Following the original timeline, the Organization retrieved Kir. I remained sidelined, napping on a hospital bench while FBI agents and medical staff scrambled in a panic. Outside, a fire had broken out, sending a wave of smoke-inhalation victims into the ER—clearly the Organization's cover for the extraction. They didn't mobilize "The Wolf" for this phase. Whether they lacked the manpower or simply felt this intelligence-heavy move didn't suit my style remains unclear.
Incidentally, I neutralized a few reckless FBI agents who tried to arrest me while I slept. A minor detail, really.
Conan looked at me with pure disbelief. "Your body moves on its own while you sleep? Do you live in the world of 'Masked Yaiba'?" Well, if Kyogoku can do it, so can I. No problem at all.
James Black apologized later, claiming it was a rogue action by individual agents. Given his cunning, he was likely testing me.
Amidst this relaxed sparring with the FBI, my phone rang. The air chilled instantly. Conan tried to listen in while the FBI agents radiated hostility. It was Gin.
His command was simple: "Come now."
Conan, brazen as ever, ignored the agitated FBI and grinned, trying to plant a bug on me. "Take this."
"I don't think so. Gin's intuition is sharp—nearly as sharp as mine. The risk is too high."
"Cheapskate."
"Don't complain. I'll share the info later. Just don't even think about following me!"
"Tch... fine."
He said "fine," but he clearly had zero intention of listening. As punishment, Furuya grabbed Conan's cheeks and gave them a hard squeeze. He was mouthing "Stop, it hurts!" but I ignored him. A high-ranking Organization executive smirking while bullying a child was apparently too much for Akai, who stepped in.
"Is child abuse a hobby of yours, Wolf?"
"It's discipline. If he actually follows me, he'll likely lose his life. Compared to that, this is a mercy."
"...The boy is a problem in himself."
Even Akai seemed unable to argue. He sighed and patted the head of the boy hiding behind him.
I reached a derelict warehouse district in the RX-7, with Furuya at the wheel. I had shaken Conan off along the way. He had been tailing me on his turbo-charged skateboard, but Furuya ended that with a brief high-speed chase. No matter how fast it is, a skateboard cannot keep pace with a sports car hitting 180 km/h. Still, his persistence and shortcut-finding impressed Furuya. What kind of athleticism does it take to tail an RX-7 on a skateboard in the city?
(Internally): He is a monster from a movie stunt show.
I met the long, silver-haired man in black. Gin. When he recognized me, he smirked and adjusted his coat.
"Bourbon. You're here."
"It's been a while, Gin. My apologies for the Mouri Agency incident."
I led with an apology. Failing to execute that order had put me in a dangerous gray area. High-ranking members could have easily labeled it a "mission failure." Gin scoffed, ignoring my feigned tension.
"You dodged that Silver Bullet's kill shot. You exposed his weakness. There is no greater achievement."
The praise was excessive. Like with Vodka, Gin seems exceptionally loyal to those in his inner circle. While his life's mission involves purging suspects, he is surprisingly generous to those he trusts. It is all about winning favor. Furuya, inside, spat in disgust. Bad manners.
"Is there something else?"
"We are having Kir eliminate Shuichi Akai. There is a chance the FBI turned her... This is a direct order from 'That Person'."
"An honor, then. Kir is taking on a major executive role."
"You will monitor her. If she slips up, execute her on the spot."
I smirked. This was perfect. Faking Akai's death would be much easier now. At worst, I could handle the "body" myself. Kir is a CIA agent anyway—this Organization is practically bursting with moles.
"As you command, Gin. I will do exactly as you ordered."
I gave an elegant bow. Gin laughed a villainous laugh. Sorry, Gin. I'm an undercover agent too.
"I'll be undercover when we fake Akai's death, too."
"Good grief, is that really information you should give away so easily?"
"Of course. Gin and Vodka will check via camera from a distance. I'll be in the bushes above the cliff."
"O-Oh."
Conan backed away, sounding hesitant. He clearly didn't expect me to give up the info so easily. After parting with Gin, I had returned to the hospital and told Conan everything. Since I had to hide this from the FBI, I whispered it into his ear in a private room. When I spoke of faking Akai's death as a given, he grabbed me, frantic. "Where the hell did you sniff that out?!"
Well, it was a top-secret detail. Only James Black and Akai knew. I, of course, had the benefit of meta-knowledge. Furuya misinterpreted it as superhuman hearing. "Your ears are terrifying," he noted.
(Internally): I'm not a monster who can hear through miles of concrete. It's just an excuse.
"I'll keep Akai's survival a secret from the Organization."
"...Can I trust you?"
"I won't let Akemi's lover die for nothing before my eyes. I promised her I would reunite them eventually."
I winked. Conan looked skeptical. But this time, I wasn't lying. Hate me or fear me, I will still protect them.
And so, the night of Raiha Pass arrived.
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