Diane Taylor - [The Montegard Files]

by Shadow Demon (lit)

  The trail ended at the base of the stairs and, knowing how old and well weathered they were, the staff would come in handy a time or two. It took a while and, by the time I got to the top of the stairs, my breathing sounded like a freight train on speed. My body protested the exercise so soon after my injuries. But, for my own sanity, this had to happen, and I didn’t want to do it during the day where someone might see and disapprove.

  I made my way to the back of the shrine, knelt, and set up a small picture of Sara along with a bowl of clean sand. After watching this done earlier today, the basics of how it was set up were pretty simple. My only single addition, a single white votive candle. After all, this is a Sun temple. It’s not a good thing to offend the goddess spirit of the place by doing it in complete darkness. I lit the candle, then the incense, putting the sticks upright in the sand. It was just a simple thing, yet in my eye, it seemed right. My mind emptied itself of all thought and drifting on nothingness. It seemed like hours had passed before a faint sound intruded, as if someone called my name. Shaking my head, I looked around the temple and out over the grounds. Nothing. Yet a voice still called to me. It sounded like my sister, but that couldn‘t be possible. Especially, after witnessing her death. Suddenly, a small flicker of light above the candle caught my eye. It seemed to grow larger as I looked at it. The sphere was now a ball. Inside it was my Sister’s face! I rubbed my eye to clear it of the hallucination brought on by exhaustion, but it remained, hovering in front of my face.

  “Sara?” I whispered.

  “Terri. Look, I don’t have too much time. You’re in the thick of some serious danger, Terri. If you don’t get out of it now and forget all about the explosion, they’ll kill you.”

  I frowned at the ball. “What?” She held up her hand.

  “Trust me on this, Terri. I was murdered. Plain and simple. I can’t give you the details, but I can give you this. Trust Ashi Nogura. He may be the only one you can at this point in time.” She smiled brightly. “But enough of that. Thank you for coming to the funeral and being there with him and the family. I know now how hard it was on you to even get close to fire.”

  I let out a shaky chuckle. “Like I had a choice. So, how are you talking to me? I mean, you are… dead.”

  She grinned. “Of course I am, silly. As to how I’m talking to you… well, let’s just say that the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu, is pleased with you. After all, it’s not everyday people come to this place for any reason at all except for September. Otherwise, it’s sort of deserted around here. So, she is letting us have this little party.” Her voice sounded like it was far off, down a tunnel.

  I blushed slightly. “Thank her for me if you see her, will you?” I sighed and said, “I’m sorry I didn’t get you out of there when I had the chance, Sis.”

  She snorted, “You couldn’t have done anything to help me. Cosar put enough heroin in my system for me to die if the blast hadn’t gotten to me. But he’s not the one you should be wary of. It’s those in Seattle, and those that you have on film from here.” She paused to listen to something, “I can’t tell you any more. I’m skirting the boundaries as it is to tell you things.”

  I grinned. “You always were one to skirt around things. Ashi-sama always saw through them, by the way. Much eye rolling and sighing at your behavior.” I winked, one-eyed. “I think we’re building new bridges to replace the ones we burned when I was young and dumb.”

  She nodded. “Beware of those who have closed minds. For they are the most dangerous of all.” The glowing ball began to shrink. “Quick, hold out your hand.”

  I did, and we briefly touched, palm to palm. The flash of light became so intense, it blinded me for a few precious moments. Then something lightweight dropped into my palm. When my eyesight returned, the ball of light had disappeared and the weight in my palm turned out to be a bronze medallion no bigger than a quarter. A tiny mirror decorated one side. On the other side, a set of characters that I recognized. Kage Oni. Shadow Demon. Shaking my head, I slipped the medallion into my pocket. After standing, my hands reached to gather everything up and erase my presence here in the Shrine. However, the moment my fingers touched the candle, a soft voice whispered across my mind.

  “Leave what you have brought.”

