Chapter 28: A New Lead
June 24, 1954
Holland threw the door to Gilbert and Savio's cell open. The boys got up off their cots and shook; Gilbert was shaking more than Savio, who was trying to put up a brave front.
"Come on, you two," Holland said darkly. "Time to go."
Gilbert gulped and followed Holland out of the cell, cringing when Holland grabbed his arm and pulled him along. He looked back at Savio, who wasn't moving and just stared defiantly at Holland.
"You, too, kid," said Holland. "Come on!" He grabbed Savio's arm and pulled him out of the cell. Then he led the boys down the same way they had come to the cell the previous night. "I have a guest here, and he wants to see what we've got." He felt Gilbert lagging behind to wipe his eyes. "Move!" He pulled at Gilbert's arm, making Gilbert yelp and trip over his own feet.
Holland and the boys finally got to the main area of the HQ. Holland thrust the boys in front of him, this time holding on tight to their shoulders. Gilbert and Savio looked at each other nervously, then at the Gekkostate's "guest", a Russian man by the name of Ivan Braginski. On either side of Ivan were none other than…
"Savino…look!" Gilbert whispered. He looked over at the four young men flanking Ivan. "Isn't that…?"
"Yeah," Savio whispered. "Feliks…and the Lorinaitis brothers!"
Gilbert and Savio saw that Toris, Eduard and Raivis—who were now twenty-one, nineteen and sixteen-going-on-seventeen years old—were shaking as they stood back with a pissed-off-looking, twenty-almost-twenty-one-year-old Feliks.
"Holland, who are these kids?" Ivan asked. He walked over to Holland and the boys.
"We brought these kids here last night," said Holland. "Now, about my stuff."
"Right," said Ivan. He turned to the three Baltic brothers and Feliks. "Toris, bring me my bag."
"Yes, Master Ivan," Toris said quietly. He grabbed a black duffel bag and quickly brought it over to Ivan.
"Toris…" Gilbert said as quietly as Toris addressed the Russian man whom he called "Master".
Toris looked quickly at Gilbert and Savio, then ran back to his friend and brothers.
"Here," said Ivan. He gave the bag to Holland, who let go of the boys and took the bag. "For both you and Talho."
Holland opened the bag Ivan gave him and looked over its contents. Inside the bag were a bunch of clothes that looked like they could belong to a pimp and his…for lack of a better word…hoe. Holland was satisfied with what Ivan had brought him, so he smiled. "Good merchandise, Ivan."
"About my payment…" said Ivan.
"Oh, right," said Holland. "How about you take one of these kids as payment?" He grabbed Savio and Gilbert again and held on tight so they wouldn't run away.
"Which one do you want?" asked Talho.
Ivan walked over to the boys and looked them over.
Gilbert and Savio were now both scared and shaking in their shoes as they took in the big man looking down on them.
Ivan gave a slight nod when he was done looking at both boys. "I'll take them both."
"Ah, good choice," said Holland. "Here, take them off my hands." He pushed Gilbert and Savio towards Ivan, who grabbed onto them and left them with Feliks and the Baltics.
Gilbert looked back at Vivi, who was standing with Koza. She didn't look sorry about what was happening. "Vivi…Vivi, please…" He still hoped (in vain) that Vivi would come to her senses and help him, Savio, Feliks and the Lorinaitis siblings.
"Goodbye, Gilbert," said Vivi. "And good riddance."
Gilbert looked down at the floor in total betrayal.
"Guys, would you escort these two to the van?" Ivan asked. "And wait for me there."
"Yes, sir," Toris and his brothers replied. Feliks just glared at Ivan and looked sorry for Gilbert and Savio.
"Come on, guys," Feliks said. He gently led Gilbert out of the Gekkostate's HQ, while Toris led Savio out.
Feliks and Toris led the boys to the van and led them inside once Eduard and Raivis opened the doors.
Once Gilbert, Savio, Feliks and the Baltics were inside the van, Feliks and Toris closed the doors.
"Gilbo, Savino," Feliks said in surprise. "Like, what are you guys doing here?"
"The Gekkostate came to Venice and kidnapped Gilbo," said Savio. "I stowed away to try and get him back home, but next thing I know, we were both being smuggled to their HQ. And what's worse, Vivi betrayed us."
"What would they want with Gilbo?" asked Eduard.
"That Holland guy said that it was because of some debt that Gilbo's parents owed them from 1940," Savio replied. "I tried to make them take me as payment instead, but they refused 'cause I wasn't Claus and Elise's kid."
"That bastard!" Toris said.
"Can't you guys just steal this thing and take us home?" Gilbert asked.
"Like, I totally wish we could, Gilbo," said Feliks. "But Ivan has the keys."
"Feliks, it's Master Ivan," Toris said in a scared voice.
"He's, like, not my master, Liet," said Feliks.
"You'll get beaten again!" Eduard warned.
"Do I look like I care anymore?" Feliks asked sarcastically.
Just then, Ivan showed up and got in the driver seat of the van. He started the vehicle and drove off to Moscow. They ended up having to stop at a rest stop in Estonia for the night. Feliks, Toris, Eduard, Raivis, Savio and Gilbert got nothing to eat, while Ivan ate all he wanted and more.
"Feliks, I forbid you to wear that fucking nightgown!" said Ivan. "You're a boy, not a girl!"
"It's, like, my nightgown, and I'll wear it if I want to, shithead!" Feliks retorted. He flipped Ivan off and walked away.
"Get some sleep, you little shits," said Ivan. "Soon, we'll be in Russia, and you'll have a full day's work ahead of you." He walked away, leaving Savio and Gilbert alone.
