Chapter 05 – Breakout Part Two
(For Disclaimer please see above. Thanks to all those who reviewed – luv
y'all! Please r+r this one too!)
Gum crept along the concrete corridor, a crowd of rudies behind her.
"How're we going to get out of the building?" Tab asked her.
Gum shrugged. The other guards were all back in their quarters. Going
through there would be madness.
Wait a minute. All back in their quarters…she felt her mouth curve into
a smile, and glanced down at the keys on her belt.
"Hang on," she said to Tab. "I'll be right back."
She crept up the door leading to the guard's quarters. It wasn't locked,
because this corridor was a restricted area anyway.
She carefully twisted her own key in the lock, and then strolled back to
the others. That wouldn't stop the guards for long, but it might slow them
down. And they needed all the time they could get.
She looked back at the horde of skaters. Piranha had been right, to an
extent. The Noise Tanks and Poison Jammers had listened to her either
because she represented escape or because she was a friend of Beat's, and
apparently he was cool in their eyes, and most of the Love Shockers had
practically fallen at her feet because of whatever Cube had done.
Most of the Love Shockers.
Gum glanced over to where three Love Shockers were walking in a
small, lonely group. Most of the gangs were sticking together, but these three
were isolated in a crowd of yellows. What had they done?
The tallest Love Shocker met her eyes, and glared at her. Gum glared
back, thinking, What's your problem?
She saw the Love Shocker detach herself from her trio and head towards
the front of the group.
"Listen, GG," she hissed as she reached Gum's side. "I don't know
whether you're gonna rescue your little dark-haired friend, but you just tell her
from me if she gets out that Kell is going to get her and she is going to be
dead."
"I don't take Love Shocker messages," Gum retorted. "Tell her
yourself."
But what about Beat and Cube? she asked herself as the Love Shocker
sneered and walked away. There were still guards down in the basement. It'd
be pretty hard to get them out.
And do you want to? whispered a treacherous voice at the back of her
mind.
Yes, she snapped to it. Beat's a GG. I have to stick up for him even if I
want to punch his face in. And maybe Combo is right – maybe I would miss
him…
And Cube? the voice demanded. She's not a GG, you hate her guts, and
you know she deserves to get left behind really…
They'd reached the main door now. Gum took a deep breath,
straightened the collar of her uniform, and passed her ID over the electronic
scanner.
A red light passed over it, and then over her face, and then ID does not
match subject's data flashed up on the screen. And then an alarm started to
wail, red lights to flash, and she heard banging from back along the corridor as
the guards realised things weren't quite right.
A group of heavy-looking Poison Jammers rushed forward and started
kicking the door, but they couldn't make it open. Gum tried to think through
the flickering and the wails. What could they do now?
"Hey, GG, you should've asked me."
She turned to see a Noise Tank sauntering towards her.
"I'll sort it," he said, dropped to his knees in front of the scanner, took
out some strange looking tool, and began to poke around inside. Gum could
hear louder bangs now. The guards trying to break out. How long had they
got?
"Uh – sorry to bother you…but what about Cube?"
She looked round to see a worried-looking Love Shocker.
"Yeah." Slate turned. "Come on, we got to go get her. And Beat."
"We don't have time!" Gum snapped.
Suddenly there was a creak, and the door swung open. The night air
rushed in, and everyone cheered.
"Just go!" Gum yelled. "My friend took care of the watchtowers." You
better have done, Combo, she added silently.
They rushed out. She saw the gates swinging open, Combo giving her
the thumbs-up signal, guards lying stunned all over the courtyard. And then
she turned back to meet the other GGs and the Love Shocker's eyes.
"Oh, all right!" she snapped. "Don't blame me if we all get caught
again, that's all!"
"Hang on," Piranha said to the GGs. "There's no point in us all going.
I'll go with Slate, and you guys can head out."
Gum pictured Beat's face, the way he kissed her, the smile that sent
shivers down her spine…even if he was a two-timing love rat, could she really
abandon him?
"Hey, wait," she called. "I'm coming too."
And they dashed back down the corridor.
Cube jumped as the alarm tore into the silence. The guard leapt off her.
"Sorry," he said, blowing her a kiss. "I'll be back."
He made for the door, but Cube, mind racing, hooked her foot round his
ankle. It pulled him off balance, and he crashed satisfyingly to the floor.
"What's going on?" She saw Beat sit up, yawning.
"Don't ask, just move it!" She grabbed his arm and pulled him out into
the corridor.
She was dazzled by the light, and her eyes closed for a minute, but not
before she'd seen the three other guards out there. "Get them!" one of them
yelled.
Blinking madly to try and clear the coloured spots from her vision, Cube
stepped back. If they grabbed her, that'd be it. Back and back they stepped,
the guards closing in on them, and then – in the best traditions of cornered
characters – she felt her back touch the wall.
"Shoot," she muttered. "Beat, I'm sorry."
"No problem. Any ideas, though?"
Cube shook her head, leaning back as the guards marched towards them.
And then she heard people running towards them.
