Chapter 15: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
[Author's Note: Yes, we're jumping forward in time a little bit here. My thought was that Ryo getting that job at New Yokosuka Harbor would intermingle well with Cathy and Kondo's investigation storyline.]
Japan's Kanagawa Prefecture was getting its first heavy snowfall as 1986 was starting to wind down and 1987 was making its way there. However, that didn't stop the various citizens from going about their traditional holiday activities and traditions.
The shopkeepers still manned their respective shops, the students were off from school, and Santa Maeno was making his usual rounds walking the streets of Dobuita spreading his seasonal holiday cheer. In keeping with a yearly Japanese custom common to the holiday season, many of the women in the community wore vibrantly colored Kimonos when they were out and about.
However, the cheerful and wintery vibes of the time in no way slowed down young Ryo Hazuki's equally personal and dogged inquiries into the people and events associated with his father's murder. Unbeknownst to either Cathy Wilkens or John Kondo, he had secured himself a job as a forklift operator moving freight for the Alpha Trading Company, based out of New Yokosuka Harbor.
This was done for two reasons. Firstly, Ryo had received information from someone with connections to the Chi You Men that their leader, Lan Di, had gone back to Hong Kong. When other fundraising efforts proved unsuccessful, he decided to take a former bully of his up on his offer to find him a job.
Secondly, he had heard through the grapevine that the Mad Angels had connections to the harbor, so therefore, he thought that getting the forklift operator position would allow him easier access to the various areas throughout the harbor, all the while enabling him to, hopefully, gather more information about the insidious gang and how they might be connected to the Chi You Men.
Harbor Lounge
New Yokosuka Harbor
December 23, 1986
12:00 PM
Cathy Wilkens entered the Harbor Lounge, New Yokosuka Harbor's recreational break area, complete with a jukebox, a pair of electronic dart games, and a small Tomato Convenience Store kiosk. She had just paid the kiosk clerk for the caramel-flavored candy bar she had just bought when she happened to look to her left, where she saw Ryo Hazuki playing one of the dart games.
She gave the young female clerk a grateful nod before placing her candy bar in the side pocket of her sweater vest and making her way over to Ryo.
"Ryo?" Cathy called out.
Ryo paused his dart game once again, at which point he turned to see the attractive female petty officer standing a few feet away. "Oh," he said, "Hello Cathy-san."
"Hello," Cathy parroted, "Some people around the harbor told me you were working here these days. How's everything going so far?"
"It's been a bit of an adjustment," Ryo replied in a very plainspoken tone, "We have these forklift races every morning before shift. I keep ending up in last place."
Cathy chuckled. "Bummer," she said, "I wouldn't worry too much about it, though. You're a smart guy, Ryo. I'm sure you'll get the hang of things in no time."
Ryo gave Cathy an appreciative bow in response. "I appreciate it, Cathy-san" he said.
"You're welcome," Cathy replied, "Do you have any plans for the holidays?"
The very hell-bent Japanese teenager didn't quite know how to answer such a question. "Umm," Ryo said, "Not really. My good friend, Nozomi, has been trying to reach out to me to spend some time together before the New Year."
"I see," Cathy said, "My best advice would be for you not to leave her hanging. She seems like a really good friend."
Ryo nodded. "Thank you for your concern as always, Cathy-san" he replied.
"Anytime," Cathy said, "Merry Christmas, Ryo-san."
She then left the lounge, at which point Ryo resumed his dart game.
New Warehouse District
12:15 PM
About 15 minutes later, John Kondo was checking out some of the large freight containers in the harbor's New Warehouse District. He had received a complaint from one of the cargo supervisors about a container that shouldn't be there.
He went around to the farthest right side of the container, knowing that's where the name of the originating company would be displayed. The raggedy and nearly faded white lettering read: "KANAGAWA JAVA: CONTAINER #55017".
"Son of a bitch," he muttered under his breath. "Kanagawa Java" was the phony company that Kondo and Cathy had previously determined was a front for the Mad Angels' illegal contraband shipping operation.
He briefly glanced around the immediate area around him before he saw 2 tall Japanese men whom he recognized as maintenance personnel.
"Hey!" he called out.
The taller of the pair was the first to respond. "Yes?" he replied, "Can we help you?"
Kondo glanced down at the second man's toolbox that he was holding before holding up his badge. "I'm with U.S. Navy law enforcement," he explained, "Do you guys have a crowbar in that toolbox by chance?"
The men did indeed have a large crowbar in the toolbox, and a few minutes later, Kondo was in the process of prying open the large lock on the container. The device finally gave way, at which point the side door of the container became ajar. Kondo handed the crowbar back to one of the maintenance men before pulling the door open further, at which point he became stunned at what he saw inside.
Many packaged kilos of cocaine were stacked in large piles. It was the biggest number of narcotics that the now floored NSIC agent had seen in one place at one time.
"Hey guys?" Kondo said to the men.
"Yes?" the toolbox-carrying maintenance man replied.
"Would you mind calling base security for me, please?" Kondo asked, "I think we're going to need them here right away."