Shattered: Side Chapter Four

Author’s Notes: This is a Masa/Yoshiki/Kai chapter and it covers what happened after they arrived in the States.  I was really tempted to combine it with Chapter 5, but I was afraid it would read like MASA…GACKT/CHA so I didn’t do that.  Instead, I give you two really short chapters for the price of one.

As they stood in line at customs, Kai alternated between rubbing her eyes and hugging her teddy bear.  Every now and again she would sniffle and find something interesting to look at on her shoes.

Masa felt like shit, to say the least.  The poor girl had no idea what was going on and he couldn’t explain it to her without drawing attention.  Glancing down at the top of the little girl’s head he bit his lip and looked around in what he hoped was a casual manner.  No one around them looked like they were paying any special attention to the two of them, but looks could be deceiving. 

Swallowing hard, he knelt down next to the girl and whispered, “Kai?”  She looked up and it broke his heart to see the tears welling in her eyes.  Reaching out, he stroked her cheek with his thumb, hoping the gesture would calm her.  “You’re being a very good girl – I’m proud of you.”  A tiny smile crossed her lips for a split second.  “But I need to ask a favor of you, okay?” 

He paused to figure out how to phrase the next bit.  The little girl tilted her head to the side, which made her resemble her father to almost creepy perfection.  Switching to a different dialect, he whispered, “We need to play pretend.”  He paused to make sure she recognized the Okinawan vocabulary and patterns.  When the confusion cleared from her face, he continued, “We need to pretend – for Daddy – that I’m your Daddy okay?  If you do a really good job, I’ll buy you a present.”

Like all little girls, Kai wasn’t one to pass up a free gift.  Smiling, she nodded with conviction.  “Okay, Daddy.”

With a silent relieved sigh, Masa hugged her – which she willingly returned – standing, he held her free hand as they advanced in line.

*****

Yoshiki stood in the enormous receiving area/lobby in LAX.  His eyes darted sharply from face to face to face but as of yet, none were who he was looking for.  A little girl and a man.  A little girl with a teddy bear and a pink back pack and a man.  And then, out of the sea of faces, he found them.  Throwing and arm in the air, he called, “Masa!”

The man jumped and looked up.  Catching the other’s eyes, Yoshiki saw the tension melt from the younger man’s body.  Walking towards them, they met halfway and he took him into his arms in a friendly embrace.  “How are you?  How was your flight?”

“Bumpy,” replied the little girl at their side.  She clung to her teddy bear and was looking at him with the curiosity etched into her eyes that he had come to associate with her father.

Kneeling down beside her, Masa told her, “Kai, this is Yoshiki-san.  He’s one of Da—my friends,  He’s going to help us while we’re here in the United States.”

“Are we staying with him?”

“Just for a bit.”

Looking around, the little girl leaned forward and whispered, “Do I have to call him Daddy too?”

Yoshiki chuckled in spite of himself and Masa smiled.  “No, I’m Daddy.  He’s just a friend.”

The girl nodded and waved up at the standing man.  Taking her hand, Masa nodded to the other man who donned his sunglasses and led them towards the exit.

*****

The three of them were laughing as the little girl continued to impress her elder care-takers with her talent in finger painting.  Spaghetti had been decided upon as dinner and Yoshiki was busy juggling three pots when the doorbell rang. 

Masa and he locked eyes and immediately went silent.  Sensing something was wrong, Kai looked between them, her face betraying her fear that she had done something wrong.  Turning off the burners, Yoshiki ushered his guests quietly into the bedroom down the hall before heading towards the front door.  Making sure the door to the other room was closed, he opened the front door and came face-to-face with someone he hadn’t expected.

“I know you…”

“My name’s Juka.  And I’m here--”

“Ah, that’s right – you used to be with Moi Dix Mois.  Have you talked to Mana-san recently?  But who are your two buddies?  I don’t know them.”

The man clenched his jaw at the mention of the cross-dressing guitarist.  “Their names don’t concern you.”  Yoshiki wasn’t impressed.  He was sure his expression proved as much.  Nevertheless, the man in front of him continued, “We’re working with the Department of National Security in Japan and we’ve been tipped off that there are two persons who left the country illegally.”

