(Author's Note IMPORTANT! IF YOU DON'T READ YOU WILL BE VERY CONFUSED!~: For this chapter and this chapter alone, first person perspective is switched over to Hakuba for the fact that Kaito is not present at the moment and the readers can't see what goes on inside of Hakuba's head while Kaito's locked up.:) )
That is all.
And thanks go The Jelly Bean Ninja for scaring away my mistakes from this story as well
and LeonaWriter as well!
PLEASE REVIEW! ESPECIALLY SINCE I WANT TO KNOW IF I DID HAKUBA'S POV ALRIGHT!
Chapter 30: Interlude: What We Lose
I woke up in a daze with the bright sky shinning in my eyes.
"What in the world was that?" I took me a second to realize I was unsure of who I was asking answers from. Someone moved next to me and I looked over.
Conan was standing there, cuffing the sleeve on my right arm that was wrapped in bandages peeking out from under the coat. Conan had also taken my gloves off and I could see the light scaring where they had been burned, now that it wasn't hidden. The jacket that I was wearing immediately brought all my thoughts to a standstill.
It was not my coat.
"What happened?" I tried desperately to remember why I was on the ground and hurt.
It all came back to me in startling clarity that I choked on my words, unable to ask anything of the young boy when I wanted to badly to know the answers to at least a dozen questions.
"Where's Kuroba-kun?" I kept my voice calm but I wasn't used to masking it so I didn't think it came out as smooth as it did in my head.
"I don't know. He left with your father about thirty minutes ago. I have to guess that he's meeting up with the syndicate about now."
That was a new word. The younger boy had never referred to the nameless group after my life with that phrasing before but it fit just the same. Ignore that fact that Kuroba is with them right now.
"And how do we find him?"
The small boy shook his head and my heart fell. If there was one thing that this kid could do, it was find answers where there were none. Now it looked like Kuroba had jumped into the lion's den without leaving any way from us to follow.
"Alright." The calm facade didn't last long. I couldn't hold in my emotions like that stupid magician could. "Let's start with finding my father then."
"No, we've got to get back to everyone in the forest. We can't leave them out here unless Hattori wants to try driving again."
An acceptable outcome, I thought to myself. The Osakan wasn't as bad a driver as I had feared when he'd driven to the Mouri Detective Agency with me. Having two other teens in the cars, girls at that, would scare him though.
I noticed I had clenched my hands and quickly relaxed. The scared tissue didn't hurt but it was better not to test how strong it had grown back.
I got off the ground and started in the direction of the other half of our group. A call to Baaya would be fine in retrieving Watson. He had a locator in him and I'd taught her months ago how to recall him. I made that call as I sprinted back through the forest. I told her to pick up the girls as well.
What a stupid idea to show myself like that, I chided myself for all the good it did me. That idiot was going to be getting it from me when I found him. And I was going to find him. And he was going to be alive.
I was breathing fast when we made it back, as was Conan. I knew his breathing was quickened because he tried to keep up with me and I hadn't been paying any attention to him when I'd taken the path back so it was a miracle he kept up. Mine, on the other hand, I couldn't be sure. I had run further than that before, and in less time, so I knew there was some other reason that I didn't care to look into.
Hattori looked up when we came in rather unorthodoxly. He stared at us with a puzzling look when neither Kuroba nor the bird came out.
"What's wrong?"
"Everything" I said through bared teeth. I turned away from them and put a hand up to my head in order to calm myself down. Aoko was there and I couldn't worry her.
"Kaito-niisan said he had to go home. He said that the rabbit was smelly and he didn't like being out here."
Aoko bought the lie. The young boy had a knack for being able to accomplish the things I only wished I could do. I envied him that but it also made him a great partner to have.
Hattori wasn't fooled for an instant and, being on guard, the other teenage girl could sense that something was wrong.
"Hakuba-niisan is going to look for him the forest because he said he would probably get lost if we left him alone too long. Heiji-niichan," The small boy tugged on Hattori's arm and I could feel the hesitation and awkwardness in the gesture that should have been cute and calm. Whatever was going on with Conan, I'd worry about it later. "Come and help look!"
