The Quest for the Fuji Cipher (A Richard Halliburton Adventure Book 4)

by Garrett Drake

  “It means they’re going to kill you once they catch you, which you can’t let happen, especially now.”

  “Why now?”

  “Did you get the cipher?”

  Richard nodded. “Well, I got pictures of it.”

  “That’s massive. Between our governments’ cryptology departments, they should be able to use those images to piece together how the device works and start decrypting messages right away.”

  “I still have to get out of here.”

  “Don’t worry,” Lees said. “I’ve got you covered there.”

  “What do I need to do?”

  Lees crammed a change purse into Richard’s hands. “There’s enough money in here for you to catch the next train in half an hour to the coast.”

  “The coast?”

  “Yes, Chosi,” Lees explained. “You can leave from the port there on a ship heading straight for Seattle first thing in the morning.”

  “I need to confirm this with my contacts here at the consulate,” Richard said.

  “You can’t. The Kenpetai will capture you before you get inside and arrest you.”

  “This isn’t exactly protocol,” Richard said.

  “You’re going to worry about protocol in a situation like this? If you don’t listen to me, everything here will have been for naught and you can kiss your precious writing career goodbye along with the rest of your life. If I were you, this wouldn’t be the moment I’d pick to be pigheaded about something.”

  “I apologize if my response comes across as defiant, but Hank Foster told me to be wary of trusting anyone, advice well worth heeding in my experience.”

  Lees took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Did you use my parachute?”

  Richard removed his pack and handed the parachute to Lees.

  “I'm taking that as a yes,” Lees said as he stuffed the parachute into his own pack.

  Richard nodded subtly.

  “So, if I wanted the cipher for myself, I would’ve sabotaged this,” Lees said. “I swear you can trust me. And I’ve got a secret entrance for you along with a way to get into your room without getting caught.”

  Lees handed Richard a rope.

  “What’s this for?” he asked.

  “It’ll help you descend to your room.”

  “I’ve done enough of that for today.”

  Lees eyed Richard closely. “Did you summit Mt. Fuji?”

  Richard closed his eyes and nodded as he started to seethe upon learning that he wouldn’t be falling into a comfortable bed and getting a good night of sleep.

  “You can get into your room on the third floor, grab your stuff, and then get out of there,” Lees said.

  “I’ve got a better idea. Why don’t you do it for me?”

  “I would,” Lees said before pointing to his arm. “I had a little mishap yesterday. I dislocated my shoulder. Climbing is not an option for me.”

  “Fine,” Richard said with a growl before snatching the rope. “Just tell me what to do.”

  Lees explained the route Richard needed to take in order to avoid detection. Once he reached the balcony of his new room located just above his old one on the fourth floor, Richard could tie off the rope, repel down, grab his belongings, and climb back up.

  “You think this will work?”

  Lees nodded.

  “And if it doesn’t?”

  Lees shrugged. “You can always head straight to the train station if you want to leave everything here.”

  “No,” Richard snapped. “I haven’t traveled all over the world for the past couple of years to just abandon all my notes and journals in my room.”

  “That’s what I thought. Now get going before it gets too late. The train leaves in an hour.”

  Richard followed the directions, shimmying down the rope into his room. He quietly slipped inside and gathered the clothes and journals he’d left behind for his trip to Taiseki-ji’s hidden monastery. As he was stuffing everything inside his bag, he noticed an envelope addressed to him sitting on the foot of the bed.

  Richard opened the correspondence, pulling out a dance card with his name on it. He smiled as he read the note from Hisako.

  Dearest Richard,

  Thank you for everything you’ve done for me the past few days. I learned that my intuition about Prince Naruhiko was wrong. He didn’t want to kill me; he wanted to reward me. Someone lied to me. However, if they hadn’t, I would’ve likely killed you, like I did the man on the train.

  I have much to figure out, as I’m sure you do too. Thank you for all the wonderful memories, and I wish you the best in your future endeavors.

  All the best,

  H

  P.S. I can’t wait to read your book.

