Chapter Five
Vash pushed his chair back from the table and hiccupped, then rose to his feet unsteadily and wove his way through the maze of tables and chairs in the bar to the back door. The piano man was playing a lively tune and several of the men at the bar were singing along, but Vash was in no fit state at the moment to join them.
"Leavin' already?" Wolfwood called after him, one arm around Millie's shoulders and the other cradling a bottle of whiskey. Vash hiccupped again and put his hand over his mouth, then made a run for the door. He had just managed to push the door open and reach the alley in back of the bar when he was violently ill.
"Why I drink so much, I'll never know," he muttered to himself as he listened to Wolfwood and Millie laughing and the bawdy tune the men at the bar had begun. Vash leaned his back against the wall and slid down it until he was sitting on the ground, then rested his forehead on his knees. The alleyway was dank and dark, surrounded on three sides by the backs of buildings, and was littered here and there with refuse. The moon was bright and full above him, but he only caught snatches of moonlight due to the laundry that hung from lines crisscrossing the alley above him. A stealthy noise caught his attention, and he lifted his head warily, all signs of sickness and alcohol replaced by watchful suspicion. Something was moving at the end of the alley, where the three buildings formed a dead end, but it was too dark for Vash to see what was causing the disturbance.
A bounty hunter? he thought uneasily. I could make a run for it, there's nothing between me and the street, but I don't want anyone else getting caught up in my fight. Vash noiselessly got to his feet and tiptoed towards the end of the alley, alert for any sign of danger. He wasn't prepared for what he saw.
A young boy was huddled in a pile of garbage, curled into a ball and crying softly. His hair was brown and cut short in the bowl cut that was popular among boys his age, which Vash guessed to be around eight, but the detail which caught and held Vash's attention was the blood on the boy's white clothes.
"Hey there," he said cheerfully, raising a hand in greeting. The boy whirled around and backed himself up into the wall, looking left and right for an escape route. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you," Vash reassured him, then crouched down and held out both of his empty hands. "See? No weapons. How would you like to go inside with me and get something to eat?"
"Ju-just because you don't have weapons," the boy whimpered, "doesn't mean that you can't hurt me. THEY didn't have weapons either, but they... they..." he trailed off into sobs, and Vash noticed the bruising on the boy's face and neck. It looked like he had managed to wipe most of the blood off his face, but the tell-tale signs of a bloody nose were still there, and his right eye was black and swollen.
"Who?" Vash asked, his voice trembling with barely suppressed anger and pity for the boy. "Who did this to you?" The boy looked into his face, and Vash realized that he must not be looking his best at the moment. He hadn't shaved in days, and he was wearing a pair of shabby brown trousers and a torn white shirt.
"I... I don't know who they were," the boy responded after a few minutes of sniffling. "But I think they're still there. My mom... and dad... and my sisters and brother..." his voice trailed off into sobbing again. Vash stood up, his face set and his green eyes narrowed.
"Take me to where they were," he told the boy, who looked up at him and nodded, wiping the tears from his eyes with one fist. I should go and get Wolfwood, Vash thought, But I don't want him getting hurt. Millie just got him back, I would hate for her to lose him again because of me. His mind made up, Vash followed the boy, who had gotten to his feet and was staggering towards the street.
"Wh-what's your name?" The boy called over his shoulder, and Vash grinned.
"Vash." The boy inhaled sharply. "There are a lot of people who would like to know where I am right now," Vash continued, looking up at the stars as he walked. "But I think I can trust you, ...?"
"Kita," the boy replied, glancing over his shoulder and grinning wickedly. "My name is Kita."
* * *
It took Vash and Kita over an hour to reach the tiny hut, which was nestled into a ditch between two hills. A few scraggly plants grew here and there, which Vash inspected with interest as they passed, but other than that there was no sign of life. There were no lights on in the hut, no smoke rose from the crooked chimney, and the only sounds were those of the bugs and the wind.
"Your family lived here?" Vash whispered skeptically, eyeing the tiny hut and its surrounding area. If there was going to be an ambush, this would be the ideal location. "Why did you live so far away from the town?"
"This was the only place we could afford," Kita replied softly, his voice lowered to match Vash's. "And we preferred to be away from the town."
"Well, you wait here, Kita. I'm going to go down and check it out," Vash replied, and he turned his back on the boy as he prepared to jump into the narrow ravine. Too late he felt lithe arms wrap around his neck, and before he could throw the boy off his back, Kita had shoved a foul-smelling rag into Vash's face. Vash gagged, then felt everything going dim. He had just enough time before he passed out to see fifteen armed men jump out of the shadows, their faces twisted with greed and malice.
