Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Inuyasha series or characters or any other copy written stuff that I may have referred to or used in this story.
From Our Past
Chapter 14 Darkest Hour
Sesshomaru watched the buildings go by through the window of his limo. It had been a week since the incident at his manor and he was still in a state of anger and confusion. Anger because he had stood by and let Naraku not only endanger his family and friends but allowed him to make him look the fool by taking his mate. Then confusion because he was still uncertain what Natai meant by her words. He felt perhaps she would try to contact him again once she was better but nothing so far. Now he was wondering if she had really meant she wanted him to forget her. It would sever him right.
Even Rita had stressed the desire to remain vacant from his life. In short what happened scared the living hell out of her and she wanted nothing to do with him. That he could understand. To be truthful he could never love her. It was just an animal attraction and the fact his beast was looking for revenge that brought them together. So to placate her for the trouble she had gone through he made arrangements for her to stay at one of his villas in Europe with enough security to protect her from any further attacks and the promise to fix the mate problem as soon as he found Natai again. He did neglect to tell her that it had been two hundred years before he had found her this time but felt it was better not to worry her any more then she already was. He grimaced at the thought.
His life was falling apart and all he could do was ponder over the mistakes he had made. 'When had he become so pathetic and uncertain of himself?' He mused. There were no answers in the past faults he seemed to be dwelling on. He knew that but it was so hard to stop thinking about them. The main thought was 'What if I had done it different?' But truth be told would it have been different? He was not so sure. Fate was a strange thing and you could not dictate what would happen if fate already had a plan for you. That was one part of life he had learned the hard way over the hundreds of years he had lived. All he could do now was keep going the best he could and perhaps pray for redemption. Then maybe fate would smile on him and for once let him decide his own destiny.
The cellular car phone rang bringing him out of his contemplations. The driver answered it like always but soon opened the window to give the call to him. "It's important sir." Was all the driver said. Sighing in aggravation he took it.
"What? I don't want to be disturbed right now." He growled.
"We found her." Was all that needed to be said. The first feeling was relief then fear and anxiety. Yes he was nervous but he had to know.
"Is she safe?" He strained to keep his voice calm.
"So far yes, but..." Inuyasha hesitated.
"But?" A deep dread was beginning to fill his heart.
"Kouga doesn't know for how long. Naraku has her locked in a cell of some sort. Kouga said he could smell her blood. She was not close to death but she is very weak. He thought perhaps Naraku was only punishing her a little for the mess up at the mansion. Unfortunately no one is talking about it on the inside so he can't be sure. He couldn't get too close because the area is in high security and he doesn't have clearance." Inuyasha dropped it at that for the moment so he could hear what Sesshomaru thought. The line was silent for a bit but he knew eventually his brother would reply.
"Does he have the building plans?" The calm cold voice held true to his nature and showed no emotions.
"Already have them from the building commission and Kouga retrieved a copy of the plans from Naraku's archives to make sure there weren't any surprises. Those even have the security system with alarms and patrol paths. We should be set up by the time you get here." Inuyasha finished feeling rather pleased with himself.
"Good." Was all Sesshomaru said before hanging up.
Natai was barely awake when Naraku came into the room. He had been true to his threats and was keeping her alive but not unharmed. She was given little to eat or drink so she remained weak and easily controlled. He would come into the cell and torture her in different ways until she was screaming for mercy. At present she was hanging from the ceiling with nothing on but a scanty thong. The pads of her toes is all that touched the ground so all of her weight was pulling on her stretched arms above her. The muscles were already numb so she was sure she had been there a while already. Her head nodded back and forth as she fought to keep conscious. She didn't hear the door open so was unsure if he ever even left her after the last time he punished her.
His warm hand slide down the middle of her back to her bottom then around to her hip to finally rest on her waist as he walked around her. The action sent shivers up her spin. The warmth was a welcome sensation to her cold damp sticky skin. In the back of her mind she wondered how he could even touch her when she was so filthy but then she had to grin inwardly realizing he was the one who made her this way. A tingling sensation from his fingers running softly over her lips brought her out of her musings. She opened her eyes to small slits knowing the light was going to hurt them. How right she was and shut them quickly as a tear fell down her cheek. Fighting the urge to slip into the darkness that threatened to over take her mind she forced her eyes open again.
