InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Chain Of Letters ❯ Death of Larkin West ( Chapter 1 )

Dear Warde,

If you are reading this now, then please sit…and brace yourself for the worst. If you are reading this letter then word to a local postal office in Tokyo Japan has been confirmed that I am dead. Consider this no sick joke, or prank, but simply the truth. I had it arranged, that in case of an unfortunate event striking, one that would end my life, these letters I have been writing to you for years would finally be forwarded to your address, one letter a week.

You are the only one I can confide in, and now that I am dead, you alone will know that I did not die living a small and mediocre work as a construction worker, as I had told you before, but as a man who lived an exciting life…a sinful, dangerous, and exciting life.

From the moment our eyes met, I knew you were the person I would send these letters to. Seeing as we don't know each other very well yet, I shall remain business like. What you choose to do with these letters is of no concern to me…it is just my wish that you read them, so that someone other than my three companions know of me…someone with innocent and clean hands…

An assassin's job is his or her life. They must be in character every waking and sleeping moment. There's no coffee break or no closing time. They must always be on the job. Only when the target is dead may they even think of something else besides the target. As an assassin they must feel no emotion. No sadness to those you kill, no guilt if your victims are women and children, no happiness, no anger, no compassion, no mercy…no love. Not even love for being an assassin. And so I was devoid of it all. As an assassin I had cast out any human and demon parts and became nothing. I killed when I was told and did it quickly, cleanly, and most importantly…I did it with no regrets. At first.

**_**

"NOW!"

"No…No you can't! I won't let this happen-"

"Do it Inuyasha! DO IT!"

"Please! I beg you!"

"KILL HIM!"

"NO!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and pressed the `A' button, causing his video game character to shoot his gun and kill the other character that stood in front of him. The screen was then promptly splattered with blood and dripped down to form the words GAME OVER. PLAYER 1 IS THE WINNER. He smiled and dropped the game control, leaning back against his couch.

"Pay up, bitches," he said with a sigh, putting his feet on the coffee table and looking at his friends. Both of them groaned and dug into their pockets. Each pulled out a crisp $50 bill.

"Oh my god," Inuyasha said as he shot up out of the couch and looked around frantically. "Do you hear it?"

The two males looked up, confusion in their faces. "What?" they both said at the same time.

"That sound…that sound!" Inuyasha was hysterical as he turned around, looking for the source that his friends could not here. He looked down on the table where is money was and sighed in relief. "Oh never mind. It was just the sound of me kicking your asses…again."

"Fuck you, it's your game. You practice." Said the one closest to him. He had a diamond drop earring and a small gold nose ring. With broad shoulders and tanned skin, he was very handsome. His hair was cut very short and the brown color nearly matched his skin tone. His deep blue eyes blazed with annoyance.

"Koji's such a sore loser," the other said. "You kicked my ass fair and square…but your still a pussy."

"Shut up Lee," Inuyasha said as he picked up the money and stuffed it in his pocket. Lee was American, who sometimes spoke Japanese badly just to screw with people. He had the body of a professional athlete, purposely wearing tight shirts that showed his muscle flexing. He laughed, flashing white teeth, and shook his head. Lee's hair was black and short like Koji's but his skin was lighter. He wore no jewelry except for a plain gold chain that had a pendant in the shape of a knife. His dark brown eyes easily showed his emotions.

"Where the fuck's Larkin?" Inuyasha asked as he nudged his Xbox with his foot and turned it off.

"Said he had to take a piss," Lee said and leaned back on his chair. "Inu I bet you 50 dollars he'll put the seat down when he's done."

Inuyasha looked to Koji who smiled and nodded. "And I you bet 50 he'll wash his hands, come out with the towel and throw it down on the couch…and then he'll pick it up and throw it over his shoulder and apologize."

"Your bullshitting!" Inuyasha smirked. "Both of you. You're on."

They heard a flush from the bathroom and the creak of the door opening. Larkin came out with a towel, drying his wet hands. He had thin-wired glasses perched on his nose, with bright green eyes. Half American and half Japanese, he was exactly 5'9''. His hair was a jet-black color and spiky, and he spoke with an English accent that was starting to fade away. He stood behind the couch and smiled.

"Sorry," he said, finishing drying his hands and draping the towel over Inuyasha's couch. He then quickly flinched and picked it back up, throwing it over his left shoulder. "Sorry," he said again. "Wife hates it when I do that. Also hates it when I leave the seat up."

"YES!" Lee and Koji high-fived.

"FUCK!" Inuyasha cried and kicked his coffee table. "You little bitches always do this shit," he pulled out his freshly made 100 dollars and gave them 50 each.

