Author's Soundtrack:
One Way Or Another
Chapter Thirteen
Footsteps continued to storm around him like a thundering stampede. There was shouting and orders called for pursuit. Some gave chase, some remained behind, checking the area and confirming it was secure. Voices came over their radios, muffled and distorted with static, making it difficult for him to hear what they were saying, and Ichigo couldn't ask. He couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't see. There was nothing to be done, and it was killing him. All he wanted was to give chase, and instead, he was laying in an alley, drowning in his own blood as she was taken further away.
Silently, he begged for the beast to help him. It had managed to utilize his body when he couldn't, maybe it could get through. But it refused to rise to the surface. Somewhere deep inside, it had hidden itself. Faint feelings of remorse and anger pulsed through him, but it only served to piss him off even more. What right did it have to slink off with its tail between its legs? It finally did something useful, and at its defeat it had given up? Where was all that power and ego? Why wasn't it raging to get her back or stomp Kaien down?
Ichigo wanted to scream and kick, fight and claw, but not a single part of him moved. The beast was useless and Kaien gone. He'd outmaneuvered him, outsmarted him, and walked off with her like it was nothing. Red filled the darkness that was his vision, burning with fury - with Kaien, with the beast, with Rukia, but mostly with himself. He'd let this happen. He'd been weak, over-confident, and oblivious to the skill of his enemy. Under Rukia and the Council's guidance, he'd been trained to be a proficient hunter, but he was still young, still a kid. What was one year compared to 100?
Someone was beside him, trying to speak with him, but all he could hear was the roaring sound of his rage.
"Hang in there, Kurosaki. You'll be fine. The blood loss isn't too severe."
The way Orihime declared her observation, like she was forcing a smile, made him wonder if it was the exact opposite. Kaien landed a few good blows, but Ichigo hadn't paid much attention to how bad they were at the time. There was a wound across his throat, he remembered the bite of steel as it ripped at the skin, but his jugular was intact.
The wound in his stomach was probably worse. Kaien had worn a glove of blades and buried it deep into Ichigo's gut, the impact fracturing his ribs. But that was it. It didn't seem like much at first, but now that he was trapped in his own body, he was slowly becoming aware of the extent of the trauma. The blades had done more than puncture his stomach, they'd shredded his intestines, punctured his stomach and liver, and nicked his lungs.
"Cat, where's that bag of blood?" Orihime's voice was firm in her authority. She didn't raise her voice, didn't hesitate, but that only served to convince him he wasn't looking great. But he didn't matter right now. Give him a few days and he would be right as rain, but Rukia. . . If they didn't catch up to her soon, he would lose her.
The painful jab of a needle in his arm indicated she was sticking by him, and it pissed him off.
"Mr. Kurosaki - Ichigo - please answer me."
Fresh blood rushed into his veins, trying to work to heal his wounds, but they stitched together at a snail's pace, resulting in the new blood spilling out into the alley.
Tender fingertips pressed against his neck and stomach, inspecting each injury meticulously - and setting his world ablaze. Each touch was like being doused with oil and set on fire. He tore at the edges of his mind, trying to scream for her to stop, but nothing came out.
Orihime spoke to someone next to her, but their words were muffled by the torrent of excruciating waves.
". . . some sort of paralytic agent," Orihime said thoughtfully, breaking through the noise of his own mind. "I may be able to neutralize it, but I'll need to close the wounds so the blood doesn't drain before it can do its job."
No. He struggled to speak up, to reach out to her and stop her from wasting any more time on him. She needed to stop Kaien. Every second brought her closer to Aizen.
"I think I saw him move."
"Ichigo," Orihime hurriedly called. The palms of her hands pressed lightly to his cheeks, her breath brushing against his face. "Ichigo, can you hear me?"
Yes! For all the good it did him. He could hear, sense, feel. God could he feel. Whatever that bastard used on him, it did nothing to numb the pain like it did his mobility.
"Van's here."
