Sign of the Dragon (Tatsu Yamada Book 1) by Niall Teasdale (e reader TXT) 📕

‘So, the port area belongs to the Funabashi gang and the Mihama Yankees,’ Tatsu said, ‘but it’s a sort of spur territory out here. We’re right on the border with the region claimed by the Huádōng tong and the Kurosuna Boys. That would be a Chinese street gang as opposed to an American street gang. The Chinese gangs operate much like the Yankees; they work for the tongs when they can and fend for themselves when they can’t.’

‘Drug distribution, protection…’ Yamauchi said.

‘That kind of thing. They’ll also mug tourists for valuables, though the prevalence of that decreases as you head east because the prevalence of Japanese visitors goes down as you head that way.’

‘And they fight other gangs? I mean, isn’t that what people are worried about at the moment?’

Tatsu considered her answer. ‘They fight, but it’s infrequent. The instability in the Funabashi gang recently has made things worse, but we’re mostly getting targeted hits between the two mafia factions. And none of that is really what people are worried about.’

‘It isn’t?’

‘No, they’re worried that the fighting is going to shift over the border into Tokyo and affect them. It’s also a vocal minority doing the worrying. Tourist traffic into Chiba has gone down by all of one percent, so the kind of Tokyo residents who come out to Chiba for stress relief at the weekend aren’t really worried about getting caught up in a gang battle. Watanabe, stop the van.’

The van’s motors went into regenerative-braking mode and it came to a sudden stop. ‘What? Why?’ Watanabe asked. Then she said, ‘Oh, right.’

Up ahead, on either side of the road, two groups of people were staring at each other. On the south side, they were Americans and there were a few women in the mix. On the north side, the group looked Oriental and were all men. As Suzuki zoomed his camera in, details began to appear. Many of those details were tyre irons, lengths of wood, and a few baseball bats. The situation had that feeling of impending thunder about it; there was a big charge of potential violence building and all it would take was one random event for it to discharge into blood and noise.

What eventually triggered it was anyone’s guess. Maybe someone sneezed or the two gangs simply got tired of waiting. Suddenly, the two groups were rushing at each other, weapons swinging, and Tatsu got to her feet, heading for the door. ‘Stay in the van,’ she ordered. ‘If they start pulling guns, there could be collateral damage.’ Then she was out and pulling her pistol and marching toward the fight with a determined stride.

She checked the load was baton rounds and then fired six of them into the throng. Bodies were tossed about like rag dolls, frequently impacting other bodies as they flew. Tatsu changed magazines and fired off six more rounds as she closed the distance. Then she swapped in a third magazine, aimed off to the side on the north of the fight and fired at the ground. The explosion was not large, but it was loud, and it was followed by Tatsu’s raised voice. ‘Everyone, put down your weapons and back off. Now!’

In the van, Yamauchi was about as excited as she had been all day. ‘Tell me you’re getting all this, Shisen.’

‘I’m getting it,’ Suzuki replied. ‘I’m getting it. Woman is badass.’

Another rocket shell exploded on the nearside of the fight, peppering the combatants in chunks of tarmac, and someone, a Yankee with a death wish, pulled a pistol from under his windbreaker, turning to aim it at Tatsu. She fired first. The bullet hit the man’s chest and was probably instantly fatal given the calibre and velocity, but then it exploded, and blood was sprayed over the nearby fighters as the corpse was ripped open. Silence fell.

‘Anyone who can still walk leaves,’ Tatsu shouted. ‘Now! Before I change my mind. Anyone else draws, they die. Move!’

In a little under five seconds, there was no one left on the street except for the ones lying prone, which counted for about nine, plus one dismembered body. In the van, Yamauchi, Suzuki, and Watanabe watched as Tatsu began walking round checking her victims.

‘Come on,’ Yamauchi said, starting for the door.

‘She said to stay in the van,’ Watanabe pointed out.

‘That was when they were fighting. They’re not fighting. Come on, Shisen.’

‘I told you to wait in the van,’ Tatsu said without looking around at the approaching reporter and cameraman.

‘That was for safety and you broke up the fight.’

‘Could still be someone with a death wish watching us.’

‘I’ll take that risk. Uh, are any of them going to survive for trial?’

‘Three were hit with flying bodies. They’ll be fine aside from the bruises. The rest will need hospital treatment, except for the one with the broken neck. Some of them will make it. Some… won’t.’

‘That was amazing, but you don’t seem happy with it.’

Tatsu turned and looked up at the reporter from where she was crouched beside a body. ‘Ever killed someone, Yamauchi?’

‘Well, no, obviously.’

‘Then you don’t know how you’ll react. Some people can’t handle it. Some come to terms. Some make up excuses for why they had to do it. Some like it. I don’t like killing people. I don’t make excuses either. I do what needs doing, when it needs doing, and I hope I never do get to like it. This wasn’t “amazing.” People are dead. People, not immigrants or ketō. No one should think that’s amazing.’

‘I think one can appreciate the skill of a trained police officer while decrying the need for their services,’ Yamauchi replied a little stiffly.

‘That wasn’t police training,’ Tatsu replied, straightening up. The sound of sirens could be heard in the distance; backup was on its way. ‘I used to be a soldier. Now I’m a one-woman