Story Notes: This is not my best story, but I am giving it a good go, and I wanted to share it anyway.
Chapter Summary: Tintin doesn't hesitate to make a bold decision to save Chang, but fails to take into account how dangerous the Kanzaki Brotherhood is and how far they'll go to stop him.
Suggested Music
1. We Have to Go - Steve Jablonsky
2. First Battle - Ramin Rjawadi
As the police pushed the men into separate cars, Tintin rushed back into Haddock's room in an attempt to rouse him. Even Snowy's gently tugging didn't seem to be making a difference.
"Haddock? Haddock, wake up!"
Tintin stopped as Snowy barked, motioning to the side of the bed.
"What is it, boy?"
Tintin leant down, picking up a ragged cloth.
"Chloroform,"
His voice barely sounded in the room as Mrs Wang's wail filled the air. Tintin couldn't help the tears that came. First, Mr Wang's death now this. It's not fair! They've suffered enough.
Tintin stood up, pulling the sheets up around his friend.
At that moment, only one option emerged.
As he walked back into the living area, Didi was already there, tears streaming down his face, his hand wrapped into his mother's. She sat beside him in silence, sobbing.
"What about your friend, Haddock?" Didi asked softly.
"He's been drugged ... chloroform... He'll wake up eventually,"
As the doctor entered to aid Mrs Wang, Didi motioned him into another room.
"Tintin .. these men are relentless .. they won't stop!" Didi exclaimed. His voice broke as he spoke.
"Where will they take him?"
"Japan .. Osaka .. why are you .."
"Then that's where I need to go," Tintin stated, starting to walk back to his room.
"What? No! Not by yourself. I'm coming with you," Didi exclaimed, grabbing Tintin's upper arm.
"Didi, No!" Tintin exclaimed as he turned round to meet his gaze.
Tintin quickly exhaled, forgiving himself at how harsh his reply had come out. "I'm not putting you at risk,"
"He's my brother!" Didi exclaimed loudly. "I won't just stand back and let you .."
"I won't risk your life! Your mother needs you,"
"So does my friend," Didi whispered.
Tintin lips couldn't move for a brief moment as he absorbed Didi's words.
"What .. what if you rescue Chang, and they kill you anyway?"
"Then I will have succeeded in bringing him home," Tintin replied, his gaze never faltering.
Chang is my friend. I will get him back.
Didi fell silent, gazing at Tintin in awe.
"I can't let you sacrifice yourself," Didi replied.
"I'll get him back, I promise,"
x
Tintin landed on the bed with a thump, rubbing the tears from his eye's and immediately sorted out his clothes. Once he emptied his backpack, he started to refill it with what he needed the most.
x
10 am
Tintin gripped the seat hard as the entire plane continued to violently vibrate through the air. Snowy whimpered, under the seat, rubbing against Tintin's leg.
"It's okay, Snowy. We're nearly there," Tintin soothed, bending down to stroke him. As he raised his head, he caught sight of a Japanese man scanning the aircraft.
He frowned.
The same man had been doing that for the entire flight. Now they were nearing Osaka, he seemed even more on edge.
Tintin refocused his attention on Snowy, trying his best to ignore him as he stood up and walked to the back of the plane. As he walked past, Tintin watched him disappear behind the curtain.
What are you doing?
The plane remained relatively empty. The plane wasn't massive, but many seats were empty.
Suddenly a gun clicked against his ear from behind.
"Get up, Now!"
Tintin slowly stood up as the rest of the passengers turned and screamed.
What the...
He attempted to turn his head, but the gun swiftly gabbed into his neck.
"Don't turn around!"
Remaining submissive, he listened to his captor as everyone reacted.
Japanese Accent.
"Did you think we would let you take one step into Japan,"
The Kanzaki Brotherhood?
How did they know?
Snowy growled, appearing from under the seat, but Tintin quickly motioned to him to calm. Being on a plane, this needed to be handled carefully. A bullet could shatter the window or could be used to kill the pilot.
I need to be very careful.
"Everyone, please stay calm," The Japanese man demanded. "Only you concern me. Now... What were you doing at the Wang household?"
"I don't know what you are talking about,"
"Liar!" He shouted, pressing the gun into Tintin's cheek. "I saw you there when we took the boy. Unlike the others, I was curious. There is a certain familiarity about you that intrigues me,"
"I doubt it, I'm no one important"
As Tintin replied, he spotted a passenger in his peripheral vision. The passenger slowly moved his hand to his side.
The badge caught Tintin's eye.
A police officer... Please don't .. don't, Tintin pleaded, desperately trying to catch his attention.
The officer thrust himself into the man, and a gunshot fired through the air, narrowly missing Tintin's ear. Passengers screamed as the man shot the cop then turned to kill Tintin. Now face to face he immediately recognised the man standing in front of him from last night. Snowy latched onto the man's leg.
"SNOWY!"
His fingers squeezed the trigger, shattering one of the windows.
The plane violently dipped, flinging Tintin against the wall. As air escaped the plane, everyone hung onto the seats, to anything that could save their lives.
Tintin tried his best to get to the pilot as the Japanese man entered the front of the plane. Two consecutive gunshots followed, and the plane moved into an almost vertical drop, gaining speed.
Tintin reached up, grabbing his rucksack just as Snowy landed on top of him.
A flash of blue appeared in his line of sight then everything went black.
I love writing cliffhangers into my stories. Until next time.