“Will you be giving me a ring tomorrow, Chuck?” Gary asked as he got ready to leave the pub. “I got nothing scheduled at all for tomorrow.”
“I don’t know, Gary. My situation with the wife is still up in the air as I told you.”
“Forget about her, Chuck. There’s plenty of Sheilas here in Alice who would give their left arm to be your wife.”
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Synopsis: Swan Song seems to be going forward using Ripley’s revised plan. Chuck is having second thoughts about his wife, and running into problems on his own, but his actions have thus far prevented Hiromi’s letter of apology and explanation from reaching him. In the meantime, Gabrielle has volunteered to go through the Double Helix process and take Chuck’s place as Hiromi’s husband, with the general consensus being that she would be more reliable than Chuck if the situation deteriorated, but some provision would have to be made for outside support as well.
Thank you to Puddin for all her help preparing this story chapter for publication.
Gabrielle went from the meeting room to her work station. Once she was signed onto her computer, she brought up the Hiromi Sato Witness Protection report. She had five copies of it printed off.
The next stop for Gabrielle was to find the Japanese Swan Song delegation. She had been notified a few minutes earlier that Justice Minister Hatoyama and his entourage had arrived at Pine Gap.
“May I come in? Gabrielle asked after knocking on a door.
An aide to Minister Hatoyama came to the door. “Yes, you may, Agent Tanaka. Can I ask what has brought you here?”
“I have some things to deliver to the Minister.” The aide then Gabrielle into the room.
Gabrielle walked up to where Minister Hatoyama was standing. Two of his assistants hovered close by him.
“Minister, The Director asked me to give you and your staff this report.” Gabrielle then handed over her report.
“Thank you,” Minister Hatoyama said before bowing slightly towards Gabrielle. She returned the bow.
Gabrielle gave copies of the report to the other Japanese delegates before addressing the Justice Minister again. “Director Mueller cordially asks if the Minister can join him in the meeting room this morning at fifteen minutes before eleven.”
“You may tell the Director I will be there.”
The Kanagawa Shimbun’s coverage of the Rosebud fire caused its subscribers to get angry. Some reacted by calling the newspaper offices, but an even larger number decided the Police Departments of Kanagawa Prefecture were the best persons to address their concerns to.
Emergency Operators were on the front lines of the public’s barrage. “This is not the proper number to call.”
“It isn’t? My wife is afraid to go out with my son because of that fire. You tell me how that isn’t an emergency.”
Non-emergency phone lines also got similar calls. Even some Chiefs of Police in other cities began receiving phone calls because the story had gone viral among Japanese internet users.
“The public is very angry,” A senior police official said to Yokohama Police Chief Takeji Kasahara.
“You are right, Hisashi-san, but it was my opinion that if we wait long enough the anger will die down.”
Hiromi’s cell phone began to ring. Everyone in the room but her fell silent as she picked it up. “Chuck?”
“Sorry, Mrs. McBride, my name is not Chuck. Rather it is Eugene Ramsey, how are you?”
“Why are you calling, Mr. Ramsey and who are you?” Hiromi had mistaken the still unknown man’s call for one from Chuck. The display screen on her cellphone hadn’t told her who was trying to call her. Hiromi thought Chuck may have been calling on a landline from somewhere in Alice.
“Mrs. McBride it has come to my attention you and your husband came to visit Melbourne last Saturday evening. I’m in the business of real estate and….”
“I’m not interested right now, Mr. Ramsey. Good day.” Hiromi immediately terminated the call. “Sorry about that, Director.”
“No problem, Captain,” Robert replied. Hiromi temporarily turned her cell phone off again. As soon as she was told the courier was on their way to the McBride home, she would turn her phone back on.
“You said you knew who Fukushiro Nukaga was? Grant Williamson asked Hiromi.
“Yes, Director, I do. He was the father-in-law of Tonichi Ogawa aka Agent Chrysanthemum.”
“Are you telling us, Captain, that you didn’t know Nukaga was on the Watanabe payroll till today?” Grant asked in exasperation.
Before Hiromi could say a word, Robert Mueller butted in. “Grant, the answer is obviously no. Why the Captain didn’t know is irrelevant.”
Hiromi had been perfectly willing to explain to Grant why she didn’t know about the payoffs to Fukushiro Nukaga. It was quite simple, they had been cut off before Ripley took Beancounter’s place. Plus the list of former Yakuza bribe recipients ran into the hundreds at least, probably many more. Nobody would know all the names off the top of their head.
“If a former Defense Minister was taking bribes, there is more than a good chance one or more current high ranking officials are doing the same,” Maurice Gao commented. “Has Mr. Avery or Ms. Dudley made any similar discoveries?”
“Not at this time, Inspector,” Debra explained. “Only because there isn’t one complete ledger of all bribes paid. Mr. Avery and I are still searching.”
Inspector Yoshida spoke up. “By revealing Uetake-san as being a recipient of Yakuza bribes the committee may cause Minister Hatoyama to change his thinking.”
“If you would, Inspector, please tell the committee who Kimochi Uetake is,” Robert said.
“He is a member of the Shadow Cabinet. A group of outsiders, who are neither elected or appointed officials, but who still manage to wield incredible an incredible amount of power within the world of my country’s politics.”
“Is Uetake-san close to Minister Hatoyama?”
Inspector Yoshida shrugged his shoulders. “I do not know but Uetake-san is a close confidant of our Prime Minister.”
“Inspector, Is Mr. Uetake a potential threat to Ripley?” A suddenly worried Grant asked.
“No, I do not believe so. He is just an advisor and not privy to confidential matters. The Yakuzas pay Uetake-san so he can lobby my government not to harm certain business interests of theirs. Am I correct, Ripley-san?”
“Yes, Inspector, you are.”
Inspector Yoshida despised those politicians who took Yakuza bribes at least as much as he despised the gangsters themselves. The greed of Kimochi Uetake blinded him to the misery the Watanabes and other Yakuzas were causing to thousands of Japanese people on a daily basis.
“With these further bits of information, I think the Japanese can be persuaded not to prosecute you, Captain,” Robert said. The FBI Director really hoped he wouldn’t have to use the political blackmail ammo the Swan Song committee had come into possession of. One day the Japanese could turn around and use similar information on an American official, so the negotiations and hints of possible retaliation would have to be handled very delicately.
“Will Swan Song be allowed to go ahead?” Hiromi asked at almost the same moment Scott Avery and Debra Dudley rose from their chairs and excused themselves.
“We don’t know, Captain, but we should find out soon. In the meantime we will continue planning for it. The next thing we need to go over, Captain, is what your short term schedule, and that of Swan Song as a whole, is going to look like.”
Chuck was getting worried and irritated, both at once. Those bloody Federal snoops were cruising down the street behind him in their sedan, making him look like the man with one red shoe in that spy film with a trail of spies behind him. He came to a quick decision.
“Mum, can you drop me off at the next corner?”
“Of course I can, son.” Patricia McBride pulled her car over a few moments later. Before disembarking, Chuck gave his Mother a kiss.”
“I might be out most of the day, Mum. Please don’t stay up for me.”
Chuck turned into a local he was familiar with, a biggish place, with a bottle shop, gambling machines and accommodation rooms, but more importantly, several back doors. He stepped up to the bar. “Half a pint of your best, then?”
One of the two men following Chuck, Louis, came in a few seconds later. Chuck didn’t pay any attention to ex-boxer as he took a seat at a table approximately twenty feet away from him.
“Sure thing, Chuck. We haven’t seen you in much.”
“Nah, I’ve been working in Japan. You know what jobs are like these days in Alice.”
“Too right. Didn’t fancy pumping petrol, then?”
“Not me. Mind you, your job isn’t bad.”
“It has its charms, but it’s been difficult keeping up my tan, working days and all. Are you trying to avoid someone?”
“Yes, can you help me out, Mate?”
The bartender chuckled “What’s a mate for. There’s the back door,” he said, making a slight movement of his eyes in that direction, “just make sure it closes all the way when you’re done. Good luck.”
Chuck drained his glass. “Well, I’m off, but I think I’ll stop by the loo on my way out.” He laid a tenner on the bar and walked down the back hall to where the loo was located.
Louis knew there was a loo in back and assumed that was where Chuck was headed. The former boxer couldn’t have been more wrong.
Because right past the door to the gents room, was the door the bartender was referring to. One that let a person out onto the street, and once completely closed, the door would lock shut. At the moment, the door was slightly ajar.
Chuck pushed the door open and in so doing walked out into the bright sunshine on the other side of the block. There was a taxi ready at hand, so he took it.
“That’ll give the bloody bastards something to think about.” As an afterthought, he turned off his cell phone. Like most Japanese gadgets, it had everything but a bottle opener and a pocket knife attached, and he knew that it had built-in GPS tracking, so he figured the Feds could trace him easily with it on.
Louis knew something was wrong when a bright flash of light came and went from the loo area. He hurriedly got up in order to investigate.
Less than two minutes later, Louis was back out on the main street and running towards the Blue Sedan that had Angus Jones seated inside it. “McBride did a flyer out the back door on us. He’s gone!”
The blue sedan had a car phone. Angus used it to place a call to Superintendant Vincent Carey of the Australian Federal Police.
When Gabrielle returned to the Swan Song meeting, Director Mueller was explaining to Hiromi the other undercover help she would be having shortly after her arrival in Japan, Gabrielle went straight to her seat without saying a word.
“Captain, I want you to attempt making contact with Yuri Titov sometime today.”
St. Petersburg Russia time was six and a half hours behind what it was in Alice Springs. “I will call him this afternoon, Sir.”
Gabrielle spoke up next. “Director, the courier has left for the McBride home. Also, I gave Minister Hatoyama and his aides a copy of my memo as you directed me to do and notified them of your request for a meeting this morning.”
“Excellent work, Agent Tanaka, and thank you.”
“Director, I think I’m in need of a new Swan Song recognition code. The old one has been used too often, including one time where one of Major Hollins men blared it out over a loud speaker while attempting to communicate with me.” Hiromi took a moment to turn her cell phone back on.
“The committee will come up with something new for you and the others, Captain,” Robert replied.
Keiji Watanabe’s long-time aide, Joji Sato, came to see the elderly Oyabun early on Tuesday morning. “I am glad to see you are in good health today, Oyabun-san.”
“Sit down, Sato-san. I want to hear what is happening now.”
Joji told the elderly Oyabun about Watanabe Yakuza business both big and small. Keiji didn’t say anything when being told about the Rosebud fire and death of Katsuaki Koike.
“Do you have any instructions for me, Oyabun-san?” Joji asked at the same time he put the envelope from Hideichi Ishimoto on the table between he and Keiji.
Keiji took the envelope. “You may go now, Sato-san. I will not need you again till tomorrow.”
The exchange between Keiji and Joji was heard by the team of listeners given the task of eavesdropping on the elderly Oyabun. When the conversation was finished, Watanabe Yakuza Tsutomu Kusatsu asked one of the technicians to play back the recording for him.
Tsutomo listened to the tape three times in all before passing judgment on it. “I did not hear anything we need tell Akira-san about.”
Keiji got up to use the bathroom. On the way there, Rika Watanabe asked a question of her employer. “Is there anything I can do for you, Oyabun-san?”
“I need you for nothing now, you foolish woman. Go away!”
Hiromi’s cell phone rang once. She glanced at who was calling before she answered it. “Ryuku-san! Hello?”
“Hiromi-san! I was worried! You didn’t return my calls!”
“Return? I didn’t see any calls.” Hiromi looked over at Robert Mueller. He didn’t look fazed or bothered by the interruption.
