Chapter Four: Feel The Burn
Cye put the phone down and wearily rubbed his temples, trying to massage away the headache that was steadily forming there. He had been on the phone since early that morning, checking every hospital and morgue in the area to see if they had anyone fitting Ryo's description. Kento had gone to talk to the people at the zoo where Ryo worked, and Sage had used his father's police contacts to check the jails and precinct holding areas. So far they were all batting zero, and Cye wasn't entirely sure that that was a good thing.
How could Ryo have just vanished so completely? And why had he attacked Rowen last night? Kento could protest all he wanted, but Cye was certain that, no matter how bad a shape Rowen was in, he would not accuse a friend without good reason. If Rowen said that Ryo had hurt him, then Cye believed it. The question was, why? Cye sighed and leaned back in his chair. None of this was making sense, and all he was doing was going around in circles.
The phone rang suddenly, and Cye leaped to answer it. "Hello?"
"Cye? Hey, buddy, it's me," came Kento's familiar voice on the other end. "Any luck yet?"
"No, nothing," Cye replied. "You?"
"Zip, zilch, and nada, man," Kento said, and Cye could hear the frustration in his voice. "I talked to Sage --- he says it might take a while before all the information comes in, but so far he's coming up empty too. It's like Ryo just disappeared."
"We're doing all we can, Kento," Cye reassured his friend. "I know it's hard, but we just have to have patience…and a little hope wouldn't hurt, either."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever. I still think we could get more done if Sage wasn't so busy with this wedding of his. You notice that 'counseling' session came before his looking for Ryo," Kento grumbled.
"Kento, that's not fair," Cye warned. "Sage called his dad last night and asked him to start checking the police reports. And as for the rest, Sage and Carey have been planning their wedding since last summer, and it's less than two months away. Sage has a lot to deal with right now; you can't just expect him to drop everything and focus solely on this. You still have that Little League game to coach today, don't you?"
"Well…yeah."
"And you intend to be there, am I right?"
"Yeah, but…"
"Well, there you go," Cye pointed out. "Kento, we're all worried about Ryo, and we're all doing our best to find him. But we also have to go on with our lives. I still have a thesis to work on, you have those kids to coach, Sage has a wedding to get through, and we all still have to report for work on Monday morning. We can't expect that to stop just because someone we care about is missing."
Kento was silent for a moment, then he sighed. "Okay, I get your point," he said reluctantly. "But I just hate not knowing anything. I feel like there ought to be something more we can do."
"I'm going to check Ryo's apartment today, and Sage and Carey will be bringing Rowen home. Why don't we meet you at the park after your game? We can decide what we're going to do then, and hopefully we'll have some more information."
"Sounds like a plan. The game should be over around five-thirty or six. You want me to call Sage and let him know?"
"Yes, thanks." Cye scribbled a quick note. "I'll see you this evening, then."
"Okay. Hope you find something, man." Kento hung up, and Cye replaced the receiver. I hope so too, he thought.
When Carey and Sage arrived at the hospital, Rowen was propped up in bed, dozing lightly. His blue eyes flew open at Carey's quiet knock and he smiled. "Hey, guys," he murmured.
"Hey yourself, Sleeping Beauty," Carey replied as she hugged him gently. She stepped back a pace to study him. "You look so much better. How are you feeling?"
Rowen chuckled. "Like I got hit by an 18-wheeler, and then someone decided to start a strip-mining operation in my skull," he confessed.
"Well, don't worry, they won't find much," Sage teased as he enfolded Rowen in a brotherly hug. "We were worried about you, buddy," he continued. "It was kind of a shock showing up for dinner and finding you out cold and bleeding in the basement. What happened?"
"I talked to the police this morning," Rowen said, evading the question. "They think it was just an accident --- I got careless and left my front door open, then tripped and fell on the stairs."
Carey perched lightly on the edge of his bed. "And did you?"
Rowen looked from Carey to Sage and back again, as if trying to decide just how much to trust them with. Sage decided to make the choice a little easier. "Rowen," he said quietly, "when we came to see you last night, you were in pretty bad shape. You didn't say much, but the one thing you did say was that this was no accident. Care to elaborate on that?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Rowen said.
"Try us," was Carey's reply.