* * *
"Last call!" The bartender called, and the group of men at the bar began arguing loudly that it was far too early to close. "It's two am," the barkeep responded tiredly. Wolfwood stood and stretched, regarding the four empty bottles on the table and Millie's sleeping form. Vash hadn't returned yet. Maybe he was still out back, retching his fool head off. The needle-noggin never could hold his liquor.
"I'll have another one," Millie murmured happily in her sleep, grinning. Wolfwood smiled and gently brushed a wisp of her hair back out of her face as she slept. She looked so beautiful. He could hardly believe that he had been lucky enough to find her sometimes.
"I'll be right back," he told the barkeep, who nodded at him as he began putting away the bottles and herding the drunks out the front door. Wolfwood opened the back door and looked into the alley, searching for his friend. Vash wasn't there. "That's funny," Wolfwood said to himself, scratching his head. He closed the door and turned to the bar. "Hey! Did you see Va- I mean, Ericks leave?"
"Naw," the man responded. "Maybe he went back home." This last was accompanied by a meaningful glance at the door. Wolfwood shrugged and hoisted Millie's arm over his shoulders, supporting her as he headed for the door.
"Yeah, he must've. May you go with God's protection." As he helped her back along the path to the house, Wolfwood thought that it was strange of Vash to leave and not tell him that he was going. He hoped he hadn't gotten another fool notion of going off on his own, but discounted it as he recalled Knives. He wouldn't put it past the Stampede to leave himself and the Insurance girls behind out of regards to their safety, but surely Vash wouldn't leave his brother...
They reached the house about fifteen minutes later, and Wolfwood helped Millie into her bed as gently as he could. He then rose and knocked softly on Meryl's door.
"Wha issit?" He heard her mutter, and the door opened a minute later to reveal the young woman in her nightshirt, rubbing her eyes sleepily.
"Did Vash come back?" Wolfwood asked, keeping his voice low so as to not awaken Millie or Knives. As if that monster sleeps, he thought spitefully.
"Um, no? Why, wasn't he with you?" Meryl responded, her eyes losing their sleepy look and regaining some of the fire he recognized. She only looked that way when she was worried about Vash, Wolfwood realized with a smile. She cared about him more than she would ever let on.
"He went out the back door to be sick around midnight, and we haven't seen him since. Are you sure he didn't come back?" Meryl looked about ready to kill.
"He had better have! If that moron left without telling anyone he'll have ME to answer to!" she snarled, and stalked off towards his room. A woman on a mission, Wolfwood thought with a grin. She banged on his door and opened it without waiting for an answer. Wolfwood fully expected to see a half-dressed Vash scrabbling for his shirt and whining about how late it was, but the room was empty. The moon shone in from the window on his bed, still made, and an empty chair. Meryl walked into the room wringing her hands, then she paused and whirled on Wolfwood.
"If this is some hare-brained excuse for a joke the two of you cooked up while you were drunk I'll kill you both," she exclaimed, raising one fist in warning. Wolfwood raised his hands.
"If this is a joke, it's a pretty feeble one," he replied, then noticed that she was trembling. "Oh... it's alright, Meryl," he said comfortingly. "I'm sure he just went out for the night, maybe he needed a change of scenery or something... He'll be back tomorrow morning, you just wait and see. Probably with a bag full of donuts and complaining about the weather." He tried a half-hearted smile, but it faded when he saw the look on her face. She looked near to tears.
"I... I can't lose him... again..." she said softly, then turned around hastily so her back was to him. "If... if you don't mind, I think I'll just stay here... and wait for him to come back." Wolfwood took a step forward and laid a hand comfortingly on her shoulder.
"Don't worry, Meryl. I promised that I wouldn't let anything happen to him. If he's not back tomorrow, I'll find him and bring him back to you. I swear." He turned and left her alone in the room, closing the door quietly behind him.
"So my dear brother has vanished, has he?" A voice from the darkness startled Wolfwood, and he turned to see Knives standing in his room's open doorway.
"Very good at sneaking around, aren't you?" Wolfwood snarled, glaring at the man who stared coolly back at him. "One would almost think you were up to no good. But then I know you better than that, don't I? I KNOW you're up to no good."
"On the contrary. I'm just as worried about Vash as you are. Maybe more so, he's all the family I have, you know. I'll be leaving with you in the morning to find him." And with that Knives turned and closed his door, leaving Wolfwood standing in the hall clenching and unclenching his fists in fury. Just who the hell did that guy think he was, anyway? Well, Vash had better be back tomorrow, and if he wasn't, Wolfwood was leaving on his own. There was no way he was taking some homicidal ego trip on a tour around planet Gunsmoke. No way.
With that thought, Wolfwood walked into Millie's room and closed the door behind him. He lay down beside her and put his arms behind his head, trying to think... There was something he should be remembering, something nagging on the edge of his mind, something important... but every time he thought he had it, it drifted away, insubstantial as gun smoke in the wind. Something about danger... and a man dressed in white...
