What If?
Chapter 13- Choice
The dull throbbing pain slowly sank into his mind, returning slowly at first, then faster and faster, until he couldn't ignore it anymore. Insipid azure eyes fluttered open and glanced out, their gaze falling upon the only other person there.
"Kase…" he croaked. His throat was dry, his entire body was cold and numb, save for that insistent, nagging ache emanating from his right shoulder. His captor turned to face him, his eyes amused.
"Welcome back to the land of the living, Mamoru," he said cheerfully. Mamoru shivered. The pain must have been evident on his face. "Oh, does it hurt? It should. While you were unconscious, I took the liberty of restraining you. Unfortunately, I think stringing you up like that aggravated the wound. Gee, I hope it doesn't get infected!" he laughed gleefully.
"You're sick," the boy spat. "You know you're not going to get away with this. You are so going dow-"
"Oh, please, spare me your cliché's, kid," Kase groaned, rolling his eyes. Blue eyes narrowed darkly, a devilish smile rising to his angelic face.
"Fine. No cliché's. Yohji-kun is going to bust in here and ROYALLY fuck you up. Then, he's gonna kill you. Nice… and slow…" The boy's head snapped to the side under force of the slap, but even that added to the pain from his wound wasn't enough to stop him from laughing lowly. "Why Kase, I never took you for such a bondage queen."
"I would take no great pleasure in killing you, but that doesn't mean that I won't," Kase warned. Mamoru merely grinned smugly as his captor looked upon him threateningly. Those cold brown eyes fell upon the boy's shoulder, his shirt dark and sticky with his own blood. "I'll get you some painkillers for that."
"Go to hell, while you're at it, ne?" Kase thrust his fist forward, stopping millimeters before the wound. Mamoru flinched reflexively, bringing a rueful smirk to the older man's face.
"Don't go anywhere," he called out before exiting. As soon as the door clicked shut, Mamoru let out a shaken sigh, his head dropping to his chest. God, it hurt so much, he wished he would pass out again just to get away from the pain.
"You've got yourself into a good one this time, kiddo," he muttered to himself. Azure eyes closed against the pain, his mind desperately seeking for something to provide a solace to the throbbing he felt throughout his entire body. Nothing came. The boy briefly wondered if he was really going to die this time around. He was certain that if Kase knew that he and Ken were together, the psycho bastard would probably spend every waking moment torturing him. Kase had completely lost it now, and the only thing that had kept Mamoru safe last time was civility and that last shred of control that held Kase together, which was one fiber away from snapping completely. After the whole episode in Ken's apartment, courtesy and good manners were not likely to come from his captor.
"Ken… Yohji…" he whispered. "Please find me…"
Ran glanced up from his paper at the sound of a rapping on the front door. With a glance at his watch, he raised a scrutinizing eyebrow, wondering who could be here so early in the morning. The knocking started again, louder and a little more insistent.
"Hai, hai," the redhead called out, dropping his paper. He hasted to the door, in fear whoever it was would wake Aya-chan, or worse, Ken. He turned the knob, swinging the door open, his eyes widening a bit. "Yohji?! What are you doing here?" The honeyed man looked as if he'd seen better days, weeks, years, etc. Jade eyes were dull and tired, the dark rings beneath them proof of that. His entire presence spoke of exhaustion, both mental and physical. No one around here could get a break, could they? "Come in, come in," he ushered, waving the detective inside. "You look like hell."
"Thanks, I'm doing great, to boot," he muttered, passing a hand through unkempt blondish hair. Without invitation, he traipsed into the kitchen, picked up Ran's coffee mug, and downed the remaining contents, setting the mug back down with a hearty sigh. After a few moments, he glanced up again to see amethyst eyes staring at him from the doorway with a bemused expression written across his features.
"Not to sound rude, but what are you doing here?" Weary green orbs answered in silence. Ran nodded. "I understand. Would you like to take this to the basement?" Yohji began to stand, when he paused, looking quizzically at his friend.
