Disclaimer: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi.

Chapter Fourteen: September 17th

Anxiousness had overtaken the police station. Really, I supposed it had never left since Sango's escape, but if her willing return, submission, and confession had been thought to lower the tension, they now proved to be very misleading. In the short day-and-a-half that had passed since we'd brought Sango back in to talk to Sesshomaru-san, so much yelling, accusing, and persuading had happened that it isn't worth mentioning. Suffice to say, after many discussions, as a group and individually, the chief of police finally came around and made a bargain with Sango.

That isn't to say, however, that Sesshomaru-san had taken an eventual shine to Sango, as Kagome-chan surprisingly had. While Kagome-chan worked up the bravery to sit by her and talk with her, Sesshomaru-san demanded that she remained in cuffs at all times and under strict appointed supervision when he couldn't be around. I hardly got a chance alone with her myself, therefore leaving me in the dark about an uncomfortable number of things.

I wasn't the only one unawares. It seems that Sesshomaru-san only let the details of the bargain be known by himself, Inuyasha and Sango. Curiosity burned inside indignantly and I had taken to snooping around again, spying in vain for that one moment when they would carelessly leave her by herself again. Eventually they were going to put their plan into action, and after that my only opportunity to talk with Sango would be through a double-paned window with a telephone. I had to talk to her before then.

Inuyasha was with her, standing dutifully by the chair that she sat in while she leaned forward, bowing her head and folding her hands as if she was praying, the restricting glint of the handcuffs dangled between her still-bandaged wrists. I wasn't quite sure what Inuyasha thought of Sango; he seemed to believe her story enough to bring her back to Sesshomaru-san and support her claims, though overall his demeanor towards her was too indifferent to be sure of anything. From my place peeking my head around the corner hallway, I tried to discern any semblance of a conversation forming between the too. I vaguely wondered if my desire that she formed relationships with the people I was close to was strange in any way.

However, when Inuyasha finally did speak, it wasn't directed at Sango. "Oi, Miroku," he called over to me flatly, "Why don't you stop being an idiot and come over here already?"

Sheepishly, I stepped all the way into the connecting hallway where Inuyasha sat with Sango. "Hey," I greeted, scratching the back of my head lamely.

Sango raised her head as I approached. "Hi. Long time no see."

I grinned, immediately put at ease by her subtle, yet encouraging smile. This girl would be the death of me, I was sure of at least that by now. "I've been worried about you," I informed her shamelessly, while Inuyasha scoffed and rolled his eyes. I wondered just how much Kagome-chan had informed him of her discovery of Sango in our hotel room the other day.

Shrugging me off, Sango raised her hands, displaying her handcuffs perfectly. "Don't worry; I'm not going anywhere this time. I promise."

"No," I shook my head, my brow creasing in concern. "Not about that. I mean, nobody's told me anything and I don't know what'll happen to you."

Sango bit her lip, her cheeks flushing a little with a warm blush. She glanced up at Inuyasha, gaging him for a response. Cocking an eyebrow he stared down at her for a moment before glaring at me. I squirmed a little under his gaze, unsure of what he was thinking. Finally he rolled his eyes again and nodded once, folding his arms.

"We're going to Kumo's headquarters in an hour and a half," he revealed gruffly. "We just need a few more things in order and we're heading out."

My eyes widened. That soon? I turned back to Sango, who once again bowed her head almost regretfully.

"Sorry," she mumbled, keeping her head lowered and avoiding anyone's gaze. "I wish I could've said something, but…" she trailed off, her head gesturing vaguely in Inuyasha's direction.

"Sesshomaru's got an official mum on everything involving her," Inuyasha explained, shifting around in his post by Sango's side and refolding his arms. He gave me a queer look. "But something tells me you're going to try and worm your way in."

I straightened up. "Damn right I am," I declared, ignoring as Sango raised her eyes to me, clearly startled and objecting. "Where is Sesshomaru-san? I want to talk to him right now."

"Well, then," a cold, even voice said behind me. "Lucky for you I just got back."

