InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Entrapment: A 21st Century Adventure ❯ Guts ( Chapter 7 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: King Baka 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Adventure / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 06.14.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 7.5K | Visits: 873 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Adventure / Action | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 06.14.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 7.5K | Visits: 873 | Status: Work In Progress
Disclaimer: I don’t own Inuyasha or any of the publicly known characters, plot, etc. I’m just renting them from Rumiko Takahashi, Viz, etc. I do own the plot of this story and any original characters I’ve created. I will make no money from this fic; I write for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of my readers.
Guts
Inuyasha paced back and forth across the floor, physically unable to remain still for more than a few seconds. His agitation had nothing to do with boredom. It was now morning, the day after Yoshida had departed vowing to ‘teach Kagome a lesson.’ And much to the hanyou’s anxiety, the mercenary had yet to return. Inuyasha wanted answers, and he wanted them now. The lackeys who stayed with him all evening had been entirely unhelpful in that regard. All he could do was keep repeating the same observation in his mind, that he had detected no deceit from Yoshida the day before when the latter promised not to kill Kagome.
That didn’t mean he trusted the mercenary, or was happy about the prospect of the miko being hurt. His youkai side had been simmering all night, as if waiting for the heat to be turned up. But Inuyasha felt reasonably in control; nothing short of the extreme would be able to wrench it from him.
Finally, after it seemed like half the morning had passed, Yoshida came strolling into the warehouse.
“Where the hell have you been?!” Inuyasha demanded vehemently. Yoshida seemed surprised by the outburst, but did not let it ruin his satisfied, carefree mood.
“Drinking and having a good time with some hookers. What’s it to ya?”
“What did you do to Kagome?!”
“Oh, right. I forgot about that,” Yoshida replied, grinning nastily. Inuyasha had to bite his tongue to remain quiet. ‘Forgot’ my ass! Bastard’s just fucking with me.
“Relax, hanyou,” the mercenary continued. “She’s fine. Let’s just say I made sure she got my point.”
Again, Inuyasha found comfort in the truthfulness he could sense in Yoshida’s scent, expression, and tone. Part of him wanted to know the extent of Kagome’s injuries, but another part thought he’d be better off in the dark. At any rate, he was fairly certain Yoshida wouldn’t tell him. He was more likely to get a straight answer out of Sasaki. So he let Yoshida go without further comment, watching as the mercenary disappeared into the back hallway. And finally, Inuyasha was able to settle down.
Sasaki arrived a half hour later, appearing not nearly as cool and collected as his more ruthless counterpart. He was not flustered or upset, per se, but it was clear that something was bothering him.
“Good morning, Inuyasha,” Sasaki greeted with some false cheer. “Today I’d like to perform a few experiments to determine the strength of your various senses.”
“First you answer a few questions,” the hanyou declared in no uncertain terms.
Sasaki sighed. “Don’t bother asking. Kagome is fine, just a few bumps and bruises.”
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes; Sasaki was telling him the truth, but not the whole truth. Still, pressing would probably get him nowhere, and might even alienate the only remotely reasonable person in this dump. It had been Sasaki who arranged the phone call yesterday, and Inuyasha hoped he would continue to advocate on their behalves in the future. Like, for example, right now.
“Let me talk to her.”
“That’s not going to happen, Inuyasha. I was barely able to keep Kagome in my house last night. Don’t push your luck.”
Inuyasha growled, but relented. He would lie low for awhile, and hoped Kagome would do the same.
“Next time you see Kagome,” he stated, “tell her I said not to try anything that stupid ever again.”
“I already told her you would say that,” Sasaki replied with a grimace. “I doubt she’ll listen this time either.”
Inuyasha exhaled exasperatedly. “Tell me about it.”
This wasn’t the first time Kagome refused to listen to him, and he sincerely hoped it wouldn’t be the last.
Then Yoshida had snarled a warning in her ear to not try to escape again, or he really would kill her. Finally, after a period of a few seconds which seemed to Kagome to stretch for hours, he released her, departing and slamming the door behind him as she coughed and sputtered. Unruly tears had flowed after that; it was several minutes before she could get herself back under control. It had all been so sudden and overwhelming. For awhile she had even considered giving up. She was sure no one would blame her for ceasing her efforts to gain her freedom in the face of such a potent—and very real—threat.
But it wasn’t just her own liberty she was fighting for. If me staying alive means Inuyasha has to spend the rest of his life in captivity, then I’d rather die trying to help him. She had spoken those very words to Sasaki, and meant them. Such single-minded determination was both a benefit and a curse of being in love, she mused. But she knew that if their situations were reversed, Inuyasha would act with the same reckless disregard for personal safety. In fact, he always exhibited that all-consuming drive when she was in danger. This time, he was counting on her, no matter how much he hated it. She would not let him down.
Still, some additional caution was in order for her third, and most likely final attempt. In hindsight, making that phone call had been too careless. But she’d had a very limited window in which to make a decision, and it had seemed like a good idea in the heat of the moment. Even her first attempt had failed because of a failure to plan for possible obstacles that could crop up, namely two vicious dogs. This time she would only move if she felt she had everything reasonably covered. The dogs were just one issue she would have to deal with. The others were the locked window and door, and Yamazaki, who was probably still annoyed with her after Yoshida browbeat him yesterday. She hoped that was it; Sasaki was away for the day, and she couldn’t think of anything else that could stop her. She didn’t know whether Yoshida had sent in additional security, and there was probably no way to find out. But from the way the mercenary had been yelling at his lackey yesterday, she guessed Yamazaki was still the only one on the job. It had sounded like a ‘get your head out of your ass’ speech, rather than a ‘you’re incompetent and I don’t trust you.’ Besides, the rest of Yoshida’s ‘employees’ probably had their hands full watching Inuyasha, who would obviously require multiple armed individuals guarding him at any given time.
So there was reason for optimism. Kagome thought she had fleshed out all the barriers to her escape; now she just needed to find a way past them. The locked exits and Yamazaki were related issues, since he possessed the only keys. But how to get those keys? He wasn’t going to just hand them to her, no matter how nicely she asked. Even if she asked very nicely. Kagome chuckled dryly as a rogue thought occurred to her. He’d probably at least lie and say he’d give me the keys if I offered myself to him. Pervert. She couldn’t get away from them, could she? But Miroku was a hundred times more pleasant than Yamazaki; at least the monk seemed to respect women. When he wasn’t groping them, of course.
At any rate, she was most certainly not about to give her virginity to that sleazebag Yamazaki. Even if she could guarantee that she really would get the keys afterward, the very thought was repulsive. That was probably the one avenue of escape that she could never go through with. She already knew who she wanted her first time to be with. And even if Inuyasha didn’t have true romantic feelings for her, he would still never forgive her for it. Or himself for letting her get into such a desperate situation in the first place. So that was definitely out, but now that she thought about it…
Kagome gasped, an absurd, brilliantly ridiculous idea forming in her mind. What if she did the pretending? Surely Yamazaki would let his guard down if she made him an offer that was too good to refuse. And if his guard was down, then he’d be vulnerable to a surprise attack. If she could incapacitate him, the way would be open. And the dogs…she would deal with them somehow. Their aversion to her miko energy gave her a good amount of confidence. Bottom line: if she got by Yamazaki, she wouldn’t let two dumb animals beat her.
So she had a plan, but it seemed so outlandish that she continued brainstorming for other options over the next half hour. She came up with none; as far as she could gather, there was no other way to get the keys and put Yamazaki out of action. He was too quick for an ambush at the door, and even if she somehow managed to surreptitiously swipe the keys when he brought her lunch, he would surely notice their absence when he went to lock her in again. She couldn’t jump out the window; if she made a break for it while Yamazaki was conscious, he would surely catch her.
