Summary- When Kagome publishes an article in retaliation to the government, even she couldn't have predicted the consequences it would bring about. Now, stuck working with a grim ex-serial killer for a secret organization that refuses to disclose its true purpose even to its own work force, her life couldn't have become more twisted. With conspiracy after conspiracy, secret after secret, and murder by the minute, its going to take all of her wits, as well as a reluctant partnership with her partner, to not only stay alive, but to also uncover the haunting truth behind their organization.
Chapter 1: What Came Before
The young woman straightened out her gray suit as she emerged from the backseat of the sedan, brushing invisible dust particles from it.
After ensuring that the supplies in her purse were present, she stood up and signaled to the driver still inside the car. A moment later, a man clad in a black suit with matching hat and sunglasses emerged from the front seat. Only the pale skin of his neck and chin were in view.
"You're in this with me, alright?" the woman addressed him softly as he took his place beside her, then leaned over and whispered something imperceptible into his ear.
He showed no response aside from a nearly unperceivable tilt of the head, moving to follow as she cut a brisk path towards the colossal-sized, red brick building enclosed behind a twenty-feet high iron fence.
She stopped in front of the gate, taking a deep breath while organizing her thoughts in preparation for the ordeal before her. The man beside her cleared his throat significantly, to which she responded with some irritated throat clearing of her own.
"I'm ready," she muttered shortly after that, more to herself than her companion.
She approached a black intercom that was set into the wall, pushing the ring button. A moment later, a woman's crisp voice came through.
"Welcome to the Mansuor House. What business do you have?"
"This is Tashiko Kanno. I'm here for the Rep meeting," the woman responded.
The voice on the intercom paused a moment before continuing, "Very well, Ms. Kanno. Please enter the gate. An escort will be awaiting you at the front door."
The said woman stepped through the iron gate as it automatically swung open, followed closely by the man beside her. They walked up the sloping pathway that led to the house.
Close up, the towering size and splendor of the house was even more impressive. Four massive pillars framed the wide front porch of the building, lending their support to a balcony situated directly above two solid oak doors. Before they even had a chance to knock, the doors swung open, revealing a young woman with black hair and rather feral red eyes.
"Ms Kanno?" she asked, then continued on at the affirmative nod she received. "Welcome. My name is Kara, and I shall be your escort to the meeting room. Do come in." Her friendly facade could not mask the coldness of her gaze, matched by blood red lips that sneered slightly as she regarded the two.
They followed her warily into a cavernous hall. Upon the walls hung dozens of mounted animal heads, whose dull eyes peered at their visitors. Aside from that, the hallway lay empty, wooden floors polished to a gleam.
The said Ms. Kanno flashed a quick smile, then bowed to Kara. "Thank you for your aide. I am Tashiko Kanno, and this is my chauffeur. It's a pleasure to be here."
Kara bowed stiffly back. "We're glad you could come. Most of the others have already arrived. I'll lead you to them." She turned, then began down the hall, until they reached a large stairway.
She spoke lightly as she walked, covering the history of the house.
"Mansuor House has hosted a number of our country's leaders. It was purchased and refurbished by one of them, who then donated it to the government to hold such meetings."
"Really?" Tashiko replied. "It's a lovely structure. Beautiful surroundings as well; it's rare to find country areas like this these days."
"Safe and secluded they say," Kara responded, a gleam flashing through her eyes. The man beside Tashiko angled his head at her for a brief, nearly imperceptible second.
She led them to a flight of steps leading underground. "This is as far as he may go," she said, motioning to the man who had been silent thus far.
Tashiko nodded, even as the man beside her stiffened. "Very well then." she turned to him, pausing ever so slightly.
"See you later," she said shortly, her voice firm yet imbued with a secret only he managed to catch.
He regarded her wordlessly, eyes still hidden beneath the wide-brim of his hat, then inclined his head slightly.
Without a word, he walked back towards the gate.
Tashiko proceeded to turn her back from him to face Kara, then cheerily announced, "Let's continue, shall we?"