I turned, trying to maintain my bolstering stance in the face of the chief of police's domineering presence. Out of the corner of my eye I watched as Inuyasha took ahold of Sango's upper arm, pulling her to her feet in a much gentler manner than the night he'd first arrested her. By all accounts, it appeared as though they were moving into the final phase of preparations before infiltrating the Kumo conglomerate.

Sesshomaru-san's tolerance with me had long since been sent, and honestly, there was no reason even I could think of to talk my way into coming along. Not even dirty politics could help me now.

"What did you want, Tsujitani?" Sesshomaru-san demanded irritably.

I cleared my throat awkwardly. It may have been childish, but I did not want to be made a coward or a fool in front of Sango. I had to proceed very carefully to save face with Sesshomaru-san.

"I want to talk with you," I said resolutely, folding my arms and trying to use my own height to add an edge to my presence as well.

Sesshomaru-san rolled his eyes and sighed impatiently. "Yes, I heard that bit. Talk about what?"

I hesitated unwillingly, my progress stunted a little by his brusque demeanor. "I, uh…" I cleared my throat again, trying to summon what little command I had gathered. "You're going to Kumo tonight."

Inuyasha groaned lowly behind me; it seemed he would've preferred that I not jump to the chase like that. Sesshomaru-san cut him an angry, narrowed-eyed glare, all too knowing of just who could've informed me of that bit of top-secret information. He ignored Sango altogether as he turned back to me.

"I should've figured you would find out," he said testily, "I thought we agreed your snooping about would end." It was clear he was aware that my extra knowledge was not the result of any spying on my end and rather his younger brother, though he seemed to appreciate the brief moment to chastise me regardless.

Apparently not learning my lesson, I decided on getting straight to the point once more. "I want to go with you," I insisted decisively, folding my arms and squaring my shoulders.

"Absolutely not." His words almost overtook mine in their abrupt denial. I frowned. This was where fighting him would become very difficult. I had no ground to stand on.

There was a dense moment of silence as we stared at each other, and I could feel my already shaky bravado begin to crack under his intense gaze. I was drawing a complete and utter blank. My lifelong gift of a silver tongue and quick wit had suddenly abandoned me. I had nothing; there really was no reason for me to be allowed to go, no way I could weasel my way in. Still, as I was damned either way, I decided to trudge on.

"I-I…" My voice cracked as it came out unexpectedly soft and mild. I cleared my throat a third time and tried again. "I need to go." Yes, apparently begging had entered my repertoire.

Though his face didn't flinch from his imposingly blank stare, Sesshomaru-san sounded slightly amused as he said, "Do you now? And why's that?"

There was a small noise from beside Inuyasha, grabbing everybody's attention as we turned towards the source.

"Miroku knows was Haku looks like," Sango piped up. Even though her voice was small and neutral she still sounded braver than I had pretended to be. "In case I can't get through to you, through the wires or mics or whatever. Miroku could identify him for you."

Sesshomaru-san blinked once, slowly, clearly incensed. "Excuse me?"

"Kobayashi Hakudoshi," Sango clarified patiently. "He's the one who first came to Miroku on Kumo's behalf and the one who planted the bomb in the entryway of his building."

"Tsujitani and Yoshida had already provided a thorough description of what this Kobayashi looks like," Sesshomaru-san brushed her off, seeming almost offended that she even dared to address him directly. "I'm sure we'll be able to—"

"He also knows what my brother looks like," Sango cut in quickly, almost desperately. I did my best to stifle my amazement. She hadn't led on to it, but it now appeared that she was just as insistent as I was that I be there. She was willing to resort to flat-out lies; I had never seen her brother before, and my helpfulness in identifying him would be nonexistent.

"Please," Sango continued resolutely, "Hold up your end of the bargain. You promised you'd get him out. If I can't be there to get him, somebody has to be there in my place." She nodded to me. "That person is Miroku."

Sesshomaru-san looked back to me, scrutinizing me as I hung my head, hoping I looked the right amounts of guilty and knowledgeable. I shrugged affirmatively for extra effect.

Sighing bitterly, Sesshomaru-san pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. Sango and I exchanged a hopeful look. Had we actually managed to crack him?

