Fallen Angels Chapter 23/ 25
Title: Fallen Angels
Author: hippiefox
Pairing: Ohmiya, Juntoshi (slightly onesided), hints of Sakuraiba
Rating: definitely R.
Genre: AU, drama, action, violence, romance
Summary: Even fallen angels have angels.
Disclaimer and chapter list. Please read.
Chapter 23
Kidnapped
Ohno was truly thankful to Jun for letting him stay with him for a few days after the incident at the café. But now, it was getting very uncomfortable and awkward. Ohno knew that Jun still had deep feelings towards him and not being able to fully reciprocate those feelings just made Ohno feel bad. He was definitely leading him on when he let Jun kiss him and sleep with him, but Ohno could never say no.
Lying wide awake next to a sleeping Jun, Ohno carefully wiggled his way out of the bed, replacing a pillow in Jun’s arms for something to hold on to. Picking up his clothes from the dark floor, Ohno quietly redressed, looking back once or twice at the moonlit figure to make sure he was still asleep.
Tiptoeing out of the dark bedroom, Ohno made his way through the living room, turning on a single lamp as he went, in search of his wallet.
Ohno picked up the worn leather wallet and opened it, flipping through the cards and cash until he found the folded piece of paper. With nimble fingers, Ohno opened it up and scanned over the words solemnly. He tried to force the images of his friends’ faces out of his mind and what they would say when they read the letter.
Setting it down on the waxed wooden table, Ohno left his hand on top of it, deciding if he really wanted to go through with what he was doing. He bowed his head and shut his eyes, sighing quietly before picking up his jacket and switching off the lamp. Looking around the dark and quiet apartment once more, Ohno bit his bottom lip softly and opened the front door.
"I’m sorry..." he whispered, hoping his silent message would somehow reach Jun’s slumbering ears. Shutting the door as silently as he could, Ohno stepped out into the chilly night and made his way to the complex stairs.
When he made it to the deserted sidewalk, he stopped under a glowing street lamp and studied the late night stars and moon hanging lazily in the velvet blackness.
"Tashio-san is running low on money. His usual customers are going to Iwata instead, since they all know he’s friends with Mori-san." Himura explained to Okamoto as they walked down the halls of the compound. Okamoto nodded thoughtfully and looked over to his side at Nino, who was lagging behind.
"Oi, Ninomiya, you listening?" Okamoto asked. Nino shrugged and yawned, looking at a clock on the wall.
"No. It’s your job anyway." Nino replied dully, sweeping past Okamoto and out through the doors that lead outside. Himura stared after Nino and Okamoto growled under his breath.
"He’s still depressed about that kid?" Okamoto snapped as he swung his office door open roughly, almost hitting Himura as it bounced off the wall.
Himura tossed down his folder of papers and shut the door properly.
"He loved that kid, Okamoto-san. You can’t expect him to not be heartbroken." Himura said absentmindedly.
"Don’t give me that shit, Himura." Okamoto grumbled as he sat down in his chair, rubbing his temples. Himura smirked to himself, filing away the stack of papers in the folder.
"Okamoto-san... don’t pretend you don’t believe in love, you know as well as I do that you were in the same position all those years ago." Himura teased lightly, smiling at the older man over his shoulder. Okamoto glared at Himura over the rim of his glass and set it down softly.
"He should give it up... he’s just going to get hurt in the end." Okamoto sighed, clearing his throat softly and turning back to his work.
Nino sat at the bottom of the stairwell just outside the doors of the "financial" building, flicking the ashes off his cigarette with a little more force than necessary and staring at the picture of Ohno on his phone. He scowled and dropped the cigarette to the sidewalk, snuffing it out with his shoe.
"Damn it..." he grumbled, closing his phone and resting his head on his hands. Nino had tried once or twice to reach Ohno again, just to ask how everyone was doing and if the café was being remodeled, but every time he was ignored.
