Undercover Wife

Chapter One: Unexpected Events

Sesshoumaru should be used to his brother by now, but sometimes Inuyasha aggravated him to point of homicidal thoughts. At times, Sesshoumaru could barely stay sane in both their company, yet Inuyasha was worse without Kagome around. For the few occasions Sesshoumaru had run into Kagome alone, she was actually pleasant. He supposed that Inuyasha unnerved her enough to sometimes mirror his behavior.

Though, Sesshoumaru guessed it was more likely the poor woman was often disappointed with him. For three years the two had dated, and she was still waiting beyond normal patience for his brother to marry her.

It wasn't going to be easy, since Inuyasha was still trying to get over his former fiancée, who left him at the altar for someone else and then fled for New York City. The last Sesshoumaru heard was that Kikyou married a successful stock broker and had three kids, and she had a good job teaching physical education at a girl's boarding school.

Kikyou's decisions were ultimately selfish, even though Inuyasha would defend her to the end. Kikyou may have loved his brother, but the pressures of the Inu-sukai court were not to her liking. She was fiercely independent, and she had little patience for Inuyasha's lack of manners. Her high breeding was cause of such snobbery, but Sesshoumaru could empathize, considering he felt the same.

Kagome, however, was middle class and grew up in a Shinto shrine. She carried on the tradition as a miko and ran her grandfather's business as his health worsened. She'd met Inuyasha through Kikyou when the two of them had come to her shrine looking for good fortune for their wedding. After Kikyou ran off, Inuyasha visited Kagome's shrine to reminisce, and she ended up comforting him.

Now, three years later, the woman only wished to someday have a wedding of her own.

When his brother and girlfriend came into his office, Sesshoumaru was powering down his computer and picking up his jacket. Inuyasha scowled at him, but they were appropriately dressed for the chilly autumn air, which meant they were ready to come with him and his agents to the meeting.

"So what's this all about anyway? The gangs?" Inuyasha started quickly.

Sesshoumaru nodded. "My contact has vital information that he'll be dropping off at the airport. He was very insistent that I meet him at four o'clock and not be late. He said a big transaction was taking place, and that one of the superior henchman, the Shikon Jewel's right hand man, would be at the scene." Inuyasha's eyes widened and then he scowled at the name.

"So the Shikon Jewel. That's the big fish. If we can nab his henchman, we can squeeze him for intel," Inuyasha said, pounding his fist into his palm.

"That's if the Shikon Jewel is real. Some people say there is no boss, that it's just an alias to about three guys posing as lackeys to keep the heat on a mystery man, rather than using their faces," Kagome chimed in. Sesshoumaru cocked his head at her and grunted slightly.

"Rumors or not, Ms. Higurashi, we need to tap this source. I will get my hands on someone, even if I have to grab them from the bottom of the barrel and then drag them up," Sesshoumaru promised.

"Hey, is this just a distraction from the real news?" Inuyasha asked, crossing his arms and grinning mockingly at his brother.

"Real news?" Sesshoumaru acted indifferent.

"Your engagement," he said, and Sesshoumaru growled at him, ready to wipe that smug grin off his face. "I didn't know you were seeing anyone. Or that you liked women."

Sesshoumaru shot him a bored look, refusing to give his brother the satisfaction of angering him. "It is an arranged marriage, you simpleton. Mother announced it today. It's more of a political merger than anything." He scoffed. "Though I have seen her picture, I haven't even met the woman, but I heard she is of the highest breeding. Plus, Fang Commonwealth is superbly wealthy despite being such a small country."

"You do know the rumors about Fang Commonwealth, don't you?" Kagome asked. Her expression seemed neutral from the reveal of his marriage. Sesshoumaru figured she'd be teasing him along with his brother, but she seemed amiable, and when he met her eyes, he thought he saw a flash of worry.

Sesshoumaru smoothed his lapel of his jacket and threw back his ponytail, making sure it was secure before his picked up his phone. He huffed lightly. "If you are referring to rumors of their poppy seed cartels, then yes I know of them. I'm sure, like our own country, Fang has problems with drug dealers as well." He raised a single eyebrow to her and smiled. "Do you have some political unease toward this upcoming union, Ms. Higurashi, or is it something else?" He didn't mean to flirt with her in front of his brother, but making them both uncomfortable was one of Sesshoumaru's favorite hobbies.

She narrowed her eyes at him and said, "Of course not. I'm just concerned for our country. Why are you making an alliance with them? They're not even dog youkai."

