Chapter 31
Shiki cocooned himself in the fishy, salty-smelling woolen blanket and tried to stay warm deep in the bowels of the ancient trawler that was taking him to safety. Away from luxury, away from hope. He hadn't slept in hours, because when he did, he dreamed of his mother crying for him on her deathbed, of Yuka Sakura smiling at him at eighteen and making his heart melt. He'd let them both down.
Narumi Anju.
Reo Mouri.
He was the psycho who'd interfered in his life and shot the agents in Central Town park. Who'd tried to extort five million dollars from him for a pardon that was even more of fantasy – a flight of fancy – than intervene with the prime minister on his behalf.
Reo had weaseled his way into Shiki's life last fall and learned everything about him.
No, not everything. Too much, certainly, but not everything.
Not the location of his safe houses. Not his backup plan once he knew there was little hope for a simple conviction on tax evasion charges.
Five years in prison? He'd be lucky now to avoid the death penalty.
Misaki Ando, lowly army intelligence officer, had been pulling at the thread that would unravel everything and set him up for big trouble. Her meeting with Yuka – beautiful Yuka – was the last straw for Shiki.
But it was Reo Mouri with his crazy idea that he was the prime minister's half-brother who'd destroyed the careful life he had constructed for himself, all in an attempt to extort money from him for a pardon and manipulate the prime minister of Japan.
The crazy fuck.
Now the authorities apparently had the concrete information they needed to turn the suspicions of a murdered military intelligence officer into a full-blown investigation of all his activities.
He had become one of the most wanted criminals in the world.
But he was prepared. He had a plan for just such a worst-case scenario.
He would survive. He'd always survived.
The French police, the European pole, Japanese law enforcement, Interpol – they all wanted his scalp. But at least with them, even with all he'd done, it was professional, not personal. They would capture him and bring him to trial. They wouldn't slit his throat in the night.
With Tsubasa Ando, it was different. It was very personal.
The hatch creaked open. "Sir?"
"What is it?" Shiki asked irritably.
"I have news of the man you wanted me to –"
Ando. "Yes, what?"
"The FBI and the Alice Secret Service want him for questioning in that mess that happened in Kyoto. He disappeared."
Just as I feared.
Masachika had two choices. One, he could let Tsubasa Ando come to him. Two, he could get to Tsubasa Ando before he got to him.
He pulled the blanket over him, shivering on the cold, skinny mat under him.
Those weren't any choices at all.
Compelling enough? What do you think of this chapter? Lousy, good enough, love it or hate it? Please leave any comments, opinions, suggestions or violent reaction. Write it in the review section below, and let me know.
Here's a Sneak Peek:
"This was a big mess."
"Natsume Hyuuga accepted a promotion to Alice Secret Service headquarters in Osaka. He starts in a couple of weeks.
He thought she squirmed, but she managed a quick smile. "Now, why do you think that'd interest me?"
He didn't hesitate. "Because you're in love with him."
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