Larkin looked confused until he saw the money, and shook his head. "They went to England with me to get Sandra and I settled in, of course they know me." He said and glared at Inuyasha. "Not that YOU would know about helping out a friend."

"Whoa!" Inuyasha looked to his wristwatch. "Look at the fucking time! It's time for me to--" he turned and ran.

Larkin rolled his eyes and the other two laughed as Inuyasha stopped short at his personal bar and pulled out a glass of vodka and four shot glasses. He brought them back over and laid them out, filling each shot glass and passing it around. They each took one and lifted it.

"To K.I.L.L! We'll still be friends after I leave," Larkin started.

"To Larkin and his new wife!" Koji said

"To me for getting my money back!" Lee added.

"Fuck all three of you!" Inuyasha finished.

They drank and slammed the glass on the table, in Larkin's case the head of the couch, and made an "Ahh" sound, each contorting their faces.

"That's good," Koji said and shook his head. "Very strong."

"Yeah well only the best for our traitor here," Inuyasha said and reclaimed his seat next to Koji. "Leaving Naraku and starting his `new life'" he filled his small glass again.

"It's time I start an honest life," Larkin said and passed his glass for a refill. "Wash the blood off my hands."

"They'll never be clean," Lee said and shook his head when offered a refill. He looked to Larkin "Once a killer, always a killer."

"But we can try," Koji said, paused to gulp down more vodka, and shook as it slid down his throat. "Ahh, that is good. But we can try to hide what we've done…make up for our sins."

Inuyasha looked around and noticed that they were all slipping into a heavy silence. He smiled. "Hey now! Let's not get all down about this." He said. "You two act as if you want to leave too," he eyed Koji and Lee.

"You should," Larkin said and put the towel on the couch again. "You can't get close to someone this way…never know who you'll have to kill next." He whispered. "Might be your uncle, your best friends," he looked to his pals.

"Your wife," he said very quietly.

"Hey now," Inuyasha said, concerned.

"Let's just drop it," Lee said and looked to his own wristwatch. "We better move or we'll be late."

The rest followed suit and looked at their own watches, their eyes popping out.

"Shit," Inuyasha said and continued to stare as he took his last shot. "Let's go,"

They got up and grabbed their coats, leaving Inuyasha's flat and heading out towards the noisy streets of Japan below.

XXX

This was an outrage. It was like a slap in the face. No one touched Naraku. No one. Only fools tried to cross him, and he rarely ran into any fools. If one so dared as laid a finger on him, they'd be dead before they hit the ground.

Naraku was God.

Touching God with dirty fingers was like touching fire. You'd be burned alive. Though to him, not all touches came in the form of physical contact.

"You want to leave?" He asked. His fingers were entwined on his desk as he looked at his worker.

The man, Larkin was his real name, nodded and then said "Yes sir."

"Hatchet," he said carefully, using the man's code name. "Why?"

Larkin blinked. Naraku knew he just got nervous. "I recently got married sir. I figured I'd put this place behind me and start a new life. You haven't summoned K.I.L.L in over nine months sir. I assume my services aren't needed as much-"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Naraku said and leaned back in his leather chair. "You are always supposed to be ready when I call you. You never know when. You are a worker, my worker. I have a problem if one of my workers refuse to do the tasks assigned to them."

Lark balled his left fist and quickly placed it in his pocket. "With all due respect sir-"

"Will you be living in Japan?" asked Naraku. He sat up and snapped his fingers. A girl sitting on a small stool in the corner jumped to attention and brought him a short stack of files.

"No," Larkin said. "Another reason why I'm leaving. We're moving out of the country."

Naraku took a pen and a pad of paper. "Where?" he asked.

"Germany," Larkin said automatically. Naraku narrowed his eyes. That answer had sounded practiced. He wrote the word down on a pad of paper and nodded.

"Where is your wife now?"

"Berlin, setting up the house."

He jotted that down also and gave the pad to the young woman. Once he snapped, she ran and sat back down on the stool. "Are you sure this is what you want Hatchet?"

"Larkin sir," he corrected. "Larkin West, and yes…I'd like to bury the hatchet if you will," he said with a bit of a nervous smile.

"Quaint." Naraku said in response to his joke and wrote out a note on another paper pad. He tore off the paper and held it out. "Take this, and leave."

Larkin hesitated.

"Take it," he snapped. "I have no time for you any longer,"

The man walked up to the desk and took the paper, reading it quickly.

"It's a code for payroll. Give it to the guard downstairs and he'll setup a wire to your bank account. Send the rest up when you leave and don't ever set foot in this building again."

