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Relative Truth
by Becky Tailweaver
File 4: Crossing the Line
The days leading up to Tuesday's planned events--which Conan and Professor Agasa had taken to calling "Operation Elephant"--were fraught with tension and excitement on Conan's part, worry and consternation on the Professor's. True to her word, Ai stayed pretty much locked in her room or the chemicals lab, keeping well away from what she swore would end up being a complete fiasco.
Shinichi managed to maintain his Conan act in front of the important people--namely Ran and her father--but his near-giddy anticipation and nervous edginess made it hard to keep up appearances. This would be his biggest night in a long time...the chance to go head to head with Kaitou Kid; one on one, man to man--er, boy--with no interruptions, no distractions, and no bumbling fools getting in the way.
Ran did comment a time or two that Conan was spending an unusual amount of time over at Professor Agasa's after school--though Kogoro Mouri muttered in his usual fashion that it was "good riddance" and "...high time that old man started taking care of the brat, anyway."
Anxious to avoid an identity blowout this close to the Big Day, Conan made the excuse that he was helping his relative with a particularly interesting project--a story that Agasa was quick to confirm one evening--and that it would be finished on Tuesday. That being the case, the Professor added, would it be alright if Conan spent Tuesday night at his place? He even promised to have the boy at school on time the next morning. Ran was reluctant, but agreed--mostly due to Conan jumping up and down and pleading beseechingly in her other ear.
Sunday seemed to fly by, filled with frantic preparations and planning--while Monday slowed to a crawl. Tuesday's day of school seemed like an eternity, with Conan growing increasingly tense as the hours passed. He had to bite back uncharacteristic irritation with his three constant compatriots; he usually had plenty of long-practiced patience when dealing with the kids--he liked them just fine, they were a great bunch--but today he was uneasy and short-tempered, and fought hard to keep from taking it out on them. He just wanted the school day to be over, so he could get on with the Main Event of the day.
Once school was over, it was damn hard to keep from sprinting all the way to Professor Agasa's. He was looking forward to catching Kid tonight--anticipating it the way a child yearns for Christmas morning, waiting on the Eve before.
Along with his backpack, he'd carried a bag of "sleepover clothes" with him from home. Ran had lovingly packed his things for him, but with a guilty frown he'd pulled everything out and re-packed while she wasn't looking, filling the small duffel with what he would need for that night. He changed out of his school clothes immediately upon arriving at the Professor's, putting on the rugged jeans, dark sweatshirt, and warm coat he'd brought.
Five hours of waiting was another eternity, almost as bad as sitting through school. At least here he could entertain himself rather than having to sit through a story book or a math recital session. He spent his time reading or, as he did when he had the time, studying some of his old high school books, so that his education wouldn't suffer too badly--and so that his brain wouldn't atrophy from being fed first-grade level information on a daily basis.
It would startle Ran to no end if she walked in on Conan running through physics equations, he thought to himself with a snicker, just to relieve his tension.
When he could no longer sit still at a desk, he opted to go through his pack of equipment in lieu of just pacing around like an idiot; there were still a couple hours left to go, and he needed something to pass the time. Surprisingly, a lot of the things he'd chosen to bring hadn't come from Agasa's stores of gadgets--rather, much of it was stuff from the Kudo house. His dad had boxes of all sorts of interesting junk in the attic and the upstairs hall closet, and most of what Shinichi packed were things he remembered from his father's talks in times past.
Yuusaku Kudo sure knew about some intriguing things--but then, all the better to be a mystery novelist. He'd actually taught Shinichi quite a few tricks in the past; like how to crack a common lock, palm a small object, pick a pocket without anyone noticing--even how to hotwire a simple security system. Variations on these skills had helped the high school detective's investigations before, but he'd never had cause to actually use them--not in their pure forms.
He set out, catalogued, checked, and re-packed the equipment in his little pack twice; his nerves were starting to go on-edge, like they did when a case was afoot and a murderer was on the loose among them. By the time eight PM rolled around and it was time to go, he was running on a strange combination of terror, glee, and determination. He was boldly going where no seven-year-old detective had gone before.
As he got into the Professor's car to be driven to the pre-established drop point, he wondered how far into this final frontier he'd have to venture to bring down the elusive Kid.
