Disclaimer-I own nothing.

No Escape

Chapter 4

After two hours of grading papers and doing next week's lesson planning, Rukia went upstairs to check on Kon. He hadn't come down for a snack before bed, which was unusual. He could hardly go two hours without eating.

She knocked on his door, but he didn't answer. Panic flared inside her, but she tamped it down. She would not overreact. He was probably just listening to music on his headphones.

"Kon?" Rukia knocked again, and still there was no answer.

She pushed the door open, hoping she wouldn't walk in on him changing but willing to risk it to get rid of this seething fear that something was wrong. His room was empty and cold thanks to a wide-open window. His bed was rumpled where he'd been lying on it, and his SAT prep book lay open as if he'd just vanished in the middle of studying.

"Kon?" she called. She checked his closet and under his bed, though why he'd be in those places she had no idea, but she looked anyway. He wasn't there. She raced down the hall to the bathroom, which was open and empty.

"Kon!" She shouted louder.

Ichigo burst from his bedroom wearing only a pair of tight boxers. A sleek black gun was in his grip, and though his messy hair and creased cheek said he'd been soundly asleep, there was nothing sleepy about his gaze or movements. His eyes were clear, bright amber. "What's wrong?" he asked in a calm, sleep-roughened voice.

"Kon's gone."

Ichigo didn't waste time asking if she was sure. Her panicked tone made that much obvious. "Is his car still here?"

Rukia hadn't checked, so she hurried back into Kon's bedroom, which faced the front of the house, poked her head out the window, and looked down into the driveway. "Yes. It's there."

Ichigo's tall body was right behind her, peeking out over her shoulder. "Do you recognize that car down the street?" he asked.

Rukia hadn't seen it until he pointed it out. It was an old beat-up Tempo that had probably been manufactured the year she started high school. "No."

"Turn out the lights."

So they could see better. Right. Rukia rushed to the switch and flipped it down. The light from the streetlamps was bright enough to see by, but the car was too far away for her to tell if there was anyone inside.

"He's in the car," said Ichigo.

"You sure?"

"I have good eyesight. From the looks of it, there's a man in there with him."

"Oh, no! It's got to be his father."

"The one Renji warned you would stop at nothing to get his son back?"

Rukia nodded in numb horror.

"Call the police," ordered Ichigo. "I'll deal with this until they get here." He shoved his gun in the elastic waistband of his boxer briefs, opened the window wider, and stepped through.

Rukia watched Ichigo glide down the side of the house, using the porch roof and support beams to climb down to the ground as easily as he would have used the stairs. Muscles rippled over his torso as he moved effortlessly, making no sound. A few feet from the ground, he jumped down and landed in a crouch. A moment later, he disappeared into the shadows.

For half a second, she was too stunned to act. Then she pulled herself together, found Kon's phone sitting on his desk, and called the police.

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

Ichigo used the deep shadows cast by the well-aged landscape to cover his progress toward the Tempo. The air slid over his skin, sucking heat as it went, but he ignored the chill the same way he ignored the sharp bits of rocks and sticks that poked the bottoms of his bare feet.

It didn't take long to close in on the car. The question was how to handle this.

His first instinct was to shoot the man and ask questions later, but he knew that wasn't the best way to proceed. Killing Kon's father, assuming that's who this was, wasn't going to help the boy become a well-adjusted adult. Even if it would ensure Rukia's safety.

As far as he could see, they were just sitting in the front seat, chatting. No one was angry. No fists were flying.

Caution was probably best, though not necessarily the most fun or most satisfying.

Ichigo appeared by the driver's window and tapped on the glass.

The shocked look that crossed Yammy's face-and it had to be Kon's father, because the family resemblance was uncanny-pleased Ichigo. Yammy hadn't seen him coming, which would make the man wonder when he might pop up again.

"Out of the car, Kon," said Ichigo, knowing the boy could hear him through the glass.

Kon moved to open the door, but Yammy stopped him by grabbing his arm. "We're not done talking yet," he told Ichigo.

