InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Sinner ❯ The Front Man ( Chapter 2 )

Author's Notes: Sorry about the delay, my finger still hurts T_T, but here's the next chapter for your viewing pleasures ^_^ Hope this answers a few of your questions.

The Sinner

Chapter Two

The Front Man

Kagome's eyes had always been a little bigger than her mouth. Her first instinct upon finding the 'all you can eat' breakfast buffet was to pile her plate with as much food as possible… then take it back to her table with Hojo and commence picking at the bacon half-heartedly.

"What's the matter, Higurashi? You're normally so enthusiastic about your food." Hojo wondered opposite her, tucking into his scrambled eggs.

Kagome eyed him warily, wondering what he meant by that last comment… purely out of feminine sensitivity, of course. The dear boy probably meant nothing. "I'm ok, Hojo." she responded after a moment and stopped picking at her continental breakfast. "I'm still waiting for my stomach to settle from last night."

"If you want, I can go get you some travel sickness pills from the gift shop?" Hojo suggested sweetly.

Kagome looked at him and realised that if she didn't let him do something to help her, he would just worry and pine away with uselessness. So despite the fact that she didn't need the pills, she smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Hojo. I don't know what I'd do without you."

He beamed and stood up, moving around the table to lean down and kiss her. For a moment, Kagome thought he would kiss her on the lips… but at the last instant he seemed to change his mind and divert the kiss to her cheek.

That's my Hojo… a complete prude. Kagome thought, not unkindly, as he smiled and went on his way. She guessed it wasn't Hojo's fault that he was either shy or unnaturally scared of females… but he sure knew how to make a girl feel as though she had a contagious disease.

Tipping her chair back, Kagome raised her eyes to the glittering ceiling of the restaurant and ran a hand idly through her hair. The only thing she could complain about on this cruise was how the ocean air made her hair feel sticky and salty…

And maybe how everyone seemed intent to remind her of Ori…

"Do you think we'll see any pirates while we're here?" a little boy was saying on the table behind Kagome. She gave a paranoid flinch but made no effort to leave. After all, Hojo wouldn't know where to find her if she left the restaurant now.

"Don't be silly," the boy's mother said in a no-nonsense kind of tone. Kagome was grateful that her mother was of the softer variety. "Just because we went to see that awful pirate movie yesterday doesn't mean that there are pirates floating all over the seven seas."

"That was just the Caribbean, Dear." a man said - probably the husband and father.

"There are no pirates in the 21st century." the woman said firmly.

Kagome glumly rolled her straw around her cold drink as a silence fell over the table behind her.

"What about that pirate Naraku? Kouga? Yura the bearded woman?" the man started up again. "Wasn't there a guy on the news who said a freighter had been sank by a pirate identified as 'Inuyasha'?"

"Terrorists." the woman dismissed.

"Sea-born terrorists are pirates." the man argued.

"Don't be silly." his wife admonished again.

Kagome's forehead dropped against the table with a sound bang.

This was the point where the kid jumped in again. "Tell me about Inuyasha." he demanded. "He sounds cool."

He sounded like he had cruel parents to give him that kind of name. But Kagome didn't voice that thought out loud.

"Well," the father began, in his best storyteller voice. "Legend has it that he has one of everything missing. Peg leg, hook hand, eye patch - the works. He has a pet squirrel that-"

"A squirrel?" the boy interrupted.

"A talking squirrel in fact… uh… because he's a mute - missing one of his tongues as well."

"Oh, for the love of…" the wife groused.

"He's killed over one thousand men and thirteen kraken sea monsters - he sails with a crew of the undead on a black ship with ghost sails-"

The wife was still not impressed. "You're just reciting that pirate movie we saw."

It was cute, but Kagome knew that the father was only humouring his son. There were no pirates these days - that was a fact of life. If there were pirates, Kagome was sure she would have heard about them by now. After all, it wasn't every day that a loony dressed up in drag, hopped in a ship and randomly rammed into free-trading ships, was it?