Stepping outside, he closed the door, his hand wrapped tightly around the doorknob.  “Really?  Who told you that?  Because there’s no one of that description in my home.”

“A little girl, Kai Camui – daughter of Gackt Camui – and a man, Masa Ichida, one of Camui-san’s former bandmates.  We request permission to enter your house.”

“No.”

The younger man seemed to be mildly taken aback.  “Excuse me?”

“You asked permission to enter my home.  I am denying you.”

“This request comes from the Head of the Department of National Security--”

“You’re a long way from home, little men.”

“Sir, we are acting on orders--”

“I don’t care.  You’re not coming in my house.”

“With all due respect, sir--”

Yoshiki raised a finger in front of the other man’s face, “Hold that thought,” and stepped back into his house, locking the door.  Crossing to the desk in the foyer, he rooted through some paperwork before finding what he was looking for.  Stepping back to the door, he unlatched it and stepped back outside much like he had before.

“You see this?” Yoshiki said, holding up his open passport less than two inches from the other man’s face.  “This says ‘Citizen of the United States of America.’  That means neither you, nor your flunkies, have any jurisdiction over me nor anyone or anything in this house.  It’s on US soil, hence is under US law.”  He paused dramatically for a moment to let his words sink in.  “Now get the fuck off my lawn,” and he slammed the door shut.

He waited with baited while he leaned against the door.  A few moments later, there was the revving of an engine – of an expensive car, by the sound of it – and the sound of tires screeching as it pulled out of the driveway and left.

Closing his eyes, he sighed.  Pushing his body away from the door, he crossed to the bedroom and opened the door to find Masa and Kai sitting anxiously on the bed.  “I think your welcome in the States just ran out.”

Masa looked away, dejected.  Kai’s eyes went wide, “You mean we can’t have spaghetti?”  The little girl looked like she was about to cry.

Yoshiki smiled for her, “No, no, no – we’re having spaghetti.”  The girl sighed, relieved.  He added softly, “I just need to get you guys plane tickets…”

*****

They strode quickly through the airport as Yoshiki talked, “I’m getting you here purposefully late so that they have less time to question you.  The more pressure there is for take off, the more likely they are to let you go.  And they don’t care so much if you’re leaving the country – even less when you’re going to Canada.  They’ll grill you if you’re coming in, not so much when you’re leaving.  So you guys already did the hard part.  I called from a pay phone to reserve tickets, so there’s no way they know which flight you’re on, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there are lackies crawling this place.  So keep quiet and don’t talk much till you’re off the ground.  Even then, don’t talk too much.  Call me from the cell I gave you when you check into the hotel.  But you can’t call me again after that.  It’d be a good idea to throw the phone away when you check out.  Chuck it wherever.” 

Stopping he turned to them both.  Kai felt herself halted suddenly and gave a little ‘oof.’  Masa rubbed the back of her hand to soothe any complaint before it left her mouth.  Yoshiki continued, “I can’t go any farther than this.  Don’t stop for anyone.  Don’t stop for anything.  You got the tickets?”  Masa touched the breast pocket in his coat and nodded.  “Alright.  I’ll talk to you later.”  And with that, he about-faced and was gone, lost in the crowd.

Smiling down at his charge, Masa pulled them onward to the gate.

*****

Sitting on his bed in the dark hotel room, Masa watched Kai sleep soundly, teddy bear clutched to her chest, as the phone on the other end of the line rang.

“Hello?”

“Hey, it’s me.”

“We gotta keep it short,” there was a warning in his voice that suggested that he was not the only one who could hear him.  The thought made Masa shudder.

“I know, I just wanted to tell you we’re here and we’re safe.”

“Good.  Remember what I told you.”

“I will.  Yoshiki…”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.  Take care.  I shall see you soon enough.”

Masa hung up and turned the phone off, tossing it on the table.  He looked down at the crumpled piece of paper in his hands and ran his thumb under the series of numbers.  He placed it on the end table with their plane tickets.  A bank account, an escape…

A new life.

Closing his eyes, Masa collapsed back onto the bed and fell into a much-needed deep sleep.