Chapter 11
"Hier kommt die Sonne"
(Here comes the sun)
Rammstein "Sonne"
It was 11:00 when Soul and I arrived outside the wolves' den with our instruments, waiting for the band to come. They showed up 10 minutes later with all of their equipment in an old, rust colored pickup, but one member was not present. "Hey guys, sorry we're late. Todd, our idiot vocalist, picked the worst time to quit the band." I couldn't conceal my irritation as I ran a hand across my hair and with exasperation asked, "Why NOW of all times?" "Because he's had the hots for Krista for a long time. But when she turned him down for like, the thousandth time, he got pissed off and quit." "Are you shitting me?! Had the hots for me?! The creep's been trying to get in my pants for months." "Well that's just fucking dandy. So now who's gonna fill in and take his spot?" "Well we could pull this off without him, right?" Johnny suggested. "No way!" Rob exclaimed. "What about the duets? You know that we sound like howling dogs trying to sing." They all looked at me abruptly, and I reluctantly agreed to take lead. "Alright fine", I muttered through clenched teeth. "Let's go set up and we'll do this as we rehearsed."
We came inside while it was empty, and began to help each other prepare. I helped Eddie with his drums while the others hooked up the instruments to the amps and speakers that were provided. It took another twenty minutes taping down the wiring and chords, doing sound checks, making sure the guitars and pedals were tuned and audible, and the two microphones worked properly. We were ready with five minutes to spare, which gave me time to call up the others who wasted no time in answering. "Soul and I just finished prepping. At midnight, this place will be packed. Remember to have that radio I gave you on, and be ready to strike when I give the signal." I hung up, walked towards Soul, and whispered so only he could hear, "As extra insurance that the diversion works, we'll take our instruments, and hurl them towards 'em." "Sounds like a great plan. I'll follow your lead." I patted him on the back, and began to do some last minute warming up.
Once the clock struck midnight, a man wearing a biker jacket, black jeans, and boots came in while smoking a cigar. He was a tall, curly haired blonde with a handlebar mustache, and had a gruff voice to compliment his rugged appearance. "You guys tonight's entertainment?" "Yeah, we're all set", I said coolly. He put out his cigar and said while grinning. "Very nice, because I brought all my friends to hear some good music. So don't disappoint me, and you'll make good money. I promise" He whistled to signal his guests, and in came tons of guys pouring inside. I glanced carefully at all of them and saw that they all were armed. One grave error would inevitably lead to fatal disaster. Luckily some were already high, and some were helping themselves to the liquor behind the bar. One of them looked at us and yelled out. "Hey Al! These runts wanna drink?" The man looked at us and asked, "Well? Don't be shy. What's your pleasure, gentlemen, and lady?" Soul and I shook our heads which made Al eye us suspiciously. "What's the matter? Ain't old enough to drink?" "We're not. But I'm sure they are." As I said that I nodded over to the others to shift his attention away from us. He walked over to Johnnie who asked and scored himself a bottle of whiskey. Krista shyly asked, "Could I get some water?" Her request earned roars of laughter from everyone except for Al. "Back off boys, if the pretty lady wants water, we'll give her water." He snapped his fingers and someone brought her a pitcher of water and two glasses. Lastly, Rob and Eddie asked for a bucket of cold beers. "You have your refreshments. Now how's about you go on up, and play something?" We walked over to the makeshift stage area and commenced our performance.
With all eyes on us, and the lights growing dim, I pulled out another cigarette, lit it, and took several drags to ease my nerves. I heard faint knocks on the window to our left amidst the ruckus from inside the bar, and saw Liz and Patty giving us a thumbs up. Soul started the performance with a brief solo, and soon Eddie beat his drums signaling for Johnnie, Rob and I to follow. The first song on our set list was a brief instrumental which immediately led into our next track. As we played, I couldn't help but feel a bit of stage fright. The primary feeling I had was anxiety as the moment for me to begin singing drew near. Shit! Maybe asking for some rum would've been a good idea, I thought. Krista observed my jittery disposition because she sang the first verse while I played. After taking a deep breath and regaining my composure, I stepped up to the microphone and sang the next verse which swayed not just my band mates but our rugged audience. The rest of our performance carried on without incident and we were having fun. It was the first time in a long time that I enjoyed singing, let alone playing guitar. Especially when I looked out into the crowd and saw our audience headbanging, and giving us the devil horns every now and then.
