What If?
Chapter 9- Captive
Ran frowned heavily at the pathetic sight before him. Those russet eyes that had always been so full of life were staring out the window, into the rain, dead to the world. Ken was hardly a person anymore, simply a shell, moving with mechanical functions put forth by a mechanical mind. Unfeeling. It was a frightening concept to him, not being able to feel anything but despair… He was grateful for the rain, though. It was keeping the ravenous schoolgirls away; the dark clouds hanging overhead as they dropped sheet after sheet of unending rain were incredibly foreboding. It seemed like it was just himself and Aya today. Ken wasn't really there…
The redhead had been shocked to see him waiting at the door of the shop, standing under the awning, his brown eyes seeming as dark as the clouded early morning. Aya had tried to convince him to go home and rest, but Ken wouldn't have it. He looked as if he hadn't slept in days, especially after…
He'd told them about the call and the instructions. He didn't dare tell anyone else, and wouldn't have told those two if Aya hadn't pressed so hard for him to explain what was wrong. He had thrown the game that would have assured his team a place in the championships a few days ago. Mamoru had not been released. Ran knew he'd gotten more calls, more 'instructions', but he refused to speak about any more than what he already had. Ran had understood and left the boy to his ministrations, but looking at him now… It hurt. He wanted so much to make the pain go away for everyone, to make everything right again, but in the long run, he and Aya were helpless. Yohji was the only one who could help, and Lord knew, he was giving it his all. The blonde may have seemed like a jokester or a nuisance, or even an annoyance at times, but he had his heart in the right place. Feeling a little guilty, he recalled a conversation he'd eavesdropped on…
"Listen, Ken. I have some bad news." There was a whimper. "The kidnapper- stalker- whatever the hell this bastard is- he's got a scrambler."
"What does that mean?" Ken's voice sounded so weak, so tired…
"It means we can't hear your conversations. There's no way we can record this guy and match vocal identities with anyone."
"…Oh."
"And you're sure you can't recognize his voice?"
"No. He's using some sort of distorter." A sigh, the sound of a lighter being flicked.
"All I can offer you right now is a tracer. To get it to work, you'll have to keep him talking for at least a minute. It may not sound like it, but that's a lot of time, Ken. Especially if he ever finds out."
"Okay." The silence that followed was horribly unsettling. It seemed for a moment the quiet would never end. Then, Yohji spoke again.
"What did he ask for this time?"
"What?"
"Don't think I can't tell, Ken. What doe he want this time?" There was another long hesitation. Not a silence, just a vocal pause.
"He told me to rob the Hanyuu National Bank. He said if he doesn't see the story plastered all over the news in three days, he'll start sending Mamoru back to me in pieces." Ran felt himself gag in the hall behind the store by the back room. What kind of sick bastard would do such a thing?!
"Hmph. I'll talk to my associates, and work something out with the bank. We may very well be able to stage something realistic enough to make the news." The redhead smiled satisfactorally. The guy who had Mamoru was going to get a pleasant little trick played on his sorry ass.
"Thanks…"
Ran had, had to high-tail it out of there, and nearly got caught listening in on their discussion, but it was worth it, knowing even a little bit more about what his friend was having to face.
Ken hadn't even heard the footsteps approaching, nor had he heard the gentle, deep voice whispering his name. He did, however, jump when he felt a hand touch his shoulder. His head snapped around, somnolent chocolate- coloured eyes widened with surprise.
"W- what?" he asked, flustered.
"I said go home, Ken. You're not acting productively." He stopped, amethyst eyes glancing back to the old woman on her rocking chair, holding that infernal cat of hers. "Momoe-san says you're fired." He was relieved beyond words to see that tiny smile creep onto Ken's face.
"Momoe-san doesn't even know my name," he countered lightly. Ran shrugged.
"That's beside the point. She said to fire the new guy, and, well, you're the only new guy left." He grinned. "Really. Don't you believe me?" Ken shook his head, that small smile remaining on his lips. For this, Ran was grateful. The unperturbed moment was untimely broken by the shrill ringing of a phone, ended on its second ring by Aya.
"Koneko no Sumu Ie, moshi-moshi!" she piped. "Un! Uh huh… Uh huh. Yosh'!" Aya looked up from the phone, eyes on Ken. "Kase says to get your ass out of the store and get some bloody damn sleep!" Ran's eyes shot wide.
"AYA!" The girl pouted and batted her eyes.
"What??? It's what he said, Ran-nii…" The disapproving look in those violet eyes did not change nor did they lessen. Aya giggled nervously. Ken sighed, bringing the attention back on himself.
"Tell Kase I'm going…" he sighed dejectedly and with defeat, running a hand through thick chocolate locks. "And you can tell him to shove it, too."
"KEN!"
"Hello? Kase? Ken says you can shove it."
