InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Midnight Blood ❯ Searching ( Chapter 8 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

NEW UPDATE: 9/11/12.  I really tried to fix this chapter, over and over and over again.  Unfortunately, mediaminer is not being nice to my mac, and will accept no other format then rich text, which I hate using because it messes up my formattingÉand makes it hard to read.  However, there is no other way I can get back to regular updates without using it.  I’m so sorry about that.  Please try to bear with me.  

That being said, I have a feeling several of you are not going to like this chapter.  Believe me, I was so close to just giving the fans what they wanted, (well, what we all know you guys want *hint hint*), but I can’t help but feel that this chapter is really necessary for character development.  But bear with me, I promise the next next chapter is going to give you guys a major surprise *wink wink*    

On another note: this chapter has something in it that I personally love about this story.  Bet none of you can guess what it isÉ^_^

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, nor do I take credit for Romiko Takahashi's genius. I'm not that good at marketing. Or creating something that so many people enjoy.
REVIEWERS: Once again, guys I can’t thank you enough for your reviews.  I want you to know that I never take the precious time you take in making them for granted.
@ Splendid Goddess: I am glad you enjoyed the last chapter.  Shame on me indeed, but I promise that this chapter will answer (some) of your questions.
@Lady Karma: It was a tease wasn’t it ^_0.  But keep holding out and I promise that this ÒteaseÓ is going to be REALLY rewarding.    
@Kagome01234567890: Yes, I do love my cliffhangers.  I have a lot of fun things set up, be patient and you’ll enjoy it too.  I also wonder what Lucy isn’t telling anyone.   
@Circa: Don’t we all, Circa, don’t we allÉstick around, and I bet you’ll be surprised.  I bet what’s happening is not what you’d expect.   
The sound of screaming woke Kagome, making her jump to her feet.  It was as though ice had crept into the room and coated every bone in her body.  Lilliana was shrieking.  She thrashed and clawed at her sheets.  Spots of blood decorated her white blankets.  Kagome rushed forward and tried to grab Lilliana’s arms, but Lilliana smashed her elbow into Kagome’s chest.  Kagome flew across the room. Her back hit hard against the wall.  Dizzy, she couldn’t stop Lilliana from jumping off the bed and flailing around as though fighting some invisible monster.
Seconds later, the door was thrown open, and Narek appeared.  He crossed the room and pulled Lilliana into his arms.  She wriggled, shouted, but Narek only tightened his arms. He sat down slowly, forcing Lilliana down with him until she was sitting.  She struggled even harder, screamed even louder, and Narek grunted as she scratched his arms, chest, and neck.   
Kagome covered her ears.  She gritted her teeth as Narek pressed Lilliana’s ear to his heart.  He began to say something, and slowly, Lilliana’s screams became quieter.  Kagome opened her mouth but she couldn’t speak.  Narek began to pat Lilliana’s head softly.  Her cries became sobs.  He cooed and shushed her in their native language.  Her sobs became tiny whimpers, his arms around her loosened, and soon she was panting against his chest.     
Kagome stared.  This was not the Narek she had come to know.  The harsh stoniness of his face had melted away.  Instead his real eye was filled with longing and there was a kind of honesty to his movements that she had never seen.  He patted the top of Lilliana’s head and then ran his fingers through her long, curly hair timidly, as though he were working with a delicate piece of glass, a glass he was terrified of breaking.  
The manipulative air about him had disappeared.  The way he caressed and whispered softly to soothe Lilliana was a lie, wasn’t it?  Was he really the same calculative man that tortured and used people for his own personal gain?  Where did this gentleness come from?  Kagome felt as though he was a different person, and this new side to him felt so alien that she wished he would go back to being the monster she knew him to be.