“I left a couple of messages. I wanted to ask your address, because we’ve all signed a card for you, and we wanted to know where to send it.”
Luckily, the Swan Song staff had arranged a mail drop at an Alice Springs bed and breakfast, if Hiromi and Chuck needed one, and they were officially checked into the Wallaroo Room, so she was able to give her the name, at least. “Of course! It’s the Alice Station B&B. It’s at 25 The Fairway, Alice Springs, Northern Territory, 0870, I think, Australia. It’s really a lovely place, with gardens and their own kangaroos. There are only four guest rooms, so it’s quite private. We’re leaving for Sydney in a day or two, but they’ll forward it I’m sure.”
“How exotic! You’ll have to show us some pictures.”
Hiromi rolled her eyes; another detail to handle, but not insurmountable. She should have thought of it in any case. Her friends at Watanabe Trucking would demand at least a few snapshots. She’d have to bring someone with her to take the shots, so she could be in them while ‘Chuck’ held the camera. But right now, she had other things on her mind. “Ryuku-san, I’m right in the middle of something, could I call you back?”
“Oh, don’t bother. Everyone was up in the air about your news, but there’s nothing new otherwise. The papers are full of stories about the fire, and the Watanabes are mentioned unfavorably, so you might want to take a look. It’s not too bad, because they’re depicted as victims of another gang, but it’s bad enough just having the club mentioned as a Yakuza operation.”
“I’ll do that. I’ll see you soon, then?”
“Of course! You have a nice time. I’ll see you soon.” She disconnected.
Hiromi looked at her phone with a feeling of dread. She didn’t see the message-waiting icon. She called her voice-mail number. A disembodied voice told her, “You have... seven... new messages. To listen, press one...”
At that very moment, Superintendant Carey entered the room. “I’m afraid we have some bad news. Charles McBride has ditched the people who were keeping him under surveillance. At this moment in time we have no idea where he is.”
Hiromi immediately dialed her husband. “Come on, Chuck, please answer.”
Chuck had taken the taxi he had grabbed and went straight to a Alice Springs pub known as The Round Top. It was a modest place but was a known hang out for many of his mates.
It was early in the morning, so business was still slow. Chuck took a seat at a table in the back of the pub. It gave him a good view of the front door.
A waiter came to Chuck’s table. “What can I get you?”
“Can I have a Solo Strong, please?” Solo was a lemon flavored Australian Soft drink. The waiter was back with Chuck’s drink a minute later.
Chuck slowly sipped some of his drink. He might be at the pub all day as he contemplated what he should do about his life, and more particularly, what he should do about the two Hiromis.
‘I can’t do this every day or I’ll go crazy. Before this day is up, I’m going to make up my mind.’ Chuck thought to himself. His cellphone was still turned off, and therefore he missed Hiromi’s latest attempt to get a hold of him.
“My husband has his phone turned off,” Hiromi told everyone in the meeting room.
“Mrs. McBride, do you have any idea where your husband might have went?” Superintendant Carey asked.
Hiromi had to think for a few moments. Outwardly she was composed, but on the inside she felt both concerned and annoyed at Chuck. “We went to Bojangles the last two times we were here.”
Bojangles was a popular saloon and dining room in Alice. Superintendant Carey was familiar with it. “Is there anywhere else?”
“I’d try The Windmill also.” Hiromi didn’t know about The Round Top. Chuck had never taken her there.
“Can you please tell me the names of any friends or acquaintances of your husband?”
Hiromi decided to take a stance. “Superintendant, are you going to have Chuck arrested?”
“No, Mrs. McBride, our only intention is to locate Mr. McBride. When we do, he will be given your letter and notified of your wish to speak to him.”
“I don’t want any harm to happen to Chuck. To hell with Swan Song if we’re going to arrest my husband,” Hiromi said angrily.
Robert tried to calm things down. “Captain, please relax. I assure you, your husband won’t be harmed, but you are aware we will need his co-operation.”
Hiromi felt like crying, but instead held herself together, if only by a thread. She was feeling very overwhelmed by what was taking place. She was particularly annoyed by what seemed to be cellphone failures, since no one had told her that the security systems at Pine Gap might interfere, if that’s what was happening.
Major Grasso tried to alleviate the sense of fright Hiromi was feeling right then. “Captain, no harm will come to your husband.”
Hiromi began speaking again after about a minute’s worth of silence. “I apologize to the committee for my outburst.”
“That is all right, Captain,” Robert replied. “We understand the stress you are feeling right now. No one in this room wants to see you or your husband hurt in any way. Superintendant, Carey, can you tell us what measures are being taken now?”
Before Superintendant could say a word, Hiromi asked a question. “Sir, is it all right if I check my voice mail? I just discovered I have seven new messages.”
“Go right ahead, Captain.”
While Superintendant Carey and Robert discussed how a discreet search for Chuck McBride would be conducted, Hiromi listened to her messages. There were messages from Ryuku, Eugene Ramsey, two from Kanagawa Bank, one person who apparently had a wrong number, but most importantly, two from Chuck.
Hiromi listened to those intently. Chuck had wanted to know how she was, but then why had his mother say he didn’t want to speak to her again? The recent actions of the mother and son didn’t make sense.
“Chuck called me twice,” Hiromi said out loud when she was finished.
“What did he have to say?”
“In his last call Chuck said he had spoken to some policemen who told him I might be in danger and he wanted to be sure that I was all right.”
Superintendant Carey nodded his head. “Mr. McBride did speak to the two officers assigned to follow him. Did your husband say anything else?”
“No, except that he asked me to call him back. I’ll try doing that right now.”
Hiromi got Chuck’s voice mail. “Chuck, I’m at Pine Gap and got your messages. Don’t worry about me, I am safe but I’m concerned about you. Chuck, if you get this message, call me on my cell or the phone number I gave you for Gabrielle. I understand, Chuck, why you are angry towards the Federal Police that were following you, but they are there to protect you. Please listen to what I just said, and remember what I’d said earlier, before you left. I love you very much and ask you to please come back.”
Gabrielle spoke up after taking a look over at Hiromi. The two of them would have a good talk once they got some free time and privacy. “Charles McBride has probably turned off his cell phone in order to prevent us from locating him using GPS or cellphone tower triangulation. He’s not a stupid man by any means.”
Inspector Yoshida took a moment to chime in. “Agent Tanaka is probably right.”
“Captain, do you think there is any chance your husband may depart Alice Springs?” Grant asked.
“No sir, I don’t think so. Superintendant, when Chuck went out today, did he take anything with him?”
“No, Mrs. McBride, he did not.”
“Then Chuck will come back to his mother’s house, I’m sure of it. Don’t have the courier leave the McBride home for any reason and if you could, instruct the courier to give the letter directly to my husband, not to my mother-in-law. I have reason to believe that she may not be relaying my messages to him.”
“I will have the courier properly instructed, Mrs. McBride. In the meantime can you tell me the names of your husband’s friends here in Alice?”
Hiromi gave Superintendant Carey the names of five people she knew in Alice Springs. “Chuck has been in and out of Alice his whole life and he doesn’t have have that big a pool of friends here, those are the only names I can recall.”
Superintendant Carey jotted down the names before leaving the room once again. Hiromi opened some bottled water and took a sip.
“Captain, the new Swan Song is not going to be an open ended operation. You will go back to Yokohama and begin the makeover of the Watanabes. The Swan Song committee will monitor events and when we feel you have accomplished enough, retrieve you and Economist.”
“At any time you feel the risks have become too great or that you, your husband, or other family members feel themselves threatened, you are to abort Swan Song at once in one of the methods you’ll be briefed about before leaving Pine Gap. The committee wants all of you to return safely.”
“Thank you, Sir. How long do you expect my mission to continue then?”
“I would say somewhere between one and five years. It will depend on how quickly it takes you to change the Watanabes and how stable your situation remains.”
Grant spoke up. “How long after arrival in Yokohama do you think it will be before you start changing the Watanabe business model?”
“I can begin making changes almost at once. Take for instance the adult entertainment businesses and prostitution the Watanabes still dabble in. Before leaving for Hong Kong, I crunched the number and showed the results to one of the shareigashiras. These business enterprises hardly ever turn a profit once you factor in the cost of bribes, the costs of the human trafficking operations in other countries and across the border, and the short ‘working life’ of the prostitutes. I think that some of the shareigashiras ‘get off’ on abusing women, and part of the attraction is the abuse itself, not the profit. I saw this firsthand in one exposure to one of the ‘clubs,’ so I should be able to get the Watanabes out of this business fairly quickly, and also at the same time end their participation in human smuggling.”
She paused for a moment, considering. “That reminds me of something else I also wanted to mention to the committee. When the clubs are closed down, I would like to see certain immigrant workers funneled to Dr. Wagner if possible. She and I talked about it last night.”
“I will arrange a study to be done on whether my formula can be used to cure patients who have STDs or are HIV positive,” Dr. Wagner explained.
Hiromi decided to be honest about her motivations. “Many of the workers are pre-op transsexuals who are saving the money they earn pedaling their bodies so they can pay for gender reassignment surgery one day. I believe I can justify the costs to the Watanabe shareigashiras as a prophylactic measure to avoid publicity, although of course I wouldn’t reveal the true nature of the process. I could sell it as a cut-rate ‘hatchet job’ by a rogue surgeon, and the recipients could be repatriated to their own countries, so could easily ‘disappear’ from the purview of the gang.”
“Whether the study on HIV/AIDS is or isn’t done would be up to the managers of the Double Helix project,” Grant said. “Personally, I find it commendable what you Captain and Dr. Wagner hope to do for those workers, but we’d have to weigh the risks as well as the benefits. In your plan’s favor, we already draw upon this population for volunteer subjects, so there’s a protocol already in place.”
Grant Williamson’s wife Shania had a younger brother named Rodney. While in his late teens, Rodney became addicted to narcotics, including heroin.
Only after multiple attempts at drug rehabilitation was Rodney able to beat his habit. Unfortunately for Grant Williamson’s brother-in-law, a side effect of his past addictions remained with him. Rodney Wrenn died of AIDS on April 2nd 2000. He left behind many shattered family members, including his sister Shania and her husband Grant.
Grant Williamson never wanted another family to have through the trauma the Wrenn family had. Eight years had passed, but Shania Williamson still wept for her baby brother.
“Why thank you, Deputy Director,” Dr. Wagner replied. “It is my hope the formula I invented will one day eliminate AIDS and no one will ever be HIV positive again.”
“A Swiss bank account owned by Hiromi has almost twenty million U.S. dollars in it, and I believe I can persuade the Watanabes to finance some of the costs as well. They like to demonstrate their supposed ‘Samurai warrior’ virtues, and this could visibly demonstrate that they are shocked, simply shocked, to discover that some of the entertainers in their ‘legitimate’ nightclubs had been so cruelly exploited. I propose to use some of the gang money to finance this particular project of Dr. Wagner’s. That is unless someone has an objection.”
“No, Captain, I have none,” Robert said.
“If notified, I think Kanagawa Prefecture Health authorities will aid Dr. Wagner by making the immigrant workers available to her,” Inspector Yoshida added. “It would be done discreetly of course.”
Hiromi mentioned other illegal enterprises she hoped to get the Watanabes out of. They included extortion, loansharking, and the biggest of them all, the smuggling of narcotics into Japan.
“It won’t be easy to get the Watanabes out of narcotics. The other Yakuzas can be very paranoid on that particular subject. I can try persuading them that Nagoya would be a better port for that activity rather than Yokohama. Then too, at least part of the business of drugs smuggling is associated with prostitution, so getting out of the one endeavor may lessen Watanabe involvement in all of them. I think it will be fairly easy to justify a general ‘clean hands’ policy because of our business connections to the royal family.”
