PRIMAL Fury (The PRIMAL Series) (48 page)

The engines of the Eurocopter screamed as the blades bit into the air and the helicopter lurched off the pad. Bishop and Aleks watched its flashing navigation lights disappear into the darkness.

“Dawn’s only an hour away,” Bishop told Aleks. “Let’s exploit what we can and get all our PRIMAL gear back in the van.”

The isolation of the
oyabun
’s residence had meant there were no neighbors to alert the police. They would have time to do a thorough search for anything of intelligence value.

“What about the girl?” Aleks asked.

“We’ll leave her here. Baiko can arrange for the body to be returned to her family.”

Aleks gave him a concerned look. “You going to be OK?”

“You mean about her?”

Aleks nodded.

“She was a threat to my team. It’s as simple as that.”

“A hard decision, boss. But I think you did the right thing.”

“Doesn’t make it any easier.”

“True,” Aleks agreed. “But the day it becomes easy is the day we become like those we hunt.”

“That’s what I’m afraid off.” Bishop dialed Baiko. He had some explaining to do.

Baiko sped past the guardhouse up the winding driveway and parked his sedan in front of the mansion, next to a now bullet-ridden black Mercedes. Two police officers were busy inspecting the vehicle.

Bishop was waiting next to the PRIMAL team’s white van, parked twenty meters away. Aleks sat inside behind the wheel.

“Agent Wilson.” The veteran investigator approached and held out his hand.

“Inspector Baiko.” Bishop shook his hand. “Pretty savage gunfight we missed.”

Aleks and Bishop had spent the last hour going over the battle scene. They had packed away all their assault equipment and weapons and scoured the manor for anything of intelligence value. The
oyabun
’s office had been particularly interesting: They had recovered two laptops and a handful of hard drives stored in a safe. Then they had used two Mori-Kai assault rifles to shoot up their borrowed Yamaguchi Mercedes, changed out of their CAT armor, and waited for Baiko to arrive.

Baiko looked at the battle-scarred manor, then ran his eye over the destroyed Yamaguchi vehicle. “It would certainly seem that way. When did you get here?”

“About an hour ago. I got a tip from one of my sources in the Yamaguchi-gumi. By the time I got here the attack was over.”

“So you had nothing to do with this?” Baiko gestured toward the car. Bullet casings lay scattered over the driveway.

“I’ve had a look around. But like I said, it was all over when I got here. I mean, I passed a few black Mercedes on the way here but that’s all I saw of the Yamaguchi.”

“So it wasn’t you who tipped them off that the mayor of Himeji was the head of the Mori-Kai?” he asked with raised eyebrows.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Bishop winked.

“Did you find the girl you were looking for?”

Any joviality disappeared from Bishop’s face. “We did. Or at least we found her body. She must have been killed in the attack.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

Bishop nodded. “So I guess you’re going to want to get on with your investigation.”

“Yes. You sure you didn’t see anything else?”

“No, just the aftermath. The Yamaguchi must have torn through this place like a whirlwind.”

“Yes, it would seem that the Mori-Kai severely underestimated the Yamaguchi-gumi.”

“To their detriment.” Bishop offered Baiko his hand. “Good luck sorting it all out.”

CHAPTER 86

KOBE CITY MEDICAL CENTER

“I hate hospitals. They depress the shit out of me.” Bishop and Aleks had left the mansion just after dawn, going directly to the Yamaguchi safe house to dump their equipment. So it was almost midday before they arrived at the Kobe City Medical Center.

“I know what you mean. Every time I go to one they always have bad news,” Aleks replied.

Bishop spotted Saneh sitting in the emergency department waiting area. She looked weary but still beautiful.

“Any news?” Bishop handed her a backpack with a change of clothes in it.

She took the bag without looking him in the eye. “Kenta came out of surgery an hour ago; he’s stable. The bullet lodged within an inch of his heart. They got it out and say he’ll make a full recovery.”

“Kurtz?”

“He has a fractured arm, broken ribs, and his eardrums are damaged. He’s in getting an MRI now. I think he’ll be OK.”

“Any cops been around?” Bishop noticed the stares the three of them were getting from the hospital staff.

