Becoming Joan Wilder
By Rikku Minouke
Disclaimer: Don't own YYH
A/N: the last few days I've been trying to find the right music for this story. To me, every writing piece has a musical partner. This story is no different and I found that She Wants Revenge had the perfect sound for what I saw in this story. If you haven't heard of them, I recommend checking them out, maybe as you read or just for fun.
Chapter 2
The back of the limo was silent as we drove through the dark town. All the shops on main street like Trader Joe's, the post office, and Ace Hardware had all closed several hours prior. Street lamps and fireflies were the only source of light at this time of night. There was one blinking 'Closed' sign on the corner of Second Avenue and Main Street at the Corner Cafe.
Tension was so thick that if you tried to cut it with a knife, the knife would break. Next to me, Hiei sat with his arms crossed staring out the window. His long sleeve work shirt was tight against his arms. As if the cotton was attempting to contain his anger. Looking at him for barely a moment, I can tell you that it wasn't containing it very well.
Bring my attention around, I looked at the mystery man. His long black hair that was pushed behind his shoulders would shine every time we passed one of the scarce street lights. The suit that he worn was crisp, including his sapphire blue tie, as if he'd only picked it up from the dry cleaner ten minutes prior. There wasn't even a piece of lint or hair anywhere. My gaze went to his face where my eyes traced the long scar crossing his right eye. It made my think of the Lion King actually. Probably the most inappropriate thought at the moment. I then noticed that there was a smirk on his lips that had been there from the moment we had entered the vehicle. If this were a game, he's decided that he'd already won.
"I believe it's safe to say, you already know why you're here," he told us in a calm drone-like voice. His words made my shoulders involuntarily stiffen. Who is this guy? Maybe he should clue us in a little more instead of leaving us in the dark.
"You know what they say about assuming, mister," I replied with a little of my own irritation seeping into my voice. Maybe 'a little' was an understatement. My lips pressed together and that irritation flared in my pink eyes. My dad always poked fun at the fact that I always displayed my feeling for the world to see. He used to say that it was never a guessing game of what was going on in my head. It was one thing that he said he loved about me; that he knew what I was thinking all the time.
His response was a soft chuckle that under other circumstances, I might have blushed over. Now, however, I kinda felt like I just played into his hand.
"Stop talking," Hiei scolded with a tone harsher than normal. Really, I didn't think he could get harsher. He just proved me wrong.
"Come now Hiei, there's no need for that," the man said and my brow furrowed again in confusion. He knew Hiei's name? What else did he know? Stalker, much! "Let's all try to handle this like adults, shall we?"
Hiei scoffed and turned to level the man with a glare that would make me pee my pants if directed at me. "Adults? That's what you call all this?" His arms uncrossed momentarily to indicate the inside of the limo before crossing them again. I followed his movements to see the fancy set up inside the vehicle. There was several glasses set up to the right, next to an ice bucket. On the opposite side was various types of liquors all at various levels of consumption. In front of that was an ash tray with his freshly deposited cigarette.
The man leaned forward slightly to rest his elbows on his knees and met Hiei's glare without any hesitation. In barely above a whisper, he said, "I'd bet if I hadn't done things this way that you wouldn't have come willingly. Would that be correct?"
"I wouldn't call this willingly," I mumbled before I could shut my mouth. It was creepy when both men were looking at me. One with a never ending smirk and the other glaring like I had just kicked his dog. No, no. Not kicked his dog. It was more like I ran over his dog. Backed up and then ran over it again. Which I would never do, by the way. But that glare did remind me that I was supposed to keep my mouth shut.
Leaning back, the man folded his hands in his lap. "Let's not get a head of ourselves. We have an important matter on our hands." He paused, looking between Hiei and myself. "I don't like to personally get involved in this type of thing, but it seems the situation calls for it." His smirk disappeared for a moment, making me blink several times. "You know what I want."
"Hn," Hiei grunted and turned back to look out the window. My mouth fell open, furthering my confusion. What do we know? What does he want? Why be so cryptic? I am not a mind reader no matter how much that would pay off right now.
