18: Rising Tension
“Gibson, stay away from the…”
“Those bastards! Man, I’m gonna kill them!”
Joel tore his robes off and flung his bag down on the nearest table and swept off the lampshade and assorted ornaments, which clattered to the floor. Elone winced, but what did she know? She was just standing by the third storey window, watching as Kaori was dragged across the courtyard below by two monstrous Inquisitors. Joel looked around the window frame for a latch and made sure the tranquillizer gun was ready to fire.
“There’s nothing you can do,” said Elone, “We’re three floors up, you’ll break your legs if you–”
“Shut up!” he snapped back, “I’m not that stupid. I’m gonna knock those bastards out and save Kaori,”
Elone shook her head and walked away from the window. Joel wished he could trade her for Kaori. All she’d done since following him into the manor was moan. Frustrated at her attitude, and the lack of an obvious latch to open the window, he looked for the nearest heavy object – a hardback copy of a Godhand ‘Testament’ – and lobbed it at the glass.
“You twat!” screamed Elone over the sound of shattering glass, “You total, utter twat!”
Joel ignored her and swept the remaining glass away with the velvet curtains. The Inquisitors stopped and looked in his direction, but Kaori had her back to him. Knowing he only had this one chance, he aimed the gun and fired.
In his imagination, Joel would have fired two perfect shots, the Inquisitors would have collapsed, and he would have rappelled down the wall to rescue Kaori.
In reality, his nerves destroyed his aim and he wasted his remaining ammo trying to hit just one of the red-robed cultists. Cursing his luck, he reached for his bag and the explosives contained within. He could just turn them into a makeshift grenade and toss it into the courtyard, couldn’t he? The explosion would cause enough commotion and distraction to…
He noticed Kaori being dragged towards the nearest door. Then came the shouting and the barking of orders as Godhand reacted to his rescue attempt. Realising his opening was lost, he tried to tip the contents of the table next to him outside the window, but he was overwhelmed from his previous injuries and staggered backwards, cursing.
“I’ve had it with you,” said Elone as she backed away towards the door, “I always thought you were crazy, but you’re a bigger psychopath than I thought! You can stay here and die!”
“THEN GET OUT OF MY FUCKING WAY!” shouted Joel.
“I WILL!” Elone slammed the door behind her and Joel could hear the beat of desperate flight as she fled down the corridor.
I can’t save anyone, he thought to himself. First Shelley, now Kaori. Some boyfriend I turned out to be. Maybe it’s better if I just die here…
He pulled the bag of equipment towards him and fumbled around for the plastic explosives. They’d warned him about using it on people, said it’d be impossible for him to even set it on someone without them noticing. They’d not anticipated him setting in on himself though. All he had to do was let himself be captured, and when he was dragged before their leaders…
He pulled his shirt open, intending to place the small package on his stomach, but stopped when he noticed the pendants dangling from his neck. One, the face of a horned demon hanging from a chain, was of his own design, representing the mascot of the band he’d always dreamed of fronting. The other was a simple round gem, tied on with a piece of flayed string. A memento from Kaori, passed down from her father, Li Shimomura, an amazing guitarist Joel had always looked up to. Kaori had given the gem to him recently, as thanks for his efforts in saving her from the leansídhe.
Hope, she’d called it, and a promise that we’ll always protect one another.
He looked at the explosives in his hand, trying in earnest not to let the tears welling up in the corners of his eyes free. It was times like this that music was his strength, and lyrics he’d written days before flooded back to him:
You thought you were suffering. You were only wallowing. Clinging onto Fear, because it was easier than hope. You thought you lost everything. You hadn’t learned a single thing. Now stand against the Dark, and struggle up the slope.
***
