Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 92392 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92392 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 370(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
The engines hummed under the floor. Air poured through the open hatch and the two small holes the bullets had torn.
Reo's voice carried back from the cockpit. “The pilot is turning us around!”
The Lion bombed Tokyo? Not Akiro or our father. That. . .makes more sense, but. . .
The plane banked slow beneath us and started its long arc back toward the island.
Kenji stood beside me. His chest rose and fell.
The Fox lay open at our feet, and Akiro lay crumpled at the base of the dented wall, and there was nobody left on this plane who wanted us dead.
It was done and I was exhausted.
Forget about the Lion, bombs, and Tokyo for now.
I let out a long breath.
Kenji spoke, “We won.”
“We did.”
Then, someone sobbed far behind us.
I turned toward it.
One of the twins sat on the floor in the red light. He had his mask off.
Yuki.
He had his brother, Aki, gathered up against his chest, and the kitsune mask was still on Aki’s face, gleaming, golden-toothed, grinning the way the artisan had carved it to grin.
Yet, a bullet hole was right in the center of Aki’s throat.
Blood spilled out.
No.
Aki shook in his arms. Small tremors ran the length of him. His matching kitsune mask had tipped back. His masked face pointed up at the ceiling at an angle a living man does not hold his head.
“Please. . .say something. . .” Yuki’s bloodied hand went back over the bullet hole, trying to stop more blood. “Aki? Aki?”
Yuki reached up with one hand and pulled the mask away from his brother's face. “Don’t go. . .you said you wouldn’t. . .”
Aki’s eyes were open.
“N-no.” I almost crumpled to the floor, barely able to hold myself up. “N-no way. He’s. . .got to be okay.”
Yet, Aki looked up at the ceiling and saw nothing in this world. Those eyes were dark, still, and vacant. I had seen enough dead men's eyes in enough bad rooms to know them across any distance in any light.
“What the fuck happened?” Kenji headed over.
In a blur, Yuki quickly pulled out his gun and pointed at Kenji. “Stay right there. I’ve got him. I know what to do. . .no. . .one touches him.”
Kenji stopped. “What are you doing?”
“H-he’s not gone.” Tears left Yuki’s face. “D-don’t touch him.”
I held my hands out. “Let us check, Yuki.”
“N-no! Nobody touches him. He’s cold and. . .he’s not. . .”
I shivered. “What?”
“He’s still, but. . .” Yuki looked at me and more tears left his eyes. “Does that mean he’s gone?”
Kenji held up his hands. “No. Let me come over and check—”
“No, you stay right there.” The gun shook in Yuki’s hand. “I know my brother. I know him.”
“You do.” I nodded.
“He’s gone.” Yuki’s face twisted into agony and his voice cracked. “He said he wouldn’t leave me!!!”
“Yuki, wait.” I tried to step forward.
He shot in front of my feet and intentionally missed me, but it was a clear warning to stay away.
Yuki shook his head. “W-what do I do now?”
Kenji’s voice went calm. “Let us help you.”
“W-who am I without him?” Yuki leaned his head against Aki’s and sobbed. “Who am I?!”
“A lot.” I trembled more than I had all night. The war didn’t scare me as much as this moment. “You’re everything, Yuki. Everything. And. . .I love you. I need you. Give me the gun. Everything is going to be okay. Just give me the gun. We’ll do this together like we always do—”
“But Aki—”
“Aki would want you to give me the gun. . .” I shivered. “Please. Please, Yuki. . .”
For several silent seconds, Yuki held his brother against his chest and rocked him.
And I knew that he was the twin that always did that. Yuki was the one to console, even when they were young. He would always put his tiny hand over his brother’s and soothe him back to peace.
The plane’s engine purred.
Reo came out of the cabin, saw Yuki rocking Aki, and stopped. “No. When did that fucking happen?”
“Yuki.” My whole body trembled. “I’m coming over. Okay?”
“Okay, Hiro.” Yuki wiped a few tears away and kissed Aki’s cheek.
Then he reached down and placed his hand over Aki's.
Palm to palm.
The same gesture from their childhood. The hand he always used to calm his brother through every bad moment and remind him nothing in the world could touch them as long as there were two.
“Just. . .give me the gun.” I took one step forward. “Alright?”
“I love you, Hiro.” Fast, Yuki placed the tip of the gun against his own head.
“Yuki, no!” I raced for him. . .but it was too late. . .Yuki pulled the trigger and just like what happened to Nura, a bullet left a gun and sliced through all that mattered, ripping Yuki’s face apart and splattering his blood all over his dead brother. “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!”