Chapter 39------The Master's Bidding
-Miriam's POV-
I can't believe it! But who would—?
I raced after the vehicle. Travelling by roof-top was the quickest way I could catch up with the car. I panicked, she was in trouble!
HOW COULD THIS HAPPEN?
Shit! I can't catch up!
I pushed my legs to run faster, keeping my eyes out for the car and checking if I had to make another jump to another roof. Every land exerted a lot of pressure on the knees and I tried minimising the impact by doing light jumps; the smaller the better. I watched the car make a right turn and disappear behind a building.
Shit! I can't lose it now!
I leapt off the roof and down onto the pavement.
Gotta catch up!
I made that right turn to find the road empty.
"DAMMIT!"
My breathing was rapid as I squeezed my abdomen, trying to get rid of the stitch that had formed.
I CAN'T BELIEVE I LOST HER! AND AFTER ALL THAT RUNNING! ARGH!
Then I had an idea, I pulled out the pendant and let it hang loose. "Please –pant- please work." The pendant swayed a little, I walked down the road, trying to pick up a stronger vibe… and then I caught it! It was a faint glow, but it was all I had…
-End of POV-
-Tyson and gang-
The boys raced up the steps to the Tokyo Beyblading stadium, only to find the door locked. "It's locked!" Tyson banged on the glass doors.
"She's not here!"
"THEN WHERE THE HELL COULD SHE BE?" The bluenette shouted in frustration. "MAI YOU IDIOT! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO JUST RUN OFF LIKE THAT?"
"I just go off the phone with Hilary; she said they were supposed to meet here tomorrow." The neko-jin slipped the phone into his pocket, "she's on her way to our house now."
"But if she's not here then –" Max glanced at the empty lobby of the stadium then back at Rei. His face had the words 'something's wrong' written all over it.
"Make a police report." Kai's voice was stern but urgent, "We have to find her." 'We shouldn't have left her alone! Someone should've accompanied her! I gave orders for no one to leave her side! But now she's gone! She's gone!'
"But that will expose her—"
But Kai cut Max off, "JUST DO IT, DAMMIT! MAI'S MISSING AND YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT HER IDENTITY? FOR ALL WE KNOW SHE COULD BE DEAD BY NOW!"
"SHUT UP, KAI!" Tyson retorted. "Mai's not dead!"
"HOW WOULD YOU KNOW?"
"I JUST KNOW ALL RIGHT?" The two of them were at each other throats and Rei felt the need to intervene.
"Cool it." He held the boys at arms-length, "We'll find her but for now we'll make a police report and go home."
"But!"
"GO HOME, Tyson." Rei stared straight into the boy's eyes as though trying to justify his point and daring him to answer back.
Admitting defeat, Tyson tore his gaze and headed down the steps without saying a word, the rest followed quickly behind him…
-Fast forward-
"Did you find her?" Hilary left the step she was sitting on and raced up to Tyson. The boys shook their heads. "Then what are we goin' to do?" The girl gripped Tyson's hand, demanding an answer. She wouldn't accept it, they had to have something; they just had to!
"We've made a police report but we told them to keep it under wraps. There's nothing we can do now but wait." Rei replied dejectedly.
"Sounna… (It can't be…)" Hilary felt void of all emotion. Inside, she was desperately trying to cling onto that little bit of hope left but she could feel it crumbling, like grains of sand… slowly slipping through her fingers, only to be scattered into oblivion by the wind…
"Let's go inside and talk. You little dudes are gonna freeze if ya stand here all night." Grampa G stood by the door, motioning the rest to go inside…
-Another location-
-Miriam's POV-
Here?
I looked at the house before me, it looked too ordinary. White-washed walls, cosy front yard though a bit small, a nice little maple tree growing at the side.
It looks so quaint. It's hard to imagine every day you see such houses and you don't know what skeletons in the closet they keep…
I double-checked with the pendant.
Yup, the glow was bright all right.
I sneaked up towards the house and spotted the car. She was definitely here. I crept my way around the house, making sure I was concealed by the shadows. I looked for an open window but found a lighted one instead.
Close enough.
I peeked through the gap in the curtains with one eye. There were two people, a tall guy and a girl; they didn't look Japanese. Their mouths were moving so they must be talking. I pressed my ear onto the glass.
Dang! I can't hear a thing! Wait, gotta find Mai first.
I slowly pushed my body off the side of the wall and – -CLANG!- "SHIT!"
-THWACK- "Someone toppled the watering can…"
"It's probably a cat."
"I wouldn't be so sure of that. The walls have ears you know…Get Chace to scan the a— -THWACK-
Oh crap!
