Days Without Sun

Chapter Twenty-Five: Impasse

Akihiko had been wending his way down one of the halls of the bunker, well aware of the fact he had no idea where in the bloody hell he was going when he suddenly felt the young man is his arms begin to stir.

Quickly, he moved and set the boy down gently on the floor. He put his gun in its holster and stepped back a pace. Given the boy's condition he had no idea how the youth would react waking up and finding himself in the arms of a stranger and he did not want to risk either of them getting injured if the boy were to become violent. Though the teen hardly looked to be in any condition to put up much of a fight.

Cool eyes appraised the rousing youth before him and once again Akihiko was appalled by the atrocities that had been enacted upon the fragile figure. Seeing Jadir's stump and his other missing digits immediately brought to mind the locket he'd left behind containing the ash of Misaki's finger. He could taste the acidic flavor of dread on his tongue as he wondered how many other tortures had been visited on his own dear Misaki.

Thick lashes fluttered and Jadir's eyes slowly blinked open. The boy felt faint as he struggled to regain his bearings. His head swam as he tried to figure out what had just happened. He remembered he had been going to get a mop and that he needed to get to the incubator. His dark gaze lifted and he started when he looked up from the floor and realized that not only was he in a different part of the warren, but that there was an unknown man crouched before him.

Then Jadir remembered his prayer and his heart lurched at the hope that he'd been heard, that this was his longed for deliverer. However, he had been too long in Korovin's keeping for that feeling to linger. The thought was replaced quickly as his mind filled with the crushing fear that this was more likely one of his captor's men: men he'd rarely seen but had often been threatened with. He whimpered and began an awkward scuttle backwards on his damaged limbs until his back met the cool plaster of the hallway's wall.

Akihiko watched the boy's reaction with a sense of horrified heartbreak though he kept his face impassive. Of course he would be terrified; any other response would have been absurd under these conditions. Akihiko lowered himself in his crouched position a bit more but made no other attempt to move. His mind searched frantically for what he could do to show the poor creature he meant him no harm.

When Akihiko made no motion to come after him, Jadir stopped his retreat. His dark, fear-filled eyes studied the man warily and he made an unconscious move to cover his swelling stomach with his remaining hand. Looking hesitantly at the handsome face before him though, Jadir saw nothing in its expression except deep concern. A breath hitched in his throat at this, and a soft sob escaped him.

"Easy there… I'm not going to hurt you," a velvet voice ventured in English, then Portuguese. Jadir's small frame tensed sharply at the words. The soft tone and the possibility it contained was too much. He drew his knees up tightly and hid his face behind his stumped arm as keening sobs suddenly wracked his thin body.

At this response Akihiko's face became even more grave. His eyes darted up and down the hall, worried that the sound of the boy's crying would draw unwanted attention. He couldn't leave this broken child, but he knew that just sitting there was a growing invitation for trouble.

Slowly Akihiko eased himself out of his jacket. He moved forward cautiously until he was close to the boy. He carefully draped this light cover over bare shoulders and watched Jadir shiver as the soft fabric kissed his bare skin.

Jadir looked up through his tears and his thumb and two remaining thin fingers rose and softly stroked the collar. He shifted his gaze to the pale-eyed angel before him.

The gratitude in the boy's eyes for this simple act overwhelmed Akihiko.

"Usami," he said softly, pointing to himself. "Usami Akihiko." His voice was so husked with emotion he almost didn't recognize himself. Akihiko watched with dismay as the boy wiped his eyes with the stump of his arm. It was obvious from the pinkness of the scarring that the amputation had been relatively recent.

"Ja..Jadir… Ca… Cavaco," the boy whispered, his long unused voice breaking.

"Ah, Jadir…" Akihiko floundered. What did one say exactly in a moment like this? All the usual pleasantries sounded insane under the circumstances. Instead then, Akihiko opted for action though he tried to keep his tone gentle. Understanding by the name and the accent the boy's nationality, he spoke softly in Portuguese. "Jadir, we need to move. It's not safe here. We have to go."

Jadir nodded brokenly at these words and another small hiccupping sob escaped. He made no move to struggle as Akihiko moved in to gather him up once more. Akihiko marveled that Jadir wasn't hysterical after what he'd been subjected to.

Once he was in Akihiko's arms again, a shudder coursed through the youth. Jadir buried his head into the author's strong shoulder. "More…" Jadir choked.

