Thanks for waiting for this part. And thanks for everyone who sent C&C to
the alternate addy while I was gone.

But I'm back, and you can all send your C&C to this addy now.

That said, enjoy!

=====


	It was a memory, locked deep within him, hidden away in a safe place...
kept in a little corner of his mind, to turn to every time he wanted to...

	The makeshift wooden bridge. The stream, flowing down from the hills
around, branching out; water spreading out in rivulets onto the field.
	The field. Green. Yellow. Orange.
	The sky. Blue. Unending blue. Blue broken by the sun.
	The sun. Warm. Bright. At the center. The center of the sky. Shining down
on the path below.
	The path. The path between the flowers.
	The flowers.
	Nabiki.
	The pounding. The pounding in his head, in his chest. 
The hands, shaking, holding out the flower to her.
	The smile. Warm. Bright.
	Soft hands, touching his, taking the flower.
	The flower. A sunflower. Himawari.
	Himawari.
	Himawari.


	"Mitsuru! Use this!"
	Mitsuru's head spun for a moment as he was dragged back into the present.
He looked down to his hands. An Uzi. 
	"Mitsuru!" Kintaro said to him from the front seat. "Are you all right?"
He blinked and looked out of the window. The houses were whizzing past, and
for a moment he couldn't understand why they were.
"Hey!" the woman said, tapping him on the shoulder. "You okay, buddy? You
don't look so hot."
And suddenly, as if someone was slowly raising the volume, the roar of the
engine began to fill his ears, and he realized where he was.
He darted forward, between the two front seats and yelled at Kazuya.
"Nabiki! We've got to save Nabiki!"
	

TimeRunner presents:

Y E N   T O W N

A Limited Fanfic Series

All characters and trademarks used within are properties of their
respective owners and are being used without consent for non-profit purposes.

=====

Chapter 5

	"Why are we just parked here?" Mitsuru asked. They were in an alleyway,
before the corner into the main street. "They're getting away!"
	"They are not getting away," Kintaro said, lighting another cigarette.
	"You!" Mitsuru said, turning to look at Kazuya. "Don't just sit there,
move this thing!"
	"Not until Kintaro-sempai gives the order," Kazuya replied.
	"Why aren't we chasing after them, anyway, Kin-chan?" Sakura asked.
	"We are," Kintaro replied as he exhaled the smoke out the window.
	"So why...?" Sakura started, but Kintaro interrupted her.
	"They're parked around the corner, at the local Seven-Eleven to pick up
some liquor, some condoms, some cigarettes..." He cleared his throat as he
continued, almost mumbling, "Ahem... and several .44 rounds for Tetsuo's
pet Desert Eagle. They always do," Kintaro said matter-of-factly.
	"So?" Mitsuru replied. "Let's go out there and save Nabiki!"
	Kintaro chuckled. "Here you are, sleeping with that beautiful woman every
chance you get..." he began, face darkening a bit.
	"I do NOT," muttered Mitsuru. No one should know that better than me, he
thought.
	"...And you don't even know her as well as you should," Kintaro finished.
	"What do you mean?" Mitsuru asked, but his question was ignored.
	".44 caliber rounds? At a Seven-Eleven?" Sakura wondered out loud.
	"It's a front for an arms dealer," Kintaro said. "One of the operations
Tetsuo allows to run in his city. A necessary evil, if you will."
	"So when do we move?" Mitsuru demanded.
	"We'll know when," Kintaro replied. "Nabiki'll let us know. Even if she
doesn't realize it."


	A face only a mother could love.
	It was a clich� that came to mind as Nabiki sat across from 'E', the
lackey Tetsuo left behind to guard her. Already she could see him mentally
undress her with his eyes, eyes that every so often darted toward the door
of the convenience store, just in case his lord and master decided to pop
out for a smoke and smash up his face from long range, like he did his
drinking buddy. The way he fingers clumsily tried to seduce her - grope
would be a more appropriate word -- almost made the way Tetsuo touched her
seem clean in comparison.
	He suddenly drew back, and Nabiki turned to see the convenience store door
open. She heard the thug breathe a sigh of relief as the head thug ('A',
she heard Tetsuo call him) came out and signaled the drive to turn around.
"Pick up the goods from the back entrance," she heard him say.