Rowen sighed. "I got home yesterday afternoon and started dinner, but a little while later all the lights went out. I thought I'd blown a fuse. So I got a flashlight and went to the basement to check it out. The weird thing was, none of the lights were working, even though they're on separate fuses. I figured something must have tripped the circuit breaker."
Sage and Carey exchanged glances. "Rowen," Carey said slowly, "all your lights were on when we got there."
A thin smile crossed Rowen's face. "I wouldn't know," he replied dryly. "I didn't see them then. Anyway, I was in the basement when I heard a noise, but there wasn't a whole lot of light and I couldn't see much. Then someone called my name."
He looked up, and his eyes were dark with dread at the memory. "It was Ryo," Rowen went on. "I thought it was just a joke --- that he had messed with the lights to creep me out or something. But when I asked him what was going on, he just muttered something about how it 'wasn't over yet' and that he had been 'looking' for me. Then he swung a wrench at me." Rowen held up his bandaged right hand. "That's how this happened. He knocked the flashlight out of my hand. I tried to get him to talk to me, but he just kept swinging at me and I wasn't about to let him land another shot. So I ran up the stairs, I felt something grab my ankle, and then --- " He shrugged. "The next thing I know, I'm waking up here."
There was a heartbeat or two of silence. "Rowen, are you sure?" Sage finally asked. "If you're right about this, you're opening up a major can of worms, buddy. Think about it --- you hit your head pretty badly last night. No one can blame you for being a little confused. Are you positive about what you saw?"
"I told you you wouldn't believe me," Rowen said flatly.
"I didn't say that," Sage replied. "But you've just accused our good friend, someone we've known and trusted for years, of attacking you. I just want to make sure that you're absolutely certain about this."
Rowen's eyes met Sage's, and the certainty in them was unmistakable. "I know what this could mean, and for the record, I don't like it. But I'm not going to lie to make everybody feel better. I know what I saw last night, and it was Ryo. I don't know why he did this…I just know that he did."
"But what about the armors?" Carey asked, and both men looked at her. "Rowen, last night you said something about armors having 'made' you. What did you mean?"
Rowen shot a glance at Sage and saw the almost imperceptible shake of his head, as well as the flash of warning in his friend's violet eyes. "Armors?" Rowen said with a short laugh. "Carey, I was out of my mind last night. I don't remember half of what I said. I must have been dreaming or something, because I sure don't know anything about any 'armors'. Has anyone heard from Ryo yet?" he asked, deftly changing the subject.
"I tried this morning and got no answer, and he hasn't answered any of Cye's pages," Sage replied. "We've been checking the hospitals and jails, but so far no luck. Cye's going to check Ryo's apartment today, and he'll let us know what he finds when we meet him at Kento's Little League game today. Speaking of which, are you ready to go?"
"Just about. I'm just waiting for the discharge paperwork."
"Why don't you stay with us for a couple of days?" Sage suggested. "I don't feel comfortable letting you go home alone with a concussion and a busted hand, especially considering how you got them."
Rowen shook his head. "I don't want to put you guys to any trouble. I'll be fine."
"Sage is right," Carey chimed in. "We have a spare room --- I've had dancer friends crash with us once in a while. And you really shouldn't be alone right now. Besides, you're family, not to mention Sage's best man. It won't be any trouble at all."
"Guys, I'll be okay," Rowen protested. "I'm a big boy. I can take care of myself."
"Humor us," Sage said dryly.
"And we're taking you home anyway," Carey added. "Your car's not here and the doctor probably won't let you drive in your condition. So why not save us a trip? You know we're going to bug you until you say yes."
Rowen eyed the two of them with a mixture of affection and exasperation. "You know, maybe I should just stay here for a while. I mean, they fuss over me, they feed me three times a day, and I don't have to feel guilty about lying around watching the mind-rotting stuff that passes for television these days."
"Now there's an idea," Carey agreed with a deceptively sweet smile. "I'm sure the newer nurses will be especially glad to have you around…they'll have someone to practice using those huge needles on." She looked up at Sage, her amber eyes twinkling. "We did tell him about the needles, right?" she asked innocently.
Rowen looked at Sage, his eyes widening. Sage fought to keep his expression neutral as he held his index fingers about a foot apart. "Big ones," he agreed solemnly.
