Blackmail and Betrayal

AN: Well, I have more talk for you this chapter, but at least the plot is progressing. There should be four more chapters after this if everything goes according to plan. (Of course, it never does and we all know this.)

Thanks for reading and an even bigger Thank you for the ones that take the time to leave me a comment or two! Your comments are my motivation and my joy. *loves on you*

Enjoy!!


Chapter 16


Sasuke once again woke to a sterile room. Although this time he observed that it was a slightly different room. He simultaneously noticed that there were flowers on the rolling table that was eye level to him and that there was something stuck in his nose.

He scrunched his face, trying to dislodge the annoyance before realizing that it was blowing oxygen down into his nasal passage.

“Ah, you’re finally awake,” a masculine voice said next to the bed. “Again.”

Sasuke turned his head and was thankful that the room didn’t dip and sway as it had the last time he had awoken. Sitting in a comfortable stuffed chair was Kakashi, the white hospital blanket covering the metal railing at the side of the bed hiding the lower half of his face from Sasuke’s gaze.

“Why am I here?” he asked in confusion, wondering why they had switched him into a different room.

“Because your fiancé is a quick thinker and has medical training,” Kakashi answered cheerfully.

Sasuke’s confused frown deepened. He remembered being in pain and the confusion of nurses and doctors around him. “What happened?”

“Someone tried to kill you. Pumped you full of something that caused you to go into cardiac arrest. They had you in the ICU for a bit and then moved you to a private monitoring room,” the other man explained, this time a bit more helpfully.

“Where’s Sakura?” Sasuke asked curiously, wondering why the man was sitting here in his ex-fiancé’s place.

“I sent her home. Poor girl hasn’t gotten much sleep and was starting to look grungy. She looked ready to do me bodily harm until the Feds outside your door vouched for me.” Kakashi’s one visible eye curved upward in a slight leer. “You’ve got the best of both worlds, Detective. A fine looking fiancé and a hot boy toy on the side.”

Dark eyes were immediately glaring at him hard enough to drill holes in his head. “Naruto is not a toy and I broke up with Sakura a few days ago.”

A silvered eyebrow rose. “And you’re still alive? I’m impressed. If that’d been my ex, she would have helped the assassin instead of saving my life.”

Sasuke gave a slight snort. “I wouldn’t be surprised. So, are you going to tell me how and where Naruto is or do I have to beat it out of you?”

“Now, now, Detective, let’s not get violent. All will be revealed in time,” the retired FBI agent said in a mockingly placating tone.

The glare hardened slightly, letting the recipient know that Sasuke had only been half joking about the threat.

“He’s was pretty banged up- Oh, I’m sorry, wrong choice of words,” the man said lifting his fingertips to cover his mouth.

Sasuke’s eyes widened incredulously. He had already been hating himself for being unable to protect Naruto as he had promised and here was this fucking pervert poking fun at what the blond had suffered through.

He was half out of the bed, his heart monitor spiking and the oxygen tube yanking at his nostrils when Kakashi stood up to keep him from doing harm to himself.

And the bastard still had the collar of his windbreaker covering his face!

“Sasuke, Sasuke! I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he said quickly, firmly but carefully pushing the still weak man back into the bed. “But sometimes you gotta learn to laugh at the things that wanna make you cry if you want to keep yourself from taking a lot of happy pills later in life.”

Having the man within range, Sasuke drew back his left hand and crashed his fist into Kakashi’s face.

It was a poor hit considering the angle and his current strength and they both knew it, but still Kakashi gingerly touched his cheek as Sasuke seethed angrily.

Kakashi could deal with things his way, Sasuke preferred taking the more direct approach as had been displayed by his headlong rush to find his lover.

“You know I care about Naruto as well, Sasuke,” Kakashi said as he stepped out of range.

“I don’t know a damn thing at all!” he retorted angrily, red flushing up his pale face. “I don’t know where he is. I don’t know how he is. I don’t know when I’ll get to see him again. I don’t know a fucking thing!”

Just then the door burst open and a red-headed nurse came in, quickly surveying the scene. “Mr. Uchiha you need to calm down and get back into bed. You shouldn’t be excitable right now.” She turned her baleful glare at Kakashi just as he was about to open his mouth to make a perverted comment on her admonishment. “And if you aggravate him again, I will have you removed,” she scolded.

Kakashi held up his hands defensively. “We’re good here. Just a friendly disagreement about psychology.”