"AYA!!!!!" Ken couldn't help himself, despite the pressure and mental exhaustion. He laughed. Boisterously, raucously, he laughed. His laughter only came to him harder and louder when Aya winced and aimed the phone away from her ear, fluent curses and profanities directed playfully at Ken screaming out from the phone. Ran rushed forward and snatched the receiver away, clicking the 'off' button emphatically. A good-natured contemptuous glare followed Ken out of the shop, into the rain, onto his bike, and down the street until the J-Leaguer was no longer in sight. Then, that amethyst gaze turned onto their sister.
"You…" he began mischievously, "Need to get your mouth washed out." Aya gasped and frowned with feigned indignity.
"Oh, no you don't! You'll have to catch me, first!" With that, the young girl took off, running to the back of the shop, then out into the pouring rain, where Ran tackled her to the ground. The water splashed everywhere, and they were both soaked within seconds, but it didn't matter to either as rain unsuccessfully drowned out the sounds of laughter emanating from the two.
Yohji frowned in intense concentration directed at the work spread across the table, the 'evidence' gathered so far. If it could be called that, the useless scraps he had managed to collect. 'All right,' he thought. 'Whoever this person is, he seriously has it out to get Ken. Possible motives are revenge, infatuation / stalking, jealousy… That's a good start. This guy's obviously messed up in the head. He seems to be trying to test how far Ken will go, but also seems to know his boundaries. Rule out strangers or anyone in the limelight. This person knows Ken pretty well. Start with close friends or fans.'
"Oh, god, please let this not be another obsession thing," he moaned aloud. He would absolutely scream if he'd been chasing down some sickly obsessed fangirl named… Marlene or Gertrude, or something like that. He pulled a few files closer to him. A couple family members, cousins or something, but Yohji had ruled them out almost instantly. Ken wasn't very close with anyone in his family save his parents. So Chihara, Yun, and Rika are definitely out of the picture." He picked up the files and dropped them aside on a chair. "That leaves a couple close friends on the circuit and a few serious enemies from opposing teams." A growl escaped his lips, and it was all he could do not to sweep his arm across the table and destroy the whole fucking case. It was so frustrating, the whole thing. And he hated working with so little. The kid was seventeen goddamn years old! What could he possibly have done to deserve something like this?! And that Takatori kid… First, he gets kidnapped (and there was no telling what the sicko that had him was doing…), and by the time he gets free, the rest of his family will probably have been busted by Asuka. She was very efficient when she chose to be, and this was a time she chose to be. Yohji wanted so much to help Ken, to make the poor teenagers problems go away. This was something no one so young should ever have to deal with.
"Enough brooding," he snapped at himself. Time to get serious. He reached for a folder belonging to some guy who'd held a serious grudge ever since he'd lost to Ken, then gotten his ass kicked by the brunette's friends when he started a bar brawl, but stopped when another file caught his attention. Kochiro Kase. For a while, he didn't move, lost in thought. Maybe… "Maybe it'd be a good idea to talk things once-over with this Kase fellow…" Yohji slid the file over and opened it.
In a room across the moderately sized house, Asuka Kudou sat, reorganizing her information with a stern grimace on her usually lovely features. She would have to go back to the estate and gather more evidence. "Not enough," Chyokan had told her. They had all they needed to lock Takatori and Hirofumi away for twice their lives, but not Masafumi. She had dropped the file containing the lab pictures somewhere between the estate and the office. Asuka punched the table. Hard. And regretted it as the throbbing ache quickly set in over the sharp pain from impact. She would have to sneak back into that foreboding mansion with it's dark rooms with shadows waiting to eat you alive, and those horrible pictures of his 'test subjects' that were anything but human any longer. She remembered the 'children' she'd amidst the pictures. Kids, for god's sake.
Masafumi was going down.
Asuka pulled up a piece of paper and began to plan her route out. She would have to employ every trick and tactic she knew, maybe even some new ones. It had been easy to get around with just the youngest in the house, but now that the father was back, security would be a bitch to bypass. Not only that, but she had two more, very dangerous, people to avoid. It was going to be tough, she didn't doubt that for a second, but it had to be done.
"I'm so getting my ass promoted for this," she mused aloud. "One way or another." Yohji was going to have a royal hissy fit over this.
Mamoru licked his lips, dry and chapped from going so long without anything to moisten them. The gag had finally been let down, but for a specific reason. The last number in the phone was dialed, and the blonde could feel the cold plastic against the side of his head.
"You know what to say," the voice spoke. "If you deviate or try to tell him what's happening, you will regret it." After two rings, Mamoru heard the familiar voice of his big brother answer.
"Takatori, moshi-moshi."
"Nii-chan!" Mamoru chirped with feigned gaiety. "You're back!"
