Chapter 1

In the murky, rain-veiled light that spilled into the ally, InuYasha watched. The man who called himself "Viper" leaned over, his face alternately beige and bright orange in the flickering light of a broken neon sign. Viper grunted as he pulled the blade from the dead man's chest. InuYasha turned up his collar when the rain came down colder and harder than before. He was glad of the rain. There would be less blood.

Something moved and InuYasha gave a quick glance up and down the ally, simultaneously raising a 9 mm automatic. The gun's muzzle moved in perfect unison with his eyes until he found the source of the noise in an overflowing trash bin. Red eyes glowed in a shiny black coat for an instant before the rat scurried away. InuYasha relaxed and turned back toward the little man with the pinched face and intimidating nickname. In truth, he looked more like a weasel than a snake. "We can't have Vinnie ID'ed right away," InuYasha reminded him. "You know the drill."

Viper shook his head, but his slicked back hair didn't move. "I've done my part." He wiped the blade over the dead man's lapel and started to stand.

InuYasha worked the action of the Taurus he held, and Viper's head snapped toward him. "Sesshomaru sent me to witness the hit, not clean up after it. You don't want to do it, either- that's fine with me. Just let me come along when you tell Sesshomuru why the body was ID'ed before he was stiff." InuYasha knew his voice was like cold steel. He wanted it that way. He pretended to have great interest in the blue-black barrel of his gun while Viper made up his mind.

After a long moment Viper knelt again to begin removing items from the dead man's pockets, taking the ring from his finger, ripping the tags off his clothing. He handed those to InuYasha and bent once more, this time intent on rubbing the limp fingers back and forth over the rough pavement until no trace of a print remained. InuYasha stuffed the victim's belongings into a plastic zipper bag and pushed it into the pocket of his raincoat. Viper pulled a small-caliber revolver from his own coat, held it two inches from the dead face and thumbed the hammer back.

A sound like a gag, or someone choking, made them both freeze and turn their heads slowly toward the entrance where a woman stood, frozen. For an instant InuYasha's gaze locked with hers. She stared right at him, and there was no doubt in his mind that she was memorizing his every feature, better to describe him to the local cops she intended to call. Viper leveled his gun at her as she tore her gaze away and whirled to run.

"No!" InuYasha swung one arm downward, knocking Viper's muzzle off target before the other man had a chance to pull the trigger. "Finish the job, dammit. I'll take care of her." He spun and ran for the opposite end of the alley. He knew she'd head that way-to the closest place with lights and people. He vaulted the mesh fence that blocked the alley at the nearest end and landed with a jarring thud on the pavement. He jogged over the sidewalk, keeping close to the buildings.

He stopped when he heard her heels smacking along the wet sidewalk and waited to step into her path when she came around the corner at breakneck speed.

She careened into his chest. He felt the heat emanating from her, could hear her ragged breathing. "Thank God," she said on a noisy exhale. "Take me to a phone, fast, I-" She looked up into his eyes and she knew.

Before she could pull back, he clamped his hands on her shoulders. When her lips parted InuYasha said, "You scream and you die, lady." She didn't. She pressed her lips tight and swallowed hard. InuYasha saw her fear. He felt it. It surrounded her like a halo of light around a candle's flame. He watched her, ready to react to her slightest move.

She had a long mass of straight black hair that hung nearly to her waist, and glittered with the clinging droplets of rain reflecting the city lights. Her eyes-they looked black too, but he couldn't be sure in the darkness-were wide with fear, but alert and intelligent. She was small, so she wouldn't be hard to handle. The top of her head didn't reach his chin.

He heard footsteps in the distance, half trot, half shuffle-Viper's unmistakable gait. If InuYasha didn't think of something fast, the little bastard would probably put them both on ice. He held the gun under her nose, so she could get a good look. She refused to look down. She stared up at him instead, her eyes still afraid but defiant. He could see the wheels turning behind those eyes. It surprised him to realize that he knew what she was thinking. She was weighing the odds, waiting for a chance. She'd bolt at the first opportunity and then she'd wind up dead.

