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Joey	By : AlectoPerdita Category: Yu-Gi-Oh > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 2971 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh and characters are the intellectual property of Takahashi Kazuki, and is being used in this fanfiction for fan purposes only. No money is made from this fan effort.

Chapter List
- 14
- 15
- 16
Joey
By Alecto Perdita
Track 13 - Dirge
Rating: PG-13
Posted: August 30, 2010
Warning(s): Shonen-ai, cheesy melodrama, & Kaijou
Email: alecto . perdita (at) gmail . com
Disclaimer: Yu-Gi-Oh is the intellectual property of Takahashi Kazuki, and is being used in this fanfiction for fan purposes only. All situations, opinions and characters not belonging to Takahashi Kazuki are the intellectual property of Alecto Perdita.
As soon as the evil priest threw the Kaiba lookalike into the dark purple portal, I took off after them. Behind me, I could hear Yugi and the others telling me to stop. But I couldn't just stand by and do nothing, especially when no one else looked like they were going to. I saw Yami stopped by the snake tail of Bakura's monster, and I was grateful for the first time that we were incapable of physically interacting with the world around us. Despite Bakura's rage, the snake paid no heed to me as I weaved around it and dove into the portal after the two men.
I blamed it on the smug warning that the tan Bakura clone had given at the cliff earlier: "You should probably be more worried about where Shachou-san has been dropped off."
The trip through the portal was disorienting at best. I was forcibly ejected onto a stone-paved floor on the other end. Rays from the sun overhead meant I was finally outside again. I hadn't realized that Yugi, Anzu, and Honda had managed to follow me until the three of them landed on top of me- crushing me under their combined weight.
"Guys! Get the hell off!" I wheezed from the bottom of the people pile.
When we all climbed back to our feet, I took the opportunity to observe our surroundings. It was a temple of some sort, but we were out in the middle of nowhere with miles and miles of sand all around us. Our tour of ancient Egyptian temples were cut short as the evil priest began addressing Seth.
The masked priest's voice reverberated with a strange sort of power behind it. "Look, Seth. A power even greater than the Gods will be proof of your right to rule. The one who will make you the new pharaoh is already on her way." The man pointed out to the endless desert before us.
Yugi and Anzu rushed to the edge of the structure we were standing on to catch sight of this person.
Seth stiffened as he must have recognized the person approaching from the distance. "Kisara!"
The urgency and concern in Seth's voice- which sounded exactly like Kaiba's- made my heart ache.
The dark priest didn't try to stop Seth when he turned and went for the stairs. While the others were still trying to make out the person in the distance, I decided to follow Seth instead. In the open plaza below, Seth met with the young girl we had seen him rescue from the marketplace stoning. Neither of them took notice of me as I moved next to them to listen in on their conversation. It felt a terribly lot like I was eavesdropping but my curiosity was overwhelming.
The two exchanged words about some shared past that I didn't understand. But the expression bordering on adoration on Seth's face was the most telling of all. It almost made me feel sick. I could never imagine an expression like that on the Kaiba I knew and it seemed just as wrong in this case. In the short time I spent observing Priest Seth, I came to the conclusion that the Priest was very unlike my Kaiba. Seth was nowhere near as cruel or even as delibrate. It wasn't a matter of power that determined the development of their personalities- it could be argued that Seth had even more power and yet the guy was still capable of open affection.
"Jounouchi?"
My heart skipped a beat. I could see the others coming down the flight of stairs I just followed Seth down. Like almost everyone else in this world, Seth couldn't see me. I turned in the direction of the voice. Kaiba was standing under one of the pillars that bordered the temple.
I had to blink twice and rub my eyes to confirm I wasn't hallucinating. Yugi and the others ran past me to where Kaiba stood. I followed reluctantly.
"Kaiba-kun, what are you doing here?" Yugi asked.
He gave us all the critical eye- probably trying to determine if we were really here or not. "That Bakura bastard challenged me to a duel and then left me with the Millennium Eye. He said it was an invitation to the ultimate game of darkness. I tried to call you Yugi, but your grandfather told me you were already in Egypt. So I came."
