Disclaimer: Watsuki Nobuhiro and a whole lot of other people own Rurouni
Kenshin. I do not. Oh well.

Summary: Kenshin?s past comes back to haunt him and a new danger starts
to hunt in Tokyo.

Rating: R, swearing, death, murder, blood and all around nastiness.

Replies: Mara thanks for the feedback. Actually I don?t mind Zenko?s
head all that much, although we have had a few fights over his language.
Fights that he usually wins. The person who?s head I really don?t like
being in is the killers, he doesn?t just make my skin crawl, he makes
the under my skin crawl.

Zosocrowe thanks for the encouragement. I?m glad that you like the Sea
Green Lady. While I haven?t thought of her much since I was nine (which
was a very long time ago) I was rather glad (and surprised) when she
reappeared for this story.

Thanks to both of you for reviewing so faithfully. Enjoy (I hope).

Author?s question (to herself mostly): Why does the end of this story
keep getting further and further away?

A KILLING MOVE

By COLLEEN

_

Chapter 13a

_

Saitou had spent a long day going over the autopsy report and filling
out the paperwork that accompanied it. He gave out a contented sigh a he
signed the last paper and slipped it into its assigned folder. Although
he much preferred a hands on approach to his work he found a certain
satisfaction in putting the information down on paper. Arranging the
facts into neat columns gave order to an otherwise chaotic case.

However, he had had enough of both the case and the paperwork. Besides,
he had more pleasurable things to look forward to tonight. He was
happily contemplating those things when someone knocked on his door.

Saitou had just been in the act of standing up when the timid rapping
caused him to freeze. Giving a little grumble he sat down again and
called out for his visitor to enter.

A young constable slid nervously through the door. Saitou glared at him
for a moment before placing him as one of the two officers who had found
their one and only witness to the recent murders. Remembering the old
woman he wasn?t sure if he should give the boy a good review or make him
walk the cemetery beat just on principal.

*Ah,* he thought. *It isn?t the boy?s fault that the witness turned out
to be a harpy who could peel paint from a wall with a glance.*

?Constable...??

?Yoshitomi Fujio, sir.?

?Constable Yoshitomi,? Saitou said nodding. ?What can I do for you??

Startled by the older man?s politeness the young police officer froze
for a moment. ?I was just about to go on patrol when this arrived for
you sir.? The boy handed him an envelope that bore Saitou?s alias and
nothing else.

Saitou took the letter; mildly wondering what bet the young man must
have lost to have to have become his delivery boy. ?Thank you constable.
If there isn?t anything else you may go.?

The younger police officer bowed deeply to the older one and said,
?thank you Inspector Fujita san.?

Saitou smirked at the tone of relief in the young man?s voice and
briefly froze the young man again by calling out a pleasant good night
to the boy as he left.

The now extremely flustered young man turned and squeaked out a good
night to his superior officer before dashing through the office door to
safety.

As the door swung itself shut Saitou leaned back in his chair and
indulged in an evil grin. He was always amused when politeness from the
right person at the right time could be just as frightening to someone
as menace would be.

His amusement died off as he looked at the letter in his hands and
giving a little sigh of annoyance he ripped the outer layer off of the
missive and opening it, began to read.

************

Zenko was pissed off.

He wandered the streets blindly, not really paying attention to the fact
that he was headed back to the dojo.

He had found his killer.

He had followed him, attaching himself to the bastard like a remora to a
shark. Initially he figured that the guy would lead him back to the rest
of the gang.

What a joke that was.

In the few hours since he had found him he had followed the man home. He
had watched him at his work. He had even trailed him to some nowhere
spot where the guy just sat as if he were waiting for a play to start.

He would have still been there, watching the guy and waiting for the
rest of the gang to arrive if it hadn?t been for the others.

The ghosts that followed the killer had become more and more real to
Zenko the longer he was with them. Eventually a couple of them had
actually started to look like people again and he had been able to talk
with them.

So now he knew everything that they did about the killer and the
information angered him beyond all reason. On top of that he found the
fact that there was no gang to be extremely disturbing. He hated the
thought that that one asshole had managed to take him down.

Zenko grumbled to himself and sat down on a handy crate. He was so
distracted with his own irritation that he didn?t even notice that he
hadn?t fallen through the box.

And it was while he was in this pissed off state that the Sea Green Lady
finally found him.

************************************************************************

_

Chapter 13b

_

The watcher was very happy with the way things were shaping up. While
thinking things out over dinner he had come up with several wonderful
ideas. They had created a fair bit of work but that extra effort would
help to take care of a lot of future problems. Besides, this game was
going to be the best he?d ever had and that alone was worth the
additional exertion.

