Land of the Gods

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Ezekiel Jones had never traveled to Japan before and he guessed this wasn’t a typical experience. A lot of the guys in the Navy often swung through the place, most often with the Seventh Fleet in Yokosuka, but no one in the Pentagon had ever thought of sending a tank commander to downtown Tokyo. He knew that much.

He thought most of it looked kind of crazy — so much neon, so many wires. Not much like his part of East Texas, he knew that much too, but however crazy it seemed, it was nowhere near as crazy as the new friends he’d made back on that Greek island. Now, watching the Englishwoman as she stared up at the top of the Izumi Garden Tower skyscraper with a Spartan night vision monocular, he started to realize just how boring his life had become until he’d met these nutcases.

Ryan Bale dragged on his cigarette. “What have you got, Cairo?”

“It’s not good, boy,” came the absent-minded reply. “At least half a dozen men armed with handguns on the upper floor and even more downstairs. I’m guessing Jojima is nicely tucked away in her bed somewhere on the top floor of the penthouse.”

“But where’s the third ring?” Lexi said.

“That’s what we’re here to find out, I guess.” said Zeke.

“He’s game,” Scarlet said. “I’ll give him that much.”

“Bless you sweetheart,” Zeke said with a broad toothy smile, “but I’m always more than game.”

“Good to know, darling.”

“She might wear it,” Hiroko said.

“Saves breaking into a safe,” said Ryan.

“Always looking on the bright side,” Lexi said, rolling her eyes. “But I guess with a face like that there’s no other option.”

Ryan slowly raised his middle finger at her. “Hey, you keep rolling those eyes and one day you might find a brain somewhere back there.”

“I doubt she wears it,” Scarlet said. “At least, she wouldn’t wear it if she knew its true value and we can’t presume she’s ignorant of that. We’ll check the safe first. Hiroko, I want you to stay here. We’ll bring back whatever we can of your father’s, but I want you somewhere safe. This could easily get violent.”

“As you wish,” she said quietly.

Traveling up the Izumi Garden Tower in one of the external elevators, Ezekiel Jones stared out across the stormy neon city. He gave Scarlet a smile, and she replied by giving him her backup weapon. The gun felt good in his hand. He’d grown up with handguns and hunting rifles and a gun in his hand felt as natural as holding a cup of coffee. By the time he hit basic training in the US Army he could shoot straighter than the highway to hell and fast with it too. Now, he gripped the Glock and waited for hell to be unleashed.

Beside him, he saw Scarlet’s mind was now focused on the mission like a golden eagle closing in on a running rabbit. She sure was an impressive sight and he idly wondered if there was someone special in her life. Exactly what sort of man could handle a woman like this he had no idea, and started to doubt he would be up to the job.

The elevator pinged and the doors opened. They stepped into a plush marble lobby area with a few discreet signs on the walls covered in Japanese characters.

Lexi scanned the signs. “That way,” she said. That’s the corridor that leads to the private apartments, and the penthouse too.”

They crossed the lobby and followed Lexi down the peach marble corridor. The walls were smooth and polished and there was no noise except for the sound of their boots and shoes on the floor tiles.

“This is it,” Lexi said. “The sign says Jojima. This is her apartment.”

The door was a dark green wood, polished to perfection with a matte black iron handle and a tastefully unobtrusive video doorbell fitted almost out of sight.

“Push that button and it’s game over,” Lexi said.

“So how do we get in?” asked Ryan.

“The old-fashioned way, I guess,” Zeke said. “Right, Cairo?”

Her gun was already out of the holster. She aimed it at the door and fired three times, blasting the handle and lock to smithereens.

Zeke yelled out. “Hell yeah! I like your style, Cairo Sloane!”

“I’m an old-fashioned kinda gal,” she said, and kicked the door open.

They smashed through the door and found themselves in a coral pink-painted hallway lined with ornate screen prints and antique tables covered in orchids. A man who had been asleep on a chair at the foot of some stairs, was now awake and staring wide-eyed at the intruders with horror on his face.

Reaching for the gun under his jacket, Lexi fired on him, three times with her muffled pistol and blasted him back over the back of his chair. He slumped down dead on the bottom step while Scarlet leapt over his body and made her way up the stairs toward the upper level.

Moving quickly and taking the steps three at a time, she was at the top in no time. Lexi, Ryan and Zeke were right behind her, weapons drawn and raised and ready for more action.

Scarlet scanned what she could see of the upper floor. “This way.”

They followed her along a corridor of polished hardwood floorboards and bespoke furniture until they reached what resembled a T-junction, each leading to different wings of the enormous penthouse suite.

“Zeke and Lexi down there,” Scarlet whispered. “Ryan, you’re with me.”

It didn’t take the Texan soldier long to learn the pecking order, and he followed the Chinese assassin down the corridor which led into the west wing. Ahead of her, Lexi saw a large daimon or family crest on the wall outside a door at the end of the corridor.

“I think this is HQ,” she said, explaining briefly about the significance of the coats of arms which represented the various Yakuza groups. “So, in we go. Ready?”

“Hell yeah.”

They booted the door open and charged into the room with their guns raised, but there was no one there. A speedy room-to-room clearance revealed that the entire wing was empty, and they holstered their guns. “All clear here, Cairo,” Lexi said into her palm mic. “You?”

“We’re clear here too, and in the world’s biggest closet,” Scarlet said. “We’re into the safe but still searching for the ring. Maybe she’s wearing it after all.”

“Fine, we’re on our way back to you,” Lexi said.

Ryan stared down at the tray of jewellery. “Who knew the Yakuza loved their gold so much? There must be over a million bucks’ worth of stuff here.”

Scarlet kept one eye on the door as she spoke in hurried, hushed tones. “But what about the ring we’re looking for?”

“I’m looking for it!”

“Well hurry the hell up.”

“Give me a chance! There must be two hundred rings in here. What about this one?”

She turned to see Ryan on his knees in front of the safe, holding a diamond and ruby ring up to her.

“I’m flattered Ryan, but I see you more like a pet than a future husband.”

Ryan gave her a look. “I meant it must be worth at least a quarter of a million. Maybe a little something for ECHO’s treasury?”

“We’re not thieves, put it back and find the sodding ring.”

He tossed it back into the pile and continued his search, mumbling something about pets and bad attitudes. “A-ha!”

“You got it?”

“No, but I got Hiroko’s mother’s jewellery box.” He showed her the tiny jewel-encrusted box with the intricate carving of a tiger on it. “This has to be it, right?”

“I guess so. Put it in your pocket and find the sodding ring!”

“Got it.”

Lexi and Zeke appeared in the door to the walk-in closet. “Any luck yet?”

“Not yet, but Ryan took a few seconds out to propose.”

“Seriously?” Zeke said. “I’m so excited for you guys.”

Lexi rolled her eyes. “They’re not getting engaged, Zeke. I mean, talk about different leagues.”

“Hey!” Ryan said. “I’m literally right here.”

“You have the ring yet?” Scarlet asked anxiously.

“As a matter of fact I do not, and…”

Then everything changed fast. A Yakuza throwing-knife flashed past Ryan’s head and slammed into the closet’s wooden wall less than two inches from his head.

“Holy crap!” he yelled.

Scarlet spun around and raised her gun. “Take cover!”