CHAPTER 37

I was born by the devil

I was left here to die

I was held up for ransom under cold summer skies

I was told not to love him

I was told not to try

I was lonely the only 'till he said he'd be mine

Gin Wigmore

18 Hours Ago

"First of all, somebody needs to take the girl back home," said Kenny.

The gang collectively swiveled their heads in Michael's direction. "Why? Why're you all looking at me?" Mike asked, as they stood under the bridge. "I'm coming with you guys. I care about Kai too, you know?"

"We all care about Kai," Rei began, being a voice of reason in their midst. "And we all want to go with Tyson but we can't just leave the girl here."

"Call a taxi!"

"It's late. Somebody has to go with her."

"Oh for fuck's sake." Michael propped his hands on his hips, hanging his head.

"Mike, don't be a douche." Tyson slid his cell out to call Kai's secretary. "Go with her," he said to Michael before spinning on his heel and walking away with his phone against his ear.

Gabriela was still inside the car, nursing a cup of hot chocolate. The guys stood outside debating who should go to Norilsk and who should stay.

Michael stared daggers at Tyson's retreating back before he turned back to the lot and shook his head. "It's not going to be me. My girlfriend gets super jealous. I can't take another girl home at this hour and not have her give me a hard time about it." He shrugged. "I can't keep it a secret from her either. I'm a bad liar."

"You're just dropping her off, making sure she gets there safely," said Max. "You're not cheating on your girlfriend."

"She's not going to understand. That's just how she is."

"Okay!" Kenny threw his hands up. "Then I'll go. I hate flying anyway, so problem solved."

Tyson rejoined the group. "Great. I have a jet ready. I wasn't sure before calling her, I was simply making a guess from what Kai said to me a while back but he really wasn't kidding when he said I have access to everything he owns."

"That's a scary amount of trust," commented Rei.

"Yeah" agreed Tyson. "So who's dropping off Gabriela?"

o-o-o-o-o

FLASHBACK

"Hi"

"Hey"

Tyson moved the papers on the seat out of the way so Kai could sit beside him at the table in the very back of the empty café at one in the morning. Kai was out of his jacket, wearing only the white shirt and black slacks he wore to work. Tyson set the coffee cup down and continued scribbling notes on a lecture pad.

"You know, my head works much faster at night than it does in the morning. I guess that makes me a night owl, huh?" He shot Kai a wry smile and noticed he looked weary. "Long day?"

"Mhm" Kai nodded. Tyson laid a hand on his shoulder and gave it a squeeze. He took his hand away quicker than he put it there when he noted the amount of tension Kai was carrying.

Tyson was well aware that he was privy to just about five percent of Kai's life in total. But the choice to not get involved in the other ninety five percent was his own. Kai had brought up the subject many times. He'd tried to pull Tyson along with him to one too many exclusive dinners and luncheons but Tyson had resisted. He didn't want to know because he was afraid that if he did go with Kai to one of those events he would return drained and insecure about himself.

Kai's social circle was full of successful people. Ranging from top business officials to noble families to Olympians. And there was a persona he maintained with them. A persona that Tyson was very unenthusiastic about. To start with as to why, it involved a lot of fake smiles. The other night, when Tyson had been walking down the street, a billboard in front of him had displayed a news broadcast of his boyfriend's face from a press conference, and he almost hadn't recognized him because of the way he spoke, his mannerisms and just the overall air about him when he was in CEO mode.

Moreover, it gave Tyson chills to think about the amount of scorn, intelligence, beauty and pride that would pack into one room full of influential people. He didn't think he could stand that and he certainly couldn't handle CEO Hiwatari which was another reason why he didn't visit Kai's office during work hours. The Hiwatari prestige had always been huge and unrivaled across the globe but the name hadn't grown to carry the level of awe and intimidation it did now till Kai took over the company. And that man was sitting right next to him but Tyson chose to ignore this the same way Kai turned a blind eye to his heroin scandal.

Because if they didn't, whatever they had going on now wouldn't work. So Tyson hid the cigarettes when Kai was around and Kai shed his public persona when he looked Tyson in the eye.

"Aren't you gonna order something?"

"I'll get a coffee." Kai turned in his chair, raising his hand to get the attention of the staff at the counter. The waitress came around to fetch his order, scribbled something on her pad and went back.

Tyson put down his pen, scooted closer to Kai and draped an arm across his shoulders. He began speaking softly to him, sweet talking him till the hardness in Kai's gaze gave way into a bright twinkle. Sitting under the dim light of the yellow incandescent lamp, in the back corner of a quiet coffee shop, Tyson played every card up his sleeve, lightly caressing his thigh and playing with the top buttons of his shirt, till he drew one of those rare teeth-showing grins from Kai.