Kaitou Kid's nerves were also jangling somewhat, although he wasn't even half as unnerved as Shinichi; he'd done this many times before--the heist itself would be no trouble. Rather, his anxiety stemmed from the fact that his choice to bring Kudo into this had introduced a wild card to his plans. He couldn't be sure what would happen once things got moving; he'd have to keep his eyes peeled and his ears open for any sign of police. He still wasn't sure exactly how Kudo would choose to handle this--as far as he had ascertained, no cops were involved...but then, Kudo's inspector-pal Megure was subtle where Nakamori was extreme.
This whole night would be...tricky. Coping with the heist, Kyozou's security, and Kudo--plus watching out for cops--all at the same time was going to take a lot of effort. Not for the first time that day, Kaito wished he were better at juggling; to an audience, the discrepancy was unnoticeable, but when it came down to performing the tougher tricks...
Again, he scanned the yard of the Kyozou house from his vantage point in one of the bushy trees near the front wall of the grounds. Kyozou was rich enough that he owned a good chunk of property on the outskirts of the city proper; his house was rather enormous, with several outbuildings and an extensive garden in the rear that could nearly be called a small park.
Kaito felt that he had cheated a little--the only notice he'd sent had been to Kudo; Kyozou-san had no clue he was going to be visited by the famous Kid. But then, Kyozou wasn't really his target, not this time. This time, his own performance wasn't important--what mattered was the test.
He peeked out of the branches again--still no sign of either Kudo or the armored delivery van. Kaito reached into a pocket and produced his watch, checking the time--eight forty-seven. The sun was down, the air was beginning to cool, and due to the clouds there were no stars and little moonlight. This would be a very dark night, not good for flashy tricks and his usual flamboyance. But, again, that wasn't the important thing this time. The test was.
The watch came out again. Eight fifty-two.
Come on, Kudo...don't disappoint me by being late to your first show. I don't want to have to start without you.
Eight fifty-five.
Eight fifty-eight.
Hurry up, Kudo!
Movement caught his eye; in an instant he was peering intently at the far wall of the grounds, just past the large garage. The tiny form of Conan Edogawa, dressed in dark clothing, was coming over the high wall, squeezing between the tall iron spikes at the top--the lucky little guy was small enough to fit.
There you are... Kaito smiled, watching with interest. You've crossed the line, Kudo...now let's see how far you'll go.
The small boy came down the wall on something long and black--those interesting suspenders of his, by the look of it. He was furtively glancing around, and Kaito immediately noticed that "Conan" was not wearing his familiar glasses. It was Shinichi who unclasped the suspender-mechanism from the wall, wound the length of material in, and stuffed them back in his pack. He then paused, half-crouched, to look around once more.
Shinichi certainly didn't move like a little kid when he didn't know he was being watched, Kaito reflected; there was too much precision, too much poise and focus in his actions--when alone, Kudo moved like a miniature adult. An interesting observation; one that Kaito had initially made long ago, part of what had made "Conan" such a puzzle... Without waiting for Kaito to finish his thoughts, the small form darted behind the garage, out of his sight.
Kaito checked his watch--nine PM on the dot--and smiled. Leave it to Kudo to be right on time... But now the game's afoot--better get my rear in gear! Gotta keep an eye on the squirt...
He allowed a single grin to slip through his Poker Face--just for a moment, just this once--before he vaulted down from the tree, blurring into action.
Good Lord I actually did it--I am inside the wall--I actually went and did it, I can't believe it--!
Panting, his heart pounding in both fright and elation, Shinichi huddled under a bush at the back of Kyozou's humongous garage, trying to collect himself after his first major move in this little chess game he'd stepped into. He'd done the impossible; he'd gathered the courage to enter Kyozou's property...and now he had to wait for Kaitou Kid.
It was nine o'clock--he knew it had to be nine o'clock; there was the sound of a heavy vehicle pulling up the drive, an electric gate sliding back--that was the truck coming with the elephant's "African plum." He heard voices, now, and the sounds of house doors.
No time to waste! With all this commotion, Kid was likely heading for the back of the house right now!
Scraping up his nerve, Shinichi hitched up his pack and made his way along the back of the garage, keeping low once he cleared the building and ducking from hedge to hedge as he made for the side of the main house. There were all sorts of lights on inside; as he approached he heard the sounds of music from within, and people's shadows through the windows cast eerie shapes on the lawn. He risked a quick peek as he came close, spotting people in fancy clothes and many sporting glasses of wine--it was just a glimpse, but he understood immediately.
