InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Book of Shikon ❯ And Then There Were None... ( Chapter 9 )

The Book of Shikon

 

Cookie to anyone who sees the pun in the date mentioned here. Assume the year is this one to get it.

 

Chapter 9

 

And Then There Were None…

 

Inuyasha leafed through Kaede's book, scanning each engraving. One was a chessboard. On the photocopy of Naraku's book the chess pieces were arranged into a stalemate, a draw. In Kaede's there was an extra piece for the black player, resulting in a checkmate. Inuyasha flipped to the next engraving, and frowned. Sandwiched in the book's pages was a postcard. He frowned and picked it up. It showed a large, ancient castle framed by a sunset. He flipped the back over. Sorry Kaede, I saw it first! - Naraku.

 

Inuyasha tossed it on the table and kept examining the engravings. Sure enough, four were signed LCF. In total then were 16 engravings signed as such.

 

“I knew it.” He muttered, sitting back and rubbing his chin. He leaned forward to write something in his notebook when he heard footsteps behind him. “Hello Baroness, checking on me?” He muttered, flipping the page. He then frowned. Kaede was crippled, she didn't have footsteps.

 

That was his last thought before something heavy hit the back of his head, and he fell forward on the table.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

Thump…rrrrrrr…thump…rrrrrrr…thump.

 

Inuyasha groaned and blinked, reaching up the back of his head and wincing at the tender bump there. He lifted his head and blinked away the double images to see Kaede's wheelchair driving into the wall, each time bumping back and lurching forward again. Inuyasha gulped and stood up.

 

“Baroness?” He asked, walking towards her. The chair bumped back, and Inuyasha turned it. A thick towel was wrapped around Kaede's neck, her head slumped to the side and her hand firmly clutching the controls of her chair. Inuyasha jumped back, and the chair zoomed past him, bumping the table and crashing through the doors to Kaede's office.

 

“Holy shit!” Inuyasha cried, staring at the sight. Flames had spread along Kaede's desk and the carpet underneath. Kaede hit the desk and slumped onto it limply, the flames eating their way up the device. Inuyasha grabbed his book bag and swept everything else on the table, his notebook, the postcard, everything, before running past the flames to escape. He spun around and squinted into the flames.

 

There, under Kaede's head, lay the Shikon-no-Tama, already burning. Inuyasha cursed and turned back, running down the stairs and down the street.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

Inuyasha walked into his hotel room, an annoying look on his face. He headed to the front desk and faced the clerk. Myoga must not have been on duty.

 

“Any messages for me? Room 213.” He said. The clerk shook his head.

 

“No, but your wife was looking for you.” He replied. Inuyasha glared.

 

“I don't have a wife…” He muttered, remembering the fiasco in England. “What did she want?” He snapped.

 

“She was looking for you, so I sent her up to your room.” The clerk explained.

 

“Son a bitch!” Inuyasha roared, spinning around. He ran to the stairs, pushing a man aside and taking them two at a time. He ran into his hotel room and groaned. The minibar lay open on the floor, the drawer it was in open. Inuyasha looked inside the drawer and groaned. Naraku's book was gone. Inuyasha cursed angrily and punched a pillow on the bed. He looked around and growled.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

“Room 213, checking out.” Inuyasha said, sliding Naraku's credit card across the counter. The clerk nodded and rang it through, handing it back. The phone rang, and he answered it. Inuyasha looked around for Myoga, wondering what had become of his search.

 

“Excuse me sir.” Inuyasha turned. “For you.” The clerk said, holding out the phone. Inuyasha took it.

 

“What?” He muttered.

 

“Hello Mr. Taisho. I called to check on you.” Naraku said. Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

 

“Well I looked at the old lady's book. Same deal, 4 L.C.F. engravings like the others. The problem is someone swiped her book, knocked me out and strangled her and made a nice bonfire of her collection. Quite a tragedy, don't you think?”

 

“You took the words right out of my mouth.” Naraku agreed.

 

“The good news I learned my lesson, I used photocopies of your book for comparison and hid the original. Good thing I had, or I'd bet you it would be burning right now.” Inuyasha continued.

