Sorry for the wait!

In The Desert

Chapter 4: In The Wildfire

"You tricked me!" Tsubaki snapped angrily.

She followed the key with her eyes as Renkotsu tossed it up idly and caught it again.

"Yeah, I did," he replied calmly.

"You're such a bastard…" she growled, pulling up her pant leg and returning a gun to his eye level.

He nodded. "I mean, what did you expect Tsubaki? Just because it's you I was going to let you get ahead of me? Think of this as a race; a long, three-man race where you have to do anything to win, and at the end someone will die. And if you don't want it to be you, you'll put the gun down."

Lowering the gun hesitantly, she glared. "Who's dying?"

He sat down. "My money's on Naraku, but I'm just as likely."

Raising an eyebrow, she lowered herself into the seat across from him. "Why do you say that?" she asked suspiciously.

He put his hands on her knees and leaned forward. "Naraku wouldn't have the balls to kill you. He wants me dead, not you; you're just a pawn in a very, very sick chess game. Everyone dies sometime; now might just be mine."

She looked away. 'You can't die you asshole!' she thought angrily. "Well, after Naraku kills you, what if he comes after me?"

"You can take care of yourself," he said leaning back and staring at the ceiling.

She felt like screaming. Didn't he get it?

"Should I get the popcorn?" Naraku asked, sitting down in the remaining spot with an eerie grin.

"What are you doing here!"

He thought for a second. "Well, I thought I'd find you two here. And I decided we need to make a few things clear about this job."

"And what would those be?"

"One, the Diamond will be mine. If either of you manages to get it you will be shot. And the Diamond will be taken from your cold, dead hands. Two, whoever manages to survive this can return to our old town with me."

"Bullshit, Naraku!" Renkotsu retorted harshly.

"Did you know that humans are innately flawed beings? They let petty emotions get in their way. Like your brother, Renkotsu. He let something like love blind him, and look where he ended up! The same happened to Bankotsu. The others, well, they were just stupid. But I never doubted you. I knew you'd be the sole survivor."

"Suikotsu is still alive…" Renkotsu muttered.

"But he barely remembers being one of you, so he doesn't count, does he?" Naraku corrected. "See, those others…they were worthless compared to you…you always kept your head about everything…not like that Jakotsu…"

"Shut up about him!"

"I struck a nerve, did I? Oh, Tsubaki…did Renkotsu ever tell you why he went to prison?"

She shook her head and narrowed her eyes fleetingly.

"Well, they thought he killed his brother…which he did, but they couldn't prove it. So they got him for a few other charges instead…"

"I didn't kill him. Now both of you, get out," Renkotsu demanded coldly.

"You did kill him. And I was about to leave anyway. I'll be seeing you," he said with a mocking bow as he left.

Renkotsu started to walk into his own room, but was stopped by a strong grip on his arm.

"What?"

"Was he telling the truth? Did you really kill Jakotsu?" Tsubaki asked him callously.

"Yes."

He pulled his arm from her grip. "Leave Tsubaki," he told her sharply.

She shook her head. "I'll leave when I want to. You're going to tell me something, everything. You close yourself off too much. I need to know!" she snapped.

"What? Why do you want to know about my dead brother? What do you need to know? Why? How? When? I'll tell you! Just get the hell out of my life if I do!"

Tsubaki recoiled a little. He was really angry. He seemed willing to honestly tell her anything though, and maybe she could take advantage of that. "…Do you need me?"

"Yes, well, I did. Is that all you wanted to ask?"

She shook her head. "Do…did you ever love me?"

"You're pushing it, Tsubaki. Leave."

"Answer the question!"

"I don't need anybody I don't trust anybody and I sure as hell didn't love you!"

"So fine I'll leave," she told him shortly, leaving the apartment briskly. "You're a filthy liar, Renkotsu Akimori," she muttered under her breath.

Naraku paced around the small apartment, the plans sliding through his mind and into place. Renkotsu would go tonight, and so would Tsubaki…and so would he.

Only two will live. And if he had anything to do with it, he wouldn't be the one dead.

Tonight was the night.

…But who's night was it?

A/N: I'm going to apologize to my lovely beta, Ebony (Fantastical Queen Ebony Black, go read her fics, they rock) for taking so damn long. I hope this was a good tension-building chapter.