Thanks everyone for your reviews! I'm really sorry for the delay in posting this chapter, but I was abroad for a while. I'm back now and will be updating/posting the stories. This chapter is a bit darker at points, so please be warned.
Those Piercing Eyes of Red
Chapter 5
"...and crimson was the sky."
Previous Day
Blackness had descended upon her. The monotonous dripping sound of water leaking from a corroded pipe, was the metronome setting the rhythm in prolonged silence. Cold kept penetrating her skin and cracking her bones, as her back lay almost naked on the unfriendly , cement floor. The shreds of her, once precious, floral dress clung to her raddled body, unable to shield her away from the weather's whims. Various bruises and scratches were mapping her ribs and the faint red marks of fingers digging into her flesh, were still branding her creamy hips. Old stains of blood were tainting the nearby wall like dark smudges of rust. Something had died in there, ages ago, long before she was dragged and tossed deep into misery. The blood spots weren't pleasing in the eye like the forgotten aquarium calendar in Seijuurou's room, but they still served as a type of distraction whenever they came.
The first night had been sufferable. But when they failed to intimidate her and she kept resisting like a tough veteran, it didn't take long for some of them to coarsen and surrender into their animal instincts, turning a blind eye to the consequences. She still didn't budge. Her teeth had snapped shut around the pitiful manhood of her first aspirant abuser, earning her several slaps and kicks, but also a wild satisfaction. And then the pills came, fanning the flames of her captivity, turning the fire into a chaotic inferno. When she refused to eat, they mixed them in her water. When she smashed the glass, they just pried her mouth open, forcing her to swallow. After that, almost every hour had been a descent into endless haze.
But even during those darkest hours, with her mind being drugged and her body violated, Gou wouldn't raise the white flag. She would shout, but wouldn't cry. She would hurt, but wouldn't beg. It was impossible to subdue her free spirit. Instead, she would sneer at her captors and, in the short moments of clarity in between the dopes, she would repeat her brother's name like a mantra, reminding their unworthy souls that their doom was getting near.
Her only worry was Sousuke. His absence by her side was a terrible feeling and, even though she was dying to hear a mere word about his well being, she wouldn't dare to ask any of the Samezuka men, certain that they would discover the immensity of her weakness and maltreat him just to break her. Fortunately, her sedated mind had rushed to her aid like deus ex machina, interfering with reality and unleashing specters of the past.
For every gloomy dawn, they would come to save her. Small ripples would wrinkle the walls around her and the shadows would stir from their sleep, slowly shaping into those two handsome faces she so loved. And then, Rin and Sousuke would slip past the bars of her cell, completely unnoticed by night and its children, just like their teenager shelves used to slip into her small flat through the secret passage, back when she had first moved into Samezuka's reign.
"Onii-chan! I told you to stop coming in here like that!"
Rin teased her ponytail and laughed.
"Rin, you shouldn't scare your sister."
"Don't wiggle your tail out of this , Sousuke-kun. It's not like you used the front door either."
"I'm just keeping an eye on him."
Rin tossed a swift kick to Sousuke's calf.
"Oi, asshole, stop trying to impress my sister."
"As if it would work..." Sousuke murmured, missing the faint blush on Gou's youthful cheeks.
"Ok, enough with that. Gou, come with us, there's a live concert at the football pitch near here. We're getting some beers and sneaking in."
"I don't know, onii-chan. I promised Hana I would keep her company if I didn't go early to bed. If we leave now, she'll definitely see us. She has eyes throughout the corridor."
"We'll just get out the way we got in, using the passage. Come on, we came to save you from a boring night of babysitting your heartbroken neighbour."
Sousuke nodded.
"That's right, we're your saviors."
The cell's door creaked open and the faces of her saviors evaporated like smoke in the air. Heavy footsteps made the ground vibrate and Gou's wary eyes crawled on the shades approaching her. Their black hoods made them look like dire hangmen from the Dark Ages and, sometimes, within her hallucinatory daze, she would think she recognized some of them by their voices.
