Author's note: Chapter 2 is now here! Thanks for waiting. Enjoy~
Chapter 2: Coercion
"He doesn't look like much."
"Trust me, you have no idea what he can do."
"Boss, are you serious about this?"
"Quiet, he's waking up."
Conan stirred. He slowly opened his eyes and carefully lifted his head, cringing from the sharp, throbbing pain in his temple. As his vision gradually focused, he found himself surrounded by three men in an abandoned warehouse. The ceiling towered over him, and the walls stretched far out. The place was huge.
"Finally awake, huh?" The man who had knocked him out—Riu, Conan remembered—stepped toward him.
Conan moved to step back but realized he was secured on a chair, his hands bound behind the backrest and his ankles tied together.
Riu chuckled. "You're really something, kid." He began circling Conan, examining the little boy as if he was a new discovery.
Conan glared at the man, wishing he could pull out his tranquilizer watch and…wait. His wrists brushed against the rope. The familiar band of his watch was gone. He cursed silently and figured they took his soccer ball belt too since he used that to free himself from the brute named Haki.
"Hey, boss."
Conan looked toward the brown-haired, skinny guy who had spoken up. The man seemed familiar, then with a start, Conan realized the man looked almost identical to the one whom Megure and the policemen escorted away from the apartment. What is going on?
Rui turned his head toward the guy. "What, Turo?"
The man named Turo rubbed his hands nervously. "Well, I was just wondering, uh, since we haven't killed Sagi yet because of the whole kidnapping plan, when are we going to, you know…?"
Riu smiled. "Don't worry. With this kid, our job will be easier." He turned to face the two men. "Go get Teke. He should have escaped from the police station by now."
Conan clicked the pieces together. The man named Teke must have been part of the trap. The "former" gang member whom Megure was protecting was actually a member of the Dragon gang.
Haki and Turo headed toward a van at the back of the building.
That left Conan alone with Riu, who took out his pistol. Conan's heart raced, but he managed to stay composed.
"Let me explain some things, kid," Riu said, cocking his gun. "I know you caught Mizuchi, and there's no way you could have known his location without some sort of tracker because if he hides, the police can't ever find him."
As Conan listened, his heart sank. He didn't like where this was going.
The leader of the gang paced the room, waving the weapon around idly. "We have a few other people we have a grudge on. Your job—" he pointed the gun at Conan. "—is to stick those trackers of yours on them." He spread his hands. "That's it."
Conan glowered at the criminal. This was clearly a plan to easily locate their next victims and finish them off quickly. "I won't do anything for a gang who kills for pleasure."
Riu shook his head disappointedly. He walked over and grabbed Conan's hair, yanking it back. Conan hissed in pain and felt the cold metal touch of the gun on his neck.
Riu lowered his voice, his tone dangerous. "You're not in a position to refuse, boy." Then he rammed the gun into Conan's stomach.
Conan gasped and hunched over, the breath knocked out of him.
Riu straightened, holding up the pistol again. "The Tori gang betrayed us eight years ago. We made an alliance with them to rob a bank, but right after the heist, they ratted us out to the cops and escaped with the money." He shook with anger from the memory. "That's why we swore revenge on those traitors."
My deduction was right, Conan thought as he caught his breath.
"But don't be mistaken," Riu continued. "We may need you to help with our plans, but I won't hesitate to pull the trigger if you hinder the progress of my gang. So it would be in your best interest to make sure our eight years' worth of waiting pays off."
He yanked Conan's chin up.
"Understand?" Riu's eyes glinted threateningly.
Conan gritted his teeth and reluctantly said, "Yes."
Riu smiled, pacing again. "That's better. Now, you obviously need some sort of tool to know where all your trackers are." He held the gun toward Conan's forehead. "Where is that tool?"
Conan glared, but he had no choice. Grudgingly, he said, "My glasses."
Riu's eye twitched in confusion. "What?"
Conan sighed. "I can't use it if I'm tied up."
