Greetings!
Oh, wow. I'm so surprised that you all liked this story. Thank you so much for your reviews. Popular opinion says that I should keep this story, so I think I will. I just hope that the interest stays.
Note: I'm going to refer to Bakura as Ryou and Yami Bakura as Bakura. It just seems easier to do that then to use Yami for both Yami Yugi and Yami Bakura.
On to replies:
Cyberkat: Inquiring minds are good to have! However, you're still going to have to wait to find out what happens to Yugi :o)
Wolfspeaker: Glad to know you like Paint the Sky with Stars as well. I found that I could write both stories at the same time, so I'm going to give it a try. Hopefully it'll work out.
Gold: YAY! I'm so glad that you like the plot so far. Hopefully it'll get even more interesting as I go along.
Charmed48092: Exciting is a good thing, right? I will definitely keep it going. I'm kind of excited about the story as well. I think it's going to be fun to write.
ShadowRika: You're right, it does mean a lot to an author to be reviewed, and I thank you for taking the time to do so. I'm glad you're enjoying the story.
I love Yugi and Kurt: Hey there! Glad you like this story as well!
Digitalfan: Plot devices are a pain to come up with, especially when it involves a beloved character. And yes, I do have a tendency to pick on poor Yug. But I really do like him! Kidnapping. . . well, there is an ultimate reason for that.
Sweenian Birch: I'm glad to know you're enjoying the story!
Zephr: Thanks for the review!
Tira: Glad you liked the story so far.
Naomi SilverWolf: I'm definitely keeping it! I'm so glad that it was well liked, so it's kind of hard to give the story up now.
mhm: Thanks for the vote! Glad you liked the story so far.
Jadesaber: How is this for soon? Just kidding! I hope it was worth the wait.
Luz: Oh, wow. una fan de Yu-Gi-Oh! desde Mexico. Me dio much gusto que te gusto la fic. Esta por seguro que voy a continuar escribiendola. Muchas gracias!
Whew! I loved the reviews and the reviewers! It's great to know that you enjoyed the story so far. Now I'll shut up and let you all get to the good stuff. Enjoy!
**~~**
Chapter 2: Without a Trace
Ryou Bakura practically ran down the almost deserted street that led to the game shop, his heart beating fast from the exertion of the run and fear for his friend.
He could still hear Yami's panicked voice in his mind. That alone was enough to scare him. Yami never panicked, that was common knowledge. The spirit was cool, controlled and reserved. Ryou could not remember when he'd heard Yami sound so lost, helpless and downright afraid as he had when he'd called out to him and Bakura. Yugi had to be in major trouble for Yami to have reacted that way.
~You're taking this a bit far, aren't you Ryou? ~
Ryou sighed. He had been wondering when his yami was going to pipe up. After he had gotten through complaining that Yami had interrupted his meditation, he hadn't said a word.
~~ Have you ever known Yami to exaggerate? ~~ Ryou countered. ~ He sounded desperate ~
There was silence through the mental link.
~ No, I guess not. I didn't think the pharaoh could get emotional like that. I figured he'd lost his emotions during the millennia he'd spent trapped inside the puzzle. It's good to know that he hasn't ~
~~ Why is that, Bakura? ~~
~ Because it's a weakness I can exploit ~
Ryou sighed in resignation. Even though he and Yugi got along wonderfully, there was no way Bakura and Yami were ever going to get along.
A squad car passed him on the street going in the direction of Yugi's house and Ryou smiled in relief. It had taken him five long minutes to convince the police officer he'd spoken to on the phone that he'd been on the phone with his friend when something had happened to him, and that they needed to go to his house right away. Ryou could hardly tell him that an ancient spirit had called to his own ancient spirit and then asked him to call the police, so he'd had to make something up. The police officer had thought Ryou was kidding at first, but he'd changed his mind after a few minutes of pleading from Ryou.
