“How are you feeling?” Chuck asked Hiromi

“I am having a little bit of morning sickness right now.”

Chuck smiled. “We’re going to be parents next year.”

“We’re parents already,” Hiromi corrected Chuck. “It’s just a little hard to see right now.”

Chuck kissed his wife again. “I stand corrected, Kimi-chan. Is there anything I can get you?”

Synopsis- Chuck comes back to Hiromi but will she accept his apology?

Thank you to Puddin for all her help preparing this story chapter for publication.

Author's Note- I just want to remind readers that Duty Honor Country Family is set in 2007 and 2008 so far.
 

~*~
 
As Ripley’s immediate superior, Grant Williamson was the first Swan Song committee member to be notified of Charles McBride’s desire to see Hiromi. The Deputy Director went to wake Robert Mueller and tell him the news. “McBride says he wants to come to see his wife tomorrow morning. He is asking to be picked up at his mother’s home at nine.”

“All right, Grant, make sure the AFP or someone else is assigned the task of picking up Mr. McBride.”

“Should I wake Ripley and tell her the news?”

“No, Grant, let her sleep. If we tell her now, she’ll be up all night worrying and we need her well-rested and sharp tomorrow. She’ll be notified by Tanaka in the morning. Has McBride announced his intentions?”

Grant shook his head. “No, Director, he just asked to be brought to his wife.”
 

~*~
 
As Chuck lay fast asleep, members of the Australian Federal Police were maintaining a watch outside the McBride house, having been ordered by Superintendent Dorothy Palmer to prevent Chuck from doing another runner if he changed his mind overnight.

In addition to the AFP car parked in front of the McBride home, a plainclothes officer had taken up position in the backyard. He had night vision glasses on and a clear view of the back door.

The temperature was down to eleven degrees Celsius — distinctly chilly, but well above freezing — when the outdoors AFP officer took up his position behind the McBride home. To make matters worse, a light rain soon began to fall.

“Bloody hell, why couldn’t the miserable sods in the main office at least have allowed me to sit on the back porch where it’s dry? It’s not as if this were some sort of covert surveillance.”
 

~*~
 
The documentary on the death of Raku Minobe had aired over two hours earlier, but the complaint phone calls to law enforcement were continuing to pour in. Police Chiefs across Japan were being woken because their departments didn’t know how to handle the crisis.

An Assistant Chief of Police for the city of Tokyo called a Fuji Network System News Executive he knew. “You must ask your viewers to stop calling. It is causing interference with the proper conduct of our work.”

The News Executive was unusually blunt. “Sorry, I cannot assist you, Fukusako-san. I suggest you arrest members of the Inagawa-kai. That is the only way to stop people from calling to complain about the inaction of you and other members of law enforcement.”

It wasn’t till a little after midnight that law enforcement began to see a dip in the number of phone calls being made to them in regards to Raku Minobe. By three in the morning, Police officials across Japan believed that the firestorm caused by the Fuji Network System documentary was over. The the number of phone calls they were receiving had dropped to a trickle.

The Police Chiefs couldn’t have been more wrong about public anger having died out. They were only asleep. The news business involves a great deal of copying. When a story grabs the attention of people, other media outlets will jump on the bandwagon and try and add new details to grab more public attention. This was the case with the Raku Minobe story.

All of Japan’s morning programs were already at work on new segments about the series of events that caused Raku Minobe’s death. In addition, Fuji Network Systems would show excerpts of their popular documentary on FNS morning shows.

So the Raku Minobe firestorm had only died down temporarily. With almost Japan’s entire news industry taking on the story, the outrage wasn’t likely to end soon unless some action was taken against the Yakuzas.
 

~*~
 
It was a quiet evening at Lake Yanagawa. The men assigned to protect Keiji Watanabe’s lakeside home were continuing to work just as if the elderly Oyabun was still in residence.

Alp Celik, who was the supervisor on duty that evening, was getting ready to do one of his patrols when the lights suddenly went out. He fumbled around his dark office for a few seconds till he was able to locate a flashlight.

“Celik-san, the lights are out all over the property,” Meiji Kono said as he reported in to Alp.

“Get the generators up and running while I investigate.”

It didn’t take Alp long to ascertain the situation. All lights were indeed out on the Watanabe property. Were those people on the neighboring property preparing to attack?

Alp used his cellphone to call Tokyo Electric Power Company also known as TEPCO. It took him almost five minutes to get a live operator. “The home I work at has no electricity.”

The operator asked Alp for the address first, then the name of the resident. When that process was completed, she gave the Turkish born bodyguard an update. “There is an outage in your area. A TEPCO power specialist will be sent out there shortly.”

“When will our power be restored?”

“We do not know yet.”

Watanabe Shareigashira Akira Sudo was notified of the situation at Lake Yanagawa. “Thank you for alerting me to this, Celik-san. Are any unusual noises coming from the neighboring property?”

“No, they are quiet at this time. Should I send someone to check on the house?”

“Do not do that, Celik-san. What I want you to do is check in with the Negishi Bay command center every fifteen minutes till power is restored.” Unless events changed, Akira wouldn’t tell Dai Hashimoto of what was happening at Lake Yanagawa till morning. Instead he would call Keiji Watanabe’s current home and ask if anything unusual was taking place there.”¨

“I will do as you tell me, Akira-san,” Alp replied.
 

~*~
 
The stirring of Gabrielle in bed beside her caused Hiromi to wake up on Wednesday morning. A quick glance at the clock in the room told her it was five o’clock, almost time to get up anyway.

Hiromi flicked her right arm over Gabrielle. Gabrielle immediately kissed it.

“Hi, did you sleep well?” Gabrielle asked as she turned herself around in bed until she and Hiromi were face to face.

“Yes, Gabby, I did. How about you?”

“I had a very good night,” Gabrielle said before kissing Hiromi. “I love you, Becky.”

“I love you too, Gabby. Do you want to go to the Fitness room with me?”
Ӭ
“Sure,” Gabrielle said to Hiromi before giving her one more kiss. “I’d like that.”

“We’d both better get some clothes on first.”

Gabrielle laughed as she and Hiromi got their bodies untangled. “Good idea, Becky. We’d make quite a scene running down the hall in the altogether. If you will excuse me, I’ll go to my room and change. Let’s meet at the Fitness Center in say fifteen minutes.”

A Royal Australian Air Force Corporal was standing outside Gabrielle’s room. “Are you Agent Tanaka?”

“Yes, I am.”

The Corporal handed Gabrielle a slip of paper. “I was told to give you this.”

Gabrielle read the short message saying that Chuck wanted to see his wife this morning only after going inside her room. She felt both happy and a bit let down by the latest bit of Swan Song news. She rushed through her morning routine and threw on her workout clothes to make sure Becky didn’t have to wait for the good news.

“Becky,” Gabrielle began saying the moment she rendezvoused with Hiromi at the Fitness Center. “They found Chuck last night. He’s asked to be picked up at his mother’s house this morning and brought here to Pine Gap.”

Hiromi perked up. “What time will Chuck get here?”

“The AFP will be picking him up at 9 a.m. So I guess you and Chuck will be seeing one another around ten.”

“I have a debriefing scheduled then,” Hiromi said as she got on a treadmill.

“Don’t worry about that, Becky. Fred Wenz will stop the debriefing so you and Chuck can talk. I’ll come get you as soon as he arrives.”

“Thank you, Gabby, for everything.”

“You’re welcome, Becky, and I love you very much.”

As she and Gabrielle worked out, Hiromi had another Swan Song idea. “Gabby, I just thought of another possible assistant for me.”

“Who do you have in mind?”

“I had a cook/housekeeper in Yokohama named Juanita Perez. Maybe the committee could have her replaced with a policewoman after she has been treated by Dr. Wagner.”

“Where is Juanita now?”

“She is back in the Philippines. I have her address and phone number back in my room. I had to let go of Juanita just before Chuck and I departed for Hong Kong, but moving back to Japan would be a good excuse to rehire her and her temporary absence wouldn’t require any elaborate explanations, because she’s already off-stage.”

Gabrielle listened as Hiromi described Juanita to her. A Swan Song operative posing as a cook/housekeeper could keep a close eye on Ripley’s homefront and be able to warn the Agent or the committee if Watanabe Yakuza were snooping around.

“That sounds like a good idea, Becky. I’ll mention it to the committee sometime today.”

After her workout was finished, Hiromi went to her room to shower and get dressed. When it came time to select clothes for the day, she decided on a low-cut coral-colored dress that Chuck had really liked because it showed off her ‘assets,’ and took special care in selecting her jewelry, choosing items that Chuck had given her or had special significance to them both. The last time she’d worn the dress had been that very first day with Chuck, and right after that was the very first night they’d made love. He’d said she looked ‘smashing’ in it. She smiled, remembering that first night, when she’d enjoyed herself very much, although the Tom part of her had been a bit alarmed. She’d soon got over that, however. Chuck had cured her ‘wedding night’ jitters very quickly. It hadn’t been long until she couldn’t get enough of him. She could hardly contain herself, she was so excited that she’d be seeing him soon.

