Chapter 83 - Eiji POV Comic Zone (1/2)
Kei, Sean and Tyne had managed to drag Ren's body into the thick of the forest, where they found the ideal spot to hide him within the hollow of a fallen tree trunk.
”We need to give him a proper burial.” Tyne swallowed back his shame at seeing Ren's body stuffed inside the trunk.
”Don't they cremate bodies here?” Sean sniffled.
”Yeah. We'd cause a bushfire if we do it here.” Kei frowned.
”It'll buy us time to avoid patrols. We need a safe distance from here.” Tyne noted.
”F'ck! I hate this. Can't we just put some tinder around him and let nature do its thing?” Kei grumbled.
”Leave Ren's body to rot or be eaten by bears? He was a good man! He needs a proper send off.” Tyne snapped back, holding in his sadness.
Sean and Kei sighed with bowed heads. They stopped talking and looked for tinder that would make a decent fire around the trunk.
Tyne ripped off Ren's officer badge.
”Why're you taking that?” Sean gasped with concern. ”If we get caught with it, our cover is blown!”
”When this is over. Don't you think his family should know why he died?”
”Yes. No. We can't leave any opening for further trouble.” Sean frowned. ”Sticking to our orders and plans is honouring Ren's death. Let's make sure he didn't die for nothing.”
”What the f'ck are you saying?! The guy died because you're f'cking Americans!” Kei snapped angrily at the men. ”F'cking hell! Hurry up. Light this shit! Give the man a f'cking godly send off and be on our way. Pussies!”
The men finished their pyre around the log. Kei flicked a flame from his lighter on the driest kindling, which sparked a fire to other kindle batches.
Within minutes a roaring fire was burning around Ren's log.
Tyne said a prayer for Ren's soul to reach the man's heavens. Sean whispered his fond farewells. Kei turned and power walked through the dense bush for the car.
The eventually piled into the car, disturbing Tama from her sleep on the back seat. Sean assumed the front. Kei revved up the engines. The car sped down the road to escape the fire and wrong doings.
They drove the entire night in silence. Sean kept check on Tyne from the rear vision mirror, frowning at Ren's badge being turned over in his hands.
It was dawn when Kei slowed the car towards a main town of higashi-ku region. His heart raced when he glimpsed a sight of Eiji stepping off a bus at the town's bus depot.