When Two Paths Entwine

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Chapter 4: Dissention In The Ranks


Kagome hummed along with the music as the elevator glided its way to the top floor. She moved forward when the doors swung open and paused as she came face to face with the company’s lawyer.

“Good morning Mr. Hakama. How are you today?” She smiled politely at the harassed and rather distracted looking attorney.

“Ah… well thank you Kagome.”

He bowed quickly and entered the elevator. Kagome blinked in surprise and exited the compartment, wondering what happened to the usually pleasant and chatty little man. ‘Something must have upset him.’

“Have a lovely day young lady.”

She turned in time to see the lift doors close and Mr. Hakama disappear from sight. “Strange.”

With a shrug, she continued down the hall and pushed through the large glass doors of the executive suite. She smiled at the old lady as she walked past the reception desk, grabbing the large stack of documents that was held out to her.

“Thanks Kaede.”

“Kagome, don’t forget to remind Inuyasha about the meeting.”

“I haven’t forgotten.”

She gave Kaede a reassuring smile before heading towards her boss’s office. He was sitting at his desk, frowning distractedly as he spoke to someone on the phone. She moved quietly to her own desk and started sorting through the new pile of papers she brought in. With the task completed, she lifted her hand and pointed to her watch, silently reminding him of his appointment.

Inuyasha nodded and turned his attention back to the call. “No Myouga… I assure you that the work is still in progress… I have no idea where that rumour came from but I fully intend to find out… Yes, I’ll let you know if I hear anything… Okay.”

Kagome glanced up from the document in her hand, looking at her boss in concern. He was still frowning and had a faraway look on his face that told her of the gravity of his thoughts. In the short time she had worked for him, Inuyasha had proven to be the more carefree of the two brothers. His usual manner was to shrug off dilemmas with the assurance that all could be fixed. Seeing him this way made her wonder at the severity of the problem.

“Is everything all right Inuyasha?” She ventured hesitantly.

Her voiced concern brought him back to the present and he gave her a quick smile as he rose from his chair. “Yes Kagome, everything’s fine.”

Somehow, she wasn’t convinced but she gave him a smile in return. She hadn’t really expected him to confide in her… she was new here, after all. She turned back to her work, assuming that he was leaving and looked up in surprise when he spoke to her again.

“Kagome, I need you to do something for me.”

“Sure, what is it?” She turned to find him standing in the same position as before.

“I need you to call Mr Sekiri for me… you’ll find his number in the index on my desk. Tell him I need to speak with him and that it’s rather urgent. If he can make it, I’ll be home by six tonight.”

Kagome nodded. “Okay Inuyasha. No problem at all.”

With a nod, he turned and walked out of the office. Grabbing the index from his desk, she sat and leafed through it until she found the number she needed. She reached for the phone, stopping when a knock sounded on the door.

“Come in.” She turned to greet the visitor. “Hojo! How are you?”

The handsome young man walked in and closed the door behind him. Kagome smiled, as she looked him over. Hojo always reminded her of a model in one of those sophisticated magazines. He was ever immaculately presented… right down to his perfectly matching and not to mention, sparkling shoes. She squashed the urge to giggle as she smiled warmly at him.

“Hi Kagome, I’m great… having a wonderful day, if you must know.” He smiled happily as he walked over to stand beside her. “Our department is actually up-to-date with its monthly reports.”

“Wow, that’s good news for your boss.”

Hojo laughed, showing a row of perfectly lined, white teeth. “It sure is. It means the heat won’t be on him today.”

Kagome laughed as she imagined the harassed executives sitting in the boardroom, anxiously awaiting their inquisition. The picture was very amusing and it also brought her back to the present.

“Sorry Hojo but Inuyasha isn’t here. He’s at the meeting too.”

“I figured he would be. I actually came to see you Kagome…”

“Oh?” Kagome started feeling rather apprehensive. “And what did you want to see me about?”

Hojo pulled up a chair and sat beside her, beaming enthusiastically. “Well… I have a favour to ask you.”

The feeling of apprehension grew as she continued to smile at him pleasantly.

“My parents hold a charity function every year, to raise money for some cause or another. They’re usually formal and quite boring. I thought it might be a little more fun if I had one of my old friends there.”

“Oh Hojo… I don’t know if I can…”

“Look Kagome, I know that things are a little hectic for you at the moment. That’s why I’ve given you plenty of notice. It’s not for another three weeks… so you have lots of time to decide.”