We grew closer towards the end of our performance, and the 8th song we played required I sing in my native German. "Alright, this next song is by Rammstein, and it's called 'Sonne'". Most of the songs we performed we improvised by turning them into duets, but this was one of ten that were solos. As Soul played the accompaniment, I growled then shouted: "Eins, Zwei, Drei, Vier, Fünf, Sechs, Sieben, Acht, Neun, AUS!" Eddie smashed his snare repeatedly before connecting his drum sticks with the cymbals, and when he did, Johnnie, Rob, Nick, and I strummed our guitars while Soul continued to play along with us. As I kept singing, midway through the song Krista sang backing vocals which sounded, for lack of a better term, angelic. At the end of the song Soul pressed various keys that emitted sounds of a cello while Krista sang the remaining vocals. Once the applause died down, I asked the gang in a curious tone, "Who in here wants to hear some Death Metal?" At once the place filled with frantic roars of anticipation. "Very well then, this next song is by Opeth, and it's about a demon. Demon of the Fall." The song was very well received, yet it was harsh on my throat. All that growling, snarling, and roaring left me sounding like I swallowed broken glass and hot coals.
Before we began our final song, I walked over to Soul and whispered, "Remember, when the time comes, we throw our instruments into the crowd." He nodded while grinning and after reminding the others waiting outside what to do, via a small earpiece and microphone, I walked over to the mic once more and gave a quick introduction to the final song. "This will be our last song of the night, it's by Volbeat, and it's called 'The Hangman's Body Count'" We started playing and once more everyone was into the song. Halfway into the song, my heart beat increased rapidly which nearly made me mess up while I played. I made direct eye contact with Jackal, smiling as I sang: "Put on the rope, you knew the day was coming. Say your prayers once more, you're part of the hangman's body count." The time came, and instead of playing the solo, I yelled, "SOUL! NOW!" We then unplugged our instruments and launched them as hard as we could towards the gang. They were either too drunk, drugged up, or both to focus on what was happening as a guitar and a keyboard went soaring in the air coming right at them. Suddenly the right door flew open and Kid opened fire at the gang while they scrambled for cover or for their firearms. Krista, and the others did not hesitate to frantically duck for cover behind the bar. I then saw Black Star, out of the corner of my eye, sprinting with Tsubaki in her chain-scythe form towards Jackal while dodging bullets and with one swift swing he slew him. The majority of them tried to fight, but once Maka and Soul paired together amid the gunfire and unleashed their Witch-Hunter attack towards the remaining enemies only a small handful remained. They tried fleeing for the backdoor, but Crona and Ragnarok were waiting and eliminated them with their Screech Alpha Attack.
The fight didn't last longer than ten minutes and all that remained were pre-kishiin souls, broken bottles, and bullet casings. I walked over to the bar where Krista, and the rest were still cowering behind the bar. "You guys can come out now. The fight's over." Krista then lunged toward me with an open hand and gave me a swift right hand across the face which stung like a bitch. "YOU ASSHOLE! What the hell was all that about?! We could've been killed you know?" "I admit I deserved that, and I apologize. Are you guys alright?" The guys slowly rose to their feet and nodded. "Well never mind the fact we almost died, but now our paycheck's gone", Krista scowled. While rolling my eyes I walked over to the table where Jackal was sitting, found his coat slung on a chair, fiddled inside the pockets, and found two thick bundles of cash. I then tossed them towards her, and said, "I hope this suffices." Her and her band mates stared in shock at the amount of money they had in their hands. Soul then walked over to me and whispered, "You should probably call Frank and tell him the job's done." "Right, thanks for the reminder", I replied. As my team members divided the number of souls amongst themselves, and Krista and her band mates divided their pay, I walked behind the bar. While dialing Frank's phone number, I grabbed a bottle of brandy and poured myself a full glass chugging it in an instant. The phone rang a few times and after the third one a voice spoke while resisting the urge to yawn.
