A/N: Little violence. I am nervous about this one. I have to study as well. Ugh.
Unedited.
Shinichi had a stomach churning feeling that evening when he was leaving the house. He didn't know what it was but instinct and experience had taught him that he should never try to dismiss that feeling. Half of time that feeling had occurred due to something related to Ran and the half it had to something with the Black Organization. In his wildest dreams, he didn't imagine a day would come when it would be due to both of them combined. His worst nightmares, yes, but he brushed them off, thinking why Ran would get involved with those criminals. He had taken every step, by hook or by crook, to mislead the Black Organization from Mouris' trail.
He had to keep them safe. He had to. His sanity was on the line when it came to keeping them safe. Well, to be exact, keeping Ran safe. The only way he knew to do that was by keeping Ran in the dark and away from all things related to them. It petrified him to see her close to danger. Especially the Black Organization danger.
He had found new clues and new members. He knew Gin, Vodka, Chianti, Korn but didn't know their civilian names or about their non-criminal lives. He knew who Vermouth, Bourbon and Kir were. The former was a mystery. He was never able to guess what she would do in a situation. He knew that she favoured him and Ran. He didn't know whether it was a blessing or a curse. The fact that someone, anyone, from that Syndicate knew Ran was something he didn't want to imagine, whether they favoured Ran and Shinichi or not.
Bourbon and Kir were undercover agents, both from different agencies. Bourbon, in Shinichi's opinion, was more dangerous than Kir. He gave off that vibe, that he would do anything and everything to get to his goal. Kir was the one who informed Jodie-sensei and the FBI that something new was happening inside the Organization. And by default, he would come to know as well.
He had come close to finding out about them but he always lost them. It would be either due to someone interrupting his investigation or just by coincidence. Haibara warning him off didn't help either. Shinichi knew that she was hiding more things, he just had the feeling, but he didn't want to push her. He could go on with what he was given and he could do his own investigation as well. He didn't want to bring up bad memories about her past, if he could avoid it. The reaction she had after hearing the Organization could be involved was very telling. She was terrified of them, with good reasons. One day, he knew that she would have to spill everything she knew but he was satisfied with whatever information he was given. After all, he had found many members based on just the little information he had.
He regarded Haibara as his partner. She was someone that worked on same frequency as him. Same could be said about Hattori and Shuichi Akai, or Subaru Okiya, as he was called these days. They worked on almost same mental level. He was grateful to have them but he wanted Haibara and Hattori as safe as possible, so whenever something regarding Black Organization came up, he wanted to be dead sure, no pun intended, before he informed either of them. Dragging them along with him on this dangerous road was something he wanted to avoid.
He scornfully wondered, while walking on the sidewalk, on his way to Professor's home, that when he had become such a hypocrite. He knew that forgiveness would be a long shot when it came to telling the truth to Ran. People around her were privy to the knowledge that she had always hinted at but was always rebuffed from. Still, he hoped to dream about her forgiveness but after that day, even that hope was dashed.
~oOo~
When Ran woke up, she could feel her head bursting and that pain made her moan. She felt something constricted around her ankles and wrists as well as her chest. She looked around her in confusion. What had happened?
She could remember her dad driving on a deserted road. Ah, yes, she had reserved a table for them in a restaurant that was a little separated from the town. Dad was driving and he and Mom were bickering. A blue sports car had popped up while they were on a turn and had stopped horizontally on the road. She remembered seeing the black Porsche and coming out of the car. She swallowed roughly as she felt her temple pounding away. What had happened next?
She faintly remembered seeing two men completely dressed in black. She recalled having the feeling that she had met them somewhere. She had turned around when she heard a scream. Who had screamed? And then all she remembered was nothing.
Somebody had screamed, who was it? Where are Mom and Dad? Are they okay? She could feel herself panicking.
When she felt conscious and calm enough, she breathed in.
Alright, don't panic. Keep your head cool and calm, Ran. You can do it.
She closed her eyes and breathed in again.
Okay, I am relatively calm.
Now, open your eyes and methodically take in everything. Notice every little detail. Every little detail helps.
Ironically, the logical voice in her head sounded like Shinichi and blindly, she listened to it.
