InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Madman ❯ Chapter 4 – Connections ( Chapter 4 )

Madman

By Rinseternalsoul

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha, and I make no profit from writing fanfiction..

Chapter 4 – Connections

Yuka dabbed the tears with handkerchief and glanced beside her to find Ayumi doing the same. It was so terrible. Too horrible to even imagine. Eri never deserved this. No one deserved this. It was frightening to think that the world could be such a cold and callous place. A place where a girls life meant nothing. It could have been any one of them. It could have been her, lying there in that coffin, with her mother sobbing uncontrollably. Poor Eri.

Movement caught her eye and Yuka noticed that Kagome had slipped away from the crowd of mourners. Kagome was not taking the death of Eri well at all. None of them were. Kagome, however, was the last to speak with her. Eri was supposed to have lunch with her and never showed up, because she was dead. It was not Kagome’s fault, and there was nothing that she could have done differently to save their friend, but it was just Kagome’s nature to take the weight of the world on her shoulders.

Yuka was about to turn her attention back to the ceremony when she noticed the man. A tall man wearing a long black coat, hat and dark glasses. That was not unusual, considering they were at a funeral. It was odd, however that he remained so far away from them all. If he was here for the funeral then why not join them? Stranger still, was that Kagome was now walking toward the man. Yuka lightly elbowed Ayumi who looked at her in confusion. She made a motion toward Kagome and the stranger causing Ayumi to look around to see what it was that Yuka found so interesting in the middle of Eri’s funeral.

"What is she doing?" Ayumi whispered to her friend. "Who is that guy she’s talking to?" Yuka shook her head with a slight shrug of her shoulders.

Suddenly all hell broke loose. The most unimaginable thing happened right before their eyes. The man, who had been speaking calmly with Kagome, looked up and Kagome then began glancing around in a weird way. Something was said, and then to their utter horror, the man grabbed Kagome and began to run! Yuka blinked, thinking... hoping... that she was seeing things, but when she opened her eyes, they were gone.

"KAGOME!!"

All those in attendance of the funeral looked around, wondering what in the world made Yuka and Ayumi scream out during the middle of the priest’s sermon. The two women began running away from the cemetery plot screaming Kagome’s name, but Kagome was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly a van sitting in an adjacent parking lane spun out, driving away fast. Kagome’s brother, Souta, startled them both when he grabbed Ayumi and spun her around. In a frantic voice he demanded, "Tell me what happened! Where’s Kagome?!"

"He took her! The man that she was talking to, he grabbed her and ran!" Ayumi cried. Yuka wrapped her arms around Ayumi as soon as Souta released her. They both watched as the young man took off in the direction of the fleeing van. That had to be where the man took Kagome. He disappeared too quickly. He must have thrown her in the van and was trying to escape. Yuka turned around frantically and yelled, "Someone call the police! Kagome has been kidnapped!"

Souta ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He had to reach that van before it hit the main road. He had to save his sister from this lunatic! He raced over the cemetery, leaping over stone markings and tearing up neatly cut green grass. He ran so hard that he felt his lungs would burst from his chest. The van was speeding around a corner, and if he could just make it over the next hill he could possibly catch the vehicle tag number before he lost hope completely.

He maneuvered a tomb and skirted a freshly dug plot when he finally got close enough to make out the numbers, only, there were none. There were no markings at all. It was just a gray van, nothing more. He could not even see who was driving because the windows were dark. "Damn!" he cursed in frustration as his last chance slipped away. The van turned one last corner and was through the main entrance and heading away at break-neck speed. "KAGOME!!!" he yelled loudly as he fell to his knee’s.

