The Rising Sea (NUMA Files 15)

Retraining the binoculars on the car, Joe tracked it as it passed under a streetlight and turned toward a loading zone around the side. Joe hopped up and moved to a spot where he could see the loading zone more clearly.

The sedan pulled up to the dock. A man got out and climbed up on the loading platform. He rang the buzzer and, without waiting for an answer, began to pound his fist on the back door.

An overhead light came on, illuminating the man, but all Joe could see was his back.

The door opened. A security guard appeared and words were exchanged. It seemed like a heated discussion.

The security guard went back inside and the angry fellow waited impatiently.

“Turn around,” Joe whispered. “What have you got to lose?”

The man stood his ground and Joe took the moment to grab the camera tripod and bring it to his new vantage point.

By the time he’d set it up and focused, the door was open again. This time, Han appeared. He walked out to the parked sedan. The trunk was opened and Han reached in to retrieve a long wooden case. He rested the case on the roof of the car and opened it.

Joe focused as finely as he could. In the case was a shimmering sword.

“Strange hour of the night to be buying collectables,” Joe whispered.

An approving nod came from Han and the case was folded shut.

Joe expected he would lose any chance to ID the driver in a moment. He edged closer to the cliff but could not change the angle enough to see the face. Then he noticed a large convex mirror, stationed on the edge of the dock. Every loading zone had one, placed there to help the drivers back in without hitting the dock.

Joe turned the camera toward the mirror, zoomed in as far as it would go and refocused. The magnification was so high that the slightest bump made the image blur, so Joe took his hands off the camera and watched the glowing screen.

The focus tightened and Joe recognized the driver: Ushi-Oni. To his surprise, Joe noticed a passenger slumped over against the window of the car as if sleeping. R

ecognition came to him in a flash. “Superintendent Nagano.”

No wonder he wasn’t at his office and his assistant sounded concerned. He was lying on his side, in the back of Ushi-Oni’s car, with a length of white tape stretched across his mouth.

Movement began in earnest now. Other swords were displayed. Some wrapped in leather, others were in additional wooden boxes. A leather-bound book was produced. Han kept this and offered an approving nod. He waved his hand, the entry gate was drawn back and Ushi-Oni climbed back into the car and drove through.

38

KURT WAS in the garage washroom, getting dressed and making himself presentable. Ten laps in the hot box of a race car had drenched him in sweat. He was back in his own clothes and splashing water on his face when his phone began to buzz.

He shook the water from his hands, dried his face with a towel and grabbed the phone. It was Joe.

“I hate to interrupt the fun,” Joe said, “but you’ve got a party crasher. Ushi-Oni just pulled up to the back gate.”

Kurt didn’t bother asking Joe if he was sure. He wouldn’t have made the call if there was any doubt. “So Nagano wasn’t able to track him down.”

“Wish that was the case,” Joe said, “but it looks like the hunter got taken down by the hunted. I saw Nagano in the back of the sedan. Mouth taped, hands tied.”

“Is he alive?”

“Can’t tell. He wasn’t moving.”

Kurt held the phone against his chin as he pulled on his dinner jacket. “Where’s the car now?”

“It pulled through the gate and parked just beyond the loading zone by the secondary building.”

“How do I get there?”

“You need to get to the southwest corner of the building you’re in now.”

Kurt needed to create a distraction. He had an idea that would dovetail nicely with the tools Joe had at his disposal. “I’m going to make a run for it. Get yourself into position. If they leave the building, you follow them. If they stay, give me two minutes and then start the fireworks.”