A S&W M36 revolver is one of the couple that are said to be a standard weapon for police in Japan.
There's never any mention on how good Heiji is with a gun, but I'm guessing he's lukewarm at best. The only time he fired one was in episode 118, manga chapter 188…and, he managed to hit some gasoline cases that started a fire, if I remember right. Plus, when he picked up the gun in episode 522 (manga chapter 651…though, it's not as bad in the manga chapter), he ignores at least three gun safety rules…particularly for a loaded weapon.
Shinichi, on the other hand, seems to have perfect or near-perfect aim (referenced from the second movie).
Chapter 6
"From all outward appearances, it seems to be a normal abandoned warehouse…not the base of a criminal organization," Heiji mused as he was crouched behind a couple boxes. He wore a teal hooded sweatshirt (though, the hood was blue) and a pair of jeans with sneakers. He had his bokken strapped to his back, and a pistol in a pouch on his waist.
The pistol was the same type that Shinichi had on a shoulder strap, the standard for the police…a Smith and Wesson M36 revolver. It held five shots, and they had a box of extra ammo on them, but both teens hoped they wouldn't have to use their guns.
Shinichi wore a white button down shirt under a blue blazer that was left open, as well as a pair of khaki pants with sneakers. The soccer ball belt rested on his waist, and he had his stun watch on his left wrist.
Both teens wore a bulletproof vest under their shirts as well.
Shinichi peered out from around the box. "As soon as Akai goes in, we take the side entrance. When they see us go in, the ones waiting around on the outskirts will move into position to capture run-aways."
Heiji nodded and turned his cap to face forward.
They could have worn dark clothing like Shuuichi Akai had on…a black coat and hat…but both felt that they just couldn't bring themselves to wear black when confronting an organization that used that color as a trademark.
"And Kuroba?"
"On his way with the Kaitou Kid Taskforce…shh!" Shinichi suddenly hushed his companion.
Both looked over and saw Shuuichi tilt his head a bit, then move to the main garage entrance, gun in hand.
"That's the signal…let's go."
Heiji followed Shinichi as the two darted out to the side door. After a quick glance, they opened it and went inside.
Sure enough, it looked like an ordinary warehouse…boxes were stacked rather randomly in various spots, and there was a set of stairs leading to a catwalk or two above them.
Heiji stopped looking around when Shinichi tapped his shoulder and pointed to the far wall.
The service elevator sat there. It was currently in use, by the way that the cables moved, but it wasn't covered like most elevators were.
"That makes things easier…" Heiji mumbled as he followed Shinichi.
Shinichi nodded. "Though, they've probably already heard the elevator."
The two stopped at the top, glanced at each other, then grabbed onto a separate cable and started to half slide, half climb down.
It got darker as they approached where the elevator had stopped, and eerily enough, it was quiet, too.
"You think he was sniped off?" Heiji asked in a whisper as the two delicately landed on the top of the elevator.
"I hope not…maybe he decided to wait for us to back him up after all…" Shinichi removed the cover on the top of the elevator slowly. When he noted that the elevator was empty, he pulled it off and went down.
Heiji followed after him, and stood up from his crouched landing.
The doors to the elevator opened when the button was pushed, and both teens pressed themselves cautiously against the walls of the elevator, making sure they weren't across from the opening.
Still, it was silent, and there appeared to be nobody there.
Heiji and Shinichi cautiously crept out of the elevator and stuck close to the left hand wall.
"D'you think Akai goofed? Are they really here?" Heiji whispered.
"Dunno. It's…"
Before Shinichi could say 'too quiet', the sound of guns going off echoed throughout the corridor, and it was followed by footsteps.
Shinichi and Heiji raced towards the source of the noise, then immediately pulled back to avoid being hit by a bullet that grazed the corner they had been about to round.
Shuuichi appeared to be in a gun duel with one or two organization members.
At first, neither teen could see who the members were…but then, Shinichi recognized them.
"Gin……and Vermouth."
"Eh!?" Heiji exclaimed quietly.
"It's a dead end, too…where they're fighting. A lot of twists and turns, but that way is confirmed to be a dead end with just rooms for storage…" Shinichi frowned.
"Akai can handle himself. We gotta get the others to abandon ship." Heiji didn't like leaving the guy behind any more than Shinichi did…but the plan was for them to cause a riot and make the Organization flee into the hands of Interpol.
"We hafta check out the remaining rooms," Heiji stated.
