“Gabrielle-san, your plan on the surface sounds like a solid one.”
“Thank you, Inspector. But?”
“It is still dangerous and fraught with many risks. I and the Yokohama police can not give you any assistance.”
Gabrielle had expected this statement to come from Inspector Yoshida’s mouth. “Inspector, I wasn’t here to ask for your help, just to advise you of what I planned on doing.”
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Synopsis- Tom Slater receives messages from the Swan Song committee and Gabrielle Tanaka at the same time she prepares for a move to Hong Kong.
I must express my thanks to Puddin’ for helping me prepare this story chapter for publication. Also thank you to Linda Beth, Xoop, and Janet for their help.
“Hiromi-san, should the next Oyabun ask you to work for the family, would you do it?”
“Of course I would do that, Tiger-san.”
“Your grandfather has plans for you. I do not think you agree with them.”
“He is both my grandfather and our Oyabun. I cannot be disrespectful to him.”
“Your grandfather will soon select a new Oyabun.”
“Yes, I know that. I have no doubt, Tiger-san, that you will be my grandfather’s choice.”
“Is there anyone else your grandfather should consider?”
Tom had to pause for a moment. Was Dai Hashimoto sent by Keiji Watanabe to test his granddaughter in order to learn if she still had ambition to be Oyabun?
Tom replied to Dai’s question very carefully. “The family has many fine shareigashiras. I think Katsuaki Koike would make a wise and strong Oyabun one day.”
Dai expressed his agreement with Tom’s assessment by silently nodding his head.
Just then, Hirom’s computer monitor came out of screensaver mode and beeped, flashing an instant message alert.
Tom glanced at the PC. Evidently Ryoji Ishii needed to speak to her.
“Hiromi-san, am I taking you away from anything?”
“No, Dai, it can wait.”
Dai and Tom next discussed the merits of the remaining Watanabe shareigashiras. The general consensus was that these men and one woman were all working out well. A few were still learning their jobs and were in need of some supervision, but these particular ones had a good overall job performance so far.
“You will begin another audit tomorrow?”
“Yes, Tiger-san, I will,” Tom said. “I was given this responsibility by Goro-san not long after I came to work for the family.”
“Hiromi-san, I think you should delegate these duties to someone else. There is much more important work for you to do.”
“The next audit will be my last one.”
Dai looked incredibly pleased by Tom’s answer. Then he checked his watch. “I do not want to take any more of your time.”
Tom and Dai rose from their seats and exchanged bows. “You can call on me anytime you want, Dai-san. I will always make time for you.”
After Dai left, Tom began to mull over their meeting. While she was doing this, Aki and Suki entered the room.
“Taro-san,” Suki said as she carried a vase full of red roses into the room. “These came for you.”
Aki had two messages for her Taro. One was written, the other verbal. “Ryoji asked that you call him.”
“Is there anything you need us for, Sato-san?”
“No, Suki, Aki, not right now,” Tom said as she read the card that came with the roses. It said ‘For my little sports car with love- Chuck.’
“We will go to lunch soon.”
Tom took a glance at her wristwatch. She was surprised to see it was a few minutes after twelve already. “Don’t let me keep you. I may join both of you after I make a few phone calls.”
“We look forward to chatting with you, Sato-san.” Aki and Suki then left Tom’s office.
Tom placed a call to Ryoji Ishii. “What is so important you felt the need to interrupt my meeting with Dai-san?”
“Our person at the port informs me the shipment has cleared customs. The Inagawas will pick it up in the usual fashion.”
“Good.” Was Tom’s brusque reply before she abruptly hung up the phone.
The next phone call for Tom was to Chuck. “Thank you for the flowers.”
When Chuck didn’t reply right away, Tom’s mind began to wander. How did she get to this point in her life?
As a heterosexual man temporarily encased in a woman’s body, Tom Slater had, by his own admission, lucked out with Chuck. The guy was loving, gentle, patient, and extremely considerate to her. Their relationship had been crucial in easing the distaste Tom felt from having to maintain the life of the real Hiromi, who was cruel and unfeeling in real life, and had made many of the people around her frightened and uneasy. Her tall, well built, and extremely handsome Australian had been her refuge, and now her husband.
In a contemplative moment before he assumed the identity of Hiromi Sato, Tom had likened his male soul, safely inside the male body she’d had then, to a treasure locked inside an impenetrable chest. The outside could be dinged and have its surface changed or damaged, but what was inside, the core of Tom Slater, would always remain the same.
Like so many other aspects of Operation Swan Song, this early assumption was proving to be far off the mark. Tom Slater’s soul or core being was being made over ever so slowly by outside forces. That impenetrable chest had at least one big leak and Tom knew it.
From Tom’s earliest days as a woman, he always had one refuge where he could be himself. It was in the dreams he had every night. It was there Captain Tom Slater still lived, fought, and loved. Tom had rarely been a woman – or worse, a filthy Yakuza – when he was in dreamland.
As time passed, the dreams began to alter themselves. Just like Tom was being altered by the life she lived. Just the last Sunday night, she had dreamed of being a female scientist locked in a laboratory for years on end with someone always knocking on the lab door.
Finally, Tom went and opened the door. Her sister Susan came in and asked, “Sister, what have you been doing in here?”
“I am trying to invent a nail polish remover that doesn’t stick.”
Just the previous night, Tom dreamed of being in an endless closet of female clothing, where she’d tried on one dress after another. Those that had met with her approval had been neatly returned to their hangers. Those that hadn’t were thrown into a fire.
All during the selection process, Tom had just one criteria for approving the dress. Would Chuck think she was pretty when wearing it?
When she woke up, and was selecting which outfit to wear to work that morning, she made her decision based on how Chuck had reacted in the past, and would react to it when he saw it on her. Her dreams were beginning to match her real life.
“Kimi-chan, you always look smashing in that dress,” Chuck had said to his wife when she emerged from the bedroom in the peach-colored dress she’d picked, and the compliment had made her feel very warm and happy inside.
After she got the DNA therapy and had that talk with Christine Jennings, Tom firmly decided she would focus on her Swan Song work. Any possible post-mission consequences, like the danger of being a woman for the rest of her life, would wait for another day.
That ‘another day’ had arrived as Tom neared the completion of Swan Song.
Tom, like any man might have done when he found himself transformed into a woman, had needed some time to adjust to her new gender and bring his fears and apprehension about being suddenly female in every way, right down to the genetic level, under control. But after fourteen months of being female, Tom was very comfortable in being a woman, and in being married to a man. But at the same time, her heterosexual male soul or core still wanted to return to his original gender, or thought that it ought to want this.
But that desire had been fading of late, and was now very weak. Of greater concern to Tom, was the reshaping of her soul. It was becoming more female, and more heterosexual female in nature, with each passing day, and Tom didn’t know what to make of it.
Just before she’d called Chuck, but after she’d read the card that accompanied the flowers, Tom had fallen into a daydream. She and Chuck were living on their farm in Australia, where they had a young son, and Tom was pregnant again! In the dream, he was filled with joy and gratitude, and looking forward to giving birth to Chuck’s second child, a new addition to their growing family.
Tom shook his head at the memory. What Tom needed was a strong reminder of who he really was. The best remedy, he thought, would be a personal email or other communication from Gabrielle Tanaka, a woman he thought he might love. If he didn’t hear from her soon, the end of Operation Swan Song might also mean the end of Tom Slater.
The unusual silence from his wife during a phone conversation caused Chuck to become concerned. “Kimi-chan, is everything all right?
“Yes. I was just thinking. Thank you for the flowers. I love you.” At the same time she said those words, Tom felt a pleasant warmth rise up inside her. Her good husband loved her so very much, and she loved him dearly.
“Love you, too, Kimi-chan. What’s your plan for lunch?”
“I was going to stay here. Is that all right?”
“Of course it is, Kimi-chan. I will meet you at the Doctor’s office later.”
“See you there. I love you.” As soon as Tom got off the phone, she went over to her office’s mini-fridge. There was always something in there for lunch.
Tom was in the employee break room not too long afterwards. The women had saved a seat at the head of the table for her. She smiled at them.
“What are we talking about today?” Tom asked as she sat down. Ever watchful of her feminine waistline, she’d brought along a banana yogurt and tuna salad for lunch. If and when he got his male body back, the first meal Tom would order would be a cheeseburger with everything on it.
Ria, a secretary from the office, said, “Suki is becoming an Aunt.”
Tom suddenly perked up. “Your brother Hiroshi’s wife, I forget her name?”
“Mitsuyo is my sister-in-law.”
“Did Mitsuyo have the baby already?” Tom asked. She had grown to enjoy these lunch breaks at Watanabe Trucking. As time passed, Tom had grown to share some of the same interests as her female employees.
One of which was an interest in Japanese soaps, the same dramas Tom Slater had complained about to Gabrielle during his Swan Song training phase, one more subtle change in the male Army Captain that didn’t argue for an easy return to male life.
“No, but she is in labor and going to the hospital right this minute. My brother called to tell me just a little while ago.”
As Suki told of her excitement at becoming a first time Aunt, Tom and all of the other nine women in a room shared her happiness. All of those present felt the camaraderie amongst themselves that came from their working together and all being of the comparable ages and the same gender. If one among them had some happiness or sadness in their life, most if not all came to share the same emotion. Tom suddenly felt as if he were setting off across a bleak and barren moor, or into the Arctic wilderness, alone.
“Suki, I’m very happy for you,” Tom replied before putting a spoonful of yogurt, and then, too quickly, a forkful of lettuce into her mouth, to fill the emptiness she’d felt inside her.
Former Japanese Defense Minister, Fukushiro Nukaga, was shown into the office of the Yokohama Chief of Police. Hirotada Sudo came out from behind his desk to greet this unusual visitor to his office.
“Thank you, Hirotada-san, for giving me some of your time.”
Once both men were seated, just a tiny amount of small talk followed. Hirotada Sudo was a busy man, so he wasted before no time asking why Fukushiro Nukaga was there.
“The body of my son-in-law, Tonichi Ogawa, was found in waters near here. I was told that the Yokohama police were conducting the investigation.”
A light went off in Hirotada’s head. He knew of the Tonichi Ogawa murder, and the Police Chief had recently been contacted about it by the Japanese Prime Minister’s office itself, of all people. They’d wanted to know how the investigation was proceeding.
Hirotada now knew why Fukushiro Nukaga wanted to speak to him. As for the Tonichi Ogawa murder investigation, it was going nowhere. In fact, there were no members of the Yokohama police actively working on it right now.
“Yes, I am familiar with that case,” he said.
“My daughter is grieving every day for her husband. There is also my grandson, who will never again see his father……”
Hirotada Sudo quietly listened to Fukushiro. If his face showed no emotions, the Chief of the Yokohama police did grieve on the inside for the family of Tonichi Ogawa.
“I want to know if the murderer of Tonichi will be found soon.”
In a solemn tone of voice, Fukushiro told a solemn lie. The truth would have caused him to lose face in front of the past, but still influential, Cabinet member. “There are two investigators working on the case right now.”
“If it is possible, may I speak to them?”
“Fukushio-san, it would be best if I spoke to them first. Would it be acceptable to you if I call you in a few days with an update on the case?”
“Yes, I would like that.”
Tom’s appointment with Dr. Rinako Miyake was scheduled for three thirty that afternoon, but they got to the doctor’s office a few minutes early. Chuck and she were both anxious. After just a short wait, they were shown into the doctor’s office and treatment area.
The door to the inner office was barely closed behind Tom and Chuck when a young girl ran by them.
“Kimi-chan, wasn’t that girl adorable looking?”
“Yes, she was.”
A nurse working for Dr. Miyake had Tom step on a scale in the hall outside the examination rooms while she quickly adjusted the weights on the balance arm until the pointer was centered on the indicator. Her weight was 55 kilograms.
Tom made a mental calculation in her mind. 55 kilograms was approximately 122 lbs.
The nurse told Tom she had gained one kilogram over the last twelve months, but she wasn’t alarmed. Her breast implants alone probably accounted for a large part of the gain.