"Isn't Ken down there?" Ran blinked and glanced away a bit. Was that a blush on his face…? Naw, it was probably just the light reflecting off of his hair…
"No. I moved him up to my room last night. He looked like he needed a good night's sleep, and wouldn't get it on that couch. Shall we?" Perhaps he'd changed the subject too quickly, or maybe the redhead was just imagining the scrutinizing look the detective was shooting him. "Now," he began after they were both situated in the privacy of the darkened basement. "What's going on?"
"It's… Asuka." Yohji's voice was barely above whisper, his hands cradling his head as he spoke. "She's been gone for too long, Ran. One of our spies says he saw her… covered in blood, splattered on her clothes, all over her hands… Something bad's happened. Real bad." He stopped, his voice dying out on him as he tried in vain to force away the emotion and pain that were growing stronger and stronger every day, threatening to spill out of him all at once. After a few moments to compose himself, he went on. "I've got to find her. But I have no idea where to look… And…" Ran sat up, his eyes intense in the dim light.
"'And'? What do you mean 'and'?" The detective tossed his head back, chewing on his lower lip as he thought up a reasonable response. He could feel those eyes searing into him, almost as if they were staring right through him, to his very core. God above, that was a creepy feeling. The honey-haired man lowered his gaze to meet those eyes, anything to make that feeling go away…
"My boss went over recordings of the bugs placed in a couple of the rooms… Fuck, this is hard…" The redheads face had drained of all sentiment and feeling, a completely dead serious look on his pale visage. More like a completely dead look… "Whoever this person was- A.. Asuka or not, she's coming after you. You, Aya-chan, Ken and Mamoru are her intended targets, and then God only knows who else afterward." A troubled glance flashed on alabaster skin. "Don't worry. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you guys. I swear on my grave."
"You're not dead." Yohji absently ran his fingers over the diamond ring on his left hand.
"That's what you think." A dark and heavy silence fell weightily over the two figures, binding them in its viciously viscous¹ grasp. The rustling of clothing made as Ran stood was the only sound to break the overbearing silence.
"You know you're welcome here for as long as you like. But right now, I want to check on the others." Yohji nodded, choosing not to speak, and the florist turned and walked away. He tip-toed up the stairs like a cat, without a single sound to betray his stealthy movements. Stopping to peek into the first door, he could see Aya sleeping soundly, a floppy old teddy bear clutched in her arms. If that wasn't the most endearing sight in the world… He gently shut her door and continued down the hall to his own room, where he'd carried Ken the night before. The soccer player had looked so peaceful and untroubled in slumber. Ran wished he could remedy everything and give the boy that euphoric look even in waking hours. His slender hand took the knob and slowly swung the door open. The sight before him made his heart stop.
"Oh no…" He turned and ran back downstairs.
"He's GONE?!" Yohji couldn't believe it. Could not fucking BELIEVE IT! "How?! We never heard the door open, never heard the floorboards creak or anything!!!" The detective ran a hand through his hair, stopping to rub his temples, which had begun to throb. After a moment of silence, Ran continued.
"It says he's gone back to his place, but don't bother chasing after him, because he won't be there by the time we arrive," the redhead spoke as he read the rest of the note aloud. There was a snort.
"Yeah, right. Like we're not gonna follow him," Yohji sneered. "Let's go. I don't care what that note says, we've got to try." He paused. "There have been enough losses for now." Ran nodded solemnly before following the honeyed man out to the car. 'Ken,' he thought. 'Once we get you safe, I'm going to beat the shit out of you.'
"You have one new message." Ken turned the volume of his answering machine up another notch to be sure he heard everything. He knew who it would be from, and only minutely wondered what would be demanded of him this time around.
"Good morning, Ken," the all-too-familiar voice spoke from the speaker. "A lovely day, if you've not noticed yet. You probably haven't, but I digress. I know you're wondering what it's going to take for you to get Mamoru to safety. Well, I'll tell you what. I want that delicious girl from the flower shop. You know, the blue-haired girl… Aya. Yes, that was her name. Give her to me, and I'll let Mamoru go. You can believe me or not, that's your choice. I want her today, Ken, before you go and tell your little pals about it. You know where I am. Think hard. I'll be waiting." *click*
"End of messages." Another click. "Message has been erased." Ken picked up the machine, carefully unplugged it, and launched it against the far wall with an exasperated cry.
