𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐒

file 063 | the clash of red and black: bloodline

"Well, you guys are lucky this isn't set to go off until 5 PM, almost four hours from now," Matsuda commented, looking over the bomb in his hands.

Suzume couldn't help but snort at his choice in words. "Lucky? Really?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "It's true, though. They could have given you a minute. Then you'd be screwed."

"With the final delivery, the amount of packages delivered by the delivery men was around sixty," James reported.

"That must be why they wanted to flood the hospital with ill patients, huh?" Jodie mused. "Delivering so many packages at once would be too conspicuous and get too much attention, but... By having multiple delivery men show up during the mass panic, we wouldn't expect them to be giving bombs to the patients."

"But then...how did they get the patients' names?" An agent, Tim, asked.

"Kusuda. He took a picture of the bulletin board at the nurse station that had the patients' names and room numbers. Most likely, after the picture was received, the orders were given."

"At any rate, there are four hours left," James said. "Have our agents scour every room looking for the packages. At that point, have them retrieve the bombs so we can hand them over to Detective Matsuda for disposal."

"Yes, sir!"

"But they're relentless with this," James muttered as the agents took off, leaving him, Shuichi, Suzume, Hiro, and Matsuda. "I thought they were only coming to retrieve Mizunashi Rena."

"Yeah," Shuichi agreed. "It never occurred to me...that their plan was to dispose of her from the beginning to seal her mouth for good."

"But it's not that surprising," Hiro commented, adjusting the black cap on his head.

"No. Not surprising at all."

~ — — — ~

"What?! Mizunashi Rena is on TV? Is it really her?"

"Y-Yes! We can see it on the TV's down here in the lobby and in the rooms. She seems to be in her room, recovered, and still wearing her hospital clothes! Is there a way to call up to her room from our side?"

"No. I assigned three men to her room. I have one coming outside to report to me every five minutes."

"Then, we can't call her room?"

"Right. Since it could easily cause her transfusion allocation device to malfunction, we can't allow any wireless or cell phones in the room. Regardless, get up to her room to make sure."

"Yes, sir! We thought as much and are on our way!"

"Well, fuck me," Matsuda cursed all of a sudden. During the entire conversation, he had been taking apart the bomb he had been given initially. He held it up and Suzume's eyes widened. "Remember what I taught you?"

"Shit!" she muttered, bending down for a closer look. "It's a transmitter!" She turned to a shocked James. "Get this message to the block leaders! Tell them to stay away from Mizunashi Rena's room!"

"Well, I guess it's too late," Shuichi sighed.

"T-Too late? Don't tell me... They already have her?"

~ — — — ~

"What was that on TV?" Jodie wondered, staring into Mizunashi Rena's room.

"You've been played," Shuichi said, making her gasp. "We're toys in their hands. Just as they planned."