InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Hijacked Honeymoon ❯ Chapter 18

Hijacked honeymoon

 

Chapter 18

 

Since Kagome had little to pack, she dressed, brushed her teeth and helped Sesshomaru with the gear. They moved swiftly to the vehicle, and once they drove from the spa into town, she noted that Sesshomaru checked the rear mirror frequently, changed lanes often and went around several blocks unnecessarily.

 

He noted her watching him. “It's just a precaution. I haven't spotted a tail. All the same, we need to change vehicles.”

 

She'd been about to start a conversation, but waited until after he pulled into a used-car lot, haggled, then traded in their vehicle for a late-model BMW. Once they settled the paperwork and transferred their stuff, she'd marshalled her thoughts. “How long have you been assigned to protected me?”

 

“Until your father finishes his invention or until we catch Hojo, whichever comes first.”

 

“My father has been working on this engine since before I was born. Any estimate on when he expects to be done?”

 

“Apparently, Kincaid asked him that question and he said genius can't be rushed.”

 

Kagome groaned. “And exactly what is our government doing to catch Hojo?”

 

“That's classified.”

 

“Great.”

 

“I hope you mean that. I'll be assigned to protect you for a while… I rather like the idea.”

 

And she liked him liking the idea of spending time with her. Only, they couldn't pit themselves first. “My best friend's family lost their home and she almost lost her life. Hojo needs to be caught soon.”

 

“We're working on it.”

 

“That's not good enough.”

 

“Look, I know you're upset about Sango. But with Miroku on his way to protect her, she'll be fine.”

 

“I do have other friends besides Sango,” Kagome pointed out. “Is the Shey Group prepared to guard all of them?”

 

“We'll do what we can.”

 

Her gut twisted with fear but her determination didn't waver. “I want to go back to Canfield, Sesshomaru. It's time for me to do something about Hojo.”

 

His tone remained mild but threaded with steel beneath. “Have you forgotten how dangerous he is? That he intended to kidnap you and possibly turn you over to a terrorist organization?”

 

She snorted. “Like I could forget.”

 

“Look, I know you're impatient for all the espionage to be over and done. Let me touch base with Kincaid and find out what kind of progress our guys are making. Maybe he can give us an estimate of what time frame we're looking at.”

 

“Okay.” She didn't want to seem unreasonable when Sesshomaru was trying so hard to placate her. But she'd also picked up on the words estimate and time frame. “But isn't everything classified?”

 

“Yeah, but we needn't be specific to find out what stage the operation is in. the difficulty is that Hojo has legitimate reasons to contact the terrorists. We already know he's in touch with them.”

 

Sesshomaru phoned Kincaid, asked a few terse questions and hang up with a shake of his head. “Sorry. We don't want to reveal we are on to him until we can put him and his follow traitors in jail for life. He's careful. And he's good at covering his tracks. Right now, let's hope he still believes you got cold feet and that we're not protecting you.”

 

Kagome was about to make another suggestion when Sesshomaru made a shape right-hand turn. “We've picked up a tail.”

 

The next hour was tense. Kagome didn't speck. She didn't want to distract Sesshomaru from his driving. He lost the tail, then carefully circled back and had her write down the driver's tag and phoned it into his home office. She learned that the car was stolen and that Hojo had been seen fifteen minutes earlier at FBI headquarters in Mobile. While he couldn't have been in the car that had been tailing them, the driver might work for him. And that driver could believe he was doing legitimate work—especially if Hojo had lied to him.

 

Just thinking about the possibilities made her headache, worst of all, she realized Hojo may have been checking up on Sango's phones calls to have found them so quickly. When Sesshomaru circled onto the interstate, she finally asked him, “how much do you think Hojo knows?”

 

“He's probably on a fishing expedition. Sango's call was suspicious because it was encrypted.”

 

“I don't understand.”

 

“Imagine someone speaking a foreign language. You can't understand the words, but you can pinpoint their location with the right electronics equipment. The encryption would make him curious, so Hojo sent someone to investigate. I doubt he knows you are in this car with me. Now that I've lost them, they'll know they are dealing with a professional.”

 

“That's bad, isn't it?” she sighed. “I shouldn't have given Sango our cell number, but I'm glad I did. It's my fault she's in trouble.”

 

As usual, Sesshomaru's tone was patient. “First of all, it's not your fault. It's Hojo's—never forget that. Second, giving Sango the number was not a bad idea. But you should have told me.”

