Disclaimer: See previous chapters

Chap. 26

"Try anything and the old man dies!"

Chun Li and Ryu stood still as the unshaven prisoner kept a firm grip on Samuel's throat. One of them could have attempted to bring him down, but both saw the grip he held. Any attempt they were to make would result in the butler's windpipe being snapped.

"Let him go." Ryu asked softly.

The man frowned and reinforced his hold, "Back off now. I know who you are and I won't let you kill me."

The two immortals blinked in confusion. 'Kill him?'

"J-just back off!"

Chun Li frowned. She didn't like this situation and saw that it would only get worse unless he was subdued as fast as possible. Taking a single step toward him, "I can't let you do…"

But the man stepped back and increased his hold, causing the old man to gag miserably, "I said stay back!"

Ryu raised a hand to him, "Please. Calm down. We don't want to hurt you." But the man didn't releaseor even loosen his hold. He noticed then that Cody's eyes were trained on Chun Li's side, which held her sidearm in place.

"Chun Li. Could you…throw your gun back?"

The woman turned to him in surprise, "What?"

The man nodded vigorously, "That's right. Do it now!"

Chun Li glared at Ryu. He had made them lose an advantage they could have used. She knew he was no fool, but this wasn't going to settle things or make it better for them. Nevertheless, she slowly lifted her gun and slid it across the floor.

"And your swords." he urged. "I know you have swords."

The both of them lifted their arms up to show that they didn't have any on them. The man seemed satisfied, "Okay. Sit down."

Ryu and Chun Li obeyed and sat down in the chairs in front of the table. The man moved over slowly to the side and then shoved Samuel away. The old man fell toward Chun Li's lap and she caught him before he could hit the floor. At the same time, the man snatched up the fallen gun and pointed it at them.

"It won't kill you, but it will slow you down, so don't try anything."

As Chun Li tended to Samuel, Ryu kept his gaze on the man. Despite his aggressive actions and posture, Ryu saw something within his eyes. Something that hadmanifested itself a few times already.

Fear…

"Why are you afraid?"

"Quiet!" he roared.

Seeing this, Chun Li sighed aloud, "Police are going to be here soon, you know. They'll surround the house and prevent you from escaping."

"I said quiet!" he cried, pointing the gun shakily at her.

But Chun Li arose from her seat, staring down the gun barrel, "Are you really going shoot me? Because you know that it won't really work."

The man frowned and whirled his head around. Before the others knew it, he grabbed a rapier blade that was hanging on a mantle on the wall.

"How about now?" he sneered. "I'll shoot you and then take your head."

Ryu arose and lifted a hand in front of her, "Don't, please. We won't harm you."

He cocked the hammer of the gun, "And we'll keep it that way."

A half an hour later, a troop of police had the mansion surrounded, just as Chun Li said they would. Various officers lined up on the yard, waiting for orders to move in. Behind them, police cars crowded around the gates and a SWAT team had just rolled in a van. Inside, the group sat quietly while their captor paced around the room. He had locked the door and covered the windows so that the police wouldn't have any advantages. Chun Li was quite annoyed at this point and glared at the man.

"What now?"

"Quiet." he demanded. "I'm thinking about it."

'Thinking about it?!' At this point, she didn't care if she was shot or not. This entire situation was ridiculous as well as dangerous. She knew well enough that a hostage situation would only get worse with each passing moment. If not for Ryu, she would have already acted and this would all be over. Which caused her to look over at him. 'Why Ryu? What are you trying to do?'

Bringggg

The phone rung beside the couch and the man looked over at it. He then aimed the gun at Ryu.

"Answer it."

Ryu stood up slowly and moved over to the phone. The man kept the gun on him while looking over at Chun Li and Samuel to make sure they didn't make a move. Ryu picked up the phone and spoke into it. He then looked over at their captor.

"It's the police. They wish to speak with you."

The man nodded, "Put it on speaker."

