The Purpose of a Heart
Chapter Thirteen
Around fifteen years ago, the American military set up a special base in the desert of Nevada, warned everyone that the area was a dangerous radioactive nuclear-waste dump, and began developing a secret high-power weapon. The problem was that it was completely experimental, and no one knew if their idea would even work when it was completed, so news of the plan was never leaked out, and the people of the US innocently paid up their taxes each year without a clue where some of that money was going.
The weaponry, a high-power laser that was attached to a satellite and capable of targeting either a large or minute area of land at once, was being developed mostly for the purposes of defense. Or revenge if some other country attacked, depending on one's point of view. No one expected its uses to be needed anytime soon. At the least, they certainly hoped not. But the work ground to a halt several years into it when the experimental outline of the machine and accompanying satellite disappeared. And then, of all things, somehow a tabloid was tipped off about the base. The plans resurfaced inside the base a week later, but no one could ever figure out where they, (and the computer program they'd been made on), had been while missing. Fearing the worst, the military disassembled the team of engineers and the base, and destroyed all the outlines and programs for the ill-fated laser.
But the truth was that not all the copies were destroyed. One still existed, having been secretly stolen and reproduced by a Japanese-American man that had recently come to work there. And that copy now resided in the computer system of the Compound.
"How are things coming along?" The boss peered over the shoulder of the young man at the computer.
"Good." He answered. "Final preparations are almost done. We've been fine-tuning the aiming mechanism. It was 4 degrees off. We've been testing it in a remote mountain area."
"And how is it right now?"
"Working on it."
"So it'll be done fairly soon, then?"
The young engineer glanced at his watch. It was close to midnight. "I'd say it'll be done tomorrow evening, and will be ready to fire. The satellite was launched months ago, the public and the people who launched it are under the impression it's a TV satellite."
"People are so gullible."
The door to the basement room opened with a swoosh of air, and Blair stomped in with his usual manner.
"Ah, Blair, how did everything go?"
"I don't trust Bakura. I think he visited his Yami boyfriend or girlfriend or whoever the hell it is."
The boss narrowed his eyes. "I wanted an update on his accomplishments, not on your paranoid theories."
"He says the chick is dead. So does the guy on the News. But really, sir, I know he was visiting-"
"Be quiet, I'll deal with Bakura's possible misdeeds later. Just as long as everything is done, because this project is almost complete." The older man had a proud look in his eyes, almost a thrilled parent-like expression as he gazed at the dozen or so people that were working diligently. "It was not easy to steal those plans…and it took so long to make headway, I've lost the engineering prowess I had. But these young people all seem to know what they're doing. Isn't it amazing? Finally my dream is a reality. I've waited a long time for this."
"Yeah, so long that you had to resort to hiring your own assassin for entertainment." Blair muttered.
"What was that?"
"Nothing!"
"You can say whatever you want about me." The boss said, arms folded. "I'm aware of what everyone says."
"Then you know that almost everyone in this place thinks you're nuts?"
"Yes."
"Oh, okay. And you know that I'm not one of them, right? I'm your bodyguard, and I'm a loyal follower. You don't need to threaten or pay me off to work for you."
"Because you have a personal interest in this project, don't you?"
"Yep. And I like being a bodyguard. I'm good at it." He said proudly. "Right?"
"Indeed. Well, it's nice to know someone here wouldn't run at their first chance. But then again, I can't blame them. They don't know what I've been through, and I respect that. If only they could understand."
"They don't. And neither does that assassin you hired." Blair pressed the subject. "He smiled on the way home tonight. He stopped himself really fast, but I saw it. I think he went and visited-"
"Yes, so you've told me." The boss turned toward the door. "I've got to go pay a visit to Bakura anyway, I have some mail to deliver to him. You should get some rest Blair, and work that alcohol I smell out of your system. I need you to do something for me tomorrow afternoon, and you need to be sober. I think you'll like it."
"What's that?" Blair asked curiously.
The boss smiled brightly and clapped his hands together. "You've got to go pay Bakura's friend Yami a visit."
Bakura was surprised to hear someone knocking on his door at midnight. He was awake as it was anyway, cleaning his Uzi, but nonetheless, the visitor was unexpected.
"Bakura."
"Boss-master-one-or-the-other." Bakura greeted with an overly-cheerful smile. "Isn't that the name you asked me to use for you the first day we met?"
