Four points of the same star
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Detective Conan .
-...- dialogue through transceivers.
FOUR POINTS OF THE SAME STAR
Chapter 12
Anger, concern and...hope?
Conan and Ai were walking quickly through the woods.
They had to meet Rei near the oak tree where they had stopped nearly two hours ago. They were walking close to each other, Ryu's jacket draped on their shoulders but didn't talk.
They were both silent and anxious. They were both worried for Ryu. It had been more than ten minutes since they had left him at the cave to face Scotch alone.
Ai drew out a compass from her backpack and looked at it.
"That way." she said, pointing to her right, putting the instrument in her pocket. Conan nodded. They were going to go down the path Ai had pointed out when they heard a noise that made them freeze on the spot.
A gunshot.
They whipped around in unison.
"It came from the cave." Conan remarked, "What do you think? Haibara?"
The girl didn't answer. The boy saw pure concern and panic in her eyes shaded by the cap.
"That wasn't an automatic." she said softly, "It was a revolver."
Conan barely had time to marvel inwardly on Ai's knowledge of weapons that realisation hit him like a punch in the stomach.
"Ryu hasn't fired." he said quietly. "Scotch has."
He looked towards the direction where the cave was and felt a dreading feeling. He was worried. Immensely. He wondered if Ryu was fine or if... Conan shook his head.
'Don't even think of that, Kudo!' he mentally told himself.
He turned to Ai.
"We must go." he said shortly.
"What?" she asked in disbelief, turning to him.
"Don't misunderstand. I'm worried too but I think we should get Rei. Then we'll decide what to do."
He began to walk and she followed him but there was an odd look on her face. They walked for another ten minutes without sharing a word. The meeting place was getting close.
Suddenly, Ai stopped.
Conan stopped when he felt the jacket slip away from his shoulders. It covered only Ai now.
"What's wrong?" he asked slightly surprised. He noticed that she had a strange glint in her eyes.
"Why did you tell Ryu not to kill Scotch?" she asked.
Conan sensed anger in her tone; he knew that she cared for Ryu in the same way he cared for Rei but he never thought he'd actually see her get angry.
"Do you want him to become a murderer?" he asked in reply, turning to her.
"Kudo, he's not facing a common criminal. Scotch is a member of the Organisation. He's a professional trained to kill. You can't be merciful. None of them will have mercy for you."
"I didn't say that we had to be merciful with them!"
"Then what? Why did you tell Ryu not to shoot him?"
"I don't want him to be a murderer." Conan looked away.
"You don't want or you won't let him be a murderer?" Sarcasm dripped from Ai's voice. "You threatened to report him if he shot Scotch."
She glared at Conan.
"You and your damn sense of justice." she muttered under her breath. Unfortunately, he heard her.
"What do you mean?" he asked coldly.
Ai turned to him. She felt a wave emotions overcome her. Anxiety, concern but most of all, anger mingled with fear.
Ai was scared.
Scared of being found by the Organisation, scared that her identity could be revealed, scared that the people around her would have died because of her. She was afraid of loosing the people she cared for. Like Agase, Rei, Ryu and.. Kudo.
Especially Kudo.
But, at the same time, she felt a wave of anger towards him. The way he had talked to Ryu before...
Hadn't he still realised what the Organisation could really do? Was he really so naif?
"What's more important for you, Kudo?" she asked, trying to keep her voice steady, " Your ideal of justice or Ryu's safety?"
"They're both important." he replied. He seemed to be struggling to keep his voice steady, too.
"Really? Then why did you force him to face a murderer disarmed? No, let me finish, first." She snapped when he tried to retort. "Ryu will keep his word. He has your same sense of honour. I would understand if it was another situation, but what I ask you now, Kudo, is why do you want to save a murderer's life? He doesn't deserve mercy. He deserves death."
Conan didn't answer. Ai felt anger building inside her.
"Is your ideal of justice so important to you? So important that it outstrips your loyalty towards a friend?" she pressed on, "Don't you understand? Ryu's lost his family because of same goes for Rei. Why don't you want to let him get his revenge? It could make him feel better." She approached him, stood in front and looked him straight in the eyes. "Who do you think you are, Kudo, to decide what's wrong and what's right? Only because you're a detective, only because you believe in a lofty ideal like justice, do you think that you can decide for everyone? The world's not so perfect, Kudo. You can't solve everything with honesty and justice. You have to make compromises sometimes ..even if they're wrong."
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" Conan exclaimed, not standing it anymore. He was clenching his fists so hard that his knuckles were white. "I know that, Haibara. I know that honesty and justice can't do everything but I don't accept compromises. No, now you let me speak." He snapped raising his voice, as she tried to talk. "There is a reason if I told Ryu not to kill Scotch. It's true, he's only a damn murderer and he deserves death but.. that's not right. Vengeance is not right."
"Why not?" Ai asked sarcastically, "It goes against your ideal of justice?"
"Yes." he replied coolly, "I know what you think. Justice is only a mere ideal. Why should someone care of it? It's better to go on one's way, right? Kill if it's right, get revenge when you have to.
Sorry, but I don't accept it. I believe in an ideal and I don't care if I'm the only one that believes in it. You're right. I'm no one and I don't have the right to tell the others what to do but if someone I care is going to do something that he might regret, well in that case, I will try my best to persuade him. I'm sure Ryu will regret it if he kills Scotch.
In the past weeks, we have become friends and I found out how his true character is. He is loyal, honest and he would never hurt someone but.. when feelings and vengeance overcome you... you don't know what you'd be able to do. I've seen it, Haibara. Many times." Conan stopped talking, as though something had blocked his voice.