Several pairs of hands lifted him from the ground, careful not to jostle him and distend his wounds. It did little to ease the deluge that tore through him with every step they took. A few yards felt like miles of being dragged behind a horse on a scorching gravel road.
"Set him down," Orihime ordered. The cool metal floor of the van seeped into his back and felt good compared to the flames that licked at him. "Join the others in the hunt. Keep me apprised of any progress you make."
"Yes, ma'am."
The sliding door closed. Another opened and the van dipped as someone climbed inside.
"Get us to the Agency. Quickly, but carefully."
"He looks like shit."
He felt like shit.
"Just drive," Orihime commanded sternly, and began searching for something.
Drawers opened and closed, and glass bottles clinked together. The vehicle lurched, and Ichigo felt a hand keep him from sliding. Whatever route the driver decided to take, Ichigo determined it was the worst choice. Bumps and dips littered the road hitting him like a battering ram, slamming into him with the full force of an army behind it, and the driver decided to hit each one.
"I don't know if you can hear me or not, but I have something that might help, at least until we get to the medical facility at the Agency." The was the only warning he got before Orihime jabbed him in the arm with what felt like a very large needle.
The thought of snapping at her quickly disappeared as the black slowly faded from his vision and he could see bright colors and shapeless blobs. Everything was encased in a strange, cloudy halo, like he was swimming in water. A brown form floated above his head. By the way it moved, swaying with the motion of the van, he assumed it was Orihime. Blinking, he tried to clear his vision, but nothing changed.
"You're blinking. That's good. Can you move anything else?"
Carefully, he tested opening his mouth, ordering his jaw to separate so he could try speaking. The joint at the base of his ear felt like it was being torn in half, like it was rusted shut with misuse. It was nearly unbearable, but he pushed through it, demanding it obey him. It seemed like hours before he finally had his mouth open just a fraction and his head pounded with the effort, threatening to explode.
"That's good." Her hand was on the back of his head lifting it as she pressed the lip of a bottle to his lips. "Try to drink."
The water flooded his mouth and he tried to swallow. The muscles in his throat were just as stubborn as his jaw, but he managed to get a few small sips in before he choked on the rest of it. Tugging on his shoulder, she pulled him onto his side to spit up anything he couldn't get down.
"You alright?" His brow muscles dipped slightly, the best he could do. She chuckled. "Right. Stupid question. Can you speak? I'm not sure how effective the concoction I just whipped up will be. You can move, so that's something."
"Little." If more muscles in his face were working, he would have cringed. The agony of using his vocal chords and raw throat felt like metal teeth scraping against them. The sound that came out of them was unfamiliar, heavy, and scratchy - and quiet, but Orihime seemed to hear him, the sphere shape of her head giving a nod. At least, he thought she nodded.
"Good. We have some time before we get to the Agency and I have a few questions."
It took great effort just to say one word and she suddenly thought he was up for an interrogation? She was certainly an optimist. And why waste time talking to him when she should be out there, helping look for Rukia?
"Rukia?"
She was silent, and he wasn't sure where she was looking, but he imagined it wasn't at him.
"We have agents hunting the rogue and the councilor. They'll let me know of their progress." She dug around in a few more drawers and coming away with something fuzzy and white.
"Why were you two near the club?" Her tone was gentle, patient, but he could hear the underlying hint of displeasure.
Rukia would have been evasive, answering any questions with vague truths that wouldn't compromise their mission or Starrk. Something like: they were staying at the hotel for the night because it happened to be close to where they needed to work. Not a lie, but not the whole truth. Unlike Rukia, he'd never had the patience or energy for those kinds of things, especially now. He preferred the truth, and after tonight, he didn't want to risk doing something that would only make things worse. The FCA wasn't their enemy. In fact, as far as he could tell, they were trying to help him.
It took a few minutes for his mouth to work again.
"Rogue." He winced, his voice cutting into his throat like pieces of shattered glass, but he pushed on. "Rukia might known."
Orihime pressed the bottle of water to his lips again and he took a deep drink, dulling the biting edges that ripped at his throat.
