by Easton, Don
Jack walked with Fukushima to a change room. Fukushima gave an order in Japanese, and Da Khlot, along with two attendants, sat on a bench while Jack and Fukushima stripped completely naked. Jack followed Fukushima’s lead and picked up a face cloth and followed him through another door.
Fukushima’s spine was completely covered in a tattoo that resembled a spinal skeleton. Jack took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He knew the yakuza had huge memberships. The largest yakuza clan based out of nearby Kobe was reputed to have 39,000 members. What are we doing here? This is insane. Get some conversation from him and get the hell out!
Jack discovered that the next door led to an outdoor pool. The pool, easily large enough to accommodate twenty people, was billowing steam. Hot water, fed from a mineral spring, poured in from an overhang close to the roof. At the opposite end of the pool, a hole covered by a grate allowed water to continue outside into a small stream, where it disappeared into the ground.
Part of the pool was protected by the overhang from the roof, but if one chose, you could also sit in the open. Tall clumps of bamboo, along with wooden screens, provided privacy.
Jack stuck his head out past a screen. He could see the well-manicured grounds. The clusters of bamboo, along with the bonsai trees, made it exotic. The hot springs reappeared a short distance away, revealing its route down the hill with a rise of steamy mist. The stream disappeared around some large boulders into the private honeymoon spa before reappearing farther down the hill and travelling on to the public resort. Normally he would have thought it beautiful. A romantic and tranquil setting, decided Jack, had it not been for the situation they were in.
He followed Fukushima into a small alcove beside the pool, containing a row of six shower heads no higher than Jack’s waist. Small wooden stools were in front of each shower head. Jack followed Fukushima’s example of sitting on a stool and soaping and washing his entire body before entering the pool.
“Is there a Missus Fukushima-san?” asked Jack.
“Yes, she lives with my two sons in Tokyo. Both of my sons are in university there.” Fukushima eyed Jack carefully and said, “You and Laura do not have any children yet?”
“We both want to.”
“I feel more comfortable doing business with a man who has a family. I believe him to be more stable.”
Right, someone you can go after if things go wrong. “Does Lee-san have a family?”
“Yes, also in Tokyo.”
Jack felt the hot water soothe his body. Had he been there with Natasha, it would have been wonderful. Sitting in a mineral spring with a mass murderer who was the head of an organized crime syndicate was much less appealing.
“Are you enjoying it?” asked Fukushima. “It may interest you to know that you are the first Westerner to ever step foot in my private spa.”
“I would enjoy it more,” replied Jack, “if business was out of the way. I have not had access to any communication for over twenty-four hours. There are people who will be concerned, not to mention financial arrangements that need to be made.”
“As far as financial arrangements go, I am a patient man and would expect that such arrangements may take a week or so. The product you are purchasing will be available for you to view within two days. It will be loaded on a ship in Kobe, not far from here. Naturally, you and Laura will be my guests until such time as I have received the first payment.”
“Viewing a ton of heroin makes me nervous,” replied Jack. “I would hate to end up in a Japanese prison, or any prison, for that matter.”
“I would never dishonour myself with your arrest if I was not absolutely certain,” replied Fukushima. “I guarantee your safety. You have my word on that, although I understand that you come from a culture where people lack honour. Should you not want to view the product yourself, you may choose a representative who will be taken to see it. However, I must stress that such a representative would be blindfolded coming and going from where the product is located. We may trust each other, but it is more difficult to always trust one’s employees.”
“Understandable,” replied Jack, “but I must phone some people to start the process.”
“Before you go to bed tonight, such services will be returned to you. Tomorrow, if you and Laura would like to go shopping, or perhaps visit the popular nearby tourist destination of Kyoto, I will gladly arrange for a limousine and driver to take you.”
“Great, so why not return my phone now?” asked Jack.
Fukushima paused, staring at Jack intently for a moment before saying, “On that subject, let me ask you a question. What would you do if you discovered that an employee had been stealing money from you, or perhaps your customers? How would that be handled in your Western culture?”
“If it was my business,” said Jack, assuming the role of the Irish mobster, “I suspect I would handle it the same way as you.” He smiled, using his hand to make a slashing gesture across his throat.
“Exactly,” replied Fukushima. “I spoke to Mister Sato after he interviewed you in Koh Samui. I understand that you are personally familiar with performing such a task.”
Jack shrugged, acting indifferent.
“There is a final test I wish you to perform,” said Fukushima.
“Another test! I have already passed the lie detector. What more could you possibly ask?”
Anger appeared on Fukushima’s face. He was not used to being spoken to so harshly. “For you it will not be difficult,” he said sternly. “I have an employee who works for me at my catering company in Osaka. He has been stealing from us.”
Despite the heat from the mineral springs, Jack felt goosebumps spread across his flesh.
“After work he will be put in a van and brought here. He will arrive at nine o’clock tonight. You will kill him.”
Jack felt stunned as his mind raced, trying to figure out how to respond. “Why should I kill him?” he finally asked.
