Requiem for an Assassin

expression on his face. “You going to come in?” he said.
    I nodded and made my way into the room. The shades were down, and I noticed immediately the sliding doors to the bathroom were open. Likewise the closet. He was being courteous, as well as sensible. When you’re dealing with someone looking for a threat, you’re asking for trouble if you don’t let him see your hands.
    Kanezaki locked the door and turned on the DO NOT DISTURB sign. Then he put a nylon duffel bag on one of the twin beds and gestured for me to help myself. Inviting me to reach into the bag, instead of doing it himself, again showed experience and good sense.
    I dropped my carry-on and took a look. Inside was a 45 SOCOM HK Mark 23 with Trijicon night sights, a laser aiming module, Knight’s Armament suppressor, two spare mags, one hundred rounds of Federal Hydra-Shok, and a Wilcox tactical thigh holster. Also night-vision equipment. Same gear he’d gotten Dox and me for our raid at Wajima a year earlier.
    “I told you, something concealable,” I said, hefting the HK, racking the slide to check that the chamber was empty. With the attached suppressor, the damned thing would be a foot and a half long.
    “I do the best I can,” he said. “I thought you liked the SOCOM.”
    “I like it fine. I just don’t want to walk down the street with it in broad daylight.”
    “This is going to go down during the day? We don’t need the night-vision equipment, then.”
    “No. Although better to have it and not need it.”
    “Well, the SOCOM is what I can borrow from the armory without anyone asking questions. Look, there’s a pair of fishing coveralls, too. The thigh rig will fit inside with room to spare. Slice a hole at the hip and you’ll have easy access.”
    I pulled out the coveralls he was talking about and draped them open. Yeah, I supposed they would serve. He even had disassembled rods and a tackle box inside, obviously for cover at the yacht club. I saw a baseball cap and shades, too, along with gloves, binoculars, and the requested medical kit.
    “You’ve thought of everything,” I said, not displeased.
    He shrugged. “Two heads are better than one. Look in the tackle box.”
    I did. In addition to a full complement of fishing gear, there was a Benchmade Mini-Reflex with a three-inch blade. I pressed the catch and the blade sprung into place.
    “Nice,” I said.
    “Don’t get caught with it. It’s illegal except for active duty military and law enforcement. You could get in trouble.”
    I laughed and pocketed the knife. “What about the body armor?”
    “In the closet.”
    I glanced over. Two blue vests hung from a pair of hangers. I walked over and hefted one. “Christ, it’s light,” I said. “You sure this is any good?”
    “Dragon Skin. It’ll stop a 7.62 round at twenty-four hundred feet per second.”
    I nodded, liking the sound of that. “You’ve got two in here,” I said.
    “I’m going with you.”
    I looked at him, and saw he was serious.
    “No,” I said. “It’s not necessary. It’s not even a good idea.”
    “I’ve thought it through. I don’t see how you can do it alone. Figure at least two fixed defenders, maybe more, and…”
    “Do I seem to be getting old?” I asked.
    “What? No. I mean, the same as usual.”
    “At the rate I’m going, I half expect someone to try to take my arm when I go to cross the street.”
    “Why, who else is trying to help you?”
    “Never mind.”
    “Anyway, it wouldn’t matter if you were twenty. That’s not the point.”
    I thought of Boaz. “I’ve got something that’ll change the odds.”
    “What?”
    “Let’s just say you’re not my only low friend in high places.”
    He didn’t say anything.
    “Look,” I said, “it’s not that I’m not grateful. But you and I have never operated together before, not when it comes to kicking down doors, anyway. We’re as likely to get in each other’s way as we are to do each other any good. Trust me on this, okay?”
    He didn’t answer.
    “You’re an ops guy, Tom, and you’ve turned into a damned good one. But you’re not a shooter. Play to your strengths. You’ll live longer.”
    We were quiet for a moment. He said, “You’re still going to need someone to drive. I’ve got a van.”
    I thought for a minute. I had been planning to rent a car myself. If I managed to drop everyone cleanly inside the boat and Dox was in good shape, we could walk leisurely out to the parking lot when it was