Vash pushed his chair back from the table and hiccupped, then rose to his feet unsteadily and wove his way through the maze of tables and chairs in the bar to the back door. The piano man was playing a lively tune and several of the men at the bar were singing along, but Vash was in no fit state at the moment to join them.
"Leavin' already?" Wolfwood called after him, one arm around Millie's shoulders and the other cradling a bottle of whiskey. Vash hiccupped again and put his hand over his mouth, then made a run for the door. He had just managed to push the door open and reach the alley in back of the bar when he was violently ill.
"Why I drink so much, I'll never know," he muttered to himself as he listened to Wolfwood and Millie laughing and the bawdy tune the men at the bar had begun. Vash leaned his back against the wall and slid down it until he was sitting on the ground, then rested his forehead on his knees. The alleyway was dank and dark, surrounded on three sides by the backs of buildings, and was littered here and there with refuse. The moon was bright and full above him, but he only caught snatches of moonlight due to the laundry that hung from lines crisscrossing the alley above him. A stealthy noise caught his attention, and he lifted his head warily, all signs of sickness and alcohol replaced by watchful suspicion. Something was moving at the end of the alley, where the three buildings formed a dead end, but it was too dark for Vash to see what was causing the disturbance.
A bounty hunter? he thought uneasily. I could make a run for it, there's nothing between me and the street, but I don't want anyone else getting caught up in my fight. Vash noiselessly got to his feet and tiptoed towards the end of the alley, alert for any sign of danger. He wasn't prepared for what he saw.
A young boy was huddled in a pile of garbage, curled into a ball and crying softly. His hair was brown and cut short in the bowl cut that was popular among boys his age, which Vash guessed to be around eight, but the detail which caught and held Vash's attention was the blood on the boy's white clothes.
"Hey there," he said cheerfully, raising a hand in greeting. The boy whirled around and backed himself up into the wall, looking left and right for an escape route. "Don't worry, I won't hurt you," Vash reassured him, then crouched down and held out both of his empty hands. "See? No weapons. How would you like to go inside with me and get something to eat?"
"Ju-just because you don't have weapons," the boy whimpered, "doesn't mean that you can't hurt me. THEY didn't have weapons either, but they... they..." he trailed off into sobs, and Vash noticed the bruising on the boy's face and neck. It looked like he had managed to wipe most of the blood off his face, but the tell-tale signs of a bloody nose were still there, and his right eye was black and swollen.
"Who?" Vash asked, his voice trembling with barely suppressed anger and pity for the boy. "Who did this to you?" The boy looked into his face, and Vash realized that he must not be looking his best at the moment. He hadn't shaved in days, and he was wearing a pair of shabby brown trousers and a torn white shirt.
"I... I don't know who they were," the boy responded after a few minutes of sniffling. "But I think they're still there. My mom... and dad... and my sisters and brother..." his voice trailed off into sobbing again. Vash stood up, his face set and his green eyes narrowed.
"Take me to where they were," he told the boy, who looked up at him and nodded, wiping the tears from his eyes with one fist. I should go and get Wolfwood, Vash thought, But I don't want him getting hurt. Millie just got him back, I would hate for her to lose him again because of me. His mind made up, Vash followed the boy, who had gotten to his feet and was staggering towards the street.
"Wh-what's your name?" The boy called over his shoulder, and Vash grinned.
"Vash." The boy inhaled sharply. "There are a lot of people who would like to know where I am right now," Vash continued, looking up at the stars as he walked. "But I think I can trust you, ...?"
"Kita," the boy replied, glancing over his shoulder and grinning wickedly. "My name is Kita."
* * *
It took Vash and Kita over an hour to reach the tiny hut, which was nestled into a ditch between two hills. A few scraggly plants grew here and there, which Vash inspected with interest as they passed, but other than that there was no sign of life. There were no lights on in the hut, no smoke rose from the crooked chimney, and the only sounds were those of the bugs and the wind.
"Your family lived here?" Vash whispered skeptically, eyeing the tiny hut and its surrounding area. If there was going to be an ambush, this would be the ideal location. "Why did you live so far away from the town?"
"This was the only place we could afford," Kita replied softly, his voice lowered to match Vash's. "And we preferred to be away from the town."
"Well, you wait here, Kita. I'm going to go down and check it out," Vash replied, and he turned his back on the boy as he prepared to jump into the narrow ravine. Too late he felt lithe arms wrap around his neck, and before he could throw the boy off his back, Kita had shoved a foul-smelling rag into Vash's face. Vash gagged, then felt everything going dim. He had just enough time before he passed out to see fifteen armed men jump out of the shadows, their faces twisted with greed and malice.
