The Last Assassin

nothing’s in the way.”
    “What about body armor?” Delilah asked. “You’ve said Yamaoto is paranoid. You sure he won’t be wearing it?”
    Dox shook his head. “Most concealable armor won’t stop a high-velocity rifle slug. There are a few that do, but they weigh close to twenty pounds and they’re still bulky. Not something you’d want to strap on under a suit.”
    “All right,” I said. “If the shot is there when Yamaoto arrives, Dox takes it and we can all go have a beer. If the shot isn’t there, Dox remains as backup, in case Yamaoto manages to make it out of the club despite my best efforts inside. And Delilah, if you get a chance, look Yamaoto over and if you think he’s wearing armor under his clothes, you let us know. Questions or comments so far?”
    They both shook their heads.
    “Delilah, you arrive before ten. We want you there before Yamaoto so you can see where he goes when he gets inside…”
    “If he gets inside,” Dox added.
    I nodded. “If he gets inside. But the main thing is, I need to know where Yamaoto is inside the club. Who he’s with would also be useful. And so would confirmation on the numbers and positions of club security and any bodyguards. With just a little luck, you’ll see Yamaoto and Kuro when they arrive, and you’ll be able to watch them to see wherever they go. Don’t wait. As soon as you have Yamaoto’s position, let me know, and go take out the generator. Or, better yet…”
    “Take it out before Yamaoto arrives,” she said.
    I nodded. “Yeah, that’s good thinking. It’s not as though anyone’s going to notice until afterward. And it’ll be one less thing for us to worry about once he’s there.”
    “But how do we take out the main power?”
    “My contact here will have a man in the appropriate electrical substation. But there’s a catch. He can only give us less than two minutes of darkness. More than that, and there’ll be some sort of investigation by the city authorities, which my source doesn’t want.”
    “Two minutes…” Delilah said.
    “It should be enough. Because before I call our man and the lights go out, you’ll already be next to the emergency exit to let me in. In fact, you’ll have to be.”
    “Because once the power is cut, the front door will be inoperable. It’s got an electronic lock.”
    “Exactly. And at the same time, we can’t use the emergency door before the power’s out—otherwise, the exit alarms would give us away.”
    She nodded. “And the camera pointing at the exit door…”
    “It’ll already be dead when you let me in. I don’t know if the video feed gets recorded, but with the power out, it won’t make a difference.”
    “But what about inside the club? Even after you cut the lights, it won’t be totally dark. People will have lighters, cell phones…”
    “That’s perfect,” I said. “We want just enough light so that people don’t panic and start moving around. A little bit of light will keep them calm and in place for a couple minutes while they wait for the power to come back on. With lighters and cell phones and before their eyes have adjusted, they’re not going to be able to see more than a few feet in front of them regardless. I’ll be moving through in night-vision goggles with a suppressed HK. I’ll be in and out in less than two minutes. No one will even know what happened until the lights are back on and we’re gone.”
    Delilah nodded. We were quiet while she digested it.
    “You checked into a new hotel?” I asked.
    She was using the same name at Le Meridien and at Whispers, just in case anyone at the club thought to check up on her. Obviously, after tonight, that arrangement would no longer be tenable.
    She nodded. “The New Otani. Near Akasaka Mitsuke subway station. Under Aimée Ackers.”
    “Good, then we’re set. Now listen. If something goes wrong, if you need me in there for any reason, you just say, ‘It’s hot in here,’ and I’ll come running.”
    “How would you get in?” she asked.
    “I think the HK will be persuasive in a pinch.”
    She laughed.
    “I’ll come, too,” Dox said, “but I’ll be farther away and it’ll take me longer.”
    Delilah smiled. “I doubt we’ll need the cavalry.”
    I looked at her. “I doubt it, too. And I know you’re used to operating without backup, but tonight you have it. ‘It’s hot in here.’ Use it if you need it.”
    She nodded, but I could tell it was more to placate me than out of any