A/N: Okay so here is the next chapter out a little faster than the one before. Also Chapter 27 is 80 percent finished so it should be out in a very soon. Thanks again to all who have reviewed so far. Now on with the story...
Kagome's first opportunity came on Wednesday. She came in to work only to find out that all the doctors were needed at a meeting with the government departments overseeing their research. It was time for their annual accounting. Since no one had informed her that she need not come in Dr. Sato told her to stay and finish her account of the healing she had preformed.
Once everyone was gone and she was sure that it had been long enough that no one would be coming back to pick up something they had forgotten, she went to Dr. Sato's office and used her card and his code to unlock the door. She headed for the door to the filing room and unlocked it as well. She was pleased to find that none of the filing cabinets had locks. She supposed they were unnecessary since you could not enter the room without a code.
Hmm . . . Where to start? How would something like this be filed? She pulled open the first drawer. The files were marked with species followed by a letter and a pair of numbers. Most of the folders had more than one, colored tab, and almost all of them were marked with a black tab. She pulled one out and started to read. Most of the notations were made in some sort of numbered code that she didn't understand. At the end of the file it read 'failed stage one'. She pulled out another. It was much the same only this had a notation at the beginning that said 'donor for A17'. She found A17 and pulled it. In both files she saw a matching code and at the end of A17 it said 'failed stage two'.
She was beginning to form an idea of what the numbers meant. She put the files back and moved through the other drawers. Finally she found four files noted as species leopard. Three had black tabs as well as one color and one had blue, white, pink, and clear as well as red. She opened the smaller files first. All said the same thing, 'donor for K47'. K47 was the thickest file and had the most notations in it.
Right away she knew it was the one she had been looking for. It was a male leopard youkai of the right age and coloring. As she compared the files, she noted that each of the codes from the donors matched one added to file K47. At the end of each page a different note was made. The final note was, 'stage five success'. She took the files with her and headed to Dr. Sato's desk. She needed to access his computer to get the references for the code numbers in the files.
She smiled as she entered his door code as the password and was granted access. She scanned the files on his computer until she came upon one that said 'youki coding'. In the search field she entered one of the five digit codes and hit enter. The screen it pulled up told her that the youki she had entered had the power to manipulate and create electricity. As she continued, she found that K47 should have control of fire, ice, illusion, electricity and wind. These scientists had found a way to bond the youki of one youkai to another.
That's why his body was rejecting his youki because it wasn't really his . . . And all the black tabs mean that . . . They killed them all . . . I have to get into the restricted area and see for myself. Then Sesshomaru will be able to see that no more youkai are sacrificed.
Just as she was about to log out, another file caught her eye. It was labeled Top Secret. She laughed. Is this guy kidding? Top Secret . . . He might as well have labeled it read me . . . I'll bet the pass code is the same too . . . She clicked on the file and when prompted for the password she entered the same set of numbers and sure enough it let her in. Too easy . . .
She was not prepared for what she read. It was a report on the escape of subject K47. It gave a detailed account of the destruction he caused and the people he killed. Now she knew for sure that K47 was Kousotsu and that he had escaped for this facility. She printed out the report. She gathered the printout and the files she was sure no one would miss and took them back to her desk. She tucked them away in her briefcase and locked it.
Once Kagome had secured her evidence she went to investigate to room that only a select few people were allowed to enter. She was about to enter the code when she heard several voices coming her way. She canceled her card scan and hurried back to her desk. She forced a smile when Dr. Sato stuck his head in to check on her. She didn't know it at the time but she had made a mistake.
When she got in the cab, she pulled out her cell phone and called Sesshomaru. She made arrangements to meet with him as soon as she arrived at the house.
Sesshomaru was furious to learn what had been going on. "Are there any youkai still being subjected to this?" he growled.
"I don't know for sure." she replied. "As I was about to investigate the doctor in charge returned. I should have a chance on Friday to get into the restricted area and see for myself."
"Very well." he replied.
As usual InuYasha was waiting for her when she came in. "Well?" he asked impatiently.
"I did find some stuff out." she replied. "But I still have to go back. With any luck Friday will be the last time I have to set foot in that place."