Ai was startled, not by his words but by his eyes. Bitterness, anger and sorrow seemed to mix up in those dark blue orbs.
"Do you think it's easy to be a detective?" he asked softly out of the blue, "There are times that I.. hate myself. I once had to tell a woman that murdered the man she loved that she had been wrong. She thought that he played with her feelings and didn't care of her; instead, the boy truly loved her more than anyone else and was just too introvert to show his feelings and hid them behaving harshly 1 .
I have done it many times. I have told the.. the truth even when it would have been better to keep it quiet. Even when I knew that it would have been painful. But the truth has to be said. That's why I put so much strain on my work as a detective. I'm the one that has to reveal the truth hidden under lies and ingenious coverings."
"What's this got to do with Ryu?" Ai asked coldly. She immediately regretted her tone; she didn't mean it but she really didn't understand where he was getting at.
Conan looked up. His eyes still had that strange glint.
"Murders happen for many reasons, Haibara. Hate, envy, greed but most of all.. vengeance. The latter can happen for many reasons, too. You can take revenge for a wrong or, as it often happens, for a loss. And in this last case, the murderer becomes a victim too. This brings me to Ryu. You're right when you say that he should kill Scotch. He's the murderer of Ryu's family and deserves it but I don't think Ryu would feel better after that. He would only feel worse and who knows what he'd do. I know what happens it these cases. I've seen it.. I won't let it happen.. Never again."
Ai looked up when she registered the word -again.
'What does he mean?' she thought and was going to ask him when she heard a noise. A broken twig. Someone was coming close to them.
Conan grabbed her hand and dragged her towards a path on his right.
"Come on! We have to go." he whispered urgently. "We have wasted time talking instead of going to meet Rei... Damn.. what a mistake! Scotch might not be the only agent here." He looked around. "It's getting dark... maybe we can hide using Ryu's jacket to camouflage ourselves but we have to find a good place."
They ran down the path and after a bit, they reached a fork.
"I think we should go left." he said, "We reached the oak tree walking south. Come on."
He was going to walk when he felt Ai's hand leave his. He turned around and saw her staring him.
"What's wrong?" he asked, "Listen, if you're mad with me for what I said to Ryu, I can explain. But not now. We have to go. Someone's after us."
"It's better if we split here, Kudo."
Conan's eyes widened as she said this.
"What? Now? Here?" he asked, "Why?"
"It would be harder for whoever is after us to track us if we separate." she replied, "They can't follow both."
"We have to stay together; that's what Ryu said remember? And it would be dangerous to split. We aren't well-prepared."
Conan's mind was working fast. He had to find a way to keep Ai at his side. He felt uneasy at the thought of separating from her. Not that he didn't trust her. He trusted her a lot. gone were the days when thought that she was just a cold-blooded criminal of the Organisation. But the last time they had parted, she had found herself facing Gin and Vodka alone, had tried to get killed in a bomb explosion and had also made him think that she had left for good. He didn't want her to risk her life again. Neither let her disappear.
Ai glanced at the boy and noticed the worried look on his face. Unfortunately, she misunderstood.
"I know it's dangerous, Kudo." she said coolly, "But don't worry, the development of the antidote is nearly over and it's all saved in my laptop. If I get caught, or worse, Agase can finish the final testing and prepare the cure for you."
Conan looked at her, totally bewildered.
"WHAT?" he exclaimed loudly, "You think that I'm worried of the antidote now? I say, Haibara, have you gone mad or what?"
Ai looked slightly surprised by his reaction but didn't show it.
"Why are you so concerned then?" she asked in her usual tone.
Conan stepped in front of her and took her by the shoulders.
"I am worried for you, Haibara." he said, still in a high voice and shaking her slightly, "You Baka, how could you think I was worried for the antidote?"
Ai's mask shattered when she heard these words: astonishment was clearly visible on her face.
"You're more in danger than I am." Conan added, releasing her from his grip, "I would be a fool to let you go around alone and.."
He couldn't finish the sentence.
Someone had grabbed him from behind. He turned to Ai and saw that she was in his same situation. The person's hands were over their mouths and was dragging them into a clump of bushes hidden by a tree. They tried to struggle but the grip was firm.
Too firm for two kids.
"It's me. Don't make a sound."
Conan and Ai recognized the voice and relaxed. Just then, they heard the sound of approaching footsteps. It was a heavy tread.
'Probably a man.' Conan thought.
Then realisation hit him. If they had not been dragged into the bushes, the man would have approached them easily. They wouldn't have noticed him coming since they were talking loudly. They waited in silence. The footsteps were getting closer. It seemed that the man was walking around them. After a few minutes, they heard the footsteps' sound falter till it was gone.
"It's better if we don't move. He might be around to see if we show up. Keep your voices down. By the way, I'm sorry but grabbing you from behind was the quickest way I thought of to hide you."
The grip loosened and Conan and Ai turned around.
"Rei?" Conan said in surprise.
"How did you find us?" Ai asked.
Rei frowned slightly.
"Your loud voices." she said, "The battery of the x-ray glasses had finished and I was wondering where you were. We should have met twenty minutes ago. Thanks God I was nearby or you two would have been caught. You have chosen the worst moment to have an argument. What was going on, anyway?"
"Er-" Conan stammered while Ai kept silent.
"Well, all right, you'll tell me later. But why are you two alone?" Rei asked in concern, "Where's Ryu?"
Conan and Ai looked at each other and quickly explained what had happened after she had left. Rei slowly nodded her head when they finished. Her face was pale as a sheet but her voice was calm when she spoke.