"Kagome, not a lot of dog youkai are left in the modern world. There are some blue bloods in America, but as for youkai with their own countries, there are even fewer. The Fang are respectable wolf youkai and have been around for centuries. Their power is strong," Inuyasha added and then turned to Sesshoumaru. "I'm glad you're the one who is arranged to marry their princess. There are some perks in being a bastard son."

Sesshoumaru frowned at him. "You say that now, brother, but you don't know how close my mother was to marrying you off instead." Kagome gaped at him, and Sesshoumaru played it off as the truth, even though he slightly altered the details. His brother didn't need to know that he was closer to the throne this morning than ever before.

"Alright, enough of this. The car is waiting for us with my team of agents." Sesshoumaru threw his brother a warning glance. "Try to be on your best behavior, brother. This isn't a fight. This is just a meeting of information."

Inuyasha looked offended and glared at him. "Are you always going to bring up that time when I screwed up? I've been doing a good job since then."

"Yes," Sesshoumaru said haughtily, "but a warning never hurts."

They headed down the palace hallways to the large black SUV waiting outside. In the vehicle, several agents in black suits and communicators on their ears nodded to Sesshoumaru as he jumped into the passenger seat. Kagome and Inuyasha jumped way in back, scrunched between a couple agents. Inuyasha glared at his brother from behind, and Sesshoumaru guessed that he would.

He ignored him and ordered the driver to get moving.

--

"So why do you need all these agents for one meeting anyway?" Kagome asked him. Of course, Kagome had never joined them while meeting an important contact, but Sesshoumaru didn't want to take time to explain it. He didn't even want the woman here even when his brother insisted. She was dead weight to them anyway, and he hoped she stayed in the car.

"I need agents to look out for spies from the drug lords. They are all well versed in pictures and behaviors of known drug cartel offenders as well as their henchman. If they see anything or anyone suspicious, they are ordered to neutralize the situation. My brother is my back up, in case our contact has been tailed or if he betrays us." He turned to her and she looked anxious. "It has happened before. I did not want you to come, but my brother is an idiot."

"Hey!" Inuyasha protested, but Sesshoumaru ignored him and blocked Kagome from leaving the car.

"Stay out of the way, girl, or you'll ruin everything," he said sharply. She cried in offense, but her voice was cut off when he pushed her back into the seat and slammed the door. He turned to an agent who stood watch at the car. "Do not let her leave this vehicle."

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Inuyasha screamed at him, and Sesshoumaru leaned close to his brother with a warning glare.

"I am protecting your woman. It's your own stupid ego that brought her here. This is serious political business and you should not have involved a commoner like her," Sesshoumaru snarled at him. Inuyasha was taken aback by his words.

His brow furrowed. "I always protect Kagome. She's not in any danger. She could help profile with the other agents, and she has spiritual power to neutralize any youkai threats."

Sesshoumaru ignored him and turned to storm ahead. Inuyasha grabbed his sleeve, but Sesshoumaru turned around and slammed his fist into his brother's jaw. Inuyasha crackled with anger, but Sesshoumaru had him by the scruff of his collar as he snarled at him.

"I do not need your female's help. I have the best royal agents at my disposal. Your woman is better back at her shrine praying for a safe and successful gain of information, understand?" he snarled.

Inuyasha still glared at him, stoked with barely restrained energy and wanting to retaliate. Instead, he did what he was told and followed Sesshoumaru as the agents heeded their orders and took their places. Sesshoumaru smoothed his jacket, and he walked ahead with an air of ease so he did not appear suspicious.

His agents moved in and out of the airport, through security and in the café district with food services and retail booths. The head of the airport knew the Royal Guard had business there, and they let them through without any hassle to their objective. However, it also meant that other slips in security were bound to happen, and Sesshoumaru counted on some of Shikon's men to get through toward the terminals. His contact would be there, unarmed he assumed, and waiting for him at one of the farther gates.

Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha broke off from the others, and his brother still scowled at him as he left Kagome behind guarded at the vehicle. He assumed in time Inuyasha would understand Sesshoumaru's precaution, and his brother should know that even a routine meeting with a contact sometimes got out of hand. Inuyasha stalked behind him slowly, staying out of view and falling back into the shadows as Sesshoumaru moved forward. He made sure the two were not associated together, and Sesshoumaru had even tucked his hair inside his suit to seem more professional against the appearance of his brother's wild mane. Still, it wasn't very hard to recognize them as brothers.