“You must understand,” said Fukushima, “that we know little about you. Initial inquiries made in Montreal resulted in a severe beating. Further, more discreet inquiries were made. Rumours exist of the … shall we say, magnitude of your success in business and the close ties you have to families in New York. There are many rumours. Some say you are no longer active. Others say you are still living in Montreal.”
Jack smiled and said, “Good, I prefer my enemies to never know exactly where I am.”
“I understand that,” replied Fukushima, “although you must have few enemies.”
“Why would you say that?” asked Jack.
“You do not have a bodyguard. Certainly,” he smiled, “you have Laura. I also have Sayomi-san, but I also ensure I have someone like Khlot-san nearby. His talents are extraordinary.”
“How so?”
“He was taken in by the Khmer Rouge as a child. He is well experienced and is an expert with a knife. He knows a spot on the back of a person’s neck where he can sever the spinal cord in one thrust. Death for some of his victims can be a long time in coming. Now I usually find a more expedient need for his services.”
“Such as?”
“He is useful to have around in some countries where it is difficult to carry guns.”
“I see,” replied Jack.
“I know from your polygraph test that you are personally experienced in these matters, but your personal experience has not become our personal experience.”
“After passing the lie detector, I must say, I feel insulted that you still do not trust me,” said Jack. “I am a Westerner, but I assure you, I am a man of honour.”
“It is not because you are Caucasian that you must do this.” Fukushima paused to wipe his eyes with a facecloth before continuing. “I had Mister Lee perform the same task for me not long ago in your country. There it took place in a park. Here, the sauna room will suffice. It is private and the wooden flooring is easily replaced if necessary.”
“And who did Mister Lee kill?” asked Jack.
Fukushima wav
ed his hand as if it was insignificant and said, “It was nobody.”
Jack heard himself inhale sharply at Fukushima’s choice of word in describing Melvin.
“It is the act of murder that is important to display loyalty,” continued Fukushima, “not who.” He smiled and added, “Mister Lee is not experienced in such tasks. He worried so much about getting blood on his clothes that he placed a plastic bag over the man to shield himself. He should have worried more about his aim. I trust for you that aim will not be a problem.”
So that is why Melvin was murdered, thought Jack. Destroy a human life as a display of loyalty. Your only concern is to not soil your clothes from the blood. He stared sullenly at Fukushima. I want so bad to wrap my hands around your throat. Press my thumbs into your windpipe and hold you under —
“Is there a problem?” asked Fukushima suspiciously.
Jack sighed and said, “If Mister Lee is so inexperienced in such matters, I am surprised that he did not refuse.”
Fukushima laughed and said, “He would never refuse anything I ask. If someone did that, then it would be their body found in a park.”
37
“It is about three-thirty,” said Fukushima, getting out of the pool. “Dinner will be at seven. Would you like to enjoy a massage? There is plenty of time.”
“Actually,” replied Jack. “I would prefer to enjoy the hot mineral waters with Laura in private.”
“I understand,” smiled Fukushima. “Such beauty should be enjoyed. I will send for her. If you decide there is anything either of you would like, such as chilled wine or a beverage, simply call one of the attendants waiting in the next room.”
The minutes ticked by as Jack sat alone, waiting for Laura to arrive. He knew they had to escape, but how? He climbed out of the pool and peered past a wooden screen toward the resort below. Choke the guards unconscious, steal their clothes, and do a dash down the hill? We would never make it. Even if we did, they would find us within a minute.
Then he heard it. Voices of a young couple carried softly up the hill. “Akiyo!” said the man, “I’ll get you for that!” It was followed by the sound of splashing and laughing. Whoever the man was, he spoke again, but in Japanese. Did I really hear what I think I did?
“Jack?” said Laura, peeking out the door behind him as he stood naked, with his back toward her. “You, uh, want me to join you?”
Jack turned his head quickly and saw Laura, with Sayomi looking over her shoulder.
“Yes, honey. It’s beautiful in here,” he added, getting back into the pool as Laura found a sudden need to turn her head and wipe her eye with a finger. Sayomi’s stare indicated she was not shy about her curiosity.
“I thought it would be romantic, just the two of us,” added Jack.
“I’ll wait with Khlot,” said Sayomi. “But if you are too long, I will join you.”
Moments later, Laura slowly stuck her head out the door again and saw Jack standing in the pool with his back toward her as he stared at the wooden screen. He waited until he heard her in the pool before turning around.
“I don’t happen to be in the mood for romance,” she whispered tersely.
“This is one place we can talk,” whispered Jack, “without having to worry that the room is bugged.” He proceeded to speak quickly, telling her what Fukushima had said, pausing once and putting his finger to his lips to silence Laura when he heard the faint sound of laughter from the young couple down below.
“We need to escape!” said Laura.
“The couple we heard laughing from down at the resort,” said Jack, indicating the direction with his thumb. “I’m positive the guy spoke English a moment ago.”
“You sure?”
“I think so. I was trying to listen when you first arrived,” said Jack, climbing back out of the pool.
“You look at me and I’ll tell Natasha,” said Laura, climbing out with him.