The temptation to escalate things was getting harder and harder to resist, but Ichigo was man enough to control himself. He crossed his arms over his naked chest and struck a patient, carefree pose. "Fine. I'm sure the cops will sort it all out."

"You called the fucking cops!"

As if orchestrated by a master conductor, the wail of sirens split the night air. "What do you think?"

"Shit! Get out of the car, boy."

Kon did as he was ordered while the Tempo rattled to life. Kon had barely cleared the car before it took off in a screech of tires.

Rukia ran across the lawn and down the street with her glossy hair flying out behind her. She didn't stop until she'd caught Kon in a nearly smothering embrace. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

Kon stood stiff in her arms, and Ichigo had no choice but to save the boy from being humiliated in front of the cops, who were sure to pull up at any moment. Motherly hugs were one thing. Motherly hugs in front of a bunch of grown men were another.

Ichigo tugged at the fluffy bunny-printed bathrobe Rukia had brought out with her. "That for me?" he asked her.

She pulled away from Kon just as the flashing lights started glittering off the windows down the street. Ichigo made quick work of pulling on the robe and tucked his weapon into one of the deep pockets.

Lights in the neighboring houses started flipping on one after another, and anxious faces peered out. And he was freezing his ass off.

"I suggest we move this inside," he said, taking both Kon and Rukia by the arm to get them moving toward the house.

They made it as far as the front door when a pair of police officers caught up with them.

Ichigo wanted to speak to them, but he preferred not to do it in a pink bunny-printed bathrobe that barely stretched over his shoulders. Especially not one with a weapon in the pocket that would raise all kinds of unnecessary questions.

He said loud enough for the cops to hear, "I'm going to put some pants on. I'll be right back," before running up the stairs two at a time.

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

Rukia couldn't think straight. All she could think about were the things that could have happened to Kon if Ichigo hadn't found him.

Thank God Ichigo had been here and Kon was safe.

Her hands shook with relief as she rummaged through the cabinets, looking for the coffee can she was sure had to be in here somewhere. She always drank tea, but she kept coffee on hand for guests. Where the hell was it?

Tears blurred her vision, making the search harder. She wiped her eyes carefully, hoping they wouldn't be red and puffy when she went back in the living room where the police were currently questioning Kon. She didn't want him to know how much Yammy's presence and the danger it posed had upset her.

Or how much it had hurt her that Kon had gone out without even letting her know. She'd thought he trusted her more than that, but apparently, she'd been wrong.

Maybe she'd been wrong about a lot of things, including making the decision to become a foster parent.

What the hell was she thinking? She didn't know anything about raising kids. She hadn't even had a normal childhood herself to serve as a good example. Who was she to think that she could help someone else when she was just as lost and confused as they were?

Rukia stifled a sob and tried to pull herself together. Kon was safe. That's what really mattered here, not her hurt feelings.

Where the hell was that damned coffee?!

Rukia was in the process of emptying the third cabinet onto the counter when Ichigo came into the kitchen. He was dressed again, for which she was grateful. Nearly-naked Ichigo was too much stimulus for any red-blooded woman, and she had enough to deal with without adding to it a pile of useless hormones.

"What are you looking for?"

"The coffee. I know there's some in here somewhere." She slammed a cabinet shut and started emptying another one.

Ichigo came up behind her and looped his fingers around her wrists, stilling her frantic motions. He wrapped his arms, as well as her own, around her body in a hug. Or maybe he was playing human straitjacket.

Either way, his touch felt good, so solid and reassuring she couldn't help but lean into him just a little.

The hard curves of his chest pressing against her back and the living warmth of his body sinking into her made it easier to breathe. She wasn't used to being comforted, and it shook her to the core.

He leaned down so his mouth was right by her ear. "It's going to be okay," he told her in a voice so soothing and confident she almost believed him.

Too bad it was all a gentle lie her body was willing to accept in an effort to find solace. The truth was, no matter how long he held her, or what pretty words he whispered, her problems would all still be waiting for her when he walked away.

She was a big girl and needed to learn to deal with this kind of crisis on her own. "I need to find the coffee."