"I'll take that as confirmation."
What the heck was going on?! Did Hiei know this man? Why am I here if this isn't about me? There were so many questions swimming through my brain that I felt like eventually one too many questions would make my brain give up and I'd faint.
"No," Hiei said bluntly. Turning to send the man another glare. He said, "I don't do that shit anymore, Sayko."
Mind blown…
"You will this time," his smirk was back. My mind was struggling to keep up with what was happening in front of my face. If one questioned was answered, three more would pop up in my head. I was starting to feel like I was intruding on their own private tryst. The two of them knew what was going on and I was here as some kind of a witness.
Scoffing, Hiei shook his head. His black spiked hair moving with his movements. "Don't think so."
"Would you like to bet on that?" He asked and reached into the inside pocket of his charcoal suit jacket. Tensing stiffer yet, I waited for another mind blowing reveal. When he pulled out a black cell phone I silently sighed.
"I refuse to play one of your stupid games," Hiei all but barked at this Sayko man.
"You might be interested in making a wager with me though," he said offhandedly. "Let's say…" he paused for theatrical flare. What a dramatic. "You don't bring me what I want and you're poor...sweet...sister dies."
"You son of a bitch!" Hiei grabbed the bench seat to stop from leaping across the limo. "Leave her out of this."
"It's too late for that," Sayko told him turning the phone on. "You've taken something from me. Turnabout is fair play."
Handing Hiei the phone, I caught a glimpse of a young woman with light blue hair. She was bound, gagged, and had the same look in her eyes that Hiei had held a time or two. It was a determined, steeled expression. The raw emotion in those red eyes nearly scared me out of my skin.
"Yukina," his whisper held more emotion than I'd ever heard before. In a blink of an eye though it was gone. Replaced by so much hatred. Looking up from the video, Hiei leveled Sayko with that anger. "What if I win?"
"Your sister goes free," Sayko said. I wanted to smack that superior grin off his face. "But you come back to work for me."
"My debt to you was paid," Hiei scowled.
"Yes, but you are one of a kind," Sayko turned to meet my eyes and I almost squeaked in surprise. "You should have seen what he could do, Botan." First off, he knew my name. Super stalker at work here. Secondly, the longer this went on the longer I believed that background check was wrong.
"I'd rather not," I responded meekly. Shaking my head, I closed my eyes at the thought. A chuckle hit my ears and I'm pretty sure that Sayko had continued this conversation just to get a rise out of me. Well, it worked. This had to be some sick, cruel game to him.
"You do this for me Hiei," Sayko said, leaving me to combust in my own self pity on my own in the corner. "And your sister goes free, unhurt. You on the other hand, will come back to your post."
"No matter how many times you say it," Hiei retorted. "I refuse to do that job any more. If I do this for you...you will release her. End of story."
"Is she worth so little to you?" Sakyo countered. "My terms or she dies. You decide. Better hurry, we're almost to the plane."
Did he just say plane? Is that what that noise is? My eyes bulged and my breathing picked up. I can't leave! I have my book to write. I have a store to maintain. I have a cat to feed!
Seconds ticked by and I was waiting for Hiei to walk away from this and leave everyone behind. "Fine." Hiei's eyes burned and I had no doubt that he'd set the other man on fire if he could. There was a moment of surprise in my eyes that he'd agreed to Sayko's terms. But I hid that as quickly as possible, not wanting to fuel any fire.
"Good choice," Sayko grinned like an alley cat who just caught the fastest mouse in town. Glancing out the window, I watched an aircraft land on the blacktop runway. The noise practically shook the limo when it flew over us. Somehow I had missed the sound of the planes up until this moment. Chalking it up to the crazy situation in the car, I shook the thoughts out of my head.
"I can't do this," my eyes squeezed tight as I tried to slow my heart before it exploded in my chest.
"You don't have much of a choice," Sakyo told me and my fingers dug into my knees. "Do you want to see this poor woman harmed because you refused to help out your coworker? Do you really want that hanging over your head?"
