Author's Note: Hello ladies and gents! Well this is the new chapter! Are we all excited? Hm? Hm? , Anyway, I guess my goal to finish up the story before school starts is shot, because (lucky me --) school has started! Anyway, this chapter is more of an information deal. I'm trying to gather up the loose ends and put some things into context for everyone. So, I hope you enjoy. Happy Readings!
"Mr. Kon, you may go in now."
I looked up from the spot that I had been staring at on the floor. The nurse, a hefty woman with graying hair, motioned for me to follow her, and I stood up. She led me down one of the long hallways and stopped in front of a heavy door with the number 106 posted on it. There was a chart hanging on the door that stated the name of the patient and the reason for the patient's current position in the care of the hospital. Reading the name, I couldn't help but feel a tinge of sudden panic even though they had assured me that he would be okay.
I took a deep breath as she opened the door and stepped aside so that I could enter. The hospital room looked like any other hospital room I'd ever seen. There were four white sterile walls and a television hoisted high in a corner, equipment that I only had names for four of them, a shiny speckled tile floor, and that electronic bed with those starch sheets. Much to my relief, within that bed was Kai, and he was sitting up looking about as alert as ever, albeit there WERE bandages around his head. I couldn't help but smile.
The nurse smiled at my expression and looked to Kai.
"Mr. Hiwatari, is there anything I can get for you?" She asked.
Kai shook his head. The nurse nodded once, smiled at the both of us once more and exited the room, closing the door behind her. The moment I heard the click, indicating that the door WAS shut tight, I practically sprinted over to Kai's bedside and fell to my knees so that I could hoist my folded arms on the side of the thin mattress. Kai merely raised his eyebrow at me. I smiled.
"Hey," I greeted.
Kai smiled too. "Hey."
"How're they treatin' you in here, Tex?" I asked jokingly.
Kai rolled his eyes and shrugged. "I don't like hospitals," he stated matter-of-factly.
My smile turned into a smirk upon hearing the comment. "Very well," I said. "Next time you have a bloody gash in your head we'll just slap a band aid on it see how long it takes you to pass out from blood loss."
Kai glared at me for a short moment, and I continued to smirk. Point for Rei!
His glare disappeared in favor of concerned eyes and a slightly furrowed brow. His hand reached over to rest easily on one of my arms.
"Are YOU okay?" He asked.
I sighed and allowed him another smile. "Shaken, but I'm fine. I was worried about you," I replied.
Kai shrugged, removing his hand and placing it in his lap. "It's really not that bad. The cut--"
"Nasty gash," I corrected pointedly.
Kai passed me a strange look and ignored the comment. "The CUT only needed a total of six stitches. Head wounds always bleed a lot, but it wasn't as bad as it looked."
I nodded, thanking God for that.
"Anyway," I started, thoughts switching to the guy I had left duct taped up in the kitchen pantry. "Let's talk about what happened. How did that guy get in?" I asked.
Kai thought about the question. "Well, it's not that difficult. A good thief can break a lock on a door or a window. Even so, he could have just broken a window. The house is so vast that I could have easily missed the sound of the shattering."
"Yeah, but why? Why would he attack you?"
Kai gently shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe he was looking for things to steal. He didn't seem too professional. After all, he DID attack me head on and end up smacking me with a skillet," he said.
I couldn't help but giggle. It sounded funny. Who would have thought that the great Kai Hiwatari could be taken out by a kitchen skillet?
Kai looked at me indignantly, crossing his arms in a huff.
"Sorry," I mumbled, trying to hide my smile behind my arms.
He just rolled his eyes and looked exasperated until I regained my composure.
"So, what did you do with that guy, anyway?" Kai asked.
"I disabled him," I began.
Kai nodded. "I saw that."
I grinned. "I've got mad skill," I joked.
He smiled.
"And I tied him up with duct tape and shoved him in the pantry. Before I took you to the hospital I called the cops and told them where your house was and where I put the guy. I assume they've taken care of him by now," I explained.
"No doubt that they'll want to question you, though." Kai said. He then looked hesitant to continue.
I stared at him for a moment before realizing what he was going to bring up, and it made me a little uneasy too.
"Especially since it has to do with me, huh?" I asked.
