Unexplored Territory

The two partners had an uneasy truce after that. Well, truce wasn’t exactly the word for it; it was more like they had agreed to just stay as far away from each other as their small suite would allow. Christian wasn’t able to derive much more information from the ‘feelings’ had had to go on, and Yuki was restless, frustrated at being trapped just outside the very city he had sworn to protect. Christian had noticed, and had made a few phone calls, verifying some information.

Approaching Yuki cautiously, Christian waited quietly until the other man looked up from his journal. He had taken to writing in it daily, and had made it very clear to Christian that if he so much as looked at it wrong, he’d beat him to within an inch of his life. Christian took the threat seriously, and stayed out of Yuki’s way.

The other man hadn’t shown any further reaction to Christian’s daring kiss, except to become even colder and more withdrawn, if that was possible. The iciness reached out and enveloped Christian, even with his shields fully up. It was obvious that Yuki didn’t realize what he was doing, but Christian was always cold now, even wrapped in several layers of blankets.

He had taken to sleeping on the couch in the living room, curled up and shivering. Only iron control and a stubborn pride kept him from shivering in Yuki’s presence. He was lucky that he had some long-sleeved dress shirts, as they at least hid the goosebumps that were always on his arms.

Yuki, completely oblivious to the fact that he was slowly freezing Christian to death. Well, maybe not to death, but Christian wasn’t sure that he could remember what it was like to be warm anymore, and it had only been three days.

When Yuki finally looked up, his eyes cold and indifferent, as was the norm now, Christian spoke. “We’re heading back to the 39th. There is nothing more that we can do from here, and I can’t get a sense of him if I can’t get near him again.” He delivered his message, and then turned on his heel, leaving the room as quickly as his pride would allow.

Silence, followed by a sigh and the dull thud of a book closing; Yuki was ready to leave this place, too. Christian was already packed, so he sat down on the recliner, fighting the urge to curl in on himself. He couldn’t stop the trembling of his body, though. At the very least, the drive home should be warmer, since they had separate cars.

A small sound at the entrance to the living room area, and Christian opened his eyes a crack. “Ready?” he asked quietly. Yuki just nodded, and Christian forced himself to his feet, making his numb limbs move. He just needed to get out into the sunlight and he’d be fine in no time.

The elevator ride was nearly unbearable, but Christian bore it stoically, waiting out the short ride. As soon as the doors opened, he was on his way to the main entrance, pausing just long enough to sign out of his room and hand the man the keys. Leaving Yuki behind him, he walked out into the cool autumn weather, figuring that it couldn’t possibly be any colder than he had been for the past three days.

He was wrong, he realized, swallowing hard. It wasn’t that Yuki was making the room cold; Yuki was just making him cold. Along with that bit of insight came the realization that he couldn’t escape it. Not until Yuki either forgave him, or Christian forced him to realize what he was doing and stop it.

Yuki came down the steps behind him, and Christian turned to face him. “We’re to report to the 39th Precinct first, to debrief them on any progress made.” His tone was unhappy, but Yuki ignored it, just nodding and heading for his car. With a sigh, Christian did the same.

The drive home was more unbearable than the stay in the hotel had been. Even with the windows rolled up and the heat on full blast, Christian was cold. It was a bone-deep cold that even the stifling heat that pressed against his body couldn’t remove.

Cursing, Christian resolved to make Yuki forgive him. Of the two options, that seemed the best one; telling him that he was a Talent, and that he was freezing Christian from the inside out, would probably not endear him to Yuki anytime soon, even if the other man believed him. Which he probably wouldn’t, Christian thought sourly.

How he managed the trip home, Christian wasn’t certain, but he found himself relieved that he hadn’t felt the murderer during the trip. No doubt the killer would know that he was back quickly enough, but he’d deal with that when the time came. For now, he had to talk to Yuki.

The other man was already walking up the stairs to the precinct when Christian caught up to him, reaching out to grab his arm. Yuki turned to glare at him, but Christian didn’t care, snarling and pulling the other man to the side, so that they weren’t blocking the front doors, visible to everybody inside.

“Look,” he hissed. “I know you’re pissed at me, for kissing you or for reading your journal, I don’t know, but do you think that maybe, just maybe, you could let it drop? I promise not to do either one again, but we still have to catch this bastard before he kills anybody else. You being pissed at me is not conducive to finishing this job. Not to mention that it’s about as unprofessional as you can get, allowing personal feelings to interfere with the job.”

