For those who are curious, I plan to at least get up to the scarlet arc with this story. After that, I might quit, depends if more comes out in the anime or not. So there are a whole lot more chapters coming, don't worry. This is episode 497.

Jodie whispered loudly.

"So do we take him now?"

"No, we will watch him for a bit. It shouldn't take long for him to give himself away. The chance is small, but he might also be in it for the insurance."

I have no doubt that if we do keep an eye on him, a good portion of the agents here, that we should have him in our clutches soon. He is still investigating, doesn't know that we know about him yet, and he has no idea we are even here.

"Well, if a lot of us keep watch for suspicious behavior, there will be no problem taking him down immediately."

We should back off and not stand in the hallway, obviously stalking a guy. James and Jodie step toward our temporary headquarters with me and the boy following. I am partway listening to their conversation about moving Mizunashi Rena, when I feel eyes on me. They weren't hostile, well at least not from a strong presence. It just felt like someone was glaring in our general direction. I glance to the side at a seemingly empty room that we were just then walking past. I couldn't see anybody through the frosted glass, but that didn't mean no one was there.

I see the boy that was walking beside me tense as well, before smirking and relaxing once again. Did he know the threat? It must not be a big deal if he didn't bring it up. Now it was time to tail Kusada Rikumichi, and hopefully trap the man before he finds out Mizunashi Rena's room.

It was late at night, after I took a small patrol and smoke break, when the agent that had been guarding Kusada's room told the other agents he had left his room. I slipped through the hallways silently, meeting up with other agents. James nodded at me as we silently made our way to a nurse's station. I feel like this is way too soon. If we rush things, he could end up escaping. However, I wasn't going to complain now. We arrived, hiding behind the corner just when Jodie was saying.

"Get on your knees. We don't want to wake the patients."

I peek quietly around the corner. The man has his hands in the air and Jodie and several other agents are pointing their guns at him. Something is wrong though; he looked way too confident, like he knew something we didn't.

"Then what would you say to waking them up…"

He reached behind his head and I tensed, even knowing there was no weapon there. He removed his brace, grinning manically.

"By blowing up this C4?"

Explosives. He had been hiding that this entire time? Now we couldn't do anything rash, unless we want civilian casualties. I wouldn't put it past him to blow it up either.

"Don't move now."

He backed up, trigger in his hand before he turned and sprinted back toward his room. Jodie quickly directed the agents to circle around his room and that he might crawl out the window. I however split from the main group, going straight to my truck. What Jodie proposed was too predictable, and he would get caught that way. No if I were him I wouldn't go to my room I would just leave.

I quickly pulled my truck around to the front of the hospital, just in time to see a car speeding away. I give chase immediately. This was the worst possible scenario. If he manages to contact the organization, the secret will be out. Suddenly my phone rings. I don't take my eyes off the car in front of me as I flick it open.

"We are counting on you Akai-kun. Apprehend him before he has the chance to contact the organization."

I hate to break it to everyone that had hopes in me, but there wasn't much I could do. If he had a cellphone to contact them, I couldn't do anything. All I could do now was chase him and hopes he runs out of gas before I do.

"Roger. However, if he has a cellphone on him, I won't be able to stop him."

"Don't worry."

A high pitched voice came from my empty passenger seat, almost scaring the crap out of me. I glance over in time to see Edogawa Conan crawl out from under the seat.

"While he was out of the room, I found his cellphone and dropped it in some water."

I stared at him in disbelief. He…this guy. Seriously. I covered my surprise with a smile.

"Ho? I thought you believed in us FBI agents?"

I was of course teasing. He might have believed in us, but if he saw something like this that he judged would be the right move, I wasn't going to complain.

"Better safe than sorry. But, I believe you knew if he noticed them watching and they rushed to arrest him that something like this could potentially happen. You must have predicted that, right Akai-san?"

Was the boy testing me now? The thought had crossed my mind, although destroying his cellphone didn't because I had no means to get into his room without being suspicious. I smirked mysteriously.

