Greetings!
I never thought this story would be this long. I think originally it was supposed to be only 5 chapters. Ah, the joys of creative license.
Replies:
Amiasha: Thank you for the Japanese phrases that Yugi and Yami use for each other! So it really is 'other me' huh? Now I'll know what to listen for when I watch the episodes. I'm glad you like the way Kaiba is written. He's such a complex character that it's hard to get right. As for who the group is. . . well, you'll see. :o)
Sci fi fan: I'm definitely keeping the name as Yami. I mainly wanted to know what the actual name/phrase was so that I could listen for it when I watched the episodes. I've learned a lot of Japanese that way!
I luv Yugi and Kurt: Sorry to hear about the fic. It is kind of hard to get motivated when people don't review.
Towairaito Zoon: Thanks for the info! In the English version, Yami's name does translate to "Darkness" or something like that. It's kind of odd, especially when you're trying to write Yami Bakura or Yami Malik (Marik? I'm still not sure which is which). That's just way too many Yami's running around.
shiney mew: "I need to know who those bad people are so I can painfully kill them for hurting Yugi!" After this chapter, you may really want to hurt them. . . Don't worry, you'll find out who they are very soon.
Mutou Yasu: Hadn't we agreed that evil cliffys are a good thing? :o) I'm just kidding. Sometimes, the chapters really do get long and I have to cut them off somewhere. I'll work on it!
Linchi: Updates are good. I like them too! Glad you're still enjoying the story.
Luna339: The identity of the goons will be revealed soon, I hope. That's the plan, at least.
QueenofHearts: I'll join you in the fingernail gnawing. I do that every time I write a chapter, which is why I no longer have fingernails. Now I've resorted to eating something, so my poor fingers won't suffer. It was Rocky Road ice cream for this chapter! Glad you liked Kaiba. He's fun to write.
Starheart: Aww, that's so sweet! I'm very glad that you love the story!
benign sadist: I do agree that Kaiba is a bit OOC in this fic, but after watching most of the Battle City episodes, I've come to the conclusion that he does have a heart. He just decides not to show it to anyone but Mokuba most of the time. I like that about him. I'm very glad that you liked the switch from angst to action and such as well. I like to keep myself interested in the story as I write it, so I throw things out to see what happens. The enjoyment is greater when the readers like the twists too!
Jadesaber: Nope, it isn't the Rare Hunters, because as you say, they already have two of the God cards. I'd actually forgotten about that until you pointed it out, so thanks! I was thinking that Ishizu had two of them.
Thanks, as always, for taking the time to review!! Now, on to the story.
**~~**
Part 12: Innocent Bystander
Joey got out of the elevator quickly and made his way to Yugi's room.
He'd been gone longer than he should have been, because after calling Tea and Tristan, he'd gone to Yugi's house to get him some clothes. Joey had run into Mr. Moto as he and Dr. Suzuki walked to the doctor's office, and had mentioned the fact that Yugi could use some clothes. Mr. Moto had agreed and asked Joey if he wouldn't mind going by the house. He'd given Joey the keys, and Joey had picked up some pajamas, a couple of pairs of pants and some shirts for Yugi to wear. He had them folded in a bundle, because he hadn't found Yugi's backpack. Mr. Moto could always bring a bag later, so Joey had just brought the clothes in his hand.
Joey smiled, recalling how ridiculous Yugi had looked wearing his clothes. Joey was tall for his fifteen years, while Yugi was short for his. Those two facts did not make a very good combination. It was pretty funny to look at, though. Joey slipped a hand into his pocket, where he'd hidden Yugi's camera.
'I'm going to get a picture of Yugi in my clothes and use it for blackmail later,' Joey thought, smiling widely. 'You never know when I'm going to need to get my way'.
He turned the corner into the hallway that led to Yugi's room, not really paying attention to his surroundings. It was a pretty quiet and deserted part of the floor, so not many people wandered around the area. The nurse's station was around the other corner, so Yugi's room was very private and quiet, which was a good thing so he could recover in peace.
As he began to walk down the hallway, Joey noticed that someone was standing in the hallway ahead of him. It took a while for his brain to process what he was really looking at, and by the time it clicked, it was too late.
