Chapter 22: To The Airport
Jin had no idea how long he drove, but it felt like an entire day. The sun just wouldn't come up for some reason. Jin mechanically drove at 60 miles per hour and the few cars that happened to be out on the road wind up going around him. Jin was glad for it—he wanted to be the only one on the road. He knew he'd become more anxious than he already was if there was someone constantly behind or beside him. After a while, he finally began to relax. Nothing jumped out at him. It was just like his father had described it to be—steering and holding the gas. Every once in a while he would look at the fuel gauge, but the meter hardly seemed to move despite driving for such a long time. He thought he'd stop when the meter showed that the gas went down a fourth of the way, but that would take longer than he anticipated. He contemplated several times until he found it difficult to hold the van steady on the road as his eyelids drooped. His heart caught in his throat when he found himself swerving off the side of the street. He quickly moved back onto the lane and decided he'd stop at the next rest stop. He'd passed several of them already and they were well lit places. He didn't think he'd feel at all comfortable parking the car in a secluded and completely dark area. Though he had been told to stop on the side of the street, he decided he'd do things a little different. When he saw the next rest stop, he gently slowed down the car and parked far away from the other cars—he knew he couldn't park very well having never done it. He came into the parking space a little too fast and drove over the rather high curb with a violent lurch. His arms stiffened as the force pushed him forth. Surprised, he pressed the brakes, switched to reverse, and hit the gas once again all in one breath. He backed up almost as quickly as he had come before and the front part of the van crashed back down to the lower street. Calming himself, Jin pressed the breaks again and switched to drive. This time he gently pressed the gas and stopped abruptly before he hit the curb once again. When he finally had the car in park and turned off the car, he let out a sigh of relief.
"That was some parking."
Surprised to hear his father's voice, Jin looked to the back of the van. He seemed wide awake. Jin wondered if this was due to his poor parking skills or if he had already been awake for a while. He couldn't be sure. He also noticed that he had changed clothes. There must have been a spare set of clothes in the back as well. Jin wondered if the two men had actually been living in this van as it seemed to have so much supplies. There was no sign of food, however, as far as he could tell.
"Sorry," Jin replied.
"I would ask where we are, but I suppose you couldn't read the road signs."
Jin shook his head no. "I didn't want to stop on the side of the road."
"Perhaps it's better that you didn't."
"Dad, are you…feeling alright?"
"Will you stop asking me that?" Kazuya said in agitated tones. "We may not be in the clear. We have their van; they may be able to track us in it."
"Really?"
"Who knows?—but it's better to be safe than sorry. We're surrounded by other cars—I think it'd be a good idea to take one for our own use."
"But that would be stealing!"
"Desperate times call for desperate measures."
"Well, we're not that desperate. You have no idea if we're being tracked or not. I mean, if we take someone's car, that person will be stranded. Do you really want to do that to somebody?"
"Don't be so dramatic."
"But what if that person is never able to go anywhere and stays here forever?"
"It's highly unlikely. This is a rest stop. It has fully functioning phones. If anything else, they can simply call the police. Now, I don't feel like arguing about the finer points of morality. We can't stay here and that's my final decision."
Jin pouted a little when he watched his father take Jun into his arms once again and make his way out of the back of the van. Jin climbed out of the van as well and went to his father's side. The entire place was well lit and Jin could see his father clearly for the first time in a while. His eyes were already searching for an abandoned car. His skin was covered with a thin film of sweat as if he was doing exactly what his mother had told him not to do—wearing himself out. But Jin doubted it would make a difference if he said something about it. He just seemed tired even if he wasn't breathing hard and even if he wouldn't admit it. Jin thought he'd do him a favor and just follow whatever it was he wanted to do without so much questioning.
"That van was pretty stuffy. Just two windows for the whole thing," Kazuya commented as his eyes followed a car that just pulled in to the rest stop. "Just one man in that one."
Jin followed his gaze.
"If he goes to the restrooms, it will be the best time to take it."
"What if the keys aren't in there?"
"They probably won't be."
"Then how are going to—" Jin stopped himself when he remembered that he wouldn't bother his father with so many questions for now.