Rukia moved against him to let him know she wanted him to let go, but he ignored her and held her tight. "To hell with the coffee. I'll go buy you some when this is all over."

"But I'm supposed to make coffee for the police." She knew she sounded frantic, but she couldn't stop the words from coming out.

Ichigo loosened his hold and turned her around to face him, but he didn't let go completely. His big hands slid up and down her arms, helping to soothe her rattled nerves. "Says who?"

"The TV."

His mouth lifted in amusement. "You're a teacher. You're supposed to know better than to do everything you see on TV. I've already told them what I saw and gave them Yammy's license plate number. They want to speak to you."

"Why? I didn't do anything to help Kon."

"He needs you."

The crushing weight of what could have happened to him nearly drove Rukia to her knees. He was her responsibility, and she'd failed him. "You're the one who saved him. You should go out there."

"I didn't save him, Rukia. I just ran his Dad off."

"What if you hadn't been here tonight?"

He frowned at her as if he didn't understand what she meant. "You would have dealt with the situation yourself."

"How? I don't have a gun. I don't even know how to use one."

He was still rubbing her arms in a slow, soothing sweep. "We can take care of that if you want, but you don't need one. Hell, I didn't need one, either, I just didn't know that when I woke up to you yelling for Kon."

"I could never have climbed out that window like you did."

"The stairs would have worked fine. I was just showing off for you."

The grim, determined look he'd worn on his face at the time was proof enough for her that he would have walked naked into a burning building if it would have saved him a few seconds in getting to Kon. "Liar."

"Maybe a little," he admitted.

"I didn't even see Yammy's car. He could have hurt Kon in the time it took me to even figure out where he'd gone."

"That wasn't going to happen. I'm glad I was here for you tonight, but that doesn't mean that you wouldn't have taken care of it on your own."

Her real fear billowed up inside her, and she couldn't stop a fresh flow of tears from sliding down her cheeks, no matter how much she hated the idea of letting Ichigo see her cry. She didn't want to admit the truth, but she knew she had to. There were few people in her life who would understand, but she was sure Ichigo was one of them. "As much as I want to, I'm not sure I should be a parent."

"Why not?"

"I never had a real family. I have no clue how one is supposed to work. My teenage mother put me up for adoption at birth. I was passed from one home to another, and although most of them were good, I always knew it would be temporary." She was temporary, like a Christmas tree. Everyone made a fuss over having her in their home, but only for a short while. Then she was simply in the way, taking up space, making a mess, and a pain to dispose of. "What right do I have to inflict my messed-up childhood and lack of experience on Kon? He deserves better than I'll ever be able to give."

Ichigo hugged her tight, cupping her head in his big hand. "Shhh, now. Don't talk like that or make more of this than it is. This was not a failure on your part as a parent."

She could hear the strong, steady beat of his heart and feel the low rumble of his voice. It had been a long time since she'd been this close to a man, and part of her wanted to curl into him and pretend that all of this was going to go away. "That's easy for you to say."

"Because it's the truth. Kids sneak out all the time to do stupid stuff. Kon made a bad decision. That's all that happened here tonight. He might have even made it for a good reason. You won't know until you talk to him."

Rukia wanted Ichigo to be right. She wanted to believe that she hadn't failed at such a fundamental thing as keeping Kon safe. Still, that fear crouched inside her, turning her stomach and making her palms sweat.

She'd never had a mother. She was afraid she didn't know how to be one.

Rukia took a deep breath and pulled herself back together. She'd be afraid later. Right now she had to deal with this mess. Kids messed up. Parents corrected them. If she wanted to be a parent, that was her job.

She eased away from the comfort of Ichigo's embrace and looked up at him. "He's never going to make that same bad decision again. I promise you that."

Ichigo gave her an approving nod. "I'm sure he won't once he realizes he made you cry. There's nothing worse on a young man than making a woman cry."

"Yeah, right."

"Between the two of us, who has more experience at being a young man?"

Rukia let her head fall to Ichigo's chest in frustration. "I don't know if I'm the right person to do this."

"Do you know someone better for the job?"

"No, but I'm sure there's someone."

