Onna: mumble mumble... disclaimers apply desu... mumble mumble...
Yaone: Does anyone actually understands what she's saying?
Hakkai: O_^
*****
Yaone slammed her hands on the table, irritation glinting from her eyes. "What the hell do you mean I shouldn't get involved with finding the kidnap victim?!"
"Stand down!" Kougaiji ordered. "Your job is to find out how the gang works, and how they got Cho Kanan! This kidnapping has nothing to do with your case!"
She angrily flipped out photographs. "No?! Then tell me how come this kidnap victim's case goes in the same pattern as previous ones, like Cho Kanan and Houfa's cases?! Tell me how come all these crime scenes had a strand of the victim's hair, an item from their bags, the black coat left behind, and a handkerchief dipped in ether that was used to incapacitate the victim?! With all these similarities, you can't tell me that there is no relevance between the cases!"
"There is no relevance because Qing Yi Se is dead, Detective! This is just a copycat!"
"A copycat who could be from the same gang! I'm just surprised no one has claimed to have found Qing Yi Se's body!"
"The amount of his blood in Cho Hakkai's apartment was enough to convince forensics that he's dead! You are to have no access to this case, and I order you to stand down!" Kougaiji snapped.
Yaone stalked out of the office, calling over her shoulder. "This kidnapping case could lead me to solving this mystery, Kougaiji-kachou! I will not stand down!"
She slammed the door shut even before he had the chance to answer and stormed out of the police station. Quickly getting into her car, she whipped out her cell phone and dialed. The phone rang for a while before someone picked up.
"What?!"
"Sanzo-san, I need you to get me a search warrant."
"I do not have time to get you a warrant, especially not with having to go through the kuso baba!"
"Well then, tell Judge Kanzeon Bosatsu that I am working on a case that involves the kidnap of a young woman! And I need that warrant to even be able to enter the crime scene!"
"I don't give a damn about what you have to do!"
"I do, for crying out loud!" she took a deep breath to calm herself. "Look, the victim is a classmate of Goku's. If I'm observing right this gang has slowly begun to prey on younger women, the youngest was about the age of 14 as of last week. I do not want to risk any chances of having another young woman taken!"
"All right, all right! I'll get you the damn warrant!"
"Arigatou."
"I don't think we have room for both Hakkai and Goku," Dokugakuji mentioned as their team of inspectors combed the crime scene for clues. "Gojyo had to give up his bed to the boy, and he was none too happy about it."
Yaone nodded absently. "I see, what do you propose then?"
He shrugged. "Goku could sleep on the sofa bed."
"Where would Hakkai-san sleep then?"
"I was thinking of getting him to move in with you."
"NANI?!"
Dokugakuji grinned and raised his arms pleadingly. "Come on, you have room for one more person in your place. And I don't think you would want Goku to see your police badge and guns, now do you? And," he raised a finger before she could protest, "you would be able to vouch for Hakkai's location and safety during most parts of the day."
"I suppose..."
"It's settled then."
Yaone looked up, "I haven't agreed to anything yet!"
"You just did."
"Mou! Dokugakuji!"
"Oi! Dokugaku! Yaone!" Gojyo called to them. "Something's here!"
Yaone ran up to where Gojyo was standing and looked at the wall, angry strokes of red paint all over it. As she read, her breath caught. "This is different..."
The dark-haired man nodded. "We just got our first threatening message..."
I'm coming for you, Cho Hakkai... but your friends will go first...
"Hakkai, caller for you on line 10!" Shufa called to him. "Will you be able to take it?"
Hakkai nodded. "Arigatou, Shufa-san!" He pressed a button on the phone and took the call. "This is Hakkai speaking, how may I help you?"
Shufa watched as he nodded his head and smiled at what the caller told him. He reached out for a pen and began to write on the paper, making sympathetic noises to the problems he was hearing. She sighed quietly. She found him too good to be true, and wished that he was already over the death of his wife.