But could she really go through with this? It was so bizarre, and she had definitely never tried anything like it before. She typically preferred to avoid playing with fire, especially when that flame came in the form of a licentious, volatile young man. Still, she could not escape reality; this was the only way. She had spent all of last night, and countless hours over the past week futilely trying to come up with viable strategies for gaining her freedom. She could spend a hundred more hours conjuring up designs, and none would likely have a greater probability of success than the idea she was currently entertaining. Ultimately, she had her course of action, as reluctant as she was to actually implement it. She had the intelligence to pull it off, and she thought she had the charm. The real question was this—did she have the guts?
Kagome set her jaw. Yes. Hell yes! How many youkai had she faced down in the past? How many traumatic experiences had she lived through? She was no longer a scared, naïve little girl. This was no less dangerous than battling youkai in the feudal era, where a wrong step could mean instant death. The stakes here were the same, yet slightly different. For if she failed, Yamazaki might decide to take what he thought her deception entitled him to. That seemed like a fate worse than death, but again, she was willing to risk it, for Inuyasha. She had to have faith in herself, and conviction that what she was doing was necessary. Fortunately, Kagome had both in ample supply.
Sitting up, the miko swung her legs off the bed and stood, still not quite believing what she was going to do. She probably had an hour or so to prepare, enough time if she moved with no hesitation. Glancing around the room, she set to her first task, quickly locating a suitable object. The large lamp on the bureau with the conically-shaped metal base fit well in her hands as it narrowed, enabling her to get a good grip. It was a perfect weight as well, allowing for a good balance of mass and speed. She unplugged it and set it inconspicuously on the nightstand. That done, the only remaining task was to make herself look as attractive as possible, something which could be quite a challenge considering the dark, swollen splotches of black and blue on her face and neck. Then again, when Yamazaki looked at her, his gaze was usually directed somewhere further south.
Kagome shed her clothing and stepped into the shower, desiring the pleasant odors of clean skin and shampoo. From living with an inu-hanyou she had learned the importance of scent, even subconsciously. And from her modern upbringing she understood the power of skimpy clothing. She went into the closet and slipped on the most revealing dress she could find, examining herself in the mirror. It was far more risqué than anything she would normally wear, both high on her thighs and fairly tight against her frame. But she knew what ‘hot’ looked like, and her body in this dress officially qualified. A fuller bust would complete the look, but her breasts weren’t about to grow substantially in the next few minutes.
Or were they? She had already decided to go all out, so what was stuffing a bra? The more of Yamazaki’s attention she could focus on her breasts, the more distracted he would be, and the less likely he would be to discover her trap before she sprung it. Grabbing a couple socks from the drawer, she set to work. It took some fine manipulation, but eventually she managed to arrange the padding so it looked both alluring and realistic. The difference was noticeable, but not so much that an observer would immediately assume her bust was unnaturally supplemented. It almost appeared that she had simply put on a very supportive push-up bra.
Next she applied a modest amount of makeup, highlighting her lips and lashes but stopping short of making her look like a whore. The finishing touches were attempting to cover up the bruises on her face and neck, which didn’t go as well as she hoped because the concealer in the makeup kit didn’t exactly match her skin tone. But she was at least able to mask the worst of the abnormal color, and with the way she was dressed, she didn’t think anything above her shoulders would be a deal-breaker.
Studying herself in the mirror once more, Kagome was satisfied with her appearance. There was no way Yamazaki was going to say ‘no,’ that was for sure. She sat on the bed, leaning forward with her hands on her knees, rocking back and forth anxiously. It was impossible not to fidget. For the past hour she had been in nonstop motion, but now that she was sitting and waiting for Yamazaki to show up, her mind rebelled against her. What would she say? How could she possibly pull this off? What the hell was I thinking? I don’t know how to flirt!
Kagome took a deep breath. It was only natural to second-guess at this point, but she stood by her decision. Still, her jitters weren’t going away. She could only hope that her nerves wouldn’t transfer to her voice, which needed to be smooth and sexy. She did know a little something about concealing her true emotions; unrequited love can do that to a person. Despite that assessment, thinking of Inuyasha brought a certain serenity to her frazzled mind and a smile to her lips. If I manage to pull this off and get out of here, Inuyasha is going to blow a gasket when—IF—he finds out about it.
That was fine; she could deal with an angry hanyou. What she couldn’t deal with was allowing him to sit in captivity any longer. Determination flowed through her in a cooling wave, relaxing tense muscles. She had come up with the best plan that she could; now she just had to execute it. But how? She couldn’t be too obvious or Yamazaki might suspect something. No, she had to act like a naïve, terrified teenager desperately searching for a savior. In other words, she needed to behave as though Yoshida’s beating yesterday had completely broken her spirit, and she was willing to do anything, anything to ensure her own survival. In reality, none of that was true, a fact which gave her great pride. She was, however, a virgin, and behaving like one would certainly enhance the believability of her ruse. She would be shy and scared on the outside, yet cool and cunning on the inside, a she-wolf in sacrificial lamb’s clothing. And Yamazaki would never know what hit him.
A few minutes later, Kagome heard the telltale sounds of a key manipulating the door lock, and took one final, calming breath. It was time.
“Here you go, princess,” Yamazaki muttered sardonically as he entered the room without knocking. “Lunch is…served…” He trailed off, freezing halfway between the door and the bed where she sat. His eyes were wide, taking in everything he could see, his mind conjuring up images of everything he could not. Confusion dominated his expression, but also great interest. He took in her scantly-clad form, her hands twisting nervously in her lap, and those gorgeous brown eyes, colored with defeat and practically begging for aid. The corner of his lips quirked up just slightly. It was not a coincidence that she had dolled herself up for his customary lunch visit. He thought he knew where this encounter would lead, and hoped he was right. But she was scared shitless, thanks to his boss. He could see it in her entire demeanor; she had no fight left. With a girl like that, you had to play it cool, or risk frightening her off. It was a cat and mouse game, one which he excelled at. And what a sweet little mouse she is.
“I’m…really not hungry,” Kagome said quietly, timidly. Yamazaki knew that if he told her to eat, she would. But he had no such plans; instead, he was now focused on satisfying his own appetite.
“That’s fine,” he answered gently, setting the food on the bureau in case she changed her mind. Then he moved to the foot of the bed and sat facing her, one leg propped up on the mattress. She leaned back slightly, as anticipated, but he made no move to close the distance between them any further. Finally, he put on his best ‘compassionate’ face and spoke in a soft, tender tone.
“Is something bothering you? You seem different since yesterday.”
She flinched at the reminder of her abuse, and Yamazaki grinned inwardly. That had been a calculated statement; now she wasn’t thinking about how nervous she was, but about how petrified she was of dying and how much she needed his help. This was almost too easy. When Kagome didn’t reply, he made another shrewd comment.
“Your face looks fine though.”
Kagome’s hand flew to her cheek and she turned her face into her shoulder, as she imagined an embarrassed maiden would. She couldn’t force herself to blush, but she didn’t think Yamazaki cared. She had him right where she wanted him. This was almost too easy.
“No, it doesn’t,” she replied, adding a note of despair to her tone.
“Yes, it does. Even if you didn’t have all that makeup on, you’d still be beautiful.”
Kagome resisted the powerful urge to gag. Never before had a compliment sounded so disingenuous, or made her skin crawl so disconcertingly. It was quite an effort to warp her facial expression to show the exact opposite emotions, but she somehow pulled it off. Convincingly, judging by the barely-concealed smugness in Yamazaki’s eyes.
