Author's Notes: This chapter was revised on January 24, 2006.

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-June 8th-

Entry at 7:41PM

With our supplies gathered, information and warrants secured, and our hopes that we could manage to do this, the six of us headed down the staircase to our respective cars.

I was just about to get into the car when I noticed that Inuyasha had walked over to where Sesshoumaru stood.

"If you start getting your ass kicked, just admit defeat and call us for help, got that?" He spat, trying to hide the concern I knew he had for his elder brother given the recent injury.

"Same to you," Sesshoumaru retorted.

The two just paused, leveling each other with equal glares before Inuyasha turned with a 'keh' and walked back towards me.

"Miroku, don't be such a letch and get distracted," He shot to our fellow detectives as he passed them by.

"And don't be acting rashly without thinking if you want to keep Kagome safe," Miroku said, face serious.

Golden eyes narrowing, Inuyasha stormed over to where the short-haired man stood, "I'll do what I have to get this job the hell over with!"

Crossing his arms, he glanced in my direction.

"What?" He snapped, apparently uncertain of my current expression.

I let my unsure smile widen a bit more, "It's all right, Inuyasha. Everyone's going to be just fine. Don't worry so much."

"Keh! Who the hell said I was worried?"

The others showed their various signs of disbelief.

"Come on, Inuyasha. We have a job to do."

"Fine," He grumbled making his way over to the car and getting in.

Once inside, I gently placed my hand on his arm.

"Inuyasha…"

Turning towards me sharply, his harsh expression softened on seeing my somber one.

"Kagome?"

"We've done some pretty dangerous things in the past. You know, handled some really risky and deadly situations all right but- but..." I paused, biting my lip and trying to form the right words.

"Kagome? What is it?" His voice was a soft whisper now as he leaned down, trying to peer under my bangs.

"This is probably the biggest stunt we will ever pull. We're dealing with who knows how many people who work for Onigumo, Renkotsu's up to something that might not only affect Bankotsu and Jakotsu but us as well and the whole thing just isn't setting right with me. I just feel like something horrible is going to happen."

He took a deep breath, his eyes sliding closed as if he was trying to quell his own nerves. That's when I felt his hand on top of where my hand rested, slowly and hesitantly entwining his fingers with mine.

"I won't let anything horrible happen. Okay?" He muttered, averting his gaze.

Looking up, I could see the intensity in his eyes as they stared off into the distance; the determination to make sure all of us made it through this alive easily read within their depths.

Nodding with renewed enthusiasm, I squeezed his hand back, "Okay Inuyasha. I'll be right here with you like always."

Head snapping quickly back towards me, there was an edge of surprise dancing on his features as the last part of my statement took hold.

"Kagome…"

I smiled lightly, "Neither of us are in this alone. Don't forget that."

A smile slowly appearing in return, he nodded.

"Not alone, I'll remember that," He murmured quietly, causing my smile to widen.

After a moment of just sitting like that, my fingers absently stroking along the side of his hand, I finally took a deep breath and spoke up.

"Inuyasha, it's time now. We're going in."

Seemingly reluctantly to remove his grasp on my hand, he finally did so and gripped the wheel.

"All right, call the others and tell them we're moving out."

Picking up my cell phone and glancing back over my shoulder at the two cars parked behind ours, I surmised that calling Sango first might be a good idea. Especially since from what I could see of it, she was not very happy with Miroku at the moment.

Dialing up her number, I waited as I saw her stopping in her argument with Miroku to pick it up.

"Hello?"

"It's just me, checking in. Everything all right?"

"Yeah, Miroku's just being his usual perverted self," She sighed.

"But if things get serious, I don't want to die without children, Sango!" I heard the very pervert she spoke of protest in the background.

"Miroku…" Her voice was dangerous, and I figured unless we wanted to be short one of our six detectives, it was best to intervene.

"Well, we're ready to head out here. I'm just going to check things over with Kagura and Sesshoumaru first, then we'll head out," I said, acting as if I couldn't overhear the background conversation.

"All right, I'll get him in gear and ready to go."

"Okay Sango. Be careful you two. We'll keep in touch."

"All right, you too. Bye."

Noticing Inuyasha impatiently tapping his hand on the wheel, I shook my head and dialed Kagura's number.

I heard her pick up, but before I could talk- she did, "Just a moment, I'm in the middle of something."

Curiosity getting the best of me, I turned in my seat trying to see what I could of Sesshoumaru's car from where we were parked.

The sound of her phone being sat down made the connection go fuzzy for a moment, but then I could vaguely hear the goings on of the other vehicle.

"Sesshoumaru, you've got to promise me you won't over do it with your arm like that."

"I told you, it's not of your concern."

"Look- I've heard all your damned excuses and I'm fucking sick of them!" Her voice echoed over the line, "I am not going to sit in a hospital again waiting to see if you die or not!"

"Sentimentality makes one weak, Kagura," He replied, voice at its usual tone.

She scoffed at the remark and I could barely see her leaning over to get in his face.

"You listen to me. I didn't have to give up my other job to work with you. I don't have to put up with your stupid irritating excuses. And most of all, I don't have to sit back and let your damned ego blind you from the situation at hand. You are missing an arm now- and if we hadn't been so lucky, you or I could be missing more than that or dead. Yes Sesshoumaru, dead. Your stupid ego doesn't do much for you then, now does it?"

