They had butchered and terrorized, had this group. They had murdered without remorse. They had massacred and, not only that, they had done it all without the slightest care for civilian welfare. The innocent were no more than obstacles to be smashed aside in their eyes.
Let them die badly then.
A cluster of men by the gates went down, never understanding what hit them. The last of them tried to twist around but lost his head in Smyth’s next burst. As he ran, the concrete base around him kicked up dust and chips. Bullets pecked around his own feet. He chanced a look to the rear and saw Kovalenko and his two lieutenants surrounded by many men, some of whom were firing at him.
Damn. If I had waited…
But that was not the plan. The nearby American base would be sending the hand of God to fall upon this place very soon. If he wanted any hope of surviving the strike, he had to be with the team. Smyth’s feet fairly danced amid the bullets, each step taking him nearer the shattered gates. In another second he was through and let the machine gun rattle once more, taking out another three targets.
Head down, he ran on, hoping to God one of the SPEAR team was keeping their eyes on him.
CHAPTER FORTY SIX
At around the same time, Mai Kitano met Dai Hibiki on the steps outside the Tokyo Game Show. Her old partner stopped dead when he saw her, raising both eyebrows so far they practically disappeared into his hairline.
“Wow. Who are you?”
“It’s Mai, you idiot,” she said, thinking he hadn’t recognized her, then understood. “Oh. What do you think?”
She spun slowly, posing with her hands on her hips, conscious that every eye of every man and woman outside the Game Show was fixed upon her. The sensual feel of soft leather on her bare skin was more than invigorating.
“I don’t know, but if that ass wants to lead, I’ll follow it anywhere.”
Mai ignored his bravado. Maybe she would recount his words later to Chika and make him pay. Maybe she would just see if he realized his error and let him make it up to her. “I’m Maggie Q. Do you know her?”
“I know of her. Nikita, yes? She’s got nothing on you, Mai.”
“That’s better. Now, are you ready?”
“As I’ll ever be. The rest of my guys — your old friends from the agency — are in place too. Are you sure about going all the way with this?”
“I have no choice. The Clan brought this down upon themselves, not me.”
Hibiki started up the steps. “Then let’s end them.”
“Even better.” Mai climbed after him.
“I have to ask, though.” Hibiki peered at her out of the corner of his eye. “Why Maggie Q?”
Mai smiled secretly. “A surprise for a good friend,” she said. “And a reminder to my boyfriend that he’s not the only one interested in me.”
Hibiki shook his head. “I think Drake already knows you can never be tamed, Mai.”
“Sure he does, but a gentle reminder never hurts.”
Inside the Game Show the exhibition space was split into several large areas. Far over to the right stood the over eighteens area, enclosed by a wall of eight-by-eight-foot panels. Closer by, and laid out in seemingly endless parallel lines, were rows and rows of game stations, each one showcasing a brand new version of a popular video game. The area was already jam-packed with onlookers, every seat taken by an enthusiastic gamer whilst, behind each one, several more waited in line or watched. The in-game noise effects and the sound of excited chatter were almost overwhelming. Crowds wandered between the rows. Over to the left stood even more stations, some reserved for dancing games, others for RPGs or retro-gaming. Still more areas offered the chance for competitions. The show itself was every gamer’s wet dream, not to mention the cosplay side of it. The sides of the exhibition hall were lined with stalls, shops and eateries, each one doing a brisk business.
“I forgot how busy this place gets.” Mai posed for a picture with two young guys, never losing a beat.
“Stop enjoying yourself,” Hibiki said. “We’ve a job to do.”
Mai smiled sweetly and offered Hibiki her phone. “Here, take a picture so I can send it to the boys when I leave.”
The agent sniffed and shook his head, but did as Mai asked. They began to thread their way among the rows, moving ever closer to the over eighteens area. Once there, they went through a security checkpoint where Mai again was asked to pose for pictures.
“Good job we aren’t in a hurry,” Hibiki muttered as they crossed into the restricted area. Here were situated the more violent games — the Call of Dutys and GTAs — and the lines to play them doubled back on themselves at least four times.
“There’s the bar.” Hibiki nodded ahead.
Mai had already spotted it. This was the only place a person could buy alcohol at the Game Show and thus primarily attracted a certain sort. If it seemed odd that an organization like the Yakuza would frequent a video games show, Mai knew it was not. The younger gang element played video games just like any other young Japanese. The older element liked to peruse and safeguard their investment — the fact that they owned one of the biggest video game developers in Japan was a badly kept secret.
Since its early days, the Game Show had become a tradition for most people. Once a year they made the pilgrimage. Once a year they met gamer friends and talked over the last three hundred and sixty five days. Once a year they became consummate geeks, lost in the herd.
Mai spotted the man she was looking for straight away. He was thin and rangy, hard-faced, and wearing dark clothing which covered every one of his gang tattoos. He sat toward the back of the bar, among a group of fellow gang members, giving death glares to any unfortunate soul who passed close by. The Yakuza might enjoy the Game Show to a point, but they did not want to make friends here.
Mai took a breath. “Tokyo Coscon part two,” she breathed. “Here I go again.”
Hibiki melted away, choosing a clever vantage point whilst pretending to watch some super-geek playing the new Final Fantasy installment. Mai headed for the bar, taking a slow walk, making sure every gang member noticed her. Truth be told, it wasn’t a tough job. A blind man in a snowstorm would have sat himself down just to watch her walk.
She leaned over the bar to be sure their attention was properly focused. “Got any milk?”
The bartender put down his towel. “Baby-changing station’s back by the entrance doors.”
“Oh. How about a pint then?”
“Got a preference?”
“Not really. Surprise me.”
“I’d love to.” The man turned away from her stare and pulled down a glass. By the time it was full she sensed she was no longer alone.
Without turning around she took a sip. “Can I help you?”
“Me and the boys have a bet goin’. Which one of us gets to peel those tight leather pants off tonight.”
Mai spun in place, leaning back with her elbows on the bar. “Well, you’re certainly going the right way about doing that.”
It wasn’t her target, just one of his minions. She nodded over at his table. “A bet, eh? And just for taking my pants off. What’s the take?”
“So far? About a thousand. Why? You interested in taking a cut?”
Mai didn’t answer, just made a show of looking the gang over. “If all you wanna do is take my pants off… doesn’t seem worth my time.”
The minion laughed. “There’s more than that laid out on the table. Much more.”
“Mmm, sounds good. But it’s not quite fair. There’s only six of you.”