Shinichi frowned as the sounds of the gunfight moved farther towards the dead-end area, and paused. Odd…I know the Organization typically moves in pairs, but…why Gin and Vermouth? I heard that both of them don't like Akai…but I've never seen Gin without his partner. Is Vodka somewhere around here, or did Gin really pair up with Vermouth to get at Akai?
"Hey, Kudou! Stop space'n out, or…"
Heiji was cut off when Shinichi looked up and saw the glint of light that reflected off the muzzle of a gun.
"Get down!" Shinichi shouted as he rushed forward.
The two hit the ground as the gun went off, and Heiji winced.
"I should have known…" Shinichi grabbed Heiji's arm and pulled him around the corner as another bullet was fired and hit the ground where they had just been. "Vodka…" He blinked when there was a grunt from next to him.
Heiji was slightly doubled over, a hand over his ribs and a pained expression on his face. There was no blood, and he was suddenly glad that they had been forced to wear the vests.
"Hattori?!"
"Don't sound so upset…the impact just knocked the wind out of me, that's all. The vest protected me from the shot." Heiji panted, then stood up straight. "Dammit. I can't go up against him with a bokken when he has a gun…"
Footsteps was the signal that the man was approaching.
"We have to get around him…there should be other members, so we can't just run and hope he follows us to the police. I'll try to use the stun watch on him. Cover me."
"Cover you? How? He has a gun!"
"So do you."
"Damn it, Kudou…"
Shinichi nodded to Heiji, and flipped open the case of the watch to expose the firing mechanism.
Heiji muttered under his breath and pulled out the revolver, then shakily pulled the hammer back.
The footsteps got louder.
"One…two…" Shinichi jumped out as he dove for the space on the other side of their passage in the intersection, and fired the watch as he went.
Vodka stumbled when it hit him, but only fell to his knees.
Heiji held the gun steady as he stepped out and pointed the weapon at the man. "Drop the gun."
Vodka didn't move.
"Drop it or I'll fire!" Heiji shouted as his hands trembled.
Vodka suddenly laughed. "You won't shoot."
"I might…"
"You're a kid. You've probably never shot another person before. You're that detective of the West, right? You can't pull that trigger." Vodka stood up and pointed his own gun at Heiji. "I, on the other hand…have shot many people."
There was a small 'thump' of something hitting the ground just behind Heiji, then a soccer ball whizzed past the teen and nailed Vodka in the face.
Blood poured from Vodka's nose as the big man stumbled back. His gun went off when it clattered to the ground, but the bullet hit the wall.
Heiji let out a breath of relief. "Bout time, Kudou…"
"Don't relax…he's still conscious!" Shinichi shouted.
"Got'cha!" Heiji hit the safety of his weapon and put it back in the pouch, then pulled his bokken from his back and lunged at Vodka, who was cradling his broken nose.
Shinichi headed over as well…though, that was probably what saved the both of them when a shot was fired from somewhere in the darkness behind Vodka. The bullet missed Heiji, who had completed his swing, and skimmed Shinichi's top right shoulder instead of hitting his chest where it had initially been aimed.
"Another one!?" Heiji exclaimed as he held the bokken in front of him in a ready stance.
Vodka lay on the ground in front of him after the teen had delivered the blow to the man's collarbone.
"I'm not surprised…" Shinichi panted and reached for the button that would release another soccer ball.
However, the center of the device was destroyed before he could, which sent shrapnel into his hand.
Shinichi hissed in pain and pulled his now bleeding left hand back. "They took another shot…must be one of their sharp shooters…"
"This is dandy…" Heiji muttered.
Suddenly, Vodka shot to his feet with his gun in his hand, then fired point blank at Heiji's chest.
Heiji gasped and stumbled back.
"Hattori!?" Shinichi exclaimed, then swore and pulled out his own gun and pointed it at Vodka.
Heiji fell to his knees with his arms wrapped around his chest. Again, there was no blood, which meant that the vest had done its job, but there was a high chance that firing at such a close range had broken a rib or two. It sure felt that way to him.
"Like I told that kid…you wouldn't fire…"
"Not unless I'm not aiming to kill." With that, Shinichi pulled back the trigger.
Vodka let out a pained shout as the bullet tore through his right hand, which forced him to drop the gun.
Shinichi lunged forward and grabbed the gun despite the cover fire from the operative that was somewhere behind Vodka. He then fired another shot into Vodka's leg to keep the man from getting to them too quickly, then ran back to Heiji.
"Hattori? Come on…" Shinichi holstered his own pistol while he pointed Vodka's pistol at the man. With his free hand, he tugged Heiji around the corner as another couple of bullets flew over Vodka's crouched form and missed them.