She was gone.

~~~~****~~~~

Kagome listened to the long feared taiyoukai, speaking to her as if she were always an ally, telling her horrible and unbelievable things. Things that pointed toward murder and intrigue. Things that she did not at all want in her life any more. Gods! Was her ordeal in the feudal era not enough? Did her heart not suffer enough? Was there some big sign on her forehead that said ‘Kagome: Chosen to forever be in mortal peril?’

As if it were not bad enough to find herself in this predicament, she had to be in it with Sesshomaru. Mr. Smiles and Happiness. Inuyasha would have a coronary just knowing that she was standing here talking to him. The guy that tried to kill them both numerous times. The one who used the un-mother to trick Inuyasha into believing it was his real mother brought back from the dead. The jerk who tried to steal the Tetsusaiga over and over. The guy had very few pluses that she could think of. Even when he was doing something charitable he adamantly denied it. This youkai was the bane of Inuyasha’s existence. Inuyasha, who was her...

Kagome blinked away those thoughts. It was hard for her to define what Inuyasha was to her. He was many things, and their relationship grew and changed with the sands of time. It wouldn’t do to go all blubbery on Sesshomaru. She seriously doubted that he would appreciate it, especially while he was being so serious. Of course, he was always serious, so that was nothing new.

It was rather overwhelming to see how much Sesshomaru had changed, and yet, somehow stayed the same. Time had obviously pressed down on the taiyoukai forcing him to blend in with human society in order to survive. For some reason she never figured him to live beyond the era of swords and magic. He seemed too proud to bend to human ways. Yet still, here he was, right in front of her, wearing black slacks and a very sexy calf-length leather coat of the same color. The shades and hat only served to complete the ensemble giving him a whole new appeal. Did this guy ever have an off day?

Behind it all though, he was still a dangerous demon lord. One that had actually survived the ages. It truly spoke of his power and his willingness to survive in style. He was, after all, the owner of a world renowned arms manufacturer. The field was not so much a surprise, but the fact that the feared demon Lord Sesshomaru actually did paperwork was a bit unsettling. Almost as unsettling as what just popped into her head when he said a very familiar word.

"Wait, wait... did you just say miko’s?"

Sesshomaru drew in a breath of calming air filled with the putrefying air pollutants of this modern world. He tried to calm the sudden urge to snap the little twit’s neck in two. It was highly obvious that she was not paying much attention to what he was saying, and that was something that he was unused to. When he talked, people listened, especially since he did not choose to talk very often. Yet he found himself actually standing with his late half-brother’s silly wench from five hundred years past, relaying to her the details of a strange new event as if she were some sort of trusted associate. What the hell was he thinking?

With a sigh that was just barely audible to the inferior functioning of human ears, Sesshomaru stepped away from the mortal and said, "It is obvious that I am wasting my time with you miko. At any rate, it is unlikely that you would be of any assistance in dealing with this new threat, so I shall be on my way."

The sudden burst of anger that the miko was so well remembered for, suddenly rose to the surface, blocking her good common sense and flushing her face with a pretty rose hue. Kagome was struck with the overwhelming need to make it very clear to Lord Sesshomaru that she would not stand for his insults, since the way that he just spoke to her was clearly meant to be insulting.

She took three steps forward, just enough to thoroughly invade his personal space, and placed one hand on her hip and pointed a finger at him with the other. Her thin sculptured brows were narrowed with a spark of temper and her dark blue eyes flashed with indignation. "Listen here buddy, this isn’t the feudal era, so you can drop the high and mighty act with me! I apologize if I’m a little distracted, but my best friend was just murdered! A guy who tried to melt me into a gooey puddle five years ago shows up and snatches me away from her funeral, and now your telling me that there is a conspiracy to kill miko’s and kidnap taiyoukai! Excuse me, if I’m a little out of it!"

He narrowed his golden eyes on the girl and thoroughly weighed his options. Killing her would be so easy. His fingertips simply itched with the urge to slice through her flesh. On the other hand, if he was right, and he normally was, this new enemy was plotting something big. Something that exposed himself as a youkai and something that merited the slaughter of several low-level miko’s. It was clearly obvious, from the woman in the van, that the enemy was now seeking this miko. That of course could be used to his advantage. The best bait was always used to catch the biggest fish, and as much as he hated to admit it, this woman was the best bait around. Her miko powers went far beyond anything that he had crossed in three centuries, possibly more.

What could the nameless enemy want with a miko and a youkai? Why does he seek to capture them? Why do they seek the miko’s out, going through the trouble of kidnapping, only to kill them soon after? These questions and more stayed his hand. His bait was too important to sacrifice to the Dakkasou on this day.

