Chapter Sixteen

Finding Makoto

Waiting. Waiting poised on the cusp of something was hard on Sousuke. It was waiting that made him think of a million bad scenarios - all of them involved Makoto in some horrible situation - his body bleeding and bruised, those green eyes looking at him pleadingly as he lay on the floor in pain. Sousuke hated those thoughts but couldn't banish them as he waited for the lights to go dark and the gate to be opened by Rin. Rin was inside now and probably in the control/security room of the home, doing whatever he needed to do to let Sousuke in.

Poised, crouching, the tight black material making him feel oddly self-conscious, Sousuke thought about the floor plans of the home, and ran through them in his head.

Inside he would go towards the kitchen as there were some stairs that led to the basement and then he would descend them and find Makoto. He was being overly positive as Sousuke was sure there would be some difficulties to acquiring Makoto but he didn't let himself consider them - only thought about having Makoto's firm body against his, his soft hair and the crinkle in the corner of his eyes when he gave him that perfect smile.

That was what he had to focus on.

There was a cracking noise in the air and suddenly those butterfly gates opened, Sousuke noticing the purple jewels sparkling in some show of ostentatious wealth as he finally walked towards the house.

Jogging, Sousuke zoned out the pain in his shoulder and gritted his teeth as he approached the door - it opened on his hinges as the electronics had been shorted by Rin. The highly technological house had a disadvantage that perhaps hadn't been considered in its design - that if the systems were over ridden, it was easy to enter.

Creeping through the door, Sousuke grabbed for his stun weapon as he expected an attack. None happened as he stepped inside - the hallway white and the walls full of modern expensive art. The house was in darkness - Rin's doing and Sousuke stepped cautiously, his heart beat too fast in his chest.

He had memorised where Makoto was and made his way in that direction - each step sure and quiet, his breathing slow and laboured. Sousuke didn't encounter anyone and while most people would count that as a blessing, Sousuke knew better. He was sure there was something bad waiting for him - he just hadn't walked into it yet.

The kitchen was a gleaming mass of chrome and Sousuke wondered if, in a different world, if Makoto would've enjoyed the expensive equipment, making dinner in a place like this while Sousuke watched, admiring his concentration, the movement of his hands as he used a knife, as he stirred pots and pans and tasted his culinary creations.

Shaking his head to get rid of the image, Sousuke saw the door even in the dim light, ajar as the security system had unlocked it, and he knew it led to the basement. And to Makoto.

The route down the stairs made Sousuke's heart beat faster, his palms feel sweaty as he gripped the stun gun in his hand. He wiped his hands on the slick black fabric covering his thighs but it did little good as he felt his mouth go dry and his body tense.

When he arrived at the bottom, Sousuke didn't step forward immediately, he paused and then carefully looked around the corner to survey the situation. And then his beating heart that had been hammering in his chest seemed to stop as there was Makoto.

Recklessness and stupidity over rid sense then. It felt so long since that blissful night - to the feel of Makoto under him, over him, moaning Sousuke's name in the moment of climax - that he stepped out and approached, his eyes quickly taking in the basement.

It had pipes and wires overhead, the underbelly of the high tech house and Sousuke saw a small blinking camera that seemed to be still working despite the lack of power and electronics. He didn't muse on it long - only walked towards Makoto, sat in the middle of the room, blindfolded and gagged.

He'd been roughed up, his t-shirt was torn, his skin bruised but there appeared to be no bleeding. His head was hanging forward and it seemed that perhaps he was asleep but when Sousuke got closer, Makoto's head moved and it was clear that he'd heard Sousuke's footsteps no matter how quietly he'd attempted to walk.

"I will tell you again... I don't know anything, I barely looked at the file... I swear."

"Makoto...it's me."

Makoto's head quirked in his direction as Sousuke dropped his weapons and then carefully removed the gag, Makoto's licking at his dry lips before he spoke, his voice rough and cracked.

"Sousuke?"

"Yeah... I found you."

He reached for where the blindfold was tied, removing it with slightly shaking fingers and exposing those green eyes that had haunted Sousuke since Makoto's capture.

"Sousuke..." Makoto repeated, his voice soft, relief in his tone.

"Are you hurt?"

Makoto shook his head, his hair flicking in his eyes and Sousuke moved, preparing to start to undo the bindings around his wrists but as he did he heard a sharp exhale of breath from Makoto and suddenly felt the press of a barrel of a gun against his cheek.

"Who hired you to protect him?"

Sousuke turned enough to see the man who had shot him, his cold eyes behind red rimmed glasses and he wanted to curse himself. So focused on Makoto he'd fucked up again.

"I don't know. I just get the job," Sousuke said as he stood, straightening up his tall frame.

"Do you want me to shoot you again?" he asked with a tease.

"No!" Makoto shouted and Sousuke tried to give him a glance of reassurance despite not feeling particularly confident of the situation.

"Who hired you?"

Sousuke was going to grab for his dropped stun weapon, move and elbow the man in the face when he heard another set of footsteps, the sound echoing as someone walked down the stairs. He guessed it would be Rin but another voice spoke.

"I did."

And in the doorway was a blond man in a sharp grey suit.

"It was me, Rei. I think we need to talk."