--------------Chapter 13: Getting Out Alive--------------
Nagi began to laugh, "There is no way you can get out of here, Toyama."
Kazuha looked at Nagi as she held her leg, she turned towards Kogoro. "We'll get you out."
Shoving his elbow into Heiji's chin, Nagi quickly rolled away and ran off. Kazuha got up.
Kazuha looked at Heiji, "Find Kudou, I'll take care of Kogoro."
Heiji jumped up, grabbed his flashlight, and chased Nagi across the room. He made it to another hallway, when suddenly, Nagi disappeared. Heiji looked around, but the flashlight was too dim to see anything. "Damn it!" he yelled. "We'll get you! Don't you worry about that!" He turned around angrily and dashed back towards the first elevator, searching for Shinichi now.
Ran heard footsteps. She turned, looking at the door. "Hello?" she whispered. She got up slowly as she carefully opened the door. She looked down at his feet, then slowly raised her eyes to meet his face.
"Ran?" said Shinichi, seeing her through the night-vision glasses. He knelt down to her level, "What are you doing in here?! Did something happen to you?!" He looked her over, breathing a sigh of relief as he saw only minor cuts and scrapes, no major wounds.
Ran looked up, "Shinichi?" She extended her hands towards him, trying to reach out to him. "I-It's too dark to see anything," she whispered.
Kazuha held her leg, she got up slowly. "He's going after Ran.." she said to Kogoro. She began to feel weak, falling to her knees, her vision became blurry.
Nagi stood quietly behind the corner of the room, "He's found her." He tightened his fists into a ball, "Damn it."
Shinichi took her hand and helped her up, "It's okay. I can guide us out of here." He turned back to the room, but then remembered that they were in an elevator. "Okay, hold on." He looked at the panel of buttons and pressed the one for the ground floor.
Heiji was in the elevator beside them, going up to their floor. He watched the numbers change, trying to keep his cool.
"A-All right," Ran said quietly. She looked over his shoulder listening, and seeing a tall figure in the dark. Her eyes widened, soon as Shinichi had closed the elevator door, she was pulled out by the hand.
Nagi grinned. "Bye bye, detective," he said, as the elevator door closed. He put his hand on Ran's mouth, and her left arm behind her back. "Shh, Shh, everything will be all right." Ran struggled, trying to get away from behind.
Shinichi spun on the spot, staring out the door as Nagi took Ran away. "RAN!" he shouted, banging on the door as soon as it closed. He looked over the panel of buttons for an emergency stop, but for some reason it wasn't working. "Crap!" He banged on the door again, looking up above him as if he could see her through the broken ceiling.
Heiji's elevator dinged, its door opening. Heiji gasped, seeing Nagi holding onto Ran. "YOU!" he shouted, picking up a nearby 2x4 and lunging at him. He raised the chunk of wood above him, before firmly smacking it against the side of Nagi's head.
Nagi fell onto the floor, still holding Ran. They slid against the floor and next to a door. Ran looked up at Heiji. She struggled, trying to get out of Nagi's grasp. Nagi got up slowly, "Damn you." He pulled Ran closer, "Do that again, and see what happens." Still trying to get away, he knelt her on her lower back. Ran fell unconscious.
"Grr.." Heiji seethed, staring at the man with poison eyes. He glanced up to the door behind them, barely able to see it. Thinking fast, he jumped over them and towards the door, diving and shoving the block of wood beneath it, jamming it shut. He breathed heavily and turned around. "Well now we'll see how it goes. Now the stairs and those elevators there are the only ways out." He pointed towards them, light shining through the dirty window merely illuminating the tip of his finger.
On the ground floor, the door opened. Shinichi looked around and saw that nothing had changed. He ran back into the elevator, staring at the buttons. "Gah, which floor did we land on?!" He looked over them carefully, before pressing the number five...
... Nothing happened.
"What's going on?!" he asked himself, pressing more buttons. "Shit! The elevator lost its power!" He ran out and pressed the button for another one to come down. But once again, nothing happened. Impatient, Shinichi dashed over to the stairwell- his only hope.
Nagi pulled Ran closer and closer to his body. He looked at Heiji as she fell against the wall behind him. He slid against it to the other side of the room, "Is that so?" He looked up at the stairs. "What should we do Ran?" he said, whispering in her ear.
Shinichi soared up the steps as fast as he could. He turned up the floor by Kazuha and took a quick stop. "Kazuha?... Mouri-san?!" he asked, suddenly looking dumbstruck. He shook his head, "Ah, you've got to get out of here! Take the stairs- the elevators aren't working." He glanced down, noticing that Kazuha's eyes were closed. "Kazuha?!"
She slowly opened her eyes, "Kudou, get Kogoro out of here." She carefully got up.
Suddenly, Shinichi heard steps coming up behind him in the stairwell from below. He turned, staring at the approaching shadow.
Heiji stood there, unsure of what to do next. "You know you won't get away, right?" He stared at Nagi angrily. Hostage situations were always tricky, but so rarely had they hit so close to home.
"I beg to differ, Hattori-san." He slid his hand against Ran's leg, "Remember, you should be worrying about that girl who is bleeding to death." He began to laugh, "Unless you're more worried about me."
Heiji shook his head, "No. Although that wound was pretty bad, it's not likely to be deadly. Besides, this girl here is unconscious. I can't just abandon her and run off with Kazuha."
Shinichi stepped up to the shadow, recognizing it.
"You forgot something..." whispered a quiet voice.
Shinichi made a serious smile. "Thanks. Does he know we're h-?"