“Th-that’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about,” she stated, hesitatingly for effect.
“Oh?” Yamazaki wondered, all sympathy and understanding. He was almost as good an actor as she apparently was. “What would that be?”
“I…I’m afraid,” she admitted, staring at the floor. “I don’t want to die. Would you…protect me from Yoshida? Please?” That last word was the most pathetic sound she had ever uttered, she reflected. Perfect.
“I guess I could,” Yamazaki answered nonchalantly, watching as her head shot up, her chocolate orbs filling with hope. “But Yoshida is a dangerous guy. I’m not going to stick my neck out for someone who’s just an acquaintance.”
He watched as Kagome opened her mouth as if to protest, then closed it, nodding in submission. This really was too easy. The girl put on a tough persona, but beneath that she was just as naïve as the rest of her age group. He wouldn’t stand up to Yoshida for her even after he banged her. No piece of ass was worth dying for. And by the time she realized it, he would have had his fill, and that tight little pussy would be thoroughly broken in.
“I understand,” Kagome replied softly. To illustrate her point, she trailed her eyes over Yamazaki’s muscular torso, tracing the contours of his arms and chest. His was an upper body she might find attractive in other circumstances. She allowed her mouth to hang open slightly to boost his male ego. After a few moments, she lowered her gaze to the bed between them, this time managing a true blush.
“I guess it’s alright that it works out this way,” she declared solemnly. “If I have to die…I don’t want to die a virgin. Please, be gentle with me.”
Yamazaki grinned widely, showing some of his predatory nature, though Kagome pretended not to notice. “Relax, baby,” he told her seductively, “I’ll make you feel better than you ever thought possible.”
Rising to his hands and knees, he stalked towards her, gradually forcing her to lie back on the bed. Her legs were tightly closed, and her arms crossed over her chest. Her face was turned away, her eyes squinted shut. None of that bothered him; she would ‘open up’ soon enough, once his magic fingers started working. And when he brought his tongue into play, she would be putty in his hands. But for now, he would take it slow. Kneeling beside her, he took her wrists and drew them gingerly down to rest at her sides. He began running one hand along the delicate skin of her arm up to her shoulder and back down again, the other tracing leisurely designs on her stomach through the cloth of her dress. He let his hands wander, staying away from the major erogenous zones, but bathing her legs and arms in his touch. Soon she was squirming, and though her eyes were still closed, he was pleased to see she was starting to feel it.
He was just about to move on to drawing the straps of her dress off her shoulders when Kagome suddenly looked at him, raising her hand to press lightly on his shoulder. It took him a few seconds to figure out what she wanted, but once he did he smiled and complied, lying flat on his back. It was not a position he favored, but if it would help speed this along, he was all for it. Foreplay was nice, but it couldn’t compare to the real thing, at least from his perspective.
He groaned when she straddled him. Even muted by three or four layers of clothing, the sensation of her heat pressing against his erect cock was simply divine. It twitched reflexively as he pondered how it would feel to be buried in her warm, unspoiled depths, and Kagome gasped above him in response. She gulped, leaning down to run her hands along his chest and abdominals. Finally she lowered her face close to his own, their breath mingling in the few inches between them. He thought he was at last going to get a kiss, but instead she held her position.
“Close your eyes,” she told him sensually. He did so, rolling them only once he had complied. He was about to pop a beautiful fifteen year old girl’s cherry. If she wanted to play a few ridiculous games first, he wouldn’t complain. Opportunities like this didn’t come along every day. Still, he hoped she didn’t delay too much longer, as ready as his cock was. And because he was thinking with said organ, rather than his brain, Yamazaki failed to notice how Kagome’s body weight shifted to the side as she reached for the lamp, or how her legs tensed as she raised it above her head with both hands. He quite literally never saw it coming.
*CRACK!*
Kagome held her breath as Yamazaki’s eyes jolted open, staring blankly up at her. She raised the lamp for another strike, but the mercenary’s eyes rolled back in his head before she could deliver it. He was out cold.
She scrambled off his prone form so quickly that she slipped off the bed and wound up sprawled on the floor. There she lay for several moments, trying to slow her racing heartbeat. Lying on the bed while that bastard touched her had been the most difficult thing she’d ever done. Yes, she had been squirming—in revulsion. Well, mostly revulsion; her body had betrayed her a little bit there. She felt dirty as a result, though her rational mind told her unwanted arousal didn’t make her a slut, just a normal human being. Still, this was one secret she would take to her grave. The sooner she got out of this room, and this cursed dress, the better. She rapidly changed into her school uniform, unstuffing her bra in the process. It wasn’t the most practical outfit she owned, but nothing made her feel more comfortable. And that was what she needed now; her escape was far from complete.
But before she dashed out the door, she took one more passing glance at Yamazaki. She paused; something had caught her eye. It was his gun, contained in a holster attached to his belt. Her first instinct was to leave it, as she had no experience with guns and absolutely no desire to ever touch one. She was more likely to shoot herself in the foot than do anything productive with it. Still, she knew it could be useful. If she had to shoot a dog, she would, or maybe the sound would be enough to scare them away. She planned to rely on her miko powers to keep those vicious canines at bay, but there was a chance they would attack her anyway. She needed a weapon to use as a last resort, and the gun fit the bill, no matter how much aversion it invoked. So, with one eye on the unconscious mercenary’s face, she cautiously unhooked the holster strap and withdrew the gun. Turning it over in her hands, she studied the foreign object before carefully tucking it in the waistband of her skirt. Just having the weapon on her person made her jumpy, but for now, it was a necessary evil. She sincerely hoped she would not have to use it.
As she ran down the stairs, she pondered simply calling the police as she had tried to do yesterday. Surely Sasaki’s house phone and Yamazaki’s cell phone wouldn’t be bugged too, would they? But even if she could get through to the police, she realized that it would be a bad idea. Suppose she did call in the cops. They would take Yamazaki into custody and bring her to the station for questioning. She would probably be stuck there for hours while they took her story and tried to figure out why a group of men had decided to kidnap and fake the death of a teenage girl of modest means and spirit her hundreds of miles to the north. Maybe they’d even suspect her of being involved in the plot in some way. If so, they could probably lock her up for a few days while they sorted things out. If not, her mother would be called and would probably catch the first train to Morioka. But even after all that, she’d be no closer to finding Inuyasha. Yoshida and Sasaki would have plenty of time to realize the cops were on to them and bug out, taking Inuyasha to a new city where she’d never find him. Maybe they’d even decide to cut their losses and kill him. If it was just her word against theirs, with no additional evidence, they didn’t stand much chance of being convicted.
That whole scenario depended on both her and Yamazaki remaining quiet about Inuyasha. If one of them confessed that they had information about the ‘Crimson Cat,’ then all bets were off. The government had a neat little thing called national security to worry about, she was sure they were quite interested in the strange red-clad man from Tokyo. ‘National security’ could sometimes morph into a license for the government to do whatever it wanted. And if they were that worried about Inuyasha, then the hanyou could end up exchanging one set of captors for another. Except the second group would have more money, better equipment, and official sanction. Once they found out what Inuyasha was capable of, they would never let him go. How could they? How could they trust a being so inhumanly powerful? If he turned against them, this organic weapon could be devastating. That’s how they would see it, viewing Inuyasha with the same fear that reflected in the eyes of people five hundred years ago.