Rowen blanched and gulped audibly. "Well --- since you put it that way, I guess it wouldn't hurt to stay at your place for a little while."
"I knew you'd see reason," Carey said. The nurse came in with Rowen's discharge forms, and Carey stood up. "While you're filling those out, we'll go get the car." She kissed Rowen's cheek and glided out of the room, a grinning Sage in her wake.
As soon as they were safely out of earshot, Sage burst out laughing. "Carey, that was downright cruel. Rowen is deathly afraid of needles and you know it."
Carey's lovely face was the picture of innocence. "Really? Oh, dear --- it must have slipped my mind."
Sage grinned at his bride-to-be. "You are so evil sometimes."
"Yeah," Carey agreed smugly. "I know."
Cye knocked on the door of the building manager. A tiny silver-haired woman answered. "Hai?"
Cye bowed politely to her. "Konnichi wa, ma'am. My name is Cye Mouri --- I'm a friend of Ryo Sanada. Have you seen him lately?"
The woman nodded. "Once or twice. He's a good young man, keeps to himself, doesn't cause trouble. Is something wrong?"
"Well, he didn't show up for dinner at one of our friend's house last night, and he hasn't answered his phone or his pager. I've knocked on his door, but there's no answer. Would it be possible to check the apartment?"
The old woman eyed Cye suspiciously. "Are you from the police? I could get in a lot of trouble for letting you in without a search warrant."
"I know, ma'am, but it isn't like Ryo to simply vanish like this, and we're all getting worried. We can't file a missing-persons report until tomorrow morning, and I'd feel better if we knew he was actually missing before we did that. He might just be hurt and he can't call for help." The woman still looked skeptical. "Please, ma'am, I know this is a bit problematic, but we have to know if anything's happened to Ryo," Cye urged.
The manager considered this for a moment, then nodded. "Wait here." She disappeared into her office for a moment, then returned bearing a master key. She led Cye up the stairs to Ryo's apartment and fiddled with the lock, muttering to herself. The door swung open and she stood back to let Cye enter the apartment. "You know I have to stay with you, just in case," she warned.
"I know that, and I'm grateful for your help," Cye replied. "I won't take too much of your time." The woman sniffed, and Cye had to smother a smile. He would be willing to bet that the old dragon didn't let anything untoward happen in her building. Turning his attention to the task at hand, Cye began to search the apartment.
The little apartment was neatly kept --- maybe a bit dusty, but no more so than could be expected for a bachelor who had other things to think about, Cye thought. Ryo had never been a neat freak of, say, Sage's magnitude, but neither was he a slob like Kento. The bed was made, the refrigerator and cupboards well stocked, and there was no sign of a struggle or of Ryo's having left hastily. The only thing that struck Cye as strange was the collection of framed photos gathered on a table. They were all of Ryo's grandparents, or of the Ronins, or of Mia…and they were all in the same place. Odd, Cye mused. I know the last time I was here those pictures were scattered throughout the apartment. This one of him and Mia used to be on his bedside table, and this one of the five of us was on his computer desk. Why did he move them all here, to this one spot? The light coat of dust on the frames told Cye that the pictures had been there for a while. What does this mean?
The red light on Ryo's answering machine was blinking, signaling unanswered messages, and Cye frowned thoughtfully at it. There's no note, nothing to indicate that Ryo expected to be gone longer than he normally would. Nothing seems to be missing…except Ryo. Cye turned to the elderly manager, who was watching him like a hawk. "You said you've seen Ryo once or twice." he asked abruptly. "When was the last time you actually saw him?"
The woman thought a moment. "Would have to be day before yesterday," she said. "He was paying his rent. Always on time, too…not like some others," she added with a disdainful sniff.
"Did you notice anything odd about him? Did he say anything to you?"
"Well, now that you mention it, he did look rather tired, almost as if he were unhappy about something." She paused. "You don't think he's done away with himself, do you?"
Cye felt a flash of irritation at her ghoulishness. "I certainly hope not, ma'am," he replied calmly. "Well, I don't think there's anything more to be found here. Thank you for your help."
The old woman nodded as they left the apartment, locking the door behind them. At the foot of the stairs, as they prepared to part ways, she suddenly caught Cye's arm. "If you find anything, you'll let me know, won't you?" she asked.
