Vampire and His Pleasant Companions: Volume 4 - Part 3

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While still in his bat form, it would be easier to move unnoticed. If he crawled along the floor beneath the seats, he might make it to the very back without being seen.

Just as Al began crawling out, the boss appeared, shouting, [“We did it!”] Al accidentally poked his head into the aisle.

[“Guyana has agreed to accept us,”] the boss announced.

Cat jumped up, clapping her hands. [“That’s great!”]

[“The fake photo of the murdered hostage must have worked. It's a sign of divine guidance, using Angel as our vessel,” the boss said.

Al tilted his head in confusion. “Huh?” There hadn't been any gunshots onboard. Sure, people could be killed without a gun, such as by strangling, but... Had Giraffe or Dog killed a passenger without him knowing?

[“You're going to be the 'dead' one from now on,”] the boss said, pointing at Cat.

[“No problem,”] Cat replied with a smile. Cat, dead? But she was still alive. Al couldn't understand what was going on.

[“The negotiations are settled, but we've been told it'll take five hours to transfer Angel from Chicago to Texas,”] the boss explained.

[“That long?”] Cat frowned.

[“They need time to transport her from the prison to the airport, and then she'll be flown here on a small plane, which takes longer than a jet. Additionally, they've requested we hand over all the hostages and the corpse immediately, in exchange for fulfilling all our conditions.”]

[“What?!”] Cat slammed her hand on the seat's headrest.

[“It's risky to release the hostages in this situation. SWAT teams often storm in during hostage handovers. Opening the door could be suicide,”] Cat warned.

[“But if we don't release some hostages first, Angel won't be handed over,”] the boss said.

Cat sighed in frustration. [“If we keep demanding everything, the 'vermin' will never agree. Besides, if negotiations drag on, managing the hostages will become a hassle. We'll delay handing over the corpse, but we should reduce the number of hostages. As for SWAT, we'll warn them that if they make any move to storm the plane, we'll detonate the plastic explosives we've planted on board. Even though we're only armed with guns, they don't know that and will be extremely cautious.”]

The curtain rustled as Giraffe entered first class. Recognizing the boss, he said, [“I need to talk.”]

[“There's a woman among the passengers who claims she's feeling unewell... Should I just kill her?”] he asked in a flat tone.

Both Al and the boss were taken back. The boss gave a small, grim smile.

[“Hold on. All our demands have been met. I was just about to release some hostages. We can send that woman off first,”] the boss replied.

[“Hurry up. Her groaning is getting annoying,”] Giraffe said, heading back to the economy section.

The boss and Cat began discussing how to release some of the hostages. Of the 86 people on board, including the two pilots, they decided to keep only 10, releasing the remaining 76.

[“We'll release the children, the elderly, the women, the flight attendants, and the men in that order. We should keep the elderly and women because they're easier to handle, but the other side is demanding their release first. We'll probably end up having to decide which men to keep. I'll leave that choice to Dog and Giraffe. I'll return to the cockpit to finalize the details of how many to release and the procedure with them,”] the boss said, heading back to the cockpit.

A short while later, Dog returned to first class.

[“We're going to release some of the hostages,”] Cat informed him.

Dog nodded. [“That's for the best. It’s getting difficult to keep watch over so many of them.”]

[“We'll keep the two pilots and 10 men. The boss told you and Giraffe can choose which men to keep. Try to select people of different nationalities so the authorities can't easily make a move. But avoid the elderly; the other side's been pushing hard to release them,”] Cat explained.

Dog agreed and headed back to the economy section. Soon, the sound of footsteps and murmurs from the rear indicated passengers were being moved around.

Al positioned himself closer to the aisle under the seat. There was only one exit at the front of the plane, and only one aisle leading there. If Akira was among those being released, he'd have to pass right by. When he did, Al would leap onto his pant leg. Akira would surely recognize him.

Al decided against moving to the back seats and chose to wait. About an hour later, passengers began lining up in the aisle, led by Dog. He guided them toward the front galley, then positioned himself in front of the door. Cat stood on one of the window-side seats in the middle of first class, holding a knife in her right hand, keeping watch. Dressed in different clothes with a balaclava and sunglasses, no one would recognize her as Sharon, the flight attendant.

Afraid of missing Akira, Al forced himself to leap from under the seat onto the cushion. The sudden movement caused pain to flare up all over his body, and he had to stay curled up for a while, unable to lift his head.

