Would you Kill for Love?
A couple of hours had passed as I rested my back against a single bed, Misao lying on it, the bag Megumi bought her was placed beside me and mine on the other side. My head was bent, my chin resting on my chest and my gun held firmly in my hand but resting in my lap.
I had gotten in contact with Hannya, but to air on the side of caution he would wait until dark to come to our location. I had spoken fast, making sure that we could not be traced in case they had bugged his phone. He was quite exceptional when it came to things like this. This wasn't the first time we had been placed in danger like this, but it was the first time that we didn't know whom the enemy truly was and where they were. The true fact being was I had an innocent young woman running and hiding with me…trying to keep her alive…and myself of course.
Hannya was very professional and he'd know in a split second if he was being tailed and in no time flat he would loose the tailers as well.
Misao and I moved the furthest we could out of the city and into the suburbs trying to find the closest and least expensive hotel room. I heard the bed creak slightly and turned to look over at Misao. She had wrapped herself up into a ball, trying desperately to relax and get some sleep but she was shivering…in coldness…and in fright. I silently stood up and moved towards the chair picking up a spare blanket and unfolded it placing it over her. She didn't awaken and I sat back down once more in the same position, this time both my guns were out and ready for action. I wasn't going to take any chances. This had turned into a life and death situation and it was time to shot to kill…before we got killed…
* * * *
I jolted awake having fallen asleep leaning against the bed and looked down at my watch realising hours had ticked by. The place was relatively quiet except I could hear Misao's soft snores, as she was now deep in sleep, not really having anything else to do besides run and hide. I stood up when I heard faint footsteps and watched a shadow, silhouetted on the closed curtains, stop at the window and a hand moved up pointing to the front door. It was Hannya at last. I placed one gun at the small of my back, tucking it into my trousers, but held the other one in my right hand as I opened the door swiftly and silently, my left shot up raising the gun to the dark figure.
"Its me." I heard Hannya speak and I quietly closed the door and walked around a darker corner of the building to speak.
"Has Saitou found anything about this group Hannya."
"Iie Sir, absolutely nothing. Takani-san has done some digging but cannot find anything either. Has Makimachi spoken to you at all?" He questioned and I nodded my head silently pulling a report and the recording tape out of my inner jacket pocket and handed it to him.
"There are five different groups, it is all in this and I suggest you take it to Saitou straight away. Also I wish for you to do something for me as well…merely a small kidnapping of our own."
"Sir?" Hannya asked questioningly, hoping I knew what I was doing, but I heard the sound of intrigue in his voice wanting to be apart of the plan.
"I wish for you to do an analysis report on Mrs Hikari Makimachi. Find out exactly where she goes and whom she interacts with. I want pictures of them and data to be collected. Report to this number as soon as possible. I will contact you soon after and request a meeting place.
"And this kidnapping Sir?" Hannya replied back wanting to know what would be needed of him.
"I'm sure you are aware of Takashi Konishi, Misao's step-brother. She has stated he is the lowest of the low in the 'Five powers of the Dragons'. I wish for him to be kidnapped and meet me here at this time. Make sure the place is completely dark except for a spotlight being shone right into his eyes. I want to see him squirm…and I wish to pay him back a bit…maybe even send out our own threats."
"You mean to flush out the leaders of this gang? Do you have your suspicions Sir?"
"Aa, I have been reading over Misao's statement and the recording I did, plus something else and I believe in what she speculates of her step-mother and step-brother. I'm not sure about the stepsister, perhaps send a couple of undercover agents after her as well. I have many questions, but right now I want answers before anything serious happens to Misao or myself. These "men" need to be brought to justice."
"Does this have anything to do with Yukishiro Enishi?" Hannya questioned bluntly and I turned my head to the side still not liking that name, but something was different now. I didn't have so much hatred for that name as what I used too…all thanks to Misao…
"Iie…nor does this have anything to do with Kaoru. I cannot say it isn't personal, because I am protecting Misao with my own life. I don't wish to see another young girl, especially someone as high-spirited as Misao being murdered by bastards like these 'Dragons'. I will not let that happen…never!" I felt a hand being placed on my shoulder and turned to look over at Hannya whom nodded his head in understanding.
"Go back to your family Hannya and tell Momo-chan I'm buying her birthday present right now. I will be there for it…and so will you."
"Sir, I will not do such a thing. She is very bright for a 6-year-old and I cannot make a promise that you don't even know if you can keep. Alas, I shall tell her you said hello and to make sure she is behaving herself." I smirked over at him and watched Hannya turn around heading for his car.
"I'll be in touch Sir…a present for you and Makimachi." I silently caught the paper bag that was thrown back at me and watched Hannya drive off.
