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Chapter 55
By Shell97
A familiar sign on a nearby building caught Phoenix Mark's attention and he quickly interrupted the series of mocking words currently spewing from Nakano's lips. "Where are we going?" he asked Nelson with a frantic urgency.
"My place," Nakano answered without taking his eyes from the road. "I thought that since nobody knows that I'm involved in this we'd be relatively safe there."
Anika spoke from the backseat; "Our hideout would be safer."
"Maybe," Nakano acknowledged. "But everyone, from the Syndicate to the cops, knows that you and Darian are up to your eyeballs in this situation so they'll be searching extensively for your hideout. Besides, Phoenix is starving to death, and there isn't any food at your place. C'mon, can't you just see him wasting away?"
For once Phoenix didn't have a sharp retort to shoot back at Nakano; he was too caught up in the memories this particular stretch of road stirred in him. He continued to stare out of the window, his eyes unfocused and glassy as he remembered the last time he had been down this road--only then, he had been headed in the opposite direction.
He could almost hear his parents' voices as they drove. "We have no other choice," Phoenix remembered his mother saying frantically. "If the Ministry finds out they'll kill us all."
A hand waving in front of his eyes finally brought Phoenix back to the present. "Yoo-hoo! Are you alright?"
Angrily, Phoenix shoved Nelson's hand to the side. "Concentrate on the road, fruitcake."
Nakano snorted, which only served to irritate Phoenix more. "You're the nutty one," Nakano informed him. "The car isn't even running, we've reached our destination."
"Oh," he replied absently. "Where are Cisia and Anika?"
"They headed inside, let's go in before anyone spots you."
Phoenix practically had to be dragged from the car. He definitely didn't want to walk up those gray stone steps--so familiar to the ones he had skinned his knee on when he was five. And he sure as hell didn't want to go into the cozy townhouse at the end of the steps. For a minute he considered punching Nakano and running, the panic was so strong, but Phoenix realized that'd be crazy. No one was forcing him to stay, all he had to do was turn around and walk away, but Phoenix Mark hadn't ever walked away from a challenge so he continued to walk beside Nakano.
"So tell me, how'd you manage to afford this on a policeman's salary?" Anika asked as she leaned forward on a black lacquer piano bench.
"It was my parents' place," Nelson replied from the kitchen. "So what'd you guys want to eat, pork chow mein or chicken ala king?"
"The chicken sounds good," Cisia answered as she looked at the photographs over Nakano's mantle.
"Count me in for the chicken." Anika walked towards Cisia, "What's this?"
"Family pictures," Phoenix replied bitterly from the plush recliner that he had sunk into the moment they entered the room. "I'll have the pork chow mein," he called out to Nakano.
"Coming right up," Nakano said from the doorway, in his arms he carried four brown plastic packages. "Here you go," he tossed one each to Anika, Cisia and Phoenix. "I'll be back with some drinks."
When he came back, the trio had already started digging into the packages.
"When you said food, I assumed you meant of the edible variety," Phoenix blasted him as he lifted his spoon and put what looked to be a slice of water chestnut into his mouth.
"Hey MRE's aren't that bad," Nakano said a little defensively. "They're convenient and they stay fresh forever."
"Is that how long you've had these?" Cisia laughed.
Anika and Phoenix stared at her in surprise. She seemed so young like this, too young to have to face the situation around her.
Nakano took her ribbing in good grace. "That sounds about right." He came over and ripped open one of the plastic packets she had set aside. "Try mixing the entrée with the Tabasco sauce and the crackers."
"Umm… that makes all the difference. May I congratulate the chef?" Cisia teased.
"But of course, miss. And now to clear your palate, a glass of our finest Bordeaux." Cisia giggled as Nakano handed her a can of grape soda.
"And of what beverage would you like to partake of this evening, miss?"
Anika looked up at Nakano and couldn't help but crack a smile, despite all the worry she felt over Darian. "The Bordeaux will do nicely."
From across the room Phoenix snorted. "Just toss me a beer."
"I'm sorry sir, but I'm going to have to ask for an ID."
"Why you little bastard," Phoenix stood, overturning the remaining contents of his MRE onto the hardwood floor. "I've had just about enough of your stupid games. Shut up and leave me alone, okay?"
Understandably, Nelson was a little hurt by Phoenix's outburst. He had only been trying to lighten the mood. Nakano had no idea that it wasn't really him that Phoenix was angry with--it was the dream childhood that Nakano's home represented.
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