WOLVES REIGN
CHAPTER THIRTY EIGHT: Blurry
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April 6th
Haruto Residence
9:50 P.M
Lights blazed brighter than the hottest star as they brightened the horrendous crime scene. A task force of police officers roamed the street and the house, some officers were attempting to get statements from neighbors about the recent event, while some tried to reign in the noisy bystanders. Forensics roamed inside and out, taking evidence left and right, taking evidence that could be crucial to other cases. A tow truck that allowed multiple vehicles sat against the dark of the night, orange lights blazing brighter than the police blue. One of three cars sat on the bed of the truck, chains rattling against the metal frame as they eased up a second vehicle. Neighbors stood against the caution tape as they eavesdropped on the situation, some voices louder than others as people gossiped about what happened. Some gossiped about the residents of the house. The only thing they weren't talking about was what they witnessed and what they knew about the residents.
If they didn't want a huge scene before, they sure were going to get it now. With the blue and red lights blazing the dark night as vehicles parked in a half-circle in order to barricade the road, they were basically announcing something huge was going on. Police were stationed at either end of the street, not allowing people to pass—residents or not—and stadium lights were beginning out-light the parked vehicles. Detective Sheldon stared at the house with a look of disdain. Even with a warrant that took hours to acquire, they weren't getting diddly-squat. She could easily make out the neighbors as they watched from porches, some going as far as sitting on top of roof tops in order to see the delicate situation. She could make out the busy-bodies as they snapped photos to blast on social media, only to get their phone confiscated by a near-by officer. She shook her head at the thought of their stupidity.
Crossing her arms, she leaned against a brick post. There were no bodies to create a scenario, only blood. Blood, bullets, and broken furniture. The twins owned a handful of vehicles, all stripped of vital engine parts, and now two of them were coming up as evidence for a different case. Convenient for her, but not what they were looking for at that particular moment. The twins owned more weapons than a police brigade, which they found in a hidden wall in one of the rooms. They owned more booze than a bar, which were mostly broken from the aftermath of a fight. Sheldon was beginning to become envious of the twins, for they owned more than her own condo was worth and then some. Even the furniture looked like they'd been worth more than the house. Her blue orbs took in the scene around her as she thought about the destruction of a rundown house. They made it appear as if they were a bunch of college students renting a house, but really they were a bunch of college students that had more money than the entire neighborhood.
Slowly Detective Luc came out of the house, his face contorted in a sour-like expression and head bowed as he watched his step. Sheldon could only tighten her jaw. The look he harbored was a look that basically announced he'd come up empty. Empty didn't give her commission. Empty didn't give them a closed case and a fat paycheck. They were trying to place Sakura Kinomoto at the scene to prove that she had been involved somehow, but with no evidence they couldn't make an arrest. They had still-photos that proved she'd arrived at the house, but no timestamp that correlated with the death of two officers or the amount of destruction inside, they were next to robbed. It was the Hourglass Café all over again. Evidence here and there, but not solid enough to keep those involved behind bars. They had even been sent away when they arrived at her current home-situation. 'She was sick' they had said, 'too sick to come out and talk to them'.
They had two dead cops and no witnesses to the actual fight, they were wasting vital time. Vital time she could be drinking, eating, and catching up on the latest sitcom. "Any luck?" She asked carefully when Luc rocked to a stop, his arms folded over one another. When he didn't respond she narrowed her eyes. "Detective," she snapped.
He brought his gaze to hers and snarled. One brow went up at the animalistic sound and realized he was merely coughing. The explosions had been contained to the house, but left a nasty residue that harmed any set of lungs that entered, once again proving they needed evidence to nail the perpetrators. "We found evidence that someone had died on the couch by the amount of blood and bullet left in the boards, but not the body. They also found a trail that indicated someone had been carried out."
"Of course someone had been carried out. All that blood? You don't just get up and walk out." her brow arched at the irony in her statement, but he wasn't paying attention. Sighing, Sheldon glanced at the house illuminated like a movie prop. "I noticed the extra blood in the backyard, but it didn't look like a body had dropped."
"Forensic found evidence that someone or something dropped off the roof based off the blood splatter and cracked walkway, but again no body. I'm starting to think their immortal."
"Yes, we're dealing with a bunch if immortal creatures that bleed like human-beings." She got out hotly.
He glared at her sarcastic tone and turned as an officer wearing head-to-toe black approached with a scratch of his covered head. Sheldon noticed his bright blue eyes were shifting as the officer glanced around him as if they were being spied on. "Detective's, the neighbors won't talk. They literally have their mouths…" he mimicked their pressed lips before sighing. "Although an elderly lady that matched the address to the phone call, slipped me a piece of paper with her statement on it."
"Seriously?" Sheldon took the paper and unraveled it greedily.
"The neighbors must be fearful." Luc said as he stared out across the dark lawn tinted blue from the police lights.
"Or one of them." Sheldon huffed out a breath as she read the statement in perfect penmanship. "She witnessed a handful of people wearing Noe masks carrying an unconscious female at around noon. She also witnessed those same masked people come in after the first police squad left and carried out body bags at around five." Her hand went up in the air angrily. "See! This is why they need to give us warrants faster. We could have had these jokers, but of course not."
"We had a squad car monitoring this street, why weren't we aware that people came in to clean?" Luc asked out of the blue, although his question was directed at Sheldon as she mumbled something incoherent under her breath.
"We should have had two squad cars patrolling this street."
"This elderly woman, she won't speak to the officers?" Luc asked. A car slowly rolled forward from the darkness and his eyes trained on the black gloss of the vehicle. When the officer confirmed with a solid negative, he made a face. "She must be the only one that actually cares what goes on this block, but is also fearful that they might retaliate."
"Maybe she's the only one that's old enough to understand the consequences of holding vital information from the police." Sheldon got out before turning her head at the approaching male. "Captain Leblanc, what brings you out here?" she easily folded the paper and tucked it away before their captain noticed. His dark gaze was on the house as he stopped just shy of their positions, before swinging on them.
Sheldon narrowed her gaze. Captain Leblanc reminded her of a large grizzly bear that was slowly losing his patience with the world. "There have been multiple incidences that require your presence." He commented dryly, lips turned up at the scene unraveling before him. "I'm relieving you two of this case, so you can investigate and figure out what the hell is going on." He's definitely angry, Sheldon noticed.
"What kind of multiple incidences?" Luc asked before Sheldon could open her mouth and say something they would both get reprimanded for.
Fingers to the bridge of his nose in agitation, Captain Leblanc shook his head as if he wasn't going to answer. Finally, he glanced at the officers scouring the yard for evidence inch-by-inch. "The phones are ringing off the hook at the precinct about car accidents, explosions, and dead bodies. I need Detective Sheldon to head East of Otsu to the bridge district and investigate a highway robbery. Detective Luc will head south towards the Kyoto and Osaka borderline and investigate another highway incident."
"May I ask what the relevance of these cases are?" Sheldon asked as sweetly as possible, getting a pinch from her partner as he glared daggers.
"All of them have one thing in common—"
"Gangs." Luc interrupted and shrank into himself when his Captain glared. "We'll be happy to go."
"Good. We're on the same page. Now go." he didn't wait as he turned his attention to the prowling officers. "Someone update me on this situation! Now!"
Sheldon moved away from her position as she walked sideways to admire the vein protruding from the Captain's neck, his anger radiating off of him as an officer came jogging over to give him a report. Luc watched with curiosity as he headed towards the parked vehicles. "I have a bad feeling about this." He told her as they finally turned away from the house.
"So do I, but orders are orders." Sheldon glanced at the barricade of officers before looking up at the people on the rooftops. "I take it the Captain doesn't know about the Mrs. Terada or he wouldn't be sending us on this goose chase?"
