Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Carry Me Home ❯ Sunset ( Chapter 17 )

NOTE: This story is meant as a side-story to my series. This story takes place before "The Fall of Icarus," so, I can't kill Ryou off because he's in the rest of my series. Also, the Hayden in this story is the same Hayden that appears in my stories. He first appeared in "Watch Over Me." He is eventually adopted by Seto and Joey.

Sunset

Seto's eyes widened and he dropped to his knees. His body trembled, his hands quaked as he looked at the contents of the box. "No…..Ryou. Oh my god."

Bakura growled. "Joseph Wheeler, I hope you are real god-damned proud of yourself."

Joey shook his head and backed away. "I….I was drunk. I…I didn't mean what I said."

The white-haired yami growled and grabbed Joey by his jacket. "Do you mean to tell me, Wheeler, that you lied to me about what Ryou said about me? Are you saying to me that Ryou never said a word about me?"

Seto looked up, a lump in his throat. He put the box on the floor and grabbed Bakura's shoulder. "This is YOUR fault, Bakura! Don't try to pin this on Joey! If you had TALKED to Ryou instead of scaring him away, he would not have run away from you! It's your fault Ryou is dead!"

Bakura sneered. "If that is what you think, Rich-Boy, you keep thinking that! The fact is if Wheeler had not mouthed off like a drunken monkey, Ryou would not have run away."

"How can you be sure Ryou wouldn't run away from you?"

Bakura released Joey. "Because I have my bitch trained to stay home and cater to his master's every whim!"

Joey leaned down and picked up the box. With a shaky hand, he poked the eyeball and he heard the clang of glass as the eyeballs knocked together.

"Hey, guys! The eyes are made of glass! They're fake!"

Bakura and Seto turned quickly. "What?"

Joey picked up one of the eyes and handed it to Seto. "It's glass. The eyes are fake."

"What the hell?" Seto gasped as he held the sphere.

Bakura grabbed it and growled. "Son- of-a-bitch! What about the tongue and ear?"

Bakura grabbed the cold ear. "The ear is real, but it doesn't look like Ryou's. I know what every inch of Ryou looks like. His ears are smaller than that. They look like mine. This ear is too big."

Bakura brushed his white hair back and put the decapitated ear near his own. "See?"

Joey shivered. "That would have the be the most disgusting thing I have ever seen, Bakura. Put the ear back into the box."

Seto poked the cold tongue. "The tongue and ears are real."

The phone rang again as the medical staff called from the infirmary.

"Mr. Kaiba, the coroner is here to take what we were able to find Jacob's body, but we wanted to tell you that Jacob is missing his ear and tongue. Much of his body arrived in pieces, so we wanted to let you know that we can't find his ear and tongue. The last thing we need is for a child to pick it up and start playing with it."

Seto looked at the box. "We have his ear and tongue. We'll bring it down."

Seto hung up the phone. "Donny, take the box downstairs to the infirmary. They're taking Jacob's remains to the coroner's office."

Donny took the box and Seto sat on his bed.

"This means Ryou isn't dead," Bakura said, growling low in his throat. "I'll have to go out and look again. I'll check in later."

Bakura dashed from the room, his Millennium Ring clanging against his chest.

Seto buried his face in his hands, weeping. "Ryou….please be alive and okay."

Joey sat beside Seto on the bed and brought him into his arms. "You really do love Ryou, don't you?"

Seto nodded. "Yes. But, I can't be without you, Joey. It's YOU that I love! It's YOU that I need! Ryou and I could never be the couple that you and I have become. Ryou's friendship means more to me than you or anyone else could ever know. Charlie wants me to leave Domino. I can't. I am not going to close KaibaCorp!"

Joey kissed Seto's cheek. "We'll find him. Even if we have to tear this city upside down, we'll find him."

Joey cuddled Seto against him and closed his eyes with a sigh. He opened his eyes and clutched onto Seto.

He saw Ryou on the floor….looking as if he had lost his tongue, eyes, and his hair was caked with blood.

Joey tensed up. "Seto….don't move."

Seto looked over. "What is it?"

Joey gasped as the hallucination let out a painful moan.

"Ryou…..on the floor…."

Seto wrapped his arms around Joey. "No, puppy, Ryou is not on the floor."

