A/N: I apologize for the long wait. It took me a while to write, rewrite and edit the chapter since there were many things I wanted to include in the chapter. Hope you're not disappointed!
And finally, my wedding is done! (Throws confetti) Thank you so much for all your well wishes!
Beta-ed by the wonderful RiveReinStyx. I apologize for any other mistakes. I assure you that the fault is entirely mine as I am usually careless during editing. Sorry!
Warnings: Lemons, Torture, Lengthy chapter, possible OOCs
Disclaimer: Finder Series and its characters are properties of Yamane Ayano.
Xx Business as Usual - Chapter 22 xX
The unfamiliar beep from Toru's cell phone woke him from his three-hour sleep. He sat up from his double bed, staring at the blinking lights on the phone as he checked the caller.
Private Number
The electric alarm on his bed side table read 3.30 a.m. Who would call at this hour? Toru thought as he swiped the green button. Pressing the phone to his ear, Toru said nothing, waiting for the other party to speak.
"Toru san?" A foreign, male voice called out.
Toru immediately reached for his gun under the pillow. "Who are you?"
The deep voice chuckled before coughing a little. "I'm not sure if you have heard of me but I am known by my acquaintances as Chey."
Toru gripped his gun tighter, as though as Chey was standing in front of him. "No, I've not heard of you," Toru answered, trying his best to sound as confused as possible.
Again, Chey chuckled. "Now, that is a surprise. And here I thought Asami must have briefed you about me."
For a Cambodian, Chey spoke good Japanese. The pronunciation was a little off but overall, he spoke clearly. His voice was low and hoarse, evidence that Chey was either suffering from a chronic cough or a common cold.
Gathering as much confidence as possible, Toru spoke again. "Who are you and what do you want?"
Chey cleared his throat. "I am Chey from Cambodia and I have a business proposition for you."
This is it, Toru thought as he gripped his gun. "I am not interested in –," Toru calmly replied when Chey interrupted.
"You are misunderstanding me, Toru-kun," Chey spoke softly, to the point that it was almost eerie. "I am not requesting, I am telling you that you have to do it."
"Why should I follow your orders?" Toru asked.
"If you value your life, you should," Chey replied. "And before you ask me how I can kill you when I am thousands of miles away; I assure you, I can."
The threats meant nothing to Toru. As Akihito's bodyguard, he was prepared to sacrifice his life when needed. Chey sounded very confident and Toru dared to bet that he must have a few men in Japan, ready to obey his every command. Kirishima had told him to stall Chey for a while to avoid suspicion but since this wasn't a request, Toru found that his options were limited.
"Don't tense up." Chey coughed a little. "I am a reasonable man. You will be rewarded handsomely if you help me," he chuckled.
Toru stood up. Supporting the phone between his cheek and shoulder, he put on his dress pants. "What do you need me to do?" Toru asked in a low, quiet voice.
Chey let out a victorious laugh. "Simple. Bring the boy to me."
Toru's eyes widened. "Which boy?"
"Your boss's precious pet, of course," the Cambodian drug lord replied. "Bring him to Cambodia in three days."
"I can't just take him out of Japan," Toru argued. He finished putting on his pants and began to grab the white shirt he discarded on the sofa a few hours earlier. "His schedules are overseen by the boss."
The man on the other line went quiet for a moment before replying, "That is something for you to think about, Toru kun."
"The boss will kill me if he finds out," Toru said. "I want you to guarantee my anonymity."
Chey laughed. "That is something that you don't have to worry. Once you are in Cambodia, Asami Ryuiichi is equivalent to a toothless tiger."
Odd choice for comparison, Toru thought since he always thought his boss resembled a dragon but he did not elaborate further. "What do you intend to do with Takaba?"
"That is the least of your concerns," Chey's voice turned into a growl. "Bring Takaba to Cambodia at the stipulated time or the next time your parents' see you, you'd be in a coffin," Chey warned and the line went dead.
Toru slid the phone in his pockets and secured the remaining buttons on his shirt. He rushed out of his apartment without bothering to put on his coat and walked stealthily to Kirishima's apartment. He rapped his knuckles three times, knowing that the soft knock would have woken the secretary up.
As he stood outside Kirishima's door, Toru replayed the conversation in his head. The Cambodian crime lord was well informed although he must have thought Toru was insignificant enough for a full background check. Toru was orphaned after his mother passed away two years ago. Chey's desire to take Asami down had outweighed his common sense, making him sloppy.
The door opened, revealing the secretary in his dress pants, shirt and tie. One look at Toru's dressing had Kirishima stepped out of the apartment. "Don't speak," he whispered, walking to Suoh's apartment. "Get Ando; we're going to Asami sama's penthouse."
Nodding his head, Toru walked towards the other end where Ando's apartment was located. Like Kirishima, Ando opened the door after three knocks. The younger guard looked confused for the moment but snapped into attention the minute he saw Toru's unusual attire.
No words were necessary for the guards. Silently, they took the private elevator up to the penthouse, with Kirishima leading the group. The secretary dialed his boss's number and waited two rings before ending the call, signaling Asami that he was about to enter the penthouse.
As Kirishima unlocked the apartment, Toru took the chance to fix his attire and finger combed his hair before entering. Kirishima did not bother with the lights, opting to head straight to Asami's home office.
The crime lord, already seated behind his desk with both hands clasped together, remained silent when the guards entered. Wearing nothing but his robe, his uncombed dark hair tumbled down, covering part of his eye. The dimly lit room did nothing to hide the intensity of his eyes. Golden orbs gazed at his sleep deprived subordinates, revealing nothing but displeasure.
"Asami sama," Kirishima started, bowing a little and the rest followed suit.
Unclasping his hands, the crime lord reached for the whisky on the table and poured himself a drink. He swirled the glass, watching the amber liquid dance round the crystal glassware before taking a sip. "Who got the call?"
As expected from Asami, the crime lord did not need to be informed about the nature of their meeting. An urgent meeting like that could only mean Chey was involved.
Toru stepped forward. "I got the call at 3.30 am, Asami sama."
"And?"
The lanky guard stood up straight as he gave his report. When he was done, Asami remained silent, opting to stare at his drink.
The guards began to tense, knowing that the lack of comments meant that Asami wasn't in his best moods. And a quiet Asami meant a more dangerous Asami.
For a full minute, no one uttered a word as they watched the crime lord. Finally, after an uncomfortable silence, Kirishima braved himself to speak. "Asami sama, do you need us to find a substitute for Takaba sama? We can select a guard about Takaba sama's height and have him undercover."
Asami drank the remaining whisky and placed the glass on the table. "Chey's age is catching up but he isn't senile. The guard's cover will be blown before he can even meet Chey." He reached for his pack of cigarettes, pulled a stick out of the box and placed it between his lips.
Suoh stepped forward, watching his boss lighting the cigarette. "Damn that bastard. Fei Long killing his son didn't mean anything at all since all Chey did was to pass the job to his right hand man."
"And killing Chey's right hand man will not change anything because it's the bastard's head we want," Ando cursed, clenching his fists on his sides.
"Asami sama –," Kirishima said and halted when Asami held his hand up. The room fell silent, devoid of any sound as the crime lord stared at his men.
Toru was the first to break the deafening silence. "Sir," the lanky guard stepped forward, clasping his hands together at the small of his back like a soldier. Calm and composed, Toru met Asami's eyes before saying, "I am neither afraid of his threat nor death."
Kirishima placed his hand on Toru's shoulder. "Toru, Chey will never stop until he achieves what he wants. So even if you win this round, there will always be a next time."
"Toru," Asami said, looking at the guard. "Your courage is needed elsewhere. Do not throw away your life foolishly for nothing."
The lanky guard averted his eyes from the crime lord, staring at his feet.
"Asami sama, what do you reckon we do?" Kirishima asked, watching the crime lord crushing the cigarette in the ashtray. "We tried sending men to pose as buyers but only his subordinates turn up during the negotiations. Chey is getting more careful after his son's death."
"Sir, I say we wipe out Chey's men, until he has no choice but to show his coward self," Suoh moved to the side of the table, awaiting Asami's orders.
"Or I could go undercover and you can get the bastard," came a voice at the door.
All heads turned to the door. Akihito, dressed in his boxer shorts and an oversized sweater, stood by the door, with both hands folded across his chest.
"No," Asami growled.
Letting his hands drop to the sides, Akihito strode into the room and headed straight to Asami. He placed his hands on the table, leaned forward as he stared defiantly at the man who made love to him an hour earlier. "I can do it, Asami."
