Retribution Read online

  “Do you know if they have had any luck finding the one they seek?”

  “Not that I can tell. They must be cautious about moving around in the daylight. There aren’t many Chinese in the area, so they stand out.” He shrugged. “The police have always maintained a heavy presence in the area. Since what happened with Muto, it is even worse.”

  Kishi leaned her forehead into her hands as she thought. “I want you to discreetly contact this man. Tell him I wish to speak to him about a mutual problem.”

  Juba’s eyes widened in concern. “Are you sure that’s wise? The Oyabun—”

  “How is your daughter liking her new school?” Kishi interrupted.

  The man’s face paled. “She likes it very much, Sakutaro-sama,” he squeaked.

  “Very good. Now, you were saying?” Kishi smiled at him. Instead of being reassured, Juba swallowed hard, trying to force down the lump that rose when he saw the coldness in her eyes.

  “Hai, I will relay the message.”

  “Contact Asaka when you have set up a time and place to meet.” Kishi nodded once, signaling the meeting was over.

  Juba rose and bowed deeply as he backed away, understanding the thinly veiled threat implied. His daughter was in one of the best private schools in the country, all expenses paid by Kishi Sakutaro.

  When the door closed, Asaka guffawed from his seat in the corner. “I think he pissed himself a little.”

  She cut her eyes toward the closed door, her voice hard. “If he wants to keep his little idiot in that school, he better not fuck this up.”

  Asaka smiled, but his eyes remained cold and hard. “If he wants to keep his head attached to his sorry neck, he better do it and keep his mouth shut.”

  Kishi turned to him as she stood, one hand outstretched. “And that is why I put up with you, Asaka.”

  He took her hand and spun her in a circle. “You mean, it’s not for my sick dance moves?”

  Kishi giggled and pulled him toward the door. “Come on, my dancing king. Katani and her cousin Kanai are meeting us. If I remember correctly, you had a delightful time with both last time we went out.”

  “And that, Kishi my friend, is why I love you.” Asaka grinned as he wiggled his eyebrows at her, sending her into a fit of laughter.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Shinjuku City, Tokyo, Japan

  “Dammit, Li, I feel like we are chasing our tails here,” Wu growled as they walked down the lightly traveled street. “The police questioned Jin and Shao again today. They’re all over this area. There aren’t many Chinese in this part of town, so we stand out.”

  “I know, Wu. What else can we do? We couldn’t get an apartment in the building across from that damned arcade, and there are limited places to watch from. Maybe we should look for work in the area. At least then we have a reason to be here if the police stop us.”

  “The burger place down the street has a sign that they are looking for someone to make deliveries. Maybe Jin should apply. He told the officer he was looking for work.” Wu chuckled. “I think he would look cute in one of those delivery uniforms.”

  Li cut his eyes to Wu, about to make a biting comment when he paused. “You know, Wu, that idea has merit, even though you were trying to be funny. It would establish a reason for one of us to be in the area without drawing suspicion.”

  “Jin’s going to hate that.” Wu laughed.

  “Who said anything about Jin? The place is just up the block. I think since it was your idea, you should be the one who sees it through.”

  “Come on, Li! Do I look like a delivery boy to you?”

  “You look like whatever I tell you,” Li growled. “Unless you would like to go back to the temple and explain to Kun why we failed to find these people? You know how he loves the bearer of grim news.”

  Wu paled as he considered having to face the volatile Kun with news of failing on the mission. Kun was more unpredictable every time Li checked in. Wu knew none of them would fare well if they failed.

  “I guess I’ll deliver burgers,” Wu grumped. “You know I won’t hear the end of this from those two.”

  “Jin and Shao will seek employment in the area also. I think the more eyes we can get on this, the faster we can go home.”

  “And what will you be doing while we go to our menial task?

  “Working on getting more eyes. I think it is time to call on Kun’s Yakuza contact again.”

  “Will he cooperate? He seemed to think he was done, from what you said about the meeting you had with him.”

