InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Uptown Girl ❯ Chapter 48 ( Chapter 49 )

Onigumo watched the mountain lake rescue with a slight smirk on his face. “It would seem that I've found you at last, bitch” he said to himself, watching the wolf demoness pulled the nearly drowned wolf from his icy prison. “Soon… soon I'll have you and be free of this God forsaken place,” he thought as he swatted at some unseen insect that buzzed annoyingly in his ear.

 

As the wolf demoness pulled the limp body toward the shallows of the lake, Onigumo noticed for the first time another figure about five feet from the shore, standing about mid thigh in the water. From the look upon the male's face Onigumo smirked inwardly as he thought, “It would seem that this guy's after the bitch as well. There must be something pretty damn special about her to have all these guys fighting over her.” He looked from the far shore of the lake toward the cabin up the hill and smiled at how easy this place had actually been to find.

 

“Now to just sit back and wait for my chance to get her alone, before I make my move. Naraku will be pissed that I didn't check in with him again, but it seems that my cell phone coverage just doesn't reach this far,” he thought as he eased out of the lodge pole pine that he'd climbed for a better vantage point. Once his feet hit the ground, Onigumo moved quickly toward the mountain cabin, keeping to the trees and dense cover as he moved, while keeping an eye on the trio below him, not wanting to be spotted.

 

“Soon I'll be out of this mess that Naraku has dragged me into, and I'll be able to make Kikyo see that I'm more of a man than he'd ever hope to be,” he thought once more as he eased up to the cabin, getting the lay of the area before the thunder of hooves drove him back into the dense over growth of the surrounding forest.

 

 

Miroku looked over the initial files that the crime scene investigators had faxed over. “This just can't be happening!” Miroku thought as he looked over the DNA reports. Sango walked into the kitchen of their home, noticing that Miroku had the kitchen table covered in files, photographs and possessed a quizzical look upon his face as he read various reports.

 

“What's got you troubled, honey?” Sango asked as she moved toward his back, massaging his thick, tense shoulders to relieve some of the tension.

 

As he pointed at the reports he replied, “They confirm what Sesshomaru knew all along that Kagura wasn't working alone, but with a guy named Muso… and for some reason that name sounds so damn familiar, but I can't place it!”

 

“Muso… Muso Acrilla-Perraton… He's Kikyo's older brother,” Sango replied as she looked over his shoulder at the file before him with a picture of the second suspect. Her hazel eyes scrutinized the photo of the kidnapper; she clearly recognized the elitist smug look upon his face. “He reminds me so much of Kikyo,” she continued as she moved away from Miroku, toward the refrigerator for a cold drink.

 

With a puzzled look upon his face, Miroku looked at his fiancé as he asked, “Do you think that this is connection with Jade's assault last month?”

 

“I'm not so sure now,” she replied as she grabbed a Coke from the fridge, “It could be that he was originally after Jade, possibly under his sister's directions, but mistook Kagome for Jade.”

 

As he quirked an eyebrow, Miroku replied, “I can see that to a point. However Kagome looks nothing like Jade. Besides that, this abduction took very little time, as if it had been planned well in advance. According to the reports the investigators were able to find a well worn path about a mile from Jade's home that lead back into the forest to an abandoned camp site. This took a lot of planning and I don't see Kikyo, Muso or Kagura smart enough to pull this off without some one pulling the strings. The question at this point would be who? Who would be vile enough to do this?” Miroku leaned back in his chair as he rubbed his temples, trying to ease the tension headache that had taken up residence.

 

Sango moved toward Miroku as she set her soda down on the counter. “Want me to take your mind off this case for a while?” she purred in his ear, as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Taking advantaged of her position, she quickly nibbled upon his earlobe, tugging gently upon the small golden hoops adorning his left ear.

 

Closing his eyes to the work in front of him, Miroku leaned back into Sango's loving arms, enjoying the ministrations upon his ear as her hands roamed over his chest. A moan slipped past his lips as he eased back farther in the chair, allowing her more of his toned body for her wandering hands. As she'd moved her plump lips from his ear to trailing kisses down his neck a stray thought stopped Miroku in his tracks.