He intertwined their fingers then. Kai's voice broke at the end of a breathy reply. Tyson lost command over his tricky words. The waitress disappeared into the kitchen. The low hum of the freezer filled the silence. Kai tangled his hand in the collar of Tyson's shirt and pulled him close. Tyson stole his breath and crossed the remaining distance between them.

The pen rolled to the edge and fell on the tile with a soft click. Tyson's hand stayed on top of Kai's on the table. The lamp outside on the street flickered once. The chef placed the last utensil into position and cleared the counter. Tyson leaned further into Kai, tilting his head. Kai's finger twitched. The waitress reappeared from the kitchen with a cup of black coffee. Her shoes made no noise on the floor as she walked up to the corner booth. Upon reaching the table she simply set the drink down and chose not to disturb. A free note paper lifted in the breeze from the open window and drifted to the ground. Tyson pulled the button on Kai's cuff, the two pieces of cloth fell apart revealing the pale skin of his wrist. He touched his pulse. Found it hammering.

Kai raised a hand to grasp Tyson's face. He kissed him hard then. Tyson made a sound of surprise and accidentally knocked the coffee to the ground, spilling steaming dark brown liquid on the neat tiles. They broke away at the sound of the crash and stared guiltily at the mess. "Shit"

END OF FLASHBACK

o-o-o-o-o

One Hour Ago

"Black" Kai uttered his name in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Snow collected on the Russian's platinum head and wide shoulders. "No pleasantries?"

The corners of Kai's mouth drew tight. "I'm on a time critical mission here," he said with a huff. "Where have you been?"

"Home" Black evaded his eyes and put on a beanie to defend his ears against the cold. The storm grew in intensity then and Kai had to shout to speak to him.

"What do you want? I have to go!"

Black stepped into his personal space so he didn't have to yell. "You are aware you are walking into a death trap, cousin?" He lifted one narrow blonde eyebrow.

Kai blinked as a flurry of snow hit him in the face along with the wind. He used an arm to shield himself. He didn't answer immediately. "I know the package is heavily protected."

Black shook his head, grimacing. "The package has been moved. It's not in the warehouse anymore." Kai scowled. "King is here," the mobster informed him. "He's waiting for you."

"Where's the package?" Was all Kai asked in response.

"At an inn. Fifty miles from here to the south of the city." He saw the calculating look on Kai's features and quickly said, "You can't make that journey."

"Why not?" Kai asked snappishly.

"There's a tracker on your suitcase." As soon as he said it, Kai whirled on his heel and pushed his way through the snow toward the van. "One of the staff on your private flight secretly works for King," he continued as Kai yanked the door open and reached halfway inside with his torso to drag the suitcase near. He located the tiny recording device in an instant and cursed sharply. He shut the door closed and ventured back to Black.

"How did you know?"

Black shrugged like it wasn't a big deal. "I have eyes."

Kai exhaled. The wind howled. He licked his dry lips and rubbed them to bring some feeling back into them. "I'll go. If you turn back or change your course they will find out right away and act accordingly."

"You will go?" Kai challenged.

"This is our best chance. I can get to the package without much trouble if you distract them."

Kai grew quiet when he realized what Black was suggesting he should do. He waited a beat before saying slowly, "Or I could turn back. Try again another day."

"We won't get another opportunity like this. That inn has barely any protection. I could just walk in, grab the thing and walk out."

Kai stuffed his hands into the huge pockets of his coat. The material was turning rigid under the sub zero temperature. His jaw was beginning to feel numb. Black was wearing more layers than he was yet Kai could see the slight tremor in his gait. "The inn does not have proper protection because all his men are waiting at the warehouse. For me."

A brief and uncomfortable moment of silence passed.

"If I walk in, there's a very high chance that I won't walk out."

Kai slanted his head, thoughtful. "I read something about the Yakuza and your lot in the paper." He watched Black's expression carefully as he spoke. "You're at war, aren't you?" He smiled humorlessly. "And your side's losing." He leaned back on his heels as Black held himself stock still. "This is your last chance. You don't get another day. Your head's on the line." Kai looked him up and down, then said through his teeth. "And you need my help."

Black refused to stand down. He had his head up high, doing his darnedest not to give Kai the satisfaction of seeing his defeat on his face even as his teeth began to chatter.

His cousin stared at him without mercy, gloating at how the tables had turned. If Black had an ounce of doubt remaining if Kai hailed from his own wicked family the quiet mirth and fury he saw swirling in his dark purple gaze in that moment confirmed the truth of his bloodlines without room for argument. Kai spoke again after a while, but only to say:

"Beg"

o-o-o-o-o

18 Hours Ago

"Stop! Mind the red light!"

Tyson slammed his foot down on the brake at Rei's shout and Max's car screeched to a halt before they crossed the line. "We don't have the time to be following traffic rules right now."

"We have to unless you want to die," Rei argued from the passenger seat.