Kai nodded mutely. I looked down at the stiff white sheets and let my fingers play with the fabric. I didn't want anything to do with . . . with anything, not after everything that had happened. Why was my life so complicated? I sighed in slight depression.
I felt Kai's hand gently stroking my hair. I looked up at him, and he brushed a few strands of hair from my eyes.
"I'm so tired, Kai," I said, voice barely above a whisper. "I don't want this to be anything . . . but I'm so scared that it IS something more. I'm just . . . so tired of it all," I confessed.
Kai's eyes were so soft as they rested upon me. His hand gently ran down to stroke my cheek. "Rei, it's going to okay," he said softly. "Everything is. I'm not going to let anything happen to you." He said, and his eyes grew darker. "Not again," he added. "Especially now that I have you, Rei, I'm not letting you go."
His words DID comfort me, and I was so grateful for him right then. We remained silent for a little while, just enjoying one another's company. I only hoped that we would have a chance to enjoy each other's company some time when Kai WASN'T in the hospital.
Suddenly, the door to the room opened up, and the nurse stepped in. I looked over at her, smiling sheepishly, and stood up.
"Mr. Kon, there is someone here to see you," she said.
Kai and I glanced at one another suspiciously. No one else knew we were there. I hadn't had the opportunity to tell Tyson or Max or Kenny or anyone.
"Who is it?" I asked.
Much to my surprise, Detective Mou stepped in right behind the nurse and walked forward with a slight smile.
I blinked. "Oh . . . damn it," I grumbled, knowing well enough that if Mou was there then things were about to get much more complicated.
She bowed her head slightly. "Nice to see you too, Kon," she said dryly.
The nurse had a rather confused look about her features, but she shrugged, deciding not to ask. "I'll leave you three alone," she said as she exited the room.
We all watched the door close. I sighed and pulled a chair next to Kai's bed and took a seat.
"Okay, I started, what's up?" I asked.
"Once they found out that you were involved, Rei, they called me, and that guy you caught turned out to be much more than a petty thief," Mou stated, wasting no time as usual.
I sighed. "Of course he wasn't," I replied drolly.
She threw me a half smile that could have meant any number of things.
"The problem we're having is that he is refusing to speak to us, actually, the only person he wants to speak with is you."
I was surprised, yet what she had just said was predictable in a round about sort of way. After all, fate had no plans of simplicity for me.
"Why me?" I asked.
Mou stared at me for a moment. "Rei," she said carefully. "This man's name is Chu Takanaka, and he was Lake's roommate."
Now, if the previous thing surprised me, THAT just about knocked me out of the chair.
"B-But you said that guy didn't know anything about Lake!" I exclaimed.
She nodded slightly. "We were incorrect. At the time, he had an alibi and had nothing to do with the girl's death."
"And . . . and he wants to talk to . . . me?" I asked, my voice a little quieter.
"Yes."
"You're not going to LET him, are you?" Kai asked suddenly, speaking for the first time.
Mou looked over at him as though she hadn't seen him there before.
"Yes, we are. In fact we would like him to come as soon as possible."
"That man could have HURT him, and now you're allowing him to speak with the potential victim?" Kai asked as his voice began to sound strained.
I saw the fire flaring in his eyes, and I saw it flaring in Mou's too. They were surprisingly similar. Both of them wore stony masks and had a strange alluring aura that left people fascinated, wondering what secrets they held. Yet, both of them had a softer side, a side that could be easily embraced were it coaxed out by the right people. How strange.
I cleared my throat, catching their attention.
"I'll speak with him," I said.
Mou smiled slightly.
"Rei--" Kai started.
I placed my hand atop his, not caring about Mou's presence in the room.
"Kai, if I speak with him then he could answer some questions, and maybe things will FINALLY be back to normal for me."
I paused.
"For us," I said.
There was silence.
"I'll be waiting for you outside," Mou said before leaving.
"Rei," Kai said. "I want to be there with you," he said.
I smiled at him, holding his hand with my own. "Kai, love, you have to stay here until they release you. The talk will be supervised, I'm sure, and when it's all over I'll contact you. I'll tell you everything."
"I just don't want anything to happen," Kai stated.
I smiled softly and stood up from my chair so that I could stand closer to him. I let my hand brush through his thick hair a few times and leaned down to give him a kiss. Our lips parted and the chaste intended kiss turned into something deeper. It left us both a little breathless, but it felt good, it felt right.