Her heart pounded as Piranha, San, Gum and Slate – she still couldn't
quite think of him as Coin – came dashing down the corridor. Gum was
clutching an iron bar that brushed the ceiling. She used it to tap the guards on
the heads like boiled eggs, and as they crumpled to the ground, she said, "Well,
get moving."
Beat and Cube picked their way carefully over the unconscious guards.
Slate hurried over to Cube. "Are you okay?"
She shrugged. "I'm fine." And stretched up and kissed him.
"Hello? We're, like, escaping here!" San called to them. "Does anyone
have a bucket of water for these two?"
Cube reluctantly let go of Slate, and the rudies strode away.
As they hurried across the prison yard, San and Slate were walking with Cube,
and Gum suspected Piranha was deliberately keeping up the front of the line.
Which meant that she – Gum – was forced to walk with Beat.
"Hey," he said at last. "How's it hanging? I would give you a hug but
I'm a little tied up at the moment." He lifted his cuffed wrists.
Gum ignored him. She could feel herself blushing.
"Come on, you spoke to me on the radio, didn't you? Anyway, I
thought you'd be glad to see me again. By the way, I love that uniform –"
"Beat," Gum said, "Shut up. I'm the only one who has the key to those
cuffs, so I suggest you quit annoying me unless you want to make Keisatsu
bracelets a permanent part of your outfit."
"Fine."
They walked out of the gates, and back into the Benten-cho streets.
Beat took a deep breath of air, and sighed happily.
"Free at last," he said.
Gum glanced at him despite herself. "Guess it was pretty bad in there."
"Oh, I could handle it. It would've been even better if you'd been there
too…"
"As a chat-up line, that stinks."
"So sue me. I've been up all night for I don't know how long, listening
to you. My mind's not at its best."
Gum felt herself grinning, and quickly forced her face back into a bored
expression.
"We'd better get undercover," she said. "There might be some guards
or cops hanging around. And none of us look exactly inconspicuous."
"You can say that again," Beat said.
They walked faster, dodging round partygoers as they went. Gum
yawned. What time was it now?
"Wish I could see Onishima's reaction when he finds out about this,"
Beat said.
"Hey, don't get too happy. What if he's lurking around –"
"Gotcha!" yelled a familiar voice, and Onishima sprang out from a side
alley, flanked by about four other cops.
" – now? I don't believe it. I just don't believe it. Does he have a script
or something?"
"Probably. Run!"
Gum quickly realised that outrunning the police was not half as fun
without skates. They dashed down another street, past a Chinese restaurant,
around a group of dustbins, and then up a flight of stairs and onto the roof.
Gum's knees were aching as they reached the top. It was a familiar area.
She'd ground away along the ventilation shaft curving away from this loads of
times. But it all seemed much higher – and much more difficult – when she
didn't have her skates.
"Come on!" yelled Piranha, and stepped onto the shaft.
"Are you crazy? We can't do that!" Gum looked down at the rooftops
below her. For the first time the view made her shudder.
"What else can we do? Listen!"
The pounding feet of the cops echoed up from below the floor.
Gum took a deep breath, and put one foot onto the shaft. She thought
she felt it move, and shuddered. But she forced herself to put her other foot on,
and then began to walk forward.
Piranha was at the front, balancing like a circus performer. Then San.
Slate and Cube. Then Gum, and behind her Beat. He didn't seem too happy.
She glanced back, and saw he was wobbling.
"It's hard to balance with the bracelets," he said, and grinned, but he
was pale.
And then there was a shot.
Beat jumped – and staggered back – Gum reached to grab him – her
hand closed on the front of his shirt – she felt herself falling, dragged down by
his weight – then someone caught hold of her blouse and dragged her back –
the shaft hit her stomach – the lights spun dizzyingly below her.
Gum swallowed. She was lying on top of the shaft. Beat had fallen off
it, and she was the only thing stopping him becoming a smear on the pavement.
And then someone was holding on to her, stopping her from being dragged
over. She looked round to see Cube, who was sitting on the bar, swinging her
legs, and clutching Gum's shirt.
"You okay?" Cube said.
"I'm fine – but my fingers are starting to hurt…"
"Uh-oh." Cube looked at Beat. "You learnt how to fly yet?"
"Ha, ha, very funny." Beat gulped. "That old GG sense of humour is
really coming back. Anyone got a parachute they'd like to lend me?"
"Where's Onishima?" asked Gum. "He's not on the roof."
"Maybe they've gone down to catch us."
Gum looked down, and the view wobbled. She dragged her eyes back
up to the horizon. "I wish you hadn't said that."
"You guys okay?" San yelled. Gum felt the shaft vibrate as she walked
back towards them. "Boy, it's lucky you're all friends, isn't it?"
"Yeah…" Beat swallowed. "We're friends, aren't we? Gum? Cube?"
"Oh, yes. We're friends, right, Gum?"
Gum wriggled round to look at Cube, who was grinning.
She won't, she told herself. She may be mad with you, but she won't
drop you. She won't. Will she?
She could remember with gloomy clarity how she'd toyed with the idea
of abandoning Beat and Cube earlier.
