Death Note: Blood Ties - 4. ASSASSINATION

Chapter 4: ASSASSINATION

Jack:

"I missed a meeting with Tony, is that what you're saying?" he narrowed his eyes, it looked like he knew I was playing dumb.

"Tony may have been slim, but he was a black belt in karate. I don't like the idea that someone like him was overpowered and murdered by a punk that still goes to school, either. Martinez is pretty desperate to find out if Tony was killed. They were good friends before he died."

"It's quite sad that Tony died but I'm telling you man, I had nothing to do with it. I saw Tony leave with his bag of drugs and the money I gave him." I pulled off my bag and unzipped it, I started fishing around with my hand for the death note. "And the reason I didn't make it to our meeting, I had my cousin's birthday party. I actually told Tony that on our last meeting, and to not bother meeting up that week cause I was going to see other sellers anyway." My hand closed around the death note in my bag.

"What are you doing?" Vincent demanded. I realised he was staring anxiously at my hidden arm, maybe he thought I might be concealing a weapon?

"Just getting my diary." I told him.

"You have a diary that you bring to school?"

"It's a school diary. It has dates on it that I use to record due days on assignments and homework. I also put down meetings I had with Tony in here. I always wrote 'library' and then the time I was meeting him next to it, in case anyone saw."

I pulled a pen out of my pencil case while my arm was still hidden. Vincent didn't say anything but kept watching me cautiously. I pulled out the death note and flicked through to the page I used last. Making sure Vincent didn't see that none of the pages had dates on it, I went to the space directly below where I'd written Tony's name a week ago.

I tried to fight back the grin that was trying to break free on my face "I'd still like to buy from Martinez, even if I'd be buying from someone other than Tony. The same time next week would be cool. I'll just pencil it in for next Wednesday, if that's okay with you?"

I wrote in the notebook: 'Vincent Lawry'.

"Why does your school diary have 'Death Note' written on it?" In my attempt to keep Vincent from seeing the pages he'd been staring at the cover instead. I allowed the grin to spread across my face.

"I didn't buy it from school, I bought it in a book store cause I thought it looked cool. It's still a diary."

He stared searchingly into my face. He didn't understand the sudden manic look of anticipation on it. I realised I probably looked like a killer now more than ever.

"Say, Vincent?" I asked and his eyes narrowed at the smug tone of my voice. "Do you know what the time is?"

I didn't keep a watch on me but I could see a rather expensive-looking one on the wrist of Vincent's left hand. He paused for a moment but then looked at his watch.

"3:04."

My eyes were wide as I tried to see any sign of an oncoming heart attack on Vincent's face. If I were nice I would've at least wrote 'dies painlessly' as the cause of death, but I didn't give a shit.

Surely at any moment now, Vincent would drop dead. "I've got an idea of how we can both leave here satisfied."

My eyes widened again but not in anticipation this time. Vincent spoke "You are after all just a kid, even if you're big for your age. I really don't think you could've killed someone like Tony by forcing him to overdose on drugs. He always seemed against using them, but I guess you never know anyone completely except for yourself. If you show me where you've written down 'birthday party' instead of 'library' on the day you didn't go to meet with Tony I'll tell Martinez it wasn't you who killed him. I don't think anyone could act as well as you did when I said you were suspected for killing one of our sellers. I also don't think you would have written 'birthday party' anticipating this conversation. If I can see that written down on the proper date I'll let you go, otherwise you're going to have to come with me for a little while, I'll take you to Martinez so he can talk to you. My car is parked a few streets ahead. So can I see that diary?"

"What's the time?"

"Pardon?"

"What's the time!" I yelled, staring at Vincent's name on the death note. He looked a little offended at how I'd yelled at him.

"You asked only a minute ago and I told you."

"What is the time now." I said. Vincent looked at his watch again.

"Now it's 3:05. Are you playing games with me, kid?" he looked impatient.

"Is 'Vincent Lowry' your real name?"

He looked surprised, his confusion growing as he examined my twitchy behaviour.

"Vincent Lowery is my real name." he said again. It was subtle, but there was a vowel sound after the 'w' I hadn't picked up on before. That was all it was, I had forgotten the 'e' after the 'w' in his name. I sighed with relief.

"What the hell's the matter with you?" he pressed. I moved my pen to the death note but stopped when I thought of something.

"Actually," my voice was different. "I'd like to meet Martinez. I think it's best I be there to clear up the confusion, man-to-man. I just got to drop my bag at my house and leave a note for when my parents get home."

"Then you won't mind if I drive you home in case you decide to disappear on me?"

"That won't be a problem at all." I smiled as I started walking again and Vincent followed.

If Vincent were to die with me it would make me look even guiltier to Martinez. What I needed to do was see Gallu when I got home, I needed to ask him a few things. Also, I needed to make the eye deal. It was the only way to find out the name of Martinez when I saw him as well as all his other workers.

I needed to make sure that all of them died, after that no one would investigate me about Tony's death anymore. I wasn't happy that I'd have to give up half my remaining life but at least if I got those eyes I could kill anyone at any time. The next person to die would be the last owner of the death note. After that, I would make a plan to get me as much money as possible so I could live the remainder of my half-life peaceful and happy.

