Onna: Give me a D! Give me an I, give me a S C L- oh what the heck?! Minekura-sama owns Saiyuki!
Yaone and Hakkai: *yet another large sweatdrop*
Onna: Rook-san is disappointed? Why? It's not because the last chapter was bad, was it? But hey, I got ya confused, and that's how I intended it to be. *grins*
*****
A soft, muffled cry of pain escaped her lips as Lirin was shoved into the small, windowless room. She struggled to get back on her knees, green eyes flashing angrily at the woman before her.
"If you didn't struggle so much, you wouldn't have hurt yourself," Shufa murmured softly, closing the door and locking it. "I'll be back for you soon..."
"Let me out!" Lirin screamed as she rushed to the steel door, banging on it with her fists. "Let me out of here! You're not going to get away with this! Let me out! LET ME OUT! PLEASE!! Let me out..." she slid to the ground, sobbing pitifully as the darkness grew around her.
This was hell. A prison. She was never more frightened in her entire life.
Lirin wanted to go home. But there was no chance.
The place was sealed in. Not even the lights passed through the concrete walls.
No windows.
No lights.
No way out.
Her tears dripped to the hard, gray floor, sobs echoing through the walls.
"Your lord asked me to be here," he said curtly, waiting for her to stand aside.
"Ah, yes," she murmured, smiling coyly at him. "I do remember him mentioning that. Now how about we-"
He strode in purposefully. "I don't have time for that. Where am I supposed to position myself?"
Shufa let her lips curl into a small yet alluring pout. "Right there," she purred, draping an arm over his shoulder and tracing his face with her lips. She grinned as she felt him stiffen, boldly tracing her lips to his.
He made a sound of surprise and pulled away. "Don't..." he murmured, turning his back on her and striding into the dark corners of the room.
Shufa smiled as she watched him melt into the shadows. This is going to be so much fun...
"Better be careful where you go, Yaone," Dokugakuji said through her cell phone. "It might be a trap."
"Trap or not, a young girl is in danger," she answered as she continued to drive, the cell phone jostling in its car kit. "We do need to act fast."
"Agreed. I'll send reinforcements. Just be careful, all right?"
"All right," the light of her phone lit up to indicate the end of the call. She continued to drive, taking note of the directions she was given. From Kougaiji's confession they were able to confirm a run-down warehouse as the gang's base of operations. She pulled over one block away, killed the engine, and stepped out.
Should she wait for reinforcements or barge straight in? It wasn't going to be smart of her to just run into enemy lines without anyone to watch her back.
But Lirin was in danger. Any second she could spend waiting would be the last second of her life.
Should she chance it?
The scream that tore through the night air made the decision for her. She couldn't wait.
She had to act. Now.
Yaone removed her gun from her holster and dashed into the building, breaking the door with a strong kick. She pointed her gun to her left, then her right, before slowly and silently approaching the other end of the hall.
"She's here..." he smirked. "I must say, she is more intelligent than we took her for."
"Shall I ask him to take care of her then?" Shufa asked.
"No," he said with a flick of his hand. "Let her come. I would love to see the surprise on her face once we reveal the truth to her."
Yaone crept quietly in the darkness, feeling for any objects that would be in her path. "Lirin?" she whispered as she continued to walk ahead, gun in her hand.
Creak...
She swung around, eyes trying to adjust to the darkness, alert for any more sounds to come by.
Creak... there it was again. To the left.
She continued to take small, silent steps towards the direction of the sound. Yaone didn't whisper, she didn't want to frighten away what could be a gang member. She quietly stepped through the doorway.
"Welcome..." a soft voice murmured. "I see that you have found us."
As if almost magically, the candles lit up, giving the large room a soft glow. She narrowed her eyes. "Who's there?"
A chuckle from the dark figure in the corner. "Oh, you know exactly who I am, dear. I met you a few weeks ago in the counseling center."
"Your voice is different from hers, but I'll play along for a while," Yaone retorted. "But I do know that you have Lirin. Release her and I'll be on my way."
"Oh, you are in no place to make demands of me," the form stepped into the light.
"Shufa-san..." Yaone reeled back in shock. To hear that she was part of it was different from actually seeing her in it. She just never thought of her as a suspect. "Why?"
"I don't really have to have a reason, now don't I? You are trespassing in my territory and it was so easy to fool you. Not to mention I can always throw you all off, as I can consciously change my voice. It's not that hard, really."
Yaone felt her anger beginning to rise. Lirin's life was in danger and all she could talk about was her voice?! She raised her gun again, pointing it at Shufa's shoulder. "Lirin. Where is she?!"
"She didn't!" Dokugakuji yelled in frustration. "You mean to tell me she went inside alone?!"
"She heard a scream, captain!" the woman who saw Yaone rush in said. "Surely you understand that she felt she had to act quickly."
Gojyo looked at his brother. "She's right, you know. Looks like we'll have to send in the elite team!"
Dokugakuji raised an eyebrow at his brother. "Fine, but if you guys let anything go wrong..."
"...it's our butts. Yes, yes, we know. Let me just give them a call."
"I'm not telling you anything," Shufa sneered.
Yaone kept her gun trained on the woman. "Oh, you're telling me where Lirin is all right. I'm not letting her die like all those women did."
"Those women had it coming to them. They refused to be subject to men, like my dearly departed sisters. And of course, there's the problem of dealing with you."
"What are you-" she was cut off at the feel of cold metal against the back of her head.
Shufa laughed. "Foolish child. Surely you knew that we were after you all along. Or was it because your inferior female brain told you otherwise?"
Yaone gritted her teeth. "It's the same as your brain, Shufa. Just as rational and intelligent as any human being's in this world of ours."
"Oh really? Then you could tell me how we found out that you've been reinstated as a police officer."
Her eyes widened. "H-How-"
"Oh we have our source. And he's right behind you now. Why don't you speak up and let dear Yaone here know who you are?"
Yaone stood stiffly, her gun ready to shoot at whoever was behind her. She slowly moved her arms to get into position.
"Drop your gun, Yaone-san..."
She froze, mouth open in shock.
It can't be...
It couldn't be!
Hakkai...san...?
*****
Onna: GAAAAH!!! WRITERS' BLOCK! AWFUL AWFUL!
Hakkai: Maa maa, Onna-san...
Yaone: She turned you into a what?!
Onna: Be patient! Just wait! Now excuse me while I go hide!
