The Last Assassin

edge, in that good way you get when the op has begun and things are going smoothly.
    Twenty minutes later, she heard Dox in her ear: “All right, Mr. Big Liu just arrived. Along with two bodyguards and an associate of some type, from the look of things. The valets are taking their car right now.”
    “Got it,” Delilah said quietly.
    “Yamaoto should be coming soon,” Rain said. “Be ready.”
    “Roger that,” Dox said.
    A moment later the buzzer sounded. The hostesses nodded to the security guy, who opened the door and bowed. Four men walked in. She recognized Big Liu from the photos Rain had shown her. The next two were younger and in good shape, and at least as tough-looking. She looked them up and down. Both had bulges on their right hips and a right pants leg riding an inch too low. Pistols in hip holsters—bodyguards. The other guy looked a little more put together, more in charge—management. All as Dox had surmised.
    The hostesses came out from behind the island and took the men’s coats. Big Liu looked around, smiling, then noticed Delilah. The smile broadened, and lingered to the point of lasciviousness. Well, Rain had mentioned that the man liked blondes.
    One of the hostesses led them to the main room. As they went through the swinging doors, Big Liu glanced back at Delilah, still smiling.
    Two minutes later, the hostess came back. But rather than returning to her post behind the island, she went into the office. Delilah wondered what was happening.
    She heard Dox in her ear again: “Yamaoto’s coming in right now. He moved too fast and had bodyguards in the way, I didn’t have a shot. You’ll see them all in a second, with Kuro, too.”
    “Got it,” she said.
    “All right,” Rain said. “We weren’t really expecting to be able to drop him yet. We’ll get him inside.”
    The buzzer sounded a second later. The security guy opened the door and bowed especially low, and four Japanese men in suits walked briskly inside. The first two she recognized from Rain’s photos: Yamaoto was the older one, walking in front, his posture erect, projecting the kind of forceful personality you could feel from across a room. His clothes fit beautifully and she could instantly see from the tailored cut of the jacket and the movement of his shoulder blades beneath the material that he wasn’t wearing armor. Kuro was softer-looking, with Brylcreemed hair and more the air of a businessman than of a gangster, coming along a half step behind Yamaoto. The other two, muscles bulging inside their suits and eyes darting from side to side as they struggled to keep up with their bosses, were obviously bodyguards. Like their Chinese counterparts, they had telltale bulges under their jackets.
    The hostess behind the island came around and started taking coats. The office door opened, and Kyoko came out with the other hostess. While the younger women helped the men with their jackets, Kyoko discussed something in Japanese with Yamaoto and Kuro. At various points the two men and Kyoko all glanced at Delilah, then went back to talking.
    This time Kyoko escorted the men inside herself. Delilah wanted to get up and see where they went in the main room, but that would have drawn too much attention to her. She’d have to wait for another chance.
    She whispered, “No armor.”
    “Roger that,” Dox answered immediately.
    A minute later, Kyoko returned. She walked over to Delilah and said, “We have…an interesting situation.”
    Delilah raised her eyebrows, thinking she might have an idea now what was going on. She wasn’t yet sure whether it was an opportunity or a problem. Maybe a bit of both.
    “One of our guests,” Kyoko continued, “is quite taken with you. And uninterested in anyone else tonight.”
    “But you tell him…I, not a job yet. Interview.” Rain and Dox would be wondering what was going on, but they’d catch on in a minute.
    Kyoko nodded. “That seemed only to add to the attraction.”
    “Which guest?”
    “The Chinese gentleman. Mr. Liu.”
    “Mr. Liu wants me to hostess him?”
    Kyoko laughed. “That’s exactly what he wants. Look, this is an unusual situation. You haven’t even been properly interviewed, let alone trained. But Mr. Liu is an important guest. And the two members with him, Mr. Yamaoto and Mr. Kuro, want him to be happy.”
    If she said no, it would look strange. An applicant like Laure would jump at the chance to impress a bunch of important people during her interview.