“If Kusaka-san is your father, you must be one of the richest girls in Japan. Why would you want to escape?”
Caine stared at the two women. There was a severity about Mariko that bothered him. He was beginning to get the feeling there was more to her interest in Kusaka than she had told him. As they argued, he moved to the window and surveyed the street below.
“You know nothing,” Hitomi said. “I was not born here. This is not my home. And he does not see me as his daughter. He sees me as….” Her voice trailed off.
Caine saw a stream of flashing red lights in the distance. They formed a long line in the street and were heading straight for the intersection where The Space Age bar was located.
“Mariko?” Caine called over his shoulder. “Did you report in to your superiors before we came here?”
Mariko looked back. “No, why?”
“We’ve got a problem. Look.”
She stepped over to the window. The line of lights was closing in. It was a row of police cars, snaking in and out of traffic, making a beeline for their location.
“Kuso,” she cursed. “It must have been my partner, Taro. He’s worried he’ll be suspended, too, for helping me. I should have known he’d crack. Now he’ll probably get a commendation.”
Caine hit the button on the wall, and the blinds began to close. “Hitomi, we have to go.”
The girl stood up. “It’s my father, isn’t it? I told you he’d find me.”
“No, it’s the police.”
She sighed and draped a black leather jacket over her shoulders. “I keep telling you, it amounts to the same thing. Money, power, connections … my father is Tokyo. Do you understand? He controls everything in this city.”
Caine touched her shoulder, guiding her towards the door. Mariko poked her head out into the hallway.
“It’s clear. Let’s move.”
The headed for the exit. “Hitomi, I know your father is a powerful man. But he doesn’t control everything. Or everyone.”
Hitomi looked at him as she stepped out into the corridor. She stared into his eyes, tilting her head slightly. Her pupils were wide and dark. She was clearly on something.
“You look familiar to me,” she said in a dreamy voice.
“You saw me at the concert, on your camera, remember?”
She shook her head. “No. It’s not that. It’s your eyes. They look like mine. I can see the pain in them.”
She touched his face with her slim hand. Her fingers were cold. “Pain and betrayal. You have suffered these things. Haven’t you?”
“Yes,” Caine said. “I have.”
She looked away. “Then you should know better than to think we can escape my father. There are some things no one can escape.”
She turned and followed Mariko out into the hall. Caine paused for a brief second, wondering what she meant. Then, as the sirens grew closer, he stepped into the darkness outside.
Behind him, the projected cosmos of twinkling stars and spinning planets continued to dance across the ceiling.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
The tiny blip on the air traffic control screen pulsed brightly. Natsumi sipped her coffee as she watched the green dot inch closer and closer on the radar screen. She grimaced. The black liquid in her cup had turned cold and bitter.
“Looking good, 1168. Maintain this approach vector. Please transmit IDENT code now. Repeat. Please transmit IDENT code now.”
Haruki, her handsome assistant controller, leaned over her shoulder and set down a fresh cup of coffee.
“Arrigato, Haru-kun. It’s been a long day. My shift was supposed to end an hour ago, but this one is a real pain in the ass.”
The young man smiled. “Oh, someone important?”
Natsumi shrugged. “We’ll see. All I know is they made me give this flight double the normal clearance. Had to move all other flights into the next safe zone.” The terminal next to her screen began to beep and flash numbers. The plane was sending its IDENT code, identifying the flight. Natsumi submitted the code to the tower control for clearance.
They waited a few minutes, staring at the screen as the blip began its final approach to Tokyo Narita Airport. Then the terminal flashed again. Natsumi squinted at the result. “Well, well, what do you know…?”
“What?”
Natsumi turned to her mic and once again spoke in English. “Roger that, 1168, IDENT received. You are cleared to land. Please follow the approach coordinates I am sending you now. Thank you, and good evening.”
“Well, who is it?” Haruki asked.
Natsumi took another sip of her coffee and smiled. “US State Department flight. Wasn’t on any of the logs. Apparently, the Secretary of State is making a last-minute visit to Tokyo.”
