Thanks for the reviews! Oh, and someone asked if Kagome should really be moving around and going to the mall with cracked ribs. Well, actually now that I think about it, you are totally right. Cracked ribs are extremely painful, and any person who has cracked ribs would have to sit in their bed for a long time before they get to go out. I probably should have just made them bruised, but oh well!
Disclaimer: Don't own InuYasha, blah blah blah.
XxX
Chapter 11: Search and Rescue
Kagome was inside one of the padded cells tied down to a table when Naraku came back in. He had left only after making sure that Kagome was securely tied, but she hadn't even tried to get out of the bonds. After all, Souta's life was in her hands.
"Ah, Kagome. Thanks for waiting." Naraku giggled madly at his own joke. Kagome didn't laugh. Naraku set a briefcase down on the table with a muffled thump as he began pulling out various objects. Kagome felt her fear mounting as she watched Naraku pluck out a screwdriver first, then a hammer, and then a knife. A muffled moan escaped her lips.
Naraku glanced up from the briefcase with cold amusement in his eyes. "No need to worry, my dear Kagome," he murmured soothingly, although it did nothing to quench Kagome's terror. "You see, unlike many of these 'serial killers', as they have labeled me, I do not like to mar my beloveds…at least, not until later." Naraku added as an afterthought. "Well, I suppose I should specify that as physical marring." He grinned evilly. "I never could resist a little fear."
And then Naraku began. For a while he contented himself with a few small cuts, and he watched with sick fascination as tears welled up in Kagome's eyes again and again. But soon he became impatient.
"I know what happened at school," he whispered in Kagome's ear, so close she could smell a stench like rotting roses, the smell from her dream. Naraku lazily slid the cool blade along her cheek, bright red blood smearing onto Kagome's cream white cheek.
"It must have been so hard for you," Naraku hissed. "Now, all your friends will hate you. You deceived them." Kagome's heart gave a lurch as she remembered the look on InuYasha's face, but she kept silent.
"No one loves you anymore, Kagome. No one but me." Kagome grimaced as Naraku made a shallow cut on her foot.
"You are all alone, and no one is coming to save you. They all hate you now, Kagome. They hate you." Naraku made a small cut on her thumb and then bent down to give it a kiss as blood welled up. He grinned at her. "You have no more friends."
"You're wrong." Kagome's voice took Naraku by surprise. She had kept silent this whole time, but now she spoke, and her voice was strong and determined, though some fear crept in too.
"Sango accepted me. Souta still loves me and he always will. Keade cares about me. And I know the others are still my true friends, even though I did deceive them."
Naraku hissed, "You know nothing, Kagome."
"They still love me!" Kagome's voice became higher and more panicked. Naraku smirked.
"Then why aren't they here to save you?" He ran the knife up and down Kagome's arm. It didn't cut her, but it was terrifying all the same.
"Don't you see, Kagome? No one is coming for you. After what you did, no one cares about you. Keade will forget you as just another failed case. Sango will move on to other friends, who aren't so troublesome. Even Souta will forget. He is so young. He will keep on living his life. Listen now. No sirens are coming. No one running down the hallway to help. Oh Kagome, sweet Kagome," Narkau's voice purred. "Don't you see, I'm the only one who cares."
And then Naraku slashed the knife down her right leg. The pain was instantaneous, and finally Kagome screamed. She didn't scream only because of the gash on her leg however, but also because of what Naraku had said. He had brought into the light her worst fears, and it hurt almost worse than the physical pain. But then Kagome remembered. Souta. I have to do this for Souta.
Naraku's face was triumphant as he listened to her scream echo off the walls. "Ah, yes," he murmured. "There is the fear. Yesss." He grinned. "And now, Kagome, the real fun begins. The rest of my…ah…equipment, shall we say, is in the other room. I'll be right back." Naraku turned to leave but stopped when he heard Kagome talk.
"Please," Kagome's voice was weak now." Please. Can I just see Souta? One last time before I die? Please…" Kagome felt utterly defeated. She knew now. No one was coming, and no one could help. All that she could hope for was one last look at the brother she was giving up her life for.
Naraku turned around and smiled. Something in that smile warned Kagome that she was not going to like his answer. It was like the smile of someone handing you a drink that they put salt in.
"Why, Kagome," Naraku purred, that smile still on his face. "Whatever made you think I had Souta? I never said anything like that. Why, all I did was took this tape from your dorm room labeled 'hide and seek'."
