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"Sage," Cye speaks up, "How will we communicate if we see snipers or anything pointing the rifles at you? We're supposed to be your lookouts, aren't we?"

"My perimeter lookouts, yeah," Sage responds, keeping his eyes on the television. "Korin, you'll be my direct lookout. If you see anything, I want you to shout 'armor' real loud. To other people, it won't make sense, but I'll know what you're talking about."

He pauses, fingering his shaggy hair. "It's time for this to come off. Let's get on with it."

"Yeah, be quick," Sage says, "I don't care if you botch it, because I'll be wearing my helmet later, and I can always go to a barber once we join up with Ryo again. Just be fast, I don't want to be late."

"Sage," Kento says, "You'll actually have bomb locations in a suitcase?"

"Don't worry," Sage replies, "I just circled a few crowded parts of the city on a map I ripped out of the telephone. It's sitting beside the computer."

"And the suitcase?" Cye asks.

"I noticed it poking out from under the bed," Sage looks hard at Korin. "I still have to wipe it down, or they'll pick Ryo's fingerprints off it, and they it will all be in vain. C'mon, just cut anywhere."

"All right," Sage says. He stands up, looking at the bits of hair on the floor. "Korin, sweep all that up in case they decide to come by. We don't want to give them DNA samples. Cye, Kento, go on ahead to the arcade and scout the place out. See if there's any unfriendlies over there. I gotta go upstairs and wipe down the suitcase."

Kento and Cye, sharing a look between them, shrug at each and leave.

After two minutes, Sage comes down the steps, the briefcase in hand, the map inside. "I'm ready to go."

Sage takes a sniff of the evening air, thinking how long it will take the government to check all the locations. He knew he could get what he wanted out of the weasel they sent to negotiate with him- or the Special Agent they sent to assisinate him. It was all a matter of reading the person's character, and going from there. He got a look at Cye standing outside the arcade, giving a thumbs-up.

Sage entered the arcade, greeted at once by the sounds of music. Japanese musical-instrument video games were playing everywhere. Sage didn't see anyone with a baseball hat and a newspaper, which would be out of place enough in a hang out for teenagers.

"There, see that one," Sage points out an unmanned video game that looks like a guitar in front of a TV screen, "Try playing that one, but keep an eye out, like you're trying to show how cool you are and get a date or something. I want to know who else is watching me, so pay attention to people's eyes. They'll give themselves away- you just have to make sure you don't."

Then, all the sudden, a man wearing a cap with a fish on it and a newspaper tucked underneath his arm walks into the arcade. "Damn, he's early," Sage says, "All right, hurry up."

The man with the fish-cap looks around nervously, then stands in front of a game that resembles a mini-drumset. Sage approaches him cautiously, trying to figure out why the man didn't linger by the door or call attention to himself in some way. Then, the man glances in his direction and Sage sees the pimples on his face, the miniscule stubble on his chin. What Sage had thought was a newspaper turns out to be a dirty magazine disguised as something more reputable.

Sage curses to himself, and rubs his forehead. He has to try and avoid notice, at all costs. He wanders by Korin and murmurs, "Not him, it's just a kid."

Then Sage wanders off on his own, his gaze wandering towards the door.

Cye glances quickly at a rooftop, noticing that someone has focused a pair of binoculars on the arcade. He has a mind to tell Kento of this, but Kento- where did Kento go, exactly? Cye doesn't know, and this troubles him. The entire plan troubles him- giving out fake directions to non-existant bombs, expecting the Japanese government to turn over Rowen, to them a gold mine of information, for little more than circles on a map.

"Only Sage would think up something this crazy," Cye says to himself, pacing about, trying to look like he's waiting for someone.

Someone grabs Sage's arm from behind. Sage's first instinct is to punch the man in the mouth, except he sees that it's a woman grabbing him, a very scared woman. She has a New York Yankees hat on, and a copy of USA Today shaking in her hand. "I'm here to exchange your information," She begins hesitanty.

"Who are you?" Sage demands.

"Jen-Jennifer Kamazuke," The woman responds. "I'm from Montreal, I didn't-"

"It's okay," Sage interrupts her. "You play fair with me, and everyone goes home alive, okay?"

"O-Okay," Jennifer says, "But I've never dealt with a terrorist before. I'm just a receptionist."

"Then just stay calm and tell me what I need to know," Sage says, "The man I'm looking for is a Dr. Rowan Hashiba. I read about his capture, so I know you have him. You tell me where he is, you get the suitcase and you can stop more buildings from blowing up. You don't tell me where he is, I burn what I've got here and the buildings can look after themselves. Do we have an understanding?"

"Y-Yes," Jennifer stutters out, "That's the one they told you'd want..."

"They?" Sage asks.

"You know, the governmnent," Jennifer's hand is shaking so much that the USA Today nearly falls to the floor.

"First, Jennifer, I'm going to tell you why you're here," Sage says, "You're here because your bosses know English is my first language, even though I was born Japanese. They have a Canadian-born citizen who speaks English and they figure we can relate to one another. So, you're the bait. You're supposed to distract me long enough for whatever it is they're going to do. What is it, Jennifer? Snipers? Listening devices? A truck standing by a block away with a SWAT team ready to swarm on the place? Which one is it?"

"S-Snipers..." Jennifer whispers to Sage.

"Okay," Sage says, grinning. "I can deal with that."