Honda snorted. "I thought you didn't believe in this magic stuff."
My best friend was quickly silenced by an icy glare. As the rest of them were comparing notes and tossing out suggestions of our next move, I realized something. Kaiba had followed the girl here. There was no other way he could have found his way through the desert to our current location.
Our attention was forced back to the drama unfolding between Seth, his father, and the Kisara girl when the ground beneath us started shaking and the stone overhead cracking.
"The resurrection of Master Zorc is at hand! Kill the woman, Seth, and consecrate yourself as a God!" The evil priest standing above us ordered. "Become the new pharaoh with the power of the White Dragon!"
Seth glared at the man. "Even if you are my father, I will not sell my soul to the darkness. Let's go, Kisara."
Before the two could get away, stone appeared from the ground to block their escape and our view. From behind the rocks, Seth shouted something and a monster cut through the rock for them. The dark priest took a flying leap off the building's roof and landed between Seth and us.
"I won't let you escape."
Another monster summoned from shadows made short work of Seth's monster. I tried to move forward to help, but Kaiba had grabbed my forearm and stopped me.
"Let me go." I growled. "We can't just stand here."
Kaiba just shook his head. "It's no use. They can't see us and we can't interact with them."
The dark priest's shadow monster moved forward as he continued to rant. "It must be this girl's fault. How dare you corrupt my son? Seth is mine!"
A pure and bright white light poured out from Kisara's body before forming into the shape of the Blue Eyes White Dragon. When the dragon tried to use its attack on the priest's shadow monster, the monster broke apart to form a large ball that knocked the girl back.
Yugi and Honda were both staring with their mouths hanging open, but Kaiba was watching everything with that usual impassive expression of his. Wasn't he moved at all by everything Kisara was trying to do to help him? I had to wonder if Seth was a hint of what was hidden inside of Kaiba or if he was just a possibility that I would never see again. Or maybe I was just never meant to see that side of him... Not like Kisara...
"Kisara!" Seth cried in obvious concern as he bent down to help the girl.
A spellbinding circle appeared from the ground and attached itself around the dragon's neck like a collar. The Blue Eyes flew back into a large stone tablet that appeared behind the pair. But Kisara didn't give up. The small white-haired girl stepped out in front of Seth and spread her arms wide. Her bravery was either commendable or stupid, yet it didn't sit well with me.
"I will protect Master Seth at any cost." The love and devotion was clear in her eyes and voice even at the distance from which we watched.
"What are you waiting for, Seth?" The dark priest asked. "Kill her and take the power of the White Dragon. Use the power for Master Zorc and become the king of darkness!"
Seth shook his head. "You're wrong! Master Akunadin, what benefit is there to a where of darkness ruled by Zorc? I used to think this world was dark and forsaken. But ever since I met Kisara, I have come to realize that the light called love changes all of that!"
The smile on her face in response was beautiful, lighting up the tired and thin features. The look they shared was that of two people in love. And just hearing those words (even if they weren't from my Kaiba's mouth) made my heart hurt more than I could ever imagine- or would ever admit. Yet I was so caught up in watching the scene between past-Kaiba and the girl, I didn't notice he hadn't let go of my arm until much later.
-x-x-x-
"Nii-sama," Mokuba's voice was grave when it came over the radio transmission. "Shizuka wants to talk to you. It sounds like she and Rebecca might have found something."
Kaiba glared at the impenetrable dome of darkness surrounding Yami and the three captives. It had been fifteen minutes since the so-called Game of Darkness started and he was already beginning to regret letting the spirit have free reign. His people would have had an answer by now. But that twisted part in his head wanted them to suffer; because like Yami, Kaiba favored the the type of justice that toyed with people.
"Put her through." He muttered, ignoring the first sound to issue from the dome- a scream of horror.
"Kaiba-san, have you found Onii-chan?" She asked so full of hope and desperation.
He hated to disappoint her almost as much as Mokuba. "No, it appears they've already moved your brother. We're trying to find out where now."
