The Inside Man Read online

  “You have two weeks to collect ten million US dollars and wire it to the bank account specified in the e-mail. If funds are not received by then, you will never see your child again.”

  Chapter Six

  As Levi stepped off the elevator at Tanaka Industries, he was greeted by Ryuki Watanabe. The number two man of the Tanaka syndicate held a grim expression and said nothing as he led Levi through the near-empty offices of what was officially an import and export business.

  Ryuki stopped at a door that had the mobster’s name printed on it in both Japanese and English, and the two men stepped into a spacious office. The mob leader sat behind a large mahogany desk and slid his desk phone between them.

  Ryuki spoke in Japanese, his voice was tense and he clipped his words. “I woke my superior as soon as you called. He’s waiting for our call. You have the data?”

  Levi nodded.

  The mobster pressed a button on the phone and a dial-tone filled the room with a long string of different tones as the international number was dialed.

  The phone rang once, before an older man answered in Japanese.

  “It’s about time, Ryuki. I’ve been waiting over an hour!”

  Levi cut in. “Tanaka-sama, I’m very sorry. This is Levi Yoder, and it is my fault for the delay. I struggled with midday traffic to get here—”

  “Ryuki told me about the news. I want to hear it myself.”

  “Understood. It is in English. Do you want me to—”

  “No, I can understand well enough, thank you.”

  Levi raised the volume on his cell phone and played the recording he’d taken at Denny’s.

  “You have two weeks to collect ten million US dollars and wire it to the bank account specified in the e-mail. If funds are not received by then, you will never see your child again.”

  Ryuki’s face showed no emotion as the message played.

  For a long moment, the mob boss’s heavy breathing was all that came over the speakerphone. The he said a single word that Levi didn’t understand. Some type of Japanese slang? Mob code word?

  Ryuki responded with a “Hai” and bowed his head in acknowledgment at the phone.

  “Yoder-san, was there anything else in the message?”

  “Yes, it was the little girl. She left a message to her mother.”

  “Ah, do you have it? I have never heard my granddaughter’s voice.”

  “Yes.” Without even thinking about it, Levi bowed his head to the phone. He rewound the recording to the beginning and put it close to the phone.

  “Mommy. It’s Tuesday and I’m okay.”

  There was an eerie silence on the line for a few long seconds. “So, that is my only heir.” The tense emotion coming in the mob boss’s voice sent a chill up Levi’s spine. “Yoder-san, I’m too closely involved in this to be of good judgment. I require your counsel on this. What would you do if this was your child?”

  “I’d destroy the people responsible,” Levi responded without hesitation.

  Ryuki’s stone-like expression cracked, and he gave Levi an approving nod.

  “But, I would not react immediately.” Levi continued. “We need more information.”

  “And, how would you intend to get this information?”

  “Tanaka-sama, I had planned on asking Ryuki about this, but I have some resources … information from the US FBI. They are looking for a Kiyoshi Ishikawa, who they believe is a member of your business. I don’t know the truth, but—”

  “Ryuki,” Tanaka’s voice was loud through the speaker, giving off a gruff authoritative tone. “Do you know this name?”

  “Yes.” Ryuki nodded and began flipping through a small box of index cards. “He asked permission to go back to Japan to visit his ailing father, and I gave it. I have an address for him in Ryogoku.” He pulled out an index card out and slid it across the desk to Levi. It showed the father’s address, written in Japanese.

  Levi nodded. “Tanaka-sama, I have people who I trust helping me, but the FBI believes that Ishikawa-san has killed two of their agents. I’ve been warned by them to not investigate your granddaughter’s kidnapping. They claim it’s being taken care of, but… Well, I don’t like to believe that the FBI could be behind this, but it seems interesting to me that some of those involved know about both your daughter’s heritage and Ishikawa’s relationship to it. Maybe—”

  “You think they are using my granddaughter as leverage to get Ishikawa?”

  “I don’t know. But I’d like to question Ishikawa. It might be best if I go to Japan to do it, because Ishikawa would likely be unsafe coming back.”

