Chapter Seventeen: The Hollow's Reprisal

Third Person's View

In the middle of the deep night as one woman sitting on the chair typing so fast in her keyboard while looking at the computer screen so intensely, someone suddenly knocked to her room making her attention fled away in a few seconds and make her irritated.

"WHO IS IT?!" she shouted frustratingly as she slammed her hands on the computer's table and stood up from the seat as she looked to the closed door.

"This is me, sis," the person on the other side of the door said.

She sighed and plopped down her swivel chair and turned herself in front of the computer screen as she said, "Come in."

The person came in and closed the door quickly. He walked towards the bed and sat on it as he looked at the woman sitting on the swivel chair that was facing her back on him.

"I have news for you, Eclipse," he announced making her turned her swivel chair so fast to him with wide eyes.

"What is it? Tell me."

"It was about your ex-boyfriend and his lover, Mouri Ran--"

"What about them? Give the information to me now, Singani."

"Woah, chill. You're looking desperate there," he said and chuckled.

She glared at him. "Tell me right now 'cause I need it to build up a plan."

"They're now officially a couple," he announced making Hayley's eyes widened.

"What?!"

"Yes, they're officially a couple living on the same roof but I heard they're in separate rooms because they're still not a wedded couple yet."

"And Auntie accept it?!"

"Yes, why not? Mouri Ran is the childhood friend of Kudo Shinichi. Mouri Ran's mother, Kisaki Eri is a great friend of Kudo Shinichi's mother, Kudo Yukiko so there's no hate between the two families and they could have the two wedded soon."

Hayley's fists clenched as her eyes are firing. She felt mad at the moment, thinking that Shinichi just used her all these years for nothing. She became his girlfriend without love involved-- well, she loves him but there's no reciprocated feelings from Shinichi. That she is just a temporary girlfriend and Ran could be the eternal girl to him.

"That's not fair..." Her fists tightened each second she keeps on thinking that Ran and Shinichi were officially together now. "I'll make sure to burn their relationship down. They don't know who the one they broke. They don't know who they're fighting with. I'll make sure that Kudo Shinichi is mine and mine only. I'll crush Mouri Ran once and for all."

~~~

"Ohayou, Ran nee-chan~ (Good morning)," said Ayumi as her, Haibara, Mitsuhiko, and Genta entered the house of Kudo's.

"Ohayou, Ayumi-chan, Tsubaraya-kun, Genta-kun, and Ai-chan," Ran greeted back as she puts the last meal in the wooden table.

They're in the living room and Ran invited them there for early breakfast in celebrating the first day she and Shinichi will live as lovers and also, treating the children for their cooperation to the date that happened yesterday.

"Wah~ There's so many foods!" Ayumi exclaimed as her eyes are glistening in excitement.

"Well, Ran wants all of you to join us for the celebration of our first day as a couple," Shinichi announced to the children as they sat down to the four pillows on the floor.

"There's even an eel rice!" Genta exclaimed. "That's mine!" he announced that made everyone laugh.

"No one will steal your eel rice, Genta-kun," Ran said and looked at Haibara. "Ai-chan, can you come with me for a moment?"

Haibara felt that Ran called her for an important reason so she nodded. They both got out of the house where the three kids and Shinichi could not hear the conversation.

"How's the experiment about the opposite effects of Black Organization's medicines?" Ran asked.

"Me and Agasa Hakase keep on track where they go and we have samples of little bit formulas to the medicine. The reversing is fine but we can't be reassured that all of those reversed medicines would be great for the victims."

"So you mean it is not still yet confirmed if it is effective?"

"Not quite. Few victims drank the antidotes and it worked out pretty well. Some antidotes works out quite fine but I am still isn't sure about their side effects."

Ran nodded and tapped Haibara's shoulders, reassuring her. "No pressure. I am not in a hurry."

Haibara smiled at her and nodded. They went into the house and sat down with the others.

Shinichi held Ran's hand and clasped them together before asking, "What are you and Haibara conversed about?"

Ran smiled at him. "Nothing important," she answered and looked at the children. "Let's now eat?"

"Hai! (Yes!)" all of them cheered except for Haibara who just smiled awkwardly at her. "Itadakimasu!!!" they all shouted before diving in to the foods.

While eating, Ayumi suddenly speak up. "Hey, hey. Would you all like to hang out again to Tropical Land? With Sonoko nee-chan again."

Haibara looked at Ayumi sadly. "I want to but I have some things to deal with Hakase."

"I have something do deal with too," Shinichi replied, raising his hand, "regarding to the case I have missed to solve a year ago in States."

"I also have a walk with a client from Osaka," Ran replied too as she smiled sadly at the poor Ayumi.

"O~kay~" She smiled. "It's okay. There'll another time, I guess. Now, let's eat again!"

"We could pkay board games later in my house, Ayumi-chan," Mitsuhiko suggested to her when he saw the sad emotion in Ayumi's eyes.

"I also have some problems regarding to our math lecture last meeting. Can you teach me how to do it, Ayumi?" Genta asked.

Ayumi smiled. "I'm fine. Don't worry. I'm just disappointed that you all have some appointments to do."

Ran looked sadly at Ayumi. She was worried Ayumi might get really, really sad if they couldn't come with her. She must planned all of this before asking them.

"Hmm..." Ran hummed, acting like she is thinking deep. "How about this? Shinichi, is your talk with the police in States only last an hour?" she asked him.

Shinichi nodded. "I'll just hand the summary regarding to the case. I wrote it two days ago and I'll only be sending it via mail."

She looked at Haibara. "Can you do your work faster and left Hakase for a moment, Ai-chan? I'm sure Hakase will probably agree to do it by himself."

"I'll ask him once I'm done with all of you."

"Good," Ran replied and looked at Ayumi who's astounded by her sudden questions to the people who decline her a minute ago. "I'll have some talk with the client for two to three hours and then, we're good to go."

"Ran nee-chan, you don't have to--"

"Ayumi-chan, I know you prepared this so I did this for you. We'll adjust," Ran said with a birght smile.

Ayumi can't decline Ran's good actions for her so she just nodded and smiled back at her.