  After all that had gone on here, arguing did not hit the top of my to do list. I left everything except for my staff, managing to make it down the steps and back up the hill before the shakes started. What in hell just happened? Was it real? Did it really happen? These and many other questions ran through my brain as I collapsed onto the bed and fell into a deep, exhausted sleep.

  Chapter Seven

  >Over the next week, I convinced myself that the hallucination had been brought on by emotional stress and exhaustion. The good thing out of this, my stepfather came to take the film from me, returning with the fully developed photos in less than twenty-four hours. I didn’t ask where the developing had taken place. Honestly, my main concerns were the photos themselves, not how they got developed. As my body healed, I would sit out on the bench and gaze at the hills, letting myself adjust to having only one eye. It took a while, but my depth perception gradually returned while my other senses helped make up for the loss. I did the stretching exercises that the doctor outlined for me, allowing me to regain full use of my left arm once more, which came as a big relief after trying to get into clothes, or in and out of a bathtub using only one arm and hand.

  One morning, the police came and informed me that the interviews were over. I thanked them politely while my mind threw confetti and cheered. No matter what happened now, I could go home and relax. Maybe go spend some time with friends and go snowboarding in the mountains. I don’t know what would happen, but as soon as my feet stepped in the front door of my home in Seattle, there would officially be a vacation notice on my door. Boss and Dad be damned. The most important thing in the world right now became the thoughts of rest and relaxation somewhere peaceful and quiet.

  Feeling a tad bit restless, I decided to go for a walk down into town. Something had been left undone and rectifying it became part of the plan for my stroll. At my request, Ashi Nogura had the family photo enlarged to an eight by ten portrait. Wrapping it carefully, I tucked it securely in my backpack. Walking down the street, I noticed that not much had changed since the last time. I stopped at a nearby restaurant to ask directions to Michiko’s house and order something to eat back at the house. The shop owner pointed the way, and promised that he‘d have the food ready when I returned.

  As I followed the directions, the crowds became a bit thicker at the central plaza of the town. Late afternoon brought a lot of people out to shop for their dinner, tourists looking for a special something for friends back home, and the simple people just out for a refreshing walk. The sun shone overhead and the chatter of the people as they stood at the open-air merchants was very pleasant. Lost in my enjoyment of the day, the impact of my body against another pedestrian came as a complete shock, jarring me out of my reverie enough to stammer an apology to the rock solid wall of flesh in front of me.

  “Oh, pardon me,” I said in Japanese.

  A soft, deep voice somewhere above my head spoke in slightly accented English. “My apologies.”

  Startled, I looked up from the broad chest, to the green and amber colored eyes above me. Blinking my single eye to bring the face into focus, my brain began to run rampant. Standing before me was a very handsome man. He stood at least six feet tall and his naturally salt and pepper hair was a stylishly short cut. A hint of a goatee decorated the chiseled lines of his face. He looked at me with a concern. “Are you all right?” His voice was hypnotic and sexy at the same time.

  I ignored the goosebumps suddenly crawling up and down my arms. “I was a bit distracted.” Damnit, I thought, get your mind out of the gutter! He’s handsome, sure, but you don’t even know this guy. “I should be paying more attention. I‘m fine now, however.”

  He smiled and it reached his eyes, making them brigh
ter, “Don’t worry about it.” He held out his hand, “I’m Markus.”

  I chuckled, “Terri Montegard. A pleasure to meet you. Are you a tourist?” The moment our hands touched, a spark jumped between the two of us. A pleasant tingling shivered its way through my bloodstream, like the caress of warm silk drawn across bare flesh. A sharp inhalation brought my gaze up to his eyes. The same heated feelings were reflected back at me along with the confusion. I withdrew my hand from his, taking a slight retreat back from the situation. Something about this man made me think of those satin sheets again. Why am I obsessing over satin sheets? Came the question floating across my mind. I lowered my head to hide the blush that stained my cheeks a soft, crimson color.

  He shook his head and regained his own composure, “Business. I am visiting an auction in Tokyo. I buy and sell ancient Samurai swords.”