When the pain finally subsided, Al looked up and spotted Martha near the front of the line. She was being released. While he had known that women, children, and the elderly would be let go first, seeing it confirmed filled him with relief.

With a loud clunk, the boarding stairs were connected to the plane. Everyone held their breath as Dog instructed a flight attendant to open the door. The passengers in front of Al began moving slowly, first the children, then the elderly by followed the women, and finally, the men. Richard and Henry walked down the aisle, but Akira was nowhere to be seen. Al waited anxiously, but the line of people eventually stopped. The last passenger was an Arab man in a suit, after whom no one else followed. A sense of dread crept over Al.

As soon as the last flight attendant assisting the passengers left, Cat shut the door. Al was stunned. He hadn't missed Akira—Akira had been one of the unlucky ones selected to stay among the eight remaining hostages.

Cat pulled back the curtain, gazing at the now empty rear seats, and muttered, [“It's really cleared out.”]

Dog, standing behind her, stretched his arms. [“It’ll be easier to keep watching now.”]

[“We've got fewer hostages. Why don't we tie them all up? That way, we won't need to guard them,”] Cat suggested.

Dog shook his head. [“Tying them up would be more trouble than it's worth. Every time someone needs the bathroom, we'd have to untie them. Letting them wet themselves would stink up the place, and that'd be rough to deal with.”]

Cat nodded. [“That’s true.”]

[“But maybe we could bring the captain over here and keep an eye on him with the others. That way, Crow and the boss could move around more freely,”] Dog proposed.

[“No way,”] Cat quickly shut down the idea. [“There was a case before where SWAT stormed in through the cockpit window. We can't leave that area unguarded.”]

Dog shrugged. [“So, we're back to the same situation, just with fewer hostages.”]

[“With only ten hostages, it’s easier to manage. You should take a break and delay your shift change with Giraffe. Things could drag on if they keep stalling,”] Cat suggested.

Dog agreed and headed back to the economy section, just as the boss emerged from the cockpit.

[“The hostages were handed over without a hitch,”] the boss said.

[“Perfectly,”] Cat replied with a thumbs-up. The boss kicked the bag of phones that had fallen to the floor during landing toward the window and slumped into the front seat.

[“Got anything to drink?”] he asked.

[“Water, Coke, juice—what do you want?”]

[“Water's fine.”]

The boss gulped down the water Cat handed him. Suddenly, a cheerful ringtone rang out. Startled, the boss cut off the call and tossed the phone behind him. It bounced off the wall separating first class from economy and landed at Al's feet.

[“You seem frustrated,”] Cat observed.

The boss let out a long sigh, scratching his head. [“I can't relax in the cockpit. I keep worrying that SWAT will try to breach the place. Flying was easier.”]

[“There's nothing to worry about. We still have hostages, and they don't know how many of us there are. Plus, the windows are covered with shades. We’ve got everything under control,”] Cat reassured him.

As Al listened to their conversation, he glanced at the phone on the floor below him. Could I use it? After some hesitation, he made up his mind and jumped down from the seat—or rather, fell. He almost let out a yelp from the shock but curled up and waited for the pain to pass. Once he felt better, he approached the phone. Using his claws, he prayed it open, pressing his nose against the buttons. The screen was dark. If I turn it on, it'll make a noise. Al waited for a distraction loud enough to cover the sound.

[“Hey, Boss, want a snack? I've got some mixed nuts,”] Cat offered, her voice accompanied by footsteps.

Seizing the opportunity, Al turned on the phone. A small electronic sound chimed. The boss looked up, tilting his head.

[“Huh? Did you hear something?”] he asked.

Leaning forward, the boss scanned the area.

[“Did you hear anything?”] Cat asked.

[“Sounded like a phone...”]

[“Maybe one of the phones in the bag still had power.”]

[“Maybe...”] the boss muttered, but didn't seem convinced.

Al held his breath, hoping they wouldn't investigate further.

[“You're getting a little paranoid, boss. Everything's going smoothly thanks to Angel's guidance. You didn't sleep much last night, did you? You should rest a bit,”] Cat suggested.

Her words seemed to reassure the boss, who didn't move to check further. Al dragged the phone under the seat with his nose and began pressing buttons, searching through the message history. One sent an hour ago caught his attention—it had an image attachment. When he opened it, he was shocked. The photo showed one of their accomplishments, Cat, lying in a flight attendant's uniform, covered in blood.