Surprised, Cye looked at her. "Of course," he said. "But if you'll forgive my saying so --- I thought you didn't get too involved with your tenants."
"I don't. But Sanada-san is a good man. Always pays his rent on time, never has any loud parties or gives me any trouble. He even remembered my birthday," she added with something that could have been a tiny, wistful smile. "My own son couldn't manage that. I'd hate for something to happen to Sanada-san."
Cye was oddly touched. So the dragon had a heart, after all. "I'll let you know as soon as we find out anything," he promised. On impulse, he bent and lightly kissed the old woman's withered cheek. "Arigatō, obāsan." He headed out into the bright spring sunshine, leaving her staring after him with one hand pressed to her cheek.
"So you didn't find anything?" Sage asked.
Cye shook his head regretfully. "No, not a trace," he replied, raising his voice to be heard above the cheering crowd. "I even checked the alleys around the building. Nothing. It's as if he's just vanished off the face of the earth."
"What about his car?" Rowen spoke up.
"Still parked in front of his building. The engine was cold, so it hasn't been driven for a while."
"According to Kento, Ryo called in sick to work yesterday," Sage said. "The police didn't have anyone fitting Ryo's description in custody, and there haven't been any traffic accidents involving any John Does. I've already filed a missing-persons report, but it won't go into effect until tomorrow morning."
"If he attacked Rowen last night, we know he's probably still alive," Carey mused. "The weird thing is, the police said there were no signs of forced entry at Rowen's house, and they haven't found any fingerprints from anyone other than Rowen, Sage, and myself. Has anyone else wondered just how the heck he got into Rowen's house in the first place, and why all the lights were on when we got there?"
"The lights we can explain," Rowen said. "If he tripped the circuit breaker, he could just as easily fix it. But my door was locked when I got home, and I locked it again as soon as I was in the house. There aren't any windows in the basement, and I didn't see that any had been opened in the rest of the house."
"The only window the police found open was the one I opened when Carey and I found dinner burning in the oven," Sage agreed.
Cye ran a hand distractedly through his hair. "None of this makes any sense!"
Rowen sighed in agreement. "We've got all these pieces, but none of them seem to fit together."
"Well, for now, just try to relax and enjoy the game," Carey tried to console them. "We'll talk to Kento when it's over and try to figure out our next move. But you guys could use a break right now." They all agreed with that, and settled down to watch the baseball game.
The game was interesting enough, Rowen decided, considering that the players were all eight to twelve years old. But Kento was every bit as entertaining, if not more so. He stood in the dugout, waving his arms and loudly exhorting his team to victory, bestowing a pat on the shoulder here, tousling a dark head there. When one of his young players hit a home run, he punched the air and yelled as loudly as if his kids had just won the World Series. "I think Kento enjoys this even more than the kids do," Rowen observed.
"Kento as Little League coach," Sage murmured in amusement. "Who'd have thought?"
"Well, he's always been good with kids," Cye said. "I guess it comes naturally to him, being the oldest of five."
"Is he still talking about joining the police force?"
"Key word is talking," Cye replied with a faintly exasperated roll of his eyes. "He says he's busy with the restaurant, and I'm sure that's the case, but somehow I get the feeling he's stalling just a bit."
"Well, it would be a big change," Rowen put in. "Maybe he doesn't feel he's ready yet."
"And speaking of big changes, how did the 'premarital counseling' go?" Cye asked Sage.
Sage let out a small snort of laughter. "Boring. Marriage-as-sacrament, huge responsibility, joining two lives as one in an eternal bond, etcetera and so forth," he said dismissively. "Why we have to have somebody who's never been married tell us about the sanctity of marriage is beyond me."
"I really wish you didn't have to be so flippant about it," Carey scolded. "I know you don't like it and neither do I, but it's a requirement for being married in church."
"And since when have you been a particularly observant churchgoer?"
"I'm not, really, but my parents are semi-fervent Catholics, and they'd freak if I wasn't at least married in a church. I had a hard enough time getting them to understand that Catholic churches are rather rare in Japan and that Sacred Heart was the best I could do."
"Whose wedding is this, anyway, ours or theirs?" Sage demanded. "You don't see me bending over backwards trying to organize a Shinto ceremony to placate my parents."
