“Hold on, something’s up. I’ll call you back.” Marco ended the call and watched as two paramedics took an empty gurney from the back of the ambulance and ran inside.
Marco walked into the lobby and watched them board the elevator. The doors shut and he fixed his stare on the floor indicator. It stopped on the fifth floor, same one that Julie’s room was on.
He approached a bellhop. “Excuse me, what’s going on?”
“Nothing to worry about, sir,” said the bellhop.
“I’m sure it’s not, I’m just curious.”
“Sorry sir, I don’t know.” The bellhop looked away.
Marco sighed and took out his wallet. He produced a fifty-dollar bill and folded it in his hand, grasping it so only a bit of it stuck out. Marco cleared his throat and the bellhop looked at him again. He saw the bill and discretely reached out and took it.
The bellhop leaned closer to Marco and whispered. “Some woman on the fifth floor apparently tried to shoot herself. Her friend called the front desk and asked for an ambulance.”
“Aren’t the police supposed to be called in if there was a gunshot?” asked Marco.
The bellhop shrugged. “Maybe they’re running late.”
“Thanks.” Marco patted the bellhop on the arm and walked away. The elevator doors opened and he turned his back, moving behind a support pillar in the lobby to conceal himself.
He glanced around the pillar and saw the paramedics pushing the gurney out. And on the gurney was a woman with an oxygen mask over her face. He only got a brief look at her, but he was sure it was Tauna.
Marco started to follow, then he realized something. There were only two paramedics who went into the elevator. But three came out. He took his phone and called Dante.
“Sir, I think we’ve got a really big problem.”
CHAPTER 11
The truck came to a stop. Julie prepared herself as the door opened and sunlight came pouring in. She held up her arm to block it out, her eyes far too used to the darkness of the truck. When her vision cleared, she saw the driver standing there and he offered his hand to help her down.
Julie ignored the hand and climbed out on her own. “Where are we?”
“Inside.” The driver pointed to an old house.
Julie walked up to the door and tested the handle. It was locked. She heard the sound of an engine turning over and glanced over her shoulder. The driver apparently couldn’t wait to get out of here. She returned attention to the door and saw a bell.
“What the hell.” She pushed her thumb against the button and heard the sound of the doorbell ringing inside the house.
Almost instantly, the door opened and a tall man with short, dark hair and blue eyes opened. “Hello, Ms. Kim,” he said with a smile. “A pleasure to finally meet you. Please, come in.”
He gestured for her to enter and she did. Once he closed the door behind her, he turned and found himself staring down the barrel of a gun. Slowly, he raised his hands. “What are you doing?”
Julie held the weapon firm in her grip, having drawn it from the holster on her ankle. “Okay,” she said. “I want to know just what in the hell is going on here. Why did you send me that drive and ask to meet if you were just going to tip off the Agency? Why did you kidnap Mason Draconi? And most importantly, who the fuck are you?”
“Just relax, my dear. I have all the answers you’re looking for.” He looked at the table and chairs in the center of the front room. “Mind if we sit?”
Julie looked at the table and gave a nod. She gestured for him to sit with her gun and he slowly moved over to the table and sat down. Julie sat across from him, but kept the gun trained on his head the entire time.
“My name is Virgil,” he said.
Julie scoffed. “Dante and Virgil? Seriously?”
“They were names given to us after we’d finished our training,” said Virgil. “Our new identities. Once we’d signed our lives over to the Agency.”
“You and Dante were partners,” she said.
“Indeed we were. Trained by Draconi to be the best the Agency had ever seen.”
“Until Dante left to form Infernum.”
“Until we both did. You didn’t think Dante was able to start up such an ambitious project all by his lonesome, did you?” Virgil reached his hand out and Julie steadied her gun. “Relax, just want a cigarette.”
Julie noticed the cigarette case and lighter. She gave a nod of permission. Virgil removed a cigarette from the case and lit it, then relaxed in his seat as he exhaled the smoke.