"Thank you sir," Larkin said and tucked the paper in his pocket. "Goodbye."

After he left, Naraku turned to the girl. "Find out if his story is true. I want to know exactly where he's going and whom he's with. If you find even one little white lie, kill him."

"I already have," The girl said. "It was in his accent. We train all members to be able to copy accents perfectly…but stay in a country too long and you pick it up without realizing. His German accent was nearly flawless, but in some words he stressed the wrong way, he almost sounded British. It didn't sound right. If there is a wife, she's not in Berlin."

Naraku looked back to his papers. "Make the call," he said. "Trace him first, make sure he's in no contact with clean police. Then kill him and have his files burned."

"Right away sir,"

Lying…he despised lying.

Lying to God was like slapping him in the face…

And no one touched Naraku.

XXX

"So that's it?" Inuyasha asked as they all sat down in the restaurant. "He just gave you your pay and let you leave?"

"I'm never supposed to step foot in the building again," Larkin said with a laugh. "Sounds good to me."

Lee smirked. "I'm happy for you. You've got someone now. May you and Sandra have the best."

"Hear hear!" Koji said and put his arm around Larkin and looked over at a nearby waiter. "Bring us your finest Champagne! My buddy here is paying!" Larkin choked on the water he was drinking, and spit it out on the table, his glasses slipping off.

"I'm WHAT?" Larkin said, quickly sliding his glasses back to the crook of his nose.

Inuyasha smiled "You have to give us a proper send off party," his smile grew wicked. "With strippers,"

"Rubbish! You're supposed to send ME off properly," he said and pushed Koji's arm off him. "Waiter! Cancel that-"

Koji's hand went over Larkin's mouth. "Bring us four orders of lobster too! The biggest suckers you guys got!"

Larkin nearly fainted.

Lee laughed, draping his arm over the back of his chair. "How else are you supposed to remember us? We can't give you a stripper," He gave Inuyasha a look, which made the man pout, "Sandra would make you pee out our ass,"

Inuyasha laughed. "She's that feisty?" he asked.

"No," Larkin said, with a fond smile. "She's as gentle as a kitten…but she loves me…and I couldn't stand lying to her the first time, so I swore I'd never tell a lie again."

The rest nodded in understanding. There was a code to follow when you were a murderer, some of the hardest rules anyone could ever be faced with.

"I can never forget you three," Larkin said seriously. " You're all family. So that better mean your asses will be on a plane when the baby is born,"

"You're expecting already?" Inuyasha asked, surprised.

Lee slapped him in the back of his head. "You'd know she's two weeks if you came along with us,"

"I had shit to do!" he cried. "Booty calls to make! Women to please! Rent to fucking pay," he explained.

Larkin smiled. "Well we're ready. Eleven years of my life have passed with her and I finally made her all mine. I want a family," he said, and smiled more. "A bigger one. Uncle Koji, Lee, AND Inuyasha."

They all groaned.

"Shut up, you make us sound old," Inuyasha said as the waiter came with their drinks. He poured them all a glass and they did another toast.

"To-" Larkin began but was cut off.

"No more toasting to K.I.L.L…with you gone the word becomes incomplete." Inuyasha said.

The rest paused in a thoughtful silence.

This was really happening.

"To the four of us," Larkin started again. "Co-workers, best friends, and brothers."

"To the brothers!" Koji joined in.

"The brothers!" Lee agreed.

"Yeah," Inuyasha said with a fond smile. "Brothers."

XXX

The agonized scream broke the silence, as a bullet tore through bone and flesh.

"Larkin! He's hurt! He's bleeding!"

"Fuck! HELP HIM! LET'S GO!"

Inuyasha turned and started shooting, running the opposite way as the other three carried on ahead.

"FUCK! GET THE FUCK UP!"

That was Koji…

More shots came at the four, all of them missing and hitting nearby objects. A trashcan right by Inuyasha's leg exploded on impact with the bullet.

"BASTARDS!" Inuyasha looked up towards the roof and began shooting wildly. "COWARDS!" he shouted.

"Lee get him the fuck out of here!" Koji said and came by Inuyasha, his gun ready. He shot into the darkness of the alley while Inuyasha shot at the two rooftops.

Who?

"SHOW YOUR FUCKING FACES!" Inuyasha screamed as more bullets flew past them and into inanimate objects around them.

Where?

It was harder to shoot at night, but if you shot randomly in such a closed and dark alley you were bound to hit something.

Larkin had been the proof. His right hand was covered in blood.

There was a scream, loud and pained, from ahead of them and then the thud of two bodies hitting the floor.