There's actually a party going on? Good grief, Kid has some nerve all right... Shinichi tucked in close to the side of the house, beneath the windows where no one could see him. Staying between the rosebushes and the brick wall of the house, he trotted toward the back and leaned around the corner, eyes alert for any threats.
Whew...if I'm lucky, with the party going on there won't be anyone wandering around that might spot me. With all the lights from the house, he was rather glad he'd decided to leave his glasses behind; besides the fact that they were totally unnecessary, they would make him easier to spot if the lenses reflected--and besides, his father had told him that people trying not to be noticed should bear as few identifying marks as possible. Crouching between two bushes, he settled in to his little "stakeout" to watch for any sign of Kaitou Kid.
And he waited.
Ten minutes after nine, then fifteen. At nine-twenty, he began to fidget.
It's not like Kid to be late, he considered, glancing around uneasily. I didn't get the wrong address...did I miss him? He jolted at that thought, barely stopping himself from leaping to his feet. Dammit, what if I missed him and he's already taken the "ivory?" Crap...how am I gonna tell?
Frowning, he turned to look up at the huge house, noting that only the downstairs lights were on. No one's in the upstairs...I could go in and see if Kid's already sneaking around...
No way! That'd be worse than just being here...are you nuts, Kudo?
I can't let Kid escape--I told the Professor I wouldn't fail! He stood up from his stakeout spot, approaching one of the darkened windows nearest him. He had to strain to pull himself up to the sill and peer inside. It was small, and the interior wasn't well-lit, but he could make out what appeared to be a laundry room.
This is fine...no one will notice, and I won't hurt anything. It's no worse than when I sneaked into that guy's bathroom to find the missing corpse...
With a soft grunt, he pulled himself up to the sill--which was thankfully level, and wide enough for him to perch his small rear on--and rifled through his pack. He could unlock this sort of window with a simple Swiss Army knife--never leave home without it!--by sliding a blade through the crack between the panes and jimmying the latch.
Now...does it have an alarm...? Yup, right there in the corner... He eased the window open until the contact plates of the alarm were barely touching--just enough to slide his small fingers and a pair of Agasa's mini-wirecutters through. Strip the A sensor line...easy now...and the B sensor line... It was tough work, one-handed through a tiny space; for once he could be thankful his hands were so little. He had a small roll of wire in his pack, from which he took a good foot or so and stripped the ends. Now's the touchy part...splice wire to line A, he mentally recited from his father's long-ago lessons, position for splice B...touch wire to B at exactly the same moment the contact plates part--now!
His heart almost stopped in that moment; his right hand pressed forward, his other arm strained--he slid back the window and hoped he hadn't missed with the wire...
He paused for a moment, crouching there on the sill, hardly daring to breathe and waiting for some kind of alarm to go off, for something to happen. But nothing did; the party continued, no sirens went off, no one came bursting into the room.
His face tweaked into a guilty smile. Heaving a sigh of relief, Shinichi shoved his tools back into his pack and hopped quietly down to the linoleum, sneaking futher into the house.
Hot damn, he is good!
Kaitou Kid was stretched out on his stomach on the garden shed roof, just peeking over the crown of it, watching Shinichi at the house window. He lowered his pocket-telescope from his face, smiling, having observed the boy's technique in opening the window. Lock and alarm in under a minute and a half--and without professional tools, even! Not bad for an amateur, Kudo...not bad at all. I'm actually impressed.
He stood up from his hiding place now that Shinichi was out of sight, tucking his telescope away in one of his many hidden pockets. The heist was in full swing, so he couldn't lose his Poker Face--not now--but there was a grin in his heart as he hopped down from the shed roof.
Can't let him get too far ahead of me--we've only just begun this game!
...never understand why rich people have so many goddamn rooms in their houses, when nobody even uses them...it's such a waste of space, plus it makes it very hard to find what I'm looking for...
Shinichi began to wonder what he'd gotten himself into; he had no earthly clue where the "ivory" was, much less what it looked like. He was running on a wing and a prayer, and he'd actually expected to run across Kaitou Kid a long time ago--where the hell was that magical menace, anway? A guy like him never missed a chance for the spotlight, and there was a blasted loud party going on downstairs...