An unhappy look came over Carey's face. "Haven't we already had this fight?" she asked quietly.
Cye stepped quickly into the breach. "Hey, guys, time out. What does it matter where you're married or in whose faith, just as long as you are married? Isn't that the important thing? The wedding's only for a short while --- the marriage is what's going to last."
"Or at least it had better," Rowen interjected, trying to inject some humor into the situation. "Because if I have to go through all these tuxedo fittings and get dressed up and make a fool of myself only to have you two change your minds and get divorced, I swear I'll kill you both. I really think that tailor hates me, either that or he's an acupuncture-school dropout."
Sage and Carey both smiled reluctantly. "You're right. I guess we've both been on edge lately, what with getting ready for this wedding and now Ryo disappearing," Sage admitted. He took Carey's hand and kissed it gently. "Sorry, koibito." Carey leaned her head against his shoulder in tacit acceptance of his apology.
The crowd erupted in cheers, and a moment later began to disperse from the stands. "Looks like the game's over," Cye observed. "And from the victory dance he's doing I'd say Kento's team won. Come on, let's go see if we can catch him."
It wasn't easy getting through the crowd of cheering parents and excited kids surrounding Kento, but Cye finally managed to catch his eye from the edges of the throng. Kento nodded and told his young players that he would see them all at practice on Tuesday and to keep up the good work. "The team we're up against next week has a 4-0 record so far, but I know we can at least give 'em a good fight," he instructed. "And, hey, if we beat those guys --- I'm taking everybody out for pizza!" This brought forth a deafening cheer, and the mob began to disperse.
Kento made his way over to his friends. "Hey, guys --- Rowen, how you doin', buddy? Good to see you on your feet."
Rowen nodded. "I'm better, thanks. Did you find out anything?"
"Nothing. What about you guys?"
Cye shook his head. "I checked Ryo's apartment this morning. No sign of him, and I didn't see anything suspicious. The landlady said she saw him day before yesterday and he seemed to be fine. His car was still in its parking space, and it doesn't look like it's been driven recently."
"I've come up empty, too," Sage added. "None of the police stations have anyone in custody that fits Ryo's description. We're drawing a big blank, guys."
Kento looked at Rowen. "Rowen, I gotta ask…are you sure it was Ryo that ambushed you? I mean, it's not like I doubt you or anything, but it just doesn't sound like Ryo," he said apologetically.
"It's okay, Kento," Rowen replied with a faint smile. "I know it sounds crazy, and if it hadn't happened to me I wouldn't believe it myself. But it was Ryo. The question now is, what do we do about it?"
No one could seem to answer that, and silence descended over the group for a moment. Finally Kento said, "Well, we can't do much just standing around here. Let me put this equipment away, and then we can go back to the restaurant and talk."
"You want some help?" Sage volunteered. Kento shook his head.
"Nah," he replied, and to prove it swung two canvas bags filled with bats to his shoulder as easily as if they weighed almost nothing. "I'll be back in a sec."
The Ronin Warriors exchanged wry glances. "Well," Cye murmured, "it's nice to know that some things will never change."
Kento unlocked the equipment shed as dusk spread shadows over the now almost deserted park. His mind was replaying what the other Ronins had told him, trying to sort through the details and coming to the same unwanted conclusion --- Ryo had somehow lost it, hurt Rowen, and then gone AWOL. But why? Aw, man, none of this makes any sense. He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he almost didn't hear his name called.
"Kento?"
"Huh?" Kento looked around, startled. There was no one in sight. "Who said that?"
"Kento, help me." The voice sounded like it came from inside the equipment shed. Kento peered into the dimness, but it was hard to make out anything distinct. He stepped into the shed, straining to see. "Is someone in here?" he called.
A shadow stirred against the murky gloom. "Kento, it's me. I need your help," the familiar voice pleaded.
"Ryo?" Kento couldn't believe it. All this time they had been searching… "Man, where have you been? We've been looking for you all over! What's going on?" He dropped the bats and moved forward. "Ryo, talk to me, buddy."
"Do the others know where you are?"
That was a weird question, but Kento shrugged. "They're waiting for me outside. Ryo, come on, let's get out of here and I promise I'll help you. Whatever happened with Rowen, I'm sure we can fix it, but you've gotta trust me." He squinted, trying to make out Ryo's form in the deepening darkness. "Ryo?"