The man he'd seen was actually standing just outside of Yugi's slightly open door. He'd been looking into the room through the window when Joey spotted him. The man must have heard him approach, because he immediately took several steps away from the door and turned to face him. As the man turned, Joey saw the gun the man held in his right hand. Before Joey could react, the man soundlessly stepped towards him, firing the gun as he moved. Joey moved to one side as soon as he saw the gun, but he wasn't fast enough. The gun made no noise, and the only indication Joey had that it had been fired at all was when he felt a piercing pain in his chest. The momentum from the bullet pushed him backwards, causing the bundle of clothes he'd been carrying to fly out of his hands. The pain took his breath away, and all that could be heard in the hallway was a soft thump as his body hit the floor.
His vision blacked out for a moment amidst the overwhelming pain and when it returned, Joey was looking up into the face of a blond haired, blue eyed man. The man's face was set in a scowl as he looked down on him. He lifted Joey up by the front of his shirt and aimed the gun at a point between his eyes. Joey could do nothing to protect himself, because his body had gone numb. His chest was on fire, but the rest of his body had lost all feeling. The only thing he could feel was a trickling sensation down his left arm. He could imagine his blood slowly being drained from his body by way of his arm.
"This is what you get for interfering, you miserable kid," the man said.
Joey closed his eyes, knowing that this was the end. He opened his mouth to shout for help, but he didn't have enough breath in his lungs to utter anything more than a soft moan.
"Don't bother with him, Mitch. You just blew a hole in his chest, so he's as good as dead. We don't need any more complications."
Joey opened his eyes at the sound of the second voice, and found that the man who had shot him was no longer looking at him. Instead, he was looking at something above and behind Joey.
'What just happened?' Joey asked himself as he looked at his attacker. 'Who are these people?'
"Drag him into the storage room and let him die there."
The blond man once again looked down at Joey. He nodded once, and began to drag Joey to the room in front of Yugi's. As he passed, Joey could see Kaiba standing by Yugi's bed through the slit in the door. He forced himself to take a deep breath in order to warn them, but a blow to his face sent the breath flying out of him. His head turned with the impact, and he found himself looking into a dark storage room. He reached out to try to grab the doorway as he was pushed inside, but he had no strength and his fingers refused to hold on. All he managed to do was leave a bloody trail on the white door.
"Sweet dreams, kid," the blond said to him.
Joey was thrown to the back of the room, which sent waves of agony through his chest, back, and everywhere else on his body. He helplessly watched as the door was shut and he was left in darkness. He tried to breathe, but he couldn't get his lungs to take in any oxygen. Suddenly, he was wracked with coughs, which sent fluid spilling into his mouth. He spit it out as best he could, but it was only replaced by more fluid. He tried to get up, but had no strength left.
'So this is how it ends,' Joey thought. 'After everything I've done, the things I've seen, this is it. Funny, my father always said that the gangs were going to get me killed. I bet he never thought that I'd be killed while visiting my best friend in the hospital.'
A low moan finally broke through, and Joey could feel tears running down his cheeks. He closed his eyes and pictured those he loved. He was going to miss all of his friends, but especially the sister that he'd only so recently gotten close to again.
'If life is a gamble, then I just lost big time.'
With a bitter smile, Joey closed his eyes and let the darkness take him.
**~~**
"What was that?"
Kaiba turned at the soft thud. He glanced out of the small window on the door of Yugi's room, but saw nothing out of the ordinary, just an empty hallway. He was about to turn away when he heard something else, something that sounded like a moan.
"What was what?" Yugi asked.
"I thought I heard something outside. Let me go take a look."
Kaiba stepped out of the room and saw only an empty hallway. He turned in either direction, but saw nothing. As he was going to turn back to go into the room, he spotted something on the floor. He took a few steps closer to the puddle and was almost to it when he realized he was looking at a puddle of blood. He leaned forward to make sure, and caught his breath when he realized that it was fresh blood, not dried, which meant that it had to have been spilled recently. Kaiba straightened up and was about to walk to the nurse's station, when he felt something cold pressing against the back of his neck.
"I've just killed one of your friends, so I'd have no qualms about killing you too."
Kaiba froze at the sound of the harsh whisper in his ear. He didn't move, because he had no doubt that the man would do what he said.
"Which of my friends did you just kill?" Kaiba asked, fishing for more information.
The gun was pushed painfully into his neck. "Keep your voice down, rich boy. This gun is equipped with a silencer so that if I decide to shoot you, no one will notice."
The man was silent for a moment, before he continued to speak.
