“Where is my daughter, you bastard?” asked Miki.
“Nice language. Shut up and settle down because you only have one chance.” The man held one finger to his lips while waiting for Miki to become silent. “Good, now follow me and I’ll guide you to Kou,” said the man. He walked confidently to the theater’s exit doors and Miki chased after the well-dressed kidnapper. She turned right after exiting the theater doors and spun around several times desperately looking in all directions for Kou. She finally caught sight of the kidnapper standing ten meters away by a massive black BMW sport utility vehicle.
Miki ran toward him, and as she approached he opened the SUV’s back door. Kou was sitting behind the driver with her back against his seat and was covering her shirtless upper body with her arms. “Kou, get out of the car,” yelled Miki.
Kou tried to crawl out the back but was grabbed by the driver and yanked back into the SUV. The young man stepped toward Miki who took her eyes off Kou when the young man’s fist connected with her solar plexus. She doubled over and didn’t resist when her assailant pushed her onto the sidewalk. “Tell your husband he’s pissed off the wrong people,” said the well-dressed yakuza. He touched her with an electric Taser and the charge knocked her unconscious. The young man left Miki’s limp body on the sidewalk while Kou’s cries were drowned out by the vehicle’s Bose speakers playing the music of Yokohama’s Southern All Stars.
The young man reached over and applied the electroshock Taser baton to the young girl’s shoulder to knock her out before shutting the back door. The smartly dressed gangster opened the front door and slid into the passenger seat. “Let’s go,” he said. The scarred driver moved his braced right leg off the brake and eased down on the gas pedal to steer carefully into the heavy traffic.
“I’m going to have fun training this one,” said Nori Nakada.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself. The big boss is interested in this project,” said the young man. His cell phone vibrated and he answered, “Yes.”
“Is it done?” asked Sato.
“Hai, we have the package and are en route to the hotel,” he replied.
“Good,” said Sato and disconnected.
“Drive to the loading dock,” said the young man. The scar-faced gangster continued maneuvering through traffic while drumming his fingers on the steering wheel and nodding his head to the beat of the music.
“You spent time in Abashiri Prison, didn’t you, brother?” asked the young man.
“It was always cold. I only remember being half-frozen without any opportunity to get warm. I spent time in the infirmary with pneumonia and never want to do hard time again,” said Nakada.
“I’d rather go back to the Hokkaido shit hole than take a bath in the back room of the White Deer,” said the well-dressed yakuza. He turned to look at Nakada for the first time since entering the vehicle.
“You play for keeps when you’re on Sato’s team. There are no second chances and no changes of heart,” said Nakada.
“Let’s make the delivery,” said the young man, and both remained silent for the remainder of the trip.
***
Shinjuku’s Kabukicho District
The black SUV sped down the alley behind the Shinjuku Prince Hotel, forcing a small cluster of pedestrians to dash out of its way. Nori Nakada pulled into the loading dock a hundred meters up the narrow backstreet and his well-dressed partner exited the SUV. The young gangster barked orders at two chimpira waiting at the hotel’s delivery entrance while Nakada positioned himself to watch their flank.
“Get over here and help us with our guests,” yelled the good-looking gangster.
“Hai, Ezura, right away,” replied one of the thugs. He pulled open the vehicle’s back door and hesitated at the sight of the female passenger. Kou was bound and gagged with duct tape and her eyes were angry and swollen from tears.
“What are you waiting for, you idiots? Grab the bitch and follow me,” said Ezura.
The chimpira hauled Kou out of the vehicle and frog-marched her up the loading dock stairs. They passed through large swinging doors and rushed through a busy restaurant kitchen. It was full of workers voluntarily blind to the mobsters, who hustled their captive to an oversized food service elevator. A third punk held the doors open as they entered the elevator and remained to guard the lift as the doors closed.
