Aya stared down at the comatose form of Silence, his mind in turmoil over the emotions that the other man could generate in him.
The sound of Kei’s phone ringing again brought him back to a sense of his surroundings and he listened to the side of the conversation he could hear.
Four telepaths? And the one controlling Jas still unaccounted for.
But they had to deal with the two they’d found first. When Kei folded away the phone, he asked, “How are we going to do this? If we all leave here that leaves one man to look after two that have been – injured.” He wasn’t sure how else he could put the conditions that Aki and Jas were now in.
Kei regarded the Weiss with growing appreciation. No wonder Jas is drawn to him. I would be too if my own interest didn’t lay elsewhere.
But this wasn’t the time to think about who did spark his own sexual appetites so keenly.
“Suggestions?” he asked, directing the question at the red-haired man. He wanted to see just how good the former Weiss really was at planning tactics. Reading a stolen file from Kritiker on the man, and actually seeing a mind in action weren’t the same thing and he was curious to find out what the other man could really do.
Aya thought about it, missing Omi’s keen tactical mind. He was better in the field than planning in advance. He glanced at Farfarello. “How long will he be out cold?” he asked, indicating Jason. He was going to need a time frame in which the violet-haired one could take care of the others alone.
Farfarello shrugged, “It depends on his metabolism, but at least a couple of hours.”
Kei continued to study the red-haired man as he worked out what he’d do to assure the best outcome.
He’d just leave Farfarello behind, relying on the combination of Prodigy and the Weiss’ own evident telepathic abilities to protect the three of them at the hotel. Kei was certain if they got within bullet range of the RK operatives he’d have no trouble taking them out so long as they couldn’t gain access to his mind.
“Two hours…” It wasn’t a huge amount of time but he’d worked with tighter windows in the past. “Nagi, you say telepath’s don’t like Farfarello’s mind. Is there anyway he can confuse them from here or would he need to get closer?” Always supposing that he can do it at all…
Nagi glanced at his lover, not entirely certain of the answer. Aya seemed to be coming up with new and untried ways to use their various talents.
Farfarello tilted his head as he regarded Abyssinian, “Confuse them how?”
“Let them think we’re still here, trying to pick up the pieces instead of approaching and entering the hotel. Is that possible? I’m sorry but I’m not used to working with your talents so I’ve no way of knowing what you can and cannot do. If I’m talking crap say so and let’s think of something else.”
Kei regarded the pair of men intently.
“I might be able to pull it off. My mind’s hard for any telepath to read, but if you tell your friend in the house that you’re going to take care of...” he glanced at Hisato’s body in the kitchen, “the dead man, then it might convince them.”
“His name was Hisato,” Kei stated softly, holding the pain under tight rein. He couldn’t grieve yet. Not yet.
Not when there were people who had to pay for his brother’s death.
“It might be better for you to tell the other member of your team,” Aya said to Kei. “I’ll leave you unshielded for just long enough for them to hear the lie. That way we can take Farfarello with us to confuse them even more. Especially if he goes one way and we go another.”
If the telepaths thought an enraged Berserker was after them it might rattle them just enough for Kei, Nagi or himself to get in close enough to kill them. He frowned suddenly and turned his gaze on the telekinetic. “Are you able to kill?”
Nagi gazed impassively back at him. He thought of what had been done to the minds of the man who’d raised him and his lover. “I’m not sure, but in this case I’m prepared to try.”
“What do you have in mind, Abyssinian?” Kei asked.
“If Farfarello can distract them by making them think he’s out for their blood it might just unnerve them enough not to notice us coming from the other direction until it’s too late and we can kill them. I’d prefer them out of the hotel if there’s going to be shooting. We don’t want any innocent bystanders in the way.”
Kei shook his head. It wasn’t a bad plan, but it wasn’t a DSS style job either. “If they’re inside their hotel room there won’t be any innocent bystanders at all. If they’re on the street we’ll have more trouble and more potential witnesses.”
Aya nodded. “You have a point there,” he admitted. “I was too concerned with the noise factor perhaps. What do you suggest? You’re more used to making plans than I am.”
“True, you aren’t used to using guns. Well for this your katana is also acceptable and makes little noise. As for my pistol, I’ve got a silencer that isn’t even as loud as the pop of a cork coming out of a champagne bottle so noise isn’t going to be a factor.”
Aya nodded. “Okay, let’s do it.”
“Do you know how to ride a motorcycle or do you have to go double?”
“For now I have to ride pillion.” Aya was not happy with that admission but it was the truth. Having seen the advantages of motorcycles he would take the time to learn how to ride one.
“When we’ve got everything taken care of I’ll have Jas teach you. I’m sure he won’t object to having a reason to spend time with you.”
Kei regarded Prodigy and Farfarello. “Can we trust you to protect my people? We’re going to be freeing your friends.”
“If you couldn’t trust us, we wouldn’t be having this conversation, would we?” Farfarello countered. “Not to mention that the rest of your team would already be dead.”
“I’ll take that as a yes then,” Kei said as he pulled his helmet back on. “We’ll need the two of you to do what you can to keep their attention away from us. Go talk to Issei, tell him we’ve taken the body elsewhere. Don’t let anyone in the kitchen but Farfarello. If they can’t read his mind they won’t know about the deception.” He closed his eyes and said, “Better yet, hide the body in the garage. That way if Issei does go in the kitchen there won’t be anything but some blood to show what happened.”
