On The Run

To Tokyo it was!

Kagome had received a phone call informing her that a rich businessman in Tokyo had been robbed of something important and he wanted it back. The police couldn't help so he had turned to the private investigators.

Kagome often laughed at the title. Private anything-you-want really, they were the ones who did the jobs no one else would. Each 'Investigator' had their own set of rules and all you had to do was find the right one for the job. Some refused to kill, others were essentially hit-men and others like Kagome were more flexible in what jobs they took.

Kagome hated killing but there was a reason she carried a gun. She always prided herself on the fact that she always took 'em alive if she could, but it didn't always work out that well.

They reached the small rural station, manned by one guy who Kagome half recognized to be one of the local farmer's sons. After purchasing tickets Kagome and Shippou sat down on a bench to wait for the train.

"You gonna need me on this one?" asked the boy, if she didn't, he would take the opportunity to prowl the markets.

"I dunno Shippou, I didn't get many details so I can't tell if you're gonna be useful or not. You may as well stay for the image."

Shippou nodded, a young woman with a child is about as inconspicuous as you got for this kind of work.

The train arrived and they boarded for the two hour journey. Luckily for Shippou there was only a couple of people on the train so he wouldn't be pestered. Kagome donned a pair of sunglasses, they would hide her face from any 'old friends'. She and Shippou spent the journey chatting about nothing in particular and playing cards with the mini deck that Shippou carried. This was partly so they'd look like normal travelers and partly because they simply enjoyed it.

.....

"You say the boss requested you visit?" said the disbelieving girl behind the reception desk. She peered at Shippou who hid behind Kagome's leg in a 'shy and innocent' act.

They were the shiny foyer of a huge office building in west Tokyo, trying to convince the secretary behind the front desk that they realy were there to see her boss.

"Ok" said the secretary thinking the pair were harmless enough "here's the key-card for the top floor, the lift's over there."

Kagome thanked her as she took the card and headed for the lift. Once inside she pushed the card into the slot, allowing her to reach the top floor while also preventing the lift to be called to another floor, thus guaranteeing a uninterrupted journey to the top.

Once the doors slid open again she was greeted by a young man, who she took to be the bodyguard/manservant of the man she was meeting. She was lead into a spacious office where a short man in an expensive suit jumped up from behind a desk to shake her hand.

"So glad you could make it!" he said sightly nervously, before spotting Shippou, "You err use a child?"

The man was obviously uncomfortable with the idea.

Shippou glared him.

"I don't talk about my work, but this is my coworker" said Kagome deciding to give the little guy's ego a boost. It was true after all and their client would know better than to ask questions.

Getting to the point the man told her that he had been robbed of a precious necklace which was also a family heirloom. He already had a suspect, an ex-employee, but didn't have enough evidence for a police raid. He also explained that he was only interested in getting the necklace back and there was no need to apprehend the man.

This was the perfect job, the task was easy and Kagome knew she would be able to extort a large sum of money from the obviously rich man.

She accepted the job and asked for half the money upfront. A wave of the business man's hand and his bodyguard brought the money forward, cash of course. Taking the money Kagome and Shippou left. In the lift she peeled off a few notes and handed them to Shippou.

"Go knock yourself out at the market, it doesn't look like I'll be needing you."

Shippou smiled at the prospect of a day at the market.

As they left the building Shippou slid into an alleyway and reemerged with a 'pop' as a schoolgirl.

Laughing Kagome said "A girl Shippou? I didn't realize you were such a pervert!"

Shippou knew she was teasing but still blushed bright red.

"It's so I get free stuff!" he/she insisted, Shippou had long ago learned that if he made himself a cute schoolgirl he occasionally got tit-bits like extra scoops of ice-cream.

Kagome cracked up at his response causing Shippou to stomp away towards the market.

How un-ladylike, thought Kagome trying to keep a straight face.

....

Four hours later Kagome picked Shippou up from the market, proudly waving her earnings at him.

He was back in boy form and a lollypop stick pointing out of his mouth.

"So how'd ya do it this time?" he asked around the candy.

"I went for the un-subtle approach" she said flagging down a taxi.

Shippou nodded, this meant that she'd busted in and scared the guy shitless before taking the necklace, it was a tried and tested method and it worked especially well with people who weren't really crooks. It gave them a good shock too, hopefully deterring them from further criminal activity.

 "Easy money." commented Shippou as they climbed into a cab.

Kagome gave the driver directions to a house on the edge of town.

"Well it should keep us out of the red for a while anyway..." said Kagome causing Shippou to snort disbelievingly,

"As if you need the money, you've got loads saved away." he said

"Yea, but those are savings"

"What ever"

Kagome wondered at his words, the fox had a point. Up until about a year ago, she had been working for her bread, struggling to stay in the black. Things had changed when she'd had a run of jobs like today's-lots of money, no expenses. Now she had plenty of cash and had proved it by buying extra safe houses. She should be living the good life going on holiday, fancy meals out, expensive cars but she refrained from all that and hoarded all her cash away like a dragon.

There was also the way she kept on doing jobs all the time.

'Have I become a thrill seeker?' She wondered, but that didn't seem likely.

Something else was stopping her from moving on.

Or someone else, came a voice from deep in her mind. She sighed, she had been recruited into the military young and since deserting she had been on the run, it's not the sort of lifestyle where you find a man and start a family.

Kagome sighed again and looked out of the window, letting her mind wander.