A/N: yawn I probably shouldn't be working on this so late at night but whatever. Gomen this is so late, life is busy… not to mention how pathetically stupid my computer is for not letting me post this thre weeks ago!!! is glared at by suspicious readers ehehe... ;; seriousally though, ill try to update more frequently now alright? Cool…
In 80 Days
Urei-sama
To stage the act.
Miroku arrived at his favorite country club at just the right time. One like him wouldn't usually be found in such an establishment, but he had his ways. Slipping past the attendance with a little… ahem, distraction, he made a bee line to the back of the lounge and sat down at his favorite chess table, only to be joined a second later by his usual opponents.
"Ahh, Sir. Miroku. How have you been doing this fine morning?" The head man said. He had dark brown hair flattened back only by a hat that Miroku thought would probably look much more flattering on one of the other two… preferably the bald one…
"Splendid really," Miroku replied, putting on his best acting face and voiced as if he were one of these prim gentlemen. "Nothing to wake the spirits like a game of chess."
"Agreed," the first spoke again, sitting down opposite from him and moving a white piece. "Shall we start then? 200 notes down and Pawn to 5D." The two others pulled up chairs around the game to watch. The one left to Miroku was a blond. He had mingled with this man before and knew that he was an inquisitive type who dealt a mean hand of cards. The other on the right was a bald man. Short in his stature and his skin seemed a little sickly. Miroku had come here to do something concerning him… but not yet.
"Lord Jaken" Miroku addressed the said man on his left. "Is your master here? Or have you come alone… Pawn to 5E."
"Of course milord is here." His voice was crude and oddly high-pitched for a man. "Don't be foolish. I could never come alone, I would be puni—" he cut off, no doubt cursing himself mentally. He was loyal little thing and wouldn't do anything to dirty his masters name. Not that he needed to of course.
"Where is he now then? I don't see him and he's not very difficult to land an eye on… Pawn to 4E," stated the opposing with his gaudy bowler hat. Jaken looked around worriedly for his master. This was probably a worse-case scenario for the poor man.
"You strike a good point, I fail to see him either," Miroku was silently enjoying Jaken's panic. Without his master he was nothing and if he were to leave, then… they all knew that Sesshomaru was not a good person, so why would he do good things? "Pawn, 4E."
"All games begin like this." The blonde yawned. "This is precisely why I favor cards."
"Queen to 6D"
The game continued as the bald man's panic rose. It was only when Sesshomaru finally emerged from the dining area that he'd settled down. The Lobby they currently resided in was a grand room. With high ceilings and rich green carpeted floors. The walls held portraits of old owners and others who had dedicated money to the club. Three chandlers hung from the ceiling, none of them the same in their build. Along with that, precisely seven chess tables were set in a row at the back where Miroku was sitting. Further in the front, arranged couches and chairs where the members would converse. Quite a cozy place if you asked him.
Miroku fingered one of his last pieces… if he could find an opening… Ah! "Rook to G1 and checkmate"
The three studied the play before deciding that yes, Miroku had indeed won… The opposing handed the man 200 bills before shaking his hand adue. "Good game."
Miroku took the notes and folded them into his pocket. Nodding politely he let them leave. He stayed sitting for a minute, trying to remember what he had originally come here for… money could be oddly distracting… ah yes.
He collected himself before standing, turning to locate his target. Upon spotting the albino, he strode over to where the gentlemen Sesshomaru was sitting…
"Good evening milord. I do believe we have some business to discuss…"
"He'll be leaving the club at 5 sharp…" Kagome muttered to herself back in her apartment. It was half past 4 and she had waited long enough. Tapping pencils on the tabletop could be annoying if done for three hours straight. Ready to leave, she grabbed her duffel bag and wrapped a jacket tight around her before stepping out her apartment door then down the hall.