"Terada doesn't know about the Mrs. I haven't had the heart to consult the Captain about it, yet." Luc stopped at his shared vehicle and grimaced. Who was going to take what to their new cases? "With this Haruto mess, I haven't even looked into the Medina case or figured out how Terada is related."
"Are we positive they're related?"
"According Jessie, she's the sister of Arya Medina and Terada has not stepped one foot into that house." Luc fished out his keys and handed them to Sheldon. "I'll take another vehicle, you take this one. Keep me up to speed on Otsu?"
She nodded. "Hopefully it has nothing to do with this." She thumbed at the scene just as the Captain yelled at someone and shook her head. It was going to be a long night.
Otsu, Japan
Cobra's Penthouse
11:16 P.M
Ceil stared out the large floor-to-ceiling window, taking in the bright lights of the city. Fingers wrapped around her slender phone, tightening ever-so-slightly as she got lost in her thoughts. She'd sent Marius to deal with a problem 12-hours ago. Marius, her right-hand man, her best friend since he became her bodyguard when she was twelve. He was more of a father to her than her own father. He was the one she used to her disposal and still, he managed to return to her for another fight, but not this time. He was either fashionably late or something happened, possibly both. Her fingers curled around her phone as she willed it to vibrate with his call. Marius was a tough individual with a mercenary background and Shang training, so why was it taking him half-a-day to return her call. She couldn't send someone to search for him nor could she ask for his whereabouts—no one was supposed to know where he was or that he was gone in the first place.
She should have sent someone else to deal with the pests.
She should have gone with him.
Her phone buzzed beneath her fingers and she smiled, her reflection in the window brightening as a helicopter disappeared around the penthouse. It wasn't until she read the text message from Silas did she frown. Idiot. Not who she wanted to hear from, not who she wanted to be texting her at such a critical hour, and definitely not who she was expecting. Wraith was due to arrive any minute now, she couldn't afford a text from Silas. She washed, cut, and dyed her hair with blue pastels that disappeared whenever she shifted her head in order to appear brand new to him. She wore his favorite blue and red corset dress that hugged her small frame and accentuated her small breasts to appear fuller. She even added body glitter to her Rising Dragon tattoo to make it appear old rather than new. The tattoo was a healing mess that itched with the fabric of her clothing, but it was worth the itch. Her father hadn't asked about the change to her tattoo, and for that she was grateful. She wasn't ready to announce the change she was making to his organization.
A door opened and she forced a smile on her pale face, body turning just in time to watch Wraith enter the large complex with double rooms. His just shy of six foot, lean physique was covered by an Armani suit the color of midnight. Dark brown dreadlocks were tied at the nap of his neck by a rubber band strong enough to hold the heavy locks. When she first met the leader of the Silver Snakes she had swooned over his dark skin with white and black tattoos that covered his body from head-to-toe. Her sixteen-year-old-self had made it so she was in his good grace, had made it so her father would allow them to be together when the time was right. Now, she just wanted to be rid of the man that owned half of Kyoto and Otsu. Her goals were set higher than him, higher than his businesses and trade infatuation, and a lot higher than her father's goals set for her. To marry Cobra would mean she owned his assets, owned Shang's assets, and the asset's they accumulated slowly over the years of their relationship.
To marry him meant her freedom from Shang and her lack of freedom from Cobra.
Did she want to marry him? Yes. Did she love him? That love was dwindling with her pride. It was obvious something was on his mind as he removed his suit jacket and draped it over the white sofa, his dark red shirt unbuttoned at the top to reveal a skull tattoo on his left breast. "Wraith, baby, welcome home." she said with opened arms, eyes bright as she tried to reign in her disappoint of Marius' disappearing act.
"Where are my twins, Ceil?" he asked immediately and she faltered.
"Twins…?" she blinked in false confusion and watched as they man's dark skin turned darker with the crease of his narrowed eyes. He held her gaze, taking in the bullshit that was emitting from her pores. A spark lit her eye. "Oh. Those twins. I don't know, off partying somewhere maybe." Her fingers flickered in the air as she stood on tiptoes, fingers playing with his bare skin before sticking into his chest sharply.
"Partying." He gave her the kiss she was waiting for and walked casually towards the decanter across the room. The goosebumps that rose on her arms from his chaste kiss made her mentally growl. He was up to something, she could taste it. "Veronika, would you enter please?" Ceil made a face as the black-haired female that normally sat in the opposite room as security entered from behind mahogany curtains next to the large window overlooking the city. "Veronika where are the Haruto brothers?"
Ceil narrowed her eyes even more only to quickly recover as he turned to face her with a glass in one hand and a phone in the other. Something was wrong. She could feel it more now than when he gave her such a quick kiss. "Not sure. Last I knew they were at their house nursing wounds." Truth. Ceil remained relaxed as she watched him take in the woman's statement.
"Nursing wounds." He repeated in the same tone as before. Ceil licked her lips and stared at the hand with the phone. His gaze was elsewhere, deep in thought as he took in their opposing answers. "Thank you, Veronika. Don't leave."
"Cobra…" his lip twitched and she flinched. She never called him by his surname.
A smile spread across his thick lips as he moved closer to her, fingers taking in her pastel-colored hair and shorter ends. Ceil could smell cigar on his fingers, could smell the lavender lotion he used to stanch the smell of smoke, and wondered how long he'd been in the city. "I landed the partnership with Azuza Corporations. They will be lending us the money and space in Sapporo. Nadia will be joining us tomorrow to finalize the deal and to take a tour around Kyoto."
"That's great."
He nodded his head, slamming back the rest of the brandy and seething with the taste. "Five Million U.S. dollars. Ten times more than I would have gotten if I had that statue Heinz promised me to trade with them." He turned and poured another glass, followed by a second one. "Veronika…" he handed the girl his phone who took it without question.
"That's a good thing then. We don't need to deal with that masked idiot anymore." Ceil said as she eyed Veronika. She hated talking about important dealings in front of people, especially in front of their security.
Cobra handed Ceil the second brandy glass and saluted with a clank. "No, we may have to deal with Makoto Heinz one more time before we are free of him." he tenderly nursed his brandy and watched Ceil as she touched it to her own lips. When it was clear he wanted her to drink it, she gulped a swallow and felt the burn of the alcohol run down her throat. It tasted like fear and guilt. "There is something I want to discuss with you, my love. Veronika would you please dial that first number and press one and speaker." Ceil froze in her second sip.
There was a long silence that made the hair on her body rise and the hair on her head tickle her neck. Finally a loud bang echoed from his cell phone. "Cobra sir…we're being attacked! I don't recognize these guys! Shit…move Asayo! Move!" it was cut off as an audible and distinct pop, pop, pop echoed through the phone. Ceil flinched with the glass still pressed against her lips. "I want Asayo alive, Haku." A female suddenly said through the phone.
"That's—"Ceil started and stopped when Cobra knocked back his brandy and poured another. He was moving slowly, relishing in the tense room like a snake at ease.
"I want him alive! You promised!" there was rustling followed by a screech of large tires. Was it a truck? Ceil wondered as she listened to the voicemail. She never followed the details on their missions, not when it didn't require her attention. They must have been transporting materials from the sound of the heavy engine and bounce of shocks. "He's probably already dead. Why can't you just accept we've taken care of—"
"Asayo deserves the same death as Ryu!" there was another gun going off followed by the end of the message. A chill ran up Ceil's legs and arms. A revenge strike had taken place right under her nose and she hadn't realized it. Was he made at her for that? She cast a glance in his direction, but couldn't read the darkness that loomed over him. No, she didn't think something as trivial as a revenge strike would hinder Wraith. Asayo's death was owed to the Black Wolves.
"Press two." Cobra demanded of Veronika. Ceil's heart sank.
