Agent Matt

Chapter 6: "Are you in...?"

Matt opened his eyes. So he was still alive! And it wasn't a dream, that was a nice surprise. He was lying on a bed in a large comfortable room. The bed was modern but the room was all, with beams running across the ceiling, a stone fireplace and narrow windows in oriented wooden frames. He had seen rooms like this in books when he was studying Shakespeare he was that the building was Elizabethan it had to be somewhere in the country. There was no sound of traffic. Outside he could see a row of trees. As he looked down he saw someone had undressed him. His school uniform was gone. And in its place he was wearing loose pyjamas, silk and the feel of them and unlike the outside he would have guessed it was early evening. He found his watch lying on the bedside on a chest of drawers, pine bedside drawers to match the wooden beams above. He reached out for it and looked at it. The time was twelve o' clock. It was half past four when he was shot with what must have been a drugged dart. He had lost a whole night and half a day. There was a bathroom leading off the bedroom; bright white tiles and a huge shower behind a cylinder of glass and chrome. Matt stripped off the pyjamas and stood for 5 minutes under a jet of streaming water. He felt much better after that. He went back into the bedroom and opened a cupboard. Someone had been to his house in Tomoeda. All began now owns his clothes were here, neatly hung up. He wondered what Tomitake had told Julie. Presumably he would have made up some story to explain his sudden disappearance. He took a pair of combat trousers, a sleeveless green shirt and black trainers, got dressed, then sat on the bed and waited for someone to come. About 15 minutes later there was a knock and the door opened. A young Chinese girl named Reine in a nurse's uniform came in, beaming.

"Oh, you're awake. And dressed. How are you feeling? Not too groggy, I hope. Please come this way. Mr. Ooishi is expecting you for lunch." Matt hadn't spoken a word to her. He followed her out of the room, along a corridor and down a flight of stairs. The house was indeed Elizabethan with wooden panels along the corridors, ornate chandeliers and oil painting of old, bearded men in tunics and ruffs. The stairs lead down into a tall, galleried room with a rug spread out over flagstones and a fireplace big enough to park a car in. A long, polished wooden table had been laid for three. Korindo Ooishi and a dark, and rather masculine woman unwrapping a sweet were already sitting down. Mrs. Ooishi perhaps?

"Matt." Ooishi smiled briefly, as it was something he didn't enjoy doing ."It's good of you to join us." Mat sat down.

"You didn't give me a lot of choice."

"Yes. I don't quite know what to Tomitake was thinking of shooting you like that, but I suppose it was the easiest way. May I introduce to you my colleague, Mrs. Jensen." The woman nodded a Matt. Her eyes seemed to examine him minutely, but she said nothing.

"Who are you?" Matt asked. "What do you want with me?"

"I'm sure you have a great amount of questions to ask. But first, let's eat." Ooishi must have pressed a hidden button, or he was overheard, for at that precise moment a door opened and a waiter in white jacket and black trousers appeared carrying three plates. "I hope you eat meat," Ooishi continued. "Today it's Rôti de boeuf."

"You mean, roast beef."

"The chef is French." Matt waited into the food has been served. Ooishi and Mrs. Jensen drank red wine. He stuck to water. Finally, Ooishi began. "As I'm sure you've gathered," he said, "The Fuji TV network is not a television network... In fact we don't exist... It's nothing more than a cover. And it follows, of course, that your father had nothing to do with financial reporting. He worked for me. My name, as I told you at the funeral, is Ooishi. I'm chief executive of the Special Operations Division of the Japanese Intelligence Network sector 7, or JIN 7 for short. And your father, for want of a better word, a spy." Matt couldn't help smiling.

"You mean like... Like James bond?"

"Similar, although we don't go in for numbers. Double 0 and all the rest of that. He was a field agent, highly trained and very courageous. He successfully completed assignments in Iran, England, Shanghai, and Cairo – to name but a few. I imagine this may come as a bit of a shock to you." Matt thought about the dead man, what he had known of him. His privacy. His long absences abroad. The way he handled himself when Myotismon and his evil digi minions attacked. And the times he'd come home injured. Bandaged arm one time, bruised face the next and a bleeding forehead. Little accidents, Matt had been told. But now it all made sense.

"I'm not shocked," he said. Ooishi cut a neat triangle in the slice of meat.