Kagome nodded, glad of the reprieve and gave him a warm smile. “Well, I’ll see what I can do but… no promises, okay?”

“That sounds good to me.” Hojo’s smile broadened. He stood up and put the chair back in its place. “I better get back. I have a few things to finish before the meeting ends. I’ll see you soon Kagome.”

She nodded, her smile fixed firmly in place. “See you later Hojo.”

Kagome watched him walk out the door before turning back to her desk with a sigh. Why couldn’t she fall for Hojo? How simple everything would be then. She took a deep breath as the memory of Siesso’s lips covering her own and his hands wandering sensuously over her bare skin brought hot flushes to her body. ‘No’ she shook her head, ‘he’s Sesshoumaru Taisho, your boss.’ Lifting the receiver of the phone with determination, she dialled the number and waited, trying in vain to ignore the warm sensation in the pit of her stomach.


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Miroku strolled from the kitchen with a steaming mug of coffee in his hand. He placed it on the counter, next to the phone and reached for the receiver. He almost jumped when it rang.

“Can you get that?” came a muffled feminine voice from the bedroom.

“I’ve already got it honey!” Clearing his throat, he lifted the offending instrument and spoke. “Hello”

“Mr. Sekiri?”

“Yes”

“This is Kagome Higurashi. I’m Inuyasha Taisho’s assistant. He asked me to call you and arrange a time for you to meet. He said to tell you that it’s urgent and he’ll be home by six this evening.”

Miroku’s naturally curious instincts spiked immediately. “Tell Inuyasha that I’ll be at his house at six-thirty.”

“Very well Mr. Sekiri. Thank you for your time.”

Miroku put the receiver back in its niche and stared at it thoughtfully. ‘Something must have happened. I wonder what this time.’ He was suddenly distracted from his thoughts, turning to stare at the woman who walked out of the bedroom. He leaned back against the counter and grinned at her suggestively. His eyes raked her tall, athletic figure, adorned in a black figure-hugging suit. Her glossy black, shoulder-length hair was tied into a tight knot at the nape of her neck. She sat on the lounge and proceeded to inspect the contents of her large black bag. She lifted her dark brown eyes and locked her gaze with his. A slow smile crept to her face as she stopped her avid perusal to focus him with her attention.

“Don’t you have anything better to do than stand there ogling?”

He graced her with a sexy grin but stayed as he was.

“I see not.” She continued to zip her bag before rising to her feet. “Some of us have work to do.”

Miroku’s eyes flicked down to the bag at her side and he frowned, totally forgetting his thoughts of seduction.

“So… you have active duty? In the day?”

Sango closed the gap between them, smiling up at him as she drew closer. “Boss’s orders.”

Miroku wrapped his arms around her and slid his hands over her lush curves, lingering on his favourite feature… her backside. He leaned down and brushed his lips on the sensitive skin of her throat, smiling at her quickly indrawn breath.

“Wouldn’t you like to come back to bed with me first.” He opened his mouth and pressed his lips down the side of her neck, trailing his tongue over her collarbone and back up her throat.

Sango moaned then pushed away from him. She had to get out of there. Miroku always made it impossible to leave but she’d sworn to her boss that she wouldn’t be late today.

“I have to go Miroku.” She leaned forward and kissed him, stepping back quickly when he reached for her. “I’ll see you tonight.”

Miroku sighed, watching the way her backside moved as she stooped to pick her bag off the floor. She paused and threw him a sexy grin over her shoulder before straightening up and walking out of the apartment without a backward glance. He took another mouthful of coffee and grinned, turning back to the phone. After dialling the number and going through the secretary, he finally heard the voice he wanted.

“Ah, Carl… it’s Miroku.”

“Miroku! How are you? It’s been a while.”

“Yes my friend. Business has kept me busy lately.”

“What a shame. I miss your company.”

“Yes, it’s been too long.”

He had met Carl at a university in England and had grown quite attached to him. So much so that he helped him find a job in Tokyo. It hadn’t taken his friend long to work his way into the position of junior vice-president of the Federal Reserve Bank. Miroku smiled, thinking what a sheer stroke of luck that was for him. Over the years, his own companies had more than tripled their profits and much of it was due to the information that had Carl passed his way.

“So… what can I do for you?”

“Ah, now that my friend is the question. I was wondering if you had any information about Takahashi Enterprises. The rumour is that there’s another bid for a takeover.”

“The rumour is correct. The sale went through yesterday.”

“What?” was all Miroku could manage produce from his stunned mind.

He heard a chuckle from the other end. “I know… very fast work indeed.”

