Dopplegänger
VI.
Kin Sankaku took a deep drag on his cigarette and blew the smoke towards Tojo and Hoshie. "One of the secrets to my success is being one step ahead of the law." He explained, tapping the ashes from his fag into an ashtray. "I have a few well placed members of the NYCPD in my employ, shall we say, and they let me know what's going on before it actually happens. Information of this kind doesn't come cheaply, but it would be far more expensive to me if I did NOT have it."
"So that's how you knew about the gold shipment?" Tojo asked, coughing from the cigarette smoke.
"Yes, my connections tipped me off as to what was going to happen, but not how." Sankaku replied, "but once I knew what I needed to look for it was easy enough to hack into the various computer systems to get that information, as you yourself already discovered."
"There's still no way we are going to empty that vault." Tojo replied, "even if I can disable the security systems. You're talking about several tons of material."
"Yes, but it seems that you've brought us a little luck in that regard." Sankaku laughed.
"I don't understand." the boy replied.
"Your little museum caper made the news big time." Sankaku explained. "The police have had a vague description of you from your foolish strong arm robberies with that tong gang you've been hanging with. Only they seem to have mistaken someone else for you. My police informant let me know who they had called in for questioning, someone well know in our native land."
"Who?"
"A professor Ochanomizu of the Ministry of Science."
"What does he have to do with this?" Tojo asked.
"It means that Astro Boy is in NYC with him." Sankaku replied. "We are going to lay a little trap for the pompous professor. Once we have him as our guest we will be able to convince Astro to help us move that gold. There is an abandoned subway tunnel under the bank that leads to the river. Many years ago a project to tunnel from Manhattan to Staten Island was abandoned as being too expensive, but a subway line that would have linked up to that tunnel had already been partially bored. That subway tunnel was sealed up when the crossing under the river was abandoned, but we can break into it and use it to transport the gold out of there. I've got a small truck that will fit inside that tunnel, we only need to break through into the bank and carry out the gold. That's something that Astro would have no difficulty doing for us. He will be more than happy to help us, in order to insure the safety of his guardian."
Tojo waited outside of the hotel standing by the entrance to the IRT subway. He took another drag on the cigarette that he had secreted from the silver box on Kim Sankaku's desk. Coughing a bit from the tobacco smoke which he wasn't quite used to yet, he dropped the half burned fag onto the street and extinguished it with the sole of his shoe. He checked his watch again to make sure of the time. The old professor had made a ritual of leaving the hotel every morning to grab breakfast at the Japanese restaurant across the street from the hotel. It was fairly obvious that the reason this Ochanomizu had chosen this particular hotel was because of the restaurant just across the narrow street to the north of it. He'd never seen the robot kid accompany the old man into the eatery, which made some sense, robots don't need to eat. Finally, after he'd been standing next to the subway kiosk for nearly a half hour he spotted his prey crossing the street. Tojo pressed the call button on his cell phone. He'd done his part of the job for now.
The Professor opened the door and walked in. As usual, Higeoyaji ushered him over to a table near the window right away. "Good morning Mustachio," Ochanomizu replied.
"The usual coming right up," the short, nearly bald headed man joked, setting a cup of steaming hot green tea on the table in front of the professor. "So how much longer are you going to be in NYC?" he asked.
"Astro and I were going to leave tomorrow, but somethings come up." The professor replied. "What about you?"
"My brother was released from the hospital yesterday." Higeoyaji replied. "He expects to come back to work in two weeks. I'll stick around until he can handle the place full time, then I'll return to Tokyo."
"He's lucky to have such a good sibling." Ochanomizu replied. "How did he come to America anyway?"
"That's a long story that I'll have to tell you sometime." Mustachio laughed. "The short version is simple, he fell in love with an American tourist and the two of them agreed to live together in New York. He always wanted to operate a restaurant, and it was actually easier to start a successful Japanese style one in New York than in Tokyo. So he stayed, even after he split up with her."
"Yeah, it's easier to immigrate to America than it is to Japan." Ochanomizu laughed.