Her blurred vision could barely make out shapes and colors around her. Sluggishly she blinked her eyes several times to clear her vision so she could see his face. She so wanted to look into his eyes and remind him just how defiant she was against any of his wishes. After their return he had found out that Sesshomaru was indeed Iyoutai and just how far her betrayal had went. He wanted to break her but she was determined to die before that would happen. She didn't care what he did to her as long as her mate was safe and unharmed. She would gladly pass from this world to ensure that.
His face was unreadable right now. He was covering his emotions well but soon he would let them show. That was the one thing she could count on was his inability to hide his anger for long. It took so little effort on her part to make him loose his calm cover up. She smirked at the thought but caught the glint of confusion in his eyes for a second before he squashed it. She couldn't let this opportunity pass by with out goading him.
"Hello Naraku." She croaked out through dry lips. "Miss me already?" She ran her tongue across her bottom lip in an attempt to get her mouth to moisten. He glared at her. The thin lines of his lips sank into a frown instantly. She chuckled lightly to herself amused at his lack of control.
"Tell me Natai, what the fuck is so funny?" His eyes narrowed but his voice remained calm.
"You." She stated simply never letting the smirk fall from her face even though the muscles of her bruised cheeks were beginning to protest greatly.
"I...amuse you?" He raised an eyebrow at her. Her mocking laugh was making him angry but he was determined to keep his cool this time. In reality he only wanted her to submit to him. The thought of killing her was not a pleasant one but he was beginning to believe it was what she wanted. She would goad him into a rage every chance she got until he started to beat her. It was becoming harder and harder for him to even hit her. The body he desired so much, her body, had become terribly skinny from lack of food. The once supple full lips were dry and cracked from too little water. At this rate she would eventually die and he knew a part of his soul would die with her. She had at one time brought a splendid light to his life but like all things he touched she became tainted just as he was. A bark of laughter that exploded from her brought him out of his musing. He scowled at her. In anger he grabbed her chin roughly not caring if it hurt but was satisfied when she hissed in pain. "Tell me Natai, how do I amuse you?" He kept his voice as calm as possible but put more pressure on the bruises of her chin.
"I would have to say it is the funny look on your face. You really should try to lighten up sometime. A scowl like that might become permanent." She hissed through the pain.
"What ever bitch." He scoffed and let go of her chin. A tear rolled down from the side of her eye from relief. She closed her eyes and took a shuttering breath. He watched her closely for several minutes before stepping closer once again. Gently he brushed the tear away with his finger then cupped her cheek with his palm. The pain in his heart was almost too much to bear. He never would have dreamed that this would affect him this way. She looked at him with hooded eyes that were so blood shot it made the blue of her irises stand out. "Natai..." He whispered softly letting the pain escape through her name. Another tear rolled down her cheek and over his fingers. Her bottom lip quivered slightly. In response he leaned closer and nuzzled her neck with his nose while caressing her cheek with his thumb.
"Naraku....please." she croaked out through sobs. "I can't do this with you anymore." He could feel her heart beat slowly and almost changed his mind. Almost. The hand that had been caressing her cheek quickly grabbed that back of her head by the hair and pulled her face close to his.
"You have to Natai. You belong to me." He spit back at her. Instantly her breathing became more panicked as she awaited his beating. But it never came. Instead he backed way from her and turned to head out the door. Before he left he stopped in the doorway and turned his head just enough so he could look at her over his shoulder. "Maybe a little more time hanging there like the slab of flesh you are will make you realize just how important you are."
"Gee I feel special. Your gonna let me age a little longer before carving me up." She chuckled when she heard the door slam shut; his heated growl came from the other side. That was more then worth it. Besides the number she was the less pain she felt. This could be a good thing. Consciousness was becoming harder and harder to keep. She had already closed her eyes and could barely hear anything beyond the door but in the back of her mind she thought she could hear bells ringing. 'Oh great! Now I am going to hallucinate about being in church.' She thought just as darkness claimed her.
Kouga walked up to the main desk to check in and head up to his office. From there he would give the signal that he was ready and then all hell would break loose. His mind went over the plans again to make sure he remembered ever last detail. There was no room for any mistakes. His head snapped up when the elevator doors opened suddenly. Kagura looked at him and smirked seductively. As slimy as an eel she slid onto the elevator to stand next to him. Instinctively he wanted to step away but then she would became angry and he didn't need any extra attention at the moment. He shut his eyes to help squash the nervousness he felt in his stomach but opened them quickly when he heart her voice ask him a question.
