Author's Note: Well people, it's been a while, but here it is, the second to last installment before the conclusion. Happy Readings!
The pain started before I even opened my eyes. It pounded in my head in a steady rhythm that wouldn't cease no matter how much I pleaded. It didn't hurt nearly as much when I was out of it, and all I wanted to do was fall back into unconsciousness, but my body would not grant me my wish. I couldn't stop my eyelids from cracking open, and I expected a terrible onslaught of bright lights but was pleasantly surprised when all that greeted me was a few dim shadows cast by a fluorescent light somewhere.
I groaned, stiffly trying to move my body. I realized at that moment that I was lying on a cold, stone floor, and everything started to fall into place. I remembered it all, and I wanted to vomit. I remembered Max and what those guys had said. At the mere thought I felt tears begin to spring up. How could I have let it happen? What kind of person was I to allow that to happen to my best friend . . . my brother?
Suddenly, my ears perked up to a soft sound off to my side.
"He's waking up," whispered a voice.
It sounded strangely familiar.
"Sh," ordered another voice.
It too sounded familiar.
"Don't shush me!"
The other voice sighed, and I was pretty sure I knew who they were. With great effort, I managed to slowly push myself up, ignoring my headache, and turned toward the voices. Even so, I was surprised to see them there, especially considering that they were in a large cage . . . next to the cage that I was in.
"Mariah? Lee?" I asked.
I scowled as my voice cracked.
"Hi, Rei," greeted Lee.
I stared. They both looked like they had been through hell and back. Mariah's hair was loose and looked rather unkempt, her clothes were smudged with dirt, and she had a few cuts and bruises here and there. What got me was the black eye that she sported.
Lee wasn't looking fantastic either. His clothes were ripped and dirtied, his face was smudged, and it looked like he had a split lip. His hair was looking greasy, but at least it was still in a ponytail.
"Are you okay?" Mariah asked, tilting her head in concern.
I blinked, shrugged, and tried to find words for which to answer with. My head was still pounding, and I felt a little dazed.
"I'm . . . alive . . ."
Lee smiled sadly at me. "Thank the gods for that, but I wish you weren't here."
I rubbed my aching skull. "Where are we?"
Lee's hands gently caressed the smooth, chilly metal bars of his prison. "In a warehouse," he answered.
I suddenly remembered the bartender and what he had told me. "Then we're at Vamp's hide out?" I asked.
Mariah shrugged. "Yes, unfortunately, we are."
I shook my head, a sense of urgency starting to overwhelm me. I grasped the bars and leaned in toward their cage.
"How long have you two been here?"
Mariah looked at Lee who seemed to take a moment to think about it.
"A week, give or take a day," answered Mariah.
I gasped. "Seriously? How?"
Lee sighed. "Yes, seriously, and we can thank Mariah," he said, glancing at her.
She rolled her eyes.
"She dug to deep when she was trying to find out who killed Kevin and Gary, and one night we were walking home after just having had dinner when we were jumped by a bunch of guys from an alley. We couldn't fight them all off. We both blacked out and woke up in this damned cage."
"Wait, if you've been here that long then . . .Max, have you seen Max? Did they bring him here?" I asked quickly.
This time, Mariah bit her lip and Lee averted his eyes. My own eyes widened, and my fingers gripped the bars tighter. If I'd have leaned in any further I could have melted through the bars.
"You guys!" I urged.
"Yes, Rei, they brought Max in here."
Mariah answered my question, but her voice sounded strained. She took a deep breath as though to calm herself. The lights were dim, but I thought I saw her eyes glimmering a little, as though she were crying. That wasn't a good sign.
"We saw him being carried in here, and we called out his name, but he was unconscious. They walked straight by us without a second glance. We didn't see anyone for nearly three hours. Then, a guy walked in carrying Max." Lee said, but he paused and took a deep, steadying breath.
I felt the tears revisiting my eyes.
"Lee . . ." I started but trailed off.
Lee's hands clenched at his sides. I noticed Mariah slide her hand over his in an effort to soothe him.
"Max's eyes were open half mast, but they were different . . . they were dull, Rei . . . almost lifeless."
Mariah buried her face in the scraps of Lee's shirt, and Lee gently stroked her hair while wiping at his eyes with his free hand.
I just sat there, watching them, waiting for Lee to continue. I couldn't say or do anything else right then. My body was beginning to feel numb.
"He just . . . looked so fragile and pale in the arms of that stranger. He looked . . . vulnerable. I called out his name as they came to the cage door, but he didn't respond at all. Mariah tried too and nothing happened. They . . . threw him in here with us. We were trying to tend to him as best as we could, and so we used Mariah's ribbon and tore some strips from my shirt to bandage some of the cuts. He was totally unresponsive throughout the whole thing . . . and then, then we had to lift up his shirt to see if anything needed to be taken care of and . . . and, Jesus, he started to cry. It was soundless, though . . . just tears running slowly down his face. . . "
All three of us were balling by that time. I felt so weak and guilty. I loosened my grip on the bars and eased my forehead against them. My eyes stared solemnly at the gray floor and I observed my tears pool in the small crevices that had breached the stone.
