Unchained Memories *complete*

Author: JadeHeart
Fandom: Gravitation
Warnings: Implied violence, deprivation of liberty, implied rape and torture.

Summary: The last days of Nittle Grasper after the New York incident with Kitazawa; Ryuichi dark past that changed him forever and the introduction of Kumagoro into his life; and the bonds that tie Tohma and Jim Harris together. (Side story to ‘The Key to My Heart’)

Author’s Note: Thank you for being so patient with me. I know it’s been a while since I’ve updated this, and also my other Gravitation stories. The muse has been happily playing in other sandboxes for a while so it really hasn’t been coming up with much for Gravitation lately. However, I haven’t abandoned these stories completely. The muse usually decides to wander back at some point so they will be finished – I just can’t say ‘when’!

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters in this, apart from Jim Harris and Kerryn Middleton; the rest belong to the creator of ‘Gravitation’.

-oOo-

Unchained Memories: Chapter 9


Jim stood there and just let the water run over him, savouring the warmth as it slowly seeped into aching limbs, feeling tired muscles begin to relax. He dropped his head, closing his eyes, letting it cascade down past his face, falling in riverlets to the tiles below. It felt so good to feel clean again. It had seemed like forever since he had been able to do more than just wash his face.

He lathered his body once more, still feeling grimy although he’d already washed thoroughly once. As he scrubbed his red skin once more the faint smell of sandalwood rose into the air. At least it wasn’t roses or lavender, he thought. He’d never live it down if he turned up to the station smelling like that!

Finally, with one last rinse and a reluctant sigh, he turned off the taps, stepping out of the shower to grab the large towel folded on the rail nearby.

The heat lamps overhead maintained a comfortable temperature as he tiredly rubbed his wet hair, finding it a major effort to keep his arms raised and wanting nothing more than just to lay down and sleep for the next twenty-four hours.

“You look tired,” a quiet voice said.

He lifted the towel edge so he could see from under it to find Kerryn standing in the doorway in the process of clipping on an earring. She was dressed smartly in a business suit, tailored skirt and buttoned jacket, face discreetly made-up, obviously ready for a day’s work.

“I am,” he admitted, continuing on with his ablutions. He gave his head one last rub and proceeded to work on his body. He wasn’t embarrassed to be standing naked before Kerryn. How could he be when they lived together and had for some years? She had already seen him at his best, and most certainly his worst, so just being naked was nothing.

He wrapped the towel tightly around his waist, raking fingers through his damp hair, before rubbing it over his stubbled chin, the sharp bristles scratching at his palm. He sighed, leaning on the counter top for a moment. Guess that was the next job on his list.

“Hurry up, lazy,” Kerryn said. “Come on down when you’re finished. Coffee’s ready.” She stepped in with a small smile and brushed a kiss over his cheek before turning to leave.

He sighed deeply again. He was tired, dead tired. He looked at the face that greeted him in the mirror, complete with deep frown lines that marred the brow and dark circles that shadowed the dull eyes.

Jim Harris, he addressed himself silently, you look like shit. The reflection made no reply and he let out a soft snort before opening the vanity mirror to find his shaving gear.

He grimaced as he began the lathering process. His electric shaver he kept at the station for ease of use at the moment and he’d never gotten around to buying a second to replace it at home. So due to that he was back to shaving the old fashion way; cream and blade. Not that he really minded. He actually thought that this method gave a closer shave than the electric but it was more time consuming.

He winced a little as he nicked himself. That is why, as he dabbed at the small bead of blood, it took more time. If you tried to rush it or didn’t pay enough attention you were liable to cut your throat. Still, he couldn’t bear to leave it until he returned to the station to use the electric razor. One thing he was always adamant about was that immediately after a shower in the morning he would shave. It was like a ritual, but for some reason it always made him feel a hell of a lot better.

He leant over and splashed the water over his face, rinsing the last of the lather away. Straightening up, he checked himself. No, everything looked fine. He gave his face one last pat then turned to head back into the bedroom, turning off the light behind him.

He made his way directly to the wardrobe, reaching in and pulling out fresh clothes, ignoring the discarded ones on the floor where he had tossed them as he had stripped on his way to the shower. There was no way he was going to crawl back into them after practically sleeping in them for the past nearly forty-eight hours. The mere thought of it made his skin crawl with disgust.

