The Shield of Kuromori. Jason Rohan

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СКАЧАТЬ What is it?’

      Kiyomi pointed across the road. ‘See those cars and low buildings over there?’

      ‘Yeah.’

      ‘That’s Chofu Airport. They’re flying it out.’

      Thirty seconds later, the motorcycle shot up the curving access road, past the IBEX Aviation building. A twin-propeller Dornier 228 droned overhead, its landing gear extended. Kiyomi drifted through the car park, scanning the rows of Cessna and Piper Cub aircraft that stood on the apron of the runway.

      ‘I’m not seeing them,’ she said. ‘Maybe they’re in a hangar.’

      ‘With a twelve-metre truck? What’s the reading say?’

      Kiyomi consulted the display again. ‘Weird. It says they’re moving . . . and they’re out here. But where?’

      Kenny’s eyes swept the airfield. ‘What’s wrong with this picture?’ he said. ‘Look.’

      Kiyomi followed his outstretched finger and saw a heavy, squat aeroplane with twin jet engines taxiing towards the runway. ‘What are you showing me?’ she said.

      ‘Duh! That’s a military transport plane.’

      ‘So?’

      ‘Clue number one: military plane at a civilian airport. Clue number two: its cargo bay is big enough to fit a lorry inside.’

      ‘The truck’s already on the plane?’ Kiyomi watched the jet trundle into its final take-off position. The engines howled as power built up.

      ‘That’d be my guess. So now what? Do we phone – Hey!’

      The bike leapt forwards, almost throwing Kenny off before he grabbed Kiyomi’s shoulder to steady himself. She speed-shifted through the gears in seconds, launching the motorcycle down the access road which looped to the south of the runway.

      Engines roaring, the Kawasaki C-1 transport began its take-off. It shuddered forward, picking up speed.

      ‘Please tell me you’re not going to do what I think you’re going to do!’ Kenny yelled in Kiyomi’s ear.

      ‘Ken-chan, these freaks just hurt a lot of people. I’m not letting them get away with it.’ As if to underline the point, Kiyomi twisted the throttle harder, pushing the RPM display into the red.

      The tail of the transport jet loomed into view and towered overhead, its triangular silhouette blotting out the evening stars as the aircraft continued to accelerate.

      ‘Come on!’ Kiyomi yelled at her motorbike, urging it ever closer to the undercarriage. The aeroplane continued to advance, steadily pulling away from the bike.

      ‘We’re not going to catch them! They’re too fast!’ Kenny screamed, straining to be heard over the thundering jet engines.

      Kiyomi ignored him, reached into a side pouch on the bike and brought her feet up, setting the soles of her boots on to the seat. She crouched for a second, like a jockey on a racehorse, and then let go of the handlebars, straightening up.

      Kenny dared not breathe as Kiyomi balanced on the seat, afraid that any movement from him would topple the bike. Her right hand shot out, a flash of metal glinted in the plane’s lights and the kaginawa grappling hook soared over the aeroplane wing in front.

      The wheels of the C-1 jet left the runway and rose into the air. Kenny saw the cord snap taut in Kiyomi’s hands and she jumped. Instinctively, Kenny dived for the weighted end of the remaining line and grabbed it, looping it round his wrists. The motorcycle slipped away from beneath him and he half expected to be smeared into paste on the tarmac.

      Instead, he was hauled upwards and pounded by the air rushing over the wing. The nylon cord cut into his wrists and hands and the roaring wind of the slipstream buffeted and pummelled him, making it hard to see or breathe. Below, the illuminated runway dropped away at a sickening speed and Kenny knew he couldn’t hold on for much longer. Unless . . .

      He closed his eyes, forced the panic from his mind and centred his ki once more. Since he was being battered by the wind in front, what he needed was a counter-force, to even it out . . .

      A powerful gust of air from behind propelled him forward towards the wing. Kiyomi hauled in the line, hand over hand, reeling them in to sprawl on the metal surface. The air was thinning and an icy chill blasted through Kenny’s thin football clothes. The C-1 continued to climb. Far below, the night lights of Tokyo sparkled like jewels scattered on velvet.

      ‘Great plan,’ he yelled in Kiyomi’s ear. ‘Are we meant to freeze, suffocate or fall off now?’

      A crack of light split open in the body of the plane and a harsh neon glow spilled out. Kenny craned his neck round and saw that a door had opened just behind the wing. Standing in the gap was the unmistakable shape of an oni, levelling a large handgun at them.

      ‘Kenny!’ Kiyomi screamed. ‘We’re sitting ducks out here!’

      The oni took aim and pulled the trigger. BLAMM!

      SKING! The bullet ricocheted off the sword in Kenny’s hand. The oni fired again, sending two more rounds Kenny’s way. Kusanagi bucked in his hand, deflecting the heavy-calibre slugs.

      ‘Nar-gu-rah uk-kru n’gak-rak,’ the oni barked, reaching back inside the plane.

      ‘Ken-chan – he’s getting a rocket launcher!’ Kiyomi yelled.

      Kenny didn’t need telling twice. He raised the sword high over his head and swept it down, slicing through the metal structure of the wing. It fell away, spinning through the sky, with Kenny and Kiyomi clinging to it like two surfers on a board.

      The detached wing flipped, throwing Kenny and Kiyomi into free fall. Kenny rolled over and over before, intuitively, he thrust out his arms and legs in a star shape to increase resistance. The wind whipped at his flimsy clothes and the uncontrolled tumbling motion slowed before settling into a semi-glide.

      It was a strange sensation: on the one hand, Kenny felt like he was floating; on the other, the rush of air surging past left him in no doubt that he was falling – and falling fast. Above, fraying clouds hung low in the purple sky. Below, amid Tokyo’s glittering expanse, lay a splotch of darkness.

      Kiyomi drifted down, twisting her shoulders and knees to manoeuvre through the air. She drew opposite Kenny, locked her hands on to his wrists and pulled him closer, until her forehead touched his.

      ‘You’re an idiot!’ she screamed.

      Her words were lost in the rush of wind, but Kenny could lip-read. He nodded downwards. ‘What’s the black area down there?’ he yelled, exaggerating the shape of each word.

      Kiyomi craned her neck in each direction to fix her bearings before answering.

      ‘That’s СКАЧАТЬ