Kara simply nodded, stepping quickly down the stone steps. To the left stood a large metal door. After glancing back to ensure that the man had disappeared, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a chain of keys.
She stuck one in, spinning it a quarter clockwise before an audible click was heard. Gingerly, she twisted the knob, parting the oaken door slightly. "After you," she invited the other woman, eyes glinting ominously.
"Thank you," Tashiko replied as she slid through the opening. Kagura followed, then immediately shut the door again.
"Self-locking. It's imperative that privacy is maintained at all times. Too many spies trying to get in these days." Kara stepped forward into the room, a library by appearance. Shelf after shelf lined the walls, each containing countless tomes of books.
"Wow," Tashiko breathed. "Quite a large collection you have here."
Kara shrugged. "Tell that to the owner. I'm just the caretaker." She cast a furtive glance at the woman beside her, examining her intently. "You're a bit younger than I expected."
The woman smiled softly, amused blue eyes peering into harsh red. "Is that bad?"
Kara smirked back. "No. Just wondering how someone who couldn't be a year older than me could be a national Rep."
Tashiko quirked an eyebrow. "And I was just wondering how someone your age could have been entrusted with the control of such a secure site."
Cold amusement sparked in the woman's eyes. "Consider it a 'family duty'," Kara answered lightly, turning her back to the other girl.
They continued in silence for a short while, heading towards the far end of the room where the older texts were kept, then stopped just before a shelf with particularly ragged tomes, each appearing altogether dull and unremarkable. Kara paused to the left of it, then tapped a spot on the wall.
Instantly, a black probe emerged from beneath the tapped area. She searched for the chain of keys in her pocket again, pulling it out and then selecting a tiny, pick-shaped rod. She inserted it into the probe, gave a twist, then sharply yanked it out again. This time, a square metal box was revealed behind the plastered wall. It was only after a series of grayish bands began wriggling across its surface that Tashiko realized it was a compact screen.
Kara adjusted the black probe, then faced Tashiko again. "I can't allow you to proceed any further without confirming your identity. So if you'll please, simply say our pass code into the microphone."
The young woman nodded, stepping to where the black probe was directly in front of her mouth. She took a deep breath, then clearly recited, "Mundas vult decipi... the world wants to be deceived."
She stepped back immediately after finishing, and Kara moved to stand where she had been. "Confirmed," she added to the microphone. Immediately, the black probe retreated back inside its nest, and the screen flashed to life. Tashiko tried to catch a glimpse of what appeared upon it, but Kara's back effectively blocked the screen.
"Hmm..." the black-eyed woman murmured, then immediately switched it off. She glanced quickly back at the other woman and smiled broadly.
"Come on then," Kara ordered rather brusquely, walking rapidly towards the far corner of the library. "To the headquarters," she declared, entering a series of numbers into a keypad to the side of the final shelf. "After you," Kara motioned, a trace of a smile appearing on her lips as the shelf slid to the side.
Tashiko seemed to undergo a brief internal debate as she glanced at dark entryway. "Just like the movies, isn't it?" she said in a falsely cheery voice.
"Uh-huh. Just like them," Kara replied, the smile stretching wider.
Tashiko smiled weakly, then stepped into the darkness. She heard the shelf re-close with a slight thump, enveloping them in complete silence. Try as she might, she couldn't make out anything more than a foot away from her in the poor lighting. The sound of Kara's footsteps had disappeared altogether, and her previously inhibited feelings of unease returned full force.
Without warning, panels of lights erupted full-force, illuminating the immense, unfurnished space. Kara had reappeared and stood before her with a scrutinizing glare. Her smile was now oddly disturbing, and the almost predatory gaze of her onyx eyes was frightening.
"So this is headquarters?" Tashiko asked, taking a chance to survey the room. It was completely empty and slightly imposing. The concrete floor, ceiling, and walls were all a dark shade of gray. She stood in the middle of what appeared to be an amphitheater, a circular region surrounded on all sides by an elevated row of stone. She thought she heard a slight crick, but nothing was in sight.
Kara's grin widened. "No."
