The echo of their footsteps resonated inside the abandoned factory. The walls, covered in rust and water stains, seemed to absorb what little light filtered in through the cracked windows. The air was thick with the smell of old metal, spilled oil and the sour tang of long-settled dust.
Kaito took the lead, his silhouette cutting through the gloom, while Aiko followed a few metres behind, holding her breath to avoid making unnecessary noise. Every crunch of gravel and tiny shards of glass beneath their boots seemed louder than she would have liked.
'Ten armed men…' Kaito murmured, peeking carefully around the edge of several large wooden crates.
'Looks like they're guarding that room at the far end,' Aiko whispered, adjusting her grip on her weapon.
Kaito reached into the side pocket of his jacket and handed her something.
'Put this on.'
She glanced at it, puzzled. It was a black mask, the kind that covered mouth and nose.
'Why?'
'So they don't recognise you,' he replied, voice low and clipped. 'If any of these men live to tell the tale, I don't want them knowing who you are.'
Aiko nodded and slipped it on. Kaito did the same, and for a brief moment, they locked eyes, both silently acknowledging that what they were about to do had no turning back.
They were moving slowly, sliding behind the crates, when a scene froze them in place: two armed men appeared from a side corridor, following another who was dragging along two children. One looked about six, the other maybe eleven. Both were bruised, with cuts visible even under the dim light from a flickering ceiling lamp. One of them limped; the other's T-shirt was torn.
'Bastards…' Aiko gripped her weapon so hard her knuckles turned white.
Kaito placed a firm hand on her shoulder.
'Aiko… control yourself.'
She shot him a furious glance.
'They're kids! Are you seriously going to stand there and do nothing?'
Kaito didn't answer immediately, but a deadly cold gleam flashed in his eyes. Inside, he was boiling. What they had just seen changed everything. This wasn't merely an operation against a crime syndicate. This… was child trafficking.
He drew a slow, steady breath, calculating the situation in seconds. Then, without a word, he pulled a smoke grenade and a pair of dark goggles from inside his jacket.
'Put these on. They're our advantage. Only we'll be able to see through the smoke.'
She slipped them over her eyes without hesitation. Kaito yanked the pin from the grenade and tossed it with a sharp flick of his wrist. It rolled across the concrete floor, hit a wall and, with a metallic pop, unleashed a dense grey cloud.
'What the hell?!' one of the men shouted, spinning towards the sound.
The ten guards started firing blindly, bullets ricocheting off beams and pipes. The smoke swirled and thickened, blinding them completely. Kaito and Aiko moved like shadows, swift and silent, weaving between cover. Their shots were clean, calculated. Every pull of the trigger meant another target down.
A stray bullet grazed Aiko's cheek, leaving a thin bleeding cut. She didn't even flinch.
'I'm fine,' she said firmly, more irritated by the sting than the pain.
When the smoke began to clear, all the armed men were on the floor, either unconscious or neutralised. Kaito wasted no time: he strode to the guarded door and kicked it open, the crash reverberating through the factory.
Inside, Yoshio was seated cross-legged on a worn leather armchair. Around him, five bodyguards were armed with submachine guns and pistols.
'Who the hell are you?' he asked, his tone a mixture of amusement and threat.
Aiko stepped forward, her gun levelled at his chest.
'That doesn't matter. The only thing you need to know is you're going to prison.'
Yoshio smirked, as if he'd just heard a bad joke. With a flick of his hand, he gave the order.
'Kill them.'
The room erupted into gunfire. Kaito and Aiko rolled to opposite sides, taking cover behind piles of rubble and broken machinery. Bullets whistled overhead, shattering plaster and sending dust raining down. One by one, the bodyguards fell to the pair's precise fire.
When Yoshio was left alone, he stepped back, clearly searching for an escape.
'Aiko, call the police,' Kaito ordered, eyes locked on him.
She quickly stepped out, leaving the door ajar. Kaito advanced, but in a sudden movement, Yoshio pulled a knife from his boot and seized one of the children inside, pressing the blade against the boy's neck.
'If you want him alive, put your gun on the floor. Now.'
Kaito aimed at him with icy precision.
'Let the boy go.'
'The gun… or I slit his throat,' Yoshio sneered.
Slowly, Kaito began to crouch, lowering his weapon to the ground. Then a single shot cracked through the air. Yoshio screamed in pain.
'Ahh!'
The knife clattered to the floor. Aiko stood at the doorway, her pistol still warm.
'It's over.'
The boy ran to Kaito, who instinctively pulled him behind cover.
Minutes later, Yoshio was in handcuffs, his hand bandaged, escorted by two officers. Outside, sirens painted the night blue and red. Kaito showed his badge to an officer, explaining in detail what they had uncovered, making sure the children would be placed under protection.
When he finished, Aiko approached with an almost mischievous smile.
'Today was incredible.'
'Incredible?' Kaito raised an eyebrow.
'Yes… I enjoyed working with you. And I think this is the first time I've seen you smile since I joined the agency.'
Kaito allowed the faintest smirk to cross his lips.
'Smiling once isn't so bad.'
She studied him for a moment before he turned and headed for the car.
Later, back at the agency, standing before Reiko, they gave their full report. When they finished, the chief turned to Aiko.
'Would you give us a moment? I need to speak with Kaito.'
'Of course,' she said, leaving the room and closing the door behind her.
Reiko lit a cigarette and held it between her fingers.
'I want you to take Aiko as your partner.'
'No,' Kaito replied instantly.
'Think about it. She looks up to you. You're the best agent we have. Since you joined over two years ago, you've solved every single case.'
Kaito lit his own cigarette, inhaled deeply, and without looking at her, said:
'I like working alone.'
Reiko plucked the cigarette from his lips, took a drag, and exhaled slowly.
'There's another guy who's just joined. I want you to work with him on a case, see how ready he is.'
Kaito let the smoke escape in a resigned sigh.
'After that, I go back to working solo.'
'Fine. He's not as young as Aiko, but not old either. He used to be a policeman.'
That piqued Kaito's interest.
'When's he arriving?'
'Any moment now.'
At that moment, Aiko reappeared in the doorway.
'Reiko, there's a man here asking for you.'
'That must be the new agent. Kaito, come with me to meet him.'
They walked together down the corridor. Upon reaching the entrance, Kaito froze. Standing before him was a tall man in a dark suit, looking back at him with a mix of surprise and recognition.
'Well, if it isn't…' the newcomer said, clearly pronouncing the name Kaito had long since buried in Tokyo.