Riu stood still for a moment, suspicious. Then he relaxed. There was no way this child could outrun a full-grown adult if he tried to escape. Riu knelt down and undid the bonds.
Conan slowly stood, massaging his wrists. He took off his glasses and pressed a button. A grid showed up on one of the lenses.
Riu had to suppress a gasp. He'd never seen anything like it. "Where did you get this?"
Conan paused. He was not going to put Professor Agasa in danger by involving him in this. "I built it."
Riu started laughing but cut off when he noticed the boy's serious expression. Then he shrugged. For a child genius, it was believable.
"The dots mark the locations of the transmitters." Conan turned off his glasses. "But this tool has a limited battery, and I don't have my charger." He slid the glasses back on.
Riu nodded, pondering. This was certainly useful for the gang. With the boy's assistance, they would finally get their revenge on the traitorous Tori gang.
The door opened and Conan looked over to see a female with lush auburn hair and perfect makeup. Riu turned toward her.
"Weapons are ready, Riu," the woman smiled, her lip gloss shining.
Riu grinned. "Furoshi, you never cease to disappoint me."
The woman—Furoshi—blew a kiss toward him.
The leader stood, smirking down on Conan. "Your job starts tomorrow."
Haibara checked her watch again. The light in the kitchen had dimmed since Conan left, and she knew he never investigated this long without a status update. Calling him only led to voicemail, and he wouldn't answer his detective badge. Turning off her laptop, she left her room and headed up to the kitchen, where Professor Agasa was at the table, working on an extra set of glasses.
Agasa looked up. "Oh, Ai-kun, is Conan back yet?"
Haibara shook her head. "No. This is strange, even for him."
Agasa checked the clock on the wall and frowned. "You're right. Have you tried contacting him?"
"Yes, but he doesn't answer."
The professor activated the glasses and held them out to her. "Let's find his location with these. He always carries around those transmitters."
Haibara slipped them on and turned on the grid. To her surprise, the dot marking Conan's location was not at the apartment by the mall, where he said he was going before leaving. It was located in a cluster of buildings a short distance from the main part of the city.
Suspicion aroused, Haibara tried calling him again with the detective badge. No answer. Frowning, she studied the location again, zooming in on the coordinates. Based on her memory, the buildings were unused warehouses—a potential hideout for a criminal.
"Professor, call the police and let them know Conan's missing."
Agasa also looked concerned by the dot's location. "Got it." He pulled out his phone.
Haibara cautioned, "Conan may be in trouble. This might be related to the current serial case, so we have to be careful."
Agasa grimly nodded.
Conan breathed evenly as he lied on the floor with his hands and ankles bound. The gang had moved him from the chair to the floor as night fell. Riu had insisted Conan get some sleep for his special task tomorrow.
Lure him out of his room. He'll never be suspicious of a child, Conan recalled Riu saying. Make sure he's right in front of his apartment, where I can see him. Then stick the tracker on him.
Conan turned around and scanned the five sleeping bags on the floor. Each had the bulk of a sleeping gang member. Determined to escape, Conan began worming his way toward the table full of knives. His shoulders began to ache, but he kept going. After what seemed like forever, he reached the table. Leaning against the wall next to it, he propped himself up and faced his back toward the first knife he saw, grabbing the handle with his bound hands. While he cut himself free, he kept an eye on the sleeping group.
At last, the ropes fell. He quietly placed the knife back and tiptoed to the exit, only a few meters away. Thankfully, the door was unlocked. He stepped out into the cool temperature of the night, his heart thudding like a hammer. He found himself surrounded by a bunch of other tall warehouses. Having no idea where to start running, he activated his glasses. The gang's hideout wasn't too far from the city area. As he pulled out his detective badge to contact Haibara, he started jogging along beside the other warehouses, carefully avoiding the various storage boxes clustered by the walls.
Come on, Conan thought frantically. Despite knowing it was the middle of the night, he figured it wouldn't hurt trying to get an answer.
