Sakura Wars: The 21st Century

By Steve Edward

Chapter 6

Monday May, 2nd 1927 – Shouwa 1 – 0900 hours

Returning to the hotel, John planned his movements. He did want to study the layout of the city on foot so utilizing a recently published map of the city; he could quickly rule out areas of the city that could not be used, so that when the time came, there would be little difficulty on selecting an area of the city that could be utilized to transport the Imperial Flower Combat Troupe and their equipment back to the year 2010.

Going back to the seaport and using a warehouse there would be in his opinion too noticeable. John unaware of the expert tail; had led Yuichi Kayama back to the Shinwa Hotel. The desk clerk quickly confirmed that it was indeed Herbert Robert Long. The clerk who had worked there for many years, recalled that Mr. Long who had a good memory for names and faces, seemed distant almost befuddled when he checked in the day before. But he had dismissed it as that of a man who had traveled many miles.

Kayama placed a call back to the Theater, there General Yoneda and Captain Oogami both wondered as to what he was up to ordered Kayama to keep watch. Kayama could hear what sounded like Kohran Ri trying to explain the latest "accident," as he rung off. Smiling briefly he turned from the booth just in time to see Herbert Robert Long descending the stairs.

Walking out and turning left away from the Imperial Theater, John set a pace that Kayama who was taller and longer legs had trouble keeping up with him. Except for a brief lunch stop, John continued his blistering walking pace. Relieved by Captain Oogami who soon found out that John's walking pace was near fanatical as well, the switch off's continued for the rest of the afternoon; his route around the city appearing meaningless.

Finally towards 6 PM still maintaining the pace that he had set that morning he approached the Imperial Theater again; this time from the other direction.

Below in the work shop Kohran Ri who had just finished repairing the "spirit monitor" notes that it is behaving oddly again. This time there are other witnesses. Maria and Kanna both were there when the monitoring device shorts out again; Kanna knocking Kohran to the floor and covering her just as it explodes for the second time of the day. The detonation was even felt by John, who briefly kneeled seeming to make it appear that a shoe string had loosened put the palm of his hand on the sidewalk. "Just what the heck was that?" Neither feeling nor sensing anything else he continued onto the hotel, there he would spend the rest of the evening reviewing the possible sites that he could use.

Tuesday May 3rd, 1927 – Shouwa 1 – Shinwa Hotel – 0800 hours

Perhaps of his length walk from the day before he was sore, the fast paced walk had taken him nearly 10 kilometers in all. There were still several area's that needed to be looked at to confirm his final choices. After dressing, he went to the small eatery that he had been to the day before. Nearby Yuichi Kayama who had not had to exert himself in a long period of time was this time ensconced within an automobile.

The fast pace had worn him down just as it had Captain Oogami; who after reporting to the General climbed exhaustively into his bed. Captain Oogami would join him later once Herbert Robert Long began his travels again.

Having ordered his meal of which was two sunny side up eggs, toast and crisp bacon with coffee and grape fruit, he scanned the paper. Not really interested in current events it was one particular header that caught his attention.

Elder's Institute Debates future of Imperial Flower Troupe

"What the heck," as he read the article which was really too brief to be useful.

In short it was the beginning of the end. John's arrival date could not have been any better. Had he arrived any later he just might have been too late.

Kayama who had been watching Herbert; noted his startled reaction to something in the paper, obviously not the larger headlines but an article buried somewhere within. Only able to see the opposite page, Kayama slips out of the car and goes to a nearby street vendor and purchases a paper. Coming back he goes to the page that Herbert might have been reading. Looking and not seeing anything at first he rereads the page again and finally also sees the brief header.

Perplexed then concerned, he waits to see which way Herbert decides to go and soon enough he is headed for the Theater yet again. This time with the advantage of the car, he directs the driver to sprint ahead. Arriving at the Theater, he sees Captain Oogami waiting on the steps.