"I've had more than enough of you," he informed me, glaring passed his hand at me. I met his stern gaze, as if to tell him the feeling was mutual.

He checked his watch, then signaled vaguely at the two officers now coming up the hallway behind him, Koga and Shintaro. "Do whatever you want to do," the chief continued, addressing me even as he turned his back to face Koga. He nodded once towards Inuyasha. "Looks like you've got another ward that needs watching."

Inuyasha glared at me, though I only gave him an impish grin. While I was mildly concerned by a chief of police who would so willingly wash his hands of anything that directly caused him any trouble, I was more focused on reveling in my rather easily-won victory.

"We've wasted too much time," Sesshomaru-san was informing Koga before he turned to Shintaro. "Have you taken care of Higurashi?"

"Yes sir," Shintaro answered obediently, nodding his head once. "I've put her in a cab with strict instructions to go straight home."

"Yes, yes," Sesshomaru-san waved off his unnecessary explanation impatiently, "Just as long as she's out of the way."

Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as Inuyasha tensed angrily at his brother's careless dismissal of his … whatever they were to each other. I wondered if Kagome-chan and Inuyasha were still young enough to care about the "official" statuses of relationships.

Sesshomaru-san was still addressing the three officers. "Take her and get her wired," he instructed Inuyasha, pointing an offensive finger as Sango. "I want it all; camera, microphone, recorder, ear piece. You got that?"

"I got it." Inuyasha took ahold of Sango's arm again, leading her down the hall until they turned a corner and disappeared in an adjacent corridor. I stared after them for some time after they left, fully conscious of the nervous pit forming in my stomach for Sango's sake.

"Koga, I want you to make sure every officer on the infiltration squad is radioed and carrying GPS markers. No exceptions." Sesshomaru-san continued barking orders. "Channel two, understood?"

"Yes sir." I turned to watch Koga run back down the hallway the way he came.

Sesshomaru-san turned to the last officer remaining with us. "Shintaro, pull the surveillance van out of the garage. Make sure the tank is full and that Koga syncs the equipment with the officers' radios and GPS." Shintaro nodded and started down the hallway before the chief called him back.

"Take him with you," he ordered the young officer, jabbing his thumb back at me. "Make sure he doesn't touch anything." Again, Shintaro nodded and waited by for me to catch up with him, slightly confused as to why a civilian would be allowed to tag along on a covert mission.

I started to jog to meet up with Shintaro, but Sesshomaru-san called out one last time, causing me to turn in mid-step.

"You," he growled, addressing me like just another lowly officer under his command, "Don't move, don't speak; if I even so much as hear to breath too heavily, I'll kick you out of the van and leave you at Naraku's mercy, do you understand me?"

I swallowed the urge to salute him mockingly, opting for a simple nod instead as I continued following after Shintaro.

Four of us sat in the surveillance van parked three blocks down from where Sango had directed us: Sesshomaru-san, Inuyasha, Sango herself, and me. I was forced to sit in the farthest corner, out of the way and given strict instructions yet again to keep my hands to myself and my mouth shut. Though I felt like a spoiled kid in time-out, I obeyed, trying to make myself feel gratitude instead, for being allowed to tag along. Sesshomaru-san was giving Sango final instructions before turning to Inuyasha and falling into a more or less private conversation about the latter's role in the mission tonight.

I stared at the grated van floor, unsure of the myriad emotions thrashing around in my skull. Suddenly, I regretted fighting to be able to come along; I had no idea what would happen tonight, and more specifically, I had no idea what would happen to Sango. The worry I felt for her was very uncomfortable and I did my best not to think about it. Still, it didn't stop images flashing before my eyes of a cruel looking man I'd imagined to be Naraku, pointing a gun between Sango's eyes and pulling the trigger.

The small, thinly cushioned bench I was seated on creaked slightly and I involuntarily tensed, ready for another unnecessary reprimand from the chief of police. I looked up, momentarily surprised to see Sango sitting next to me, watching me with a curious, yet smug smile.

"Hi," she greeted softly, and I was actually taken aback by the coyness in her voice. We'd kissed twice, even dry humped, yet she had never intentionally flirted with me before.