"I don't know his name, I didn't think it important enough to ask," the man finally answered, and Kaiba could hear the disinterest in his voice. "He was tall, a bit shorter than you, and blond. He didn't put up much of a fight."
'Joey!' was the thought that immediately went through Kaiba's head. He knew that Joey had been hanging around the hospital with Yugi. Yugi had told him that Joey had gone to make some phone calls and would be back. Even though he didn't like the guy, the thought of Joey being dead made Kaiba nauseous.
"How do I know you're telling me the truth?" Kaiba asked.
"Just look at the blood. It looks pretty fresh to me."
Kiaba swallowed the bile that rushed up into his throat. The man had a point. That much blood had to have come from a serious injury. He felt like vomiting, but knew that he couldn't lose it now.
"What do you want from me?"
Kaiba slipped his hand into his pocket, where his cell phone rested. If he could call for help, maybe he could save both himself and Joey.
"Don't get any bright ideas, tough guy. I know who you are. Turn around, slowly and give me the phone."
Kaiba brought his hand out of his pocket and slowly turned around to find a gun pointed at his head. He handed the man his cell phone, and the man put it in one of his pockets. When Kaiba looked behind the man standing in front of him, he saw another man standing at the door of Yugi's room, pointing a gun inside the room.
"You try anything and your little friend in there gets a bullet in the head. I know he's blind, so he won't even see it coming."
Kaiba took a deep breath. The man had him beat. He might be willing to risk his own life, but Kaiba wasn't going to gamble with Yugi's.
"What do you want?"
The man took a few steps back and to one side, so that he was now standing beside Kaiba. The gun dropped to his side, figuring that as long as the other man aimed his gun at Yugi, Kaiba wasn't going to do anything.
"I want you to go in there and tell your friend that you're taking him for a walk. You don't tell him that we're here, nor do you tell him that there's anything wrong. You just pretend that everything is just dandy. After that, I want you to come with us. No fights, no fuss, do you understand? You will come willingly and quietly, or neither one of you leaves this hospital at all."
Kaiba thought about the demands. Could he go in there and lie to Yugi? Would Yugi even believe him? Yugi wasn't dumb by any stretch of the imagination. The boy may look harmless, but Kaiba knew that he had a sharp intellect and a cunning mind. Besides that, Yami was also in there. Maybe if he played his cards right, they could get out of this mess after all.
"Fine, I'll do what you say."
The man nodded. "We'll stay outside. You're to follow me when you leave the room. Kami will make sure that you're following me."
Kaiba gave Kami a dirty look, before making his way back to Yugi's room.
"What was the noise you heard?" Yugi asked as soon as he'd walked into the room.
"It was nothing, probably a nurse that dropped something," Kaiba smoothly lied. 'I'm not about to tell him that what I heard was the sound of his best friend losing his life.'
"Hey, Yugi, why don't we go take a walk? It's kind of stuffy in here."
"Yeah it is," Yugi agreed, smiling slightly. "Dr. Suzuki said I should rest, though. I don't think a walk would be a good idea."
Kaiba looked behind him and saw the man motioning for him to hurry up. He took a breath and walked to Yugi's bed.
"Come on, Yugi. What the doctor doesn't know won't hurt him," Kaiba insisted. He grabbed Yugi's good hand and squeezed it.
'Trust me, Yugi. For your sake and mine, please trust me' Kaiba thought.
Yugi frowned. He turned his head as if he were searching for something. Kaiba reached out with his free hand and turned Yugi's face so that Yugi was facing him.
"I'm right here, straight ahead."
Yugi's eyes weren't focused on him, but Kaiba could see the confusion there. Yugi knew that something was going on, of that Kaiba had no doubt. After a small pause, Yugi nodded.
"A walk actually sounds great, Kaiba," Yugi said cheerfully. He smiled widely at Kaiba, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. Yugi sat up and put his legs on the floor. "Do you know where my shoes are?"
Kaiba let go of Yugi's hand, grateful that Yugi had decided to play along. He reached down and handed Yugi his shoes. Slowly, using only his good hand, Yugi put them on.
"Where are we going to walk?" he asked.
Kaiba shrugged. "I don't know; let's see where we end up."
"Okay," Yugi said. He got up from the bed and stood there, his head tilted to his side. "We should probably go now, before the doctor comes back."
Kaiba turned around and saw that the door to the room was now standing wide open. The two men were nowhere in sight, but Kaiba had no doubt that he'd see them as soon as they walked out of the door. Kaiba took Yugi's good hand again and led them both out of the room.