Something was bothering her though… the description her agent had given when he'd told her about the job.. The urgency in his voice, the access detail he had had her write down. She passed the mailboxes, hers empty as always. In her line of work, anyone could intercept her mail so she had it sent directly to her door by the mailing system in the organization. Yet another one of the precautions she had to take to keep her safe. Opening the exit she fiddled with the zipper on her bag as she stepped down the steps….
"Oof," Kagome grunted as she tripped, falling down from the concrete steps onto the ground, the contents of her bag spilling out due to the opened zipper. She'd tripped over something… but seeing as that something had made a sound… "Miroku!" she exclaimed in surprise, flinching a little at the scrape on her elbow. Sure enough, it was Miroku who looked up from the place that he had fallen on the stairs.
"Kagome!" he seemed as surprised as she and when Kagome realized why… she smacked herself mentally. "I thought you were at the insurance agency… what are you doing here?" not good, not good…
"Oh… uh… hey! I was just…" She moved frantically, trying to retrieve all her items back into her bag. Cant let him see…
"Just what?" Miroku said as he made his way over to help her like the gentleman he was. She was starting to panic now.
"My meeting was cancelled… er… that was the only reason I would be in and I can take calls at home." Thank god for fast thinking… She grabbed the last of her things back into her bag and sighed with relief.
"Really now? Then why haven't there been any messages on you machine? And you have so much free time already, besides- where's all your paperwork as proof?" Miroku smirked, fingering something in his hand.
"Wait, you've been in my house when I'm not home?" stupid Miroku and his stupid inquisitiveness… plan B, play dumb
"Don't play dumb." Damn.
"So is this what you've been hiding from me?" he continued. Kagome looked up to see him flip out her ID… of all the things he could've picked up!
"You've got it all wrong! you see--"
"Kagome, I've been suspecting something for a while now. Face it, you don't play the whole 'Insurance lady' part too well." She sighed, snatching the ID from him to put back in her bag.
"I knew I should've picked shrine keeper… fine, I'm busted, but if you don't mind, I have somewhere I need to go." She straightened up, brushing herself off before turning to leave.
"Wait a moment, there's something I wanted to tell you!" Miroku said, stopping her from leaving. "I was going to put this letter in your box because you wouldn't be home but this is better… I think"
"So what's the big news then? And make it quick," Kagome turned to face him, looking more than a little peeved.
"I made a deal with a noble today," he said, not masking his excitement very well. "He's agreed to lend us his company's boat for the trip!"
"Us? Trip? What are you babbling about? We're not going on a trip…" Kagome said, a look of puzzlement on her face.
"Oh," Miroku replied, looking a little dazed as well. "I didn't tell you did I? Ill have to explain on the wa--"
"Hold that thought," Kagome said, staring down at her watch with wide eyes. "I got to go Miroku, there's somewhere I have to be and I'm already late!!" She hitched up her bag and turned once again, sprinting away before Miroku could say anything to stop her.
"--y…But! You need to!!" He reached out after her but it was too late, she had run off too far for her to hear…
" … pack your bags tonight…"
Kagome rushed downtown. If she kept up this pace than she might be able to catch her charge leaving, but then again, you can never count on people to be on time… Miroku had got her thoughts jumbled up… or maybe it was the fall? His words about a trip had bothered her and the fact that he now knew that she wasn't an insurance agent…
She arrived at her clients country club a minute before his scheduled leave. She had less than five minutes as she searched the grounds for him. Seeing no-one, she pulled out a small paper from her bag. Looking around the lot, she found the car with the license plate that matched the paper and casually strode over to it. Discreetly, she planted a tracking device on the bottom of a black car that she had no doubt was waiting for the man. Settling back on the sidewalk, she leaned against one of the adjacent railings, taking out her makeup to act as if she were busy.
She Peeked behind with the mirror but when no-one emerged from the doors, Kagome began to panic that she'd failed to catch him in time. Throwing her compact back into her bag she pulled her wristwatch up to her face. She wasn't allowed to leave until she found him but if he didn't come…At the final count of her watch, the doors opened and her head popped up.
