The Other Side of the Moon
Disclaimer: After all this time I'm running out of options… Let's just say that I do not own Rurouni Kenshin… Is that clear? Good…
Author's Note: Once again I'm sorry for the late update… It was a very hard chapter to write since I had so many options and suggestions in mind… In the end I decided to follow my original idea… Let's just say that you will have to suffer a little bit more than you hoped for… And you will continue to hate me too…
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Previously…
"It's okay to cry… I'm here Yahiko… I'm here…"
His sobs rocked through his frail body… Kaoru hugged him tighter and deposited a maternal kiss on his forehead.
Her eyes left his shaking form only to concentrate on the shadow that stood by the door.
"Everything will be alright… Everything will be alright…" Kaoru whispered, her eyes never leaving the eyes of the dark haired man by the door.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Chapter 24 – Of Smoke and Mirrors
-.-.-.-.-
The dark haired man entered the bedroom noiselessly.
"Allow me." His deep voice echoed in her ears and provoked shivers on her sensitive skin.
She slowly released the boy's tired body as the man picked him up carefully not to awake him, and lay him on his bed covering him in the process.
"Sleep Yahiko, sleep…" The man whispered as he paternally kissed the boy's forehead.
Her deep blue eyes took in his form bent over the boy. A shy smile crept its way to her lips.
The man got up and faced her… He walked towards her and picked up her delicate hand, guiding her out of the bedroom and down the hall, towards her bedroom. Wordlessly he opened the bedroom, allowing her to enter.
With jointed hands, he closed the door behind them, shielding them from the world.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Her feminine elegant hands manoeuvred the steering-wheel of the sleek black sedan with no effort through the busy streets of the city.
As she stopped on a red light, her dark eyes turned to the mirror admiring her looks. Well manicured nails traced invisible patterns over the ugly old scars of her cheek. Her face frowned as she averted her eyes from the rear-view mirror.
I will make you pay…
As the light turned green the stillness of the car was broken by the sound of her cell phone.
She sighed softly and allowed one slender finger to press the button as the other hand grasped the steering-wheel.
"Yes?" Her cold voice inquired.
"Hello dear. Isn't it a beautiful day?" A deep male voice came from the cell phone.
"I thought you would call."
"Am I becoming so predictable, my dear?" The male voice asked mockingly.
"Somewhat."
"This is a secure line. Tell me what I want to hear."
"Six feet under."
"You checked the body?"
"I never had the chance to be alone with the body."
"Tomoe." The voice warned.
"But I assisted the autopsy of his body that Dr. Martin did."
"Is he trustworthy?"
"Yes."
"Good then… Now that Battousai is officially out of the way, we can concentrate ourselves on other things."
"The next step?"
"Hiko is the only one left. He must be eliminated as well as IACO."
Tomoe was silent a few seconds.
"What is bothering you Tomoe?"
"The elders of the White Fang will not agree… Battousai's death may be seen as a sign of weakness from our behalf, Enishi… The elders may want to investigate…"
"You think I haven't planned things that far, my dear? The elders won't know what's happening here… My own followers are loyal to me. You, my dear, of all people, should be more trusting…"
"It's not that Enishi…"
"Stop your foolish thoughts Tomoe. Things are going as planned. I have no real advantage of finding the heir of the White Fang Group. With no heir I will be the official leader and that's all I want. And nothing will stop me from reaching my goal, understood my dear?" His voice containing a serious threat.
"Understood Enishi."
"Good. Now that we have established our priorities again we can focus on Hiko."
"What do you suggest?"
"We now have an unprotected element."
Tomoe's eyes darkened somewhat as she took in the meaning of his words.
"You are referring to Battousai's wife…"
"What a cold voice my dear… She may not know anything about what we are looking for but she may be an excellent bait to allure Hiko."
"You think Hiko will fall for it?"
"My dear you make it sound so vulgar…"
"Battousai may be dead but she is still being heavily guarded."
"Guarded you say? By whom?"
