The Gatekeeper's Son (20 page)

Voices in the earpiece interrupted me. The police were at the scene and a serious search for me had begun—but not by them. Grandpa’s men were hunting me again, and it was clear they didn’t want the cops to get in the way.

We walked down a residential street far from my neighborhood and far from where the men were searching. It was after eleven and the streets were empty and quiet. Only a few lights and the blue flicker of TV screens shone from the houses we passed.

I turned to her. “How did you
hear
me?”

“I told you, your energy is strong.”

“But I thought you couldn’t hear anything here.”

She gazed at me, expressionless. “I was not
here
.”

I licked my lips. “So, in some other place you can hear me?”

“Yes, and I can travel to where you are, knowing what I am getting into. It is once I am here that I become deaf.”

“Is … is traveling some kind of illusion?”

“It is how we move from place to place or across from my world to this one.”

“What the hell does that mean!?” I stepped back from her. “Look, my mom said you were like a ninja or something, and I think she is too—”

“The ninja are nothing compared to us!” Her face twisted as if she’d bitten a lemon.

My brain felt like it might explode. “What are you then?” I glared at her. “My mom knows your mother, so what is she?!” I paused to catch my breath. “What are you all … and what does it make me?”

Shoko lifted her right hand as if that were an answer.

“Yeah, what’s with that ring anyway?”

“What did your mother tell you?”

“That it was a graduation present from her mother. A great honor that only women in her family clan wear.”

Shoko nodded. “That is correct. The completion of years of training and the beginning of a life of service.”

“So, you’re some kind of Japanese … assassins?”

“I am not Japanese.”

“Oh, for God’s sake, you
are
Japanese!” I threw up my hands in frustration.

Shoko crossed her arms and spoke a sentence in a language that sounded like German and another in Spanish.

“What was that?”

“We are nothing—and everything.”

I put my hands to my face, more confused than before. “Okaasan … we had a big fight tonight.” I gave her a brief rundown. “She and you … She’s been lying to me my whole life!” I spit the words out.

We’d stopped on the sidewalk in the shadow of a large tree and the street lamps lighted her face.

She smiled. “You are very cute when you become annoyed.”

My heart jumped inside my chest and I faltered, my anger dropping like a windless sail.

“You cannot expect her to explain the unexplainable,” she said, “but I will try to tell you what I can.” She glared. “
If
you stop yelling at me.”

We began to walk again, side by side, and it occurred to me that her energy was flowing toward me, a warm peaceful sensation that eased the anger and terror that had held me most of the evening.

“My people were once inhabitants of the lands of the god O̅kuninushi, the savior and guardian of ancient Japan. He controlled the islands from Izumo, the realm of gods and the land of myths.”

“Izumo?” I could barely breathe.

She nodded. “As time passed, men began to encroach upon the shrine at Izumo, and O̅kuninushi decided he could no longer remain in this world. He moved to another world and re-created the Izumo shrine there.” She smiled at me. “O̅kuninushi brought a few mortals—my ancestors—to accompany him.”

“OK …”

“That place is much like this.” She spread her hands wide. “The mountains, the water, the sky, the stars—all are the same.”

“You’re saying you—and Okaasan—are from … some kind of parallel dimension?”

She nodded. “My world is the home of the gods.” Her voice took on a proud and passionate tone. “It is where they live when they are not in this world.”

“You mean like … heaven?” I grinned. “Don’t tell me you’re an angel.”

“You just called me an assassin,” she said with a laugh. “No, we are not angels and my world is not heaven.” Her smile faded. “I know nothing of heaven and hell. If they exist, then they exist in each person’s heart. This is all the reward anyone will ever get.”

I nodded, trying to comprehend what she was telling me, but something distracted me—some message in my head.

“This is too much for you?”

“No … Well, it is a lot, but that’s not it.” I touched the earpiece. “They aren’t talking anymore.” I realized I’d been ignoring it for a while. “And someone’s close by.”

I pointed to a thick hedge at the front of someone’s house and jumped over it. I waited a moment and then stood up and peered over the top. Shoko stood on the sidewalk staring at me.

“Why do you always run and hide?” She looked annoyed. “It is not the way of the warrior.”

“It’s the
way
of staying out of trouble,” I whispered. “Come on!”

She sighed and walked toward me, taking her time. She’d barely squeezed between the bushes when I heard the click of a car door closing—someone was trying to be quiet. A minute later, farther away, a car door slammed. I glanced at Shoko. She was lying on her back staring at the clouds.

I elbowed her. “Come on! This is serious,” I whispered.

“I think they’re close, Johnny,” a man said in a low voice from the other side of the hedge.

I stopped breathing. Shoko grasped the hilt of her wakizashi.

“Good,” said an older voice, presumably Johnny’s. He wasn’t trying to be quiet. “Let’s see what that thingamajig says.”

There was a pause, and then the first man said, “The signal’s really screwed,” still keeping his voice low. “It’s jumping all over the place.”