He knew he shouldn’t be worried, Jun was taking care of Ohno and Nino knew that Jun would never let anything bad happen to him if he was around.
But what if Jun wasn’t around? Like at the café? Nino squeezed his eyes shut, trying to ignore all the worse case scenarios that flickered through his mind.
"Oi, Ninomiya-san, Okamoto wants to see you." a fellow member said from behind Nino, leaning in the glass doorway. Nino nodded and stood up, pocketing his phone and straightening out his suit before reentering the building.
Striding down the hallway, Nino found Okamoto’s office and walked in, not caring that he was loudly interrupting Okamoto and Himura’s talk.
"Knock next time." Himura sighed, blowing out a smoke ring in the process. Nino ignored him and sat down in the chair next to him, meeting Okamoto’s eyes from behind the desk.
"We got a job for you, it’s overseas in Italy. Another undercover gig to get information from a certain Mafia don. You interested?" Okamoto asked, sliding the folder across to Nino.
Nino narrowed his eyes at the folder and scoffed.
"Doesn’t matter if I’m interested, I’m going anyway, right?" he mumbled as he flipped open the folder. Okamoto sighed and sipped his drink, tilting back in his chair.
"Ninomiya..." Okamoto started but was interrupted by Nino’s phone ringing loudly. Himura and Nino both jumped at the sudden sound and Nino scrambled to get his phone out of his pocket.
"If it’s that damn kid-"
"It’s an unknown number." Himura interrupted Okamoto, leaning over Nino’s shoulder to look closer at the phone. Nino pushed Himura away and answered the call.
"Yes?" Nino answered, frowning a bit when no one answered for a moment. Nino looked at Okamoto and Himura when a quivering breath was finally heard.
"Who is this?" Nino asked sharply, chills going down his back. Himura and Okamoto walked closer to Nino, who turned his phone to speaker.
"Kazu..." Nino felt his heart drop at the whisper.
It was Ohno.
"Satoshi? Are you okay? Where are you?" Nino asked frantically, his heart pounding loudly in his ears and his stomach churning painfully. Something was wrong, he knew it. Ohno was scared, he could hear his frightened breathing through the phone.
"I don’t know where I am. They just blindfolded me and took me someplace-"
"They!? Who’s they!?" Nino demanded, fighting the sudden urge to faint. Okamoto and Himura remained in their shocked silence, staring at Nino.
"I- I don’t know. Kazu, they want you, they-"
"I’m going to find you! I’m not-"
"Don’t! Please, listen okay? I’m fine-"
"You’re a hostage! You’re not fine! Sa-"
"Stop! Listen to me!" Ohno nearly shouted into the phone, swallowing his tears and making Nino freeze on the other line. Ohno panted angrily and took deep breaths.
"Don’t come. Don’t come find me, Kazu. Promise me, don’t come." Ohno’s voice was nothing other than serious and the pure sound made Nino’s blood run cold. His hand shook as he held the phone to his ear, trying to comprehend what Ohno was asking of him.
Don’t come to his rescue? How could Nino sit around when he knew Ohno was in trouble?
"Satoshi..." but before he could finish, Ohno’s line went dead. Nino took a sharp breath and clenched his hand around his phone, shaking in anger and fear. Himura and Okamoto stared on, watching the terrifying emptiness in Nino’s eyes turn deadly.
Nino quickly shut his phone and turned to the door, but Okamoto grabbed his arm.
"What the fuck are you thinking? You know Iwata is after you! You can’t go chasing after him, you’ll be killed." Okamoto ordered angrily. Nino glared at the man and snarled just a bit.
"Don’t make me stay, Okamoto-san." Nino warned in a poisonous growl, turning away from the man again.
Okamoto grabbed Nino back and Nino responded with a firm punch across the man’s face. Okamoto fell back into his desk, cradling his broken nose while Himura ran after Nino as he dashed out the door.
