Sosuke's Choice

Chapter 4

Tessa rolled over and faced Kaname.

"I have an idea! Pretend I'm hurt, okay?" Kaname nodded and Tessa rolled back over just in time for a shadow came back over the bamboo cage. It was a short oriental man. He smiled at Kaname and opened the cage.

Then left.

Am I free? Thought Kaname as she stepped out. Any joful thoughts however were banished as a thin cane came hurtling toward her with brutal force. Instinctively, she ducked and rolled forward pausing to entwine her legs in her attacker's, bringing him down quickly as Kurtz had taught her. She pounced on the man, pinching the nerve in his neck and sending him into some alternate dreamworld.

Kaname scampered inside the cage and hauled Tessa into a fireman's hold. She quickly ran into the nearby bushes and did not stop running until the stitch in her side burned so fiercely she had to sit down. Kaname nudged Tessa and the girl looked up at her.

"Where are we?" She asked. Kaname sheepishly shrugged.

"I don't know."

Tessa shrugged back and smiled.

"I have been leaving a trail of kudzu leaves. If Sousuke comes after us, he should be able to follow them." Her smile widened but when Kaname looked confused, she explained.

"The Kudzu plan is a vine native to Japan. It has compound leaves and clusters of

reddish-purple flowers. It is grown for fodder and for the containment of erosion."

She recited, eyes closed. Kaname frowned slightly. Once again she was reminded of how different they were and how much smarter Tessa was. Self-doubt began to uncurl in her mind.

Perhaps she wasn't the best girl for Sousuke? Perhaps Tessa would be the best person for him. She bowed her head as all these thoughts muddled together in her brain. Little did she know but Tessa was having similar thoughts. She thought that Kaname wouldn't remind Sousuke of his military life as she, herself did. He was always able to relax around Kaname (um...one word: halisen!) and they seemed to get along well. Unlike Kaname, Tessa tilted her head back and closed her eyes, trying to sort out her thoughts. Without any warning, the cool flesh of someone's hand clamped over her mouth.

BACK AT SCHOOL:

Frowning, Sousuke searched methodically all the places he expected girls to go, and the places they wouldn't. He even checked the men's bathroom! Thankfully, Xiera took care of the women's bathroom, sparing Sousuke probable beatings if and when he was found. She was a lot more detective-like in her searchings. While Sousuke would look for blood or signs of a scuffle, she would search for things out of place, hairs or other such things.

And that was exactly what she found. In a small pile of dirt on the ground she found the leaves of the nux vomica: a plant native to SE Asia, particularly Vietnam. It was the plant that bore the poisonous seeds from which the deadly poisons strychnine and brucinine come from. Carefully wrapping the leaves in a tissue she brought them to Sousuke.

"I know its purely conjecture." She said, "And a lot of luck but I think that someone kidnapped them to Cambodia, Laos, or Vietnam. Personally, I am partial to Vietnam since in the newspaper there has been recent terrorist activity there but I'm not sure."

Sosuke nodded. He knew more than Xiera on this topic and he knew that indeed, it was probably Vietnam. He also knew Mithril had just gotten word of some Japanese captives in a prison camp north of the Mekong River Delta. He knew that Xiera would probably insist on coming along, and though he liked to work along, something told him to take her.

"I believe we should catch a ride to Vietnam." She looked at him as she spoke, questioningly. He nodded. Sousuke knew he would have to probably use a cargo plane from the nearest military base. That would be fun, he thought sarcastically.

"Follow me."

AFTERWARD:

Gomen-ne for the short chapter. Review!!

No, its not Kaname-Kurtz, or Sosuke-Xiera. This story will focus on the building relationships between all the characters and the sacrifices made for eachother and blah sentimental stuff1!