A Dangerous Game

Haruki rushed out and found a figure standing at the end of the corridor.

It was Natsuki, looming over one of the officers. His expression was drawn and tired, yet furious, with bloodshot eyes from lack of sleep.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Haruki demanded, rushing over to check the state of the officer. Yakuza members and other officers crowded the crammed corridor.

"Who are you?" Natsuki growled, his voice low and menacing as he glared at Haruki. "And why do you think you have the right to barge in here like this?"

Haruki met Natsuki's gaze head-on, his jaw set with irritation. "I'm a police officer, and I'm here to uphold the law," he replied evenly. "We're searching for leads on the recent drug trafficking in the area."

Natsuki's eyes narrowed slightly at the mention of the drugs, a flicker of recognition passing across his features before being replaced by a mask of indifference. "We have nothing to say to the likes of you," he spat. 

"I thought so," Haruki hummed, noting the look on Natsuki's face. He knew something about the drugs, but extracting information from him would be challenging. "Now, move aside. I have a job to do."

Natsuki's eyes narrowed at Haruki's words, his hands curling into fists at his sides. "You have some nerve, government dog," he spat, his voice dripping with contempt.

"Do you really think you can come in here and push us around?" he sneered, his cedar wood and pine scent flaring with anger as he took a menacing step forward. 

"Yes I can, move aside," Haruki said, standing his ground.

With a snarl, Natsuki grabbed the collar of Haruki's uniform, pulling him close with a fierce grip. The other officers tensed, hands reaching for their weapons as they prepared for a confrontation. Yakuza members moved to surround them, ready to defend their turf.

Haruki motioned for his officers to stand down, their weapons trained on Natsuki's every move as they awaited their leader's command.

"Lower your weapons," Haruki ordered, his voice calm as he held Natsuki's gaze head on. "We're not here for a fight."

"Natsu, calm down," a voice cut through the tension, drawing everyone's attention. Haruki's brows furrowed as he suddenly heard Aramaki's voice. 'Where the hell did he come from?' He thought. 

Aramaki stepped into view, his presence commanding and placed a hand on Natsuki's shoulder, "Let him go. Don't stain your hands with dog blood."

Reluctantly, Natsuki released his grip on Haruki's collar. He stepped back, his eyes burning with unconcealed rage as he glared at Haruki.

"Fine," he spat. "But don't think for a second that this changes anything."

"I don't expect it to," Haruki said, adjusting his uniform.

"Come with me," Aramaki said to Haruki, his voice steady and curious. "Let's talk in private."

As the other officers moved to follow, Aramaki held up a hand to stop them.

"They'll have to stay outside," he said firmly. "This is between us."

The officers protested, but Haruki stopped them.

"It's fine, continue with your search. We meet at the gate by 5 pm," his men nodded, understanding the message in his words.

 If he wasn't back by 5 pm, they could take matters into their own hands. Haruki turned to the Mafia leader and motioned for him to continue.

 He ignores the look of amusement in the mafia's eyes. He knew that this conversation needed to be kept confidential, away from prying eyes and curious ears.

As they walked into a private room, Haruki couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation building within him. What news was he going to hear? Solving this case would clear his records for sure! 

Haruki's eyes swept over the interior, checking for suspicious traps. The room was dimly lit, the air heavy with the scent of tobacco smoke and sandalwood.

Sliding paper doors separated the room from the rest of the manor, their soft shoji screens allowing filtered sunlight to bathe the tatami floor in a warm glow.

A low, lacquered table sat at the centre of the room, surrounded by cushions embroidered with delicate cherry blossom motifs. A large bonsai tree, meticulously pruned and cared for, sat on it. 

Haruki's gaze fell upon Aramaki, the imposing figure seated calmly at the head of the table. 

Aramaki lit a cigarette, the smoke curling lazily around him.

Despite his relaxed posture, there was an undeniable aura of authority that surrounded him, his cold eyes assessing Haruki with a calculating gaze.

"Please, have a seat," Aramaki said smoothly, gesturing towards the empty chair opposite him. "We have much to discuss."

As they settled in for the discussion, a maid entered the room, her movements graceful as she poured sake for the assembled guests.

"Would you care for a drink, Officer?" she asked, her voice soft, and scent heady.

'An omega?!' he thought, surprised. He guessed he was of the thought that only alphas and betas mingled with the mafia. 

 Haruki declined the offer politely, his focus squarely on the task at hand.

"The drugs you're looking for," Natsuki began, his voice low and measured. "We've been trying to track down the source for months now. But every lead we've followed has turned up empty."