Lilliana’s cries finally stopped.  Kagome watched as she pushed away from Narek’s chest and looked around the room.  Her eyes were half closed, as though she had just awoken from deep sleep.  She looked up into Narek’s face with a dazed expression, blinking at him for a long time, as though trying to clear her eyes from the dreamlike haze that covered them.   ÒYouÉwhy do you have to come back into my life, when I was just starting to forget about youÉÓ  
Then she went still, her head falling backward before Narek steadied her against him.  He suddenly stiffened.  Kagome sat up.  She tilted her head, squinting at him.  She tried to move forward, to see what he was looking at.   
ÒIt seems as though she’s finally calmed down.Ó  
Kagome scowled.  She sat back down and glared at Lucy.  Narek turned and watched Lucy as she crossed her arms and gave him a calm, yet icy and accusatory stare.  ÒI thought I told you to make sureÉÓ
Lucy looked at Lilliana’s face and narrowed her eyes.  ÒNarek.Ó Lucy spoke evenly, yet her shoulders and arms shook.  ÒShe stays.  Re-bandage the wounds she opened and keep a close eye on her.Ó
Narek stood, carrying Lilliana so that her head rested against his shoulder.  His cruel features had returned, and Kagome felt foolish for believing that he was capable of any emotion other then the steely and uncaring ones he preferred.  He faced Lucy, cocking his head toward his Lilliana as if to say, ÒWhy the sudden change of heart?Ó
Lucy was silent for a while.  She stared at Lilliana for a long minute before she took a deep breath.  ÒKagome no longer is the only one that is in danger.Ó
It was clear that Narek didn’t like her answer.  The muscles in his upper body tightened.  He looked down at Lucy with half closed eyes.  Yet, he stepped back and carried Lilliana out of the room without saying anything more.  Lucy stood where she was for a while, tapping her chin with her index finger.  Finally, she walked out of the room without even looking at Kagome.  
When he opened his eyes, his first instinct was to jump into the darkness and attack whatever was waiting there for him, but a strong hand held him down.  ÒEasy.Ó  It was Rukiya’s voice.  Inuyasha blinked, and slowly sat up.
ÒYou’re not going to scream this time?Ó
He stared hard at Rukiya, replaying her sentence in his head.  ÒThenÉdid IÉwake up screaming?Ó
Rukiya nodded. ÒYou were knocked 1out for about two days.Ó  She shifted her weight from one leg to another, and pressed her palms together nervously.  
Inuyasha squinted at her.  ÒSpit it out.Ó  He commanded.  He could feel his upper arms shaking, as though his body already knew he wasn’t going to like what Rukiya had to say.  Rukiya looked at him, but not into his eyes.
ÒI sawÉmost of the fight from the window.Ó  She began.
ÒAnd?Ó
ÒWell, when Kagome appeared, so did those things.  And when she ran, they went after her.  IÉthink they’re after her.Ó
Inuyasha felt as though he were submerged in ice water.  He suddenly remembered.  Kagome’s scent, her appearance, then those things, the fight, how he could barely jump and dodge, and then how suddenly all his attackers just backed off.  ÒThey were chasing her?Ó  He asked Rukiya.
ÒIt seemed that way.Ó  Rukiya looked down at the floor.
ÒThat’s not all, is it?Ó  Inuyasha said.  The ice on his shoulders had dropped into his stomach, creating a large, icy stone.
ÒLilliana’s missing.Ó
Inuyasha stood off the bed.  ÒYou’re kidding.Ó
Rukiya shook her head, pressing her lips together.  ÒNo, I’m not.  She’s gone.  We lookedÉbut all we found was a spot in the forest with her scentÉand her blood.  But we couldn’t find herÉor Kagome.Ó
Inuyasha reached for the first thing his hand could land on, which happened to be the stool that Rukiya had been sitting on when he woke up.  He snapped the hard wood in half.  ÒOh, that’s just fucking fantastic!  When I get my hands on those things, I’m going to-Ó  He then looked back up at Rukiya.  ÒWait, what about Sesshoumaru and the rest of the family?Ó
ÒThey’re fine.  No one was hurt, except you.Ó
Inuyasha sat back down and covered his face with his hands.  ÒFuck.Ó
There was a sudden whirlpool of images in his mind.  He saw Kagome standing in front of him.  He remembered how angry he was when he saw her.  Months of nothing, and she suddenly reappears with no word about where she had been, what she had been doing.  For a moment, he had thought that she had deliberately kept her distance, and then corrected himself when he realized the absurdity of such an allegation.  And then, his mind was completely clear.  All he had wanted to do was run up to her and make sure she had been real and clear his chest from the boiling pain of worrying about her for months.  Then those creatures attacked.  He lost sight of Kagome right as he began fighting.  The last he’d felt her presence was when she shouted at him before the fight consumed him once again.