As he dressed, his nose twitched as the aroma of freshly brewed coffee reached him, making him salivate. Coffffeeeee, his mind chanted at him. His stomach growled in its urgent need and his fingers fumbled doing up his shirt buttons in his sudden haste. He may have had a cup of that beverage with Tohma earlier but that was the usual weak instant coffee that many of the cafes produced and did nothing to ease his real craving. He needed his coffee!

Grabbing another jacket, he made his way quickly to the kitchen, throwing it over the back of a chair near the front door so he would remember it when he left.

Kerryn turned as he entered and he wisely forwent his baser desire to make straight for the caffeine and instead went over to give her a proper greeting by way of a kiss and hug. He hadn’t wanted to subject her to that when he had first returned home in his sweaty, dirty, dishevelled state. She had already previously made her stance on facial hair more than clear and he knew she wouldn’t have appreciated his greeting in that condition.

She smiled and returned the welcome enthusiastically and if he wasn’t as tired as he was he would have been very tempted to drag her back into the bedroom. However, in his current state, that would probably be just wishful thinking.

“Sit down and eat something,” she ordered, pushing him towards a chair.

He did as he was told whilst she dished up a cooked breakfast, placing it before him. He didn’t generally go for something so heavy first thing in the morning but after a grueling couple of days of non-stop work, usually with poor food, it was truly heaven to have a decent meal finally in his belly.

Kerryn poured two cups of coffee, placing one in front of Jim and sitting opposite to sip her own.

“Thanks,” he mumbled around a mouthful.

“You’re welcome,” She dimpled back, reaching out to pinch a cut piece of sausage on his plate.

“Hey!” He swatted at her with his knife in mock anger.

She just continued to smile at him as she chewed, washing it down with a sip of coffee. He knew she would have already had her breakfast; a healthy muesli with yoghurt and fresh fruit. She said she was trying to watch her weight in readiness for their wedding, not that he thought she needed to. He liked her just the way she was and really couldn’t see what all the fuss was about. But when he had tried to say as much he’d been fixed with a steely glare and informed that she would be watching her weight and he wisely decided that he would say no more about it.

Since she had already eaten he knew she was only picking at the food to keep him company. It had been like this since they had first met so she was used to the fact that there would be times that she wouldn’t see much of him. There were only these brief moments that they could snatch together when he would return to change before leaving again and before she left for work also. He was really grateful for her understanding and preparedness to spend these moments with him, even though it usually meant that she would be late in for work.

“How’s it going?” she asked, sipping her coffee and watching him with clear grey eyes.

“Okay,” he said. He didn’t usually discuss his cases with Kerryn. It wasn’t just because he generally wanted to spare her the more gruesome details of many of them but it was also due to the issue of confidentiality. Not that he was really concerned that she would pass any information on that she shouldn’t, but it just made sure that no-one could accuse he and his for any leak there might be which there could be at anytime.

However this case was a little different from the norm. Kerryn knew Ryuichi, she knew Noriko and she knew Tohma. He had already spoken to her about the hate mail that Ryuichi had received, not realizing at the time that it was likely to escalate as it had. She had been quick enough to pick up when things had gone wrong, and it hadn’t been too hard for her to figure out who was involved, not when Tohma had sometimes called him when he was with her so she had known to whom he was speaking.

On top of that, the sudden furour over Noriko’s upcoming wedding had apparently triggered warning bells that only a female had, something about knowing that that wasn’t what Noriko would have done under normal circumstances. He hadn’t quite understood it. It might not have had any logic that he could follow but it obviously still lead directly to the conclusion she had come to that something serious had happened to Ryuichi Sakuma.

So he had given into her pleas to at least know a little about what was happening and told her that Ryuichi was missing with the search now underway. She had been horrified at hearing this, knowing enough about how many of such cases turned out from her time as a girlfriend of a detective that she wasn’t deceived into thinking that it always turned out for the best. However, she didn’t press him any further for details, simply asking that he let her know how things were going in general, be it good or bad. He had agreed to that, it was enough for her to know

“Are you any closer?” she queried, not wanting to push but obviously worried.

“Perhaps,” he said cautiously. “We’ll know more tonight.”

He could see her thinking on what he had just said, no doubt figuring out that he would be involved in a raid and unlikely to be home tonight. That was one of the things that made it so easy for him to live with Kerryn. She was able to quickly put information together from the little things he said and understand generally what was happening. It saved him trying to find ways to explain everything when he wasn’t able to, and also helped lessen misunderstandings between them.