Hojo was sure taking his time getting those pills… possibly because the gift shop was on the emerald deck which was at least six levels up. The conversation about pirates was beginning to grate on Kagome's nerves, to the point where she gave up on Hojo and decided to go take a walk by herself. She left Hojo a note, but whether or not he would find it before the waiters cleaned the table was up to him.

Perhaps a walk around the main deck was in order?

Just to clear her head of all those horrible memories.

~*~

There was a storm. Or something similar…

The waves were tossing below… no… not waves… just thousands and thousands of demons writhing around in what appeared to be tar. To be honest, Inuyasha wasn't paying too much attention to what was below… he was too busy trying to keep the girl holding his hand from falling into hell.

"Liar…" she was whispering to him. It was amazing he could actually hear her over the screaming of the wind and the demons. "A backstabber."

"Don't…" he was whispering back to her. Her hand was slipping out from his.

"Inuyasha…"

"Please don't…"

"Inuyasha…"

"INUYASHA!"

With a gasp he bolted upright, forgetting that as an inhabitant of the top bunk, the ceiling wasn't all that far from his mattress. Stars burst in front of his eyes as his skull connected with the metal panel. "Shit… brain damaged… too early…"

"Inuyasha! Come on already!" Miroku was shaking his arm. "The boss wants us all in the mess hall."

"What… now…?" Inuyasha asked groggily, touching the bump on his head.

"Now. Apparently something big is about to go down." Miroku shrugged, but he looked excited. "We don't know what it is yet."

"Coming… coming…" Inuyasha yawned widely and shuffled his way over to the edge of the bunker. Miroku left the cabin, leaving Inuyasha to find the floor by himself… mainly by letting gravity do its job. It was quite a while before he managed to pick himself up and meander his way down to the mess hall.

Upon arriving, Inuyasha realised how packed it was. Most of the men - and a few women - were already tucking into breakfast. Seeing as how the boss hadn't arrived, and how everyone else was just milling around, sitting on tables or chattering away, Inuyasha decided to collect his own tray of food and find his place next to Sango and Miroku.

"You're taking your life into your own hands there." Sango commented as Inuyasha groggily peeled back the plastic film covering his breakfast.

"Rumour has it that we've been getting our lovely 'vacuum packed meals' from passing prisoner ships." Miroku wrinkled his nose at the pungent smell of cabbage from Inuyasha's tray. "Or perhaps it was a nuclear waste vessel…"

"Weaklings." Inuyasha told them shortly, but even so he incredulously pushed a plastic spoon around the orange goop that was supposed to be baked beans.

To be honest, it looked like vomit. Smelled like it to.

"One thing I miss about land is the WacDonalds." Miroku sighed nostalgically.

"Land lover…" Inuyasha picked at the cold yellow slab which resembled scrambled eggs… in a vague, abstract sort of way.

They were all spared further discussions on food as Naraku decided to put in an appearance. A soft hush descended on the gathered pirates as he entered the mess hall and made a beeline for the white board which had been pinned up against the far wall. Printed on the board was a basic map of the China sea - including several of the major ship routes.

"News has reached me today…" Naraku began softly, in a voice so even and quiet it was a wonder it carried as well as it did. "… that a cruise liner carrying an estimated six hundred passengers is passing through the B4452 ship route, northbound."

Naraku drew a dotted path of the ship's course to demonstrate. The pirates watched in dull silence as the marker pen squeaked on the white board.

"Flag: Japanese. Four medium speed engines making the craft move at a total of twenty-four knots at the most. Sixty nine tons in total."

A few nervous sounds were beginning to emit from the crowd of gathered men.

"Judging by it's speed and trajectory… we will be able to intercept it…" He drew a cross on the doted line. "Here."

"Isn't that a bit close to the coast?" Kouga spoke up, ever the loudmouth. "And what are we going after a lame passenger ship for anyway? All it has is passengers. We won't get more than a couple of Hawaiian shirts."

General nods and calls of agreement went around the hall.

Naraku remained unperturbed. "Did I mention it was a millionaires' cruise?"

Silence fell so sharply it was almost audible. Someone dropped their tray of food in shock. Probably Inuyasha, seizing an excuse to destroy his breakfast.