"You know," Beat said, "I think this would be a really, really good time
to forgive and forget, huh?"
"Well, seeing as I'm a GG again –" Cube began.
"Huh? You're not a GG!" Gum glared at her.
"Yes, I am. Beat gave me back my membership while we were locked
up together."
Gum transferred her glare to Beat, who was starting to sweat.
"Let's not let a little thing like this come between us…" he said.
"You went behind my back," Gum hissed. "You're lucky I don't drop
you right now!"
"Oh, and why is it such a bad thing that I'm a GG?" snapped Cube.
Gum felt the other girl's fingers tense on her blouse. The collar tightened
round her throat. "Look, we made a mistake, okay? I'm sorry we upset you. I
didn't plan it or anything. But we were scared, and we were hurt, and he didn't
exactly fight me off. Don't keep putting all the blame on me!"
Gum turned away, glowering and feeling her hands curl into fists. She
knew Cube was probably right, but she hated being told off, especially by
someone her own age.
"Gum?" Beat whispered. She looked down at him, and despite her rage
her heart beat faster.
"I'm sorry I hurt you," he said simply.
Gum felt tears sting her eyes, and blinked. Then she smiled. And then,
with her free hand, she reached for the keys on her belt, and leaning over, the
blood rushing to her head, she unlocked Beat's cuffs.
"Thanks," he said, and grinned back at her. "Now, anyone got any ideas
about how to get out of this?"
"Yeah, hurry up, I'm getting pins and needles," Piranha yelled from up
ahead.
"I'll try and pull you up," Gum said. "Cube, hold onto me tight, okay?"
"Sure thing."
Gum tried to lift him with both hands, the muscles in her arms gasping.
As he moved a little higher, he grabbed the shaft, and tried to pull himself up –
– there was a horrible creak, and the shaft tipped.
"Stop!" yelled Piranha. "You're pulling it off the wall!"
Gum swallowed. She could feel the bar underneath her slowly turning.
"This isn't good, is it?" San said.
"Hang on," Slate said. "Where are the cops?"
There was a few minutes' silence while the rudies glanced around.
"I think they're down there. Yeah, I can just see Onishima…" Gum
squinted, trying to ignore the huge gap between her and the ground. It had
never bothered her on skates, so why should it bother her now?
"Okay," Slate said. "Piranha, can you get onto more solid ground?"
"Yeah. I can crawl along and jump onto one of the roofs," the other GG
called.
"Then do it."
Gum felt the shaft wobble as Piranha began to crawl. After a few
minutes, she heard her yell, "Right, I'm okay."
"Okay. Uh – Love Shocker – you go next."
"Slate, what do we do when you've gone?" Gum asked.
"I haven't thought of that yet. Give me time. Gum, if Cube lets go, will
you fall?"
"I'd rather not test that, if you don't mind."
"Okay…so Cube is basically keeping you two alive…"
Gum and Beat gulped.
"Right, I've got it. You just all keep moving along, okay, until you can
get off this thing onto the roof."
None of the three looked very happy at this, but it seemed the only
option. Cube dragged Gum along the shaft, and Gum, her wrists deadened by
Beat's weight on them, gripped hold of his jacket and tried not to look at the
ground.
"Is it just me, or is the shaft starting to wobble?" Cube said as they
inched along.
Gum swallowed. "It's not just you."
"Come on, we're nearly there!" Beat called up from below them.
Gum saw the roof slide into the line of vision, about six feet below her.
"Gum?" Slate yelled to her. "You can drop Beat now!"
"Are you totally sure about that?" Beat said.
"Okay, Beat, you're over the roof, are you ready?" Gum tried not to
think about what would happen if she was wrong.
"No…"
"Go!"
Her aching fingers uncurled from Beat's shirt, and he fell.
"Arrrrrrrrrrrrrgh – oof!" Beat crashed onto the roof. A few tiles
clattered to the pavement below.
"Right, okay, Cube, you can let go of Gum!"
Before Gum had time to get scared, she was falling – head first – icy air
stinging her skin – there was a crash, and she felt a bruising pain in her jaw.
She lay still for a moment, feeling rough sandy tiles under her, hearing
someone's radio softly bleeping away. She could taste blood in her mouth.
"Uh-oh…" Gum recognised Cube's voice. "Are you okay?"
Gum sat up. The lower half of her mouth was agonizingly painful, and
she seemed to have bitten her tongue.
"I'm fine," she tried to say, but it was hard to speak.
"Well, she's talking. Here, you want to lean on me?" Piranha gave her
a hand up. Gum looked for Beat. He was groaning and rubbing his back.
"You guys could've been killed!" San said. She was pale. "Geez, is
being in the GGs always like this?"
"Oh, this is normal for us. Saving the city from a demon is weekly
routine, and as for Onishima…" Beat groaned again.
"Right. Let's get you two invalids home," Piranha said, and the rudies
hobbled away.
