Chapter Twenty-Three #2
“And if Kenzo had said no?” Kit asked, at this point buying time. Even if Bob’s thug had killed Lennox and the others, Lennox would have informed Navarro of where they were going. She did things by the book.
Mostly.
Navarro would be sending help. Either way, she needed to keep Bob talking until that help arrived.
“Then he’d go to his grave knowing he was the one who sent his daughter to prison. Either way, he’d be in pain.”
“But he’s dying,” Sam said. “Why not just wait until he was dead to take over?”
“Because that wouldn’t have hurt him,” Bob said. “Unfortunately, he won’t hurt nearly long enough.”
“Bob has been making moves against Kenzo for more than thirty years,” Kit murmured to her sister. “He killed your mother.”
Akiko drew a breath. “So Bob murdered her after Kenzo raped her?”
Kenzo frowned. “I never raped her. I loved her. And she loved me.”
“She was seventeen,” Akiko said.
“Bob seduced Kenzo’s wife, too,” Kit said, still buying time. “And he turned Danny against his father.”
Where’s our backup, Navarro? It’s time to bring in the cavalry.
“And,” Sam added, “he’s also been sabotaging Kenzo’s businesses.
Some of the sabotage has stretched over the past twenty years.
Any new business Kenzo started after his father’s death.
Recently, though, he’s attacked the hotels and the casino, which were the most profitable ventures.
Which seems counterproductive, since his goal appears to be a business takeover. ”
“No,” a new voice said. “The recent attacks were me.”
Kit turned to see Joe Fujioka walking into their circle. He held a gun in his hand, as did the bodyguard who had accompanied him.
Joe’s gun was steady. “Bob, let the girl go.”
Tarzana, Los Angeles, California
Thursday, February 2, 1:25 a.m.
Kenzo was staring up at Joe, shocked bewilderment on his face.
Sam knew how he felt. Joe was behind the recent attacks on Kenzo’s business? Was this what Joe, Nicchi, Ito, and Mary Sherman had been working on? This was how they were protecting Akiko? That didn’t make any sense.
“What is this?” Kenzo asked softly.
“My father has been damaging your businesses,” Bob said.
“All those anonymous calls to the gaming commission? My father. The audits that showed missing money that looked like I stole funds? All the canceled conventions and complaints about your hotels? That was my father, too. He’s trying to take you down. ”
Kenzo pursed his lips. “Is this true?”
“No,” Joe said. “I’ve been trying to take you both down. I wanted you to suspect each other. I wanted you to take each other out.”
Bob stared. “You wanted him to kill me? Your own son?”
Joe shrugged elegantly. “I would have said no before October. But then you sought to use Akiko McKittrick as part of your vendetta against Kenzo. I was going to stop you, by whatever means possible. Once Kenzo knew Akiko existed, he had to go, too.”
“Explain,” Kenzo ordered.
“It’s simple,” Joe said. “Bob wants to cause you maximum damage—personal and professional—before you draw your last breath.”
Kit glanced at Sam. Be ready, she mouthed.
Sam nodded once. Joe and Kenzo were talking to each other like Bob didn’t exist, and that was making Bob very unhappy.
The man was a classic narcissist.
“Why have you betrayed me, then?” Kenzo asked, still sounding dignified.
Joe exhaled wearily. “Because Bob found out about Akiko. He would have used her to hurt you. And I didn’t want you to know about her. Ever.”
“Why?” Kenzo demanded. “Why keep her from me?”
“Because you would have brought her into the business and made her your heir,” Joe said.
“I wanted to keep her safe from you, because you use people. You hurt people. And when they displease you, you kill them. You’ve done it your whole life.
But Bob found out about her. He wanted to use her to hurt you just like he used Danny to hurt you. ”
Bob was grinding his teeth now. Sam didn’t think this was going as the man had planned. Unfortunately, he hadn’t lowered his gun. Now there were four guns in play—Bob’s, Torrence’s, Joe’s, and Joe’s thug’s.