No, she would take her chances with the dogs. Now that she had time to fully contemplate the potential consequences of her actions, she was glad her call yesterday had been intercepted. Going to the police would create more problems than solutions. Still, at least she would have had someone who knew how to use a gun properly escort her to safety. As it was now, nothing stood between her and the dogs’ drooling maws except a handgun she probably couldn’t hit a target with at twenty feet. She’d be better off using it as a hammer, since her miko energy was always more vibrant when she channeled it into something, be it a youkai or an inanimate object. Oh, if only she had her bow…
Wait. Sasaki had put his modern bow in his office the other day, right? Darting into the room, she cheered in victory as she spotted it resting on a shelf next to his bookcase. Hefting it in her hands, she felt her confidence return in an invigorating rush. Now she marched purposely to the front door, checking to make sure the coast was clear before crossing the threshold. She had barely begun to make her way across the yard when the sounds of barking and heavy footfalls alerted her to the impending confrontation.
She turned and spied the dogs charging toward her, now less than a hundred feet away. But Kagome was prepared this time. She quickly drew an arrow, aiming some distance ahead of the lead dog, and fired. The glowing projectile struck the ground a few feet in front of the animal, which leapt literally six feet in the air, backing away and lowering its head. The other canine slowed, growling at her menacingly. To Kagome, the sound resembled the noise a cornered cat might make. She charged another arrow, and the dogs began retreating even before she loosed it. But she wanted to drive her point home, so she fired, watching in satisfaction as the projectile impacted just behind the trailing dog and both accelerated into dead sprints. They rounded the side of the house and were gone.
“Not so tough now, are you?!” she called after them, high on adrenaline. Deciding not to tempt fate, she jogged the rest of the way to the gate. The weight of the gun against her stomach reminded her of its presence, and she removed it and flung it into the bushes lining the fence, glad to be rid of it. She would keep the bow, at least for a little while. It was just as well that she had ditched the gun; the safety had been on the entire time.
Kagome hurried down the road, keeping a watchful eye out for approaching vehicles. But she could not wipe the smile from her face. She and Inuyasha were not out of the woods yet, not by a long shot, but at last she was free.
“Yoshida-san, it’s Sasaki. Where are you right now?”
“In my office. Why?”
“I didn’t want Inuyasha to overhear this. Kagome has escaped!”
“WHAT?! How?”
“I don’t know. She was gone when I got here.”
“Put Yamazaki on the phone.”
“I can’t. I found him unconscious on her bed. It looks like she knocked him out.”
“That incompetent son of a bitch! Stay where you are; I’ll be there in ten.”
Yoshida hung up, pinching the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger. Why the hell did I leave Yamazaki in charge? I thought after yesterday he would pull his head out of his ass. Now I may kill the bastard. Slamming his fist into the desk for good measure, he stood and stalked down the back hallway. He didn’t want to see Inuyasha again until this little matter was resolved; the hanyou could not be made aware of Kagome’s escape. He started his motorcycle and gunned the engine, accelerating off down the road at a velocity far exceeding the speed limit. Kami help the cop who tried to pull him over.
Nine and a half minutes later, he roared into Sasaki’s driveway. The academic was waiting for him at the door, but Yoshida pushed past him, his feet pounding into the floor as he made his way to Kagome’s bedroom. Or rather, her former bedroom. Instead of the schoolgirl, he found Yamazaki lying on the bed.
“You MORON!” he exclaimed, startling the sleeping man awake. Yamazaki sat up and rubbed his head, his gaze reflecting confusion, then panic. He looked like a deer caught in headlights as Yoshida advanced toward him.
“You brainless piece of shit!” he yelled, grabbing Yamazaki by the collar. “I should kill you right now! What the fuck happened?!” Yoshida’s anger only grew as his frightened subordinate sheepishly recounted the tale.
“She was pretty convincing,” Yamazaki finished quietly.
Yoshida snarled and slammed him forcefully against the wall. “Maybe to a dumbass who can’t stop and think for a minute. Why on earth would she wanna fuck you? Are you that arrogant or just plain stupid? You don’t think with your cock when you’re on a job! Your share was three percent? Well now it’s point three percent! You’re lucky if I don’t cut your balls off and feed them to y—”
“Gentlemen, please!” Sasaki interrupted. “This isn’t doing us any good! What are we going to do now? What if she’s already gone to the police?”
“When did this happen?” Yoshida demanded.
“A-about noon,” Yamazaki answered. Yoshida glanced at his watch and saw it was almost two o’clock.
“She hasn’t,” he told Sasaki tersely.
“How do you know?”
“Because if she was going to go to the police, then this bastard would already be in an interrogation room.”
“But why wouldn’t she go to the police? I don’t—”
“Think about it. She’s too afraid of what the government will do to her precious lover boy if they get their hands on him. No, I bet she’s planning to find him and show herself to him. Once he knows that she’s not a hostage, he’ll try to bust out of that cage.”
“Then let’s all head to the warehouse. We’ll—”
“No! I don’t want anyone who knows Kagome escaped to be around the hanyou. Kagome doesn’t know where the warehouse is. If she somehow manages to show up there, my men will handle it. In the meantime, the three of us will go look for her.”
Yoshida stormed off, picking Kagome’s discarded dress off the floor as he departed. Yamazaki sighed in relief, simply happy to be alive; he had seen his boss kill men for less. Perhaps it was because the additional manpower would be useful in searching for Kagome. Whatever the reason, Yamazaki hoped he could get back in Yoshida’s good graces before the latter decided to terminate him, in every sense of the word.
The three of them went outside, and Yoshida put his fingers to his lips and whistled. The dogs came quickly, knowing better than to disregard their master’s summons. Yoshida knelt and greeted them, holding the dress for their olfactory inspection. Instantly the dogs recoiled, whimpering pitifully and staring up at him with big pleading eyes.
“What’s the matter with you?” Yoshida demanded angrily. “Track her!” But the dogs refused to budge.
“It appears they’re more afraid of Kagome than they are of you,” Sasaki observed.
“Fucking cowards!” the mercenary yelled, kicking one mutt in the side for good measure. The two of them trotted meekly back the way they had come, whining pathetically.
“Alright, new plan,” Yoshida declared. “I’ll take my bike and you two take Sasaki’s car. Start searching the roads between here and Morioka. We’ll meet back here at six o’clock if we haven’t found her. And let’s hope she hasn’t managed to hitchhike into town.”
“But what do we do with her if we find her?” Sasaki asked.
Yoshida ignored him, hopping on his bike and speeding off. He knew was he was going to do with Kagome if he caught her. Let’s just say he wished he had a shovel with him. But the spare tank of gas and his lighter would work fine as well. As far as he was concerned, Kagome was nothing more than a loose end which needed cutting. But he wouldn’t tell Sasaki any of this. Let that pansy think there’s a chance he can talk me out of killing her. Then he won’t get any stupid ideas of letting her go. That was one reason he had paired Sasaki and Yamazaki together; at least he could trust his own man not to purposely disobey him because of a guilty conscience.
Shaking his head, Yoshida cleared his mind of all other considerations and turned his entire focus to the hunt. He grinned predatorily; situations like this were the best part of his job.
You better start praying, bitch, because I’m coming for you.
A/N – So reviewers, I’m curious to know if any of you came up with another way Kagome could have escaped, because I didn’t. I thought maybe she could throw the TV out the window, but Yamazaki would hear it, and he’d definitely hear the dogs barking when she climbed down. The most difficult part was getting around him, which I couldn’t think of another way to do. Although, to be perfectly honest, I’ve had Kagome’s escape planned since before I started writing the story. Still, I’m consistently amazed by the ideas people generate, so if you have one, let me hear it. :)
Converting /tmp/phpH8Jexw to /dev/stdout
Guts
Inuyasha paced back and forth across the floor, physically unable to remain still for more than a few seconds. His agitation had nothing to do with boredom. It was now morning, the day after Yoshida had departed vowing to ‘teach Kagome a lesson.’ And much to the hanyou’s anxiety, the mercenary had yet to return. Inuyasha wanted answers, and he wanted them now. The lackeys who stayed with him all evening had been entirely unhelpful in that regard. All he could do was keep repeating the same observation in his mind, that he had detected no deceit from Yoshida the day before when the latter promised not to kill Kagome.