"Who knows?"

Maybe I could intimidate this guy into stopping or at least lose control enough to crash, safely I hope. I pull up next to the guy, looking over at him. It is indeed Kusada, and it doesn't look like he is calling anyone. That was good. I heard the sound of a window being rolled down, and a squeal of tires as he swerved. I glance over to see a pistol barrel in my face.

I ease down on the brake, drawing back a little. I see his face in the side view mirror contort into a grimace. Oh, it looks like he recognized me.

A few seconds later, I hear the crack of a gunshot and the car swerves off the road, through a guardrail and down the hill. I brake in surprise and I hear the boy gasp as he braces for the sudden stop. We both get out, with him sprinting to the scene with me barely keeping up.

We draw up next to the car and I scowl at the sight. Kusada Rikumichi sat there, with a gun in his hand and now a hole in his temple. I glance at the boy, wondering if I should shield the poor innocent eyes, however that notion quickly disappeared as he looked carefully inside the car, looking for clues I am guessing. Why is it that every organization member that sees me commits suicide? First Calvados, and now this. I pick up my phone and dial Jodie.

"We have good and bad news. Good news is that we stopped him from contacting the organization."

Jodie's voice sounded relieved.

"You stopped him before he contacted the organization?"

I glance again at the body.

"Yeah, but unfortunately he made his way to the other side with his own gun."

I hear James speaking faintly in the background, as he was probably driving to the scene.

"Since he used a bomb to commit suicide, the bombs must have been a bluff huh?"

Jodie added.

"In any case, at least they don't know where Mizunashi Rena is."

I swallowed hard. No, this guy was giving regular updates. If they suddenly stop, the organization will get suspicious.

"No, now they will know for certain. He must have used a method to contact them periodically about his investigation at the hospital. If that suddenly stops, and if they were daily reports, they will be coming soon, tomorrow at the latest."

Jodie gasped softly.

"In any case, meet us back at the hospital. Bring the body so we can properly bury it."

"Roger."

Corpse moving is always a grisly business, and I never particularly liked doing it. I pulled open the door, unbuckling the seatbelt, and pulling the guy onto my shoulder in a fireman's carry.

"Come on boya, they need us back at the hospital."

Conan seemed to be lost in thought as he followed me up the hill.

"That was my fault. I should have predicted he would try to kill himself before trying to contact the organization again."

Why would he word it like that? Was this because he ruined his cellphone? No that was the right move. It stopped him from immediately from contacting the organization and telling them of our plans. He couldn't have done it later because we were right on his tail…

Wait a moment. Was that what the boy was after this entire time? Since he destroyed his main communication source, the first instinct of a man on the run would to be to call in reinforcements or report his findings that he had found Mizunashi Rena before he was caught. In his panic he might have used a source that was public, or even contact them another way. We could have monitored and checked the records of the public methods like email and phone lines. We could have learned how they communicate, as well as gotten phone numbers or email addresses of other operatives. Not only that, we could have also kept up contact with them by pretending to be him, leading the investigation to believe that she wasn't in Haido Central hospital. The boy wasn't interested in catching Kusada; he was interested in letting him go, leading us to the rest of the crow flock.

The FBI was careless, and I admit I was also in the wrong. This was not the way things should have gone. We were so narrow-minded, focused only on the criminal in front of us, that we forgot the crucial piece of information about this case; we are dealing with multiple criminals. Edogawa Conan was focused on the organization as a whole, on information that could have been far more useful in the future then what we had now, which was the man dead, and the organization figuring out where Mizunashi Rena was anyway. No wonder the boy didn't believe in us totally. This boy just showed up the entire FBI.

I shake my head in amazement as I drive back to the hospital, the supposed first grader in my passenger seat.

"Is something wrong Akai-san?"

I look over at him. I shake my head.

"No boya. You did the right thing."