Nagi nodded, a look of relief crossing his features. “We can manage that,” he said. “Good luck.”
Aya nodded to the two Schwarz members before putting on the helmet he’d worn on the way from the farm. He hoped the others were okay but then again the woman seemed competent enough.
His thoughts strayed to Yohji and he sighed. It would never have worked. The blond’s bad habits would have come between them sooner or later, probably sooner. He wasn’t the most forgiving of people as his reaction to the news that Yohji had slept with Crawford and Schuldig had proved.
He climbed on the bike behind Kei, ready to go.
Darkness started up the bike. The faceless visor turned to Nagi. “Don’t disappoint me,” he told the Schwarz teen then they were off, heading for the Pacific Tower Roppongi.
By the time they hit the end of the highway onramp, they were doing almost 100mph.
They reached the hotel in one piece much to Aya’s surprise. He wasn’t sure if Kei and Jas were simply better riders than Ken but he felt safer on their bikes than ever he did on his team mate’s.
“Do we just go straight up?” he asked.
“No. We go through the service entrance. Just act as if you belong and no one will question us. We’re going to need a few things.” Kei pulled his helmet off and actually smiled at the former Weiss. “Have you ever used the cover of being a waiter?”
Aya shook his head. “We’ve been air crew and, of course, florists. Omi was a waiter once but we didn’t do a lot of undercover work. I think I can manage room service though.”
“I’ve done this before so I’ll be the waiter,” Kei stated. “You can ride on the bottom shelf of the cart and guard our minds. You’ll need to be ready to come out from under the cart fast. Do you think you can do that?”
Kei found himself wishing for Jas. He could always count on the blond’s lightning fast reflexes. He hadn’t even gotten in a practice session with the red-haired Abyssinian and here they were going into a dangerous situation with a pair of RK killer telepaths as a two man team.
I must be crazy.
Aya merely stared back at Kei both his impassive expression and his body language telling the other man that of course he could do it and what did the prick think he’d been doing for the past three years.
“Yes,” he said. “Let’s just do it.”
Kei gave the other man a searching stare and hoped to hell he wasn’t putting his trust in someone who’d lost his edge as much as the prior reports he’d gotten from his own team suggested.
Without saying anything else Kei headed toward the employee entrance. Without a magnetic key card they had no chance of getting in. But such minor obstacles never stopped Kei. He’d either wait for an employee to arrive for work, or failing that, he’d use one of the numerous small electronic devices he carried for just that purpose.
Aya followed behind him, shielding their minds from all with the ability to read their deadly intent. He didn’t realise it but he was also making any stray passers by not notice their presence.
They reached the door to find it locked and nobody apparently ready to start a shift which was hardly surprising at ten o’clock at night. Those not busy with late diners, the bar or room service would have long gone.
He watched with some interest as Kei produced a small device and placed it over the electronic lock mechanism. The door clicked and they were inside.
Kei closed his eyes and visualized the floor plan of the employee area of the hotel. He’d been here twice, and had committed the floor plan of the whole building to memory over a year ago.
“This way,” he told Aya and headed directly for the kitchen.
Aya followed, keeping a weather eye open for anyone who might question their presence. Nobody did and there was only one bored waiter, ready to take room service calls, sitting in the stainless steel cathedral that was the hotel’s kitchen.
He keeled over without a sound as Aya applied the hilt of his sheathed katana to the base of his skull.
Kei raised an eyebrow but said nothing as he picked the waiter up in a fireman’s carry and took him to the nearest storage closet where he divested the man of his uniform and stripped quickly out of his bike leathers.
The uniform was going to be a snug fit, but not so tight that it would look wrong.
Whilst Kei got changed, Aya found a large enough trolley and covered the top of it with silver tea and coffee pots, a plate of sandwiches and a small pile of plates, cups and saucers.
Once satisfied that nobody would spare the trolley a second glance, he divested himself of his long coat and climbed onto the bottom shelf.
Kei found a crate of paper napkins that was half empty and stowed his clothes and Aya’s coat inside it, and shut the box before easing his gun beneath the cover on the plate of sandwiches.
The smell of the food reminded him how long it had been since he’d had a meal.
It also reminded him that his next meal would not include his brother, Hisato.
Grief flooded his mind, quickly followed by such rage that it left him shaking.
Emotion is your enemy. Do not let it rule you, he warned himself.
“Ready?” he asked the man under the crisp white linen draping the cart.
“Ready,” Aya agreed and adjusted his balance slightly as the cart began to move. He couldn’t see a thing through the linen but he knew when they left the kitchen and hit the carpeted corridors of the guest areas of the hotel. He felt them enter the elevator and the very slight lurch as it began its climb to the right floor. Then they were traversing carpet again and he knew they were getting close to their targets.
Kei paused at the right room. His heart was starting to race. This is it. We find out if Fujimiya has protected us, and if we can take on the might of RK.
He knocked on the door. “Room service.”
The door opened to reveal the oddest and most flamboyant looking man. His hair was styled rather like Cruella De Ville from 101 Dalmatians, one half being black the other bone white. He had odd coloured eyes too, one bright blue the other a very weird almost white with only the pupil standing out.
“Nobody here ordered…” It was as far as he got. Aya leapt out from under the trolley and immediately drew the katana, piercing the weirdo’s neck as he forced him back into the room, careful not to get between Kei and the other man who had jumped to his feet.