ÒInuyasha!  Cut off their heads!Ó    
He shuddered, thinking about the terrible cracking sound he had heard everything he took one of those monsters out.  But, despite the macabre nature of Kagome’s advice, it was, nonetheless, effective.  He remembered beheading several of those things before one of them came up behind him and hit him so hard in the head that he fell to his kneesÉand thenÉ
Inuyasha was up on his feet so quickly that Rukiya jumped backward.  ÒWhat?Ó  She said, but he didn’t answer her.
He had heard it.  He was sure of it.  He could feel his skin freezing as the words sprang into his mind.  There had been a voice, an eerie, demanding voice, one that had invaded the contents of his brain, like a long needle, wedging its way into his skull.  It had spoken a second before he had lost consciousness.  ÒForget him.  Go after the girl.Ó  Inuyasha repeated.
ÒWhat?  What girl?Ó
Inuyasha waved Rukiya off, thinking.  Kouga had mentioned hearing a voice.  Kagome had mentioned someone out there with the ability to make her suffer.  Was that person specifically after Kagome?  Was her prediction correct?  
ÒRukiya, when did those things leave?Ó
ÒWell, I saw you go down, and then Kagome was gone.  I saw those things run into the woods right after.  It’s a good thing they did, too, otherwise you would haveÉÓ
He stopped listening.  He was sure of it now.  There was a leader.  It wanted something with Kagome.  Was that the reason she didn’t return?  Had Kagome been this leader’s, whoever he was, prisoner?  Was that the reason she had disappeared for months?  Did it have Lilliana now too?
Inuyasha fisted his hands in his hair.  What use was this sudden knowledge, when he had no idea where to search, or even if Kagome and Lilliana were alive and hiding somewhere together!
ÒAre you listening?Ó
ÒHuh?Ó  
Rukiya huffed.  ÒI just asked you what do you think we should do about Kouga?Ó
Of course.  He had a job to do.  He imagined a box within himself.  Inside the box where the two things he wanted most, to find Kagome and Lilliana.  Floating outside the box were all the unanswered questions, and his responsibilities.  They were banging against his box, demanding that he forget about Kagome and pay attention to the things that needed to be fixed, and yet no matter how hard Inuyasha tried to focus on the current situation, he couldn’t get the image of Kagome, standing at the edge of the forest, out of his mind.        
ÒSo tell me, what does Sesshoumaru want to do now?Ó  
Rukiya shook her head.  ÒI-I don’t know.  He sent word to Kanna for her aid in trying to understand what’s going on.  He suspects that these nightwalkers aren’t actual nightwalkers.Ó
ÒWhat do you mean?Ó
ÒThey don’t seem like they have any actual intelligence.  They just attack and give chase and they were allÉÓ
ÒKids.Ó  Inuyasha finished for her.  He shuddered at the memory.  Children.  He had been fighting monstrous versions of kids and teenagers.
Inuyasha stood up suddenly, and went over to his closet.  He pulled out a black shirt and jeans.  ÒRukiya,Ó he said, ÒCheck the human news.  See if you can find out any news about human kids disappearing.Ó
Rukiya squeaked.  ÒOf course!  I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before!  All of those things are too young to be natural born nightwalkers!Ó
ÒRight. They must be human kids who are newborns.  That is, assuming they are nightwalkers.Ó  
ÒIf human kids are disappearing in large numbers, someone is going to take notice of it, and judging by how many of those things attacked us last, the humans must be just as wary as we are.Ó  
Inuyasha walked into the closet, closed the door and, a few moments later, come out, wearing his new clothes.  ÒI’m going to go into town, see what I can dig up.Ó  He looked outside.  It was daytime.    
