Inuyasha cursed lightly as he read the report on his desk. This was not good. There was nothing he feared more than what he read in front of him, quickly, he grabbed his phone, calling Kagome.
(Hotel)
Imagine Bryan's surprised when he woke up to find himself nuzzled against Ouka. He slowly slipped out from behind her and walked into the bathroom. Turning the knobs on the shower to set the temperature he took a long shower. Getting out, he dried off before applying a pair of shorts and tight fitting, blue shirt.
He hag just set his toothbrush back into it's holding case when he heard Ouka yell out.
"Bryan! Come look at this!"
Walking out, Bryan crossed his arms over his chest and looked at the TV screen. On it was a breaking news bulletin.
"We are bringing this to you live! This is just in from our main office in Tokyo! It appears that the tactical operations branch of STF has been disbanded for the time being. This follows the disappearance of two STF agents: Bryan Daniels and another only known by a supposed codename: Ouka. No one knows where these two people are, or even what this Ouka looks like, and no speculations have been made at this time. The Tactical Ops branch of STF is going under review of Public Security. Public Security, better known as Section 9, will take over any investigations that STF was working on. A statement from Section 9 says that they will treat the case of STF like all other cases. Though this comes under fire as Section 9 and STF were known to work together on several occasions. Even when dealing with the investigation of the hanging deaths. For now, this is Rain Wolf, reporting live, outside STF headquarters."
"Shit." Bryan cursed aloud.
"What the hell just happened?"
"Simple. Hunt just pulled some political strings and got our team tossed out of the running. But… I have faith in Section 9… I'm going to go make some calls."
Ouka blinked a few times as Bryan literally slammed the door behind him.
(In Bryan's Car - Near Kyoto Lake)
It only took two rings before Bryan got his answer.
"Was wondering when you were going to call…"
"Major… what are you going to do…"
"For now, we're putting on a dog and pony show for the media. Make it look like we're sniffing around. No doubt you already figured the whole thing out."
"New record. This has Hunt all over it. So what, now my entire team has no job?"
"No, whatever payment they would of received we're getting to help pay expenses for investigation. However those funds will be sent to your former team. We even are going to have some sent to an overseas account just for you and the white wolf… Ouka, was it?"
"Sounds like you've got everything covered. Not even a paper trail. Nice."
"Well there's a downside as well. Any weapons you need you'll have to find on your own. Since TAC OPS has been disbanded and we may be under a tight watch, we can't get you any high quality weapons. Hell, we can't even get you a handgun."
"Don't worry about that. I can handle that on my own. I do have one favor to as though…"
(With Inuyasha)
Kagome hadn't taken the news well about TAC OPS being disbanded for the time being. Though Inuyasha himself has blanked a few red lights on the way home, only to be brought back to reality by another angry horn behind him.
Tossing his keys to the side Inuyasha picked up some mail that had been left on the table near the door. "Kagome, you here?" He called through the empty house and wasn't met with his mate's voice.
Inuyasha almost ignored it until he noticed the window off to his direct left. If had been jammed open. Instinctively, Inuyasha went for his holstered weapon. "Kagome?" He called again. This time he was met by a strange noise that he couldn't really make out.
Inuyasha stepped into the living room and gasped at when he saw. Kagome's body hung slack from a support beam overhead. The strange noise was a gurgling sound that came from her mouth.
Inuyasha cut her down with one of his claws, catching her before she hit the ground. Slackening the rope around her neck Kagome took a deep breath of air.
Inuyasha watched patiently for her eyes to open… silent in his own waiting, Inuyasha vowed to kill whoever had attacked her, there were no more arrest warrants, only death certificates.
(Hotel)
Bryan had to resist the urge to pour some cold water on the sleeping wolf as he entered the room with a bucket full of ice. She turned over on her side and mumbled something.
"Ouka, come back."
Bryan nearly jumped before he remembered about her radio. He picked it up.
"Bryan here. Long time no talk, Inuyasha."
"Cut the crap. Where's Ouka?"
"Sleeping, what do you want."
"It's not good. Kagome's been attacked by our hanging man."
Bryan nearly dropped the radio.
"What? Is she ok?"
"She at the hospital. Jesus I'm so pissed right now..."
"You're scared too, huh?"
"Well duh! They nearly killed her, Bryan! When I get my hands on them, I'm going to do something bad…"
Bryan had put down the radio and shaken Ouka awake. "Come on and get some gear on. We've got a job to do."
(Hospital)
Ouka flashed a fake smile to the male receptionist at the front desk. "I was wondering if you could tell me where one of my friends is." She asked in a fake voice, chewing her gum. To anyone watching, she seemed like a ditzy girl that paved her way through life on her father's pension. To a trained agent, she was the spark in a gas tank.
The receptionist gave her a smile back. "Sorry, miss, no can do. Hospital policy."
Ouka leaned a little further onto the desk, giving the man a view down her shirt.
"Surly you can help me please?"
Taking more large bites into her gum Ouka gave him another flirting smile.