"I'll come too. Knowing that idiot he probably did get lost."
"No Aoko-kun," I had my emotions mostly hidden away for the time being but that wouldn't last long. "I don't want you girls getting lost as well. Baaya is coming by to pick you up so go with her and I'll call you when we find him."
Clean, clear and decisive. The facts were there and she couldn't fight them. Kuroba had done worse in the past so she shouldn't be that worried about him. I'd call her later, just to fake his presence if I had to.
I didn't notice as the younger girl moved to stand next to Conan until I turned back around. They were having a rather intense whispered conversation and I didn't bother to try and listen in. A few of the words caught my attention simply because the girl had spoken them loud enough to reach me next to her. The two comprehendible words had been crazy and dead. I didn't want to think about it or the implications of them coming from a child.
I helped everyone gather up the items in a controlled manner. I did not want to worry them so I forced my movements to be composed, but cleaning up was a slow and pointless task and agitated me when I thought about how Kuroba might be in trouble while I waste my time on the mediocre activity.
It didn't take us long to have everything put away and walk out to the street to wait for Baaya. It felt like it took an hour but that was just because I couldn't control my anxiety. Internally I knew it hadn't been more then fifteen minutes.
The woman came exactly twenty-two minutes and twenty-six seconds later. It felt much longer and I'd only managed to keep up one conversation between Aoko going for a short time about the scenery. They left me in silence the rest of the time and I had no idea what it was that I was focusing on or even looking at while we waited.
The second Baaya left with three girls, Haibara more hesitantly as she shared a glace with Conan that I couldn't understand, I headed down the road to where Kuroba had parked the other vehicle. Conan had been with him at the time so he'd be able to tell me an exact location as we narrowed in on it.
A bag off to the side of the road caught my attention. It wasn't rare to find trash here but the paper bag had a very distinct pink color that paper bags didn't have.
I immediately went over to it with Hattori and Conan following behind. They were having a quiet conversation, which I believed was of the occurrences that had happened in the Osakan's absence.
Upon opening the bag I was faced with a small, black device that I had never seen before. An antenna, small flip screen, and several internet functions told me it was a tracking device. I turned it on and was able to see a red dot off on the boarder of Tokyo and Ibaraki.
"At least it's something." I couldn't help smiling as I ran off to find the car.
"What was that?" I heard Hattori speak up but I wasn't going to waste time answering him. I found the yellow car without help and had the keys in my hand, since Kuroba was nice enough to leave them in the bag.
I heard protests from Hattori when he noticed I'd gotten in the driver's seat.
"Get – in – the – car." I was not going to tolerate anything less than completely reckless driving. If Kuroba had learned how to drive a car than so could I.
Conan hopped in the front seat, making Hattori angrier.
I started the car. I was ready to go with or without him at this point.
"Fine, geez." He clamored in behind me.
Conan surprised me when he turned off the ignition and threw the keys to Hattori who didn't catch them since it was unexpected and I heard him yell as they hit him. He'd thrown them back there purposely so that I wasn't able to get them back with any ease.
"Where is it that you think you're going?" The small boy asked the question of me so calmly that my irritation was hard to hold down on. If it weren't for the years of living in England I wouldn't have been able to pull it off.
"I'm going to get that idiot back so he can tell me why on earth he took my place. When I have my answers I'll decide what to do next."
"Hakuba-kun he told you why." I could feel understanding from him that a boy his age shouldn't have possessed. Over the past two weeks I'd come to know him better than I ever would have before. He didn't do anything without any purpose behind it. It seemed no one I was acquainted with did.
"Then I'm still going to get him back. To hell with answers."
My father had allowed himself to take the wrong person. My father had purposely traded in someone else in my place. I respected the man to an extent but when he was willing to go along with Kuroba's insane plan that respect for him died. If it weren't for the magician's parting words, my father would have been at the top of my to-deal-with list.