“Hmm,” She sipped at her coffee again. “I hope it goes well then.” she said in a firm voice, catching his eye.

“Me too,” he agreed.

She stood and refilled his empty cup with more steaming coffee, but instead of returning to her seat she slid her arms around his neck from behind to hug him.

He paused in his eating. “What’s that for?” he questioned although he really wasn’t complaining.

“I knew you would have forgotten.” Her voice was tinged with laughter.

“Forgotten what?” He craned his neck around, trying to see her.

She laughed out loud and placed a small wrapped box on the table beside his cup. “Here.”

He stared at it in confusion until he felt Kerryn press her lips against his cheek and whisper, “Happy birthday, love”, then he felt his cheeks grow hot.

Swiveling in his chair he reached out and snaked an arm around her waist, pulling her down onto his lap. He cupped her face and pressed his lips against hers, holding her in a deep warm gentle kiss. When he broke it and gazed up into her smiling face he felt his heart swell with joy as she reached out and lightly touched his face. He was so lucky.

“So are you going to open it?” she asked, poking him in the chest with one well manicured finger.

“Okay, okay,” he said, reaching out to pick up the gift without releasing his hold on her.

She wriggled delightfully on his lap so she could see better what he was doing. He carefully pulled the tape aside, trying not to tear the paper.

“Hurry up, will you?” Kerryn said, almost bouncing in frustration.

“Hey, just whose present is this?” he said, unable to resist smiling at her impatience.

He took pity on her and ripped the paper completely away to reveal the ornate box inside.

“So what is it?” he asked looking at her

“You’re supposed to open it for find out, silly,” she said tartly.

He reached around her and took a good grip on the box with both hands and popped the catch, lifting the lid. He gaped at the object inside.

“Well, do you like it?” she asked when the silence had stretched on.

He took the object out to examine it further, admiring it. “It’s great.” he said with feeling. He looked up at her smiling “It’s perfect.”

She searched his face and then returned his smile when she could see that he was telling the truth, relief in her eyes.

She reached out and took the silver lighter from his hands and pointed at the etching. “See, I had them engrave this on it. It’s an ivy garland, with holly.”

“What’s it mean?” he asked peering more closely at the design. He had just thought it was a standard pattern not something important.

“Ivy symbolizes marriage, whilst holly is for protection. I asked my grandmother in Ireland about it. I wanted to find something I could put on that wasn’t as tacky as putting our initials on it.

“Thought you wanted me to give up?” he said.

She slipped from his lap, taking the time to smooth her skirt and pat her hair back in place. “Well I do, but I know you won’t just yet. However,” She fixed him with her patented icy glare. “Just remember your promise that you’ll give up when we have children.”

“I promise,” he confirmed smiling at her.

She glanced at the clock on the wall and sighed. “I’ve got to go,” She leant down and kissed his cheek. “Be careful.” she said

“I will,” he replied

“We’ll have a proper celebration for you after all this is over.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it. Have a good day.”

“You too,” and she dashed out the door.

He gulped down the last of his cold coffee and stood up, clearing all the dishes from the table and placing them in the dishwasher. He had to get going as well.

Turning, he picked up the lighter, opening it and giving one flick. The flame flared up first time. He gazed at it fondly. How like Kerryn to give him a present that was exactly what he would like, even though it was something that she might not completely approve of.

He pushed it into his pocked, then grabbed his keys and left the apartment, his mind immediately filling with all that he had to accomplish. It was going to be long day.

-oOo-

Tohma waited in the shadows, slumped down in the seat of the hire car he sat in. He was parked toward the back of the police station, near the car park so he could observe any comings and goings from the building. It had been a long wait already.

He had come here almost immediately after speaking with Noriko, leaving his apartment whilst it was still morning, and making his way back to the police station. He had caught the subway, rarely bothering to drive in the city unless there was a need and planning on being as innocuous as possible. To that end he had dressed in his most subdued clothing that he had; an old pair of faded jeans with one ripped knee (he had forewent the ones with the more enticing rips placed strategically at the back of the thighs), a plain dark t-shirt and plaid shirt. To complete his wardrobe was a baseball cap, with his blond hair tucked up well inside, and dark sunglasses.