The elevator rose for several floors before jerking to a stop. It lifted another two floors to the hotel’s penthouse suite after Ezura pulled open a side panel on the back wall and punched in a security code. The doors opened and the group stepped onto plush carpet and walked through an entranceway decorated with Bocci lighting and landscape portraits. Kou was dragged and half carried to the end of the hall where one gangster guarded an open door waiting for their arrival. The group entered the corner suite and the woman’s escorts dropped them onto the living room floor.
Ezura crouched to make eye contact with his captive. “You are here because your gaijin father caused our family trouble. We lost face and require retribution.” He removed the gag from Kou’s mouth.
“You pig,” said Kou in a voice dry and horse.
Ezura smiled and stood up. “We’ll continue this conversation later. In the meantime, make yourself comfortable,” he said.
“What do you want with me?” screamed Kou, and tears fell down her face.
The well-dressed mobster shrugged his shoulders in reply and kicked the teenager’s buttocks hard. Kou cried out in pain.
“Stop the noise,” said Ezura. He pulled out a switchblade and cut the tape off the young girl’s wrists. He grabbed her by the hair and held the knife to her throat. “Don’t be unreasonable, as your cooperation is essential to your future. Do I have your full attention and a promise to follow my orders?” asked Ezura.
“I understand. Don’t hurt me,” begged Kou.
Ezura nodded and closed the blade. Nori Nakada looked over the young girl from the doorway. Kou pushed herself against the wall in an attempt to distance herself from Nakada’s unveiled interest. Kou was shaking with fear and looked anywhere but at her kidnappers.
“We’ve got important work to do. Call me Ezura,” he said and pinched Kou’s cheek. Kou pulled away from him and leaned against the sofa to distance herself from the mobster. Ezura backed up a few steps and assessed the girl. “I’m the man and the facilitator of this project. You’re going to cooperate and trust me that everything will work out for you,” he said.
The dandy smirked and forced a scream by slapping Kou hard in the face. Kou wiped her nose and came away with blood on her hands. The sight initiated more sobs from Kou. “What kind of a man are you?” she screamed.
“A smart one, but you, my lovely lady, you seem like a slow learner and need to start listening to keep yourself safe,” replied Ezura. His anger seemed to increase as he punctuated every word and spoke through clenched teeth.
The tiny hairs on Kou’s arm stood up as the threat of violence proliferated throughout the room. Ezura rubbed his hands together and nodded toward the girl while making eye contact with the chimpira at the table. “It’s time to release her and get to work,” he said. He walked over to Kou. “We’ll be going on a trip soon, and you need to take a shower and get cleaned up.”
Kou looked at her kidnapper with an expression of total hatred. Ezura stepped behind her and released her bindings before pushing Kou toward the washroom. “Get going. You can handle a shower by yourself,” he said.
The bathroom door slammed and the shower water started immediately. Ezura waited five minutes before checking on his captive. He was shocked to see two legs dangling from the ceiling. The girl had found the trapdoor to the crawl space used for maintenance workers and was making an escape. Ezura screamed and stepped onto the toilet and grabbed the girl’s feet and yanked her down from the crawl space. She fell on top of him half-naked, kicking, screaming, and scratching at him.
The three chimpira stationed around the suite scrambled in alarm to the bathroom
and slipped on the steam-slick floor. They bounced against each other like circus clowns before separating their boss from the girl fighting like a tiger on the shower floor. “Stop it, you fucking idiots,” screamed Ezura. He detached himself from Kou. He pointed at the teenager. “Take the little one into the bedroom and have a little fun.”
Kou screamed in horror but went silent when an older man looked into the shower room to observe the commotion. “Good afternoon, Ezura,” said Sato.
Ezura stood as if frozen and slowly dropped to his knees.
“Are you taking good care of my guest?” asked Sato.
“The girl is undisciplined and needs motivation. She’s not cooperating,” replied Ezura.
“Your heart might be in the right place, but your actions are counterproductive. What woman can go to a public event and perform professionally if she’s bruised and blemished? How can she star in a film looking like she’s lost a prize fight?” asked Sato.
Ezura bowed his head to the ground. “Please accept my most humble apologies,” he said. His voice originated from his stomach and was deep and martial in tone.