"The Councilor might have known our rogue?" Orihime pieced together. He nodded his head imperceptibly. Leaning forward, she pressed something to his throat. The sting had him growling, and then recoiling from the painful effort of making such a noise. "I'm cleaning and dressing your wounds. They're not healing, and if we leave them exposed they may get infected."
She trimmed something and leaned forward, wrapping gauze around his neck. "Continue."
"Dead," he croaked, managing to cringe from the continued throb in his throat and the excruciating effort to explain the situation in as few words or possible. Orihime's hands stilled in their ministrations.
"Dead?" She paused for a minute, thinking. Ichigo thought to try and clarify, but she continued, sounding doubtful. "So the target was someone she might have known, who should be dead. Your councilor seems like the type to abide rules. I find it difficult to believe she would interfere with our mission because this man reminded her of a dead friend."
A "dead friend" wouldn't have been, but her husband? He was another matter entirely. He was the reason she'd tied herself to her duty to her people and their laws. And this man was Kaien Shiba in every way from what Ichigo could tell. His face, his voice, his memories, they all seemed to be his. Every memory recalled elicited a reaction from Rukia, indicating their truth. When she first saw him, it was clear she was convinced it was him. And yet, in the blink of an eye, she declared him an imposter.
Of course, there was no way he could tell Orihime all that. Even if he was capable, it wasn't his information to share. Hell, Rukia hadn't even shared all of it with him. It didn't feel right to tell a stranger about something so close to Rukia's heart. And knowing all of that wouldn't help him get her back.
For once he would do things Rukia's way, and simply shook his head.
"Not a friend?"
"Tricky."
"Complicated, you mean."
He nodded, pleased she was picking up on his meaning.
"How?"
When he refused to answer, she sighed and moved on to bandaging his torso. He was grateful she didn't press. Either she understood the information wasn't critical or she was giving him the benefit of the doubt.
"So you met up with him and things went sideways."
Again, he shook his head, but he flung it back as van hit a speed bump, his vision going white. She apologized and yelled for the driver to be more careful. It took him a few more minutes before he could grind out the next set of words. The last jolt leaving him gasping for breath. "Staying away. Surprised us."
"He set an ambush?"
Had it been? It seemed too coincidental that he happened to be in that particular alley, but how could he have known they would be there? The decision to look into him was random, their hotel choice random. There was no plan for him to know about. And Kaien himself had said he was surprised to see her.
If he'd just kept her in the room. . .
"Don't know."
She sighed heavily and secured the bandages before leaning back.
"Was their complicated relationship so bad he would go through all this effort just to nab her? Seems a little reckless given how meticulous he's been about avoiding capture up until now. Going after her, taking her, it could have gotten him caught."
She was reducing this to some sort of lover's quarrel. She knew the situation was bad, but she didn't comprehend the gravity of it. None of them could. This wasn't just about a councilor being kidnapped by a rogue they were chasing. This wasn't just a stroke of bad luck. There was someone pulling the strings and they didn't see it. There was only one word that would make her realize just what - who - she was dealing with.
"Aizen."
The van swerved a little, the driver jerking the wheel to right the vehicle again. Orihime was still.
"Say that again."
It hurt like a bitch, but if it got his point across he would do it. He started to respond when she cut him off.
"Sorry. Don't do that. Sam, how close are we?"
"Just around the corner."
By the time the van came to a slow, lurching stop, Ichigo's vision was doing a bit better. He could now discern Orihime's face from her hair and body, but facial expressions were still non-existent. Orihime stood and opened the sliding door. It took a great deal of effort, but Ichigo managed to sit up without assistance. It was exhausting, like bench pressing a baby elephant after getting shot at close range with a salt-loaded shotgun. Orihime grabbed his arm and lifted him out of the van and into a waiting wheelchair. He might have felt emasculated if he wasn't busy seeing double and trying to keep from screaming.
"Painkiller," he ground out roughly.
"No can do. I don't know how that would affect the toxin," she said, wheeling him into the building.
