“He’s feeling better. Hopefully, he’ll be able to come in…” Ryu’s throat thickened and he couldn’t finish. Hamura-san might be able to come here to see Ryu but Nat probably wouldn’t.
“That’s very good.”
A voice murmured to Nat in the background.
“I have to go, Ryu.”
“Wait! Not so fast!” Ryu stood away from the wall, clutching the phone in both hands by his ear. “What are you going to do?”
“Well, Agent Chuek is watching out for me. He offered to play checkers with me. And Deena is going to bring my parents down from Phuket for a visit. Hopefully, that will make the time go faster.”
Ryu looked down at his feet in their slippers. Damn. Everyone else got to see Nat except for him. Why didn’t Nat mind them seeing him in prison? Ryu forced himself to remember what Kiku had said to him on that subject. It was the only thing that stopped him from throwing some things into a bag and jumping on a plane. Well, that and the fact that Nat would be disappointed and humiliated yet again if his student forfeited a fight this way.
“Oh, Deena.” Ryu liked Nat’s childhood friend who’d helped nurse him back to health after the crisis with Suzuki made him ill. “Please send her my love.”
“I will, Ryu. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Okay.”
Nat clicked off before Ryu could say another word. He got an image of a guard standing over Nat, urging him off the phone. It was disgusting. If they were this tough about Nat’s making a stupid phone call, what were they going to do about his mistakes on the job?
An eerie shiver passed down Ryu’s spine. He leaned against the wall, preferring a few moments by himself before going in to face the others’ questions.
Finally, he stood up and walked slowly back into the kitchen. It did no good to stand alone in the hallway, ruminating. If he’d learned one thing in his life, it was that people had no control over big events, only control over how they responded to them. He had one response. He was going to do his best to honour Nat, the man who loved him. The man who’d made him feel like the hottest, sexiest guy ever. The man who held him each night and fell asleep with him in his strong arms. The man who wanted to marry him. Who loved him that much he wanted every day to be a day they cherished each other.
Which Ryu would do. Even if he never saw Nat again.
Chapter Six
Nat was already in the courtroom when the tribunal filed in and took their seats facing him. He stood, shoulders squared, in his Naresuan 261 uniform for perhaps the last time, waiting for their verdict. Chuek and his other agents stood behind him in the first row of chairs of the viewing area. Chuek especially had turned out to be a most loyal friend, staying by him as much as possible the two remaining days, playing cards, keeping him company, concerned for his state of mind. The only times Chuek hadn’t been there was when Deena had come down from Phuket and brought his parents with him for a visit.
The worst part had been the nights without Ryu. The two short conversations they’d had during his allotted phone calls to Tokyo were better than not having any contact with Ryu at all, but a poor substitute for holding him in his arms, breathing in the clean, sandalwood fragrance of the man’s skin and hair, feeling Ryu’s wiry physique moulded to his larger one, and the taste of Ryu’s lips when they kissed good night. Never had Nat slept more deeply and restfully in his life than he had with Ryu those four months. His nightmares about Aran’s death had ceased and his soul had known some peace for the first time in over twenty years.
These last few nights he’d slipped back into another lifetime. Fitful rest punctuated by dreams of Ryu slipping away from him, over a cliff or into a stormy ocean, had taken up the whole night. He’d paced, meditated, prayed and lay silently staring up into the darkness of his cell. Nothing had worked.
He resisted the urge to rub his stiff neck again as he was ordered to remain standing.
Wattana rapped the gavel and set it down. “Agent Nathaniel Phoenix,” he said, “do you have anything to say in your defence to this tribunal before sentence is pronounced?”
Nat bowed his head. “No, sir, I do not.”
“Very well. Remain standing while the decision of this tribunal is read.” Wattana rose and picked up a piece of paper which he proceeded to read from. “Agent Phoenix, we, the tribunal, have taken into account your service to Naresuan 261, the Border Police Patrol and Royal Thai Police. Until these incidents, you have served with a clean record. Prior to that you were a professional boxer and represented your country in that arena, serving as a fine representative of the Thai land and its people. Therefore you are to be given leniency.”
