Tainted Time

The man paced before them, footfalls like gunshots, so loud they seemed in the cold tiled room. Lupin watched him; both painfully aware of how fast and slow seemed to pass. Faster, closer to the transport of the two of them.. more chance to escape. Faster…as if on cue, the man he held draped across his lap shuddered a little. Lupin held him closer, trying to ignore the slick warm feel of blood that had dripped down on his leg move as he did.

"You okay Old man?" he asked, not even noticing as the hand not under the inspector rose and traced the older mans sweaty hairline

Gasping lightly, Zenigata turned slightly to the touch, then looked up into Lupin’s sad face. "I’m better then I deserve to be and you know it." The worried face looking down over him frowned deeply. Sighing, Zenigata closed his eyes, trying to shut out reality.

Something warm and wet thudded against his cheek and traced its way along to his chin. Followed by a second and third one. Frowning as they tickled a path down his face, the wounded man opened his eyes. He stiffened again, this time from shock and not the pain that seemed to be spreading like a red-hot coal.

He quaked again. Lifting his down cast head and eyes, Lupin’s hand traced away the few tears that hadn’t fallen yet. "Don’t die on me now Pops. I would have to stop stealing from boredom!" He gave a small laugh, but it was a sadder sound then a sob would have been.

"Lupin, stop that. Stop feeling sorry for me this instant!" Lupin couldn’t hide the smile at the sound of the gruff anger returning to Pops voice. "How cute." In mid teasing poke to Zenigata face and Zenigata mid glare, they both turned to look at the speaker.

"Such a touching scene. Too bad the Hallmark Movie of the week is at an end." Behind him, the door opened, three more men entering the bathroom. "Ah… so you must be Jim, Tony and Joe. Nice to met you." Henry scowled. Dare he act like it was nothing?! "Tony, Jim... take the bleeding man. Make sure he lives. He will be a perfect tool to make the other one talk." Both men nodded and moved forward, the restroom filling with Henrys loud laughter.

"Hey hey! Be careful with him, you Bastards!" Lupin yelled as rough hands almost yanked the Inspector off his lap. "Shut up you Idiot! Don’t you friggin worry about me!' Lupin stood turning to the two manhandling his friend, his rival, his more. "Don’t yell at me! Its not good for you!"

Smirking, Henry stepped in between the thief and the cop. "Move!" Lupin demanded trying to look around the large man, so deep was his concern for the fate of Zenigata; he didn’t even seem to notice the danger he was in. The cult leader flipped the Walter about, pistol-whipping the man with his own gun. Starts exploded behind the thief’s eyes and he fell to the floor. "Lu-Lupin!" Zenigata’s shocked yell and the laughter Joe swirled about the darkness that slipped over his mind.


"Looks like he wasn’t going to go quietly...Isn’t that the way you cops say it?" Joe laughed, scooping the prone thief up with one hand. "If you hurt him… I swear I will-" His words cut off as another bolt of pain swept over his body. "You don’t seem to in any position to make threats, Officer," One of the men holding him taunted, tightening his grip, as Zenigata convulsed in pain.

"Leave him alone...for now. We are wasting time here. The longer Gala-Balagal is not in his shrine, the angrier he will become. After we retrieve him, perhaps we can save ourselves from his wrath by sacrificing these two to his name." Nodding, the other three adjusted their hold on the men and left the room. Soon they would be back at the alter, and there, with the power of Gala-Balagal, they would drag the truth from the thief and cop. Then their blood would paint the statue on its return.

"Hey! What the hell was going on in there?! I heard friggin gunshots, yelling, breaking shit...If you left a mess in there for me to clean up, I swear I will make sure none of you ever need the men’s restroom again!" Henry blinked as Marge darted in front of their path, anger flushing her face.

"Calm yourself Marge.. I will send someone to fix everything. You will have to close for a day or so. But it’s a small price to pay for the capture of the man who took Gala-Balagal, and his friend, is it not?"

The color drained from her face as she fell to her knees. "You found him? The man who took our lord? Yes! Yes! I would close the truck stop for a year if we can retrieve Gala-Balagal!" Henry grinned and tossed a wad of bills on the counter. "For you troubles, Marge. Go buy something worthy of the Master’s return." The doorbell chimed as they moved around her, leaving the glorified gas station.