"Scotch has showed up and Ryu is facing him alone, right?" she repeated softly, "That explains the two gunshots I heard."
"Two?" Conan said, "We heard only one."
"I heard the second less than ten minutes ago. You probably didn't notice it."
"What are we going to do now?" Ai asked.
"I'm not sure." Rei replied, "What Ryu told you is right: it would be better if the three of us left this place but.. I.. we can't leave him here. He's in danger as much as we are. Maybe.. you two.." She looked at them and only then noticed what was draped on Ai's shoulders. Rei's eyes widened and her heartbeat raised alarmingly.
"Ai? Wh.. why are you wearing Ryu's jacket?" she asked. It seemed that she was straing to keep her voice steady.
Ai looked at her with a puzzled expression.
"Ryu gave it to me and Kudo." she answered, wondering why this detail was so important, "He said that we could have used it to cover ourselves, in case we had to hide."
"Rei, are you all right?" Conan asked, seeing that the girl had turned white.
"He didn't tell you, did he?" she asked instead, "Of course, otherwise you two would have never accepted. Oh God, how can he be so... so... irresponsible?"
"Rei, what's wrong? Conan demanded.
"Ryu's jacket and my denim jacket have a bullet-proof vest sewn inside." she replied softly, after a moment of silence, "That's why we wear them all the time. Nobody would notice it but it keeps us protected everytime. But... if he gave it to you, it means that...now.. he's totally unprotected."
Conan and Ai were thunderstruck: Ryu had given them his defences.
They both thought of the shots that they had heard.
Rei glanced at them and saw the look on their faces.
'Typical of you, Ryu.' she thought, smiling sadly, 'First the others and then yourself...'
Ryu and Rei had a strange attitude towards Conan and Ai. They knew that they were teenagers just as they were but at sight, they were only two children. Rei knew that in that state they couldn't face an agent of the Organisation even with all their experience and Agase's devices. Their help and knowledge was irreplaceable but in a frontal encounter where strength and agility were required, they couldn't have made it.
'That's why you did it, Ryu. We could try to get through it but they can't. We're a team that works together and that has to help each other. You always say that.'
"I noticed that the gun shots sounded as revolver shots." Rei added, " It means that Scotch has fired. Ryu had an automatic and you said that he gave Ai the revolver."
"But it doesn't mean that Ryu got shot." Conan retorted weakly, even though he didn't believe very much what he was saying.
The girls didn't answer. They both knew that there weren't many possibilities that Ryu could be unharmed. He was facing a professional murderer.
"I think that we should do as he had asked." Rei said finally.
"What?" Conan exclaimed, "But.. before.. you said that we couldn't leave him alone."
"Yes, I know..but.. I have to think of our work in first place." she replied, "If we get caught trying to help him, everything we have done till now will be useless. Ryu and I are not the only ones involved. There are you and Ai, Matt and his father, Agase and even your parents. I can't be so selfish to risk all these lives just to save one."
"Wait a minute, Rei, we can't.." he started to retort when Ai tugged his sleeve. He turned around, quite annoyed, wondering what she wanted. Ai looked at him and then glanced at Rei.
Conan glanced at her too and he noticed that she was trembling slightly. Her fists were clenched and he couldn't see her facial expressions because she was looking down and her bangs was covering her eyes.
'If it's hard for me and Haibara, it must be extremely hard for her to leave Ryu here.' he thought. 'What a fool.. I didn't even think of it.'
"So, shall we go?" Rei asked quietly after a while.
Conan and Ai nodded. They slowly got up and left their hiding place.
"The car's not far." Rei said, starting to walk, "We should reach in less than thirty minutes. We must be careful, he might still be aroun.. What the hell?" Rei jumped back a few steps quickly.
Something had just missed her for a few inches. She turned to her right and saw an arrow stuck to a tree's log. She looked down at Conan and Ai who had paled in an instant.
"Don't tell me that.." she said. The other girl stared at her and Rei got her answer.
"A crossbow arrow's a warning." Conan remarked.
"He's here." Ai whispered.
"Waiting in silence has been worth. Look who we have here"
The three slowly turned around as they heard the cold voice.
A man was there: tall, dark hair, grey eyes and dressed in black. He had a small crossbow in one hand and a gun in the other. He looked as though he had fought because there was dirt on his black coat. Minuscule red drops were scattered on his grey shirt and line of blood went down a cut on the side of his head. He was also sporting a bloody lip.
Scotch stood there, smirking evilly at them.
Conan, Ai and Rei didn't move: they just stood there, transfixed as realisation crashed on them.
Scotch was there to kill them. And since he was there, it meant that he had defeated Ryu.
And that would mean that Ryu was...
Both Conan and Ai shuddered at the only thought.
Rei's stare was fixed on the man: she was facing her parents' murderer for the first time. She slowly tried to take the revolver that was in her jeans' back pocket.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Ikeda." Scotch remarked, "Otherwise one of the kids next to you will pay a very high price for it."
She immediately stopped. He was a professional and she didn't want to risk.
"Where is Ryu?" Rei asked loudly. She had to know the truth. Making hypothesis was useless.
"Ryu? Oh yes, Martini." he drawled. "Well, he should have reached his damn father by now."
Rei's brain reeled while Conan and Ai's mind went blank with shock. Ryu was... dead?
"You're lying." Rei retorted after a few moments, "He.. he can't be dead."
Scotch laughed.
