Chapter 25
The airport was filled with people ready to board their flights a week later. The Bladebreakers were among those people. Max had no idea whether Biovolt has anything to do with this or whether it was just coincidence that the finals were being held in Russia again. Whatever it was, it didn't change the fact that the Bladebreakers was one member short.
Jade.
Max glanced around the airport one last time before he boarded the plane in hope of spotting her familiar face.
It has been one week since she left the team without a word but instead a letter. Since then, none of them have heard from her or of her. It was like she disappeared off the face of the earth. Of course there was always the fear that Biovolt could have somehow managed to get their hands on her and was torturing her for all the misery she had caused them. But Mr. Dickenson had calmly assured them she was fine and well. When they tried to enquire more detail from him, the old man had merely chuckled and refused to speak more.
So where's she?
Even if she has been gone for a week, surely she doesn't plan on missing the flight there?
"Kai." Max stopped the phoenix as they were boarding the plane. "Aren't you the least bit worried about Jade?"
"I'm." he said. "But there's nothing we can do except to go to Russia and find out how much the Demolition Boys has improved. When Jade's ready, she'll come back to us."
Max sighed. "I guess you're right."
Kai turned and headed into the plane. Max couldn't help but cast one more glance around the airport before heading after Kai. A thought occurred then.
What if Jade will never be ready? What if she never comes back?
Then, Max thought grimly. Our chances of winning are against the odds.
It was so peaceful just lying there in Kai's arms. For the first time in years, she felt belonged. Her place was there in his arms. The room was silent, save for their gentle breathing. His arm was around her waist, his face buried in her hair. Her hand was on his and she stared at his perfect face, eyes closed in peaceful slumber. With her other hand, she pushed back his slated bangs and smiled softly.
"Thank you, Kai." she whispered and rosed silently from the bed without awaking him.
Her eyes opened now. Her mind still dwelled on the one night she had found peace and where she belonged. She had left him after leaving behind a letter by his side and had gone to see Mr. Dickenson. The BBA chairman had tried dissuading her from leaving the team but she was firm, insisting the only way she can help the Bladebreakers is by improving. And to do that she had to leave. He had finally agreed reluctantly however and had arranged everything for her here in Russia.
Snow drifted around her as she stood with her feet slightly apart and her loaded launcher in hand. Forcing herself not to think about that night, she yanked the ripcoil and Draizer streaked across the snow-covered ground. The snow had gathered overnight but it proved no trouble as her blade ignited into blue flames, melting the snow away to vapor. Draizer did not stop there. It leapt into the trees in the surrounding and moved through them, defying gravity. Jade held out her hand and it returned to her. Around her, the trees crashed in a circle, driving up snow and dust. When it cleared, she looked around at the destruction her blade had caused in the forest far from human contact.
A wary smile touched her lips, pink from the cold. Better than I had expected. But is it enough to beat Tala and the others?
Her heart pained at the thoughtof Tala and the rest of the Demolition Boys. Tala had once been someone...different than the blader he was now.
She remembered how three years ago, the Bladebreakers had gone up against the Demolition Boys. Kai had gone up against Spencer. In her opinion, it had been an unfair fight for she knew the dish and the entire stadium had been built by Biovolt. If it wasn't for the dish, Kai would have stood a chance against Spencer's Seaborg but things were not meant to be and Kai had lost and his Dranzer was taken.
The next day had been the most painful match the world had ever witness. Ray had suffered under Bryan's cruel heartless methods of blading and she thought the Chinese boy didn't stand a chance. To her surprise, he had managed to pull through but with devastating consequences.
Next was Tyson versus Tala. By then Jade had been on her way to Russia, ready to take on the Demolition Boys should Tyson loose. But fate had other plans and despite the odds, Tyson had managed to defeat Tala with a little luck and she needed not reveal herself that day. How ironic it was that three years later, she was to join the same team she underestimated.
How ironic indeed that she should fall in love with the grandson of her enemy.
Her hand fingered the necklace Kai had slipped onto her while she had slept. The necklace was lovely with a phoenix pendent that reminded her only of Dranzer. She breathed out ice cold breaths and sighed. The Bit glowed softly as if in reply to her thoughts. A warm tingle ran up her arm, hot against the Russian cold.
Above her, a plane flew overhead and she could help but wonder if they were aboard that plane.
"Hello, Moscow! We're back!"
Tyson's voice could be heard through out the airport in Moscow where their plane had landed. The rest followed behind.
"I think Tyson had too much of that ice-cream on the plane." Max remarked.
"Hey!" Tyson turned to him. "Nine buckets of ice-cream is not too much."
"Well, we're back here again." Ray said looking around.