	"Did you hear that, people?" Kintaro said. "I hope you have your seat
belts fastened."
	"Yes, Kin-chan," Sakura replied.
	"Gotcha," Kazuya said.
	"Our what?" Mitsuru asked.
	"I suggest you do the same, Mitsuru," Kintaro said. "Kazuya."
	"Sempai?"
	"Back up about fifty feet. Stop for five seconds, then quick-start the car."
	"Backward?" Kazuya asked.
	"No. Forward."
	Kazuya blinked in sudden realization. Oh, I get it! "Yes, sempai!"
	Kintaro snapped his fingers. "I think this would be a good time to
introduce you to one another, while we haven't taken any casualties. Ikeda
Mitsuru, this is Hasukawa Kazuya."
	"I'd shake your hand right now," Kazuya said, "but I'm kind of busy.
Sakura..." He flinched. Damn. I'll never get used to this, he thought.
"Sakura, could you please duck down? I can't see behind you."
	"Oh, sure, Suka-chan," Sakura said as she did, and Kazuya felt his face go
red.
	"Suka-chan?" Kintaro asked, a grin on his face. "Never mind. I don't think
I want to know. Anyway, this is Chukawa Sakura."
	"THE Chukawa Sakura?!" Mitsuru exclaimed.
	"Actually, that's just my stage name," she replied. "My real family name
is Kuriyagawa. You can see why my agent made me use another name."
	"Okay, people," Kintaro announced, "that's enough pleasantries for now.
Brace yourselves. One."


	Nabiki smiled and licked her lips slowly, drawing 'E's attention away from
the hand that was reaching into the coat pocket that contained Mitsuru's .38.


	"Two."


	The limo backed up past the corner and began to turn into it, Nabiki
noticed over 'E's shoulder as he wrapped his left arm around her waist
while groping at her breast with the right.


	"Three," Kintaro said, opening the sunroof.


	Nabiki gave a start as the limo screeched into the alleyway and knocked
over an empty garbage can, nearly making her drop the concealed gun. "Don't
worry, 'E'," the driver said out loud, lowering the divider between the
front seat and the back, "if the gun can withstand a few shots from a Colt,
it sure as hell won't scratch from a bang-up with some puny garbage can."
	"So who's worried?" 'E' replied. "What's the matter, baby?" the goon
attempted to croon to Nabiki with day-old whiskey breath. "Don't worry,
I'll be gentle."
	"So who wants gentle?" Nabiki said, only half-kidding.


	"Four. Damn, and I liked this car, too."


	"Shit, man," the driver called back to 'E', "if Shima catches you messing
around with his playthings you're goin' the way of Konoichi, man."
	"What he doesn't know won't hurt him or me," 'E' said as he stroked
Nabiki's inner thigh.
	Oh, yes it will, Nabiki thought, drawing back the gun hammer with her thumb.


	"Five! Step on it!"
	

	"What the fuck?!" the driver said, slamming on the brakes a little too
late. The limo slammed into the oncoming red sports car, and the driver
crashed headfirst into the windshield with a crunch.
	Nabiki fired a shot through her coat into 'E's crotch at the moment of
impact, hoping to conceal the noise of the gunshot.
	It worked. Nabiki and 'E' both tumbled forward, and she used the thug's
body to cushion the impact. 
He doubled over, screaming, blood oozing down from a scalp wound and
splashing out from his crotch. She sat there for a while, watching him
extend a bloody hand toward her before plugging him in the forehead.


	"Is everyone all right?" Kazuya asked, unbuckling his seat belt and
reaching for the Uzi underneath his seat.
	"Well, nothing's broken," Sakura replied, rubbing her shoulder where the
seat belt was fastened over.
	"That's the signal," Kintaro said noting the gunshot. ".38 Colt. Your gun,
Mitsuru."
	Mitsuru shook his head to clear it, and nodded. 
Kintaro opened the sunroof, peeked out, turned around, and fired one shot.
The bodyguard's head snapped back as the bullet hit him squarely in the
face. He climbed all the way out and slid down the shattered windshield.
"Hold the other bodyguards off! I'll get Nabiki!"