 

Sitting bolt upright in the kitchen chair, pulling away from Sango as she whimpered at being ignored, Miroku's hands began to fly over the files as he searched frantically for something. Having regained her composure, Sango leaned over his shoulder once more as she asked, “What was so important that you actually stopped the foreplay?”

 

“I had a thought about something that was listed on Muso's file as well as Kagura's. Something that triggered the memory of when we all first met Kagome,” he replied as he finally found both files and flipped them to a list of previous acquaintances.

 

His fingers flew over the list of names as they came to settle on the same name, Naraku… Naraku Viudanegra- Araña. Miroku's eyes grew wide as he looked back at Sango, seeing a similar reaction as he asked, “What was the guy's name that Jade dropped at the bar… the one who'd hit Kagome?”

 

With a look of concentration upon her face, Sango turned away from Miroku as she thought about his question. “I… I think that his name was Naraku, but he never gave a last name. He mentioned that he was `the most wanted man alive' but we just thought that he was bragging,” she replied thoughtfully as she looked back upon her questioning fiancé's face.

 

His eyes widened Miroku stated, “Inuyasha and I helped the Solobo brothers carry his limp body back out to the parking lot. I… I never realized who he was.”

 

As he moved from the kitchen table toward the cordless phone sitting on the counter Sango asked, “Who are you calling?”

 

“Sesshomaru,” he replied. “He has a right to know what he's up against… as well as the others. Can you get my laptop out of my office, honey? This is going to take a bit to get the dirt on this jerk.”

 

With a quick nod of her head, Sango headed toward his office, as Miroku dialed Sesshomaru's cell number. After a few rings, the voice mail came on with the stoic demon's voice requesting to leave a message. Once Miroku left his less then detailed message, just requesting that he call back when he gets a chance, he turned back toward the file before him, scrutinizing the name once more. As an after thought, he called the police station and requested any and all information that they had on Naraku, asking that it be sent to his home immediately.

 

After all his calls were placed, and Sango had brought in the laptop, Miroku thought, “Lets hope that we find Kagome soon, for I fear this just got a whole lot worse.” He delved into his laptop, searching for any and all references to Naraku Viudanegra- Araña, hoping that the sinking feeling that he was getting was indigestion and not fear.

 

 

 

In a frantic drive across the vast river plain, Sesshomaru's mind reeled at the loss that he felt with Kagome's abduction. . He couldn't believe something like this had happened. This was loss felt like one big empty hole in his heart, one that would never be repaired, unless he found Kagome. “How could I have not seen this coming?” he thought as he flexed his claws around the steering wheel of his car. As he drove the great distance to the distant mountain ranch, images of the horrors that Kagome was possibly going through entered his mind. The blackening of her pale skin as her captors tortured her or worse, the forced rape and complete and utter violation of her body by the unknown master mind. Sesshomaru could feel bile rising in his throat, at the thought of some bastard touching her in ways that only he was allowed to touch her. Him and no one else!

 

Seeing red, and in quick flashes, Sesshomaru gripped the wheel even harder as his foot pressed the accelerator to the floor, causing his corvette to shoot past the speed limit as he growled, “Once I find out who's behind this, I'll rip them to shreds with my own bare claws! They will rue the day that they ever crossed this Sesshomaru by taking what is mine!” Images of broken bones, screams and howls of pain of the unknown mastermind flew across his crimson eyes.

 

As he continued the mad dash across the plain, heading over the hills of sage brush, across some minor river basins and farmers fields of waving wheat. With the lines on the road become mere dots, his thoughts turned more toward his beloved Kagome. With a hint of sadness he thought, “I've failed her big time. Once I get her back, I'll never leave her side… I'll make her my wife and keep her with me as long as I can to protect her from the evils of the world.”

 

He continued down the road in a near blind rage, fearing for his love and plotting the destruction of those responsible for her abduction, Sesshomaru flew past a county patrolman, who'd been eating his lunch. With a flash of the red and blue lights followed by the siren, the county patrolman pulled out from his hidey hole of thick willows and chased after Sesshomaru's silver corvette until the demon pulled over a good mile down the road.

