'Very few people are, Mr. Zosimas. Thank you for calling me, but this is not one of my trainees.''
The Japanese paused and then continued. 'However, if he's making difficulties, I'll be glad to persuade him to leave when I leave.'
The bartender glanced doubtfully from the small Japanese to the large, mean-looking customer beside him.
Nogi smiled. 'I guarantee there will be no fuss and no damage.'
There was something about that smile that made Georgios even more nervous than before. He struggled to keep his fears off his face.
'Thank you, Mr. Nogi.'
The Japanese nodded, his face was blank. His mind was full of contempt for stupid Westerners who could not conceal the most elementary of feelings. It was time to demonstrate how easy it all was. The friendship of the barkeep helped keep the trainees in line. So Nogi would make a duly impressive demonstration. Nogi sighed when he thought of all the trainees he had lost. Having to start over again with another batch of stinking long-noses was a repulsive future to contemplate. He would certainly like to get his hands on the Americans who had ruined the raid on Elwood Electronic Industries.
He sipped his sake. He wished the stupid American would mouth off again. It would make everything much easier.
Lyons signaled for another beer. When Georgios brought it, he grabbed the barkeep's hand.
'Were you talking about me to that gook?'' he demanded.
Georgios looked at those icy blue eyes and then looked away. Nogi saw genuine fear there. He inserted himself into the conversation.
'Mr. Zosimas made it a point to let me know that you are out of work. I work for an organization that helps the unemployed.'
The blue eyes looked into his. They reflected suspicion.
'My business is
'I may have a job for you.'
'Fat chance.'
Nogi was beginning to hope he could recruit this one. A good instructor always throws the largest member of the class around when doing demonstrations. Nogi would enjoy throwing this one around.
Nogi took another drink of hot sake. 'I could teach someone your size to be really effective in combat. You'd be paid for learning.'
'You recruiting for the army?'
'I'm recruiting people to fight the injustices that leave good men without jobs.' Nogi said it mechanically.
Lyons drank half his beer nonstop, then slammed his glass down. 'Sounds like bullshit,' he spat.
Nogi's face remained impassive. His eyes stayed fixed on the shot glass of sake.
'You like being unemployed, I take it.'
'I ought to flatten you for that.'
'All right, you don't like being unemployed. You're just too yellow to fight back,' Nogi challenged.
Lyons launched a loping, overhand right that a baby could intercept. Nogi's left arm drifted upward and back as if he were doing the backstroke. When the arm finished its stroke, Lyons's wrist was trapped under the karate expert's armpit, and the crook of Nogi's arm put pressure on the back of Lyons's elbow. When the Japanese slid off the bar stool, Lyons was forced to follow or have his arm broken. The small man grabbed his own wrist and increased the pressure on the arm, hustling Lyons out of the bar.
As they went out the door, Nogi spoke. 'This is your last chance. Do you wish to learn to handle yourself better and be paid for it, or do you want to step into the alley with me for a demonstration?'
'You're not shitting me? I'd have a job?'
Nogi did not bother keeping the amusement out of his voice. 'You'd have a job.'
'Okay, boss, you got a man.'
'You're willing to go through stiff training?' Nogi insisted.
'Let me go, will you? Why do we have to talk while you're breaking my damn arm?'
'I'm not breaking your arm. If I let go and you take a swing at me, then I will break your arm and you'll be no good to me. Is that clear?'
'Is what clear?'
Nogi carefully suppressed a sigh of exasperation. 'I'll let you sleep off the alcohol and then we'll talk. No business until
Lyons looked at the scuffed toe of the old construction boots he was wearing.
'I, uh, haven't had a chance to find a room yet.'
Nogi grinned. 'I thought not. That's okay. We provide our team with living quarters until they're well into training. Do you want to stay there, tonight?'
'You're not ribbing me about a job?'
'Not if you can leave alcohol alone and follow orders.'
'I'm no damn wino.'
'We'll soon know. I'll break both your arms if you are. Now, I'm letting go of you. You can come with me or go away, but take a swing at me and I'll break you into little pieces and leave you here. Is that clear?'
Lyons nodded slowly, reluctantly.
Nogi let go of him and began walking, leaving Lyons to come or go. Lyons followed, rubbing his shoulder.
'You were lucky,' Lyons sulked. 'You won't get me like that again.'
Nogi kept walking at a brisk clip.
'Tell me that tomorrow in the dojo,' he grated at the blowhard he had just recruited.
'The what?'
'The gymnasium, you long-nosed idiot.'
'Why didn't you say so?'
Nogi continued in silence, wondering if he would have the restraint not to break this one into little pieces. The garbage he got to work with was hardly worth the trouble.
The receptionist judged that the two redheads were in their early thirties. She also guessed that both women had at one time been blond. The women, who introduced themselves as the Ross sisters, wore expensive business suits and carried attache cases.
'Mr. Brognola will see you right away,' the receptionist told them. 'His assistant will take you to his office.'
The elder redhead asked, 'Who is Mr. Brognola? We've done much of the recruiting for Elwood Industries, but we haven't met him before.'
'Mr. Brognola has taken over as acting manager since the disturbance,' the receptionist answered. She was polite, but did not encourage further pumping.
The assistant appeared in the reception area.
'Susan, Jennifer, it's good to see you again,' she said to the recruiters. 'I'll take you to Mr. Brognola's office.'
Susan, who was four years older than Jennifer and looked ten years older, shook the assistant's hand. Jennifer gave the woman a hug.
'After the terrorists hit here, we've had some difficulty getting staff back together,' the assistant said. 'Mr. Fischer and his secretary were killed. Some people quit. Some say they're still too shaken to come back to work.'
They passed a place where workmen were replacing a bullet-shattered door. The two sisters exchanged glances.