Asami met Akihito's gaze. Whilst his lover's stares were strong and defiant, Asami's golden eyes burned in rage. "How much did you hear?"
"Enough to know what is happening," Akihito said, refusing to back off.
"Takaba sama," Toru stepped forward. "The undercover is too dangerous."
Ignoring Toru, Akihito continued to glare at his lover. "If it's me Chey wants, I will go," he said stubbornly.
Asami flashed his lover a warning glare. "No. Go to bed, Akihito."
The younger man slammed his hands on the table, shocking the guards. "Don't treat me like a child, Asami. I can do this."
"You think this is your average stake out?" Asami nearly growled. "Remember what happened with the Kuroda incident? If you think Kuroda is dangerous, Chey is ten times more."
At the mention of Kuroda's name, Akihito trembled slightly but refused to admit defeat. He shot the yakuza a fiery stare. "I won't allow Toru or anyone to die for me."
"Takaba sama," Toru began but was cut off by Akihito.
"Shut up, Toru." Akihito warned before looking at Asami again. "I will not send Toru to his death."
"And you think it's all right for me to send you to yours?" Asami interrupted harshly. His golden eyes narrowed at Akihito's, furious. Slowly, the crime lord stood up from his seat, and everyone but Akihito took a step back from the crime lord. Walking around the desk, he cupped Akihito's chin, forcing the boy to look at him.
"You think I'll gift wrapped you to Chey and let him have his way with you?" he snarled. "Let me refresh your memory, Akihito. You are mine and I will destroy anyone that so much so lay his finger on you."
"I'm not –," Akihito protested, only to have his words cut off by Asami.
"Everything of you – every strand of hair, every inch of your body, they are mine. Even your life belongs to me." He reiterated before releasing the photographer. He retreated to the window, looking out at the blinking lights some distance away.
Finding it pointless to argue with Asami when he was enrage, Akihito turned to the stunned guards in the room. "Can you leave us for a while?"
The secretary immediately searched Asami's face for confirmation but the yakuza did not respond. Slowly, he turned and nodded at his partners, they left, locking the door behind them.
Alone in the room, Akihito gazed at his lover's magnificent back as he pondered his options. He wasn't happy to be labeled as Asami's possession. Damn it, Akihito cursed. He would have argued it out with Asami if the situation was any less delicate. Well aware that Asami doesn't work well with arguments or threats, Akihito immediately scratched the option out; knowing that the yakuza would take more extreme measures if he continued to do so.
Left without a choice, Akihito decided to go with another approach – one he knew that worked well with a man of Asami's pride. Slowly, he walked to the crime lord and rested his head against the shoulder blades.
"Asami, you have to trust me. I can do this," Akihito's voice softened.
The crime lord turned to face him. "You don't know half of the world I live in, Akihito."
Akihito met his lover's intense gaze. "Don't look down on my intelligence or my profession, Asami. I know more about your world than you think."
When Asami said nothing, the photographer pushed further. Placing his hands on Asami's arms, he said, "I – We can do this. We can bring this bastard down."
The crime lord sat on his leather chair. "Cambodia is Chey's stronghold; I'll have you know that it is dangerous and unwise to go there."
Akihito eased himself on Asami's lap. Linking his hands around Asami's neck, the photographer said, "Not without the right preparation. We can trap him. All Toru need to do is to bring me there. Once Chey shows himself, you get the bastard and we go home."
Asami had to chuckle. "You made it sound so simple."
The chuckle signified that Akihito was winning. He grinned at the thought. "It is simple, Asami," he said, leaning closer to the crime lord, stopping just next to his ears. "Let me do it."
"All right, but –," Asami added when he saw the sparkle in his lover's eyes. "I have a few conditions."
Before Akihito could reply, the older man continued. "And if you don't come back to me alive and in one piece, I will make it my mission to personally go to hell and punish you."
The lips on the younger man spread. "Deal."
As Akihito tried to get himself off Asami's lap, the yakuza halted his actions by tightening his arms around Akihito.
"Asami, what the hell are –," the photographer started cursing but he could no longer continue when Asami crushed his mouth onto his. Forcing the boy to part his lips, the yakuza deepened his kiss.
Akihito's brain couldn't register what was happening. He continued to be in Asami's mercy until he felt himself being hoisted up to sit on the table.
Crash
Glancing backwards, Akihito noticed that the crime lord had wiped the large table clean, sending the whisky glass crashing and documents flying like feathers in the air before landing gracefully on the floor.
Akihito couldn't care less about the papers nor could he be bothered with the amount of clean-up he had to do. Raising his hand, he fisted Asami's robe and pulled the yakuza to him, kissing the older man fiercely. He tugged at the belt, pushing away the garment that hid his lover's magnificent body. Then Akihito's hands were all over Asami, roaming his fingers on the lean muscles of Asami's chest before travelling downwards to wrap his fingers around the hardened cock.
A forward Akihito always turned Asami on. The older man's voice hitched when his young lover began teasing him with his hand. When did he become so good at it?
It took all of Asami's willpower to stop his lover before he lost control. Pushing Akihito to the table, Asami loomed over the photographer.
The sweater covering Akihito's slender body was pushed upwards and removed roughly. Akihito's boxer shorts were next; they came undone with Asami tearing the garment away and flinging what left of the tiny garment across the room.
Still loose from the previous session, Asami spread his lover's thighs and buried his length into Akihito in one hard thrust.
"Ryuiichi!" Akihito cried out at the sudden intrusion. Asami stopped, allowing his lover to get adjusted to his length. Akihito's arms looped around Asami's back, pushing the older man to him. "Move," he pleaded.
Obliging, the crime lord thrust; sending Akihito to unbearable heights almost immediately. His back arched against the wooden table, and he had to steady himself by holding onto the edge of the table to meet Asami's thrust for thrust.
"Nnn – ah!" the younger man almost screamed as a wave of pleasure took over. His back hurt but that didn't stop Akihito from wanting more. "Give me more," he nearly sobbed.
Asami sneaked his hand downwards, closing it around Akihito's leaking cock. He pumped the organ in steady rhythms for a while. When the younger man was close, Asami stopped, squeezing the cock at the base, preventing Akihito from his release.
"Asami!" Akihito hoarse voice screamed out. He tried pushing his lover's hands away from his cock but the older man's grip was firm.
"No," Asami said firmly as he caged both Akihito's hands above his head.
"You bastard!" Akihito cursed.
"Look at me," the yakuza ordered.
The photographer did as he was told, staring his lust filled hazel eyes at Asami.
"Remember who you belong to, Akihito. Only I can give you the pleasure and the pain," he said and began to thrust harder. Loosening his grip on Akihito's cock, Asami worked on it in precise strokes, sending the photographer to climax within seconds.
"Ryuiichi!" Akihito let out a hoarse cry as he came. His climax however, was far from over; the crime lord continued thrusting inside him until Akihito once again saw stars as he came again, sobbing this time.
Watching Akihito's erotic release had Asami lose his control. Groaning Akihito's name, he gave his lover a few hard thrusts before finally releasing his hot cum inside the photographer.
Releasing Akihito, Asami gathered the unconscious boy in his arms. He put on his robe and carried the naked boy out of the study and into the bedroom. Akihito hardly stirred when Asami cleaned him, evidence that he was exhausted after five rounds of lovemaking.
Good, Asami thought as he headed to shower. He needed to address his men and the contents weren't for Akihito's ears. Dressed in his shirt and dress pants, he walked into the living room where his men were waiting.
Refreshed and energized, the crime lord smirked. "Gentlemen, shall we begin?" He asked and proceeded to lay out the plan.
Xx Business as Usual xX
The next day, as Toru had planned, Mainichi Shinbun's editor-in-chief Takeda called Akihito for a photography work in Cambodia and was given two days to prepare.
Akihito tried sounding enthusiastic over his work but behind the cheerfulness, a nagging worry crept in. How could he not? He literally volunteered himself to be jet to another yakuza.
The night before he was scheduled to take off in Asami's plane, Asami spent the entire day at the penthouse. The photographer was surprised as he was sure Asami would be busy with all the preparations to fly to Cambodia. Instead of locking himself in his office in Sion, the crime lord stayed at home, with Kirishima by his side, working.
Akihito didn't mind; he could use some company since he didn't think he could be alone at times like this. He carried on his usual routine, cooking and cleaning but found himself distracted, thinking about his trip to Cambodia.