The door to the shed slammed shut. Kento whirled, glancing warily around. "I know you've been looking for me," Ryo said, and now he sounded coldly triumphant. "That was your first mistake."
Kento cursed and groped his way to the door, tripping over the discarded bats as he did. But finally he found the door handle and pulled. Nothing. He yanked harder, then pushed with all his might.
Locked.
"Ryo, I don't know how you did it, but open this door!" No reply. Swearing in earnest now, Kento pushed and pulled and pounded on the recalcitrant door to no avail. He hurled his weight against the door until his shoulder ached, but it didn't budge and he was finally forced to stop a moment to catch his breath. It was then that he noticed the strange, acrid odor. It stung his nostrils and burned his throat, making him cough. Still trying to figure out how to get out of the shed, it took a moment before he finally identified the smell. But when he did, his heart dropped to his toes.
Smoke.
Sage glanced at his watch. "Shouldn't Kento be back by now?"
"Probably stopped for a snack," Cye said wryly. "I wouldn't put it past him to have food hidden in the equipment shed. But come on, let's go find him before we wind up staying here all night."
They had only gone a few steps when Rowen stopped. "Uh…guys? Is that what I think it is?" Three gazes followed his pointing finger, and Cye let out a dismayed curse none of them had even realized he knew.
The back of the shed was limned in flame.
They began to run across the grass, Sage tossing his cell phone to Carey in mid-stride. "Call 911!" he barked. As the woman struggled to dial the phone and run at the same time, the three Ronin Warriors raced around to the front of the shed. Even before they reached it, they heard the thumping and yelling that told them Kento was trapped inside. "Kento!" Sage called. "Kento, are you okay?"
"Get me out of here!" came the bellowed reply. Rowen reached for the door handle, only to remember his broken right hand. He swore faintly and switched hands, tugging on the handle with all his strength. "Damn! It's locked!" he yelled. "Kento, didn't you have a key?"
"I left it in the door!" Kento shouted back in disgust. The Ronins exchanged a glance. Oh, great.
"Well, it's not here now," Cye observed. The flames were spreading; the heat was building rapidly and the smoke was making them all cough. Cye and Sage joined Rowen in yanking on the door. "There's no windows and no sign of an outside release," Cye said. They could all hear Kento choking inside the burning shed. "Guys, we're running out of time!"
"Tell us something we don't already know," Sage snapped. "Carey, did you get help?"
"The fire department is on its way, but it's going to be a few minutes," Carey replied. "Is there anything I can do?"
"Yes --- stay back out of the way," Sage replied shortly. He pounded his fist on the wooden door, cursing in pain as the rough surface tore his skin. "Damn it!"
Trapped in the flaming shed, Kento heard his teammates struggling to free him and knew they were having no more luck than he was. The heat from the fire was rapidly becoming unbearable and he could hardly breathe. Too much longer, he knew, and the smoke would overpower him. "Ryo?" he gasped. "Damn it, Ryo, answer me! We've got to get out!" The crackle of the hungry flames was his only reply. Kento pulled his shirt up over his nose and mouth, trying to filter out the smoke. It helped, but not much.
The back wall of the shed caved in with a crash, leaving a wall of flame where it had once been. Kento knew it wouldn't be long before the rest of the building followed suit. He drew back slightly and glared at the locked door, then took as deep a breath as he could and resolutely squared his shoulders. It's now or never.
The Ronins flinched as the back wall collapsed, then redoubled their efforts. Their eyes were watering from the smoke and their faces were streaked with soot and sweat, but they were not about to give up. "This thing's going to go down soon!" Rowen yelled. "Where in the goddamned hell is the fire department?!"
A fierce, enraged roar suddenly split the air. The three men froze, then Cye grabbed Sage and Rowen by the backs of their shirts and yanked them back --- just in time. A split second later, Kento's bulk smashed into the door with tremendous force, ripping it from its hinges. Propelled by his momentum, Kento careened out of the shed and crashed into his friends just as the shed collapsed into blazing wreckage. The four Ronins tumbled to the ground in an undignified heap.
Coughing and covered in soot, Kento untangled himself from the mêlée and smiled sheepishly at his stunned, battered friends. "Thanks, guys," he said.