“I take it Dante didn’t mention me when he told you his life story,” said Virgil.
“Okay Virgil, if you helped create Infernum, that explains why you want the Agency destroyed. And given that this is the first I’m hearing of you, something tells me that you and Dante had a kind of falling out some time ago. Sound about right?”
“More or less.”
“That explains Draconi—you knew Dante would be keeping tabs on his old mentor and that if he went missing, Dante would feel a need to take a personal involvement in this,” said Julie. “But it doesn’t explain why you tipped off the Agency about my arrival.”
Virgil took a casual drag on the cigarette. “It’s all about distraction, my dear. I needed Dante here but of course I knew he wouldn’t come alone. He brought his pet tigress with him, as he always does. Getting her out of the way was paramount.
“I know how Chandler thinks. I worked for him and I’ve spent the years since studying his every move. I knew if I went to you, Chandler would jump at the chance to not only take down a rogue agent but also smoke out a mole. And he did, sending the man he’s suspected of being the mole. Marco, being your former partner, would inform Infernum. Dante would suspect a connection to Draconi’s disappearance and that would bring all the players onto the board.”
“But you set up everything for my escape at the hotel. How?” asked Julie.
“I’ve been watching you ever since you arrived in Costa Rica,” said Virgil. “I knew the hotel you first went to and when I saw you weren’t staying there, it wasn’t hard to discover that’s where you left the drive. You even checked in under a different alias, just in case.”
“And that’s how Marco knew where to find me,” said Julie. “What’s so important about getting Dante here? Revenge?”
Virgil grinned. “Much more than that. But you let me worry about Dante. I have far grander plans in store for him.”
“You and Dante were partners, you left the Agency and started Infernum together. Now you’re working against him and the Agency. So what happened there? How come you two aren’t BFFs anymore?”
Virgil sniffed and ashed his cigarette in the tray. “It all started to go south about fifteen years ago. We’d started Infernum a few years before that and had begun making inroads with some of the contacts we’d made during our time with the Agency. It was slow-going at first, you understand. Many were afraid to go against the Cabal. But Dante and I, we were persistent. It was a new world order, you understand. A post-Soviet world, rife with new possibilities. While at first, people were unwilling to meet with us, now there was increased interest. The collapse of the Soviet Union made some wonder if the Cabal was truly as powerful as they thought, given that they couldn’t even really predict that. We provided an alternative and it generated interest. That’s what brought us to Japan and a meeting with one of the most powerful yakuza organizations.”
CHAPTER 12
The taxi pulled up to the curb in Tokyo’s Kabuki-cho district and the door opened. Dante was the first to climb out and he glanced down at his watch. Virgil moved behind him and the two men looked up at the building the cab dropped them off in front of. Several stories high with a series of brightly lit signs advertising a variety of cabaret bars.
“Which one?” asked Dante.
“Top floor,” said Virgil. “One of Morimoto’s many clubs across the country.”
The two men entered the building and took the e
levator up to the ninth floor. They walked out and pulled open the heavy, wooden door just across from the elevator. The bar occupied the entire top floor of the building and had dim lighting all about. A haze of smoke filled the air and a young Japanese woman wearing what looked to be a prom dress enthusiastically greeted them at the door. But once she got a look at their faces, her expression changed.
“Just a moment,” she said in Japanese and opened a nearby door, quickly speaking to someone inside. When she emerged, she was followed by two large men dressed in flashy suits. They stepped closer and both Dante and Virgil could see the edges of tattoos on their necks, hinting at larger designs beneath their unbuttoned shirts.
“Japanese only,” said one of the men in English. “No gaijin.”
“We’re here to speak with Mr. Morimoto,” said Virgil, communicating in flawless Japanese. “We’re with Infernum.”