“No.”

“Baiko must have warned the local police. You can guarantee that the hospital called them when you rocked up with gunshot wounds.”

“I think you speak too soon,” Aleks whispered.

Two uniformed police officers entered through the emergency department’s sliding doors. They were closely followed by a short-haired Japanese man dressed in a beige suit.

“Baiko. Didn’t expect to see you again so soon.”

“You’ve been very busy, Agent Wilson.” They shook hands.

“That’s not an allegation I can deny.”

Baiko pulled Bishop aside. “Any chance we can talk alone?”

“Sure, I could go for a coffee.”

They walked down the corridor.

“That story you fed me about the Yamaguchi was cute, but it isn’t the truth.”

They stopped in front of an automatic beverage-dispensing machine. Bishop selected a coffee in a can.

“Now wait—”

“Don’t try and deny it. You’ve got two of your team in hospital with blast and gunshot injuries. The job on the Mori-Kai mansion was slick, slicker than anything I’ve seen from the SAT, let alone a bunch of gangsters like the Yamaguchi.”

“OK, so we might have given them a little help.” He pushed a few coins into the vending machine. “How the hell does this work?”

Baiko punched a button and the can dropped out. “You say you helped just a little?”

“OK, a lot, the FBI has—”

“I know you’re not FBI,” said Baiko. “I checked with the US Embassy.”

“OK, OK,” Bishop responded. “Perhaps I work for another government agency.”

“No, I don’t think you work for any government. You single-handedly destroyed an entire Yakuza clan. That’s not the work of an organization run by politicians and bureaucracy. Mr.
Wilson
.”

Bishop drank from his can and nodded thoughtfully. He knew this discussion had been coming. “All right, you can drop the Wilson crap. My people call me Bishop. And the Mori-Kai, they’re not finished yet.”

“OK, then, Mr. Bishop. Let me help you.”

“You already have. We couldn’t have gotten this far without you.”

Baiko stopped and fixed Bishop with an angry stare. “I want to do more. I’ve achieved more in this last week than during my entire eight years with the Organized Crime Department.”

Bishop did not doubt the man’s sincerity. “I’m sorry, but you’re never going to know who we are. We’re happy to keep providing you with resources and intelligence, but that’s all.”

The policeman nodded. “How do I get in contact with you?”

“Someone will call you and we’ll formalize our arrangement.” Bishop downed his can of coffee and threw it in a bin. They started walking back toward the emergency ward. “First things first, we need to wrap up what’s left of the Mori-Kai. Our people will be working through the intel we pulled off the
oyabun
’s place.”

“If there is evidence I will need it for my investigation.”

Bishop nodded. “I should have all the details to you within the next few days. I’m guessing there will be some very interesting videos on the hard drives we found in the mayor’s safe.”

“And what about Superintendent Supervisor Tanaka?”

“Don’t worry about him.” Bishop pointed the way down the hall. “Right now I need to introduce you to Kenta, our Yamaguchi contact.”

The two men arrived back at the waiting room. Saneh had changed into jeans and a pullover. The two police officers were talking with one of the medical staff.

“Kenta’s awake but they won’t let anyone see him,” said Saneh.

“We’ll see about that.” Baiko joined the discussion with the doctors, pulling out his identification. They spoke briefly in Japanese, then Baiko turned back to Bishop. “You and I can go in and see him.”

Saneh picked up her bag. “Aleks and I will go see Kurtz. Meet you in the waiting room.”

Baiko and Bishop followed the nurse down the hall to another ward. Kenta was in a room of his own with two dark-suited Yamaguchi standing guard at his door. They admitted the two men with a curt nod to Bishop. Kenta was hooked up to an arsenal of machines. Lines ran out of his arm and his nose, sensors clung to his chest. His eyes were open.

“Bishop, you saved me,” he croaked.

“You wouldn’t need saving if you didn’t charge into every gunfight like an enraged bull.” Bishop grasped the man’s hand. “You’re looking a lot better now.”

“Did you find the girl?” Kenta asked.

Bishop looked down, a lump in his throat. “In a way. We took the Mori-Kai leaders down, that’s the main thing.”

