Toshigi hoped for a follow up remark to indicate the flatly delivered statement had been a sick joke, but the insane chuckle that came across the intercom implied she was deadly serious.
Trembling with fear, Toshigi grabbed the door release handle, but the kidnapper anticipated his move well in advance. She stabbed a button on the dashboard. Almost immediately unseen locks clunked into place, trapping the president inside the limousine. Toshigi pressed the window switch, but nothing happened. The woman had evidently tampered with the mechanism. Running out of options, Toshigi operated the videophone. It was no use. The power supply was disconnected, and the screen remained dark.
“I thought you liked conducting your business in private, Toshigi,” his captor said, “especially with the ladies. Or does that only apply when you’re the one in control? Relax. Listen to some music.”
Not that she gave him any choice. The kidnapper selected a compact disc from a rack, inserted it into the player’s tray, and ramped up the volume. A modern rendition of a classical symphony blared over the limousine’s internal speakers.
The woman started the car and drove away from the conference centre. Traffic was relatively light now rush hour was over, and it only took her a couple of minutes to reach Union Square. Locals and tourists mingled on the streets. Some stopped to watch mime artists, but most were doing late night Christmas shopping in department stores around San Francisco’s famous plaza. Toshigi thumped the car windows and screamed at the top of his voice, but the soundproofed, tinted glass thwarted his efforts. Nobody could see the imperilled president, nor hear his pleas for assistance.
“What do you want?” Toshigi yelled at the driver. “Money?”
“Who do you think I am?” The kidnapper’s swift response suggested she was somewhat offended. “Some game reviewer you can simply buy off?”
“What are you insinuating?” Toshigi’s feigned innocence was more of a natural reaction than anything.
“I know all of your secrets, Toshigi.”
During his tenure as Dragonsoft president, Toshigi had weaseled his way out of tricky situations many times, but this was different. No amount of smooth talking would help here. He composed himself, and decided to impose some authority.
“Listen to me, you crazy bitch,” Toshigi stated firmly.
“Now, that wasn’t a very nice thing to say,” the woman said. “I suggest you sit back and drink some of that expensive champagne you keep in the beverage cooler. You know, the stuff you and Randall like to share when you toast other people’s successes. This is the last day of your life. You may as well make the most of it.”
Her speech left Toshigi shaken. When it came to verbal intimidation his abductress had him totally outmatched, and she seemed to know everything about his life. Worse, there was no room for negotiation. The kidnapper had already decided Toshigi’s fate. He was to die by her hand. It was simply a matter of where, when and how.
The president wiped his sweaty forehead with a handkerchief, and mumbled a barely audible question. “What do you mean?”
The woman chose not to reply. In any case, the answer was obvious to Toshigi. He glanced through the side window. They had entered one of San Francisco’s industrial districts. It was a `no go’ zone at this time of night, a run down part of town home to dilapidated warehouses, steel shipping containers, and chain link fences.
“Where are you taking me?” Toshigi asked.
“It’s a surprise,” said the driver. “Wait and see.”
Toshigi suspected he would find out soon enough. The president racked his brain, trying to think of a way out. Then he remembered the mobile phone in his suit pocket. As stealthily as he could manage, Toshigi groped for his only lifeline. He felt the buttons through his jacket’s lining, but before he was even able to switch on the phone it was too late. The driver brought the car to an abrupt stop. She lowered the divider screen and turned to face her prisoner.
The abductress was wearing a black balaclava mask. From the parts of her face he could see, Toshigi guessed the woman was a Caucasian in her twenties, with bright green eyes and an affinity for crimson red lipstick. The rest was a mystery.
“I’ll take that if you don’t mind,” she said, holding out her gloved palm. The pistol she aimed between Toshigi’s eyes made it quite clear that wasn’t a request.
Seeing no other option, Toshigi handed over his cellphone. “Please don’t do this,” he begged. “I have a daughter who just turned eighteen.”
“So you do,” the masked driver said. “Pretty little thing she is as well. Not that she’ll mourn your passing. You were too busy counting your easily earned Yen to care about being a good father to Nicole. I hope you’re feeling comfortable. It’s pretty hot where you’re going.”
