Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh or any characters held herein. Alas.

Three days.

It had been three days since his sister had gone missing. The police only counted the last day; they apparently needed forty-eight hours to make sure she hadn't just passed out drunk at a friend's house and forgotten to call. They still seemed rather disinterested in her case. Girls her age ran away all the time, they told him. And kids around Domino were rather notorious for both actions; their missing persons files took up three entire six-foot filing cabinets, and only a handful had been solved. But they would do what they could.

"What they could" consisted of absolutely nothing, and it infuriated him. Even the hysterical tears of their mother could not sway them to put more effort into the case.

They swarmed all over Otogi's death, however. At first they had accused the entire gang of foul play, since the doctors and policemen had determined that the body had been moved, and of course it was questionable as to why the kids were there at such an odd hour. They had interrogated them one by one, closed up in a small room with two men, hammered with questions and not even allowed a drink of water. He had a feeling that that violated his rights, but since he didn't even know what his rights were, he shouldn't have opened his mouth.

Not that that ever stopped him.

Between the accusations and their lack of action towards finding his sister, he had almost wound up in jail himself. Luckily, the policeman he accosted had a kid sister of his own, and understood. He had promised to try to bump the case up, get one of their best officers on it.

Then the fourth day rolled around, then the fifth. The police had done nothing.

Jounouchi had never felt so helpless in his life. After the police determined that he and his friends had solid alibis and had not, indeed, murdered their friend, he had spent nearly every waking moment scouring the city looking for her. Yuugi had had to blockade his bedroom to get him to rest for a couple of hours, but then made the mistake of removing the chair.

He hadn't let that chance escape.

He hadn't slept in two days now, but he refused to shut down, refused to close his eyes and rest for more than fifteen minutes at a time. His sister was out there somewhere, possibly being hurt, and he'd be damned if he let her remain in potential captivity for a minute more than he had to. He was slowly wearing down though, no sleep and little food taking its toll on his body. His limbs felt heavy, and it took an extreme amount of effort to put one foot in front of the other.

That didn't stop him. If the police wouldn't do anything, he sure as hell would, no matter what it took.

The others spent time looking as well, but none as assiduously as he. None of them understood. Perhaps the one who came closest was Bakura, who claimed he had a little sister of his own, though no one had ever met her. He accompanied Jounouchi on most of his outings, lending his sharp eyes and even sharper sense of direction to his personal quest. Without him, he likely would have gotten hopelessly lost, though he had to wonder how the white-haired boy knew the city so well when he rarely ventured out of his apartment. He had a feeling Bakura wasn't getting much sleep, either; his eyes seemed to be perpetually reddened, and his hair certainly hadn't been brushed in some time.

He also sometimes got a strange expression on his face while he stared at something, a distant, almost derisive air that seemed to quietly mock both him and his desperate actions. Maybe finding Otogi's body had shaken him up more than he admitted. Maybe, somewhere deep inside, he had already given up on finding Shizuka, at least alive. Jounouchi didn't let himself linger on that notion; if she were dead, he'd know it. He was sure of it.

Jounouchi shook his head. He really was tired; he couldn't even maintain one train of thought. His mind had wandered just as his feet had, and he didn't remember ever coming to the entrance of the old abandoned zoo. Everyone had avoided searching in this place, thinking that no one in their right minds would come here anyway, yet alone take a young girl into the supposedly haunted ruins. But it was one of the last places left to check, and he had to push aside his horrible fear of the supernatural and press forward.

He had to, for Shizuka.

He glanced over at Bakura, likely looking for some sort of support, some sort of friendly smile and the push that he needed. All he saw was quiet speculation as those dark eyes, so strangely cold in the dimming light, studied the dilapidated, rusted gate hanging open. Ivy covered most of the iron, obscuring the words sprawled over what once must have been an impressive entrance. The fading light cast unpleasant shadows over both the gate and what lay inside, the last rays of the sun spilling its blood across dead stone.

Jounouchi shivered. He really did not want to go in there. All the kids grew up hearing the stories about this place, the horrible things that supposedly went on within those walls and what still supposedly walked the grounds. However, despite his reluctance, something was telling him to go in there. Bakura shifted, his foot catching a stone, and Jounouchi looked over at him.

The boy was studying him intently. "Are we going in there?" he asked, voice smooth.

He took a deep breath and nodded. "We have looked just about everywhere else," he replied shakily.

"The likelihood of anyone being in there is slim," Bakura pointed out, his eyes seeming to laugh at him. Jounouchi could remember the last time the boy's eyes had looked like that, but he was just so tired, he couldn't seem to keep a grip on the thought, and it fled almost as quickly as it came.

"Yeah, I know, but I have to give it a try. Something's telling me to look in there. I can't ignore it, not when my little sister's life is at stake."