The blond man, who was standing on one side of the door, motioned for Kaiba to follow, and Kaiba did. They went into the elevator and Kaiba saw the blond push the button that would take them to the basement, where the morgue was located. He hoped that before they got there, someone would stop the elevator and get in. Maybe he could use the distraction if that happened.
As they descended, Kaiba traced patterns on Yugi's hand with one of his fingers. The method wasn't perfect, but it was the only way to communicate at his disposal. He only hoped that Yugi would understand.
Not once did the elevator stop, and the four of them exited onto the basement undisturbed. As they were leaving the elevator, Yugi stumbled. Kaiba turned around to catch him and sighed in relief when he saw that Yami was now in control. He'd been tracing Yami's name on Yugi's hand as they'd descended, and he was relieved that Yugi had understood the message.
Kaiba bent low to help Yami regain his balance. He didn't need to, but he needed to get close enough to whisper into Yami's ear.
"Behind you," Kaiba managed to whisper as Yami coughed loudly, covering the message.
Yami gave Kaiba a short nod, which he disguised as an effort to clear his throat, and straightened up. Whatever plan he was hatching, Yami was ready to go with it.
Kaiba turned back around to find the blond man glaring at him. He couldn't say anything, so he settled for gesturing for Kaiba to hurry. Kaiba complied, but took the time to take a look at his surroundings. They were being led down a long, white corridor. Doors marred the smooth surface of the walls at regular intervals. Most of the doors were closed, but the few that were open made Kaiba want to shudder. All he saw inside those rooms were metal tables surrounded by metal instruments. He hated to think of the people that had to work down here.
He frowned at that thought. 'Shouldn't there be people here?' He shook his head, figuring that it was late enough in the day that the regular staff was probably at home. 'Where are they taking us?'
Kaiba looked beside him, where Yami was walking. The younger man's head moved from side to side, as if he were also examining his surroundings. Kaiba figured that Yami probably was trying to get his bearings without being able to use his sight. Kaiba's heart clenched momentarily at the thought of having to make an escape attempt with a blind Yami. He hoped he didn't end up getting Yami killed.
Kaiba felt Yami stiffen beside him. He turned to see Yami's head tilted to one side in the direction of the open door ahead of them. Yami's eyes were narrowed, as if he were listening to something only he could hear. Kaiba supposed that was true, if Yami was talking to Yugi. That wasn't the case, however, because Kaiba suddenly heard two voices coming from somewhere ahead of them.
The blond man turned his head in that direction, and then turned back towards them. He immediately made his way to Yami, pushed him against the nearest wall and pointed his gun at the teen's head. He'd apparently gotten tired of having to pretend he wasn't there.
"Your friend has already been warned, so it's your turn," the blond whispered into Yami's ear. Yami's eyes widened, but Kaiba knew that it was all a show. Yugi had known there was something wrong from the moment they'd left his room. "If you so much as open your mouth, I'll kill you and your friend here. Do you understand me?"
Yami nodded carefully.
"Good, now stay quiet."
The blond glared at Kaiba for good measure, before making his way in the direction of the open door where the voices were coming from. He motioned for his partner to follow him, and Kaiba knew this was their chance.
"Yami, we have to try to get away," Kaiba whispered. "There's a loading dock on the other side of this floor, past the morgue. They keep it open at all hours. I know because I sometimes use it to come and go when I don't want people to know I'm seeing a doctor. If we can get to it, we can hide in the city." Kaiba paused and took a quick peek to see that the two men with guns were a little bit ahead of them, looking into the room where the voices were coming from. "Follow me, okay? I'll get us both there. You have to trust me," Kaiba added, when Yami frowned.
"It looks like I have no other choice, doesn't it?" Yami whispered. "I'll trust you."
Kaiba nodded. That was as much as he could hope for. "We take off running on the count of three, okay?"
Yami nodded.
"One. . . two. . . three!"
**~~**
So here we come to the conclusion of a chapter once again. I can hear Mutou Yasu now: "Another cliffy?" :o) Sorry!! It was my muse's fault. he did it.
Next up: We get into Yami's head. As much as I like Kaiba, Yami and Yugi have to have their say too. . . Bakura gets the shock of his life. . . well, besides finding out about Yami Bakura. That had to have been pretty darned shocking. . . Malik (Marik? Someone please explain that one to me. Which is which?) might even make an appearance. Stay tuned!