Nat’s stomach tightened. He took a deep breath and stood, outwardly placid.
“Upon deliberation, the tribunal has decided on thirty days’ imprisonment followed by an immediate transfer to the Tourist Police Division. Do you humbly accept the lenient punishment given to you?”
Nat clenched his jaw painfully. The Tourist Police Division. This wasn’t merely a punishment. It was a deep insult. The Tourist Police officers had no police authority whatsoever. Their main duties were writing out insurance claims for travellers to Thailand who had personal items stolen during their vacations. Nat’s own indignation shocked him. Until this moment, he’d felt completely at fault, ready to accept whatever punishment had been given to him. He hadn’t considered the possibility that his pride as well as his name would be trampled on like a herd of angry elephants.
He stared into Wattana’s face and squared his shoulders. Like a man about to jump off the side of a cliff or take the bullet of a firing squad, he spoke. “No, sir. I do not humbly accept.”
Wattana’s face darkened. “What? What is this insolence?”
Nat bowed his head. His heart pumped madly. He understood the error he was making. Yet he couldn’t stop. Wouldn’t stop. The only thing he had left was his self-respect and hopefully, Ryu’s respect. He would never allow himself the indignity of looking in the mirror and seeing himself wearing the uniform of the Tourist Police and he sure as hell would never let Ryu see him wearing such a thing. Not after having been one of Ryu’s role models and objects of adoration most of Ryu’s adult life. Would Ryu put a photo of him in that scrapbook of his in such a getup? Perhaps a snapshot of Nat writing out a stolen camera report for some American tourist’s insurance policy? Or mediating for a drunken tourist who’d gotten himself into trouble at a bar? A man trained in counter-terrorism, anti-sniper training who’d aided in defusing a Burmese student take-over of the Myanmar embassy in Bangkok?
Never.
“I apologise for my insolence, sir. But you asked me if I humbly accept your decision and I do not.”
Voices erupted in the background and Wattana rapped his gavel. “Silence. The question was not a yes or no. It was procedure, Officer Phoenix.”
Nat winced inwardly at the demotion in his title. “I understood that, sir. But if you would just allow me one moment.”
“You had your chance to speak in your defence.”
“Please, Commander Wattana.”
Nat turned sharply at the voice behind him.
Agent Chuek stood there, stance rigid. He saluted his superior. “Please, if you would allow me one minute.”
Wattana rapped the gavel several more times. “I demand order.”
Chuek saluted again and stood respectfully quiet.
“All right, Agent Chuek, you have one minute.”
Chuek came forward and stood beside Nat. “Sir, what you said about Agent Phoenix having represented his country as a sportsman was true. He’s also defended his country against political disturbances as well as fulfilled his role in the protection of our royal family.”
“Your point, Agent Chuek?”
“If you demote him to the Tourist Police as a punishment, you will be wasting a valuable resource of our country. I was on that mission with Agent Tongmee and I feel str
ongly that even if Agent Phoenix had locked the door that night, Tongmee would no doubt have procured a key to unlock it. He’d premeditated the entire abduction.” Chuek’s story poured out, the one the lawyer had not given Chuek time to voice during the trial.
“What are you suggesting, Agent Chuek, that we let Officer Phoenix go unpunished?”
“No. Of course not. I just feel that he shouldn’t be demoted this way.”
“Let me resign.” Nat stepped forward. “Unreservedly, forfeiting all rights and privileges of my former post including my pension. You can even dismiss me altogether.”
Next to him, he heard Chuek gasp. “Agent Phoenix, what are you—“
Nat held up his hand and looked at his friend. “It’s all right, Chuek. This is what I want.”
Chuek stared at him, his eyes filling. His jaw worked, showing how difficult it was to obey such a request.
“We had considered that option, truthfully,” Wattana said. “And had dismissed it as far too harsh for a man who has, indeed, served his country well for the majority of his adult life. However, if you wish for this penalty, I will grant it and time served. Step back, Agent Chuek.”
Chuek obeyed, though his emotions roiled in the air around him.