"Mamoru! Thank god, I was worried sick! Of course I'm back, you knew that I would be! Where are you?!" Mamoru bit his lip and forced himself to keep going. Otherwise, who knew what would happen to him or anyone else, for that matter?
"I'm at Ken's place," he lied. "I forgot you were coming home. Sorry. You know how easily I forget stuff like this." Hirofumi didn't answer. Mamoru never forgot anything, let alone the day his own brother would be coming back home to him. Something was out of place; the whole situation reeked of foul play.
"Give me directions, Mamo-chan. I'll come pick you up. Father has been worried, too." Azure eyes twinkled suddenly from behind the blindfold that hid them. YES! Hirofumi caught on! How to tell him…. There had to be a way… The boy smiled.
"Geez, Hiro'," he forcibly laughed. "You make it sound like we haven't seen each other in eight years!" The laughter faded, and only silence remained. 'Come on, Hiro'! Don't let me down now, PLEASE!' After what seemed an eternity, an easy chuckle broke the leaden quiet.
"Right, Mamo-chan," he answered. "I'll be sure to hold things over here for you. When are you coming home?" He felt a warm presence near his ear, and heard that deep voice whisper to him.
"Tell him you'll call him with an update later."
"Ne, nii-chan? I have to go. I don't know when I'll be back. I'm a little tied up at the moment-" he choked back a hiss as he felt something sharp digging into his side. That was too close, and his captor had caught that one. "But I'll give you a call when I have some free time." Another sharp pain pulsed through him as the blade pierced the skin of his waist threateningly.
"Sure thing, Mamo-chan. Talk to you later." Kase ripped the phone away from the boy and pulled his knife free, the blade lightly coated with the crimson hue of blood.
"That was very, very stupid, Mamoru. If I didn't know better, I would have thought you were trying to tell him something."
"Who are you?" was all Mamoru said. His side hurt a little, but it was a shallow wound, and the blood would clot and scab it over soon enough. A rueful snigger answered him. "Fine. You know, if you're going to keep me, shouldn't you at least feed me and let me take a shower or something? I really need one, especially after being in this musty… wherever we are."
"You think I owe you anything?" the snide voice asked.
"There is a certain diplomacy to abducting people, yes."
"You speak as if from experience." Mamoru opened his mouth to speak, then shut it quickly. If he said anything of his brother's own kidnapping, whoever had him might realize the depth of what he'd said over the phone. "Any preference?"
"What?"
"You want to eat, don't you? I'm not such an overtly cruel man." Mamoru snorted, and was met with a fwap to the head. Not a smack, or a real hit. More of a… tease.
"… Unagi and pork fried rice."
"An interesting combination." There was a pause. Mamoru then felt a pair of hands on his, still tied to the back of the chair. "If I cut these ropes, are you going to try anything funny?" The blonde boy didn't answer. He wasn't certain he'd heard correctly. Was this guy going to let him go?! He felt a tugging on his bonds, then a snapping sound, and his hands were free. They fell to his side, blood rushing back into them painfully. He rubbed his sore wrists, willing the pain to subside. "If you reach for the blindfold, I'll not hesitate to kill you," the voice instructed. Mamoru felt the rope around his ankles release. He wondered…
"Why are you doing this?"
"I told you, I'm not an evil person. I don't enjoy bringing you discomfort. You haven't done anything terribly wrong."
"And what has Ken done?" The air immediately stiffened, tensed around the two figures.
"I told you before." Kase watched Mamoru rise, his face scrunching up in pain as he finally stretched his cramped limbs. "When you hear the door close, you can take the blindfold off and give your eyes a break," he offered. "But, when I come back, you'll have to put it back on again." He stalled for a moment. "I'm trusting you, Mamoru."
The boy listened to the retreating footsteps, and snatched the cloth from his face at the tell-tale click of the door shutting. What the hell was going on?! His captor who, only days before had been hissing at him and striking him, was now this soft, gentle, kind person who didn't want his prisoner in discomfort. It was like he was two people instead of just one. Azure eyes blinked in the dim light, taking in their surroundings. They were a bit sore from many days of disuse, and he was grateful for the low lighting. It seemed to be a basement of some sort, or maybe a lower level of a factory, he wasn't sure.
There was a glass of water standing on a desk nearby, and Mamoru threw himself at it, gulping it down greedily. The cold liquid felt so good as it flowed down his throat. Cold. It had just recently been placed there. For him? It seemed so. This situation was getting strange. The blonde wished he could speak to Ken, even if for just a few seconds to tell him that he was okay, and to hang in there… Azure eyes came to rest upon a phone with a large device on the mouthpiece that Mamoru recognized as a distorter. He had found one when he was eleven inside the house, and hadn't questioned what it was there for. He simply used it to make some prank phone calls. He and Hirofumi had laughed for so long after the last person, who'd started screaming at them in some foreign language. It sounded like Greek. Or maybe Italian. Something about 'putana' or something.