He blinked before staring straight ahead again.

"So you are sure they will come tomorrow?"

I nod, gauging his reaction.

"Almost assuredly."

There was a tightening in the boy's jaw, and fists clenched on his lap. Ho, an interesting reaction to the boy that was calmer than most adults, let alone children.

We arrive back at the hospital and meet in the room with other agents. I take a look out the window as Jodie argues animatedly.

"We have to move her. If the organization knows she is here there is no sense in staying. There is no room for debate is there?"

James sighed.

"But still, we don't have a new hospital for us to move her to, and we can't just parade an unconscious woman around for no reason."

I interject into the conversation, pulling back the curtain slightly, and using my sniper senses to detect the possible enemies' spots in the dark.

"Not to mention if we move her now, we could find ourselves full of holes. The agent in the back said he spotted some suspicious shadows moving on the roof of the building next door."

"So the organization is already here?"

Jodie asked in disbelief. James looked at the other agents.

"In any case, it is time for me to tell the director the full story on what is going on and to come up with a plan."

No, involving civilians will just cause a panic, not to mention will get them directly involved. It just means more targets for the organization to shoot at.

"It is better if you didn't. If you tell them the situation now and their cooperation is discovered, they could infer the entire hospital was working with us from the start. On the other hand, if the hospital doesn't make a move in this situation, they will just assume that we used them and they aren't connected to us."

James shut the door that he was presently about to walk out of.

"You are right. Now that this has happened all we can do is protect the director and the rest of the staff."

Jodie protested.

"There are a lot of patients that can't be moved from here. How can we wait here, while knowing the organization is coming, and not alert them?"

No waiting is the wrong verb here. Waiting implies that we aren't ready to deal with the situation at hand.

"We won't wait. We will draw back."

A tactical retreat in a sense, to gather our resources and prepare to strike back. The organization is going to deal us a hard blow, and if we don't have our own traps set and strike back just as aggressively, then we cannot possibly win against them. Jodie asked in horror.

"Draw back? You mean leave her here and run away?"

I took a deep breath with conviction.

"No, we will draw back the bow and wait. Why not ambush them? The black wolves who have come to retrieve their straying colleague."

James strode forward, and I see the other agents mentally prepare for the battle that was inevitable with my proposal.

"It would seem that is the only thing we can do. I called for several more agents today earlier in the day."

Jodie looked at the ground.

"Since things have come to this, it's good we stopped him while he was taking pictures at the nurses station, even if we only stopped him from relaying information about unrelated patients to them."

James shrugged.

"Well, we would have been found out eventually. Conan-kun had already made sure the cellphone was broken."

Ho, were they blaming the boy? That the plan had to go on because even if it didn't, they would have been discovered because of a broken cellphone? Once again, the boy's simple actions that conceal his true genius are lost on everyone. Conan seemed to stand a little taller under the attention of the other agents, even if it was because of almost reprimanding instead of praise. He wasn't sorry for what he did, and he shouldn't be. I interject to defend him.

"No, the reason the boy damaged the cellphone wasn't just to prevent him from contacting the organization. It was to learn how to contact them. If he contacted them by cellphone mail when in the bathroom or his hospital room, we wouldn't be able to find out how. With his cellphone broken, he would be forced to choose another method."

Edogawa Conan turns a little to stare up at me and I smirk down at him. He looks a little intrigued, like he was curious as to what I was going to say. Oh, did you figure it out? His blue eyes seems to ask. James tapped his chin pensively.

"I see. If the method was something we could observe like a payphone or an internet café, we would know what sort of words and style they use for communication. Then we could have pretended to be him and continue making contact after apprehending him."

I turn back toward the agents.

"Yeah, in other words, it wasn't the boy who made the mistake. It was us, the FBI, who did. We couldn't think of such a method, myself included."

I glance back down at the boy with a smirk to see him looking up at me stunned. Whether the surprise was because I was defending him against my own agents, or the fact that I figured his scheme out, I am not sure.