"Sir! It's an ambush! The truck…it was…shit! Move, move, move…no idiot don't go that way. It's those damn wolves! The other way! I don't care if you run them down. We're responsible for—just move damn-it!" the message cut off with a crash and a dead line.
"Press three." Ceil heard enough. She moved to refill the glass in her hand only to gasp with pain as a strong hold wrapped around her throat. The cigar stench filled her nostrils as his hand tightened around her windpipe, cutting off all circulation and air, and moving her face closer to his own. Glass shattered and a gun shot rang out so real it sent her heart thundering against her chest. "You play me a fool then I will treat you as one. I need the twins here and ready to give Nadia her tour by tomorrow afternoon." Wraith hissed out.
"I…don't…know…where…they…are." She gasped as his fingers tightened around her neck.
Breathe smelling of brandy and cigars, he pressed his lips to her ears and whispered. "You're going to fix this mess, Ceil. You're going to fix this and find my twins or I will personally send your head to Li." Kissing her temple he shoved her hard and walked away.
Black dots filled her vision as she coughed. Saliva slipped down her chin. Wiping her mouth with disgust, she looked up and sucked in a startled scream. Veronika stared at her with eyes wide with confusion and a bullet between them. The poor girl hadn't expected that kind of retaliation, hell she didn't expect that. Wraith's phone remained in her hand, a perfectly manicured nail hovering over the numbers. How long had he been downstairs listening to those voicemails? How long ago had they'd been sent? It was obvious the phone was a burner, otherwise he wouldn't have left it behind. Curious, Ceil crawled over to the dead girl and played the last message with a sickening heart.
"Sir the twin's house is under investigation. No one knows why, only that those masked freaks started carrying out dead bodies' right before the detectives showed up with a dozen officers."
Shit. She thought.
April 7th
Osaka, Japan
Midnight
Sakura stared across the dark compound as a handful of Heinz men escorted three individuals inside, two of them wearing black hoods. They were staggering, moving with an unease as they fought the restraints and tried to walk with no vision. The third person was deliberately walking slowly, head bowed to hide their face. She couldn't tell who they were anyway, they were too far in the dark section of the compound to really see. Making a face, Sakura scanned the darkness for Heinz himself or who she believed was Heinz. There was no way he wouldn't be smack-dab in the middle of their arrival. He enjoyed too much of their pain and confusion. If this was a game, she was out of there. A dozen masked individuals stood against the shadows of the compounds, some holding weapons and others standing on guard. She could make out a few females amongst the group and could make out a couple that looked vaguely familiar by the way they stood ready. Wondering if Milay and Lane were amongst the masked men, she glanced to her companions.
Tai was bouncing on the soles of his conversed feet as his nervousness pinged off of him in waves. Isabella leaned against a structure beam, her cast resting against her white tee-shirt she'd borrowed from her. It was the hard expression marking her bruised face that made Sakura weary. If Isabella was feeling uneasy, then this was something unexpected. Returning her gaze back to Tai, she pinched his side to get his attention.
"Calm down."
"How can I be calm? How can you?" Tiredly she shook her head. She wasn't calm, but she also wasn't nervous. Heinz liked his games and she'd grown used to them. A glance at Isabella confirmed she was getting irritated by his twitches. "Just be still." She finally said when a masked character glanced in their direction. Wondering if it was him under the mask, she stuck her tongue out and crossed her arms. She wasn't in the mood.
"What the hell is going on!?" a female snapped as the new group approached closer. The hood over her face made it hard for her to be tough, the muffled question was more of a whine than a demand. Sakura could make out a bandage wrapped around one knee, black shorts ripped and stained with either paint of blood. The girl's Vans were stained with the same substance, giving her a clue that it was blood. "Fine, don't answer me." she growled.
Sakura blinked. She vaguely recognized the voice and had a feeling she knew exactly who was under those masks. The girl's friend was silent as he walked with the help from Heinz men and the girl with her bowed head looked up as they stopped a good distance from them. Aisha had a neutral expression as she met Sakura's gaze. Her white-blonde hair was braided in the back and hung over her bare shoulder. Droplets of red splashed her skin where a scratch was closing up on her neck, a hand-sized bruise obvious on her fair skin. It was the necklace hanging against her chest, the exact replica to the one Sakura had around her neck, that made Sakura realize what was happening. Heinz was definitely playing a game.
"Aisha," a masked individual stated from somewhere in the compound. Glancing in the darkness, Aisha flicked her wrist to her escorts and moved aside just as the hoods come off. Mireille spat the moment the hood slid off her bright pink hair. Seiya eyed everything with a strategist gaze, taking in every face and non-face there was to take in. both of them had the same ball-sized bruise and cut and Sakura wondered if they'd smashed heads yesterday.
"What the fuck!?" Mireille continued to cuss as she gave Aisha her devil-eyed stare before glancing at the others. Her expression dropped. "Oh good, you're alive."
"Was there a reason you needed to blindfold us?" Seiya finally asked as he tugged his arm free from his masked escort. Rubbing a space on his forearm, he glanced at Sakura and finally Isabella. He seemed relieved to find out they were alive, if only for a split second.
"I asked them too," a new voice spoke from the darkness. Sakura turned around as a figure approached from behind. His black ensemble forced him to hide in the darkness whereas his white mask made him look like a ghost approaching from the abyss. He stood at her side, head cocked as he raised a gloved hand to touch her cheek lightly. "And she is only alive because I interfered." There was hint of a threat in his words that made Isabella's earlier statement about her death at the twin's house rang true. A cold shiver ran down her spine as Tai flinched at the sight of Heinz coming out of the darkness.
"Heinz—"someone new said with a harsh snap and Heinz snapped his hand back to stare at another approaching group above them. Unlike Mireille and Seiya, they weren't wearing black hoods to obscure their surroundings and they entered from a different section of the compound that was raised to appear as a second floor. Syaoran's brown orbs were fierce as he stared down at them from his vantage point. Koji and Rin stood directly behind him with amused looks of predators ready to play.
"Who the hell are they?" Seiya whispered to Mireille who only sneered.
"Why'd he bring the vampires?" Isabella asked in a hushed voice. Sakura didn't have an answer nor did she think she'd get a straight one from the people present. All she knew was that Syaoran standing with Koji and Rin made him look like he was about to take them all out viciously. Unless it was Heinz who was planning on taking them all out.
"Perfect timing, Xiao Lang." Heinz tilted his head the other way before raising that hand again. "Now all we need is a few more guests…" he trailed as a clatter echoed and a curse escaped someone. "Ah, there they are." Sakura watched as he leaned to one side like a being from another universe, his gloved hands perfectly clasped together against his stomach.
All unmasked eyes turned as two of Heinz's men dragged unconscious and badly beaten individuals by the arms as if they were a sack of grain. It was the one body that was being dragged by a single arm that made her suddenly sick to her stomach. Mireille shrilled at the sight of Nick being dragged, her shoulder ramming into her escort before trying to run to Nick's side. Arms wrapped around her middle and pulled her down. In a summersault, she moved with a flexibility that was hindered by her knee and slammed a fist into one of their masks only to curse at the impact "Let me go!" she shrilled then as they pulled her back.
"Release her." Heinz instructed resignedly.
"What is the meaning of this, Heinz?" Syaoran asked lowly. His gaze was on Heinz and only Heinz. Sakura had the impression she wasn't going to like what was coming, not with Koji inching closer with Rin.
"This, little wolf, is the work of a very angry little girl. I have merely collected them before the famous Haruto twins died and escalation ensued when Cobra returns or found out. Never know with that man." There was a hint of amusement in his voice, a trait Sakura found to be his nature. Her gaze went to the twins on the floor as Mireille cradled Nick to her body, Jonathan's own unconscious body lying beside her like a forgotten doll.