Kagome was frozen. She remembered that tape. When Souta was little, he used to carry around a tape player everywhere and recorded everything he did, because he loved to hear the sound of his voice. They had been playing hide and seek, and Souta was walking around with his tape player, calling out "Kagome, where are you?"
Naraku's smile widened as he watched the emotions play over Kagome's face. "Now, I'll leave you hear to contemplate the fact that you are going to die for naught. But thank you for coming with me so willingly."
As the door swung shut, anger bubbled through Kagome's veins. If Naraku had thought that this news of Souta would make her an easier victim, he was dead wrong. Kagome shifted so her right hand that was tied to the table was next to her pocket in her jeans. She reached in and drew out her keys carefully, knowing that if she dropped them, her last chance of survival would go with them. She quickly began sawing at the ropes binding her with the keys. After a minute of frantic sawing, she was free and started on the other hand.
Five minutes later, Kagome was completely free. She shoved the keys into her pocket and started towards the door. Then, as if an afterthought, Kagome turned back, grabbed the knife, and then walked out the door.
Kagome limped as fast as she could. She could still feel blood trickling from the deep wound in her leg, and ever step was like the knife was being driven in anew, but Kagome kept going. She knew that she didn't have much time.
Sure enough, just as she reached the end of the hallway, Kagome heard a door creak open. She tried to run, but her leg buckled under her, and she sprawled on the floor. Kagome glanced back to see Naraku staring at her with rage contorting his features.
"No," he hissed, and then he began to run. Kagome scrambled up and began to sprint as well, the wound in her leg no more than a dull throbbing with adrenaline rushing in her veins. She knew now, it was either life or death. If Naraku caught her, it would not be the shallow cuts like before. It would be excruciatingly painful and uncontrolled.
Kagome could hear Naraku gaining on her. He was older, and did not have any injuries. He would be on her soon. Kagome turned a corner and saw her salvation. A fire escape. She bolted towards it and threw herself at the doors just as Naraku rounded the corner. It was locked.
Kagome rebounded off the door and was thrown to the floor. "No," she whimpered, "No, please no, no, no."
Naraku had stopped up the hallway. He had her cornered and he knew it. He was not smiling now. "Sweet Kagome," he called. "Why would you run away? That makes me very angry." Naraku began advancing slowly on the door. Kagome clawed wildly at the fire escape, her hands slippery with blood, but it remained locked. She took at firm hold on the knife. It was her only chance.
When Naraku reached Kagome she lunged at him, aiming for his heart. The knife flashed through the air, and Kagome thought she had him. She really did. But then Naraku dodged to the side and knocked the knife out of her hands. It went skittering across the floor, and Naraku scooped it up. Kagome whimpered.
Naraku looked at the knife and then back at Kagome. He advanced on her and then smiled down at her for an instant, his eyes wild and cool at the same time, before smacking her across the face. Kagome reeled. She could taste blood in her mouth, a coppery metallic taste. Her whole face throbbed where Naraku had hit her. She looked up at Naraku defiantly, knowing that nothing could save her now.
Naraku snarled. "Don't look at me like that! I can kill you, little girl!" Naraku hit her again, this time on the other cheek. Kagome crumpled to the floor and almost fainted with the pain.
Naraku paced in front of her. "Get up," he hissed. "Get up! I'm not finished with you yet." He aimed his next kick well, right at her ribs. Kagome tried to squirm out of the way in time, but she was too late.
Pain exploded where Kagome had cracked two ribs, and a scream was ripped from her throat, although she had promised herself not to scream anymore. Naraku stopped and smirked.
"Oh, did that hurt?" He kicked her there again, more viciously this time. Kagome's scream echoed down the white hallways. She had never known such pain before. Make it all stop, Kagome wailed in her head, Please, just make it all stop!
Naraku had pulled his foot back to give her another kick when the fire escape door smashed open. Light flooded into the hallway as well as the sound of sirens. A face peered down at Kagome and then contorted with fury.
"What did you DO TO HER?!" The person roared, and then the face disappeared from view. Kagome tried to make out what was going on, but she was in too much pain and the world was going dark around her. She heard yells, and a struggle going on. Then there was a dull thud, and the noises stopped.
Then she felt herself being lifted up. Kagome winced in pain, even though the hands were gentle. Someone was stroking her hair and her face, and then carrying her outside and down the fire escape and murmuring in her ear. Kagome knew that voice.
"Inu…Yasha?" She muttered, just before she blacked out.