The deadly black pistol was already coming up from beneath the tray of sandwiches when the green haired man started to move.
It fired with a muted popping sound as the green-haired German tried to bring his power to bear on the intruders, only to discover that they were shielded.
The oddball was attempting to persuade Aya that he really didn’t want to hurt anyone and that he would do as he was told. Having seen green hair dodge Kei’s bullet, Aya made no mistakes. He didn’t swing the katana, instead using it to stab the other man through the larynx. Mindwarp looked very surprised as he crumpled to the ground.
Kei grabbed the pot of coffee and threw it at the fast moving telepath, accurately putting it in the green haired man’s path of flight.
Berger staggered as the heavy silver pot, along with the hot liquid struck him squarely in the chest.
“I want him alive,” Kei snarled as he shoved the service cart aside and went for the German.
Aya stayed out of his way but made certain that the German’s only exit was by way of the window and a twenty storey drop.
Berger seeing himself cornered, focused the full power of his mind on the two men in the room with him.
And that meant that he had to release the other mind he’d been holding.
Aya felt the attack on his shields like a physical blow. He staggered under it but his shields held – just. He did what came naturally to him and attacked, for the first time in his life trying to get into someone else’s mind.
He was in a dark place, full of malice and he shuddered at the feel of it but still he lashed out with his mind trying to buy Kei the time to act.
Laughter filled Aya’s mind as the RK telepath unleashed the full capability of his mind against his untrained opponent.
*Welcome to my world,* he told the swordsman as the world around Aya seemed to slow, finally coming to a stop with Kei aiming his gun at Berger’s chest.
But even stopped in time, it was evident that Kei’s fist wasn’t going to hit it’s target because Berger had begun to move out of the way.
Aya felt powerless, trapped in the dark of Berger’s mind. What the hell had he been thinking?
*Ack! But that’s just it, Liebling, you weren’t thinking were you?*
There was a sudden light in the darkness and Schuldig’s form took shape in front of Aya’s mental eyes.
*Hold onto your sword, Aya, everything is going to speed up.*
Schuldig went quiet but it was noticeable that Berger was being held in place.
The green-haired telepath lashed out, trying to regain control, but without the aid of Mindwarp he stood little chance of fighting Schuldig. They were too evenly matched.
Another mind joined the little party, as Crawford’s image took shape beside Schuldig’s. *Wouldn’t want to miss the show now, would I?* he asked as he smirked at Schuldig. Even across the mental channels there was a coldness about the American, a harsh edge to him that even untrained Aya could sense.
Berger tried to retreat. Struggled to escape.
Until a fist collided with his jaw and he dropped to the floor, dazed and vulnerable.
“My brother is dead because of you!” Kei snarled into Berger’s face as he grabbed the man by the shirt front.
In the man’s mind Crawford’s smirk grew to a vicious smile, *It’s really too bad we don’t dare let Darkness have his way with Berger. That man has a positively evil bent when it comes to revenge.*
*Why can’t we let him have his way?* Aya asked, still hearing Aki’s misery in the back of his mind. *Don’t we want this bastard dead?*
*I’m inclined to agree with the kitten on that myself,* Schuldig added. *That poor little guy fought so hard.*
*True. But I’m inclined to think Berger is too dangerous to let live for much longer. He has a way of escaping and I’d prefer not to have to face him again. On the other hand, I think Darkness has a suitable punishment for Berger that you’ll both find interesting.*
Kei grabbed the dazed telepath and bodily threw him across the room so that he collided with a glass topped end table which smashed to shower the stunned Berger with shards of glass.
Bleeding, he was hauled off the floor and shaken like a rat. “It was my brother that you killed. And my friend that you tormented.”
Berger managed a faint smile. “Yes, and it was so enjoyable to...”
He didn’t get a change to finish what he intended to say. Kei backhanded him.
Mouth full of blood, Berger just chuckled. “Do you think you can do anything that hasn’t been done to me before?”
Brad smirked inside Aya’s mind. *Berger’s in for a few surprises.*
“No?” Kei asked coldly as he pulled a narrow bladed knife from under his waiter’s uniform. He pinned Berger to the floor and the telepath’s eyes went wide.
“Nein!”
Kei grinned, “Oh, sorry to scare you, but... Yes!” He rammed the knife blade into Berger’s skull right over the bridge of the man’s nose.
The telepath screamed as his ability to communicate, to touch other minds was severed.
Aya found himself out of the dark and back in the hotel room. Of Schuldig and Crawford there was no sign.
*You have an interesting mind, Liebling, but you need training.*
*Not by you, I don’t!*
*So ungrateful…*
*Get out of my head, Schuldig. And… thank you.*
Kei turned to Aya. “Are you all right?” he asked as he got off the floor and reached for the service cart. On the floor at his feet the former telepath was twitching, still wide-eyed with the horror of what had been done to him.
“Thanks to Schuldig and Crawford, yes,” the redhead said. “Schuldig held Berger still enough for you to reach.”
The DSS leader picked up a sandwich and took a bite. “Not bad.”
Aya stared down at the dying telepath dispassionately. “You have a better idea of anatomy than I do.” He took a deep breath and said what was really on his mind. “I never realised I was a telepath until now. But I’m untrained and that makes me a liability doesn’t it.”