“Damn technology,” Johnny said.

“They’re not doing any better from the control center.”

“Those pencil-pushing office pukes couldn’t find that radio if it was halfway up their ass.”

I looked at Shoko. She looked like a coiled snake. I tapped the radio.

“They’re tracking us because of this,” I mouthed.

“The old man must be one cold son of a bitch,” the younger guy said. “How could he do this to a kid?”

“I’ve worked for him for years,” Johnny said. “I gotta say, this surprises me.”

“Oh, well. The money’s good, right? We’ll need more guys here—I think he’s close.”

“No,” Johnny said. “If we get the kid, we can split the reward. Why share with the rest?”

My mouth was dry. Old man—my grandpa?

“Yeah, why share?”

Johnny laughed. “Let’s see that thing again,” he said and I heard a beep. “Look, the radio should be right behind there.”

“You go look,” the younger man said, followed by a sound I’d heard a thousand times in the movies: the cocking of a gun. The young guy laughed. “Go on, I’ll cover you.”

“All right.”

The bushes started to rustle and I turned to look at Shoko.

She was gone.

I lay just a few feet away, frozen with fear. My neck was tingling like crazy, but I couldn’t make my body react. Where the hell did Shoko go?

“Did you hear that?” Johnny said. The bushes stopped rustling. “Control said the signal’s confirmed, coming from two blocks away.” There was a pause. “Put your gun away, rookie. I’ll go check it out.” He sounded relieved.

Footsteps retreated down the sidewalk. Johnny was leaving, but the other man didn’t budge. I felt his presence, heard his breathing.

The hedge began to wiggle. This time I did react—I pulled the gun from my belt and raised it.

When he emerged from between the branches, not a dozen feet away, I had the gun pointed right at him.

He carried a gun in his right hand but was pointing it at the ground. He didn’t try to raise it. Maybe he didn’t like the odds, but I doubted that.

He smirked. “Aren’t you going to say something corny, like ‘Drop it’?”

I gripped the gun tighter. “Who’s the Old Man and why does he want me dead?”

“Easy, kiddo.”

I struggled to my knees, trying to keep the gun aimed at him as my fear turned to panic.

“Is it my grandfather?” I tried to keep my voice strong, but I failed and choked on the last part.

In the distance, a dog barked and someone started yelling. The man put a finger to his earpiece and then let out a chuckle.

“You stuck the radio on a Doberman’s collar? Now, how’d you do that?” He tilted his head. “I
know
it was here a minute ago.”

I didn’t reply. I still held the gun, but it was heavy and starting to droop toward the ground.

He started toward me with a smug grin on his face. “I don’t plan to share the reward.”

I struggled to my knees and raised the gun. “Stay away from me!” When he didn’t, I pulled the trigger.

Nothing happened.

“You forget the safety,” he said as he raised his gun, his thumb clicking off his own safety. I focused on the tip of the barrel, wondering if I’d see the bullet.

Suddenly, he jerked sideways. His gun spun away. I lunged to my feet, but he was already falling, his arm spurting blood.

Shoko stepped out from behind him and drove her wakizashi through his heart. There wasn’t much blood—until she yanked the sword out.

She spun her blade, flinging the blood from it, and slid it back into the racket case.

“Did you … Is he dead?”

She stared down at me. “Do you have a problem with that?”

“Shoko, please get us out of here.”

Shoko was sitting beside me, legs crossed, looking out over the city toward the water when I managed to open one eye. We were in the park near Grandpa’s, behind the bench, the same place as the other day.

“Why’d you come here?”

She shrugged. “I told you, on this side I only go where I have been before, somewhere that should be safe, but even then there are no guarantees.”

I moved up beside her. “Why’d you take off and leave me alone?”

“You told me that radio thing was a problem, so I got rid of it.” She turned to look at me. “And you
should
be able to handle two men yourself.” She lay back on the grass and her eyes drooped closed. Bathed in moonlight, she looked exhausted—like I felt.

“Killing that guy … doesn’t that make you feel … bad?”

“I would feel bad if
you
were dead,” she said, her eyes still closed.

I sat back on the wet grass. “Did you hear what they said? My grandpa wants me dead!” I grabbed my head. “Did he find out about the journal? It can’t just be because I opened the safe!”

Her eyes snapped open. “I warned you. That gold has cursed him and it will curse you, too.”

I pointed a finger at her. “Everything was fine until you got here!” I backed away from her and struggled to get a breath in. “Why are you really here?”

She sat up. “I am here to help you!” She yelled so loud I worried the neighbors would hear her. “Did I not kill to protect you? Be strong! Take control of your emotions and fight against this evil or you
will
be dead!” She spit the last word out, her anger now as strong as mine.

I grunted. “But I have you to protect me, don’t I?” I meant it to sound sarcastic.

“But who will protect you from me?” Her eyes took on that hard expression I didn’t like. “If you let evil overtake you, I will kill you.”