She returned to watching the news report that was currently about another kidnap victim. Her teeth closed over her thumb, worrying. Toufa hadn't returned from school the other day. Could it be-?
"Shufa-san," Hakkai called from behind her. "Daijoubu desu ka?"
She nodded quickly, before turning back to the television. Her eyes widened in shock and horror as the news reporter began to give details on the crime.
"Police investigators have confirmed that the victim is 17-year-old Toufa, who was just walking home from her high school when she was apparently chased and caught in the alley near the local market. Police have also stated that this crime scene has many similarities with previous kidnapping situations, the only difference being a threatening message painted on the wall. Detective Sha Jien held a make-shift press conference earlier, and this is what he had to say."
"Jien?" Hakkai looked surprised. "Somehow I knew he held a government job, but a police officer?"
"We do have a threatening message written on the walls which convinces us that these kidnappings will continue in some way. I advise parents and guardians to keep a close eye on their children's activities, and for the citizens to take special care when going out. Stay in groups, avoid dark places. Do not stick to one path going home. I assure the citizens that we are doing our best to find this serial kidnapper, and we will find him soon."
"Detective, was this message directed to someone?" the reporter asked.
"Unfortunately, yes, but for the safety and privacy of that person we have decided not to disclose that fact to the public, except to the person itself," Jien answered.
"Toufa..." Shufa sobbed, leaning against Hakkai. "No, why Toufa?"
He could only watch, and know who exactly Jien was talking about.
Goku wearily left school and began to walk towards home. Toufa didn't show up to school for a few days already, and he was getting worried. He missed the lunch boxes she always shared with him and Lirin, the laughing they all shared as they sat in the shade of the tree while they ate.
Even the normally-hyper Lirin was quiet, and she fell into step with him as they walked. "Goku-kun..."
"Hai...?"
"You think Toufa-chan is okay...?"
He shrugged, not knowing how to answer. Goku placed his hands on his pockets and continued to walk, his eyes downcast. Lirin shivered beside him and pulled her coat closed tighter.
A soft moan reached his ears. He looked up but found no one else in the streets. Must have been the wind, he shrugged.
Then he heard it again.
"Goku-kun!" Lirin gasped. "Did you hear that?"
He nodded and ran to the direction of the sound, behind a large pile of concrete debris. Cupping his hands, he yelled. "Who's there?"
Lirin caught up to him as he waited for an answer. Nothing.
"Who's there?!" he yelled again.
She clung to his shirt sleeve, green eyes wide and frightened. "I-Is something in there?"
Goku clenched his fists. "I don't know. We better find out! Help me get these things out of the way!"
They worked to move the heavy slabs of concrete, Goku looking around to see if they were safe. He had a bad feeling that they were being watched...
Finally the last slab was lifted, and Lirin shrieked in horror. "Toufa-chan!!!"
"Toufa-chan!" Goku went to left her from the ground, her skin purple and bruised in many areas. "Daijoubu?!"
She coughed and moaned softly.
"I'll get the nurse!" Lirin ran off as quickly as she could. Goku quickly laid the girl down and checked for any bleeding, gashes. Seeing none, he sighed in relief. She was safe.
Movement caught the back of his eyes and he was flung against the concrete wall. He winced as his skin was pierced slightly by the cool slab, cracking open one eye to gaze at his attacker, blood flowing from the gash on his forehead and over his eyes.
He watched as the cloaked man take a few steps towards him, a gloved hand closing on his neck and pressing the back of his head against the concrete. Goku gagged at the impact, his breathing becoming labored. His hands pulled at the fingers surrounding his throat, his eyes half-shut, his mouth open in a silent scream. He thought about the staff in his bag. He had to break free and get it, he just had to!
He shut one eye and concentrated all his strength on his legs, and delivered a powerful kick to the side of his opponent. The man cursed in pain but did not let Goku go, fingers tightening around his neck. Goku kicked, struggled, clawed, punched. All to no avail.