He stuck his head into the next room in the hall--he was on the third floor now--finding it to be yet another immaculate-but-never-used bedroom, this one of an interesting pink floral theme. Each room was different, as if fitted for a different guest; Shinichi wondered once again what the point was in having so many chambers in your house. It certainly might foil thieves the way it was foiling him--maybe that was it.
Ugh, this is ridiculous. How am I ever going to find Kid if I don't even know what he's looking for? Is he even here? He could just be having a marvelous laugh at my expense...he sure didn't send any notes to Nakamori's office, 'cause that blowhard hasn't shown up... Kid, where are you? Did you already take the goods and run, and I'm just wandering in circles here? Dammit...this is starting to feel really stupid...maybe I should just go home and get some sleep so I'm not completely wasted at school tomorrow...
Feh, like that would make a difference in my grades...
Having gone through three more doors and still finding nothing but common bedrooms, he began to wonder if he had the right idea. If I were a rich guy who just bought a big amethyst, where would I keep my really valuable stuff? Think smarter, not harder...how the hell does Kid do it? He always seems to know exactly where his target is...
Another nothing room. He always seems to know everything about the people he's stealing from and...well, I know I didn't do my homework on this case very well...should've looked up a floor plan to this building or something. C'mon, think like Kid...there's gotta be some way of telling--waitasecond...
Shinichi froze right there in the middle of the hallway, eyes widening. I got it...holy cow, I think I just got it...! Kyozou has wired-in security everywhere around here--I've had to strip three of the stairway doors--
His face lit up, and he barely refrained from shouting "Yes!" and thereby blowing his cover. He clapped his hands over his mouth to stifle his gleeful giggle, then whirled and padded quickly toward the stairs, heading down.
Stupid me...why didn't I think of it before? I know where Kyozou's study is--south wing, first floor, first hall, third door on the left--and that's the most likely place he'd keep his security system files. All I need is a wiring diagram--I'll find a door with the heaviest security, and that's where I'll find the most valuable goods!
Hah, he does learn quick, Kaito thought with a smirk, shadowing Shinichi through the mansion. The kid had the sheaf of wiring diagrams in his hand--Gloves are on; good thinking, Kudo!--and was heading directly toward the back stairwell.
He had to admit, he'd been a bit disappointed at first. Shinichi had just gone from room to room as if looking for something--or someone--wandering through the halls with no specific destination. Then Kaito'd had to jump in and disconnect the motion sensor alarm system on the third floor before it went off--Shinichi had missed its presence entirely, and Kaito didn't want to blow this operation so soon.
Granted, Shinichi had never done this sort of thing before, so he could be excused a little for ignorance...
The boy had disappeared into Kyozou's home office--dangerously close to the party going on just down the hall--for twenty minutes before emerging with the fat little bunch of diagrams and a very unchildlike smug grin. Obviously, Shinichi's ego was quite aware of his own accomplishments.
Che! More like me than I want to admit, really... Kaito reflected ruefully, waiting at the starwell door until the boy was on the next floor, before moving smoothly out of his hiding place and padding catlike after him.
Shinichi passed up the third floor this time, heading straight into uncharted waters--the fourth floor. His steps slowed as he approached the doorway that led out from the back stairwell and into the fourth floor proper; by his hesitation, Kaito guessed that he must be reading some disturbing things on the security system blueprints.
He narrowed his eyes, wishing he was close enough to read over the boy's shoulder--and barely ducked out of sight when Shinichi jerked and whirled suddenly as if alarmed, scanning the hall behind him.
Shoot, again! Man, that was close! Damn, I was watching too hard again... Kaito gritted his teeth, scolding himself for ignoring Kudo's uncanny intuition; it was quite similar to his own "cop radar," a danger-sense he prided himself on since it helped him stay one jump ahead of Nakamori and his crew. Back off, Kaito...give him some space. You're not his babysitter, after all...
The door to the rear portion of the fourth floor was protected by a coded lock--and not just any old combination padlock. It was a ten-key pad, simple but effective. You could go through combinations all night and not get anywhere--except maybe prison, if the pad had a "wrong combo" alarm on it.
Okay, kiddo...let's see how you deal with this one... He allowed himself to smile--and tried not to stare at the boy. If it were me, I'd pull the panel and just poke the little blue wire into the little green wire's jack--much more dramatic that way, but...let's see how the great Shinichi Kudo wants to handle it.
