Shattered: Chapter Four

“You want me to what?!”  Masa’s outburst was quickly hushed by Cha.  The black-haired man glanced at his elder before turning to You, who quickly shut the door to the hallway. 

“We have to keep it down – she’s asleep.”

“For the time being, at least.”

After a moment, Masa lowered his voice and continued.  “You can’t ask me to do this.”  He shook his head, his gaze turning inward, searching for something that could offer up an alternative.  There was nothing.

Gackt stepped forward and crouched in front of the other man, looking up into the other’s dark, downcast eyes.  “She trusts you.  I trust you.  And you’re the only one among us who is able to leave.”

Masa collapsed back into the couch cushions, long fingers going to his lips as his body started to shake.  “But the paperwork.  Her birth certificate.  They’d never let either of us out.”

Standing, the other man crossed into the kitchen as his friends watched in confusion.  Opening a cabinet, he withdrew a stack of plates and bowls before reaching deeper, tugging at the back.  With a muted grunt, the paneling sprung free and he placed it on the counter with the dishware.  Reaching into the cabinet again, he withdrew a folder bound shut with string and held it aloft.  “Shipped express from Yoshiki, these say you are her father.” 

Masa’s jaw dropped.  “You’ve got to be kidding.  But why did you wait so long to ask--?”

“Because I had hoped I would never have to use them.  Because I had hoped that the borders would never be closed, or at least not so soon and without warning, as they were.  Because I had hoped that we would all be able to leave.  But…” his voice grew soft, “it was all for nothing.”  He looked down in the folder in his hands.  They were shaking and he could feel the tears in his eyes.  There was a touch at his arm and he looked up to find Masa standing before him.  With a whimper, he fell into the offered embrace.  “Take her away from here.  Far away.  So she’ll be safe.  So you’ll both be safe.”

After a moment, after their tears had dried – if only for a moment – their eyes met.  “What do I need to do?”

*****

“The way I see it, Kubo-san, you only have two choices; each of which will yield two very different options.  First, you could join with us.  If that’s the case, we’ll welcome you into the cabin for a hot drink, a good meal, and we’ll return you to your wife.”

“And the other?” Takuro practically spat between split lips.  Blood splattered on the boat’s polished deck.  His host didn’t seem too happy.

“The other choice is that you won’t join us.  We’d then have to shoot you and toss your body overboard.”  He smirked.  “We can’t guarantee the same courtesy to your wife.”

“Well, since you put it that way, I guess I’ll have to save you nice guys the trouble.”  Turning, he hefted himself up and over the railing and plunged into the sea. 

Before his head went under, he heard one of the men command, “Shoot him!” and a volley of bullets pierced the water around him.  One caught his leg.  When his head broke water, the sound of the boat was farther away than he had suspected.  Get under.  They’ll spot you.  Diving below again, he tread water.  It’s so dark, the ocean’s black.

After a time of surfacing for breath and then bobbing beneath, the boat sped away. 

And he was alone.  Glancing around him, land was nowhere to be found.  Seri…  Shaking his head, he cleared his thoughts.  No.  Don’t think.  Act.  Swim.  Don’t think.  Flipping over, he retraced the boat’s path, hoping his memory served him correctly.

*****

Gackt wrapped his arms around the child and let his eyes slip shut. Last embrace. When they parted, he kissed her forehead and stood.  Last kiss good morning. Last kiss good night. Last time...  He locked eyes with Masa.

The younger man held the countenance of a deer caught in the headlights of a sixteen-wheeler. Gackt stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his friend. The other clung to his, fingers clawing at his jacket.  "Be strong...for her...please?" When he felt Masa nod against his shoulder, he drew back.  Masa was fighting tears.  The younger man rubbed hastily at his eyes.

The loudspeaker in the terminal announced the last boarding for the flight to LA.  "You'd better go..." murmured Gackt who tapped Kai's shoulder.  The girl looked up and nodded before stuffing her coloring books and crayons back in her backpack.

Masa stood and took the girl's hand.  Gackt walked them to the line, but stopped before he could be counted among the passengers, slowly fading from Kai’s view so as not to startle her.  He held his breath as the guards interrogated Masa and then heaved a sigh of relief as the guitarist and his daughter were waved onward.

*****

Kai clung to her beloved stuffed bear. The one Daddy had given her that morning.  She had seen it in the gift shop. It had a pink bow. She looked over her shoulder as they walked along the boarding tunnel.

Daddy wasn't there.

Stopping dead in her tracks, she stared down the tunnel.  She took a step towards the other end, stopped, took a step back towards the plane. “Daddy?”  She looked at the faces around her. 