He glanced at Kai, worried that returning to Russia would have an affect on the bluenette. But Kai for his part didn't seem to care. He was staring out the airport window staring at the forests outside the area. Everything outside was coated in white snow.
"Come on." Tyson said dragging Max and Kenny. "Our limo has to be here somewhere."
Ray paused. "Kai, you coming?"
Kai sighed and picked up his duffel bag before following after his team.
As it turned out, there was no limo. They had to walk and on Kenny's insistence, they headed to BBA office where Mr. Dickenson would be. However the chairman was busy at the moment according to the secretary and told them to wait in the waiting room. So wait they did.
"Man, what's taking him?" Tyson complained ten minutes later.
"He's probably meeting someone important." Kenny said with a wave of his hand. "Just sit down, Tyson."
"Who could be more important than his own team?" Tyson mumbled under his breath.
Mr. Dickenson exited the room and greeted them with a beaming smile. "Well, hello, boys. Had a nice flight?"
"Hi, Mr. D." Ray said.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." the chairman said cheerily. "Off we go to your hotel shall we?"
Tyson leapt to his feet. "Then we eat!"
His team groaned. "Tyson!"
An agent had reported to Boris the arrival of the Bladebreakers in Russia that day. The news pleased the abbey's director a lot. What pleased him even more was when a scientist informed him of BioVolt's secret weapon preparation.
"The subject is ready, sir." the scientist said.
"She's? Good." a grin stretched across Boris's face. "I think it's time to send her out on a test run."
Time to bring in Biovolt's ultimate weapon.
"Time to bring in the party!" Tyson declared throwing his hands over his head.
"Gosh, Tyson." Max said. "Could you tone it down a little? People are looking."
"Secondly, Tyson," Kenny chastised. "We're in a high-class restaurant. Can you at least act like a normal human being for today?"
The next day the Bladebreakers had decided to go sight-seeing on the condition the stay together no matter what. Tyson decided to the check out the Russian food uptown. So there they were sitting in one of the classiest restaurant, waiting for Tyson to finish his meal. The others had finished theirs a long time ago while Tyson was gobbling up his fifth meal.
"Man, the food here is awesome." he exclaimed in between mouthfuls.
"To Tyson, everything is good." Ray muttered warily.
Max nodded in agreement.
"I'm going for another round." Tyson announced. "Anyone care to join me?"
A waiter approached their table. "Excuse me, Mr. Hiwatari?"
Kai opened his eyes, frowning. "Yeah?"
"There's a phone call for you." the waiter said in Russian, beckoning to the phone corner.
"What's it, Kai?" Ray asked.
"A phone call." Kai said as he rosed. A nagging feeling grew within him.
"Maybe it's Mr. Dickenson." Kenny suggested.
Kai tuned out his team's voices as he headed to the corner. He lifted the receiver to his ear. "Hello?"
"Hello, Kai." a familiar sinister voice replied.
"Boris!" Kai's eyes widened. Some of the diners glanced at him. He half turned and squared his shoulders so his agitated state would look less conspicuous. He could almost imagine Boris grinning from ear to ear on the other end of the line now. "What do you want?" he snapped.
"My, testy aren't we." Boris said with a slyness in his voice. "Could it be because you lost something or...someone important?
Kai's hand on the receiver tightened as his mind grasped what the man meant. "Where's she?"
"Let's just say she's a little tied up." Boris said casually. "We would like you to join us."
"I don't have time to play your sick mind games, Boris." Kai said tersely. "Where's she?"
"The old warehouse downtown, boy. But hurry. I don't think she may last any longer." a crackling laugh followed before Boris hung up with a click.
And as it did, a chill ran through Kai, his mind becoming numb with dread. He didn't remember returning to the table until Ray asked him expectedly. "Who was it?"
Kai stared at him then at the rest of the team, unsure whether to tell them.
"Kai? What's wrong?" Max asked concerned.
"You look like you've seen a ghost." Tyson spoke up.
Worst, Kai thought bleakly. "Nothing. It was no one."
11:30 p.m
The numbers on the digital clock glowed red in the darkness of the room Kai shared with Ray. Ray's gentle snores were the only sounds that could be heard in the room. Kai laid on his side facing away from the tiger, wide awake. He listened to make sure his teammate was asleep before he rosed from the bed with the stealth of a shadow. He left the room silently, taking only his launcher and his blade on his way out. The door closed behind him with a soft click.
Amber eyes opened in the dark.
Ignoring the cold air biting into his skin, Kai turned into an alley which he knew by instinct was a shortcut to where he was headed. The streets of Russia were familiar to him but he couldn't remember ever walking though them when he was young. And even now, the memory eluded him like all others except those of Jade. He knew he was walking into a trap but he didn't care. If Boris really had Jade, it was a risk he was willing to take. It was dumb going alone without help or weapons save for his Dranzer. But he had no choice.