When Tom got in the exam room, the nurse took Tom’s vitals. She was also asked to give a urine sample. The exam room had an attached bathroom and that was where Tom did her business. She also took her clothing off and draped the paper sheet around herself, trying to maintain at least some dignity as she came out, looking not at all as stylish as when she’d entered.
She gave the urine cup straight to the nurse.
“The doctor will be in shortly,” The nurse said before leaving the room.
Dr. Miyake was an attractive woman in her early forties and evidently very observant. It was only seconds after the gynecologist entered the exam room that she saw a change in Hiromi Sato’s left hand since the last time she saw her, and commented on it.
“You are married now.” It was more a statement than a question from Dr. Miyake.
“Yes, Doctor, I am.” Tom was feeling a little bit anxious as she sat on the examination table. Chuck was seated in a corner chair. “This is my husband. His name is Charles McBride.”
Chuck took it upon himself to give Dr. Miyake a more precise timeline. “Kimi-chan and I were married on May 31st.”
Dr. Miyake smiled at her patient. “Let me congratulate you, Mrs. McBride. Now I have some questions to ask about your health since the last time I saw you…..”
Tom answered all the questions about Hiromi Sato’s medical history over the last year. She hadn’t had so much as a cold during the previous twelve months.
“When was your last period?” Dr. Miyake asked Tom in Japanese.
Tom didn’t have to think about this any more; menstruation had become an integral part of her calendar and awareness of the passing of time. “Two weeks ago, maybe two and a half. I’ve been very busy.”
“When did you have your breasts augmented?”
“It was last November,” Tom replied. Did Dr. Miyake have that good a memory of Hiromi Sato that she would notice the change in her breast size? In fact, this was Tom’s first appointment with this doctor. It was a reminder from Suki that told Tom that she was due for her annual exam.
“I will need to examine them.”
Then Dr. Miyake asked if she was taking any medications.
She answered that she was taking none, and added that she’d stopped taking her birth control pills.
“When did you do this?”
“It was sometime in May.” For some reason, she blushed, because it was right about the time they’d been married.
Dr. Miyake began her examination of Tom by listening to her heart and lungs. After she was satisfied all was normal with those organs, the doctor began to examine her patient’s breasts.
“Do you ever do self breast exams?”
Tom was honest with the doctor. “No, I don’t.”
“You should. A woman your age can develop breast cancer.”
“All right, doctor, I will start doing that. How often would I do them?”
“You should do them once a month at least, paying particular attention to the upper portion that extends toward your armpits and the area under your nipples. I’ll have my nurse give you a brochure, and she can show you the latest methods as well. Do you have any complaints in regards to your implants?”
“None, doctor, except they are heavy.” She smiled.
Next up for Tom was a pelvic exam and pap smear. As she’d had these examinations a year previous, in preparation for Operation Swan Song, she knew the drill – lie down with your back on the table, spread your legs wide, and put your feet in the stirrups.
Tom gritted her teeth, anticipating another horrible experience, when Dr. Miyake scooted her stool toward her, although she couldn’t see because of the drape. To her surprise, she used her fingers first, explaining at each step what she was doing. She said that this was what they called a bimanual examination, because she would use two fingers of one hand to gently explore her vagina, uterus, and ovaries while gently pressing down on her abdomen, so she could feel any abnormalities or swelling that might indicate fibroids or ovarian cysts, or any number of other conditions, and make sure that everything was as it should be. She asked Hiromi to please tell her if she felt any pain, even a twinge, because that might reveal something that should be investigated further.
It all felt a little odd, although she was well used to Chuck’s less clinical – and far more pleasurable – ‘explorations’ down there, but there wasn’t any pain at all, and she almost began to weep in relief and gratitude. The doctors back in the States hadn’t been nearly that sympathetic or kind. When she was ready to use the speculum so she could look at her vaginal walls and cervix, she had her nurse warm it under the water tap first, so it would be as comfortable as possible.
It wasn’t that bad. Not exactly foreplay, but neither the near torture she remembered from her previous experience. Tom resolved to pick her next gynecologist with more care, and to find a woman doctor if at all possible. Then, using a long cotton swab, Dr. Miyake removed a sample of Tom Slater’s cervical cells for laboratory testing.
As the doctor did this, Tom thought about Dr. Wagner and her DNA therapy. Was it so complete that when a patient’s tissue was put under a microscope, no doctor or scientist can tell the difference between it and non-treated cellular material?
“I’m finished,” Dr. Miyake announced in English as she got up from the stool she was sitting on. She immediately took off her gloves and disposed of them in a container for medical waste.
“Doctor, how am I?” Tom asked as she sat up. Chuck took this moment to come over and give his wife a kiss.
“Everything looked normal, Mrs. McBride,” Dr. Miyake said as she looked back at her patient. “It will take a week for me to get your pap smear results.”
Tom noted how Dr. Miyake called her Mrs. McBride. Not just once, but twice. Was the doctor making a commentary on her marriage to a non-Japanese? A fairly large percentage of Japanese women maintained their family name after marriage.
Over a decade and a half had passed since Tom Slater lived with his family for seven years on Camp Zama but the memories were still strong for him. A majority of Japanese back then didn’t approve of marriages like the one between his parents, Midori Sasaki and Stuart Slater. The haifu children of these marriages didn’t have any easier time gaining acceptance.
Was Japanese society any different in 2008 than it was in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s?
“Is there anything you would like to ask, Mrs. McBride?”
“Doctor, can I talk to you in private?” Tom asked.
Chuck got the message. He gave his wife a kiss and then left the room.
“Your husband understands some Japanese. Am I right?” Dr. Miyake spoke in Japanese.
“Yes, Chuck does. His Japanese is pretty good and getting better.”
“You are very lucky then. He is a very handsome man also.”
She felt relieved. It wasn’t the fact that she’d married a foreigner, then. “Yes, Chuck is handsome. Doctor, can I get some birth control pills?”
Dr. Miyake frowned. Then, she walked over to a wall cabinet and opened a drawer with a key she kept in her coat pocket and took out several round dispensers in their pink wrappers. She looked at them for a moment, and then carried them in one hand as she came back over to Tom.
“Mrs. McBride, you are almost twenty-nine years of age and a married woman,” Dr. Miyake said in a firm tone of voice.
“Yes, I am, Doctor.”
“Why do you wish to take birth control now?” Dr. Miyake said, holding the birth control pills slightly behind her back.
Tom could feel it. The doctor was laying a guilt trip on her. “I... I want to wait a while before having a baby.”
“Mrs. McBride, you will not be more fertile in a few years than you are now. You’re already past your most fertile years, and I can cite or show you studies that say you will have a smaller chance of conceiving the longer you wait. You made the choice to accept pregnancy once, in consultation with your husband, when you first married, and are now having second thoughts, aren’t you?”
Tom listened to Dr. Miyake’s lecture without uttering a word, but nodded, already ashamed of herself.
The gynecologist said, “You realise, don’t you, that you’ll have to use alternative birth control, or refuse sexual relations with your husband, for at least two months before you’ll be able to rely on them, and you’re right in the middle of your cycle, so you might be pregnant right now. Taking these pills,” here she waved them in her face as if they were something foul, “might seriously harm your baby. This isn’t something you can do in secret, hiding the fact from your husband, because you’ve changed your mind but don’t want to tell him.” Then she started in on a lecture about Japan’s declining birth rate. Was one woman at fault for causing Japan’s population to fall?
‘Why don’t you tell this doctor who you really are? She’ll think you’re nuts, but there is also doctor-patient privilege. Dr. Miyake can’t go tell others what you said to her.’
“When I was your age I already had given birth to my first child and was pregnant with another. Do you know I have three children?”
Tom was being worn down. This time it was being done by an angry female doctor. “No, I didn’t. Was that your daughter I saw around the office?”
“Yes, it is. Her name is Miyoshi and she is seven years old.”
“She’s very pretty.”
“Thank you. Wouldn’t you like to have a similar child? I have not known your husband long, but I think he would like that also.”
Tom looked Dr. Miyake straight in the eye and then glanced down at herself. For a few seconds Tom thought of his mother and how happy she would be at becoming a grandmother again. Chuck also wanted to be a father, to build a real family together, and it would hurt him deeply if she now said that she’d decided not to go through with what they’d agreed to just a few months ago. The worst of it was that he would allow her to hurt him, no matter how terribly, because he loved her. She began to cry.
“Do you still want these?” Dr. Miyake extended the hand that held the birth control pills.
Under the weight of her doctor’s obvious disapproval, her own guilt over her selfish attempt to deceive the man who loved her more then he loved his life, and feeling a deep need to please the most important people in her life, Tom caved in, and let herself answer, “No, I don’t.”
“Very good then,” Dr. Miyake said, before returning the pills to the cabinet she’d taken them from. Then she smiled, the kindness returning to her face and voice. “We all have fears, Mrs. McBride. I faced them, and so must you. You carry the weight of all your husband’s hopes for the future, as well as your own, but we’re both women, and know how to cope with such burdens, with love and with joy. Do you have any other questions?”
“No, doctor, I don’t.”
“I will see you again in one year, if not earlier than that. Remember that, besides gynecology, I have an obstetrical practice. Good day, Mrs. McBride.”
Dr. Miyake left the room and Tom collected his clothes and dressed herself again, checking her makeup and the appearance of her clothes in the mirror over the lavatory sink, repaired her eyeliner, and put on a fresh bit of lipstick.
Chuck was patiently waiting by the appointment desk. He smiled broadly on seeing his wife again. “Did everything go all right, Kimi-chan?”
“Yes, it did.” She looked deeply into his eyes, and then leaned into his always-welcoming embrace.
Gabrielle paid a visit to Inspector Yoshida at a little past 5 p.m. “If you have nothing for me to do, I’m going to leave for the day.”
“You may go, Gabrielle-san. I will be leaving in a short matter of time also.”
Before Gabrielle got a chance to leave the office, a police sergeant entered the room and handed Inspector Yoshida a note. The policeman instantly began to shake his head.
“Inspector, is that anything I should know about?”
“Konsuke Nomura has been arrested again. I must now go and arrange his release.”
“Can I be of any help? Gabrielle asked. Konsuke Nomura was the homeless person who delivered Tom Slater’s Swan Song message to Inspector Yoshida.
“Thank you, Gabrielle-san, but I must do this myself.” Gabrielle and Inspector Yoshida then left the office.
Konsuke Nomura had been arrested for petty theft earlier that afternoon. Inspector Yoshida found him in a basement holding cell.
“Knuckler-san, you came to see me again,” Konsuke said as he pointed to a spot on his bunk for Inspector Yoshida to sit down on.
Inspector Yoshida preferred to remain standing. “Konsuke-san, I asked you to not get in trouble again.”
“I know, I know. It was a small accident on my part.”
Inspector Yoshida didn’t argue with Konsuke’s phraseology. The term ‘small accident’ doesn’t apply to a deliberate attempt at shoplifting electronic items.
“Today, I will release you again. This will be the last time.”
“I won’t disappoint you, Knuckler-san. You gave me an important job to do.”
Inspector Yoshida gave a slight nod of his head. “Yes, and I need you to still be there should another message be sent for me. Now come with me.”
Konsuke got off his bunk and exited the cell. The two men then walked to the outprocessing area. In a half hour, Konsuke Nomura was again a free man.
Inspector Yoshida left the police station for home at approximately the same time as Konsuke Nomura. He did not think it likely that Agent Ripley would again use Konsuke to deliver a message for him. Still the policeman had decided to leave that avenue open. Operation Swan Song had lost too many field agents already and caution with its last remaining one seemed the prudent thing to do.
Since leaving the presence of Tokuro Inagawa, Akihisa Uno had used all his time and energy devising a plan to murder Hiromi Sato. Now with that work completed, he summoned three men to his Tokyo apartment. All said they would be there in one hour or less.
During the interval, Akihisa again studied the intelligence he had been given on Hiromi Sato, and the assassination plan he had devised from it. The tight time frame he had been given plus the limited inside information known to the Inagawa-kai about its greatest enemy, limited Akihisa’s options.