Asami had laid out the plans for him. All he had to do was fly to Cambodia and act surprise when Toru brings him to Chey. No big deal, yet why do I feel uneasy? Akihito thought as he packed his camera bag. Given a choice, he wouldn't want to bring anything over, knowing his precious camera would not survive the trip but Toru mentioned that their trip should look believable; hence Akihito had no other options than to stuff his precious DSLR into the camera bag.
"You don't have to do it if you don't want to."
Akihito whirled around. His lover stood at the entrance of his workroom with his hands folded, gazing intently at him.
The photographer gave a nervous laugh. "Of course I'll do it," he said, stuffing the lens into its compartment. "Imagine how famous I'll be when I sell the story to Takeda. Takaba Akihito, the photographer who stumbled upon the arrest of the Cambodian drug king."
Asami moved into the room and yanked the photographer to him. "You remember the rules right?"
"Of—of course. Kirishima repeated them at least three times." Akihito pushed the yakuza away. "But I don't get it, why did you set wearing the watch you gave me as one of the conditions?"
Asami smirked. "No apparent reason, I just like seeing it on you."
Akihito scowled. "You're sick, Asami."
Xx Business as Usual xX
Asami watched his lover walked out of the room and into the kitchen. The smirk on his face was replaced by a grim expression as he watched his young lover poured himself some juice. He should not have acquiesced to Akihito's request yet he knew that if he didn't, he wouldn't be able to capture Chey Rith.
As Kirishima had reported, the man was too careful. Since his son's death, Chey went into hiding, choosing to leave his business dealings to his right hand man.
Planning, recalculating, Asami speculated since Chey's plans were thwarted a month earlier. Akihito had accidentally stumbled upon the meet up between Chen and Ishizaka Touji while on a stake out. And with Fei Long finding out that Chey had used Baishe's men to bring him down, it was only natural for the Cambodian drug lord to go into hiding to recalculate his next move.
He remembered the look on his guards when he told them that Akihito would be joining the mission. Kirishima protested almost immediately while the usually stoic Toru; his eyes widened in disbelief. He supposed that it was only natural that his subordinates gave him the look, considering he was sending his young lover to his death when all these while he had taken great lengths to protect the photographer.
Asami's decision to allow Akihito to join the hunt wasn't made hastily. He had thought about it and found that he didn't have a choice except to agree to Chey's demands. Hiding Akihito wasn't an option he'd choose, knowing that he cannot hide his young lover forever. And if he fails to capture Chey Rith, the coward of a man would bide his time, spreading his influences within Asami's organization, injecting more poison among his subordinates.
Akihito was right; Asami mused. With the right plan, he can most certainly bring Chey down.
And Asami was already looking forward to shove his gun into the bastard's throat and watch his pupils dilate in fear as he pulled the trigger. Asami had spelled it out to Toru clearly that the guard should leave Chey alive so he could have his private entertainment with the Cambodian crime lord. Of course, Akihito did not have to know about that.
"Asami, you'll come quickly right?"
Putting those thoughts on hold, Asami looked at Akihito. There was fear in his lover's eyes when he asked the question. "Of—of course, I was only asking. I'm just worried that I'll be stranded in Cambodia," he said almost jokingly as he placed his glass in the sink.
The crime lord walked to his lover and pulled the boy to him, slamming his back against the wall. He held Akihito steady as he slipped his hands under Akihito's pants, squeezing his ass.
"I will come; you're not getting rid of me easily, Akihito. I'll chase you to the underworld even if I had to," Asami declared before kissing him.
After a few minutes battling tongues, Akihito managed to pull himself away from Asami. Staring fiercely into Asami's golden eyes, he said, "If you leave me in Cambodia, I'll make it my personal mission to come back to Japan and kick your ass."
Asami offered a thin smile. The same fiery eyes that he loved so much; he thought as he carried the photographer into the master bedroom. Akihito will return to me.
Xx Business as Usual xX
The morning Akihito was scheduled to depart to the private hangar where it housed Asami's private plane, the crime lord was nowhere to be found. The photographer woke up to a cold bed, signifying that Asami had left the bed hours earlier. He got ready in silence, wearing his comfortable jeans, paired with a white singlet and a sleeveless jacket with a hood.
His eyes darted to the watch Asami gave him on his birthday. He took it, examining the details all the time wondering why Asami insisted that he should wear the watch. He almost placed the watch back in its case when he remembered that he had promised Asami that he'd wear it.
Sighing, he looped the watch around his wrist and fastened the leather.
"Takaba sama?" Toru's voice called out.
Akihito turned to the bedroom door and found his guard in his usual bodyguard uniform. "It's time," the lanky guard said and moved aside.
He nodded his head. Picking up his camera bag, Akihito walked out, taking one last look at the apartment before walking out, not knowing if he would be able to return.
Ando was already waiting for him at the basement. The younger guard remained silent as he opened the door of the BMW for Akihito. "Takaba sama, you don't –," Ando began but was quickly stopped by Akihito.
"Ando, what are you talking about?" The photographer forced a smile. "I'm going there for a couple of days, taking photographs of the Angkor Watt. We'll be back in two days, so make sure you pick us up at the airport," Akihito said before entering the car.
Ando looked at Toru worriedly. "Toru san, do you think it's really a good idea to –,"
"Ando, we do not question Asami sama's orders," Toru replied although he too, showed hints of worry. He placed Akihito's single bag in the trunk before closing it. He placed a hand on Ando's shoulder. "I will protect him, Ando. I will bring him back."
Ando could only nod his head.
In the car, Akihito took out his phone, checking if Asami had left him a message. There wasn't any. It is so like him not to say anything; Akihito thought and dialed his brother's number instead.
"Akihito, what a surprise!" Haruhito exclaimed when he answered the call.
"Haru-nii," Akihito greeted.
"What's wrong?"
Akihito shook his head. "Nothing, I wanted to let you know that I'll be away for a few days for a project in Cambodia."
Haruhito whistled. "Wow, is Toru san following you there?"
"Of course, why?"
Haruhito snorted. "I figured. I don't think Asami would let you go anywhere without Toru."
Akihito smiled. Haruhito found out about Akihito's relationship with Asami when he visited Akihito in Tokyo. Naturally, his brother wasn't pleased but he told Akihito that he wouldn't go against Akihito's wishes.
"But," his brother continued. "I'm glad Toru san is going with you. I don't have to be so worried, you know."
Akihito nearly cried when he heard that. Who knows when will he see his brother again? Quickly covering his mouth, he mumbled. "Nii san, I have to go, I'll call you when I'm back all right?"
"Be careful, Akihito. I'll tell kaa-san about your trip," Haruhito said. "And don't forget our souvenirs!" He teased before ending the call.
Akihito stared at the phone for the longest time after ending the call. Brushing the tears from the corner of his eyes with his fingers, the photographer looked outside the window, pondering.
"Takaba sama."
"Yeah?"
"It will be fine."
Akihito tore his gaze away from the scenery to his guard. He smiled. "Thanks." He reverted to his cheeky self and added, "Asami better be on time this time or I'll kick his sorry ass when I get back."
Toru responded with a smile. "Of course, Takaba sama. I'm sure Asami sama is aware of that as well."
Xx Business as Usual xX
Akihito was struggling to remain calm when the captain of the plane announced that they will be landing in 30 minutes.
Throughout the flight, Toru briefed Akihito about their plans. Akihito was entrusted with a single task - act surprise and hurt when they meet Chey. According to Toru, they had to be very careful for no one had seen Chey before. It was crucial for them to unmask the Cambodian crime lord before capturing him.
When Asami's phone beeped twice that night after their love making, Akihito thought it was a message. He was ready to go back to sleep and expected the crime lord to ignore the phone. To Akihito's surprise, the crime lord walked out of the room, grabbing the phone with him.
He remained still for another five minutes, contemplating if he should get up. It wasn't Asami's first time going out after fucking him senseless so why was he so bothered with the two discreet beeps on the crime lord's phone?
Without thinking, Akihito flung the bed covers away and tiptoed out of the bedroom, expecting to see Asami sitting in the living room with a glass of brandy, reading documents. He wasn't. Instead, hush voices brought Akihito to Asami's study.
Since the door to the study wasn't closed properly, Akihito didn't have to strain his ears to listen. He heard Toru's voice first. The guard mentioned something about getting the call at 3.30 a.m. Mildly surprised that Toru was in the apartment, he leaned against the wall next to the door, eavesdropping.
And the report from the guard chilled his bones. Someone by the name of Chey Rith was planning to have him assassinated, using Toru. The more he listened, the more Akihito realized that he knew next to nothing the world Asami lived in.
