Across Book 2

Chapter 9 : Origin : Kevin Cafaro

Location : Apartment 98 B, Hamburg Germany, 2018

Kevin pointed an arrow towards Celio who was not yet ready to just give up. Meanwhile, Vinsh was searching for an entrance to get into the apartment and save the hostages in the building. When Vinsh spotted the entrance to Apartment 98 B, Celio would fasten his legs to counter him from entering, indicating the very fact that Celio was trying to prevent anyone from entering.

'Celio has an incredible speed.' marked Vinsh, as he stopped to formulate a plan, poking his glasses into position.

Kevin counted his arrows on his quiver. It was less than twelve. He stretched his bow string, and took an aim.

Vinsh saw the arrow miss the target and hit the apartment instead. But what he also noticed was how fragile the buildings were. The arrow seemed to pierce through the building wall, cracking it and producing dust. He also noticed, since Kevin missed his target so many times, his arrows were lying scattered on the ground at random places.

Celio sped his legs up again. This time, fast enough to blow a punch on Kevin before he could reach out his hand to his quiver to pick the arrow. Vinsh tried to defend himself but he was no match for his speed either. Celio was the leader of his troupe for his dominant ability; his partners, Galen and Alioth didn't possess such vigorous speed as him. Hence, making it difficult to take him down. Celio at one point, had a thought that both Kevin and Vinsh could overpower him. But clearly after attacking them in a single takeout, Celio was more confident.

Vinsh forced himself to get up as soon as he was pushed back by Celio. He looked around again and then to Celio.

"What are you planning?" Kevin instantly asked.

"With Celio in front of us, there is no time to explain." Vinsh replied

"What do you need me to do?" Kevin asked, making himself a team player.

"How many arrows do you have left?"

"Around Ten. But there are a bunch of them lying around on the ground since they missed the target. I can work with that too."

"Good. Keep him occupied." Vinsh spoke in a low volume out of Celio's hearing range and retracted his path backwards. Vinsh kept running the back of the block, out of Celio's sight.

"Where is your partner off to? Did he give up?" Celio said, sounding ambitious about the battle.

"None of your business." Kevin spoke as rudely as he was questioned, "The battle just turned into a duel." Kevin picked his arrow and aimed straight without hesitation, his eyes fiercely taking over his will to fight, forgetting there are teenagers who were held hostage. Only Celio lied in front of him.

Vinsh went around the adjacent building, being careful not to be spotted by Celio. He had grabbed two of Kevin's arrows lying around the ground which had missed its target. Vinsh had one arrow in each hand, and his priority was the teenagers. But with Celio guarding the entrance it seemed impossible.

Sneaking around the adjacent building, he reached at the back entrance of Apartment 98 B. As expected the back entrance had been sealed off. Vinsh looked up the emergency staircase only to find it non-functional. As he expected, this place was abandoned. Vinsh had calculated the risk before. He hit the arrow on his right hand hard in the wall of the apartment. The arrow pierced through the wall, Vinsh did the same with the left arrow. Pushing himself up, he kept hanging with only one arrow until he took out the other one and hit it at a point above his reach. Alternatively he switched the arrows, he would stick the arrow deep in the walls of the building, then the other arrow at a point above it, climbing the apartment bit by bit. When he noticed that the arrows Kevin shot had hit the building and it left a crack in the walls, Vinsh had realised the walls had been weakened over time. Vinsh could have used the various ledges of the building to climb up instead of raising his body using the arrows, but with a building this old, he dared not to.