"I saw her leaving the graveyard with Soujiro Seta."
"Oh yes, one of Battousai's pets… Hiko never ceases to amaze me, I was expecting that Sagara would be babysitting her…"
"So what do you have in mind Enishi?"
"As soon as things develop I will inform you my dear."
And the line went dead.
Her eyes focused on her surroundings. She was arriving to IACO.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"Have you seen the report the experts left on your desk?"
"I have." Hiko answered back as he filled a glass of whiskey and turned to look at the tall man who had just entered on his office.
"You know my opinion but the final word is yours. Do we act?" The yellowish eyes of the tall man concentrated on Hiko.
"Yes." Hiko answered as he pressed a button on the receiver. "Miss Josephine?"
"Yes, Mr. Seijourou?"
"Send word for Katsura. Tell him I need to speak with him at once on my office."
"Right away Mr. Seijurou."
"Thank you Miss Josephine."
"Do we wait for her?" Saitou asked in a slightly curious tone of voice. "She has just reached IACO's parking lot."
Something flashed on Hiko's eyes for a few seconds as he swallowed in one single gulp the burning yellow liquid.
"Katsura has a lesson to learn. Allow her escape by bare inches. Soon she will reveal her true face."
"Katsura is a waist of time. We should catch both and be done with it." Saitou growled as he leaned back against the wall and lightened up a cigar.
"This is his idea, not mine." Hiko shot back as he refilled his glass. "But I can understand his intentions."
Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Come in." Hiko commanded in a grave voice.
"You wanted to see me, Hiko?" Katsura asked as he walked in the office, slightly suspicious of the environment as he spotted Saitou leaning against the wall.
"Yes. Our experts have just delivered me the reports about the evidences that Kenshin brought."
"Let me guess, his bitch is innocent." Katsura replied with a sarcastic voice.
"Quite innocent actually. His evidences show us the true mole inside IACO, the person who helped the leader of the White Fang to escape that night."
"Who is this person?" Katsura asked cautiously.
Hiko got up and faced him.
"Tomoe."
Katsura's eyes widened slightly as soon he heard the name of his daughter.
"Congratulations, your son was well trained in manipulating people and facts. It's clear that the evidences have been forged.
Hiko smiled sadly.
"Your daughter managed to deceive all of us, Katsura."
"This is so convenient for you Hiko isn't it? An easy excuse to get rid of our enemies…"
"For a man who believed that emotions are of no consequence you are certainly being tricked by them…" Hiko added.
"Tomoe is loyal to IACO." Katsura stated as he challenged Hiko.
"Is she? That night she stole a car just like the one Kaoru owns and disguised herself like her. Of course she knew we would be monitoring the entire operation, she knew we would catch her on our screens. But Tomoe wasn't counting with the fact that Kenshin had taken some measures concerning Kaoru's safety. He placed a GPS tracking system on Kaoru's car. Tomoe wasn't also counting with the possibility that Kaoru could leave the house that night. She thought, by sending compromising photographs of her and Kenshin, that Kaoru would sit back and cry all night." Hiko paused. "I must say that Tomoe made a wrong interpretation of her personality. But Kaoru did leave her house and did use her car. Traffic cameras caught her and her car at that time on the other side of the city. As the evidences found on their house, it was proven now that they were deliberately placed there."
"You are a blind man, Hiko."
"No. It's you who are a blind man."
Katsura's hands curled into fists as he tried hard to control his raging emotions.
Tomoe… Tomoe… It's not possible. I must warn her!
"Tomoe… Tomoe…" Katsura emphasized. "…is innocent…"
Inside his pocket, his cell phone dialled automatically Tomoe's number.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Tomoe was getting out of the car when her cell phone rang again.
"Yes?" She asked but her answer was muffled sounds and low voices…
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Saitou only smirked as he realized why Katsura had emphasized Tomoe's name.
Hiko remained passive as he looked at Katsura.
