Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ The Black Hawke ❯ Fragments ( Chapter 17 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

A/N: Much of this chapter is purposefully vague. So, before you go saying, ‘hey, why’d it stop there, or ‘huh?’, what’s that mean... it may very well be completely intentional. I have surprises planned... can’t give too much away, ne? Where’s the fun in that? KnT aka Mangetsu


Chapter Seventeen

Fragments

Aoshi’s Apartment
The day after Yumi’s call

Aoshi was in the kitchen making coffee when the knock sounded on the front door. He cast a hasty glance toward the stairs, wondering if Kaoru was out of the shower yet. The quicky he planned had turned into a wild coming together that lasted well into forty-five minutes of their time cushion, and then they had both fallen asleep again. When he rolled over and woke up, there was just less than half an hour before Kenshin and Misao were due to arrive; Kaoru was frantic when he woke her, but God, she was beautiful rushing around the bedroom naked and flushed, trying to get her clothes and everything pulled together. He’d just laid on the bed and watched... an entertained grin on his face. That earned him a pillow in the face, but it was worth it.

A dry chuckle rumbled in his chest, and he strolled across the room, coffee in hand and opened the door. “Morning,” he said, with half a smile on his lips. “Coffee?”

“God, yes!” Misao hunched into the apartment, her eyes red-rimed and tired looking. “I need something to wake me up.” She growled.

“Hmm, I would have thought Red would have done that already.” Aoshi turned a bland eye on his best friend. “Losing your touch?” He asked, shutting the door.

“Hardly,” Kenshin stretched, popping his back. “She just didn’t sleep very well last night.”

“Oh, sorry to hear that.” Aoshi toned his voice away from the sarcasm when he caught the serious note in Kenshin’s voice. “I’ll get the coffee. Why don’t you two have a seat in the front room. Kay should be down any minute.”

“Sure, thanks.” Kenshin met the blue gaze and nodded, steering Misao towards the furniture cluster. “Sounds good to me. C’mon, honey.”

Aoshi walked back to the kitchen and reached for three more mugs, setting them on the counter where he proceeded to fill each with a liberal amount of the dark brown liquid. Then he put all four on tray with bottle of half and half, a cup of sugar and a spoon. When he returned to the front room, Kaoru was bouncing down the stairs, wearing a tight pair of jeans and t-shirt. Her bare feet skipped over the plush carpet without a sound as she bounded over to the couch to hug Misao.

“Hi, girlfriend,” She murmured. “You look like hell.”

“Thanks,” Misao muttered, hugging Kaoru back. “I really didn’t need to hear that, you know.”

“Sorry,” Kaoru smiled and dumped herself on the couch opposite the one her friends were sitting on. “Morning, Kenshin. How are you?”

“Better than the wolverine, I’d say.” He grinned, musing Misao’s hair. “We had a rough night.” Tenderly he kissed the top of her head and reached an arm around her shoulders to hug her closer to him. “Telling her about your phone call didn’t go as smooth as I hoped.”

“That bad, huh?” Kaoru’s dark blue eyes rested sympathetically on the unusually quiet girl. “You okay?” She asked.

“Sure,” Misao’s voice was subdued. “Like it’s everyday I find out my boyfriend is on the hit list of some psycho murdering asshole. Yeah, I’m great.”

“Calm down, Misao. It isn’t going to be all that.” Aoshi tried to sound reassuring as he set the tray on the coffee table. “Here, make yourself a cup. I brought creamer and sugar... you can even have extra to sweeten your disposition.” He was hoping for at least a smile out of her; he got way more than that.

“Sweeten my dispostion?” She screeched. “You fucking jerk! Do have any idea how scared I am? How hard it is for me to find somebody who actually cares about me? And now I have, everything is going to hell?” She choked back on the next string of words that were forming in her throat. “This might be all fun and games to you guys, but believe it, I’m not having fun with this. It sucks!”

“Misao...” Kenshin cupped her cheek and turned her face into the warmth of his throat. “Stop it. We talked about this. Aoshi’s just trying to lighten things up.”

“I don’t care. He can take his light and shove it.”