"Nick, baby…wake up…" Mireille's plea echoed the compound as she cupped his face, fingers shaking as she touched a gash across his cheek tenderly. Seiya inched to go to her side but stopped, thinking better of it and turning to face the masked man. Sakura stared at Heinz as he brought his Noe face to meet hers, gloved hands shifting to touch her but only managed to hover in the space between them.
"Although I was tempted to leave the other twin. I know that wouldn't have sat well with you, Miss Sakura."
"You're so considerate." She mumbled and sighed as Syaoran shot her a look. "Why are we all here, Heinz?" she asked.
His mask turned away from her and she could have sworn he was smiling under there. It wasn't until he turned fully to face her did she realize her mistake on asking him a question. He held a small silver dagger in his hand, so small no one noticed it until he let it move strategically between his fingers. Isabella pushed off the post and froze with agitation when someone moved to deflect her advance. "You, my dear, are here for that wedding gift you just can't pass up on. They are here merely because my little pet asked for my assistance, which Aisha, will pay very shortly." He barely glanced at Aisha before eerily shifting to give Tai a look. "And him, let's just say he's a very interesting character following you around like a lost puppy."
"I have not been following her around!" Tai defended. Isabella laughed loudly.
"Sweetheart, no one just shows up at a mansion and states they want to help."
"As it is," Heinz continued before Tai opened his mouth again. "We are all here for a particular matter."
"What is your price?" Syaoran asked as he approached closer. Heinz laughed, the sound strange from the mask. Mireille's head snapped up as she cuddled Nick, his blue eyes barely open. "There's always a price with you. Aisha will be paying her price for saving the twins, but what price are you asking for keeping Tai alive and bringing us here?" Syaoran continued as if he hadn't laughed in his face.
"It's always prices with you Li's." Heinz clasped his gloved hands behind his back and bowed mockingly. Sakura watched with new eyes as the man in the mask creepily tilted that head to face her or towards her. She lost focus on which direction he was trying to face. Those golden orbs bore into her deeply, however as his necklace dangled awkwardly. "The price I ask is Ceil's death."
"That's a tall order." Seiya stated.
"Acesta este un ordin pe care îl vom lua cu bucurie" (That's an order we will gladly take) Koji said, reminding everyone they were still present.
"It's an order that will benefit everyone." Heinz countered as he ignored the two Night Wing members as they flanked Syaoran.
"Bull shit." Mireille hissed. Her colored hair was an odd contrast to the darkness looming around them. "Ceil is a force that apparently wants to control the rest of us. I've learned my lesson. I am not helping you freaks!"
"Ah, but you will." Heinz snapped his fingers and lights blazed. The compound lit up like a Christmas miracle revealing more masked individuals pointing guns. There was at least a dozen in every corner, a dozen facing each spread out group. Syaoran stiffened, his hand on his weapon just as Koji whirled around to protect his sister as Rin steadily aimed a handful of finger daggers at invisible advisories. Sakura shrank into herself as she inched to Tai, whether out of fear or defense. Isabella moved to stand in front of both of them, her injured arm angled away from the danger while her good side tensed to fight. "Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to elaborate the very problem Ceil Shang brings to Japan."
"Heinz—"
"Ah, ah, ah." He turned his mask and stared at Sakura, really stared at her. For the first time since meeting the man she saw the predator in him, saw what everyone saw in him, and it was dangerous. "Your wedding gift, Miss Sakura." Someone entered from a hidden door carrying a chair with someone strapped to it. It reminded her of the night she'd been kidnapped. The night that she thought she was dead after falling in a tank with hungry sharks—all because of Heinz.
"That's…what is the meaning of this?" Syaoran snapped.
"Good. You recognize him." Heinz held his hand to stop them from coming closer. With a snap they dropped the chair and the half-unconscious person groaned. "Meet one of Ceil's many, many new dragons."
"Impossible." Syaoran growled as he watched one of the masked men pull the unconscious person's head up by the hair. It was as if they were displaying him for a show. Sakura felt her stomach crawl as blood oozed from a neck wound. It wasn't deep enough to kill, but it was obvious enough that he would not survive much longer.
"Heinz," Sakura whispered. His gloved hand came out to cup her cheek and she felt Syaoran stiffen from across the room, saw him hold Koji back as he made a move to throw a dagger. She stiffened in turn as the rough leather smoothed a stray hair to tuck behind an ear. Tai brought his own hand up and froze as more guns aimed at him. "That is not a wedding gift." She finally said when he dropped his gloved hand from her.
"Oh, but it is. See this young man…Donovan is it? See, he was prowling the dark streets of Tomoeda with a wound the size of a knife." With a wave of his other hand, the people hovering next to Donovan lifted his shirt. Someone hissed and she had a feeling it was Syaoran. "If you recall, I had you meet me on a bridge in order to give you a gift of my welcoming."
"What…?"
"Donovan attacked me." Syaoran said and turned to Sakura. His eyes were angry, angrier than she'd ever seen them. "He's the reason why your father was in harm's way."
"How do you know he's one of Ceil's?" Seiya asked quietly. He was watching the exchange with an odd expression. Sakura forgot he was even in the room, forgot a lot of people were in the room. "He's obvious a Black Wolf, how do you know he's one of Ceil's?"
"Thank you for asking." His hand came up and all weapons dropped as one as someone entered, dragging a lifeless body. Sakura's blood ran cold and her foot took a step back. Heinz stopped her, his arm going around her waist as he held her still. Five of the dozen weapons singled out Syaoran and Koji when they tensed at the sudden intimate hold Heinz had on her. "He is dead, Miss Sakura. I promise you he will not harm another hair on your body." He whispered against her cheek.
"Promises mean nothing when you bring this shit here." Isabella snapped and pursed her lips when he brought his attention to her. "Stop playing games and just get this over with. I don't have enough meds to keep me standing for much longer. This…" she waved at her arm in the sling. "Is pulsing with pain."
"Apologies child." Heinz released Sakura and walked across the warehouse, his boots clapping against the cold cement floor like a bad nightmare. When he approached Syaoran, he bowed mockingly and waved him forward. "Marius is very much dead, as you can smell. It is his tattoo I wish you see and the obvious evidence that he is no longer a threat." A sudden laugh escaped the mask as he whirled around. "One more thing or rather person."
"Kenzie!" Mireille got out.
"Holy shit." Tai whispered as he watched three unmasked individuals drag in a female in the same manner they had dragged the twins.
"Heinz I said stop playing games." Isabella snapped.
"This is it. I promise. Miss Sakura please have a seat, this is not for the faint of heart."
"What?" she blinked and barely glanced at him. Her attention was on Syaoran as he stared at Donovan and stared at the corpse lying next to Donovan. In all the chaos happening she was too busy wrapping her mind around the bodies—dead and alive—to understand Heinz's true intentions or why they were suddenly concerned with her standing. Koji and Rin understood what was about to happen, for Rin moved to Sakura's side with a quickness while Koji moved to block her view. It was the view that made Sakura confused.
All she saw was Syaoran staring intently at the red dragon tattoo rising across Marius's skin as if in flight. It was an obvious change to the original dragon tattoo Shang members harbored. He moved Donovan's head with a weapon no one realized was in his hand, the point of the gun making his head roll around as if it was on a hinge. The dragon tattoo on his neck was large and bright, with a square patch of dirt that marked the outside of the tattoo. It was the way he was intently staring at the shading in the tattoos that made Sakura confused. He was too absorbed by them, he didn't notice Mireille helping Nick stand nor did he notice Seiya lay one on Kenzie as the traitor spat out curses. Taking a step toward him, Heinz suddenly shifted just as cold hands grabbed her by the forearm and around the waist. Syaoran stood up just as she told Koji to move, his shoulders squared as he stood perfectly straight.