I never thought this story would be this long. I think originally it was supposed to be only 5 chapters. Ah, the joys of creative license.
Replies:
Amiasha: Thank you for the Japanese phrases that Yugi and Yami use for each other! So it really is 'other me' huh? Now I'll know what to listen for when I watch the episodes. I'm glad you like the way Kaiba is written. He's such a complex character that it's hard to get right. As for who the group is. . . well, you'll see. :o)
Sci fi fan: I'm definitely keeping the name as Yami. I mainly wanted to know what the actual name/phrase was so that I could listen for it when I watched the episodes. I've learned a lot of Japanese that way!
I luv Yugi and Kurt: Sorry to hear about the fic. It is kind of hard to get motivated when people don't review.
Towairaito Zoon: Thanks for the info! In the English version, Yami's name does translate to "Darkness" or something like that. It's kind of odd, especially when you're trying to write Yami Bakura or Yami Malik (Marik? I'm still not sure which is which). That's just way too many Yami's running around.
shiney mew: "I need to know who those bad people are so I can painfully kill them for hurting Yugi!" After this chapter, you may really want to hurt them. . . Don't worry, you'll find out who they are very soon.
Mutou Yasu: Hadn't we agreed that evil cliffys are a good thing? :o) I'm just kidding. Sometimes, the chapters really do get long and I have to cut them off somewhere. I'll work on it!
Linchi: Updates are good. I like them too! Glad you're still enjoying the story.
Luna339: The identity of the goons will be revealed soon, I hope. That's the plan, at least.
QueenofHearts: I'll join you in the fingernail gnawing. I do that every time I write a chapter, which is why I no longer have fingernails. Now I've resorted to eating something, so my poor fingers won't suffer. It was Rocky Road ice cream for this chapter! Glad you liked Kaiba. He's fun to write.
Starheart: Aww, that's so sweet! I'm very glad that you love the story!
benign sadist: I do agree that Kaiba is a bit OOC in this fic, but after watching most of the Battle City episodes, I've come to the conclusion that he does have a heart. He just decides not to show it to anyone but Mokuba most of the time. I like that about him. I'm very glad that you liked the switch from angst to action and such as well. I like to keep myself interested in the story as I write it, so I throw things out to see what happens. The enjoyment is greater when the readers like the twists too!
Jadesaber: Nope, it isn't the Rare Hunters, because as you say, they already have two of the God cards. I'd actually forgotten about that until you pointed it out, so thanks! I was thinking that Ishizu had two of them.
Thanks, as always, for taking the time to review!! Now, on to the story.
**~~**
Part 12: Innocent Bystander
Joey got out of the elevator quickly and made his way to Yugi's room.
He'd been gone longer than he should have been, because after calling Tea and Tristan, he'd gone to Yugi's house to get him some clothes. Joey had run into Mr. Moto as he and Dr. Suzuki walked to the doctor's office, and had mentioned the fact that Yugi could use some clothes. Mr. Moto had agreed and asked Joey if he wouldn't mind going by the house. He'd given Joey the keys, and Joey had picked up some pajamas, a couple of pairs of pants and some shirts for Yugi to wear. He had them folded in a bundle, because he hadn't found Yugi's backpack. Mr. Moto could always bring a bag later, so Joey had just brought the clothes in his hand.
Joey smiled, recalling how ridiculous Yugi had looked wearing his clothes. Joey was tall for his fifteen years, while Yugi was short for his. Those two facts did not make a very good combination. It was pretty funny to look at, though. Joey slipped a hand into his pocket, where he'd hidden Yugi's camera.
'I'm going to get a picture of Yugi in my clothes and use it for blackmail later,' Joey thought, smiling widely. 'You never know when I'm going to need to get my way'.
He turned the corner into the hallway that led to Yugi's room, not really paying attention to his surroundings. It was a pretty quiet and deserted part of the floor, so not many people wandered around the area. The nurse's station was around the other corner, so Yugi's room was very private and quiet, which was a good thing so he could recover in peace.
As he began to walk down the hallway, Joey noticed that someone was standing in the hallway ahead of him. It took a while for his brain to process what he was really looking at, and by the time it clicked, it was too late.