". . . We noticed bruises starting to form on his torso, but they were distinct especially around his waist. It wasn't hard to piece together what had happened to him and . . . I'm . . . so sorry, Rei!" Lee shouted suddenly. "I couldn't protect him from them. All we could do was huddle together with him to keep him warm, and we tried to get him to snap out of it, but it wouldn't work . . . nothing worked!"
Abruptly, Lee slammed his fists against the bars, which omitted a rather jarring noise. After that, it was silent save for various sounds of sobbing from Mariah and Lee. My grief was quiet and reserved but so heavy. It weighed on my morose heart, enshrouding it in a heavy veil of sorrow, regret, and a feeling of failure. I had let it happen, all of it was my fault, and I couldn't change it.
That was part of the reason that I couldn't grieve aloud. The other reason was due to my anger and the hatred that was burning inside of me. Yes, I was sad, I was regretful, and yes, I felt guilty, but I was also pissed as hell. I didn't know whom exactly I was dealing with, but I knew what kind of people they were; I knew I was wanted to cause massive amounts of pain when I escaped.
I clenched my fists as anger began to trounce my sadness. Slowly, I raised my head so as to look at Lee and Mariah. They must have noticed the change in my demeanor.
"Rei?" Mariah asked, her voice a little shaky from crying.
"Where is he now?" I asked.
This time I got Lee's attention as well. Lee scrutinized me with a mere squinting of his eyes, as though he were trying to read my mind; he did a good job. Lee knew exactly where my thoughts had traveled.
"They took him away again about an hour and a half before you got here. We had attempted to escape so that we could get him out of here, but we were overcome. Hence our battered appearances."
I observed Mariah's black eye and Lee's split lip with a greater understanding and appreciation for their efforts.
"Thank you," I said.
Lee just nodded while Mariah flashed me a grin.
"Whatever you come up with, we want a part of it," Mariah said.
I nodded as a question began to formulate in my mind. I couldn't believe it hadn't come to me earlier.
"Lee, Mariah, why are you two here? Why did they bring you here?" I asked.
"Blood," he answered.
I stared at him. "What?"
Mariah sighed. "Do you remember the stories that the Old Ones used to tell us? Do you remember the ones about the invaders and the way that they enslaved our people?"
I wrinkled my brow in confusion. "Yes, of course."
"Vamp is from the lineage of one of the higher up leaders involved in the persecution of our kind. It's insane, but he has the same ideas about us that his ancestors did," Mariah said.
I stared. I couldn't believe what she had just said. Come to think of it, I couldn't believe a lot of shit that was happening. Except, it all sort of tied in and made some sense now. Things were still blurry and questionable, but the pieces were sort of starting to fall into place.
"Every time we get taken from these cages some guys draw our blood," Lee continued.
I raised an eyebrow. "Why?" I asked.
"We don't know," He replied.
I sighed. It was classic: questions and no answers.
"Well, damn. I'm not sure what to do right now, you two, but I've got to get Max out of here."
They both nodded seriously.
"Does someone know that you're gone?" Lee asked.
I eyed him timidly. ". . . Sort of," I said.
Lee raised a thick eyebrow. "What does that mean?"
I sighed and bit my lip for a moment. I felt sort of stupid. I should have told Tyson exactly where I was going.
"When I realized that Max had been abducted, I told Tyson to call Detective Mou, and I told him that I was leaving," I explained.
"Where did you tell him you were going?" Lee queried.
I fidgeted. "Okay, that's where I screwed up. You see, I just told him that I was going . . . out."
Lee smacked his head. "You're an idiot," he said.
I ducked my head. "I know it."
Mariah sighed. "Well, it doesn't matter now. You're here, Rei, and now I think that our chances of getting out are better."
I nodded. "Are you two familiar with the lay out of this place?" I asked.
Lee shrugged. "More or less."
I just nodded, unsure of what to say after that. What could I say? I really had no idea what to do. I just knew that I had to save Max. My heart was wrenching in my chest at the very thought of what had happened. I didn't know how Max played into anything, but somehow I felt like his ordeal was my fault. Seeing as how I hadn't even managed to apologize for my rude comment about his parents yet, I didn't think I COULD apologize for what had happened to him now.
I sighed, suddenly very depressed. What if we never got out of here? What if all of us were stuck in cages for the rest of our miserable lives? If that happened then . . . I'd never get to be with Kai again. He'd never hold me in his arms, we would never make love again, and I wouldn't be able to stare into his beautiful eyes. Tyson would never get a chance to be with Max or to heal his emotional wounds, and Mariah and Lee wouldn't be able to get married and live their lives. All of it would go down the drain.
I wanted to cry again, and maybe I would have, but the unmistakable sound of footsteps coming toward us caused me to be alert and on guard. Mariah and Lee had a similar reaction. The three of us got into a familiar defensive position, readying ourselves for anything.