He did know where Hiromi Sato lived, where she worked, and where she would be two nights that week. All the locations were firmly planted in Watanabe Yakuza territory. That made any plan difficult to execute but not impossible.
Akihisa used google, and in particular google maps, to help his decision making. A scouting trip would have been preferred but the time element ruled this out. It was just good fortune that Akihisa had a pretty good knowledge of Yokohama, acquired this over the years from his visits to friends and family members living there.
Korin Ikaba was the first to arrive at the apartment. “Akihisa-san, it has been a long time.”
“Yes, it has,” Akihisa said as he closed the door.
Akihisa offered Korin a beer, his friend declined. “What is this job you said you may have for me?”
“Be patient, Korin-san, I am waiting for two others to arrive. We will talk then.”
Korin laughed. “Then I will have that beer you offered me.”
Keitaro Katsu and Shizue Takeshita were the last to arrive. Like Korin Ikaba, they were an old friends of Akihisa Uno. All four men were well-acquainted with one another.
As soon as his last two guests had settled in with their beers, Akihisa got right down to business. “Tokuro Inagawa has given me a very important job to do. I was hoping all three of you can help me.”
Each of the men Akihisa was speaking to knew who Tokuro Inagawa was, though only he and Keitaro Katsu were members of the Inagawa-kai Yakuza.
“A job request from Tokuro-san himself. It must be very important,” Shizue commented.
“It is. We have been asked to eliminate one of the Watanabes. Are any of you familiar with Hiromi Sato?”
“Bitchy little woman. She is their bookkeeper,” Keitaro said.
Katsu expressed some surprise at Tokuro Inagawa wanting Hiromi Sato dead. What woman could possibly be a threat to the Inagawa-kai?
“Tokuro-san has his motives;. I do not think that is important. Are you all interested in helping me?”
All three men said yes. Performing a service for Tokuro Inagawa would be very good for their futures.
“I have made out a plan. It is based on Tokuro-san wanting Sato dead by the end of this week and how much we know about her.”
“We are listening, Akihisa-san,” Shizue said.
Before getting started, Akihisa asked Shizue, Keitaro, and Korin to speak freely. If they had suggestions, he wanted to hear them.
Akihisa then began to lay out the way all four of them would assassinate Hiromi Sato. Since none of the men were expected to give up their life in their lives in achieving their goal, the all important method of escape was part of the discussion.
“Akihisa-san, I think this plan is workable,” Shizue said.
“I want to know what you think Keitaro-san? You have the have the most important job.”
Keitaro, who had been chain smoking through out the meeting, put down his cigarette and began to laugh. “Too bad we don’t have the time to get an RPG. Nothing says, ‘you die,’ like a Rocket propelled grenade.”
All the men laughed. “Seriously, Keitaro-san, do you see any problems in completing your mission?”
“No, Akihisa-san. When I am through, Hiromi Sato will be very dead.”
“Dinner was excellent, Riko-san,” Tom said to the cook and housekeeper for Keiji Watanabe.
Riko Watanabe had just begun to clear the dinner table. As usual, her employer was slow in finishing his meal. “I am glad you enjoyed it, Sato-san.”
The purpose of Tom’s dinner with Keiji Watanabe didn’t come out till until dinner was over and the two of them, plus Chuck, had gone to the private office of the Oyabun. Before any discussion took place, Riko made sure everyone had something to drink.
“Granddaughter, what is it you and Chuck wish to speak to me about?”
“I have thought it over, Grandfather. You asked me to move to Hong Kong in order that I be safe. Now I see you were right.”
Keiji gently nodded his head at the same time he allowed himself to smile for a few moments. ‘You have made the right and only decision I will allow, granddaughter.’
“Your decision is very wise and I will abide by it. Grandfather, will you please accept my apology for the recent outburst of anger I directed at you. I should be grateful for all the many things you have done for me,” Tom said with a bowed head.
The Hiromi Sato persona had endangered herself and Tom by blowing off steam at Keiji Watanabe just nine days earlier. Tom had to make amends, not just to insure his personal survival, but the success of Operation Swan Song also.
“Granddaughter, I accept your apology. I wish you and Charles a life of happiness together.”
Chuck spoke up for the first time. “Thank you, sir. I love Hiromi very much.”
Keiji again gave a brief smile. “I know that. It is my hope you can give me a great grandchild soon.”
As Chuck touched her hand, Tom noted how Keiji put an emphasis on the word ‘soon.’ Was the elderly Oyabun in poor health or just expressing a recognition of his own mortality?”
Chuck spoke. “Sir, we’re working on it. Aren’t we, Kimi-chan?”
“Yes, I am. The doctor told me today that this was a good age to become pregnant.”
Keiji gave his biggest smile yet. His granddaughter was already doing what he had asked of her.
“Chuck and I are seriously thinking of selling the banks in a few years and then move to Australia. We would buy a farm there.”
Keiji nodded his head in approval. “That sounds like a wonderful plan.”
In fact Keiji thought Hiromi’s dream of becoming a farmer’s wife was one more piece of evidence that she was unsuited to be a Yakuza, yet alone a Oyabun. Farming was for simple minded people.
Tom and Chuck talked to Keiji for a little while longer. It was already past 9 p.m. and it was becoming late for all three of them.
“Charles, I would like to speak to my granddaughter in private.”
“All right, sir,” Chuck said as he got up from his seat. He then walked over to Keiji and shook the man’s hand. “Thank you, again, for allowing me to marry your granddaughter.”
Keiji didn’t speak to Tom until Chuck was out of the room and the door was closed behind him. “Granddaughter, I have several requests of you.”
“Grandfather, I am always available to assist you.”
Keiji nodded his head. “The family still has business partners in Hong Kong. If the new Oyabun has some business matter with them, I hope you can still offer assistance.”
“Of course I can, Grandfather.”
“I gave you Kanagawa Bank to run as you like. It has pleased me very much how you have used this financial institution to help the family. What I ask of you now, is if you decide one day that you no longer want to run Kanagawa that you return it to the family.”
“Grandfather, I will do as you ask. How about the East China Commerce Bank I have purchased?”
“East China is yours to keep. I will have our lawyers draw up the proper papers for Kanagawa.”
“You are very wise, Grandfather,” Tom said. Her effort to make Keiji Watanabe feel less threatened by his granddaughter appeared to have worked.
Since she arrived back at her apartment, Gabrielle had spent almost every second of time writing and revising an email she would soon send to Tom Slater. There was so much she wanted to say to him.
The email wouldn’t be going out for another day at least, but its ending was already composed and no change would be made to it. It read:
I love you,
Gabrielle
When Tom got back to the apartment, he found Chuck already in the shower. “What, you couldn’t wait for me?”
“I am sorry, Kimi-chan. It looked like you and Grandfather may be talking for a while. Want to still come in and join me?”
“Yes, I would. Can you wait for me for one minute?”
“Of course, Kimi-chan.”
Tom and her husband took a shower together. As was their custom, they helped to wash one another. It was during this that Chuck again noted the strange absence of a scar on near his wife’s left ankle.
Chuck found this odd but since the rest of his wife was the same, which included two prominent birthmarks or freckles, he just thought Hiromi’s skin had undergone some miraculous healing. What else could it be?
During the shower process, Tom was careful with the parts of Chuck’s skin that were sunburned. “I’ll put some lotion on it after we get out of the shower.”
“I’d appreciate that, Kimi-chan.”
After they were finished in the bathroom, Tom and Chuck went to the living room. There they watched a Japanese variety show on television as they cuddled on the couch together.
Tom was the first to announce she wanted to go to sleep. Chuck announced he felt tired also and joined his wife in going to the bedroom.
“I got to go pee,” Chuck said to Tom.”¨
“Go ahead.”
While Chuck was taking care of his business, Tom took a few moments to straighten out her dresser. Behind it was a wall mirror.
As Tom studied her reflection for a few seconds, Chuck came up from behind and pressed his body up against his wife’s. “I never knew anyone more beautiful than you, Kimi-chan. I love you so much.”
“I love you, too,” Tom replied as Chuck’s erect penis pressed against her lower back.
That magic Chuck had over all heterosexual women, and his wife in particular, went to work. Tom fought hard within herself not to capitulate. The stakes were too high.
“Would you like me to make love to you, my little sports car?”
Tom continued the fight but she was weakening. Chuck was such a sweet guy, a gentle lover, and no matter how much his male soul wanted to say no, Tom couldn’t. She needed some physical love, not just emotional.
“Kimi-chan, I understand if you still hurt from your examination by the doctor. We can wait till until tomorrow if you want.”
Tom was playing with fire, but the fire Chuck lit inside her couldn’t be doused with kisses and snuggling. “No, please make love to me now. I need you inside me.”
Operation Swan Song wasn’t the only assignment Scott Avery had at the time of the last committee meeting. In fact he was assisting on four other FBI investigations.
One of which involved a senior Congressman from the Mid-Atlantic region who had long been suspected of taking kickbacks. Recently, a former staffer of his had approached the bureau. She had lost her job after refusing the sexual advances of her boss.
Before the firing took place, the Congressman had sent many private messages to his employee. In order to impress her and gain sexual favors, the politician dumbly told the staffer of his extra income. As revenge, that staffer came to the FBI with her laptop computer.
All keyboard activity on a computer, emails and private messages to name just two, leave a small footprint on the machine’s hard drive. In most cases, these can be restored. When Scott got to work on Tuesday morning, he was called into his supervisor’s office.
Norma Tashjian gave Scott Avery his new assignment. The computer expert tried to protest. “Ma’am, I have some other work that needs to be completed.”
“Scott, you do what work I tell you to do.”
“Yes Ma’am. What should I tell Director Williamson if he calls and asks when that email will be ready?”
“I’ll handle that. Now get to work.”
The new assignment given to Scott kept him busy the rest of Tuesday and well into the next day. He found just enough time before going home on Tuesday night to prepare the Swan Song email and its attachment. When finished, he mailed it to Agent Ripley’s Yahoo account.
“Thank you, Mrs. Sato,” said Teresa Wu. “I look forward to working for you. If you have any more questions, feel free to call me.
Ӭ
“I will do that. Goodbye, Ms. Wu,” Tom then hung up the phone. It was only as a pretense that she had done the telephone interview of Teresa Wu for the position of household manager at her Hong Kong home. Operation Swan Song had to come to an end with Hiromi Sato’s demotion and move to Hong Kong. What purpose could be served by keeping Agent Ripley in Hong Kong?
As soon as she was done on the phone, Tom signed onto the Yahoo account designated for Swan Song messages. The email box was empty.
Tom didn’t dwell too long or hard on the lack of reply to her messages sent less than a few days ago. A reply would come. In the meantime she had other things to do.
Like the Club Ganesha audit in addition to her other Swan Song duties. Wednesday would be a long day, one that wouldn’t likely end till around midnight. It was just a few minutes before 10 a.m., and Tom would be leaving for the office very shortly. The immense workload she had just didn’t allow her to stay away from Kanagawa Bank or Watanabe Trucking during their regular business hours.
When Tom left the apartment, she would be heading to Kanagawa. She would work there before going to the audit, which was to start at three o’clock sharp.
Five minutes later, and while she rode an elevator down to the parking garage, the message Tom had been expecting finally arrived in her Swan Song Yahoo mail account. The subject for the message- We seek you help Mr. Abdul.
Gabrielle was thinking of Tom’s email, her still unsent reply and other things, when her office phone rang. “Tanaka.”
“Am I speaking to FBI Special Agent Gabrielle Tanaka?”
“Yes, you are. May I ask who is calling?”
“My name is Long Qinglan and I’m calling for Chief Inspector Sylvia Chang. You wished to speak with her?”
“Yes, I did.”
“She asks that you come to her office here in Hong Kong on Friday July 18th at 10 a.m. Is that acceptable?”
“Yes, it is,” Gabrielle replied.
“Do you have a pen and paper? I have some instructions you will need to jot down….”
When she was through on the phone with Long Qinglan, Gabrielle placed a call to Inspector Yoshida. The Yokohama policeman was not in his office that morning. “Your friend Inspector Chang will be seeing me on Friday morning.”
“That is good, Tanaka-san.”