He turned the corner and came into view of the side of the game shop building, where the main entrance to the house was. Two squad cars and an ambulance were already parked out front. Ryou could see that the front door to the house was open and that two officers were ready to walk inside. Without waiting to talk to anyone, Ryou bypassed the barriers the police officers had put up and ran into the house. He heard the officers yell at him to stop, but he didn't pay attention.
He headed for the stairs to get to Yugi's room, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Yugi's grandfather lying on the floor, his body illuminated by the single lamp.
Suddenly, the room was bathed in light. Ryou turned to see that one of the officers had turned on the light, while the other one was pointing a gun at him.
"Hands up, kid!"
Ryou immediately complied and raised his hands. "I was the one who called the police. I just want to see if my friend is okay. This is his grandfather, he's hurt," he added, pointing to Mr. Moto.
The cops looked at each other, and then motioned for Ryou to put his hands down.
"Sorry, kid, we didn't expect you to come flying in. Care to tell us what happened?"
Ryou told him what he'd told the man on the phone. He looked from one man to the other, pleading with his eyes to let him go upstairs.
The taller officer walked to Yugi's grandfather and felt for a pulse. "Get the paramedics in here, Lou, this man is still alive."
The other officer, Lou, immediately complied.
The other two officers, one man and a woman, had by then entered the residence. The woman came over to Ryou.
"You need to stay here while we check out the house, okay?"
Ryou nodded.
"Hey, the back door is open. Let's go."
All three officers made their way towards the back of the house, their guns drawn. Ryou watched as the paramedics put Yugi's grandfather on a stretcher and then wheeled him out. There was blood on the cream colored carpet, and Ryou thought he was going to throw up. He managed to control the urge, and ran up the stairs.
~ Whoever did this was ruthless. I wouldn't be surprised if they found Yugi dead in the bushes outside ~
Ryou stopped halfway up the stairs, his foot raised in anticipation of taking the next step. The words were so unexpectedly cruel that they took his breath away. His mouth dropped open in surprise.
~~ What the hell is that supposed to mean? ~~
His voice was harsh, but he didn't care that he was deliberately defying the spirit of the ring. He didn't do that very often, because even though he and Bakura had come to coexist, Bakura still had his tendencies towards violence whenever Ryou did something he deemed inappropriate.
The spirit of the ring was silent for a moment, but Ryou could feel his amusement at Ryou's shock. He suddenly turned very serious, which scared Ryou even more.
~ Think about it. Yugi's grandfather didn't just fall down the stairs, he was pushed. Who would deliberately harm one person without harming the other person in the house? It could be that the person that broke in here wanted Yugi for something else, but it's very likely that your friend will be dead when whoever took him is done with him ~
Ryou shuddered at the 'something else' Bakura was referring to. He couldn't imagine anyone deliberately forcing themselves on someone else, but he knew that it happened. He hoped that Yugi avoided that fate.
Finally, Ryou shook himself out of his musings and continued up the stairs. The upstairs hallway was dark, but Ryou could see enough to realize that Yugi's door was wide open. Cautiously, he reached inside and flipped the light switch, illuminating the small room.
The bed seemed to have been the focus of the attack, because the pillows, sheet, and comforter were strewn all over the floor. Beside the bed, on the wall, Ryou could see an imprint, as if someone had been thrown against it. He stepped closer and inspected it, noting that the imprint was of a body much too big to be Yugi's. It was possible that it could be Mr. Moto's but Ryou doubted it. He turned his attention to the other side of the room and noticed Yugi's books littering the floor. Underneath the desk, Ryou caught a glimpse of gold. He walked over to it and saw that it was the Millennium Puzzle. He picked it up and examined it, noting that it seemed to be in once piece. He wrapped the chain around the pyramid and then put it in his inner coat pocket.
~~ Don't get any ideas, Bakura. I'm only taking this because we need to talk to Yami. I'm giving it back to Yugi as soon as he returns ~~
He could feel Bakura's indignation at being accused, but ignored it. He'd felt the spirit's greed flare up when he'd picked up the puzzle, so he couldn't deny it.