ÒWhat if those monsters attack again?Ó  Rukiya said.
ÒThey won’t.  Didn’t you say so yourself?  They seem to be after Kagome.  Besides, there hadn’t been an attack until she reappeared.  I’m willing to bet they won’t reappear until she does.  Plus, it’s daylight.  It would be safer and more practical for me to hear human news when they’re awake.Ó  He looked at Rukiya.  
Rukiya pressed her lips together.  ÒSesshoumaru isn’t going to be happy with you leaving without his permission.  Not to mention-Ó
ÒI know, I know!  God damn it!   We have a crisis!  There are hundreds of nightwalkers thinking we can’t do our job for shit, and just waiting for another reason to complain about how we’re not doing this or that to protect them and their families.  Save it!Ó  He ordered Rukiya and she closed her mouth.  
ÒI know what you’re going to say.  ‘You can’t just up and leave, and you’ll be in danger if you do.’Ó  He said in a mocking falsetto.  ÒYou know Rukiya, I’m not really made to be political.  That’s for a patient and intelligent person, like you.  I can’t fucking stand around, waiting for shit to happen!  I need to see if-Ó
ÒFine.Ó  Rukiya said calmly.  ÒGo.  Leave.Ó  
Inuyasha glared at her.
ÒI’m serious Inuyasha.  Go, look into things in town.Ó
ÒIs this a trick?Ó
ÒNo.Ó  Then she looked down, rubbing her upper arm.  ÒTruth be told, I’m worried about Kagome and Lilliana.  Any leads would be good right about how.  Sesshoumaru is busy smoothing things over with Kouga’s family, cleaning up the mess, and calling for reinforcements.Ó
ÒYou won’t tell him I left?Ó
ÒI’ll cover for you.  But keep in contact with me.  If anything goes wrong, I want to know about it so I can send help.Ó
Inuyasha went over to the window and pushed it open.  ÒI promise to keep contact.Ó  Then he jumped out.  Once he landed, he began jumping from shade to shade, heading into town, hoping that his path for information intertwined with the path to finding Kagome and Lilliana.       
Kagome couldn’t remember a time when she was as bored, and as furious, as she was in the three weeks that followed her recapture.  She had refused to come out of her room.  Her daily routine consisted of a healthy dose of seething anger, constant worrying, and sleep.  She hadn’t spoken to Lucy.  She didn’t touch the meat that was brought to her.  She refused to let Narek be anywhere within ten feet of her, and insisted on treating her own injuries.  Although she didn’t do as clean a job as Narek would have, Kagome was quit proud that her cuts were healing up, albeit slowly, without Narek’s help.  
Whenever someone had come up to her room to try to talk to her, Kagome had sat there, making it a point to ignore them until they left.  She couldn’t think of a single reason to give any of them her time.  The only silver lining was that once Lucy, Xander and Chase tried to talk to her, they gave up immediately after their second tries.  Narek, on the other hand, had never approached her.  Which was fine with Kagome.  After all, a prisoner doesn’t exactly show any real amiability to her captors.   
In addition to avoiding everyone, Kagome had taken it upon herself to make sure Narek didn’t come anywhere near Lilliana.  She couldn’t stand the idea of Lilliana being close to him.  Yet, surprisingly, Narek didn’t object when Kagome barged into his room and carried Lilliana off.  At first, she wondered whether Narek would take Lilliana back, but he didn’t.  And Kagome didn’t have to wonder why.  He had healed all of Lilliana’s wounds, and he had done as Lucy has ordered: he hypnotized Lilliana enough so that she would not wake from her sleep.        
