The Traitor's Gold, page 18
‘Two white van deliveries,’ Quaid said.
‘He’s outside in the warmer hours of the day,’ Sally said. ‘Doesn’t walk. Just sits in that chaise longue. Eats. Drinks. Wanders off for a while. Always wears the same clothes.’
‘The wife has made five appearances,’ Hassell said. ‘Swimming and sunbathing. She reads. She slathers suncream on. She distracts the guards, but not for long.’
‘I saw no sign of any weapons,’ Mason said. ‘Beyond the obvious Uzis.’
All the others shook their heads in agreement.
‘Anything else?’ Mason asked.
‘The postal worker is on good terms with some guards.’ Roxy shrugged. ‘There are no dogs, a good thing. Those roof snipers change three times during the day.’
Hassell spoke up. ‘I’ve been looking at the transport and the gates,’ he said. ‘And external security. The windows never open and are not guarded by bars. The front door is solid and steel, formidable. The garage is always open and contains at least three vehicles, a big Nissan SUV, a Range Rover and a sporty Mazda. The keys hang inside, on a corkboard beside the cars. The guards go to the garage often. I believe there’s a tea and coffee machine in there and maybe a toilet. There’s a beach buggy type thing,’ he shrugged, ‘for getting about the grounds, I guess, though nobody seems to use it. Now…the gates. They’re high and unscalable, with their thin rails and speared tips, but they’re relatively flimsy. When the postal worker leaned against them, they bent slightly. The walls are high, nine feet roughly, but surround the entire property. They have a few vulnerable points. You see where the trees grow?’ He pointed at his phone rather than risk all of them standing at the window. ‘You could probably hop over there.’
Mason nodded. ‘I like it,’ he said. ‘But getting close to Kobayashi isn’t gonna be easy.’
Roxy shrugged. ‘We’ve done difficult before. There comes a time when it’s just another mission.’
Mason nodded. ‘Agreed, and it’s not the getting close that worries me. It’s the Uzis.’
‘I defer to you,’ Luciane said. ‘I admit I am out of my element on this. My Garda training didn’t include staking out gangsters’ mansions.’
‘Neither did mine, to be fair,’ Mason said.
‘Mine did,’ Roxy murmured.
‘So what do we do next?’ Luciane asked her.
Roxy turned quickly, too quickly, her expression haunted. ‘Isolate,’ she said. ‘Isolate and kill.’
Mason moved in before she could regress any further into her troubled past. ‘We watch through the night,’ he said. ‘See – they’ve already turned on the floodlights for us.’
Roxy turned towards the window. ‘I’ll take first watch. Can’t sleep anyway.’
Mason moved to her side. ‘I’ll help,’ he said.
Chapter 27
Throughout the night and the next morning, they watched. They needed to see a pattern, a way in, a vulnerability. All they saw was Kobayashi lumber about, sunbathe, eat pizza and watch his wife swim. Rose creamed up and stretched out and read for a while, heading inside when the clouds came. Kobayashi yelled at a few guards who went the wrong way, spoke to a gardener and went inside when a van full of hoodlums pulled up. Mason watched the exchanges carefully, seeing little as they all went inside the house and then, ten minutes later, reappeared. Whatever Kobayashi had ordered them to do would remain between them. Ten minutes after that, Kobayashi was outside again, struggling into his chaise longue.
‘What do we have?’ Mason asked that afternoon.
‘Six pizzas,’ Roxy said.
‘Two rounds of post,’ Hassell said. ‘The Range Rover and the Nissan both went out today and came back within half an hour. Probably errands.’
‘Usual guard routine,’ Quaid said. ‘No modifications.’
‘Rose’s routine didn’t vary,’ Sally said. ‘Neither did Kobayashi’s really.’
‘I saw the cops drive by twice,’ Luciane said, and then shrugged. ‘Could have been routine.’
Mason leaned forward. ‘So,’ he said. ‘What’s our way in?’
‘Already?’ Roxy said. ‘This type of surveillance should take weeks.’
‘We don’t have that kind of time.’