Entering the car, Captain Oogami is greeted by Kayama; who has him read the brief article. "Mr. Long seemed to show a bit of concern over that article; that I am sure of it." The driver stating, "Here comes our target sir;" Herbert Robert Long walking at his now usual pace passing the stopped car. Kayama debated; "Should we grab him off the street now?" Herbert just could be here on business, perhaps not wanting to mix his other business with his current trade he just might be scouting out sites for new buildings.

If he made that mistake; there could be some serious repercussions. Herbert was armed; and it has been nearly three years since he last worked with him, if he grabbed him and startled him; Herbert's martial arts expertise of which he was renowned for could come into play as well as the huge .45 caliber Colt that he carried.

Rounding the corner, John spotted a nearby trolley and headed towards it out of the view of the tailing car. By the time the driver negotiated the crowded intersection Herbert was gone from sight.

Both Kayama and Captain Oogami, frustrated at loosing Herbert and not knowing which direction he had gone made plans to meet near his hotel later in the day.

Meanwhile sitting on the wooden bench seat as the trolley rumbled along, John reflected on the news item. "It is perhaps the cost of maintaining the Imperial Flower Combat Troupe that they are wanting to shut down the operation. In 1927 dollars and yen it had to be costing someone a small fortune to keep the Troupe supplied with equipment but also to pay their salaries as well."

He knew from Professor Walter's research into the Star Division which was in France at the time that it had been disbanded because of the costs; but also of the casualties suffered by that group. The four survivors of that combat troupe had been traced to Tokyo's Imperial Flower Combat Troupe; Leni Milchstrase and Orihime Soletta had arrived with Kaede Fujieda who was the commander of the Star Division and had become the Deputy Commander after her sister Ayame Fujieda was killed in 1925, and then were followed by Lachette Altair from the United States. Her separate arrival raised a red flag, why not come with the others and why from the United States?

As the trolley passed buildings new and old alike, John looked on the maze of buildings that were being built and the old being torn down. The renewal of what is now new will be old to some in the future. Some will look back wishing for the old days and the old ways but that is something that will not be able to be done until 83 years from now; the trolley slowing and coming to the end of the line entered the turn table, John disembarking and stepping smartly off continued his ubiquitous journey to an uncertain future.

Saturday, May 14th 1927 – Shouwa 1 – 1900 hours –

For nearly two weeks, John posing as Herbert Robert Long continued his travels around the city. Visiting the Tokyo Museum of History it was there he had made the choice while still being followed discreetly by Kayama. While in a room displaying historical maps of the area, he had focused on an undeveloped area just north of the city. With no nearby civilian population centers to worry about; John projected that he could pull it off. The next problem was to make contact with General Ikki Yoneda who posed as the manager of the Imperial Theater.

Sitting at a table in the restaurant that he had found during his trips about the city, he noticed a young woman approaching the table nearby and without thinking got up and pulled the chair out for her to sit.

Kayama in a back corner his eye's widening at the sight of Sakura Shinguji as she was seated by Herbert and thanked Herbert for his generosity and courtesy decided to approach her.

John, realizing just now whom he had seated; casually backed away returning her thanks in Japanese as he turned to go back to his own table, was slightly startled when Sakura called to him asking for his name.

As Kayama got with earshot, John using his persona replied to her. John who at first thought that the somewhat blank look would go away; was in fact disappointed when Sakura replied," Oh you are the man who had designed our great Imperial Theater!"

"Oh damn, my cover is blown;" when unexpectedly Sakura gets back up and waves to someone behind him. "Kayama, oh Yuichi come here and meet this man; he is the designer of the Theater!" John pivots slowly not wanting to appear alarmed catches sight of a Japanese man in civilian clothes the look on his face; one of concern and for all practical purposes a silent warning to him and to him alone.

Kayama approaches John for the first time up close. John, who passed for Herbert Robert Long, has his mannerisms, his speech; but no recognition from John of Kayama was his undoing.

John waiting to see what happens next is taken aback when Sakura introduces him to Yuichi Kayama. "Oh double damn, the Moon Division Intelligence Chief:" as he puts out his hand in greeting. On the list of personnel to be retrieved, John has to balance his needs with that of the need to know. Kayama would have to be eventually informed; but not now; not here.