The youth shook his head at the sidetracked thoughts. Even if he called Ken, the boy would probably freak out at the rather un-Mamoruish voice that would be trying to communicate with him. About twenty minutes later, he heard his captor's voice outside the door, telling him to replace the blindfold. He did. The door opened, and immediately, Mamoru was attacked by a viscous onslaught of delicious smells. Having the blindfold on, he was at a bit of a disadvantage. Until, that is, a pair of strong hands came to his aid, helping him direct the food to his mouth. There was something oddly familiar in that strong, possessive grip…
"I want to talk to Ken," Mamoru tried, showing up all his bravado, though he was nearly shaking with fear.
"Why?"
"I want to tell him I'm okay." He thought quickly, assessing the situation, trying to warp it to his advantage. "He'd probably be more inclined to do what you tell him to if he knows that doing it is really keeping me safe." That comment hit paydirt. After dinner, or lunch, whatever it was (Mamoru wasn't sure. He'd lost all track of time days ago.), his captor led him over to the phone and removed the distorter before punching Ken's number in.
"Hidaka." God, Ken's voice was ragged, exhausted, but it was the sweetest sound Mamoru had heard since his abduction.
"Hello, Ken."
"Mamoru?! MAMORU!!! Thank God! Are you all right?! Where are you?! Has that bastard hurt you?! I swear to god, if he has, when I find him, I'll-"
"Ken! I'm okay. I'm okay." There was a rush of relieved breath, and he could hear Ken choke up on the other line. "He's not hurting me, Ken. He's the one who is letting me call you."
"Mamoru, stay on the line as long as you can. Yohji put a tracer on the line. If we can stay connected for a minute, we can find you and get you to safety." The blonde's heart leapt into his throat. Safe. One minute. He could do this. "God, Mamoru, it's so good to hear your voice…"
"Yours, too, Ken. Everything's going to be okay, Ken."
"Say goodbye, Mamoru," Kase directed. 'No!' the boy thought. 'No, no, no, no! Not yet! Just thirty more seconds!'
"C- Can't I have just a little more time? Please?" he pleaded. Kase looked at the phone, making sure he was quiet enough not to be heard, lest Ken recognize his voice.
"No. You've said what you wanted to."
"Mamoru? What's going on?"
"Ken, I've got to say goodbye…"
"NO! Not yet, Mamoru! Fifteen seconds more! Stall, please! Somehow! I can't loose you this time!" Ten seconds left.
"I'm sorry, Ken…" Eight seconds. There was a scratching sound, and the cold, ruthless distorted voice that haunted Ken's nightmares and every waking moment spoke.
"Goodbye, Ken." Three seconds. Click. Three more seconds, and Mamoru would be safe, and Ken would be free. Three seconds. Three seconds. The phone rang again. Ken stared at it blankly, unmoving. He wasn't sure he still could…
Kase waited patiently as the phone continued to ring. Cold, brown eyes looked at the stilled form of Mamoru, sitting once again in the chair he'd been bound to for days. Only this time, it was of his own free will, and he wasn't attached. His head was drooped down, touching his chest. It seemed as if he'd collapsed and fallen asleep. Good. The ringing finally ended, and a few seconds passed in silence until the voice on the other end spoke.
"Hello?"
"Ken, it's me."
"K… Kase…" He couldn't hold it back any longer. The tears came, spilling out as sobs racked his already worn body.
"Ken? Ken, calm down! Don't get hysterical! You're stronger than this! Tell me what happened!" Kase grinned and leaned back, not really listening to his 'friend's' words as the J-Leaguer spilled his heart out on the events that had just taken place. "Oh, Ken. At least he's okay, right? Thank God for that. We'll find a way to get him back, Ken. I promise you. Yeah. I'm always here for you, Ken. You should know that by know." 'Gullible fuck.' "I'll be right over. Don't argue with me, I don't care what you say. You need someone with you for this. Bye." He switched his cell phone off and regarded Mamoru for an instant before setting off on his way.
Mamoru couldn't breathe. He felt as if he'd had a vice put around his chest, and it was being constricted more and more every second. The sudden realization had hit him when his captor had started speaking to Ken in that soft, friendly voice. This guy was two people, had been leading a double- life for who knew how long. A single, solitary tear streamed down the blonde's face, one whispered word uttering through the murky silence.
"Kase…"
Hmm… I like this one. It came out very well, if you ask me. What do you think? Hey, is it just me, or does it seem whenever I'm ending a paragraph with Aya-chan & Ran, they're laughing? Ack… Sorry 'bout the redundancy of that. Please forgive me! Anyway, I think things are lining themselves up for the finish. Time to throw in the twists and turns… Chapter 10, coming soon! Enjoy!
