Traveling across Asia was not only tiresome and tedious, the journey was proving to be even more infuriating thanks to the company. Sousuke insisted on telling everyone that they were newlyweds, even when it wasn't required. He said it was to insure that their trail was covered adequately. But all it did was irritate her to no end.
Once inside their train compartment, Kaname sat as far as she could get away from Sousuke considering he had handcuffed them together. Her last attempt to escape him back in New Delhi not only turned out to be useless but also got her the new military issue bracelets she now shared with Sousuke. It took every ounce of her strength not to turn to him and strangle the life from his body.
“You do know kidnapping is a felony, right? You big stupid jerk,” she snapped not looking at him.
He didn’t respond and kept reading his magazine. It was the first time he had heard her speak since he had to wrestle her to the ground in the middle of street and handcuff them together. It was a spur of the moment reaction and one he knew was only going to add to her growing anger towards him. But he was not going to let his emotions get the better of him this time. She could be mad at him all she wanted, it didn’t change the fact that going back to Tokyo was too big a risk right now.
“You can’t keep me cuffed to you forever,” she added her voice getting more agitated with each word.
“I know what I’m doing,” he stated calmly not looking up.
“No, Sousuke, I think you have gone off the deep end,” she said looking over at him for the first time since they boarded the train. “People are going to see that you have me captive and I won’t hesitate to confirm what a lunatic you are.”
He sighed heavily and put his magazine down in his lap slowly looking up at her. “Don’t you trust me? You once said that you trusted my judgment.”
“That was before you decided to drag me off to some strange country against my will!” she snapped tugging at the cuffs.
“I understand your concern,” he began looking back down at his magazine. “This situation is much bigger than you and me and whatever is going on I have to take the necessary measures.”
“By going crazy?” she barked looking back out the window at the passing landscape.
Before he could answer someone entered their compartment: a tall man wearing a tan trench coat and a wide-brimmed hat. Sousuke quickly grabbed his magazine and flung it over their exposed wrists to cover the handcuffs but not before the stranger caught a quick glimpse. He froze and stared at Sousuke questioningly.
“We’re newlyweds,” Sousuke replied nonchalantly not realizing the implication he gave to the man.
The man blushed and sat down opening his newspaper trying to avoid eye contact.
“He’s actually a fugitive who kidnapped me and we’re on our way to the Middle East. We may be killed, but either way he’s a dead man because his captain is going to kill him,” she blurted out in a very disinterested tone.
“Kaname!” Sousuke shouted his face breaking out in a sweat.
“Mmm...newlyweds,” she repeated still looking out the window. The man just laughed and continued to read his paper.
Sousuke decided to move before Kaname said any more out of anger. He pulled her to her feet and as they were walking out she said over her shoulder, “He’s probably going to kill me now.” That’ll teach him, she thought.
“That’s not true!” he said as his face turn red at those words. He quickly yanked her with him down the narrow hallway.
He pulled her into the tiny restroom at the end of the car and locked the door behind them. “Kaname, I realize that you are upset with me and for good reason, but your behavior is going to get us in trouble.”
“Then take these off!” she yelled yanking both their arms up in front of his face.
“Not on the train,” he stated firmly.
Her patience was wearing thin. “Take them off!!” she screamed jumping on him sending them both flying backwards against the wall.
“Kaname...don’t...AHHH!” Sousuke exclaimed as she fiddled through his pockets searching for the key. His face reddened and he was thankful she was too busy trying to find it to notice his obvious flustered appearance.
“I know it’s in here somewhere!” she yelled. Digging in every nook and cranny, she made sure to check every possible space available. This was Sousuke after all, she thought, and he probably had it hiding in some hidden pocket somewhere.
“I’m not going to give it to you, not here!” he insisted trying to grab her arm and pull it away. He didn’t like man-handling her but it was the only way to stop her futile attempts. On the battlefield he wouldn’t hesitate to disarm an enemy by whatever means necessary.
“Give it to me now, you owe me this!” she repeated still fumbling through his pockets. Her voice grew in intensity with each sentence along with her aggravation.
“Can’t you wait until we reach the hotel?” he added managing to get her wrist in his grasp. Never had he had so much trouble gaining control of an opponent. Kaname’s physical strength was definitely something to admire.
The people sitting in the train car started to get nervous looking back in the direction of the yelling. Loud thumps against the walls made a few people cringe in their seats.
“I mean it Sousuke, I’m not waiting,” she gritted out fighting against his hold with all her might.
“Why do you have to fight me on this?” he asked managing to keep a good grip on her arm. He knew she wasn’t going to let up, so he caved. “Very well, then hold still.”
Several passengers gasped and blushed. A couple of teenagers peaked over their seats giggling at the show going on in the bathroom behind them.
“Ow! You’re hurting me! OW!” Kaname yelled and it echoed through the car.
“Don’t twist like that, you’re in an odd position,” he said trying to fit the key in after she had managed to get their arms tangled in the tight compartment.
“This is your fault! Ow!” she added with a yip. “Do you have to be so rough?”
“It won’t fit,” he replied as the key refused to work.
An older woman gasped loudly and got up leaving. She stopped halfway looking back at her husband who was still enjoying the auditory show and smacked him over the head.
“Come on, I can’t take this any longer!” she complained trying to move her body so he could reach the cuffs better. “It hurts!”
“You insisted on doing this here, Chidori. This would have been much easier at the hotel. This room lacks the adequate space...can you move a little to the right?” he asked watching as she wiggled against him.
“Is that any better?” she asked and he finally managed to slip the key in and turn it to finally release the cuffs. “Oh my God, yes!” she said feeling the blood rush back into her fingers.