Sakura insists that he join her along with Yuichi whose surveillance of John was now fully blown. John agrees and while waiting for the dinner order to arrive, he sizes up Kayama. Compared to John's 5 foot 6inch frame, Yuichi was about 5 foot 9 inches and a trim 150 pounds. John had already decided that if he was to end up in a fight with Yuichi he would be able to do some damage but in the end would lose; especially being the Chief of Moon Division he would likely have help waiting nearby. John needed friends and not enemies.

The dinners were occasionally interrupted by fans of Sakura Shinguji who sought her autograph. Thankfully the instant camera had not been invented yet otherwise he would have some hard explaining to do some 83 years from now.

After desert and having tea, John decided to play the loaded question game with Yuichi and Sakura; beginning with the Douglas-Stewart debacle

John turning his attention to Yuichi, "Kayama I understand that there was an incident involving an American Company called Douglas-Stewart; that did not go well?"

Sakura who had been there that night during those events placed her tea cup on the table and waited for Yuichi to respond.

Yuichi, who was not expecting that out of the blue, replied. "Yes, the Douglas-Stewart Company had come to Japan to try to develop a new line of fighting machines for the Imperial Army; but there was an industrial accident at their facility and it was destroyed by fire." John's research team had come to the conclusion that there was no accident, instead some sort of cover-up that even extended to the United States. A Douglas-Stewart factory located outside of New York City had also been destroyed by fire as well. From reading the reports that could be found, the manufacturing process was found to be too unstable. Because of the losses both in Japan and the United States the Douglas-Stewart Company declared bankruptcy and went out of business.

John while in his travels around Tokyo had gone through the industrial area where the Douglas-Stewart factory had once stood. His personnel assessment of the damage to the mangled structure had been that the building had been subjected to high explosive shelling, by precision bombardment; in other words Navy gunfire. Yuichi's naval background likely had something to do with the demise of that building while leaving the surrounding buildings relatively untouched.

Yuichi fired back with his own loaded question as well. "Since you are back in Tokyo; and you are an architect, are you working on a current project?" With a slight smile, John replied "I have been working on plans for the design of a business complex and its associated entertainment, living and shopping facilities hence my travels around the city." Sakura who had been listening to the conversations excused herself to go to the powder room.

When Sakura was out of earshot, Yuichi took on a more aggressive stance. "You truly expect me to believe that? I have been following you since your arrival here in Tokyo and I do not believe a word of what you have said!"

Sighing, John sat back in the chair; " Yuichi, I am sorry that I have had to lead you on as such but right now I can not discuss this with you in this place" casually moving his hands around the room. "But I can say that what I have been doing will soon become known, as I will be speaking with General Yoneda shortly." With that Sakura returned to the table and called the waiter over to settle the bill. John instead took her bill along with Yuichi's and settled all three together.

Offering to walk Sakura back to the Theater; with Yuichi's anger hidden from her but directed silently at him; he and Sakura followed by Yuichi strolled in the gathering darkness of the warm Saturday night to the Theater.

Opening the door for Sakura who bid him a good night he turned and ended up face to face with Yuichi on the steps.

"Kayama, Yuichi, Captain. I have no quarrel with you. I can sympathize with the concern you have but I mean no harm. You can rest assured that the answers will come in good time and they will be forthright. It will be difficult for those who will need to make the decisions that will have to be made."

Stepping past Kayama, John turned to him one last time. "We may look back upon this night as the beginning of a long friendship, you may for now view it as the night we temporarily became enemies; but you too will have a choice to make. Make it wisely, as it may come in the heat of battle or during the peace of a play." With that John departed headed back to the hotel, not looking back.

Upstairs in his office; General Yoneda had witnessed the exchange between the two men. His eyes followed John into the gathering darkness and when lost from sight turned from the window to Captain Oogami standing beside him.

"Herbert is neither the fool nor one to fear danger. He is here for a reason, your reports along with Kayama's show that he had been to just about every part of our city. What was he looking for and why; will likely only be answered by him." The General's statement would come sooner than anyone would expect.