InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Purity 5: Phantasm ❯ Wisdom ( Chapter 26 )

~~Chapter 26~~

~Wisdom~

 

“I could have sworn I told you not to kill them all,” Gunnar grouched as the trio trudged through the forest toward the waiting SUV.

 

Bas rolled his eyes as he shrugged off his jacket and grimaced at the mess his clothes had become. “Yeah, well, I'd have been happy to oblige, but I'd rather have kept Sydnie around a little bit longer.”

 

“Baka,” Gunnar mumbled, glancing back at his cousin.

 

Bas sighed. “Baka this, you dick-weed,” he growled, grabbing his crotch and giving it a little shake.

 

“You know, there's a good chance the rental company is going to charge more for the interior cleaning they'll have to do,” Gunnar remarked, ignoring Bas' show of vulgarity.

 

“So bill the tai-youkai for it.”

 

Gunnar chuckled. “I think I will.”

 

Sydnie slipped her hand into Bas' and peered up at him. The last thing he felt like doing was smiling, but the stricken, scared expression on her face was enough to draw a wan little grin as he squeezed her icy fingers and let go to slip an arm around her.

 

Unlocking the side door of the SUV, Gunnar turned around and made a face at Bas' filthy clothing. “Let me get you something clean,” he grumbled, striding around the vehicle and opening the trunk.

 

Sydnie frowned as she stopped, head cocked to the side. “Are you hurt?” she asked, gingerly reaching out to touch Bas' filthy shirt.

 

“I'm fine,” he told her, his tone gentle despite the underlying gruffness. “Why don't you get in the truck? You're cold.”

 

She shook her head stubbornly and scowled at his chest. “Let me see, puppy.”

 

“Sydnie—”

 

“Let me see,” she repeated again, brushing his hands aside when he tried to stop her. Moments later, she rent his shirt with her sharp claws and pushed the ruined fabric aside impatiently.

 

“Syd-nie!” he complained, but didn't make a move to push her away.

 

She inspected his chest thoroughly before grabbing his arm and turning him around. She slipped the shirt off and dropped it onto the ground, repeating the examination process once more. “Good,” she finally decided. “You look fine.”

 

“That's what I told you,” he grumbled, cheeks pinking. The only saving grace was that, standing as he was with his back to her, she couldn't see his ruddy complexion.

 

Gunnar cleared his throat to gain Bas' attention. “Here,” he said, whipping a clean shirt at his cousin before slamming the hatch closed and heading around the vehicle for the driver's side door. Bas caught it and dropped it on the seat while Sydnie retrieved the stained remnants of his other shirt. He watched with a grimace as she dipped the still-clean portion that had covered his back in a shallow puddle of rainwater. She squeezed out the excess liquid and shook the shirt out as she hurried over to him once more, using the clean portion to wipe the mud and streaks of blood off him.

 

Bas heaved a sigh but waited patiently as Sydnie cleaned him up. Nothing could be done about the mud that was caked in his hair, and he shook his head, knowing that it was going to be a hellacious mess when it dried. Worst case, he'd end up having to cut off all his hair—a thought that didn't really amuse him since he'd never, ever cut his hair before. At least it would grow back quickly enough—one plus about being youkai, he supposed.

 

Grimacing as Sydnie carefully wiped the blood off his wrist and hand, Bas caught her troubled expression and reached out with his free hand, crooking his index finger and lifting her chin to make her look at him. “I'm okay, Sydnie,” he told her gently. “Really.”

 

Her nod was jerky, stilted. She licked her lips, eyes dark in the flash of the streaking lightning so high overhead. “You're filthy,” she murmured.

 

Bas broke into a wan smile. “I know.”

 

“Come on,” Gunnar called, turning the key in the ignition as the SUV rumbled to life. “Let's get out of here.”

 

Sydnie dropped the ruined shirt into a plastic grocery store bag and tied it closed. Casting Bas another quick glance, she climbed into the vehicle and perched on the edge of the bench seat as Bas got in behind her and closed the door. She shivered in silence, curling her legs under her as she stared out the window into the stormy night. Bas stifled another sigh and leaned forward. “Find a truck stop,” he grumbled. “I've got to get a shower.”

 

Gunnar opened his mouth to protest. Bas' grunt cut him off. “Before I end up with adobe hair, if you please.”

 

Gunnar flicked on the dome light and glanced into the rearview mirror. “Yeah, all right,” he agreed with a grimace. “I should call Cai—the tai-youkai.”

 

Bas shot Sydnie a quick glance to see if she'd heard Gunnar's near-slip. She was still staring out the window, and Bas had to wonder if she were paying attention to anything at all . . . “Hey, kitty,” he said, scooting closer to the cat-youkai. “You okay?”