"Why are you playing these sick games, you bastard?" he asked aloud to no one in particular. He thought quickly. What was he going to do?! He couldn't trade one life for another, but he had to do something, and soon. Ken picked up his jacket and, running a hand through his hair, scratched something down on a piece of paper before exiting his apartment. This would be risky, but maybe… just maybe, it would work.
Hopping onto his bike, he sped off back to Ran's place. He knew the redhead wouldn't be there- he was undoubtedly headed for the apartment right now. Hopefully, breaking in and finding the note would slow Ran down long enough for Ken to do what he needed to do…
The car was gone from the driveway. Perfect. Ken hopped off his bike quickly, slipping around the back of Ran's flat, hope surging through him. He tested the back door. It was unlocked. Giving a silent thanks to the Gods, he stepped silently inside, and not a moment too soon, for footsteps could be heard wandering down the stairs. Moments later, Aya appeared out of the stairwell.
"Ken-kun…?" she asked a bit sleepily. He smiled at her, a bit more confidently than he had the past couple of weeks. He'd finally made his decision.
"'Morning, Aya-chan. Ran went out to run an errand," he lied. "He'll be back later. Go on back to bed." She looked groggily at him.
"Where ya goin'?" He flinched internally. 'Please, Aya, just be a good girl and do what you're told!'
"I just need to get out for a bit. I won't be too long. I didn't mean to wake you or anything." Aya smiled.
"Can I come with you? It'll only take me a minute to get dressed, maybe we can-"
"No, Aya." This caught her off guard. Ken gave her a meaningful look. "No. I… I need some alone time." Disappointed, but seeming to understand, she turned back slightly. She paused, opening her mouth to speak, then changed her mind, bounding up the stairs. The brunette let out a grateful sigh and pulled up a piece of paper to scrawl a note on. He silently hoped Ran would read it before Aya did. It would help keep him out of the way long enough…
After fastening the note to a very visible spot in the den, Ken was back on his bike, speeding off away from the city. It had taken him a while to realize the place Kase was talking about, but soon enough, the memories came flooding back. It was a cabin set up in camping grounds that they had discovered when they were younger. They would hide out there all the time after 'kidnapping' one another from their respective households to go hang for the weekend. It figured Kase would take him there, to a place that had been so important for them. The soccer player briefly wondered just how safe Mamoru would be in a place so memorable to Kase… He sped up.
"Ran- I told you not to follow me. Don't look for me. You won't find me. I've made sure of that. I never liked that answering machine, anyway. Go home.
-Ken"
Ran growled as he crumbled up the note in his ivory hand. To his side, the blondish detective picked up a piece of the smashed machine, regarding it with a frown.
"Covers his tracks pretty well for an amateur, doesn't he?" Yohji asked absently. Ran shot a look his way.
"Beautifully. Now what??" The honeyed man stood, dropping the hunk of plastic back to the ground. He sighed.
"We take his advice and go back to your place," he answered heavily. "We need to make sure Aya-chan is protected. We don't know who's targeted first…" The redhead stepped forward angrily, anxiety and fear written in the depths of amethyst orbs.
"What about Ken?!" Yohji pulled a cigarette out of his coat, placing it between his lips and lighting it, taking a drag before answering.
"There's nothing we can do, really." Ran's expression matched the officer's feelings. "With no clues or evidence, there's no way we could figure out where he's gone to."
"So it's hopeless…" Yohji placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder sympathetically. "…Let's go back. I need to be with Aya…" The honey-haired man nodded and led the way out of the complex and back to their cars in silence. Words, at this point, failed them both. Yohji, though, was reminded of something from America he'd once heard. Murphy's Law: If it can go wrong, it will go wrong. Out of a given possibility of things going wrong, the one that will wreak the most havoc is the one that goes wrong.
