AUTHOR'S NOTES:

A. Inuyasha and its original characters were the creation of Rumiko Takahashi. I do not claim them as mine.

B. The characters of Maksim Danilov, Ivan Danilov, Kevin Spencer, Alynna, Richard Higurashi, Masahiro, Mako, Yori, Haru, Sune-ku, Allen and Ryotaro were my original creations. Please do not copy their characters!

C. The people and names in this story were fictitious and if someone has the same name it was just a coincidence (like Maksim).

C. Hey guys, this story doesn't have the same Inuyasha series characters. I do not usually follow canon and I tweak the character's personalities a bit. To fully understand what is happening in the story you have to read everything in tandem.

If you're looking for a story that's unpredictable then this story is it.

CHAPTER 22-A

MODERN TIME/PRIOR TO DISAPPEARANCE

(A parallel story to link the Feudal Era and the Modern Time)

~Chapter Theme Music~

My Ecstasy

/YgD2y7Vuotg

"... But to that second circle of sad hell,
Where 'mid the gust, the whirlwind, and the flaw of rain and hailstones, lovers need not tell
t
heir sorrows. Pale were the sweet lips I saw, pale were the lips I kiss'd, and fair the form
I floated with, about that melancholy storm."

~John Keats "On a Dream"

Maksim is in hell.

No, not the seven hells mentioned in the Sanskrit of Naraka in Jain cosmology, but the kind of hell described in Dante's Inferno. You ask where could he be in that wonderful place? Well, specifically, our Maksim's currently in the second circle where people consumed by lust were thrown, where they would be eternally punished for wanting, needing, craving, desiring…

Maksim happened to look to the side and almost lost control of his jaw. She came out of the pool dripping wet and wearing a black bikini.

"Hey honey, wanna join me?" Kagome sat across him on a pool chair after grabbing her towel, her knee almost touching his thigh.

Maksim was so glad that he didn't manage to stutter his reply. "I'm afraid I couldn't, honey" Liar, you want to. "I need to wait for word from the 'office'." Yeah Maksim, alibis…excuses...blah-blah-blah.

Maksim was glad for the shades. His eyes could roam to their heart's content all over her scantily clad form. Their heated focus intent on her bared neck as she dries her hair with a towel…down to the slim arms and smooth back to die for. The second item he was glad for was his notebook resting on his lap that effectively hid the hardened rearing proof of his 'disturbance' from that damnably skimpy bikini of hers…

Hold on, was she asking a question? Damn!

"…I hope the guys don't get held up by the storm for a long time." Blessedly, Kagome had no idea how a simple thing as dabbing her body with a towel could send Maksim in a paroxysm of tortured bliss. Down boy…he shifted in his seat to be more comfortable.

To be that towel… Maksim breathed deep. Ah yes, the storm. Focus, man! Get your mind off the gutter! "Yes, that was the news yesterday. They might make it when the wind calms down a bit."

Of all the bad of the baddest luck in the world, a big storm hit the U.S. East coast so the rest of the team were stuck back in New York. JFK, La Guardia and all the smaller airports issued flight suspension. Even the surrounding areas had been affected and had gone on lockdown.

His great idea that sounded fantastic now felt like punishment from heaven. The gods must be angry with him for harboring these carnal thoughts for the past hour.

Correction. For the past two days.

Back in New York headquarters, the original plan was scraped for the meantime; namely, the witness protection program. Therefore they all had to lay down a new plan to include Kagome and her partner, Allen Harris. So the team was broken up in smaller groups, it would be less conspicuous than having a group of seven or eight people arrive at a place at the same time. Kagome would travel with Maksim, Allen would go with the two security people. The rest of the tech people were young looking enough and so their cover would be as backpackers.

Spencer clamped down on his snigger when Maksim made a choking sound the first time he saw the passports and air tickets.

"Why?" The blonde man stiffly held up the papers and slapped them down on the glass-topped table.

"It's a fool-proof cover, Max." Spencer lied straight-faced but his mouth couldn't help quirk at Maksim's narrow-eyed glare.

"And this is the only plan you have come up with, am I correct?" Maksim looked up at the American from his desk; tense, nose flaring in irritation.

"Well, she wouldn't pass up as your sister, that's for sure." the naughty quirk on Spencer's mouth couldn't be controlled no matter how much he tried. The COO shrugged and spread his hands, looking all innocent. "This is standard S.O.P., Max, you know that. Hey, you never had any complaints with this arrangement before." Spencer frowned.