The other GGs had made it back to the garage earlier. San was going to head
back to the Love Shocker HQ, but she promised not to 'be too hard on the GGs
when I go out tagging. I mean, you're pretty battered…"
When Gum, Beat, Slate, Cube and Piranha walked inside, the other five
started cheering. Piranha and Garam rushed into each other's arms, Tab high-
fived everyone he could reach, and Mew hugged them all. They partied long
into what was left of the night, and made a bonfire of all the uniforms.
Eventually everyone dozed off, Cube curled up in Slate's arms, Piranha
in Garam's, Gum in Beat's – though she told herself she was only doing it
because she was cold – and Mew in Yo-Yo's (though she'd got pretty high…)
Cube struggled out of a dream she couldn't remember. There'd been a
knocking…outside…
Sitting up, she looked towards the door of the garage. Her sleepy mind
registered the note shoved underneath it.
She gently disentangled herself from Slate's arms, and walked over to
the door. The garage floor was icy cold as she knelt down and picked up the
note. It had her name on the front.
Yawning, Cube unfolded it, and read:
Hi, Cube, it's San. Look, when I got back I heard that Kell's out to get you. I
can't go into all the details now, but it's pretty bad. Meet me at Shibuya bus
terminal at 4 am – it'd be dangerous for me to be seen with you in daylight.
I'll wait till 5, then go, but try and make it if you can.
A wave of shivering ran through Cube's ribcage. Kell. Over the sound of the
rain on the roof, she heard the Love Shocker's voice: "You know what
happened to the last bitch who hit me?
Well, she wasn't gonna be able to doze off again now. Cube let the note
drop to the floor, and glanced at her watch. It was 3:57 am.
Outside it was raining heavily, and hard to skate fast. Cube moved
through the black and silent streets, the rain running down the back of her neck,
dodging the splashes of occasional cars. She knew she was nervous. A stray
cat yowled and she jumped. Dustbins were blown over and she nearly had a
heart attack. But eventually she reached the bus terminal.
Not that that looked any more reassuring. It crouched under a black,
bubbling sky, the trees shaking like wet dogs. There were three buses parked
there that looked like they'd just picked up the residents of a ghost town.
Cube looked around, shivering as an icy breeze rushed over her skin,
and saw the flash of Love Shocker pink at one of the bus stops. She breathed a
sigh of relief, and skated towards San, who was leaning against a rail, head
down.
"San!" she called over the hiss of the rain. "Over here!"
San didn't look up.
Cube reached her. "Don't tell me you're asleep." She shook San's
shoulder –
– the Love Shocker was cold as frozen fish.
Cube felt her heartbeats slow. Hand shaking, she reached out and lifted
San's chin.
Then she wished she hadn't.
The Love Shocker's jaw, neck and chest were blotched with blood.
Cube saw the grinning cut across her throat, and slammed her knuckles to her
mouth to stop herself screaming.
What had happened? This was no Keisatsu ambush. Bullets, yes,
beatings, yes, hit-and-run accidents, yes, but the Keisatsu didn't just do one
slice across the throat. Did they?
And even if they did, they wouldn't leave her here for the public to trip
over.
Then it had to be Kell. Kell had found out about San's meeting and
freaked. Which meant she could be still here now.
Cube didn't even want to move, but she forced herself to turn her head,
look around the terminal. There was no sound but the endless splashing. And
it seemed empty. But she was suddenly conscious of how many corners it had,
how many shadows, how many places to hide…
She took a deep breath of damp air, and turned her attention back to San,
and realised the Love Shocker had been tied to the rail to make it look as if she
were leaning there. Someone had wanted her to think everything was okay.
And Cube didn't have to struggle to guess who that someone was.
Her instincts were screaming at her to get out of the bus terminal now.
But she couldn't leave San posed like some sort of corpse's fashion plate. She
began to pick at the knots binding the other girl's arms to the rail. They were
damp and swollen with rain, and her nails ached as she tried to undo them, but
at last she succeeded. San slumped to the ground as though she were tired.
Cube looked at her watch. 4:20.
Wait. San had written to say that she'd meet her at four. That was when
the note had been delivered. If she'd come straight there…Cube had reached
the shelter at about 4:10, but San had already been dead and set up then. And
surely they should have reached the terminal at about the same time anyway?
So San didn't deliver that note. Cube tried to stop trembling as the wind
flicked the back of her neck. Kell set me up all the time.
I've got to get out of here.
Suddenly she heard the hiss of skates cutting through rainy ground, and
then someone's hands slammed into her back. Cube's skates shot from under
her, and she fell heavily, the icy puddle water biting into her clothes.
She looked round, and saw Kell standing over her.
"Geez, you GGs are so predictable. You really fell for it!" Kell
snickered. Her skate caught Cube in the ribs, knocking the breath out of her.
"Still, I've never liked a challenge."
"You killed her," Cube shouted, rage suddenly filling her head. She sat
up. "What are you, a psycho? What had she ever done to you?"
"Don't let's get into that sort of conversation. Because you know what
I'm going to do now, don't you?"
"Surprise me," Cube hissed through chattering teeth.
"I'm going to kill you too." From out of her belt, Kell dragged a sharp,
red stained knife. "It'll be such fun."