Kourui
Chapter 9- Captive
Ran frowned heavily at the pathetic sight before him. Those russet eyes that had always been so full of life were staring out the window, into the rain, dead to the world. Ken was hardly a person anymore, simply a shell, moving with mechanical functions put forth by a mechanical mind. Unfeeling. It was a frightening concept to him, not being able to feel anything but despair… He was grateful for the rain, though. It was keeping the ravenous schoolgirls away; the dark clouds hanging overhead as they dropped sheet after sheet of unending rain were incredibly foreboding. It seemed like it was just himself and Aya today. Ken wasn't really there…
The redhead had been shocked to see him waiting at the door of the shop, standing under the awning, his brown eyes seeming as dark as the clouded early morning. Aya had tried to convince him to go home and rest, but Ken wouldn't have it. He looked as if he hadn't slept in days, especially after…
He'd told them about the call and the instructions. He didn't dare tell anyone else, and wouldn't have told those two if Aya hadn't pressed so hard for him to explain what was wrong. He had thrown the game that would have assured his team a place in the championships a few days ago. Mamoru had not been released. Ran knew he'd gotten more calls, more 'instructions', but he refused to speak about any more than what he already had. Ran had understood and left the boy to his ministrations, but looking at him now… It hurt. He wanted so much to make the pain go away for everyone, to make everything right again, but in the long run, he and Aya were helpless. Yohji was the only one who could help, and Lord knew, he was giving it his all. The blonde may have seemed like a jokester or a nuisance, or even an annoyance at times, but he had his heart in the right place. Feeling a little guilty, he recalled a conversation he'd eavesdropped on…
"Listen, Ken. I have some bad news." There was a whimper. "The kidnapper- stalker- whatever the hell this bastard is- he's got a scrambler."
"What does that mean?" Ken's voice sounded so weak, so tired…
"It means we can't hear your conversations. There's no way we can record this guy and match vocal identities with anyone."
"…Oh."
"And you're sure you can't recognize his voice?"
"No. He's using some sort of distorter." A sigh, the sound of a lighter being flicked.
"All I can offer you right now is a tracer. To get it to work, you'll have to keep him talking for at least a minute. It may not sound like it, but that's a lot of time, Ken. Especially if he ever finds out."
"Okay." The silence that followed was horribly unsettling. It seemed for a moment the quiet would never end. Then, Yohji spoke again.
"What did he ask for this time?"
"What?"
"Don't think I can't tell, Ken. What doe he want this time?" There was another long hesitation. Not a silence, just a vocal pause.
"He told me to rob the Hanyuu National Bank. He said if he doesn't see the story plastered all over the news in three days, he'll start sending Mamoru back to me in pieces." Ran felt himself gag in the hall behind the store by the back room. What kind of sick bastard would do such a thing?!
"Hmph. I'll talk to my associates, and work something out with the bank. We may very well be able to stage something realistic enough to make the news." The redhead smiled satisfactorally. The guy who had Mamoru was going to get a pleasant little trick played on his sorry ass.
"Thanks…"
Ran had, had to high-tail it out of there, and nearly got caught listening in on their discussion, but it was worth it, knowing even a little bit more about what his friend was having to face.
Ken hadn't even heard the footsteps approaching, nor had he heard the gentle, deep voice whispering his name. He did, however, jump when he felt a hand touch his shoulder. His head snapped around, somnolent chocolate- coloured eyes widened with surprise.
"W- what?" he asked, flustered.
"I said go home, Ken. You're not acting productively." He stopped, amethyst eyes glancing back to the old woman on her rocking chair, holding that infernal cat of hers. "Momoe-san says you're fired." He was relieved beyond words to see that tiny smile creep onto Ken's face.
"Momoe-san doesn't even know my name," he countered lightly. Ran shrugged.
"That's beside the point. She said to fire the new guy, and, well, you're the only new guy left." He grinned. "Really. Don't you believe me?" Ken shook his head, that small smile remaining on his lips. For this, Ran was grateful. The unperturbed moment was untimely broken by the shrill ringing of a phone, ended on its second ring by Aya.
"Koneko no Sumu Ie, moshi-moshi!" she piped. "Un! Uh huh… Uh huh. Yosh'!" Aya looked up from the phone, eyes on Ken. "Kase says to get your ass out of the store and get some bloody damn sleep!" Ran's eyes shot wide.
"AYA!" The girl pouted and batted her eyes.
"What??? It's what he said, Ran-nii…" The disapproving look in those violet eyes did not change nor did they lessen. Aya giggled nervously. Ken sighed, bringing the attention back on himself.
"Tell Kase I'm going…" he sighed dejectedly and with defeat, running a hand through thick chocolate locks. "And you can tell him to shove it, too."
"KEN!"
"Hello? Kase? Ken says you can shove it."
