Chapter Three

The sudden blare of the television (or radio, she couldn't tell) jolted Chikako awake. It was still pitch black inside the closet and she squirmed around until her ear was against the wooden door, searching for the echo of possible footsteps. But it was silent on the other end, except for the announcer telling her about the recent foreign stock exchanges in the United Kingdom. She rapped the door with the back of her hand in a meek attempt to signal Jake that she was awake, but no one answered. The news continued to drone on in the other room and she could vaguely remember Jake's old alarm-clock-radio going off every morning at five for class. She sighed, knowing that she was truly alone.

I have to get out, she thought to herself. This understated meditation was followed by a roll of her eyes. She had been thinking this for a week. She shimmied around the closet and anchored her hands on the doorknob. She tried to lift herself into a standing position, but before she knew what was happening, the knob began to turn. Then the door was open and she was tumbling backwards onto the hard kitchen floor, letting out a small squeak of surprise.

She gasped and looked around. She opened her mouth to call out, but decided against it. On the floor, the wave of air from the door had knocked a stray piece of paper from the counter to the floor. There were three letters scribbled on it in Jake's chicken scratch. Chikako scooted her tied up self over a few inches to read his message. Her eyes widened and she nearly choked on her shock.

Run.

~TWO WEEKS AGO~

Jake stared at the check for a few moments before finally looked up the two men looming over him. His life since Chikako left hadn't been the travesty these men had made it out to be. He had desperately tried to contact the first few months following her disappearance, sure, but after the summer, his spirited search had dwindled and normal life had fallen upon him once more.

Until now.

"It's for the best, man," Randy assured him, slapping his friend on the shoulder. Jake bit his lip, thinking over the proposition at hand.

His life was still forever altered because of her. Jake couldn't look at other girls the same since Chikako left. None of them was her, not even close. In the beginning, he had been focusing on his studies, struggling to keep his scholarship for fear the university would take it away at the drop of a hat. His grades weren't below average by any means, and his social status, criminally, was golden. The Board was simply fickle, ambivalent, and short-tempered. So, the moment that Jake's rumored stalking of Chikako Akiyoshi (whom he assumed quite quickly was his Chi-Chi) got out, his scholarship was revoked.

Jake had slammed the letter in front of Randall when it had come. "This is bullshit, right?"

His friend finished chugging his beer while Jake ranted, throwing swears around like football spirals. "I mean, sure I tried calling her, but I-I loved her, mate, y'know? She and I were going to get married and then she leaves and—WHAT 'M I 'SPOSED TO DO, HUH?"

Randall sighed and let the glass bottle smack the table. "Jake, dude, calm down."

Jake scoffed at the suggestion. "C-Calm-? Randy, you're insane! I just lost the scholarship of my dreams a year after I lost the girl of my dreams, and my life is falling out of the damn sky, and you tell me to calm down? I think I've earned the right to complain a little, don't 'cha think, mate?"

"You are so right, man, and I feel your pain, but aren't you mad at Chikako? You know, for never telling you the truth? For making it look like you're some kind of maniac?"

"You think she…?" Jake paused, his hands gripping the kitchen counter. His knuckles flexed over the stone and he shook his head. "What truth didn't she tell me?"

"Y'know, her name, status, who she really was?" Randall baited, his eyebrow cocked in the same way it would whenever he flirted with a girl. More specifically, whenever he was about to screw a girl over, emotionally.

Jake narrowed his eyes, suspiciously. "I know her name."

Randall leaned forward. "Man, you gotta listen to me. Her name is Chikako Akiyoshi. She's the heir to some enormous monopoly in the making but never mentioned that to you, 'cause you were her little British play-thing that she got bored with-"

"Shut up," Jake snapped.

Randall shook his head. "Doesn't it burn you, man? Aren't you pissed beyond belief? Come on, you gotta be!"

Jake clenched his jaw. "Where are you going with this?"

Suddenly, his friend had sprung up from his chair, almost knocking over his empty beer bottle, and rounded the corner of the small kitchen island, a mischievous grin on his face. "I know a way you can get enough money for school and get Chicky back, or at least, get back at her by killing two birds with one stone."

Jake furrowed his brow. "Just spit it out, already, mate!"

Randall's grin was glowing a dark, Cheshire brilliance that made Jake inwardly grimace. "We rescue your princess."

Now, Jake was in front of the two men with a contract and a heavy heart. Slowly, hesitantly, and then too fast to stop, his hand was swirling across the page, pen in hand. As if he had blacked out for a moment, he scrutinized the damage and saw his signature on the dotted line. Over him, the men were grinning. "Thank you," was all they said before leaving with his sealed soul in hand.

