Chapter 10
"Guo Xin...Do you know something about Frank that we don't?" Haruko repeated.
Guo Xin continued staring into space.
"Guo Xin! Guo Xin! They've got Debbie! So wake up!" Si Heng shouted.
Guo Xin awoke with a start.
"Sorry...It's just...Nevermind, what did you say?" Guo Xin asked.
"Do you know something about Frank that we don't?" Haruko asked again.
"Erm...Yeah..." Guo Xin muttered truthfully.
He took a deep breath, and the story about the rejection of Frank tumbled out. He finished, surveying the others who sat in frozen shock.
Si Heng broke the silence.
"Uh huh...So how does that help Debbie?" Si Heng asked in frustration.
"So he's gay? As in born gay or turned gay?" Haruko added, unable to believe the very monster that attacked her was a homosexual.
Guo Xin pondered hard. What had made Frank gay? Was he born gay? Frank had seemed perfectly normal when the two had first met. A scene swam into Guo Xin's mind; the first time he had crossed paths with Frank.
*
2002, 16th June. Guo Xin strolled into Macdonalds after school, planning to meet up with some friends afterwards. He was about to join the outrageously long queue when he noticed something out of the corner out of his eye. There was a boy around his age , situated at a far, isolated corner of the fast food restaurant. His face was in his hands, the tray of food in front of him untouched. He appeared to be weeping. Guo Xin, sociable as he was, went up to the boy and patted him on the shoulder.
"Yo dude! Whatsup? This seat taken yo?"
"Leave me alone" was the abrupt answer.
Shrugging, Guo Xin turned to leave. The boy suddenly called him back.
"Hey! Hey you there! Sorry...Didn't really mean that...It's just...I'm real depressed now...Please, do take a seat." the boy said apologetically.
"I'm Guo Xin." Guo Xin said, offering his hand.
The boy took it, introducing himself as Fang. And a conversation soon followed.
"Fang? Cool name."
"Not cool enough for some people apparently..."
"What?"
"No matter, you wouldn't understand."
"Tell me..." Guo Xin pleaded, starting to feign a kawaii face and tone.
"Ok Ok...As long as you stop acting this way...I'm getting goosebumps already!" Fang said, his glum expression replaced by a smile.
"See? I've made you smile." Guo Xin said, returning to his usual self.
"Well...Long story..."
Fang plunged into a long and complicated story concerning his rejection by a girl. Guo Xin only half listened; he was checking out a photograph of an attractive girl that Fang had thrust onto the table. An attractive girl with long black hair...Waist-length black hair...
*
"Haruko!" Guo Xin yelled, snapping out of his reverie.
"Yea?" Haruko answered laconically, shocked by the sudden sound of her name.
"Did you ever know Frank?" Guo Xin asked.
"Apart from you talking about him...I don't think so..." Haruko replied, taken aback by Guo Xin's seemingly desultory question.
"You never knew him? Probably in school? An online friend or something?" Guo Xin asked persistently.
Haruko shook her head, smiling slightly at the connection Guo Xin was trying to make.
"I-" Haruko started.
Then it struck her. Franklin. Could that thin wiry boy she had once turned down be - Frank? It was all too much. Haruko swayed on the spot, collapsing onto the sofa, head spinning. After much pressing from Guo Xin and Si Heng, her story emerged.
Frank and Haruko were once penpals. Frank writing from Gotham while Haruko wrote from Takachiho. Frank's pen name had been Franklin while Haruko went by the pen name of "Hair-straight" in description of her lustrous locks. Neither of them had known each other's true identity although they had sent pictures of themselves to each other. Frank had been the typical ostracized kid in school; too short, too ugly, not good in sports, only good at studying. Haruko had been his only friend. And as time passed, he developed feelings for her. Haruko was never aware of this however, she had always regarded Frank as a really good friend and confidant, nothing more. Naturally, when Frank's proclamation of his love for her arrived in the form of a letter, she was so taken aback that she threw the letter into the fireplace, swearing never to think of him again. It was a great shock and she did not even have the courage to write back to even declare her preference properly. And so, hundreds of letters came from Frank addressed to "Hair-straight", hundreds of unopened letters went into the fireplace. She had never knew what Frank looked like apart from the photograph of him he had sent her. It seemed more fitting now. Franklin, Frank, Fang. Had the boy she once exchanged letters with changed so much?