"Please find him soon, Kaiba-san. I really fear for his safety now. I think Otou-san is involved."
His blood ran cold at her words. Jounouchi Tanaka, why hadn't he seen it before? Yet he couldn't blame himself either. Even someone as paranoid and jaded as himself couldn't expect every father to be vindictive like Kaiba Gozaburo.
"Kaiba-san?" She asked.
"I'm taking care of this." He snapped- his tone more harsher than he intended.
He could envision her chewing on her lips on the other end of the line. "This is getting out of hand fast. We need to notify the police now."
"I've already gotten us further than the police would have in a week's time. I wouldn't trust the Domino Police Department to find a lost dog."
"Kaiba-san," The steel in her voice made him pause. "This isn't a discussion. I was just doing you the courtesy of informing you about my plans. Please do let me know if you find anything on Onii-chan." The dial-tone informed him that she had already hung up on him.
"Jounouchis," he snarled. "That entire family is going to make me prematurely gray or bald."
A sudden change in air pressure made Kaiba's ears pop. The black dome jutting out in the center of the warehouse collapsed like a ray of light into a black hole. Yami and the three bound captives, who looked like they had been to hell and back, reappeared on the floor. The predatory smile on the former Pharaoh's face brought up recollections of the nightmares that had haunted Kaiba's sleep in his teenage years.
"You will tell us everything you know." Yami's words rang with such absolute authority that Kaiba had to wonder if they had been magically reinforced.
"He came to us a month ago, said he had a plan to get rich!" Maruyama Yuichi began.
Maruyama Jun then jumped in. "The deal was that we would provide the manpower and he would provide the intelligence. He just wanted his fair share and Joey Katsuya."
"He took him an hour before you arrived, along with his part of the money. We don't know where he took Joey. We didn't ask!" The third yet unnamed kidnapper finished for his accomplices.
Kaiba loomed over the three. "Who?"
The kidnappers glanced at each other, looking like they were trying to sink into the ground. "Jounouchi Tanaka."
Kaiba turned away with the tail of his trenchcoat whipping at his shins. He looked into manic fires burning in the red of Yami's eyes. "I've heard all I need to."
Yami's heels clicked loudly against the ground as he approached the kidnappers once more. A low and cruel chuckle rumbled in his throat. "You remember our deal right? If you beat me, I would allow you to go free. You all lost, in fact all of you cheated. For actions such as yours, there is only the Penalty Game."
The warehouse door closing behind him cut off the abrupt screams from inside. Honda paced back and forth across the concrete pavement in front of the building.
Mokuba started over the earpieces. "I've already have the rest of the security team canvassing the city for signs of Jounouchi Tanaka. But since he only has a small portion of the money on him, it could be a day or more before it's visible to our satellite."
Kaiba glanced down at the watch on his wrist. It was nearly seven-thirty. Even he was beginning to feel the effects of running on empty for the last 24 hours.
"I'm going to kill that bastard if he hurts Jounouchi." Honda snarled somewhere in the background.
"Have Isono take out Yugi's chest from secure holdings. It better be in the conference room by the time I get back." Kaiba ordered quietly. He had already taken the first step by letting Yami use his power; he might as well see it through. Because as much as he loathed to admit it, he was running out of options and Jounouchi out of time.
"You don't mean that chest right?"
"I don't recall keeping anything else for him."
From behind him, Kaiba heard the sound of a metal door opening and closing. He turned and was surprised to see Yugi back in control. "Where'd your other half go?"
Yugi gave him a weary smile. "I made him rest. He doesn't want to admit it, but that took a lot out of him. He hasn't needed to use his powers like that for many years now."
Kaiba waved over one of the bodyguards and said as he gestured to the warehouse behind him, "We're leaving. Tell the police to come pick up that trash."
He was determined to not waste anymore time.
-x-x-x-
With the tail of his trenchcoat swinging in his wake, Kaiba came into the conference room like a violent storm of lightning and hail. Yugi and Honda filed in behind the CEO.
