ONE

.

He stepped back from the lift doors, waving a woman in first. She nodded her thanks and he nodded back, pretending he wasn't a biscuit away from losing his temper.

The brunette pressed a button for her floor then turned and smiled at him. "Which floor?"

"Uh…" Yanked unceremoniously from his little cloud of rage, he forced his brain to switch gears. "Oh - top, please."

"Of course. You're Mr Reid's Executive Associate, aren't you?" she said, pressing the button.

"Yes."

"Mr…?"

"Kato."

"Ah. We didn't see you round the Sentinel much until the big rebuild - everyone's talking. Sorry - it's what offices do," she smiled, curling long, bouncy hair round her ear.

"Uh…"

"So did he bring you in from New York? He must have head-hunted you."

"Head-hunted?"

"From New York, right? From one of the big papers there?"

"Not New York. —Shanghai."

"Oh! Lovely," she smiled. "You must tell me all about it sometime. I'm Amy - I work with the journalists, doing fact checking." She thrust her hand out at him.

He blinked. Twice. Then he pulled his hand from his pocket and shook hers carefully. "Nice to meet you."

She smiled shyly, her dark eyes on the floor as she let her hand drop. The elevator pinged. "This is me," she said. The doors opened. "Bye," she said, giving a cheerful little wave.

"Uh…"

The doors closed and the lift continued up.

Kato stared at his bewildered reflection in the elevator doors. His left hand, still wrapped around his phone in his trouser pocket, twitched with the knowledge that big things were afoot, and abruptly he remembered why he was in the lift in the first place. He cleared his throat, pulled the knot in his thin black tie straight, and re-adjusted his face to that of someone with whom you should not mess.

The lift stopped. The doors opened. He strode out and made his way through the busy newspaper floor. Heads popped up from cubicles and around water machines, watching as he ploughed his way through to the door to the Editor's Office.

He didn't even knock. He swung the door open and marched in.

And then stopped dead.

"So get me the woman who—." Mike Axford paused, in the middle of three people crowding his desk. "Now who's just barging in like they own the place? This is a private meeting," he snapped. He waved at them to part like the Red Sea, and they duly did, allowing him to peer through.

Kato took a breath. No words came to mind - in English.

"Ah, Mr Kato," Mike said, relaxing back into his chair. "Didn't expect you to need me to be honest. Can this wait an hour?"

"Oh - uh. Sorry," he managed. "I'm looking for… Where is Britt?"

Mike resisted the urge to smile. "What's he done now?"

"Is he here somewhere? Hiding under the desk?"

Mike wagged a finger at him. "You know, I think we got off on the wrong foot when you first turned up. But I think I'm growing to like you." He stood to wave an arm out, pointing. "Britt has taken a much smaller office - back up, turn left, and go all the way to the end of the floor. It's was a spare janitor's closet at the end. He put his name on it."

"In crayon?" Kato replied tartly.

Mike grinned. "Yeah, I think I'm growing to like you."

Kato nodded his thanks and backed up. He shut the door and looked at it for a long moment. Then he turned to his left and followed the directions, finding a simple wooden entrance at the end. He put a hand up and knocked.

A voice called from within. "Yeah."

He opened it up to find a room, fifteen feet by fifteen. A refrigerator was standing by itself in the furthest corner from the door, an assortment of candy and colas perched on top as if proud they weren't paying rent. As he stepped in he realised there was no window or in fact ventilation of any kind, just a single strip-light in the ceiling bathing everything in shockingly bright white radiance. A set of slim filing cabinets was down the wall on his left hand side, assorted newspapers and open bags of candy lounging on top with lethargic abandon. The cabinets stopped to give way to a desk, whereupon some kind of heavy duty electrical cable came down from the ceiling, providing a large bank of power points on the end of the cabinet.

Kato's eyes ran down the black power cord from the jerry-rigged power supply and found a single desk hosting a laptop - and Britt Reid.

He was sat behind the wooden affair, his hands paused over the keyboard of the computer. "Hey! My man! What are you doing here during the day?" he grinned.