‘Because of the SED?’ Quaid said. ‘Agreed.’
‘Miura,’ Luciane said, remembering the man with a shudder. ‘He’s driven. The Shadow Kings’ secret plan to find that ancient casino at all costs, even murder, is everything to him. Nothing else matters.’
‘I can get us to the door,’ Roxy said. ‘Maybe two of us, tops.’
‘The door is steel,’ Hassell reminded her. ‘It’ll take a bomb to get through it.’
‘I can get it open,’ she said. ‘Easily.’
Hassell made a face. ‘Really?’
Mason looked across at her. ‘How?’
‘Leave that with me. The problem will come after that. We have to make sure Kobayashi’s in the house, not out by the pool. It has to be timed just right.’
‘He goes inside in the afternoon, when it gets colder,’ Sally said.
‘That’s good intel. Do the guards then change their routines?’
‘No,’ Hassell said.
‘Do we have any idea about the guard numbers inside the house?’ Mason asked. He already knew the answer.
There were several shakes of several heads.
‘He has at least two housekeepers,’ Hassell said. ‘I’ve seen them answering the door.’
‘That’s gonna help,’ Roxy said.
‘Care to enlighten us?’ Mason asked.
‘I can get two of us inside that house,’ she said. ‘But which two? We need to be mean, ready to kill or be killed, ready to kidnap. We will have to move ultra fast and with as much stealth as possible.’ She looked at Mason. ‘You up for it?’
He wanted to help. ‘Always.’
Roxy checked the time. ‘We go at three-thirty. Be ready. And you?’ She turned to the others. ‘We’ll need backup just outside. There could be a chase. I need you in place to cut it off before it starts.’
‘We only have one car,’ Quaid pointed out.
‘Yeah.’ Roxy scrunched her face up. ‘But inside that compound, we can change that.’
Chapter 28
Mason found that high-risk missions such as this held all his attention, much of Roxy’s attention, and insulated them from whatever memories might rear up during the day. For his own part, he was feeling much better now, able to force the worst memories into remission, but Roxy seemed to struggle as much as ever.
They left the house carefully at 3.30 p.m., walked up to their car and got inside. They drove a short distance to an establishment they’d pinpointed on the map, got out and placed an order. They came out ten minutes later with fourteen inches of pepperoni, onion, and extra cheese and put it on the back seat. Roxy gave Mason a look before she set off.
‘You ready? This time we’re really walking into the lion’s den.’
‘Danger is my middle name.’
She held his eyes. ‘Really?’
‘Yeah, sorry. It sounded better in my head. I think I heard it on TV once.’
‘After hearing that, I’d say dickhead is your middle name.’
Mason took it on the chin, hanging his head. Roxy started the car and set off on the five-minute drive that would lead them to the front gates of Kobayashi’s mansion. Mason flexed his fingers, rolled his shoulders and massaged his knuckles. One way or another, this would end up in a fight.
Time ticked by. Mason knew the others would have made their way down the hill by now and would be waiting somewhere by the road, trying to remain inconspicuous. Would Roxy’s plan get them inside the house? Sure, he thought. This guy gets eight pizza deliveries a day.
They came around a bend and pulled up to the gates. Roxy got out and put her hand on the buzzer, keeping her head down, shielded from any watching guards. Mason looked out for her, but saw no one approaching.
‘Konnichiwa?’ a tinny voice came through the intercom.
‘Pizza,’ Roxy said simply.
And all Kobayashi’s impressive and extensive security was circumvented as the gate rattled open.
Roxy got back in the car and turned it into the driveway. She drove through the mansion’s grounds, past the burbling fountain, and pulled up outside the front door. She turned the car around to facilitate a fast getaway. Then she turned to Mason.
‘Game time.’
She cracked open the door, got out and reached into the back seat for the pizza, making a great show of holding it out in front of her. Nonchalantly, Mason joined her. Together, they walked up five marble steps to the front door.
Roxy knocked and waited.
