Around the same time, 6-year-old Mouri Ran was being scolded by her father, Mouri Kogoro, back at the Mouri Tantei Agency when he learned about the fact that she brought home Landon to hide, only to steal money from their place and flee.

Mouri Kogoro's face turned red with a mixture of anger and frustration as he berated his daughter, "Ran-san! I taught you not to bring a stranger into our home without even telling us! Do you know how dangerous that is? And now he's stolen from us! I can't believe this!"

Ran hung her head, unable to meet her father's furious gaze. She knew she had made a grave mistake. Even though Ranran reimbursed the money plus interest after using the family money as a trap to catch Landon in the act, she understood that her father's anger was justifiable.

Then as soon as all of this was said and done, she had gone back upstairs to her bedroom and sprawled out on her bed. On the plus side, thanks to Ranran's reward, Ran didn't get punished by her father. Ran sighed and stared up at the ceiling.

"I wonder if Sergeant Genzo managed to capture Landon? I better call Ranran and Shinichi to check up on the status."

Ran kept trying Ranran's number but got no response, and so was Shinichi. Surprisingly, the rest of the members were not contactable. To kill some time, she decided to browse her smartphone for interesting stories, but she was unable to concentrate on the stories, nagged by a growing sense that something was wrong

An hour later, she was startled to hear her smartphone chirp.

Ran quickly grabbed her smartphone, her heart racing with hope that it was a message from either Ranran or Shinichi. As she noticed the caller ID was from Shinichi, she answered, "Hello?"

"Mouri, bad news. Are you free now?" Shinichi's voice crackled with tension at the moment.

"Eh!?" Ran froze. "Yeah, why?"

"Ranran is calling a cab, she and I are about to head to Haneda Airport. Get ready in 5 minutes' time, we will explain everything later! And be fast!"

Mouri Ran's heart raced as she listened to Shinichi's words. The urgency in his voice was evident, and it sent a shiver down her spine. Without wasting any time, she sprang off her bed, her earlier exhaustion forgotten.

"I'll be ready in five minutes," she replied, her voice determined.

Ran didn't hesitate. She quickly got dressed and gathered her detective equipment, all the while trying to stave off the growing anxiety that something serious had happened. She knew that her sister Ranran and Shinichi wouldn't rush to the airport without a good reason.

Once she was prepared, she made her way downstairs to the living room, where her father, Mouri Kogoro, was still fuming from the earlier incident.

"Tousan, I have to go out with Ranran and Shinichi," she told him. "It's important. I promise I'll explain later."

Mouri Kogoro, though still clearly annoyed, relented and waved her off. "Fine, just go. Just don't cause any more trouble."

With her father's grudging approval, Ran hurried downstairs.

.........................................................................

As the three of them piled into the cab, Ran looked at Ranran and Shinichi, her worry evident in her eyes. "What's going on? Why are we going to the airport?"

Soon, Shinichi was busy spilling everything, ranging from the call Junko received to Emiko coming in Junko's stead, the undercover operation that Michio, Junko and Takuma, everything in between, and the possible connection of Emiko having been part of the Imperial Royal family of Japan, and that Landon presumably knew about this decided he was going to kidnap her as a bride.

"That ain't possible! Emiko a royal!? No way!" Ran was in denial, bewildered and still at a loss for words, before arguing why, "She doesn't have the same kind of manners, behaviour or even aura of one the way Ranran is, being a child of a noble!"

"Then how do you explain how Emiko is able to have the exact details of that jewellery drawn on her profile picture account!?" Shinichi refuted, "The jewellery isn't known to the public, and you can't just simply search up on the Internet and refer to it!"

"It could've been possible that perhaps one of her family works for them!? Cause that would be the only explanation as to how she saw it then refer to it!" Ran once more was in denial, she couldn't imagine that their other member, 9-year-old Emiko, was associated with a royal family member.

"Ok, even if Emiko's family members work for them, then how do you explain that time before she joined our association as to how she was able to gather the intel of every single child of Teitan Elementary school back then?!" Shinichi added another point bluntly, "Don't tell me she simply investigated each and every one of them, cause that would've been time-consuming!"

