Days Without Sun
Chapter Twenty-Six: Minutes
Jadir had been shocked when Usami Akihiko had drawn his gun on him: the man who, in the few minutes he had been with him, had shown him more true kindness than he had known in the two years of his captivity. Jadir had been unable to understand what Usami had said before he committed himself to this action, but his captor, Korovin, had responded in Portuguese.
"Do it. I don't care."
It was these words by Korovin, not the gun, that set him sobbing. Jadir wept without tears knowing it was true: Korovin had assured him countless times he was nothing.
He was also weeping for Takahashi Misaki. He wished he could shed true tears for his fellow captive; maybe they could wash away some of his terrible guilt.
Takahashi had been forced to endure far more than he would have if he'd not asked him to join in his attempted escape. Korovin had told him this often since their capture.
He'd forced Jadir to look upon Takahashi, broken and unconscious. Seeing him again on the screen now in his further reduced condition, Jadir was overwhelmed with crushing remorse.
My foolish action caused this suffering.
And the man standing next to him, pointing the gun, loved Takahashi; this much was clear.
It had been from the first time Jadir had heard Usami utter Takahashi's other name: "Misaki." Even if Usami didn't know of his fault, Jadir felt the man's action was justified.
As the hopelessness of his situation bloomed within him once more, Jadir thought miserably, in addition to justice, at least it would put an end to his own pain and the world of hurt the other life he carried would be born into.
"Don't you?"
Jadir heard and understood this as well, though Usami had spoken it in English.
Something in the tone of the words struck him. He raised his head as Usami stepped forward. His fear-blurred eyes met Usami's and he was stunned again. The gaze he encountered was not filled with anger or coldness, instead Usami's eyes held an expression of overwhelming grief.
Jadir had always been a perceptive boy. Sensitive… too much so, he'd been told more than once in his life. The past two years had honed this in him to a razor's blade. He had learned to read every tic, tense, and breath of Korovin in order to please him. As he looked at Usami now, he understood immediately that the man before him was in terrible pain and did not want to kill him.
The terror in his eyes softened; he saw Usami's widen in response to this. He watched Usami lean forward with the gun. Jadir remembered that God had answered his prayer and one way or another he believed that Usami was to be his deliverer.
Jadir caught the waver of the barrel and moved his head just slightly to press against the edge of the steel to steady it. His gaze never left Usami's. He only hoped that Korovin had not noticed his subtle gesture.
Usami felt it though, and the hardened mask he had been trying to maintain slipped. Jadir knew if his captor saw this the deadly game would be over and he, Usami, Takahashi, and the rest of the boys would lose.
"Master! Save us!" He wanted to remind Korovin of the swelling secret he carried. He hoped his plea would pull the devil's eyes to him, though his own never left Usami's. Jadir prayed that the title would catch on his tormentor's pride, would remind him that someone else was playing with his "toy" now. Unable to bear the infinite grief in Usami's expression Jadir closed his eyes and committed his heart one last time to his God.
"Forgive me, Jadir. I truly wanted to free you but not in this way."
A fresh wave of sobs shook Jadir's slender shoulders hearing the solemn earnestness in Usami's voice, though still no tears came.
He was moved by the truth of it. Korovin had teased him with apologies while tormenting him countless times, but never once had he meant it.
Jadir heard the click of the hammer, the low whimpers, sobs, and gasps of the other captives, the soft buzz of the monitor.
What was it Korovin said? That the collective was more important than the individual?
Jadir found himself amazed by the clarity of his thoughts in this instance. He suddenly hoped that Usami would have the strength to do it. A peculiar peace filled him.
"STOP!"
A moment after Korovin shrilled his command, Jadir's eyes slowly fluttered open. When they finally focused he found himself gazing into an equally dazed pair of lavender orbs. At last, Usami looked away and back up at the screen.
"It seems we may have reached an impasse."
Jadir heard the fury in Korovin's voice. For some reason, however, it sounded as though the man was speaking from far away. Even so, to hear his captor so discomfited pleased him.
He felt the muggy air of the incubator lick the damp flesh of his temple the moment the cool of the gun's barrel left him. At this instant the rest of his strength abandoned him also and he collapsed completely. Lying on the chill polished concrete of the sick room, Jadir listen halfheartedly to the men's negotiations, their voices droning, his understanding of their utterances fading in and out as he drifted.
"Then tell me, how do you propose we solve this?" Akihiko was amazed by how calm his voice sounded. He kept his eyes focused on Korovin, though it was all he could do not to look at the astounding youth who lay panting on the floor before him.
Korovin paused as if to consider. "You bring Jadir to me and leave my other to…boys unmolested and I'll give you Takahashi and a twenty minute head start to get out of here. No interference."
Now it was Akihiko's turn to ponder. If he could just get close enough to the man to kill him, then there was still a chance that not only could he save Misaki but the others as well. He couldn't help now but glance at the crumpled figure of Jadir.
