按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
ving。
Two good gusts came while he was still working out the vectors。 Then； as he set himself； the wind died to a tickle on his face。 e on； he thought。 e on！
His hair began to ruffle； he felt the temperature drop on his bruised and purpled skin。 Strengthening。 Such an ephemeral thing； you could not even see it。 He closed his eyes and felt it。
And when his body told him it was time； he used the powerful muscles in his legs to launch himself into the dark； dark void。 Spinning for a moment； plummeting。 Then he corrected and caught a substantial updraft。
Soared into the night like a bat。
Akiko picked Koten up at the rotenburo and followed him out of there。 He had arrived emptyhanded and he left with a long； polished wood case。 To Akiko； whose eyes were trained for such things； it appeared to be a weapon's case。 Judging by its length it could contain nothing but a dai…katana； the longest of all the samurai swords。
Deep in the shadows； she stiffened。 Koten had passed through a squat ellipse of lantern light and she had gotten a good look at the case。 It was the same one she had seen open in the garden between Nicholas and her husband。 Koten had Nicholas' sword！
Car followed car。 But because there was little traffic this late at night Akiko was forced to douse her headlights； using peripheral illumination； as well as the twin ruby taillights of Koten's car； to aid her。 Once or twice； when the road wound up a hillside； she thought she had lost him。 But each time as she crested； the lights reappeared。
This was farm country…very rural…and she had to be careful not to be spotted。 But the sky's darkness that hindered her also aided her for it made Koten's vision behind him that much more difficult。
Not more than thirty minutes after they left the rotenburo； Koten's car abruptly slowed； turning left onto a hardpacked dirt lane that immediately disappeared in underbrush。
Akiko quickly pulled onto the side of the road and got out； following on foot； she could not chance taking her own car in there…the noise alone could alert her quarry。
Because of the narrow； twisting nature of the path she had no difficulty in keeping Koten in sight。 In a small clearing bordered by great stands of whispering bamboo； he drew up。 Men were all about and she was close enough to hear what they were saying。 Nicholas had escaped！
But what of Sato？ She had not been at the rotenburo for long enough to find out anything of substance other than that a man… apparently a patron…had been killed in a mysterious auto explosion。 Who？
She did not know。 Koten had e； distracting her； but even so she would not have been able to ask questions without arousing suspicion。 Japanese society was extremely clannish。 There was a fierce munity spirit。 She did not belong here； a stranger asking questions about what might easily be a murder…what was in any case an unexplained death…would be noted and the local police notified。 Akiko could not afford such scrutiny。
But now she had to wonder。 They had spoken only of Nicholas。 Not one word was spoken of Sato； his name simply never came up。
To Akiko this led to one inescapable conclusion： Sato was dead。 Perhaps it had been he who had died in the car explosion； or again perhaps he had died here at this forested place。 It did not matter； part of her revenge had been taken care of for her。 That did not make her particularly happy…she would have preferred to exact her own vengeance…but she resigned herself to the reality of the situation。
Nicholas was now her target。 She turned away from the edge of the clearing； beginning to quarter the area immediately surrounding the clearing and its central building which looked so much like a barn but which she was certain was not。
At length； to the southwest； she found the remnants of the hito washi。 She hunkered down； fingering it； admiring the workmanship。 She laughed low in her throat。 Then she set off after him。
Of course Alix had tried to stop him。 She had called him everything from a madman to a moron； she had even cried and； at the end； begged him not to go。
By all this Croaker surmised that she was genuinely afraid for him。 But he was not at all sure。 After all； she was a consummate actress； making love to the camera every day when she worked。 She could turn on or off any emotion as easily as she applied mascara each morning and wiped it away at night。
But then it occurred to him that she had no earthly reason to act in this case。 What would she get out of deterring him from flying off to Washington besides seeing him safe？ She knew full well who it was who had tried to kill him or at least who had ordered it。 The same person who had now contracted for both their deaths； breaking his oath to her。
C。 Gordon Minck； the man before whom Croaker now stood。
〃Where the hell are we；〃 he said looking around at the leafy patio； 〃the goddamned African veldt？〃 He did not like the edge to his voice。 But he was frightened； not only of this man and the power he wielded to cut off pursuit； to twist the law to his own design； but also of what he himself was thinking of doing to Minck。
Minck contrived to laugh and Croaker glared at him； his tightly controlled emotions flaring。 〃I ought to kill you right here with my bare hands；〃 he said low in his throat。
Minck was still trying to recover from seeing a man standing next to him who up until just a moment ago he believed dead and buried at sea。 He put one hand tentatively up to his temple； as if with that gesture he could press away the pain that now throbbed there like a traitor。
〃You've got to get a grip on yourself； Lieutenant。〃 It was the best he could do for the moment； he needed some time to marshal both his emotions and his thoughts。 This day was rapidly turning into one of the worst in his life and he was determined to give his full attention to it lest matters deteriorate even further。 He gestured。 〃Please sit down。〃
〃Which one of these chairs is mined？〃 Croaker said with a sneer。
〃Just what's that supposed to mean？〃 Minck said despite himself。 He had promised himself that he would not vie with Lieutenant Croaker on his own base ground。 But the pain in his head was unsettling him。
〃You've tried to kill me three times； you've tried to kill Alix Logan twice。 What else would you expect me to say walking in here？〃
Minck sat heavily down。 He groaned inwardly as the pain increased。 His heart rate was accelerating。 〃What are you talking about？〃 His voice was a trifle shaky； his face pasty beneath his rich tan。 It was only now that the true gravity of the situation was beginning to dawn on him。 Croaker's expressed threat echoed in his mind like a taunt。 How had he managed to miss this tinkering？
Croaker； observing all this； was curious。 The edge of his anger had dulled。 〃Alix and I were pursued out of Key West。 Once in Raleigh； North Carolina； and once in New York City； we were attacked。 That's attempted murder； Minck。〃
Minck shook his head。 〃I don't understand this；〃 he said to no one in particular。 〃I never sanctioned Alix's death。〃 He looked up； as if abruptly aware of Croaker's presence。 〃I would never do that。 I told her I wouldn't。 You must believe me。〃
Words； as Croaker