Jake had no clue how he had agreed to this, but the money was too good a deal. He could pay for undergrad, med school, his next flat down payment, and still have some left over. Randall had lied about one thing, and Jake knew it, regardless: he was never getting Chi-Chi back. He wasn't the same Prince Charming Superhero he had been last summer. Crazy what one year could do to a person; he was terrified what it had done to Chikako.

When he met with the Ford Organization of Real Solutions, nicknamed Force for its acronym and, Jake found out later, for its renowned dirty work, he was offered more money than he could fathom or even count out. They were hired by the Stanford University in America to test a new drug and by the city of San Diego to further investigate a swift increase of unemployment due to some Japanese company's sudden shut-down. They then hired Jake and Randall for "personal relations." Grimacing, Jake knew what he had to do and resentfully accepted this deplorable job. He would get to see Chikako again, but it wasn't going to be like lunch at a café. Something told him that she wouldn't be too happy to see Jake again.

The plans were made and the hotel was covered by security guards secretly employed by Force. Jake wasn't sure why they were at that hotel upon hearing the foreign name "Ootori" instead of the now familiar "Akiyoshi" reference. He didn't ask any questions until he heard them hyphenated together during a meeting.

He snapped to attention and fumbled over the name, "O-Ootori-Akiyoshi? What's that about?"

The director cleared his throat. "They've assimilated businesses recently through marriage. It's how they form an aristocratic bond and compromise. Nothing's more important than family in that culture."

Randall sighed, spinning a bottle cap on the table. "So, is that why she'll be in a hotel?" he asked, carefully peeking at his friend out of the corner of his eye.

Jake's expression was blank and as stoic as he could muster. "Chikako is marrying some guy and you want me to kidnap her on her wedding night?" He blanched and took an anxious breath. "W-Won't that be a bit…awkward?"

A larger man in a dark suit whom Jake assumed was one of the director's lackeys laughed, heartily. "What's wrong, Lawrence? Afraid of a little mattress dancing?" He had a thick American drawl coating his eloquently coarse words.

The director didn't smile, never daring to break his professional façade. "Our inside sources tell us their relationship is not of that caliber quite yet. Psychological observations report that the girl will be too reluctant to consummate the marriage and the husband is-"

Jake scoffed, turning paler with every word after "consummate." "H-How do you now all this? Who are your sources?"

"Irrelevant. Point is, this is your job and we control your pay off, so what do you say?

Gulping down his anxieties, Jake looked over at Randall, almost pleadingly, but Randall looked away. It was Jake's decision, after all; Randall was just along for the ride (and the money). The director's hand shot across the table, and before Jake knew what he was doing, they had shaken on it and he was a criminal. An official, proper criminal.

It was all too easy and that made it hard. Jake had wished, desperately for a road block or miscommunication; something to stop him in his tracks. He had the dosage needed to take her down, the inside guards' approval, master keys, and a careful escape plan. The obstacles were laughable and Jake slowly realized that if this company, Force ever "lost," it would be because they wanted to. And that was enough to scare Jake into submission.

The window to her room was open and he could hear her talking with a man whom he assumed was Chikako's new husband. He didn't understand what they were saying, but their words were so softly and tenderly said, he could only pray they weren't romantic exchanges. When there was a soft click of the closing door, Jake knew it was only a matter of time. He would have to be quick, but he wondered how quick he could be when he was kidnapping his ex-girlfriend.

He waited over an hour for the world to succumb to sleep before climbing into the room through her open window. He crept around the framework, but the wood squeaked beneath his feet. He glimpsed over at the bed and was entranced by her sleeping composure. She was resting lightly, eyes barely fluttering with dreams and mouth slightly ajar. Her hair had been cut since he last saw her; but of course it had. He hadn't seen her for well over a year. Things change, he had to remind himself.

He shook his head, violently in the darkness. What was he doing there? He still had plenty of time to escape this situation and never look back. He could still go back to London, reluctantly pay his way through grad school, find a new girl, and start all over. That doorway was still there and he knew it. One foot of his anxiety was already readying for the run.

But who would come after Chikako after him? Maybe the next wouldn't be as kind or gentle as someone who loved her. Force wasn't going to yield; they had been paid half up front and swore to get the job done and earn the rest. Jake knew that this was also an opportunity to protect Chi-Chi from getting more intensely hurt than needed. The next kidnapper could possibly drug her to the point of delirium or worse.

Biting his lip and pulling the rag out of his pocket, he made his way over to her bedside. Every fiber of his being screamed in protest as he pulled out the dark liquid Force had given him "Pour exactly 500mL of this solution onto the cloth to subdue her. Do not dilute it or she will wake too fervidly instead of calm and somnolent," he had been told. To Jake, that meant knocking her out too harshly. He had read up on the known side effects of this drug and five hundred milliliters could put a small child into a coma.