Akihiko was puzzled. "What? More what, Jadir?"

"More… b…boys."

Akihiko's heart skipped a beat before lurching into a pounding gallop. Jadir's muffled whisper was not merely a statement; his tone carried a harried plea.

"You mean there are more boys here, Jadir?…" Against his chest he felt the barest of nods. Hope soared within his chest and Akihiko suddenly felt as though he couldn't breathe. He knew he had no choice. Regardless now, he had to try and help Villinski's other prisoners but he couldn't keep from uttering the name he'd so often called these past harrowing months. The word that had lived on his lips:

"Misaki."

The first time he said it, it was barely a breath, but he repeated it, his voice strong but cool, not wanting to frighten the fragile boy in his arms. "Misaki."

Dark brown eyes looked up when he spoke this name, but Akihiko saw no recognition in Jadir's puzzled expression. Desperate, he uttered his beloved's name one more time. "Jadir, do you know a boy named Misaki?... Takahashi Misaki."

While the youth's tear-streaked face had remained blank at "Misaki," the moment Akihiko said "Takahashi" Jadir's eyes had perceptibly widened.

"Takahashi?" Jadir whispered and a blush filled his cheeks just as an unarticulated new sorrow filled his eyes.

Seeing this, Akihiko's thundering heart crashed against the cage of his ribs like a wild animal frantic for freedom. "Jadir, please tell me… tell me Takahashi is alive."

The moment after Jadir nodded, the boy gasped as the author suddenly clutched him to his chest stealing his breath. He recovered from this shock only to be further surprised to feel a lightly stubbled cheek pressed against his smooth one.

"Thank you. Oh dear god, thank you," Akihiko gasped, his eyes welling with joyful tears. He pulled back his head and regarded Jadir with a look of hopeless gratitude. "Please, Jadir, I will do whatever I can to help you but please, do you know where he is? Can you take me to him?"

Jadir nodded slowly and pointed to a door up head, he'd barely raised his hand to indicate it before Akihiko began moving.

Stopping at the door, Akihiko looked down at Jadir. His arms full, he nodded at the keypad. "I don't suppose you know the code for that thing?" Even if the boy had, Akihiko still possessed his gadgets but they would lose even more invaluable time.

He breathed an audible sigh of relief when Jadir's dark head bobbed in affirmation. The boy didn't know all Korovin's codes, but he did for the ones to the areas he was allowed access. He leaned out of Akihiko's embrace to tap in the numbers, but as he did this, he noticed that the light indicator signifying the door was armed and locked was off. Jadir frowned at this. He reached out with palsied fingers and twisted the knob.

The door was open.

Akihiko felt the youth begin to tremble in his arms. He had noticed the keypad light indicator too at the last minute. The author glared up into one of the hallway's security cameras. He wondered what this meant. If someone knew he was there now. Not desiring to spend too much thought on the implications of this, Akihiko pushed through the door, praying that each step was bringing him closer to Misaki.

Finally Jadir lead Akihiko to the incubation room. Here again the door was unlocked. Jadir shifted in the author's arms and after a moment, Akihiko set the boy down. He had a sudden flash of worry that maybe the youth had pulled him into a trap. There was a great possibility that Jadir would have a considerable case of Stockholm syndrome after what he'd been through.

Akihiko set this troubling thought aside, at this point it didn't matter. He placed his hand on the butt of the gun in his holster, just in case, however. He braced himself as he followed the teen into the room.

Inside Akihiko quickly ascertained it wasn't a trap. It was far worse.

He choked when he saw in the dim light all the hospital beds filled with Villinski's handiwork.

A low murmur filled the room as almost a dozen pairs of eyes focused on the stranger who'd just entered. Low moans and keening cries filled the air as the mad doctor's captives each clamored for salvation. Pleas for help in a variety of languages filled his ears, called out by the boys who were unmuzzled.

Akihiko was stunned by the sight and the sound. His other senses were overwhelmed as well since Korovin had not been keeping on top of his patients' care and the smell of soiled beds, unwashed bodies and the fetid dank of despair assailed his nostrils.

None of this seemed to faze Jadir, however. The youth grabbed Akihiko's large hand with his small damaged one and began to pull the man towards the back of the room where some of the beds were curtained off. Jadir drew Akihiko to the bed he'd last seen Misaki in, looking in on the room from the monitor in Korovin's office. Akihiko rushed forward and whipped back the curtain.

