𝐁𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐬

file 051 | one step ahead of the black organization

In the parking lot, Hiro and Ai watched as Gin, Vodka, and Vermouth drove out of the parking lot, their assassination attempt foiled in the knick of time. Suzume and Jodie came back shortly after.

"You got caught by Kir?" Hiro said, raising an eyebrow.

"No way!" Ai gasped. "Were you exposed? That we followed her?!"

"No, I fooled her," Suzume said. "She didn't notice the wiretap or transmitter either."

"Then why didn't you grab them?" Hiro asked. "You could've grabbed it by saying something was stuck to the shoe."

"Well, I was going to, but that person somehow..."

"Thank you very much."

"Something felt weird."

"But it seems we can continue following them," Jodie pointed out. "It seems they still have the next page to their assassination plan."

"Yeah."

"First though, is it okay to leave them be?" Ai asked. "The TV crew that she brought is surrounding Domon-san, right?"

"The crew members are unrelated," Suzume said. "She made an excuse for herself to act on her own away from them. Perhaps they're gonna gather somewhere soon, and the next plan..."

A car pulled into the parking lot and Jodie smiled. "Well, leave it to the FBI from this point on. You should return home with this Camaro." She put a hand on Suzume's shoulder. "But let me borrow her."

Hiro's eyes narrowed.

The car pulled up in front of Hiro's, revealing James Black as the driver.

"My boss volunteered to drive," Jodie said.

"One condition and you can go," Hiro said, his tone leaving no room for argument, which surprised Jodie. "Hurt her, and the PSB will do everything it takes to drive the FBI out of Japan."

Jodie's eyes widened. "You're—!"

~ — — — ~

"Oh, shooting sprinklers to make people think it's raining, and making the target along with the people around him use umbrellas to stop the sniping?" James murmured, impressed. "As expected of the young woman Akai-kun has been interested in all these years."

Suzume couldn't stop the embarrassed flush from appearing on her cheeks as she looked out the window with a pout.

"It almost makes me want to scout her for the bureau."

"His name is James. You've met him once before, right, Suzume?" Jodie asked as Suzume kept an eye on the transmitter's location.

"It's been a while since I met you at the panda car case, right?" James said. "You saved me back then."

"Yeah, well, turns out reading the dictionary when you're bored is useful sometimes," Suzume said with a nonchalant shrug.

"But, why are they after Domon-san, who didn't even become Shuugi-In yet?"

"Probably because his father is already a famous former bureaucrat, so he has influence in the political field, and he is quite charismatic," Jodie responded to her boss' question. "And on top of that, his sense of justice is strong. There are already rumors that he may become the prime minister in the future."

"I see. So, they want to get rid of any who may oppose them early on while he's still budding," James said.

"That's the way they do things," Jodie agreed. "And if they kill him now, it can be thought of Busujima Kiriko's work."