Kazuya seemed not to be paying attention after Jin stopped midway and watched the man intently. The man eventually left his car to go to the restroom. That was when the two of them went into action. Kazuya tried the driver's side and found it locked. Then he tried one of the backseats and opened it easily. He placed Jun in the back carefully and then proceeded to unlocking the driver's side and then the passenger's side. Jin automatically sat down on the passenger's seat and watched as his father slipped out what looked like a thin screwdriver from his side pocket. He jumped a bit despite himself when his father with little hesitation jammed the driver into where the key should have gone. Jin could have sworn he had broken something and that the car would never turn on, but then he watched as the screwdriver was turned and the car sprang to life. Jin looked on incredulously. Was it really that simple to steal a car?
Kazuya drove quickly almost recklessly. He threw the car in reverse, whipped the car backwards, and never stopped pressing the gas as he swerved the car out of the parking lot and onto the interstate. Jin held his breath the whole time. He'd never seen his father drive like that. Between his mother and father, Jin thought his father to be the most responsible when it came to driving. At that moment, his thoughts changed. Jin watched the speedometer. At first it was 60, but it quickly increased more and more until it reached over a hundred, more over a hundred than his mother had ever reached. It was as if he was racing, but Jin couldn't understand why.
"Dad, geez, you don't have to drive so fast!" Jin said loudly.
They passed by a blue sign and Jin only caught it out the side of his eye.
"Sorry," Kazuya said offhandedly, "We'll slow down in a bit."
And they did just that in a matter of minutes. The rest spot seemed only identical to the last one, but this one had far less cars. Kazuya didn't care how he parked seeing as the parking lot was virtually deserted. When they fully stopped, he rested his head on the steering wheel.
"Listen, Jin, I still need you to drive."
"But, Dad, I—
"No buts. Your mother may not be strong enough tomorrow to do anything and I…" he paused then as if he didn't want to continue. Then began again. "I can hardly keep my eyes open and everything is just spinning let alone trying to focus on keeping a damn car straight. We can't just linger in one place—you'll have to drive."
Jin understood what his father was saying, he even understood his reasoning, but that didn't change the fact that he'd be driving underage. Wasn't that illegal? The thought of driving scared him half the death. It was an irrational fear. He'd driven and it hadn't been so hard to do. In fact, now would be easier since they had a car.
"Dad," Jin began solemnly.
"Just do it," Kazuya said before Jin could finish his thought. He climbed out of the car then. "Switch seats with me."
Jin simply obeyed. When Kazuya looked at him, he noticed that his eyes were red rimmed and Jin knew for certain that he was deathly tired. It explained why he had driven so fast: not simply to get there faster, but for adrenaline's sake. Otherwise, he quite possibly would have fallen asleep while driving. The realization made his heart skip a beat. He really was the only one who could drive marginally safely at this point. They switched seats promptly.
"The next morning whenever you wake up just keep going down the road. We're looking for an airport. Look for the airplane symbol, then take that exit. After that, just find a place to park—on the side of the street, gas station, wherever. Then wake me, alright?"
Jin could only nod surprised that his father could still speak coherently. He watched as his father leaned the chair back a little. He fell asleep instantly and Jin was left to himself once again. He rolled down his window before long and even opened the car door. For some reason, he felt wide awake.
Everything was in limbo. He had no idea whether they would actually make it back home or not. G Corp could still be after them. Who knew if Mom really was okay or actually needed expert medical attention? Who knew if Jin could continue to drive as successfully as he had before with far more cars on the street with him? Who knew if his father wouldn't just die from exhaustion or if he'd even wake up the next time? Everything could go wrong. In fact, it seemed headed in that direction. It couldn't just be up to him. Yet he was the only one left, well and fit. The ball seemed in his court. He could come up with an incredible, fail-proof plan right now and execute it without any fuss from either of his parents—they'd be too weak to protest. Jin shook his head. The only problem was…he had no such plans. He felt almost as useless as his parents at that moment.
Jin forced himself to fall asleep a few hours later. He was to be driving and Jin hoped to use as many hours in the day as he could for that.