One of the men whispered something to the other. The one who spoke gave a curt nod and motioned for Dante and Virgil to follow him. They did, moving deeper into the smoke-filled den. Past the bar was a large seating area with booths lining the wall and tables set up in front of them. The room was nearly full to capacity with various Japanese men in suits communicating with the girls. Despite the bouncer’s claim of Japanese only, that didn’t seem to apply to the girls. Only a few seemed Japanese with others looking like they came from southeast Asia or eastern Europe. Music piped through the speakers, courtesy of off-tune karaoke singers.
The two bouncers led Dante and Virgil to a booth and gestured for them to have a seat. Both men slid behind the tables and onto the leather cushions. One of the yakuza shouted something in Japanese to two of the girls standing by the bar. One took a bottle of whiskey from behind and the other prepared a tray with glasses, water, and a bucket of ice and the two girls took them over and set them on the table. The women then sat beside the two men.
“Interesting place,” said Dante as he drew a cigarette. Before he could light it, the girl by his side did it for him. She poured him a whiskey and water and handed it to him. He accepted the glass and faked a smile. “Thanks.”
“Pretty good scam they got running on these hapless guys,” said Virgil. “Company workers for the most part, they come in here and dump half their paychecks on these women who probably despise the lot of them.”
“Morimoto better have a damn good reason for making us wait,” said Dante.
“Take it easy. If we can get in with him, we’ll have access to the politicians he’s got in his pocket. And that’s no small thing,” said Virgil.
The girls attempted to flirt with the two, but Dante and Virgil just ignored them and continued talking amongst themselves. After several tries, the girls eventually gave up and just drank in silence.
“If he breaks with the Cabal, we might get other gangs to follow,” said Virgil. “It’s an important meeting, so keep your cool.”
Dante scoffed and leaned back against the cushion, drawing on the cigarette. As he looked around the room, he caught sight of a girl in one of the nearby booths. He concentrated on her, studying her features. Even with all the make-up she had on, he could tell that underneath was a girl who couldn’t have been more than fifteen. What disturbed him even more was the man beside her. He was in his sixties at least with almost no hair left on his head and he had one arm wrapped around her shoulders, his other hand on her leg. The girl pulled away whenever he attempted to slide closer to her and she pushed his hand down as he tried to slide it further up her leg.
“Excuse me.” Dante stamped out the cigarette and stood, pushing past the girl. Virgil watched him go with surprise.
“Dante, what the hell are you doing?”
“Mingling.”
He walked closer to the booth with the young girl and the old man, ignoring the calls of Virgil for him to come sit back down. Dante stopped in front of the booth, waiting a few moments for the man to acknowledge his presence. When he didn’t, Dante cleared his throat to draw attention. The man looked up in annoyance.
“I don’t think she’s terribly interested in you,” said Dante in Japanese.
“Do you think I care?” he asked. “She’s paid for.”
“Then that’s just too bad. Perhaps if you ask nicely, you’ll get a refund.”
The man grunted and stood. Dante reached for the bottle of whiskey, wrapping his fingers around the neck.
“Do you have any idea who I am?” asked the man.
Dante smiled. “You know, I’ve heard that line more times than I can count. Do you know how I respond?”
The man shook his head. And Dante slammed the bottle against it. The girl gasped and the glass shattered, whiskey going everywhere. The man collapsed, landing on the table and his weight knocking it over, as well as the glasses and ice that were present. They scattered everywhere and the girl stood, moving back, watching with a mix of curiosity and excitement. But not, Dante noted, fear.
There were shouts that followed and Virgil grabbed Dante’s shoulder. “What the hell are you doing?”
“She’s barely fifteen,” said Dante.
Virgil sighed. “I know. But it’s not our place to get involved. Not yet, anyway.”
“What the hell?”
Dante and Virgil looked in the direction of the new voice. The two bouncers from before flanked a Japanese man in his fifties or so. And his expression was definitely not pleased.
“Mr. Morimoto,” said Virgil. “This…I can explain.”
“He was pawing the underage girl and she clearly wasn’t a fan,” said Dante.