“I don’t care what you’re disagreeing about,” she snapped as she rearranged all the tubes connected to the pale man. “You cause him any more distress and you’re gone.” She pulled the breathing tube out of his nose and shut off the valve mounted on the wall before coiling the tube and hanging it up.

Kakashi took his place in the chair once more as the woman fussed over the younger man, checking his vitals and ensuring that he wasn’t in any undue pain or distress.

He knew the quickest route to solving some of their problems would be to have Sasuke to join the ranks of the FBI. The man had a quick mind and hadn’t succumbed to any temptations other than Naruto which Kakashi didn’t necessarily hold against him. The blond could have seduced a nun had he put his mind into it; after all the priests were too easy. Sasuke’s record on the force was outstanding and he would have been a valuable addition to the feds. However, when Ebisu had brought it up to his supervisors the suggestion had been shot down arbitrarily.

So, instead they were forced to hedge and play the fun game of “cover your ass.” A game that Kakashi had been obligated to play way too many times and mostly due to his own sense of justice clashing with what was legal for the agents to do and what wasn’t.

The nurse, after casting one more disapproving look in his direction, left the two of them alone once more.

“You have to understand, Sasuke, that Naruto has been through a lot,” Kakashi started slowly.

“I know that,” the brunet interrupted impatiently.

“No, you don’t. You know some of it. What he went through won’t break him, but what Ino went through might. What he will go through if you two don’t work out might. He knows a lot about sex, pain and suffering and not a damn thing about love. You might want to keep that in mind,” Kakashi said, wondering how in the hell this conversation went from explaining himself to couples counseling.

“I think I’ve proven myself where it concerns him,” Sasuke said gruffly, looking the other way. Only in his own mind he hadn’t. He hadn’t protected him and he hadn’t killed that fucking snake loving bastard for what he did.

Images danced in his inner vision of Naruto strapped down to the metal table, rage and pleasure contorting his face. Sasuke didn’t know how he would ever make it up to him but he wanted to try. Of course, that meant finding out where in the hell he was first.

Sasuke turned back to Kakashi. “Where is he?” he asked in a softer tone than he had before.

“I don’t know,” Kakashi answered honestly. He quickly held up a hand as Sasuke growled angrily. “He was at the local FBI headquarters in the infirmary until just recently. However, the attack on you made Ebisu decide to move him into witness protection before they made a move against Naruto.

“While he’s been beaten up pretty bad, he’s actually in better condition than you are even if he can’t wipe his own ass at the moment.”

Sasuke raised an eyebrow questioningly.

“Both arms in slings. Looks pretty ridiculous and I give him all of 2 days before he starts spazzing,” Kakashi answered with a smile.

Sasuke felt his own lips curling slightly at the notion. His smile slowly faltered at the thought of how much he needed to see him, needed to touch him and verify himself that the idiot was alright.

“When can I see him?” he asked quietly, eyes resting on his slightly bent knees beneath the blanket.

“I don’t know that either,” Kakashi replied just as quietly. “Probably after all of this is over.”

After a long moment, Sasuke sighed as if expelling all of his anxiety and disappointment and then straightened. “So, what did Ebisu want with me?”

“Well, there are a few certain… issues that need to be addressed before you give a formal statement. As far as anyone is concerned you’ve been working as a consultant with the FBI for the past month. You were approached by Special Agent Ebisu and asked to try to uncover any proof that evidence had been mishandled in relation to any cases concerning Orochimaru or any of his known associates. In the course of your investigations, you were contacted by an inside informant, Naruto. Obviously when you had found proof, Baki set you up and fired you.”

“Proof?” Sasuke questioned for clarification.

“The file showing Baki accepting bribe money to make evidence disappear,” Kakashi explained. “As a consultant, you were taken on the raid of the warehouse due to your ability to identify key suspects as well as key evidence. You did not go in alone. Are you with me so far?”

Sasuke nodded quickly.

“You had a gun since you have a concealed carry license from when you were with the police force and used your weapon in the defense of a civilian. The resulting deaths of Orochimaru’s men were during the ensuing fire fight. Do you understand why they want things this way?”

Sasuke nodded slowly. It was the difference between taking down a criminal on a sanctioned raid and being charged with voluntary manslaughter as a civilian. He didn’t regret his actions, but in his fear for Naruto he had forgotten the consequences.

“Did you see the fight between Kabuto and Naruto?” Kakashi asked.