 

“Good work, good thinking. Well then Mr. Taisho, it seems that with only my copy left our business is complete. I'm in Paris, at the Ritz, you can meet me there and return my book, and pick up your check at the same time, as agreed, ten times the original amount. Shall we say an hour?” Naraku asked. Inuyasha cleared his throat.

 

“I can't return the book. Someone pretending to be my wife snuck into my room while I was out and snatched it.” He sighed. Naraku was silent.

 

“Listen carefully, Mr. Taisho. I think you already have an idea as to how far I am prepared to go to get something I want. If you do not find and return my book by tomorrow evening, you will find out just how far that can be.” He hissed. He hung up, and Inuyasha followed suited, turning to lean against the desk. He saw who was standing behind him and growled, grabbing her wrist.

 

“Where is it?” He snapped. Kagome shrugged.

 

“Where's what?” She replied. Inuyasha twisted her wrist, and she reversed the hold, slamming him into the counter and holding his arm behind his back.

 

“If I took it do you think I would have come back?” She asked. “You should know better by now.” She released him, and Inuyasha glared at her before turning to the clerk.

 

“Is that the one who was looking for me?” He asked, jerking a thumb at Kagome. The clerk leaned to the side and shook his head.

 

“No, she was taller, longer hair.” He replied. Inuyasha sighed.

 

“Mr. Taisho.” Myoga said, emerging from the back room with a piece of paper. “I found the ladies you were looking for. They're currently staying at the Lap of Luxery, suite 1214.” Inuyasha took the paper and nodded.

 

“Right.” he said, pulling a piece of paper and a pen from his bookbag. “Be a dear and send this to Onigumo Naraku by fax. He's staying at the Ritz. And call me a cab while you're at it.” He asked. He scribbled `It's the Fletcher braud' on it and signed his name at the bottom. He slid it to Myoga across the counter. “I'm going.” He turned and took a few steps towards the door, then stopped. “You coming this time, or are you already gone?”

 

“I'll be coming along for now.” Kagome replied, walking past him. Inuyasha shrugged and followed her outside.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

Inuyasha pushed open the door to Kikyo's hotel, Kagome not far behind him. He walked to the elevator and pushed the button.

 

“What do you plan to do when we find them?” Kagome asked. The elevator beeped and opened.

 

“Sic you on them, you seem to have no trouble taking them out.” He muttered, hitting the button for Kikyo's floor. Kagome smiled at him as they rode the contraption up. It beeped again a moment later, and they stepped out to the floor. Inuyasha counted down the doors to 1214, then reached for the handle. It turned before he clutched it, and he pushed Kagome back behind a pillar, backing up to hide. A hotel employee wheeled a trolley of luggage out of the room and down the hall. Inuyasha watched him go and slipped into the room. He scanned the interior and cursed. An ashtray held a smoking cigarette with a near-by half-finished cup of tea.

 

“They're gone.” He muttered.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

Kagome and Inuyasha exited the elevator and walked across the lobby. Inuyasha looked around and stopped.

 

“That's them, at the counter.” He hissed, nodding to the side. Kagome followed his gaze and nodded.

 

“We'd better find a ride before they do.” She said, walking outside. Inuyasha jogged after her. Kagome waited on the street for a moment before following as Inuyasha ran down the street and tried to flag down a taxi. Several passed, honking their horns angrily.

 

“They're going.” Kagome said, looking over her shoulder. Inuyasha turned to see a bellhop loading Kikyo's suitcases in the trunk of a limousine in front of the hotel. He cursed and stepped out to the street, jumping back as another car nearly sideswiped him. He looked back at Kikyo as she climbed inside her ride, the bellhop slamming the trunk down. Inuyasha turned back to the street when a red sports car pulled up in front of him.

 

“Hop in.” Kagome said, waving him inside. Inuyasha gave her a look and he climbed in.

 

“Where'd you get this from?” He asked.

 

“Valet parker. Gave him a break.” Kagome replied. Kikyo's limo pulled out onto the street, and Kagome pushed down the gas to follow.

 

“You could have gone with something a little more inconspicuous.” Inuyasha grumbled.

 

“Don't be picky, some men would give their testicles to have a car like this.” Kagome said with a grin. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and leaned back as the two followed Kikyo into the Paris streets.