"Lee!" Koji shouted.

"C'mon Lark, c'mon." Lee said as he struggled to get his friend to stand up. "Get up,"

"MY LEG!" Larkin was screaming. "They got my fucking leg!"

"LEE!" Koji screamed again and let out another round of bullets. Inuyasha had paused to change ammo. "Get him the FUCK out of here!"

"C'mon," Lee was whispering as the two tried to struggle to their feet. "Think of Sandra. Think of the baby, you want to live? Then get your ass up." His voice sounded calm, but the quickness in his words told of his nervousness.

Six more shots sounded off at the four.

Only three of them missed.

Inuyasha, who could barely see, screamed in agony as Koji fired back into the darkness.

"Inu!?"

"My shoulder," he said with a grimace and turned, trying to make out his other friends.

"Lets get the fuck out! MOVE!" he said and grabbed Koji as they turned and ran.

"Lee?" Koji yelled. "Where the fuck are you?"

No reply.

"LEE!" Koji shouted again, and suddenly he and Inuyasha went down, tripping over large objects.

Or people.

Koji forced himself up and looked around in the dark, eyes wildly scanning. He couldn't see shit!

"Larkin," Lee was whispering, and then he groaned.

Inuyasha used his good arm to push himself up and grabbed an arm, pulling it around his wounded shoulder. "C'mon," he said roughly. "Let's go,"

Koji felt around until he felt a wet…something. Not caring, he moved down until he felt a shoulder and then an arm. He grabbed it and pulled it across him, hefting the body on his back and getting up. He staggered under the weight but managed.

"AGH!" Lee cried in pain. Koji made out the other two getting to their feet. He knew he had Larkin, and that the others could manage.

"You're not giving up on me," Koji said heatedly as they slowly began moving towards the exit of the alley. There was a streetlight dully glowing up ahead. Shots were still firing behind them, but whoever was shooting was only aiming in one area.

Inuyasha was trying not to groan as he and Lee leaned on each other and limped their way out of the alley. The smell of blood was growing.

"Inuyasha," Koji called out.

"Fuck!" he cried out.

"Lee?"

"My lower leg, I think its-" his response was cut off by a groan of immense pain.

"Larkin?" Koji said.

Silence.

"God damnit, say something!" Koji's shoulders shook, trying to get the man on his back to respond.

"Sandra," he coughed out, blood spattering on the back of Koji's neck. "--love her,"

Koji nodded grimly. "You'll tell her that when you see her," he said.

They finally reached the street, all of them collapsing in the light of the lamp. The entire road was deserted, devoid of cars and people.

Their breathing was ragged and choked up, lungs on fire.

They had been leaving their favorite pub, finally ending their night of goodbye. They cut through the alley they usually took towards the street. It was narrow as hell, with absolutely no light, due to it being made of two unused buildings almost closed in on each other. Only a few trashcans were kept there.

Inuyasha had stopped first, picking up the distinctive sound of a gun being loaded. He pulled out his own gun, signaling his team with a short whistle.

The rest stopped dead in their tracks, their drunken talk halted.

Then the bullets went off.

It was from above! No from the way they had just came! No it had to be from the front! They were incased in noise, the darkness and stillness making everything echo. They ducked down, unable to know which direction was safe. The shooting was poor, the constant sound of bullets hitting the walls being heard.

Then Larkin had screamed.

It gave them away, letting their attackers know where to at least try to aim, so they all began shouting, Inuyasha moving back to shoot into the darkness behind them.

Now they studied their wounds, Inuyasha ripping off his shirt and looking at his shoulder. His entire left arm was covered in blood, the bullet lodged deep inside.

Lee's foot was also in a bloody mess, the skin of the back of his calf shot away, his torn muscle and broken bone bleeding too much. He would need an ambulance as soon as possible.

Koji, who was lucky, was only covered in sweat. The back of his neck dripped blood, but it was not his own. He was already on his cellular phone, giving the address to the police and ambulance.

Larkin laid face down in the street, having rolled over when Koji fell.

Koji threw his phone down, "There on their way," he said and got to his knees, moving over to the bloody mess that was Larkin. There was a dark circle on the back of his coat, and on closer inspection Koji realized it was an entry way from a bullet.

Frantic, he pushed Larkin onto his back and tore his shirt off in one strong motion. Larkin had been shot in the back, the bullet going right through his stomach. His breathing was off and shallow, with a slight gurgle sound to it. His right hand was covered in blood too, the gold wedding band on his finger, tainted.

He coughed harshly, and blood erupted from his mouth, sliding down his face. His eyes were wide and open, staring at the night sky. His glasses were long gone.

