InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Price of Freedom ❯ Infiltration (take 2) ( Chapter 17 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
Disclaimer: see chap one for details.

(A/N: Don't worry! It's not the end of the story yet! I hate sad stories they make me want to cry and the last thing I want to do is write one just yet! ^_^ And for those people wondering why Kagome didn't show anyone Inuyasha (me included) I hope its explained in later chapters - Sango remarked in chapter 2 that the police aren't exactly going to treat someone like Inuyasha with utmost courtesy. Maybe Kagome's protected him from that too? Anyway! Here's a new chapter so don't kill me otherwise you won't get the rest of the story!!!)







The Price of Freedom

Infiltration *Take 2*. (the third and final time I swear)













"Would you like a drink?" the receptionist offered.

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"A magazine or something?"

"No thanks..."

"Something to eat?"

"No thanks..."

The receptionist sighed and gave up. "Ok... just push that button at the side of the bed if you need anything." She walked out of the visitors' room, leaving Kagome alone. She just sat on the bed and closed her eyes, trying to block out the amount of blood that she'd seen. But every time she closed her eyes she saw the whole scene in the kitchen etched onto her eyelids. She was forced to open them again and stare blankly at the wall... yet still all the blood seemed to drain her vision.

Why couldn't she have been a normal girl, like her Grandpa had always wanted...? Why did she have to get involved with government secret agencies and spies and... and with Inuyasha...

Her heart hurt so much that she thought there was something actually physically wrong with her. She'd never felt this bad. Not even when her grandmother had passed away.

Kagome turned over so she was face down on the bed now. Her best thinking position, as it turned out. After about half an hour after finding the note she'd gone to a phone box (because the house phone had been smashed up) and called Agent Sesshomaru's personal number. He'd arranged for an escort to bring her straight to the agency at once... and it was all done without Naraku ever finding out.

Of course... she'd come up with no real evidence that this was done by Naraku... but at least this proved that whatever she was involved in, was serious as hell. So now she'd been bundled into this room and so far only three people knew she was here - the receptionist, Sesshomaru, and the guy who had picked her up from the phone box to bring her here.

Kagome sighed... Sesshomaru believed that Inuyasha was now dead... either that or the blood belonged to Yashira Koshi, who was dead. He was certain that at least one of them was dead anyway. Not a comforting thought.

How long would she be stuck here? A day? A week? Until Naraku found out and sent a couple of assassins her way too?

Suddenly the door opened and Agent Kagura came in. Kagome swung around to look at her, uncertain on whether she could trust this woman or not.

Kagura nodded in greeting. "Hiding from Naraku?"

Kagome didn't answer.

"Agent Sesshomaru wants to see you in his office. He trusts me to take you there safely." Agent Kagura held the door open for her.

Kagome only hesitated for a few moments before slowly getting up and allowing the woman to lead her out of the room. She moved surprisingly fast... but Kagome just didn't have the energy to move that fast.

"Come on, Miss Higurashi... if anyone actually sees you then Sesshomaru won't be happy." Kagura grabbed her arm gently to get her moving. "Not even the sandwich boy is allowed to see you here."

Kagome quickly realised that even Sesshomaru didn't want to trust anyone, and so let Kagura move her along faster, ducking down smaller corridors and away from crowded areas. Finally the meandered their way to Sesshomaru's office and went inside without a word. Kagome's eyes fell immediately on the guest also with Sesshomaru in the room.

"Miss Higurashi... allow me to introduce our little walk-in." Sesshomaru said calmly and gestured to the young man before him. "This is-"

"Kouga." Kagome gaped in shock.

Kouga nodded grimly.

"Why... why are you here?" Kagome looked around. "I thought they controlled you?"

"They never actually said, 'don't defect'. So I take it that I can defect if I want to." Kouga said with a dry smile. "I know what happened to Inuyasha."

"What?!"

"Please - if you could both sit down." Agent Sesshomaru dismissed Kagura with a wave of the hand and Kagome sat down, feeling like she was about to explode with the amount of questions she had for Kouga.

"Miss Higurashi... I presume you've met Kouga before?"

"Yes."

"Then you know what he is?"

"He's one of the experiments... he's been engineered of a wolf." Kagome said quickly and looked at Sesshomaru. "See? He's living proof that I was telling the truth!"

"We know. Kouga has explained it all to us." Agent Sesshomaru inhaled deeply before letting it out slowly. "We sent an agent to the labs a little while ago and he returned recently saying that he had inspected every centimetre of the institute and found nothing. Which is funny because he went undercover."

"He's a mole." Kouga said simply.

"We can't be sure. So we're going to have to send someone in who has a high security pass and knows their way around." The agent said evenly. "Kouga knows his way around and you Kagome... look an awful lot like a certain major Kikyo."

"It's been done to death." Kagome said shortly - she was more eager to find out what had happened to Inuyasha and his mother.

"That was before... they've apparently stepped up security a lot since you last tried to infiltrate, as Kouga says, and you need more that passing similarity to get in there."