Yuki just kept glaring at him, but then something flickered in his eyes, a sort of hesitation. He glanced down at Christian’s hand, and the other man removed it quickly, afraid he had offended Yuki. Those cold eyes lifted again and pierced him through, so that he remained where he stood, unable to move. “Your flesh is scorching, but you’re shivering, nonetheless,” Yuki said. “Are you sick?”

Christian snorted. “Not hardly. I’m just cold, is all,” he muttered. Yuki frowned at him, but then shrugged, turning away. Christian scowled, following him, and then paused, nearly tripping on the next step as he realized that the icy cold that had settled deep in his bones was slowly dissipating. Then, had that been all it took? And apology and a promise to not screw up again? Surely, it wasn’t concern for the fact that he might be getting sick, right?

Shaking his head, not really caring as long as the coldness stayed away, Christian followed Yuki into the building and up to the Commissioner’s office, ignoring the other officers they passed as he reveled in the significantly warmer temperatures his body was enjoying. He swore to himself then and there that he would never, ever, piss off Yuki like that again. He was sure that they’d still have disagreements, but he’d learn the warning signs; learn to recognize when he was pushing the other man too far.

They were in front of the Commissioner’s office, and Christian forced himself into the here and now. He’d worry about Yuki later. For now, though, they had a report to make. Taking a deep breath, Christian reached around Yuki and knocked firmly on the door. Yuki just glanced at him, but Christian ignored it; better to keep quiet than to risk that chilly gaze rooting him to the spot.

“Come in,” the gruff voice called, and Christian pushed the door open. “Ah, Yuki, Chris, welcome back,” the commissioner greeted, quite familiar with the dark-haired detective who had solved so many cases within his precinct. “Good to see you back and in one piece,” he smiled, gesturing for them to have a seat. He glanced over Yuki, but then turned his attention o Christian, who fought the urge to squirm under the scrutiny.

Fortunately, the commissioner didn’t comment on his exhausted, pale appearance, and Christian appreciated it. “I see you’re still as scruffy-looking as ever,” he grinned, chuckling at his own commentary. Christian just scowled, resisting the urge to flip off his superior. He liked his hair down to his shoulders, and always kept it clean and well-groomed. He usually had it back in a small ponytail as well, but hadn’t bothered today, more interested in getting back home.

“Yes, and you’re still as much of a wisecrack as I remember, sir,” he replied, offering the other man a bright – and totally fake – smile. “Always ready with your quick wit, there.” The commissioner just offered him a fake smile in return, and turned back to Yuki, his expression suddenly serious. “Tell me what you’ve got,” he ordered the other man, and Yuki complied, but not before casting a sidelong glance at his partner.

Christian ignored the inquisitive look that Yuki shot in his direction. The relationship between himself and the commissioner was none of his concern. Fortunately, Yuki was always aware of duty above all else, and so he answered the commissioner’s questions.

“We know that the killer is a male. We also know that he is a Talent, and that he has, at least once, found Chris,” Yuki stated bluntly, watching the commissioner carefully. The older man betrayed nothing, but Christian sighed. Trust Yuki to try and catch his superior off-guard.

“He knows about my Talent,” Christian stated to the room, talking to both men. “I want this bastard caught, and I’ll do whatever it takes.” Glaring at no one in particular, Christian grumbled, “Unfortunately, while this man can find me, he can also hide his presence so I can’t find him, even when he’s close. We could probably be in the same room, and I wouldn’t know it was him until it was too late and I was dying.”

Not letting the silence that followed remain for long, Christian continued. “We also know that this killer, whoever he is, is young. Perhaps in his early twenties.” Stunned silence followed this statement, and Christian smirked. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t feel it to be, ah, prudent, to inform Yuki of this beforehand.”

Yuki glared, and Christian shivered as the cold seeped in, but he met Yuki’s gaze boldly. The commissioner was the one to break the tension. “Of course you wouldn’t have,” he acknowledged, and Yuki turned to stare at him in disbelief. The commissioner saw his look and smiled gently, obviously fond of the young man before him.