So, he used his own judgment to modify the measurement; 250mL of the drug, 250mL of water. Ringing out the rag's surplus back into the bottle, he crouched next to Chikako right as her eyes fluttered open. She stared up into his gaze, her dark chocolate eyes drowning him in the past. She probably would have screamed if it had been anyone else. More than anything, he wanted to bend down and kiss her, hold her, and assure her that everything would turn out fine. He wanted to lie next to her, yearned to touch her, but had to force those whims away when she opened her mouth. He then noticed he had been smiling softly.

Tired, scared, and flooded with guilt, he moved the cloth over her mouth and choked on his thoughts of I love you's. "Shh, Chi-Chi," he murmured. Her eyes rolled back and she collapsed back into the pillow. Quietly, he threw off the covers and scooped her up like he would a child. It was all too easy, but he didn't take any time to marvel in its simplicity. As carefully as stealing a china doll, Jake was out the window again and back to where Randall and two other men were waiting with a truck.

Randall grinned and Jake despised how much his "friend" was enjoying this. He glared and when one of the men reached out for Chikako, Jake snapped at them to stay away, jerking her toward his chest like a kid with his favorite toy. Randall's expression of glee dropped, obviously perturbed by Jake's consistently sober attitude. He turned back to the old man up front and barked, "Drive."

Jake had kept Chikako in his apartment for a week, remembering to feed her, talk to her, and comfort her as she slept with pillows and blankets. When he spoke through the door, it wasn't always guaranteed she would talk back. He told her about how he lost his scholarship and how he called her for a straight month, but soon gave up.

She only asked him one question during his tired spiel, "You didn't call me for a year straight?"

Jake was startled, stuttering. "N-No…? Why?" Did you want me to?

But she was silent, so Jake quieted himself as well. What else was there to say to her? I'm sorry? He rolled his eyes at the pitiful thought. He jumped to his feet as a timer chimed and he snatched up a syringe. He was required to take an ounce of blood every two days for the science group Force was being paid by. He figured they wanted to assess the drug's effects on their guinea pig. Last time, however, Chikako had been asleep. He wondered how she would react now.

He lingered by the door again and held his breath, putting his ear to the wood. He could hear her soft, forced breaths, like her chest was being crushed between two boards. Gritting his teeth together, he realized that he couldn't do it. He leaned over and grabbed a perfume bottle from the cabinet to the left. It was light blue, slightly transparent, and filled with a pungent liquid: a new airborne drug he had been given, along with other weapons and medicines to try. He was disgustedly impressed with how cautious Force was of Chikako. If she was such a threat, though, he wondered why they hadn't moved her from his apartment yet.

He approached the pantry again, holding the spray bottle against the slat under the door. "Chi-Chi?" He paused. "Who's coming for you?

Hesitantly, she answered, "Kyoya, I suppose. My husband."

"And…" Jake gulped. "And do you love him?"

"No," she answered, half-heartedly.

Jake bit down on the side of his tongue. "Do you love me?"

There was no answer.

He knew that that ship was sunk, though. He didn't even know why he had posed the useless question. He shifted his weight. "Do you think you could ever learn to love someone?"

Chikako swallowed. Her voice was cracking, now, and her façade was breaking. "I suppose."

Jake took a few deep breaths. "So, you're…you're going to learn to love this guy, this…Kyoya?"

After a long, painful silence, she whispered, "I'm…I'm going to try. I have to."

Jake nodded. "Good. What a well-behaved little rich girl." His voice was acidic now. "Think about your dear Kyoya, then."

"Jake…" He heard her touch the door lightly, as if reaching out for him. He was disgusted by her commiserative, pitying tone and her half-hearted plea.

He held his breath and pulled the trigger, the spray spritzing into the closet. He heard her gasp and then slump against the shelves. He counted to ten before opening the door. He positioned her in a more comfortable position like he did every night so she wouldn't wake up with a neck injury and even gave her a pillow. He then pulled up her sleeve, stuck the needle into a vein, and took as little blood from her as possible. Kissing her head, softly, he replaced her sleeve and closed the door.

He hesitated with the key, and his mind reeled into a snap decision to leave the handle be. He knew she would wake up in three hours and find the lock free. He scribbled down a word, a plea on a stray receipt and left it on the counter. On his way to the front, he froze on the threshold and stared back longingly at the pantry door where he had concealed the once love of his life, now bane of his future being. He opened his mouth, but thought better of it. He left the front door unlocked as well and then scurried away from the apartment.

A/N: I live on the East Coast, so because of the hurricane, school's been cancelled for today and tomorrow. Thus, more time to write and sleep! So, I give you lovely readers a new chapter because I physically cannot leave my house due to the ungodly amount of rain. I love the inspiration falling from the sky, though, so I guess I shouldn't be complaining too much.

Let me know what you thought of this chapter, please! I love hearing all your opinions and expectations about upcoming chapters! I also love fangirling 3 Haha have a wonderful week and, for those being affected by the hurricane, please stay safe!

~Kit Koko