Kenshin sighed and traded a strained look with Aoshi. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay,” Aoshi sat down and leaned over to make Kaoru a cup of coffee. “It was may fault. I shouldn’t have tried to make a joke. I apologize, Misao. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Tear filled oceans looked up in surprise. Misao never thought she’d see the day the Black Hawke apologized to her, and with such seriousness. The look on his face was filled with contrition and empathy. “I... it’s okay. Just don’t do it anymore.” She snuffled, and accepted the cup of coffee Kaoru was holding out to her. “I’m not dealing with this very well.”

“No kidding,” Kenshin wiped the hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear. “Just try and chill, okay. I told you, you got to trust us on this. Will you try, please?”

“Come on, Misao.” Kaoru was imploring. “I’m trying to keep an open mind with Aoshi. He’s already been in contact with the police, so it’s not like they are doing this alone. We got word earlier from the detective leading the case that they traced Yumi’s phone call to a phone booth in Manhatten...”

“Manhatten?” Kenshin interrupted. “Are they sure?”

“Umm,” Aoshi put his coffee on the table, swallowing what was in his mouth. “Yes, it was somewhere downtown near 17th street in the skid row district. There’s a lot of those seedy pay by the week roach-motels down there.”

“Ewww, yuck!” The redhead shook his head, a look of pure distaste on his face. “That’s prostitute alley down there, are they really sure that’s where she called from? I mean, you can catch something just by walking on the cement.”

“What does that mean?” Misao looked questioningly into his face.

“The shit soaks through your shoes, baby.”

“Oh, gross.” She shuddered and took a long drink from her cup. “That’s nasty.” Her eyes drifted across the table and locked with Kaoru’s. “You working with this?”

“I’m trying not to.” Kaoru offered Aoshi a pained look. “Is it really that bad? I mean, I grew up in the ghetto and I know what dirty is...”

“Ragdoll, you ain’t seen dirty yet, trust me.” Hawke’s aquiline features shifted over Aoshi’s face and he raised one eyebrow to emphasize his point. “It’s a jungle over there, and if the junkies don’t spit on your shoes, the drunks ‘ll piss on ‘em.”

“Oh, God...”

“Where’s the bathroom, I’m gonna be sick.” Misao put her cup on the table and covered he face with her hands. “That’s just disgusting.”

“But it’s true, baby.” Kenshin nuzzled into her ear. “It’s dog eat dog out there.”

“Shut-up!” She growled. “Will you two please change the subject. This one has worn itself out.”

“Totally,” Kaoru agreed, giving Hawke a warning glare. “Let’s get on with the important stuff.” The guys looked at each other and busted into laughter. “Assholes.”
.
.
.

The Feathered Boa
Three days after Yumi contacted Hawke

“I want to know if you seen anyone suspicious around here. How difficult of a question is that for you to answer?” Daniel was quickly losing his trademark patience with the nose-pierced, platinum blonde behind the registration desk. “Surely someone of your obvious intelligence would notice if anything strange was going on... wouldn’t you?”

“Well,” the girl rolled her orange eyes, which were obviously contact enhanced, and popped her large wad of bubble gum. “We really aren’t supposed to talk the tenants, you know. It’s against policy.”

Fletcher coughed into his hand and walked away, looking out the door into the dilapidated parking lot. It was littered with potholes, empty beer cans, tumbling plastic bags, and other debris that was better left unmentioned. The entire motel was a shocking jolt to the system with its smudged pink paint and purple and turquoise trim. The marquis featured a nude dancing girl with a multi-colored feathered boa wrapped around her erotically posed body; most of the paint was gone from her face and half the neon lights were burned out. Obscene gang graffiti peppered the full length of the pole.

The office interior wasn’t much better with its smoke stained lavender walls, tacky crystal chandelier, turquoise furniture, and worn gold carpet. It was almost more than the rookie could handle. Coming from uptown glitz to this was more than culture shock to his system. It was rape on his senses.

“Policy?” Daniel hung his head for a moment, silently cursing the over made up bimbo, and then changed tactics, offering her one of his most dazzling smiles. “I understand completely, I really do. I know that it’s probably something that would put your job on the line, but I really need to know what you’ve seen. You see, there’s a girl out there who is about your age, and she’s shacked up with a murdering, drug-running maniac whose planning a double hit on two of our most outstanding citizens. Maybe you even know them... The Black Hawke and the Master of The Blood Bond?”