After a couple seconds, to Conan's relief, Haibara's voice came through the badge.
"Where have you been?" she demanded.
"Haibara!" Conan said, grateful that she answered. "The Dragon gang captured me, but I've escaped their hideout. Meet me at the intersection closest to Agasa's."
Haibara was overwhelmed by the sudden news. "Okay, but you better explain everything when I get there."
Conan slightly smiled as he discerned a hint of relief in Haibara's usually cold tone.
"I also know their plan for tomorrow. We can prevent the next murder. They—"
Conan crashed into something and flew backwards, his badge flying from his hand. Shaking his head, he looked up and saw a figure towering over him. To his horror, he realized it was Riu.
"Edogawa-kun?" Haibara's urgent voice spoke from the badge. "Edogawa-kun!"
Riu's hand wrapped around Conan's neck, and he slammed the boy against the wall.
Stars danced across Conan's vision. He clawed at the hand cutting off his air supply, but it was no use.
"I thought this might happen," Riu snarled. He let go.
Conan dropped to the floor, gasping for breath. Before he could get up and run, a kick to his stomach sent him skidding across the ground. Conan coughed, trying to get air into his lungs, but then another kick followed. Conan cried out as Riu kicked him again and again.
"Edogawa-kun! What's happening?" Haibara yelled through the badge.
Conan groaned. "Stop," he croaked, cradling his ribs.
Riu reached down, grabbed a fistful of Conan's hair, and slammed the boy's forehead into the pavement. Conan screamed. His vision blurred from the pain as he felt Riu grab his arm and painfully yank it backward, threatening to break it. Riu's breath tickled Conan's ear as the leader whispered, "You have a big job tomorrow. Don't make me do something I'll regret."
With that, Riu released him, leaving Conan lying on the floor, his head bleeding.
As pain throbbed through his head and ribs, Conan heard Riu pick up his badge and say, "Don't look for the boy. I'm warning you." Then the badge was crushed against the ground.
Conan felt Riu grab the back of his collar, and he was dragged back to the hideout, left with no choice but to hang limp from the man's grasp.
Haibara clenched her fist as she stared at the silent badge. Agasa stood next to her, his hands fidgeting.
"What do we do now?" the professor's voice trembled.
Haibara stayed quiet, thinking. Then she came up with a decision.
"We have to tell the police about this threat, before they accidentally put Conan in danger." She pulled out her phone.
Agasa nodded. "I will get started on extra gadgets for Conan." He rushed off to his lab.
Haibara tightened her lips. You better hang in there, Conan, she thought.
A cool, watery touch made Conan's eyes flutter open, greeted with the sight of Furoshi leaning over him. She was wiping the dried blood off his forehead. Conan jumped in surprise and tried to sit up, but he was bound again, this time with chains.
"Stay," Furoshi said, shoving him back to the floor.
Conan winced. His ribs were still sore from last night.
Furoshi smiled, her face radiating with beauty. "Poor thing," she cooed, dabbing the last bit of blood. "Can't you see escape is impossible? Silly boy." She flicked Conan's nose with her pedicured nails.
Conan squirmed in protest, turning away his head.
Furoshi laughed as she stood. "Be good today," she called over her shoulder as she left.
Conan inwardly groaned. Today, the gang expected him to stick trackers on their next three victims. He racked his brain. There had to be a way out of this.
His thoughts were interrupted when Haki went up to him.
"Time to go. Don't even think about fleeing."
Conan sighed and obediently stood still as the burly man unlocked his chains. Then Haki grabbed him by the shoulders and hoisted him to his feet.
"Move it," he said, pushing Conan forward.
The little detective stumbled and allowed himself to be led to the van.
Megure, Haibara, and Agasa were gathered in the professor's living room.
Haibara said, "Our objective is to rescue Conan and also capture all the gang members. The best thing we can do right now is gather as much information as we can about the gang. What weapons they have, how many members there are, how they are holding Conan captive."