“Some of it,” he admitted as his brow furrowed in thought. “Not a whole lot since I was trying to keep behind cover as much as possible.”

“Did you see Ino shoot Kabuto?”

“Not really. I saw him turn towards her and then he went down. That’s all I saw,” Sasuke admitted.

Kakashi nodded. “That’s perfect actually. That’s all you need to say.” No one needed to mention that Ino had shot at the man before he had turned towards her. After they read the report on what had been done to the girl, no one would doubt it had been anything but self-defense.

“Ebisu will visit you as soon as Naruto is settled down and will get a signed statement from you. After the initial trial, Baki as well as several others will be brought up on charges and removed from their positions. At that time, after an investigation from Internal Affairs probably, you should have your position with the police force reinstated.”

Sasuke once again indicated his understand of the situation although he knew going back onto the force would be rough after everything came down. Cops didn’t like rats no matter what the reasoning.

Kakashi stood up, his eye indicating he was smiling broadly. “Well, I’m glad that’s all done! I’ll leave you to get some rest then; you’re going to be very busy real soon and I need to get back to my shop.”

The older man walked around the bed and opened up the door. He paused and looked over his shoulder. “By the way, Naruto sends his love.” After watching the lovely shade of red suffuse Sasuke’s face, he added, “I hope you enjoy the flowers!”

Sasuke scowled as the door closed and looked at the bright bouquet of flowers on the table. He reached out and carefully turned it around until he spotted the card.

And the neon orange miniature dildo key chain attached to it.

*****************
Kakashi sat in his chair behind the counter of his beloved shop but he hadn’t reopened for business yet. Instead he absently flicked the top of the bobblehead doll causing the woman’s mouth to bob up and down on the cock in her hands as the gears of his mind turned beneath his tousled silvery hair.

There was something he was missing. Something important that had escaped his notice. Something to do with the fair-skinned man in the hospital that he had left a little while ago. He only hoped that there wasn’t another attempt on his life before the young man was capable of taking care of himself. It was a good thing that Ebisu had gotten Naruto hidden before someone had figured out a way into the FBI headquarters.

He paused a moment as the bobbing head slowed down on the dick.

Why would they make a hit on Sasuke when the FBI still had Naruto? What would they have to gain by taking Sasuke out? What could Sasuke possibly know that Naruto didn’t?

The answer, he pointed out to himself, lay in the question of why Naruto was directed to get blackmail material on Uchiha in the first place.

He snagged his phone off the base and quickly dialed the hospital. Once the operator answered, he had them direct his call to Sasuke’s room. On the sixth ring, the phone was finally picked up.

“Uchiha,” the voice growled out groggily.

“You shouldn’t identify yourself on the phone right now,” Kakashi said in a light tone. “Not when there are people out to kill you.”

“What do you want, you damned pervert?” Sasuke demanded. Kakashi could easily imagine the younger man’s face flushing again.

“Sasuke, I’m hurt. I have only looked out for your best interests! When you needed lube, I provided. When you needed privacy to molest your boyfriend, I was there to help. You wound me with your harsh words!” Kakashi exclaimed melodramatically, clutching his chest in mock pain although the man on the other end of the line couldn’t see.

“Good bye, Kakashi,” Sasuke said firmly.

“Wait! There’s a reason I called,” he said hurriedly.

There was a pause on the other line. “Well?”

“Do you remember what cases you were working on when you got canned?”

“Yes.”

Kakashi waited a moment before it became obvious that no other response was forthcoming. “Annnd?” he drew the word out, indicating his desire for the other to expound upon the answer.

“Why do you want to know?” Sasuke asked suspiciously.

“Because you being dead doesn’t change anything,” Kakashi responded frankly.

“Gee, thanks, Kakashi. That makes my abused heart feel so much better,” Sasuke responded with biting sarcasm.

“Nothing personal, Sasuke, but think about it. It has to be something to do with that case because Naruto is the one that holds all the other evidence. It isn’t logical for them to tip their hand by trying to take you out. If they had gotten caught, then it would have been all over. And Naruto was instructed to approach you to begin with. So there has to be something about those cases that can harm them.”

There was another long pause but this time it was more of a thoughtful one. “I had handed the case files in, but at my apartment there is some information I kept. It should have everything pertinent that you need. You can either stop by here or I can get a hold of Sakura to let you in.”