 

“Sorry. It won't happen again. I was worried about her, and despite knowing that Hojo is at fault, I steel feel responsible. Sango wouldn't be in danger if it wasn't for her association with me. That's why I feel the need to do something.”

 

“Right now, the best thing we can do is to foil Hojo's attempts to find you. That's why we didn't stick with the original plan of a safe house. No one knows where we are, especially the FBI.”

 

Sesshomaru sounded so certain. And she supposed he was right. His Shey Group had sent someone to protect Sango. What else could she ask for?

 

Except her life back? And that seemed petty with all that was at stake.

 

It wasn't as if she didn't enjoy spending time with Sesshomaru. But it wasn't as if they were on some romantic vacation together. Not when she couldn't call her friends. Not when Sango was in danger. Not when she and Sesshomaru had to pack up and leave at a moment's notice and hide as if they were fugitives from the law.

 

She would have suggested that Sesshomaru take her to same secret facility as her father, but he needed to complete his work and she doubted the man who hadn't made one effort to ever speck to his daughter would appreciate her showing up now. Kagome had never been so uncertain in her life. Always she'd had a goal, whether it was finishing her education, earning enough money to pay the bills or taking care of her mom, she'd gotten up in the morning knowing what she had to do that day. Now she felt as though she was drifting. And with no idea what the day would bring, uncertainties plagued her.

 

She liked Sesshomaru. Already she felt as though she knew what made him tick much better then she'd ever known Hojo. Sesshomaru had let her inside. He'd shared parts of his past, told her about his family, his work, his boss. She liked that he didn't play games. She could count on Sesshomaru to protect her, to hold her, to make love to her. Steady, solid, sensual, he would be there for her.

 

But she'd been just as certain about Hojo. And look how badly that decision had turned out. Spending so much continuous time with Sesshomaru may have scrambled her normal caution over jumping into a relationship, but she didn't regret making love with Sesshomaru. In fact, she couldn't wait until they could be together again.

 

With Sesshomaru she felt as if she could be herself. She didn't have to hide her nature behind expected conventions. She didn't have to be politically correct. She could say what she meant and not worry about his disapproval. Although she hadn't had many serious relationships, she'd dated enough men to know that what she shared with Sesshomaru was rare and precious. And she didn't want to back away, until she'd decided if being with him was more then a mutual attraction that would lose its magnetism as the newness wore off.

 

Right now she was still at the giddy stage. Where his every look seemed significant. Where she was still trying to understand where he was coming from. Where she had such an awareness of him that it seemed as if he'd become a part of her. Never before had she felt this intensity with a man. She hadn't known she had that kind of passion inside her.

 

So spending more time with Sesshomaru would have appealed to her on every level if Sango hadn't been in danger, and Kagome didn't feel so uncertain about the future. With her stomach rumbling with hunger, with the moon rising, she had no idea what would happen next. And as much as she trusted Sesshomaru's judgement, she didn't like being kept in the dark.

 

“Where are we going?”

 

“I'm looking for a small bed-and-breakfast. Someplace off the beaten track where we can hide for a few days, pay cash and not cause the townsfolk to notice strangers.”

 

“We could go to Honeymoon Cove and pretend to be newlyweds.”

 

“Honeymoon Cove?”

 

“It's Alabama's answer to Niagara Falls. A secluded motel around the lake. Canoes. Sailboats. Heart-shaped hot tubs. And I have an idea. After Sango is protected, why don't we have her call Hojo and tell him where I am?”

 

“What?” the surprise in Sesshomaru's tone warned her to explain with care.

 

“Only, I won't be at the location Sango names and then the good guys can swoop in and take him.”

 

“Hojo can claim he has every right to look for his missing fiancé.”

 

“But suppose he doesn't just try to talk to me.”

 

“You want to set a trap?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Sesshomaru shook his head. “If Hojo doesn't do anything violent, we'll have no reason to arrest him. Then he'll become suspicious and possibly suspend his activities until the heat is off and we won't catch his associates.” Sesshomaru smoothly switched lanes. “Besides, I don't like the idea of using you for bait—even when I know you're safe.”

 

“According to you, Hojo's already coming after me whether we set a trap or not. As least this way, we can be prepared for his arrival.”

 

“And what would you have Sango tell him?”

 

Although she suspected Sesshomaru was probably continuing this conversation for the sole purpose of discouraging her, she couldn't give up on the idea. “I'd have Sango say that I got cold feet before the wedding. That I've been crying my eyes out ever since I ran. And that I don't have the courage to tell him that running away was the biggest mistake of my life.”

