HideoSatostoodinsideaheavily-vandalizedTeleplexboothnotfarfromThePuzzleinLondon’sDocklandsarea.Thetransparentenclosureoftheboothhadbeensurreptitiouslydecoratedwithsmalladvertisingpostcardsofmodifiedmalesandfemalespromisingtodeliverpervertedfantasiesforapricethatwouldnotbreakthebank.JustlikeTokyo,theYakuzathoughttohimself,thefleshpitsofShinjukuingaliveinhismind.Halfoftheboothhadbeensplashedwithaliquidthathadturnedbrownwithtime.Hideodidn’twanttohazardaguessastowhattheliquidwas.Hewasstilltooqueasyfromthebizarreeffectsofthesoundguntostomachsuchspeculation.AchillyUnionbreezewaftedupbelowthePerspexwallofthebooth.
Outside,theJapanesegoonwiththedisfiguredface,stareddroopy-eyedintothefoggydistanceasthoughmentallykeepingtrackoftheofficial-lookingblacklimothathadspiritedtheirquarryawaylikesomethingoutofaMafiamovie.Hideoknewthestoryofhisdisfigurementwell.ArivalganghadusedhisheadasthefirstpininaspecialgameofYakuzabowling.YetthroughoutthehorrendousordealJunichiroMiyagihadnottalked.ThatpieceofurbanlegendhadboughtMiyagirespectamongtheYakuzaranksandtoleranceforthesorrystateofhismashed-upface.
Satousedthetipsofhisfingerstoholdthegrimyheadsetasclosetohisearaspossiblewithoutactuallymakingcontact.TheseUnionstates,especiallytheBrits,weresounhygienicandsobackwards.InJapaninteractivepublictelephoneswithhands-freefeatures,videocamerasandlife-sizeholographicrenditionsoftheotherparty,iftheyweresoequipped,werealltherage.Theonlyreasonpeoplestillusedthesepublicboxeswasbecauseofthesefewextrafeatureswhichwerestillnotpossibleonamobilephone.Unfortunately,hisandthegoon’ssatellite-enabledmobileshadsomehowbeendestroyedbythosetwoidiotsfromthelimo.
Satolistenedtothephoneringontheotherendofthelineandabsent-mindedlyscratchedatcakedbloodinhisrightear.Severalhoursafterthefact,hestillhadn’tstoppedbleedingbuttheflowhadslowedtoatrickle.Hehadtriedtoputoffthisphonecallasmuchaspossiblebutitwasinevitablethathewouldhavetoreporttheirfailuretoretrievetheconsolefromthehacker.
“Yes,”afemalevoiceansweredinJapanese.
“Hirayama-san,”Satomandedgruffly.Hecockedhisheadtogetacloserlookatagirlononeofthecardswhohadhadlizardscalessurgicallypaintedalloverherbody.Fromthephoto,herblackfingernailshadbeensharpened,hertongueelongatedandacleftcarvedoutofthemiddle.Everythinginherposesuggestedthereptileshelongedtobe,armssplayedinacrouchingposture,legsflatagainstthefloorlikeshewasinthemiddleofsomeexoticYogamove.LizardGirl:ManorbeastI’llshowyouagoodtime.Therewasacellphonenumber,e-mail,cyberpagerandsomegenericnetbase,thekindyougotforfreewithabottleofwashing-upliquid.Hideofelthimselfgohard.
“Interesting,”hesaidtonobodyinparticularashemittedthee-mailaddresstomemory.HewasthinkingthathemightreturnafavorinTokyobyhavingthegirlshippedthereforaneveningofkinkydistractionswithhisYakuzacronies.HeimaginedhershippedoutinacagebyherhandlerandheldupbycustomsinTokyotobequarantined.HewasjoltedfromhisdaydreambythevoiceofastressedoutHirayama.
“GoodnewsIhope,foryoursakeandmine.Theoyabunisinnomoodforbadnews,”Hirayamasaidgruffly.
“Ifonly.WehadthisCaldwellkidinoursights.Webelievehehadtheconsolewithhim.Thenthisofficial-lookingcar,tintedwindows,nolicenseplate,hugefuckingsatellitedishonthetop,cameoutofnowhereandscoopedhimup,consoleandall.”
“Andyoujuststoodthereenjoyingthespectacle?Andwhythehellareyoushouting?”Hirayamaaskedwithbittersarcasm.
“Haveyoueverbeenhitwithasoundgun?”
“Can’tsayIhave.”
“Wellit’snotapleasantexperience.Thiswasaprofessionaloutfit.I’dsaysomekindofagency.Unofficial.”
“Takahashi-sanisgoingtobewellpissed.OurguysinAmericafailedtoretrievetheconsoletoo.Thegirlismissing.ThelastthingwewantisthedamnBritspissingalloverthisdamnstuff.MyfutureandyoursdependonyougettingtheconsolebackandeliminatingthisCaldwellcharacterquickly.”
“HowdoyousuggestIdothat?”sneeredHideoSato.
“Cutthewiseguyattitudeorit’llbeyourhead.Keepalowprofile,findahotelneartheairportwithacyberspaceconsole,andwe’llgetbacktoyouovertheusualchannels.Wewantyoutocheckineverhouruntilyouhearfromus.”
“Keepalowprofile?Thereisahalf-guylyinginthemorguewithaholeinhisheadkeepingpanywithadeadpublicanandyouwantmetokeepalowprofile?Thecopsprobablyhaveourmugshotspropagatingthroughtheir“mostwanted”databasesandwillbealloverussoon.Theyprobablyhaveanarmyofanalystsfiguringoutournextplanofactionorworse,somelow-levelAIonthehuntingtrail.”
“WehaveAIstoo.Didyoutakeprecautions?”
“Yeah,Ialwayscarryatleastoneinmypocketforemergencies.There’sthislizardlady”
“Againstidentificationbythepolice,youturtle’segg.Doeseverythinghavetobepracticaljokewithyou?Whydidn’tyoujusttrackthehackerdownwherehelivesanddothejob?”
“Becausehelivedinsomeputerizedcapsulehotelthatcan’tbeaccessedwithoutUnionID.Ifwetriedtobreakinforcefully,whoknowswhatconglomeratewewouldhaveonourasses?TheGlyphguypointedusintherightdirectionandletusknowhewasheadinghere.IhadMiyagi“TheFaceless”tailhimallthewayheresohewasfirmlyinoursights.”
“Thenyoulosthim.”
“Sorry.”
“Saveyourapologiesandyourpinkiefortheoyabun.I’llfindoutwhatIcanandupdateasusual.Trynottobringtoomuchattentiontoyourselves.”
“Youkeepsayingthat,butIamwithMiyagiremember?NotsoeasytokeepalowprofilewithhimaroundbutIknowhowtostayoutoftrouble.Theyhavesomeinterestinglookingwhoreshere,”Hideosaid,imagesofthelizardgirlflashingrapidlythroughhispervertedbrain.
“Aslongasyouareneartheairport.Understand?”
“Sure.IcanwatchwhileMiyagiscaresthelizardgirlsomethingsillywithhiselephantmanimpression.”
Thelinewentdead.
Ｗww.xiaoshＵotxt.ｎｅｔ。Txt小./说天堂