Dawn of Terror
Chapter 13: Come Full Circle
The night tent was quiet, but not silent. The air was filled with the whispering of the prisoners, now that the midnight guards had fallen asleep. Rei sat still, eyes cast down, listening intently. He caught bits and pieces of conversations like "Emperor's orders" and "sending us to some factory" and worst of all, "going to kill us." Rei shuddered at the thought.
At about half-past one, just as Rei was beginning to doze off, someone elbowed him in the gut. "Hey. Wake up."
He glanced up into golden eyes. The owner of the eyes smiled at him. "Hey. Where'd you come from?"
Rei shrugged, not feeling quite up to talking. Still, the other neko-jin persisted. "I'm Li. What do they call you?"
"Rei," he said tiredly, wishing to be left alone.
He didn't want to talk about anything, because it reminded him of Kai. Couldn't they see he was busy being miserable? Rei studied Li for a moment. He had wide, golden eyes and a nice smile. His face was tan and smooth. His pointed ears were black, a few of the hairs turning grey-white. His hair was a greying brown, belaying his age. He looked no older than Rei himself, but he guessed the neko-jin had to be at least 35. He knew that Mariah didn't look her age, so he supposed that Li didn't either.
LI was speaking again. He had a soft, gentle, yet commanding voice and Rei was compelled to listen. "-listen here, Rei. Don't believe nothing they tell you. They'll lie to you and tell you that you'll get three meals a day and a nice soft bed. They'll say they're gonna send you to work in a factory, but you ain't. This here is a prisoner camp and we're the prisoners."
Rei nodded and started to turn his head away. Li continued. "We get one meal a day, rationed of course, sleep on the ground and work out in the fields. Sooner or later, you'll get shipped off to God knows where. Rumour has it that we're being sent to death camps."
Rei shuddered. He didn't like the sound of that. He turned away from Li and noticed the neko-jin to his left had been listening, his visible eye shining brightly. "Would they really do that?" he asked quietly.
Rei was surprised. This boy couldn't be anymore than thirteen. Li was responding now. "They might. I don't know, but one thing's for sure. They certainly don't like us."
~*
At exactly nine o'clock a.m., Kai Hiwatari marched into the police station, demanding loudly to see 'Rei'. The officer behind the desk stared at him dumbfounded. Kai strode to the desk and slammed his hands down on it, glaring at the blond officer. "I demand to see Rei."
The blond blinked and started sorting through his papers. "I'm sorry, Sir. I don't seem to have any record of anyone by-"
"Goddamnit!"
People were beginning to stare now and Kai shot them a glare. Tala stood slightly behind Kai, glancing around nervously. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea....
"What's going on out here?"
An officer, the one from yesterday walked out of his office and looked at Kai. "Ah, Hiwatari-sama. Please."
He gestured to the door and Kai walked smartly into the room. Tala followed swiftly. The officer shut the door behind them. "Please, sit down."
He gestured to the chairs and Kai promptly seated himself, looking nothing short of pissed off. The policeman sat down behind his desk. "Master Hiwatari-"
"Where's Rei?"
The man looked up and smiled slightly. "Blunt, just like General Hiwatari, I see. Well, I'll get straight to the point. The officers out there don't have any record of Rei. In fact, the neko-jin wasn't even brought here."
Kai blinked. "Wasn't brought here? But....you arrested him!"
The officer sighed. Tala shifted nervously. He got the feeling there was a lot more going on here than the man was telling them. The policeman folded his hands and looked at Kai. "Rei was sent straight to Sabe, a work camp for neko-jins. From there, the Emperor's men will decide what to do with him."
Kai gritted his teeth. "Where is this place?"
The officer looked down at his hands. "It's about six miles west of town. I can't guarantee you that Rei will still be there. And I can't guarantee that you'll be able to pay your way out of this one. The sooner you go, though, the better, for you and the neko-jin."