The bed was empty.

"NO!"

Akihiko's grief and rage-laden cry filled the room and all other noise ceased. The bed-bound boys immediately fell silent. His fury rose as he saw the empty shackles, the depression where his boy's body had occupied the bed so recently. Lavender eyes stared in disbelief. He scanned the bed as though he could will Misaki into materializing. Then he turned and saw Jadir's grief stricken expression.

"NO!" Akihiko bellowed again. He ran a hand through his thick, pale hair and then lunged at the few other remaining curtained beds. Misaki had to be there! He couldn't come so close only to have his beloved disappear again.

He growled in frustration, until he realized the effect his anger was having on the room's other occupants. Then a crushing wave of grief and conviction crashed down on him seeing the terrified eyes fixed on him.

"Sorry… I am so sorry," Akihiko said much more softly, repeating this in every language he knew. He moved back over to Jadir. "Jadir, do you have any idea where Misaki might be?" Before the shaken youth could answer, a light flashed in one corner of the room and a darkened wall monitor flickered to life.

All eyes in the dim room were suddenly fixed on the screen. Akihiko stepped over to it and was greeted by the Doc's grinning face. "Villinski," he breathed, his fists clenched dangerously, seeing the man who had spoken to him at the bar, the same fucking bastard who had taken his Misaki.

A torrent of rage flowed through him, not only at the man but at himself. Akihiko's heart was ravaged by an overwhelming guilt: that this… fuck who'd stolen the love of his life and irreparably damaged Misaki, had sat down beside him so casually so many weeks ago and he hadn't somehow sensed it.

"Ah, Usami… What a pleasure to see you again. And actually, the name's Korovin, but you can call me 'Doc' if you like," the sadist purred, in his accented English. "How remarkable this is. How on earth did you ever find me?" Korovin's tone was so casual one might think Akihiko had simply shown up unexpected for tea.

"I don't give a damn who you are, you sick demon fuck!" Akihiko had lost any inclination for civility the instant Korovin had taken Misaki.

"So passionate! I can see why Takahashi's so fond of you…Usagi-san." Korovin teased. Then seeing with the feed from the security cameras on the room how furious the man was he chuckled.

Uncontained rage. This was going to be much easier than he'd thought, sadly, but still entertaining nonetheless. Korovin watched as Akihiko stilled at his words rather than rise to the bait though the way the author's lean sides were heaving it was obvious that he was struggling to control himself. This shift made Korovin suddenly more optimistic about his challenger.

Akihiko's world was painted crimson hearing Korovin utter his beloved's name and his own cherished nickname. Falling from such corrupt lips this was blasphemy. "Misaki! Where is he?" He demanded. Akihiko felt nothing but loathing at Korovin's low chuckle. His heart stopped and he couldn't breathe, however, when a moment later Korovin turned the laptop he was communicating from and the webcam picked up a pale visage.

All the blood left Akihiko's face. Lavender eyes blinked rapidly as his mind struggled to comprehend that the unconscious form he was seeing was his Misaki. Misaki, his thick chocolate locks, shorn; his pale face angular with emaciation, blooming with bruise rather than blush, his soft lips broken; thin arms stretched and chained over his head. He noticed the dark marks that profaned his love's slender neck.

Misaki's eyes were closed and he was so still. Akihiko could see the wetness on his boy's sunken cheeks, the tracks of his newest tears.

"You…" There was no label, no word that existed in language to capture such and abomination as Korovin.

"What have you done to my Misaki?"

Akihiko looked up at Korovin through the screen. The coldness in his gaze froze the tears that had welled in his eyes before they could fall.

"Oh… he's not dead… yet… but I can see from the look on your face you don't like my alterations." Korovin laughed. "Pity."

"Maybe you'd like a different boy then. Jadir seems to have taken to you… Am I wrong there, my pet?"

Jadir had followed Akihiko over to the monitor. He'd begun trembling the moment Korovin's face had appeared on the screen. At these words though, Jadir uttered a small whimper and sank to the floor.

Korovin, if he saw this, ignored Jadir, instead he leaned back into the monitor and held up a tiny box, a small remote of sorts. "Do you see this?

"This remote is linked to that IV system over there."

