InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Mukunda ❯ Red Tape ( Chapter 1 )

Greetings and salutations. Wrath here. This story is a collaboration between myself and sesshomaru lover1. This is the first attempt from either of us to venture into the author's domain. We hope you like.

Disclaimer: Why do I bother? If you believe I own Inuyasha, you should be shot.

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"What do you mean they won't give me the warrant!?" The detective's irate scream echoed throughout the station. With all the work that was popping up lately only a few rookies took note. Everyone else just went about their business. It's not like the detective's outbursts were that rare to begin with.

A pudgy man behind a stack of reports shifted nervously under her fiery gaze. She was always like this, getting worked up over cases and yelling at him when she got tangled up in the red tape of bureaucracy. Truth be told, he hated it just as much as she did but 25 years on the force taught him the futility of arguing. "I'm sorry, Higurashi. The DA won't go to the judge on so little evidence. You know the judges are more worried about furthering their careers than the law. Our hands are tied right now."

"Our hands are always tied! I've got rope burns on my wrist my hands are tied so much!" she sighed in exasperation. It wasn't the captain's fault. It never was and she always took out her frustrations on the poor man. "I'm sorry Captain Simmons. I just want these girls home safe and sound instead of in body bags, or worse yet, out on the street like the others we've found."

"I know Kagome. We all do. Listen," the Captain continued on in a paternal voice, "you should get some rest. You've been working yourself to the bone on this case and you need to relax. You'll probably think better that way and find something you missed." The way he spoke, while fatherly, also suggested to her that this was more of an order. That was fine with her though since she always took her work home with her.

"Yes sir. I'll see you on Monday then." The young detective turned and left the captain's office, emerging into the hustle and bustle that was the missing persons bureau of the NYPD. People were running every which way as always, running between this desk and that, carrying stacks of reports, posting bulletins, following leads and basically just being cops. It was said that Missing Persons was the hardest working unit in any PD but it was especially true in this precinct. Every single person in the unit took their job seriously because they knew that lives depended on it. Well, almost everyone. Every unit had its slackers of course. Unfortunately for Kagome, her unit's slacker also happened to be her partner.

It wasn't necessarily that Kouga didn't care. He just cared about the wrong thing. Ever since she had been made a detective six months ago and assigned to the unit, Kouga had been trying to get into her pants. He was none too subtle about it either, announcing that she was his after their first week as partners despite her fervent denials. He followed here everywhere, even going as far as following her into the ladies room once until she beat some sense into him. All in all, he was a sexual harassment suit waiting to happen. There were only two reasons she tolerated him. Firstly, he was a wolf youkai and she knew his obsession was somewhat due to his instincts. Secondly, when he put his mind to it, he was a damned good tracker. More than once he'd been the one to literally sniff out a few leads. Unfortunately for Kagome, he chose to be his usual lazy, obsessive self today.

Making her way to her desk, she found her partner waiting for her, taking his between nap snooze. He always seemed to sleep during the day because it was a well known fact that he was out every night running wild at clubs and carousing with his buddies.

`Oh for the love of…' she sighed. `Lazy ass can't even fall asleep on his own desk.' Ever so quietly, she snuck up behind him and leaned forward, looking ready to whisper sweet nothings in his ear. "WAKE THE HELL UP YOU LAZY BASTARD!"

Kouga rocketed out of his chair and looked around wide eyed, his heart pounding in his ringing ears. After the shock of yet another Higurashi yell, the entire room burst out laughing at the bewildered youkai. Kagome, however, wasn't laughing. She turned her heated glare on Kouga and folded her arms across her chest, "Serves you right, lazy wolf. Get your stuff. We're leaving."

Any amount of shock or embarrassment disappeared from his face as he snatched his jacket from the back of the chair and was at her side in a heartbeat. "Of course, my mate! Where shall I take you? Would you like to go to the Bistro or the steak house down the street or would you just like to skip dinner and go straight back to my place?"