Yes boy, I admit I was wrong, and that I couldn't think of such a method. You have now gained my admiration and respect. You have proven yourself more than I ever needed you too. No wonder Jodie has taken such a liking to you. I had thought that you were on par with me, but you have succeeded in pushing past me to a league all of your own.

I walk carefully toward the door.

"Regardless, let's rest in shifts and prepare for them. If our nerves stay on edge, they will snap before they arrive."

"Yeah, you are right."

I click open the door.

"Ah, if something comes to me I will report in, a good plan of attack that is."

I shut the door on the agents, walking toward the roof. There I could have peace and quiet and not be interrupted. Hmm, if I am going to plan something, maybe I should ask that boy to help out. I am curious as to what he would come up with in this situation.

I step outside into the windy night air and take a deep breath. What a long day. So much has happened. I look up at the moon. Finally Akemi. I can finally exact some of my revenge for you tomorrow.

I should be thinking up a plan, but I need some motivation. I dig out my cellphone and go into my inbox to find the one email I can't seem to throw away.

Dai-kun, if I am able to escape the organization like this, will you go out with me as my real boyfriend? Akemi. P.S.

Lost in thought about Akemi, I don't hear the almost silent pitter pater coming up the stairs.

"Hey, can we talk?"

I instantly turn toward the voice. Edogawa Conan stands in the doorway, holding the door open. I give a small chuckle. Of course the boy would be the first to want to know details. Unfortunately my brain doesn't work as fast as his probably does.

"If it's about the plan to attack them, I am still thinking it over."

Conan continued in his childlike voice.

"But you know, when I saw you, I was thinking, just maybe you were thinking exactly what I am."

I glance at him. The child is gone, and the predator is in his place. It makes him look terrifying, yet at the same time, reassuring. I raise my eyebrows in interest.

"Ho? And what thought was that Boya?"

Conan smirked as he shut the door.

"That maybe you would like to collaborate with me on this plan of attack."

I smirked as I sat down cross legged, leaning against the wall.

"It had occurred to me. Do you have a plan already thought out?"

Conan sat across from me, glasses glinting in the light of the moon.

"I have a rough draft. I was hoping Akai-san would help me with details and flaws of logic. Unless you have an idea as well? If you do you can run it by me and I can double check it."

I hesitate. I had a rough idea too, however I wonder about this boy. I had seen small glimpses, just small instances that indicated this kid's genius, and he had to hide it most of the time behind his child persona. What would happen if I just let him loose, let him think and plan to his heart's content? What kind of ideas and strategies would that young brain churn out? What kind of potential did he truly have? If the idea was terrible, I could just propose something else, but I was indeed curious about what he would say.

"Go ahead."

He took a deep breath and I see the tension leaving his body.

"First, let's get on the same page and say what we do know."

He paused before he looked up at me.

"I believe Mizunashi Rena is a NOC for the CIA."

Of course he had figured that much out. I only had a hunch about it, but the conviction behind his voice led no room for doubt. If he said she was a CIA operative undercover, then she probably was. He wouldn't say such a thing unless he was sure, wouldn't waste both of our time with a hypothesis. He looked at me like I was supposed to agree or disagree with him. I nod.

"Yes, and is the daughter of Ethan Hondo, and sister to Hondo Eisuke."

He blinked in surprise. I explain.

"Eisuke-kun had leukemia surgery which caused his blood type to change to the one that Mizunashi Rena has, proving they are siblings."

He smirked up at me.

"Secondly, she is faking her coma."

I nod a second time. He breathed a sigh.

"Good, we know the same information. It is easier to plan this way."

He blinked and suddenly I am faced with an entirely different Edogawa Conan. It isn't the overly immature personality, and it isn't the aggressive hunter either. This personality is calm, cool, collected, and clever. This is the strategist side to the boy. Is this the real him, hiding under layers of other personalities? He tapped absentmindedly against the concrete.

