Chapter 41

Junichi Nakayima waited for the dark Subaru to stop completely before approaching it.

He had been unable to gauge Kluge's present state of mind over the phone, but he could imagine the man was not very happy. The news of what happened in China had been all over the TV and radio, and in the age of information certain details had already leaked out that would have otherwise been best left hidden from the public. Ironically, the questions that were beginning to emerge in the wake of the catastrophe did not seem to relate to NERV as Nakayima would have expected.

There had always been an understanding in the international community that the Chinese were rogues, looking out only for their own interests, and NERV's Chinese Branch was generally regarded as little more than a government controlled front. So, rather than blame NERV and Gendo Ikari for creating this crisis, the UN had now turned to them resolve it.

Never underestimate the ability of politicians to reverse course in the face of adversity, Nakayima thought.

The passenger side door opened and Musashi Kluge stepped from the car, followed by a bodyguard. As always, he was dressed in a black suit and a black trench coat. Despite his age and his gray hair, the Department Chief carried with him an overwhelming sense of purpose, so much so that even his bodyguard, a much younger and bigger man, seemed less threatening.

In the glare of the headlights it was difficult to tell any details, but the lines in Kluge's face seemed to have grown deeper. His eyes were narrow and sharp and black as coal.

Nakayima slipped his hands in his pockets. The night was cool so he wore a gray jacket over his Ministry uniform. It was relic of his military days, faded with the unit patches torn off. He almost slept in his uniform these days, and the jacket had been the first thing he could find.

Kluge came to a stop in front of him, his face etched with barely controlled anger.

"Chief Kluge, this is—"

That was as far as Nakayima got before Musashi Kluge smashed a fist against his face and drove him to the ground with a knee to the midsection.

It happened so quickly there was no time to react. When Nakayima realized what had happened, the Department Chief had already grabbed his collar and was pushing his head against the pavement. He reached up with hand and tried to get the man off of him, but Kluge held him with a strength that seemed supernatural.

His head was spinning, a persistent throb driving spikes of pain directly into his brain as if with a hammer. He tasted blood.

"If there is something I hate," Kluge began, his voice a low hiss as he took Nakajima's H&K handgun from its holster below his armpit and pressed the cold steel barrel against his head, "it's people who don't know when to open their mouths."

"What-what are you talking about?" Nakayima grunted, writhing in pain. He knew then that no matter what he said he was probably about to die. "It isn't my fault." He spat blood onto the sidewalk. "There's nothing to indicate Ikari was responsible."

Kluge released the safety and pulled back the gun's hammer with a solid, ominous click.

"You know what else I hate?" the Chief asked, tightened his grip on Nakayima's collar. "People who think I have a desk job because I'm an old man. How stupid do you think I am?"

Nakayima said nothing. Pushing past the pain of a nose that was probably broken, he stared up at the Department Chief with barely controlled anger. Even if he pushed the older man away from him and tried to take the gun, the bodyguards would shoot him dead before he could take a step.

"You know, I really wish I could put a bullet through your head," Kluge said, frowning in annoyance. "It isn't often that a man in my position is told that he can't do something, but you seem to have friends in important places."

"I don't … have friends," Nakayima groaned.

"Oh, but you do. You might not realize it, but you do." He turned the gun slightly, making the end of the barrel twist in place against Nakayima's aching temple. "If it were up to me, I wouldn't have bothered with this charade; you'd be dead already. But that wouldn't work for certain people who seem to place some stock in your life. I can't say I understand it. You are just a grunt, and a bad one at that."

"I told you that … when you hired me." Nakayima couldn't recall that he really had. The pain inside his skull made it hard to remember anything. He was sure he must have, though. Kluge had full access to his service record, so there was no point in lying.

That seemed to amuse Kluge. He grimaced, pale lips pulling back and showing nothing but teeth.

He's a wolf, Nakayima thought, and he wants blood.

"You know what your problem is?" Kluge said. "You think there's nothing more to people than what you see on the surface. You do not have the benefit of being naïve. It's simple idiocy. I bet all this time you thought that we were after Ikari as if he were some corrupt bureaucrat. I bet you thought he was harmless—as harmless as anyone with no oversight an a stockpile of weapons of mass destruction can be. That was your mistake." His eyes flickered down for a second. "I bet you didn't even think I knew how to use a gun."

Nakayima tried to keep cool, but it wasn't easy. He'd had guns pointed at him before, but in combat the distance was much greater. A soldier hardly ever saw his enemy, and he hardly ever felt his enemy's barrel trained directly on him, or saw his face, or stared into his eyes. Chance and skill were involved in combat. At point blank range neither of those things existed.

He knew then Kluge was right. "You said yourself you won't kill me."

"Kill? No." The old man moved the gun away from the agent's head and pressed it against his shoulder. "But nothing was said about how badly I'm allowed to hurt you."

With my own gun, Nakayima thought. Somehow that made him feel utterly stupid.

"I'm disappointed, Nakayima," Kluge said. "And I don't like that. They are going to make me do a statement, you know. Everyone who is someone within the Japanese Government will be there—hell if there were still an Emperor, he'd be there. The press will probably be there as well, and if not the details will soon leak out. But they are going to make me stand there and explain. And what do think they will say when I tell them we did not know?"

"I did what I could," Nakayima replied, his voice rising. "It isn't my fault. You should have sent someone better!"

"What makes you think it was my choice?" Kluge said and pulled the trigger.