Chapter 8

MinisterTakahashiwasincensed.Hisdarkruggedfacehadturnedacrimsonredandtheveinsinhisneckpulsedlikewormsinabaitbox.Oneofhiskeylieutenants,hiswakagashiraandsecondinmand,hadbeenmurderedinawaythatwassoshamefulthathewastemptedtoorderthewholegang,whohadbeenattheexclusiveCherryBlossomclubindowntownTokyothatnight,tomitseppuku,theritualslicingopenoftheirownstomachs,instantly.ButNobuTakahashiwasapatientman,avirtuethathadseenhimrisefromthesonofalowlyKyotoshopkeepertooneofthemostimportantmeninJapan.Hehadorderedthegang,throughhissaiko-komonorpersonaladviserHirayama,fortheoyabunhimselfhadminimalcontactwiththeYakuza,toleavenostoneunturnedtofindthekillerandbringhimtoaswiftandbloodyjustice.

ButthatwastheleastofTakahashi’sproblems.UponnewsofYamamoto’sembarrassingdeath,HirayamahaddiscoveredalistofYamamoto’scontactsaroundtheworldandthedeceased’slaptopshadrevealedasideinterestthatthreatenedtodestroyeverythingthatTakahashihadworkedsohardfor.Therehadalwaysbeenrumors,deniedreligiouslyofcourse,thatTakahashiwastheheadofthepowerfulYamaguchi-gumiYakuzafactiontowhichKenzoYamamotobelonged.AndYamamoto’sblackmailvictimsincludedpowerfulpeopleinJapaneseandinternationalsociety.Luckily,thedeceasedwakagashirahadkeptextensiverecordsofhisactivities,encryptedandprotectedbymega-virusesbuttwentyputersandtwenty-fourhackerhourslater,theextentofYamamoto’sbetrayalwascleartosee.

ItappearedfromKenzoYamamoto’smunicationlogsthatthevastmajorityofhiscontactswherebasicmules,hackersandinformantswhohadnoideawhattheinformationtheyprovidedwouldbeusedfor.Whatworriedtheministerhowever,werethereceiptsfortwomailedDHLpackagesthatYamamotohadsentabroadjusthoursbeforehisdeath.ThereceiptshadbeenfoundonYamamoto’sbodybutthestubsforthepackages,theonesthatwouldlistthenamesandaddressesoftherecipients,weremissing.ItappearedYamamotohaddestroyedthem.AndwhywouldYamamotohavethereceiptsinhiswallet?Thatsuggestedthathehadsentthepackagespersonally.WhydothatwhenhecouldhaveinstructedanyoneofanarmyofYakuzatodoitforhim.Takahashiwantedtoknowwhatwasinthepackages.

TheChinesehadactuallydoneTakahashiafavor.WithoutYamamoto’sdeath,thescaleofhisbetrayalwouldhaveremainedasecreteatingawayathislegacy.Withintwenty-fourhours,theYamaguchi-gumi’sarmyofhackershadgainedaccesstoYamamoto’sSwissBankaccountsandsecuritydepositboxesanddiscoveredassetsandcredittothetuneofonebillionEuros.Thescaleofitwasshocking.MoneythatshouldhavegoneintothecollectivepocketoftheYakuzahadbeensiphonedoffforYamamoto’spersonalbenefit.TakahashiwasdeterminedtoseethecreditlandinhisownmyriadsetofSwisscreditaccounts.

HopefullyhisadviserHirayamawouldbringhimsomegoodnewsbeforetheydepartedhissecludedmansionontheoutskirtsofTokyo.TheministerwassoontoleaveTokyoforarentedluxuryhideawayonGuamIslandwhereheandafewofhismostimportantkyodai,hisbloodbrothers,hadplannedtospendafewdaysofextra-curricularactivitiesandalittlebusinessbeforereturningtoTokyo.Yamamoto,ifhewerestillalive,wouldhavebeentheretoohelpingtokeepthebarkingdogsamongtheranksatbay.Hemighthavetocancelthetrip.

HehadalreadyspokenprivatelytotheprimeministerandgainedhisassurancethattheinvestigationintoYamamoto’sdeathwaspurerigmarole,apublicrelationsexercise.TheprimeministerwasmorethanpleasedwiththefinancialarrangementsTakahashihadmadeonhisbehalf.Theywereafterallchildhoodfriends.Unliketheprimeminister,Takahashihadnevermarried.Hepreferredtoplaythedashingbachelorpoliticianwhiletheprimeministerhadgoneontogivenewmeaningtothetermextendedfamily.

