The Man With The Red Tattoo

by Benson, Raymond

  “I can see you enjoyed that!” Reiko said brightly. “I told you it was good.”

  “Mmm,” Bond said with a smile.

  She finished the last bit of her own bowl of natto and looked past Bond, across the dining car towards the entrance. Her eyes gave her away.

  “James-san, another guest for breakfast,” she whispered.

  Bond knew whom she meant without looking.

  The dwarf known as Kappa waddled into the dining car, was greeted by the hostess, and then shown to an empty table for two. He was dressed in a suit and tie, as if he were ready for a day at the bank. He wore no hat, so his glistening misshapen head was in full view. Virtually everyone in the dining car was staring at him, for he was an extraordinarily bizarre sight. Behind Kappa’s back, the hostess gave a wide-eyed look to the waiter, who bowed to the dwarf before taking his order. After the waiter walked away, Kappa unfolded a newspaper and began to read.

  “Does he know we’re here?” Bond asked.

  “He hasn’t looked at us,” she said. “He hasn’t looked at anyone but people are sure looking at him. ”

  “He’s ordering breakfast?”

  “That’s what it looks like.”

  “You have your mobile with you?”

  “Of course.”

  She patted the pocket of her business suit. They were both dressed a bit more formally since they would be arriving in Sapporo later in the morning.

  “You stay here. Have some coffee or something. Watch him and if he gets up to leave, call me.”

  “You’re going to his room now?”

  “Hush.”

  Bond got up from the table, turned, and casually walked across the compartment. He passed the dwarf and bowed slightly to the hostess. Kappa did not look up from his newspaper.

  Bond went into the corridor of the next car and continued through the train until he came to car 10. He found compartment 22, looked both ways to make sure the hallway was clear, then lifted his left foot so that he could access the heel of his shoe. He used his index finger to find the slight impression next to a seam and press it. A thin metal wire released itself into his hand.

  Bond gently inserted the lockpick into the keyhole. He twisted the wire carefully until he heard a snap. The door opened. He stepped inside, closed the door and replaced the lockpick in his shoe.

  The room was a standard twin with two bunks at a ninety-degree angle to each other. On one of the fold-down trays sat a bottle of orange juice, an empty paper cup and a plate with three slices of cucumber.

  Bond went straight for the luggage and began to rummage through it. He found mostly clothes, personal effects, nothing of interest.

  Under one of the bunks was a square box. It was like a hatbox but much smaller. Bond pulled it out and lifted the lid. Inside was a glass jar with a strange seal on the top. There appeared to be a hinge attached to the rim of the seal and the top surface contained several mesh-covered holes. The seal couldn’t be unscrewed or popped open. Bond looked for a keyhole that might release the hinged top but didn’t see one. He held the jar up to the light and peered into it.

  It contained live mosquitoes and an inch of water. The insects were crawling on the inside of the jar and lid, perpetually trying to find a way out. Bond counted ten.

  His mobile rang, startling him. He pulled it out of his jacket pocket and answered the call.

  “James-san, he’s getting ready to leave,” Reiko said.

  “Thanks.” Bond rang off and put the mobile back in the pocket, then replaced the square box under the bunk. The glass jar he stuck in his other pocket.

  Bond took a quick look around the room to make sure that nothing appeared out of place, then he quickly opened the door and scanned the hallway. All clear. He stepped out, closed the door and made sure that it was locked. Then he began to walk back to the dining car.

  As he went through one set of doors between cars, Bond saw Kappa coming from the opposite end toward him. They would pass each other in the centre of the car.

  Since it was too late to turn back, Bond kept going. He expected to make eye contact, but Kappa never looked at him. Bond had to stop and allow the little man to squeeze past him. Bond said, “Sumimasen,” but Kappa didn’t acknowledge him. The dwarf kept walking and was soon going through the automatic door at the end of the car. Only after he had cleared the door did Kappa look back and grin to himself, but Bond didn’t see this. He had gone on to the dining car and found Reiko still at the table.