"LIRIN-CHAN KIKKU!!!" the hand around his throat flew off, and he slumped to the ground, coughing and gasping for precious air. "Goku-kun!"
He opened his eyes, mouth open in ragged breaths. He wiped the blood from his eyes and held out his hand, "Lirin-chan, ore no nyoi bo!"
She nodded and threw the staff at him, and he caught it deftly with one hand. "Remember kendo class, Lirin-chan!" he yelled as the man got up and charged at them.
"Yoshi!" Lirin raised her gloved hands and delivered a few strong blows to the man's abdomen. "Lirin-chan panchi!"
Goku gave a loud battle cry as Lirin's punch sent the man flying towards his direction, before his shoulder made contact with the end of his staff. He heard the crack of the man's shoulder bone before following up with a strong uppercut to his jaw.
The man staggered and snarled, his hands clenched, and he swung, hitting Goku right in the chest. He felt his breath literally get knocked out of him, and he fell back, supported by his staff.
Lirin charged, managing to deliver a strong kick to the man's back, before he grabbed her by the ankle with his good arm and sent her hurtling through the air, landing painfully against the brick wall.
"Lirin-chan!"' he heard himself shout before he looked at the man in shock. He had taken a gun from his coat.
As if in slow motion, Goku watched, frozen, as the man's finger moved to the trigger. He caught the evil smirk, the gleam in the eye.
BANG! He shut his eyes, expecting to feel the bullet tear through his flesh. When none came, he opened them, and found the man standing completely still on the same spot.
He fell, mouth and eyes open in stunned surprise, before revealing the smoking Smith and Wesson.
Hakkai nearly ran over Yaone as he rushed towards the door. He just heard from Sanzo that Goku had been in a fight, with someone who was dead serious enough to draw a gun on two teenagers. He was relieved to find that Goku was all right.
He bumped into her just as she was entering. "Ah! Sumimasen!"
She shook her head, trying to gather the groceries she dropped. "Daijoubu. Hey, are you all right?"
"I guess," he sighed. "Did you just come from Gojyo's place?"
Yaone nodded. "Goku's sleeping now, so it's best not to disturb him."
She pleaded with him with her eyes to stay, and he relented. "Wakatta..." he murmured as he returned to unpacking his things.
Yaone watched him as he did so, wary of the events that have been unfolding lately. The threatening message was enough to make her take this case even more seriously than she had at the beginning. And now that he knew that Dokugakuji and Gojyo are police officers...
She had to remain undercover. Yet at the same time keeping an eye on him. Yaone wasn't assigned as his guard, Gojyo and Dokugakuji had explained to Hakkai that they were the ones to do that. But to solve this case she needed him alive. Only he can tell her what she needed to know.
She'll have to keep a close eye on him. She could see Dokugakuji's reasoning for having him move in with her.
At the same time, she was feeling a bit giddy about having him in her home.
She pushed the thought aside, even as she flushed at that. Detachment was the key. She didn't want to become emotionally involved with him.
That was difficult for her, not when she was so attracted to him.
She'll just have to make sure that they're together for that night, for his safety. But it had to sound casual, not like she was his protector or something.
"Hakkai-san?" she asked tentatively.
"Nani?" he didn't look up from his things, obviously not noticing the slight tremor in her voice.
The words were out of her mouth before she could stop herself. "I was thinking... would you like to go out tonight?"
*****
Onna: Tee-hee!!! H/Y fluff is starting!!!
Yaone: *is as red as a tomato*
Hakkai: Yare yare, Japanese terms for your better understanding. *smiles*
Kuso baba- old hag
Kanzeon Bosatsu- Goddess of Mercy (wow, what a nickname for a court judge ^^)
Arigatou- thank you
Nani- what
Mou- common exclamation for exasperation
Lirin-chan kikku- Lirin kick
Ore no nyoi bo- My staff
Lirin-chan panchi- Lirin punch
Yoshi- all right
Sumimasen- I'm sorry; excuse me
Wakatta- understood