"Tomoe is guilty and will be condemned for that."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
On the other side of the line, even though his voice was very low, Tomoe received loud and clearly the message and paled considerably.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"Hiko, we have been friends for years…"
"Years indeed…"
"Even though we were friends, you committed several mistakes but I stood by your side… Even when those mistakes implied my daughter…"
Hiko turned his back to him and refilled his glass.
"That was… a mistake which I regret tremendously but your daughter climbed willingly to my bed."
"The daughter of your friend nevertheless! I have never forgiven you, Hiko."
"I never asked for your forgiveness… But the question is, did you know her real intentions Katsura? Did you? Did you know why she was so willing to betray Kenshin and stay that night with me?!"
Katsura growled and hit the desk.
"You just wanted to have a good fuck and she was angry because of a fight she had with Battousai that afternoon!"
Hiko walked towards Katsura and faced him in the eyes.
"I fucked her because she seduced me that night. That became the perfect excuse for her to enter in my house and search for confidential information."
"What?! You are just trying to find excuses! I remained quiet all these years because of our friendship but I know and love my daughter. You ruined her life and her spirit when you used her for your sexual purposes, when you refused to send a rescue team when we lost her on that mission. You even denied that to your own son!!"
"I denied that because I know who she really is! A traitor, a woman with a strong will to do everything on her power to destroy IACO. She betrayed us, Katsura and that's why she must be capture in order to pay our price."
"I will not allow you." Katsura spitted out as his eyes held a dangerous light.
"You won't have the opportunity to stop me. Until I determine whether you are involved on this, you will remain in custody."
"You can't arrest me!"
"I can and I will." Hiko calmly stated.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Tomoe paled even more as she heard the conversation.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
The sound of Saitou's cell phone interrupted the discussion.
"Yes?" He asked as he picked it up. "Arrest her and keep me posted."
Katsura turned to look at Saitou.
"Good guess Katsura, your daughter is on the parking lot."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"I have to get out of here…" Tomoe whispered into the parking lot as she closed the cell phone and entered the car again. As the engine roared to life Tomoe spotted a couple armed agents coming out of the elevator.
"Agent Tomoe, get out of the car, you are under arrest." One of the men shouted as they pulled off their guns.
"Over my dead body…" She whispered to herself as she stepped on the gas pedal.
"The suspect is escaping! I repeat the suspect is escaping! Close the gates!"
Adrenaline rushed through her system as she tried to manoeuvre the car out of the parking lot.
Her widened slightly as soon as she realized the gates were closing.
"You won't catch me that easily…"
The car speeded up.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"You have permission to shoot." Saitou ordered the men.
Katsura paled even more as he gave menacing steps towards the smirking form of Saitou.
"That could be a very foolish act coming from a such intelligent man as yourself."
"One day I will kill you, Saitou."
"Just keep on trying Katsura, maybe I will kill you first."
On that moment 3 agents entered in the office.
"You can take him now." Hiko ordered to them.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
She was close, so close of the gates.
I will make it… I will make it…
A bullet shattered the rear window.
"It takes more than that." She growled as she saw a glimpse of a black ATV behind her and a agent ready to fire again, this time aiming for her tyres.
She speeded up even more, reaching in no time to the closing gates, allowing her to exit, breaking the side mirrors in the process.
The ATV hadn't so much luck hitting hard on the gates.
"Open the fucking gate! We are loosing her! Open the gate!" The agent screamed on the radio.
The gate opened slowly allowing the ATV to exit the parking lot and enter the traffic.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"So?" Saitou asked.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"She escaped sir." The agent answered.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Saitou closed the cell phone in anger.
"She managed to escape, Hiko."
Hiko hit the desk.
"Take him, do I need to repeat myself?!"
The three men grabbed Katsura.
"See Hiko? It won't be easy to catch Tomoe." Katsura said with a smirk as he offered no resistance to the agents.
"Before the end you will know the truth." Hiko spoke as he gestured for the men to take him.
"What do you think, Saitou?" Hiko asked as soon as they were alone.