"Where's Sophia-san?" Bakura's troubled gaze swept over the group entering.
"Doing whatever she damn pleases. I could care less." Kaiba growled.
"We have a problem though. There are rumors going around online that Jounouchi has been kidnapped." Malik looked up from his laptop. "Damage control's going to have to come from Sophia if anyone's going to believe it."
"I told Shizuka not to go to the police!" Kaiba roared.
A knock on the door brought conversations to a halt. Isono popped his head into the room, glancing nervously at all the occupants of the room. "I have brought Mutou-san's chest as requested, Seto-sama."
Kaiba took the moment to compose his temper. He didn't need to take out his lack of progress on his PA. "Bring it in here and leave us."
Isono relayed the orders through the door and two suited men carried a large metal chest. Under Kaiba's critical gaze, they carefully placed the chest on the conference table. Isono and both men bowed before exiting again.
Malik couldn't tear his eyes off the chest. "What is the meaning of this, Kaiba?"
He ignored the Egyptian and turned to Yugi. "Would you do the honors?"
Yugi walked his way around the table to face the keypad on the chest. Everyone watched in silence as the man entered the digits that they had been able to best approximate Atem's birthday on the Gregorian calendar. The box gave three shrill beeps and Yugi pressed his thumb on the red square next to the keypad.
"Identity confirmed: Mutou Yugi." The chest gave a hiss and a side dropped down to reveal two columns of four drawers each. The computerized female voice continued, "Please state the item of retrieval."
"The Millennium Ring." Yugi took a quick glance at Kaiba out of the corner of his eyes.
With a mechanical whirl, one of the middle drawers slid out to reveal the Millennium Ring resting in a foam insert. Yugi picked up the artifact gingerly; almost as if the spirit of Zorc or Bakura's dark personality would leap out at any second. But such a thing wasn't going to happen; not after Yami had finally defeated them two years ago.
The needles dangling from the Ring jingled like windchimes. Kaiba unwittingly recalled the duel he fought against the darker Bakura on the roof of Kaiba Corp. At the time, Bakura's every move made the Item resound with all the force of a beating war drum. It was unnerving for the Ring to seem so innocuous now.
Bakura made his way around the table to stand next to Yugi. It was then that Kaiba belatedly realized that he didn't know how Bakura felt about the Item. Unlike Yugi or even Malik, Bakura retained no sense of agency when he possessed the Ring.
Life was so much easier when he didn't care about anyone but Mokuba's feelings.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Malik seemed torn between his protectiveness and trusting his partner to handle himself. The Egyptian's eyes kept wandering back toward the top left drawer on the chest that stored the Millennium Rod. "Ryou has never really used an Item before. Wouldn't it be better if I-"
Ruby red eyes flickered over to the former Tombkeeper. "Be that as it may, the Ring still recognizes Bakura. He has the best chance of finding Jounouchi with it."
Yugi held out the Item nestled in his palm. "If you are willing to help, Bakura-kun. I understand if this is something you never thought you'd have to do."
The Ring jingled cheerfully when Bakura took the Item and Kaiba exhaled a breath he hadn't known he was holding. The psychologist turned the object over in his hands, studying it in silence. He pulled the rope over his head and gave Yugi a nervous smile. As the Ring settled on his chest, a golden light spilled forth from the eye in the center.
"Guess you better show me how to work this thing."
-x-x-x-
Sophia noted that the suit he wore was made of high-quality material; it was tailored and most likely Italian. The man sitting behind the oak desk was in his thirties, clean-shaven and respectable looking. She had finally gotten in to talk to someone who had the power to help her. It hadn't been easy. She had spent over 10,000 US dollars in "gifts" over the last two hours to talk to someone this far up the organizational food chain. She has been out of the game for so long, she might as well be katagi (1) to these people.
"This is it, Sophia. If you call this favor in, we're square. I can't ever hear from you again unless you're returning to the corporation." Issac had said over the phone just an hour ago. She imagined he was sitting in his office at the talent agency when he took her call, surrounded by his designer modern furniture and contemporary art sculptures. "I hope that boy toy of yours is worth it."