He tried to snap his head to face her, but it looked more like a twitch. She'd had no problem injecting him with some weird concoction she'd made up on the fly to help him speak, but an aspirin was too risky? She looked so sweet with her big eyes and happy smile, but clearly she wasn't above doing what was needed to get the information she wanted. What would have happened if she'd given him something that would have reacted negatively with the poison Kaien dosed him with?
He was now a little more scared of the girl pushing him into a medical room.
A nurse was already inside, dressed in, what he guessed, were scrubs. Orihime instructed him to draw blood. This man wasn't any nicer with a needle than Orihime was, wielding it like a weapon and sticking Ichigo roughly like a pincushion. Why he couldn't have taken it from any number of his wounds was beyond him. He might have asked, but all he wanted to do was pass out. Physically and mentally he was drained. Every part of him hurt, but he didn't want to sleep. He wanted to be awake when everything started working again. As soon as he could move, talk, see, he wanted to be on the move.
His body didn't agree because when he opened his eyes again he was lying on a medical bed, his vision good enough to now make out the room and the equipment in it. He didn't feel like he was on fire, and to top it off, he could move. Turning his head carefully, he spotted Orihime sitting at a small counter, looking through a microscope.
"Whoever concocted this thing is brilliant," she mumbled to herself and jotted down some notes on a pad of paper.
"He's psychopath," Ichigo informed her, figuring it was Aizen behind his pain and suffering. It stung, but he could speak in complete sentences. Touching his throat he gingerly felt along the healing seam. The skin was raised but sealed. After a few days, maybe a week, it would be gone.
Orihime turned on the stool she sat on and smiled. "You're awake."
"And I can see." Sort of. Her features were still a little blurred, but he could make out the different pieces that made up her face.
"And talk."
Sitting up didn't feel great, but it wasn't like getting hit with a train, and that was a plus. New bandages were wrapped around his torso. They were stained with splotches of red, but he'd stopped bleeding out.
"How long was I out?" he asked, his mind still groggy and struggling to string together a series thoughts.
"Not long. An hour maybe. I didn't expect the serum I made to work so quickly."
An hour? His heart slammed against his chest and he panicked. "Have they found him? Found her?"
He'd interrupted her chattering about something - how impressive the blend of the toxin was and how difficult it had been to come up with an antidote or something - but he didn't care. What he cared about was whether or not they'd caught up with Kaien, whether or not they'd gotten to Rukia before he could take her to Aizen.
Her smile morphed into something grave.
"I'm afraid not. A few agents caught sight of him a few miles from where we found you, but he slipped past them. We haven't had a sighting since."
"Take me to where they are." He slid off the bed and nearly face planted on the floor. Orihime caught him by the arm and helped steady him.
"You're in no condition to join them. The wounds the rogue inflicted on you were deep and the toxin he infected you with prevented your body from healing. The serum helped neutralize it, but your body still needs time to heal."
"Give me five minutes and I'll be good."
She huffed impatiently. "I can get you another bag of blood, but that won't make you ready for travel. Leave this to my team for now. Believe me, we're searching for Councilor Kuchiki using every resource available to us. This kind of thing does not reflect well."
"What do you mean?" He asked, fighting the urge to just walk right out of the room and out the front doors.
"We allowed a foreign councilor to be kidnapped in our territory. As our guest, she's our responsibility. It's a sign of weakness that someone can just waltz right in and take what they want. If we don't find her and bring her back it will look even worse." Orihime paused. "I can't even imagine the kinds of hell your Chancellor must be raising."
Shinji would be furious, without a doubt. And now that they'd made a connection with the First and found someone to train Rukia? He would be hounding the FCA for answers and results. If they didn't already feel obligated to search for Rukia, he would torment the FCA until they made it a priority. Shinji flaky, but when they really needed him to come through, he did.
"I have a few things I need to tend to. I'll be back in an hour with an update."
She started to leave, and Ichigo tried to follow. He was off the bed and walking in disjointed, stumbling steps to the door. Orihime stopped.
"You're not staying."
"You thought I would?" He scowled in disbelief. She hung her head in defeat.