/
Jun woke up with a jarring ache in her left shoulder and right side. For the moment, that was all that concerned her. As one of her hands touched the sore areas, she realized that they had been bandages and with a closer look, she decided that whoever had done it did a very good job. They were tight and snug enough to stop the blood flow. They were bullet wounds, her mind finally told her. Those two men had tried to get into the car. Jun's eyes tried to make out the setting. She knew immediately that she was in a smaller vehicle—it was no longer the van. She panicked only for a split second before her ears picked up the familiar sounds of sleeping in front of her—Jin and Kazuya. She was quite certain of this even before she turned her head to look further down the car. She could see Kazuya as his chair was leaned back. The seat that was in front of her had to be Jin. She let out a sigh of relief. She had no idea how they had gotten there and she didn't feel like trying to figure any of it out. She didn't even begin to question why Jin happened to be in the driver's seat. She was just glad to be safe and alive. She was glad that her family was still intact.
Her eyes wandered over to Kazuya again—serene and peaceful; just as he always looked if he wasn't afflicted with nightmares or worry. One would think there was cause for worry at that point, but Jun was beginning to believe that this time they really had escaped G Corp for good. Jun used the handle on the back of the driver's side chair. It took more effort than she estimated, but she eventually pulled it off. She didn't want to wake Kazuya, now that he was actually taking her advice, but for some reason there was something she couldn't get off of her mind. She had expected to hate him the moment she ever caught sight of him again. She expected she'd want to make him feel miserable for all the time she was left on her own to raise Jin. But those feelings never came—not really. She didn't expect to be falling in love with him again. He hadn't done anything special. He acted as he usually did and he hadn't given her any indication as to whether he himself still felt anything for her. Their relationship was built on unspoken assumptions. It was always hard to be sure about things or how the other was feeling. Perhaps that was one of their failings. There was only one way they knew how to combat this.
She bent over so that she was closer to him, close enough to speak in his ear.
"Kazuya," she said softly at first, then she spoke a little louder, "Kazuya."
Somehow, she knew he'd respond to her voice. She had overestimated just how weakened he'd be after what she did in the hospital or she had underestimated how much pain he could withstand. Either way, she had been wrong. He turned to her with a questioning look. They were both trying to be as quiet as possible so as not to wake Jin. It was the first time in a long time they'd been in each other's presence without any hard feelings.
"Just lay back, okay?" Jun said quietly.
There was more confusion from him but he obeyed. Jun took her time as she propped herself up on the center compartment. There was still the pain, but she was ignoring it for now. She was sure he wanted to ask what she wanted, but she didn't allow him to do so as she lowered herself to his level and trapped the words in a full-fledged kiss. She knew she had startled him, but his hesitation faded quickly and he responded just as passionately if not more so. He pulled her closer as if she wasn't close enough, as if she was in danger of pulling back. She wasn't planning on doing as much until she felt they were going too far not that it was even possible at this point. He stroked her hair and she paused as his touch sent shivers down her back. She grinned and reciprocated as she kissed more vigorously, but then stopped herself when she found herself wanting to peruse more than just his lips. She was so close now that she could smell his familiar scent—it was indescribable, it was simply something she could recognize readily. He continued to stroke her hair, but when she hesitated, he hesitated as well. Jun pulled back a little and grinned at the other yet he had a very serious expression as he studied her face. Perhaps he was trying to find something there, something that might justify her sudden need to be near him, but she gave him nothing. She had already found her answer and she was satisfied.
"Mom? You're awake?" came Jin's voice from right beside her.
It startled her out of her mind. She'd practically forgotten Jin was even there. Their moment was broken in an instant. She calmed herself before she turned to him.
"Yes, I'm fine. Your father did a good job wrapping me up," she turned to Kazuya briefly and gave him a smile. "How have you been doing?"
"I'm fine," Jin said. "Better than you two combined," he said jokingly.
"Well then maybe you can tell me why you're in the driver's seat."
Jin paused before he said anything. He didn't want to incriminate his father. He didn't want to give his mother any more reasons to dislike him. "I was driving," he said simply. He didn't mention that Kazuya had told him to do so.
"You were doing what?" Jun asked shocked. "How in the world do you know how to operate this thing? It's not like you grew up around cars. I don't even think you've seen a person drive up close."
"Remember that dream I had? Well I watched you and Dad drive."
"You mean the only knowledge of driving you have is from a dream?"
"It's not like that," Jin said becoming desperate. He didn't want to upset his mother, but she seemed bent on working her own self up.