Almost tempted to hang up and call back, and feeling quite awkward at what I was overhearing, I paused when I heard him speak.

"Neither of us is going to die. I'll make sure of that."

"Sesshoumaru…" She began to retort, only to have him raise his hand to silence her.

"With Naraku out of the picture, you've lost that apartment he was renting on your behalf."

"What does that have to do with anything?" She snapped.

"Once this is finished, we'll pick up Rin and go home."

"But I don't have a…" Kagura paused, her voice trailing off as what he said sunk in, "Are you saying…"

"Inuyasha can move your things if you're so worried about me overexerting myself."

She slumped back into her seat as it sank in completely.

"Well…shit…" Kagura finally brought herself to mutter.

"You should probably attend to the matter on the phone. And hope that my brother isn't on the other end protesting my suggestion," He remarked.

Grabbing it up after a second, she spoke, "Sorry about that."

"Oh, Kagura good- everything all right over there?" I said, trying to play it off as if I didn't hear the gist of the conversation.

"Yah, we ready to head out yet?"

"I believe so. I think everyone's as ready as they're going to be now. Sorry for the delay, I had to talk something over with Inuyasha."

"It seems all of us had a few things to discuss…" Kagura remarked quietly.

"You'll be heading out towards Okugi City, right?"

"Yeah, Onigumo's location is out there. Luckily the suburb isn't that far from here."

"You think the cell phones will hold? If at all possible, I'd like to keep in constant touch to make sure that everything's going smoothly," I questioned, looking about for my cell phone's charger so at least the batteries would hold.

"I've never had a problem before, and Sesshoumaru's is some fancy brand name one so at least one of them is bound to work."

"All right then, we'd best go. The sun's starting to set, and Bankotsu acted like that was going to be an issue, so we've got to get him inside."

"Okay. Good luck."

"Same to you. Be careful out there."

"We will. Just make sure you do the same. Bye," Kagura replied, hanging up.

Taking a deep breath to soothe my nerves, I looked back over to Inuyasha.

"Let's go now. We have to meet Bankotsu at the alleyway two blocks over from the warehouse, so head there."

"Keh. I know I know," He turned the key, and the two other cars behind us followed suit.

Looking back, as we went down the street, I saw Sesshoumaru's car turn right at the corner and head towards Okugi City.

"I hope they'll be all right."

"Hmph. I still don't see why Sesshoumaru gets to go after the main guy," Inuyasha muttered, turning the corner in the opposite direction.

"Why? Did you want to beat up some bed-ridden weakling instead?" I retorted, smirk on my face.

"Keh! I just mean he's going to get all the credit!"

"I'm certain if we all successfully make it through this- we'll all get equal credit. Even Sesshoumaru would want it that way."

Confusion etched on his face, he blinked, "What? Sesshoumaru wouldn't give a damn!"

"But wouldn't your Father want both of you to get equal credit? Given his respect for him, I'm sure Sesshoumaru would only want to do what your Father would have wanted," I reasoned. Plus, I knew in regards to capturing Naraku, Sesshoumaru had no outright signs of trying to hog the glory.

Eyes narrowing, he frowned, "I still don't see why we have to play clean up with Onigumo's lackeys though."

I withheld a smile, knowing that that was his little way of admitting I was right.

As we entered into the Shichinin district, my mind went back to the issue with Bankotsu.

"Inuyasha, we need to keep alert. I think Renkotsu's plot might involve using us somehow."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because if he was just after Bankotsu, he wouldn't have acted the way he did back when I was caught in that burning room."

"Back then? But he didn't know you'd be with them then," Inuyasha reasoned.

"No he didn't, but when he was mocking us through the door before you showed up, he said one of things he would have been glad to see was not only their dead bodies but the one for 'that bitch of a detective' charred from the fires," I said, recalling the harsh words clearly.

"That bastard…" I saw him take one hand off the wheel and clench it, and began to hope he never got the chance to take Renkotsu on personally.

"So he's out to kill us as well then," He finally muttered.

"We know too much. If he can kill us and destroy our evidence, he's free. Simple as that."

"It's part of the job. If you're out to get rid of someone, they want to get rid of you first."

"I know, so we've got to be extra careful. He'd go for us before trying to go after Miroku, Sango, Kagura or Sesshoumaru. Especially me," I sighed, "Oh Mama was right, this job is too stressful at times."

"Your Mom has no idea," He said shaking his head, "So what's the deal with Bankotsu anyways? Sounds like something weird happened when you spoke to him," Inuyasha asked as we neared the location.

"We've got to get them into the warehouse and can't follow. Jakotsu's life is on the line, and despite the fact it has trap written all over it, that's all we can do."

"Keh! I'll just have to knock some sense into that braided little punk," He retorted, pulling the car over into an alleyway.

I noticed the four figures approaching us as Miroku's car drove on past us towards the warehouse.

"Inuyasha, we'll play along for now. But if something happens, we will step in."

Gathering up our supplies from the backseat, I got out of the car and saw the four people walk up.

It all starts now… I thought to myself on seeing the lightening off in the distance over the harbor. This night will determine everything.

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Preview for Chapter 27:

After arriving at the warehouse, our detectives work quickly to try and get Bankotsu into the wing where Musou claims Jakotsu is at. But things aren't as simple as they seem, and getting this case closed won't be easy at all.