(Well? Feedback! R+R needed now! Beg! Beg…)
(For Disclaimer please see above. Thanks to all those who reviewed – luv
y'all! Please r+r this one too!)
Gum crept along the concrete corridor, a crowd of rudies behind her.
"How're we going to get out of the building?" Tab asked her.
Gum shrugged. The other guards were all back in their quarters. Going
through there would be madness.
Wait a minute. All back in their quarters…she felt her mouth curve into
a smile, and glanced down at the keys on her belt.
"Hang on," she said to Tab. "I'll be right back."
She crept up the door leading to the guard's quarters. It wasn't locked,
because this corridor was a restricted area anyway.
She carefully twisted her own key in the lock, and then strolled back to
the others. That wouldn't stop the guards for long, but it might slow them
down. And they needed all the time they could get.
She looked back at the horde of skaters. Piranha had been right, to an
extent. The Noise Tanks and Poison Jammers had listened to her either
because she represented escape or because she was a friend of Beat's, and
apparently he was cool in their eyes, and most of the Love Shockers had
practically fallen at her feet because of whatever Cube had done.
Most of the Love Shockers.
Gum glanced over to where three Love Shockers were walking in a
small, lonely group. Most of the gangs were sticking together, but these three
were isolated in a crowd of yellows. What had they done?
The tallest Love Shocker met her eyes, and glared at her. Gum glared
back, thinking, What's your problem?
She saw the Love Shocker detach herself from her trio and head towards
the front of the group.
"Listen, GG," she hissed as she reached Gum's side. "I don't know
whether you're gonna rescue your little dark-haired friend, but you just tell her
from me if she gets out that Kell is going to get her and she is going to be
dead."
"I don't take Love Shocker messages," Gum retorted. "Tell her
yourself."
But what about Beat and Cube? she asked herself as the Love Shocker
sneered and walked away. There were still guards down in the basement. It'd
be pretty hard to get them out.
And do you want to? whispered a treacherous voice at the back of her
mind.
Yes, she snapped to it. Beat's a GG. I have to stick up for him even if I
want to punch his face in. And maybe Combo is right – maybe I would miss
him…
And Cube? the voice demanded. She's not a GG, you hate her guts, and
you know she deserves to get left behind really…
They'd reached the main door now. Gum took a deep breath,
straightened the collar of her uniform, and passed her ID over the electronic
scanner.
A red light passed over it, and then over her face, and then ID does not
match subject's data flashed up on the screen. And then an alarm started to
wail, red lights to flash, and she heard banging from back along the corridor as
the guards realised things weren't quite right.
A group of heavy-looking Poison Jammers rushed forward and started
kicking the door, but they couldn't make it open. Gum tried to think through
the flickering and the wails. What could they do now?
"Hey, GG, you should've asked me."
She turned to see a Noise Tank sauntering towards her.
"I'll sort it," he said, dropped to his knees in front of the scanner, took
out some strange looking tool, and began to poke around inside. Gum could
hear louder bangs now. The guards trying to break out. How long had they
got?
"Uh – sorry to bother you…but what about Cube?"
She looked round to see a worried-looking Love Shocker.
"Yeah." Slate turned. "Come on, we got to go get her. And Beat."
"We don't have time!" Gum snapped.
Suddenly there was a creak, and the door swung open. The night air
rushed in, and everyone cheered.
"Just go!" Gum yelled. "My friend took care of the watchtowers." You
better have done, Combo, she added silently.
They rushed out. She saw the gates swinging open, Combo giving her
the thumbs-up signal, guards lying stunned all over the courtyard. And then
she turned back to meet the other GGs and the Love Shocker's eyes.
"Oh, all right!" she snapped. "Don't blame me if we all get caught
again, that's all!"
"Hang on," Piranha said to the GGs. "There's no point in us all going.
I'll go with Slate, and you guys can head out."
Gum pictured Beat's face, the way he kissed her, the smile that sent
shivers down her spine…even if he was a two-timing love rat, could she really
abandon him?
"Hey, wait," she called. "I'm coming too."
And they dashed back down the corridor.
Cube jumped as the alarm tore into the silence. The guard leapt off her.
"Sorry," he said, blowing her a kiss. "I'll be back."
He made for the door, but Cube, mind racing, hooked her foot round his
ankle. It pulled him off balance, and he crashed satisfyingly to the floor.
"What's going on?" She saw Beat sit up, yawning.
"Don't ask, just move it!" She grabbed his arm and pulled him out into
the corridor.
She was dazzled by the light, and her eyes closed for a minute, but not
before she'd seen the three other guards out there. "Get them!" one of them
yelled.
Blinking madly to try and clear the coloured spots from her vision, Cube
stepped back. If they grabbed her, that'd be it. Back and back they stepped,
the guards closing in on them, and then – in the best traditions of cornered
characters – she felt her back touch the wall.
"Shoot," she muttered. "Beat, I'm sorry."
"No problem. Any ideas, though?"
Cube shook her head, leaning back as the guards marched towards them.
And then she heard people running towards them.
