svetikya Page 55
Page 55
Yuuki Takada glanced at the message and then deleted it.
He picked up the Beretta, checked its condition, and then inserted it into the shoulder strap holster with a fluid, mechanical motion, as if he had done it a thousand times.
When he stood on the street again, he was wearing a well-tailored black suit with a dark gray trench coat over it.
He hailed a taxi, but the address he gave was not the designated meeting point; instead, he was to carry out a more important mission: to go to Haneda Airport in Ota Ward.
The taxi weaved through the streets of Tokyo. Yuki Takada leaned back in the seat, his gaze sweeping across the rapidly receding streetscape outside the window.
Yuuki Takada's face remained calm, but in his mind he was rapidly calculating his next move.
Protect Sherry—this is a direct order from the organization's higher-ups, and it's no small matter.
Sherry, also known as Shiho Miyano, is an important scientist in the organization. Today marks the day she has completed her studies abroad and has been recalled to Japan by the organization.
Yuuki Takada was no stranger to this name, after all, it was because of the drug researched by his Miyano family, the later "APTX-4869" project, that Conan, the elementary school student who died, and later Ai Haibara, were born.
Judging from the current situation, it seems that the organization's recent research has failed quite a bit, which is why they specially summoned Shirley back from overseas.
"Sir, we've arrived at Haneda Airport." The taxi driver's voice interrupted his thoughts.
Yuki Takada paid and got out of the car, then stood at the airport entrance and straightened his trench coat collar slightly.
He glanced at the time; he was fifteen minutes earlier than scheduled—enough time for him to familiarize himself with the surroundings and find the best route and possible escape routes.
As an organization member who frequently carries out missions, Yuki Takada is very familiar with the layout of Haneda Airport.
He walked straight to the international arrivals hall, his eyes scanning the surroundings with keen insight.
The crowd was dense, including anxious family members waiting to pick up their loved ones, travel agency employees holding signs, and...
Yuki Takada suddenly stopped and pretended to check the flight information screen, but his peripheral vision was fixed on a man wearing a black hat in the distance.
The man stood by the pillar, seemingly casually, but his posture and angle of gaze revealed that he had received professional training.
The people in the organization?
Or other forces?
more than one.
Yuki Takada soon spotted two more suspicious figures, one on each side of the exit.
The organization did not fully trust him and even sent others to monitor the meeting.
The flight information screen showed that Shirley's flight from Los Angeles, USA, had landed ten minutes ago. Passengers were about to begin disembarking.
Yuki Takada went to the restroom, entered a stall, and quickly changed his attire. He took off his tie, unbuttoned the top button, put on a pair of frameless glasses, and took out a baseball cap from the inside pocket of his trench coat.
A simple disguise transformed him into a completely ordinary airport pickup person.
What Yuuki Takada needs to do now is to observe from the sidelines first, and then decide when to show himself.
Back in the arrival area, Yuuki Takada chose a spot where he could simultaneously observe the exit and the two watchers.
With his right hand casually resting on his waist, Yuuki Takada felt the hard outline of the Beretta pistol, which kept him calm and focused.
Soon, passengers began to emerge...
Yuuki Takada quickly scanned each face, searching for his target.
The photos provided by the organization show what Sulli looked like a few years ago; she may have changed her appearance since then.
However, thanks to Yuuki Takada's keen observation skills, he still managed to find Sherry.
A young woman with short brown hair walked out with the crowd, wearing wide-rimmed sunglasses that almost covered half of her face.
She was wearing a simple gray trench coat and carrying a small suitcase.
Despite her ordinary attire, Yuuki Takada immediately recognized her with her unique calm demeanor and alert body language as she walked—Shiho Miyano, codename Sherry.
Yuki Takada noticed that her gaze quickly swept across the arrival area, as if she were looking for someone or assessing the safety of the environment.
She looked even thinner than in the photos, and her face was somewhat pale, but she exuded a cold aura.
Just as Sherry stepped out of the exit, Yuuki Takada noticed that the two monitors tensed up slightly, and one hand simultaneously reached into their clothes—undoubtedly to locate their weapons.
The situation is not good.
Yuki Takada's intuition told him that these people's intentions might not be as simple as "surveillance".
Shirley clearly noticed something was wrong, and she suddenly changed direction and quickened her pace toward the restroom area.
The two monitors immediately followed, exchanging a glance with each other.
Seeing this, Yuuki Takada quickly chased after the two people.
Quickly weaving through the crowd, Yuuki Takada circled around to the restroom area from another direction.
As a member of an organization that frequently travels between various identities, he knew that there were usually staff exits near airport restrooms, which was one of the best routes to escape being followed.
As he approached the restroom area, he heard a soft gasp, followed by the sound of something heavy falling to the ground.
Yuki Takada immediately drew his Beretta and slipped into the passage.
The sight before him made his pupils shrink – Shirley was throwing one of the monitors to the ground while nimbly dodging a syringe from another person's hand.
A man was already lying on the ground, clutching his stomach and groaning.