Yohji thought about it during the silent, lonely ride back to Ran's house, his entire being feeling utterly and hopelessly defeated. He reached a conclusion as he followed the redhead's car into the driveway.
Murphy was a bitch.
Aya glanced up at the sound of the door opening, smiling faintly at the redhead poking through, and the tall, lanky blonde behind him.
"Welcome home, Ran-nii! Yohji-kun! Done with your errand?" A crimson eyebrow arched curiously at the girl seated at the kitchen table. "Ken-kun said you were out running errands." Both men suddenly rushed forward.
"Ken was here?!" Ran demanded. Aya nodded a bit nervously. "How long ago???"
"Um… about… ten minutes. Maybe twenty. I was kind of out of it. Late morning for me." The two guys shared a look, then hastily retreated from the kitchen. "Hey, where ya going?"
"Did he say anything to you about where he was going?" Yohji asked as he glanced around the hallway as if searching the cracks and crevices for the brunette in question.
"No," she answered, sounding disappointed. "He wouldn't let me go. Said he needed some 'alone time', so I didn't press it."
"Yohji!" the deep voice called from the living room. The detective dashed to Ran's side, where pale hands clutched another note, this time with what seemed to be a location of some sort scrawled onto it.
"'He's at the cabin in Rock Creek'," he read. "Yohji-"
"Let's go. Aya's coming with us." Green eyes met violet ones laced with doubt and blatant concern.
"Is that… a good idea?"
"We can't leave her alone. She's a target. She'll be safer with the two of us than on her own." Ran nodded grudgingly, casting a sidelong glance at his sister who was watching them bemusedly. "Ne, kiddo," Yohji started. She scowled. He couldn't help but smile a bit. "We're going to save a couple of asses. Care to join us?" Indigo eyes sparkled with excitement and determination.
"I'm there."
(¹Viscous – thick)
What is Ken's plan? Will Ran and Yohji be able to find their friends in time to help? How much wood could a woodchuck really chuck? Find out next time in the CONCLUDING CHAPTER of What If! See you!
Kourui
Chapter 13- Choice
The dull throbbing pain slowly sank into his mind, returning slowly at first, then faster and faster, until he couldn't ignore it anymore. Insipid azure eyes fluttered open and glanced out, their gaze falling upon the only other person there.
"Kase…" he croaked. His throat was dry, his entire body was cold and numb, save for that insistent, nagging ache emanating from his right shoulder. His captor turned to face him, his eyes amused.
"Welcome back to the land of the living, Mamoru," he said cheerfully. Mamoru shivered. The pain must have been evident on his face. "Oh, does it hurt? It should. While you were unconscious, I took the liberty of restraining you. Unfortunately, I think stringing you up like that aggravated the wound. Gee, I hope it doesn't get infected!" he laughed gleefully.
"You're sick," the boy spat. "You know you're not going to get away with this. You are so going dow-"
"Oh, please, spare me your cliché's, kid," Kase groaned, rolling his eyes. Blue eyes narrowed darkly, a devilish smile rising to his angelic face.
"Fine. No cliché's. Yohji-kun is going to bust in here and ROYALLY fuck you up. Then, he's gonna kill you. Nice… and slow…" The boy's head snapped to the side under force of the slap, but even that added to the pain from his wound wasn't enough to stop him from laughing lowly. "Why Kase, I never took you for such a bondage queen."
"I would take no great pleasure in killing you, but that doesn't mean that I won't," Kase warned. Mamoru merely grinned smugly as his captor looked upon him threateningly. Those cold brown eyes fell upon the boy's shoulder, his shirt dark and sticky with his own blood. "I'll get you some painkillers for that."
"Go to hell, while you're at it, ne?" Kase thrust his fist forward, stopping millimeters before the wound. Mamoru flinched reflexively, bringing a rueful smirk to the older man's face.
"Don't go anywhere," he called out before exiting. As soon as the door clicked shut, Mamoru let out a shaken sigh, his head dropping to his chest. God, it hurt so much, he wished he would pass out again just to get away from the pain.
