“Hello, Katie,” he said with a leering smile. “I have not seen you for a long time.”
“Hello, Toshio-san,” she replied, her voice breaking.
Katie followed him into his office and sat down, cross-legged, at a low table. Nakamura was opposite her. Bangorn stayed in the room, standing unobtrusively over in a corner. Oh, no, Katie said to herself when the policewoman did not leave. What do I do now?
“I thought,” Katie said to Nakamura a moment later, trying to sound normal, “that a report on our business was long overdue.” She pulled the papers out of the envelope.
“Despite the poor economy, we have managed to increase our profits by ten percent. In this summary sheet,” she said, handing a page to Nakamura, “you can see that although the Vegas revenues are down, the local take, where the prices are cheaper, is up substantially. Even in San Miguel—”
He glanced at the paper quickly and then put it down on the table. “You don’t need to show me any data,” Nakamura. said. “Everyone knows what a superb businesswoman you are.” He reached over to his left and retrieved a large black-lacquer box. “Your performance has been outstanding,” he said. “If times were not so tough, you would definitely merit a large raise. As it is, I would like to offer you this gift as a token of my appreciation.”
Nakamura pushed the box across the table to Katie.
“Thank you,” she said, admiring the mountains and snow inlaid on its top. It was indeed beautiful.
“Open it,” he said, reaching for one of the wrapped candies in the bowl on the table.
Katie opened the box. It was full of kokomo. A genuine smile of delight crossed her face. “Thank you, Toshio-san,” she said. “You are most generous.”
“You may sample it,” he said, now grinning. “You won’t insult me.”
Katie put a small amount of the powder on her tongue. It was top quality. Without hesitation, she pinched a chunk of powder out of the box and held it against her left nostril with her little finger. Closing off the right nostril, Katie inhaled deeply. She took slow, deep breaths while the rush took effect. Then she laughed. “Whewee,” Katie said uninhibitedly. ‘That’s great stuff!”
“I thought you would like it,” Nakamura said. He idly tossed his candy wrapper in the small wastebasket next to the table. It will be in there somewhere, Katie remembered Franz telling her. In some inconspicuous spot. Look in the wastebaskets. Look behind the curtains.
The New Eden dictator was smiling at her from across the table. “Was there anything else?” he asked.
Katie took a deep breath as she smiled. “Only this,” she said. She stretched forward, put her elbows on the table, and kissed him on the lips. She felt the policewoman’s rough hands on her shoulders moments later. ‘That’s a small token of my thanks for the kokomo.”
She had not misjudged him. The lust in his eyes was unmistakable. Nakamura waved Bangorn away. “You may leave us,” he said to the policewoman as he rose from his sitting position. “Come over here, Katie. Give me a real kiss.”
Katie checked the small wastebasket as she danced around the table. There was nothing except candy wrappers in it. Of course, she thought. That would be too obvious. Now I must make this good. She teased Nakamura first with one kiss and then with another. Her tongue tickled his lips and tongue. Then she pulled away quickly, still laughing. Nakamura started to follow her.
“No,” she said, backing up toward the door. “Not yet… we’re just getting started.”
Nakamura stood still and grinned. “I had forgotten how talented you are,” he said. “Those girls are lucky to have you as a mentor.”
“It takes an exceptional man to bring out the best in me,” Katie said, locking and bolting the door. Her eyes roamed quickly around the office and landed on another small wastebasket, over in the far corner. That would be the perfect place, she said to herself excitedly.
“Are you just going to stand there, Toshio,” Katie said now, “or are you going to get me a drink?”
“Of course,” Nakamura said, moving toward the hand-
carved liquor cabinet under the solitary window. “Straight whiskey, wasn’t it?”
“Your memory is phenomenal,” Katie said.
“I remember you very well,” Nakamura said as he prepared two drinks. “How could I ever forget all those games-especially the princess and the slave, that was my favorite… We had such fun there for a while.”
Until you insisted on bringing in others. And even more disgusting things, Katie thought. You made it clear that I was not enough by myself. “Boy,” she barked suddenly in an imperious tone, “I am thirsty. Where is my drink?”
A quick frown crossed Nakamura’s face before he broke into a wide smile. “Yes, Your Highness,” he said, bringing her a drink with his head held low. He bowed. “Is there anything else, Your Highness?” he said obsequiously.
“Yes,” Katie responded, taking the drink with her left hand and reaching aggressively under Nakamura’s kimono “with her right. She watched him close his eyes. Katie kissed him hard while continuing to arouse him.
She pulled away abruptly. While he was watching her, Katie slowly took off her yukata. Nakamura advanced. Katie stuck out her arms. “Now, boy,” she ordered, “turn down those lights and lie over there on the mat, on your back, next to the table.”
Nakamura dutifully complied. Katie walked over to where he was lying. “Now,” she said in a gentler tone, “you do remember what your princess needs, don’t you? Slowly, very slowly, without any hurry.” She reached down and fondled him. “I do believe that Musashi is almost ready.”
Katie kissed Nakamura, caressing his face and neck with her fingers. “Now close your eyes,” she whispered in his ear, “and count to ten, very slowly.”
“Ichi, ni, san…” he said breathlessly.
With astonishing celerity, Katie swept across the room to the other wastebasket. She pushed aside some papers and found the gun.
“…shi, go, ryoku…”
Her heart pounding furiously, Katie picked up the gun, tied around, and headed back toward Nakamura.
“…shichi, hachi, kyu…”
“This is for what you did to my father,” Katie said, sticking the barrel of the gun against his forehead. She pulled the trigger just as the astonished Nakamura opened his eyes.
“And this is for what you did to me,” she said, firing three bullets into his genitals in rapid succession.
The guards broke down the door in seconds. But she was too quick. “And this, Katie Wakefield,” she said in a loud voice, sticking the gun in her mouth, “is for what you did to yourself.”
Ellie awakened when she heard the keys rustling in the lock on her cell. She rubbed her eyes. “Is that you, Robert?” she asked.
“Yes, Ellie,” he said. He came into the cell just as she stood up. Robert put his arms around Ellie and hugged her fiercely. “I’m so glad to see you,” he said. “I came as soon as Herbert told me the guards had abandoned the station.”
Robert kissed his puzzled wife. “I’m terribly sorry, Ellie,” he said. “I was very, very wrong.”
It took Ellie a few seconds to gather her bearings. ‘They abandoned the station?” she said. “Why, Robert? What’s going on?”
“Complete and total chaos,” he said heavily. He looked utterly defeated.
“What do you mean, Robert?” Ellie said, suddenly afraid. “Nikki’s all right, isn’t she?”
“She’s fine, Ellie. But people are dying in droves. And we don’t know why. Ed Stafford collapsed an hour ago and was dead before I could even examine him. It’s some kind of monstrous plague.”
The octospiders, Ellie thought immediately. They have finally fought back. She held her husband against her while he wept. After several seconds he pulled away and spoke. “I’m sorry, Ellie. There has been so much turmoil. Are you all right?” v
“I’m okay, Robert. No one has questioned or tortured me for several days. But where’s Nikki?”
“She’s with Brian Walsh at our house. You remember Brian, Patrick’s computer friend? He’s been helping me take care of Nikki since you’ve been gone. Poor guy, he found both his parents dead the day before yesterday when he woke up.”
Ellie walked out of the police station with Robert. He was talking continuously, rambling from subject to
