I've been quite busy, but here is another chapter.

Chapter 25

Snake watched the man before him pace in front of his men in the early morning light. They all seemed nervous, particularly the two who lost the girl in the first place. Snake himself betrayed no such emotions. He knew he had nothing to worry about. He would still be able to collect the bounty, and he had a legitimate reason not to give any of it to his men. He would wait for precisely the right moment to give away his quick thinking though. "You mean to tell me," the silver-haired man started as his pacing finally ceased. "That you called us out here and demanded payment, only to have the girl slip right through your fingers."

No one said a word. The two who'd been responsible had already been singled out, and the large man with the silver-haired one snorted. The silver-haired man turned to his companion and shook his head. Then, before anyone could move or even utter a sound, he had turned and shot the two men who'd lost the girl. Snake and the rest of his men remained frozen as the two fell to the ground dead. The police were long gone, and Snake cleared his throat awkwardly at the sight of the silencer on the man's gun. He had been prepared to shoot them quietly, so Snake decided it would probably be best to appease the man before the situation got too out of hand.

"Well. Now that you've punished the screw-ups," he started, reaching into his coat pocket with a smirk. "I think you'll find this very interesting." Snake held up a small device with a screen in his hand, pressing a button so the two assassins could watch the small light pop up on the screen. He glanced at the light, and his smirk grew. "It would appear that what you are looking for has just arrived in Osaka." The silver-haired man tried to snatch the device from Snake's hand, but he dared to move it out of reach. "Does the deal still stand?" Snake asked. The silver-haired man suddenly smirked back at him.

"Vodka, give him the money," he said to the bulkier man, who almost hesitantly handed over a suitcase to Snake.

"Pleasure doing business with you," the mustached man said, handing over the tracking receiver that went with the device he'd slipped into the girl's pocket the night before. He wasn't stupid enough to believe she wouldn't at least try to escape, especially with the organization that was after her. He'd had dealings with them before, and he knew they were not to be trifled with. That was why he was not surprised when the gun was suddenly pressed to his head as he took hold of the suitcase.

"If this is some kind of trick, rest assured that it will be just as easy to put a bullet in your brain as it was to put one in each of theirs." Snake nodded without fear in his eyes. He knew he would be safe. He'd used the trackers in extremely similar situations, and they always worked correctly. The target never got away.

By the time Shino had wandered enough streets in Osaka to count as an all out tour, it was nightfall once again. She managed to find a cheap hotel room, posed as a student on her way to visit family, and basically collapsed onto the bed as soon as the door was closed. For a while she didn't move, internally trying to motivate herself into at least changing into some of the other clothes she'd brought with her. Exhausted and jumpy though, the most she could get herself to do was kick off her shoes, throw off her sweatshirt, and crawl beneath the covers. She threw her wig to the side and put the green contact lenses in her bag, wanting to feel like herself for at least a short time.

Shino shivered beneath the covers. The sheets were cold to the touch, and the room itself was not very warm. She caught herself longing for Kaito to be beside her. He would provide warmth and promise safety, and he would do everything he could to make her see the positive side of the situation. Thinking of him made her thoughts stray to Saguru, a brief pang of guilt hitting her as she remembered the sorrow in his eyes when she'd knocked him out. Then there was Aoko. The poor girl would have no idea what had happened to her. She would never know the pain and fear she'd been standing right next to, and she'd never know how grateful Shino had been for her comforting smile.

It took considerably longer than it should have for her to register that she was crying. The tears cascading down her cheeks created a wet spot on the pillow, and she angrily swiped them away. Stupid. This is not the time for this. Shino reached into her pants pocket almost involuntarily, unfolding the picture she'd shoved in there before leaving Kaito's house. "You idiot," she whispered, Shinichi's photograph growing blurry before her eyes. She allowed herself one minute to break down, feeling the crushing loss of her twin all over again, and the cold sense of loneliness and dread that had come over her the moment she'd left Saguru behind. She reached over and pulled her pocket knife from her bag, shoving the photo back into her pocket and curling into a tighter ball under the covers. As exhausted as she was, she suddenly found herself too tense to fall asleep, so she lay there with the knife, ready to move at any moment.

"What do you mean you won't be back until three?" Shizuka demanded, folding her arms as if her son could see her doing so through the phone.

"Okan. I told you we would be celebrating our success at the kendo tournament," Heiji retorted. "I told you I wouldn't be back till at least one in the morning. There's no school tomorrow. What does it matter?" Shizuka sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Her son was lucky his father had gone to sleep hours before. Heizo would've already been halfway out the door with his handcuffs, ready to throw his son into the back of his squad car and drag him home.

"Promise me you'll be careful," she finally relented. "You know you have a bad habit of getting into trouble." She heard her son scoff into his cellphone.

"If I come across any murders I assure you that you'll be the first person I call after the police. Does that make you feel better?" The woman felt herself smile a little, knowing that what he meant was that he would be careful for her sake.

"Alright. Just try to get back in time to catch a little sleep. You promised to take Kazuha to lunch tomorrow."

