TEN

Sora Tanaka was a powerful man within his organization, the largest of the four principal yakuza families in Japan. Tanaka was a wakagashira, an underboss, responsible for operations on the West Coast of the U. S. mainland. It was an important job, and Tanaka took it seriously.

He was a short, hard man, sixty-four years old, broad shouldered and thick through the waist. His close cropped hair had once been black as the night sky, but had turned to gray as he aged, just as the tattoos that covered much of his body were beginning to lose their luster.

Tanaka's office was in California in Torrance, a city with a large Japanese presence. He sat behind a desk of lacquered wood in his office, looking out at the bustling crowds on Crenshaw Boulevard below and thinking about what to do about Saito, the man who had failed to retrieve the sword in New York.

Failure always had consequences. Saito had correctly offered to make up for his failure through the ritual of yubitsume. But having him cut off a digit of his little finger in an act of apology, though personally satisfying, would not solve the problem. If Tanaka could not successfully retrieve the ancient weapon, he would be the one bowing to the oyabun back in Kobe and taking up the knife to atone.

Failure to produce the desired results was unacceptable. It made him appear weak, and that was not tolerable. Tanaka had many enemies who would be happy to see him removed from his position, men who wanted to take his place, men who had little regard for the old traditions of respect.

These were men Tanaka held in contempt, but he could not afford to show weakness in front of them. There was only one possible course of action. He must succeed in bringing the sword back to Japan.

Saito had reported seeing the two Americans come out of Branmore's building carrying something wrapped in brown cloth, a package long enough and of the correct shape to be the sword. It was logical to assume Masamune's sword was now in their possession. They would contact Nobuyasu and hand it over to him. Tanaka would have to do something before the transfer took place.

Extreme violence was an integral way of life in the clan. Tanaka had hoped more violence could be avoided, but there didn't seem to be a choice. The Americans wouldn't give up the sword voluntarily. A man of violence was required for the assignment. He would use Saito, give him a chance to redeem himself.

Tanaka was sure Saito would never live to see thirty. He had a tendency to over react, with bad results for those who had gotten his attention. More than once, his temper had nearly cost him his life. One day it would be his undoing, but for now he was perfect for the plan forming in Tanaka's mind.

Nobuyasu was off-limits for the present. Killing him had been specifically forbidden. Tanaka thought that was a mistake. If Nobuyasu was eliminated, it would make it that much easier to retrieve the sword. The oyabun was worried that eliminating such a high profile target would create problems for the clan, problems with the police, with the government. The oyabun was getting old, but for now he was still the supreme boss.

There was no such limit regarding the Americans. Saito would be operating in the territory of the Eastern boss, Watanabe. Tanaka saw no reason to tell him about Saito's mission. The men were unfriendly rivals. Watanabe was insufferable. He would stick his nose in where it didn't belong and screw things up.

Tanaka picked up his phone.