“Shit!” She hissed through her dark red lips, eyes wide with shock. “You’re kidding me, right?” Her hands fluttered to her throat, nervously playing with the multiplicity of chains hanging around it. Nobody has the guts to put a hit out on those two... I mean, they’re like the God Father’s of downtown... all hell would rain down on anybody who tried to take them out. Are you sure about this? I mean, you’re really sure, you aren’t just yanking me around?”

“Dead sure.” Daniel locked eyes with the stunned girl, his manner cold and serious. “The girl contacted Hawke and warned him, herself. So, if you know something...”

“Well, there is this one guy...”

O.O

He was asleep. He’d stayed up well past three o’clock drinking with Osui and Houji last night after they came back from the last pick-up. Everything had gone smooth and the transfer bagged them over 50,000 in cash. The celebration between the three went through three bottles of Quiervo and a fair helping of Vodka. They were all sloshed by the time they hit the sack.

She waited for almost twenty minutes before she was sure he wasn’t going to wake-up before she slipped into the bathroom with his cellphone. She was taking an awful risk, but this might be the only chance she was going to get. Punching the number into the keypad, Yumi prayed fervently that he would answer quickly.

‘Please....’

“Hawke.”

“Mr. Shinomori? It... It’s Yumi.”

“Yumi? Dear God, girl! Are you alright?”

“Y-yes, but I don’t know for how long.” She cringed at the whimpering sound of her own voice. “I-I need your help.”

“Where are you?”

“Manhatten...”

“I already know that. Tell me where?”

“You know?” She was shocked. “How do you know?”

“Don’t worry about it... just tell me where you are so I can come and get you.”

“I... were at the...” She told him the name of the motel where she was hiding with Shishio. “Things are getting bad, Mr. Shinomori. I think he might kill me if I don’t get out. He’s getting so paranoid. He... He beat me the day I called you. He knew I’d done something... I don’t know how, but he knew...” Her voice broke on a sob, and she covered to her mouth to keep the sound from escaping. “I’m so scared.”

“Don’t you worry, girl. You just stay put and take care of yourself. Do you hear me?” His voice crackled calm and soothing over the phone. “Stay put and remember I’m coming for you.”

“When?”

“Soon. You just be ready to go anytime, because when I come, it’s going to happen fast, got it?”

“Yes, sir. I’ll be ready.”

“Alright, no worries. Now get off that damn phone... and Yumi?”

“What?”

“It’s going to be okay, honey. I’ll pull you out without him knowing a thing. No guns, no bullets... nobody dies. Understand? You just disappear, and then we go to the police. Yes?”

“Y-yes.”

“Be ready.”

“I will.”

“Good, I’ll see you soon.” The line went dead.

Yumi disconnected the call and crept out of the bathroom, eyeing the sleeping form on the bed closely for any signs that he might have heard anything, but God was looking out for her. Shisho continued to snore soft and content.

He didn’t know a thing.

She sat down in the chair next to the window and gazed out through the slit between the heavy drapes. The sun would be setting in a few hours and then it would be dark. She absently wondered what Shishio would order for them to eat and hoped it wasn’t anything spicy. Her stomach was tying itself into knots again and she really didn’t think she’d be able to handle anything to exotic.

As it grew darker, she wondered how long she was going to have to wait. She hoped not long. Her nerves couldn’t take much more.

O.O

“She called this afternoon. How soon can you be ready to roll tonight?”

Kenshin looked at his watch and then spoke into his cell. “About ten thirty. That soon enough?”

“Yeah, perfect. That’ll give us plenty of time to get the gear together and case out the motel for the best entry. I don’t want anything to happen to her, and I don’t want any bloodshed. No bodies. Understand? This is a clean snatch and disappear job.”

“I know. We discussed this already. Where do you want to meet?”

“The Blood Bond is closer to the bridge than any of my dens; does that work for you?”

“Definitely. Be sure to bring your blow-gun; the one I gave you for your birthday two years ago. It might come in handy.”

