – I JUST WANNA TALK!” He shouted through the still-locked door. “JUST OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!”
“HEY!” Ash yelled at him, running down the corridor from the elevator. “WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU’RE DOING?”
“Huh? What’s it to you, kid?” he slurred.
“It’s everything to me when you’re trying to break down the door of MY apartment!” Ash growled. “Who the hell are you?”
“Your apartment? What? Cathy doesn’t have any kids?”
“You’re damn right she doesn’t,” Ash hollered. “I don’t know no ‘Cathy’ either! You have the wrong apartment, Mister!”
“Nah – she told me it was this place!”
“I’m telling you, this is MY apartment! Even if it wasn’t, I get the impression ‘Cathy’ don’t wanna see you!”
“What would you know, kid?”
“I know you’re trespassing. I suggest you leave before I call security on your sorry ass!”
“I have every right to be here…” the man started to argue, but thought better of it when Ash drew his pistol out of the waistband of his trousers.
“Don’t test my patience, old man. I’ll claim self-defence, so help me God,” he said in a dangerously quiet voice.
“I…I’ll leave,” the man stuttered, stumbling away from the door. “Jeez…”
He staggered down the corridor and fell into one of the elevators. Ash waited for the doors to close before he lowered his pistol, tucking it safely back in his belt.
“I feel sorry for whoever ‘Cathy’ is,” he muttered, letting himself into the apartment.
The first thing that struck him was how quiet the apartment was.
Warm soup steamed in a saucepan on the hob, and a loaf of crusty bread was partly sliced on the chopping board, a bowl ready and waiting on the side. Ash checked the hob itself, seeing it had been turned off. Eiji had likely flicked it off and then hidden himself somewhere. The question was, where?
He hadn’t popped up from behind the sofa, so he was likely in one of the other rooms. He went into the bedroom and had a quick scan around. The bathroom door was open, and he wasn’t behind the shower curtain when he looked in there. There were not very many more places in the apartment he would be able to fit himself into. His eyes landed on the wardrobe.
He reached out and opened the door…
And was immediately assaulted by a screaming dark figure that exploded out of the wardrobe with the devilish fury of a cornered animal.
***
Someone was in the apartment. He had heard the door slam closed… or open? It was hard to tell, but he had definitely heard the door. Had the man outside finally torn it down? A good kick would probably break the lock…
He could hear another presence in the house. Someone walking around in the living room, light-footed on the carpet. Looking for him. He willed his heartbeat to slow, feeling it drumming against his ribs, blood rushing in his ears, convinced the man would hear it…
The bedroom door creaked open. Footsteps made their way into the bathroom. The shower curtain was slapped aside with a purposeful hand. In the wardrobe, he readied himself to fight. He wasn’t going to go down without a battle. His muscles were all tense, prepared.
Whoever it was out there, they were now right outside the wardrobe. He gripped the bread knife tightly, trying to steady his panicked breathing. He could sense them there, could almost imagine the hand reaching out for the handle, the door opening…
The minute the crack of light opened into the wardrobe, he leapt out, screaming in Japanese, swinging the knife like a sword.
“Woah!”
Ash backpedalled wildly, his hand already gripping his pistol, bringing it around to shoot. It was thankful he recognised Eiji before he had chance to fire it; he was mere milliseconds away from accidental disaster.
Eiji recognised Ash at the same time, but it was too late to stop his arm from bringing the bread knife down. Ash caught it on the cuff of his thick demin jacket, where the serrated edge of the knife did little more than scuff the fabric a bit. With a small apologetic cry, Eiji let go of the knife, and it dropped to the carpet.
“Ash!”
“Jesus, Eiji! Remind me not to get on your bad side!” Ash gasped, lowering his pistol. “You are one vicious little shit! Is that a bread knife?”
“I am sorry!” Eiji moaned, panicking. “I did not know was you! You say nothing! Did I hurt you?”
“I’m fine,” Ash assured him, checking his arm. “Just another rip in my jacket, but you didn’t cut me at all. My fault anyway - I should have called out to you! Didn't think that one through...”
“Thank goodness,” Eiji sighed, his legs giving out from under him and he dropped to his knees. “I thought for sure, that man had gotten in. I thought I… In danger again…”
“No, it was just some whack-job looking for his ex,” Ash explained. “Idiot got the wrong apartment - I sent him packing!”
“I was scared,” he said, voice cracking as he trembled. “I thought… be like California all over again! I always being kidnapped!”
“Eiji – hey! It’s okay! You’re okay!” Ash patted the air nervously, not really sure how to go about making him feel any better.
“I thought I was brave person before come to America… turns out I not as brave as I thought…”
“Don’t be silly – anyone would be scared in that situation!” Ash told him firmly, crouching down to be at his level. “You just launched a full-on frontal attack from the closet - if you ask me, I think you’re crazy-brave! Taking a weapon and hiding wasn’t cowardice. It was wise! I’d do the same.”
