Chapter 4: First Kill
Haruka looked into her empty wallet, letting out a sigh at the obvious lack of money. Next to her, Michiru checked her own amount of cash, only to find out that she also wasn't too rich. "We have no money." Haruka grumbled, throwing her wallet behind her, causing it to land on the backseat of the car. "And as long as we don't have cash, we can't drive on. The tank is almost empty." Michiru sighed and nodded. "You're right. What shall we do?" Suddenly, Harukas eyes showed an odd glint while she looked at the shop that belonged to the gas station where the two women had stopped. "You start filling the tank." She spoke, looking at Michiru while she reached under her seat and pulled the gun out she had used to rob the bank. "I'll take care of the rest." "You want to rob the gas station?" Michiru cried out, shocked. Haruka glared at her, nodding. "Yes, exactly. Otherwise we can't go on." "Good, then let me go now." Michiru suddenly demanded, coming to the conclusion that she was far away enough now from Tokyo. To her horror, Haruka shook her head. "Sorry, but I can't let you go anymore. To the police, you're still my hostage, remember?" Michiru gave her a fearful look, suddenly thinking that maybe coming with Haruka hadn't been such a good idea. Her worries were confirmed when Haruka pulled a pair of handcuffs from the back pocket of her jeans. "Sorry, Michiru, but it won't work otherwise." The blonde mumbled while she grabbed Michirus wrist and chained the aqua haired girl to the handle that was mounted to the door. "What are you doing?" Michiru cried out. "Let me go!" Haruka ignored her and got out of the car. She started to fill the tank, keeping an eye on her hostage all the time. When she was done filling, the blonde walked over into the shop where regular customers paid their gas. She stopped in front of the cashier's desk and coughed to get his attention. "Yes, Mister?" the guy spoke, looking up – directly into the barrel of a gun. "Your money." Haruka growled at the shaking man. "All of it. Now!" Quickly, the man opened the cassia and started to stuff the money it contended into a plastic bag. He handed it over to Haruka, who took it with a sly grin. "Thanks a lot, pal." The blonde spoke before she turned around to leave. She heard how the man rummaged around behind his desk, and then an all to known clicking noise sounded through the shop. Haruka spun around just in time to see how the cashier aimed the heavy shot gun at her, and she realized that he would shoot any moment…if she was too slow. The blonde wasn't. With one fluid motion, she brought her own gun up and pulled the trigger. Seconds later, the man fell from his chair, bleeding from the bullet wound in his chest. Haruka hurried over to him, shocked at what she had done. She knelt down next to the guy, feeling for a pulse. Nothing. Haruka felt a wave of nausea coming over her, and moments later, the blonde vomited on the ground. Finally, after a seemingly endless period of time, Haruka managed to get to her feet again. She took the shotgun from the dead man's hands, then, after a short moment of thinking, also grabbed two bottles of whisky, stuffing them into the bag that already contained the money. After one last look at the man she had killed, Haruka turned around and left the shop, heading over to the car where Michiru still sat, waiting for her.
"What happened in there?" the aqua haired girl demanded to know as soon as Haruka entered the car and closed the door. "I heard a shot, what happened?" "Nothing." Haruka replied while opening one of the two bottles she had brought and taking a big gulp. "Nothing, huh? Then how come that you left the shop with a shotgun you hadn't had when you entered?" Michiru shot back. "I said nothing happened!" Haruka suddenly barked at her, causing her to flinch. "You killed him, right?" the aqua haired girl finally asked, her voice so soft that it was almost inaudible. Haruka didn't answer; instead she started the car and drove off, away from the gas station. "Answer me, Haruka!" Michiru demanded, anger in her voice. "Did you kill him?" "Yes!" Haruka suddenly shouted at her, a suspicious glint in her eyes. "Yes, I killed him! I had no choice, for Heaven's sake!" The blonde let out a shaky breath, and that was when Michiru realized that she was close to crying. "He would have killed me if I hadn't shot first." Haruka now whispered, looking at Michiru with a silent plea for understanding in her eyes. "I had no choice…" Slowly, Michiru reached out, and put a gentle hand on the blondes shoulder. "I know, Haruka." She softly spoke, and that made Harukas dam break. Without creating any noise, the blonde started to cry; the tears just ran down her face while Michiru gently stroke her back, trying to calm her down.
"Inspector! Inspector!" Inspector van Dyk looked up from the ruins of the house where the bank robber and his hostage had been before, only to find herself face to face with a young police officer who waved around a piece of paper. "What is it?" the inspector asked, impatience in her voice, while she started to dig through her clothes until she found the pack of cigarettes. "We just got a call from a gas station, in the outskirts of Tokyo." The young officer panted, practically shoving the piece of paper he held into the inspector's face. "A customer called us after he wanted to pay his gas filling. He found the cashier of the station dead, and all the money was gone. Think this is our man?" Cloud nodded. "Pretty sure." She took the piece of paper and quickly read it through before she yelled: "Everyone, into the cars! We have a hot track!" While the police officers obeyed her command, the inspector stuffed the paper into the pocket of her coat, smiling. "We'll soon get you, pal." She mumbled to herself, grinning. "Be sure of that."