Chapter 223, Seventy-Third Cycle (53)
"Bourbon has already been taken to Scotland?" Vermouth raised an eyebrow, took off her white dress, and put on a black, tight-fitting leather jacket.
"Well, it will take some time for Vodka and me to get there."
Gin's voice came through the phone, tinged with anger and excitement yet also wary and serious, like a wolf that had finally caught its prey by the throat.
"Go and take Kiel with you. Keep an eye on them. If anything seems amiss, shoot them immediately and then notify me."
“Shoot? I wouldn’t dare to shoot so casually.” Vermouth switched the phone, opened the car door and got in. She sighed silently, but let out a low chuckle. “Besides, Gin, are you worried that Scotland will protect Bourbon?”
Gin scoffed, "Who knows?"
“If it were before, I would have thought the same.” Vermouth leaned back in her chair, her fingers slowly twirling her long blonde hair. “But this time, Scotland reported Bourbon’s name and even brought him back safely. They couldn’t possibly be doing anything to cover it up, could they?”
Even she would call to remind Bourbon that he was being targeted by Gin and should be careful lately, but Scotland did nothing at all, and even turned around and tricked Bourbon and personally brought him back. How could things go wrong?
“Just because he won’t betray the organization doesn’t mean he’ll kill Bourbon,” Gin said, then hung up the phone.
“But we won’t kill Bourbon either…” Vermouth put down her phone speechlessly, then picked it up again and switched to the contact page with the BOSS to confirm that the message on it did not say that Bourbon could be killed.
If they could kill him, they would have done so long ago. Why would they go through all this trouble to kidnap him and take him back?
The boss made it clear that all we needed to do was intimidate Scotland and Bourbon without their knowledge. If we couldn't find out anything in the end, we should bring Bourbon back to the organization alone.
It wasn't said what to do with it, but it didn't say a word that it was safe to kill Bourbon.
Gin probably wants to take this opportunity to settle a personal score and shoot Bourbon twice, right?
Well, in general, they're probably afraid that Scotland will protect Bourbon, or that Scotland will take this opportunity to do something to ruin Bourbon.
So, does that mean Gin is worried about Bourbon?
Hahaha, although it's a bit funny, that's probably part of the reason.
Vermouth stroked her chin, thinking about how Bourbon's growing strength in recent years had led to Scotland's frequent defeats, and realized it wasn't entirely impossible.
Otherwise, Scotland wouldn't have secretly collaborated with Bourbon and Gin to cause trouble, and in the end, they would have personally arrested him and brought him back.
As for the fact that Bourbon was an undercover agent... ha, how could that be?
Even if the information that Bourbon was an undercover agent had been fully released, Vermouth still felt that it might be a setup by someone else.
Scotland, or cherry blossoms, and the FBI are all suspects.
However, the fact that Kiel was also with them this time made the situation a bit complicated.
Vermouth started the vehicle to capture Kiel.
Kiel...
The organization began to suspect Kir as early as the incident of Shuichi Akai's death.
However, her killing of Shuichi Akai later proved her identity and strength.
Even so, the suspicious Gin and Scots remained skeptical. Kiel was slowly being sidelined from the organization's core, and she was only called upon occasionally when the organization needed manpower for a major operation.
Therefore, it is quite normal for Scotland to suspect Kiel.
As for bringing Bourbon along, it's probably just because he was overly concerned about it.
As the red light came on, Vermouth picked up her phone and glanced once more at the half-finished email Curaçao had sent to Scotland.
[The undercover agents are Cointreau, Camus, and Brandy; as for Bourbon and Kiel, whom you've always suspected...]
Clearly, Curaçao accidentally sent a message halfway through a chase with the police last night, and the rest of the message can be divided into two completely different directions.
Whether Bourbon and Kiel, whom Scotland had always suspected, were also undercover agents, or whether Bourbon and Kiel, whom he had always suspected, were actually innocent, only Curaçao himself could prove.
*
Shuichi Akai's car eventually stopped next to an abandoned warehouse.
Instead of following the white Mazda inside, he stopped far away on the edge of the area, got out of the car, took his gun, and approached the direction from which the sound was coming.
Sound localization is also an essential skill for excellent snipers.
Even if the car has already stopped, he can still determine where it is by the sounds he heard earlier.
Fortunately, this warehouse was not part of the organization's territory; they must have temporarily borrowed this deserted place.
Perhaps they were afraid that dealing with traitors would lead to the discovery of the organization's stronghold.
Shuichi Akai didn't dare get too close, but instead chose the abandoned warehouse next door and carefully looked and listened through the window.
Unfortunately, from this angle, you can't see what's going on inside the warehouse next door.
