Interlude #8: Hirutani's Statement

Wheeler was the only one of the old gang to actually graduate from a high school. I got a GED. Shi and Blackie finished in Lorton down in Virginia. Nibbles died before he could finish. But Wheeler was always the smart one, so he got to walk across the stage and got handed a diploma. His grandparents showed up. His mom called at the crack of fucking dawn. His asshole father no showed. Again.

The whole high school thing had been kind of fun since I didn't have to attend any classes. Wheeler went to school just like a day job so it didn't interfere with any of our pickups or deliveries, and every so often there was a game or something and we'd go hang out for a day.

The Prom, I have to admit, was wicked fun. I wore a tux; he wore a solid black kimono. Gotta love a boy with that much class. Wheeler's out and not shy about it so people were a little shocked when we showed up together, but not actually surprised. I like having fun with the occasional skirt and there were plenty to choose from. I would have taken one home with us if he hadn't stopped me. I love the boy, but I swear he's got that pole wedged up his ass tight.

Wheeler used to be kind of wild but now he's straight as an arrow – so to speak. No skimming cash, no skimming stock, no touching the drugs, no smoking even. He even calls his mother every other day. He doesn't fuck with skirts at all – never did, really – and gets all bent out of shape if he hears about some sweet sixteen getting it up the ass in exchange for a ride home.

I was a bit worried about bringing him on the contract with me. I mean, if he wasn't lying, he used to fuck Kaiba's kid. That's gotta be one of those things security looks out for. But security had him come into the office and grilled him for like six hours and then a couple weeks later Wheeler and Kaiba had a wicked fight and that took care of that issue.

After the graduation, we went to one of his classmate's house for a kegger. Loud music, grilled meat and lots of beer. Plus the guy's mom was a total MILF. It only took a couple hours for me to eat and drink my fill and another fifteen minutes to get mom into the basement bathroom. Then I found Wheeler.

"How long do you want to hang out with these losers?" I asked him in Japanese. I look like I just got off the boat yesterday, so around his school friends, me no speek de en-grish.

"Depends. What you wanna do when we get out of here?"

"How about you fuck me in the car out front then suck my dick until I spurt all over his face; the cute boy with the wire-frame glasses?"

"How about I take you home and fuck you all night instead."

I shrugged. "Works for me."

"I'm sorry," Joey told them, "Tani's got to go see his grandmother before visiting hours end." I barely got to the car before I burst laughing.

We went home and fucked. I love getting fucked. I'm very bottom – not submissive, just I prefer catching to pitching. And Wheeler's good. He seems to know just the right angle and just the right depth to get me off. I've been with other guys, of course, but nobody else gets me off like Wheeler does.

Kind of a shame he's gonna be the fall guy in all this.

Wheeler's smart, but he's book-smart not street-smart. He's fast, and he can take damage and that's what saved him most of the time back in the day. I'm really hoping he and I can both just disappear to Mexico or somewhere when this is over. I'm gonna be pissed if I have to shoot him because he gets all 'moral' on me at the last fucking minute.

Or if he keeps up with this fainting crap. At first, it scared the shit out of me. Now it just pisses me the fuck off. About once a week he just drops. There's no trigger. At dinner, watching TV, grocery shopping once. Never actually during a pickup or a drop. He said it can't happen when he's really wired or when he's into what he's doing.

But I'd swear it happened one night when we were fucking.

It only lasts a few seconds – a minute was the longest. That was the first time. His eyes rolled back and his body just fell. He looked dead. The first few times, he woke up screaming like he saw a demon with his name on it. Now he wakes with a gasp. And sometimes a crooked smile – like wherever he goes in dreamland, someone's blowing him. I kept telling him that if it ever happens during a drop, I'll shoot him myself.

My phone rang early the next morning. I answered it because if it was a drop, it's major money.

"Yeah."

"Tomorrow. Usual place. 2pm."

"Kind of early, isn't it?" Usually pick-ups were after eight.

"Can't be helped. We need to hit this during the funeral."

"What funeral?"

"What funeral? What are you, blind and deaf? Just be there." He hung up.

I shrugged and hung up. "Who's funeral?" Wheeler asked, as I got comfortable again.

"Hell if I know. Pick up's at two."

"Why so early?"

"Funeral."

"We could do this all day." He sat up. "If it's big enough to change the drop time, it's probably on the news." He grabbed the remote and began flipping stations, looking for news. "Probably the Mayor or some shit."

He stopped on a channel that had business news and a headline at the bottom of the screen 'Authorities investigating son in Kaiba death'

"So Chad, how does this affect the market?" The perky blonde asked.