"Right. Because there are so many good foster homes open and available for a teenage boy with an ex-convict father. You know what a load of crap that is. He's lucky to have found you."

"I'm the lucky one. He's such a great kid. This is the first time he's ever given me any trouble."

"I doubt trouble is what he set out to cause tonight. Why don't you talk to him? Talk to the police. I'm sure that you can all sort this out and find a way to get Yammy back in jail for breaking parole or something."

"Do you think?"

"You won't know until you try."

Rukia nodded. "I'll talk to them."

She stepped out of Ichigo's embrace and went to wipe the tears off her face, but he grabbed her hand, stopping her. "Let him see the consequences of his actions. He needs to know that what he does affects you."

"I don't want him to see me cry."

"Better that than letting him do something like this again. Trust me."

Rukia stared into Ichigo's amber eyes for a long moment. "I do trust you." And because she did, she left her face wet and went to join her son.

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;

Kiyone didn't know how long she'd have before her kidnapper came back, so she had to hurry. The drugs he'd given her had finally worn off enough that she could get off the cot without falling down. Hitting her head on that hard cement floor once had been enough of an incentive for her to be more careful this time.

She had no idea where she was, but she felt like it had to be a basement. Every once in a while, she could hear the faint creak of floorboards overhead and what she thought might be the sound of water running in the pipes.

Wherever she was, it was dark. There were no windows, no lamps. The light switch for the single bulb overhead was on the outside of the door. Only a thin ribbon of light from under the door allowed her to see anything at all.

At least he'd left her that much. Kiyone was sure that if he hadn't, she would have panicked weeks ago.

Or was it months? She couldn't be sure anymore. Her life was now a series of drug-fogged memories and terrifying nightmares where Sentaro was killed over and over again.

Every time she closed her eyes, she saw his body hanging from the ceiling, swinging slightly, that motion the only remnant of the life that had burned so brightly within him.

Kiyone's eyes welled up, and she bit her lip to keep from crying. It was hard enough to see in here without the added hindrance of tears. If she was going to have any chance of getting out of here, she needed to find a plan soon, before her husband's killer came back an drugged her into unconsciousness again.

She looked around the tiny space. It was about eight feet square, with a cot along one wall and a toilet and sink tucked in the corner. The floor was bare concrete. There was no mattress or blankets. The only thing in here that wasn't permanently attached was the light bulb in the ceiling, a bar of soap, a washcloth, and a single roll of toilet paper.

Kiyone had already tried to open the door the last time she'd woken, and it hadn't budged. She wasn't going to waste whatever little time she had now trying it again. She needed a new idea.

Maybe if she moved the cot, she could reach the light bulb, break it, and use the pieces as a weapon.

Of course, as soon as the killer came back and saw the light didn't go on, he'd know something was wrong.

He'd warned her that he'd punish her if she gave him any trouble.

He seemed to know how long the drugs he gave her lasted, and she was never awake for more than a few minutes before he knocked her out again.

Kiyone figured she had maybe twenty minutes before he came back to drug her again.

A sick sense of panic swelled inside her veins. She didn't know how much longer she was going to last in here. She'd spent most of her imprisonment sleeping, and already she was starting to feel her mind fraying around the edges.

Not to mention her body was getting weaker by the day. With little use, her muscles were wasting away, and even though the killer fed her, she didn't eat much. She couldn't, no matter how hard she tried.

Kiyone scanned the dank space, searching for something she'd missed before. Something she could use as a weapon or a tool.

The toilet! It had bits of metal in it, didn't it?

Kiyone stumbled across the small space and lifted the lid off the back of the tank. It was dark inside. None of the ribbon of light from under the door found its way in here.

She stuck her hands in the frigid water, feeling around for something she could use. The first thing she found was a metal rod that connected the lever on the outside of the toilet to a chain.

Hope speared through her as her shaking fingers moved over the rod, trying to figure out how to free it.

The next time her husband's killer came at her with that needle, she was going to ram this thing right into his eye.

AN

So, there you go. Don't forget to review and stay posted for the new TLAW chapter.