ThelunchtimeShinjukucrowdeyedtheeight-carmotorcadeofblackLexussedansastheyturnedoffthebusymainstreetofthebustlingbusinessdistrictanddisappearedintoaholeinthesideofafuturistic-lookingbuilding.Theblacktintedshatter-proofglasswindowsandbullet-proofsidepanelssuggestedonlyonething.Yakuza.TheJapanesewereusedtoseeingmotorcadeslikethisoneallovertown,butthepresidentialauthoritywithwhichtheycruisedthestreetsneverfailedtoinspireawe.MinisterTakahashiwassittinginthebackofthefifthcarwithhisadviserHirayama.Inthefrontsataheavilytattooedbodyguardinablacksuitandthedriver.BothTakahashiandHirayamawereontheircellphones.Theministerwastalkingpoliticswithsomegovernmentbureaucratwhilehissaiko-komonwastakingcareofanaltogetherdifferentkindofbusiness.
“Areyousure?”theadviserHirayamawasaskingsomeoneattheotherendoftheline.
“Well,she’sAmerican.HerpassportsayshernameisDianeJaneJoplin.Abouttheageyoumentionedandthereisdefinitelyaconsoleofsomedescriptioninherluggage.Wedon’tseemayAmericansofheragetravelingaloneanddefinitelyveryfewwithconsolesofthatdescriptionintheirluggage.”
Hirayamacouldbarelybelievehisluck.Onceagainthescenarioanalysisconstructhadbeenrightonthemoney.OncetheBostonYakuzahadreportedthattheyhadn’tfoundtheconsoleatJoplin’shouse,Hirayamahadmovedintohighgear.ThesoftwarehadnarrowedtheplacesshewouldgotoNewYork,NewChinaorTokyo.HehadrushedtoissuenoticestotheYakuza’sinformantsintheairlinesandJapanesecustomstocallhiscellphoneassoonassomeonefittingherdescriptionwasspotted,withinthenextforty-eighthours.
“Didyoufindoutwhereshe’sstaying?”
“Ofcourse,yourinstructionswereclear.ShesaidshewasstayingattheKeioPlazaHotel.”
“Description?”
“Ihaveherdatainfrontofme.Onemeterseventy.Slimwithbrowneyesandmousyblonde,almost-brown,hair.Keepsitinaponytail.QuiteprettyinthatAmericanway.Shedidn’tlookexcitedlikemosttouristsdowhentheyvisitacivilizedcountryforthefirsttime.I’dsayshelookedsadandabitlost.”
“Goodwork.Youwillberewardedthroughtheusualchannel.”Hirayamapressedabuttononthetinyphoneandslippeditintohissuitpocket.Theministerwasstillonthephone,thedeepboomofhisvoicefillingthecarasitslidintooneofthereservedparkingslotsnexttotheotherLexussedans.Theheavies,alldressedinblack,werealreadylinedupnexttothecarparkexitwaitingtoushertheirmasterthrough.
ThefactthattheBostonYakuzahadn’tfoundtheconsoleafterransackingJoplin’ssprawlinghousehadbeenasetbackbutthegodshadsetthingsrightwiththisthelatestpieceofnews.MinisterTakahashiwouldbepleasedalthoughHirayamaknewhisbosswellenoughtobelievethathewouldn’tshowit.Thingswereslowlybeingbroughtundercontrol.HehadsuccessfullymanagedtobringYamamoto’sill-gottenfundsundertheminister’scontrolandtheministerhadwiredasmallfortuneintooneofHirayama’sownaccounts.LoyaltyhaditsvalueandHirayama’sunflinchingloyaltywasbeginningtopaydividends.Yet,thetrueprizewouldbeYamamoto’spositionwithintheYamaguchi-gumihierarchy.Thatjobwasnowvacantandhehopedthattheoyabunwouldseefittoelevatehimtothatposition.