That didn’t mean he trusted the mercenary, or was happy about the prospect of the miko being hurt. His youkai side had been simmering all night, as if waiting for the heat to be turned up. But Inuyasha felt reasonably in control; nothing short of the extreme would be able to wrench it from him.
Finally, after it seemed like half the morning had passed, Yoshida came strolling into the warehouse.
“Where the hell have you been?!” Inuyasha demanded vehemently. Yoshida seemed surprised by the outburst, but did not let it ruin his satisfied, carefree mood.
“Drinking and having a good time with some hookers. What’s it to ya?”
“What did you do to Kagome?!”
“Oh, right. I forgot about that,” Yoshida replied, grinning nastily. Inuyasha had to bite his tongue to remain quiet. ‘Forgot’ my ass! Bastard’s just fucking with me.
“Relax, hanyou,” the mercenary continued. “She’s fine. Let’s just say I made sure she got my point.”
Again, Inuyasha found comfort in the truthfulness he could sense in Yoshida’s scent, expression, and tone. Part of him wanted to know the extent of Kagome’s injuries, but another part thought he’d be better off in the dark. At any rate, he was fairly certain Yoshida wouldn’t tell him. He was more likely to get a straight answer out of Sasaki. So he let Yoshida go without further comment, watching as the mercenary disappeared into the back hallway. And finally, Inuyasha was able to settle down.
Sasaki arrived a half hour later, appearing not nearly as cool and collected as his more ruthless counterpart. He was not flustered or upset, per se, but it was clear that something was bothering him.
“Good morning, Inuyasha,” Sasaki greeted with some false cheer. “Today I’d like to perform a few experiments to determine the strength of your various senses.”
“First you answer a few questions,” the hanyou declared in no uncertain terms.
Sasaki sighed. “Don’t bother asking. Kagome is fine, just a few bumps and bruises.”
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes; Sasaki was telling him the truth, but not the whole truth. Still, pressing would probably get him nowhere, and might even alienate the only remotely reasonable person in this dump. It had been Sasaki who arranged the phone call yesterday, and Inuyasha hoped he would continue to advocate on their behalves in the future. Like, for example, right now.
“Let me talk to her.”
“That’s not going to happen, Inuyasha. I was barely able to keep Kagome in my house last night. Don’t push your luck.”
Inuyasha growled, but relented. He would lie low for awhile, and hoped Kagome would do the same.
“Next time you see Kagome,” he stated, “tell her I said not to try anything that stupid ever again.”
“I already told her you would say that,” Sasaki replied with a grimace. “I doubt she’ll listen this time either.”
Inuyasha exhaled exasperatedly. “Tell me about it.”
This wasn’t the first time Kagome refused to listen to him, and he sincerely hoped it wouldn’t be the last.
* * *
Kagome rolled over enough to glance at the clock on the nightstand, then flopped on her back again and resumed staring at the ceiling. It was ten o’clock in the morning, but she felt no inclination to get up, having not slept well last night. The left side of her face still throbbed, as did the nasty bone bruise on her forearm where she’d bashed it on the footboard while reeling from Yoshida’s brutal punch. Her throat was still sore from gasping for breath as his fingers closed around her neck, easily applying enough pressure to restrict her air supply. For a brief moment there, Kagome had really thought she was about to die. Then Yoshida had snarled a warning in her ear to not try to escape again, or he really would kill her. Finally, after a period of a few seconds which seemed to Kagome to stretch for hours, he released her, departing and slamming the door behind him as she coughed and sputtered. Unruly tears had flowed after that; it was several minutes before she could get herself back under control. It had all been so sudden and overwhelming. For awhile she had even considered giving up. She was sure no one would blame her for ceasing her efforts to gain her freedom in the face of such a potent—and very real—threat.
But it wasn’t just her own liberty she was fighting for. If me staying alive means Inuyasha has to spend the rest of his life in captivity, then I’d rather die trying to help him. She had spoken those very words to Sasaki, and meant them. Such single-minded determination was both a benefit and a curse of being in love, she mused. But she knew that if their situations were reversed, Inuyasha would act with the same reckless disregard for personal safety. In fact, he always exhibited that all-consuming drive when she was in danger. This time, he was counting on her, no matter how much he hated it. She would not let him down.
Still, some additional caution was in order for her third, and most likely final attempt. In hindsight, making that phone call had been too careless. But she’d had a very limited window in which to make a decision, and it had seemed like a good idea in the heat of the moment. Even her first attempt had failed because of a failure to plan for possible obstacles that could crop up, namely two vicious dogs. This time she would only move if she felt she had everything reasonably covered. The dogs were just one issue she would have to deal with. The others were the locked window and door, and Yamazaki, who was probably still annoyed with her after Yoshida browbeat him yesterday. She hoped that was it; Sasaki was away for the day, and she couldn’t think of anything else that could stop her. She didn’t know whether Yoshida had sent in additional security, and there was probably no way to find out. But from the way the mercenary had been yelling at his lackey yesterday, she guessed Yamazaki was still the only one on the job. It had sounded like a ‘get your head out of your ass’ speech, rather than a ‘you’re incompetent and I don’t trust you.’ Besides, the rest of Yoshida’s ‘employees’ probably had their hands full watching Inuyasha, who would obviously require multiple armed individuals guarding him at any given time.
So there was reason for optimism. Kagome thought she had fleshed out all the barriers to her escape; now she just needed to find a way past them. The locked exits and Yamazaki were related issues, since he possessed the only keys. But how to get those keys? He wasn’t going to just hand them to her, no matter how nicely she asked. Even if she asked very nicely. Kagome chuckled dryly as a rogue thought occurred to her. He’d probably at least lie and say he’d give me the keys if I offered myself to him. Pervert. She couldn’t get away from them, could she? But Miroku was a hundred times more pleasant than Yamazaki; at least the monk seemed to respect women. When he wasn’t groping them, of course.
At any rate, she was most certainly not about to give her virginity to that sleazebag Yamazaki. Even if she could guarantee that she really would get the keys afterward, the very thought was repulsive. That was probably the one avenue of escape that she could never go through with. She already knew who she wanted her first time to be with. And even if Inuyasha didn’t have true romantic feelings for her, he would still never forgive her for it. Or himself for letting her get into such a desperate situation in the first place. So that was definitely out, but now that she thought about it…
Kagome gasped, an absurd, brilliantly ridiculous idea forming in her mind. What if she did the pretending? Surely Yamazaki would let his guard down if she made him an offer that was too good to refuse. And if his guard was down, then he’d be vulnerable to a surprise attack. If she could incapacitate him, the way would be open. And the dogs…she would deal with them somehow. Their aversion to her miko energy gave her a good amount of confidence. Bottom line: if she got by Yamazaki, she wouldn’t let two dumb animals beat her.
So she had a plan, but it seemed so outlandish that she continued brainstorming for other options over the next half hour. She came up with none; as far as she could gather, there was no other way to get the keys and put Yamazaki out of action. He was too quick for an ambush at the door, and even if she somehow managed to surreptitiously swipe the keys when he brought her lunch, he would surely notice their absence when he went to lock her in again. She couldn’t jump out the window; if she made a break for it while Yamazaki was conscious, he would surely catch her.
