"Big brother, what do we do?" There were three vehicles, and on the surface, the most suspicious were the first and second vans. Each of tho
"Big brother, what do we do?"
There were three vehicles, and on the surface, the most suspicious were the first and second vans.
Each of those two vans carried nine people.
The third vehicle, however, only had two people in the front seats. At that moment, it had made a turn and was now heading back in the direction of Beika Hospital, seemingly just to carry out a distraction mission.
Gin didn't respond to Vodka's question—his brow furrowed tightly instead.
From his perspective, it was actually the third vehicle that seemed most suspicious.
Not only was it lightly staffed, but it had also bizarrely made a U-turn back toward the hospital.
If Kir hadn't been secretly transferred by the FBI last night, then why hadn't they done it?
The answer, Gin suspected, was that there wasn't a suitable hospital available.
Suppose this third vehicle was merely pretending to be a decoy but was actually trying to return Kir to the hospital, creating the illusion that she had already been moved.
But their opponent was Cointreau.
That guy would absolutely anticipate his line of thinking.
If Cointreau used that to set a trap...
No.
This will be endless if I keep thinking like this.
Gin forcibly suppressed his racing thoughts.
Cointreau wasn't the enemy.
His mission, besides retrieving Kir, was also to help Cointreau gain the FBI's trust... He had to rely on instinct!
"Wait! I spotted FBI agents. They're tailing and guarding the first van alongside me!"
Chianti's voice came through the earpiece.
Riding her motorcycle beside the target vehicles, she quickly noticed that the surrounding cars were acting strangely.
Although she was mockingly nicknamed the "crouching dragon chick," Chianti was still a senior member of the Organization.
After following through several intersections, she realized the FBI was tailing very closely.
However, Gin gave a direct order:
"Korn, Chianti, change course. Our target is the third vehicle Tequila is tracking."
"Hah!?"
Chianti let out a sharp cry.
After Gin explained his reasoning, she scoffed.
"Makes some sense, but what if Cointreau sees right through your thinking? Whatever, if this mission fails, you're the one who'll take the blame as commander."
"So what's the deal with Cointreau anyway?"
Korn's voice was cautious.
Unlike the overly paranoid Vodka, Korn was concerned for a different reason—he was worried Cointreau had nearly finished his new book.
He's not going to remove my name, is he...?
Gin was clearly fed up with these people.
Frowning, he explained reluctantly:
"Cointreau hasn't betrayed us. He's working with the FBI just to gain their trust."
"I see," Korn relaxed.
"See? I told you he'd never betray us!"
"You could've just said that earlier! Everyone's been on edge!" Chianti complained.
Then she suddenly caught on:
"Wait a sec, aren't we dead set on capturing Kir? How does Cointreau plan to lose her and still earn the FBI's trust?"
That was something Gin was also curious about.
But it didn't matter for now.
The truth would be revealed soon enough.
Now certain that Cointreau hadn't betrayed them, Vodka quietly let out a sigh of relief.
In that moment, as he gripped the steering wheel, the previously eerie and dangerous road suddenly seemed vibrant and full of life.
Even the sunlight looked brighter.
His black sedan sped toward the third vehicle being pursued by Tequila, and Korn and Chianti quickly changed course as well.
Their movements didn't go unnoticed by Jodie and her team.
"It worked!"
Trailing the second van from a distance, Jodie's eyes lit up when she heard the other agents' reports.
"They're definitely going after Michael's third vehicle!"
"Just as Mr. Hayashi predicted," said James Black, smiling.
"Gin, suspicious by nature, would naturally suspect the third vehicle."
"But that makes the people in Carmel's vehicle the ones in real danger," Conan remarked from the backseat, exchanging a glance with Hayashi Yoshiki.
"Don't worry," James replied.
"Carmel's driving skills are exceptional. He should be able to hold out until the agents from the second vehicle arrive to assist."
"We'll draw Gin's team into conflict and make it look like Rena Mizunashi was transferred via the first vehicle, allowing her to go into hiding once again."
"Exactly. We need to get to Carmel and back him up as soon as possible," Jodie added.
Before she even finished speaking, James slammed down on the gas pedal.
Hayashi Yoshiki remained silent.
Noticing this, Jodie looked back at him.
"What's wrong, Mr. Hayashi?"
"It's nothing."
"Is it because you're worried about Rena Mizunashi?" Conan asked knowingly.
"...It's not that I don't trust Mr. James. I'm just a bit concerned about the hospital director,"Hayashi Yoshiki replied.
"Don't worry."
James glanced at him through the rearview mirror.
"The director is a personal friend of mine. There's no way anything's wrong."
"Understood."
After all, it was someone else's arrangement, so Hayashi Yoshiki couldn't say more.
Seconds ticked by.
Carmel, looking into the rearview mirror, saw a conspicuous black sedan following closely behind.
Soon after, a motorcycle joined from a side road.
Wait, another one!?
Now with three motorcycles and a sedan behind him—knowing exactly who they were—sweat beaded on Carmel's forehead.
This was definitely the worst-case scenario.
His only hope was reinforcements—especially Shuichi Akai—to act fast.
As he stomped the gas and dangerously swerved to overtake traffic, the car ahead of him slammed its brakes and laid on the horn in frustration.
Carmel overtook one vehicle after another.
"We're already on our way. Can you still make it to the prearranged location?"
"Of course. With my driving skills, that won't be a problem," Carmel's voice came through the earpiece.
"They're still tailing me. I suspect they're waiting for a better intersection to strike."
"No matter what, make sure you stay safe."
James truly meant it.
Carmel may have lacked other skills, but as a driver, he was an irreplaceable asset.
Just as James returned to focusing on the road, his phone suddenly rang.
He glanced down—an unknown number. Still, he picked up without hesitation.
The moment he answered, his expression changed drastically.
"What?! Are you serious!?"
"What happened?"
James's agitation made Jodie uneasy, and Conan also looked over with concern.
After hanging up, James's face turned grim.
"The director... he said he was on his way to the hospital this morning, but suddenly passed out. He only just regained consciousness."
"On his way to the hospital? Then who the hell did we see in the hospital earlier?"
Jodie's eyes widened as a single name came to mind.
Ver...mouth...
It was definitely her!
At that moment, Carmel's voice came through the earpiece:
"Something's wrong, James! They suddenly stopped chasing me! They just turned right at the last intersection!"
James slowly put down his phone, his face darker than ever.