The Isakaya was packed full of salary men squeezing next to each other, sharing drinks and stories along with occasional bites of grilled skewers.

  This didn’t bother Tanaka. He and his team of policemen were VIPs amongst VIPs and were quickly ushered to their own room. The week had ended and if that wasn’t cause enough for celebration, they had officially disbanded the special Crisis Coordination Office to the immense relief of the officers manning the hotlines, to say nothing of his inner circle, actually tasked with finding Kaori. They had been on very thin ice with Oroshi, what with being unable to find an isolated girl and a Gaijin for an entire week, in spite of wielding the full powers of the police.

  All was well now. The rich girl was dead—oh so very sad. Tanaka knew it was a blessing in disguise, given that the alternative was becoming enslaved to Oroshi. Yes. Kaori was far better off dead, and his problem was solved. On Monday, they would finally get back to the doldrums of normal life and he was truly looking forward to it.

  But first, they would drink, eat, drink some more, and then girls would join them, courtesy of Oroshi. He always had the prettiest girls. Some were once idols. And they didn’t even have to pay, the girls were excited to be out with men of the law. It was incredible! Working for Oroshi was dangerous, scary even, but no one could deny the rewards were worth the risks.

  Could you imagine him, with his bald spot and his oversized gut, being pleasured by idols that most Japanese men lusted over? Not even captains of industry could dream of such conquests, and the sex was unlike anything he ever had. These idols were just different, they knew what they were doing—probably was all that dance training they all did. Working for Oroshi was the best.

  By now, only his group remained. Most of the others had to catch the last train home, but not them. Certainly not them. The girls arrived and took them out to limousines. As soon as the doors closed, he leaned over his conquest for the night. It was Matsuki, of former ABK48 fame! Incredible. She giggled as he drove his hand down her panties… she didn’t wear any. This was his night!

  The phone on his back pocket vibrated twice. Who cared? He pursed his lips and pressed them over Matsuki’s large breasts. The phone vibrated again. Weird. Somehow he felt this was urgent. But if it wasn’t, he would rain fury upon the intruder.

  “Wait a second, Matsuki darling!” he said with what he believed was a seductive gaze. It had been decades since he could seduce anything better than a crack whore, but he was also too drunk to know any different.

  He looked at the phone, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.

  An alert.

  Allaire Ma?l’s passport had been used at Kagoshima’s airport. Allaire Ma?l. Who the hell was that? Wait. That was the guy, wasn’t it? The foreigner. The one Oroshi wanted. Does that even matter now that Kaori is dead? Nah. Who cares?

  He returned his attention to the lustful Matsuki. She hadn’t moved at all since he took the phone and it annoyed him somewhat. How could she contain herself with him before her? What was she waiting for? Was she intimidated? That must be it, he grumbled to himself. He grabbed a hand full of hair and yanked her head down to his crotch. She gasped in pain but stopped. Her hands sought the button of his pants. Oh yeah, she wanted him so bad! This Ma?l cocksucker can fucking wait, he thought as he pushed her head down in encouragement.

  You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

  Then he gasped with a sharp realization. Ma?l couldn’t be alive. He was on the ship with Kaori. He was every bit as dead as Kaori!

  Tanaka groaned as Matsuki took him into her mouth, swirling her tongue as she… what was he thinking again?

  Ma?l was alive and he had just left the country…

  Didn’t that mean Kaori was alive too?

  God no! Please, please, please not that!

  He yelled to the driver to take him to the station. He wasn’t supposed to go anywhere near there with the limo, but there was no time. He had to know for sure. He pulled Matsuki’s head off his nether regions and slapped her. It was her fault he missed the first alerts. He would have caught it right away if it wasn’t for her!

  “Wait here!” he ordered.

  As the limousine pulled around the corner to the station, he rushed out to a sprint. Inside, an old timer was manning the phone. Takeru. The idiot had been stupid enough to insist on getting the ballistic reports from the Chinzanso hotel—something about Oroshi shooting to kill. Of course he was right, but how insanely retarded would you have to be to make a stink about something like that when Oroshi was involved?

  The old proverb is proving its value once again, Tanaka thought. The stake that sticks out gets hammered down.

  So now the old jackass was answering the phones at night! He saluted as Tanaka rushed in.

  He didn’t ask anything, but Tanaka felt the need to justify himself.

  “I forgot to send a report” he said, feeling silly. He was the senior officer, he didn’t have to say anything. On the other hand, he was passably drunk, walking into work at two in the morning. If that wasn’t dedication, he didn’t know what could be!

  He rushed to his office. His set-up was still operational. Thank God for that! He pulled the notification from Kagoshima airport along with all the details. Ma?l’s passport displayed on screen next to the photo from the foreign immigration counter.

  There was no doubt. It was him!

  Frantically, he searched for a copy of his plane ticket. There. Another passenger. Megumi Aoki! Kaori’s friend, the one who owned the boat. There was no photo of her from the airport immigration services—facilities for departing citizens do not require fingerprints or photos. He’d have to request the security footage from Kagoshima Airport directly and that would only be possible the next day at best, but it was only a formality.

  He already knew.

  He pulled Oroshi’s secure phone and called. The phone rang for what seemed like an eternity. No reply.

  Well, he tried and Matsuki was still waiting in the car… He stepped toward the door and froze, realizing the gravity of the situation.

  Try again, you idiot! he yelled to himself.

  This time, Oroshi answered.

  “She is alive, sir!”