“Could you and I have a talk away from the office before I leave for Hong Kong?”
Inspector Yoshida paused for a few moments. “Yes, we can. Could you please join my wife and family for dinner tonight?”
Gabrielle knew where the Inspector lived, but in the over one year she had known him, had never once been to the policeman’s home. “Thank you, Inspector, for the invitation and I accept. What time should I come over?”
The audit Tom had to conduct began smoothly and on time. Since the Watanabe business enterprise being audited was of interest to Dai Hashimoto, the Saiko-komon was present when Tom and those working with her arrived to do their work.
“Is there anything you need, Hiromi-san?”
“No Dai-san, we’re fine. Thank you for asking.” All around Tom, the rest of the audit team was getting themselves set up. Yuka Nawamura for one example, was making sure all the computers were properly functioning.
“I will let you go to work,” Dai said before bowing towards Tom.
‘Tiger-san, you really have changed,’ Tom thought to herself as she watched Dai leave the room. At two earlier audits, Dai Hashimoto had been constantly looking over Tom’s shoulder at the work she and her team were conducting. “Yuka, tell us what week the random number generator selects for us?”
“Taro, the number chosen…. is seventeen,” Yuka said before looking up from her laptop computer. When a Watanabe business interest was to be audited, a week was randomly selected for study. A random number generator on the internet was the tool used for this process.
Another Watanabe audit had started. One way or another, it looked to be Agent Ripley’s last.
“What you propose doing is not against the law, Tanaka-san, assuming all goes well, but I strongly believe it would be most un-wise,” Inspector Yoshida said very strongly to Gabrielle as they talked in his home.
“I don’t want what happened to our other agents to happen to Tom, also. He is in great danger at this moment.”
“May I ask you something?”
“Go ahead.”
“Have you received a personal message from Ripley?”
After a few seconds hesitation, Gabrielle answered the question. “Yes, Inspector, I did. Tom sent a message to me in care of my sister Candace. She lives in California.”
Gabrielle told Tetsuro word for word what Tom had written her. She had read the letter so many times, Gabrielle had it committed to memory.
Inspector Yoshida remained firm with Gabrielle but the anger in his voice was no longer present and the tone of his voice had changed. It was now like that of a caring father who was advising their child in some matter. “I understand how you feel and why you want to save your friend. Ripley says she is in danger and I agree with that statement.”
“Inspector, that is why I feel we need to move at once. I don’t think the plan I propose carries all that much risk,” Gabrielle said firmly.
The plan Gabrielle had hatched since receiving Tom’s letter was a fairly simple one. She would call him at Watanabe Trucking and say she was an old friend who had just arrived in town for a visit. Would Hiromi Sato and her husband like to meet her for lunch?
That day at lunch time, Gabrielle left Yokohama police headquarters and scouted out the city’s Yokohama Bay Sheraton Hotel & Towers. It would be a natural choice of hotel accommodations for a visitor to Yokohama of moderate means and was very close to the city’s railway station.
Inside the Sheraton was the Teppanyaki Sagami restaurant. It was a very fine eating establishment that knew how to cook Kobe steaks to perfection. At the back of the restaurant was a pair of rest rooms and next to it a door that led to the restaurant’s service area.
Under the cover of freshening up before sitting down to eat, Gabrielle would usher Tom and Chuck out of the restaurant via the service door. She would drag the couple out of the hotel via a back exit where a car would be waiting for all of them.
Gabrielle would then drive all three of them to Yokohama rail station. If she got the timing down just right, they would jump on a Yokohama Blue Line Subway train almost immediately. A Swan Song safe house was only two stops and a short taxi ride away.
The rescue of Tom Slater would take place with lightning like speed, but Gabrielle saw few ways that her operation could be stopped, once in motion, or even slowed down. In fact, she was certain that by the time Hiromi Sato’s bodyguards learned their boss had disappeared, Tom and Chuck McBride would already be on the subway train.
The biggest uncertainty was how Chuck McBride would react to all of this? Gabrielle had already thought this out. A combination of her FBI badge, quick actions, and Tom Slater’s almost guaranteed help once he learned what Gabrielle was up to, would persuade the Australian to go along with what was being done to him and his wife.
“Gabrielle-san, your plan on the surface sounds like a solid one.”
“Thank you, Inspector. But?”
“It is still dangerous and fraught with many risks. I and the Yokohama police can not give you any assistance.”
Gabrielle had expected this statement to come from Inspector Yoshida’s mouth. “Inspector, I wasn’t here to ask for your help, just to advise you of what I planned on doing.”
Tetsuro became more than a little testy with Gabrielle. “No, Tanaka-san, you came here in hope of getting my help, either officially or unofficially.”
“Whatever.” Gabrielle was so lost in her fervor to rescue Tom, she had lost touch with reality. She should have known however sympathetic Inspector Yoshida may be to the plight of Tom Slater, the policeman would ultimately choose his profession over helping the undercover agent.
‘No, Gabrielle, don’t blame him. If you want to stick your own neck out, that is all right. Don’t expect others to do the same. They have their own lives and responsibilities.’ Gabrielle thought to herself as a few moments of awkward silence passed.
Gabrielle had a question for herself but Tetsuro once again began speaking to her. “Tanaka-san, I do not wish to do this, but should I learn you will go ahead with your rescue plan, I will have to tell my and your superiors. This could…..”
“Inspector, I want to save Tom and finish Operation Swan Song. As for my FBI career, I don’t particularly care what happens to it.”
Inspector Yoshida’s tone became fatherly once again. “That is your choice, Gabrielle-san. I do think you need to be clearer in your thinking. What if your rescue goes wrong?”
“I will take all responsibility for whatever happens.”
“Yes, I am sure you would. There could be criminal charges should persons become injured or property is destroyed. Worse, your friend could be hurt or killed in the attempt. Do you want to take total responsibility should that happen?”
“No, I would not.’’
“Then, Gabrielle-san, let us work together to save Captain Slater. He is very lucky to have such a devoted and loving friend.”
“Tom is a very special man, and I love him very much,” Gabrielle said without embarrassment.
“I know. When do you leave for Hong Kong?”
“Tomorrow afternoon. My flight leaves Narita a little after 5 p.m.”
Tetsuro nodded his head. The most commonly used means of transportation for a person in Yokohama wanting to get to Narita airport, was the Narita Express. They left every half hour and the trains took ninety minutes to get passengers from Japan’s capital to its largest airport. “Take tomorrow off, Gabrielle-san. You will have to leave early for the airport.”
“If you need me….” Gabrielle began to say.
“I will call you, of course. As of now, I foresee nothing coming up that will require your assistance.”
Inspector Yoshida then spoke for a little while about how he knew Sylvia Chang. Gabrielle listened quietly to what the Yokohama policeman had to say. It might prove useful when she arrived in Hong Kong.
Not until Inspector Yoshida was finished talking about his Chinese friend, did Gabrielle take a moment to look at her watch. “Inspector, if you will excuse me, I’d like to call it a night.”
Gabrielle and Inspector Yoshida both rose from the chairs they were seated in. “Yes, Gabrielle-san, I would like to do the same. It has been a long day.”
“Thank you, Inspector, for seeing me tonight.”
“You’re welcome. I am glad we had this chance to talk.”
The first thing Gabrielle did after getting back to her apartment was to try calling Midori Slater on her cell phone. For some reason, Tom Slater’s mother had it temporarily turned off.
This small setback didn’t faze Gabrielle in the slightest. She then decided to take a shower. After she was finished, she would try calling Midori Slater again and wouldn’t stop trying untill the two women had a chance to talk that night. It was long overdue for the two women who loved Tom Slater the most to have some good news to talk about.
Tom Slater wrapped up day one of the Watanabe audit she was conducting just a few minutes after midnight. Not until she felt satisfied with the cleanup afterwards, did Tom excuse herself for the night. “We’ll start again tomorrow at 3 p.m.”
Roger Hyde was patiently waiting for Tom when she came out of the office she had been working in. “Are we going home now, boss?”
“Yes, but let me use the restroom first.”
While Tom was in the ladies room, Roger got word to the rest of Hiromi Sato’s protection team that they were about to leave for Negishi Bay. “Ana, I need you to leave via the front door in exactly two minutes.”
Tom and Roger left via the back door. The red Fairlady was parked just a few feet away, but a light rain was falling. Roger had come prepared, he had an umbrella to keep his boss from getting wet.
“Boss,” Roger said once they were inside the car. “Just drive home the usual way.”
“Do you have your seatbelt on?”
Roger couldn’t help but let out a nervous laugh. “I most certainly do.”
Tom was exhausted and as a result, drove the Fairlady like it was a race car as much as she possibly could. Only red traffic lights could cause her to slow down.
Even late at night, Yokohama is a busy city. New York City is called the city that never sleeps but Japan’s largest port city could make an honest claim to that title also. Even on a weeknight, people were going about from place to place on the busy streets Tom had to travel by.
The central part of Yokohama, which Tom had to pass through in order to get home, is lit by many electronic billboards. Soft drink makers and Electronics manufacturers never cease trying to sell their products day or night.
Another part of Yokohama’s nighttime bustle, was the movement of trucks through the city. Due to Japan’s chaotic daytime travel, most trucking took place at night. Yokohama was the home to more trucking corporations than any other city in Japan.
When she was only a little over a mile from Negishi Bay, Tom had to slow down for a sobriety checkpoint being run by the Yokohama police. She wasn’t one of the drivers selected to undergo testing.
“I’m going to take a shower and go straight to bed,” Tom thought out loud in a low tone of voice. She didn’t normally make mention of her personal routines to Roger.
“Boss, what time will you be leaving for the office in the morning?” Roger asked.
“Not before eleven,” Tom said as she pulled into the Negishi Bay apartment garage.
When Tom arrived in her apartment, she was careful to tiptoe around. Chuck was sound asleep in bed, and snoring not too loudly.
As Tom showered, she thought of possibly checking for a Swan Song email. In the end, she decided not to. Sleep was what Tom was in need of most right then.
Not too long afterwards, Tom climbed into bed. She was still getting comfortable, when Chuck flung an arm over his wife’s left shoulder.
“I love you, Kimi-chan.”
“Love you too,” Tom replied as he began to feel a need for one more thing before going to sleep that night. There was no fighting it, she needed some TLC from her husband. “Please make love to me.”
Gabrielle finally got a hold of the Slaters. “Mom, I got an email from Tom this week.”
Mrs. Slater suddenly went speechless. The only sound Gabrielle could hear over the cellphone was the sound of a woman who was beginning to cry.
“Mom, we’re working on a operation to get Tom back.”
The mother continued to cry. Then Stuart took the phone from his wife. “Gabrielle, what can you tell us?”
“Dad, I think you will understand when I say, I can’t tell you too much.”
“Yes, operational security.”
“That’s exactly right, Dad. Tom is still in danger and my superiors have decided that we have to end his undercover mission. We will get Tom some time very late this month or early next month.”
“Thank you for keeping us informed. Gabrielle, if my wife and I can be of any assistance, please let us know.”
“I will, Dad.””¨
“My wife wants to speak to you again.”
Midori Slater was back on the phone a few seconds later. “I am sorry, Gabrielle.”
“Mom, you don’t need to apologize.”
“Gabrielle, what did Tom say?”
“Mom, Tom asked me to tell you he loves you.”
Midori Slater became all emotional again. So much so, her husband had to be the one to continue the phone conversation. “Gabrielle, please stay in touch with us when you have time.”
“Dad, I will call again next week. I will know more by then.”
“We will be flying home from Germany either on Monday or Tuesday.”
“I’ll still try calling. Tell Mom to hang on for a just a little while longer”.”¨
“Yes, I’ll do that.”
“Dad, how are you feeling?”
“I’m doing well, Gabrielle. Thank you for calling.”
After she got off the phone, Gabrielle re-read the personal email she had composed for Tom Slater. Most people would have called it a love letter, though there were mentions of Swan Song and a message for Tom that his parents said hello. Gabrielle didn’t tell him about what happened to his sister Susan and her husband Simon.