The suspense of waiting to see who or what would step forth from the shadows was almost unbearable. There were soft murmurs and the usual sounds that accompany a human body. A shiver ran up my spine as I attempted to peer through the dark, but it seemed as though those nondescript layers were utterly endless.
Then, I began to make out two figures. They seemed to peel themselves from the shadows, ignoring the fleeting tentacles of darkness that attempted to snatch them back into unseen perils. Immediately, I recognized them, and a growl escaped from deep within my throat. It was the same two men that had taken me to the warehouse.
A smirk slipped onto my lips as I noticed one of the men, Mace, wearing a patch and bandages over one of his eyes, while the other simply had a reddish tint around it. Undoubtedly, those were the eyes I had scratched.
The man standing next to him was unharmed and wore a smirk that mirrored my own. I knew that my headache was due to the fact that he had slammed my head into a window, but I wondered if there wasn't some sort of physical evidence somewhere on my face that would make him smile so.
"My, my, we are so very timely, aren't we, Mace? The kid is awake,"
said the still smirking man.
Mace said nothing. He merely frowned and glared at me pointedly. I returned the glare frigidly.
"Well, this is fortunate. Now we won't have to make two trips," continued the nameless man.
He approached the cage that I was occupying and leaned down a little so that he could unlock the door. I watched his every twitch carefully, not even daring to glance over at Mariah and Lee. I could feel their eyes watching the scene. They were wondering what I was going to do, and the truth was that I didn't know what I was going to do, but I was so angry right then. My only plan involved pain.
So, when the nameless man unlocked the door and beckoned for me to come out, I came out slowly and stood to my full height in front of him. For a moment, we both just stared at one another. Then, without any warning, I attempted to deliver a swift kick to the man's neck; a move that I had hoped would immobilize him. Much to my surprise, he caught my ankle and shoved me backwards. I barely managed to keep my balance.
"Now, I know your opinion of us may not be very high, but please understand. You're first little outburst told us enough about you. You're a pain in the ass, and you won't be causing anymore damage, understand?" He asked.
I simply glared some more. "What do you want?" I spat.
"You're to come with us so that you may have the opportunity to meet with our boss."
I just continued glaring. "Why in the hell would I want to do something like that?" I questioned.
"Because, dear boy, meeting with our boss has its perks. You see, he is currently in possession of your little friend, and you do want to see him again, don't you?"
His voice taunted me. I glanced over at Mariah and Lee whose faces mirrored my own expression of utter ire.
I took a deep breath. It wasn't as though I had a choice in the matter, and anyway, I really wanted to see Max. So, with a great sigh, I let my shoulders slump and offered myself to them. Unfortunately, it was the vengeful Mace who grabbed me by the back of the neck and dug his fingers into my flesh.
"Move," he said sternly.
To emphasis his blatant dislike of me, he made a distinct point of shoving me forward. I simply had to be thankful for my reflexes, which kept me from falling.
The three of us moved into the darkness that loomed before us. My captors held no fear of it, but I was apprehensive to say the least. My eyesight was very good, but not even a cat can see in complete and utter darkness. I was not looking forward to feeling any more vulnerable than I all ready was, but I put on a front, for I did not wish to give the two men any satisfaction.
So, we passed in to the inky black shadows, and I prayed silently as fear began to encompass my being. Fear for myself, for Kai, for Tyson and Max, Mariah and Lee, and everyone who we held dear, for I simply knew that if we didn't escape from the clutches of this insane man, our friends would never know what happened to us. No one would.
It was so quiet, and Mace still had a strict hold on my neck.
"So, Rich, what do you think the boss will want done with this one," I heard Mace question.
The rising and falling of his voice told me that he was trying to psych me out. Despite my fear, his action caused even more anger to bubble up inside of me. I still had no idea what exactly the plan was, but when the time came, I was trusting the neko-jin side of me take care of what had to be done.
I could almost feel Rich's smirk.
"Dunno," he said softly. "But the boss has always been creative. I'm sure whatever he has planned will be exciting."
I gulped quietly. I didn't want to be intimidated by them, but his answer had been less than satisfying.
"To say the least," replied Mace.
After his little remark it was quiet again. We paused for a moment and it sounded like Rich was opening a large door. When I assumed that we'd passed through it, I heard it close behind us. It was still dark, but not nearly so as in the other room that, apparently, was where they had been keeping Mariah, Lee, and I.
I cold make out boxes and crates and other things that one would expect to find in a warehouse due to the minimal light that shone from a single bulb hanging somewhere high above. Suddenly, they halted, and Mace jerked me backwards in a rather painful manner, which hardly helped my headache. Upon further inspection, I found that we had stopped in front of a metal stair way that lead up to the second floor of the warehouse. I squinted to try and make out the shadowy shapes above. It looked like there were some offices or something on the floor that the stairs led to.
"Yo, boss!" Cried Rich.
It startled me a little, as it had been so quiet before.
"You may proceed, gentlemen," yelled a voice, but its tone sent chills up my spine. It was deep and smooth, but there was this odd edge to it that reminded me instantly of a double-edged sword.
"Up," commanded Mace, with a not so gentle shove. I glared, but headed up the stairs hoping against hope that Max was somewhere at the top.
