The Last Assassin

refused to hide,' I said slowly, almost thinking out loud. 'You knew that would get me on the first flight from Tokyo. And when I did just what you knew I would, when I told you I was on my way, you told them. You told them exactly where to wait.'
    I kept looking at her, trying to take it all in. She had set me up like a pro. I was trying to fit this new understanding of what she was capable of into the way I'd always known her, and I couldn't quite manage it.
    'Do you know what they were going to do to me?' I asked, thinking,
Maybe she didn't, she couldn't have…
    She nodded and finally spoke. 'I know.'
    I shook my head, trying to understand. 'Is this about your father?'
    'No,' she said, holding Koichiro closer. 'It's about my son.'
    I paused, then said, 'But I'd fixed everything. Those two were the last ones, and they're gone now, too. I'm done. I'm out, like I told you.'
    She laughed harshly. 'And you accuse me of being in denial? What you do is like fighting a hydra. Everyone you kill, it creates two more. If you can't see that, you're insane.'
    I didn't respond. My thoughts were sluggish. I felt dizzy, as though I'd been punched in the head.
    Koichiro said, '
Inu
!' again.
    I looked away, trying to collect myself.
    'You know who showed up here right after you did?' I heard Midori say. 'Some blond bitch who said she knew you. She told me you were a danger to Koichiro and me, and warned me to stop seeing you. And you know what? She was right. She was absolutely right.'
    I looked at her. 'She… came here?'
    She shook her head in disgust. 'Why do you look so surprised? You're trailing a poisonous wake, Jun. And every port you pull into, it washes up behind you.'
    I licked my lips and tried to think of something to say. Nothing came out.
    'Just go,' she said after a moment. 'Just go and never come back.'
    I looked at Koichiro. He was still smiling at me, not understanding.
    'What about Koichiro?' I said.
    'When he's old enough, I'll tell him you're dead. That's what I was planning to do anyway, after tonight. And you are. You really are.' She turned and took him back inside without another word.
    I stood there for a long time, watching the building, thinking maybe she would come out again, and I could explain better, or she could, or maybe in some other way we could make it as though none of this had really happened. I hadn't killed her father, I hadn't continually brought danger onto her and our son, she hadn't betrayed me to men who two hours earlier had tried to gut me in some airport toilet stall.
    But she didn't come. And it all did happen.
    I'd been ready to do anything to protect them, even suicide. I should have realized Midori would be willing to go at least that far.
    I watched the building longer. Eventually I started to shiver. Finally I turned to go. It was strange to think how close my son was, and yet now how impossibly far.

53

    I took a train to D.C. and spent a few sleepless hours in a motel there. I was reasonably sure the police in New York would have pictures of me from JFK video cameras. The pictures wouldn't be great, but I didn't want to take chances. New York area airports would be a bit hot for me for a while.
    The next morning, I caught a flight to Los Angeles, and from there to Tokyo. I was only going back to see Tatsu. And for the money from Wajima.
    By the time the plane took off from LAX, I was exhausted enough to sleep. I stayed down for almost the entire flight. It was much better than facing my wakeful thoughts.
    It was getting dark when we landed. It felt like I was beginning to live in perpetual night.
    When I was clear of customs at Narita, I turned on the Japanese cell phone. I had three messages waiting. Christ, I was going to need a damn secretary.
    The first two were from Dox and Delilah, trying to reach me. The third was Kanezaki. He just said, 'Call me.'
    I didn't want to, but it might have been something operational. I input his number.
    'Hey,' he said after one ring, recognizing who it was from the caller ID display.
    'You called?' I asked.
    'Yeah. Dox gave me back the equipment. And he briefed me. Nice work.'
    'If you're about to tell me I owe you a favor,' I said, my tone dangerously flat, 'you're picking a bad time.'
    'It's not that at all. It's about Tatsu.'
    My jaw tightened. 'What is it?'
    'I went to see him today, like you told me. He's not good.'
    'Yeah, no shit.'
    He paused, then said, 'You want to tell me what the hell's up your ass?'
    His gumption surprised