The woman tightened her hand around the pistol grip.
“Who are you?” shouted Toshigi. “What do you want?” He’d asked both questions already, but the woman kept him in the dark.
The kidnapper squeezed the trigger. Her pistol was silenced. Instead of a loud bang Toshigi heard a muffled thud. He looked down, expecting to see a bullet wound circled with blood. It was then he realized the gun was a tranquillizer, and the woman had fired a sedative tipped dart into his chest.
“You can call me Jade,” she said.
Before Toshigi could make sense of her answer, everything faded to black.
Chapter Two: Ninety Minutes to Live
When Toshigi opened his eyes, the first image that shimmered into focus was the towering Amazonian figure standing over him, one boot either side of his waist. The woman called Jade looked down on Toshigi through the narrow eye slits of her balaclava. In the early morning light she was nothing more than a shadowy outline. Although he couldn’t make out her mouth, Toshigi knew she was smiling. For some twisted purpose known only to her, the kidnapper had kept him alive.
Toshigi’s initial reaction was to crawl out from underneath her, but his legs refused to move. A loud metallic clank alerted him to the chains Jade had fastened around his ankles. Even through his socks Toshigi felt the bite of cold steel. Each chain looped twice around his lower knees and through a concrete foundation brick. The links were industrial strength, a quarter of an inch thick, and secured with combination padlocks. Toshigi’s wrists and neck were similarly bound. He attempted to break free, but it was hopeless. There was no way he could escape.
Jade chuckled as she watched Toshigi’s futile efforts. With no forewarning, she grabbed his shirt collar and leaned in his face. The woman was so close he could smell a faint whiff of perfume coming from under her leather jumpsuit.
“It’s not very pleasant being someone else’s plaything, is it Toshigi?” she said venomously. Her voice sounded oddly familiar, but Toshigi couldn’t place it.
“If you’re going to kill me,” he snapped, “then get it over with.”
“Well, if that’s the way you want it.”
On that ominous note Jade retreated into the darkness. Toshigi had been awake several minutes now, and his eyes were growing accustomed to the gloom. The prisoner took in his surroundings as best he could. He was being held captive in an abandoned warehouse, or so he presumed. Apart from puddles of murky water and rotten pallets, the storage space was vacant. The windows were dirty and obscured by cobwebs, and it was so quiet Toshigi heard rats scurrying across the stone floor. One of the unseen rodents screeched so loud he almost wished Jade hadn’t left him alone. That thought vanished the second he saw her wielding a katana. The masked woman stepped into the light, sword drawn and at the ready.
“No!” Toshigi screamed as Jade advanced towards him. “I’ll do anything you want. Anything. Please. Wait!”
In spite of his pleas Jade’s stride never faltered once. She stopped by Toshigi’s side, raised her sword two handed, and swung down at his neck. The weapon flashed before his eyes. Toshigi was certain he would die, but Jade halted her attack the instant her katana touched his skin. A lesser swordswoman would have stopped short of he
r mark or drawn blood, but this girl was a master of the blade.
“Anything?” asked Jade. “How about a game?”
Toshigi was still in shock, and could only muster a stuttered reply. “Game? I… I don’t understand.”
“Oh, that’s right. I forgot. You’re not really a games designer, are you? You’re an uncharitable businessman who likes taking credit for everybody else’s hard work. A common thief. Which reminds me. I’m feeling generous.”
Jade tossed her katana on the floor and unzipped her suit. She only exposed a narrow section of her body, but Toshigi could tell she wasn’t wearing anything underneath her jacket. Not wanting to offend this beautiful but dangerous woman, he closed his eyes. Toshigi felt her gloved fingertips brush his cheek.
“What’s wrong?” said Jade. “You’ve had sex with me before. You gave me special treatment. Don’t you remember?”
Something told Toshigi she wasn’t lying. He recalled the many girls he’d employed in his office – secretaries, personal assistants, call takers – and tried to connect a face to the voice, but his mind came up blank.