Kato's heel went out behind him and slammed the door shut. "I'm still not your man."

"No it's like a term of—." Britt paused, his face turning to one of confusion. "What's wrong?"

Kato stalked up to the small desk. He brought his phone out of his pocket, unlocked it, and let his thumb whizz through screens. He found what he wanted and raised it to Britt's face - a little too closely.

Britt jerked his head back a few inches, then squinted to work out what he was looking at. "I can't read that - it's in Chinese or something. What is it, like a bank account? Do they have those in China?"

"The dollars are in American, dumbass."

Britt frowned. "What are you mad about?"

"What is this? A pay-off?"

"What? Dude - that's your salary."

"Take it back."

"What?"

"Take it back!" Kato warned, letting the phone drop. "I don't need dirty money and I don't need your charity."

"Dirty? Charity? What are you talking about?" Britt spluttered.

"This is more than two month's salary from your father!"

"And you don't work for him any more, remember?" Britt cried in complete bafflement. "Look—." He lowered his volume deliberately, casting a conspiratorial glance at the door. "You're my Executive Assistant, right? Well that's an executive assistant's salary. Chill, bro - it's all above board."

Kato leant a hand on the desk to glare at him from two feet away. "But I don't do an Executive Assistant's job!"

"I know that and you know that - but everyone out there can't know that," Britt hissed. "You can only have access to the building if you're an employee or a signed-in visitor, dude!"

Kato pushed himself upright, folding his arms somewhat petulantly. "Why do I have to be an employee?"

"Because it puts you on the payroll here at the Sentinel - it's your cover story. You get to waltz in here with or without me any time you like, and have access to people and stuff here. And hey, you get health insurance and everything - even dental. It's all legal." He paused. "Wait - you do have like a green card or something, right? Or did you jump a fence to get into America?"

Kato's chin stuck out in abject indignation. "Dick." He turned to go.

"Wait - bro - I'm totally kidding," Britt grinned, waving his hands out. Kato looked back at him but his eyes were still on the furious side of dark. "Come on, man - I got your back with this," Britt urged. "This way you have a cover story - you pretend that you have a real job here and therefore you get real money for, what, the first time in your life? I can't swan around in fancy cars and that massive mansion when I know you live in that one-room apartment that's got a leaky icebox."

"It doesn't leak."

"It leaks, dude. I don't know a lot about like electrical stuff but I'm pretty sure water isn't supposed to come out the bottom of your refrigerator and leave a swimming pool on the floor." He sat back. "I just… It wasn't fair. I know it's taken months and I'm sorry, but… And you need something to live on while you're being the masked partner, right?"

Kato walking away slowly, across the small room to the door. "I guess."

Britt watched him digest the conversation, then shook his head. "Are you going to apologise for storming in here and accusing me of treating you like a charity case now?"

"Fine." He turned and pointed at him. "But you should have told me."

"And you're welcome," Britt said deliberately.

"Why are you in this tiny room anyway? You don't want your father's office, now the rebuild is done and it's all open again?"

"Nah - Mike can have it. He does all the work anyway. I just kinda bum around and look over people's shoulders, make it look like I do something for my stipend from Dad's estate."

"What do you need a laptop for?" he asked quietly.

Britt grinned, realising his anger had lost its head. "Checking out the new DA."

"What new DA?"

"Well Scanlon was the victim of a sick vertical hit-and-run like six months ago, right?" he grinned. "They had to get someone else in to do the job."

"Who?"

"A lady," Britt said, waggling his eyebrows. Kato rolled his eyes, but came back over to stand behind his chair. He folded his arms, looking over Britt's left shoulder. "Took them ages to fight it out and put someone in permanently. Look - she's super tough on crime and she was everyone's vote for the replacement."

"Park Ji-Yeon… Jennifer," Kato mused, reading the headline on the screen. "Was a val—. What's that word?"

"A valedictorian. Some college thing - means you're smart." He paused. "But hey - another Chinese person."