Our shoes clanged against the steps, which omitted a hollow sound that seemed to reverberate all around us. We reached the top and continued onward toward one of the three doors that I assumed led to offices.
Rich opened the first door, and I blinked. The lighting wasn't much better in there. It was simply more creative. Instead of lamps or overhead lights, there were long, elegant candles set up everywhere. The room was practically empty save for a single straight back chair that sat in front of a curtained off doorway. However, it wasn't the candles or how stark the room was that bothered me the most. No, it was the imposing figure that occupied the chair.
It was he. Vamp, the lone person who had started all of the trouble in my life. He looked the same as he had that night at the club. His eyes were still dark and empty, his hair was pulled back and blended in with his black clothing, and that sickening little smile that bared his unnaturally white teeth was present on his lips.
I couldn't help myself from feeling nauseous as he stared at me with his spine erect, his long legs crossed, and his gloved hands resting so easily in his lap.
"Hello, Rei Kon," he said softly.
Immediately, as though reacting to some sort of hidden cue, Mace released me and both he and Rich stepped back and stood on either side of the door. I suddenly felt extremely trapped, for enemies surrounded me, but I had to pay attention to the most dangerous one. I kept my eyes on him.
He tilted his head, thin ponytail slipping over his shoulder as he did so.
"What? No greeting? That's a bit rude," he commented dryly.
I dared not to say anything, lest my voice betray me and reveal the trepidation within me. My heart was pounding in my chest from anxiety, and I could only hope that my anger was shining clearly in my eyes.
"I see," he said shortly, closing those black eyes for a moment and sighing.
I watched as the mischievous dancing flames flickered, adumbrating the natural crags that adorned his tanned skin.
Abruptly, he stood up, revealing to me his tall and lanky frame. I still refused to speak, unsure of his next move.
"Mace, Rich, your presence is no longer required," he said, his eyes never leaving me.
My eyes stayed glued to Vamp, but I listened attentively to the two men exiting and the door shutting behind me.
Vamp approached me, fearless, and unwavering. He bent at the knee slightly so that he could become almost level with my eyes and, smirking once more, placed a gloved hand to my cheek. Instantly, I jerked away, taking a few steps backwards.
His smirk merely turned into a twisted smile as he reclaimed his full height. I glared.
"You know, my grandfather always told me stories about your kind," he started.
I had no idea what he was getting at.
"He told me all about your history, how your species thrived . . . how you poisoned the earth with your very presence."
My eyes widened. This dude was insane; however, not unobservant. He quickly took note to my altered expression.
"All of your ancestors had the same cocky attitude that you have obviously inherited. Thankfully, my ancestors had sense enough to knock them from their undeserved places of high stature," he said, his voice still quiet, but his dark eyes seemed to mingle with the reflection of the flames from the candles. It was a concoction that made me see the true madness hiding within the folds of his demented mind. It made me feel cold inside.
His smile faded, much to my relief and dismay, for without his blatantly white teeth, I had nothing to stare at but those eyes.
"We had transformed you, you know, put you in your place, at the bottom in the dirt. I have read journals from that time period, journals passed down from generation to generation. The scenes that the writing depicts are exquisite."
He took a step toward me then.
"The burning villages, carnage, the blood spilled, enslavement, the fear in the children's eyes as they were dragged helplessly from their parents, and the dread in the eyes of your women and men just before being ravaged by a higher being . . . sumptuous, isn't it?"
I felt a lump rise slowly but surely in my throat as I remembered my occasional dreams and the stories that the Old Ones told. I recalled the feelings that I had experienced, and it was dreadful in every sense of the word. Yet, here was this man, his ancestors the roots of all of the pain suffered by my people, and he was smiling and gazing upon my pain, my ancestor's pain, with pleasure. It fueled my anger, hate, and fear.
I swallowed the lump and tried to regain my courage. Though his mockery caused me anger, all of that was in the past. I was here for Max.
I prayed for my voice to be steady as I asked, "Where is Max?"
The manic expression on his face broke almost instantly, and he smiled a smile that almost seemed light and carefree, though it still held that sharp, dark edge to it. I attempted to keep his change from affecting me.
"Max . . . of course," he stated, voice trailing off as though he were trying to entice me. "He's not one of you, you know."
I kept my gaze even. "Yes, I know. He has nothing to do with anything and is of no use to you," I said.
Tilting his head, he seemed to contemplate my words for a brief moment.
"You're absolutely right, Rei."
I wanted to shutter at the way my name rolled off of his tongue. It sounded too heavy.
"He is not one of you, and his blood is of no use to me. Yours, however, is quite bountiful. There are so few of you left. Neko-jin blood sells for millions on the black market."
I almost gasped but managed to catch myself before the act. So that was why he had been taking Mariah and Lee's blood!
He recognized my realization.
"Your companions are proving quite healthy for my little business . . ."
His features turned dark once again.
"As did your deceased friends, though they became so much trouble, especially the big one. They simply weren't worth the hassle. So, I had them killed, and I got the satisfaction of watching them die. I got to hear them choke on their own blood as the blade nipped playfully across their necks."