"Don't move! Otherwise, don't blame me for being impolite!" Yuuki Takada shouted, raising his gun and pointing it at the person holding the syringe.
The man was taken aback, then sneered: "Hennessy? We're just following orders!"
“I haven’t received any clearance orders,” Yuuki Takada said calmly, while giving Sherry a wink. “Sherry, come behind me.”
Shirley watched him warily, without moving immediately.
Yuki Takada knew she couldn't easily trust any member of the organization.
“The organization’s leader directly ordered me to be responsible for your safety,” Yuuki Takada continued, his gaze never leaving the monitor holding the syringe. “If you are truly part of the organization, you should know the consequences of disobeying orders.”
The man hesitated for a moment, and that brief hesitation was enough.
Sherry suddenly kicked the syringe out of his hand, and at the same time, Yuuki Takada stepped forward and struck the other man's temple with the butt of his gun.
The other person immediately collapsed to the ground.
"Hurry up!" Yuuki Takada shouted to Sherry. "Is there anyone else?"
Sherry was slightly out of breath and looked at him scrutinizingly: "I don't know whether I should believe you or not."
“You have no choice now,” Yuuki Takada said succinctly. “Either come with me, or stay here and wait to be assassinated. I’ll count to three—”
“That’s enough.” Shirley interrupted him, her eyes filled with complicated emotions. “I understand, I’ll go with you. However, I feel like I’ve been fitted with a tracking device somewhere on me.”
Upon hearing this, Yuuki Takada quickly examined Sherry and found the tiny device.
Without hesitation, he crushed it, then grabbed Shirley's arm: "Use the staff entrance, my car is outside."
They quickly navigated the maze-like logistics area, and Yuki Takada, with his knowledge of the airport layout, chose the least crowded route.
Along the way, he took off his trench coat and suit jacket, revealing an ordinary blue work shirt underneath, and made Shirley take off her conspicuous coat as well, stuffing it into the trash can.
"Why are you helping me?" Shirley suddenly asked, her voice filled with suspicion and wariness.
Instead of answering directly, Yuuki Takada asked, "Why did you come back?"
The two looked at each other and then remained silent.
They both know perfectly well that in the world of organizations, too many questions and too much trust can be fatal.
As they exited the employee exit, Yuuki Takada led Sherry to an inconspicuous gray Toyota, one of the backup vehicles he had arranged in advance at the airport.
He quickly checked the undercarriage and hood of the car to make sure there were no bombs or trackers before gesturing for Shirley to get in.
"Keep your head down until I tell you to get up." Yuuki Takada started the engine and smoothly drove out of the airport area.
A tense silence filled the car.
Yuuki Takada observed Sherry through the rearview mirror—she was huddled in the back seat, but her sharp gaze swept out the window, trying to memorize the route.
A clever woman, no wonder the organization is so eager to control this genius scientist.
“You can sit up now,” Yuki Takada said after they got on the highway. “We’re safe for now.”
"Nice to meet you. Let me introduce myself briefly. I'm Hennessy. I think you've probably heard of me." Yuuki Takada said as he drove, taking out a pure black bank card from his pocket, a symbol of his status.
Seeing this, Shirley slowly sat up, still maintaining a wary posture: "Where are you taking me?"
“Hakugo Pharmaceutical Company,” Yuki Takada replied. “An order from the organization.”
Shirley's face turned noticeably pale: "Where is that...?"
"What is it?" Yuuki Takada asked sharply.
"It's nothing." Shirley looked away, but the slight trembling of her fingers betrayed her unease.
Yuki Takada didn't press the matter further, but instead changed the subject: "Do you know the people who attacked you at the airport?"
Shirley paused for a moment, then said softly, "The organization isn't monolithic; there are different factions. Some people want me to go back to work, while others think I'm a traitor and should be eliminated."
"So, which faction do you think I belong to?"
"Fine, then which faction do you think Karasuma Renya belongs to?"
“You’re a member of the organization’s leader, Karasuma Renya.” Sherry looked at him in surprise: “You called him by his name directly? Very few people would dare to do that.”
Yuki Takada was startled, but remained calm on the surface: "Having been in the organization for so many years, one must have some privileges."
"Otherwise, do you think I would be in charge of managing that huge sum of money in the organization?"
Chapter 82 Cutting Off the Funding Chain
Yuki Takada's words seemed to convince Sherry, and she relaxed a little: "I thought you were sent by Gin."
"Oh!" Yuuki Takada asked cautiously, "Why would you think that?"
“After all, the organization rarely sends anyone other than Gin to carry out missions, except for you, of course,” Sherry replied calmly.
Yuki Takada didn't ask any further questions.
He knew that Gin was one of the organization's most ruthless killers, known for dealing with "traitors".
After all, Gin had always been present on every mission in the organization, regardless of the type of mission, but he was nowhere to be seen now.
It can only be said that this mission was taken very seriously by the organization's leader, who therefore dispatched Hennessy, the organization's third-in-command, to carry it out.