"You've got yourself into a good one this time, kiddo," he muttered to himself. Azure eyes closed against the pain, his mind desperately seeking for something to provide a solace to the throbbing he felt throughout his entire body. Nothing came. The boy briefly wondered if he was really going to die this time around. He was certain that if Kase knew that he and Ken were together, the psycho bastard would probably spend every waking moment torturing him. Kase had completely lost it now, and the only thing that had kept Mamoru safe last time was civility and that last shred of control that held Kase together, which was one fiber away from snapping completely. After the whole episode in Ken's apartment, courtesy and good manners were not likely to come from his captor.
"Ken… Yohji…" he whispered. "Please find me…"
Ran glanced up from his paper at the sound of a rapping on the front door. With a glance at his watch, he raised a scrutinizing eyebrow, wondering who could be here so early in the morning. The knocking started again, louder and a little more insistent.
"Hai, hai," the redhead called out, dropping his paper. He hasted to the door, in fear whoever it was would wake Aya-chan, or worse, Ken. He turned the knob, swinging the door open, his eyes widening a bit. "Yohji?! What are you doing here?" The honeyed man looked as if he'd seen better days, weeks, years, etc. Jade eyes were dull and tired, the dark rings beneath them proof of that. His entire presence spoke of exhaustion, both mental and physical. No one around here could get a break, could they? "Come in, come in," he ushered, waving the detective inside. "You look like hell."
"Thanks, I'm doing great, to boot," he muttered, passing a hand through unkempt blondish hair. Without invitation, he traipsed into the kitchen, picked up Ran's coffee mug, and downed the remaining contents, setting the mug back down with a hearty sigh. After a few moments, he glanced up again to see amethyst eyes staring at him from the doorway with a bemused expression written across his features.
"Not to sound rude, but what are you doing here?" Weary green orbs answered in silence. Ran nodded. "I understand. Would you like to take this to the basement?" Yohji began to stand, when he paused, looking quizzically at his friend.
"Isn't Ken down there?" Ran blinked and glanced away a bit. Was that a blush on his face…? Naw, it was probably just the light reflecting off of his hair…
"No. I moved him up to my room last night. He looked like he needed a good night's sleep, and wouldn't get it on that couch. Shall we?" Perhaps he'd changed the subject too quickly, or maybe the redhead was just imagining the scrutinizing look the detective was shooting him. "Now," he began after they were both situated in the privacy of the darkened basement. "What's going on?"
"It's… Asuka." Yohji's voice was barely above whisper, his hands cradling his head as he spoke. "She's been gone for too long, Ran. One of our spies says he saw her… covered in blood, splattered on her clothes, all over her hands… Something bad's happened. Real bad." He stopped, his voice dying out on him as he tried in vain to force away the emotion and pain that were growing stronger and stronger every day, threatening to spill out of him all at once. After a few moments to compose himself, he went on. "I've got to find her. But I have no idea where to look… And…" Ran sat up, his eyes intense in the dim light.
"'And'? What do you mean 'and'?" The detective tossed his head back, chewing on his lower lip as he thought up a reasonable response. He could feel those eyes searing into him, almost as if they were staring right through him, to his very core. God above, that was a creepy feeling. The honey-haired man lowered his gaze to meet those eyes, anything to make that feeling go away…
"My boss went over recordings of the bugs placed in a couple of the rooms… Fuck, this is hard…" The redheads face had drained of all sentiment and feeling, a completely dead serious look on his pale visage. More like a completely dead look… "Whoever this person was- A.. Asuka or not, she's coming after you. You, Aya-chan, Ken and Mamoru are her intended targets, and then God only knows who else afterward." A troubled glance flashed on alabaster skin. "Don't worry. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you guys. I swear on my grave."
"You're not dead." Yohji absently ran his fingers over the diamond ring on his left hand.
"That's what you think." A dark and heavy silence fell weightily over the two figures, binding them in its viciously viscous¹ grasp. The rustling of clothing made as Ran stood was the only sound to break the overbearing silence.