"She's Korean."

"How do you know that?"

Kato looked at him - just looked.

"But she's Asian too right - do you know her?" Britt asked earnestly.

Kato sighed, weariness running through every fibre of his being. "Yes - all Asian people know all other Asian people - we have special Asian telepathy. We have a secret club and we don't let white Americans in."

Britt gasped. "Really? Whoa - cool! So you know Mr Sulu?"

"I don't know who that is."

"You don't—?" Britt shook his head. "We have got to get you a real entertainment centre in your apartment and then educate you on some American classics."

"What's that?" Kato asked, his hand going out and gesturing to the web browser and presumably the extra tab open behind the news story.

Britt grinned with pride, this time. "It's our next case." He selected the tab and then turned the laptop screen at an angle for Kato to see.

"I thought Lenore was in charge of cases." His eyes ran over the news story of a failed drugs bust by local police.

"Hey I can do them too, you know."

"Yeah but—." He bit the side of his lip.

"But what?"

Kato sniffed casually. "But… Lenore gives us all the notes and all the background. When you do it, you just… draw pictures."

"I resent that remark," Britt pouted. "I got us a good case last time."

"You literally gave me an address. I called Lenore and she told us all the details."

"Because that's how we roll!" Britt gushed with a grin. "Look, you go back and do… whatever it is you do. I'll call you when Lenore has looked this over and done the whole treatment for us, right?"

"Ok." He went back to the door, putting his hand out for the handle. He paused. "Britt."

"Yeah?"

"Sorry."

Britt shrugged, leaning back in his wooden chair and putting his hands behind his head. "No sweat, dude. Just… have a little faith, ok? I'm not a complete shmuck all the time."

"I don't know what is a shmuck."

"It's me when you think I'm being an ass."

"Oh."

"You know, one day I'll teach you how to properly do American cursing. And then pick-up lines."

"I already know how to pick up lines. I got two new brake lines for one of the Beauties last week."

Britt laughed out loud. "Oh Kato - you are a rare dude."

"I'll be in the garage."

"Right on."

.


.

Lenore put her elbows on the dinner table, using the hands to massage her temples. The laptop screen in front of her face cowered before her disapproval. "I swear Britt, I thought you could spell," she sighed, reading the email again carefully. "But it does look like a case." She got up and went to her bookshelf, looking through the spines until she pulled out an old and battered textbook. She leafed through, finding a Post-It note marking a page and smiled, going back to the table.

The doorbell rang and she put down the book and closed the laptop smartly, going through the house and looking through the peephole. She spied a familiar head and smiled, opening the door up. "Hey, Kato."

"Hi," he said, giving a little wave. "I was going past and I remembered I have to give you your sheets."

"Great," she beamed. "You want to come in?"

"Ok," he shrugged. She moved back to give him room, and he walked in slowly, adjusting a large leather messenger bag over his shoulder. He pulled off his motorbike helmet, catching sight of the laptop on the far dining table. "This is your office now?"

"Yeah," she said, closing the door. "From last week they had no full-time resources for me at the Sentinel, what with the rebuild and everything. Now I work from home permanently - I'm still Britt's PA."

"Cool," he nodded. He opened up the messenger bag, pulling out a plastic document sleeve with a paper A4 booklet inside. "Sorry it's a bit… used."

She took it from him and smiled. "Oh that's fine. Can I have a go at this first and then do you want to come by and teach me?"

"Ok," he nodded. "Just send me a message."

"Gotcha," she said. He turned back for the front door and she followed, opening it up for him. He stepped out and she watched him pop his helmet back on. "Oh hey - the work party on Friday. What time are you getting there?"

"A work party?" he asked, surprised. "What work party?"

"Britt's holding a party for the employees - a kind of thank you after we had to rebuild the place. I think he wanted to welcome the new people who've joined too," she said. "He's had me emailing new starters and getting numbers all week - he's invited some people from the city to help publicise the rebuild - and the new DA is on the list, too. He didn't tell you?"