I walked back to the room and closed the door silently behind me staring into the darkened room. Only one candle flickered and it came from the bathroom as I heard the toilet flush and watched Misao walk back into the room, her long plaited hair quite messy but still held in that tight plait, but she seemed cuter now. She placed the candle on the small table near the bed and sat back on it, wrapping the blanket around her petite form once more, getting back its warmth.
"So, what happened?" She asked intrigued and sat patiently while I opened the paper bag to find assorted sandwiches and some fruit, plus a small bottle-good enough for one drink-of scotch. I chuckled lightly and shook my head bringing it out and opened it up taking a swig of it. Oh yeah! That's exactly what I needed…
"Where's mine?" I heard Misao say and turned my head throwing her the fruit juice from inside the bag. I watched her blue eyes glare down at it and she grumbled out another reply.
"I think all that I've been through…I deserve a drink…" I rolled my eyes at her childish behaviour and placed out the small bottle waiting for her to take it. She did so and took a drink all the while coughing and choking slightly. Her eyes watered as she thrust it back into my fingers and opened the fruit box trying to get rid of the alcoholic taste.
"YUCK!" She spoke once she felt the taste had left her throat. I chuckled lightly and then threw her two sandwiches watching as she practically ripped of the plastic wrap and took a deep bite into one of them.
"I'm so hungry…" I heard her mumble with a mouth full of food. Well I guess she wasn't as ladylike as I thought she'd be.
* * * *
Time passed…and the cold silent night drew onwards, the moon shining through the gaps in the windows…small holes really. Misao still sat fully awake on the bed rummaging around in the bag Megumi had given her and filled with god knows what. We had been silent ever since we had eaten the sandwiches Hannya had given me hours ago. I heard the bag being dumped to the ground as it landed beside me.
I knew Misao was silently watching me as I took the clip out of the gun scanning the top bullet and then placed it back in the gun and clipping it back, ready for action. I unzipped the bag I brought with me, almost feeling the curiousness seeping through Misao's body at not knowing what was inside. I pulled out a folded envelope and took out the letter watching a photo drop onto my lap. I picked it up, my eyes glancing to my right as Misao leaned over to have a look as well.
"Are you always this noisy?" I questioned the young girl and heard a soft sorry escape her lips as she moved back onto the bed and turned away from me in embarrassment.
"It's just a picture of my house Misao. What used to be my house anyway. I had passed it one day and sussed it out by taking a picture and then found out if it was owned by anyone. It wasn't anyone's and I thought it seemed quite secretive and decided I'd move in. I found this kid living there and we began talking one day about this place. He came with me to move all my stuff in and he ended up moving out. Sometimes he visited and if I needed anything…he'd be glad to get it for me and I just gave him some cash for doing so. I wander if he still hangs out at the same games club…" I pondered to myself and shook my head of those thoughts.
"I'm sorry about your place Shinomori-san." Misao spoke softly as she turned over grabbing the picture out of my hands. I glanced up at her for a moment and then turned my head away staring at the wall.
"It was such a shit hole…always had problems with it and yet I never left, feeling as though someone had to live there and it felt kind of right that I was the one living there."
"It was only a shit hole because you never cleaned the place." I heard Misao reply instantly and I turned to look up at her watching her cheeks darken in colour. Her lips parted as though ready to apologise but I shook my head and answered back.
"True, but I was quite busy with cases. The young boy usually came around to begin with and cleaned up some of my junk for extra money but he soon mixed with the wrong crowd and stopped coming around."
"What happened to him?" Misao spoke quietly while lying down and placing her head on her folded arms. I rested the back of my head against the mattress and answered her question actually not minding she was prying into my personal life. Actually…it felt nice telling someone else. I'd only spoken to Hannya and Megumi about a couple of things. Kenshin was the main guy I opened up to, but with Misao I felt I could tell her everything…that was creeping me out because I didn't know why I wanted to open up to her so much.
"I presume he's down at that arcade playing the numerous fighting games till the early hours of the morning. He'll go sleep in his usual area, near a shelter, but not in the shelter and then he'll disappear by the morning. He's a good kid and I made sure he stopped hanging around with the wrong crowd though. I actually got him going to a local school as well. He's pretty good too, but he doesn't want to be placed in a home with parents and stuff. I guess he likes his independence, having it been like that for so long, but at least he's getting his education I suppose."
"So you act like a big brother to him. That's actually really sweet of you…" Misao stated rather then questioned. I felt a light brush against my hair; realising Misao's finger on her left hand toiled with the dark strands. I turned half around to stare at her and she whispered another apology, her left hand fisting, permanently stopping her comforting caress.
"Its okay…it felt…nice…" I spoke in a low soft voice and turned back around.
After several minutes, a small smile crossed my lips as I felt Misao's fingers brush through my hair again, she not being able to last long…or stop toying completely. The soft pads of her left-hand fingers brushed lightly over my forehead, brushing my long bangs away from my eyes. The caress actually made me close my eyes. I rested slightly slumped and relaxed on the floor, my guns just sitting in my lap now and not held by my actual hands.