"You know you're welcome here for as long as you like. But right now, I want to check on the others." Yohji nodded, choosing not to speak, and the florist turned and walked away. He tip-toed up the stairs like a cat, without a single sound to betray his stealthy movements. Stopping to peek into the first door, he could see Aya sleeping soundly, a floppy old teddy bear clutched in her arms. If that wasn't the most endearing sight in the world… He gently shut her door and continued down the hall to his own room, where he'd carried Ken the night before. The soccer player had looked so peaceful and untroubled in slumber. Ran wished he could remedy everything and give the boy that euphoric look even in waking hours. His slender hand took the knob and slowly swung the door open. The sight before him made his heart stop.
"Oh no…" He turned and ran back downstairs.
"He's GONE?!" Yohji couldn't believe it. Could not fucking BELIEVE IT! "How?! We never heard the door open, never heard the floorboards creak or anything!!!" The detective ran a hand through his hair, stopping to rub his temples, which had begun to throb. After a moment of silence, Ran continued.
"It says he's gone back to his place, but don't bother chasing after him, because he won't be there by the time we arrive," the redhead spoke as he read the rest of the note aloud. There was a snort.
"Yeah, right. Like we're not gonna follow him," Yohji sneered. "Let's go. I don't care what that note says, we've got to try." He paused. "There have been enough losses for now." Ran nodded solemnly before following the honeyed man out to the car. 'Ken,' he thought. 'Once we get you safe, I'm going to beat the shit out of you.'
"You have one new message." Ken turned the volume of his answering machine up another notch to be sure he heard everything. He knew who it would be from, and only minutely wondered what would be demanded of him this time around.
"Good morning, Ken," the all-too-familiar voice spoke from the speaker. "A lovely day, if you've not noticed yet. You probably haven't, but I digress. I know you're wondering what it's going to take for you to get Mamoru to safety. Well, I'll tell you what. I want that delicious girl from the flower shop. You know, the blue-haired girl… Aya. Yes, that was her name. Give her to me, and I'll let Mamoru go. You can believe me or not, that's your choice. I want her today, Ken, before you go and tell your little pals about it. You know where I am. Think hard. I'll be waiting." *click*
"End of messages." Another click. "Message has been erased." Ken picked up the machine, carefully unplugged it, and launched it against the far wall with an exasperated cry.
"Why are you playing these sick games, you bastard?" he asked aloud to no one in particular. He thought quickly. What was he going to do?! He couldn't trade one life for another, but he had to do something, and soon. Ken picked up his jacket and, running a hand through his hair, scratched something down on a piece of paper before exiting his apartment. This would be risky, but maybe… just maybe, it would work.
Hopping onto his bike, he sped off back to Ran's place. He knew the redhead wouldn't be there- he was undoubtedly headed for the apartment right now. Hopefully, breaking in and finding the note would slow Ran down long enough for Ken to do what he needed to do…
The car was gone from the driveway. Perfect. Ken hopped off his bike quickly, slipping around the back of Ran's flat, hope surging through him. He tested the back door. It was unlocked. Giving a silent thanks to the Gods, he stepped silently inside, and not a moment too soon, for footsteps could be heard wandering down the stairs. Moments later, Aya appeared out of the stairwell.
"Ken-kun…?" she asked a bit sleepily. He smiled at her, a bit more confidently than he had the past couple of weeks. He'd finally made his decision.
"'Morning, Aya-chan. Ran went out to run an errand," he lied. "He'll be back later. Go on back to bed." She looked groggily at him.
"Where ya goin'?" He flinched internally. 'Please, Aya, just be a good girl and do what you're told!'
"I just need to get out for a bit. I won't be too long. I didn't mean to wake you or anything." Aya smiled.
