Vol 9 Chapter 1.2 (1/2)
This is a continuation of PART A.
”There is.” s.h.i.+on stood up. ”There is a hospital.”
Inukas.h.i.+ and Rikiga turned to each other. They peered into each other's eyes.
”Hospital―? Where?” Rikiga asked in a hoa.r.s.e, scratchy voice. s.h.i.+on's gaze slid to the side. On the other end of it was the special alloy wall, illuminated brightly by the flames.
”Inside.”
”No. 6!” Inukas.h.i.+ and Rikiga's voices overlapped.
”Yes. We'll find plenty of hospitals there.”
”That's absurd!” Rikiga blurted. ”How are we going to get inside? My car won't even be able to pa.s.s the gates. They'll register it as a suspicious vehicle and it'll get blown up within a few metres of even entering. Impossible. Absolutely impossible. Wait, I know! s.h.i.+on, how did you escape from No. 6? Can't we go back in that way?”
Inukas.h.i.+ almost interjected in agreement. If s.h.i.+on had come out that way, perhaps he could get back in through it. That old man is a quick thinker once the alcohol's gone out of him.
But s.h.i.+on shook his head firmly.
”We can't do that. That would take too much time. And Nezumi wouldn't last on the strength he has left. We have an hour―we need to get him to the hospital within an hour...”
”But how are we going to manoeuvre through the gates?”
”We don't need to.”
”What?”
”The Correctional Facility is destroyed. All its functions have shut down. That means the gates mostly likely aren't operating, either.”
”You're planning to enter No. 6 through the Correctional Facility's private gates?”
”Yes.”
”s.h.i.+on, you... do you know where the Correctional Facility's gates are?”
”I don't know for sure. I've heard, though, that they're directly connected to the Correctional Facility.”
Rikiga's throat contracted as he swallowed his saliva. Inukas.h.i.+ found himself doing the same. The back of his throat burned from the smoke.
”You're right.” Rikiga's voice grew even more hoa.r.s.e. ”You're absolutely right. It's directly connected. About a hundred metres beyond the gates, you'll find the back entrance of the Correctional Facility. That's where you two were carried through during the Hunt. But you probably couldn't see anything from inside the cargo container you were loaded into.”
Inukas.h.i.+ realized he had unknowingly clenched his hand into a fist, listening to s.h.i.+on and Rikiga's conversation.
Getsuyaku had also been coming and going through those gates. Inukas.h.i.+ had heard him complain countless times about being treated the same as prisoners. Inukas.h.i.+ had given the man an offhand answer.
”Prisoners are killed once they get caught. They'll never come back out through those gates again. But you're coming and going through them every day. Not to mention you're getting paid to do it. That's way different from being a prisoner.”
”Well, I guess, now that you mention it. I wouldn't be able to go home if I were just a prisoner, huh,” Getsuyaku had shrugged and smiled ruefully.
But in the end, he was the same. He was shot dead in the blink of an eye, just the same as a prisoner. Even worse―like an insect.
Inukas.h.i.+ remembered Getsuyaku's rueful smile. He closed his fist more tightly.
”Then we can take the car to the gate from here, right?” s.h.i.+on asked.
”We can if there are no obstacles along the way. No one is crazy enough to get close to the Correctional Facility now, apart from you lot.”
”Rikiga-san, lend me the keys to your car, please.”
s.h.i.+on extended his scratched and b.l.o.o.d.y hand. Rikiga's face twisted visibly. Deep creases appeared between his eyebrows.
”What are you going to do with them?”
”I'm going to drive. You two can stay behind. The keys, quickly.”
”Bulls.h.i.+t!” Rikiga bellowed angrily again. ”Have your eyes rotted and fallen out? Don't you see those flames? You idiot!”
The Correctional Facility barely remained standing, spewing flames and black smoke. The alarms that had been ringing so loudly had died out somewhere along the way, and only the ferocious wind sounded as it was drawn in by the flames.
”We've barely gotten out of the Correctional Facility in one piece, and you're going to prance right back in?” Rikiga said incredulously. ”This is no time for jokes. How many lives do you think you have?”
”I don't plan on going inside. The gates are outside of it.”
”A hundred metres away. Only a hundred metres. The gates aren't a safe zone, you know.”
”That's why I'm going. Usually we wouldn't be able to get through, but right now, the gates are nothing but an opening.”
”The car runs on gasoline. If you happen to drive into fire and it catches―”
”Hand it over,” s.h.i.+on commanded in a low voice, cutting through Rikiga's yelling. Commanded. That was indeed how the words came out. s.h.i.+on had neither snapped, nor yelled harshly. On the contrary, it was a quiet and heavy utterance.
Rikiga retreated half a step.
”Hand over the keys.”
It was the voice of a ruler giving orders to his subject―it was unmistakable.
Rikiga rummaged through his pocket and extracted a worn silver keyring. His fingertips were trembling.
”...Stop it,” said a voice even lower than s.h.i.+on's. To Inukas.h.i.+ it seemed to spring from the depths of the earth. A chill ran through his spine. Nezumi had slowly lifted himself up.
”That's enough. Stop it.”
Inukas.h.i.+ could hear his words clearly.
Nezumi's voice. Nezumi could use ten, twenty different voices, but what Inukas.h.i.+'s ears had caught was unmistakably Nezumi's natural voice.
