Lupin III Fan Fiction ❯ Love Potion Fujiko Mine ❯ Preparing For The Journey ( Chapter 27 )

Love Potion Fujiko Mine

By Bekka Mouri-Hibiki

(Lupin isn't mine. Jigen tells Goemon about the map and they talk about other things as well. Lupin and Fujiko have a heart to heart talk and Sgt. Martin looks over the evidence Faye and Zenigata dug up.)

Part Twenty-Seven: Preparing For The Journey

Jigen was looking over the layout of the boat's console when he heard someone approaching. He reached for the Magnum and spun around, relieved to see Goemon. " I see you're finally awake. Did you enjoy your nap? "

" It was alright considering I was cramped up in a small space with Fujiko, " Goemon said.

Jigen put the Magnum away; " It takes a lot of patience for me to be in large room with her. I can sympathize with you, buddy. "

Goemon sat down on one of the bench seats that flanked the control room, " I want to ask you about the map that Fujiko and I found. "

Jigen smiled, " You two really did good on that one. "

Goemon watched as Jigen opened up Lupin's laptop. " I assume Lupin managed to ferret out some information? " He stood up and walked over to the console.

" Boy did he ever, " Jigen said. " He's already shown it to me so let me see if I can show it to you. "

Goemon waited as Jigen loaded the map and started super-imposing different filters over it. " What is this? " He asked.

" These filters show the locations of various shipwrecks, " Jigen explained. " The filter with the red dots shows ships that carried gold; the green dots represent ships that had both silver and gold. The last filter shows ships that had gold, silver and jewels. "

" So you are saying we found a treasure map? " Goemon arched an eyebrow.

" There's enough treasure scatted between those five islands, it would take thirty years to get it all. Do you want to know the best part? " Jigen smiled.

" What is that? " Goemon asked.

" Those islands are totally deserted from what Lupin can find out. There isn't a soul on any of them, " Jigen sounded like he was really excited… for him anyway.

Goemon felt a smile tug at the corner of his mouth, " Really now? "

" Well, " Jigen got a cigarette out of his jacket and lit it. " Like I said, from what Lupin can find out. He had to really bust is ass to find out what little he could. "

" Perhaps there was more information back at the mansion, " Goemon said as he examined the map.

" Yeah but we can't go back there now. We're going to really have to hump it to catch up with Fabian and Miguel as it is, " Jigen said. " And we still don't know how much help they have on their side. "

" This is true, " Goemon nodded.

" So where's Lupin at anyway? " Jigen looked out the door of the control cabin.

" He is back at the car with Fujiko, " Goemon said sourly.

" Did he tell you what he decided while you two were sleeping? " Jigen asked cautiously.

" Yes but it seems my hand has been played out, " Goemon turned away from Jigen. " She was all over him when he told us. "

" He thought about it for a long time and he realized that Fujiko would be dead by now if it weren't for you. He really is grateful but you know he can't express stuff like that… well, not to men anyway. If you were a woman he would have tried to get in your pants to thank you, " Jigen smirked.

" If I were a woman, I would not even give him the time of day. "

Jigen shook his head, " Yeah. "

Goemon walked back over to the bench he had been sitting on and sat back down. " How much longer until we leave? "

" We'll shove off as soon as Lupin and Fujiko get back, " Jigen sighed. He sat down next to Goemon, " I can tell something is still bothering you. What? "

Goemon didn't look at Jigen, " What is wrong with that woman? She treats everything like it means nothing at all. "

Jigen smoked his cigarette for as he tried to form an answer. He sighed before shaking his head. " What do you mean by everything? "

Goemon bowed his head, " You know what I mean. "

" Are we talking about everything as in what happened at the mansion and at the hotel or just everything that happened at the hotel? " Jigen stubbed out his cigarette on the heel of his shoe before flicking it into a wastebasket.

" The mansion doesn't count because we were being influenced. At the hotel, we were ourselves and I thought things would be different, " Goemon muttered.

" But the two of you still ended up in bed together, " Jigen said.