Kagome stared at Lilliana’s bed, trying her hardest not to think, but the more she tried not to dwell on her unanswered questions, the more they invaded her thoughts.  Was Lilliana going to be all right?  What were the slaves’ leader after?  What was Inuyasha doing?  What did the family think now that Lilliana had also disappeared?  Why wouldn’t Lucy answer any of her damn questions?  Why did she have to live in the same house as Narek?  What had happened to her family since the fight?  Was Inuyasha looking for her?  
She didn’t know how long she was sitting there, replaying the events of the last few months, and wishing she could go back to pretending to be human, but eventually, her door opened again.  Chase walked in and Kagome pretended not to see him, even when he squatted down next to her.  He sat there for a long time, staring at her without saying anything.
ÒWhat?Ó Kagome snapped, giving him her angriest glare.
Chase shrugged.  ÒJust how long are you going to sit there feeling sorry for yourself?Ó
Kagome turned her back on him.  ÒLeave me alone.Ó
ÒYou want to keep running away from your problems?Ó
Kagome growled, and turned on him.  ÒJust how the hell am I running away from my problems?  I don’t have anywhere to run to.  Lucy seems to think it’s all hunky dory to keep me caged up with no answers.  Oh yeah, I’m doing a lot of running away from my problems when I’m stuck here with no one to tell me anything about what’s going on and how I can solve it. So leave. Me. The hell. Alone.Ó     
Chase gave her a look that Kagome would have described as the skeptical look a teacher would give a guilty student who was making excuses.  ÒYou’re locking yourself in this room, throwing a tantrum instead of doing something useful with your time.Ó
ÒOh really?  Any time I ask Lucy to explain whatever the hell is happening, she gives me the most vague answer you could possibly think of.  What do you expect me to do?  Tell a fairy to get Lucy to give me answers?Ó
ÒProblems don’t fade away just because someone is giving you the answers.  This isn’t elementary school, Kagome.  Make your own solutions.Ó
ÒGo away.Ó  
ÒYou’re wasting your breath, Chase.Ó
Kagome didn’t dare turn around.  Hearing Narek’s voice made her feel filthy, seeing him would only make her feel sick.  Chase stood from behind her.  Kagome rolled her eyes.  What would he know?  He wasn’t the one being treated by a child.  In fact, if Lucy had a daughter, Kagome had no trouble imagining how she would treat her.  Be quiet.  Do as I say.  I don’t have to answer your questions.  It’s for your own good.
ÒLeave her be.Ó Narek said.  ÒShe would only irritate us with her sulking.Ó
Kagome felt her cheeks burn.  ÒOh, I’ll show you moping.Ó  She stood and stomped toward Narek.
ÒIt must be so frustrating not being able to do anything but sit and cry about how weak you are.Ó
Kagome jumped across the room and grabbed Narek’s neck, tightening her fingers.  ÒThis is all your god damned fault!  You brought me back here, you kept me from-Ó  Kagome swallowed.  She was about to tell the man she hated the most, that he was keeping her away from her mate, and Kagome would be damned before she heard Narek make a snide comment about Inuyasha.  At least Inuyasha tried to make amends for his mistakes, at least Inuyasha showed genuine concern for his family.  At least the feelings Inuyasha felt were real, not lies that cold monsters like Narek would try and fool people into believing.  
Kagome squeezed Narek’s neck.  He brought his hands up to her wrists, and Kagome felt her bones crack.  Screaming, she let go of Narek’s neck, and he twisted her arms behind her back.  
ÒYou bastard.Ó  She hissed.
ÒCurse me, hate me, throw a fit at Lucy.  Your predicament is not going to change as long as you sit here and whine like a child who has just had a toy taken away.  I could care less whether you come to your senses or whether you remain here in your self-made misery, but don’t you dare try to pretend as though what is happening to you is our fault.  If you truly believe that you have no control, and nothing to do about this situation, then you should just throw yourself out there, and wait for those slaves to find you and get what they desire.Ó
Narek let go of Kagome, and she dropped to her knees, rubbing her wrists.  She looked up to curse Narek, but he was already gone.  Only Chase remained.  He watched Kagome nurse her bruised ego without saying anything.  When Kagome was unable to stand the silence, she asked him why he was still there.  Chase didn’t answer her question.  Instead he said, ÒThere is always something to be done, some solution to find.  You’re just not looking hard enough.Ó
He walked out, and Kagome slammed the door behind him.  