“Agent Nathaniel Phoenix, you are hereby dismissed from the Royal Thai Police, the Border Police Patrol and counter-terrorism Unit Naresuan 261. From hereon in you forfeit all benefits of employment with said organisation, including accrued pension up until this point. Do you humbly accept this punishment being given to you?
Nat bowed his head again. “Yes. I humbly accept.”
“From this moment on, you are a civilian.” Wattana rapped the gavel, set it down and the tribunal rose and filed out of the courtroom.
Nat exhaled and sank into his chair. He was free to go back. He’d burned his bridge here in Thailand, but he was free. Free to be with Ryu. Free to train him. For that was his option now. Train Ryu or any other students who might want him for their coach. Ryu was a talented fighter but he wasn’t hungry for it, not the way Nat himself had once been. That’s what it took to become a world champion. Ryu would rather lie on his back with his legs wrapped around Nat’s waist than become a world champion boxer.
“Nat, are you all right?” Chuek stood before him, Seinalloy and Pettoh on either side, all concerned.
He looked up at them. His vision had blurred slightly from the rush he was feeling right now, but he was more than all right. He was…planning to become a married man.
But first he had a fight to get to on time.
“Yeah, I’m good.”
“Can we do anything for you?”
Nat nodded. “Yes. Get me to the airport immediately.”
Chuek nodded. His eyes showed he understood what Nat had done. “Come on. Let’s go.”
* * * *
“Where the hell is Nat?” Ryu paced the locker room, his phone in his hand. Dressed in his boxing shorts, shoes and robe, he would need to surrender the phone any second to allow Kumo-sensei to wrap his hands.
“I’m sure he’ll call you.” Kiku stood nearby, his hand held out to take the phone from Ryu. “He knows your fight begins at eight and that you need to be concentrating.” He stepped forward and stayed Ryu with a firm hand on his shoulder. “Give me that now, please.” Without waiting, he plucked the phone from Ryu’s hand. “Now, go sit.” He guided Ryu to the bench in the centre aisle between rows of lockers and gently but firmly pushed him down.
Ryu held his hands up and Kumo-sensei came forward with the wraps and began working. Ryu sighed. “I just wanted to hear his voice before I went out there.”
Kiku sat behind him and kept a comforting hand on his shoulder. “I know, Ryu-chan. He told he was going to watch you, didn’t he?”
“Yes.”
“Then, he’s probably sitting in front of a television right now, waiting to see you come out.”
“I’ve already come out, haven’t I?” It was a lame joke but pulled a chuckle from Kiku anyway.
“Yes, you have.”
“Remember, Ryu-kun,” Kumo-sensei said, “Jae-Sun has a mean left hook. You must stay on the offensive and keep in close in order to minimise his opportunities to use it. Remember the drills we did?”
Ryu surrendered to the sensation of the wraps closing around his hands and let his mind sink into fight mode. It’s what Nat would want of him. “Yes, I remember.” An hour and a half straight each day with Nat for weeks, then with Kumo-sensei these past couple of days of being jabbed at with a left hook and working every angle to avoid it and move in on the opponent.
When the wraps were done, Kumo-sensei slid and secured his gloves. Ryu’s heart lurched. His phone hadn’t rung. The crowd filled the stadium seats and the television cameras were all stationed. He could hear the announcer’s voice on the loudspeaker through the walls.
It was time.
* * * *
Nat clutched his gym bag until his knuckles were white. Neon lights splashed multi-coloured lights into the backseat of the cab. Had the cabbie been Thai and not Japanese, Nat could have asked him what the hell had happened to make traffic stay at a standstill for nearly two hours and when did he think it might clear up? As it was, his Japanese was still nearly nonexistent and he was busy figuring out instead how to communicate the absolute necessity to turn on the radio to BBQR, the sports talk station which Nat knew the fight publicist had arranged to broadcast the fight.
He glanced at his watch. It was ten minutes after eight. Shit! The fight had probably started and Buddha only knew when he would get there. His plane had landed in enough time for him to have reached the stadium while Ryu was warming up. Now, he’d be lucky if he saw one minute of it live. Leaning forward, he pointed to the radio. “Nanitozo,” he said, using one of the only words he knew, “BBQR.” He’d learned how to say it properly just listening to the publicist and to Ryu repeating it here and there in the last couple of weeks.”