"Why should I lie, Ikeda? To frighten you and those kids? No need at all... You're already scared because you know you can't get away." he said, pointing the gun towards them and then lowering it, "Martini put on fight and he could have nearly beaten me but, at the end, his nobility killed him. He didn't shoot me when he had the chance. He didn't want to."
Conan felt a cold, plunging sensation in his stomach as he heard this.
'I've told Ryu not to shoot...' he thought desperately, 'But I didn't want this.. I didn't want this to happen! Oh God, Haibara was right. I forced him to face a murderer disarmed.'
He didn't dare to turn around. He couldn't stand to face her eyes and the accusation in them. He couldn't bare to see the pain and anger in her light blue orbs.
Rei didn't move. An image of Ryu's face and his smile crossed her mind and she felt something inside her just.. shatter. She suddenly felt void.
She looked up and her eyes found Scotch. Anger and hatred surged in her heart.
'First my mother and my father' she thought, 'And now... Ryu...'
If she had been alone, she would have seized her chances and tried to face Scotch but she knew that she couldn't risk with Conan and Ai on her sides. If she only dared to touch her gun, Scotch would have killed one of them. It was a risk that had a price too high to pay.
She had to wait for the right moment and in the meanwhile, she had to play for time...yes, but how?
"If I had known that you and Martini would have given me so much trouble, I would have found a way to get rid of you two five years ago." Scotch said, fingering his gun. "The Organisation is having strong suspicions on my loyalty. They think that I'm in collusion with you two. Me? With two FBI agents? However..." The man's steel-like eyes fell on Rei. "If you weren't an agent, I would work with you Ikeda. It's astonishing that at your young age, you've been able to force the security filters I've created. There's a vacant position in the scientific section since Martini has shown his true colours. What do you think of leaving those losers, Ikeda? Why not occupy that position yourself?"
Conan stared at Scotch.
Ai thought that she had misunderstood.
Rei couldn't believe her ears.
Scotch was asking her to join the Organisation? To work together? After all that the Organisation had done to her and to the ones close to her?
"No." she replied, trying to control her anger, " I'm not like you. You're just a murderer. You killed my parents."
"I should have expected this answer." Scotch said, shaking his head slightly as though he couldn't understand why she was throwing away such a chance. "You're all the same: you, your parents, Martini, his father... All believers of mere ideals such as honesty and justice or maybe just too foolish to understand the true powers of the Organisation. That's what your parents did, Ikeda. They refused to join us and they underestimated our reaction." He smirked seeing the fire in Rei's eyes. "Getting rid of your parents was very easy, you know? Being a diplomat and a well-known lawyer, they went everywhere with an escort so I couldn't face them frontally. That's why I decided to put a small controller in their car: efficient, easy to control, and invisible. Everyone would have thought it was an accident. And that's what happened: everybody thinks that it has been the driver's mistake. But no one knows that the car's brakes stopped working suddenly and that the accelerator was blocked. That's what really happened and no one knows it, except me... oh, and you know it too but it doesn't count. You won't be able to tell it around."
Conan had seen many criminals confess their crimes but he had never seen one that talked about them so calmly without any trace of guilt.
Scotch was enjoying himself as he talked about the murder.
Ai was not so surprised: she knew how the men of the Organisation were. Gin and Vodka were an example that she could hardly forget.
Rei was trembling with fury. She had never felt so much hatred and anger as that moment. She took out her gun without even realising what she was doing and pointed it to Scotch who had his gun out as well.
"Angry, are you?" he hissed, " You want to kill me, right? Martini had your same face before but I knew he wouldn't dare to fire. And I know you won't, too. You both said the same thing. I'm not like you. Well, let's see.."
Conan and Ai looked at Rei with anxiety. The gun was trembling in her right hand. Her whole right arm was shaking. They knew that she couldn't fire in that conditions: she wouldn't be able to do it.
"I have plenty of things to ask you so put that down, Ikeda or.. let's see.. the little boy will pay for your actions and reach Martini soon." Scotch threatened, aiming at Conan, "It's my last warning."
"All right." Rei said, lowering her gun. "Don't touch them. They are not involved."
"I'll think of that later but now throw the gun on the ground." he ordered.
Rei did as he said.
"What do you want?" she asked.
"Yes, let's talk about business." he remarked, "I want all the material Martini has stolen from the Organisation, the material you have worked on and the devices." Scotch noticed how Rei's eyes widened. "You're wondering how I know all this, huh? I have to admit that you and Martini have been clever. Your plan was nearly perfect but you didn't consider me. I got suspicious when I first met Martini. His resemblance with his father was striking but I kept my suspects to myself. I wanted to know what he was up to and I wanted his father's project. I knew that he had to have a copy of the project. I waited patiently but he was careful not to be caught. I realised that I had to discover what I wanted to know in another way. I began to make some researches on my own, without informing the Organisation, and I found out some interesting facts."
Conan was beginning to feel uneasy. Scotch was still pointing his gun at him while he spoke but this wasn't the only thing that was bothering him.
Knowing Rei, he knew that she would have never given Scotch what he had asked and that meant that he would kill them right away.
'What can I do?' he thought, 'Scotch's a professional. I don't think that I can fool him with the stun-gun. Rei's disarmed but Haibara's got a gun. Maybe.. we two can do something. I hope so...'
-Conan.. -
His thoughts were interrupted abruptly and the boy nearly jumped when he heard the soft whisper. He recognized the soft, slightly worn voice immediately but couldn't believe his ears nor understand where it came from.
- Conan, if you hear me, tap once on the transceiver's speaker. -
Conan slowly reached to his glasses, hoping that Scotch wouldn't notice his movement and gave a slight tap to the right side. He swiftly stepped sideways, behind Rei, so that the right side of his body would be hidden.
