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“Listen, I understand what your papa is saying,” Artyom says. “This plan will make Katana happy too. If his men are coming, they would also get shot. This way, we keep many people alive. Yes?”
Dad nods.
“Ok. Let’s go topside, Yuuto,” Artyom says.
“Fine. Then I’m going up there too,” I say
“Let’s all go. We can stay together for as long as we can,” Uncle Suki says, sounding unusually vulnerable. I think he’s up to something. I’ll have to keep an eye on him.
“Alright, fine. Just do what I say for your own safety. Please,” Artyom says. He seems to know there's no chance in hell I'm letting my dad go up there without me.
“We agree,” Dad says, looking at Uncle Suki and me while Honey keeps her face buried in his chest.
Uncle Suki and I nod in agreement, and all four of us follow Artyom up the stairway to the top deck. Dad keeps Honey wrapped in his arms as he guides her along the way. Her wailing has subsided to quiet, little sobs. It’s raining, and I can barely see the water. I wrap one arm around my dad’s waist and the other around my sister’s. I wish I had a third arm for my uncle. As if reading my mind, Uncle Suki comes up behind me and envelops all three of us in an embrace. We all stand there, holding one another, for as long as we can, knowing it could be the last time we're all together.
I'm jerked back to reality when I hear a commotion and see the men climbing aboard our boat. Uncle Suki’s arm moves quickly. He snatches a gun right from the hands of one of Artyom’s men. I knew he was up to something, but I’m still shocked when he starts firing.
There are flashes of light, and my ears start to ring as loud pops sound off all around me. The smell of the sea in the air changes to sulfur as men fall. I can see puddles of blood forming around them on the deck. Honey and I get pushed down to the ground. I try to see what’s happening now, but our dad is on top of us, telling us to stay down.
“Hold your fire!” I can barely hear someone yelling. The popping sound isn’t stopping.
“Fuck! I missed her,” I hear a yell. I can see from under Dad’s arm that Uncle Suki is crouched and moving away from us. He stops and turns back to look at Dad, Honey, and me. “Get back down below!”
“Everyone, stop now!” Artyom's voice comes over a loudspeaker. The popping gradually slows to a halt.
“That was accidental discharge,” Artyom continues over the loudspeaker. Honey's panic has returned, and she begins hyperventilating as our dad pulls a lifeless man’s body on top of us. Dad gets down low, hurries over to a gun lying on the deck next to Uncle Suki, and kicks it, so it slides away.
“It was that man there that started the shooting,” Dad says, pointing to a man lying motionless on the floor. He motions for Uncle Suki to get down on the ground with Honey and me, giving him a light push. Uncle crawls his way to us and pulls the dead man off of us, so my vision is no longer obscured.
Josef is standing there by the railing with Sonomi, the damn coward, hiding behind him, using him as a shield. I'm eerily calm. Nothing feels real. Everyone is still down on the ground except for Josef and my dad. They’re both standing tall.
“That was some welcome, Artyom,” Sonomi calls out while remaining hidden behind Josef.
“We have deal,” Artyom says, still broadcasting over the speaker. “Your men didn’t have to come on board pointing guns like pirates. You did not have to bring any of them at all.”
“It doesn't matter now. You shot most of the men I brought with me, and the rest of them are sinking back on Katana’s boat,” Sonomi shouts.
“They will all die out there,” Uncle Suki whispers with concern, surprising me. I didn’t think it was in his character to care about the well-being of gangsters. I scowl at our uncle, look toward Honey, then back at Uncle Suki and shake my head. Honey doesn't need to hear that more people are going to die.
“But we have to get them to do something. We can't let them leave those people to dro—” he tries to explain before I cut him off.
“Shh!” I say, trying my best to remain calm.
Artyom suddenly emerges and makes his way to my dad. I look over at Honey. She’s sitting on a bench attached to the wall with her knees pulled up to her chest and her face buried in her arms. I'm glad she isn't watching. Artyom takes our dad by the shoulder and starts leading him away from us.
“Easy, now,” Dad says in a low voice so Sonomi won’t hear him. “I am going willingly.”
“Sorry, Yuuto. We must make this look good,” Artyom explains, also in a low voice, as they continue toward the Siren.
“Your men will take Yuuto to the back of the boat,” Artyom says to Sonomi. “And mine will take Yosef to the front, then you and I will convene. Now, bring Josef here first, please.”
“Very well,” Sonomi says. She binds Josef’s hands behind his back with plastic zip-tie handcuffs, then pushes him forward.
“You thought I forgot about this,” Artyom says, holding a bandaged hand up in front of Josef. He slaps him hard across the face with his good hand, but Josef hardly budges. He’s big and strong, but I know there's nothing he can do against so many, especially with his hands bound behind his back. Tears start streaming down my face.
I look over at the gun Dad kicked away and consider running over to it, but that would probably get Dad and Josef killed, the two men I love most. This is the first time I've admitted to myself that I truly love Josef. I think about the short time I’ve known him, and my mind starts flashing back to the moments we’ve shared: Our walk through the woods, the drive back from dropping Connie off in Windgap, and of course, our time at the lake. Josef always has a plan, and my Dad is the smartest person I know. If anyone can get us all out of this, it’s them. I need to trust them.
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