"What?" He said looking at her. She smiled sweetly then pointed at the touch buttons of the elevator.
"I said up or down. Are you feeling alright? You seem preoccupied." She cooed at him still smiling with enough sweetness to rot her teeth out. Kouga had to shake the thought of a toothless Kagura from his mind in order to answer with out laughing.
"Oh sorry, up. I was thinking about some things is all." He grinned back at her but got a sick feeling when she stepped closer to him after hitting the up button again.
"I see. What sort of things could possibly be going through that handsome mind of yours to keep you so occupied." She asked still holding that sickening smile on her lips. The smell of her perfume was starting to overwhelm his senses but he fought the urge to push her away.
"Well I'm going sailing for my vacation and was going over the list of things I needed in my mind." He lied smoothly.
"Oh sailing." She purred and wrapped her arm around his as she snuggled up to his side. "I love sailing. But what is more important is what are you doing here at this time of day. Didn't you already check out for the day?" She ran a finger along front of his leather jacket. He smiled at her cooly before replying.
"I decided to start my vacation early but in order to do that I have to get my work for tomorrow done. There isn't but a few hours left. Reports and that sort of garbage. You know the stuff that is so time consuming we all put it off till last." He made a jester in the air with a wave of his hand as if to show his distaste for having to do it. She nodded in agreement.
"Does Naraku know you are here?" She asked.
"Oh does it matter? I will go ask him if you think it is that important." He looked at her innocently. "I will go there first to clear it with him but I hope it doesn't interrupt anything. He has been on edge lately from what everyone has said. I would really hate to add to his stress but if you think I should then I'll head there. I will be sure to let him know you were concerned that he should know about my being here at an odd hour to do work just in case he questions my presence. That way he will know who to thank for it." His grin grew bigger when he felt her cringe at his suggestion.
"No that is ok Kouga. I don't really think he will mind at all. You go ahead to your office and get your work down. I believe it will make him happy to get those reports early." She told him quickly. Just then the door opened to his floor. He patted her hand gently then pulled away from her.
"Well this is my stop. See you later Kagura." He stepped out of the elevator but turned quickly and held the door before it could close. "Are you sure I shouldn't go to Naraku and tell him you sent me to get permission?" He looked at her questioningly but she quickly stepped forward and took his hand off the door as she spoke.
"No...no! I am sure it will be fine. No sense in disturbing his busy day with such nonsense. Go on now you're wasting time." She waved at him as the door closed. He grinned wolfishly then turned on his heel to head toward his office confident he would not see her again at least not this day. He looked around the cubicles as he walked past to make sure no one was there before entering his office. Once inside the office he locked the door then raced over to his desk. To make sure anyone coming in would see the computer on and think he was actually working he flipped the switch to power it up then while it booted up he turned to the window and closed the drapes the opened them three times to signal Inuyasha and Miroku that he was in his office.
He watched the street down below carefully with a tight stomach full of nerves. This was the closest he had ever been to a deep undercover set up of this sort. He didn't want to screw it up for the others by making a mistake. As soon as he saw the van lights flash he dashed to his computer and accessed the reports data list he had prepared earlier. Shifting to network he requested his reports to start printing at the main printer next to the guard station on the main floor. Then he accessed the internet to leave an open window for Inuyasha's mate's people to gain access to the main data base by. Quickly he inserted the disk that had been given to him and hit install. Within seconds a small virus attached itself to his browser and his part here was done. Taking the disk out and stashing it in his jacket pocket he went back to the elevator to finish his part down stairs.
"Anything yet kiddo?" Kagome stood over Shippou's shoulder watching the screen of his monitor nervously.
"Not yet still looking." He replied with out taking his eyes off the screen. Kagome glanced over at Sango to see her chewing on her bottom lip nervously. She almost jumped out her skin when Shippou yelled "there" and started to tap quickly on the keys of the lap top he had. It only took him a few minutes then he leaned back with a satisfied grin.
"It's all yours Sango. I think its Miller time." He grinned triumphantly but soon felt a painful smack on the back of his head.
"You are too young for beer." Kagome scolded.