Al glanced toward the front. Cat was sitting in first class, across the aisle from the boss.

The boss had prepared an image in advance that made it look like Cat had been killed, to use as leverage in negotiations. The photo gave no clues about the location. If the real flight attendant, Cat, had simply taken her uniform home, it wouldn't have been difficult to stage a photo that made it seem like she had been murdered.

It was unclear whether the negotiation was with the police or a government. Although the boss had initially said the other party was reluctant to deal, anyone would believe a flight attendant had been killed after seeing such a photo. To avoid further casualties, they would have no choice but to comply.

Those outside the plane had no idea what was happening inside. But Al knew. And he could send a message. He happily typed out an email on his phone.

“There are five hijackers: four men and one woman. The flight attendant Sharon is part of the hijackers' group. The image they sent was prepared in advance—no one has actually been killed. They smuggled guns aboard by them hiding in a wheelchair, with four men each carrying a gun. The woman only has a knife. There are no other weapons.”

It took Al a long time to finish typing the message. Then, hoping it would help those outside and bring rescue sooner, he sent the email to the address the boss had used earlier.

Less than five minutes later, the sound of an incoming message notification ranks out. Cheerful music echoed through the otherwise quiet cabin. Al had forgotten about the possibility of getting a reply after sending the message—and that he should have turned off his phone.

He saw the boss rise, and in a panic, Al backed away and hid under the legs of a chair. The boss walked down the aisle, bent down, and picked up the phone, its flip screen still open.

The boss stormed back to the front of the plane with heavy steps. Cat's voice could be heard, small and trembling.

[“Ow! Let go of my arm!”]

[“Did you send this email?”] the boss shouted furiously.

[“W-what email?”]

There was a brief silence, then Cat gasped.

[“W-what's going on?]

[“Don’t play dumb! You felt out information while I was asleep. Why did you leak this outside?”] The boss was convinced Cat had sent the message.

[“ He didn’t! It wasn't me!”] Cat's voice wavered as she desperately denied it.

[“ I would never do something to put myself in danger!”]

Cat's scream rang out, and she fell to the aisle floor. Her sunglasses rolled under the seats.

[“ I checked the sent history. The email was sent five minutes ago. No one else has been near this first-class section except you! There's no one else who could have smelled it!”]

[“No, no, it wasn't me!”] Cat raised her upper body, backing away while lying on her back.

[“Please... don’t shoot me!”]

Al's heart raced. The boss was pointing a gun at Cat.

[“You're Angel's sister in this world. We've respected you, but even as her sister, anyone who harms Angel will not be forgiven.”]

[“No! I didn’t do anything!”]

Even if she was the sister of a cult leader sentenced to death for killing multiple people, and even if she was one of the hijackers, it was wrong for her to be shot now, especially for something she didn't do—something that was Al's fault. He needed to stop this. But could he really stop the boss in his current, battered state?

As Al considered coming out from under the chair, the curtain to the first-class section was drawn back, and Giraffe entered. He didn't even flinch at the sight of Cat lying on her back in the aisle and the boss pointing a gun at her.

[“I could hear your argument all the way in the back. What’s going on?”]

[“Cat betrayed us,”] the boss said.

Giraffe narrowed his eyes and tilted his head.

[“She leaked internal information using a passenger's phone.”]

[“I didn’t do anything. Please, believe me, Giraffe!”] Cat clung to Giraffe's leg, begging for help.

[“Then who feels the message? A ghost?”] the boss shouted. Cat shook her head violently.

[“It wasn't me! It really wasn't me... Boss, could it be that you feel the message yourself and are trying to frame me for it?”] Cat shot back.

[“You're trying to set me up, aren't you? That must be it!”]

Giraffe listened to the argument in silence, then suddenly smirked and kicked Cat hard, sending her sprawling to the ground. He pressed the barrel of his gun against her forehead as she laid on her back. Cat's body began to tremble violently.

[“...You're the one I can't trust,”] Giraffe said, his voice void of emotion. Tears streamed down Cat's face.

[“Boss, should I take care of her?”]

[“...No, not yet. Don't kill her. Cat, hand over the knife.”]

Hesitant, Cat slowly pulled the knife out of her jacket pocket with shaking hands, and the boss snatched it away. Realizing there was no point in resisting, Cat hung her head in defeat. Giraffe followed the boss's orders, binding the traitor's hands and feet, then seating her in a chair and strapping her in with the seatbelt. Cat was now immobilized, trapped in the chair.