  I sighed. “I like looking at them, but I don’t know how to use one. Nine chances out of ten, I’d cut my hand off if I ever picked one up.” A small fib, but I didn’t know this guy and it paid to keep at least one ace up my sleeve. I smiled lopsidedly. “Look, I hate to chat and run, but I need to deliver something to a friend of mine.” A lame excuse, but it would get me away from him before my libido decided to go up in flames.

  He nodded. “I have to get back to Tokyo. A Musashi blade is going up for sale at a private auction this evening.” He checked his watch.

  I smiled. “Good luck.” And meant it. Original Miyamoto Musashi blades were priceless, not to mention extremely rare. Even a regular like me knew that. It pays off sometimes when your stepfather is Japanese.

  He nodded and, well, didn’t exactly disappear into the crowd. He simply stepped into the flow of people and vanished. I’d seen the vanishing act before. The man who stared at me at the O-Bon now had a name, Markus. Strange, that a man could pull off a vanishing act in broad daylight. As a precaution, my hand slipped into the inner pocket of my vest to check my wallet and passport. Sighing with relief, my worries were unfounded. Both of them were still safely tucked away. Smiling and resuming my walk down the street, my eye kept checking the crowds for a glimpse of Markus, still feeling the after effects of his touch.

  Once at Michiko’s home, a modest little cottage on one of the hills with an ocean view, after finding out they weren’t there, I left the package with a neighbor. To assuage any suspicions, my hands pulled aside the wrappings to show the old woman the picture, making her smile in delight. She carefully set it down on her table, then returned to what she was doing after waving good bye.

  I took my time returning to the restaurant. By the time I reached the marketplace, the sun had begun to sink to the horizon. While heading to the restaurant, intending to pick up my food order and pay the bill, a splash of bright color a couple doors down caught my eye. An open-air seller had brightly colored silk, embroidery thread, and beads for sale. I thought about the medallion at the cottage and smiled, picking up two blue beads and two green beads along with a skein of burnt orange and yellow thread. While paying, the owner of the booth spoke in a low voice, “Terri-san,” he looked over my shoulder briefly, “you have two men following you. That no one has seen before.”

  I made a show of holding the colored thread up to my face and using a mirror to check how it would react to my complexion. At the angle, my gaze locked on the men the seller mentioned. Geeze, could they be any more obvious? White, muscular, late twenties to early thirties. Yep. I mentally laid bets with myself about who they were. Military or Feds. They had a stance and look about them that screamed government trained. Slowly, my hands lowered the mirror as adrenaline rocketed through my system. Taking a deep, calming breath. “Talk about being obvious,” I muttered, then added a couple red beads to my purchase, “how long have they been out there?”

  He grinned. “Since you started your walk back through town. I don’t normally step in like this, I’m just a simple man. But you saved one of our village. We will always offer to help you when you need it.” He winked and named his price, “Besides, tourists usually window-shop and take pictures. These men haven’t even looked at anything on the streets. They are like hawks watching their prey.”

  I laughed and took the bag, I suddenly remembered his name from a shouted jest at the O-Bon dance. “Well, Ishi-sama, I thank you for your timely words and the warning. I’ll be fine,” I hoped. “Just don’t let your wife hear that joke about you and the Geisha in Tokyo. She may not like it.”

  He gaped. “You heard that?” He shook his head and laughed. “She’s heard it one too many times. So get going.” He shooed me off with a wave of his hand.

  I took two steps away from the stall and blew him a kiss, much to his amusement, and made my way down the street, pausing every now and again to window-shop. You know, glass makes a great mirror when trying to keep track of people following you. Even better if it reflects the setting sun back at the people you’re trying to see. Finally, the restaurant came into sight. I felt like a drawn bow held in check too long. Once in the door, a darkened corner seemed like the safest place to sit. The owner, seeing me, came over, “Your order is ready.”

  I looked up at him. “I hate to impose on you, but have you got a telephone I could use? I am going to need to call my Father.”