“Hmm, hadn’t thought about that. Good idea. You got the darts?”

“Yeah, in the basement. Some fast acting tranks the kids and I use to practice on the local wildlife...” Soft laughter echoed in the back ground. “If you know what I mean?”
“Himura, I ever tell you you’re a sick puppy?”

“Yup, more than once.”

“Good thing. We’ll take my car. It’s black and I just had the engine serviced. It should be nice and quiet. Work for you?”

“Absolutely. Can I drive?”

“Do I look stupid?”

“Don’t know... can’t see you.”

“God, will you stow it and just get ready. I’ll be moving fast when I get there.”

“Yeah, yeah. What else is new.”

“Redheads are becoming an endangered species?”

“That’ll be the day.”

O.O

“Alright, how are we running this, Livingston?” Detective Martin Scully was sitting with one hip propped up on his desk, his hands folded in his lap. “You know we got to get hard evidence that this guy is holding your girl against her will before we can go charging in there, arresting his ass for anything–including your suspicions of drug distribution. So, what’s your plan?”

“Twenty-four/seven stake-out for a few days. We need to track his activities and everything that goes on around that room.” Daniel swivelled around in his chair to face the other man. “We need to know who comes and goes, how often, and if the girl is even there. If we can get probably cause, then we can get a warrant and knock on the door.”

“Hmm,” Martin rubbed his chin, his hazel eyes narrowing in shrewd contemplation. “That’s a lot of manpower you’re asking for. Three eight hour shifts...”

“Or two twelves.” Standing and moving to his file cabinet, Daniel extracted the Shinomori file and dropped it on his desk. “We have the phone trace on the call the girl made, and the statement from the bimbo at the Feathered Boa...”

“Which is shit, and you know it.” A frustrated sigh proceeded the sound of the detective sliding off the desk. “All you’ve got from her is a bunch of hearsay about some weirdo stalking the motel parking lot with boxes and bags under his arm, and some broad always tailing after him.”

“Yeah, and he’s always beating the shit outta that broad. And let’s not forget the little detail that his face is all scarred up, just like our boy...”

“But you have no idea if it’s burns or something else, Dan! You’re going on too many assumptions here, man. I just don’t know if I can authorize this operation on this flimsy of information.”

“Flimsy?” Daniel pounded his fist on the desktop, his onyx bulldog paperweight shivering with the force of the blow. “It’s the best lead we’ve had in weeks! You gotta give this to me, Marty! It’s the best chance we’ve got to get that girl out. If she’ll turn states evidence on this guy, we can put him away for more years than... well, more years than he can imagine. Come on, I need this... we need this.”

“What’s in this for you, Daniel? Shinomori promise you something if you cracked the case?” Martin’s jaw was tense and his hands clenched. “‘cause if that’s what it is, I swear, I’ll see you hang for using city resources for your personal gain.”

“Jesus, Marty. You know me better than that.” Daniel turned away from the other detective, a note of disgust in his voice. “If that’s what you think, then forget the authorization for manpower. I’ll do it myself. On my own time.”

“Daniel, wait...”

“Bullshit!” He snarled, swiping the papers off his desk in fury before rising to face Martin. “Keep your fucking apologies and your fucking men. Aoshi Shinomori is someone I respect. He’s done a lot of fine things for this city, whether you see it that way or not, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to let him down. Like I said, forget it... I’ll do it myself.”

“Whatever you say, Detective, but it’s without the okay of the department.”

“That’s your choice, Martin. Not mine.” Daniel grabbed his coat and pulled it on in sharp jerky movements. “I’ll let you know if I find anything important out.

“Fine.” Martin watched his friend stride toward the door. “Just tell me one thing, Daniel.”

“What?” He paused at the door, his hand on the knob.

“I understand your respect for the man, but why are you so hellbent on helping him with this case? If there’s nothing in it for you, why so determined? I’m just curious because I’ve never seen you so hot over a case before. What’s up with this?”

“It’s personal.” Was the dry reply.

“I figured that. But that doesn’t answer the question of ‘why’? What did he ever do for you?”

“Saved my son from becoming a full-fledged cryp.” An icy look sliced over Daniel’s shoulder to stab into the shocked detective. “Anymore questions?”