“You look good, Rebecca,” Midori Slater said to her daughter as they all met in the cafeteria. “Are you feeling well today?

“Sick as a dog, Mom, and I couldn’t be happier about it. My morning sickness started acting up again as soon as I smelled the bacon cooking. What do you suggest I eat?”
 

~*~
 
Probationary Inspector Maurice Gao was just getting settled into his airplane seat. A Cathay Pacific Airbus A330 would be taking him home to Hong Kong from Sydney.

A Flight attendant approached Maurice almost immediately. “Can I get you a pre-flight drink?”

Maurice had gotten a pleasant surprise when checking in that morning. His ticket had been upgraded to Business Class. So he decided to take advantage of the perks that came with the upgrade. “Can I please have a glass of champagne?’’

“Yes, you may, Sir. I will be back with it shortly.” The flight attendant then went to ask another passenger what they wanted to drink before their flight took off.

Ever since he heard of what his Swan Song assignment would entail, Maurice’s emotions had been running wild. He was happier than he had been in a long time. The Hong Kong policeman was also incredibly excited at the prospect of being a real woman, though this emotion was somewhat tempered. The new Swan Song was not officially a go yet.

Still Maurice felt overjoyed at what lay ahead. She would finally have a body that matched her soul. For once Molly could be a real person every minute of the day, not a fantasy creature that only came out of the darkness occasionally and then always full of caution. Afraid that someone would scream in public that Molly was a man.
Ӭ
Maurice was already thinking of how she would dress herself and how she would style her hair. Long hair was a fantasy of many crossdressers but Maurice knew that maintaining it was a lot of work.

The Flight Attendant was back with Maurice’s champagne and this snapped him back to reality. “Thank you,” he said.

Maurice didn’t yet know what his fiancée Lily would think of all this. They had spoken the night before, but other than saying he had been offered an overseas undercover assignment, Maurice had been tightlipped about what his Swan Song work was going to be. He’d tell Lily about it later that day after she picked him up at the Airport.

Would Lily be supportive? It did occur to Maurice that his fiancée may support her Swan Song mission but want to have a husband back when that work was finished. Lily had been supportive of his crossdressing but having a full-time girlfriend and no husband might not appeal to her. Maurice had never discussed the subject with her for he never had seriously considered having a sex change operation performed on him, and he knew that her parents placed a great deal of emphasis on providing heirs for the next generation, especially a son. They were already joking about it and they weren’t even married yet.

When the Cathay Pacific flight reached an altitude of 10,000 feet, the Purser announced that passengers could now use their in-flight audio/video on-demand systems. Maurice decided to watch a movie rather than sleep as he flew to Hong Kong.

Cathay Pacific passengers had a choice of over 100 movies and programs. All of which were in alphabetical order. Every month of the year, Cathay Pacific featured one particular genre of movies. For July 2008 it was action and suspense movies.

It took less than a minute for Maurice to decide what movie he would watch. His selection was based on both his upcoming Swan Song work and a recommendation from Gabrielle Tanaka, the 1986 movie, ‘Aliens.’ The film starred Sigourney Weaver who played the part of Ripley and also had a character in it named Bishop that was portrayed by actor Lance Henriksen.

According to Gabrielle, Bishop would be Maurice’s Swan Song code name.
 

~*~
 
Patricia McBride took a seat across the kitchen table from Chuck. As her son ate a hearty breakfast, the mother brought up the topic of what had happened the previous night.

“Are you going with those people today?”

“Yes, Mum, I am.” Chuck had a headache, but it was hangover-related, not one of the recurring migraines he suffered from.

“Where are they taking you?”

Chuck thought for a few seconds before answering. He was angry with his mother about how she’d spoken to Hiromi on Monday night and for not telling him she had called. Chuck could have told his Mum how he felt, but made a decision to forget about it. What was past was past. “I can’t say, Mum.”

“You can’t even tell your mother,” Patricia said in a voice full of hurt.

“Mum, there is something important going on with Hiromi. I am sorry, but right now I can’t tell you about it.” Chuck was wearing a shirt and tie and even had put on some cologne in preparation for his meeting with Hiromi.

Before Patricia could say anything, a tapping sound came from the McBride home’s back door. Chuck went to investigate.

Angus Jones was on the back porch, looking a bit wet, but otherwise chipper. “Good morning, Mr. McBride. I am just here to notify you that a car is ready to take you to your wife any time you are ready.”

“Thank you for telling me this. I should be out in about fifteen minutes.”

“We will be waiting for you. There is one more thing, Mr. McBride. I have been told to advise you to bring several changes of clothing with you.”

“My suitcase is already packed. See you shortly.”

Chuck went back to his half-eaten breakfast and inquisitive mother. “It was one of the people who will take me to Hiromi,” he told her.

“That was a member of the FP at the door?”

“Yes, Mum, it was.”

“They have arrested Hiromi, am I right?” She seemed thrilled by the notion.

“No, Mum, Hiromi has not been arrested,” Chuck said as he put down his fork. “There is something going on I can’t tell you about.”

“Son, don’t you know you are married to a gangster?”

“Mum, I know exactly who Hiromi is and, by the way, you’re going to be a Grandmother next year. Hiromi and I are having a baby.”

“Is that what the letter was about?”

“Yes, Mum, it is.”

“Are you sure she is pregnant?”

Chuck lost patience with his Mother. “For your information, Mum, Hiromi enclosed a copy of her lab results. If you want, I’ll go get it right now. She is pregnant with my child, and your grandchild. Can you please stop badmouthing her and start appreciating what she is doing for me, and for both of us? Hiromi was very frightened of becoming pregnant, because her own mother had died giving birth to her, but she organized all of this, tossed her contraceptives down the loo when we got married, because she knew I wanted children, and she wanted children with me.”

Patricia McBride was taken aback by what Chuck had just said to her. It took her almost a minute to regain her composure as she tried to speak, all her assumptions gone west as she tried to fit her son’s bride into the role of loving wife and mother and take her out of her... her... own view of Hiromi as a wily oriental criminal out to do God knows what. “Son, I’m sorry. I’ve misjudged Hiromi... your wife, I think, and I am happy to be a Grandmother. Are you happy?”

“Mum, I am very happy. Hiromi and I have some issues right now. We are going to try working them out. To do that, I need to see her today.”

“She isn’t arrested right now?”

“No, Mum, Hiromi is not under arrest, and not bloody likely to be. She is doing some work I can’t tell you about. Please for my sake, and for hers, don’t mention to anyone the visitors you and I have had over the last few days.”

“I won’t say anything, son.”

“Thank you, Mum. I’m going with those people in just a short bit. I don’t know when I will visit again but I will be in touch.”
 

~*~
 
Gabrielle wasn’t having breakfast with the Slaters. She instead went to check in with FBI Director Robert Mueller. “Sir, I received the message about Economist.”

“We have heard nothing further, Agent Tanaka. All we know is that Charles McBride has asked to see his wife.”

“Sir, I am going to tell Ripley to go to her morning debriefing which starts at half past eight. When Economist arrives at Pine Gap, the debriefing will be stopped temporarily. Ripley will go to her room and she’ll talk with her husband there.”

“That sounds like a good plan, Agent Tanaka.”

Gabrielle went back to Hiromi. She was about to begin her debriefing. “Becky, I would like you to continue with your debriefings, since we don’t have all that much spare time to arrange everything. Your session will be stopped the minute Chuck gets here.”

“That is fine with me, Gabby,” Hiromi said calmly. On the inside, she was a bundle of nerves. She and Chuck had major issues to resolve if their marriage was to continue. “Thank you for helping me out, Gabby.”

“You’re welcome, Becky. See, I was right about Chuck coming back to you.”

“Yes, Gabby, you were,” Hiromi said sadly. She was now regretting some of the things she had said the night before.

Gabrielle gave Hiromi a hug. “I want you to be happy, Becky. Chuck’s a good man, you know he is. Anyone would have been thrown for a loop by all this, but he called you as soon as he thought that you might be in danger here, because he was worried about you, even though the message disappeared into cellphone limbo for a while.”

“I know, Gabby, or I know that now. I’m ashamed of all the bad things I was thinking about him.”

“Sweetheart, you’re pregnant. Even I know that pregnant women get broody and insecure. No one, least of all Chuck — or me — will blame you for your perfectly natural fears. And even Chuck, I think, will admit that he was being a bit pig-headed. I think that may be normal, actually, since I’ve seen quite a few men panic when their wives turn up pregnant. It sort of makes everything more... urgent... and permanent, and men are used to just sailing along with no particular worries. Tra-la, tra-la.”

She laughed. “That’s not Chuck. He worried whenever he got into my car, but he always sat down, and he tried not to complain, even when I scared him. I could see him trying to push his foot through the floor sometimes, though, down on an imaginary brake, when we went through a few ‘interesting’ maneuvers.”