"Jin, this isn't like you at all. What possessed you to drive? I mean, how did we even get to this car? I'm petty sure this is not the one I was driving before."
"Jun," Kazuya finally said when Jin was at a loss of words, "I think it's better if I explained everything."
Jun turned to him when she heard him opening the door. Now it was her turn to give him a questioning look and what she got in return was a rather satisfied grin.
"And where are you going?" Jun asked.
"Need to stretch my legs. It's cramped in here."
Jun knew he was asking for her to follow in suit. It was obvious that he wanted to speak to her in private. She found she liked this fact. "I need some fresh air as well." When Jin decided that he'd step out as well, Jun gave him a stern look and shook her head no. He got the message and settled back down in his seat and simply stared out the driver's side window. Jun might have felt bad about forcing the other to stay in, but for some reason she didn't. It took her a moment, but after her valiant struggle off the middle compartment and back onto the backseat, she was finally able to step outside. After closing the door, she took a deep breath. She had been in a moving vehicle for far too long and stumbled a little when she took a small step forward, but Kazuya was there to abate her clumsiness as he took hold of her almost immediately upon exiting the car. She didn't protest. She found herself quite close to him and with his arms wrapped around her. She was turned forward though so that she could still come in contact with the open air. It was at times like these that she liked the fact that Kazuya was taller than she. They were able to pull off such intimate positions. She felt the rumble in his chest and the tickle of air on her ear as he then related to her just what had happened since her near death experience. She might have been a bit more upset over his decision to let Jin drive or the one where he decided to steal a car had she not felt so comfortable and safe. These decisions had already been made anyhow; there was nothing she could do about it and she didn't have the energy for that sort of thing.
"And where would you like to eat?" he asked her lastly.
She thought it was a strange question at first, but then she realized that she was ravenous the more she thought about it. "Anyplace that serves hot food would be fine. It's not like I've ever traveled out here before."
"I have. Before," he replied simply.
"What do you mean? Before what?"
"Before when I was with the Mishima Zaibatsu. I had a few ill-advised business meetings with G-Corporation. Nothing ever came of it, but I've been in this area."
"Kazuya, that's great news. That means you know where an airport is, right?"
"I do. We're traveling in the right direction, at least. Airports are far and spread out. I'd say a two days ride and we've already driven for about a day."
"The real question is who's going to do the driving. We can't let Jin drive when we're perfectly capable of doing it ourselves."
"I wouldn't say perfectly, but capable enough. I'll do it."
"No," Jun said shaking her head. "You may feel alright now, but extended hours of wakefulness is your enemy. I can drive. There's less at risk."
"I don't want you moving around at all. Your wounds have barely started healing and you want to drive. You might reopen them in the process and that won't feel very nice."
"I can handle it. I promise. Besides, there's not much activity in moving a car."
"I don't like it. I understand your concerns, but I'm not nearly as helpless as you think."
"I admit, maybe I overstated things before, but you still need rest, lots of it."
"Jun, I have more energy now."
"Good, then let's keep it that way," Jun said before the other could say anything else. "It's a good thing that you're recovering so quickly. I'm relieved actually. You get tired and it's over. Do you understand what it means to have absolutely no reserves, absolutely nothing to bounce back from? Can you honestly tell me that you're at 100%, right now?"
Jun felt his grip tighten, not to a strangling degree, but decidedly more secure like being locked into a seat right before the rollercoaster began.
It took him awhile to respond. "Do you want me to say it then? My father would be horrified if he knew I admitted weakness. He'd tell me to hide it, bite the bullet."
"But your father isn't here," Jun reminded the other, "And I don't see why you'd ever tell him about this. I won't think any less of you. No one would."
"Then I agree. You should drive. But, Jun, worry about yourself more, for my sake."
"Well, I have you to do that for me, don't I? Relax, I won't do anything I can't handle."
Jun moved in his grasp so that she could be facing him. He must have read her unspoken request because they both "attacked" each other at the same moment. Small talk and discussions aside, that was really all they wanted to do at the moment as they kissed with feral intensity, groping at one another as if they would pull off each other clothes right then and there. Strangely enough, it was Kazuya who had enough sense to pullback. Not in public. Not when Jin was right there in the car. Slowly, their passion fizzled out, but Jun stayed quite close to him, her head buried in his chest. She could feel his hard-on; it would have to suffice for now. She felt tingly all over as if electricity danced over her skin—and she found she liked this feeling.
