Chapter 11

Despite every logical nerve in my body resisting it, I pieced together a dark plan. If anything went wrong, I could fall back on the spell. I did not want to go back again, but if this failed, I would have to try something different, and I have a few ideas floating around.

I ushered Feliciano to his room, and he begged me to stay with him. "Please, Kiku? At least until I fall asleep?"

I stared at his expression comparable to that of a puppy's. I offered a small smile. "If I refuse, then I would find you in my bed in the morning."

He let out something like a short giggle, and dove onto the bed. "You got me!" He flopped down and curled up underneath the covers.

I snuggled into the blanket after shutting off the table lamp. Feliciano started to sniffle again after a few minutes. He softly cried himself to sleep as quickly as the tears started. I waited, watching the shadows of the trees dance on the walls.

I sat up and nudged his arm. "Are you asleep? I would hope so," I murmured when no reply came. I slowly scooched away from him and slipped off the bed. I pattered to my room and dropped down to my hands and knees, reaching under the guest bed. I pulled out a long sheath and sat up to my knees. The corners of my mouth pulled down when the twinge in my back threatened to make itself apparent again as I turned the long object in my hand. I grasped the top part and pulled it apart. A long, slightly curved blade glinted in the moonlight.

I slid the katana back into its sheath, slipped the protective wrap over it, and slung the sword over my shoulder. The thing was supposed to be for show now, passed down my family, but tonight, it would be put to its intended use. The dresser drawer stuck a little when I tried opening it, so I yanked on it, and it make a loud groaning sound. I froze, listening for any evidence of Feliciano awakening. Any other time, he slept like a rock, but my senses were hyperaware at the time. I clenched my jaw, and reached for a long coat that hung to my knees. I slipped my hand into the front pocket, and pinched the crinkled spell paper.

It was soothing as I ran my thumb over it and turned into the hall. I stopped and listened to the clock's ticking for a few breaths before heading down the stairs. They creaked louder than usual now that I was trying to be stealthy. I immediately wanted to go back inside once the wind slapped my cheeks, but I tied the coat tighter and ambled down the sidewalk.

The streets were cold and deserted as I stood at the bus stop. I prayed to anyone listening that tonight would not be a night that the driver would slack off on his job. My leg shook as I stared down the road, waiting rather impatiently.

Soft humming reached my ears and I whipped my head to the sound. Feliciano stopped suddenly a few meters away, his eyes widening. The initial expression of shock melted away into that dopey smile of his, and he picked back up singing to himself. I gawked at him bundled in a puffy coat and clutched onto a plastic bag of who knows what as he scooted closer to me.

He shivered. "It's a cold night, tonight, Kiku!"

I glared at my feet. Why is he here?! He elbowed me and I gritted my teeth. "Hai. I cannot say I am used to this kind of weather."

Feliciano giggled. "I hope the bus gets here soon. My toes are going numb!"

"What if I said I was not waiting for the bus?"

He nudged me again. "Then why are you at a bus stop, silly?" A blotch of red clouded my vision for a moment. I shook my head. "It's here! Yay!"

The bus driver stared at us like we were aliens, despite seeing us earlier. Perhaps that was why he was gawking. We took our previous seats. I shifted a bit, aware of the sheath pressing rather uncomfortably between the seat and my back.

"Did you forget something?" Feliciano whispered. "Is that why you are on this bus?"

I glared at him. "No, I am just wandering."

"To another town?"

"Yes!" I snapped. He shrunk in his seat and I frowned, looking away.

It was quiet for a few moments before he piped up, "I saw you staring at that clock. The one at the end of the hall, and you were clutching onto it like it was important to you the day after you arrived here."

"Maybe it is," I mused.

Feliciano made that weird noise again. "Ve, it's a really nice clock, isn't it?"

I hissed, "You should have just stayed in bed."

He gasped. "I was worried, seeing you creep around like that!"

"I am not creepy!"

"I did not say that," he whined. "but I want to help you!"

"This part does not concern you anymore. Once this bus stops, it would be best if you go straight home."

Feliciano stuck his lower lip out. "No." I opened my mouth to dissent, but he said, "I do not want to be useless for once. I do not know what you are going to do, but we're friends, and friends stick together. The mean man hurt you, too, and that hurts me. Let's deal with him together."