TakahashipouredhimselfaRemyMartinfromanexpensive-lookingcrystaldecanteratthebarandstrolledtowardstheexpansivetopfloorbalconyofhismansion.BelowthebalconylaythesublimebeautyofhisexquisiteZengarden.Inthedarkness,hecouldmakeoutthegildedformsofhisprizedkoiastheyswamaboutintherockpools.Livingart.Heneverfailedtobeamazedbythesymmetryandharmonyofitall,thebalancecreatedbythedarkshadowsthathadretiredtoonesideofthegarden,LEDsblinkingintermittentlyinthewinternight.ThatharmonyhadnowbeentemporarilybrokenbyYamamoto’sshamefuldeathandhistreachery.

NobuTakahashiwasofmediumbuildbutstockywiththehairyfeaturesofJapanesefromsouthernJapan.Histhickblackhairwasstreakedwithgray,naturallycurlyandflowedbackinthickkeratinwavesfromhisimpressiveforehead.Hisnosethoughslightlyonthelargesidewasnotlargeenoughtobealiability.Hewasoftendescribedinthemediaas‘ruggedlyhandsome’,muchtohiswellconcealeddelight.

Hissaiko-komonsvoicewaftedthroughthehalfopendoorofoneofthemansionsroomsthatservedasoffices.Hirayamawastyinguplooseendswiththeinvestigations.TheviewofTokyocityatnightwastrulyimpressive.Hesighednostalgically,ponderinghowJapancouldregainthetechnologyleadthatNewChinahadtakenawayoverthelasttwodecades.JapanwasstillaninnovatorbutitwaslaggingbehindNewChinainalmosteveryotherareaoftradeandindustry.Andwhattodoaboutthosetwonamesonthelist?

Hirayamawalkedcalmlyouttothebalcony.

“Ihopeit’sgoodnews,”Takahashigrowledwithfeignedgruffness.Hirayamawasadogtobekeptdownatalltimesotherwisehiscaninesmightstarttoshow.

“WefoundoutthedetailsonthepackagesYamamotosentandwherehesentthem.Theyweresenttotwoaddresses.OnewassenttoaDr.JamesJoplininBostonandanothertoaCadCaldwellinLondon.Ourmenaretrackingthemdownrightnowoyabun.”

“Interesting,andwhatwasinthem?”

“ItappearsYamamotogotawaywithoutdeclaringthecontents,”Hirayamadeliveredthisnot-so-goodnewswithhisheadbowed.

“ButwecanfindoutfromDHL,right?Theymusthavethatinformationintheirsystems.”Itwasmoreofastatementthanaquestion.

“Ourtechniciansarecurrentlyattemptingtoretrievethisinformation.SofaritseemstherearenorecordsofthecontentsatDHLJapanbutwemightbeabletogetsomethingfromtheiroverseassystems.Ireallydon’tunderstandwhy,inthisdayandage,hewouldsendthosepackagestotheseforeigners,oyabun.”

“Yamamotowasadeviousmanandatraitor.”

“Yes,whowouldhaveguessedit?”

“Yet,westillrevengeourown.AnyIDontheassassin?”

Hirayamabrokeintoasmile.

“HetookoutalltheCCTVsinthebuildingbutitappearsthattheCherryBlossomhadhiddencamerasinsidethetoiletsofthemen’slavatorytoo.Whyonearththeywouldwanttofilmthegenitalsofamaneasinghimselfisbeyondunderstanding.ProbablysomenewdemandfromyoungJapanesegirlsturningthetablesonpervertedmalechauvinistpigs.JustyesterdaytheYomiuriShimbunreportedthatasalarymanwasgropedinbroaddaylightonthewayhomefromworkbyagroupofteenageschoolgirls.Anyway,thekillerwascaughtoncameradoctoringthetoiletseat.Astillimagewassenttousafewminutesago.AnothertoiletattendantattheCherryBlossomhasconfirmedseeingasmallChinesemanhangingaroundthetoilets.Theanalysisofthetoxinconfirmsthistoo.It’saChinesenanobotvariantoftheneuromusculartoxinbotulinum.”

“RuntheimageagainstthedatabasesandthepatternrecognitionAIs.Findoutwhoheis.TelltheothersthatthetriptoGuamiscancelled.Weneedtotieuptheselooseends,quickly.”

“Yesoyabun.Pleaseacceptmyapologiesfortheslowprogresssir.”

“Quitethecontrary,oncetheassassinandthoseforeignersaredeadandtheconsolesretrievedsafely,youwillbewellrewarded.”

“Theyareasgoodasdead,oyabun,”Hirayamapromised,ashisvoicedriftedoutintothecoolTokyonight.