CHAPTER 6 - Gedächtnisse [Memories]
The task, the Weiss found out, wasn't over. The death of Saigo turned out to be the beginning of something more complex than they expected. And the Weib's omen proved to be the intruder that night Saigo got murdered.
The strident sound of the motorcycle driven by Ken filled the noise around them as it drove alongside the Weib's jeep, in which Omi, Yohji and Ran were aboard. The Weiss's pursuit was a black Benz speeding before them. Shichiro Jin, the intruder, was inside the vehicle, and he was next in line for Weiss assassination.
The motorcycle sped up, until it was parallel to the black car. Ken raised a handgun, and began firing at the car's window. The car swerved wildly on the road until it hit a lamppost. The shrill sound of screeching wheels died down. However, the ammunitions left only dents in the car's bulletproof window.
Silence.
The Benz revved up its engine once again. Recklessly it hit Ken's motorcycle, then the jeep. Yohji hastily launched a few bullets, aiming at the wheel, but missed. Clouds of dust and smoke trailed behind the Benz as it dashed away from them.
The Weiss followed the car's tail closely, refusing to give up.
The moon rays shone luminously above the racing vehicles. The black car led them deep into a forest-bound road, away from the city-lights of evening Tokyo, where darkness ruled except for the light of the automobiles. Murkiness camouflaged the black car as it turned its lights off, perhaps hoping to shake the Weiss from its trail.
Then it disappeared into the sinister night.
The Weiss slowed down. Only the sound of their tires could be heard. For about half an hour they groped around the shadows, until an unkempt mansion came to sight.
*
The four members of Weiss entered the uncanny manor; their keenness pushed to the extremes, cautious of every sound audible, every movement visible.
The main hall was murky except for the few flaming torches; which hung upon the walls. Silence shrouded the mansion's interior, but the soft sound of footsteps. As they moved forward, they came about three passageways, which led deeper to the seemingly unfortified house.
As if on unspoken agreement, Ran took the left corridor, Yohji took the middle and Omi and Ken took the right.
*
The passage led to a hall of mirrors.
The undisputed light inside blinded Ran temporarily. As he walked, all he could see was his reflection, in all angles, rebuking him of a disguised threat. He took a step after the other vigilantly, his sword grasped in his gloved hand, his eyes narrowed.
At the corner of his eye, he saw movement flashing across the mirrors. On impulse he turned, however the presence he felt seemed to be just his imagination. He breathed out heavily, and continued to tread his way across the hall.
Still, nothing but mirrors…and reflections…
Then at the most unexpected moment, the glass crashed down behind him and he spun immediately, his trench coat creating a gust of wind revolving around him The sudden noise was deafening as it pierced the quietude which once hovered about the place.
Ran launched an attack without much thought. He thrust his sword toward the unsuspecting intruder, but emerged unsuccessful. The intruder leapt into the air and landed behind him expertly, and before he knew it, he felt a pistol aimed at the back of his head. Somehow, his katana ended up in the intruder's hands…the intruder got it so quick that he did not even feel his sword leave his grip. Through the mirror he figured it was a woman who caught him…not just any woman though…
Kei.
*
* * *
The last thing she expected to find was he. Stealthily, she hid behind the tree, which was a couple of meters away from him and watched him in stillness. His eyes were focused overhead, and his thoughts seemed bottomless. He rested on the grass motionlessly, oblivious to the world.
She had to admit he was a beautiful sight. His red hair lay disarrayed on the ground, and his body looked a cross between tense and relaxed. His form glowed in the moonlight with the midnight blue river as background. Eyes void yet wistful, visage unresponsive yet caught in illegible dreams…
Like a magnet she felt herself drawn to his enigma even more.
* * *
*
'Aya!' Omi cried out, turning around as soon as he heard glass shattering in the distance.
Ken caught his breath and hurried across the corridor toward where Ran headed for. 'How do you know Aya's in danger and not Yohji?' Ken asked, out of breath. The hall seemed longer than when they were walking through it.
'I saw the light reflecting from the direction Aya took,' replied Omi anxiously. 'I just hope he is all right.'
Suddenly three ninja-looking men sprang upon their path. Signal for trouble.
'K'so,' Ken cursed under his breath.
*
* * *
'LOOK OUT!'
Kei gasped and spun around as soon as she heard the yell. A red car was speeding towards her. Its intense headlights made her lose her sight temporarily. She felt as if on a trance. She wanted desperately to move out of the way, however her feet would not move, her mind would not work.
In shock she stared helplessly at the threat before her.
Suddenly she felt her body flung into air, and another…warmer than her pallid skin, grab her into his arms away from the danger…away from the speeding car, which caught her off guard.
She felt herself land on the other side of the road, in the arms of an unexpected rescuer. Her whole body felt weak as she squinted up at him…
It was he.
Soft, red hair touched her flushed cheeks; sharp, purple eyes stared into her own…
* * *
*
'Nani?!'
Yohji whirled around, hearing the faint noise of breaking glass from a distant. He stopped, and listened some more…the silence around him becoming deafening. He held his breath, and keened his senses.
For a few moments he heard nothing, but the sound of his racing heartbeat.
Then two shadows crept behind him, their swords gleaming against the radiance the dim torches made.
*
* * *
A dark-haired guy moved toward the girl Ran had just saved. He lifted his body from hers, and she was left sitting, bewildered, on the ground.
He kneeled beside her and ignored the guy, now approaching even closer.
'Daijoubu?' the guy asked, holding out a hand to pull the girl up. She stared at it momentarily, but took it anyway.
Then the dark haired guy kissed her.