"Damn if this plan hasn't been blown to hell…" Shinichi muttered. He could still faintly hear gunfire from the other area of the third floor, which meant that their companion was still alive.
On the minus side, he hadn't seen anyone go to the elevator. That meant that some were either on the second floor and escaped that way, or there was a staircase somewhere.
Or, that none of them had left, and didn't feel threatened by the presence of one supposed FBI member and two teenagers.
"You alright?" Shinichi asked as he peered around the corner.
"Y-yea…it didn't pierce the skin…think I busted a couple of ribs, though…" Heiji sucked in breaths of air against the pain as he gripped his bokken tightly.
"Come out, detectives…let's make this painless, shall we?" the voice of Vodka echoed down the corridors.
Shinichi felt eyes on them, and knew that the man's companion had probably moved location to get a better shot at them. He figured he might regret it later, but they were better off trying to go around Vodka rather than through him.
"Hattori." Shinichi pointed down the hallway they had hidden themselves in.
Heiji caught on and nodded. He was a bit pale, but had regained his breath.
Shinichi switched Vodka's pistol for his own, and held it ready as he took point.
Heiji followed, bokken raised as he jogged after the other.
Except for the faint sounds of gunfight on the floor, and Vodka's calls for them, it was silent.
Something that unnerved them.
The pair of eyes Shinichi had felt left, but there was still the suffocating atmosphere of the warehouse.
The two stopped and peered around another corner. There was a hallway across from them, and another to their right.
"Damn place is like a maze…think anyone used that elevator, yet?" Heiji whispered.
"No clue. But we can't go back there…chances are, Vodka is guarding it."
"So, we've passed the three you know well…that leaves us with the others that we don't know."
"One of the snipers is probably with Vodka. Or, split up from him to search for us."
"Yea…I figured that, too. We should keep moving."
"Your ribs?"
"Not that bad. It hurts, but it could be worse. What about you? I see blood by your shoulder…not to mention your hand…"
"Hurts, but could be worse." Shinichi grinned grimly.
Heiji mirrored the expression.
Then, the two rounded the corner and dashed carefully down it.
The hallway was dark, and they certainly didn't expect to run headlong into one of the operatives.
It was a woman with a choker and short hair…definitely not their possible ally on the inside.
The woman had a rifle slung over her shoulder by a strap, and a handgun in her hand.
Shinichi and Heiji immediately dodged in opposite directions as the three got their bearings back and the gun went off.
The bullet hit the ground where they had been, then another shot was fired at Shinichi before a third went to Heiji.
Shinichi ducked, and Heiji moved as the bullets hit the wall.
A pipe was hit on the fourth shot, which had apparently contained a gas that shot out and obscured the hallway in mist.
The woman named Chianti shouted a curse as she fired two more rounds of her pistol and shouted for them to come out.
Heiji did so…bokken blazing.
The weapon was thrust so that it smashed into her abdomen, which made her fold as the air was knocked out of her. Despite that, she pulled the rifle off her back and swung it around, which caught Heiji across the side of the head. Luckily, most of the blow was absorbed by the hat. It was flimsy as a helmet, but probably saved him from anything besides a small cut.
Shinichi squinted as he tried to see in the fog, then made out the two figures that struggled. He ran over and hit the woman over the head with the butt of his gun, which knocked her out.
Heiji groaned as he sat up and rubbed his head. He squinted at the wet, sticky substance on his fingers, and sighed. "I guess I should be glad I wasn't knocked out or killed…"
"Close range weapons, I recall saying days ago, would not be a good idea with these people…you're very lucky!" Shinichi didn't know if he was angry, worried, or scared…maybe a little of all three.
Heiji shook his head to clear his ringing ears, then slowly stood up. "Let's keep go'n, Kudou. After I cuff this woman, that is."
They had been given a pair of handcuffs each in case they were unable to avoid conflict and managed to capture any of the people.
Shinichi's eyes darted around in the mist as Heiji cuffed the woman's hands behind her back. "They came from the direction we're headed…the boss can't be too far off…"
Heiji nodded, and the two sprinted down the hallway.
They passed doors, which they checked for sounds before opening, but none seemed to lead to what they were searching for.
As they continued on, the sound of gunfire was only audible due to the reverberation of sound off the walls of the close quarters area.
Shinichi rubbed his injured shoulder with a grimace when they turned up another closet in their search.
Heiji's ribs burned, but he said nothing. They were both hurting a bit, after all, so there was no point in saying anything about it.