“Also through my work as the Watanabe CFO I can gather valuable intelligence on Japan’s Yakuzas plus other organized crime. Organized crime leaders who want to discuss business, will have to talk to me, not Dai Hashimoto.”
Robert Mueller looked at his watch. “Captain, the new Swan Song will be discussed with you again before you leave for Sydney. In the meantime, I think you should return to the debriefers. Probationary Inspector Gao will be asking you some questions today.”
“I will do what I’m ordered to do, Sir.”
“Unless there is any objection, this Swan Song meeting is adjourned.”
Major Grasso spoke to Hiromi as people began filing out of the room. “I have never said this to a client before, Captain, but I’m a little in awe of you. What you hope to do takes an incredible amount of bravery and intelligence.”
“Thank you, Major, and let me wish you good luck with the Minister.”
Hiromi left the meeting room a few moments later. Gabrielle caught up with her in the hallway. “Becky, how are you doing right now?”
“Honestly, Gabby, I feel a little anxious because of Chuck.”
“I don’t blame you, Becky. If I hear anything, I will come tell you right away.”
“Do you have that computer guy’s telephone number? I’d like to ask him a couple of questions.”
“Sure do, Becky,” Gabrielle replied before checking her cellphone directory. “Here it is…..”
A cellphone belonging to Royal Australian Air Force Sergeant Jennifer Leighton was beginning to ring. “Leighton.”
Superintendant Vincent Carey introduced himself to Jennifer before getting down to business. “Sergeant, are you still outside the McBride home?”
“Yes, Sir, I am. No one has made an appearance since I arrived here. I also just got off the phone with my superior, Captain Innis. I have been instructed not to deliver the letter I was given to anyone but Charles McBride. I was also ordered to stay here till another person comes to relieve me.”
“That is fine, Sergeant. I am just calling to inform you that a few of my people will be arriving at the house shortly. Please co-operate with them fully.”
“Yes, Sir, I will do as you ask.”
Hiromi was on the phone with Scott Avery. She supposed the computer expert would have knowledge about how cell phones operated. “Gabrielle gave me your phone number. I had a couple of tech questions I was hoping you can answer.”
“Go right ahead and ask, Agent Ripley.”
“I’ve been missing voicemail calls, or at least they haven’t been showing up on my cell phone display. Do you know why that could happen?”
“Sure. You have one of those Japanese dual-band phones, right?”
“Yes, but what’s that got to do with it?”
“The Japanese cell carriers have their own system, just like some of the American carriers, but Australia uses GSM, the world standard, and some carriers don’t translate their features properly for world carriers, so you wind up with missing features.” He didn’t say, ‘But everyone knows that,’ but he might as well have.
“Why haven’t I seen this before? I didn’t have any trouble in Hong Kong, or anywhere else I’ve been.”
“Well, you just might not have noticed, or the world carrier you accessed in Hong Kong translates the Japanese information correctly in a way that lets your Japanese phone understand it. People get used to calls dropping out, bad signals, and random problems with cell phones, plus people lie about leaving messages, or trying to call, so connection failures don’t stand out like they would on an old-fashioned analog answering machine. Many people find that the safest method of guaranteeing good results is to rent or buy a local phone, and forward their calls from their Japanese carrier to the local carrier’s cellphone.”
“Great. Thanks, Scott. Now I understand, or don’t understand, but at least I know it wasn’t a conspiracy. I’ll let you get back to your work.”
Hiromi went to the room she was to be debriefed at again. All of the previous day’s debriefers were there plus Maurice Gao.
“Captain, I was sent to Pine Gap by the Hong Kong police. We were hoping you may have some information on triads that operate out of our city.”
“I will try to help you, Inspector. Feel free to ask me any questions you wish.”
Robert Mueller may have been thousands of miles from the Hoover Building, but he couldn’t escape the administrative work that came with his being Director of the FBI. There was a pile of papers on his desk when he got back to his Pine Gap office.
The FBI Director had just begun studying a letter addressed to the Hong Kong police when Grant Williamson knocked on his door. “Come on in, Grant, and please close the office door behind you.”
Grant did as he was told. He stood in front of Robert Mueller till he was told to sit down.
Not a word was said for at least a minute. Grant, even though he was only now acknowledging he had made some large blunders in regards to Swan Song, thought he had a more than even chance of being left in charge of the American side of the Operation. After all, what senior person at the Bureau knew Swan Song better than he did?
“Grant, when Agent Ripley returns to Japan I am taking you off of Swan Song.”
“Sir, I made mistakes, serious mistakes, but I can run this operation right if you will allow me.”
Robert shook his head. “Grant, you have caused embarrassment for two governments and the Bureau. How can you possibly expect me to leave you in charge?”
Grant slumped in his chair. “What am I supposed to do now?”
“For now, Grant, you’ll assist me with Swan Song till I have your replacement set up. After which I think you will agree with me that you are in need of a vacation and some additional time off. When that is over with, I will have new work for you.”
Robert had gotten an email that morning from the FBI’s personnel department. It informed him that Grant Williamson had two weeks unused vacation time plus fifty-three unused personnel days.
At this point, Robert wasn’t sure if he ever wanted Grant working again for the Bureau. The only thing holding him back from firing the Deputry Director were the many allies Grant Williamson had on Capitol Hill. One of whom might be the next President of the United States.
“How long am I to be away?”
Robert wasted no time trying to pacify Grant Williamson’s hurt feelings. “I don’t know, Grant, but consider yourself lucky to be still be working for the Bureau.”
“Who’s going to run Swan Song?”
“I have two people in mind. It will depend on the status of Chuck McBride and a few other matters.”
A light bulb went off in Grant’s head. “Are you considering Tanaka for the position?”
“Yes, Grant, I am, and get over it unless you want me to dismiss you from the Bureau right this instant. Tanaka is the only person who knows Swan Song inside and out and she has more than proved her competence to me.”
Grant could hardly believe what his ears were saying to him. Nevertheless he decided to take the lumps being handed to him by the FBI Director.
When Grant got back to Washington, he would continue to work behind the scenes for an appointment to FBI Director when Robert Mueller’s appointment expired in 2011. If that came about, he’d have the power to get back at the backstabbing Gabrielle Tanaka.
“Before Agent Tanaka takes over Swan Song, I need you to do the following,” Robert said as passed Grant a piece of paper with handwritten notes on it.
Grant studied the to-do list he had been given. “I will get right on these, Director.”
“Thank you, Grant. Now if you’ll excuse me, I got to attend a meeting with Minister Hatoyama.”
First Lieutenant DW Connors was surprised by the new set of orders he had been given. “Sir, I’m to pack and be ready to leave for the United States in twenty-four hours?”
“Yes, DW, you are,” Captain Andrew Higgins replied. Unlike Major Ed Hollins, Andrew hadn’t been relieved of his duties.
“Sir, do you have any idea why I am being ordered to Fort Detrick?”
“I can’t help you, DW. You know as much about your orders as I do.”
After the morning Swan Song meeting ended, Gabrielle felt as if she was in state of limbo. For the first time in a long while she didn’t have Swan Song work to do.
Gabrielle knew this was only a temporary state of affairs. If she didn’t depart for the United States in a day or two in order to undergo the Double Helix process with Dr. Wagner, she would certainly be busy doing preparation work for Becky’s return to Japan.
After a brief return to her work station, Gabrielle decided to take temporary advantage of her brief respite in order to call her parents in Oregon. “Hi, Mom.”
“Hello Gabrielle, how are you today?”
“I am well, Mom. How about you and Dad?”
“We are enjoying our visit with Roxanne.”
“I am glad to hear that, Mom. How is Shannon?”
“He is taking a nap right now and his ear infection is much better. Are you still in Australia?”
“Yes, Mom, but I might be coming to the United States real soon. If I can, I will stop and see you and Dad for a day or two.”
“We look forward to it, Gabrielle.”
Gabrielle talked to her mother for almost ten minutes. The mother and daughter were healing their relationship but Gabrielle wondered what would happen to it if she went undercover as Chuck. That action would isolate her from her family and might re-open old wounds.
“Mom, I will call again in a day or two,” Gabrielle said. ‘Maybe Mrs. Slater can help me out again with Mom and Dad if I go undercover. Honestly I still think Chuck will come back to Becky.’
“Thank you, Gabrielle. Your Father and I will always love you. ”
“I love you and Dad too. Bye, Mom.”
Justice Minister Hatoyama arrived on time for his meeting with Robert Mueller. Major Audrey Grasso immediately saw how tense the Minister and the rest of Japanese delegation were.
Robert tried to start the meeting on a pleasant note. “Minister, I heard you took ill yesterday. I do hope you are feeling well now.”
“Thank you, Director, I do feel better. Before we go further, Ippitsusai-san has something for you to read.”
Kazu Ippitsusai gave a document to both Robert and Audrey. They needed only a minute to read the short report.
“We now have physical evidence of Agent Ripley committing murder.”
Robert had feared the Japanese would dig in their heels and that was exactly what they were doing. The FBI Director now had a choice. He could attack the case against Ripley, which had more than its share of problems including chain of custody concerning the garments the DNA had been taken off of or Robert could use the other arguments against prosecution.
He chose the latter. “Minister, the manner in which Operation Swan Song was run has generated serious problems for both your and my governments.”
“The Operation was poorly handled, but that doesn’t change the facts I presented to you.”
“No, it don’t Minister, but let me make this clear from the start, my government will not under any circumstances extradite Ripley back to Japan.”
“That is very unfortunate,” Kunio said with a pained look on his face. “This decision will harm the relations between our governments.”
“I’m sorry if your Prime Minister feels that way.”
“We will want the law enforcement phase of Swan Song terminated at once.”
“It will be done as you wish, Minister, but I do believe a mistake is being made.”
Kunio was becoming increasingly petulant with every word he muttered. “No mistake is being made. Our Self Defense Forces will make arrests shortly.”
“Minister, that is something else I need to address. The arrest of the Watanabe leadership can’t happen in the manner your country’s self defense forces are planning.”
“And why is that?”
“Agent Ripley has learned that Keiji Watanabe has been moved to a new location.”
“That is not possible. Major Hoshino says Watanabe-san is still at the lake.”
“We have good reason to believe otherwise, Minister.”
“How does the Director know?” Kunio asked and Robert explained to him the Yakuza intelligence Hiromi had learned from Ryuku Kinjoh. “They could be lying to you.”
“Minister, there should be a way of confirming it. I think at the very least, Major Hoshino should be notified at once.”
Minister Hatoyama had a hushed conversation with his aides. One of whom left the room right after the chat ended.
“We can still have the Watanabes arrested,” Minister Hatoyama said.
“Yes, Minister, that is true. What evidence will you use then to prosecute them?”
They seemed confused.
“If you still plan to try Ripley for Chrysanthemum’s murder, she will obviously be unable to testify. She is the only one who can interpret the complicated dealings of the Watanabes.”
“We have our experts who can do that work.”
“I am sure you do, Minister, but the question will arise. How did you come into possession of the Watanabe financial records? And who will vouch for their accuracy? You do realize that no one thought to obtain a search warrant to obtain this information, and if your informant is also the prime suspect in a murder case, it could be easily argued that these facts are fabrications invented by a criminal to save their own skin.”
The conversation went on for some time, and Robert remained polite but dogged in raising legal counterpoints to almost everything Kunio said. As a result the Justice Minister was growing very uncomfortable.