"Since she is awake, we can let her in on our plan, when we complete it."

That was the best idea. If she truly was a NOC, she could give us information from the inside and help coordinate the plan.

"She will probably ask for a deal."

Conan agreed.

"Yes. But since we both agree that she is a NOC, we can also agree that she needs to go back."

"How will we wake her up?"

He glanced toward the door.

"Why don't we let the long lost siblings finally reunite? He might be able to pull her out of the fake sleep she is in. Then we can trap her."

He isn't wrong. We need to place the information source back where it belongs, and that would be the easiest way to get Mizunashi Rena to cooperate. If we go in and tell her we know she is awake, she will get defensive.

"And the Eisuke boy?"

"We can have another agent take him somewhere out of the way once his purpose has been fulfilled."

I lean back, waiting for him to continue. He raises an eyebrow.

"You work with the FBI more than I do. What do you think they will try to do to keep Mizunashi Rena from falling into enemy hands?"

If it were me…I mused aloud.

"Move her using decoys probably, at least two fakes with the amount of agents we do have."

He tapped the ground in an indistinguishable rhythm.

"That's what I suspected. However, if we want her to fall into enemy hands…"

He trailed off before suddenly becoming alert again.

"Can you get a really good driver? We have to let him in on the plan too."

Yes, if I remember correctly, Andre Camel is one of the agents coming in tonight. Not to mention he will keep quiet, at least I hope so.

"Yes, I have just the guy."

Conan placed his chin in hand, muttering quietly.

"So assuming he is a good driver we can just assume that he will drive her tomorrow. Then Mizunashi Rena can 'wake up' and stun the people that are with her. He will have to wreck the car while making it look real instead of staged. The less people in the car the better probably so we will have to push for only the driver, giving the excuse that they wouldn't expect her to have fewer guards. It is hard to gauge exactly what we will do however since we don't know how they are attacking tomorrow."

He leaned his head back, looking up at the dark sky.

"What worries me is what happens after."

After? After she gets back to the organization? Was he already planning that far ahead? He must have noticed my confusion because he explained.

"It doesn't matter what we do tomorrow, whether just letting her go or try our hardest to keep her in our grasp, Gin will be suspicious that they get her back at all, considering you are involved. I am under the impression that you are the one enemy that they know of and consider a major threat right?"

Oh I understand what he is saying.

"Yes, if I am going to participate, then they should expect to fail. Anything less than that will be considered too easy."

Conan nodded, looking almost relieved. I wonder if he has conversations with people that keep up with him mentally often. I doubt it. It must be a pleasant change to not have to explain every single one of his thought processes.

"Exactly. Gin will suspect her of being a double agent, and probably ask her to complete a mission to prove her loyalty. I am guessing it is an assassination of a FBI agent."

I raise my eyebrow. That is exactly how Gin would think. How did this boy know him so well? Had they meet before, well before Gin almost found him at Kenbashi station? Not important right now.

"Who do you think? James has the status, Jodie has angered Vermouth, and I am the silver bullet against them."

Conan smirked.

"It has been a few weeks, but your recent attack on him is still fresh on his mind. You drew attention to yourself, and he will want revenge for dealing him a blow like that. Gin will most likely ask her to kill you."

His smirk widened a fraction.

"So that means we have to fake your death Akai-san."

Ho, interesting. This puts my life on the line, and yet I don't feel any fear. This boy must have a plan.

"How do you propose we do that?"

Conan licked his lips nervously.

"Well, we already have a corpse to use, although I hate dishonoring the dead, it is necessary to keep others alive."

My eyes widen. He couldn't mean—

"Kusada Rikumichi?"

He nodded in agreement.

"Mizunashi Rena will undoubtedly call you to a remote location, away from the other agents, with some lie. She will have a camera and microphone so Gin can watch the exchange so we just have to put on an act. We are lucky in the fact Kusada Rikumichi shot himself in the head, because Gin will ask Kir to shoot you through the head because that's how he kills all of his victims. It is the one way to make sure you can't escape, that you are completely dead."