"The plan is to do this as quickly as possible. The ship will be half an hour away from the coast - which will be how long it takes for the police forces to arrive. Get in and out in twenty minutes. Do as much damage as you wish, and leave yourself ten minutes to get out of radar range before the sirens arrive… and I want you to front us, Inuyasha."

A sea of heads turned in bewilderment. Inuyasha froze, a finger half up his nose.

"You will front us, won't you?" Naraku asked again, a small smile gracing his lips.

Inuyasha cleared his throat and scratched his head. "Yeah, sure… whatever…" He was about as bewildered as everyone else. Well… everyone else except for Miroku and Sango who shared doomed expressions. Obviously, they reckoned Inuyasha was guaranteed to screw up this fantastic mission.

"Every stunt needs a spokes model… someone with whom the whole escapade can be identified with." Naraku told them all, speaking like a true businessman. "You are all to wear masks… apart from Inuyasha. Go in for a full assault, pillage all the cabins you can break into and keep an eye out for the women - this is a millionaires cruise, they'll be carrying most of the money on their person, in the form of jewellery and purses. Inuyasha will hold most of the attention on the main deck."

Meaning while everyone else was having fun ransacking the place, Inuyasha would be tap-dancing to create a diversion at the bow of the ship. Unmasked. If anyone ever saw him again, he'd be identified immediately… not that he spent much time hanging around with people who didn't picked their teeth with knives.

"Does this mean I won't get any booty?" Inuyasha narrowed a sceptical eye at his boss. "All I do is scare people today?"

Naraku smirked. "You can take whatever you want… it'll have to be quick though as it will only be in your last minutes there." He snapped the lid back onto his marker pen. "I want all of you to go. We're due for an inspection this afternoon and I don't want them finding any pirates here."

Shit. Inuyasha thought as Naraku ended the session by giving out times and locations. It was all well and good that Naraku had given him "The Sinner" the previous day - but what kind of bastard made him front man and let everyone else have all the fun?

Well… he'd just have to make sure he grabbed something precious on his way out…

But as everyone excitedly made their way down to the docks, they all knew why Inuyasha was getting the special treatment. It was a long, complicated reason… but then again, it was rather simple.

Inuyasha had nothing… not even the memory of land.

It made him the perfect pirate to put on the cover of the proverbial magazine. No one would know who the hell he was… considering he'd been on the oil rig since he was three years old. All anyone knew was that he was a pirate.

"It seems our boss is trying to make a name for you." Miroku muttered later on as the three comrades geared up their small speed boat. "At this rate, you'll be just as renowned as he is in the maritime shipping world. I wonder why…?"

"Maybe he's dying and is trying to bequeath his title onto you." Sango suggested flatly as she untied the mooring rope. She seemed ticked off. Possibly because Miroku was working without a shirt again.

"I think he's trying to put me on all these dangerous jobs to get me killed off. I'm not sure he likes me." Inuyasha pondered as he draped himself over the side of the boat and dabbed his fingers in the inky water.

"Are you kidding?" Miroku scoffed at him. "The guy found you on the streets of Shanghai when you were like… three. He took you under his wing and brought you here - don't tell me, with a straight face, that he doesn't like you. He probably thinks of you as his own son."

"Yuck." Sango shuddered.

Inuyasha just wrinkled his nose. "I don't remember…"

"Well, that cruise liner isn't getting any richer. We better get going." Miroku hopped off the speedboat and back onto the dock platform. "I'll go with Inuyasha on this one," He winked at Sango. "You know… just to look after the yacht newbie."

"Hey! I ain't a newbie!" Inuyasha quickly scurried after him, keen to make sure that Miroku didn't touch anything on that yacht without him knowing. "I'm steering!"

"Of course you are," Miroku said placidly, and at once Inuyasha knew that he was going to end up in the passenger seat. "Looking forward to this?" he asked the sulking hanyou. "Millionaire cruises don't come by every day. The food's great, I hear."

"Yeah, sure… looking forward to it." Inuyasha grumbled, even though he had the imminent feeling that this was probably the worst mistake of his life.

~*~

Some kind of Caribbean band was playing on a stage at the very bow of the ship… making it impossible for Kagome to enjoy her routine of pretending to fly. Quite a crowd had gathered there as well, listening to the music and singing along - a lot of people were even dancing.