Akihito hadn't known what to react until he overhead Chey was plotting to have Asami killed. Then Toru volunteered to sacrifice his life for Akihito. What kind of bullshit is this? I'm not going to sit here comfortably in Japan and let them die!
"Takaba sama."
Toru's voice brought Akihito back to the present. He closed the magazine he was holding, finding it pointless to read as his brain could not even register a word. The photographer looked at Toru who was kneeling in front of him on the carpeted flooring of Asami's private plane.
"Takaba sama, it is crucial that you do not speak to me once you're out of the plane. Just pretend that you're on your assignment trip," Toru reminded the photographer as he removed the magazine from Akihito's lap.
Akihito nodded his head. "I'll try."
"Takaba sama, if the situation calls for you to escape, do it."
"If you think I am leaving you there, you can think again Toru," Akihito declared stubbornly.
"Takaba sama, I –,"
Akihito looked at his guard fiercely. "We're going back together, Toru. All of us are."
As Toru looked at his master, stunned; Akihito continued. "And if you do not come back alive and in one piece, I'll personally go to hell and kick your ass."
"Asami told me the same thing – ," Akihito declared, " – well, except of the ass kicking part."
Toru's lips curved. Placing a hand across his chest, he bowed in front of his master. "Understood, Takaba sama."
Xx Business as Usual xX
By the time the plane landed at the airport, Akihito found himself being ushered out of the private plane and the airport in mere minutes. The custom officials did not even bother looking at his travel documents, confirming Akihito's suspicions that Chey was a very powerful man in Cambodia.
He tried, as much as he could, to act enthusiastic about his job but was failing miserably. His eyes darted left and right, checking for anyone suspicious. Apart from an old man dressed in a pair of pants fashionable during the eighties, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Akihito looked at Toru. His usually calm guard looked composed although there were visible signs of stress on his face. When they reached the basement car park, a black luxurious sedan was waiting for them. The photographer barely had a chance to speak when two men stepped out of the vehicle and held him at gun point.
"Toru –," Akihito whispered, hands clutching the guard's elbow.
The guard pushed Akihito's hands away, surprising the photographer. He retrieved his own gun and aimed the weapon at Akihito. "Sorry, Takaba."
Wait, that wasn't in the script. Akihito held up his hand to surrender. Asami said that we'd be in his car and one of his men would take us to meet Chey at someplace and –
"Turn around and place your hands at the small of your back," Toru ordered Akihito.
Akihito was too shocked by Toru's betrayal to comply. As he stared at the guard, speechless, one of Chey's subordinates stepped forward and punched him on his stomach before pushing him to the ground. The photographer groaned yet pain on his stomach was nothing compared to the throbbing pain he felt in his chest.
From the corner of his eyes, he saw one of the men threw a rope at Toru. Toru caught it and knelt down to tie him up.
"Don't remove that!" Akihito pleaded, when the bulky male who held him down removed Akihito's watch. "Toru, please –,"
Toru did not even move an inch from his spot.
"Toru, why are you doing this?" Akihito shouted angrily. "You said – hn – " Akihito muffled when Toru plastered his mouth with a duct tape before throwing him into the back seat of the car.
Akihito struggled for the moment, trying to kick the bulky guard who took his watch. Angered by Akihito's actions, the guard shoved his gun below Akihito's neck, threatening to pull the trigger.
Again, Akihito looked at Toru, hoping for some assistance.
The lanky guard offered no comments nor did he respond to the gun on Akihito's neck, opting to stare outside the window.
A single tear rolled down of Akihito's cheeks, knowing that he had been betrayed by the man he called friend. Asami, Akihito closed his eyes as he thought of the crime lord. The photographer hoped that Asami would come for him – and fast.
Xx Business as Usual xX
The car turned in at a building that resembled a huge school. Heavily guarded with armed men, the vehicle was allowed entry at the guard house after the driver waved his hand at the guards.
The sun had set an hour ago, making it impossible for Akihito to make sense of his surroundings. He looked around but the signs were either in Cambodian or English. Akihito's understanding of English is minimal and could not make out half of the words on the board. One particular board at the entrance however, captured his attention. The English words were simple enough, even for someone like Akihito. The photographer froze.
Welcome to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum
Sweat trickled down his forehead when he was hauled from the car and into the building. Toru held Akihito's arms as he escorted the photographer to a room that resembled a classroom. The room was spacious yet the only thing decorating the place was a wooden bed-like furniture, equipped with shackles on four sides on a raised platform.
Akihito's gaze travelled upwards and noticed hundreds of black and white photographs of men, women and children hung on the wall. The solemn faced individuals were all classified by numbers. It was as though as they were - Akihito's eyes widened. Oh god, they were prisoners.
"Welcome, Takaba kun," a clear voice greeted him in Japanese.
His head turned to a man in his fifties entering the room. Dressed in a white suit, he stood at about 5 feet 5 inches. Not too bad for a Cambodian man but since he was expanding horizontally, he looked short and stocky.
"Ah, I apologize." The lips spread into a smile. "Where are my manners? I mustn't keep you standing."
He snapped his fingers and the guards immediately cut the ropes that bound Akihito's hands. Akihito's relief was short lived when the guards dragged him by his jacket, pushing him onto the wooden plank in the middle of the room before securing his hands with ropes.
"Hnnnn!" Akihito mumbled against the duct tape.
"There, now you're more comfortable," the man spoke again and walked nearer to Akihito. "Good evening, Takaba kun, my name is Chey."
Oh shit, Akihito thought, his eyes widened in fear.
Xx Business as Usual xX
Things screwed up, in as many ways as it could possibly be. One, Toru hadn't expected that they would be greeted by Chey's men in the basement car park. Chey's last orders were to bring Akihito to NagaWorld Casino in Phnom Penh, so Toru was not expecting anyone at the airport. Two, the men were armed and they actually dared to knock Akihito down using brute force. Toru managed, just barely, to restrain himself from whipping out his gun and shoot the two bastards for pushing Akihito down. Three, the guard hadn't expected the greedy pig to take Akihito's watch. That perhaps, was the most problematic of all, considering Asami was relying on the watch to track their location.
The men who took Akihito's watch disappeared after dropping them off at the genocide museum; that meant that Asami would be running around in circles before he could determine their location.
And the worst, in Toru's opinion, was to watch Akihito's shocked expression when he was subdued. The photographer shed a single tear and it took all of Toru's willpower to remain sane in the passenger seat. With his skills, he could easily defeat the two armed men but if he had done that, their efforts to capture Chey would be in vain.
Toru had to admit; of all the possible places Chey could bring Akihito, he hadn't expected Tuol Sleng. Bringing Akihito to the Tuol Sleng meant that Chey had plans to kill Akihito – and from the looks of it, not in an easy way.
"Toru kun, I am glad that you made it this far," Chey smiled, stepping forward with his hand extended.
Toru shook Chey's hand firmly and bowed. He withdrew his hand, looking at the man in front of him. "Where is Chey sama?"
The man staggered back a little but he regained his composure quickly. "How dare you insinuate that I'm an imposter! I am Chey, the king of Cambodia!" He snapped his hands and a few men rushed into the room, with their guns aimed at Toru.
Toru remained at his spot, undeterred by the grave situation. "You are not Chey sama," he repeated carefully. "I was promised by Chey sama that I would be able to meet him and be granted abundance of wealth if I brought him Asami's lover."
The guard looked around before resting his gaze on the man claimed to be Chey. "I have fulfilled my duties, Chey sama," he said loudly. "I deserved to claim my prize."
A chuckle came from outside. Toru shifted his attention to the door and another man walked into the room. He raised his hand and the men automatically lowered their guns.
Finally, the real Chey Rith.
Toru deduced him to be in either late fifties or early sixties. The man stood at the same height as his imposter, only he was slightly slimmer. Grey hair combed neatly behind, the real Chey looked far more menacing. There was a wide spacing between his deep set eyes and despite numerous wrinkles; he looked every inch of a crime lord.
Chey walked into the room, coughing a few times as he made his way to Toru. His subordinates trailed behind him, and one of the men even wheeled an office chair into the room.
"How did you know that Khat isn't me?" Chey asked, waving his hand at the imposter.
"I spoke to you twice, Chey sama; you were coughing and your voice was hoarse. His voice –," Toru looked at Khat, "—isn't"
Chey threw his head back and laughed. "You sure are sharp, Toru kun. I like you."
Toru bowed as a response. "I'm honored that you think highly of me."
Chey walked to where Akihito was bound. "Takaba kun, welcome to my castle," he smiled as he greeted. "Don't glare at me. You don't have to worry. I do not share Asami's taste in bed partners."