"Shut up Kouga. This isn't a date. We've got work to do." She was so used to him jumping to conclusions that it didn't even faze her anymore. Unfortunately, Kouga took her lack of anger as a sign of weakened resistance and hounded her all the more but her thoughts were too busy elsewhere to bother.

`Won't give me the warrant eh? I'll show those assholes at the courthouse. I'll get all these girls home safe and brings those bastards to justice.'

----Several hours later…

"Tell me again why we're here in the middle of the fucking night and without backup?" Kouga's voice crackled through the cheap earpiece crammed in Kagome's ear. She had to ask herself the same question as she stared up at the large warehouse looming before her, illuminated only by the street lights lining the pier. The massive structure looked run-down and abandoned but she knew better. Behind those sheet metal walls was the gang of thugs responsible for the recent disappearances and she was going to catch them, warrant or not. "We're here to save lives Kouga, now shut up or you'll distract me."

She was certainly dressed for the occasion, forgoing her usual business suit in favor of more appropriate garb. Her simple black cargo pants' pockets held whatever she might need including enough ammo on speed loaders to see her and the .45 holstered at her side through a firefight. Her t-shirt was simple and black as well, bulging over the thick Kevlar vest hidden beneath. She may be brash but she wasn't stupid. Checking everything one last time, she breathed slowly and calmed her jittery nerves before approaching the target.

She crept through the shadows along the side of the building, looking for the window she knew was there. She had scouted the building out this afternoon and planned their attack but she didn't remember the building being this scary in the daylight though. The window finally came into view several feet away. Only a sliver of light shone through the years of caked on grime but it was enough for her to see inside and what she saw made her gasp in horror.

It was worse than she had ever feared. The missing girls lined the walls, shackled in place with heavy, steel clasps at their ankles and wrists and stripped of all their clothing. There had to be at least fifteen girls in there and the wall wasn't even full to capacity. There were gaps in the line waiting to be filled with even more victims. The bile rose into Kagome's throat as she looked at the poor women more closely. They ranged in age from mid-thirties to early teens. One girl looked like she couldn't be more than 11. Their bodies were bruised and scratched all over but especially around their more private areas and their heads hung low as if hope had been beaten out of them. It was obvious to the detective exactly why these sadistic bastards were kidnapping these girls. They were being turned into playthings.

`Oh, now these fuckers have to pay!' She seethed in rage as she eased the window open. She was so blinded by her anger that she didn't even realize just how much noise she made, nor did she notice one of the girls glance her way. She was careful though, to keep herself hidden behind the multitude of crates and boxes lining the wall.

If she thought the sight of the girls on the wall sickened her, the sight that greeted her from her hiding place made her wish she were blind. It was an image she would no doubt see in her nightmares tonight. There before her were the girls that would have occupied the empty spaces on the walls, engaged in various depraved acts with their captors. Two of the four men were confining themselves to only one girl apiece; the other two seemed to require the pleasure of two of their victims. The whimpers of several of the girls being raped reached Kagome's ears and nearly tore her heart in two. Every few minutes a loud slap would echo throughout the warehouse followed usually by a loud yell of, "shut the fuck up you whore!" or "watch your fucking teeth slut!"

All she could think of was getting to those poor girls as soon as she could and taking them away from the hell they were now faced with. No one should every have to go through this and these assholes were doing it to so many. They deserved to die slowly but she knew that they would probably only serve a few years if they could afford a decent lawyer.

Suddenly, she noticed that two more girls were kneeling by the other thugs untouched. `Are they the backup or something?' Finally, remembering her partner, she tapped her earpiece and spoke in a soft whisper, "We've hit the jackpot Kouga. All the girls are here." She waited several moments for him to respond but when nothing came she spoke again, "Kouga? You there?" Through the static, she heard a very distinct snore. "Kouga, you son of a bitch, I'm going to rip your fucking nuts off if you-" Her angry words were cut off when a thought occurred to her. `What if those two girls belonged to a thug she hadn't accounted for yet…' The though had barely passed through her mind when she heard one of the last sounds she ever wanted to hear; the hammer of a gun being drawn back behind her head.

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