Disclaimer: I own Kenshin! No…no, I don't…you didn't seriously think I did, did you? Thanks again to my reviewers, you guys RULE! College homework can be hell, but with your encouragement here is Chapter 4 for your reading enjoyment! Alright, on with the story…

Shadows of the Night

The night passed uneventfully, as the next day seemed to as well. But still Kenshin could not shake the thought that there was something going on just under the surface he should know about, but was missing.

This feeling was reaffirmed to him that evening. In an attempt to calm himself down Kenshin had not watched the news, or listened to the radio yet, but as he pulled into the parking lot of the police station, he found his partners, and Kaoru talking. He walked over, noting that Sano wasn't even trying to bait Saitou tonight, a sure sign something had happened. Yahiko was looking from face to face, and Kaoru looked worried, rubbing her arms against the icy night air. It looked like it might start to snow again.

"We got another one." Sano said before Kenshin could even say anything.

"Another what?" Kenshin asked, but already knowing.

"Another bombing." Saitou took another drag at his cigarette before dropping the butt to join the other three already at his feet.

"It was a car this time." Kaoru added. "It had two men in it, I don't know who they were, some executive and his bodyguard or something I think."

Kenshin's face grew concerned; once again getting the feeling that this should be familiar.

It nagged at the back of his mind even as Kaoru sighed and shook her head. "I better be going, especially as it looks like it's going to snow again."

The men nodded, and Kenshin reached out, touching her arm for a moment. "Be careful out there Miss Kaoru."

Kaoru smiled, and reaching up squeezed his hand for a moment. "I will be. I'd be more worried about myself if I were you."

Neither said anything for a moment, until Kenshin nodded, and pulled away from her, following the other three men inside.

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"So…guess our bomber buddy likes wealthy targets." Sano smirked as he drove the car out of the lot as the predicted snow started.

Kenshin frowned as he mused. "Saizuchi…retired business man, rich and paranoid…"

"Why would you say paranoid?"

Kenshin shook his head. "Just a guess…just from the sounds of things traveling everywhere with a body guard…." He trailed off and shrugged. "Maybe I'm just reading too much into it."

"Maybe, but you're right, it's weird, the whole thing is. Blowing up a car in a back parking lot at 10 at night?"

"There's more going on here then there seems…" Kenshin spoke quietly, the nagging growing in the back of his mind again. First Sadojima, now Saizuchi and Fuji…

The silence stretched on as both men rode in silence. Finally Sano decided to speak up again, drastically changing the subject.

"I don't get why you're so dead set against anything between you and Kaoru…it's obvious you guys got some serious chemistry going on." Sano remarked.

Kenshin raised a brow and looked at him hard. "What is your obsession with always trying to pair people up?"

"Oh c'mon Kenshin! Even you can't be that blind! She digs you and you're digging her right back."

"No I'm not…" Kenshin started, noncommittally

"'Be careful out there Miss Kaoru.' That is not how you act when you don't give a shit!" Sano hid his amusement at the bemused and frustrated look on Kenshin's face.

"Sanosuke, I swear…"

Before he could get any further the radio came alive with a crackle of static.

"Accident on 5th and River Valley, head on collusion, possible DUI"

Sano glanced at the computer. "Looks like we're on." His teasing side of a few moments before was gone as he snapped into professional mode. Flipping a tight U-Turn he turned on the lights and siren, flying down the streets. At the scene of the accident he found two other police cars already there, along with an ambulance.

The snow had made everything slick, and from the looks of the scene the car had lost control on the wet road and had skidded into the wrong lane before smashing into a light pole.

"Damn, he must have been going way over the speed limit…" Sano muttered as he got out of the car. Kenshin followed him as if in a daze.

It had been snowing all night and morning, but had turned to freezing rain. Everything was icy, terrible driving conditions.

The car started to slide, going way too fast as it came up over the overpass. The driver started to loose control, swerving in and out of lanes as he tried to regain control. But he jerked on the wheel too hard and running a red light slid into the oncoming lanes.

A car in the oncoming lane swerved, trying to get out of his way, but wasn't fast enough. The first car smashed into the second one, sending it skidding with a wild screech of tires into the concrete wall at the edge of the overpass, leaving the second car a twisted, smoking mess.

The first car tried to speed up again, but lost control, fishtailing out again before smashing into the opposite side of the overpass, a short way down the road. Before anyone even had time to react…

"…hin? Kenshin!"

Kenshin blinked and looked at Yahiko who was standing in front of him, trying to catch his attention.

"How'd you get here?" Kenshin asked, blinking again.

Yahiko gave him a weird look. "We answered the call for the accident." Despite Saitou's protests, him and Yahiko had again been paired up. "Traffic's all screwed up, we gotta direct it manually…" he said, still looking at Kenshin, wondering what was wrong with him.

Kenshin nodded, recovering himself, disturbed by his sudden lack of presence of mind. "Of course."

Picking his way carefully through the slick snowy patches he joined Yahiko and Saitou in the intersection for traffic control. Sano was nowhere to be seen.

Meanwhile Sano walked around to the back of the ambulance. When he saw the back of a familiar form he grinned.

"Keep an eye on his stats…he's starting to go shocky…" The paramedic spun around and came face to face with Sano. "Dammit Sagara! Don't do that to me!" she snapped, pushing past him.

"Nice to see you too Megumi." He grinned.

She glared at him. "I don't have time for games Sagara. In case you hadn't noticed some of us are working."

"Want me to deal with him?" A young woman looked roguishly over from where she was monitoring the man they'd pulled from the smashed car. She was really in her twenties, but her looks were deceiving, she looked no more then about 16.

Megumi looked over at her. "No Misao…" she sighed.

"Aww c'mon Kitsune…I just came over to…" Sano started.

Megumi held up an IV needle. "Don't call me that. And quit following me around. Unless you want me to file harassment charges on you." She looked back to her patient.

"Sheeze…Megumi I'm just trying to be friendly. That, and I'm gonna need to see some of the paperwork…"

Megumi sighed again "Misao…get him whatever he needs. I got this."

Sano gave Megumi one last look before going with the younger woman, shoving his hands in the pockets of his coat. Maybe he only wanted her because he couldn't have her, but there was something irritatingly fascinating about the feisty paramedic. He shook his head, snapping it back into 'business' mode. No time to be spacing out while he was on duty.

Meanwhile as Kenshin was directing traffic it came to him in a sudden startling flash. He hadn't thought about it in years, but he knew where he'd heard those names before!

"Of course! The Juppongatana!"

If he was right about this, and he had a sinking feeling he was, his worst fears were about to be confirmed.

Authors Note: Ok, I know it is a bit short, but next chapter will reveal more. And for Nixy-Chan, Kaoru will be making more appearances, you may not see a ton of her yet, but don't worry I have definite plans to make her a very crucial part in the resolution of all of this! ;)