Something cold trailed her bare thigh, sending shivers through her sensitive skin and Gou jerked backwards. The culprit laughed and brushed her leg with the cool steel of his handgun again.
"How is our lovely redhead today?"
The gun was now replaced by an equally icy and unwanted hand, that leisurely fondled its way to the edges of her crotch. Gou smacked it away.
"Are we having a little tantrum again? It's ok, we can fix that."
Someone jiggled a plastic bottle in front of her and a different, hoarse voice scratched her ears.
"Drink."
She knew well what was inside that bottle, but her thirst was overwhelming since she had been deprived of water for hours. More sinister chuckles echoed in the dim cell as she took a few greedy gulps.
"See? Now you're a good girl. Keep behaving like this and we might even let you see your brother when we snag him."
Taunting her about Rin had been merciless, but faith was lying deep in Gou's heart; if someone like her could stomach so much abuse and still not yield, then someone like Rin would be a nightmare to subdue.
"Oh yeah, we didn't tell you, did we? The mouse has been spotted and the cheese awaits him in the trap."
"That's right, we know where he is and it's only a matter of days till he joins you behind these bars."
"So rejoice, my little Matsuoka. Although, I'm not sure if he'll be able to talk to you. You see, I hate people who can't hold their tongues when it comes to our family."
One of the men pretended he was cutting his own tongue and waved it in the air, eliciting his companion's roars of approval.
"I can't guarantee the traitor's state either. Though now that I'm picturing him, I get a sudden itch on my balls."
"Mhm, he's a big faggot, perhaps if we take care of him the same way as we do his sister, he'll appreciate it?"
"Oh, he'll love it! What do you think, Gou? Would you like watching us banging that ass you call a brother? "
Gou watched in silence their nasty dialogue and slowly her lips curled up to a wild, borderline demented, grin.
"What the fuck?! Why you're smiling, bitch?"
Her gaze seesawed on their blurry figures, as the pearly white of her teeth shimmered.
"Because you're already dead. You just don't know it yet."
A hard slap stung her face, leaving a deep red mark on her cheek. They always resorted to violence when they were getting nervous. Amidst curses, she was once again shoved down on the coarse cement. One of them straddled her pelvis and their belts clunk as they hastily unbuckled them. Gou knew what always followed next. She averted her adamant face towards the threadbare wall. Where were those blood stains again?
Ah, there.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"What's wrong with the sky tonight? Where's this fucking crimson coming from?"
Sousuke ducked his head and stared through the windshield at the nightsky's luminous shade of blood. In the driver's seat next to him, Rin was tapping his fingers on the wheel, rhythmically following a tune inside his head.
"The huge spotlights of that new club-hole between the 6th and the 7th avenue are causing it."
Sousuke frowned, his eyes searching the night's vault, and soon spotted the fluorescent beams that illuminated the world in a peculiar red.
"6th and 7th avenue? Isn't that district controlled by the Iwatobi?"
"Mhm."
"So, you've been in that club?"
Rin's fingers abruptly stopped their ticking dance.
"I might have. Your point?"
"Nothing."
Sousuke pulled out a cigarette from a crumpled packet and lit it up. Rin frowned as his best friend exhaled a long stream of smoke.
"Since when did you start smoking?"
"Ever since we stopped fucking."
Rin rolled his eyes, inwardly scolding himself for unintentionally initiating that discussion again.
"Here we go. We never really stopped doing anything, you just mean I don't crash at your place every weekend anymore."
"At least you admit there has been a change."
The redhead turned his focus on the empty street expanding in front of them. His hands clenched firmly around the wheel, as tension was building up inside him, stretching his facial features and blazing up his fierce eyes. Sousuke could feel the blast nearing any second now.
"Relax, Rin. I'm a big boy, I won't be shedding tears over it."