“Well, then. You see?” Gabrielle reached out to hug her. “He loves you too.”
 

~*~
 
The next person Gabrielle had to speak to about Chuck was Fred Wenz. The debriefer was his usual accommodating self when she told him the debriefing session would probably be interrupted. “Just keep me informed, Agent Tanaka.”
 
~*~
 
Three TEPCO workers came to investigate the power outage at Lake Yanagawa. “My name is Juichi Sanda and I work for Tokyo Electric Power Company. Do you have electricity now?”

“Yes, but it is coming from a generator,” Simon Dawes answered. He had taken over from Alp Celik early that morning, at seven.

“Can I come in and inspect your house?”

“Yes, you can,” Simon said before holding the door open for Juichi and one assistant.

Juichi went straight to the fuse box. His assistant, who was carrying a toolbox, wandered from room to room looking at appliances and electrical outlets.

Watanabe Yakuza retainers Kimiko and Shiko Aizawa were still living in the home. The couple plus their daughter Yoriko and two male grandchildren, had just finished eating breakfast. The TEPCO assistant found them in the kitchen as he walked around the house.

‘These two guys work for the Electric Company like I’m the King of England.’ Simon thought to himself as he kept an eye on Juichi’s assistant.

Approximately five minutes after he and his assistant entered the house, Juichi’s cellphone began to ring. After a brief conversation, he went looking for Simon.

“We have found the reason for the power outage. It was in one of the powerlines by the road.”

“That is excellent news. Is our power about to be restored? My wife’s parents are old and we can’t be running the generator all the time.” The daughter of Kimiko and Shiko Aizawa was in indeed married to the Deputy Security Chief for Keiji Watnabe’s Lake Yanagawa home. Simon and Yoriko Dawes had been married thirteen years and the couple had two sons, Simon Jr. age eleven and Albert age seven.

“The power will be restored within the hour. Please turn your generator off immediately.” Juicihi and his assistant then left the house.

Simon wasn’t through with the TEPCO workers. “There is a lot of noise here today. Is there some construction work going on?”

“A new hotel is being built not too far away from here.”

“Oh yes, I forgot about that. The noise is bothering my in-laws and I was just wondering what it was. Thank you for coming over.”
 

~*~
 
Chuck came out of his mother’s home a couple of minutes before nine. Angus climbed out of the Blue Sedan to greet him. “I’ll take your bags for you, Mr. McBride.

“Thank you. I’d like to make a stop or two before going to Pine Gap. I want to make a couple of purchases for my wife”

Superintendant Vincent Carey had also gotten out of the car. “Where is it you wish to go, Mr. McBride?”

“I want to go to a florist and someplace that sells chocolates. Will that be a problem?”

“No, Mr. McBride, not at all.”

Angus spoke up the moment after he closed the Sedan’s boot. “Mr. McBride, I know where there is a good florist in Alice. It is only two blocks from Chocolate World. We can bring you there if you want.”

“Yes, I would like to go to both those places.”

While Angus drove the Sedan to the florist, Superintendent Carey called Pine Gap. “We have picked up Mr. McBride but he wants to make a couple of stops before going to see his wife. Our new ETA at Pine Gap is half past ten.”
 

~*~
 
A police cadet helped Dr. Wagner step off the helicopter once it had safely touched down on a soccer field next to the Shiga Prefecture Police Academy in Otsu Japan. Two other cadets asked if there was anything they could do for the German scientist.

“Yes, there is. Could someone carry my four cases for me?”
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In addition to a small carrying bag similar in style to ones used by physicians in the days housecalls were the practice rather than the exception, Dr. Wagner had brought two large toolbox size cases plus a laptop computer with her to Otsu. Both of the cases were heavily insulated and labeled "Biological Specimens — Biohazard — Keep Cool."

Dr. Wagner needed all this equipment to do her DNA sample taking. As a precaution she had brought the gear with her to Australia.

The two cadets carried the bags and cases into the Academy for Dr. Wagner. She was greeted at the door by the school’s Superintendant, Taki Tarawaya.

“Welcome to Otsu, Dr. Wagner. Please come this way. We have a room set up for you and a nurse available to assist you.”
 

~*~
 
In Japan the outrage over Raku Minobe’s death continued to grow. People who had seen the FNS documentary the night before, again began calling law enforcement like they had the night before. Even people who hadn’t watched the program were calling in. The 110 emergency system was breaking down in some parts of Japan due to the deluge of callers.

Elected politicians were again getting calls, and they had begun asking local Police Chiefs to perform some form of Yakuza crackdown. “The press and public are demanding action. I am demanding action now.” The Mayor of Kagoshima said to his Chief of Police.

In Osaka, the home base of the Yakuza known as the Yamaguchi-gumi, the City’s Police Commissioner sent out a summons to all his commanders telling them to attend an 11 a.m. emergency meeting. The Osaka 110 system had crashed just minutes earlier due to the deluge of phone calls coming into the emergency system.

None of the Japan’s Yakuzas were worried yet. Their leaders were mostly older and extremely conservative in nature. Very few were savvy about how the mainstream media worked. On the other hand, the Oyabuns felt they understood Japan’s law enforcement quite well. They were mindless automatons who enforced the laws passed by dumb people who didn’t realize there was a need for many of the services and products a Yakuza sells. The Yakuzas were much more clever and for that reason they felt they would always remain one step ahead of those who wished to punish them.
 

~*~
 
Chuck first visited the florist. He wanted a bouquet of a dozen red roses made for Hiromi.

“Do you need these prepared right away, Sir?” A helpful female clerk asked.

At the invitation of Chuck, Superintendent Carey had come into the flower shop with him. The AFP Officer was more than a little wary of Economist based on his actions of the day before.

“Yes, I do.”

“Please give me fifteen minutes to prepare your order.”

Superintendant Carey and Chuck then walked over to Chocolate World. The store had a excellent supply of sweets from around the world. After just a little browsing, Chuck decided to buy a large gift basket filled with a variety of Swiss chocolates, paying particular attention to rich dark chocolates, which he knew his wife favored.

Chuck was at Pine Gap’s main gate forty-five minutes later. While guards checked their identification, Superintendant Carey called Gabrielle.
 

~*~
 
Gabrielle walked in and interrupted Hiromi’s debriefing immediately. “Charles McBride has just arrived at the main gate, Hiromi.”

The debriefing was brought to an immediate stop. Hiromi remained seated as everyone but Gabrielle began filing out of the room.

“Are you all right?” Gabrielle asked Hiromi. Her friend looked a little pale.

“I have morning sickness, Gabby. I threw up in a waste basket a little while ago.”

Gabrielle walked Hiromi over to her living quarters. “I’m going to get Chuck for you now. When you’re finished talking, please call me on my cellphone.”

“I will do that, Gabby.”

Gabrielle gave Hiromi another hug. “Good luck with Chuck. I will be back in a few minutes.”

When Gabrielle located Chuck, she discovered he was still being in-processed. “Hello, Chuck.”

“Hi, Gabrielle,” Chuck said guardedly. Was Gabrielle a friend or a potential wrecking ball to his marriage? “Where is my wife?”

“Hiromi is waiting downstairs for you. When you are finished, I will show you to her room.”

When Chuck was through signing in, an Air Force sergeant took his bags as he and Gabrielle set off for Hiromi’s room. The only thing Chuck carried was the chocolates and roses he had bought for his wife.

Hiromi had her door closed, so Gabrielle knocked before entering. “Chuck is here,” she called though the door.

“Please send him in,” Hiromi called out.

Gabrielle held the door open for Chuck. The Australian walked into his wife’s room without saying a word, all his attention focused on the woman before him.
 

~*~
 
“What am I to do with this luggage?” The Royal Australian Air Force Sergeant asked Gabrielle.

“You can just leave them out here for now, Sergeant.”

As the Sergeant placed Chuck’s belongings next to the door, Gabrielle used a nearby wall phone to call Robert Mueller. “Director, Charles McBride has arrived and he and Ripley are talking to each other right now.”

“Thank you for informing me of this, Agent Tanaka. Could you please come to my office?”

“I will be right there, Sir.”
 

~*~
 
Hiromi was sitting down when Chuck came into the room. He came right up to her.

“I’m so sorry, my little sports car,” Chuck said as he knelt down in front of Hiromi and kissed her right hand. “Please forgive me.”

Chuck gave the flowers and chocolates to his wife.

Hiromi took a whiff of the roses. They had a nice smell but it didn’t compare to the familiar scent of her husband’s body. “I forgive you, Chuck.”

Chuck immediately leaned forward and he and Hiromi shared a brief kiss.

“How are you feeling?”

“I am having a little bit of morning sickness right now.”

Chuck smiled. “We’re going to be parents next year.”

“We’re parents already,” Hiromi corrected Chuck. “It’s just a little hard to see right now.”

Chuck kissed his wife again. “I stand corrected, Kimi-chan. Is there anything I can get you?”

“Just bring me a waste basket in case I have to throw up again.”