"Well alright." He said, looking at the screen. "What's her name?"
Ouka gave him a smile as she told him the name.
(Across the Way - Building Rooftop)
Bryan watched as Ouka walked down the hallway. Luckily, the building's structure gave him a clear line of sight of the entire hallway all through a single glass window. Ouka stopped in front of it, spitting her gum into the trash can.
Her voice was slightly harsh in his comm-set.
"Ugh. I feel so slutty now. And the gum was stale."
She tightened the straps on her shirt.
"Oh, come on Ouka. Don't turn sour on me now."
"Just so long as I know I'm getting comp'd for this, I'm fine."
"Don't you know it."
She shook her head as she turned around and made her way to Kagome's room. Bryan began scanning the streets for any threat while Ouka completed her "missing".
(Kagome's Hospital Room)
"Oh my god." Ouka stated as she saw the condition of Kagome. She looked pretty bad.
"Yah… whoever hung her also beat her pretty badly. I'm surprised she made it out alive, even before they hanged her."
"What did the doctors say?"
"She'll be fine after a few good nights of rest. No doubt you've got Bryan looking over your shoulder."
"You bet." Ouka stated with a slight nod towards the local window.
"Nice Ouka, why don't you just point me out with a laser pointer." Bryan stated into her ear. Ouka had to suppress a small laugh.
"Anyway, I wanted to see how you two were doing. Bryan would be here too but… well you know."
Inuyasha nodded. "We're both fine. Also, tell him thanks for saving her the other day."
"Right, he always have to be the hero."
(Outside Rooftop)
"…always has to be the hero."
"No I don't. The hero always dies in the end." Bryan scolded to no one since he soon realized her forgot to push the 'talk' button. Sighing, Bryan looked around through his binoculars. He nearly dropped them when he noticed a small red compact car pull into the front.
"Looks like Major wants to join the party." He mumbled to himself as he watched the cool headed Section 9 member stroll into the hospital. Bryan was about to put the binoculars down when he noticed two black sedans pulling up.
"Ouka, trouble, get out of there now." He hissed into his microphone.
"What?"
"Two sedans just pulled up. Neither seem to happy to see the Major's car here either. My guess, Hunt's troops. Leave, now."
"No way! We have to protect Inuyasha and Kagome… wait… Major? What's she doing here?"
"I don't know, but you need to leave. Leave Inuyasha and Kagome to the Major. No doubt Bateau is around her somewhere. They can handle it."
"No way! We can't just leave them!"
"Ouka, there is no choice."
A loud growl came over the speaker. "Fine. But when we get back to the hotel… no cuddling!"
"I can live with that." Bryan huffed to himself, quickly clicking the frequency over.
"Major… come on I know you're there."
"What?"
"Thought I'd let you guys know, you've got two sedans on your trail. Looks like Hunt's troops are waiting. I'd say… eight or nine people? Probably a death squad. I'd find another way out."
"What? But how did they find us?"
"I dunno."
Bryan quickly assembled his rifle as the terrorists began to exit their cars. Switching the earpiece to auto-on and to broadcast to all, he took aim.
"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten… how many can you fit in two cars legally?" He said aloud… more to himself then anyone else.
"Ten, what, Bryan?"
"Ten people trying to kill us." He said back, latching on to the first man's head, he slowly began to squeeze the trigger.
Bang.
All the men suddenly ducked behind their cars, a few slipping into the building.
"Sniper!"
"Where is he? I can't see'em!"
No matter how many threads deception would weave
Truth will show its face of light
Another stuck his head up to try and Bryan.
Bang.
"Damn it, I said keep your heads down! Dumbasses!"
"You won't get near them." Bryan vowed to himself. Pushing the bolt lock back into place. Taking aim again, this time for the car's gas tank.
Boom!
The car exploded in a flash of light and sound. The hospital glass shattered in the cast of the explosion and Bryan watched with satisfaction as a few of his enemies bodies burned. Turning around, he flipped on a modified scanner, if these guys were using radios, he would hear them.
"Shit! Some sniper just blew one of our rides!"
"Leave it. Keep moving, you heard the boss, than hanyou and the bitch, dead."
"What about Section 9?"
"We're not even sure if they are here. If they are, they haven't shown themselves."
"How we going to get out of here with that sniper? No one can tell where he is."
"What if it's the Saito guy from Section 9?"
"Will you shut up about Section 9 already? Besides, if it was then we're screwed."
"Here's a thought… what if it's that missing ex-cop. That STF guy… Bryan was it?"
"Then we're really fucked. Hunt told us to watch out for him."
Bryan took some satisfaction in the fact that Hunt had warned them to stay clear of him. This also proved that Hunt feared the former agents actions. He knew that killing Ayame, and attacking Kagome, was a sure suicide.
"Come on boys, come and get me." Bryan mumbled.
"Shit, could use some help here!" Ouka's voice yelled.
"Major here, they've got us both pinned down in Kagome's room."