It wasn't until Syaoran fired the weapon in his hand, surprising everyone into a dead silence, did Sakura understand why Rin had wrapped her thin arms around her, why Koji was blocking the way, and why Heinz had been considering her faint heart. Her heart thundered against her chest as if she'd run a mile. Her ears roared with the gun shot as the sound echoed off the hollow walls. No one moved. No one screamed or yelled. Everyone in the compound had stiffened at the move, tensed at the sound, and then looked at Sakura as she stared wide-eyed at Syaoran in disbelief. Rin's arms tightened around her middle, almost dropping to the ground in order to keep her in one spot. Koji was still blocking her way, but not view. Tears welled up in her eyes as she stared blurrily at the body now slumped over, blood oozing from the bullet between the eyes.
"He just…you just…" the sound of her words barely left her lips as she gagged and in one lurch, threw up. Rin released her as she collapsed to her knees.
"Now that was unexpectedly expected." Heinz said.
"Sakura…" someone said her name and she shook her head, not wanting to listen. Tai was next to her, his hand on her shoulder as she coughed out more bile. "I'm sorry." He whispered and she stared, eyes watery and droll slipping down her face.
"Don't be sorry for something you didn't cause." She said in a whisper and struggled to stand. Isabella handed her piece of cloth and she gratefully took it, wiping her mouth and neck. "I'm leaving." She told the girl, who only nodded. This was Heinz. It was a show he wanted to pull off to either put a wedge between their marriage or a wedge between their trust, she didn't know. She wasn't in the mood for anything anymore. Her gaze went to Syaoran who stood over Donovan's dead body. He wasn't looking at her nor was he looking at the corpse. His gaze was closed as he stood here, body shaking slightly with an unknown emotion.
"Are you going to be alright?" Isabella suddenly asked but she ignored her as she turned and walked into the darker part of the warehouse. No one stopped her and no one followed. For that she was grateful.
…
…
…
Syaoran stared at Donovan with anger. His head was bowed, chin tucked against his chest as blood slid down his nose and cheeks before disappearing inside his already bloody shirt. Donovan's cheek was swollen and brow was cut with a deep gash. His bottom lip was split in two different spots and his chin held a gruesome cut that couldn't have been done on one blow. Bruises marked his exposed body, probably underneath his clothing as well. Syaoran barely recognized him. A slit the size of a kitchen knife was in his shirt, in the exact location he had stabbed him. It couldn't have been a coincidence, it couldn't have been a fluke. This was the kid that had snuck into Sakura's house wearing the clothes he had on now and searching for something. He recognized Donovan's physique and not because he was supposed to be a well-known Black Wolf. He recognized his physique because he had memorized it the night he attacked him in Sakura's kitchen.
As he stared at the body, Syaoran couldn't help but wonder how long he'd been hiding amongst them? He was recommended from Lysander to work at Club Genie because he was dating his sister, Candice. Did that make Lysander an enemy as well? No, he thought as he approached Donovan's corpse, Lysander belonged to Wolf. His uncle would have weeded out the bartender a long time ago. Syaoran stared long and hard at the tattoos. They were a different shade. His black wolf tattoo was a year old and darker than the rising dragon. No one realizes that tattoos tell a story, tattoos can reveal its age like a baby. His lips were in a thin line as he ignored the chatter behind him. He hadn't been thinking when he'd shot him. He hadn't been thinking when he made the connection with Marius and Donovan's tattoos. All he knew was that rage ran through his veins like spiders scuttling to safety. The silence was more deafening than the echo of the gunshot.
It was pure impulse to take care of the problem. Years of conditioning, years of experience and observations made him react without a second thought. He didn't even blink. The anger had risen like a bad after taste, blood boiled in his veins until he released it into one easy pull of a trigger. He was still angry even after he released the bullet into the body, into his comrade, someone he knew. Donovan wasn't well-known to him, but he was still a comrade. The kid was only twenty with a job at the club as a DJ. Apparently he was working for someone other than him. Syaoran felt the anger rise when he thought of Candice—someone he knew since birth. Candice was going to be devastated when she found out what happened.
Sakura was going to be devastated.
He barely glanced towards the bottom level of the compound where Koji stood alone against the darkness. Rin was on the floor, head to the side with her long black hair billowing around her body like a cloak. Tai was staring at an obvious puddle on the floor while someone in a mask tried to clean it up with a large towel. There were Noe masks everywhere on the bottom level, all watching one spot or the other. His dark gaze went to the dead Marius before retreating back to the space where Sakura should have been. He watched as she said something to Isabella, whose eyes were like ice burning into him, before she walked away. No one followed her; no one needed to. This was her house now, her compound like all the other masked individuals. Heinz didn't control her like the others, but she was more than welcomed to roam freely. As Syaoran turned his head back to Donovan, he missed the figure walking up to him from the other side.
"That was pretty brutal, even for you." Seiya said in a low voice as he stopped just shy of Donovan's slouched form. "So that's the new dragon tattoo." He continued without blinking an eye.
"It's not new." Syaoran commented dryly and looked towards Heinz or who he believed was Heinz. He couldn't tell with all the white masks in the room and there was a lot of them. Did they react when he pulled the trigger or had there been that many in the beginning? "He had that tattoo for a long time that much is obvious. What I want to know is how he managed to hide it for so long?"
"You're not the only one with traitors in their group." Seiya pointedly looked at Aisha who was sitting on the floor with her fist propped up beneath her chin.
Syaoran shook his head. "If you had no idea that Heinz had people all over then you really don't know what's happening right in front of you."
"What does that mean?"
"It means that Heinz has people all over the place." A female spoke from the shadows. Seiya tensed at the new arrival and whirled around. Syaoran, having recognized Milay, ignored her as she came into the light and crouched next to Donovan, her face contorted in disgust. There was no light in her eyes, no judgement of any kind. "How are you doing to drop the ball on this one?"
"I don't know yet."
Milay stood and blinked her dark azure-colored orbs. "Sakura's taking a shower in my quarters, something about no one will bother her if she was naked, including you." Seiya's mouth fell opened at the comment and Syaoran let his lips form a thin line. "You did exactly what Heinz wanted you to do, he won't admit it, but his infatuation for Sakura is running on deep. Talk to her before something else arises and your relationship is severed." If she was talking so openly then Heinz left the room.
Syaoran said nothing, his gaze going to the darkness of the compound. "You mean that freak wanted him to shoot one of his own?" Seiya got out loudly.
"Heinz plays games. He builds the perfect board and places the players where he wants them to be, and then executes a plan that usually falls in his favor. Donovan was a surprise to everyone, including Heinz. When he looked into who broke into Sakura's home, he was expecting to find one of Shang's."
"He did find one of Shang's."
"No." Milay shook her head as her gaze held Syaoran's and only Syaoran's. Seiya may have been standing there listening to the conversation, but Syaoran was the one she wanted to hear it. "He found a Black Wolf that managed to get too deep into his role and forgot that his priorities had been to figure out Syaoran's weakness. Ceil didn't care that she lost him because she already found out your weakness."
His weakness. Why was it always circling back to that? "I'll give her some time before I talk to her." Syaoran finally said. He gave Donovan one final look before walking in the direction he'd entered. He knew the compound well-enough now to know Heinz had rooms he could hide in and find some peace.
"This is about finding that idiot's weakness?" Seiya asked her when Syaoran walked away. Milay barely glanced at him as Lane approached form the shadows carrying a couple tarps for the bodies.
"There is so much the Silver Snake's don't know and so much you guys have figured out by accident." She said. Seiya blinked as he watched Lane lay the tarps out before a handful of masked men came to start moving Marius and Donovan onto them.