"Didn't we tell you to wait downstairs?"
Ryou turned, startled, at the sound of the voice. He wrapped his arms protectively around himself and gave the officer standing by the doorway his most innocent smile.
"Did you find Yugi?"
The officer's face softened and he gave Ryou a sympathetic smile.
"I'm sorry, but there was no trace of your friend or his attacker. We have a team already here that's going to go through the house to look for clues. You didn't touch anything up here, did you?"
"No, sir, I didn't. Is there anything I can do to help?"
"You can come down to the police station to give us your statement. Do you want to call your parents?"
Ryou shook his head as he stepped closer to the officer. He took one last look around Yugi's trashed room before letting the officer steer him into the hallway.
"My father is out of town right now, so I'm by myself."
"He left you alone?"
"I'm fifteen years old, sir; I can take care of myself. Besides, it's not permanent, just for a little while."
Satisfied, the officer led him down the stairs and out of the house.
**~~**
Three hours later, at nearly four in the morning, Ryou Bakura finally walked back into his house. The police officer, Officer Milozzi, had driven him home so he wouldn't have to be out at night by himself. Ryou had appreciated the gesture, because he didn't think he'd have been able to make it home on his own.
He'd been interrogated nonstop for two hours. The officers wanted to know how he knew that Yugi was in trouble. He couldn't tell them about Yami, so he stuck to his original story about being on the phone with Yugi. They'd asked him the same thing over and over, hoping that he'd be caught in a lie. Ryou hadn't cracked and they'd finally let him go. He'd made the detective promise to keep him informed, and the man had agreed.
Ryou went up to his room, after making sure that everything was locked downstairs. Seeing the condition of Yugi's room had really freaked him out, and Ryou was more concerned about his friend than he had been when he'd gotten there. The only one who could give them any answers now was Yami. All he needed to do was draw the pharaoh out. He took the puzzle out of his coat pocket and held it in his hands.
~~ Bakura, how am I supposed to talk to Yami? I'm not connected to him like Yugi is, so how can I talk to him if Yugi isn't around? ~~
~ Technically, you shouldn't be able to address him unless he's taken control of Yugi's body, just as Yugi can't talk to me unless I'm controlling your body ~ Bakura replied. ~Yami reached out to me through his link with Yugi when he needed your help. I think I can reach him in the same way and get him to materialize so you can talk to him. Without Yugi, I'm not sure how long that will be ~
~~ It's worth a shot. Do it, Bakura ~~
Ryou concentrated on Bakura, sensing as the spirit opened up the link they shared and used it to reach into the puzzle to draw Yami out. Nothing happened for a few moments, until Yami materialized on the floor of the room. The spirit's eyes were closed, but his hands were tightened around the puzzle he wore around his neck. Suddenly, Yami's eyes opened. He quickly got up and looked around frantically.
"Where's Yugi?"
"He's not here."
Ryou turned, surprised at the voice, and found that Bakura had materialized as well and was standing by the bed, on the opposite side of Yami. The spirit of the ring seemed bored, as if he had better things to do with his time. Ryou knew how much Bakura disliked Yami, which was probably why he'd come out of the ring.
Yami frowned as he stared at Bakura. His eyes widened for a moment, before he looked away from Bakura and finally noted his surroundings. Once he was finished with his inspection, his gaze fell upon the puzzle in Ryou's hands.
"Why do you have that?"
"Look, Pharaoh, Ryou didn't.." Bakura trailed off when Yami shot him a murderous glare.
"I am inquiring, nothing more, Bakura. I know what happened; I know that I asked Ryou for help. I merely want to know what has gone on since Yugi was drugged and taken away."
"He was drugged?" Ryou asked. "Yami, what happened?" He was afraid of the worst, and he could tell by the clenching of Yami's hands that it was pretty bad.
