A Year of Jubilee [The Death Note Fanfic]

Chapter 59

Inside of Sakura TV station, shouts and screaming punctuated the suddenly smoke-filled air. A chunk of the ceiling had been blown out, and dust and debris showered the air.

"Get Miss Takada out of the building," Aiber immediately ordered the rest of the bodyguards, then raised his voice to everyone else, "Everyone evacuate!"

He didn't need to say it twice. Everyone in the station began streaming towards the exits. Aiber stayed close on the heels of the other bodyguards who were now flanking Kiyomi Takada and ushering her out. The bodyguard at the rear, just ahead of Aiber, was a lean man who was a head shorter than him. Aiber reached out and chopped him right at a vital nerve below the neck. The man went down with hardly a sound. No one noticed amidst all the shouting and running—except for Mello, who was jogging a few feet behind Aiber and overlooking everything with watchful eyes.

Aiber didn't pay attention to him, instead running ahead to take out one more rear bodyguard, before catching up with the others. Bursting out of the exit and onto the street, they were met with a cacophony of noise—gunfire and more screaming, this time from civilians. Yakuza gang members were just outside, causing a commotion and general panic.

"You two," Aiber addressed the remaining bodyguards. "Watch our backs. I'll get Miss Takada to the car."

"Where are Hikari and Kyo?" asked one of them, even as he obediently drew his gun.

Mello came running up behind them, wearing an appropriately distressed look. "They got taken out by the explosion!" he panted, pointing back at the station. "I saw their bodies in the debris."

The two other bodyguards, seemingly satisfied by this, turned to face the Yakuza. Aiber started to usher Takada, who was pale with fear, towards the car on the curb.

"Stop! Police!" shouted a voice in the crowd.

Aiber and Mello exchanged a brief glance of concern—the police should not have arrived on the scene for another five or ten minutes—before turning, as one, to look.

There, at the forefront of the crowd and facing the Yakuza with a gun in his hands, was former Chief of Police, Soichiro Yagami.

"Crap," said Aiber under his breath.

Mello glanced at him sharply, his shrewd eyes taking in the look of recognition and concern on Aiber's face. He opened his mouth to say something, but then another gunshot rang out.

Soichiro went down, clutching his side.

Aiber swore and drew his own gun. At that moment Mello came to his side.

"Go take care of him, if he's important," he said. "I'll take Takada."

Aiber looked at him, quickly weighing options, before nodding. He grasped Takada by the arm. "Go with him," he told her, gesturing toward Mello. He fished his car keys out of his pocket and tossed them to the boy.

Takada, too panicked to argue, nodded. Mello came forward quickly and took her gently by the arm. "Come on, Miss Takada," he told her. "I'll get you out of here." He began leading her to the car.

"You can drive?" she asked, her voice a little squeak as she went with him.

"Yes," he said shortly. "Don't worry."

Takada nodded again as she got into the passenger seat, her entire frame trembling. Mello got in beside her, starting the car.

"I'll take you somewhere safe," he promised, and began to drive.

~*~

Jubilee was anxiously biting her nails as she stared at her laptop. Onscreen were two livestream videos; one of the vacant interior of a box truck, and the other of the driver's seat, currently empty.