"Mahon Ishida 's luck ran out on his last mission," he went on "he had been working undercover in England, in Cornwall, and was driving back to London airport to give a report to our friends, MI6... Before he was killed. You saw his car at the yard."

"Hyundai & Son," Matt muttered. "Who are they?"

"Just people we use. We have budget restraints. We have to contract some of our work out. Mrs. Jensen here is our Head of Special Operations. She gave your father his last assignment."

"We're very sorry to have lost him, Matt." A woman spoke for the first time. She didn't sound very sorry at all.

"Do you know who killed him?"

"Yes."

"Are you're going to tell me?"

"No. Not now."

"Why not?"

"Because you don't need to know. Not at this stage."

"All right." Matt put down his knife and fork and stared at them. He hadn't actually eaten anything. "My father was a spy. Thanks to you he's dead. I found out too much, so you knocked me out and brought me here. Where am I, by the way?"

"This is one of our training centres," Mrs. Jensen said

"You've brought me here because you don't want me to tell anyone what I know. Is that what this all about? Because if it is, I'll sign the official secrets act or whatever years you will need to do, but then I'd like to go home. This is all crazy anyway. And I've had enough. I'm out of here" Ooishi coughed quietly.

"It's not quite as easy as that," he said.

"Why not?"

"It's certainly true that you did draw attention to serve both at the breakers yard and then at our offices on Orotaki street. And is also true that what you know and what I'm about to tell you must go no further. But the fact of the matter is, Matt, we need your help."

"My help?"

"Yes." He paused "have you heard of a man called Darren warren." Matt thought for a moment.

"I've seen his name in the newspapers. He's got something to do with computers. And he owns racehorses. Doesn't he come from somewhere in Cairo?"

"No. From Tennessee." Ooishi took a sip of wine. "Let me tell you his story, Matt. I'm sure you're finding of interest... "Darren warren was born incomplete poverty in the backstreets of the DeKalb County. His father was a failed designer. His mother was a prostitute. He had nine brothers and four sisters, all living together in three small rooms along with the family horse. Young Darren never went to school and he should have ended up unemployed, unable to read or write, like the rest of his family. "But when he was seven, something extraordinary happened, something that would change his life. He was walking into town, when he happened to see an upright piano fall out of a fourteenth Storey window. Apparently it was being moved and somehow overturned. Anyway, there were a couple of Japanese tourists walking along the pavement below and they would both be crushed –no doubt about that –except that at the last minute Darren threw himself at them and push them out of the way. The piano missed them by one centimetre. "Of course, they were enormously grateful to the young waif, and it now turned out that they were very rich. They made enquiries about him and discovered how poor he was... The very clothes he was wearing had been passed down by all his nine brothers. And so, out of gratitude they more or less adopted him. Flew him out of Tennessee and put him into a school over here, where he made astonishing progress. He got nine O levels and –here's the kicker –at the age of fifteen years old he found himself sitting next to a boy who would become the Prime minister for Japan. Our current Prime minister, in fact. The two of them were at school together. "I'll move quickly forward. After school, Warren went to Tokyo University, where he had got a first in economics and computer programming. He then set out on a career that went from success to success. His own radio station, record label, Computer Software... And, yes, he even found time to buy a string of racehorses, although for some reason they always seemed to come last. But what drew him to our attention was his most recent invention. A quite revolutionary in computers and virtual reality which he calls virtual technology or V Tech for short." V Tech. Matt remembered the file he had found in Mahon Ishida's office. Things were beginning to come together.

"The V tech's are being manufactured by Warren Enterprises," Mrs. Jensen said. "There's been a lot of talk about the design. It has a black keyboard and a black casing –"

"With a lightning bolt going down through the V on side" Matt said. He had seen a picture of it in PC universe.

"It doesn't only look different," Ooishi cut in. "It's based on a completely new technology. He uses something called a diamond processor. I don't suppose that will mean anything to you."

"It's an integrated circuit on a sphere of silicone about one millimetre in diameter," Matt said. "Its ninety per cent cheaper to produce than an ordinary chip because the whole thing is sealed in so it doesn't need to have clean rooms for production."