"I had hoped. Tell you what, you wait here and rest, and I'll make sure you're personally included in the briefings with the Director. You can see what our teams are doing to find the councilor, and, given your knowledge of Aizen's involvement, maybe you can offer some insight."
As if that would make a difference. It was impossible to know what that man was thinking or conniving. Why he wanted Rukia now, after discarding her already, he had no idea and he didn't want to know. He just wanted her back.
But working with the FCA would get him closer to finding her rather than working on his own, so he would agree to her proposal. He only hoped there was still time.
When Orihime left, Ichigo settled back on the bed, immediately regretting his decision. There was nothing to distract him, so his mind defaulted to running through the kidnapping. He replayed every second, evaluating, criticising, scolding every action and decision. He shouldn't have let her leave. He should have been with her from the beginning. He should have smelled Kaien. He should have seen him. He should have been able to dodge.
Rukia's head snapped to the side and her body went limp.
Ichigo clenched his fists, clamping down on the urge to destroy the room and everything inside it. That image would never leave him.
His phone vibrated and he pulled it out of his pocket. Squinting, he tried to read the characters on the screen. When they failed to become clear, he gave up and answered the phone.
"What?" He snapped impatiently.
"Where's Rukia? I can't get a hold of her."
Relief and fear collided into a volatile ball of lava in the pit of his stomach as Ashido's voice came through the speaker. He sounded impatient, not worried, which led Ichigo to believe he didn't know about what happened. If there was anyone who understood how he felt, it would be Ashido. If there was anyone who would pummel him to the ground for his incompetence, it was the same man. And he deserved every strike. And if there was anyone who knew what to do, it would be him.
In the background, he could hear the noise of a crowd. Rukia hadn't known what Ashido was planning to do after getting Starrk's answer. He thought he might have returned directly to Japan, but the crowd didn't sound like it was from an airport, and it was too early for him to be back in Japan. Was he still somewhere close by? If he was, would he be willing to help find her? He loved her, even after all these years. He needed someone else looking for her, someone who cared about her, not her status or their reputation.
"You still in town?"
"Yeah. We've got some other things to deal with before we go. Why? And why do you sound like you swallowed a gallon of saltwater?"
"She's gone. Kaien took her"
There was dead silence on the other end, the hum of the crowd filling the heavy void. When Ashido did speak, his voice came out low and rough.
"I'm going to need you to repeat that."
"Kaien, or rather, a man who is like Kaien, took her." It didn't occur to him Ashido might not even believe him, but who the hell made that kind of stuff up?
"And where the hell were you?" Ashido's voice was low, a growl mixed with the tense grinding of teeth. Surrounded by people, he was probably struggling to maintain his composure.
"He wiped the floor with me," Ichigo admitted, gripping the edge of the bed and thinking about tearing it to shreds. "The FCA has agents looking for her, but they haven't seen him for over an hour. He wants to take her to Aizen."
"You're at the Agency now?"
"Yeah."
"I'll be there in 20 minutes."
The line went dead. Dread settled like a weight in the pit of his stomach, but he was grateful Ashido was coming. His jaw wouldn't appreciate it, or his still healing ribs, but he deserved whatever Ashido dished out. He had failed Rukia in every way possible, and now she was about to be Aizen's prisoner.
Son of a bitch!
Seething with self-hatred, Ichigo jumped from the bed and slammed his fists into the wall. The drywall caved, crumbling into bits of fine dust. How could it have all gone so wrong? Maybe if he'd let the beast take over sooner, he might have had a chance to stop Kaien. Maybe it could have saved her.
"Let's keep this between us. The princess might kick my ass if she found out I broke our deal."
The heat from his anger cooled, leaving him confused and wondering just what deal it was talking about. If they made a deal, then they'd spoken to one another. If they'd spoken to one another. . . The pieces clicked into place, one after another in rapid succession, and when he had the full picture he was shocked and furious. Now he knew why Rukia had reacted defensively when he'd touched her in the morgue, why she watched him with concern, gauging his moods and actions. The beast had taken over before, and she'd been there when it happened.