Kudo regarded the panel with a calculating eye, contemplative for several moments. Then he was setting his backpack down to fish through it again, bringing forth a small container of...something...and a tiny flashlight.
The small container was squeezed before the keypad, resulting in several puffs of fine pale powder that soon settled out of the air. Kudo waited a few seconds, then switched on the flashlight to illuminate the keypad. Odd, but the flashlight's beam was sort of...purplish...
Kaito's intake of breath was almost audible. A black light? So that's--!
The flashlight clicked off. Six of the keypad's digits were coated in glow-in-the-dark powder--powder which had stuck to the oil and residue left there by the hands of those who touched the code sequence. Shinichi smiled, then bent to shuffle through the security diagrams, producing a surprisingly ordinary sheet of notebook paper, which his eyes scanned over quickly. The boy's smile turned into a grin, and he punched in a particular combination of those six illuminated digits.
Without fuss, the door clicked open; Kudo turned the knob, picked up his pack and papers, and stepped in. The door swung shut, latched, and locked with another heavy click.
Now that...was very good, Kaito praised, stepping up to the keypad himself. No property damage whatsoever, almost no chance of accidental discovery... Damn, clever little bugger--I'll have to try that trick next time. If I can get ahold of some of that glowy stuff. He looked at the pad, noting the still faintly-glowing leftovers of the powder there. Ahhh...too bad Kyozou-san had to be dumb and choose his wedding anniversary as a code sequence. Must be nice, though--keeps him reminded of that special day...women do tend to get upset if you forget...
Smiling, Kaito gave Shinichi enough time to get ahead, then punched in the code again and followed. Inside, the rear portion of the fourth floor was much less ornate than the rest of the house, the floors covered in flat coarse office carpeting and the walls painted dull off-white. There were fluorescent lights on the ceiling, though only about one in every four was lit--night rotation lights.
He was also just in time to spot Kudo going around the corner to the right-side hallway.
Security's tighter--I hope he stays out of the video cameras. We're here...now it's show time for me. He can go play by himself for a while--I've got some ivory of my own to take care of...
His features settling into serious lines, Kaito darted off down the hallway to the left, hurrying to accomplish his heist. The operation just wouldn't be complete if he didn't get something out of it.
Shinichi was once again buzzing with a strange sort of guilty euphoria, pleased with how easily--and how quietly--he had gotten past the security system on the stairway door. He was also very glad he'd taken the time to check Kyozou-san's desk planner, personal calendar, and drawers for important numbers; he'd found the security diagrams and scanned them over in short order, noting the places where he'd need codes--and unpacked a piece of notebook paper to scribble down a few of the numerical sequences he'd found in Kyozou's office.
After checking the numbers on the keypad, it had been simple to deduce that it was Kyozou's wedding date. He'd checked his notes to confirm--and bingo!
Now he was skittering down the empty hallway, darting back and forth as he squeezed past the various cameras they had posted in this area. Another time to be glad he was small, even for a seven-year-old--he could edge by underneath the cameras and even hide in doorway nooks if worst came to worst.
Speaking of edging...edgy was definitely beginning to become his regular state of mind; it had been so long with nothing happening that he felt as if he were just waiting for the alarms to start ringing. He'd been in this place for over two hours--the party was still going strong downstairs--and nothing interesting had happened. No sign of Kid, either, dammit...but he couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched.
Maybe it was just the cameras...or his own sense of guilt at sneaking around here.
The security diagrams had showed that there were two major nexuses in the system, one to the left and one to the right on the fourth floor. He'd chosen to check the right hall first, mentally promising to double back to the left once his investigations were done.
He squeezed beneath another camera as he approached what the security blueprint said was another large office at the end of the hall. He waited until the next camera swung away, then dashed out of hiding and quickly picked the lock on the door. He had to duck back into cover as the camera panned back; only waiting until it was just pointing away, he was out again and this time disarming the alarm on the doorframe.
It was getting easier every time; must have been all the practice. He was inside before the camera even began to move back toward him.
The room was fairly large and seemingly open; Shinichi spotted the laser detection grid across the floor almost immediately and groaned--he hadn't brought equipment for that. At the far side of the room sat a safe--and not just any safe, but a massive walk-in vault made all of steel. Kid wasn't likely to be stealing that thing--not unless he happened to be Superman as well.