They both peered out from behind the screen and heard the murmur of voices again.
“It’s not from the resort,” said Laura. “It’s the honeymoon spa, halfway up the hill.”
Jack saw two of Fukushima’s thugs between them and the spa. One man was still sitting on the bench under the window of Jack and Laura’s bedroom while the other was strolling around.
“I have to sneak down there,” said Jack. “If it’s some tourist and he’s English, it may be our only hope.”
“And if it’s someone who works for Fukushima, we’re dead,” replied Laura.
“We will be, anyway. I don’t see any other choice.”
“You think you can streak down there without being seen? Good luck, not to mention the screaming when some naked man busts in on a couple on their honeymoon. Or do you figure we should both go and slap sleeper holds on them if they start to yell?” she added, dubiously.
“I think I can make it by crouching low or crawling through the stream bed,” said Jack. “Your problem will be to make sure Sayomi or Da Khlot don’t walk in and find me gone.”
“Oh, man. We could be risking other people’s lives.”
“It’s our only hope,” said Jack, “and neither guard is paying much attention. They hardly expect us to walk naked down to the resort. “If the guy is English, it shouldn’t be a problem to convince him to go back to his room and make a phone call for us. The bad guys won’t know anything is up until the cavalry charges in. It’s a calculated risk, but one I think we should take.”
Laura nodded silently.
Jack crouched as he ran toward the small stream, diving on his belly like a baseball player coming into home plate as he skidded the remaining distance into the shallow trench etched out by the water.
It didn’t take him long to make his way to the structure containing the exclusive spa. On the other side of a large boulder he could hear the couple talking softly to each other in Japanese.
“Hello?” said Jack. He heard the startled whisper of the young woman in Japanese.
“Hello,” responded the young man. “I believe we still have fifteen minutes booked on our time.”
“I’m not here for the spa,” replied Jack. “I need your help. Where are you from?”
“We’re from Osaka.”
“You sound English?”
“I’m Canadian, but my wife and I live in Osaka.”
“Thank Christ,” mumbled Jack. “I’m also Canadian. My name is Jack Taggart. I’m an undercover Mountie. Is it okay if I come around this boulder and talk to you? It is literally a matter of life and death and I only have a couple of minutes. By the way, I’m also naked.”
Moments later, Jack was invited to come closer and he saw a young couple comprised of a Caucasian man and Japanese woman. The woman was wearing a kimono and crouched down beside the stream near where the man was sitting up to his neck in water.
He introduced himself as Mike and his wife as Akiyo.
Jack quickly told them as many details as he figured they needed to know. “What I need,” said Jack, “is for you to call my boss in Canada and tell her exactly where we are and get the Japanese police to rescue us. Her name is Rose Wood. Our bedroom is on the second floor down from the top on the far side of the building up there,” said Jack, pointing in the direction of Fukushima’s mansion concealed behind some wooden screens. “Describe its location to her so she can pass it on to the Japanese police.
“Then we can see your room from ours,” said Mike. “We look out over the back of the resort.”
“I know my boss’s phone number,” said Jack. “Do you think you could memorize it and phone her for me?”
“I got my degree in computer software engineering,” replied Mike. “Believe me, I’m good with numbers.”
“Perhaps this would be of assistance,” said Akiyo, slipping her hand inside the sleeve of her kimono.
Jack gave her the biggest smile he believed he had ever given anyone in his life. Akiyo was an exceptionally beautiful woman, but that was not the reason her image would remain etched in
his memory forever. It was the sweet look of genuine concern on her face as she held her arms outstretched with her palms up. In her upturned hands she was offering a cellphone.
Moments later, with Mike’s assistance, Jack dialled the numbers necessary to make a long-distance call and connect with Rose.
“Yes, we’re still above ground,” said Jack, as soon as she answered, “but we won’t be for long if you don’t let me explain.”
Jack spoke rapidly, pointing out the urgent necessity to have backup immediately. “Rose, the couple who are helping me, Mike and Akiyo, their room faces ours. Perhaps the police could use it for an observation post?”
Mike nodded in agreement.
“If the police hold off on rescuing us until a van from the catering company shows up with a hostage,” said Jack, “it should provide good evidence to convict Fukushima. At the moment, all we have is my word against his.”
“What if something goes wrong before then?” asked Rose.
“We’re dead if the police aren’t here,” replied Jack. “But if they are, tell them to hang a towel outside Mike and Akiyo’s window to let us know. If something is going wrong, I’ll make an excuse to go back to our room and do likewise as a sign we need help. Other than that, if they hear the sound of breaking glass or see someone flying out a window, take it as a sign we need help.”
“You can keep the phone,” said Mike.
“I heard that,” said Rose, “but it still sounds damned risky to me!”
“The police should be here by seven,” said Jack. “That gives us two hours before the van with the hostage arrives. We need more evidence and the hostage should provide that. As far as risk goes, we’re operators. That’s what we do. We’re already in hot water, so to speak, we should be able to handle another couple of hours.”
Rose reluctantly agreed and said she would immediately contact the RCMP Liaison Officer in Tokyo.