“Good, now do you promise to behave for the rest of the trip?” he questioned impatiently.
“Yes,” she said feeling satisfied that she got her way again with him. “As long as you promise not to do this to me ever again.” Another victory for me, she thought sticking her chin out in a triumphant manner.
“Agreed,” he said pushing the door open and they both practically fell out, their appearances tussled and disheveled.
The whole of the train was staring back at them with shocked expressions on their faces, except for one guy who gave Sousuke the thumbs up. Kaname suddenly realized that everyone must have heard them fighting and blushed considerably. Sousuke said the first thing that popped into his head. “Excuse us, we’re newlyweds.”
.o.o.o.o.
Once they arrived in Tajikistan Sousuke had already helped her to fasten her robes and her hijaab around her head. He reminded her that in an Islamic country, women were required to be covered at all times if out in the public. She complained of course, but followed his lead nonetheless. He also reminded her that she must never speak unless spoken to, that he would lead them to their contact.
A man waited for them outside of the train and Sousuke held her hand tightly as they followed him to a parked car several feet away. Sousuke said something in a language Chidori didn’t understand then handed the man some foreign currency with a nod. She kept looking around nervously holding her scarf up to cover her mouth. The air was dry and she was shocked how much difference a few hours train ride made.
“Get in,” he said in a hushed tone. Once they were locked inside the car he started the engine and drove off. She wanted to relax but her body wouldn’t behave and kept so tense she could feel it in her stiffened spine.
“I know this is overwhelming, but we’ll be somewhere safe very soon,” he assured her. “Just do what I say and remember not to speak in public.”
She shot him an annoyed look letting her scarf drop a little. “This is your idea of safe?”
“Please trust me,” he said continuing to navigate down the dirt road.
“You haven’t even told me why you think going back to Tokyo is dangerous! Are you ever going to tell me what Leonard was doing at Melida Island?” she argued.
“How do you know him, Chidori?”
She closed her eyes and turned away so he couldn’t see her face. She proceeded to tell him about Leonard on the rooftop when she was trying to confront Wraith. Her words poured out in an intense blur of confusion and Sousuke couldn’t help but feel guilt rising inside of him like a volcano. If he had been there none of that would have happened.
“...and then he kissed me!” she growled angrily balling her hand into a fist.
Sousuke’s head snapped around his eyes wide with confusion. “He kissed you?” he asked his voice controlled despite the emotional rage building inside of him. The idea that another man had put his hands on her and without her permission...well, it made him want to kill Leonard Testarossa.
She growled even louder. “I’d love to slap him again just to see the expression on his smug face one more time.” She paused lowering her head and waited for his reaction. It took so much to get a reaction out of him that sometimes she thought he didn’t care.
The stretch of silence was too long for her to stand. Sousuke, you stupid jerk!her mind screamed. Why can’t you just say that it makes you angry? Just say it! She wanted to start crying but she knew that would only confuse him more. “Does it make you angry that he kissed me?” she finally asked fishing for the answer she sought.
After a few seconds, he peered over at her trying to hold his composure, his face an emotionless stone. “Yes,” he said after a few seconds. It not only made him angry, it made him want to scream, fire his weapon into a wall, anything to relieve this building fury inside of him.
“What did he say to you at Melida Island, Sousuke?” she asked even more curious now than ever.
“We’re here,” he said as they pulled up to a small broken down farmhouse. He motioned for her to get out but she stopped him with a hand on his sleeve. He looked over at her still enraged by what she had just confessed to him. “He told me to get you somewhere safe,” he finally replied staring down at the steering wheel.
Why would Leonard want her somewhere safe? she wondered as they got out of the car and walked up to the old building. She didn’t trust Leonard at all! And it was his fault that Sousuke was dragging her across the world on this mission to hide them. What could he really be up to?
"This is our hotel?" she asked making a disgusted face. The place was one floor with maybe three rooms. It didn't look like a sound structure and Kaname could have sworn she saw something run from underneath the front steps.
"It is small, but it will do for now," he replied. He called out something in a foreign language and an old man came out of the front door smiling when he spotted them.
The man began laughing with glee, “Kashim!”
“You received my message?” Sousuke asked as they now stood face to face with the tall middle-eastern man.
“You know you are always welcome in my home,” the man said. He turned an eye to Kaname who looked away bashfully covering her face even more. “Come, come inside!” the man added with a joyful pat on Sousuke’s back.
“We do not want to be an inconvenience to you, Rustam,” Sousuke said as they entered the house. “We will only stay as long as we need and then leave.”
“Nonsense!” the man said with a chuckle. “I owe you my life. If you weren’t there that day, I would have died at the hands of the Russian soldiers for sure.”
Kaname stood there as her mind wandered to an image of Sousuke, many years younger, holding a rifle defeating Russian soldiers on the battlefield. Tragic but at the same time noble. He had grown up here in the Middle East and it was hard to imagine what kind of life he had, what he used to be like. And here she was being confronted with his past in a few short days.
“And who is this?” Rustam asked with a gentle smile.
“Rustam, this is Miss Kaname Chidori,” Sousuke said giving her a short nod. “She is my ward.”
“Miss Chidori, a pleasure to meet you,” Rustam said bowing slightly to her. She let her scarf fall just enough that he could see her smile.
“That cannot be my Kashim!” Kaname heard a woman cry from the doorway. But instead of seeing some old woman, possibly Rustam’s wife, a young girl stood there with surprise spread across her features. The next thing she knew, the girl had jumped across the room and threw herself into Sousuke’s arms, planting a firm kiss on his lips.
Kaname balled her hands into fists at her sides; my Kashim my ass, she thought.
To Be Continued...
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