Ryu obeyed and hung the phone up while pressing the speaker button. He then waved his gun at Ryu, indicating that he want him to sit back down. Once down, the man spoke toward the phone.

"Go on."

"Hello?" the officer spoke back. "Is this the man holding the hostages in there?"

"I have a name." The man called back immediately. "It's Cody."

"Okay Cody. Now we don't want anyone hurt in there. We are prepared to meet your demands. What do you want?"

Cody seemed to be staring blankly at the phone, something Ryu seemed to take notice in. "I want…I just want…" he stammered. He then moved over to the phone, "I'll let you know."

He clicked the phone off and looked toward the window. His expression was stiff, but Ryu saw the loss in his eyes.

"What do you want?" he asked quietly.

Cody whirled to him and raved, "I want some fricking peace, that's what! I want these maniacs to stop coming after me trying to take my head."

"I hate to say it, but that just won't happen." Ryu answered; a slight hint of sadness in his voice. "Especially at this time."

Cody blinked, "What's so special about this time?"

This aroused Chun Li's curiosity and she asked, "You mean you don't know about the Gathering?"

"I've never heard of it."

"He wasn't taught." Ryu said to Chun Li. "That explains why you are so afraid."

Cody growled, "Shut up. What does it matter anyway?"

Ryu was unperturbed by his angry outburst. "It matters because your life depends on it. You weren't told the basics of how we live." After a short pause, his voice went soft again, "When did it happen to you?"

Ryu knew he was asking a personal question. No one likes reliving those particular moments when they died for the first time. It's usually a confusing terrible moment for them all and Cody was no exception. Ryu was about to believe that Cody wasn't going to answer at all when he quietly replied.

"A year ago. Maybe two. I was in a car accident with a friend of mine. One minute we were singing in the car, the next minute…" The pain was still fresh in his memory, but he continued speaking, "Anyway, I panicked and ran away. I didn't know what happened or what to think. The next thing I knew, this guy with a sword, who tried to take my head, was chasing me. I ran away, only to be caught up by the police. I was so messed up so I ran from them too. From then on, I've been running from these guys and the police. I was going to leave the country when I was cornered by a one of them. But the cops found me at the same time and I was taken in. I didn't really know what to do or say or even how to explain it, so I went to prison. But the same man broke into the prison to get me and I got out before he did."

"And you wound up here." Ryu finished.

"Exactly."

Ryu now fully understood the man's fear. Not only was he unaware of how the game was played or the rules, but someone was hunting him down for an easy mark. 'Like a lion. They always go after the weaker prey' "Can you describe who it is that is after…?"

Bringgg, bringgg!

The phone rang again, interrupting Ryu's question. Annoyed, Cody stomped back over to the phone and pressed the speaker again. The officer on the other end spoke, "Alright Mr. Cody. We don't anyone to get hurt here. Why don't you tell us what you want so we can get this situation settled?"

"Settled? Settled!" Rage instantly flared up in the unshaven man. "F&#!YOU! You want settled? I'll give you settled!"

He moved over to Samuel and grabbed him by the collar. Moving to the window, he parted the shade and held the gun on Samuel's head. "Tell your men to back off."

"I can't do that." The officer spoke back. "You're holding hostages."

"Wrong! Because I'm holding hostages, you are going to leave." He cocked the hammer of the gun, "If I still see a police car or a SWAT car outside this window in the next three minutes, there's going to be a big mess in here."

"You do that and you won't get anything." the negotiator called back, hoping to reason with him, but with no such luck as Cody pressed the gun in on the elder man's head.

"You have two minutes now."

Ryu saw that he was going to snap. Any further resistance at this point would certainly result in Samuel's death. He had hoped that he could help the man without any troubles, but it appeared that that wouldn't be the case anymore. But just as Ryu resolved to make a move, Chun Li called over to the phone.

"Officer, do as he says. Back your men off."

"Miss? You will still be in danger if we do that." the officer replied. "I know that you're scared…"

"This is Special Agent Chun Li of Interpol and I'm ordering you to back off right now!"

