Samurai Code (29 page)

“Great, so why not return my phone now?” asked Jack.

Fukushima paused, staring at Jack intently for a moment before saying, “On that subject, let me ask you a question. What would you do if you discovered that an employee had been stealing money from you, or perhaps your customers? How would that be handled in your Western culture?”

“If it was my business,” said Jack, assuming the role of the Irish mobster, “I suspect I would handle it the same way as you.” He smiled, using his hand to make a slashing gesture across his throat.

“Exactly,” replied Fukushima. “I spoke to Mister Sato after he interviewed you in Koh Samui. I understand that you are personally familiar with performing such a task.”

Jack shrugged, acting indifferent.

“There is a final test I wish you to perform,” said Fukushima.

“Another test! I have already passed the lie detector. What more could you possibly ask?”

Anger appeared on Fukushima’s face. He was not used to being spoken to so harshly. “For you it will not be difficult,” he said sternly. “I have an employee who works for me at my catering company in Osaka. He has been stealing from us.”

Despite the heat from the mineral springs, Jack felt goosebumps spread across his flesh.

“After work he will be put in a van and brought here. He will arrive at nine o’clock tonight. You will kill him.”

Jack felt stunned as his mind raced, trying to figure out how to respond. “Why should I kill him?” he finally asked.

“You must understand,” said Fukushima, “that we know little about you. Initial inquiries made in Montreal resulted in a severe beating. Further, more discreet inquiries were made. Rumours exist of the … shall we say,
magnitude
of your success in business and the close ties you have to families in New York. There are many rumours. Some say you are no longer active. Others say you are still living in Montreal.”

Jack smiled and said, “Good, I prefer my enemies to never know exactly where I am.”

“I understand that,” replied Fukushima, “although you must have few enemies.”

“Why would you say that?” asked Jack.

“You do not have a bodyguard. Certainly,” he smiled, “you have Laura. I also have Sayomi-
san
, but I also ensure I have someone like Khlot-
san
nearby. His talents are extraordinary.”

“How so?”

“He was taken in by the Khmer Rouge as a child. He is well experienced and is an expert with a knife. He knows a spot on the back of a person’s neck where he can sever the spinal cord in one thrust. Death for some of his victims can be a long time in coming. Now I usually find a more expedient need for his services.”

“Such as?”

“He is useful to have around in some countries where it is difficult to carry guns.”

“I see,” replied Jack.

“I know from your polygraph test that you are personally experienced in these matters, but your personal experience has not become our personal experience.”

“After passing the lie detector, I must say, I feel insulted that you still do not trust me,” said Jack. “I am a Westerner, but I assure you, I am a man of honour.”

“It is not because you are Caucasian that you must do this.” Fukushima paused to wipe his eyes with a facecloth before continuing. “I had Mister Lee perform the same task for me not long ago in your country. There it took place in a park. Here, the sauna room will suffice. It is private and the wooden flooring is easily replaced if necessary.”

“And who did Mister Lee kill?” asked Jack.

Fukushima waved his hand as if it was insignificant and said, “It was nobody.”

Jack heard himself inhale sharply at Fukushima’s choice of word in describing Melvin.

“It is the act of murder that is important to display loyalty,” continued Fukushima, “not who.” He smiled and added, “Mister Lee is not experienced in such tasks. He worried so much about getting blood on his clothes that he placed a plastic bag over the man to shield himself. He should have worried more about his aim. I trust for you that aim will not be a problem.”

So that is why Melvin was murdered,
thought Jack.
Destroy a human life as a display of loyalty. Your only concern is to not soil your clothes from the blood.
He stared sullenly at Fukushima.
I want so bad to wrap my hands around your throat. Press my thumbs into your windpipe and hold you under —

“Is there a problem?” asked Fukushima suspiciously.

Jack sighed and said, “If Mister Lee is so inexperienced in such matters, I am surprised that he did not refuse.”

Fukushima laughed and said, “He would never refuse anything I ask. If someone did that, then it would be their body found in a park.”

37

“It is about three-thirty,” said Fukushima, getting out of the pool. “Dinner will be at seven. Would you like to enjoy a massage? There is plenty of time.”

“Actually,” replied Jack. “I would prefer to enjoy the hot mineral waters with Laura in private.”

“I understand,” smiled Fukushima. “Such beauty should be enjoyed. I will send for her. If you decide there is anything either of you would like, such as chilled wine or a beverage, simply call one of the attendants waiting in the next room.”