Kei swallowed and just shrugged at Aya’s question. “I’m sure we can find someone to teach you.” He took another bite of the sandwich, then picked up the tray and offered one to the former Weiss. “They’re good. Try one.”
Aya stared at the other killer for a moment, comparing his reaction to the news to the likely reactions of the rest of Weiss. A brow rose as he realised the man was as pragmatic as himself and he reached for one of the sandwiches.
Kei was right, they were good and he was hungry having missed dinner just about everywhere.
Kei nodded to Aya and set the tray down, grabbing another sandwich for himself he said, “Security will arrive in ten minutes. We’ll go down the stairs to the floor below and then take the service elevator back to the kitchen.”
Aya nodded as he chewed. Swallowing the last of the sandwich he cleaned his katana on Mindwarp’s clothes and resheathed it ready to go.
Kei motioned toward the door. He picked up his discarded pistol and shoved it under his waiter’s uniform. “If we encounter any security guards, I’m sure you know how to handle them.”
He walked toward the door. He pulled it open and stepped into the hallway.
Aya stuffed a second sandwich into his mouth and followed Kei out of the door. He was bright enough to realise he was seeing both a natural born killer and leader in action and the thought gave him a sense of relief. He’d had his leadership of Weiss thrust upon him and had never felt he was very good at it. It was good to let someone else make the important decisions.
The hallway was empty and they descended the stairs to the next floor without incident.
Kei led Aya to the service elevator without making a single wrong turn. He pushed the button and waited, his hand close to where he’d hidden his pistol, just in case.
Aya frowned. This was just too easy. Something made him grip the hilt of the katana, ready to draw it at a second’s notice if necessary.
*Use your talent, kitten.*
*Leave me alone!* But he did listen out for other minds. “Two men in the elevator. They aren’t talents.”
“Any idea what they are?” Kei asked. “Try to read their thoughts. If they’re just workers, we’re in no trouble. If they’re guards,” he shrugged, “they’ll be the ones in trouble.”
Aya pushed a little further, trying not to let the men know he was reading them.
I really do need training.
The feel of a concerned mind, wondering why the mental link from his telepathic charges had suddenly vanished, Aya drew back instantly.
“Bodyguards,” he mouthed.
Kei gave a curt nod as he drew the pistol. With his free hand he motioned for Aya to step aside and hoped Abyssinian had the sense to guard a team mate’s back without being told.
Aya stepped to the side, out of sight from the occupants of the elevator, and drew the katana with only the slightest hiss of steel. The elevator drew to a stop and the doors were flung open.
Kei had his pistol up and ready, and the instant the doors opened he fired, getting the pair of shots off quickly.
Fast as Kei was, one of them was just quick enough to get off a shot of his own.
Instead of two dead men hitting the floor, it was one dead man and a rather startled Darkness that hit the carpet.
“Well, well what have we here? I do believe it’s the bastard leader of DSS,” the RK agent said, sounding pleased with himself. “Won’t the boss be surprised?”
Kei turned a chill smile on him. “Not as surprised as you’re about to be,” he replied softly.
There was the whoosh of steel travelling through the air at speed and then the RK agent’s head parted company with the rest of his body.
“You hit at all?” Aya asked as he cleaned off the blade again.
“Yes,” Kei’s voice was calm and steady, but when he held up his left hand Aya could see it was covered in blood. “Help me up.”
Aya sheathed the sword and held out an arm for Kei to grip. “How bad is it?”
“I’ll live,” Darkness replied as he got to his feet with Aya’s assistance. The pallor of his face showed he was in pain even if his voice held no indication of the fact he’d been shot. “Let’s get out of here before more company shows up.”
He stepped into the elevator, and it became far more apparent that he was hurt when his legs proved to be unsteady.
Aya got a shoulder under him and helped to keep him upright for the short journey down to the kitchen. He couldn’t feel anyone else around but that didn’t mean they had all night.
He did wonder how they were going to get back to the house on the bike with Kei so badly hurt.
The kitchen was empty when they got back, the man Aya had rendered unconscious obviously off somewhere finding painkillers. He leaned Kei against a wall and grabbed their discarded clothing from where it had been hidden. He draped his coat round Kei’s shoulders and gave him the sword to hide amongst its skirts.
Kei raised an eyebrow over being given Aya’s prized katana. He supposed it was just the easiest way for the other man to handle it and helping him back out to his bike, but it also showed a level of trust that proved he’d been right about at least one of the Weiss assassins: Aya would easily mesh with his own team.
A team that no longer included the man he’d trusted most of all: Hisato.
Aya took the other man’s weight again and they were on their way.
Kei made Aya stop once they’d gotten outside. “Give me my jacket. I’ve got something in it that should at least slow the bleeding.”
Aya came to a halt and handed over the jacket.
Kei pulled a small metal box out of the pocket and opened a bottle that it held. He passed it to Aya and braced himself against the wall
“Dump that into the bullet hole,” he instructed then closed his eyes to focus on something other than the pain he was about to be in.
Aya glanced at the label expecting to see ethyl alcohol but instead read a name that meant nothing to him. “What is this stuff?”
He moved Kei’s shirt aside to find a clean entry and exit wound in the man’s side.
“One of our secrets. It clots blood, keeps us from bleeding to death if we’re hurt. You’ll learn about all our little secrets in time,” Kei replied.
“Any time you’re ready with that stuff.” He gritted his teeth and waited.