"So Frank was rejected by Haruko and was so traumatised that he turned gay?" Si Heng asked skeptically.
Guo Xin struggled to speak, the words seemed stuck in his throat.
"So when I rejected him...He was affected even more?" Guo Xin asked as guilt started to engulf him.
"Actually you don't have to feel so bad. And that would include you Haruko." Howl said reassuringly, finally speaking up after a long period of silent observation.
Guo Xin, Haruko and Si Heng all looked towards Howl, interested in his stand.
"Well, you see. Statistics have shown homosexuality is more of a genetic condition rather than one inflicted by the environment of the homosexual. So there is a larger possibility, though not entirely, that homosexuality is inherent in an individual from the time he takes his first breath, the time he was born that is. So that would mean that the both of you may not necessarily have turned Frank gay." Howl explained.
"But...He took a fancy to girls before he...Liked me..." Guo Xin protested.
"Yes that is true. Individuals who prefer both sexes are classified as bisexual then. But of course, it is not one hundred percent definite. So...Just don't feel too bad." Howl concluded.
"He's bi? Oh my god!" Si Heng asked, apparently disgusted.
Haruko threw him a dirty look.
"Si Heng please...Now's not the time..." Howl said.
"Ok sorry. But still, what about Debbie?" Si Heng asked in fervour.
"Let's look for Lester Gibe then. He used to hang out with Frank after university. I'm certain he can tell us more about Frank. And then from there, Debbie." Howl suggested.
Si Heng plopped into the sofa beside Haruko.
Oh Debbie...I'm so sorry I got you into this mess...
*
The security guard observed a middle-aged bag lady and a lanky teenager heading towards him. He groaned before putting on his cap, scrunching his eyebrows into the most intimidating face he could possibly form. Late-night shifts were always irksome and now there was the added trouble of dealing with two individuals who definitely did not look like they lived in The Horizon. He picked up his flashlight from the table and stood up wearily. Upon closer observation with the help of his flashlight, he noticed that the teenager was wearing some sort of green uniform and was carrying a bag labelled "Pretty Pizzas".
"Pizza delivery. Eighth floor. Mr. Lester Gibe." the delivery boy said in a monotone.
Pizza boys. The security guard snorted mentally.
Only school dropouts ended up as pizza boys. So I ended up as a security guard. Big deal...
"Ok. And the woman?" He questioned.
"I work here." the bag lady rasped, before coughing violently.
Strange, the security guard thought. He had never seen the bag lady before. He shrugged his doubts off mentally.
"I'm afraid you'll have to wait a while, Madam. You'll have to show me identification."
It was standard procedure. The Horizon was no doubt a luxury residence, but it was also one that was equipped with security facilities that were much more impressive than normal apartments. It was the perfect home for the rich who feared theft. Anyone who wanted to enter had to present identification to the security guard at the entrance. There was a fingerprint scanning system for residents and workers and visitors had to be verified first with the residents. Motion sensors were installed at the foot of three-metre tall reinforced-steel gates and the alarms would go off if the sensors detected any movement before clearance was obtained. There was also a team of armed guards situated around the apartment grounds around the clock should the alarms sound. The guards were armed with M-26 Tasers, an electroshock weapon that fired small-dart like electrodes that could penetrate up to Level III body armour. The guards were given specific instructions if they noticed any suspicious individuals - Shoot first, question later. Security cameras were ubiquitous and even the lift was bulletproof.
"Of course. Here." the bag lady said, handing him a laminated identification card.
The security guard raised his eyebrows.
"Are you sure you work here?"
"Positive." the bag lady replied.
"I'm sorry but we use fingerprint identification here. You must be new." the guard commented, scrutinising the bag lady suspiciously.
"That won't be necessary." the bag lady said, voice turning mellow suddenly.