When Sesshoumaru was sure his brother was far enough away from him, but still covering him, he moved toward to the designation at Gate DD. He looked ahead as people bustled about toward their respective gates, and he gazed around indiscriminately for any sign of his contact. The airport was busy today, mostly because the Inu-sukai kingdom was a small tourist attraction for those interested in countries run by Japanese demigods, or so they were called in the human world. Tourism was 70% of their GDP, for which his mother and father had been very proud, so Sesshoumaru took comfort in seeing their airport packed full with wide-eyed travelers, even though it made finding his contact a little more difficult. However, thanks to the high number of tourists, Sesshoumaru and his contact could conduct their business affairs without much notice.

He quickened his steps when he was sure he saw the back of his contact, a turtle youkai that he had dealt with before, and who always wore the same bomber jacket to all of their meetings. Kenchi was a solemn fellow, more nervous than Sesshoumaru thought was healthy, but he provided the best information on the Shikon operation in their country and from their close neighbors.

A frantic voice buzzed in his Bluetooth, and Sesshoumaru stepped out of the crawling crowd of people and retreated toward the hallway of restrooms. He found an opened janitor closet, and after checking if he was in the clear, he stepped inside and responded to the agent that called him.

"What is it, Rika?" he asked sharply, hoping there was a good reason for delaying his meeting. He prayed his contact didn't leave if he were a few seconds late.

"Sir, you need to abort the meeting," she said hurriedly, and he could hear fear in her voice. "We found Kenchi. He was stuffed in a garbage can. Dead. Someone stole his jacket."

Sesshoumaru's fury began to rise, and he felt anger toward his contact's death, immediately wanting revenge. He stormed from the closet toward the gate, ducking into corners to see who was at Kenchi's spot. Sesshoumaru stopped when he could not find the person in the jacket anymore, which only told him the suspect was gone, probably looking for him. He was most likely being watched as well, with Shikon's men ready to ambush him.

"I'm on my way there. Gather everyone up at the scene and call airport security," Sesshoumaru ordered. Rika affirmed his orders and clicked off, and Sesshoumaru slipped out of the shadows, his nerves on edge as his eyes darted around, looking for anyone out of place. There was no one.

Then, he heard a scream from the direction where he just left. He turned around, and his brother ran up to him as they made their way toward the crowd hovering around the noise. Several of his agents came out of the shadows, lurking on the edges as Sesshoumaru made his way toward the scene. On the ground, a woman was crumpled with a dark red velvet cloak covering her face. Sesshoumaru stood in front of her and glared at the crowd.

"Please, this is a crime scene," he said, and in his pocket he pulled out a leather pamphlet with his royal insignia. Many people gasped at his stature and airport security began to force the crowd back. One of the sergeants came up to him and whispered to him, awaiting his orders. "Get these people out of here." The sergeant nodded, and Sesshoumaru guarded the body like a precious treasure until everyone was promptly pushed away and the police were blocking off non-essential personnel. Sesshoumaru turned around and studied the body more closely, scented the air around her and realized she was not human, but youkai.

"Your highness, we can take it from here," said the chief as he walked toward him, and Sesshoumaru shook his head while approaching him.

"No, I fear I am partially involved with the mystery of this woman's death," he said. "We were meeting a contact here to perform a sting on some drug cartels."

The police chief nodded and hovered over the body. Sesshoumaru bent down and lifted up the red cloak covering her, and instantly he noticed the gunshot wound to her head that killed her, probably with an engineered silver bullet deadly to their kind. Like everyone else there, he was curious to her identity. He furrowed his brow, and he felt a pit of worry form in his stomach as he recognized her - but only vaguely. Obviously the picture he had of her was outdated, probably airbrushed and manipulated to make her look more immaculate and flawless. However, right now in her death, she looked more fragile and less like a powerful youkai princess.

"Oh my God," said a voice behind him, and by this time, Kagome sprung free from their SUV. Everyone from his agents to the police looked at the body and then to Kagome.

"Why, she looks just like you!" said a police officer to his brother's girlfriend, and Sesshoumaru watched Kagome's face pale.

"I know who this is, sir," said Rika with a frown, and he could feel her looking into his eyes, searching for signs of comfort that everything was going to be okay. Sesshoumaru couldn't assure her. He knew the dead woman too, and the fact that she was killed here, on Inu-sukai Commonwealth soil, would prove to cause a political incident between his country and hers.

"Yes, I know her too," Sesshoumaru said with a heavy sigh. "It is the Lady Jiang from the Fang Commonwealth. The woman I was supposed to marry."