Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or any of the publicly known characters, plot, etc. I'm just renting them from Rumiko Takahashi, Viz, etc. I do own the plot of this story and any original characters I've created. I will make no money from this fic; I write for my own enjoyment and the enjoyment of my readers.

**5/1/11 Update**

I caught a pretty careless oversight in the prologue. I originally had Kagome drop the ID card in a cave outside Morioka, which is 300 miles north of Tokyo. I know the eras are different, but the distances would be roughly the same. So my question to myself was what the hell is the Inu-gang doing 300 miles from the bone eater's well? They probably never traveled that far away in the entire series! And they certainly couldn't walk that distance in a few days. *headdesk*

Anyway, now Kurou finds the ID card in a cave outside of Miura, which is on a peninsula about 40 miles south of Tokyo. The Inu-gang could probably cover that distance in 2 days at normal walking pace (3 mph), and I figure Inuyasha could do it in a couple hours at reasonable cruise speed (maybe 20 mph?). I imagine he could sprint quite a bit faster than that, but remember he slowed down so Kagome could sleep. Okay, so I edited the prologue accordingly, but you don't have to go back and reread it. I put this announcement up here so you won't be confused when I mention Miura in this chapter instead of Morioka. One final note—Kurou is still a professor at Morioka University; he just had to travel a few hundred miles to meet up with his archaeologist friend in this version.

Now, enough with the boring stuff. On with the show!

Crossing the Line

The dormant cell phone sprang to life, vibrating and blaring the heavy metal tune that was its ringtone into the darkness. To the sleep and alcohol-encumbered brain of Yoshida Saburou, it seemed as though there was a massive stereo blasting the tune from the table beside his bed. He swore under his breath as he groped blindly for the phone, opening his eyes just enough to glance at the clock as he did so. Three-thirty? Who the fuck is calling me at three-fucking-thirty in the fucking morning? Somebody's getting their ass handed to them for this shit. The whore on his left groaned, rolling away from him and pulling the sheet over her head. Finally, Saburou found the phone, bringing it to his ear and pressing the call button.

"What?" he growled harshly.

"Yoshida-san? It's Sasaki."

Saburou was silent for a moment as his memory caught up with him. "Ah, Sasaki-san," he greeted in a much more congenial tone. He wouldn't call Sasaki Kurou a friend, but he was a customer—a very good customer. "If it isn't my favorite archeologist."

"Hmph," snorted the academic on the other end. "I'm only your favorite because I pay you so well."

"Well, you know what the Yakuza say: 'good money buys good friends.' (1) Now, what is so important that it couldn't wait until morning?"

"I have a job for you."

Saburou sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers. He didn't want to yell at Kurou, but the selfish prick was making it difficult. Still, he managed to restrain himself by thinking about the promised compensation. It was worth losing a little sleep over.

"Give me the details," he replied, hoping the answer would be short. He was not functioning at peak mental capacity right now, as the beer bottles strewn all over the floor could attest. And it was still three-thirty in the fucking morning.

"I need you to meet me at the Midoriiro Café in Tokyo tomorrow morning at ten o'clock. I'll fill you in on the rest then."

Saburou furrowed his brow at the unusual request. "Tokyo? I thought you hated big cities."

"I do, but I'm afraid it's necessary in this instance."

"Alright, so how many guys do you want?"

"For now, just you."

"Huh? Look, I don't do solo jobs. You gotta—"

"No, no, you misunderstand. Think of our meeting tomorrow as a consultation. I need your…particular expertise to determine whether I'll require any further involvement from you or your 'organization.' I will pay you at our normal rate, of course."

Saburou thought about it for a moment. If another of his customers had made this request, he might tell them to go to hell. But with Kurou, this might actually be worth his time. The wealthy archaeologist had given them big jobs in the past, usually on the other side of the world, away from Japanese law enforcement. Business had been slow recently, and the prospect of a major payday had Saburou salivating. So yes, he would go meet with Kurou, even if it meant getting up early to make it to Tokyo in time.