The Cambodian crime lord walked around the bound photographer. "Do you know you are in an extremely memorable place? This is Tuol Sleng, translated as hills of the poisonous trees."
Chey laughed, patting Akihito's cheeks. "Suitable name, don't you think so? Considering this is the place where the Khmer Rouge tortured thousands of prisoners during its reign."
Ignoring Akihito's glare, Chey continued. "The wooden plank you are lying on is also something very exquisite. It is designed for the waterboarding torture where water is poured over a cloth covering the prisoner's face, causing him to experience the wonderful sensations of drowning."
The photographer's eyes demonstrated fear as beaded sweat formed in his forehead. It pleased Chey immensely. "That's right, Takaba kun," Chey added, smiling. "Show me fear in those hazel eyes of yours."
Satisfied, Chey walked to the chair and sat on it. "Toru, you will be handsomely rewarded for your effort, but –," the menacing eyes glinted in excitement. "I need you to prove your loyalty to me."
Toru hadn't expected that. He expected Chey to make him lure Asami to the museum but never this. Staying as calm as he could, Toru asked, "What do you wish me to do, Chey sama?"
"Why don't we pass a message to Asami, Toru?" Chey smiled. "Cover our prisoner's face with a cloth and pour water on to his face. Let's see how long Takaba kun can stand before he drowns."
Toru's mind was in a battle. To defy Chey would give away his identity but there was no way he'd comply to his orders.
"Chey sama," he began the delicate mission of stalling for time. "I do not think that it is a good idea."
Chey's eyebrow rose and Toru quickly added. "Asami does not bargain if Takaba is dead. He might be angry that we've killed his pet but he will not come immediately."
"Mmm – interesting argument, Toru," the crime lord replied and Toru nearly cheered when Chey snapped his hand and a hunting knife was thrown on the floor.
Shit.
"Cut off one of Takaba's hands with it," he ordered.
How cruel can Chey be? Toru thought angrily as he stared at the knife. The hunting knife was short and whilst it was sharp, it would take a few excruciatingly painful stabs to hack off the hand.
"We only need him to be alive, right?" Chey smiled again. "As long as his heart beats, Asami will come. After all –," Chey halted, playing with the gold ring on his fourth finger, " – He doesn't need Takaba's hand, does he?"
Toru glanced at his master. Akihito couldn't speak but the fear in his eyes was unmistakable. Hazel eyes searched Toru's dark orbs, pleading.
"Asami will not bargain with defective goods either, Chey sama. It's better that we keep him alive and in one piece."
Toru tried not to be intimidated when Chey stood up from his seat. He walked to Akihito, scrutinizing the photographer a little before looking at Toru. "You know, Toru kun, you made it sound as though as you're unwilling to harm the boy."
Toru bowed immediately. "I assure you Chey sama, I am merely acting in your interest."
The stocky man's lips pursed. "Let's just say that whatever you said was the truth," Chey replied, looking at Akihito again, "— then I'd be very displeased because I can hardly have fun with my prisoner."
"Entertaining moments will arrive soon, Chey sama. Once we capture Asami, you can –"
"Of course," Chey interrupted. "But I don't think I can wait until that moment." Smiling, the crime lord snapped his fingers again, and a man came forward with a cloth.
At the nod of his head, the man removed the duct tape on Akihito's mouth and placed the cloth on top of the photographer's face. Pulling the material tight, he secured the cloth by pressing the cloth on the wood with his hands.
Akihito trashed his head left and right, shouting, "What are you doing? Let me go!"
"What are you doing, Chey sama?" Toru asked calmly although his heart was racing.
The plump lips spread evilly. "Sit back and relax, Toru kun. Our private entertainment will begin shortly."
Sliding his hands into the pockets to stop himself from trembling, Toru could only watch helplessly as a guard came forward with a blue watering can, filled with water.
Xx Business as Usual xX
Warnings: Torture – please skip to the next Xx Business as Usual xX page break if you are uncomfortable with torture scenes.
"What the hell are you doing? Stop!" Akihito shouted desperately. He was immediately muffled by the huge cloth on his face.
"Toru –," he halted and started coughing when he felt cold water poured on his face.
Closing his eyes, Akihito struggled against his restraints. He tugged the roped until his wrist hurt but it wouldn't budge an inch. Nose blocked, Akihito tried to breathe through his mouth but the bastard poured more water on his face. As the water entered his mouth, Akihito choked, spitting out the cold water.
He tried turning his head to the side but someone held his head firmly, making it impossible for him to turn. Helpless, Akihito tried breathing again; his chest rose and fell rapidly. The bastard poured more water on him. He held his breath for as long as he could but that too, proved to be impossible.
When he felt he was about to faint, Akihito opened his mouth, gasping for air. Again, the bastard with the watering can poured generous amount of water onto his face.
"Chey sama," Akihito heard Toru spoke urgently. "You will kill him if you don't stop."
Chey must have instructed his subordinate to stop for Akihito suddenly felt he could breathe again.
"He won't die – not yet," Chey's voice was surprisingly happy when he said that. "So, Asami's pet, how do you like your welcome?" Chey asked, staring at Akihito.
Akihito's temper flared at Chey's satisfied remark. That sadistic bastard; how dare he enjoys himself as he watched me drown?
The cloth was removed and Akihito opened his eyes. Coughing and gasping at the same time, Akihito summoned his strength to speak, "Fuck you, you coward. I'll not give you the pleasure of watching me beg."
The smile on Chey vanished. He caught Akihito's jaw, gripping it hard and brought his face close to the photographer. "Defiant are we? Let's see how long you can last before you drown," he snarled, releasing the photographer. He walked to the end where the photographer's hands were bound and crushed the cigarette on Akihito's palms.
"Hnn –," Akihito bit his lip, trying to stop himself from screaming. "Go to hell, you bastard."
A snap of Chey's pudgy fingers and the cloth was on Akihito's face again. Positive that Chey will definitely kill him this time; Akihito didn't struggle, knowing that he wouldn't be able to escape no matter how hard he tried.
As cold water poured on his face, he closed his eyes and purposely opened his mouth, allowing the water to fill his lungs.
Sorry Asami, looks like you have to get me from Lord Enma after all. Haru- nii, Kaa san, Tou san – I'm sorry.
Xx Business as Usual xX
"Toru, your identity must not be disclosed. Try to stall Chey for as long as you can," Asami had told him during the briefing. "We will not be far behind."
"Understood, sir."
The yakuza picked up Akihito's camera, staring at it almost fondly. Placing it back on the table, he looked at Toru. "I will entrust Akihito with you. Don't fail me, Toru."
Toru bowed. "Yes, Asami sama."
Toru snapped into attention and realized that he couldn't watch any longer. Undercover be damn, Toru thought as he whipped out his gun, pointing it at the man who held the watering can. He was not going to stand there and watch Chey torture his master.
There were five men in the room, all armed. A dozen more armed men were guarding outside. He had no chance escaping the place alive yet Toru had no choice but to try. With all attention focusing on Akihito's waterboarding torture, Toru moved quickly.
He fired the first shot at the man holding the watering can, ending his life instantly. The sound of the bullet discharge had everyone's attention shifted to Toru. The men drew their guns but Toru wasted no time and fired five more fatal shots at the men.
Old as he was, Chey had pretty good reflexes. He took cover behind one of his subordinates before rushing out of the room.
Chey will come back with more men. That meant that Toru had no time to spare. Retrieving the hunting knife on the ground, he went to his master and cut the binds free.
"Takaba sama," he called urgently, patting the boy's cheeks. Akihito didn't respond.
"Fuck," Toru cursed, placing two fingers on Akihito's neck to check the pulse. There was none.
Shit.
He performed CPR on Akihito immediately and after a few hard pumps on his chest, Akihito choked, spurting out the cold water.
"Takaba sama, hold on to me," Toru whispered and looped the photographer's hands around his neck before assisting him from the wooden plank.
It was dangerous moving Akihito when he had just regained consciousness but Toru had no choice, knowing that he had to get Akihito out of the place fast before Chey's men moved in.
Too late, Toru noted when he heard footsteps rushing towards their directions. The room had no windows so crashing out was not an option for Toru. Helpless, the guard could only move to the back of the room and wait for his attackers to come.
Beside him, Akihito was drifting between consciousness is his arms. He moved in front, covering Akihito's body as much as he could. "Takaba sama, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Toru whispered.
His master squeezed his hand. "No, I'm sorry –," Akihito slurred, closing his eyes before opening them again. " – I – thought you – betrayed me."
