Chapter 16: The Big Seizure

New Warehouse District
New Yokosuka Harbor
1:00 PM

With the discovery of about $50,000 worth of neatly packaged heroin in a storage container, John Kondo had gotten authorization to call in investigative teams from both the American military and the Japanese Harbor authorities.

Lieutenant Erica Bellis had also been summoned, and with her, half of the Military Police investigators from the 7th Fleet's company. Two of them were in the process of photographing, documenting, collecting, and removing the container's substantially felonious contents when she arrived.

"Agent Kondo," she greeted.

"Afternoon, Lieutenant" Kondo replied.

"I hear that you stumbled on quite the find," Bellis said.

The always humble Kondo shrugged his shoulders. "Sure," he replied, "You can call it that, I guess. Our early estimates suggest that all that heroin is worth Fifty-Thousand American Dollars."

"Wow," Bellis said, "How'd you end up finding all of it to begin with?"

"The cargo supervisor from one of the trading companies reported it just after noon," Kondo explained, "The base operator transferred the call over to our task force when she heard him mention 'Kanagawa Java'. Cathy arranged with all the operators to have any call referencing that name immediately patched over to us."

"And that's because you and she figured out that this 'Kanagawa Java' company was a shell company that's being used as a front for what we now know is narcotics smuggling," Bellis inferred.

"Yes, ma'am" Kondo replied, "We believe that the Mad Angels have some kind of connection to someone with more pull around here that could actually help them set up the phony company."

"Where's Petty Officer Wilkens now?" Bellis asked.

"Back at the office," Kondo said, "She's interviewing the cargo supervisor who called it in."

Bellis nodded. "I see," she replied, "Well, we're going to be busy out here documenting and cataloging all the drug packages for a while. Why don't you go join her at the office and see what kind of progress she's made."

7th Fleet Military Police Company
20 Minutes Later

Kondo entered the MP Company and walked into the conference room, where he found Cathy Wilkens interviewing a middle-aged man in brown coveralls and work boots.

"Cathy," he softly called to her from the open doorway.

Cathy excused herself and turned to see that her partner was now in the room, at which point she walked over to him. "Hey," she said before motioning to the man sitting at the opposite end of the conference table.

"This is Paul Greckland," she continued, "He's the cargo supervisor for a company called Komatsu Cargo. He's the one who first caught sight of that cargo container you found. So far, all he's told me is that he found the container while checking on one of his company's deliveries in the New Warehouse District."

Kondo nodded before taking a seat beside Cathy at the table opposite Paul Greckland.

Paul Greckland was an American white man in his mid 40's of medium height whose long light brown hair was currently locked behind a white hard hat bearing the Komatsu Cargo company logo. He also had a very thick brown goatee on his face.

"Hello Mister Greckland," Kondo politely greeted, "I'm Petty Officer Wilkens' partner, John Kondo, from Naval Security and Investigative Command. What else can you tell us about how you came to find that 'Kanagawa Java' freight container?"

Greckland shrugged. "I was doing my normal rounds through the New Warehouse District," he began explaining, "I just so happened to turn that particular corner and happened to see this big, old container smack-dab in a place where I don't think it would normally be."

"Why do you say that sir?" Cathy asked.

"Well," Greckland replied, "According to our paperwork, any deliveries from 'Kanagawa Java' are supposed to be routed to the Old Warehouse District, not the new one. I think the Mad Angels are trying to pull a fast one on you all."

Cathy and Kondo traded looks. "Uh..." a momentarily flummoxed Cathy interjected, "I don't believe we made any mention of the Mad Angels, sir."

With their suspicions about Paul Greckland's possible involvement having now been aroused, Cathy and Kondo detained him for further investigation, necessitating the cargo supervisor's stay in one of the MP Company's holding cells.

Cathy and Kondo had spent the remainder of that afternoon going through Komatsu Cargo's huge plethora of personnel files, trying to find any sort of possible link between any other employee and the Mad Angels. Finding none for the moment by 5:00 that evening, the pair decided to suspend their efforts until the next day.

The company attorney for Komatsu Cargo was evidently tied up with other more pressing matters and had told Kondo by phone that he would be at the MP Company the next morning to confer with Mr. Greckland. As such, Kondo agreed to stay overnight to watch over him.

Kondo had fallen asleep at his desk by around 1:30 the next morning. He suddenly found himself being shaken awake by someone, at which point he grunted with vexation.

"Agent Kondo," a young male voice said, "Sir?"

The exhausted agent opened his eyes to find Master at Arms Richard Woods, one of the 7th Fleet's newest military policemen, standing at his side. The young MP was a handsome 6'1 American black man in his mid-20's who was dressed in full Navy attire.

"What is it, Woods?" Kondo inquired.

"There's some kind of ruckus down behind Warehouse Seventeen," Woods explained, "Details are sketchy right now, but a fight was reported down there. Harbor Security's already on scene."

Kondo struggled to his feet and put his suit coat on. "Understood," he said, "Do me a favor and call Petty Officer Wilkens and Chief Desmond back in, please. I have a feeling that this has something to do with our Mad Angels investigation."

"Yes, sir" Woods said before picking up the phone nearest to him.

Kondo arrived at Warehouse #17 in the New Warehouse District within 10 minutes and was greeted by quite the sight. Approximately 11 people, all of whom were men, were being loaded into ambulances both from the local Amnihama hospital and the military base. The perplexed agent found Cathy Wilkens talking to one of the harbor security guards.

"Hey Cathy," Kondo greeted.

"Morning, Johnny" Cathy replied, "I made it here as soon as Woods called. Chief Desmond's on his way from his quarters now."

"What the hell went on here?" Kondo bluntly queried.

"It looks like our young friend Ryo mixed it up with all these punks tonight," Cathy began explaining.

"Go on," Kondo said.

"Harbor security called in a fight," Cathy explained, "The guard who called told the base operator that he thought the Mad Angels were harassing someone, so therefore the Seventh Fleet's MP company got called. Apparently, someone fitting Ryo Hazuki's description kicked all these guys' asses and left the area on a motorcycle with a young Japanese girl riding on the back."

"And who might she be?" Kondo asked.

"I'm thinking that it's a young lady named Nozomi Harasaki," Cathy replied, "I ran into Ryo-san in the Harbor Lounge a while ago and he mentioned to me that this Nozomi had a crush on him."

"So," Kondo said, "I think it stands to reason that the Mad Angels weren't too happy about him poking around their activities. They snatch Nozomi, bring her back here, and coax Ryo here to try and scare him into backing off. Where is Ryo and Nozomi now? Do we know?"

"Home, I imagine" Cathy replied with a shrug of her shoulders before briefly glancing at her watch, "It is almost two a.m. after all."

Kondo sighed deeply. "Alright," he said after a few seconds, "Let's wait for Chief Desmond and we'll get him up to speed on all this. As soon as it gets lighter out, we should go check on Ryo and Nozomi so we can get some real context on what went on here."

"Sounds good," Cathy said.

The pair then took in the goings on of the scene as they awaited their boss' arrival.