The Kenji Files Dark Garden Part 2 - Inconvenience

The Kenji Files:
Dark Garden Part 2
Inconvenience

The air was feeling cold, but that had more to do with Kenji choosing to borrow her blazer and adjust his sock before going into the store to seek out some assistance. Seated behind the flagpole near the road, Emi was stark naked. Crossing her legs and wrapping her hands across her chest, her eyes followed Kenji as he approached the little convenience store set behind the gas pumps. Watching Kenji walk through the door, Emi wondered just how strange things had a tendency to get in this backwater part of the countryside; the clerk seemed to barely bat an eye at his disheveled, sock-and-women's-blazer-wearing appearance.

After an hour on the road, a car going by now would be pure irony; bitter, horrible irony. Huddling herself tighter, but knowing little really stood between someone's wandering eyes and her naked form, she contemplated what she might do if that irony became a reality; it wasn't a good prospect for Kenji. The only thing really keeping him alive by that point had been his ability to walk, but that would soon be immaterial. Although, the paperwork involved with explaining Kenji's death remained a reasonable deterrent. Emi grinned at the irony of bureaucratic red tape saving the fervent conspiracy theorist's life.

Staring through the door as her half-blind partner attempted to explain how he ended up naked in the middle of the woods, Emi assumed a pensive expression. They had agreed on making up a story about college shenanigans, but Kenji wasn't great at sticking to a script. The way he was gesturing wildly with his arms over his head, she thought it equally likely he was describing a bear attack – or a zombie apocalypse.

After a few minutes of ranting from her partner, the store owner stepped out of view and returned with a bundle of some kind, offering it to Kenji – likely just to get him to go away. Kenji stepped out a moment later, bowing thanks to the store-keeper, then quickly turning and walking across the lot to where Emi sat, carefully averting his half-blind eyes.

“He said there's a payphone out here,” Kenji said as he approached, digging through the bag. “He gave me some pants and stuff,” he described, pulling a pair of pants that looked about two sizes too big from the bag and tossing the rest to her.

Emi dug into the bag, quickly finding a big sweatshirt, and pulled it on before bothering to look for anything else. Kenji leaped into the pants, dropping the sock in the motion, but Emi was too late to avert her eyes. Groaning, he blushed, commenting, “it's cold out here, isn't it?”

“Yeah, sure,” Emi agreed noncommittally, digging into the bag, but only finding a pair of orange shorts and a box of Tic-Tacs remaining. Never having been one for high-fashion, she doesn't offer any complaint, quickly pulling the shorts on and sitting on her knees. Looking around the lot, she inquired, “where's that phone?" Tossing the bag back to him, she added, "and what's with the Tic-Tacs?"

“Other side of the building, he said,” Kenji pointed behind him, but nowhere near the building. Emi didn't bother pointing out the inaccuracy of his directions. As an afterthought, he mumbled, “The Tic-tacs are field rations.”

“You're an idiot,” she remarked.

A few minutes later, sitting on the ground next to the phone, Emi was listening to the ring through the receiver. Suspecting it would take a while for the ops center to clear the line, she waited impatiently, wanting the conversation to be over and done with as soon as possible. Kenji leaned against the phone box, gazing up at the trees – or maybe he had fallen asleep.

Finally the line connected and a clear, feminine voice broke the silence, “Sally's Pizza, thanks for calling.”

“Two large pepperoni and a coke,” Emi answered, using the coded response. “Ibarazaki, eight-eight, three-five-nine, wolf.”

The line is silent for a moment, followed by another connection sound and more ringing. Finally a familiar voice started yelling, “Ibarazaki, you better have a damn good explanation why you haven't checked in for three days!” While she was happy to hear Laromy's voice, his screaming soured the reunion - not that it wasn't expected.

Emi was quiet for a second, considering the revelation. “Three days?” she asked absently, her bewildered tone hard to hide.

“Where the hell are- wait, we already know. What the fuck are you two doing in Maine?” he barked. His mechanical keyboard could be heard over the line as he typed furiously. “Is Kenji with you?” he asked, sounding more annoyed than concerned.

Deciding not to be cordial, Emi barked right back, “shut the fuck up, Laromy, and listen. Trace this line and send an evac for two. We still have business out here, but fuck if I know how we're supposed to do anything in this state.”

“Maine,” he said flatly.

“Your attention span is encouraging, jackass,” Emi blurted, “just send the damn team and tell them to bring clothes and equipment for me and Setou.”

“Clothes?” Laromy inquired.

“Don't fucking ask!” Emi yelled, glaring at Kenji, “I'm sitting on the ground, legless, and Kenji's without his superfluous glasses.”

Kenji moved to say something, but Emi swatted his shin with her stick and he backed away, bowing apologetically. Laromy coughed and grunted, then the keyboard started making noise again for a few seconds. Emi rolled her eyes, waiting for him to finish. “Bureaucracy...” she muttered under her breath.

Laromy finally spoke, his voice somehow sounding less angry after Emi's tongue-lashing. “Chopper's on its way,” he explained, “tell Setou I expect a full report-”

Emi Interjected coldly, “when we're good and ready.” Glancing at Kenji again, she sighed. “Three days?” she asked again, this time expecting an answer.

“Yeah,” Laromy replied. Sounding bewildered, he inquired, "the hell happened?”

“Kenji happened,” she remarked, “you probably don't need to know the details.”

“I'll still expect that report,” he said, quickly adding, “I can imagine, though. Your evac should be there in twenty, so look sharp.”

“That'll be hard with Kenji wearing my blazer...” she muttered under her breath.

“What?” Laromy inquired.

“Right, wouldn't want to embarrass the agency by letting the grunts see us agents under-dressed,” she balked, rolling her eyes.

“This line isn't gonna stay secure, so contact me again when the chopper arrives,” Laromy requested. Pausing a moment, he started to say, “tell Kenji-” but Emi hung up before he could finish.

Rubbing her temples for a few moments as Kenji fidgeted in place; giving her an expectant look, but trying to be coy, she collected her thoughts. Admitting it was hard, but whatever gut feeling Kenji had about this place, it was apparently worth investigating. Noticing an inconsistency, she leveled a questioning glare on her fanatical partner and asked, “just to clarify something for my own sanity; we were in Massachusetts when they bagged us, right?”

Kenji raised an eyebrow at the question, but answered quickly, “yeah, in some po-dunk town near Purgatory Chasm.” He held up a finger to add, “Sutton or something.”

Nodding, recalling the little hovel, she inquired, “okay, so how the hell did we end up in Maine three days later?”

“A truck, probably – or a train,” he replied, making Emi scowl.

“No, you idiot-” she stopped her self and frowned, “what's the connection, I mean?”

“Well...” he started, but, backing away out of stick range, he looked at her pleadingly before finishing the thought, “it was in the file, but that's gone. I was going to suggest they bring the file, but you-”

Throwing her stick at him, she let out a frustrated grunt. Hitting his knee squarely, the stick bounced and rolled away. Kenji stumbled forward, reflexively grabbing his knee and wincing in pain. Evidently he was going to mention that while she was on the phone with Laromy. Now they were going to have to go back with the evacuation team, retrieve the file and find out what the hell this dark corner of Maine has to do with a geological anomaly three-hundred miles to the south.

Looking up at a sign near the entrance to the gas station, Emi noticed the name of the place; Kingsmouth Gas'n'Go. For some reason, the thought came to mind that this little town might become very important in the following days. At the very least, she wanted to know the name of the place where she murdered Kenji – for her memoirs.

Next part: http://pastebin.com/VFxX45h3