The man had shown nothing but sympathy and understanding since I'd come to Japan. I always told myself it was because he felt ill at ease for letting my mother leave with me when I was an infant. I doubt that love drove his actions. Kuroba placed the idea of it there and it had an annoying way of growing the more that I thought about it.
"We can't go after him with nothing. If the organization does have him, we'd be giving ourselves to them on a silver platter." Conan placed a hand on my arm and looked me in the eyes. "That wouldn't do Kuroba-kun or any of us any good."
"Then what am I expected to do?" I let my voice remain quiet. I could have shouted but it wouldn't have gotten me anywhere and I needed help. I hated to admit it but I'd been needing help for a long time now.
"Let me make a phone call first and then we'll see what we're going to do from there."
Conan took out a red cellular phone with a small soccer keychain and made his call. Some part of me still wanted to take off after the idiot without any second thoughts or plans; some part of me that was very unintelligent and riding on emotions rather than thoughts. It scared me how much control that part of my mind was holding over me at the moment and I was thankful that Hattori still had the keys.
"Hello, Jodie-sensei. I need to speak with you. Now." There was urgency in his voice, a child's voice, which made me certain that he'd been through a lot. "Jodie-sensei, I have the location of some of -" he paused before stressing, "them." The person on the other end of the phone knew what he meant.
Their conversation went on for a while and Conan explained everything that had happened, leaving Kuroba unnamed and me as the protagonist. Hearing it from the child's point of view only made it clearer to me how much I'd been relaying on the others.
Conan hung up the phone after he said he'd call them back in a few minutes. The child reached his hand over the seat for the keys back and Hattori handed them over obligingly.
"Here," he said and gave them to me. I had them back in place and the car started in seconds. I knew the mechanics of driving even if I'd never done it. "We'll do things your way. We need to show the syndicate that they have no reason to kill you. I don't know how we're going to do it yet but we have Jodie-sensei as back up if things don't work out."
I nodded, not fully understanding. From previous conversations the name was associated with the FBI and having them behind us seemed like a perfectly wonderful idea. I was about to pull away when a very familiar car drove up and I purposely cut the engine.
I got out and slammed the door hard. The white car noticed me since it was driving by slowly and pulled over to the side of the road in front of the yellow beetle. I walked with the car until its engine was also cut and the large man came out of the seat.
"How could you?" I asked him straightforward with all the fury I had. "Kuroba-kun had nothing to do with this! How could you let him take my place?"
His speechlessness and downtrodden expression only exacerbated my rage. I watched him and heard as Conan and Hattori got out of the car to watch our confrontation.
"Saguru, I couldn't -" He sighed and tried to put and hand on my shoulder before I tore away from him. He let his hand fall. "I couldn't let them kill you."
"So you'd let them kill someone else instead? What kind of officer – what kind of man are you!"
"I am a father Saguru and I couldn't let them hurt you. It's not like I gave that boy to them against his will." My father's tone was confident as if he'd been repeating the same thing over and over to himself so that he'd believe it.
Kuroba's words came back to me. I couldn't stop them filling my head with ideas of a man's love who I'd barely known more than half a year.
"It didn't have to be against his will. You knew they wanted me dead so anyone who went in my place would expect the same fate. You sent him to his death."
"I know and I can regret it all I want. But I still have you."
"No." The seething anger was back. Even if the man loved me, I couldn't understand how he went along not only with my ransom but with Kuroba's scheme. He'd gone as far as to shoot me. "You never had me."
I left the man to stand where he was and walked back over to the small car. My father followed me and placed a hand on the roof to hover over me after I was inside.
"What do you want me to do? You have a plan right?"
"No I do not have a plan and I don't want anything from you." I would have pushed his hand away if I could have ever overpowered my father. I had taken on none of his physical traits when I was born and he was larger and stronger than me.
"If you need anything just call and don't get yourself killed. I don't think that boy would have wanted you to either or he wouldn't have come with me."
"Shut up!"
He had no right to say anything about Kuroba, he didn't even know him. As true as the fact may be, I wasn't going to stand there and listen to him when he hadn't been through anything… well, he was the one called when my mother was kidnapped. I could give him that much, at least.