This caused the officer to gasp on the other end and Cody to wheel back to her. After a minute of silence, she was able to hear the officer order.

"Do as she says."

Cody looked back out to see that the SWAT team was backing off the front yard. Chun Li was just glad that her reputation was well known here, but Cody didn't share that enthusiasm as he snarled at her now.

"You're a cop?! What were you planning to do? Sell me out, put me in jail and then take my head?"

Despite his rage, she answered calmly, but evenly. "Yes, with the exception of taking your head. You've endangered innocent lives here." she accused. "You and no one else."

The man moved away from the window and turned his head from side to side, releasing Samuel in the process.

"I didn't want to. I…I just want to get away from all of this. I can't take this crap!"

"You don't have a choice." Chun Li replied. "You are immortal now. What matters now is surviving. It's a sad, harsh truth, but it is the truth nevertheless."

Cody's eyes focused on her for awhile and slowly became downcast. Both the gun and the sword were lowered now, giving her an opportunity to take it away. But she refrained from doing so. She had understood what Ryu had been trying to do and she saw how close he had come to casting that aside to save Samuel if need be. Ryu had felt pity for the man whose life had been flipped upside-down and felt that he should at least do something to help him. He knew any solution right now would only be temporary, with the Gathering and all, but perhaps that's all this man needed.

"Perhaps…there is a way we can help you."

At this, Cody blinked at him. Looking over at Chun Li, he saw the confirmation in her face, which surprised him even more.

"Help…me? You want to help me?"

"We are not all the same." Ryu explained. "Some of us fight only when necessary. We are not hunters. We just know how the game is played. We know the rules."

"But how? I'll just be hunted down again, if not by the cops, then by the others."

"We'll worry about that later. But first, we have to get you out of this." She peeked out the window and then placed her ear on the door. "Most likely, those guys are still in the area and are moving in right now."

Cody frowned and said, "But I told them to back off."

Ryu moved over to the window to look as well as Chun Li answered him, "You have to understand. They won't back off as long as they think you are a threat.

Ryu came back, "Three of them just moved over to the west wing through the bushes."

The Chinese woman nodded, "Then that means they'll come in right through the door. I'll give then five to seven minutes before they bust in here." She looked over at Cody, "That means they will take you away. Either that or they'll shoot you down."

Panic began to settle in the blue eyes of the man once again, "But…I'm immortal, right? That won't kill me…permanently, right?"

Ryu nodded, "Right. That only leaves one question." He stared at Cody, "Do you trust us?"

Just outside the door, the troop of officers swarmed over the front and around the door that the captives were sealed in. In a moment, officers on the outside would toss in some tear gas, hopefully causing the assailant to become confused enough for them to subdue when they bust in. A shatter of glass soon sounded and the lead officer gave the ready signal when bullet fire sounded through the room.

Suddenly, the doors burst open and Cody stepped out, enraged and raising the gun up. The officers all raised their rifles as well and as soon as Cody squeezed the trigger, they fired on him. Bullets ripped through his body as Cody fired blinding into the air until ultimately his body fell to the floor. Half of the officers surrounded him, but it was obvious that he was dead. Meanwhile, the other half entered into the gas-filled room and found Chun Li standing next to an injured Ryu, who was nursing a bullet wound in his shoulder. As they were pulled out of the room…

"Are you alright?"

Ryu coughed, "Yeah. I'll live."

"What happened?"

"When the gas came in, I tried to subdue him. But he panicked and started shooting everywhere." Looking up at Chun Li, "She pulled me out of the way."

Chun Li blinked. She didn't expect him to say that last part. "Don't worry about it. But that'll have to be checked on." She continued, indicating his wound. Back to the officer, "How about Cody? Were you able to apprehend him?"

The officer shook his head, "I'm afraid not. He went berserk so we had no choice."

"He's dead?"