[“Tell Dog that Cat betrayed us. Now we're down to four.”] 

Giraffe gave a shallow nod and headed back to the rear seats. The boss approached Cat and roughly yanked off her balaclava. 

[“I'm keeping you alive for now. But if you try to escape... next time, I'll kill you for sure.”] 

After growing this threat into her ear, the boss disappeared into the cockpit. Cat was left alone in the first-class cabin. Al, relieved that she hadn't been killed, heard the sound of Cat sniffling.

[“...It's definitely the boss's doing. What grudge does he have against me?”] 

Although unexpected, this development worked in Al's favor. Now tied up with no weapon, Cat was essentially a hostage. The hijackers had gone from five to four because of their internal conflict.

Crow, who had apparently swapped places with the boss as the cockpit guard, entered first class. He looked down at the dejected Cat and clicked his tongue. 

[“...I didn't just trust you because you're Angel's sister. I thought you were worth something. You’ve really let me down.”] 

[“It wasn't me!”] Cat protested, but Crow wasn't listening. 

[“We were so close to succeeding, and now look what you've done! Because of your email, they're making even more noise, demanding we hand over the body of the flight attendant we supposedly killed!”] 

[“I swear, I didn’t send any information!”] 

Crow's cold gaze on Cat remained unchanged. The boss still commanded absolute trust from the rest of the group.

Al wondered if there was a way to use a similar tactic to sow further discord among the hijackers and weaken their forces. But after the earlier incident, the boss had taken the phone he'd used to send the email and the bag of phones collected from the passengers, most likely into the cockpit. There was no way to send information outside now.

Al wracked his brain, trying to come up with a solution, but he soon realized that, in his injured and weakened state, there wasn't much more he could do. Pushing too far would only drag him into further trouble and worsen his injuries. He told himself, I've done all I can , and began to quietly crawl back toward the rear seats. There was still some time before nightfall, but in his battered state, it was better to move cautiously.

He had been crawling under the seats the whole time, but when he reached the partition between first and economy class, he had to emerge into the aisle. Just then, Dog came sprinting toward him from the opposite direction. It was fast. Al tried to scramble out of the way, but his body wouldn't react in time. Just as he realized the danger, a sneaker's toe appeared right in front of his eyes.

"Yargh!" 

Al was kicked hard, sending him flying diagonally under the seat legs before slamming into the front wall. The impact made every bone in his body scream in pain, and the shock was so great that his vision went dark, as if his breath had been knocked out of him.

[“Huh? Did I just kick something?”] 

Dog's voice echoed distantly as Al's consciousness faded, as if he were sinking into a deep abyss.

◇ :-: ◆ :-: ◇

“Huh, not here?”

Hearing Akira's voice, Al slowly opened his eyes. Akira was kneeling in the aisle, tilting his head as he opened the lid of a basket that had toppled over under the seat. Kneeling on both knees, Akira peered under the seat from a low angle... and their eyes met.

Akira gently reached out with his right hand to pick up Al, who was lying face down near the wall in the front row of the first-class cabin. Realizing it was Akira, Al was so happy that he let out a weak " squeak ."

[“...Is that the medicine you were talking about?”] 

At the sound of Giraffe's voice, Al snapped back to reality. They were on a hijacked plane. There was no way a hostage like Akira should be able to move freely.

Akira's face was more tense than Al had ever seen before. Al glanced around and gasped. Giraffe was standing behind Akira, pressing the muzzle of a gun against his head.

[“This is my pet beat. I’ve been worried because it seemed unexpectedly...”] 

[“Don’t move on your own.”]

Giraffe cut off Akira's words.

[“If you act on your own again, I’ll shoot.”]

His tone wasn't just a threat; it was serious. Akira replied with [“Understood”] and slowly stood up.

[“The medicine wasn't in the basket. May I search the seat I was sitting in again? It was seat 3B.”]

[“...Go.”]

Giraffe roughly pushed Akira's back. Akira stumbled as he returned to his seat and pulled Martha's bag closer. Still holding Al in his right hand, he rummaged through the bag placed on the seat with his left hand. Al peeked inside the bag, not knowing what Akira was up to, and then Akira's hand suddenly stopped. A bottle, about four inches (around ten centimeters) tall, emerged. It had the word "Collagen" written on it. Akira grabbed it, hiding the label.

