Thanks for all the wonderful reviews. ^_^ You guys are totally awesome. I know I say that in every chapter, but it's true! I can't thank you enough!
In response to Acey1: Yes, I know Kai deserves a nice, happy ending after all the hell I've put him through. But hey, it's not over! There's still time for a happy ending since no one's died yet. ^_~
Chapter Eleven
* * * * *
The low and constant rumbling woke Wyatt. He blearily opened his eyes and took a deep breath. He was lying on his back, and found himself staring at a dirty white ceiling. Moving his fingers slowly, he pushed himself upright, his head pounding in his ears. He looked around and saw Kai lying on his side a few feet away from him. He scampered over to him quickly.
"Kai?" he asked, his voice shaking in fear. Kai's eyes were closed, and Wyatt realized he was still unconscious. He gently turned him over until he was lying on his back, so as not to aggravate his wound. He reached over and undid the ropes around Kai's wrists, and then moved slightly so he could undo the ones around his ankles. Kai moaned softly, and Wyatt looked down at him in concern. When he didn't move again, Wyatt sighed and looked up. They were in the back of a van, and there were no windows at all except for a very tiny slot in the back where the doors were.
"Uhn… Wyatt…" Kai groaned. Wyatt looked down again.
"Kai! Are you okay?" he cried. Kai's eyes fluttered open and then closed again. Wyatt gently pushed his bangs away from his face and bit his lip.
"Kai, what's going on? Who were those people… and what do they want?" Wyatt asked worriedly. Kai blew his breath out gently and winced, trying to regulate his breathing.
"The man in the wheelchair… that was Boris. He works with my grand—I mean, Voltaire. Did you know he disowned me?" Kai asked, speaking laboriously. Wyatt shook his head. "Well, he did. He wanted me to go back to his old company, Biovolt, and finish making those cyber bit-beasts, or whatever they were. I refused, and now… they kidnapped me, and they're using you as a hostage."
Wyatt's eyes widened in fear. "A…a h-hostage?"
Kai squeezed his eyes shut and groaned in pain. "Don't worry, Wyatt. I won't let anything happen to you."
"But, Kai… they shot you. You need medical attention." Wyatt's eyes rested on Kai's blood-soaked sleeve.
"Can you see outside?" Kai asked faintly, reopening his eyes. Wyatt went to the back doors and peered out.
"Uh, not much. This window isn't big enough to read street signs, or anything. All I can see is the road." He went back to Kai's side. "What are we going to do?"
Kai didn't answer. He was trying to figure out what Boris had planned for them. He closed his eyes with a pained sigh. Were they planning to torture him again? And where would that lead them? Were they going to torture Wyatt until he agreed to cooperate? He heard Wyatt sniff beside him and felt totally helpless. Wyatt shouldn't be here, he thought. This is my problem, not his.
The van went over a bump in the road, and jumped slightly. Kai's injured shoulder banged against the floor, and he stifled a cry of pain. Cursing to himself, he gingerly sat up and leaned against the wall. He rubbed his eyes and sighed, tilting his head back. Wyatt crawled over and settled down next to him. Kai glanced over and saw that his roommate was terribly frightened.
"Does it hurt a lot?" Wyatt asked in a small voice, gesturing to his shoulder.
"Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."
"Come on, Kai, don't be like that. We have to look out for each other." Wyatt switched sides and hovered over him. "Let me see if it stopped bleeding."
Kai sighed and unbuttoned his shirt, slipping it off his shoulder. He winced as the air hit it, and Wyatt peered down cautiously. A thought struck him.
"Is the bullet still in there?" he asked. Kai bit his lip.
"I don't know," he admitted. "But, damn, it sure feels like it."
Wyatt pressed his lips together in worry. The wound had bled all over the place, and even though the blood was flowing in much lesser amounts now, it hadn't really stopped. Kai shuddered and bit down harder on his lip. Wyatt slumped down next to him.
"Where are they taking us?" he asked quietly. Kai shook his head.
"I have no idea. The Abbey was destroyed completely, and Biovolt was shut down. Those are the only two places I can think of." Kai looked over at his friend. "Wyatt, I am so sorry that you had to get involved in all this."
"It's not your fault…"
Kai snorted bitterly.
The van was quiet for a few moments, and suddenly, it came to a stop. Wyatt whimpered slightly, apprehension building inside of him. Kai closed his eyes and groaned.
The doors opened, and light streamed inside. Boris and two guards appeared. The other was in the front at the wheel.
"Well, hell. They're both up," the guard said. Boris growled.
"You'll have to knock them out again. You can't let them see where they are," he commanded. Kai's eyes flew open. His head was still pounding from the last time they had knocked him cold.
"Christ," he muttered. He didn't think he could take much more of this. His fatigue and the blood-loss alone were taking a major toll on him. The guard climbed inside with a needle in his hand.
"What, you're not going to clonk me like a caveman again?" Kai asked obnoxiously.