Sophia wanted to laugh, but it would have been inappropriate. She really didn't need to piss off a mid-level faction boss of the Yamaguichi-gumi at this point. That was akin to signing her death warrant- even if that had already been done long ago. In the chair next to her sat her bargaining chip; her very uncooperative and nervous bargaining chip, had Issac not been his cousin. Happy, as he was more intimately known among his own circle, did a huge favor for someone high-up in the organization in Hong Kong. And for his loyalty, the corporation helped him to escape prosecution by shipping him off to head the start-up in Japan. She couldn't say she envied him for his position.
The man behind the desk, who had simply introduced himself as Kodo, smiled at her. "What can I do for the manager of Japan's next great cultural export," his eyes flickered briefly to the man to her left and that smile faltered. "And her fellow countryman?"
She chose not to correct him on the fact she was Chinese-American, but American nonetheless. "Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet with us, Kodo-san. It is an honor."
Kodo's phony grin returned. "You almost speak our language like a native."
Sophia straightened her posture, feeling unguarded without her handbag or the gun she carried within. "I'm here with a business proposition on behalf of the Mun-Sing Corporation (2), but our organization seeks a favor in return."
The other enforcers in the room stiffened at her words. Kodo had similarly narrowed his eyes in response. "I wasn't aware that Mun-Sing had holdings in entertainment."
"I understand there has been some tension over the ecstasy trade our organization is currently engaged in." She started, suppressing the urge to wince.
Kodo snarled and banged a fist on his desk. "Damn right there is. This is our territory and you Chinese need to back off."
She took a deep breath before continuing. "Our respective markets aren't competing with each other. I believe your main product is crystal meth. Your group obviously has no intention in pushing ecstasy yourself. And why would you? One group of spoiled college student who don't know their limits and the cops are on you in an instant. It hardly seems worth it. But you can't fault us for trying to make a limit. Neither of us wants this to turn into a protracted conflict, it's bad for both of our businesses."
Kodo had settled down considerably. "And you think you have a solution?"
"Leave our operations alone and we will cut you 40 percent. It's all of the gain without any of the risk." Sophia held her head high and refused to allow her nervousness to show. This was a do or die moment.
The silence was suffocating as he stared at her from across the desk. Happy was vigorously tapping his fingers against his thigh. Kodo took the chance to fetch a cigarette from the pack in his breast pocket and one of the guards behind him immediately moved forward to offer a light. The silence dragged on as wispy tendrils of cigarette smoke rake through the air.
"And what benefit does your organization get in return?" Kodo finally asked.
She placed the photo of Katsuya's father that she had convinced Malik to send her on the table between them. "We wish to find this man, Jounouchi Tanaka, as soon as possible."
Kodo raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Just find?"
She nodded slowly. "Find and nothing more. We have neither the manpower nor access to cover the entire city, but your organization does. But it needs to happen in the next few hours."
Kodo leaned back in his plush leather chair and looked as if he was seriously considering the proposal. "What guarantee-"
"I have assurances from the head office that our deal will be honored. They are prepared to send someone here within the week to finalize this."
Kodo took another drag of his cigarette. "Do you always go this far for all your clients?"
She gritted her teeth. "No, but I gave him my word." From what little she know about the yakuza, a person's word could be enough to get them far in these circles. Her heart was racing in her chest and the pounding echoed in her ears.
He picked up the photo off the desk and handed it to the suited man standing behind him. "Get the sake so that we may celebrate our newfound partnership."
-x-x-x-
Jounouchi tugged at the chain, but succeeded in causing the handcuffs around his wrist to chaff further and bringing more pain from what he now suspected was a broken rib. He was going to have to accept that he was not going anywhere as long as he was chained to the radiator. He recalled watching something on TV once that suggested he might be able to escape the cuffs if he broke both of thumbs. Then again, TV would also have him think that amnesia was easily cured with another knock to the head. He was almost glad that son of a bitch wasn't feeding him. He wasn't sure he could keep down any amount of food between the pain and the nausea.
