Conan fled from Gyokudo, following the car tracks in the dirt. Where ever that car had come from was his best chance of finding someone who could help him. He struggled to breath, his footing unsure on the loose gravel.

BANG-BANG-BANG

Conan covered his head and didn't stop running.

BANG

Dirt and rocks flew up, stinging Conan's bare legs. He ducked quickly behind a small electrical box and tried hard to catch his breath. The medication was suppressing his breathing. His legs felt heavy and hard to move.

BANG

The sound of the bullet striking the metal that shielded him made Conan acutely aware of how close he was to not making it out this time. He heard footsteps and saw Gyokudo's face appear, splattered with blood. He had evidently solved his problem with Norio. He trained his gun onto Conan again but the sound of a car made them both look.

A city taxi was barreling towards both of them. Gyokudo aimed toward the car.

BANG-BANG

He fired two rounds and the cab swerved, coming to a skidding stop about a hundred meters away. The driver's side door opened and Kogoro's booming voice came through the air. He was crouching behind the door, to shield himself from the bullets.

"Game's up!" He shouted authoritatively "Hand the kid over and surrender."

Gyokudo grabbed Conan by the arm and, without answer, fled.

"Kogoro!" Conan cried, his words feeling thick. Gyokudo was nearly dragging him, his feet unresponsive and unwilling to moved. His vision was beginning to haze over and he couldn't think straight. Kogoro peered around the door was immediately began to pursue.

Conan felt himself being thrown into Gyokudo's vehicle and heard the door slam shut. The car began to move.

No! He thought, I'm not letting you get away now! Clambering drunkenly clambered over the seats and, with whatever command of his strength he had left, pulled the emergency hand brake, making the car skid along the gravel and throw him forward. Gyokudo retrieved his gun.

"More damn trouble than you're worth!" He shouted and, pushing the gun barrel into Conan's forehead, pulled the trigger.

Click.

Click-Click-Click.

"Dammit!" Gyokudo shouted. He threw the useless pistol to the floor and grabbed Conan by the shirt collar. Conan was nearly unconscious. Desperate, he dropped Conan's listless body into the back seat and extracted a book of matches from his pocket. He rapidly lit one and after another, dropping them on the paper trash on the floor of the car. The greasy food wrappings took to flame almost immediately.

"Get out of the car!" Conan heard Kogoro's voice again, muffled by the car. He must have caught up to them. Smoke began to curl up around his face. Gyokudo stepped out, pushed the door lock down and shut the car door behind him. There were voices and noises outside the car door. Conan couldn't move. He couldn't even call out.

Kogoro…He though desperately I'm right here. Please hurry.

"Conan! Conan!" Kogoro's voice said and Conan heard pounding. He saw the orange flames begin to crawl up the upholstered seat in front of him.

Conan's eyes closed and everything turned black.

The first thing he was aware of was pain. It radiated through his sinuses and forehead and throat. He heard a woman's voice speaking to him.

Ran?

"Hey there, come on champ, open your eyes for me." Said the voice, much older than Ran's. Conan struggled but followed her instruction. He opened his eyes a bright light and an old woman's face. He grimaced and closed them again.

"Good job, little guy." She cooed "You're doing so well."

Sensations started returning to Conan. He felt that he was lying on his back. He was sore all over. He smelled latex and disinfectant. He was cold. He heard the woman speak again.

"He's very tired, poor thing's been through a lot."

Everything went black again.

The next time Conan woke, he was more alert. The room was dark, except for the blinking screens to his left. He looked at them, quickly interpreting the data. It was a simple heartrate and oxygen monitor. He tried to sit up and his stiff body almost refused. He pushed himself through the pain and looked around the dark room.

He was in a hospital. Whatever had happened, Kogoro had gotten him out. Now what? Where was Kogoro? What happened to Gyokudo? What happened to the overseas shipment he kept talking about? Conan rubbed his head. He noticed an IV tucked into the back of his hand. How long had he been out?

"Oh, you're up!" A nurse walked in.

"Yes, Oba-san." He said politely, his voice coming out rough and painful. "What time is it?"

"It's almost midnight," She scolded him gently "You should be getting your rest. You've had a very hard time."

"Where's Mouri-no-otchan?" He asked. The woman smiled sadly. She patted his head.

"Just get some sleep," She said. She began to wordless check his machines and the tub coming from his hand. Conan laid back. He was scared to think what that might mean. Exhaustion overtook him and he was quickly asleep again.

The next thing that woke Conan was a bright light. He grimaced a little. The pain in his sinus and throat had gone down a little. He turned his face away from the light.

"I think he's waking up." Said a rough male voice. Megure? Conan shielded his eyes.

"Close the blinds," Said another familiar voice. The nurse from last night. The room dimmed and Conan opened his eyes. He saw Megure's face looming over him, the nurse standing next to him. They both smiled.

"Hey!" Megure said, smiling with relief, "Another close call. I'm gonna have to tell Ran-kun to start keeping you on a shorter leash!"

