Rurouni Kenshin Fan Fiction ❯ The Findings of Earth ❯ Now What? ( Chapter 14 )

A/N: Here is Chapter XIV, I really hope you like it.

A big Thank you to JP my wonderful beta reader!

The Findings of Earth

By Misanagi

Chapter XIV

Now What?

It was not a long ride. Kaoru saw the bank at the corner and her hands started to shake involuntarily.

"Calm yourself Kaoru! You need to be strong"

She opened her eyes as the car stopped before the bank. The first boss turned around and looked at her.

"You need to behave. Remember Kenshin is here and he's not going anywhere until we both come out ok?"

Kaoru nodded and followed the first boss from the car into the bank. Otto went in with them gripping Kaoru's arm harshly. The bank was a beautiful place. She had never been inside one that looked so stunning. The wooden floor was shining and the tall ceiling had ten big lamps illuminating the room. Wooden desks were all over the place and in one of the far walls was a big crafted door. The first boss walked confidently to one of the desks and sat in one of the leather chairs in front of it. Otto seated Kaoru and remained standing by her side.

"Good morning" said the man behind the desk. He was a middle age man, probably in his fifties. His hair was brown but gray hairs were visible near his ears revealing that he was loosing his natural color fast. He had a thick moustache with grey eyes behind big glasses.

"What can I do for you today?"

"We want to open a safe box" said the first boss.

"Very well, I need the number of the box please"

"Number 356367742B"

The man typed something into his computer and read the information on the screen for a few moments before speaking again.

"This is a secure box" He said finally "Only two people can open it, and as I see one of them is deceased, murdered… so only his daughter can open it."

"She is the daughter" said the first boss gesturing towards Kaoru.

"May I see some ID?"

"ID?" Thought Kaoru "I don't have a thing, everything I own was in my house and everything got lost when I was kidnapped, I have no ID"

"I…" started Kaoru but was interrupted by the first boss as he spoke again.

"Here" he said taking something out of his pocket. "She is a bit distracted you see, after all that had happened…"

"Yes I understand" said the man looking at the ID card and at Kaoru from behind his glasses. "Very well" he said finally "follow me."

The man walked to the far wall until he was standing before the big doors.

"Only the lady can enter the vault" he said.

"I have to go with her" said the first boss. "My niece gets nervous when she is alone, you know after what happened…"

The man thought for a moment and then looked at Kaoru.

"If that is alright with you" he said finally. Kaoru only nodded and then the man told the two guards in front of the door to open it.

"Wait here" said the first boss to Otto and then grabbed Kaoru and followed the man inside. They walked into an elevator. Every door they walked through they had to get clearance from two guards stationed in front of it. Kaoru was amazed by the high security. She understood why the gang couldn't just walk in and steal whatever was inside the box. Finally they arrived at the last door and they walked into a long vault.

"Wait here" said the man and then disappeared through a door only to come back shortly with the security box in his hands.

"I hope you have the key" said the man, the first boss nodded and then the bank employee put the box on a table in front of them.

"I'll give you some privacy" he said as he exited the room. "Just tell me when you are done and don't forget to close the box again."

When the first boss was sure the man had left he extracted a key from his pocket and inserted it in the keyhole.

"This is it" he thought before turning the key "This is where it ends"

But things didn't go as the first boss wanted them to. He tried to turn the key over and over again but it didn't work.

"No way, no way, no way!" he said. He tried a few more times and then he noticed Kaoru looking at him.

"Where is the key?" he demanded as he shocked her hard.

"I don't know" she said "How should I know? My father never told me about this."

"You are going to tell me or you are going to die!"

* * *

The two men remaining inside the car sat and chatted pleasantly while waiting for the first boss to come out. Meanwhile Kenshin lay in the back of the trunk trying to concentrate on how to get his hands in front of himself because they were getting really sore since they were shackled beneath his whole body.

"Look at what the first boss left here" said the man seating behind the wheel "This is a great sword" he said as he lifted it "and heavy"

"You are just weak; if the kid can hold it then we can too. Let me see." The man gave him the sword and the second one had to admit that it was in fact really heavy.

"I wonder how the kid does it" he said "he looks so skinny"

Kenshin grinned in the dark of the trunk as he was finally able to put his cuffed hands in front of him and heard the words spoken by the man. "I do have muscles" he thought.

Suddenly he heard the opening of the door and someone getting into the car.

"Did you get it boss?" one of the men asked.

"Go!" he said simply and the car started. After driving for a while in the silence the driver finally asked.

"So where to?"

"Get us to the delivery point" And those were the last words spoken during the whole drive.

The delivery point was an alley behind a warehouse. It had nothing in particular, it was dirty and surrounded by boxes and dumpsters. When they arrived the place was empty.

"Good" said the first boss as he exited the vehicle and all the others followed taking Kaoru with them.

Otto following his boss's previous orders opened the trunk, but as soon as he did it he received a hard kick in the face. Otto fell to the ground unconscious. The first boss didn't notice right away but Kaoru did. She didn't know what possessed her but her elbow just hit the nose of the man behind her and he was the one holding Kenshin's sword in his hand. The sword hit the floor as the man brought up both his hands to his broken nose.

Kaoru ducked before the other men beside her had time to react and she grabbed Kenshin's sword.

"Its heavy" She thought as she used it to knock out one of the men with a move she soon recognized as Kamiya Kashin Ryu.