“Oh, that’s interesting. I wonder what she’s doing here?”
Natsumi stood up and stretched. She grunted in pain as she arched her back, then she slipped on a worn wool coat. “I have no idea, but once that plane’s on the ground, something very important is going to happen.”
The young man’s eyes were wide. “Really? What’s going to happen?”
Natsumi smiled. “My shift is going to end, and I am going to go home.”
A sea of photographers swarmed behind the barricades guarding the C-32 aircraft. The plane was long, sleek, and gleamed in the runway lights. A woman dressed in a stylish grey business suit stepped out onto the stairs that led to the tarmac.
United States Secretary of State Janet Kelson waved to the reporters. A phalanx of Secret Service agents stood at attention, scanning the crowd from the ground. Two more flanked the secretary and her aide, a petite younger woman named Susan Clifford. The entourage followed as she descended the steps to meet the greeting committee of Japanese officials and a ranking US Naval officer.
She bowed, then shook each of their hands in turn. The press continued snapping photos as she moved down the line. When she got to the Naval officer, she omitted the bow and gave his hand a firm shake. She leaned in closer. “I hope they didn’t drag you out of bed for this, Captain.”
The military officer smiled. “No, ma’am. I was just stationed here last week. Still haven’t adjusted to the time difference.”
“That’s what hot sake is for.” She turned and faced the crowd one more time. The Japanese officials stood by her side, posing for another series of photographs.
After a few minutes, one of the Secret Service agents led her away from the flashing lights and reporters. They walked over to a waiting limo. The chauffeur opened the door, and she climbed in. Susan followed after her.
The door closed, and Janet’s mouth gaped as she uttered a loud yawn. “How long is the drive to the hotel?”
Susan pulled out an enormous smartphone and tapped on it with a stylus. “Two hours in current traffic.”
Janet shook her head. “Can’t even take a nap, or I’ll be up all night. Do you have my briefings?”
Susan handed her a stack of manila folders. “Here’s everything we have on the Chinese and Japanese officials. You’ll be meeting them for breakfast at the embassy, then traveling by helicopter to the islands.”
Janet nodded. “A little light reading.”
Susan smiled and consulted her phone. “Looks like rain tomorrow. Make sure you bring your trench.”
“Lovely. I hope that’s not a bad omen.”
The limo pulled away from the airport. Janet began to flip through papers as they turned onto the freeway. This would be a useful trip, after all. She figured the United States could use some diplomatic good will after all the turmoil in the Middle East. A few pictures with the local officials, a quick helicopter ride to a series of rocks not worth fighting about…. Whatever China and Japan decided about these islands, she knew this could be a perfect PR opportunity for the United States.
Even better, if she could play the diplomacy game just right, she could strengthen ties to both China and Japan. The United States would be seen as a fair, impartial ally to both.
But it would require finesse. The last thing America needed was to be pulled into a pointless conflict between China and Japan. Even a diplomatic squabble such as this could have long-term economic repercussions.
At first, she’d been annoyed when the US Ambassador was hospitalized. The car accident was terrible in terms of timing, and she resented being ordered to take his place at these talks. The flight to Tokyo was thrown together last minute, and the long trip was more than a tad inconvenient.
But now she was beginning to see the situation as an opportunity. An opportunity for peace. And an opportunity for personal advancement.
A new song played over the limo’s stereo speakers. As she flipped through the files, she began to hum along.
CHAPTER THIRTY
The cellphone rang and rang until once again the voicemail picked up. It was the third time Caine had tried to reach Rebecca. He knew she was traveling, but she hadn’t checked in on the airphone as they had agreed. He had hoped maybe he would catch her at a connection airport, but so far he hadn’t had any luck.
Something was wrong.
He sat on the bed of the rundown love hotel and rubbed his face. The day’s activities had taken a toll. As the adrenalin of this latest brush with disaster subsided, he felt his body groaning in protest. Tired, beaten, battered … he knew the signs. He could not keep going like this forever.