"He doesn't tell me anything," Kato grumped. "If I don't speak to you I don't know anything at all."

"Well I want you to go," she said, clearly unhappy. "You could do with a night off from - you know, working nights."

"Then I guess I'll go," he shrugged. "Is it special? Like formal?"

She looked him up and down. "You want me to tell you what to wear?"

"America has… interesting fashion."

She grinned. "I'll email you. Are you bringing anyone?"

"Uh - what?"

"You know, a date?"

He glanced at his boots. "I don't have a date."

"Well if you get one let me know so I can change the number of guests."

"Sure." He waved. "See you."

"Drive safe," she smiled. "Oh - you want anything from the office? I have to drop some things round tonight."

"I'm ok. Thank you."

He turned away from the door, going down the path. He grumped something to himself, under his breath. Reaching his bike at the end of the path he got on, thinking it through before shaking his head. He started up the bike and roared away.

.


.

The office of heads looked up as Lenore emerged from Britt's tiny new office. She walked through, waving and saying hello to people on her way to the elevators. She waited and eventually one trundled up, ready. The doors opened and people left, and then she made her way in and pressed for the parking floor.

It swished down but stopped after just a few floors, the doors opening to reveal another open-plan office. Lenore noticed the words 'Support and Admin' on the hanging sign over the first pod of desks. Two men and a woman got into the elevator. She smiled at them all and they turned and stood ready to leave as it whooshed down again.

"So are you asking her to go with you, Sean?" one man asked.

Sean shrugged. "Might do. Do you think she'll say yes? I mean it's a work party and all."

"She'll say yes," the first man smiled. He looked at the brunette by his side. "Who are you taking?"

"Seriously?" Sean said. "She's got a thing for that new EA on the top floor."

"I have not," the woman said defensively.

"Oh yeah?" Sean grinned. "Get this, Doug - she was telling Linda all about him at the coffee machine this morning. His 'adorable eyes' and it's 'the way he stands' - 'he's come to us from Shanghai'."

She batted at his arm. "Shut up."

"I think it's the suit," Doug said. "I mean not for nothing, but he can wear a suit. Better than Daniel Craig."

"True - he does look good in a suit - I wish I looked that good in a suit," Sean nodded ruefully. He looked at her. "Why don't you ask him to go with you?"

"Don't be stupid," she said. "He's been all around the world, he must have done loads of exciting things. He's not going to want to go with someone average like me."

"Amy, how do you know unless you ask him?" Doug sighed.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened. "Just don't go spreading gossip about me," Amy said, as the three of them left Lenore standing by herself against the inner wall.

She began to grin as the lift made its way down.

.


.

The Black Beauty crept out of the garage and down the secret laneway, going through the hidden gate and fake cars to appear on the street as if nothing untoward were happening.

Kato squeezed the steering wheel, looking in the rear view mirror at Britt. "Well?"

"What?"

"Did you bring Lenore's plan? Where are we going?"

"Oh yeah. Hang on." He pulled a fold-over plastic wallet out of the webbing on the back of the driver's seat, opening it up. "So we don't have any pictures or anything but this person is like a drugs dude. Since Danny Clear and Chudnofsky were taken out he's tried to pick up the pieces."

"I thought we got that guy last month," Kato said.

"Nah that was the forensic accountant for Chudnofsky's operation," Britt said. "You know - the money guy."

"Then where are we going?"

"Head for South Central. Lenore says there's like a ninety percent chance his baggers will be taking scores back to him, and we can track one down and follow him to their headquarters."

"She doesn't know where it is?"

"She can't do everything, dude."

"I mean if she doesn't know then no-one knows. And if no-one knows then maybe this is a bad idea."

"Why?"

"Because if no-one knows, then they must be professional - and bigger than we think."

"Or…" Britt said slowly, "…he's just a small-time hustler and his operation is so tiny that he's not even set up properly yet."

"When we find him and he has a private army, I will say I told you so."

"And if that happens you'll be right to," Britt nodded. "But I'm telling you, this guy's going to be small fry."