The boss smiled back. "If that's the name you want to call me by, so be it. But I'd really suggest that you watch your tone, since I've brought you your mail right to your door." He set down a box on the dresser. "Two Tonfa Blasters, complete with ten rounds each and a leather holster belt. Very upgradeable."
Bakura got to his feet to retrieve them. "Cool, they finally came."
"You're awfully cheerful tonight, Bakura."
"Well, tonight was the last murder." Bakura lied. "Hard to compete with that. Care to tell me what's coming next?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
"Oh, a surprise, huh?"
"You could say that, yes."
"Hmmn. I really don't like surprises, but if you insist." Bakura was busy examining his new weapons, not paying much attention.
"You enjoy yourself." The boss said, closing the door behind him. Bakura glanced up and sighed. He was glad he could use the last-murder excuse for his good mood. But still, knowing that right this moment, Yami was hopefully getting out or preparing to get out of Domino, and accompanied by the fact that Yami had said, specifically, that he'd be upset if something bad happened to Bakura; put him in an extremely good mood. For once, things seemed to be looking up. The past months had been sort of an alternate-reality nightmare that wouldn't end. But now…finally, there was the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe his luck was changing at last.
He clipped the belt that held his new Blasters around his waist and admired it in the mirror. Yes indeed, it wouldn't be long before he could get his revenge for everything that had happened. Revenge for his kidnapping, for their threats they made against Yami, for killing Louis, for messing up his life…
He was blissfully unaware of what was going on downstairs.
By a complete fluke, Bakura chose to wear his new Tonfa Blasters the next day. Mostly because he liked the belt. It was leather, and could be worn in a variety of ways. But he was also pretty proud of the guns. They could certainly never take the place of his beloved sub-machine gun, but they were likable enough. After losing his magic, he'd turned his attention to collecting other types of weapons. Daggers were a favorite because they were much more personal, but firearms were second in line. Tonfa Blasters, a fairly new idea, were handheld and-as of yet-not illegal to carry around. They also made a decent fashion statement. He liked them.
That afternoon, near five o'clock, the sun was dropping low enough to bathe the Compound in shadows from the forest around it. The boss appeared again at Bakura's door with an oddly serene look on his face.
"Bakura, would you come with me, please?"
Bakura frowned but complied, and followed him downstairs. In the parking area, the boss began walking toward the 'back yard' of the Compound, for lack of a better name. It was a small empty area of grass, fenced in and generally useless. A few old cars were dumped back there, and not much else. Before reaching the yard, the boss stopped and turned toward Bakura.
"You certainly puzzle me."
"Ne?"
"But I applaud all your trying. I'm really not sure if you're just very arrogant or oddly ignorant. Perhaps both."
Bakura scowled suspiciously. This speech was familiar. Too familiar. He decided to cut to the chase before it could go further. "Look, did you come down here to psychoanalyze me, or is there another reason?"
"I don't like traitors." The boss frowned, his serenity gone. "Sneaking into the basement-twice, in fact. Violating my privacy by breaking into my computer and using up my printer paper. Attempting to find a way to blackmail me. And it doesn't stop there. Your self-concern is sickening. Misleading Louis and subsequently causing his death in order to eavesdrop for information here. Borrowing Blair's computer to go online and research the laser for yourself. Even using Yami, the person you claim to love, to look up the plans you stole from my computer. Is there anyone that you won't betray for your own gain?"
Bakura grit his teeth. Somehow, the man had obviously been keeping a closer eye on him than he'd first thought. He knew about everything. Which meant that all his secrets were worth zip. And, oddly enough, when the boss put it in those terms, Bakura was almost-almost-ashamed of himself. In order to fight the emotions off, he muttered,
"So, since I know about everything and you know about everything, care to explain the laser to me?"
"No, I think you've got some other things you need to tend to first." The boss said, turning back toward the yard and motioning. "If the scene before you doesn't garner your full concentration, I'll gladly explain the laser to you, as I'm fairly proud of it, but I'm pretty sure once you see it, the laser will be the furthest thing on your mind. Which is good, I need to keep your mind off it while it's being prepped for tonight."
Bakura took a few steps forward to see what he was pointing toward, and walked off the pavement into the grass. Right away two things caught his attention. The first, whom he only concentrated on for a moment, was Blair. He was standing there with his usual arrogance, arms folded across the trademark muscle shirt. Bakura's eyes then lowered to the ground and he felt his breath catch someplace inside his lungs. The boss had been right. All thoughts of the laser, the Compound, and everything else instantly vanished from his mind. His vision blurred and it was a moment before he could even focus.