We walked to Vincent's car, it was maroon and unattractive. I hopped into the passenger's side and put my bag in my lap. I put the death note in my bag but put the pen in my pocket. Vincent opened his door and sat in the driver's seat. I told him where I lived and Vincent didn't seem to suspect that I'd run away, probably cause he assumed that if he knew where I lived I'd have to go back there eventually.

We drove mostly in silence. Vincent had asked if my parents knew I smoked. I told him hell no. It wasn't a far drive from the bus stop to my house. When I got out I realised that if Gallu wasn't home I'd have to kill Vincent and then wait for another one of Martinez's workers to take me to him, although I hoped that it wouldn't come to that. "I need to take a piss so I'll be a little longer."

"Leave the front door unlocked. If you take longer than five minutes I'm coming inside and waiting for you there." Vincent told me. I just nodded and got out, heading inside. When I walked in I could hear the television going quietly even though there was no one home.

"Oh hello Jack, you're home early." Gallu appeared around the corner.

"Only a bit, but I have something important to talk to you about. I want to make the deal."

Gallu looked surprised, his eyes and mouth opening wider being the only sign "Really? What changed your mind? I thought you were only going to make the deal if it was your last option and you absolutely had to? Is it because of that previous owner?"

"It's not him but it is my last option. I killed a drug dealer with the death note and that dealer's boss thinks it was me. Someone's taking me to see him now so I need to know his name so I can end this once and for all." Gallu's features twisted upwards in an unmistakable smile.

"How interesting. I'll definitely be coming with you, I wouldn't miss this for all the TV in the world!'

"First the deal. You said it would be painless, right?"

"Of course, but you will feel something weird. Just stand still for a few seconds and you'll have the same eyes as every other Shinigami."

My heart hammered in my chest. Gallu reached out with his long scaly arm and placed his hand over my eyes. A second passed. Gallu moved his arm away. Everything looked the same to me.

"I didn't feel anything, Gallu are you sure it worked?"

Gallu was looking at me strangely "How very unfortunate."

"What? What is it?" I demanded impatiently. Gallu tilted his head curiously.

"I can't do the deal with you."

"Why not?" I said angrily.

"Because you are not the owner of the death note. The owner is that other boy you wanted to kill. There's a rule that says if you lend the death note to someone they can make the eye deal even if they don't own the death note, but it wasn't lent to you, you stole it. That means I shouldn't even be here now, I should be with the other boy. Shame too, I was just starting to like you, Jack."

"That's bullshit!" I snarled. "He threw the death note away! He gave up ownership!"

"There are only three ways that the ownership of that death note can be changed to you. First way, if that boy fails to retrieve the death note from you in 490 days it will become yours."

"That's in over a year! What's the second way?" I demanded.

"The second way is to get him to relinquish his ownership of the death note to you."

I scowled "Stop messing with me, Gallu! If I did that I'd have to tell him I have the death note and say something like 'can you pretty please say that it's mine now?' It's not going to fucking work! What's the last way?"

"The third way," Gallu laughed. "Is to kill him."

My eyes widened "If I killed him the death note would be mine, and then I'd be able to make the Shinigami eye deal?"

"If that boy dies the ownership will be passed to whoever is holding the death note at the time, yes. Also, another interesting thing I should tell you that you probably don't know: since you don't actually own the death note if you were to give it to someone else or lose possession of it for even just a moment, all of your memories of you using the notebook will disappear until you come back into contact with the death note." Gallu laughed again.

My eyes widened in realization. I remembered Vincent asking if he could read what I'd written in it. Even if it'd been for a split second, if he'd taken the notebook off me I would forget that I had a way to kill the dealers after me. I would have probably tried to run from him right there and then.

In fact, I would have forgotten that I'd even killed Tony to begin with.

"So what are you going to do now?" Gallu asked me. I walked to the living room and slouched down on an armchair. I picked up the remote next to me and flicked the TV off.

Vincent would be walking in here soon to see what was taking me so long. If I tried to run out the back and go to school, where I could try to find out what that boy's name was I could kill him then come back. It would take too long to get back to school, especially without the bus. Vincent would catch me if I was running because he's got a car.

Even if I killed the last owner and found Vincent again how could I explain bailing? I couldn't. He wouldn't trust me anymore. I had to kill Vincent first. Originally I was gonna ask Gallu if pages torn from the notebook would still work to see if I could use it to make Vincent kill Martinez and everyone working for him.

That wouldn't work now, in the rules of the death note it says that if I write a cause of death that results in the deaths of others whose names aren't written in the notebook the person will simply die of a heart attack. I didn't want Vincent to die while he was parked in my driveway. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my mobile.

I went to the bathroom and locked the door. If Vincent walked in and saw me on the phone he might think I was calling the police. In fact I was calling someone very different. I looked up my contacts list until I found Emma. I pressed the 'call' button and waited while it rang.