Kagome had the eeriest sensation of having just narrowly avoided death. It sent a shiver up her spine and opened the floodgates to that wave of common sense that had abandoned her during her fit of anger. She quickly lowered her hand, looking a little embarrassed, and stepped away from the tall man who was not a man, but a killing machine in a pretty package. She looked away from those angry golden eyes and focused on the grass beneath her feet, finding it extremely interesting all of a sudden.

Sesshomaru could see that she now realized her precarious position and the knowledge that she regretted her hasty actions settled his need to strangle the life from her. She was always such a wild card, even in the feudal era. ‘Wait...’ did she say, that he tried to melt her only five years ago? Was she mentally unstable? That had occurred at least five hundred years ago, if not more. Perhaps in her anger and grief she simply made an error? Most likely that was the case, otherwise there was much more to this miko than he first realized.

Kagome finally looked up. She could actually feel his temper easing away, and sent up a prayer of thanks for her good fortune. "Can we start again, please? I... apologize for my outburst. I guess this whole thing is really stressing me out." He regarded her, as if trying to determine her sincerity, and then he nodded curtly. She sighed and turned away to stare up at the sky littered not with endless blue, but with tall looming structures of glass and steel.

"So you think the other girls who have been turning up are miko’s?" Kagome whispered in question.

"It is my assumption, yes. I was not completely sure until the cemetery incident." He watched her. Her sadness polluted her normally pleasant scent, which still lingered faintly about her person. That smell of despair was not something that he found pleasant. He much preferred her temper to this sudden bleak heaviness settling around her. "The woman in the van was the same one who shot my driver and delivered me to the facility where I was held briefly. Just before we left, I clearly heard her ordering her men to ‘take the miko alive’."

"How did you escape? From the place they held you, I mean." Kagome saw the tell-tell clenching of his jaw. A clear sign that the ordeal had angered him greatly.

"It is not so easy to hold this Sesshomaru," he snapped.

Kagome allowed a half hearted laugh at that and said, "No doubt", as she turned away from him to once more stare at the tall buildings touching the sky around them. "Why do you think the girls that have been turning up dead are all miko’s? Eri wasn’t a miko."

"Had you been paying attention, wench, you would have heard me sooner. Eri was killed in order to get to me. It has been revealed to me that the other dead human females were all miko’s of varying degree’s of power; weak power at that. An... acquaintance of mine has been watching the rash of disappearing women around the city and beyond. She felt the passing of their souls and was surprised to find that each one held the taint of miko power."

"Humph. Only you would consider it a ‘taint’," Kagome grumbled. Her comment was ignored by Sesshomaru, and Kagome began thinking about the possible connections to the lot of them. If the girls were all miko’s that would explain why the police have not made the connection. In this day and age youkai were not a threat to humankind so the purification powers lay dormant and untapped. The only reason that hers was active was because she fell into the well and into a world filled with youkai. Each year that she was there only served to build her powers and make them stronger.

Kagome was thinking about contacting the police, and warning them of the miko connection. It could save lives if they figured out a way to use that information to track down the killer, but her thoughts were interrupted when the deep beating thrum of a low flying helicopter was heard. She looked at Sesshomaru, or Shuusaku, as everyone knew him now, and found him glaring toward the sound with great interest.

"Is... is it them?" Kagome asked softly and with worry evident in her voice. Could they have found them this quickly? How? It was almost inconceivable to think that they could track them in this vast city, full of millions of people, with such quick efficiency.

"It may very well be. I have my suspicions that they have drafted the aid of one or more Trackers."

"Trackers?" Kagome asked curiously. Sesshomaru glanced at her for just a brief second then returned his attention to the approaching aircraft. "Hai. Trackers are a lower form of youkai. They do not have speech capabilities, but do have a heightened sense of smell unlike that of any other creature. They can detect a spiritual aura just as easily as a youkai aura. I had thought them extinct, but I am fast beginning to believe otherwise."

Dear Kami above. If what he said is true there will be no place safe for them. The enemy can hunt them down anywhere. Suddenly the reality of being hunted settled on her mind and it scared the life out of her. She had not been hunted since leaving the feudal era behind. This world, her time, was always thought of a safe. A place where the threat of youkai and their magical abilities could not touch her. Before this, there was nothing here in modern Japan to worry about except the usual muggings and car accidents. Now, after her life was finally becoming somewhat normal, she discovers that youkai exist and once again she is hunted.

The loud whir of the helicopter became clearer, and the beat of the giant blade sounded eerily like that of some prehistoric beast, as the thing came into view. Shuusaku was the first to react. Where Kagome was limited to her human eyesight, he was able to see the details of the craft. Military markings clearly adorned the dark green machine. It was armed with guns mounted to the sides and the large glass window gave him a view of the occupants. One male pilot, the woman known to him as ‘Suki’, and... a Tracker.

Without a word of warning he snatched up the miko and took off at a blurring run.