"Th-is is Frank." "Hey Frank, it's Vladimir. Listen, the job is done, and Jackal won't be giving you trouble anymore." Upon hearing this, there was a change in his tone from exhaustion to relief. "That's the best news I've heard in years. There's a hatch door behind the bar. If you go down there, Jackal has a safe that has a small fortune in there. Why don't you help yourself to it." "No thanks. I have no need for money, why don't you keep it and maybe use it to repair the place, or take a small vacation." He laughed and continued, "You're a saint, Vladimir. I'll never forget what you've done for me." "Don't mention it, just take care of yourself, Frank." "You too. And if you ever come around again, know that you'll be welcome here." "Thanks Frank. Have a good one." I hung up my phone and opened the hatch door which was beneath my feet. It was dark, but with my phone's flashlight, I could see my surroundings clearly. There were cases marked with various liquor brands, towers of kegs, and in one of the corners stood the safe Frank mentioned. I was about to go back up the steps when I heard muffled whimpers. I turned quickly shining my flashlight towards the source of the noise and saw six people sitting on the floor. There were three women and three men, and each was blindfolded, had their mouths taped, and were bound by a rope to restrain them. I lay my phone on the floor, and took the blindfolds off each of them and eased their fear. "It's alright. I'm not here to hurt you, and neither will Jackal. Just sit still and I'll cut this rope. My right arm then took its blade form and I slowly cut into the rope. It eventually gave way, and the hostages took the tape off of their mouths.
Soul and the others stood around congratulating each other when I came up from the lower floor. "Hey Vlad," Black Star asked. "What were you doing down there? That chick wanted to say goodbye to you, but instead she left her phone number." All I could do was shake my head and ignore his remark. "You guys aren't gonna believe this, but Jackal had hostages trapped in here the whole time." They emitted a collective gasp and it was Kid who then asked. "And are they alright? Or are we too late?" I smiled and said, "Actually, they're safe and ready to return home." The three couples then stepped out and one by one thanked Maka, Soul, Kid, Liz, Patty, Black Star, Tsubaki, Crona, and I. They then walked out of the bar, and I then addressed my group. "That was a marvelous job on all your parts. You each should be proud, we rescued innocent lives, and assured that no more will fall victim to a madman. Now, who's ready to go home?" They ecstatically agreed and we walked out and returned to the hotel. We entered the room, collected our luggage, locked the door, and hailed a taxi with our destination being the airport.
It was 1:25 when we arrived at the airport. At the last minute we were able to acquire a flight headed for Death City, and once more we sat in the business class to avoid dealing with other passengers. During the flight, the others were sound asleep except for Black Star. He hopped into an empty seat next to me and asked me more questions than I had the motivation to answer. "Hey Vlad, you still want that girl's number?" "Nah, you can keep it if you want." "What's the matter, man? She ain't cute enough for ya?" "It's not that. I'm not really interested in her is all. If you wanna talk to her, be my guest." He chuckled as he patted his pocket and asked, "How can you afford all these flights? Are your parents like super rich or something?" "No. For years before taking up this assignment I worked as a mercenary and a bounty hunter. I traveled to all parts of the world, hunting down evil men for profits, and taking arms to fight worthy causes when the money was good." "Whoa", was his reply. "Is that where all those scars are from." "No. All these were from one fight, but I'd rather not talk about it." He eyed me with curiosity and asked, "Why not? Did you lose the fight" I hid my irritation at his attempts of interrogating me as I curtly replied; "Because it's a long story, and I don't feel like telling it." I folded my arms and tucked them behind my head after putting in my earphones and turning on some music. Black Star wasn't through with the game of 21 questions because he plucked out my right earphone and asked, "Do you think my chances with that girl look good?" I growled in annoyance and said, "I don't know. You'll have to find that out on your own." I pulled my jacket hood over my head to indicate that I was done answering questions and wished to be left in peace.