Kagome wasn't too put out. Even though she didn't quite feel in the mood enough to go join the dancers, she still sat cross-legged on the deck with the others and listened to the music, bobbing her knees in time to the fast beat.

She still couldn't quite enjoy it… she could feel herself slipping back into depression. It happened at least twice a year. Being on a ship, away from her family and friends, with only a boyfriend who seemed scared of any kind of physical contact, Kagome couldn't help but feel slightly down. Toss in a few reminders of pirates and Ori and there you had it. Depression.

Maybe I should call Mama or something… Kagome thought as she reached into her pocket. But she stopped herself and withdrew her hand, deciding against it instead. Who was she to come on a millionaires' cruise and then complain about it to her mother?

Just suck it up… she told herself harshly. What was in the past was staying in the past. What was the use of bringing it back up and moping about it like a pathetic wimp?

"Methinks me needs alcohol…" she sighed, much to the distress of the feeble hearted woman sitting beside her. Kagome didn't notice this though as she stood up and padded her way over to the railing to look over the side of the ship.

The water was quite far down, very dark, and very frothy from the wake of the cruise liner. She idly wondered what would happen if she just jumped over the side, right then, into the black water. Would the ship turn around and come rescue her?

Or, more likely, would they send a little boat out? Or maybe, even more likely, would they just not notice and leave her behind…?

The odd wonderings of Kagome's unhappy mind.

The only reason Kagome spotted it was because she happened to be staring directly at it. Any other way and she would have missed it. And it was a moment before she realised what she was looking at.

There was a little white can of soda floating in the surf below her… caught in the foamy wake of the ship, tumbling and floating and almost unnoticeable.

Right… Kagome thought drolly, this is where I turn my eyes to the left and see a pirate ship or something.

Slowly she inched her eyes up… only to find their path empty of any kind of ship or boat. This made Kagome frown. Who had dropped the can of soda into the water? There was no one else leaning against the railing further up, and no one looking like a guilty litterbug, so who had dropped it? Surely it couldn't have been floating out in the open sea since the last ship had passed by…

In Kagome's ponderings, she turned around and looked back over the deck. She absently wondered what would happen if a shark came along and ate the can, then watched a young boy dive bomb into the nearby swimming pool - spraying all the sunbathers within ten feet.

Were there even any sharks in the China sea? Worriedly, Kagome turned back to the water, intent on looking down in case she saw any worrisome grey triangles poking through the water…

She almost leapt back in shock when she was confronted with the sight of a large white yacht.

Where the hell did that come from?!

There were two people on board, but Kagome wasn't looking that closely. It slipped so silently through the water that it was barely audible - no wonder she hadn't heard it coming. And it wasn't just nearby - it was right alongside them! Wasn't driving so close to a cruise liner was considered insane and dangerous…?

It was moving faster than the ship, looking as if it was trying to overtake them, but it hadn't reached Kagome's position yet. Looking further along the walkway to her right, Kagome spotted a few anxious-looking crew members peering down at the yacht. Wasn't it supposed to be here? What was it doing this far out anyway?

The roar of an engine broke though Kagome's thoughts and she looked back down at the water. Two - no, three - speedboats were racing alongside the ship as well now, coming up fast from behind and moving even faster than the yacht.

They shot past Kagome's location, past the bow, then seemed to do a U-turn and came right back the same way.

How pointless was that? What on earth were they doing? Kagome looked back at the yacht…

And her breath caught in her throat.

It was practically alongside her by now, and she could quite clearly see the two passengers on the top deck where the helm was located in the open. One guy was sitting at the wheel, black cloth mask with eye holes jammed over his head… but the other guy…

Cascading locks of silver snow… golden orbs as sharp as flint with all the sparks…

Time really did seem to slow to a crawl. The only thing moving at any speed was Kagome's heart, which seemed to have found its way into her throat.

He was standing with his arms folded, those hard eyes glaring, looking every bit as standoffish as a bad mood. He seemed unperturbed by the way the yacht was bouncing along the waves - he kept his footing throughout.