The man he'd seen was actually standing just outside of Yugi's slightly open door. He'd been looking into the room through the window when Joey spotted him. The man must have heard him approach, because he immediately took several steps away from the door and turned to face him. As the man turned, Joey saw the gun the man held in his right hand. Before Joey could react, the man soundlessly stepped towards him, firing the gun as he moved. Joey moved to one side as soon as he saw the gun, but he wasn't fast enough. The gun made no noise, and the only indication Joey had that it had been fired at all was when he felt a piercing pain in his chest. The momentum from the bullet pushed him backwards, causing the bundle of clothes he'd been carrying to fly out of his hands. The pain took his breath away, and all that could be heard in the hallway was a soft thump as his body hit the floor.
His vision blacked out for a moment amidst the overwhelming pain and when it returned, Joey was looking up into the face of a blond haired, blue eyed man. The man's face was set in a scowl as he looked down on him. He lifted Joey up by the front of his shirt and aimed the gun at a point between his eyes. Joey could do nothing to protect himself, because his body had gone numb. His chest was on fire, but the rest of his body had lost all feeling. The only thing he could feel was a trickling sensation down his left arm. He could imagine his blood slowly being drained from his body by way of his arm.
"This is what you get for interfering, you miserable kid," the man said.
Joey closed his eyes, knowing that this was the end. He opened his mouth to shout for help, but he didn't have enough breath in his lungs to utter anything more than a soft moan.
"Don't bother with him, Mitch. You just blew a hole in his chest, so he's as good as dead. We don't need any more complications."
Joey opened his eyes at the sound of the second voice, and found that the man who had shot him was no longer looking at him. Instead, he was looking at something above and behind Joey.
'What just happened?' Joey asked himself as he looked at his attacker. 'Who are these people?'
"Drag him into the storage room and let him die there."
The blond man once again looked down at Joey. He nodded once, and began to drag Joey to the room in front of Yugi's. As he passed, Joey could see Kaiba standing by Yugi's bed through the slit in the door. He forced himself to take a deep breath in order to warn them, but a blow to his face sent the breath flying out of him. His head turned with the impact, and he found himself looking into a dark storage room. He reached out to try to grab the doorway as he was pushed inside, but he had no strength and his fingers refused to hold on. All he managed to do was leave a bloody trail on the white door.
"Sweet dreams, kid," the blond said to him.
Joey was thrown to the back of the room, which sent waves of agony through his chest, back, and everywhere else on his body. He helplessly watched as the door was shut and he was left in darkness. He tried to breathe, but he couldn't get his lungs to take in any oxygen. Suddenly, he was wracked with coughs, which sent fluid spilling into his mouth. He spit it out as best he could, but it was only replaced by more fluid. He tried to get up, but had no strength left.
'So this is how it ends,' Joey thought. 'After everything I've done, the things I've seen, this is it. Funny, my father always said that the gangs were going to get me killed. I bet he never thought that I'd be killed while visiting my best friend in the hospital.'
A low moan finally broke through, and Joey could feel tears running down his cheeks. He closed his eyes and pictured those he loved. He was going to miss all of his friends, but especially the sister that he'd only so recently gotten close to again.
'If life is a gamble, then I just lost big time.'
With a bitter smile, Joey closed his eyes and let the darkness take him.
**~~**
"What was that?"
Kaiba turned at the soft thud. He glanced out of the small window on the door of Yugi's room, but saw nothing out of the ordinary, just an empty hallway. He was about to turn away when he heard something else, something that sounded like a moan.
"What was what?" Yugi asked.
"I thought I heard something outside. Let me go take a look."
Kaiba stepped out of the room and saw only an empty hallway. He turned in either direction, but saw nothing. As he was going to turn back to go into the room, he spotted something on the floor. He took a few steps closer to the puddle and was almost to it when he realized he was looking at a puddle of blood. He leaned forward to make sure, and caught his breath when he realized that it was fresh blood, not dried, which meant that it had to have been spilled recently. Kaiba straightened up and was about to walk to the nurse's station, when he felt something cold pressing against the back of his neck.
"I've just killed one of your friends, so I'd have no qualms about killing you too."
Kaiba froze at the sound of the harsh whisper in his ear. He didn't move, because he had no doubt that the man would do what he said.
"Which of my friends did you just kill?" Kaiba asked, fishing for more information.
The gun was pushed painfully into his neck. "Keep your voice down, rich boy. This gun is equipped with a silencer so that if I decide to shoot you, no one will notice."
The man was silent for a moment, before he continued to speak.
"I don't know his name, I didn't think it important enough to ask," the man finally answered, and Kaiba could hear the disinterest in his voice. "He was tall, a bit shorter than you, and blond. He didn't put up much of a fight."
