The Case of the Mad Scientist novel Chapter 24

Chapter 24: Three Spies in Trouble

“What!?”

Watanabe was not happy. Veins on his forehead stood out as he rose to his feet.

“My house invaded? By gaijin?”

“Two of them appear to be Americans,” Gato told him calmly. “The other is Nippon. They were armed.” He held up the .50 caliber Desert Eagle that Sled had dropped.

For a long while Watanabe simply stared at the weapon. Then he ignored it and began a limping walk towards the door. “Show me these gaijin!”

Gato did. Sled Speed was still unconscious in his cell but both Blaze and Aiko were awake. They were sitting on the floor of adjacent cells, both still locked in handcuffs.

Watanabe came close to the bars and looked upon each of them for a long time. Finally, he addressed Aiki, in Japanese. “Who sent you?”

“No one.”

“I do not believe you. Who are these gaijin? Why have you come here?”

She lowered her head and, trying to act ashamed, told him that they had come in to steal what they could. During the time between their capture and this interrogation she had been trying to think of a story that might save them and explain why they were there. The best she could come up with was that they were burglars and looking for something to steal. She hoped that he would simply turn them over to the police and not do something much worse to them.

Gato laughed and told his boss that she was lying. “That one,” he said, pointing at Blaze, “Address Dr. Sorren by name.”

It was Blaze’s turn to look unhappy.

“Do you work for the American government? Some agency?”

Silence greeted his question.

“Very well. I will have to assume that you are spies. I will, however, not turn you over to my government,” he said with a faint smile. “I will save them the trouble of a trial. I will execute you myself. Gato-san will arrange for you to disappear. You can join the other bodies I have sent to the bottom of the lake.”

As Watanabe turned to leave, Gato halted him. “May I suggest, sir, that the two women be turned over to Dr. Sorren for his experiments?”