"Alright, I'll see you at ten. What was the name of that café?"

"Midoriiro."

"Gotcha. Later."

Saburou hung up and dropped the phone back on the table. He yawned cavernously, debating whether to get up now or try to catch a few more hours of shuteye. The soft snoring of the prostitute reminded him of her presence, and the heat of her body conjured up memories of the previous evening which had him hardening rapidly. He saw no reason to deny himself; the whore had been paid for a full night, after all.

"Hey, bitch, wake up," he ordered, sitting up and slapping her none-too-gently in the face a few times. But she only moaned and curled further into herself. Saburou shrugged; he actually didn't much care if she was awake or not. He flung back the covers, predatory eyes greedily soaking in the sight of her nude form. And without a care for the owner of said body, he took what he wanted.

Saburou slumped in his chair at the secluded corner table of the Midoriiro Café, nursing a strong black coffee. He didn't know if it helped relieve his hangover, but it did at least give him some energy. He kept his eyes on the entrance and easily spotted Sasaki Kurou when he came in at two minutes to ten. Of course the academic was right on time. Saburou nodded in greeting as he approached.

"I've made an exciting discovery, Yoshida-san," Kurou declared, not even bothering with such a formality. "I need you to help me investigate further."

Saburou repressed the desire to roll his eyes. The asshole can't even thank me for coming on short notice. If he wasn't rich…

"Oh?" he replied instead, leaning in close so they could keep their voices down. "What would that be?"

"What do you make of this?" Kurou asked, pulling a small object from his pocket and placing it on the table. Saburou picked up the item and examined it closely.

"It's a school ID card," he answered, voice tinged with confusion, "but it looks like it's been sitting in someone's basement for a hundred years."

"More like five hundred, actually. And it wasn't a basement, but a cave."

Saburou stared at his companion incredulously. "Are you telling me this thing was in a cave for five hundred years?"

"I'm saying that's one of the possibilities I'm considering."

"You might want to consider an explanation that isn't complete bullshit," Saburou snarled, tossing the card back on the table. He did not like having his time wasted, even by good customers, and was just about to stand and leave when Kurou spoke again.

"Did you watch the news last night?"

The change of subject caught Saburou by surprise. "No. Why?"

"Did you read the newspaper this morning?"

"Yeah, while I was waiting for you. What the hell was I supposed to see?"

"The top story, about the 'Crimson Cat,' as they're calling him."

"Oh, yeah. The freak who saved some guy who jumped off the Midtown Tower. I say it's a hoax."

"What would you say if I told you I knew someone who might know his identity?"

Saburou studied his companion for a moment, taking in the seriousness of his expression. "I would say that information could be worth a lot of money. I would also tell you that your 'lead' is probably full of shit."

"Perhaps. But it would be worth checking out, correct?"

"That depends. What kind of lead are we talking about here?"

"The girl on that card goes to Fukuzawa Middle School. The 'freak,' as you called him, has reportedly been sighted near that school dozens of times."

"And you think there's a connection," Saburou finished dubiously, again pondering an immediate departure.

"I do," Kurou responded quickly, seemingly realizing that his companion did not share his enthusiasm. "Come with me to the school. We'll talk to this girl, and if she honestly knows nothing, then you go back home with money in your pocket. But if she does know something…this could be big."

Saburou thought about it for a moment. He was already here, and the job seemed simple enough. At least now he knew what Kurou had meant by his "particular expertise" the night before; he specialized in interrogation, and would easily be able to tell whether the schoolgirl was telling the truth or not. Since he knew Kurou would pay well, he really had nothing to lose by going along with this ridiculous little plan. And on the off chance that Kurou was right, then this really would be huge.

"Alright, I'm in."

"Great! Let's head over to the school now. We'll pose as reporters and request an interview with a few students after classes get out. We'll say the 'freak' was sighted near their houses and we're wondering if they know anything. That way it won't seem too suspicious."