The flames had been extinguished and the Ronins' minor wounds treated, but none of them could bring themselves to leave the park. They huddled together beneath the garishly flashing lights of the fire trucks, watching as the fire inspectors searched the rubble of the burned-out shed. Each knew there were a lot of questions to be answered --- and asked --- but for now they were content to simply appreciate their narrow escape.
Finally Kento broke the silence with a heavy sigh. "I didn't want to have to say it, but…you were right, Rowen," he admitted slowly.
Turquoise, indigo, violet, and amber eyes turned to stare at him. "You mean…?" Cye asked, his voice trailing off.
Kento nodded unhappily. "I mean. Ryo was in that shed. He lured me in there…said he needed my help. Then he locked the door and set the shed on fire. He said looking for him was my first mistake." To the others' surprise, a tear rolled down Kento's cheek, and he turned and bashed his fist against the side of the fire truck. "Dammit, why did he have to do something so stupid?" he railed.
"Kento, take it easy," Sage tried to console his friend. "We'll find Ryo. At least we know he's alive and okay, more or less."
"That's just it --- he's not." Kento struggled to maintain his composure, but he failed miserably. "Guys…Ryo was in that shed when it caught fire. He said looking for him was a mistake after he locked the door."
"But, Kento, you were the only one who got out of that…" Rowen's voice failed as he realized what Kento was saying. "Oh, no…no, it can't be," he breathed, a look of shock settling over his face.
"Let's not panic just yet," Cye said gently, trying to forestall the inevitable. "Maybe Ryo made it out. It had to be dark in there, Kento --- couldn't Ryo have slipped out without you seeing him? I mean, maybe he was outside the door when you heard him," he suggested hopefully, but Kento just shook his shaggy head.
"He was right inside there with me, Cye. I heard him plain as day," Kento replied mournfully. "The smoke must have overcome him…he didn't even try to get out." Another tear escaped him. "We have to face it, guys --- nobody could have survived in there. Ryo is…is…" He couldn't finish. He didn't have to.
A deep, desolated silence came over the Ronin Warriors as they faced the awful truth. Sage pulled Carey into his arms and clung to her tightly. Cye's turquoise eyes filled with tears as he slipped a comforting arm around Kento's broad shoulders and Rowen turned away, hugging himself as his shoulders shook with grief.
The commander of the fire unit bustled up to the small group. He seemed somewhat surprised at their downcast expressions, but he made no comment on that. "Well, it seems our work here is done, gentlemen, miss," he said briskly. "We have your statements, and we'll continue to investigate, but for now we can only rule the cause of the fire as 'undetermined'."
For the first time, the Ronins noticed that the fire investigators were packing up their gear and preparing to leave. "Wait a minute," Kento demanded in outrage. "You mean you're not even going to get him out?"
The man's face was a study in puzzlement. "Get who out?"
"The guy who was in the shed with me! I know there's…there's probably not much left, but the least you could do is get him out so we can give him a decent funeral," Kento sputtered.
The fire chief stared at Kento as if the younger man had lost his mind. "Layfang-san, I know this was a terrible ordeal for you, and perhaps you are still somewhat confused. But there was no one else in that shed."
He had everyone's attention now, as five pairs of eyes stared at him in shock. "Are you sure?" Sage asked slowly, his mind reeling. "You didn't find anything?"
"Date-san, my men have combed the rubble several times. We will, of course, check again in the daylight tomorrow, but I can tell you with utter certainty that there was no sign of anyone else in the shed. Layfang-san was alone when the fire started."
"But…but that's not possible," Kento stammered. "Ryo was in there, I know it. I heard him, I even saw him! You guys must have missed something!"
The commander bristled. "I assure you, my men know how to do their jobs thoroughly. We have searched the remains of the shed very closely, and we have found no body, not even remains. No, Layfang-san --- you were the only person in that shed. There was no one else." He walked away, leaving the former warriors staring after him in confusion. But it was Rowen who gave voice to what they were all thinking.
"What the hell is going on here?" he wondered.
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nada: Spanish, "nothing".
hai: Japanese, "yes".
konnichi wa: Japanese, "hello" or "good day".
arigatō: Japanese, "thank you".
obāsan: Japanese, "grandmother".