However, because the surroundings were quiet enough and the building was simple and not soundproof, he could hear the conversation inside.
"You actually brought me to a place like this? What? Are you planning to kill me to cover your tracks?"
"How could I kill you? This place was chosen by Gin, and the BOSS agreed to it. I can't do anything about it. I can only ask you to make do for now, Bourbon."
Bourbon's voice still sounded strong and powerful, and although he was still full of sharp wit and sarcasm, he was very calm.
Scotland remains the same; its gentle, pleasant voice is very calm and deceptive.
"Tsk, Scotland, what exactly do you want? Still not satisfied after the body search?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to either, but it's Gin's request. He's afraid you'll run away."
"Ha, stop talking about Gin. You've prepared so thoroughly, it's clearly something you wanted to do yourself, isn't it?"
"Hahaha."
Shuichi Akai frowned slightly.
Is it a problem with Scotland, or is this not a serious issue? Something seems off about their conversation.
It seems the organization isn't 100% certain that Bourbon is an undercover agent? Otherwise, they wouldn't be acting this way... Or is it a personal issue with Scotland?
From the warehouse next door came the sound of a chair being moved, followed by rustling sounds, like things being turned over and metal clanging.
"Handcuffs?" Bourbon's voice rose slightly. "You're going to put these things on me???"
"I……"
Before Scotland could finish speaking, the sounds of fighting came from inside.
Akai Shuichi: "..."
It's actually quite normal to handcuff an undercover agent, but since it was Scotland that wanted to put handcuffs on Bourbon, it's not surprising that Bourbon reacted so strongly.
"Alright, alright, I won't tie you up anymore. Don't resist so much, or it'll be bad if people mistake it for an escape attempt." Scotland sighed.
"So why did you bring me here? Now you can tell me, right? What happened?" Bourbon's tone remained extremely hostile.
"Hmm, guess?" The smile in Scotland's voice deepened.
"..."
“Okay, BOSS.” Just as Bourbon was speechless with anger, Scotland suddenly said this in a serious voice.
Shuichi Akai's expression instantly turned serious. Was the organization's boss listening in or monitoring them?
The last time someone did this was when Kiel came to kill him, and he broadcast the whole thing live to the organization.
So things are indeed quite serious, aren't they? If Bourbon hadn't been confirmed to be an undercover agent, how could he have gone to such lengths?
"There are security cameras here?" Bourbon's tone worsened. "What happened? How could they go to such lengths?"
“Don’t worry, it’s not surveillance. I was just on a live stream the whole time. All I could hear were BOOS, Gin, Vodka, and Vermouth.” Scotland’s voice softened as he chuckled, “You’re so smart, you must have guessed it already. Yes, it’s Curaçao…”
The rest of the conversation was interrupted by the sound of approaching vehicles, and Shuichi Akai couldn't hear it clearly.
He lightly jumped off the box, quietly approached the cracked door, and saw a red car next to the white Mazda outside.
The car door opened, and Vermouth got out first. A woman with long black hair and blue, upturned eyes got out where the gun was pointed.
It was Kiel; she had indeed been captured as well.
“Go in,” Vermouth said, gesturing slightly with the muzzle of her gun towards the warehouse whose door was ajar.
Kiel frowned, but still obediently raised his hand and went inside.
However, upon seeing the scene inside, both Gil and Vermouth paused involuntarily, their expressions instantly freezing.
The abandoned warehouse was almost empty, except for some messy boxes piled up against the wall.
The only intact headlight was in the very center, its light illuminating half the warehouse. Countless dust particles, under the light, drifted slowly like specks of light in the Milky Way.
Meanwhile, the blond youth they had just been worried about was now sitting comfortably in the only intact chair, his legs crossed in annoyance, looking more like a grandpa than a victim who had been kidnapped.
The kidnapper, Scotland, was wearing a helpless smile. He bent down to wipe the dust off the blond youth's face with a handkerchief, but the youth slapped it away without hesitation.
Kiel: "..."
Vermouth: "..."
“You’re here too.” Scotland neatly folded the handkerchief and put it back in his pocket, then picked up the handcuffs at his feet and tossed them to Vermouth. Pointing to the dirty pillar in the corner, he casually said, “Tie Kiel up over there. Gin and Vodka will be here soon. We’ll interrogate them all together when they arrive.”
Vermouth instinctively reached out her other hand to catch the cold, dusty handcuffs, looked disgusted for a second, and then her feelings became even more complicated.
She glanced at Bourbon, who was practically being pampered with good food and drink, and then at Kiel, who was being held at gunpoint, his body stiff and his expression slightly distorted, and fell silent.
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