Aya tilted the bottle and poured its contents into the wound. The blood slowed almost immediately and then gradually stopped. It obviously came with a price though as Kei hissed in pain.
The stuff came from a medical research company that had developed it for use by emergency personnel like paramedics and ER doctors. But the pain it caused often sent already injured patients into shock, or worse, cardiac arrest. The drug trials that had seemed so promising were abruptly ended after three people died.
For DSS it was a blessing and often meant they didn’t need to head for one of their own well paid doctors.
“A bit of advice, don’t get seriously hurt,” Kei growled out as he started for the bike, his steps still none too steady.
“Are you going to be able to drive,” Aya asked as he closed the bottle and handed it back. Then he smiled slightly and shook his head. This man could be dying and he’d still get his team to safety.
Kei turned a bland stare on Aya. “Could you?”
He didn’t wait for an answer; he just finished the short walk to his motorcycle and lay Aya’s coat over it. “Put that back on and give me my pants.” He stripped off the waiter’s uniform and dropped them to the pavement.
Aya handed the leather pants over and swapped his coat for Kei’s jacket. He pulled it on and rehid the katana.
Kei put his leathers back on, got onto the bike and put on his helmet. He started up the heavy motorcycle. Just twenty minutes to their safe house. He could hold it together that long.
Aya climbed on the back, putting on his helmet as he did so. If they crashed and survived he would steal a car to get them home safely.
Kei put the bike in gear and started for their safe house. He managed to get them onto the interstate and once they were there he gunned the bike to a faster speed, but he was going much slower than he’d been on their way to the hotel.
Aya tried hard to balance without having to cling to Kei like a limpet the way he had on the way out. He found he was just as safe with his hands resting on his thighs as he was with them round Kei’s waist. He smiled to himself as he decided not to let Jas know what he’d discovered.
Pain was Kei’s enemy, along with the blood he’d lost. He clenched his jaw and focused his attention on just getting them back to the house.
The change in the location of Aya’s hands was one Kei appreciated as it put no pressure on the gunshot wound.
He gave the bike a little more gas wanting to get to the house so he could rest.
At long last they were riding up the drive to the house. When the bike came to a halt, Aya climbed off and turned just in time to catch Kei as he fell off sideways finally giving in to weakness, pain and loss of blood.
Having heard the noise, Nagi came running out of the house. Aya glanced at him. “Can you help me to get him inside?”
Kei opened his eyes. “Call Kate. Let her know...” His eyes closed and he went limp in Aya’s grasp.
Farfarello glanced out of the sliding glass doors, “Crawford called. They’ll be here in about half an hour.”
The Irishman stepped outside, “What happened?”
“Two telepaths and their guards are dead,” Aya told him. He felt Kei’s weight on him lessen as Nagi used his power to lift the man without hurting him any further. The Schwarz teen literally floated him into the house. Aya followed wondering if anyone inside would be prepared to give him Kate’s cell number so he could let her know before resting himself.
Farfarello followed them into the house. “Crawford told me that Mindwarp is dead but he said that Berger is alive, but of no use to anyone, not even himself. What does he mean by that? He told me to ask you.”
He glanced at Kei, “He’ll live, by the way.”
Aya nodded. “I know,” he said. “Berger had his talent cut off.” He nodded towards the eerily floating body of the DSS leader. “He should have been a surgeon. He gave Berger a lobotomy without anaesthetic.”
He got into the house to find Issei staring at him suspiciously. Of the little explosives expert there was no sign. “Someone needs to call Kate and let her know what happened.” Somehow he didn’t think Issei would give him the number.
Farfarello chuckled at the remark about Berger’s current mental capacity. “I know Crawford is impressed and that’s not something he admits on a regular basis. In fact I’ve only heard him say that about one other person.”
“Who was that, the devil himself?” Aya wasn’t really interested. Right now he just wanted to let Shadow know the score and sleep.
Issei handed Aya a cell phone without question. “Third number down on the speed dial list.”
A brow rose before Aya nodded and took the phone. He activated the speed dial and waited.
“Hello?” The woman’s voice was worried. He gave her the news only to be sent reeling by her news. When he closed the phone his face was forbidding. “Kudoh’s gone missing. She thinks he’s been kidnapped.”
Farfarello just stared at Aya. “Kidnapped? If Rosenkreuz has him he’s as good as dead.” He frowned, and looked at Nagi. “I can’t imagine Kritiker would be much kinder considering you’ve defected.
“Crawford didn’t mention that. I wonder if he’s still having side-effects of being under Mindwarp’s control.”
Nagi frowned having gently lowered Kei onto a couch and covered him with a blanket. “When did it happen?”
“About ten minutes ago. He couldn’t have just walked away seeing as his ankle is broken so she thinks someone he trusts picked him up as there was no sound of a struggle. The only people from Kritiker he might trust are Manx or Birman. Unless… Would Crawford have collected him?”
Farfarello shook his head. “Crawford’s on his way here.” The Irishman looked puzzled. “But I do know he was calling from his cell phone.”
Aya was too tired to try figuring things out. His head hurt from using his talent so disastrously and he needed to sleep. He glanced at Issei. “How are Jason and the little one? Sorry, I don’t know his name yet.”
“Jason was still out when I last checked on him and Aki’s been given a sedative.”
“Jason is awake and wondering who he should go and kill for giving him this migraine,” the blond said as he entered the room.