No one noticed him. Scotch was still talking about the way he had tracked down the two fugitive agents. Rei and Ai were too busy worrying about him to notice what Conan was doing.
-Good, you hear me... I was hoping that the batteries hadn't finished. Scotch is with you, right? I've just turned on the transceiver and I recognized his voice. Are you all there? You, Ai and Rei? Tap once for yes or twice for no. -
TAP.
- Is anyone hurt? -
TAP TAP.
-Thanks God.. Listen, I'm not far from where you are. I'm using the radar on my glasses but I'm injured: Scotch has shot me. You'll have to help me. We have to take Scotch by surprise. I can't face him frontally in this state and Rei can't either: he's terribly strong. I'll contact you again when I'll be near, ok? -
TAP.
-Hear you later. -
Conan felt warm relief sweep him. He would have laughed but he managed to control himself and stepped back to Rei's side.
"That's how I found out everything about you and Martini." Scotch went on, "The next step was easy. I only had to wait and see if one of you showed up. At last, this afternoon, I saw Martini walking with these two brats. He recognized me and contacted you but I knew all your moves and came here shortly after you did. I found Martini and finished him and now it's your turn. Ikeda, are you going to give me what I've asked?"
"No." Rei said firmly, shaking her head.
Scotch smirked.
"I expected a more sensible answer from you, Ikeda." he stated, "Let's see what you'll say.." He loaded his gun and aimed at Conan. " After this!"
Rei pulled the boy behind her but Scotch was not a fool. He knew that she would have done it. He turned and fired at Ai.
Rei managed to step in front of her just in time and threw out her arms, shielding her. The bullet hit her and Rei felt a searing pain at her right arm. She dropped on her knees, clutching her injured arm with her left hand.
"Rei!" Conan and Ai shouted, getting closer to her.
"I'm... I'm fine." she said, gritting her teeth.
"Rei..?" Ai asked, concern in her tone and in her eyes, "Why..?"
Rei looked at her arm and saw her left hand and arm soaked in red. She was bleeding profusely: the bullet had gone deep in her arm. She suddenly realised that escaping couldn't be possible. Not for her but..
"Go away.." she whispered, "Both of you."
"What?" Conan said, kneeling down close to her.
"I'll find a way to block him. Go away." she hissed, "Please, Shinichi, Ai."
"No." Ai said.
"We're not leaving." Conan agreed with her.
Scotch had been watching them the whole time and arched an eyebrow in amusement.
"I don't understand why you and Martini are so concerned about that two kids." he remarked, "Worried for two.. strangers."
"They're not strangers." Rei bellowed, standing up. She was still clutching her bleeding arm.
"No? What are they then?" Scotch asked sarcastically, "Friends? Come on, who would do the mistake of risking his own life for someone else?"
The pain was getting worse. Rei felt slightly faintish but decided to resist whatever happened.
"Yes, they're my friends." she stated, " The best friends I've ever had. And I'm not going to let you hurt them in any way."
"How noble of you." Scotch remarked ironically, "Do you want to shield them from my gun shots? Is life so worthless for you?"
"I don't care." she replied, "I care for them more than I care for myself. I won't let you hurt them." She stepped in front of Conan and Ai as though challenging the man.
Ai looked at her. Her words had touched her deeply. Rei had referred to them as her best friends. Her, Ai Haibara.. no, Shiho Miyano? Rei considered her a friend for whom it was worth risking her life. It was something new for Ai: the Organisation had always taught her the opposite.
Think only of yourself.
The only person that had been so selfless was Akemi. She had died trying to get her out of the Organisation.
'Not only One-chan and Rei.' she thought, 'Kudo saved me at the bus-jack and Ryu during the car accident. Do they all care for me at that point? Kudo, Ryu and Rei consider me, a member of the Organisation, a criminal, a friend for whom they'd risk their lives?'
Conan was wondering what to do. He was worried sick for Rei and felt, for the second time that day, completely useless. A buzz at his transceiver alerted him that he was going to be contacted.
-Conan, what's going on? I heard a gun shot. Is someone hurt? -
TAP.
-Who? Ai? Rei? -
Conan tapped first no and then yes. He heard the answer after a few moments and the voice was filled with concern.
-Badly? -
TAP TAP.
-Scotch is getting irritated, right? -
TAP.
-I'm near you. Listen carefully, you'll have to help me. -
TAP.
-All right... when I say "Now", you hit Scotch with the stun-gun. Aim at his right arm, ok? In this way he shouldn't be able to hold the gun anymore. I'll take him from behind. Tell Ai to keep her gun ready. She must shoot his left arm after I block him. Can you do it? -
TAP.
-Let's pray everything goes wel. Otherwise... Wait the signal. -
The contact broke off again.
Conan slowly put his hands behind his back and began to prepare his stun-gun.
'I only have one shot.' he thought, 'No mistakes, Kudo, or you'll die and everyone else will die with you.'
He turned to his right. He had to inform Haibara about the plan. Now.
He slowly reached for her hand. Ai nearly jumped up when she felt his hand brush hers. She quickly turned to him.
"What?" she mouthed.
"Take gun out.." he muttered to her out of the corner of his mouth, "Shoot left arm when I tell you."
'What on earth does he want to do?' Ai thought, noticing that he had his stun-gun ready behind his back. She slowly slipped her gun from her jacket pocket and hid it behind her back.
In the meanwhile, Scotch was getting angry. His patience was running out.
"Ikeda, I've had enough of you. For the last time, where are the devices and all the material you have taken from the Organisation?"