Akihiko steeled his bleeding heart and turned back to Korovin, his visage hardened. "I want to walk out of here with Misaki, unhindered."
Korovin looked thoughtful. What did it truly matter if he conceded at this point? Usami, Takahashi, Jadir they were all dead ultimately.
"Fine. You take Jadir and have him show you to the 'Playroom.' Takahashi and I will be waiting. You have five minutes to get here once you leave that room and I am going to be watching you so you better not try anything." His voice was icy.
"Agreed." Akihiko holstered the gun and made a move for Jadir. The boy had roused enough that seeing him move towards him, he tried to scoot away, a low wail building in his throat.
This was cut short when Korovin barked, "Jadir! Silence! You will let Usami take you and you will bring him to the Playroom understand!"
Jadir shrank inside the jacket he was still wearing at the command.
"Jadir!"
Akihiko watched as the boy, trembling rose from his knees. He reached out to assist the teen and though Jadir tensed and shied from him, he finally allowed Akihiko to place a steadying hand as he rose. The author watched Jadir struggle to stand. It was a wonder after his near death experience that the youth could even move at all.
Akihiko's heart was sick with what he'd just done. Santo Justino had been right: he was an author not a superhero.
Killing the guard outside, the dogs, those had been terrible, but this latest action was unforgivable, threatening a poor lamb that looked like he'd already been run through the slaughter. Still, Akihiko knew that this was the only chance he would have to get close. Any other negotiation would have made him look weak and then they all would have been lost. He was only thankful that Korovin had bought it.
As they started moving towards the doors, Akihiko's heart ached, glancing around at the beds. To leave these other tortured victims of Korovin's here, bound as they were, tore at him. He was roused from this thought as Jadir stumbled and fell, knocking over a tray of medical supplies at the foot of one of the beds as they passed.
The boy automatically began to frantically scrabble with his remaining digits to gather the spill.
"Enough!" Korovin roared. "I swear to god, Jadir! I should have let him put a bullet in that worthless head of yours! Leave it and come here now!"
Akihiko bent down to lift the boy up; after some fumbling he was able to raise Jadir to his feet.
"If you want me to get there in five minutes I'd better carry him. I can't drag him the whole way." Then Akihiko amended this with an annoyed sounding growl. "Well, I could, but it would be a hell of a bloody hassle." He scooped the trembling boy up again, despite Jadir's feeble protests.
"Just get down here now!" Korovin was livid at Jadir's incompetence. Sitting on the edge of the bed next to the still unconscious Takahashi, Korovin felt his dick hardening at the thought of just exactly how punished the clumsy boy would find himself after he finished with him.
"So impatient," Akihiko snorted trying to provoke Korovin further, wanting him off balance but not out of control, knowing that as long as Korovin held the remote he was walking a dangerous tightrope.
Out in the hall Akihiko carried Jadir a short distance, heading the direction the teenindicated. As he did, he slipped a hand stealthily into the pocket of the jacket Jadir was still wrapped in (it was a skill he'd had plenty of chances to perfect with Misaki). He found the device for disrupting the camera feeds and pressed it. He knew now he had a few minutes where Korovin would be unable to see him until the picture resumed.
Jadir started in surprise when he felt himself gently set down.
"I have cut the cameras here. They'll be out for three minutes." Akihiko murmured as he stepped back.
Jadir wondered how Usami could produce that kind of magic but the man's voice held no doubt about his assertion. His shock increased, however, when Usami knelt down before him and pressed his silvered forehead to the concrete.
"Jadir," Akihiko offered solemnly in Portuguese, "there are no words I can offer you to atone for what I just did to you. You of all people deserve far better treatment. I cannot ask for your forgiveness, but I can offer you my most humble apology. It was never my intention to cause you more harm than you have already suffered."
Jadir's eyes widened at Usami's words, so weighted with contrition. He stared at the prostrate man before him. After a moment he folded his wobbly knees and squatted before Usami. Tentatively he stretched out his shaking hand.
Jadir's two remaining fingers caressed Usami's cheek and he marveled at its wetness. His tattered digits slipped down and caught the man's strong jaw and lifted it.
When Usami reluctantly raised his head, Jadir found himself drowning in lavender pools of sorrow.
Tears suddenly rolled down Jadir's own cheeks and he wondered where this new moisture had sprung from. He thought he'd spent his last teardrop with his last prayer. Then he wondered if it was only his tears of despair that he had finally exhausted, for the origin of these was far different.
Jadir softly cleared his throat. "Usami, we only have four minutes now," he whispered.
So this is the end of my re-upload. Everything after this chapter will be new. I hope to give you a new chapter this weekend. This story is hot on my ass now and I can't shake it.
Hope to hear from you.
Sincerely,
Cerberus