" Actually, we ended up in the bathtub together. "

Jigen whistled, " Kinky. "

" I decided that we needed to hurry so I got in the bath with her, " Goemon glared at Jigen.

" That was a mistake, " Jigen commented.

" It seemed like a good idea at the time. The objective was to get the two of you out of jail as quickly as possible, " Goemon replied.

" Well, I'll give you three points for ingenuity but I'm going have to take ten points off for common sense, " Jigen got out another cigarette and lit it. He exhaled the smoke from the first drag, " You are never supposed to get in a tub with a woman that sexy until less you're either gay or can't get it up. Shit is bound to happen. "

" Indeed, " Goemon shut his eyes.

Jigen stared at the wall, " I hate to tell you this my friend. "

" What? " Goemon narrowed his eyes.

" You're just going to have to let her go, " Jigen said. " She's never going to be true to anyone. Lupin loves her so much he'd die for her and she doesn't stay true to him. She uses people and she tells lies all the time. "

" I know that, " Goemon grumbled.

" The best way I can describe her is as a spoiled child that only thinks of herself. Dames like her are nothing but problems but men fall for them anyway. They use their big tits and shapely hips to screw us out of everything because they know we can't resist the prospect of getting in between those legs, " Jigen said.

" Are you still bitter that you never got past making out with her? " Goemon arched an eyebrow.

" Hey! I never said that I was bitter over it, " Jigen glared at Goemon.

" She asked you to do something in exchange for sex, didn't she? " Goemon looked at Jigen.

" Yes but I talked her into doing the opposite, " Jigen said. " I wasn't going to be used like that. I told her that she had to give it up then I would do what she wanted me to do. "

" Just how far did you get with her anyway? " Goemon asked.

Jigen looked away, " This isn't about me. "

" You talk like you have been down the same road I am on, " Goemon said.

" Yeah, " Jigen nodded. He sighed and closed his eyes, " I guess I can tell you. "

Goemon nodded, " It would only be fair. "

Jigen held up his thumb and forefinger, holding the tips to where they were nearly touching. " We were that close but we got caught. When we were discovered, I had my hand in her panties and driving her crazy. She was so hot; she was trying to take my pants off so we could seal the deal. If Lupin had been just a minute later, he would have caught us in the act. "

" I see. Now I know why he is constantly taunting you about sleeping with her, " Goemon nodded.

" He won't let me forget that I almost laid pipe in her. Fujiko got pissed off at me because she thought I had told Lupin what was going on and wanted him to catch us. He had been bugging her about a threesome but she thought he meant him, her and me when he was talking about some chick he was seeing on the side at the time. She got really offended and hasn't seen me the same way since, " Jigen scratched his chin.

" I could not imagine sharing a woman like that, " Goemon was trying not to imagine it. He had heard about things like that happening but he could never see himself doing it.

" It isn't all that great, " Jigen shook his head. " Everyone ends up getting screwed over and tends to make enemies out of friends. "

" I can see the potential for a lot of jealousy, " Goemon muttered. " Were you mad at Lupin for catching you? "

" At the time, I wanted to kill him but I'm kind of glad Lupin caught us now. He saved me from a lot of shit, " Jigen looked at Goemon. " Now you know my dirty little secret about Fujiko and why we fight like cats. She thinks I'm disgusting pervert and I know she's a bitch. "

" You fight like small children, " Goemon stated.

" I noticed her ankle was wrapped up. What happened there? " Jigen decided to change the subject. He wanted to talk about something neutral in case Lupin walked in.

" She twisted it running away from someone that was shooting at her, " Goemon explained. " She was quite a mess when she got back to the room. When she twisted it, she fell into some dirty water and was wet. I will be surprised if she doesn't catch cold because the air conditioning was pretty cold. "

" If she got into the bath right away, she should be okay. How bad is her ankle? " Jigen stubbed out his cigarette.

" It isn't serious but I will have to look at it once we get going, " Goemon's voice trailed off as if he was trying not to say something.

" What? " Jigen asked as he lit another cigarette.