"What's gonna happen to us?" Gilbert asked Savio.
"I don't know," Savio replied. He looked worried. "I…don't know, Gilbo."
Meanwhile, Claus, Ludwig, Feliciano, Kiku, Izaya, Lovino, Roderich, Elizabeta, Black*Star, Tsubaki, Soul, Maka and Spirit ran into Francis and Antonio, who were just coming back from a trip to Paris. After hearing what had happened, Francis and Antonio readily joined the search party, and they continued on their way until they reached the Gekkostate HQ.
Claus and the others barged into the HQ, where Vivi and Koza were playing video games with Moondoggie, Gidget, Renton and Eureka. The six got startled and looked up when they heard the door being broken down and the shouts of the angry search party.
Holland and the other Gekkostate members came running into the main room, where they saw the search party.
"Claus," said Holland. "What a surprise." He smirked.
"Where is he?" Claus erupted. Spirit transformed into a Zanpakuto, and Claus took hold of him. "Where's my son?"
"Where's Gilbo?" Ludwig yelled. "I want my little brother! Give him back!" He charged at Holland and took the front of his shirt in his fists. "Give my brother back!"
"And where's Savino?" Lovino and Feliciano asked angrily.
"Give Savino back," Feliciano hissed.
"Holland!" Talho shouted. She knocked Ludwig off Holland, and the rest of the Gekkostate tackled the young man.
"Lui, no!" Kiku yelled. He charged at the Gekkostate with a real katana. "Let him go!"
"Kiku…don't," said Ludwig. He struggled under the weight of the Gekkostate, then finally managed to throw them off, while Kiku and—surprisingly—Feliciano helped him fight them.
"Bankai!" Claus shouted. Spirit became a Bankai, and Claus charged at the Gekkostate. He pointed Spirit at Holland and Talho. "Give my son back to me. Now, Holland!"
"Now, Claus, you know I can't do that," said Holland. "He served well for paying your and Elise's debt to us."
"Bastard!" Francis sneered. "Using a child just to make someone pay off some debt?"
"Soul!" Maka said.
"Right," said Soul. He transformed into a weapon, and he and Maka, along with Black*Star and Tsubaki, tried fighting Renton and Eureka, but were knocked back.
"They're too strong," said Tsubaki. "Black*Star, what are you doing?"
"I'm the awesome Black*Star! Nobody can beat me!" said Black*Star. He charged at Renton with Tsubaki, but was beat once again.
Now it was Izaya's turn to be angry. "Where are Gilbo and Savino? Tell me now, Vivi, you bitch!"
"You really wanna know?" asked Vivi. "Okay. Mom and Dad used Gilbert and Savio to pay for their pimp and hoe clothes."
Claus, Ludwig, Lovino and Feliciano were beyond pissed this time.
"Who has them now?" Lovino asked, his blood boiling.
"Like we'll tell you," Vivi spat.
Feliciano clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. Never before had he been so angry in his life, especially at a young girl. He grabbed Vivi's wrist and squeezed. "You better fucking tell us, now! I want my fratellino back!"
"Feli…" Lovino, Ludwig and Kiku said in surprise.
"Okay, okay!" said Koza. "Let go of Vivi, and I'll tell you!"
Feliciano threw Vivi to the floor, and the girl ran behind her parents. "Okay, I let the little bitch go. Now, tell me where they are!"
Ludwig, Kiku and Lovino ganged up on Koza as well. Claus and Izaya went up, too.
"A man named Ivan Braginski came and gave Holland and Talho their new clothes," said Koza.
"Koza, don't you dare—!" said Holland.
"Ivan wanted his payment up front, so they gave Gilbert and Savio to Ivan," Koza continued.
"Where are…where did this Ivan person take them?" Claus asked shakily. He looked like he wanted to die.
"Probably back to Moscow," said Koza. "He…he's got a big estate there, and he's probably using them as his slaves."
Claus dropped to his knees and dropped Spirit on the floor. Spirit immediately turned back into a human and tried helping Claus off the floor. Feliciano fainted, while Lovino caught him and Kiku tried waking him up. Ludwig was now inconsolable as he, too dropped to his knees and kept his eyes on the floor.
Meanwhile, Roderich and Elizabeta had started a pimp-and-hoe fight with Holland and Talho.
"My clothes are better than yours!" said Talho. "You call yourself a hoe? You're nothing compared to me." She bitch-slapped Elizabeta.
"Why you…biotch! Bring it on!" Elizabeta shouted. She bitch-slapped Talho back, and they both continued going at it.
"I've dated ten girls at the same time in high school," Roderich bragged angrily. "AND I can play the piano, and write my own music! I'm the pimpiest pimp who ever pimp'd!"
"Oh yeah!" Holland said. "Well, guess what? I dated over sixteen girls in high school and college! And I'm in the Gekkostate, dammit! Your prissy piano playing's got nothing on me!"
"Oh yeah?" said Roderich.
"Yeah!" said Holland.
The two pimps started a brawl, Vivi looking back and forth.
"Go, Mom and Dad!" said Vivi.
"Alright, that's enough fighting!" said Antonio. He and Francis broke up the pimps and hoes, much to Vivi's disappointment. "Let's go, now!"
The search party immediately ran out of the HQ. Almost all the Gekkostate members were injured or scared of the angry mob, especially Ludwig and the Vargas brothers.
Claus, Ludwig and the others continued their trek to find Gilbert and Savio and bring them home. Unfortunately, they were low on gas, so they had to get gas and spend the night in a hotel in Estonia. Little did they know that Gilbert and Savio—along with Feliks and the Lorinaitis brothers—were somewhere near them. If they only knew…
