Kiss of Death

Part 31

Chapter 32

"Kill"

"I don't believe this," Akai said, extremely shocked at Tyler's suicide. He was curious alright. He learned a little of lip-reading, but he could not see how Vinsanto's lips moved when she revealed to Tyler the Boss's name.

Ran was with him, watching how they executed the plan from a safe distance - she needed to ensure that her husband would still be alive after this. Ran was equally terrified. Her husband was safe alright, but witnessing the boy took his own life... nobody needed to witness that.

The truth seemed so horrifying to Tyler -as if the Boss's name was enough to drive him to murder himself.

Ran silently mourned for the fallen boy.

"Ran, your husband has landed. He is currently tending to Hidemi's wounds, as Rei will get Hidemi to the hospital. But we'll need Doctor Araide to immediately get transported to observe and find a cure for a drug that they had used during the massacre at the headquarters. Eisuke and Kaito Kid will take him there. For now, you're stuck with me. Try not to do anything reckless," Akai informed, trying to sound calm, despite what they had previously witnessed.

Ran could only nod, "sure I'll wait for you at the bottom of the building." She took the staircase. Reaching at her destination, she was caught off-guard when a hand was pressed onto her mouth, muffling her gasps and screams.

"Angel, don't move and just listen," Vermouth whispered, "try not to get more involved. Please." As Vermouth pleaded, an image of her daughter appeared on her thoughts. The woman released Ran and hurried run, escaping in the shadows. This left Ran confused, but she definitely recognised the voice - it was the woman who refused to shoot her, when she had rescued Ai many years ago.

Was that woman really evil? From Ran's view during the incident, Vermouth had the chance to shoot Tomoaki Araide, but did not do so.

"This is bad-"

Akai's muttering distracted Ran from pondering.

"I received a distress call from Jodie. But I can't call her back, probably something happened to her device. It's my fault, I was supposed to be there, but I got distracted with my job here," he stated.

"Jodie-sensei? Is she with anyone else?" Ran asked frantically.

"She's with Professor Agasa and the girl named Haibara Ai," he answered.

"Now, you're stuck with me, but please go and hide-"

"No-"

"No?"

"No," Ran shook her head, "I don't want Agasa, Jodie-sensei and Ai-chan to get hurt. If Ai-chan gets hurt, Conan-kun will..." she stopped mid-way. Akai let out a loud sigh in frustration.

He said as he passed his car keys to her, "you're one stubborn duck. Alright, but you'll drive. And when your life is in danger, scram. I can't guarantee that either of us would make it out alive." Ran nodded, dignified like a soldier who had just graduated.

"Haibara, get out of here!" Jodie yelled, while trying to have a shoot-out with Chianti. Ai shook her head, unwilling to leave Agasa or Jodie. The place that they were staying at was in chaos, as if a cyclone had hit it. The bricks were all over the area, with some of the furniture on fire.

Gin previously hurled a tear gas, attempting to weed them out of their hiding place. The effects of the gas made Agasa cough frequently, slowing them down because they needed to carry Agasa. They were able to come out unharmed, but that was what the enemy wanted - Chianti and Korn were waiting for them. Once they did appear out of their hiding place, they were met with a series of shots. With Agasa lagging behind, he was fatally wounded by one of the firing bullets, causing him to have bled out and was now unconscious.

With Ai being too stubborn, Jodie realised that she had to separate herself and become the bait. She purposely made loud steps with her boots, in which the enemy followed. This left Ai and Agasa void of any attacks. Ai finally complied with Jodie's dignified decision and moved away from the danger zone.

A few more gunshot sounds. Ai cringed, while using all her might to drag Agasa like two limp soldiers on the war field. Her ears were stinging, hardly hearing anything clear.

Another painful sound. She heard someone grunt in pain - she assumed, but the roughness of the voice resembled Chianti's.

The girl glanced up, seeing a glint of reflected light from afar. She predicted it to be another sniper, but she knew it was not an enemy's. It was roughly more than 700 yards away and there was only one man she knew that could snipe at such an outstanding distance - Akemi's former lover.

Akai Shuichi was firing, but it had been unstable - his right hand was injured by the previous fiasco, so he was only doing to his best abilities to use himself as a diversion. He kept an eye on Ai and Agasa, ensuring that there were safe - unaware that Ran, who was supposedly by his side, left the scene. He had no time to look over his shoulder, or run after her, if he ever noticed that the woman was missing.

What an adamant woman Ran was, a little too reckless -not a trait that she was proud of. Yet, she hurried off, just hoping to accompany Ai and eject her out of that mess. As she was rushing down the flight of stairs, she halted when she met with a pair of cold, emotionless eyes.

"I know who you are, Mouri Ran - a childhood friend of Kudo Shinichi. I'm pretty sure I went to this building in hopes of hunting that sniper who took out Chianti and had been messing around with our modus operandi," Gin stated, spitting the burnt out cigarette to the ground. He stepped on it harshly, making a fizzled sound that had Ran wincing. She readied herself in a defensive pose.

It did not take too long for Gin to get the message. His lips broke out a menacing grin, "oh? Feisty one aren't you? Let's dance."

He then moved in for the first move, which stunned Ran -for a burly man like Gin, he was quick on his feet. She dodged and pumped her fist in order to hit him, but he shifted to the side and landed his knee on her stomach. It sent a pain on her gut that made her swallow her saliva. She could not breathe when the impact registered on her and Gin made no reluctance to enclose his fist on her throat.

"I can use you to disarm that troublesome sniper, but let's see how much of a good bait you are," he said in sadism, causing a ripple of fear to the woman in his clutches.

He walked down the flight of stairs again, in hopes to show Sherry his new sick game-plan.