"Yeah, I know. I've got my key. You should try to get some sleep too. I'll be fine." Shizuka nodded slowly, forgetting her son couldn't see her. Then she told him goodnight and went up to bed, feeling better knowing when he'd be back.

It was a little after one in the morning when Shino heard more footsteps in the hallway. Not many people had passed by her door, but every time someone did her grip on the knife tightened. This time, she felt her hair stand on end. For the first time that night voices accompanied the footsteps, and she recognized both of them as they murmured right outside the door. Silently, she got out of bed and pulled on her shoes and sweatshirt. Then she slung her bag onto her shoulders as she heard the sound of somebody trying to pick the lock. Panic gripped her and she raced for the window and yanked it open. How the hell did they find me so fast?

Shino quickly climbed out the window and immediately broke into a run. She'd been forced to leave the wig behind and the window open. They would definitely know she had been there, but they wouldn't know where she went afterward. Unfortunately, she didn't notice Vodka's bulky form in the shadows until it was too late. By the time she noticed him waiting for her near the edge of the parking lot and tried to turn around, she could see Gin's silver hair reflecting the moonlight as he headed toward her. The glint in his eyes told her it was over. He had trapped her like a spider, and she wished she had listened more carefully. She might have heard Vodka walk away. Then she could have ambushed Gin at the door and had a chance. Instead she found herself glaring up at him as she felt Vodka's meaty hands wrap around her arms.

"Fancy meeting you here," Gin said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a small flat disk. Shino clenched her teeth at the sight of the small tracking device, her heart pounding. That tracker must have been put in my pocket by that thug with the mustache...and that means it was with me in Kaito's house... On the outside she kept her gaze steely, not wanting to betray that she had any real reason to be afraid of being tracked. Inside, her mind had become a whirlwind of panic. What if they know about Kaito? What if they've already- "Put her in the trunk," Gin said, almost in a whisper, his eyes gloating more than his words ever could. She tried to pull away, but Vodka was much bigger than her, and apparently whatever concern he'd previously had for her seemed to be gone as he mercilessly squeezed her arms. She had become just another traitor to the organization; plain and simple, and traitors disappeared. The trunk closed, and she was plunged into darkness, wondering how Gin would decide to kill her, and trying to think up possible escape plans at the same time.

She didn't have long though. Soon she felt the car turn sharply to the right and then two more times to the left. The driving was extremely slow, and Shino quickly deduced where they were. The car had turned right into an alley, gone down to the end, turned left onto a back street, then turned left once more into another alley. Gin's car would face outward. That would shield them from anyone on the main street, and allow the assassins to pull out quickly if they needed to. This is it. They're going to kill me... Shino felt no fear at the prospect, but she didn't want to fail her family. She had to try something to get away. It was the only way she would be able to avenge her brother.

As she heard the car doors close on both sides, she moved into a position easy to jump from. The trunk clicked open, but as she began to move, Vodka reached in and grabbed her wrist, flipping her out onto the ground. Dazed and in pain as she landed on her back, she didn't realize Gin was sitting on her with his hand was around her throat until she could barely breathe. He tightened his grip little by little, making her sputter and gasp as he spoke. "Look at you," he whispered smugly. "Did you really think a mere girl like you could outsmart us? You're as foolish as your brother." He chuckled, loosening his hold a little so she wouldn't pass out. "Don't worry though," he whispered, leaning close so she would feel his hot breath. "You'll be meeting him again very soon, and you'll know exactly how he died: alone, in an alley, invisible fire going through his veins, burning him from the inside out."

Shino wanted to spit at him, curse him, or beat the man until he could barely draw breath. He was kneeling on her arms though, and when she tried to move he jabbed his knee into her side. She didn't know if his description of the poison would be accurate, but she was thoroughly disgusted by the assassin and she glared defiantly into his eyes. Her look was one of pure hatred, and it promised that he would get everything he deserved. She dared him to kill her with that look, and she knew he was only too happy to oblige.

Gin's smirk grew into a sneer. "So you're going to be heroic now?" he spat. "No more scared little girl hiding behind her brother. You want me to feel something. You want me to remember your face, but you'll just be another name among traitors, Martini. You'll be the reason recruits do as their told. In death you will be an example, and you will keep our organization alive whether you want to or not." He reached into his coat with one hand, finally removing the other from her neck. He backhanded her across the face though, and as her mouth opened into a cry of pain he grabbed her face. Shino felt a pill drop into her mouth along with water, and before she knew it Gin had covered her nose and mouth with both hands. In essence, he was giving her a choice: either suffocate or swallow the poison. Her survival instincts kicked in, and she attempted to squirm out of his grasp. His hold on her was solid though, and she could hear his humorless laughter ringing in her ears even as dark spots appeared in her vision. Eventually, she couldn't take being unable to breathe, and she found herself involuntarily swallowing the poison.