He looked at Kai gravely, then nodded. Kai frowned, then stood up. He walked to the door. "Tala."
The red-head followed, wondering what had just passed. He was also starting to formulate a plan...
~*
It was hardly six a.m. when the guards marched into the tent and hauled the neko-jins up onto their feet. They marched them outside, out onto the grassy plain and counted them. For two long hours they stood there, not daring to move lest it result in punishment.
Rei stood behind the short neko-jin, Kevin, and Li. The guards wandered by them, then stopped. One of them undid the shackles. "You three," he barked. "Follow them!"
The neko-jins did as they were told. They marched behind one of the soldiers, another soldier bringing up the rear of their party. They crossed the field. They passed several tents, and a couple small buildings. Two more buildings loomed up in front of them. One of them was spewing thick, black smoke and Rei assumed it had to be a factory of some kind. The air around it was putrid and they held their breath.
They entered the other building and emerged into a blindingly white room. Several people in long, white lab coats walked by. Rei shivered. He didn't like this place, not at all....
They were walking again. They marched down a hall, into a small and crowded room. Several other neko-jins were there and two guards were guarding the door.
A long while passed and then, a door creaked open and several people walked into the room. They were all wearing white lab coats and Rei assumed they were medics. Perhaps this was some sort of examination.
Three by three, the neko-jins were taken out of the room. When ever the door opened, Rei could hear the faint noises of torture and he winced. He was growing more uneasy by the second. At last, it was his turn and he was marched out of the room, along with Li and Kevin. They were taken down a long corridor, then each was directed to a different room.
Rei sat inside on the examination table, trying not to look at the wicked tools that were lain out upon a tray like some sort of omen. The place made him shiver, and he felt as if he recognized it. As if he'd been here before...
The door creaked open and he jerked his gaze up from the floor. His eyes fell upon a man, about sixty, entering the room. He looked to be a doctor of some kind. Rei narrowed his gaze, trying to place the man. He'd seen him before...
The man looked at him and smiled. He looked at his papers and his smiled grew wider. "Kon, Rei," he said.
Rei blinked. Kon? His surname was Hiwatari, like Kai. He'd never known any other family, so it made perfect sense. The doctor's smile grew even more wicked. "I remember you, Rei...Although we didn't call you Rei at the time..."
And it all came flooding back. Rei's eyes opened wider in shock and he remembered, remembered this man, remembered the two torturous years he'd spent in that laboratory. He remembered being cut open and he could see the gleam of the metal tools they used to cut him with, covered with blood, sliding out of his stomach...
He felt sick. He wanted to run, he wanted to scream. But he stayed still, rooted in place with shock. The doctor looked back at his papers. "What are we going to do with you today Rei?"
He cracked his knuckles and Rei whimpered. Li had been right. They were going to kill them...
The doctor looked back at him and smiled. "You're lucky today, Rei."
He picked up a needle with a long, cruel point and Rei cowered. The doctor smiled. "It's not so bad, Rei. Others have gotten a lot worse."
He advanced. Rei backed up against the wall, looking at this man with terror in his eyes. "It'll only hurt for a moment."
Rei turned his head aside. Cool air bit at the skin of his stomach as his shirt was lifted up. The needle slid into him, just below his navel and he bit his lip to keep from crying out. And then, the biting pain was gone and the doctor retreated, leaving Rei to look at the little wound.
The doctor marked something down on the paper, then turned back to his frightened "patient". "That's all, Rei. You can leave now."
Rei slid down off the table, his eyes never leaving the doctor. He exited the room and found himself in the company of a guard. He started to march back, completely numbed by the experience. He couldn't believe this. He'd started out in the hands of this man and now, he'd come full circle to rest in them again.
~*
Kai shut the door as noiselessly as he could, but it was too late. Junsui glared up at him, tapping her foot angrily on the ceramic floor. The sound echoed throughout the room. Kai heaved a sigh, rolling his eyes. Still, Junsui didn't move. She merely glared at him, eyes ablaze.