He had settled himself down at a table by the window of the small burger place from which he could watch the rear gate to the station’s car park, carefully scanning the area to be sure he was not seen by anyone else from the station who might recognise him. The last thing he needed now was to be seen and that reported back to Jim and remaining in an eatery so close to the station was a bit of a danger. It seemed that policemen always seemed to be hungry.

As the time ticked on he sipped at the watery coffee he had purchased and picked at the cooling fries spread out on the tray before him, keeping a close eye on the area outside, still making plans in his head.

The fry paused half way to his mouth as he saw Jim arrive some time later, his familiar car slowing at the gate and showing his ID to the guard there before swiping it over the reader, waiting for the gates to slowly open. Tohma strained his eyes across the distance, losing sight of the vehicle as it navigated to find a parking spot, then just managed to spy Jim as he mounted the steps to enter through the rear door of the station. He noticed Jim was wearing different clothes to what he had been in earlier that morning. Obviously he had taken the time to return home for a quick refresher. Tohma felt pleased about that. Jim truly hadn’t been looking well lately and he felt concern for his new friend.

He watched Jim disappear into the building and made up his mind. He stood and left immediately, heading for the nearest hire car company that he had already looked up in the phone book before leaving his apartment earlier. It took but a moment for him to hire a vehicle, although he did have to spend some time convincing the staff that he did not require an upgrade and just wished to remain with the cheapest, smallest car they had available. He had been a little nervous as they had scrutinized his international license and passport, as well as his insurance documents for good measure, but fortunately none of them appeared to be Nittle Grasper fans so they did not recognise either him or his name. He didn’t breathe a sigh of relief until he sat in the car, hire agreement in hand and was able to drive out of the lot.

He made his way back to the station, carefully parking a little down the street and walking the block to the station. There next step was to check if he had managed to miss Jim. He was Tohma’s only lead on what was happening tonight and he couldn’t afford to lose track of him now. Upon going inside he calmly enquired if Jim was present, to be told that he was but was unavailable. He smiled and politely refused the offer of any other assistance or a message being left and instead returned to his car. He wasn’t too late.

So now he waited, and had been for some time already as the sun slowly crept across the sky towards the west.

He sat up a little, eyes fixed on the distant activity in the yard he was watching. As he watched a few people exited the rear doors, bags were being carried, some large, some small, all being deposited in various vehicles. These comings and goings continued for a time more, then ceased as a number of people now simply stood and appeared to be speaking with each other. However, soon he was rewarded with the sight of Jim himself walking down the rear steps, waving a hand to the group of people who dispersed immediately, before he stepped into the back of dark van.

As Tohma watched, the van and three other vehicles, all unmarked, pulled out of the yard and smoothly merged with the traffic streaming along the street.

Tohma started his engine swiftly and followed, not wanting to lose sight of the convoy. Once he had once again gained a visual on the vehicles he made certain to hang back a little so as not to be too obvious. However he watched carefully to ensure that no larger vehicles pulled in front of him, thus blocking his view of his prey.

They navigated the streets of New York slowly, gradually moving into the suburbs, and Tohma continued to follow. He knew it was going to get trickier now. The traffic was thinning and he was concerned that the drivers in the convoy would be alert enough to notice the same vehicle behind them for all this time and become suspicious. He couldn’t afford to make any mistakes at this time, so he pulled back further, even going so far as to park up for a time and allow them to draw even further ahead on a long straight road before setting off again.

Finally he saw the vehicles slow almost to a stand still before they all began peeling off down different side streets until only the van remained on the street they had been originally travelling. Tohma stayed with the van as it contained Jim. Where Jim went, he was sure to find Ryuichi. Due to this change in activity he guessed they must be close to their location and he could feel his heart begin to race with anticipation.

Sure enough, only another block after the last of the other cars had left, the van slowed and eased into a parking area, blending into the lines of vehicles already present.

Tohma didn’t follow it, instead going past for another couple of blocks before doubling back and parking in behind another stationary vehicle by the kerb so he was mostly hidden from view but could still see the van. He guessed that somewhere around here was the place Jim had said they would raid so he settled down to wait again as the shadows lengthened further with the setting sun.

Ryuichi he thought, hold on. I’m coming.

-oOo-

Ryuichi was still in the dark.

Everything was dark; the air, the sound, his mind, his heart. There was nothing but the dark. His whole world was nothing but darkness now. He could no longer remember what light was. It was just the darkness.