Sam hoped they didn’t start shooting at each other. We’ll be dead.
Sam still had his weapon. It was tucked in his waistband holster, behind his back. If necessary, Sam would defend them, but at least one of those four men was sure to turn his gun on them if Sam fired.
“But why you?” Kenzo pressed. “Why are you involved? Why are you protecting my daughter? I understand why Bob’s doing this. He blames me for the death of his parents.”
“Because you fucking killed them!” Bob snarled.
“My name is Inigo Montoya,” Akiko muttered. “Prepare to die.”
Sam almost laughed, the line from The Princess Bride was so perfect.
Bob glared at Akiko. “Cover Kenzo,” he said to Torrence and turned his gun on Akiko.
Beside Sam, Kit sucked in a disbelieving breath. “You are such a hypocrite,” she said to Bob. “You killed Akiko’s mother, and you have the nerve to stand there being angry that Kenzo killed your parents? And now you’re holding a gun on my sister? What the hell is wrong with you?”
Bob moved his gun so that he aimed at Kit’s head. “I’m going to start with you, Detective. Because I’m tired of hearing you talk.”
Sam moved his hand slowly, going for the gun at his back. He wouldn’t allow Bob to kill Kit, but help came unexpectedly.
“Bob, drop the gun or I will kill you where you stand,” Joe said quietly.
Sam’s gaze whipped to Joe, who was watching his son, his expression cool but determined.
Bob gave his father a look of contempt, but his gun remained pointed at Kit’s head. “You wanted Kenzo to kill me? Your own son? Because of her?” He gestured at Akiko. “You’ve teamed up with Eddie Ito? To protect her? Just tell me why.”
“Allowing Kenzo to kill you,” Joe said, “was the plan. But five minutes ago, I learned that you knew who killed your parents. I had no idea how long you’ve nursed this desire for revenge.
I had no idea it was you who killed Minnie Nakamura.
You are but my adopted son. She was my blood daughter, and you killed her.
So now there’s a new plan.” With no further discussion, he shot his son in the chest.
Wide-eyed, Bob stumbled backward but didn’t fall. There was no blood on his shirt. He wore a vest.
Joe’s next shot found its mark, and this time Bob did fall, a hole in his forehead. His hand opened as he fell, the gun skittering across the shiny gray floor, coming to rest in the middle of the circle.
Akiko’s gasp wasn’t audible over the gunshot, but Sam didn’t need to hear it.
Her wide-eyed shock was clear to see. He couldn’t blame her.
Joe’s declaration that Minnie had been his daughter—and, therefore, Akiko his granddaughter—along with the fact that Joe had killed his son in cold blood? Akiko had a right to be shocked.
Sam figured the shock would hit him later. He was too busy trying to get them out alive.
Kit was shaking her head, muttering, “Dammit.”
Torrence made a sudden grab for Akiko, but Joe’s third shot brought the bodyguard down. The man fell to his knees, then to his stomach. His body twitched for a horrific moment, then went still.
Akiko’s scream was muted, her bound hands pressed to her mouth.
Kenzo’s eyes had widened at Joe’s revelation about Minnie being his “blood daughter,” but his expression was now back to stoically blank.
Slowly he rose and gave Joe a nod. “Thank you.” He looked to the man behind Joe.
“Thomas. I’m happy I can still trust you.
” His words were muffled through the ringing in Sam’s ears, but he could understand Kenzo well enough to be horrified by what came next.
“Take care of the detective and her psychologist, please. Not here. Take them away and dispose of their bodies.”
No, Sam thought, and went for his gun, but froze when Joe fired a fourth time.
Kenzo Takahashi looked shocked. And then he sank to the floor.
Dead, like the others, a hole in his head.
Akiko slowly turned her stare from Kenzo’s body to Joe. “You’re my grandfather?”
“I am.”
“Not Hanshi?”
Joe shook his head. “No. Your mother and I…well, I loved her, but she didn’t want to be part of this life. I understood that.”