“Come now. Don’t be shy,” Jade said. “There’s nothing under my jacket you haven’t seen already. Except this, perhaps.”
Toshigi felt something long, round and heavy land on his chest. He opened his eyes to take a look. The object was a black cloth bundle tied with string. Jade carefully undid the knot and rolled open the pouch. Inside were tools that might conceivably belong to a thief: lock picks, wire cutters, and several others Toshigi couldn’t identify.
“Even though I think you’re a miserable, conceited bastard, I’m not completely without heart,” Jade told her captive. “If you’re able to free yourself, you can go running off to the boys and girls in blue. You might even live to say something original at next year’s annual meeting.”
Toshigi tried to wrestle his arms free of the restraints. One concrete brick toppled then returned to its former position. “Is this your idea of a joke?” he asked, eying the pouch. “How am I supposed to reach those things?”
“How indeed? I suggest you hurry, though. There is a time limit.”
Jade zipped her jumpsuit and stepped out of sight behind him. Toshigi resisted the temptation to ask her to elaborate. It was obvious this lady enjoyed stringing him along. A minute or so later, Jade returned with three items. Two of them Toshigi couldn’t see in detail, but the third was unmistakably a fuel can. Toshigi watched in horror as the psycho woman unscrewed the cap and doused him in petroleum. Jade emptied the clear liquid over his shoes, trousers and suit, deliberately taking her time. When she eventually got around to soaking Toshigi’s face, he’d already shut his eyelids. The anchored restraints prevented him turning his head. Jade took full advantage, shaking the can until she’d exhausted every last drop of fuel.
The kidnapper wound up a brass alarm clock, and placed it between Toshigi’s legs. Chuckling to herself, she fired up a cigarette lighter, and balanced it precariously on top of the bell. Toshigi saw the clock’s face clearly in the flickering orange light. Now he understood what Jade meant by a time limit. The alarm was due to ring in approximately ninety minutes, and when it did, the dislodged lighter would ignite the spilled petrol. Toshigi was literally watching his life tick away.
Jade pulled Toshigi’s handkerchief from his suit pocket and laid it flat on the ground. She waited for the material to soak up enough fluid, then rolled the rag into a narrow strip.
“Why are you doing this?” Toshigi screamed at the woman. “What do you want from me? What did I—”
Before he could complete his third question, Jade forced the handkerchief between his teeth. She tied the silk into a knot behind his head. Toshigi was forced to swallow the droplets that dripped down his throat. He coughed, choking on petroleum fumes.
“Chew on that,” said Jade. “Just imagine. If you fail, Mister Dragonsoft truly will breathe fire.” She knelt down, and stared straight into Toshigi’s eyes. “Oh. And since you’re playing the thief, you’ll need this.”
Jade smiled, pulled off the balaclava, and tossed back her blonde hair. At first the young woman seemed like a complete stranger. Then Toshigi saw through the abductress’ disguise, and a look of recognition crossed his face. The gag muffled his exclamation of surprise.
“All this time, and you never even guessed,” gloated Jade. “I hope the police are smarter than you.”
She lifted Toshigi’s head, pulled the balaclava over his face, and turned it back to front. He felt powerless, unable to see, speak or move. His nose and ears were covered too, but he could smell the petrol all around him, and hear his kidnapper walking away.
“You were wondering why I’m doing this,” she said. “Well, you’ve got eighty five minutes to figure it out.”
Footsteps echoed through the warehouse. Somewhere nearby, a sliding metal door opened and closed. Jade had left Toshigi alone, with only rats, spiders and a ticking clock for company.
***
The sun dawned behind Jade as she left the hustle of downtown San Francisco for the more scenic environs of Twin Peaks. After dealing with Toshigi, she stopped to dump the limousine and reclaim her motorcycle before heading west. From her present location the city by the bay could be seen in all its morning glory, a picturesque landscape of hills and skyscrapers. It was the perfect vantage point for a holiday season tourist, but Jade was here on business.