“Who was it Carl?”

“I have no idea Miroku. Some company by the name of Hitani bought it. It’s obviously a dummy corporation. Someone doesn’t want their activities known.”

“Yes and that someone… has the most incredible powers of persuasion. I’d love to know how they managed to convince the old man to sell. Lord knows how many people have tried.”

“You and me both my friend. So, why do you ask?”

Miroku paused, hating the fact that he had to mislead his friend. “Well, when I heard about the bid, I was hoping to get a shoe in myself.”

“Better luck next time old friend. If there was more time, I would have let you know.”

“I know Carl, I know. Listen… it was great to talking with you again. I’ll drop by next week. I have a nice brandy, straight from France. We’ll have a drink together.”

“I’d like that Miroku. Thanks for calling.”

“See you soon Carl.”

He put down the receiver and frowned. This had to mean something. His brain started clicking through a list of people who might help him out. His body engaged in automatic pilot as he dressed himself appropriately, his mind continuing to sift through his itinerary for the day.


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Inuyasha scribbled down the last of his notes and looked up at his brother. The other board members were shuffling their way out of the room, leaving the two facing each other across the large table. He noted the frowning concentration with which Sesshoumaru read the letter in his hand. Standing, he walked to the door and closed it behind the last of the executives. He turned back to his brother with a sigh.

“I didn’t want to say anything in front of everyone.” He noticed that he had his brother’s attention and continued. “I received a very interesting phone call before the meeting. It was Myouga. Some of his board members are questioning the risks of continuing the funding.”

Sesshoumaru’s frown deepened. “Why?”

“It seems that certain rumours are spreading about a stop in our production line. The rumour has it that our research facility is also temporarily shut down.”

“What?” Sesshoumaru didn’t often find himself speechless but this was definitely one of those occasions. “Where the hell does this come from?”

“No idea” Inuyasha sighed again. “Rather strange though, don’t you think? Especially after that.”

Sesshoumaru looked again at the letter in his hand. Inuyasha was right. Katashi Industries was one of their major backers and had been for the last twenty years. For them to suddenly raise doubts about the viability of their latest project was completely unexpected but now, these rumours passing through the offices of another of their backers, was just too much of a coincidence.

“We have to find out who’s behind this.” Sesshoumaru already had a fair idea of who it was but, as usual, reserved judgment until enough evidence was found.

“I’m already working on it.” Inuyasha gathered his papers together and turned to leave the boardroom.

“Let me know what you find out straight away.”

Inuyasha sent him a crooked smile as he pushed the door open. “Of course.”


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Two black-clad figures slipped unnoticed through the cars of the underground garage. They paused by a sleek black viper and scanned their surroundings carefully. A black-gloved hand lifted, pointing to the far corner of the ceiling, where a small camera monitored the parking lot. The other nodded and crouched low to the ground, making its way silently towards the wall. Once there, it lifted itself from the ground and slid against the flat surface until it was beneath the camera. It followed the progress of the wires until it came to a door, marked “Off Limits”. It turned to the other and nodded before pulling a thin, shiny instrument from a belt around its waist. Quietly, it crouched beside the door and slid the metal into the lock, releasing the catch in seconds. The door was quietly opened and a small hand-held computer removed from the belt. After making the necessary insertion, the monitors were linked into the tiny computer and passed on to a much larger one, which was in the back of a van that was parked down the street.

Shippou sat up alertly as the screens of his computer flickered and came into focus. He smiled as he clicked the keyboard, changing from the monitor in the car park to the one in the building’s main entrance. After playing around with a few more cameras, he pressed the button on the microphone and spoke.

“Great work guys. We’re in.”

He immediately went into action, typing in codes at a furious pace. He fed the data that was pre-prepared for the assignment into the computer and watched as the security system fell into his control. He spoke into the mike again.

“You can go in now. It’s set.”

He sat back and watched as the two figures rose from their hidden spots and met at the last elevator. They fiddled with the console for a few seconds then removed the panel. He couldn’t see what they did as one stood directly in front of the wiring. Seconds later, the elevator door slid open.

“Brilliant” he breathed in awe.

Shippou had been round the block. There were many assignments such as this one in his list of experiences. However, he was always astonished by the speed and efficiency shown by the pair on his monitor. He had never seen anyone get around electronics like they did. He watched as they cautiously entered the lift shaft. A minute later, he heard a flicker in his earpiece, which indicated that they’d switched on their communicators.