Himura shouted after Nino, parting the groups of fellow members in the hallway, watching the chase. Nino was seeing red and the only thing on his mind was to find Ohno and save him. He tore down the steps to the underground parking garage with Himura panting and shouting behind him.
Nino spotted the lines of black cars and the several guards hanging around by the tollbooth. He was going to have a hard time getting keys without authorization... or using violence.
"Ninomiya-san!" Himura pleaded, finally catching up to Nino’s pondering figure. Nino turned around slowly with his gun pointed straight in Himura’s face.
Himura skidded to a stop, wide eyed and panting, staring down the barrel of the gun. Nino cocked the gun and his eyes grew dark and dangerous.
"Himura-san. I’m giving you a chance to help me." Nino said quietly, his eyes never leaving Himura’s. Darting his eyes to the cars under the glow of orange lights and then back to Nino’s gun, the man nodded slowly.
"How?" he stammered. Nino kept his aim perfectly between Himura’s eyes and smirked lightly.
"You have the master key."
Himura clung to the seat’s armrest, watching the city lights fly past as Nino sped in the car, well over the speed limit. His eyes were unmoving from the road as he swerved in and out of traffic and idle cars.
"Where are we going?" Himura managed to ask finally.
"Iwata’s place." Nino answered darkly, his grip on the steering wheel growing tighter. Himura was about to object, but when he saw the fire in Nino’s eyes, he grew timid.
The black car screeched to a stop on the cobblestone driveway and Nino barely put the car into park before he jumped out. Himura scrambled out of the car and grabbed onto Nino’s arm.
"You’re just going to barge in there!? He might have people over! They’ll kill you!" he said in a panic, trying to talk some sense into Nino. Nino took Himura’s hands off him and handed him the keys.
"I know how he works. I need to find where Satoshi is... if you don’t want to stay, fine." Nino dropped the keys in Himura’s hand and then stalked up to the huge door.
Nino was face to face with the old butler again after a few moments after knocking, but he only swept past the man with no words. The old man blinked in confusion after Nino’s retreating figure as he walked to the den and then to a very nervous Himura standing by the car.
Nino knew what he was doing. It wasn’t hard to remember his hate for Iwata as he shoved the thick door open with an echoing bang. Iwata jumped from his glossy desk and stared at Nino in shock.
"Why are you here?" Iwata asked cautiously, moving around the desk to put more distance between himself and Nino. Nino shut the door quietly behind him and turned the golden lock with a loud click. He narrowed his eyes at Iwata and walked slowly towards him.
"Tell me where you brought him." Nino requested simply. Iwata studied Nino under the dull light of the chandelier and watched the flames of the fireplace cast haunting shadows across his face.
"Ninomiya... I don’t know who you’re talking about." Iwata replied with a laugh that faltered after Nino remained silent.
"You wanted to draw me out... here I am." Nino said quietly, his eyes unmoving from Iwata’s weary face. Iwata thought for a moment and then sighed, a smile growing across his charming face.
"Ah, you mean that hitman? Ninomiya-san... I was paid a lot of money to set that up. I never wanted you dead." Iwata explained, leaning back against his desk. Nino scowled slightly and took a step forward.
"Who paid you?" he asked. Iwata scratched his stylish hair and smirked at Nino.
"I can’t tell you that! Unless, you have something to offer?" Iwata suggested, making Nino’s stomach boil with hate with the perverted expression he wore. Nino glared at the man, trying to keep his cool.
"Ohno Satoshi. Where is he?" Nino hissed. Iwata tilted his head towards the ceiling and scowled in thought, putting on a show for Nino. The man clicked his tongue and a smile was on his face again as he looked to Nino.
"I remember now... some guys brought him here yesterday. Ah, he is cute, huh?" Iwata sighed, a dream like expression crossing his face. Nino snapped and soon found himself hitting Iwata across the face as hard as he could, making the man fall to the floor.
