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〃Let's not get ahead of ourselves；〃 he said； but Sergei could see the concern on his face。
〃This is Volkov's doing；〃 Sergei said。 〃I can smell his duplicity from a mile away。〃 He shuddered。 〃That charm of his。 How many people he has gulled。〃
And； of course； that was when Valeri thought of Irina。
Deke was no problem。 He was a scientist； not a hero。 Koi left him hanging by his ankles in the lab at the back of his tattoo parlor。 His face was purple； bloated beyond any easy recognition； but it looked a good sight better than did his body。
Twenty…two minutes； Koi thought as she emerged into the teeming nighttime streets of Shinjuku； from the time I walked in there。 She had been fascinated by the smells in the lab： formaldehyde； sulfuric acid； acetone。 They spoke to her of death and destruction by increments； breaking down the building blocks of life one at a time。 She had used some of these substances on Deke； rubbing them into his skin as if she were in the process of pickling him。
Koi rode the subways； advertisements everywhere： on long cards overhead； on banners hanging at eye level； even on the straps standing passengers held on to while the train was in motion。 Koi read them all； but they were meaningless to her。 She was outside of time； traveling down her own dark tunnel even as the train she was riding snaked through the tunnels beneath the city。
Her mind was empty； her expression approaching the one of the mask of the god that had so entranced Big Ezoe： the bination of ecstasy and despair。 But not yet。
She emerged onto the street near Hammacho Station。 The killing ground。
In her mind a roll of thunder。 Big Ezoe saying； We must punish Hitasura for his transgressions against members of my family。 We must destroy Tori Nunn for her part in all this。 She murdered Fukuda。
Deke had told her how Tori Nunn and a man named Russell Slade had e to him with a pellet he had identified as hafnium。 They had returned later； along with Hitasura。 The two men were carrying Tori Nunn。 According to Deke； she had been poisoned by a plex organic doku； a toxin； usually lethal； whose main elements had been distilled from monkshood and the poison in fugu； Japanese blowfish。
Fortunately for Tori Nunn； she had been exposed to a very small amount of the doku。 That； bined with her own inner resources； had prevented her from dying immediately。 Deke had prevented her from dying at all。 According to him； she was recuperating in one of Hitasura's safehouses near Hammacho Station。 Deke had not wanted to give Koi the address； but she had finally persuaded him。 By that time he had looked like meat ready for the slaughter。
Koi found the house with little difficulty。 It was one of those expensive postmodern ferroconcrete structures； angular； minimalist； higher than it was wide； with windows inset like those of a medieval castle； and a heavy iron gate fronting a tiny courtyard dominated by a slender cryptomeria tree； a bonsaied dwarf juniper。 A powerful grouping of rocks provided the negative space； and thus made the courtyard appear far larger than it actually was。
She spent forty…five minutes watching the house from all angles； noting who walked by and what cars passed on the street in front of it。 Parking on this street was nonexistent。 No one was loitering about； but she knew that Hitasura's men must be hidden somewhere。 She understood that she must solve that puzzle before she could confront the one waiting for her inside the house： how to kill Tori Nunn。
Less than an hour after she had arrived in the vicinity； Koi spotted the first of Hitasura's street men。 It had taken him quite a while to make a second circuit of the block； which meant…as she suspected…he was not the only one guarding the house。
Koi watched his movements； thought with a little luck she could avoid him。 Her instinct from the moment she saw the house was to get to the roof； and now； an hour later； the roof was still her first choice。 The front door was out of the question； and when she had made her way around to the rear of the house； there was a vehicle with two of Hitasura's men stationed at the back entrance。 Besides； for security reasons Hitasura was sure to have put Tori Nunn on a top floor。
Two more of Hitasura's men were waiting for her on the roof。 They heard her only when she was very close to them。 She broke one man's neck instantly； but the other one； she saw； was going to be a bit of a problem。 He was a bull of a man with a bald head and an evil look in his eyes。 He grinned at her； ignoring his fallen rade。 He beckoned for Koi to e to him。
Instead she melted into the shadows on the rooftop。 The bald man looked around； then unfurled a kyotetsu…shoge； a particularly nasty weapon posed of a chain with a spiked ball on one end； a curved double…edged blade on the other。 He began to whirl the spiked ball around as he made for the spot where she had disappeared。
When he reached the shadows； Koi had had sufficient time to work her way around behind him。 She leaped at him； slamming her elbow into his side； then locking her forearm across his throat。
It was a mistake。
The huge man bit into the flesh of her forearm with such force that his front teeth scraped the bone。
Koi stifled a cry； whirled off him。 The bald man swung his weapon at her； and she rolled as the spiked ball slammed into the tarred roof where she had just been。
Immediately it struck and missed； he reacted； arcing the double…edged blade down at the spot between her eyes。 Koi swung left with her head； kicked right with her feet。 The soles of her shoes cracked the bald man's shins just below the knees。
His legs buckled； he reached out instinctively to break his fall； and Koi took up the double…edged blade of his kyotetsu…shoge and slashed his throat。
Now she had the roof all to herself。 The thick layer of industrial smog that had caused the pollution alert blurred the lights of the city； running the colors together so that Tokyo seemed embedded inside a giant clamshell。 The sky was the largest sheet of mother…of…pearl she had ever seen。
From up here she had a good view of the Hammacho Station itself； where so many customers embarked and debarked each day。 The overhead rail lines shone like quicksilver as a train pulled into the station。 Crowds surged forward。 Koi turned away。
She tore a piece off the bald man's shirt； wrapped it tightly around her forearm to stop the bleeding。 When she was satisfied； she took a careful look around her immediate environment。 There was a small raised ferroconcrete structure in which was set the metal door down into the house； but she did not want to use it。 Too vulnerable。 If she were caught in the narrow stairwell； there would only be one way to go： back to the roof； and that could all too easily prove to be a deathtrap。
On the other hand； all the windows were illuminated by the streetlights； making it far too risky to seek entrance through any of them。 But during her initial reconnaissance she had spent some time studying the facade of the house； and thought she had noticed a vulnerable point： a small pebbled…glass window in back…probably leading into a bathroom…that was in the shadow cast by a large building opposite。