 

She shook her head but didn't turn away from the window. “Fine,” she assured him, her voice weary.

 

He didn't believe her, but he let the subject drop. Entirely too aware of the fact that Gunnar was listening to everything they said, Bas stifled a sigh and rubbed his eyes with a slightly trembling hand.

 

A huge crack of thunder reverberated through the vehicle. Bas lifted his hips to unfasten Triumvirate from his hip, dropping it on the floor with a dull clank, he maneuvered his body so that he could reach over the seat, grunting as he unzipped the leather suitcase he'd purchased to hold their newly-acquired clothes. He dug out a dark green sweatshirt and dropped it into Sydnie's lap. She glanced quickly at him and shook her head in silent question. “Put it on, Sydnie,” he told her. “You're freezing, and don't even try to tell me you're not.”

 

She stared at him for a moment before tugging the sweatshirt over her head without complaint. It was huge on her tiny frame, and she fussed around for a few moments before sticking her hands through the sleeves, pulling the green suede vest out, too. She laid it over the passenger-side front seat to air dry before settling back on the bench seat once more. Bas smiled wanly, watching her bring up her folded knees and pulling the sweatshirt over them, too. Satisfied that she wasn't going to freeze, he slumped back and closed his eyes, his entire body weary and strained. Casting him an enigmatic glance, her eyes glowing in the darkness, Sydnie looked like she was concentrating; almost sad, a little wary . . . She looked away before he could question her.

 

He wasn't sure what Sydnie was thinking. He was too tired to try to figure it out. `She's safe,' he told himself, over and over. `She's safe, and that's all that matters . . .'

 

 

-OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO-

 

“I had my reasons, son of the Great Dog . . .”

 

That was what the bounty hunter had said, wasn't it? He'd called Sebastian the son of the Great Dog.

 

“I should call Cai—the tai-youkai . . .”

 

“What's his last name?”

 

“Bas' . . .? I think you should ask him . . .”

 

She brushed the memories aside and stubbornly tried to ignore the things she knew. They'd taken Bas' words to heart and stopped so that he could get cleaned up in one of the trucker's pay-showers. Sydnie had slipped out of the vehicle just after Bas disappeared into the building, and she was leaning against the SUV in Bas' huge sweatshirt with her purse slung casually over her shoulder and a burning cigarette dangling from her trembling fingers.

 

“You're awfully quiet, kitty,” Gunnar remarked almost distractedly as he scanned the parking lot of the truck stop. “What are you thinking?”

 

Sydnie shrugged and drew another deep drag off her cigarette. “Nothing,” she replied.

 

Gunnar sighed. “It's been a long night, hasn't it?”

 

“You think so?”

 

Gunnar shrugged and took the cigarette from her slack hand, drawing a deep draught before letting his breath out in a long, slow gust. “Sure . . .”

 

“I didn't know you smoked, puppy,” she mused as she took the cigarette back from Gunnar.

 

“I do, sometimes,” he said. “Anyway, Bas is fine, you know.”

 

“I know,” she agreed. “It's not that.”

 

Gunnar nodded. “You're good for him.”

 

She shot him a quick glance. “How so?”

 

“Isn't it obvious? He cares about you.”

 

Sydnie didn't reply to that right away, staring off over the semi trucks and cars; the lights of the highway beyond. “How long are you staying?”

 

Gunnar stuffed his hands into the pockets of his coat and slumped back against the SUV beside her. “Don't know. I was planning on leaving in the next couple days, but . . .”

 

He didn't have to finish his statement for his meaning to be clear. Bas was good—maybe the best fighter she'd ever seen, but if the bounty hunter organization kept sending more and more hunters after them each time . . .

 

“He's tough,” she grumbled, staring at the ground as she shuffled her feet on the asphalt, dropping the cigarette butt and grinding it underfoot. “He can handle himself.”

 

“He's tough,” Gunnar agreed. “Probably the toughest of anyone I know, with a few notable exceptions. He's always been a little more ruthless than the rest of us, I suppose . . . Thing is, the Onyx isn't going to fight fair, and I'll be damned if I'll leave, knowing that they're targeting my cousin.”

 

“Your cousin,” she echoed wanly. “Because you're family . . .”

 

“Something like that.”

 

She fell silent then, her thoughts returning full-circle. Swallowing hard and blinking quickly, she tried to ignore the overwhelming wash of panic that rose deep inside her. `He really is the son of the tai-youkai, isn't he? The son of the Great Dog . . . Sebastian . . . Zelig . . .'

 

The knowledge was a frightening thing. The words echoed through her head; spun around, twisting inside itself in a blur of noise and sound. `Sebastian Zelig . . . his son . . . Sebastian Zelig . . .'