"AYA!!!!!" Ken couldn't help himself, despite the pressure and mental exhaustion. He laughed. Boisterously, raucously, he laughed. His laughter only came to him harder and louder when Aya winced and aimed the phone away from her ear, fluent curses and profanities directed playfully at Ken screaming out from the phone. Ran rushed forward and snatched the receiver away, clicking the 'off' button emphatically. A good-natured contemptuous glare followed Ken out of the shop, into the rain, onto his bike, and down the street until the J-Leaguer was no longer in sight. Then, that amethyst gaze turned onto their sister.
"You…" he began mischievously, "Need to get your mouth washed out." Aya gasped and frowned with feigned indignity.
"Oh, no you don't! You'll have to catch me, first!" With that, the young girl took off, running to the back of the shop, then out into the pouring rain, where Ran tackled her to the ground. The water splashed everywhere, and they were both soaked within seconds, but it didn't matter to either as rain unsuccessfully drowned out the sounds of laughter emanating from the two.
Yohji frowned in intense concentration directed at the work spread across the table, the 'evidence' gathered so far. If it could be called that, the useless scraps he had managed to collect. 'All right,' he thought. 'Whoever this person is, he seriously has it out to get Ken. Possible motives are revenge, infatuation / stalking, jealousy… That's a good start. This guy's obviously messed up in the head. He seems to be trying to test how far Ken will go, but also seems to know his boundaries. Rule out strangers or anyone in the limelight. This person knows Ken pretty well. Start with close friends or fans.'
"Oh, god, please let this not be another obsession thing," he moaned aloud. He would absolutely scream if he'd been chasing down some sickly obsessed fangirl named… Marlene or Gertrude, or something like that. He pulled a few files closer to him. A couple family members, cousins or something, but Yohji had ruled them out almost instantly. Ken wasn't very close with anyone in his family save his parents. So Chihara, Yun, and Rika are definitely out of the picture." He picked up the files and dropped them aside on a chair. "That leaves a couple close friends on the circuit and a few serious enemies from opposing teams." A growl escaped his lips, and it was all he could do not to sweep his arm across the table and destroy the whole fucking case. It was so frustrating, the whole thing. And he hated working with so little. The kid was seventeen goddamn years old! What could he possibly have done to deserve something like this?! And that Takatori kid… First, he gets kidnapped (and there was no telling what the sicko that had him was doing…), and by the time he gets free, the rest of his family will probably have been busted by Asuka. She was very efficient when she chose to be, and this was a time she chose to be. Yohji wanted so much to help Ken, to make the poor teenagers problems go away. This was something no one so young should ever have to deal with.
"Enough brooding," he snapped at himself. Time to get serious. He reached for a folder belonging to some guy who'd held a serious grudge ever since he'd lost to Ken, then gotten his ass kicked by the brunette's friends when he started a bar brawl, but stopped when another file caught his attention. Kochiro Kase. For a while, he didn't move, lost in thought. Maybe… "Maybe it'd be a good idea to talk things once-over with this Kase fellow…" Yohji slid the file over and opened it.
In a room across the moderately sized house, Asuka Kudou sat, reorganizing her information with a stern grimace on her usually lovely features. She would have to go back to the estate and gather more evidence. "Not enough," Chyokan had told her. They had all they needed to lock Takatori and Hirofumi away for twice their lives, but not Masafumi. She had dropped the file containing the lab pictures somewhere between the estate and the office. Asuka punched the table. Hard. And regretted it as the throbbing ache quickly set in over the sharp pain from impact. She would have to sneak back into that foreboding mansion with it's dark rooms with shadows waiting to eat you alive, and those horrible pictures of his 'test subjects' that were anything but human any longer. She remembered the 'children' she'd amidst the pictures. Kids, for god's sake.
Masafumi was going down.
Asuka pulled up a piece of paper and began to plan her route out. She would have to employ every trick and tactic she knew, maybe even some new ones. It had been easy to get around with just the youngest in the house, but now that the father was back, security would be a bitch to bypass. Not only that, but she had two more, very dangerous, people to avoid. It was going to be tough, she didn't doubt that for a second, but it had to be done.
"I'm so getting my ass promoted for this," she mused aloud. "One way or another." Yohji was going to have a royal hissy fit over this.
Mamoru licked his lips, dry and chapped from going so long without anything to moisten them. The gag had finally been let down, but for a specific reason. The last number in the phone was dialed, and the blonde could feel the cold plastic against the side of his head.
"You know what to say," the voice spoke. "If you deviate or try to tell him what's happening, you will regret it." After two rings, Mamoru heard the familiar voice of his big brother answer.
"Takatori, moshi-moshi."
"Nii-chan!" Mamoru chirped with feigned gaiety. "You're back!"