"You very well know what the problem is!" He angrily shoved the documents away from him and dragged a hand over his face. One drawback of wearing the jewel was that it also imbued him with very human emotions to make his disguise realistic. Since that night at Club Helix he had been bombarded with emotions that threatens to overpower him even with his preternatural control.

"Well," Spencer shrugged. "If it gets unbearable go under a cold shower for thirty minutes and you're good to go." Kevin advised with two thumbs up and a wide smile on his face that Maksim would like to smash his fist on.

And, Maksim vows with a low growl, Spencer will die when I get back.

Maksim never knew that a person could develop an intense case of cabin fever in the span of just a few hours. He immediately took his work out to the pool area to escape the confining space dominated by the lace-canopied-rose petal-strewn queen sized-bed.

The first time he entered the damned suite it was all he could see in the entire room. It took everything in him not to go out running in a panic or toss Kagome in the middle of it and make hot mind blowing sex. NO!

And for the love of kami, it didn't help that his companion took to her cover a little enthusiastically. She got the right outfits, acted like a woman in love and to make the matters worse, they were booked in one of the honeymoon suites-one room, one bed, one very sexy woman…and one horny as hell youkai. Oh, damn it all to hell…!

I wish she would stop calling me….

''Honey," Kagome handed him a bottle and turned her smooth back to him "could you rub some sun screen on my back, please?" she asked sweetly.

"Sure, honey." He squared his jaw as he squeezed a small dollop on his palm and slowly rubbed the lotion over her shoulders… down to her back, over the curve of her waist…Oh, lord… and just above the edge of her bikini bottom. In his mind he was chanting….this is hell….this is hell…this is fucking hell…

Yes, this is definitely hell indeed.

0 ~ 0 ~ 0

NEW YORK HEADQUARTERS

The girl quietly looked at him from her seat at the hospital bed, not moving a muscle. Her eyes were following him as he slowly walked nearer. He stopped at the left end of the bed and gave a timid smile at the occupant.

"Hi, I'm Ivan. Ivan Sommers" The girl didn't acknowledge his greeting. "I'm here to check on your monitor." The girl looked to the left and to the right as if looking for an escape. "Uh, you won't be able to escape anyway…" Ivan pointed at her arm hidden under the sheets.

"Why? What's this?" The glare she threw at him could melt ice.

"It's a tracking device and…among other things."

She glowered more. "'Among other things?'" The girl fisted her hand and shook the bangle, "A torture device?"

"No, but in case you wanted to leave you can't. It won't allow you out of this place." Ivan stuck his hands in his pockets. "You'll be fried."

"Fried?" the girl's color turned a little pale.

"Every exterior or exit door in this complex is rigged with two thousand watts of electricity. That," he points at the bangle "activates when you go near them." Ivan shrugged.

"I see." the assassin's mouth thinned in annoyance, her eyes hardening further. "You people are thorough." they sized each other for a few minutes. "Wait a minute, I remember you. We fought each other…" she lifted her brows and nodded.

"Uh, yeah…" he scratched his head.

"You fight good." She tilted her head to the side and looked at him from head to toe, a cocky look in her eyes.

"Eh-heh, thanks." Ivan managed to stammer and shuffle a bit for effect. He harrumphed, "Uh, we have to train to work in this place. So." Ivan smiled and hoped his shrug came out cute. "So, what about a name?"

"What are you people gonna do with me?"

Hm, she's not gonna be easy to handle. "Uh, actually, I don't know. I'm not privy about things like that around here. I'm just a techie here." He lifted his new ID with his 'new' family name.

Her 'Oh, I see' had a disbelieving ring to it. She frowned. "So this is just a social call, huh?" She sneered. "Nice. So, where're the flowers and get well soon cards?"

"Uh…" Ivan pretended to be uncomfortable in the situation he was in. He scratched his head. "They forgot?"

Silence.

Ivan cleared his throat and pointed. "I'm actually here to check your 'monitor'."

She held up her wrist as Ivan approached with a device. She continued looking at him. "For a techie you sure know how to fight. I thought techies were nerds."

He didn't look at her as he started to 'check' the device. There wasn't any problem with the monitor at all. It could take a lot of abuse even subjected underwater and still function.

"Uhm, not all of us. I certainly don't look like your average techie, right?" he smiled at her lopsidedly.

"Yeah, you sure don't." The assassin liked what she saw. She liked tall guys…and this one is not just tall and solidly built. Hm…must be a swimmer. "So, will I be allowed out of this room or am I incarcerated?"

"No, you could go around. We can monitor your movements with that." He pointed at the bangle. "Okay." Ivan turned off the device, "See you around."

"Sango."