Haruki frowned at his words. If the mafia couldn't find the source, it meant the trail was colder than he'd anticipated. "Tell me everything you know," he said, his voice firm. "We need to find those drugs before they end up on the streets."

"That might already be too late," Haruki turned to Aramaki with a frown.

"What do you mean?" He asked, eyeing him suspiciously. He had come into this house thinking they were criminals peddling drugs but the story they were sharing said otherwise.

Not that he could trust them.

"I'm looking for someone," Natsuki said, his voice rough with emotion. "Someone who was snooping around the drug trails before disappearing without a trace."

"Why should I believe you?" Haruki asked, his voice laced with suspicion. "For all I know, you could be lying to me."

"I would never lie to you," Natsuki growled, his voice low and dangerous. "Not about him," he trailed off. 

"I see, continue," Haruki said.

"His name was Hiro," Natsuki began, his voice tinged with sadness. "He was investigating the drug trade in the area, trying to gather intel on the source of the supply." He took a deep breath. 

"At first we thought it was Heatwave, the teens in our territory were getting their hands in it too easily. So we set up a stake out," Aramaki huffed.

"Hiro said he learned from someone trusted that there was a mix in the drug names and something else was going on in the woodworks, the people started to disappear." Natsuki took a deep breath as though to calm himself. 

"I fucking told him it was dangerous snooping around other mafia territories by himself and he should have told the young master of his plans but he waved me off." Haruki blinked at that piece of information, weren't mafia goons supposed to be loyal to their bosses? Why would he investigate without telling Aramaki?

"He kept sending in reports till he suddenly stopped. No calls, no texts, no drop-ins nothing," Natsuki's voice trembled slightly at the end. 

"Where was he last seen?" Haruki asked, his voice grave with concern.

Natsuki hesitated for a moment before responding, his gaze flickering with uncertainty. "He was last seen at a club," he explained. "The last thing he said was he was going to get a sample of the drugs for us to study. But he never came back."

It was clear that Natsuki was genuinely concerned for his missing comrade, it made one wonder…

"How long has your… partner been missing?" Haruki asked, his voice low and measured.

Natsuki's eyes darkened at the question, his fists clenching on the table. "It's been a month," he replied bitterly.

"Why didn't you report this to the police?" Haruki demanded, his voice tinged with disbelief.

Natsuki laughed bitterly at Haruki's question, his eyes dark with resignation.

"What yakuza member would go to the police?" he asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "We may be criminals in your eyes, but we're not fools."

Haruki's expression softened at Natsuki's words, his gaze lingering on the weary alpha before him, it was clear he hadn't been in the right state of mind, his dishevelled appearance and bloodshot eyes meant he was going through it.

"We're willing to cooperate with the police," Azusa, the older man who had been sitting in silence beside Natsuki, spoke up suddenly. "If it means finding one of ours."

Haruki's eyes flicked to Azusa, his gaze searching for any sign of deception as he considered the offer. It was clear that the yakuza was desperate to find their missing member, willing to do whatever it took to bring him home.

But Haruki wasn't about to let his guard down. He knew that working with criminals came with its own set of risks, and he wasn't about to compromise the integrity of his investigation for the sake of expediency.

"I appreciate the offer," Haruki said, his voice measured and controlled. "But I don't need help from criminals."

"You sat down with us, Officer Sakurai," Aramaki said, blowing a plume of smoke from his pipe. "Might as well work with us."

Haruki frowned, opening his mouth to argue but Aramaki cut him off. 

"Do you know if you were being recorded? If we were going to make a fake video of you accepting a bribe? If we would even allow you and your men to leave here alive?"

Haruki's jaw clenched at Aramaki's words, his frustration boiling over as he struggled to maintain his composure. 

"You're in yakuza territory now," Aramaki continued, his voice dripping with amusement. "How much are you willing to bet the government would risk to fight us?"

Haruki's eyes narrowed at Aramaki's challenge, his nails dug into his palms 

With his mind made up, he pushed himself to his feet, his expression cold and determined.

"I had thought you would have something worthwhile to tell me," he said, his voice icy with disdain. "But it's clear that was a mistake. I'll continue with my search, though I know you've used this meeting to buy your men time to hide all the incriminating evidence."

Aramaki smirked at him, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "I look forward to working with you, Officer Haruki," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

Haruki glared at him for a moment longer, his jaw clenched with anger, before turning on his heel and striding out of the room. His mind was already thinking up plans for the new phase of investigations.