Just great...lasers. How fun, he moped, stepping up to the invisible grid and kneeling down to check it. He eyeballed the emitters on either side of the room, his face growing thoughful. You know...I could just about fit under this thing. Damn, like this I'm small enough.
He removed his backpack and lowered himself to the floor, still keeping an eye on the emitters. Hah! If I go through flat I can make it! Have to drag my pack though, too...
Ever so carefully, Shinichi began to inch his way along the flat carpet, taking care that no elbows, head, or feet strayed high enough to trip the grid. The spread of lasers was only about ten feet wide--enough that ordinary folks couldn't jump over it--but when you're scooting on your belly, ten feet is a long distance. Add that to the paranoia that the grid might get triggered--it was less than two or three inches above him--and you've got a lengthy and miserable little trip along the carpet.
He stopped on the other side to take a breather, staring back along the grid and wondering to himself, Did I really just do that?
With a sigh and a shake of his head, Shinichi stood and regarded the huge vault with a growing smile. He'd done it--he'd made it, this had to be the place. But...had Kid reached the vault first? Hell, it was past eleven already--and Kaitou Kid was never late.
He stared at the steel door, at the large dial that held the vault's combination lock. I should at least check, he thought quickly. I have to see if Kid's already been here...if he's already won...
A stethoscope was quickly produced from his pack; he had to drag forth one of the office chairs from against the wall so that he could reach the dial. In a few seconds, he was gingerly working his way through the first part of the combination, listening intently through the stethoscope for the sound of the tumblers falling into place...he got the first two numbers by this method, then grinned and twisted the dial, remembering the last number from his little page of notes.
Success! With a muffled clunk, the safe was unlocked. He nearly laughed aloud. This guy is nuts. He's just asking to be robbed--putting his wife's birthday on his vault combination like this!
He still had to stand on the chair to turn back the safe's latch, straining every muscle trying to get the wheel to rotate. Dammit, sometimes it's good to be small, and sometimes...it's...just...not...! Finally, the vault gave in and opened.
Inside, the walk-in safe was well-lit--and contained only one thing: A pedestal covered in a glass case, and protected by the glass was a glittering object resting on a maroon velvet pillow.
Shinichi's grin took on crazy proportions. He hasn't been here--he hasn't gotten it yet! Yes! This way I know he's still coming...
So what are you gonna do when he gets here, genius?
That was the question of the hour, wasn't it? He couldn't very well overcome Kaitou Kid in a physical contest--Hell no, not like this!--and when it came to "tricks-up-the-sleeves" Kid was second to none. Shinichi would have to think ahead and outsmart him before it came down to a face-off.
I wonder what he'd do if he came in here and found his beloved "ivory" missing! the boy wondered with a cocky smile. He'd have fits, that's what--one thing I know for sure, Kid gets very upset when someone spoils his heists!
Eyes open for alarms, Shinichi approached the pedestal--the resting place of Kid's target, the long-awaited "ivory." It was gorgeous, magnificent; some kind of hair adornment or something, set with a large pale stone--a diamond or a very light sapphire, he wasn't sure. Circa mid-eighteen-hundreds, maybe? He was no expert, but the design of the gold setting looked old-fashioned and Western. Perhaps something brought over from Japan's first contact with the West...and very, very valuable.
I know what I'll do, Shinichi thought, blue eyes nearly mesmerized by the gem's vibrant sparkle. I'll just hide this thing, and when Kid comes in here he'll be really surprised--and I'll nail the sucker right then and there! I'll even have him cornered in a safe! He was barely able to contain his giggle as he trotted back out to bring in the chair so he could work on opening the glass case.
According to the security wiring in the diagram, the case was supposedly tamper-proof--it would probably trigger the alarm if the little key were not left in the lock as the case was opened. That meant no lock-picking--yet.
No problem...he'd just trot on back outside to the vent near the safe door--a screwdriver made quick work of the vent guard, and just behind the ductwork was the wiring to the alarm system. Thank goodness for the security blueprint! This was so easy it was almost...fun.
Erk...now where did that come from? Dammit, concentrate! This is not fun, this is work!
Thank goodness for his dad's little talks about security systems, too...a snip here, a rewire there, and voila! The lock was now pickable.