Ran's mind raced as she tried to process the information Shinichi was laying out. It was a lot to take in, and the implications were staggering. She couldn't believe that their fellow member, Emiko, might have ties to a royal family.

"Even so, if Emiko is one, wouldn't she have those what Ranran would call 'men-in-black' near and far guarding her then!?" Ran justifies this theory, "There is just-no, not possible! If Ranran is born a royal, that I would believe. But Emiko? No, that ain't possible!" Ran shook her head violently.

"That is true," Shinichi sighed, understanding the difficulty of accepting such a revelation. "I too refuse to believe it to be the case. But considering Landon and everything that has recently happened......the evidence is pointing in that direction."

Ran glanced out of the window, her thoughts a whirlwind of confusion and worry for their friend. "How is this possible....cause if this is true....why didn't she say any of this?"

Suddenly, Ranran's smartphone abruptly rang. Answering the smartphone upon checking the Ringer ID to be unknown, she answered, "Kudo Ranran speaking?"

"Is this Kudo Ranran?" A stern woman confronted.

An unfriendly caller. Ranran noted before answering, "Who is this?"

"Where is she!? My daughter?"

"I am sorry?"

"Emiko, where is she?!" It took a while for Ranran to put two together that the caller in question was none other than Emiko's mother.

Ran and Shinichi were wide-eyed in the backseat, wondering how Ranran who was seated in the front passenger would reply to the woman. "She isn't with us at the association, in case you are wondering." Ranran politely replied.

"Are you sure?" Snorted the sarcastic voice in his ear, "She's not out doing one of those activities your association is doing, is she!? Because she's supposed to be here helping me clean the house!"

"Honestly, I've no idea where she could be," Ranran explained while lying smoothly. "She hasn't answered any of my calls after the meeting ended, the only thing she told us was she had plans to meet up with a family relative at the cafe."

"Ah....is that so?" Emiko's mother suddenly sounded worried.

"Is she not at home with you?"

"Well, she's not here. Her room is empty." Her voice rose in pitch. "Seriously, why didn't she just call to say that she would not be coming back at a specific time!? Where could she have gone? I've told her not to go out without telling me first. I hate it when she just disappears."

As Ranran was about to snap at Emiko's mother over how she often disappeared onto 9-year-old Emiko with her multiple boyfriends, and that she is no different than Emiko, Ranran told herself at the moment, that this wasn't her business to interfere.

.........................................................................

Meanwhile, back at the airport, Emiko's heart raced as she found herself facing the barrel of Landon's gun. Only the subtle hum of the air-conditioning broke the silence in the small storage room at the airport.

Now the 9-year-old had been in a situation like this before, during their first, second and seventh major case. And she still had no use in getting used to having a gun pointed at her. Even so, for the 10-year-old prince to point it at her, especially after helping him could only mean one thing: If it were Junko in her shoes, he had the intention of putting the bullet at her.

In other words, what Ranran said was true: This was a boy who used girls to benefit himself.

Emiko stared at the gun in disbelief. Then her anger welled up, all thought of danger suddenly forgotten. "Landon Lockwood, what do you think you're doing?!" she almost screamed.

And that itself was enough to alert Michio, Junko and Takuma, who are listening to all of this through the air-pods.

"I'm sorry," Landon began as he lowered the gun at once. "I'll feel better when we're out of here-"

"Don't you dare to play the pitiful Prince in Damsel! I heard the things you did through Ranran!" Emiko furiously shook her head as she confronted Landon, "First you stole Ran's money, then you tried to bring Junko over here, which she was reasonable not to come along because of what you did to Ran. Then now this!? Dragging me to some storage room on the same floor at the left corner of this airport, with a gun directed at me?! Oh no!" She yelled, "I'm not going anywhere with you!"

"You heard what Emiko said!?" Junko spoke to the two boys, "Let's go!"

As Emiko's voice rang out with defiance, the tension in the small storage room escalated. Landon's grip on the gun tightened, his knuckles turning white. His plans were unravelling before him, and he felt a mixture of frustration and desperation.

"I don't think you understand, Emiko," he said, his voice strained. "This is for both of our sakes. You need to come with me."

Landon's eyes were unreadable. "Emiko, you have to come with me. Don't you care what happens to me!?"