"Can I come with you? It'll only take me a minute to get dressed, maybe we can-"
"No, Aya." This caught her off guard. Ken gave her a meaningful look. "No. I… I need some alone time." Disappointed, but seeming to understand, she turned back slightly. She paused, opening her mouth to speak, then changed her mind, bounding up the stairs. The brunette let out a grateful sigh and pulled up a piece of paper to scrawl a note on. He silently hoped Ran would read it before Aya did. It would help keep him out of the way long enough…
After fastening the note to a very visible spot in the den, Ken was back on his bike, speeding off away from the city. It had taken him a while to realize the place Kase was talking about, but soon enough, the memories came flooding back. It was a cabin set up in camping grounds that they had discovered when they were younger. They would hide out there all the time after 'kidnapping' one another from their respective households to go hang for the weekend. It figured Kase would take him there, to a place that had been so important for them. The soccer player briefly wondered just how safe Mamoru would be in a place so memorable to Kase… He sped up.
"Ran- I told you not to follow me. Don't look for me. You won't find me. I've made sure of that. I never liked that answering machine, anyway. Go home.
-Ken"
Ran growled as he crumbled up the note in his ivory hand. To his side, the blondish detective picked up a piece of the smashed machine, regarding it with a frown.
"Covers his tracks pretty well for an amateur, doesn't he?" Yohji asked absently. Ran shot a look his way.
"Beautifully. Now what??" The honeyed man stood, dropping the hunk of plastic back to the ground. He sighed.
"We take his advice and go back to your place," he answered heavily. "We need to make sure Aya-chan is protected. We don't know who's targeted first…" The redhead stepped forward angrily, anxiety and fear written in the depths of amethyst orbs.
"What about Ken?!" Yohji pulled a cigarette out of his coat, placing it between his lips and lighting it, taking a drag before answering.
"There's nothing we can do, really." Ran's expression matched the officer's feelings. "With no clues or evidence, there's no way we could figure out where he's gone to."
"So it's hopeless…" Yohji placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder sympathetically. "…Let's go back. I need to be with Aya…" The honey-haired man nodded and led the way out of the complex and back to their cars in silence. Words, at this point, failed them both. Yohji, though, was reminded of something from America he'd once heard. Murphy's Law: If it can go wrong, it will go wrong. Out of a given possibility of things going wrong, the one that will wreak the most havoc is the one that goes wrong.
Yohji thought about it during the silent, lonely ride back to Ran's house, his entire being feeling utterly and hopelessly defeated. He reached a conclusion as he followed the redhead's car into the driveway.
Murphy was a bitch.
Aya glanced up at the sound of the door opening, smiling faintly at the redhead poking through, and the tall, lanky blonde behind him.
"Welcome home, Ran-nii! Yohji-kun! Done with your errand?" A crimson eyebrow arched curiously at the girl seated at the kitchen table. "Ken-kun said you were out running errands." Both men suddenly rushed forward.
"Ken was here?!" Ran demanded. Aya nodded a bit nervously. "How long ago???"
"Um… about… ten minutes. Maybe twenty. I was kind of out of it. Late morning for me." The two guys shared a look, then hastily retreated from the kitchen. "Hey, where ya going?"
"Did he say anything to you about where he was going?" Yohji asked as he glanced around the hallway as if searching the cracks and crevices for the brunette in question.
"No," she answered, sounding disappointed. "He wouldn't let me go. Said he needed some 'alone time', so I didn't press it."
"Yohji!" the deep voice called from the living room. The detective dashed to Ran's side, where pale hands clutched another note, this time with what seemed to be a location of some sort scrawled onto it.
"'He's at the cabin in Rock Creek'," he read. "Yohji-"
"Let's go. Aya's coming with us." Green eyes met violet ones laced with doubt and blatant concern.
"Is that… a good idea?"
"We can't leave her alone. She's a target. She'll be safer with the two of us than on her own." Ran nodded grudgingly, casting a sidelong glance at his sister who was watching them bemusedly. "Ne, kiddo," Yohji started. She scowled. He couldn't help but smile a bit. "We're going to save a couple of asses. Care to join us?" Indigo eyes sparkled with excitement and determination.
"I'm there."
(¹Viscous – thick)
What is Ken's plan? Will Ran and Yohji be able to find their friends in time to help? How much wood could a woodchuck really chuck? Find out next time in the CONCLUDING CHAPTER of What If! See you!
Kourui