It took Ryo a good two and a half hours to cut through the tough rope. Several guards kept checking on him every 10 minutes or so, making the job a little more difficult. No one really said anything to him but there seemed to be a nervous excitement in the air. Outside the closed door, Ryo could hear the fervent chit chat of the men and a few harsh words from those being forced to stay behind.
At last, the noise died away, replaced with the sounds of departing vehicles. The rope lay in pieces on the floor as Ryo waited impatiently for his rescue, ticking off the minutes on the clock by the wall. It was a few minutes after 7 when he heard the door creak open slightly. He tightened his grip on the knife, ready for the worst.
"Ryo? Are you in there?" Ryo recognized that voice. He jumped to his feet but fell back on the floor hard, still not quite recovered enough to stand properly. He crawled slowly towards the door, ignoring the searing pain running through his legs.
"Berkeley!" he cried, his voice little more than a hoarse whisper. "Berkeley, thank god it's you! I'm in here." Tears dripped slowly down his cheeks as his boss threw open the door and ran into the room. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you. I'm glad Michael got a hold of you in time or I might not have been around much longer." Berkeley looked at him strangely as he pulled him to his feet.
"Who's Michael?" he asked. "We got the descriptions of two of the men that kidnapped you from Bikky and Carol. We finally caught up with them and tailed them here. That's how we found you. We never got a tip off from anyone." Ryo stood on shaky legs with his arm draped over Berkeley's shoulders. He stared hard at the taller man, his mind processing what he had been told.
"But…Michael said…" He stumbled over his words as he tried to clear his muddled brain. "If you never got the tip, that means that…oh god!" Ryo's eyes went wide with horror as the realization dawned on him. "We have to get out of here, now! It's a trap!"
"Bingo, bingo! Congratulations, you win the prize!" Michael stood in the doorway, surrounded by a small group of men carrying guns. The young man sneered cruelly at the blonde detective. "You were so easy to deceive, too. You're the kind of person who tries to find the good in everyone. I figured you'd fall for that 'poor family' dribble. You're such a kind-hearted fool, Ryo. You really are. But I guess I should thank you for that. Now, I'll be the boss's new best friend when he gets back. Too bad you won't be around. I'm afraid I'll have to shoot you, since you were trying to escape." He snickered, taking a few steps toward the pair.
Suddenly, there was a crash and the sounds of a scuffle coming from down the hall. The guards' concentration flickered for just a moment, but that was all Ryo needed. He chunked the knife he still held as hard as he could at the nearest guard. It flew straight and true, hitting the man hard and burying itself in his shoulder. Berkeley swung a tight fist at Michael, connecting squarely with his jaw and knocking him out cold.
Pandemonium broke out and the two detectives managed to slip past the guards. But soon, they were completely lost in the winding halls of the old building. Every turn seemed to be a dead end and time was running out. The guards would eventually catch up and then it would be all over. Ryo was falling behind, his body screaming in protest as he pushed himself to keep running. As he slowed down, he caught sight of a familiar room. It was the same one he had originally been held in.
"Berkeley!" he called softly, not wanting to attract the attention of the guards behind them. "There's a way out up here. I'm sure of it. I saw people coming in and out the first day I was here." Berkeley nodded and slowed his pace a bit, grabbing Ryo's hand to make sure he didn't fall behind again. Ryo looked down and almost smiled. If we weren't running for our lives, I'd think he meant more by that. But then again…he has been acting a little weird towards me… Ryo shook his head, pushing his theories aside and concentrating on finding the door. 'There!" They jerked right and opened a door into the crisp evening air. "We made it!"
"Geeze! What took you so long?" JJ nearly screamed as he ran to greet them. "We were starting to get worried about you. Only three of them are in custody but we can stick around a while longer and…"
"Forget it," Berkeley said, cutting him off. "The backup we requested won't be here in time to catch the rest of them and we've taken enough risks as it is. Take the suspects wee have back to the precinct. I'm taking Ryo to the hospital." JJ sighed and nodded, rounding up the officers as Berkeley led a very tired Ryo back to his car.
"I'm alright, you know." Ryo muttered. "I just need some sleep. I'll be fine in the morning…I'm serious. I…" He felt more than saw the gun. Everything around him disappeared as he turned to look. He knew who was behind the gun. He knew quite well, though he wasn't sure how he had gotten back so soon. His eyes went wide as he glanced back at Berkeley, only a few feet away. "I'll put you through a living hell before I kill you." Thomas's words echoed through his mind. He ran for all he was worth, stepping in front of Berkeley just as he heard the trigger being pulled.
Pain surged through his chest. He could feel it but it wasn't really as bad as he thought it would be. He was vaguely aware that someone had caught him. Words rang in the air but they meant nothing to him. He felt strong arms pull him into the car but it didn't matter. Everything was growing hazy and out of focus. He couldn't really concentrate on anything. So this is it? This is what dying feels like? Sorry I won't be there for you anymore, Bikky. You've grown up so much. Take care of Carol and don't cause too much mischief. Well, looks like I'll see you again pretty soon, Dee. Someone shook him hard, telling him to hold on, but his mind wasn't in it. Ryo smiled as everything faded away and he floated into unconsciousness.