As Junko's voice came through the AirPods, her voice was steady and commanding. "Emiko, stay calm. Delay him. We're working on getting help."

"Emiko, we've alerted airport security. They're on their way. Just hold on a little longer." Takuma's voice joined in.

"Guys, we got to go!" Michio's voice could be heard yelling.

"Why should I care what happens to you!? In the first place, you betrayed our association members when you chose to seek help, hell, you didn't hesitate to do the same with your first ex-fiance, Lucretia and the rest of the girls in Edgewood Academy!"

"Wait, how did you-" It then dawned on him before his face hardened, "So I see Ranran told you some stories about me." Landon's jaw clenched, and for a moment, a flicker of anger flashed in his eyes before he seized her arm impatiently."But you would have no choice." he told her.

"Says who!?"

"Says the illegitimate Princess of the Imperial family of Japan, right Emiko?"

Emiko's eyes narrowed at Landon's revelation. She hadn't expected him to know about her background, let alone use it against her. "You.....you knew?!"

"You should know better than the inner royal circle is small regardless of how one hides their true heritage, you are no different than me."

Landon's words sent a shiver down Emiko's spine. She couldn't believe he had uncovered her closely guarded secret. Panic surged within her, but she refused to let it take over. She needed to think clearly, to find a way out of this dangerous situation.

"So what if I am?" she replied, her voice steady. "I am no longer one anymore."

"But it wouldn't matter, since you still have that blood in you." He eyed her closely while he let his words sink in. "General Stefan and the secret police, I think you and I both know how they deal with busybodies who try to meddle with politics of such status that we have, don't we all?"

Emiko shuddered. "You wouldn't dare!" she protested weakly.

"It ain't my choice since I am too young to take over the damn throne, Emiko!"Landon glared at her, "And General Stefan has to stop me before I destroy him."

"How is it I would do you any favours? I ain't a royal anymore."

"Damn, I knew the rumours about your not knowing anything about royal politics were bad, but really?" Landon shot her an odd look, "Once a royal, always one. One can never simply walk away from your heritage. It follows you, whether you like it or not."

Emiko took a step back. "What do you mean?"

"Every ruler needs a wife." Landon cocked the gun at her, "And you will fill in that role."

.........................................................................

By the time Ranran, Shinichi and Ran united with Takuma, Michio and Junko, rushed to where Emiko said she was, all that was left on the floor was the broken air pods of Miyama Emiko, including her smartphone.

"No...this can't be," Ran muttered, her voice trembling.

"Landon must have taken her," Shinichi said, his jaw clenched with worry.

Takuma, Michio, and Junko approached, their expressions mirroring the concern of the others. They looked at the broken AirPods, a sinking feeling settling in their chests.

"What happened?" Takuma asked, his voice urgent.

"They got to her," Ranran replied, her voice strained.

"Seriously!?" Junko's glasses almost slipped out of her nose bridge.

"Why!? Why did he kidnap Emiko? And what is there to gain out of this!?" Michio is perplexed.

"He needed a bride to secure his rights to the throne back in Norway, knowing Emiko's background...." Ranran muttered.

"Emiko's background? What are you talking about!?" Takuma questioned.

Ran, Ranran, and Shinichi quickly explained what they had discovered about Emiko's potential royal heritage and the implications it held for her safety. The revelation left Takuma, Michio, and Junko stunned.

"So, Emiko is a princess in real life...?" Junko murmured, her eyes wide with concern.

"No, that can't be right," It was Michio's turn to be in denial, "She doesn't have the same mannerisms as Ranran would from a noble family. If Emiko is a royal, why did she behave the way we would?"

"And if she were, all of the trash-talking Ranran spoke about royal families back in the HQ....Emiko would've stopped her, no?" Takuma grew baffled by the developments of the case.

"Wait a minute, since Emiko is from the Imperial family of Japan, why don't we get them involved to rescue Emiko?" Ran snapped her finger.

"Oh yeah, great idea!" Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Don't be naive, they won't bother to pull a search team, or their own men to look for Emiko," Ranran shook her head grimly.

"Why not!? She is part of the family, no!?" Junko exclaimed.

