Ronin Born Read online

  “Is the Tokkei really necessary to bring in a yakuza thug?” asked Hiro.

  “His black market clinics not only handle genetic counterfeiting, but they also perform illegal cybernetic implantations. Those men you see in the surveillance photos? They’re all sporting implants. This is more than the Met can handle.”

  “I understand,” said Hiro. “Are you giving me full license to choose my team?”

  Hojo raised an eyebrow. “That depends, who are you thinking of?”

  “I think this would be a good time for those recruits I mentioned to see some action in the field. Ishiyama, Tanaka, and Kuroki.”

  “I have no objections to Ishiyama or Tanaka, but Kuroki…”

  “General, I beg you to reconsider. Kuroki simply needs an opportunity to prove herself, and I believe once you see her in action, you’ll agree that she belongs in the Tokkei.”

  Hojo sighed and shook his head. “Fine, I’ll allow it. But I’m also putting you on notice here, Yoshida—if this doesn’t work out, you’ll be the one who takes the blame for it.”

  “It’s a responsibility I humbly accept, General.” Hiro bowed. “When should we begin?”

  “Review the data and present me with a proposal for the operation by tonight. If it’s approved, you brief your team and move tomorrow.”

  “Understood, sir.”

  “Good, now go. You’ve got a lot of work to get to,” said Hojo.

  3

  Erika went up to the turnstile at the train station entrance. She pushed her thumb against the touchpad and the small doors opened to allow her entry. Before, people would carry around wallets with their identification, credit cards, and cash. Then all that became consolidated in their phones. Now, those phones had become wearable devices—watches, glasses, earbuds. Some underwent operations for cybernetic implants, but they were very expensive and even then, the only implants legal for civillians were the kind that essentially turned a person into a walking smartphone. With those implants, bank accounts and credit cards could be linked together, allowing to pay for services with the touch of a finger.

  Of course, as a Tokkei agent, Erika’s implants were far more sophisticated and could do a lot beyond handling her train fare.

  There was never a time when Shinjuku Station wasn’t crowded. But even still, it was less than usual at this time of morning. She didn’t manage to grab a seat on the train, but at least she wasn’t shoved up against anyone. Erika passed the time during the twenty-minute commute by bringing up the day’s newsfeed on her AR-HUD. Though calling it news was a bit much as it read more like celebrity gossip. Still, it provided something to distract her until the automated voice announced Erika’s stop.

  When she reached the Ministry of Defense, she saw the armored guards flanking the entrance as usual. She walked through the barrier, the scanner detecting her genetic markers and allowing her access without harm. As soon as she entered the lobby, she was surprised to see Hiro was waiting for her.

  “’Morning,” he said.

  “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

  He waved it off. “Don’t worry about it. Though the others are here, so we should go downstairs for the briefing.”

  Erika nodded and Hiro led her to the elevator. As they walked through the doors, the biometric scanners did their work and confirmed their identities and clearance.

  “Sub-level B,” said Hiro.

  “Access granted,” came the elevator’s response.

  “What’s so important that I had to get out of bed before dawn?” asked Erika.

  “You’ll find out at the briefing,” said Hiro, then didn’t say another word. Erika followed his lead and remained quiet.

  The elevator reached its destination and Hiro led her down a series of corridors until they came to a pair of glass doors. They opened as soon as Hiro stopped in front of them. Inside was a round table and holographic monitors along the wall displaying surveillance feeds from across the city. Sitting at the table were two other agents. One was a woman about the same age as Erika with long hair. The other was a man with broad shoulders and a shaved head. His face looked like it had been chiseled from stone.

  “Not sure if you’ve had a chance to get acquainted yet,” said Hiro. “Ishiyama, Tanaka, this is Kuroki. She’ll also be joining us on this mission.”