'Joey!' was the thought that immediately went through Kaiba's head. He knew that Joey had been hanging around the hospital with Yugi. Yugi had told him that Joey had gone to make some phone calls and would be back. Even though he didn't like the guy, the thought of Joey being dead made Kaiba nauseous.
"How do I know you're telling me the truth?" Kaiba asked.
"Just look at the blood. It looks pretty fresh to me."
Kiaba swallowed the bile that rushed up into his throat. The man had a point. That much blood had to have come from a serious injury. He felt like vomiting, but knew that he couldn't lose it now.
"What do you want from me?"
Kaiba slipped his hand into his pocket, where his cell phone rested. If he could call for help, maybe he could save both himself and Joey.
"Don't get any bright ideas, tough guy. I know who you are. Turn around, slowly and give me the phone."
Kaiba brought his hand out of his pocket and slowly turned around to find a gun pointed at his head. He handed the man his cell phone, and the man put it in one of his pockets. When Kaiba looked behind the man standing in front of him, he saw another man standing at the door of Yugi's room, pointing a gun inside the room.
"You try anything and your little friend in there gets a bullet in the head. I know he's blind, so he won't even see it coming."
Kaiba took a deep breath. The man had him beat. He might be willing to risk his own life, but Kaiba wasn't going to gamble with Yugi's.
"What do you want?"
The man took a few steps back and to one side, so that he was now standing beside Kaiba. The gun dropped to his side, figuring that as long as the other man aimed his gun at Yugi, Kaiba wasn't going to do anything.
"I want you to go in there and tell your friend that you're taking him for a walk. You don't tell him that we're here, nor do you tell him that there's anything wrong. You just pretend that everything is just dandy. After that, I want you to come with us. No fights, no fuss, do you understand? You will come willingly and quietly, or neither one of you leaves this hospital at all."
Kaiba thought about the demands. Could he go in there and lie to Yugi? Would Yugi even believe him? Yugi wasn't dumb by any stretch of the imagination. The boy may look harmless, but Kaiba knew that he had a sharp intellect and a cunning mind. Besides that, Yami was also in there. Maybe if he played his cards right, they could get out of this mess after all.
"Fine, I'll do what you say."
The man nodded. "We'll stay outside. You're to follow me when you leave the room. Kami will make sure that you're following me."
Kaiba gave Kami a dirty look, before making his way back to Yugi's room.
"What was the noise you heard?" Yugi asked as soon as he'd walked into the room.
"It was nothing, probably a nurse that dropped something," Kaiba smoothly lied. 'I'm not about to tell him that what I heard was the sound of his best friend losing his life.'
"Hey, Yugi, why don't we go take a walk? It's kind of stuffy in here."
"Yeah it is," Yugi agreed, smiling slightly. "Dr. Suzuki said I should rest, though. I don't think a walk would be a good idea."
Kaiba looked behind him and saw the man motioning for him to hurry up. He took a breath and walked to Yugi's bed.
"Come on, Yugi. What the doctor doesn't know won't hurt him," Kaiba insisted. He grabbed Yugi's good hand and squeezed it.
'Trust me, Yugi. For your sake and mine, please trust me' Kaiba thought.
Yugi frowned. He turned his head as if he were searching for something. Kaiba reached out with his free hand and turned Yugi's face so that Yugi was facing him.
"I'm right here, straight ahead."
Yugi's eyes weren't focused on him, but Kaiba could see the confusion there. Yugi knew that something was going on, of that Kaiba had no doubt. After a small pause, Yugi nodded.
"A walk actually sounds great, Kaiba," Yugi said cheerfully. He smiled widely at Kaiba, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. Yugi sat up and put his legs on the floor. "Do you know where my shoes are?"
Kaiba let go of Yugi's hand, grateful that Yugi had decided to play along. He reached down and handed Yugi his shoes. Slowly, using only his good hand, Yugi put them on.
"Where are we going to walk?" he asked.
Kaiba shrugged. "I don't know; let's see where we end up."
"Okay," Yugi said. He got up from the bed and stood there, his head tilted to his side. "We should probably go now, before the doctor comes back."
Kaiba turned around and saw that the door to the room was now standing wide open. The two men were nowhere in sight, but Kaiba had no doubt that he'd see them as soon as they walked out of the door. Kaiba took Yugi's good hand again and led them both out of the room.