"Think about this properly, you all notice Emiko doesn't have the mannerisms of a royal, right? What does this tell you?" Ranran tried to get them to think.

Ranran's words hung heavy in the air. The group exchanged worried glances, trying to piece together the puzzle. Then Shinichi replied, "She isn't.....at the receiving end of having a royal privilege, isn't she?"

"Kudo, what are you talking about?" Michio questioned the boy.

"There are reasons why children of the royal family will not receive the education of a royal, similar to why some children of nobility never be educated the same way as well," Shinichi looked at his friends with a dark expression while he listed through his fingers, "Either the mother is not favoured by the King, that is one. Second would be the kid isn't intelligent or talented enough to be fit for the throne."

"B-but," Heads shifted to Ran, "Emiko is sharp and observant for a kid like her."

"This leaves us the third reason, and this one is simple: Her mother is illegitimate, meaning she is a mistress. Hence, Emiko won't be granted the same privilege." Shinichi ended the tone with a grim note, "Which would explain why she doesn't have the characteristics of a royal."

The group fell into a sombre silence, absorbing Shinichi's revelation. It was a harsh truth to swallow, and it painted a clearer picture of Emiko's complicated background.

"So, even if we reach out to the Imperial family, there's no guarantee they'll act," Takuma summarized, his voice heavy.

"Exactly, because she is not relevant, and the mother ain't the queen." Ranran nodded silently.

"This is cruel, don't you think!?" Junko grew red in anger, "You think she wanted that sort of life!?"

"That is horrible!" Even Ran grew pissed off at that revelation, "Her mother cheated with a married King! And Emiko is unfairly excluded because of this!?"

The two girls stood in the dimly lit corridor, anger and frustration swirling in the air. They all shared a sense of helplessness, knowing that Emiko was now in the hands of Landon, a desperate prince with dangerous motives.

"Anyway, we can't just stand here any longer," Ranran finally broke the silence while leading the group, "I am going to head over to the security area to check up their cameras. You guys coming or not!?"

In all urgency, the rest of the kids followed Ranran towards the security area. They knew time was of the essence, and they needed to act swiftly to find Emiko.

"Neh guys, we really need to call Sergeant Genzo!" The faces of other people blazed in the surrounding Junko as she exclaimed, "Cause the situation is urgent!"

"We can't," Ranran replied without looking back at Junko.

"Why not!? Emiko is kidnapped!" Junko clamoured.

"Here, yes. But not if Landon takes her to his home country." Ranran replied.

"What is that supposed to mean!?" Junko was eying no one in particular, demanding answers.

Ranran stopped in her tracks, turning to face Junko with a grave expression. "Junko, listen carefully. If we involve Sergeant Genzo or any official authorities now, we risk an international incident. Emiko's situation is complicated by her potential royalties, and if Landon takes her to Norway, it becomes a diplomatic issue."

"I don't understand! Isn't she excluded from a royal privilege?! How would this become one if she is excluded?!" Junko grew more bewildered by Ranran's logic.

"Just because she doesn't have the birthright, didn't mean her background would hold no meaning." Shinichi pushed Ranran to go, and as the rest of the children followed, Shinichi patiently explained to Junko while they rushed ahead, "Emiko's background value is that she had ties to the royal family of Japan regardless. As soon as Landon's family in Norway made the announcement of some upcoming marriage, that is the end."

"No, they can't! Emiko is nine while Landon is 10! And legally, it can't be done, not even if you are in Norway! Okaasan said to me children can't get married anywhere!" Ran too was bewildered by all of this royal affairs.

"But in some cases, especially within royal families, there can be exceptions made for political or strategic alliances," Shinichi explained, his voice grave. "We're dealing with a complex web of international relations here, Junko. Sometimes, they prioritize those connections over individual rights."

"You must be joking!" Michio grew angry, "This is the 21st century! It can't be legal!"

"It can when the Lockwood family owns the police there! In other words, they own the law!" Ranran reminded them.

The gravity of the situation sank in as they listened to Ranran's explanation. They were up against a powerful and influential family, and Emiko's life hung in the balance.

"But if Emiko says something that she was taken against her will, surely it will turn out differently, right!?" Ran was in between struggling to catch her breath while catching up with the founder.

