A/N: Sweet glad you liked! What will be the response?
Chapter 7
The name alone that Hiko said made Kaoru suck in a sharp breath as silently as she could. She held it as Hiko handed her a small 2 x3 inch photo Hiko had pulled from his wallet. It was crumpled with small crevices in it. Kaoru took hold of the picture, looking at the red hair that gave Kenshin away. Despite that, it might not be what Kaoru was starting to make her think that this was a different Kenshin with a similar hair color. His face reminded her of the painting she made; the eyes looked a little crueler, but not as though he would hurt someone. It was more like he was emotionless. The other thing that turned her away was that on his left cheek there was a scar. A cross shaped scar looking as though it were freshly carved. Her hands trembled when she realized who this was. The Himura Kenshin.
"Is he on the loose?" Kaoru asked, trying hard not to make it sound as though she were frightened. You see, the reason she trembled was what the Himura Kenshin was accused of and why the police would be doing more than just a search and rescue. It would be search and detain. Dead or alive.
"Well…"Hiko lowered his head. "I'm not permitted to tell…"
"I don't care! Is this man on the loose or not?"
"We don't know where he is ma'am."
"So he could be anywhere? How do the police lose a convicted and imprisoned terrorist?"
"It's not our fault ma'am. It's the government."
"How would such a man get out? And why hasn't the government told the country yet that they're in danger?"
Hiko shook his head. "Ma'am, I can not answer your questions. All I ask is if you will answer mine. Do you know this man?"
"I know a Himura Kenshin, but not the Himura Kenshin. Is that what you need Seijuuro-san?" Kaoru asked sternly. The swift change from trembling to ferocity was one thing that Hiko was not expecting from this woman.
"Are you sure that you don't?"
"You think I'd hold a terrorist in my house Seijuuro-san? At my own will? I'm not that stupid. Yes, I know a Himura Kenshin, and he does have red hair, but I will tell you that the eye color is different, and I think I would notice that apparent of a scar on his cheek." Kaoru stiffly crossed her arms.
"Maybe he's hiding the scar?"
"With what? I've touched his face…that's more than you need to know."
Hiko stood from the seat clasping his hands behind his back. He paused though.
"You think he's a guilty one too?" Hiko asked. The way he narrowly looked over his shoulder didn't allow Kaoru to see anything. She listened to the way that Hiko asked the question, but when she looked back up, he was already at the door.
"Seijuuro-san!" she called out, but Hiko had slammed her door closed and the car was starting up.
"You think he's a guilty one too?"
"Of course…I guess…like everyone else."
She found herself incapable of believing her own lie. She sat back down listening to the car drive away. She remembered that it must have been nearly ten years ago. She remembered when she was only twelve years old that it was all over the news. It was like 9/11, but it was different. She remembered turning on the television and looking at that flaming building. And she thought of her father who worked in that building. The man that had taught her everything she knew about kendo, about Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. She remembered losing her father when someone put a bomb in that embassy building. And the image of that man…only eighteen years old. The police surrounding him after he had fallen down. She thanked to Kami-sama that her father would have some piece. And she couldn't forget the name. Himura Kenshin. So why had she never considered…she heard a car pull up. This time she went to the door and peeked out. It was Kenshin, back with a small bag in the passenger side of the car. She ran out to him.
"Where did you go?"
"You miss me?"He asked a little scared at how fast she had run up to him.
"I just want to know."
Kenshin walked up on the porch and into the home. "I just went to the grocery. I was going to make something and we didn't have enough sake' or sugar."
"What are you going to make with sake' and sugar?" Kaoru asked, letting her mind float off to what he could do with those two ingredients. He could be trying to poison her, but then he did know that she knew.
"A police officer stopped by."
Kenshin went into the kitchen. "Oh, really? What did he want?"
"They were looking for somebody…the guy who had to do with the bombing of the embassy a few years ago."
"Oh, the guy who has my name?" Kenshin asked turning around. When Kaoru looked into his wide amethyst orbs, she questioned why she had questioned if this was the man. How could such a sweet guy like this do that? And it wasn't like you could get rid of a scar that hefty that easily. She placed her hand on his cheek. It was skin, she was sure.
"Yeah."
"Do they know how he got out?"
"The guy wouldn't tell me. And when I asked him why the government hasn't told anything to the people, he wouldn't tell me. I'm kinda scared now."
Kenshin seemed a little oblivious, but when he looked back to Kaoru, she saw the sympathetic face he wore. "I understand that I do," he sat next to her on the floor. "I almost lost my father in the blaze."
"The guy thought that I was hiding him or something….your father does a lot doesn't he?" Kenshin shrugged.
"Sake's for the dinner, sugar is for desert." He winked toward him allowing himself to lift up. Kaoru rested her head against the cabinet while Kenshin walked out. She liked looking at his behind…but it made her wonder. She was unsure about how Kenshin answered some of her questions; he seemed too vague. She trekked into the living, and sat down in the chair that Hiko had sat in. There was a stain of blood on her carpet where she had slammed his hand in the door. That's gonna be hell to get out. She told herself. As she shifted on the seat, she felt something poking her. One swift pull and she was looking at the cruel eyes that Hiko had shown her. She flipped it over. It had scribble on it:
My son, 18. He's a looker huh? If you change your mind, or have anything to tell me, please call at:
phone-number or e-mail: hitenmaster at...
Kenshin's footsteps came near; she tucked the picture in her pant pocket.
"Is there something wrong Kaoru-dono?"
"You know…I was thinking. Why don't we go out to eat tonight? We can have the sake' when we get back."
"Well, I did have what I was going to make in mind, but where ever you'd like to go, I don't see why not that I do not."
Kaoru smiled. "Let's go where you work."
