Disclaimer: Nyet.

A/N: Getting to the serious stuff now… whee! Also, mock trial is killing me. I'll be glad when the competition is over. Lawyers have a really hard job…

A/N 2: Eheh. Okay, mock trial's over now. Hence the new chapter! Don' t kill me, neh?

Chapter 16: Reconnaissance

With Sesshoumaru's recounting fresh in their heads, everyone sat in silence, mulling over the information. Inuyasha had returned to the room about halfway through, and, Sango noticed, he kept a wary distance between himself and Kikyou. As a matter of fact, if he were to look in her direction, a curtain of his hair would have hid her from view, anyway. She studied him curiously, wondering what had possibly happened to evoke this kind of reaction from Inuyasha, who usually showed nothing but irritation and similar emotions.

"One problem," Sango said finally, and everyone glanced up at her. "We can't just barge in and take the case log. It's unlawful."

"Sango is right," Miroku agreed, offering her a small smile before turning his gaze on Sesshoumaru. "Anything that we obtain can't be used in court. Naraku could get out of the situation by simply denying that he's ever seen the book before. Or worse, he could bring up the fact that we used illegal means to get it, and then we would be the ones in trouble."

"We are far ahead of you," Kikyou responded. "I have contacted central headquarters – for you outsiders, they are pretty much Naraku's bosses. After they spoke to Sesshoumaru and me, they agreed to allow us to explore Naraku's home with as much backup as necessary. If we fail to produce the case log, however, they have pretty much declared that we are on our own."

These words washed over the others as they sat in silence. "So, we have the ability to just barge right in there and do whatever we want?" Kagura asked skeptically. "Call me pessimistic, but I'm damn sure that your superiors aren't that easygoing."

"They will do what needs to be done to expose corruption," Sesshoumaru answered simply.

Kagura stared at him for a moment, an eyebrow raised skeptically. Finally, she shrugged and waved a hand almost dismissively. "Fine. I'm in."

"Me, too," Kouga said gruffly. "No way am I going to pass up a chance to bring Naraku down."

Miroku nodded. "Same here."

In the end, those in the room that were willing (and confident) enough to participate in the infiltration had spoken up. They had enough for two groups: Sesshoumaru, Sango, Miroku, and Kouga in one and Kikyou, Inuyasha, Kagura, and Kanna in another. At first, Kagura had been strongly against letting her younger sister participate, but she had acceded once Inuyasha pointed out that Kanna was the best of them all when it came to breaching security.

"Okay," Miroku said once the teams were formed and everyone that was to be involved was feeling the thrill that came once a plan was in motion. "Now all we need is a plan for infiltration."

Kikyou answered, being the one that knew the most about the layout of Naraku's home. "There are two main entrances at the east and west sides. The room with the case log in it is closest to the western door, so I'd advise taking my group in through the west while the others go through the eastern door."

"Why do we all need to go in separate doors?" Inuyasha asked, scratching his head. Obviously, the impending action had surmounted whatever it was that was keeping him from being entirely comfortable around Kikyou. "I mean, is the second group just going to paint graffiti on the walls or something? 'Cause if so, I think I need to change groups." He smirked slightly.

"A distraction," Kikyou answered. "It would be impossible for Naraku's men to cover both doors with adequate protection."

Sango nodded. "It makes perfect sense. So, while we distract and dispatch the guards at the front, you guys do the same at the back? When do we begin?"

"Tonight, as long as you all feel up to it. Naraku will be looking for both Sango and Sesshoumaru, and though he is a deceiver, he is not an idiot. If we wait so much as a day, it is highly likely that he will have relocated by that time."

"Right," Miroku said thoughtfully. "So then, our group – let's say Group A – will go in the east and create a big scene while Group B infiltrates the west. But don't you think Naraku would just grab the log and run once he hears all the commotion?"

"Possible," Sesshoumaru allowed. "Each group should leave a sentry at the door, then. Just in case."