Issei shrugged. “Ask him,” he said indicating Aya. “I’m going to make sure Aki’s still sleeping.” He left the room without another word.
“He’s been shot in the side,” Aya said quietly. “The bullet went straight through and I emptied half a bottle of coagulant into the wound.”
Jas visibly winced when he heard about the coagulant. “Let me get a look at it then. It will still need to be cleaned and bandaged.” He caught Nagi’s eye, “Move him to the kitchen table. If Kei bleeds on the couch he’ll ream me out over it.”
“Sorry,” Nagi said and lifted Kei once again, floating him into the kitchen to land gently on the table. There was no sign of what had happened earlier, the two Schwarz men had obviously cleaned up very thoroughly.
Jas had followed and once Kei was on the table he started to get the man out of his leathers. “I’m going to need some water, betadine, more of the coagulant and... oh hell,” he sighed, “there’s a first aid kit in the cabinet over the fridge. Could you get it for me Aya?”
Aya nodded and reached up to open the cabinet. A large military style first aid box took up most of the space. He pulled it down and carried it over to the table. Nagi had found a bowl and filled it with warm water. He set it down next to the box.
The wound was clean, the bullet having gone straight through. Although the exit wound was nasty it beat digging the bullet out. “Did the bullet hit any vital organs?”
Jas frowned, “I’m not sure.” His gaze went a little unfocused then he blinked and met the violet eyes of the former Weiss. “My sister says no, but he’s weak from loss of blood.”
He touched Kei’s side. “We all hate like hell to use the stuff, but how long did he wait to use the coagulant?”
“We had to get out of the hotel; nineteen floors in an elevator, grabbing our stuff from the kitchen and making it to the bike. About three to four minutes.”
Then he’d held things up with his stupid questions – nearer four. “Five at the outside.”
“Fuck. That’s too long. He must have bled a lot.” Jas muttered as he opened the first aid kit and started taking things out. He dumped some betadine over the wound, then put an absorbent gauze pad over both the entry and exit wounds.
“I’m going to need help wrapping the gauze around him. Can you hold him upright or do you know how to do this? If he wakes up he might try to fight us off and I’d rather you not get hurt. Me he might recognize.”
“I doubt if he’ll wake up,” Aya said quietly, “but I know how to bind wounds if you prefer to do it that way.”
Jas nodded. “It’s probably the safest. Kei tends to wake up when you don’t expect it, and he’s not always perfectly rational either, just to warn you in case you find yourself alone with him under these circumstances.”
Aya nodded and held the gauze pads in place while Jas raised Kei into a sitting position. He got the first circle of bandage round him, effectively holding the gauze pads still. He’d had a lot of practice at this. Moments later the bandage was in place and Aya was pinning the end.
“I’m going to stay here with him. I want you and Issei... Shit that won’t work either,” the man’s grey eyes darkened slightly and his head went up like a wolf scenting prey. “Schwarz is here. I want the five of you to find Kudoh and get back here as fast as you can. I’ll call Kate and let her know to stay put. We’ll all meet up at the farmhouse.”
He leaned closer to Aya and put his lips to the red-head’s mouth, a slow burning heat filled him as their lips touched. It wasn’t like anything he’d ever experienced before, but it felt good. It felt right.
Aya returned the brief kiss before glancing at Nagi and Farfarello. “Why exactly are Crawford and Schuldig coming here?” he asked.
Farfarello shrugged. “You can ask them that,” he said and indicated the back door.
Crawford and Schuldig were there, and the door slid open to admit them.
“Good evening gentlemen. I’ll come right to the point; RK knows where you are so I suggest that we move from this locale immediately because, in two hours time they will be sending a team here to kill you. They’ve lost all desire to try and take any of us alive.”
Aya’s eyes narrowed. “Where’s Yohji? You’re supposed to be able to see everything so who has him?”
He had hoped that it had been Crawford and Schuldig that had collected him but now he had to come to terms with the idea that someone they still trusted in Kritiker had made the approach.
Crawford pushed his glasses up, “For the record, no, even I can’t foresee every potential outcome of a situation. The farther ahead in time it is the less certain it becomes. What I can do is make sure I chose the right path to achieve a desired goal or effect.
“And as for Yohji, he’s fine but badly in need of something to take the edge off of his addiction. Be glad it’s only alcohol and not heroin, Fujimiya. No thanks to you Weiss, that’s what he’d be addicted to if it weren’t for Schuldig and I.”
“So it was you who took him.” It wasn’t great news but better than thinking that someone they trusted had turned against them. He turned to gaze at Jas. “Are Aki or Kei up to travelling?”
It was obvious that they couldn’t ride the bikes and he wondered if they had cars that could be used.
“I didn’t say I have Yohji now did I? What I said was that he was seeking what he needs to take the pain away.” Brad shook his head and glanced at Schuldig, “No one but us appears to be capable of comprehending a conversation anymore do they?”
Jas was staring at Crawford, but it was Aya that he answered. “I’m not sure about Aki, but if the self-important loud-mouth over there is right, we’ve got to move regardless.”
“I’ll go and check on Aki and Issei,” Nagi offered and slid out of the kitchen.
He narrowly avoided a minor explosion from Aya. “Do you mean to tell me the fucking idiot went looking for booze? He just walked out into the night on a broken ankle to buy a bottle of whiskey? Stupid bastard!”