“Chris’ Talent is rather unique, and it’s no doubt hard for you to believe what information he’s already revealed to you. His Talent is far more involved and precise than you’d believe, but at the same time, it can also be unpredictable. Hence his inability to actually locate the killer without practically running into him.” The commissioner’s explanation was delivered swiftly and precisely, and Christian felt his body warm up again as Yuki’s cold anger dissipated.

Yuki frowned. “I already knew that he was a Talent. Since I didn’t believe in them in the first place, I would have taken the fact that he could pinpoint the killer’s age as truth as well. But that is neither here nor there,” he murmured. “What I want to know is if there is any more information that I’m not aware of, and if we have a place to start looking.”

Christian shrugged. “Other than his age, and gender, I can’t tell you much more. However, Talents have a tendency to out themselves at a young age. So we’ll be looking for cases where people died of mysterious circumstances, and where a single child can be linked to each case. We have a general time period.”

“The problem is making the connection between the cases. This killer could have been a son, or a friend, or a neighbor, or an acquaintance of the people who died around him. And, of course, there’s no true way to tell how old he was when his Talent first showed itself. And, perhaps, his Talent isn’t so much the strength and ability to kill people, as something else entirely that’s been warped beyond recognition.” He saw Yuki’s perplexed look and bit his lower lip, trying to explain it in terms that the other man could understand.

Choosing his words carefully, Christian said, “For example, he could have the ability to tell if a person is hurt. He could be able to tell a person’s physical make-up, and use that to find weak points. He could be an empath, able to sense a person’s fear. What greater fear is there than that of how they might die? Or of who they might lose next? He could have started out with just the power to alter the memories of those around him, and later realized that he could use his power to torture and kill people without anybody knowing that they’ve gone missing until it’s far too late.”

He stopped then, because realization had dawned on Yuki’s face. The man had also paled considerably as the implications hit him; they weren’t really any close to finding the killer than they had been when they had started this case. If he hadn’t used his powers to kill until recently, when this last string of murders had started, then they might not have a series of deaths within the last twenty years with a personal connection between them.

Christian watched his partner warily, even as he spoke to the commissioner. “Sir, the killer knows where I live, or at least, the area I live in. I don’t know if he has access to police information in particular, or just public information. I would like permission to keep this entire case classified, so that only Yuki and I know the details. Should something happen to both of us – should we die,” he corrected himself bluntly, “there will, of course, be safeguards in place to ensure that any information we were able to obtain makes its way to you, so that you can assign another team to the case, if you wish.”

The commissioner just nodded, accepting that if he kept these two men on the case, they might not come back alive. “Very well, Chris. You have my permission to keep the case classified. I expect you to keep me updated on a need-to-know basis, but other than that, you are free to do as you please, with one condition,” he warned. “I do not want you out there on your own. You are not to return to your apartment for the forseeable future. You may stay with Yuki, or we can temporarily place you somewhere, if you would prefer.”

Christian scowled, but knew better than to fight the commissioner on this. That the man was allowing him to remain on the case at all was a heavy concession, since the killer obviously knew his identity. “Yes, sir. If you will allow me some time to think about it, and talk it over with Yuki, I will let you know my decision by the end of the day.” The commissioner gave his consent, and Christian and Yuki were dismissed.

Walking back down the hallway to their office in relative silence, Christian was aware of Yuki watching him. Ignoring that chilling gaze, Christian walked into their shared office, flopping down on the couch and stretching out, throwing an arm over his closed eyes. He was achingly exhausted; between fighting the cold and trying his damndest to extract as much information from that single, too-brief touch of their target’s Talent as possible.

Yuki stood over him for a few moments, watching him, before retreating to his own desk and sitting down. There was the creak of the chair as his weight settled onto it, and the quiet click of the file cabinet being unlocked and rifled through, and then there was relative silence. Only the flipping of pages and the scratching of a pen could be heard, and Christian relaxed into the cushions, grateful that Yuki wasn’t going to make him get up. He really was tired.

Just as he was about to doze off, a vicious power slammed into his shields, cracking them, and Christian bit back a scream, curling up on the couch and tightening his shields. That bastard! It hadn’t taken him any time at all to figure out that they were back. Or perhaps he had been waiting for them to return, and had just been biding his time until they were alone before showing himself.