“Bring the little girl into the living room, as we all need to have a talk,” ordered Sato.
“Yes, right away,” said Ezura, and he bowed once more before rising.
They walked into the main suite where Kou was deposited on the couch covered only in a blanket. Two enormous Polynesian men as massive as sumo champions stood on either side of Kou. The three chimpira waited on their knees by the front door next to Nori Nakada who leaned against a wall admiring the half-naked fourteen-year-old girl sitting on the sofa.
“We don’t have a great deal of time, but I think we need to enlighten our little community in this room. Bring the two punks we found molesting the little girl,” ordered Sato.
The chimpira were brought to Sato. “We caught these two delinquents with our houseguest. How would raping this girl bring us closer to success? An object lesson is required to change this type of primitive and destructive behavior,” said Sato.
Sato invited his bodyguards forward to lend their assistance and pointed at one of the chimpira. “Pick up this idiot and crush his ribs,” ordered Sato.
The four-hundred-pound man picked up the little punk and squeezed with his huge muscular arms, snapping his ribs as if they were chicken bones. The little thug turned red and pathetic noises came from his broken respiratory system. At the nod of Sato’s head, the giant unwound his steel grip and dropped the punk to the floor where he lay desperate for every breath. Kou covered her eyes and turned away from the man suffering blue-faced on the floor.
Sato selected the next punk and ordered, “Break his arm.” The second giant stepped nimbly around his partner to grab the young punk’s right arm. He slapped the chimpira’s face to negate any resistance and jerked the young man’s arm to the side. The chimpira’s scream was loud and horrible as his arm bent and twisted until it snapped at the elbow. The giant Polynesian lowered the crippled punk gently to the floor with powerful hands and left him lying in shock.
Sato looked at Kou and waited until she returned his stare. “Do you understand this concept, or do you have to become part of today’s lesson?” he asked.
“I understand,” replied Kou.
Sato turned his attention to Ezura. “Step over to the kitchen table and cut off any finger on your left hand above the top knuckle,” ordered Sato.
Ezura bowed and accepted a long sharp knife from Nori Nakada. He took a seat and touched the table with the tip of the blade, holding it perpendicular. He positioned the blade above the top knuckle of his little finger and pulled the knife through ligament and bone. Kou turned white and slid to the floor while remaining conscious but vomited everything in her stomach.
“There’s nothing like a dynamic presentation,” said Sato. He gestured to the results of his leadership and walked out the door.
***
Gregg had tried calling Miki and Kou several times without connecting and resorted to leaving several voice messages. The cut on his left hand ached, as did his broken right wrist, like most parts of his bruised and battered body. He’d refused painkillers when the vet had offered them, but he now eyed the pharmaceuticals left on the table beside the sofa where he sat sipping on a bottle of water. He scooped up the Dixie Cup holding the medicine and tossed its contents down his throat. They tasted bitter and he chased unwanted flavor away with water from the bottle.
The drugs didn’t have an immediate effect, but he was exhausted and for the first time in days felt safe and moderately comfortable. Gregg put his head back and almost instantly fell into a deep sleep. He was unconscious of his loud snoring and its disturbing effect on the animals in the clinic.
Chapter 31
Tokyo, Yokota Air Base, Intelligence Wing’s Secure Meeting Room
Jeff Ward and Steve Brown sat facing each other while separated by a large conference table. A large screen was built on the north side of the room and a map of Japan covered the south wall. The east and west sides of the room were decorated with photos of various reconnaissance aircraft including the Lockheed SR-71, Lockheed U-2, and the World War II O-57 Grasshopper. “Thank you for coming to meet me at short notice. There’s a lot to report,” said Ward.
“You’re welcome. Please proceed,” ordered Brown.
“The Naicho completed their interrogation of Keiko Tanaka. The process required forty-eight hours but the results shared are valuable if not disturbing,” said Ward.
Brown gestured with his hands for Ward to continue.
