Chapter 8
Tala grabbed the back of Tyson`s red jacket. "Argh" Tyson screamed, "Let me go!"
Leaning forward and flinging his arms backwards, Tyson wriggled out of his jacket and carried on out the door and left Tala off balance just behind it.
With a yell of rage Tala swung the door open again and dashed after Tyson who was heading through the Lobby to the main entrance.
The Lobby was now virtually empty; apart the cleaner who was busy vacuuming, and a receptionist who was engrossed with a customer. Neither gave any notice to the continued chase.
Tyson had no idea why he was running, or where he was running too. Gut instinct told him too, so he was. Through the Lobby like a scared rabbit and out into the snow filled street.
Tala was hot in pursuit, gaining on the smaller boy with each stride, his face a mask of determination. High on adrenaline, Tala was oblivious to everything but Tyson.
=======================================
Max had been checking out the dinning area.
Coming out of the restaurant door, he just missed seeing Tyson who had already gone outside. But he did see Tala, sprinting towards the exit, with Tyson's jacket in his hand. He would recognise that red pointy hair-do anywhere.
"Tala!" he shouted, "Mr Granger, I`ve seen him. Quick" Tyson's dad was flirting with the sexy receptionist, staring lustfully into each other's eyes; neither of them had seen Tyson, or Tala for that matter.
The noise of the Hoover drowned out everything except their private whisperings. That was until Max shouted, making Mr Granger, and the receptionist knock heads together in guilty surprise.
Turning towards Max, he was just in time to see Tala disappear around the corner of the building. Max had already joined in the chase. Tyson`s dad told the receptionist to call Mr Dickenson about Tala, and then he too ran out into the snow.
The cleaner carried on hoovering as if nothing had happened at all.
==========================================
Tyson ran.
He was finding it hard to breathe. The air was so cold, it froze his lungs.
He stumbled around another corner, not looking where he was going, then, too late, discovered it was a dead end.
He had lost the feeling in his feet. Looking down he saw why, no shoes.
*Where the hell have they gone?* Tyson's hair fell over his face, blown by a gust of wind. Pushing it back off, he noticed that his hat was missing too. Had Kai removed them?
He didn`t have time to wonder.
He heard the soft footsteps of someone approaching from behind, the only way out.
Slowly, he turned around, and looked up.
===========================================
*Damn* thought Kai. *What the hell does Tala and Brian want Tyson for, if not his Bit beast?*
He was kneeling on the floor where he fell, face contort with anger and pain. His fist`s were clenched in balls on his knees.
*I will find you Tala* he swore *No-one touches Tyson without my consent, no one* Kai fought to regain control of his shifting emotions, since when did he even care anyway? Why did he feel like this? Conflict of love and hate rolled inside his head.
"Oh dear. Oh dear, dear, dear. This is not good at all" Mr Dickenson stated the obvious.
==========================================
As the sun began to rise, it created shadows from the tall buildings to loom across the city, in a pale orange haze.
Everything was covered in that strange glow. A fresh covering of snow lay on the ground, crisp and new.
It`s perfection was dented by footprints that lay in the wake of its predecessor.
Max had lost sight of Tala about five minutes ago, and now he and Mr Granger were following the footprints easily. They jogged down a narrow road. The footprints owner had then turned into an alley. It was a dead end. There were no signs of the owner coming out of the alley. But it was empty.
"Look" Max exclaimed, pointing down to another set of prints, very different from the ones they had been following. These prints were much smaller, and obviously had worn no shoes.
"Whoever was out here was barmy!" stated Max. He rubbed his arms to try and get some warmth back into them. "He must have met someone here" Tyson's dad said, "Let`s go back now, we won`t find anything now. They`ve gone. I wonder who he met?"
They turned to leave; Mr Granger gave Max his coat.
As they made their way back out of the alley and into the street, neither male noticed a pair of blood red eyes following them until they were out of sight.
Standing up from where he had been crouching, a tall, slim figure glanced up and down the street. Checking for any sign of life.
There was none.
Leaping down off the ledge and landing on the ground with a soft thud, he walked purposely towards a large garbage container.
Creaking loudly in the dawn, metal grinded on rusty metal echoed between the walls as he opened the lid. A stench rose up out of it, drifting away in the breeze.
The container was empty.
Apart from a body.
Which was laying face down in the bottom.
Tyson.
Reaching down, Tala grabbed the back of his shirt and hoisted him out. Lying him down on the frozen ground. Getting out his mobile phone, he made the call.
"Yes?" a cold voice answered
"Brian, its me. I have the package. Phase one is complete. Meet me in 10 minutes. I`ve gotta go."
Tala turned the phone off abruptly. Pulling Tyson into a sitting position, he wrapped him in his jacket that he had earlier discarded.
=========================================
"OH MY GOD!" Rei gasped. His frown deepend.
*No way! Who the hell would send this? It must be a sick joke*
Shaking his head slightly, as if to clear it. Rei looked at the paper still in his hand.
It was a picture of Tyson from the tournement, with the letters R.I.P. above him. Below his face were the words `Battle of Death.`And a date. That was exactly one week away.
The pretty nurse came back in and saw Rei`s expression. Fearing he was in trouble or more pain, she rushed to his side and put her hand on his fore- head. He was burning up.
She pulled the cord to summon the doctor. Rei was so lost in his thoughts, nightmare, that he had`nt noticed her there. It took her to shake him quite roughly of get him to acknowledge her.
That was when he virtually jumped off the bed and tried to make a break for the door. He had to warn Tyson, and the others, before it was too late.
Little did he know.
He was.