Her heart pounded as Piranha, San, Gum and Slate – she still couldn't
quite think of him as Coin – came dashing down the corridor. Gum was
clutching an iron bar that brushed the ceiling. She used it to tap the guards on
the heads like boiled eggs, and as they crumpled to the ground, she said, "Well,
get moving."
Beat and Cube picked their way carefully over the unconscious guards.
Slate hurried over to Cube. "Are you okay?"
She shrugged. "I'm fine." And stretched up and kissed him.
"Hello? We're, like, escaping here!" San called to them. "Does anyone
have a bucket of water for these two?"
Cube reluctantly let go of Slate, and the rudies strode away.
As they hurried across the prison yard, San and Slate were walking with Cube,
and Gum suspected Piranha was deliberately keeping up the front of the line.
Which meant that she – Gum – was forced to walk with Beat.
"Hey," he said at last. "How's it hanging? I would give you a hug but
I'm a little tied up at the moment." He lifted his cuffed wrists.
Gum ignored him. She could feel herself blushing.
"Come on, you spoke to me on the radio, didn't you? Anyway, I
thought you'd be glad to see me again. By the way, I love that uniform –"
"Beat," Gum said, "Shut up. I'm the only one who has the key to those
cuffs, so I suggest you quit annoying me unless you want to make Keisatsu
bracelets a permanent part of your outfit."
"Fine."
They walked out of the gates, and back into the Benten-cho streets.
Beat took a deep breath of air, and sighed happily.
"Free at last," he said.
Gum glanced at him despite herself. "Guess it was pretty bad in there."
"Oh, I could handle it. It would've been even better if you'd been there
too…"
"As a chat-up line, that stinks."
"So sue me. I've been up all night for I don't know how long, listening
to you. My mind's not at its best."
Gum felt herself grinning, and quickly forced her face back into a bored
expression.
"We'd better get undercover," she said. "There might be some guards
or cops hanging around. And none of us look exactly inconspicuous."
"You can say that again," Beat said.
They walked faster, dodging round partygoers as they went. Gum
yawned. What time was it now?
"Wish I could see Onishima's reaction when he finds out about this,"
Beat said.
"Hey, don't get too happy. What if he's lurking around –"
"Gotcha!" yelled a familiar voice, and Onishima sprang out from a side
alley, flanked by about four other cops.
" – now? I don't believe it. I just don't believe it. Does he have a script
or something?"
"Probably. Run!"
Gum quickly realised that outrunning the police was not half as fun
without skates. They dashed down another street, past a Chinese restaurant,
around a group of dustbins, and then up a flight of stairs and onto the roof.
Gum's knees were aching as they reached the top. It was a familiar area.
She'd ground away along the ventilation shaft curving away from this loads of
times. But it all seemed much higher – and much more difficult – when she
didn't have her skates.
"Come on!" yelled Piranha, and stepped onto the shaft.
"Are you crazy? We can't do that!" Gum looked down at the rooftops
below her. For the first time the view made her shudder.
"What else can we do? Listen!"
The pounding feet of the cops echoed up from below the floor.
Gum took a deep breath, and put one foot onto the shaft. She thought
she felt it move, and shuddered. But she forced herself to put her other foot on,
and then began to walk forward.
Piranha was at the front, balancing like a circus performer. Then San.
Slate and Cube. Then Gum, and behind her Beat. He didn't seem too happy.
She glanced back, and saw he was wobbling.
"It's hard to balance with the bracelets," he said, and grinned, but he
was pale.
And then there was a shot.
Beat jumped – and staggered back – Gum reached to grab him – her
hand closed on the front of his shirt – she felt herself falling, dragged down by
his weight – then someone caught hold of her blouse and dragged her back –
the shaft hit her stomach – the lights spun dizzyingly below her.
Gum swallowed. She was lying on top of the shaft. Beat had fallen off
it, and she was the only thing stopping him becoming a smear on the pavement.
And then someone was holding on to her, stopping her from being dragged
over. She looked round to see Cube, who was sitting on the bar, swinging her
legs, and clutching Gum's shirt.
"You okay?" Cube said.
"I'm fine – but my fingers are starting to hurt…"
"Uh-oh." Cube looked at Beat. "You learnt how to fly yet?"
"Ha, ha, very funny." Beat gulped. "That old GG sense of humour is
really coming back. Anyone got a parachute they'd like to lend me?"
"Where's Onishima?" asked Gum. "He's not on the roof."
"Maybe they've gone down to catch us."
Gum looked down, and the view wobbled. She dragged her eyes back
up to the horizon. "I wish you hadn't said that."
"You guys okay?" San yelled. Gum felt the shaft vibrate as she walked
back towards them. "Boy, it's lucky you're all friends, isn't it?"
"Yeah…" Beat swallowed. "We're friends, aren't we? Gum? Cube?"
"Oh, yes. We're friends, right, Gum?"
Gum wriggled round to look at Cube, who was grinning.
She won't, she told herself. She may be mad with you, but she won't
drop you. She won't. Will she?
She could remember with gloomy clarity how she'd toyed with the idea
of abandoning Beat and Cube earlier.