 

Looking into his rear view mirror, Sesshomaru cursed his bad luck as he eased to the side of the road, pulling to a stop. “I don't need this shit right now,” he growled under his breath, as he reached for his license and registration. With a shake of his head, he thought once more, “I've failed yet again, Kagome… please forgive me.”

 

 

Kikyo moved toward the room that Muso had laid Kagura. She was agitated that since their arrival at the lava caves that Naraku had refused to bed her and her sexual frustrations only increased with every grunt and groan that came from the little cell as he raped his prize over and over again. Once he had his fill for the time being, Naraku had moved toward his own room, refusing admittance to Kikyo feigning that he was exhausted and needed to regain his strength before he bedded Kagome yet again.

 

After throwing a slight fit, Naraku had grabbed her by the throat, pushing her harshly against the hardened lava walls of their camp as he snarled, “Don't ever throw a fit like that again. You knew what was at stake when we set this plan in motion. Just because I'm the only one getting any pleasure out of this is not my fault. Why don't you go have some fun with Kagura, I'm sure that she'll enjoy the company.”

 

Once he released his hold from her neck, Kikyo rubbed it slightly as she replied, seething at his words, “You said that we would always be together, Naraku. Why do you insist on taking that girl when you can have me anytime that you want to?”

 

“Because, Kikyo, unlike you, she is innocent of the ways of the world,” he replied a glint of evil in his eyes as he continued, “I want to show her how to give and receive pleasure through pain. Soon, you will be able to join me in my teachings of the girl, but for now, leave me be.” He turned to his bed and laid down effectively ending the conversation.

 

Seeing that she'd been harshly dismissed, Kikyo exited the room, her anger seething at the seams as she moved toward the second room. “How dare he… How DARE HE deny me!” she screamed in her mind, as she prowled toward Kagura's location. “I've been with him since the beginning of this shit and now he has the audacity to turn against me,” she thought furiously as she entered the room where Kagura fought the fever that threatened to consumer her body.

 

She moved closer toward Kagura, taking a seat on the hard lava floor as she brushed a stray hair from Kagura's sweat covered face. “Why do I get stuck babysitting you when I could be making love to Naraku?” she mused aloud, knowing that Kagura was beyond all coherent thought at that moment.

 

With a layer of sweat glazing her face, Kagura shivered under the blankets of her bed. Nightmares of a furious dog demon slashing at her with his claws wracked her mind as the infection induced fever quickly spread through her body. “No… NO… NO!!!” she cried out in her fever induced sleep.

 

Startled by the wind witch's outcries Kikyo pulled her hand away from Kagura's roasting face. “What would cause her to cry out as such?” Kikyo thought, slightly amused seeing as nothing seemed to put fear into her. Feeling a little charitable, however so slightly, Kikyo pulled the blankets back up around Kagura and when to fetch some water and a wash cloth to help ease Kagura's fever.

 

Once she'd returned to Kagura's side with the water and wash cloth, Kikyo began to wipe the sweat from her face, wishing that Muso would hurry up on his errands and take care of his woman. “What I'd give to be able to get rid of her now,” she thought wiping the cloth across Kagura's feverish skin. “The only problem would be that I don't have a way to dispose of the body, nor the means with which to get it out of here either… I guess that gives her a chance to live a bit longer,” Kikyo thought.

 

Suddenly a thought entered her mind as a slight smirk crossed her lips, “Maybe I'm looking at this the wrong way… maybe if I take her out now, Muso will help me get rid of the body before Naraku is aware of what's going on.” With a slight hitch in her breathing as the thought of putting Kagura out of her misery, Kikyo plotted a bit more while she nursed the sick demon back to `health.'

