Disclaimer: I don't own RK. All original characters are mine to claim.
Synopsis: What would you do if you stepped out of your bathroom and there was a man pointing a gun at you? And what if the one man sent to protect you, was the one who didn't believe in you? She had become a target, even before she was aware of it. Modern day AU. KK story.
A/N: Hai hai…Agnes has started another story! crowd sweat drops PLEASE do not be mad at me, I'll start explaining: the thing is, I lost interest in ALLURE (does any of you even remember it? --') Well, anyway, I lost interest in it and decided to write something more…thrilling and with action and suspense and romance and…I hope you all enjoy this one! Also, I've been thinking of writing another story in the lines of ALLURE but…much different! Actually, chapter One is already written, but I still want to think about it…Of course I didn't forget nor did I lose interest in Story Of My Life! I'm already writing the newest chapter and all of you, PREPARE THE KLEENEX because it will be Angst! But, we'll get there in time, ne? For now, I hope you all enjoy the first chapter of my brand new story THE TARGET!
'…' - thoughts
On with the story!
THE TARGET
Prologue
The house was silent and dark, having only the sound of water running, coming from a far side of the apartment. It wasn't hard to find the way around the place, since it was a wide length area. Once you entered, you would be at the hall with a small table against the wall in front of you, framed by three doors, each leading to different and distinct areas of the house. One closed door to your left, leading to the kitchen, and two doors to the right: one, which was also closed, leading to the living room and another one leading to a small corridor with two bedrooms and a bathroom.
Which was currently occupied.
The smell was exciting and strong, no doubt coming from the bath gel used by the young woman taking a shower. The rain outside couldn't offer more contrast between the warm water and the cold rain. Water, touching the frail, cold and innocent body, warming and relaxing all the senses.
Peace could be achieved with only a warm bath.
Kamiya Kaoru sighed under the shower. It was one of the best moments of her day, enough to make her happy even after the worst event. They say water cleans the soul and she couldn't agree more. Maybe that's why killers and mean people usually smell: they didn't take baths so that they didn't have to clean their souls.
Kaoru chuckled to herself. What a theory…
After washing the shower gel from her skin, she turned off the water, and stepped into the light peach carpet. Grabbing her bath robe, she held it tightly around her waist and started combing her hair. A smile reached her lips as she watched the water jumping from her locks when the comb brushed past them.
Sighing pleasantly, deposing the wood comb on the wash basin, she turned to the door and opened it, stepping into the dark corridor. Unable to see a thing, and being midnight already, she cursed herself for leaving all the lights off when she entered the bathroom. With her hands in front of her, touching the wall, she moved slowly until her fingers touched the light switcher of her bedroom, making her grin. Turning it on, the grin was instantly wiped out of her face and her heart dropped at her feet.
There, sitting on her bed, was a man, grinning evilly at her, tapping the gun in his hand patiently, showing her that he had been there for some time now…waiting. Raising the gun sickly slowly to point at her face, he spoke in a deep cold voice.
"Hello Kaoru."
At the sound of his voice, Kaoru felt an explosion of energy rush through her body and she did what her mind was screaming at her.
RUN!
In a split of a second, she turned and broke into a run, closing the door behind her, trying to trap inside what was going to be her fate in a few moments. With her heart in her throat, she leaped to the kitchen, opening the door in the process and gasped loudly when she felt his rough hand push her into the kitchen. She hit the worktop forcefully and felt the air rush out of her lungs. Feeling dread in her stomach, with her temples pulsating and her breathing irregular, she glanced to the side and spotted a kitchen knife as she listened to his approaching steps. When his large hand grabbed her hair and turned her, she grabbed the knife and stabbed it deep in his throat.
His eyes widened and blood started pouring out of his mouth. Raising the gun to her forehead, he coughed the blood and leaned against her, falling to the ground a second later.
Shaking in fear, Kaoru felt her eyes moving downwards to glance at the dead man at her feet. His eyes were wide opened, staring into nothingness, as a growing pool of blood started forming under the body.
