Chapter 11
Mimiko felt like there was a hammer pounding inside her skull. Bang. Bang. Bang. It made it very hard to focus. She felt nauseous if she moved even the slightest bit. The only highlight was that the pain in her head made any other pain dim in comparison.
"Is she conscious yet?"
The voice echoed sharply in her head. She couldn't tell if she knew that voice or not. It was masculine, but not Jiro's. Not Zelman's or Kain's, or even Rinsuke's. She couldn't place it. Whose was it? Just trying to think about it sent her brain spinning.
"How much longer?"
"Give it a few minutes," a female voice broke in. "I can't guarantee how she'll respond though. What you're having me do is highly unethical."
A loud slap sounded. "Don't talk to me about ethics, unless you want your family dead. Or should I call me men and tell them you've been misbehaving?"
The nurse cringed. "No. That's not necessary."
"Then do your job!" Kanaye started pacing, keeping an eye on the nurse and her progress. He didn't bother telling her that her family was going to die anyway. It usually didn't help when you were trying to persuade someone to do something against their will. "On second thought," he leaned down . "Do you think it would wake her faster if I did this?" He ripped the brace from Mimiko's leg.
The nurse gasped. "You wouldn't?"
"Watch me." He thrust his booted heel down with only half his force, just below Mimiko's knee. There was a sickening crunch.
Mimiko screamed, pain shooting up her leg. She bit her tongue to keep from screaming again. A metallic taste filled her mouth.
"I think she's awake," the Black Blood stated mirthlessly. "Just keep her that way." He kicked out at the injured compromiser as he walked away to talk to someone, causing her to gasp out again.
"Shhh," the nurse whispered in Mimiko's ear. "Shhh." She didn't know what else to say as the girl's eyes flew open. She blinked back a few tears at the agony she saw mirrored back at her. "It'll be all right." She wished she'd been able to smuggle some kind of painkiller for the poor girl because she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that it would not be all right, not as long as Kanaye was alive. But if she'd had some painkiller, she could have at least eased things if only ever so slightly.
Kanaye sneered at the two women, but motioned for his guards to leave the room. The women wouldn't be going anywhere, and he had some things he needed to make sure were in place before the Silver Blade arrived.
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Kain ran ahead of the others, his bulky shoulders covered in blue hair as he raced in his wolf's form. He wasn't called Kain the Blue Wolf for nothing. He paused for a moment, sniffing the air. It took a few seconds, but he managed to recapture the scent he'd been tracing. With a loud howl, he sprang forward.
Jiro and Zelman ran several meters behind the wolf, easily keeping pace as they flew across the Special Zone, dodging buildings, civilians, and anything else solid in their way, though they could have easily gone through any of the above. Occasionally, Zelman would let off a fireball in warning, but he was beyond playing, even though he smiled for the joy of the hunt.
All around them, smoke rose and bullets flew as the Suppression Team tried to contain the rampaging vampires set on reigning chaos down on the Special Zone. Occasionally they had to dodge silver bullets as they ran, crossing areas under heavy attack.
"We're getting closer," Zelman said as the two Old Bloods raced side by side. Ahead, Kain let out another howl.
Somewhere behind them, Zhang followed, taking out the occasional hostile vampire as he, too, followed, though at a much slower pace.
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The two women had been left alone for a good ten minutes. The nurse, whose name Mimiko learned was Emi, had managed to at least set her leg, reapplying the brace. It didn't stop the pain but it was better than doing nothing.
"My vision's getting blurry again," Mimiko informed. She winced as Emi moved her to a sitting position, stuffing something hard behind her to prop her up. She grit her teeth against the nausea that resulted.
Emi pressed a hand against her forehead. "Just try to hang in there," she instructed. "Hopefully the Company will be able to break in and rescue us. And if not, maybe they'll kill us quickly. I won't help these Black Bloods anymore, even if it does mean they'll kill my family. Not after what you've told me."
Mimiko tried to laugh but it was a sad attempt. "If only I could walk," she chocked out. "But you don't have to stay here. You could get away. You can leave me here."
Emi shook her head. "It's no good." She looked around. They were the only two in the room, but it wouldn't stay that way for long. And she already knew she didn't stand a chance against a Black Blood. "It's better that I stay here and do what I can."
The only door opened and Kanaye entered, followed by two other vampires. His eyes were bright, too bright. "Quite the conversation you've got going there," he commented with a malicious smile. "I believe I heard something about you not helping us anymore." He turned to Emi. "Isn't that what you said?"
