Chapter 4
So dark. Smells musty, yet kinda sweet. The men, the same ones that Seto's kinda look alike talked to, keep checking on him and whisper back and forth. Money, that's the gist of their conversation. He knows enough about money to understand the words in any language. He also hears them mention jealousy. Like Joey would ever give that wannabe a chance. Not when all the blond has to do is blink and he could have the real deal. After all, no one is better than his big brother.
"He'll rescue me," he whispers hoping the men won't hear him since he doesn't know their exact location. He doesn't trust the food the weird smelling men bring and refuses to eat. He hates that idiot male that Joey met and befriended. Must be a good actor in order to fool the blonde. He knows that Joey's rarely fooled by people, too often such a good judge of character that he has a hard time keeping his mouth shut.
Ryou had been talking constantly, trying to give big brother tim with Joey, while Bakura dragged Marik into the shop upstairs. At least he thinks the shop was upstairs. He can't recall how long he had pleaded with Ryou, Malik, and Yugi to forgive his big brother and to help get him back together with Joey, but they agreed and planned this trip. Shaking his head, he scolds himself for getting off track. "Remember, Mokuba, you might be able to escape," he tells himself. He had heard Ryou whimper as one of the men grabbed his arm but Malik had stabbed him in the other hand. He can't recall what he had been doing, just that he couldn't get to Ryou while Malik checked the snow haired boy over. Stevie, the bastard, had talked to the other male using his hands to express his wishes. The last thing he saw clearly was Ryou being knocked to the ground and the man's bleeding hand wrapping around Malik's throat. He had felt queasy and sluggish as he breathed it on accident. He had thought desperately of his brother's warnings. He had tried to keep the cloth from covering his nose and mouth but the men were too strong.
He had been in the cool dark when he heard the men talking. "Stupid bitch bit me!" "Little blonde had guts. Would've got that white haired kid if the two older males hadn't ruined it." "Asshole nearly slit my throat." "Psycho blondes." Shuffling of cards, then, "How's that side doin'? Snowy stabbed ya twice." "About as good as that hand of yours."
He had laid real still, let them think he still slept. Through cracked lids, he watched them set out of tray of food and a pot to use as a toilet. "At least we got this one. Plenty of couples want pretty, little boys." "Still, that frail one would have been easy to pimp out." A pause, like the guy was trying to remember something. "Stevie knows that blonde kid, right?" "Jordan, Jared?" "Nah, Joey or somethin' like that." "Yeah, why?" "Buddy of mine, use to run in NY, said he look familiar. Older, hella older, but familiar." "That former gang boss?" "Not Sandro, but they dealt together. The kid is Sandro's, use to run wild with a little gal." "Heard she got killed." "Rumored so." "What ya worried about, he can't hurt us. No one backin' him now." "That Joey kid was tough. Still is if rumors are true." "He might come after the kid, then?" "Was always a diehard for revenge. Heard he use to giggle like a school girl when he broke bones." "Doubt so. He was a weak link. He left, he's shunned."
He hides in the corner trying to figure out a plan just incase big brother doesn't show. Plus, big brother taught him to rely only on his own self. No one else tends to do a good enough job. Also, there's the minor fact that Joey and Seto don't know he's missing yet. Already he's searched this room twice and found nothing that he can use as a makeshift weapon or lock pick. Faintly from this dismal place he hears a door slam above. Has to be the knife shop that connects to the one directly above him.
They enter his chamber and he cringes as they look him over. Pinching his cheeks and yanking a brush through his hair. If he could get the brush, maybe he could smack one of them in the face stunning him long enough to make a run for it. "He still ain't answering," the onyx haired one hisses at his blond companion. One has a distinct Greek accent, and he's the dark haired one with the bandaged hand. The blond, German from the sound, hisses, "Try again. We sell him tonight. Too much risk not to."
He knows who they plan on selling him to. The couple, prim and proper in appearance, that had cooed over him. Their son had passed away, something about a drunk driver in a sports car had hit him. He saw past their kindness; though, and in their souls discovered cruelty. The woman's soul had told him how she use to abuse her son in the dark under the covers. The man's revealed how he knew yet did nothing. Rumors of police finding evidence, yet the couple evaded them. He refuses to be sold to anyone. Sorry, already dealt with a creep that lost his son. Not doin' it again. I have a family. Seto and Joey are my family, even if Joey is being stupid and thickheaded. He'll get over this slight hurt the way he bounces back from everything. He'll bound into my room and wake me up complaining that all the good cereal is gone. Secretly he admits that Joey just might not come back this time. That maybe his forgiving nature has had enough.
Fear creeps into his being as the men leave. How long had he been here? How many hours? He only knows a full day hasn't passed yet. His stomach rumbles in protest yet he refuses to even glance at the food. He wonders briefly about those mens stupidity. Do they actually think they'll get by with selling him? No matter how hard Seto tries to keep him out of public eye, his face is constantly plastered on gossip magazines. He's a Kaiba for goodness sakes. People all over the world recognize him.
"Where the hell's my phone?" He'll have to watch his language latter when he's back with Seto, but right now he's scared and angry and hungry and tired and throughly annoyed. That cool phone he just had to have had a tracking device, the one part that had been his sticking point in his debate with his brother. It was Joey that had bought him the phone. He recalls how the blonde had taken extra hours at the pizzeria just to afford it for Christmas. Squashing the smile that wants to emerge along with the tears when he realizes that he might not ever see his big brother and sorta kinda other big brother and all the memories of happier times that try to console him. No more morning pancakes with Seto acting superior cause he's the only one not covered in batter. No more begging to stay up past his bed time. No more staying up with Joey past his bedtime to play video games then both of them dashing to their respective rooms when Seto pulled up to the mansion.
Suddenly the man's voice rises, "'He's a Kaiba, you damn retard. We can't sell him. Hell, we can't even hold him for ransom without risking our lives." "I don't care. Get Rid OF Him. Then go get rid of that man. Kill them for all I care." He shudders as he recognizes Stevie's voice. "We don't kill children. Sell them, sure, why not. But no to the killing." "I'm paying you more than enough money. I had to steal it from my old man and he's reckoning to kill if he finds who took it. NOW DO AS I SAY!" Got to get away, got to get away, This idiot's crazier than Marik.