The assassin released her and finally got back to his feet, and Shino rolled onto her side gasping and choking. That was when the pain set in. It started with a jolt in her chest, and only spread from there. Gin crouched beside her one last time as Vodka, who'd been keeping watch for pedestrians on the main road, informed him that they needed to get moving before they were spotted. The silver-haired man waved off his partner, and brushed Shino's already damp bangs out of her face. Any other person would probably do so out of tenderness, but when she managed to muster the strength to look Gin in the eye, she saw nothing but satisfaction there. He had wanted her dead from the very beginning, and she had given him exactly what he wanted.

"I-I'll...s-s-stop...you..." she stammered between gasps, knowing her words would end up being pointless but wanting to say them anyway.

"I'd like nothing more than to be defeated by a dead girl, but unfortunately, you and I both know that's not going to happen." He straightened up as she cried out in pain and curled into a ball on the ground. "So long...Martini." Then, as fast as they had appeared, the two crows were gone, shooting out the alleyway and vanishing like shadows into the night. Shino curled up tighter, her hand clutching at her chest as she heard someone shouting in the street. She screamed again, trying to catch her breath as she felt her body burning up. She clenched her eyes shut, choking back tears. I'm sorry, Shinichi...

Conan shot up so fast in bed that the room around him seemed to spin before his eyes. He let his head drop into his hands as he tried to collect himself, taking deep breaths and running his shaking hands through his damp hair. Something's wrong...something's very wrong... Conan stood up, suddenly feeling trapped in the room and sick to his stomach. He hurried down the stairs, slipping on his shoes and silently closing the door behind him as he left the apartment. He began running as soon as he reached the pavement.

It was extremely early in the morning, but the fear clutching at him forced him to keep moving. He didn't know what, but he knew something had happened to his sister; something bad. Conan picked up his pace, letting his feet lead him down the streets he knew by heart until he reached the professor's familiar front door. He pounded mercilessly on the wood with his fist, desperately hoping as he knocked repeatedly that the man would be home and somehow able to hear him.

Heiji yawned loudly as he sped down the street on his motorbike. He was going home earlier than he'd planned because he knew he'd catch hell from both Kazuha and his mother the next day if he didn't get enough sleep. He turned a corner quicker than he normally would, feeling liberated with almost no cars around him on the darkened streets. Suddenly, a dark car sped out of an alley, and Heiji had to turn his bike almost totally sideways to avoid hitting the car as it sped off down the street. "MORON!" he shouted as he came to a stop, turning his bike back to face the proper direction. He got ready to move again, but a sound drew his attention to the alley the car had come from.

The sound was a cry of pure agony, and it made Heiji shudder. He hurried over, regretting that it'd been too dark to catch the plate number on the back of the car. He leaned his bike against the side of the building closest to the street, removing his helmet as he walked. The detective followed the sound of more groans, and almost stumbled over an object on the ground.

The object turned out to be a girl who couldn't have been much older than him. She was curled into a tight ball on the ground, her hand clenching her chest in a way that Heiji found oddly familiar. He reached over and touched the back of his hand to the girl's sweat-covered forehead, drawing back quickly from the burning heat he felt there. Quickly, he pulled out his phone and had two out of three numbers dialed when the device was suddenly taken from his hand and hurled at the wall nearby. It broke into three separate pieces, one sticking into the wall as if it were a dart hitting a board. How in the hell...

"I'm trying to help you," Heiji stated as calmly as he could, trying not to sound irritated. "If you didn't want an ambulance all you had to do was say-" The detective stopped short, rendered speechless as the pieces seemed to click into place. The girl's eyes had opened, and he recognized them immediately. They perfectly matched those of Kudou Shinichi, and he realized that her symptoms matched the ones the Tokyo detective had had the first time they'd met. He remembered the locket with the picture of the little girl and frowned. It's not possible...there's no way...

"G-get...out of...here," she gasped, her icy, blue eyes seeming to plead with him. Heiji snapped out of his reverie. He had to find out if he was right. It would probably be the only way he could help the girl.

"Listen to me," he started. "This is going to sound crazy, but did someone just poison you? And was that someone a man in black?" The girl's eyes widened.

"How...how did-" A much louder scream of pain pierced the air, and before his shocked eyes the girl began to disappear inside her clothes. Within a moment, he found himself looking down at an unconscious child where the teenaged girl had been before. Shit...it's just like Kudou said...

Professor Agasa didn't like to be disturbed; especially when he was working to try to finish a new invention. The pounding on his door was insistent and not showing any signs of stopping though, so the older man sighed heavily and made his way to the front door. The last thing he expected was to see what he did. Conan, clad in only his pajamas and his sneakers, looked up at him with utter despair in his eyes, gasping for breath. He walked past the older man without a word and when Agasa shut the door behind him he stood stiffly in the middle of the foyer. "Shinichi-kun, what-"

"I have to tell you something important, Professor," the boy replied, turning to face him. "I didn't tell you everything that happened that night." The professor eyed the boy closely and then gestured to a chair, having a feeling that it was going to be a long night.

Not my best...and I suppose a little confusing...but you get the general idea of this chapter, which is...actual plot. :) Please let me know what you think.