Chapter 23. A Daughter's Choice

Elsewhere.

"Seems like we will be hosting a family reunion shortly. Aren't you just ecstatic to see your little girl? Well, she's not so little anymore."

"You bastard. You make me sick," the prisoner exclaimed as he spit at his captor.

"Temper, temper. Perhaps you need another lesson in proper etiquette."

"I swear, when I get out of these chains, you're going to suffer the same death as your father!"

"Maybe I ought to remove that tongue of yours. Where you will be going, you won't be needing it."

At the sanctuary.

She had to work quickly and quietly. She already knew that Sesshomaru wouldn't be gone for too long — probably off to speak with Isamu about the phone call. She had to act. She redressed quickly. She slipped on the first pair of jeans she found along with the long-sleeve shirt that seemed too large for her. She walked over towards Sesshomaru's nightstand and collected his car keys and his cell. She glanced at the cell, checking the time for a moment. 3:10AM. Determined, she tucked both items into her jeans back pocket. Then she quickly grabbed one of the papers that were scattered on the desk and scribbled quickly a message for her lover.

I had to.

Forgive me.

- Aya

She set the paper on her pillow. Her eyes fell onto the small blade that hung on the far wall. She made her way towards it and carefully removed it from its resting place. An old tantō blade — short enough to conceal on a body and still sharp to cause enough damage. Just in case, she removed the blade from its resting place and tucked it under her arm.

She collected her white sneakers along with the blade and quickly she left the pavilion. The sanctuary was asleep, there was no one in the courtyard or hanging around the various buildings. Aya glanced towards the pavilion where Isamu was staying and noticed that it was a light. No doubt, Sesshomaru and Isamu were discussing the phone call and their next plan of action. Aya turned towards the exit to the sanctuary, making her way towards the silver Audi, without alerting anyone.

When she reached the car, she quickly fished the car keys out of her back pocket and unlocked the car. Quickly she jumped into the driver's seat, tossed the cell phone and the blade on the passenger seat, and then she put the key in its slot. She pressed the ignition button and activated the GPS

"GPS! Get me to Tateyama as soon as possible," Aya said as she started to drive away, making her way down the mountain road.

routing to Tateyama, Toyama prefecture. Your estimated arrival will be 9:21AM-

"No! reroute to Tateyama, Chiba prefecture!" Aya yelled at the navigational system as she turned from the mountain road and made her way towards the highway.

rerouting to Tateyama, Chiba prefecture. Your estimated arrival will be 4:57AM. In fifteen kilometres, merge onto Tateyama expressway

"Perfect!" Aya exclaimed as she focused onto the road before her.

As soon as she merged onto the many-laned expressway, she pressed her foot on the pedal and sped off, making her way towards her destination. The roads weren't busy in the middle of the night, and she was more than an hour away from Tokyo. She would be in Tateyama earlier then intended.

As she left the Ibaraki prefecture and entered Chiba, his phone — which she conveniently took with her, began to ring. She pressed the button to accept the call via handsfree link and she bit her lip, knowing that it would be him. She did not have to answer the call. She could have simply rejected it. But in her bones, she felt that she needed to hear his voice one more time for she did not believe she would hear it again. She was driving towards her death. She made her decision. She needed to protect her innocent human mother at all cost. A kind woman who raised a daughter without her father, who loved her unconditionally, who protected her from harm, who …

"Aya! What are you doing?! Turn around this instant!" Sesshomaru's voice boomed through the car.

"I can't. I'm so sorry Sesshomaru," Aya replied as she gripped the steering wheel tightly.

"Don't do anything foolish Aya! Come back right now! I promised you I will bring you your mother back and I intend to keep that promise."

"I can't Sesshomaru. He will kill her if I don't give myself in by tomorrow evening. I …. I love you. I'm so sorry," Aya said as her voice started to break as she gripped the steering wheel even tighter with both hands, speeding off.

"Not like this Aya. You … you are being reckless. You can't trade your life for another. I can't let you do this."

"I have to Sesshomaru. She's my mother. I'm sorry. I wish we had more time," Aya

"Don't…"

"I love you," she repeated the words and she hung up the call as tears streamed down her face.

Within the next hour, Aya was nearly at her destination. As she entered the city she pressed the GPs button once more.

"GPS, I need directions to Tateyama port," Aya said.

routing your destination… Tateyama port. In three hundred metres take the exit towards Kagamigaura bay.

This was it.

in one point two kilometres your destination will be on your right.

She was almost there. She could do this. There was no time for fear.

you have arrived at your destination.

She turned off the car and removed the key. She reached over to the passenger seat and collected the tantō, quickly tucking it under her bulky top — concealing it along her spine. She took the phone and keys and exited the vehicle.

As she entered the port, she made her way towards slip eleven. When she came towards it, she noticed an old fishing boat with a single man aboard.

"I believe you are expecting me," Aya said as she looked at the man watching her from the boat.

"Ishihara's child correct?" the captain asked.

"Hai," she confirmed.

"Well then, come on. We ain't got all day. The boss is expecting you," the captain replied as he ushered her onto the boat.

Aya glanced over her shoulder for a moment, as if she was expecting someone to be behind her, stopping her from this foolish Then she made her way onto the boat, sealing her fate.