Tyson drummed his fingers on the wheel, glaring at the countdown. "Ninety fucking seconds more! Can you believe this thing? The roads are all empty," he said gesturing toward the cars speeding past them in the intersection. Rei looked at him funny.

"May be I should be the one driving," he muttered under his breath before staring out the window.

"Calm down, Tyson." Max scooted forward to lay a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder. "Kai will be fine. We will get there on time." He gave him a little massage.

Michael tapped furiously away on his phone.

"What's Kenny saying Mike?" asked Rei.

"He just texted me directions to the Hiwatari storage facility." He glanced up from his phone. "Apparently we need IDs to get in."

"My ID is my face," said Tyson.

"I don't think the guards at the gate would know who you are, Tyson."

"Okay. I have pictures on my phone of Me and Kai."

"Kenny says they're military security and won't let you in that easily. They will need to hear from Kai."

Tyson took his hands off the wheel to rake his hair back off his forehead. "Kai is thirty thousand feet up in the air. Nobody is hearing from him till he lands." He banged his fist on the wheel in frustration. Rei wrestled his hand away from the steering as Tyson turned his face away.

Max and Rei exchanged grim glances. They heard Tyson sniff. Max patted him consolingly. Mike sighed and went back to talking to Kenny.

He spoke again after a long beat of silence. "He's getting us fake IDs and a letter of permission. We will have to make a stop at Kai's office first."

Tyson twisted around to peer over his shoulder at Michael. He nodded and stared at him for a while. Then faced to the front again and took the wheel back in his hand, changing the gear.

o-o-o-o-o

They arrived at the storage facility in two different cars. One carrying Max, Judy, Kenny, and a veteran pilot. The other with Tyson, Rei, Michael and Xavier. "Ugh great. Finally. My butt was starting to go numb." Michael lifted himself out of the car and stretched his back.

"Hurry. We don't have a lot of time left." Tyson rushed outside, banging his door shut and scrambling towards a large set of gates.

"Now, Max, don't forget the box containing refreshments." Judy climbed out, draping her handbag on her shoulder.

"Mom, I can't believe you," Max argued with his mother as they made their way down the short walkway. Roads to and from the building were empty. A lone guard was sleeping in his station outside the gate. Judy had been at the Hiwatari Tower to negotiate with the president about her newest technological venture that needed significant financial support when the boys arrived there. Upon learning of Kai's predicament, Judy and Xavier had tagged along with them reasoning that they would need assistance from more "mature" adults on such a dangerous journey. Xavier hadn't made that argument but he wasn't bothered enough to correct Judy either. The boys had stared at them in disbelief but protested no further since they were running short of time. Kenny had already made it back to the Tower after seeing Gabriela home by the time the rest of the gang was ready to leave for Norilsk.

"And don't forget the fake IDs," Judy was making sure Max had his in hand when he hissed back, "We're not kids, mom. Please stop and for god's sake, don't say those things out loud."

Tyson knocked on the guard's station to wake him. "Hey! Hey, man!"

The guard came awake and squinted at him and the people behind him in confusion.

"Yeah, hi! We need to get in." Tyson signaled toward the gate with his thumb.

The man had a pot belly and a greying mustache. He opened the door to the station so he could look down on Tyson properly. "This is government property, son. You have no business here."

Tyson shot Kenny a puzzled look. Then he turned back to the guard. "Government property? We were told this was where Kai Hiwatari stored some of his vehicles."

"Vehicles" The guard muttered under his breath, bristling at his choice of words. "Those are military grade aircrafts in there, son. And nobody going in except the president."

Rei frowned. "But we know for a fact that Kai has access."

The guard almost ignored him as he shut the door and went back inside. Then he asked flippantly, "Who are you?"

"We're his friends. And he gave us permission to use one of his jets," Tyson said righteously. "Let us in."

The man sneered and made no move to open the gates. At that point, the pilot who had come with them to fly the aircraft, nudged Tyson aside and faced the guard through the window. "Nick," she held up a badge and her real ID as she spoke. "I'm Elena Marshall, trained pilot of the United States Airforce and former First Officer to Captain Nicholas Van Patten from the North Division. We're here on a time constrained mission and I have full command over the modified Boeing F-15 Eagle Jet sitting in the upper hangar in the east wing of this facility." She was holding up an airman's insignia. "Please let us through." Tyson turned to Kenny with wide eyes. Kenny only shook his head. "I didn't know," he mouthed to him. His gaze flicked up to Xavier then who avoided him and stared straight ahead. His friends all wore equal expressions of surprise while Judy frowned heavily.

The guard inspected her badge and ID before giving them all a withering look and hitting the button to open the gates. Elena entered the grounds with an air of authority and Tyson followed after her with a mark of confusion marring his forehead. He leaned towards Kenny and whispered to him once Elena was out of hearing range. "What does Kai have to do with the government Kenny? Why is a United States field officer working for him?"