I was silent for a moment before opening my eyes with unshed tears. Somehow my pain seemed to relax him even more. This man was sick. "Why are you doing this?"
"To regain what was taken from me," he told me matter-of-factly and I rubbed the palm of my left hand over my face. The limo pulled into the airport and moved slowly towards a small plane still in it's bunker. Reaching into his suit pocket again, Sayko handed Hiei a manila envelope. "These are all the documents you will need to get in and out of the country. Don't loose them. Once there though, that will be up to you to figure out. Keep that phone," he indicated to the one with the video of Hiei's sister still in his hand. "That is how we will stay connected. As for your devices, I will need you to leave them here."
Nodding, Hiei grabbed the envelope slowly as if trying not to launch himself across the limo to strangle the other man. With his other hand, he reached into the pocket of his black jeans. He pulled out his iphone and dropped it to the floor of the vehicle. The other man looked at me expectantly. Swallowing, I dug into my shoulder bag and found my pink android. I tried to drop it lightly on the floor like it were my life line. A life line that I probably won't be seeing again. When the limo came to a stop, Hiei opened his door and scooted out. Sakyo sat across from me without saying a word. He just held onto his small smirk.
"Come on, woman," Hiei growled and I tried not to take his attitude personally. Blinking, I followed Hiei out of the vehicle. The bunker was lit up as a pilot moved the plane out onto the front patch of a runway so we could board. I swallowed and looked at the man next to me, the concern and worry building its home behind my eyes. "This ride won't be comfortable."
"I'm afraid of flying," I whispered and clutched my bag.
The only reason I knew that Hiei had heard me was because he swore under his breath. "Great." Stiffening his shoulders, we waited for the door to the plane to open and the pilot motion us over. "Try not to vomit."
With those words, Hiei moved forward without looking back. Me on the other hand, glanced back to look at the black limo. The windows were tinted so that I could only see the reflection of the airport. What have I gotten myself into?
"Come on!" Hiei barked again and I almost jumped in surprise. Guess I got lost in my thoughts again. Turning back, I quickly moved to catch up to Hiei who was impatiently waiting at the planes entrance. It was times like this that I wished I was a drinker.
Bag in hand, I followed Hiei the rest of the way to the plane where the pilot helped us through the door. Trying not to stare, I gave the pilot a weak smile and I couldn't tell if he even acknowledge me or not because his visor was down. It didn't give way to what was underneath and left me a bit intimidated. Once he was sure that we were inside, his big gorilla sized hands slammed the metal door shut. I pushed the need to wrap my arms around myself away. Now was not the time to feel insecure.
Taking in my surroundings, I noticed the pilot had escaped to the front of the aircraft. Guess he wasn't up for an interrogation right now. Imagine that. But that did leave one other person. One person who knew way more than myself.
I found the man in question already seated on the right side of the plane. This appeared to be more of a tiny cargo plane so there weren't any chairs. So it appeared any luxury on this trip was gone. The it is for me.
At that moment, the pilot let off the brakes and we started moving forward. I was so surprised I found myself thrown forward. Smacking my shoulder into the side of the plane, I winced at the pain.
Breathing deeply, I slid down the wall to sit a few feet from Hiei. My right hand reached up to hold my shoulder. No doubt there would be a bruise. I always seemed to turn black and blue faster than a peach. That was one of the reasons mom didn't want me in sports.
"Hold on," Hiei said, barely loud enough for me to hear. Less than half a minute later the plane picked up speed and I grabbed on to what I assumed were the orange straps to hold any cargo in place. My ears knew the moment we left the ground and my throat wanted to scream and close in on itself at the same time.
The knuckles of my hands were turning white as I grabbed the straps furiously. When the plane increased its angle, I felt my body slip against the metal floor and my eyes squeezed tight. Too afraid to see where I would end up.
I hate surprises.
I hate horror movies.
I hate flying.