“Hai, hai,” the cabbie said and flicked on the radio.
Nat watched, his heart pounding while the cabbie went from one station to the next. He hit it just as Nat heard Ryu’s name followed by cheers from the crowd.
“Ryu!” he said out loud, picturing his lover in his red, gold and white silk shorts with a white tiger emblem on them, walking briskly up to the ring in his matching silk robe, his hands hidden in their red gloves. Ryu cut quite the image with his hair spiked up and the swirls of colours and designs covering his torso. “Ryu,” he said to the cabbie and patted his chest, “Watashi, sensei.” ‘I’m his teacher,’ he tried to say, knowing he was butchering the Japanese language, yet unable to keep his bursting emotion in check.
“Anatta?” The cabbie glanced at him, eyebrows raised. You?
“Hai, hai. Nat Phoenix.”
“Oh! Nat Phoenix!” Recognition lit his voice and he bowed as much as one could bow while keeping his eyes on the road.
Traffic moved a bit and the cabbie turned back to the crowded street, leaving Nat to listen to the fight.
Round one had started. Nat didn’t understand anything the announcers said except for Ryu’s name peppered here and there. He couldn’t ask the cabbie for a translation in Thai or English so he just tried to surmise what was happening by the cheers of the crowd. Nat could picture Ryu facing Jae-Sun Joh, a Korean fighter who mostly matched Ryu in height and build but who had a left hook that made one think his left arm was bionic rather than flesh and blood.
The crowd was going wild and the announcer sounded quite excited, leading Nat to believe that Ryu was in the lead. “Stay close, Ryu,” he muttered. “Upper cuts. Upper cuts.” Those were Ryu’s speciality. If he could just get in close to any opponent, especially ones with long reaches, Ryu could usually daze them with a series of jabs that gave him the edge. Unfortunately, if Ryu didn’t get in close fast enough, he often lost and badly, getting the crap punched out of his face.
From what Nat could understand, Ryu gave Jae-Sun a hard run for over an hour. Th
e bell clanged three times and the winner was announced. Ryu! By only two points, but a victory nonetheless.
The cabbie smiled at him and carried on in what sounded like a string of congratulatory phrases, none of which Nat recognised except for the jubilant sound.
He thanked the man for his well wishes as best he could and sagged back against the seat, smiling yet miserable he’d missed seeing the match. He could just imagine Ryu’s face, nose bleeding, lip cut and probably a nice big mouse to top it off. Finally, when Ryu was no doubt back in the locker room on an exam table getting his face tended to, the cab let Nat off in front of Ariake Coliseum. Nat thrust a wad of cash into the cabbie’s hand, fat tip and all, and bounded up the front entrance, working his way through the crowd of people going the opposite direction.
The back portion of the building had been cordoned off by uniformed security guards who held off the press and anyone else who wasn’t authorised to go into the locker room area. Nat had his pass, issued last week when he and Ryu had come here to familiarise themselves with the place and for Ryu to practice in the ring. Nat showed his pass to the guards, who admitted him immediately, and made his way to the back, down another wide corridor to the locker rooms and massage rooms.
The first door in the corridor was ajar.
“Ow!” Nat heard inside. His heart squeezed at that voice. That sweet familiar voice. He went towards it.
“Take it easy, Ryu-kun,” Nat heard Kumo say. “I’m almost finished. As bad as your shiner is, you gave your opponent the same.”
“Doesn’t feel like it.”
Nat peeked in, and saw a flash of colour. The kissing samurai on Ryu’s back. Kumo stood next to him, gently holding an ice pack to Ryu’s face over his obviously bruised and swollen eye. Ryu had the mouse as Nat had guessed he’d have. Kiku stood to Ryu’s left, watching over him, concerned as always.
Nat’s heart set to pounding. He moved slowly towards the door.
“I’m proud of you, Ryu-chan,” Kiku said, laying a hand on Ryu’s bare, sweaty shoulder. The fight was so recent, Ryu hadn’t even showered yet.
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