Once again the screen shifted and Akihiko saw the tube going into the back of one of Misaki's cuffed hands. Hanging from a pole that was part of the headboard the IV drip bag also sprouted a proliferation of other gadgets.

"When I press this remote, a little treat I prepared myself will be released into the IV's feed. It will kill Takahashi… quickly, fortunately for him, as I can't guarantee it will be painless."

Korovin laughed again at the hopeless fury on Usami's face.

"No," Akihiko's voice was soft and the unmistakable plea in it pleased Korovin immensely.

"Tell you what Usami, I'd really rather not kill your little lover yet… I'd rather keep him a bit longer. So, let's make a bargain… You let me keep Takahashi and I'll let you walk out of here with those others… every boy in that room. I call my guards and tell them to allow you to exit my grounds unmolested. Those are my terms.

Akihiko felt every eye was suddenly on him. Not even a breath could be heard as Korovin's captives lay silent, waiting for his answer. Despite the sudden palpable hope in the room Akihiko knew the man was offering him a false bargain: that Korovin would never willingly let him or any of his captives ever leave this place. The man was clearly toying with him.

"No."

On the screen Korovin displayed a cocked brow. "No? You come to an answer so quickly?

"You throw these other boys' lives out without a second thought? I thought you were Japanese, Usami and as such you would know the collective outweighs the individual?"

"If you'd just cease talking long enough for me to get out my full answer!" Akihiko growled.

Korovin's brow rose higher at this and he smirked. He stared at Akihiko expectantly. "Well, I'm waiting."

"My answer is no… You'll not have my Misaki or any boy by the time I am through with you."

"Ummmmm?" Korovin hummed, "Greedy… And so sure of yourself. Let's see how long that lasts… What's to keep me from pressing this button right now?"

Akihiko drew a deep breath, he hated himself for what he was about to do. He switched from English to Japanese, testing Korovin and hoping to keep his words from the boys surrounding him. "I have a gun. You press that button and I will kill every boy in this room. As you said 'the collective outweighs the individual.' From what I have seen it would be a kinder fate than remaining here with you… And by the way, I spent my childhood in England, so my sensibilities are not purely Japanese." Akihiko's voice was low but there was no doubt of the conviction with which the man uttered these words. "I learned quite a bit about the selfishness of the imperialistic mindset while I was there. What some will do to others without thought to claim what they want… What they believe to be inherently theirs."

"You wouldn't." Korovin's voice was sure, but his eyes flickered for the merest of moments. His mind raced with what this would mean… the loss of all his hard work… his experiment.

"Try me. Without Misaki I have nothing left to lose." Akihiko pulled the gun from its holster. "And I'll start here." He aimed it at the kneeling figure of Jadir beside him.

Jadir's eyes grew huge. He wailed and pulled his broken limbs in, curling up in a pitiful attempt to shield himself.

While his facial expression held firm, at this action by Akihiko, Korovin visibly paled. Then two spots of bright color flashed in his drawn cheeks. "Do it, I don't care," he hissed.

"Don't you?" Akihiko stepped forward, willing his hand not to tremble as he leaned over and placed the barrel of the gun against the sobbing Jadir's temple.

"M… Master, save us!" Jadir gasped out pitifully.

Akihiko cocked the hammer. "Forgive me, Jadir. I truly wanted to free you, but not in this way," he said softly in Portuguese.

"STOP!" Korovin suddenly shrieked.

Akihiko hesitated a moment before he looked up, his eyes were glazed. "Ummmm?" he murmured looking up into the screen.

Korovin's face was tight but the man was visibly shaking. "It seems we may have reached an impasse." The Doc's fury was palpable.

Akihiko straightened. He withdrew the gun from Jadir's temple, but kept it trained on the weeping boy before him. "Then tell me," Akihiko said as a bitter twist curled his mouth, "How do you propose we solve this?"

Alcuzey, hope this is alleviating the boredom of your travels.

SilentStare, congrats on your new FF account. Stalker mode... (I like to see who my reviewers are). Yeah, I think I may have a sliver of Korovin in me, the way I like torturing my readers.

Ashley Tangerine, thank you, doll, for being my 400th reviewer for this story. You have no idea how happy you have made this hound. I know things moved fast, but I just couldn't bear to keep torturing the Romanticas or Jadir, for that matter.

Thanks everyone for reading and please review!

Sincerely,

Cerberus