Chapter 19 Protect Norikuko
Keith emerged from the bathroom, hearing the commotion in the dining room.
He walked in cautiously, surveying the chaos and arguing that had just started.
Brick, Danny and Jack were all yelling about Norikuko, but nobody was listening to anyone.
He shook his head, then brought his fingers up to his mouth.
He took a deep breath then whistled as loudly as he could.
Silence. Dead silence. Everyone was stunned by the whistle and had stopped the yelling. They all just stared at Keith.
“What in the hell is going on? You guys are yelling at each other without any kind of respect. You can’t communicate if everyone is yelling or talking at the same time.
” He paused, looking at each of them in turn.
“Now, what’s the problem.” Everyone started back in at the same time and Keith whistled again.
“My bad. Jack, you look the most scared here. Why don’t you tell me what’s going on? ”
“It’s Project Norikuko,” he said trembling in place. “They wanna capture this lady to extort the business to give up some projects, then they plan to torture and kill her.”
“WHAT?!” Keith shouted. He turned to Danny. “Give me a break down.”
“Jenny has been using Lance as a go between to Taito-San. She’s ordered the kidnapping and execution of Norikuko Tashugi.”
“Alright. Brick?” Keith asked turning to him.
“This information has been hidden from me. I’m sorry that I didn’t believe you last year.
That drive by was meant for the Tashugi’s.
Jack confirmed that is covered on page fifty-three.
There’s a lot of text messages and phone calls here to sift through, but the immediate danger is to Norikuko and Noboko.
It seems that Jenny has a plan, and she’s sending Millard to Japan. ”
“Are you shitting me?” Keith asked incredulously. “How in the hell is she going to get Millard out of the country, much less to Japan?”
“The same way she did it before,” Jack said in a squeaky voice. “Fake ID through Mexico.”
“What do you mean, before?” Keith asked.
“That’s why we were all arguing,” Brick started. “Millard is the one who actually killed Nobuko. Jenny was pissed that he killed him without getting the machine.”
“And so was Taito-San,” Danny confirmed.
“Millard was torturing Nobuko with a heated family ring like putting out a cigarette in the flesh, trying to get him to give up the location of his prediction machine.” He paused as he gulped.
“But Millard pushed it too hard and caused Nobuko to have a seizure then die.”
“So, Nobuko wasn’t supposed to be killed?” Keith asked with surprise.
“No, he was,” Danny replied. “Just not before he gave up the location of the machine and the algorithm.”
“Then Millard wasn’t just there as muscle to assist Taito-San. He was there on another execution!” Brick stated with an eerie calmness. “That man is an absolute monster. He doesn’t care who he kills.”
“You’ve got that right,” Jack said. “That asshole nearly got all of us just an hour ago.”
“He was the one I heard?” Brick asked.
“No, that would be Benny, his nephew. He stepped on a broken bottle while he was trying to get into position to shoot at Keith,” Jack said. “That’s why you heard him.”
“How do you know that?” Keith asked in disbelief. Jack held up his cell phone, screen out.
“Text messages between Jenny and Millard,” he said, pointing to the screen. “Millard had to explain how he missed us. Let me tell you, Jenny is PISSED!”
“Let me see that,” Keith said, grabbing the phone. “Are you telling me that you are receiving all the messages being sent to Jenny?”
“NO! I’m receiving everything that she receives. Phone calls, text messages, emails and browsing data.” He smiled. “I told you I cloned her phone.”
“You idiot!” Brick declared. “If she finds out, she can track us!”
“No, Brick. I’m tracking her,” Jack corrected. “She’s in the west bottoms right now.”
“Near the American Royal,” Brick mused. “But how do we get a Judge to sign off on this?”
“Simple,” Keith said. “You didn’t ask Jack to do this, did you?”
“No, I didn’t. I had a covert warrant for his research into their finances at Marsdens Investments. I never asked for this,” he said pointing at the table.
“Then it’s voluntary information being supplied by a CI. You get your warrant. I’ve gotta call Jeff. I’m going to need all the Pimico resources if I’m going to protect Norikuko.” He moved away from the table. “Danny, you and Jack keep going through all this; I’ve gotta make a call.”
“Sure thing, Keith,” Danny said and turned to Jack. “Looks like you just joined the research team.” They smiled at each other and started going through the papers on the table.
“Jeff,” Keith said into his cell phone. “I need you to lock this down to secure comms! Good. I need you to get us plane tickets to Tokyo. We’re going to Japan to protect Norikuko.