  Richard tucked the letter into his back pocket before making one final sweep of the room. When he was satisfied that he had everything, he returned to the balcony. But as Richard began his ascent up one floor, he heard someone shouting from above. Richard looked up and saw two members of Kenpetai pointing at him.

  Richard muttered a few choice words beneath his breath and decided to deviate from the original plan. He stepped over the balcony railing and crouched low as he clung to the bars. Lowering himself so his feet were dangling over the second floor balcony, he swung back and forth until he had enough momentum to land there.

  The Kenpetai officers overhead continued shouting and were now blowing their whistles. Richard looked up at them and waved before he leaped over the balcony and landed on the sidewalk, rolling for a few feet before springing up onto his feet. Then he broke into a dead sprint, darting down the alleyway where he’d met Lees.

  “What are you doing?” Lees asked. “I heard all that commotion and guessed someone had spotted you.”

  “I don’t have time to explain,” Richard said as he dug into his pack and grabbed a small pouch of used film canisters, his camera, and his journals. “Give me your bag.”

  “It’s a wadded up parachute.”

  “I don’t care. Give it to me now.”

  “All right,” Lees said as he handed it over.

  “And your jacket too,” Richard said, snapping his fingers.

  “Okay, okay.”

  Lees removed his coat and exchanged it with Richard. Moments later, he was strolling down the street toward the train station in the opposite direction of Lees, who was running for his life.

  Richard smiled when he glanced over his shoulder and saw Lees disappear into a nearby wooded park. Then Richard picked up his pace and arrived at the station just in time before the 10:15 p.m. train for Chosi. The trip took three hours, putting Richard in the port city with more than enough time to purchase a ticket and board the steamship President Madison for the week-long trip to Seattle.

  As Richard sat on the platform at the train station, he kept his head low in an effort not to draw any attention to himself. He felt relaxed, satisfied that he’d accomplished his mission.

  At 10:00 a.m., the conductor called for boarding as passengers shuffled near their train. One by one, the people forked over their passes and climbed up the steps. Once the last ticket had been collected, he made one final announcement. After a brief delay, the train started to chug out of the station.

  Richard sighed in relief, all alone in his compartment. He leaned back in his seat, resting his head and closing his eyes. However, his peaceful moment was interrupted by a man shouting outside and running along the platform. Richard leaned near the window to see what the commotion was about.

  He recognized the man shouting. It was Yutaka.

  Richard did a double take to confirm his suspicion. And there was little doubt that the pudgy Kenpetai officer outside was the same man who’d been assigned with following Richard.

  Richard went to check a final time only to watch Yutaka pull himself aboard.

  Chapter 22

  RICHARD CLENCHED HIS fists in preparation for a fight. He opened his compartment just wide enough to poke his head out and peer down the aisle. His not
ion that he’d brawl with Yutaka ended the moment Richard noticed the gun in the officer’s hand.

  Yutaka glared at Richard once the two men made eye contact. “Did you think you could run from me forever?”

  “I’m sure you can appreciate the fact that I’m not the kind of person who likes being followed day and night,” Richard said, raising his hands in the air. “I only came to Tokyo to deliver some mail to the embassy.”

  Yutaka shook his head. “Perhaps that’s what you came for, but that’s not all you did while you were here.”

  “I did make a short trip to Mt. Fuji, and now I’m headed home,” Richard said. “There’s really not that much more to tell.”

  “Where’s your bag?” Yutaka asked.

  “It’s in my compartment. I have no idea what you’re looking for, but you’re more than welcome to go through my things if you don’t believe me.”

  Yutaka used his gun to gesture for Richard to go. Once they reached the compartment, Richard grabbed his pack and pulled it open for Yutaka.

  “Here,” Richard said, dropping it on the floor. “See for yourself.”

  He watched Yutaka closely as the Kenpetai officer sifted through all the contents. Several times, Yutaka stopped and held up an object, examining it. When he reached a stack of journals, he held them up before scanning the pages.

  “It’s just my record of my visits and my adventures. I don’t know what you’re looking for, but you’re not going to find anything other than that.”