This was like all the above combined into one. My personal horror movie. And to make it better, I'm stuck with a guy who probably hates me or the very least doesn't want me near him. If this were a horror me, I'd put my chips on him leaving me to die. He's never hid the fact that I'm no better than the ground he walks on in the last two weeks of working with him. Hiei acts like every second spent with me would be better spent in the pits of Tartarus.
As my body kept slipping along the plane floor my teeth dug into my lip to keep my Jamie Lee Curtis scream inside. Suddenly my shirt pulled tight against my ribs and chest. I stopped moving abruptly. The plane was still inclining, my ears were still popping, but I wasn't moving any more. Opening my eyes, I glanced behind me to see Hiei holding my work shirt in hand. He shook his head in disapproval and I was too scared to blush in embarrassment.
With what looked like little effort, he pulled me back so I was next to him. My back once again against the side of the plane. He handed me a new strap to hold. A shorter one, so I wouldn't drift away this time.
It wasn't too much longer that the plane inclined at such a rate before leveling out and I could relax my stiff fingers. Next to me, Hiei closed his eyes without a word. Was he really gonna sleep right now? Was he crazy? Wasn't he worried about his sister? Ugh, what the heck is going on?
"Stop staring at me," Hiei said and my back straightened in surprise. His words were harsh and I tried not to be offended.
"What's going on Hiei?" I asked in a knee jerk reaction. Way to go me, no manners here. My words were just as harsh as his.
"Hn." What does that even me?
"Don't block me out, mister?" I put my hands on my hips. I might not be very menacing from my seated position, but still! I had a right to know.
"It's none of your concern," he told me and crossed his arms over his chest like he was shutting down our conversation. Not happening.
"Then why am I here?" Ha! Take that mister grouchy pants.
"Collateral."
My face dropped along with my hands. I was only here for… What? "Don't tell me this is a wrong place, wrong time thing. He knew my name too."
His eyes shot open to glare at me. "Trust me, you don't wanna know the answers you seek."
A sigh left my lips as I ignored his warning and the furious emotion darkening his eyes. The wind blew around us, probably playing havoc with my hair. There was a light from the cockpit illuminating enough to see the broad detail surrounding us. I was amazed that I could even see the color in his eyes, let alone the intensity of them.
"I may not want to know," I told him, licking my dry lips. My finger played with the straps of my book bag. "But I think I need to know."
He was silent for a moment as I gazed at him. The second his glare dropped to his usual disinterested expression I knew I'd won. Well, maybe not 'winning', that implies a positive outcome.
"You're here to make this harder for me," he told me bluntly closing his eyes again. Leaning his head back to rest it against the wall, he raised one knee to lay his left arm over it. "That's part of the game with Sayko. Now I have to keep you alive too."
"Where are we going?" I asked in what I hoped was an audible voice. Hiei shook his head; his hair parting in various spots against the metal wall. "I don't know. There's a good chance it's not where we're supposed to be though."
"All part of the game?" When he didn't respond, I took his lack of words as a confirmation. This was the most I'd heard him talk and really I wish we could have conversed over a better topic. "Ya know what?" I said, forcing some of my old pep into my voice. "I can take care of myself Hiei. I'm stronger than I look!"
In the shadows that caressed his face, I was pretty sure that I saw a slight smirk grace his lips. "I doubt that," his emotionless words didn't hold the same sting they would have moments ago.
Leaning my back against the wall and trying to relax, I looked around the small space. The bite of the night air became sharper now that my adrenaline was wearing off.
"Sleep," he told me bluntly, breaking the silence that had settled. The only noise had been the propellers and the wind whipping past us. "It's a long flight and when we get there, I'm sure there will be a lot of ground to cover."
This time it was me who didn't respond as I tried to settle my hyperactive heart. Shivering slightly, I wrapped my arms around my body and tried to relax as much as I could against the metal of the plane. I had no idea where we were going and what we were doing. Part of me hoped that we had an unspoken alliance, but the other part of me was still scared that he'd leave me for dead the first chance we got.
I had no phone. I was cold. I was hungry. I was scared. At least I wasn't completely alone… yet.