"How the hell is that supposed to work? You think the principal is just gonna take our word that we're reporters?"

"No," Kurou answered smugly, pulling two more items from his pocket. I bribed someone at one of the news stations to give us badges."

Saburou chuckled, amused by his customer's resourcefulness. "You know, Sasaki-san, in another life you could've been part of a group like mine. You'd be the behind-the-scenes guy taking care of the bribes and finances so the others could do the fun stuff. Despite being a pressed-shirt academic, you've got the ruthless soul of a mercenary."

"Hm, I suppose I should take that as a comment," Kurou remarked dryly, recalling some of his more 'ruthless' moments. He was not a bloodthirsty man; if something violent needed to be done, he preferred to pay someone else to do it. That's where Saburou and his gang came in; they actually seemed to enjoy the dirty work, or 'fun stuff.' There had certainly been plenty of opportunity to indulge that predilection on the other side of the world. Oh, yes, Saburou and his gang had earned their pay in Central America, mercilessly carrying out their duties at Kurou's direction. Perhaps the mercenary's analogy was not that far off.

Would he get an opportunity to exhibit his 'ruthless soul' in the case of Higurashi Kagome, Kurou wondered? Or was she just a dead end? He sincerely hoped for the former. With any luck, he and Saburou would soon be entering into another fruitful partnership.

Kagome sighed, glancing at the clock on the wall for the tenth time in as many minutes. The last quarter hour before the final bell always seemed to drag on forever. Her focus had been erratic today. She had spent much of the morning dreading the looming encounter with her friends. Though she had arrived too late for them to really talk to her before classes started, she could tell they had a hundred questions on their minds.

In the end, the interrogation hadn't been as bad as she feared. The three schoolgirls pulled her up to the roof at lunch, not daring to say a word until they were sure their conversation would be private. Even then they hesitated, seemingly unsure of what to stay. It was actually Kagome who spoke up first.

"So I'm guessing you guys all saw the news?" she inquired wryly, trying to lighten the mood.

"I did," Yuka replied. "My mom called me in to see a really 'interesting story,' and I swear I almost passed out on the floor. I told Eri and Ayumi about it, and later they confirmed that I wasn't seeing things. That…really was Inuyasha who saved that man, wasn't it?"

"Yep," Kagome answered in an attempt at nonchalance; maybe if she didn't make a huge deal out of this, her friends wouldn't either.

"B-but how? We thought he was just a normal guy!"

"Maybe not completely normal," Eri interjected, "but not a mutant or alien or whatever they're saying!"

"Yeah! Just what is he?"

Kagome sighed. The dam had burst, and now all the uncertainty and concern which had probably deprived her friends of some sleep last night was bursting forth. If anyone was going to be calm in this situation, it had to be her. And she also needed to be truthful to assuage those powerful emotions. Up to a point, that is; she would have to use her judgment to decide where to draw the line.

"First off, Inuyasha isn't a mutant or an alien. Despite what he looks like, inside he's just like any other guy. He laughs, hurts, and…loves just like the rest of us. He has a profoundly human heart. As for his physical body, I told you on the day you met him that he was 'half.' Well, that is true. He's half human…and half inu-youkai."

"Youkai?" Ayumi repeated. "You mean the creatures from the fairy tales we all heard as kids?"

"Yes, although at one point in time, youkai were as real as you and me."

"What do you mean, Kagome?" Yuka demanded. "Are you saying you went back in time?"

Kagome grimaced, realizing that she had a crucial decision to make. If she was going to keep the bulk of her and Inuyasha's story a secret, now would be the time to start deflecting questions. But she saw no reason to do that, and several not to. Her friends were genuinely worried for her, the mysterious identity of her 'boyfriend' adding distress to the fact he was, as far as they knew, still two-timing her. She also knew that they would not stop worrying unless she was honest with them; any evasiveness on her part would be seen as evidence that she was in serious trouble. Perhaps she had become Inuyasha's slave, or he was blackmailing her? Any number of frightening possibilities shined in their eyes. It was up to her to put those fears to rest, to explain to them that she wanted to be with Inuyasha, that she was safe with him, and that he cared about her. That meant revealing some details about her frequent absences that she had never told anyone outside her family about before. She had to trust Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi to keep her confidence.