“I can let myself in. What am I looking for?” he asked.

“Something that will be used to find our fugitive if he runs,” Sasuke replied before hanging up.

Kakashi looked at the phone for a moment before a smile spread across his face. He always did like puzzles.

************************
Kakashi had brought along a few nice little tools with which to let himself into Sasuke’s apartment. However, he found that when he got there that they were totally unnecessary.

The door, although closed at the moment, had obviously been forced open at some point.

Cursing himself for not bringing his gun, Kakashi carefully pushed the door out of his way and stepped into the room.

His first impression was that of a localized microburst or perhaps a miniature tornado. The apartment was trashed. Shelves emptied, drawers pulled out and dumped, cushions strewn across the room and general destruction categorized the area.

He cautiously searched the rest of the apartment, making sure that he was the only one present and saw that the vandalism wasn’t contained to just the living room. Satisfied that no one else was about; he shoved a kitchen chair up under the doorknob to keep the door closed as he began to search through the debris.

******************
It was late when Ebisu finally made it back to his office. He had gotten Uzumaki settled into a non-descript safe house located in a nice, middle class neighborhood. He had made arrangements for Shizune to transfer the Yamanaka girl temporarily to a facility where they could take care of her immediate needs as well as make an evaluation of her physical and mental state. The doctors there had agreed to testify on the girl’s behalf as needed.

Afterwards, he got to experience the dubious pleasure of sitting in with Orochimaru’s lawyer and hammering out the details of the charges being brought against the man. So far they had a fair number, but depending on how the judge ran his sentencing it was possible that the crime boss would be out of jail in as little as ten years counting parole. He was hoping for at least twice that, but he knew that they were going to have to come up with something hard and fast to keep Orochimaru behind bars.

He shrugged out of his coat and tossed it on the ugly blue couch before reaching for the light switch. Before he could turn it on, light illuminated his desk from the small lamp thereon revealing Kakashi sitting in his chair.

“You’re out late,” the silver-haired man commented casually before leaning back and propping his feet up on the desk.

“Sorry, dear, I’ll leave a note next time,” Ebisu replied with half-hearted sarcasm. Damn, he was tired and so not ready to put up with Kakashi’s shit at the moment.

“How’s the boy?” Kakashi asked casually.

“Already whining about not being able to do anything himself,” Ebisu replied dryly.

“Well, you have only yourself to blame. You could have left him in the infirmary a few more days,” Kakashi pointed out.

“Not with everything that’s been happening. Especially not with the hit they had tried to put on Uchiha. We found the woman by the way. Dead in an alley from an apparent mugging,” Ebisu said, his lips twisted in disgusted anger.

“Dead men tell no tales, they say,” Kakashi threw out helpfully.

Ebisu grunted noncommittally.

“Unless of course they leave evidence behind,” Kakashi said with a smile concealed behind the shade of the lamp.

Ebisu frowned at him. “What are you going on about now, Kakashi?”

Kakashi slid a DVD case to the edge of the desk entitled U.S. Marshals.

“What about it? Nice movie. I like Tommy Lee Jones.”

“There’s a jump drive in there with a bit more information on it concerning two particular cases that Uchiha was working on before Baki fired him. One was a murder, the other a missing person. The men had been in contact with each other and one had put the other into contact with Orochimaru’s little girlfriend which we have sitting in a cell.”

“What kind of contact?” Ebisu asked quickly as he popped open the case.

“He had called her cell phone number a few times. Naruto identified it for Sasuke.”

“Have you ordered the cell phone records pulled up yet?” Ebisu demanded as he rounded the desk, shoving Kakashi’s feet out of the way as he did so.

“You seem to forget I’m retired,” Kakashi pointed out dryly. “I can’t even order a pizza here.”

“Yet you always seem to end up in my office,” Ebisu mused as he plugged the stick into the USB port of his desktop computer.

The agent’s eyes roamed over the information; absorbing it all in before he picked up his phone and made a call down to the forensics lab. “I need you to get a hold of the girl’s personal belongings and plug her cell phone into the computer. I want to know everything that’s on it. Then I want you to get the provider to supply you with copies of all the calls and files that she’s received and made for the last month.”

There was a pause as the man on the other end of the phone confirmed the order. “No, not the foul mouthed one, the other one. Karin.”

Ebisu hung up the phone and looked over at Kakashi. “If we can find proof that Orochimaru was responsible for murder, we got him for life.”


TBC