"Only if you want me to. C'mere kid," he said, cornering Wyatt. Wyatt whimpered again, and the man slid the needle effortlessly into his arm. In seconds, Wyatt was unconscious. He made his way over to Kai, and, this time, Kai didn't struggle. He was too tired to, and a tranquilizer actually sounded good.
* * * * *
It was ten after eight, and Tyson was hurrying out the door. He was planning to let Kai pick what they should do for their date. He went down the hall, and stopped in front of Kai's room, knocking three times. He waited, and not getting a reply, knocked again. Kai was probably still sleeping, or maybe he was in the bathroom. Tyson knocked a third time.
"Kai?" he called out. "You in there?" Still getting no answer, he called Wyatt's name. There was no response.
"That's weird," he said to himself. He waited again, and after knocking for a fifth time, he slipped his hand into his pocket and extracted his wallet. He flipped it open and took out a credit card. Years ago, Rei had taught him how to pick a lock with a card since he forgot his house key so often. He slipped it between the door and the frame.
"Kai, I'm coming in!" he warned before wriggling the card around. After a moment, Tyson heard a satisfying click as the lock gave way. He pushed the door open.
"Kai?" His eyes scanned the room quickly as he stepped inside. It was quiet and it looked as if there was no one there. He went to the bathroom and stuck his head in. It was dry and looked like it hadn't been used in hours. His brows knitted together as he walked over to Kai's bed and pulled the covers down. It had not been slept in.
Wyatt's bed was slightly messier, and he pulled the covers down on that, as well. A small scrap of paper fell out onto the floor. Tyson absently picked it up. His eyes caught Kai's name on it, and held it up to read. His lips moved silently and he felt his heart stop at the content written on it.
"This has got to be a fucking joke," he murmured. Boris had broken in and kidnapped them both? He had shot Kai and taken them to Biovolt?
"But how did he get in?" Tyson asked out loud. His heart sank as he looked down at the credit card in his hand. It would have been too easy. His breathing quickened and he looked up again, and for the first time, noticed numerous stains near the door. He ventured toward them and knelt down beside a dark spot on the carpet. He shook his head fearfully, not wanting to admit that he was staring at Kai's blood.
Boris had shot him…
Tyson's eyes swept up, and he took in dark red stains against the door. He jumped up and ran to Wyatt's bed, opening one of his textbooks and grabbing an assignment that he had finished. He stuck the note next to it, and felt a horrible sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. The penmanship was identical. He sat down heavily on the bed. Either someone was playing a really cruel joke, or Boris had honestly kidnapped them. Tyson shook his head, trying to think rationally. He was growing more anxious by the second. Wyatt wasn't the kind of person who would just make something like this up, and if Kai did, something was seriously wrong with him. Reality hit him like a ton of bricks. Him and Kai both were about to relive a nightmare.
Tyson sprinted out the door and down to his car.
* * * * *
Tyson banged on the door to Rei's house. Before that, he had driven to Kenny's place and told him what had happened, then dragged him to Rei's to fill him in as well. Presently, Kenny was standing beside him holding his ever-present laptop. Tyson impatiently slammed his fist against the door again.
"Rei! Open the—"
The door was flung open, and a very annoyed looking neko-jin appeared. "Tyson, would you—"
"Rei, listen to me! There's no time for chit-chat, Kai's been kidnapped!" Tyson yelled. Rei's eyes widened, and he stepped away from the door, allowing them room to pass. Once inside, Rei shut the door and turned to Tyson.
"What are you talking about?"
Tyson stuck the note in his face, and Rei's amber eyes scanned over it. His jaw dropped, and he glared up at Tyson.
"What the hell is this?"
"Wyatt wrote it! It's true, I saw the blood on the floor!"
"What blood?"
"Kai's!"
"Tyson, why don't you start from the beginning," Kenny broke in, seeing as this was getting them nowhere.
Tyson took a deep breath. "Okay, this morning, Kai and I went to go see Voltaire. Well, Kai did, I just waited for him in the car. Voltaire disowned him and cut him off from his inheritance, and Kai was really upset. He said that Voltaire wanted him to go continue with his plans to make the cyber bit-beast, or whatever. Kai refused, and we both went back home. We had planned to go out at eight today, after Kai got some rest. Well, I come by at eight, and no one's there. I checked everywhere, and it seemed like no one had been in there for hours. Then I saw this note on Wyatt's bed, and there were bloodstains on the floor and some on the door. Boris took them, and he shot Kai! They're both gone and I have no idea where the hell they are!"
Rei was too busy trying to sort out what Tyson had just said to say anything. After a moment, he spoke.
"Okay, let me get this straight. Boris came and took both Wyatt and Kai?"
"Yes!" Tyson was rather distraught. "I don't know where they are, or what he's planning to do…"
Rei shook his head. "Call the police."