  The two agents stood and bowed and Erika did the same. She’d met Masao Ishiyama, the big guy, before. At one point, they both served on the same base when they were enrolled in the Jietai. But Erika had been more concerned with proving herself to her superiors than with making friends, so she tended to keep to herself. She did remember he had a reputation as a good fighter, though she hadn’t really had the opportunity to see him in action. Sayuri Tanaka was a name Erika had heard before, but other than some whispers of her exploits, she was mostly a ghost. Erika supposed that was what made her a perfect Tokkei candidate.

  “Now that we’re all here, let’s begin the briefing.”

  Hiro took an empty seat at the table and motioned for Erika to do the same, while Both Masao and Sayuri returned to their own. Once everyone was seated, Hiro used his cybernetics to interface with the table’s holographic projector. A 3D image appeared in front of them in the form of an older man with graying hair and dressed in a suit with no tie.

  “For anyone who doesn’t recognize him, this is Junichi Kitano,” said Hiro. “Runs a small yakuza clan that’s affiliated with the Yamazaki-gumi. He’s reclusive and very slippery, but the Met finally got a break and we have a location on him. He’s our target.”

  “Excuse me, sir,” said Masao. “But why send the Tokkei after this guy?”

  “That’s the exact same question I had,” said Hiro. “You see, like all these thugs, Kitano is involved in a bit of everything. Gambling, prostitution, drugs. But his primary stock and trade is black market cybernetics. And he’s given his men free upgrades.”

  “That’s one of the reasons he’s stayed invisible,” said Sayuri. “Anyone starts sniffing around his trail, his men take care of them with lethal precision.”

  “Exactly right, Tanaka,” said Hiro. “Even if we did send a Special Assault Team in, there’s no guarantee they could succeed. Plus, the Minister wants to keep this quiet and that’s hard to do when SAT’s involved.”

  “What’s the plan?” asked Sayuri.

  “Four-man team, just us. With our equipment, this should be a fairly simple op. We go in, we take out Kitano’s men, capture him, and download his files. All without causing too much of a scene. And to help you with that…”

  Hiro reached under the table and picked up a metal case. He set it on the surface and opened it, turning the case so the three agents could see the contents. There were three devices inside that looked like bulky smartwatches.

  “The devices are containers for nanomachines,” said Hiro and he held up his right arm to reveal that he wore one, too.

  Nanomachines suddenly spread out from the watch, covering him from head to toe in black and red armor, including a helmet and mask. The design of the look was inspired by the samurai of old, though it appeared to have a modern twist. A moment later, the nanobots retreated back into the device.

  “The armor is cutting edge. Provides you with a large degree of invulnerability, and interfaces with your existing implants to increase your speed, strength, and reflexes even more.”

  “Weapons?” asked Erika.

  “It can generate an energized katana, with both lethal and non-lethal settings. Also capable of firing off an energy burst from the sword,” said Hiro.

  “No training before taking these out into the field?” asked Erika. “You sure that’s a good idea?”

  Masao laughed. “Come on, don’t tell me the big war hero’s getting cold feet.”

  Erika shook her head. “No, it’s not that. I just—”

  Sayuri interjected. “Kuroki has a point, sir.”

  “She does at that,” said Hiro. “I do wish we had longer, but time is a factor here and the tr
aining you’ve already gone through should be sufficient. There are more advanced features with the suit, which you’ll learn about in time. Right now, we need to get moving. So put these on.”

  Each of them took one of the devices from the case and fastened them to their wrists. Erika looked at the display and saw a red progress wheel. As soon as the wheel filled, it changed to green and “INTERFACE COMPLETE” appeared.

  “First time you put it on, the nanobots key to your cybernetic implants. Ensures that only you can use the suit. Even if those containers are put on by someone else, they won’t be able to use the nanobots. And your implants can track the container anywhere it goes,” said Hiro. “Go on, try the suits out.”

  “How do they work?” asked Masao.

  “The cybernetic link might take some time to get used to, so for now just tap the display,” said Hiro. “As you get more comfortable, you and the suit will have a symbiotic relationship.

