Gravitation Fan Fiction ❯ The Dark Side of Gravity ❯ Taking Charge ( Chapter 7 )

This chapter's not real long, but it has some interesting twists.  Tohma is a fun character and K, well, is K.

Chapter 7: Taking Charge

Shuichi dashed into the studio just as Fujisaki was heading out the door and knocked the younger man sprawling.

"Oh, Fujisaki!  I'm sorry!" Shuichi exclaimed, pulling him to his feet.

Fujisaki dusted himself off huffily and glared at Shuichi.  "Where the hell have you been?  Rehearsal was supposed to start over two hours ago.  I had a new arrangement I wanted to play for you."

"I'm sorry, I was delayed," Shuichi replied, a little flushed.  "But I'm looking forward to hearing your arrangement.  I'm sure it's very good."  He tried to sound sincere and encouraging, so Fujisaki wouldn't leave.

"If you really thought that, you'd be on time," Fujisaki retorted indignantly.  He started out the door again and was knocked sprawling a second time by the sudden arrival of Mr. Sakano.

"Shindou!  You're finally here!" he shouted. "Mr. Seguchi asked to see you as soon as you arrived!"  When Shuichi didn't move, he jumped up and down excitedly.  "Why are you still here?!  The president of N-G asked to see you!  You must go immediately!  Go!  Go!"  He waved his hands toward the door while jumping from foot to foot in exasperation.

"Ok!  I'm going!" Shuichi hurried to the elevator and fretted all the way up.  Undoubtedly, Tohma Seguchi wanted to see him about Eiri Yuki.  He entered Mr. Seguchi's office trying to look meek and harmless.

"Thank you for coming, Mr. Shindou.  Please sit down."

As always, Tohma Seguchi looked young and kind.  His slightly effeminate voice and slender build always made bigger, louder men think they could intimidate or control him.  But Tohma Seguchi was made of steel.  Only the foolish and brash tried to take him on.  Everyone else knew better, or quickly learned.  Shuichi took the offered seat, trying not to look as worried as he felt.

"Mr. Shindou, I suppose you are aware I called on Mr. Yuki this morning."

"Yes, Mr. Seguchi."

Tohma leaned forward and crossed his arms on the desk.  From anyone else, that posture would have conveyed confidentiality.  With Tohma, it felt like a slightly veiled threat.  "I would appreciate complete honesty from you, Mr. Shindou."  He held Shuichi's eyes until Shuichi ducked his head in a quick nod.  "Were you victimized by a vampire on your recent concert tour?"

Shuichi stared, utterly dumbfounded.  "How do you know that?  Did Yuki tell you?"

"He didn't have to; I recognize the signs."

Shuichi paled and put a hand over his mouth.  He recognized the signs?  Who else knew?

"I need you to tell me everything, Mr. Shindou.  Your condition, and Eiri Yuki's condition, will only worsen unless the situation is rectified.  I will take care of it, but I need to know the complete truth.  What is the creature's name?"

"Satoshi Seido," Shuichi whispered.  He couldn't manage anything louder.  He was nearly too stunned to speak at all.

"All right.  I want you to tell me about every encounter.  And I need all the details, no matter how embarrassing or trivial."  Tohma leaned forward.  "I do not mean to be too dramatic when I say your lives depend on this."

Shuichi slumped down in the chair.  He had not even told Yuki about all the times Satoshi had taken him, or how.  But Tohma's relentless gaze pinned him to the chair.  He had no choice.  Slowly, in a shaking voice, he told Tohma every sordid detail of his encounters with Satoshi Seido.

- - - - - - - -

"You wanted to see me, Mr. Seguchi?"

"Yes, K. Thank you for coming so quickly."

K sauntered into Tohma's office and closed the door behind him.  "Is this about Bad Luck?  Their rehearsals are going pretty well, when Shindou shows up and Fujisaki's not mad at him and Hiro's not daydreaming about Ayaka."  He strolled forward and leaned on the back of the chair opposite Tohma's desk.

"I need your help with something."

K brightened instantly.  "Great!  What gun should I bring?"

"I would prefer it if you used my crossbow." Tohma smiled. "We need something that kills the living and the undead with equal certainty."

"Vampire hunting?!" K exclaimed gleefully.  "I haven't done that for years.  But why do you want to hunt vampires?" he asked curiously.

"That admirer of Mr. Shindou's who was following your tour was most likely a vampire."

"What?"  K stood up straight, his gun suddenly in his hand.  "I let a vampire get close to one of my people?"  An angry scowl darkened his face.  "I'm losing my touch."

"It's not your fault K.  Please don't blame yourself.  You know that vampires can exert incredible control over their victims, and they are very good at hiding their nature from everyone else.  However, there is no doubt that Mr. Shindou has been victimized by a vampire multiple times.  He provided me with the details himself.  And unfortunately, he has spread the infection to Eiri Yuki."

"That's not good."  K slipped his gun back into its holster.

"No, it's not."  Tohma stood up.  "In order to free them both, we must destroy the source of the infection.  In this case, Mr. Satoshi Seido."

"Right.  When do we start?"

"Tonight.  I'll pick you up.  I need to do some research first."

"I'll be ready."

- - - - - - - -

Despite Tohma's suggestion, K looked to be carrying about six guns when he climbed into the back seat of Tohma's limousine.  But he hefted Tohma's crossbow with an appreciative smile.  It had a crank to retract the cable and a magazine of eight bolts that self-loaded when the cable reached maximum tension.

"Very nice, Mr. Seguchi," he said with a wide grin.  "I may have to get one of these."

"I'm glad you like it."

"Do you know where to find this vampire?"

"I have an idea.  Mr. Shindou told me Satoshi Seido said he was an art dealer.  I could find no businesses or shops registered in that name, or any other records that seemed promising, except for an old newspaper clipping from the 1960's about the home of an artist named Satoshi Seido burning to the ground under suspicious circumstances.  I would not have found that except some diligent genealogy student had cataloged several references to the name Seido.  The house was right here in Tokyo.  So we will start in that neighborhood.  I've found that vampires frequently stick close to the places they lived before they joined the undead."

K nodded.  "And vampires usually hang out together, when they're not out hunting down a favorite meal."

"Precisely.  If Seido has been hunting in Tokyo for a long time, he will have built up a fair-sized coven around him.  He'll have protection."

"Not for long," K said grimly.  "You got spare clips for this thing?"

"In the case on the other seat."  Tohma smiled.  K was just the man to have along when you were planning a little mayhem.

- - - - - - - -

Shuichi was subdued when he got home, and he had forgotten their dinner.  He realized it as soon as he stepped in the door and saw Eiri waiting for him.  His face fell and he mumbled something about going back out, but Eiri caught his shoulder and stopped him.

"Don't worry about it.  We can make rice, and I think there's an egg."

"But I said I would bring dinner."  Shuichi sounded on the verge of tears.

"Shu-chan, what's wrong?"  Eiri put a hand under his chin and made Shuichi look at him.

Tears immediately began to spill from his eyes.  "Mr. Seguchi knows!" he wailed.  "He made me tell him everything.  He knows what I've been doing with you!"  He put his arms around Eiri's waist and pressed his face against his chest.  "He said he would take care of it.  What does that mean?"

Eiri stroked Shuichi's hair gently.  "It means that vampire won't bother you ever again.  Tohma's a resourceful man.  He'll do what he needs to do to save you, and through you, me.  So don't worry.  Everything will be all right."

"I hope so," he whispered.  "I love you, Yuki."