Tashiko's eyes were now wide with confusion. "Then where are we?"
"You're about to find out." Kara took a few steps forward, advancing on the diminutive stature of the woman before her. "Tell me...who are you?"
"I thought we had already made that clear," the younger woman said with a frown. "Tashiko Kanno of course."
"No..I mean who you really are." A dangerous glint had risen to Kara's eyes.
The once-presumed Tashiko froze, a slight amount of fear growing in her eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about. I am Tashiko Kanno."
Kara's gaze didn't falter an inch, and rather than backing off, continued advancing. "You're stubborn, but please save us time and give up."
The woman before her trembled slightly, a crestfallen expression briefly marring her clear features before being replaced with renewed vigor. "How did you realize I wasn't her?" she asked calmly, examining the woman before her.
Kara surveyed her in amusement. "Had you have done your research properly, you would have known that we keep audio files of the voice tones of all of our members in the database. And while you cleverly managed to attain hold of our password, your voice didn't match the recording for Tashiko Kanno."
Surprisingly, rather than falling dejectedly as predicted, the girl's face strengthened. "Alright then. I admit I'm not Tashiko." She stared at other woman bravely, shoulders squared, body tense. "What do you plan to do to me?" she asked more softly.
The snap of fingers rang through the air, followed by a rumbling noise resembling a shifting tide. Kara turned her attention back to the woman standing before her, lowering her hand.
"There are about 20 guns trained on your heart right now...make one bad move and they'll fire," she remarked almost idly, quickly flicking her hand up again.
The rumbling noise intensified, and this time the black muskets came into view, their barrels emerging from the stone benches. Kara backed away from her. "You have approximately 30 seconds to tell us who you really are, and who sent you. I suggest you begin immediately."
Two Months Earlier
'At about midnight last Thursday, yet another horrific addition to the growing chain of mysterious murders occurred. Nearly the fifth incident thus far, and perhaps the most frightening of them all, the murderer(s) still remains at large...'
A half-empty coffee cup thumped rather harshly upon the smooth wood of the table as the fingers that had previously held it moved to pick up the newspaper. Grey eyes widened in fervid interest as they locked themselves onto the article before them.
''The bodies of ten individuals were discovered outside a subway stop at approximately 5:00am yesterday morning by a nearby pedestrian. The police have determined that they are all male, but each had been mutilated beyond the point of recognition, particularly in the facial area. Four of the casualties appeared to have been taken down by bullets, while the other six suffered from knife wounds to the heart. Adding on to it, all seven suffered severe slashes to the chest and face, making it virtually impossible to identify the bodies. While the previous murders contained victims with similar injuries, this is the first time that such a large number has been attacked at once.
Police have declared that they are searching for the identity of the killer at the moment, but are unable to do much further."
Kagome set the paper down dejectedly. She glanced listlessly out the window, fingers idly tracing the rim of the cup, then without warning, grabbed the newspaper and hurled it against the glass pane of the window. It hit with a resounding smack before re-curling on the tile floor
"You're an awful morning person," a faintly amused voice declared, followed closely by the soft padding sound of footsteps.
"Bad news?" asked the owner of the voice, a black haired, brown-eyed woman appeared from the hallway behind the table, only to walk over to where the paper had landed. She quickly scanned the top page, then let out a whistle.
"Not exactly bright and sunny wake-up news, is it? Almost makes you lose your appetite." She opened up a cabinet and pulled out a box of cereal, then poured a cup of coffee before joining the other woman at the table. "If you're sensitive, that is." She snuck a quick glance at her roommate's cold countenance. "Which apparently you are."
When her companion only continued to glare with renewed fervor at her cup, she asked gently, "Something bothering you, aside from that? Lots of nasty clients today?"
Kagome shook her head. "It's not that. Sango - its just everything's so twisted these days."
The brown-eyed girl, Sango, sighed and shook some cereal into an open palm. "Murder's never right. Especially something so sick."