A patch of sky visible through a crack in the blinds told him it was now nighttime. When he had been blindfolded and moved from the warehouse earlier, it was sometime in the afternoon. In that brief time between the warehouse exit and another vehicle, Jounouchi had felt the sun in his face and the wind in his hair.
He was beginning to wonder if anyone was even looking for him.
Jounouchi froze at the rattle of the front door. He had hoped he would have a much longer reprieve when his father initially left. The door edged open slowly, and his blood ran cold as the end of a gun's muzzle peeking around door.
"Katsuya?" The familiar voice was followed by a familiar head of black hair.
"Oh my god, Sophie, is that really you?" He really hoped he wasn't hallucinating.
His manager quickly rushed over to the radiator before dropping to her knees and placing her gun on the floor. She grabbed his shoulders and pulled him into a tight hug. It was a gesture he would have appreciated more if it didn't make his ribs didn't hurt like hell.
"Ouch, watch the ribs, Sophie." A few drops of liquid fell on his shoulder. "Are you crying?"
Her eyes were only slightly red when she pulled back. With her best glare on her face, she began to focus on the handcuffs binding him to the radiator. She pulled a bobby pin from her hair and inserted the metal into the keyhole. While she worked on the lock, Jounouchi couldn't help but stare at the firearm that was lying on the floor. He was aware of her past to some extent- knowing that they had shared many of the same experiences in their youth. It was one of the reasons they connected so well with each other. But maybe there were things he was better off not knowing about her...
"How did you find me?" He was still staring at the gun as he spoke. The low electric hum of a halogen light sign outside the window filled the air, making it harder to concentrate on anything else.
"I had some help from the Yamaguichi-gumi." She cut him off before he could ask more questions. "Don't ask me how I got their help. Some shatei-san spotted your father when he headed out half an hour ago and informed me. Now shut up so I can work."
After a few agonizing moments of eternity, the cuff around his left wrist came open with a loud pop. He immediately pulled his arms back from the radiator and began rubbing his wrist. It must have been hours since he was first chained around that thing. Jounouchi offered his right arm to his manager, "Are you gonna get this one too?"
She shook her head and grabbed her gun off the floor. "Let's not waste the time and just get out of here." Without him even needing to ask for help, she looped her arm around his shoulder and hauled him to his feet.
He leaned his weight on her as they walked. His legs were numb from having been sitting or lying on hard floors for almost two days. The not-so-gentle administrations of his captors and then his father had taken a toll on his body. Every few steps or so, Sophie would look at him as if she was taking a mental inventory of his injuries. It appeared she didn't very much like the list she came up with and Jounouchi had to wonder if he really looked that crappy.
When they were two feet away from the exit, the door swung open with a loud bang and sent them scrambling back into the room. The towering form of Jounouchi Tanaka filled the doorway completely, obscuring the light from the hallway outside. Jounouchi groaned in pain when Sophie dropped him and left him on the bed. She raised the gun immediately and aimed at the older man's head.
"I'll shoot!"
But her voice trembled ever so slightly.
-x-x-x-
Bakura squeezed his eyes shut as he tried to concentrate on the Ring and Jounouchi's location. In his youth, the Item had felt like an iron chain clamped around his neck. But it felt impossibly light now and the needles danced in the air with the slightest hint of a breeze. Bakura found it difficult to determine if the change in ar pressure followed the swing of the needles or vice versa.
In the driver's seat next to him, Kaiba was trying his best to not stare too openly at him. Even with his eyes closed, Bakura could still feel the full weight of the CEO's gaze. Kaiba had yet to snap at him for the slow progress they had made in the last two hours, but it was only a matter of time. Getting a handle on how to use the Ring had taken nearly an hour- though both Malik and Yugi were quick to reassure him that he was already doing the best humanly possible under the time constraint. Bakura had managed to use the Ring to find things hidden in the room and then ultimately somewhere else in the confine of Kaiba's office building. But Domino City was a whole other matter of almost a thousand square miles. A number of areas in the city had already been ruled out by Kaiba's security team, but it still left some 700 square miles of possibilities.