A series of questions raced through his mind, leaving him to wonder if there were other incidences he couldn't remember, other deals. And what were the terms? Had she agreed to them willingly or had the beast done something to ensure her cooperation? He tried to think of all the different possibilities, but it only left him with a headache and a bad taste in his mouth.
By the time Orihime appeared in the doorway he was wound tight and glad for the distraction. His mind was leading him to a dark train of thought he didn't want any part of. There were other things that needed his attention right now. He could ask Rukia directly when he got her back.
His vision was perfectly clear now, and he watched her eyes find the damaged wall and make the connection when she saw the dust on his hands. Thankfully, she said nothing and lead him through the halls of the Agency. They were on one of the lower floors and took an elevator to a conference room near the top of the building. Windows lined the halls giving him a clear view of the city outside. It was still dark, but many of the buildings still had their lights on.
The wall of the conference room was made of glass, revealing a number of people already waiting inside. Some were dressed in suits, others in combat gear. At the head of the table was a hulk of a man wearing a smart button down and slacks. It was easy enough to guess that this was the director. Everyone looked to him, spoke to him, and he watched with controlled disinterest.
Everyone looked somber. There were no jokes. No jibes or friendly elements that developed between coworkers. Everyone was tense as they discussed their next steps. Ichigo was glad to see they were taking the matter seriously. He'd worried Rukia was just another name on a page. Her title and connection to Aizen made her a priority.
The blow came from the left, in a dark blur of motion. Ichigo slammed into the conference room wall. The glass should have broken, but it did little more than shiver from the impact. The people in the room were on their feet, some of them rushing out into the hall. The director remained seated, but his eyes narrowed. Ichigo tried to right himself, but hands gripped him by the borrowed shirt he was wearing and flung him into the opposite wall. A window seam dug into his spine as a muscled forearm pressed against his throat. The skin was sore, but felt like a mild itch compared to the burning ache spreading out from his stomach. He could feel the blood seeping into the gauze.
Hands were grabbing at his attacker, but all Ichigo could see was wild gray, hell bent on making him pay. With one push he could crush Ichigo's trachea, one punch he could puncture his abdomen with a new hole, and he would let him. Ichigo wanted him to do it. The pain was a pleasant reprieve to the emotional torrent ripping through him.
Whether it was his silent begging, the combined effort of the soldiers, or the furious Orihime ranting about tearing open still healing wounds, Ashido released his hold on Ichigo, scowling at him in disgust. He tore his shoulders from the men holding him back while Orihime berated him and checked on Ichigo's wound.
"It was his job to keep her safe." The words were barely a whisper, but they were like drums pounding in his ears and pummeling him into the wall.
Orihime tried to argue in his defense, but Ichigo didn't want to hear it. They were all just excuses.
"That's enough, Orihime. I deserve a hell of a lot worse than that."
Judging by the venomous look in Ashido's eyes, the man agreed and wasn't far from continuing given the right push. Another time, perhaps, when Kaien didn't have an hour and a half lead on them.
"Thanks for coming," Ichigo said with honest gratitude, wiping the blood from his lip with his forearm.
"I'm not here for you."
"I know."
Ashido measured him up, his eyes catching on the blood seeping through the slate-colored shirt. Then he turned into the room. The director was still seated at the head of the table, his hands steepled under his chin as he watched all of them file in, seemingly unperturbed by the fight. Orihime and Ichigo stayed towards the back while she tended to his wound.
"Now that that's out of the way," he finally spoke, "let's get this started. I'm Director Ginjou, and I want to know everything you know, kid. Inoue filled me in on what she could, but I want to hear it from you. Who this asshole is, what you were doing there, and what his connection is to Sousuke Aizen."
Unfortunately, there wasn't much to tell them. He gave them honest answers to everything, except Kaien's importance to Rukia. Ashido's narrowed glare had been an unnecessary warning, but it was good to know he'd made the right decision. By the end of what he did share, the director didn't look any happier. He knew there was more to the story, and considered pressing the issue, but he turned his attention towards tracking Kaien and Aizen down.