"Yes. Come on. Let's get that looked at, sir.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to help him." she offered. Looking over, at Samuel, who was also coughing from the gas, she pointed, "But you should check up on him. I'm afraid he's been through a lot."

"Yes ma'am."

As they walked out of the mansion house, they caught a glimpse of the Cody's body being zipped up in a body bag.

Police Morgue

*gasp!*

Cody suddenly jerked up from the metal table, sucking in loads of air as he revived. His hands instantly went up to his white robed body, remembering the bullets that tore through it. He found no trace of anything on his body. But before he could marvel at this, a voice called to him from nearby.

"Come on, hurry."

He saw Chun Li standing nearby with a pile of clothes in her hands. She tossed it over to Cody and opened the door. Coy jumped up from the table, still a little dazed from his 'death', but following Chun Li to an exit where Ryu was waiting with one of Ken's jeeps. As Cody moved toward the vehicle...

"I get the feeling you've guys done this before."

"Once or twice." Chun Li smiled as she opened the door. Cody entered the vehicle and began to get dressed as Ryu started the jeep.

"I'm sorry about your arm." Cody said as he slipped on his shirt.

"No problem. Just glad it didn't hit higher." He did not want to make things complicated by getting shot in the head.

Airport, Two days later

Ryu and Chun Li where standing with Cody as he got ready for his flight. The report of the disappearance of his 'body' would just add to the long list of unsolved mysteries. Cody, with a duffel bag in his hand was now speaking with them as he made ready to leave.

"Just remember, they can't come after you as long as you're on holy ground." Ryu reminded him. "You'll be safe there until you're ready."

During the past two days, Ryu had been drilling him on the rules of the Game, even buying him a cutlass sword at a local antique store and teaching him a few techniques. But he knew that Cody couldn't stay there. Legally dead now, Cody had to leave the area. Thus Ryu made arrangements with an old friend who lived in Mexico.

"Are you sure about this guy?" Cody questioned.

"Don't worry." Ryu reassured him. "T. Hawk is an old friend of mine. He'll keep you safe."

Cody nodded and sighed, "This is still a lot to take in. But I have to ask you, why?" He looked up at the two of them. "Why did you help me at all? After all that I did…Why?"

Cody expected them to take their time to think about the answer, but Ryu answered simply. "It was the right thing to do. That's all I can say."

"The right thing, huh?" Cody grinned. He let his hand out, "I'll remember that when we meet again."

Ryu took it and shook, letting a light smile on his face. "I look forward to that."

Cody repeated the gesture to Chun Li and she did likewise.

"Take care, Cody."

"I will." He began to move toward the terminal to his flight, but turned back. "Thank you guys. Thanks…for everything."

With a final wave, Cody turned and headed to the plane, leaving the other two alone. Chun Li and Ryu moved to the exit and Chun Li looked over at him.

"Why did you help him? Why did it matter so much?"

"Because I don't like the idea of a person being hunted down like that. There's no honor in it. And it really was the right thing to do."

Chun Li nodded. Despite her earlier feelings on the matter, it really was the right thing to do. Or was it? All they've really done was prolog the man's eventual death, provided he wasn't the final one standing at the Gathering. She mentally shook her head. 'No. He's right. It was the right thing to do. I'll just leave it at that.' Still, there was one issue that was unresolved.

"Who do you think was chasing him?"

"I wish I knew."

Unknown

Juli stood straight in the middle of an abandoned apartment, speaking before a holographic image of a dark, shadowed figure on a throne. The figure couldn't be made out, but the eyes seemed to glow through the shadow, giving off an aura of evil and malice.

"Report."

"Mission completed. The cameras have been installed in the house during the police break in. We have inside watch on them."

"Excellent." The figure grinned. "It's nice to have the law to do some work for us, heh. Vega certainly does a good job in driving people in the direction we want. Continue your surveillance of the two."

Her face didn't change, but she asked, "Sir?"

"I've decided to let Ms. Li live for now. She may be of some use."

She gave a crisp salute as the hologram faded away, "Roger, sir. Juli out."