She opened her eyes and found herself blinded by the strong light that was inside the little room. She could see a metallic door in front of her and one large TV hung on the wall she was facing. The room was sterile white and didn't look like there were any methods of escape. There were white tiles on the floor and the walls were painted white. No tile was out of place. There was not an inch of wall that looked like it had a hidden door or something that she could use. Maybe behind the TV, she could find something but the way she was tied, she knew it was impossible to move.
More importantly, her parents were not there in the room with her. She could feel her breathing speed up when she noticed that. Oh god, where are Mom and Dad?
A litany of Stop panicking, be calm reverberated in her brain and she followed that suggestion. She breathed in and let out her breath in a puff. Wait, her mouth wasn't wrapped up. Her eyebrows furrowed. No kidnapper would be this stupid. And what she remembered from seeing that tall man with dead blue eyes, she knew that he wouldn't make such a mistake. Those eyes had looked like the eyes of a well seasoned murderer.
That thought almost sent her hyperventilating but she knew that she had to be smart and quick. Every second counted. She had to keep herself levelheaded.
Okay, let's see.
My whole body is almost wrapped onto a chair. My ankles, my wrists and my chest are tied. So, I can't use my karate. I can use my head to headbutt across the temple or something but I wouldn't be able to run away.
Alright, next, the ropes around me look very strong and they are tied in a complicated manner as well. I shouldn't waste my energy on trying to free myself. That would be counterproductive.
Okay, my mouth is free. I can scream but that could be dangerous as well. Those men in black could be waiting for me to wake up. Moreover, I can't hear anything going on outside. We were on a deserted road, maybe we are held in a cabin completely isolated from the rest of the world. Or maybe the room was soundproof or something.
Damn it. What are my escape routes? There is nothing I can use. And I can't defend myself from them considering the way I am tied.
She let out a groan of frustration at that thought.
At least, I am not hurt. It doesn't look like they did anything apart from knocking me out. That's a plus. I will have to roll with the punches in this situation.
I can guess the reasons why we are in this situation though. Mom's a lawyer, Dad's a detective. There are people who hold grudges against them but I've never seen those people around Dad. Mom doesn't discuss about her clients, so I don't know about anything about them. Maybe they hold a grudge against Mom?
Where ARE Mom and Dad, anyway? Why did they separate us? This doesn't look good.
Just as she thought that, the TV came to life. The screen was divided into two parts and she could see her parents tied up in the middle of the room. Their rooms were the same as hers. Walls were painted white, the floor was tiled white. It looked like they were in the beginning of some horror movie.
As she focused on the image of her parents on the TV, she gasped. She could see that they were injured. Badly. There was dried blood on their foreheads. A huge bruise had formed above her mother's closed eyes. Her clothed were soaked red. Her glasses had cracked. Her lips were cracked open. And if she squinted just right, she could see a thin slice of red line across her mother's neck. The only indication that she was alive was that her chest was heaving, and even that looked painful. With every breath her mother took, a sob like sound came out and that terrified Ran. If there were internal injuries, her mother needed to be checked out before it was too late.
Her father, if possible, was in even worse condition than her mother. His torso was bare and had red angry slashes across his abdomen, as if someone had whipped him with a belt. There was blood coming out of his mouth. There was a bump on his temple. His pants were soaked red. He was desperately breathing in for oxygen but what alarmed her the most was a man standing behind her father.
The slender, silver haired man, who was dressed in black from head to toe, smiled as if he knew she was awake. Ran knew that she should be sensible but seeing her parents almost on the verge of death left no room for calculated thinking. There was just one thought inside her head. She had to get her parents out alive. She had to.
Tears started to gather in her eyes and she choked on whatever she wanted to say, which in retrospect, left her some time to gather herself.
Stop panicking. It's alright. Think clearly. Don't panic. Remember everything and anything that Shinichi or Dad has taught you about hostage situation. Okay. Okay. Take a deep breath in.
She took a deep breath in but it seemed to lodge inside her lungs. She couldn't take her eyes off her parents almost dead bodies.
No, no, no, Ran. They are not almost dead. They are almost alive. Come on, you are an optimistic girl. Don't think that way. You have a chance to get them out alive. Now, relax and take a deep breath in.
