Chiyo Mihama walked along 45th Street, coming back from a particularly enjoyable lunch at an Italian restaurant. It was an unusually gorgeous day in New York City; the skies were so blue, one could barely notice the fringe edges close to the earth, where bands of grey smog sat like trolls under a brightly-painted bridge. Not a single cloud was in the sky, allowing the sun to reflect brightly off the spires and windows of Empire State, the Chrysler, Citibank, Bertelsmann, and the United Nations. This latter building was the one Chiyo was currently heading back to; her place of employment since graduating from UCLA. Her position there was as an assistant to Japan's Ambassador to the UN, one Hiroshi Tadakichi. When she first took this job, she was startled by the Ambassador's ironic name, which was practically the same as her dearly departed French Pyrenees. Because of this, Chiyo always greeted Mr. Tadakichi with a warm, friendly smile, as though he was an old friend whom she had known for years.
       Continuing along her way, past the occasional tree in spring blossoms, Chiyo felt very much at peace. However, little did she know that this peace was soon to be shattered.

       As she came to a crosswalk, she patiently waited for the light to turn red so she could cross. Right in front of her were two men in jet black suits and sunglasses; both of them were wearing earpieces. She looked at them with an odd glance for a moment, then turned her attention back to the traffic. They must be Secret Service agents, she thought. Wonder what they're doing here? Oh well, it's none of my business.
       The light turned red and the "Walk" sign appeared, prompting Chiyo to start walking across the street. However, she stopped short when she noticed that the two men in black weren't budging. Confused, she proceeded to start around them, but one of the men dodged right in front of her. When she attempted to go the other way, the other man also blocked her path.
       Chiyo, trying not to let herself get too frustrated, turned around 180 degrees on her heels, intending to go back the way she came and take some other route back to the UN building. Unfotunately, two more tall, imposing men in black suits were standing right behind her. She felt herself start to shake as one of the men addressed her in Japanese.
       "Are you Ms. Chiyo Mihama?"
       Quietly, she stammered, "Y—yes. Wh—who are you?"
       The man didn't answer, but instead turned to face his partner, whispering something so quiet that Chiyo couldn't make it out. The second man then bent down a little and took some of Chiyo's loose, unbound hair in his hands. He examined it for a moment, then nodded to the first man.
       "Ms. Mihama, you must come with us immediately."
       Chiyo's eyes grew wide, and her knees weak. "B—but I don't even know who you guys are!"
       "Who we are is not important. You will come with us, no matter what!" From behind her, one of the men who had previously blocked her path grabbed Chiyo roughly by the arm. Now fully alarmed and frightened by her current situation, Chiyo screamed, "Help!"
       The four men wrestled with Chiyo as she flailed, trying to free herself. However, by the time one of them had finally clamped his hand over Chiyo's mouth, it was too late. On this otherwise deserted street corner on the eastern side of Manhattan, someone had heard her cries, and was now charging forth to her rescue.

       It was all a blur before Chiyo's eyes: a woman in some sort of official uniform came barreling through the cluster of black-suited men that held the young UN employee captive. The men reeled back, and Chiyo stumbled to the hard concrete of the sidewalk. A little dizzy and disoriented, she sat there for a moment, watching through blurred vision as the woman threw some punches and kicks at Chiyo's captors. She turned her face toward Chiyo and barked—speaking in Japanese like the men in black—"Get out of here, Chiyo-chan! Run! I'll catch up with you later!"
       Not pausing to wonder who this mysterious woman was, nor why her voice sounded so familiar, Chiyo managed to get out an, "O—okay," and get on her feet. Without looking back, she started across the intersection, even though the light was green. In this way, she ran down sidewalks and dodged through traffic for the next few blocks; and even though all this running was physically exhausting for her, she did not once stop until she was before the main security gate right outside the UN building.

       Chiyo entered the facility panting, and ignoring all the stares she was drawing. She made a brief stop in the nearest bathroom, where she washed her sweaty face, neck, and hands. She started straightening her hair, when she paused, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She recalled the man in black who had run his fingers through her hair, and for a brief moment wondered why he did that. Why would these four mysterious men—she was absolutely certain now that they weren't Secret Service agents of any kind—corner her, then examine her hair? It made no sense to her.
       Then there was that weird woman, who she never really got a good look at. Was she a police officer of some kind? What was even weirder was not only that she knew Chiyo's name, but that she called Chiyo by her old nickname, "Chiyo-chan". No one had called her that since… high school.
       Chiyo let out a small laugh to herself and shook her head, thinking about how ridiculous these thoughts were. What would any of her old high school pals be doing in New York City? It's true that she'd lost touch with pretty much all of them since her college days, and that anything could've happened to them, but the chances of having an encounter with any one of them—especially outside of her native Japan—were pretty slim. Still, the woman's voice did seem a little bit familiar…