None of them were Daddy.

"Daddy?" Panic began to rise in her throat. Lost. Lost. What to do?

"Kai."

She whirled and looked up. Masa-kun?

"Daddy's here." She looked up and down the tunnel before looking back up at the raven-haired man. He scooped her up in his arms and rocked her gently against his chest before continuing the walk down the tunnel.  "Daddy's here."

*****

“So Kubo-san has been eliminated.  Yes?”

“Yes.  The uprising he had started will quickly fall apart, you can be sure.”

“Very good.  One fire quelled.  And what is this report of Camui-san being spotted at an airport?  Did he try to buy tickets?”

“No sir.  He accompanied a friend and then quickly left after they were boarded.”

“They?”

“His friend had a little girl with him.”

“Who was his friend?”

The subordinate looked down at his file.  “Masa Ichida.  He was in Gackt’s band at one point in time.”

“…does he have a daughter?”

“There were no mishaps or inconsistencies with the paperwork.”

“Does he have a daughter?”

“Well, if he--”

“Nevermind.  Find out where Gackt’s daughter is and report back to me.”

The situation seemed to dawn on the lackey and he stuttered a “Yes, sir,” before bowing and fleeing the room.

*****

Someone was coming down the hall.  Someone never came down the hall.  Not at 2:13.  Jumping off his bed, Hyde crossed to the door to peak out the window. 

Ironically, they had built the cell too tall for him.

He could just barely see into the hall if he used his fingertips as leverage while he stood on the ends of his big toes.  Two guards were all but dragging a woman down the hall.  She was kicking and screaming.  Screaming something over and over again.

Hyde had gotten very good at reading lips as of late.  It was one of his newest pastimes.  He was surprised to find that the other inmates and their guards actually had rather interesting conversations.  He particularly liked the one about the squirrels and the paintball gun.

Takuro? What about Takuro?  He giggled when he watched a slew of curse words fly from the woman’s lips.  Wow, she’s good.

But just as soon as they had come into view, they passed and were gone.  With a sigh, he stepped away from his door and crossed back to his cot.

More origami.  If he kept this up, he’d have a thousand cranes in no time.

*****

You lay flat on his back staring at the ceiling.  Kai was gone.  Had been for almost a week.  Or was it two?  He sighed – he was never really good at judging time.  All he knew was that the house felt so…empty without her there.

It was cold. 

Sitting up, he rubbed his eyes.  Only a few minutes before he could have sworn he was exhausted, but now he couldn’t sleep.

Maybe it was because the walls were thinner than the contractor had proclaimed; he could hear him one room over.

Tossing the sheets off his body he stood and stepped out into the hall.  Knocking lightly on Gackt’s door he poked his head inside.  “You okay?”

The other man lay curled about a pillow, the sheets kicked off his nude body.  With Kai gone, there was apparently no need for modesty in the house once again.  Gackt didn’t seem to hear him come in however – he was looking at a picture frame on the bedside table, the occasional sniffle and whimper coming from him.

You knew the picture.  It was borne of happier times.  With a sigh, he crossed to the bed and touched the other man’s shoulder.

“Stay here?”

You nodded, even though he knew that from his position at the other’s back, he wouldn’t see the action.  Crawling onto the bed, he wrapped his arms protectively around the other.  He repeated his question.  “You okay?”

“No.”

He had nothing to say.  Pressing his cheek to Gackt’s shoulder, he sighed and tightened his arm around the man’s small waist in what he hoped was a comforting hug.

The violinist just barely heard the door open and looked over his shoulder.  Cha looked like he had been about to say something, but stopped.  He smiled sadly and turned to leave.

“Don’t go Cha.”  The whispered request from the man in his arms stopped the one in the doorway.  “What’s wrong?”  Shifting in You’s grip, Gackt rolled over to look at him.

Clasping his hands in front of his robed figure, Cha’s eyes watched the floor.  “I couldn’t sleep, that’s all…”  His voice was soft.

“Come here.”

Crossing to the other side of the bed, Cha climbed on and collapsed into Gackt’s waiting arms.  Running his hands through the man’s hair, he rolled over onto his back, You following the motion.  With a sigh, the vocalist’s head fell back against his friend’s chest and whispered to the walls.  “It’ll be alright.  We’ll stay together.  Like we always have.  We’ll be safe together…”

*****

Mini disc in hand, Cha turned and glanced back at the other two.  “Are you sure you want to split up?” 