  “Ah, ha!” Yutaka exclaimed as he leaped to his feet. “This is it. Listen to this passage.”

  Yutaka read a passage from Richard’s journal about his trip to China where Japanese soldiers escaped from an ancient chamber with a large cache of treasures.

  “I don’t know what that proves,” Richard said. “That I was on an archeological dig when I ran across some Japanese soldiers. It happens all the time whenever I’m traveling. I happen to meet military from other countries.”

  “And what about this?” Yutaka asked as he held up Richard’s pouch of used film.

  Richard kept his composure as Yutaka inspected each canister. “Those are from all the pictures I took during my world trip and what I intend to use in my book.”

  “You’re writing a book?”

  “That’s my dream—and it’s the whole reason I came to Japan. I’ve been fascinated with Mt. Fuji for a long time. I wanted to see it for myself and climb it.”

  “And did you?” Yutaka asked.

  “That’s my proof right there,” Richard said, nodding at the roll in Yutaka’s hand.

  “‘Fuji film’,” Yutaka read aloud. “Hmmm.”

  “Yes, that’s the roll with all my pictures of my summit of Mt. Fuji.”

  Yutaka raised an eyebrow as he studied Richard. “You climbed Mt. Fuji while you were here?”

  “Yes, earlier today,” Richard said. “If you don’t believe me, you’ll have to buy my book.”

  Yutaka thrust the pack into Richard’s hands. “Unfortunately for you, it’s not my job to determine if you are a spy and in our country illegally. I was tasked with following you during your stay here, something I failed to do. But I won’t fail this time. We’ll be getting off at the next stop, and I will take you to Kenpetai headquarters.”

  “I’m sorry, but that’s not going to work for me,” Richard said. “I have to be on a ship first thing in the morning to return home to see my mother. She’s deathly ill. If you delay me in any way, it’s possible that I won’t be able to see her before she passes.”

  “I don’t believe you,” Yutaka said.

  “I have a letter from her right here in my bag,” Richard said. “I’ll show it to you.”

  He fell to his knees on the floor and rummaged through his backpack. Yutaka kept his gun trained on Richard. After a few tense seconds, Richard shook his head and sighed.

  “I know it was in here,” he said. “You didn’t take it, did you?”

  Yutaka scowled. “Get ready because we’re about to get off at the next station.”

  Richard slumped his shoulders and hung his head as he stared down into his bag. Yet Yutaka didn’t appear to be buying the ruse. So, Richard took a deep breath before exploding to his feet and swinging his bag, knocking Yutaka’s gun out of his hand.

  Richard tossed his pack aside while Yutaka went for the weapon on the ground. But Richard stomped on Yutaka’s hand, drawing a yelp from the portly investigator. Then with a knee to the face, Yutaka’s head snapped backward, slamming hard against the wall and knocking him out.

  The lights along the track flickered, signaling that the next station was fast approaching. Richard pocketed the gun and then opened the door to his compartment to check for any witnesses. Satisfied that the corridor was empty, he lugged Yutaka to the bathroom, tying his hands together with a belt and gagging his mouth with a spare shirt.

  For almost the entire ride, Richard remained with Yutaka, knocking him out time and time again whenever regained consciousness. However, Richard recognized he desperately needed to push Yutaka out of the train prior to reaching Chosi.

  Richard returned to his seat for a few minutes as he heard the conductor walking through the car to check on all the passengers. He said something in Japanese to Richard, who smiled and nodded. After the man left, Richard hustled back to the bathroom to check on Yutaka. But Yutaka was gone.

  Richard cursed under his breath as he looked up and down the hallway for the investigator. There wasn’t any sign of him.

  That’s when Richard heard the door at the opposite end bang as it closed. He raced toward the noise and found Yutaka between cars. Richard pulled out the weapon, training it on the escapee.

  “That’s far enough,” Richard said as he stepped outside. The wind whipped past, and the wheels were clicking along the track.