       Pushing all thoughts of her frightening, post-lunch adventure out of her mind, she made her way to the elevators and took the next one back up to Mr. Tadakichi's suite. She wasn't at all surprised to see the secretary give her a concerned look as she came in the door. Chiyo smiled bashfully and scratched the back of her head.
       "Sorry I'm late," she said. "I had a little trouble during lunch."
       "So I heard. It's a good thing that one of the agents of Interpol was there to rescue you."
       Chiyo was not expecting this kind of reply. "Huh?"
       At that moment, Ambassador Tadakichi entered the room from his private office in the back. "Chiyo! Thank goodness you're safe. When I got that call ten minutes ago, I became worried. Do you know why these men are after you?"
       Chiyo looked at the Ambassador, then at the secretary, then back at the Ambassador. "Uh… who called you? How do you know what happened?"
       "Someone from Interpol—she'll be here any moment now, as a matter of fact. Are you all right? You aren't hurt, are you?"
       Chiyo shook her head. "No. I probably have a few bruises here and there, but for the most part, I'm okay."
       "Thank goodness," the Ambassador replied as he sank into an armchair. He stared up at the clock mounted on the wall. "I hope they get here soon. This matter of my assistant being assaulted is worrying, to be sure, but I have much to do today."
       "Are you talking about the agent, sir?"
       "Yes. I can't remember the name she gave me, though. Ta- something."
       "Takino."
       Chiyo whirled around to face the door upon hearing the name. She couldn't believe her eyes.
       "Tomo Takino, of the International Criminal Police Organization—Interpol," the woman at the door continued. "At your service!"

*****

       This was shaping up to be one of the weirdest days of Chiyo's life. She gets assaulted by black-suited men on her way back from lunch, only to be rescued by Tomo, her old friend from Miss Yukari's class. It was now nearly ten years since Chiyo had left Japan for the United States, and though she kept in touch with some of her old friends for awhile, she never imagined that she'd actually see one of them, especially not under circumstances such as these.
       After a brief meeting, Ambassador Tadakichi gave Chiyo the rest of the afternoon off, and asked Tomo to escort her home after she filed her report. Tomo accepted this assignment with great zeal, and told the Ambassador that she'd do his best to protect his favorite assistant. Chiyo sighed; even after all these years, Tomo was still the same in many ways.
       Despite her reservations, Chiyo packed away her belongings into her laptop case and pulled her coat from its place on the freestanding brass coatrack. After Tomo and the Ambassador had exchanged handshakes, Chiyo gave another pleading look at her boss. Ambassador Tadakichi smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder.
       "It'll be all right, Ms. Mihama. The agents of Interpol are professionals. I'm sure Ms. Takino will take good care of you, and put you in touch with whatever authorities you need to contact."
       "But—" Chiyo started, not knowing how to say it. But you don't know Tomo…
       From behind them, Tomo insisted, "C'mon, Chiyo-chan, let's get a move on!" Chiyo looked back at Tomo, who wore a warm, friendly smile, then back at the Ambassador.
       "Oh, very well. I'll be back tomorrow."
       "I look forward to seeing you, and hope that those men who assaulted you will be tracked down."
       "Thanks."
       "Okay!" said Tomo, punching a fist into the air. "Let's blow this popsicle stand!"

       Chiyo left the UN Building with Tomo. It was the middle of the afternoon, and the weather remained as good as it was during lunchtime. Chiyo took a deep breath, then started walking.
       "Hey, what're you going in that direction for?" inquired Tomo.
       "There's an Interpol office in this direction, isn't there?"
       "Ahh, forget about that for right now! Let's go get a drink and catch up on old times!"
       "But Tomo—" Chiyo started, multitudes of very good arguments against this plan running through her mind, each one begging to be chosen.
       "No buts! You're in my custody now, which means what I say, goes!" Tomo replied, with a very noticeable smirk across her face.
       "Oh great… so I'm at your mercy now, huh? Maybe I'd rather be captured by those men in black!"
       "What was that, pipsqueak?" Tomo replied. "You know, you've barely grown since I last saw ya! Now come on, we gonna get a drink or what?"
       "Only if you'll promise to take me to the local Interpol office afterward, so you can file your report."
       "Yeah, yeah, yeah. Now let's go."

