Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan/Case Closed.
Blood Red Roses
Chapter 7 - New Bud
He wasn't giving up. So long as there was a breath left in his body, he simply could not allow himself to surrender to despair.
-0-
He would have one chance.
Shinichi had thought and thought about the situation, analyzing it from all the angles he could find, and he had come to that conclusion. He would have just one chance to get himself out of here.
His room—no, his prison—was well made with a very secure door. There would be no breaking through it anywhere. The only time the walls were ever breeched was when he got his meals, but the food slot was far too small for even a child to get through. Shinichi certainly wasn't going to fit. There was nothing inside the room that he could use as a tool or weapon, and they didn't give him any utensils with his food either. He might have tried just charging the guards if they ever came to check on him, barehanded or not, but they never did. The door to his prison remained firmly shut at all times.
There was, however, at least one time when they would have to open the door.
They would have to open it when they came to bring him before their lord.
That would be his chance. It was risky. The chances that he could actually break away were slim to none. But he would try.
If he failed… Well, from the snippets he had caught through the conversations of the guards who brought his meals, he would either be killed in some cruel and unusual manner or—
He swallowed, fists clenching. He refused to be touched that way by anyone but Kaito. Just thinking about it made him feel sick and rather anxious. He'd decided not to dwell on it though. Instead, he whiled away the time practicing the self defense moves that he thought would best aid in his escape.
-0-
Once his plans had been made, his mind was left with much too much time to wander. More often than not, his thoughts would find their way to Kaito. He found solace in his memories even as they filled him with a deep, aching sorrow for what he knew could never be again. If only he could know for certain that Kaito was well. If he could know that then he could face whatever fate lay in his future without regrets.
-0-
"Here it is."
Kaito grinned at the owner of the liquor store, accepting the elegant bottle being handed across the counter. "Thank you. I'm amazed you were able to get it so fast."
The store owner laughed heartily. "It wasn't easy, let me tell you. But I must say, I don't often meet customers with such refined tastes. Most of the lot around here only care about quantity." He shook his head in despair at the public's lack of good taste.
"They certainly do put it away at the taverns," Kaito laughed. "Here's the rest of the payment." He slid a loaded pouch across the counter.
"Much obliged. Do come again."
Thanking the man one last time, Kaito left the store. He'd been worried for a while that the key to his plan wouldn't arrive in time, but it seemed everything was good to go after all. He paused for a moment in the shade of a tree to examine the bottle. It was a beautifully crafted thing of dark glass with an equally beautiful label. He'd only seen such a bottle once before, but he'd never forgotten it. The artistry alone was worth remembering.
This was one of the rarest wines in the world. It was renowned for its incredible flavor. Kaito, however, had ordered it for its just as famously potent alcoholic properties. Properties that a tiny little charm would amplify to unprecedented levels without triggering any alarms. He had ever so briefly considered poison, but that would never have gone undetected. And, well, he wasn't here to assassinate anyone even if he was developing a deep loathing for his target. No. He was here for one thing and one thing only. To save the person he loved.
Now, to deliver his gift.
-0-
Something wasn't right.
Where was he?
Groggily, Shinichi forced his eyes open a crack. The world before his gaze was a blur.
He remembered making a break for it when they'd come to get him. He'd gotten the first guard with a hard kick between the legs then shoved him into his companion, causing both guards to topple. While they'd been trying to disentangle themselves (well, one tried to disentangle himself. The other just clutched at his privates and rolled around in agony), he'd darted past them and out into the hall. He'd been ready for another guard or two. What he hadn't expected was to be faced by another eight armed men. They had been eight startled men though, so he'd thrown caution to the wind and charged at a gap between two of them. He'd actually managed to slip past them (tripping one guard in the process) and take three steps down the hall before they caught him.
He hadn't given up on struggling though, and he'd gotten at least a few more good kicks in before one of them had forced some kind of medicine ball down his throat. After that, everything had faded away.