"I'll see you soon, Kai. In the meantime, behave for the doctors, okay?" I said, winking.
Kai grinned. "Bye, Rei."
I waved before I left the room and felt better about departing from my newfound love. Mou was waiting at the service desk, just as she had promised, and acknowledged my presence with a slight rising of her elegant eyebrows.
"Shall we go?" I asked.
"We'll take my car. It shouldn't be too long. I'll drop you off here again once we're done," she replied.
I agreed, and we left the bustling hospital for a crowded parking lot. The entire ride from the hospital to the police department was carried out in complete silence, and I couldn't have cared less. I only started getting nervous about talking to Chu Takanaka when we pulled into a parking space and climbed out. My footsteps were quite hesitant, and Mou seemed to pick up on this.
"Don't worry. We'll be listening to and watching everything. Nothing bad can happen," she informed.
I just nodded before we entered the station. It was exactly how I remembered it. It was full of people and activity. I found it depressing that I already knew the way to interrogation room number five. Oh well.
Mou halted in front of interrogation room number three. She turned to her right as if waiting. Curious, I too turned to the right and saw a man approaching. He was a middle-aged guy with an able body and a good-natured look about him. As he approached a jovial smile appeared on his face, bringing to life the laugh lines around his brown eyes.
"Is this him, Mou?" He asked, voice baritone and strong.
"Yes," she said, standing aside. "Rei Kon, this is Mike Anderson, a fellow detective. Anderson, this is Rei Kon."
He held out his large hand to me, smile still present, and I shook it.
"Nice to meet you, Kon."
His grip was firm (a little too firm) as he shook my hand (along with the rest of my body). I was relieved when he released me.
I simply tried to smile pleasantly. "Nice to meet you too, Detective Anderson," I said.
He wrinkled up his face a little and waved a large hand to the side. "The name's Mike," he said.
"Very well," I acquiesced. "Then I'm Rei."
Mike's grin appeared again. Much to my surprise, Mike clapped a heavy hand on my shoulder, causing me to wince.
"Then come on, Rei. I'll show you the room," he said.
He reached for the knob and opened the door, ushering me inside the room. Surprise, surprise, interrogation room number three looked exactly like interrogation room number five.
"Now, Rei, this is where you'll be seated, and over there is the two way mirror. Mou and I will be right behind that glass, so if anything goes down, we'll know about it, got it?" He asked.
No, the concept is far too difficult for my inferior brain to comprehend.
"Yeah, got it," I said.
"Great. Take a seat and we'll get started."
I grabbed a chair as Mike and Mou left the interrogation room to take their positions. It felt strange sitting in such a dimly lighted room, knowing that two, possibly more, people that I couldn't see were watching me. I hadn't committed a crime (that time), but it felt like I was being scrutinized by prying eyes.
I tried to pass the short period of time until Takanaka arrived by mentally prepping myself. I wanted to seem less nervous and fidgety when he got there. I wanted him to see the calm, fearless Rei, the Rei that laughed in the face of Death; the Rei who struck fear into the hearts of people with even blackest of souls!
. . . Okay, so that particular Rei didn't exist. I had to settle for the pretty calm Rei that smiled timidly at Death and struck fear into the hearts of . . . well, small rodent like creatures.
I looked up when I heard two pairs of footsteps echoing on the stone floor. An officer was leading a handcuffed individual to the other side of the table where he sat down across from me. I assumed the officer would go and stand by the door, but to my surprise he left the room. I figured it was part of 'the plan' or something. In any case, it was just Mr. Psycho Break into People's Houses and Hit Other People with Blunt Kitchen Utensils and I. Goodie.
I wasn't entirely certain what to say. What COULD I say to the man who had hospitalized Kai and tried to hurt me in the process?
"You . . . wanted to speak with me?" I asked.
Oh, I was calm, but my voice was small.
Chu Takanaka nodded, his round head bobbing up and down atop a long, scrawny neck. Plain brown eyes stared at me from slightly sunken sockets and paper-thin lips parted so that he could speak.
"Yeah," he said. "If you're Rei Kon."
His voice was gruff and somewhat nasal.
I gulped a little. "I am."
Takanaka lifted his cuffed wrists on top of the table. The clang of the metal against the wood echoed about the room, irritating my sensitive ears. I couldn't help myself from flinching a little.