"She could be home by now, safe and sound."

"Someone would have called me."

"Your cell phone went dead hours ago."

Jounouchi frowned. "They know you're with me."

"I don't own a cell phone."

"Are you trying to talk me out of going in there?" He was growing agitated. The lack of rest and food and the constant stress was really taking its toll on him, and something about Bakura's tone of voice was really getting to him.

"Not at all." Amusement, nothing more. "Just making sure you really want to go in there."

"I do." And as if that proclamation was all the courage he needed – if anything, his pride was on the line more than anything else – Jounouchi squared his shoulders and stepped through the lopsided gates.

Shizuka stretched out lightly and groaned. She was sore, nearly from head to toe, and she felt it every time she so much as twitched. Still, stretching felt good, gave her a small sense of satisfaction as she finally curled back up on her side, eyes blinking sleepily. He was gone again, and for that, she felt some relief.

She didn't know how long she'd been captive – there were no windows, nor any time-keeping devices – but he had left and arrived at least a half a dozen times. He always slipped out when she was asleep, and locked the door from the outside so she would not escape. She'd tried more than once, that was for sure.

She'd even lost count of the number of times he had taken her. Well, she'd lost count after she began to enjoy it. A flush rose to her cheeks. She felt ashamed at that, ashamed that she had given in and found pleasure in his arms, when he had murdered her boyfriend and kidnapped and abused her. A part of her had stopped resisting because he didn't hurt her as badly when she cooperated; the other part had enjoyed it immensely.

At least there was a working bathroom in the place. Windowless like the main room, the water was still delightfully warm, and the shower was stocked with surprisingly nice shampoos and washes. The first time she had stepped under the warm spray, he had ruined it, pushing her against the hard tiled wall and having his way with her. He'd left her bruised and sobbing; perhaps that was when she began to learn how to submit, how to please him to keep him from being so brutal. The first time, he had been tender, almost surprisingly so, but he had grown angry with her tears and her steadfast refusal to even much as look at him.

She didn't want to think about what had happened then.

She glanced with some longing at her ruined clothes, chucked in a corner dismissively. He had allowed her no other garments, and had struck her severely when she had tried to hide beneath a sheet. The bruise from that was still tender on her cheek, and she idly raised a hand to touch it, fingertips barely brushing against the skin and still receiving a sting in reply. Several similar marks adorned her pale flesh, bruises and bite marks alike, and though she didn't want to admit it, she'd delivered a few of her own.

She had asked him, once, why he kept her here. He wouldn't answer her, no matter how she pleaded. She wanted to go home, she wanted to speak to her brother, she wanted clothes, it was cold in there sometimes, she wanted to see her mother, she wanted to leave. When she had gotten too annoying, he would yell at her and raise his hand, and she would flinch and subside. It had become almost a nightly ritual – or what she assumed was nightly, as she didn't think he would sleep during the day – and was always preceded by dinner and followed by touching.

Whimpering softly, she pushed herself into a sitting position. Her hair hung bedraggled down her shoulders, mussed from being in bed for so long without a brush to be had anywhere, and her arms trembled lightly from holding up her weight even for such a short amount of time. He brought her food, but never a lot, as if he expected her to appreciate even the small amount he would give her. She was hungry, and probably lost some weight since the whole ordeal had started, but she knew she didn't really have to worry. He wouldn't have gone through all this trouble just to have her die, would he?

Not feeling very comforted, she swung her legs over the side of the bed and stared at the door. Without knowing was time it was, nor where the sun stood in the sky, she couldn't be sure when he would come back. A part of her hoped he wouldn't, that he would forget about her and just let her die. Luckily, that part of her was small; she wanted to live.

She slowly got to her feet and padded into the bathroom, staring at herself in the small, round mirror over the sink. There were dark circles under her eyes, and she looked tired, as if she hadn't had a good night's sleep in months. Her skin was pale and drawn, as if she had suffered a lengthy illness, and her expression seemed…

Lost.

She barely fought back tears. She'd thought she'd cried them all away that first night, and then extra the following day, but she refused to give in this time. She didn't have the time or the luxury to curl up and sob. He would be back soon, and he would expect her to be clean and ready. He was always much kinder when she did what he expected.

Sighing, she stepped into the shower.

The sun was almost completely set, and a chill had taken the place of its warmth, the breeze cutting through Jounouchi's thin jacket and biting deep into his skin. He shivered and wrapped his arms around himself, wondering if perhaps it had been silly to search the zoo, maybe they should just turn around and go home.

No. How could he even think that, for a minute, a second? He had to find his sister, and if she was in here, he would find her if he had to look under every rock and inside every creepy building.