"Oh for fuck's sake, Sousuke! I've known you since you were wearing diapers, when the heck did we agree we'll turn exclusive? I've always slept around, and you, asshole, did too. Sometimes with women, other times with that bubblegum bitch you used to play basketball. So, shut the fuck up now and stop sweating over your irrational fear of me riding a different dick."
"Are you done?"
Sousuke asked in his usual calm and unsympathetic tone, and Rin let out the deep breath his anger was holding.
"Yeah, I'm done now."
"Good. What time is it?"
"Shit..." Rin checked his watch, and then scanned briefly the obscure neighbourhood. Everything seemed quiet. "It's almost time, they should show up any given minute now."
For the past hour they had been patiently lurking outside a notorious watering hole, sheltered in the dimness of a stolen car and disguised from head to toe as police officers. Despite being a popular underground joint, the bar was serving as a facade for the owner's gambling business and every night around that time, when the lights faded out and the roads were barren of activity, he left his hideout along with a few stooges and the night's ill-gotten gains. An illegal treasure much desired by Samezuka.
Rin's and Sousuke's job was rather simple, even though it required a certain level of convincing acting. As soon as their partners in crime ambushed the unsuspecting scoundrels, they would make an appearance as a night patrol, pretending to take over the situation and call for reinforcements. If everything went according to plan, the Samezuka gangsters would be able to run away with the money and buy themselves some time before the actual cops got a whiff of what had taken place.
If everything went according to plan.
"Rin, we have company."
"Fuck..."
The redhead cursed as three figures emerged from the shadows, moving to the bar's direction, the moment the owner and his henchmen exited the back door. And as the intruders prowled, oblivious to the two men in uniforms hidden just meters away, their shades shaped up to faces painfully familiar.
Rin froze. He could recognize that raven head even with a blindfold on.
"What on earth do Nanase and his mates want here?"
"How the fuck should I know?"
Rin pulled out his cellphone and his fingers frantically skipped over the glowing numbers.
"Momo? What's going on?"
"It's those fucking Iwatobians, Rin-senpai! Minami and I are literally trapped in the alley. Oh man, this is going to hell, should I just take them out?"
"No! Listen, there are probably more of them, don't get out of your hide!"
"Shit! I think they spotted Minami! They are coming our way! I have to do something..."
"No, Momo! Don't shoot!"
All of a sudden, the loud, rippling sound of a gunshot sliced through the air. There was a still moment of dead silence and then, all hell broke loose. A hail of hot lead followed and gangsters flooded the streets in panic.
"Momo! Momo answer me!"
"We got him Rin-senpai! We got the bastard!"
Rin's cellphone almost dropped off his hands. A compelling fear overrode his senses and for the first time in his short life prayed to God for Haruka's life. Grabbing his favourite checkered shirt, he hastily struggled to get rid of the policeman clothes.
"Rin what are you doing?"
"What does it look like I'm doing? We have to get there, come!"
"Wait, I forgot to bring my clothes with me."
"Are you completely mad, Sousuke? Were you planning to be a fucking cop all night?"
"This was supposed to be a routine job."
"Oh, screw it. I don't have time for this."
With his heart drumming wild, Rin jumped out of the car and ran across the street like a bolt.
"Wait, Rin!...Fuck..."
Still dressed in blue, Sousuke got out and rushed through a chaotic medley of gunshots and screams. Rin had already vanished like smoke and Sousuke's complete lack of orientation was making things worse. Suddenly, his sapphire eyes widened as the frightening sound of sirens came from afar. The night was turning to a complete disaster. Finding his way through a dark alley, he spotted Momotarou peeking from a corner and immediately grabbed him by the arm. The young copper-head jumped out of his own skin.
"I'm just a passer by, officer, I swear!"
"Hush down, Momo, it's me."
"Yamazaki-senpai?! You almost gave me a heart attack. I've run out of bullets and now the freaking police is 're in deep shit."
The sirens kept screeching louder and louder, and the blue lights were flashing their ominous shade in the streets.
"Where is Minami?"
"I saw him getting away but I was cut off by those Iwatobi fuckers and ended up here."