Those sharp eyes were scanning the length of the cruise liner… Kagome's heart stopped when they passed over her… but they moved on without the slightest blink.

Did that mean it wasn't him? Surely he would have recognised her…

But then whatever time-warp Kagome had been trapped in was shattered as a series of ear-splitting bangs cut through the air. Kagome flinched, her eyes torn away from the white haired boy for a moment to look towards the other side of the ship.

Someone was screaming. Then more people were screaming. Everyone was running. The gunfire continued… but Kagome couldn't move.

Another careless passenger crashed into her, sending her sprawling onto the deck without even sparing an apology. Someone, probably a panicked crewman, was shouting to be heard. "Evacuate the deck! Go back to your cabins and lock your doors! Do not let anyone in!"

But everyone was still running around like headless chickens. They were shouting for family or friends that they couldn't find - mothers were screaming for their children, children were screaming for their mothers, and the crew was desperately trying to heard the stampeding herd of humans indoors. They were failing, of course.

Kagome felt serenely detached from all of the hysteria… she simply sat on the floor and stared in amazement. "Ori…" It had really looked like him. That was all her shell-shocked mind could cope with.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

One after another, metal hooks appeared over the rail, scraping along the top bar till they were secure. Kagome looked at the nearest one, only a few metres away from where she sat, and thought they looked like the type of hook one might use if one wanted to catch a whale.

Were there people coming aboard?

Then some bright spark caught on. "It's pirates!"

They were completely surrounded.

Kagome blinked as they appeared, having climbed the ropes attached to those whale hooks. They jumped down onto the deck with the ease that only years of practise could bring. Each and every single one of them wore some kind of homemade mask ranging from brown paper bags with eyeholes to hockey masks or towels wrapped around their heads like Arabian warriors.

Kagome was surprised they didn't race over and start plundering, stealing and raping like all pirates were supposed to do… granted these weren't the kind of pirates that she was used to hearing about, but still… why weren't they making any move to terrorise? They just stood there picking the lint of their clothes or checking the ammunition in their guns.

Everyone was still screaming and running around - some of the smarter ones were even escaping indoors now.

"SILENCE!" One voice rose above the hundreds of others in a clear bellow, followed by the rattling of gunfire - this time from a machinegun.

These weren't peashooters these men were packing.

The gunfire cut short and the noise of screaming died. It was almost as if everyone was looking around to see who had been gunned down… but it appeared that the weapon had been fired into the air harmlessly…

Well, at least he now had their attention.

He stood out from the others now… mostly because he was the only one who remained unmasked. Perhaps also because he was standing on the platform where the Caribbean performers had been playing only seconds before - they seemed to have been pushed off, instruments and all.

Everyone watched him with fearful, terrified gazes.

"That's better." The peevish young man let the machinegun drop back against his hip, secured there by a shoulder strap. His voice didn't carry well and Kagome had to strain to hear him, but when everyone was hanging onto his every word he didn't need to make an effort to be loud. "Now all of you - sit down!"

There was a long pause of hesitation.

"I'm not going to repeat myself." But he did anyway. "Sit down and put your hands on your heads."

This time, they all complied. After all, he was holding a weapon of semi-mass destruction. Though, judging by those talons on his fingers, Kagome doubted he needed it… the machinegun was just a scare tactic, wasn't it?

She decided it couldn't be him… her Ori would never turn out like this. But…

"Twenty minutes!" the white haired youth called, and at this, the other pirates began racing off, heading down the gangways or pushing through the glass doorways that led below deck. This left only a hundred hostages and one young pirate with a machinegun. Not a particularly safe combination.

The youth aimed the gun high, and when Kagome followed its path, she realised he was aiming it at the bridge. "Try anything shifty," he yelled to the captain who was undoubtedly watching, "and one of these nice people die right here!"

Hostages. They were all definitely hostages.

Kagome couldn't tear her eyes off him. The hair was the same. The eyes were the same. His face was a little different… but it had been four years - and what if the body they had found in the fire hadn't been his?

But if he really was Ori… he would recognise her, wouldn't he?

