Chapter 209: Kir's Return to the Organization
The screech of tires was followed by an abrupt silence. Gin and his entourage brought their vehicles to a halt, the men emerging from the cars and walking a short distance away, their long coats flapping in the night breeze.
A moment later, the passenger door of the lead car creaked open. A hand clutched the frame, and Kir, her face pale, struggled to climb out. She cradled one arm against her body, a pained hiss escaping her lips. "It hurts..."
"Kir..." Vermouth purred, her voice laced with a familiar, unreadable ambiguity as she called out Mizunashi Rena's codename.
Gin's eyes, cold and sharp as shards of ice, fixed on her. "What happened? How did the car suddenly go out of control?"
"I overheard the FBI's communications," Kir explained, her voice steady despite the tremor of pain she was suppressing. She glanced back at the car, now wedged against the guardrail. "I knew you were coming to rescue me. I saw my chance, knocked out the driver, and slammed on the brakes."
Vermouth, having dismounted her motorcycle, sauntered to Gin's side. A hint of suspicion colored her tone. "So you were already conscious. Then why didn't you leave with the operative the Organization sent to the hospital?"
She had always harbored a sliver of doubt about Kir's complete loyalty. After so much time in the FBI's custody, who was to say she hadn't woken up long ago and struck a deal with them?
"Everything happened too fast," Mizunashi Rena replied, her expression earnest. "Before I could even process what was happening, Shuichi Akai was back in the room. Under the circumstances, it wasn't exactly convenient for me to just open my eyes."
She was telling the truth, more or less. She had heard the soft thuds of two bodies hitting the floor, followed immediately by a hand grabbing her by the collar. She'd instantly deduced it was an operative from the Organization. But before she could even decide whether to feign consciousness and go with him, two gunshots had echoed through the room.
The hand gripping her collar went limp, and she had no choice but to let herself collapse, pretending to be a dead weight. The spot where she landed was unfortunate; her head struck the floor with a sickening crack, and for a moment, the world dissolved into a dizzying haze. She had almost genuinely fainted again.
"We'll discuss the details back at the base," Gin said, his voice flat, giving no indication whether he believed her story. He scanned the dark, empty road, his paranoia a evident presence. The last thing they needed was a witness stumbling upon the scene. "We're leaving. Now."
Any further questions could be asked within the secure walls of their headquarters.
Of course, Gin hadn't forgotten the loose end. He gave a sharp nod to Chianti, a silent order to dispose of the lone FBI agent. But just as the sniper settled her aim, the car Kir had abandoned erupted in a violent explosion. Flames licked at the night sky, consuming the vehicle and its driver, rendering her task obsolete.
After the fiery blast, Gin's group did not linger. They melted back into their vehicles and dispersed, taking separate routes back to the base to ensure no one could follow.
At that same moment, hidden on the slope just below the guardrail, Andre Camel pushed himself into a sitting position. He had bailed out of the car a mere second before the explosion, moving just out of Chianti's line of sight. He took a deep, ragged breath, the acrid smell of smoke filling his lungs.
He pulled out his communicator. "The... the mission was a success."
On the other end of the line, Shuichi Akai's tense shoulders relaxed fractionally. A wave of relief washed over him, easing the tight knot of nerves in his stomach.
It had been a chaotic, high-stakes gamble, but they had pulled it off. Their primary objective was complete. Now, they just had to wait for the next phase of the plan to unfold.
Beside him, Conan Edogawa heard the news from Camel and couldn't suppress a small, triumphant smile.
The two returned to the hospital, where they finally brought James and Jodie into the loop regarding Shuichi Akai's audacious plan.
Upon arriving at the Organization's base, Gin led Kir directly into a sterile conference room. Chianti and Korn were already there, waiting with ill-disguised boredom. Chianti shot an occasional, venomous glare toward Vermouth, who was leaning against a far wall with her arms crossed, her eyes closed in a state of feigned rest.
The sound of footsteps drew their attention. All eyes turned to Gin and Kir as they entered.
Gin's gaze swept the room, and a deep frown creased his brow. "Where is Wanderer?"
The moment she stepped into the room, Kir had noticed someone was missing. The operative who had single-handedly broken into her hospital room and nearly spirited her away was absent. More disturbingly, his voice had been identical to that of the young boy who had appeared in her room the previous night, trying to persuade her to cooperate.
The idea that the Organization would have such a young member participating in a mission of this magnitude felt absurd, yet Kir couldn't shake the suspicion that they were one and the same. Now, hearing Gin ask for this person by name, she sharpened her focus, determined to catch every word of the ensuing conversation.
'But... Wanderer?'she thought.'What a strange codename.'
Vermouth languidly lifted her eyelids, her lips curling into a wry smile. "He said his mission is over," she reported in a cool, detached tone. "Whatever happens next is none of his business. If you're willing to grant him a codename, you can just send him a text. If not, that's fine too." She spread her hands in an elegant shrug, a gesture that said, What can you do?
"Call him," Gin ordered, his voice low and tight, as if speaking through gritted teeth. "Keep calling until he answers."
Vermouth's lips twitched, but seeing the murderous glint in Gin's eyes, she decided against pushing her luck. She produced her terminal and began to methodically harass Wanderer, redialing the instant a call went unanswered.
Beside Gin, Kir watched as Vermouth used the device, a flicker of surprise crossing her face.
Chianti, who had no desire to watch the person she hated most contact the person she hated second-most, looked away in disgust. Her eyes happened to catch Kir's expression.
"Oh, right, Kir. You haven't seen this thing yet, have you?" Chianti suddenly brightened, seizing the opportunity to boast. She launched into an enthusiastic explanation of the terminal, a piece of technology she herself had only recently been introduced to.
"So it's that amazing," Kir remarked, carefully playing along with Chianti's mood.
In truth, her feigned admiration was not far from her genuine feelings. It was shocking to think the Organization had developed such advanced technology in the short time she had been out of commission. Though Chianti implied it wasn't an exclusively internal development, the terminal's capabilities were clearly a grave new threat for any undercover agent.
Finally, on the third call, the line connected. Vermouth spoke patiently for a few moments before hanging up. She looked at Gin. "I've told Wanderer. He'll be here soon."
They didn't have to wait long. A firm knock echoed from the other side of the door.
Vodka glanced at his brother's dark expression, then turned and shouted, "Come in."
The door swung open.
Slowly, a face Kir had seen just the night before appeared in the widening gap.
Before Kir could even begin to process this expected yet surreal situation, a blur of motion in her peripheral vision sent a jolt of pure shock through her system.
She whipped her head around to look at Gin, her eyes widening in horror. He had already drawn his Beretta from his coat, his movements a fluid, deadly arc. He aimed and fired at Wanderer just as the boy stepped across the threshold.
Bang—!
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