Kai raised an eyebrow and waited for the onslaught. Still, nothing happened. He walked by her, into the hall and she turned and followed him. "Hi-"
Ah, there it was. He turned and fixed her with a glare. "Where is he?" she asked, not backing down.
"Where is who?"
He knew perfectly well who she meant. And she knew it too. "You know who I mean."
"I don't know."
It was the answer to both of her questions. It was the truth. She smirked and slid up onto the shiny top of one of the hall tables. "Oh, you don't know, do you? And this is what's got you so flustered."
She crossed her legs, her skirt falling back to her thighs, revealing the pale skin. Kai turned his gaze away. "You're not being lady-like," he said softly.
She smirked again. She looked like the perfect seductress and she knew it. "Oh, Kai-koi, do you really care if I'm lady-like?"
He didn't reply. His mouth had gone dry and he couldn't find words to sort out what he was feeling. She had him suddenly confused. She slid off the table and crossed the floor. She placed her hands on his shoulders, whispering in his ear, "I'll make sure you never miss the neko-jin ever again."
He couldn't help but wonder if she'd planned this. She was conniving and he wouldn't it past her. Her lips found his. He pulled back and groaned. "Junsui..."
"Shh," she whispered, completely in control of the situation.
She could do what she liked with him now. He was beyond listening to his rational mind. Her soft body felt good, pressed against his and he wrapped his arms about her in an effort to hold her as close as possible. Without warning, the door creaked open and Tala stepped in.
The red-head jumped, seeing Kai and his lady locked in such an intimate position. Junsui noticed him and her eyes went wide with fury. "You," she hissed, unravelling herself from Kai's embrace.
The bluenette looked slightly disappointed with the change. Tala swallowed nervously. Junsui was glaring at him. "Hiwatari-sama?"
Kai looked at him, seemingly angry with him too. "The....the car's ready, Hiwatari-sama," Tala said meekly, having a fit of fear with these two glaring at him.
Kai considered this for a moment, then picked his driving gloves up off the table that Junsui had occupied earlier. He stalked out of the room and slammed the door. Tala turned to go. Junsui grabbed him by the hand. "You," she hissed.
Tala turned back and met her eyes. "Why haven't you killed him yet?"
Tala countered. "Why were you with him like that? I thought you said you were only going to do what was necessary."
The copper-haired girl crossed her arms. "It was necessary!"
Tala raised an eyebrow. "Necessary to seduce him? Necessary to sleep with him? I'm sorry, but I'm failing to see how that fits into the plan."
Junsui turned her nose into the air. "You're just jealous, Tala."
The red-head frowned. "I expected you to be less of a whore, Junsui."
The girl turned back to him, eyes wide in shock. Tala turned and left the room. Junsui stared after him.
~*
Kai cast a sideways glance at his travelling companion as he climbed into the car. "What took you?"
Tala shrugged. "Doesn't matter."
Kai dropped the subject and put the car into gear. The ride was silent. Water splashed up from the puddles on the rutted road. The snow was melting, baring the dead landscape. The car jolted along the dirt road. Tala held the papers the police officer had given them in one hand, the other resting on his cheek as he stared boredly out the window.
The going was slow and more than once, the engine stalled. Both of them had to get out of the car, standing knee-deep in mud, Kai cranking the engine, Tala pushing the car from behind. And at long last, several small lumps formed on the horizon. They later became buildings and tents and Kai heaved a sigh of relief. They were here.
He cut the engine and clambered out of the car. He knew he looked terrible, tired and splattered with drying mud. Nonetheless, he started toward the entrance. The sentry on duty looked at him, then at the car with something akin to curiousity.
Tala watched the scene unfold from the car for a moment or two and when Kai started yelling at the sentry, he got out of the car. He crossed the ground quickly, coming up beside the guard. He pressed the pistol to the young man's temple and wrapped him in a headlock. "Do as he says," he urged, quietly.