After Gabrielle made a couple of minor revisions to it, she clicked on the send button. “I love you, Tom Slater.”
Tom rose from bed at a little past nine in the morning. Chuck had already left for work. He was always considerate of his wife’s feelings, and had managed to slip out of the bedroom without disturbing Tom.
“Good morning, Mrs. Sato,” said Juanita Perez when her employer emerged from the bedroom for the first time that morning. Tom had just a pink bathrobe on. “What can I get you for breakfast this morning?”
Tom felt like eating something different that morning. “Two fried eggs over easy plus bacon and toast.”
“I will begin cooking that right away.”
“Take your time, Juanita. I want to do something in my office first.”
One of Hiromi Sato’s laptops was in her otherwise empty apartment office, on the last piece of furniture left standing after the movers had cleared everything else out of the room. Tom brought it out to the living room and plugged it in.
As Tom waited for the laptop to power up, she went over in her head what Swan Song tasks she would need to complete before the move to Hong Kong. The list was long and would have been best if it was written down. For her own security, though, Tom would have to keep it stored in her head.
A phone in the apartment began to ring. Tom was nowhere near a phone, so she allowed Juanita to answer it.
When the laptop was finished warming up, Tom immediately clicked on the Firefox icon. When the web browser appeared on the computer screen, she typed in the url, yahoo.com.
There was a message from the Swan Song committee, and another from Gabrielle, but before he was able to open either of them, Juanita came into the living room.
“Mrs. Sato, a Dr. Koretomo called. He wished to speak to you.”
Tom wracked his memory, but came up empty. She knew no such doctor. “Did he say why he was calling?”
“No Mrs. Sato, he did not. The doctor did give me his number and asked if you could call him back right away.”
Tom took the slip of paper handed to him by Juanita. Whoever Dr. Koretomo was, it remained a mystery to her.
“Breakfast is on the table.”
“Thank you, Juanita. I’ll be right there.”
After a few seconds thought, Tom chose to close the Firefox web browser. The emails sent to her would have to wait just a little while longer.
Just across the hallway from Tom and in his own separate apartment, Keiji Watanabe was just emerging from his bedroom. The elderly Oyabun had woken up over an hour earlier, but had chosen to stay in the bedroom. It was there Keiji wrote down the reasons he used to select the next Oyabun.
Keiji would have liked his successor to be a Watanabe, either by birth or marriage. However, there were no suitable male candidates. That made his choice of Dai Hashimoto to succeed him an easy one. Only Dai possessed the wisdom and strength needed to rule the Watanabe Yakuza.
In addition to jotting down the reasons he would promote Dai Hashimoto, Keiji spent time reading some mail he received the day before. Young people may communicate by email, but the elderly Oyabun preferred hand written correspondence.
To open any mail addressed to him, Keiji used a letter opener. One of which was always handy on any desk he worked from.
When Keiji came out of the bedroom, his cook Riko Watanabe greeted him. “Good morning, Oyabun-san. I will have breakfast for you shortly. Is there anything you need now?”
Keiji waved off his cook. Riko then hurried to the kitchen area. Her employer, who was also the Great Uncle of her husband, was a man of very repetitive habits. Like the meals he chose to eat. Every day of the week came with set meals he wanted Riko, and before her death Ai Toguchi, to make for him. Only when people joined him to eat, did Keiji allow changes to his weekly menu.
Riko put breakfast in front of Keiji less than ten minutes later. The Oyabun immediately dug into his food.
“Is there anything else you need, Oyabun-san?”
“Yes, you will work late tonight.”
It took a great deal of self control from Riko to prevent herself from grimacing at what her employer had just said. When Keiji said he wanted her to work late, what he really was telling his cook was she would have to have sex with him that evening.
Just like Ai Toguchi had to before her marriage to Keiji Watanabe, Riko had to submit to her employer’s demands. If she didn’t, Keiji at the very least would become even more physically abusive to her than he was already and force himself on his grand nephew’s wife. At worst, he’d do the same, but then retaliate against some friend or family member of his cook as well.
Riko learned early on not to oppose a demand of Keiji Watanabe. Having sex with the elderly man or even thinking about it, always made her sick.
“We will go to the Lake tomorrow morning,” Keiji announced. He preferred his Mt. Fuji area home over his Negishi Bay apartment.
Riko really wanted to get sick now. Whenever Keiji Watanabe went to the lake, Riko had to go also. That caused her to become separated from her husband and made her more available as a sex toy for the elderly Oyabun.
Keiji wasn’t going to Mt. Fuji because he wanted sexual intercourse with his cook. The real purpose for going there was so he could tell Dai Hashimoto of his promotion without the news leaking to other Watanabe Yakuza. The formal announcement of who would become Oyabun was still set for a meeting on August 2nd.
Tom exited Hiromi Sato’s apartment just a few minutes before 11 a.m. Bodyguard Yuri was waiting in the outside hallway.
“Good morning, boss. Are you all set?”
“Yes, I’m going to Watanabe this morning.” Tom, Yuri, and one other bodyguard then got on the elevator for the ride down to the parking garage.
“Where is Roger today?”
“He’s going to Hong Kong tonight. He wanted to make an early start for Narita,” Yuri explained. “Do you need to see him before he goes?”
“No, I don’t. Will you be coming to Hong Kong, also?”
“Yes, Boss. That is, if you want me to.”
“I do want that.”
“Boss, if you don’t mind me saying, you drove incredibly well a week ago last Sunday.”
“Thank you. You were a very good instructor, Yuri Alexanderovich.”
Yuri always felt honored when Hiromi Sato addressed him using both his given name and his patronymic. The later was so seldom heard outside of Russia, nor was it commonly used at all by non-Russians.
As she exited the elevator, Tom caught the slightest whiff of cigarette smoke. The reason Hiromi Sato so hated tobacco was due to the childhood asthma she used to suffer from. A person who has breathing difficulties wants the cleanest possible air.
On the way into the office, besides concentrating on her driving, Tom used her mind to again go over the emails she received that morning. She had both communications committed to memory. The originals and the attachment that came with one of them were all deleted now.
The Swan Song message came as no surprise to Tom. Her undercover assignment was being brought to an end. She was happy about this, but would have bravely endeavored on with the mission if ordered to do so.
Tom had been ordered to travel Hong Kong with Chuck and that they would be retrieved there. No details were given as to how that would happen.
When Tom got to the office, she would ask Suki to begin working on the travel arrangements. While she was stopped at a red light, Tom felt a little bit sorry for her boyhood crush. When the Watanabe empire collapsed, Suki Kobayashi and all the other Watanabe Trucking office workers who had befriended her in the last few months would find themselves out of work.
After the light turned green, Tom again had to concentrate on her driving as she went over and revised the Swan Song ‘to do list’ in her mind. The most important task on it, would be to make up to date copies of all Watanabe financial files Tom could get her hands on.
Tom would begin on this task on the 21st or the last Monday before her departure for Hong Kong. As she neared Watanabe Trucking, Tom decided the best and safest time to do copying work would be at night. She would make some excuse to work late on Monday and probably Tuesday.
‘That should work. I’m the granddaughter of the Oyabun and the Watanabe family’s CFO. Who would raise suspicions about me just because I stayed behind in the office a few hours later than normal?’
It was a bright sunny Japan summer day as Tom drove to Watanabe Trucking. The rain of the previous seemed like an anomaly now for there were almost no clouds in the sky.
Watanabe Trucking is in the port area of Yokohama. As Tom neared her office, the traffic changed from mostly passenger vehicles to commercial traffic. The paved roads were also dirtier than in the rest of the city. That’s why someone always washed the Fairlady when Hiromi Sato got to the office.
After making a left hand turn at a traffic light, Tom began to think of Gabrielle’s email and the separate matter of the return phone call she had made to Dr. Koretomo. Both were certainly very interesting and the second had surprising Swan Song implications.
Yuri then called out. “Boss, watch out!”
A container truck had begun to pull out into the road directly in front of the Fairlady. Its driver either hadn’t looked before making his turn or had underestimated the speed Tom was driving at.
Tom reacted quickly, taking her left foot off the accelerator and then using it to jam on the brakes. A collision was averted, but it was a close thing. The Fairlady coming to a stop a foot or two short of the truck’s right rear tire.
“That was a close one,” Yuri said with a sigh of relief. As soon as the truck was clear, Tom continued driving to Watanabe Trucking.
Situated on a warehouse rooftop just 200 yards away, Shizue Takeshita couldn’t help but feel bemused after witnessing Hiromi Sato’s near miss with the truck. The assassination he was assisting Akihisa Uno with was almost taken care of by providence instead.
A strong set of binoculars assisted Shizue Takeshita with the surveillance he was conducting. After the Fairlady with Hiromi Sato inside passed out of his sight, he placed a phone call to Akihisa.
“Hiromi Sato has just arrived at the Trucking Company. What am I to do now?” Shizue asked as the watched one of Hiromi Sato’s bodyguards give an earful to the truck driver.
“Stay where you are and call me the moment Sato-san leaves.”
“Were you frightened back there, Yuri Alexanderovich?” Tom asked as she entered Watanabe Trucking.
“No, boss, I was not,” Yuri replied honestly as he emptied his pockets in preparation to pass through the metal detectors. Hiromi Sato as a trusted leader of the Watanabes, didn’t have to undergo such scrutiny.
After she and her bodyguards cleared the security checkpoint, Tom had another question for Yuri. “Did you serve in Afghanistan?”
“Yes, boss, I did.”
“Then, you’re used to danger.”
Yuri had to suppress a laugh as he held a door open for Tom. He had indeed faced danger during two years of fighting in Afghanistan. Riding around in a automobile with Hiromi Sato wasn’t an activity for someone without a good measure of bravery within him or her, still it wasn’t anywhere near as much as needed for surviving a night-time attack by the Mujahideen. Yuri had been through four such encounters and had never felt in greater danger for his life during those than at any other time in his life.
A discussion of Yuri’s time in Afghanistan could have proved interesting for Tom. However all talk between her and Yuri came to an abrupt end when they each heard the sound of a woman crying as they entered the Watanabe Trucking office area.
The first thing Tom’s eyes told her was that almost all the women who worked for her were not at their desks. When she turned the corner for her office, the reason for the work stoppage became known.
Suki Kobayashi was seated in a chair, crying, and had almost all of her co-workers around her. Tom walked straight towards all of them.
“What happened?” Tom asked. Suki had a box of a Kleenex in her lap and was clutching a few of these with her left hand. On the floor by her feet lay a couple of used tissue.
Aki was the one to answer. “Suki got a phone call a little while ago. Her brother’s wife died during childbirth.”
‘Oh God,’ Tom thought as her eyes began to tear up. There wasn’t a woman in the office who hadn’t cried since Suki got her news.
Tom was then told the whole story. “The baby girl she was having died, too.”
“Suki,” Tom said as she knelt down in front of assistant. “I’m so sorry.”
“Thank you, Sato-san.” Suki’s sobbing was beginning to slow. Yuka Namura, clutching a waste paper basket, approached Tom and Suki. Her well-meaning personal assistant wanted to pick up the used tissues that were continuing to pile up on the floor.
Tom, with a shake of her head, got Yuka to stop her cleanup work. A clean office wasn’t necessary now. Being a friend to a person feeling deep anguish and pain was all that mattered then.
After some moments of silence, Tom asked a question. “Is Hiroshi in Zama right now?”
“Yes Sato-san, he is. Hiroshi is all alone right now.”
Tom turned her head. “Yuri.”
“Yes, Boss.”
“Get a car for me, immediately.”
“The Fairlady?”
Ӭ
“No, get another car.” Yuri nodded his head and then went off to do what his Tom Boss requested.
“Suki, you go to your brother, now.” One of the women in the office got up and offered her Boss a chair next to Suki. Tom sat herself down in it and held her assistant’s hand.
“I am supposed to work.”
“No, Suki. Hiroshi needs you now more than I do. Aki?”
“Yes, Sato-san.”
“Can you please go with Suki back to her apartment?”
“Yes, Sato-san, I can do that. I can even drive her, if you like.”