The minutes ticked by as Jack sat alone, waiting for Laura to arrive. He knew they had to escape, but how? He climbed out of the pool and peered past a wooden screen toward the resort below.
Choke the guards unconscious, steal their clothes, and do a dash down the hill? We would never make it. Even if we did, they would find us within a minute.

Then he heard it. Voices of a young couple carried softly up the hill. “Akiyo!” said the man, “I’ll get you for that!” It was followed by the sound of splashing and laughing. Whoever the man was, he spoke again, but in Japanese.
Did I really hear what I think I did?

“Jack?” said Laura, peeking out the door behind him as he stood naked, with his back toward her. “You, uh, want me to join you?”

Jack turned his head quickly and saw Laura, with Sayomi looking over her shoulder.

“Yes, honey. It’s beautiful in here,” he added, getting back into the pool as Laura found a sudden need to turn her head and wipe her eye with a finger. Sayomi’s stare indicated she was not shy about her curiosity.

“I thought it would be romantic, just the two of us,” added Jack.

“I’ll wait with Khlot,” said Sayomi. “But if you are too long, I will join you.”

Moments later, Laura slowly stuck her head out the door again and saw Jack standing in the pool with his back toward her as he stared at the wooden screen. He waited until he heard her in the pool before turning around.

“I don’t happen to be in the mood for romance,” she whispered tersely.

“This is one place we can talk,” whispered Jack, “without having to worry that the room is bugged.” He proceeded to speak quickly, telling her what Fukushima had said, pausing once and putting his finger to his lips to silence Laura when he heard the faint sound of laughter from the young couple down below.

“We need to escape!” said Laura.

“The couple we heard laughing from down at the resort,” said Jack, indicating the direction with his thumb. “I’m positive the guy spoke English a moment ago.”

“You sure?”

“I think so. I was trying to listen when you first arrived,” said Jack, climbing back out of the pool.

“You look at me and I’ll tell Natasha,” said Laura, climbing out with him.

They both peered out from behind the screen and heard the murmur of voices again.

“It’s not from the resort,” said Laura. “It’s the honeymoon spa, halfway up the hill.”

Jack saw two of Fukushima’s thugs between them and the spa. One man was still sitting on the bench under the window of Jack and Laura’s bedroom while the other was strolling around.

“I have to sneak down there,” said Jack. “If it’s some tourist and he’s English, it may be our only hope.”

“And if it’s someone who works for Fukushima, we’re dead,” replied Laura.

“We will be, anyway. I don’t see any other choice.”

“You think you can streak down there without being seen? Good luck, not to mention the screaming when some naked man busts in on a couple on their honeymoon. Or do you figure we should both go and slap sleeper holds on them if they start to yell?” she added, dubiously.

“I think I can make it by crouching low or crawling through the stream bed,” said Jack. “Your problem will be to make sure Sayomi or Da Khlot don’t walk in and find me gone.”

“Oh, man. We could be risking other people’s lives.”

“It’s our only hope,” said Jack, “and neither guard is paying much attention. They hardly expect us to walk naked down to the resort. “If the guy is English, it shouldn’t be a problem to convince him to go back to his room and make a phone call for us. The bad guys won’t know anything is up until the cavalry charges in. It’s a calculated risk, but one I think we should take.”

Laura nodded silently.

Jack crouched as he ran toward the small stream, diving on his belly like a baseball player coming into home plate as he skidded the remaining distance into the shallow trench etched out by the water.

It didn’t take him long to make his way to the structure containing the exclusive spa. On the other side of a large boulder he could hear the couple talking softly to each other in Japanese.

“Hello?” said Jack. He heard the startled whisper of the young woman in Japanese.

“Hello,” responded the young man. “I believe we still have fifteen minutes booked on our time.”

“I’m not here for the spa,” replied Jack. “I need your help. Where are you from?”

“We’re from Osaka.”

“You sound English?”

“I’m Canadian, but my wife and I live in Osaka.”

“Thank Christ,” mumbled Jack. “I’m also Canadian. My name is Jack Taggart. I’m an undercover Mountie. Is it okay if I come around this boulder and talk to you? It is literally a matter of life and death and I only have a couple of minutes. By the way, I’m also naked.”

Moments later, Jack was invited to come closer and he saw a young couple comprised of a Caucasian man and Japanese woman. The woman was wearing a kimono and crouched down beside the stream near where the man was sitting up to his neck in water.

He introduced himself as Mike and his wife as Akiyo.