"What does that mean?" Seiya finally asked. Milay shook her head and turned. "Hey…don't walk away after saying something so cryptic!"
"Leave it alone, Seiya. We're in over our heads." Someone said from the floor below. Seiya grumbled. He hated not knowing things.
Otsu Bridge
1:28 A.M.
Detective Sheldon stared at the darkness of the night which was glowing bright with red and white. Car after car lined the streets of Otsu, the red blaze of backlights making it hard to pinpoint what was an ambulance and what was someone's vehicle stopped by heavy traffic. White lights blazed with a promise of death as cars slowly moved on the opposite lane, inching to get somewhere, anywhere at one in the morning. She couldn't, for the life of her, figure out why there were so many people out so late. The bridge led to nowhere. Otsu was one link to Kyoto, where a heavy river ran just under a sturdy metal bridge. There were no apartments, no homes, no businesses, or commuting stops. It was a bridge that led to nowhere but another city.
So why were so many people stopped on Otsu Bridge? Sheldon wanted to find out just as much as the next person. Her police scanner was static, her lights bright as she inched to push other vehicles out of her way. To no avail did she manage to get to the scene fast. Captain Leblanc didn't give her details about the "highway robbery", didn't tell her that there was going to be a huge traffic jam that barely moved an inch in ten minutes. Car after car rolled like a worm to salvation. She could only imagine what the scene looked like up ahead. Her mind gave her scenarios as she tried, with all her police power, to get civilians to move out of the way. Some abide to the law and squeezed next to their neighbors in the opposite lane. Some just shifted awkwardly in two-ton vehicles that still stuck out in the way. Sheldon shoved her way through, getting angrier by the minute and becoming tired by the second.
It wasn't until she came to a halt with half of Otsu's residence or Kyoto's residence, she lost track of the direction, did she finally pull her authority and flip on the back lights, pulled over, and got out. Walking the rest of the way seemed a better option. At least she could flash her badge and threaten tickets to those not smart enough to get out of the way of an emergency vehicle, maybe threaten to throw a few people behind bars if they yelled at her for blocking traffic even more. A barricade was set up a mile from her parked vehicle, with an officer signaling the right-away as they held a walkie-talkie to their ear in order to speak to someone at the other end. The traffic was their doing, which meant that the accident was worse than she imagined. Flashing her badge at a couple of officers ready to stop her, she ducked beneath yellow tape and headed for the lights blazing like a FIFA stadium.
Sheldon stared in awe at a flipped over semi-truck half off the bridge. The cabin was smashed against the bridge railing, glass shattered and cracked, with bullet holes rimming the entire vehicle in every direction. There were no bodies that indicated a death sentence nor were there anything inside the truck that gave her an idea what was inside. The semi was unmarked, unlicensed, and missing any vital detail to a business logo. Even in the dark of the night, she could make out every dirt, smudge, and stain on the truck. Hopefully the smudges were blood and hopefully the dirt was from the large puddle of river water that was at ankle height now. An ambulance lingered across the bridge, lights bright. There was one gurney with no body, which meant they were still searching.
"What can you tell me about this?" she asked the first officer she managed to get a hold of. The older woman barely glanced at her before rubbing her face with a large hand. Exhaustion marked everyone's expression, especially the officer standing before her. She flashed her badge when the officer wouldn't answer and watched as her nose wrinkled in disgust or curiosity? She couldn't tell.
"Nothing."
"What...?" she fumbled as she stared. "What do you mean nothing?" The older officer gave her a quizzical glare that made Sheldon return the glare as she waved at the large truck. "There's a large semi-truck flipped over on the highway with no passengers and no cargo."
"I mean nothing. All these people don't know what happened. No one saw a thing until they got closer. I have one witness that says some police officers were rerouting drivers ten miles out and another witness that says the same thing, only these officers were keeping them at a standstill for about twenty minutes on the opposite side." she pointed at the busy bridge going eastward.
Sheldon was speechless. "So we have officers rerouting and blocking cars from the highway? Did you follow up with your superior?"
"I followed up alright. Lucie was just as confused about the whole thing until I told him there was a flipped over semi blocking Otsu Bridge. That's when he requested we call in experts. There wasn't supposed to be any officers on duty around here."
She was speechless. No, she understood what happened, it was the way the woman disclosed the information that had her confused. "You're going to have to walk me through this slowly. There's a flipped over semi with no witnesses to claim the incident, no bodies—"
"Hey Jules! Is that homicide!?" another officer waved from the darkness, flashlight bobbing around like an SOS signal. "We found the driver!"
"Never mind." Sheldon said tiredly and glanced over at the dozen officers scrounging around the ditch meters away from the semi-truck. At least it wasn't the river.
Walking over with Officer Jules, she flipped on her own flashlight and stared at the body they managed to drag onto steady ground. It was a male, a kid almost. He couldn't have been more than twenty-five years old with a shaved head and thumb-size gages. She didn't know why, but having the body out in the open seemed risqué even for the top three culprits she could think of. She eyed the tattoo and counted in her head for the number of bodies so far popping up. The driver's tattoo was that of a rising dragon with gold and red colors that flared around his shoulder. His bald head harbored a snake with two fangs poised to bite the ear. Sheldon closed her eyes as she tried to envision the scenario, only to come up blank. If it was the opposing gang, she didn't think there was going to be any prints to go by. Reaching into her pocket she dialed Luc and waited, absently wondering if their night was going to become any harder.
Kyoto and Osaka Border
1:38 A.M.
Detective Luc gave one look at the two bodies inside a large Dodge Ram, turned his head, and shivered as his blood ran cold. The victims were staring at nothing, eyes gray with death and with blood forming around the pupils. Blood from a bullet pierced right between their eyes. They had died execution style and suddenly, from the look in their piercing orbs. He knew the moment he gazed upon the first body that it had been a gang feud. Theories and conspiracies aside, he knew from the way their gazes portrayed a shocked frozen anger that they ultimately had known their assailants. They may have expected the death to come or they may have been surprised. He wouldn't know. All he knew was that the twin bullets piercing the windshield made a clean, spider web effect that interlocked in the middle, and allowed their death to be quick and painless. Although from the other extremities to their bodies, it suggested a painful afterlife.
Not to mention the two bodies looked as if they had been moved, positioned, and propped up for the world to view. Luc was at a confused standstill as he stared in wonder at the bodies. The driver had the bullet removed from his head and strategically forced into his left shoulder, while his right hand curled around a rather stiff organ his passenger presented. It was as if they culprits were playing a game. A gross game that only they enjoyed. Luc glanced at the officers scouring the scene for evidence and wondered how many of them had actually gazed upon the bodies. They couldn't have been dead for more than a few hours, yet already they had a scent that made the hair on his arms rise and stomach churn. The passenger was missing the top layer of his hands as they were forced to seclude to a crossed position, fingers shoved into their armpits. There was no reasoning behind the positions, although with further inspects the bodies appeared to be missing specific layers of skin.
Once again he shivered at the mental image. Based off of the reports given, someone had rerouted vehicles until about an hour ago, which meant no one witnessed the horrifying death sentence. Few witnesses did claim to have seen a truck shoved into the trees, reported it, but didn't stop to assist the couple within. It wasn't until a good citizen noticed the smashed headlights and cracked windshield, did they pull over and obverse the scene. Luc would never wish such a scene on anyone, not even the task force. A shiver ran down his spine just as his phone buzzed.
"How's it looking on your end?" Sheldon asked calmly when he placed it to his ear.
"Two bodies. Silver Snake from the tattoos, but no way to identify them without a photo-generator." He moved away from the truck and ran a hand through his hair. "How's your end?"
"One body…nope they found a second. Some Dragon tattoo and Snake tattoo combination. The semi-truck is empty of contents and the bodies were moved. Apparently some officers had rerouted people."