Bakura, at least, seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. He watched Jounouchi as if drinking up every shred of unease; looked around as if trying to inhale the very essence of the place. He did his share of searching, that couldn't be denied. He went into buildings Jounouchi did not wish to enter, and poked his head into dark corners that made the blonde shiver and back away. Despite how much he seemed to bathe in the darkness, he was calm and confident and in a way, kept Jounouchi going. After all, if Bakura of all people could handle it, why couldn't he? And there was no way they could stop now, not after finding that broken cage with the blood on the ground, or a piece of her torn clothing caught on some bushes. His intuition had been right this time, but he didn't like dwelling on the shredded piece of cloth clutched in his fist.

They had crisscrossed almost the entire zoo, and Jounouchi felt strangely anxious to be finished and back in a well-lighted, populated area of the city before the sun sank entirely; preferably with his sister in tow. It didn't look like that would be the case, but he still quickened his pace, eyes darting to and fro. If he'd known it would get this cold, he would have worn a sweater.

"What's that?" Bakura asked, the sound so sudden it startled the blonde.

"What?"

Bakura pointed, his pale skin nearly glowing in the odd light. "There. Don't you see that light?" He squinted. "It seems to be coming from a building."

"Why would lights be on?" he started to ask, before he immediately started running, following where Bakura had pointed. He could hear the other's footsteps behind him, then beside him, easily keeping pace. He slowed down when the building came into full view, a large windowless cabin with a cheery light above the door. He came to a complete stop, for some reason hesitant about approaching it. The cabin just seemed so out of place, the light somehow more forbidding than the encroaching darkness.

"Who do you suppose lives there?" Bakura asked, his voice pitched low.

"I don't know, but if they have my sister…" His other fist clenched, his eyes narrowing. It was just too odd, a cabin in the middle of an abandoned zoo. He didn't like it, but he had no choice, did he?

"What should we…?"

"I'm going in."

Bakura blinked at him, his expression mild but his eyes calling him ten types of idiots. "You don't know who is in there."

"I don't care! If Shizuka is there…"

"Then you should be more careful. Otogi is dead, remember."

That calmed him. A little. If his sister were in there, trussed up like an animal – his mind conjured up horrible images for a moment before he could push them down – he would have to get her out using his wits.

"All right, then. We wait."

"Not for long." Bakura pointed again. "Look, over there."

A tall, dark figure was moving towards the cabin, long coat billowing in the wind. It didn't take long for Jounouchi to recognize him, even with the scant light and the relative distance. It was all he could do to remain still as the man carefully unlocked the door and stepped inside.

The piece of cloth fell from Jounouchi's hand. "Kaiba…"

Shizuka enjoyed her shower, taking her time in sniffing the shampoos and choosing a body wash that she liked. She took extra care to wash her hair – he liked running his fingers through it – and conditioned it as well. She would have given almost anything to have a brush or a comb, but he probably thought she would use one as a weapon, and refused to provide one. She shivered a little as she stepped out, quickly wrapping a thin towel around herself to clear away the droplets clinging to her skin.

She raked her fingers through her hair, her expression a little more alive than before. She always felt refreshed after a shower, even in her current situation. And perhaps he would be in a better mood tonight than usual. She clung to the same hope every time, and she had only been rewarded once.

Maybe tonight would be different.

Once dry, hair pulled back in a makeshift braid – she didn't have any hair ties either, or ribbons – she went back into the main room, turning on another lamp. The light made her feel a little better, too, if more exposed. She was growing accustomed to her nudity and only really noticed it when he stared at her, his eyes bright with need. She shivered, unconsciously covering herself with her arms before almost immediately dropping them again; he didn't like it when she hid.

Before she had time to gather her thoughts, she heard a sound, and then the door opened. He stepped through with a gust of wind, his hair mussed but his eyes calm. He closed the door and looked her over before almost throwing a paper bag at him. Caught off guard, she barely caught it before it hit the floor. A warm scent wafted up through the opening, and she felt her stomach respond.

"Eat," he commanded, draping himself across a chair rather lazily. He had his laptop with him this time, and he snapped it open, typing at the keys rapidly before pushing it away. His eyes never left her form as she slowly sat down on the floor, pulling out the sliced chicken and bread and mashed potatoes. She wasn't used to this sort of meal, and she was absolutely famished, but she forced herself to eat slowly and delicately. He would, of course, be angry if she made a mess.

He grunted, then turned back to his laptop, poking around with it for a while. She felt relieved at the loss of scrutiny and quickly finished her meal, putting the empty containers and silverware back into the bag. She then remained where she was, watching him, waiting.

She opened her mouth, though to say or ask what she did not know, when there was a sudden pounding on the door. Before either of them could react, it flew open, and her brother and Bakura stood in the doorway, the harsh light from outside casting them in a washed out glow.

"You give my sister back, you monster!"