Chuck did as Hiromi requested. He also took a half minute to get his bags from the hall. Gabrielle was no longer in the hallway.

“Can you put the flowers in a vase for me?”

“Of course I can, my little sports car.” There was a vase in the room and Chuck immediately filled it with water. He then put the roses in it and placed the vase on the table next to his wife.

“I am very sorry for whatever Mum said to you on Monday night,” Chuck said as he pulled a chair up alongside Hiromi’s. “I didn’t ever say to Mum that I never wanted to speak to you again.”

“It’s all right, Chuck. I have something to confess too. I slept with Gabrielle the last three nights and we had sex yesterday evening.”

Chuck put his left arm around Hiromi’s shoulders. “That’s fine, Kimi-chan. I am glad Gabrielle was here for you when I wasn’t. You shouldn’t have had to go though any of this on your own, and I’m very grateful that she stood by you.”

“Thank you for being so understanding,” Hiromi said before pausing for half a minute. “We need to talk, Chuck.”

“Yes, we certainly do. Are you planning to go ahead with that Swan Song operation?”

Hiromi glanced down at her hands before looking Chuck in the eye. “Yes, I am.”

Chuck shook his head in disgust. “Do you love me?”
Ӭ
“Yes, I do.”

“Then why would you put my and our baby’s life at risk just to get revenge? It isn’t even revenge for you, but my other Hiromi.”

“I’m not doing Swan Song for the purpose of getting revenge, Chuck.”

“Then why are you doing it?”

“Chuck, I was given this mission to do.”

“What matters more to you, me or Swan Song?”

“You do, of course. I am your wife, but I can’t, we can’t, walk away from the Watanabes in perfect safety as long as my grandfather still has influence. We were well away from them in Hong Kong when he tried to kill us both, remember? And he tried again to kill us here. Unless I take more control, the same thing could happen again, and probably will. Eventually, he’ll succeed. As long as he’s alive, he’ll never give up. I have to isolate him in a way that doesn’t upset any apple carts but none-the-less leaves him powerless, and I can’t do that without being there with my finger on the pulse of Watanabe politics.”

“So why not quit Swan Song? If some mad scientist was able to turn who you were originally into a double of Hiromi Sato, they can do the same thing to somebody else.”

“Chuck, you just made a very good point. It is one I will have a tough time answering, but I will give it a shot.” She gathered her thoughts for a moment. “Swan Song is at a crossroads right now. A great many things have happened in Japan since we said goodbye at the Airport on Sunday.”

“Some things happened between us the last two days also, Kimi-chan.”

“Yes, but I’m willing to forget them if you are. We both made mistakes when trying to communicate to one another. You shouldn’t have run away from the police, and I should have gone into Alice to look for you personally instead of staying here. Our cellphones weren’t working, but I depended on them without thinking. That was stupid, because I found out that these sorts of problems with Japanese cellular carriers are common in some countries, Australia included. I have a sort of blind spot with technical gadgets.”

Chuck thought about his for a while. “I agree with you, Kimi-chan, that we were both at fault for yesterday, although I think I failed you more than you did me, but how do you feel about what my Mum did?”

“Chuck, I’m willing to forget that too, even though I was very upset at the time. I wrote my letter to you on Monday night after the phone call, after I’d talked to her.”

“You didn’t sound upset in your letter.”

“Chuck, I have very rarely gotten upset with you. You’ve always treated me like a queen and I’m always appreciative of that. You’ve put up with so many of my problems without complaining. I felt like a pill for having been so angry at you.” Hiromi looked down at herself for a few moments before continuing. “I'd like to take you for a ride right now.”

He smiled down at her, and reached out to embrace her, holding her close. “We can do that later, my little sports car. I think there are people waiting for both of us. Am I correct?”

“Yes, you are, Chuck. But let’s get back to talking about your Mum. She is the Grandmother of our baby, so I’m willing to forget that Monday phone conversation we had, and part of the fear she feels for you is justified. She’s right, I have been involved in criminal activities, and they’ve put us both in danger. She let a little old distrust of the Japanese creep in as well, I think, but even that’s understandable, because Australia was under real threat during the war, and everyone was frightened by the militarist Japanese of that time. We frightened ourselves, I think, and are among the most determinedly pacifist countries in the world now because of it, but the baby inside of me is made in part from your mother. If I remain angry with her, I feel like I am getting angry with the baby. Besides, to remain angry with your mother might poison the love we have for each other and I don’t want that to happen.”

Chuck smiled at his wife. He didn’t know what else to do or say.

“I would like us to have a chat with Mum before we leave Alice.”

Chuck kissed Hiromi’s forehead. “I would like us to do that too. What has changed in Japan since we talked on Sunday?”

“There was a fire at a Watanabe club that killed thirty-one people. The Inagawa-kai are almost certainly responsible.”

Chuck nodded his head. “I read about that in yesterday’s newspaper.” ”¨

“There hasn’t been any further violence since the fire.”

“We both know that might not last for long.”

“You’re right, Chuck, but the point I’m making is that Dai’s need for me is stronger than ever. He would like me to return to Yokohama by the middle of next week.”

“What about your Grandfather?”

“He hasn’t changed any, but the Swan Song committee might have him arrested, and Dai is deeply suspicious of him, so both he and I understand that we have to deal with the danger he poses to the family somehow.”

“There are still a lot of mights and ifs in what you’re telling me. It doesn’t sound like Yokohama has changed all that much.”

“Maybe you are right, Chuck. But I still want to finish Swan Song. I can change the Watanabes.”

“You are a dreamer. The Watanabes will never change.”

“Chuck, you’re wrong. The Watanabes are young for the most part, and it’s the old men like my grandfather who are most of the problem. I can show the young ones, the ones who haven’t been corrupted yet by sex and drugs, how they can make money without their having to be criminals, and bring them back to their own fantasy lives as noble Samurai Warriors on a mission from God. They read comic books about Samurais and the Daimyos like American kids do about superheroes. They practically salivate when I tell them about the visits of the Princess, and moon around like gay men after a surprise visit from Judy Garland. I can turn them back to the bright side of the Force.” She faltered. “Or at least I think I can.”

He laughed again, but a little grimly. “And if it doesn’t work, we’re all likely to end up dead.”

“Chuck, I won’t let anything happen to you.” Hiromi’s stomach was beginning to feel queasy again.

“Right now you’re more vulnerable because you’re pregnant. If anything happens to you, we lose our baby also,” Chuck argued. “Are you feeling all right?”

Hiromi was about to answer Chuck, but she reached for the waste basket instead. She began to vomit a few seconds later.

When Hiromi was through vomiting, Chuck began to take the waste basket. “Do you still need this, Kimi-chan? Otherwise I’ll go clean it out.”

“I don’t know.” Hiromi had a terrible taste in her mouth. “Do you mind if I go use the bathroom first?”

“Not at all, Kimi-chan. Can I get anything for you?”

“There’s some lemonade in the refrigerator. Can you pour me a glass while I use the bathroom?”

“Yes, I can do that for you, my little sports car.”
 

~*~
 
Gabrielle was meeting with Robert Mueller, Grant Williamson, and Inspector Yoshida. The first business to be discussed was Chuck McBride.

“Has Economist suggested in any way how he feels about Swan Song right now?” Robert asked.

“No, Sir, he has not. Economist did bring flowers and chocolates for Ripley but he made no effort to explain himself to me as I took him to see his wife.”

“We will learn Economist’s decision shortly I believe,” Inspector Yoshida said wisely.

Gabrielle next brought up the subject of Juanita Perez. “She was Hiromi Sato’s Philippine-born cook and housekeeper for over five years. Ripley has suggested we utilize her.”

“You mean have Dr. Wagner make someone into a double of Ms. Perez?”

“Yes, that is what I meant,” Gabrielle replied. She was a tad distracted because of what was going on with Hiromi right then.

“Does Juanita Perez speak Japanese?” Robert asked.

“I don’t think so, but I’ll check with Ripley on that. She is fluent in English.”

“What Swan Song work could this person do?” Grant asked.

“I think Ripley would like someone she can trust to look after her home. If the Watanabes began snooping around, the new Juanita can alert Ripley.”

Grant spoke next. “We would need to know more about Juanita Perez. She would also have to be approached by the committee.”

Robert mulled over Ripley’s proposal for less than a minute. “Juanita Perez sounds like a reasonable idea. Can we get someone both treated by Dr. Wagner and trained in say a month’s time?”

“We would need a Tagalog-speaking middle aged police woman who is an above average cook. The committee may have difficulty finding such a person in Japan,” Inspector Yoshida said.

“Let’s give it a try, Inspector. We need to take Agent Ripley’s safety very seriously from now on.” Robert said. The Swan Song committee could also check with United States or Philippine law enforcement for a suitable person. “Is there anything else we need to discuss right now, Agent Tanaka?”

“No, Sir, there is not.”
 