"Hi, Megure-keibu." Conan rasped. The nurses produced a small cup of water that he drank thankfully. He looked around and spotted Kogoro sitting moodily at the window, looking outside. He fiddled with a pack of cigarettes. Conan saw he had his own bandages across his cheek and his right hand.

"Ojisan!" Conan called, genuinely happy. The old man had made it after all. A sudden realization hit him. He grabbed Megure's sleeve. "Megure-keibu,listen! The man who took me, he took other children, too. You have to find them! He said he was going—"

"Calm down, calm down." Megure said soothingly "We've already got it all handled, kid. Mouri already brought him in and we were able to get the details of his deals from him. We stopped the illegal barge last night, and all the children have been returned home. We booked him on murder, kidnapping, human trafficking, and your attempted murder. He's gonna go away for a long time. "

"Good." Conan sighed, lying back again.

"Oh! And he had these on him. We figured you'd like them back." Megure fished around his coat pocket and produced Conan's watch and Kogoro's wallet. Conan took them both with thanks. Kogoro stood now. He snatched the wallet from Conan.

"Don't get any ideas, freeloader," He scoffed "You're parents better be willing to pay up for this hospital bill. I'm not made of money, you know!"

"I'm sure they will." Conan said hastily. Boy, they are not going to be happy when I have to tell them I ended up in the hospital…again.

"They had to pump your stomach to get those meds out of you." Kogoro said, tucking his wallet into his pocket "You're all bruised up, too but I don't want to hear any whining because the doctors said you'll be just fine." He dropped back into his chair by the window, his arms crossed.

Well, I'm drowning in your compassion. Conan thought, rolling his eyes. What else should I have expected from him?

Kogoro had stumbled across Norio's body, full of bullets, just as Gyokudo pulled away with Conna. Kogoro had caught up to Gyokudo when the car skidded to a stop. He saw him, through the rear window, push the gun into Conan's head, saw him throw Conan's limp body into the back seat. He arrived at the car and shouted for the man to get out. Gyokudo stepped out. Kogoro tugged at the back door and found it locked. He saw the flames beginning to rise besides Conan's tiny, still form.

"Open it." Kogoro demanded. Gyokudo rushed Kogoro, grabbing him hard around the throat. Kogoro swiftly buried his heel into the man's stomach, grabbed his upper arms then and was able to toss him over and behind him. This tomoe-nage allowed Kogoro to gain the upper hand, pinning Gyokudo's arm hard behind his back.

"Give me the keys!" He demanded.

"Let me go!" He shouted back, spit making mud on his face. "Get off me, you son of a bitch!" Each second that ticked away was another second that Conan was inhaling smoke and the flames were creeping closer to him. Kogoro heard sirens in the distance but he couldn't wait for them. Gyokudo wasn't struggling, aware of how easily Kogoro might break his arm. Kogoro couldn't let him go, couldn't just let him get away. He thought frantically. Finally, he pulled his leather belt off and used it to secure Gyokudo's arms behind his back. That should hold him until the police arrived.

He rose, leaving Gyodkuo writhing unsuccessfully on the ground. He saw that he wasn't lying. The keys were laying on the driver's seat.

"Conan! Conan!" Kogoro cried, banging on the window. Conan didn't move.

Kogoro leapt onto the hood of the car and began to kick the windshield. Spiderwebbed cracks bloomed under his feet, he kicked more furiously. Finally, the window seal gave and the windshield fell into the car. The smoke began to pour over Kogoro's face. The flames, encouraged by new oxygen, began to climb. Kogoro pulled his coat off and crawled into the car. He cut his hand leaning across the windshield.

He threw the coat over Conan, protecting him from the glass and the flames, and began to pull him back through the open windshield. When he emerged from the vehicle, he saw Megure holding Gyokudo in handcuffs and officers rushing towards him. They pulled him roughly away from the vehicle. He clutched the boy to his chest.

"What are you doing?" The demanded "You can't just climb into a burning car! Someone, call the fire department." Kogoro pulled away from them.

"Call an ambulance!" He demanded, "Conan needs medical attention right away. I think he's been drugged."

"Drugged?" Megure repeated as the police frantically began radioing for their fellow emergency responders.

"He's unconscious. And I don't think Conan's the only one." Kogoro said quickly "This guy was taking him somewhere. I think there's a bigger game than just trying to get some ransom money."

"What makes you say that?" Megure asked.

"These guys moved quick and efficient. If Conan hadn't gotten a message through to me, they probably would have been long gone once I delivered the ransom."

"ETA on the ambulance is two minutes, we'll take care of him." Megure told him.

Kogoro was still clutching the small body to his chest. He moved the coat off of Conan's face. The boy was breathing but unresponsive. Dried blood left a trail from his nose to his chin, his eyes swelling with bruising. Kogoro laid his hand on Conan's cheek.

He was alive. Kogoro felt himself beginning to cry. He hugged the boy close to him. Thank God, he was alive.