Chapter 15
The alley smelled like gasoline and rot, a stark contrast to the crisp night air above. Kaito and Reina stood in the shadows, catching their breath, their escape from the clinic barely behind them.
The hard drive in Kaito's hand felt heavier than it should. Dr. Kurusu had died for this.
Reina wiped sweat from her brow. "We need to decrypt that thing fast."
Kaito scanned the street. Kyosei wouldn't stop. The moment they slipped up, it would be another ambush, another bullet, another body left behind.
"I know someone," Kaito muttered. "But getting to them won't be easy."
Reina adjusted her grip on her gun. "Nothing ever is."
The Safe House Isn't Safe
They moved quickly, blending into the late-night crowds. Their destination: an old safe house in the Shinjuku district. Neutral ground. Or at least, it used to be.
The door was ajar. Not a good sign.
Kaito pulled his knife as Reina covered him with her pistol. They stepped inside.
A man was slumped over a table, throat slit, blood pooling beneath him.
Reina cursed under her breath. "They got here first."
Kaito checked the body. It was Ito, an old informant. Kyosei was cleaning house.
Then he saw it—a message carved into Ito's arm.
"STOP DIGGING."
Reina exhaled. "They're sending a message."
Kaito clenched his fist. "Yeah. And so are we."
A Dangerous Contact
They needed a new plan, a new contact—someone outside Kyosei's reach.
Kaito pulled out his phone and made a call.
After three rings, a distorted voice answered. "...Who the hell is this?"
"It's me. Kaito."
A long pause. Then—a low chuckle.
"Well, well. Thought you were dead."
"Not yet. I need your help."
"Let me guess. You got something that could burn the whole city down?"
Kaito's grip tightened on the hard drive. "Something like that."
Another pause. Then: "Meet me at Red Lotus Club. Midnight. Come alone."
The call ended.
Reina crossed her arms. "Who was that?"
Kaito sighed. "An old friend. Or an old enemy. Depends on his mood."
Reina gave him a look. "Great."
A Night Full of Knives
Midnight. Red Lotus Club.
A high-end nightclub deep in the city's underbelly, where criminals drank beside politicians, and no one asked questions.
Kaito and Reina walked in, eyes scanning the crowd.
A man sat in a private booth, swirling whiskey in his glass. His grin was sharp, his eyes sharper.
"Toshiro Saito. The best hacker in Tokyo."
Kaito slid into the seat across from him. "I need you to decrypt this."
Toshiro raised an eyebrow. "You know this makes you a dead man, right?"
Kaito smirked. "I already was."
Toshiro chuckled and reached for the hard drive. "Then let's find out just how deep the rabbit hole goes."
To Be Continued…