"You know," Beat said, "I think this would be a really, really good time
to forgive and forget, huh?"
"Well, seeing as I'm a GG again –" Cube began.
"Huh? You're not a GG!" Gum glared at her.
"Yes, I am. Beat gave me back my membership while we were locked
up together."
Gum transferred her glare to Beat, who was starting to sweat.
"Let's not let a little thing like this come between us…" he said.
"You went behind my back," Gum hissed. "You're lucky I don't drop
you right now!"
"Oh, and why is it such a bad thing that I'm a GG?" snapped Cube.
Gum felt the other girl's fingers tense on her blouse. The collar tightened
round her throat. "Look, we made a mistake, okay? I'm sorry we upset you. I
didn't plan it or anything. But we were scared, and we were hurt, and he didn't
exactly fight me off. Don't keep putting all the blame on me!"
Gum turned away, glowering and feeling her hands curl into fists. She
knew Cube was probably right, but she hated being told off, especially by
someone her own age.
"Gum?" Beat whispered. She looked down at him, and despite her rage
her heart beat faster.
"I'm sorry I hurt you," he said simply.
Gum felt tears sting her eyes, and blinked. Then she smiled. And then,
with her free hand, she reached for the keys on her belt, and leaning over, the
blood rushing to her head, she unlocked Beat's cuffs.
"Thanks," he said, and grinned back at her. "Now, anyone got any ideas
about how to get out of this?"
"Yeah, hurry up, I'm getting pins and needles," Piranha yelled from up
ahead.
"I'll try and pull you up," Gum said. "Cube, hold onto me tight, okay?"
"Sure thing."
Gum tried to lift him with both hands, the muscles in her arms gasping.
As he moved a little higher, he grabbed the shaft, and tried to pull himself up –
– there was a horrible creak, and the shaft tipped.
"Stop!" yelled Piranha. "You're pulling it off the wall!"
Gum swallowed. She could feel the bar underneath her slowly turning.
"This isn't good, is it?" San said.
"Hang on," Slate said. "Where are the cops?"
There was a few minutes' silence while the rudies glanced around.
"I think they're down there. Yeah, I can just see Onishima…" Gum
squinted, trying to ignore the huge gap between her and the ground. It had
never bothered her on skates, so why should it bother her now?
"Okay," Slate said. "Piranha, can you get onto more solid ground?"
"Yeah. I can crawl along and jump onto one of the roofs," the other GG
called.
"Then do it."
Gum felt the shaft wobble as Piranha began to crawl. After a few
minutes, she heard her yell, "Right, I'm okay."
"Okay. Uh – Love Shocker – you go next."
"Slate, what do we do when you've gone?" Gum asked.
"I haven't thought of that yet. Give me time. Gum, if Cube lets go, will
you fall?"
"I'd rather not test that, if you don't mind."
"Okay…so Cube is basically keeping you two alive…"
Gum and Beat gulped.
"Right, I've got it. You just all keep moving along, okay, until you can
get off this thing onto the roof."
None of the three looked very happy at this, but it seemed the only
option. Cube dragged Gum along the shaft, and Gum, her wrists deadened by
Beat's weight on them, gripped hold of his jacket and tried not to look at the
ground.
"Is it just me, or is the shaft starting to wobble?" Cube said as they
inched along.
Gum swallowed. "It's not just you."
"Come on, we're nearly there!" Beat called up from below them.
Gum saw the roof slide into the line of vision, about six feet below her.
"Gum?" Slate yelled to her. "You can drop Beat now!"
"Are you totally sure about that?" Beat said.
"Okay, Beat, you're over the roof, are you ready?" Gum tried not to
think about what would happen if she was wrong.
"No…"
"Go!"
Her aching fingers uncurled from Beat's shirt, and he fell.
"Arrrrrrrrrrrrrgh – oof!" Beat crashed onto the roof. A few tiles
clattered to the pavement below.
"Right, okay, Cube, you can let go of Gum!"
Before Gum had time to get scared, she was falling – head first – icy air
stinging her skin – there was a crash, and she felt a bruising pain in her jaw.
She lay still for a moment, feeling rough sandy tiles under her, hearing
someone's radio softly bleeping away. She could taste blood in her mouth.
"Uh-oh…" Gum recognised Cube's voice. "Are you okay?"
Gum sat up. The lower half of her mouth was agonizingly painful, and
she seemed to have bitten her tongue.
"I'm fine," she tried to say, but it was hard to speak.
"Well, she's talking. Here, you want to lean on me?" Piranha gave her
a hand up. Gum looked for Beat. He was groaning and rubbing his back.
"You guys could've been killed!" San said. She was pale. "Geez, is
being in the GGs always like this?"
"Oh, this is normal for us. Saving the city from a demon is weekly
routine, and as for Onishima…" Beat groaned again.
"Right. Let's get you two invalids home," Piranha said, and the rudies
hobbled away.