He holds his chin in his hand frowning.

"We need her to shoot blanks, and I can get you an invention probably that has blood pouches that shoot blood by remote control. I will have to ask if he can make such a thing with the amount of time we have. If they are coming tomorrow, they will probably implement this part of the plan the next day. The sooner they can prove that Kir is still one of them the better."

I was starting to understand how this boy thinks. I have never seen such insight and perception of the big picture, and predicting of such precision. He looked up at me.

"Gin will also ask her to get rid of the evidence, which is also a good thing. We need to make Kusada Rikumichi completely unrecognizable so that when they try to identify the body, they can't tell that it is him instead of you. Fire would be the best option, or an explosion. If it is an explosion, Kir can set the timer with enough time for you to switch places with Kusada and you can escape. However we still need to make sure they can identify the body as 'yours'."

He fell silent again, lost in thought, before he looks up at me.

"I still have his fingerprints on my phone. We need to get you to pick up my phone somehow, without leaving fingerprints."

I smile. That was a standard procedure; one of the first things we learn as investigators is to hide our fingerprints. One was to burn them off, but the more used method...

"I can put glue on my fingers. That will keep my fingerprints off the phone."

Conan smiled.

"You need to use your right hand, because Kusada Rikumichi used his right hand to pick up my phone."

I narrowed my eyes.

"I am a lefty boya. Don't you think they will notice if I use the wrong hand?"

He shrugged.

"I find that most people don't actively look at which hands people use, so it shouldn't be a problem. Then Jodie's phone can conveniently break, so I will lend her my phone to use. Then when the body shows up in your truck burned badly beyond recognition, she will already have the phone to cross check with the fingerprints."

Wait, if we are using fire…

"We also need fire proof clothes, that way the fingerprints are sure to survive the fire. It would be pointless if they can't even use the fingerprints to verify the body. They might use another method and prove we aren't the same."

His face brightened as he agreed enthusiastically.

"Yes, and we can put his hands in the pocket of his pants or jacket to preserve them. That means when you 'die' you also have to have your hand in your pocket. Also, some bullet proof wear wouldn't be bad to have, just in case. She might decide to shoot you in the chest first. Can you take care of those items? I don't have access to those resources."

I affirmed.

"Yes, it should be no problem, however it will be easy to tell if I have bulletproof stuff on. If she shoots blanks it should be no problem right?"

He tapped his chin.

"True, then we just need the fire resistant clothes. It would be better for you to have your fingers in your pocket anyway. In your pocket you can have the remote to the device that spurts blood and it would be easier to activate it. We also have to dress you alike, but I don't think that is a problem."

He leaned back with a sigh, blue eyes once again gazing at the stars.

"And? What do you want to do Akai-san?"

I raise my eyebrows. What did he mean?

"Concerning what boya?"

He looked back at me with a smile.

"I am guessing that dead men's agendas open up quite a bit. What do you want to do after you die? Go back to America?"

I blink. Oh, that was true. We needed to have a complete plan of action. I open my mouth to answer when he interrupted me.

"Actually, if you don't know what you want to do, I have a request."

I shake my head, thinking back to the P.S that Akemi had left me, the only thing that I could do now to honor her memory. Take care of Shiho for me. Make sure she gets out of the organization safely, if I am unable to do so myself.

"I actually know what I want to do."

He looked a little disappointed, but waited for me to explain. I give him a level stare.

"Shiho. She is the girl that hangs around you isn't she? The one that Vermouth almost shot at the pier?"

He stiffened, and I see the fear in his usually calm eyes, before he relaxes again. I continue.

"I want to be able to protect her from the organization. We have no guarantee that Vermouth will continue to stay away and might come after her again."

He closed his eyes, smiling with relief.

"Good, it looks like my request and your wish is one in the same."

