Chapter 4: The House

Sango and InuYasha were fast approaching the lights. They slowed their pace and leaned against an old rusting truck, catching their breath. "Do you think they are in there?" Sango asked as they took the first look at the house. It was nearly decrepit. It was a miracle that it was even standing.

They tried in vain to see inside the house. "I can't see a damn thing, Sango..." His eyes squinting. "Me neither..." She replied. Just then they heard a door being forced open. They saw two men exit, draggingthings that looked suspiciously like bodiesbehind them. Even from a distance they realized that something was wrong. From the limited light they could make out the forms of Sesshoumaru, Miroku and Kouga. Unfortunately, they also saw that the men dragging them were disfigured and irregularly shaped. They looked like lanky, limping giants.

"What the hell?" InuYasha whispered. Sango looked just as baffled as him. They watched as the men took their friends to a shed to the side of the house. InuYasha was immediately ready to attack them when they entered the shed, but Sango dragged him back down. "Just wait..." She whispered forcefully. "What are you talking about! We have to help them...!" He replied softly. She shook her head. "No, we have to come up with a plan of attack...If we get caught then we won't be able to help them..." InuYasha hated to admit that she had a point. Their friends were counting on them...

They heard a noise coming from the shed. Only one of the strange men came out and he went back inside the house... "Okay...there's only one...we can take him and get the guys...we might be able to get their help...then we look for the girls, okay?" Sango told him quietly. InuYasha simply nodded and offered for her to go first.

They crept as low and softly as they could. They didn't want an ambush. When they reached the shed, they both exhaled a breath neither knew they were holding. Sango looked at InuYasha... he nodded to her. The door handle was on her side. InuYasha would open the door and Sango would rush in. Unfortunately as InuYasha was about to grab the handle he stepped on a twig with a loud snap. The door swung open wildly almost hitting Sango who ducked in the tall weeds. InuYasha did the same. It was still too dark to see the figures face, but he began looking around.

Sango was trying not to breathe, but her body screamed in protest for lack of oxygen. She remained perfectly still. The man was so close he could probably smell her. She was sure that anyone within a five miles radius could hear her heart beating in her chest. She didn't dare look up. Then he was gone. Walking back towards the shed in which he disappeared. She slowly breathed out. Trying to get her heart to slow.

They both got up simultaneously looking at each other. She saw deep concern in his eyes. He looked her up and down, finding that she was unharmed he nodded once again, which Sango returned. They moved back to their original positions, this time making sure not to step on anything.

InuYasha began reaching for the handle again, this time getting a firm hold of it. With one last serious nod to Sango he wrenched it open. She dove inside quickly followed by InuYasha. They didn't even have time to register what was going on when InuYasha was almost hit with a flying dagger. He barely avoided it and looked around. He saw the origin of the dagger and almost threw up. The man suffered from severe deformities. Most likely the product of inbreeding. He was tall, but barely recognizable as a human.

Sango noticed InuYasha's stare and followed it to the man. She recovered quick enough to dodge an axe that came in her direction.Her only thought was thatthis guyneeded to be taken care of quickly, before others noticed the sounds coming from the shed. She looked around her and dodged another weapon and found an old crowbar. She picked it up and charged at the man. He was too slow, within seconds Sango knocked him unconscious. She hit him again for good measure and began taking in her surroundings. She found InuYasha crouched, he had thankfully, been able to dodge whatever things were being thrown at him. He stood up, "Nice job Sango..." He managed to get out.

He was completely embarrassed at his actions. He never just froze up like that. He physically shook himself and vowed silently that it would never happen again. "Thanks..." She smiled adrenaline beginning to wane as she began searching for the guys. InuYasha began looking as well. "Where are they?" Sango almost growled in frustration. They couldn't see very much in the shed and she knew that their time was limited.

She nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a muffled banging coming from behind her. They both went towards the sound. They noticed a trap door on the ground. They leaned onto the ground and listened. They could hear muffled cries below and knew instantly that it was them. Sango began tugging with all her strength on the latch, but the thing wouldn't budge. "InuYasha, get the crowbar...maybe we can force it open." He left and came back with the crowbar. He wedged it in and they both put their strength into it.

The door began to lift, and finally broke under the pressure. They peered in and saw all three of them tied up and gagged. Sango followed InuYasha down the ladder. They hurried and took off the gags. "Hey guys, are we happy to see you!" Kouga exclaimed as InuYasha began to untie him. Sango first went to Sesshoumaru. She untied him and then moved onto Miroku. "Are you guys alright?" Sango asked deeply concerned.

"Yeah, I think so..." Miroku replied. "Are any of you hurt?" InuYasha questioned them. "Well, I think that I have a slightly rolled ankle, but I'm fine." Miroku answered. "What about the girls?" Sesshoumaru asked urgently, not seeing them with Sango and InuYasha. "We don't know...we only saw the men take you three, so they must be inside the house..." Sango explained. "Then lets go!" Kouga quickly got up and brushed himself off, heading for the ladder. "Wait!" Sango yelled, making him stop. "We have to figure out how we are going to do this, and what we might be dealing with..." She told them.

"We don't have time!" Miroku raised his voice in frustration. "Well we can't just go barging into that house..." Sesshoumaru said calmly, agreeing with Sango who nodded. "We need to create a distraction, so we can find out where the girls are and get them out." InuYasha said matter of factly. "Exactly!" Sango agreed. "How about Sango and InuYasha go to the door, and try to lure them out...then when the coast is clear Miroku, Sesshoumaru and I go looking for the girls...When we find 'em well head back to your car Sango..." Kouga suggested.

"I think we can manage that, right InuYasha...?" Sango said and looked to InuYasha. "I can't risk you as well Sango, maybe Sess-..." He never got to finish, Sango had hit him upside the head. "The thought is sweet InuYasha, but we can handle it...together. Besides, I'm strong, but I don't think that I can carry someone back to the car..." Sango tried reassuring him.

He finally nodded and they began climbing the ladder one by one. Once they got to the top Sango began looking for things that could help them...weapons, gasoline...anything. "Okay...you guys...once you get to the car call the police...my cell is back there and it should work... Sango looked at her friends...she couldn't believe what was happening...this sort of thing only happens in cheesy horror flicks...but this was all to real and that thought snapped her painfully back to reality.

"Then it's decided...on three..." Miroku stuck his fist in the middle, followed by the others... "One...Two...Three!" And they broke.

A/N: There's chapter 4...sorry for the cliffy...chapter 5 will be up ASAP! Please R&R!