InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Hijacked Honeymoon ❯ Chapter 25

Hijacked Honeymoon

 

Chapter 25

 

.Hojo steered his motorcycle straight at her, as if playing a game of chicken. Blood blasting through her veins, mouth as dry as the sand her van skipped over, Kagome kept her foot on the gas pedal, both hands clenching the steering wheel.

 

The narrow dirt road had soft sand on the shoulders. If she turned aside, she might very well get stuck. Gritting her teeth, she held the center of the road.

 

She was in the bigger, heavier vehicle.

 

If they crashed head-on she had the better chance of survival.

 

But sweat poured down her forehead into her eyes. Could she run over the men she'd once intended to marry?

 

Damn straight she could. Hojo had lied to her. Used her. Had kidnapped and now the SOB was attempting to ruin her escape.

 

Don't turn the wheel.

 

Let him be the one to veer off the road.

 

When a helicopter's lights spotlighted her, she flinched. Was Hojo meeting her here to fly her to another location?

 

One problem at a time. Hojo aimed at her like a speeding bullet. In seconds they were going to collide head-on in screeching metal and vulnerable flash. And in her rush to flee, she hadn't put on her seat belt.

 

Hojo was charging straight at her like an avenging demon escaped from hell. His bright headlight blinded her. The helicopter's spotlight shifted to the motorbike.

 

She would not break. Would not turn away.

 

Kagome closed her eyes. And prayed.

 

But the crash didn't occur. Opening her eyes; she stared at the empty road ahead, checked her rear view mirror. Hojo must have careened off the road at the last moment, circled around and was now giving chase.

 

She slammed her foot down on the accelerator, but she watched him gain steadily in her rear view mirror. In seconds he drew up alongside her. She yanked sideways on the wheel, attempting to run him off road and the gun fell to the floorboards. Worse, her action only aided his effort to fling himself from the motorcycle to the van.

 

He'd dived through the window, and now his upper body rested on the seat, his legs dangling out.

 

“Stop the van,” Hojo shouted at her.

 

She slammed her foot on the brake, then the gas, trying to dislodge him. But he had too much of his body inside the vehicle. However, the jarring motions prevented him from crawling farther inside, and he cursed her viciously as he clung to the seat.

 

The helicopter pinned her in it's spotlight again, flying up her tail, hovering over the car, the blades creating a sandstorm, obligating her view of the road. With Hojo inside the vehicle and the chopper overhead, her hopes of escape were dashed.

 

Still, she didn't give up, veering first right, then left until she feared she might flip over.

 

 

“Jack can you set the chopper down on the van's roof?” Sesshomaru shouted, since he'd ditched his earphones and already had the helicopter's door open. Wind and sand shot through the chopper, making communication between the pilot and Sesshomaru difficult.

 

“You'll have to jump.” Jack shouted.

 

Sesshomaru made a mental note to thank Jack's wife for sending him back into action so soon after their baby had been born. Jumping out of a chopper flying at an estimated fifty miles an hour onto the ground was risky, but trying to land on the roof of a moving van was one of the craziest stunts Sesshomaru had ever attempted.

 

But Kagome was inside that van with a traitor.

 

Sesshomaru stood on the skid, hung on to the landing gear. “Go right. More. Another two feet forward,” Sesshomaru directed, as Jack attempted to match speed and direction with the wildly veering van.

 

Sesshomaru figured he could land on the roof, but whether he could cling to the surface after a jarring landing was doubtful. Still, he had to try. Help was on the way, more men, more vehicles and the local police, but Hojo was almost inside the van. Just his knees, calves and feet remained outside the window.

 

The van zigged right and the chopper zagged left. But just for an instant, Sesshomaru was directly over the speeding van.

 

He jumped, took the impact on the balls of his feet, then fell prone and spread-eagled, his wide speared arms extending to the max, his fingers clutching to grab the roof rack, his weapon flying from the holster.

 

Got it.