"That would not be possible, Takaba sama. I swore to serve Asami sama and you."
Struggling to keep himself awake, Akihito offered a weak smile. "Let's get out of here, Toru. I still have to get back to Japan to kick Asami's ass."
"Can you walk?"
Akihito nodded. Vision cleared, the photographer finally saw the dead men on the floor. He willed his heart to stop pounding, knowing that it wasn't the time for him to be scared.
As the footsteps grew louder, Toru moved backwards, pushing Akihito's body to the wall, shielding the younger man. "Stick close to me, Takaba sama," he whispered as he raised his hand, pointing the semi-automatic towards the door.
And the battle began. Toru fired the first shot at a short man who rushed into the room, injuring his stomach. Toru fired a few more none fatal shots at his attackers, hoping to keep Chey's men at bay. It was hopeless. Like annoying cockroaches, they continued pouring into the room with their guns.
Firing to his last bullet, Toru was about to grab his master and rush out of the room when a bullet hit his left arm.
Toru couldn't allow himself to think of the pain on his arm. In military, this was a code red situation and he had to focus in getting Akihito out of the place alive.
The gun battle raged on. Another man rushed into the room and joined his comrades in the gun battle. Toru tried to duck but there wasn't anything to cover him and Akihito. Left in the open, Toru took another bullet to his left thigh.
"Stop, please stop!" Akihito pleaded as he watched Toru slumped down after another bullet grazed Toru's shoulder.
Ignoring the men advancing into the room, Akihito cradled the nearly unconscious guard in his arms. "No, don't die on me, Toru!" He pleaded, tears pouring down his face.
Toru caught Akihito's hand. Pushing the gun to his master's hands, he whispered, "Run, Takaba sama."
Xx Business as Usual xX
Akihito only had time to shake his head when he heard an annoying laugh. Recognizing the owner of the voice as Chey's, Akihito's tear stained face looked up at the Cambodian crime lord entering the room.
"Well, looks like his luck finally ran out," Chey mocked, threw his head back and laughed before looking at Akihito again. "Well, Asami's little whore, it's just you and me now," he said menacingly. "There are many tools here and I'll make sure to use every single device on you. It won't be a pleasant death, I assure you."
Akihito couldn't hear any of that. His attention was diverted to Toru and the dark red liquid pooling around him. The hand that he used to compress Toru's wound was stained with Toru's warm blood and it wouldn't stop and no matter how hard Akihito tried pressing on the wound. Blood continued to pour like a leaking tap.
Beads of sweat were forming on Toru's forehead. His eyes were half closed and the guard went on muttering the same instructions.
Run, Takaba sama. Fire the last shot at Chey and run.
Something within Akihito snapped. Laying Toru on the ground gently, he stood up and moved in front of the injured guard. Narrowing his hazel eyes in anger, the photographer raised his gun and growled, "I will stop you, you bastard!"
Chey's men automatically aimed their guns at Akihito. Chey waved his hand, commanding them to put their guns down. "Go on," Chey urged, laughing. "I'd like to see what an empty gun can do."
Akihito fired but since he hadn't any practice, the bullet went to Chey's hand instead of his heart. He fired again despite knowing there wasn't any ammo left.
Dropping the gun, Akihito slumped down next to Toru and tugged at his guard, attempting to pull Toru out of the room. In a fraction of a second, he found himself being apprehended by Chey's men and dragged to the center of the room.
A punch on his face and a kick on his stomach had Akihito on his knees immediately. He threw out the water he ingested a moment ago from the waterboarding torture. Hair yanked behind painfully, Akihito heavy lids stared at the Cambodian crime lord.
"You will pay for this," Chey snarled. "I will cut open your belly and sell your organs to the black market!"
Summoning his last ounce of strength, Akihito uttered, "Asami will kill you."
As soon as he said that, ear-splitting gun shots with loud explosions could he heard from the outside. Air thick with smoke, Chey tried to clear his vision by fanning the smoke. As soon as he managed to get a clear vision, he found himself staring at a semi-automatic between his eyes.
"Hello, Chey Rith; we finally meet."
Chey's eyebrows twitched. "Asami Ryuiichi."
Xx Business as Usual xX
Akihito couldn't believe his eyes. Was that Asami? He blinked a few more time to check if his eyes were playing tricks on him. No, his vision was clear. The real Asami Ryuiichi, impeccably dressed as ever, stood in front of Chey with a gun in his hands.
Suoh, Ando and Kirishima surrounded Chey and each held a gun at Chey's head.
"A – sa –mi," he croaked out.
The grip on Akihito's hair loosened and the guy who yanked his hair a moment ago pushed him to the floor, trying to make a run out of the room.
Asami pulled Akihito to him, wrapped his free arm around the photographer's shoulder before turning him around. He pressed Akihito's face to his shoulder, covering his eyes on purpose. Raising his hand, he aimed the gun at the man and fired.
Akihito trembled in Asami's arms but he didn't dare to turn around. He heard a loud thud and a few short, choppy pants before they stopped altogether.
"Are you all right?"
Akihito nodded his head uncertainly. He raised his hands, gripping Asami's arms tightly.
Asami caught his hand. "Your wrists are bleeding and there is blood on your hands."
At the mention of the word blood, Akihito's eyes widened. "Toru," he whispered and immediately searched the end of the room where Toru lay. Kirishima was already next to him, checking his injuries.
"Toru!" Akihito moved from Asami's embrace and raced to his guard. "Toru!" Akihito screamed again, shaking his shoulder. Toru's eyes squinted open tiredly and offered a small, reassuring smile.
"Toru," Asami called as he knelt next to the guard. Kirishima moved aside to allow Asami to inspect his wounds.
"A—sami sama," the guard managed weakly.
"Kirishima," he ordered, "Send him to the hospital immediately. The wounds are none fatal but he's losing too much blood."
As he was about to stand, Toru gripped Asami's arm. "Asami sama," he whispered.
It was Asami who leaned down. Toru's brisk report on Akihito's torture had Asami tightened the grip on his gun. When Toru was done, Asami merely nodded his head and stood up. Golden eyes narrowed, he ordered Kirishima to tend to Toru's wounds. Then, he glanced at Chey menacingly.
Akihito immediately felt a frisson of fear, and that look wasn't even directed at him.
"Ando," Asami voice echoed at the stillness of the room, "Take Akihito to the hospital."
Ando went to Akihito immediately and placing an arm around the photographer's waist, he held him steady as he escorted the boy out of the room.
Taking his time, the yakuza lit a cigarette and walked to the wooden plank in the middle of the room, running his fingers through the coarse surface of the wood.
"Asami, don't you think you can escape from here alive! In Cambodia, my words are law!" Chey warned. "Are you so scared that you can't even say anything?" he sneered when Asami merely remained silent.
"Asami sama," Kirishima stepped into the classroom, bowing. "Takaba sama and Toru are en route to the hospital. Kanzaki sensei and his team are already on standby at the local hospital. I instructed Ando, Kanda, Makoto and Takagi to follow them."
Flicking his cigarette away, Asami curved a thin smile as he looked at Chey. "Now, shall we begin?"
"Begin?" Chey snorted. "Don't make me laugh, Asami. Don't forget you are in Cambodia. Your words are nothing here!" Chey spat.
Asami walked towards Chey. Suoh had already tied up the Cambodian, leaving him kneeling on the floor. The bullet that Akihito shot wasn't embedded, so whilst his right hand was bleeding, it was still mobile.
"You're mistaken, Chey." Asami said as he removed his cufflinks. "Your reign in Cambodia is over."
Chey laughed. "You expect me to believe that?"
Asami smiled in response. "It is hard to swallow but you'll know soon enough that no matter how you scream later from the pain I give you, no one will come forward to save you."
Chey began to sweat a little. "They will come. If I'm not back within an hour, my subordinates will –,"
"Ah – yes, your three hundred followers at the headquarters of White Snake," Asami interrupted, referring to Chey's organization. "I'm afraid they won't be coming to your rescue."
The yakuza slammed Chey's head on the ground. "You see, I'm the new boss for the White Snake," Asami said easily.
Chey's pupils dilated. "You – you –"
Suoh hauled Chey to his feet. "Careful there, Chey. I don't want you dying because of cardiac arrest; not before I have my fun," the crime lord said. Casually, Asami gave a backward glance at the door. "Didn't you say you wanted revenge?"
Chey's eyes darted uncertainly to the door and gasped. "Fei Long –,"
Dressed in traditional black cheong sam, the Baishe leader strode in confidently, smirking.