The group spent the better part of an hour tossing ideas around and making their plans concrete. They talked until the very last bits of sun had faded from the sky and they were faced with pitch-blackness. The night was utterly moonless, the perfect conditions for such a mission.

Kouga had returned Sango's gun and provided her with the proper ammunition that could do the intended amount of damage. Everyone else who was not usually outfitted with a gun received one from Kouga as well. Sango was mildly surprised to learn that Miroku kept a piece strapped to his right calf; she found this out when he removed it to place it in a shoulder holster that he'd dug out of a corner.

After a few seemingly endless minutes, everyone was prepared for the infiltration. Kouga and Inuyasha had offered to drive; they set off behind the building to get the cars while everyone else filed out to wait for them to pull up. Everyone, that is, except Miroku and Sango. When Sango had made a motion as if to follow, Miroku had caught her gently by the hand.

"Sango, we need to talk."

"Isn't that my line?" she replied waspishly, not even sure why she was angry any more. Whatever it was, as she met Miroku's eyes and pulled her hand from his grasp, she became increasingly positive that whatever it was couldn't have been all that important.

Miroku rolled his eyes. "Sango, you're being childish. We're not going to get through this alive if you keep sniping at me every five minutes."

"Oh, so now, you're telling me in advance that it's my fault if we get killed?" Sango replied coldly, knowing that this jump was unprovoked and nonsensical, but unable to bring herself to a point at which she cared.

"Why are you doing this?" In contrast to Sango's low and dangerous voice, he was speaking rationally in a neutral tone. "Why is there always a snide comment to make when it comes to you?"

Sango turned away quickly, her arms immediately rising to hug herself. "I'm a snide sort of person, Nakano. Get used to it."

"You're not," Miroku responded calmly, and Sango could feel him draw closer but could do nothing about it. "You're beautiful, caring, strong… anything but snide. You are also a terrible drunk, but I was going for the positive route here…" An involuntary laugh fell from Sango's lips before she could stop herself. "The point of this is, you're not acting like this because of some character flaw. What's going on with you?"

Sango looked over her shoulder at the man, who was near enough to reach out and hug her, and seemed to be keeping himself from doing so with a great amount of restraint. She was completely prepared to tell him off, to tell him that there was no reason for him to keep harping on her because she was unable to return his emotions. She wanted to tell him that she never wanted to see him again because she was utterly afraid… afraid of…

Miroku watched as a lone tear trailed down Sango's cheek and made as if to speak, but before he could, she had launched herself into his arms. "You want to know what's wrong?" she said softly, her words muffled by his shirt. She could feel the scratchiness of the holster crossing his chest against her nose as she wrapped her arms around him as best as she could. "I'm… scared," she admitted, closing her eyes.

Recovering from his temporary shock, he returned her embrace. "There's no need to be," he tried to reassure her. "We don't even know if Naraku has a heavy guard-"

"Not that," Sango cut him off, irritated. Raising her head from his chest, she looked up into his eyes. "I'm not afraid of the mission. I'm afraid of… you." At his confused look, she explained further. "I'm afraid of what you do to me, the reactions that you cause. I'm afraid of those damn eyes of yours, because they always make me want to tell the truth, no matter how much it may hurt coming out. I'm afraid because you're here and because you might go away. I'm afraid because I think I love you, Miroku, and I don't know what to do." Unable to meet his gaze any longer, she dropped her head back down, tears oozing slowly from behind her closed eyelids. She hadn't gotten this close to anyone, not even Kagome, since her parents' deaths, and wasn't even sure that she was doing the right thing even now.

Her fears proved entirely unfounded, however, when Miroku pulled away just enough to take her chin gently in one hand and lift her head to look up at him. "Do the only thing you can," he murmured, a small smile on his face. "Follow your heart. Horribly cliché, I know, but I've found that it's never led me wrong yet." Then, before Sango could even reply, he had lowered his lips to hers and was kissing her firmly, letting the hand that had held her chin stray to the nape of her neck as he became sure that she wasn't moving away.