"Alright," she said a little breathless, "Let's get a move on."
They stood there a little longer, attached to one another. She waited until she could no longer feel his erection before finally heading to the driver's seat. She opened the door to a very bored looking Jin and smiled brightly at him. She knew she'd be in a good mood for a while.
"I'll be taking over the driving for now. I can't believe your father had you doing it at all, but I suppose it had to be done."
Jin's face brightened then. "Alright. But are you well enough to—
"Your father and I discussed this. I'm the best choice for driving now."
Jin nodded and got out of the seat. "Just let me know if you want me to take over. I can drive pretty well now."
Jun shook her head. "Now you're offering to do it? You're father's such a bad influence."
"He'll have to drive someday," Kazuya said cutting into the conversation. He'd just gotten into the passenger's side.
"Well, not today. You'll be in the backseat where a child belongs."
Jin climbed inside the car and it started up automatically.
"Just like old times," Jin chimed over the noise of the engine.
Kazuya gave him a "hm" in agreement, but Jun was left completely out of the loop.
"What are you guys even going on about?"
"It's a long story," Kazuya said before Jin could begin to explain. "Not important. What matters is reality. What matters is now."
"You know," Jun began as she drove the car out of the rest area, "It almost feels like we're going on a family vacation."
"You'd compare this to a vacation," Kazuya asked incredulously.
"Oh, you know what I mean. All of us together in a car traveling somewhere and what's a vacation without a little stress?"
"Ever the optimist," Kazuya stated.
"Ever the pessimist," Jun said with a grin, "Exactly like I remember."
/
Jin felt increasingly drowsy staring at endless rows of passing trees. His eyes grew tired of the same sight. They'd driven for hours on end and Jin couldn't even remember how long that was. Time stretched on forever it seemed. Jin looked over at Kazuya who had fallen asleep long ago. Not even an hour had passed before he became practically unreachable. Jun had made light conversation with the other, but when he stopped responding all of a sudden Jin knew without turning his eyes away from the passing trees that he had dropped off again—it had only been a matter of time. Jin didn't have much to say himself and soon the car fell into silence. It wasn't a bad or uncomfortable silence, but it was boring and tiring all the same. He began to wonder if they were even getting any closer when Jun pointed out the airport sign.
"We're nearly there, Jin," Jun said. "One more mile."
Jin perked up with the news and wanted to shake his father to wakefulness immediately to tell him, but knew Jun probably wouldn't like that. A mile was nothing. In no time they were pulling up to a huge parking lot, the very same kind Jin had seen at the last airport he'd been to. Jun parked as close as she could so that they didn't have to walk so far. There weren't too many people that day, but the close parks had all been taken so they parked further back. Not that it mattered. They wouldn't be using that car again once they got on the plane. Jin watched as his mother called his father's name. Jin didn't think it'd be enough to rouse him but to his surprise, it was. But then he always responded to her voice even subconsciously. It made Jin only a little jealous that he didn't have the same effect on his father.
"Let's go, everybody," Jun announced.
She popped the trunk open and climbed out of the car. Kazuya and then Jin followed in suit. There was a bag that Kazuya took out the trunk. It was full of first aid equipment. Things he had stolen from the van. Soon they were trudging off. Jin couldn't believe it. They were really going to pull it off. They would go home and they would be a family exactly like he had dreamed it to be. When they stepped into the building, however, Jin began to feel a bit anxious. Everything was so quiet. Nothing like his last visit to the airport. Chairs were empty and there was only one receptionist working.
"I don't like this," Kazuya said voicing Jin's concerns. "I think we should—
But he stopped when three burly men dashed into the room from the outside through a side door they hadn't noticed. Kazuya practically yanked Jun behind him, but bullet shots came from elsewhere. Jin was momentarily confused when he didn't see the guns in the hands of the men before him. Then it hit him; it had come from behind. Kazuya had already turned on his feet feeling the impact from the bullets, but not really getting harmed. Jun was little more than a meat shield.