Sousuke's mobile buzzed in his pocket and soon the barking voice of a furious, elder Mikoshiba pierced through his ears.
"At last, Yamazaki! Who the hell called the cops here? And where is Matsuoka?"
"I don't know and I don't know"
"What you mean you don't know? Where the fuck are you?!"
"I'm with your brother in one of the alleys behind the bar."
"OK, get Momo and leave the place immediately. Uozumi is close, he'll pick you up"
"But what about-"
"I don't want to hear another word, this is a freaking order, not an invitation!"
The honk of a shrill horn reverberated off the surrounding buildings, as Uozumi braked his car at the other end of the alley. They both dashed towards their unforeseen getaway, but as soon as Sousuke opened the door, he paused. The worrying thought of his precious friend gone missing had wrapped around his limbs, pulling him back.
"Yamazaki, hurry up and get in!"
"I need to find Rin."
"Have you lost it? Cops will be swarming this place at any minute. If you get caught, we are all screwed!"
Uozumi was right. The risk of accidentally outing his Samezuka mates fell heavy on the brunet's shoulders. Deep down Sousuke knew that he would eventually regret it, but as the seconds were ticking away and the police was closing in, he had no other option than fleeing. He just hoped Rin was safe.
The days passed with everyone on their toes. The clash of the gangs had unleashed a massive police manhunt, especially against Iwatobi, since they had been the first to engage the brawl and the blood found was incriminating them. Seijuurou Mikoshiba had sent his own hounds roaming the streets, his searing hatred towards Sasabe and his followers running deep since that night's fiasco. However, their main problem was that Rin Matsuoka had literary disappeared from the face of the earth. Their Tokyo PD insider had assured them the reckless redhead had slipped police's hands and they had scanned every major hospital and minor health center, in case he had been admitted injured. And when their investigation was proven fruitless, Sousuke walked alone around every foggy alley, checked under every brick bridge, knocked on every shady bar's door, the fear of eventually discovering Rin's lifeless body in some muddy ditch, frozen and forgotten, hovering over him with every step. All in vain.
Until one sleepless night, the strands of Fate took an unexpected twist. Cops started barging into their houses, waving the search warrants in the faces of Samezuka members and, eventually, arresting several of them. The frantic operation continued for three days, causing pandemonium among the gang's ranks, forcing many of their families to abandon the haven the Samezuka buildings once were. And when the desolate face of Seijuurou stood before them, speaking the disturbing truth no one had dared to admit, the dread they were living these past days mutated into seething rage. The one only the pain of betrayal brings.
With his head hanging low and his teal eyes unfocused, Sousuke took every single word he was hearing like a stab through his heart. Undoubtedly, there were many unflattering epithets to describe Rin, but calling him a traitor was nothing more than a blasphemy to Sousuke's ears. He confronted the captain right after the disheartening gathering came to an end.
"There must be something we're missing"
"Trust me when I say I wish there was. But Tokyo PD turned suddenly on our tails and as we speak our mates are getting shoved behind bars for past crimes that have nothing to do with the last job. Someone is giving out names and details. And there is only one mysteriously missing all this time."
"Still, that's no proof. Rin would never...that's absurd..."
"You know what other is absurd, Yamazaki? Matsuoka is not the only one that vanished that night. There has been no sight of that Iwatobi scum, Nanase, in the streets for weeks. And my brother swears their shots got him."
Sousuke felt all the blood being drained from his face and the light of hope that used to give him strength, flickered feeble in his eyes.
"Surprised, aren't you? Just connect the dots and you'll see it yourself. We've been played around like fools, but we'll find them. There is only one place we haven't searched yet."
"Captain Mikoshiba, Rin's sister doesn't know anything regarding his whereabouts. I personally asked her twice."
"Why would she tell you?"