“No.” Martin’s tone dropped to a low, hushed key. “Good-luck.”
“Thanks.” The door closed behind him with sharp ‘click’.

O.O

“God, you look wicked-scarey.” Kaoru circled her boyfriend’s black, ninja clad form, arms crossed over her chest, her eyes wide with a mixture of admiration and wary fear. “If it wasn’t so creepy, it’d almost be sexy.”

“Sexy?” He chuckled, looking in the mirror and adjusting the form-fitting gi to better mold to his broad shoulders. “I’ll have to remember that. It could work to my advantage later.” His icy blue eyes met her darker toned ones in the reflection and he winked at her.

“Cut it out,” Kaoru scowled and moved to his side, wrapping her arms around his waist. “I need you to be serious, Aoshi. This isn’t easy for me, you know.”

“I am being serious, Angel... and I know this isn’t easy for you.” He pulled her around in front of him so he could hold her tight against his chest. “Besides, you were the one who said it was sexy, not me.”

“I said ‘almost’, you jerk. ‘Almost’ means maybe but not quite.” She sighed and nuzzled into his neck. “You promise me something?”

“Depends. What is it?” He rubbed her back and then leaned back so she had to look up into his face. Gently he traced the curve of her cheek with his fingers, feeling the satiny smoothness of her skin beneath his touch. “What’s on your mind, Kay?”

“You coming back in one piece.” She caught his hand and turned her face into the palm. “I feel sort of like Misao at the moment. I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to you... I-I don’t want to think about it.”

“Then don’t, alright?” He bent down and brushed his lips over the top of hers. “Himura and I are going to slip in and snatch Yumi out from under Shishio’s nose without him knowing a thing, and then we’re going to bring her back here. Nothing is going to happen.”

“How do you know? Have you done anything like this before?” Her worried gaze searched his face. “Have you?”

“Not exactly, but we’ve done... things.” He picked wayward tendrils of her hair out of her eyelashes and then kissed her forehead. “We aren’t novices, Kay, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“That’s what I’m worried about.”

“Well, don’t. This isn’t our first cotilion.” He said, rubbing his nose against hers.

“I don’t even want to know.” She shook her head and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body flush with his. “It’ll just make me worry more if I actually know what you two are up to. But, I swear, Aoshi...”

“What?” He asked, feathering kisses along her exposed throat.

“If you end up dead, I’ll never forgive you. I never will.”

“Then I guess I better not end up dead, eh?” He grinned and hugged her hard. “Everything is going to be okay, so stop all this worry-wort stuff. It makes your face scrunch up.”

“Aoshi!”

He laughed soft and low before moving in to cover her mouth with his. She stiffened in his arms for an instant, and then melted into him, a long sigh escaping her as her jaw dropped and her breasts flattened against his chest. He moaned hoarse and heavy, gathering her as close as he could, pushing his tongue into the heated cavern of her mouth, sliding it along the writhing muscle of hers, twining them together in a familiar dance that led him to reach for her ass. Cupping the rounded mounds of flesh in his hands, Aoshi urged Kay into his lower regions, grinding his hips into hers, feeling her push back with the same hungry force.

It was always the same between them. It didn’t seem to matter what the circumstances were. Once they were in each others arms, mouths locked together, the gloves came off and the rules went out the window. The heated honesty of her response to him always went right to his head and his logic deserted him, leaving him in a realm where only his instincts and primitive reactions existed. No one had ever done that to him before. He still didn’t understand what it was about this girl that transcended every other female in the world, but he was pretty much through trying to figure it out.

That’s just the way it was.

He loved her and that was probably more than half the reason she effected him this way. The rest most likely came from the fact that she loved him–really loved him. He had finally come to accept that as gospel. She adored him... cherished him even, and that was the most intoxicating aphrodisiac he’d ever come across. For lack of better words, she owned him heart and soul, and he wasn’t afraid to admit that he was happy about it.

She represented the one thing he’d been looking for ever since his mother died... ever since his father...

She brought him comfort. She offered him a place to focus his chaotic emotions, and there was a nonjudgmental quality about her that made him feel safe. She was his sanctuary.

She gave him Peace.