"Well my brother never really gave up his Japanese citizenship." Higeoyaji said, handing the professor a large bag. "Here's your order, take out as usual."
"I'd eat it here, but I feel guilty leaving Astro by himself for that long." the professor said.
"He doesn't mind and you know that." Mustachio replied. "I bet he's busy playing some video game on the cable TV."
"That he is." Ochanomizu laughed, as he headed for the door. "I'll be back later."
The professor exited the restaurant and started walking toward the cross walk. He pressed the button for the walk signal, even as many of the native New Yorkers simply J walked across the red signal. Ochanomizu laughed, he couldn't get over how different this city was from Tokyo where the locals usually obeyed the traffic signals religiously.
The walk signal turned green just as a large stretched Cadillac limo stopped just in front of the crosswalk. The right front doors of the automobile quickly opened and two burly men in perfectly fitted and pressed suits jumped out and grabbed the professor, pulling him into the car. The automobile quickly ran through the red signal, making a right turn heading in the uptown direction.
Higeoyaji just happened to notice the professor's abduction out of the corner of his eye though the window of the restaurant. He ran out into the street and ran after the automobile. Traffic was just heavy enough to allow him to catch up to it long enough to read the vehicle's tag numbers, and he quickly dialed the police and reported the incident. He then remembered Astro was alone up in the hotel. Mustachio then called the hotel and asked for the professor's room. The phone rang twice before the boy robot answered it.
"Hakase?" Astro asked, picking up the phone.
"No Astro it's me, Mustachio"
"Hi teacher! I didn't know you were in New York."
"That's another story, Astro." Higeoyaji replied. "Ochanomizu Hakase was just here picking up his breakfast when several men in a black limo grabbed him and forced him in their car. I've already called the police and given them the plate number, 773-ART".
"Thank's Teacher, I'll ought to go out and look for the car with that plate number." Astro replied.
"I don't know if it would be a good idea for you to go flying around NYC, Astro. You're kind of a big secret you know."
"Yeah, that's true." There was a clicking on the line and then a buzz. "I think I've got another call coming in." Astro said. "Hold on."
Astro clicked the switch hook on the phone and the call waiting replaced Higeoyaji with someone else.
"Hello Astro," a strange voice greeted him. "I've got a friend of yours with me who'd like to talk to you." A few seconds later, Professor Ochanomizu's voice came on the line.
"Astro it's me."
"Where are you Hakase? Are you alright?"
"It seems I'm being taken for a ride by a bunch of goons. They haven't told me what they want from me, but I suspect they want something from you."
"That's enough" a voice in the background said as the phone was grabbed away from the professor and another voice came on the line.
"OK Astro now you know that I have the professor in my company. He'll be treated with respect for now, but if you don't agree to help me you won't see him in such good health again."
"You better not hurt him or I'll hunt you down!" Astro snarled.
"Now, now, there's no need for that." the voice on the phone answered. "Please be at Grand Central Station in an hour. Just walk into the large open common area and stand there. Someone will contact you. Oh, and please do not tell anyone where you are going, especially the police. This little business is just between the two of us." 'Click.' The phone went dead. Astro clicked on the switch hook several times.
"Astro?" Mustachio's voice came back.
"You're still there, teacher?" Astro asked.
"Yes, the line never hung up." he said. "Did the kidnappers call you?"
"Yes teacher, they want to meet with me or they won't let Hakase go! They told me not to tell anybody where I was going, especially the police!"
"Astro, kidnappers always say that!" Mustachio replied. "You know I was a detective. I can help."
"I guess so." Astro sobbed. "If I tell you please don't call the police!"
"I'm not sure that's the best idea, but I agree. Tell me where you have to meet them."
"They said to be in the large common area at Grand Central Station in an hour and they would find me." Astro replied.
"Very cagey of them." Mustachio answered, "Meeting in a large crowded place. I'll get there before you and stake the place out. Do you know how to get there?"
"I'm not too sure."
"Just take the subway to 42 street. You can get into the station from the subway exit underground."
"OK teacher thanks!"
"Don't worry Astro. Everything will be just fine. We'll get Ochanomizu Hakase back."