On the other side of the road traffic had ground to a halt. Agitated commuters beeped their horns, but there was no immediately foreseeable end to their frustration. Few paid attention to the hell’s angel who zoomed past in the opposite direction. The female biker weaved in between the occasional car or truck that obstructed her path. Jade was happy to avoid the congestion. She was racing against the clock, and didn’t want to be late for her appointment.
Jade arrived at her destination five minutes ahead of schedule. The Dragonsoft development labs were housed in a tower block modeled after a Japanese pagoda. The oriental architecture and slanted roofs would have pleased most visitors, but Jade knew it was just for show. Behind the fancy exterior, the offices were no different from any other games development company. Employees worked long shifts in mediocre conditions, while the greatest share of the profits went to the men who deserved them least.
“Well,” Jade said to herself. “Toshigi won’t be getting paid today.”
It was time to set her plan in motion. Jade left her motorcycle in the rear parking lot, and entered via the delivery door. This near to Christmas, the mail room was busy with temporary staff sifting through greeting cards in addition to the usual Dragonsoft fan letters. Jade showed the duty manager a manila envelope. The man gave the helmeted woman a curious glance, but relaxed when he saw the name she’d printed on the label.
“Nicole Tasoto,” he read aloud. “Assistant Designer. Makes a change from all the letters we get sent to her old man. Not that the Lord Almighty ever reads them, mind you. Private courier service, eh? What you got in there? Design secrets or somethin’?”
“Private means private,” Jade said bluntly. While she wouldn’t have minded sharing her negative opinions regarding Toshigi, she was in a hurry and couldn’t risk a lengthy, drawn out conversation.
Jade left the stunned manager to sort his mail, and rode an elevator to the top floor, the office space reserved for Dragonsoft’s assistant game developers. The job title was an insult, considering Toshigi only played a token role in the actual design process. Marble tiled backdrops and tiered fountains were a step up from the featureless cubicles given to low level programmers, but Jade knew from personal experience the reality was a lot grimmer than people outside the development community perceived.
The elevator opened into a long, narrow passageway decorated with framed posters. Every game Jade had ever designed was featured: Pirate of Trinidad, Ghost in the Night, Space Mercenaries and countless others. Her personal favorite, the martial arts themed adventure Jade Dragon, was there too. In effect the
posters chronicled her entire life’s work, but Jade wasn’t interested in the past. Her name only appeared in small print near the bottom, if at all.
Jade walked briskly to the reception desk at the end of the corridor. The curly haired brunette seated behind was no stranger to her. Rebecca Masters had worked as a secretary at Dragonsoft for five years now and, like most women on Toshigi’s payroll, she was in her twenties, attractive and subject to the president’s strict dress code. Being encouraged to wear a skirt had always made Jade feel uncomfortable, but Rebecca didn’t seem to care.
“Is this the office of Nicole Tasoto?” Jade disguised her voice, just as she’d done with Toshigi. Rebecca was the inquisitive type, and the courier didn’t want to risk being recognized
“That’s what it says on the wall, isn’t it?” said Rebecca, not bothering to look up. She pointed her thumb at the brass plaque behind her desk, as if Jade would have trouble deducing which wall she meant, or seeing Nicole’s name engraved there in large print. The receptionist had lost none of her irritating sarcasm.
Jade decided to turn the tables. She slammed her manila envelope on the desk, rested her elbow on top, and waited in silence. The secretary glanced up from her computer terminal. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat, clearly unnerved by her visitor’s stance.
“You want something?” asked Rebecca, with no trace of the steely wit that had been present earlier.
Jade smiled to herself, knowing Rebecca couldn’t see her face. She lifted her elbow and pushed the envelope between the secretary’s wavering hands. “Make sure Nicole gets this,” she said, then turned and walked away.
“Nice to meet you too,” Rebecca yelled after her.
Jade didn’t reply. She’d made her delivery, setting the wheels in motion. The real game would begin soon enough.
***
Nicole Tasoto arrived at her office in buoyant mood. She was a little later for work than usual, mainly due to a few errands she needed to run beforehand. With those taken care of, she could focus on play testing her newest game. Watching her completed endeavor in motion was sure to be more entertaining than the tedious development phase.
Jade Dragon (Action Girl Thrillers) Page 2