We landed in Death City at 7 in the morning at which point we were severely exhausted. We gathered our bags and lurched out of the airport, but before we parted ways Kid stopped us. The rest of us let out a groan in unison before he addressed us. "I know you all are tired, I am too. But I was wondering if you all wanted to come over to Gallows Mansion later tonight and hang out?" We looked at each other before accepting his invitation. He smiled as he summoned Beelzebub, had Liz and Patty transform into pistols and they ascended. While in the air, and before they took off he called out, "See you all tonight!" Soul and Maka walked over to where his motorcycle was, got on and sped away. Only Crona, Black Star, Tsubaki, and I remained. I asked them if they needed a ride home to which Black Star and Tsubaki nodded, but not Crona. I asked him if he was certain that he didn't need a ride, but he assured me that he was fine. A pair of black wings then emerged from his back, and he flew away waving at us. I had the others follow me to where my car was parked, and they stared in awe at my baby. It was a matte black, 1968 Chevy Chevelle SS with glossy black rims to match the paint job. I unlocked the doors, and loaded the bags into the trunk as they got settled in. Black Star got in the back seat and lied down taking up all the space. In less than a minute he was passed out and snoring loudly. Tsubaki sat herself in the passenger seat, and put on her seat belt. Before she could reach to close her door, I walked over and closed it for her and walked over to the driver side. I got in, gunned the car to life, and we took off.
"So Tsubaki, where is the destination I'm driving to?" She smiled and said, "476 Tombstone Avenue." "Say no more, mademoiselle", I said in an outrageous French accent. "I shall transport thee there safely." She giggled and leaned back into the leather seat. "Thank you for driving Black Star and I home, Vladimir. Can I at least pay you for the gas?" I snickered in response and said, "Nope. Think nothing of it. Just sit back and enjoy the voyage." After sometime taking various turns and stopping at intersections in the city, she asked in her sweet voice, "Would you mind turning down the air conditioner, Vlad?" I heard her request, and although I intended to oblige, she too reached for the knob at the same time I did. For a minuscule moment, I held her hand, and it was a sweet feeling. I looked down and saw I had my hand over hers, and then looked at her, and could see a very faint blush across her cheek as she continued smiling. I lifted my hand off of hers while chuckling stupidly and said bashfully, "Oops. I hope I didn't make you feel awkward." She merely replied with kindness in her voice, "Not at all."
After another 3 minutes we arrived at their place, and I put the car in park before shutting it off. I got out, opened her door, and went towards the trunk to retrieve their bags. Before I closed it, Tsubaki asked if I would wake Black Star. I then began to chuckle malevolently as I took the bullhorn which I kept in the trunk, closed it softly, and made my way towards the rear driver side door. He still was sound asleep and his muffled snores reminded me of a hog's snorts. Very carefully I opened the door, had my hand over the button and yelled loudly into the bullhorn: "ATTENTION SLEEPING BEAUTY! YOU ARE HOME NOW GET OUT OF MY CAR!" He sprang up abruptly and hit his head on the ceiling of the car while I fell back laughing like a lunatic. As he rubbed his head he grumbled incoherently on his way out of the car and up the stairs. Meanwhile I still stifled my laughter as I called out, "That's payback for not letting me sleep on the flight!" Tsubaki covered her mouth to conceal her laughter as she walked over so I could hand her the bags. "That was mean, but funny. You know he'll never forget about that right?" "Yeah, but oh well." She then surprised me when she walked over and gave me a hug. I stared at her as she then waved while walking inside and said, "See you tonight!" All I could do was slowly raise my hand to wave and whisper silently, "Farewell."