"Just leave," I told him with my head down. I couldn't face him when I was starting to understand his feelings. "Go."
The way my father tensed and the sudden fragility in him startled me and I turned to face him.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing." His voice was hoarse from holding back too many emotions even though he wasn't showing any. "You're right" he smiled, "I'm a terrible person."
Damn right! I wanted to shout at him but my conscience got the better of me and I wasn't able to let it out. I was seeing my father in a far more delicate state then I'd ever seen him. There was a lot at stake right now and I couldn't afford to let my emotions get in the way.
"I'll call if I need anything." I couldn't thank him. I didn't know if he deserved my hate or not but rationalizing it now would only waste time.
"Alright Saguru," he sighed. "For what it's worth I am sorry. I just didn't know what else to do. Hate me all you want but that won't change anything. If given the chance to go back I'd do the same thing."
"That's nice to know," I said sarcastically. Sarcasm had never come so naturally to me as it did right then. Without my manners to hide behind I sounded a lot like that stupid magician.
I started the car as he backed away. If my father was surprised that I was driving, he didn't show it. I shifted into drive before hitting the gas too quickly and took off at a much higher speed then I was prepared for. On the country roads it didn't matter much since there were few drivers and I'd get used to the pedals sooner or later.
"Damn!" Hattori yelled from the backseat. A hint of contentment danced through me, partially form Hattori's discomfort and partially from the thrill and speed of the car picking up underneath my foot. The thrill vanished quickly enough.
"Navigate for me will you Conan-kun?" I passed the black device over to him and Conan nodded before flipping open the screen and zooming in on the coordinates so he'd be able to see street names.
While he was looking at the map, he got back on the phone with the person he'd just called a few minutes ago and gave her a location close to where Kuroba's signal was coming from. I looked at him out of the corner of my eye when he kept the whereabouts of the organization a secret from them.
"You're not sharing information with the FBI?" I asked.
"No, it would only get us killed. Not me but you, Hattori, and Kuroba-kun if he's not already dead."
My hands tightened on the wheel. Conan watched me and his surveillance of my actions made it easier to calm down.
"So we just stroll in there and take him back? That was my plan but it doesn't sound as appealing as it did in my head a few minutes ago" I admitted.
"That's exactly what we're going to do."
I waited for him to explain his reasoning since mine had left me long ago but he remained silent and I sighed when Hattori was the one who asked him to explain.
"If we all go in there and they kill us, it will leave them with a bunch of bodies they now have to hide. Not impossible or even hard for them to do but time consuming. I'm going to let some of the information about the FBI in the area get through to them so that their actions are limited. Even that's not a guarantee but I can't think of anything better."
Conan looked down and I felt an urge that I had felt earlier in the week, a need to get him out of danger. Besides his youth there was a quality to him that made him seem valuable, in need of protection, which I couldn't shake. I hadn't been around him and Hattori much but I was sure the Osakan felt the same influence that the boy had on me.
"There's a very good chance we won't make it out alive so if you want to back out that's fine." The statement was aimed at Hattori so I focus what little part of my mind wasn't occupied elsewhere on driving. I was going way over the speed limit but it left me with no guilty feelings.
Sometimes it was okay to break the law, as Kuroba had demonstrated to me, if you're doing it for perfectly good reasons. Reason I was all too familiar with now. A part of me wished that the thief hadn't told me why he'd taken to stealing with so little remorse about the consequences of it but I was glad that I knew. Knowing may always come with burdens of its own but I'd be able to act on my own intentions without any future regret.
Though I hadn't told him, I'd promised myself that I'd no longer try and hinder his exploits. There were too many lives riding on his success and he didn't need me standing in the way.
This was why we were going to get him back alive.
Hattori had remained silent. I had no problem rushing in, since it was already me who was supposed to die. Conan posed of little help if they did decide to kill us since a child's disappeared would be easier to hide, but he seemed just as determined as I was. Hattori was a larger player in our bargaining because both he and I were the only sons of prominent policemen and more would be done to look into our disappearances.