"Same here."
"Seriously?" she swore into the phone before a rustling started. "Do you think this has anything to do with the raid at the Haruto house?"
"Why would it?" Luc glanced at an officer as he briefly checked the truck before bolting for the nearest vines and vomiting.
"Kinomoto was seen going into the house, not out. Bodies were witnessed coming out of that house, but not to where. When we made a house call, the doctor said she was too ill to come to the door and Li was too busy with school work. If this is all connected something major is happening." Sheldon breathed out before continuing. "If the bodies were moved, could it be the ones missing from the house?"
"You're starting to sound like me."
"That's not a compliment. Homicide is on their way. I'll have them transfer the case over to us and what did you mean no way to ID them?"
"Oh you know…they're just missing some fingers."
Osaka, Japan
2:20 A.M
She couldn't get the image or the sound of Syaoran shooting one of his own out of her mind. It was haunting her mind, body, and soul. It was making her time alone that much worse. Her mouth tasted like medicine and bile, her stomach was hot with acid, and chest tight with agony. Tears came and left. It was mostly from the impact of watching a human being die and partly from the man she loved for delivering that death sentence. She was reminded of the kid she killed on accident, the kid that was seconds away from shooting her, seconds away from ending her life. Instead, she ended his life with a swing of her dagger. The kid in the chair was just the same. He had an entire life ahead of him and then robbed of that life. Syaoran's decision had sent her over the edge.
Milay was there for her the moment she stumbled in the dark, allowing her to take a shower to wash away whatever "grim" she felt from watching that scene. It helped to a degree. Her wet hair dripped down her neck now and soaked her shirt collar. Her damp body made the clothing stick to her skin like a double-layer. She stared at the dimly lit room that was offered to her and wondered how often Milay slept in it. Her belongs were everywhere, yet it appeared as if she hardly stayed in the room. Heinz had a compound with multiple rooms, but the cold interior and warehouse feel left it feeling less homey. The walls were gray and flooring was cemented with a rug or two in order to give the place a warm feeling. The entire compound reminded Sakura of a jail than an estate. She felt like she was in jail. Glancing at her phone when it buzzed a couple times to indicate an incoming message she moved away from the bathroom.
Stripping out of her clothes when the wetness became too much, she let them fall to the floor and kicked them aside. Milay's room gave her a sense of security, but not like if she was in her own room. Standing in her undergarments gave her the sense of relief she required as she read off one of the text messages from her friends. Even as she was reading Chiharu's calming text, she was having second thoughts about her decision to become a part of Syaoran's world. If this was what she was in for, she didn't like it. The kid in the chair should have been able to have a chance. He should have been able to tell his story. Syaoran should have given him a chance to explain his actions. She didn't know why he did what he did or why they were under attack, all she knew was that Syaoran's decision was a harsh one.
Wanting a distraction, Sakura began examining the room. Her fingers lightly touched the trinkets on Milay's dresser and smiled when she found a large hand-sized stone with a heart carved into it. The letters L + M was painted unevenly black. Pictures of her and Lane were everywhere. Milay was smiling in every single photo down to the last one, while Lane had a half-smirk in most of them. This was Milay's space, her home. Her queen sized bed looked like heaven and her clothes were strewn everywhere. What caught Sakura's attention was the surfboard hanging on the wall with a shattered point that resembled a shark's bite. Staring at the board she squinted at the sharpie marking the entire board, signatures and doodles mostly.
Turning, she jumped ten-feet into the air at the sight of Lane, but said nothing as he handed her a bag. His pale complexion was dabbed with red, blonde hair spiked with purple that matched the bruise just under his right eye. She couldn't tell if he was blushing at the sight of her wearing near-to-nothing or blushing for spooking her. Her cheeks were sure red as she took the offered bag and gazed inside. They were her own clothing from the night she fell into the shark tank. From the smell, they were washed. Sakura looked up to thank Lane and blinked, realizing he was no longer in the room. That wasn't creepy, she thought as she stared at the empty room. Wondering if all of Heinz's lackeys did the appearance act, she quickly slipped into her dry clothes and left Milay's room with her nose in her phone.
A text from Tomoyo made her heart soar as she laughed at the thousand emoji's followed by a snapshot of her and Eriol canoodling with popcorn in front of a large screen she recognized in the game room. In reality, she knew Tomoyo was waiting for everyone to return from their separate missions. The only way she knew how was to watch a movie. Classic Tomoyo with her movie binging until one person returned or everyone returned. Eriol was in for trouble. Her heart clenched at the idea of love, really at the prospect of it, before returning the text with a smiley face. When she looked up again to navigate the large compound, she met with Isabella's bright blue eyes as the girl leaned against the wall just shy of the common room.
"I'm sorry." She said lowly.
"What?" she blinked. She couldn't help it, the words were strange coming out of a hot-headed girl like Isabella.
"I'm. Sorry." She repeated slowly. "Heinz is…special. He takes pride in what he does and doesn't think about others. When he does think about others, it comes out as sadistic. What he did out there, with the bodies and Li shooting that kid that was fucked up."
"I don't want to talk about it, Isabella." She walked past her into the large room. The soft brown couch she remembered living on when she'd been shot was pushed against the far wall, a small square table pushed against the couch with a bowl of chips and dip. Her stomach growled at the sight of the food and her eyes narrowed at the small, white notecard placed next to it. Heinz's doing.
"No. You really need to talk about it." She pushed off the wall and shoved her good hand under arm in an attempt to look fierce as she followed Sakura into the room. "Syaoran's an idiot and Heinz is right there with him. What they both did was bullshit, but what can you do?"
Sakura took a bite of a chip before whirling around on her. "Fine. You want me to talk? I'll talk…" Sakura glanced around the room for good measure before raising her voice an octave. If Heinz was listening, then he was in for a treat. "All I wanted to do was go to college with my friends. I wanted to become something more than what I was. I wanted to do something with my life, but instead the universe decided to throw me into some chaotic mess. Jonathan nearly got me killed on a motorcycle, Mireille stabbed me with her nails and nearly paralyzed me, Syaoran forced me down a hill after ditching a moving vehicle, Cobra drugged me, Sion pushed me into a shark tank, Heinz kidnapped me, and some ass hole shot me. Shot me! Is that good enough talk for you, Isabella?" she didn't know why, but her words were random. It wasn't what she wanted to tell Isabella, but it was the first thing that came to mind.
From her expression, she knew it hadn't phased her. "So why did you stay in this life? Why did you marry into this life?"
"Because I love him!" she yelled. Her chest tightened, her stomach churned, and the chip she just ate suddenly wanted to come back up. "No matter how hard I try I can't get him out of my head. When I was shot, the first thing I saw was Syaoran's face. The blinding pain from my bones shattering conjured up his face. When he took me to Hong Kong, I felt safe. When he took me to Italy I was in bliss because he was with me the entire—nearly the entire time. I love him too much to let go and yet he pulls this…whatever this is…and now I don't know. I don't know what to think."
"Then go talk to him."
"I can't."
"Yes you can."
"No. I really can't."
"Why?"
"Where you not there when he shot him!?" Sakura asked breathlessly. "Syaoran shot him. POW. Just like that with no remorse, no second thoughts. I know who I married and that man…that wasn't him."
"Sakura…" Isabella paused as she closed her eyes to take a breath. She was reminded of an adult getting ready to break a child's heart, and she just might break hers. "Sakura who you saw in there was Syaoran Li. The Li I've heard stories about, the Li that everyone knows as little wolf. That's what I've been trying to apologize for, in my own shitty way, but Heinz pulled a ridiculous game and allowed you to witness what Syaoran would have hidden from you. Again, I'm so—"
"Don't say it." Sakura got out, tears streaming down her face. "Don't say it, Isabella." With that she walked away.
