Onna: Disclaimers apply desu! Ok, some explanations to be done now. Rook-san, it's ok. ^^ Ruby-san, I myself thought Yaone revealed herself a bit too soon, but I couldn't see the story progressing well forward without her doing that. I do have a few more plot twists to put in here, don't worry. Just forgive me if I mess up, because I've never written mystery before. Actually... it looks like I already did mess up... I'll try to make up for it.
Yaone: And I thought she was going to cry when she read that review...
Hakkai: Yare yare.
Onna: Did not!
*****
Yaone screamed in anger and anguish, her sight blurring with tears as she emptied her gun on the bastard. She heard the sound of bullet tearing flesh, the catch of the breath, the sound of body hitting pavement. Still she continued to shoot, her breath coming in ragged sobs, shoulders shaking violently.
Warm, masculine hands closed over her arms, forcibly pulling the gun from her grasp. She struggled, screamed obscenities at the murderer, collapsing in a heap when both bodies were brought out from the darkness by the officers dispatched by Dokugakuji.
"Detective, calm down!" she heard the faint but insistent voice of the officer who had her arms pinned, but she paid no attention. She continued to hurl curses at the dead man, continued to wail in anguish over the death of the girl.
"Yaone, calm down for God's sake!" another voice penetrated her hysterical mind, hands closing over her shoulders and shaking her. She swatted them away, continued to scream until she was hoarse, before she crumpled to the ground, blackness consuming her vision.
"Yaone!" Dokugakuji yelled as she fainted. "Damn it!"
Gojyo's eyes widened in shock. "You'd think that she never saw anyone killed before..."
Dokugakuji's eyebrows furrowed. "She hasn't."
"Say what?"
"She hasn't," he repeated, looking at his brother. "I was actually surprised to find out that Kou assigned her to this case, especially since most of the jobs she took before were mostly cases of going after bank robbers, and none of the cases she was given had someone dead."
"So in other words, no experience."
Dokugakuji nodded. "Something's up. And I'm not sure I like it."
Hakkai had been kneeling beside Houfa, gazing at her face and brushing back the hair. He stood up the moment he saw Dokugakuji approach. "Yaone-san... is she all right...?"
"She's passed out," Dokugakuji said in clipped tones as he gazed at both bodies. "Damn bastard, he just had to taunt us. We've been trying to locate Houfa for weeks. And now, this..."
Hakkai looked sorrowfully at her. "She was a good friend, the first person to open up to me after Kanan died, the first person I helped through the phone counseling... and she looked so much like her..."
"Oi, Hakkai," Gojyo spoke up. "You all right?"
Hakkai nodded mutely. Dokugakuji could see his jaw and throat working, see the pain in his eyes. "I think we'd better take you and Yaone home."
He nodded again. Gojyo turned to pick Yaone up, making Hakkai turn to him and ask, "Is... is it all right if I held her?"
Gojyo raised an eyebrow at him before nodding. He gently deposited her in his arms and watched as Hakkai, as if automatically, cuddle her close against his chest.
Hakkai met his questioning gaze. "I just want to know... that she's safe..."
Gojyo nodded in understanding, and they left to return home.
He paced in the darkness of the room, worrying, thinking. He stopped, sighed and moved towards the couch. The figure sat down, picking up the phone from the coffee table.
He gripped the phone in his hand and stood up abruptly, walking to the direction of the window. It didn't take long for the other line to pick up.
"It's all going according to plan," he murmured softly.
"Good. It won't be long until we give you what you want from us, as long as the girl detective and her co-workers continue to know nothing about our operation."
"Understood."
Sunlight burst through her eyelids as she slowly drifted back to consciousness. She winced and raised a hand to shield her eyes, painfully getting into a reclining position. The events of the previous night came back to her in a rush, and Yaone moaned softly, covering her face with her hands.
She had failed. She had failed to protect the citizenry, failed to do her job as a police officer. She had blown her cover.
Wait, she didn't. The bastard had said that there was a mole among their officers.
But who? Who could it be?
She ran through her mind every single police officer that crossed her path in the station, immediately crossing off Dokugakuji and Gojyo. She knew them well enough that they wouldn't betray her like that.
Would they?
She quickly dismissed the thought. She was working with them on this case. Trust was a vital part for them to be able to crack it. She needed to know that she could trust her fellow officers.
This case gave her nothing but questions, questions, and more questions. She was nowhere near an answer, no matter how hard she thought and pondered.
All that thinking was starting to give her a headache.
"Ohayou," Hakkai came in, a sad smile on his face and a tray in his hands. "Are you all right?"
"Somewhat," she murmured, resting her face on her knees. "Hakkai-san, I'm so sorry..."
He looked at her with an expression of mixed sympathy and surprise. "You have nothing to apologize for."
"Yes, I do. I failed to protect Toufa and Houfa, I jeopardized this case, I risked your life in the process. I've failed as a police officer, failed my duty to protect and serve people!" her voice rose frantically in pitch.
He placed his hands on her shoulders, gazing deeply into her plum eyes. "No, you haven't. You haven't failed. You've been doing great in this case."
"Demo-!"
He silenced her with a finger on her lip. "You protected me from the bomb, protected me from that monster in the alley. You've helped stop one of those heartless men from harming any more women. Isn't that an achievement?"
"I-I suppose, but-"
"Shhh..." he increased the pressure on her lip. "You are not a failure, Yaone-san. In fact, you are one of the most remarkable women I've ever met."
Her eyes widened and they locked gazes with his. "What... what are you talking about...?"
He didn't answer, just moved forward and softly pressed his lips to hers.
Hakkai never knew that lips could be this soft, this supple. She was so warm, so inviting, he knew he could kiss her again and again and not tire of it. She responded tentatively, nuzzling her lips against his. He sucked in his breath and took in her scent of honeysuckle and lilac as he threaded his fingers in her hair.
Kanan... her image hit him like a lightning bolt, sending a fresh wave of guilt through his core. Abruptly he pulled away, breathing heavily, and buried his face in his hands.
But not before seeing the look of hurt confusion on Yaone's face.
"I-I'm sorry..." he murmured the words before he knew it, and nearly smacked himself when the hurt look in her eyes deepened. "I-I mean..."
"I understand..." she said, tilting her head forward so he wouldn't see the expressions in her plum orbs. "Sumimasen, I'm not very hungry..."
He nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat. "I'll have your things ready for class, would you need anything?" he managed to say to fill the awkward silence.
She shook her head, still keeping her eyes on the blanket.
Hakkai practically ran to kitchen, carelessly dumping the tray in the sink. He had never felt so confused in his life. It seemed almost natural for him to get up before Yaone, prepare breakfast and pamper her like a husband would. When he kissed her it felt like he had found the other half of himself.
But thoughts of his wife still troubled him, his feelings of guilt nearly overwhelming his senses. Being with Yaone felt so right, but it also felt so wrong.
What was he to do?
He needed to go out... and think.
"You are ready for this, aren't you?"
Shufa smiled coldly. "Of course I am. You really managed to get that girl to think that Hakkai-san was the target."
He smiled back, just as icy. "She's bright, I give her that."
"And beautiful," her eyes narrowed and her smile faded. "I'll be waiting for the day we'll be rid of her."
"Soon, my dear. Soon..."
"I hope I get to pull the trigger."
*****
Onna: HAH!!! They kissed!!! Wheeeee!!!!
Yaone and Hakkai: *blushing*
Onna: Japanese terms desuuuuu~
Ohayou- good morning