Gackt nodded.  “I’m not in any real state to discuss record deals.  I have complete trust in you.”  He forced a smile, “And after all, we can’t trust You to do the shopping on his own, can we?”  There was a muted protest from the violinist and Cha smiled, reassured for the time being.

Despite his declared confidence, Gackt couldn’t shake the bad feeling he had woken up with.

*****

Shots rang out above their heads and screams echoed through the square.  Gackt cursed and was forced against the taller man’s body as chaos erupted around them.  Looking up, he saw his fear mirrored in the other man’s dark eyes.  We’re going to die here.

Unless we move.  Grabbing You’s hand, he pulled them both through the crowd of people as they ran like sheep. 

“They’re above us.”  Looking up, Gackt realized his friend was right: armed men in black lined the rooftops.  Dear God.

*****

You felt the bullet enter his chest. He coughed, blood sputtering from between his lips. "Gaku..." He collapsed, a rag doll, on the pavement.  People were screaming around them as more shots rang out, as more people were felled.

"You!" Gackt turned and fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around the younger man.  "You fool. What happened?!"

"I..." He was cut off by violent hacking. More blood. Flecks of the stuff painted his lips.  He could feel it running down his chin. "I’m too tall..."

"You...You idiot..."

He looked up. Gackt was crying, tears streaming down his face. "Gaku..." He tried to bring a hand up to stroke the other's face. "Gaku, I made you cry...I'm sorry...I didn't mean..." The light faded. His hand dropped, limp at his side.

"No. Not sorry. You're going to be okay. The doctor's will be here soon. You're going to be okay..." Gackt clung to the now-limp violinist. He looked up, searching for someone, anyone.  People were running, ducking, weaving between each other and jumping over obstacles to get away.

"Help..." his voice died on his lips. He tried again. "Help, please. Someone!"  No one heeded his calls even as they grew more desperate, more terrified. His voice was cracking. "You, don't leave me. Don't leave me alone. Someone! Help! Please..."

And then there were arms wrapped around his chest from behind. Someone was dragging him away. Away from You. "No!  No!  Help him!  You!  You!  Let go of me!  You!" 

He struggled against the arms with the vice-like grip. His vision was blurred with tears. The man - for he was sure it was a man - dragged him kicking and screaming into a building and away from the windows. There were others there as well. The man released him, spun him around, and wrapped his arms around him as they both collapsed to the floor. "Hush..."

"No...no...You..."

"He's dead! Let it be. Hush..."

*****

Cha walked through the hospital, searching for a sign.  He was growing desperate now – he could feel that sick feeling rising in his stomach.  Passing by one room, he stopped and stepped back to look inside.  A little boy sat on the examination table while a nurse bandaged his head.  A woman who Cha could only assume was the mother sat next to him, biting her lip while she tried to hold him still.

Gackt sat in the chair on the other side of the room.

“Gaku--”

The other man’s eyes sparked to life and he looked at the man in the doorway.  There was a moment, and then he whispered, “They won’t let me see him.”

“What?”  With a glance at the three other people in the room – all of whom seemed to be utterly oblivious to them – he stepped inside and knelt beside the seated vocalist.  “See wh--?”  Cha stopped and his eyes went wide.  “Where’s You?”

Gackt’s eyes clouded over again.  “They won’t let me see him.”

“Who won’t let you see him?”

“He said he was dead.”  Cha’s throat constricted at the words.  “I didn’t believe him.  He held me down.  It didn’t stop…He was on the ground…they won’t let me see him.”

“We’ll see about that.”  Standing, Cha took Gackt’s limp hand in his.  “Let’s go find him.”

*****

Gackt in tow, Cha searched the hospital high and low and talked to everyone who was coherent.  The prevalent response was to check the morgue.  And now he stood with a warden, shaking from head to toe in front of the doors to the morgue.  Please don’t let him be here…  “We’re looking for someone.”

“Everyone’s looking for someone.  Got a name?”

“He didn’t have his wallet on him…” came the whisper from Gackt who seemed to have found something very interesting in the middle space in front of him.

Cha turned back to the uniformed man.  “He’s tall.  And thin…and wearing a suit.”

“Ah.  This way.”  The man turned and went into the room.

Let him be wrong.

Following, the two men stepped through the double doors.  “Number forty-seven.  Over in the far corner.  Their bags are tagged.”  With that, he about-faced and went back out the door.

It was suddenly very, very hard to breathe.  Taking Gackt’s hand in his, they walked towards the set of black bags the warden had pointed them towards.

47.

Red ink.

He couldn’t gain control of his body long enough to stop the shaking and undo the zipper.  Kneeling, Gackt did it instead.

Cha almost bit off his tongue.