Yuki and Darren looked into each other eyes for a few minutes. Yuki lowered her eyes and blushed.
“Thank you.” Yuki said, “I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome,” Darren said.
“We should go catch that train.” Yuki said, “Its getting cold out, and we need to get to your brother. He might be freaking out right now.”
“We will take a cab.” Yuki said, “It is faster.”
Darren started to take off his jacket.
“I am not cold yet, silly,” Yuki said.
Darren looked down at her open sports jacket and her white blouse. Yuki’s nipples showed through her shirt.
“Still.” Darren said as he took off his bomber jacket and put it on her shoulders, “I have this hoody, and you just have that thin jacket.”
“Thank you,” Yuki said.
Yuki called a cab, and they rode down the streets towards the apartment. Darren was afraid of what the bill was going to be.
Darren pulled out his phone and sent a couple of texts out about the news. He sent one to his mom and his sister. He wanted to make sure that they were okay.
“Sorry,” Darren said, “I sent some text messages to my family back home. I need to know that they are safe.”
Yuki’s phone rang.
She picked it up.
“Hi, dad.” Yuki said, “What’s going on?” Yuki paused, and stood at the bottom of the steps, “We are in a cab on the way to Freddi’s apartment… We saw the news on my phone and Darren explained it to me… Yes, dad higher ground… Earthquakes? Is that normal? No, dad, I don’t remember that from high school… Yes, dad… We will go back to the apartment and make sure that Anthony is safe. Do you want us to go to our shelter? You sure? Bye, dad. See you later.”
“What’s happening?” Darren asked.
Yuki leaned in so that her head was right beside Darren. She spoke in a quiet, hushed tone right next to his ear. To Darren, it was evident that she didn’t want the cab driver to hear the conversation.
“My dad says there have been a couple earthquakes. Major ones just hit America.”
“Where?”
“New Madrid and San Andraois.” Yuki said, “I am not sure where those are.”
“I know the San Andraois one. Its pushing California into the sea.”
“Isn’t there a bad movie about that?”
“Yes, there is.”
“Where’s New Madrid?”
“I’m not sure.” Darren said, “My gut says that we should prepare somehow.”
“My dad has a storage bin on Omotesando Hills.” Yuki said, “Its filled with things that we can use.”
“Are we going to go meet them there then?”
“No.” Yuki said, “He thinks that its premature. Something about the apartment being good for an earthquake if one comes.”
“What about Tsunamis?”
“He isn’t worried,” Yuki said.
Darren looked at Yuki. She seemed calmer now. Like the act of calling her dad calmed her nerves down.
“So you’re preppers?” Darren said.
“Preppers? I don’t understand.”
“Preppers is a North American term for people who plan for the end of the world.”
“Zombies?” Yuki asked, “Those people that prepare for Zombies?”
“Kinda.”
“Aren’t they all crazy?”
“Some of them are.”
“Are you a Prepper?” Yuki asked.
“No,” Darren said, “I have an uncle who’s a big one. He says that if anything happens that we can head out to his house.”
“Its a little far now though.”
“Way too far,” Darren said.
“Aren’t you scared?” Yuki asked.
“I am.” Darren said, “But its abstract. Its not here yet. It isn’t going to hurt us five thousand miles away.”
“But what if it does?”
“That’s why we’re going to go get Anthony, and we’re going to go to a safe place.”
“You are humoring me,” Yuki said.
“Yes I am, but if your fears are correct, then we are safer.”
“And if it turns out to be nothing?”
“Then we have a funny story to tell,” Darren said.
The taxi bounced along the road in the darkness. The lights of the metropolis of Tokyo spread out before them. Darren found himself staring at the lights in the distance.
“Beautiful isn’t it?” Yuki said.
“It is serene,” Darren said.
Yuki leaned in and rested her head on his shoulder.
“You’re comfy,” Yuki said.
Darren wrapped his arm around her. Yuki grabbed hold of it and held on tight.
“Is it bad that I have a bad feeling,” Yuki said.
“What type of feeling?” Darren said.
“I don’t know how to describe it, but years ago with that tsunami, I wanted to go driving into the mountains that day. Something wanted to make me go.”
“I think I understand.”
“Do you really?” Yuki asked.
“I think so.” Darren said, “Its a feeling of unease. You don’t know what causes it, but something is making you feel off. You can sometimes drown the feeling with food or drink, but if its important, it stays.”
“That’s it.” Yuki said, “I’ve been having that feeling for a couple weeks now.”
Yuki’s phone rang again.
“Hello.” Yuki said, “Hi Sakiko… No, I can’t make it tonight… Just… No, I am not… Well maybe… Look, I can’t make it cause I must do something for my dad… Yes, I know that he’s paranoid… I’ll call you tomorrow… Get your mind out of the gutter.”
“Who was that?” Darren asked.
“That was just Sakiko,” Yuki said.
“Weren’t we going to the Katana club?” Darren said,
“That’s what she called about.” Yuki said, “But I said no.”
“Yellowstone?” Darren asked.
“Yes.”
The trip to the apartment was uneventful. The taxi pulled up to the front of the condo, and Yuki paid the bill.
“Let’s go get your brother,” Yuki said.
Chapter 5
Goru, the security guard, sat at his desk. He looked bored as he stared at a computer monitor.
Darren walked through the lobby to the security guard.
“Hi, Darren.” Goro, the security guard, said, “How are you this evening?”
“Good.” Darren said, “And you?”
“Good good. Some food arrived for your brother, but no one answered the bell.” Goro said, “Did you want to take it up with you?”
“Sure,” Darren said.
Darren picked up the paper bag full of food. Darren followed Yuki into the elevator.
“That’s weird.” Darren said, “My brother is usually all over free food. Especially sushi.”
“Maybe he’s sicker than we thought,” Yuki said.
“Maybe,” Darren said.
Worry crept into Darren’s mind. Darren was worried that something terrible had happened to Anthony.
Darren and Yuki walked out of the elevator and stopped outside the apartment. Darren grabbed hold of the door handle. It was unlocked.
“That’s weird,” Darren said.
He entered the apartment quickly.
The apartment was empty. Darren walked from room to room, looking for Anthony. No one was there. On the coffee table and dining room table were empty bags of chips. The two suite cases were where they were left, and both were completely untouched. Anthony’s backpack was gone.
“That stupid kid.” Darren said, “I shouldn’t have let him stay home.”
Yuki pulled out her phone and began to type a text message into it.
“I’m texting my dad to get him to call,” Yuki said.
“That’s a good idea,” Darren said.
Darren paced around the apartment, and he looked in the little areas that someone could hide if they wanted to prank someone. Darren looked in the closets, in all of the cabinets, and he even looked under the bed.