(no subject)
Fear paralyzed him.
The gun glinted in the feeble light, twisting slowly, carefully as it pushed its way through the curtains and Takaba couldn’t help thinking the man must be a professional, somebody used to handling weapons…
A professional assassin.
He knew he should move, but he’s frozen there, Asami’s hand heavy against his chest, his chest rising and falling with each breath, why couldn’t Asami hear him, wasn’t his breath loud, his heart hammering a din….
The gun turned carefully and aimed directly at Asami.
From behind the semi transparent curtains, Akihito could see the to be killer’s eyes glint, just like in the movies, and he thinks, God he knows I’m here, he’s going to kill Asami in front of me….
Kill. Kill Asami.
No. No, no, no, no….
Then the bullet was fired.
He didn’t remember anything until a nanosecond later, his mind appeared to have gone into a blank, and suddenly there he was, body upright, shaking, kneeling in front of Asami and a sharp shooting pain up his arm.
The gun paused, for just a second. Akihito clutched his bleeding arm, a reflex action, and realized that he had been shot, and Asami hadn’t been, was still behind him…
The gun aimed for a second time. At him.
What Akihito hadn’t realized that all this had taken place in a time period of about a second, and that was all the time that it took for the second bullet to be fired.
But it didn’t hit him, because he was wrenched to the side, an arm around his hip, pushing him back, behind a broad back and Asami snarled, aiming his gun at the other’s.
Akihito had never seen Asami snarl before, it was a frightening expression, but even more frightening was the way the arm clutched him around the waist, crushing bruises, and he could feel it, all the tension apparent in the air, in the muscles of the tensed arm. He clutched the white linen of Asami’s shirt and the arm tightened further.
Then a third shot rang out in the air, and the gun was gone.
The curtains billowed out silently and a few drops of blood splattered the sill.
A strained second and Asami stepped out of bed, went to the window and glanced outside. Akihito stayed where he was, on the bed, quiet, his arm staining the sheets red. His heart was thumping loudly, he was sure it could be heard miles away…
A hand closed around his wrist, which he noticed was oddly steady. It was as if the past few minutes had not sunk in, a series of disconnected events playing through his head, the gun pointing at Asami, his hand bleeding, Asami standing in front of him….
A sudden pain made him cry out. Asami had wrapped his handkerchief around the wound and bound it tightly. Blood trickled down his arm. He carefully wiped it off with his sleeve. Asami was getting up, pulling him up too.
“We have to leave. It’s not safe here anymore.”
And Akihito knew the real nightmare had begun.
********************
It was raining when they stepped outside. Asami pointed towards a narrow alley to the left. “This way. Come on.”
They moved from one alley to another. More than once Asami stopped, going still, and Akihito knew he was listening. And then again they would move forward.
He seemed to know these roads well, Akihito realized. Almost as if he had done this before. Almost as if-
Asami stopped so suddenly that Akihito almost crashed into him. He staggered for a moment before looking up at Asami, whose body had suddenly tensed. He turned his head once slowly, like a tiger that had caught a scent and was wary of it.
“What happened?” Akihito whispered. Asami’s hand was crushing is upper forearm.
A second, then….
To the left. Voices. Getting closer. A deep bass voice, a heavy gruff voice.
“Go.” Asami’s voice was low. “Now.”
“But-what about you?”
“I’m right behind you. Hurry. Don’t look back.”
He was propelled forward so suddenly that he almost lost his balance. Behind him he heard the voices pause suddenly, hesitant, hovering in mid air.
“Now!”
And then they were running. Akihito wasn’t even sure where they were going but he was following Asami and they blindly wove in and out of alleys, footsteps racing behind them-
They turned a corner and Asami slammed him against a wall. The footsteps had disappeared.
“Are-Are they gone?” he asked, trying to catch his breath.
“No. Atleast I don’t think so.” Asami kicked a stone to the side and waited. There was no response.
“It’s a trap?”
“More than likely. Wait here.” Akihito started as Asami pulled out his gun.
“Wait, what are you-?” He stopped when Asami raised his finger to his lips.
He knelt down as Asami quietly stepped across to the opposite wall from where he could get a better view of the street. It was deserted, save a few hawkers.
“Damn.” Asami muttered. Akihito looked at him.
“Those are Yuba’s men.”
“Yuba?”
“Kyouchi Yuba. His brother was killed in the ambush against me. He took over after that.”
“That means….”
“Yes. They probably know that I’m still alive.”
Akihito sucked in a sharp breath. “Shit. That’s bad.”
“Use that road.” Asami flicked his finger towards the opposite alley. “And run straight. Don’t stop. There will be a house at the end of the lane with a green post box. Get in there.”
“But you- what the heck-“ Akihito spluttered.
“Go!”
He was halfway across the road before he realized what had happened. The hawkers were no longer hawkers; one of them had pulled a gun from below his tattered rags and gunshots rang over Akihito’s head as he dived towards the alley, too far, he wasn’t going to make it-
A dark mass appeared at his side as Asami clipped the first assailant with his bullet. The shower of bullets turned their tide, slowly but steadily, more attackers had joined, it was a planned operation.
“I said, go!” The second bullet caught another man straight in the centre of his forehead, he fell, just blood and gore now but there were too many people and Asami was just one man-
Akihito changed direction and headed for the first man he could see, at the very side. He slammed his foot into his stomach and the man doubled over with pain, accidently firing his gun and knocking out the man by his side. Out of the corner of his eye, Akihito saw Asami take out another then fall back with clenched teeth, clutching his leg, leaking blood. He caught Akihito’s horrified eye and gestured towards the road.
Akihito climbed to his feet, the collision with the man had put him off his balance, and sped towards Asami. Asami was heavy, but two weeks of helping this person move and walk around had made him more accustomed to the weight and he helped Asami get up, even as Asami shot a fifth over his shoulder.
He was blind in this fight, with only Asami to guide him, they staggered though the haze of bullets and shouts and smoke and reached the alley. Here Asami picked up speed and Akihito followed him, still hearing the shots behind and men’s voices and Asami’s voice and the pounding of his heart-
They came to a stop, Asami sagging against the wall, Akihito clutching at his arm to support him. In front of them was a house, indistinguishable from many other houses in the lane, and a green postbox.
“We’re here.” Asami said.
Here's the previously defunct chapter 5. Hope everybody likes it. And all due credit goes to the wonderfulsunflower1343, for finding it again!