Chapter 36. Monday, 2 July, 15:50, Conference Room next to the Office of Carolyn Sheehan, US Embassy to Japan, Akasaka District, Tokyo.
Stan Goldman was getting frustrated. They’d been going round and round for what seemed like hours, though the clocks on the wall said it was perhaps ten minutes.
“There are two Swedish citizens and only one American,” Ragnar ‘Bulldozer’ Olsson insisted. “So my team should take the lead.”
“Actually, there are two Americans now,” ‘Pecos’ Bill Johnson insisted. “We can hardly leave Ms. Merriweather behind, since the Senator generously induced her to take some serious risks to help further this operation.”
“That’s right, Mr. Johnson,” Senator Hobart Moore affirmed. “Ms. Merriweather is an important part of my legislative team back in DC. Without her I dare say the business of the Senate might grind to a halt.”
Stan overheard Bulldozer muttering to himself something about how glad he was that Sweden had only one legislative chamber in their Parliament to deal with.
“And, for that matter, there’s one Japanese citizen who Bill and I are responsible for,” Stan insisted. “She may also be a Canadian citizen as well, for all we know, given how long she lived in Canada.”
“Let’s leave the Canadians out of this for now,” Carolyn suggested.
“Anyway, Mr. Olsson,” the Senator interrupted. “You’re forgetting one key piece here. I’m footing the bill for this operation. You may have heard of the Golden Rule-He who has the gold makes the rules. I want Goldman and Johnson to take the lead here. You and your team will provide backup in case things go south.”
“I have little doubt that they will,” Bulldozer retorted. “After all, if Goldman had done his job and watched these three like he was supposed to, we wouldn’t be here.”
Stan pushed his chair back from the table. “I tried to keep tabs on them, but your Officer Gun Thorell told me to take a hike and that they could take care of themselves,” he insisted, glowering at Bulldozer.
“And if I hadn’t been there in Sweden and they’d depended on your sorry ass, Olsson, they’d have all died there!” Bill added.
“Gentlemen, please!” Carolyn Sheehan insisted, standing and taking control. “This fighting amongst yourselves is not getting us any closer to our goal, which is to free those poor women from a lifetime of slavery and suffering. We will probably only get one chance, which will be during the special show that they will be staging tomorrow night, when the women will be brought up from underground to perform in the upstairs ‘legal’ part of the club. This has been arranged between Ms. Merriweather and Sato, the head of this branch of the Yakuza, without the knowledge of any of his underlings. If we fail, the Syndicate will likely take over from the Red Dragon people and either kill the women or move them somewhere where we won’t be able to reach them. Is that what you want?”
The men around the table all shook their heads. Carolyn looked at her Swedish counterpart. “Perhaps Ms. Widmark and I can come to an agreement. We are diplomats, after all, which none of you gentlemen would ever be accused of.”
Brita Widmark stood. “That’s an excellent idea, Ms. Sheehan,” she said. The two women repaired to the far corner and exchanged some whispered words while the men glared at each other across the table.
Shortly, they returned to their places. Brita began, “We have agreed that in view of Senator Moore’s personal and financial stake, the operation should be led by his delegates, Messrs. Goldman and Johnson. In order to provide a Swedish presence in the first-line team, we are going to have Professor Åke Persson join them.
Bulldozer stood in protest, “Persson? That clown? What does he know about operations?”
“He proved himself quite adept in a fight while you were getting lost in a snowstorm up in Sollefteå,” Bill Johnson replied, exaggerating just a bit. He made to stand and Stan did the same to support his comrade.
Brita Widmark glared at Bulldozer. “Sit down, Mr. Olsson!” she said not too diplomatically.
“You, too, Bill,” Carolyn added, a bit gentler but still making clear that she and Brita were in charge. The men sat.
She continued, “You and your team will be outside. Your job will be to disable the door guards and throw in some smoke grenades to create a distraction during which time Johnson, Goldman and Persson will hustle the women out.” Brita said. “Is this understood? If you are in any doubt as to what your role is, you can contact your superiors back in Stockholm. You will find this has been cleared at the highest levels.”
Bulldozer looked glum, but nodded to indicate his agreement.
Turning to Stan and Bill, Carolyn laid out the plan-“You two and Persson will be inside in disguise. Unfortunately, we can’t fully equip you, in case the guards at the door decide to pat you down. But you’ll have N95 masks to protect you from the smoke and the element of surprise on your side. You’ll hustle the women out and into the van that will be waiting there driven by Ragnar’s men. That’s the best we can do in the circumstances.”
“And your men will drive them straight to Haneda airport, where my plane will be warmed up and ready to roll,” Senator Moore said, breaking the silence that hadn’t been that easy for him to maintain. “Right through Access Gate 6 and roll down to the general aviation section-I’ll lay it out for you tomorrow. Then, it’s wheels up and I and the women head for Guam, where Ms. Sheehan has been kind enough to arrange for further transportation for the Swedes back home. My daughter and Ms. Merriweather will ride with me back to DC. You two gentleman will be taken to Honolulu. I’m sure you can find your way to New York or wherever from there. Or enjoy some beach time if you like.”
“And if the operation goes south,” he continued, “I’ve never met any of you gentlemen and this was strictly a visit related to my work on the Intel Committee. You so much as breathe my name to the Japanese authorities, the Syndicate or anyone else and you will be a couple of sorry ex-cops. Do we understand each other?”
Stan and Bill both nodded.
“But Tamiko is included?” Stan asked.
“If you can get her out, then do so. But she’s last on the priority list. No risking the necks of my daughter and the others to save her. Got that?”
“I don’t think it will be safe for her to stay in Tokyo,” Stan said. “The Red Dragon crew will want revenge and she’ll be the closest target.”
“If you get her out, I’ll take her on the plane to Guam and from there she’s your problem.”
Stan and Bill were silent.