Meanwhile Kenshin had gotten himself out of the trunk and grabbed Otto's gun. He shoot at his chains. The bullet broke the chains around his feet so he could now move even thought his hands where still cuffed.

The sound of the gun was what finally made the first boss react. He ran towards Kaoru but Kenshin had enough time to get beside her. He raised his cuffed hands and pointed the gun towards the first boss.

"You know that I'm a really good marksman. I don't have to kill you to stop you" he said in an ice cold voice but Kaoru knew Kenshin was still in control. The coldness in his voice was planned.

The first boss smiled and raised his hands. Meanwhile the driver had exited the car and was trying to sneak up to Kenshin but he didn't think about Kaoru who was still holding Kenshin's sword in her hands. She was moving before her conscious mind realized what he was doing. The still sheathed sword landed on the driver shoulder bone and he fell to the floor in pain dropping his gun on the way.

Kenshin was distracted for a moment by that and the boss tried to use that to take advantage of the situation.

By the time the first boss thought to move his hand to the waistband where his gun was resting, Kenshin was already charging at him with full speed. He used the hilt of the gun to knock the man down. The first boss soon kissed the ground. Kenshin ran towards Kaoru and smiled softly as he remembered the strength she possessed. Kaoru picked the gun of the ground and pointed it to the driver who was still in the ground holding his wound in pain.

"Kaoru I need you to shoot the chain in these cuffs"

"What?"

"Just point and shoot. I need my hands." Kenshin put his hands before him and Kaoru rested the sword that she was still holding near Kenshin. He held the gun firmly with both hands and made the tip of the gun rest on top of the chain. She closed her eyes for a moment but opened them quickly. If she was going to do that, her eyes would remain open and in her mark.

A second shot was heard in the alley and soon Kenshin had his hands free. He cleaned his gun with his shirt and threw it on the floor. He did the same with the one Kaoru was holding and then picked up his sword.

"Okay, let's go, you drive" He said pointing it to the driver that was still on the floor.

He nodded and got of the floor. He was still in pain but he had no wish to contradict Kenshin. Kaoru closed the trunk and soon climbed in the back seat of the car. Kenshin stepped into the passenger seat and the driver speeded up the car.

"Where are we going?" he asked after a moment.

"Just drive for now, we need to have a little talk Ian"

"Hey kid chill out. I know we haven't been getting along in the past you know that it's just the way things are"

"Shut up. Now I want to know everything you know about the first boss and this deal he has going on" Ian wasn't brave and had no sense of loyalty so he decided to speak pretty quickly.

"I don't know much…"

"Talk" said Kenshin simply.

"Well as far as I know the first boss had a call from a new client. He was offered a lot of money for the job. It was that job I was in when you got tossed into solitary the last time."

"The job to get Kaoru. Was that job and the one I screwed up connected?"

"No, those were different jobs. It was just coincidence that they were in the same night. Anyway… "he continued when he saw the look in Kenshin's eyes "That was the first job. Get the key, kill the father and get the girl alive. Simple enough, but we didn't know more. The client was supposed to call a few days later to talk more and to arrange the payment but before he could do that you two escaped"

When Kenshin said nothing the man continued talking.

"Well you can say he was not pleased so he started pressuring the first boss. He was amazed that you were able to escape so he raised the price offered and agreed to forgive the delay if we delivered you two. He was very impressed with your skill; I guess that was why he wanted you"

"What does he want Kaoru for? She is no use to him after she delivers whatever is inside that safe box. I understand he may want to use me but why her?"

"I don't know. I'm only repeating what I heard"

"Who is this new client?"

"I don't know what he does; I only know his name... Yan Mashido"

"What?" asked Kaoru as she moved closer to the front seat to hear better and to confirm if she had heard correctly.

"Yan Mashido" repeated the man "That is all I know"

Kaoru's face got paler and she sat back again with a thoughtful look on her face.

"Do you know this person?" asked Kenshin seeing her reaction.

"He… I know him but… I don't really want to talk about him"

"Was he the person you knew but didn't want to go to? The place you wouldn't be welcome?" [1]

Kaoru nodded

"What was in that box?" said Kenshin changing the subject.

"I don't know. It wasn't the right key, we couldn't open it. The first boss was furious."

"Stop" said Kenshin suddenly turning to Ian again. He followed the orders and the car soon stopped.

"Get out" Ian didn't really want to know what would happen if he was asked twice so he exited the vehicle as soon as he could. Kenshin went to the driver seat and Kaoru got in the passenger seat. Kenshin speeded up the car and Ian was left standing on the side of the road.

"Great!" He said to no one in particular "Now what?"

* * *

Notes:

[1] Remember way back in chapter VI when Kaoru mention a place but decided not to go there… well to refresh your memory:

"I know of a place we can go but…" She left the sentence unfinished as she lowered her eyes and stared at the pavement.

"But what?" Asked Kenshin softly as he kept staring at her.

"I don't know if I'll be welcome there"

A/N: Well I really hope you like it, please tell me what you think.

Thanks to everyone that reviewed and that mailed me about the last chapters, you really inspired me. Remember that if you want to b in the mailing list to know when a new chapter is posted you just have to mail me or tell me in a review.

Special thanks to: Sayagohan16, lillie-chan5, Lizzy44, star-crystals and tessie-fanfic for putting me on your favorite author list.