"I don't know." she replied.
"Too bad. You'll be the first to reach Martini. Don't worry, your friends will follow you soon." he said, loading the gun. He pointed it straight to Rei ready to pull the trigger.
- NOW! -
Conan jumped in front of Rei, aiming the stun-gun at Scotch. The hypodermic needle stung his right arm.
Scotch, that didn't expect a reaction from the two kids, was totally taken back. He tried to shoot but couldn't. His entire right arm was paralysed. He was going to change hand and shoot with the left when he noticed a movement, a shadow.
A figure seized him from behind, making the gun slip out of his hand and knocking him to the ground. It took Scotch a few seconds to register who his attacker was.
His eyes widened with shock. Rei and Ai gasped while Conan grinned widely.
"Martini?" Scotch asked dumbfounded, "How..? You're alive?"
Ryu smirked, seeing the other's surprise.
"Seems that God doesn't want me around him, yet." he replied, straightening the chipped glasses on his nose.
Scotch roared with anger and flung himself towards Ryu. The dodged a few assaults, wincing as he moved, and quickly found himself standing, a few feet away from Conan, Ai and Rei. He shot a quick glance at Conan who understood right away what he had to do.
Scotch threw himself against Ryu again and as he dodged it, Conan turned to Ai.
"Haibara, now!" he shouted.
Ai aimed the gun at Scotch's left arm and fired. The bullet hit him and Scotch crumpled to the ground. The whole place went silent.
Ai lowered the gun, cold sweat dampening her forehead. Rei slowly got up, clutching her bleeding arm. Ryu gasped for air, clutching his bleeding waist.
Conan walked towards the other boy who was next to Scotch's body.
"Is he...?" he asked.
"He's not dead." Ryu replied, turning to him, "My revolver's bullets have the same hypodermic substance that your stun-gun's needle uses." He smiled slightly. "Agase told me to use it. Just in case. Scotch will be knocked out for a few hours."
Conan smiled. A smile full of relief.
Ryu turned around to Rei and Ai. The girls were both too stunned to speak: they just looked at him as though he was a ghost.
"Rei? Are you all right?" he asked, approaching her, "Conan told me that Scotch shot you. How's your arm?"
She just stared at him, unable to register the fact that Ryu was...indeed.. alive.
"I'm... fine." she heard herself say.
"What do you mean Kudo told you that Rei was injured?" Ai asked. She had recovered from the shock of seeing Ryu alive quicker than Rei.
"I used the transceiver on my glasses to contact him." Ryu replied softly, leaning on a tree log, "I did it as soon as I came around and I found your position with the radar."
Rei came back to senses at his words. She finally looked at him and gasped. Ryu's shirt was dirty and soaked with blood, especially the part around the waist. He had cuts around his face and a line of blood went down his forehead.
Still clutching her arm, she approached him.
"Are you all right, Ryu?" she asked, "We heard two shots."
He smiled slightly, sliding down the tree log a bit.
"I don't feel exactly well but we can talk about that later. What are we going to do with him?" he asked, turning towards Scotch's body.
"I can call the police using the bow-tie to modify my voice and tell them to come and see what's going on because I heard the gun shots." Conan suggested.
Rei and Ryu looked at each other.
"It could be a good idea but we have to leave immediately." Ryu remarked, "If the police finds us, they'll ask questions and they could put me and Rei in trouble."
"Yes, we should leave." Ai asserted.
"Come on, then." Rei said, picking her gun from the floor and slipping it in her backpack.
"Hey, wait." Ryu made the others stop.
"What?" Conan asked.
"I left my backpack in the cave." he replied, "I have to go back and get it. I also have to cancel all the footprints and blood that are there. If the police sees that, they could track me down."
He tried to stand up but Rei blocked him.
"Where do you think you're going, Ryu?" she said, "I will go there with Shinichi. We'll be back in a few minutes."
Ryu tried to retort but Rei's look made him give up.
"All right." he said, "Scotch was alone so you shouldn't be in danger."
"Ai, do you mind staying with him?" Rei asked the girl, "Maybe you could do something for his wound."
"I'll see what I can do." she replied. She opened her backpack and drew out a roll of bandage from the first-aid box she had. "What about your arm? I think you should bandage it."
"I'll do it while we're walking." Rei said, taking the roll, "Thanks."
"See you later." Conan said and they headed to the cave.
As soon as they disappeared from view, Ryu winced, clutching his waist and slid down the tree log. Ai looked up at him
"Ryu-nichan, are you all right?" she asked with concern.
"If you want the truth, no. Not at all." he replied, "I didn't want to worry any of you before but I think that the wound's deeper than I thought. I'm still bleeding." He removed his hand from his waist: it was wet with blood. "Do you have other bandages? It could stop the bleeding."
He slowly managed to sit up. Ai took out the bandages and the bottle of water. She also took out her handkerchief.
"I'll have to clean your wound first or it will become infected." she remarked, wetting the handkerchief with some water, "How did you get covered with dirt in this way anyway?"
Ryu smirked.
"I'm pretty battered up, huh?" he said, "Scotch slammed me against the rock faces of the cave as though I was a paper doll. I fell on the ground after he shot me and that's how I got this dirty."
"You have to unbutton your shirt or I can't clean the wound." Ai stated in a very professional way.
Ryu slowly lifted the hem of his shirt, showing her his wound. Ai failed to stifle a gasp and looked up at him.
"Ryu, why didn't...?" she stammered in shock, "How did you...?"
"I know. But I.. we can't do anything for it at the moment." he said, simply, "Ai, just do what you can. We'll see what we can do later. Don't worry.. sis."