The walls of the cheap room were paper thin. He could hear the shower running in the bathroom, where Hitomi was cleaning, and hopefully sobering, up. Mariko paced back and forth in front of the closed blinds. She stopped and pulled them aside. She stared out the gap for a second, surveying the neon lights and crowds of people walking down the busy street.
The bed was round, bubblegum pink, and—Caine noted with amusement—equipped with an assortment of vibration settings. The sheets were gleaming satin. Looking up, he saw a circular mirror recessed in the ceiling. His reflection looked distant and alone, adrift in a vast sea of shimmering pink.
Mariko noticed him looking up and gave him a grim smile. “It’s been a long time since a man’s taken me to a place like this.”
“Hey, you picked it.”
She shrugged. “Our options were limited. At least here, we could check in by computer. No one to see our faces if the police or Tokyo Black come looking for us.”
Caine gazed at her, drinking in the details. Smooth skin. Dark, lustrous hair. Her body promised warmth if one could just get past the darkness that lay behind her icy, calculating stare. She was beautiful, and it had been a long time since he had allowed himself to appreciate a woman’s beauty.
But Caine knew attraction could be a dangerous weapon. It could make him lower his guard, ignore risks, or fail to notice obvious signs of danger. He reminded himself to stay sharp.
The mission, whatever it was, was not over. Bernatto, Kusaka, Bobu … it seemed he added a new name to his list of enemies every day. He wondered if Mariko was an ally, or if her name would soon be counted among those who wanted him dead.
Mariko stared at him for a second, then walked over, and sat down on the bed next to him. He found his eyes drawn to the curve of her ear, framed by the sweeping black line of her hair.
“You’re wondering if you can trust me,” she said.
Caine looked her square in the eye, searching for truth in the dark sea of brown and black. “Mariko, we barely know each other. And back at the bar, you came at the girl pretty hard. I get the feeling you’re not telling me something.”
For the first time, her cold, black stare began to thaw.
“I … yes, there is more. For you as well. This man, Bobu … you have a past with him?”
Caine nodded. “You could say that. A few years ago, the Shimizu and Yoshizawa Clans got into a pissing match over territory. You know, typical yakuza stuff. Old school. Bobu was sent to take out Isato Yoshizawa. Send a message. A young boy, Isato’s son, got in the way. I was there, and I … I couldn’t just let it happen. I blocked Bobu’s shot. I took the bullet. Isato and the boy lived. Bobu was caught by the police, went to jail. The Shimizu clan fell into decline.”
Mariko’s eyes narrowed. “What on earth were you even doing there?”
“It’s a long story, and I can’t really talk about it.”
She stared at him for a second. Then she nodded and looked away.
“What I told you before, about my mother … her death left a hole in my family. My father was never the same after she was gone. He became distant, turned to drink. The doctors said it was the alcohol that killed him. But the look on his face … it was grief that consumed him. I could see it plain as day.”
Caine put a hand on Mariko’s shoulder. A tremor ran through her body. “My younger sister, Emiko … I wasn’t there for her. She wasn’t like me. She was gentle, fragile even. She couldn’t face the pain alone. She went down a path … I did not approve of. Drugs, boyfriends. Toroburu … trouble. We fought. I said things that were unkind. We did not speak again for several years.
“A few weeks ago, she left me a message. She said she needed to talk. I was busy pursuing this case. I was determined to expose Kusaka’s links to Tokyo Black. It was all I could think about; it was an obsession. If I could cut off their funding, I could cripple them once and for all. I could….” Mariko’s voice trailed off. She looked up at Caine. Her voice wavered. “I never called her back.”
“What happened?” Caine asked, his voice low.
“Several days later, park rangers found a girl in Aokigahara forest. She was dead. Massive drug overdose. Aokigahara is a beautiful place. The Sea of Trees. People go there to end their lives. It is known as the Suicide Forest.”
“I’ve heard of it.”