“Okay” he heard the familiar voice and smiled. “It looks as dead as you say.”

“Don’t they all?” the other’s dry remark caused him to laugh.

“Ah Sango… ever the eternal cynic.”

“Why thank you Shippou. Now, are you certain this thing is unused.”

“That’s what my file says.”

Sango gave a mocking laugh. “Fine but if we die, it’s on your conscience.”

“I promise you Sango, if that happens then I’ll beat myself daily. I swear it.”

“Yeah, yeah” she smirked as she turned to her partner. “You ready?”

She received a nod and turned toward the nearest beam. She was about to hoist herself up on it when Shippou’s voice spoke in her ear.

“Oh did I forget to mention girls? Do be careful, won’t you? And don’t smirk Sango.”

She smirked anyway, shaking her head in mock disgust. “Are you going to bug us non-stop, like always Shippou?”

She heard the sound of a zip closing then silence. The sound of laughter beside her brought her head round to see her partner’s head shaking. She grinned despite her earlier tone as she reached for the bar again. The truth was, she was happy to have Shippou’s bantering while they went about their work. It helped her to forget how much danger she was in. She climbed up quickly and shuffled along the edge, to the next beam. Her partner was up beside her before she had a firm grip. They both jumped when Shippou’s voice boomed in their ear.

“Cynthia!”

Her partner clutched at her chest while holding the metal bar tightly for support. “What Shippou?”

They heard his chuckle. “I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. You’re very quiet today.”

“I was concentrating on where I put my foot, you idiot. You could’ve made us fall.”

“Not a chance. You two are the best.”

Sango released her pent up sigh and continued to prepare herself for the next climb. “Yeah… whatever Shippou. If you do that again, I’ll climb down from here and give you the biggest hiding of your life. Do you hear me?”

“Yes ma’am, every word loud and clear.”

The pair continued, making steady work of the maze of bars as they climbed their way up the dark and narrow shaft. They made it past four floors, when they encountered a rather large gap between their support and their next target. They both reached for their belts and released ropes with a small silver hook on their end. The ropes flew up and wound around the pole above their target. They checked that their belts were secured then started scaling the distance to the next beam.

“So…” came Cynthia’s voice, haltingly between heaving breaths. “Tell me again… why it is… that you do this? You are… after all… the wife… of a rich man…”

“Must have… something to do… with the thrill… of adventure…” Sango hoisted herself onto the beam and reached up to undo her rope.

“Must be.” Cynthia perched herself on the beam beside her, taking a moment to catch her breath. “You know… at times like this… I wish I had your height.”

Sango smiled at her and opened her mouth to answer when suddenly a noise above them caused the pair to look up.

“What the hell was that?” Cynthia felt a chill run down her spine. She quickly unhooked her rope, warily watching the darkness above them.

“I don’t know but it didn’t sound good.”

Shippou’s worried voice came through the earpiece. “What’s going on you two?”

The pair both moved instantly, Sango breathing her response into the mouthpiece. “We’re not sure but we ain’t stickin’ around to find out.”

They slid quickly along the bars, looking for the next perch. A loud groan came from above and the whole structure gave off an eerie vibration.

“Shit!” yelled Cynthia as she jumped up to grab the next bar. “It’s moving!”

The pair scrambled desperately from one bar to another as they watched the large black box descending steadily above them.

“Where the fuck are we supposed to go?” Cynthia yelled angrily. “I thought you said this wasn’t operational Shippou!!”

Shippou swallowed, his heart in his throat. “That’s what the report says.”

His voice sounded hoarse, even to his own ears. ‘What the hell went wrong?’ He typed furiously into the computer, bringing up the report page.

“It’s here. Not operational for the last three months.”

“That doesn’t help us much now Shippou” was Sango’s grunted response. He listened in silence to the clanging of metal that was their mad dash over the bars. In the background, the steady whir of the descending elevator was getting closer. He felt the hairs standing on the back of his neck.

“How far are you to a safe area?”

“A safe area?” Cynthia yelled into the mouthpiece. “If we make it there at all, we’ll be lucky if it gets us out of range.”

She turned her attention fully to the next tricky step. She had to jump a fair distance to the narrow bar near the wall of the shaft. Once again, she wished for Sango’s considerable length. Taking a deep breath, she launched herself across the gap and landed, teetering for a second until a firm hand steadied her. She nodded at her partner, smiling at her through the black cloth that covered her face. They turned immediately and continued to scale the supports along the wall, keeping a close eye on the now, much too close elevator. Just as the square black box reached them, they slid back into the slight niche in the wall. They watched the box travel down slowly past their eyes then nose, their mouths then their chins, feeling the cool, slight sensation as it whispered against their skin.