“I’ll be okay, Angel.” He whispered into her mouth, his hands stroking her back, petting her hair. “I’ve got too much to lose to start being careless now, so you can bet I’ll be back. I promise. I promise, I will.”

“You better, Aoshi.” Her voice was choked and her cheek wet when it pressed into his neck. “Don’t you dare make me grow old without you.”

“Not planning on it, Sweetheart. We got too many things to do together for me to do something that stupid. So, you better have the door open and the bed warm when I get back, hear me?”

“Yes,” she nodded and pulled away to wipe her face. “You just remember I’m here waiting on your ass, tough guy. Okay?” Her hand raised to cup his face, her thumb gently stroking his jaw. “I love you, Hawke.”

“I love you, too, Ragdoll.” He whispered, kissing her tenderly. “Be back soon.” With that, he grabbed the duffle bag on the foot of their bed and slipped out the door.

She listened to him go down the stairs, open and close the front door, then the sound of his car door slammed. The low whine of the foreign engine reached her a scarce moment later, then it was gone. He was gone. Kaoru walked to the bed and sank down to the edge, sitting still as stone, staring into space.

“I hope you know what you’re getting him into Yumi, because if anything happens to him... I’m coming after you, and getting you out of trouble isn’t exactly what I’ve got in mind when I find you...”

O.O

“You mean you aren’t even coming over before you meet him?” Misao’s voice rose on a note of near panic. “But what if something happens... what if... what if I don’t get to say ‘good-bye’? Kenshin...”

“Will you cut it out!” He growled, obviously exasperated by her continued insecurity and worry. “I’m not going to die or anything else. Now, get a grip for God’s sake, Misao. You aren’t this big of a wimp. I know, because I’ve had you crawl down my throat more than once...”

“That was different...”

“I don’t care!”

She flinched and pulled her cell phone away from her ear. “Hey, don’t yell in my ear. It hurts.”

“Then listen to me for once. God, you’re so fucking stubborn...”

“I’m not stubborn... I’m scared.”

“Right now, there doesn’t seem to be much difference, girlfriend.” He sighed a second time, but when he spoke again, his voice was much softer. “Alright, listen to me, will you? I’m going to be okay. I need you believe that, Misao. Please, Angel... I know you’re scared, but I’m going to be okay.”
“Kenshin...” Her voice broke. “I just... I don’t know what I’ll do if something happens to you.”

“Stop worrying about it, honey. Nothing is going to happen. I promise. Will you believe me already?”

“I... I’m trying. But, Kenshin...”

“What, baby?”

“When you and Aoshi are done, will you come over here so I know you’re okay?”

“Where else do you think I’d be going, you goof-ball?” The exasperation was back. “You better be awake and waiting for me, that’s all I got to say.”

“I will be.”

“And then you swear there’s not going to be anymore of this whiney bullshit, cause I’m just about to end of my patience with it. I mean it, Misao... I can’t take much more.”

“I’m not being whiney...” She whimpered.

“Oh God....” He muttered. “Please stop. You’re killing me here.”

“I’m s-sorry...”

“Promise me this is over once I get back. Misao? Will you promise me that?”

“Y-yes, I promise.”

“I’m holding you to that, Angel.” His voice was deep and raspy. “I’m tired of this mealy-mouthed crybaby. I miss my wolverine.”

“Y-you do?” Her voice was sharp with shock. “Are you serious?”

“If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t have said it. Now you better reach inside yourself and find her, because that’s who I’m going to expect to see when I get back. Got it?”

“Got it.”

“Misao?”

“What?”
< br> “Love you, Angel.”

“Oh Kenshin...” Her voice faded for a moment, then came back sounding much more like her old self. “I love you, too, you rotten redhead. Now hurry up and get this over with and get your ass over here. I miss you.”

“Yes, Ma’am.”



TBC


I must retract an earlier prediction. It looks like there are about 2 or 3 chapters left from here. There was more to pull together and wrap up that I anticipated. I hope no one is upset or anything that I said 2 chapters last chapter and now there are going to be more. That’s just sort of the way it goes. Anyway, God bless and Happy New Year. Thank you all for being here with me and reading. Take care.......... Tsuki-san aka Mangetsu