Those amber eyes were surveying the cowering group of passengers. They passed over her, but like before, they didn't linger any longer than what would be suspicious. Not a single flicker of recognition.

It couldn't be him…

Ori was dead. Fact.

Stop dreaming, Kagome, you're currently a hostage to a gang of blood-thirsty pirates!

Whatever was going on below decks with the rest of the pirates was a mystery, since none of the noise reached their ears. The white haired youth was now casually strolling his way through the sitting passengers, every now and then glancing up at the bridge to wave at the captain. He stopped beside a middle aged woman with a child huddled in her arms. Kagome watched intently, along with everyone else, wondering what he was thinking.

Slowly, he reached down… then with a quick jerk of the wrist he snapped off her necklace. The woman yelped in pain but the boy paid no mind as he held up the pendant for examination. He said something to the woman, too quiet for Kagome to hear, then pocketed the piece of jewellery into a waterproof sports bag over his other shoulder.

He was making his way towards Kagome… maybe not deliberately, but he was gradually moving in her vague direction.

Another woman lost a set of pearl earrings as he passed by and a pensioner lost his Rolex watch. The pirate donned that watch for himself and for a few minutes he simply leant against the railing at the edge of the deck, glancing at his new watch and finishing off a burger someone had abandoned on its plate during the ambush. Obviously this guy didn't worry about cooties or anything…

Five minutes must have passed… but it felt like an eternity.

This time he was close enough for Kagome to hear his rather blatant sigh. "Bored… bored… bored…" he prattled off and stood up. The slow stroll commenced again, heading Kagome's way again, though this time he stopped by nearly everyone he crossed and said, "Just put all your cash and valuables on the floor and I won't have to make you hurt."

Needless to say, everyone complied rather obediently.

Kagome lowered her eyes as he came closer, praying that he would pass her by… but knowing that she would be frustrated and disappointed if he did.

Then someone tried to play hero. A man threw himself upon the pirate's turned back and tried to wrestle the weapon off him. It wouldn't he hard, right? The hero was a full grown, hulk of a man and the pirate was just some weedy teenager.

Kagome looked up in time to see Mr Hero go sailing through the air… and over the side of the ship. Her mouth dropped open.

A small splash indicated the supposed hero had hit the water.

The pirate looked slightly ruffled, but more pissed off than hurt. "Well, that was clever." He shouted snidely after the man, then shrugged his shoulders and got on with his project of robbing everyone of their personal belongings.

Kagome's eyes were fixed firmly on the floor when his boots arrived into her field of vision. "Drop 'em." He said shortly, expecting no resistant.

Kagome didn't give any - she didn't know what else to do. With shaking hands she undid the catch of her necklace and placed it on the ground, followed by her two bangles, her leather wrist watch and her mobile phone. Out of all of it she would miss her mobile the most… it was a camera phone for crying out loud!

"Cheap shit…" the pirate muttered, assessing her belongings critically. Ah… so he noticed that the necklace was just a cubic zirconium. She half expected him to believe it was a real diamond. However, he must have thought her phone was worth something as he stooped down to pick it up, adding it to his growing collection.

Kagome spared a small glance up at his face.

The scrappy bandana covering his head made him look like a serious pirate wannabe… but what if there was more to it than that. What if he had ears? As far as she could see, he seemed to be missing the human kind. And was the bandana so lumpy because it hid more than hair beneath it…?

He blinked slowly at her. "Keep the rest." he shrugged and began to move onto the next person.

The word escaped her mouth before she could stop it, but it came out choked. "Ori…"

He stopped dead.

Kagome's heart was doing all sorts of gymnastics in her chest. He'd heard her… he recognised his own name! Glancing up at him, wondering if this really was too good to be true, she connected with blank amber eyes. He frowned slightly, and from that incredulous expression, Kagome wondered if she'd got it wrong. "What did you say…?"

"Um… you… you don't remember me… do you?" Her voice quivered pathetically. She wanted to slap herself.

But it was worth it when something new flashed in those blank, critical eyes.

Recognition.

He knew her! He remembered her! She must have looked different since she last saw him four years ago but that didn't matter! How on earth he was still alive when he should have been dead didn't matter! The fact that he hadn't even tried to contact her or anyone else didn't matter! Ori was alive! Ori was here!