Emi gave Mimiko's hand a squeeze as she stood. "It'll be all right," she whispered to the injured woman. She turned to face the Black Blood. "You're right. I won't. I don't care what you do to my family or to me. I won't help you hurt this woman."
Kanaye gave a bored yawn, then waved his hand. The two vampires sprang at Emi, dragging her away from Mimiko. Her screams were short lived as the Black Bloods took her life.
Mimiko cringed but did not look away. "YOU MONSTER!" Blood spattered across her face as they threw Emi's lifeless body to the ground.
Kanaye licked off some blood that had splashed onto his hand, looking at the compromiser the entire time. "Don't be like that, Mimiko," he purred. "It was just one of thousands of humans. There are plenty more to replace her."
Mimiko clenched her fist, shaking. Anger kept her from blacking out. "You won't get away with this," she snapped. "The Company will find you and take you down."
Kanaye laughed while the other two took up posts by the door. "The Company? You honestly think they can save you? Let me tell you something about the Company. They're the ones who couldn't save your parents. They're the ones who created this whole mess in the first place!"
Her breathing accelerated. "You're wrong! The Company is about promoting peace between humans and vampires!"
He moved closer, leaning over to stare directly into her face. "If it hadn't been for your precious Company, vampires would take their rightful place at the top of the food chain."
She glared at him, willing herself to ignore the pain. Pain was nothing. She tried to control her breathing.
He watched her, amused. "You know, Mimiko," he said quietly, speaking just to her. "I'm really sorry I wasn't there that night. Oh, how long ago was it now? Sixteen years? Seventeen? I don't rightly remember. But I wished I'd been there, to see your father as he tried, valiantly, I'm sure, to fight off my kind, to defy the inevitable. You see, if my men had waited just one more night, it could have all ended without so much bloodshed. But they were impatient. They had to do it their way."
Despite her efforts, her breath came faster. Sweat beaded up on her forehead. She couldn't make herself move.
Kanaye sighed heavily. "What's really regrettable is that I wasn't there when they got your mother. She was trying to save you, you know. Such a waste! And she could have avoided it, all of it, if only she'd done as I'd asked her."
He lightly touched Mimiko's cheek. She tried not to flinch away but her muscles twitched at the contact. He took her chin in one hand, forcing her to look at him.
"Don't be like that," he cooed. "It ruins your fair complexion. Reminds me so much of your mother. If only she hadn't refused my offer."
She grit her teeth in anger. "And what would that have been?"
He forced her to her feet with the hand holding her chin, pulling upwards, his eyes going hard, lips pulling back into a scowl. "I offered her power." His voice grew cold. "I offered her prestige. All I asked was that she give up her filthy Red Blooded husband for immortality!"
Mimiko winced as the pressure on her jaw increased, Kanaye's arm shaking more with every word he spat at her. Her feet left the ground.
His eyes were changing, the pupils dilating in and out as they went from black to a dull crimson. "I offered her everything! And when she refused, I vowed that I would personally take everything she had away from her! I would make her regret it every day of her life!"
Mimiko grabbed at the hand so close to her throat. She tried to pull her body upwards against the pressure, even the smallest bit to relieve the strain on her neck. There was no way she could pry his hand away from her, but maybe if she could just hold on, it would eventually end. "My mother would never have taken your offer," she said, gasping.
Kanaye growled, then threw her with a sideways twist of his hand. "I was so close to getting everything," he said, his voice menacing as she hit the ground and skidded a few feet. "When your Order Coffin Company swooped in and stopped everything. Not only did they kill my men, but they also killed my only kin, the one who would have finished you off if he hadn't been stopped. So thank your Company as you lie here. Thank them when you are begging for death when you could have had a much quicker one back then. Thank them while I kill your precious Silver Blade. And thank your mother for every ounce of pain I inflict upon you for denying me my right as a vampire!"
Mimiko barely heard what the Black Blood said. The hammer in her skull from before had turned into a jackhammer doing double-time. Every part of her, body and mind, felt like it was on fire. She couldn't have moved if she'd tried.
Images flashed in her head. Shadows in the hallway. Hiding under the covers. Her mother scooping her from her bed and shoving her out the window. The dull cry of her father's voice that was suddenly silenced from inside the house. Her mother telling her to run.