"Geesh! It's only an expression." He rubbed his tender head. Kagome started to say something but a squeal from Sango caught her attention and she forgot about her argument with Shippou.
"I think I'm in love. We're in." Sango was grinning from ear to ear. "This is going to be easy. That little virus of Shippou's took out their net security and the network controls. I have control now. Mwhahahaha!" She cackled maniacly. Kagome eyed her suspiciously but shook her head knowing it wasn't worth the effort to understand. She opened the side of the van and waved her signal to Inuyasha who was on the building across from Kouga's building. She could only pray this would work to get them in quickly and get Natai out safely.
He walked out of the elevator briskly as if there wasn't a care in the world and approached the front desk where the security guards were looking at him puzzled. They were mumbling things between each other and were looking very confused. He smiled wide then leaned on the desk with his elbows.
"Can we help you?" Asked one of them while the others were flipping switches as they darted from one monitor to another. One started to cuss a bit but it was too low for him to hear.
"Um... well yes you can. It seems something is wrong with the system and when I sent my documents to be printed they didn't go to the printer upstairs. It says they are down here. I need you to look for me if you could." The guard gave him a strange look but stood up.
"Ron watch the front. Looks like that glitch is affecting more of the system then just security." The guard walked quickly down the hall just behind the desk and opened a closed door. It would take him a while because Kouga had printed off a lot of copies to keep him there for a bit. The guard named Ron was glaring at the monitor in front of him with a scowl. He tapped it a couple of times while cussing.
"I know it is none of my business but is something wrong?" Kouga asked politely. The guard didn't even look up at him.
"Nothing to be concerned with sir." He replied sternly.
"That's a relief. I have a vacation to start tomorrow and would hate to put it off. I don't think I could get my deposits back at this late a date." Kouga watched the door the other guard had disappeared into so he could get the papers. "If it is a computer problem then maybe I can help. I do know some about programing." He offered politely while leaning over the counter just a bit. The guard ignored him. He frowned but knew this had to work. "Have you tried to reboot the system. Sometimes that helps but be sure to shut it down correctly first. In a network like this the whole building could shut down. I would hate to be responsible for that happening." The guard looked at him with an unsure look.
"Um...I ain't sure how to do that." He looked back at the screen. Kouga took this opportunity to reach in his pocket and retrieve the special pen he had been given.
"Oh what kind of matrix system is it then I can tell you how?" Kouga replied calmly while tapping the pen on his fingers. The guard looked at him confused.
"Maybe you should come here and look. I don't know nothin' about these machines." He almost pleaded. Kouga smiled and hopped up and over the counter so he could stand behind the guard and look directly at the monitor.
"Oh that is an easy one. Looks to be Unix or Lenix based. All you have to do..." with one hand he leaned forward so he could reach the keyboard while standing over the guard's shoulder. With the other he held the pen in position at the back of the guy's neck and gave a quick thrust with it like he had been shown. A faint hissing sound came from the would be pen when it made contact and the guard slumped over unconscious. Kouga quickly dropped the pen in his pocket and grabbed a new one from his inner pocket. Just one more to go. Silently he walked down the hall to the door he had seen the other guard go in. Carefully he turned the knob so it would not make a sound and pushed gently on the door to open it. The guard looked up at him and scowled.
'Damn he was facing the wrong way.' Kouga thought frantically. "The other guard needs you. He asked me to come back here to get you so he wouldn't have to leave the front." He smiled when the guard went to push past him.
"Don't leave this room." He ordered then turned his back to Kouga. Big mistake on his part but he never realized it until it was too late. Kouga slammed the pen into his neck in the same manner as the first guard with the same results. With out even looking back at the crumpled body of the guard, Kouga ran to the front doors. He held them open while Sesshomaru's men raced in. Inuyasha and Miroku were at the tail end.
"Good job wolf." Inuyasha patted him on the back. "Now where is this dungeon place you were talking about." He smiled as Miroku shook his head.
"You never will lose the flare for the dramatic will you." He said blandly.
"Of course not. Now we need to get this done before all hell breaks lose." Kouga snorted a laugh but led the way to the security elevator that went to the lower basement area. If Sango was able to get into the computers then she should have control of this whole building by now. Just as they walked up to it the doors opened for them. Miroku smiled.
"That's my girl." He grinned and stepped in. The other two men shook their heads but followed suit.