They reviewed a large map of the city. The lead agent for one of the teams outlined areas where they knew Kaien wasn't, marking them off so they could focus on other, more likely locations. All Ichigo could see was a labyrinth of possibilities. The city was massive with its four burrows and underground network. Kaien could be anywhere. All he had to do was lay low and wait before making his escape.
Kaien's connection to Aizen made him all the more dangerous. If Aizen had a goal, anything would be done to meet it. Kaien would do what was necessary to escape. The damage could limited or it could be off the charts. If they weren't careful, they would be following a trail of carnage.
"There is no point in continuing to search in the city." Nelliel stood in the doorway, her chocolate brown eyes studying everyone in the room. "Kaien Shiba has already left the city."
"Who the hell are you?" Ginjou demanded in an even tone, though clearly displeased with the interruption.
"This is Nelliel, a member of Mr. Starrk's entourage," Ashido offered diplomatically.
"Is that supposed to mean something to me?" Ginjou leveled a glare as Ashido. "Just because he was part of your top secret mission doesn't mean he has a right to get involved now."
Ashido glanced at Ichigo. There was a question in his eyes, wondering how much they revealed. Nelliel wasn't helping, choosing to watch silently as they made their decision. If they exposed Starrk's identity there was no knowing what would happen. Would they shift their focus? Would they be distracted? Rukia couldn't afford to fall to second priority. And how would Starrk feel about them exposing his identity? When they got Rukia back, he might refuse to help her.
"Starrk is a relative of Rukia's." Using one of Rukia's tactics of half truths, Ichigo figured this would save them the trouble of explaining Starrk's involvement. When the director only scoffed and didn't push any further, Ichigo turned to Nelliel. "How do you know they left?"
"Kaien made contact with our plant deep within Aizen's ranks. He informed them he had a present for them and that he was already on a flight to their location."
"Where?" Ashido leaned on the table in an effort to restrain himself from jumping all over Nelliel. "Where's the plane headed?"
"Why didn't you warn us?" Ichigo demanded. They would get the location of the plane, but if Starrk's plant was aware of Aizen's plans, why hadn't they warned them? Starrk was looking out for Rukia, but this was a blatant disregard for her life. It was a betrayal.
"Taking Rukia was not a part of the plan," Nelliel replied, ignoring Ashido. "Our plant was unaware of Aizen's renewed interest in her, only going so far as to watch her."
"Did you know about Kaien?" Ashido seethed.
"We did."
"Then you had to know he was going to use him to take her!" Ashido slammed his fist on the table and stood, his chair crashing against the wall.
Nelliel had been cool, unmoving in all of her responses, but this time, she hesitated. Her mouth opened to respond, but she closed it. Her eyes fell to Ichigo and offered up silent apologies, but it wasn't enough. Ashido was right. Starrk knew about Kaien, about his importance to Rukia, and he'd said nothing, done nothing.
"We had hoped she would be under Mr. Starrk's protection before he was used. Kaien is a newer creation, reckless and motivated by his own desires. Aizen didn't trust him implicitly and even sent another to keep him in line. He wasn't ready for Aizen to use. Him finding Rukia seems to have been pure coincidence."
"Rukia found him," Ichigo informed her. "We found out he was the rogue the FCA was hunting."
"And how did you find that out?" The growl rumbled through the room like thunder as the director cut into their conversation. His eyes searched the faces of every agent in the room, demanding an answer to a silent question.
"The kid who escorted us through the agency showed us his picture," Ichigo told him. "He said it had been sent to everyone when you first got it."
Orihime groaned. "Kevin."
"Call that little happy-go-lucky shit in. Now."
Orihime nodded and was on her phone making the call. All of them could hear the automated message saying the line was no longer in use. The director cursed.
"Care to explain?" Ashido growled, refusing to return to his seat.
"That picture wasn't shared with the whole agency," Orihime offered. "It was only given to agents going on the hunt. Kevin shouldn't have had access to it or any other information regarding the hunt."