The guard shook with fear. Kai stared at Tala, who smirked at him. "Tala, what are you-"
Tala put a finger to his lips and continued to smirk. "Don't ask questions, Hiwatari-sama."
He turned his attention back to the guard. "Take us to Kon, Rei."
The guard nodded in fear and pointed. "T-that way," he said, his voice quivering.
Tala pushed him forward, ripping the rifle away from him. He tossed the pistol to Kai, who caught it deftly. Tala smiled at the terrified sentry. "Go on. Lead us there."
The sentry put his hands in the air and started walking.
~*
"On your feet!"
Rei turned to the guard, who was shouting at the occupants of the tent. The guard smirked cruelly. "You're all lucky. The Emperor himself gets to decide what to do with you."
The entire line stood up and Rei was jerked to his feet. "March!" the guard shouted, and the line moved forward.
A solemn army was what they were, marching across the empty fields. For two miles they marched, non-stop. The wind was bitter and they were soaked in mud and water by the time they reached the train station. From there, they were put onto trains.
But these trains' cars didn't haul passengers. They hauled cattle and they stunk of manure. Rei had to hold his breath. They jammed the neko-jins into a space designed for less than twenty cows. Over a three hundred neko-jins were stuffed into a single box-car. Some were crying, others were shouting angrily at the guards. The soldiers ignored them, sliding the doors shut. A banging noise was heard and Rei realized they were nailing the doors up from the outside. He started to breath faster. It was dark in here, and there certainly wasn't enough air for them all.
Li elbowed him. "Calm down," he said. "You'll kill yourself like that."
Rei's breath hitched with those words. Death. It wasn't something he'd considered very often. But it certainly seemed like he'd be facing it now. And it hit him hard. He'd die here in this crowded place, with no air to breath, with hundreds of neko-jins trampling over his dead corpse. He wouldn't see the light of day again. He wouldn't breath fresh air again. He wouldn't....he wouldn't go back home and he wouldn't see Kai again.
This was the end.
Chapter 13: Come Full Circle
The night tent was quiet, but not silent. The air was filled with the whispering of the prisoners, now that the midnight guards had fallen asleep. Rei sat still, eyes cast down, listening intently. He caught bits and pieces of conversations like "Emperor's orders" and "sending us to some factory" and worst of all, "going to kill us." Rei shuddered at the thought.
At about half-past one, just as Rei was beginning to doze off, someone elbowed him in the gut. "Hey. Wake up."
He glanced up into golden eyes. The owner of the eyes smiled at him. "Hey. Where'd you come from?"
Rei shrugged, not feeling quite up to talking. Still, the other neko-jin persisted. "I'm Li. What do they call you?"
"Rei," he said tiredly, wishing to be left alone.
He didn't want to talk about anything, because it reminded him of Kai. Couldn't they see he was busy being miserable? Rei studied Li for a moment. He had wide, golden eyes and a nice smile. His face was tan and smooth. His pointed ears were black, a few of the hairs turning grey-white. His hair was a greying brown, belaying his age. He looked no older than Rei himself, but he guessed the neko-jin had to be at least 35. He knew that Mariah didn't look her age, so he supposed that Li didn't either.
LI was speaking again. He had a soft, gentle, yet commanding voice and Rei was compelled to listen. "-listen here, Rei. Don't believe nothing they tell you. They'll lie to you and tell you that you'll get three meals a day and a nice soft bed. They'll say they're gonna send you to work in a factory, but you ain't. This here is a prisoner camp and we're the prisoners."
Rei nodded and started to turn his head away. Li continued. "We get one meal a day, rationed of course, sleep on the ground and work out in the fields. Sooner or later, you'll get shipped off to God knows where. Rumour has it that we're being sent to death camps."
Rei shuddered. He didn't like the sound of that. He turned away from Li and noticed the neko-jin to his left had been listening, his visible eye shining brightly. "Would they really do that?" he asked quietly.