Agasa twisted a screwdriver on a metal watch. "The gang probably took away most of his gadgets. I can make duplicates, but it'll take some time to construct them."
Haibara nodded. While he was working on that, she could investigate with Inspector Megure. She grabbed the spare set of glasses on the table and stood.
"Inspector Megure," Haibara said. She headed to the car.
Megure stared after the little girl then looked at Agasa with a bewildered expression.
Agasa chuckled. "She wants you to follow her."
Megure stammered. "I know, I'm just…" Then he shook his head and headed to the car, where Haibara was sitting in the passenger seat, holding up the key. Megure didn't know the girl very well, but she kind of reminded him of Conan—a child who does not act childish at all.
Megure buckled up and accepted the key from Haibara. "Where to?"
Haibara activated her glasses. "We're going to investigate the Dragon gang's hideout. Head outside the city area, then I'll give directions from there."
Megure started the engine, trying not to think about how surreal this felt.
Riu checked the time, grinning in anticipation. He had parked a few meters away from the target's home, hidden among the other cars along the curb. Haki, Teke, and Turo were hiding in different locations near the apartment to make sure the boy didn't escape. The target would soon walk out and head to the convenience store as usual. Riu looked at Conan, who sat quietly in the passenger seat next to him.
"Remember what we went over, kid." He fastened an earpiece on Conan's ear. "And don't even think about warning the target or else we will hear and Furoshi will shoot you from the roof. And if you can somehow miraculously avoid the bullets, my other goons will finish you off. Got it?"
Conan scowled but nodded.
"Good. Now, one other thing." Riu reached toward Conan's face and swiped the glasses.
"Hey!" Conan protested, reaching to grab his gadget.
Riu pointed his gun at Conan, who froze. "It's mine now." Then he made a shooing motion, eager for Conan to start his task.
Fuming, Conan stepped out of the car and walked over to the house. He crouched behind a bush. It wasn't long before the target came out the door as Riu had expected. The man had black hair with a short beard, clothed in an old T-shirt and jeans.
Conan took a deep breath. Then he stepped out of his hiding place and approached the man.
"Mister!" Conan waved his arms.
The bearded man looked over at him, confused why a little kid was coming up to him. "What is it, boy?"
"I lost my toy in the alley over there," Conan said, pointing. "But I'm too scared to go get it."
The man sighed in annoyance. "I don't have time for this, kid."
He tried to walk away, but Conan grabbed his hand.
"Please!" Conan whined as loud as he could.
Groaning, the man shoved him. "Get lost!" The man speed-walked down the street.
Conan stared after the man, feeling guilty about the transmitter he placed beneath the man's cuff. He slowly walked back to the car, where Riu was smiling in satisfaction while looking at the grid on the glasses.
"Well done, boy," Riu said.
Conan said nothing.
The leader pulled out of the parking lot and headed to the next victim's location, the rest of the gang following with their extra vehicle.
Megure parked several warehouses away from the location Haibara specified. Haibara told Megure to stay in the car, blatantly explaining how his inspector's attire would give away their presence. Megure didn't like the idea, but he obeyed since he found the little girl intimidating. While the girl went to the warehouse where Conan's location was last marked, Megure patiently waited, hoping nothing would happen to the girl. Fortunately, it wasn't long before she came back.
Megure started the engine and started driving back to Agasa's place. "So what did you find?" he asked.
Haibara slipped on her glasses. "Nobody was there, but I saw many weapons: pistols, rifles, knives. There are cuffed chains on the floor, which are most likely used to hold Conan captive. And the five sleeping bags—" She paused as she studied the grid and noticed not one but four dots around the city area.
Megure cocked his head in confusion. "Yes?"
But Haibara wasn't paying attention to him anymore. One dot was heading back to the cluster of warehouses—toward them. The other three dots were dormant.