It felt like flames were licking the inside of her mind. She stared into space, not seeing the room around her, but a vampire getting ready to spring, his eyes glowing a dull red, not like Zelman's, but a more dangerous red because she didn't understand why it was red. He was going to spring, and this time there would be no Jiro there to save her from the nightmare. And, like before in her dreams, she heard a wolf howl. Suddenly, all chaos broke lose.
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Kain belled the melancholy call of the wolves towards the full moon. Behind him, Zelman, Jiro, and Zhang pulled up short. Ahead of them stood one of the many older buildings in the Special Zone, surrounded by dozens of vampires just waiting for their chance for battle.
"I think this is the place," Zelman commented as he lit a cigarette. "Well, at least we don't have to ring the bell." He glanced at the Blue Wolf a few paces ahead of them.
"This is no time for jokes," Jiro chided him as he slid his silver katana from its sheath, calculating the number of Black Bloods he would have to go through to get to the door.
The red haired vampire flicked the partially smoked stick away. "On the contrary, now is the perfect time. Shall we?" He didn't wait for a response as he jumped into the middle of the crowd, followed behind by Kain and Zhang who tried to clear a path. "Coming, Silver Blade?" he called over his shoulder as he conjured a giant ball of flame and sent it flying at a group of approaching vampires.
Jiro bent his knees, fangs reflecting back the firelight as he grinned, not in anticipation or anxiousness, but for the sake of the battle, for the blood lust building in him that he had felt several times before when he'd gone into a situation beyond his control. He had no idea of the outcome but the challenge would push him through. It always had.
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Kanaye froze at the sound of the baying wolf. "They're early!" He spat at the compromiser but didn't get the satisfaction of a response. He pointed at the guards. "You two! Make sure the Kin Killer finds his way here! I want him to witness the death of his love before I finish him off for his sins." They quickly left the room.
Mimiko tried to push herself up from the ground. The effort took everything she had but it wasn't enough. She could only raise herself a few inches, the vision of the crouching vampire still in her eyes as she struggled to remain conscious. "You're wrong," she said. "Jiro's heart and blood belongs to the Sage, Alice Eve."
She let herself fall back against the cold concrete. It almost felt good there, the cold against her bruised and torn skin. It didn't matter that the rest of her hurt and didn't want to respond. She just had to be strong until the very end, like her mother. That's all that mattered.
Kanaye began to laugh almost hysterically. "The Sage? The Sage? Hahahah! So that's how it is! My revenge will be three-fold! Hahahah!"
Mimiko closed her eyes for a moment. Jiro, please hurry. I can't hang on much longer.
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The Silver Blade growled as he sliced through another attacking vampire, the poor soul turning to ash as he swept past. Outside, Kain and Zhang were also fighting, with backup coming in to help. Inside, he and Zelman ran down hallways, disposing of anyone who stood in their way.
Zelman blasted a vampire who had tried to form a sneak attack from behind. He had a cruel smile on his face as he sent another fireball ahead of them. "I can smell him," he said, eyes glinting.
Jiro also sniffed the air. "I smell blood," he said, testing the various scents. "I smell…" He froze for half a second. "Mimiko!" Without another word, he was charging down the hallway.
"Wait! Jiro!" Zelman growled after the Old Blood but he wasn't listening. "Stupid, impatient fool!" He ran after the Silver Blade.
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Inside Central Headquarters, Jinnai was giving orders relayed over radio to the fighting troops. The monitors flashed bright colors as technicians updated them, talking rapidly into their headsets.
"Confirmed," one technician said into his voice pickup. "Fourth Yard cleared of hostile entities. Relaying backup units to the Sixth Yard."
"Another five casualties reported in the Seventh Yard," a female technician reported, her voiced strained as she tried to be heard over the babble of voices around her. "Heavy concentrations still exist in the First and Third Yards. Rerouting troops to compensate."
Jinnai steepled his fingers as he watched the flashing screens. Had it only been about a month since they'd last faced a crisis like this? The only difference was that the troops weren't encountering the same problem the Kowloon presented, an almost unlimited supply of fresh troops for the enemy. But not all of the vampires they fought were going down easily. He wondered how things were going with Zelman and Jiro, wishing he could be there to do something to help them as they raced to save his daughter.
Sei watched him. "They've arrived," he said quietly in his boy soprano voice. "Now we wait."
"We wait," Jinnai agreed. Inside, he was praying to every god he knew for their safe return.