The only thing that wasn’t dark was the softness he held in his hands.

He pressed his face into that warmth, the only warm thing there was in this cold, dark place that he crouched in. His stomach growled again, this time cramping a little harder than before.

His eyes leaked tears. It hurt. It had been hurting for a while now, each time a little worse than before. Everything hurt.

“I’m hungry,” he said out loud, startling himself.

He quickly covered his mouth with the warm fur again and listened fearfully. Had he awakened it?

He strained his ears, trying to hear through the thick darkness. Nothing. The demon didn’t come. He hadn’t come for some time now. At least Ryuichi didn’t think he had. Perhaps it hadn’t been that long.

Slowly he eased the fur away from his mouth and took a shuddering breath. “It’s all right,” he whispered more cautiously, still cringing a little at the way the soft sounds seemed so loud as though they were echoing off the walls surrounding him. “You don’t have to worry, Kumagoro.”

He smoothed the rumpled fur, wiping away the slight dampness of the area that had been pressed against his lips, enjoying the soft feel of the fur on his chilled hands. He couldn’t suppress the shiver that shook his body.

“It’s so cold,” he said softly.

He had learnt that he only felt colder if he leant against the walls of his cage, as though they sought to leech all the heat from his body like some form of alien parasite. Now he only remained sitting in what he thought was the centre of this world he was now forced to inhabit, curling into a tight ball on the ground when exhaustion forced him to sleep, Kumagoro held tightly to his chest.

“You are so lucky,” he continued speaking, his hands unerringly finding the long floppy ears and running gently down their lengths, first one, then the other. Even in this darkness he always knew where Kumagoro was and every part of him. Not that he ever let him go now.

At the beginning he had put Kumagoro down once as he had searched this place. After he had determined that there was nothing he could do he had returned and reached down to where he had thought he had placed the toy, only for his hand to be met with nothing more than dampness and cold.

The wave of panic that had struck him had made it hard for him to breathe, seeming to stop all such mechanics. Then his breathing had returned, but each gasp caught in his throat as though trying to choke him, growing faster and faster.

He had anxiously begun to search, crawling on hands and knees over the uneven ground, ignoring the scrapes and bruises on his knees and hands as his fingers frantically scrabbled across the surface; searching…searching…searching. Tears were leaking from his eyes continuously as he sobbed harder and harder; crying, calling, pleading.

When his hand had finally touched that lost softness he had collapsed, desperately drawing it towards him, curling around it, squeezing it so tightly it practically flattened out completely as he held it against his body, burying his face into the fur as he continued to sob and wail; eyes stinging with tears, nose blocked so it was hard to breathe, chest hurting so much as though his frantically beating heart had bruised it inside.

From that moment on he had never released his hold on Kumagoro. He would never let him go again.

He continued to stroke his friend when his hand paused for a moment. “What?” Ryuichi asked, leaning against the head. “I should have fur too? Well, yes, I would like that because it would be nice and warm, but I don’t. Tohma wouldn’t like it either.”

He paused again, as though listening, then shook his head. “Oh, no, I don’t mean that Tohma would be horrible to me. He just likes me the way I am. Besides, he looks far better in fur than me. Feathers too.”

A moment of silence again.

“You think so? I would look good with fur? Honestly? That’s so nice of you. Hey, Kumagoro, let’s sing a song! Do you know any? You don’t? That’s okay, I’ll teach you.”

He leant in close again, lifting one floppy ear to whisper very softly. “But we’ll have to be very quiet so we don’t wake the demon, okay?”

The darkness was all encompassing here in this place. Nothing disturbed it, nothing more than very distant sounds of water breaking upon the silence.

That and the soft sing-song voice drifting through the tunnels.

-oOo-

Tohma had sat still all the rest of the afternoon, struggling to stay awake at times as the hours had dragged on. It was at times like this that Tohma wished that he had thought just a little bit more ahead and brought a flask of hot coffee. At least it would have helped him be more alert.

The van remained where it was, still and silent, no movement of any sort around it in all this time. Some of the cars in the parking lot had left, others had arrived as their owners had come and gone with the changes in the day, but the van remained the same. It was well into the night before Tohma spied some stealthy movement near the object of his stakeout.

He focused his tired eyes on the area around the van and could now see that what he was observing were shadowy figures moving carefully toward the warehouse across the road. He remained where he was in his vehicle, making no effort to move in case anyone noticed him, forcing them to abort their intended mission. So he just continued to watch and see just where they were going.