Rei was surprised. This boy couldn't be anymore than thirteen. Li was responding now. "They might. I don't know, but one thing's for sure. They certainly don't like us."
~*
At exactly nine o'clock a.m., Kai Hiwatari marched into the police station, demanding loudly to see 'Rei'. The officer behind the desk stared at him dumbfounded. Kai strode to the desk and slammed his hands down on it, glaring at the blond officer. "I demand to see Rei."
The blond blinked and started sorting through his papers. "I'm sorry, Sir. I don't seem to have any record of anyone by-"
"Goddamnit!"
People were beginning to stare now and Kai shot them a glare. Tala stood slightly behind Kai, glancing around nervously. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea....
"What's going on out here?"
An officer, the one from yesterday walked out of his office and looked at Kai. "Ah, Hiwatari-sama. Please."
He gestured to the door and Kai walked smartly into the room. Tala followed swiftly. The officer shut the door behind them. "Please, sit down."
He gestured to the chairs and Kai promptly seated himself, looking nothing short of pissed off. The policeman sat down behind his desk. "Master Hiwatari-"
"Where's Rei?"
The man looked up and smiled slightly. "Blunt, just like General Hiwatari, I see. Well, I'll get straight to the point. The officers out there don't have any record of Rei. In fact, the neko-jin wasn't even brought here."
Kai blinked. "Wasn't brought here? But....you arrested him!"
The officer sighed. Tala shifted nervously. He got the feeling there was a lot more going on here than the man was telling them. The policeman folded his hands and looked at Kai. "Rei was sent straight to Sabe, a work camp for neko-jins. From there, the Emperor's men will decide what to do with him."
Kai gritted his teeth. "Where is this place?"
The officer looked down at his hands. "It's about six miles west of town. I can't guarantee you that Rei will still be there. And I can't guarantee that you'll be able to pay your way out of this one. The sooner you go, though, the better, for you and the neko-jin."
He looked at Kai gravely, then nodded. Kai frowned, then stood up. He walked to the door. "Tala."
The red-head followed, wondering what had just passed. He was also starting to formulate a plan...
~*
It was hardly six a.m. when the guards marched into the tent and hauled the neko-jins up onto their feet. They marched them outside, out onto the grassy plain and counted them. For two long hours they stood there, not daring to move lest it result in punishment.
Rei stood behind the short neko-jin, Kevin, and Li. The guards wandered by them, then stopped. One of them undid the shackles. "You three," he barked. "Follow them!"
The neko-jins did as they were told. They marched behind one of the soldiers, another soldier bringing up the rear of their party. They crossed the field. They passed several tents, and a couple small buildings. Two more buildings loomed up in front of them. One of them was spewing thick, black smoke and Rei assumed it had to be a factory of some kind. The air around it was putrid and they held their breath.
They entered the other building and emerged into a blindingly white room. Several people in long, white lab coats walked by. Rei shivered. He didn't like this place, not at all....
They were walking again. They marched down a hall, into a small and crowded room. Several other neko-jins were there and two guards were guarding the door.
A long while passed and then, a door creaked open and several people walked into the room. They were all wearing white lab coats and Rei assumed they were medics. Perhaps this was some sort of examination.
Three by three, the neko-jins were taken out of the room. When ever the door opened, Rei could hear the faint noises of torture and he winced. He was growing more uneasy by the second. At last, it was his turn and he was marched out of the room, along with Li and Kevin. They were taken down a long corridor, then each was directed to a different room.
Rei sat inside on the examination table, trying not to look at the wicked tools that were lain out upon a tray like some sort of omen. The place made him shiver, and he felt as if he recognized it. As if he'd been here before...
The door creaked open and he jerked his gaze up from the floor. His eyes fell upon a man, about sixty, entering the room. He looked to be a doctor of some kind. Rei narrowed his gaze, trying to place the man. He'd seen him before...
The man looked at him and smiled. He looked at his papers and his smiled grew wider. "Kon, Rei," he said.