"What's the plan to get into the gang?"

"I don't know."

"What did Lenore say to do?"

"Oh. Wait." He paged through some of the papers quickly. "Uh… we offer to help with distribution for a cut… We don't take less than fifteen percent or we'll look like amateurs… Then when we know who's really in charge we expose the drug-making location and leave them for the police to arrest." He flipped the papers shut. "Easy, right?"

Kato said nothing. He looked out of his side window, then checked traffic and took a turn down a side street. "We cut through here - get ready. We're nearly in South Central."

"Got it. I've got binoculars and everything - we need to spot a bagman."

"What is a bagman?"

"Like a… salesman. Sells baggies." He paused to peer out of the darkened windows. "Find us a good spot to park up and watch."

"Ok."

The Black Beauty sailed round in a graceful arc, closing on a kerb just before an intersection and gliding to a halt. The engine stopped and the lights went out. Britt scooted across the large back seat to get to the window, watching carefully. Kato slid down in his seat, folding his arms and getting comfortable. His head angled toward the side window and he watched the various pavements carefully even as he slid down a little more.

"Dude, don't go to sleep," Britt said quietly.

"I am not going to sleep." He paused, wetting his lips and taking a decisive sniff. "I'm… thinking about who to take to the work party."

"Oh cool," Britt said, off-hand.

"You know, the work party you didn't invite me to."

"What?" he scoffed. "Yes I did."

"No you didn't," Kato said. "And I know why."

"Well if I didn't invite you then how did you know there is one?"

"Lenore told me. She wanted to make sure she had the right numbers."

"I'm sure I sent you an invite."

"We work in the same car nearly every night - I'm always in your garage - and you didn't even mention it," he tutted. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. I know why you didn't invite me and I don't care."

"Look, even if I forgot to invite you because it's automatic that we do all the work stuff together anyway, what possible reason could I have for not wanting to invite you?"

"You don't want me there."

"That's ridiculous," Britt spluttered.

"You don't want me there because you invited the new DA - and you want to hit on her."

"Whaaat?" he blustered. "That's rude, Kato. You take that back."

"Ok, I take it back," he said simply.

"Thank you!"

"I mean you want to hit on her without me around."

"Hey! She's a professional broad and a real smart one, too. And why wouldn't I want you there, wingman?"

"I'm not your wingman. You're never my wingman. We just compete for women like animals in a jungle," Kato tutted. "I don't care about the DA, anyway. It would be nice to go to a work party and meet some people who work at the newspaper. The only person I know there is Lenore."

"And me."

"Obviously."

"What about your friends outside of work?" Britt shot back. "You never invite me when you have your nights out with your friends. You never introduce me to them."

"You want to go to Mahjong night with three people you don't know?"

"Sure," he said happily. "I'm always ready to try a new beer. What is it, craft stuff? Speciality? Imported from Japan?"

Kato rolled his eyes. "Just watch for the bagman."

Britt sat back, picking up his binoculars and scanning the street a few times. "So you are going to the party?"

"Bagman."

"I'm looking. —But if you're going and you need like a temporary date person, tell me. I've got tonnes of lady friends - I could find you someone to go with."

"Bagman." Kato huffed. "And I don't need you to find me a date. I can find my own date."

"So you're saying you do need a date?"

"Maybe I have one."

"Oh yeah? Who?"

"You don't know her." He pulled his phone from his pocket silently, making sure Britt was staring out of the window. He unlocked the phone and found Lenore's number. He tapped on the message icon and started typing with the top seam of the thumb of his glove, suddenly glad he had upgraded them to touch-friendly pads.

"I don't know her because she doesn't exist. You're making it up," Britt scoffed.

"Bagman."

"Alright! I'm looking!" Britt grinned. "—But also you don't have a date."

Kato pressed send. He slipped the phone back in his pocket. Something on the far pavement caught his eye. "Bagman."

Britt chuckled. "See? You don't have a date."

"Bagman."