“Who’s your policeman friend?” Kenta nodded toward the door, where Baiko stood waiting.

“Nothing slips past you, does it? Baiko’s the one who’s been helping us.” Bishop took a deep breath. “The two of you will be working together to finish the Mori-Kai.”

“Working with the FBI is one thing. The Yamaguchi-gumi don’t work with cops.”

“Kenta, you know I don’t work for the FBI. I work for an independent organization that specializes in dealing with people like the Mori-Kai. Baiko is now our representative here in Japan.”

“And you’re happy to work with Yakuza?” Kenta asked the policeman.

“The Yakuza is your family as the police is mine. Together we can be a formidable force.”

“A cop who talks sense.” He broke into a weak smile. “I like you already, Baiko.”

“Good, now if you will excuse me, gentlemen, I need to check on one of my team members.” Bishop made for the door. “Oh, and we’ll be in touch soon.”

He smiled as he strode down the corridor, the death of Karla pushed from his mind for a few brief moments. Then he saw Aleks and Saneh in the waiting area, concern etched on their faces. “What’s up with Kurtz?”

“He’s gone!” Saneh said, distraught.

“Gone? What do you mean gone?”

“None of the staff know where he is. He walked out of the hospital and disappeared.” She held out an iPRIMAL. “He left this on his bed.”

“Aleks, what’s going on?”

“I don’t know. I think the girl dying was too much. I think he is done with us.”

“You pushed him away.” Tears ran down Saneh’s cheeks. “I told you something like this would happen.”

“You’ve got to keep it together, Saneh. Kurtz is a big boy, he makes his own decisions. We need to finish the mission. There’s one last loose end that needs tying up.”

Saneh wiped the tears from her face. “What’s that?”

“Not what,
who
.”

CHAPTER 87

OSAKA

“That’s correct, compliments of the new
oyabun
.” One of Kenta’s men spoke into the phone in Japanese. “Yes, sir, I will inform him…Yes, sir, we’ll bring her right up.” He ended the call and handed the phone to Bishop. “The policeman is confused, wanted to know who the new
oyabun
was.”

“Will he accept her?” Bishop asked.

“There is no way he can refuse.”

Saneh and Bishop were sitting in the back of a black Mercedes van that the Yamaguchi had picked them up in. Aleks had taken the white PRIMAL van to the airport, having been tasked to return their equipment and arrange extraction.

“Saneh, are you good to go?” Bishop’s eyes lingered on her shapely legs.

She was dressed in a tan trench coat. Her hair was down and she wore the makeup of a woman with the intent to impress. Dark red lips, smoky eyes, and accented cheekbones. The coat fell short of her six-inch heels and sheer stockings. The rest was left up to the imagination.

“I’m fine.”

“OK, let’s get rolling,” Bishop ordered the Yamaguchi driver.

The van pulled out onto the street. It was eleven in the evening and the traffic was light.

Bishop placed his hand on her shoulder. “If you lose control or there are any issues I’ll be straight in.”

Saneh removed his hand and adjusted her earpiece, covering it with her hair. “I’ve got this, Aden.”

“I know but I’ll be damned if I’m going to let anything happen to you.”

They traveled a short distance and the driver pulled the van into a loading bay in the front of a condominium block.

“You clear on what you need to do?” Bishop asked the Yamaguchi helper.

“
Hai,
I take the girl up to apartment seven on the fifth floor and leave her with the client.”

“Correct. I’ll be right behind you. If anything happens I’ll take care of it.” Bishop turned back to Saneh. “Once this is done we’re going straight to the airport and then home.”

“Let’s just get this over and done with.”

Kenta’s man took her by the arm as they left the van. He punched the number of the apartment into the intercom and the door buzzed. Bishop slipped in after them and made for the fire stairs while Saneh was chaperoned into the elevator.

Saneh did her best to look intimidated and confused as she was shoved through the doorway into the apartment.

“Do you speak English?” Superintendent Supervisor Tanaka asked from where he was sitting in the corner of the room.

“A little.” She looked down at the floor.

“Drop the coat.”