Sango glanced down worriedly at Cynthia’s ample bosom, watching the metal press into their softness. She heard her friend’s sharp intake of breath and the soft moan of pain. Once the elevator passed safely by their feet, she breathed a sigh of relief and turned to face the other girl.

“You see Cyn, that’s why I always say that small breasts are better than big breasts.” She laughed as she saw the look in her friend’s eye.

“In your dreams baby.”

Cynthia gave her a cocky smile, knowing that she’d see it despite the headgear. She knew she was right when Sango burst into laughter. She turned to grab the beam above her, groaning as she paused to rub her aching breasts.

“Hey Shippou!” Sango called out. “You still with us?”

“Yeah… yeah” came a stuttering reply. “I think I messed my pants.”

He was quickly drowned out by a howl of laughter.


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Kagome sighed and pushed another neatly stacked pile of papers aside. ‘That’s the last of it.’ She was relieved to finally get through the load of work that Inuyasha gave her, especially since most of it was done around the constant interruptions that she’d had since he left. Much as she loved working with him, his sudden departures from the office managed to create a lot of stress for her. She had to spend an age on the phone, rearranging his appointments then came all the enquiries that he would normally deal with. It all would be well if she knew the running of the business as he did, but after only a week here, she was still a little lost. She silently thanked Kaede again, wondering what she would do if the old lady wasn’t around. She was about to file away some reports that she’d typed up when the intercom sounded.

“Not again” she groaned in irritation then reached out to flick it on. “Yes?”

She recognised Kaede’s voice instantly. “Kagome, Mr Taisho needs that report on the credit accounts right away.”

“You mean…” her heart started racing instantly.

“Sesshoumaru, my dear.”

“Oh… but Inuyasha isn’t here. Doesn’t he need a detailed account on what the expenses are?”

“Yes he does but I’m sure you can handle that. After all, you’re the one who put the report together. Just be sure to take the expense’s journal with you. You do still have it, don’t you?”

“Yes… yes, I do” she muttered distractedly, her mind already in a haze at the prospect of coming face to face with Sesshoumaru.

“Good… then you’re all set. Don’t keep him waiting too long, will you? He sounded quite anxious for it.”

“Right… I’ll get on with it then.”

She clicked off the receiver and sat there, staring out the window. ‘What is wrong with you’ she berated herself vehemently. ‘You’ve been through this already Kagome… he’s your boss. You walk in there and be your professional self.’ Her body sagged into the chair. ‘Who am I kidding?’ She was a mass of nerves and her heart wouldn’t stop thumping madly at her ribs. How was she to speak to him when she couldn’t even think straight? She took several deep breaths and started gathering the necessary paperwork. ‘I have to… that’s all there is to it.’ Since that first day, she had yet to lay eyes on Sesshoumaru. She sometimes wondered if he really worked there at all. Mostly, she tried to ignore the growing sense of disappointment that plagued her often. She always seemed to be chastising herself for her feelings and constantly reminding herself that he was engaged. The thought never failed to slice deeply into her heart. ‘At least I don’t have to struggle with the tears anymore’ she thought sadly. She had finally come to terms with the painful reality. He belonged to another woman. Her son’s little face came to mind and once again, she suffered a bout of indecision. She wanted so badly to tell him about Ryu but… her conscience questioned the fairness of such an action. The man had plans to marry another woman. Would it be fair of her to come between them? She still couldn’t figure out the answer to that question. At times, she convinced herself that she was waiting until he was married so she wouldn’t ruin his wedding. At other times, she dreamed of telling him, dreamed of his reaction when he found out.

She shook herself from her stupor and squared her shoulders. ‘You can do this Kagome’ she repeated over and over in her mind as she walked to the door. She stepped out of he office and paused, seeing Kaede’s head pop up from behind the large desk. The warmth of her smile settled the nerves inside Kagome’s stomach and she returned the gesture before walking to Sesshoumaru’s door. She knocked firmly on the dark wood, bracing herself for what was to come.


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AN: My usual reminder; anyone who would like to know when I update, please leave your email address in your review.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I know that you’re all waiting for more Sess/Kag action and I promise that it’ll come real soon. I just need to set the plot up so you’ll understand what’s going on first.

Well guys, ‘til next chapter, take it easy and have a wonderful start to your new year.
God bless you all.
Babs