For the moment, however, he could just sit back and enjoy the show.
Everything was ready; all that was needed was for the players to take
their places. Before the game between him and the hitokiri began he had
an opening act planned that would not only be entertaining but would
also give him a chance to see Battousai in action before he went up
against him himself.

He had no worries that the hitokiri had accepted his invitation. After
he killed the girl in front of the man he was sure that the assassins
pride would send him after him even without the invitation to the game.
The letter was just so the manslayer would know what the stakes were.
With his woman?s life on the line he was sure that Battousai would act.
Having seen the watcher?s killing move the hitokiri had to know just how
vulnerable he and everyone around him would be should he chose to ignore
the invitation.

He had actually considered kidnapping the Kamiya girl to hold as extra
leverage but had decided against it. With nothing more than a threat he
had acquired a hostage without the problem of dragging the woman around
and keeping her alive at the same time.

With a slight frown the killer remembered something that was bothering
him and pulled his sword from it?s sheath to look at the blade.

The cutting edge of the sword caught what little light there was and
reflected it back into the killer?s eyes. The blade was clean and well
polished and that was what was worrying him.

The blade should have been stained when he had killed the woman in the
blue green kimono. True he had performed chiburi as he?d speed away in
the dark, but even so he would have expected some blood to cling to the
blade. He shook his head and sheathed his sword. It didn?t matter. She
was dead, he had felt the blade go through her body. The only reasonable
explanation was that he had just done a better than usual job of
flicking the blood off of the weapon.

Mystery shelved for the moment he turned his attention back to what
would soon be the stage to his little drama. Every play needed surprises
and revelations. These ones should prove deadly.

He couldn?t wait.

************************************************************************

_

Chapter 13c

_

The Sea Green Lady was staring at Zenko in amazement. The dead gangster
had actually managed to sit down on something and, as far as she could
tell, was unaware that he had done so. It was as she had expected. She
was sure when she met him that the other ghost was a natural. He would
quickly pick up the skills that had taken her years and a tragedy to
acquire.

Of course it made sense, as he was very free with his anger. Strong
emotions were what held power in the land of the dead. Usually no matter
how enraged or sad or in love someone was when he or she passed they
often had trouble holding onto the emotion. It all tended to fade away
once they were no longer real to the rest of the world.

It had been that way with her, until Shioko.

In Zenko?s case he didn?t seem to be losing his edge at all and that was
why he would soon have the power and skills he needed to take his
revenge. All the dead girl could do, other that make sure he didn?t hurt
an innocent, was get out of his way or help.

Since she had already decided to help she resolved to get Zenko up and
moving again. His anger was fine but right now he was letting it chase
his mind in circles. Stepping as close to him as she could without
physical contact she looked down at him and asked him, ?Zenko, do you
realize that you?re actually touching something??

Zenko started, not having noticed her standing there. ?What are you
talking about?? He asked, looking down at his body.

His eyes were suddenly wide as he realized what she meant. He was sitting.

Shocked, he quickly lost the mindset that had allowed him touch a
physical object. He gave a quick grunt of surprise and fell through the
wooden box. He downward motion was arrested suddenly when a hand grabbed
one of his, preventing him from sinking into the ground under the crate.

He looked up to see the Sea Green Lady smirking down at him as she held
him on to him by one of his hands. With a quick yank she pulled him to
his feet (more or less).

Zenko scowled at her for a moment and then turned back to the crate,
shaking his hand free from her grasp as he did. Experimentally he gave
the box a poke, frowning at it when his finger went through it. Annoyed,
he started to jab at the container repeatedly.

?Uh Zenko, if you keep doing that you might...?

?Son of a bitch.? The other ghost yelled as his finger jammed painfully
against the wooden box. He danced away from it, shaking his hand to rid
himself of the pain.

?... hurt yourself.? The Lady finished.

The dead gangster glared at her as he cradled his sore hand against his
body. ?This wouldn?t happen if you?d just teach me what I need to know,?
he told her.

?Zenko,? she said, exasperation clear in her voice. ?You?re already
doing things after a day that took me years to learn.? She waved her
hand towards the crate to emphasise what she was talking about. ?By the
time you find these guys you?ll be more than ready for them.?

?Guy.? Zenko said, staring at the ground.

?Pardon??

?It?s only one guy and I?ve already found him.?