"You need codes, cards, fingerprints, blood samples and retina scans to get into the deeper part of the base where all the evidence is." Kouga told her.

"We want you to go there, with a camera and microphone and be able to transmit the data you receive as soon as you find it. We'll be here, showing all the superiors - save for Naraku - and if you show us what we need to see then we'll organise a takedown attack on the island."

"That's great." Kagome frowned. "But... what about Inuyasha."

Sesshomaru looked to Kouga and nodded. Kouga glanced uneasily at Kagome, concern in his eyes for her. "He's been recaptured... as had his mother. Miss Koshi is lined up to be executed and Inuyasha has been moved to isolation after killing one of the men who captured him."

"So the blood in the house...?" Kagome whispered.

"Belong to one of Naraku's men."

Kagome breathed a sigh of relief.

"But... he's not looking too good." Kouga went on. "As soon as I saw him in isolation I decided enough was enough... and I came here."

"What's happening to him in isolation?" Kagome wanted to know. Half dreading the answer.

Kouga was about to answer before Sesshomaru cut him off. "It's best to leave that unsaid... he'll be released from there soon enough if you are successful."

"Oh..." Kagome frowned slightly.

"Meanwhile, Kouga has offered to teach you how to act more like Major Kikyo and meanwhile, I'll get some trusted agents to work on getting you the codes and security passes you will need to get through the institute."

"Ok..."

But she couldn't help wonder what was happening to Inuyasha.





^_^





"I' m sorry ma'am but I don't have any mashed potato left."

"That's ok, I'll have the chips instead-"

"No Kagome!" Kouga sighed. "If you want to pass as Kikyo - you have to act like her! Kikyo would never accept that she should be denied something."

"Because she's a spoilt brat?" Kagome guessed.

"Well done." Kouga shook his head. "Ok... from the top. I'm sorry ma'am but I don't have any mashed potato left."

"Are you sure she likes potato?"

"Just... get on with it?"

"Uh - that's unacceptable! I must have mashed potatoes! Go out to a farmer and get some this minute and mash them up and serve them fresh - or I'll have you fired!" she was just messing about and was totally shocked when Kouga said -

"That's good. Now let's work on her walk." Kouga said. "Remember - she always walks with one foot in front of the other - she never hurries - and when she stands she just stands."

"Like this?" Kagome did a little shaky walk across the room and then stopped to stand.

"Mm... the walk was right - but she's steadier than that. And you have to stand stiffly and primly - no slouching. And no looking at your feet as you do that either."

"Damn you're a tyrant..."

"What?"

"I said I need a tyre iron." She glared at him pointedly.





^_^





"A nd these just paste onto your digits like so..." the doctor commented as he sloshed sticky liquid over her fingers and started to press the fake skin with the Kikyo finger prints over her own. "And they should stay on for a good twenty four hours... now... these are the contacts you'll have to wear - grey coloured."

Kagome took all of this in as she sat on the hospital bed.

"We'll have the shape your eyebrows a bit differently... hers are a little more forced into a frown." Kouga commented from behind the doctor.

"And a birth mark goes on your elbow... and a beauty spot just under your left ear..." the doctor ticked off the check list. "I also have to give you a scar under your chin and... cut your hair a little."

Kagome paled.

"Good! And the pale face thing is perfect." The doctor clapped his hands. "I don't think there's anything else we need to change."

"Her scent." Kouga spoke up.

"What about it?" Kagome said defensively.

"They have sniffer dogs at the entrance - they'll be able to tell a strangers scent from Kikyo's in an instant."

"Well... I don't know what we can do about that." the doctor frowned.

Kouga dug into his pocket and held a little perfume bottle out. "Evening Flower. That's the scent she wears. It covers her own scent and it should cover yours. And you'll smell exactly like her."

"Wow... you're thoughtful." Kagome took the bottle. "Where'd you get it?"

"I swiped it from her purse when she wasn't looking. I also took her security swipe card and made a copy of it for you. Sesshomaru has that and Agent Kagura is waiting to give you the security codes to memorise."

Kagome closed her eyes briefly, hoping that she could juggled all this. This was a big mission... this was the big league... and hundreds of people's lives were depending on her to do this right. If she failed then she would not only doom them, but also herself.

It was a lot to rest on the shoulders of one ditzy sixteen-year-old girl.





^_^





"Are you sure you want to do this?" Agent Sesshomaru asked for what seemed the hundredth time as they stood on the beach with Kouga preparing the boat to cross the water. "It's not your responsibility to handle. You can always go back home if you wish."

"It's my problem now. I can't go home safely until this institute goes down in flames." Kagome said sternly. Besides... she couldn't abandon Inuyasha... not now... not ever...

Sesshomaru sighed and handed her a little earpiece that slotted into her ear. "This is so you can hear our instructions and communicate with Kouga. The badge on your jacket has the camera and the microphone. DON'T damage it."

"Because then you wouldn't receive the data you need?"

"No. Because they cost money." He shook his head and headed away. "Now get out of here."

Kagome nodded and hurried over to Kouga and the boat. "We ready to go?"