"Lark," Koji said and lightly tapped his friend's bloody cheek. "Stay with me, look at me. The ambulance is on its way,"

"Hatchet," Larkin coughed, took as gasp, and screwed his eyes. "I'm Hatchet,"

"Right. Hatchet, Larkin, whatever you want, just stay with us. Do it for Sandra buddy, do it for Sandra."

Larkin opened his eyes, a smile trying to form on his bloody lips. "San-" he coughed again, closing his mouth and shaking as his stomach bled profusely. Koji tore his jacket off him and pressed it to Larkin's chest, eyes bright with fear.

"Damnit don't you die on me!" he screamed. "Don't die on her!"

Lee had managed to crawl over with the help of Inuyasha. They fell next to Koji, faces grim.

Lee stared at them. His lips moved soundlessly.

"Shut up," Koji snapped, looked up for the ambulance, and looked down to his friend. The other two were holding their guns and aiming at the alley and nearby rooftops, making sure there was no second attack.

An eternity seemed to pass by in utter silence. The only noise that was heard was the constant shit of Koji, Lee, and Inuyasha, and the hard coughing of their dying friend.

"Kill me," Larkin managed to say, more blood spilling from his mouth.

Lee turned to look at him and scowled. "You're not dying."

Larkin coughed, his whole body shaking. "She.." he managed to speak out when his coughing fits subsided. "wouldn't want….pain…I…" he coughed again "die by the hands…of family…not…strangers," he sighed, the words being too much for him to speak.

Silence pressed on the other three as Larkin moved his eyes on each of their faces. "Please," he begged. He was crying, tears mixing with his own blood.

Lee ignored him, as Koji stared at him quietly. Inuyasha lowered his gun and looked at them both.

"He's in pain," Inuyasha said in a low voice.

"I don't give a fuck!" Lee shouted back. "He's going to live! People are on their way. Did anyone call Naraku?"

"I did," Koji said as Larkin began to cough again. He was struggling to breathe…he wasn't going to make it.

"Do it," Koji said finally. "Shoot him,"

Lee's eyes went wide with horror. "Just wait!" his face was terribly contorted due to his own pain. "Listen for the sirens! You'll hear them any minute." Lee tried to reason. "Help's on the way, he can make it!" he cried.

"Not with an internal wound like that," Inuyasha said and turned around, pressing his gun to Larkin's temple.

"Are you sure?" he asked. His hand was shaking terribly.

Larkin smiled. He made a single nod.

"DO IT!" Koji screamed.

"If I have to…"

"NOW!"

"No…No you can't! I won't let this happen-" Lee reached for the gun but Inuyasha shoved him away.

"Do it Inuyasha! DO IT!"

"Please! I beg you!"

"KILL HIM!"

"NO!"

A final shot rang off, echoing all around as Inuyasha pulled the trigger. Blood spattered in all directions, spraying each of them in a fine mist of the crimson stuff. Everything went quiet again.

Inuyasha threw the gun away from him, disgusted, and collapsed on Larkin's body, his hand making a tight fist.

Lee screamed, a different type of agony filling his body, as Koji sat back; releasing the pressure he had been placing on Larkin's stomach wound. He stared down at the paved street, and then looked to Larkin's face.

He had died with his eyes closed.

Inuyasha trembled, shaking with grief that couldn't form in the shape of tears.

They say if you die with your eyes open…you deserved it.

Lee's screaming died down and he turned away from the others, burying his hands in his face.

But with your eyes closed…you're innocent…and your judgment in the afterlife will be fair.

"We'll get them," Koji said after a long moment. "We'll find who did it and make them beg,"

Inuyasha looked up, his eyes burning with anger, the blood smeared on his face giving him a true demonic look. "I won't rest until they're dead," he said calmly.

Lee remained silent…

Sirens sounded off in the distance.

XXX

The hardest thing a man can ever do is end a life. Just like for a woman, the hardest thing to do is to deliver one.

Woman, the life giver.

Man, the life taker.

In a way we share a bond that is completely different. Holding something in your arms that you created, something that lives and breathes, is so overpowering that you cannot help but cry with happiness…

Holding something in your arms that you have destroyed…something that will never live and breathe again, is also overpowering…and will cause tears of a different kind. So as men, we must ignore the significance of life and death. We do not cry, we grow used to the awful power we have…for if we showed such emotion, if we showed guilt and remorse for a life we have taken, then we become dead ourselves.

And death is too good for a man who has killed.

To mothers everywhere, for ever life I have snatched away…I am deeply and terribly sorry.