White Collar: The Nightingale
Chapter twelve
"You can't wear that."
"What's wrong with it?" Peter asked as he looked down at his suit. "This is what I always wear."
"Right, and it screams 'I'm a F.B.I Agent'."
"I am a F.B.I Agent."
"And I'm a Lady Gaga fan," Cheng admitted "it doesn't mean I advertise it."
Agent Cheng of organized crime reached out and undid Peter's tie and instructed Peter to unbutton the top two buttons. Peter pulled away as Cheng mussed his hair. Cheng tugged on the lapels of Peter's jacket in a silent request for him to take it off. Peter removed his Federal ID out of his breast pocket and put it in his back pocket before he took the jacket off, revealing his shoulder holster.
"No guns." Cheng said bluntly.
"You sound like Neal."
"I'm not kidding, Peter. These guys see a gun you're going to have a fire fight on your hands."
"I'm not looking to go undercover here, I'm just going to tell them the truth."
"That is the worst idea I have ever heard."
"And what is your idea?" Burke asked impatiently.
"You're a business man looking for someone to sell you some spring."
"Spring?"
"Prostitution, sex slavery." Cheng explained. "The Yakuza tend to buy women from China and set them up as 'comfort workers' in Japan and elsewhere. They call it 'selling spring' since their customers tend to have a taste for young women."
"Sex slavery? Here in New York?"
"Sad but true. It's hard to stop these guys because a lot of these girls see this as their ticket into the US. Are you ready to go?"
"Where are we going again?"
"A Yakuza club called 'Tokyo Dreams'."
"Why do I get the feeling that I'm going to regret this?"
Agent Cheng chuckled and slapped Burke on the shoulder. Sighing heavily Peter followed Cheng downstairs to his car. They drove to a part of town that was far too rich for Peter's pay grade. It was nearing midnight on Friday night, but Cheng assured Burke that the real night life was just getting started. They pulled up to the night club that had 'Tokyo Dreams' in neon along with some neon kanji on the front of the first level club.
"The Yakuza own the whole skyscraper, the first story is for their night club." Cheng explained. "Upstairs are where the big shots hang out and where most of the illegal gambling allegedly takes place."
"Allegedly? Are you sure you've never met Neal?"
"If we had proof that they were gambling in there we'd call you White Collar guys up and tell you to go get them." Cheng explained with mild irritation.
"Of course."
Cheng handed his keys over to the club's valet. Peter followed Cheng into the nightclub not sure what to expect inside. The interior of the club was beyond anything in Peter's imagination. There were what looked to be half naked teenagers in short pleated school girl skirts and white tops tied up to show off their slim stomachs dancing on black lacquer tables. Two young women danced against poles set into the raised stage that dominated the back wall, one was dressed in a dragon theme, the other as a phoenix. The party goers were mostly middle aged Japanese businessmen.
Caught by surprised by the scene Peter automatically reached for his missing gun. He had an overwhelming urge to arrest every patron in the club. A slender Asian woman with her hair pulled up into pigtails came up to Peter. She was sucking on a lollipop which she pulled out and dramatically licked her candy sticky lips before speaking.
"You want dance?" She asked in an overdone accent.
"What?"
"Dance. I dance for you."
"No, no...no, thank you." Peter put his hands up to make sure she kept her distance.
The woman gave Peter a suspicious look before putting the sucker back in her mouth and moving on.
"Peter, you gotta try to at least look like you're enjoying the women."
"'Women'? These are girls...are any of them of legal age?" Peter asked horrified. "That one there looks like she's young enough to be my granddaughter."
"All the workers on this level are one hundred percent legal in every sense of the word." Cheng assured. "This is the public part of the business."
"That doesn't make me feel any better."
"Come on, Tanaka will be in the next room."
Cheng lead Peter through the dark club towards an archway in the far wall. There were tables spread out in the medium sized room and booths against the wall. The girls worked this room as well, but they were mostly selling drinks. There was a small stage with speakers and a monitor set up on it against the left wall. Currently there was a pair of blind drunk men crowing 'My Way' on it.
"Okay, here's how it works. There is a certain song that is kinda like a 'password', it will get Tanaka's attention and if he decides you're worth his time you'll be invited to his table to do business."
"What's the song?"
""She Works Hard for the Money'."
Burke closed his eyes and rubbed his temple against a mounting headache.
"Is Tanaka here?"
"That's him, over in the corner booth. He's the one in the slim red tie."
Peter looked into the corner booth at Tanaka. He had long black hair that was slicked back with enough petroleum produces to sustain a fire for several days. The Yakuza member was having what looked like a casual conversation with another man. There were two other men who were clearly not involved in the meeting, Burke assumed they must be bodyguards.
"Come on," Cheng said "the stage is free."
Cheng nudged Peter towards the stage. Burke was still busy sizing Tanaka up, he absent mindedly took the microphone that Cheng pushed into his hands. The speaker system started playing the song and just like Cheng said the song seemed to catch Tanaka's interest. Tanaka's eyes briefly met with Peter's and they stared at one another. In the background the wordless song continued.
"Peter," Cheng hissed "sing."
"I don't know the words."
"They're on the monitor."
Peter broke eye contact with Tanaka to look down at the monitor. he found a photo of Mount Fuji with Japanese characters streaming across it. Below the Japanese were the English lyrics.
"Why are the words changing color?"
Cheng reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation. Peter looked back over at Tanaka and narrowed his eyes. Tanaka had lost interest and had gone back to his conversation.
"Screw this." Peter growled.
Unceremoniously dropping the microphone Peter strode over to Tanaka with an air of purpose. Cheng tried to protest, but Peter ignored him. Walking up to Tanaka's table he pulled out his badge, flipped it open and dropped it on the black lacquered table. Tanaka glanced at it with little interest.
"Special Agent Peter Burke, F.B.I." Peter announced formally and then looked at Tanaka's guest. "You, get lost. Go get a drink or something."
The shocked man looked to Tanaka for permission to leave. Tanaka nodded and the man scrambled away. Peter took the man's place and sat down. Tanaka made a motion to one of the waitresses and she quickly brought Peter a drink that he had no intention of touching. Tanaka smiled calmly.
"So, Special Agent Peter Burke of the F.B.I, what can I do for you?"
"I'm here to help you."
"Really?" Tanaka raised a well groomed eyebrow. "Do you know who I am?"
"I know you're part of the New York Yamaguchi-gumi."
"There is no crime in that."
"I already told you, I'm not here to arrest you." Peter gestured to his general appearance. "Do I look like I'm here to take you in?"
"No." Tanaka admitted. "What is it that you want?"
"I want to prevent the theft of the Nightingale katana."
"I do not know what you are talking about."
"I think that you do. I know that you and your 'friends' are good at security, but trust me when I tell you that someone is going to steal it, tomorrow night during the ceremony."
"Why should you care?" Tanaka asked.
"It's my job to care. The Nightingale is a piece of art, and I stop art thieves."
"Do you have a particular art thief in mind?"
"I do." Peter flashed Tanaka a tight lipped smile.
"And who do you think would be bold enough to steal from my family?" Tanaka asked condescendingly.
"Are you familiar with Neal Caffrey?"
Tanaka showed his first moment of true surprise. Peter held his ground and his breath as Tanaka said something to his bodyguards in Japanese. The guards left without hesitation. Still standing over by the stage Cheng was on his cell phone, probably calling for back up. Tanaka gave Peter a slight bow with his head.
"Special Agent Peter Burke, you have my attention..."