“Minister, both our governments have serious problems now because of how Swan Song was handled. Much of the responsibility for the Operation’s shortcomings are the fault of my bureau and the person I put in charge. As it stands right now, it seems to me that Swan Song would be an almost complete bust. A total waste of resources that came with the sacrifice of several agents. Do we give up on it? Or can we reshape the mission, put a proper person in charge, and make it a homerun for both our countries. Can we talk about the possibility of doing that?”
Patricia McBride finally arrived home. As she took groceries into her home, Angus Jones placed a call to Superintendant Carey.
“Should we ask Mrs. McBride if she knows where her son is?”
“No, just keep her under surveillance. I think she knows about as much about her son’s whereabouts as we do.”
As noon time approached, The Round Top began to get busy. Chuck remained seated in the back of the pub. So far he had yet to meet one of his friends.
‘I wonder what Hiromi is doing right now? What are both Hiromis doing?’ Chuck asked himself as he looked at his cell phone
Chuck told himself he needed to do something and stop dithering. He couldn’t hide from the facts of his life indefinitely.
“Minister, some of the information we have uncovered is highly damaging to both of our governments. The revelations will greatly embarrass the leaders of both our countries,” Robert said to Justice Minister Hatoyama. “As you know there is also the Watanabe connection to your country’s Royal Family.”
“Let us not forget either, Emiko Takagi. She was murdered by Swan Song operatives. I don’t think either of our governments would want that to become publicly known.”
Robert looked across the table at Kunio. He swore he could see the man’s hands trembling.
“If Agent Ripley is prosecuted or if the Watanabes are arrested at this point in time, a disaster will most likely happen. On the other hand, if we work together, Swan Song can be an unmitigated success.”
The Justice Minister still wasn’t talking, but some of his aides were murmuring. Audrey, who had taken a crash course in Japanese before her move to Yokata Air Base, caught small bits of the conversation in which her client was being disparaged as a reckless American criminal who was contemptuous of the Japanese authorities.
Audrey, who hadn’t said a word to this point, came to her client’s defense. “That is totally uncalled for. Captain Slater is volunteering to do a very hazardous mission, where one small mistake can lead to a brutal death for her, possibly her husband, and her unborn child. We only learned yesterday she is indeed pregnant, yet still she wants to go forward. To think she’s lying about Keiji Watanabe’s present status just so she can go to Yokohama like it is some form of vacation is absolutely ridiculous.”
Justice Minister Hatoyama became even more embarrassed. Robert tried to alleviate the ill feelings in the room.
“Minister, I’m very troubled by the many discoveries that have been made of late. The person I put in charge of Swan Song, Deputy Director Grant Williamson, has either committed, or caused to be committed, serious felonies on Japanese soil. I never authorized those actions and I’m ashamed as a result of what my Deputy Director did. He brought disgrace onto himself, the bureau, me, and my country. Deputy Director Williamson is being relieved of his Swan Song duties. If the operation is allowed to continue, I will pick someone from the bureau who is best able to oversee the complicated work that lies ahead for both of us.”
‘Director Mueller is really throwing Grant Williamson under the bus. Will it be enough to salvage Swan Song?’ Audrey mused to herself.
“I will need to speak to the Prime Minister,” Minister Hatoyama said. Every word he spoke seemed almost forced from his lips, he was so filled with pain and embarrassment.
Robert nodded his head. “I understand, Minister. We can speak again when you are ready. I do have to advise you that a decision about Swan Song will have to made no later than mid-day Sunday. Ripley is supposed to be conducting bank business in Sydney on Monday and the Watanabes know about this.”
“I cannot make any promises at this time.”
“That is understandable, Minister. Can we agree to continue planning for Swan Song?”
“My government will want to know what the new Swan Song will be like. We will also want certain promises.”
“I understand, Minister. A paper is being written for you right now. I can have it for you no later than three this afternoon. Will that be sufficient?”
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“Yes, that is acceptable and you may continue planning for Swan Song also.”
“Thank you, Minister. Let me remind you, there still is the issue of what will be done with the original Hiromi Sato.”
“When all the decisions of my government have been made, I will notify you. Please excuse us now. I have persons to speak to.”
“Can the living arrangements of Hiromi Sato be improved in the meantime? I have reason to believe her mental health is at risk right now.”
“I will look into the matter,” Kunio said as he and the rest of the Japanese delegation stood up.
“Thank you for your time, Minister.”
“Please accept my apology, Director,” Audrey said to Robert once the Japanese delegation had left the room. “My outburst was out of line and I should have shown restraint.”
“It is all right, Major. I don’t think any harm was done and it may have helped, because they know you're her attorney, and they were able to see how committed you were. It was very clear that you wouldn't roll over without a hell of a fight.”
“Do you think the Japanese could be deceiving us? They may approve Swan Song to go ahead but arrest Ripley the minute she sets foot in Japan.”
“No, Major,” Robert said to Audrey as they both left the meeting room. “I don’t think the Japanese will do that, even if they're tempted to. The damage that would result from the Owl scandal alone is just too tremendous for the Japanese to take that course with Ripley.”
‘So there is likely to be a cover-up agreed to in regards to Emiko Takagi’s murder,’ Audrey mused to herself. ‘Why am I not surprised?’
“Sir, this message has just arrived,” A young Japanese Self Defenses Corporal said to Major Senichi Hoshino.
“Thank you, Corporal.” Major Hoshino stopped what he was working on so he could read the communication marked urgent.
It took Major Hoshino less than fifteen minutes to gather all of his Operation Rain Drop field commanders plus intelligence officers. “A source says our principal target has moved. Do we have any confirmation for this?”
A Lieutenant Sato spoke. “No Major, we do not. There has been no irregular traffic into or out of the Watanabe property.”
“Watanabe-san may have left without us knowing,” An intelligence officer said. “If the meeting that is scheduled for Saturday is still on, we would have to expect preparations to be already under way. Has there been any increase in traffic to the home?”
“No sir, there has not. In fact it has lessened slightly.”
“I need a way for us to prove if Watanabe is there or not and this has to be done quickly. Does anyone have a potential plan to suggest?” Major Hoshino asked.
Lt. Sato stood up. “I do, Sir.”
“What is it you propose we do, Sato-san?”
Fuji Network System Producer Isoshi Neomoto and most of the thirty other men and women working with him had gone without sleep Monday night. They had just a little over eleven hours to finish putting together their documentary on Raku Minobe’s death.
The sun was barely rising in the sky on Tuesday, when the first interview for the documentary took place. One of the uninjured Rosebud workers named Juro Sawamatsu told his harrowing account of the fire but more importantly told his interviewer about the club’s layout and the reactions of others when they first learned there was danger.
“I work as a waiter and the kitchen was the place I was most familiar with. There was an exit there, and that was the door I left by.”
“Why didn’t all the guests and staff use that door?”
“I think it was because only Rosebud workers knew of it.”
“What about the other doors?”
“The door by the restrooms was well marked.”
“Was it ever blocked or hard to get to?”
“No, the Rosebud was a safe workplace.”
“What about the third fire exit?”
“It was in the storage area. The workers at the Rosebud knew about it.”
Other persons interviewed for the documentary included a fireman, other survivors, and lastly a retired Yokohama Fire Marshall. Fugai Hokao was asked for his opinion on what happened Sunday night.
“A fire as you described to me, would need more oxygen. It found a weakness in the design of the building and spread to an adjoining room where there should have been a fire door, since the kitchens were nearby. Unfortunately, the building plans were approved by the Yokohama Fire Department authorities, and the architect who prepared the original conversion plans for the business was a respected figure.”
“Was the club unsafe?”
“Not necessarily so. I would need more information before rendering an opinion, but it would seem that blocking the one fire exit in the back was a major cause of death, especially for kitchen staff, but also some others who'd been led to what they thought was safety there. In retrospect, that door should have been protected by concrete and steel bulwarks to prevent blocking the door by a vehicle, but no one thought that anyone would be foolish enough to park there and then abandon the vehicle. In addition, a fire suppression system would have prevented the fire from spreading to begin with, but they weren't required when the building was first converted, and there wasn't any action taken by city authorities to make sprinkler systems mandatory in old construction.”
In addition to his interview, Fugai worked with an associate producer and several animators on a video segment for the documentary where the likely sequence events for the fire would be shown.
Two other persons were interviewed for the documentary. The first was Professor Taysuke Kawayama of Tokyo University. He was considered one of the leading experts on Japanese Organized crime.
The second was Seika Haruguchi. He owned a website that was dedicated to the history of the Watanabe Yakuza.
All the interviews, animation, and video would be edited down to a half hour documentary. Isoshi Neomoto and the people working with him would be working non-stop almost right up to the minute ‘The Death of Raku Minobe’ would be aired.
Gabrielle was assisting Grant Williamson with Swan Song work when Robert Mueller entered the room. “Agent Tanaka, I need to have a word with you in my office.”
“I will be right there, Director.”
Gabrielle was in Robert Mueller’s office a few seconds later. The FBI Director asked her to take a seat.
“Have we received word about Charles McBride?”
“No, Director, we have not.”
“How confident are you about McBride coming back to his wife?”
“I am pretty confident in that belief, Sir. McBride is confused right now. When his mind clears, he’ll ask to see his wife and probably us at the same time. We are, after all, the only people who can help him in regards to Beancounter.”
Robert paused for a half minute in order to think. “Agent Tanaka, would you be interested in taking over Swan Song from Deputy Director Williamson?”
Gabrielle was shocked by Robert’s offer. “Yes Sir, I would but….”
Robert cut off Gabrielle. “McBride?”
“Yes, Director, I am supposed to take his place if McBride doesn’t want to co-operate with the committee.”
“I know, Agent Tanaka. Are you interested in taking the assignment and the promotion to Inspector that will come with it?”
“Yes, Sir, I am.” Gabrielle once had ambition to be a FBI Deputy Director. Then she met Tom Slater and watched as Operation Swan Song went off its rails. She had adjusted her career goals as a result.
As the person in charge of Swan Song, Gabrielle would be in a strong position to look after Becky’s safety. If Chuck didn’t return and Swan Song was terminated, maybe she should stay with the Bureau then. Becky could raise their children and be a stay-at-home Mom or look for her own job if she wanted to.
There was one major flaw in that scenario. Gabrielle listened as Director Mueller addressed her primary concern.
Robert laid out an alternate plan he was considering but hadn’t decided on yet. If Chuck was uninterested in his wife and was put into Witness Protection along with Beancounter, 1st Lieutenant DW Connors would take the place of Ripley’s husband when she returned to Japan.
“Sir, unless I’m wrong, Lt. Connors knows very little about either Ripley or Economist.”
“That is true, Agent Tanaka, but he could be brought up to speed.”
“Ripley might not be comfortable with someone she is unfamiliar with. How would you feel if your wife was replaced with someone else and you were expected to act like nothing was changed?” Gabrielle asked. She was again being very pushy with the FBI Director but she had a strong point to make. “It could even cause Ripley’s safety to become compromised. The Watanabes could become suspicious by changes in Hiromi Sato’s marital relationship.”
“Agent Tanaka, I am just considering this alternate plan for now. I would like you to mention it to Ripley and learn what her opinion is about it. Other than her parents, you know her best.”
Gabrielle wondered for a moment if Robert Mueller knew just how well she and Becky knew one another. Probably not, and even if he did, The FBI Director obviously didn't seem to think it would be a problem.
“I will do as you ask, Sir. If I were to become Chuck McBride, who will be put in charge of Swan Song?”
“Inspector Héctor Rodráguez is available.”
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Inspector Rodriguez before. He would be an excellent choice.”