I peeled myself from under the window ledge.
Now I had to avoid being caught! Bloody watering can!
I wanted to kick it but I knew that would be a bad move. I looked around, frantically searching for a place to hide. I heard the door open.
Argh! Hurry!
I leapt over the bushes and hid under the neighbour's car, scraping my arm against the gravel.
Tsk!
My breathing was heavy and I prayed whoever was out there wouldn't find me. I watched as the feet walked around the front yard, then disappeared, then reappeared. Then suddenly they landed right in front of me! My breathing froze and my stomach twisted into a knot.
Please don't find me! Please…
"Hey there."
I held my breath.
"So it was you all along huh?"
I watched him bend down and –
OH NO!
I heard an animal mew and I wave of relief washed over me.
"HEY! FOUND ANYTHING?"
"Nah! Just a cat!" The man shouted.
He placed the cat back down, turned on his heel and left. Then I heard the door close. I waited a few seconds before I wiggled out of my hiding place, trying hard not to add more injury onto my skin. I dusted the dirt of my clothes and examined the bruise on my arm; it was nothing serious.
I hid behind the bushes and looked up at the top floor windows.
Mai's gotta be in one of those rooms. But how do I— the balcony? No, that's too risky…
I crept slowly to the side of the ground floor window, my second attempt not to blow my cover… There wasn't anyone in the living room. I checked another window—
YES! They're in the kitchen! And the sliding door's open!
I stood a few feet away from the door, checking my surroundings if there were anymore meddlesome watering cans…
All clear!
I strained my ears to pick up any bits of conversation...
-END OF POV-
"So everything's over?" Chace crossed his arms behind his head and rocked his chair on two legs.
"Yeah," Britten placed the coffee mug to his lips, "but what're they going to do to her? She's probably only 16? 17? That's still young."
"It's none of our business what the boss does with her…" Liz replied coldly. "We just carry out the mission. We get paid, forget everything that happened and get on with our lives. If you can't do that, then I don't know what you're doing in this line of work."
"Hey, I didn't say anything." The guy raised his arms in defence, "For one to be the best, one has to abandon his heart, that's your rule."
'Wrong. That's everyone's rule.' The girl's eyes lingered on the mug before getting up from her seat, "We'll take her to see the boss in the morning."
"Where?"
"Some building in Ikebukuro, DAICHI I think…" Britten answered.
-Miriam's POV-
DAICHI? In Ikebukuro?
I slowly slipped away from the door. When I felt it was safe, I dashed out into the street…
Gotta tell the guys!
-Fast forward-
-BAM!- "TAIHEN YO! (Emergency!)" Miriam burst through the doors of the abandoned warehouse and shook her mates up, "Wake up!"
"Wha—" Joseph lazily lifted an eye lid.
"Wake up wake up wake up!" The girl slapped her brother's face.
"Get lost, idiot!" Joseph snapped at his sister and went back to sleep.
"MAI'S IN TROUBLE AND IF YOU GUYS WON'T SAVE HER THEN I WILL!" Miriam was about to stomp off in the direction of the door when—
"Wait! Mai's in trouble? Where?" Ozuma was wide awake, his senses set on 'alert' mode.
"Someone's kidnapped her. They're holding her somewhere now but she won't be there for long. They're gonna take her to a place in Ikebukuro in the morning, DAICHI I think." The girl quickly filled the group in on the current situation; heads nodded and questions were exchanged.
"So we get there first before they do? That your plan?" Dunga didn't sound too convinced about the whole save-Mai thing but Miriam nodded her head determinedly.
"Wait, why are we doing this again? It's not like we're on her side or anything." Joseph protested, still a little pissed about being woken up at 3 in the morning just for this.
"The girl has Eden and we don't know what whoever kidnapped her wants her for. Both her parents are dead so this guy must know something…And even if we save her, do you seriously think we'll take her back to the Bladebreakers?" Ozuma watched the boy's frown turn into a smirk.
"Ahhh, I get it." The green-haired boy wagged a finger at his leader, "Let's go get our quarry then."
-Next day-
The girl stirred, she moved her position but felt something was restricting her. Her eyes fluttered open, something WAS restricting her! Mai tugged on the cloth that bound her arms and legs to the sides of the bed. 'What the hell? Wher—'
"Oh good, you're awake." Mai turned her head to see a familiar face sitting on the chair next to the desk. He sat the wrong way round, resting his chin on his arms which were folded on the back of the chair.