"Katsura may be a man of questionable background but he doesn't belong to the White Fang. He once was a man of no exposed feelings but Tomoe did her job well, molding him into a more vulnerable man."
"That's my thought exactly. Now that she escaped, an open attack will be only a matter of days, Saitou. She knows every corner of IACO."
"I will get everything ready. If this doesn't work I will have to kill him again…"
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"Come on… come one… pick it up…" Tomoe whispered to herself as her cold eyes swept across the busy parking lot of the supermarket, looking for anything suspicious.
"Again my dear?" His voice sounded once again.
"Something happened, we have to speed up our plans."
"What happened?"
"I was uncovered."
The voice on the other side of the line paused for a few seconds.
"That was careless of you my dear. Meet me tonight in the SMVite Club."
And the line went dead.
"Fuck! I need to get rid of this car."
A white sedan parked near her and out of reach of the surveillance cameras caught her eye. Her mouth curved into a smirk.
"I need to borrow a car…"
She whispered mockingly as she got out of her car, oblivious to the fact that a pair of dark blue eyes were watching her.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Hiko Seijuurou retrieved the keys of his car as soon as he left the elevator.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he saw the forensics experts searching for any kind of clues that could help to find her.
He unlocked the door of his black Volvo and threw the briefcase in.
I'm tired… He thought as he entered in the car and turned on the ignition. Automatically he manoeuvred the car out of IACO's complex and into the busy streets.
As he stopped on the red light, a gentle knock on his window woke him from his reverie.
His eyes swept across the face full of make-up of the person as he lowered the window.
"Hey handsome, you want company?"
"How much?" His voice lowered considerably as he decided to play her game.
"One hundred for whole night but I can make a discount if you are a good boy." The woman said with a cunning smile.
"Get in."
"I love you already handsome." The woman replied as she walked around the car, exposing even more her well shaped legs and opened the passenger door. As she got in, the traffic light turned green.
"A hooker? You never cease to amaze me…"
The woman laughed as she removed her curly blond wig, revealing dark long hair.
"I've always wanted to be blond."
"It doesn't suit you. You stay even uglier if that is possible."
"Don't be so mean, Hiko."
Both laughed as they looked at each other.
"Nevertheless it still too dangerous…" His eyes darkened somewhat.
"Don't worry Hiko, I had to see you personally and to know what news you have to share with me…"
"But still you could have waited…"
"How is everything going?"
"Everything is going as planned. Katsura is under arrest and Tomoe escaped."
"And her?" Something flashed on the woman's eyes.
"Don't worry about her. She is fine. In fact I believe they are better than us right now…" Hiko's lips curved into a smile.
"Promise me you will protect her."
"You know I will but you should know by now that she has all the protection she needs. Besides she has proven herself several times. She is a strong woman."
"I know…"
"God it's good to hear your voice. I was getting tired of hearing you electronically twisted voice…"
Both started to laugh.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Her hands caressed with feather touches the hot skin under her sweaty body wanting to feel, wanting to know if that wasn't a dream, if he was real…
His hands were doing sinful things to her skin and in retaliation she deposited occasional kisses on his chest.
She closed her eyes savouring the moment.
After a few delicious minutes she opened her eyes again as she felt his hands brushing through her silk like long bangs.
"It's good to have you back…" She whispered in the dark room.
A deep laughed escaped from lips before he kissed the top of her head.
His strong hands grabbed her waist and pulled her even more towards his masculine form.
"Kaoru…" He whispered, catching her eyes with his. "It's good to be back…"
Their mouths met in a feverish kiss.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Author's Note: Okay, one more chapter… I don't want to plan anything before time but I think this will take 4 or 5 more chapters… I think…
As for the big question… I can't reveal anything yet… Is Kenshin really dead? Or quite alive?
I can only say that some of you who reviewed hit the jackpot!
As for the rest of you I just hope that it will surprise you!
I would like to thank to my beloved reviewers! You are amazing!
liz
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Kisses from Portugal!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!