=====================================
Tala grabbed the back of Tyson`s red jacket. "Argh" Tyson screamed, "Let me go!"
Leaning forward and flinging his arms backwards, Tyson wriggled out of his jacket and carried on out the door and left Tala off balance just behind it.
With a yell of rage Tala swung the door open again and dashed after Tyson who was heading through the Lobby to the main entrance.
The Lobby was now virtually empty; apart the cleaner who was busy vacuuming, and a receptionist who was engrossed with a customer. Neither gave any notice to the continued chase.
Tyson had no idea why he was running, or where he was running too. Gut instinct told him too, so he was. Through the Lobby like a scared rabbit and out into the snow filled street.
Tala was hot in pursuit, gaining on the smaller boy with each stride, his face a mask of determination. High on adrenaline, Tala was oblivious to everything but Tyson.
=======================================
Max had been checking out the dinning area.
Coming out of the restaurant door, he just missed seeing Tyson who had already gone outside. But he did see Tala, sprinting towards the exit, with Tyson's jacket in his hand. He would recognise that red pointy hair-do anywhere.
"Tala!" he shouted, "Mr Granger, I`ve seen him. Quick" Tyson's dad was flirting with the sexy receptionist, staring lustfully into each other's eyes; neither of them had seen Tyson, or Tala for that matter.
The noise of the Hoover drowned out everything except their private whisperings. That was until Max shouted, making Mr Granger, and the receptionist knock heads together in guilty surprise.
Turning towards Max, he was just in time to see Tala disappear around the corner of the building. Max had already joined in the chase. Tyson`s dad told the receptionist to call Mr Dickenson about Tala, and then he too ran out into the snow.
The cleaner carried on hoovering as if nothing had happened at all.
==========================================
Tyson ran.
He was finding it hard to breathe. The air was so cold, it froze his lungs.
He stumbled around another corner, not looking where he was going, then, too late, discovered it was a dead end.
He had lost the feeling in his feet. Looking down he saw why, no shoes.
*Where the hell have they gone?* Tyson's hair fell over his face, blown by a gust of wind. Pushing it back off, he noticed that his hat was missing too. Had Kai removed them?
He didn`t have time to wonder.
He heard the soft footsteps of someone approaching from behind, the only way out.
Slowly, he turned around, and looked up.
===========================================
*Damn* thought Kai. *What the hell does Tala and Brian want Tyson for, if not his Bit beast?*
He was kneeling on the floor where he fell, face contort with anger and pain. His fist`s were clenched in balls on his knees.
*I will find you Tala* he swore *No-one touches Tyson without my consent, no one* Kai fought to regain control of his shifting emotions, since when did he even care anyway? Why did he feel like this? Conflict of love and hate rolled inside his head.
"Oh dear. Oh dear, dear, dear. This is not good at all" Mr Dickenson stated the obvious.
==========================================
As the sun began to rise, it created shadows from the tall buildings to loom across the city, in a pale orange haze.
Everything was covered in that strange glow. A fresh covering of snow lay on the ground, crisp and new.
It`s perfection was dented by footprints that lay in the wake of its predecessor.
Max had lost sight of Tala about five minutes ago, and now he and Mr Granger were following the footprints easily. They jogged down a narrow road. The footprints owner had then turned into an alley. It was a dead end. There were no signs of the owner coming out of the alley. But it was empty.
"Look" Max exclaimed, pointing down to another set of prints, very different from the ones they had been following. These prints were much smaller, and obviously had worn no shoes.
"Whoever was out here was barmy!" stated Max. He rubbed his arms to try and get some warmth back into them. "He must have met someone here" Tyson's dad said, "Let`s go back now, we won`t find anything now. They`ve gone. I wonder who he met?"
They turned to leave; Mr Granger gave Max his coat.
As they made their way back out of the alley and into the street, neither male noticed a pair of blood red eyes following them until they were out of sight.
Standing up from where he had been crouching, a tall, slim figure glanced up and down the street. Checking for any sign of life.
There was none.
Leaping down off the ledge and landing on the ground with a soft thud, he walked purposely towards a large garbage container.
Creaking loudly in the dawn, metal grinded on rusty metal echoed between the walls as he opened the lid. A stench rose up out of it, drifting away in the breeze.
The container was empty.
Apart from a body.
Which was laying face down in the bottom.
Tyson.
Reaching down, Tala grabbed the back of his shirt and hoisted him out. Lying him down on the frozen ground. Getting out his mobile phone, he made the call.
"Yes?" a cold voice answered
"Brian, its me. I have the package. Phase one is complete. Meet me in 10 minutes. I`ve gotta go."
Tala turned the phone off abruptly. Pulling Tyson into a sitting position, he wrapped him in his jacket that he had earlier discarded.
=========================================
"OH MY GOD!" Rei gasped. His frown deepend.
*No way! Who the hell would send this? It must be a sick joke*
Shaking his head slightly, as if to clear it. Rei looked at the paper still in his hand.
It was a picture of Tyson from the tournement, with the letters R.I.P. above him. Below his face were the words `Battle of Death.`And a date. That was exactly one week away.
The pretty nurse came back in and saw Rei`s expression. Fearing he was in trouble or more pain, she rushed to his side and put her hand on his fore- head. He was burning up.
She pulled the cord to summon the doctor. Rei was so lost in his thoughts, nightmare, that he had`nt noticed her there. It took her to shake him quite roughly of get him to acknowledge her.
That was when he virtually jumped off the bed and tried to make a break for the door. He had to warn Tyson, and the others, before it was too late.
Little did he know.
He was.
=====================================