  “He’s human. He’s done when I say he is.” Li chuckled. “He’s in no position to dictate. We can replace him.”

  Wu grinned. “I take it you plan to show him how low in the food chain he truly is?”

  “If I must. Now, go get that job. I want to see how well your uniform looks on you.” Li laughed.

  “You know I hate you, right?”

  “Hate all you want, but we have arrived. Go in and make a good impression.”

  “Yeah, I really hate you.”

  Serenity Temple, Dabie Mountains, China

  “Master, Cui reported that he has secured both ships. They will arrive in Quingdao in two days.”

  Kun looked up from his meditation. His eyes were bloodshot and his complexion sallow. He had not been sleeping, driven by his rage at the failure to capture the Forsaken and the interference by Akio. He nodded to the acolyte. “Has the group I sent to Shanxi reported back yet?”

  “No, Master. The last report was that they were about to enter the facility and check the packages. There is no signal inside the mountain, and we can’t reach them.”

  “I know there is no radio signal in the gods-be-damned mountain!” Kun snapped. “Send another team to join them. Tell them I expect an update by this time tomorrow.”

  “Yes, Master. Will there be anything else?”

  “Get out of my sight and follow your orders.”

  The acolyte pushed up from the floor and bowed deeply until he was out of Kun’s room, then ran to the operations officer to relay the message.

  Kun smiled when he heard the man racing away. Weak. All these new ones are weak. They would not have made it before the world went to hell. Even our empress turned out to be weak in the end. The Clan will rise to the status the world has denied us for so long, even if I must separate the chaff from the grain myself to make it happen. Weak, oh so weak. At least Cui has redeemed himself somewhat. He and Ren took care of that traitor Shek and immediately departed to join Pan and Yi on the mission to secure the ships. He failed to capture the leech, but perhaps he will prove not to be as weak as the others.

  Onboard the Lylia, Yellow Sea, the Coast of China

  “Ren, where did you learn to pilot a boat?” Cui asked from his perch on the rail next to the wheelhouse.

  “I grew up in Behai. We were fishermen. Why do you think I chose the warrior's path when I came of age? I hate the stink of these damned boats.”

  Cui wrinkled his nose, agreeing with Ren about the smell. “Good thing you remember. This boat fits the criteria Kun wanted. Shame the previous owner was so hard to deal with. This would have been a more enjoyable trip if you hadn’t killed all of them.”

  “When the daughter stabbed me in the back with that marlinspike, it annoyed me. I knew I could pilot the boat, and I didn’t think much beyond that until they were all dead,” Ren muttered.

  “Well, congratulations, Captain, you now have your own ship to take to Japan.” Cui chuckled.

  “I’ll round up a crew of humans in Quingdao. There should be a few there who can run this thing without blowing it up.”

  “Yes, I’m sure there are. Choose well because you’re stuck riding with whoever you find.”

  “What about you?”

  “I’ll be in my cabin aboard the Ming Dan. The only reason I’m here now is that you needed someone to help with the sails. I didn’t think you wanted to teach Pan or Yi to do it. Being from the steppes, this is the first time eithe
r of them has been on a boat.”

  “You’re right.” Ren laughed. “They were both green and leaning over the rail before we were out of the harbor. At least you’re only a little green.”

  “Careful.” Cui grinned. “I can still put them both here with you for the trip to Japan.”

  Ren’s eyes widened, and his face took on a horrified look before he burst out laughing. “It would almost be worth it to watch.”

  “You are a sick individual, Ren Tan, very sick,” Cui deadpanned. He couldn’t maintain it and chuckled. “But you’re right, it would be fun to watch.”

  “Why did Kun want a boat with this much empty deck space?”

  “He didn’t tell me. He only said it would be a deciding factor when we went after the leeches in Japan.”

  Ren shook his head. “I hope we finish this soon. That business with Shek still worries me. He didn’t even resist when we came for him. It was like he wanted to die for defying Kun.”