Blinking back the tears in her eyes, she started moving around the body, slowly making her way to the kitchen phone and dialled a number. When the call ended, she fell on her knees and wept.
What on Earth was going on?
A persistent ringing cut the silence in the room like a lightning in a dark sky, disturbing the 15 minutes of sleep of the massive body lying, fully closed, on top of the bed. With a grunt, a small but strong hand reached out blindly to grab the ringing object.
Pressing the green button, a hoarse mutter followed. "Himura."
'Kenshin, we have a situation.'
"You okay Sir?" A brunette man dressed in a blue police officer uniform asked to the approaching figure.
The man, fully dressed in black and with an unbearable cold face, nodded shortly while walking. "I'm fine. Info?" He asked, grabbing the folder from the officer walking besides him.
"Basically, the woman finished taking her bath, entered her bedroom and there was a man pointing a gun at her. She ran to the kitchen, grabbed a knife and stabbed him in the neck, giving him an almost instant death." The dark haired man replied as both of them entered a room with a large glass in one of the walls, showing another room where a frail looking woman sat on a chair, while being watched by a tall man leaning against the wall.
"Map of the house." Kenshin requested, while staring at the woman on the other side of the glass.
There she sat, looking confused and scared, wearing nothing but a bath robe. Her sharp nose, petit size, full lips, dashing raven hair-
"The map, Sir."
Moving his eyes from the shivering woman, Kenshin nodded quickly and opened the map. After scanning it for a second, and a second longer to double check it, he lifted an elegant red eyebrow.
"Is this the bathroom?" He asked, pointing with his index finger the area in question.
"Yes Sir."
Furrowing his brows, he moved his finger along the map to the opposite side of it, landing on another area of the house. "And there's the kitchen." He stated shortly.
"Yes, Sir, it is."
Tapping his finger, he thought for a moment. "Was the gun loaded?"
The brunette nodded. "Yes Sir. Five bullets. None were shot."
Stopping his tapping, he raised his could amber eyes to the police officer at his right. "He didn't shoot once?"
"No Sir."
Glancing up the woman once again, he started moving towards the glass. "You mean, Soujiro, that this frail looking woman," he said, letting his finger touch the cold surface, pointing in the direction of the female in question, "finished taking her bath and entered her bedroom, unarmed and wearing nothing but a bath robe; faced a man pointing a loaded gun to her face, and ran all the way into the kitchen, which is on the opposite side of the house, grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed him in the neck, killing him almost instantly." He finished, looking at Soujiro.
"Yes Sir. That is what she states."
Glancing back into the room, he processed the information. "And he didn't shoot once…" He muttered slowly. "I wonder…" He whispered to himself.
"Sir?"
Turning to the officer, Kenshin voiced his thoughts. "I wonder, Soujiro, why didn't he shoot? He wasn't there to rob her…was he?"
"I doubt it Sir. She states that he whispered her name when she entered the room."
"Really? Doesn't that make it even more interesting…" He said, grabbing the folder and the map from the table. "Open the door, Soujiro."
"I still don't understand why I have to be held in this room." Kaoru said for the nth time to the tall broom haired man leaning against the wall.
Honestly, she'd had enough for an entire month! Someone had tried to kill her, she ended up killing the man, cried for the next two hours, was soaked in blood that wasn't hers, and they didn't offer her any explanation for none of the matters! Heck, she was terrified!
The cocky man grinned and opened his mouth, preparing himself to give her the same answer she had heard for the past hour: 'We're waiting.'
'Waiting for what? Or who? And why?' She thought, sighing inwardly. 'So many questions…'
Just as he was about to answer her, the door opened, revealing yet another man, smaller, but with a terrible cold expression. Dressed fully in black clothes and with red blooded hair, he seemed a killer himself.