"Hello," I responded awkwardly, cursing my sudden wariness of her. What the fuck was wrong with me?

Sango didn't seem to notice my uneasy behavior and settled into the bench beside me, slouching against the wall of the van and folding her hands between her knees. "I'm just killing time until those two are done talking," she explained, bouncing one of her legs restlessly. "I hate anticipation."

"Me too." Again, my response was childish and provoked another string of self-cursing. I tried again. "I guess you're ready then?" There, that wasn't so bad, was it?

She nodded blandly, "Yep, just waiting on the go-ahead." She sighed heavily and sank even further into her slouch. "I am just so ready to be rid of Kumo and Naraku once and for all."

It was my turn to nod in agreement. Even though I had never crossed paths with Naraku, I was also very fed up with this "criminal underworld's most wanted" role I had unwillingly taken upon me. I studied Sango for a moment, unabashed and uncaring if she felt uncomfortable under my scrutiny. Finally, she rolled her head over to me and for a short while we simply stared at each other in silence.

At last, Sango spoke, "You know, a picture lasts longer." Her words were sarcastic, but they held no real bite to them.

I allowed myself to crack a small grin. "It also says a thousand words."

She cocked an amused eyebrow before facing forward again and closing her eyes, the smug and coy smile never leaving her face. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were worried about me, Tsujitani."

My small grin faded slightly. "I thought we were passed the last name basis, Mizushima," I replied sardonically.

Cracking one eye open and looking at me through the corner of it, Sango's smile faltered some as well. "Maybe we are," she acquiesced, "Though I don't think now is the proper time to discuss our relationship."

"No," I agreed mildly, though on the inside I was burning with offense and curiosity. Personally, I didn't think it there could've been a better moment than the present to discuss our relationship, if we even had one. I didn't know how often of a chance I'd have to talk with her if everything went down as planned tonight at Kumo, and talking about such a topic while under strict observation by an armed guard didn't exactly strike me as appealing.

"Alright!" Sesshomaru-san suddenly barked from towards the front of the van. "It's time. Let's get this over with."

Obediently, Sango moved to sit next to Inuyasha as he pointed out the small array of surveillance equipment built into the far side of the van.

"Your camera will transfer to this monitor," he explained, gesturing at the miniscule lens woven into the specially designed V-neck collar of Sango's T-shirt. "It's pretty high resolution, but it's still a small lens, so make sure you point it at something worthwhile, got it?"

Nodding astutely, Sango confirmed, "Got it."

Inuyasha nodded as well, satisfied with her professionalism despite her age. He seemed to appreciate her obvious skill enough to overlook what she'd utilized it for in the past.

"Now the recorder is trickier," he continued, pointing to a small speaker next to the monitor, "It's got to be able to pick up whatever is said through fabric, so try to stand as still as possible to avoid too much rustling."

Again, Sango gave a short nod. "Got it," she repeated, her hand ghosting over her side, where I assumed they'd taped the recording device underneath her shirt.

Inuyasha smirked approvingly. "And just to recap, your ear piece will pick up anything we need to say to you." His eyebrow raised slightly in mild amusement as Sango dutifully tapped her ear piece hidden by the longer locks of her bangs to show she understood. He placed his hand on the sliding door's latch. "Are you ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," Sango replied affirmatively. She climbed down gracefully from the van as Inuyasha slid the door open for her, and I leaned as far forward as I could, intent on capturing every last glimpse of her that I could before the Inuyasha yanked the door closed again. He locked it, and I sat back and stewed quietly. From my assigned seat in the back of the van, I didn't have a good view of the monitor to see what Sango saw, and from here on out I would be largely in the dark of the goings on in Kumo's headquarters.

There was a fairly lengthy pause between Sesshomaru-san and Inuyasha, and I guessed they were waiting for Sango to make it a reasonable distance away from the van to try to contact her.

Finally, Sesshomaru-san pressed the mic and spoke into the speaker. "Mizushima, can you hear me?"

There was a short buzz while we waited for a response, then, "Loud and clear, Chief," came Sango's reply, her voice slightly warped by the crackle of the recorder taped under her shirt.