"I'm afraid-" The guard stopped as the bag lady flung her shopping bag at him.
A tangle of vines flew out, binding him in an instant. "Huh" was all he could say before the bag lady kissed him on his lips. The bag lady had removed the shabby robes she had been wearing and was now clad in a skintight green costume that showed off her cleavage and bare legs. She seemed to arrest his attention and he felt elated all out of a sudden.
"Let us in." the bag lady ordered, waving her hand and the vines around the guard slackened before falling off.
"Yes." the guard obeyed, happy to comply.
He typed in a few commands and the system plunged into manual override. The words "Confirmation Code Required" appeared on the monitor. A flicker of doubt crossed his face. He paused, fingers frozen over the keyboard.
"Why?" the guard questioned, as he broke out in a sweat. His head was aching as one side of his mind waged war against the other.
"Hmm...Strong-willed...Give him another shot." the delivery boy said as the bag lady leaned in for another kiss.
The bag lady held the guard's head and drew him in, pressing her lips against his. The guard's breathing slowed and he relaxed. He typed in the confirmation code and the gates opened at once.
"Thank you. Now, forget me darling." the bag lady said before holding up a perfume bottle and spraying a liberal amount of pink mist at the guard.
The guard coughed, flailing his arms vainly for a moment before he passed out. He would wake up in about an hour later unharmed, but with no recollection of anything that happened during the past six hours.
"Benzodiazepines?" the delivery boy asked, inspecting the security guard with clinical interest.
"To be specific Kisho, Lorazepam is the benzodiazepine, with scopolamine from henbane and other chemicals as well. Hurry in, I don't know how long the gates will stay open."
True enough, the gates shut with a resounding thud a few minutes after the duo entered the compound of The Horizon. The bag lady hesitated before stepping into the lift lobby.
"You're sure we're covered?" the bag lady asked, noting the red light of the security camera mounted above that was winking merrily at them.
Kisho yawned as he looked up at the camera. "Don't worry Pamela. All real feed is being intercepted and a looping video is playing as we speak." Kisho answered confidently.
"Good, the last thing we want is hard evidence against us. Ah...Green again..." Pamela said, pulling her hairnet off to release her locks of auburn hair as she swayed them from side to side.
"Miss Debbie doing fine in a shopping bag?" Kisho enquired as he pressed the button for the lift.
Pamela peered into the largest shopping bag and frowned slightly. Debbie was in a foetal position in the shopping bag, bound by many vines, one of which led to a pink flower placed over her mouth.
"I think my plant is dying. She must be dehydrating." Pamela observed, patting the flower lovingly.
"We better hurry then."
There was a tinkling sound as the lift announced its arrival.
*
Lester Gibe was roused from his slumber by the sonorous doorbell. He awoke with a start and glanced up at the grandfather clock instinctively, its face illuminated by the soft light of the bedside lamp beside him.
12.30...Who the hell is that?
He lumbered out of his bedroom to the main door drowsily, still in his pajamas. He opened the door, fatigue keeping from looking through the door hole.
"What is it?" He snapped irritably.
"Pizza delivery!" chirped a teenager in a shirt labelled "Pretty Pizzas" and a matching pair of pants.
"Huh? I didn't order any pizza..."
"Just sign over here..." the delivery boy indicated.
"And you'll leave after that?"
"Uh...That's my job...So just sign already!"
Lester scrawled his name hastily, eager for the nuisance to leave. He looked up, only to see the delivery boy's moist lips before they made contact with his.
"What the fuck!" Lester exclaimed before he started spitting and wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
"What's the matter? Afraid I have cooties?" the delivery boy asked tauntingly before laughing dementedly.
"You-" Lester said as he raised his arm to punch the delivery boy.
"Nights!" the delivery boy said, blowing him a kiss.
Lester felt numb suddenly as his legs lost all sensation and gave way beneath him. Everything started to spin as things began to discolour and images distorted. He felt like flying, like he could do anything. And yet he had a splitting headache, he felt nauseous and dizzy. The last thing he saw was a young woman waving at him from behind the delivery boy.