A shaky exhale escaped my throat. Feliciano caught it and smiled. "I was going to wait until Luddy came home, and talk to him...about us. But when I noticed you had other plans, then I decided that I was going to do things your way. That bossman is trying to keep us apart. He is mean and does not deserve to be what he has."

I stiffly nodded. I was hoping for my friend not to get involved, but if that man is dealt with, and Feliciano and Ludwig could be happy, then this must be the right thing to do. Besides, he could be helpful.

We strode across the dimly lit streets. Most of the shops were closed, besides the theater and some eateries. It was a quiet but lengthy walk to the base. It looked like a police station, wedged between a bank and a small market. Two local military men roamed nearby, but they did not stop us, so they building must have been open to the public.

A help desk sat behind a glass and wood casing, and a young blond woman sat in front of a computer, typing away. She did not glance at us. "Visiting hours ended over fifteen minutes ago."

I froze and glanced around the room. Apparently, since the base held military men inside of it, they did not feel the need to install visible surveillance. That, or it was a very old building.

"We want to see Ludwig!" Feliciano waved a hand at her. He was going to press against the glass, but I grabbed his coat sleeve. "I brought him some leftover pasta!"

"I am sure he has not gotten a chance to eat. I heard he was working double today," I murmured.

She looked up, flickering her eyes between the two of us. "I cannot allow you to go into personal offices, but I can call him out here."

My friend and I exchanged a strained look.

Feliciano whined and his legs danced. "Where are the bathrooms?!"

The secretary looked taken aback. "They are not open to the public-"

"But all the shops are closed, and I'm going to pee!"

I gave the lady a scornful look. "I hope your janitor is still around."

Her eyes widened. "He isn't going to-"

"He will if he does not get to a toilet."

Feliciano grabbed himself, and whined again. I silently sent a thanks to wherever he acquired his acting skills.

The secretary curled her nose. "The closest bathrooms are down the left hallway and on the last door on the right."

"Thank you," I breathed a sigh of relief, immediately setting off to find the toilets. Feliciano crossed his legs, and pattered after me in the strange position. "You can stop that now," I told him once we were out of hearing range of the secretary.

He smiled and shook his legs. "I kind of have to go, anyway."

I ignored him to read the letters printed on the doors as we passed them. "If I were the boss' office, where would I be?"

"Probably were Luddy is at," Feliciano murmured.

I lightly snorted. Why did I not think of that? "But if we go that way, the secretary lady will stop us and start to get suspicious. If she is not already suspicious," I put in.

"I have an idea!" Feliciano waved a hand.

I sighed. "Let us hear it." And let it be a good one, for once.

"You can go back to that office lady and tell her I'm lost, and you can't find me, and we lure her this way, and knock her out!"

I stared at him in surprise. "If you only thought like that all the time." He let out a soft exclaimation and I put a finger to my lips. "Go into the bathrooms, and wait until I come by with here. When I pass by, I am going to give her one. Do not come out of the bathroom until I knock on the door." I suspiciously glanced around the hallway for any eavesdroppers. "The soldiers should be in their rooms at this hour, but if you hear some in the hallways, tell them you are looking for the toilets."

"I do not a lady to be hurt! That's awful!"

I slapped a hand over his mouth. "Do you want your Ludwig-chan back?"

His eyes widened, and he quickly nodded.

"It was your idea anyway. Think of her as an obstacle between you and Ludwig-san," I hissed and turned away from him. I breezed down the hall and stopped in front of the help desk. I took a deep inhale and let out my most panicky voice I could manage. "Please! You have to help me! I lost my friend!"

The lady shot up from her desk. "Calm down, sir! Tell me what happened."

"Ah," I covered my face with my hands. "He can be so scatterbrained sometimes! I was waiting outside while he went into the bathroom, and then he done that when I was inside..." I shook my head, "We just stopped for a quick bathroom break, and when I was finished, he was gone! What if he gets into trouble?! I am sure he means no harm but-"

"It will be all right," she swung open the door and stepped into the hallway. "The men are not allowed to roam the hallways after eight, and the doors are locked, so your friend will not be able to get inside any of the barracks. Where was the last place you seen him?"

I sniffled, and rose a shaky finger toward the hallway I came from. She started to walk down it and gestured me to follow.

