RainStorm

asked, "Why do you suppose
    Crawley has gotten it into his head to try and take me out?"
    "That I don't know. All I could get out of Mr. Crawley was that
    bullshit about how you'd gone rogue and the details could only be
    distributed on a 'need to know' basis."
    "And you don't need to know."
    He sighed in mock dejection. "Even though I am a 'patriot' and
    all. Kind of hurts my feelings, when I think about it. Well, there is
    that twenty-five grand to perk me back up if I get overly blue."
    "How did Crawley know how to contact you? Or even who
    you are?"
    He nodded as though considering. "Well, I'm reasonably confident
    that our Mr. Crawley is in fact in the service of our current
    employer, in some capacity or other. If that's the case, he might
    have access to my particulars."
    "You think Kanezaki is involved?" I asked.
    He shrugged. "Can't help thinking that, can you? He sure is in
    the middle of a lot of the shit, for a young guy."
    "He's a quick study."
    "Yeah, I've got the same feeling. But I'll tell you, I don't think
    he's behind this. It's my sentimental side showing, I know, but I
    think that boy's got an okay heart."
    "How long will he be able to keep it that way, working with
    who he 'works with?"
    "Well, that's a question now, I'll admit it."
    We were quiet for a few moments. "I can reach you at the number
    I've got?" I asked.
    "Anytime you want," he said. "What are you going to do?"
    "Make a few calls," I told him. "Figure out what makes sense."
    He flashed me the grin. "You always were the cautious type."
    "It's part of the reason I've lasted so long."
    "I know that. Hell, I meant it as a compliment."
    I stood and put some bills on the table. Then I held out my hand.
    "You're a good man, Dox."
    He stood and smiled back, a lower wattage but more genuine
    version of the grin. We shook. "Watch your back now, you hear?"
    he said.
    I nodded and left.
    After making sure I was clean, I took the Peak Tramway to Victoria
    Peak, then walked Lugard Road through its forests of bamboo
    and fern. I found a quiet place and sat, listening to the cicadas.
    The first thing I thought, as always, was setup.
    Someone, maybe Crawley, maybe someone he works with, is after you. They get Dox to lay out a line of bullshit, knowing that I'll come
    after Crawley as a result. Straight into an ambush.
    No. Too uncertain. No one could count on Dox to be convincing,
    not to that degree.
    Then they gave Dox the job for real. Plan A was he takes the job and
    kills me. Plan B is he spills everything to me, in which case I go after
    Crawley. Back to an ambush.
    No. Too uncertain. When would I come at Crawley? Where? How?
    Besides, Crawley would have to be awfully comfortable with risk
    to invite retaliation from me.
    Dox, or someone else, has his own reasons for wanting Crawley taken
    out, and he's trying to goad you into doing it.
    That one was worth chewing over, but in the end I judged it
    unlikely. Dox was a pretty direct guy in his way. If he wanted
    Crawley to go to sleep, he'd sing the lullaby himself. I would keep
    the possibility in mind, but it seemed in this case that the most
    likely explanation was also the simplest: Dox was telling me the
    truth.
    Now what to do about it. The most direct approach would be
    to brace Crawley. Ask him a few questions. Use my charm.
    But not yet. First, I needed to see how all of this tied in 'with
    Belghazi. A half-Arab target, an Arab assassination team, a CIA officer
    trying to take out a contract on me? Even for a guy like me,
    who's made a few enemies along the way, it was hard to think that
    the timing was all just a coincidence. I wanted more information
    before acting, and I thought Kanezaki might be able to provide
    some of that.
    EIGHT
    I called tatsu from a pay phone.
    "Nanda?" I heard him say, in typically curt greeting. What is it?
    "Hisashiburi," I said, letting him hear my voice. It's been a long
    time.
    There was a pause. He said in Japanese, "I've been thinking
    of you."
    Coming from Tatsu this was practically sentimental. "You're not
    getting mushy on me, are you?" I asked.
    He laughed. "My daughters say I am."
    "Well, they would know."
    "I'm afraid they would. And you? Are you well?"
    "Well enough. I need a favor."
    "Yes?"
    "I'll send you a message," I said, referring to our electronic bulletin
    board.
    There was a pause, then he said, "Will I be seeing you?"
    "I hope so."
    Another pause. "Jaa," he said. Well, then.
    "Take care, old friend."
    "Otagai ni na," he said. And