"We're in, Pamela." Kisho said, pushing the open door wider.
"What was on your lips?"
"Well...Powdered seeds of Angel's Trumpet...Extract from Kava Kava root...Zolpidem...And a compendium of other deliriants...He should wake up in a few hours unless you want to manually wake him up...And he'll be delirious and high...So?"
"Wonderful. All the better for my aphrodisiacs...But we haven't got a few hours. Fifteen minutes max. We need to be ready. Haruko is extremely efficient..." Pamela warned.
"That I know...Why we share blood after all...But chlorophyll is definitely thicker than blood..." Kisho said with a crooked grin.
*
Guo Xin and Haruko were the first to get out of the ebony limousine, shortly followed by Si Heng and Howl. They walked briskly towards the guardhouse, only to find an unconscious guard.
"They've been here." Haruko stated, gently shaking the guard but receiving no response.
"We'll just go in." Guo Xin said, pressing his thumb against a circular pad that scanned fingerprints.
Gotta make sure I thank Dad for getting me an apartment here...
The pad flashed green as the gates opened and the four of them entered the compound, feet scraping across the asphalt-covered road as they hastened their steps. They ran into the lift lobby, Guo Xin leading the way. The lift was there, doors opened invitingly. They got in, unaware of the tiny pinhole camera that watched them from the light above.
The lift chimed cheerily in the contrast to the tense atmosphere as the group treaded softly on the cement floor, looking around warily as they neared Lester's apartment.
"Hello? Lester?" Howl called out as he pressed the doorbell.
He turned the doorknob in frustration and the whole unlocked door swung inwards. It was completely dark inside the apartment. The only limited light that did little to brighten up the apartment was from the lamps that lit the corridors outside. Howl could make out the shadowy outline of a figure a few feet in front of him. He called out for Lester again but there was no response. He took a step forward. And the lights came on. Lester stood there, wielding a gun aimed at them. He fired.
The bullet missed Howl's head by a few centimeters as Haruko pushed him away. It continued out through the doorway, slicing through the air until it hit the bulletproof lift door. Guo Xin whipped out one of his own guns and shot Lester, the bullet penetrating Lester's arm which held the gun. He cried out and a sickening crunch of bone was heard as the gun spun out of his hand and he collapsed, fainting in agony. There was a deafening roar as Frank leaped from behind a sofa, landing beside Haruko as he locked his muscular arms tightly around her. Just then, Kisho entered the apartment, ambushing Si Heng and Howl from behind.
"Hi!" exclaimed Kisho as Howl and Si Heng turned around.
He raised both his palms perpendicular to his face at mouth level and blew a concentrated powder of mandrake root at both of their faces in succession. The highly narcotic properties of mandrake root made quick work of the both of them. They started entering into a deep stupor as the hyoscyamine and scopolamine wormed their way through their blood vessels.
"Out of the way boys." Kisho said with a laugh pushing both Howl and Si Heng backwards and they fell without much effort. He advanced towards Guo Xin who was unaware of his presence as he watched Haruko and Frank helplessly.
Guo Xin shot Frank in the arm but he did not even flinch as he held his vice-like grip on Haruko. She struggled, assaulting Frank on the legs with her feet and hands futilely. Kisho stepped forward, turning Guo Xin around forcefully and planting a long deep kiss on his lips followed by a vicious kick to the groin. Kisho leaned in towards Guo Xin's ear and whispered.
"So sorry...I've been waiting to do this for so long..."
Guo Xin grimaced and doubled over in agony before passing out. Frank's eyes widened as his body tensed. Haruko sensed this and craned her neck to face Frank.
"Frank...Recognise me? Hair-straight?"
"Hair-straight?" Frank looked at her scornfully.
"You've forgotten? We used to write to each other..." Frank's eyes widened even more.
"You!" Frank snarled.
"I know...I'm sorry but we were so young...And we were fine as friends weren't we?"
"Silence!" Frank roared.
"Yes?" Kisho inquired, inclining his head towards Frank.
"Nothing." Frank muttered.