He opened them again, and I see the azure gaze focus on me.

"I was going to request you stay in Beika and keep an eye on her. She goes by Ai Haibara now, and she is a handful. She seems to have the idea that if she sacrifices herself to the organization they won't hurt anyone else, which is naïve. Not to mention, I cannot protect her all the time as I am."

He gestured down to his small body.

"A child can only do so much, and another pair of capable hands and eyes watching out for her would be the best course of action. Vermouth backed off, but given the chance she will come after her again with everything she has. I don't know if I will be able to take care of it alone, and the more allies I have the better."

I jump at the chance. Maybe I can learn a little about the mystery of the boy.

"Did you get interested in the organization because you met her?"

He gave a small chuckle.

"No, I knew about the organization before, but having her around makes it easier to obtain information."

So wait, she wasn't the one to drag him into the organization? That just confused me. How did he get caught up in this? He continued.

"In any case, if you stay around here there are too many people that would recognize you, so a disguise is in order."

He pulled out his cellphone, fingers clacking over the keys.

"I can contact some…associates to help with that. They can make you completely unrecognizable."

I grab his wrist and he stilled, gazing up at me. I appreciate the sentiment, however these people whoever they are cannot be dragged into this whirlpool of destruction me and the boy were currently apart of.

"Boya, do they know of the organization?"

I don't want any unnecessary civilian casualties. He reassured me with complete seriousness.

"Both of them are aware of the organization's existence, although do not pursue them like I do."

"Can we trust them?"

That was my next question. This was my life I was talking about. He smiled.

"Yes, I trust both of them with my life. One is a bit hard to handle, but they are very reliable."

I seemed to consider it before nodding, letting go of his arm. If he said it was ok, then I suppose I will just have to trust him. He continued with his email, and he looked back at me.

"You also need a new place to live. I could probably hook that up too."

He typed more words into the phone, before asking.

"Anything else?"

I just smirk at him.

"How many connections do you have Boya?"

He shrugged casually.

"Enough for me to hide you. You remember where Agasa Hakase lives right? The house next door is where you need to go to get your disguise. 2 21 Beika Street."

A civilian residence? What kind of connections did this boy have?

"Are you going to try to contact me after you are disguised so I can introduce you to Haibara?"

I smirk chuckling slightly.

"I am sure fate will bring us together again Boya. Contacting could lead to us being discovered."

Edogawa Conan huh? I remember what James called him; Holmes.

"Do you like Sherlock Holmes Boya?"

His eyes lit up with indescribable passion.

"Yes, very much so. Do you also like reading him Akai-san?"

I can't help but chuckle at the change.

"If I meet you, I will give you a Holmes quote for you to recognize me by, that is if you haven't already deduced my identity."

I don't know if I will have to resort to that. The boy has a way of peeling away secrets leaving everything exposed. He nodded, before asking another question.

"Are we telling the other agents about this? Any of this plan?"

I shake my head.

"No, the driver and Kir for part one, and only Kir for part two. The thing about NOCs is the less that know about their identity the less likely they will be revealed. Also, the organization will probably investigate the FBI to see if I really am dead. For it to look natural, they can't know."

He grimaced.

"At least the organization will slip up more with you out of the picture since they think there is no threat against them now. But that's going to be hard on Jodie-sensei."

Yes, Jodie will take it hard. We had always been fond of each other. I press my lips in a fine line.

"It is necessary."

Conan sighed.

"Yes, I understand."

Yes somehow, I suspect the boy does know. He thinks like I do. I believe for a plan to succeed, you have to fool allies and friends alike. This boy gets it because I have seen him, at the pier, when he didn't inform Shiho about the plan to keep her safe. He was one of the few people that controlled everything from the shadows, not allowing anyone besides him to see the true plan, at least that was the vibe I was getting from him.

He suddenly froze, becoming tense.

"What is it?"

I ask worriedly. What made him so scared all of a sudden?