…
…
…
Syaoran attacked a familiar punching bag over and over again. Anger fueled his adrenaline, sorrow filled his mind, and pain filled him physically. His ribs protested every time his fist connected with the bag. His knuckles were raw from using his bare hands as he hit the leather material. The bag swung back at him and he smashed it out of the way. When his leg came up to connect with it, a shot of pain wrapped around his bones. Still he continued to assault the bag. Envisioning Shang, envisioning Donovan he punched, kicked, elbowed, and attacked the bag with every fiber in his exhausted being. His phone buzzed across the room, going ignored. People entered the room to watch him, going ignored. He didn't care nor did he want to speak with anyone until something felt better. Whatever that something was, he just needed to find it through his fists.
He knew he should have avoided Heinz and his games. He knew better than to listen to the rants and raves of a psychopath. His uncle was going to be furious when he found out through the grapevine that his nephew allowed Donovan to get close. He wasn't too happy about the outcome. He'd shot—once again—one of his own. Donovan had been hiding in his group, hiding in plain sight, and no one noticed. Ceil had been searching for his weakness for months now and she'd finally found it, only to be bested. He hadn't known what his weakness was until she had been kidnapped by Heinz. Now the entire world knew Sakura was his weakness, knew she was the one that distracted him, and he knew that after tonight there was no going back to what they had. Syaoran returned a punch and felt skin split open on his knuckle, a stinging sensation enveloping his hand as sweat mixed into the wound.
A raspberry scent brought his attention to the door. A figure loomed in the shadows just at the opening of the double-doors of the small, inverted gym he occupied. His fist connected with the punching bag as he swung back, his sweat-matted gaze swinging to see who was watching, and instantly felt the pang of sorrow spike. Sakura stood in the doorway wearing a white and red tee cut at the shoulders to give a unique look that also revealed her red bra strap. The leggings she wore weren't the same one's he remembered she'd been wearing earlier and her hair was damp. Vaguely he remembered Milay telling him she was in the shower. Apparently she'd been in there for an hour, sulking, just like he'd been abusing his already bruised physique.
"Why did you kill him?" Sakura asked softly, weakly. Syaoran barely turned his attention to her before going another round on the punching bag. It wasn't that he was ignoring her, he just didn't know what to say—especially to that. "You could have given him a chance to explain himself." Syaoran froze at that, fist inches from connecting with the bag as it ricochet back to him. "Why did you kill him?" she asked again a little louder, a little closer.
Syaoran licked his sweat-stained lips. "A tattoo tells a story. Even the most random pieces of art, it still tells a story."
"What story did Donovan's tattoo tell you?" she touched his shoulder before pulling her hand away. He hadn't even heard her come closer, hadn't sensed her approach him.
When Syaoran turned around, she was there in front of him. Her gaze was trained on him, her body shaking slightly with an effort to remain still. Her bottom lip quivered, but no tears streamed down her face. he could make out the scent of the shampoo she used, could make out every line on her face, and see the drips of her hair was it slid down her short strands. Here he was, standing with sweat marking his entire body and blood dripping from his knuckles, and she was as clean as a whistle. "His wolf tattoo is a year old give or take a couple months. He earned that tattoo when he not only saved Corey's life, but when he professed his love to her."
"Corey?" she was confused.
"Candice Corey." He said her name apologetically averting his gaze as she crossed her arms. "Lysander and Candice Corey's family have been a part of the Black Wolves for generations. They're loyal. My father brought them into our lives when he discovered their brewery in Hong Kong, asking if they wanted to expand to Tokyo and Kyoto. My uncle then sought out their expertise in making sake and suggested that they keep that trade to themselves." He shrugged as if that news was relevant. "When I was little, Cobra had started tearing down every brewery he believed my family owned in order to extract some vengeance of losing his first wife. When Lysander was born he took on their trade and opened Club Genie with my help. That club belongs to him, but it's under my name in order to protect that family from Cobra's rage."
Syaoran stared down at his hands as he closed them into fists. Blood trickled down his fingers and onto the cemented floor. The pain was there, but the feeling was numbing. "Sometime last year one of the Haruto twins found out who really owned the club and they tried to bribe Lysander by kidnapping his sister who is only seventeen. She was just dating Donovan at the time, nothing serious. He wanted to prove himself and become a Black Wolf so he went on a manhunt alone the night Lysander was supposed to hand the deed over to them in exchange for his sister. No one knew that Lysander was going to go through with the exchange. He was willing to defy my uncle's orders to protect his sister. Donovan returned with Candice that night." Syaoran shook his head as he glanced up at the ceiling deep in thought. "Now that I'm thinking about it, it should have tipped us off that something was wrong. Donovan had no wounds, no injury that suggested he fought for Candice like he claimed."
"To answer your question, his wolf tattoo is only a year old and still dark. Compared to his dragon tattoo, which looks like it's at least a few years old. Color fades in time, but not much. The fact that he'd been covering his tattoo with a skin patch every day, every night it made the color in the tattoo fade faster. How long he'd been a part of Shang's circle is unknown. But he was a part of her circle and not one of us."
"So you killed him before you got an answer." Sakura said.
"I killed him because Lysander wouldn't have been able to do it. His sister was obsessed with Donovan. There was no way she would have forgiven her brother if he killed the love of her life." he said with a little bite.
"Do you realize how stupid that sounds?" she snapped, arms dropping to her side. "You killed him, Syaoran. In cold blood. No questions asked, no hesitation, just…" she pulled her finger and shivered.
"He broke into your house."
"How do you know!?"
"Why are you trying to argue something that's irrelevant?"
"I'm not arguing." She snapped, only to make a strange noise that came deep from her throat. "I'm just trying to figure out what's going on in that thick head of yours? There was no hesitation before you killed him. Heinz could have been lying to you and yet the first response was to take that his life!"
"Heinz may be a devious man, but there's one thing we have in common and that's your best interest." Syaoran got out lowly, his gaze darkening as his anger rose.
"My best interest? Are you seriously going there right now?" her finger came out as she jabbed him in the chest. "Do you even know what that is? Some crazy guy in a mask just dragged some kid off the street because he believed he broke into my house. My best interest would have been to ask Donovan why he did it, not stare at his mangled body and shoot it after one crazy idiot said too."
"No one told me to kill him."
"Then why did you do it!?" tears streamed down her face as she stood her ground, body shaking with emotions that began to rock her. "The Syaoran I've begun to love would have figured out the situation before acting."
"The situation?" he let out a strangled laugh and she stepped back. "Shang's winning. That's the situation. She has more power than her father does and pretty soon there won't be this, us, or anybody. Pretty soon, the situation will be us at the bottom of a grave." He stared at her for a long moment. "This is who I am. Donovan was a threat to us, to Candice, and the Black Wolves. I did what I had to do to ensure that he couldn't return to Shang and tell her anything she could use against us."
Sakura was quiet for a long moment as she took another step back. "Maybe I don't know you after all." Her words were soft and for the first time, Syaoran felt the pings of an unrecognizable pain deep in his gut. A pain he didn't recognize.
"I guess not."
Sakura stared at him long and hard. He didn't know what else to say to her. Tears slipped down her face like a leaky faucet, droplets sliding down the contours of her face. He wanted to wipe them away, to kiss them and make them his own. One move and he was sure she would reject him. All he could do was stand there, unmoving. He watched as her bottom lip stuck out and mouth opened a fraction before it was sucked into her mouth, teeth clamping down in order to stay silent. He watched as her body shifted and turned in what felt like slow motion. It was as if she was waiting for him to stop her from leaving. His entire being was shut down as he watched those bright emerald orbs close first and turn, her body rocking into motion as she turned entirely around and walked out.
To be continued…