"It's hard ta say, sure let's rush ta our death." Hattori's words were quiet and I let them enter the part of my brain that could think in a detached fashion without consulting my feelings.
"I know that." I couldn't say much more. Even as we spoke, some instinct in me wanted me to run as far as I could and let Kuroba take my place. It made me hate myself for feeling that way too, however small that part of me was.
Hattori knew he had to come with us. I was pretty much leaving him no other option since I planned to run in without backup. I was as good as putting someone else under the knife along with me.
Kuroba and I were too similar.
When I'd asked him who he'd save if both Hattori and I were in danger, he didn't pick either of us. It was all or nothing for him and I felt the same. If there was a chance of all of us to get out alive then I was going to take it, even if it killed all of us if we failed.
"What other choice do I have?" The Osakan conceded.
"There is always a choice Hattori," Conan answered back. If only there was always a choice.
"There is" the young boy spoke to me. I had to assume that my demeanor showed my skepticism in his statement. "No matter how small the choice, there always is one. If there were never an option, an easy way out, then this world wouldn't have as much problems as it does."
Admittedly true, I couldn't argue with him.
Hattori leaned between the seats without a seatbelt as I slowed, coming upon more crowded streets.
"I'm fine with it."
I was able to see his face when he said it as I took my eyes off the road for an instant. There was steadfastness in him that matched my own determination. The only thing his expression held that mine didn't was a solid preparation for death. It was the face of a soldier in the front lines going up against an army three times the size and power of their own.
The anger I'd been feeling was acting as a shield against my fears and it started to crumble. Conan had a phone even if I didn't have mine so I could call my mother if I wanted, to say goodbye at least in case things didn't turn out as well as I hoped they would.
I couldn't call her though. I had to have as many reasons as I could to fight these people. They had killed Kane. I didn't know him personally, since his father was a friend of the family and only accepted my help since no other assistance was available, but the boy's life was still as important to me as Hisa's was. They had threatened to hurt and kill my family and my mind was having far too much fun with what they could have done to Kuroba. I had more then enough reasons to take action against them. Now I needed to make sure I stayed alive to get back to my mother as well.
The car ride was silent as we all spent it inside our own thought. Hattori got on the phone at one point and had a civilized conversation with his female friend, asking questions about how she was, if she was having a good time with Koizumi, and the like. He ended the call by saying he'd get back to her tomorrow when he'd solved the case.
Conan's sharp voice was the only thing that got to me after that. He directed me through traffic and down side streets that would be quicker than some of Tokyo's main roads. I didn't question his knowledge of them as I drove. My skills were shaky at first but driving wasn't that difficult.
My questioning started when we drove up to Kuroba's location and were faced with a large biotechnology research facility. It had white wall and a catacomb entranceway with high, tinted windows that made it impossible to see through.
"This can't be right."
"Of course it is. Try and park around the corner. If you can't let Hattori do it. The syndicate has been around for years and they wouldn't have lasted long if they operated out in the open."
I nodded and looked up at the building before pulling away. It was at least seven stories tall and seemed to function like any other research center, judging by the appearance of some of the people I saw walking in. Any of their less conspicuous actions would be done on the lower floors.
I parked the car with no difficulty since there weren't many vehicles around. It was already falling into late afternoon and most of the workers and tourists had gone home for the day.
Conan was the one who lead us back to the building and I took the time to riffle through some of Kuroba's pockets. His jacket was bulky even if it didn't have the outward appearance of it and something had been poking me in the side since I'd gotten in the car.
What came out was a black plastic stick with a grip around the middle. It had a metal loop on the end. I experimentally tried to pull it out but nothing happened.
Hattori had been looking over my shoulder and took the object from before I could get a good enough grip on it to keep it in my possession. He took the loop and turned it to the right before it clicked and he was able to pull out thick metal wire. As if he were an expert on the thing, Hattori extended the wire until it was long enough to connect to the other end. He placed it inside and turned it until it clicked again, holding the thick metal wire in a loop and the plastic forming a 'D'.
"It's for sliding down wires. There a hook in the coat somewhere with a wheel attached to it that goes on it too."