Akiko made a choked noise. “And all this…this was to protect me?” Her voice had risen, becoming nearly shrill.
“Yes. Your father would have corrupted you. We were trying to avoid that.”
“We,” Akiko said dully. “You and Hanshi and Ricky and my aunt.”
“Yes. Bob had to be stopped because he wanted to expose you to Kenzo. Kenzo would have dragged you into his world. Neither could be allowed to succeed.”
“I just can’t.” Akiko shook her head, seeming dazed. “So…we can go now?”
“You can. But not them. I really am sorry.” Then Joe turned his gun on Sam.
Sam’s lungs stopped working, the breath frozen in his chest.
Akiko leapt to her feet, coming between them even as her body swayed. Her hands, clenched into fists, were still bound in front of her. “No. You’ll have to kill me first.”
“You can’t mean that,” Joe said. “I spent the last thirty-two years keeping you safe.”
Akiko widened her stance, gaining some balance. “You’ll have to kill me first,” she said again. “You know I’ll tell. You won’t let me live.”
Joe frowned. “Of course I’ll let you live. I’ll keep you secure until you decide where your loyalties lie, but I won’t kill you. You’re my granddaughter.”
Akiko lifted her chin. “Kit is my family and Sam is my friend. I won’t let you hurt them.”
“You really don’t have a choice, my dear.” He motioned to the man standing behind him. “Remove the doctor and the detective from this place. Kill them.”
“Fuck this,” Kit muttered, then dove for the gun Bob had dropped, rolling onto her back to aim high. She cried out in pain a heartbeat before she fired.
Joe dropped to his knees as blood gurgled out through the hole in his throat.
The man standing behind him still held a gun. Thomas. Kenzo had called him Thomas. He’d shot Kit, who lay on the floor writhing in pain.
Sam’s wits returned to him in a rush, and he grabbed his gun from his back holster and shot Thomas twice, first in his upper arm, then again at his wrist. He’d practiced the move at the target range over and over again.
Debilitate. Don’t kill.
Thomas looked at his arm in stunned surprise. His hand had fallen open, the gun dropping to the concrete floor, but he was already bending over to pick it up with his other hand. He’d barely missed a beat.
Sam threw himself on top of Kit, aiming at Thomas’s head. He’d never wanted to kill anyone ever again, but he wouldn’t let Kit die.
Akiko was suddenly behind the man, faster than Sam could blink.
The thud vibrated through the floor when Thomas fell, going down hard.
She’d swept his legs out from under him in a move she’d taught Kit.
Akiko kicked the gun out of his hand, landing on Thomas’s back, her knees in his kidneys, her bound hands gripping his hair. “Sam! Help me!”
Sam crawled across the floor. He held his gun to Thomas’s head, his own head spinning.
Kit dragged herself over to them and pulled her handcuffs off her belt. She wasn’t gentle as she cuffed Thomas’s bloody wrist first, then the other. She pointed her gun at Thomas’s head. “If you twitch, I will blow your head off.”
Sam holstered his gun, then retrieved his knife from his pocket and cut through the ropes binding Akiko’s wrists. She shook her hands out and said, “I’ll keep him here. You take care of Kit.”
Kit rolled to her back, panting. “I need something to bind my leg so we can get out of here before any other mobsters show up.” She lifted her head to stare at the bodies littering the floor. “Dammit. This is a mess.”
So was Kit. The leg of her trousers was dark with blood. “I’m going to start carrying bandages in my damn pockets,” Sam muttered. He found a first aid kit mounted to the warehouse wall and used it to bind Kit’s wound, which wasn’t as bad as he’d feared.
Then he called 911 on his cell phone, tersely giving the operator the details while Akiko stared at Kenzo’s body, her expression blank.
She might be in shock. Or simply relieved that this was over.
“I’ve got help on the way,” the operator said.
Sam lay beside Kit, not caring that the floor was hard. Or that it was bloody. He cupped Kit’s face in his hand, and she leaned into him.
“Thank you,” she said quietly.
“You’re welcome.”