Chapter 26

ThelunchtimeShinjukucrowdeyedtheeight-carmotorcadeofblackLexussedansastheyturnedoffthebusymainstreetofthebustlingbusinessdistrictanddisappearedintoaholeinthesideofafuturistic-lookingbuilding.Theblacktintedshatter-proofglasswindowsandbullet-proofsidepanelssuggestedonlyonething.Yakuza.TheJapanesewereusedtoseeingmotorcadeslikethisoneallovertown,butthepresidentialauthoritywithwhichtheycruisedthestreetsneverfailedtoinspireawe.MinisterTakahashiwassittinginthebackofthefifthcarwithhisadviserHirayama.Inthefrontsataheavilytattooedbodyguardinablacksuitandthedriver.BothTakahashiandHirayamawereontheircellphones.Theministerwastalkingpoliticswithsomegovernmentbureaucratwhilehissaiko-komonwastakingcareofanaltogetherdifferentkindofbusiness.

“Areyousure?”theadviserHirayamawasaskingsomeoneattheotherendoftheline.

“Well,she’sAmerican.HerpassportsayshernameisDianeJaneJoplin.Abouttheageyoumentionedandthereisdefinitelyaconsoleofsomedescriptioninherluggage.Wedon’tseemayAmericansofheragetravelingaloneanddefinitelyveryfewwithconsolesofthatdescriptionintheirluggage.”

Hirayamacouldbarelybelievehisluck.Onceagainthescenarioanalysisconstructhadbeenrightonthemoney.OncetheBostonYakuzahadreportedthattheyhadn’tfoundtheconsoleatJoplin’shouse,Hirayamahadmovedintohighgear.ThesoftwarehadnarrowedtheplacesshewouldgotoNewYork,NewChinaorTokyo.HehadrushedtoissuenoticestotheYakuza’sinformantsintheairlinesandJapanesecustomstocallhiscellphoneassoonassomeonefittingherdescriptionwasspotted,withinthenextforty-eighthours.

“Didyoufindoutwhereshe’sstaying?”

“Ofcourse,yourinstructionswereclear.ShesaidshewasstayingattheKeioPlazaHotel.”

“Description?”

“Ihaveherdatainfrontofme.Onemeterseventy.Slimwithbrowneyesandmousyblonde,almost-brown,hair.Keepsitinaponytail.QuiteprettyinthatAmericanway.Shedidn’tlookexcitedlikemosttouristsdowhentheyvisitacivilizedcountryforthefirsttime.I’dsayshelookedsadandabitlost.”

“Goodwork.Youwillberewardedthroughtheusualchannel.”Hirayamapressedabuttononthetinyphoneandslippeditintohissuitpocket.Theministerwasstillonthephone,thedeepboomofhisvoicefillingthecarasitslidintooneofthereservedparkingslotsnexttotheotherLexussedans.Theheavies,alldressedinblack,werealreadylinedupnexttothecarparkexitwaitingtoushertheirmasterthrough.

ThefactthattheBostonYakuzahadn’tfoundtheconsoleafterransackingJoplin’ssprawlinghousehadbeenasetbackbutthegodshadsetthingsrightwiththisthelatestpieceofnews.MinisterTakahashiwouldbepleasedalthoughHirayamaknewhisbosswellenoughtobelievethathewouldn’tshowit.Thingswereslowlybeingbroughtundercontrol.HehadsuccessfullymanagedtobringYamamoto’sill-gottenfundsundertheminister’scontrolandtheministerhadwiredasmallfortuneintooneofHirayama’sownaccounts.LoyaltyhaditsvalueandHirayama’sunflinchingloyaltywasbeginningtopaydividends.Yet,thetrueprizewouldbeYamamoto’spositionwithintheYamaguchi-gumihierarchy.Thatjobwasnowvacantandhehopedthattheoyabunwouldseefittoelevatehimtothatposition.

