The Contingency Plan

Chapter 12

Judgment

The kevlar vest had done its job for the price of three broken ribs. Not that there was much cause to celebrate the fact.

Once he had recovered from the initial shock and learned that Moonshine had slipped the net, every synapse of Kudo Shinichi’s mind fired in unison with the singular, terrible thought that Ran was endangered.

He had practically stolen the helicopter and would have likely gone to war with the entire bureau over it had not Akai, and Jodie backed him up.

Now, flying in weather no sane pilot would dare, in the dark over shark infested waters, he found himself praying; negotiating with whatever God or devil which dealt with earthly justice. They owed him a favor, and he was calling in. He needed speed beyond mortal engineering. Everything else, he would handle personally.

Jodie's voice crackled over their headsets from the cockpit. "Nice shooting, Shuu!"

Pressing the transmit button taped to his throat, Akai said, "That was sheer luck. I was aiming center mass. Wind's too turbulent. We can't risk another shot."

Kudo snapped back to the moment, snarling, "He doesn't know that. Keep the pressure on. Don't let him out of your sight!" There was something wild about him, in him, fighting to be unleshed. He could feel the corrosive poison in his veins eating away at his sanity. The toxins dissolved his restraint. The demons were loose, and all the righteous wrath of hell lit his eyes in an ominous glow.

Akai turned back to his scope without comment. He had seen that look before. Kudo Shinichi had the eyes of a killer.
                                ***
Jamming his dislocated finger back into the socket, Moonshine scowled at the sniper and thought fast. A situation like this called for a hostage. As luck would have it, there was a volunteer right there for the taking.

In an instant, he was sprinting towards Ran. But instead of running away, he was pleasantly surprised to see her advance to meet him. Right up until she landed a flying kick across his face.

He stumbled back in a daze.

Ran moved in to press the assault but froze as Shiho yelled at her. "Don't! He has the antiserum in his vest! If it breaks, Kudo kun is done for!"

Moonshine wiped the blood from his nose and, with a flourish, snapped open a retractable baton.

The heavy bludgeon lashed out violently in his hands. Vast, sweeping arcs, complimented by vicious strikes of the fist, forced Ran back on the defensive.

But fighting defensively is no way to win. Unable to risk ending the threat as she had trained for, she ducked and weaved and blocked and slowly retreated up towards the harrowing cliffs that terminated the north side of the island.

It was quickly becoming evident that she wasn't going to be able to outlast this opponent either. He struck like a freight train, and each blow she checked felt heavier and heavier as his grin grew ever more fiendish.

Like a whirlwind, Moonshine swung downwards at Ran's head.

With mere millimeters to spare, she dove out of the way.

Seeing an opportunity as death slid by, she latched onto his arm and twisted the weapon out of his grasp.

Her victory didn't last long however, as a savage back-hand sent her sailing through the storm.

She landed in an ungainly roll three meters away, painfully aware that something had broken.

"I can see why he liked you." Moonshine laughed, walking over to her. "Alright, kid, time to be a meat shield."