  Erika tapped the display twice. She heard a sound that was similar to a metallic scraping noise and she felt the microscopic machines crawl over her body. The sensation nearly spooked her—as if she’d been swarmed by thousands of insects. But once the suit was in place, she could relax. Diagnostic information was projected against her retina on a AR-HUD. She held up her hand and examined the armor.

  Despite that initial strange sensation, now that the suit was active, it felt surprisingly comfortable. Based on the appearance, she would have thought that it would be heavy or bulky. Or at the very least uncomfortable. But she found no restrictions whatsoever in her movements. She tested out some quick punches and kicks and found it was incredibly easy to move. When she finally broke out of her own world, she looked at her teammates and saw that Masao and Sayuri had both armored up and were testing out the movements for themselves.

  “Very good,” said Hiro. “But keep your suits concealed until you need them. We don’t want to spook any of the normies.”

  “And where are we going?” asked Erika as she tapped the display again, sending the nanobots back into their container.

  “Yoshiwara. Which is exactly where you’d expect to find a yakuza thug involved in human trafficking,” said Hiro.

  “And how do we get there?” asked Sayuri.

  “Same way everyone else does—we take the train.”

  Masao grumbled. “Aww, c’mon. I thought the Tokkei was supposed to be the elitest of the elite. And you’re sayin’ we gotta ride public transport with the rest of the rubes?”

  “Don’t quite understand the concept of ‘low-profile,’ do you?” asked Erika with a chuckle. Sayuri snickered along with her.

  “Hey, just look at me.” Masao gestured to his large frame. “Nothin’ about me is low-profile.”

  “Then you’ll work nicely as a human shield,” said Hiro and the others laughed. “Jokes aside, we want to try to keep this as quiet as possible. Stealth tactics. Stay in contact with each other at all times and don’t make too much noise. The suits will help you eliminate the targets quickly and cleanly.”

  “Do we have any idea what kind of place we’re walking into?” asked Erika.

  “As a matter of fact, yes.” Hiro turned to the table and a holographic projection of a building approximately five stories tall appeared, with a pagoda-style roof. There was a heavy emphasis on red and gold in the design, very much in the classic style of the Yoshiwara of old. “We believe this is the house Kitano runs. On the surface it’s a casino, but those upper floors are rooms for…let’s say ‘special arrangements’ between the customers and waitresses.”

  The prostitution loophole. On paper, prostitution was illegal. But in practice, they weren’t explicitly providing sex—just company. And if sex happened to occur, that was a separate arrangement between the two parties. It was a loophole that dictated the way the system operated ever since prostitution was first outlawed after the Second World War.

  “Question, boss: Would it be okay if—?”

  “No,” said Hiro, cutting off Masao before he could ask the question. “One of the reasons we’re going in so early is because the number of people at the compound will be far fewer. Far easier to get the files and find Kitano.”

  “And you’re sure he’s there?” asked Erika.

  Hiro nodded. “Our intel says that he has his own apartment that takes up the entire top floor of the building. That’s likely where he’ll be, no doubt with guards watching over him. Ishiyama and Tanaka, that’ll be your task. Take down his guards and capture him.”

  “And us?” asked Erika.

  “Sub-levels are where we believe the cybernetics clinic is operated. That should be where we can find the data we need,” said Hiro. “We split up when we get to Yoshiwara. Ishiyama and Tanaka will find points of entry from up top, while Kuroki and I find ones from below. Here are some suggestions.”

  The color drained from the holographic model and certain areas were highlighted to illustrate potential entry points.

  “Ultimately you’ll decide your own path based on the situation,” said Hiro. “Unless there are any other questions…?”

  The three newly minted Tokkei agents exchanged glances, but each one shook their head. Hiro nodded in approval.

  “Very good. In that case, it’s time to head out. We’ve got a train to catch.”