Tears pricked at the back of my eyes. How could anyone be so cruel? Kevin and Gary were gentle . . . they had been my friends, and they were gone because this psycho held an infatuation with the destruction of my kind!
It took so much of my self-control not to jump him and kill him where he stood. It wasn't the right time, and I had to wait for the right time. I had to keep Max, my goal, in mind.
"Max doesn't have anything to do with me or my kind," I stated, my voice slightly shaky.
He chuckled, a deep gurgling sound in the depths of his chest, and leaned forward.
"No, as I said before, you're right. Max DOESN'T have anything to do with this, but from the moment I saw him sitting there at the table in the club, I haven't been able to stop thinking about him."
He shrugged and added, "Perhaps it's my fetish for blondes."
I closed my eyes, clenching my fists at my sides. "Just let him go."
"Of course, it was all the more reason to get my hands on him, both figuratively and literally speaking, when I realized what you were. I did send Lake after you, but you killed him, didn't you? Yes, well, you did me a service. He was well on his way to death at my hands anyway. As for Cynthia, well, she was fun for a few jobs and a good lay every now and then. I mean, like I said, I have a thing for blondes, but she had an attitude. Once again, totally expendable, so I had her taken care of. Oh, it was all such a neat little package! After rounding up your little friends, all I needed was you. Max was just an incentive for you to come easily and a reward for all of my effort. There are so few of your kind and, by picking each and every one of you off, I believe I'm doing the world a grand favor."
The words were like acid eating away at my reservoir of restraint and patience.
"Where is Max?" I asked, this time my voice shaking from pent up rage.
He sighed. "You're fairly determined, aren't you?"
The question was rhetorical, and I waited quietly for his answer to my question.
That sardonic smile graced his fowl lips once more and flames seared my heart. I would kill him; I had to kill him.
"Max," I said, not bothering to mask my anger. "Where is he?"
Dark eyes burrowed into me, attempting to cast a shadow over my defiant soul. My fear, by that time, had nearly diminished. My fingers clenched at my side, and my nails seemed to slip outward from my skin ever so slightly as I flexed the muscles in my tense hands.
"My, don't we look fierce?" He asked slowly.
I flashed a little fang in his direction as I spoke. "Years ago, your ancestors had armies. Now, you are alone," I told him, my voice uncommonly deep and steady.
His smile slowly disappeared. He stared as though it was the first time he had ever thought of that.
He didn't realize what he'd gotten himself into.
He never took his eyes off of me as he motioned toward the curtain behind the chair he had been sitting in.
"Max is back there. I've had my fun. He's ready to go back to the cages with the rest of the animals," he said, disdain laced in his voice.
With that, he walked past me, all signs of his previous uncertainty gone. He left the office. I sighed in relief. All of the tension in the air melted away along with his presence. Calming myself, I gathered the courage to approach the dark curtain. I was afraid of what I'd find behind it. Yet, I had no right to be afraid. Max had suffered the worst of everything.
I shook my head and pulled the curtain back. What I did find brought tears to my eyes. The room was as stark as the other one and had just as many candles, but in the middle of it, on a mattress streaked with blood, was Max. Disheveled sheets covered the majority of his nudity, but the pale skin that I could see was bruised and scratched. His eyes were closed and nearly obscured by blonde bangs. His chest was rising and falling in a labored way, which caused my heart to ache. His flawless skin took on a slightly warmer tone due to the candlelight and his face was as peaceful as ever. He reminded me of a fallen angel.
Angels are pure creatures that should never have to endure the sins of the human world.
Max had endured them and evil had stolen his wings.
The tears freely fell from my eyes as I approached him. He looked so delicate. I carefully lowered myself to sit on the edge of mattress. I reached for him and hesitated the instant before my fingers gently touched the soft skin of his cheek. He stirred slightly under my touch. I gulped, more tears falling from my eyes. I pushed some of my dark hair behind my ear and brushed his platinum bangs from his eyes.
"Max," I whispered, my voice hoarse.
I sighed, knowing that such a quiet tone wouldn't rouse him. I took a few deep breaths and wiped away some of my tears, only to have them replaced by others. My hands found either side of his face. His skin seemed too cool under my own.
"Max," I summoned. My voice was a little stronger.
I gently stroked his skin with my thumbs in an effort to awaken him.
"Max, you have to wake up for me, okay?"
My eyes were intent on him, and my tears fell on and all around him.
"Please wake up now. I want to tell you how sorry I am . . . I want to take you away from here . . ."
At that point my sorrow overwhelmed me. My silent crying turned into uncontrollable sobs that jerked my shoulders with every heave. I released his face and turned away. All of it had been my fault!
It was not very noticeable at first, but gradually a sensation on my back caught my attention. I peered over my shoulder and saw Max's slight hand.
"Rei," I heard him say.
I wanted to gather him in a huge hug and never let go, but those were urges that I suppressed for obvious reasons.
"Thank God you're awake!" I exclaimed.