"I…I need…"

"What do you need?"

"A…A drink."

Seto wrapped his arms around Joey to calm him. Joey saw the specter in front of him moan and twitch.

"It's going to be okay, puppy. I'm here for you."

Joey closed his eyes and buried his face in Seto's chest. "Don't leave me alone, Seto. Please. I don't want anyone else to suffer because of me anymore."

Seto kiss the blond's hair. "You are not to blame, Joey. It's your father's fault for doing this to you."

"What about Ryou?"

Seto closed his eyes as a tear streaked down his face. "We'll find him, Joey….please, gods, let us find him."

**********************************

Ryou opened his eyes as cold water was splashed on him.

"Wake up, you!"

Ryou shook the water from his white hair and looked into the corner of the room. Jacob's body had disappeared. All that remained of Jacob was a puddle of blood.

Charlie grinned as he tipped Ryou's head up to look at him. "We removed what we needed from Seto's man and left him where we know his hired goons would find him. If Seto doesn't follow my instructions, you will follow him."

A shiver crawled up Ryou's spine. "Please, no! Don't hurt me!"

Charlie stroked Ryou's cheek. "I know you'll behave for us today, Ryou. Because tonight's sunset is going to be your last if Kaiba does not follow my instructions to the letter."

"Sun…Sunset?"

"When the sun goes down, little Ryou, you will take your last breath. So, cherish every breath you take today. Tonight, you will breathe no more."

A tear came down Ryou's cheek. "I don't want to die."

Charlie laughed. "I love to see my little captives cry! They plead for their lives so desperately! Why do you want to live, Ryou?"

Ryou sobbed. "My father…..I lost my mother. My father is the only one I have left in my life who loves me." (A/N: If you read "The Fall of Icarus," written by me, we find this is not the case.)

"You live for your father? How touching! Anyone else?"

Ryou looked up, knowing the true answer in his heart. There was someone else he loved…..but this person hated him with every fiber in his immortal being. "Yes…"

"Aww…how sweet! Who may that be, my little prisoner?"

"Bakura."

Charlie turned to his gang who burst out laughing. "Another man? So, you enjoy men, hmm?"

"I love Bakura, but he hates me." Ryou shook his head. "All I want is for him to love me, so I do everything he asks me to do for him, even if I get no respect and no love returned! He's done nothing but make my life a living hell for five years, but I wouldn't want him out of my life."

Charlie laughed. "How sweet! So, you're not into chicks, right?"

Ryou shook his head. "No."

Charlie laughed. "I bet that if I was pounding your sweet little ass right now, that you wouldn't mind…am I right?"

Ryou looked up as two men moved beside Charlie and leered down at him. "Don't touch me," Ryou said, whimpering submissively.

Charlie reached out and caressed Ryou's face. Ryou struggled in the chair, his hands tied behind his back. "I'm sure you wouldn't mind me, Ryou. I can be a good little lover for you."

Ryou's body shook.

"I'll tell you what, Ryou. Before we put a bullet in your head tonight in the Domino Junk Yard, I'll make you feel exquisite pleasure. This way, your last moments on earth will be filled with erotic….sexual….pleasure. When you and I have had our pleasure, we'll shoot you dead."

Ryou's eyes opened wide and his eyes filled with tears.

Charlie wiped away a tear. "Come, Ryou…..you won't even know what hit you. I'll tell you what, Ryou…when you are done, we'll make sure that you can't feel anything."

Charlie put the barrel against Ryou's forehead. The cold metal froze him. "At this close of a range, Ryou, you won't feel a thing."

A knock came from the door upstairs. "Charles! Charlie!"

Charlie smiled. "That is my sister and her family. Gerald, go upstairs and let her in. Ryou, I think you may want to see my family. I'm not leaving you alone down here so, I suggest you not try any funny stuff.

Gerald and Sean are going to be armed. If you pull something sneaky, I'll eliminate you and my sister's family….including Hayden."

Ryou shook his head. "I'll be good."

Charlie smiled as he kissed Ryou's forehead. "I know you will."

************************

Charlie brought Ryou upstairs. Gerald and Sean stood on Ryou's sides as they walked up from the basement.

They walked into the living room and Charlie opened his arms.

"Augustine! Archer!"