Shivering despite herself, Kaoru dared to look at his eyes. In there, she stood petrified. They were amber and looked like a mirror. She could see herself in them and knew she was being observed, like a prey before being eaten by its raptor.
Who was that man?
He entered the room, closing the door behind him, and glanced to the tall man at Kaoru's right. "Sano."
"Kenshin. Sorry to wak'ya up."
The man, Kenshin, nodded shortly, before making his way to the table, placing some papers on top of it. Raising his eyes to look at Kaoru, he replied her earlier question. "You are here, Kamiya-san, because you are accused of murder." The words left his mouth and cut the air in the room, striking Kaoru.
Blinking rapidly, she felt her mouth open and close for several times, as she tried to put her thoughts together. "Wha-uh…WHAT! But-but-but-"
"Yes, we'll be there in a moment. I'm Himura Kenshin, police inspector and this is Sagara Sanosuke, my partner." He said, pointing at Sano while taking a small paper from his pocket. "Here. Take my card in case of anything." He placed the card in front of Kaoru and unbuttoned his coat, dropping it on top of the table. Kaoru's eyes widened at the sight of two identical black guns safely placed around his waist. Watching as he sat on the chair on the other side of the table, she realized that the papers in front of her were files and a map of a house.
'Mine no doubt.' She thought briefly.
"Kamiya-san, may I request that you confirm the information I'm about to say?"
His cold tone innerved her deeply. Why was this man being so cold? In spite of it, she found herself nodding at his question.
"You state that you were taking a bath and, once you stepped into your room, there was a man sitting on your bed, pointing a gun at you. Is that statement true?"
"I-I…" Memories from only a few hours ago rushed through her mind and she swallowed a lump in her throat.
"Yes or no, Kamiya-san?"
"Yes." Kaoru answered in a small whisper.
"You also said that he whispered your name."
"Yes."
Kenshin watched her like a hawk. "And then you ran into your kitchen, grabbed a knife and killed him. Is that correct?"
"I-"
"Is it or is it not?"
"Yes, but it's-"
Kenshin cut her once again. "You'll be able to explain everything in a moment." He said shortly, signalling something to the large mirror at Kaoru's left. Silence filled the room and, after a few seconds, Kaoru felt eyes on her and knew she was being studied by the imposing man sitting in front of her. Raising her eyes slowly, she dropped them almost instantly when they were met by two large lion eyes.
Kenshin sat, silently waiting for the recorder to be brought into the room. Glancing shortly at Sano, he forced himself not to roll his eyes at his partner's current entertaining. Trust Sano to start combing his hair in the middle of the interrogation…
Shaking his head inwardly, he moved his eyes from his male friend and landed on the woman sitting in front of him. She was still wearing the bath robe, he noted. There was blood on it, definitely not hers, contrasting with the white material. Her skin was just as white and he searched for any signs of aggression.
There were none.
Moving from her neck to her chin, passing her pink lips and sharp nose, he was met by two striking sapphire blue eyes, which widened in surprise and dropped to the table, shielding themselves from his view. Her nose and cheeks were red and, as he could see in that second their eyes met, her eyes were red and swollen, no doubt from her crying.
Thankfully, she wasn't crying now. He just couldn't stand women crying…
The door opened and the three occupants looked up. Soujiro entered the room and placed the recorder on top of the table, between Kaoru and the police inspector, Kenshin. Nodding shortly, the officer left the room, closing the door behind him.
Pressing the REC button, Kenshin looked up to the woman. "Now, you can start telling everything that happened, from the moment you woke up to the moment my men entered your apartment."
Looking up to his face, Kaoru breathed in deeply and closed her eyes briefly, trying to remember and, at the same time, trying to erase everything happening to her.
Could things get any worse?
To Be Continued…
A/N: So? What do you think? It's short, yes, I just want to see how everyone will react to it. I already have the second chapter planned, but will focus now on Story Of My Life. I want to update it!
Tell me what you think, okay? Please, REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!
Bye bye to all!
Agnes.