Chapter 6

           Iwasstandingatthegatethatdividedthebasefromtheoutsideworld.TheguardwhocheckedmyIDraisedhiseyebrowsdoubtfully.

           TherewasanextralayerofsecurityonthebasethankstotheU.S.crew’svisit.AlthoughtheJapaneseCorpsoversawgeneralbasesecurity,thebalanceofpowerwiththeU.S.preventedthemfrominterferingwithanythingunderU.S.jurisdiction.Luckily,U.S.securitydidn’thaveanyinterestinanyonethatwasn’toneoftheirown.

           Withoutleavepapersfromacommandingofficer,KeijiKiriyawasn’tgettingoffthebase.ButtheU.S.soldierscouldcomeandgoastheypleased,andalltheyhadtodowasflashanID.Everyoneusedthesamegate,soifIgotanAmericanguard,hemightletmethrough,noquestionsasked.AlltheycaredaboutwaskeepingundesirablesawayfromtheirpreciousSpecialForcessquad.ArecruittryingtogoAWOLwasn’tlikelytocatchtheireye.

           TheguardmustnothaveseenmanyJapaneseIDcards,becausehestaredatmineforalongtime.ThemachinethatcheckedIDsjustloggedwhopassedthroughthegate.Noneedtopanic.Whywouldtheychangethesystemupthedaybeforeanattack?Themusclesinmystomachtensed.Theguardwaslookingbackandforthbetweenmeandmycard,comparingtheblurrypicturewithmyface.

           Thecutonmytempleburned.Thesawboneswhotendedtomeintheinfirmarygavemethreestitcheswithoutanypainkiller.Nowitwassendingsearingboltsofelectricityshootingthroughmybody.Thebonesinmykneecreaked.

           Iwasunarmed.