Kagome shook her head again. "I can understand why they'd do that. I mean, I don't excuse it," she added hastily, "But when you start to think about how things have changed, it gets easier to understand why there's so many psychopaths prowling the streets. The government's the problem, they've forgotten the point to politics. Even policemen don't do what they're supposed to anymore. They aren't taking care of the public, they're taking care of the government."
Sango cocked an eyebrow, taking a bite of her cereal. "That's a little harsh, isn't it? They're still tracking down criminals and stuff. You gotta realize there's only so much they can do. At least they're trying."
"Oh, forget it," said Kagome irritably.
Sango grinned, then reached over and ruffled her roommate's hair. "You think too much. Just be like me and don't give a damn as long as it doesn't affect you. Way less stress that way."
Kagome shook her head in exasperation, then darted a glance at the slender gold wristwatch on her arm. She suddenly stood up, taking her cup to the sink before heading towards the entryway of the apartment. "Gotta go before I miss my first session. See you tonight, kay?" She paused a moment after grabbing her black briefcase, then added, almost as an afterthought, "And just from a professional perspective- I don't think your advice is very helpful."
She didn't wait to hear Sango's response, but headed directly out the door. Outside, she descended the stairway of the three-story apartment complex, and walked towards the blue car parked beside the curb.
A few minutes later, Kagome was on the road, briefcase settled on the passenger seat beside her. She flicked the radio on, tuning the station until the calming sound of a piano sonata filled her car.
For a moment, she focused her mind solely on the music and the road ahead of her. Relax, she needed to relax... She took a couple of deep breaths, concentrating on becoming cool and nonchalant, that is until the piano music suddenly broke off, replaced by a woman's high and grating voice.
"Oh for the love of..." Kagome mumbled as she moved to change the station. A man's voice replaced the woman, reporting information that caused Kagome to freeze.
"Last night, teenage boy Hanazaki Kano was shot and killed by police at a costume party. The police officer, who refuses to disclose his name, explained that neighbors had made complaints on the noise level resulting from the said party. Upon entering, he states that Kano drew a gun at him, and made as if to press the trigger.
In self-defense, the officer unlatched its own gun and aimed to simply maim young Kano, but unfortunately issued a critical wound. The boy bled to death before help could arrive, a tragic loss. Forensic teams later discovered the gun he had aimed was no more than a prop toy. The officer has offered his condolences..."
Kagome's hand had returned to the wheel sometime in the midst of the news, and was now clutching it to the point where her knuckles were turning white.
A few more mundane topics were announced, including the weather forecast and information concerning the newest fad diet. She tuned all of this out, and was only distinctly aware of new music beginning to play.
A particularly dilapidated house to the right caught her eye, a one-story, split-shingled dwelling that looked on the verge of collapse. The surrounding buildings weren't much better, each battered and forlorn, paint peeling from aged wooden planks.
People roamed up and down the street, eyes downcast and faces set rigidly. Children cowered behind their mothers, or played on unkept lawns. All in all, the sight was grim.
This was the dark sector of town, the area most avoided if they could. Unfortunately, it stood between her and work, and so she passed through it every day. And every time she drove through, the same run-down house attracted her glance, despite its unremarkable appearance and lack of life. It had stood gaping at her for months, and each day as she drove past, she looked for some sign of the inhabitants. She never saw any, unlike that in those around it.
The grotty houses slowly slid by and disappeared, replaced by towering specimens of glass and steel. It was between two such buildings that her clinic lay, a small and rather squat dwelling that had once been a shrine, and appeared distinctly out of place next to the modern skyscrapers.
Kagome pulled up in front of it, taking her briefcase out with her. She made her way up the wide cement steps, then unlatched and entered the heavy wooden doors.
The interior was deathly silent, aside from the rustling noise of her shoes upon the hardwood floor. The walls stood pristine and white, not unlike a hospital room in their single-minded pattern.
She headed towards an oaken desk that lay in the corner of the room, then pulled out a blue schedule book from the top of a stack of papers. She surveyed it quickly, then checked her watch against the clock that hung on the wall.