The group sidled carefully up to the front door of the building. Yes, that was definitely their target for tonight.

For a moment the group seemed to pause and then there was the sliver of light indicating that a door must have been opened. It remained cracked open for a only a short time before closing again with no dark figures left on the pavement.

Once they were gone from Tohma’s view, he carefully slipped from his car, first ensuring that the interior light was off and would not give away his position, and then keeping to the shadows made his way swiftly around the block to the back of the building. He had to make certain he was close by when they found Ryuichi.

He ran lightly on the balls of his feet, his sneakers making little noise. As he rushed past his eyes noted the registration of a vehicle he passed. As he had suspected, it was one of the other vehicles in the police convoy parked here at the side of the target location. He guessed the others had parked on the other street quadrants also.

As he drew closer to where he guessed the back door could be of the building he was seeking, the night was suddenly shattered by rapid gunfire, shouts, screams, and the sound of breaking glass.

Despite the shock of the unexpected sounds he didn’t stop. Instead he increased his speed, running now with all his might. He rushed forward, concerned that Ryuichi could be caught in the middle of all this mayhem and might be hurt.

He kept running. He was completely confused by this sudden violence. He had this would be nothing more than just a simple routine matter of the police walking in, waving their warrant and conducting a search, all very quiet and civilized. He thought they were just pursing one kidnapper, although he now recalled Jim mentioning that there seemed to be the presence of others here also, still he hadn’t expected this level of resistance or retaliation. His stomach began to churn with worry.

He had just reached the direct back of the building where large roller doors stood pried open, allowing the light from inside to spill out. He could still hear the sounds of shooting from inside although it seemed to be decreasing.

As he paused there for a moment, wondering if he should just rush right in or try and head up the fire escape to one side and maybe avoid the worst of whatever battle was underway within the interior, when a figure suddenly burst through the gap in the doors, running directly towards him.

As the person briefly entered the dim light thrown by the street lights above, Tohma saw the man held a gun, with what appeared to be blood covering his face. The man screamed some obscenity at him which he didn’t catch and still continued straight towards him.

Another movement drew Tohma’s eyes away from the oncoming figure. Over the running man’s shoulder, Toham saw another person exit the building at a run, pelting forward, every movement speaking of desperation.

“Tohma!” he heard shouted, and recognized Jim’s voice. “Get out of here!”

-oOo-

Jim’s heart was in his mouth almost choking him except he couldn’t afford to let that happen as he needed to continue to gulp air into his lungs as he pounded after his quarry.

From the moment they had stealthily entered the warehouse and saw the activities being carried out for the first time he realized they had been so very wrong in their assumptions for this raid.

Well, not really wrong. They had been completely correct in that what was occurring here was highly suspect and definitely illegal. What they had been wrong about was that it had nothing to do with finding Ryuichi Sakuma.

He motioned to one of his men, silently signaling for him to return to the van and call for back-up. Jim knew that what they had here could be far bigger than they could handle and he needed to sit tight until the odds were further in their favour. He sent another of his men off to join up with the group coming in from the back of the building to tell them to wait as well.

He watched what was occurring for a moment longer, knowing that one of his men was ensuring that he was capturing it all on video camera as possible evidence later on. His fingers itched in the way that they would when he was so close to a bust but not yet able to act. It was nothing more than a nervous reaction but it had become a bit of a joke between the boys at the station about his ‘itchy’ trigger finger.

He glanced around, peering towards the back. He couldn’t see any of his people yet and was beginning to worry a little when a shadow appeared to detach itself from the wall on the upper level and motion to him briefly. He followed the movement down with his eyes and made out the rest of the team secreting themselves in cover. He breathed a sigh. Good, they were in place and settling in to sit it out.

He scratched at his fingers absently and tried to not check his watch for what seemed like the twentieth time. It hadn’t been that long and it would take some time for the nearest station to mobilize some people.

Suddenly he saw one of the people in the warehouse he had been observing begin to move towards the corner, directly where one of his men was hiding. He ground his teeth as he watched, his heart pounding. Turn away, turn away, go somewhere else damnit!, he thought hard at the suspect, trying to will him away from his intended destination.