 

 

Kagome rocked back and forth on the cool floor of her cell, knees pulled into her chest as she laid her head upon her knees, unable to cry anymore. Her battered and bruised body ached when ever she moved. Every breath caused immense pain as her abdomen muscles reopened the shallow claw marks or moved against a cracked rib or so. In his dire need to take her body, Naraku had thrown Kagome onto the ground roughly, causing multiple bruises and a number of lacerations to mar her near perfect skin. As he'd coupled with her, pressing her into the unyielding ground over and over again, Kagome had felt her ribs crack as he lay against her with his full weight.

 

She shook her head at the memories of the rape, the smell of his breath upon her neck, the sounds of his grunts and moans of ecstasy at her initial screams and pleas of mercy, begging for him to stop. They'd been silenced after the first few times that he'd chocked her to the point of blacking out. Toward the end of the first day, after all her tears had been used, Kagome just curled up on the floor, rocking herself to sleep and the horrors of the nightmares that she knew were coming.

 

As she finally closed her eyes, blocking out the cries from the sick woman in the room next to hers Kagome thought, “Someone, anyone, please… please help me. Sesshomaru… forgive me for not being strong enough… strong enough to prevent this from happening.” A last solitary tear escaped her red, puffy eye as she finally succumbed to the oblivion of sleep.

 

 

As Jade reached the last few feet to where Ban had made it out into the water, her strength nearly gave way. She struggled to keep her eyes focused on the shore, to her goal of reaching the only other person who could help Koga. “Damn it!!!” she thought as her muscles cramped and ached at being over exerted in such a harsh environment. “I need to remind myself to berate Koga for this once he's conscious again. He knows better than to jump head first into unknown waters,” she thought once more as she finally had reached her goal.

 

Easing a bit further into the freezing cold water, to mid thigh, Ban called to Jade, “Just a little farther,” as he reached toward her. He knew that the excursion in the lake saving the stupid wolf had taken a lot out of her and he feared that she wouldn't make it the last few feet to his position.

 

With one last surge of adrenaline, Jade made it to where Ban was, nearly collapsing face first into the water. Ban grabbed a hold of her shoulders as well as the wolf when she reached him. He eased her onto her feet, as the water pooled around her waist. Shivering, Jade let go of Koga, seeing that Ban had him about the shoulders as he pulled the unconscious wolf the rest of the way toward the shore. She followed close behind, rubbing some warmth back into her arms as a warm mountain breeze filtered through the trees.

 

Once back on shore, near where Kami watched from his tree, Ban dumped Koga on the shore. He quickly checked for a pulse and breathing before he turned back toward Jade. “What the hell was he thinking jumping in like that?” he asked, slightly irritated as he saw how Jade swayed as she exited the water, clearly exhausted from the rescue.

 

Moving a bit closer toward Koga's prone body before collapsing on her knees, Jade shook her head a slight smile across her lips, as she replied, “He's always got this heroic streak. He feels the need to save something or someone despite the consequences. Apparently he thought I was in trouble when I was fighting dinner.” She brushed a few stray hairs from his face as she looked lovingly at his resting face.

 

Seeing the look upon her face, Ban seethed inwardly as he thought, “I'll be damned if I help this bastard again! He's hurt her so much that he doesn't deserve her anymore.”

 

A slight shiver ran through Koga's body as he lay upon the sandy shore. The wet clothes combined with the cold water had lowered his core body temperature to the point that hypothermia had began to take effect. Seeing the shivering as well as feeling a slightly irregular pulse, Jade immediately began to worry about her beloved Koga.

 

Knowing the signs of hypothermia, Jade moved quickly toward Kami, untying his reins from the tree and leading him over toward Koga. As she tried to lift the rather heavy wolf, Jade looked over her shoulder as she ground out with the excursion, “You know I could use some help here, Ban.”

 

Seeing that Jade's strength was nearly gone, and kicking himself for not being able to keep his own promise, Ban moved toward her grabbing Koga around the waist and unceremoniously threw him like a sack of potatoes across Kami's back. As the cold, wet weight slapped against his withers, Kami danced away from Jade, nearly tossing Koga back onto the shore. Jade placed a hand upon his cold stiff thigh, bracing Koga from falling off the dancing horse as she turned once more back toward Ban.