       Chiyo and Tomo wound up at a little Irish pub some five blocks away from the UN Building. After taking a table near the back, Tomo asked Chiyo what she would like. Chiyo asked for a pear cider, but when Tomo came back, she was carrying two glasses of dark, foamy Guinness. After grimacing upon seeing the glasses, Chiyo started to argue, but the smug look on Tomo's face indicated that arguing would get her nowhere. Tomo set the two glasses on the table; one of them before the grimacing Chiyo. Tomo laughed.
       "What, you honestly thought that I would mix up your order? Both of these are for me! I wanted more than one drink, but not a whole pitcher, so…" Tomo replied as she pulled the second glass back to her end of the table. "Listen. I've gotta go back to the bar and get your cider. I'll be right back."
       Tomo turned around and went back to the bar, where the bartender had just set a glass of clear golden liquid on the bar. Tomo paid him, then picked up the glass—along with three coasters and a small stack of napkins—and returned to hers and Chiyo's table.
       "So, Chiyo-chan, how've you been? We lost touch so quickly after you came to this country!"
       Though she hated to admit it—even to herself—Tomo was the one person whom she had intentionally lost touch with. "Well, I've been okay. I graduated from school and then went and got my Master's."
       "A Master's degree, eh?" Tomo sighed. "Wouldn't have expected anything less from you, I guess."
       "Unfortunately, Mr. Tadakichi died during my junior year as an undergraduate."
       "Mr. Tadakichi? But we just saw him in his office!"
       "No no no," Chiyo said, shaking her head. "Not Ambassador Tadakichi, Mister Tadakichi, my old dog."
       "Oh, right," Tomo said, bowing her head. "Sorry about that."
       "So anyway, I was referred to this job at the UN shortly after I graduated, and I've been there ever since. Now, how about you? I remember that you wanted to join Interpol, but I didn't actually think you'd make it!"
       "And what's that supposed to mean?"
       "Uhh, nothing," Chiyo replied with a nervous smile.
       Tomo gave Chiyo a suspicious look, then drunk deeply from her glass and pounded it back on the table. "Well, if you must know, I graduated from school with a degree in criminology. My professors wanted me to apply for the Tokyo police force, but of course, I had bigger plans."
       "So you applied for Interpol?"
       "Correct!" Tomo said with a grin.
       Chiyo tilted her head and focused on her old friend. "Umm… how many times did you have to apply?"
       Tomo seemed shocked by this comment at first, but then she sighed and sank her head onto the table, atop her folded arms. "I lost count. But I was determined to make it, no matter what!"
       "And make it you did!" Chiyo said with a smile, hoping to lift the mood of the table once more. "I'm happy for you, Tomo!"
       "Well, it's not as easy as it looks. Sure, I managed to get a position with Interpol, but not the one I was hoping for."
       The mood sank again, and Chiyo's efforts turned out to be for naught. "What do you mean? You aren't an agent?"
       "No."
       "Some kind of apprentice agent, then?"
       Tomo raised her head and sighed ruefully. "I wish."
       Chiyo lowered her head in thought, trying to remember what little she knew about Interpol. She shook her head. "Then what are you? I can't think of many other positions you would've wanted to go for, unless it was an internship--"
       "Yes, that's it," Tomo replied, her voice conveying her frustration. "I'm an intern. A mere, lowly intern."
       Chiyo smiled. "I'm still happy for you, Tomo. International agencies like Interpol don't take on interns very often. You should consider it an honor!"
       "Damn it!" Tomo exclaimed, pounding the table with her fist. "I could be traveling across Europe, chasing down international art thieves, but instead, I'm stuck here in New York filing papers and doing other stupid menial tasks!"
       "Oh come on, surely it's not all busywork!"
       "No," Tomo sighed. "But sometimes it does feel that way."
       Still trying to cheer up her old classmate, Chiyo continued, "You even have a uniform too! How official!"
       Tomo shrugged. "It's just a dress uniform. I was attending some official event today and had to wear it."
       Chiyo nodded and stared down at her glass. At this point, there was no use continuing on their current track; she had to change the subject, lest the mood get even worse.
       "So, have you kept in touch with anyone from our old high school?"
       "Just Yomi. I kinda slacked on the whole 'keeping in touch' thing for the most part."
       "Yeah, me too," Chiyo replied with a nod. "So what's Yomi doing these days?"
       "Last I heard, she was working at a TV station in Tokyo. That was a couple months ago."
       "Sounds cool! Any idea as to exactly what she's doing?"
       "Nope. She wouldn't tell me. I don't know why, seeing as how we've been such good buds all these years."
       Chiyo nodded, then happened to catch a glimpse at the clock on the bar's far wall. It was getting late, and Tomo still had to take her to the local Interpol office and file that report. But on second thought, could Tomo really do that, as she was just a "lowly intern"? Would she get in trouble for what she did? Chiyo gave Tomo a sad, wondering look, which the latter met with her own quizzical expression. Then, all of a sudden, Tomo narrowed her eyes, prompting Chiyo to widen hers.
       "What's up, Tomo?"
       "Duck!"
       "What? In here?"
       "Of course not, numbskull! Just—"
       At that moment, Tomo reached across the table and grabbed Chiyo roughly by the forehead, then pulled it downward to the hard wooden table. Chiyo let out an "OW!" and was about to yell at Tomo, when she felt the presence of someone behind her, leaning over her. Though she couldn't see this stranger, the feeling that overwhelmed her that moment was not unlike the one she felt earlier that day, when those strange men in black, who looked so much like Secret Service agents, had her surrounded.