~*~
 
Gabrielle and Robert spoke in private after Grant and Inspector Yoshida left the room. “Agent Tanaka, you will still be leaving for DC today. A car will take you to Alice Springs Airport at four o’clock.”

“Will I still go if Charles McBride refuses to co-operate?”

“Yes, Agent Tanaka, you will. The Attorney General wishes to speak to you about Beancounter and your promotion to Inspector that I promised is still valid. Before it can become official, you need to visit the personnel department at the Hoover Building, and for safety, I think you should undergo the Double Helix process before you return, if not as a duplicate of Chuck then another woman’s form unknown to the Yakuzas. That way, it would be safe for you to contact Ripley in an emergency, and would preserve more options for us. After the foul-ups of the past, I want your own tenure as head of project to be as close to perfection as we can arrange.”

Gabrielle knew it was very rare to become an FBI Inspector before age thirty-five and she wouldn’t even turn thirty till February 2009. In fact, Gabrielle was over a decade younger than any of the current crop of FBI Inspectors.

“Thank you for showing this confidence in me, Director.”

Gabrielle went to her work station once her talk with Robert Mueller was over. Once her computer was finished warming up, she began composing a short email to Dr. Wagner.
 

~*~
 
Dr. Wagner was now seeing her patients. All of the cadet volunteers had answered a health questionnaire the day before. The German scientist reviewed the information with her patients.

“Have you answered all these questions truthfully?” Dr. Wagner asked a female cadet. Her laptop computer was set up and it had a hand held scanner which she used to make computer copies of the questionnaires.

The cadet, whose name was Miyo Anzai, began to fidget a little.

“Please tell me what bothers you. The information you give me remains between you and I. I do not work for the Academy.”

“I got pregnant once. My boyfriend talked me into having an abortion.”

“Thank you for telling me that, cadet. Now roll up your left sleeve for me while I summon the nurse.”

A nurse was taking Miyo’s blood a few minutes later. When she was completed, Dr. Wagner began taking the DNA swabs she needed.

The medical bag Dr. Wagner brought along with her had gloves, sterilized swabs, and small closable cups inside it. As for the two toolbox like cases, they were temperature controlled containers that would be used for storing and preserving all the DNA samples until they could be gotten to one of the Double Helix laboratories in the United States.

Before Dr. Wagner dismissed her patient, she took four photographs of Miyo. A facial closeup, a full body shot, plus right and left profile pictures.

Miyo Anzai was Dr. Wagner’s second patient. She had twenty-two more to go.
 

~*~
 
Akira Sudo was meeting with Dai Hashimoto. The Oyabun’s house just had some visitors. They said they were from TEPCO and were checking on why there was no electricity.”

“Was power restored to the house?”

“Yes Tiger-san, it was. The electricity came back on fifteen minutes after the workers left.”

“After you leave here, please call Simon-san for me. Tell him he is not needed at the lake anymore and that he should contact Radek-san for further instructions.

“I will do as you ask, Tiger-san. What about the Aizawas?”

“They may go home. Please tell Shiko-san and his wife thank you for me and have Ishiii-san increase their monthly retirement check by twenty percent effective immediately.”

Ryoji Ishii was a former financial assistant to Hiromi Sato. He had taken over many of Hiromi’s responsibilities after she left for Hong Kong.

“The Japanese Self Defense forces will begin searching for where we moved the Oyabun to. Should I start making plans to move him again, Tiger-san?”

Dai was thinking much like a combat General would. He was mapping out a strategy for both the short and long term. Sometimes a commander must make retreats or sacrifices of men to preserve his fighting unit.

Based on Keiji’s declining health and opposition to Hiromi Sato, Dai had already made the decision to avoid consulting the Oyabun anymore. Dai asked himself if he should take the next step with Keiji or let the matter be decided at the meeting scheduled for the following week.

Hiromi was Keiji’s granddaughter. Dai thought she should at least be consulted on whether her Grandfather should be allowed to live. “I will decide what to do with the Oyabun. We are done for now, Akira-san.”
 

~*~
 
“Are you better now?” Chuck asked Hiromi

“Yes, I am.”

Chuck touched Hiromi’s abdomen.

She liked him doing this.

“I am very happy about the baby,” he said, stroking her belly so gently that his fingers felt like a gentle breeze.

“So am I, Chuck. We made a human life together from our love and I long for the day we can hold him or her in our arms. Did you see a doctor about your migraines?”

“No, I haven’t. I was rather busy on Monday but I admit to goofing off yesterday. ”

“That is past now, Chuck. I’d like a doctor to examine you while we’re here at Pine Gap. I don’t want anything bad to happen to my baby’s father”

“All right, Kimi-chan, I will see a doctor while we’re here. Have you seen a doctor?”

“Yes, I’ve been examined by two in fact, on Monday night. I had blood drawn and a pap smear done also but I haven’t gotten any results yet, other than the pregnancy screen. The doctors said I was healthy.”

“What about that scientist you told me about?”

“Dr. Wagner isn’t here in Australia any more but she said other patients of hers like me have experienced normal pregnancies. Five have even given birth.”

“That is good, Kimi-chan.”

“Chuck you aren’t bothered….by what I used to be.”

“No, I am not,” Chuck said with a shake of his head. “We’ve made love. You’re having my baby. That makes you all woman so far as I’m concerned.”

“Thank you. I am a different person now than I was, and it’s mostly due to your love for me, but I feel like I’m all woman too, in body and soul, and always have been. I told you already, but I can barely remember the physical part of my former life, only the emotional closeness to my parents, and my interactions with them, all layered in with simultaneous experiences of my early life as Hiromi, and the memory of the desolation I felt then, but made more bearable by my secret life, my dream life as Tom. It’s difficult to describe.”

He nodded, reaching out to touch her, as if to affirm her reality, or to reassure her that she was fully present in this here and now. “Are your parents here?”

“Yes, they are. Can you please introduce yourself to Mom and Dad later?”

Chuck nodded his head. “Yes, I can do that. Is your nephew Shannon here also?”

Hiromi was happy Chuck remembered Shannon. She wanted to be the boy’s mother when Swan Song was completed, but she didn't want to complicate things by bring it up right then. “No, Shannon is back in the United States right now. He had an ear infection and couldn’t make the trip on the airplane.”

“How old is he again?”

“Shannon is two-years-old.” Hiromi was beginning to feel a little nauseous again

“Do you want to lie down?”

“No, Chuck, I am fine. I really need to talk to you now.”

“Yes, we do. A minute ago you said my health matters to you. How do you reconcile that with your doing Swan Song?”

“I want to finish this assignment, as I was asked to do, because I was a real soldier, not the play-acting Samurai the Yakuzas pretend to be, but also because I truly believe that that’s the best and only way I can guarantee our safety as a family.”

“Two months ago today we took marital vows. Isn’t that assignment important also?”

“Yes, Chuck it is.”

“I am your husband. Other than our child, is there anyone more important to you than me?”

“No, Chuck, there isn’t. I wanted to have your baby and now I am. My heart is full of joy because of the journey we are just starting on.”

“I’m very glad you feel that way, my little sports car. I promise to take extra good care of you over the months ahead.”

“What about the original Hiromi? She needs our help too.”

A pained expression formed on Chuck’s face. “You and Swan Song have created a very big problem for me.”

“I know, Chuck, and I’m sorry about it.”

Chuck began to hold his head. “I can’t just forget her.”

“You’re an honorable man, Chuck.”

“Thank you for saying that about me, Kimi-chan. Right now I’m in a predicament. You are my wife and mother of my child, but Hiromi is the woman I fell in love with.”

“And I wouldn’t be here if not for Hiromi. I feel an obligation as well.”

“We both owe something to Hiromi. You said in your letter that Swan Song is working on some kind of witness protection for her.”

“Yes, Chuck, the committee is working on that. The Japanese were very stubborn at first. They even wanted to prosecute me for Reina’s murder, even though I was forced into it.”

“I assume they have changed their minds then?”

“It is still up in the air. The Japanese Justice Minister was here at Pine Gap till yesterday. He returned to Japan to consult with the Prime Minister.”

“The Japanese could trick you just like Dai Hashimoto. They summon you to Japan and once we arrive do a double cross.”

“I suppose that is possible.”

“Why, Kimi-chan, do you want to take all these chances? Aren’t I good enough for you?”

Hiromi hung her head. “You are always loving and wonderful to me, Chuck. I don’t feel deserving of that kind of love.”

“Don’t say that, Kimi-chan, you are very loving and the best thing that ever happened to me. Is there some measurable benefit you and I will get together from completing Swan Song?”

“I’d like to bring an end to the misery the Watanabes have been causing others for generations, and I want us all to be safe. I don’t want to trust other people to do that on our behalf.”

“That is a wonderful goal, but I think it is damn near impossible and is more likely to result in getting all of us killed.” He was starting to become angry again. “Have other people besides Reina died doing Swan Song?”

“Yes, there were others. The committee is going to get me some real help this time.”

“Who are we talking about?”

