Ratio: A Leopold Blake Thriller (A Private Investigator Series of Crime and Suspense Thrillers) (35 page)

“Didn’t feel like it after all,” Leopold said. 

“Make a phone call?” Jerome glanced at the handset in Leopold’s hand. 

“Don’t make a big deal out of it.” 

Jerome settled back into the chair, smiling. He shut his eyes, folded his hands across his stomach. “See, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” 

Ignoring him, Leopold turned to look out the window. The rain had intensified, thick droplets streaming down onto the gray asphalt, throwing up a thick mist of water just above the ground. In the distance a passenger jet began its ascent, surging into the sky with a muffled roar. 

Leopold closed his eyes, Jerome’s words dancing through his mind. 

That wasn’t so hard.

Yeah, right.

Epilogue

THE
GAIJIN
WITH the faint pink scars on his face looked out over Tokyo as the sun disappeared over the horizon. He stood on his hotel room balcony, a glass of Scotch in one hand, and leaned over the railings. Three hundred feet below, the city streets were packed with people, tiny and insignificant. All caught up in the stink of modern civilization at its peak. He wrinkled his nose and pulled away. 

The Oguchi business was done. It had been a satisfactory outcome, for him at least. The trap had been set, and his quarry had broken cover. Public blame would fall on some mysterious foreign power, and the matter would quickly be forgotten in D.C. Everything was falling into place. The Oguchi clan would be out for blood, no doubt, once they learned what had happened. But they wouldn’t find any, not from him. He had already made sure of that. 

“Director, sir,” a voice said. 

The
gaijin
turned around. A man stood in the doorway, the soft glow of the bedroom lights casting him in shadow. He was solidly built, muscular with a shaved head, and he wore simple, practical clothes. 

“What is it, Hawkes?”

“Sir, we’ve had word from the surveillance team. It’s time to move. We need to get out of the harbor tonight.”

“Is everything in place?”

Hawkes nodded. “We intercepted Blake’s communications, as you ordered. You were right; he knows something. But with him out of New York, we were able to complete our reconnaissance.”

“And?”

“It’s all there in his apartment. Just say the word, and we’ll move in.” 

“Not yet.” The
gaijin
set his glass of Scotch on the balcony table. “There’s one more thing we need to do first.” He swept past Hawkes and into the warmth of the bedroom.

“Sir?” 

“I want the devices primed before we make ourselves known.” He stalked over to the wardrobe and pulled out a fresh suit jacket. “The Organization spent tens of millions acquiring Chemworks from under Blake’s nose. We’re hardly going to let that go to waste because of bad timing.” 

“The prototypes are ready, sir,” Hawkes said, stepping inside and closing the door. “Preliminary tests have been encouraging.” 

“Good.” He held the jacket up to the light. The tailoring was exquisite. “Get in touch with navigation. Have them set the course and make preparations to move out in two hours. I want to be in international waters as soon as possible.”

Hawkes nodded. “Yes, sir. What’s the destination?” 

“New York City.” The
gaijin
pulled the jacket on over his shirt.
A perfect fit
. “I think it’s time we paid Mr. Blake a personal visit, don’t you?”

“I couldn’t agree more, sir.”

The
gaijin
smiled. The two men left the hotel, slipping away into the heaving Tokyo streets as heavy rain began to fall, fast and cold. Thunder sounded in the distance. The wind picked up.  

A storm was coming.

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To read more about June Kato and her history with the Yakuza and Jack Melendez, you can find the entire series here:

Author Page:
http://junekatointrigue.wordpress.com

To continue on to the bonus short story featuring June Kato, click
HERE
.

About the Authors

Nick Stephenson

Nick Stephenson was born and raised in Cambridgeshire, England. He writes mysteries, thrillers, and suspense novels, as well as the occasional witty postcard, all of which are designed to get your pulse pounding. His approach to writing is to hit hard, hit fast, and leave as few spelling errors as possible. Don’t let his headshot fool you – he’s actually full color (on most days).

His books are a mixture of mystery, action and humor, and are recommended for anyone who enjoys fast paced writing with plenty of twists and turns.

For up to date promotions and release dates of upcoming books, sign up for the latest news here:

Author Page: 
www.nickstephensonbooks.com

Kay Hadashi

Third generation Japanese American, and growing up in a multigenerational home, Kay Hadashi learned Japanese traditions from her grandparents, and the lessons of modern-day life in Honolulu, Hawaii. Dividing her life between Hawaii and the mainland of America, she spends her time refining her tai chi skills, taking Zumba classes, and has a busy career in health care.