"At first, yes. But there are plenty of ways to call that off through Emiko." Ranran scoffed.

"Which is?" Takuma dreaded to know.

"Blackmail Emiko that General Stefan who is after Landon will go after her if he finds out she is a royal, which I wouldn't be surprised if General Stefan knew. Then make her stay in the same palace with Landon for years-"

"No way!" Once more, Junko grows riled up, "She was kidnapped! Force to by Landon!"

"Belle from Beauty and the Beast fell for The Beast after she was forced to live with him for so long. What is there to say it wouldn't be any different for Emiko?" Ranran refuted.

"That is a fairy tale! Not real life!" Junko argued.

"Oh, you have no idea it is plausible in real life, they called it Stockholm syndrome," Shinichi turned to face Junko, his expression turning grave, "You can fall for your captor if you remain with them for a long term."

Junko's eyes, as well as the others, widened in shock and horror at the realization of the grim possibilities. It was a harsh reality to confront, especially considering the young age of those involved.

"This is insane!" Takuma muttered, his fists clenched in frustration. "We can't let this happen."

"Of all the kids, why Emiko!?" Shinichi queried. "It doesn't make sense. Landon could've picked one of the kids from a legitimate marriage from the Imperial family, so why Emiko!?"

"We will get the answers as soon as we get there! Damn it, why the airport had to be built so large!" There is a rising panic tightening Ranran's lungs.

"I hate royal politics!" Junko cursed under her breath.

"This is what I meant when I say expect the unexpected, taking in Landon's case involving royal politics is bad news!" Ranran gritted her teeth.

Each passing second felt like an eternity, the weight of the situation heavy on their shoulders. They needed to reach Emiko before it was too late. "How certain are you that Landon didn't catch a flight with Emiko to flee back to Norway?" Shinichi questioned his mentor.

"If he did, he wouldn't have intentionally lured Junko over to collect the items in the locket back at the airport."

As they neared the east wing, a familiar man suddenly stood before the children. "Kudo Ranran!"

It was none other than Sergeant Genzo.

.........................................................................

Sergeant Genzo's sudden appearance startled the group. They exchanged wide-eyed glances, momentarily taken aback by the unexpected encounter.

"Sergeant Genzo!" Ranran exclaimed, her voice a mix of relief and surprise. "How did you..."

"I had men stationed around the area, after Ran filed the police report of Landon stealing the money, cause we had reason to believe that he could've stolen the money to purchase a ticket to fly back to Norway, thanks to a tip that his father, Sir Thomas the Crown Prince, wanted his son to meet up with him. By the way," He sternly looked at the six of them, "What are you kids doing here? I didn't tell any of you that we would be doing a search on Landon here."

Exchanging looks in silence, Sergeant Genzo noted that the six of them seemed to be sweating as if they had all run a long marathon. "Speaking of which....where is Emiko? Why isn't she with you?"

Ranran quickly took a step forward, her words tumbling out in a rush. "Sergeant Genzo, it's... it's a long story."

The other children nodded, their expressions a mix of anxiety and urgency. They were desperate to convey the seriousness of the situation.

Sergeant Genzo's stern expression softened as he listened to their hurried explanation. He could see the worry etched on their faces, and it was clear that they were genuinely concerned for Emiko's well-being.

"Alright, calm down," he said, his tone more reassuring. "Take a deep breath and tell me exactly what happened."

Ranran quickly recounted the events, from Emiko's discovery of Landon's true intentions to their frantic search through the airport, as well as her and Shinichi's meeting with Mr Moseby, Landon's royal tutor. She explained the delicate nature of the situation, emphasizing the potential diplomatic ramifications.

And unsurprisingly, Sergeant Genzo leaned forward with a scowl. "Did I not tell any of you not to get involved with the case!?"

"In the first place, we wanted to steal back the money Landon stole from her, so it is not really about 'helping Landon', but to 'get Ran justice'." Then Ranran gave a quick shrug "

"So, General Stefan and Landon's father, Sir Thomas are half-brothers. Which makes General Stefan his half-paternal biological uncle that the entire country of Norway has no idea about." Sergeant Genzo wasn't pleased to hear of this, "Why is this whole case beginning to sound like a family spat of some kind?"