While Iwata laid on the floor whining in pain, Nino stood above him, pressing his foot onto the man’s throat.
"Iwata-san, don’t lie to me." Nino threatened smoothly, ignoring the man’s hands clutching desperately at his ankle. As Iwata gasped for breath, his hands groped around his suit jacket pockets, eager to find something.
Nino narrowed his eyes and watched as the man pulled out several checks for a very large amount of money. Stooping down, Nino picked the checks from Iwata’s hands and looked at the signature.
"Ota Tomi? He paid you? He took Satoshi?" he asked Iwata, nodding frantically under Nino’s shoe. Nino threw the checks away and bent down, grabbing Iwata’s collar to pull him close to his face.
"Who the fuck is he? Someone you made up!?" Nino shouted before dropping Iwata to the ground. The man gulped for air and winced in pain, Nino watching with no sympathy.
"The- the old me- meat factory..." Iwata gasped, crawling onto his knees.
"Why am I so important to you? Why do you want me dead?" Nino asked darkly, standing up slowly. Iwata pulled himself up from the ground and slouched over the couch.
"It’s not me! Ota-san said you’re a threat! He just paid me!" Iwata yelled angrily, wiping his bloodied nose and lip on his shirt. Nino rolled his eyes at the pathetic man and took out the knife from the hitman that he had kept.
He placed the knife on Iwata’s desk and glared at him.
"Iwata-san... if you’re lying to me... I’ll be back." Nino warned, casting an evil but promising glance over his shoulder before he started to walk away. He didn’t know who Ota Tomi was, but he had a lead that was at the old meat factory.
Iwata staggered up, cursing in ragged breaths as Nino walked away from him. Spotting the knife on the desk, Iwata grabbed it and rushed towards Nino, his arm raised high to stab him.
It never occurred to Iwata that Nino had set this up, that he wanted Iwata to come at him. Nino turned around with his ready gun and pulled the trigger once, letting the shot crack through the silent den. Iwata stumbled a few steps, holding his chest and letting the knife fall out of his hand. Nino lowered his gun and watched the man collapse on his knees, his dark and warm blood spilling onto the imported cashmere rug.
Iwata fell forward, his breathing slowing and his body starting to shiver. Stepping back so the pooling blood wouldn’t touch his shoes, Nino looked down at the man and watched apathetically as the prince took his last breath.
"Oi... did you...?" Himura mumbled, his face as pale as the moon as he approached Nino when he exited from the house.
"He was a traitor and corrupted from the beginning." Nino shrugged, looking Himura straight in the eyes. Shaking from anger, Himura grabbed Nino’s collar and shoved him roughly against the black car behind them.
"What are you thinking!? No one gave you permission to kill him! Do you know what this is going to cause!?" Himura shouted, shaking Nino. Nino turned his head away, ignoring the shocked stare of the butler, still standing in the doorway.
"The old meat factory... that’s where he’s at." Nino mumbled, looking back to Himura, his mission very clear in his eyes. After a very brief but intense staring contest, Himura dropped his hold on Nino and angrily kicked the wheel of the car.
"Damn it... you’re not going to stop, are you?" Himura growled, rubbing his forehead. Nino shook his head no and picked the keys from Himura’s hand, opening the car door and getting inside. He started the engine and Himura peered at him through the open window.
"...you’re not going alone." the older man said, walking around the front of the car and getting into the passenger side.
Nino smirked at Himura as he tightly buckled himself in and then pulled out his phone, dialing a number.
""What are you doing?" Nino asked curiously, stomping on the gas and flying down the driveway and out into the streets. Himura rolled his eyes and held the phone to his ear.
"Calling for backup."
.
AN: And there you have it... a long chapter with lots of stuff going on XD And... Ohno managed to get himself kidnapped~
But at least Nino finally got his revenge on Iwata! Now he just has to find Ohno before something happens...
Chapter 24! Another turning point guys... can't say much more than that without giving it all away!