Really, why would she? He cherished their friendship, even though it wasn't as close as he wished for, but there was no chance Gou would expose anything Rin had trusted her with, even if her life depended on it. Her whole world reflected in her brother's crimson eyes, she had made that clear in various ways all those years she and Sousuke knew each other. Still, Sousuke's secret infatuation with Gou was tricking him in believing that, even if she hadn't revealed anything to him, he would have seen through her facade and any lies. She owned so many of Rin's traits , after all. And he could read Rin like an open book, right?
Except, Rin had deliberately abandoned them when Sousuke thought he had been chased away. Rin had been hiding apparently, when Sousuke thought he was somewhere dying, wounded and helpless. And, above all, Rin had eventually chosen another man, when Sousuke thought he occupied the entirety of his heart.
Haruka Nanase. He couldn't even spell his name without spitting droplets of venom. That filthy Iwatobian. That cold, human livestock. That total waste of breath. Sousuke knew that Rin was capable of great schemes, but this time he was sure the redhead was being mislead by whatever witchery the dolphin boy had cast upon him. All Sousuke needed to do was to take Nanase out of the equation, and their world would continue spinning round and round.
So, when the night came and they surged the Samezuka building like a tremendous torrent, Sousuke found himself standing at Gou's threshold driven only by his blind envy. And yet, when his eyes fell on her adorable face, tracing the emotional stress inflicted by all these fearsome gangsters suddenly marching into her flat, he couldn't help but mellow his ego and wonder what he was doing among the scoundrels violating her privacy.
"Gou..."
He longed to explain his presence there. To promise her, word by word, he held no grudge against her even if she had harbored Rin all those days Samezuka were descending into darkness. She completely ignored him though, preoccupied as she was with the men ransacking her little, cozy heaven. He didn't give up. Tailing after her, he leaned closer and tried to whisper away her agony.
"Just let them search the place a bit and they'll be gone in two minutes. They won't hurt you."
"What's wrong with you, Sousuke-kun?"
Everything and nothing. That's the answer his mind murmured, as he watched her shaking her head at him before following Seijuurou and the rest into her bedroom.
"Captain Mikoshiba, it doesn't look like they have been here."
"No track of them, nii-san. Zilch. Nada."
Sousuke noticed the disappointment on Seijuurou's face. Their awe-inspiring leader had expected they'd find some clues that would lead them to the two runaways. Especially since Uozumi's chick, Chigusa Hanamura, who was living next door, had forewarned them about the suspicious noises she had heard coming from Gou's apartment. But Sousuke had been right; they couldn't have been hiding in there. Rin wouldn't endanger his sister for Nanase's sake. They wouldn't even be able to escape without being seen, would they?
Sousuke's heart skipped a beat as he finally understood. For many restless nights, he would regret the words he was about to say.
"Well, in that case, let's..."
"Hold on a minute...There's an opening on the wall, behind the closet. Check there too."
He couldn't even stand the grave sound of his own voice. And if his unrequited passion for Gou hadn't been the bonfire keeping him warm through the cold years, her rage that showered him like a hailstorm would have been proven cathartic.
"No...No! Traitor...Traitor!"
But he had been a slave to this love for so long, that those piercing eyes of red, staring at him full of shock and disgust, would end up becoming his demise. At that moment, Sousuke knew he had lost Gou for good.
She twisted and kicked while Minami kept her trapped in his arms, preventing her from lunging at Seijuurou like a wildcat, as the lionhearted captain peered into the obscured passage. He gestured for everyone to keep quiet and, instantly, a wide palm hushed down Gou's cries. Seijuurou tuned into the eerie silence settled behind the brick walls and when the distant, screeching sound of a window cracking open traveled in the dusty air, his golden eyes broadened.
"They're still here! The passage is very narrow, Momotarou get in and follow them. Go!"
"Alright, nii-san!"
"Minami, stay with Gou-kun and call him to block the back alley that leads to the 3rd avenue. The rest of you, come with me! You too, Yamazaki!"
Sousuke felt a small hand grabbing his jacket's sleeve and, momentarily, his sapphire gaze entwined with that velvet ruby he so adored.