"Verify your location," Sesshomaru-san demanded.

"Like I said, we're about three blocks away from Kumo's main building. Sorry, Chief, but I can't fill you in from here on out. Naraku's got sentries posted everywhere; I'd look too suspicious talking to myself."

Inuyasha leaned back, ready to relax and just wait until Sango reached the main building. With him leaning out of the way, I was able to snag a glimpse at the monitor displaying Sango's surroundings. The street she was walking down was bathed in the last light of the day, and I could even make out her shadow stretched on the ground before her as the sun set behind her. Inuyasha had been right; the camera was high resolution.

The tension in the van, despite Inuyasha's willingness to accept the moment as relaxation time, was thick and heavy. I was torn between being grateful that I could still hear her voice through the speaker and wishing that Inuyasha and Sesshomaru-san had headphones to block me out entirely. All of the discrepancies in Sango's behavior since our very first meeting came flooding back at me inopportunely, and I sat unnoticed on the pitiful bench in the back of the van, squirming and fidgeting uncomfortably. I felt sick and obsessed, and again I was overcome with the regret I'd felt earlier in fighting my way to be allowed to come.

While Sesshomaru-san and Inuyasha seemed content enough to just wait out the tension until Sango arrived at her destination, I fought silently with my body and mind, willing them to calm down and wishing for that numbness I'd felt over a month ago when this whole ordeal first started. The sound of Sango's muffled footsteps down the pavement emanated from the speaker, only loud enough to sound like the first few drops of rain. Even so, they thundered in my ears, and I began to register how hyper-aware of Sango I was. I wondered what the fuck was wrong with me again.

After what felt like eternity, Sango's voice came back through the speaker, sounding hushed and low to avoid being overheard by some unknown potential threat.

"We're here. Brace yourselves." She sounded mildly overwhelmed and my heart ached for her uncontrollably, though her voice had triggered something inside me that instantly put me oddly at ease. Suddenly I was able to sit still and simply listen as the inevitable saga unfolded.

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru-san sat at full alert as the sound of a door creaking took the place of Sango's voice. I was overcome by curiosity and I dared to stand, peering over the officers' shoulders to witness what was happening on the monitor.

Sango stepped fully into the building, taking up a brisk walk through a peculiarly unmanned lobby and pushing open yet another door. I held my breath, though it came out in a rush as I beheld the room now displayed on the ten-square-inch monitor. It was surprisingly normal, almost business-like in its layout, looking very much like one of the conference rooms back in my own building. The long, sturdily-built table was laid out vertically in the room, both sides filled with chairs though less than half currently had somebody sitting in them. My eyes were drawn to the farthest end of the table, directly across from where Sango stood, at the figure sitting in lone chair occupying that end.

Even through the small monitor, he looked highly imposing, his skin pale and his hair long, unruly, and black as pitch. Though he was sitting he still looked to be very tall, and his shoulders were broad and squared haughtily. His eyes were too far away to be discernible, though I felt as though he was staring right through Sango's hidden camera and directly at the three of us in the van as he watched her enter the room with interest. I felt certain this man was Ueno Naraku.

There was fuzzy silence from Sango's recorder as Naraku and his henchman simply stared at her. I noticed that the first two seats on either side of Naraku were left empty, whether out of respect or fear I wasn't sure. After the empty chairs, there sat two men on his left and three on his right. I remembered Inuyasha's prior report of there only being five or six main members of Kumo conglomerate, and I was highly impressed that we'd apparently managed to catch them all there in a single night. They must've been holding a meeting of some sort; counting up this month's To Kill list or restocking the weapon inventory or whatever mercenaries and hit-men held meetings about.

Finally, Naraku spoke, and his voice chilled me to the bone and filled me with an instant hatred.

"My dear Sango, how nice it is to see you looking so well. I trust those awful policemen didn't cause you too much trouble?"

His words and tone were sickeningly parental, and he spoke to Sango as if she were his own flesh-and-blood daughter. Even so, there was no missing the sinister depths his deep voice held. Adopted daughter or not, something told me that this man would not hesitate to kill Sango with his bare hands if she even stepped one toe out of line. My heart clenched painfully again.