  4

  Yoshiwara had a long and sordid history. It began as a red-light district during the Edo era when the Tokugawa shogunate enacted a law that confined prostitution to designated areas. To this day, little had changed. Though the flesh trade that brothels once openly advertised was now spoken of in euphemisms.

  It was just after eight in the morning by the time Erika and Hiro began walking the streets of Yoshiwara, and it was practically a ghost town. Though some shops operated during the day, most of them were only nighttime affairs, using the façade of being simple bars or restaurants. The ones that were open while the sun was up advertised themselves as massage parlors.

  There were some drunks stumbling around. The latest bars closed at six in the morning, and some patrons lingered around after. Erika and Hiro ignored them as they moved through the district. At night, these shops and streets were lit up with bright lights and there would be girls standing out in front, clothed in skimpy dresses and trying to lure in customers. But under the harsh sunlight, it took on a much more depressing appearance.

  Hiro held up his hand to stop Erika when they came to an intersection. He pointed down the street to the right, just around the corner from where they stood. Erika saw the same building from the briefing, with its pagoda roof and red and gold exterior.

  “You get anything?” she asked.

  “Can’t get a full read, would have to suit up to access the complete scanner,” said Hiro, focusing his gaze at the building. “And don’t want to do that out on the street.”

  “Tanaka, you copy?” Erika kept her voice barely above a whisper. The implants could transmit her voice easily to the other team regardless of how soft it was.

  “Copy.” Sayuri’s voice rang inside Erika and Hiro’s heads.

  “You see an entrance for yourselves?” she asked.

  “The rooms have small balconies, Ishiyama and I will each enter through one. How about you two?”

  “Still trying to find the best way in,” said Hiro. “Be careful.”

  “Understood. We’re about to move, so I’m going to go radio silent. Tanaka out.”

  “Just us now,” said Erika.

  “Walk down the street, see if you see anything in front,” said Hiro. “I’m going to circle around back, try and check for other entrances.”

  Erika nodded and turned the corner on her own. Her heart started to speed up, and she wasn’t sure if she was nervous or excited. But she kept moving down the street, trying to calm herself so she didn’t get her adrenaline up too soon. A man stood outside the building’s front entrance, lighting up a cigarette. He wore a suit and had sunglasses on, and he was about the same size as Ishiyama.

  But
as she approacned, he made eye contact with her. Erika turned from his gaze and passed in front of the entrance. She could still feel his eyes on her. A glance over her shoulder confirmed he was indeed still watching her.

  “There’s a guard in front, he’s watching me,” she whispered.

  “Stay cool, just keep moving,” came Hiro’s reply.

  “What’s your status?”

  “I’m at the back, it’s also guarded. We might have to incapacitate them, but I’m a bit loathe to do it out in the open.”

  “What if we don’t have to?” said Erika. “I think I have an idea.”

  “What sort of idea is that?”

  “Just stay quiet and wait for my signal.”

  “Kuroki, don’t do anything stupid, you hear me? Kuroki? Kuro—”

  “Sorry, boss. I’m going silent now.” Erika disabled her communicator and turned around. She still saw the guard staring at her, but now she stared back as she came closer to the entrance.

  But just before she was about to walk up the stone steps to the front door, she turned away. She played up her uncertainty and paced back and forth a few times, the guard watching her each movement carefully.

  “What are you doing?” he finally asked.

  Erika feigned a gasp and snapped her head in his direction. She quickly turned away again and started to walk off to the side. The guard came down the steps and called after her.

  “Hey!”

  “I’m sorry!” she shouted back. “I…I probably shouldn’t be here…”

  “Why are you here?”

  Erika stopped and turned back to him. She slowly approached him. “I…I lost my job. A friend of mine, she said I could probably find one here.”

  The man lowered his sunglasses, his eyes traveling up and down her body. His faced remained expressionless as he sized her up. He grabbed her chin and turned her head to each side, studying her facial features.

  If you don’t get your hands off me, I’m going to rip your balls off and shove them down your throat!