Aki and Suki, who were good friends both at work and away from work, car pooled together every day they both were working at Watanabe Trucking. On this particular day, Aki had driven her car to the office.
Tom shook her head. “No, Aki, but thank you for the offer. I will have someone drive both of you. Suki needs someone right now.”
Yuri was back a minute later. “Dimitri has a car parked out front. Boss, are you going also?”
“No, I am not.” Tom then helped Suki get out of her. She then let led the grieving young woman out of the building. Aki trailed along behind her friend and Taro.
A four-door Datsun was parked outside the office of Watanabe Trucking. Tom gave Dimitri his instructions directly. He was to drive Aki and Suki back to the later’s apartment.
“I want you to wait while Suki gets her things packed,” Tom told Dimitri. “Then, take her to Aki’s….”
Ӭ
“Taro-san, thank you for all you are doing for me, but I really can drive to Zama by myself,” Suki said to Tom. Her crying was almost under control. No one had gotten in the Datsun as of yet.
Aki then spoke up. “I would like to go with her.”
“Yes, Aki, I would like you to do that. If I wasn’t so busy now, I would come, too.”
A plan was settled on very quickly by all three women with some helpful input from Yuri and Dimitri. Dmitri would take Tom’s two personal assistants to Aki’s apartment first and then to Suki’s. After both women were packed, Aki would drive her grieving friend to Zama in Suki’s car.
Tom then announced she was giving Suki paid time off for two weeks. Aki was given one week off with pay.
“Let me know when the funeral is. I will come, if I am able.”
“Thank you, Sato-san, for all you do for me,” Suki said as she began to cry once again.
“Sato-san, is it all right if I call you tonight or tomorrow?” Aki asked.
“Yes, Aki, please do that. I want to know if Suki is all right and when the funerals will take place.”
The time had come for Suki and Aki to get in the car, but Tom suddenly realized something. “A week from tomorrow is the last day I will be working here. Aki, Suki, I want to thank both of you for working so hard for me.”
Tom did something very un-Japanese that took everyone present by surprise. She hugged and kissed Aki and Suki each. Her assistants then got in the Datsun and were immediately driven away by Dimitri. Once the vehicle was out of sight, Tom went back inside Watanabe Trucking.
As she walked back to the office, Tom couldn’t help note that most of the employees were looking at her. They might be in a bit of shock. Who knew Hiromi Sato could be so compassionate?
Tom was feeling more compassionate to people in general or at least to those who deserved sympathy. What had caused this change? Was it due to her temporary gender change or some other factor? Bottom line... Whatever the cause, Tom hoped this change was a permanent one.
As she got nearer to her office, Tom noted what she was now in need of. She then did an about face and went to find Yuri instead. The Russian bodyguard was in the makeshift office used by Hiromi Sato’s bodyguard detail.
“Boss, what can I do for you?” Yuri asked.
“Where’s Ana?”
“She is around somewhere. You wish to speak to her?”
“Yes, I do. Tell Ana I want to see her in my office.”
Tom then went to her office and immediately settled behind her desk. After first turning her computer on, she began to write down a short list of names.
Ana Ramirez arrived a short time later. “You wanted to see me, Ms. Sato?”
“Yes Ana, I did. Will you go outside and answer the phone for me? Aki and Suki have left, and I have work to do.”
Tom would have normally chosen someone else for the temporary job of answering her phone, but this wasn’t a particularly normal day at Watanabe Trucking. Two employees were out on vacation, and most of the rest were getting prepared for the last night of the audit. That was why Tom was asking Ana Ramirez to fill in for Suki and Aki.
“I don’t speak Japanese, Ms. Sato.”
Tom did a quick read of the bodyguard’s body language. Ana Ramirez was lacking eagerness at that moment. “Ana, I’m well aware of that. Just answer the phones for me and take messages from all the people who call except ones whose names appear on this list.”
Ana took the slip of paper handed her and looked at it with a total lack of enthusiasm.
“If those people I have written down call, you get on the intercom and let me know at once.”
“Ms. Sato, I’m not or have ever been a secretary,” Ana said in a tone of voice that bordered on rebellion.
Tom underwent a sudden mood change. She then got up out of her chair and walked around to the other side of her desk.
“I don’t give a fuck,” Tom said as got her face right up into Ana’s face. “Now go outside and answer the phones for me.”
Ana did an about face and began to leave the office. As she opened the door, she softly muttered something in Spanish.
Tom had some elementary Spanish language skills. No one likes being called the child of a whore in any language. “If you wish to continue breathing, I suggest, you little fuck, that you get out of my sight right this instant! And tell Yuri I want to see him immediately.”
“Yes, Ms. Sato.” Ana closed the door behind her.
By the time Yuri got to her office, Tom had the beginnings of a headache. She shouldn’t have gotten so enraged but Ana Ramirez had pushed her buttons a little too far.
“What can I do for you, Boss?”
“I want Ana Ramirez replaced as soon as possible.”
“Does that include her working as your decoy?”
“Yes, it does.”
“All right boss, but I will have to talk to Hashimoto-san. I will need his help to find a replacement.”
“Do what ever you have to,” Tom said as she took some Motrin out of her top desk drawer. She then poured herself a glass of water. “When a replacement is found, send Ana to Siberia with my love.”
Yuri chuckled at his Taro’s little joke. Without asking, he knew Tom just wanted Ana far away from her rather than a more drastic solution.
Before Yuri even had the door closed behind him, Tom was again doing her Yakuza work. In a remote corner of her busy head, a countdown clock was ticking away.
‘There are less than nine days until I’m out of here.’
Yokohama police detectives Yeijiro Mazaki and Juri Hayakawa were given the assignment of re-opening the investigation into the murder of Reina Shimizu. The Chief of Detectives, Matsusuke Morisue, gave them their marching orders early on Tuesday evening.
The first thing the two detectives did, was read the case file. It was slim and gave few clues. Then Yeijiro and Juri went and saw Kanabe Kaminaga. He was the first and until the day before only detective to work on the Reina Shimizu murder case.
“That’s all I know,” Kanabe told Juri and Yeijiro on Wednesday afternoon. “I didn’t leave anything out of the case file.”
Juri noted some anger in Kanabe’s voice. “The re-opening of this murder case is not meant to reflect poorly on all your years of hard work.”
In Asian societies, a loss of face can occur when someone’s past work is gone over again. This potential dishonor weighed heavily on Kanabe. He made his feelings known to Juri and Yeijiro, both of whom he respected. “What is perceived to be true is sometimes more important than the real truth.”
“I do agree with you, Kanabe-san,” Yeijiro replied. He sincerely felt sorry for his colleague. “If you were to investigate again, where would you start?”
Kanabe gave an immediate answer. “I’d go out to Izu Oshima and interview some of its inhabitants, in particular the fishermen there. One of them may have seen something.”
“Is there anything else?” Juri asked.
Kanabe had to think for a minute before he gave his reply. “A return to where the body was found could bring up clues. Frankly, I think it is all a waste of time.”
Juri and Yeijiro went back to the Chief of Detectives. After listening to what his two subordinates had learned so far, Matsusuke Morisue gave his approval for a underwater crime investigation to be started once all the men and equipment needed for one could be gathered.
Since that would take time, Yeijiro and Juri traveled to Izu Oshima. The island was its usual quiet and insular self. The geologic work done by Frank Snyder and Alicia Raagas had come to the conclusion that Mt. Mihara was in no danger of eruption.
At the same time Tom was trying to comfort Suki, Yeijiro and Juri were busy interviewing island inhabitants. The two detectives asked the same question over and over. Did you see any suspicious people or activity around the port, say three or four months ago?
Every one they questioned said no to Juri and Yeijioro. When the detectives tried to delve further into their memories, some islanders just walked away from them. The island of Izu Oshima may be administered by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, but its residents treated non-tourists from the Japanese mainland the same way they would if they encountered a Martian. Extreme xenophobia was the norm.
Yeijiro and Juri kept on plugging. After coming up with a big zero in the village of Okada, the two detectives tried their at the island’s largest fishing port.
The detectives had even less luck with the fishermen. These Izu Oshima natives were even more suspicious of outsiders. When Juri and Yeijioro tried to question them, they walked by without uttering a syllable. In one case, a young fisherman in his late twenties, spat at Juri’s feet.
Later on, A Izu Oshima policeman named Kadonomaro Fukuyama told Juri and Yeijoiro what was behind the treatment they were receiving. “A decade or two ago, some officials from Tokyo came and visited us. During their time here, a small number of fishermen were fined for some minor violations of the law. As a result strong resentments were formed.”
“We were just trying to do our investigation. No accusations are being made,” Juri said.
“It doesn’t matter. You are not from Izu Oshima, and that is all they see of you.”
A man named Shunsho Hattori with a craggy weather beaten face that made him look over a hundred years of age, was the only fisherman who said anything of consequence. “You can’t make me tell you what I see and not see.”
This statement after so many non-responses, caused an uptick in Yeijioro. “We only want to know if anything out of place happened recently.”
“One day the fleet went to sea like we always do. I have been doing this all of my life. The first time, I think I was four or five. My grandfather had his own vessel.”
“You must be both wise and observant then Hattori-san. Tell us a little of what you see that did not belong.”
Shunsho began a long rambling monologue that Juri and Yeijioro silently decided would be best left uninterrupted. The entire time Shunsho did clean-up and maintenance on his boat at the same time not looking straight at the detectives. He didn’t want to give the impression he was being of help to these outsiders.
“One March morning, the fleet sailed and there was another boat following us. They weren’t from Izu Oshima. I know it. These people I never see before.”
“When we set course for the best fishing areas, they break off. I say to myself, these people not up to good things. They were not fishermen, they just want others to think they were.”
Juri and Yeijioro could think of many questions to ask then. Instead they remained silent. Shunsho had made it clear with his body language, he would only volunteer information if he remained free of any prodding. He still distrusted the police detectives.
Shunsho then described the men on the mystery boat. He didn’t get all that good a glimpses oflook at them, but knew they weren’t fishermen. Their faces lacked were too smooth and lacked a tan.
“One man had very large tattoos,” Shunsho said as neared the completion of the cleaning up of his boat. “I never see any like it before. A tiger in a cloud with a paw outstretched.”
When Shunsho finished his work, he stopped talking entirely. Then, he climbed off the boat, and for appearances sake, spat at the feet of Juri and Yeijioro. The old fisherman, with his right hand grasping a bucket full of fish, began to amble his way back to town.
As nothing more was likely to be learned down at the docks, Juri and Yeijioro made Izu Oshima’s main police station their next stop. The Yokohama Chief of Detectives was expecting a daily update report on the Reina Shimizu murder investigation.
For her trip to Hong Kong, Gabrielle allocated almost as much time for the journey from her apartment to the airport than the flying time it would take to get to the Chinese city from Tokyo’s Narita Airport.
Narita, is the busiest international airport in Japan. It is situated to the east of Tokyo, and if one were to travel there from the city’s downtown in an automobile, the trip would take at least ninety minutes. Most Japanese chose to make the trip by train. Gabrielle, in even further away Yokohama, did the same.
First Gabrielle had to get from her apartment to Yokohama Station. Inspector Yoshida gave a young policeman the task of transporting the FBI agent.
“Are these your only bags?” Police sergeant Tsukasa Takasugi asked. He was in plainclothes.
Gabrielle would be taking a wardrobe bag, suitcase, laptop computer, and a purse for the journey to Hong Kong. She had packed plenty of clothes, because it wasn’t known yet if she would return to Tokyo again before Tom Slater was picked up in Hong Kong.
“That’s it,” Gabrielle said as she slung her purse over her left arm and followed Tsukasa Takasugi plus the rest of her belongings out of the apartment.
The trip to Yokohama Station took twenty minutes. Tsukasa Takasugi accompanied Gabrielle as she walked through the crowded entrance. Over two million visitors went through the doors every day, and it looked like a large portion of that number were pouring through the doors in that very moment.
Since Gabrielle already had a reserved ticket for a Keihin-TÅhoku Line train, she and Tsukasa went straight to platform four. On the way they passed through a security checkpoint. A wave of Tsukasa’s police identification allowed them to bypass security screening.
