Intoxication

Chapter 12

What a week! For some reason I'm able to write Intoxication and other fanfics much quicker than the novel I'm supposed to be making my living off of. I just finished Chapter four, while I'm up to Chapter twelve on this fic. Maybe I'm just lazy sob. Oh well, things get critical here.

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Drigger sat glimmering in the palm of Kai's hand like a beautiful jewel. Every time she glowed, it filled his heart with hope. He hadn't realised how strongly he felt about Rei until Drigger appeared before him. And now there was a quickening in his veins, a shock to his heart, a pulsing in his brain. He didn't walk, he ran to the hotel room. He burst through the door, causing everyone in the room to jump, and placed Drigger gently, reverently, on the table. Takao stared at it as though it were a mirage.

" Is that…" he started, but couldn't finish. Kai nodded, still unable to speak. Tala reached for the Blade, turning her so that he could see the Bitbeast on the surface.

" How did you find it?" he asked Kai.

" I…I was blading outside. It jumped into Dranzer's path. It must have been launched by Rei."

" How so?"

" It came at me straight. Only Rei could have launched it to fall at my feet."

" That means he's nearby. How far was his range?"

" Seventy kilometres. That was his record."

" Good. That narrows down our search. Kenny, enter that into our research."

" Research?" Kai was dumbfounded. " Can't we just trace Drigger's path?"

" By the time we set out, the trail will be long gone."

Kai felt his hands begin to shake. They were close, but still they could do nothing… Max suddenly burst into tears and ran out of the room, with Takao following close behind. Kai snatched up Drigger possessively and clutched her to his chest, not caring that the Demolition Boys were staring. He sank onto the bed and held his head in his hands. He squeezed Rei's Blade in his fist…

… and felt the tab pop open. Something fell out of the little hollow space and expanded slightly against his fingers. When he opened his fist, He saw a small, crumpled up piece of paper, deep yellow in colour and smelling of dust. He opened the page slowly, fearing that if he was too rough it would crumble in his hands. The page unfolded, and another smell hit his nostrils. It was metallic and sickly-sweet, unmistakable. Rei's neatly sloping script greeted his eyes, written in some dark reddish-brown material.

" Blood," he thought, horrified, "He wrote this in his own blood.""

He read the desperate little note and wanted to cry, whether out of fear for someone he cared so deeply about or out of relief that he was still alive he couldn't tell. Tala approached him slowly and lifted the note out of his hand. He scanned it quickly and placed it on the desk. He beckoned to Ian to take a look. They both huddled over it. Then, Tala called out to Kenny.

" Kenny, research all the current owners of first edition Paradise Lost, John Milton, signed by author."

Kai looked up. He was hopeful again.

" What are you looking for now?"

Tala sat beside him on the bed and laid a hand on his shoulder.

" Rei just gave us a huge clue, even if he doesn't know it. Ian was able to identify the signature and date the paper it's on. He's a budding antique expert, you know. Anyway, according to him, it's the last page of A first edition of Paradise Lost by John Milton. Only ten exist, and three are in museums. We can track him down according to the owner nearest to us."

" I got something else!" shouted Kenny.

" What is it?"

" There was an unusual building project in the Hojo district. That's about sixty three kilometres from here. An army base was converted into what was meant to be a private correctional facility. The building was finished four years ago. There were thirty high security cells built inside the place, the rest was left in its original form, as an eighteenth century manor."

Kai looked up.

" Yes, that would tie in with Rei's note. But we have to be sure. Whose name is on the payslip?" said Tala calmly.

" It was authorised by a Francis Andolini the 2nd."

" What about the book. Anything?"

" There are three in private ownership. One is owned by Francis Andolini."

" That's our guy."

Those were the words Kai had been waiting to hear. But as soon as he heard them, he fainted.

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Rei vomited for the fifth time that day in the bath, as he was incapable of reaching the toilet. There was nothing in his stomach, just water. But he brought up all the water he consumed, and it came out like acid. His throat and nose burned painfully, but he couldn't stop drinking water. As soon as he took another gulp to wet his thirsty throat, he threw it up again. To add to the pain in his stomach and the constant throwing up, there was an irritating ringing in his ears. Europa appeared in front of him, her robe falling open so that her pubic mound was clearly visible. She placed her hand, very cool, on Rei's burning forehead.

If only he could see you now, eh? He wouldn't think you're so pretty if he could see you like this. I mean, you've got this very nice red-eyed, blotchy faced, greasy haired thing going on but I don't think that's what he wants. Not that you care right now, do you? You're not doing too good, are you?

The nymph turned up, her sheet pressed close to her small breasts.

Of course he isn't. He hasn't been feeling well for a long time. You shouldn't have cut yourself, Rei. That glass was dirty. You've got septicaemia. You're going to die in here.

Io appeared, sitting in the sink. Her arms were cushioning her head against the mirror.

The proof is in the pudding, pudding.

She laughed, a piercing, shrieking sound. The laugh turned into a beep, then another, then a third. The door swung open, and Rei tottered unsteadily towards it. Cesare stood outside, dressed in white breeches topped with a red coat. He looked like an aristocratic hunter. His mask was the same, except for a tear painted on the white side. He looked Rei up and down, and when he spoke his voice was cutting but strangely calm.

" You look awful, Rei."

Rei sniffed and rubbed his eyes.

" I feel terrible."

Cesare nodded, and placed his hand against Rei's forehead.

" You have a temperature. Poor thing. Well, this won't take long, I hope. But that depends on you."

Rei would have felt nervous if he hadn't felt so sick. They were approaching the torture room. They stepped inside, the smell hitting Rei with such force he nearly collapsed. There was excrement lying beneath one of the machines, and there had been no effort to lean it up.

" Undress, Rei. Leave your clothes there."

Rei stripped without hesitation. Then he wrapped his arms around himself as a series of chills racked his body. Cesare took his bare arm, covered in goosebumps, and guided him towards a chair. There were thick leather straps at the wrists and ankles, and Cesare shackled them tight around Rei's thin limbs. Rei couldn't control the shivers that coursed through his body, but in a way it was a blessing. His illness disguised the fact that he was terrified. Cesare was holding the little book of poetry in both hands. He opened it on the last page, where there should have been one more.

" Would you care to explain this, Rei?"