“You way braver than me,” Eiji said bluntly, “You would probably check door before hiding.”
“Not if I thought they had a machine gun, I wouldn’t!” he shrugged. “Those things would rip through the door like it was paper! Best thing to do is find a strategic place to hide and think things through. It buys you some time!”
“I just… always anxious now. I do not like being alone…” he admitted quietly. “I being silly. I am grown man! Stupid to be scared by self, but… America is all new to me. I deal fine with earthquake or typhoon, but many things happen here I do not know how to deal with.”
Eiji looked lost at that statement, extremely young with a face tautened by worry. Just coming over to America in general would have been a culture shock; he was thousands of miles from home, far away from his own culture and comfort zone. People here were loud, and rude, and could be abrasive. New York was known the world over for being both a land of opportunity and a cesspit of violence. There were areas advertised as being hostile to tourists and areas even the locals avoided. Add that to everything which had happened to Eiji over the last few months… Ash was surprised he remained as mentally stable as he did. Seems this incident had really shaken him.
It felt a little awkward and unnatural to Ash, but it was what Eiji would do for him if he was feeling upset. He leaned forward and pulled Eiji gently into a hug. Eiji initially seemed a little surprised by his actions. With the exception of jail, Ash was not usually the kind to initiate physical touch, but he gratefully accepted the affection, clinging on with a warm desperation. He was still shaking slightly, but the quivering lessened as the hug offered him much needed reassurance and security.
“Being completely alone is scary,” Ash admitted as he held him. He understood that feeling better than most, but over the years, when it became apparent there was nobody there supporting him, he had learnt how to fend for himself and had pushed the fear aside. That wasn’t to say he didn’t feel it, however, in the dark of the night as he lay in bed, or as he walked a street alone always looking over his shoulder.
“I feel like I cause problem all the time, always need someone come save me…” Eiji murmured.
“Eiji, you just tried to stab me with a bread knife; I don’t think you need anyone to come save you!” Ash said, humour evident in his tone.
“Bread knife hardly suitable for stabbing,” Eiji replied, “Bread knife more like saw – good for hacking!”
“See, people call me ruthless, but there’s a streak of something in you that’s incredibly savage,” Ash tittered. “You put me to shame, Eiji!”
“I just happy it was nothing serious this time,” Eiji sighed. He’d calmed down, his heartbeat returning to normal and no longer palpable in his chest. He pulled away from the hug feeling a little embarrassed, scrubbing his eyes with his sleeve. “I okay now. Thanks…”
“Would you prefer it if I have Kong and Bones stay in the apartment with you?” Ash asked him. “It’s not ideal – I’d rather have someone at street level keeping an eye out, but if it’d make you feel better…”
“No, I fine,” Eiji told him. “I am surprised you are here at this time though? Were you not busy today?”
“Grapevine informed me that a drunk had entered the building. I had a bad feeling, so I came to check it out,” he said.
“Grape vine?”
“Some of my boys are on standby at the Pig. I let them know my plans for the day before I head out. If Kong and Bones see anything shifty, they phone ‘em and they either come get me, or they go as backup depending on the situation,” Ash explained. “As long as you’re here, or with them, you’re practically untouchable.”
“That makes me feel a little safer,” Eiji admitted. “Seems waste of resources though…”
“This is our base, technically. Plus, protecting people is as much in the job description as anything else,” Ash shrugged. “Max doesn’t know it, but I got someone eyeing up his digs too. So far, it’s been quiet as the grave over there though, so I don’t think Dino’s found him and Ibe. I hope it stays that way – Max has a decent head on his shoulders, so they should be fine if they keep laying low.”
“Sound like you have extensive network of spies,” Eiji said, impressed. “Just how large is gang anyway?”
“You’ve likely never seen more than half of the people I command together at any one time,” Ash informed him. “Not all of ‘em are fighters either, and everyone has to pull their weight, so I gotta find suitable work for everyone. I have a lot of people just running intelligence.”
“Wow…”
“We’re never too far away anyway,” Ash reassured him. He stood up and offered Eiji a hand to help him to his feet. “That soup is probably cold now. Think there’s enough there for two? I’m a bit peckish after running here from the other side of Manhattan…”
“I can stretch it out,” Eiji said. He picked the bread knife off the floor. “We have plenty of bread.”
“Poor loaf doesn’t stand a chance!” Ash smirked, nodding to the knife.
Eiji laughed.
“C’mon, lets go eat,” Ash said.
Eiji followed him to the kitchen, feeling considerably safer and a lot less anxious than he had this morning. Knowing Ash Lynx and his boys had his back, he didn’t feel so alone any more.