Hiromi gave Chuck a rundown, including the part about he being a possible means for the passing of emergency Swan Song communications to his wife. She felt honesty was needed if her marriage was to succeed.

“I’m not comfortable with my having to get communications for you.”

“That’s fine, Chuck, it was only an idea and only in case of emergencies. Let’s say if I had pregnancy complications or the committee wanted us to abandon Swan Song because of some imminent danger.”

“Even with all those other people to give assistance, we’re still the most vulnerable. All the Watanabes have to do is catch Yuri or our Nanny and force them to tell everything they know.”

“Chuck, you’ve known me for six years. How long was it after we met that you learned I was working for a Yakuza family?”

“I think it was like a month after we met and you’re starting to talk like you were born Hiromi again,” Chuck said with a shake of his head.

“We have been over that already, Chuck.” Hiromi was beginning to get impatient with her husband.

“Yes, I’m not forgetting everything you went over with me on Saturday night and Sunday morning. How you were Tom made into Hiromi and how you’re more she than him now. That you took the best parts of Tom to heal all the psychological damage Hiromi suffered because of the rotten childhood she had.”

“You have a good memory, Chuck,” Hiromi said with a slight smile. “For a moment I thought you had forgotten most of what I had said to you.”

“To be honest, you’re forgetting something right now. It is called our marital vows.”

“I’m not forgetting about that, Chuck.”

“If you really loved me,” he said stubbornly, “you’d forget about Swan Song and instead decide with me on a life together we can both be happy with.”

She felt like rolling her eyes, but didn’t. “Chuck, without their help, how are either of us going to be able to help my other half, the original Hiromi? She needs help desperately, Chuck, to heal from the damage our grandfather did to us both. We can’t do this alone, Chuck, and being pregnant makes this all so clear to me. I need you, my doctors, family, friends, everyone, to get through this, and how much more desperately must my twin sister — the other Hiromi — need these things? It’s only the Swan Song team and Dai standing between us and my grandfather. Dai is risking his own life, you know, plotting to protect me, us, against my grandfather. Shouldn’t I help him too? We’re a family, Chuck, but our family isn’t just two people and a bun in the oven, it’s all of it, generations past and future, all concentrated together in our two or three little lives. What about your own Mum? Would you throw her to the wolves to protect our own skins?”

He opened his mouth as if to speak, and then closed it again, not defeated, but suddenly unsure. She could see his brain working, trying out all the angles, trying to fit all the pieces together and keep it whole.
 

~*~
 
Intelligence personnel assigned to Operation Rain Drop reported their findings to Major Hoshino. “Keiji Watanabe is no longer in residence.”

“Are you certain, Captain?”

Two photos were brought up on a video screen for everyone to see. “Keiji Watanabe is the one on the left, the person on the right is the one I and my men met this morning.”

Captain Niou Tono pointed out the many facial differences between the two men who had been photographed. From the shape of their faces, to their eyebrows, to a small birthmark that was missing on one of the faces. They were all strong reasons to believe the person present that morning wasn’t Keiji Watanabe.

“Look closely at the ears. This is the strongest evidence that the person I encountered today wasn’t Keiji Watanabe.”

Major Hoshino looked at the computer screen for less than a half minute before drawing his own conclusion. “You are right, Tono-san.”

A young First Lieutenant named Kiyohisa Marugo spoke. Major Hoshino always encouraged even very junior officers to speak at staff meetings. “Could Watanabe-san just be temporarily away but return in time for the weekend?”

Captain Tono answered the question. “I do not think so, Marugo-san. The man I met say things not consistent with who we know to be living and visiting the target home.”

The Captain in charge of constructing the Bailey bridges spoke next. “Are I and my men to continue the work we have been assigned.”

“Yes, Shiga-san,” Major Hoshino said. “You and your men are to continue with your work.”

Major Hoshino knew what he had to do next. He would have to contact his superior, Colonel Ichinose, and advise him that Operation Rain Drop should be postponed till further notice.
 

~*~
 
Gabrielle was chairing a meeting of Swan Song planners. There was much to go over.

Scott Avery had a new ghost program for Ripley to install on the computers she uses. “The discs appear to be classical music CDs. Should anyone other than Ripley were to put the disc in a computer, only music would be played.”

“How does Ripley install the program?”

“A minute after she puts the disc in the CD-ROM drive, she types a nine letter and digit code I will teach her. The install screen will automatically appear.” Scott explained that there was a security precaution built into this program. The disk used a special unstable dye to encode a portion of the data, and should anyone enter a wrong code three times, a self-contained destructive program would start overwriting that data and the disc would crash.

Up next was a new recognition code for Operation Swan Song. A member of the FBI named Damien Fields had a proposal.

“How about we use a series of questions and statements based on popular music?”

“Like what, Mr. Fields?” Gabrielle asked. She could barely avoid laughing when she heard Damien’s idea. “That sounds good to me or does someone have another suggestion?”

Nobody spoke up, so Gabrielle gave approval to Damien’s idea before moving on to the next topic. How would the Swan Song committee extricate Agents Ripley, Economist, and their child from the Watanabe Yakuza?

“To ensure Ripley-san’s personal safety after Swan Song ends, I feel we need to make it appear to the Watanabes that she died in some way,” Inspector Yoshida said. Was what the Yokohama policeman had heard via the Pine Gap grapevine true? Was Gabrielle Tanaka taking over Swan Song from Grant Williamson? Her chairing the present meeting seemed to indicate so.

Many Japanese law enforcement members who had come to Pine Gap were still angry with Agent Tanaka because of her blowing the whistle on the Emiko Takagi business. Inspector Yoshida would continue to co-operate with Gabrielle, but he expected some of his colleagues to be less enthusiastic or even obstructionist in reply to anything the new Swan Song leader asked to be done.

Inspector Yoshida expected the upcoming months and years to be very interesting. He was beginning to wonder if Swan Song would be still going when he became eligible for retirement in four years.

“Isn’t Ripley supposed to testify at trials once her mission is completed?” United States Justice Department Official Greg Pritchard asked.

“We don’t know yet, Mr. Pritchard. The committee needs at least two proposals for how Ripley, Economist, and their child will be safely removed from the Watanabe Yakuza.”

Also at the meeting were representatives of American and Japanese Special Forces. These officers told the room of a few ideas they had come up with.

Gabrielle was thinking of Hiromi as the American Captain named Ramon Garcia told the room of an elaborate “Mission Impossible” scheme he had to get Ripley to safety. Some architects would need to be consulted.

‘How was Hiromi’s talk with Chuck going?’ she wondered. Gabrielle hadn’t gotten a phone call yet, and she was starting to think the couple was continuing to quarrel. She offered a silent benediction, ‘Becky, I really hope you and Chuck can sort out your differences.’

“What do you think of my proposal, Agent Tanaka?” Captain Garcia asked when he was through outlining his plan.

“It sounds very interesting, Lieutenant, but won’t it take quite a lot of time to prepare?”

“Yes, Agent Tanaka, it will. That is why we would begin work on it almost the very same moment Ripley returns to Japan.”
 

~*~
 
Chuck was still differing with his wife about where their life should be going. He had many strong arguments for Hiromi to stop doing Swan Song.

“How many people would like Hiromi Sato dead?”

“My Grandfather, Hideichi Ishimoto, and maybe even Ryoji Ishii are at least three people. Ryoji is very ambitious and he’ll never rise far within the Watanabes as long as I’m alive.”

“There are others too, right?”

“The list is very long, Chuck, I admit it.”

“If your so-called allies learned about your Swan Song work, they would turn on you in a second. There are other Swan Song agents, not just Reina, who were caught. Am I right?”

“Yes, you are.”

“There are the other Yakuzas, led by the Inagawas who already tried to kill you once. Maybe even the triads in Hong Kong and….”

“You made your points, Chuck, there are probably a hundred people who would want Hiromi Sato dead.”

“There is no way you can be protected from all of them.”

“Chuck, are we going to stop arguing and come to a decision.” She was beginning to become irritated again. Chuck could be maddening at times, “You seem to forget that they’ll want me dead whether I’m part of the leadership or not. It’s my existence that they fear, not any position I might have, because I’m the immediate heir to my grandfather, and if our child is a boy, he will be murdered, no matter where in the world we go or try to hide. Think very carefully bout this, Chuck. If their assassins can’t find us, they’ll go after your Mum, and torture her until she tells them where we are, and if she doesn’t know, they’ll find someone else.” She frowned. “If we managed to land on the Moon, we might be safe.”

“You’re bent on making the decision for both of us, Hiromi, and to hell with whatever I think about it.” Chuck continued, “I’m really very flexible so far as the life we will have together. If you want to live here in Australia on a farm, I’d love it. If you rather live near your parents in the United States, that is just as acceptable to me. Even if you told me, you wanted to return to the United States Army…..”

“Chuck, I was an Infantry Officer. Women are not allowed to serve in that role.”

“Yes, but women can do other roles in the Army. If you chose that, I’d support it also.”

“I could get orders for Iraq or Afghanistan.”