  “Ryuki, give Yoder-san use of the plane. I will try to be back in Tokyo for this, but in case I am not, arrange for Yoder-san’s reception.”

  “Hai,” Ryuki nodded at the phone and looked over at Levi. “I will call to get the plane fueled. How long will it take for you to be ready?”

  Levi glanced at his watch. It was three in the afternoon—people were still at work. “I have to make a few phone calls. As long as I don’t have any problems with my contacts, I can be ready in an hour or so. But I don’t have a change of clothes or—”

  “Ryuki will arrange for anything you need to be waiting for you when you land. We must not waste time.”

  Levi stood. “Okay, I’ll go outside and make some calls.”

  “Yoder-san, I very much look forward to meeting you in person.”

  “As do I, Tanaka-sama. As do I.”

  ###

  Standing outside the entrance to One World Trade Center, Levi had to hold his phone a few inches from his ear as O’Connor yelled, “There’s no fucking way you’re leaving the country.”

  Levi shook his head and paced. He needed the FBI to not interfere; even if he took a private jet, he’d have to check in through customs on arrival, and he was pretty sure the FBI would lose their minds if his passport suddenly triggered an alert showing that he’d landed in Japan.

  “Listen to me,” he said. “I don’t give two shits who took out your agents. You guys are the ones who asked me to look into these incidents. I delivered Mendoza’s killer, and now you’re telling me that I’m not supposed to follow where the leads go?”

  “You’re just lucky that the DNA we got off that mobster matched Mendoza’s killer. My SAC’s happy about that, but you fucked that guy up royally. He’s still being treated at the hospital.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. That guy was like that when I spotted him.”

  “Ya, whatever. Tell me again, why Japan?”

  “Did you even look at the evidence on the Nguyen and Wei case?” Levi leaned against the wall near the skyscraper’s entrance. Men and women in business suits walked past. “One of the bomb fragments had a latent print that got an IAFIS hit. I’ve got the inside track to where our guy is, and that’s somewhere just outside of Tokyo. He’s being protected by his mob connections. So, if you think you can go there and get him, then do it. Otherwise, it seems like I’ve got to do your dirty work.”

  “We don’t have clearance to pursue any suspect on foreign soil.”

  “Then stop jerking my chain. I may not have this opportunity later. Maybe I can give him a reason to come back to the States—”

  “How the hell would you manage that?”

  “Leave that up to me. I just don’t want my passport flagged if I land in Japan. Do I have clearance to pursue the lead, or not?”

  “I can’t authorize a cooperating witness to leave the country.”

  Levi gritted his teeth and slowly breathed in and out, trying to keep his cool. “Then who can?”

  “I’ll call you back in fifteen minutes.”

  The line went dead.

  Levi would have liked to check in with Denny next, but doubted he’d be able to reach him. The electronics whiz had detected signs of someone trying to hack into one of his firewalls and had immediately shut all of his systems down. He was now probably in
one of his quiet rooms, a place he’d shielded against all electronic signals. It was where the man did his most risky work, none of which Levi understood.

  Levi scrolled through a series of contact numbers that Denny had given him, found the one he was looking for, and hit the call button. The phone rang once … twice … and a woman’s voice answered. “Office of Public Affairs, Federal Bureau of Investigation.”

  “Hi, I’m trying to reach Nick Anspach, A-n-s-p-a-c-h. This is somewhat important, and he’s either at the DC field office or somewhere in the main lab in Quantico. Can you help me out?”

  “Sir, who may I say is calling?”

  “Tell him it’s Levi Yoder.”

  “One second, sir.” After putting him on hold for half a minute, the operator came back on the line. “Sir, I’m connecting your call.”

  The phone rang once, and Nick’s soft-spoken voice answered. “Mister Yoder? I’m a bit surprised to hear from you.”

  “Please, just call me, Levi. And frankly, I didn’t think I’d call you either, but circumstances are what they are. I’m going to ask you something that might be out of line, but there’s a little girl at stake. I need your help.”

