Chapter Thirteen — Preparations
Spencer whirled around and pointed his gun at the trapdoor that suddenly opened.
"It's us," Tala called out. Spencer raised the gun and moved to help them up. He frowned only seeing Tala and Kai.
"Where's ..." he trailed off as he saw Tala's pained look and Kai's dark glare. He looked away and composed his own emotions. Time enough to mourn a comrade later. "What's the plan?"
"We can go through the sewers to the end of the block," Kai told him. "We checked it out and we can get out into one of the streets there. Has anyone been able to make contact?"
Spencer shook his head. "Not yet."
"Damn, then we'll just have to do this ourselves, and quickly, they're bound to find a way down here soon." Kai gestured for the two of them to follow him out to where everyone else was located. They looked up curiously as Kai approached them.
"Where's Bryan?" Takao asked with a frown.
"Taken. We're getting out through the sewers. Everyone follow Tala's lead and stay close together. We're going out at the end of the block then heading out to the main areas of town. After that we'll head out to one of the BBA safe houses, if that's okay Mr. Dickinson." Kai looked at the old man curiously.
"That's what they were made for young Kai."
Kai nodded. "I'll be taking the rear guard, so everyone head out now."
Tala gestured quietly and the group followed them. Kai made sure everyone had gone through before heading to the sewer access tunnel and locking the trapdoor behind him. He continued to stay quite a bit back from everyone so that he could be sure they hadn't been followed. He saw and heard no signs of pursuit as he continued on to the end of the sewer. He found the exit onto the street and quickly went up the rusted ladder and out. He put the cover back in place and swore, realising that he had no idea which way everyone went.
"Kai."
Kai turned around to see Spencer and Max waiting nearby. Max grinned at him while Spencer looked around nervously. "Come on, We're supposed to show you which way to go."
"Right." They set out quickly, Kai and Spencer looking around while Max led them with directions given to him by Mr. Dickinson. All of a sudden though he let out a yell and fell to the ground.
Kai barely had time to realise his team-mate had been shot before the whole street erupted with gunfire. Kai ran over to Max and tried to pull him away, but two dark-clad men got there first. One took hold of the wounded boy while the other fired a few shots at Kai. Kai dove to the side, watching in horror as Max struggled to get free.
"Kai!" Max called out to him and Kai tried to get him again, but he was shot at a few more times, one of the bullets managing to slice his leg. Kai fell to the ground, watching helplessly as Max was taken further away.
He looked around as he heard more gunfire to see Spencer struggling with three of the men. Kai looked between him and Max and tried to get to Spencer, but there were even more men coming towards him.
"Run!" Spencer yelled at him, knowing it was futile for Kai to try and help. Kai nodded, glancing helplessly at the men once more before running from them, quite a few following in pursuit. He could no longer see Max or his assailants anywhere, but he had his own difficulties to deal with.
Suddenly a few shots rang out as he turned down another street and Kai dashed to the side as he saw Tala in front of him. The men following him scattered and Tala grabbed his hand, pulling him along quickly, firing a few more shots behind him. They ran through a few streets, taking a few turns before they were satisfied that all pursuit had been outrun.
Kai only had time for a few breaths before Tala was off again in another direction. Kai recognised a few of the streets now and realised they were close to the safe house. Finally they saw Ian standing out the front of the house watching the street nervously. As soon as they got in he locked the door behind them and took up a post near the window.
Kai collapsed to his knees the instant he stopped moving, gasping for breath. It was too much, everything was just too much.
"Where's Max?"
Kai looked up at Takao who was staring at him worriedly. His distraught expression told the boy all he needed to know. Takao clasped his hand to his mouth and he ran out of the room. Everyone else looked horrified at all of this. Kai still hadn't gotten to his feet. He ran his fingers through his hair and tried to get a hold of himself, but his emotions were completely haywire.
It was the sound of someone loading up a handgun that finally snapped him out of his stupor. Tala looked over at him. "Well? Aren't you going to help me prepare?"
Kai glared. "Could you be any more insensitive Tala?" he snapped, getting to his feet. "Bryan ad Spencer have both been taken, along with Max, Rei could be dead and you don't seem to care!"