"Chey Rith, I believe this is my first time seeing you," the Chinese smiled, flipping his long dark hair behind him gracefully.
"Why – why – how?" Chey stuttered.
Accepting a rubber band from Yoh, the Chinese tied his hair. "Why am I with Asami?" He asked, tightening the pony tail. "You've invaded on our territory lately so Asami and I thought that we'd get rid of you together –"
" – and in exchange of the partnership, Asami agreed to allow me have my fun before his." The smile on Fei Long disappeared, leaving a very grim look.
Asami walked past Fei Long to the door. "I'll give you ten minutes," he said, without looking at the Chinese.
"It's appreciated," Fei Long mumurred.
Asami moved outside the classroom and to the courtyard. The place was quiet and as still as a graveyard. The management planted some flowers around it but that did nothing to brighten the place.
He had Kirishima checked on Toru's and Akihito's progress. The guard was still in surgery while Akihito suffered bad abrasions to his wrists, most likely from his struggles during the waterboarding torture. Part of Akihito's lungs was filled with water and the team of experts checking on Akihito told the crime lord on the high possibility of pneumonia.
Asami listened to Kirishima's report silently. He offered no comments, nor did he show any emotions when the secretary reported Akihito's conditions.
Chey had been smart; he suspected Toru's betrayal from the beginning and orchestrated his own plans into Asami's original play. The removal of Akihito's watch was something Asami did not foresee at all. The tiny red dot on his radar directed him to a mile long brothel and it took him a while to realize that someone had taken Akihito's specially made watch.
The bulky man who took the watch was caught naked with a prostitute and upon realizing that he had wasted enough time at the wrong place, Asami stuck a knife into the man's gut and demanded for answers.
A gun shot from the classroom brought Asami back to reality. Hands in his pocket, he watched Fei Long walked out of the room calmly, with traces of blood on his shoes. "He's all yours," the Chinese said as he kept his gun.
Asami nodded.
"As per our agreement, you gain complete control of Chey's organization, his coca plantation, and the processing factories," Fei Long said.
Walking past the Chinese triad member, Asami replied, "And you, complete control of the Naga World Casinos."
Releasing his hair, Fei Long smirked as he walked away from the yakuza. "Until next time, Asami."
Asami walked into the room where Chey was held. Finally, it is time for some private entertainment.
Xx Business as Usual xX
Warnings: Torture – please skip to the next Xx Business as Usual xX page break if you are uncomfortable with torture scenes.
Fei Long did not do much damage to Chey, considering he only suffered a broken nose and a gunshot wound to his stomach. Asami noted Fei Long purposely missed the vital points to prevent a clean death. Judging from his wounds, it would take Chey at least an hour or so before he bled out.
That meant Asami had one solid hour for his private entertainment. The yakuza smiled, pleased with the thought.
"Suoh, secure him on the wooden plank," Asami ordered without preamble.
Suoh nodded and hauled the injured Cambodian on his feet. Together with Kirishima, they raised Chey's arms above his head and secured him with shackles.
"What do you plan to do?" Chey coughed, his voice hoarse.
Slowly unbuttoning his coat, Asami walked to where Chey was held. Passing the coat to Kirishima, Asami proceeded to unbutton his onyx cufflinks. He pulled the black tie free; the same one Akihito gave him last year before passing them to Kirshima.
Asami picked up the knife Chey had thrown on the floor earlier, examining it.
"Just kill me," Chey gritted his teeth.
Without a word, Asami stabbed the knife on Chey's wrist. As Chey's body jerked in pain and surprised, Asami leaned closer to the Cambodian. "You're not dying easily, Chey. You will remember the pain that I'm about to give you. I'll strip you bare of your pride and slaughter you alive."
Chey's eyes widened slightly from fear, pleasing Asami immediately.
"Fei Long was nice, wasn't he?" Asami murmured, tracing the handle of the knife. "All he did was beat you up."
Asami signaled Suoh for a cloth. The bulky guard stepped forward, placing the filthy cloth on Chey's face before securing the cloth by hammering nails on four sides.
"Arg!" Chey screamed from the sharp pain on his wrist when he tried moving.
"Suoh," Asami ordered and the guard stepped forward with a watering can.
"How does it feel, to be able to experience the waterboarding?" Asami asked, watching Suoh pouring generous amount of water on Chey. He signaled Suoh to stop when he noticed Chey demonstrated gag reflex.
The Cambodian couldn't reply. He coughed badly, vomiting out the water.
"Now you know what Akihito felt when you poured water on him," Asami snarled before turning to Suoh. "Again," he ordered.
"No – I –" Chey tried to explain but only sounds of gurgling water came out.
The yakuza raised his hands and Suoh stopped. The cloth on Chey's face was removed, revealing a half-conscious man. "Kill me," he whispered.
"Kill you?" Asami repeated. "Did you look at Akihito's injuries and Toru's gunshot wounds? This does not even do them justice, Chey," Asami said, tracing the knife that was stuck on Chey's wrist.
"Toru told me that you wanted him to hack off Akihito's hand?" The crime lord asked nonchalantly. He gripped the knife harder. His golden eyes burned with anger. "Let me show you how it's done."
Without waiting for Chey to respond, Asami pulled out the knife and stabbed Chey's wrists numerous times.
Chey's screams were like music.
"No, please stop!"
Ignoring Chey, Asami brought the knife down on Chey's wrist again. He gave another few hard blows, pushing the edge of the sharp through Chey's wrist bone before detaching the hand from Chey's forearm.
Chey screamed in pain. Tears pouring down his sagging cheeks, Chey pleaded. "Asami, please, I didn't do anything to Takaba."
White shirt splattered with Chey's blood, Asami stared at the panting Cambodian menacingly. "You're having a memory lapse," Asami said easily, examining the bloody knife before looking at the man again. "Didn't you instruct Toru to torture Akihito in a similar fashion?"
Chey's deep set eyes widened before shaking his head.
"Liar." Asami smirked, trailing the knife on Chey's stomach, around his gunshot wounds.
"Please, no— arg! " Chey bit his lip when Asami poked the edge of the knife on his wound. Gasping for breaths, Chey made a last attempt to plead for his life. "Please, I'll – arg," he screamed when Asami pushed the knife further into the stomach.
"I'll – give – you everything I own!" he said desperately.
The yakuza halted, his lips curved a smile. "You don't have to give me what you owned because –" Asami gripped the knife and pushed the short weapon across Chey's belly, slicing it open. "—I already owned them."
"You do not have the rights to negotiate with me," Asami snarled, "You will die; slowly and painfully for crossing paths with me."
As Asami cut Chey's belly open, the Cambodian's screams echoed through the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum.
Like other guards in the room, Kirishima had to avert his eyes when his boss started using the knife on Chey. His long-time friend Suoh looked composed but Kirishima knew that he was nearly at his limit.
Kirishima expected Chey's punishment to be bad and it looked like he wasn't wrong about it. They arrived in Cambodia in a chartered plane full of Asami's men a few hours earlier ahead of Akihito, hoping to capture Chey as soon as Akihito was brought face to face with the Cambodian crime lord.
Chey outsmarted them by sending his men to pick Akihito and Toru up from the airport. That had been speculated but what Kirishima did not predict was the removal of Akihito' watch. They lost a good 45 minutes chasing the red dot to a brothel street in Cambodia, only to discover that some low life had taken the watch.
Knowing how much precious time they had lost, Asami hadn't been very forgiving with the young man. By the time Asami obtained the answers they needed, they were already close to an hour and a half behind schedule.
Asami managed convinced the members at White Snake to rebel against Chey's authoritarian regime and join forces with him instead, promising abundance of wealth. But at Tuol Sleng, it was a different story all together. The museum was guarded by Chey's most loyal subordinates and breaking into the heavily guarded place took them a while.
By the time they barged into the museum, Kirishima found that Akihito was already on his knees, neck arched painfully behind, with a gun under the photographer's neck.
Though they managed to arrive on time; it did not change the fact that Akihito and Toru were hurt. Anger wasn't a word Kirishima would use on his boss since the expression on Asami's face when he saw Toru and Akihito were dark, but when Toru reported Akihito had been a subject of torture, Asami went apoplectic with rage at the information.
For Chey, pain was imminent. His boss was simply too revved to stop. The horrific screams had Kirishima's attention focused at Chey again. This time, Asami extracted the bullet on Chey's stomach with the knife. His belly was sliced opened.
Chey had resorted to begging. "Please, just kill me."
"Begging already?" Asami asked, throwing the knife away. "Did Akihito beg when you tortured him?"