When Yami was finished telling them everything that had happened, Ryou was scared. Bakura seemed shocked, which was interesting to Ryou. He didn't think Bakura cared about Yugi at all.
"So you're saying that there's a limit to how much we can do, how far we can go, without our hosts?" Bakura asked, referring to Yami's admission that he couldn't follow the man that took Yugi for long before being tugged back to the puzzle. "That's good to know."
Yami ignored him and instead turned to Ryou. "Are they looking for Yugi?"
"Yes, the police officer I spoke to told me that they were going to search the area surrounding the house for clues. They won't give up. Is there anything we can do? Can you reach Yugi through your link?"
Yami closed his eyes. A few moments later he opened them, and Ryou felt his blood go cold at the look of fear in Yami's eyes.
"I can't feel him anymore. It's as if he's just gone."
**~~**
"You idiot! Jenkins, what the hell did you do?"
Jenkins looked at his boss, confusion clearly written on his haggard face. "I did what you told me to, boss."
"No you didn't," the boss said.
"You said to get the kid that lives above the Turtle Game Shop, right? This is the kid."
"This can't be the kid, because he's too old. Just feel this," the boss said, grabbing his hand and placing it on the unconscious kid's cheek.
"What am I supposed to be feeling?"
The boss moved Jenkins' hand over the kid's cheek, and Jenkins could feel slight stubble there.
"The stubble, you idiot!" the boss exclaimed. "It's not much, but it's enough to know that this kid is at least thirteen years old. He's way too old for what we want him for. The kids we deal with have to be young, ten at most, for the couples to want them. This can't be the kid from the game shop because that kid has got to be around ten or eleven."
Jenkins removed his hand from the boy's cheek.
"Just look at him, boss. Compare him to the picture on your wall. It's the same kid, same hair and everything," Jenkins insisted, pointing to a wall behind the boss where pictures of several dozen boys and girls were displayed. The kids featured there were either potential victims or had already been taken. "See, it's the same one. He's just older than we thought."
The boss examined the picture and then the boy in silence. Finally, he shook his head and replaced the picture on the wall.
"What do we do now?"
The boss turned to him. "He's already seen you, so letting him go is out of the question. Killing him is an option, but it'd be a waste of a valuable commodity. We can send him to Tokyo, where I'm sure someone will take interest in a young, able boy like him."
The boss moved closer to the boy. He lifted the boy's arm and pushed the sleeve of the pajamas back to fully reveal the arm. "He's small, though. It may not be worth it" The boss dropped the arm, and then ran his hands over the boy's chest, stomach, and legs. "However, he is young, which is always an advantage. With a little hard work, his body will grow and mature. He'd make a good worker for someone who needs some able bodied help."
Jenkins watched his boss as he completed the inspection of the boy. "Take him to one of the rooms for now. I'll make some calls to see if there's any interest in a boy like him."
Jenkins nodded his agreement and effortlessly picked up the boy. He walked out of the room and immediately went to a small elevator at the end of the hallway he was in. They were in a small warehouse on the outskirts of Domino City, in a location where the cops would never think to look for illegal activities. After all, the upstanding business that surrounded them provided an excellent cover.
He reached a room at the back of the basement and opened the door. He placed the boy on the floor at the end of the small room and took a step back. He reached into a small bag he'd brought with him and took out some rope. He tied the boy's hands and feet to keep him from going anywhere. He then took out a piece of cloth and tied it around the boy's mouth. It was better to be safe than sorry.
Satisfied with is work, Jenkins walked to the door. At the last minute, he turned back to the still unconscious boy.
"I'll see you tomorrow when the boss decides your fate."
**~~**
Uh, oh. . . what's up with the crazy kidnappers? What could they possibly want with Yugi and all the other kids? There really is a method to my madness. . . It's just going to take a few more chapters for you to find out what it is. If you're still interested in reading that is. Thanks for stopping by!