She sighed discreetly, then set about preparing for the arrival of her next client. At precisely nine-o-clock by the wall clock, or nine-o-two by her watch, she heard the high ding of bells, indicating that someone had arrived at the doorway.
She hastily walked to the door, opening it wide, then stood back and greeted the arriver in what she hoped was a comforting smile.
"Mr. Okawa?" she asked cheerily, motioning for him to step inside. "My name is Kagome Higurashi. Come inside and we can get started."
The man glanced warily at her, eyes shifting nervously as though anticipating an attack. When she made no movement aside from a slight extension of her arm, he stepped inside.
She followed him slowly, careful to walk slowly and purposefully. She gave him a wide berth as she stepped to her desk to grab a pile of papers, then approached him.
By now, he appeared more relaxed, though remained perched in a padded seat by the entranceway. She sat a little ways from him, shifting through the papers until his report reached her hands.
"Mr. Okawa, I have a report from your family stating that recently you've experienced some paranoia as well as mild hallucinations. Is this true?" she asked kindly.
His head jerked in a quick nod, agitation beginning to rise in his eyes.
Kagome smiled reassuringly, waiting until he gradually relaxed into his seat. "Mr. Okawa, please never fear being vocal here. I'd really like it if you talk to me, for you to tell me anything on your mind."
He nodded. "You…you're a kind girl…" he rasped suddenly.
Kagome smiled. "Thank you. Now can you describe these visions to me?"
Beneath the velvet, smog-contaminated, black sky, at the heart of the city, the existing elements of tranquility and equality were slowly being ripped apart.
And beyond that, another type of destruction was about to take place.
Three men stood waiting outside a plank covered warehouse. One checked the dials of his watch, making a disgusted hmph at the other two.
"He's late. Ya don't think he's just playing with us?"
One of the men shrugged, while the other shook his head. "He wouldn't dare, not if he wants..."
The loud BANG of a door being flung emerged from within the warehouse. The three started, glancing anxiously at each other, then at the ominous wooden structure behind them.
"What's with picking a ramshackle place like this to meet at?" the first man grumbled. "Damn creepy, nothing but ghettos and slums for miles..."
Another thud, this time much closer than before. The three grasped hastily under their coats, each pulling a gun from beneath the folds of cloth.
"You don't reckon he's inside?"
A sudden creek emitted from a doorway twenty feet away from them. The three jumped, turning to face the mystery assailant, but there was nothing aside from a newly-swinging door.
"Come on. Let's go check this out," the first man ventured, starting off towards the door.
The other two followed slowly, peering nervously as their companion kicked the door open, then pointed the gun inside.
"Nothing in here," he shouted to them, clearly relieved. "Now let's go have a look- you never know, he could be fooling with us."
They entered the narrow doorway, eyes straining to see through the gloom. They hadn't taken more than a few steps when another thud sounded, this time deep inside the structure. The three hesitated momentarily, until the first walked assertively towards the source of the noise.
"Are you sure we should...you know?" asked one timidly. "I mean...what if it isn't him?"
The first man paused, then turned around and sneered at the two. "Well, then we're going to find out, aren't we? Its three against one..whatever the hell this thing is, it won't stand a chance against us."
With that, he dove forward again, with the other two trailing.
Without warning, the boom sounded directly before them, and a sword seemingly materialized from the darkness. A split-second later, the first man lay stricken on the floor, blood slowly seeping through his shirt. His two companions let out a hoarse yell, scrambling back to the entrance. However, before either had taken more than three steps, the sword struck again, this time neatly decapitating one of the men.
The remaining man didn't pause to glance at the gory remains of his companion; he took off desperately down the way he had come. He could see the doorway ahead- just twenty more steps- fifteen...
He never got the chance to finish counting. His body crumpled, falling to rest the same instant his head thwacked onto the ground.
In less than three minutes, three lives had been snuffed out.
"You've done it, yes?" a man's voice cut through the cell phone speaker.
White hair blew carelessly in the wind, while a pair of golden eyes gleamed. The figure licked the crimson blood from the blade, lips turning up into a feral grin. "Yep. Exactly the way you wanted. The stage is set..."