But could she really go through with this? It was so bizarre, and she had definitely never tried anything like it before. She typically preferred to avoid playing with fire, especially when that flame came in the form of a licentious, volatile young man. Still, she could not escape reality; this was the only way. She had spent all of last night, and countless hours over the past week futilely trying to come up with viable strategies for gaining her freedom. She could spend a hundred more hours conjuring up designs, and none would likely have a greater probability of success than the idea she was currently entertaining. Ultimately, she had her course of action, as reluctant as she was to actually implement it. She had the intelligence to pull it off, and she thought she had the charm. The real question was this—did she have the guts?
Kagome set her jaw. Yes. Hell yes! How many youkai had she faced down in the past? How many traumatic experiences had she lived through? She was no longer a scared, naïve little girl. This was no less dangerous than battling youkai in the feudal era, where a wrong step could mean instant death. The stakes here were the same, yet slightly different. For if she failed, Yamazaki might decide to take what he thought her deception entitled him to. That seemed like a fate worse than death, but again, she was willing to risk it, for Inuyasha. She had to have faith in herself, and conviction that what she was doing was necessary. Fortunately, Kagome had both in ample supply.
Sitting up, the miko swung her legs off the bed and stood, still not quite believing what she was going to do. She probably had an hour or so to prepare, enough time if she moved with no hesitation. Glancing around the room, she set to her first task, quickly locating a suitable object. The large lamp on the bureau with the conically-shaped metal base fit well in her hands as it narrowed, enabling her to get a good grip. It was a perfect weight as well, allowing for a good balance of mass and speed. She unplugged it and set it inconspicuously on the nightstand. That done, the only remaining task was to make herself look as attractive as possible, something which could be quite a challenge considering the dark, swollen splotches of black and blue on her face and neck. Then again, when Yamazaki looked at her, his gaze was usually directed somewhere further south.
Kagome shed her clothing and stepped into the shower, desiring the pleasant odors of clean skin and shampoo. From living with an inu-hanyou she had learned the importance of scent, even subconsciously. And from her modern upbringing she understood the power of skimpy clothing. She went into the closet and slipped on the most revealing dress she could find, examining herself in the mirror. It was far more risqué than anything she would normally wear, both high on her thighs and fairly tight against her frame. But she knew what ‘hot’ looked like, and her body in this dress officially qualified. A fuller bust would complete the look, but her breasts weren’t about to grow substantially in the next few minutes.
Or were they? She had already decided to go all out, so what was stuffing a bra? The more of Yamazaki’s attention she could focus on her breasts, the more distracted he would be, and the less likely he would be to discover her trap before she sprung it. Grabbing a couple socks from the drawer, she set to work. It took some fine manipulation, but eventually she managed to arrange the padding so it looked both alluring and realistic. The difference was noticeable, but not so much that an observer would immediately assume her bust was unnaturally supplemented. It almost appeared that she had simply put on a very supportive push-up bra.
Next she applied a modest amount of makeup, highlighting her lips and lashes but stopping short of making her look like a whore. The finishing touches were attempting to cover up the bruises on her face and neck, which didn’t go as well as she hoped because the concealer in the makeup kit didn’t exactly match her skin tone. But she was at least able to mask the worst of the abnormal color, and with the way she was dressed, she didn’t think anything above her shoulders would be a deal-breaker.
Studying herself in the mirror once more, Kagome was satisfied with her appearance. There was no way Yamazaki was going to say ‘no,’ that was for sure. She sat on the bed, leaning forward with her hands on her knees, rocking back and forth anxiously. It was impossible not to fidget. For the past hour she had been in nonstop motion, but now that she was sitting and waiting for Yamazaki to show up, her mind rebelled against her. What would she say? How could she possibly pull this off? What the hell was I thinking? I don’t know how to flirt!
Kagome took a deep breath. It was only natural to second-guess at this point, but she stood by her decision. Still, her jitters weren’t going away. She could only hope that her nerves wouldn’t transfer to her voice, which needed to be smooth and sexy. She did know a little something about concealing her true emotions; unrequited love can do that to a person. Despite that assessment, thinking of Inuyasha brought a certain serenity to her frazzled mind and a smile to her lips. If I manage to pull this off and get out of here, Inuyasha is going to blow a gasket when—IF—he finds out about it.
That was fine; she could deal with an angry hanyou. What she couldn’t deal with was allowing him to sit in captivity any longer. Determination flowed through her in a cooling wave, relaxing tense muscles. She had come up with the best plan that she could; now she just had to execute it. But how? She couldn’t be too obvious or Yamazaki might suspect something. No, she had to act like a naïve, terrified teenager desperately searching for a savior. In other words, she needed to behave as though Yoshida’s beating yesterday had completely broken her spirit, and she was willing to do anything, anything to ensure her own survival. In reality, none of that was true, a fact which gave her great pride. She was, however, a virgin, and behaving like one would certainly enhance the believability of her ruse. She would be shy and scared on the outside, yet cool and cunning on the inside, a she-wolf in sacrificial lamb’s clothing. And Yamazaki would never know what hit him.
A few minutes later, Kagome heard the telltale sounds of a key manipulating the door lock, and took one final, calming breath. It was time.
“Here you go, princess,” Yamazaki muttered sardonically as he entered the room without knocking. “Lunch is…served…” He trailed off, freezing halfway between the door and the bed where she sat. His eyes were wide, taking in everything he could see, his mind conjuring up images of everything he could not. Confusion dominated his expression, but also great interest. He took in her scantly-clad form, her hands twisting nervously in her lap, and those gorgeous brown eyes, colored with defeat and practically begging for aid. The corner of his lips quirked up just slightly. It was not a coincidence that she had dolled herself up for his customary lunch visit. He thought he knew where this encounter would lead, and hoped he was right. But she was scared shitless, thanks to his boss. He could see it in her entire demeanor; she had no fight left. With a girl like that, you had to play it cool, or risk frightening her off. It was a cat and mouse game, one which he excelled at. And what a sweet little mouse she is.
“I’m…really not hungry,” Kagome said quietly, timidly. Yamazaki knew that if he told her to eat, she would. But he had no such plans; instead, he was now focused on satisfying his own appetite.
“That’s fine,” he answered gently, setting the food on the bureau in case she changed her mind. Then he moved to the foot of the bed and sat facing her, one leg propped up on the mattress. She leaned back slightly, as anticipated, but he made no move to close the distance between them any further. Finally, he put on his best ‘compassionate’ face and spoke in a soft, tender tone.
“Is something bothering you? You seem different since yesterday.”
She flinched at the reminder of her abuse, and Yamazaki grinned inwardly. That had been a calculated statement; now she wasn’t thinking about how nervous she was, but about how petrified she was of dying and how much she needed his help. This was almost too easy. When Kagome didn’t reply, he made another shrewd comment.
“Your face looks fine though.”
Kagome’s hand flew to her cheek and she turned her face into her shoulder, as she imagined an embarrassed maiden would. She couldn’t force herself to blush, but she didn’t think Yamazaki cared. She had him right where she wanted him. This was almost too easy.
“No, it doesn’t,” she replied, adding a note of despair to her tone.
“Yes, it does. Even if you didn’t have all that makeup on, you’d still be beautiful.”
Kagome resisted the powerful urge to gag. Never before had a compliment sounded so disingenuous, or made her skin crawl so disconcertingly. It was quite an effort to warp her facial expression to show the exact opposite emotions, but she somehow pulled it off. Convincingly, judging by the barely-concealed smugness in Yamazaki’s eyes.