The quiet voice made a quick laugh, "Yeah, don't worry. We'll get Mouri-san and the girl. I think you have more business to attend to elsewhere."
Kazuha wasn't able to see who was talking to Shinchi, she just quietly laid there and listened to them.
Shinichi then nodded, dashing off up the stairs.
Nagi gritted his teeth. He looked at Ran. "You're interfering!" He pointed at Heiji. "Ran wants to be with me! You don't understand!" He ran his fingers through her hair, "Right?" Ran's body wobbled around almost looking lifeless as Nagi moved.
"No she doesn't!" yelled Shinichi, suddenly appearing directly behind Nagi. "And don't touch her!" His eyes flashed as he approached the man. Heiji came closer as well, the two surrounding Nagi on both sides. "Give it up..." Shinichi stared at him, his footsteps resounding about the room, "She'll never be yours, especially after you put her through a situation such as this."
Suddenly, a tiny arrow shot from the stairs, hitting Nagi in the neck. Shinichi put his arm down, closing the target on his watch.
Downstairs, the girl stepped out of the shadows, a similar pair of glasses on her own face. Ai stepped over to Kogoro and untied him. "Follow me," she said to the two, turning around to the stairwell.
Nagi fell to the floor passed out, with Ran still as well. After being untied, Kogoro picked up Kazuha and followed Ai. "How did you find us?" he said as he followed her.
Ai closed her eyes with a sly smile, her hands behind her back. "I have my ways..." Nearby she could still see the blip of Ran on the tracking glasses. She continued downstairs, Professor Agasa waiting with his car door open, out on the road.
Kogoro went on outside, alongside her. "Right.." he said, trying to believe a seven year old.
Heiji reached down and pulled Nagi off of Ran.
"Ran!" called Shinichi, kneeling down to her.
"Come on. There's no time for worrying, let's get out of here," said Heiji, picking up Nagi and hauling him over his back.
Shinichi kept his gaze to her, "I know. Let's go." He picked her up carefully, pulling her over his own back, letting her arms dangle over his shoulders. As they started to travel down the stairs, Shinichi took a hold of Ran's hands, feeling that they were cold, as well as to keep her steady.
Kazuha was slightly awake. She looked up at the street light,
"We're outside?" She rolled her head back to where Agasa's car was.
The Professor came over, noticing that Kazuha could barely hold herself steady, as well as the large amount of blood pouring from her leg. He took a hold of her arms and calmly directed her to the backseat.
"Should we wait here for Kudou?" asked Ai, looking to him.
"Yes, the police should be on their way, as well as an ambulance for this poor girl," The professor glanced back at Kazuha.
The boys approached the doorway, seeing the bright yellow Beetle out front.
"Ah, Agasa comes to save the day again?" pondered Heiji, out loud. Shinichi let out a single laugh, kicking the building's door open and walking outside.
Ran raised her head, her eyes slowly opened. "Mmm." She looked around, feeling snow gently hit her back. "We won?" she said with a fake smile. She glanced over at Heiji who was carrying Nagi.
Police sirens approached, followed by an ambulance. Shinichi heard Ran speak faintly. "I suppose you could say that," he responded, looking over his shoulder at her.
Kogoro looked down at Kazuha, "Thank you." He then shut the door as she laid in the backseat, asleep.
As the first police car pulled up, an officer stepped out and over to Heiji. Shinichi glanced over.
Before Heiji could turn Nagi over, Shinichi stepped in, "No, it's okay, Keiji-san. We've got everything under control. The only thing is that this girl over in the car needs to go to the hospital."
Heiji blinked, staring at him. He hissed into his ear, behind Ran's head, "What are you saying?! He's obsessed with Ran! He'll steal her away at the first chance he gets!"
Shinichi looked to the unconscious man behind Heiji. "No, I think we can find a way to keep him in check." He glanced over to Ai, who was simply standing there, watching the ambulance pull up.
"Were you hurt?" Ran's ears rang once she heard that voice. Her eyes widened as her father, Mouri Kogoro, was walking towards them.
"D-Dad?" she blinked continuously, trying to believe that it was really him. Tears glided down her cheeks. She gave a smile. "No," she replied.
Kogoro smiled then nodded. "That's good." There was a pause of silence between the two.
She quickly jumped off of Shinichi and onto Kogoro, "Please don't leave again!"
She held him tightly, Kogoro hugged back. "I'm sorry," was all he could say at that time.
Shinichi looked behind him to the touching scene. "M-Mouri-san...-" he started, but Heiji put his hand into his shoulder.
"Don't interrupt them."
Shinichi turned back to Heiji and smiled. "Here, let's bring him back to the Professor's place." He nodded towards Nagi.
"But what about Kazuha?" asked Heiji. Shinichi turned over to the ambulance, seeing a couple of men leave with a stretcher towards the Professor's car.
"I think she'll be fine." He looked back to Heiji, before walking over to the car.
Snoooort. Ran pulled onto his nose, "It's really you, right?"
A sweat drop slid against Kogoro's cheek. "Yes Ran, it's me," he said, grabbing her hand and pulling it down. Kogoro looked down at Ran, "I have to talk to the inspector." She nodded. Looking back over to where they were pulling Kazuha up onto the stretcher, she ran over to her. Kazuha rolled her eyes to meet with hers and smiled.
"You really put yourself in danger, y'know Kazuha?"
Kazuha simply laughed softly, looking up at the sky. "Yeah, but it was worth it. You'll be your usual happy self now."
Ran poked her cheek, normally what Kazuha does. "Yeah, thank you," she said, smiling. Kazuha was then pulled into the ambulance.
--------------End Chapter 13--------------