"I'm caring the only way I know how," Tala retaliated with a cold voice. "I'm trying to plan a way to get them back and you want to sit here and sulk. You can do that once we're done. I can't do this alone, and I refuse to let you break another promise to me Kai." Tala shoved the loaded handgun at him. "You help me get them back. I think that's a more fitting way of caring for someone than to mourn them."
Kai stared down at the gun pressed against his chest. He took it from Tala's hands and nodded.
"Kai, just what is going on?" Lee asked. "What happened to Rei?"
Kai swallowed, meeting Lee's confused gaze. "We overheard a conversation between the men at the training centre. It's possible that Rei might not be …" Kai looked away.
"No!" Mariah gasped and everyone else looked horrified as well. Lee held onto the distraught girl while trying to get a hold of himself as well.
"We can't deal with that right now," Tala said firmly in his softest voice. "I don't want any of you involved any further."
"What about me?" Everyone looked over to see Takao standing in the doorway, looking determined, despite his slightly red-rimmed eyes. "I'm already involved in this, before I even knew what was going on I was involved, and now they have Max and Rei. Don't either of you dare tell me that I can't help out."
"I was counting on your support actually Takao," Kai said before Tala could say anything.
"Good. So, are we going to get a plan started, or just stand here all day?"
Kai smirked at Takao's attitude. "Let's get to it."
* * *
Five of them were left in the room by the end of everything, the five who would be going in to get the others back: Kai, Tala, Ian, Takao and Kenny. The last would have been a surprise to most, but knowing how much the Bladebreakers meant to each other, Kenny's involvement in all of this was almost taken for granted.
The spectacled boy in question was struggling to stay awake. It was quite late at night and all the others had retired already.
Tala was still adamant about them not being involved, and Kai had to agree, with the other teams there would be too many people to keep track of and keep safe, not to mention there was no real use in them risking themselves. They weren't really involved.
Mr. Dickinson had managed to contact the Majestics and the BBA office and there would be officials out there the next day to make sure everyone was safe, with the documents as well. Bryan and the others had risked their lives for those files to bring down Biovolt. Alex and Celia were to be taken to some place safe where they could recuperate and not fear Biovolt's wrath. Only the five of them in the living room wouldn't be there any more.
Tala and Ian were currently standing by the window, talking softly while they stood watch. Kai looked over to see Kenny falling asleep over his laptop.
"Kenny," he whispered, lightly touching the boy. Kenny started and looked at Kai curiously. "Get some sleep, we'll need you hearty for tomorrow night, okay." Kenny nodded and closed Dizzy up, moving to the couch and grabbing a blanket so he could sleep.
Kai sighed, watching him. He really didn't want the boy risking himself, but he wasn't sure that Kenny would be safe with the others. Plus, he was just as determined as Takao to see that Max got back safely, as well as the others.
Kai looked over at the other Bladebreaker. Takao was leaning against the wall, just staring at nothing, looking completely lost in thought. Unpleasant thoughts from the look of things. Kai moved over to him.
"I'm not tired, so don't tell me to sleep, I've already tried."
Kai nodded and instead sat down beside him. "You're really worried about Max."
"I am, I have every reason to be."
Kai sighed. "You do. For what it's worth Takao, I am sorry that all of this happened."
Takao managed a slight smile. "It's not your fault you have an evil bastard of a grandfather who put you in a hellish situation when you were younger and turned you into an experiment for his plans for world domination."
Kai chuckled. "I suppose not." They sat in silence for a while before Kai spoke again. "I'll get him back for you."
Takao nodded, not daring to say anything lest he start to cry. "We'll get them both back," he said instead.
Kai flinched, looking away sharply.
Takao looked at him curiously then he sighed, in understanding. "You liked him, didn't you?" Kai just glanced at him and Takao sighed. "You can't give up Kai, you said it yourself before, they wouldn't risk killing him, and I doubt that Rei would give up without a fight."
"I really want to believe that, but …" Kai couldn't say any more.
Takao paused before saying, "I don't know if I should be saying this, but Rei liked you too." Kai jerked his head up and stared at him in amazement. "Just thought you'd like to know, maybe it will give you another perspective on everything."
Kai nodded, a strange feeling blooming in his stomach.
"We're going to get them back Takao, all of them."
Takao just smiled at him and at seeing Kai's old determination to win coming back.