Sango replied, and even though there was no trace of fear or intimidation present, I still felt petrified for her. "Not at all," she boasted confidently. "I was able to escape so easily, it's almost pathetic."

Sesshomaru-san snorted an irritated puff of air through his nose shortly, clearly miffed at Sango's bragging, no matter if it was all for show.

The shadowing on Naraku's face changed slightly, and I realized he was smiling at Sango favorably, another move that made me shudder involuntarily. "That's my girl," he said dotingly, standing from the table and slowly making his way towards her. My stomach dropped a little, almost as if I was afraid he was going to faze right through the monitor and come straight for me.

"Although," he continued, his words sounding more and more sinister and less fatherly as he went on, "I am surprised that it took you three days to return to us. Surely you must've realized the worry you caused around here." He stopped suddenly, just behind the last man on his right. He looked down at him, though the man refused to meet his gaze. "Isn't that right, Muso?"

The man Naraku identified as Muso cleared his throat gruffly. "You'd do well to not stir up any trouble, Sango," he chastised her vaguely, keeping his eyes downward.

Sango snorted. "Thanks for the advice, Muso-senpai," she rebuffed coolly. "Is that coming from personal experience?"

Incensed, Muso scowled at Sango, for the first time giving us in the van a clear view of his face. It was horribly burned, the remaining scars almost rendering him faceless in their wake; even his nose was corroded away. I wondered how he was even breathing, let alone speaking.

"Know your place, bitch!" Muso roared, angrily, pushing himself to stand as if to charge her. Naraku placed a hand on his shoulder, halting him instantly and forced him to sit once again.

"Come, Muso, certainly you must agree with her? We're all quite aware of your own disobediences, aren't we?" He cast an eye around the remaining men at the table while running his index finger pointedly over the scarred side of Muso's face. Muso fell back into silence, lowering his head and eyes once more.

Naraku resumed walking towards Sango again, and the view of the monitor shifted slightly as she turned to face him fully. He stopped just in front of her, his chest filling the screen and rendering us blind to the rest of the room behind him. When he spoke again, his voice was almost thunderous with proximity and I found myself wishing he'd remained in his seat at the far end of the table.

"Though," he said, sounding cruelly indulgent, "Muso does bring up an interesting point. You should know better than to cause me trouble like that. I trust you also know what's in order?"

The camera shifted again, and I could tell that Sango was straightening her posture impressively, ready for whatever Naraku was insinuating.

"Yes," Naraku continued thoughtfully, "Perhaps a mild punishment will set you straight."

There was a brief shifting movement again, then suddenly the view through the monitor was jostled forcefully, accompanied by a horrible sounding smash as Naraku dealt his blow. Sango had been knocked to the floor, the darkened camera lens verified as much, though she didn't utter a single noise or shriek of pain. I tensed, almost pitching myself forward with the urge to rush to her aid, never minding the fact that I was an entire street and then some from her actual position. Sesshomaru-san and Inuyasha both leaned forward intently in their seats, and Inuyasha grabbed for the mic.

"You have to get up, Sango!" he encouraged roughly, "We need a visual on this bastard!"

Finally, Sango grunted softly, pushing herself to her feet and trying to point the hidden camera back on Naraku. I wondered how badly he'd hurt her; I didn't put it passed him to be able to inflict such terrible scars as Muso's with just his fists rather than fire.

"Forgive me, Naraku," Sango mumbled, fighting to keep her voice mild, "I had to lay low for a while, they had officers combing through every inch of the street looking for me."

"I'll not tolerate excuses!" Naraku spat, his voice so demonic that I almost missed the sickening-sweet quality from before. "I've had more than enough of your fooling around! To think this was to be your last mission." He scoffed in disappointment, and started walking back to his seat when Sango called out boldly.