Oh, wow. I'm so surprised that you all liked this story. Thank you so much for your reviews. Popular opinion says that I should keep this story, so I think I will. I just hope that the interest stays.
Note: I'm going to refer to Bakura as Ryou and Yami Bakura as Bakura. It just seems easier to do that then to use Yami for both Yami Yugi and Yami Bakura.
On to replies:
Cyberkat: Inquiring minds are good to have! However, you're still going to have to wait to find out what happens to Yugi :o)
Wolfspeaker: Glad to know you like Paint the Sky with Stars as well. I found that I could write both stories at the same time, so I'm going to give it a try. Hopefully it'll work out.
Gold: YAY! I'm so glad that you like the plot so far. Hopefully it'll get even more interesting as I go along.
Charmed48092: Exciting is a good thing, right? I will definitely keep it going. I'm kind of excited about the story as well. I think it's going to be fun to write.
ShadowRika: You're right, it does mean a lot to an author to be reviewed, and I thank you for taking the time to do so. I'm glad you're enjoying the story.
I love Yugi and Kurt: Hey there! Glad you like this story as well!
Digitalfan: Plot devices are a pain to come up with, especially when it involves a beloved character. And yes, I do have a tendency to pick on poor Yug. But I really do like him! Kidnapping. . . well, there is an ultimate reason for that.
Sweenian Birch: I'm glad to know you're enjoying the story!
Zephr: Thanks for the review!
Tira: Glad you liked the story so far.
Naomi SilverWolf: I'm definitely keeping it! I'm so glad that it was well liked, so it's kind of hard to give the story up now.
mhm: Thanks for the vote! Glad you liked the story so far.
Jadesaber: How is this for soon? Just kidding! I hope it was worth the wait.
Luz: Oh, wow. una fan de Yu-Gi-Oh! desde Mexico. Me dio much gusto que te gusto la fic. Esta por seguro que voy a continuar escribiendola. Muchas gracias!
Whew! I loved the reviews and the reviewers! It's great to know that you enjoyed the story so far. Now I'll shut up and let you all get to the good stuff. Enjoy!
**~~**
Chapter 2: Without a Trace
Ryou Bakura practically ran down the almost deserted street that led to the game shop, his heart beating fast from the exertion of the run and fear for his friend.
He could still hear Yami's panicked voice in his mind. That alone was enough to scare him. Yami never panicked, that was common knowledge. The spirit was cool, controlled and reserved. Ryou could not remember when he'd heard Yami sound so lost, helpless and downright afraid as he had when he'd called out to him and Bakura. Yugi had to be in major trouble for Yami to have reacted that way.
~You're taking this a bit far, aren't you Ryou? ~
Ryou sighed. He had been wondering when his yami was going to pipe up. After he had gotten through complaining that Yami had interrupted his meditation, he hadn't said a word.
~~ Have you ever known Yami to exaggerate? ~~ Ryou countered. ~ He sounded desperate ~
There was silence through the mental link.
~ No, I guess not. I didn't think the pharaoh could get emotional like that. I figured he'd lost his emotions during the millennia he'd spent trapped inside the puzzle. It's good to know that he hasn't ~
~~ Why is that, Bakura? ~~
~ Because it's a weakness I can exploit ~
Ryou sighed in resignation. Even though he and Yugi got along wonderfully, there was no way Bakura and Yami were ever going to get along.
A squad car passed him on the street going in the direction of Yugi's house and Ryou smiled in relief. It had taken him five long minutes to convince the police officer he'd spoken to on the phone that he'd been on the phone with his friend when something had happened to him, and that they needed to go to his house right away. Ryou could hardly tell him that an ancient spirit had called to his own ancient spirit and then asked him to call the police, so he'd had to make something up. The police officer had thought Ryou was kidding at first, but he'd changed his mind after a few minutes of pleading from Ryou.