Gallu's head passed through the door as he looked in and watched me on the phone. I'd have to talk to him about privacy later.

"Hello?" It was Emma's voice.

"Emma, it's me." I replied. She should have my name under caller ID.

"Oh right, hey Jack. What's up?"

I tried to hide the urgency in my voice "Are you at home right now?" I asked her.

"No, why?"

"So you don't have your school photos on you?" I asked, getting annoyed.

"Of course not."

"There's a boy at our school, in our year. He has black hair and wears these thick black glasses. What's his name?"

"I know him, he's in my Maths class. Why is he so important?"

"I need you to tell me his name." I said firmly. She paused on the other end of the line. Emma never made anything easy. "Ethan something. I don't talk to him much."

"What is his last name?" I asked urgently.

"I don't know. What's going on? You're acting different."

"I'm fine. Just tell me where you are."

"I'm driving. I'll be home in fifteen minutes."

I cursed. "I need you to do something for me. When you get home can you please find out his name and then text me it straight away? Make sure you spell it right. I'll explain everything to you later, I promise."

"Jack if you don't tell me what's going on right now, I swear-"

"See you in school." Then I hung up.

I didn't have anyone else's number from school so Emma was all I had. I still wasn't sure I could depend on her. I couldn't get her to do things for me even when it wasn't important. So what will she do now? I was partly surprised she didn't call back to yell at me for how I talked to her. I hoped she would do as I asked. Swearing loudly I threw my phone at the ground. Being an old Nokia, I knew it'd be fine.

I started leaning with both of my hands on the sink and looked up at my reflection. Under my shaved head my dark eyes seethed in a ring of purplish skin. Somehow I had to kill Martinez and his other workers without knowing their names. Unless Emma got back to me with Ethan's full name. Then I could kill him, become the owner of the death note, make the deal with Gallu and then kill everyone I see with the torn off page of the death note I'd keep with my pen in my pocket.

Gallu's head disappeared through the door and then reappeared a moment later.

"Someone's in the house." he said. I closed my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose. Then I opened them again.

"Listen close, Gallu. I have a plan and I need you to do exactly as I say in order for it to work."

Vincent:

I reached out and took the death note. Instantly I noticed Jack's face become blank, and then frightened.

"Thank you for giving me this." I told him in a calm, measured voice. "I will leave you alone now. I'm well aware that a school student like you couldn't possibly have killed Tony."

Jack still stared at me worriedly "Okay... Thanks."

I nodded and then left him.

I closed the door behind me and walked towards my car. A red demon creature with bat wings landed next to me. For some reason this didn't frighten me in the slightest.

"Are you the Shinigami of this notebook?" I asked and he laughed.

"Yes I am. My name's Gallu," the creature replied. "I don't know if this little plan of Jack's will work or not, but I'm going to stick around and see what happens."

"Very well." I said and then opened my car door. I turned the key in the ignition and drove off, Gallu flying above me. The death note was on the seat beside me as I drove, feeling like I was inside a dream. I stared at it. Jack had explained everything to me in great detail, and I would obey all of his instructions. The car drove off into the evening sun.

Two hours later I was in a town called Warwick. It was dark, I parked my car on the street by an old house. I undid my seat-belt and opened my car door. I put on my brown leather jacket to keep out the cold, and concealed the death note inside.

I closed the door and locked the car. I walked up the footpath past a white ute and up the driveway of the house. There was noise coming from inside. I opened the door and saw Donald and the boys playing cards on a small table.

"Hey Donnie." Donald was a nice guy, it was a real shame that I had to kill him.

"Hey Vince. What the hell are you doing here? I thought the boss told you to pick up some kid?" I looked around. I didn't know who would be in charge of staying here for the night to guard the supply. I knew Donald's full name but he had three other people here, against the boss's wishes probably, to play cards with.

I only vaguely recalled some of their names.

"No, turns out the kid's innocent. Had an alibi, he didn't seem the killer type, either."

"Well you're going to have to explain that one to the boss, he's pretty sure that someone got Tony, so he's out for blood."

"Yes, but before we go any further, I should introduce myself to your friends. My name is Vincent Lawery. Lawery is Scottish. My friends just call me Vince."

I shook each of their hands and got their full name, faking my sudden interest in heritage. I then excused myself and headed for the bathroom. Once inside I took the death note out from under my jacket and the expensive looking pen I used for letter writing.

Eric Donald. Cause of death: Car Accident. Circumstances of Death: Decides to go joyriding with friends along the streets of Warwick. After one hour of driving he and all of his passengers die from colliding at high speed with a large tree.

James Burnley. Cause of death: Car Accident.

Samuel Evans. Cause of death: Car Accident.

Michel Stone. Cause of death: Car Accident.

I heard wicked laughter from behind me and didn't need to turn around to know it was Gallu that was reading over my shoulder. Jack had told me to try not to be too specific with the death note in case I made a mistake. He also said that if someone's death would cause more people to die whose names weren't in the notebook that person would simply die of a heart attack, so I had figured out the names of Donnie's friends. Now all I have to do is wait forty seconds and then my real mission will begin.