"Yeah, and I'm looking but—"

"No, there," Kato snapped, pointing toward the front passenger window. "Bagman!"

Britt turned from where he was staring down the wrong end of the street. "Shit," he gasped, dropping the binoculars. "What do we do?"

Kato opened his driver's door and disappeared into the night.

"Damn it," Britt cursed. He shoved himself across the seat and opened the rear door, crouching behind the car to close it quietly.

Kato was already stealing across the street, some way downwind of a man in a baseball jacket, currently chatting to someone in the shadows of a building doorway. The person nodded and walked away, pushing something small in their pocket.

Britt looked left and right; the road was empty of traffic - and other people. He searched for Kato but couldn't find him. He ran across the road; once he was on the same side as the man he made himself take a breath and relax. He walked toward him, pulling his hat down a little and then adjusting his mask. He stopped by him to straighten up and hope that he looked casual.

"Nice evening," he said in a big voice.

The man looked him up and down. "I ain't a hooker."

"What? No, I—." Britt huffed. "What you selling tonight?"

"What's with the mask, dude?"

He grabbed his t-shirt and twisted, lifting his left fist ready to attack. "The Green Hornet asked you a question."

"The what? Oh shit!" the man cried. He struggled and twisted; Britt was forced to let go. The man turned and sprinted off down the street.

"Oh man," Britt heaved. He took off after him.

And then something black shot out from the wall. It clothes-lined the man across the throat. He splatted back into the pavement and lay there, moaning.

Kato stepped out from a doorway, pulling his uniform coat straight. "Let's get him in the car."

"I was just going to say that," Britt said quickly.

They grabbed the man under the arms. Britt hefted him up and got one of his arms over his shoulder, supporting him as he walked him across the street. Kato hurried around in front, opening the back door for him.

Britt threw him in, squashing him up and then closing the door. As Kato got in the front seat Britt ran round the other side of the car and slid in. "Let's roll."

The Black Beauty purred into life and pulled away from the kerb smoothly, taking a leisurely glide down the street and turning down another, darker side street.

"Hey," Britt said, slapping the man gently in the face. "Hey. Come on. Who do you work for?"

"Get off me," the man muttered, forcing himself upright and clutching at his throat. "You're in trouble now," he coughed, massaging his injured windpipe.

"Why?" Britt demanded.

"When the boss finds out about this you're dead."

"If you don't take us to your boss then you're dead," Britt countered.

"Yeah right."

Britt grabbed his t-shirt again, pressing him into the back seat. "Take us to your boss."

"Or what?" the man sneered.

Kato yanked on the wheel, pulling the car over to a hasty stop. He turned in the seat to look at the man. "Or I drag you out of this car and I kick your ass."

The man swallowed - painfully. He looked at Britt, then back at Kato. He put his hands up slowly. "Look - I don't want to get hurt again, ok? But the boss - the boss will kill me if I take you in."

"It's ok, dude," Britt said, letting go of his t-shirt. "We just want to talk to him, ok?"

"Him?"

"Yeah - We just want to make a deal."

The man eyed him. "Yeah right. You killed the DA - everyone knows you just don't give a shit," he said. "We know who you are. The boss knows who you are. You get in there you'll be dead on sight."

"That's because the boss hasn't heard my distribution offer," Britt said.

The man paused. "Your what?"

"We can help with distribution," Kato said. "But we need to talk to the boss."

"S-seriously?" he stuttered. "You want in?"

"That's for bosses to decide," Britt said in his best, biggest voice.

The man looked from one of them to the other. "Uh… right."

Kato turned back in the seat and checked the streets before putting it into gear. "Where to?"

The man swallowed, looking at the back of his head, then up at Britt.

Kato turned and leant his elbow over the seat. He glared. "Where to?"

"Head - head on up here - then take a left. I'll take you in."

Britt pushed him back in the seat, patting at his shoulder. "There, see? No need for any unpleasantness."

Kato glanced at him in the rear view mirror, then looked back at the street. And as he took a left, he hoped against hope he would not get to say 'I told you so'.