"Mamoru! Thank god, I was worried sick! Of course I'm back, you knew that I would be! Where are you?!" Mamoru bit his lip and forced himself to keep going. Otherwise, who knew what would happen to him or anyone else, for that matter?
"I'm at Ken's place," he lied. "I forgot you were coming home. Sorry. You know how easily I forget stuff like this." Hirofumi didn't answer. Mamoru never forgot anything, let alone the day his own brother would be coming back home to him. Something was out of place; the whole situation reeked of foul play.
"Give me directions, Mamo-chan. I'll come pick you up. Father has been worried, too." Azure eyes twinkled suddenly from behind the blindfold that hid them. YES! Hirofumi caught on! How to tell him…. There had to be a way… The boy smiled.
"Geez, Hiro'," he forcibly laughed. "You make it sound like we haven't seen each other in eight years!" The laughter faded, and only silence remained. 'Come on, Hiro'! Don't let me down now, PLEASE!' After what seemed an eternity, an easy chuckle broke the leaden quiet.
"Right, Mamo-chan," he answered. "I'll be sure to hold things over here for you. When are you coming home?" He felt a warm presence near his ear, and heard that deep voice whisper to him.
"Tell him you'll call him with an update later."
"Ne, nii-chan? I have to go. I don't know when I'll be back. I'm a little tied up at the moment-" he choked back a hiss as he felt something sharp digging into his side. That was too close, and his captor had caught that one. "But I'll give you a call when I have some free time." Another sharp pain pulsed through him as the blade pierced the skin of his waist threateningly.
"Sure thing, Mamo-chan. Talk to you later." Kase ripped the phone away from the boy and pulled his knife free, the blade lightly coated with the crimson hue of blood.
"That was very, very stupid, Mamoru. If I didn't know better, I would have thought you were trying to tell him something."
"Who are you?" was all Mamoru said. His side hurt a little, but it was a shallow wound, and the blood would clot and scab it over soon enough. A rueful snigger answered him. "Fine. You know, if you're going to keep me, shouldn't you at least feed me and let me take a shower or something? I really need one, especially after being in this musty… wherever we are."
"You think I owe you anything?" the snide voice asked.
"There is a certain diplomacy to abducting people, yes."
"You speak as if from experience." Mamoru opened his mouth to speak, then shut it quickly. If he said anything of his brother's own kidnapping, whoever had him might realize the depth of what he'd said over the phone. "Any preference?"
"What?"
"You want to eat, don't you? I'm not such an overtly cruel man." Mamoru snorted, and was met with a fwap to the head. Not a smack, or a real hit. More of a… tease.
"… Unagi and pork fried rice."
"An interesting combination." There was a pause. Mamoru then felt a pair of hands on his, still tied to the back of the chair. "If I cut these ropes, are you going to try anything funny?" The blonde boy didn't answer. He wasn't certain he'd heard correctly. Was this guy going to let him go?! He felt a tugging on his bonds, then a snapping sound, and his hands were free. They fell to his side, blood rushing back into them painfully. He rubbed his sore wrists, willing the pain to subside. "If you reach for the blindfold, I'll not hesitate to kill you," the voice instructed. Mamoru felt the rope around his ankles release. He wondered…
"Why are you doing this?"
"I told you, I'm not an evil person. I don't enjoy bringing you discomfort. You haven't done anything terribly wrong."
"And what has Ken done?" The air immediately stiffened, tensed around the two figures.
"I told you before." Kase watched Mamoru rise, his face scrunching up in pain as he finally stretched his cramped limbs. "When you hear the door close, you can take the blindfold off and give your eyes a break," he offered. "But, when I come back, you'll have to put it back on again." He stalled for a moment. "I'm trusting you, Mamoru."
The boy listened to the retreating footsteps, and snatched the cloth from his face at the tell-tale click of the door shutting. What the hell was going on?! His captor who, only days before had been hissing at him and striking him, was now this soft, gentle, kind person who didn't want his prisoner in discomfort. It was like he was two people instead of just one. Azure eyes blinked in the dim light, taking in their surroundings. They were a bit sore from many days of disuse, and he was grateful for the low lighting. It seemed to be a basement of some sort, or maybe a lower level of a factory, he wasn't sure.
There was a glass of water standing on a desk nearby, and Mamoru threw himself at it, gulping it down greedily. The cold liquid felt so good as it flowed down his throat. Cold. It had just recently been placed there. For him? It seemed so. This situation was getting strange. The blonde wished he could speak to Ken, even if for just a few seconds to tell him that he was okay, and to hang in there… Azure eyes came to rest upon a phone with a large device on the mouthpiece that Mamoru recognized as a distorter. He had found one when he was eleven inside the house, and hadn't questioned what it was there for. He simply used it to make some prank phone calls. He and Hirofumi had laughed for so long after the last person, who'd started screaming at them in some foreign language. It sounded like Greek. Or maybe Italian. Something about 'putana' or something.