Sango's eyes fluttered closed again and she was lost within moments, torn between relief and apprehension. She was immensely glad that she wasn't being pushed away and, as always, her skin tingled with pleasure at any contact with Miroku. But she knew that, if she were distracted tonight, it could have dire consequences.

Putting her hands on either side of his face, she pulled slowly away, the faintest of blushes on her cheeks. The more she seemed to get herself into these situations, the more comfortable she became in them, apparently. She could have stood there all night, gazing into those fathomless violet orbs, were it not for the sudden loud bleat of a horn.

"HEY! Get out here, nighttime's a'wasting!" Kouga shouted, his voice wafting through the open door.

Miroku shook his head in mock derision. "Right. Risking our lives. Forgot about that for a moment." He planted a light kiss on the tip of Sango's nose. "We'll be fine," he said firmly, reaching out for her hand.

Nodding slowly and still unable to speak, she took Miroku's hand in her own and walked with him through the curtain and out of the building.

They pulled to a stop quite a while later, a block from Naraku's mansion, according to Kikyou. They hopped out and congregated on the sidewalk; their travel had been facilitated by two vans, painted a violent purple that didn't even try to blend into the darkness. Chateau Chantre was stamped across their sides in large gold letters. This was part of the reason that they hadn't tried to roll right up to Naraku's front door in them – they attracted far too much attention.

"Group A, approach in pairs," Kikyou said, taking immediate control. "We'll give you five minutes before moving around to the west. Keep your heads."

With a nod to her, Sesshoumaru immediately strode in the correct direction, a hand in the pocket of his coat as if he were simply out for a late-night stroll. Kouga followed, keeping quite a distance behind him. Obviously, he still didn't completely trust him. Sango and Miroku set off next, hand-in-hand and probably the least conspicuous out of the entire group.

They didn't speak for the entire walk, but this was hardly awkward. It was a very short walk, and their brisk pace shortened it even further. It was only a few minutes before they happened upon a high gate, surrounded by a high wall of shrubbery. Kouga and Sesshoumaru were hanging back slightly, ducked behind a dumpster; there were two guards at the gate. They were not planning to use the gate, anyway; it would be far easier to climb the shrub fence than enter the gate and risk meeting a security code or camera.

As Miroku and Sango caught up, Sesshoumaru pulled a coil of something out of his pocket. It caught the light from the nearest streetlamp and shone. "Piano wire?" Sango whispered to Miroku, and he nodded.

"I don't think they're going to kill them, just incapacitate them. Gunshots wouldn't leave much a chance for infiltration, after all."

Sesshoumaru had twisted a length of the rope until it popped free of the coil and handed it to Kouga, who wrapped it around his hands, leaving about a foot and a half in the middle. The agent then got a piece for himself and repocketed the coil before following suit. "Though I know I can," Sesshoumaru said, glancing at Kouga, "Perhaps it would not be wise to run right up there and take out those guards. Cameras, and all."

Kouga nodded. "Yeah. Though I could just take 'em out, it's too big a risk. We need to lure them away from the gates."

"Precisely."

Sango suddenly became aware that everyone was looking her way. She stared right back. "What?"

"Well, you are a chick…" Kouga said, as if he were having an epiphany.

Sango stared exclusively at him, now. "You are not expecting me to run up there waving my arms around and screaming 'rape'." Her eyes were narrowed dangerously.

"I was thinking more 'assault', myself, but…" Miroku, of course.

Sesshoumaru said, quite calmly, "Would you rather jeopardize the mission?"

Sango blinked. "Oh, damn you. Damn you all…"

A mere thirty seconds later, Sango was running for the guards, the cuff of her right sleeve dangling by a few threads. She was also limping on every other step since one her boots was missing. "Hey!" she shouted, trying to imbue her voice with terror and probably only managing to sound derisive.