Brad pinched the bridge of his nose and narrowly held his own temper in check. It was fully apparent why Kudoh had been so easy to lure into their embrace. Not one of the Weiss seemed to understand the blond’s problem.
Aya was obviously beyond pissed with his team mate but he had the sense to realise that now was neither the time nor the place. Instead he asked Jas if they had any cars.
“Yeah, we’ve got an SUV, but we hate using it. They aren’t especially good for evading or chasing people in traffic and the only time we ever use it is to go shopping.”
“Get your friends ready to go. Abyssinian and I need to have a little talk,” Crawford said. “In private.”
“Fine. I’ll get some of our gear together.” Jas eased Kei gently to the tabletop, checked to make sure the man was sleeping, frowned and left the room.
Aya crossed his arms and stared at Crawford. “I guess I owe you two my thanks,” he said, “but don’t expect Aki to be overjoyed by the sight of Schuldig. He doesn’t know you were both taken over.”
“You owe us more than you know, Fujimiya. Yohji would have been dead months ago if I hadn’t intervened in his potential lack of a future.”
Brad stepped farther into the kitchen and helped himself to a bottle of juice from the fridge.
“Being sedated, even mildly, certainly leaves one’s mouth dry,” he commented as he passed a bottle to Schuldig.
“Sedated?” Aya frowned.
“Yes. Farfarello handcuffed us, sedated us, and then left to seek help here. The instant Schuldig and I were free of the mental control of Berger and Mindwarp we were able to get out of the cuffs.”
Crawford opened the bottle and took a drink. “Much better.”
He actually moved closer to Schuldig and caressed the German’s face. He was still worried about his lover, but hoped that a few more hours free of the other telepath’s control would restore his lover to his normal sarcastic self.
“The fact that you were more interested in my statement that Schuldig and I had been sedated than in Yohji’s well-being reveals much more than you realize, Abyssinian.” He turned to face the swordsman, “You really don’t give a damn about him at all, do you?”
“He’s a team mate,” Aya said. “We might have become more but you very carefully put a stop to that didn’t you?” He sighed. “What exactly do you want with him?”
Schuldig had taken the juice but still remained silent, as he got over the headache that Berger’s takeover of his mind had left him with.
“We saved him, that made him mine,” Crawford stated firmly. “And what’s mine I keep. There’s also the fact that, even if we didn’t have a prior claim on him you still don’t understand him well enough. And you have to face the fact that you don’t love him unconditionally. You’d make demands and have expectations that he can never meet. And he never will.”
He put an arm around Schuldig and pulled the telepath close. He could sense the pain his lover was in and wished there was something he could give to the telepath that would even lessen the hurt, but he didn’t dare give him any drugs. Not right now when minute changes in the decisions at RK or Kritiker might bring trouble down on them.
“I’ve never asked for his love,” Aya said coolly, “and we’re wasting time if we have to leave so quickly.” He glanced at Kei, hoping the man was up to travelling without doing further damage. Autocratic he might be but he was a lot easier to get along with than the precog was.
“No, but you were perfectly happy to piss on it weren’t you?” the American stated nastily then turned to Schuldig. “And none of them understand why he drinks. Ah well, as the saying goes, none so blind....”
Schuldig glanced up then, blue eyes intent. “Much as I hate to admit it, he’s right. They’re getting closer and I’m in no state to take on Phantasm and whoever he brings with him.”
“None of us are,” Crawford replied flatly as he finished the juice. “Drink that it will help and you know it.”
Farfarello came back from wherever he’d disappeared to and started to stuff some food and drinks into a duffle bag. “I’m not planning on running from RK with no food like last time,” he muttered.
Crawford gave Berserker a brittle smile, “Don’t blame me for that.”
A single amber eye focused on the taller man, “Did I?”
“No, of course not,” was the sharp-edged reply.
The two exchanged a silent stare then Crawford raised an eyebrow and Farfarello looked away.
“Anyone get the tag number of the truck that hit me?” Kei asked softly from where he lay on the table.
Aya ignored Schwarz and went over to him. “We have to leave,” he said, “apparently RK know where this place is and are on their way. Jas is getting your team organised. Are you able to travel?”
Kei swung his legs over the edge of the table as he sat up, but he didn’t get down. “I can travel if we’re talking about taking the SUV, I’m just not too sure how far I can ride a bike.” His look was one of annoyance, “Actually I’m not totally certain I can walk to the car either.”
“I’ll get the car ready,” Farfarello said as he headed for the door that led into the garage.
“Where is Hisato’s body?”
Farfarello stopped, “In the garage.”
“I’ll want him brought with us.”
Farfarello regarded the man silently for a moment then nodded.
Schuldig swallowed the last of the juice and cricked his neck. He was feeling better now but not quite ready to face up to another round.
Nagi returned then with Issei leading a shaken Aki with an arm around the smaller man. He’d heard the last of the conversation and silently followed Farfarello out to the garage.
Issei glared at Crawford and Schuldig but said nothing, his concern being all for the explosives expert right now.
Akira couldn’t even look at Kei, didn’t want to remember what he’d done in this very room. He started to shake and a new trickle of tears filled his eyes. He turned his head and saw Schuldig.
“BASTARD!” he screamed and went for the blue-eyed German.
Crawford stepped between his lover and the distraught demolitions expert, but as he’d guessed it wasn’t necessary: Kei had come off the kitchen table and wrapped his arms around his team mate, pulling him close.