"Inspector, turn into the other road." Haibara pointed to the side. "Now!"
Megure, surprised by the firm tone, swerved to the right and entered the side road.
Haibara studied the new dots. Either Conan left a message at one of the three new locations or they were about to discover something else entirely. She took out her detective badge to relay the newly obtained information to Agasa. Then she gave directions to Megure to head toward the first of the three dots. She planned to investigate all three locations to discover what they led to.
The gang was gathered at the table in their hideout, cheering triumphantly. Conan—chained and lying on the floor—glowered at the gang, angry for being forced to assist them in their crimes. The metal dug painfully into his skin. Conan sighed. Chains were a bit harder to break out of, but it was possible with a bobby pin—which, unfortunately, he did not have presently.
Teke pumped his fist. "We're so close!"
"Yep," Riu said proudly. "Our revenge is almost complete. With the trackers, our plan is ahead of schedule. Tomorrow, we'll discuss plans for finishing them off. The police will be distracted from the three simultaneous murders, so we can make a smooth getaway."
Furoshi chuckled while reapplying her lip gloss. "Let's not forget the source of our success." She gestured to Conan.
"Ah yes," Riu said, walking toward Conan. "The little genius who made this possible." He knelt down next to him. "Let me just give you a reminder, boy." He grabbed the front of Conan's shirt and held him up, glaring straight into the brat's eyes. To his annoyance, the kid had the nerve to glare back, despite having his wrists chained behind him. Riu shook his head and slammed the kid into the wall.
Conan grunted as his chest felt the painful impact. He cringed at Riu's furious expression.
"Don't mess this up," Riu threatened. "You behaved today, and I expect the same for tomorrow." He released his hold.
Conan fell to the floor, grunting as he collapsed on his side.
Riu laughed with the gang and went back to the table to celebrate for the night.
Conan gritted his teeth in frustration. Sticking the transmitters on the targeted victims sickened him, as if he was doing the crime. If he couldn't prevent the murders tomorrow… He shook his head in remorse. How was he going to get out of this?
Megure dropped off Haibara at Agasa's place before heading back to the police station in his own vehicle. He had to gather as many policemen as he could to execute the girl's plans, and they had to set up as fast as possible.
Haibara quickly headed inside, making sure the three dots stayed relatively still. Every dot they investigated led to a man. After briefly talking with each one, Megure confirmed all three men were former members of the Tori gang. Haibara theorized that Conan was being forced to put trackers on all the remaining targets, and the gang would go for the kill soon. Megure wanted to guide the three men to a safe location, but Haibara said it would look too suspicious if all three men were suddenly gathered at the police station, and it would put Conan in danger if the gang mistakenly thought he was helping the targeted people.
"Professor, did you finish?" she asked, settling down at the living room table.
Agasa came over with several gadgets piled up in his arms. He scattered them on the table. "This should be everything," he said, brushing off his hands.
Haibara picked up the soccer ball dispensing belt and brushed her hand across the lining. Then she checked the spare metal band watch and flipped open the lid; it was loaded. She nodded in approval as she checked the rest of the gadgets. "Now we just need someone to deliver these to Conan without getting caught."
"We could have the police do it," Agasa suggested.
"No," Haibara said. "They're too recognizable. The gang is already on the lookout for cops. We need someone stealthy."
The two fell silent, wondering who would be the best candidate.
"We can discuss this with Inspector Megure," Haibara decided. It was getting late.
The next day, Agasa and Haibara were in the kitchen when the doorbell rang. Thinking it was the inspector, Haibara opened the door, only to see a dark-skinned high schooler wearing a baseball cap, one hand casually tucked in his pocket.
"Hey guys, whatcha up to?" he said with an Osakan accent. "Just came to visit Conan, is he here?"
-End of Chapter 2-
Thanks for reading~ Reviews/comments appreciated. The final chapter is on its way!
~ turquoisepearl
Chapter 3 release date: February 5, 2021 at 6:00 pm MST