Saneh did as she was told and dropped the beige garment to the floor, revealing a lingerie-clad body with a hint of muscle beneath the womanly curves.

“Well, well, well, what have we got here?”

Saneh stood timidly, her hands clasped together in front of her panties, breasts straining against the lace fabric of her bra.

The policeman reached out and stroked her hair. “Quite the exotic beauty, aren’t you?”

Saneh looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

“Don’t cry. You and I are going to have so much fun.”

He grabbed her by the hair and dragged her across the room. She whimpered as he flung her onto the bed.

“You OK?” Bishop’s voice came through her earpiece.

“Yes,” she mumbled.

“What did you say?” Tanaka demanded as he undid his belt.

“Nothing.” Saneh turned to face him.

“Listen, you
gaijin
whore. The only thing I want out of your mouth is this.” He dropped his pants.

“I wonder what your mother would say if she heard you speak to a woman like that.” Saneh dropped the submissive act as quickly as she had dumped the trench coat.

The look of surprise on Tanaka’s face was rapidly replaced by rage. “What did you say?”

He stepped forward and his feet caught in his pants, tripping him. He swung a punch as he fought for balance. Saneh ducked and lashed out with a blow of her own. The palm of her hand collided with his nose and a stream of blood jetted out onto the carpet.

Tanaka didn’t go down. His police career had started on the street in an era of brutal riots and gang wars. He had been shot, stabbed, and beaten but along the way he had learned to be a survivor. Office work had softened, but not completely blunted his skills.

He staggered sideways, stepping out of his pants as he lashed out with his left fist, driving it into Saneh’s midsection. The blow met the resistance of a lean fighter’s physique but still knocked the wind out of her.

“
Baita ni makoto nashi
,” he growled as he wiped the blood from his face.

Saneh fought for breath as she struck a fighter’s pose.

“I don’t know who you think you are—”

The door to the room burst open and Bishop strode in wearing a balaclava.

Tanaka whirled. “Who the fuck are you?”

Bishop marched across the room and floored the police officer with a right cross. Kevlar-lined knuckles connected with the side of the man’s head and rendered him unconscious before he hit the carpet.

“
What the hell, Aden? I had this under control.”

“I wasn’t taking the chance.” He shrugged off his backpack and took out a nylon wall
et. Inside was a compressed air injector that used gold nanoparticles to deliver chemicals through the skin. A puff of air later and Tanaka was dosed up with a mild sedative. “Jesus, you did a number on his nose.” Bishop lifted the pantsless police officer up onto the bed.

Saneh opened Tanaka’s small overnight bag, which sat at the foot of his bed. “Oh my god,” she exclaimed in disgust.

“What is it?” Bishop asked as he removed a video camera from his backpack and set it up on a tripod in the corner of the room.

“Look what’s in the case.”

The bag was full of sex toys, ranging from dildos and vibrators to handcuffs and surgical implements. There was also a roll of tape, garbage bags, and cable ties.

“This sicko had a big night planned.” Bishop glanced at his watch and handed Saneh her coat. “You head downstairs and get our Yamaguchi friend to call the cops. I’ll finish up here.”

She took the coat and headed for the door.

Bishop placed a half-empty bottle of whiskey in the unconscious man’s hand. He made sure it had a good set of finger prints on it then removed the lid. Using a rubber tube, he poured some whiskey directly down Tanaka’s throat before placing it on the side table. Next to it he placed a bottle of pills, the same sedative that he had injected into the policeman’s blood stream.

“Bishop, the police have been called.” Saneh’s voice came over his earpiece. “They’re on their way.”

“I’m just finishing up.” Bishop took a portable DVD player from his backpack, flipped open the screen, and placed it on the side table next to the drugs and whiskey. He pressed play and the LCD screen came alive with images of Tanaka raping a young white girl. The video was only one among hundreds that had been found at the Mori-Kai
oyabun
’s residence. “Try to explain that, you sick fuck.”

Bishop picked up his backpack and pulled the door shut behind him. A minute later he was out of the building and in the van.

As they accelerated down the road, Bishop ripped off his balaclava and spoke to the Yamaguchi driver. “Private terminal, please. We’ve got a plane to catch.”