Chapter 34: Pasted Gray Ink

Tatsuha fought to open his eyes. It felt as though both were being held down by lead weights, but he knew he had to wake up… it was something to do with what he had seen… what was it?

Aoi.

The knowledge that he was in this guy's hand gave him the creeps. Peaking through his eyelashes he looked out at the room he was in. He could feel the rope binding at his wrists as he tried to wiggle his way out of them, and as he tested his now numb feet he knew that those were tied as well.

He was absolutely helpless, absolutely helpless and alive.

What was he planning on doing with him? For that matter how did this happen? He'd just brewed himself some coffee he hadn't even eaten breakfast. Sure the coffee had been more bitter than normal, but…

Tatsuya could beat himself up. He'd read the scenario before in one of his brother's books. Not that he'd admit to his brother that he had read any of his books… What had they guy done in that story anyway? Other than wait for the cavalry to arrive of course. He was not going to wait for Touya to come barging through that door with a holster on his hip to save him! Though he conceded that the…

Tatsuya shook his head furiously now was not the time to daydream about being rescued. He was beginning to wonder if he was beginning to loose.

"Well, well… you're awake rather quickly aren't you? I don't know who you are but I don't really care… instead let's begin with this… a good old-fashioned interrogation. Hmm?"

Tatsuya looked at him. Aoi wasn't the type of man that you would even look twice at when walking down the street. Plain and simple, still he gave the impression of being a well balanced gentleman, and there was an intelligence in his eye that would catch someone's attention rather quickly, as well as a turn of words that was more than pleasant if the situation wasn't so damn scary.

There was also a glint in his eye that hinted at a level of insanity that he had only seen in the worst of people.

Tatsuha didn't want to know what he was going to be interrogated about but at least for now Aoi saw him as useful, and his instinct said that if he was going to live for any duration of time Aoi had better find him necessary or he would just be an unfortunate liability.

"So tell me… There were three that didn't belong in Shirokawa-san's home. Her brother, you and another… I already know all that I want to about Touya so why don't you tell me about the short one. After all he is the one that has gotten close to my Narumi-chan…" Aoi reached behind him and pulled something off of the desk letting Tatsuha get a short glimpse of it, as he smiled at him, coldly. "And while you're at it I would like to know a little something about you as well… Tatsuha-san, or are you a gambling man?"

Touya let Ryuichi chase after his sister. If nothing else Ryuichi was quick and agile it probably wouldn't take him long to catch up with his sister. Touya though had a bad thought. Was Narumi really going to be the main target?

After all Aoi had professed his love for her… she may be a target but she wasn't the only one, and the fact that Aoi was out there somewhere and Tatsuha wasn't with them, left him feeling cold and worried. At least if they were in groups of two they had better odds of dealing with a loan psycho.

Why on earth didn't Tatsuha come with them? Did he want to get killed?

Touya gritted his teeth and headed back to the house at a full run. He wasn't going to feel any better until he knew that Tatsuha was safe. If it hadn't been for what had happened to Kuma the night before he wouldn't even worry but with what did…

He tried to run as fast as he could as he ran through the front yard and into… had they left the front door open?

"Hey Tatsuha where are you? Answer me! This is not funny. Tatsuha! Tatsuha?"

Touya looked through the living room and the kitchen his eyes scanning over everything in the house. He could feel his stomach drop in worry. It had only been 10 minutes that he had been out of the house. Just 10 minutes what could happen in 10 minutes right?

"Tatsuha."

What could happen in 10 minutes, apparently a whole lot more than he had thought. He reached into the closed and pulled out a baseball bat. Did Narumi even play?

No it must have been Ryuichi's.

Sorry!

He headed upstairs where he had seen Tatsuha sitting, and walked on past. The door to Narumi's bedroom was wide open, and he knew without a doubt that that one had been shut. Narumi was always such a stickler about that. She hated leaving her bedroom door open.

He glanced into the room with a baseball bat in his hands, and that's when he saw something that he would rather not have seen.

Kuma was there in the middle of the floor, one of his legs had fluff coming out of it, and leaning against him was holding up a little note card.

It wasn't hand written, and he knew that Aoi was too smart to leave fingerprints on it. It only had three little words glued onto it.

I found you.

Chapter 35: to be continued...