We're almost done! ^_^
Author: hippiefox
Pairing: Ohmiya, Juntoshi (slightly onesided), hints of Sakuraiba
Rating: definitely R.
Genre: AU, drama, action, violence, romance
Summary: Even fallen angels have angels.
Disclaimer and chapter list. Please read.
Chapter 23
Kidnapped
Ohno was truly thankful to Jun for letting him stay with him for a few days after the incident at the café. But now, it was getting very uncomfortable and awkward. Ohno knew that Jun still had deep feelings towards him and not being able to fully reciprocate those feelings just made Ohno feel bad. He was definitely leading him on when he let Jun kiss him and sleep with him, but Ohno could never say no.
Lying wide awake next to a sleeping Jun, Ohno carefully wiggled his way out of the bed, replacing a pillow in Jun’s arms for something to hold on to. Picking up his clothes from the dark floor, Ohno quietly redressed, looking back once or twice at the moonlit figure to make sure he was still asleep.
Tiptoeing out of the dark bedroom, Ohno made his way through the living room, turning on a single lamp as he went, in search of his wallet.
Ohno picked up the worn leather wallet and opened it, flipping through the cards and cash until he found the folded piece of paper. With nimble fingers, Ohno opened it up and scanned over the words solemnly. He tried to force the images of his friends’ faces out of his mind and what they would say when they read the letter.
Setting it down on the waxed wooden table, Ohno left his hand on top of it, deciding if he really wanted to go through with what he was doing. He bowed his head and shut his eyes, sighing quietly before picking up his jacket and switching off the lamp. Looking around the dark and quiet apartment once more, Ohno bit his bottom lip softly and opened the front door.
"I’m sorry..." he whispered, hoping his silent message would somehow reach Jun’s slumbering ears. Shutting the door as silently as he could, Ohno stepped out into the chilly night and made his way to the complex stairs.
When he made it to the deserted sidewalk, he stopped under a glowing street lamp and studied the late night stars and moon hanging lazily in the velvet blackness.
"Tashio-san is running low on money. His usual customers are going to Iwata instead, since they all know he’s friends with Mori-san." Himura explained to Okamoto as they walked down the halls of the compound. Okamoto nodded thoughtfully and looked over to his side at Nino, who was lagging behind.
"Oi, Ninomiya, you listening?" Okamoto asked. Nino shrugged and yawned, looking at a clock on the wall.
"No. It’s your job anyway." Nino replied dully, sweeping past Okamoto and out through the doors that lead outside. Himura stared after Nino and Okamoto growled under his breath.
"He’s still depressed about that kid?" Okamoto snapped as he swung his office door open roughly, almost hitting Himura as it bounced off the wall.
Himura tossed down his folder of papers and shut the door properly.
"He loved that kid, Okamoto-san. You can’t expect him to not be heartbroken." Himura said absentmindedly.
"Don’t give me that shit, Himura." Okamoto grumbled as he sat down in his chair, rubbing his temples. Himura smirked to himself, filing away the stack of papers in the folder.
"Okamoto-san... don’t pretend you don’t believe in love, you know as well as I do that you were in the same position all those years ago." Himura teased lightly, smiling at the older man over his shoulder. Okamoto glared at Himura over the rim of his glass and set it down softly.
"He should give it up... he’s just going to get hurt in the end." Okamoto sighed, clearing his throat softly and turning back to his work.
Nino sat at the bottom of the stairwell just outside the doors of the "financial" building, flicking the ashes off his cigarette with a little more force than necessary and staring at the picture of Ohno on his phone. He scowled and dropped the cigarette to the sidewalk, snuffing it out with his shoe.
"Damn it..." he grumbled, closing his phone and resting his head on his hands. Nino had tried once or twice to reach Ohno again, just to ask how everyone was doing and if the café was being remodeled, but every time he was ignored.