Finding a needle in a haystack was probably an understatement.
Bakura opened his eyes and looked straight into Kaiba's. "I think we're close. We should go the rest of the way on foot."
The other man just nodded and climbed out of his side of the car. As soon as Bakura got out of the car, he could feel an immediate tug toward one definite direction. The needles hanging from the Ring flew up from their slack positions to point ninety degrees to an alley to their north. Without exchanging any more words, Bakura followed the pull in his navel and Kaiba him. A five-story brick building with a neon light sign pronouncing it to be a motel stood at the end of the alley. In a third-story window overhead, there was a flash of light immediately followed by the sound of a gunshot. They both broke into a run toward the building.
-x-x-x-
The fight, as pathetic as it was, was over in a matter of seconds. Tanaka had recognized Sophie's hesitation and gotten the jump on her. As the firearm was thrown back into the air, a shot was fired into the ceiling. The gun was knocked out of her hand and slid across the length of the floor far away from both Jounouchi and Sophie's reach. A loud backhand slap sent Sophie crashing into a nearby wall with blood trailing from her lips and a cut along her temple. Jounouchi was brought down by a swift kick to his already tender torso, leaving him gasping in pain as his father straddled Sophie on the floor and began strangling her.
"Leave her alone!" He reached over to the bed for leverage to stand up. "Everyone heard that gunshot, it's only a matter of time before the police get here."
His father released the unmoving Sophie to cross the room in two long strides to retrieve the gun. Pointing the muzzle in Jounouchi's direction, the older man gave a toothy smile and said, "We better get moving then."
Jounouchi mentally cursed his manager for making the entire situation even worse by bringing the gun into the picture. When they emerged into the hallway, the corridor was dead silent. He wouldn't be surprised if the other occupants of the motel were hiding in their rooms. He tried to take one last glance at the unconscious (or so he really hoped she was) Sophie lying just out of the door's line of sight. His father dug the gun into his back in response to his resistance, urging him to move forward.
"If you run, I will shoot you."
Jounouchi was sure that was something his father would follow through with. His hands might be freed, but even he knew better than to go up against a pistol aimed at his heart. When they got to the stairwell, the older man ordered Jounouchi to go down to the ground floor. Just as they reached the first landing on their way down, rapid footsteps climbing up the stairs toward them made them both pause.
"Jounouchi-kun!" Bakura shouted as he and Kaiba rounded the bend of the staircase.
Grabbing roughly onto Jounouchi's shoulder to prevent escape, Tanaka lifted the gun and fired down in the voices general direction. Both of the other two men immediately dropped as they saw the flash of muzzle peek over the blond's shoulders. Tanaka dragged Jounouchi back up the last few steps they climbed and ordered, "Go up to the roof."
Exhausted and scared out of his mind, he shouted. "Please check on Sophie. She's in the open room on the third floor." His outburst predictably earned him a vice grip on his arm and more dragging up the stairs.
Kaiba's words echoed off the walls of the stairwell. "This is the end of the line, Tanaka. The police are already on their way."
With the gun's muzzle once more digging into his back, Jounouchi made the rest of the journey to the top of the staircase where they exited onto the rooftop. Near the edge of the roof, Tanaka kicked the back of his legs and forced him down on his knees. His heart raced as the end of the gun was placed firmly against the back of his head.
"This is crazy." He tried to keep his voice steady. "This is suicidal."
When Kaiba appeared in the rooftop access, he was alone and Bakura was nowhere in sight. Jounouchi really hoped the white-haired psychologist was checking on Sophie and contacting the police.
"Don't come any closer or I'll shoot him." His father declared from behind him.
Kaiba ignored the threat and began approaching them from across the roof. "You wouldn't do that. Jounouchi's your only bargaining chip if you want to get out of here alive. Believe me, your situation will only become a thousand times more dire if you should harm another hair on his head."
"Shut up!"