"What did you find out?" Sango asked, as she and Miroku came into the kitchen.
They all sat at the table as Kagome explained to them what she had learned. She gave them a rundown on Kousotsu's powers and some of the details of his escape. None of them were looking forward to facing a demon who had so many powers and so much youki. They also couldn't believe no one had noticed before that so many youkai have seemingly disappeared.
That night InuYasha once again felt the need to express how much he disliked her going back to such a place, especially since they all now knew for sure what there people were capable of. "You've done enough wench." he complained. "Why do you have to go back?"
Kagome sighed. "Because InuYasha, Sesshomaru has to know exactly what he will find when he goes in there to take them down." she explained. "He can't very well go in there claiming one thing only to look like a fool if it isn't true."
"Keh, I still think it's a lousy idea." InuYasha snorted. "What if they know you've been snooping around?"
"I don't see how that would be possible." She replied. "I was careful not to get caught. On Friday when it is my turn to stay late and wait for the cleaning crew I'll check out the restricted area and then I'll never have to go back there, so it won't matter."
InuYasha still didn't like it. He had a bad feeling about letting her go back, but he decided to let it go for now. After all in two more days she would be done with that place and if Kagome got mad at him she wouldn't suggest that they not go straight to sleep when they went to bed for the night. As it was he knew that she would sense that he was upset and she would want to comfort him. He wouldn't pass that up for anything.
Finally Friday came and for some reason Kagome awoke feeling very nervous. Calm down girl. This is your last day and no one suspected anything or else you would have known yesterday, right? Kagome got dressed. She couldn't wait to be done getting the information they needed. Soon all the youkai who might still be suffering would be free and she could stop worrying about being caught.
All day there was no indication that anyone suspected a thing. Kagome watched everyone leave for the evening before returning to her desk. She made a quick call to Sesshomaru to tell him that she was about to go in. She scanned her card and opened the door.
Before her was a wall of stainless steel doors. She shuddered. It looked too much like a morgue for her liking. She was almost over come by all the strange youki in the room. Then she heard a soft growl from beside her.
"Bitch let me out of her." A male voice ordered.
She approached the small cage and noticed there was no lock only sealing soutras. It a youkai were to try and touch the bars he would surely be shocked into unconsciousness. The youkai inside the cage looked to be about sixteen, but there was no telling with youkai. He had long black hair and icy green eyes. There was a deep purple crescent on his forehead. She was almost certain he was an inu youkai.
"Please tell me how you came to be here." she said kneeling in front of him.
"Why should I tell you anything?" he growled.
"Because I am here to help you." she replied.
"Yeah and I'm just supposed to believe you, when you have me locked up here against my will." he said. Kagome pulled over the collar of her shirt. Before she could say anything the youkai spoke again. "Holy shit. That's the crest of the Inu no Tashio."
Kagome nodded. "That's right." she replied. "I am the mate to Lord Sesshomaru's younger brother and he is having this place investigated. After I report to him tonight he is going to see to it that any youkai trapped here are set free. So please tell me everything you can about how you got here and what is going on, starting with your name."
"My name is Hikyuu. My mother died giving birth to me and my father followed. I ended up in a youkai orphanage. I heard them talking the night they brought me here. I was supposed to be sent to live with other family members but they were told that I had died. I heard one man say that made me a perfect subject since I was already dead. They laughed about it." He told her. "They told me that Monday I was going to be evaluated and that I should consider myself lucky because they had a new miko who could keep me from becoming another failure. You're the new miko aren't you. The one all the doctors have been talking about, the one that healed a youkai."
"Well what do we have here." Dr. Sato asked. Kagome shot to her feet and turned around. I though he left...How did he get in here without us noticing? "I can see you are wondering how I managed to get in here. There is another door only known to me. Now tell me, who are you working for."
Kagome backed into the wall as the doctor approached her. The cage was on her right. She could hear Hikyuu growling. "I don't know what you mean..." she lied.