“Th-that’s actually what I wanted to talk to you about,” she stated, hesitatingly for effect.
“Oh?” Yamazaki wondered, all sympathy and understanding. He was almost as good an actor as she apparently was. “What would that be?”
“I…I’m afraid,” she admitted, staring at the floor. “I don’t want to die. Would you…protect me from Yoshida? Please?” That last word was the most pathetic sound she had ever uttered, she reflected. Perfect.
“I guess I could,” Yamazaki answered nonchalantly, watching as her head shot up, her chocolate orbs filling with hope. “But Yoshida is a dangerous guy. I’m not going to stick my neck out for someone who’s just an acquaintance.”
He watched as Kagome opened her mouth as if to protest, then closed it, nodding in submission. This really was too easy. The girl put on a tough persona, but beneath that she was just as naïve as the rest of her age group. He wouldn’t stand up to Yoshida for her even after he banged her. No piece of ass was worth dying for. And by the time she realized it, he would have had his fill, and that tight little pussy would be thoroughly broken in.
“I understand,” Kagome replied softly. To illustrate her point, she trailed her eyes over Yamazaki’s muscular torso, tracing the contours of his arms and chest. His was an upper body she might find attractive in other circumstances. She allowed her mouth to hang open slightly to boost his male ego. After a few moments, she lowered her gaze to the bed between them, this time managing a true blush.
“I guess it’s alright that it works out this way,” she declared solemnly. “If I have to die…I don’t want to die a virgin. Please, be gentle with me.”
Yamazaki grinned widely, showing some of his predatory nature, though Kagome pretended not to notice. “Relax, baby,” he told her seductively, “I’ll make you feel better than you ever thought possible.”
Rising to his hands and knees, he stalked towards her, gradually forcing her to lie back on the bed. Her legs were tightly closed, and her arms crossed over her chest. Her face was turned away, her eyes squinted shut. None of that bothered him; she would ‘open up’ soon enough, once his magic fingers started working. And when he brought his tongue into play, she would be putty in his hands. But for now, he would take it slow. Kneeling beside her, he took her wrists and drew them gingerly down to rest at her sides. He began running one hand along the delicate skin of her arm up to her shoulder and back down again, the other tracing leisurely designs on her stomach through the cloth of her dress. He let his hands wander, staying away from the major erogenous zones, but bathing her legs and arms in his touch. Soon she was squirming, and though her eyes were still closed, he was pleased to see she was starting to feel it.
He was just about to move on to drawing the straps of her dress off her shoulders when Kagome suddenly looked at him, raising her hand to press lightly on his shoulder. It took him a few seconds to figure out what she wanted, but once he did he smiled and complied, lying flat on his back. It was not a position he favored, but if it would help speed this along, he was all for it. Foreplay was nice, but it couldn’t compare to the real thing, at least from his perspective.
He groaned when she straddled him. Even muted by three or four layers of clothing, the sensation of her heat pressing against his erect cock was simply divine. It twitched reflexively as he pondered how it would feel to be buried in her warm, unspoiled depths, and Kagome gasped above him in response. She gulped, leaning down to run her hands along his chest and abdominals. Finally she lowered her face close to his own, their breath mingling in the few inches between them. He thought he was at last going to get a kiss, but instead she held her position.
“Close your eyes,” she told him sensually. He did so, rolling them only once he had complied. He was about to pop a beautiful fifteen year old girl’s cherry. If she wanted to play a few ridiculous games first, he wouldn’t complain. Opportunities like this didn’t come along every day. Still, he hoped she didn’t delay too much longer, as ready as his cock was. And because he was thinking with said organ, rather than his brain, Yamazaki failed to notice how Kagome’s body weight shifted to the side as she reached for the lamp, or how her legs tensed as she raised it above her head with both hands. He quite literally never saw it coming.
*CRACK!*
Kagome held her breath as Yamazaki’s eyes jolted open, staring blankly up at her. She raised the lamp for another strike, but the mercenary’s eyes rolled back in his head before she could deliver it. He was out cold.
She scrambled off his prone form so quickly that she slipped off the bed and wound up sprawled on the floor. There she lay for several moments, trying to slow her racing heartbeat. Lying on the bed while that bastard touched her had been the most difficult thing she’d ever done. Yes, she had been squirming—in revulsion. Well, mostly revulsion; her body had betrayed her a little bit there. She felt dirty as a result, though her rational mind told her unwanted arousal didn’t make her a slut, just a normal human being. Still, this was one secret she would take to her grave. The sooner she got out of this room, and this cursed dress, the better. She rapidly changed into her school uniform, unstuffing her bra in the process. It wasn’t the most practical outfit she owned, but nothing made her feel more comfortable. And that was what she needed now; her escape was far from complete.
But before she dashed out the door, she took one more passing glance at Yamazaki. She paused; something had caught her eye. It was his gun, contained in a holster attached to his belt. Her first instinct was to leave it, as she had no experience with guns and absolutely no desire to ever touch one. She was more likely to shoot herself in the foot than do anything productive with it. Still, she knew it could be useful. If she had to shoot a dog, she would, or maybe the sound would be enough to scare them away. She planned to rely on her miko powers to keep those vicious canines at bay, but there was a chance they would attack her anyway. She needed a weapon to use as a last resort, and the gun fit the bill, no matter how much aversion it invoked. So, with one eye on the unconscious mercenary’s face, she cautiously unhooked the holster strap and withdrew the gun. Turning it over in her hands, she studied the foreign object before carefully tucking it in the waistband of her skirt. Just having the weapon on her person made her jumpy, but for now, it was a necessary evil. She sincerely hoped she would not have to use it.
As she ran down the stairs, she pondered simply calling the police as she had tried to do yesterday. Surely Sasaki’s house phone and Yamazaki’s cell phone wouldn’t be bugged too, would they? But even if she could get through to the police, she realized that it would be a bad idea. Suppose she did call in the cops. They would take Yamazaki into custody and bring her to the station for questioning. She would probably be stuck there for hours while they took her story and tried to figure out why a group of men had decided to kidnap and fake the death of a teenage girl of modest means and spirit her hundreds of miles to the north. Maybe they’d even suspect her of being involved in the plot in some way. If so, they could probably lock her up for a few days while they sorted things out. If not, her mother would be called and would probably catch the first train to Morioka. But even after all that, she’d be no closer to finding Inuyasha. Yoshida and Sasaki would have plenty of time to realize the cops were on to them and bug out, taking Inuyasha to a new city where she’d never find him. Maybe they’d even decide to cut their losses and kill him. If it was just her word against theirs, with no additional evidence, they didn’t stand much chance of being convicted.
That whole scenario depended on both her and Yamazaki remaining quiet about Inuyasha. If one of them confessed that they had information about the ‘Crimson Cat,’ then all bets were off. The government had a neat little thing called national security to worry about, she was sure they were quite interested in the strange red-clad man from Tokyo. ‘National security’ could sometimes morph into a license for the government to do whatever it wanted. And if they were that worried about Inuyasha, then the hanyou could end up exchanging one set of captors for another. Except the second group would have more money, better equipment, and official sanction. Once they found out what Inuyasha was capable of, they would never let him go. How could they? How could they trust a being so inhumanly powerful? If he turned against them, this organic weapon could be devastating. That’s how they would see it, viewing Inuyasha with the same fear that reflected in the eyes of people five hundred years ago.