"How do you know so much about it?"
"I was playin' around with some of his stuff when he was sleepin'. I couldn't help it." Hattori undid the clasped and retracted the wire before handing it back to me. "He didn't catch me 'till I couldn't stop that damn frequency device from ringin'."
"I wondered where that annoying noise was coming from." I had distant memories of trying to read one of the professor's books only to have a very obnoxious high pitched noise keep me from enjoying it.
"Probably not the best way ta wake up. Can't blame the guy yellin' at me fer that but ta get mad at me fer lookin' at his stuff when I wasn't doin' nothing wrong got me annoyed."
"Don't you dare go touching my things while I'm unconscious" I warned him.
"I know but that's 'cause it's you. Yer tightly strung enough an' I'd know that would getcha mad. Kuroba got mad 'cause he likes keepin' his secrets. I don't think the guy's ever really let his guard down."
"With everything he's had to deal with, that wouldn't surprise me."
"What are ya talkin' about?"
I left his question hanging as we turned the corner and faced the building. I looked back up at it again and it only seemed more natural to me. Nothing about it showed any inkling of it being the headquarters of the organization so I had to assume that it was one of many temporary sites.
"So how are we getting in?" I asked to either of them. As I'd come to learn, Conan was my mental equal, so an answer from either would have held the same weight.
"Just walk in." Conan pushed through the glass doors without a look back and I followed. Hattori took a second to complain to himself before falling in line behind me.
There was a large waiting room as we entered with repeating black tiles standing out starkly against egg white walls. A desk of marble was situated in the center where two receptionists sat in front of state-of-the-line computers.
Conan continued to walk forward so I did the same. One of the women glanced at us.
"Excuse me but I can't let you through unless you have business here."
We'd gotten far enough that I was able to read the names on the door. I inclined my head to Hattori so he could follow through with making up a lie about an appointment since I couldn't freely use my name.
"Oh, it's ok" The Osakan told her. "I'm helpin' my old man out. He told me ta meet with one of his friends here ta drop off somethin' off. If ya need ta call him I can give ya the number."
"No that's fine. I just need your name and the names of your friends so that I can give you an I.D. badge. I also need to call in ahead so that they're aware that you're coming."
"Sure but I don't remember the name. My old man said to go up ta the third floor an' he'd meet me there. I'm Hattori Heiji, this is Kitogawa Natsuki" he waved a hand at me when as he introduced me under Kuroba's false name, adding on a last name I wasn't familiar with. I didn't think I would need one. "And the little guy's one of my dad's friends. Do ya need his name to?"
"No sir. If your business is quick just have whoever you're meeting call down to us so that we know you're not wondering off."
"Sure thing." Hattori waved goodbye to her as we made our way over to the black elevators. Once inside Conan waited for it to close without hitting any of the floor indicator buttons.
"Hattori was it a good idea to give them your real name?" Conan asked. The question had been on my mind too.
"We're gonna use me ta get everyone out alive right? They're gonna know who I am anyway so why hide it?"
"Right." Conan fidgeted around the elevator buttons and I just noticed that they didn't have any lower floors.
"We have no idea where we're going, do we?" I asked him.
"Yes we do. The tracking device that Kuroba left us with was exceptional. When we passed the building I was able to zoom in more and it said that he was three floors down. I didn't expect the elevator not to go down!" His exasperated sighed mirrored my feelings.
"So where would ya hide something like that without gettin' attention by having a completely separate elevator? By havin' it right in front of ya." Hattori stuck his fingers between the silver paneling that held the buttons. It took a second but he was able to pull it away.
Instead of the wiring being underneath, there were new buttons going down five floors.
"See? What did I tell ya?"
Conan reached up and hit three. The button flared a red color before the floor numbers above the elevator disappeared. He put the paneling back and I suddenly had the feeling like I couldn't breathe.
Hattori's hand twitched at his side and he shoved them both into his pockets. "Damn this is stupid."
And it was. I was essentially leading us all to our deaths if things didn't work out. I didn't want to die.