"I don't mind these cuffs. As far as I'm concerned, they're in their rightful place on my wrists," he said, staring at me intently.
I just nodded uncertainly.
"I knew Scott. I knew him real well, and I knew Kieros too."
Kieros? Right, Cynthia.
"Truth is, Scott did kill Kieros, but he did it to save his life. Kieros was going to kill him."
"But I thought Cynthia and Lake were dating," I interjected.
Takanaka chuckled. "It was a front; a perfect one. Scott was a troubled guy and Kieros was an innocent looking little thing with a clean record and a heart of gold. Well, all that's a bunch of bullshit. Kieros knew the right people. Got her files removed. The truth is that Kieros was Scott's dealer."
". . . What?" I asked, shocked.
He smirked. "She was a real hussy too and always looking for quick cash. Someone wanted Scott dead, and that same someone was going to pay Kieros a good hunk of cash for the job. Scott found out, he knew what she was up too. That night at the club she only came in there to lure him out. They both ended up in an alleyway, and ol' Scott wrestled the rope from her hands. He turned it on her . . . strangled her to death. Don't know why she thought she could choke him to death. Scott was a lot stronger than her. After all that was done, he came back to the apartment and told me everything that happened."
Takanaka leaned forward a little more. "Started tellin' me things about dark hair and golden eyes, too. I guess I can see why he was so taken with you now. Scott was obsessive sometimes; not always stable."
I ignored that part.
"But what about Kieros' body. They said she was raped," I said.
He shrugged. "Hell if I know. The girl was into a lot of things. Wouldn't have surprised me if the bitch were a whore too. She might have had a rough customer. Who the hell knows, and who the hell cares? The point is that I told Scott to run and hide. I told him others would be after him. I guess I should've known that he would fuck up and come after you. Anyway, you killed the guy and took care of someone's problem. Unfortunately, they weren't just after Scott. They must've had you targeted too."
I took a deep breath, trying to digest everything.
"WHO had me targeted?"
"Well, that's the important question, isn't it? All I know is this. There are a lot of people involved, but there's only one main guy running the show. They're into some rough stuff, and they've got some pretty deep ties with some dangerous people. Scott worked for them, and Kieros was hired by them to kill Scott because he was becoming a liability. He was sloppy when it came to the jobs. They don't call themselves nothin', and I only know the boss' alias."
"His alias?" I asked,
Takanaka leaned back in his chair, his cuffed hands falling from the tabletop and into his lap.
"Yeah. Everyone calls him Vamp."
'Vamp . . .' The name sent an odd sensation through me. My mind was tingling. Was I trying to remember something?
"What would this guy, Vamp, want me for?" I asked.
"Dunno what's so special 'bout you, but whatever it is, I'm glad as hell that I don't have it. Vamp gets what he wants, kid, he don't stop at nothin'."
I gulped.
"I've just told you everything I know, so I'm done here--"
"No, wait!" I said abruptly.
He closed his mouth and set me with a blank stare.
"Why did you try to kill Kai?" I asked.
One corner of his mouth rose obnoxiously. "He was in my way."
I felt the heat of anger rise within me. Asshole.
"In the way of what?"
"I was there to kill you, Kon."
I blinked. "What? Why?" I asked, utterly confused and disgusted with the man.
"Because, you killed my baby half brother."
I felt my stomach drop, and the anger left me. Guilt took residence within me once again, because that gruff, nasal voice held a bout of sorrow.
"I . . . I'm sorry," I mumbled.
My emotions were confusing me. I wanted to greatly dislike Takanaka, but my heart went out to him.
He shook his head. "After they slapped the cuffs on me I had time to think. I thought about everything. I figure that Vamp was the one lookin' to kill him, not you. I thought that if I told you the story, you'd be able to take him down. I think Scott could rest knowing that everything was taken care of."
I nodded. "I . . .we'll all do our best," I offered feebly, having nothing better to say.
Takanaka cleared his throat. "Now I really am done here," he said, looking toward the two-way mirror. "You lot can take me away, I don't wanna be here no more."
A minute or so later the officer came in to take Takanaka out, and I watched him go, still in awe at the things I had learned.
'Vamp . . . Vamp . . .'
"God's help me," I whispered into the quiet.