In a second he was back in the safe, up on the chair, and hard at work with his smallest lock-picking tool. He remembered his father using this one to open his post box one time when he'd forgotten his keys...his father's hands had been deft and quick, and the lock was open in a second or so...
And so was this lock; with a faint snap, the glass case was unlocked. Carefully--and hardly breathing once more--Shinichi lifted the case back on its hinges, his hands shaking faintly. There it was...the "ivory" prize that Kid sought--the vaunted target of the phantom thief!
His small gloved hands reached out for the glittering prize, hesitating once--Come on, don't chicken out now; you've got to make sure Kid doesn't get ahold of this--and with a gulp, he lifted the surprisingly heavy piece of jewelry from its velvet resting place.
Shinichi held the beautiful thing cupped in his palms for a few moments, staring at it; there was an unfamiliar sort of giddy elation thrumming through his veins, making his body tremble and his hands shake. It wasn't like the euphoria that filled him when he'd solved a case or brought down a murderer...no, this was different--this was a magnified, intensified version of the feeling he'd gotten when he was a young child, having just gotten away with something. In and out of the cookie jar and no one ever knew.
I did it. I actually did it--I could walk out of here with this and be filthy rich...!
He jerked visibly at that thought, face scrunching up in a shadow of guilt and disgust. Hello, Brain to Shinichi Kudo... What's gotten into you? You're here to stop Kaitou Kid, not steal anything! Dammit, Kudo, get back on track...
Still cradling the jewelry in his hands, he hopped down from his chair and was reaching into his pack for a tissue to wrap it in--when the lights in the safe suddenly went out. What the--?
A second later, a strident alarm began to sound. The vault lights went back on--colored red as blood. Ooohhhhhh shit...
Panic Mode came on before he could stop it--Backup alarm, a goddamn backup alarm!--and he was scooping up his pack and racing out of the vault like a scared rabbit. He was halfway across the room when a second alarm went off--this one of a different pitch. He froze, looked down--Double shit! I forgot the lasers!
--panicpanicpanic--
Run, just run! his instincts demanded--and he tore out of the office room and pelted down the hall outside without a thought to the cameras. Security in the house was already in a fluster from the first alarm--and the men posted at the video terminals would soon spot the small form dashing through the upper floor, looking for an escape route.
Kaitou Kid was silently making his way through the halls, heading back in Kudo's direction, having finished his own successful little venture. He too froze when the house seemed to erupt into alarms all around him--What? I didn't do anything just now!--and stared in puzzlement. The whole floor was astir with flashing lights and sirens, and he could hear mens' voices from somewhere ahead.
Dammit Kudo, I can't take my eyes off you for a second, can I? He pulled back into the shadows and ducked into a side room as a trio of security guards ran past; frowning, he peeked out to watch them go. Good thing Kyozou hires security with uniforms that are easy to copy, he thought, switching his wardrobe to match that of the men. No time to fix up his face--a pair of Men-In-Black-looking sunglasses and a security cap would just have to do.
He stepped back out into the hall, his stride confident and purposeful; the trick with this was to look like you belonged there. With the security guards already passed, this part of the hall was quiet except for the alarms; if he didn't find Kudo soon, the police were going to arrive and screw everything up...
Speak of the devil...
Shinichi himself actually barreled around the corner, running flat-out scared in his efforts to avoid the guards that were now tromping around searching for him. Kaito was a little suprised to see the look of utter terror on the boy's face--when Shinichi saw Kaito in his security guard disguise and screeched to a halt.
He was only frozen for less than an instant--just enough time to emit a frightened little squeak--before he whirled and sprinted away, turning down a different hall this time.
Kaito himself was a bit shocked; Shinichi was so terrified he hadn't even noticed that the "security guard" had not moved. Damn, he's gone into panic--no telling what'll happen if he runs into a real guard. I won't let you get arrested, Kudo, but so help me...this is going to be hell on my reputation...
--oh no oh no oh no I'm so dead I'm gonna go to jail forever and Ran'll never forgive me oh no oh no oh no--
Shinichi Kudo was panicking rather splendidly, acting more like the frightened child he resembled than the level-headed teen he should have been. He was more scared than he'd been in a long time, running like a rabbit through the halls, turning frantically any time he heard or saw any sign of security guards, getting himself completely lost in the process. He couldn't even remember the way back to the stairwell--fat lot of good that would do anyway; it was the only way in or out of this part of the house and they would have it sealed off and guarded by now.
