The Ring of Water - Chris Bradford [52]
‘Why not surrender?’ suggested Hana, desperation cracking her voice as Ronin unsheathed his katana.
Ronin didn’t answer. He just passed Hana the bokken and nodded to Jack to draw his swords too.
‘But I’ve never used one of these!’ she exclaimed.
‘You’d better learn fast then,’ he replied.
The Scorpion Gang edged closer. Jack looked around for an escape route, but the stepping stones led only to the shrine and he knew that was a dead end. Returning to the riverbank offered no hope either. They might be able to fight off a few of their attackers, but inevitably they’d be overwhelmed.
Kazuki laughed cruelly at their plight. ‘Nowhere to run now, gaijin!’
Realizing the futility of putting up resistance, Jack sheathed his swords. If he was killed, he couldn’t warn Akiko of the danger she was in.
‘What are you doing?’ exclaimed Hana.
‘Get ready to jump!’ he replied, under his breath.
Hana looked over the edge of the waterfall at the seemingly bottomless drop. ‘Are you crazy?’
‘I’ve done it before and survived.’
‘From here?’ questioned Ronin, incredulous.
‘Not exactly,’ Jack admitted. ‘Halfway down.’
‘But I can’t swim!’ said Hana, her eyes darting in terror between the approaching mob and the perilous jump.
‘You can’t wield a sword either,’ reminded Jack as Raiden stepped within striking distance. ‘NOW JUMP!’
Jack grabbed Hana by the wrist and pulled her over with him. Ronin, shaking his head in disbelief at what he was about to do, leapt after them. Raiden’s sword sliced through the air, just missing his back.
They plunged downwards, Hana screaming all the way and Jack silently praying they wouldn’t hit the butai or crash on to the rocks below. The wind shrieked past their ears, the waterfall thundering around them. Suddenly they were engulfed by spray and a second later hit the water. The roar of the falls became a deep boom. The churning rock pool flipped and rolled them. Then the current snatched Jack, and Hana was ripped from his grasp as they crested the lip of the pool into the river. Just at the point he thought he’d drown, his head popped to the surface and he sucked in air with relief.
A cry alerted him to Hana, who flailed in the waters. She disappeared back under and Jack kicked hard in her direction. Hana bobbed up again, weaker this time. He desperately swam to her rescue, but the river swallowed her again. Diving under, Jack blindly sought the girl who’d once been just a thief to him and was now a friend. His fingers clasped a sodden kimono and he pulled Hana to the surface. She came up spluttering and choking.
The river became calmer, though the current no less strong. Jack let it bear them downstream, holding Hana’s head above the water. A moment later, he spotted Ronin swimming towards them. Then he heard a shout.
From the top of the falls, Kazuki stood screaming his revenge.
‘You cowardly dog! I’ll hunt you down, gaijin!’
32
BROKEN
The three fugitives kept up a brisk pace as they trekked south along a forest path and away from Kyoto. They had let the river take them out of the gorge and into the main valley, only dragging themselves from the waters when the current had eased. Ronin now took them on a circuitous route that avoided the main road and any settlements. Although their daring escape had given them a head start, they couldn’t risk slowing down or being spotted.
Jack took up the rear, using his ninja skills to ensure their tracks were covered, while Hana maintained a non-stop monologue.
‘I can’t believe we survived! Did you see Raiden’s face as we jumped? He looked more shocked than I was. You were awesome in the duel, Jack. I honestly thought you were beaten. But you tricked Araki! He was livid. Don’t you think the three of us make a great team? We got back your swords and your pearl! Shame about the gambler losing all your money, but I can always steal some more if you want. And I’m sorry I lost your staff, Jack. But I managed to keep hold of the bokken, Ronin! Do you want it back?’