Bastards!  All of them!  She thought.  They couldn’t possibly understand how she felt when they were united with their family.  They had their freedom.  No one was worrying about them or keeping them prisoner.  No one had used them for bait and then brought them back to be held against her will again without giving her a reason for her imprisonment.  How dare they come to her and tell her to be optimistic when they were the ones keeping her caged!  Kagome stomped out of the room.  At the last step of the stairs, she was about to burst into the room and yell when a sudden movement stopped her.   
Thunk!   
Narek twirled a knife between his fingers.  He stared at the dartboard across the room, narrowing his eyes at the center target before he threw the knife.  
ÒBull’s-eye.Ó  Xander clapped as he came into the room and slumped down onto the couch.   
Narek walked over to the dartboard and pulled out the knives.   He then repeated his throws three more times.  ÒYou know, you’re pretty good at that.  I hope you don’t throw any knives at me in the future.Ó  Xander said as he walked over to the living room table.  
ÒWhy the sudden interest in weaponry?Ó  Chase was examining all the swords, daggers and knives that had been thrown on the table.  He picked up a long, thin, curved blade, with a tip that resembled the tip of a fishhook.  ÒYou’ve used this one.  What is it?Ó
ÒA Persian scimitar.  It was very useful for separating a slave’s head from its body.Ó  Narek said as he threw his knife again.  ÒPick a weapon for yourself and keep it sharp.Ó
Xander jumped up and down in his seat.  ÒYou really like the swords that have a curve to them eh?  So what’s the deal?Ó  
ÒSlaves prefer to come close enough to attack your chest.  I prefer not to resort to such crude methods.  However, using a weapon gives you a way to kill them without having to get too close for them to pounce on you.Ó  
ÒA clean cut, and we don’t have to worry about them anymore.  I see.Ó  Chase said as he picked up a katana from the pile.  ÒAnd am I right in guessing that you coated your weapon with your own venom to speed up the kill?Ó
ÒI am a master of destruction.Ó  Narek came to the table and picked up a hunting knife.  Without even turning around, he threw it at the dartboard behind him.  
ÒHoly shit!  You didn’t even look and you landed one right in the middle.  How do you do that?Ó  Xander pretended to hold an invisible knife and made throwing movements with his arm.   
ÒLucky shot.Ó
ÒRemind me not to be behind you in the future.Ó         
Narek glared at him.  ÒEnough stalling.  What did you find?Ó
Xander shrugged, picking up swords and placing them in piles.  ÒNot much.  The King’s family is fine.  They’re worried about your little stunt, though.Ó
Chase ran his finger along the edge of the katana he’d picked up.  ÒIs that all?Ó
Xander placed his hands on the table.  ÒThat’s about it.  It seems as though they’re doing what we’re doing, sitting around, being safe during the day and then gathering information.  The only thing that seems to have any of the family members personally ruffled is the fact that Lilliana disappeared.Ó
Kagome felt a lump of ice on her chest.  That really was all that the family, seemed Òpersonally ruffledÓ about?  Could it be that Inuyasha was angry at her for disappearing again?     