Christian gritted his teeth and practically flung himself off the couch, fighting the urge to crumple to the floor. Heavy waves beat at his mind, not bothering with subtlety. The killer was here, and he wanted to deliver a message. I know who you are. I know where you work. You can’t catch me, but I can catch you…anytime I want.

Christian shuddered. No words were actually spoken, but the message was nonetheless conveyed loud and clear. Only faintly aware of Yuki behind him, asking what was wrong, Christian pressed up against the office window, looking out. People milled about below him, but Christian was searching for a person standing still. He didn’t know how he knew that the other man wasn’t moving, but he knew, and he wasn’t about to question it.

His sharp eyes raking over the crowd below, he quickly located the man across the street from their office, wearing baggy jeans and a hooded black sweater, as casual and sloppily dressed as most of the teenagers in the city. The head tilted back slowly, and Christian swallowed as the other man smiled, the smile chilling him to the bone. He felt frozen; a cold even worse than Yuki’s Talent had sunk deep into his soul, and he wasn’t sure it would ever leave.

Taking a huge risk, and aware that it was probably what the killer intended, Christian dropped his shields, having only one hope. The insanity crashed over him then, and he screamed, unable to hold back the agonized sounds that tore from his throat, over and over again. He wasn’t aware of Yuki, yelling his name. He wasn’t aware of the other officers pounding on the door. He wasn’t aware of the commissioner sending them all scattering, and then giving Yuki an order. He wasn’t aware of the ensuing argument, either, or of the commissioner leaving, with a final command to his subordinate.

All that filled Christian’s mind was the killer’s psyche. He killed because he enjoyed it; he enjoyed the thrill of the chase, the screams of his victims, the scent and taste of their bitter blood. He killed because he could. He considered it a kindness to erase their existence from the minds of their family and neighbors, so that they did not have to wait in grief for the victims to be found. So that their wives, children, husbands, and parents could go on living as if nothing was wrong, while his newest victim was busy screaming and dying, praying for somebody to notice that they were missing, for somebody to find them, to save them.

Christian dropped to his knees, retching as the emotions flooded him, strong and overwhelming. This man was completely insane, but he was also intelligent. He knew how to hide his tracks. Even baiting the police like this, he hadn’t been caught yet.

Dry heaving now, Christian dredged up strength from somewhere, and sent out his own Talent. He couldn’t physically touch the other man to get a feel for him, but with a connection this strong, he didn’t need to. Sending out his own Talent, he started tracing the killer’s past, trying to find something to identify him, something that would be unique to his own history, something for the police to work with.

A cold wind swept through him, tearing away the darkness, and Christian cried out, this time in frustration. The cold was getting in his way, dammit! Last time, when he had touched the corpse, he had sought out that cool power, but not now. Not when he was this close!

He fought it, but the cold was touching him, chilling him to the bone. The black waves of killer intent were forced to retreat, sliced by ice and snow, until it was gone, and Christian was left, panting on the floor, tears streaming down his face as he fought Yuki’s hold.

The other man had a strong grip, and pulled him backwards, away from the mess on the floor, until his back hit the couch. He stayed there, holding Christian tightly as the man fought him, half-crazed. “It’s okay, Chris. It’s me, it’s just me. Your partner. You’re safe. He can’t touch you. He can’t. It’s okay.”

He murmured the words over and over, a litany of reassurances, and eventually, they sunk in and Christian calmed, his body falling limp in Yuki’s grip. As if afraid to let him go completely, Yuki shifted his arms to wrap tightly around Christian, and the other man shivered, cold, aching, and exhausted. His head throbbed, his body ached, his throat was raw and torn, and his stomach was cramped and nauseous.

“The killer,” he choked out finally, his voice hoarse. “He’s done playing now. He’s chosen his next victim.” It hurt his throat to talk, the words scraping along his throat so that he winced.

He felt Yuki stiffen behind him, going tense. “Who?” he asked, and there was both dread and excitement in his tone. Christian understood the sentiment. Knowing who his next target was might give them an edge, even if that person had already been kidnapped, because they’d know what to look for. At the same time, it was terrible to know that they might not make it in time.

Christian smiled wryly, allowing his head to fall back against Yuki’s shoulder, turning to press his lips gently against Yuki’s neck. “He’s chosen me,” he murmured, the words vibrating against Yuki’s throat. “He’s chosen me.”