The Boy Who Came Crying for Help
The next day arrived before anyone knew it.
James had requisitioned three stretchers from the hospital to serve as transport for Rena Mizunashi in the event of a worst-case evacuation. At the same time, he instructed his subordinates that mobile phones and radios were best avoided inside the hospital, lest they interfere with the medical equipment. Finally, before the meeting broke up, Cameron — an FBI agent newly transferred in — volunteered himself to Jodie, boasting that his driving skills were more than up to the task and that he could take the wheel for the transfer operation.
Before long, the Organization made its move, exactly as anticipated.
Within a very short span, Beika Central Hospital was flooded with patients suffering food poisoning or burns from a fire. There were simply too many of them for the FBI to screen one by one. Then came the packages and get-well gifts, sent under the name Kusuda Rikudo to various patients, each one stuffed with explosives — leave them unattended, and the entire hospital would go up in flames.
Left with no alternative, James had no choice but to disperse his people and have them recover every last bomb from around the patients. One crisis after another; no sooner had the FBI finished collecting the devices than the television in the ward began playing a statement on Rena Mizunashi's recovery — filmed with a Beika Central Hospital patient room as its backdrop.
Everyone was stunned. With all contact lost to the agents surveilling Rena Mizunashi, the nearest ones bolted for her room to see the situation with their own eyes. By the time Akai Shuichi and Conan worked out Gin's aim — that the bombs had been fitted with transmitters — it was already too late to stop anyone.
Gin had learned Kir's current location from the FBI agents themselves, via the transmitters riding on their bombs.
Gin gazed at the three-dimensional projection rising above the terminal in his left hand, where the signal points had converged on a single patient room, and a smile curled across his lips. "Found it. Room 305, Building 4."
Beside him, Vodka was at the wheel, and he couldn't keep his eyes from drifting over to his partner's terminal. No matter how many times he saw it, he found it astounding — technology had really advanced this far?
"Aniki, so what's the plan now? Send people straight to the hospital and take her by force?"
"That wasn't the original intent. Meeting the FBI head-on on their own turf puts us at a disadvantage, after all." Gin slowly carved out a cold, razor-edged grin. "But now that we've got extra hands available, it's only fitting we put his abilities to the test."
With that, he closed the 3D map on his terminal and contacted Chianti and Korn. "Both of you, keep your eyes on the hospital's main entrance. The moment a box van rolls out, log it and report back to me."
Then he sent a message to Wanderer, informing him it was time to move.
Wanderer — who had already slipped into the hospital amid the chaos of the mass of patients — replied with a terse, "Understood."
Seeing the reply, Vodka bristled with displeasure. "Aniki, this kid's got no manners at all. What kind of attitude is that to show you?"
Gin let out a cold snort, wholly unbothered. "Then his ability had better live up to his attitude."
Meanwhile, at Beika Central Hospital —
In the room beside Rena Mizunashi's ward, James and the other FBI agents had just finished hammering out the transfer procedure, settling on Cameron as the driver who would take her out.
Without warning, a knock sounded at the door, and the agent posted outside as lookout reported, "We've got a situation."
James and Akai Shuichi exchanged a glance, both instantly sharpening their guard. For trouble to surface now, out of nowhere, it very likely had something to do with the Organization's movements.
James turned to the subordinate who was twisting the lock open and leaning in. "What happened?"
The agent frowned, looking troubled. "There's a boy at the front. Says his brother was taken from him, and that he was threatened not to go to the police — instead he was told to come here, and that we could save his brother."
What on earth was this? Had someone from the Organization infiltrated the hospital? And to what end?
James took a few steps forward, passing Akai Shuichi, who was deep in his own deliberations, and reached the door. "Where is the boy now? Bring him in — we need the full story from him."
Before long, the boy was escorted into the room. He looked no older than thirteen or fourteen — delicately pretty in feature, with a slender, fragile frame. As he stepped inside, he was still rubbing at his eyes, the rims of them flushed red, as though he had been crying for some time.
Seeing the boy so frightened and distraught, Jodie's heart went out to him, and she couldn't help cursing the Organization a few more times in her head for being utterly heartless. Doing her best to soften her expression, she put on a gentle smile and walked over, bending down to pat his head in comfort. "It's okay, sweetie. Tell us everything that happened, and we'll bring your brother back safe and sound."
She completely failed to notice that, the moment her hand settled on his head, the boy's body had gone rigid for the barest, imperceptible instant.
Under Jodie's comfort, the boy seemed to genuinely steady himself, and little by little, answering her questions as he went, he began to recount what had happened to him.
Only after hearing his halting, hiccupping account did the agents finally piece the situation together.
According to the boy, he had been having a meal with his brother when, only a few bites in, his brother began feeling unwell and had the boy support him to the hospital for an examination. With so many patients, they'd waited in line for ages before it was their turn. Once the doctor had prescribed the medicine, the hospital was still so packed that they decided to just head home and rest.
On the way out, the boy had been unable to hold it and ducked off to the restroom — and while passing the stairwell, he'd heard voices inside. Curiosity got the better of him and he crept close to eavesdrop, only to be caught red-handed. Once the man had seized him and learned he had another brother here in the hospital, something seemed to occur to him: he used the boy as leverage to force his brother to come, then handed him a bag.
The boy had no idea what was inside; he'd only heard the man instruct his brother to install one on every floor of the stairwell. After that, the man had brought him up to the third floor and told him to find someone near Room 305 who could save his brother.
"S-so, so that's why I... came... here." The boy finished his last sentence between sobs, then looked up at Jodie with eyes full of hope. "Miss, you'll help me get my brother back, won't you?"
"Mm." Jodie nodded firmly. "Don't you worry. Your brother will be back with you before you know it."
Conan listened to the boy's story, head lowered in thought — then scampered over to his side, tugged at his sleeve, and gazed up at him, pitching his voice into childish innocence. "Hey, mister? You said you heard voices in the stairwell — what did they say?"
By now the boy's emotions seemed to have settled somewhat. Feeling the tug at his sleeve, he followed its pull and looked down. Seeing that it was just a kid even younger than himself, the tension went out of him, and at the question he furrowed his brow, straining to recall. "Something like... 'In position... draw attention... split them up... bombs...' or whatever."
The instant those words registered, Conan's mind snapped to it — this was the Organization's scheme to divide the FBI's manpower.