"Because it is, Sergeant Genzo!" Takuma insists, "That is why you have to let us leave and check the CCTV cameras! The sooner we find Emiko, the better!"

Sergeant Genzo's eyes were clouding with worry. "But what's all that got to do with Emiko not being with you all?" He probed, demanding to know more.

To their surprise, the rest of the five members watched Ranran reply, "We uh....Landon called Junko over expecting help, she didn't want to, so I suggested Emiko to go in her stead while we did undercover work...."

"And as a result, Emiko is kidnapped, right?!" Sergeant Genzo once more was pissed off, "Kudo Ranran! What did I tell you about taking matters into your own hands!?"

"Listen, now that you know, would you let us please check the CCTV cameras on this airport!" Shinichi is frustrated as time is of the essence.

Sergeant Genzo let out a long, exasperated sigh. He looked at the anxious faces of the children before him, realizing the urgency of the situation. After a moment's contemplation, he finally nodded.

"Fine, but you all stay with me. No more running off on your own," he admonished, his tone stern. "And if we find any leads on Emiko, you leave it to the professionals to handle."

While the rest of the children followed him, Junko whispered to ask Ranran, "Why didn't you bring up anything about Emiko being a family member of the imperial family, Ranran? Can't you see how urgent this is?"

"At the moment, we had no hard evidence besides circumstantial evidence." Ranran revealed, "Telling Sergeant Genzo with no hard evidence would be a laughing matter."

"I doubt it would, I mean we solved 7 major cases." Michio shook his head at her.

"But the whole lot of you didn't buy it when we disclosed our findings to you about Emiko's heritage, remember?" Shinichi told them off.

That was enough to shut the rest of them up.

"I hope Emiko is ok," Ran muttered.

"Neh Ranran, what are you going to do once Emiko is back?" Takuma found himself asking this possibility, "Because....she never said a thing about this."

"When this is over," Ranran began, her gaze distant, "We are going to have a serious talk with Emiko."

"I know she had the right to hide this, but this is a big deal!" Shinichi growled a bit in anger, "A real-life royal joining our association.....if she is still a princess without privilege, whatever we had said in Tantei Association...I am worried it reached the ears of those royals."

As they walked towards the security room with Sergeant Genzo, the atmosphere was heavy with tension and worry. Each step felt like a countdown, and every second without news of Emiko was a source of growing anxiety.

"Emiko will be fine, right?" Michio was asking no one in particular.

"She will, even when she never mentions any of this....she is perceptive and street-wise," Ranran replied blankly.

.........................................................................

While all of this is going on, not long after Landon forcefully has Emiko slip out of the cleaners' storage room and lose themselves in the terminal crowd. Emiko caught glimpses of police and security patrols roaming through the crush of people.

Landon then steered her toward the side exit that led to the airport car park. As they passed through the door, he pulled her back behind a potted shrub. He pointed to where a Caucasian Norwegian man was surveying the taxi stand nearby.

"You seem to recognize that man," Emiko noted his expression was wary.

"That's one of General Stefan's men."Landon warned her, "He's an assassin."

Emiko's heart raced, fear coursing through her veins. She couldn't believe the dangerous situation she had found herself in. Her young mind raced, trying to think of a way out.

At that moment, the man turned and recognized Landon. He lifted a walkie-talkie to his mouth.

That is when Landon grabbed Emiko and began to run. He dived into the busy car park and headed up the stairs to the second floor As he took the steps two at a time, he pulled out his mobile phone and punched in a number. He spoke rapidly in a language that Emiko had never heard before.

When he answered the call, he glanced around at the parked vehicles. He spotted a small motorbike parked beside a pillar and ran toward it. Reaching under the rear wheel, he held up a key. "How is it possible you own a motorbike?! You are ten!"

"When you are a royal, you can do anything."

Emiko pulled away. "I'm not going with you," she protested.

"You don't have a choice!" Landon seized her arm. "If The General's men capture you, the first thing they will do is try to get answers for what I am about to do. And I can't afford to."

And she knew she had no choice. She knows how royalties work behind the scenes.

