The Face of War by Haiden
The Target and The Reward
A/N: I started writing this with the intention of it being a one-shot, but after 20 pages, I realized that I had created a monster. I hope you like it. Let me know if you see any errors and please review! ~Haiden
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Kagome Higurashi, age twenty-four and soldier for the Takahashi cause, sat upon the rooftop of one of the tallest building in Japan, not because she wanted to die, or because she needed an escape from her world, if only for a moment. No, she needed a clear shot of her target. She didn’t know his name, didn’t know what he had done to offend the Takahashi Family; all she knew was the location and the reward. No other information was given and no other information was wanted.
She was in it for the money and didn’t care that the target’s children were asleep in the room next to where the target currently stood, or that his wife was heavy with child. None of it mattered, only the target and the reward.
It was raining, it was pouring, but Kagome didn’t feel it. Adjusting the scope on her long range rifle, Kagome pulled the trigger. Almost a mile away, her target dropped.
Why should I care? I’m only taking from them what they took from me.
Rising from the rooftop, Kagome momentarily stared into the distance, staring at the building her target had been located. She felt nothing. She heard nothing, only the sound of thunder and lighting and rain. Then the sound of sirens.
Stepping away from the skyscraper’s ledge, Kagome took apart her rifle and placed it back inside it’s carrying case, which closely resembled a briefcase and would go easily unnoticed by most. Walking towards the roof’s only exit, Kagome began to make her way back to the ground level of the large office building.
She took the elevator for most of the descent, the soft music helped to distract her from the world around her. It was nearing midnight and the building was empty, save her and the officer who let her in. When she had finally reached the bottom floor, she nodded once to said officer, a silent display of thanks.
“That was quick,” the uniform stated.
“It usually is,” Kagome replied coldly before walking calmly out the front door of the building. Outside, the getaway car was waiting.
Climbing into the passenger seat, Kagome placed her case in between her legs and pulled her hair out of its tight knot on the top of her head.
“Where to, miss?”
Kagome glared daggers at her boss before replying, “I want my money, Miroku.”
“Home it is,” the man said, putting the vehicle in drive and making his way to their destination.
Home, of course, was code for Takahashi House. Just like Pup was code for a soldier, or a hit man. Big Papa was code for the head of Takahashi House, Touga Takahashi. The Sons of Takahashi House were called the Boys and the oldest was The Prince.
There were also code names within the soldiers. Miroku went by Monk when in code; there was also Hell Fire, Misfit, Wolf and Kid.
Kagome’s, to her irritation, was Orphan. That was what she was when they found her. For the longest time, she couldn’t talk so no one knew what her name was, and Orphan kind of stuck.
It was nearly an hour drive to Home, but it was quiet and after a kill like that, that was all Kagome really wanted. She wasn’t sure when she had fallen asleep, but she awoke with Miroku shaking the shit out of her.
“I’m awake, damn it,” she growled.
“Sorry, shit. Remind me never to wake you from your beauty sleep, Princess,” Miroku replied.
“Fuck off,” Kagome unbuckled her seat belt and slid out of the large SUV. The Takahashi House was more of a mansion than a home. It had four levels, not including the basement, and so many secret passageways you needed a map to find your way around. Touga had designed it that way, incase their ever home got sacked they would have a way to get out.
Kagome began to make her way inside, Miroku not too far behind her, “By my side, Monk.”
“Aw, come on Orphan, Misfit hasn’t given me any in a week. I’m dying here,” he begged.
“And she has good reason, you asshole. After the shit you pulled last month, you’d be missing a lot more than sex if I was Sango,” Kagome replied, watching as the man slowly moved from standing behind her to walking next to her.
“Yeah, yeah. I know. But hey, it’s not like I paid the bitch to do it,” he stated, defensively.
“That’s not the point. It’s the fact that you fucked a Monsumoto that has everyone so pissed off. If you had given her any information, it could have destroyed the Takahashis,” Kagome argued.