“Yes, I understand that. To me those places seem a lot safer than Yokohama is right now.”

“Life is full of risks, Chuck.”

“Yes, but most people don’t have to worry about getting gunned down or blown up by gangsters on an everyday basis.”

“Chuck, you been with me six years. Through all that time I worked for a organized crime family, and you lived with me if not accepted that part of my life. Why are you suddenly overcome with fear now?”

“Because you’re pregnant, that’s why.”

That stopped her. “You love me so much.”

“Of course I do.”

“You love me more because of the baby?”

“Yes, I do, my little sports car,” Chuck said before giving his wife a kiss. “You’re already working incredibly hard to make our lives richer and fuller.”

She sighed. “Thank you for treating me the way you do.”

“Is there anything I can get you?

“Could you please get me more lemonade out of the refrigerator and the graham crackers that are on the shelf too?

Chuck was back with his wife’s requests in only a minute. “Here they are.”

“Thank you,” Hiromi said as she took the one pack of the graham crackers she had given and opened it up. She was both hungry and nauseous at the same time.

“Should I expect to get you lots of these foods in the months ahead?” Chuck asked as he sat himself back down.

“Not really, Chuck. These are just some of the recommended foods for when a mother has morning sickness. The upset tummy usually resolves itself after the first few months.”

“Are you having any cravings yet?”

Hiromi laughed but not till she finished eating a cracker. “I love Hot Dogs with everything on it and vanilla pudding.”

“Not together I hope.”

Hiromi laughed again before drinking some lemonade. “No, I eat them separately. I’d be in heaven if someone could put anchovies on the Hot Dog for me.”

Now it was Chuck’s turn to laugh. “I will have to look for that once we are out of this place. You won’t be eating that hot dog at lunch today?”

“No, Chuck, my stomach would not be able to handle it right now. I’ll get some soup instead.”

“That’s good, Kimi-chan. I want your pregnancy to be healthy and safe.”

“I promise to be a safer driver now. Your little sports car has an extra passenger on board.”

Chuck kissed his wife again. “Whether we have a girl or a boy don’t matter to me. You and the baby’s health are what is most important.”
Ӭ
“You really are more loving to me now.”

“I am very sorry I was not here when you were seen by the Doctor.”

“It's all right, Chuck.”

“Was Gabrielle or your mother with you when you saw the doctor?”

“No, Chuck, they weren’t.”

“I'm sorry to hear it, but I am glad your parents and Gabrielle were here for you while I was being a jerk.”

“It is all right, Chuck, I want us to forget the last couple of days,” Hiromi said to Chuck as he took her right hand and kissed it. “Gabrielle kept telling me you would come back.”

“I came back for you, Kimi-chan. When are you supposed to see a Doctor again?”

“Chuck, I’ve got scrambled pregnancy brains already. I completely forgot to ask.”

Chuck immediately laughed at his wife’s comment.

“I’ll make an appointment with Dr. Miyake after we get back to Yokohama.”

Hiromi, without meaning to do so, had brought her and Chuck back to the sticking point that lie between the two of them.

“Please, Kimi-chan, let’s not go back to Japan.”

“I made promises to important people, Chuck.”

“Those Swan Song promises were made before you learned about the baby. If you tell them no now, they should understand. Kimi-chan, you know how much I love you. I’m very flexible and accommodating. Anytime you want to see Gabrielle, all you need to do is ask. I will always say yes.”

“I liked it, Chuck, when you didn’t ask me any questions about what Gabrielle and I did that night on Hong Kong.”

“It isn’t my business, Kimi-chan. I wanted the two of you to have a good time and if I asked you questions it would have ruined the experience for you.

“I have this fun idea, Chuck. We can invite Gabrielle to live with us on a farm.”

Chuck was very surprised by what Hiromi had just said to him. He wanted to be as accommodating as he was loving to Hiromi. She was making a very unusual request of him, but Chuck could go for it.

“Yes, I could do that, Kimi-chan, if Gabrielle is agreeable to it also. Can we forget Swan Song and have that life together instead? I promise to do anything to make you happy.”

Chuck was working his magic on his wife and she was melting as a result. He’d made Tom Slater into a very happy woman. If Hiromi didn’t stand firm, Chuck might make her forget Tom Slater’s sense of duty also.

“Can you please help me with Swan Song, Chuck? I want to be your wife and mother of your children but I’d like to accomplish some good in the world too. My Swan Song duties will take just a few years, maybe less. When it is done, we will have a normal and very long life together.

“What’s happening with Hiromi right now?”

“Are you telling me you are choosing between the two of us?”

“I didn’t say that. What is going on with Hiromi right now?”

“She is being kept in solitary confinement in some Japanese jail.”

“Weren’t you and Gabrielle working on getting Hiromi into some Witness Protection program?”

“Yes, Chuck, we are. The Japanese Justice Minister and FBI Director were discussing it yesterday, but Hiromi’s situation is still the same right now, so far as I know.”

“I want to see her.”

“You are an honorable man, Chuck. What about me and you?

Chuck just stared at Hiromi. She was his wife and mother of his baby but he thought she was so wrong about Swan Song.

“I don’t have forever, Chuck. We are supposed to be in Sydney on Monday. If I don’t appear there, Swan Song is as good as canceled.”

“In the meantime, many people are working hard to get me prepared for Swan Song after I leave Pine Gap. All that work will go for naught if you blow a whistle on Swan Song or don’t decide to co-operate at least.”

“What do you mean by co-operate?”

Hiromi was about to tell him of the plan to make Gabrielle into a double of Chuck but held off for a moment. “Chuck, are you deciding between me and Hiromi?”

“No, I am not. You are my wife and mother of my child. I just want Hiromi fairly treated, and I want her to have all the psychiatric help you say she needs.”

Hiromi looked down at her hands and then back at Chuck. “I think Hiromi needs you more than I do.”

“Why do you say that?” Chuck asked in disbelief.

“Chuck, I have a great set of parents, a sister in Oregon, plus Aunts, Uncles, and cousins. I also have Gabrielle. Who does Hiromi have?”

“Only me?”

“Yes, Chuck, only you. I wouldn’t feel hurt or be offended if you decided Hiromi needs you more than I do and you chose her.”

“Kimi-chan, I already said to you I am not making a choice. You are my wife. I do want to speak to Hiromi, though, and make sure she gets properly taken care of.”

“The Swan Song committee will arrange that for you. You will have to come back quickly though.”

“That is because we’re supposed to be going to Sydney on Sunday?”

“Yes, Chuck, we are. You are going along with me as I do Swan Song?”

“Do I have a choice?”

Hiromi, who had stayed strong throughout her talk with Chuck, was getting ready to cry now. “Chuck, just before I left Japan I met a woman who was working as a prostitute at a club the Watanabes owned. Do you know what she was saving the money for she earned by selling her body? So she can have a sex change operation.”

“She was a pre-op transsexual?”

“Yes, Chuck, she was. She wasn’t bad looking either. If she wore a little less makeup, I think most people would take her for a natural-born woman. I wish I knew her name.”

Chuck saw how upset Hiromi was getting. “It is all right, Kimi-chan. None of us get to know the names of all the people we meet.”

“I met her when I used a bathroom that night. She said to me, ‘So you had surgery already?’ She thought I was like her. A woman born a man. She was both right and very wrong at the same time. For the way we went about making our male bodies female was totally different.”

“Before she left the bathroom she said, ‘I’m lucky because I was able to get breast implants.’ I’ve gotten a real change of gender for free and I paid to get my breasts enlarged. Plus I am married and pregnant now. This woman is selling herself to strange men, many of them very cruel, to become like me but will never really be like me. She was right, I am lucky, and it hurts me to know how unlucky she is.”

“You want to help her?”

“Yes, Chuck, I do. I want her to have all the luck I been able to have thanks to Dr. Wagner. I want her to have a chance to be married to a wonderful man and be pregnant with his baby. The only way that can happen is if I go back to Yokohama. There are other women like the one I met, I’m not sure of the total but it’s no more than one hundred. I’d like to help all of them.”

“Can you do it in safety?”

“Yes, Chuck, I can,” Hiromi said before taking a look at her watch. “Can we talk more later? There are people waiting on both you and me?”

“I can do that, Kimi-chan. Who am I supposed to see now?”

“Chuck, let me call Gabrielle. She is here to help both of us.”
 

~*~
 
Gabrielle was in Hiromi’s room about two minutes after receiving the call. “What is the next step?”

“Chuck and I are married.”

“Yes, we are.” Chuck said the words a little too cheerfully in Gabrielle’s opinion. It told her that Chuck was going along with his wife but had great reservations in regards to what she was doing.

“That is great news. Chuck, the FBI Director would like to have a word with you. Can you do that?”

“Yes, I can.”

“Gabby, do I need to be there when Chuck sees the Director?”

“No, Becky, that’s not necessary. Can you go back to your debriefing while I bring Chuck to the Director? I’ll make sure Chuck is with you for lunch.”