* * *
"Last call!" The bartender called, and the group of men at the bar began arguing loudly that it was far too early to close. "It's two am," the barkeep responded tiredly. Wolfwood stood and stretched, regarding the four empty bottles on the table and Millie's sleeping form. Vash hadn't returned yet. Maybe he was still out back, retching his fool head off. The needle-noggin never could hold his liquor.
"I'll have another one," Millie murmured happily in her sleep, grinning. Wolfwood smiled and gently brushed a wisp of her hair back out of her face as she slept. She looked so beautiful. He could hardly believe that he had been lucky enough to find her sometimes.
"I'll be right back," he told the barkeep, who nodded at him as he began putting away the bottles and herding the drunks out the front door. Wolfwood opened the back door and looked into the alley, searching for his friend. Vash wasn't there. "That's funny," Wolfwood said to himself, scratching his head. He closed the door and turned to the bar. "Hey! Did you see Va- I mean, Ericks leave?"
"Naw," the man responded. "Maybe he went back home." This last was accompanied by a meaningful glance at the door. Wolfwood shrugged and hoisted Millie's arm over his shoulders, supporting her as he headed for the door.
"Yeah, he must've. May you go with God's protection." As he helped her back along the path to the house, Wolfwood thought that it was strange of Vash to leave and not tell him that he was going. He hoped he hadn't gotten another fool notion of going off on his own, but discounted it as he recalled Knives. He wouldn't put it past the Stampede to leave himself and the Insurance girls behind out of regards to their safety, but surely Vash wouldn't leave his brother...
They reached the house about fifteen minutes later, and Wolfwood helped Millie into her bed as gently as he could. He then rose and knocked softly on Meryl's door.
"Wha issit?" He heard her mutter, and the door opened a minute later to reveal the young woman in her nightshirt, rubbing her eyes sleepily.
"Did Vash come back?" Wolfwood asked, keeping his voice low so as to not awaken Millie or Knives. As if that monster sleeps, he thought spitefully.
"Um, no? Why, wasn't he with you?" Meryl responded, her eyes losing their sleepy look and regaining some of the fire he recognized. She only looked that way when she was worried about Vash, Wolfwood realized with a smile. She cared about him more than she would ever let on.
"He went out the back door to be sick around midnight, and we haven't seen him since. Are you sure he didn't come back?" Meryl looked about ready to kill.
"He had better have! If that moron left without telling anyone he'll have ME to answer to!" she snarled, and stalked off towards his room. A woman on a mission, Wolfwood thought with a grin. She banged on his door and opened it without waiting for an answer. Wolfwood fully expected to see a half-dressed Vash scrabbling for his shirt and whining about how late it was, but the room was empty. The moon shone in from the window on his bed, still made, and an empty chair. Meryl walked into the room wringing her hands, then she paused and whirled on Wolfwood.
"If this is some hare-brained excuse for a joke the two of you cooked up while you were drunk I'll kill you both," she exclaimed, raising one fist in warning. Wolfwood raised his hands.
"If this is a joke, it's a pretty feeble one," he replied, then noticed that she was trembling. "Oh... it's alright, Meryl," he said comfortingly. "I'm sure he just went out for the night, maybe he needed a change of scenery or something... He'll be back tomorrow morning, you just wait and see. Probably with a bag full of donuts and complaining about the weather." He tried a half-hearted smile, but it faded when he saw the look on her face. She looked near to tears.
"I... I can't lose him... again..." she said softly, then turned around hastily so her back was to him. "If... if you don't mind, I think I'll just stay here... and wait for him to come back." Wolfwood took a step forward and laid a hand comfortingly on her shoulder.
"Don't worry, Meryl. I promised that I wouldn't let anything happen to him. If he's not back tomorrow, I'll find him and bring him back to you. I swear." He turned and left her alone in the room, closing the door quietly behind him.
"So my dear brother has vanished, has he?" A voice from the darkness startled Wolfwood, and he turned to see Knives standing in his room's open doorway.
"Very good at sneaking around, aren't you?" Wolfwood snarled, glaring at the man who stared coolly back at him. "One would almost think you were up to no good. But then I know you better than that, don't I? I KNOW you're up to no good."
"On the contrary. I'm just as worried about Vash as you are. Maybe more so, he's all the family I have, you know. I'll be leaving with you in the morning to find him." And with that Knives turned and closed his door, leaving Wolfwood standing in the hall clenching and unclenching his fists in fury. Just who the hell did that guy think he was, anyway? Well, Vash had better be back tomorrow, and if he wasn't, Wolfwood was leaving on his own. There was no way he was taking some homicidal ego trip on a tour around planet Gunsmoke. No way.
With that thought, Wolfwood walked into Millie's room and closed the door behind him. He lay down beside her and put his arms behind his head, trying to think... There was something he should be remembering, something nagging on the edge of his mind, something important... but every time he thought he had it, it drifted away, insubstantial as gun smoke in the wind. Something about danger... and a man dressed in white...