Kaiba was edging toward his left now and his eyes trained on some point behind Jounouchi. There were brief seconds of eye contact with the CEO and they did little to alleviate Jounouchi's sudden onslaught of nausea. Jounouchi had been close to death a number of times- probably a lot more than what most people could claim. But he had never been at the end of a gun pressed to his head and ready to blow his brains out. He really wanted to believe he was brave enough to take all that life could throw at him in stride. It was difficult to muster his usual bravado with the threat of a bullet in his skull.
And Kaiba, in his ever infuriating mask of calm, didn't show any fear or concern except for his rigid posture. "I must admit, I've seen a lot of stupid ideas in my time and this has to be one of the most ill-conceived plans I have ever witnessed. You had a pretty good deal going, but you couldn't just take the money- half a million dollars, more money than you would have been able to earn in several lifetimes- and run. Instead, you blow your chances by taking your son, a well-known public figure, just to knock him around a few times."
The metal of the gun was scrapping against Jounouchi's scalp- his father's hand was shaking in rage. "I told you to shut up!" Tanaka repeated himself.
From across the rooftop, Kaiba smirked and drew himself up to his full height. His trenchcoat billowed in the wind blowing through the surrounding buildings. "Your son hasn't defeated me once in the fifteen years of our acquaintance and he's smarter and stronger than you. You're a nobody, old man, what possible chance do you have of beating me?"
Jounouchi did his best to glare at the other man and bit down on his tongue to keep from retorting. Thanks for the support, jackass...
Tanaka whipped the gun up from against Jounouchi's skull to point at Kaiba. "I don't need to outsmart a son of a bitch like you. I can shut that mouth of yours just fine with a bullet."
Not willing to wait any longer to see what trick Kaiba had up his sleeve, Jounouchi decided it was better to take his chance now. He swung his leg out and hoped to God he made contact. The sweep of his leg managed to knock his father backwards and to one side. The gun fell to the ground with a loud clatter.
"Jounouchi, get out of the way!" Kaiba shouted from somewhere he couldn't see at the moment.
After a moment's hesitation, Jounouchi began rolling away from his father, who was starting to get back to his feet. When his father began reaching for the gun, Kaiba's booted foot appeared and kicked it out of sight. Tanaka and Kaiba had each other in a grapple as Jounouchi was just beginning to sit up. By the time he got up on his feet, it was clear that his father- a man who had done hard labor for the majority of his life- had gotten the upper hand. And Kaiba, despite all his dirty tactics in business and card games, refused to do the same in physical confrontations.
"No! Kaiba!" Jounouchi screamed as he watched the other man's body tumble over the edge. All he could hear over the sound of his rushing blood was the wind roaring in his ears.
Jounouchi broke into a run toward the edge of the roof. He needed to know that Kaiba was alright- that Kaiba hadn't gotten hurt just to save him. Tanaka got to him first though and threw him back. He instinctively curled into a ball when the first kick was delivered. Each blow came harder than the last. Above him, the enormous form of his father beat him like he was fourteen again. With no one left to save him now, he began wondering if this really was the end.
A sudden shot rang out over the quiet of his harsh breathing. When he felt no pain, he risked a look up at his father. A splash of red had blossomed across the white of Tanka's t-shirt. His father swayed on his feet but remained standing. When he continued to lurch forward, a second shot followed and Tanaka did not get up when he hit the surface of the roof.
Jounouchi watched as the blood pooled around the twitching body. All he could hear was the sound of his own gasping breath filling his head and all he could smell was the thick scent of gunpowder. In the shadow of the doorway stood Sophie. The red and blue light of the approaching police sirens illuminated her grim face and the smoking gun in her hands.
...To Be Continued...
(1) Katagi is the yakuza slang for normal, non-yakuza-affiliated people.
(2) Like the yakuza, the triad use corporate fronts to either appear as legitimate organizations or as sources of money laundering. Mun-Sing is just a rough phonetic translation for "full of stars."
Apologies for taking so long to get this chapter out. Working out the pacing for this one was a bit tough. Hopefully the next chapter should come up a lot sooner than this one.
Thank you to everyone that has been reading and reviewing!
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Joey