Hiromi looked over at Chuck before saying anything to Gabrielle. “That’s fine with us, Gabby.”
 

~*~
 
Osaka Police Chief Yasotaro Takagawa got right down to business. “How can we do harm to the Yamaguchi-gumi?”

The Yamaguchi-gumi were Japan’s strongest Yakuza with the exception of the Inagawa-kai. Their activities legal and illegal included bank fraud, extortion, drug and human trafficking, internet pornography, adult entertainment business, prostitution, and casinos.

A senior Police Captain spoke “We are conducting several investigations right now, Takagawa-san. I…..”

“What can we do now? The public is angry and are demanding we make arrests this moment.”

Present day Yakuzas were leagues different from their twentieth century counterparts. While most of them still engaged in protection, prostitution, loansharking, and other old-time organized crime activities, Yakuzas now earned most of criminal profits through complicated financial schemes. Bank, Mortgage, Wire and Securities Fraud to name just four. These financial crimes don’t lend themselves to quick arrests and speedy prosecutions because evidence is both hard to find and takes time to be deciphered.

“The Yamaguchis run illegal gambling clubs, we could raid these.”

“Anything else?”

“In Joto Wards the Yamaguchis run adult clubs where prostitutes do their work.”

“Those are good ideas but the public will want something big. I need more ideas,” An unsatisfied Chief of Police told everyone in the room.
 

~*~
 
Yokohama Police Chief Takeji Kasahara continued to ignore the public outcry over Raku Minobe’s death. Then shortly before eleven, a message marked urgent was hand delivered to him. Takeji was to report to the Mayor’s office at once.

Fumiko Hayashi did not hide the foul mood he was in when Takeji arrived at his door. “Why are you not doing anything against the Watanabes, Kasahara-san?”

“The crimes that happened Sunday night was perpetrated against the Watanabes by another Yakuza.”

The Mayor shook his head. His personal phone had been ringing constantly that morning till he finally had it disconnected. Someone on the internet had published the unlisted number.

Staffers who worked for the Mayor fared even worse. They were still answering calls as Takeji and Fumiko spoke.

“They are still criminals. Your department has to make arrests,” Fumiko said in a stern tone of voice.

“My department needs evidence to back up any arrests we make.”

“I do not want to hear about lack of evidence, Kasahara-san. These gangs operate right in front of our eyes so any evidence we need must be equally visible. I want arrests made of these Yakuzas starting no later than tomorrow. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Mayor, it is.”
 

~*~
 
Joji Sato was shown into Keiji Watanabe’s study by Rika Watanabe. “Good morning, Oyabun-san.”

Before she could leave the room, Rika was ordered about by Keiji. “I want you to bring us some tea. After that you are to clean up my bedroom and bath areas.”

Keiji and Joji did not begin discussing Yakuza business till Rika was gone. There wasn’t much to go over.

Rika was back with the tea very quickly. She poured it for both her employer and his guest. After which she bowed before leaving the room.

On the way out, Rika left the door slightly ajar.

Keiji was not feeling well that day. He therefore didn’t keep Joji for long. “Only come back tomorrow if I summon you, Sato-san.”

Then Keiji put an envelope on the table that separated the two men. Joji picked it up and placed it in his jacket pocket. “I will do as you request, Oyabun-san.”

Joji was out of the house and in his car less than two minutes later.
 

~*~
 
Tsuki Tono was on duty that day. Neither she nor the two other people listening in on Keiji Watanabe’s conversations thought there was anything worthwhile to report from Joji Sato’s visit. To be careful, the listeners replayed the tape three times before coming to their final conclusion.

The person in charge of security at Keiji Watanabe’s home that day, Radek Krejci, was taking a totally different course of action. He had been walking by Keiji’s study door when he caught a glimpse of the envelope being passed from the elderly Oyabun to Joji Sato.

So as soon as he was able to, Radek walked out of Keiji Watanabe’s temporary home in order to make a cellphone call to Dai Hashimoto. “Tiger-san, I have something to report to you….”
 

~*~
 
“Mr. McBride,” Robert said to Chuck as the two men shook hands. Gabrielle and Grant Williamson were also in the room. “I feel like I know you already.”

“Thank you for letting me see my wife. We had a very good talk.”

“Your wife must have informed you of the law enforcement work she is doing. She was hoping you would return to Japan with her. Have you decided whether you want to do that, Mr. McBride?”

Chuck thought about asking Robert if Swan Song could be ended due to Hiromi’s pregnancy, but he didn’t do it. He was sure the answer would be no in any case and by asking the question he might anger his wife if she somehow learned about it. “I will go back to Japan with my wife but first I want to see Hiromi.”

“You’re talking about the original Hiromi, am I right?”

“Yes, the one that is being illegally held in prison right now.”

“Mr. McBride, you know we have little time….” Robert began saying.

“I know that, Sir. My Hiromi told me all about the schedule you have made out for her but I think if the group of people you represent can change somebody into an exact double of Hiromi, then you can get me back and forth to Japan in one day’s time.”

“The Swan Song committee will make the travel arrangements you ask for, Mr. McBride, but it is the Japanese who will make the decision about whether you get your visit or not.”

“My wife might want to do Swan Song but that doesn’t mean I have to and I won’t if I don’t get a meeting with Hiromi this week. Please tell that to the Japanese the next time you speak to them, Sir.”

Gabrielle frowned on hearing Chuck’s threat. He may have said he would go to Japan with Becky, but the man’s heart wasn’t in it. Swan Song would be riskier for its principal agent as a result.

Robert wasn’t happy with Chuck’s threat either. “Mr. McBride, I cannot make threats for you, and I hope you fully understand that any rash actions on your part are quite likely to have very grave repercussions whether this operation goes forward or not. This is not Mission Impossible, and you are not Tom Cruise. If your wife is revealed as an informant, I’m quite sure the Watanabes will find some way to kill her, and probably you as well, quite possibly your entire family. I will talk to the Japanese as soon as we are finished here, but I sincerely hope, for both your sakes, that you’ll manage to control yourself no matter what happens.”

Chuck blinked. This man was saying almost exactly what his wife had told him. He was starting to think she might be right, really right. This was her trade, after all, not his. “What else do you need me for?”

“Mr. McBride, we would like to utilize you for passing messages to and from your wife but only in emergency situations. Would you allow the committee to train you in how to do this?”

Chuck re-considered what he’d said to Hiromi. The safety of his wife and child mattered more to him than anything on Earth. “Yes, I want to be trained.”

“Mr. McBride, I assure you the committee is taking you and your wife’s safety very seriously. As much as we would like Swan Song to succeed, we also do not want anything to happen to you or your wife.”

“When will I be trained?”

“It will likely take place after your return from Japan.”

There wasn’t anything else for Chuck and Robert to discuss. “Can I go back to my wife’s room?”

“Yes, Mr. McBride, we are through for now.”

“Chuck, I will take you there,” Gabrielle said.

When they arrived at Hiromi’s room, Chuck had a question for Gabrielle. “When will my wife be done with her meeting?”

“Rebecca will be finished in about twenty minutes. Is there anything I can get you?”

“No, I’m fine.”

Hiromi came back to her room fifteen minutes later. She and Chuck shared a kiss. “Can I freshen up before we eat lunch together?”

“That’s fine with me, Kimi-chan. Is your name Rebecca or Becky now?”

“Yes, Rebecca is the name my parents have given me now. Gabrielle likes to call me Becky. Do you like those names for me?” Hiromi so wanted to be legally Rebecca McBride one day. Wife to Charles, Mother to Shannon and at least two other children.

“Yes, Kimi-chan, I like those names,” Chuck said with a grin.

After Hiromi was finished freshening up, she and Chuck went to the cafeteria. On the way there, they held hands.

“Chuck, please make a good impression on my parents. They matter so much to me.”

“I’ll do my best, Kimi-chan. You look smashing in that dress you have on today.”

Chuck’s compliment made Hiromi feel very warm and tingly. “Thank you.”

Midori and Stuart Slater had gotten to the cafeteria first. They watched as Rebecca and Chuck entered the room and began to approach their table.

“Mom, Dad, I’d like to introduce you to my husband.”
 

~*~
 
Joji Sato was going back to Negishi Bay after his meeting with Keiji, but first he had to deliver the elderly Oyabun’s message. The transfer was to take place in the Yokohama ward known as Aoba-ku..

Kumo Kawawata was a trusted aide of Watanabe shareigashira Hideichi Ishimoto. He was standing outside a small bakery when Joji pulled up in his car.

“This is the message the Oyabun gave me,” Joji said as he passed the envelope to Kumo.

Kumo went straight to the home of his Taro. Hideichi Ishimoto, who didn’t live at the Negishi Bay Apartments, was waiting for his aide.

“Thank you, Kumo-san. I do not need you for anything further.”

Hideichi opened the envelope a few moments later. Keiji Watanabe had a short message for him: Kanojo o korosu.

Kill her.
 

~*~
 
To be continued in Part Thirty-One