Part 26 (1/2)

”Yes.”

She leaned against the armrest of the black BMW they rode in. ”Do you remember when you took me to Milan for my birthday?”

”What about it?”

”The fas.h.i.+on show we went to, the one where you said I was more beautiful than any of the women who walked the runway.”

He nodded. ”I remember. And it was the truth. You always take my breath away.”

She touched the side of his face. ”I never said thank you for that trip.”

He smiled. ”I thought you said thank you in other ways.”

She turned away. ”Well, yes, but I like to say it for real, too. You didn't have to take me anywhere for my birthday, but you did. And it meant the world to me. Spending time with you was the best gift of all.”

”That dinner we had was amazing. The wine especially was incredible.”

Shuko nodded. ”The waiter said it was from a local winery. That the restaurant was one of the only places in the world where you could get a bottle of it. And how it was aged, the secret family recipe.”

”We had some great times together, didn't we?”

She smiled at him. ”Yes.”

He patted her thigh. ”And when we get the dorje dorje, we'll have even more of them, just you wait.”

”I am.”

Nezuma looked back at the noodle shop. ”I must admit I was a bit impressed by Creed's athletic ability with that fire escape. Part of me expected she would fall when it came to the sudden stop.”

”As did I. But she managed to hold on. I think it's fair to a.s.sume she injured her shoulder, though. I saw her clutching it as they ran down the street,” Shuko said.

Nezuma frowned. ”Knowing the ninja, he'll have some sort of herbal remedy that will make her all better.”

”Too bad.”

Nezuma shrugged. ”No matter. She's as good as dead anyway as soon as they locate the dorje dorje.”

Shuko checked her watch. ”They really ought to be coming out any time now.”

”You're going to estimate how long it takes them to eat?”

”These subway noodle stands don't make money if they don't keep the customer turnover high. Meals get served fast and customers know to eat just as quick. I should know-there were enough of them where I begged for food when I was younger.”

”Before me,” Nezuma said.

She smiled at him. ”Yes. Before you.”

He pointed. ”It appears you were right.”

In front of the car, Annja and Kennichi walked away from the noodle stand. Nezuma nodded. ”She's not clutching her shoulder anymore.”

”You think she's acting?” Shuko asked.

”Maybe.”

Nezuma started the car and slid it into Drive. ”This is the tough part. I've got to keep tabs on them, but without making this car an item of curiosity for them. That wouldn't be good.”

”I'll go on foot,” Shuko said. ”That way we'll have me as point. You can trail behind at a safe distance.”

Nezuma frowned. ”You're sure?”

”Why not?”

”Because that man ahead is a ninja. And he's very well-trained. He's shown himself to be extremely capable at detecting surveillance.”

”You think I can't stay concealed?”

”I didn't say that.”

She smiled again. ”I appreciate your concern, master, but I'll be fine.”

”There's a risk of him seeing you. He might think we were the ones who killed his contact back at that warehouse. He might just take his anger out on you.”

”I can handle myself.”

Nezuma shrugged. ”It's your call.”

Shuko opened the door. ”Then I choose this.” She opened her cell phone. ”I'll be in touch.”

Nezuma watched her go and shook his head. He couldn't remember her being quite so stubborn before this. He wondered if the near choking he'd given her last night might have been just a bit too much.

He sighed. The hunt for the dorje dorje had absorbed much of his life, from the time he was a young boy and had heard legends about it. And when he'd grown up and learned that the had absorbed much of his life, from the time he was a young boy and had heard legends about it. And when he'd grown up and learned that the ninjitsu ninjitsu family that had been given the family that had been given the dorje dorje had then entrusted it to mere monks, it had angered and infuriated him. had then entrusted it to mere monks, it had angered and infuriated him.

As the last remaining descendant of Shotoku Tais.h.i.+, Nezuma took it personally that the gift his ancestor had given to the ninja had been so callously disregarded. And if the dorje dorje was returned to the Tais.h.i.+ family, the legends spoke of untold wealth and power that would be theirs. was returned to the Tais.h.i.+ family, the legends spoke of untold wealth and power that would be theirs.

Nezuma had spent much of his family fortune trying to locate the dorje dorje. And he had spent much of his time scouting for an a.s.sistant he could secure the dorje dorje with. with.

Shuko was that person.

Or she had been until recently. Certainly Nezuma had feelings for her. He wouldn't deny himself the truth, and the truth was simply that he had affection for her.

But love?

No.

And that was precisely what she wanted.

From the way she spoke-the memories of past trips, the dinners, the wine and the vacations-all of it meant she was thinking far too much about what their time together meant to her.