  “Um … okay. I can’t promise anything. What did you want to know?”

  “A five-year-old girl was kidnapped a few days ago out of her mother’s apartment in Maryland. I was hired by a family member of the victim to try and find her. And to be honest, the Nguyen and Wei case is eating up all my time, and the longer she’s out there somewhere, the less chance I’ll find her alive. I figured since you’re a forensics specialist, maybe you could help me track something down.”

  There was silence on the line for a few seconds before Anspach responded. “I don’t think I can help you in any official capacity.” His tone gave Levi the impression there might be a “but” coming. “Any formal analysis of a scene would have to come through the normal channels. Although … if it’s a kidnapping and the victim might have been taken across state lines, the FBI might already be involved. If so, maybe there’s something I can do.”

  “They are involved, but for obvious reasons, they aren’t sharing what they’ve learned with me. I just want the girl found alive, whether it’s me who finds her or someone else. And I might have some information that could help.”

  “Oh? Like what?”

  Levi explained that the girl was the daughter of an FBI employee, that he’d tracked down the Domino’s car to a parking lot, and that there was video footage of a black SUV speeding off from the scene, heading north.

  “Levi, I’m not at all familiar with the case, but if you have those security tapes, we have people here who specialize in enhancing video images. You never know, we might be able to get a license plate.”

  “I don’t have the tapes right now, but I can probably get them—”

  Levi’s phone beeped. It was O’Connor.

  “Listen, I’ve got Agent O’Connor on the line. I’ll work on getting you those tapes, but I have to go.”

  Levi switched lines, and O’Connor’s gruff voice erupted from the phone. “Mister Yoder, you’ve got some angel looking over you. My SAC approved your trip. Call me the moment you’re wheels down on foreign soil. I don’t care what time it is.”

  “Roger that. I’ll keep you posted.” Levi hung up.

  At that moment Ryuki exited the building. He looked around, spotted Levi, and walked over. “Yoder-san, the jet is being fueled and a flight plan has been filed. Do you have everything you need?”

  Levi patted at his suit jacket’s breast pocket and felt his passport and the gun in his shoulder holster. “I have my passport, and I’m also carrying two guns and a few knives.”

  Ryuki patted Levi on the shoulder. “I expected as much. You need not worry. Your safety is guaranteed.” He led Levi toward Fulton Street, where a long black limousine pulled up to the curb. A tall muscular man, whose neck was easily as thick as Levi’s thigh, stepped out of the front passenger seat and opened the rear door.

  Ryuki shook hands with Levi and said in a hushed tone. “You may leave your weapons with our pilot for safekeeping. He is a trusted member of the organization. Do you have any questions?”

  “So, just get on the plane, and someone will be there to meet me and take me to Ishikawa-san?”

  “Yes. My superior wants to meet you as well. Whether that happens before or after your meeting with Ishikawa-san, I’m not certain.” Ryuki placed his hand once again on Levi’s shoulder and leaned closer. “You will be treated as an honored guest. No need to worry.”

  Levi nodded and stepped into the cavernous rear compartment of a brand-new Mercedes Maybach. The smell of warm leather engulfed him as the large man gently closed the door behind him.

  Levi leaned back into the comfortable seat and worried about what kind of link there might be between Ishikawa and the kidnapping of June Wilson.

  ###

  The speaker in the plane’s cabin crackled to life, and the pilot spoke in lightly-accented English.

  “Mister Yoder, we’re on final approach to Narita airport, and should be landing on runway A in approximately fifteen minutes. That will be 6:35 p.m. local time. The temperature is forty-three degrees Fahrenheit, or approximately six degrees Celsius.

  “I’ve been told by our contact at the terminal that Mister Tanaka will not be able to meet with you until tomorrow morning. But he has arranged for some of his men to escort you into the city.”

  The speaker clicked off, and the Gulfstream G650ER banked slightly. The sound of the landing gear being lowered murmured through the cabin.