His eyes were half lidded, but he nodded.
"I'm awake."
I gazed at him. He was so sullen.
"Max I've got to get you out of here," I said, drying my tears as determination seeped inside of me.
His lips parted ever so slightly as if he had intended to say something, but he remained silent, staring at me through glassy blue eyes. I placed my hand on his cool forehead and looked into his eyes.
"Just hang on. I'm getting you out of here, I promise," I said.
He responded with a very small nod of his head. I tried to smile reassuringly at him before I rose from the disgusting mattress and searched around the room for Max's clothing. I found them in the corner of the room stacked in a small pile against the wall. As I picked them up I became acutely aware of the various tears in the fabric from eager hands. I shook my head, vowing for the hundredth time that I would kill Vamp for all of the pain he had caused.
I made my way back over to my fallen friend, clothing in hand. Kneeling down, I heard him utter something, but the word was lost in the air.
"What?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Max said nothing. He merely stared, though his gaze wasn't on me, in fact, it wasn't anywhere in the room. He was looking toward something else in a personal plane of existence that I would never know. I hoped that it brought him comfort.
"Max," I summoned softly.
My voice seemed to pull him out of his reverie, and he looked toward me, eyes still half-lidded and dull. It broke my heart to see such vibrant eyes be reduced to the dull, glassy orbs that beheld me.
"I know that you're in pain," I started, brushing some hair from his eyes. "But you have to help me. Can you sit up?"
I almost felt bad asking him to do so. At first, he didn't respond, and that worried me a little, but then he slowly nodded and, painstakingly, tried to lift himself. I was quick to aid him and was more than relieved when he was sitting in an upright position, albeit it wasn't perfect. He was slouched over in an awkward position that required me to have a hand on his shoulder (one of the lesser looking injured places) in order to keep him from falling forward. My poor Maxie just didn't have the energy or, quite frankly, the heart.
I struggled with getting the light blue t-shirt over his head and his jeans and boxers where they needed to be. He attempted to help me in any way he could, but that was Max. Even in his own hour of need he was willing to be of as much help as he possibly could. He indicated no shame but, at the same time, he didn't indicate much of anything, rather his expression was totally listless. Throughout the entire process I tried to ignore the bruises and the dried blood, but it was difficult. I struggled with my tears and my anger.
After getting him clothed and making sure that all of his tired limbs were in all of the proper holes, I took off my jacket and slipped it on him as well. He stared at me. I tried to smile reassuringly in hopes of drawing out the Max that I knew before this predicament. The Max that existed in front of me was simply a shell of the one I was accustomed to . . . it frightened me because this Max was the same one that had visited when his parents died all of those years ago. It took so long for him to become even close to the person he once was the first time, I was concerned that this new trauma would usher in a worse fate for my friend.
I received no reaction other than a twitch at the corner of his lips. I perceived the minimal movement as a hopeful sign that my Maxie was still in there somewhere, hiding behind prosaic eyes.
I squeezed his shoulders gently. "I don't know how we're going to get out of this, Max, but we will, I promise," I said.
I waited for some sort of reply but was disappointed. I merely sighed. It didn't matter. I'd work on reclaiming his social skills once I got him out of this hellhole. Granted, I had no idea how I was going to do that. At that point, it was merely assumed that I would.
I managed to pick Max up bridal style, surprised that he was so light. He felt very tense in my arms as I began to walk from the room toward the curtain.
I held on to him just a little tighter for assurance and whispered, "I've got you."
The relief I felt when he slowly reached up and wrapped his arms around my neck to bury his face in the crook of it was immense. At least he knew it was truly I and that I didn't plan on letting anything happen to him. At least he felt safer.
While he was feeling safe I was attempting to gain my courage back up. I knew well enough as I walked past the curtain, into the entryway, and to the door that Mace and Rich and maybe Vamp would be waiting outside. The candles flickered, casting their exaggerated shadows on the wall. It seemed like they were laughing at my situation. However, it wasn't the time for fear. I had to be strong for Max; I had to protect him.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly before I opened the door and was greeted by the unnerving darkness. I didn't see Mace or Rich immediately, but I heard their footsteps against the cold metal floor, ascending the stairs. Once again, they appeared out of the abyss.
My hate grew fierce when they exchanged smug smirks upon seeing me. I glanced down at Max, whose eyes were closed and breathing was panning out into an even rhythm. He'd fallen asleep, which suited me just fine. I looked upon him fondly before meeting the faces of my captors once more.
"Back to the cages," Mace said.
I just glared at him and made a distinct point of walking straight passed them and down the stairs. I could hear them following me, but I didn't care as much about their presence as I had before, because I had Max in my arms. It was odd. Even though he was most vulnerable at the time, and my presence gave him comfort, I was obtaining a certain amount of comfort from HIM. Max had always provided me and everyone else around him with the feeling that everything was going to be all right. Even lying asleep in my arms he was providing me with that craved for feeling.
The darkness swallowed us deeper and deeper into its mysterious throat. I knew that we'd be reaching the doors soon, though I wasn't certain as to when. Unfortunately, I had to wait for Mace and Rich to open them when I got there.