Rei blinked. Kon? His surname was Hiwatari, like Kai. He'd never known any other family, so it made perfect sense. The doctor's smile grew even more wicked. "I remember you, Rei...Although we didn't call you Rei at the time..."
And it all came flooding back. Rei's eyes opened wider in shock and he remembered, remembered this man, remembered the two torturous years he'd spent in that laboratory. He remembered being cut open and he could see the gleam of the metal tools they used to cut him with, covered with blood, sliding out of his stomach...
He felt sick. He wanted to run, he wanted to scream. But he stayed still, rooted in place with shock. The doctor looked back at his papers. "What are we going to do with you today Rei?"
He cracked his knuckles and Rei whimpered. Li had been right. They were going to kill them...
The doctor looked back at him and smiled. "You're lucky today, Rei."
He picked up a needle with a long, cruel point and Rei cowered. The doctor smiled. "It's not so bad, Rei. Others have gotten a lot worse."
He advanced. Rei backed up against the wall, looking at this man with terror in his eyes. "It'll only hurt for a moment."
Rei turned his head aside. Cool air bit at the skin of his stomach as his shirt was lifted up. The needle slid into him, just below his navel and he bit his lip to keep from crying out. And then, the biting pain was gone and the doctor retreated, leaving Rei to look at the little wound.
The doctor marked something down on the paper, then turned back to his frightened "patient". "That's all, Rei. You can leave now."
Rei slid down off the table, his eyes never leaving the doctor. He exited the room and found himself in the company of a guard. He started to march back, completely numbed by the experience. He couldn't believe this. He'd started out in the hands of this man and now, he'd come full circle to rest in them again.
~*
Kai shut the door as noiselessly as he could, but it was too late. Junsui glared up at him, tapping her foot angrily on the ceramic floor. The sound echoed throughout the room. Kai heaved a sigh, rolling his eyes. Still, Junsui didn't move. She merely glared at him, eyes ablaze.
Kai raised an eyebrow and waited for the onslaught. Still, nothing happened. He walked by her, into the hall and she turned and followed him. "Hi-"
Ah, there it was. He turned and fixed her with a glare. "Where is he?" she asked, not backing down.
"Where is who?"
He knew perfectly well who she meant. And she knew it too. "You know who I mean."
"I don't know."
It was the answer to both of her questions. It was the truth. She smirked and slid up onto the shiny top of one of the hall tables. "Oh, you don't know, do you? And this is what's got you so flustered."
She crossed her legs, her skirt falling back to her thighs, revealing the pale skin. Kai turned his gaze away. "You're not being lady-like," he said softly.
She smirked again. She looked like the perfect seductress and she knew it. "Oh, Kai-koi, do you really care if I'm lady-like?"
He didn't reply. His mouth had gone dry and he couldn't find words to sort out what he was feeling. She had him suddenly confused. She slid off the table and crossed the floor. She placed her hands on his shoulders, whispering in his ear, "I'll make sure you never miss the neko-jin ever again."
He couldn't help but wonder if she'd planned this. She was conniving and he wouldn't it past her. Her lips found his. He pulled back and groaned. "Junsui..."
"Shh," she whispered, completely in control of the situation.
She could do what she liked with him now. He was beyond listening to his rational mind. Her soft body felt good, pressed against his and he wrapped his arms about her in an effort to hold her as close as possible. Without warning, the door creaked open and Tala stepped in.
The red-head jumped, seeing Kai and his lady locked in such an intimate position. Junsui noticed him and her eyes went wide with fury. "You," she hissed, unravelling herself from Kai's embrace.
The bluenette looked slightly disappointed with the change. Tala swallowed nervously. Junsui was glaring at him. "Hiwatari-sama?"
Kai looked at him, seemingly angry with him too. "The....the car's ready, Hiwatari-sama," Tala said meekly, having a fit of fear with these two glaring at him.