Ai took a rest behind a sturdy broken pillar. Agasa was heavy, having to accumulate all the belly fat in his ageing years - needless to say, it was a daunting task to carry him. All the smoke was robbing her stamina away, but refusing to leave her father figure behind.

"Sherry, I know you're here. I can read your moves," the oh-so-familiar voice taunted her, "I have somebody with me. Come out, come out."

Her blood turned cold.

It was him. It was really him.

"If you're there, don't listen to him. He'll kill you! Run for it!" Ran screamed, despite Gin having a gun pointed to her head and his large arm locked around her fragile neck. Ai faintly gasped.

No, no. This isn't happening.

This was Akemi all over again.

"Shut up, bitch!" she heard Gin hissed.

"Now, Sherry-" he continued in a more "friendly" tone, "unless you want this bitch to die, then get out of your bud and let's talk. Then maybe, I won't punish you once I catch you."

"Let her go. Or I swear...I'll kill you," Ai sounded stern, there was a whiff of cold air around her. Her aquamarine eyes held menace, like a cold-blooded assassin spying his victim.

This scene, was similar of what occured many years ago. It was like an image of Akemi's last few moments all over again, with Gin on the verge of cutting off her lifeline. The pressuring fear within Ai dissipated into nothingness, de-throned by the overwhelming resentment. He had killed his sister, but she would not allow him to finish off a look-a-like of Akemi. Not today, not ever.

"My, my, Sherry..." Gin licked his lips, amused, "how empty your threats are, always. You had plenty- plenty of opportunities to kill me, but you've only watched me in my sleep as you cry. How my little girl? Just come to daddy. I'll take good care of you."

Ai's heart jolted a little, disgusted. But no, she will not falter or hide, not today - never again. Not ever again she will comply to his demands out of playing safe. Engaging him was like dealing with the devil - when you heed his requests, you'll lose; when you don't, you'll receive punishment. She was done confining her soul in his filthy hands.

She continued having a steady grip, eyes not leaving her target, "you murdered my sister!" she hissed, "I'll kill you, I swear to your Satan that I'll kill you."

"Lay a finger on her. And I will kill you-"

There was the burning integrity within her- her eyes showed that she was willing to do it. Gin saw the side of her that he knew - the complete opposite spectrum of a young and sickly kitten who had a fear of ending up in the jaw of a mutt. What he was seeing now was a matured feline, ready to hunt the menace which lay beyond her. He felt a tad frightened at the image of her with sharpened claws and growling teeth - and... aroused. The newfound aggression she had exhibited was enticing, for someone who had been subservient to him. Ran cringed in disgust when she felt his lustful presence on her back.

He chuckled. It was entertaining, indeed. He started, "Sherry... Sherry... rumour has it that this woman was the first love of your boy-toy. Wouldn't it be much easier if you just eliminate the rival? So why bother to be concerned?"

"You're crazy to think that way. I'm not like you who thinks he's entitled to what he wants," she said, meanwhile trying to find an opening to shoot him in the head without hurting Ran. She had one bullet remaining and a bottle of Monolov cocktail with her.

She either messes this up, or pulls this off.

The older woman noticed Ai's hesitation. Subtle as possible, Ran pointed to Gin's hand, mouthing "shoot here". It did not take too long for Ai to comprehend her hidden message and fire.

"Either that or you're going with m- Ah!" Gin yelped, blood gushing out of his hand. Ran quickly turned and disarmed him, then giving a merciless kick in his gut. She quickly ran and took Ai, escaping from the devious maniac. As Ran cleared away from Gin, Ai hurled the glass bottle of chemical onto Gin, having it explode in the air. They picked up Agasa and hurriedly left the scene, without looking back if Gin was fatally wounded.

They skittered to a nearby bin, large enough to hide them. "In here, quick!" Ran saved and shoved both Agasa and Ai inside. The woman hopped onto it, closing the lid - there was still a gap though. Both females peered into the gap, only to see an albino teenaged boy looking around. Williamine looked at the bin, locking eyes with the both of them.

Shit. He found us.

There were more footsteps.

"Damn damn it!" Chianti screamed. Williamine quickly sat on the lid of the rubbish bin, completely obscuring them from Chianti.

"They're gone! They're gone!" she screamed, "all because of that Akai. That traitor. He almost shot me in the head."

"Your voice won't kill them. It just kills my eardrums," the boy scoffed, pointing at one of his ears to exaggerate his point.

"Why you little rascal-!"

Chianti smiled, revealing the unconscious person she was gripping, "good thing I've got that FBI bitch here. Might as well try to bring her back and squeeze the information out of her like sugar cane."

At this, Ai panicked. She knew they were talking about Jodie. It took every strength of Ran's to hold the girl still, since her struggling was making a shuffling noise among the friction of the garbage plastic bags.

"What's that sound?" Chianti piped up, slightly suspicious.

Williamine, still sitting on the garbage bin, shrugged. "Who knows," he replied.

Then he gave a hard kick on the bin, almost as if to say - "better shut up if you don't want to get caught. Because if that happens, I'll be in trouble too!"

The noise ceased.

"Hmph-" Chianti scoffed, dragging Jodie off to the car, "alright you fluffy white-Santa-haired brat, don't get too cocky and start talking to me like that. Unless you want your head to be red than silver."

"Let's go. Gin is waiting. He managed to fend off Akai to the corner," the woman with the butterfly tattoo on her eye said. Both Ran and Ai felt the compression on the garbage bin lightened -the boy seemed to be gone, only to have a light screeching sound of car wheels to be heard.

A/N: I've always wanted a scene where Ai saves Ran, because Ran saved her from Vermouth before and that scene was incredibly touching.