Fate was not smiling on him this time. The man made no detour and walked directly to where the officer had been crouched with no where else he could go. The suspect let out a loud shout, hand diving beneath his jacket, only to spin suddenly and collapse just as the sharp report of a gunshot echoed through the building.

There was a moment of complete stillness as though the entire tableau had frozen, both criminals and police alike. Then all hell broke loose!

Jim and his men took cover as the criminals drew weapons of all shapes and sizes. Those in the open in the middle of the warehouse immediately made for cover, diving for dark corner, outer offices, seeing cover where they could. They had the advantage of knowing this area thoroughly, although Jim’s team had managed to gain some small benefit in having secured the higher ground for the moment. However he knew that he still needed that back up for in any fire fight there would be casualties and it was rarely all just on one side.

The bullets continued to fly, splinters of wood spinning through the air as the projectiles ploughed into stacked crates.

“Shit!” Jim heard beside him and turned for a moment to see one of his bed crouching down, a hand clapped over one side of his face as blood seeped between his fingers.

“Let me see!” Jim ducked down and drew the hand away. A wood splinter had slashed the man’s face, coming dangerously close to the eye.

“Get out of here!” Jim ordered him. He saw the man’s chin jut out and cut the refusal short. “Do it! You’re no good to me in that state!” A little harsh perhaps, but the truth. With his vision impeded the officer would unlikely be able to accurately shoot and that might leave him vulnerable to further attack.

The officer grudgingly nodded and began to move away when with a sharp cry another man fell backwards clasping one arm. All the men were in bullet-proof vests so in theory critical injuries should be avoidable, unless you got an unlucky head shot. However that still left arms and legs vulnerable.

“Take him with you!” Jim ordered the first wounded man who nodded and reached down to grasp the other under the arm pits and begin to drag him away. Jim only watched long enough to ensure that they made it safely to the door and then returned to keeping his own skin intact.

As he crouched down to avoid a hail of machine gun fire, he sent a quick pray to heaven. He wasn’t exactly religious but he was a firm believer in that it couldn’t hurt. Where was his back-up?! As much as he had complete faith in the vests they wore, he knew that they would not stand up to everything. Concentrated machine gun fire could eventually rip through them, there were armour piercing bullets out there, and no vest would help you against a grenade or missile launcher.

Suddenly he heard the sound of sirens and breathed a quick ‘thank you!’ and was soon greeted with the further appearance of more heavily armoured officers arriving on the scene. The odds were now tipping in their favour.

Just then he spotted a single figure sliding towards the back, avoiding the battle and disappearing into the darkness.

“Damn!” he shouted and scuttled around the edges of the fight, keeping below the firing line, moving from cover to cover until he too reached the back of the building. He came out in the enclosed loading bay and saw the culprit flee out the twisted roller doors. He went immediately into a run to catch him, barely pausing as he squeezed through the gap to follow.

As he exited he could his quarry ahead of him and then realized he was running directly towards a man walking this way. For a moment Jim thought it was just a hapless citizen who had the misfortune of stumbling upon them but then as he drew closer he was shocked to recognise a familiar person. There was no mistaking Tohma Seguchi.

“Tohma!” he shouted with all his might, trying to will himself to go faster. “Get out of here!”

He already knew it was too late but he still had to try. Sure enough though, the fleeing fugitive reached Tohma first. Jim could see the glint of metal, could see the pistol in his grip as he grabbed Tohma’s arm, dragging him before him, bringing the gun up to aim at Tohma’s head. It was obvious that the man intended to use Tohma as a shield to prevent Jim from being able to either shoot, or draw close enough to apprehend him.

Jim slowed, knowing this all too well. He also knew that most likely at the first opportunity the man would shoot both Tohma and himself in his attempt to get away. Shit!

“Don’t come any closer!!” the man screamed, the gun pointing unerringly at Tohma’s temple. “I’ll shoot, I swear I will!!”

Jim stopped, teeth gritted together at the feeling of helplessness washing over him. Damn it, what the hell could he do?!

He looked at Tohma and was surprised to see the face gazing back him completely composed. He appeared quite calm and not one little bit perturbed at having just become a hostage. Did he not understand that he could be killed? Jim didn’t understand this man at all.

Suddenly Tohma half smiled at him and he watched in complete amazement as Tohma seemed to turn easily in the man’s grip, twisting away, hands moving in fluid motions which appeared to first release him from the grasping hands, then knocking the gun away so it skittered across the pavement, before appearing to no more than lightly touch the man at which he crumpled to the ground to lie still at Tohma’s feet.