"Yes, Yuka," she finally responded. "That is exactly what I'm saying." Observing how they just stared slack-jawed back at her, Kagome continued. "It all started on my fifteenth birthday…"

Over the next several minutes, Kagome spun a heavily abridged tale of her grand adventure in the feudal era. She left Kikyou out entirely, mainly focusing on the Shikon no Tama, her mission to restore it, and Naraku. Her friends naturally had trouble believing what they heard, not because they thought she was lying, but because it was all so foreign to them. It seemed like a real life fairy tale, which was actually a very apt description. They also had to wonder just how much danger Kagome was putting herself in. Seeing this, Kagome changed course.

"Don't worry, guys. Inuyasha takes good care of me. I do get in trouble sometimes, but think about all the people on the other side of the well who will die if Naraku is allowed to possess the complete Shikon no Tama, or if we don't rescue them from random youkai. They're real people too, even though they live in the past."

Eri put her hand to her temple. "I still have a hard time believing that the old well near your house is really a portal to another time period."

Kagome grinned. "You guys wanna see it? You won't be able to go through, but I can show you what happens when I jump in."

Her friends exchanged glances and nodded, but they were still troubled by the peril their companion placed herself in on a regular basis, however persuasive her justification might have been. Kagome took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts.

"Look, I'm sure my mother knows about the danger too, but she lets me go back anyway. I like being in the past. I like sleeping under the stars and bathing in hot springs with Sango-chan. And I like being with Inuyasha. He's…the first boy I ever fell in love with," she admitted quietly.

"But Kagome," Yuka said after a moment, "isn't he still two-timing you?"

Kagome smiled sadly. "I don't think that's fair to Inuyasha. The other woman, Kikyou, was his first love, and Inuyasha still hasn't moved on. But he doesn't go looking for her; they only see each other when she summons him, every few weeks or so. Ultimately, I don't think Inuyasha has chosen either one of us yet. He probably doesn't know what to do, or how to make heads or tails of his feelings. I sense that he's confused, but I do know that he cares about both me and Kikyou. And for now, that's good enough."

Kagome went silent, allowing her friends to digest her words. Perhaps now they would recognize Inuyasha for what he was—a good, caring young hanyou with a conflicted human heart.

"Well," Ayumi stated, "we did like him after we met him. Alright," she declared, pounding her fist into her hand in a very un-Ayumi-like manner. "Kagome, if you want to spend your time in the past with the boy you love, we won't stop you. Oh, it sounds so romantic and exciting. I'm jealous!"

The other two girls nodded in agreement, and Kagome finally allowed herself to relax. And when they asked her to recount some tales of her adventures in the feudal era, she was more than happy to oblige. She chose the fiasco on Togenkyo, knowing that particular episode would give them some action and a little taste of romance, as well as favorably portraying Inuyasha's bravery and honorable character. She still remembered how proud she felt when he refused to drink the medicine made from humans. How strong he'd appeared to her at that moment, despite his bleeding and weakened human body. He'd pushed himself so hard to protect her that night, but he'd never abandoned his honor.

By the end of the story, her friends were hanging on her every word, completely enthralled. And they too came to admire Inuyasha for his actions and integrity that evening. After the thrilling conclusion, the foursome quickly devoured their lunches before the bell rang. Kagome had a feeling this would not be the last time she told her friends a story from the feudal era.

The afternoon classes had crawled by, bringing her to the present, two and a half minutes before the final bell. She was almost tempted to start counting the seconds. It wasn't that she had an amazing evening planned; her main task would be doing homework and make-up work. Inuyasha had gone back to the feudal era this morning, recognizing that as the only way to be sure he wasn't seen. Kagome knew she would miss his company. But after school tomorrow, she would go spend a few weeks in the past. At least she had something to look forward to.