I sighed, as if in embarrassment, "He gets spooked so easily,"

"Do not worry, we will get your friend and you can give the Commander his food and you two can be on your way before my boss knows you are here."

"Thank you. I appreciate your idiocy," I murmured, and suddenly delivered a short, but strong punch to a sensitive spot on her head. She tumbled to the floor in a unconscious heap, and I cradled my wrist to my chest, hissing at the aches shooting up my arm. I nudged her limp form for second measure, but she did not respond.

"I guess that works," I muttered. Instead of knocking like I said I would, I opened the bathroom door, and peered inside. Feliciano gasped, and whirled around with wide eyes. He relaxed when I beckoned, "Come on, Feli-kun. We have an idiot to dispatch of."

"I'm sorry, lady!" He called out to the secretary. "I can bring pasta for you next time!"

I pulled him past the now unattended help desk and into the right hallway. A stairwell led to the second floor, but we stayed on the ground floor. I stopped suddenly, and Feliciano bumped into me. He read the letters on the door and cringed away from it.

"That's the mean guy's office!"

"Indeed it is. Ah, Feli-kun, you should look for Ludwig-san. I will have a word with the bossman."

He whipped his head side to side. "We're friends! We do this together!"

"Hush!" I warned. "Feli-kun, please-"

The words caught in my throat as he reached into his boot with a gloved hand and slid out a blade. The same kitchen knife that he terrorized me the first time. I took a step back.

Feliciano tilted his head. "Ve, Kiku, do you not want to do this?" He glanced down to the weapon trembling in his hand. "O-oh, I feel really bad, but the mean man deserves this, right? I mean, he wants to keep Ludwig away from me." Another step closer. "Does he not know how alone I have been? And he wants to take the happiness I finally have away. You understand, though, right? Everyone in my life left me. I'm not letting him go. You won't leave either, right?"

"Of course not!" I sputtered, not taking my eyes off the knife. I flickered my gaze to his eyes. They had tears threatening to spill over as his jaw trembled. "Feliciano-kun, I do appreciate your help, but I do not want you to..."

"I don't want you to hurt anybody either!" He squeaked, and sniffled. "But we have to."

I stiffly nodded. I knew that more than anyone. "I am going to get his attention, and you will leap in only if I need you. Just like the secretary. Is that fine?"

"Okay, Kiku," he smiled. He offered the knife. "Do you need it?"

I shook my head, reaching behind me to pull up the covered sheath of my katana.

Feliciano's eyes widened before his expression melted into a smile. "Ve, thank you." He pressed against the wall next to the door and I raised a fist to rap on it.

"Go away," a muffled voice growled on the other side.

We exchanged a wary look. I knocked again.

"What did I say?!" The voice barked. It sounded like a chair was flung around, and heavy feet stomped closer to the door. I slipped out my sword and dropped the cloth to the floor. The knob twisted and the door swung inward.

"Did I not tell you I did not want-"

The man's words snapped off when I thrusted the blade into his porky belly. His dark eyes bulged out of his head and he let out small choking sounds.

"You...again...what..."

I pushed forward, the sword sliding deeper into his stomach. "You will be dealt with swiftly, despite you deserving much more than that." I was a bit impressed how sound my voice was, but there were more pressing matters to worry about than looking confident as I took a man's life away. I glared into his eyes, claiming, "You are done causing problems. I know what you made my friend do, even if you do not."

I retracted the sword, and he clutched at the blood blossoming on his dress shirt. He snapped his head up and was about to open that disdainful mouth of his, but my blade hit his neck. With one fluid movement, I felt the blade shiver as it sliced through bone and muscle. The man made one last disgusting gurgle, and his body tumbled to the floor. Blood leaked from his neck, eagerly lapping at the carpet.

Murder is messy, but I have never heard one utterance of it being beautiful, too, in its own sick way. A light hand rested on my shoulder. I stiffened and raised my katana threateningly.

"It's me!" Feliciano squeaked, and I lowered my arm. He stared at the boss' body lying in a pool of its own blood. He was quiet for a few shaky breaths, but a small smile played on his lips. "Thank you, Kiku. I am glad I am not alone."

I felt myself smile as well. Not alone. I slid my gaze from my friend to the body sprawled on the carpet. I stared at it in almost pity. "He deserved it."