"Oh. Yes..." Ooishi coughed. "Well The point is, later today, Warren Enterprises are going to make quite a remarkable announcement. They are planned to give away tens of thousands of these computers. In fact, it is their intention to ensure that every school in Japan gets its own V tech. It an unparalleled act of generosity, Warren's way of thanking the country that gave him a home."

"So the man's a hero."

"So it would seem. He wrote to the Prime minister a few months ago:

"My dear friend Prime minister

You may remember me from our schooldays together. For almost 40 years i have lived in Japan and I wish to make a gesture, something that never be forgotten, to express my true feeling towards your beautiful country.

"The letter went on to describe the gift and was signed yours humbly, by the man himself. Of course, are government was somersaulting backwards.

"The computers are being assembled at the Warren plant down in port Omaezaki, in Shizuoka Prefecture. Still be shipped across the country at the end of this month and on April 1st this to be a Special ceremony at the Tomoeda science museum. Prime minister is going to press the button that will bring all the computers online... the whole lot of them. And – this is top secret by the way –Mr. Warren is to be rewarded with Japanese citizenship, which is apparently something he is always wanted."

"Well, I'm very happy for him," Matt said "but you still haven't told me what's this has got to do with me." Ooishi glanced at Mrs. Jensen, who had finished her male while he was talking. She unwrapped another strawberry and cream sweet and took over.

"For some time now, our department –Special Operations –had been concerned about Mr. Warren. The fact of the matter is, we've been wondering if it's too good to be true. I won't go into all the details, Matt, but we've been looking at his business dealings... He has contacts in China and the former Soviet union; country's that have never been our friends. The government may think he's a saint, but there's a ruthless side to him too. And the security arrangements down at port Omaezaki worry us. He's more or less got his own private army. He's acting as if he's got something to hide."

"Not that anyone will listen," Ooishi muttered.

"Exactly. The government's too keen to get their hands on these computers to listen to us. That's why we decided to send our own man down to the plant. Supposedly to check out security. But in fact his job was to keep an eye on Darren Warren. Even if that meant going to England."

"You talking about my father," Matt said. Mahon Ishida had told him that he was going to England for the London stock market exchange. Another lie in a life that had been nothing but lies.

"Yes. He was there for several weeks and, like us, he didn't exactly take to Mr. Warren. In his reports, he described him as short tempered and unpleasant. But at the same time, he had to admit that everything seemed to be fine. Production was on schedule. The V techs were coming off the line. And everyone seemed to be happy. "But then we got a message. Ishida couldn't say very much because it was an open line, but he told us something had happened. He said he'd discovered something. That The V tech mustn't leave the plant here in Japan and that he was going to MI6 at once. He left the supposed abandoned warehouse industry in England at four o' clock. He never even got to the motorway. He was ambushed in a quiet country lane. The local police found the car and international affairs contacted us. We are arranged for it to be sent back here." Mat sat in silence. He could imagine it. The twisting lane with trees Just in Blossom. The silver Toyota Camry gleaming as it raced past. And, round a corner, a second car waiting...

"Why are you telling me all this?" He asked.

"It proves what we were saying," Ooishi replied. "We have had our doubts about Warren, so we send a man down. Our best man. He finds out something and he ends up dead. Maybe Ishida discovered the truth –"

"But I don't understand!" Matt interrupted. "Warren is giving away the computers. He's not making any money out of them. In return he's getting the Japanese citizenship. Fine! What's he got to hide?"

"We don't know," Ooishi said "we just don't know. But we want to find out. And soon. Before these computers leave the plant."

"They're being shipped out on 31st March," Mrs. Jensen added. "Only about two weeks from now." She glanced at Ooishi. He nodded. "That's why it's essential for us to send someone else to port Omaezaki. Someone to continue where your father left off." Matt smiled queasily.

"I hope you're not looking at me."

"We can't just send in another agent," Mrs. Jensen said. "The enemy has shown his hand, he's killed Ishida. He'll be expecting a replacement. Somehow we have to trick him."

"We have to send in someone who won't be noticed," Ooishi continued. "Someone who can look around and report back without being seen themselves. We were considering sending a woman. She might be able to slip in as a Secretary or receptions but then I had a better idea. "A few months ago, one of these computer magazines ran a competition. Be the first boy or girl to use the virtual tech. Travelled to port Omaezaki and meet Darren Warren himself. That was the first prize - was won by some more whiz kid when it comes to computers. Name of Jeremy sobokai." Matt wiped his hand across his forehead to get rid of the sweat. For a moment there he fought it was his good friend Izzy Izumi. "Fourteen years old. The same age as you. He looks a bit like you too. He's expected down at port Omaezaki less than two weeks from now."