~~~~****~~~~

Souta sat next to his mother on the couch. He held his arm around her shoulders, but knew that his efforts to comfort her were in vain. The detective sitting in the chair by the end-table was questioning them again. He had long ago lost count of how many times they had repeated this story. The first time was at the cemetery, where it all occurred, then at the police station, and now here. This detective was supposed to be an expert on the case of missing and murdered girls found recently in Tokyo. That knowledge hit Souta’s gut a little harder than he wanted to admit.

He introduced himself as Detective Kobayashi Naoaki, and he seemed genuinely concerned for Kagome, which helped just a little. The other officers seemed to be distracted and standoffish, like they did not wish to become emotionally involved. This man, however, clearly seemed concerned for Kagome’s welfare, but the reason that he did was enough to scare Souta to death.

Detective Kobayashi finished jotting down the last moments that the victim was spotted alive. He had already read the reports from the main office, but Naoaki liked to take a statement of his own, finding that the witnesses sometimes revealed things to him that were not noticed in the beginning. By the time he was sent out to speak with them they had calmed just a fraction. This fact, combined with his own personal touch, sometimes brought things to the surface that were not noticed at first.

The many years that he had been with the force did nothing to ease the true compassion that he felt when facing the family of a victim. This case in particular sent a stab of sorrow through his chest, because as much as he wished it were not true, he was seriously beginning to suspect that the kidnapping of Higurashi Kagome was related to the recent rash of murders in Tokyo. The description of the vehicle used for the abduction was much too similar to ignore and her relation to one deceased Wannabe Eri, made it even more so. God he hoped that he was wrong, because if he wasn’t, then every second that passed by could mean the death of this pretty young woman whose photograph he held in his hand.

Her mother was extremely upset, and her grandfather had actually been given a sedative to calm down. The brother seemed to be the strength of the family right now, even at his young age. Oh, he was obviously upset and shaken as well, but it was clear that he had his wits about him, which was very helpful.

He stood up and bowed politely, thanking the family of Miss Higurashi, before taking his leave. As he was passing through the door of their home, Maya Higurashi stopped him with one last plea.

"Detective, please, you have to find my Kagome. She has been through so much in these past years. She is a good girl and a very powerful priestess. She has a light in her that this world needs. I beg you, find her and bring her home to me safe and sound."

Naoaki gave her a sad sort of smile and said, "I will do my best Higurashi-san."

"Thank you," Maya whispered with tears in her soft voice.

He walked out to his car with much on his mind. Something the lady said had struck him a blow. Kagome was a miko at this shrine. If he was not mistaken, and he knew that he was not, one of the other girls had come from a family who owned a shrine. That girl’s parents too had called her a priestess. Coincidence? Maybe.

So far he had five dead girls, not including Eri Wannabe, who was tagged as a possible victim in this same case. All five of the young women were kidnapped, missing for an average of two days, and then were found dumped somewhere with their throat cut. The difference between them and Eri was that she was murdered where she was found, and there were no other marks on the body. The other five had small puncture wounds on their temples as well as bruising around the wrists and legs, indicative of being strapped down. What the puncture wounds in the temples meant, he had no idea yet.

Just the fact that Eri Wannabe was related through a close friendship with Kagome Higurashi lent fuel to the idea that the murders were all related. The autopsy report on Eri verified that the blade used to cut her throat had a ninety- percent chance of being the same weapon used to kill the other women. The angle and length of the cut were extremely similar. The only thing missing on Eri was the puncture wounds and bruises.

What really turned this investigation into a free-for-all, was the fact that Eri’s employer, Shuusaku Taisho, was believed to be kidnapped as well. Two days after her body was recovered, they found a man dead with a bullet to his head just a few miles from the building owned by Shuusaku Taisho, of Taisho Arms, Inc. Upon further investigation it was determined that he was the personal driver of Taisho-sama. A few hours after the body was recovered they found his abandoned black limo parked alongside a stretch of deserted road five miles outside of the city limits. The driver’s blood was found on the interior door and on the exterior door as well, but no signs of Taisho-sama, or his female associate, were discovered.

Taisho’s temporary secretary was the only real lead in the case. A woman that was first suspected as a victim, became a suspect when deeper investigation revealed that she simply didn’t exist. Her paperwork and contact information was all bogus, leading to dead ends. It stunk of deception. He was able to obtain a very thorough description of the woman from office employees, and currently had an artist working on a sketch. If they could find that woman, then they could possibly find the one’s responsible for this whole thing.

Could the kidnapping of Shuusaku Taisho be related to the deaths of the five young women? As much as he hated to believe it, it looked as if it were true. The uncanny murder of his secretary, Eri Wannabe, would have opened the door for a person to be planted in the company to get close enough to Taisho to take him out. It just so happened that the person who off’d Eri Wannabe was possibly the same person who off’d five other innocent women.

What then, was the connection to Shuusaku Taisho and five, possibly six, murdered young women with puncture wounds in their temples? He had a feeling that if he could answer that then he could bust this case wide open.

With a frustrated sigh, Naoaki snapped his seatbelt in place and started his car. He then picked up his notebook and jotted down his theory. His next stop would be the shrine of victim number two, a twenty-two year old by the name Kajima Chihoko. If the fact that Kagome and Chihoko were both miko’s had anything to do with this case he needed to know. Then he wanted to schedule a visit to Taisho Shuusaku’s home. Perhaps there he would find some sort of connection between the missing girls and the missing businessman. Every minute counted in this case. If Kagome were indeed taken by the same bastards who took the others, then she would turn up dead in two days time.

~~~~****~~~~

A/N: I hope that you all are enjoying Madman so far. If you are reading this from A Single Spark, I would appreciate it if you would shoot me an email telling me how you like it since the review system is not working properly. My email address is Rinseternalsoul@msn.com

Arigato!