He knew he shouldn’t be worried, Jun was taking care of Ohno and Nino knew that Jun would never let anything bad happen to him if he was around.
But what if Jun wasn’t around? Like at the café? Nino squeezed his eyes shut, trying to ignore all the worse case scenarios that flickered through his mind.
"Oi, Ninomiya-san, Okamoto wants to see you." a fellow member said from behind Nino, leaning in the glass doorway. Nino nodded and stood up, pocketing his phone and straightening out his suit before reentering the building.
Striding down the hallway, Nino found Okamoto’s office and walked in, not caring that he was loudly interrupting Okamoto and Himura’s talk.
"Knock next time." Himura sighed, blowing out a smoke ring in the process. Nino ignored him and sat down in the chair next to him, meeting Okamoto’s eyes from behind the desk.
"We got a job for you, it’s overseas in Italy. Another undercover gig to get information from a certain Mafia don. You interested?" Okamoto asked, sliding the folder across to Nino.
Nino narrowed his eyes at the folder and scoffed.
"Doesn’t matter if I’m interested, I’m going anyway, right?" he mumbled as he flipped open the folder. Okamoto sighed and sipped his drink, tilting back in his chair.
"Ninomiya..." Okamoto started but was interrupted by Nino’s phone ringing loudly. Himura and Nino both jumped at the sudden sound and Nino scrambled to get his phone out of his pocket.
"If it’s that damn kid-"
"It’s an unknown number." Himura interrupted Okamoto, leaning over Nino’s shoulder to look closer at the phone. Nino pushed Himura away and answered the call.
"Yes?" Nino answered, frowning a bit when no one answered for a moment. Nino looked at Okamoto and Himura when a quivering breath was finally heard.
"Who is this?" Nino asked sharply, chills going down his back. Himura and Okamoto walked closer to Nino, who turned his phone to speaker.
"Kazu..." Nino felt his heart drop at the whisper.
It was Ohno.
"Satoshi? Are you okay? Where are you?" Nino asked frantically, his heart pounding loudly in his ears and his stomach churning painfully. Something was wrong, he knew it. Ohno was scared, he could hear his frightened breathing through the phone.
"I don’t know where I am. They just blindfolded me and took me someplace-"
"They!? Who’s they!?" Nino demanded, fighting the sudden urge to faint. Okamoto and Himura remained in their shocked silence, staring at Nino.
"I- I don’t know. Kazu, they want you, they-"
"I’m going to find you! I’m not-"
"Don’t! Please, listen okay? I’m fine-"
"You’re a hostage! You’re not fine! Sa-"
"Stop! Listen to me!" Ohno nearly shouted into the phone, swallowing his tears and making Nino freeze on the other line. Ohno panted angrily and took deep breaths.
"Don’t come. Don’t come find me, Kazu. Promise me, don’t come." Ohno’s voice was nothing other than serious and the pure sound made Nino’s blood run cold. His hand shook as he held the phone to his ear, trying to comprehend what Ohno was asking of him.
Don’t come to his rescue? How could Nino sit around when he knew Ohno was in trouble?
"Satoshi..." but before he could finish, Ohno’s line went dead. Nino took a sharp breath and clenched his hand around his phone, shaking in anger and fear. Himura and Okamoto stared on, watching the terrifying emptiness in Nino’s eyes turn deadly.
Nino quickly shut his phone and turned to the door, but Okamoto grabbed his arm.
"What the fuck are you thinking? You know Iwata is after you! You can’t go chasing after him, you’ll be killed." Okamoto ordered angrily. Nino glared at the man and snarled just a bit.
"Don’t make me stay, Okamoto-san." Nino warned in a poisonous growl, turning away from the man again.
Okamoto grabbed Nino back and Nino responded with a firm punch across the man’s face. Okamoto fell back into his desk, cradling his broken nose while Himura ran after Nino as he dashed out the door.