  Yutaka stopped and looked over his shoulder at Richard. “Has your mother made a miraculous recovery?”

  Richard clenched his jaw, steadying the gun with both hands.

  “Stop pretending like you’re going to shoot me,” Yutaka said. “You don’t have it in you.”

  The train slowed as it made a wide turn and eased onto a bridge. Richard glanced down at the water. He decided he didn’t need a gun.

  Richard grabbed the handrails, giving him the leverage he needed to swing back and unleash a furious kick at Yutaka's head. The inspector wobbled before his head smashed into the side of the car. With one swift push, Richard used his feet to propel the unconscious Yutaka into the Tone River below.

  Richard peered into the water to confirm Yutaka had made it. His body sank before quickly resurfacing. He was facedown, bobbing with the rhythm of the tide encroaching from the Pacific Ocean.

  A half-hour later, the train pulled into Chosi a few minutes before 1:00 a.m. Richard grabbed his bag before exiting and hustling through the station. He found the main road and followed Lees’s instructions on how to find the dock where the President Madison was leaving from. After a brief search, he located the steamship and picked out a nearby spot to catch a few hours of sleep before boarding for the 7:00 a.m. departure.

  * * *

  RICHARD AWOKE to the sun peeking over the horizon and the bustling of the dock workers rushing to load all the last-minute supplies for the long trip. He prepared to board but was told that the President Madison needed to undergo some last-minute repairs, delaying the voyage. The captain said that he would blow the horn when they had another announcement regarding when the ship would be ready.

  Richard returned to his spot to catch a few more hours of sleep. He quickly drifted off and didn’t awake again until he felt someone kicking at his legs.

  Squinting at the daylight suddenly flooding his vision, Richard put his hand up to his forehead to shield his eyes. The moment he recognized the man kneeling down a few feet, Richard bolted to his feet, grabbed his pack, and took off running. However, he didn’t get more than twenty yards before he was tackled from behind.

  Hatt
ori Mitsunari laughed as he eyed Richard, who was pinned to the ground by two other samurais. “You didn’t think we were just going to let you get away without sufficient payment for passage, did you?”

  Richard barely recognized Mitsunari, who wasn’t wearing his traditional warrior garb. Instead, he donned a suit, complete with a dark tie and a pair of sunglasses. However, he still had his sword, which he was resting on.

  “How did you . . .” Richard paused, struggling to escape the grasp of the men.

  “It wasn’t too difficult to find out where the flying man went,” Mitsunari said. “You made quite an impression. And unfortunately for you, that’s why we’re here. You better just be glad we found you first, since we’ll make this quick. If the Kenpetai had caught you, you would be spending a significant part of your life in prison.”

  “If you’re wanting me to thank you, you’ll be waiting a long time,” Richard said with a sneer.

  “I don’t care as long as you suffer,” Mitsunari said before nodding at his fellow warriors. “Bring him with me.”

  They yanked Richard to his feet and nudged him toward a nearby alley and out of plain sight.

  “Is this really necessary?” Richard asked. “Can’t we let bygones be bygones?”

  “No,” Mitsunari said. “You accepted the deal were offered, and you didn’t fulfill your half. Now you must suffer the penalty for your transgression.”

  “Transgression sounds so harsh, don’t you think?”

  Mitsunari directed two men to force Richard to his knees and pull on his arms, creating a clean path for the blade to come down and remove his head from his body.

  “Have any last words?” Mitsunari asked as he drew his sword back.

  “As a matter of fact, I do,” Richard said. “I’d like to be given the Suzumebachi Test.”

  Mitsunari sighed and shook his head. “Who told you about that? That’s an ancient practice.”

  “Like being a samurai?” Richard asked.

  One of the men walked up to Mitsunari and whispered in his ear. Then the leader turned back toward Richard.

  “You know, on second thought, we’re going to give it to you,” Mitsunari said. “We happen to have a suzumebachi with us. Plus, my fellow warrior reminded me that it’d be a lot easier to explain than a severed head discovered in a back alley. So, you’re coming with me. We’re going to do this in public.”