Morimoto glanced at the girl, then at the man who lay on the ground. And finally, his gaze met Dante and in English, he said, “Who gives a shit?” Morimoto pointed to the man and added, “He’s a senior member of the ruling political party. And you assault him with a bottle like a common street thug?”
“Forgive my associate,” said Virgil, sticking to Japanese to try and convey respect.
“This is how you do business?” Morimoto punctuated the statement by shouting something in Japanese to his men.
One of the yakuza reached inside his jacket. He produced a balisong and flung it, the cover a silver blur as he swung the weapon. When the knife was ready, he held it in a reverse-grip and brought the knife down on his target.
Dante crossed his arms and held them up, blocking the thug’s swing. They stayed like that for a moment, struggling against each other. Dante grabbed the thug’s arm and twisted it to the side, then delivered a fierce headbutt. The thug stumbled, the knife falling from his grip. Screams followed and many of the customers and the other girls ran for the exit.
The second came at Dante, this time with a switchblade. Dante jumped back with each swing, avoiding the slashes. He fell back on his left foot and kicked with his right, knocking the switchblade out of the man’s grasp.
After the kick, Dante drew his gun from beneath his leather jacket. He fired two quick shots, taking out both the guards. Dante then turned the gun onto Morimoto and saw the yakuza leader had a pistol of his own pointed at the former Agency operative.
“Stop, both of you!” said Virgil.
“I agree to meet with you, to bring my business through your organization,” said Morimoto. “And this is how you repay my kindness? You assault my friends, kill my men, and aim a gun at my face?”
“Technically, I’m aiming for your heart,” said Dante.
“Not the time for quips,” muttered Virgil in a terse, low voice.
Morimoto grinned. “First, I will wound the both of you. Allow you to live. Then I go to your former employers, tell them where they can pick you up. I’m sure they have some…creative punishments for your betray—”
Morimoto’s face took on a pained expression and his skin went white. His chest arched forward and he fell to the ground on his face. Blood leaked from a stab wound in his back, pooling around the ground. Dante and Virgil looked at the spot where Morimoto once stood.
The young girl stood there. Clutche
d in her hand was the discarded balisong. Blood dripped from the blade and even coated her hand. But Dante noticed how relaxed she looked. Calm, at peace. Her eyes filled with quiet rage.
“This is a fine mess you’ve caused,” said Virgil. “What now?”
Dante gave the girl a smile and a wink. Then he raised his gun and aimed it at the politician. “Who do you work for?” he asked in Japanese.
“Wh-what?” asked the politician.
Dante fired a shot above his head. “Who. Do you. Work for?”
“You!”
“Very good. This night has left you a changed man, hasn’t it?”
“Yes, absolutely!”
“In fact, from this day forth, you’ve decided to take a vow of celibacy,” said Dante.
“Celi—?”
Dante fired another shot and the politician cowered in the booth. Dante stepped closer and lowered the gun so the barrel was pointed right between the politician’s legs.
“You will be watched,” Dante continued. “Do you know what happens to naughty dogs who can’t keep their dicks in check?”
“Th-they’re neutered?”
“Precisely,” said Dante. “So from this point on, you stick to jacking off. Or your balls become my personal property. Understood?”
The politician nodded furiously. Dante held out his hand.
“Your card, please.”
The politician fumbled inside his suit and pulled out a business card holder. He passed one to Dante, his hand shaking the entire time. Dante accepted it and placed it inside his pocket.
“I’ll be in touch. Now get the hell out of my sight.”
The politician stumbled out of the booth and scampered for the exit. Virgil fixed his stare on his partner, clearly annoyed by Dante’s actions.
“Just what the hell did you think you were doing?”
“We’re not going to do business with scum who engage in these kinds of activities. Instead, we will take over their businesses and force change,” said Dante. “The whole reason we started this was to stop the Cabal. What good is it if we become just like them?”
Shadow Brokers (Infernum Book 5) Page 5