Chapter 13

Inuyasha walked out to the Suburban, getting ready to go see Sesshoumaru in the hospital. Bunza joined him for the drive. As they approached the car, Bunza stopped.

"Do you smell something funny?", he asked his father.

Inuyasha stopped and sniffed the air.

"Gas.", he said.

"I also smell brake fluid.", said Bunza. Getting a flashlight out of the truck, Bunza got down on the ground and examined the underside of the truck.

"No good, otou-san,", he said, "The brake lines been cut."

"Dammit all to hell.", cursed his father, "What about the gas?"

"That's not car gas that's ..."

"Natural! FUCK! KAGOME! GET EVERYONE OUT OF THE HOUSE!", Inuyasha screamed as Bunza went looking for the shut off valve.

Kagome rushed everyone out as Izayoi and Phillip woke up those still asleep. Inuyasha ran to the neighbors and got them up and out. Bunza came back,

"The valve is busted open, otou-san", Bunza reported back as the family gathered across the street as far away from the house as they could.

As Phillip called the gas company on his cell phone, Kagome did a head count to make sure all were accounted for. Satisfied that they were, she breathed a sigh of relief.

The gas company arrived and after the free and clear was given, they re-entered their vacation home.

"Who could have done this?", asked Sage.

"Mashai, that's who.", said Inuyasha, bitterly.

"Or his mother.", said Kagome.

"Or someone else,", said Phillip, walking into the house with a man in a choke hold, "I found him sneaking around the house while I was working on the truck."

"That's Bill Smith. He works for Uncle.", said Travis.

"Are you sure?", asked his father.

"Yes, positive. When I apprenticed with Uncle last year, I worked under him."

"Smith was one of the workers who left following the whistle.", said Inuyasha, then demanded of Smith, "What's going on, dammit!"

"Uhh, Otou-san?", said Bunza, backing away slightly, "Ummm, take a good whiff of him."

Inuyasha did and his eyes opened wide, "He's dead". As he said that, Smith's body exploded and disintegrated in Phillip's hands. Inuyasha stared shocked, as did everyone else. Everyone but Kagome. Walking over to Inuyasha, she pulled him aside,

"Inuyasha?", she whispered.

"Yea?", he whispered back.

"Do you recall what that looked like?"

"Huh? Whaddya mean?"

"Kagura's Dance of the Dead."

"Kagura's been dead for over 450 years."

"Kikyou was brought back to life by Urasue. How hard would it be for another witch to bring Kagura back to life. And we know Mashai's mother is a witch and she was Naraku's mate or conquest or something."

"Good point."

"Hey you two, mind filling us in on what your whispering about?", asked Bunza.

Kagome and Inuyasha explained about Kagura and her various tricks as well as about Naraku. Upon hearing Naraku's name, Inuyasha blanched. 'Could Naraku have been brought back to life by this witch, too?', he thought.

While ideas were passed back and forth, Inuyasha decided to step out and take a walk. His walk took him down to 58 ... the empty lot that he and his family could tell had a ghost house on it. Getting closer, he jumped the fence and took a stroll on the property. He sniffed the air. No scent of the woman from this morning. But there was a scent. A distinctive scent. No. Not a scent. A stench. It smelled putrid and recognizable. Could it really be?

"Well, Inuyasha, I see you discovered me. Long time no see, I think they say."

Inuyasha growled the fiercest growl he could muster, that grew in ferocity as he changed to full demon.

"YOU!", he growled as his eyes glowed ruby red and his fangs and claws grew longer.