"Well, Diane, KaibaCorp is privately held so it's not listed on the New York stock exchange and it's not regulated by the SEC. So here in the US, it's not liable to be a big concern on Wall Street. Where this is going to be an issue is the Military."

"And why is that?"

"KaibaArms is a major military supplier, not only here in the US, Diane, but around the world. Gozaburo Kaiba ran that firm with an iron fist. Now, Seto Kaiba – his eighteen year old son – has been named CEO."

"The one they're investigating?"

"That's right, Diane. There are still some questions about the involvement of Seto and a second son, Mocuba, in their father's death. But sources at the KaibaCorp office here in New York say that they believe the boys are innocent and they are willing to go ahead with the appointment."

"Let me get this straight, Chad. Japanese authorities believe that these two teens – ah, Seto who's eighteen and Mokaiba who is only fourteen – these two boys seized control of the company then pushed their father – a man who adopted them ten years ago and raised them as his own sons – that they pushed this man out of a 35-story window. And the Board of Directors is moving forward with his appointment?"

"Yes, Diane, that is correct. A spokesman for the company here in New York tells us that they do not believe that either of the boys was involved; they say that it was simply a tragic accident and that they are moving forward with Seto's appointment as CEO of KaibaCorp and as the Chairman of the Board of Directors."

"BULLSHIT!" Wheeler turned the TV off.

"Whoa!" I sat up, having found a little respect for that punk-assed bitch Kaiba. "Shoved the old man out the fucking window! Oh damn!"

"What the fuck?" Wheeler snapped at me. "No fucking way! Ok? There is no fucking way Seto killed anyone! He's not like that."

"Hey, I was thinking the bitch found a pair." I leaned back. "Would explain what you were doing messin' with some damn bishe bitch."

"Kill it, Tani. I'm not in the fucking mood." He got out of bed and found his phone.

No one he knew in Japan was answering. Even his mother was off the radar. Every time he got a voicemail, he swore and left a message.

Finally, he threw the phone against the wall, hard. "Fuck!"

"Wheeler, hey come on!" I was getting a little pissed. "Let's go grab some food. What are you so bent out of shape about anyway? He's your ex – what the fuck does it matter?"

"It matters because it does!" He snapped. "Alright?"

"What, you still hard for him?"

"Don't be stupid, Tani. I just don't want to see the guy go down for a murder he didn't do."

"He'd be damn popular inside." I said, trying to check my own temper. "He wouldn't even need to drop the soap."

"Yeah." He smirked. "He'd likely get off on it too."

Sex and booze. Wheeler's two weaknesses were sex and booze. Get him lit and get him off and he'll do damn near whatever you want. "If I get you off, can we stop talking about your ex?"

He sighed. "Sorry, dude. Yeah. His problem. Fuck him." He reached out to me. "Come here."

"Later." But I smiled so he knew I wasn't still pissed. "Let's go grab some food."

"Cock tease." He grinned.

We headed out into the world. The news of the day split between the Kaiba murder and some Senator who got caught taking private notes with underage pens. We got some grub and picked up a couple Asian newspapers to get the real story.

Not murder, they were saying in Tokyo. But not suicide either. Kaiba launched himself out a window with the honor of a Samurai Lord. The free press was calling for a full investigation into what the old guy was hiding. The State media were calling for respect of the family's privacy in the wake of the death of a National – indeed a World – Treasure.

"Assholes." Wheeler snorted. "Guy was a first class douche. I wish I'd put one of his own bullets in him when I had a chance."

"Told you you've gone soft on me." I chuckled. I saw the skirt and waved her over for more coffee. "Back in the day, you wouldn't even have paused."

"Yeah."

Neither of us said much after that. Back in the day, we were both a lot looser. I was still counting on the old Wheeler to come through for me in the clutch.

But I didn't need it yet. The pick-up was simple – the office was closed so no one around to ask what was going out or to where. The drop off was cool. I actually knew RastaMan. He and I had done a job before I got this easy contract. He and his boys were no shit island boys. They actually manned the boats and sailed the shit in and out past the Coast Guard. I saw the boat they used. Rum and weed and the best parties. Anybody who'd get in the thing was either bat shit crazy or fucking fearless.

"Hey, let me ask you something." I said on the way home, after. "When did you have a chance to put a bullet in Kaiba?"

He shrugged. "Mokuba got snatched, like, a year back. Security picked up everybody they could and grilled them. Kaiba had it out for me personally." He paused and I nodded. "They locked me in cell and raked me over the coals. Bullshit mostly – my old man and shit. It probably took them five minutes to figure out I didn't know anything useful. But they kept me for, like, a couple weeks, I think. They put me in a two-by-three closet with a hole in the floor, left the lights on 24/7, probably fed me every other day, that kind of shit. You know the drill."