Chapter 218
After hanging up on Usuha Izuki, Gin and Vodka continued driving toward their destination.
Originally, both were in relatively calm moods, but after taking Usuha Izuki's call, the atmosphere in the car instantly became oppressive, with no one speaking for a long time.
People who walk the line between life and death generally fall into two categories: one type is very superstitious, constantly praying to gods and buddhas, seeking divine protection; the other believes that having killed so many people, if there really were gods they would have been struck by lightning long ago, and their survival until now relied purely on their own strength. They think there are no gods in this world, so they're atheists who scoff at superstitious activities.
Vodka originally belonged to the latter category.
But now...
He carefully glanced at Gin's expression through the rearview mirror, thinking gloomily: Am I the only one who feels that after taking Usuha Izuki's call, things feel ominously unlucky, like this mission won't go smoothly?
Whether it was suddenly calling before the mission, reporting that Rye was an undercover agent, or questioning that Gin was also an undercover agent... none of Usuha Izuki's behaviors were first-time occurrences. But today, adding the element of dreaming about bad things seemed to make the atmosphere different from before.
Vodka inexplicably recalled Usuha Izuki's collection of mystical things, combined with that serious, anxious tone that didn't seem like joking... it couldn't be divine revelation through dreams, could it...
Hah hah hah, when driving and spacing out, it's easy to let your mind wander!
Thinking of Usuha Izuki's outfit that seemed mysterious when each piece was separate but looked hideous when worn together, Vodka couldn't help finding it funny. His previous inexplicably depressed and worried mood flew away to who knows where.
Less than half an hour until they reached their destination. He'd tell Rye about this when they got there. Rye, who was constantly targeted by Usuha Izuki, should quite enjoy hearing such jokes.
About 20 minutes later, Gin's phone rang.
Gin glanced at the caller ID and clicked his tongue: "Rum."
"Ten minutes left to arrival, and he's calling now... Rum boss isn't planning to change the meeting location, is he?" Vodka felt somewhat pained at this possibility.
As the organization's second-in-command, Rum never showed courtesy when ordering them around.
Especially since Rum was impatient by nature—if he really changed the address, he wouldn't consider that one word from above meant broken legs below, only constantly urging that time was money, as if their wasted time wasn't time at all!
Gin was also annoyed by Rum. While Vodka at least respectfully called him Rum boss, Gin was blunt and called him by codename directly.
Thinking that they were almost at the scheduled time and would be able to meet and communicate directly soon, yet he chose this moment to call, definitely meant they wouldn't be able to meet due to some circumstances—meaning an accident had occurred—Gin felt irritated.
Since the mission was important, Gin suppressed his displeasure and answered: "...Hello?"
"Gin." Due to phone audio leakage, even without speakerphone, Vodka could hear Rum's serious tone. "Rye is an undercover agent. I just confirmed it—there's a trap over there."
Gin: "...!!!"
Vodka blurted out: "Real or fake?! Is Rye cooperating with Botanist in an act?"
Rum: "........???"
After several seconds of silence, Rum very reluctantly but having to admit with difficult tone: "...No, Botanist was right. Rye... is indeed an undercover agent."
He had personally verified it!
Since Usuha Izuki didn't often contact Rum, and most times Rum promptly pushed Bourbon forward to take the heat for him, Rum actually hadn't been tormented by Usuha Izuki very many times.
Therefore, upon hearing that Usuha Izuki had actually discovered an undercover agent in America (albeit from another organization), he couldn't help becoming suspicious of people he had identified.
But because Gin immediately began investigating Rye and concluded there were no problems, Rum also temporarily set aside his doubts.
However, this time was the first time he would work on a mission with the legendary Rye who was constantly targeted by Usuha Izuki, so he decided on a whim to test him as well.
He disguised himself as a passing old man and went to sit and rest in the target warehouse.