A lifelong fantasy and sci-fi reader, and through the experience of writing medical thrillers and short stories, Kay discovered she enjoys writing intrigue. Even though her current main character is female, her stories have wide appeal to both men and women, and people of various backgrounds. If you enjoy intrigue and suspense, you should be able to find a June Kato novel to enjoy!

Author Page:
http://junekatointrigue.wordpress.com

Turn the Page to Read the Bonus Short Story “Divide and Conquer” by Kay Hadashi - featuring June Kato.

Divide and Conquer
 

by Kay Hadashi 

Nobody ever told June Kato that babysitting could be such hard work... As a world-class neurosurgeon, June is used to dealing with high-pressure situations. But when a trio of violent thugs invade her home while her four-year-old nieces are staying over, nap time suddenly takes on a whole new meaning. A thrill-ride from start to finish. 

Story Length: 12,000 words, approx. 46 print pages.

CHAPTER ONE

After a U-turn in the dead end street, a car parked at the curb with the wheels angled out. Three men quietly sat inside until a luxury sedan parked at a house down the block. They watched the driver intently as she unbuckled two little girls’ seat belts. 

“Nice car,” the driver said.

“Nice ass,” said the large man seated in the back seat.

“And we’re not here for either one,” said the front passenger.

They watched as the woman disabled the home alarm system and led the little girls into the house, kicking the door closed behind them.

“I keep telling you, we should get that alarm code,” said the man slouched in the back seat. He was the biggest, uncomfortably packed into the small car.

“It’ll be fine,” the front seat passenger said back authoritatively. “With any luck, the alarm system will be turned off. If not, we go to Plan B.”

“Which is kick in the door and rush them,” the driver offered, grinning.

“And we want to avoid that at all costs. That kind of shit would only bring attention to the house,” replied the front seat passenger, the man in charge. “Everything calm and relaxed. And most of all, we need to keep those little brats quiet.”

 “Smack ‘em if they cry. That’ll shut them up,” said the man in back. “The woman too.”

 “Shut up, idiot,” said the front seat passenger. It was clear he was the one in charge. “Try to remember these women ain’t stupid. And the last thing we need is some woman freakin’ out.”

“Who are they again?” the driver asked.

“The one that just went in is some classy fashion model. Owns a clothing company also. She’s the one with money.” 

The driver snorted a laugh. “Fashion model? How bright can she be?”

“She didn’t get rich by being dumb. And the sister is some sort of doctor. She won’t be dumb either.”

“A lady doctor? Book smart but not street wise.”

An old brown Toyota parking in the driveway got their attention.

“That’s the sister, the brats’ aunt. She’s the one that lives there. The mom’s the one with the money.”

“She’s a doctor? And she drives that old piece of junk? I’m telling you, neither of ‘ems too bright. This is gonna be easy,” the man in the back seat said, rubbing his hands on his pants.

The one in charge finally heard enough. “And I’m telling both of you to keep your word holes clamped.”

The woman slammed the car door shut and went into the house with a grocery bag.

“What are they, twins?” one asked.

“Yeah.”

“How do we tell them apart?”

The one in the front seat, the planner of the scheme, rolled his eyes. He had planned it out on his own, picking up some help along the way from a couple cons he knew in the joint. “Like I told you before, we wait until the mother is gone. We use the kids to work on the sister, to get what we need. Once we’re in the house, all you have to do is follow my lead, do what I tell ya.”

“How’d you hear about these babes again?” asked the driver. 

 “Look, I got from a reliable source that the mother is going out of town this weekend and is leaving the kids with the sister. She has a big house in Orange County and just got a home safe installed, stuffed full of cash.”

“If the cash is there, why are we here?” Neat and tidy, the driver was the slimmest of the three. He was also the most edgy.

The one in charge explained the plan again. “It’s a surprise job, just like we talked. We knock on the door, rush the sister when she answers, and tie her up. At first, we ignore the kids, but don’t let them run off. I don’t want any of that female hysterical shit. Then we call the mother and demand the combo to the safe. When she hears her little brats bawling their heads off on the phone, she’d spread her legs three times, if we wanted it.”