 

“I appreciate the idea, but our government has been investigating Hojo for some time. They don't just want him. They want him to reveal his contacts both up and down the ladder. They want to know which people inside the FBI may be helping him and which are innocent. They might even want to infiltrate the terrorist organization.”

 

Kagome sighed. “This sounds like it could take years.”

 

“Probably weeks. Maybe a mouth or two.”

 

“And I'm supposed to put my life on hold?” Kagome leaned back against the car seat. “I suppose that sounds selfish, but I spent my childhood waiting for my dad to contact me. I put off college to take care of my mom. I don't want to wait. I don't want to waste one day, never mind weeks. Watching my mom waste away taught me that our days could be more limited then we think. And while I enjoy our time together, running and looking over our shoulders is no way to live.”

 

“The most difficult part of my job is always the waiting. Waiting to hear the details of the mission. Waiting for the right moment to carry it out. Waiting to go home again.” With that, they drove on in silence.

 

An hour later she gazed at the hotel. Long, low, with private balconies on every lakefront room, the resort should have felt welcoming. Lovers strolled hand in hand along the lake. Several couples made use of canoes, rowboats and the dock. Others gathered around the pool where someone strummed a guitar. Yet she didn't feel as if she belonged here. She wasn't one of those happy, mellow souls on vacation. She was hiding.

 

“How do you get yourself through the waiting?”

 

“I read, talk, play solitaire. Rarely has the waiting been as pleasant as the time I've been with you.” His voice was smooth, rich and perhaps a bit hurt.

 

“Sesshomaru, it's not you that I want to get away from. You've been wonderful. It's just that I'm not accustomed to sleeping in a different bed every night. Or waking up wondering where I'll be going that day or who will be coming after me. I don't mind planned adventure. But not knowing what's going to happen from one minute to the next isn't exciting. It's wearing me down. Making me cranky and…hungry.”

 

He flashed a grin at her. I'm sure they have a dining room here. Why don't we eat before we check into the room?”

 

“Sounds good.” She knew he didn't like to leave his equipment untended in the locked hotel room where so many people had access.

 

“And as for the crankiness—“ he winked at her “—if you give me a chance, I'll see what I can do about that later.”

 

The dining room was surprisingly crowded. However, they didn't have to wait for a table. Sesshomaru had asked for a secluded spot near a exit with his back to the wall and where he could face the room. She'd noted how carefully he chose their position, as if it might be a life0and-death decision, yet he did so with the casual ease of someone who made such choices automatically.

 

The candlelit room and the white linen tablecloths set with gleaming silver, delicate crystal and china helped settle her nerves. The impeccable service and the string quartet lent a romantic mood to the room, as did the fire blazing in the fireplace.

 

She ordered a house salad and veal picata in lemon-butter sauce with capers, and Sesshomaru ordered a steak. They split a bottle of wine, and after the delicious meal, she was feeling relaxed and ready for some Mississippi mud pie. Sesshomaru had set his phone to vibrate so the ring wouldn't disturb other diners, but from the moment he reached into his pocket and pulled out the phone, her nerves grew ragged.

 

As if knowing her fear about Sango, he checked the caller ID. “It's Kincaid,” he told her, turning his attention to the phone.

 

Sesshomaru's expression didn't change. His boss might have been relaying the weather, and yet the man didn't call just to chat. She prayed for good news. That Hojo had been cleared or caught. That Sango and she could to their normal lives. That her father had completed his invention, turned it over to the government or car companies. Once he finished and the technology was out in the open, no terrorist organization would bother with Kagome, her friend or her father. They'd all be safe.

 

So she watched Sesshomaru's face. The expression in his eyes didn't change. His muscles didn't tense. And yet she sensed if the news had been good, he would have reached out and taken her hand, his mouth would have softened, his eyes would have gleamed in satisfaction.

 

“How long do we have?” Sesshomaru asked Kincaid.

 

That didn't sound good. Her heart skittered and her mouth went dry.

 

What was going on? Were they going to spend the night? Or leave? Despite Sesshomaru's efforts to lose the tail, had they been followed without his knowledge?

 

She told herself to stay calm. To breath. Sesshomaru could be discussing his next assignment. He could be discussing how long until her father completed his invention. Or how long until Miroku reached Sango.

 

Sesshomaru snapped shut his cell phone, signalled the waiter and asked for their bill. Lowering his voice, he gave her the bad news. “Someone in this restaurant recognized you from Sango's publicity. They called the FBI.”

 

Even as she marvelled at Kincaid's information network, her heart thudded up her throat. “Hojo knows we're here?”