Robert told Gabrielle what was up next for her. “You will be leaving for Washington D.C. tomorrow, one way or another. The Attorney General would like to get a verbal report on Hiromi Sato being put into witness protection. You will also need to pay a visit to the personnel department at the Hoover Building. Then you will either return to Australia or have a few days to get your things in order before being treated by Dr. Wagner.”
“Sir, as you know my identity has become compromised.”
“Yes, Agent Tanaka, I am not forgetting that. You will be doing a session with Dr. Wagner in any of the scenarios where Swan Song continues to go forward, so your appearance will be altered.”
Gabrielle had few issues with being changed into another woman by Dr. Wagner. She would just prefer to remain Japanese. “I will do as you order me, How did the meeting with the Minister go?”
Robert gave Gabrielle a rundown on how paralyzed the Japanese delegation seemed to be. “After all was said and done, the only Swan Song decision Minister Hatoyama made was to authorize continued planning for the operation. We are finished for now, Agent Tanaka.”
Gabrielle went back to Deputy Director Williamson. “Is there anything I can do for you now, Sir?”
Grant had been making Swan Song travel arrangements since his meeting with Robert Mueller ended. He wasn’t pleased with his reduction to travel agent. “No, Agent Tanaka, I can take care of this myself.”
It was almost noon time. As Becky and her debriefers would soon be breaking for lunch, Gabrielle paid a quick visit to her work station.
Inspector Yoshida still had the adjacent cubicle to Gabrielle. “Tanaka-san, my colleagues in Yokohama say the Watanabes and Inagawas have stopped attacking one another.”
“That is good news, Inspector. Let us hope it stays that way.”
Japanese citizens continued to call the police so to voice their displeasure at what happened to Raku Minobe. Operators were polite in response but vague when answering what was being done.
“I assure you members of enforcement are working hard to find the criminals.”
“Will arrests be made soon?”
“They will be made but a time frame hasn’t been announced.”
In fact the Yokohama police weren’t at all close to solving The Rosebud fire. Whichever Inagawa-kai had perpetrated the crime had left few clues as to their identity.
Yokohama Chief of Police Takeji Kasahara was monitoring the Rosebud investigation. His aides also continued to inform him of the calls members of the public were making.
“People are calling the emergency number to voice their complaints. Our operators say this is interfering with their normal duties.”
Chief Kasahara remained dismissive in regards to public opinion. “This will not last for long.”
Members of Japan’s Diet were beginning to receive phone calls also. These elected officials were beginning to talk among themselves as to how they should respond to the Japanese public’s increasing anger over the death of Raku Minobe.
“Your debriefing is over for now, Captain,” Fred Wenz said to Hiromi. “We will start again at a quarter after one.”
Hiromi left the debriefing room seconds later. Gabrielle was waiting out in the hallway for her. “I’m starved, Gabby. Let’s go find my parents before we grab something to eat.”
Before Gabrielle was able to walk off with Hiromi, Maurice also came out of the room. “Becky, would you mind if I invite Maurice to join us?”
Hiromi looked over at Maurice. As the two of them would be working together in a little over a month’s time, Hiromi reckoned it would be wise to know the Hong Kong Probationary Inspector a little better. “You are welcome to join us, Inspector.”
The very moment Hiromi entered the cafeteria, her sense of smell drew her right to the grill area. There was something cooking there she just had to have. A food service worker asked what she would like to eat.
Hiromi smiled with real anticipation. “Can I please have a hot dog with everything on it?”
Chuck had just entered a Round Top’s restroom, when two members of the Australian Federal entered the pub. They went straight to the bartender.
“We would like to ask you a few questions,” The AFP Officer said after showing his identification.
“Ask me anything you like.”
“Have you ever seen this man?” The bartender was shown a photo of Chuck.
“He used to come in here sometimes.”
“Is he here now?”
“Do you see him here?”
The two AFP officers looked around the pub. “No, we don’t.”
“Then he isn’t here.”
Chuck came out of the bathroom about ten seconds after the AFP Officers had exited the Round Top. Shortly after he sat down, the bartender came over and refreshed his drink.
“Some AFP men were just in here looking for you, Mate. Are you in some kind of trouble?”
Chuck looked the bartender right in the eye. “No, I am not. They want to talk to me about my wife and I’d rather not speak to them right now.”
“All right, mate.”
Two minutes later, someone was slapping Chuck on his back. He turned around to see who it was.
“Gary, how long has it been since I last saw you? Three years?” Chuck asked as he and Gary Levinson shook hands.
“I’d say longer than that, Chuck,” Gary said as took a seat across from his old mate. “What have you been up to lately? The last I heard you were getting married to some Japanese girl.”
“Yes, I got married but a lot of shit has happened since then. Can I buy you a drink, old mate of mine?”
Gary chuckled. “Marriage must have done something to your brain, Chuck. When have I ever turned down a free beer?”
After lunch was over, Gabrielle went with Hiromi back to her living quarters. Someone was cleaning the room, so they went to Gabrielle’s room instead.
“That Maurice is certainly a curious guy. Is he gay?” Hiromi asked once the door was closed.
“No, Becky, he is actually engaged to be married.”
“There is something peculiar about him. Maurice is going to be my female secretary and I get the impression he is looking forward to it.”
“It’s a long story, Becky, I will tell you when we have more time. Don’t worry about Maurice, she will be a lot of assistance to you in Yokohama.”
“I am not worried, Gabby. So what’s up? Have we heard anything about Chuck?”
“No Becky, he is still on the loose.” Gabrielle and Hiromi were now sitting down. Their chairs were right next to each other.
Hiromi shook her head. “I love Chuck, but he is being an absolute idiot right now.”
Gabrielle made no comment. She agreed with Becky, but didn’t want to badmouth her friend’s husband. Running down Chuck wasn't likely to win her friend’s eternal love, and might have the opposite effect. Some quarrels were better observed from the sidelines.
“There is an officer at his Mom’s house, and others out looking for him, and the letter you wrote will only be given to Chuck as you asked.”
“Thank you, Gabby, I don’t know what I’d do without you now.”
Gabrielle smiled as she looked intently into Hiromi’s eyes. Their faces were slowly inching towards one another. “I love you, Becky.”
“I love you too, Gabby.” Hiromi then kissed Gabrielle who kissed her right back. What started as a small peck of a kiss quickly turned into a liplock.
Hiromi was the first to speak when the kiss was over. “Gabby, can we get naked tonight?”
Gabby laughed. “Of course we can. I’m just starting to get worried about you, Becky. At the rate we’re going, you’ll be asking me to get naked with you every night.”
“Wouldn’t that be nice,” Hiromi said before briefly kissing Gabrielle one more time. “Is there anything else we need to discuss before I go back to my debriefing?”
“There is actually quite a bit. As I told you at lunch, it appears the Japanese will back off their threat to prosecute you. The Director was very polite, but he made it clear that any attempt at saving face was likely to blow up into a bigger scandal.”
“Mom and Dad will be so relieved to hear that bit of news. Please tell Director Mueller thank you for me and my parents.”
Gabrielle noted how relieved Hiromi looked now. “I will, Becky. Director Mueller has asked me if I want to command Swan Song. I told him yes.”
Hiromi became excited. “That is wonderful news, Gabby. I will feel so much safer with you running the show.”
Gabrielle gave Hiromi more details about what would happen if she took control of Swan Song. “As a precaution, I’ll go to Dr. Wagner and get changed into another Japanese woman. This is just in case the Golden Dragons share their information about me.”
“I think that’s a wise precaution, Gabby. It’s just a shame I won’t be able to see your real beauty at a debriefing, or if you come to Mrs. Yamamoto’s charity ball again.”
Hiromi and Gabrielle kissed again. “I love you, Becky.”
“I love you too, Gabby.”
Gabrielle got back down to business. “The Japanese haven’t agreed to a new Swan Song yet. We expect to get an answer in the next few days. There is one problem I have to tell you about, Becky.”
It took all of two seconds for it to click in Hiromi’s mind. “If you are in charge of Swan Song, what happens in regards to Chuck?”
Gabrielle told Hiromi about the DW Connors scenario. “He is one of Major Hollins men. Director Mueller is thinking of having him become Chuck rather than I.”
A look of disgust formed on Hiromi’s face. “I don’t like that idea, Gabrielle.”
Gabrielle noted the use of her proper name by Hiromi. It told her that her friend was angry. “Director Mueller is just thinking about it. I told him I thought it was a bad idea. So please don’t get angry with me.”
“I’m sorry, Gabby. You do understand why I don’t like that idea.”
“I certainly do, Becky.”
“I love you, I love Chuck, but I don’t know this guy at all. Frankly, I don’t want to know him. Can you tell that to the Director for me?”
“Yes, Becky, I will but I think Director Mueller might want to hear it from you directly. I will try to set something up.”
“Thanks, Gabby,” Hiromi said before glancing at her wristwatch. “I need to get going.”
Gabrielle and Hiromi kissed one more time. “We’ll talk more tonight, Becky.”
Before Hiromi left the room, she had one last question. “Gabby, should I try forgetting about Chuck?”
The multiple pressures Hiromi was under, from Swan Song to Chuck to her pregnancy, were causing her emotions to fluctuate wildly. Gabrielle had recognized this in her friend since Sunday afternoon. “Becky, that is a decision you need to make on your own. No matter what, I will always love you very much, and I truly believe Chuck loves you too. We've had a year to get used to the Double Helix technology, but Chuck just heard of it a few days ago. Even the Red Queen only believed six impossible things before breakfast, and we've tossed a bucketful of crazy ideas at him all at once. Please don't make any hasty decisions. We can think of all sorts of reasons for Chuck to stay behind for a while; he wants to find a house here for his family, his mother is ill, he broke his leg riding a kangaroo, you name it. Japanese people will believe almost anything about an Australian.”
Chuck was still at the Round Top. He had eaten lunch, chatted with friends who stopped by, and even played two games of darts with Gary Levinson.
“Will you be giving me a ring tomorrow, Chuck?” Gary asked as he got ready to leave the pub. “I got nothing scheduled at all for tomorrow.”
“I don’t know, Gary. My situation with the wife is still up in the air as I told you.”
“Forget about her, Chuck. There’s plenty of Sheilas here in Alice who would give their left arm to be your wife.”
Shortly after Gary left, Chuck had a second beer. As he finished it off, he let out a loud chuckle. ‘I got all those Federal cops running around doing a manhunt for me. Won’t it be funny when they discover I was just less than two kilometers from their office the whole time?’
Chuck wasn’t thinking clearly about much of anything the longer he stayed at The Round Top. He was killing time by doing nothing in particular except think. What did he want the rest of his life to be like?
While Chuck dwelled on his future, Pine Gap continued to be a beehive of activity. When Hiromi returned to the debriefing room, Maurice had only a few more questions for her.
After Maurice was finished, he went looking for Gabrielle. “I am available to meet with The FBI Director now.”
“Hold on, Maurice. I've got to call Deputy Director Williamson first,” Gabrielle said before picking up a phone.
Gabrielle, Inspector Yoshida, Maurice, Dr. Wagner, and Grant Williamson met with Robert Mueller approximately thirty minutes later. They discussed the agenda for the next few days.
“Inspector Gao, arrangements have been made for your return trip to Hong Kong to visit your fiancée and make arrangements for your absence. A plane will take you to Sydney tonight. After a night at an Airport hotel, you will fly home tomorrow morning.”
Robert also told Maurice that a formal request had been made to his superiors in Hong Kong asking he be temporarily assigned to Swan Song. The FBI Director had just gotten off the phone with Inspector Sylvia Chang. She said she expected the request to be approved.
“When will I fly to the United States?”
“We have that tentatively planned for Saturday. Can you be ready by then?”
“Yes, Sir, I can.”