  “Did you see him?” she asked.

  “Uh huh, and he ignored me,” Bond said. “I have a funny feeling about it. It’s like he’s making a show out of not noticing us.”

  “Did you find anything?”

  “Yes, but I had better let you see it back in the suite. Let’s go.”

  She held the jar close to her face as she examined the movements of one mosquito crawling up the side of the jar.

  “So those holes are in the top so they can breathe?” Reiko asked.

  “That’s right.”

  “I bet that one’s pregnant,” Reiko said. “She’s dragging a big belly.”

  The insects were a dull red colour but otherwise were not unusually large or out of the ordinary in appearance. Reiko pondered the significance of a small cube with a tiny tube extending from it that was attached to the side of the glass.

  “You know what?” she said. “I think that little thing on the side had food in it for the larvae. This is a mosquito incubator, James-san! There were eggs in here, then they hatched into larvae, grew into pupae and became mosquitoes. I’m not sure how it opens.”

  “It has some kind of locking mechanism. See the hinge? The top flips up but I can’t determine how it’s done. Not that I’d want to. I think we’re just fine with those things safely trapped in the jar.”

  “I agree with you. What do we do now?”

  “I guess we wait and see,” Bond said. “Either he’ll discover it’s missing and do something about it or he’ll get off the train in Sapporo and we’ll follow him.”

  She continued to peer at the insects. “Do you think these bugs might have the virus?”

  “What do you think?”

  “We’d better hide it.”

  “Give it to me,” Bond said. He took the jar and squatted beside the bed. He reached under the frame and balanced the container on top of a metal support that was a part of the structure.

  “That will do for now. I suggest we remain in the room until we reach Sapporo.”

  Reiko smiled. “Sounds good to me. ”

  Junji Kon smiled to himself. Perfect timing. The mosquitoes had shed their pupal skins thirty hours ago. The insects’ shells would be hard now and they could fly. The fool had taken the container back to his compartment. The mission would be a success. Everything was going as planned. He would bring great honour to his name. The world would look at him with respect, something he had never experienced except from other members of the yakuza. Junji Kon was no longer an outcast. He had integrated into a new society and found acceptance. He made good money and he enjoyed what he did.

  Kappa looked at his wristwatch just as the train entered the long Seikan Tunnel. All light from the outside was extinguished as the locomotive sped under the sea on its way to Hokkaido. It was time to act.

  He put on his jacket, took his luggage and walked through the door. He made his way to the lower floor and walked to the first car. He listened at the conductor’s compartment. It appeared that no one had discovered his handiwork yet.

  Then he stood outside Bond’s suite. First making sure that no one was looking, Kappa removed a small radio transmitter from his pocket. He pulled out the two-inch antenna and turned on the power. There was only one other button and Kappa pushed it to transmit a signal.

  He could see it happening in his mind’s eye. Inside the suite, where the gaijin lay with the secret service woman, the signal was received by the ingenious device housed in the top of the jar of mosquitoes. The hinged lid silen
tly opened. The mosquitoes, suddenly discovering that they were free, crawled out of the jar and began to fly around the room. All females, especially hungry for a blood host.

  The next thing Kappa did was move to Bond’s door and insert one of the keys on the ring he had taken from the conductor. It went into the lock easily. Kappa turned it once, then clasped both hands and slammed them down on it as hard as he could. The key broke in the lock.

  Kappa went back to the conductor’s compartment, unlocked it and stepped inside. It was difficult avoiding the mess of the bloody, crumpled conductor’s body, folded into a corner of the cubicle like origami.

  The dwarf examined the control panel on the wall and found the switch to turn off the lights in the car. Nearby was the mechanism that opened the outside car doors.

  He looked at his watch and reached for the emergency brake cord that hung in a little recess on the wall. He grasped the handle and waited.

  A few more seconds, he thought, as he looked at his watch.

