Chapter 206: The Boy Who Should Be in School
The Black Organization had planted bombs. That was a fact the FBI couldn't ignore; they had to divert personnel to dismantle them.
At the same time, they couldn't relax on the other front. The enemy held hostages, and for the sake of their safety, another team had to be dispatched for a rescue. This would drastically thin the number of agents available to escort Mizunashi Rena, leaving the security of the transfer operation perilously compromised.
Shuichi Akai understood the Organization's objective. Although a faint sense of incongruity still pricked at the back of his mind, the immediate priority was clear: they had to decide, and quickly, whether to risk the transfer while short-handed. The bombs and the hostages were non-negotiable; neither situation could wait.
The question now was, should they risk moving Mizunashi Rena to another hospital immediately? Or should they find a way to hide her in a different room for now, waiting until the explosives were dealt with and the boy's brother was safe before proceeding with a full escort?
Seeing that Conan Edogawa had successfully captured the young boy's attention, Jodie Starling seized the moment, her eyes flicking to James Black, silently asking for his orders. This sudden cascade of events had shattered their original plan, and James, too, was torn between the two options.
Before making a final decision, however, he began assigning his teams. One group was dispatched to handle the bombs, while another was sent to the location the boy claimed to have overheard from the kidnappers, tasked with rescuing the hostage.
Next, he arranged for an agent to lead the boy to a separate room. The discussion that was about to take place was not for a child's ears.
The boy, seeming to understand that they had sent people to save his brother, offered no resistance. With his head lowered and a cloud of despair hanging over him, he quietly followed the FBI agent out of the ward.
Shuichi Akai watched them leave before turning to his superior to state his opinion. "We're short-handed, it's true. But if we're going to move her, I believe it's best to do it as soon as possible."
Conan Edogawa nodded in firm agreement. "Mm, I think Mr. Akai is right. The Organization's goal is to stall the FBI's actions. If we postpone the transfer now, aren't we just playing right into their hands?"
Convinced by their shared logic, James Black wasted no more time. He gave the immediate order for the transfer to begin.
After leaving the room, Jodie found her thoughts drifting back to the boy. The image of his red-rimmed eyes and terrified expression lingered, and she felt a pang of worry for his emotional state. She changed direction, deciding to check on him one last time, perhaps offer a few words of comfort before she left.
She walked to the room where the boy was being kept and knocked on the door, but there was no response. A slight frown creased her brow. Feeling a prickle of unease, she twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open.
A few steps inside, she froze. Her colleague, the agent who had escorted the boy, was lying unconscious on the floor behind the door.
Jodie's blood ran cold. Something was terribly wrong. She spun on her heel and sprinted back toward Mizunashi Rena's ward.
Not far down the hall, Shuichi Akai saw her frantic dash and knew instantly that a problem had occurred. He broke into a run, following close behind.
Conan, who had been trailing Akai, saw Jodie emerge from the boy's room. In a flash of chilling insight, he understood. The boy was the problem.
'And if the boy is the problem,'his mind raced,'then his brother must be, too!'
Oh no! The FBI agents who went to dismantle the bombs and rescue the hostage… they're in danger!
Realizing the trap, Conan immediately turned and bolted in the opposite direction from Akai, his small legs pumping furiously.
Jodie burst through the ward door to a scene of chaos. The two agents who had been assigned to move Mizunashi Rena on a stretcher were both sprawled unconscious on the floor.
And the boy, the seemingly frail and helpless child, was now grabbing Mizunashi Rena's collar with one hand. With shocking strength, he had lifted her upper body and was preparing to hoist her onto his shoulder.
Hearing the door slam open, he turned his head. Upon seeing Jodie, a sigh of regret escaped his lips, his expression twisting in annoyance. He quickened his movements, clearly intending to carry Mizunashi Rena out through the window.
But in that same instant, Shuichi Akai reached the doorway. Without hesitation, he drew his pistol. The sharp cracks of several gunshots echoed in the room, forcing the boy to abandon his prize and leap away from Mizunashi Rena. To dodge the bullets, he had to release his grip on her collar, letting her fall limply back onto the bed.
Jodie's attention had been fixed on the boy's actions, but the sickening thud of Mizunashi Rena's head hitting the mattress made her flinch. A flash of worry crossed her mind. She hasn't woken up because of a head injury; will hitting it again make it even worse?
Shuichi Akai was oblivious to Jodie's thoughts. His pistol was leveled at the boy, his gaze sharp and filled with a dangerous wariness. Seeing that the boy made no further move toward the bed, he held his fire.
"Who are you?" Akai's voice was low and steady. "Has the Organization fallen so far that they won't even spare a child this small?"
In stark contrast to Akai's high-alert stance, the boy, with a gun pointed directly at him, remained utterly relaxed. A mocking smile played on his lips, as if his life wasn't in any danger at all.
He ignored Akai's question, his eyes glinting with amusement. "So, you're Shuichi Akai," he said, his voice a chilling departure from the frightened child he had pretended to be. "The silver bullet that old man who despises the light said could pierce the Organization's heart? You don't look like much."
There wasn't a shred of respect in his tone for the boss he mentioned.
Jodie stared, her mind struggling to reconcile the two personas. The boy's demeanor, his voice, his entire presence—it was all completely different. She found it hard to believe that the innocent, fragile child from moments ago was a member of the Organization.
She couldn't stop herself from making an appeal. "Little brother, the Organization is not a good place. At your age, you should be in school. This kind of violence… it shouldn't be happening to you. If you're willing, we can provide you with the Witness Protection Program…"
The boy's face contorted into a fierce glare, his eyes locking onto Jodie. He completely ignored the rest of her words, fixating only on how she had addressed him.
"Who are you calling 'little brother'?" he sneered, rolling his eyes. "Heh. You haven't even been on as many missions as I have. What right do you have to call me 'little brother'?"
His words struck Jodie like a physical blow. Her brow furrowed, and the loathing she felt for the Organization deepened into a cold, hard knot in her stomach.
Longer than her own time on missions? That meant he had likely joined the Organization, or at the very least started participating in their operations, before the age of ten. The Organization… they truly wouldn't even spare a child.
Just then, the sound of running footsteps echoed from the hallway as other FBI agents, drawn by the gunshots, rushed to the scene.
Hearing them approach, the boy shot a displeased look at Mizunashi Rena, still unconscious on the bed, then at the gun in Shuichi Akai's hand. Realizing he could no longer take her, he braced himself to retreat.
Akai saw the shift in his posture and read his intention. His finger tightened on the trigger, ready to fire and stop him.
But suddenly, a violent wind erupted inside the room. It was an unnatural gale, a swirling vortex of force so powerful that Akai couldn't help but squint against the blast.
Though his vision was momentarily obscured, his instincts took over. Relying on his memory of the room's layout, he lunged toward the bed and seized Mizunashi Rena's hand, securing his target.
Through the roar of the wind, Akai faintly heard a sharp "Tsk" of frustration.
And then, as quickly as it had appeared, the gale died down, leaving only a stunned silence in its wake.
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