I can't risk the team. Jade was my responsibility and I'm not going to loose her again!
He stopped suddenly, his eyes darkening as his senses caught footsteps behind him.
He was being followed.
Without so much as a heartbeat he leapt onto the overhanging pipes in the alley.
Second later, voices spoken in harsh whispers could be heard.
"Are you sure he went this way?" Kenny asked shakily.
"I'm sure." Ray replied. His certainty wavered when they stepped into the alley and stopped, looking around in confusion.
"Okay. Where did he go?" Tyson asked.
Max frowned. "I was pretty sure we saw him go this way."
Annoyed, Kai let himself down, dropping down in front of them lightly. He startled Kenny and Max but he was beyond caring. "When Will you learn to mind your own business?" he snapped.
"Kai!" Tyson squeaked.
Ray started to open his mouth to explain but Kai cut him off harshly. "You guys shouldn't have followed. It's too dangerous."
"What about you?" Dragoon's owner argued.
"What's going on, Kai?" Max asked, concern clear in his voice. "You've been acting weird since you got that phone call at the restaurant."
Was I that obvious?, Kai wondered.
"Was it Biovolt?" Ray asked with no humor in his voice.
"What?" Kenny gasped, stunned by he suggestion.
Ray met Kai's glare, forcing himself not to wither under it. "Does Biovolt have something to do with it?"
One long minute stretched. Finally Kai nodded. "Yes. It was Boris."
"What?" Tyson and Kenny gasped.
"Are you sure it was him?" Max asked. "What did he want?"
"He has Jade." Kai said. "Or at least he claims."
"This has to be a trap." Tyson said. "Who would be dumb enough to walk into it?"
"We don't know for sure if he really has her." Kai said.
"I don't like this, Kai." Max said grimly. "It has 'trap' written all over it."
"Maybe we should call the police." Kenny suggested meekly.
"Not a good idea. If Boris really has Jade, he will not hesitate to hurt her. "But I'm not going to take that risk." Kai said turning.
"We're going with you." Tyson rushed in.
"Count me in." Ray said with a grin.
"Me too." Max said.
"You guys have a death wish?" Kai sneered.
"Yeah." Tyson said. "As much as you do. Jade's our friend too for your information. She means just as much to us as she does to you."
Somehow that doesn't seem like the case, Kai thought.
"We're coming whether you like it or not." Ray said.
Kai sighed. "Do I have a choice?"
"Nope." Tyson grinned.
"We'll do this as a team." Max said.
They looked at Kenny, waiting for his response.
"This's crazy." Kenny said once given the chance to speak. "Who knows what kind of a trap they've set up for us."
"I know, Kenny." Tyson said, patting his shoulder. "That's why we need you to go back to the hotel."
"What?" Kenny gapped.
"As much as I hate to admit this but Tyson's right." Kai said. "Someone has to let Mr. Dickenson know if anything happens to us."
"But I can-." Kenny gasped.
"If anything happens to us, we need you, Chief." Ray said.
Kenny was torn. But at last, he nodded reluctantly. "Alright." he said quietly. "But be careful, guys."
They watched as Chief ran off. Kai finally turned and started to move down the alley. He had already wasted too much time arguing with them. God, please...let her be alright.
Very quietly, they got into the warehouse. Dust covered every surface there is in the old abandoned building. There were cobwebs in every corner. For one long moment, they waited in darkness but nothing came.
"Hey, Kai." Tyson called out meekly. "Are you sure this is the right place?"
Before Kai could answer, someone flipped the switch and the lights came on. Instantly Kai's senses sharpened.
"Welcome, Bladebreakers." the voice that haunted his dreams announced.
"Boris!" Kai hissed as he whirled around to glare at the man standing at the back door with soldiers flanked at his heel.
"Hello, Kai. Nice to see you so soon." Boris wore a grin.
"Cut the crap, Boris!" Tyson shouted. "We're here for our friend. Where's she?"
"Where's who?" Boris asked with innocence that made Kai sick.
"You know who I am talking about." Tyson said angrily.
Kai's fist clenched as the ingeniousness of Boris's plan clicked. It was exactly as he had feared. How does he be so stupid? "Not bad, Boris." he managed to say calmly. "You played with my feelings and set us up. Congratulations. Your plan worked. Now what do you want, Boris?"
"Smart boy. Always very bright." Boris chuckled and spread his arms. "It's time, Bladebreakers to do what you should have done three years ago."
"What?" Ray retorted. "Kick your butt?"
"No." the grin on Boris grew wider. "Surrender your Bitbeasts."