No, she would take her chances with the dogs. Now that she had time to fully contemplate the potential consequences of her actions, she was glad her call yesterday had been intercepted. Going to the police would create more problems than solutions. Still, at least she would have had someone who knew how to use a gun properly escort her to safety. As it was now, nothing stood between her and the dogs’ drooling maws except a handgun she probably couldn’t hit a target with at twenty feet. She’d be better off using it as a hammer, since her miko energy was always more vibrant when she channeled it into something, be it a youkai or an inanimate object. Oh, if only she had her bow…
Wait. Sasaki had put his modern bow in his office the other day, right? Darting into the room, she cheered in victory as she spotted it resting on a shelf next to his bookcase. Hefting it in her hands, she felt her confidence return in an invigorating rush. Now she marched purposely to the front door, checking to make sure the coast was clear before crossing the threshold. She had barely begun to make her way across the yard when the sounds of barking and heavy footfalls alerted her to the impending confrontation.
She turned and spied the dogs charging toward her, now less than a hundred feet away. But Kagome was prepared this time. She quickly drew an arrow, aiming some distance ahead of the lead dog, and fired. The glowing projectile struck the ground a few feet in front of the animal, which leapt literally six feet in the air, backing away and lowering its head. The other canine slowed, growling at her menacingly. To Kagome, the sound resembled the noise a cornered cat might make. She charged another arrow, and the dogs began retreating even before she loosed it. But she wanted to drive her point home, so she fired, watching in satisfaction as the projectile impacted just behind the trailing dog and both accelerated into dead sprints. They rounded the side of the house and were gone.
“Not so tough now, are you?!” she called after them, high on adrenaline. Deciding not to tempt fate, she jogged the rest of the way to the gate. The weight of the gun against her stomach reminded her of its presence, and she removed it and flung it into the bushes lining the fence, glad to be rid of it. She would keep the bow, at least for a little while. It was just as well that she had ditched the gun; the safety had been on the entire time.
Kagome hurried down the road, keeping a watchful eye out for approaching vehicles. But she could not wipe the smile from her face. She and Inuyasha were not out of the woods yet, not by a long shot, but at last she was free.
* * *
“What?” Yoshida growled into his cell phone after checking the caller ID. “Yoshida-san, it’s Sasaki. Where are you right now?”
“In my office. Why?”
“I didn’t want Inuyasha to overhear this. Kagome has escaped!”
“WHAT?! How?”
“I don’t know. She was gone when I got here.”
“Put Yamazaki on the phone.”
“I can’t. I found him unconscious on her bed. It looks like she knocked him out.”
“That incompetent son of a bitch! Stay where you are; I’ll be there in ten.”
Yoshida hung up, pinching the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger. Why the hell did I leave Yamazaki in charge? I thought after yesterday he would pull his head out of his ass. Now I may kill the bastard. Slamming his fist into the desk for good measure, he stood and stalked down the back hallway. He didn’t want to see Inuyasha again until this little matter was resolved; the hanyou could not be made aware of Kagome’s escape. He started his motorcycle and gunned the engine, accelerating off down the road at a velocity far exceeding the speed limit. Kami help the cop who tried to pull him over.
Nine and a half minutes later, he roared into Sasaki’s driveway. The academic was waiting for him at the door, but Yoshida pushed past him, his feet pounding into the floor as he made his way to Kagome’s bedroom. Or rather, her former bedroom. Instead of the schoolgirl, he found Yamazaki lying on the bed.
“You MORON!” he exclaimed, startling the sleeping man awake. Yamazaki sat up and rubbed his head, his gaze reflecting confusion, then panic. He looked like a deer caught in headlights as Yoshida advanced toward him.
“You brainless piece of shit!” he yelled, grabbing Yamazaki by the collar. “I should kill you right now! What the fuck happened?!” Yoshida’s anger only grew as his frightened subordinate sheepishly recounted the tale.
“She was pretty convincing,” Yamazaki finished quietly.
Yoshida snarled and slammed him forcefully against the wall. “Maybe to a dumbass who can’t stop and think for a minute. Why on earth would she wanna fuck you? Are you that arrogant or just plain stupid? You don’t think with your cock when you’re on a job! Your share was three percent? Well now it’s point three percent! You’re lucky if I don’t cut your balls off and feed them to y—”
“Gentlemen, please!” Sasaki interrupted. “This isn’t doing us any good! What are we going to do now? What if she’s already gone to the police?”
“When did this happen?” Yoshida demanded.
“A-about noon,” Yamazaki answered. Yoshida glanced at his watch and saw it was almost two o’clock.
“She hasn’t,” he told Sasaki tersely.
“How do you know?”
“Because if she was going to go to the police, then this bastard would already be in an interrogation room.”
“But why wouldn’t she go to the police? I don’t—”
“Think about it. She’s too afraid of what the government will do to her precious lover boy if they get their hands on him. No, I bet she’s planning to find him and show herself to him. Once he knows that she’s not a hostage, he’ll try to bust out of that cage.”
“Then let’s all head to the warehouse. We’ll—”
“No! I don’t want anyone who knows Kagome escaped to be around the hanyou. Kagome doesn’t know where the warehouse is. If she somehow manages to show up there, my men will handle it. In the meantime, the three of us will go look for her.”
Yoshida stormed off, picking Kagome’s discarded dress off the floor as he departed. Yamazaki sighed in relief, simply happy to be alive; he had seen his boss kill men for less. Perhaps it was because the additional manpower would be useful in searching for Kagome. Whatever the reason, Yamazaki hoped he could get back in Yoshida’s good graces before the latter decided to terminate him, in every sense of the word.
The three of them went outside, and Yoshida put his fingers to his lips and whistled. The dogs came quickly, knowing better than to disregard their master’s summons. Yoshida knelt and greeted them, holding the dress for their olfactory inspection. Instantly the dogs recoiled, whimpering pitifully and staring up at him with big pleading eyes.
“What’s the matter with you?” Yoshida demanded angrily. “Track her!” But the dogs refused to budge.
“It appears they’re more afraid of Kagome than they are of you,” Sasaki observed.
“Fucking cowards!” the mercenary yelled, kicking one mutt in the side for good measure. The two of them trotted meekly back the way they had come, whining pathetically.
“Alright, new plan,” Yoshida declared. “I’ll take my bike and you two take Sasaki’s car. Start searching the roads between here and Morioka. We’ll meet back here at six o’clock if we haven’t found her. And let’s hope she hasn’t managed to hitchhike into town.”
“But what do we do with her if we find her?” Sasaki asked.
Yoshida ignored him, hopping on his bike and speeding off. He knew was he was going to do with Kagome if he caught her. Let’s just say he wished he had a shovel with him. But the spare tank of gas and his lighter would work fine as well. As far as he was concerned, Kagome was nothing more than a loose end which needed cutting. But he wouldn’t tell Sasaki any of this. Let that pansy think there’s a chance he can talk me out of killing her. Then he won’t get any stupid ideas of letting her go. That was one reason he had paired Sasaki and Yamazaki together; at least he could trust his own man not to purposely disobey him because of a guilty conscience.
Shaking his head, Yoshida cleared his mind of all other considerations and turned his entire focus to the hunt. He grinned predatorily; situations like this were the best part of his job.
You better start praying, bitch, because I’m coming for you.
A/N – So reviewers, I’m curious to know if any of you came up with another way Kagome could have escaped, because I didn’t. I thought maybe she could throw the TV out the window, but Yamazaki would hear it, and he’d definitely hear the dogs barking when she climbed down. The most difficult part was getting around him, which I couldn’t think of another way to do. Although, to be perfectly honest, I’ve had Kagome’s escape planned since before I started writing the story. Still, I’m consistently amazed by the ideas people generate, so if you have one, let me hear it. :)
Converting /tmp/phpH8Jexw to /dev/stdout