--panicpanicpanicpanic--
And still no sign of Kid...!
He was angry and terrified and confused, and at this point he didn't give a damn where Kid was--he just wanted to get out! The guards were closing in; the north wing halls were completely shut off to him now--he only had about two hallways left.
...oh damn here they come--I can't go back that way--what do I do what do I do?--find a door and get inside--door door door door!
He hit the nearest door running, so hard that it slammed back against the wall as he burst into the room searching for a hiding place. There was really nowhere to go--the room was another bare office, this time with valuable paintings hung on the walls. There was a window; he sprinted over to it and peered out.
Oh no, fourth floor--I can't get down from here, the suspenders don't reach...oh God I'm so dead...!
--panicpanicpanicpanicpanic--
There were voices--mens' voices coming down the hall. They're gonna find me--they're just gonna walk in here and find me...oh what am I supposed to do...?
The voices in the hallway erupted into...shouting? The guards seemed suddenly alarmed, yelling something about finding the thief and "Catch him! Somebody grab the bastard!"
The sound of laughter resounded over all, and there were crashes and flashes of light from outside the door. Shinichi was already standing in the middle of the room again, eyes wide, wondering what else was going to go wrong and...what the hell was going on out there...?
Something white flashed through the doorway, coming right at him--Shinichi barely had time to blink before he was scooped up roughly in strong arms and carried back toward the window. Slack with shock, he couldn't move as the glass crashed and he was suddenly falling through cold dark air; in a single moment, the downward motion ceased, replaced by the heavy poof-whoosh! of cloth against air, almost like a parachute--and instead of falling they were flying...
"Nice job back there, by the way," said a soft, rough, youngish male voice over the wind. Its tone was sardonic and slightly breathless. "Minus a few points for tripping the pressure sensors under the pedestal cushion in the vault..."
Shinichi blinked. The dark curtain of panic parted just enough that he could begin to process the sensations, the actions, the voice...he was being held firmly by someone's arm around his middle, against that someone's body, looking down at the ground flashing by... Oh no...oh hell no...!
"Kaitou Kid!" he nearly shrieked, twisting to glimpse his rescuer.
"The one and only!" The monocled face peered down at him, grinning slightly. "Thanks for securing the target for me, Kudo."
Oh God, tell me I didn't... Shinichi looked down at his fisted hands, one of them clenched tightly around-- ...I held on to the stupid jewel when I ran...!
Kaito was taken by surprise when Shinichi picked that moment to start kicking and struggling, yelling bloody murder--he'd been so shock-limp before that Kaito hadn't been expecting a fight. The small form arched and flexed, surprisingly strong; a hard head slammed back into his chest, jolting him, while a sharp little elbow hit him in the ribs as the boy flailed. Shinichi wriggled half out of his grip while Kaito struggled to keep from dropping him--it was a long way down and he'd rather Kudo didn't become a lawn ornament just yet. His madly squirming cargo twisted, one free arm flashing out...
Something faintly glittering flew through the air down into the yard, reflecting in the flashlights of a few security guards as it fell into Kyozou's garden.
"Hey--! Now what the hell did you do that for?" Kaito demanded, angry that half his heist had just been tossed back like an unwanted fish. He couldn't go back and get it, either; the wind was wrong, and he would chance a tangle with the guards--something he couldn't risk with Kudo along for the ride. "Dammit..."
Shinichi had stopped struggling now, going silent and stiff, refusing to respond; the small body was rigid in his arms, faintly trembling. Frowning, Kaito spared a glance down at the boy, his eyes softening just a little when he caught the sullen, angry, utterly defiant look that Shinichi directed at him.
Poor kid...this is hard enough on him, let it go... Kaito sighed fantly, relenting; this whole fiasco was his own fault anyway, for choosing to involve another. Kudo didn't deserve any anger from him. The jewels weren't the point of tonight's heist anyway...
The ride away from the Kyozou mansion was completely silent.
To be continued...
AN: Bad? Good? Somewhere in the middle? Ack, I hope this is going well...I can't really tell, myself. I'm not even sure if that's the right way to break into a house...blame it on too much Mission Impossible and spy shows. I'm trying my best, please be patient with me!