  This was going to be fun.

  Reiko snuggled against Bond’s neck as they relaxed into the gentle rumbling motion of the train. They were enjoying the last few solitary moments on the train in each other’s arms, their clothing discarded about the room.

  “I hear that Maui is the best island,” she said as she tightened the hold around his chest.

  “Well, the big one, Hawaii, and Oahu are supposed to be charming.”

  “We’ll have to hit them all. Go to a luau or two.”

  “There are other people at luaus. Don’t you want to be alone together?”

  “At least ninety-five per cent of the time. We could go there and, hey—!” She interrupted herself with a slap on her arm. She lifted her palm and revealed a smashed mosquito.

  “James-san!”

  Bond leaped out of bed and looked under the bed.

  “The damned thing is open!” he said in horror. He pulled out the jar. The hinged top was indeed at a right angle to the container. Bond went to the door and tried to open it. He struggled with it and said, “We’re locked in.”

  “Oh, God, look, I see another one!” she cried, pointing at the air. Bond attempted to see where she was pointing but the light and movement of the train inhibited his ability to spot the wretched insects. Then he saw one and batted at it.

  “Get dressed, cover your arms,” Bond shouted.

  They both leaped around the room grabbing their respective articles of clothing and raced to put them on. Reiko then picked up one of the train brochures to use as a weapon.

  “There’s one!” she said, swatting the insect on the mirror. It left a wet, stringy smudge.

  Suddenly, the train lurched violently, screeching with a horrible noise. Bond and Reiko were tossed forward. Reiko slammed into the table and cried out as Bond fell on the floor. The train quickly lost its forward momentum, audibly kicking and screaming as it went. Finally, it slowed to a crawl and eventually stopped. The exhaling sound of compressed air that followed was loud and jarring.

  “Are you all right?” Bond asked, standing and helping her up.

  “I think so. Oww, I hurt my side again,” she said. “What just happened?”

  Before he could answer, the lights in the compartment went out and they were plunged into darkness.

  SIXTEEN

  IN THE TUNNEL

  TO STOP UNEXPECTEDLY INSIDE THE SEIKAN TUNNEL WAS CAUSE FOR ALARM for the passengers who were aware of what it might mean. Trains didn’t just stop in a tunnel two hundred metres underground, especially when the tunnel was beneath the tons of water in Tsugaru Straits. Japan Rail staff immediately attempted to determine who stopped the train and why. Many passengers came out into the corridor to inquire what was going on and the staff did their best to keep things calm. As the scene was reasonably chaotic, none of the employees noticed that they were missing a conductor.

  Inside the dark suite, Bond and Reiko attempted to keep their cool but knew that they were in a predicament. They had no idea where the mosquitoes were but as a precaution they both continuously rubbed their arms and necks—any patch of bare skin that was exposed to the air. Bond had tried banging on the door to no avail. Even the phone was dead.

  “Reiko, where are you?” Bond asked.

  “Over here, by the bed,” she said in the blackness.

  “Okay, stay there and sit down. I’m going to try something.”

  Bond reached into his pocket and found the cigar holder that Major Boothroyd had given him, then he felt his way to the door. Using his sense of touch, Bond popped the lid off the container, removed the cigar and squeezed out a small amount of the toothpaste-like explosive and lined the lock with it. Satisfied that he hadn’t applied too much, Bond dropped what was left of the cigar and set the timer. He thrust the canister into the paste and moved back to where Reiko was sitting.

  “You might want to hold your ears,” Bond whispered as he mentally counted backwards from ten and pulled Reiko to the floor.

  The entire door blew off in a loud, trembling blast that rocked the train. Pieces of wood and plaster flew about the room and a thick cloud of smoke obliterated any sight line to the corridor.

  “Sugoi,” Reiko said after it had settled.

  “Okay, so I used a little too much,” Bond said. He pulled her up and they waved the smoke away. They could see the corridor now, and were surprised to find it just as dark as the room.