I was relieved as we drew nearer to the grayish area, where I could see the outline of the cages and the occupants of one, that Mace and Rich had refrained from touching me and especially Max. I was particularly protective of him at the moment, naturally.
When we arrived at the cages, I noticed the alleviated expressions of Mariah and Lee, though those expressions quickly turned to sorrow and concern at the sight of Max tucked carefully in my embrace. I threw them a half smile and glanced down at my charge. He was still sleeping soundly for the moment.
Mace opened the cage door and motioned for me to get inside. It was an action that shattered my slight smile. I glared at him but climbed in without any other sort of retaliation. He closed the door behind me.
"Don't get too comfortable," he said with a sneer. "Boss'll be wanting to see you again, Kon. What with all of the dramatics, he didn't have time to take your blood."
I winced at the very thought, and I saw Mariah and Lee do the same out of the corner of my eye.
Both men retreated rather quickly, leaving nothing but silence in their wake, silence which I broke with a sigh.
I gently lay Max down on the floor, allowing him to use my lap as his pillow. He stirred ever so slightly but did not wake up. I stroked his hallowed blonde hair and tried desperately hard not to cry.
"Oh, Rei," I heard Mariah whisper. She slowly made her way toward the bars that were the closest to my own, and Lee soon followed.
"How was he when . . . when you found him?" Lee inquired, his voice only a shade louder than Mariah's had been.
I flashbacked to my first sight of him after my confrontation with Vamp and bowed my head slightly.
"Sleeping," I whispered, the word a ghost on my lips.
It was quiet for a while again. We were each fretting over the same things, wondering, and trying to figure out exactly how we would ever get out of there with our lives . . . with Max's life.
"He hates us," I said suddenly, barely even realizing that I had spoken.
"We know," replied Lee.
"We're lower than scum in his eyes."
I looked over at them. "He's selling our blood in the underground . . . the black market . . . to thieves and crooks even lower than he."
"Our blood? Why?" Mariah asked.
"Apparently, since there aren't a lot of us around, it sells for a hefty price," I replied.
Lee scowled. "What good would our blood be to anyone?"
I shrugged. "I dunno. I assume the same myths exist around our blood that exists around other creature's blood and body parts."
"So he's selling us off like poachers sell of their kill," Mariah said. "Bastard," she added.
I nodded gravely.
"We need to get out of here," Lee said.
"That has all ready been established," I replied dryly.
He rolled his eyes.
"So far, Vamp and his two lackeys are the only people I've seen in this entire place. Surely we can find a way to get out of these damned cages and escape," Lee continued.
"Three guys doesn't make any sense. Vamp is a major league criminal. Surely he has more than two people under him," I countered.
"Rei has a point, Lee."
Lee nodded slowly. "Then what do you propose we do?"
"We wait until an opportune moment to make a break for it."
Both Mariah and Lee looked at one another, engaging in a wordless conversation I couldn't possibly read into.
"But what if that opportune moment doesn't come tonight?" Mariah asked suddenly. "We can't allow this . . . this demon to keep doing this to Max, Rei."
I nodded. "I know that," I said a little harshly. "The right time WILL come tonight, we just have to be patient."
"But we can't even get out of these cages," said Lee quietly.
"Then we'll just have to wait until someone opens them for us," I said.
"Someone like me?" Came a sudden voice.
I gasped, as did Lee and Mariah, and looked up to find a familiar face staring in at me from outside the cage.
I blinked in astonishment. "K-Kai?"
There he was, my night in shining armor . . . or rather, my night in jeans and a t-shirt.
Other words seemed to be caught in my throat. All I could do was gawk at him as my mind went through a serious brain freeze. How had he . . . ? And when . . . ?
I felt my mouth moving before my mind. "Kai?" I asked again, a little stupidly.
He tilted his head. "Is it so hard to believe?" He asked as his hands went to work on the lock of my cage door.
"But how?" I asked, still royally confused.
"I'll discuss it with you later, Rei. For right now, I'm more concerned with getting all of you out of here."
Faster than I could think, Kai had the lock picked and the door open.
"C'mon," he urged.
I nodded and took Max back into my arms. As I made my way out of the cage, Kai seemed to take notice of Max's state for the very first time. He looked up at me, crimson eyes hinting horror at what he saw. I just bit my lip and hugged Maxie closer to me as I escaped the cage and stood at my full height.
Kai took one last look at our blonde friend before trying his hand at the lock on Mariah and Lee's cage. As was expected, the lock snapped open in a matter of seconds, and Mariah and Lee appeared. Kai seemed to be genuinely surprised at their various stages of unwell, too. He looked back to me and frowned. Tentatively, he reached out and brushed some hair from my forehead. I accepted his touch gratefully but winced when his fingers brushed over something that caused my head to ache once more. I quickly maneuvered Max so that I could touch the wound on my head. It was, in fact, a rather rude sort of gash, courtesy of the window I had been slammed into, that had been the large cause of my pounding headache. I could feel the crusty, dried blood under my fingertips and scrunched up my face in disgust at the sight I must have been. In the meantime, Kai's hand had fallen to his side and was clenched in to a fist.