"Just after I patch these holes."

Kagome stared at him and he grinned. "Only kidding, let's go."





^_^





The journey was fairly quick and when they reached the island they moored away from the pier and out of sight. Kouga switched on his own microphone, camera and earpiece. "I'll go first and you wait here in the boat until I make sure that Kikyo doesn't pose a problem."

"By what means?" Kagome asked suspiciously.

"I'll just tie her up and lock her in a cupboard or something and then I'll tell you when it's safe to come along." He darted off into the night and Kagome sat, huddled and cold in the damp boat, listening to the water slap gently against the side.

Only fifteen minutes later she heard a static crackle in her ear and jumped. "She's secured. You can come now."

Kagome carefully climbed out of the boat and started to make her way towards the path heading for the entrance gate. There were still two guards posted at the entrance, but now they had two dogs on leashes. Two rather big German Shepherds at that.

"Name?" one guard asked with boredom as she arrived.

"Major Kikyo."

"Hold out your hand." Kagome complied without much delay and allowed them to place her hand on a scanning machine. Kagome waited anxiously. If there was one single digit wrong on her hand then she'd been caught.

"Ok... go through." The guard allowed her past and the dogs sniffled at her a moment but seemed to recognise the smell of her rich perfume.

Kagome breathed deeply and moved on to the entrance doors of the base. There, they made her do a retinal scan of her eye... before allowing her in without question.

It was all going swimmingly. Now all she had to do was act like she was having an average Kikyo day and head about doing her stuff. So she walked around aimlessly for a good quarter of an hour. There was a crackle in her ear before Agent Sesshomaru spoke. "Where are you going?"

"I don't know." She said casually. The scientist passing her gave her a weird look and she glared at him. "What, I'm talking to the voices in my head, you got a problem with that?"

He shook his head quickly and moved on. Kagome congratulated herself silently on doing a very good impression of Kikyo, and carried on doing the graceful elegant walk that she'd perfected over the last week.

"Ok, this is all very interesting and all, but we haven't seen much to suggest your theory is correct, Miss Higurashi." Sesshomaru told her sarcastically.

Kagome grabbed the attention of another passing scientist. "Excuse me, do you know where Yashira Koshi is being held?"

"Yeah sure... down the hall, second turn on the left, room thirty-one." The scientist told her helpfully.

Kagome didn't even smile as she normally would when she muttered her thanks and headed in the direction he'd shown her. Down the corridor and two left turns later she found the room... or more like the cell...

She took out her swipe card and slotted it through the device on the lock before opening the door and sliding the manual bolt out of the way. Inside was a rather pale and traumatised looking woman... it was definitely Miss Koshi. She looked up at Kagome and sneered resentfully. "Oh it's you again."

"No - I'm Kagome." She hurried to the woman's side who just snorted in a very Inuyasha characteristic way.

"Fool me twice and I'm the fool." She replied evenly.

"No seriously - the agency you directed me to is helping me out."

"Prove it." Yashira looked at her sceptically.

"Um... you slammed the door on my face when I first turned up with Inuyasha." Kagome smiled. "I resent that you know."

"My god... how did you get in... y-you have to get out of here before they get you too." She clasped Kagome firmly by the shoulders. "Save yourself, girl."

"I have to save you and Inuyasha first."

The older woman looked pained. "It's too late... they have him in isolation... nothing can ever break out of there... go..."

Kagome stood and walked to the door. "I'll come back for you before I go, ok?"

"Just go and don't come back. Don't throw yourself to the dogs like this."

Kagome didn't want to listen to her anymore... just in case she was swayed by Yashira's argument. So she went on, trying to find some incriminating evidence.

Suddenly a man stopped her in the corridor. "Major Kikyo, I've been looking for you - I thought you wanted to come see specimen three-two-nine."

"Three-two-nine?" Where'd she heard that before.

"It's a rather interesting discovery I must say, come along, girl." He swept off and Kagome followed him, careful not to hurry in an un-Kikyo like fashion. He led her into a dark room filled with other scientists and doctors - basically anyone in a white coat.

And the room was dark for a reason because they all seemed to looking through a tinted glass window into a very much brighter room. It was a one- way mirror, that was for sure. Kagome stood close to the front and peered through the window curiously. There were men in military wear and tranquilliser guns stationed around the room... but for no apparent reason... since the specimen hadn't arrived yet.

Suddenly a hush went around the dark room as a door in the bright room opened and two men in white coats entered, followed by Inuyasha in plain cotton white clothes, and being pushed along by a burly man who had a twisting grip on his shoulder that had to have been painful... but Inuyasha just looked blank. Kagome's breath caught in her throat at the sight and she heard a faint crackle in her ear, but no one spoke.

Inuyasha was shoved down into a chair, still looking a little too vacant to be normal, and the two doctors began attaching electrode pads to his temples and hands.

Kagome could only gape in shock and horror. What was she supposed to do now?







(A/N: well just be thankful he isn't dead. Next chapter - 'A Fiery End')