The Sea Green Lady nodded, not really surprised that there was only one
killer. ?So, who is he and where is he?? She asked him.

Zenko started to laugh, but not happily. ?Right now,? he said. He?s
sitting on the roof of a building, acting like he?s waiting for a damn
circus to start. As for who he is....? Zenko?s laughter grew until he
was doubled over with desperate glee. ?As for who he is he?s a cop.? The
ghost looked up at the Lady so he could see part of the shock he had
felt a few hours ago. ?In fact the bastard was there the next day,
standing over me, over my body I mean.? His laughter died quickly and
the ghost sighed, shaking his head as if to rid himself of that image.

?He?s a police officer.? The dead girl began, the sentence bleeding off
into thought. *So if he?s a cop than he heard about me and he knows
Kenshin was know as Battousai and he keeps choosing more and more
dangerous prey so.... * ?Son of a bitch.?

Zenko looked at the girl in shock, never expecting to hear his own line
said back to him. ?Nani?? he asked her.

?You said he?s waiting for something, ne??

?Yah, so?? Zenko asked her, confusion written on his face.

?Where??

Zenko pointed to the direction from which he had come. ?That way, about
two miles, I think.?

?Let?s go.?

The dead girl started to hurry off in the indicated direction. Zenko
hesitated for a moment before moving off after her. ?What?s the big deal
anyway? I mean, I want the guy dead, *after I hurt him for a few
months*, but he isn?t going anywhere.?

?I know, but he isn?t waiting for the circus.?

?He?s waiting for his next game to start.?

************************************************************************

_

Chapter 13d

_

Kenshin moved through the streets, passing unnoticed by those that
travelled the same road with him. Moving like this, silent and deadly,
was one of the skills he had learned as a shadow assassin. Like his
sword it was something he had never quite dared to put down.

He used this skill even though it was unlikely that the killer was
currently stalking him. Still, he felt it was best not to take any
chances. The letter had contained a place and a start time for the game
but Kenshin suspected that the murderer would abide by the rules of the
contest only so long as he was winning.

Given the tone of both of the letters that Kenshin had seen he was
certain that the man had a healthy dose of arrogance in his make-up.
Despite his caution the rurouni felt that the killer would not feel any
need to make sure that Kenshin was coming. He doubted that the murderer
could even conceive of someone who would ignore him or deviate from his
carefully set plans.

Kenshin bared his teeth in a humourless smile. In this case the killer
was right. Kenshin knew that there was no way that he could allow the
threat to Kaoru dono go unanswered. So he would do as the letter
directed, he would play the game.

Who the winner would be was another matter.

Because, just as he couldn?t allow the danger that he had placed Kaoru
in to be ignored neither could he allow the man who instigated that risk
to continue his deadly competitions. If Kenshin lost here not only would
Kaoru still be in danger, because he couldn?t trust that the killer
wouldn?t go after her, but the man would still continue to run the
games, killing for amusement.

Because to him another's pain and death was nothing more than an
evenings entertainment.

Kenshin felt a shudder run through him, as if someone had walked over
his grave. He had often feared that he could have become like the man he
now hunted. In fact if it hadn?t been for Tomoe he felt it would have
been a certainty. When they had met he had already felt himself slipping
into madness. A madness he had created for himself, an insanity that he
had in fact welcomed as a relief to the guilt he had kept locked away
behind the hitokiri?s mask.

Even though he had felt that it was necessary, he had never liked
killing. However that would have changed if he had ever given into the
darkness that had slowly been eating away at him when he met Tomoe. The
thought of how narrowly he had escaped becoming someone like the killer,
someone who killed for no other reason than pleasure, could still send a
wave of nausea through his system.

*We hate that in others what we most fear in ourselves*, he thought.
Which was probably why he felt such a strong sense of loathing for the
one he was hunting. He shook his thought off; he had arrived at the
place specified by the letter.

The area was an open space between several warehouse like buildings.
During the day it was probably busy with shipments and people moving in
and out of the area. Now it was empty and so bereft of life that even
the silence seemed to mourn its loss.

Kenshin cast out with his mind, searching for anyone in the area. Much
to his surprise he felt the return of a very strong ki. He looked across
the space and into the shadows that hid the other man, much the way the
shadows he was now lurking in hid him.

?Let?s get this over with.?

Kenshin jerked at the other man?s voice and he stepped towards it in
disbelief. The other swordsman stepped out of the darkness to meet him
and Kenshin found himself staring in stunned silence at former
Shinsengumi captain, Saitou Hajime.

 

_

End of Chapter 13

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