But that could only mean one thing.
He'd been captured again.
As the full implications of that thought sank in, a cold dread began to rise up inside him. As though to mock him, his vision cleared, and, gradually, the world solidified.
And the first thing he saw was a large assortment of knives of all shapes and sizes mounted on the wall across from him. Their blades gleamed silver against a red velvet backdrop.
Someone else might have been frightened. But Shinichi's first thought was that his guards were being very stupid. They were practically handing him his choice of weapons. And even if he doubted the knives would be much use in an all out fight with men with swords, they would still be good tools with which he might be able to attempt another escape.
When he tried to move, however, he discovered that his body wouldn't respond. He felt heavy and just a little numb. It was like all the energy had been drained out of him. He couldn't even clench a fist.
It had to be the effects of the drug they'd knocked him out with, he thought. He would have to wait for it to wear off. If it didn't wear off fast enough…
No, wait. Think positive. If it did wear off in time then he would have a much better chance this time with the new tools they had inadvertently left with him.
As he waited, he took a moment to take in what he could of his surroundings.
This room was truly lavish. The walls were covered in the most elaborate tapestries Shinichi had ever seen—excluding the parts of it that were covered with weapons. The knives were only the tip of the ice berg. There were spears, swords, axes, whips, bows and arrows, and even a mace. The furniture too was elaborate. The carvings on the tables, chairs, and even the wardrobe were intricate, and the wood was polished to perfection. That furniture sat atop beautiful woven rugs. The ornaments that gleamed in every corner gleamed with gold, silver, and precious gems.
This was clearly the private quarters of a person in love with both luxury and battle.
Well, he supposed he knew who that was.
Since this was a private room, the soft thing he was lying on was probably a bed. It was certainly a much better piece of furniture than the cot he'd had in his cell. At least that meant he wasn't aching all over. That would make it easier to move quickly when the drugs wore off.
The real problem was the pressure he could feel around his right wrist. It felt like some kind of cuff. They must have made sure he would be unable to reach any of the weapons from here. He had to figure out how to free himself first.
But it all hinged on being able to move. He still couldn't even twitch his fingers.
He inhaled deeply. Don't panic, he told himself. He could afford to panic. He fought against the shivers that were beginning to run up and down his limbs, but eventually gave up. It was cold anyway. It was his clothes. They weren't his own. He didn't know what they had put him in, but, whatever it was, it was chilly. Yes, he was shivering because it was cold, not because he was utterly terrified.
Deep breaths. Slow and even.
Right. Opening his eyes, he stared at his left hand where it lay on the covers in front of his face. Focusing on his fingers, he willed them to move.
For several minutes, there was no reaction. But he thought he was beginning to get some feeling back. Was that a twitch? Yes!
But it was too early to be relieved.
The seconds crept by. With each moment that passed, he felt as though his heart was beating faster. Harder. It was getting more difficult to breathe too. But still, slowly but surely, his hand was beginning to respond. He could now make a loose fist, but he still couldn't exert any force.
And the weakness in all his limbs was fading all too slowly.
Gritting his teeth, he lifted his arm then lowered it again. The effort required for even that small gesture left him breathing hard, but he felt a small flicker of hope coming back to life in his chest. Maybe he would make it after all. Even if he couldn't escape, he wasn't going to go down without a fight.
It was just as that thought had crossed his mind that he heard the sound of a door opening.
He froze. His blood turned to ice in his veins, and his breath caught in his throat. It was too soon!
There was the murmur of voices before the door closed. Then a nearer door opened and closed.
Shinichi kept his eyes shut and breathing even, pretending that he was still unconscious.
He could sense the new presence in the room. It drew slowly closer. The newcomer's footsteps were surprisingly silent. Shinichi could still sense him though.
A hand touched his shoulder.
