ENISHI'S Aftermath: SOMETHING TO LIVE FOR

CHAPTER #2

The next town they came to was Obama. She disappeared from his sight, but Enishi didn't care. During his personal war, he'd had his people all over Japan. The plan was to see if any of them were left in this town or where they were. Most men were scared of him and that he could use to his advantage. However he couldn't be seen, or the police would be there to arrest him again.

Meanwhile Sumi, was picking pockets and stealing whatever she could. There was enough coins to buy a water bag and some food. Having travelled a lot due to being on the run, she knew what wouldn't go bad. A block of cheese, bread and some hoshi niku. A short blade knife she got, after choking out a guy who caught her stealing. Satisfied Sumi went to find Enishi. Even if he was wearing the hooded cloak, having been behind him for a few days, she could pick him out of a crowd from his gait alone. His frame was etched into her mind too. Travelling with him was safer, then being by herself, even if she didn't know his intent.

From the roof of a building across the street from a brothel, she saw him. But he didn't seem to be there for the women. His focus was on a man that sat across from him. She waited to see what would happen and even give Enishi backup should he need it. After all, Sumi owed him for handling the gun, when they'd first met. Movement from a shadow behind Enishi, caught her eye and she jumped down into the alley. Stealthily she came up behind the man who was creeping up on her travelling companion. Her stollen blade found its way to his neck and the man stopped.

"Friend of yours?" Sumi asked Enishi in Chinese.

He replied, "not important." Then his hand shot out like a coiled spring suddenly released and choked the man in front of him. In Japanese he said, "I don't like games."

Sumi could see the one in Enishi's grasp was terrified. To the guy she stood behind, her arm snaked across his neck and it wasn't long before his unconscious body was lowered into a chair. She stepped back into the shadow, where that guy had stood.

"They're in Nagoya. I'll give you a horse."

"Two horses or she'll gut you when asleep."

The man nodded, got up from the table and told the women he was with to wait. Going outside, he gave the reins of two horses to Enishi, then returned to the brothel. The man almost jumped out of his skin, when Sumi put an arm around his shoulders.

"Watch yourself, the shadows have eyes on you." Her voice dripped with venom, even though it was said with little volume.

When the man turned around, he saw no one. She almost laughed, it had been so easy. Taking the reins of the other horse, she swung up into the saddle.

"Did you have fun?" Enishi asked, also getting onto a horse.

"My warning was effective," Sumi replied in Chinese. If these men though she was his personal assassin from Shanghai, that suited her fine.

They trotted out of Obama, but had at least a day of riding, before reaching Nagoya. The horses seemed eager to run, so they nudged them into a ground eating canter. They saw no police on the way, but that didn't mean they weren't in town already. One stretch just outside of Nagoya, they slowed to a walk.

"Why's your hair white?" She asked out of the blue.

"Grief over the death of my sister."

"Damn that's intense." Sumi held the water bag out to him and followed it with a hunk of cheese.

"Where'd you get the knife?"

"In town I got caught taking food. The knife was a gift from that concerned citizen."

"Did you kill him?"

"No, he's just sleeping a while."

Enishi handed back the water bag. "Keep alert in town."