*****

       Tomo got off of her stool and confronted the tall man in the black suit, who had just unsuccessfully tried to grab Chiyo from behind. She got into a fighting stance; Jeet Kune Do or Tae Kwon Do, she couldn't remember at this time. All the martial arts training she had done in college and afterward—all the be the more kick-ass when she became a fully-fledged member of Interpol—had blended together after so many years. It had come in handy on more than one occasion, and now was no different. The only thing that bugged her was that she had no name for her distinct fighting style, nor did she have a signature move. Staring up at her opponent's face, she was struck by his incredible resemblance to Jigen, a character from her favorite old-school anime series, Lupin the Third. Her past aspirations to emulate Fujiko and her awesomely feminine looks whistled through her mind as she stared the Jigen impersonator down.
       Without removing his eyes from Tomo, "Jigen" cautiously reached over to grab Chiyo by the arm; but Chiyo, now fully aware of what was going on, quickly slid off of her stool. Jigen's hand snapped forward, faster than a viper, and grabbed her anyway, causing Chiyo to yelp in surprise. Tomo sprung into action almost immediately, her right leg raising up to kick Jigen right where it hurt—between his legs. Chiyo's arm was released, and the younger woman used the opportunity to scramble around the table so that she was right behind Tomo.
       "Let that be a lesson to you, Jigen!" Tomo declared. "If you mess with my friends, you mess with me!"
       "Jigen?" the man mumbled as he staggered before Tomo and Chiyo.
       By now, the trio had drawn the attention of numerous pairs of eyes, all in varying degrees of inebriation. The bartender was glaring at Tomo, wearing the obvious, "Take it outside!" look. Tomo just took Chiyo by the arm and, with a smug and triumphant grin on her face, pulled her toward the door, and back out onto the street.
       Chiyo shuddered once they left the bar. "Those men are everywhere!"
       "You know what they want with you?"
       "No idea. But during my first encounter with them, one of them ran his fingers through my hair!"
       "Huh, that's weird."
       "Yeah. Any idea what it might mean?"
       Tomo folded her hands across her chest and lowered her head in thought, while Chiyo stared at her patiently. "Hmm… hmm… hmm… A-HA! I've got it!"
       "What? Really? Can you please tell me what it is?"
       Grinning candidly and scratching the back of her head, Tomo replied. "'Fraid I can't. I was just bluffing."
       Chiyo sighed wearily and leaned against the front wall of the bar they'd just left. "I should've known you'd say something like that!" She straightened herself out, and, much to Tomo's surprise, took her by the arm and started leading her back to the bar's entrance.
       "H—hey Chiyo! What the hell are you doing? Do you want to risk being captured by Jigen again?"
       "Who's Jigen?"
       "He's—oh, never mind," Tomo replied as Chiyo continued to pull her along. "Anyway, go ahead and do what you want! Get yourself caught again! See if I care!"
       "Sorry Tomo, but I need to find out what these guys want from me."
       "You—ohh… I get it now. Very well then. Lead on, Chiyo-chan!"
       Chiyo smiled and nodded, then entered the bar with Tomo in tow. They searched everywhere, but couldn't find him. Not even the bartender knew what happened to him, or how he had escaped. Disappointed, and with anxious hearts, Tomo and Chiyo left the bar.

---

Written November 2004 | Copyright 2004, Reeve.

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