"Don't...Just don't..."
"I'm sorry..." He pulled his arm away from Gou's grasp and sprinted down the stairs, following the roaring gang.
They found them stalled in the alley. Only Samezuka didn't exactly have the upper hand. During their short clash, Rin had managed to put Momotarou in a steady headlock, pointing the menacing barrel of his gun at the copper-head's temple. The young Mikoshiba was sniveling in vain, as the more he squirmed, the harder Rin was squeezing him under his arm. Opposite to them, Haruka was leaning against the brick wall, his left hand in a slightly defensive position in the air, his other one rubbing the recent injury on his leg. A few steps away from them, Uozumi and a second hoodlum had extended their own weapons and, as high levels of adrenaline deformed their faces, they kept switching their aims between the two fugitives. The rest gangsters pulled their guns upon arriving at the unfortunate scene, but the fiery redhead wouldn't budge even if he was surrounded by cannons.
"Matsuoka, it's over."
"Nii-san! I'm so sorry...nii-san!"
"Tell your men to lower their guns, Mikoshiba!"
"Let us take out that bitch, captain. Just say the word!"
A couple of them moved closer and Rin automatically pressed the barrel harder against Momotarou's head, his finger trembling on the trigger.
"Fuckers, stop! Nii-saaaan!"
"One more step and I swear I'll hand you your brother's brains, Mikoshiba!"
Seijuurou raised his hand, signaling everyone to pull back. That deranged flame inside Rin's bloody eyes was a warning the redhead wasn't kidding. This time he was on the verge of losing control.
"Everyone, do as he says. Lower your damn pieces!"
Exchanging worrying glances, the gangsters reluctantly put away their guns. All but one ; Sousuke's arm remained petrified, his revolver locked on Haruka's face.
"You...you filthy scum..."
"Drop your gun, Sousuke!"
Rin's desperate cry echoed in the electrified air. Alas, Sousuke seemed too far gone, psychotic emotions lurking behind his quivering lips.
"It's been you all along...just you...bursting into our lives, stealing everything away..."
The peculiar tranquility spread on Haruka's face was almost bloodcurdling. Face to face with the barrel of Sousuke's gun, the raven-haired ace didn't even flinch. He just stood there, taking in the accusations while everyone's breaths hitched in their throats.
"Sousuke! Drop the fucking gun!"
He slowly turned his gaze towards the shaking redhead. Hot tears were streaming down his cheeks and his whole body was convulsing under the strain of his outburst. Sousuke couldn't remember the last time he had seen him like this; ready to blow everything away for another man's heart. And that man wasn't him. Perhaps it hadn't been him for a long time. How foolishly he had accused Nanase of stealing away something he, himself, had ceased having? He had been on this stage for so long, but the play had abruptly come to an end, and during the last act, he had been revealed as the joker.
"Come, Yamazaki. Let it go now..."
Seijuurou calmly placed his hand on the gun. Lowering his head, Sousuke let his arms fall limp by his sides. Eliciting the breaths they were withholding, everyone turned their focus completely on Rin now. The redhead wet his lips nervously and pointed towards Uozumi's car.
"You'll let us both go. I'll release your brother once we're off. That's the deal."
"You know it is pointless, Matsuoka."
"I repeat, that's the deal."
With a deadly look shadowing his face, Seijuurou motioned at Uozumi to throw his car keys to Haruka. The grumpy gangster started complaining, but his captain's stern glance was enough to make him comply. Haruka grabbed them and hobbled to the driver's seat, the trouble and pain his leg were causing him being now more visible. Rin started walking backwards towards the car, dragging the helpless, younger Mikoshiba with him.
"This won't get you anywhere, Matsuoka. We will eventually catch you and neither you, nor your brunet slut will have a happy ending."
"You'll have to find us first."