She climbed onto the bike behind Landon and circled her arms around his waist. The engine roared into life and the bike sped toward the exit ramp. Her heart was pounding with fear as she looked back over her shoulder. The man Landon had called an assassin appeared from the stairwell, shouting into his walkie-talkie. He reached inside his jacket.

Emiko let out a scream. "He's got a gun!"

A sharp crack behind them followed by the sound of a bullet was chipping the car park wall. Then Landon gunned the bike harder. Then they lost their sight as the bike the pursuer took a sharp corner at the bottom of the ramp and roared toward the exit.

Then Sergeant Genzo answered his smartphone. A moment later he was on his feet.

"The airport parking lot at B1?" he shouted. "Shooting?"

Ranran jumped up, mouthing a question, "Emiko!?"

But the sergeant was too busy listening to the caller, "Describe her," he demanded. After a pause, his jaw tightened. Then he issued orders and ended the call.

He faced Alvin with troubled eyes. "Well, they were all sighted at the airport parking lot B1 floor," he reported. "One of The General's men was spotted, and attempted to stop Landon, but he escaped on a motorbike with a girl."

"It's Emiko, right?" Shinichi asked breathlessly.

"I'm afraid so. She matches the description."

"No way...." Ran and the rest of the kids paled. "Landon kidnapped her."

"We can't be sure about that," The sergeant tried to reassure her. "She was seen riding at the pillion. But they won't get far. We're sealing the whole place now."

Rolling her eyes, Ranran was about to leave when she felt a large hand placed on her tiny shoulder, "And where do you think you are going, Ranran?"

"Go after them."

"This ends now," Sergeant Genzo warned her sternly before announcing, "You are going to be sent home, all of you."

Ranran quietly exchanged glances with Shinichi.

"And of course, I am very much aware that both you and Shinichi would be able to sneak out of the house respectively since both of your parents are working overseas while the rest of the family members are out busy doing their thing, we will be placing the both of you at Professor Agasa's place."

Sergeant Genzo's decision was met with groans and protests from the kids while steam could be seen emitting out of Sergeant Genzo's head at their response. "Listen, did any of you not learn your lesson the last time you all took matters with your own hands!?"

"Uhhh....it ended well?" Takuma justifies.

"Name me the parts that it did end well for all of you!" Sergeant Genzo had his hands on his hips while he glared at the 6 of them before listing their failures, "The last time you all went out in the middle of the night to go after The Snake for smuggling that tiger, who was the one who was kidnapped?"

"All of us?" Michio answered as he remembered with knitted brows formed on his face, "But the tiger ended up in good hands at some zoo."

"That doesn't change the fact that you all almost died!" Then Sergeant Genzo listed another one while reminding Ranran, "What about that time you and Shinichi almost drowned at the quarry, after some madman impersonated some movie tycoon in an attempt to kidnap the both of you and chased you all across the streets of Shibuya, kidnap, then later toss the two of you bounded with ropes on a sinking boat at some quarry!?"

"Hey, that was unforeseen!" Shinichi justifies.

"Then that aeroplane hijacking and gallery shooting incident?!" Sergeant Genzo continued listing various instances when the young detectives had gotten into life-threatening situations.

"In the first place, we were kidnapped across the world, it only made sense for Ranran to hijack The Snake's aeroplane to take me and Ran home." Junko pointed out.

"Also, I could've died getting shot by The Snake at that gallery, had Shinichi not shut down the lights and shot them all." Michio sheepishly replied.

"And Takuma getting kidnapped because you all decided to have him masquerade as one of the members of some boyband?" Genzo adds.

"That was just a distraction scheme to hide the fact that those idiots schemed the kidnapping!" Takuma whined.

"Then what about that serial killer who almost killed all of your classmates on the island?"

"There were no cops planted there due to last year's corruption scandal, and no boats coming to our aid for 2 weeks because of the stupid typhoon! Who are we not to get involved for our sanity's sake!?" Ran challenged, then added frustratingly, "We had to live in tents for 2 weeks! In fear!"

"Then the comedian incident where you drugged her son to a point he crashed into a tree?!"

"Ok, that incident was uncalled for, alright? No one suspected that the comedian's son would try to kill Randan at that time, so it only made sense to drug his drink to prevent him from escaping!" Shinichi growled.