The youth shook his head at the sidetracked thoughts. Even if he called Ken, the boy would probably freak out at the rather un-Mamoruish voice that would be trying to communicate with him. About twenty minutes later, he heard his captor's voice outside the door, telling him to replace the blindfold. He did. The door opened, and immediately, Mamoru was attacked by a viscous onslaught of delicious smells. Having the blindfold on, he was at a bit of a disadvantage. Until, that is, a pair of strong hands came to his aid, helping him direct the food to his mouth. There was something oddly familiar in that strong, possessive grip…
"I want to talk to Ken," Mamoru tried, showing up all his bravado, though he was nearly shaking with fear.
"Why?"
"I want to tell him I'm okay." He thought quickly, assessing the situation, trying to warp it to his advantage. "He'd probably be more inclined to do what you tell him to if he knows that doing it is really keeping me safe." That comment hit paydirt. After dinner, or lunch, whatever it was (Mamoru wasn't sure. He'd lost all track of time days ago.), his captor led him over to the phone and removed the distorter before punching Ken's number in.
"Hidaka." God, Ken's voice was ragged, exhausted, but it was the sweetest sound Mamoru had heard since his abduction.
"Hello, Ken."
"Mamoru?! MAMORU!!! Thank God! Are you all right?! Where are you?! Has that bastard hurt you?! I swear to god, if he has, when I find him, I'll-"
"Ken! I'm okay. I'm okay." There was a rush of relieved breath, and he could hear Ken choke up on the other line. "He's not hurting me, Ken. He's the one who is letting me call you."
"Mamoru, stay on the line as long as you can. Yohji put a tracer on the line. If we can stay connected for a minute, we can find you and get you to safety." The blonde's heart leapt into his throat. Safe. One minute. He could do this. "God, Mamoru, it's so good to hear your voice…"
"Yours, too, Ken. Everything's going to be okay, Ken."
"Say goodbye, Mamoru," Kase directed. 'No!' the boy thought. 'No, no, no, no! Not yet! Just thirty more seconds!'
"C- Can't I have just a little more time? Please?" he pleaded. Kase looked at the phone, making sure he was quiet enough not to be heard, lest Ken recognize his voice.
"No. You've said what you wanted to."
"Mamoru? What's going on?"
"Ken, I've got to say goodbye…"
"NO! Not yet, Mamoru! Fifteen seconds more! Stall, please! Somehow! I can't loose you this time!" Ten seconds left.
"I'm sorry, Ken…" Eight seconds. There was a scratching sound, and the cold, ruthless distorted voice that haunted Ken's nightmares and every waking moment spoke.
"Goodbye, Ken." Three seconds. Click. Three more seconds, and Mamoru would be safe, and Ken would be free. Three seconds. Three seconds. The phone rang again. Ken stared at it blankly, unmoving. He wasn't sure he still could…
Kase waited patiently as the phone continued to ring. Cold, brown eyes looked at the stilled form of Mamoru, sitting once again in the chair he'd been bound to for days. Only this time, it was of his own free will, and he wasn't attached. His head was drooped down, touching his chest. It seemed as if he'd collapsed and fallen asleep. Good. The ringing finally ended, and a few seconds passed in silence until the voice on the other end spoke.
"Hello?"
"Ken, it's me."
"K… Kase…" He couldn't hold it back any longer. The tears came, spilling out as sobs racked his already worn body.
"Ken? Ken, calm down! Don't get hysterical! You're stronger than this! Tell me what happened!" Kase grinned and leaned back, not really listening to his 'friend's' words as the J-Leaguer spilled his heart out on the events that had just taken place. "Oh, Ken. At least he's okay, right? Thank God for that. We'll find a way to get him back, Ken. I promise you. Yeah. I'm always here for you, Ken. You should know that by know." 'Gullible fuck.' "I'll be right over. Don't argue with me, I don't care what you say. You need someone with you for this. Bye." He switched his cell phone off and regarded Mamoru for an instant before setting off on his way.
Mamoru couldn't breathe. He felt as if he'd had a vice put around his chest, and it was being constricted more and more every second. The sudden realization had hit him when his captor had started speaking to Ken in that soft, friendly voice. This guy was two people, had been leading a double- life for who knew how long. A single, solitary tear streamed down the blonde's face, one whispered word uttering through the murky silence.
"Kase…"
Hmm… I like this one. It came out very well, if you ask me. What do you think? Hey, is it just me, or does it seem whenever I'm ending a paragraph with Aya-chan & Ran, they're laughing? Ack… Sorry 'bout the redundancy of that. Please forgive me! Anyway, I think things are lining themselves up for the finish. Time to throw in the twists and turns… Chapter 10, coming soon! Enjoy!
Kourui