“I know. I apologized to Big Papa, didn’t I? Fuck,” Miroku exclaimed.
Not replying, Kagome turned her attention back in front of her, watching as they made their way down the many hallways of the house until they came upon the double doors that would lead into the main room where Big Papa usually resided.
The two guards at the door nodded at them before they knocked softly on the dark wood portals.
“What is it,” they heard Big Papa call.
“Two lost kittens found their way home,” one of the guards replied, sarcastically.
Kagome sent him a harsh look before stepping forward, ready to walk into the next room.
“Send them in,” Big Papa stated.
“Uh oh, might not be a good idea, Sir. Looks like one of them still has her claws,” the guard smirked, staring down at the petite woman in front of him.
Glaring at him, Kagome didn’t think before punching the guard in his face, “How those claws taste, bitch.”
Shocked at her outburst, Miroku grabbed Kagome and hurried her through the door before the guard could reply. Once the doors were close, only then did he let her go.
“Don’t fucking touch me,” Kagome sneered at her boss.
“If I hadn’t grabbed you, I’d be taking you to the hospital and I want to go home some time tonight,” Miroku countered.
“Enough,” Touga Takahashi demanded, taking in the sight of his ‘lost kittens’. Kagome stood before him in tattered black jeans that were obvious men’s because they were huge on her and a black t-shirt that showed off her toned abs and was soaked through. Her hair was a wet mess and she wore no make-up. Miroku on the other hand looked completely at home in his tailored, designer suit and his brown hair hung loose around his shoulders, “I take it your task is complete?”
“It is,” Kagome stated, becoming serious.
“Do you have proof?”
Turning to the left, Kagome saw the Takahashi heir sitting on a couch against the far wall, one ankle resting casually on the opposite knee. She hadn’t even known he was there. Sesshoumaru Takahashi stood at an easy six foot four inches with long white hair and amber eyes. Just like Touga and Inuyasha, all the Takahashi men had the same features, but at the same time they were all different. Touga looked like he’d get along with anyone, Inyuasha had a baby face and Sesshoumaru had more feminine features that contrasted greatly with his tall frame. Even so, he wore a constant mask of indifference that left him feeling cold.
“Turn on the news,” Kagome replied quietly.
Grabbing the remote, Touga flipped on the news station. They listened in silence as the reporter informed the viewer that a local politician was found dead by his wife; a bullet through his head. Miroku and Touga watched the news; Kagome and Sesshoumaru watched each other.
“Good enough son,” Touga asked.
Nodding Sesshoumaru stood saying, “Give her the money,” then left.
Touga picked up a briefcase that had been resting on the floor at his feet and placed it on his desk in front of him. After unlocking it, Touga turned it around and opened it, so that the woman could see inside.
Her eyes actually widened. Kagome knew what four million dollars was, but to see it so perfectly displayed before her was something else. Walking slowly towards the large oak desk, Kagome looked down at the contents inside the case before looking back at Touga. Yup, she was in it for the money.
“You have a month worth of paid vacation to any location, but you must be back in Japan at the end of the given amount of time,” Touga stated before closing the briefcase, locking it, and handing it to the small woman before him, “Why don’t you buy some new cloths while you’re gone.”
Smirking, Kagome nodded once before turning and walking out of the large office, Miroku taking his place beside her.
Two hours later, Kagome was opening the door to her tiny apartment, a briefcase in both hands. When she walked into her bedroom, she slid them both under her bed before turning towards her bathroom to take a much needed shower.
As she had thought, the hot shower had helped relax her enough to not think about what she had done just a few hours earlier. Her vodka tonic might have had a small hand in loosening her nerves, as well.
Sitting in her pajamas, drinking her tonic, Kagome browsed the internet for prices on flights to Europe. It had been nearly a year since she had last had a vacation and she wanted to go somewhere far, far away.
After deciding on Scotland, Kagome booked the flight for the next day and headed off to bed.
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A/N: I'll probably post the next chapter today. Don't forget to review and tell me what you think. ~Haiden