"Sorry?" Ivan paused at the door, his hand on the jamb.

"My name's Sango."

0 ~ 0 ~ 0

SINGAPORE

"…then tomorrow at 0700 hours we begin reconnaissance of this building along Marina Bay." Maksim pointed to one of the tallest buildings projected on the wall. "Hart, you and Allen will pair up." The two men nodded. "Although we have the layout of the whole building and the penthouse suite we still need the ocular inspection. Try to get as much visual inside the building, what kinds of people are inside, the mood and all of that…" The two men nodded again. "Read your cover. It's all in the folder. If you have any questions pester Aoi, not me." People chuckled. Maksim smirked. "Stef," a tomboyish short-haired girl nodded at his call "are we set up?"

"As long as there isn't any solar flare to break up the SatFeed it's a go, Max. When Hart goes in that building in the morning we'll have that covered." Stef's short haircut bobbed when she nodded. "I will also deploy extra hardware inside for backup." She shrugged and gestured with a hand. "You never know."

"Great. Good thinking, pup." Maksim gave the girl a thumbs up.

Kagome's brows rose at the nickname. Pup? Uhm, as in 'puppy?'

"Hm Max? What about me?" Kagome opened her arms "What do I do?" Kagome asked from her seat from the third row at the back.

"I'm afraid, nothing for the moment. We continue our cover and…" Maksim paused when he saw the woman's dismayed face.

"Uh, lieutenant…" Stef turned from her seat "maybe you could help me man the SatFeed and analyze the incoming data? We're actually short staffed and I could need an extra hand."

"Really?" Kagome visibly perked up. "Sure, I'd like that." She gave the girl a bright smile.

"Okay, thanks again pup. Hart, come up here. It's your own show now." Maksim went to sit far away from Kagome as his security officer stepped up for his own briefing.

Maksim sighed inwardly. He was quite relieved that Stef offered the job. He would like to avoid being around Kagome more than necessary. The less time they spend together the less he would be bedeviled by his very own thoughts. He's not used to having these kinds of distractions.

He had met many beautiful women in his line of work before. He had been propositioned many times and had accepted as much as well but since Kagome there weren't anyone else. In his heart, that is.

Who is he kidding? He's a male - a very virile male. Foregoing sex is not healthy for his kind. If a female is willing then he's a fool not to accept provided the female is not expecting commitment. To his credit, he had been honest in his liaisons and he never promised what he couldn't give. But that's all it was, a sexual event.

And this conundrum that had been plaguing him was that he could tell Kagome wants to get to know him personally…but as Maksim, not as Sesshoumaru. She was terribly attracted to his alternate persona. He was very much tempted to allow her to get to know Maksim. But….in reality, Maksim doesn't technically exist. This would pose a problem when the 'event' happens. Things would not progress if he alters the events on this side of the time line. She doesn't need to get confused.

He would just have to kill her attraction to him ASAP. He felt a painful tug at his chest at what he's about to do. She would be hurt but it will be for the best.

0 ~ 0 ~ 0

Allen took a few minutes to gather his thoughts as he stood outside the closed office door. What the fuck's going on? He blinked and frowned. The young police officer dragged a hand over his light brown hair in total confusion. What did he just see inside that office? Allen had a mind to open that heavy mahogany door again just to make sure he was not hallucinating or seeing double or having a bad case of jet lag.

He looked around the semi-deserted high-class office floor then at the elegant beige linen business card in his hand.

Erin Bennet, Personnal Assistant.

Okay, Erin Bennet, I'll find out who you really are and what's your part in this whole fucking puzzle.

The young officer was thinking of a way to explain this to his senior officer. Allen Harris slipped the stiff card inside his business suit and strode to the elevator bay to rendezvous with Hart.

Kagome's gonna freak out that's for sure.

0 ~ 0 ~ 0

The roar of vehicular traffic along Marina Bay abated when mid-evening approached. There was still the usual bustle of activity but it's less hectic, less frantic. People were not rushing to work and cars and vehicles were not trying to outrun each other at breakneck speeds to get to their destinations. It was more unhurried, more relaxed. The mood of the evening has changed and instead of thinking about paperwork and deadlines. People were looking for places to unwind from work stress. They pour into bars and café's or the numerous international restaurants along brightly lit streets to sample new and interesting flavors and cuisines.

Up on one of the less prestigious looking buildings removed from Singapore's central business district Maksim's team begin their work day. The cavernous 19th floor area was littered with open equipment cases and packing crates. The brightly lit space was divided into sections where each team has their own area to spread their equipment on tables and shelves.