"I had every intention of fulfilling my contract!" she insisted, and for a moment she sounded so convincing that I was almost hurt. "If Tsujitani hadn't been wandering around like an idiot out in the open, I would've—"

"From what Hakudoshi tells me," Naraku interrupted, raising his already loud voice to be heard over Sango's, "I'm not entirely certain I can believe you anymore, Sango." He resumed his place at the front of the table once more, folding his fingers and resting his elbows on the dark-stained wood. "And it is a pity. I wonder what poor Kohaku would have to say about this…"

"Haku doesn't know shit!" Sango didn't miss a beat, though I was pretty sure I wasn't the only one that heard the strain in her voice at the mention of her brother. "He's the one who made this into a bigger mess than it needed to be, remember?"

Sesshomaru-san grabbed the mic from Inuyasha, bringing it close to his lips as he hissed, "Calm down, Mizushima! You're going to give us away!"

Sango stopped protesting, though from Sesshomaru-san's warning or from Naraku's gesturing at something just out of the camera's view I wasn't sure.

"Perhaps," Naraku acquiesced, an evil sneer curling at his lips, "But I believe he's found a way to redeem himself." Again, he swept his hand over to something off screen, though this time, Sango turned her body—and the camera—to follow him.

Kobayashi Hakudoshi stepped into view, and an icy sweat began instantly trickling down my spine. He was dragging a bound and gagged Kagome-chan in the room with him.

Inuyasha was on his feet in under a second. "Shit!" he cursed, "Fuck! Sesshomaru, we gotta move now!"

Sesshomaru-san snapped at his brother to calm down. "Control yourself, Inuyasha," he reprimanded coldly, "Everything is still under control."

"Bullshit it's under control!" Inuyasha retorted. "He's got Kagome!"

Ignoring him, Sesshomaru-san reached for the radio attached to the dash. "Shintaro," he said into it, sounding remarkably calm in the face of this unexpected kidnapping, and waited for the young officer's reply.

There was a beep on the other end, signaling Shintaro's pushing the microphone button down. "Yes, sir?"

"I thought you said Higurashi had been sent in a cab straight home."

Shintaro sounded confused and uneasy. "Yes, sir. I saw her to the cab myself."

Again, Sesshomaru-san sounded eerily flippant. "And did you care to take notice of who was driving that cab?"

"Uh… No, sir. The dividing glass between the front and back seats was tinted."

"So then that must explain why she's currently in the hands of one of Naraku's henchmen, mustn't it?"

The other line was dead as I presumed Shintaro went into a state of dumb shock as he let the chief's news sink in. Inuyasha remained standing, his posture slightly hunched due to the van's low roof. His fists clenched and unclenched as he watched his brother angrily as the latter turned back to the monitor and pressed the microphone connected to Sango's ear piece.

"Mizushima, remain calm, and don't move until ordered. Everything is under control. Play it safe for Higurashi's sake."

Sango cleared her throat. "How is kidnapping her redeeming?" she asked, her tone remarkably controlled. "You should've gone after Tsujitani."

Hakudoshi-san sneered at Sango. "Easy for you to say. After sneaking into his hotel room, bringing him here should've been a snap. And yet you turn up empty-handed."

I choked, ignoring the scowl Sesshomaru-san fed me for interrupting them. Remembering Sango's confession about having scouts following her, I supposed it shouldn't have shocked me to realize that someone had known that she'd snuck back to see me. It was just extra disheartening to learn that someone had been Hakudoshi-san.

For the first time, Sango faltered. "I-I don't know what you're talking about." She tried to recover quickly, yet there was no denying that everyone had heard her little slip up.

"I thought I told you I wouldn't tolerate excuses," Naraku cut in venomously. "And I've had enough of your lying and betrayal."

"So kill me," Sango retorted hotly. Sesshomaru-san huffed impatiently. It was obvious that this night was not playing out how he'd intended. I wondered why he didn't call in the troops now.

Sango continued, "Aren't you all about weeding out the weak? Ridding yourself of unnecessary risks? I mean, that's why you went to Tsujitani in the first place, isn't it?"

Naraku tilted his head in gross amusement. "Perhaps you're right, my dear Sango. But by now you should also know that I rather enjoy causing the most pain I can." He glanced over at Hakudoshi-san, who pushed the barrel of a gun into Kagome-chan's side roughly. Her fear was palpable even three blocks away in this Godforsaken van, though Naraku stalled his trigger finger with the wave of his hand.