It was Yami, lying motionless on his side on the ground with his back to Bakura, a few feet away from Blair's steel-clad boots. The way he lay there made it impossible to tell what had happened to him, if he'd been shot or stabbed or something else, even if he were dead or alive. It looked as though someone had simply thrown him there, splayed as he was.
"Hello, Uzi-boy." Blair took a step forward, standing between Bakura and Yami's prone body. "Just think. It's been a good couple months or so since you came to live here and never once would you listen to what I had to say. It's been irritating, to tell the truth. But now," He prodded Yami's shoulder with his toe, "I think I've got the one thing that will get your attention."
To Be Continued…
Author's Notes:
About the military thing: I realize that the American military might not allow someone of Japanese heritage, especially of the Boss's heritage, (you'll find out about it later on), in on a top-secret project, but whoever said that the records they got on the guy were the right records, right? I mean, anything can be covered up if you know the right people and the right things to say and do. (I live in FL, I know this firsthand. Our state's history is all about covering things up.) Therefore, I grant that it's probably possible for the guy to have worked for the military while they didn't know his entire background. He looks like an American, after all. Anyhoo, I feel I should explain this, lest nit-pickers get…picky. That was poorly worded, wasn't it? Ah well. xD
Due to the shortness of this, I put a lot of effort into the final scene, in hopes that the cliffhanger will give you something to think about besides my other writing…or lack thereof. No word yet if Yami is dead or alive or someplace in-between, (I know I'm gonna catch hell from someone for that…:pokes at Michelle-chan: Just when I was starting to get on her good side! What was I thinking…), there's a laser that's not far away from being fired, (but who knows where that laser is going to be fired at, and why), and to top it all off, Bakura is now in a moment of shock. Oh boy, I just can't cut these guys a break. But then again, getting breaks is not what charrahs in fics like these do. They get hell instead. Such fun!
Well, as I said, this chapter was…short. Very short. A little over three and a half pages. That's like…insanely short. I'm such a lazy bum. Well, at least it was decent, I mean, I could have made it longer with a lot of boring fluff but that's just…boring. Whateva. I'll make up for it in the ensuing chapters, I promise! Spring Break next week. Woot! Lots of time to write.
Replies:
Hershey-Kiss: Oh…well, I can understand stress, and I'm flattered that you still make time to read this bunch of…insanity. :peruses her writing: Well, anyway, it's nice to know you're so loyal. :smile smile: As for the tree issue…you make a good point. Yeah, you caught me on that one, you really did. For lack of good excuse, let's say that Bakura is Bakura, and the guy isn't exactly your normal person…it's entirely possible he's been sitting around in trees sniping at cars. (Heck, there's this guy on a pocket-rocket that I'd love to shoot off his bike one day…he keeps riding past while I'm trying to watch TV. If I had the weaponry, I would so sit in a tree and wait.) I'm glad you liked it, if you're going to take your valuable time to read this, I'd like to at least make it enjoyable for you. As for that happy ending…you'll just have to wait and see.
You Know Us: I'm not sure I dare try to make peaceful contact with you, seeing as what I've likely done to Michelle-chan. Now don't be getting defensive either Michelle, I had this planned out, I did NOT toss that ending in just to annoy you, I promise. And besides…you don't have a crush, right?) But, one must try…I'm very glad you liked the last chapter. :smile smile: It was cute, cuteness is always fun. And I'm also glad you noted the scene with Bakura saying he never cared about Louis. I worked real hard on that scene! Now, I hope Michelle doesn't kill me. Or you. Or anyone else for that matter that doesn't deserve to be killed. (:wicked grin: Though I could direct you to a few people at my school…:slaps herself: Bad self! Bad!)
Oh! I nearly forgot…everyone, my Bakura-Yami Darkshipping AMV is completed, uploaded, and posted at animemusicvideos (dot) org.If you have the time and the harddrive space, please please go download it! It's very cute, and I'm proud of it seeing how hard it is to find canon clips of their relationship. (Mad difficult…) Anyhoo, what you do is go to that site, and on the home page, you'll see a search box. Type "Cruel to Be Kind- A darkshipping tribute" into that, and download the video that has the author's name of "Yami no Geemu". That'll be mine. (It ought to be the first search result.) It's not a very large file, so even dial-uppers should be able to get hold of it well enough. You'll like it, I worked real hard on it.
Much love ya'll! Later-