"Charlie!" The woman gasped excitedly, her heavy Irish accent obvious.

"Hello, Charles," Archer said, shaking Charlie's hand. His accent was similar to Ryou's English accent.

Charlie smiled. "This is my friend, Ryou. He's here to visit me today. He's a good friend, but I'm taking him home tonight."

Ryou tried not to cry, but shook Archer's hand. "Hello."

"OH! You're English! Where are you from?"

"My mother was from Manchester in northern England. My father is from Liverpool."

Archer gave Ryou a playful punch. "I'm from London, but my business took me to Manchester on occasion. What is your last name?"

Ryou looked at Charlie and lowered his head. "Bakura."

"Nope. Never heard of it."

Augustine went to Ryou. "I'm from Dublin in Ireland! It's so nice to meet you, Ryou!"

Ryou shook her hand.

The woman cradled a newborn baby in her arms. "This is our new baby, Hayden."

Ryou looked at the bald infant with its eyes open. The child's blue-green eyes looked up at him. The infant cooed in his mother's arms.

"He's just a week old. Isn't he a cutie?"

Charlie moved beside his sister and looked at the infant in her arms. A smile crossed Charlie's lips as he looked at the swaddled infant snuggled against his mother's breast. "He certainly is….a cutie, sis. Such a…beautiful little boy."

The infant's eyes looked up at Charlie and he started to whimper. Augustine cradled him. "It's only Uncle Charlie. He won't hurt you, Hayden. He's my brother."

Charlie looked around. "Where's Keara?"

Archer sighed. "She has a little bit of a flu, so the baby sitter is with her."

"It's a shame Hayden's sister is sick," Charlie said.

Augustine nodded. "Yeah, we didn't want to stay long. We just wanted you to see Hayden. You haven't seen him since he was born."

Hayden let out a little whimper from her arms.

"Uncle Charlie won't hurt you, son," Archer whispered. "Uncle Charlie loves you very much."

Charlie's lip curled. "I know I will love that boy as if he were my own, Archer. I promise you that Hayden will grow up loving me and adoring me."

The parents smiled down at the little boy. "Who's our baby boy?" Archer said, leaning down and kissing Hayden's cheek.

"You want to hold him, Charlie?"

Augustine put Hayden in Charlie's arms. The infant put his thumb in his mouth and began to suck.

Charlie smiled. "Aww…how cute! He's sucking his thumb! What a….perfect little boy. He's so beautiful!" Charlie looked down at Hayden. "Hayden, you and I are going to be good friends. You'll become so attached to me, you won't leave my side."

The infant continued to suck his thumb and then let out a whimper.

Augustine took the infant in her arms. "Aww, Hayden…don't cry, baby boy."

The infant started to cry and wail.

"Maybe he needs a change of diaper." Augustine disappeared with Hayden.

Ryou sat on a chair and watched outside of the window, hoping someone would come and save him before sunset…before it would be too late.

Augustine returned with a quiet Hayden. "He can get fussy sometimes. I wonder what sparked that little tantrum."

Charlie shrugged. "Some kids are like that. Hayden is a handsome baby, Archer. He's so cute, I could just hug him until he stopped breathing."

Ryou shivered and continued to look out the window until Charlie's family left.

Charlie took Ryou downstairs and bound his wrists behind him again. "I think it's time I checked to see if Kaiba has done as he was told."

***********************

Seto paced his office nervously. Tristan and Otogi came into the room. Seto's head snapped up.

"We couldn't find him at the park. We checked everywhere."

Yami and Yugi sighed on the couch. "We couldn't find Ryou anywhere either," Yugi sniffled.

The pharaoh growled as he saw Bakura enter the room. "What about you, tomb robber?"

"What ABOUT me? You have a problem with me, pharaoh?"

Yami stood up and the Sennen Eye appeared on both of the yamis' foreheads. "I've had a problem with you for the past five thousand years! What did you do to make Ryou run out of the house?"

Bakura growled as his Ring glowed. "None of your god-damned business! Keep your eye on your own little lapdog, pharaoh, and I'll keep an eye on my bitch!"

Yami snickered. "You lost your bitch! It just goes to show how inadequate you really are!"