"And last but not least, that NASA incident-"

"That was my fault," Ran raised her hand in embarrassment, as she fidgetted her fingers, "I had to go therapy later on, cause I was manipulated by a psychotic girl."

"You kids aren't getting straight to the point!" Sergeant Genzo stood there, staring at the kids in disbelief. His face was a mix of exasperation, frustration, and a touch of admiration for their sheer audacity. "The bottom line is....these series of incidents ain't going to be a one-time thing, and I have had it with all of the scheming and stuff! This is the day I put an end to this madness! Therefore, neither of you would be heading anywhere! Alright!?" Sergeant Genzo said firmly. "You have my word on that."

"Oh, come on!" Ranran and the others moaned.

But Sergeant Genzo wasn't having it. The last thing he would want is 6-year-old Ranran bringing Shinichi along to set up a chain of chemical explosives in any of the routes the suspect is seen fleeing on a motorbike, which happened before.

Oh yes, when the suspect's parents got word of it, they did try to sue the Kudo family. But it didn't help, since the suspect had a criminal record so damaging to the public, that they later dropped the lawsuit.

Still, Sergeant Genzo is going to make sure nothing like this will ever happen again. Not on his watch, cause after Ranran framed a royal Prince for committing burglary, he dreaded that if he didn't, the diplomatic ties between Japan and Norway would be under the threat of a cunning 6-year-old little girl, that World War 10 would be in the works.

.........................................................................

As soon as the motorbike sped along the highway from the airport, Emiko was amazed by Landon's skill as a rider.

This is after all a 10-year-old boy on a motorbike. Sure, she had seen 6-year-old Shinichi do it plenty of times with Ranran at the side-car, but Landon was able to balance it without relying on the stability of the side-car, which made it all so impressive.

But then, she reminded herself she ought to have ceased being amazed by anything Landon did. Lights flashed from the rooftops of approaching police cars and their sirens wailed closer. 

For a moment, Emiko's hopes rose until Landon glanced back at her: "We don't have far to go," he called.

Without warning, the bike veered off onto an exit road. Landon then shifted gears expertly and the bike roared up a slope and entered thickly wooded land on the airport perimeter.

"Where are we going?" she screamed.

He held up a hand. "I'll tell you later" she heard him shout.

As the bike whipped through the forest, Emiko's anger almost caused her to lose her grip. So far, Landon has lied about many things: The diamond mine coordinates, the key, and even the contents of the locker. What more is he lying about that he isn't telling anyone? Hell, he even had a gun directed at Emiko! If it were Junko, she is certain Landon wouldn't have hesitated to use the gun towards her!

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She then thought about his two ex-fiances Ranran mentioned....what the hell did they go through when they were with him? She dreaded to know.

Landon even knew that the motorbike would be waiting in the car park of the airport. This means Landon had intentionally schemed to kidnap Junko.

Then she remembered something else.

"Every ruler needs a wife."

That is right, he knew about her royal heritage, something she hid from everyone in school, even the members of Tantei Association had no idea about it. Yet, Landon knew.

If Emiko were to be honest, Landon would be the last boy in the world she'd want to marry! 

A boy this calculative and ruthless to dispose of his two ex-fiances by using and exploiting the feelings of other little girls his age is not worth marrying. She isn't naive to not know how his mind works, cause she had seen too many likes of Landon in Teitan Elementary school to not give her a glimpse over his true nature.

Right now, she wanted to reach for her smartphone, but it was impossible since she needed both hands to grip Landon's waist as the bike sped deeper into the forest. And to top it off, he stomped onto her smartphone back in the storage room.

She wondered if all of the members knew where to look for her. Judging Ranran's intelligence, Emiko is certain Ranran knows where to look.

At the same time, however....a dreaded thought surfaced in her head.

Surely by now, Ranran is going to dig around over why Landon kidnapped Emiko. And judging her privileged background, it was a matter of time before she figured out Emiko's background was a lie, that she wasn't born from an average dysfunctional family background, but rather, a royal background.

When she returns home, would the members look at her the same way again? Not as 9-year-old Emiko the artist, but a child of a high-status family? The same way they did towards Ranran?

Emiko's thoughts raced as the motorbike continued to tear through the forest.