"I truly don't know, Tyson. In case you didn't notice, the Hiwatari Industries is really fucking huge. Who knows what kinds of people he's involved with?"

"That motherfucker doesn't tell me anything."

"Do you ask?"

"No"

"I bet you regret it now."

o-o-o-o-o

FLASHBACK

"Hehe" Tyson was bent down, retying his shoelaces. "You really think you can beat me?"

Kai leaned against the railing next to him, night breeze ruffling his hair. The full moon behind him shone brightly on the rippling river water. "You're still recovering, but I bet I can beat your ass fair and square on your best day."

Tyson straightened up. "Oh can you now? You think it's that easy to make varsity on a top track team?" he challenged with his hands on his hips.

He got a wolf's grin in return. Kai pushed off the railing to get all up in Tyson's face. "You know better than to tell me what I cannot achieve, Granger."

Tyson scoffed. "You're way in over you head, dude." The High Bridge was empty. They planned on racing from one end to the other. The first to reach the park would win. "Four hundred metres is a lot for someone who doesn't have experience running track. Last chance to back out, Kai."

Kai caught his chin between his fingers. His eyes locked on Tyson's and he gave a brief shake of his head. "You talk too much," he said is a soft whisper. "Don't forget your present waiting for you on my bed, Tyson."

Tyson threw his hand off. "No way in hell I'm wearing that."

"You're the one who gave me ideas."

"Shut up. On three."

Tyson took two wide steps to the right and inhaled deeply. He opened his eyes determined. "One"

"Two"

"Three"

Air whooshed past him as he took off down the bridge. He sensed Kai right beside him. They were neck and neck. His shoes pounded on the pavement. His pace was perfect. He felt good. His heart pumped fast. His hair flew. His muscles moved fluidly. Tyson accelerated, and his body kept up beautifully. A grin split across his face. Before he knew it he was laughing as he sprinted past the expanse of the Harlem river. The lamps on the bridge whizzed by in a blur in his peripherals. The park loomed up front. His pace picked up automatically. God, he missed running so much. The competitor in him rejoiced at the chance to unleash his potential again.

The airplanes overhead winked down at them. Their laughter carried across the bridge. Tyson began teasing Kai before he even reached the end. Kai gave one last attempt at catching Tyson but he was too fast. Even with a newly healed leg he flew past four hundred metres like the wind. Tyson slowed down, celebrating his win with a little happy dance on the grass. Kai ran towards him, picked him up and spun him around in a circle.

"I won!" Tyson yelled into the night. "You'll never beat me, Kai! Not in this lifetime!" Kai pulled his head down into a kiss, his heart bursting in his chest with pride.

"My champion" Kai called him with tears in his eyes when he let him go. Tyson's grin faltered as he looked at him. All the times he'd gone up against Kai throughout his entire life flashed in his mind. And suddenly, the words "I love you" just weren't enough anymore.

END OF FLASHBACK

o-o-o-o-o

Now

Dranzer glowed fiercely in his hands as he gave the beyblade a squeeze.

"How many?"

"About a hundred."

"For one man?"

"They don't know what to expect with you. They're prepared for everything."

Kai closed his eyes as the van came to a stop outside a desolate warehouse half frozen in the tundra. The building and the vehicle appeared as specks in the endless expanse of white. It was completely dark beyond the window. No moon. No stars. Kai cupped his hands around his mouth and breathed into it. Trying to warm them.

"Don't chicken out now," he told himself, steeling his nerves before opening the door and stepping out. Leaving his suitcase inside. He asked the driver to wait in the van. The storm had died down a while ago.

His breath fogged in front of him as he walked across the snow toward the warehouse. It was large and rectangular, covered in frost. Made of wood and metal. Kai spent about fifteen minutes checking the perimeter of the building. King's men were nowhere to be seen. Which meant they were probably inside. Waiting.

Waiting for him to step in like a clueless fool.

Kai gulped. He rounded back to the only entrance to the warehouse that wasn't frosted shut. He took in a deep breath. Closed and opened his hands. Called out to Dranzer. Then knelt to wind his fingers around the handles and hauled the large shutter up. The slats rolled the rest of the way on their own as Kai braced for nothing short of gunfire. None came. The warehouse was empty as far as he could see.

A/N: HI! HOW ARE YOU GUYS? MISSED ME? NO? YES? ^^ Thank you for all the kind words of encouragement and support. You're all very sweet. I was quick this time, huh? How many days has it been since the last update? I'm thinking three in my head but I know it's been more than that or am I right? The finale is coming up. Chapters are going to come faster. Because I'm excited. Writing has been so much fun lately. *smiles softly* You guys have no idea what's coming. HHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

Fuck

Stay safe, guys. Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed. Please stick around. Let's finish this together. Take care. See you soon. Leave a review. Buh-bye!