Because neither was going to give up.
Though it seemed hopeless, both knew that they were getting close.
It had been dark when they first arrived on the third floor, but now, the area was illuminated enough to see old stains on the walls and each other's features perfectly.
The two grinned at each other.
They were close.
Heiji opened a door slightly and squinted into the darkened room. It looked a little bigger than the closest they had found, so he motioned for Shinichi.
Shinichi nodded and pulled the other, now empty, gun out of his pocket. He had emptied Vodka's gun into the ground when Heiji cuffed Chianti, but decided to hold onto it just in case.
Heiji threw open the door at the same time a gun went off. This time, the bullet had hit its mark…though, a little lower than the shooter probably intended since the shooter's eyes hadn't yet adjusted from being in the dark to the light that flooded the room.
Heiji fell to one knee as he clutched the bleeding wound on his left thigh, just above the knee.
Shinichi shouted his friend's name, then flinched as a bullet whizzed past his face and opened a shallow cut on his right cheek. He caught sight of the rifle, and drop kicked Vodka's gun.
The rifle went off, but the bullet hit the ceiling since his aim was true.
It hurt to kick a gun, but it was better than risking fatally hitting the guy since he had only spotted the gun and not the operative.
Heiji stumbled to his feet and switched the lights on in the room as he raised his bokken in a trembling hand.
It was a male operative, code named Korn. Another sniper, though he had just lost his rifle.
He still had a hand gun, however, which he pulled from his vest.
And, he wasn't alone…Kir was in the room, too, gun trained on the doorway.
"End of the line, kids…" Korn smirked.
Shinichi glanced at Kir, then at Korn. Then, he smirked. "We'll see about that. The room that's behind this one…that's where your boss is, right? We already went through Vodka and that other woman."
Heiji panted in pain, but nodded. He held his bokken up, but Shinichi had his gun trained on Korn.
Korn suddenly laughed. "So that's your aim? The Boss? Well, too bad for you…but he's long gone, now."
"Eh?!" Shinichi and Heiji exclaimed.
Then, they heard it.
It was faint, and probably just started up recently, but they heard it.
The sound of an engine.
"A motor boat?!" the two teens realized at the same time.
"Good, good…you've realized it. Now…you can both die." Korn raised the gun.
Heiji and Shinichi exchanged a quick glance, then both moved into action.
Shinichi fired at almost the same time Korn did, but was just a tad faster. Once again, his aim was for the gun hand and nothing else.
The bullet struck true, and Korn's bullet strayed and hit the wall as his hand was jerked to the side and he dropped the gun.
Heiji rushed forward with his bokken despite the pain in his leg, and swung down.
Korn, though, was almost ready for that, and caught the bokken.
Kir whipped her gun on Heiji, but didn't fire.
"Kudou! Go! You can still catch him if you hurry!" Heiji shouted as he struggled against the man.
"But…" Shinichi hesitated.
"I'd just slow you down with this injury, anyway! GO!" Heiji commanded.
Shinichi paused, then nodded and hurried past the two.
"Kir! Shoot him!" Korn demanded.
Kir moved.
"This is all or noth'n, neechan!" Heiji called to her. "The others from this warehouse have probably been caught by now. You don't hafta show loyalty to them! Let him go!"
Kir hesitated.
"KIR!"
The woman trembled, but didn't pull the trigger on Shinichi, who barreled through the door and headed for the back exit that the boss had taken.
Kir, real name Hidemi, lowered her weapon.
Heiji grinned, then yelped in pain as Korn shouldered him back.
The bokken snapped in half, with one part in Korn's hands and the handle in Heiji's hands.
Hidemi knelt down next to the fallen teen to help him.
Heiji winced, then stared at the weapon. "Are all these guys monsters?!"
"Yes," Hidemi replied.
Korn, meanwhile, had gone for his fallen gun, and rolled to a crouched position with the gun in his left hand, aimed at them.
In a flash, Hidemi raised her own weapon and fired.
Korn stared at them through the barrel, then coughed in pain and dropped the gun from the bullet wound to his left shoulder that would prevent him from accurately firing.
Heiji wiped sweat from his forehead. "You're either a lousy shot, or you did that on purpose."
"Little of both…I was aiming for his hand…" Hidemi replied, then walked over and cracked the back of her gun over Korn's head.
The man dropped to the ground, unconscious.
"We can't celebrate yet…" Heiji winced as he used the wall to help himself back to his feet. "Say'n he didn't run, Vodka is still roam'n the halls for Kudou and me."