Himura shouted after Nino, parting the groups of fellow members in the hallway, watching the chase. Nino was seeing red and the only thing on his mind was to find Ohno and save him. He tore down the steps to the underground parking garage with Himura panting and shouting behind him.
Nino spotted the lines of black cars and the several guards hanging around by the tollbooth. He was going to have a hard time getting keys without authorization... or using violence.
"Ninomiya-san!" Himura pleaded, finally catching up to Nino’s pondering figure. Nino turned around slowly with his gun pointed straight in Himura’s face.
Himura skidded to a stop, wide eyed and panting, staring down the barrel of the gun. Nino cocked the gun and his eyes grew dark and dangerous.
"Himura-san. I’m giving you a chance to help me." Nino said quietly, his eyes never leaving Himura’s. Darting his eyes to the cars under the glow of orange lights and then back to Nino’s gun, the man nodded slowly.
"How?" he stammered. Nino kept his aim perfectly between Himura’s eyes and smirked lightly.
"You have the master key."
Himura clung to the seat’s armrest, watching the city lights fly past as Nino sped in the car, well over the speed limit. His eyes were unmoving from the road as he swerved in and out of traffic and idle cars.
"Where are we going?" Himura managed to ask finally.
"Iwata’s place." Nino answered darkly, his grip on the steering wheel growing tighter. Himura was about to object, but when he saw the fire in Nino’s eyes, he grew timid.
The black car screeched to a stop on the cobblestone driveway and Nino barely put the car into park before he jumped out. Himura scrambled out of the car and grabbed onto Nino’s arm.
"You’re just going to barge in there!? He might have people over! They’ll kill you!" he said in a panic, trying to talk some sense into Nino. Nino took Himura’s hands off him and handed him the keys.
"I know how he works. I need to find where Satoshi is... if you don’t want to stay, fine." Nino dropped the keys in Himura’s hand and then stalked up to the huge door.
Nino was face to face with the old butler again after a few moments after knocking, but he only swept past the man with no words. The old man blinked in confusion after Nino’s retreating figure as he walked to the den and then to a very nervous Himura standing by the car.
Nino knew what he was doing. It wasn’t hard to remember his hate for Iwata as he shoved the thick door open with an echoing bang. Iwata jumped from his glossy desk and stared at Nino in shock.
"Why are you here?" Iwata asked cautiously, moving around the desk to put more distance between himself and Nino. Nino shut the door quietly behind him and turned the golden lock with a loud click. He narrowed his eyes at Iwata and walked slowly towards him.
"Tell me where you brought him." Nino requested simply. Iwata studied Nino under the dull light of the chandelier and watched the flames of the fireplace cast haunting shadows across his face.
"Ninomiya... I don’t know who you’re talking about." Iwata replied with a laugh that faltered after Nino remained silent.
"You wanted to draw me out... here I am." Nino said quietly, his eyes unmoving from Iwata’s weary face. Iwata thought for a moment and then sighed, a smile growing across his charming face.
"Ah, you mean that hitman? Ninomiya-san... I was paid a lot of money to set that up. I never wanted you dead." Iwata explained, leaning back against his desk. Nino scowled slightly and took a step forward.
"Who paid you?" he asked. Iwata scratched his stylish hair and smirked at Nino.
"I can’t tell you that! Unless, you have something to offer?" Iwata suggested, making Nino’s stomach boil with hate with the perverted expression he wore. Nino glared at the man, trying to keep his cool.
"Ohno Satoshi. Where is he?" Nino hissed. Iwata tilted his head towards the ceiling and scowled in thought, putting on a show for Nino. The man clicked his tongue and a smile was on his face again as he looked to Nino.
"I remember now... some guys brought him here yesterday. Ah, he is cute, huh?" Iwata sighed, a dream like expression crossing his face. Nino snapped and soon found himself hitting Iwata across the face as hard as he could, making the man fall to the floor.
While Iwata laid on the floor whining in pain, Nino stood above him, pressing his foot onto the man’s throat.