He turned the corner and came into view of the side of the game shop building, where the main entrance to the house was. Two squad cars and an ambulance were already parked out front. Ryou could see that the front door to the house was open and that two officers were ready to walk inside. Without waiting to talk to anyone, Ryou bypassed the barriers the police officers had put up and ran into the house. He heard the officers yell at him to stop, but he didn't pay attention.
He headed for the stairs to get to Yugi's room, but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Yugi's grandfather lying on the floor, his body illuminated by the single lamp.
Suddenly, the room was bathed in light. Ryou turned to see that one of the officers had turned on the light, while the other one was pointing a gun at him.
"Hands up, kid!"
Ryou immediately complied and raised his hands. "I was the one who called the police. I just want to see if my friend is okay. This is his grandfather, he's hurt," he added, pointing to Mr. Moto.
The cops looked at each other, and then motioned for Ryou to put his hands down.
"Sorry, kid, we didn't expect you to come flying in. Care to tell us what happened?"
Ryou told him what he'd told the man on the phone. He looked from one man to the other, pleading with his eyes to let him go upstairs.
The taller officer walked to Yugi's grandfather and felt for a pulse. "Get the paramedics in here, Lou, this man is still alive."
The other officer, Lou, immediately complied.
The other two officers, one man and a woman, had by then entered the residence. The woman came over to Ryou.
"You need to stay here while we check out the house, okay?"
Ryou nodded.
"Hey, the back door is open. Let's go."
All three officers made their way towards the back of the house, their guns drawn. Ryou watched as the paramedics put Yugi's grandfather on a stretcher and then wheeled him out. There was blood on the cream colored carpet, and Ryou thought he was going to throw up. He managed to control the urge, and ran up the stairs.
~ Whoever did this was ruthless. I wouldn't be surprised if they found Yugi dead in the bushes outside ~
Ryou stopped halfway up the stairs, his foot raised in anticipation of taking the next step. The words were so unexpectedly cruel that they took his breath away. His mouth dropped open in surprise.
~~ What the hell is that supposed to mean? ~~
His voice was harsh, but he didn't care that he was deliberately defying the spirit of the ring. He didn't do that very often, because even though he and Bakura had come to coexist, Bakura still had his tendencies towards violence whenever Ryou did something he deemed inappropriate.
The spirit of the ring was silent for a moment, but Ryou could feel his amusement at Ryou's shock. He suddenly turned very serious, which scared Ryou even more.
~ Think about it. Yugi's grandfather didn't just fall down the stairs, he was pushed. Who would deliberately harm one person without harming the other person in the house? It could be that the person that broke in here wanted Yugi for something else, but it's very likely that your friend will be dead when whoever took him is done with him ~
Ryou shuddered at the 'something else' Bakura was referring to. He couldn't imagine anyone deliberately forcing themselves on someone else, but he knew that it happened. He hoped that Yugi avoided that fate.
Finally, Ryou shook himself out of his musings and continued up the stairs. The upstairs hallway was dark, but Ryou could see enough to realize that Yugi's door was wide open. Cautiously, he reached inside and flipped the light switch, illuminating the small room.
The bed seemed to have been the focus of the attack, because the pillows, sheet, and comforter were strewn all over the floor. Beside the bed, on the wall, Ryou could see an imprint, as if someone had been thrown against it. He stepped closer and inspected it, noting that the imprint was of a body much too big to be Yugi's. It was possible that it could be Mr. Moto's but Ryou doubted it. He turned his attention to the other side of the room and noticed Yugi's books littering the floor. Underneath the desk, Ryou caught a glimpse of gold. He walked over to it and saw that it was the Millennium Puzzle. He picked it up and examined it, noting that it seemed to be in once piece. He wrapped the chain around the pyramid and then put it in his inner coat pocket.
~~ Don't get any ideas, Bakura. I'm only taking this because we need to talk to Yami. I'm giving it back to Yugi as soon as he returns ~~
He could feel Bakura's indignation at being accused, but ignored it. He'd felt the spirit's greed flare up when he'd picked up the puzzle, so he couldn't deny it.