Ai looked at him and nodded. She began to do what she could to treat him.
-:-
"Are you sure you're ok, Rei?" Conan asked.
"Don't worry, Shinichi." she replied, knotting the bandages with one hand. "Is this cave far?"
"No, it's back there."
They were walking quickly. Even though Ryu had said that Scotch was the only agent around, they felt uneasy. They wanted to leave that place immediately.
"Here, Rei." Conan said, turning to his left. "The entrance is here."
"You take Ryu's backpack." she said, "I'll cancel the footprints and blood marks."
They had hardly entered the cave when Rei stopped dead on her tracks. Conan stopped too.
Their eyes were wide with shock and horror.
"Oh my God.." Rei whispered, her eyes fixed on the scene in front of her.
"How can he still walk?" Conan asked, "Or even move?"
On the ground close to Ryu's backpack was an enormous pool of a substance they immediately recognized even though there was very little light.
Blood.
An enormous pool of blood.
Ryu's blood.
-:-
Ai glanced at Ryu with concern.
He was sitting down on the ground next to her, lying with his back on the tree, eyes closed and pale face. The wound was serious. He needed immediate medical treatment. She had only cleaned the wound and bandaged it but she knew that it was not enough. The bullet had gone in deep and the bleeding would have started again.
'Rei, Kudo, hurry up.' she thought, 'Ryu's getting weaker.'
But as soon as she thought of the other APTX-victim, her face clouded. Ryu wouldn't be in this if he hadn't told him all that rubbish.
"Ai?" Ryu asked, opening his eyes. She turned to him. "What's wrong?"
"I..." she stammered.
"Come on, don't worry. You can ask me anything."
She looked at him.
"Why did you smile when Kudo threatened to report you if you killed Scotch?" she asked, voicing the question that had been going through her mind the whole time.
"I understood his words and what he really meant. That's why I smiled and thanked him." he replied. A small smile flickered on Ryu's face, seeing the blank expression on Ai's face. "Do you remember how much he tried to not leave me alone? He didn't want me to face Scotch. Not alone. At the beginning, I thought that he didn't trust enough but then I understood. Conan was only very worried for me and most of all, he was worried that my feelings would have overcome me when I would be meeting Scotch."
"And did it happen?" Ai asked.
"Yes, it happened. I was nearly going to kill him. I'm not sure of how it happened but I managed to pin him down to the ground and... then I realised that I had the gun in my hand. My mind had only one thought: kill Scotch. All his taunts about my father, all his provocations were hammering in my head while images of my family flashed before my eyes. I didn't care of anything. I loaded the gun and was going to shoot when I understood that it would have been a mistake.
"Why? He murdered your family? Why save him?"
"There wouldn't have been any difference between him and me if I killed him. He's a cold-blooded criminal that has killed who knows how many people. He deserves death but I don't want to be the one that will kill him. As I loaded the gun, I remembered all the people that trusted me and cared for me: the Xanders, Matt, Agase, Rei, Conan and you. All the people that I cared for came back to my mind and, suddenly, I realised that if I pulled the trigger, I wouldn't have been able to face anyone of you without feeling ashamed. Or worse. I think that Conan has realised this immediately. He must have noticed something in my face that warned him. You know, his words came back to my mind while I was pointing the gun at Scotch and they brought me back to senses. I hit Scotch on the head, instead of shooting him.
I must thank Conan. It's hard to say the truth sometimes because it could hurt you more than a lie. He must have struggled with himself before telling me all that things that he said. He really is a good friend. It's rare to find someone so loyal and honest. I should be thankful. What do you think?"
Ai nodded. She didn't know what to say.
'I didn't understand anything.' she thought, 'I didn't understand him at all. He wanted to help Ryu even more than me. And I blamed him in that way...'
Just then she heard a noise. It was dusking and she didn't see her surroundings well. Ai got up and turned her flashlight-watch on, pointing it towards the sound's direction.
A ray of light hit her in return.
Conan and Rei had come back. Ai noticed that they both looked extremely worried.
Ryu slowly managed to get up.
"Did you take everything?" he asked but Rei didn't answer. She walked till she was in front of him.
"Why didn't you tell us that you had lost so much blood?" she demanded, "I don't know how you're able to move!"
"I…" Ryu stammered not knowing what to say.
Conan turned to Ai.
"How's his wound?" he asked, "Is it serious?"
"Yes, the bullet's gone in deep." she replied, "I bandaged it but it won't do much. He'll start bleeding again. For sure."
"He has already lost enough blood." Conan remarked, " There was a big pool in the cave. We had to use both our bottles to water it down and then we covered it up with earth. No one should notice it."
Ryu was leaning on the tree again, hand clutched to his waist and breathing heavily.
"We have to tie up Scotch." he said, after a while, "The stunning effect will wear off in another hour. He will escape. We can't waste this chance to catch him."
Rei opened her backpack and pulled out some rope.
"Shinichi, help me, will you?" she asked, "We have to tie him tight and I can't do it well with one arm."
Conan nodded and approached her. They quickly tied Scotch to a tree, double checking that the knots were tight so that he couldn't escape.
"All done." Rei said, after they had finished. Conan in the meanwhile was checking if they had forgotten anything. He was inspecting the ground with his flashlight watch.
"Nothing." he said, a few minutes later. "We can go."
They all picked their backpack, ready to leave. As Ryu bent down to pick his, he felt dizzy. The blood-loss had weakened him more than he thought. He staggered and nearly lost his balance but Rei caught him before he could fall.