"I did at Kenny's place. They're on the case, but how many other kidnapping cases do they get everyday? Just think about it," Tyson said, walking over to Rei's window. He pushed aside the white lace curtains and gazed outside. For the first time in a very long time, Rei saw tears shimmering in his chocolate colored eyes. The raven-haired blader cocked his head slightly, his brows knitted together.
"Tyson, are you and Kai… together?" he asked. Tyson lowered his eyes.
"Yeah," he said softly. There was another question weighing heavily on Rei's mind. He hesitated slightly.
"Do you know… does Kai… does he hate me?"
Tyson paused before answering. "I don't know. He might have said it a few times, but that was when what happened was fresh in his mind. You really hurt him, Rei. A lot. You made him think that love didn't exist. I'd never seen him so… depressed." He shook his head. "Really, it's amazing what a huge impact you had on him."
"Well, I'm not exactly proud of what I did."
Tyson turned from the window and looked at Rei. "Why'd you do it?"
He blinked. "What, break it off with Kai?"
"Yeah."
Rei shook his head and sighed. "I wasn't in love with him. I didn't even know what love was at the time. It was a crush that stayed with me for years, but nothing more. I thought Kai really was the one for me, but he wasn't. The day I met Caleb was one of the best days of my life, but also one of the worst, because I knew I had to tell Kai where we stood. I don't love him the way I love Caleb, but I do love him as a friend and for the wonderful person that he is. I never wanted to hurt him. I just wish… I wish I hadn't been stupid enough to tell him that I loved him when I didn't."
"I don't think you guys are ever going to be the same."
Rei nodded sadly, but without resistance. "I know."
Tyson turned back to the window with a frustrated sound. "I don't know what to do! I have no clue as to where I should even start!"
Rei laid the note on the table. "The police are on it… I don't think there's anything you can do. Unless we hear word on where they are or something, we're stuck."
"No!" Tyson turned again. "There has to be something, anything I can do!"
Kenny sat down at the table and opened his laptop. Tyson watched desperately.
"Isn't there something we can do, Chief?" he asked. Kenny paused.
"I'm afraid not. Maybe you could go back to Kai's dorm room and see if there's anything that could be a lead, but—no, wait, the police would already be doing that." Kenny scanned the screen critically. "If I could just find out where—"
"The Abbey!" Tyson yelled. Rei raised an eyebrow.
"Tyson, that's in Russia, and it was destroyed a long time ago," Kenny said absently. "They must have built some secret underground headquarters somewhere."
"Can you find out where?" Tyson asked.
"It's not likely," Kenny said. "This is top-secret stuff. They've probably had their tails watched carefully by the government, so they've definitely learned how to do this stuff without getting caught. These are professionals we're dealing with."
"So maybe we should let the professionals handle this," Rei said, looking at Tyson.
"No way! I mean, they're obviously helping too, but we have to do something!"
"Tyson, this isn't a game! Boris is a very dangerous man, and one wrong move from us could mean the end for Kai or Wyatt."
Tyson glared at him. "I know that. But I'm not going to just sit around and do nothing while Kai goes through whatever hell they have planned for him."
Kenny looked up, and could almost see sparks shooting from the intensity of Tyson and Rei's defiant stares. Rei's eyes narrowed and he looked away first, flipping his hair over his shoulder as he turned toward Kenny.
"You're welcome to stay as long as you like," he said, stalking toward the hall. He disappeared into a bedroom. Kenny looked up at a seething Tyson.
"He doesn't understand," Tyson said angrily. He heard Rei talking to Caleb in the bedroom. Some of his anger dissipated as he heard someone sniffling, as if they had been crying. Kenny tapped obliviously on his keyboard, and Tyson quietly crept closer to the bedroom, curiosity eating at him. He took a peek in time to see Rei kiss the younger boy's golden hair.
"It's okay," Rei said softly, hugging him gently. Caleb was sobbing quietly into Rei's chest.
"No, it's not, you know it's not!" Caleb cried, his voice muffled. Rei opened his eyes, and Tyson gasped slightly at the sight of such deep pain in his amber depths.
"I love you, Caleb. Now hush, you need to rest. It's all going to be okay," Rei said.
"I love you, too… I love you so much…"
Tyson turned away, and leaned against the wall, embarrassed to have witnessed such a private moment. He bit his lip, knowing that something was wrong. That look of pain in Rei's eyes… and Caleb's brokenhearted crying… there couldn't be a problem with their relationship since the two were so obviously in love. Then what? He sighed and cast his gaze at the ceiling. After a moment, he closed his eyes, and felt a warm tear trickle down his cheek.
"Kai, please be okay," he whispered.
* * *
TBC
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Rei and Caleb's little problem isn't going to come up again for a while… I think. So, you wonderful people are just going to have to suffer through a bit of suspense. ^_^ It's okay, you can do it! Anyway, I had planned to make this chapter a little longer, but this seemed like a good stopping point. -_-;; So, next chapter we can plunge right into Kai's wonderfully horrid circumstances. *evil grin* Let's see… Tala should be in the next chapter. Review please, and thank you!