The travel plans for Dr. Wagner were up next. She would be flying to Japan on a private jet scheduled to leave Alice Springs Airport at half past one on Wednesday morning.
Dr. Wagner would enter Japan through Osaka Airport. The Shiga Prefecture police academy was just outside the city of Otsu. A helicopter would take the German scientist there from Osaka.
“Inspector Yoshida, I, and the Academy Superintendant completed a conference call just a short time ago. When I arrive at the academy, I will take at least 15 DNA samples from male and female recruits.”
“Will that take long?” Robert asked.
“Not very long, Director. I have decided to get a larger number of samples in case we need other assistants for Ripley.”
Robert nodded his head. He approved of Dr. Wagner planning ahead.
“I will need to ask the cadets some questions also. The amount of time I will need to complete my work will be somewhere around five to six hours.”
“That is fine, Dr. Wagner. You will not mind flying straight to the United States when your sample taking is finished?”
“No, that will be fine. I can sleep on the airplane.” Dr. Wagner wanted to get back to Virginia for personal reasons also. She was missing her husband Henry very badly right at that moment.
“Doctor, when can I expect to be treated?” Maurice asked.
“I have you scheduled for next Monday morning, Inspector.”
The travel plans for Gabrielle were addressed last. “Agent Tanaka, you will be flown from Alice to Andrews Air Force Base on a military jet. The flight will leave tomorrow in the late afternoon.”
“Then I should be arriving at Andrews sometime around midnight or in the early morning hours of Thursday.”
A person travelling west to east across the Pacific Ocean, crosses the International Date Line. Gabrielle would regain a day in the process. “Yes, that is correct,” Robert replied.
Everyone but Gabrielle and Robert left the room a few minutes later. “Director, I spoke to Ripley about First Lieutenant Connors. She is very uncomfortable with that possible plan.”
Robert listened as Gabrielle explained further. “Thank you for telling me this, Agent Tanaka. Nothing is set in regards to Charles McBride, and you do understand the reasons for this uncertainty.”
“Yes, Director, I do understand.”
“Inspector Rodriguez and his wife are taking an Alaskan Cruise right now. They are celebrating their 30th wedding anniversary. He won’t be back till Saturday morning Seattle time. I haven’t had a chance to speak to him yet about Swan Song but I am pretty certain there won’t be a problem about his taking command if you need to become Charles McBride.”
“Sir, do you wish to speak to Ripley about this?” Gabrielle asked. She was making a mental note to email Inspector Rodriguez to congratulate him for thirty years of marriage.
“No, Agent Tanaka, it is not necessary at this time.”
Chuck continued to dither as he spent all afternoon at The Round Top. He did think sometimes of what both Hiromis were doing at that particular time. Otherwise, Chuck watched the pub’s telly and kept to himself as he slowly drank beverages and ate onion rings that were brought to his table.
Patricia McBride left her home shortly after one in the afternoon. She drove herself to another house in Alice where several other women arrived shortly after she did. Angus Jones suspected the women had some kind of weekly card game gathering.
Minister Hatoyama spent most of the afternoon talking to officials in Tokyo. It was around three in the afternoon when Grant Williamson brought a memo to the Justice Minister. It outlined what a new Swan Song would be like and what the Operation’s new objectives were.
Inspector Yoshida and others were busy putting together the new Swan Song plan. To his astonishment, Public Safety Intelligence Agency representative Rintaro Akimoto was given orders to begin working on cover stories for two of the people who would begin assisting Hiromi Sato sometime after her return to Yokohama.
In Japan, most television networks and stations were still focused on life of Raku Minobe. A few segments were broadcast on the Rosebud fire itself, but this type of news coverage was in the minority.
Phone calls to the police and elected officials began to decline Tuesday afternoon. Yokohama’s Chief of Police was increasingly confident that trend would continue.
All was quiet between the Watanabes and Inagaws. Dai Hashimoto was still finding himself hard pressed without Hiromi Sato to assist him.
It was during the midday news that Fuji Network System showed its first promo for that night’s documentary on Raku Minobe. In hope of drawing a large audience for the show, FNS executives ordered the thirty-second promo be broadcast at least three times an hour up till broadcast time.
Patricia McBride came home at three o'clock. She went out again ninety minutes later to a Fitness Club.
Maurice Gao left Pine Gap just a few minutes before 5 p.m. As he rode in a car to Alice Springs Airport, he tried calling his fiancée Lily on her cellphone. She didn’t answer, so Maurice left a message.
“Lily, I’m coming home tomorrow. I’’ll be flying to Sydney in a few minutes. When I get there, I will try calling you again.”
Hiromi’s afternoon debriefing ended at 5 p.m. sharp. After a quick stop to use the ladies room, Hiromi went straight to one of Pine Gap’s many communications rooms.
Yuri Alexandrovich Titov was sitting alongside his sister Tatiana at a St. Petersburg Russia cancer clinic when his cellphone once again began to ring. Yuri had been getting calls all day from friends and family asking how his mother was doing. Yet another phone call came as no surprise to him, except for who was on the other end of the phone this time around.
“Taro-san, this is an unexpected pleasure,” Yuri said. He then excused himself to Tatiana by whispering in his sister’s ear. “It is my boss in Hong Kong.”
“Good morning, Yuri Alexandrovich. How are you and your mother doing today?”
“I am fine, Taro-san, and thank you for asking. My mother is receiving her forth chemotherapy treatment today,” Yuri said as began walking around.
“I am sorry to hear that, Yuri Alexandrovich. What type of cancer does your mother have?” Hiromi asked at the same moment Gabrielle quietly entered the room and took a seat.
“She has stage four thyroid cancer.”
“That does not sound too good. How old is your mother?”
“My mother is seventy-four, Taro-san. The prognosis the doctors have given my mother is not totally bad. She is responding well to treatment so far.”
“That is good to hear, Yuri Alexandrovich. I hear your mother grew up in Leningrad during The Great Patriotic War. Was she there when the Nazis surrounded the city?”
“Yes, Taro-san, she was.”
“Your mother is a very strong woman then. I hear the siege was a terrible time for citizens of Leningrad. Was your mother one of the children who were evacuated? I once read about the Krasny Bor orphans, and the heroism involved in their escape from the Nazi armies surrounding the city."
Yuri was impressed by Hiromi’s knowledge of Russian history. During World War Two or what the Soviets termed ‘The Great Patriotic War’, Nazi and Finnish troops laid siege to Leningrad beginning in September 1941. A narrow land bridge created by Soviet troops broke the encirclement 872 days after it began. By that time over one million inhabitants of Leningrad had died.
“Yes, Taro-san, my mother was evacuated, but she didn’t go to Krasny Bor.”
“I hope your mother gets well soon, Yuri Alexandrovich.”
“Thank you, Taro-san. Is there some other reason for you to call me?”
“Yes, Yuri, there is. I would like you to come to Australia.”
“Are you in danger now, Taro-san?”
“My enemies are looking for me, Yuri Alexandrovich.” Gabrielle had a set of headphones on that allowed her to follow the conversation.
“Is anyone protecting you right now, Taro-san?”
“No, because I am not sure who to trust.”
Russians are sometimes called the most paranoid group of people on the Earth. Yuri considered himself a cautious not paranoid man. His boss had a great deal to be cautious about also considering the recent attacks on her and the current Yakuza turmoil in Japan.
Yuri had been a bodyguard to Hiromi Sato for a little over ten years. He respected his boss and liked working for her. Those was the biggest reasons for Yuri’s decision to help Hiromi.
“Taro-san, do you need me right this minute? I would really like to spend a few more days with my mother but I will come right away if you insist.”
Hiromi had to make a quick decision. Gabrielle, ever helpful, wrote down a suggestion.
“Yuri Alexandrovich, if I supply transportation, could you fly to Australia say late Friday night or early Saturday morning?”
“I could do that for you, Taro-san. Do you think you will be safe till I get there?”
“Yes Yuri Alexandrovich, I do. I will lay low till you arrive.”
“Northern Australia is a big area, boss. Find somewhere very few people go and stay there. Also get some disposable cellphones for yourself and Chuck.”
Hiromi talked with Yuri for almost another five minutes. They used the time to work out the methods they would use to stay in touch till the weekend.
“Can you inform the committee about Yuri for me?” Hiromi asked Gabrielle once she was off the phone.
“Yes, I can, Becky. Are you hungry now?”
“I’m starved,” Hiromi said as she got up out of her chair.
Gabrielle laughed as she also rose to her feet. “I read somewhere that pregnant women are always hungry.”
“I think you’re right, Gabby. Ever since I got up this morning, I have been hungry for something, anything to eat.”
“We still haven’t heard anything from Chuck,” Gabrielle informed Hiromi just before they got to the Slater’s room. “The AFP are looking all over Alice for him right now. So far they have had no luck.”
Hiromi shook her head. “I’m married to a total wuss.”
Gabrielle held her tongue, although she privately agreed.
Midori saw Hiromi and Gabrielle approaching. “Rebecca, we are glad to see you again. Is your meeting over?”
“Yes, Mom, it is,” Hiromi said before going over to greet her parents. When she was through, she went back to Gabrielle’s side. “Are you and Dad hungry?”
“Not too much, but we can eat now if you like.” Midori and Stuart Slater then watched as Gabrielle and Hiromi shared a brief kiss in front of them. Both parents were pleased by this sign of affection. It signaled to the Slaters that their daughter was getting her personal life together.
Robert Mueller was on the phone with Kunio Hatoyama. “What can I do for you, Minister?”
“My associates and I will be returning to Japan tonight. I will have to consult my Prime Minister before being able to discuss Swan Song again.”
“Will you be returning to Pine Gap, Minister?”
“I do not know at this time. Either I or my government will contact you no later than the end of this Saturday afternoon.”
“Thank you for telling me this, Minister. May you and your associates have a safe trip.”
After they were through eating dinner, Hiromi and her parents went back to her living quarters. They talked for almost half an hour.
Hiromi’s second session with Dr. Irving Ellner began at seven o'clock sharp. For most of the next ninety minutes they talked about the death of Agent Chrysanthemum and the nervous breakdown Hiromi had suffered because of it.
“By shooting my friend, I became this monster,” Hiromi said to the psychiatrist. “A woman with no compassion and who wants everyone to submit to her.”
“You said this was a second personality inside you. Is it still there?”
“No, Doctor, I have the demons beat right now. I have a mission to do and, while I still feel guilty, I’m dealing with it.”
“Captain, can you tell me how you do that?”
“Doctor, I’m not totally sure the monster existed except in my head. I received the original Hiromi’s memories of her abusive childhood and her severely-compromised emotional development and that and the pressure I was under I think created this demon inside of me. It’s not a personality but something made in my own id. Did you ever watch the movie Fantastic Planet?”
“Yes, I have, Captain Slater. At least five times in fact. What makes you think the Hiromi demon is like that in the movie?”
“The work I do is so ugly and evil it took form inside of me. Before I killed Reina, I went into these temporary states of acting bad or evil. I think it was a means to release the evil, or release to pressure of the temptation to be evil, until the evil became too strong because of being forced to murder my friend. The guilty state I was in after Reina died lasted so long because I had done something so horrible I couldn’t live with it without pushing it off onto someone, or something, else, which was a copout. It was because I was so focused on what I perceived to be my essential evil that it affected me so badly and it lasted so long.”
“Why do you think it took so long for you to realize this?”
“It took time for me to expel that guilt and anguish from me and realize that I — the real me who was created when Hiromi and I were merged — was capable of ruthless cruelty and selfish actions. I'd killed my friend to save my own life, just as the original Hiromi would have done, and the only real difference between us is that she wouldn't have regretted the decision for one second, but I — who incorporated Tom's essential goodness as well as what I thought of as his relative weakness — was capable of regret and compassion as well as acting to save my life and mission.”