Gabrielle had been granted special permission to carry a firearm in Japan. For the trip to Hong Kong, she would be unarmed.
As Gabrielle and Tsukasa rode an escalator to the platform, a woman was coming the opposite way. She bore an uncanny resemblance to Tom as Hiromi Sato. Except that she had smaller breasts.
Sometimes, Gabrielle asked herself what would happen if she and Tom met by accident somewhere in Japan. Yokohama was a city of over 3.5 million people. The chance of the two being at the same place at the same time was slim.
As she waited for the boarding of the train to begin, Gabrielle checked her Northwest Airlines e-ticket. Flight 7 was scheduled to arrive in Hong Kong at 10:18 local time, or 11:18 Japan time.
Ten or so minutes later, a Keihin-TÅhoku Line train pulled out of Yokohama Station with Gabrielle Tanaka on board. As she stared out a window, Gabrielle began to fantasize about Tom Slater and those nighties she had recently purchased. They were making the trip to Hong Kong just in case.
At the same time Gabrielle Tanaka’s train pulled out of Yokohama Station, Roger Hyde was also beginning his journey to Hong Kong. He would be flying Cathay PacificJapan Airlines to the Chinese city.
Roger had a busy schedule ahead of him. The next day had him scheduled to meet with nineteen men and two women who would provide security to Hiromi Sato.
On Saturday, Roger would interview some of new household help for his employer. On Friday and Saturday evenings, the British bodyguard had dates scheduled with the tasty looking Teresa Wu.
Roger Hyde traveled to Narita Airport in the exact same fashion as Gabrielle Tanaka, except he arrived at Yokohama Station one hour later. He was scheduled to arrive in Hong Kong at a few minutes before midnight.
Keitaro Katsu had important news for Akihisa Uno. “The vehicle you asked me to acquire has been located and I am now in possession of it.”
“Excellent work, Katsu-san.”
“I been careful to leave no trail for the police to find.”
“That is very good, Katsu-san. Have it at the address I have given to you no later than 6 p.m. tonight.” Without another word spoken, Akihisa Uno terminated the cellphone conversation.
Tom left Watanabe Trucking with Yuri at 2:30. They were going straight to the audit location.
Before leaving for the Club Ganesha audit, Tom had been informed that Her Imperial Highness Nobuko, Princess Tomohito of Mikasa would be paying a visit to Kanagawa Bank on Friday afternoon.
Nobuko, was the wife of Prince Tomohito. It was this member of Japan’s royal family who once said he did all his banking at Kanagawa. That was a mark of great prestige for the bank.
Of late Prince Tomohito had been seen in public much less frequently. He was an admitted alcoholic and a cancer survivor. Surgery in March 2008 for cancer of the pharynx had caused His Imperial Highness to lose his voice. It had recently been reported that the Prince could only communicate now with the help of a mechanical larynx.
Right then Kanagawa Bank employees furiously were busy in preparation for the Royal visit. They were cleaning everything, polishing, bringing in flowers, practising the proper bows etc, etc. Tom would have been there too getting ready but for the Club Ganesha audit he had to complete
On the way to the audit, Tom finally got some time to think of what Gabrielle had written her. To say it made his heart feel good to know she had the same feelings for him that he had for her, was an understatement. The refusal by Gabrielle to get naked with Tom in Hong Kong was totally forgotten now.
Tom was so focused on Gabrielle’s letter, he was barely paying attention to the road in front of the Fairlady. He was looking down another road - the one containing HIS future.
In the letter, Gabrielle did everything but propose marriage to Tom. She need not worry, Tom would ask her the question in a few weeks instead. Right after he was free from the Watanabe Yakuza.
It was time for Tom Slater to settle down, and Gabrielle Tanaka was the right woman to do it with. She was attractive, kind, loving, fun to be with, and best of all a devoted friend.
One part of Gabrielle’s email amused Tom at the same time it showed how much she loved him. Gabrielle wrote that should Tom want to remain female, her love and desire for her would not change in the slightest.
‘Gabrielle, that is very sweet of you, but totally unnecessary.’
Tom would be a man, a husband, and if God blessed Gabrielle and him, a father one day. Life as a woman would be a thing of the past, though it was an interesting learning experience. It had given Tom a greater appreciation for the opposite sex. At the same time, there were aspects of female life he sure wouldn’t miss.
‘No more standing in long bathroom lines at a concert!’ This thought caused Tom to laugh out loud for a moment.
Yuri wasn’t used to hearing Hiromi Sato laughing. “Having a good time, boss?”
“No, I was just thinking of something I watched on television last night with Chuck.”
Tom felt sorry for Charles McBride. The Australian’s life would soon collapse, but what else could be done?
By thinking of Chuck, Tom got an important personal reminder. He had to cease having sexual intercourse with the man or risk being a woman until she died. Gabrielle had told him at the Hong Kong rendezvous that men that were given the DNA therapy and turned into women, were unable to get back to their original gender if the DNA they were given came from a woman who once been pregnant.
Dr. Wagner while lacking proof at this time, had drawn a hypothesis that should a Male to Female DNA patient of hers became pregnant, they too wouldn’t be able to become male again. A minor physiological change in the person’s blood chemistry resulting from pregnancy was believed to be the cause for the DNA therapy’s failures.
Tom didn’t understand the science involved with Dr. Wagner’s DNA therapy. He did understand that the way he lived these last Swan Song days could have permanent repercussions for him.
As she made a right hand turn, Tom asked herself if the repercussions would be that bad. No they wouldn’t. He would be a woman for the rest of his life, but the last 14 months had taught him, that life as the opposite sex had many good things going for it. Tom preferred to be male, but would settle for being a lesbian female if that was the only option left.
Either way, Gabrielle would have him or her, and Tom wanted that pretty FBI agent just as badly. As for the reaction of the Slater family, he remembered what his mother said just before he started Operation Swan Song.
“Mom, if I do this mission the change to me could be permanent.”
“Yes but you still be alive.”
Tom took that to mean his Mom would always love him. Knowing how devoted his father was to his family and at the same time remembering that Stuart Slater had been there also when his wife said that to his son, Tom expected his father to understand. Like Debbie had joked, Tom would be able to go clothes shopping with her sisters and Mom. She would be able to watch or talk sports with his father and go fishing with him.
On a whole, the Slater family dynamics would only change slightly because of one member’s gender change.
‘I will need a new name. Why not let Mom select one for you? You love her so much.’ Tom thought as she made yet another left hand turn.
No matter what gender he was after the mission, Tom would have to make a career decision. Would he continue to serve in the Army? He would talk it over with Gabrielle and his parents.
Getting back to Chuck, what excuse would Tom use for not wanting to make love? More likely a whole set of excuses would be needed in the next few days. If he asked Chuck to wear a condom, something the couple never used, Tom could draw suspicion on himself.
‘Remember a week ago when Chuck heard you called by your Swan Song code name? Chuck isn’t deaf or dumb, and, if you aren’t careful, he could figure out you’re not the real Hiromi Sato.’
For about a minute, Tom thought again of his parents. His mother would be full of joy, excited, ecstatic, and many more over the top adjectives when she found out her son would be marrying that ‘nice FBI girl.’
What happened to Reina Shimizu still weighed heavily on Tom’s mind. He would suck it in for the time being in order to complete Swan Song. There would be plenty of time afterwards to wrestle with his conscience.
As Tom shifted the Fairlady’s gears, his mind shifted to a Swan Song matter. Keiji Watanabe had prostate cancer and that was why Dr. Koretomo called that morning wishing to speak to his granddaughter. The elderly man had decided against having radiation and chemotherapy treatment.
“Did my Grandfather give a reason for declining treatment?” Tom asked the doctor.
“No, he did not. I was hoping you could have a word with your Grandfather. You should emphasize that without treatment he could die in as little as six months.”
Tom thought the decision to have or not have cancer treatments belonged to the patient unless a child was involved. His own judgment on the matter was simple. Keiji Watanabe should die a slow and painful death. The old man was a murderer and drug dealer and deserved that happening to him.
Personal feelings aside, Tom asked himself if this particular bit of intelligence should be forwarded to the Swan Song committee at once. As the Fairlady pulled into the Club Ganesha parking lot, Tom decided not to. When he was out of the Watanabe’s reach, he would inform his superiors.
As soon as the Fairlady was at a stop, Yuri hopped out of the vehicle and went to the driver’s side where he opened the door for his boss. A newly confident Tom climbed out.
As he walked to Club Ganesha’s front door, thoughts of Gabrielle Tanaka filled Tom’s head. How hot would it be to see her wearing just a nightie?
Gabrielle Tanaka wasn’t wearing a nightie. However, she was trying to get two of those garments and herself to Hong Kong before the night was over. One hitch might just make that impossible. The Northwest Airlines flight she had a reservation for was delayed for some reason as yet unknown to her.
The Northwest Airlines check-in line was both long and slow moving. While she waited for her turn at the counter, Gabrielle heard every rumor possible for both what was causing the delay and when and if Northwest Flight 7 would be leaving that night.
Finally, Gabrielle had enough. She pushed her way to the front of the line. Only a few non-Japanese mouthed a protest. In Japanese culture, people rarely expressed outward displeasure at another person’s rudeness.
“I need to speak to a supervisor,” Gabrielle told a harried ticket agent.
The ticket agent, busy typing on a console keyboard in front of her, replied without looking up at Gabrielle. “You will have to wait your turn.”
Gabrielle then placed her FBI identification out where the ticket agent couldn’t miss it -— in front of the computer console. “I’m a member of law enforcement and I really need to get to Hong Kong. Can you please get me a supervisor?”
A short time later a supervisor named Shuzo Kate, was talking to Gabrielle. “What can I do for you, Tanaka-san?”
“I’m on assignment here in Japan and working with Yokohama City and Kanagawa police at present. Tomorrow morning I’m supposed to be in Hong Kong on a law enforcement matter. Is Flight 7 guaranteed to leave tonight?”
“We do not know, yet. Come with me. I will try making you a reservation on another carrier.”
“Thank you,” Gabrielle said to Shuzo before she followed him to one of the few Northwest ticket counter stations not in use at that time.
While he worked his way into the airline reservation system, Gabrielle offered to prove her bonafides by giving Shuzo the phone number for Inspector Yoshida. The Northwest Airlines supervisor said it wasn’t necessary.
After a few minutes of studying what was on his computer console, Shuzo made a phone call. As Gabrielle looked around the chaotic Northwest Airlines booking area, she couldn’t help but eavesdrop on what the Northwest Airlines supervisor was saying over the phone.
When he got off the phone, Shuzo was abnormally cheerful for a person who had besieged with complaints for most of the day. “Tanaka-san, I can get you into Hong Kong tonight. A Japan Airlines flight that will be leaving in and ninety minutes and get to its destination around midnight. Is that acceptable?”
“It is perfect.”
Shuzo was in the process of re-booking Gabrielle’s ticket, when he imparted more good news. “I have gotten you a seat in business class.
“That’s wonderful, and thank you,” Gabrielle replied. She would try making time in Hong Kong to write a email to Northwest. This in order to praise the help she had gotten from Shuzo Kate.
Shortly afterwards, Gabrielle with all her possessions was walking at a frenzied pace. She would have to switch terminals, check her bags in, and pass security in a very limited amount of time to make her flight to Hong Kong.
Dai Hashimoto had come by the Ganesha Club to check on the audit. “Is it going smoothly, Hiromi-san?”
“Yes it is, Dai-san. Thank you for asking.”
“I will have people someone bring food to you and your people.”
“Thank you.”
“Yuri told me you had some trouble this morning.”
“Yes, I did,” Tom said before telling Dai what had upset him earlier in the day.
Dai became very angry looking and with good reason. It was he who hired Ana Ramirez and recently assigned her to Hiromi Sato’s detail. Her actions that day did not reflect well on him. “Ana was very wrong by not showing you the proper respect you deserve. I will have to teach her.”
“Dai-san, I just request you give Ana another assignment that is away from me.”
“I will do that, Hiromi-san. Now, I will let you get back to work.” Dai left the room but not before first bowing to Tom.