She again tried to breathe in but she couldn't. Fear was running through her veins. Her eyes were blurred with tears and she could feel herself hyperventilating. Her whole body was shaking. She tried to calm herself down, to stop the tears from flowing by rollling her eyes heavenward. She had to get her parents out alive. She had to. That was becoming her mantra. That was the only thing that mattered. Funny how she didn't even think about herself.
She steeled herself and let herself have a few moments of serenity.
Okay, now your head's clear. Good. Be confident. Try to find out anything that can help you. You can do it, Ran.
She let a breath out her nose and looked straight into the camera that was lodged in the TV. It was now or never.
"What do you want from us?" Ran asked in a voice so clear, so unafraid that even she shocked herself. This could work.
The man just simply smiled at him and it creeped her out. He seemed to radiate evil and it didn't ease her mind that he was standing behind her father.
"Good evening, Mouri-san," he said, "It seems like you have woken up from your nap. That's good, or else we would have to wake you up and I'm sure that by now, you can see that it would have not been pretty." He took a gun out from his coat and with the back of it, lolled her father's head.
Ran's temper flared up and she screamed, "Don't touch him. Don't you dare touch him." She felt invincible. The adrenalin was now pumping through her veins and she was thankful for that. Being a scaredy cat wouldn't help anybody.
She could see the black clothed man's eyes gleam, as if he had struck a jackpot. Whatever. She wasn't backing down. He chuckled lightly and said, "So much spirit for such a young girl. Now, Mouri-san, you can probably guess why you are here." As he said that, a woman with tattoos entered the room her mother was captured in. She let her eyes dance towards the screen that showed her mother and she took in what was going on. The short haired, tattooed lady stopped behind her mother and just stood there. Ran stared at the screen intently, trying to gauge whether she was going to hurt her Mom or not. The lady seemed to know what she was thinking and lightly said, "Oh, dear, you don't have to worry. I won't hurt your mother." She paused for a bit and then added, "Yet."
Ran's jaw locked and she wondered in what ways she would make these people pay who have hurt her parents. She didn't know how she was going to do it, she just knew that these people were going to pay for what they had done to her parents.
"Now, Mouri-san, let's talk, shall we?" The man said and she tilted her head towards him. "What do you know about Kir?"
What? What was he talking about? Kir? What's that? Her brows furrowed in confusion and she said, "I don't know what you are talking about." Before she could even complete her sentence fully, the man's hand grabbed her father by his hair and pulled at it roughly. He shoved a gun in her Dad's face, all traces of amusement gone. He looked like an assassin on a mission. Her father groaned painfully and Ran let out a scream for him to stop. This was turning into a nightmare.
"Now, Mouri-san, you know that good people shouldn't lie. We know that you shadow your father in most of your cases. We know that you are a karate champion. We also know that you are surrounded by police and detectives. Do you honestly expect us to believe that you do not know what your father has been involved in?" he said. His voice was calm and composed, as if he did this everyday. And maybe he did.
But that answered some questions.
Okay, so it's got something to do with Dad. But I don't remember any case in which someone or something called Kir was involved in.
She said in a voice that rivaled his, "I am not lying. I have no idea what you are talking about. There wasn't any case where this Kir was involved." She heard a crunch sound coming from her mother's screen and saw the lady land a punch in her mother's abdomen.
Ran's body jerked instinctively, screaming out for her mother, "Oh god, stop, please." She let out an involuntary sob, all her courage gone. Oh god, what were they going to do her parents. The lady punched her mother again. This time across her mother's face. "Please, stop." She let out in a hoarse voice, her voice turning raw from screaming. "Please, please, please, stop." She swiftly said, "I swear, " tears were flowing across her face, her whole body was tense, begging to be let go, she needed to get her parents safe. She continued tearfully, "I swear, I swear, I don't know what or who Kir is," a sob burst through her again. "Please let them go. Don't hurt them. Please."
There was silence after that. All that could be heard was Ran's gut wrenching tears and her nonsensical begging of "Please, stop" and "Don't hurt them."
She didn't feel brave. She didn't feel calm. She didn't feel anything that she should feel in order for them to successfully get out of this hell.
She felt defeated.
A/N: I will skip some of the things in the next chapter. I don't want to go into the details of what happened while they were kidnapped. You'll get a gist but that's that. I don't wanna write something that sad. Hope you liked it. Please, review? Was it good? It didn't feel that good to me.