" She told me something that I wish I had known earlier, " Goemon said quietly.

" What did she tell you? " Jigen arched an eyebrow.

" If we had known it earlier, we could have disposed of Fabian and Miguel. She was too afraid to tell me then because she was trying not to think about it. She was trying to pretend it hadn't happened, " Goemon shut his eyes. " Perhaps if she had told me then, the others would still be alive. "

" What the hell are you rambling about? " Jigen was getting frustrated trying to figure out what Goemon was getting at. As he finished speaking, he came up with an answer. " You're not saying that they raped her, are you? "

" Yes. She told me she made it through by thinking about me. She said she tried to think about Lupin but I kept coming into her mind, " Goemon whispered.

" Oh man. No wonder you're so confused about what to think, " Jigen shook his head. " Damn, that woman is sending out more mixed signals than a radio-jamming device. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she confused about how she feels about you too. "

" It seems she has chosen Lupin over myself though. I wonder what they could be doing? " Goemon looked towards the door.

" I don't even want to think about it, " Jigen sighed.

**

" How about these? " Lupin asked Fujiko as he held up a box of cheese crackers. He had taken her to go grocery shopping and planned to talk to her as they did but she had been quiet the entire time.

" I said get whatever you want, Lupin. It's your share of the money, " Fujiko muttered. She had her head tilted downward and her vision was focused on the floor. Lupin's statement at the marina echoed in her head and she felt terrible.

" What I want is to talk to you, " Lupin said as he put the crackers in his basket. They walked around the store a little more before he spoke again. " I only told you the truth back there and I know it upset you but you'll feel better if you talk about it. "

" I can't put it into words right now, Lupin. Please just leave me alone, " Fujiko shook her head.

Lupin sighed, " I meant that you have to talk to him. He's not like the other guys you've been with. He's a part of our group but it could end up changing if you two don't try to figure out what is happening and how you feel about each other. Things might turn ugly if you don't get it out in the open, he could leave or be like Jigen and hate you. "

" I don't want him to hate me like that, " Fujiko put a hand over her eyes. " I just don't know what to do though. I care for him too much. "

" You hurt him, Fujiko. Jigen told me it looked like you shoved a knife in his heart back at the fight when you kissed me, " Lupin said.

" He did? " Fujiko looked at Lupin.

" Yeah, " Lupin nodded. " Now, you have got to figure out what is going on between the two of you. You two have feelings for each other but you're both trying to deny it. If you keep denying it, nothing good will come from it. However, if you two just give in and sort it out, it might be better. "

Fujiko put her hand on Lupin's forehead, " Are you feeling okay? Did some of those chemical fumes fry your brain? "

" No, baby. I feel fine. It's just that I truly did realize you wouldn't be standing here if it hadn't been for Goemon taking off and doing his own thing. I could have never been able to live with it if you had been killed, " Lupin's voice trembled as he finished.

Fujiko put her hand to her mouth, " Oh my God! I think you're going to start crying, Lupin. "

" You're damn right, " Lupin said, his voice trembling more. " This is just so overwhelming to think that you could have been killed. I honestly couldn't think of any way we could have got to you without Goemon. "

Fujiko threw her arms around Lupin, " You would have thought of a way. "

" No, " Lupin put his arms around Fujiko. " I've thought about it from every angle and I don't think we would have got to you or even had any idea where you were until your dead body was found somewhere… if it was ever found at all. "

" Shhh, " Fujiko whispered against Lupin's chest. " You're Lupin the Third so there would have been a way. "

" There was a way, " Lupin sobbed into her hair. " Goemon found all of the clues that led us to you. Goemon deserves all the thanks you can give him. His help was vital to this job. "

" Lupin, " Fujiko pulled back and looked into his eyes. " Everyone played a role in this mission. Hell, even Zenigata helped but I doubt most of it was by choice. "

" If it weren't for Pops, I would have been ambushed down there in the basement and that would have sucked, " Lupin said.