Mason’s spine itched. Maybe they were being watched, maybe they weren’t, but it certainly felt that way. He kept his head down, gazing at the ground. He slouched, not wanting to appear threatening.
Minutes passed. Roxy knocked again. Finally, the front door swung inwards to reveal a man wearing a suit, a hard expression on his face. His left hand hovered close to his concealed gun.
‘Pizza.’ Roxy offered it up.
The man barely looked at her before grunting and reaching out for the offering. Both hands grabbed the box, and he moved backwards. That was when Roxy stepped into the house after him and attacked mercilessly. With his hands full, he couldn’t react or protect himself. Roxy’s first punch was in the centre of his throat, stopping him from making a noise. Her second was to his sternum and then two more to his temples rendered him unconscious. The man fell to the floor, the pizza box slithering out of his grip.
Mason picked it up, seeing that it might provide them with further cover. Roxy dragged her comatose opponent into a nearby cloakroom. She frisked him for weapons, came up with the black lightweight Uzi compact automatic pistol, and shrugged.
‘Now we’re talking,’ she said and thrust it into her waistband.
They loitered for a moment in the cloakroom.
‘Where to?’ Mason asked.
‘How the hell should I know?’
‘It was your plan.’
‘I got us inside. The rest is up to you.’ She smiled.
Mason grinned back. ‘I know where he’ll be,’ he said.
After a few seconds, Roxy’s half-smile turned into a grin. ‘So do I,’ she said.
They left the cloakroom, closed the door firmly and made their way through the house. They passed under a wide staircase that curved up to the second floor, where a balcony overlooked the lower hall. Mason saw a housekeeper moving up there and ran lightly into cover, passing out of sight. They were aiming for the rear.
They reached the kitchen two minutes later. The door was open, revealing a six-person peninsula counter top, leather stools and a row of windows beyond. Through the door, they could see one half of Kobayashi slumped over a bowl of steaming rice, the thick vapour making a cloud around his head. The big man lifted a spoon to his lips.
Roxy moved behind him, slipping through the doorway into the kitchen. Mason was a step behind.
Inside, they had a surprise. Kobayashi wasn’t alone. A guard stood at the sink, tap running, grabbing a glass of water. Some sixth sense must have warned him for, as soon as Mason revealed himself, the guy turned around.
Stared at them open-mouthed.
Kobayashi stared at his guard, oblivious to Roxy and Mason.
‘Nande?’ he asked.
The guard let the glass drop. It hit the floor and shattered, spilling water. By then, Mason was dashing past Kobayashi’s tree-trunk-like arm, vaulting the countertop and hitting the guard in the chest with his legs outstretched. Mason landed in the water, boots grating against the chunks of glass. The guard staggered back several steps into the sink and smacked his right hip against it.
Roxy looped an arm around Kobayashi’s thick neck.
‘Stay calm,’ she said. ‘We know you’re an evil little bastard and we won’t hesitate to use force on you.’
Mason sprang to his feet, struck out. He caught the guard in the face, made him flinch, but the man ignored it and reached for his Uzi. That was his downfall. As his hand slipped inside his jacket, Mason elbowed him across the nose, breaking it, and then kicked him in the groin. The guard went down hard. Mason smacked him in the head and he knew no more. He jerked the Uzi from the guy’s inside holster and turned it on Kobayashi.
‘How’s it going?’ he said.
Quickly, he paced back into the depths of the kitchen. The windows overlooked the garden and it would be quite easy for a patrolling guard to see him if he strayed near a window.
Kobayashi stared, the hot rice blooming around his face.
Roxy let go of his neck and tapped him on the head with the barrel of her Uzi. ‘Are you Kobayashi?’ Mason knew she didn’t want to ask the guy if he spoke English because it was too easy to deny the question. It was better to appear as though you’d done your homework and already knew he did.
Kobayashi nodded, the flesh underneath his chin wobbling.
Mason looked around the kitchen for dangers, seeing only piles of pizza boxes, crates of lager and an open dishwasher full of plates. He could smell meat lingering in the air, the aroma of pepperoni and ham. There wasn’t another sound in the place, save for Roxy’s questioning.