“Shhhh... It’s okay Aki. It wasn’t him and the telepath that did it will never hurt anyone ever again. Shh...” he murmured. His legs were shaking and the room was spinning, but he wouldn’t let any more harm come to the smaller man.
He’d already suffered enough.
Schuldig hung his head. If they were going to work with these people in order to save their hides, they’d got off to the very worst of starts. “It wasn’t really me,” he murmured but then thought better of speech and lapsed into silence.
*I think Nagi and Farf have finished in the garage. Perhaps we should let them get themselves sorted out without us present.* He didn’t think Crawford’s claims on Kudoh were going down too well with Fujimiya either but that was a pissing contest for another day, if they could escape RK’s clutches for long enough.
Brad turned around and took Schuldig’s chin in his hand, forcing the telepath’s head up, concern for his lover taking priority over the rest of what was going on. “Don’t apologize,” he murmured. “You weren’t the only one under control and you aren’t to blame.” He pressed his lips to Schuldig’s mouth, the touch far more gentle than anyone present other than his own team would have thought him capable of.
“Issei, help me with Aki. I...” Kei’s legs started to buckle which gave Aki the chance to break free
Instead the small drummer tried to keep Kei from collapsing. “Kei? Oh god, did I shoot you too?”
“No, Aki. You didn’t,” Kei replied.
Issei darted forward, and helped Aki to ease Kei back onto the table. His honey eyes glanced at Aya. “Can you help Kei while I help Aki?”
Aya nodded and moved forward to support Kei while Issei gently disengaged Aki from their leader.
Meanwhile Schuldig returned Crawford’s kiss but soon pulled away, feeling uncomfortable in these surroundings and with hostile gazes upon him. It was a new emotion for him, this guilt. He was the guilty one so why should he care about these mundanes anyway?
Whatever Berger had done to him, it had left him feeling unusually vulnerable.
Jas came in then, nearly lost amid a number of duffle bags, all of them loaded with gear for the rest of his team. “If someone can get these into the SUV, I’ll get mine and Kei’s bag and we can get out of here.”
He didn’t notice the tense tableau, or the fact that Kei was awake until he’d dropped the heavy load on the floor.
“You going to live?”
Kei nodded but his gaze went to the Schwarz leader and his telepath. It was Jas that had almost killed the German and he wondered if there would be trouble over that later. “You all right?’
“Yeah. I’ve got a headache that would kill God, but I guess I’ll live.”
At Jas’ comment Farfarello-- who’d just come back from helping Nagi in the garage-- chuckled and started gathering up a few of the duffle bags. They were heavier than he’d expected and he turned a respectful eye on the sleek, blond killer.
Crawford put an arm around Schuldig. *What’s wrong?*
Schuldig shook his head. *I don’t feel normal yet. I’ll be okay in a while.* He glanced at the other group and Aya *They seem to have accepted us so far but I think we should travel separately.*
*They haven’t accepted us, they’ve just accepted the means to a desired end.* Crawford didn’t like the way his lover was acting. He’d been fine when they’d first gained their freedom-- except for the pain in his head-- but instead of getting better Schuldig seemed to be getting worse. *Yes, perhaps keeping the teams separated is a good idea.*
Farfarello vanished into the garage with the first load of gear while Jas left to get the remainder of the gear they’d need.
Kei watched him go through the slow spin the room was doing. He was disoriented and knew full well it was a sign he’d lost far too much blood. Just staying upright was a task he found tiring.
But he also couldn’t surrender to the weakness.
“So we’re leaving. Are we going to the farm or are we meeting them at a designated rendezvous point?”
“What about Yohji?” Aya spoke up for the first time in a while. “Ken and Omi would try to find him under normal circumstances. Would your people have let them do that?” He was under no illusions as to who would be in charge at the farm.
“Finally you care about Kudoh,” Schuldig said with a shadow of his old sneer.
Brad pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed in exasperation. “They don’t need to find him, Fujimiya. Weren’t you listening before? He’s not missing. He’s in search of something to take the edge off his addiction.”
Kei’s frosty stare was levelled on Aya. Dizzy or not, he didn’t appreciate the implication that his team would refuse to let the former Weiss find their team mate. Then again...
“Yes. Unless Kate exercised my order not to bring any liabilities into the team,” he stated not bothering to gloss over the orders he’d given to Shadow regarding the wreckage that had once been Balinese.
His answer seemed to satisfy Aya as he said no more on the subject, merely raising a brow and saying, “I’ll help you to the car.” Crawford he ignored completely, his urge to simply kill the man far too strong to want to argue with him right now. He had the sense to realise that they might just need his skills.
Issei also raised his brows. It was unlike Kei to let someone like Kudoh live unless the man was worth more alive than his addictions suggested.
For his part, Kei didn’t honestly expect to see Balinese alive. He’d given the order and he suspected Kate would carry it out with her usual efficiency.
Unless she found a legitimate reason to keep the drunkard alive.
“Let’s get out of here,” he ordered as Jas rejoined them.
“We know our way there, we’ll be right behind you,” Crawford stated.
Jas regarded the precog and his pet telepath. “I’ll take point then just to be certain we’re not running into an ambush.” He glanced at Aya, then focused his eyes firmly on Aki and Issei to give Aya a clue as to why he’d say the next thing. “You better drive the SUV.”