“It sounds as if you no longer see Hiromi and yourself as separate people. Is that a fair description?”
She thought for a moment before answering. “Yes. When I realized this — or perhaps when I was reminded of it by my love for Gabrielle — I was able to come to terms with myself and start acting normally again. In many ways Tom was much less fragile than Hiromi, and stronger, but had never realized it, just as Hiromi wasn't as filled with hate as she'd convinced herself she was. She truly loved her father, and she loved her mother — or the idea of her — dearly. She just couldn't reconcile that love with her hate for her family as a whole, and her father died before she was able to integrate these feelings within herself.”
“It sounds as if you're becoming much more accepting of Hiromi as a part of you then, would that be an accurate assumption?”
“I think so. I realize now that Chuck had the right idea, even if he's not as clear about what it probably means as I am now. I truly believe that she can, and must be helped, although I'm not as optimistic about how long it might take as Chuck seems to be, but then he doesn't know her as intimately as I do.”
Hiromi talked with Dr. Ellner till half past eight. “We’re done, Captain.”
“Thank you, Doctor, for taking the time to see me.” Hiromi shook hands with the psychiatrist before leaving the exam room.
Hiromi went to find her parents. Gabrielle was with them. “I’m done.”
“What would you like to do now, Rebecca?” Midori asked.
“I’m not tired yet,” Hiromi replied before pausing for a moment to think. “Dad, would you like us to play a few games of pool?”
Stuart Slater first tried teaching his son Tom the game of pool at age ten. The father and son had played hundreds of games since then.
“Yes, Rebecca, I would like that.” Among the underground facilities Pine Gap had, were two recreation rooms. The one near the cafeteria had two pool tables in it.
Hiromi and Stuart talked sports while they played pool. Stuart getting his daughter caught up on the last World Series, Super Bowl, and Tiger Woods amazing win at the U.S. Open just one month earlier. Hiromi hadn’t followed non-Japanese sports at all while doing her Swan Song work.
Midori and Gabrielle talked while Stuart and Rebecca were playing. “Mom, I have to leave Pine Gap tomorrow. There is work I have to do for Becky.”
“That is all right, Gabrielle. Stuart and I are forever grateful to you for making it possible for us to see Rebecca now.”
“Mom, I may be going undercover also so to assist Becky. If that happens, I won’t be touch for a very long time.”
“I will be strong, Gabrielle. Please take good care of yourself and Becky on the mission.”
Hiromi overheard what Gabrielle and her mother were talking about. “Mom, Dad, there may be a way for me to stay in touch.”
Gabrielle was surprised by what Hiromi was saying. “How would that be possible?”
“It is quite simple, Facebook. At least two shareigashiras, Ryuku Kinjoh and Katsuaki Koike, have their own page. Both post personal photos to their pages. I could do the same.”
“Would there be any risk?” Stuart asked.
“Not really, Dad. I would invite Dai and other Watanabe Yakuzas to be my facebook friends. The page could even be used as a public relations tool for the Watanabe. It would all be out in the open, and I don’t think the Watanabes would see it as a security breach. All I’m doing is sharing personal photos of Chuck, myself, and the baby after he or she is born.”
Hiromi and her father played pool till almost ten o’clock. “Goodnight Dad, Goodnight Mom. See you in the morning.”
Midori had to say something from her heart to Hiromi. “Rebecca, I think of Gabrielle as a daughter now. Please let her love you. Stuart and I will be very happy if you make a commitment to one another.”
“I’ll try Mom,” Hiromi said before giving his Mom a goodnight kiss.
Gabrielle and Hiromi showered together like they had the two previous nights. They talked as they took turns washing each other.
“One of the next times I see that cute butt of yours, Gabby, it might be after you take off a pair of boxer shorts,” Hiromi said as she washed her friend’s rear end.
Because Gabrielle had her back facing her, Hiromi didn’t see her friend wince at her last comment.
“Becky, to be honest. I’m not looking forward to it.”
“I apologize for what I just said, Gabby.”
“It's all right, Becky. I don’t want to be a man even temporarily, I’ll make that sacrifice if it might help you to survive Swan Song.”
Hiromi gently kissed the back of Gabrielle’s neck. “I won’t let it become permanent, Gabby. You’re a beautiful loving woman, and I don’t want that to ever change. When Swan Song is over, I want us to be like this again.”
Gabrielle was on the verge of tears. Becky’s love for her was so pure, it touched her soul. But would it last? If Chuck returned, would Becky rejoin him and she be left with just these short loving memories?
“I love you, Becky, but what will do you about Chuck?”
“Maybe I’ll tell him to go fly a kite. If he really loved me, Chuck would be here now. Mom is right, we should be together. You and my parents would be happy.”
“Would you be happy?”
“Yes, Gabby, I would. If Chuck comes back, I might just let him stay till Swan Song is over. Then I will tell him to bug off before coming back to you. Will you wait for me?”
“Of course I would.” In the back of Gabrielle’s mind, she worried about the magic Chuck cast over women who had even the slightest heterosexuality inside of them. Swan Song would last most of a year at least and this period of time could cause Becky to drift back to her husband because of her prolonged exposure to him.
Then again, Becky had just said she wanted to be with Gabrielle after Swan Song. Becky wouldn’t have said that if she didn’t mean it, or would she? She was angry now, with what seemed like good reason, but would that anger last if Chuck came back and apologized? Taking sides between them wouldn't serve as a long-term strategy, nor would it guarantee that Becky wouldn't resent her if it seemed like she was interfering, or taking too much for granted.
“I love you, Gabby.”
“I love you too, Becky. Whatever happens between us, and between you and Chuck, we'll work it out. Everything will turn out for the best.”
After they were through showering and getting dried off, Hiromi and Gabrielle both got in bed totally nude, unable to feel exactly where the boundaries between them were, melting into each other's flesh. As soon as they were settled, both women wrapped their arms around the other and began to kiss.
It was like Hong Kong all over again for Gabrielle and Hiromi, but this time there was a lot less talking. Hiromi wanted to make love.
After one last long kiss, Hiromi slowly began to shift herself downward in bed. Till her face was up against Gabrielle’s breastbone. She then alternated between kissing Gabby’s left and right breasts.
Gabrielle gently ran her hands along Hiromi’s back at the same time occasionally kissing her forehead. “Kiss me, Becky. Take me inside you. I want to feel what you'll be feeling soon.”
“I love you so much, Gabby,” Hiromi said just a second before she took Gabrielle’s left nipple into her mouth and began to nurse.
The documentary, ‘The Death of Raku Minobe’, aired on the Fuji Network System as scheduled at 10 p.m. Tokyo time. While most of his production crew headed for home, Producer Isoshi Neomoto chose to watch his creation at the studios of FNS.
Isoshi expected his audience to be in the millions that night. The Japanese public was still hungry for any and all news concerning the death of the country’s most popular singer.
The documentary had just one commercial break. It was during this time that law enforcement across the country began receiving another flood of phone calls.
“When will police start doing something about these criminals?” A caller asked a 110 operator in Narita.
Chuck had finally come to a decision. He would go and see his wife the following day. Now all he needed to do was get a ride home.
Alice Springs is a friendly city. Its citizens will help a neighbor without complaint if asked nicely. Therefore Chuck only had to ask two patrons at The Round Top before he found someone who could drive him home.
It was a couple of minutes past midnight when Chuck stepped out of a car right in front of his Mum’s home. He didn‘t walk five paces before he was surrounded by four men and one woman.
“I’m back,” Chuck said cheerfully in order to take the edge off the scene he was creating. Before leaving The Round Top, Chuck had allowed a mate to buy him one last beer. If he were given a breathalyzer test right then, he almost certainly would register in the 0.6 to 1.0 range. “Everybody have a good time while I was gone?”
A woman in her mid-forties showed her identification to Chuck. “I’m Superintendant Dorothy Palmer of the Federal Police, Mr. McBride. Many people have been looking for you all day.”
“I’m here now,” Chuck said as he tried to push his way past two male constables. “Now let me go to sleep. In the morning I would like to see my wife.”
“We will arrange that for you, Mr. McBride, but first there is some other business I need to conduct with you. Can I and a member of the Royal Australian Air Force come inside your mother’s home for a moment?”
Chuck’s mood was changing. “Tell me one bloody reason I should do that?”
Ӭ
Superintendant Palmer pointed to a nearby car. “The person standing over there has a handwritten message for you from your wife.”
Corporal Mathews, Chuck, and Dorothy Palmer were inside the McBride house less than two minutes later. After examining the envelope’s outside for all of two seconds, Chuck tore it open.
“I’m a father,” Chuck exclaimed a few seconds later
“Mr. McBride I don’t know the contents of your wife’s letter. I just been told to make sure you read it.”
Patricia McBride began coming down the stairs of her home. “Son, who are these people and why are they here?”
“Mum, they are people who know Hiromi. She wrote me a letter and I’m trying to read it.”
Patricia shook her head in disgust. “She tried calling on Monday night. I told her you didn’t ever want to speak to her again.”
It didn’t happen too often, but Chuck was growing angry with his mother. She should have told him about Hiromi’s call; plus, she shouldn't have told his wife things that were totally untrue.
“Mum, you shouldn’t have said that to Hiromi. Can I have a little privacy right now? We’ll talk more in the morning.”
Patricia went back upstairs as Chuck requested. She too wanted to have a McBride family talk in the morning.
Chuck went back to reading the letter. He read it three times in all. Sometimes he stopped to examine the results of Hiromi’s pregnancy test. ‘What an absolute idiot I have been. I hope my little sports car isn’t too mad at me.’
Much unlike the way he had been acting moments earlier, Hiromi’s letter to him and the news that he was a father, Chuck was suddenly acting sober and serious. “Can somebody call Pine Gap and tell them I wish to see my wife tomorrow morning?”
“I can do that for you, Mr. McBride or I can have you taken there right now if you want.”
“No, I would like to do it in the morning. I'm a little pissed right now, and I don't want to appear to her like some drunken layabout coming off a bender. Can someone please pick me up here at nine?” Chuck wanted to be totally sober and bearing gifts when he saw Hiromi again. So far as he knew, there were no all-night florists in Alice.
“Of course, Mr. McBride,” Dorothy replied. “We can do that for you.”
As most of its reporters slept, the next edition of the Kanagawa Shimbun was being printed. On page twenty-three there was a editorial titled ‘A Time For Action’
Only hours after Raku Minobe’ death was first reported, the nation of Japan was in a almost complete state of mourning. The twenty-eight-year-old Ms. Minobe was loved by both young and old alike. Some say her loss is the greatest Japan could suffer except for members of the Royal Family.
As people mourned Ms. Minobe, they were beginning to ask questions. Why was she so needlessly killed in a senseless fire? Could it have been prevented?
Up to this point the police who are investigating the cause of the fire have released little information to the media. The Shimbun, through hard work and interviews with witnesses and fire experts, has drawn up a likely scenario for what occurred last Sunday night.
A fire broke out in the front of The Rosebud. The club had three fire exits but people attempting to escape found one of them to be blocked on the outside. Most of the dead were found by that door.
The Shimbun has learned the Rosebud nightclub was owned by the Yakuza known as the Watanabes. Based on the statements of witnesses and survivors to our reporters, we believe a firebomb thrown or set off by the Inagawa-kai Yakuza started the Rosebud fire. One of the eyewitnesses interviewed by our staff claims to have seen the smoking bomb thrown through the front window and roll across the room, setting fire to furnishings and wall hangings as it penetrated the interior. People started to panic right away, and many ran away from the firebomb toward the back of the building, away from where they could see the fire, but the rear exit was blocked.
