Page 26 of Old Secrets

Aiko went to the briefcase she had brought with her, retrieved several folders, and returned, somehow managing to juggle the lot, opening one to find a specific sheet. After a moment, she said, “We have six suspects making moves into the general vicinity of Shiroishi since word was spread you were taking a vacation with your mate. All of these individuals are currently positioned permanently in Japan due to their criminal records, which would bar them from easily leaving. They would have to be smuggled elsewhere, as they are on wanted lists. We have been tracking them for quite some time. Until now, however, we haven’t had evidence of their involvement with this organization.”

Six suspects thrilled me. “And we’re cleared to take them all out?”

“Two are involved with child trafficking and continue to slip out of our law enforcement’s grasp. Three are involved with the illegal sex trade. The last one works with violent crime rings here. All are wanted dead or alive, but we would prefer if they lose all ability to continue their work. This is an opportunity my government cannot afford to ignore.”

While I held no doubt the suspects had longer rap sheets, my fox had heard all she needed; all six of them would leave in buckets. It seemed a pity to waste perfectly good body bags on such filth. “Why don’t you introduce us to our new friends.”

“And that is how Karma says she’s ready to get started with the killing,” Jake announced. “And by friends, the only friends she’s talking about are those she plans on introducing her teeth to. We’ll be fighting over the bodies.”

“You can’t flirt with me right now, Jake,” I informed my husband.

“I wasn’t trying to flirt.”

“Flirt with a purpose,” I scolded. “Accidental flirtation when we’re trying to plan the brutal murders of abusers is not acceptable. You must flirt with deliberate intent.”

Our hosts managed to maintain their professionalism for a few moments before somebody slipped and giggled. The mirth spread, and I covered my inclination to join in the giggling through scowling at my spouse. When all he did was raise a brow at me, I wrinkled my nose at him.

“That makes you look like a pug rather than a self-respecting fox.”

“You will pay,” I informed him.

He smirked. “In any case, we will end up fighting over the bodies. It’s inevitable. My wolf will be highly offended you’re anywhere near them, and his base reaction to anything potentially harming you is generalized destruction. Your fox has similar tendencies, so we’re going to end up squabbling over the bodies until it’s determined there is no way they’re going to bother us again. Aiko-san, you will have witches with us, right?”

“Yes. We will have several powerful witches available should you need help calming your wolf. We are safeguarding the area, and we have numerous staff on hand to clean up the evidence when you’re finished. We have accepted this is the likeliest result of this expedition. There is also the chance that your stand-in may wish to become involved, Karma-sama. She does not like abusers, especially of this ilk. And if she decides to act, well you will have to cope with your kill being stolen. You will still be credited with the honors deserved for putting yourselves at risk for the sake of our children. But we cannot control her, nor do we want to in this instance.”

I waved my hand in a dismissive gesture. “It’s a group effort. Tell us more about these individuals.”

“They are Normals as far as we can tell. I will refrain from telling you their names. It isn’t important, not for this. If they show up, in a place they have no reason to go, when it’s clearly posted it is closed, they have confirmed their guilt. It is easier to kill a nameless entity burdened with the weight of their sin than humanize those who are undeserving of humanization.”

I loved the way she thought. “I can work with that. Tell me about the first of these assholes, please.”

“The first of these… assholes, as you say, is a male of Asian descent, probably Chinese. He has lived here as a gaikokujin. You may know of the word gaijin. Gaijin can also refer to someone of our descent who is a stranger to us and likely does not mean well. It is, like many things, quite complicated. For our purposes, we consider all these men to be gaijin, even those of Japanese descent. They have transformed themselves into hostile strangers due to their actions.”

I had heard of the term gaijin before, although only in a novel. “I follow. This ties in well with the idea that there may be a larger problem originating from within China.”

“Yes,” Aiko replied, inclining her head. “We have spoken with our colleagues in China, and they have begun unearthing many new leads, all due to your willingness to put yourself at risk. This is a debt we cannot repay.”

“We’re happy to do it. These assholes target kids.” I glanced at my husband. “Right?”

“Absolutely. We would have been game to help even without our personal involvement. We can’t just sit idle while this filth continues to break apart families. I also owe them some payback for London. You got all the payback last time, so it’s my turn.”

I narrowed my eyes. “If you get shot again, I am not going to be worried about letting you get any payback. And even if you don’t get shot again, you’re going to have to beat me to it, because I need some extra payback.”

Jake shrugged. “Which leads us right back to fighting over the bodies.”

“I’m sure we’ll manage somehow.”

“It might be challenging, but I suppose so.” Jake turned his attention to our hosts. “Aiko-san, do you have photographs of the culprits?”

Aiko eyed the sheet she held. “We have photographs, but I do not know how well versed you are at remembering the fine details that distinguish us. We’ve noticed we tend to lose our American friends in crowds often. They get distracted by something, and then they realize they are not familiar enough with us, and they wander off, accidentally following someone else. It’s amusing, especially now that we are on guard to make sure we don’t lose our guests. But they are all Normal as far as we know, and we will only have witches, wolves, and those with unique scent markers with us.”

“That’ll make it easy for me, although Karma still has trouble distinguishing scents.” Jake frowned.

“They will surely expose themselves for the filth they are,” Aiko replied.

“And until it is time to see this fox refuge?” I asked.

“Enjoy all our home has to offer, Karma-sama. There will always be someone available should you need anything at all, no matter the time of day. We will give you some time to relax and unwind, for you have had a long journey.”