"Who are these people?" He asked softly, but the fire in his eyes was loud.
"Hunters," Lee answered suddenly.
"What's going on, Kai?" I asked. "How did you find us?"
Kai's eyes quickly searched the darkness, looking for any possible signs that there were people approaching. I didn't think that there was too much danger, as the men had only left minutes ago.
"Tyson called Mou like you told him too, but you, because you're a dumb ass," he said, glaring, "failed to tell him exactly where you were going. They contacted me to see if I might have any idea, and I immediately thought of the club. I told them I'd help if they got me out of that damn hospital."
I started for a moment. "But your wound. . ."
"I'm fine," He said quickly. "I told them to meet me at the club, because I wasn't going to wait for them to assemble a team. When I got there, I saw your car, Rei, and I ran inside to question the bartender. After that, I headed straight for the pier, which is covered in warehouses, but I saw some guys walking out of this one, thought I'd take my chances, and luckily I found you."
It was a little much to take in all at once.
"But what about the police?" I asked.
Kai sighed. "I don't know if they'll be able to find their way here, but we can tell them for sure once we're all out of here, now let's go," he commanded.
I was all too happy to agree with him and smiled at Mariah and Lee as relief washed my tired body. They both smiled back at me, and Kai took the lead, each of us following him single file, as it seemed he was the only one who had a clue as to where he was going. He led us through a familiar dark passage to the same doors I had encountered not too long before, but rather than heading toward the dimly lit area ahead, we skirted around some high piled crates. It was far more difficult, I'm sure, with more people and an unconscious one at that. I wasn't sure exactly where we were headed until I saw the rectangular window near the floor just barely behind the last high piled row of shipping crates. Beyond that window I saw hope for the first time that evening, and I began to feel lighter as Kai quietly lifted the window and motioned for me to hand him Max, which I did. He handled Max's limp form delicately as he moved him past the window and onto the ground outside. He waved me over next, and I started to go forward, only to have me arm caught by a familiar hand. I looked behind me at my two oldest friends, my eyes questioning.
"We can't go, " Lee whispered.
I tilted my head. "Excuse me?" I asked.
"Lee is right," Mariah said. "We can't and we aren't going with you, Rei."
I blinked, at a loss for words. What could they possibly be talking about?
"This man can't be allowed to walk away with his crimes. He must be punished," Lee said, fangs flashing dimly.
" . . . The law will-" I began.
"No," Lee said abruptly. "It's like you said, Rei. He's a high rolling criminal. His connections will somehow grant him immunity from the law. Justice will not be served."
"But . . ."
Mariah smiled slightly, but it wasn't kind, it was malicious. "We're going to make him pay. It is our duty as neko-jins. We owe it to our ancestors to make him pay for his crimes against us."
I shook me head, not believing what I was hearing. "No, you can't be serious. Look, I've killed a man before, and I'm still haunted by it. Taking revenge on him isn't going to help anything. Besides, if you kill him, and the cops find out, you'll both be tried," I protested.
Both Mariah and Lee passed one another a look that spoke volumes to one another.
"Rei, you were always kind-hearted and have accepted the world outside of our home village with open arms, but we haven't been able to incorporate ourselves in to this world. We've never been able to feel as comfortable with it. The truth is, we've been considering leaving for sometime. This man, if he can be called one, is not of this world either. He is of the old ways, and thus, he must be punished in accordance to the old rules. We will punish him, and he will cause no more suffering to the world," Mariah said softly.
"But, you guys . . . "
"We'll disappear, Rei, don't worry. We'll go home, and be where we know we belong."
The look in their eyes, their determined faces, it all made me sigh in defeat. Their minds had all ready been made up, and so I did the only thing I could at that point. I hugged them both and whispered a farewell, promising that we'd see one another again sometime. With our parting words, Mariah and Lee slipped from my line of vision and disappeared into the darkness. I didn't know what they were planning, but I had confidence that Vamp wasn't going to survive no matter how far he ran.
"Rei!" Came a harsh voice.
I scrambled over to Kai who raised an eyebrow at me in question. I merely shrugged. "Vigilantism," I explained shortly.
Kai smiled slightly. "Whatever gets the job done."
I nodded and climbed out of the warehouse with Kai following. Once out, the night greeted us with a slight gust of wind from the sea that caused Max to tremble in my arms.
Kai gently touched my cheek before saying, "Let's go."
He started running, and I followed him at a slower pace because of Max. Kai had cleverly parked his vehicle down under the boardwalk on the beach, despite the law prohibiting it. The car brought even more hope to me, especially after we got Max situated in the back seat, and Kai and I had climbed in the front. He started the car, pulled a U-turn in the sand, and sped off onto the pavement, which soon gave way to street. I relaxed in to the car seat and just started to cry.
"Rei?" Kai asked.
I let the tears fall. "I really think it's over this time," I managed to say.
I saw Kai look and smile upon me fondly. "I think so, too."