Ash laid on the couch, staring at the ceiling. This boy Griff had led him to was a mystery. He was clearly involved with Dino somehow, yet he seemed to loathe the man. That night on the bridge he had said he wouldn't go back. What had he seen? How was he connected to Banana Fish?
Was he a guinea pig? A witness?
Ash laid an arm over his eyes. Whatever Eiji had been through, Ash had seen first-hand the effect it had on him. It haunted him, the memory of it torturing him even in his sleep.
Ash glanced over as his phone rang. It was Shorter's number on screen. Ash picked up. "Hi, Shorter. What's up?"
"GET OUT!" Shorter yelled into the phone. "Arthur's coming for you!"
Ash sat bolt upright. He sprang off the couch and raced to the door to warn the others. He froze as a shadow passed in the hallway outside. Ash stepped to the side and drew his gun silently.
The door splintered as it was rammed open. The first guy dropped before he knew what hit him. The second managed to get under Ash's gun and body slammed him against the wall. Ash staggered as the wind was knocked out of him. Rough hands grabbed him like he was a snake and dragged him into the hallway.
Ash bit down hard and the man screamed and dropped him. Wookie pulled back the hammer of his gun and Ash stopped, glaring. He was outnumbered, pinned down.
Arthur smiled at him. Ash hadn't seen him in months and the intervening time hadn't been kind. Fresh, ugly, red scars dragged across Arthur's shoulder and down his arm. They were jagged and cruel like they had been made with fish hooks. It wasn't battle scars, it was torture.
"Hiya, boss," Arthur said. "You've let your guard down. Been a bit distracted recently?"
Ash stood straighter and glared at Arthur. "No, I knew we'd have to do this sooner or later. Give me a knife and we can settle this the old-fashioned way."
Arthur's right hand man, Wookie circled behind Ash, eyeing him warily.
"I'd never beat you in a fair fight and we both know it," Arthur said. "So why fight fair?"
Ash cried out as Wookie's dagger sliced into his side. Ash ducked back, avoiding another blow. He grabbed the wound, blood seeping between his fingers. Arthur slammed him into the wall, shoving his elbow against Ash's throat.
A butcher's knife suddenly embedded itself in the wall, an inch away from Arthur's head.
Ash's eyes widened. Arthur turned in anger.
Eiji was standing in the hallway, glaring at Ash's assailant. "Leave him alone."
Arthur laughed and dropped Ash. Ash lunged forward but Arthur's goons grabbed him.
"Eiji, get out of here!"
Arthur loomed over Eiji who glared at him with brave, idiotic surety.
"You picked up a stray, Ash," Arthur said.
"Leave him alone, Arthur. He's got nothing to do with this."
"No?"
Arthur grabbed Eiji by the shirt and pulled him closer. "The little pup just lost his way?"
In a sudden move, Eiji sent a well-aimed kick deep into Arthur's ribcage. Arthur dropped him, staggering in pain.
Eiji lunged forward to attack again but before he could do anything, Arthur swung. Eiji's cry was knocked out of him as Arthur's fist rammed into him. Eiji yelped as one of Arthur's thugs grabbed him, twisting his arms sharply behind his back.
"Don't move!"
They turned. Skip stood at the end of the hall, a gun trained on Arthur.
Arthur smiled. "Still as fiery as ever, Skipper. Not very smart though."
Wookie pressed his gun against Ash's temple.
"Do you think you can kill me before that bullet reaches his brain?"
Skip grimaced and lowered the gun. Arthur's hand slipped towards his pocket.
"Skip, run!" Ash yelled.
Wookie brought his gun down hard. Eiji cried out as Ash crumpled to the floor. Skip dove behind the wall as Arthur's bullets chipped the plaster where he had stood a moment before.
"Get him!" Arthur yelled. Two of his men ran down the hall, chasing after the boy.
Arthur turned and looked at Eiji, considering him. Eiji glared back, struggling to pry himself from the goons' grasp.
"Take him," Arthur said.
The goons clamped a white cloth over Eiji's nose and mouth. Eiji lashed out desperately and fought against the swallowing blackness.
Eiji woke slowly, uncomfortably. His head felt fuzzy and thick, his mind clogged with cobwebs. He opened his eyes blearily but couldn't see anything. A bag had been pulled over his head.
He gingerly tried to move his arms but they were zip tied behind his back.
Eiji took a slow breath and tried to focus on his surroundings. He was on the floor in a vehicle. There was a strong hum of the engine like they were in a hurry to get somewhere.
Maybe Skipper had gotten away. But where was Ash?
He felt something nudge against him. Gently, he nudged back. He winced as a boot kicked him sharply.
In a deserted corner of town, two vans pulled up outside an abandoned warehouse. For a moment everything was silent, then Ash exploded out of the van.
He was bound and had a hood over his head. He lashed out blindly. One of the men grabbed him and slammed his head into the side of the van.
"Oi, Joe! Watch the paint!" one of the thugs yelled.
Joe didn't have time to respond before Ash's foot introduced itself to his face. With a satisfying crack, the thug howled in pain and staggered back.
Skip's voice cried out and the kid launched himself from the roof of the van where he had stowed away, tackling the second thug to the ground. He grabbed a knife and cut the zip ties binding Ash's wrists.
Ash ripped off the hood and looked up just as the door to the second van slid open.
He heard Eiji's struggling cries. Ash growled and charged. He body-slammed the thug, knocking him to the ground. The second man moved forward and Eiji stuck out his foot. The man tripped and fell, his head hanging out of the door of the van. Ash stomped down hard.
Skip cut Eiji free. Eiji looked up at Ash.
"Come on," Ash said. "Let's get out of here!"
They took off running, shouts and heavy footsteps following close behind them. Ash looked around frantically, trying to make sense of the maze of passages between the large shipping containers.
Voices rang out behind them and they ducked into an alley, hoping it led the right direction. They stopped at a dead end.
The wall was four meters tall, completely smooth and impassable. There was nowhere left to run. They were trapped.
"The pipe," Eiji said.
They looked up at the rusty old pipe that climbed the wall. Ash looked at him like he was crazy.
"Skip can climb it," Eiji said.
Skip lit up. "He's right, boss. I'm small enough."
"No way," Ash said. "If it snaps you'll break your neck."
Skip grabbed hold of it with both hands. "Better than letting Arthur snap it for me."
Skip pulled himself up. The pipe groaned dangerously under his weight but it held. Skip scampered up quickly, clutching at the edge of the wall and pulling himself over.
He paused and looked back at the two of them. "I'll get help. Just don't die, okay?"
"Go on, Skip," Ash said. "Get out of here."