Текст книги "Jack Taggart Mysteries 7 - Book Bundle"

Автор книги: Don Easton

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Текущая страница: 79 (всего у книги 141 страниц)

“Understandable,” replied Jack, “but I must phone some people to start the process.”

“Before you go to bed tonight, such services will be returned to you. Tomorrow, if you and Laura would like to go shopping, or perhaps visit the popular nearby tourist destination of Kyoto, I will gladly arrange for a limousine and driver to take you.”

“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 Some say you are no longer active.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.

38

Jack and Laura met Fukushima, Da Khlot, Sayomi, and Lee as they entered the banquet room. Everyone bowed toward each other before taking the same seating arrangement they had previously, with Lee, Laura, and Jack on one side and Da Khlot, Sayomi, and Fukushima on the other. The only difference, Jack noted, was that while all the rest were dressed in kimonos, Da Khlot wore an expensive tailored suit.

Same as before, two attendants stood by the door while servants brought in the first course, a soup consisting of chicken broth, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, celery, and parsley.

Considering that someone was to be murdered in two hours, Jack thought Fukushima seemed rather cheery, making light conversation about the weather in Canada and the quantity of available golf courses.

Fukushima’s behaviour abruptly changed after he set his porcelain soup spoon down and answered his cellphone. He only uttered one or two words as he listened.

“Excuse me,” he said, looking at Jack and Laura when he hung up. “Lee-san, Khlot-san, come with me. A business matter needs to be addressed. It will only take a minute. Please, continue to enjoy your soup.”

Fukushima uttered a command in Japanese and the two attendants followed the trio out the door. Jack could see the men’s shadows on the rice-paper doors as they stood whispering in the hallway. The shadow of an attendant quickly disappeared down the hall, only to return moments later, in the company of others.

Jack smiled politely at Sayomi while nudging Laura with his knee under the table. He felt her nudge back. Something was wrong and they both knew it.

If they had any doubts that it involved the two of them, they were were quashed when the doors slid open again. The trio returned with six attendants. Fukushima barked an order at the servants and they quickly disappeared from sight.

“I am afraid that dinner must be interrupted,” said Fukushima, briskly walking to the far end of the room and removing a samurai sword from the scabbard.

Da Khlot’s face held his usual impassive look as he bent over and whispered in Sayomi’s ear. She looked startled, quickly glancing at Jack and Laura as she scrambled to her feet. Lee stood to one side, his head bowed toward the floor as his body trembled.

“That is most unfortunate,” said Jack. “The soup is excellent. Is there a problem?”

“No problem,” replied Fukushima. “Simply an alteration in plans. Your task that you were to perform at nine o’clock will be performed now.”

“The, uh, person from Osaka is here already?” asked Jack.

“No,” replied Fukushima. “I have selected someone else.”

“I see,” replied Jack. “Then if you will excuse me for a moment, I need to go back to my room and use the washroom. I shall return in a moment,” he said, getting to his feet.

“You will not be going anywhere!” said Fukushima, allowing his rage to show.

Jack swallowed. They know. It is Laura and I who are to be executed! “There obviously appears to be a problem,” said Jack, pretending to sound surprised. “Is there something we should discuss?” he added, with genuine concern.

“You do not know what that problem is?” said Fukushima sarcastically.

“No, I don’t,” said Jack, wanting an opportunity to deny any accusations.

“Perhaps you don’t,” replied Fukushima, as a wicked smile appeared on his face. “The problem is with Lee!” he said, pointing the end of the samurai sword in Lee’s direction.

“With … Lee?” said Jack, feeling both astounded and briefly relieved. Fukushima was no longer using the polite version of san at the end of Lee’s name.

A glance at Lee showed a face with bulging dark eyes contrasting with a face that was pasty white.

“Yes,” replied Fukushima. “You will kill him immediately,” he said menacingly.

Jack glanced at Lee, who now remained bowed as his body shook.

“But why Lee?” asked Jack. “Surely you don’t —”

“You will not ask me questions,” said Fukushima. “If Lee is not dead within one minute, you and Laura will be.”

Jack heard Laura’s gasp as they both glanced around the room in panic. All six attendants and Da Khlot withdrew pistols and quietly started fixing silencers to the ends.

“I do not understand,” said Jack, “but it is obvious that you have your reasons. If someone would be so kind as to lend me their pistol, I will take Lee next door to the sauna room and carry out your request. It would be rude and lack dignity to conduct such an action in a place where people eat, not to mention in the presence of two ladies.”

“You really believe that I would have my men hand you a loaded pistol?” said Fukushima angrily.

“I am not about to hack at the poor man with a sword,” replied Jack. “One bullet is all I need. Surely, with the army you have present, that would not make you afraid?”

“So you would do that?” said Fukushima, with a hint of disgust in his voice.