”Don't... stay away, s.h.i.+on.”
s.h.i.+on did not answer. He did not even try to look at Nezumi. Instead, he bowed his head to Rikiga.
”Rikiga-san, please. Give me the keys. Please, I'm begging you.” It was not an order, but a plea.
This was the s.h.i.+on that Inukas.h.i.+ knew. Intelligent, gentle, faithful, airheaded and clumsy s.h.i.+on.
”Just give it to him, old man,” Inukas.h.i.+ said with a deep sigh. He didn't know why he had sighed. There were a lot of things he couldn't make sense of. He couldn't even understand himself.
”s.h.i.+on, I'll go with ya.” The words spilled out along with his sigh. He surprised himself. Look at me. I'm so reluctant to put my life in danger, I'm so desperate to survive, yet here I go saying 'I'll go with you'. I can't believe myself sometimes. And what's worse is that it isn't even a lie or bravado. I really mean it. I told him I'd go with him, and I meant it. What on earth is wrong with me? I can't understand myself. What's going on, what's going on, what's going on? Oh, h.e.l.l.
”Fine.” Rikiga clicked his tongue. ”If that's what you want to do, then do as you will. You guys probably aren't the type to listen to your elders, anyway.”
”Don't lump me in with the airheaded young master, man,” Inukas.h.i.+ protested. ”But, oh well. There you have it. The votes are in and it's two to one for driving into No. 6. That's that. Too bad, Nezumi.”
”Three to one.” Rikiga clenched the keys. ”I'm coming along for the ride.”
Inukas.h.i.+ blinked and glanced at Rikiga. The man also blinked repeatedly, his eyes ringed with soot, dirt and sweat.
What on earth is wrong with me? Why did I say something like that? And I actually meant it, his facial expression seemed to say. Inukas.h.i.+ felt like laughing and crying at the same time. What a weird feeling. He felt scared, yet exhilarated. Dismal, yet optimistic. Your heart can be weird like that.
”It's my precious car,” Rikiga said. ”I won't tolerate you tras.h.i.+ng it. Besides, I doubt you snot-faced kids would be able to drive. Young'uns these days get better and better at mouthing off, but can't do anything for themselves.”
Rikiga mumbled complaint after complaint. It was most likely because he would end up sighing if he didn't talk.
Rikiga's car was a minivan. It was dented everywhere, and the right side mirror was bent. It was an outdated gasoline-fuelled model that could easily have been displayed in a museum in No. 6.
But it had a st.u.r.dy frame, if anything. The engine also had a lot more power than it looked. Being able to drive a car in the West Block was a symbol of a certain level of wealth, and hence there was always a risk of being ambushed by thieves on the road. Inukas.h.i.+ remembered listening to Rikiga boast that for this reason, he had modified the car to be as durable as a tank.
Inukas.h.i.+ sat in the pa.s.senger seat, while s.h.i.+on sat in the back holding Nezumi. The dogs climbed into the car last.
”Why do you have to bring your dogs? They'll stink up the car.”
”They smell way better than your alcohol. My dogs are loyal to their boss. They'll go wherever I go. Just like how these tiny mice are faithful to their boss.”
The mice were huddled together on the seat. They sat noiseless, as if they had forgotten how to squeak.
”Dogs and mice, huh. That settles our destination, then: the zoo. Hmph, what a fun drive this is going to be.”
Rikiga turned the ignition. The engine sputtered comically, and the car seemed to give itself a shake.
”Let's go. I'm going to floor the gas, so you better prepare yourselves.”
The car lurched forward. It continued to mount in speed as it made straight for the Correctional Facility.
”Hey hey, old man. It seems like you're being a little reckless about this.”
”How can I not be? Look at what I'm doing. d.a.m.nit, what the h.e.l.l am I doing? Why the h.e.l.l am I doing this?”
”Because you're in love with Eve, duh.”
”What?”
The back gates to the Correctional Facility had been thrown open. Perhaps some people had escaped through them. These gates had always been tightly closed, refusing all who came near, but now it was open and exposed. Flames spiralled up behind them, and the building played its melody of destruction. Inukas.h.i.+ could hardly believe that this wasn't an illusion.
Is this reality?
The gates to the Correctional Facility had opened, and the special alloy door had been blown apart.
Things that were not supposed to be happening were happening. Things he had believed would never happen―no, had been made to believe would not happen―were inverted. There was no good or evil. No justice or injustice.
This is reality.
The car veered around the back gates, nearly sc.r.a.ping against them, and gained speed. Inukas.h.i.+ saw the security gates beyond.
”What!?” Rikiga yelled. ”What did you just say, Inukas.h.i.+?”
”You were totally into Eve, old man. You're still a pa.s.sionate fan, aren't you? You're head over heels. Or else you wouldn't be able to sprint like that while holding him. Those were some good moves out there on the field, risking your life. Bravo.”
”Knock it off. Once we get to a medical clinic, the first thing I'll do is sew that mouth shut. Sew in that rotten tongue of yours while I'm at it.”
”Why, that's just splendid. An honour of honours to be able to get treated at a clinic in No. 6.”
”Say all the c.r.a.p you want!” Rikiga gripped the steering wheel.
Inukas.h.i.+ snapped his eyes open, and shrank back. The gate was approaching at an astonis.h.i.+ng speed. No, they were approaching it.
”It's burning,” he murmured. He had resolved not to voice it; he had restrained himself from putting anything he saw into words. But he could not help it.
The gates were burning.