Instead of falling into my fears, I told myself again at how much Kuroba had done for me so far. It was enough to get my mind back in order.
The elevator doors opened before I was ready and I was prepared for the worst.
No one met us when the doors parted. In fact, the whole hallway was deserted.
"Ok, looks like everybody's gone out on holiday." Hattori was the first on to break the silence. We all got out of the elevator before it had time to close. A part of me wanted to claw at the doors, to keep them open instead of trapping me down here.
Conan moved down the hallway. My mind was aware, but not ashamed, that I was following the child instead of leading. The white walls around us gave off the atmosphere of a doctor's office and there was an antiseptic smell that hung loosely in the air that added to the impression.
The hallway was about ten meters long when it forked off in two different directions. Conan went right and I went left. Hattori looked between the two of us before following Conan.
There were doors. Lots of doors. White frosted windows, about ten inches, were the only thing that adorned them so that it was hard to see anything but distorted shapes on the other side.
I came to the first door and examined it. I could see something black and smudgy on the other side with a faint splash of blue. Squinting my eyes did nothing to clear the image. I noticed Hattori trying to wave me down from his end of the hall.
I turned to face him and he made a line left to right in the air. Neither of us was going to risk yelling to one another so I watched and tried to understand what he was attempting to get across.
Giving up with the line, he made the shape of a box, indicating the windows, and started putting his hand in a dash across the bottom. I looked back at the window and noticed a small plastic piece sticking up. I took my nail and slid it slightly, removing the distorted covering so that I could look inside.
I quickly looked away.
There was a man in there. He was balding and getting on in years. In his hands was the body of a small girl, dark hair long and flowing down her back. Both were dead and their bodies were in a state of decay.
As sickened as I was, I turned back to Hattori. I had no choice but to give him the thumbs up to show I understood what he meant. The gesture was childish and my hand was shaking.
I continued to walk down the hall with renewed speed. I couldn't face Kuroba if he was like that. He couldn't be dead.
Some of the rooms were gratefully empty and a few others held people who were not quite dead yet. We'd have to get the police or the FBI in here as soon as we could so that the organization couldn't hold these people's lives any longer.
I almost passed Kuroba before I knew it was him.
I was looking for someone with dark spiked up hair before I remembered that he'd flattened and bleached some of it.
I turned back to the magician's room, desperate to see if he was alive.
There was blood running down from his wrists where handcuffs held him in the air cut into his skin. Blood also ran down the right side of his face and I could see a similar stain on his shirt. I watched but couldn't tell if he was breathing.
I wanted to yell to them but took a breath and settled on waving them down like Hattori had me. There was a large distance separating us now and I couldn't tell if he saw me until he waved in return.
They came to me as fast as they could without running. We didn't want to make noise that would get their attention before we were ready.
Hattori looked in the window and swore.
"Is he breathing?"
I shrugged and tired to look again. Even with the window clear, Kuroba's head rested on his chest and made it hard to tell if he was alive.
"We've got to open the door and find out." I'd already looked at it. The door was designed so that it could only be opened with a key. The walls were soundproof and sturdy so there was no way to get in besides the door. The widow had to be as reinforced as the walls.
"Come here." Hattori grabbed me and turned me to face him before rummaging through the jacket pockets. "I know I saw some lock picks in here. I'm not that good but I don't know how else ta get in."
There was a small leather pouch he took out. Inside were several long metal pieces with different hooks on them. A few of them were odd looking and simply bent to the side at different angles without any hooks.
"Damn this is gonna be hard." Hattori took two with funny shaped ends and one of the bent ones. "Don't expect me ta get through for at least half-an-hour, and hour tops."
"That's a long time Hattori," Conan spoke up.
"Got a better idea Kudo – shit," The detective stopped and I saw his hands were shaking. "Sorry."
"Just try and get in." I'd already heard him call Conan by Kudo's name several times now, I wasn't an idiot. Why he was doing it and why the other seemed bothered by it, I wasn't sure, but it wasn't the time to be arguing about it.
"Right," Hattori nodded and tried to steady his hands. "I'll try."