Thinking of Gin's previous investigation results, he expected smooth sailing. Who knew he would actually uncover something sinister.
After he sat down, an unfamiliar foreigner not belonging to this mission's members suddenly ran out and told him "It's dangerous here, please leave quickly," while Rye also stood beside that person...
Rum wasn't stupid. One look at this situation made it clear that Rye and that foreigner were working together. Bringing outsiders to the mission location without notifying anyone—what this behavior implied didn't need explanation.
As second-in-command, Rum immediately realized the danger.
Although only these two people appeared before him didn't mean there were only two of them nearby, he had to leave before these two fools realized what was happening.
Thus, Rum maintained an old man's trembling gait all the way to safety before daring to make calls.
Rum naturally didn't want to mention his embarrassing disguise as an old man. Just stating results would make him seem strategically brilliant. Besides, now wasn't the time to prove his judgment to others—as second-in-command, he had the authority to give direct orders.
Therefore, he skipped those unimportant processes and said:
"Anyway, there's an ambush over there. Call nearby members to come quickly—we might still be able to keep them all. Hurry, Gin!"
Even Gin was still somewhat wooden, responding automatically while his brain hadn't caught up.
Mainly because he had just investigated Rye and just finished arguing with Usuha Izuki. This development made him suspect he might actually be having a nightmare.
It must be a nightmare, right? Otherwise, why would the whole world be against him?
Work-machine Gin actually spaced out while holding his phone.
Vodka had just made an emergency brake and stopped by the roadside. Not caring about tickets now, upon hearing keywords, he dreamingly opened his phone and instinctively called a sniper he felt was reliable.
"Hello?" Scotland's voice rang in the car.
Vodka opened his mouth but found he couldn't make a sound due to his throat being too tight.
Scotland questioningly said "Hello" again: "Vodka? ...Or Botanist? Is Vodka's phone in your hands?"
When encountering such inexplicably strange situations, guessing toward Botanist was right.
Hearing the codename Botanist, Vodka's eyes actually welled up, nearly shedding tears, and his throat was unsealed: "Botanist... Botanist was right..."
Scotland listened to Vodka's stammering words in confusion: "He said many things. What are you referring to?"
Gin's dazed and scattered gaze for so long finally focused. He turned to look at the inexplicably choked-up Vodka and explained personally:
"...Rye is an undercover agent. Where are you now? Come quickly for support."
"Hah?" Scotland thought he misheard. "Who did you say is an undercover agent?"
"Rye is an undercover agent!" Vodka shouted.
With this shout, he finally broke out of that dreamlike, hazy state of avoiding reality. His emotions were no longer separated by a layer of glass but exploded like bombs within his body, shocking him.
Under such stimulation, his reason nearly evaporated, and he continued incoherently: "Botanist even just called to say he dreamed Rye would harm big brother, telling us to cancel this mission... What god in the Middle East is so effective as to give prophetic dreams? We clearly just finished investigating Rye—Rye should be innocent! Why! Why is it Rye! I trusted him so much! For him I even blacklisted Botanist! Botanist also said something about our own people investigating our own people..."
Vodka suddenly realized this wasn't something to be said and stopped.
Although this speech contained a lot of information, was disjointed, and had a flavor of mental breakdown, Scotland still understood.
Scotland: "...What prophetic dreams?! What own people?!"
Gin took a deep breath, making his oxygen-deprived brain rally, interrupting this off-track conversation: "Enough. Now isn't the time for this. Scotland, where are you now?"
If he was close, they'd tell him the location to come quickly. If he couldn't make it, don't waste time and continue contacting the next person.
Rum, still on the line, couldn't see Gin's oxygen-dependent rational behavior.
He only heard Vodka's mental breakdown venting because the call wasn't hung up.
After listening, Rum's forcibly maintained composure also collapsed completely, his mental state crashing.
"What prophetic dreams? What blacklisting? What's this about own people investigating own people? Gin, explain to me first!"