Drifting between consciousness, Chey shook his head.
Slowly, he retrieved his gun and aimed the weapon at Chey's thigh. "Fiery, isn't he?" He fired. "And he belongs to me." Asami fired again, this time at Chey's arms.
"Please," Chey nearly sobbed from the pain.
Asami had Suoh forced Chey's mouth open. "The two shots were for Toru but this –," he snarled, shoving the gun into Chey's mouth, "—serves as a reminder to others out there who so much so think of coming after what's mine."
Chey was given no time to respond. Asami pulled the trigger and marked the end of the Cambodian crime lord.
"Suoh, discard the gun and arrange for the cleanup," Asami ordered as he passed the gun to the guard.
"Sir," Suoh began hesitantly.
"Don't worry," Asami interrupted. "The police chief is on our side. I've made a deal with him to cut him five percent of the drug earnings every month." Asami curved a smile. "And he was more than willing to turn tables and assist me in getting rid of Chey."
Nodding his head, Suoh began the non-appetizing task of disposing Chey's body.
Xx Business as Usual xX
When Toru opened his eyes, he was surprised to see himself hooked onto a dozen tubes and monitor. He looked sideways and noticed he was alone in a spacious room. A long couch stood at a corner next to the window, and two huge comfortable visitor chairs were placed next to his bed. The television in front of him was off but there was a label in underneath that read NT Central Hospital.
Asami sama's hospital in Japan, Toru noted. Takaba sama, what happened – Toru panicked at the thought. Given he was under sedative for a long time, Toru found himself having partial memory lapse of the events that happened in Cambodia.
The sound of the door open caught his attention. Expecting to see the doctor, Toru closed his eyes and asked, "Doctor, when can I be discharged?"
The all too familiar deep voice made him freeze. "Toru."
His dark eyes opened immediately, searching the owner of the voice. "Asami sama," he greeted and tried to sit up.
"Toru, don't push yourself," Kirishima came from behind and assisted Toru into a sitting position.
"Where's Takaba sama?" Toru asked, almost afraid to hear the truth.
"Suffered bad abrasions on his wrists and was hospitalized for pneumonia. He has been discharged and is now recuperating at home," Kirishima explained as Asami took his seat.
"I see," Toru whispered.
As if Kirishima sensed Toru's worries, he continued, "Kanda and Ando are with him."
Toru nodded before looking at Asami. "I'm sorry, Asami sama. I failed you."
Asami said nothing. He retrieved a gun from his pockets and passed it to Toru. "I believe this is yours."
Toru looked at the gun Asami had given him on his first day at Sion. Using his good hand, he gripped the gun and brought it to his head. "I accept full responsibility to my failure, Asami sama."
"Toru," Asami began before Kirishima could protest. "Put down the gun."
"Asami sama, I have failed my duties –,"
"That's an order," Asami interrupted and Toru placed the gun on the bed again.
Asami rested his gaze on the lanky guard. "I didn't save you so you could kill yourself. If I wanted you dead, I would have killed you in Cambodia."
Toru usually stoic face looked speechless.
Asami stood up, slid his hands in his dress pants. "I'm returning the gun to you. It's one of my favorites, keep it well," he said and walked out of the room.
Kirishima took the gun and kept it in his pockets. "I'll safe guard this until you resume your duties." The secretary walked towards the door and halted. Glancing backwards he said, "The wounds that Chey inflicted on you and Takaba sama, Asami sama made sure Chey suffered the same – perhaps even more."
Opening the door, the secretary took one last look at the injured guard. "Rest well, Toru. We'll be waiting for your return." Kirishima smiled and closed the door.
Alone in the room, Toru leaned back against his bed, closing his eyes. He smiled. His decision to serve Asami sama was right after all. It's good to be home.
Xx Business as Usual xX
Akihito paced the penthouse, crossing his hands across his chest. Wearing a loose T-shirt and long pants, the photographer looked at the clock on the wall again.
It had been two days since the incident at Cambodia. Asami flew an unconscious Toru back to Japan in his private plane and had him transferred to NT for further observation. Akihito himself was warded for pneumonia but after a whole night of antibiotics and IV drips, the photographer stubbornly insisted in going home.
Kanzaki had ordered a three week rest for Akihito. He protested and was having a row with the doctor until Asami threatened him with a house arrest if Akihito did not agree.
The door to the front entrance clicked and Akihito rushed to the door. "How's Toru?" he asked anxiously.
Asami shrugged off his coat and pulled his tie free. "He regained consciousness. Kanzaki said his progress is good and should be able to make full recovery."
Akihito slumped on the couch next to Asami, relieved. "I'm so glad."
Pulling his lover to him, Asami cupped Akihito's chin before kissing him. "Why are you not in bed?" he whispered huskily.
Akihito looked away.
Asami nudged Akihito's chin up. "Why do you look troubled?"
Akihito pushed Asami away and moved to the bedroom. Sitting on the bed, Akihito wrapped his hands around his legs and brought them to his chest.
Noticing dark circles under Akihito's eyes, Asami finally realized what was eating up his lover. "You can't sleep?"
Akihito nodded. "The dreams –" His slender body shuddered as he whispered. Covering his face, the photographer whispered, "I keep on seeing the photographs of the victims whenever I close my eyes. And I dreamt that I was on the wooden plank, then Toru getting shot –," he explained poorly, brushing the tears away.
The yakuza sat on the edge of the bed. "I'll erase the dreams for you."
Brushing the tears with the back of his hand, Akihito forced a smile. "Are you going to use sex as a sedative again?"
The crime lord smirked, pushing Akihito to bed. "What I'm about to give you is more than just sex, Akihito."
Akihito smiled and pulled Asami to him, crushing their mouths together. "Show me, Ryuiichi."
Ripping Akihito's shirt away, Asami gathered the boy in his arms. "Then I suggest that you hold on to me Akihito, because I'm going to make you cry all night."
Owari
A/N: I visited Cambodia many years ago (I was about ten years old then) and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum and Choeung Ek (The Killing Fields) were the places I remembered the most. These two places were downright eerie and watching the torture tools, human skulls and photographs of the victims made my hair stood up on ends. Writing this chapter brought me back the memories and I wish to clarify that I meant no disrespect to the Cambodians, the victims of Tuol Sleng and the Museum. The descriptions of the characters were merely fictional and references of the places and torture methods were mainly used as illustrations in writing this fiction. I sincerely apologize if I have offended anyone in this fiction.
Thank you so much for your pms, favorites and follows! To all my reviewers: Asami's clown, Angel4EverLostInLife, Setsuna24, coritos, Ryukei, finderlov, yui eiri, kluna, Lenin, ixxxmissxxxu, kanameasami, pink frozen rose, Charm XD, topy, JackFrost14, Xxsakurachan97, bibahsama29, Pigyz-kun, Reinri13, Ana, wawatvxq, oosuan, Windying, Chrystelle1, Kunoichi of the Moonlit Night, TearHeartLight, LoopedInTheLoops, Dum-dum21, Narutopokefan, yuichichan17, yeye kyunie, akirakihito, Paulie Mickyj, Chaozsama, larasgee, raindropdew, ellenofausten, FanofBellaandEdward, rickygirl1, kittyzala, creamymint, trikster3009, eclps3, c0c0ly, rikacatchip, Kuniknighte, Absalon95, Jade Starfire, ourrhechan, akasami, a-kun, renakp, knox, SAGE, Kayla WonKyu, aoi. .forward, serenyty82, Pureblood-Summer Uchiha, Vykki, Kawaiigirl, Luc, loveroftheyaoi, Belle'Masque, freyja, miki0123, Geminirose, dead feather, Rewinsan, Moolighteclips, Samerys707, Yunshi Himura, Ringo-pop, Yaoifangirl89, seeker88, Angewmon, kaname143, farorerayzes, Theia Pallas, Chopper12, Innocenteyes, , MzMilo, Miss Bunny Rabbit, Nihon mania, Syuaizen99, beccy65, Jambee, Bedouin, chestnutcrown, CreedHartnet13, Jhaydren, Viewfinder, helloxohello, YaoiMom, Ashke, SSailorSScoutSS, Ryuakilover, Zoz, serena shine, Seitsuya, PoisonEcarlate, Yayoi, Bernael, Dacotilana and 10 guests. Domo Arigatou Gozaimasu!
I haven't decided what I should write in chapter 23. I was thinking of writing Haruhito visiting Akihito in Tokyo or Asami going grocery shopping with Akihito. If you have other suggestions, I'm at all ears! (or eyes, in this case). Thank you for reading!