[“Found the medicine.”]

After saying that, Akira let out a small groan, clutching his left chest and hunching over. He furrowed his brow and moaned in pain. Worried, Al let out a small squeak, "Squeak squeak? (Are you okay?)"

[“...What's wrong?”] 

Though he asked, Giraffe's voice was detached.

[“It's... heart palpitations...”]

Akira said "palpitation," but Al had never heard anything about him having a heart condition before.

[“Take the medicine. That's why you came to get it.”]

[“I can't... without water.”]

Akira staggered as he walked toward the front.

[“Hey, don't move on your own!”]

Giraffe chased after him.

[“There's water in the restroom... I'll take it there.”]

Ignoring Giraffe, Akira entered the restroom and locked the door from the inside. As soon as they were isolated in the stall, Akira placed the hand gripping Al against his chest and exhaled shakily. Sweat beaded on his forehead. His palms were also sweaty, leaving Al's fur damp. The cabin wasn’t cold or warm; facing a man with a gun had simply made him that tense. The sound of something hitting the floor drew their attention, and the bottle of collagen rolled to Akira's feet.

"...The sun will set soon."

Akira checked his wristwatch and whispered softly into Al's ear. The bathroom door rattled with a heavy kick, causing Akira's body to tremble.

[“Don't lock the door! Once you take the medicine, get out quickly.”]

Giraffe kicked the door several times, seemingly irritated. Each time, the door bent inward, making it terrifying just to watch.

[“Wait a minute. The cap on the medicine... won't open...”]

As Akira made his excuse, Al's entire body began to heat up. The transformation back into a human had begun. His limbs stretched rapidly, making it impossible for him to stay in Akira's hand any longer. The fur that had covered his body vanished as if absorbed, revealing human skin.

Fully transformed back into a human, Al clung to Akira, completely naked. His head and back... no, his whole body ached, making it impossible to stand. Being kicked by Dog and slammed into the wall had taken its toll.

"Are you okay?"

At Akira's whispered question, Al nodded slightly.

"Just hang in there a little longer."

Akira smashed the bottle of collagen against the restroom sink. With a shattering sound, the bottle broke, and the pills scattered everywhere.

[“What are you doing in there?!”]

Giraffe, suspicious of the noise, shouted angrily.

[“The cap wouldn’t open, so I broke the bottle.”]

Akira shouted back and then rolled up the left sleeve of his shirt. Without hesitation, he drove a shard of the broken bottle deep into the inside of his arm. Blood spurted out in a rush.

"Akira!"

"...Don't talk. Drink it quickly."

Akira offered his bleeding arm to Al. While part of him felt guilty for making Akira do this, the sweet scent of blood made Al's head spin. His instincts, stronger than his hesitation, craved it. Opening his mouth wide, Al latched onto the dripping blood. The sweet drops seeped into his body. Before leaving for America, he had drunk plenty of blood. He had calculated that he wouldn't need to drink any more until they returned home, but the injury and the subsequent heavy blood loss had left his body far more parched than he realized.

"Ugh..."

Akira let out a small groan. When Al tried to pull away, thinking he had taken too much, Akira held the back of his head, forcing him to drink more.

"...Keep sucking until the wound heals."

[“What are you mumbling about in there?!”]

The bathroom door was kicked again.

"Hurry up!"

Pressured, Al carefully watched Akira's complexion while continuing to drink. Akira's face gradually turned pale. Thinking, "This is bad," Al pulled away, but Akira's body swayed dangerously. Although Al hurried to support him, he couldn't hold him up, and Akira's back slammed into the door with a loud thud.

[“Hey! Knock it off already!”]

Giraffe's voice roused Akira, who slowly opened his eyes.

[“...The medicine’s taken. The... the palpitations has subsided. The door... won't open. It's... broken.”]

Akira's voice was hoarse and weak. It wasn't an act; he was genuinely unwell.

[“Just get out of there!”]

Akira stood up unsteadily, pulled Al's head close, and whispered in his ear.

"...Stay hidden in here. As soon as I leave, lock the door. Don’t come out... until dawn..."

"Akira... your body..."

With a pale face, Akira narrowed his eyes and gave a faint smile.

"I'm used to anemia."