"It's no use lying to me." he said. With surprising strength he grabbed her throat pinning her to the wall. "Did you know that every one's card has a unique signature and when a card is used with a code other than the one assigned it leaves a record in the security print out I get each morning? I think not. Would it also interest you to know that every room in this building is equipped with a surveillance camera? I know all about your little trip in to my office and the files. I also know exactly what you accessed on my computer. Without cameras how else would I have known what happened the evening of K47's escape? Now I ask again who do you work for?"
"You better let me go." she said. "You are in enough trouble already. You work with demons. You must know of the Inu no Tashio, that now that he knows what you have been doing, he won't allow this to continue."
"So you work for the Great Dog Lord." Dr. Sato said. "No one will get in the way of my research. Perhaps when I send you to him in pieces he will reconsider this ill planned attempt to interfere."
Kagome tried not to panic as he put pressure on her windpipe. She started to get light headed. "Will you help me?" she rasped at a level below human hearing. Fortunately for her she was asking a human for his help.
"Yes." Hikyuu said.
She reached out and managed to touch the top of the cadge. She sent her power into the seals breaking them. As soon as it was done Hikyuu threw open the cage door and knocked Dr; Sato across the room. Kagome slid to the floor clutching her throat and gasping.
Hikyuu stood over the half conscious doctor poised to strike. "Don't." Kagome cried. "I didn't free you so you could kill him. He see youkai as less than animals, don't prove him right." Hikyuu growled and kicked the doctor in the stomach before returning to her side. He helped her to her feet as an alarm started to sound. "We have to get out of here."
The door in front of them opened. Six hanyou orderlies came inside, blocking their exit. Five of them went for Hikyuu, leaving one to subdue Kagome. She knew she would have to be careful not to use too much power. Hikyuu knocked one of the hanyou unconscious almost right away. The others grabbed onto him as he struggled to get his arms free. As the orderly grabbed Kagome she sent out a short burst of power. He fell to the ground and didn't get up. She was glad his youki was so much weaker than InuYasha's and didn't take that much power to overcome.
Kagome next went to the aid of Hikyuu. She side stepped as on of the hanyou slashed at her. She winced as he grazed her arms with his claws. She used what Sango had taught her and swept his feet out from under him. Of course his reflexes had allowed him to flip away and land on his feet, but she had not been trying to make him fall. She had been trying to get him to release Hikyuu and it had worked. Now she was free to use her power on him.
With only three hanyou holding him, Hikyuu was able to wrench free. Kagome saw a dark purple glow form around his claws. He managed to grab the arm of one of their would be captors and in seconds the hanyou collapsed. Kagome could still feel the youki coming from the poisoned orderly so she knew that he was still alive.
The four faced each other. Kagome could see that the two who remained on their feet knew that they had no chance defeating a full demon and a miko especially since four of their group had already fallen. Right before her eyes Hikyuu disappeared into a ball of light and reappeared behind the two hanyou. He knocked their heads together. Kagome flinched at the cracking sound their skulls made as they impacted. She stared at the two men as they laid on the floor.
"Come on." he said. "I can hear more of them coming."
Kagome looked up at his voice and nodded. She stepped over the fallen bodies. They took off down the hall. Hikyuu simply knocked anyone who happened across their path out of the way. They made it to the door, but as Hikyuu tried to pass he was thrown back. Kagome could feel the spiritual power sealing the door. While it was true that she could pass on her own she couldn't leave Hikyuu behind. She ran her hands along the surface of the power before her. Strong, but no where near strong enough to stop me. I guess sometimes it's a good thing that people always underestimate my powers. I just hope Hikyuu will keep helping me once he is away from here because after this I am going to be really tired. It's a risk I have to take... Kagome closed her eyes and drew on her power. Soon there was a shimmer and the barrier blocking the door was no more. She slid to the ground.
"Are you all right?" Hikyuu asked.
Kagome nodded weakly. "Too much power." she whispered. "So tired."
She felt herself being lifted by the escaping youkai. Once outside he ran as quickly as he could without seeming any more suspicious than he must already appear to be carrying a nearly unconscious girl in his arm. He slipped between two buildings when they were a good distance away.
"Now what?" he asked.
"Need to get to Sesshomaru before they can get rid of the evidence." she said weakly. "Can you get us there?"
"You want me to take you to the home of the Inu No Taisho?" he questioned. She nodded. "All right. Try and hold on."
