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He almost wanted to ignore the phone when it rang, but it was Hakkai's ring tone, so he picked it up. It could be important. It could be work, or something.
"Yeah?" he said gruffly into the receiver, because he sure as fuck wasn't going to sound pleased about being woken up in the middle of the night. A short, static silence on the other side. "Hey," he said, rubbing his eyes, "Hakkai?"
He thought he could hear a sharp in-drawn breath. Hakkai's voice sounded in his ear. "Gojyo, I'm sorry to call so late. Were you sleeping?" There's a short laugh before he can answer. "Of course you were. It's one fifty-six a.m."
Gojyo grunted in agreement. "Hey. So what's up? Sanzo call you?"
"No. I--" A cough. "I actually need a favor. Do you think you could give me a ride? I seem to have lost my car."
Maybe it was something about the way Hakkai phrased the request, the way his voice shook a little, or maybe it was just because he was asking, and it was 2 in the fucking morning, but Gojyo was suddenly a lot more alert. "Okay," he said, even as part of him told him he had no obligation to go out of his way for someone who'd only been his partner for all of two months. "Where are you?"
"East Burns Street, number 558."
Gojyo reached blindly for a pad in his drawer to write down the address."Just give me a minute to get dressed and I'll be there, kay?"
"Yes," Hakkai's voice was still soft on the other side. "Thank you."
It was a warehouse, and that should have been Gojyo's first clue. The parking lot was almost empty; there were only a handful of cars right near the entrance. He could see some light trickling through the crack of the huge metal door. He pulled out his phone and touched Hakkai's speed dial.
"Hey. I'm here. You wanna come out?"
"I think perhaps you should come in. And see." Hakkai sounded grim. Gojyo quickened his steps to the door.
He found two men on the ground right in front of the door, lying in a pool of what must have been their own blood. He stooped down to take a closer look, and wished he hadn't. Their throats had been slit, but that Gojyo'd seen before. It was the gouged-out eyes that made his stomach turn uncomfortably.
"Hakkai!" he called out, feeling a bit of panic set in, angry suddenly that he couldn't find Hakkai right now.
"Here." Hakkai's voice came from the room down the hallway. Gojyo ran.
Hakkai's eyes, Gojyo noted as he rushed toward him, were still in his head. They were completely fine, thank fuck. His hands, though, were covered in blood.
Shit.