  “So much for containing the mosquitoes. If they survived that blast, they’re in the rest of the train now,” Bond said.

  “Let’s go find out what has happened,” Reiko said.

  They came out into the corridor and felt their way along the wall to the exit alcove. The doors were wide open. At least the tunnel lights were on so they could see something at last.

  “I’ll bet he got off the train,” Bond said. “I should go after him.”

  “All right. I will stay and look for the mosquitoes, James-san,” Reiko said. “I will crush them when I see them.”

  “At this point they could be anywhere. Are you sure?”

  “Yes! Go!”

  Bond looked into the tunnel. “They could have flown out. Let’s just hope they die soon.” He turned to her and said, “If we get separated, you know the rendezvous location.”

  She nodded.

  Bond kissed her on the cheek and then bolted out to the narrow platform. Unsure which way to go, he looked back and forth and finally gambled on what appeared to be the closest of the passages that ran at right angles to the main rail tunnel and went that way.

  Two conductors carrying torches burst into the car. They were extremely agitated and began to shout at Reiko, demanding to know what had been going on. Reiko flashed her official identification and did her best to explain that they had been locked in the suite by whoever it was that stopped the train. One of the men banged on the door to the conductor’s compartment. When there was no answer, he unlocked it with his own key and opened it. He cried out in alarm.

  The torches illuminated the little room so that everyone could see the horrid display of butchery.

  “Who did this terrible thing?” one man whispered.

  Reiko replied, “A very bad man.”

  The torch revealed the damaged panel that controlled the lights in the car.

  “Call the police,” a conductor told another man. “And apprise Control Centre of the situation.”

  Reiko inched away from the men who were now preoccupied with the scene in car 1. She turned and went through the doors into the next car, which was, thankfully, well lit. Passengers were standing in the corridor; some of them asked what was happening.

  Reiko played dumb and said that she didn’t know. One man wanted to go past her into the first car but Reiko stopped him. “I don’t think that is a good idea,” she told him. “The rail people are in there trying to figure out what happened. They said not to bother them and that they would make an announcement in a moment.”

  “I want to find out what’s go
ing on!” the belligerent man shouted.

  Reiko’s eyes went wide. A mosquito was flying lightly near the man’s face. Reiko watched it intently as the man babbled about how Japan Rail trains never break down and this was the first time it had happened to him. The insect circled the man’s head, as if trying to find a good landing site. The man continued to rant as the mosquito finally lit on his neck. Reiko lifted the train brochure that she still had in her hand and slapped the man, squashing the insect. The man shut up and looked at Reiko in horror.

  “Hush up and calm down,” she said. “They are doing the best they can!” Then she pushed past him and continued down the corridor, leaving the man dumbstruck.

  The Seikan Tunnel is actually made up of a grid-like series of interconnecting tunnels. Besides the main tunnel that is wide enough for two sets of train tracks and a track for maintenance vehicles in the middle, there is also a service tunnel running parallel and attached to it by “connecting galleries”—short tunnels spaced at intervals along the main passage. Shafts run from the surface on Honshu and Hokkaido to the tunnel—vertical ones for hauling machinery and materials in lifts and inclined ones for cable cars and for walking. In case of emergency, passengers can be evacuated out of the main tunnel, through the nearest connecting gallery and into the service tunnel. From there they can walk to the closest end and then go up the inclined shaft by foot or cable car to the outside world. There are two undersea train stations on either side of the strait as well in case trains need to stop in the tunnel. At the moment, the Cassiopeia was stopped a mile past the Tappi undersea station on the Honshu side.

  Bond hurried through a connecting gallery and found himself in the service tunnel. There was enough illumination from the work lights to allow him to get a good look around. The tunnel stretched as far as he could see. Bond noted the many connecting galleries that lined the way and also the cameras that appeared to be set every forty metres. No doubt the Japan Rail people in the Control Centre could switch on any of the cameras to see what was going on in the tunnels.