Bakura growled, throwing himself at Yami. Yami grabbed Bakura's hair and threw him into the wall. Bakura rubbed his head and withdrew a dagger from his sheath. "Come and get me, Royal Pain In The Ass!"

Yami lunged for Bakura, but the white-haired yami ducked and regained his stance behind him before Yami could react.

Seto yelled. "STOP THIS NOW!"

Bakura and Yami growled their hair spiky and twitching with fury.

"This is not going to get Ryou back!"

Otogi brushed his hair back from his shoulders. "Where haven't we looked?"

Seto sat at this desk. "I have people scanning the Domino Docks in case someone left him by the waterfront. I know there are some places around the docks which can be hiding places for Charlie and his thugs."

Bakura narrowed his eyes. "Have you checked the graveyards in the city?"

"Why there?" Joey asked.

Bakura grinned. "Because those are the perfect places for hiding the perfect crime."

"What about the Garbage Dump or the Junk Yard?" Tristan suggested.

Seto slammed his fist on the desk. "Why should we check the Garbage Dump or the Junk Yards? Ryou wouldn't be there!"

Tristan took a sip of coffee from his thermos. "Ryou could be anywhere, Seto! If this Charlie-dude wants to get rid of a body and place it where no one is going to find it, those would be the perfect places! Nobody is going to check the Garbage Dump or the Junk Yard!"

"What do you mean, Tris?"

Tristan rolled his eyes. "Look, if I wanted to dispose of a body, I would want to put it in a place where I know no one would be able to find it. I wouldn't put it in a graveyard or in a park! We've been going through this all wrong!" Tristan took another gulp of coffee and licked his lips.
Bakura raised an eyebrow. "It's amazing! I never thought I'd see the day when Taylor can get out more than one sentence without taking a sip of coffee! Three sentences without needing coffee! Going through withdrawal yet?"

"Bite me, Bakura!"

Bakura growled and Tristan found the evil spirit gripping angrily to his shoulder. "Do you care to rephrase your insult?"

Tristan took another sip of coffee calmly. "Yes. I would. Bite me, Bakura! You are the reason we are in this predicament in the first place."

Bakura growled, but before he had a chance to retaliate, the phone rang.

Seto picked up the phone. "This is Kaiba."

//Why are you still there? I thought you would have left to save your friend's life.//

"I want to speak to Ryou! Now!"

//I'm afraid you can't, Seto. You see, he's dead tired. But, don't you worry. I'll make sure he gets to bed early tonight. How does…sunset sound?//

"So Ryou isn't dead!"

//No, but he will be when the sun sets. I will call you tonight and let you know where you can find your friend's naked corpse.//

"Don't you DARE hurt Ryou!"

//Just try to stop me, Kaiba…..Ryou is a dead man.//

The phone went dead.

"I want to wait and see what we hear from the search of the docks. My men are still looking for him around the city. Then we will go with Tristan's crazy idea to look in the Garbage Dump and the Junk Yards. I hope you're right about this, Tris."

Tristan looked into his empty thermos. "I hope I'm right, too. But I also I hope I have more coffee at home."

***************************

Charlie's goons pulled Ryou into the car. They put a bag over his head so he couldn't see where they were going.

Ryou closed his eyes. 'Bakura….please find me. I don't want to die in the Junk Yard! I want to go home! I want to see my father! Daddy, I'm sorry! I really wanted to see you more! Why do I have to die?'

Ryou cringed as he felt Charlie's hands in his hair.

"Soon, Ryou, you'll be at peace."

Ryou felt a tear run down his cheek. 'I don't want to be shot! I don't want to be raped and shot….Bakura! BAKURA, HEAR ME! I don't want to die. I never even told you how much I really love you.'

Charlie grinned as his hands moved to Ryou's chest and slid down to his thigh.

"Ryou…I can't wait to hear the beautiful sound of your voice screaming for me…and the heavenly sound of the bullet as it ends your life! You're going to be so beautiful in your last moments of life. I cannot wait."

The car arrived at the Junk Yard. The goons took Ryou's arms and dragged him into the Yard.

They threw him onto the ground and removed the bag. Gerald and Sean put one knee on Ryou's arms as they tore his shirt.

Charlie grinned down at him as he started to remove his shirt. "Let's get this party started, Ryou."