Hikyuu leapt up onto the rooftop of the nearest building. He raced through the city sure no one could see him as fast as he as traveling. He was surprised that the woman in his arms made no protest and showed no fear. She really was far too trusting. He could easily be rid of her. Of course he would never do something so low as kill a defenseless human female especially when the female belonged to the younger brother of the most powerful youkai in Japan. If she had been anyone else he would have been likely to have left her to her own devices once they were safely away, but she wasn't. He only hoped that when he arrived he would have a chance to explain that it was not he who harmed her before he was killed.
He landed on the other side of the great wall surrounding the Taisho property. They were surrounded immediately. "Release Lady Taisho at once." a fierce looking youkai yelled. "But do not think it will save your life."
The guards circled closer. "Wait." Kagome said softly. They stopped advancing. "He saved me. Please we must see Sesshomaru at once."
Most of the guards backed off. The two who stayed led the way to the great house at the end of the drive. He was shown into the office where sitting behind the desk was the taiyouaki himself. He gave the most respectful bow he could without dropping Kagome.
"Speak quickly." Sesshomaru ordered looking at the exhausted miko in this unfamiliar youkai's arms.
"We helped each other escape from some lab. She had to break a barrier and she said she was tired from using her powers." Hikyuu said quickly. "She told me to bring her here. I followed her command as her position requires."
"Sesshomaru." Kagome said once again stirring from her sleep. "You have to go now before they destroy the youkai still there and the other evidence."
"Set her down." Sesshomaru ordered. He spoke quickly to one of his servants and them made a quick call. "Now you will tell me everything you know."
Hikyuu told Sesshomaru everything he had overheard and witness. He also detailed the night's events. He paused as someone offered Kagome a tea which she drank. Before she could set the cup down the door slammed open. InuYasha lunged at Hikyuu and had him by the throat. "What the fuck did you do to her." he growled.
Kagome put a restraining hand on his arm. "He is the reason I was able to escape." she said gently. "They were going to kill me and even after we were both free he brought me here."
InuYasha glanced at her and released Hikyuu. He grabbed her shoulders. She winced as his hand brushed against her scratched arm. "Damn I told you this was a fucking terrible idea." he growled. He swept her up into his arm and headed for the door.
"InuYasha I must speak to your miko." Sesshomaru said.
"Fuck that. Let him tell you what happened." InuYasha growled throwing his head in Hikyuu's direction. "Kagome's hurt and she's done enough."
"InuYasha, I have to talk to him about what I know." she said.
"Later wench." he insisted. "After I've had a chance to look at your wound and after you admit that I was right about this being one of the worst damn ideas you've ever had."
He ignored her feeble protest as well as Sango and Miroku as they questioned him as he walked to their room. He shut the door with his foot. He set Kagome gently on the bed and went to the bathroom. He returned with a wet cloth and some bandages. He cleaned the cut and winced along with Kagome as he did so. He used some of the antiseptic spray Kagome always forced on him in the past and then wrapped her arm.
"Stupid wench." he growled. "I told you I didn't want you doing this."
"I'm all right." She insisted. "Hikyuu helped me and I'm here now."
Damn it Kagome." he yelled. "What if he hadn't helped you. Did you even think of that? He could have killed you or left you there."
"If you're waiting for me to say I'm sorry that I did what I did, it won't happen." She told him. "My going there was important. So many youkai have been killed there. I had to help them. Why can't you understand that? Would you have wanted me to just pretend nothing was going on? Shippou is and orphan it could have easily been him in that place."
"Why can't you understand that it is my job to protect you, that I can't live without you." he shouted. He fell to his knees in front of her and wrapped his arms around her. "Damn it wench. Just promise me that you won't ever agree to do something like this again, that you'll let someone else handle it."
When she saw how deeply he was effected she couldn't refuse him. He was right. She didn't have to be the one. "I promise." she whispered.
He raised his head and kissed her. After a few moment he pulled away. "Now go take a bath." he ordered. "I cam smell that place all over you."
She got up and went to the bathroom. "Just so we're clear." she said. "I am taking a bath because I want to not because you told me to." With that she shut the door behind her.