Throwing every ounce of willpower he had into the moment, Shinichi twisted and kicked out towards the presence. He felt his strike connect, but the other person was quick and managed to shift, diverting the brunt of the force of the kick. Cursing inwardly, Shinichi would have struck out again, but his 'visitor' pounced. There was a short but ferocious struggle before Shinichi found himself pinned face-down and unable to move.
Then there was a voice murmuring soothingly into his ear. "Hey, hey, it's okay. It's me."
Shinichi went limp as his eyes flew open. He knew that voice. He heard it in his dreams every night. It was a voice he'd feared he'd never hear again.
"Kaito?" The name left his lips in a whisper. His heart was beating even harder now than it had been before. This time, however, it was beating with a hope he barely dared to acknowledge.
Slowly, the person on top of him let him go, and Shinichi rolled over.
He looked up into a pair of indigo eyes.
"Kai…" he breathed. His vision blurred. Was he dreaming? "But…how?"
"I said I'd come for you, didn't I?" Reaching over, Kaito placed his hand over the cuff on Shinichi's wrist. The metal cracked and fell away. Then he pulled the blue-eyed boy into a tight embrace. "I'll never leave you again. I promise."
Shinichi clung to him: relief and joy temporarily chasing away all thoughts of where they were. But that realization came rushing back soon after, and he pulled away so that he could look up into Kaito's face.
"But really, how did you get in here? And who were you talking to outside?"
"Oh, those were the guards." Kaito chuckled at Shinichi's shocked expression. "I came in disguise, silly. They all saw their dear tyrannical overlord. You should have seen how they all bowed and scraped. It was hilarious! We're lucky his greatness thinks so highly of himself that he often travels without an entourage though. Now, are you hurt?" Indigo eyes traveled over Shinichi as the blue-eyed boy digested the new information.
Kaito let out a low whistle. "Well, they certainly know how to wrap a birthday present."
Shinichi glared at him, face flushing a deep crimson. "That's not funny Kaito."
The smile dropped from the magician's face. "No, it wasn't. I'm sorry."
"We don't have time for catching up right now," Shinichi said urgently.
"Actually, we can't leave yet. It would be suspicious. We should stay until nightfall."
"But what about when the real warlord shows up?"
"He won't be coming because he's currently drunk out of his mind on a carriage heading fast for the mountains where they're throwing him another party. He'll just be rather earlier than they expected. Of course, we'll be long gone by the time the people here hear about that."
Shinichi blinked then laughed. It was the first laugh he had uttered since that rainy day when he'd last said goodbye to his magician.
Kaito smiled. He knew they weren't out of the woods yet, but, seeing that smile on Shinichi's face… He'd missed that smile. Seeing it made him feel like he could do anything. He would do anything to protect that smile.
"So…what now?" Shinichi asked, looking up at the clock on the wall. It wasn't early, but it would still be several hours before it would be truly dark.
"Well~," Kaito drawled, expression morphing into a suggestive leer. "Those guards out there will be expecting a little noise."
Shinichi blushed. His vision was blurring again. He hurriedly swiped a hand across his eyes.
"Hey, hey, don't cry," the magician said soothingly, mildly alarmed. Perhaps it had been a bit insensitive of him to suggest such things at a time like this. "I was kidding. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
Shinichi shook his head quickly. Shifting onto his knees, he threw his arms around Kaito's neck.
"I—I thought I was never going to see you again," he whispered, fighting to keep his breathing from spiraling out of control. It was only now that it was really sinking in. Kaito really was here. He couldn't have been happier. At the same time, he hated the fact that Kaito had had to take such a big risk for him. If anything happened…
Indigo eyes softened, and Kaito wrapped his arms around Shinichi, holding him close.
"Don't worry," he murmured, rubbing gentle circles on Shinichi's back. "Everything's going to be okay. I promise."
-0-
It was strange, Shinichi thought, how, even so far away from home and surrounded on all sides by enemies, there could still be a moment as blissfully perfect as this.
-TBC-