  The last time Levi had been in a private jet, he was flying over Russian territory as he and two CIA operatives left a military installation hidden in Siberia. That seemed like almost a lifetime ago.

  This jet was much more luxurious than that one—the equivalent of an executive’s office in the sky. It gave Levi pause to think of how much money this syndicate must generate to be able to afford not only a jet like this, but to fly it nonstop to Tokyo with only a single passenger.

  As the plane flew ever lower, the pressure adjusted in the cabin and Levi closed his eyes. He hated to admit it, even to himself, but landings always made him nervous.

  ###

  As he stepped onto the stairs that had been rolled up to the jet, Levi was hit by a cool breeze carrying the scent of gasoline. It was cold enough for his breath to form clouds of mist.

  At the base of the stairs he was greeted by four Japanese men dressed in identical suits, ranging in age from late thirties to early fifties.

  Given the buzz of activity on the tarmac, it was easy to believe that the Narita airport was one of the busiest travel hubs in the world. Levi had once read that well over a hundred thousand travelers flew into and out of the airport every day. Even in this part of the airport where the private aircraft were serviced, the sounds of aircraft taxiing, landing and taking off were all around them. It was no wonder the men who normally worked on the tarmac wore hearing protection.

  The eldest of Levi’s welcoming group stepped forward and gave a deep bow, which Levi returned. Levi noticed the man’s left hand was missing two knuckles. He was always aware that he was dealing with the Yakuza, and from what he’d been told, the Tanaka syndicate held a particularly ruthless reputation.

  “Mister Yoder,” the man said in accented English. “I’m Hirofumi Hidetada, but please, call me Harry.”

  “Only if you call me, Levi.” Levi gave the man a smile, and Harry’s face brightened.

  Harry motioned to his three companions. “Accompanying us tonight are Daishi, who goes by the name of David, Chujiro, who prefers Charlie, and Akinori, who goes by the name of Alan.”

  Levi bowed respectfully to each and began speaking in Japanese, which got an unexpected reaction from the group.

  “Please,” Harry said, looking apologetic. “May we all speak English tonight? We are slated to start working for Mister Watanabe in the U
S early next year, so we would like more practice with someone—”

  “I understand perfectly,” Levi gave the men a thumbs up. He glanced at his watch. “It’s almost seven. What’s the plan?”

  Harry motioned toward a waiting limo, “We heard that you had lived in Japan before, so the boss suggested we show you something unique. Across the street from your hotel is the perfect place. We’re going to attend a Burns Supper.”

  “Burns Supper? What’s that?”

  All four men smiled, and Harry said, “You’ll see. I think you’ll find it entertaining.”

  ###

  Just as June was about to take Raggedy Ann to bed with her, the room was cloaked in darkness and she let out a squeal of surprise. The chains on the metal door at the top of the stairs rattled.

  She cringed, because this meant only one thing.

  The robot man was coming.

  She didn’t know how long it had been since he’d last been here, she just knew she was hungry and hadn’t had anything to eat in a long time. Hopefully, he had some food.

  The stairs creaked, and footsteps drew closer.

  “I brought you something to eat and something new to wear.”

  The voice sounded like it was directly in front of her, but June couldn’t see a thing.

  “Thank you, Mister Robot. When can I see my Mommy?”

  “Soon. Maybe very soon.”

  June felt a cold hand grip her ankle, and gasped.

  “Just stand still and I will put this on you.”

  “Okay, I won’t move.” June said, her voice quavering.

  The man tightened his grip on her ankle and slipped her foot through something. He did the same with her other foot, then put her arms through the arm holes of what felt like a sleeveless shirt or jacket. And it was very heavy.

  The robot pressed something on the back of the jacket, and a tiny light on the front of the jacket, no bigger than a pinhead, turned red.

  “Don’t try to take this off. It’s how I know you’re behaving. Also, don’t go near the ladder or try to take this off. If you do, your mommy will never see you again. Do you understand?”