"Listen to me and listen good." InuYasha used his best street voice and intimidating tone. "The guy you hear coming is a killer-a pro. When he gets here he's gonna make you his next job, and then he's gonna do the same to me 'cause I didn't off you myself. Now, you have one chance to live beyond the next few minutes. You wanna see tomorrow you follow what I say to the letter. You got it?"

She didn't acknowledge the question in the slightest, but just kept watching him with those unbelievably huge, liquid eyes. He blinked and made himself continue. "When I let you go, turn and run. I'm gonna fire one shot, and your gonna hit the pavement and play dead for all your worth."

Viper's footsteps drew nearer. Her gaze flicked away from his to glance back over her shoulder. She looked up at him again, a little of the defiance gone. "What if don't?" The words sounded as if they were forced through a space to small for them.

"If you don't, lady, then the second shot will be for real." He let the last words fall heavily between them, saw her go a shade paler. She nodded once.

InuYasha drew a steadying breath, released her shoulders and stepped aside to let her go by him. "Go."

She ran from him. InuYasha waited to be sure Viper had a good view, then raised the gun, aiming well over her head. He closed his finger on the trigger. He never realized he'd been holding his breath until she went down and he realized it all at once. She lay still, facedown on the sidewalk some forty feet away. Viper reached him a second later.

"You get her?"

Lights came on in apartment windows. InuYasha had no doubt that someone was dialing 911. "You got eyes. How could I miss?"

Viper looked at the girl then started forward. "Damn that broad looked familiar."

"Where's Vinnie?" InuYasha's barked question stopped the other man in his tracks.

"In my trunk."

"Get him the hell outta here. This place will be crawling with cops any minute." Viper looked toward her again, and InuYasha saw the doubt in his eyes. Viper needed more convincing. InuYasha dug into his pocket and emerged with his keys. He tossed them to the smaller man. "My cars around the corner, get it over here."

"What do I look like a damn parking attendant?"

A head poked from a window above, then ducked back inside. The window closed with a bang. Viper muttered a curse and dashed around the corner, moving unevenly but quickly. Within two minutes he brought InuYasha's car to a screeching halt at the curb. InuYasha was bending over her. He rolled her onto her back, and she went like a rag. Perfectly limp. She was putting on one hell of a show. He grabbed her under the arms and pulled her up and over his shoulder. Her wrapped one arm firmly around her thighs to hold her there and turned toward the car.

Her legs dangled loosely against his back. Her legs felt cold beneath his hand. 'Stupid woman.' he thought, walking around in a skirt on a night like this. "Pop the trunk Viper." His thumb inadvertently touched the garter that held up her stocking. InuYasha's mouth went dry.

He moved to the rear of the car as Viper hit the button inside and the trunk slowly lifted. He dumped her unceremoniously inside, hard enough so Viper could feel the car sink with her weight. He checked to be sure all of her was in, then slammed the trunk hard. Viper got out of the car, and InuYasha hurried to slide behind the wheel. "Where are you dumpin' Vinnie?"

"East River," Viper answered quickly. He was nervous now. A faint siren came wailing from somewhere, and his eyes danced in their sockets.

"I'll take her somewhere else. We don't want any connections," InuYasha said. "Let's go."

Viper nodded and hurried into the darkness like a cockroach when lights come on.

InuYasha managed to avoid police, taking side streets until he was certain he hadn't been followed. He pulled to the curb on an empty street, between a crumbling, condemned heap and a weedy vacant lot. Most of the streetlights had been shot or demolished with stones. He thumbed the trunk lock button and ran to the rear of the car as it lifted.

The rain fell harder. He tightened the belt of his raincoat and leaned inside. The only light was the tiny bulb that came on whenever the trunk was opened. "Come on out," he said softly, glancing around once more to be sure he wasn't being watched. She didn't move. He leaned lower, frowning. "Lady, you can cut the act now." He pushed at her shoulder with one hand. She remained as she was a small, unmoving bundle. InuYasha's blood slowed to a stop in his veins. Could he possibly have...