Mariko’s almond-shaped eyes glinted with held-back tears. “The girl they found … it was Emiko. My little sister. A death in that forest, it is no accident. You understand?”
Caine nodded.
“She went there to end her pain. In my country, it is not always an easy thing to ask for help. Emiko tried to reach out to me. I didn’t call her back. I wasn’t there for her. I couldn’t….”
“I’m sorry,” Caine said. “You can’t blame yourself.” He knew the words would not help, but what else was there to say?
Mariko shook her head. “As a young girl, I cheated death. Now, it is seeking me once again. A man … a sick, disturbed man kills my mother and hundreds of others. He dies in prison. But he was like a black stone tossed into a quiet pond. The ripples of his actions spread, and tore my family apart.
“Now, years later, Bobu, his apprentice, returns to seed more hate and destruction. It is a circle of death. As if his spirit is reaching out for me from the grave.”
Caine gripped her shoulder. She looked up, her eyes moist and wide. “No, Mariko, these are just men, not spirits. I’ve known men like this all my life. Fought them. Killed them. Even worked with them, when I had to.”
Mariko nodded. “I know they are just men. I know. That is why I kept investigating Kusaka, even after I was suspended. He is the head of this thing. His money is this thing’s lifeblood. It is keeping Tokyo Black alive.”
Her eyes hardened, and she stood up, shrugging away Caine’s hand. She shivered and crossed her arms. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I will stop them. Kusaka, Bobu Shimizu. I’ll go to hell itself and stab this cult’s founder in his black heart if I must. But I will end Tokyo Black. For my family. And for Japan. That is my duty.”
A small, quiet voice spoke out. “I am sorry about your sister.”
Caine and Mariko turned to find Hitomi staring at them. She was wrapped in a white terry bathrobe provided by the hotel. Her silvery hair was wet and glistened in the light. Standing in the dim room, soaking wet, her makeup washed away, she looked young, frail, and ethereal.
Mariko’s voice was calm but firm. “Hitomi. I’m the one who should apologize. When I saw you tonight, you reminded me of Emiko, in a way. I was not there for her. That is my shame. I’m sorry I took it out
on you.”
Hitomi looked down. “You fight for her now. She is lucky to have a sister like you.”
“Why is Kusaka so determined to find you?” Caine asked. “What do you have that he wants?”
Hiromi sighed and sat down on the bed. “At first, I thought he just wanted me back. As I said, he does not see me as a daughter. I am his property.”
Mariko walked over to Hitomi and began to stroke her hair with a towel. “What do you mean?”
“I was born in China. My mother was … my father, Kusaka-san, paid her. For her body. For pleasure. He visited her many times on his business trips to Beijing and Shanghai. I grew up hearing that my father was a rich, powerful man, a king in Japan.
“When my mother died, I used every penny she had saved to come here. I did not have a passport. I was nothing in China … a ghost. I paid men to smuggle me here. I owed them money, so I worked in their clubs and bordellos. I pleasured men as my mother had. And then I found Kusaka-san. My father. I went to him hoping that he would save me from the monsters who had brought me here.”
“Hitomi, I’m so sorry,” Caine said. Living in Thailand, he had heard many stories of girls looking for a way out, smuggled around the world, hoping for a better life. He had even come up against traffickers himself. He knew such stories rarely had happy endings.
“My father was the biggest monster of all. He bought my contract out from the Chinese gangs. I thought my dreams had come true. But I did not go to live with him in his mansion. Instead, he sold me to the Shimizu family. They put me to work in their clubs. And my father, he….” Her voice trailed off.
Mariko looked over at Caine and slowly shook her head. Caine’s entire body simmered with anger, but he said nothing.
“He does not see me as his daughter,” Hitomi said. “He says I remind him of my mother. That is how he sees me. Sometimes, I would be delivered to his house for a night. Once, I saw him hiding papers and computer equipment in his safe. He took pictures of me, sometimes. I knew the pictures were in the safe. I just couldn’t stand it, knowing that they were there.
[Thomas Caine #1] Tokyo Black Page 18