Kagome was glad to be busy even if it means doing odd jobs and assisting Stef, who she found out, was Kevin Spencer's daughter. Kagome was relieved to have someone else other than Maksim or Allen to talk to. She can't put a finger to it but she had the feeling that the blond-haired director was avoiding her since they arrived in Singapore. He was still his same cultured self but every time she's around him he seemed to be uneasy, and after a few minutes in her company he would excuse himself on an errand or something. She had no idea what gotten him so.

She sighed as she cleaned one of the guns. Oh yeah, perhaps I scared him off when I pointed the gun at his head. Damn, great work Kags! You finally meet a really gorgeous guy and you turn him away. She dropped the polishing cloth on the table with a curse. Shit.

Dad! Kagome frowned as she remembered her last encounter with her father. He's the one that brought on that gun-pointing thing! She sighed deeper. Now she's jobless. Hm, what to do? Maybe I should approach Spencer and ask him for a job here. It seemed they need people with my skills. But that would mean seeing Maksim regularly. Well, maybe someday he'll forget that episode. Maybe.

I doubt it.

"Hm…lieutenant?" Kagome looked up as Hart, the security officer came up to her. The dark haired officer was already dressed in assault gear. "I think you'd better gear up. Your things are with Stef."

"Oh, thanks." she smiled at the security officer as she admired the weaponry. "This is nice. Too bad I left my guns in my apartment." she sighed as she laid the assault rifle down on the table.

"You mean these?" Hart opened a gun case she didn't notice him carrying. Kagome gasped when she saw what's inside.

"Ooh! How did you get them?" She began inspecting the H&K USP Match pistols, eyes wide with delight.

"Getting them from your apartment was a synch." The hazel-eyed security officer smiled.

"I'm not even gonna ask how you bypassed my security code. I'm just happy to see them!" Kagome looked like a mother who was reunited with her children.

"Then I'm glad that I reunited you to your…'babies.'" the security man was smiling wide.

"Thanks Hart." Kagome held out her hand to Hart. The man took it.

"You're welcome, my lady." The officer executed a bow at her hand and left.

Kagome blinked. My lady?

0 ~ 0 ~ 0

Maksim looked up from tying his combat boots at a knock on the open door. "Yes, corporal, what can I do for you?"

Allen cleared his throat. "Uh…" he hesitated at the door. Maksim raised a brow when the police officer entered and closed the door. "It's about this morning's recon…"

Maksim nodded and indicated the sofa opposite him. "Was there some other info you forgot to share?"

The officer remained standing, "Uh…actually yes." The director nodded for him to continue. The corporal looked as if torn. "You see, I took a video of the recon. I had a micro camera with me and…whoa!" the officer shook his head in disbelief. "It'll blow your mind!" the officer blew out a gust of breath.

Maksim held up a hand to stop the officer's ramblings, a frown on his forehead. "You're losing me here corporal. Please…"

"Oh! Sorry! Could you promise me one thing, sir?" The older man raised a brow. "Whatever you see please don't tell her yet, okay?" Allen held out an iPad at Maksim, it had been prompted for video. A big 'play' button was blinking at the middle of the rectangular interface, ready for viewing.

Maksim sighed in exasperation at the officer's cryptic words and weird behavior. He leaned forward and pushed the button. The visual was a little shaky, understandable, as the camera must have been positioned from somewhere on the corporal's chest. Must be the tiepin, Maksim mused.

"Sorry, that was from the tiepin." The corporal confirmed from behind Maksim. "I like gadgets." The corporal shut up when he shot him an annoyed look. The officer backed away and raised his hands. "Okay, shutting up now."

…the elevator opened and people filed out to an ultra modern office level. The officer was the only passenger left inside the elevator car. The door smoothly closed again with a chime and began moving up. The digital floor numbers swiftly changed. With another chime it stopped at the penthouse suite. A disembodied female voice announced the floor designation. The door opened to a mahogany lined hallway. The officer stepped out and walked to a door with a plaque announcing "Turchino Commodities". Allen's hand appeared and knocked on the door. A click was heard and the door opened. The officer walked in slowly. The reception area was big and luxurious. There was wall-to-wall Oriental carpet in blue and huge Japanese Meiji era jars stand on corners. The same kind of wood was also used for the gleaming furniture done in rich red brocade.

The receptionist was on the phone, her back to Allen. She put the receiver on her shoulder to jot down something on a pad. Allen waited until the woman finished her call. The video panned around as Allen turned to look around the swanky office. The officer turned back when he heard the secretary ended the call. She wrote some last minute notes on the same pad and turned around.

Maksim found himself looking at Kagome's face.

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