Fujiko tapped the end of Lupin's nose with the tip of her left index finger, " I hope you haven't forgotten who helped us break you out of jail. "

" Yeah, " Lupin nodded and sniffled. " He put a lot on the line to make sure we didn't go up the river for something we weren't involved in. I'll have to send him flowers or a bottle of scotch as a thank you. "

" Yes you will, " Fujiko wiped the tears off of his cheeks with the back of her fingers.

" Back to the subject at hand, I really want you to get this thing with Goemon worked out. It will be for the best, " Lupin said.

" But what if we decide we are in love? " Fujiko arched an eyebrow.

Lupin ran his fingers through Fujiko's hair, " A wise man once said that if you love something to let it go. If it is meant to be yours, it will come back and if it doesn't, it was never meant to be. "

Fujiko bit her lip then sighed. " I've come back to you so many times but what if I don't this time? "

" If that happens, I want to you to remember that I will always love you even if you aren't with me. If things really don't work out between the two of you, I will be waiting with open arms and I will wait until the day I die if I have to, " Lupin hooked a finger under Fujiko's chin. He leaned down to kiss her but she stopped him.

" What's wrong? " He asked.

" Don't bite my tongue this time, okay? " Fujiko said with a slight smirk.

Lupin cracked a small smile, " Okay. I won't. "

Fujiko parted her lips as Lupin kissed her. It was slow and sweet; time seeming to stand still around them until someone tapped Lupin on the shoulder. He turned to see that a small crowd had gathered and had been watching them. The crowd applauded but the man that tapped Lupin on the shoulder didn't look very happy.

" I'm sorry sir but I am going to have to ask you to please pay for your items and leave, " The man said. He looked like he was the manager of the store.

Lupin chuckled, " Oh, sorry. We forgot where we were for a moment. I'll leave since you asked so nicely. "

" Please do, " The man pointed towards the exit. " In case you got disoriented, the exit is that way. "

Lupin looked to where the man was pointing then looked at what he had in the basket. He had kept a running total in his head and shrugged. He reached into his pocket and handed the man one of the gold coins. " This should cover it and don't worry about a bag, old man. "

Lupin put his arm around Fujiko and they walked out the door while the man just stared at them. Once they were a good distance away, Fujiko elbowed him in the ribs. " You could have just paid him with paper money, Lupin. "

Lupin smirked, " I didn't have enough of that kind of money on me to pay for all of the stuff I stole. Matter of fact, I don't even know if that one coin will cover it entirely. "

" Oh, I see. And just what did you steal? " Fujiko arched an eyebrow.

" Let's see, " Lupin started to think. " I have five jars of caviar, four boxes of some really expensive cigars, six cartons of cigarettes, some scotch for Jigen, some sake for Goemon and a box of condoms. "

" You know I'm on the pill. Why did you steal a box of condoms? " Fujiko asked.

" Because I felt like it, " Lupin shrugged.

" Do I even want to know where you've hidden all of this stuff? " Fujiko looked down in the basket and saw there was a large grey plastic storage container with the lid firmly in place. Upon further inspection, she saw the lid was hinged.

Lupin smirked then showed Fujiko a tiny remote control, " Yeah. "I thought I'd test my new grabbing gadget while we were out. I think it works fine. "

Fujiko watched as Lupin played with the switch and a claw pushed the lid open. She blinked and screamed in surprise when it grabbed her left breast with lightning quick speed. " Lupin! " She shouted and slapped him upside the head as the claw let go.

" See. It works great, " He smirked and rubbed his cheek.

**

Sgt. Martin looked over the evidence that Faye and Zenigata had collected, his brow knitted in thought. He sighed and looked up at them. " I see that you've work rather hard to figure all of this out. "

" Yes sir. We have, " Faye said. " If it is acceptable, we would like to pursue the leads we have found. "

Sgt. Martin clasped his hands in front of him, " Everything you have shown me does seem to show that Fabian and Miguel are heading to that old leper colony. Now that I know that Lupin isn't their boss, I really can't condone the pursuit of him since he really isn't connected to this case. If anything, he should be rewarded for saving those women. "

" I agree but Lupin is wanted for several other crimes, " Zenigata said.