"Didn't we tell you to wait downstairs?"
Ryou turned, startled, at the sound of the voice. He wrapped his arms protectively around himself and gave the officer standing by the doorway his most innocent smile.
"Did you find Yugi?"
The officer's face softened and he gave Ryou a sympathetic smile.
"I'm sorry, but there was no trace of your friend or his attacker. We have a team already here that's going to go through the house to look for clues. You didn't touch anything up here, did you?"
"No, sir, I didn't. Is there anything I can do to help?"
"You can come down to the police station to give us your statement. Do you want to call your parents?"
Ryou shook his head as he stepped closer to the officer. He took one last look around Yugi's trashed room before letting the officer steer him into the hallway.
"My father is out of town right now, so I'm by myself."
"He left you alone?"
"I'm fifteen years old, sir; I can take care of myself. Besides, it's not permanent, just for a little while."
Satisfied, the officer led him down the stairs and out of the house.
**~~**
Three hours later, at nearly four in the morning, Ryou Bakura finally walked back into his house. The police officer, Officer Milozzi, had driven him home so he wouldn't have to be out at night by himself. Ryou had appreciated the gesture, because he didn't think he'd have been able to make it home on his own.
He'd been interrogated nonstop for two hours. The officers wanted to know how he knew that Yugi was in trouble. He couldn't tell them about Yami, so he stuck to his original story about being on the phone with Yugi. They'd asked him the same thing over and over, hoping that he'd be caught in a lie. Ryou hadn't cracked and they'd finally let him go. He'd made the detective promise to keep him informed, and the man had agreed.
Ryou went up to his room, after making sure that everything was locked downstairs. Seeing the condition of Yugi's room had really freaked him out, and Ryou was more concerned about his friend than he had been when he'd gotten there. The only one who could give them any answers now was Yami. All he needed to do was draw the pharaoh out. He took the puzzle out of his coat pocket and held it in his hands.
~~ Bakura, how am I supposed to talk to Yami? I'm not connected to him like Yugi is, so how can I talk to him if Yugi isn't around? ~~
~ Technically, you shouldn't be able to address him unless he's taken control of Yugi's body, just as Yugi can't talk to me unless I'm controlling your body ~ Bakura replied. ~Yami reached out to me through his link with Yugi when he needed your help. I think I can reach him in the same way and get him to materialize so you can talk to him. Without Yugi, I'm not sure how long that will be ~
~~ It's worth a shot. Do it, Bakura ~~
Ryou concentrated on Bakura, sensing as the spirit opened up the link they shared and used it to reach into the puzzle to draw Yami out. Nothing happened for a few moments, until Yami materialized on the floor of the room. The spirit's eyes were closed, but his hands were tightened around the puzzle he wore around his neck. Suddenly, Yami's eyes opened. He quickly got up and looked around frantically.
"Where's Yugi?"
"He's not here."
Ryou turned, surprised at the voice, and found that Bakura had materialized as well and was standing by the bed, on the opposite side of Yami. The spirit of the ring seemed bored, as if he had better things to do with his time. Ryou knew how much Bakura disliked Yami, which was probably why he'd come out of the ring.
Yami frowned as he stared at Bakura. His eyes widened for a moment, before he looked away from Bakura and finally noted his surroundings. Once he was finished with his inspection, his gaze fell upon the puzzle in Ryou's hands.
"Why do you have that?"
"Look, Pharaoh, Ryou didn't.." Bakura trailed off when Yami shot him a murderous glare.
"I am inquiring, nothing more, Bakura. I know what happened; I know that I asked Ryou for help. I merely want to know what has gone on since Yugi was drugged and taken away."
"He was drugged?" Ryou asked. "Yami, what happened?" He was afraid of the worst, and he could tell by the clenching of Yami's hands that it was pretty bad.