"You fucking bitch…" he spat.

But somehow he didn't seem as pleased about it as she was…

Kagome found herself suddenly hauled up on her feet and dragged all the way through the crowds of sitting cruise passengers. She wanted to ask what he thought he was doing - but that soon became clear.

He was going to execute her.

"Wha - let me go!" she screamed as he dragged her, kicking and stumbling, up the five steps to the platform at the bow of the ship. Looking around for help, she caught a glance of the many faces below her… all looking shocked, tense - even angry - but most looked relieved to see it wasn't them being dragged onstage.

One strong push later and Kagome fell to her knees with a pained gasp. Before she could cuss him out or try to stand up, the cool, slightly wet tip of a machinegun was pushed up against her forehead. Kagome went cold.

"I knew you were alive. I knew it." He snapped out, irrationally angry at her for reasons unknown to Kagome. The Ori look-alike turned towards the bridge where the captain stood watching at his window. "I'm taking one hostage!" he yelled, then his focus was back on Kagome. "And you'll make my perfect ten."

Kagome tried to swallow, but her throat had closed. She couldn't seem to stop wondering what it would feel like to get shot in the head…

"Higurashi!"

Hojo… Kagome's eyes flew wide as she tried to turn to see him. Had he been on deck all this time? Why hadn't she seen him? The pirate's hand fastened around the back of her neck, twisting her back in place, but the weapon was now aimed elsewhere.

"Sit back down!"

"Let Higurashi go!" Hojo's footsteps were rushing closer.

Letting her eyes fall closed, Kagome just wished that he would sit down.

But this pirate didn't ask twice.

One shot only was discharged with such a jolt that Kagome felt it through her contact with the pirate's hand. If she'd felt cold before, now she felt like she'd been turned to stone.

Hojo…

Somehow she found the strength to tear free of his grip and turn to see what had happened. Hojo was on the floor… writhing in pain and clutching his leg - but he was alive at least. Cold fear was replaced by a sweeping feeling of relief… which fast dissolved into burning anger. He'd shot Hojo. He'd shot Hojo!

Her friend had shot her boyfriend.

"How… dare you?!" she shook with the seething nature of her anger. Once again that time distortion had occurred and everything and everyone moved like they were underwater. The pirate turned indifferently to her, blinking slowly as if he'd done nothing wrong. Kagome felt unnaturally fast as she shot to her feet and grabbed the gun - forgetting in an instant that what she was doing was dangerous not only to herself, but to everyone around them. If that gun went off…

Fortunately, he was a lot stronger than he looked. Kagome posed no threat to his control over the gun. Once again, he only had to give her the slightest push to send her sprawling backwards. Kagome's adrenaline fuelled strength dissipated and she sat quivering at the edge of the platform, feeling weak and empty. Most of all, she felt very dizzy.

"I'm only taking one hostage today." He told her, as if justifying his reasons for not killing Hojo. It seemed he only intended to kill one person. Her.

But then everything erupted into chaotic madness. Kagome could barely follow anything at all…

Pirates burst through the doors, coming up from below deck. They were shouting, waving their guns and knives, all of them holding bulging sports bags over their shoulders. "Let's go!" some of them were shouting. "We've got ten minutes - the police are coming!"

The bandits were racing to edge of the deck, grabbing their ropes and leaping over the railing. Confused passengers were beginning to stand up - several people were moving to tend to poor Hojo whose quiet, muffled cries of pain were drowned out by the shouting, hollering, cheering pirates.

Kagome's head spin dangerously.

The white haired youth dropped his machine gun, tugging his shoulder strap so it fell securely against his back. He joined the rush of other pirates to abandon ship… and for one blessed moment, Kagome thought she was safe…

Until an arm wrapped around her torso and jerked her to her feet. Kagome cried out as she was tossed callously over a shoulder and then carried towards the railing. The movement and the jerking was making her feel sick, and making black spots dance in front of her vision.

"You're not getting off so easily," she heard the pirate say, just before she was hurled into the air.

She remembered falling, but she didn't remember hitting the water at all.