"Wait a minute –"

"You've already shown yourself to be extraordinary brave and resourceful," Ooishi said. "First of all at the breakers yard... that was a karate kick, wasn't it? How long have you been learning karate." Matt said nothing, Ooishi went on "and then there was a little test we arranged for you at the TV station. Any boy climbing out of a window fifteen floors up just to satisfy his own curiosity as to be rather special. And seems to me that you're a very special indeed ."

"What we're suggesting is that you come and work for us," Mrs. Jensen said. "We have enough time to give you some basic training –not that you'll need it, probably –and we can equip you with a few items that might help you with what we had in mind. Then we'll arrange for you to take the place of this other boy. You'll go to Warren enterprises on 29th march. That's when this whiz kid is expected. Your stay there into 1st April, which is the day of the ceremony. The timing couldn't be better. You'll be able to meet Darren Warren, keep an eye on him and tell us what you think. Perhaps you'll also find out what it was that your father discovered and why he had to die. You shouldn't be in any danger. After all, who would expect a fourteen year old boy, to be a spy?"

"All we're asking you to do is report back to us," Ooishi said. "That's all we want. Two weeks of your time. A chance to make sure these computers are everything they've cracked up to be. A chance to serve your country." Ooishi had finished his dinner. He's played was completely clean, as if there had never been any food on it at all. He put down his knife and fork, then laying them precisely side by side. "All right, Matt," he said "so what do you say? Are you in...?" There was a long pause. Ooishi was watching him with polite interest. Mrs. Jensen was unwrapping yet another strawberry and cream sweet, her black eyes seemed fixed on the twist of paper in her hands.

"No," Matt said.

"I'm sorry?"

"It's a dumb idea. I don't want to be a spy. I wanna be a rock'n'roll star. Anyway, I have a life of my own." He found it difficult to choose the right words. As whole thing was just ridiculous, so ridiculous in fact he almost wanted to laugh. Why don't you ask this Jeremy sobokai to snoop around for you?"

"We don't believe he'd be as resource as you," Ooishi said "he's probably better at computer games." Matt shook his head.

"I'm sorry. I'm just not interested. I don't want to get involved."

"That's a pity," Ooishi said. His tone of voice hadn't changed but there was a heavy, dead equality to the words. And there was something different, too, about him. Throughout the meal he had been polite; not friendly, but at least human. In an instant, that had disappeared. Matt thought of a toilet chain being pulled. The human partner from a distant flushed away. "Then read them have on discuss your future, he continued. "Like it or not, Matt, the Fuji TV Network is now your legal Guardian."

"I thought you said the Fuji TV Network doesn't exist." Ooishi ignored him.

"Mahon Ishida has of course left the house and all his money to you. However, he left it in trust into you are twenty one. And we control that trust. So there will, I'm afraid, had to be some changes. The British girl who lives with you."

"Julie?"

"Miss Landers. Her visa has expired. She'll be returned to England. We propose to put the house on the market. Unfortunately, you have no relatives to look after you, so I'm afraid that also means you'll have to leave Tomoeda. You'll be sent to an institution. There's one I know in Hinamizawa, the shorogan institution. Not a very pleasant place, but I'm afraid there's no alternative."

"You're blackmailing me!" Matt exclaimed.

"Not at all."

"But if I agree to do what you ask...?" Ooishi glanced at Mrs. Jensen.

"Help us and we'll help you," she said. Matt considered, but not for very long. He had no choice and he knew it. Not when these people controlled his money, his present life, his entire future as well.

"You talked about training," he said. Mrs. Jensen nodded.

"That's why we brought you here, Matt. This is a training centre. If you agree to what we want, we can start at once."

"Start at once." Matt spoke the three words without liking the sound of them. Ooishi Mrs. Jensen were waiting for his answer. He sighed. "Yeah. All right. It doesn't look like I've got very much choice." He glanced at the slices of cold beef on his plate. Dead meat. Suddenly he knew how it felt.