Akira pushed Al to the side of the sink, where he wouldn’t be seen when the door opened, and then stepped out of the restroom. As instructed, Al immediately closed the door and locked it.

[“You bastard, acting on your own... Hey...!”]

There was a loud thud, followed by silence. Had Akira collapsed... or had he been struck? Al was so worried that he wanted to rush outside, but he held himself back, clenching his fists tightly.

Akira had lied to the hijacker, risking his life to hide Al in the restroom. Knowing this, Al couldn’t just recklessly charge out and waste Akira’s efforts.

[“Hey, what’s all the noise about?”]

A raspy, menacing voice—Crow.

[“...Whoa!”] 

Crow's startled voice and the sound of shuffling feet could be heard through the bathroom door. 

[“What the hell is this? ...Did you finally kill him?!”] 

Al's eyes widened in shock, and he gasped. Akira...killed? No way... No way... His body began to tremble uncontrollably.

[“I didn’t do anything. He just collapsed on his own,”] Giraffe said, his voice dismissive. 

[“You idiot,”] Crow responded, exasperated.

[“Let's see... He's breathing. Just passed out, huh? But his face is pale. It’s practically blue.”] 

...He's not dead. Akira isn't dead. Al clasp his hands together in front of his chest, silently thanking God.

[“Why did you bring this guy to the first-class seats? The hostages were supposed to stay in the back seats,”] Crow's voice accused Giraffe.

[“He said he had a heart condition and needed his medicine, so I let him get it. He was moaning non-stop; it was annoying,”] Giraffe replied.

[“If it's his heart, shouldn't you just give him that medicine or whatever?”] 

[“He should've taken it himself... Though he seems worse off now than he did before.”]

[“I don't get it but keeping him here is a hassle. Drag him back to the back seats,”] Crow ordered, and their conversation ended there. The sound of something being dragged—likely Akira—soon faded away.

Al couldn't stop the tears from welling up. No matter how injured he was, a vampire wouldn't die. Akira knew that, yet he still offered his blood. Even if it meant getting himself battered and bruised... He didn't just give a little and tell Al to endure the rest. How could someone be so kind? To a half-hearted vampire who's neither family nor a lover, who only causes trouble...

Kyiv's words flashed through Al's mind. As long as he remained an incomplete vampire, he'd continued to cause Akira trouble. Kyiv was right. But Al didn't have the courage to become a complete vampire. He didn't want to cause any more trouble, but he also didn't want to leave this position where Akira would risk his life to protect him.

A loud pounding on the bathroom door snapped Al back to reality. 

[“...Busy? Who's in there?”] Crow clicked his tongue and called out, [“Hey!”] Al covered his mouth with both hands, holding his breath as he stared at the vibrating door.

[“Hey, Giraffe,”] 

Heavy footsteps approached. It seemed Giraffe had returned after taking Akira to the back seats.

[“The bathroom door won't open. The boss is in the cockpit, Dog is keeping watch at the back, and Cat is still tied to a seat. No one else should be in there, yet it's locked from the inside. Isn’t that strange?”]

After a brief pause, Giraffe spoke up, [“Now that you mention it...”]

[“What is it?”] 

[“That guy said something about the door being jammed and not opening properly.”]

[“Which guy?”] 

[“The hostage that collapsed earlier.”]

[“And you believe anything he says? What if someone's hiding in there?”]

A cold chill ran down Al's spine. His skin tingled with tension, and outside, he heard a mocking chuckle.

["...Impossible. I saw him go in alone and come out alone. The door's probably just broken. I kicked it a few times myself. There's another bathroom in the middle of the cabin, so just use that one. If you're so suspicious about the door, go ahead and kick it down. If you find even a rat in there, I'll give you some credit.”]

The door shook violently twice, and Al feared it might be kicked down, but the silence that followed suggested it was just Crow venting his frustration at Giraffe's sarcasm.

If they believed the door was merely broken, Al could stay hidden until morning. He quietly closed the toilet lid and sat on it, hugging his knees. The worry for Akira gnawed at him, but the frustration of being unable to check on him burned within him. It seemed the hijackers, leaving only Cat behind, had left the first-class area, as there were no more footsteps or voices.

What Al needed to do now was stay quiet, hiding in the fortress Akira had desperately created for him until morning when he could transform back into a bat. Alone in the silent, clockless bathroom, time began to lose meaning. A minute, ten minutes, or even an hour—he couldn't tell how much had passed.

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