Thepositionofsaiko-komonorpersonaladviser,thoughpowerful,wasanuntenableone.Yes,hehadaccesstoinformationthatotherYakuzawouldgivetheirlivesfor,yet,contrarytotradition,hehadnogangsofhisownunderhisowncontrol.Itwasadeliberatestateofaffairsinstitutedbytheoyabun.Iftheoyabunfell,hewouldfalltoobyproxy.HisfatewasirretrievablytiedtothatofNobuTakahashi.HirayamaknewthegangstructurebetterthanevenTakahashihimself.HewasfamiliarwiththedynamicsofeveryaspectofthisblackcloudthatreachedintoeveryaspectofJapanesesociety.Whobetterthanhetobesecondinmand?HesuspectedthatafterYamamoto’streacheryTakahashiwouldmovetopromotesomeonetrustworthy,morecontrollable.AndwhowasmoretrustworthyormorecontrollablethanHirayamahimself?Atleastthatiswhathewantedhisbosstobelieve.Yet,beingsoclosehaditsdisadvantages.TakahashicoulddecidethatHirayamaknewtoomuchandthatifhewasmadesecond-in-manditwouldbetoodangerous.Also,therewereothersintheranksclamoringforYamamoto’sposition.

ThatwastheveryreasontheywereheretodayinoneoftheYamaguchi-gumi’smanymercialbuildingsinShinjuku.TheheadshadrequestedanimpromptumeetingtobeupdatedontheYamamotofiasco,amererusetosoundouttheoyabunonwhomhewouldhandpicktofillthevacuumcreatedbythetraitor’sdeath.Theywouldbereadingtheoyabun’seyescarefullytodiscernwhohispreferencewasandTakahashihimselfwouldbereadingtheirmindstoseewhowantedthejobmostandwhattheirmotivationswere.AndHirayamawouldsittheredetached,watchingthewholesilentgameofcatandmousefromapositionofabsoluteobjectivity.Heknewtheoyabunwouldaskhimprivatelywhohethoughtwantedthejob.Hisresponsewouldhavetobewellthoughtout,strategic.Itwouldbeawaytoisolatehisenemieswithintheranksandtheyweremany.

Takahashifinishedhisphoneconversationastheyenteredthemarblelobbyofthebuildingandmovedtowardsthebankofelevators.Eventhoughhewaswearingdarkglasses,everyoneinthelobbyrecognizedNobuTakahashiforwhohewasandgavetheirdeepestbowastheblack-cladgroupofYakuzastrodetowardstheprivateelevators.Asecurityguardboweddeeplyandinsertedhiskeycard.Theelevatordoorsopenedandthemenwalkedinside,surroundingtheirbosslikevulturesaroundadeadcorpse.Hirayamafeltslightlyunfortablewithallthatflesharoundhim.

“Takahashi-san,thatwascustomsattheairport.Thegirlisintown.ForwhatIdonotknowbutsheisbookedintotheKeioPlazaHotelrighthereinShinjuku.”

“Hmm,”Takahashigruntedastheelevatorspedtowardsthepenthouseofficeonthetopfloorofthebuilding.TheministerhadalreadyoverheardtheconversationandwasshowinghisimpatienceathavingtheinformationrepeatedeventhoughitwasHirayama’sdutytoreportit.

“Shouldwepickherup?”

“No.Putadetailonher.Nothingconspicuous.Reportwhatshe’supto.She’sinJapanforapurpose.Let’sseewhatshegetsupto.Evenmoreimportant,letsseewhoelseisonhertail.”AllthissaidwhileTakahashiwaslookingupattheceilingoftheelevator,admiringthedetailofthedécor.

“Ofcourse,oyabun.”

“Ifnothinghappensintwenty-fourhours,killherandretrievetheconsole.”

“Ofcourse.”

“Andtheotherone,thehacker?”

“Ihavesomemenonit.TheyarefollowingourquarrytoHongKong.Heseemstohavemadesomeinterestingfriends.”

“Agency?”

“Yesoyabun.”

“Hmm.”

“Oyabun?”

“HongKongisaninterestingchoiceisn’tit?”

“Itisindeed.”

“ThereisonlyoneagencythathastheresourcesonthegroundtomountthatkindofoperationfromHongKongandthatresortstothelowleveltacticsoffreelancehackers.”

“Yes.HYDRA.BruceFouler.”

“Thisisallgettingveryinteresting,”Takahashisaidsimplyastheyemergedintoanexquisiteroomfilledwiththekyodai,thetopdogsoftheYamaguchi-gumi.