One witness claims he saw a truck being parked next to The Rosebud and then abandoned. The police have told us that the ignition switch of this vehicle had been deliberately sabotaged. The pictures of the burned out vehicle, which was apparently parked extremely close to the door, cause us to hypothesize that one emergency exit was deliberately blocked to terrorize the patrons and cause maximum loss of life.
Readers of this paper will recall other acts of gangland violence that have been taking place in Yokohama, Kawazaki, and Tokyo over the last month, but the injuries and fatalities heretofore had been limited to known criminals and their associates. But now, what had been strictly a war between rival criminal gangs, has spilled over into everyday Japan life and taken the lives of innocent citizens.
No further violence has occurred since Sunday, but people are concerned as they should be. When a father dies doing something as innocent as celebrating a new life, a nation begins to fear there is no limit to the violence criminals will commit.
The Yakuzas responsible for Sunday’s tragedy are hardly invisible, for they have many legitimate business enterprises that come from their criminal profits. This helps make them brazen and without fear of retaliation. It is time Law Enforcement takes action against these gangs. Yakuzas have to learn there will be retribution for their lawlessness.
Hiromi was still awake. A nude Gabrielle was lying in bed beside her, her breath moving a few stray strands of her hair as she slept, her mouth slightly open. Till a few moments ago she had been resting her head on Hiromi’s right shoulder.
‘Gabrielle loves me so much. The lovemaking we did tonight was nice, but the deep down emotional love she has for me is incredible. Gabby is so supportive of me, Mom, Dad, Shannon, and my unborn baby. Her love for me is unconditional and I love Gabrielle so much. I’ll never meet a man or woman like her.’
‘Mom and Dad like Gabrielle and I like making my parents happy. They deserve happiness after all that has happened and I’m happy being with Gabrielle. It is time for me to move on from Chuck,’ Hiromi thought as her eyes began to close.
To be continued in Part Thirty
Comments
Danielle, marvelous chapter
I have come to several conclusions but many threads remain for you to fill out or snip off at your leisure.
Bozzo the Clown, the now former head of Swansong MUST be neutralized. He remains a threat, if a somewhat incompetent one, to Ripley and the other agents and their families. The director should dump him, congressional and Presidential candidate contacts or no. That he views Gabrielle as a backstabber shows he is in effect delusional and unworthy of any trust.
Gabrielle and Rebecca deserve each other... period! That she willing offers to become a Chuck clone to be with and protect her Becky while also insuring salvaging some success of the fiasco that was Swansong proves her mettle and love. She is happy with being a woman and Japanese American, loathes having to become another woman or worse a man for one or more years to salvage Swansong yet will do all this voluntarily is further proof of her sense duty, honor and love. She is the yin to Rebecca's former yan or whatever. I'm so confused-- GRIN -- They are soul mates, I have no doubt.
As to Chuck, jury is still out. Which Hiromi does he love? And if it is impending fatherhood that is the biggest incentive to reconcile, their marriage is doomed. I have long thought that if Gabrielle had only let down her hair earlier, if she had taken the confused and worried Tom/Hiromi to bed with her in that last meeting before Tom/Hiromi had to kill his/her fellow undercover agent, we might well be seeing Tom back or at least Rebecca and Gabrielle and no more Chuck. Chuck is not a bad man but a weak willed and immature one and possibly too much under the heel of his mom. Note how his anger at his mom for holding back Hiromi's messages and insulting her was one of the very few times Chuck had ever argued with her.
I don't recall all the background but where and when did he meet and fall for the original Hiromi? When did he know she was Yakusa? That he knowingly loved a member of a crime family says he is either naive IE "I can keep her straight, I can lead her to the light. I am the man with the magic dick!", deliberately blind/self deluded "She's just a bookkeeper, nothing to do with the criminal stuff," or worse... Maybe. The real Hiromi is in bad shape mentally. Can normal therapy help her assuming they can rescue her from the terrible way she'd been confined. Or will Dr Wagner and her DNA process be the key to both hiding and reforming/curing her?
The interplay between the Japanese and the Americans over the revisions to Swansong and more importantly about trying Ripley for murder or not was a gem. Mutual Assured Destruction, diplomatic style.
This story continues to impress even if it is so verrrry long -- snicker --
Guess I'm just an impatient guy?
John in Wauwatosa
John in Wauwatosa
Brilliant as always
This will become a great novel.
You said it!
It is more than one novel though as it is already too long to be a single novel. I suspect with some minor changes it can be partitioned into a series with endings for each part of the story.
I am boggled that Danielle can keep all these story threads together so well. If she were to be a computer programmer she would be incredible.
Kudos for the cleaniness of grammar and sentence structure. A curtsy to Gabi for her immaculate work.
As far as the story goes, my heart aches for Hiromi and Chuck but am really happy about Gaby getting the chance she deserves with Hiromi. Hiromi may very well be shared at the end and if they can work that out, it would salvage a very bad situation. I am still hoping Gaby does not need to impersonate Chuck though.
As in so many stories I have read over the years, the refusal to communicate will always be the downfall of any relationship. Anger is well and good but when that is a barrier to sensible ( emphasis on the sensible) communication then problems never get resolved.
Kim
>> Too long to be a novel?
Not really. It's about the same size of or less than -- at 428,000 words thus far -- most all of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander books, a series of historical/paranormal romance books of, let's say, somewhere between around half a million words and up to a million words each. There are seven of them, roughly twice to three times the size of Marcel Proust's Remembrance of Things Past. I have all seven, and they make a tidy pile on one's nightstand. The average "genre" novel these days is very short, around 70,000 words, but older works were meant to be savoured over time, and lengthy novels were the rule rather than the exception. Marcel Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu is a million and a half words or so, a mere trifle in the world of women's historical fiction. It's a bit longer that Austin Tappan Wright's Islandia, another favourite, which has only a bit less than 400,000 words, although we should note that it was cut (posthumously) by about a third for publication. There are a lot of books containing a thousand pages or so, which usually average between 400,000 to 600,000 words, depending on the size of the typeface. Publishers tend to consider a thousand pages the maximum number that people want to carry round, so most big books are adjusted using point size to lean toward that magic number.
Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
-
Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
Nolo Contendere
I was of course only considering the modern typical mass produced page turner stuff which I have found to be quite short by comparison, the genre novels you mentioned. Unfortunately the attention span of most folks these days is that of a hummingbird and do not have the time or patience to read a 'real' novel and savor it as you so properly pointed out. For me rereading is as much fun as it gives me opportunities to pick up nuances so even a 'short' novel can present to me more than the usual entertainment time.
Your literary interests clearly out range that of a technerati like myself whose largest tomes are software programming guide books.
As I have said before, I will never be a writer but at least I can write in whole sentences (I hope :-) )
Kim
There's a lot to like in Diana Gabaldon's Books
She has a Masters in Marine Biology and a PhD in Ecology, plus she's a scientific computing and database expert, so is something of a nerd herself. Her Doctoral dissertation was Nest Site Selection in Pinyon Jays, Gymnorhynchus cyanocephalus, doubtless a real page-turner...
Since the Outlander series follows the adventures of the same two people, Claire, Jamie, her Highland lover and husband, her daughter, and her daughter's husband through a span of many decades spread across several centuries, it's essentially one huge novel in seven volumes so far, with an eighth coming out in a year or two. Claire, the heroine, is a doctor and surgeon, and the novel is quite realistic, I think, in describing her frustration when faced with medical emergencies using the technology available in the period between the Jacobite Rebellion in Scotland and the American Revolution. As I said, it dwarfs Proust's little chapbook.
Diana Gabaldon
There's even a graphic novel featuring the same characters, and she worked in the comic book industry, scripting stories for Uncle Scrooge, another reason to like her, because the Scrooge adventure stories are my very most favourites. How much more nerdy could she possibly be? Perhaps she's really Stan Lee in drag...
Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
-
Cheers,
Puddin'
A tender heart is an asset to an editor: it helps us be ruthless in a tactful way.
--- The Chicago Manual of Style
Novel? Marvelous?
Of course it is. The intricacies in this one are simply mind boggling at times, especially they way you tie them all together, Danielle.
I won't speculate on who ends up with who or where they end up once this wraps up, not that I don't have my own ideas, thoughts, etc. The thing is there are just so many directions this one could still take that I don't wish to confuse issues for anyone, myself included.
My decision is still out on Chuck, but in his defense, he was handed a lot to believe there even if he does come across as kind of weak in some ways just anyone would react about that way under similar circumstances, even some nowhere near so fantastical(?) and strange.
Gabby deserves some time with Becky, she's worked very hard to help Becky in more than just getting the job done.
Hiromi? The real one. Maybe she can be helped, and maybe getting that help will involve Chuck or maybe not.
Tom/Hiromi/Becky does need to get some peace, and someone to love who will love her in return and not simply because of her baby.
Anyway, great chapter. Again.
Maggie
Wishy Washy World
Here we have yet another grand chapter. This story is wearing me out! But it's a good kind of wearing out.
I have to point out that at one point, both Hiromi and Gabby were making Chuck out to be the greatest thing since sliced bread. It was around the time that Hiromi and Gabby got together in Hong Kong. Hiromi told Chuck about Gabby being an old flame and he said he was okay with his little sports car having a little sack time with Gabby. Both Hiromi and Gabby couldn't say enough nice things about the man. Now they want to toss him out with the garbage? Dang.
I agree that Chuck has been behaving badly, but I don't think it's bad enough to cancel out what he did for Hiromi and Gabby in Hong Kong.
I want to thank you for having the courier deliver the letter directly to Chuck. I fully expected Chuck's mother to intercept and destroy it. I feared the stereotypical mother-in-law, intervening to destroy the marriage.
I also want to thank you for having Grant booted out of Swan Song. You almost redeemed him with the background about his wife's younger brother but then he reverted and thought about getting revenge on a backstabbing Gabby.
So there have been some battles of the readers' heart in this chapter, enough for me to dub it the wishy washy chapter. The writing and story itself aren't wishy washy. It's the characters. And it's the characters that are wearing me out. Phew!
Thanks and kudos!
- Terry
Duty, Honor, Country, Family - Part 29 * View * Outline
How ironic that Chuck is coming back when Hiromi makes her choice about her life.
May Your Light Forever Shine
May Your Light Forever Shine
Chuck
Chcuk is a Mama's boy! Apparently he has not had a decent Father figure during his childhood and if he did it couldn't have been much of one!
Sadly, my Daddy was the same, a Mama's boy until my mother and he met althoug it took years for him to gradually change.
Hiromi and Gabrielle are a perfect match I agree but Hiromi did spend a year or more with Chuck and does love him deeply. Love is a very touchy matter when it comes to common sense on who to decide to live with for a life time! Common sense leaves most of us when their is turmoil in a relation ship.
I myself just ended a relation ship with my boy friend, or ex rather as I found out the SOB just purchased an inflatable doll to have sex with! Oh my god was my first though, the second, "Your dead". The third of course and the thoughts that left my lips were, "Don't call me again"!
But in Hiromis' case there is a big difference. Chuck was caught totally off guard with what seemed like a Science Fiction Novel to him and an impossibility so it is kind of understandable why he has freaked out although Hiromi is his wife so he should not have fled even just to get his mind straight! After all, he is supposed to be the Man right!?
Personally I think that they are all three going to live together for at least a while if Chuck or Hiromi or Gabrielle doesn't end up dead first.
i would rather see Hiromi and Gabrielle together and without Chuck myself!