  He bowed and nodded. “Of course!” He disappeared one moment, coming back with a phone and the traditional pot of chai tea. “Be my guest.”

  With my back to the wall, I had a perfect view of the front door. Dialing information and receiving Nogura’s phone number, I punched the appropriate buttons. There was a dial tone, then clicks and whirrs usually associated with a connecting call. Sipping the drink in front of me helped my body to relax minutely. Bit by bit, the adrenaline released its hold on me, allowing me to think clearly without having jitters and paranoia get in the way.

  Soon, however, the phone was picked up by Ashi-san’s secretary. “You’ve reached AshiCorp’s executive office, how may we help you?”

  I sighed in relief, “Is Ashi Nogura in? If he is, tell him Terri Montegard is on the line, please? It’s important.”

  “One moment, please.” There was a pause and the inevitable music came over the phone, indicating someone had hit the hold button.

  As I waited, the front door to the restaurant opened slowly. A moment later, the two men came in the door, looking around, ostensibly looking at the décor or some mundane thing like that. Almost as if they were doing parade style drills in the civilian world, they both turned and sat at the first table inside the door. I sipped my tea as they tried to be inconspicuous, and failing. Military, especially, has yet to find the happy medium between wearing a uniform and civilian clothes. Moments after their arrival, the elevator music ended and my stepfather’s voice came on the line.

  “Terri? My secretary said it was important.” His voice was smooth as warm sake. I’ve heard him use the same tone in boardroom meetings when he tried to be reasonable with recalcitrant employees. A neutral, yet soothing voice.

  Refilling my teacup and trying to look casual, I spoke quietly into the phone, “Nogura, listen very carefully. Did you, at any time, hire two men to be my bodyguards?”

  “No. If I were to do that, I would have told you. And then, I would have sent people who would have identified themselves to you and been very discreet. Why do you ask?” concern colored Nogura’s voice.

  I described them to Nogura. “They have the look of people more used to a uniform than casual clothes. Which means one of two things. Military or government people. I got lucky. The thread and bead seller here in Kamakura spotted them and warned me while I bought some thread for a project. I’m at Tanaka’s on the main road leading back to the house. I don’t like this, Father. They’re sitting by the main window as if they’re waiting for others.” Control, my mind whispered, stay calm and in control.

  “Get out of there as fast as possible.” An angry spate of words on the other end of the phone followed his first words, too fast for me to follow, but it sounded urgent.
It didn’t sound like my father, but someone else. He came back on the line, “I don’t have any idea on what’s going on, but you have to trust me on this. Get out of there.”

  I munched on a piece of fried wonton. “I’ve memorized the layout of the city enough to take the back way home if necessary. Here’s an idea, let me hang up. You call Tanaka and have him call me into the back on the pretense of taste testing something. That’ll get me into the kitchen. I can sneak out the back and take the back alleys.”

  “Good thinking, but be careful,” he sighed. “Head for the Temple below the house, wait two hours, then head back up the hill and enter through the back shoji screen. I’ll be there with backup, just in case.”

  Sighing I hung up the phone and called Tanaka over. “Thank you for the use of your phone.” Trying to convey a double meaning, my eye locked onto his, “I needed to check on a couple things back home.”

  He nodded and took the phone away. The two men were trying very hard not to look in my direction. However, every now and again their glances flicked my way, then they would start murmuring to each other. It sounded like a pair of hummingbirds fighting over the same flower. The image alone in my head caused me to grin and sip the last of my tea.

  One of them happened to glance up at just the right moment to catch my expression. Frowning in suspicion, he slipped a hand inside his jacket while he kept eye contact. The tension in the room rose a few notches as my grin stayed in place and their hands started to fidget.

  Mr. Tanaka suddenly appeared at my elbow, breaking the tension, “I need a second opinion,” he said with a smile, “I have this new recipe and I want to try it out on someone before I start to serve it. Can you please come back to the kitchen and try some?”