"Kudou, you said…then you're…?"
"Hattori Heiji. Meitantei of the West!" Heiji grinned at her. "Can I trust you to help? Kudou said you weren't really on their side."
Hidemi hesitated. "But…I…"
"About Akai? He's fine. Probably run'n that Gin guy and Vermouth for their money. We just hafta leave at this point. Interpol will do the rest."
Hidemi shook her head in amazement, then tore off a strip from the bottom of her shirt and moved over to Heiji. "If we still have to face Vodka and walk out of here…let's wrap that for now."
Heiji paused, then smiled gratefully, and a tad painfully, when she wrapped the torn cloth around the wound on his leg. "Thanks, neechan."
"That's my line. Will your friend really be alright? The Boss is ten times the monster that any of these guys are…and I just heard that. I wasn't allowed in their meeting room…I was to guard the room…"
"Kudou will get him. He's been wait'n a long time for this. There's no way he's gonna let that guy get away."
"But…"
"Let's go." Heiji limped to the door. He didn't want her to voice his fears for his friend's life, because that would mean that he admitted to them.
Hidemi followed after she tied up Korn, and the two cautiously made their way down the hallways. It was eerily silent now, compared to earlier when there had been a lot of gunfire going on.
Heiji remembered the way they came and easily was able to find their way back. Especially with the still unconscious Chianti on the ground.
"Your work?"
"Me'n Kudou. I hit her with the bokken, he knocked her out with the butt of his gun.
"Creative. You two came in here up against a deadly organization and didn't kill anyone?"
"We're just good. That's all."
Hidemi chuckled.
The two found Vodka not too long afterwards…the gorilla like man was unconscious on the ground from a head injury, hands tied behind his back.
And, it was recent, too, since the one that was responsible was still there.
"You're…?!" Heiji exclaimed. He hadn't actually seen in person until that day, the man called Shuuichi Akai, but he recognized him from the picture they had during planning.
The man had stains of blood on his body, one on his right arm, and another on his left leg. He was breathing hard, and looked like he had gone through hell, but he somehow managed to stand up.
Hidemi pulled away from him with a frown.
But Shuuichi just smiled painfully at her. "No hard feelings. It had to be done."
Hidemi averted her gaze all the same.
"You survived against them? Wait a sec…" Heiji leaned over and pulled at Shuuichi's cheek. When no mask came up, he smiled. "Okay!"
Hidemi stared at the teen with wide eyes, but Shuuichi just chuckled.
"Checking to make sure I'm not Vermouth in disguise?"
"Yep. I mean, you managed to survive a gunfight with the two that Kudou seemed the most wary of. I hadta be sure."
Shuuichi winced and placed a hand against a bleeding wound on his side. "None of us will be alive for much longer if we lose too much blood down in this hell. We should get out……where's Kudou?"
"Went after the Boss. This neechan helped me against the guy that shot me in the leg, and I couldn't follow Kudou out. He'll get him, though. What did happen to Gin and Vermouth, anyway?"
"Gin's dead." The amount of lead the man had taken before he finally fell was actually creepy…or, would be, to anyone that had never dealt with the monster.
"And Vermouth?" Heiji inquired as they moved toward the elevator.
"Injured and tied up tightly enough that, between that and her injuries, she won't get away before Interpol swarms the place to do a sweep for members that didn't make it back to the surface," Shuuichi replied, then leaned against the side of the elevator with a grimace.
Heiji, too, was grateful to lean against the wall.
Hidemi uncomfortably shifted as the elevator took them to the first floor.
"Relax, neechan…we're finally gett'n out, and the rest is water beneath the bridge till it's all sorted out and what not. Sides…if ya don't give him a hand, he won't be able to walk outta here. I can manage, but I can't support him in my condition."
Hidemi hesitated, but finally relented and supported some of Shuuichi's weight as they exited the elevator.
Heiji never felt so grateful to see the groups of officers that stood outside, and enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine even more. When they came out, a couple medics rushed over to them along with some officers.
"Where's Kuroba?" Heiji asked when he caught sight of Yusaku amongst the faces.
"He said he heard a motor boat, and went to check it out…" Yusaku didn't look too pleased that the teen had left before could stop him. "Where's Shinichi?"
"Went after the boss…I'm sure he'll be okay." Heiji didn't know who he was trying to convince with that line.
Yusaku nodded, however, and let the medical squad take care of the injured teen. He looked over at the building with concern in his eyes. Shinichi…
TO BE CONTINUED…