Jim stood there for another moment, just staring, not even certain what he had just seen. By all intents Tohma should either still be a hostage or he should be dead at trying to pull that stunt. Yet there he stood, his blond hair not even looking ruffled.

Anger now boiled to the surface in Jim, tensing his muscles as he closed the remaining distance between them rapidly. Tohma heard his approach and turned.

“Why you, stupid….!”

Jim didn’t say anything more as he lashed out and his fist connected firmly against Tohma’s chin, snapping his head back and knocking him to his knees. He was breathing hard, lips drawn back in an angry snarl, hands clenched in fists at his side as the anger continued to roil inside, fuelled by the deep fear he had felt from the moment he had recognized who had been here.

Tohma remained in a crouch for a moment, making no sound, before simply getting back on his feet, one hand cradling his jaw and facing Jim.

Jim reached out and grabbed the lapels of Tohma’s coat, bunching it into handfuls and pushed him hard back against the wall, hard enough that there was an audible crack as the back of his head connected with the bricks.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing here?!” Jim shouted, pulling Tohma forward and slamming him back again. “You fucking stupid bastard! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!”

“I want to find Ryuichi,” Tohma said evenly, not bothering to wipe away the small trickle of blood from his split bottom lip.

“You will stay the fuck out of this like you were told!” Jim snapped.

“I can’t do that,” Tohma replied.

“You..!” Jim stepped back and took another swing only this time he found his blow blocked, clenched fist clasped firmly in the palm of Tohma’s hand.

Jim glared at Tohma, flashing grey eyes meeting hard green ones as the two men stood up against each other.

“I may have deserved the first,” Tohma said evenly, not releasing his grip on Jim’s hand. “But I will not accept a second.”

Jim leant all his weight against Tohma but the shorter man didn’t budge. Despite Jim standing over six foot and thus far taller than Tohma, he could feel the strength in the other man. He recalled how easily Tohma had disengaged himself from the fugitive’s clutches, and drop him like a puppet master cutting the strings. Obviously that was no fluke. Tohma was far stronger than he appeared at first glance.

Jim continued to glare at Tohma. He had never felt so angry before. He wasn’t one to lose his temper easily but this anger came directly from the fear he had felt, and the taste which still hung in his mouth. He had truly feared that he would see Tohma killed before his eyes, and that was something he never wanted to experience. He had seen too many good men leave the Force in pieces after having witnessed just such a scenario.

As he glared at Tohma he could see the man wasn’t going to back down. He wasn’t afraid of Jim, just as he hadn’t been afraid of the thug who had grabbed him. Tohma Seguchi didn’t appear to be afraid of anything and he certainly wasn’t one to give up this fight. Jim could see that he would matching him blow for blow if need be.

With another snarl he jerked his hand from Tohma’s grasp and took a step back, breathing hard and trying to get a better grip on his temper. He took a few deep breathes, closing his eyes for a moment to try and clear his head.

Tohma let him go, not trying to maintain his clasp and then calmly smoothed his crinkled jacket, before running a hand through his hair.

“I gather this did not go exactly as you had thought?” he said calmly.

Jim turned his head and held his temper as he answered shortly, “No.”

“So Ryuichi is not here?”

Jim paused a moment and then answered reluctantly. “No.”

Although he hadn’t had the chance to conduct a full search yet his gut instinct was telling him Ryuichi wasn’t here.

“Ah, I see,” Tohma said no more and silence settled between them.

Jim finally spoke. “Go home,” he ordered, not looking at Tohma.

He turned his back on the other and began walking back towards the warehouse. Behind him there was no sound for a moment, then he heard the sound of receding footsteps as Tohma complied.

Jim didn’t stop or slow his steps although the silent way in which Tohma had obeyed, without any further argument almost made him do so for it seemed so…unnatural. Tohma was the type of person who always had the last word, he wasn’t the kind of person to just do as he was told. Tonight was a perfect example of that.

So the fact that now he could hear Tohma simply walking way, doing exactly as Jim had told him seemed so…wrong. He could almost feel the despair reaching out to him, a despair that far overshadowed that he was feeling for not having found Ryuichi Sakuma.

So a part of him wanted to say something, try and give some reassurance but there was really nothing that he could say so he just kept walking, the sound of their footsteps fading as they drew further and further apart.