Whatever the case, it caught the guards' attention. The one on the left jerked suddenly, peering around in the darkness. Sango was suddenly aware that she was wearing all black and was probably blending in quite well from this distance.

Hating every moment of this, she waved her arms over her head. "Hey!" she yelled again, and was pleased to note that, this time she managed to put a little waver in her voice. "Help! Over here!"

Hands on the holsters of their guns, the guards trotted toward her. Sango dropped her arms and frowned. Men really were idiots sometimes, assuming that all females were damsels in distress…

"What's the problem, miss?" the thinner one asked as they drew closer.

Sango schooled her face into a panicked expression, then pointed at the dumpster. "Over there! He jumped me! Tried to… to…" She buried her face in her hands, half for the theatrical appearance and half because she thought she was going to begin laughing hysterically.

Apparently, the guards bought it, because they moved toward the dumpster, pulling their guns slowly. "Anyone behind there! C'mon out, now," the slightly bigger cop called, aiming his gun at the ground.

There was a moment of silence, then Miroku emerged with his hands in the air, smiling in a rather winning manner. "Now, now, gentlemen, can't we talk about this rationally?"

Sango laughed at this, but disguised it as a yelp of terror. "That's him!"

"Get down!" The thin man called out. "And keep your hands where we can see them!"

Still grinning, Miroku complied. "You might want to get this gun off me," he said thoughtfully, raising his left arm purposefully high and flashing his holster. "Don't want it to get scratched."

This had the desired effect; both guards began to move closer to him, keeping their guns on him. Sango noted that their fingers were not on the triggers, since it was rudimentary to keep your fingers off the trigger unless you were planning to shoot immediately.

It happened so swiftly that it looked scripted – Kouga and Sesshoumaru sprinted from behind the dumpster and brought their arms over the guards' heads, pulling the piano wire tightly against their throats. As a reflex, the guards had pulled their hands up to their throats, not even thinking of using their guns and probably too shocked to use them if they had. But to be on the safe side…

When Miroku tossed Sango her other boot from behind the dumpster, she used the heel to knock the guns loose from the squirming guards' hands. The thinner one was scrabbling hopelessly at his own neck, drawing thin lines of blood. Kouga was holding him, and managed to scoff, even though he was obviously under great strain to hold the thrashing man.

Sango was doing her best to ignore that scene, so she replaced her boot and looked disgustedly at her sleeve. "You owe me a shirt, you know," she told Miroku matter-of-factly, tugging at the dangling cuff with her other hand and popping those last few threads and tossing it to the ground.

She then stood near Miroku and pointedly looked everywhere but at the choking guards until the scuffling of their feet against the pavement stopped and there were two heavy thuds. Sango looked back at them then, and at their rather swollen red faces and throats. "Not dead, are they?"

Sesshoumaru prodded one with a toe. "No," he said simply. "We should be moving on."

Kouga took the guards' guns, putting their safeties on and placing them in that all-purpose holster that he wore. Then, all three men worked together to stuff the unconscious bodies into the dumpster.

Quite a ways from the gate, they made their ascent. Kouga was given a boost up first, finding the shrubbery to be oddly supportive. At first, his foot slid into the bush and the branches scratched at his ankle, but once he got a good hold, he scrambled over and dropped silently to the ground.

Next over was Sango, who hopped over after being boosted up by Miroku. She momentarily lost her footing, but Kouga caught her easily and she regained her balance after the brief stumble. Next came Miroku, landing with his legs bent and straightening with a stretch, like a cat. Sesshoumaru came last, and it took him a bit longer since he had to actually climb. When he finally got over, he landed gently on the balls of his feet as if he'd done nothing more significant than hop a couple of stairs to the bottom of a staircase.

They were in. And it was time to go to work.

Review, eh? I don't think Aamalie-chan will let me get away with such a long hiatus again, though I don't think I'll need one. Life has calmed down quite a bit. D