Jack quickly told them as many details as he figured they needed to know. “What I need,” said Jack, “is for you to call my boss in Canada and tell her exactly where we are and get the Japanese police to rescue us. Her name is Rose Wood. Our bedroom is on the second floor down from the top on the far side of the building up there,” said Jack, pointing in the direction of Fukushima’s mansion concealed behind some wooden screens. “Describe its location to her so she can pass it on to the Japanese police.

“Then we can see your room from ours,” said Mike. “We look out over the back of the resort.”

“I know my boss’s phone number,” said Jack. “Do you think you could memorize it and phone her for me?”

“I got my degree in computer software engineering,” replied Mike. “Believe me, I’m good with numbers.”

“Perhaps this would be of assistance,” said Akiyo, slipping her hand inside the sleeve of her kimono.

Jack gave her the biggest smile he believed he had ever given anyone in his life. Akiyo was an exceptionally beautiful woman, but that was not the reason her image would remain etched in his memory forever. It was the sweet look of genuine concern on her face as she held her arms outstretched with her palms up. In her upturned hands she was offering a cellphone.

Moments later, with Mike’s assistance, Jack dialled the numbers necessary to make a long-distance call and connect with Rose.

“Yes, we’re still above ground,” said Jack, as soon as she answered, “but we won’t be for long if you don’t let me explain.”

Jack spoke rapidly, pointing out the urgent necessity to have backup immediately. “Rose, the couple who are helping me, Mike and Akiyo, their room faces ours. Perhaps the police could use it for an observation post?”

Mike nodded in agreement.

“If the police hold off on rescuing us until a van from the catering company shows up with a hostage,” said Jack, “it should provide good evidence to convict Fukushima. At the moment, all we have is my word against his.”

“What if something goes wrong before then?” asked Rose.

“We’re dead if the police aren’t here,” replied Jack. “But if they are, tell them to hang a towel outside Mike and Akiyo’s window to let us know. If something is going wrong, I’ll make an excuse to go back to our room and do likewise as a sign we need help. Other than that, if they hear the sound of breaking glass or see someone flying out a window, take it as a sign we need help.”

“You can keep the phone,” said Mike.

“I heard that,” said Rose, “but it still sounds damned risky to me!”

“The police should be here by seven,” said Jack. “That gives us two hours before the van with the hostage arrives. We need more evidence and the hostage should provide that. As far as risk goes, we’re operators. That’s what we do. We’re already in hot water, so to speak, we should be able to handle another couple of hours.”

Rose reluctantly agreed and said she would immediately contact the RCMP Liaison Officer in Tokyo.

“Has Natasha been alerted that we’re missing?” asked Jack. “Or Laura’s —”

“No.”

Jack breathed a sigh of relief and replied, “Good. Tomorrow is Sunday. She’s expecting me to call. If somehow I can’t, uh, you know, get to a phone, please tell her I love her.”

Rose sighed and said, “You damn well better make sure you call her yourself. Right now I have something more urgent I need to know. Exactly where the hell are you?”

Jack handed the phone to Mike to explain.

Minutes later, Jack made it back to where Laura was waiting and carrying on a one-sided conversation. He glanced over his shoulder as he entered and saw Mike and Akiyo walking into the resort below.

“So anyway,” said Laura, “you sit there ignoring me like you haven’t heard a word I said. Don’t you have anything to say?”

Jack grinned and held the cellphone in his hand, before using the face cloth to conceal it. “I guess I can say I love you,” he said.

“Oh, baby,” replied Laura, “I love you, too.”

***

It was quarter to seven when Jack and Laura once more entered their bedroom washroom and used the noise of the shower and the toilet to cover the sound as Jack turned on the cellphone and called Rose.

“The LO in Tokyo says Fukushima heads one of the biggest yakuza families in Japan,” said Rose. “He has over fifteen thousand guys working for him. The Japanese police are ecstatic. They can’t believe a foreigner could penetrate Fukushima to this level.”

“Being a foreigner is probably why we did,” said Jack.

“They’ve got a team who should be in the observation post any minute. They’ve also spotted the catering van coming in your direction and are doing a loose surveillance of it. Still about two hours away. If you can, they would like you both to make an excuse and go to your room around eight-thirty. They’ll rush the place ten minutes later. I can give you a direct number.”

“I feel safer going through you. You’re on redial and I know it works. English is your native tongue. If I call, I may have to speak in code.”

It was five minutes to seven and Jack and Laura knew they had to go downstairs for dinner. They were turning from their window when another window opened on the resort below and a towel was draped over the windowsill.

Jack and Laura smiled at each other.
Help has arrived! We’re going to be okay!

The next fifteen minutes would prove them dead wrong.