"John, get on the line with Director Hossman. Let her know we have a leak and send agents to find Kevin Miller."
A man near the door nodded and hurried out of the room, leaving the others to deal with a fuming director. His turned his scorching gaze on Nelliel, who remained unaffected.
"It appears Aizen is one step ahead of us - again. Why he would go through so much trouble to get his hands on this councilor?"
"Aizen and Rukia have a history," Nelliel offered, "I imagine he wants to tie up loose ends."
Ichigo felt the world drop from beneath him. What the hell did that mean? What would he do to her? She couldn't die, as far as they knew, so what "loose ends" were there to tie up? The look of sorrow Nelliel was giving him wasn't helping any. Desperation took over, and Ichigo took a step closer to Nelliel.
"Where the hell is he taking her?"
"A facility outside of Tucurù."
Someone was typing on their phone, finding the location. "Guatemala?"
"Yes."
How long did it take to get from New York to Guatemala? Kaien would be using a private jet, more than likely ignoring any regulations. Was she already in Aizen's hands? Was she already suffering? Too many times he had seen her hurt, bloodied and wounded, and the images came too easily no matter how he tried to fight against them.
"Mr. Starrk never intended for things to go so far. The capture of Rukia. . ." Again, Nelliel gave him a look of sincere apology, but it felt hollow. How could he forgive her or Starrk when their silence put her at risk? "Mr. Starrk doesn't want to lose any more family. He will offer whatever assistance you need to bring her back."
"Does he have a jet?" Ashido asked.
"Hold your impassioned horses," Ginjou cut in. "Need I remind you two that you are council agents. That means you have to abide by Council law. With the councilor now in Central America you've got a whole other set of problems."
Ashido cursed and Nelliel looked grim. Ichigo scowled, irritated further by stumbling onto another setback. "What do you mean?
"Guatemala is Central American Council territory, meaning we have to go through red tape to get permission to travel there - and none of our councils are on great terms."
"Fuck red tape! The longer we take to get moving, the longer she's Aizen's prison," Ichigo growled.
"Look, kid, I don't like it any more than you do," Ginjou sneered, "but one misstep and you won't be able to get anywhere close to her, big spending sponsor or not. If you get caught by the CAC it won't matter your motivations. At best, they'll think it's a black flag operation and nail you and your councils to the wall."
"Might I make a suggestion," Nelliel offered. Everyone one turned to look at her, annoyance mixed with curiosity in all of their faces. "Perhaps you should try revealing everything to them, bring them in as partners and only send a handful of agents."
"I don't see how that would work out any better for us," Ginjou snarled.
The hint of a smile on her lips set Ichigo's nerves on edge. "You might be surprised. Instead of an enemy, you might find an alley."
The Director narrowed his eyes as if trying to peer into her soul to see the truth of things. And then he gave up, throwing his hands in the air and sighing. "I'm not going to bother asking how you know that, but it seems you've got your hands on some sort of useful intel. I'd certainly like to hear how you got someone on Aizen's team to turn."
"Perhaps another time."
Ginjou snorted and shook his head, turning his gaze to Ichigo. "If we get the CAC to agree, the FCA will provide a plane and five of our own agents. You and whoever else you want to take leave as soon as we have the go-ahead from the CAC."
There was movement. They were going after Rukia and Kaien, but it did little to ease the worry and anxiety clawing at him. How long would it be before they were finally able to get there? How long to get to her? How long would she spend alone with Aizen, suffering under his capture? They needed to move, and quickly.
Author's Note: Thank you all for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
A special thanks to those who left reviews: MugetsuIchigo, Haru, Negrosabi, and IciRuki 4vr! And a special, special thanks to NieveDrop who pointed out some great things that helped me flesh out the story a bit more, and gin who left a whole bunch of reviews! Please R&R! I'd love to hear what you all thought of this latest chapter!
Edit: Quick note, I tweaked the last thing Ginjou said, as a reader pointed out it was a little confusing as to who Ginjou was speaking to before. I hope this clears things up a bit.