 

She shook her head, as though trying to dispel her own dismal thoughts. She couldn't make sense of anything, and she fumbled around in her purse for her pack of cigarettes and lighter. Gunnar stooped down to retrieve them, shaking one out of the pack and slipping it between her fingers. “May I?”

 

She nodded, shivering as he stuck one between his lips and gently took her lighter. She let him light the end of her cigarette, exhaling softly as she lifted her gaze to the overcast night sky.

 

`Sydnie . . . you know, right? If he's Cain Zelig's son . . .'

 

Sydnie winced, dropping the cigarettes and lighter back into her purse before jerking the zipper closed. `He can't be that,' she argued. `He . . . he just can't be . . .'

 

Her youkai sighed. `He could be. Don't fool yourself into thinking that he isn't the next one . . . you know that it's entirely possible.'

 

`No,' she argued stubbornly. `Not even he would be foolish enough to send his son out on such a dangerous mission . . .'

 

“I was just sent to bring you in, not to kill you, okay?” he'd said, his eyes blazing with anger, daring her to gainsay him . . .

 

`Unless the tai-youkai didn't think that bringing you in would be a dangerous thing . . .'

 

Sydnie bit her lip and squelched the little moan that threatened to escape. `No,' she asserted a little more firmly. `He has a brother . . . he said he does . . . Cain Zelig wouldn't send his oldest son out as a hunter . . . he wouldn't . . .'

 

`Wouldn't he? He didn't do a damn thing for you when it would have mattered, or don't you remember? Cain Zelig is a monster—a horrible, awful monster . . . He's not kind and benevolent. He's the tai-youkai who only cares about those he deems worthy. You're letting your feelings for Sebastian cloud your better judgment when it comes to that man. Don't forget, Sydnie. Don't you ever forget . . .'

 

She shook her head, trying to refute her youkai's vicious words. Of course she didn't forget. She'd never forget any of that . . . but Sebastian . . .

 

`He . . . he's not the oldest,' she thought suddenly. He'd said as much, hadn't he? He wasn't the oldest; she was positive he wasn't. He wasn't the oldest, and that meant that he really wasn't Cain Zelig's heir—the future tai-youkai. He had a brother—Evan—and Bas wasn't the oldest . . .

 

`He's a nobody to his father, just like I am. That's why the tai-youkai sent Sebastian after me. He's expendable, in a way. He's not as important as an heir would be . . .'

 

“Why don't you get back in the Blazer?” Gunnar suggested, jerking his head at the vehicle they were leaning against. “You look cold.”

 

Sydnie blinked, tossing the cigarette away and nodded. Gunnar opened the door for her and closed it after she'd climbed back inside.

 

Gunnar turned around again, slumping back against the vehicle as he slowly dug his cell phone out of his pocket. She'd looked upset—more upset than she had the day she'd found out that Bas had lied to her about Madison being his girlfriend—and that spoke volumes. He sighed and shook his head. It could be that he was reading more into the situation than there actually was. Maybe she was simply upset about the fight. No matter what she said or what she told Bas, she cared more than she ever wanted to admit, and perhaps that was the real reason for her current upset. Gunnar frowned, deciding that it wasn't really doing any good for him to try to analyze Bas and Sydnie's strange relationship, and dialed Cain's number.

 

“Gunnar? Is everything all right?” Cain asked. He sounded wide awake despite the late hour.

 

Gunnar sighed and rubbed his eyes. “We're at a truck stop,” he explained. “Bas needed a shower in the worst way.”

 

“What?”

 

“Four bounty hunters caught up with us,” he explained. “We took care of them, but the hot-head didn't bother to leave anyone breathing so that we could ask some questions.”

 

“The hot-head would be my son?”

 

“Absolutely.”

 

“Four of them?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Cain sighed, the seat creaking as the tai-youkai sat back. “Hell.”

 

“I think I should stay here,” Gunnar finally said with a grimace. Cain might not mind so much, but Bas would. It was too bad, though. Bas might well be a damn howitzer, but even a howitzer could be brought down if the opposition wasn't honorable, and sending four hunters after Bas and Sydnie? That wasn't honorable; not at all . . .

 

“You don't have to,” Cain replied.

 

“Cain—”

 

“No, it's fine. I sent in someone to trail them . . . in case things get out of hand.”

 

“Someone, huh?” Gunnar repeated with a slight grin. Something in the way Cain had said that . . . something in the man's tone . . . there was very little doubt in Gunnar's mind, as to who, exactly, had been called in, and as much as Cain might not like it, he had to know that there was no one better for the job, either.