 

“What the hell is your problem, Bankotsu? Can't you see that he needs help?” she nearly growled, knowing that even she was in no condition to assist Koga at that moment. Her muscles quivered and ached at being overexerted and she felt that soon she would collapse as well from exhaustion.

 

With his arms folded across his chest, Ban glared at the unconscious wolf as he replied, “He's not my boyfriend. Why should I go out of my way to help him?”

 

“Because you love me and would do almost anything to keep me happy,” Jade replied quietly, leaning more against Kami than she wanted to, thankful for his strong body to support her lithe frame.

 

“That may be the case, Jade, but I still don't want him anywhere near the cabin. That is our place… our special place that only you and I can share,” he replied stubbornly.

 

Seeing where this was going all to quickly, Jade glared at Ban as she replied in a near growl, “You'd just let him die!!! You're more selfish than I thought Bankotsu. If you don't intend on helping, than I'll do it myself. Could you help me up onto Kami?”

 

Knowing that Jade wouldn't be able to help the wolf in her present condition, Ban sighed in resignation as he moved toward Kami, swinging up behind the unconscious wolf. “If you insist on helping this flea bag I guess that I won't stop you, now if you'd just give me your hand, I'll get you up here too and get you back to the cabin as well,” he said as he held out his hand toward her.

 

Seeing that Koga was in good hands, albeit reluctantly by Ban, Jade shook her head as she replied, “No… even with my added weight Kami won't be able to move as fast as he can. You need to get him up to the cabin quickly. I'll meet you up there. Now get going…” she slapped Kami on the rump as he shot toward the cabin.

 

Nearly loosing the wolf and his seat, Ban grabbed Koga's wet shirt as Kami surged up the trail toward the cabin. As the colt moved up the hill toward the cabin, his muscles rippling under his bay and white coat, Ban quickly wished that his jeans hadn't been soaked to mid thigh. The chaffing of the wet jeans against his skin was really beginning to hurt, but he didn't stop the charging horse. Ban knew that the faster he got the sopping wet wolf to the cabin, then Jade would be a little happier with him.

 

“Why do I always have to be the good guy here?” he thought as they moved closer toward the cabin. He glanced back over his shoulder to check on Jade. Seeing that she had thrown her jeans and sweatshirt back on as she sprinted toward the cabin, he breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that she had overexerted herself, but what he feared even more was that she was going to push herself even farther in order to save the wolf.

 

Looking at the unconscious wolf draped across Kami's withers, Ban thought, “What is so special about you that she'd risk her life for you? It had better damn well be worth all this or else I'll kill you myself.” Suddenly, Kami pulled up to the corrals by the cabin, nearly unseating the distracted Ban.

 

“Now the fun begins,” he thought blandly as he slipped from the horse's back. As he lead Kami to the back door, Ban slid Koga over his shoulder and eased him into the cabin, through the kitchen and into the third downstairs bedroom, tossing him nonchalantly across the bed. “Jade should be here in a minute or so. She'll know more of what to do from here,” he thought once more as he went back out to Kami, putting him in one of the corrals for the night.

 

 

Jade watched Kami take off up the hill as she moved toward her jeans and sweatshirt. Quickly she slipped them on as another wave of adrenaline quickly built in her lithe frame. “He's going to be the death of me,” she thought as she began the semi long trek up the hill toward the cabin. “Why did Koga have to jump into the lake? This wasn't how tonight was supposed to be,” she thought as a tear moved down her cheek. “I guess the best laid plans of mice and men often go horribly wrong.”

 

Within a few minutes she made it to the cabin, right behind Kami. Slipping through the French doors of the front deck jade wondered what was going to happen to make her night much worse. Then it hit her… two males who see her as their mate. “Shit, that isn't going to be good,” she thought as she quickly moved toward the kitchen and grabbed up the phone. Once she placed her call, Jade followed the scent of wet hair into the back bedroom to see Koga draped haphazardly across the bed. With a shake of her head she thought quickly, “This is going to be one very long night.”

 

 

 

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