"No, no. The girl and Sango hardly know each other." He turned to Sango, the look on his face looking nothing short of malicious as he finished, "Your dear younger brother though… Well he's all alone now isn't he? Waiting for his big, brave sister to come home and bring with her his freedom." Shaking his head, Naraku let out a wicked chuckle. "Now that would be painful, wouldn't it?"

"No!" Sango shouted out desperately, agonizing over the life of her little brother. "Please, I'll do anything!"

Naraku clapped his hands once and signaled to another of the men sitting at the table with him. The man stood and approached Sango, and through the monitor we caught the brief glimpse of a gun being handed over to her before she accepted it.

Looking back and forth delightedly between Sango and Kagome-chan, Naraku gestured to the gun in Sango's hand. "Kill her."

There was an unbearable pause, then my stomach dropped as Sango raised the gun obediently, aiming right between Kagome-chan's widened and terrified eyes. I couldn't believe Sango would actually go through with this, though I was disheartened to remember the loyalty and protectiveness she held for her brother. If she'd join Naraku's band of murderers for him, certainly killing Kagome-chan was nothing in comparison. She clicked the safety off.

Inuyasha ripped the radio out of Sesshomaru-san's hands. "NOW!" he bellowed into the mic, "All units inside there now! MOVE IT!"

Dropping the radio, Inuyasha climbed into the driver's seat, not waiting for Sesshomaru-san to take the passenger seat before slamming on the van's gas pedal. I was thrown backwards into the bench, trying to stay focused on the monitor as the officers stationed closer to Kumo's headquarters started swarming in from every angle, catching Naraku and the others completely off guard.

Then, just as Sango dove to avoid the fray, the camera went black, and I realized her hand was covering the lens as she worked it free from the collar of her shirt. She set in on the ground carefully, and I was able to catch a glimpse of Hakudoshi slipping down a hidden corridor with Kagome-chan in tow. I informed Inuyasha and Sesshomaru-san of this, and once again the pedal hit the metal as Inuyasha forced the speed of the van dangerously high. Over the complaining roar of the engine, I could still decipher muffled rustling noises spilling through the speaker connected to Sango's recording device and I realized that she'd left it taped to her side as she fled the room.

It seemed to only take us seconds to reach Kumo's headquarters and soon Inuyasha and Sesshomaru-san were joining the swarm of fellow policemen, throwing on bullet-proof vests and cocking their guns in no time. Sesshomaru-san gave me one last warning to stay in the van, then suddenly I was alone in the eerie quiet while all hell broke loose on the other side of a mere door.

Panic had rendered me numb. I wasn't sure what to think. One minute, Sesshomaru-san was playing it careful and slow and the next Inuyasha had overridden his brother and issued in the storm of the century to rain on Kumo's parade. I was worried sick for Kagome-chan, worried that they'd be unable to reach her in time before Hakudoshi-san's limited patience ran out and he pulled the trigger.

Most of all, I focused on Sango. I was more confused about her than ever. I was worried to death about her too, though the disappointment at her apparent willingness to kill Kagome-chan for the sake of her brother was extremely unsettling. The rustling over the speaker seemed louder now as the van's engine had been cut, though she didn't seem too interested on bothering with her mic to communicate. I wondered if she'd removed her ear piece too, though just as I thought this, I heard my name being whispered fervently through the speaker.

"Miroku! Are you still there?"

I looked at the speaker dumbly, unsure if I wanted to respond. Sango continued regardless, rendering my debate unneeded.

"I'm really sorry things turned out like this, Miroku. It got really out of hand back there, but I guess you saw…"

I huffed sardonically. That was an understatement.

"You probably never want to see me again, but that's okay … I understand. It doesn't matter anyway. There's been a change of plan, Miroku. I'm going after my brother, and then I'm getting the hell out of here."

There was a ripping noise, then silence. Sango had disconnected her recorder and ear piece, and I was left alone in the unsettling quiet once more.

AN: Alright! We're getting to the close now! We'll have summarizing chapters from here on out, to end the climax and resolve the rest of the story and whatnot. Pretty standard. Thanks for reading and don't forget to review!