 

He wrapped his fingers around tight. Just in time. She swerved and he almost pulled his arm out of the socket.

 

Ignoring the wrenching shoulder pain, Sesshomaru slid over the roof and lunged into the van feet first. His limbs tangled with Hojo, and Sesshomaru stomped down hard on the other man, hoping to nail him hard. Hojo shifted.

 

Kagome yelped in pain.

 

Hojo's twisting and turning to fight off Sesshomaru must have hurt her.

 

Sesshomaru's anger rose to a fever pitch. “Bastard. Try hitting a man for a change.”

 

“Sesshomaru?” Kagome's voice was filled with pain and surprise and fear.

 

Fury lent Sesshomaru extra strength, but with no room to unfold his body in the tight space, he fought for leverage. Blows were of necessity short and tight. Wrapping one arm around Hojo's neck, Sesshomaru tried to jam his fist into the other's chin. But his blow didn't land as he and Hojo slammed into the dash, the van crashing to a sudden halt in a ditch, tossing the men onto the sand.

 

Together the men tumbled, and Sesshomaru's head ricocheted forward, then whipped back. He spit sand from his mouth, but although his shoulder hurt, he could clench and unclench his fingers and he never released his grip in Hojo's neck. Hojo might not have his strength, but he was well trained and fighting for his life. He jammed his elbow into Sesshomaru's ribs, tossed sand into his eyes.

 

The two men rolled in the sand, knees, elbows and fists landing blow after blow, but with neither man able to gain an advantage. During the struggle, Hojo broke Sesshomaru's hold, then bent over his hand groping for his ankle. When he straightened into a crouch, he came up with a knife.

 

Sesshomaru's foremost concern was Kagome. Had she been thrown from the van? Was she still inside it? Or was she somewhere on the sand where Hojo could reach her and use her as a hostage?

 

Training kept his attention focused on the weapon. Normally he'd block Hojo's knife hand, then grip and squeeze the wrist until his opponent was forced to drop the weapon. However, Hojo stayed out of reach, waiting for an opening to attack.

 

Sesshomaru decided he'd have to use his feet.''

 

“Sesshomaru?” Kagome stumbled into view, the van's headlights revealing her dazed look and blood streaming down her forehead. She had a gun in her hand and was raising it to aim at Hojo.

 

“Stay back,” Sesshomaru ordered her.

 

Hojo edged toward Kagome. Sesshomaru lunged with a roundhouse kick, his foot arching, and then coming down on Hojo's wrist. At the same time moment, Kagome fired the gun. Hojo's knife went flying, but he spun and thrust himself at Kagome, knocking her backward, and her second went wild.

 

But anticipating his opponent's move, Sesshomaru kicked out again, catching Hojo on his temple. He let out a woof of air and collapsed. Out cold.

 

Then Kagome was bending over Hojo. At first Sesshomaru thought she was concerned, but then he glimpsed the gun she held on him, her eyes fierce, “My first shot only got him in the shoulder. I ought to kill him.”

 

“Don't.” Sesshomaru took the gun from her hand, flicked on the safety, then tucked it into his jacket. “We need the intel our boys will sweat on him.”

 

With the helicopter landing, Sesshomaru placed him arm over Kagome's shoulder and drew her close. “You okay?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“They didn't hurt you.”

 

she turned into his chest and snuggled. “I knew you would come get me.”

 

“It's my job.”

 

“I'm glad.” Her eyes glimmered with tears of relief and happiness.

 

“You don't mind what I do for a living?”

 

“Mind? You just saved my life. Why would I mind?”

 

“But how will you feel when I have to leave you behind to help someone else?”

 

“I'll be glad that you have a good team behind you. I'll be glad that you're so strong.”

 

That she could accept him so completely caused his heart to swell with love. She might not know it yet, but she was going to be his. He vowed to be patient, to give her time to understand that he might leave her, but unlike her father, Sesshomaru would always come back to her. As much as he wanted to keep her all too himself, he couldn't do that, not with someone else waiting for an introduction.