"We have to find a doctor soon." she stated, holding him up with her good arm. She turned to Conan and Ai, "We have to reach the car before it gets too dark. You two have to guide us with the flashlights. We're not in conditions to lead."
They nodded and Ai took out her compass.
"Let's go." Conan said, directing the flashlight in front of him. The others followed him.
-:-
They reached the car twenty minutes later.
Ryu was feeling worse moment after moment. The pain at his waist was searing and he had started to bleed again. Conan, Ai and Rei were worried: he was looking bad.
The first thing they did was cover the back seats with a plastic raincoat that they had found in the car's trunk. Ryu had to sit behind and it wouldn't have been a good to stain the seats with blood. They had agreed to leave the car somewhere and then call the car rent to come and get it back.
They would have called Agase to take them back home.
Ai sat next to Ryu in case he needed any treatment. Rei was at the driver's seat and Conan was next to her: he had to help her drive since she could use only her left arm.
They had also agreed that they couldn't go to a hospital. It would have put both Ryu and Rei in trouble. Hospitals had policemen inside and police asked questions.
How could they explain their gunshot wounds without giving their true identity?
It was better to find a small surgery in the little town next to the woods.
And pray that the doctor wouldn't ask questions.
The phone began to ring madly. The man, sitting at the desk, answered promptly.
"Hello, Inspector Megure." he said, in his usual formal tone, "Yes.. Where? When? Are you sure? It could be someone hunting... Oh, I see. Yes, we'll handle it but who... ? Hello? Hello?" He put the phone down, "Didn't even give me his name."
Inspector Megure got up and put his hat on.
"Takagi!" he called. A young man appeared at the door.
"Yes, Keibu?"
"I have just received a phone call." he said, " A man said that he heard a few gunshots in the woods that are out the city. Get some men and prepare the cars: we have to go there to check it out."
"Yes, sir."
"This should be the place."
Rei stopped the car near a small building a bit far from the other houses and close to the woods.
"This should be Dr... Mizuno's surgery." Conan said, "That's what that old man told me when I asked him."
"It's better if we hurry up." Ai remarked, "Ryu..."
Rei turned around and looked at him. He was pale, sweat drops beading his face and breathing heavily. He seemed to be stifling a cry of pain.
"Hang on, Ryu." Rei said, "We have to leave the car somewhere before. Anyway, Ai, give me your gun and Ryu's too."
The little girl handed her the weapons. Rei reached her backpack and stuffed them deep inside, along with her gun.
"It would be a bit hard to explain if someone sees them." she said. She winced as her right arm hit the door lightly.
"Now the car.." she said, looking around.
"Why don't you park it there, Rei?" Conan said, pointing to his left.
There was a small park next to them with swings, jungle gym and other things. The public toilets were on a corner and behind them there was an empty space, big enough for a car.
"Why not?" Rei said, "That space's not inside the park."
She turned the car to her left and managed to park it with Conan's help. Conan and Ai scrambled out, taking all the backpacks. Rei helped Ryu out and they all headed to the surgery.
It was a good thing that it was nearly half past eight. There wasn't anybody around and it was dark, so nobody could have noticed Ryu and Rei's state.
They had hardly reached the surgery that Ryu's legs gave away. Rei staggered but managed to hold him up without loosing her balance and falling down.
"Ryu, come on, we're nearly there." she said turning to him.
He looked really bad. The blood stain on his shirt was bigger than it had been before and he was deadly pale.
Ryu had used all his willpower not to faint but now it was too much. He felt weak, terribly weak and the stabbing pain at his waist was increasing every moment.
Rei glanced at him with concern, then she turned to Conan and Ai.
"Shinichi, Ai, go and call the doctor." she said, "Ryu has to be treated immediately. I don't know if he can wait anymore."
The kids just dashed to the surgery's front door and started knocking furiously. After a few minutes, they heard a voice.
"Who's there?"
"Our friend's seriously injured!" Conan shouted, ignoring the question, "You have to help him!"
They heard footsteps and other voices behind the closed door. Conan shouted again to hurry up while Ai continued to knock on the door.
Rei, in the meanwhile, was approaching the surgery, holding Ryu. She was walking slowly. Ryu seemed unable to move and the pain at her right arm was not helping her.
"..Rei.."
She turned to her side. Ryu was staring at her. She forced a smile despite all her concern.
For his sake.
"We're nearly there." she said, "The doctor will treat you and you'll be well."
"I'm sorry." he said softly.
"What for?" she asked surprised.
He looked at her. He was smiling. The same smile she had imagined when she thought that she had lost him. His blonde hair was shading his eyes. She slowly moved her injured arm, ignoring the stabs of pain and brushed his bangs out of his blue eyes.
"Why are you apologizing, Ryu?" she whispered.
"I always make you worry." he replied softly. He looked at her peculiarly. It looked as though he trying to take in every detail of her face.
Rei was going to answer when Ryu fainted, going limp in her arm. They were both going to fall when someone held them up.
"Are you all right, young lady?" a male voice asked.
Rei looked up and saw a man, about forty years old, holding Ryu while she was helped by a woman, in her early twenties.
"Yes." she murmured.
"Good." he replied, "Your friend is unconscious. We have to move quickly. Come on, Atsuko."
He walked towards the surgery, holding Ryu up. He was followed suite by the woman and Rei. Conan and Ai were waiting by the door with another woman.
"What must I do, doctor?" she asked.
"Prepare the operating theatre." he ordered, "This young man's very badly wounded."
1 Detective Conan Vol. 5: The murder of Tatsuya Kimura, singer of the band "LEX"