The sound of her name falling from the professor's lips pulled her from her thoughts.

"Higurashi, Tanaka, and Kudo, the principal has requested to see you in his office after class."

Kagome frowned at the unexpected announcement, even as the bell rang signaling the end of the day. Shrugging, she packed up her things. Her friends said they would wait for her at the front gate. Nodding, Kagome hurried to join Tanaka and Kudo, who were waiting for her at the door. Together, the three of them made their way to the principal's office, debating what this summons could possibly be about. It turned out to be something none of them were expecting.

There were five or six students already in the office when they arrived, and two more came in behind them. The principal soon came out into the reception area and addressed the gathering.

"Settle down, students. I called you down here because two reporters wish to question you about the strange occurrence at the Midtown Tower yesterday. They requested each of you by name. Now, I don't want you to feel pressured. This isn't a police interrogation. You can leave at any time during the questioning, or even refuse to meet with the reporters at all. If you'd rather, we can arrange for you to answer the questions with a parent present. I just thought I would give each of you the option of taking care of this quickly."

The principal paused, allowing the students to discuss the proposal among themselves for a few moments. The general consensus was that they should just get this over with; it was obvious that none of them had anything to hide. Kagome, on the other hand, did possess a secret which she wished to keep. She seriously considered opting out as the principal had mentioned. If another student had done so, she would have followed suit. But the reporters had requested all of them by name, for one reason or another, and she did not want to be the only one to refuse an interview. That would arouse suspicion, and possibly lead to further investigation. Further investigation which could reveal that she was not home twenty-five to twenty-eight days out of every month, and that her frequent 'illnesses' were excuses made up by her semi-senile grandfather.

No, she needed to confront the reporters now and nip their suspicion in the bud. The fact that they called down two handfuls of other students suggested that they hadn't zeroed in on her just yet. And as the other students went in and departed one at a time, each interview lasting only a minute or two, Kagome began to feel better. She was the last one called in; it made sense to interview the strongest leads first, right? Perhaps she was merely an afterthought. Either way, when her name was finally called, Kagome strode confidently into the room, sure she would be able to take care of this.

"Ah, Higurashi-san," one of the reporters greeted very respectfully, motioning for her to have a seat on the opposite side of the table. "Thank you for agreeing to answer a few questions."

Kagome studied the man who had spoken. He was tall and thin, with neat, close-cropped hair. He was dressed in business casual, the professional at a meeting that was not quite important enough to dress up for. His face was young, but not soft. Kagome sensed that behind the glasses and easy smile lurked a cunning individual, who could be as cruel as he was intelligent.

If the first man made Kagome uneasy, the second sent a shiver down her spine. Whereas his companion concealed the full extent of his nature behind a carefully constructed mask of civility, this man wore no such disguise. The dark green eyes were frightening, not so much hostile as they were indifferent. It was as though this man truly cared for no one, the emptiness rendering him capable of acts which would repulse most people. Dark bags under his eyes and a couple days worth of stubble on his chin gave him a scruffy appearance, completing the menacing look. Kagome folded her arms over her chest, suddenly feeling cold.

She shook her head, closing her eyes as she tried to slow her suddenly racing heart. She had met too many wicked characters in the feudal era, and her imagination was running away with her. None of the other students had seemed upset or frightened in any way, supporting the theory that her peril-warped mind was conjuring up traits that weren't really there. Still, she decided that she wouldn't want to find herself alone in a dark alley with either of these men, on the off chance that her insane musings were actually correct.

"I suppose you're wondering why we summoned you personally," the first man observed after a few moments of silence. Kagome started, then met his gaze once more. He smiled wider, and seemed nicer already. The other guy still creeped her out, but now that she looked again, he appeared to be just getting over one hell of a hangover. Maybe that was what gave him the 'sleepy serial killer' look.

