The boy soldier next to the famous detective

"Akai, are you alright?"

Looking at the gunshot wound that had pierced through the car window and seat, grazed Shuichi Akai's neck, leaving a bloody mark, James asked with concern.

"It's nothing, just a scratch. But that person was really skilled. On a speeding car, he managed to keep the bullet spread within such a small area with a rifle."

Looking at the five bullet holes piercing through the windshield, Shuichi Akai nodded in admiration.

"We were shot, and you actually praise the other side?"

Looking helplessly at his most capable subordinate, James sighed softly and picked up the phone to contact his FBI team members back home.

"Charlie and the others said the person who shot them looked very young, maybe even a child?"

"A child? That's unlikely. That kind of swift fighting style can only be developed by someone who has been through countless battles."

Shaking his head, Shuichi Akai clearly disagreed with this assessment.

"James, do you remember the intelligence we gathered before? Gin used the organization's intelligence network to conduct a large-scale investigation in Tokyo into a dwarf assassin?"

"You mean, the people chasing us today are the same people who fought with Gin on the rooftop of the Beika Hotel and in Nishitama City?"

"It should be. At first, I also thought that the organization was targeting us, but later I found out that they didn't take action directly on the streets of the city, but instead wanted to force us out of the city, so I knew I was wrong."

With one hand on the steering wheel, Shuichi Akai chuckled, took out a cigarette, lit it with the car lighter, and took a deep drag.

"After all, those guys wouldn't care whether they made their move inside the city or not."

"But why? Judging from their two actions, they're against the Black Organization, so why would they target us?"

"Yes, I'm curious about that too, but I'm even more curious about how they located us."

......

Despite being hit by a tire, Dave drove for 5 kilometers before turning onto a side road and hiding.

With Jonah's help, the spare tire was changed, and Dave drove Jonah towards Tokyo.

Throughout the journey, Dave's expression remained somber, clearly feeling remorseful for his mistake that led to the failure of the pursuit.

Jonah, in the passenger seat, noticed Dave's serious expression and knew that he was still concerned about the tires.

Jonah wasn't particularly angry. Even bulletproof tires can be pierced by bullets; it just meant he'd have to keep going for a bit longer, and chasing an undamaged pickup truck was out of the question.

Jonah felt that his judgment was not quite right. Jonah was best at mountain and jungle warfare, and was relatively familiar with urban warfare, but only because he had participated in a few clearing operations of strongholds in ruined cities.

However, Jonah is really not good at this kind of chase while sitting in a car.

Jonah felt that if he hadn't shot at the driver, but instead, like Shuichi Akai, shot at the tires of the pickup truck in front, he and Dave would have kept the truck.

I still lack experience.

After writing down the new rule "inflate the tires before taking a taxi" in his notebook, Jonah looked up at Dave, who was still sulking, and decided to comfort his partner.

Jonah remembered seeing on TV that if you want someone to quickly get over guilt about something, you can distract them with something else they are interested in.

"Dave, did you have fun camping with that girl?"

"...Jonathan, you're still really angry, aren't you?"

"...?"

......

After watching Dave drive away and drop him off at the designated location, glancing back at him every now and then, Jonah realized that he really wasn't good at comforting people.

Whether it was Chianti last time or Dave this time, they both seemed to have become unhappy after hearing what he said.

"Jonah, you're back!"

After going around in circles, Jonah returned to Professor Agasa's house and met Conan Edogawa and his friends who were waiting there for their request.

"How was it? Did you find anything?"

"Yes, we encountered that pickup truck head-on and then followed it."

Jonah recounted his and Dave's ordeal, then shook his head, his eyes looking somewhat strange.

"I don't think they're from that organization; they're not fierce at all."

"Aren't you part of that organization?"

Upon hearing Jonah's words, Conan Edogawa nodded thoughtfully. As the only expert in their group who had faced Gin twice head-on, Jonah's judgment in such professional operations was always trusted by Conan Edogawa.

"Haibara, are you sure that strange feeling you're sensing is coming from that man?"

"I can't give a definite answer because my encounter with him this time was only fleeting, but Kudo, didn't you say that the man on the bus last time also appeared?"

Shaking her head slightly, Ai Haibara looked at Conan Edogawa and Jonah seriously and said, "I don't believe it's such a coincidence. There are so many people in Tokyo, yet we were able to meet twice in such a short period of time."

"And Jonah also said he saw that man named James sitting in the passenger seat of that mysterious man, Kudo, do you think it's possible..."

"No, this couldn't possibly be a trap set for us. Our encounter with that old man today was purely coincidental, and I'm confident in that judgment."

With a soft sigh, Conan Edogawa felt slightly relieved to know that the person he had met today was not from the organization, but this was quickly followed by a deep sense of confusion.

Possessing firearms, possessing excellent fighting skills, and having appeared on the bus that once housed members of the Black Organization, no matter how you look at it, Conan Edogawa cannot regard Shuichi Akai as an ordinary person.

Unfortunately, Jonah and his group don't have enough evidence or intelligence yet; they just have each memorized Shuichi Akai's appearance.

It was still early, so Conan Edogawa and Jonah walked back to the detective agency together. On the way, Conan even took the time to make a phone call to Ran Mouri using Shinichi Kudo's voice, and the two chatted for a few minutes.

Jonah, standing nearby, watched the scene of someone staring at Conan Edogawa's face and speaking in Shinichi Kudo's voice, and suddenly something occurred to him.

"What's wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Conan, do you consider yourself a high school student or a child?"

"I may look like a kid now, but I'm definitely a high school student!"

"If you were a high school student, pretending to be a child and going to the hot spring with Ran-neechan would have been a crime, wouldn't it?"

"...Jonah, I can explain!"

"oh."

"You see, I look like a child, so of course I have to act like one too. Children are very innocent and don't have any strange ideas!"

"oh."

"Ugh! Don't look at me like I'm trash!"