 

I have a surprise for you,” Sesshomaru told her. “There's a man in the chopper I want you to meet.”

 

“He can wait,” she muttered, tipping up her mouth for a kiss. She tasted so good he never wanted to let her go. But finally he made himself pull back.

 

“He's waited long enough. It's your father.”

 

 

“My father?” shock and excitement made thinking difficult. When Hojo had slid through the van's window she'd been sure she was about to die. Then Sesshomaru had swooped down like some avenging hero to save her, and before she could quite comprehend that she was safe, the moment she'd anticipated for her entire life was upon her.

 

She was going to meet her father.

 

Ni-Ru Higurashi jumped out of the helicopter, rushed to her, then halted in the sand three feet away, seemingly unable to close those last steps. Unsure of his welcome. Her father had aged well, looking much like the picture Sesshomaru had shown her. He had her eyes and mouth, a nose totally long and straight that shared no resemblance to her own. But what caught at her heart were the tears streaming down his face.

 

His voice was choked up and husky. “Thank God, you are safe.”

 

“Thank Sesshomaru,” she replied flippantly, her sarcasm and defences going up. “Why are you here?”

 

“To offer myself in your place with the terrorists.”

 

She didn't understand. This was the father who never sent a birthday card. Never once phoned to speck to her. And suddenly he was willing to give his life for her?

 

He must have read the confusion in her eyes. “I haven't been a very good father.”

 

“You haven't been a father at all.” Years of hurt at being ignored hardened her to him. He'd always put his work before hi family, so she couldn't quite believe he'd been willing to risk his neck to save hers.

 

Sesshomaru squeezed her hand. “He has every intention of making up for that lack.”

 

“I'm not good with people.” Ni-Ru spoke sadly. “I thought Hojo was my friend. When I told him about you, I didn't realize I was putting you in danger. I get so caught up in my work that I forget security. I even forget everyday matters like, like—“

 

“Having a wife and child?” she muttered

 

Sesshomaru gestured for Jack to place Hojo in handcuffs before carrying the injured traitor to the chopper. “Kincaid had to pull strings to get Dr. Higurashi over here.”

 

“Call me Ni-Ru.”

 

“However, after your father heard about the danger you were in,” Sesshomaru continued, “He slipped past his handlers and offered himself to save you.”

 

“Why?” Her throat choked on the word. She'd always imagined that her brilliant father considered her no more then his sperm gone awry. And she'd always imagined all kinds of ways meeting him, from his showing up at her high school graduation as a surprise guest to even his begging her forgiveness at her mother's funeral. But never would she have imagined circumstances this bizarre.

 

“My invention is complete. We still have to modify the design for ships, airplanes, trains, submarines and…but…other men can do that. I was the one who could save you—so I came.

 

Simple words. Astonishment, confusion and shock swirled into a tempest of emotions that blasted her into stillness. In his own way Ni-Ru Higurashi loved her. The father who had totally ignored her his entire life loved her. She heard it in his somber voice, saw it in the uncertain way his eyes kept reaching out hers, then glancing away in misery. But most of all she felt it in her gut. And Sesshomaru had taught her to trust that gut instinct. Her father had crossed the Atlantic to give his life for hers if necessary. The least she could do was take the last three steps to him.

 

Seemingly of their own volition, her feet brought her to him. And then she was hugging him. “Thank you for coming here.”

 

“I want you to understand that I put the priority of my country first. Most people consider that wrong. But that is why I never…”

 

“Mom told me.” And Kagome hadn't believed her, hadn't wanted to believe that his work was more important to him than his daughter. She didn't know if he intended to disappear back into his laboratory and never come out again. While she would like to get to know her father, her self-confidence and self-worth no longer depended on his decision.

 

Over her father's shoulder she shot Sesshomaru a smile. The danger was finally over. They'd made it through safety, and Hojo was in custody. The Shey Group would round up his cohorts in other countries. Most important, they could all go back to their normal lives. And hers would include Sesshomaru.