The other GGs had made it back to the garage earlier. San was going to head
back to the Love Shocker HQ, but she promised not to 'be too hard on the GGs
when I go out tagging. I mean, you're pretty battered…"
When Gum, Beat, Slate, Cube and Piranha walked inside, the other five
started cheering. Piranha and Garam rushed into each other's arms, Tab high-
fived everyone he could reach, and Mew hugged them all. They partied long
into what was left of the night, and made a bonfire of all the uniforms.
Eventually everyone dozed off, Cube curled up in Slate's arms, Piranha
in Garam's, Gum in Beat's – though she told herself she was only doing it
because she was cold – and Mew in Yo-Yo's (though she'd got pretty high…)
Cube struggled out of a dream she couldn't remember. There'd been a
knocking…outside…
Sitting up, she looked towards the door of the garage. Her sleepy mind
registered the note shoved underneath it.
She gently disentangled herself from Slate's arms, and walked over to
the door. The garage floor was icy cold as she knelt down and picked up the
note. It had her name on the front.
Yawning, Cube unfolded it, and read:
Hi, Cube, it's San. Look, when I got back I heard that Kell's out to get you. I
can't go into all the details now, but it's pretty bad. Meet me at Shibuya bus
terminal at 4 am – it'd be dangerous for me to be seen with you in daylight.
I'll wait till 5, then go, but try and make it if you can.
A wave of shivering ran through Cube's ribcage. Kell. Over the sound of the
rain on the roof, she heard the Love Shocker's voice: "You know what
happened to the last bitch who hit me?
Well, she wasn't gonna be able to doze off again now. Cube let the note
drop to the floor, and glanced at her watch. It was 3:57 am.
Outside it was raining heavily, and hard to skate fast. Cube moved
through the black and silent streets, the rain running down the back of her neck,
dodging the splashes of occasional cars. She knew she was nervous. A stray
cat yowled and she jumped. Dustbins were blown over and she nearly had a
heart attack. But eventually she reached the bus terminal.
Not that that looked any more reassuring. It crouched under a black,
bubbling sky, the trees shaking like wet dogs. There were three buses parked
there that looked like they'd just picked up the residents of a ghost town.
Cube looked around, shivering as an icy breeze rushed over her skin,
and saw the flash of Love Shocker pink at one of the bus stops. She breathed a
sigh of relief, and skated towards San, who was leaning against a rail, head
down.
"San!" she called over the hiss of the rain. "Over here!"
San didn't look up.
Cube reached her. "Don't tell me you're asleep." She shook San's
shoulder –
– the Love Shocker was cold as frozen fish.
Cube felt her heartbeats slow. Hand shaking, she reached out and lifted
San's chin.
Then she wished she hadn't.
The Love Shocker's jaw, neck and chest were blotched with blood.
Cube saw the grinning cut across her throat, and slammed her knuckles to her
mouth to stop herself screaming.
What had happened? This was no Keisatsu ambush. Bullets, yes,
beatings, yes, hit-and-run accidents, yes, but the Keisatsu didn't just do one
slice across the throat. Did they?
And even if they did, they wouldn't leave her here for the public to trip
over.
Then it had to be Kell. Kell had found out about San's meeting and
freaked. Which meant she could be still here now.
Cube didn't even want to move, but she forced herself to turn her head,
look around the terminal. There was no sound but the endless splashing. And
it seemed empty. But she was suddenly conscious of how many corners it had,
how many shadows, how many places to hide…
She took a deep breath of damp air, and turned her attention back to San,
and realised the Love Shocker had been tied to the rail to make it look as if she
were leaning there. Someone had wanted her to think everything was okay.
And Cube didn't have to struggle to guess who that someone was.
Her instincts were screaming at her to get out of the bus terminal now.
But she couldn't leave San posed like some sort of corpse's fashion plate. She
began to pick at the knots binding the other girl's arms to the rail. They were
damp and swollen with rain, and her nails ached as she tried to undo them, but
at last she succeeded. San slumped to the ground as though she were tired.
Cube looked at her watch. 4:20.
Wait. San had written to say that she'd meet her at four. That was when
the note had been delivered. If she'd come straight there…Cube had reached
the shelter at about 4:10, but San had already been dead and set up then. And
surely they should have reached the terminal at about the same time anyway?
So San didn't deliver that note. Cube tried to stop trembling as the wind
flicked the back of her neck. Kell set me up all the time.
I've got to get out of here.
Suddenly she heard the hiss of skates cutting through rainy ground, and
then someone's hands slammed into her back. Cube's skates shot from under
her, and she fell heavily, the icy puddle water biting into her clothes.
She looked round, and saw Kell standing over her.
"Geez, you GGs are so predictable. You really fell for it!" Kell
snickered. Her skate caught Cube in the ribs, knocking the breath out of her.
"Still, I've never liked a challenge."
"You killed her," Cube shouted, rage suddenly filling her head. She sat
up. "What are you, a psycho? What had she ever done to you?"
"Don't let's get into that sort of conversation. Because you know what
I'm going to do now, don't you?"
"Surprise me," Cube hissed through chattering teeth.
"I'm going to kill you too." From out of her belt, Kell dragged a sharp,
red stained knife. "It'll be such fun."
(Well? Feedback! R+R needed now! Beg! Beg…)