"Y-yes, actually I was," she managed.

"It's quite simple, really. We received reports that the mysterious individual from yesterday's Midtown Tower rescue has been sighted near your house. We were just wondering if you had seen him before."

"No, I can't say that I have," Kagome replied evenly. She didn't consider herself a good liar, but that had sounded pretty convincing to her ears.

"Oh?" the reporter wondered, appearing slightly surprised. "Have you heard any rumors, perhaps? Even something you thought was ridiculous at the time?"

"I'm sorry," she told him, starting to rise from her chair. "If that's all—"

"I have a couple more questions, Kagome."

The young miko froze. It wasn't just the fact that he had addressed her in such an informal manner which caused a sinking feeling in her stomach. The noticeable drop in his tone, from cheery to icy, caused her to break out in a cold sweat. Those same sinister vibes returned full-force, and this time she was hard-pressed to chalk them up to her imagination.

"Have you ever been to Miura?" the reporter asked in the same bright tone as before, making Kagome question her hearing. She felt hopelessly off balance, unsure of the ulterior motives of her interrogator, or even if he had any to begin with. Was he really just a curious reporter? She didn't know; all she could do was try to answer the question.

"Not that I know of. Why?"

He didn't respond directly, but instead reached into his pocket and removed a small item, laying it on the table in front of her. "Do you recognize this ID card?"

Kagome peered closely at the rectangular card, stifling a gasp as she did indeed comprehend its significance. The faded lettering and photo could not obscure the fact that this was her school ID card. How the hell did he get it? And why does it look so old? These queries left her temporarily at a loss, but her instincts told her that she absolutely could not admit ownership of the card. So, mustering her best poker face, she prepared to tell another lie.

"No, I don't. Um, I really should be getting home now," she declared, standing and feeling immense relief when neither man interrupted her this time.

"Thank you for your time, Higurashi-san," the talkative one said as she departed. Kagome sped up her pace as she stormed out of the office, feeling almost insulted by the kind farewell. Those guys were bad news; she was not imagining things!

She didn't begin to relax until she made it outside the school building and saw her friends dawdling at the front gate as promised.

"What was that all about, Kagome" Yuka inquired.

"A couple reporters were asking students about Inuyasha," she whispered, suddenly doubting the wisdom of telling them everything at lunch. Perhaps they would have been better off not knowing. On the other hand, they might have felt compelled to go the principal or the police if they thought she was in trouble. In the end, she stuck by her decision. Still, it wouldn't hurt to remind them of the need for secrecy.

"Please, guys, if you get asked about Inuyasha, you can't say anything!"

"We know, Kagome," they all said at once. "You can trust us," Ayumi added.

"Thank you," Kagome replied, slumping over in emotional exhaustion. She didn't know if she could handle any more stress today.

"Come on, Kagome. Let's get you home."

As they were walking, her friends struck up a conversation about some school-related topic, and Kagome quickly tuned them out. Her mind drifted back to the ID card, and the mystery behind how the reporter had gotten it. The previous question was whether I'd ever been to Miura, so maybe that's where he found it? But I'm almost positive I've never been to Miura, certainly not since I've had that card. And why was it so faded? Was that real aging? But that doesn't make any sense, unless…

She gasped, finally coming up with a plausible explanation. But was that really possible? Could she really have dropped the card in the feudal era, only to have Kurou discover it five hundred years later? It seemed far-fetched, but she couldn't come up with another rationalization. Of course, it was conceivable that her ID card was still sitting in her big yellow bag along with the other things she often forgot to transfer to her school backpack when she came to the modern era. Perhaps her identification of the reporter's card had been mistaken. She was not optimistic.

At last the foursome arrived at the Higurashi shrine. Kagome ran upstairs to grab the jewel shards off her bureau, then led her friends into the well house, closing the door behind them. As the trio looked on, she vaulted into the darkness. She thought she heard exclamations of shock before the time warp enveloped her. Evidently seeing really was believing. She grabbed the vines growing along the sides of the feudal era version of the well, pulling herself up about halfway. She was just about to let go and return to the present when a clawed hand appeared in front of her face.

"Whatcha doin' here, wench? I thought you weren't coming back until tomorrow."

Kagome took the offered appendage, allowing Inuyasha to pull her up and out of the well. She maintained her grip on his hand when he tried to let go, sparking a nervous flush from the hanyou. She smiled sincerely; after the day she'd had, it was nice to see him.

"Come back with me," she pleaded. "I'll tell you everything on the other side."

Nodding, Inuyasha wrapped his free arm around her waist and together the pair leapt into the future.

Later that night, Kagome would indeed search her bag for the missing ID card. As she feared, it was nowhere to be found. Part of her tried to panic, but Inuyasha's gruff reassurances did much to ease her worries. Regardless of the time they had to spend apart in the modern era, she felt much safer with Inuyasha in her corner. In the end, Kagome resolved to focus on getting through tomorrow, and push concerns of reporters, hanyou heroism, and ID cards to the back of her mind. She sincerely hoped that nothing more would come of any of them.

Saburou watched the girl called Kagome leave, mentally going over everything he had observed and confirming the answer to the question he knew Kurou was about to ask.

"Well, that was interesting," the academic declared. "Your thoughts, Yoshida-san?"

"She was lying."

"About what? Knowing the Cr—"

"About everything. She knows him and she recognized the ID card. The bitch is covering up something, and she's very nervous about the truth getting out."

"Ah, that's why I brought you along," Kurou said. "I believed her when she said she didn't know him. I guess she fooled me. Of course, I will defer to your judgment."

"Hm. So, what are you going to do now?"

Kurou frowned; that was the question, wasn't it? If Kagome had honestly known nothing, then the decision would be easy. But now that an expert was telling she did know something… In his mind's eye, he saw a long white line burned into the ground, stretching for miles upon miles in either direction. One side was sunny and bright, but storm clouds hovered continuously over the other. The light side, where he currently stood, was lawfulness, while the darkness across the line was illegality.

Now, he had crossed this line before, but always in some third world backwater. Never in a civilized country, and certainly never in his homeland. Japan was not Mexico, where you were as likely to see a rebel or gang soldier as you were a government one, where strong men with strong ambitions could carve out swaths of land, make their own law. Where you could coerce or even torture a local peasant for information on his village's precious 'sacred artifact,' and no one with the authority to do something about it cared, or was above accepting a bribe to let it slide. The jungles, home to some of the most compelling archaeological sites in the world, brought out the worst in men. Those who did not call it home, became like animals.

The urban jungles of Japan were an entirely different setting, with an entirely different level of law enforcement. To cross that forbidding line here was to accept the possibility of serious consequences, of condemnation by officials who could not be bought off, and by a people with a highly developed concept of human rights. He would not and could not take these considerations likely.

But on the other end of the scale rested enchantments, wealth and glory beyond his dreams. He could be the man responsible for capturing a member of an alien race, or a mutant so advanced the scientists would pay billions for the chance to study him. Even if the end result was merely the removal of a dangerous vigilante from the streets of Tokyo, he would achieve fifteen minutes of fame which could spark his career in ways he could not imagine.

The decision really boiled down to one question—was it worth the risk? Did the potential benefits render the possible costs acceptable? It did not take Kurou long to answer in the affirmative.

"Pick her up," he ordered quietly.

Saburou grinned maliciously, clapping Kurou on the shoulder. "My favorite archaeologist," he quipped as he pulled out his cell phone and marched out of the school building. He had some important calls to make.

Name Translations:

Saburou = "seven" and "son" (chosen because I liked it)

Midoriiro (Café) = "green" (like green tea)

(1) I have no idea if the Yakuza actually say this or not. As far as I know, I made the phrase up