" Yes, he is. However, it takes quite a hero to concoct a scheme to save twelve women from someone like Fabian. There is no telling what those poor women had to do it that place but Lupin put a stop to it. Once we locate them, we can tell them that it was all a lie and they were lucky to be rescued by Lupin, " Sgt. Martin spoke just as the telephone on the desk rang.

" Excuse me, " He said and picked up the receiver. " This is Sgt. Martin… I see… the license plates are registered to Fabian, eh? There are no survivors? How many bodies? Yes, please get right on identifying the remains so we can notify the families. "

Zenigata looked at Faye and she looked at him. Their eyes were wide in confused shock as Sgt. Martin hung up the phone. Faye was the first to speak, her words coming out in a rush. " What was that all about? "

" That was the lead investigator from the bomb unit. They have finished the preliminaries on that explosion that was reported earlier. From what they were able to find so far, the vehicle that exploded was registered to Fabian. In addition to that, they have found what looks like the remains of ten people, " Sgt. Martin said solemnly.

Zenigata counted silently as he went through the names of all the women, all of which he had memorized from a duplicate file on the kidnappings. He then counted out silently on his fingers. He held his hands up, " But there were eleven girls on that list that were still missing, right? "

Sgt. Martin rifled through a portable file holder and found a list of the women that were still missing. Zenigata looked at it as well, his stomach knotting when he saw a big red line through Annalisa's name and 'deceased' scribbled next to it. Sgt. Martin noticed that Zenigata had gone pale " Is something wrong? "

" Annalisa Namura. " Zenigata pointed at the name. " Taro… I mean, Goemon only told me he had found a dead woman but never told me her name. Has anything come back about how she died? I was asked by her family to find her. "

" She was shot six times, " Sgt. Martin said. " The ballistic test shows she was shot with a .357 Magnum. The ammunition used was a particular brand that is thought of as an economical type since it is cheaper than most kinds of ammunition out there. "

~Damn… it sounds like Jigen shot her, ~ Zenigata thought. ~There has to be a logical explanation. ~

" Would you like to hear the rest of what I have to say? " Sgt. Martin asked.

" Yes, " Zenigata nodded.

" A 9mm pistol was found close to her body, " Sgt. Martin rifled through the files again. It is unclear if she was shot in self-defense because several bullets were removed from the doorjamb next to the garage entrance from the house. It was also noted that some black hair was found near where the experts believe the shooter had to be standing when they fired. "

" Where is this black hair now? " Zenigata asked.

" It is in the forensics lab. They are comparing it against known samples of Fabian's hair as well as Miguel's hair, " Sgt. Martin pulled out the file on the inquiry into Annalisa's death. " Here's the file if you want to look it over but I'm sure you'll find it boring. "

Zenigata put his hand up, " That's okay. I don't need to see it. Has her family been notified? "

" We found her father and he was devastated but I guess that was to be expected, " Sgt. Martin out the file back in the portable case. Sgt. Martin went back to the list of kidnapped women. " As for the remaining women, we won't know anything until we identify the remains found earlier and, regrettably, that could take months since we do have to contact at least eleven families. "

" Don't you mean twelve? " Faye spoke up.

" Twelve? " Zenigata and Sgt. Martin said as one.

" On the tape, " Faye pointed at the player. " Fabian and Miguel mention a woman named Megumi. I talked to a desk clerk at one of the hotels and she said that a woman named Megumi Ishikawa had reserved the honeymoon suite but never showed up. I checked and check again but no one has reported a woman by that name as missing. "

~Ah crap, ~ Zenigata felt a wave of panic wash over him.

