Smoke curled from the wreckage of the apartment behind him as Kazuki staggered into the alley, blood soaking through his shirt, his breathing was shallow and controlled one arm clutched his side, the other kept his pistol close just in case.
No time, and no clue why he was suddenly a hunted.
He pushed through the alley, hopped a rusted fence, and emerged onto a quiet street lit only a feint light from the streetlights and some blinking signs of dead shops he moved like a ghost, slipping through alleys, streets and bushes
By the time he reached his car an old black Toyota tucked behind a noodle shop his shirt was clinging to his back with sweat and blood, he opened the trunk, grabbed a duffel bag, and ditched his coat.
Inside the bag there was a cash, burner IDs, spare clothes, and a compact pistol with a silencer his favorite. He always liked using a silencer.
Kazuki changed there and cleaned up and slipped into the driver's seat. He drove slowly, no speeding, no patterns Just long enough to vanish into the cracks of the city.
The safe spot was an old laundry shop with a locked back room.
He parked a few blocks away, entered through the rear door, and locked it behind him. Inside was just a small stash enough for a temporary fallback.
He unzipped a second duffel, More cash, More burner phones and equipments
His body throbbed he peeled back his shirt and sighed the side wound from the earlier ambush had reopened.
He needed supplies.
Kazuki made his way to a street chemist a run down building with unstable lights, and a sleepy clerk who didn't ask questions.
He dropped some yen on the counter.
Bandages, gauze and painkillers.
The clerk slid the items across with no receipt more of a illegal shop.
Kazuki stepped outside, patched up quickly in the alley behind the shop, and then he walked further to an electronic shop that looked modern the street was also busy he went inside to make the use of their bathroom not like he wanted to take a dump.
He dialed one number, just one number
It rang twice then a female voice answered sharp and gentle
Kazuki?
He didn't waste time. I was attacked, ambushed at home, trained shooters I wonder how they found me
There was a pause on the other end, You are not aware?
aware about what?"
She took a deep breath in
There's a bounty on your head worth thirty million yen.
Kazuki went silent and surprised
Hikari continued, The post hit the underworld boards less than 5 hours ago No name No client Just the price…and a kill on sight mission
"Why?"
"No idea, but it's already spreading, every assassin and gangs in shibuya are after you."
Kazuki's jaw clenched.
Where are you? Hikari said
Off grid, as usual.
You need help?
"Not yet."
you better survive and find who put a bounty on you and if you need my help always call, they won't stop until the bounty is called off, stay safe i don't want to lose you
Ok Hikari I will reach out to you, he hung up
The streets were louder now and more crowded.
He walked alone, head down, hood up, weaving through crowds and scanning reflections in windows. His eyes swept cars, doorways and rooftops through every glance, every noise made his skin stiff.
That's when he saw it.
A black van drove right in front of him
.
He felt it in his gut before the doors even opened.
Three men stepped out with guns drawn.
One pointed.
That's him!
Crowds screamed and scattered has the sound of gunshots filled the air
Kazuki turned and bolted, cutting into a side street, bullets snapped past his ears. He broke into a nearby building a furniture store, the lights were off, display models of furnitures were scattered.
He moved fast hiding behind a couch as the men stormed in.
"He's in here!"
Their footsteps, voices and flashlights took over the shop
Kazuki ambushed the first grabbing his wrist, slamming him into a shelf, snapping his elbow, the gun clattered to the floor Kazuki grabbed it mid fall and shot the second in the leg.
The third tackled him from behind.
They crashed through a display table.
Wood broke and flew.
Kazuki elbowed him off, rolled to his feet but the second was already back up, blood dripping from his mouth.
CRACK!
A broken piece of wood hit Kazuki in the side of the head.
He stumbled and dropped the gun.
Then another hit
His eyes was about closing but still struggling
He reached for the knife he had, hoping to fight again but it was too late.
The third man brought the butt
of a shotgun down hard on him knocking him out cold
Everything went blank as kazuki closed his eyes.
To be Continued…