"Then stop shouting for no reason or rhyme. Miss Isley will be here soon."
Kisho turned back to Guo Xin and slapped his face a few times.
"Wakey wakey!" Kisho said as Guo Xin started to stir.
He caressed Guo Xin face before giving his neck a quick scratch, drawing blood in the process.
"Don't worry...I won't touch your face...As promised..." Kisho whispered as Guo Xin felt a chilling numbness creeping up from his legs.
Kisho's nail had been laced with pancuronium bromide, a fast-acting curare-mimetic muscle relaxant. Guo Xin was paralysed from head to toe in a matter of seconds and all it took was that minute amount on the tip of Kisho's nail. That was the beauty of administering it through nail surfaces. The amount would be too small to cause respiratory failure and kill the subject as a result. However, there would be enough to render the subject motionless almost completely.
Frank continued to stare at Kisho and Guo Xin. Haruko was watching too, every perfectly audible word of Kisho's increasing her anxiety and anger. Kisho replaced a fake nail on his little finger with a different-coloured one he just took out from his pocket. He applied a little pressure to the nail and a transparent fluid oozed out of the tip.
"Now...To torture you in front of my dear sister...What fun!" Kisho quipped as he raised his finger with a flourish before scratching Guo Xin's neck.
The nociceptor stimulus raced through Guo Xin's system, stimulating every single pain receptor in his body. He was overwhelmed by pain in a few seconds. It was excruciating. He felt all sorts of pain everywhere. Mutilation, searing, stabbing, slashing...He felt everything. He screamed and screamed but the most he could do was give a little twitch of his paralysed body. Kisho looked at him with distaste.
"It must hurt..." He said softly.
"Stop! Please..." Guo Xin murmured before he continued screaming. The pain was definitely subsiding but it was definitely still unbearable.
"Let me think about it..." Kisho said as he cocked his head upwards in a mock impression of contemplation.
"Whaddya think sister darling?" Kisho asked brightly, turning his head towards Haruko. He seemed to be enjoying himself thoroughly.
"You've got to stop him...You don't want Guo Xin to be hurt do you? Please, I'm begging you...At least save Guo Xin..." Haruko pleaded with Frank softly.
"Sorry? I didn't seem to catch that." Kisho asked, unaware of what Haruko had said.
Frank struggled to decide. He looked at Haruko's pained expression, Kisho's gleeful face and then to Guo Xin's agonizing screaming. He released Haruko and bounded towards Kisho.
"Hey!" Kisho shouted, sidestepping before Frank's claws mauled him.
"Stop it!" Frank roared as he prepared for another pounce.
Kisho reached into his pocket and got out a few vials.
"What if I refuse?" Kisho asked with a wry smile.
"Then you perish." Frank concluded before launching himself at Kisho.
Kisho launched also, the few vials in his hands. They shattered upon contact with Frank's body; the inner vial containing the growth serum broke, as the serum mingled with the seeds in the outer vial. It took only a second for the seeds to start sprouting shoots and roots and another for leaves to appear. And for the subsequent three, vines snaked around Frank's arms and legs, turning him into ground for a tiny forest of greenery, leaving only the eyes uncovered. Frank was rendered immobile in that mere five seconds and he crashed onto the ground beside Guo Xin, eyes full of regret and sorrow.
"Always thought he was a traitor." Kisho said with a shrug.
"Now just to be safe..." Kisho scratched Frank with several nails that were laced with the pancuronium bromide, "Now, that leaves the matter of you..." He said as he turned towards Haruko.
Haruko now unrestrained, was holding the gun Lester had used. She aimed it at Kisho.
"Let them go." Haruko said, her tone cold and menacing.
"Sister dear...You wouldn't." Kisho said, eyeing the gun as he searched Haruko's face for any psychological clues.
"I will." Haruko said with a tone of finality.
"Oh no you won't..." A female voice came from the doorway.
Haruko's head snapped back and she gasped.
Pamela was standing in the doorway, and she had Debbie by the neck with a venomously-green dagger.
"Haruko." Debbie choked.
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