When Yami was finished telling them everything that had happened, Ryou was scared. Bakura seemed shocked, which was interesting to Ryou. He didn't think Bakura cared about Yugi at all.
"So you're saying that there's a limit to how much we can do, how far we can go, without our hosts?" Bakura asked, referring to Yami's admission that he couldn't follow the man that took Yugi for long before being tugged back to the puzzle. "That's good to know."
Yami ignored him and instead turned to Ryou. "Are they looking for Yugi?"
"Yes, the police officer I spoke to told me that they were going to search the area surrounding the house for clues. They won't give up. Is there anything we can do? Can you reach Yugi through your link?"
Yami closed his eyes. A few moments later he opened them, and Ryou felt his blood go cold at the look of fear in Yami's eyes.
"I can't feel him anymore. It's as if he's just gone."
**~~**
"You idiot! Jenkins, what the hell did you do?"
Jenkins looked at his boss, confusion clearly written on his haggard face. "I did what you told me to, boss."
"No you didn't," the boss said.
"You said to get the kid that lives above the Turtle Game Shop, right? This is the kid."
"This can't be the kid, because he's too old. Just feel this," the boss said, grabbing his hand and placing it on the unconscious kid's cheek.
"What am I supposed to be feeling?"
The boss moved Jenkins' hand over the kid's cheek, and Jenkins could feel slight stubble there.
"The stubble, you idiot!" the boss exclaimed. "It's not much, but it's enough to know that this kid is at least thirteen years old. He's way too old for what we want him for. The kids we deal with have to be young, ten at most, for the couples to want them. This can't be the kid from the game shop because that kid has got to be around ten or eleven."
Jenkins removed his hand from the boy's cheek.
"Just look at him, boss. Compare him to the picture on your wall. It's the same kid, same hair and everything," Jenkins insisted, pointing to a wall behind the boss where pictures of several dozen boys and girls were displayed. The kids featured there were either potential victims or had already been taken. "See, it's the same one. He's just older than we thought."
The boss examined the picture and then the boy in silence. Finally, he shook his head and replaced the picture on the wall.
"What do we do now?"
The boss turned to him. "He's already seen you, so letting him go is out of the question. Killing him is an option, but it'd be a waste of a valuable commodity. We can send him to Tokyo, where I'm sure someone will take interest in a young, able boy like him."
The boss moved closer to the boy. He lifted the boy's arm and pushed the sleeve of the pajamas back to fully reveal the arm. "He's small, though. It may not be worth it" The boss dropped the arm, and then ran his hands over the boy's chest, stomach, and legs. "However, he is young, which is always an advantage. With a little hard work, his body will grow and mature. He'd make a good worker for someone who needs some able bodied help."
Jenkins watched his boss as he completed the inspection of the boy. "Take him to one of the rooms for now. I'll make some calls to see if there's any interest in a boy like him."
Jenkins nodded his agreement and effortlessly picked up the boy. He walked out of the room and immediately went to a small elevator at the end of the hallway he was in. They were in a small warehouse on the outskirts of Domino City, in a location where the cops would never think to look for illegal activities. After all, the upstanding business that surrounded them provided an excellent cover.
He reached a room at the back of the basement and opened the door. He placed the boy on the floor at the end of the small room and took a step back. He reached into a small bag he'd brought with him and took out some rope. He tied the boy's hands and feet to keep him from going anywhere. He then took out a piece of cloth and tied it around the boy's mouth. It was better to be safe than sorry.
Satisfied with is work, Jenkins walked to the door. At the last minute, he turned back to the still unconscious boy.
"I'll see you tomorrow when the boss decides your fate."
**~~**
Uh, oh. . . what's up with the crazy kidnappers? What could they possibly want with Yugi and all the other kids? There really is a method to my madness. . . It's just going to take a few more chapters for you to find out what it is. If you're still interested in reading that is. Thanks for stopping by!