Kai considered this for a moment, then picked his driving gloves up off the table that Junsui had occupied earlier. He stalked out of the room and slammed the door. Tala turned to go. Junsui grabbed him by the hand. "You," she hissed.
Tala turned back and met her eyes. "Why haven't you killed him yet?"
Tala countered. "Why were you with him like that? I thought you said you were only going to do what was necessary."
The copper-haired girl crossed her arms. "It was necessary!"
Tala raised an eyebrow. "Necessary to seduce him? Necessary to sleep with him? I'm sorry, but I'm failing to see how that fits into the plan."
Junsui turned her nose into the air. "You're just jealous, Tala."
The red-head frowned. "I expected you to be less of a whore, Junsui."
The girl turned back to him, eyes wide in shock. Tala turned and left the room. Junsui stared after him.
~*
Kai cast a sideways glance at his travelling companion as he climbed into the car. "What took you?"
Tala shrugged. "Doesn't matter."
Kai dropped the subject and put the car into gear. The ride was silent. Water splashed up from the puddles on the rutted road. The snow was melting, baring the dead landscape. The car jolted along the dirt road. Tala held the papers the police officer had given them in one hand, the other resting on his cheek as he stared boredly out the window.
The going was slow and more than once, the engine stalled. Both of them had to get out of the car, standing knee-deep in mud, Kai cranking the engine, Tala pushing the car from behind. And at long last, several small lumps formed on the horizon. They later became buildings and tents and Kai heaved a sigh of relief. They were here.
He cut the engine and clambered out of the car. He knew he looked terrible, tired and splattered with drying mud. Nonetheless, he started toward the entrance. The sentry on duty looked at him, then at the car with something akin to curiousity.
Tala watched the scene unfold from the car for a moment or two and when Kai started yelling at the sentry, he got out of the car. He crossed the ground quickly, coming up beside the guard. He pressed the pistol to the young man's temple and wrapped him in a headlock. "Do as he says," he urged, quietly.
The guard shook with fear. Kai stared at Tala, who smirked at him. "Tala, what are you-"
Tala put a finger to his lips and continued to smirk. "Don't ask questions, Hiwatari-sama."
He turned his attention back to the guard. "Take us to Kon, Rei."
The guard nodded in fear and pointed. "T-that way," he said, his voice quivering.
Tala pushed him forward, ripping the rifle away from him. He tossed the pistol to Kai, who caught it deftly. Tala smiled at the terrified sentry. "Go on. Lead us there."
The sentry put his hands in the air and started walking.
~*
"On your feet!"
Rei turned to the guard, who was shouting at the occupants of the tent. The guard smirked cruelly. "You're all lucky. The Emperor himself gets to decide what to do with you."
The entire line stood up and Rei was jerked to his feet. "March!" the guard shouted, and the line moved forward.
A solemn army was what they were, marching across the empty fields. For two miles they marched, non-stop. The wind was bitter and they were soaked in mud and water by the time they reached the train station. From there, they were put onto trains.
But these trains' cars didn't haul passengers. They hauled cattle and they stunk of manure. Rei had to hold his breath. They jammed the neko-jins into a space designed for less than twenty cows. Over a three hundred neko-jins were stuffed into a single box-car. Some were crying, others were shouting angrily at the guards. The soldiers ignored them, sliding the doors shut. A banging noise was heard and Rei realized they were nailing the doors up from the outside. He started to breath faster. It was dark in here, and there certainly wasn't enough air for them all.
Li elbowed him. "Calm down," he said. "You'll kill yourself like that."
Rei's breath hitched with those words. Death. It wasn't something he'd considered very often. But it certainly seemed like he'd be facing it now. And it hit him hard. He'd die here in this crowded place, with no air to breath, with hundreds of neko-jins trampling over his dead corpse. He wouldn't see the light of day again. He wouldn't breath fresh air again. He wouldn't....he wouldn't go back home and he wouldn't see Kai again.
This was the end.