The engine started with a groan and the tires left a cloud of dust behind them, as the car vanished through the streets. They shoved Momotarou out two blocks later. Following Seijuurou's orders, Samezuka didn't hunt them down that night. It had been a rowdy encounter and the cops could show their plump faces any given minute. However, he instructed Sousuke to remain in Tokyo and try to track them down, while the rest would attempt to relocate themselves to new headquarters for the time being.
That morning found Sousuke in the west parts of the modern metropolis. His phone rang and he picked it up thinking it was one of his snitches, bringing him valuable info on Iwatobi's hideouts. It was Ai instead. They had seized Gou three minutes after she had left the building. She had been carrying a small sack in one hand and a train ticket in the other.
Sousuke shoved his hands in his pockets and gazed at the crimson sky expanding outside his window. He remembered that flaming shade of blood quite well. That night, it had been the giant spotlights of a fashionable, downtown club. This time, it was the scorching sun, spreading its deep red sheet while setting in the horizon.
That sunset was the mirror of his emotions. He was a twilight waiting to happen. During the past days, he had been restricted around his room. They didn't keep him locked, but he wasn't allowed to wander around the facility and someone would always stick with him like a leech, if he chose to exit his room. As for Gou, Sousuke was kept in the dark. They had moved her away from Seijuurou's office, he was certain about that. But his ties to her had been severed completely and any contact between them seemed impossible.
He had told her they wouldn't hurt her. How wrong had he been once again.
"Where had you been that morning, Sousuke-kun?"
Her words had swirled around his mind for so many hours, that anyone else in his place would have perished whatever feeble grasp of reality they had. Not him though. He had a duty; to set things straight again. He would do that for her. He owed it to both of them.
There was a double knock on the door . A pause followed and then a third, duller knock broke the silence.
"Come in."
The wooden door creaked open and Nitori soundlessly sneaked in. His body was shuddering lightly, yet a strange sense of determination was colouring his face. As if he had just stolen a cookie from an open jar and managed to get away with it.
"Did anyone follow you?"
"No, senpai."
"Good. Have you brought me what I asked you?"
The silver head nodded and handed him a carefully wrapped cloth. Sousuke untied the knot and, soon, found himself staring at a pair of brass knuckles and a loaded revolver. He slid his fingers through the brass knuckles and curled them, reveling in the metal's sensation against his skin.
"Have you seen Gou?"
Ai nodded again and this time his eyes glazed with tears.
"And? How is she?"
The young man shook his head a few times and when he couldn't hold back anymore, he broke down whimpering.
"Gou-san isn't well, senpai...They keep her in an outpost, close to the old warehouse. Momo-kun and I aren't allowed anywhere near her. I think they hit her, because I've heard loud bangs one night. Sometimes, they also...they take...turns in...oh God..."
Sousuke's jaw muscles contracted as he momentarily shut his eyes. A moment of silence passed, when only Ai's muffled sobs could be heard. Sousuke turned around and placed his hands on the shorter man's shoulders reassuringly.
"You said before they guard her in shifts. Is that correct?"
"Yes...They usually wear hoods and have their faces covered so she won't be able to identify her abusers, when the captain returns."
"Tonight, who's assigned to the shift before the last patrol?"
"Nakagawa-senpai."
"Ok. Now, Ai, listen to me carefully. This is what I need you to do."
The silver-head man swept his tears with the back of his hand and leaned closer, absorbing every word his senpai was confiding to him like a sponge.
It was just past midnight, when Nakagawa Shouta finished his steamy bath in the selfmade tub he had put together in the joint bathroom. He had always been good in constructing things with his hands. Perhaps he would let the young Matsuoka have a taste of exactly how good those hands could be later that night. He stretched his legs and his smile broadened, as the happy thoughts of a naked Gou riding him like a pony, flowed within his mind.
He still had the same smug smile when he opened his door, after an unexpected knock stirred him out of his obscene reverie. The last thing he remembered, before his world blackened out, was a huge fist flying his way, straight out of Gou's imaginary bosom.
One more chapter to go, should be up by weekend. Thanks for reading, reviews are appreciated! Happy Holidays to all!