Thepositionofsaiko-komonorpersonaladviser,thoughpowerful,wasanuntenableone.Yes,hehadaccesstoinformationthatotherYakuzawouldgivetheirlivesfor,yet,contrarytotradition,hehadnogangsofhisownunderhisowncontrol.Itwasadeliberatestateofaffairsinstitutedbytheoyabun.Iftheoyabunfell,hewouldfalltoobyproxy.HisfatewasirretrievablytiedtothatofNobuTakahashi.HirayamaknewthegangstructurebetterthanevenTakahashihimself.HewasfamiliarwiththedynamicsofeveryaspectofthisblackcloudthatreachedintoeveryaspectofJapanesesociety.Whobetterthanhetobesecondinmand?HesuspectedthatafterYamamoto’streacheryTakahashiwouldmovetopromotesomeonetrustworthy,morecontrollable.AndwhowasmoretrustworthyormorecontrollablethanHirayamahimself?Atleastthatiswhathewantedhisbosstobelieve.Yet,beingsoclosehaditsdisadvantages.TakahashicoulddecidethatHirayamaknewtoomuchandthatifhewasmadesecond-in-manditwouldbetoodangerous.Also,therewereothersintheranksclamoringforYamamoto’sposition.
ThatwastheveryreasontheywereheretodayinoneoftheYamaguchi-gumi’smanymercialbuildingsinShinjuku.TheheadshadrequestedanimpromptumeetingtobeupdatedontheYamamotofiasco,amererusetosoundouttheoyabunonwhomhewouldhandpicktofillthevacuumcreatedbythetraitor’sdeath.Theywouldbereadingtheoyabun’seyescarefullytodiscernwhohispreferencewasandTakahashihimselfwouldbereadingtheirmindstoseewhowantedthejobmostandwhattheirmotivationswere.AndHirayamawouldsittheredetached,watchingthewholesilentgameofcatandmousefromapositionofabsoluteobjectivity.Heknewtheoyabunwouldaskhimprivatelywhohethoughtwantedthejob.Hisresponsewouldhavetobewellthoughtout,strategic.Itwouldbeawaytoisolatehisenemieswithintheranksandtheyweremany.
Takahashifinishedhisphoneconversationastheyenteredthemarblelobbyofthebuildingandmovedtowardsthebankofelevators.Eventhoughhewaswearingdarkglasses,everyoneinthelobbyrecognizedNobuTakahashiforwhohewasandgavetheirdeepestbowastheblack-cladgroupofYakuzastrodetowardstheprivateelevators.Asecurityguardboweddeeplyandinsertedhiskeycard.Theelevatordoorsopenedandthemenwalkedinside,surroundingtheirbosslikevulturesaroundadeadcorpse.Hirayamafeltslightlyunfortablewithallthatflesharoundhim.
“Takahashi-san,thatwascustomsattheairport.Thegirlisintown.ForwhatIdonotknowbutsheisbookedintotheKeioPlazaHotelrighthereinShinjuku.”
“Hmm,”Takahashigruntedastheelevatorspedtowardsthepenthouseofficeonthetopfloorofthebuilding.TheministerhadalreadyoverheardtheconversationandwasshowinghisimpatienceathavingtheinformationrepeatedeventhoughitwasHirayama’sdutytoreportit.
“Shouldwepickherup?”
“No.Putadetailonher.Nothingconspicuous.Reportwhatshe’supto.She’sinJapanforapurpose.Let’sseewhatshegetsupto.Evenmoreimportant,letsseewhoelseisonhertail.”AllthissaidwhileTakahashiwaslookingupattheceilingoftheelevator,admiringthedetailofthedécor.
“Ofcourse,oyabun.”
“Ifnothinghappensintwenty-fourhours,killherandretrievetheconsole.”
“Ofcourse.”
“Andtheotherone,thehacker?”
“Ihavesomemenonit.TheyarefollowingourquarrytoHongKong.Heseemstohavemadesomeinterestingfriends.”
“Agency?”
“Yesoyabun.”
“Hmm.”
“Oyabun?”
“HongKongisaninterestingchoiceisn’tit?”
“Itisindeed.”
“ThereisonlyoneagencythathastheresourcesonthegroundtomountthatkindofoperationfromHongKongandthatresortstothelowleveltacticsoffreelancehackers.”
“Yes.HYDRA.BruceFouler.”
“Thisisallgettingveryinteresting,”Takahashisaidsimplyastheyemergedintoanexquisiteroomfilledwiththekyodai,thetopdogsoftheYamaguchi-gumi.
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