" Ishikawa? " Sgt. Martin muttered. He thought for a moment then looked at Faye. " Isn't that also the name of one of the men in Lupin's gang? "

" Yes. He was the one that was impersonating an ICPO officer, " Faye motioned to Zenigata. " That's the man that brought Zenigata back to us, remember? "

" Oh yes, " Sgt. Martin looked at Zenigata. " How did you say you met up with Goemon Ishikawa at the mansion? "

" He told me he had slipped into the house undercover but all the women were gone except for one that had been killed. He found me in the living room with the gunshot wound and I told him that I had been shot by one of the two men in the basement, " Zenigata tried to recall the story he had told them when he ha come back from the mansion.

" So you drug yourself up from the basement to the living room? " Sgt. Martin asked.

" I barely remember making it up there but yes, " Zenigata nodded. " He told me everything he had found at the house as he drove me back to the temple. "

" Zenigata, " Sgt. Martin closed his eyes. " You've been chasing the Lupin Gang for many years now and you are telling me you didn't recognize Goemon Ishikawa? "

" He was disguised rather well, " Zenigata said. " I was also in a great deal of pain and couldn't see very well at the time. "

" Right. I do have to take that into consideration, " Sgt. Martin nodded. He opened his eyes and looked at Zenigata. His expression let Zenigata know that he thought something was going on. " I suggest you be more careful in the future. "

" What about Megumi Ishikawa? " Faye interjected. " We still don't know what became of her. "

" What information were you able to find out? " Sgt. Martin looked at Faye.

" Like I said before, she reserved the honeymoon suite at that hotel but never showed up, " Faye said. " It was reserved for two and the desk clerk said he husband had come to the hotel looking for her but he left when he found she wasn't there. "

" Did anyone speak to the desk clerk after that report of the suspicious taxi and the discovery of those darts? " Sgt. Martin arched an eyebrow.

" I spoke to the woman after I heard Megumi's name mentioned on the tape. Since the darts found in the alley matched the darts that were found at every kidnapping scene, I decided to take a chance on my hunch, " Faye glanced at Zenigata. " He helped me see that a hunch could be correct when he tracked Fabian and Miguel through those catacombs. "

" About that, " Sgt. Martin muttered. " Zenigata, you should have come back as soon as you found out that catacomb was not a dead end. What you did could have gotten you killed and was stupid. "

" But… " Zenigata said.

" No buts. I have notified your superiors about your conduct and they have told me that they will handle disciplining you once this case is solved, " Sgt. Martin said.

" Could we please continue you talking about Megumi Ishikawa? " Faye sounded desperate. " If she is still alive and out there, she might be in some very real danger. "

" How do you figure that? " Sgt. Martin looked at Faye again.

" If Fabian and Miguel were able to find the others then they will be able to find her as well, " Faye pointed towards the door. " I prefer to find her alive if you don't mind. "

" Please do not take that tone with me or I will have to discipline you, Investigator. I want the woman to come back safe as well but we don't even know what she looks like or the first place to begin looking for her, " Sgt. Martin said forcefully. " She will turn up eventually. "

Zenigata looked at Faye, " You said she had reserved that hotel room and her husband showed up looking for her, correct? "

" Yes, " Faye nodded.

" Perhaps he looked for her on his own and found her after the women escaped from Lupin, " Zenigata offered. " Since they were possibly reunited, they decided not to report anything. "

Faye bit her lip as she thought it over. She shut her eyes, " You could be right but I have to know for sure. "

Sgt. Martin stood up, " If that is so then she is probably with Goemon Ishikawa. I see why he would go as far as disguising himself as an ICPO officer if it was to save his wife but he has a rap sheet a mile long. You can look for her while you had out to those islands to look for Fabian and Miguel. "

Faye blinked, " So we can go? "

" That's what I just said, " Sgt. Martin pointed to the door. " If Zenigata's hunch is correct, everyone we are looking for is on the way to those islands. The two of you just need to get there and arrest them all. "

Zenigata smiled, " You bet we will. "

Sgt. Martin leveled his gaze at Zenigata, " Watch your step and take care not to be fooled easily. "

" I will, " Zenigata nodded.

Sgt. Martin looked at Faye again, " I know I don't need to tell you that. "

" No sir. I will be very careful, " Faye saluted her superior.