Chapter 54

Theassassinstoodperfectlystillwatchingthekoiswimlazilyinthedarkpond.Headmiredtheirbeauty,thequietfluiditywithwhichtheymovedbeneaththesurfaceofthewater.Thepondwasthecolorofonyx,itsdepthsrevealedbythereflectionsoflightfromthemansionthatstoodjustafewmetersaway.Aroundhimasmallarmyofgardenrobotsmovedsilently,re-arrangingrocksandrakingsand.Theiractivitiesandthedarknessremindedtheassassinofthebotsinthedesertallthoseyearsago.

Theeventsofthelastfewdayswerebeginningtocatchupwithhim.Itwasasthoughtheghostsofthosehehadkilled,KenzoYamamoto,ProfessorYao,theRussianOlegKrachevandnowthisonewhowassoontobedispatchedtothegreatbeyond,hadpossessedhim.Theghostswereintentondrainingalltheenergyfromhisbody.

ThefirsttwokillshadgivenhimnopleasurebuthehadfelthisbloodraceandhisadrenalinpeakashewatchedtheRussian’slifeleavehim.Themanhadbeggedforhislifeevenashechokedonhisownblood.Yet,thathadmerelyspurredtheassassinon,thesamewayhehadbeenpsychedupwhenhe’dstrangledthefamily’spetdogattheageofeight.Thedoghaddiedwithalotmoredignity.Theassassinknewthathewasjustafewkillsawayfromawell-earnedrest,whichhewasgoingtospendinShanghai,theotherShanghai.Andthemajor-generalhadpromisedasurprise.Theassassinlookedforwardtoit,knowingthatithadtobesomethingofconsiderablesignificanceforthemajor-generaltomentionit.Whatcoulditbe?Femalepanytoacpanyhimonthosecolddigitalnightswhenthepixelsetchedthemselvesintohissoullikefreshsnowonanakedbody?

Hehadbeensomewhatconfusedwhenthemajor-generalhadinterruptedhisreverie,tellinghimofthechangeofplan.Themajor-generalwantedaJapaneseministerandateenageAmericangirldeadandwhatthemajor-generalwantedhegotasfarastheassassinwasconcerned.Onceagain,theassassinhadturnedtothescenarioanalysisAIs,trustingtheirjudgmenttotally.Theministerwasmostvulnerableathishouseaftermidnight,theAIshadconcludedunanimously.HisYakuzabodyguardsgenerallyleftaround11.00PM,neverlaterthanmidnight.HowtheAIsdeterminedthis,theassassinhadnoideabutheknewtheAIshadaccesstoterabytesofvoice,data,CCTVdumpsandwhoknewwhatotherkindsofinformation.Fromthisconfusionofdisparatedatatheymadetheirdeductionsinawaynohumanevercould.HehadarrangedfortheAIstodisabletheminister’sCCTVcamerastemporarilyataspecifictime.

Theassassinfelttheunitcurvedaroundthebackofhisneckvibrateandhecalledupthevisualimageofthemenuthatadministeredthedrugsthattemporarilyreplenishedhisenergy.Hehadn’tusedthefeatureforawhilebutthistimehisbodytoldhimhewouldneedit.Hemadehisselectionandfeltatwingeasthenanobotsenteredhissystemadministeringthechemicals.Awaveofenergypulsedthroughhisbodyandknowingtheeffectswouldn’tlastlong,theassassinmovedpurposefullytowardsthehouse.Therewaslightseepingthroughthebalconyofthetop-mostfloor.Theassassinknewhisquarrylaywithin,waitingtodie.