 

“Yeah, someone,” Cain agreed with an acquiescent sigh. “Anyway, he should be nearby soon enough. Find a place to hole up for a day or two, and he'll find you. You need to talk to him—don't let Bas know. Fill him in, then I want you back here. I want you to tell me everything you know about the situation.”

 

“You got it,” he agreed.

 

“Where are you now?”

 

“Mississippi, just over the Louisiana line.”

 

“Can you make it to Jackson tonight?”

 

Gunnar rubbed his chin. “Sure.”

 

“Okay. You'll be less conspicuous in a bigger area . . . harder to track.”

 

Gunnar nodded. “Will do.”

 

Bas stepped out of the building where the truckers' pay showers were located. He looked clean enough if not a bit like a drowned dog. He'd even managed to clean off his leather duster, for the most part. Gunnar shook his head. “Bas is done. Want to talk to him?”

 

Cain grunted. “All right.”

 

Gunnar held out the phone as he pushed himself away from the truck. “Here.”

 

Glaring rather dubiously at the device, Bas slowly lifted his gaze to meet Gunnar's. “Who is it?”

 

Gunnar snorted. “Keh! Who do you think?”

 

Bas grimaced but took the phone. “Yes, sir?”

 

Chuckling at the not-quite-humble tone of Bas' voice, Gunnar strode around the SUV and climbed into the driver's seat.

 

“Gunnar said you had another altercation.”

 

“Yeah, you could call it that,” Bas agreed.

 

“What happened?”

 

Bas shrugged. “We were on our way back to the hotel after dinner. Sydnie noticed that there was a car following us, so we went back, checked out, and Gunnar took Sydnie down around the back roads to the other side of a small forest behind the hotel. I hid in the forest, and we ambushed the hunters.”

 

“Sounds like a good plan.”

 

“Pretty much,” Bas replied with a grunt. “I need to ask Gunnar exactly how many hunters work for this Onyx organization. Damn nuisance.”

 

“That's pretty much what I thought,” Cain allowed. “Anyway, I trust you're being careful. This cat-youkai—”

 

“Sydnie,” Bas corrected.

 

“Sydnie,” Cain amended. “Don't let her distract you too much, understand?”

 

“I understand,” Bas sighed, tamping down the feeling that he was a pup being reprimanded for sneaking into the cookie jar that his mother always kept full and always kept on the counter in the kitchen—or worse: being caught sneaking a piece of one of Cain's special cakes. “I know; I know. I'm being careful.”

 

“Were you hurt?”

 

Bas stared at his wrist. The laceration was already closing up nicely. “Nothing serious.”

 

Cain grunted. “Meaning?”

 

“Just a couple scratches.”

 

Cain paused, as though he were trying to decide whether or not to believe Bas. In the end, he must have. “All right. Get moving, will you? Sounds like you have things under control. I'd like to keep it that way.”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

Bas snapped the phone closed and opened the passenger side rear door. He dropped the phone into Gunnar's lap and sat down beside Sydnie, pulling the door closed before digging a bottle of milk out of his pocket. “Here.”

 

She blinked and looked a little surprised, but she took the bottle and let him snap off the cap. “How's your wrist?” she asked quietly.

 

Bas held out his arm for her inspection. “It's fine. See?”

 

Sydnie leaned closer and peered down at the healing wound. “Good.”

 

“How far are we going?” Bas asked, not really caring but figuring that Sydnie would want to know.

 

Gunnar shrugged. “Jackson,” he said simply. “Shouldn't take too long.”

 

He slumped a little lower on the bench seat as Gunnar pulled out onto the road that led back onto the highway. “Drink your milk, kitty,” he told her, eyes drifting closed as sudden fatigue washed over him.

 

She did as she was told, draining the milk bottle before she spoke again. “Sebastian?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Can I . . . ask you something?”

 

“Okay,” he mumbled, forcing one eye open.

 

Sydnie slowly turned the empty bottle in her hands and shrugged. “You . . . you're not the oldest in your family, right?”

 

“Hmm? No . . .”

 

He felt her relax moments before she curled up against his side. “Good,” she murmured, laying her head on his shoulder, twining her fingers into his damp hair.

 

He wanted to know why she'd asked that, but he couldn't get the words to come out, either. `I'll ask her . . . later . . .'

 

The soft sound of her contented purr resonated against his chest, and a vague smile lifted the corners of his lips as he drifted off to sleep.

 

 

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A/N:

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Reviewers

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MMorg

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Final Thought fromBas:

Why'd she ask that?

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Blanket disclaimer for this fanfic (will apply to this and all other chapters in Phantasm): I do not claim any rights to InuYasha or the characters associated with the anime/manga. Those rights belong to Rumiko Takahashi, et al. I do offer my thanks to her for creating such vivid characters for me to terrorize.

 

~Sue~