  Cui nodded. “I noticed that too. I think there will be questions about Kun’s actions when the other leaders hear about it. No matter what the outcome, we’re covered. We were following the command of the recognized leader of the Clan.”

  “I know. It’s just that Kun has changed since all this started. I don’t like it.”

  “Me either,” Cui muttered too low for Ren to hear.

  Shinjuku City, Tokyo, Japan

  There he is.

  Juba had made the fifty-kilometer trip from Ome to Shinjuku City by bicycle. He was not high enough in the family to rate a vehicle or even regular access to one. Once he arrived, he wandered the area he had seen the man he sought in each time before. That he found him so soon, even though it was after midnight, was a welcome event.

  “Excuse me, honorable sir. May I have a word with you?”

  Li turned at the sound of the voice behind him. A man wearing a white suit with a black shirt and white tie, the same uniform as the Yakuza soldiers he had encountered at Sakutaro’s home, stood a few feet behind him.

  Li sniffed the air, catching the man’s scent. “What does the Yakuza want?”

  Juba took a step back. The man caused his fight-or-flight instinct to kick in, and it was all he could do not to run away. He was not a large man, but there was something about him that Juba sensed was extremely dangerous.

  “Well, spit it out. What do you want?” Li growled, menace in his tone. His day had been trying, with Jin and Shao getting the attention of the police, then Wu questioning his orders to seek a job. He was in no mood to play games with a Yakuza flunky.

  Juba took an involuntary step back. “I, ah, my mistress wishes to speak to you,” he finally stammered.

  “Your mistress? Why would I wish to speak to a woman? Any dealings I have with you people are with Sato Sakutaro, not some female.”

  Juba stiffened. Though he was low in the hierarchy, a fact Kishi and her cadre never let him forget, he still took offense to this foreigner being disrespectful to her. “My mistress is Kishi Sakutaro, the granddaughter of the Oyabun. You would be wise not to dismiss her as an inconsequential woman.”

  Li nodded, remembering the young woman he had seen when he met the Yakuza leader. “What does she want? Sakutaro made it clear that he would not interfere with my mission, nor was he willing to give additional help.”

  “My mistress does not share all things with me. She only instructed me to find you and tell you she wishes to speak to you.”

  “Very well. Tell her I will see her tomorrow. She can pick the time and place. Find me and tell me when and where.” Li stalked into the night before the man could reply.

  Juba shook his head, curious as to why Kishi wanted to see this rude gaijin. Turning back the way he had come, he made his way to the bicycle he had used to travel from Ome and pulled out the small telephone they had given him to contact Asaka. It pleased Juba not to have to deal with Asaka while he was out on the town when it went to voicemail. The man was volatile on a good day. Rumors said he was worse when disturbed while he was partying with Kishi.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Sunset House, Kume Island, Okinawa, Japan

  “Hikonaga-san, the work is progressing well?”

  “Hai, Yagi-san. We should be ready to hook the power up this afternoon. All that will remain is to put the kitchen appliances in, and the restaurant will be ready to open.”

  “That is wonderful news.” Yagi beamed. “My daughter and her cousin are looking forward to opening. I’m sure the workers on the other projects will welcome the opportunity to eat somewhere other than the construction kitchen.”

  Hikonaga nodded in agreement. “The food there is good, but it is basic. I understand there will be a chef from Tokyo coming here.”

  “My daughter told me she was able to convince a retired royal family chef to run the kitchen. He is older but in good health, and he jumped at the opportunity to move here. He said he’s tired of the city and wants a quieter life.”

  “I’m not surprised. It is a beautiful place, and there will be many opportunities to profit for people positioned to take advantage of it.”

  “I hope so. I look forward to finishing the work here. I’ve never run a restaurant, but my wife assures me that between us, we will manage.” Yagi frowned. “I have always trusted her judgment, but it is all new.”