When she leaned into look at Kenshin, she noticed that he seemed a little unnerved. "Something wrong with that Kenshin?"
"Of course not. I'm sure that Tae wouldn't mind, that she wouldn't. It's just…I've never went to there to eat. I really don't know what it tastes like, that I do not."
"Well, here's your chance."
Kenshin nodded. "I guess I'll call Tae-dono up and see if there's anything open for tonight that I will."
As Kenshin went back to the kitchen, Kaoru pulled the picture back out and looked into the eyes of this man, like she would actually be able to read what he was thinking at the particular moment in time. "You think he's a guilty one too?" For some reason or another, that voice wouldn't get out of her head. It was something about the way that Hiko said it to her.
She read over the note that Hiko left her. My son was the words that made Kaoru curious above all. Kenshin was this man's son. At least the other Kenshin. She folded the picture into her palm and trekked to the studio. Maybe that would be a safe place for it.
"Did you accomplish anything Seijuuro?" a husky voice asked as soon as Hiko entered the dim room. He wasn't obligated to answer the man who shut the door behind him. "You don't need to tell me, I think I already know."
"Shizukani Saito."Hiko ordered. The golden eyes of the wolf followed Hiko up and set of steps before his feet did. "You really think you're going to find Himura through some random dating websites and their back records."
"There's always the chance. Where's Sojiro?"
Hiko looked at the mess that was his little lab. Sojiro was buzzing around, adjusting things and throwing old garbage away. "How many times have I told you not to do that Sojiro?" Hiko asked. The boy jumped, and then turned nearly falling unceremoniously in front of Hiko.
"Oh, you're home are you Seijuuro-san?" the boy questioned. "Don't worry, I didn't touch any papers. I just tidied things like old wrappers and sake bottles. You better be careful with that drinking, you'll wake up one day with jaundice in your eyes and a shot liver."
"You're my conscious aren't you Sojiro?"
"I suppose so."
Hiko took a seat in the swivel chair before turning back to Saito.
"I cleaned out the dust in some of the computers. Maybe they'll work a little faster now." Hiko glared toward the boy.
"You didn't take anything apart did you?"
"Of course not. You've already done that numerous times…I don't want any of that stuff happening to me," Sojiro stated. "The times when you nearly electrocuted yourself to death and the other time when the computer literally started to blow up. Oh, I remember that one time when the motherboard lost those pieces."
"Zip it Sojiro," Hiko ordered. The smiling boy nodded.
"Saito-san here was needing to talk to you urgently."
Hiko nodded. "Would you leave us?"
Sojiro gave a curt bow and started down the stairs. "You really did all that stuff to yourself Seijuuro?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
Saito smirked at how babyish Hiko was acting toward the comment. He took a seat in the corner of the room. "How much luck are you having with this project?"
"Probably better than the police are."
"And why's that?"
Hiko took a piece of paper from the desk that was now dusted. He handed it over to Saito. "What's this suppose to be?"
"It's a printout of a chip I found in the back of the Your Dreams website. Doesn't seem very romantic does it?" Hiko stated. Saito scanned the piece of paper. "I thought you could use it for something."
"Was there anything else like this? Any other blueprint?"
"Not really. But it has to be some kind of tracking device, at least that's what I think. There's no other reason. It's a way to keep their men on a leash."
"Their men? Why are you acting as foolish as to believe they actually let these men volunteer? You're a moron if you think that one Seijuuro." Saito's eyes were still on the paper.
"I think the government knows more than they're telling the police."
"You are the government aren't you?"
"I'm just a lowly computer hacker; I'm not one of those guys in the Armani suits and whatnot. Welcome to reality! Only top officials have any idea about whatever's going on. Kenshin's probably not the only maximum security inmate that they've released, but I wouldn't know."
"What was his sentence again? Just for my knowledge." Saito asked smoothly. It was him trying to rub it in Hiko's face that his offspring was the exact opposite of him.
"He was on death row."
"I figured."
"That doesn't matter," Hiko turned back to the computer that he had booted up. "I think you guys need to start looking into Your Dreams Inc. Check for things like legitimacy and such. Maybe look at records at inmates released before their due date, if they even can be released at all."
"You can do that as well as the police can Seijuuro. That's your job."
"You can get into easier though Saito," Hiko bit back. "Besides. I'm sure the idea has been stirring in your head ever since you got there."
"I will have to say, I'm impressed."Saito stood. "I'm keeping these designs."
"One last thing," Hiko stopped Saito as he was at the door.
"Yes?"
"Somebody needs to watch that Kamiya girl I went to visit. Something tells me she's hiding something too."
"I'll get Cho right on it."
Hiko listened for the door to close before saying," you can stop hiding now Sojiro."
The boy peered out from behind the stair that he was hiding. His smile only grew to ask for sympathy. "Did you get everything you need Seijuuro-san?"
"Saito's an ass, but everything's pretty well covered."
"The girl did a pretty bang up job on you didn't she?" Sojiro noticed as Hiko slowly typed with his left hand. It still had that red line.
"Yeah, well. She was frightened at the time."
"Why do you think a simple civilian like her has anything to do with this?"
Hiko shrugged. "It's a hunch. They usually lead me somewhere, don't they?"
Sojiro laughed. "Yes, they do lead somewhere."
Hiko scowled. "Ha ha. Don't you have something to do?"
"Would you like me to monitor the girl's house as well? Get footage or something?" Sojiro looked over to Hiko who seemed slightly depressed. After the moments of silence, he nodded.
"Anything you can get me Sojiro. Make sure it's good too."
"You really need to ask?"
Shizukani-shut up or be quiet. In this case, shut up.
A/N: Is Kenshin really a bad guy, or is there a second guy with the same name out there? Could Hiko have the right hunches? Till next time, KenSan out!