"Akai-san, are we missing anything? Have we overlooked something, anything at all?"

I pause, and suddenly the gravity of the situation comes back to me. I had been so engaged and interested in the planning process that I didn't look at it from the whole standpoint, mostly focusing on the part of the plan that we were working on currently. Looking at it as a whole though...damn. Most people planned at least two steps ahead of an opponent, but this boy had planned twenty. It was like walking up to a shogi game, knowing every move that you and the opponent will make. I didn't even realize that this was just a seven year old that I was talking to. Incredible was an understatement.

Holy crap. How? I couldn't even describe the amount of disbelief I have for this boy's abilities. The plan is ingenious, and has his style of bold with a side of secretive and a dash of aggressive.

I review the entire plan in my mind and with everything that I went over, more admiration came up for the boy. He had thought of everything, down to even the smallest almost insignificant detail. I followed it chronologically, and for every question there was an answer. It was fantastic. Heck, no wonder James wanted to scout the boy for the FBI. I bet any law Agency in the world would kill to have him, and he was still in primary school. Just imagine when he was an adult.

He was watching me with a small amount of nervousness, and I can understand why. One misstep, one thing that we didn't plan for, and I could end up being killed for real. Although, I don't really feel that nervous. I trust the boy's judgment. Also, I want to see if his predictions hold true. If something unexpected comes up, we will just have to accommodate, and I doubt the mini detective is terrible at improvising.

He is still looking at me for approval and I nod.

"All of it is logical. I can't think of any flaws can you?"

He shook his head.

"Just because we don't think of them, doesn't mean they aren't there."

I smirk at him.

"I think the both of us can tackle anything the organization throws at us."

He smiles back just as confidently. Suddenly, I look at my watch. It was currently almost two in the morning. We had been up all day without a time to rest.

"Boya, do you want to sleep a little?"

He blinked at me in confusion, and I can see the tiredness in his eyes. Little boys should not stay up this late, even genius ones, and we have to be ready for tomorrow.

"No, we still need to tell Mizunashi Rena of the plan right? I can wait to do it later. You need rest too Akai-san."

I shake my head. I am used to staying up late nights.

"Boya, the agents will have a strategy meeting for us to go to after we talk with Mizunashi Rena. It will be nonstop action from there until after the organization arrives. Take a quick nap. I will wake you up."

He stared at me uneasily. I insisted.

"Rest is just as important as action."

I pull out my phone.

"In the meantime, I will call the driver and let him in on our plan."

He finally sighed, relenting and without a word leaned up against the wall next to the door, closing his eyes. I was about to suggest he go find a bed but it didn't look like he was moving. I step away, toward the ledge that I had talked to Jodie from earlier today.

"Camel here?"

"Camel, it is Akai Shuichi."

"Akai-san? Can I do something for you?"

I explained what I needed him to do in short easy details. Mostly for him to sit in the strategy meeting and make sure he get picked to drive Mizunashi Rena, as well as come by later to pick up the Eisuke kid to make sure that he didn't do anything to get in our way. This was the agent the boy spoke of, because we couldn't allow more people on the plan then this.

"All right Akai-san, I will try my best. Keep me updated."

"Same to you."

Suddenly I heard Jodie speaking on the other end. It was faint so I couldn't hear her words, but Camel responded.

"Hai, Andre Camel. Sorry I have a call from my wife right now."

Jodie seemed to speak again before her voice disappeared.

"Strategy meeting?"

I ask.

"Yes, just as planned."

I smirk as I hang up. Now, it had only been about two minutes so I should let the boy sleep at least fifteen. Speaking of…

The boy in question was currently slumped against the wall next to the door, dead asleep. And he was refusing me earlier. I sit down next to him and lean my head back against the wall, closing my eyes. I also need a little power nap, so if I just set my alarm for fifteen minutes, that should still give us plenty of time. The last sensation I feel before I fall asleep is a tiny head falling against my bicep.