Chapter: Dealings with the Devil

Shalan's Say: I better make up a really good excuse for this one… uhm… I've been here for a while now… but I have to say you all have been spoiled once again and you deserve to be left hanging because you're all a bunch of spoiled brats… anyways… some stories are going on hiatus and a new one will be up… but don't worry… Apostando, Somewhere and The Best will be updated… sorry it's taken me so long… I have had a ton of homework and I've been trying to get ready for school before that… Thanks for understanding… but from now on… I should be able to update about once a week or maybe a little more if I push hard enough…

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Byakuya stood in the doorway, his back leaned against the door frame with a smile. He shook the glass a little to clear the ice from the opening of the glass. "So… why are you still holding me here?"

"Because we consider you collateral…" Kisuke replied, not looking up from his evening newspaper.

"What do you consider collateral? My body or my mind?"

"How's neither?" Kisuke replied as he folded his legs on the coffee table.

"Neither? Well then how the hell can you consider me collateral?"

"We consider your money collateral…"

"You sound like a woman…" Byakuya replied as he sipped from the glass of cognac. "Funny… I've known women from here to there and most of them have been after my money … but I've never had a man after my money…"

"How much of that cognac have you had?"

"'bout half of it…" he looks at the decanter.

"Now all we have to do is get you a hooker and you'll be good…" Kisuke chuckled. "You don't oppose do you?"

"Not really… so when am I going to see my sister again Kisuke?" Byakuya swirled the ice around again.

"In a while… but right now… I…" he looked at his watch, "yes… it's about time…" he looked at the phone and immediately it started ringing. "Urahara…" he answered it.

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"Kisuke… how is everyone's favorite grump these days?" Ichigo smiled as he watched his wife playing with their baby.

"Ah… Byakuya Kuchiki you mean?" Kisuke sounded bemused. "He's drunk as a camel…"

"Really… maybe his sister should be told…" He looked over and Rukia looked back and smiled. His heart squeezed around itself. He hated the feeling that something terrible was going to happen in the future.

"Who's sister?" Rukia looked over at him and he quickly hid the fear in his heart and smiled.

"Byakuya's…" Ichigo replied with a snigger.

"What's he doing now?" She tilted her head and Ichigo shrugged.

"Drinking apparently… not much else…"

"What are we going to do about him?" She chuckled.

"I haven't decided yet… maybe we should throw him in a freezing lake and see what happens… you got any frozen lakes Kisuke?" He said into the phone and Kisuke laughed from the other line.

"Not that I know of… but maybe I can fly him out to Antarctica and throw him out of the plane…" Kisuke laughed in return.

"You do that… now on to more serious matters…" Ichigo looked away from Rukia and turned his back to the room, leaning his body against the doorframe.

"You have something more serious to report?"

"Kenpachi has been taken down… high grade strychnine… closed his respiratory system down almost immediately. From what the doctors say… it was almost twice the lethal dose." Ichigo's face darkened and he heard Kisuke stand up and walk into another room. The soft click of a door's lock resounded.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean they're playing hard ball Kisuke…" Ichigo frowned and allowed himself a look at Rukia who was giggling, playing with Masaki.

"So what are we going to do… Ichigo… consider your family before you decide to do anything too risky…" The blonde's voice faded slightly, he knew what Ichigo was thinking and it wasn't making him very happy. "Ichigo…"

"Kisuke it's the only way…"

"You're going to use her as bait?" Kisuke leaned back in his chair.

"Yes… he'll come for Rangiku… and we are going to tempt him…" Ichigo's eyes narrowed.

"Ichigo… he'll come at us full force… you know that right? He'll bring in the heavy artillery if we're not careful…"

"Then let him… we'll take him down easily enough…"

"You're risking your life again… Why?"

"I'm going to catch this guy for what he did to Rukia and what he's been doing to all those poor people…" Ichigo's knuckles turned white.

"Ichigo." Kisuke sighed sadly. There was no convincing him… he was going to do whatever the hell he wanted to do anyways…what was the point of telling him to stop?

"Kisuke… I'm not doing this for personal revenge… I just… want him… to pay for what he's done to my friends… and to my wife…" Ichigo's voice was set. There was no changing his mind now.

"Fine… shall we call a meeting for next week…" Kisuke sighed heavily, if anything happened to Ichigo… his wife would be devastated.

"Make it Sunday…"

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Gin walked beside the head scientist with his arms folded. He was not happy with the results of the experiments at all. "How am I supposed to keep funding this if you all won't hurry and give me some results?"

"Because… sir… the subjects have been losing their minds… fairly easily… we haven't found the stability in the project yet… just give us more time…" the other man begged.

"Harris you've had more than enough time… give me results… or else…" he pursed his lips irritably.

"Mr. Ichimaru… please just give us another month… and we'll have the tests done that you need… just keep supplying the hearts and we'll be done…" Ichimaru frowned.

"You have three weeks… and I'll get you the hearts…" he walked to the door. "But this time… don't screw up…" he shot over his shoulder and walked out the main door. A beep came from his pocket and he pulled his cell phone out. "Ahhh… so you're on the move Kurosaki…" he looked out over the beautiful California waters. "Then the finale… has begun…"

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YAY! Chapter 25 is up… only seven more chapters left… sorry that was such a short chapter guys but I'm just crammed with stuff… the next one will definitely be longer because I'll do it on Friday night when I don't have much homework… or… at least… I don't have to do it until Sunday night… XDDD The updates for The Best and Apostando are on their way and in the works… just hold in there…

SORRY!

Shalan