	Nabiki clambered over the front seat and searched for the locking switch.
She unlocked the door and opened it, but couldn't get it opened more than
an inch or two because they were lodged against the wall.
	Think fast, Nabiki,  she thought, searching for another way out. 
	"Try the sunroof," she heard someone say. She looked forward and saw a
shape through the smashed windshield. She searched the dashboard, found the
switch and flicked it, but the sunroof wouldn't budge.
	"Well?" the voice called out above the sounds of gunfire.
	"It won't open!" she called out.
	"Hold on, I'm coming!"
	Right after the figure said it, he kicked the sunroof open. "I'll help you
out! Hurry!"
	She looked up and saw a familiar man wearing an unfamiliar ponytail and a
very familiar red cap. "Kintaro!" she cried.
	Kintaro grinned. "Hey, I had to make up for my botched rescue sometime,
right? Now come on! Give me your hand!"
	Nabiki nodded, and took his hand.
	"Sempai!" she heard someone call out. "We'd better get out of here
quickly! They're beginning to regain their wits!"
	Kintaro called back, "Fine! Kazuya! Provide cover, while we get Nabiki and
Sakura out of this damn alley!"
	"Sure thing, sempai, but I only have two clips left! I gave Ikeda-san the
other two!"
	"Then fire in three-round bursts!"
	Sounds of sub-auto fire began ringing out from the back entrance of the
store, as well as orders barked by Tetsuo.
	"Don't worry," Kintaro said, "they can't bring out more than three men at
a time. The alley's too narrow. If they do, they'll gun their own men down.
	Amid the staccato of sub-auto fire rang one shot, like a thunderclap.
	"Damn it!" Kintaro cursed. "That was a .44! We'd better get the hell out
of here!" He broke out into a run, dragging Nabiki along while she
struggled to regain her footing.


	"Get out, now!" Kazuya screamed, giving Sakura a boost out the sunroof.
"Ikeda-san! Cover her!"
	Mitsuru moved out of the way of the sunroof and fired one ten-round burst
at the cast iron door, pockmarking it, shredding a gunman's forearm, and
shattering the small glass window.
	Sakura leaped down onto the trunk and off the car and scrambled over the
hood of the limo.
	"I'll cover you, Ikeda-san! Go!" Kazuya jumped through the sunroof and
fired two three-round bursts at the inner edge of the door. It fell off its
pulverized hinges, clanging on the concrete alley floor. 
	Mitsuru nodded, then leaped from the top of the GSR to the top of the
limo, then ducked under the top portion of the car, pointing the Uzi at the
doorway. "Kazuya! Quickly!" He fired a round then ducked back under the top
of the car.
	Kazuya turned around and positioned himself to jump.
	Tetsuo stepped into the alleyway and fired one shot.
	Kazuya heard it whiz past him, to his side as he jumped.
	The slug slammed into the limo windshield, through the driver's head, out
the rear windshield, and snapped as it struck Mitsuru's right shoulder.
	"AGHK!" cried Mitsuru as he dropped the Uzi and fell backwards, off the
trunk.
	Kazuya spun in midair as he fired the last two three-round bursts at Tetsuo.
	Tetsuo smiled as the first burst struck the hood of the GSR, missing him
completely; he continued smiling as the second struck him squarely on the
chest. He staggered back two steps from the force of the impact.
	Kazuya landed on his back on the top of the car, then flipped over the
trunk and draped Mitsuru's arm over his shoulders as the GSR exploded in a
wall of flame that separated them from Tetsuo.
"Let's go!" he cried, picking up the other Uzi and dragging Mitsuru along.
"Sakura!" he called out. "Help us out here!"
	"But we'll lose Kin-chan!" Sakura said, stopping her run and turning around.
	As she did, they saw Kintaro and Nabiki ride past on Kintaro's signature
bike, the Crescent Moon. Kintaro signaled to Kazuya, then rode off.
	"Don't worry! I know where they're going! They'll probably meet us at the
Yen Town camp!" Kazuya said. "Mitsuru, are you..."
	"I'm fine!" Mitsuru said, staggering back to his feet and pushing Kazuya
away. "Let's get to that damn camp!"


	Tetsuo coughed, slightly. "So," he said weakly. "Kintaro's behind this.
Heh, it figures..." He clutched at his chest where the bullets struck him
and flinched.
	"Shima-san!" 'F' called, running out to help him.
	Tetsuo raised his Desert Eagle and plugged him in the head.
	He made a motion like dusting off his chest and the flattened bullets fell
off from where they were lodged into his kevlar vest. "Mitsuru, Hasukawa,
Kintaro, Nabiki... and Sakura? This gets more interesting all the time."
	"'A'," he said to his main bodyguard while taking off his shirt and
putting on a new one given to him, "gather up all our loyal men. The ones I
haven't asked Kintaro to 'educate'. We're going hunting."


	To be continued... 
	

=====
TimeRunner's Page:
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Towers/7482

icq: 7153134 (Keiichi)
=====

"The story grew in the most convoluted way, as many people will be
surprised to learn. Writing episodically meant that when I finished one
episode I had no idea about what the next one would contain. When, in the
twists and turns of the plot, some event suddenly seemed to illuminate
things that had gone before, I was as surprised as anyone else."

--- Douglas Adams, "A Guide to the Guide"