“Keiko’s family is from the coast city of Niigata where the North Korean abduction of Japanese citizens has been documented and substantiated. A woman named Izumi Kimura disappeared while strolling on the beach in the early evening of September 7, 1978. She was Keiko Tanaka’s maternal grandmother. Shortly after Keiko started working for our agency, she was approached by a man who convinced her with photos and letters to believe her grandmother was alive and under detention in North Korea. She’s been passing classified data to her contact to protect her grandmother. We may never have discovered the leak if she hadn’t alerted her contacts to Gregg’s mission by booking the Conrad through the American embassy.”
“Did our Japanese associates turn her?” asked Brown.
“The Naicho showed evidence to the contrary to prove she’d been duped. Their data showed her grandmother died in harsh circumstances at a North Korean labor camp. They told her that her grandmother was a Japanese patriot who refused to cooperate with the authoritarian regime in North Korea,” said Ward.
“Was their data legitimate?” asked Brown.
“Probably not, but we’re confident Keiko’s spilled every detail of her collaboration with North Korea and our Japanese counterparts are training Keiko for deployment as a double agent,” said Ward.
“Our little exercise with the amateur courier paid off in one respect,” said Brown.
“Let’s not pop the champagne corks quite yet. There’s been several recent developments necessitating your attention,” said Ward.
“You know how to spoil the moment. Give me the details,” said Brown.
“I’m sure you’re aware of the attacks on Gregg at the Chiba Highway rest stop and in Meguro,” said Ward.
“Yes, but I’m not sure of the current status of the people involved. Please bring me up to speed,” ordered Brown.
“Gregg’s friend took a .22 round in the abdomen, but it didn’t strike any vital organ and we got him medical treatment in time to save his life. Gregg is recovering from an arm broken in Thailand, multiple cuts, contusions, and a deep knife wound on his hand. He’s had quite an initiation into our business,” said Ward.
“Indeed. How well have you mopped up the mess left at the rest stop and by the Meguro River?” asked Brown.
“I’ve got Mariko from our domestic desk on standby and she’s promised to bring us up to speed,” said Ward.
“Good,” replied Brown.
Wa
rd hit a button on the projector and Mariko’s face appeared on the large screen. “It’s about time. I’ve got a shitload of data to share with you fellows,” said Mariko.
“Scottish slang,” said Ward.
“I picked that one up in New Jersey. My undergraduate degree’s from Princeton,” replied Mariko.
Steve Brown removed his glasses and Mariko continued with her presentation.
“I’ve prepared some slides. Check this one out,” she said. The picture showed a group of about one hundred men dressed in dark suits and standing on a manicured lawn in front of an opulent estate. “These men, as you probably have guessed, are yakuza. Your boys are not popular with the gokudo. They pissed off the families big-time, and it’s personal now,” said Mariko.
“Feel free to expand on this one. I’ll make time,” said Ward while leaning forward on the table and covering his eyes with his left hand.
“The Chiba and Meguro police reports identified Gregg’s assailants as having various degrees of association with the Inuzawa-kai. It’s one of the larger crime families with near six thousand known affiliates,” said Mariko.
“Shit, you’ve got to be pulling my leg,” replied Ward.
“No, I’m not making this up. The Inuzuawa-kai is headquartered in Yokohama and the gunman who bugged out has been identified as a Nori Nakada. He reports to a high-level mobster named Minoru Sato who runs his business out of the huge estate shown in the picture. It’s known as the White Deer. He’s a major underboss and the number-two man in the Inuzawa-kai. His place is a center of gangland activity.”
“This is not good news,” commented Steve Brown.
“Roger that, Gregg was lucky. They sent inexperienced entry-level thugs known as chimpira to both the Chiba and Meguro hits. Nori Nakada is a middle-level manager in their organization with some prison time under his belt. The beating of Nakada and the four chimpira was the equivalent of kicking a hornet’s nest. The word is out and the Inuzawa-kai want payback. Gregg Westwood’s been identified and the poor bastard has family collateral at stake,” said Mariko.
The Courier Page 14