"Are you serious?!" Jin heard his father yell out in frustration.
Suddenly, Jin was being handed an unconscious Jun and ordered to protect her to the best of his ability. In the next second, his father left his side advancing upon the gun wielding men in a snap. More gunshots, but as Jin looked up and watched his father, he hadn't faltered at all. Perhaps he had managed to evade them. Jin closed his eyes, too squeamish to watch the men become demolished under his father's wrath. He heard bone bending and breaking; grunts, screams, and all manner of odd guttural noises. In the end, Jin heard the deadweight of five men hitting the ground. When Jin finally looked, his father was moving back towards him not at all in a rush. His clothes, hands, and face were splattered with blood, but Jin couldn't tell which was his. At the very least, he didn't seem harmed. His stride was just as confident as he remembered. He wasn't looking at him, though. Jin grew apprehensive once again as he realized that there were the men behind them. Yet his father's expression wasn't that of a worried man. Jin finally looked back and saw that the men had frozen in their steps perhaps unprepared for the carnage his father was capable of. Jin was glad to have closed his eyes.
There was fire behind those eyes, burning and all-consuming, but they were not directed at him. Jin was simply looking from the outside in and it didn't affect him at all. He was grateful not to be on the receiving end of it. They spoke in English. The man closest shouted something in English and his father responded in a tone that sent shivers down his spine. He wondered what had been said, but before he knew it Kazuya was upon the man. In a snap, Kazuya grabbed the man's head rammed it with practiced ease into his knee and the man melted to the ground. There were six others and only one had the courage to come forward. These men did not have guns. After Kazuya pounced on the next victim, the other five scattered.
"Jin, this was a mistake," Kazuya said startling him.
Jin's eyes were stuck on the dying man as he moaned in pain. His father noticed his gaze, but said nothing. When he was close enough, he took Jun into his arms. That was what gave him pause. What were the odds that someone would make it through two shootings? And he just continued to stand there gazing upon her.
"Dad! We gotta' get out of here!" Jin cried trying to draw his father's attention.
"Yes…" his father said distantly. "Let's go."
"This way," Jin more or less ordered to the other when he hadn't moved in the least. "We have to get out of here." Still Kazuya hadn't moved until Jin raised his voice even more. "Damn it, Dad, I can't make you move! We can't worry about her now, we gotta' get to safety first!" Jin finally captured the other's gaze, but he seemed utterly lost. "Just follow me, Dad. That's all you have to do. Run!"
Jin was running for the exit. He had already seen more men out the corner of his eyes and they looked to have guns. He looked back at his father who was finally moving as well, at first slowly, but then he was running as well. Jin held the door for him and they were outside sprinting back to the car. Jin had no idea how the other was able to keep up holding a full grown woman in his hands, but he did so with surprising ease. In fact, he was eventually in the lead. Jin grabbed the back door to the car open so that his father could place her in. He zipped to the passenger's side and Kazuya took his place in the driver's seat almost instantly. He was turning the makeshift key and switching gears without a second to spare. The men hadn't followed them, but Jin had a sneaking suspicion that they were climbing into their respective vehicles right now. Kazuya sped out of the parking lot, but it was controlled. He was worried about Jun, Jin realized. He probably didn't want to make any sudden movements with the car just in case. They could have moved a bit faster, but Kazuya stubbornly took his time and Jin knew better than to make a fuss.
It surprised Jin how detached he was from the situation at the moment. His mother was in the back dying and who knew how well his father was doing, one who was an expert at hiding his own injuries until it was too late. Somehow he wasn't frantic. Perhaps he was growing too used to such situations. Maybe his parents being so close to death was nothing new to him. He was safe. He would always be safe. He felt invincible.
After they drove at moderate speeds down the highway without even a hint of pursuit, he felt his father's eyes on him. Jin turned to him. There was nothing to read in his expression just his usual ambiguity.
"We won't go to an airport. I have someplace else in mind. It's a last resort, a questionable one at that. I'm not sure if he would be there right now."
"Who?" Jin asked.
"Your uncle technically."
/
AN: Alright, finally, another chapter down. Anyone who knows anything about Tekken will know who I'm talking about, but just in case, I'll leave it a secret. Until next time, my lovely readers.