  Kimura ducked his head to hide the smile on his lips. He had spoken to Yagi daily over the past month while the building was being constructed. The information he had gathered from these conversations was gold.

  It didn’t take much for him to discover that one of the two owners was the kidnap victim who led to Muto’s demise. The first time he had met Yuko, he almost had a heart attack. To learn that the people the Oyabun had forbidden them to approach were deeply involved with the project here and the shipping company was concerning.

  Kimura had planned to stay only long enough to secure a place for the family in the new businesses. As he learned more talking to Yagi and the other residents, he decided the people here were a weakness they could use against the ones involved in the Muto incident. He knew Kishi would want anything he could find that she could use, with the job ending soon. He still didn’t know enough.

  “Your daughter is lucky to have someone as dedicated as you and your wife to oversee this for her. It amazes me that someone so young can afford an investment this big.”

  “The people she works for in Tokyo have done much for her. She has learned all that they have taught her and has become a vital part of their business there. If it wasn’t for them, we would be dead instead of bringing new life to Kume.”

  “Dead? Surely there was enough to keep your village fed here. You live in a paradise,” Kimura pushed. He had heard similar remarks before, but each time he questioned the speaker, they gave him unsatisfying answers. The people here were hiding something, and he wanted to know what.

  “Hai, the island provided all we needed to survive. There were some,” Yagi hesitated, “recent issues they dealt with that threatened us all.”

  Kimura noticed how Yagi looked away when he hesitated. This wasn’t the first sign of deception he had seen the man display when this topic came up. “An illness or other natural disaster?” he pressed.

  “Ah, yes, something like that,” Yagi finally answered, looking uncomfortable. “I have kept you from your work long enough, Hikonaga-san. Excuse me, I have other business to attend to.” Yagi spun and walked away. Kimura watched him through hooded eyes, wondering what had happened that he was unwilling to divulge.

  Kimura finished up for the day, which involved talking to the real foreman of the crew, another Yakuza member. When he had gotten the information to update Yagi when they next met, he made his way to the harbor area to check out the first business that someone not from Kume opened.

  Tabata Kion, recently retired from the Japanese navy, had opened the first bar on Kume the week before. He had convinced Yagi to let him open the place in an abandoned house next to the harbor, winning hi
m over with the argument that with all the construction workers, it would be a profitable business for him and the island. He also assured Yagi that he and his partner, a former army trooper, could keep the workers happy, and most of all, from getting so drunk they caused problems. Yagi was hesitant until Tabata told him he would keep his favorite sake in stock and always available.

  It was a minor operation now, but Kion planned to build a new building on an adjacent lot. Kimura had tried to get the contract to build it, but Kion had informed him that the company building the navy facilities already had that contract. Kimura didn’t care. He knew that it would be easy to get Kion to pay for protection when the time was right. He imported all his alcohol, and the family had their hands deep in that industry. He would either pay, or they would make sure he didn’t have a product to sell.

  When Kimura entered the building, he hid the disgust he felt. Coming from Tokyo, the place was so beneath where he normally went it was hardly a bar. The bar occupied the front half of the home in a space that only had room for a long table with stools made of rough planks on stands and eight small tables with chairs. It was still early and most of the workers weren’t off, but the place was still over half-full.

  Kimura surveyed the room until he saw who he was looking for. Yagi might be tight with information, but the old man with the strange scars on his neck and arms—scars that looked like some wild beast had ravaged him—would talk to anyone who bought him a drink. Kimura had heard him the last time he was there and remembered him talking about the old days before WWDE on Kume. If anyone knew what had happened that brought the island to the people from Tokyo’s attention, it should be him.

  “Konichiwa, Ichizo-san. May I join you?”

  The man looked up from his drink and smiled at Kimura. “Hai, Hikonaga-san, join me.”

  “What are you drinking, Ichizo?”

  He held up his cup. “This weak beer they brew on the mainland. I wish we had the crops to brew real beer.” He grimaced. “This stuff is like drinking water.”