“It would not be the first time I have had to perform such an act to gain someone’s trust,” replied Jack. “Obviously you have heard something that has caused you not to trust us. Perhaps this act will restore that trust? With my people, we refer to it as the Sophie Solution,” he added with a sideways glance at Laura.

“I have never heard of that,” replied Fukushima, curiously.

“Simply a test of loyalty,” said Jack. “What you have others perform for you. All I ask is that I carry out the task next door. We have been respectful of your culture, now I simply ask that you be respectful of mine. Your men may check the body immediately after, but my belief is that his body should be left in solitude for an hour to allow his spirit to leave peacefully.”

“You believe in spirits?” asked Fukushima skeptically.

“You are asking me to commit murder– is it such a difficult request to grant in return?”

Moments later, Jack found himself in the sauna room with Lee kneeling on the floor in front of him. Jack held a pistol in his hand with one single round. He crouched over Lee from behind, holding the back of his collar with one hand and pointing the pistol at the back of his head with the other. Da Klot and four attendants stood a short distance behind him, all pointing their pistols at Jack, with the exception of one attendant whose pistol had be given to Jack.

Jack whispered in Lee’s ear and said, “I’m not going to kill you. Pretend you are dead and when you get the chance, slip out through the patio door. Police are watching from a room at the resort down below. Run for help and scream when you reach the resort.”

“No!” gasped Lee in panic.

“Son of a bitch,” muttered Jack, slipping an arm around Lee’s throat so his next attempt to speak resulted in a gurgle. Jack used his other arm in a pincer move to cut the flow of blood in Lee’s carotid artery. “Trust me,” Jack whispered. He felt the body slump and knew he would have less than a minute before Lee awoke.

“What are you doing?” asked Da Khlot, moving closer.

Jack spun Lee around, slamming him down on the floor, while sitting on his chest. His body blocked the view of Lee’s upper torso as he smashed his nose with the butt of the pistol before quickly firing a round into the crack made by two adjoining cedar planks on the floor. As he got up, he smeared his hand across Lee’s bloody face.

The attendant who had provided Jack with the pistol approached and looked down at Lee, before speaking in Japanese.

“He says you killed him,” said Da Khlot, bluntly. “Are you finished?”

“Of course,” replied Jack. “Shall we go back and continue our dinner now?”

Jack, followed by Da Khlot and the others, entered the banquet room where one attendant bowed toward Fukushima and spoke in Japanese.

Fukushima looked at Jack in surprise and said, “You actually committed murder! You really would do anything to survive,” he continued, more to himself than to Jack. “I thought you were a man of honour and would stick to your values.”

Da Khlot pointed at Jack and spoke in Japanese. Fukushima smiled and nodded his head knowingly.

“What did he say?” demanded Jack.

“He said that you only pretended to kill him by using a – how did he describe it? – yes, a sleeper strangulation hold on him.”

“Ridiculous!” replied Jack, realizing in the pit of his stomach that his little charade had not fooled Da Khlot in the least. His mind raced … Lee was left alone, maybe he did escape to seek help. He knew Fukushima would have realized that, yet had not countered with any orders to his men. Jack decided to ask. Anything to stall for time. “If what Da Khlot said was really true, why would everyone leave Lee alone where he could escape? I don’t understand –”

“Escape?” said Fukushima. “I think not —”

The sound of Lee’s cry from the other room interrupted the conversation. Seconds later, he burst into the room, talking rapidly in Japanese to Fukushima while keeping his head bowed.

“Now do you understand?” asked Fukushima, a bemused smile played upon his lips as he looked at Jack. “Lee-san is a man with honour,” he added, once more pointing the tip of his samurai sword in Lee’s direction.

“Lee,” said Jack quietly. “Why didn’t you run?”

Lee did not answer.

Fukushima said, “He honours his family name. Is that not right, Lee-san?”

Lee nodded, but his eyes remained fixed on the floor.

“Honour,” said Fukushima, “is something that you, Corporal Jack Taggart and Constable Laura Secord, know little about.”

Both Jack and Laura stared blankly back at Fukushima. It’s over. He even knows our names.

“Yes, I know,” said Fukushima. “I do have my own sources. I am told that the Japanese police are at the resort. It may interest you to know that they will also detain the van when it arrives, but it will do them no good. The man who is being delivered believes it is to bring a special food order. The police will find nothing to prove anything is wrong.”

“You kill us and they’ll have plenty of evidence,” said Jack.

“Evidence such as this?” asked Fukushima, stepping forward and swinging the samurai sword.

Laura put her hand to her mouth and gasped, emitting a sorrowful cry as Lee’s severed head bounced off the marble table and rolled on the floor. His body fell over in a clump with the heart still beating a gusher of blood out through the neck.

She looked up at Fukushima in a daze as he raised the sword over her head.

I’m next.