I was going to have some time gathering Sakura and her weapon without drawing attention on my exit. I would need a little bit of help, so I called the only other person who would unwillingly help me. Rummaging through my pocket, I grabbed my cell phone and began dialing.
Ring…. Ring…. Ring….
“….WHAT?!” came DW’s furious voice.
“Hey lover boy, I’m gonna need some assistance.”
“Who the hell do you think you’re talking to, asshat? I’m sleeping!”
“That’s all you’d be doing…”
“What was that?!” came an angry reply.
“Sakura’s unconscious. I need a ride, homes. And a clean up. I'm at the Waterfront Park... Think you could hook me up?”
“…..” this pause meant that DW was contemplating. Business meant money. Money was always good, always worth the trouble. Greedy bastard.
“So…?”
“I’m thinkin’ douchebag….” more thinking. “Alright. I’ll have my friend JP swing by and take you where you need. I’ll set up the clean up team. Go stand on the corner of Waterfront and Breedson.”
“Thanks, D. You’re a real life saver.”
“Don’t thank me until you see you’re bank account, pal.” the phone was hung up. My heart sank. Greedy bastard. I looked down to Sakura’s unconscious body and smirked. Lucky kid. Those words applied to me as well. Statistically, and by all laws of nature, I should have died back there. Maybe Gavin was right. Maybe God really was smiling on me. Now wasn’t the time for soul searching though, cops would be here soon and I didn’t need heat. I tucked my sword in my belt loop and slowly picked Sakura up, carrying her over my shoulder. Then I leaned down and struggled as I lifted the enormous AS50* sniper rifle she lugged around.
I carefully stepped down the stairs of the tower and hobbled to the designated corner. Lucky for me it was near by. My own injuries were starting to get to me, particularly the gunshot wound in my thigh. It pulsed with pain, but I was lucky that The Crusader favored a powerful gun. Went right through. I laughed at the irony as I limped. By the time I got there, I saw a black Jaguar waiting for me, a young white male leaning against the hood. He stood there coolly, dressed in a all-black suit with sunglasses. Kid had style, I had to admit.
“You DW’s bloke?” he asked me in a born and raised British accent.
“What does it look like?” I replied with a furrowed brow and an angry voice.
“Toss it in the boot…” he said as he withdrew a piece of chewing gum from his pocket and began chewing on it loudly. I gave him an upset look. “…. I am talking about the gun.” I continued looking at him frustrated, shrugging my loaded shoulders. “Oh right…. Fine.” he sighed, walking around to the trunk of the car, opening the back seat doors along the way. I stumbled towards the door and slowly laid Sakura down onto the car’s leather seats. If I hadn’t been on the verge of death a few moments ago, I might have complimented JP’s ride.
Stepping back out, I dropped the gun into the trunk lazily. “Watch the paint, ya wanker!” JP screamed in offense. I looked up and almost told him to shut the hell up. But I needed a ride and lacked the energy for another fight. So I just sighed. “So anyways…” he continued to chew his gun annoyingly loud, “Where to, mate?”
Rubbing my dirty face I muttered, “DW’s place.” That outta show his ass. Greedy bastard.
“Right-o. Hop on in.” I nodded to him thankfully and fell into the back seat next to the sleeping Sakura. I was so tired. Ready to rest, I slowly closed my eyes as the car started with a smooth purr. As we took off, I heard the sound of a stereo withdrawing a CD. Out of now where, with blaring volume, the car’s speakers pumped out a techno-version of the Transformers theme song, which JP faithfully sang along with. I growled deep and rubbed my eyes. It was going to be a long ride.
*******************************
We stopped off in front of DW’s condo. JP was nice enough to begrudgingly stop singing the Transformers song long enough to help me bring up Sakura’s rifle. He struggled and complained the whole way, but did none the less. “G’night, pal.” he said and gave me a mock salute before descending the stairs again. I stood in front of DW’s door alone, with no more than an unconscious body as company. What a night.
I knocked. The sound of lazy footsteps shuffling answered. DW opened the door, wearing the same night robe from the early night. “…God damn it…. Is she the one you fought?” he cried to himself and shook his head, letting me in.
“No… I killed the guy.” I gently laid Sakura down onto the couch as DW brought in the rifle. “She was supposed to help, but got a nasty bump on the head.” DW didn’t pay any attention.
“Hey, if this is part of your payment, I’ll take it.” Greedy bastard.
“Put it down, D.” I replied without hesitance.
“Listen… you gotta stop doing this, man. Peanut’s gonna rip my head off eventually.”
“Aren’t you paying for the place?”
“Listen, I ain’t got time for a killer’s logic right no-“ the phone’s ringing interrupted his smart ass reply. He shuffled over towards it and picked up the receiver, still visibly annoyed. “What is it now?” the sound of a hurried voice came in through the receiver. “Uh-huh…. Yeah. What about it?” the voice became more panicked. “What?! God, how do you lose a damn body!? Hold on.” DW looked at me and covered the bottom of the phone. “You said you needed a clean up, but there wasn’t a body. I thought you killed him?”
“I did! I slit his damn throat and watched him stop breathing….”
“Who?!”
“The fucking Crusader, that’s who!”
“One, my friend, that’s impossible. Crusader can’t be killed. Two, there isn’t a damn body in the park. My guy on the line said he did a clean sweep and only found a couple casings and a broken scope.”
“What….?”
