Chapter 13

Escape

"Come and get her!" the man said, his voice echoing all over the empty place.

Kougami stepped back, deaf to his colleagues shouts and rapid calls.

Ginoza yelled different orders, while the Enforcers readied themselves to search for Akane, using the video signal and the small parts they could see of the place behind her.

"Let's go!" Ginoza said to Kougami, making the man jump from his stupor. He looked around, ready to run when Ginoza told him to follow him.

"Where are we going?" Kougami heard his voice ask, without any conscience level.

"We are going to see the Inspector's house. Maybe we can find some trail of her captors!" the glasses user said, while opening the building door for them.

Kougami followed him, creating his own plan in his mind. He knew where she was, he knew that place like the back of his hand. The only problem was how to get there, but then Ginoza gave him the solution by taking him outside. It was his only obstacle - the doors of the bureau under heavily surveillance, the doors an Enforcer could only exit with an Inspector. He knew after his escape he would be seen as a criminal under a jail sentence, but he also knew she was taken because of him and he would gladly give his life to save hers. He just hoped Ginoza wouldn't be too hurt because of another of his mistakes, in that field he counted with Masaoka's wisdom to help their team and Akane, after he saved her.

The car ride was tense and the slowest he ever had. Shinya couldn't stop himself from tapping his knee repeatedly, until Ginoza looked at him with a comprehensive expression.

"We are going to find her. We have the best resources…" Gino said, trying to pacify his old friend. What the man didn't know was that Kougami Shinya had all the intention of finding his secret lover, even if that put everything he had in danger.

"Inspector!" Masaoka's voice echoed through the car when the Inspector accepted his call.

"Did you find anything?" Ginoza asked and Kougami looked at him attentively.

"No, but I think it's important for you to know that this isn't a video recorded… it's live…" the old man said, and in the back they could hear grunts and the sounds of someone beating another one. Kougami fisted his pants under his hands and had to suppress the wave of rage that took care of him. He could barely conceal the hatred in him without knowing what was going on, but hearing her suffer like that made it unbearable.

"The Miss is awake and she is strong, she is not letting him win over her!" Masaoka said, but the both of them could hear the fear barely hidden in his voice. "He left her alone…" he sighed.

And then they heard it clearly "I'm waiting for you in your favorite place…"

Kougami had to stop himself from gasping. Until then he didn't have time to think about that place, but now, the doubts came to him. From his words he knew it wasn't a coincidence, Makishima knew how important that place was, how important Akane was… He probably followed them without their notice and heard their entire conversation and saw their kisses and touches and their intimate moments…

Tsunemori's house appeared in front of them in the next second, stopping Ginoza from wondering aloud what the captor might mean with his cryptic words.

When they entered the place, after Ginoza opened the door with the information given by the Bureau, they immediately separated themselves to search for any clue. Kougami directed himself towards the bedroom, where he knew he could escape through the window. He could hear Ginoza roaming around, analyzing the place and while opening the window, by hand, not using the house command, he kept making noises with his feet, like he was searching behind her bed and walking through the room. When the window opened he jumped through it, falling silently over the tips of his toes. And then, he ran. He ran like there was no tomorrow, like his all life depended of that, as it actually did… because she was his life and he was a moron for letting her go…

Thanking the gods how close her house was to the tower while running, he left his communicator behind, not wanting to be found and putting her life in danger. He knew Makishima wanted him alone and if he noticed any strange vehicle approaching he could end her life, like he did with her friend. And then, the image of her emotionless body appeared in his mind and he felt his legs gaining a new bust of power.

He could imagine Gino's voice calling him and then his frenetic voice through the communicator to inform of his escape. Would he think he had something to do with Akane's disappearance so he could have a way to escape or would he think it was only a coincidence and that he used what the destiny gave him? He just hoped the higher bosses wouldn't be too rough with his team and in that moment he regretted not leaving some kind of explanation behind, but now was too late: the building arose in front of him, his grandiosity hidden behind a cover of ruin and oldness.

He stopped, taking a second to regain his breathe. Looking up, he measured the height in an analytical way for the first time. Until now, this place only held good memories: the times he spent here looking over the city, dreaming about a good future and then those sweet moments when he shared it with Akane. But now, it was nothing more than a battlefield, a battlefield ready to be taken under his control. He had no plan B, no strategic escape; he only had his life and the will to save another, much more important than his own.

"Akane, just hang on a little more, I'm coming to get you!" he whispered, running inside the building.