” He listened for a moment. “That’s right.
I need your linguistic skills since you speak Japanese and I don’t.
So pack an overnight bag. I’ll call Tanaka-San, then come to safe house two to get me for the airport. Right. ASAP.”
“Judge Murdaugh said he needs the evidence in front of him for him to sign off on a warrant for Jenny Easthaus. Are these the only copies?”
“No,” Jack said. “I made others and mailed them to Marvin like you instructed me to.” Jack laughed then smiled. “It’s funny.”
“What’s that?” Danny asked while looking at him curiously.
“The Marsden family is going down on their own documents, printed in their own offices and mailed from them on their dime,” Jack said and laughed again. “Poetic justice?” Everyone laughed.
Keith sent a text to Randy to update him that he’d be taking over the protection detail as he’d be leaving for a few days. After that he texted Roddy Keates, giving him the update on the investigation, then sent a text to Tanaka-San as warning.
The flight to Japan was quiet on the private jet that Danny procured from DEA Asset Management.
Keith was grateful that he and Jeff didn’t have to wait for a commercial flight out of KCI.
He checked his phone as they were landing in Tokyo, seeing the confirmation from Matt that he’d be waiting with a car for them at the terminal.
Jeff got out first, grabbing the bags, making sure to get them in the car before the customs agent could arrive.
Keith exited and joined Jeff on the ground as the customs agent arrived to check their visa’s and passports, then do a quick bag inspection.
With everything cleared, the agent stamped their entries into Japan then they were allowed to proceed.
Keith got into the passenger seat in the back while Jeff joined Matt up front.
“It’s strange to be sitting where the driver normally is back home,” Jeff observed.
“Tell me about it,” Matt replied. “I’ve been over here for the past five months helping Tanaka-San with his investigation and protection protocols. Torada has been very helpful in gaining access to certain parts of the city that I wouldn’t normally be allowed to go.”
“How’s Toda and Nado?” Jeff asked. “I heard they got into a scuffle.”
“That was more like a light workout for them, Jeff,” Matt laughed. “They kicked ass so fast that I didn’t even have time to pull out my gun.”
“Wait,” Keith called from the back. “Nadokata was in a scrape over here and Tanaka-San didn’t inform me?”
“Well, it happened while you were somewhere over the Pacific. They have been no more than twenty feet away from Norikuko since you sent your message,” Matt replied dryly. “Tanaka-San is nearly furious. He feels so betrayed by Taito-San.”
“With good reason,” Keith replied. “How long until we get to where Norikuko is?”
“Just a couple of minutes,” Matt replied. “Tanaka and Nado set up a safe house for her with Noboko going off to the Kurile Island project.”
“When did Noboko leave?” Keith asked with concern.
“About ten minutes ago with Tanaka-San. He’s vowed to protect the Tashugi line with his own life if necessary as his honor has been challenged.” Matt shook his head. “He’s really taking this quite personally, so he wouldn’t take the No.”
“I don’t blame him. Think about this, Matt.
He just learned that his boss and best friend, Nobuko, was murdered while he was distracted by Taito-San.
Then he finds out that the murderer is none other than Millard ‘The Enforcer’ Calput from the Pendergast Family in Kansas City.
” Keith let out a long breath. “How would you feel about that.”
“Yeah, I guess I’d be kinda pissed off too,” he confirmed. “Here we are,” Matt said as he turned into the building and parked the car. “Welcome to the safehouse. How long are we going to be here?”
“Norikuko!” Keith greeted with a deep bow. “So good to see you again.”
“It is pleasing to see you again, Mr. Dankard. And Jeff, I am happy to see you also. I just wish it were under more pleasant circumstances,” Norikuko said with a soft bow.
“The pleasure is ours,” Jeff said, returning the bow. “We’re at your disposal. Do you know what the plans were?”
“You’ll have to ask Nado,” she replied. “Tanaka-San left him in charge as he went off with my son, Noboko. Both of them are as pig-headed as any man I’ve ever known. Even more so than my late husband, Nobuko or his father Kuroda.”
“That’s saying something,” Keith observed. “Are we staying in Japan or going back to the States?”
Darren was pacing back and forth in the Lab while Mary, Erica and Gina were performing yet another series of tests. He paused beside Mary as she peered into the microscope yet again. “I don’t understand this. That’s similar to Neratuna, but it’s not the same,” Mary said in frustration.
“That’s the same response I’m getting chemically,” Gina replied. “I just don’t get this. It shouldn’t have that reaction.”