"Any ideas?" Ouka's voice was directed to the women next to her.
"Only one. But I don't see it ending well."
"You came alone Major? That's not like you."
"Now is not the time for your badgering."
"Hold tight." Bryan said, attaching his radio to his belt before repelling down the building side. The last four feet he leaped off the rope, landing on the ground a little harder than he wanted to. He rose to his feet, grabbing the holstered handgun from his hip. Bryan made a dash towards the hospital entrance.
(Kagome's Room)
Ouka quickly ducked her head back in, literally feeling the air rift from a bullet within an inch of her ears. "Shit. We are completely pinned from both sides. Any ideas, Major?"
"Nothing here. I can't even get in touch with the others. They must have been ready for us."
"They didn't count on Bryan and his rifle, we know that much. Maybe they think that sniper is still outside, and not on his way in…"
"Who knows."
(With Bryan)
Bryan panted heavily as he entered the final step. Thirty something floors. Go figure.
However, he quickly controlled his breathing as he peaked into the next hallway. Three guys, all armed with automatics. Kagome's room was at a corner, he knew that much. So no doubt, there were three or so more guys in the other hall.
"Let's get this party started." He mumbled to himself, picking a cane from the corner of the room he threw it at the back of one of the men's heads. It cracked him right at the base of the skull.
He feel to the ground as the other two quickly turned around. Bryan used the small reflection from a door jam to tell where they were.
"You go check it out." One of the said, pushing the other ahead. This man flipped off his pal before coming in Bryan's direction. Bryan pushed his back right up agaisned the door frame, waiting. As soon as the man was halfway in, Bryan grabbed one of his arms and threw him down the stairs.
This man didn't move either.
"How's it looking?" The other guy called out. Getting no response, he began heading towards the door. Taking a deep breath Bryan jumped into the hall, firing two bullets in the general direction of the man. His head snapped back as he fell to the ground.
Bryan ran to the corner, using the lens of a security cam to see where the other were. He could only count for four at best, it was tuff in the small lens.
Taking a deep breath, he dived for the door that would be Kagome's room.
Sliding headfirst into the hospital bed, he was met with the curious glances of some friends. "Long time, no see?" He offered, before getting up.
"If it had been anybody else, I would have been surprised." Inuyasha huffed from his corner, his own weapon drawn.
"I could count about four guys." Bryan said, looking around the room. Inuyasha gave him a weird glace. "What?"
Spying what he was looking for, Bryan slammed the door shut so he could move past it, closing all the blinds. "Take positions in four corners." He said, covering Kagome in a heavy hospital sheet, before grabbing the oxygen bottle from a corner of the room.
"Bryan… Bryan what are you doing?" Ouka asked, a worried look on her face.
When Bryan didn't respond she shared worried glances with the others in the room.
Without warning, he suddenly threw the bottle through one of the windows and strait out to the four guys, taking aim as the ran.
Boom!
The explosion rocked the entire building as Inuyasha and Ouka had ringing in their ears.
"Damn it, warn us next time!" Inuyasha suddenly yelled.
"What!" Ouka yelled back.
Inuyasha scowled as he realized he couldn't hear himself either.
"Leaving, now." Bryan said, walking past all the wreckage.
(Three Hours Later, Hotel)
"Hold still." Bryan said, pulling the final piece of glass from Ouka's leg. There were only four small pieces, but it was enough to piss the silver wolf demon off.
"Stop growling at me. I said I was sorry."
Ouka continued to growl. "You couldn't think of anything else? Just blow it up?"
"You have a better idea?"
"Oh, shut up." Ouka said, wincing as Bryan put on the final bandage.
"Come on, we all got out alive, didn't we?"
"More or less." Ouka sighed.
Bryan got up and walked over to the mini-bar.
"What do you say? Hot Pockets and over priced drinks for dinner?"
Ouka gave him a blank stare. "How about something decent… with over priced drinks for dinner."
"You got it. Room service." Bryan said, tossing an island punch over to Ouka before calling in two orders. He settled in next to Ouka, laying his head on the pillow.
"Tell me something."
Bryan opened his eyes and was greatly surprised to see that Ouka had moved her face to within an inch of his own.
"What?" He nearly wasn't about to get the words out.
"Were you scared when you saw those cars pull up today?"
"A little… yes."
"Why…"
"Because… they people I care the most about were all in that building."
Ouka cocked an eyebrow. "You care about the Major?"
"Missing the point." Bryan reminded her.
Ouka gave him a brief smile. "So you say you care about me?"
Without waiting for an answer, Ouka set her drink aside, moving herself so she could comfortably lay her head on the former agent's chest. She sighed aloud as she found herself moving slowly towards slumber.
"Yes." Bryan whispered to himself, slowly putting an arm around the silver wolf. "I care."
A/N: That's the end of another chapter. As for those of you that asked me to review their stories, I'm going to have to do it in an e-mail as my pop-up blocker is being a little piece of junk and not en-blocking the review page. Though I'm trying to fix it.
Tobias.