"Tell me about your family…please?" I heard the desperate plea in her voice, wanting to know more about me, wanting me to tell her something to keep her mind off of what was happening to her these days.
"My mother was a very kind and beautiful woman. I remember my father telling me this everyday. He'd tell her this as well…and it still made her blush. I remember the day my sister was born too. I was turning 5 in a few months and when I saw her, those blue eyes opened to look up at me, curious at wanting to know who I was. I held her that night by myself as I sat on a chair in the darkness of her bedroom. I had promised to protect her and love her for as long as I was allowed to stay alive. She had gurgled at me that night and I smiled down at her hugging her to me for a little longer. I had to let go though and I placed her back in her cot, rubbing her stomach softly and murmuring a soft lullaby I heard mother sing to her one night. She fell asleep immediately and after that day we were inseparable. Mother used to tell me she'd cry all the time when I started going to school and only stopped when she heard my voice yell I was home. She'd thought I'd left her, ut as she grew up she got used to it and finally understood I was coming back to her."
"What about you and your father?" Misao asked, her fingers caressing down the side of my face as though she truly wanted to touch my skin…wanted to feel its texture…its warmth. I felt her fingers freeze and she moved them away going to brush them through my hair again. I guess she liked the silky feel to it. Don't ask me why it was like that, I still didn't know myself. Perhaps this was the one thing I inherited from my mother; she had shiny silky hair too.
"He was my role model, this great and VERY tall man I looked up to with great pride. He was quite serious, but once he walked into the house and headed to the backyard to find me, we'd muck around for a couple of hours just being together as father and son. We'd sit in the grass afterwards, I in his lap and he'd tell me things about when he was little. He said he was just like me and acted like me as well. I replied to his comment with one of my own. I stated I was going to be just like him when I grew up. I said I was going to be a police officer too and I was going to help people just like him."
"I'm glad you took this carrier." I turned around when I heard Misao silently confess that to me. Her cheeks were slightly pink, but she held a small shy smile staring into my eyes.
"I would never have met you otherwise…and no matter what happens I'll never regret going to the police. I'll never feel regret for knowing you." I turned fully around to stare down into her eyes watching them glance away in nervousness. She was so vulnerable at the moment and I shut my eyes not wanting to take advantage, willing myself to get under control again. She was just so cute and so innocent I wanted to protect her from everything…but mostly from myself too…
"Aoshi…" I snapped my eyes open hearing Misao whisper my name, her hot breath rushing over my dry lips before she pressed them to mine. My eyes had grown wide as I parted my lips in surprise and shock at her bold movement. For that split second I was kissing her back but I pushed her away had stood up, my back turned to her.
"I can't…we can't do this…" My hand fisted in front of me but I loosened it and placed my gun back in its holster. I spoke no more and moved towards the bathroom, taking the candle with me and closed the door.
I leaned my hands on the basin and looked into the mirror, my eyes wavering when I heard sniffling coming from the other side of the door. I'd upset her again. Was that all I ever did to her? Didn't she realise it wasn't right to do that? She is my case; I'm her guardian and her protector dammit! I turned on the cold tap and cupped my hands splashing water over my face and grabbed the towel drying it.
"Shinomori what are you doing?" I questioned myself quietly as I looked at my firelight reflection in the mirror.
"Just go back out there and forget about what happened okay?" I spoke softly once more, but bent my head in defeat knowing I couldn't. I could still feel her light pressure against my lips, the Jamaican lime lip balm she wore…I could smell its fruitiness and feel it against my own lips. I closed my eyes shaking my head of those thoughts.
I opened the door to see Misao was standing up, her right hand holding one of my guns as she stood from the bed. Her sad eyes stared over at me but I watched as she placed on a small fake smile and spoke softly requesting something of me.
"I think it's my turn to keep watch now. Please try and rest Shinomori-san…and don't worry I won't go anywhere…you can trust me okay?" I watched her lips part open in surprise as I moved to the bed and placed the pillow vertical leaning against the head board and closed my eyes, my silver gun resting in my lap. I guess she was waiting for some sort of protest, but I did actually trust her to wake me if she saw a suspicious shadow lurking outside. I felt Misao move closer, her hands picking up the blanket at the end of the bed and pulling it over my form and tucking the ends over my shoulders. Her dainty fingers touched my cheek lightly, her lips caressing the unattended one and she whispered a goodnight sitting on the floor with the blanket wrapped around her form watching the door and never turning around. I knew she knew I wasn't asleep and I knew she knew I was staring at her as well. I placed a small smile on and closed my eyes once more. Although I had rejected her offer earlier, I realised Misao was not going to quit…not going to give up on me. I may be her guardian, I may be her protector, but somewhere deep inside her…I was more then that to her…and…I am glad…
* * * *
To be continued…
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