~~~

"The case will be closed at once, Ms. Yoshima," Ran said as she closed her suitcase.

The client smiled at her. "Oh, I'm sure it would be great if the case will be closed."

"Why is your husband got into this chaos again, Ms. Yoshima?" Ran asked as she took out her phone and text Shinichi.

To: Shinichi

I'll be home in a minute. Tell Ayumi-chan to get ready for our way to Tropical Land.

She clicked send while listening to Ms. Yoshima about the reason why her husband caught into the act.

"He was been accused as the suspect after he saw the person being shot with the gun," Ms. Yoshima replied.

Ran nodded and looked at her. "Hmm... That's what happened," she said and stood up from the bench. "I'll go now, Ms. Yoshima. Thank you for coming today." She bowed down. "Take care."

"Ah, Mouri-san!" Ms. Yoshima called her as she turned her back at her. Ran looked back and hummed. "Can we go to a near café first? I want to make uo to you."

Ran smiled and gladly received the humble offer. "Sure, Yoshima-san."

They went to the nearest café and sat in a table for two persons.

"Two chamomile tea please," Ms. Yoshima said and the waiter nodded in response.

Before leaving, Ran frowned as she saw a glint of smirk on the waiter's lips while his eyes are looking at her.

Does this waiter have an intention to me or what? Ran thought.

The chamomile tea arrived in a few seconds and they both drank it quietly.

"So, how's the tea?" Yoshima-san asked as Ran slowly sipped the tea.

"It's f-fine," she stuttered and her head suddenly felt light-headed. Her vision suddenly blurred as she saw two Ms. Yoshima in front of her. "M-Ms. Yoshima, w-why are you--"

"Sleep, Mouri-san," is the last thing Ran heard before she lost her consciousness completely.

~~~

Why is Ran taking so long? Shinichi thought as he's looking at the road with others.

"Shinichi nii-san, Ran nee-chan is late," Ayumi said as she crossed her arms and waited boringly.

"Is your girlfriend take too much time to her client? I thought it would just be two to three hours," Haibara said as she glared at Shinichi.

"I don't know but I have a bad feeling about this," he replied and gulped a lump in his throat.

Suddenly, his phone rang loudly which everybody's attention go into. He immediately picked his phone to his jean's pocket and saw Ran's number.

"Wah~ It's Ran nee-chan! Pick it up, Shinichi nii-chan!" Ayumi exclaimed excitedly.

Shinichi stared at Ran's number before answering it. I have a bad feeling about this. "Hello?" he said and put it to a loudspeaker secretly so everybody can hear it.

"We have your girlfriend here, Kudo Shinichi," the caller with Ran's number replied.

All of the people with him averted to him with widened eyes.

He looked at them nervously and signed them to be quiet.

"What did you do to her?" he asked and waited for the caller's reply.

The voice was being change and he cannot determine whether it was a she or was a he by now. It was completely auto tuned.

The caller did not answer to his question. "You have five minutes to crack the code we will let you here in a recorder. If you can't be here within those five minutes your girlfriend will be dead. Xiao!" Then, the caller ended the call.

"What?! Within five minutes? How do we suppose to do that?" Mitsuhiko complaint.

"Ran nee-chan is in danger! We need to help her," Ayumi said and pouted. "That bastard caller who kidnapped Ran nee-chan postponed our moment again."

"I'll call Suzuki-san, Hattori-kun and his girlfriend. They might be a huge help," Haibara offered and took her cellphone out of her purse.

Shinichi stared at his phone as he waited for the record to come until a notification popped in.

He immediately played it and beeps came in.

Beep! Beep! Beep!

Bip! Beep! Bip!

Bip! Bip!

Bip!

Beep! Bip!

Beep!

Bip! Beep!

Bip! Beep! Bip! Bip!

Then, the beeping sounds stop. Shinichi was shocked by the sudden record. Others frowned in confusion.

"Beeps? How does we supposed to know where Ran nee-chan is if it was all beeps?" Genta asked confusingly.

"That kidnapper must be joking," Mitsuhiko said.

"No, it isn't. There's no kidnappers who will send a record like that without any reason," Ayumi insisted and looked at Shinichi. "Shinichi nii-san, can you crack the code?"

Shinichi looked at her and slowly nodded before listening again to the beeping sounds.

As they listen to it, an idea popped on Shinichi's head which helped him to crack the beeping sounds.

I'm coming, Ran. Shinichi said as he typed the code and send it to Ran's number. I will surely find you.

As the mail was send to the unknown person who kidnapped Ran, a new notification popped in to Shinichi's mail.