"YOU!" The girl suddenly remembered her past with him, "LEMME GO YOU IDIOT! HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME! HEEEELLLLPPP! HHHEEEEMMMPPPPPPHHHFFFF!" Britten gagged the girl with a cloth.
"Be quiet! The neighbours will hear us." The boy placed a finger on his lips. Mai furrowed her brows but continued her muffled screams. "You're wasting your time doing that. Besides, you won't be here long; we're taking you to see your Grandfather."
Something clicked inside Mai and she grew frantic, all the more she struggled harder. Her Grandfather! The man she hated! The man she loathed! The man she desperately tried to get away from all this time! They were taking her to him! NO! He'd kill her! She didn't want to die! She was too young! She had a whole life ahead of her! It can't end now! Not today! She couldn't die! 'I don't wanna die!' Tears started to stain the girl's cheeks, trickling down the side of her neck, making it sticky with wet.
The door opened and another man walked in. Mai recognised him as the guy who tried to rape her. 'If he's here, then Liz must be here too! She could help me!'
"Hey babe." Chace stared straight down at her, "Why's she crying?" He looked at his partner.
"I told her she was going to see her Grandfather then she went all berserk. Overwhelmed with joy maybe?" The chestnut-haired boy chuckled while Mai frantically shook her head, her shouts growing louder against the damp cloth.
"Aww, don't cry babe," Chace ran a thumb under the girl's eye, "he's only your Grandfather. He's not gonna hurt you or anything." He pushed back the girl's hair which was matted to her face.
Mai cried even harder at this. 'He's not gonna hurt you...' he says. If only that were true…if only that were true…' She stopped struggling and just cried, and cried… and cried buckets more…
What had she done to deserve this?
Suddenly a figure appeared at the door, Liz was stunned to see Mai already awake but she quickly replacedit with her usual indifferent expression. "I'll get the car ready. Get her freshened up, I don't want people getting suspicious when we take her out." The girl stared at Mai, and then turned to leave, her black hair trailing behind her.
'Why…? She didn't even care… She just left…and that cold face…' Mai kept her gaze fixated on place where Liz once stood. She knew it was too much to hope for that Liz would help her but somehow she felt betrayed…Liz of all people should know what her Grandfather would do to her! So why won't she help her! WHY?
Britten and Chace proceeded to untie the cloth that bound her feet and arms, "Don't try anything funny now." Chace warned as he tipped the dagger at her, the glint of light on the edge of the blade forced Mai to lie as still as a mouse. They bound her wrists behind her back and took her to the bathroom to clean her tear-streaked face.
"Here." Britten tossed her some clothes, a simple red t-shirt with a pair of three-quarter khaki-coloured pants. "Get changed."
Mai gave him a look that told him he was absurd! "Look, if you won't change by yourself then I'm sure either of us would be much obliged to do it for you." The boy's devilish grin made the girl think twice; his partner's smirk didn't help either.
"Could you…please look away?" The girl said in a quivering voice. She couldn't oppose their bidding, she was under the influence of the knife…and when it came to the knife, it meant life or death.
Chace's eyes shone, "What? And miss the show?" He guffawed, making Mai all the more uneasy. "Fine, we'll look away but you've got 30 seconds." He placed himself at the window while Britten moved to the door. A wise move indeed.
Mai quickly threw off her clothes and forced her body into the new garments, taking care to cover up as much as she could in case one of them decided to peek. The clothes fit her snugly, "I'm done."
"Nice ass you got there." Chace smirked as he twirled around. Mai looked confused for a second but finallyunderstood what he meant. The pitch darkness outside reflected everything clearly on the glass. Her cheeks grew red and she dropped her gaze to the floor. (blu: No! it's not pornography! She still had her undergarments on!)
"Let's go." Once again they tied her handstogether and pushed her out the door…
"Get in." Chace ordered the girl into the car. Britten took the driver's seat with Liz in the front. Chace kept the dagger next to his thigh, occasionally tapping it on the leather interior. The car rumbled to life, reversed and careened down the empty street.
All this time Mai didn't utter a word, she sat quietly in the car like a good little girl. She could only spend the last few moments of her life reminiscing about all the good that had happened; her parents, her friends, her childhood days, Levian… 'Minna sayonara…Sayonara, Riya…Sorry I couldn't keep my promise…' And even behind the pair of dark-coloured shades, the tears were still visible to anyone who bothered to notice…
My advanced present to all my readers! HAPPY SAINT WHITE'S DAY! Guys don't forget to give ya girls something special! I think something plain will do nicely no? Hope you liked this chapter. I shall make it more descriptive and umm improve on the next few chapters...yeah. Please review!