"Iwata-san, don’t lie to me." Nino threatened smoothly, ignoring the man’s hands clutching desperately at his ankle. As Iwata gasped for breath, his hands groped around his suit jacket pockets, eager to find something.
Nino narrowed his eyes and watched as the man pulled out several checks for a very large amount of money. Stooping down, Nino picked the checks from Iwata’s hands and looked at the signature.
"Ota Tomi? He paid you? He took Satoshi?" he asked Iwata, nodding frantically under Nino’s shoe. Nino threw the checks away and bent down, grabbing Iwata’s collar to pull him close to his face.
"Who the fuck is he? Someone you made up!?" Nino shouted before dropping Iwata to the ground. The man gulped for air and winced in pain, Nino watching with no sympathy.
"The- the old me- meat factory..." Iwata gasped, crawling onto his knees.
"Why am I so important to you? Why do you want me dead?" Nino asked darkly, standing up slowly. Iwata pulled himself up from the ground and slouched over the couch.
"It’s not me! Ota-san said you’re a threat! He just paid me!" Iwata yelled angrily, wiping his bloodied nose and lip on his shirt. Nino rolled his eyes at the pathetic man and took out the knife from the hitman that he had kept.
He placed the knife on Iwata’s desk and glared at him.
"Iwata-san... if you’re lying to me... I’ll be back." Nino warned, casting an evil but promising glance over his shoulder before he started to walk away. He didn’t know who Ota Tomi was, but he had a lead that was at the old meat factory.
Iwata staggered up, cursing in ragged breaths as Nino walked away from him. Spotting the knife on the desk, Iwata grabbed it and rushed towards Nino, his arm raised high to stab him.
It never occurred to Iwata that Nino had set this up, that he wanted Iwata to come at him. Nino turned around with his ready gun and pulled the trigger once, letting the shot crack through the silent den. Iwata stumbled a few steps, holding his chest and letting the knife fall out of his hand. Nino lowered his gun and watched the man collapse on his knees, his dark and warm blood spilling onto the imported cashmere rug.
Iwata fell forward, his breathing slowing and his body starting to shiver. Stepping back so the pooling blood wouldn’t touch his shoes, Nino looked down at the man and watched apathetically as the prince took his last breath.
"Oi... did you...?" Himura mumbled, his face as pale as the moon as he approached Nino when he exited from the house.
"He was a traitor and corrupted from the beginning." Nino shrugged, looking Himura straight in the eyes. Shaking from anger, Himura grabbed Nino’s collar and shoved him roughly against the black car behind them.
"What are you thinking!? No one gave you permission to kill him! Do you know what this is going to cause!?" Himura shouted, shaking Nino. Nino turned his head away, ignoring the shocked stare of the butler, still standing in the doorway.
"The old meat factory... that’s where he’s at." Nino mumbled, looking back to Himura, his mission very clear in his eyes. After a very brief but intense staring contest, Himura dropped his hold on Nino and angrily kicked the wheel of the car.
"Damn it... you’re not going to stop, are you?" Himura growled, rubbing his forehead. Nino shook his head no and picked the keys from Himura’s hand, opening the car door and getting inside. He started the engine and Himura peered at him through the open window.
"...you’re not going alone." the older man said, walking around the front of the car and getting into the passenger side.
Nino smirked at Himura as he tightly buckled himself in and then pulled out his phone, dialing a number.
""What are you doing?" Nino asked curiously, stomping on the gas and flying down the driveway and out into the streets. Himura rolled his eyes and held the phone to his ear.
"Calling for backup."
.
AN: And there you have it... a long chapter with lots of stuff going on XD And... Ohno managed to get himself kidnapped~
But at least Nino finally got his revenge on Iwata! Now he just has to find Ohno before something happens...
Chapter 24! Another turning point guys... can't say much more than that without giving it all away!
We're almost done! ^_^