She turned to see the man emerge from the large doors. She watched him with a sober look, never portraying what she really felt. Inside, she was very surprised at his punctuality. To come out on the last exact tick of her watch was absolutely amazing. The said man strode out at a leisurely pace, his aura portraying perfect confidence. He was tall, with long flowing silver hair… her first thought was that it couldn't be natural but when she saw his ears, his pointed elf-like ears, that gave her the right evidence for her to come to the conclusion that this was no ordinary job.
She would be the guardian to a demon… and a rich one at that seeing his elaborate clothing and finely groomed demeanor.
Why would she need to watch over a demon? Cant they take care of themselves? Kagome pondered this from where she watched him. She was never one to go and hide in bushes for these jobs… rather to act like a simple pedestrian… unless there was nobody else around… in that case it was ok to hide in the trees.
The black car had indeed been waiting for her assigned gentlemen and he walked down to the end of the lot. She looked away as he climbed in. The car, silent, as it started up and drove out of the facility.
Kagome wasn't about to run after it. She had directions to where he lived and that was next to the fact that she had a tracker. Pulling her watch once again to her face, she pressed a few buttons and in an instant, a small map of the city shone on the little screen. She began to walk, following the small yellow blip as it turned down unfamiliar roads.
Ten minutes later, she found the car. The atmosphere was dusky and humid, its wind blew bits of trash through the streets, weaving around other cars and through Kagome's own feet as she looked up at the building. It was a ruddy looking apartment complex, dark brick plastered the sides, faded and chipped from age, and the grass in the courtyard behind it was yellow and dry. Why a man with such caliber as her client would come here, she didn't know… but still made sure to stop only for a second before continuing her "Innocent pedestrian" act, circling the block once more to keep herself occupied. This was always the most boring part of her job. Waiting…
"Not now…"
Kagome froze right beside the corner of the brick building. Turning slowly, she made sure no-one had seen her. She had defiantly heard a voice but it hadn't been on the street and it hadn't been addressed to her… rather in the apartment… she turned around, walking a short way to lean against the building, trying to listen without looking too suspicious.
There were two voices inside, both rather quiet but she could hear one of them, the one that had startled her…
"What are you doing here anyway? And skip the small talk." he seemed rather annoyed, his voice growing louder as he spoke to his guest. He was defiantly the resident, judging by his words, so her charge had to be the other one… She heard his answer faintly, straining her ears, trying to pick up his words but the thick brick seemed rather reluctant to let her in on its secrets… but its residents on the other hand…
"You dare come here and tell me how I should do my job Sesshomaru?" So that was the demon's name… "I want you out now." Another pause, another murmur. "Hell no!"
Was he a client of Sesshomaru's? Maybe even a son? No way…
"What do you mean 'what happens when I find her?' If you hadn't noticed I've alr--"
He was cut off by something She heard her charge's quiet voice once again, still as muffled as it had always been but this time the loud one hadn't responded…
Find her? What were they planning to do? This job might hold something different for her… would she need to protect this girl from the one she's suppose to be protecting?
If anyone passed her now they would think her silly the way she was positioned on the wall but she didn't really care at that moment, all her training forgotten as silence echoed in her ears
They were planning something… Her heartbeat pounded in her head…
Silence…
She leaned in closer, her hearing strained, trying to learn more, her curiosity getting the better of her…
…
Kagome jumped, her eyes widening as a hand was placed upon her shoulder… Had she been caught? She looked down, The twilight sky casting an orange glow on the road, His claws flashing threateningly in the same warm light… Odd how something can seem so different… She turned slowly, her cerulean eyes clashing with the most brilliant gold she had ever seen…
"Caught…"
End Chapter 3
Three guesses…
I'm incredibly sorry this was so late, you don't understand how much I've been doing!!! This would be posted two weeks ago but my computer freaked and I lost the chapter. I re-typed it after I got back from the fine-arts camp I've been attending and when i posted it the first time it never showed up!! so FINALLY here it is, belated and evil… don't you just love it?
Now review damnit!