-That's…- Ran had not the nerve to finish the sentence, as he glimpsed at the 'couple' and walked back to the store. He knew the guy damn well…
* * *
The task, the Weiss found out, wasn't over. The death of Saigo turned out to be the beginning of something more complex than they expected. And the Weib's omen proved to be the intruder that night Saigo got murdered.
The strident sound of the motorcycle driven by Ken filled the noise around them as it drove alongside the Weib's jeep, in which Omi, Yohji and Ran were aboard. The Weiss's pursuit was a black Benz speeding before them. Shichiro Jin, the intruder, was inside the vehicle, and he was next in line for Weiss assassination.
The motorcycle sped up, until it was parallel to the black car. Ken raised a handgun, and began firing at the car's window. The car swerved wildly on the road until it hit a lamppost. The shrill sound of screeching wheels died down. However, the ammunitions left only dents in the car's bulletproof window.
Silence.
The Benz revved up its engine once again. Recklessly it hit Ken's motorcycle, then the jeep. Yohji hastily launched a few bullets, aiming at the wheel, but missed. Clouds of dust and smoke trailed behind the Benz as it dashed away from them.
The Weiss followed the car's tail closely, refusing to give up.
The moon rays shone luminously above the racing vehicles. The black car led them deep into a forest-bound road, away from the city-lights of evening Tokyo, where darkness ruled except for the light of the automobiles. Murkiness camouflaged the black car as it turned its lights off, perhaps hoping to shake the Weiss from its trail.
Then it disappeared into the sinister night.
The Weiss slowed down. Only the sound of their tires could be heard. For about half an hour they groped around the shadows, until an unkempt mansion came to sight.
*
The four members of Weiss entered the uncanny manor; their keenness pushed to the extremes, cautious of every sound audible, every movement visible.
The main hall was murky except for the few flaming torches; which hung upon the walls. Silence shrouded the mansion's interior, but the soft sound of footsteps. As they moved forward, they came about three passageways, which led deeper to the seemingly unfortified house.
As if on unspoken agreement, Ran took the left corridor, Yohji took the middle and Omi and Ken took the right.
*
The passage led to a hall of mirrors.
The undisputed light inside blinded Ran temporarily. As he walked, all he could see was his reflection, in all angles, rebuking him of a disguised threat. He took a step after the other vigilantly, his sword grasped in his gloved hand, his eyes narrowed.
At the corner of his eye, he saw movement flashing across the mirrors. On impulse he turned, however the presence he felt seemed to be just his imagination. He breathed out heavily, and continued to tread his way across the hall.
Still, nothing but mirrors…and reflections…
Then at the most unexpected moment, the glass crashed down behind him and he spun immediately, his trench coat creating a gust of wind revolving around him The sudden noise was deafening as it pierced the quietude which once hovered about the place.
Ran launched an attack without much thought. He thrust his sword toward the unsuspecting intruder, but emerged unsuccessful. The intruder leapt into the air and landed behind him expertly, and before he knew it, he felt a pistol aimed at the back of his head. Somehow, his katana ended up in the intruder's hands…the intruder got it so quick that he did not even feel his sword leave his grip. Through the mirror he figured it was a woman who caught him…not just any woman though…
Kei.
*
* * *
The last thing she expected to find was he. Stealthily, she hid behind the tree, which was a couple of meters away from him and watched him in stillness. His eyes were focused overhead, and his thoughts seemed bottomless. He rested on the grass motionlessly, oblivious to the world.
She had to admit he was a beautiful sight. His red hair lay disarrayed on the ground, and his body looked a cross between tense and relaxed. His form glowed in the moonlight with the midnight blue river as background. Eyes void yet wistful, visage unresponsive yet caught in illegible dreams…
Like a magnet she felt herself drawn to his enigma even more.
* * *
*
'Aya!' Omi cried out, turning around as soon as he heard glass shattering in the distance.
Ken caught his breath and hurried across the corridor toward where Ran headed for. 'How do you know Aya's in danger and not Yohji?' Ken asked, out of breath. The hall seemed longer than when they were walking through it.
'I saw the light reflecting from the direction Aya took,' replied Omi anxiously. 'I just hope he is all right.'
Suddenly three ninja-looking men sprang upon their path. Signal for trouble.
'K'so,' Ken cursed under his breath.
*
* * *
'LOOK OUT!'
Kei gasped and spun around as soon as she heard the yell. A red car was speeding towards her. Its intense headlights made her lose her sight temporarily. She felt as if on a trance. She wanted desperately to move out of the way, however her feet would not move, her mind would not work.
In shock she stared helplessly at the threat before her.
Suddenly she felt her body flung into air, and another…warmer than her pallid skin, grab her into his arms away from the danger…away from the speeding car, which caught her off guard.
She felt herself land on the other side of the road, in the arms of an unexpected rescuer. Her whole body felt weak as she squinted up at him…
It was he.
Soft, red hair touched her flushed cheeks; sharp, purple eyes stared into her own…
* * *
*
'Nani?!'
Yohji whirled around, hearing the faint noise of breaking glass from a distant. He stopped, and listened some more…the silence around him becoming deafening. He held his breath, and keened his senses.
For a few moments he heard nothing, but the sound of his racing heartbeat.
Then two shadows crept behind him, their swords gleaming against the radiance the dim torches made.
*
* * *
A dark-haired guy moved toward the girl Ran had just saved. He lifted his body from hers, and she was left sitting, bewildered, on the ground.
He kneeled beside her and ignored the guy, now approaching even closer.
'Daijoubu?' the guy asked, holding out a hand to pull the girl up. She stared at it momentarily, but took it anyway.
Then the dark haired guy kissed her.
-That's…- Ran had not the nerve to finish the sentence, as he glimpsed at the 'couple' and walked back to the store. He knew the guy damn well…
* * *