The blond man, who was standing on one side of the door, motioned for Kaiba to follow, and Kaiba did. They went into the elevator and Kaiba saw the blond push the button that would take them to the basement, where the morgue was located. He hoped that before they got there, someone would stop the elevator and get in. Maybe he could use the distraction if that happened.
As they descended, Kaiba traced patterns on Yugi's hand with one of his fingers. The method wasn't perfect, but it was the only way to communicate at his disposal. He only hoped that Yugi would understand.
Not once did the elevator stop, and the four of them exited onto the basement undisturbed. As they were leaving the elevator, Yugi stumbled. Kaiba turned around to catch him and sighed in relief when he saw that Yami was now in control. He'd been tracing Yami's name on Yugi's hand as they'd descended, and he was relieved that Yugi had understood the message.
Kaiba bent low to help Yami regain his balance. He didn't need to, but he needed to get close enough to whisper into Yami's ear.
"Behind you," Kaiba managed to whisper as Yami coughed loudly, covering the message.
Yami gave Kaiba a short nod, which he disguised as an effort to clear his throat, and straightened up. Whatever plan he was hatching, Yami was ready to go with it.
Kaiba turned back around to find the blond man glaring at him. He couldn't say anything, so he settled for gesturing for Kaiba to hurry. Kaiba complied, but took the time to take a look at his surroundings. They were being led down a long, white corridor. Doors marred the smooth surface of the walls at regular intervals. Most of the doors were closed, but the few that were open made Kaiba want to shudder. All he saw inside those rooms were metal tables surrounded by metal instruments. He hated to think of the people that had to work down here.
He frowned at that thought. 'Shouldn't there be people here?' He shook his head, figuring that it was late enough in the day that the regular staff was probably at home. 'Where are they taking us?'
Kaiba looked beside him, where Yami was walking. The younger man's head moved from side to side, as if he were also examining his surroundings. Kaiba figured that Yami probably was trying to get his bearings without being able to use his sight. Kaiba's heart clenched momentarily at the thought of having to make an escape attempt with a blind Yami. He hoped he didn't end up getting Yami killed.
Kaiba felt Yami stiffen beside him. He turned to see Yami's head tilted to one side in the direction of the open door ahead of them. Yami's eyes were narrowed, as if he were listening to something only he could hear. Kaiba supposed that was true, if Yami was talking to Yugi. That wasn't the case, however, because Kaiba suddenly heard two voices coming from somewhere ahead of them.
The blond man turned his head in that direction, and then turned back towards them. He immediately made his way to Yami, pushed him against the nearest wall and pointed his gun at the teen's head. He'd apparently gotten tired of having to pretend he wasn't there.
"Your friend has already been warned, so it's your turn," the blond whispered into Yami's ear. Yami's eyes widened, but Kaiba knew that it was all a show. Yugi had known there was something wrong from the moment they'd left his room. "If you so much as open your mouth, I'll kill you and your friend here. Do you understand me?"
Yami nodded carefully.
"Good, now stay quiet."
The blond glared at Kaiba for good measure, before making his way in the direction of the open door where the voices were coming from. He motioned for his partner to follow him, and Kaiba knew this was their chance.
"Yami, we have to try to get away," Kaiba whispered. "There's a loading dock on the other side of this floor, past the morgue. They keep it open at all hours. I know because I sometimes use it to come and go when I don't want people to know I'm seeing a doctor. If we can get to it, we can hide in the city." Kaiba paused and took a quick peek to see that the two men with guns were a little bit ahead of them, looking into the room where the voices were coming from. "Follow me, okay? I'll get us both there. You have to trust me," Kaiba added, when Yami frowned.
"It looks like I have no other choice, doesn't it?" Yami whispered. "I'll trust you."
Kaiba nodded. That was as much as he could hope for. "We take off running on the count of three, okay?"
Yami nodded.
"One. . . two. . . three!"
**~~**
So here we come to the conclusion of a chapter once again. I can hear Mutou Yasu now: "Another cliffy?" :o) Sorry!! It was my muse's fault. he did it.
Next up: We get into Yami's head. As much as I like Kaiba, Yami and Yugi have to have their say too. . . Bakura gets the shock of his life. . . well, besides finding out about Yami Bakura. That had to have been pretty darned shocking. . . Malik (Marik? Someone please explain that one to me. Which is which?) might even make an appearance. Stay tuned!