Mason lifted a carving knife from a holder on the kitchen counter and took it over to Roxy. ‘Use this,’ he said ominously.
Kobayashi’s eyes flicked from the window to the doors and then back to Roxy. He was gauging his chances.
‘Shout and you’re dead,’ Roxy said. ‘I’ll jam this knife in your brain pan faster than you can blink.’
Kobayashi didn’t look in the least scared, but he did lock eyes with her.
‘What do you want?’ he said in heavily accented English.
‘Among your secret treasures, your private collection,’ Roxy said, ‘are several bags of coins that came from an old Chinese casino. We want to know if—’
‘No!’ Kobayashi yelled out and swung his arms from side to side.
Roxy, surprised, backed away and only just held on to her weapon. Kobayashi’s size made him a formidable opponent. Quickly, she smashed him across the back of the neck; not too hard, just enough to let him know she was prepared to hurt him.
But Kobayashi hadn’t been trying to escape.
He’d been trying to give himself enough time to reach out, snap back the cover of a black box that was fixed to the counter and press the small round button inside.
As soon as he did so, an alarm sounded. The blaring wail filled the entire house, probably the whole grounds. Kobayashi sat back, crossed his arms and stared at them with satisfaction.
‘Now, we will see how well you die,’ he said.
Mason and Roxy wasted no time. The game was up. They forced Kobayashi to his feet, turned him around, and then prodded him out of the kitchen. They held their Uzis in front of them, swaying from side to side. Kobayashi lumbered ahead, filling the corridor.
‘Front doors, now,’ Mason said.
They pushed and prodded Kobayashi, making the man-mountain move as fast as he could. The guy’s head was on a constant swivel, looking for help, but all Mason saw was a maid wearing black and white, a bundle of towels in her hand, a shocked expression on her face, retreating down another passageway.
They came into the front hallway. Kobayashi clumped to a halt. Mason checked the balcony above, found it empty. Roxy ran forwards. Both of them were ready with their Uzis.
‘Straight to the car,’ Roxy said. ‘Then we get the hell out of here.’
Mason nodded. He was worried about their companions somewhere outside the mansion, but knew they could always retrieve them later. This plan had never been perfect. They’d done well to get the Japanese criminal this far.
‘You will never escape,’ Kobayashi said. ‘Not with me.’
‘Tell us what we want to know, and we’ll leave you alone,’ Roxy countered.
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about. I have no private collection.’
Mason punched him in the face, feeling the flesh give way and then spring back under his fist. It was like punching a jelly. ‘We know you do,’ he said.
‘My men will kill you.’
‘Better men have tried.’ Roxy dashed for the front door, the alarm wailing all around them, opened it and jumped out into hell.
Chapter 29
Leaping outside, Roxy jumped into a hail of gunfire. Bullets smashed into the pillars and the walls by the door. Then Mason shoved Kobayashi out and the shooting abruptly stopped.
‘Get behind us,’ Mason shouted at Roxy.
‘Damn pleased you’re such a big target,’ Roxy said to Kobayashi.
‘Don’t shoot!’ Kobayashi yelled in Japanese, holding his arms out.
Mason stayed behind the man, prodding him forward with the barrel of the Uzi. Kobayashi’s own men wouldn’t risk shooting him. Plus, the guy was an evil criminal. He didn’t deserve to be safe. Roxy slipped behind him. Together, they passed from the shadows offered by the pillared portico into the sunshine. Their car was parked just a few metres away.
Mason counted four guards scattered across the grounds, facing them with more arriving. Two were standing beside the fountain, two on the driveway. Another came around the side of the house. In the distance, he could see the two gate guards had emerged from their sentry boxes and were shielding their eyes against the glare of the sun, trying to figure out what was happening.
Mason waved the Uzi to show he meant business, then prodded Kobayashi forward once more. The man was panting angrily, shrugging his shoulder every time Mason touched him. He was putting on a show for his guards, trying to look courageous, but Mason could sense the fear in him.