ÒYou should have seen it.Ó  Kagome turned her attention back to Xander.  He was smirking at Narek.  ÒRight before I was about to jump to help that girl, Narek swopped in out of nowhere.Ó  Xander nudged Narek with his elbow.  ÒYou really dig her huh?Ó
Narek grabbed Xander from behind the neck and pushed him roughly aside.   ÒYou are getting off topic?Ó
Xander rubbed the back of his neck and glared at Narek.  He straightened and said.  ÒThose slaves looked like they really had it in for that girl.   When Kagome appeared, those things seemed to run in her direction.  They were all heading toward her, until the family members jumped in and they switched targets.  But when Narek got to Kagome and covered her aura with his, they got confused.  They stood around for a while, looking dazed and then started running in the other direction.  As far as I know, Narek’s girl was the only one they went after.Ó
Narek walked toward the sliding glass door that led to the balcony.  He pulled the curtain down a little and looked out into the city.  ÒFrom what we know, these things are chasing after Kagome, but not by scent.  And for some reason, they showed some special interest in Lilly after Kagome vanished.Ó
Chase came to stand next to Narek and looked out into the sunset.  ÒI wonder why though.  Lilliana isn’t fourth generation?  What’s so special about her?Ó      
ÒSomething Lucy is not telling us.Ó  Narek’s fist clenched hard on the curtain.  ÒI can sense you in hall.Ó
Kagome took a step back on the stair.  ÒCome out, or I will drag you out.Ó  
Swallowing, Kagome walked out.  Narek gave her an indifferent stare.  Xander ignored her, flopping back onto the white couch.  Chase tilted his head in interest.  
ÒWell?Ó  Narek prompted.
Kagome opened her mouth to give him the rebuff she had on her lips upstairs, but the words didn’t come out.  Surprise overruled anger for a moment.  Instead she said, ÒLucy hasn’t told you why she decided to keep Lilliana either?Ó    
The sound of the television made Kagome, Chase and Narek turn.  Xander clicked the remote until he stopped on a news broadcast, and turned up the volume.  The rehearsed voice of the young anchor soon filled the room. ÒÉGang violence.  Police have increased their patrols in South Central Los Angeles and a few areas close by in the hopes that they will be able to find the gang members responsible for the disappearances of several elementary school kids and teenagers in that area...Ó
Xander turned off the TV and walked toward the door.  ÒI’m going to go do some digging.Ó  
ÒYou think the two are connected?  The gang violence and the kid slaves, I mean.Ó
Xander stared at her with his mouth hanging open.  ÒDid you use your brain while you were up there moping?Ó
ÒExcuse me?Ó  Kagome snapped.  
ÒMan, you are stupider then you look.Ó
Before Kagome could retort, Chase came forward and put a hand on her shoulder to get her attention.  ÒImagine impoverished kids in the streets.  Up comes this guy that says he has a new drug that can make them more money then they currently make dealing.  Give some drugs to teens who are curious and then you have them in the palm of your hand with a substance that not only stimulates, but the withdrawal drives you crazy with the need for more.  Kids can be fooled into thinking its juice.  They’re all easy targets.Ó  Chase said.  
ÒThat’s disgusting.Ó
ÒNo shit, Sherlock.  While you were up there crying and whining about how Lucy’s not telling you shit, we were busy digging up leads and information and keeping an eye on your family.  If you had just come down to ask me, I would have told you what I knew.  Lucy can have her secrets, but I don’t.  I deal in information for a living, remember?Ó
Kagome frowned at Xander.  Where had the annoying, perverted pest gone and when did he get replaced by someone so angry and why? ÒWhat’s your problem?Ó
ÒMy problem?Ó  Xander rolled his eyes.  ÒI’m not the one with a problem Kagome.  I don’t sit on my ass and whine when things don’t go my way.Ó
ÒAnd what would you have expected me to do?Ó
ÒPulling you ass together and get shit done, that’s what.  While the rest of us are freaking out, trying to find out what these fucking slaves want and who’s leading and why, you just cry and piss and moan about awful your live is.  Save it Kagome.  There are bigger things going on then your pathetic little pity party.Ó  He opened the door and left.  
Oh I can just hear the angry reviews right nowÉor the lack of reviews for this oneÉbut I promise the next chapter is going to set you guys at restÉonce again, please reviewÉeven if it’s negative.  Also, if there is anyone who wishes to be my beta, please shoot me an e-mail.  Speaking of which, forgive whatever mistakes I have missed in this chapter.  I will revisit it when my eyes are not tired, so that I can catch and fix those mistakes.
As always, thank you for reading.  Jian.