Just as dinner arrived for everyone working on the audit, Tom’s cellphone began to ring. “Hiromi Sato.”
“Good evening, Taro-san, I hope I am not bothering you,” said Aki Yomura.
“No, Aki, you are not bothering me at all. Did you and Suki get to Zama all right?”
“Yes, Taro-san, we did. I was calling to tell you that.”
“Aki, I am glad you did. How is Suki and her brother?”
“They are not very well. The funeral will be Sunday.”
“Tell Suki that Chuck and I will be there. Thank you for calling me.”
Keitaro Katsu parked the van and turned off its ignition. When finished, he made a thorough examination of the vehicle. When he felt satisfied there were no traces of him in it, Keitaro climbed out and went looking for Akihisa Uno.
He found Akihisa Uno and Shizue Takeshita seated up front in a SUV parked three blocks away from the van. Keitaro climbed in behind them. “I did as you told me. Do you think the police will come and move the van?”
Akihisa shook his head. A cell phone in the SUV began to ring, but Shizue answered it for him. “No, the police will only come for it in the morning.”
Shizue Takeshita then spoke. “It was Korin-san who just called. He has gotten the weapons and other articles you asked of him. Also, he is asking when will Stage three start?”
Akihisa thought for just a moment. “Stage two is now complete. Call Korin-san back and tell him to start stage three at ten.”
“Stage four is when we kill Hiromi Sato,” Keitaro Katsu said eagerly as a big grin began to form on his face.
Gabrielle got to gate 24 and Japan Airlines Flight 773 with plenty of time to spare. The first coach class customers were just being allowed to get on the 777 aircraft.
Business and 1st First Class passengers of a Japan Airlines flight can get on anytime in the boarding process. That is why Gabrielle got in line with the coach class customers who were embarking onto the aircraft.
A tall man slipped into the line behind Gabrielle. In the process, Roger Hyde accidentally bumped the FBI agent. “Excuse me.”
Gabrielle didn’t hide her shock well when she saw just who had bumped into her. “It is all right, no harm done.”
Roger paid Gabrielle no further attention. He was as eager as she was to get to Hong Kong.
Just moments after Gabrielle her carry-ons stowed and herself settled into seat 7A, a very attractive flight attendant asked what she would like to drink before take off. “Orange juice, please.”
After she got her juice, Gabrielle began to think of Roger Hyde and the Swan Song personnel file on the man. For what possible reason would a decorated and reportedly brave member of the British military go to work for ruthless gangsters?
Money was the obvious and first possible answer. Roger Hyde was what people called a mercenary.
‘Scratch that,’ Gabrielle thought to herself. She knew why people like Roger hated the word mercenary, and she sympathized with them. Men and women like Roger were really skilled workers who did a service in return for payment. In a odd way, a person could think of them as similar to people in the medical profession. Both were in the business of life and were paid based on their levels of skill in that area. Were they really different than members of the medical profession? Both were in the business of life and were paid based on their levels of skill in that area.
As Gabrielle finished her orange juice, she decided to put Roger Hyde under surveillance when Japan Airlines Flight 773 reached Hong Kong. Who knows, maybe she would learn something that would help save Tom Slater.
Dai Hashimoto was relaxing at home, when he got a phone call from Keiji Watanabe. “Oyabun-san, what is it you need me for?”
“Dai-san, can you come visit me at my lakeside home this Saturday morning at 11 a.m.?”
“Yes, of course, Oyabun-san. I will be there as you ask.”
“Good night everyone,” Tom said to all the people who worked on the audit. “Don’t forget all of us have to be back at the office tomorrow at 9:30 a.m.”
A woman named Nari Hiraoka called back. “We know, Sato-san, Good night to you.”
Yuka Kawamura left the back room of Club Ganesha at the same time Tom did. Before she became one of Hiromi Sato’s two main assistants, the two women had been friends while they attended Tokyo University together. “No rest for the wicked, Hiromi-san?”
Tom laughed. “Just a little. Good night, Yuka-san.”
Bodyguard Kimo approached Tom. “We’re leaving now?”
“Yes, I am. Where’s Yuri?” Tom asked as Kimo guided him to the front door.
“He is having a word with Ana.”
The Fairlady was parked just outside the Club Ganesha’s back door. Tom and Kimo were heading out of the parking lot just a minute later.Tom didn’t wait for ten seconds to pass after Kimo buckled himself in before driving the sportscar out of the parking lot.
It was just another warm summer night in Japan. Tom would be in need of air conditioning for the drive back to the Negishi Bay apartment building.
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“Ana, you would be well advised not to anger these people,” Yuri said to Ana Ramirez as they both climbed into the Fairlady decoy car. “If I were you, I would apologize to Sato-san personally.”
“I’ll think about,” Ana said as she started up the car.
Yuri sensed the defiance in Ana’s reply. ‘This woman has got to be the dumbest bitch you have ever met.’
“Are we headed back to Negishi Bay?”
Yuri, took a few moments to reply. “Yes, we are and you’re to follow MY directions the whole way there.”
In the shadows of a Yokohama back alley stood a fidgety Korin Ikaba. Not too far away from him was his co-conspirator, Keitaro Katsu. Keitaro was standing out by the curb of a Yokohama side street.
The alley was only a little under a block away from a traffic light. Keitaro was on alert for the distinctive silhouette of a Nissan Fairlady.
There had already been one false alarm. Keitaro made a Fairlady pull over but as it neared him he realized it was the wrong color. He then motioned for the driver to continue on.
At a few minutes short of midnight, Korin again checked the weapon he had chosen to kill Hiromi Sato with. The handgun hadn’t changed since the last time he checked it only ninety seconds earlier. Korin just needed something to do to pass the time. A little over two hours of having to stand in one place had proved almost unbearable to him.
The handgun was loaded with frangible 9mm bullets. It also came equipped with a Gemtech "Tundra" 9mm suppressor.
In Japan, it is not very easy to acquire a handgun. Even the Yakuza doesn’t use these weapons very often. Their preferred methods of killing include knives, other blades, and even martial arts weapons.
The killing of Hiromi Sato was a special case. When Akihisa Uno was given his assignment by Tokuro Inagawa, he was also allowed access to a small armory of weapons the Inagawa-kai had acquired by one means or another.
Since he was the only one with significant firearms experience, Korin Ikaba was the one selected to be the shooter. Akihisa Uno gave Korin great leeway as to the selection of gun and other related particulars needed for the murder of Hiromi Sato.
On Wednesday evening Korin made a visit to a home located in the Shibuya ward section of Tokyo. In a crawl space underneath the house was a small armory of guns and ammunition kept by a member of the Inagawa-kai.
A handgun was the weapon he decided on. In order to avoid incriminating the Inagawa-kai in the murder of Hiromi Sato, a certain make was also preferred. Luckily for the Akihisa, Korin, and the others, that particular make of gun was available from the armory.
Also important to the hit was the ammunition to be used. The armory had a plentiful supply of frangible bullets and Korin took ten of these for the gun he had selected. Frangible bullets are not lead projectiles with a copper cladding, like a normal bullet, but are instead made of hybrid materials.
It could be said that frangible bullets are environmentally friendly. They break apart into many small pieces on impact, and this makes them the preferred ammunition for firing ranges.
Any object or person beyond the original target is unlikely to be struck by frangibles. Ricochets don’t take place with these type of bullets.
Due to the way they disintegrate into tiny particles on impact with human flesh, frangible bullets cause great bodily shock to the area struck. A person wounded from the waist up by this ammunition has little chance of survival.
That’s why Korin chose these bullets for the hit on Hiromi Sato. Black talons, also known as ‘cop killer bullets,’ would have been an even better selection but that type of ammunition is almost impossible to get in Japan.
When Korin Ikaba left the armory, he took with him two Sig Sauer handguns, but only one of them had a suppressor on it, because the other was meant to be carried openly, as part of a disguise.
His uneasy wait on the Yokohama side street continued. Not knowing when Hiromi Sato would make her way home, was causing Korin Ikaba to become increasingly antsy. The need for him to stay motionless for a long period of time and not chain smoke, as was his habit, didn’t help matters.
Keitaro, who had the Sig Sauer without a suppressor, was dressed in the uniform of the Yokohama police. He also hated waiting and was a bit nervous, but at the same time was not exhibiting anxiety like Ikaba was. “Be patient, my friend.”
“Akihisa should have had a lookout.”
“A lookout could have drawn unneeded attention to us,” Keitaro said as he continued to watch oncoming traffic. There was still no sign of a red Fairlady.
Over the last hour, Keitaro had twice gone through the motions necessary to maintain his cover. If Hiromi Sato didn’t show up soon, he’d have to do a third fake sobriety check. Otherwise someone may become suspicious.
When her Japan Airlines flight finally came to a stop at the Hong Kong Airport jetway, Gabrielle Tanaka did not jump to her feet like all of the other Business Class passengers. For on the way over from Japan she had decided to watch Roger Hyde as they both made it through customs and passport control.
Gabrielle waited till five minutes had passed since the plane doors were opened. She then grabbed her carry-on luggage and left the airplane. When she arrived at the point where the business and coach jetways intersected, Gabrielle looked both left and right.
‘There he is,’ Gabrielle thought to herself on sighting Roger Hyde. He was already past the intersection but by no more than ten or fifteen feet. A tall Caucasian male in a sea of shorter Asian men and women stood out and therefore wasn’t all that hard for a trained watcher to keep track of.
When they got to passport control, Gabrielle was just three bodies behind Roger Hyde. To keep from arousing the bodyguard’s well tested antennae that could warn him of trouble, the FBI agent tried to act like an obnoxious American tourist.
Gabrielle did this by talking to the woman behind her in line and very loudly. “This is my first trip to Hong Kong, how about you?”
The elderly Chinese born grandmother of eleven with an American passport bluntly told Gabrielle that it wasn’t her first trip to Hong Kong. As for Roger Hyde, he paid no heed to the women just a few steps behind him.
Just short of four kilometers from the Club Ganesha, a sobriety checkpoint was set up. Cars were being randomly chosen and their drivers tested for alcohol.
When the officer saw The Fairlady approaching, he stepped into the road and ordered it to the curb. The driver did as they were instructed.
The Yokohama policeman with a badge identifying his last name as Yamaguchi, asked to see the driver’s license and proof of insurance. These were handed to him almost immediately.
“Just one moment please,” the policeman said before stepping to one side.
Out of the shadows stepped a thin man with a sallow complexion and eyes sunk into his face. With his right hand he then lifted a handgun and began firing it into the Fairlady.
To be continued in Part Seventeen
Comments
Another Great Chapter
Danielle,
Just when I think that the plot is as thick as it can get, it thickens some more and Tom's endangerment also jumps up another notch. This chapter is one of your best, at least IMHO. I don't want to give anything away, so I will just say that it is something that each fan needs to read for themselves. Thank you for picking this story back up. Please keep the final chapters coming.
Avid Reader
Obviously not the end for Tom
But how does he/she survive, or has the decoy been got instead.
Cant wait to find out. Please hurry with the next episode.
Poppykin
Hoo boy!
Every time I read a new chapter of this I'm torn between wishing for more or finally seeing Tom rescued. Okay, I'll go with more chapters of this enthralling story.
Once again you've added even more to the mix and left questions hanging quite adeptly that absolutely guarantees that I'll jump on the next chapter when it appears. I won't say more to avoid spoilers but still want to see more.
Only this, wonderful chapter in an amazingly riveting story. Thank you for picking this one back up.
Twists and Turns
Ah. The story continues its slow boil and I'm anxious to see what happens next. I was spoiled last time. I got to read this chapter only one day after the previous one. I'll have to wait with the rest now. Dang.
I did notice one thing about the end though. You couldn't hide it from me. I won't say what it is, just that I'm not too concerned about Tom for the moment.
Thanks very much for continuing the story!
- Terry
Duty, Honor, Country, Family - Part 15
Can Tom and Sato be separated into different personaes and the Sato half be placed into the original body for Chuck? And can Tom become Tom again and love Gaby, or has his assignment mde him over so that he wants Chuck?
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine