Confrontation II
The reunited gang enjoyed a brief reunion until the head guard; Kariya strolled in with a menacing smile on his face. Everyone fell silent and stared at him. Even though he helped them, he still emanated an aura of pure evil that made it difficult to trust him.
"What do you want now?" Ichigo snarled.
"I wanted to see how you were getting on. As cold-hearted as I may seem, I cannot break up a couple who are so deeply in love." His off-putting smile made Rukia wince.
"Why did you help us? Why rescue them from the fire and then bring us together? What do you gain from it?" She asked harshly.
Kariya chuckled. "I need not gain anything. I am merely looking out for my kind." He nodded to the ex-guards. "Though they may no longer be in my ranks, I still look out for them. I will not let them come to harm, neither anyone who is with them." He turned to leave but froze in the doorway. "Oh, yes...I had something I wanted to ask, what was it again?"
There was a brief silence in which Rukia glances uneasily at her friends. Every second with this man was awkward and nerve-wracking.
"Oh, that's right! Miss Kuchiki, I wanted to ask you...Have you seen Ulquiorra in the last two days."
The question made Rukia fall back and bump into a snack stand. Ichigo helped her up and Kariya began to laugh again. Rukia's eyes went wide and she stammered fearfully. "W-w-what do you mean?"
"It is not a trick question. I'm just curious. You've been scouting the town since the fire last night, so in your search you might have come across the man we're after. Is that assumption correct?"
Rukia looked down to the floor and shook her head.
"You seem nervous..." Rukia flinched. "My, am I that scary? I do apologise. I'll let you be alone then. Good day." As he walked out the door his head jerked forward, almost in a nod towards Ichigo who was glaring at him. Then the unusual man disappeared into the dust clouds outside.
"What was that about?" Kiyone asked. "I hate that guy."
"He's up to something..." Toshiro murmured.
"Ulquiorra." Rukia whispered. All eyes fell on her.
"What?"
"Ulquiorra...I...I met him." Rukia explained softly.
"No way!" Kiyone cried.
"Huh?" Kyouraku almost fell over.
Rukia bit her tongue and a chill went down her spine. She had broken the promise with the monster. But how would he know? Surely it would be alright to tell her best friends?
Rukia told them everything about her encounter with Ulquiorra and his apparent plan to help her escape. She didn't tell them about her deal though...That was the last thing she'd want them to know. If she told them, then it was almost certain all would die in a short time.
When her explanation was over, everyone fell silent, lost in thought.
"Where do you think he is?" Kiyone gasped.
"If he has a connection with you, then no doubt we will see him again." Toshiro mused.
Ichigo placed an arm on Rukia's shoulder and gazed into her eyes. "Can you remember anything else? Did he tell you where he was staying or if he would meet you somewhere?"
"Um..." Rukia trailed off, still battling with the decision to tell them everything, or to keep it a secret. Would she even meet up with him? A chance of escape would be great. If she left alone, she could get help and come back and free everyone. Either that or she turned in Ulquiorra, let the guards have him and get released. It was win-win, hopefully...
"Well?" Ichigo pressed, unusually keen on Ulquiorra's whereabouts.
"Uh...I think I remember something..." Rukia suddenly stopped herself and stared at the guards. "Can I talk to you in private?" She gestured to her lover. Ichigo nodded and together they walked off to discuss matters in private.
Isane pulled out from the roadside petrol station and resumed her journey. She was just on the outskirts of the city now and it would take another minute or tow until she was reunited with her old boss, Unohana. For her next job, she'd need help...For she was going to break into a maximum facility prison, beat some answers out of the guards and then hunt down the bastard responsible for abducting her friends and hiring mercenaries to kill her.
She switched the radio on, hoping to calm herself. Instead she overheard a news story about a wild woman on the run from the law...No doubt it was her. That mercenary woman must have reported her to the authorities and made a story out of it. A clever move...But Isane Kotetsu didn't undertake years of police training and gone through everything she had just to get caught by some local cops!
She pulled over outside the small station. Unohana's squad car wasn't out the front, so she must have been out. No matter. She would pass the time researching her enemy. After all, knowing thy enemy is one of the first rules of war.
Isane stepped out of the car and shivered from the late afternoon breeze. She wrapped her arms around her body and walked up to the door. She fished inside her pocket for a key and stabbed it in the lock. While she twisted the door handle she studied the Goosebumps that appeared on her forearm.
"There better be a jacket in there..." Isane mumbled as she strolled into the dark room.
All the blinds were down so it was very dark inside. She fumbled around for the light switch and eventually found it. She flicked it, but nothing happened. Confused, she tried again.
"Damn. The light went out..." Isane cursed.
"Good police work." A menacing voice whispered in her ear.
Isane backed up against the wall but someone grabbed her hand and gently squeezed it. She whimpered and tried to squint in tithe darkness.
"Pretty police girl...We're gonna have fun." The aggressive rasp said playfully.
"You creep! You're one of Kaien's dogs aren't you!" Isane tried to sound assertive, but the fearful quiver in her voice came through quite obviously. The man laughed but did not say anything. "Bastard!" Isane lashed out with her other hand and slapped the man in the face. She could hear him fall into a table, knocking over furniture in the process. She kicked out at the source of the sound and felt her toe dig into soft meat.
The man cried out. "My eye! You bitch!"
Isane stepped back warily, assuming she had dodged her foes counterattack...At least until she felt the stinging pain in her ankles. She squealed as she fell to her knees. The flickering reflection of a knife blade caught her eye. Her stomach clenched and the breath died in her throat. She whimpered and tried to crawl away, but the vague silhouette of her opponent followed faster than she could manage.
"You can't run, girly! I'll cut off your pretty face!"
Isane reached for her side but the realisation that she wasn't carrying a gun soon set in and she felt even more afraid. She was defenceless against this psychopath.
Wait! Unohana always leaves a spare gun in the store room! I just have to get there and I can blow this guys brains out…Oh crap! I'm thinking like them now...Well, I guess you fight fire with fire.
Isane wormed her way under a desk and began to crawl towards the far wall where the store room was located. She managed to inch her way over to the door without being noticed by the stalking assailant. She reached up and found the door handle but her hand slipped, making a loud noise.
Her killer whirled on her and got on his feet. The shining knife was the only indication of where he was.
Isane dragged herself up and reached for the doorknob again. He fingers clasped around the cold steel and she yanked it to one side, pushing the door open and falling through.
She fumbled around on the bottom shelf searching for the weapon. She then progressed to the next shelf up.
Shit! Where is it? He's almost in here-
"Game over sweetie. Is this what you're looking for?" the gunshot was deafening, but the small bullet that burrowed through her shoulder was even worse. She screamed and fell back, knocking her head against the shelf and drawing blood. She slid down onto the floor and winced as a large boot stomped on her chest.
She coughed and spat as her ribs were pounded by the powerful kicks of her assailant.
"So...Lets see what you're wearing under all that skin!"
"NO!" Isane screeched, though it was drowned out by her assailant's sickening laughter. His shadowy form kneeled down over her and the knife pressed against her flesh, just above her bust. She reeled from the sickening behaviour of this vile mercenary, but unfortunately she could not stop him anymore. He legs were deemed useless and her arm had been shot. The other was occupied, holding her wounded shoulder and stemming the rampant blood flow.
The blade sank in and she cried out in agony, her cries to be heard only by the depraved monster that would inevitably kill her.
She closed her eyes and thought of happier times, but her thoughts were interrupted by another gunshot. She was splattered in something wet and warm, no doubt blood...But whose was it? She never felt a gun shot, so it couldn't possibly have been her...But that meant...
Light flooded into the room and Unohana placed her handgun back in its holster. Her face was a portrait of concern and rage. She closed her eyes and took a deep to calm herself. Then she helped her friend up and led her into the main room. She bandaged up the knife and gunshot wounds and then gave her a cup of tea.
"Thanks." Isane whispered.
"Kaien Shiba. I assume you know of him?" Unohana asked.
"Yes. How did you know?"
"I did some digging. I found out that the alias of Ganju Shiba was misleading. That man had been dead for many years and the only surviving relative in the family was one Kaien Shiba, as well as a sister Kukaku who lives overseas. It's strange that he would go to such lengths to do all this, yet leave such an obvious clue behind."
"I think the mercenaries were supposed to stop us from getting far enough to figure it out." Isane suggested. "Still...it is odd."
"We have little time to spare. We need to get to the prison and find our answers. If you're too injured, I'll understand." Unohana bowed down.
Isane rose angrily and almost threw the cup to the floor. "I am staying on the case no matter what! Even if I lose my arms and legs I'll still follow this through!"
Unohana smiled at her partners words. "As expected from you, officer Kotetsu."
"So..." Isane muttered. "Your car or mine?"
Ichigo gasped. "Are you serious? He's actually going to meet you there tonight!"
Rukia nodded sheepishly. "What should I do?"
"We have to tell the guards! We'll be released if we turn him in!"
"But..." Rukia whispered.
"We can be together again. Come on! You know it's the right thing to do! Trust me."
That last part made Rukia feel guilty. She always trusted him before. How could she stop now? Even if they weren't released, the threat of Ulquiorra would be gone and Ichigo would protect her from the rest. He was right. She had to turn him in...She had to betray the poor misunderstood psychopath.
Rukia bowed her head and sighed. "Where is Kariya?"
"Right here." The lead guard strolled through the doorway and kneeled down next to them.
"How did you get here?" Rukia backed away warily.
"I came in to buy a snack when I noticed you two hiding away in here. I thought I'd come and say hi." He chuckled menacingly and got back on his feet. "So what did you want little miss?"
"I...I know where Ulquiorra is."
Kariya's lit up and a sickening grin spread across his face. "Really?"
"He's going to be in the burnt out hotel tonight. I suggest you stay back until nightfall otherwise he might avoid it." Rukia closed her eyes and fought back tears. For some reason it felt wrong to betray Ulquiorra like this. He had placed his trust in another person for the first time in his life and she had spat on it and stabbed him in the back.
"Thank you Miss Kuchiki. This information will be very useful. If all goes well, you might be free in the morning."
"Might my ass!" Ichigo growled. "You promised to free us. If Ulquiorra is caught then we get to leave!"
"Oh right. I guess I should stick true to my word. You will be granted freedom tomorrow if we have Ulquiorra's head by then." Kariya grinned. "Thank you once again. Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do." He left laughing hysterically.
"I don't trust him." Rukia whispered.
"Me either, but soon we'll be far away from all this. We'll be back in Karakura and we'll be able to live happily again!" Ichigo chuckled excitedly and hugged Rukia who was less overjoyed. She couldn't help but feel nervous. There was something wrong about all this, but she couldn't put her finger on it...
"Tonight..." Rukia whispered. "The battle begins…"
Things are building up. Isane and Unohana are hot on the trail of Kaien Shiba and now the guards in No Man's Land are on Ulquiorra's trail. No doubt there will be some fireworks in the next chapter! Don't miss it!
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