Samurai & Snipers полностью

Deke was taken aback. There was no way that he wanted to offer himself as a target. Without thinking, he blurted out, “What the hell, Honcho? I don’t speak the lingo.”

“You don’t need to say anything. Some things can be communicated better without words. With all due credit to Yoshio and that captain, I want you to make an impression on the Japanese about what’s in store for them if they don’t go along with Oatmire. He looks like a damn overgrown Boy Scout. We need somebody to put the fear of God into them. If they don’t release the hostages, I want to remind those Nips that the last thing they’re gonna see in this world is your ugly mug.”

“Good cop, bad cop,” Philly muttered. “You are definitely the bad cop.”

“You sure know how to make a fella feel appreciated, Honcho,” Deke said, then straightened up. He wasn’t reassured by the worried look that Juana was giving him. Like the others, she seemed to expect shooting to break out momentarily. She kept her captured Arisaka rifle pointed at the enemy position.

“Should I bring my rifle, Honcho?”

“No, those Japs aren’t armed. Leave your rifle here, son.”

Deke did as he was told and left behind his rifle and pistol. It felt strange not to have them within reach, almost like he was naked. He did keep his bowie knife in his belt. He figured that was fair enough. Hell, that Jap officer had a damn sword.

He followed Yoshio into the open and they joined Captain Oatmire, who was facing the two Japanese. “This is Major Tanigawa,” Oatmire said, giving Deke and Yoshio a quick glance. “He’s willing to discuss the release of the hostages with us.”

Deke looked Tanigawa up and down. Again, Deke was impressed that the enemy officer was tall and well built for a Japanese, even rather regal, with a uniform that was cleaner and neater than the captain’s. Although Oatmire hadn’t been gone long from headquarters, his uniform was struggling to stay clean and pressed in these combat conditions. The katana sword at his belt added to the major’s dignified appearance.

Another damn Jap who thinks he’s a samurai, Deke thought, admiring the beautifully crafted sword in spite of himself. It was hard to read the officer’s face, which was studiously indifferent. The man would’ve made a good poker player. His eyes lingered the longest on Yoshio, as if Tanigawa was trying to digest the idea of someone of Japanese heritage wearing an American uniform. His demeanor cracked just a bit, and he almost appeared puzzled by the sight.

The face of the flunky standing beside Tanigawa was much easier to read. In fact, his thoughts were as plain as the headlines of a newspaper. He scowled, his eyebrows knitting together. He didn’t seem to think much of Oatmire or the American Nisei interpreter. Oatmire had picked up on the Japanese flunky’s hostility, and jerking his chin at the man, he asked, “Who is this, anyhow?”

Major Tanigawa seemed taken aback that anyone would care about the man who had accompanied him to this negotiation. He barely gave the flunky more than a passing glance before replying, “Sergeant Inaba.”

Sergeant Inaba’s stare indicated that he would like nothing better than to take out the Americans. At one point the man’s eyes slid to Tanigawa’s samurai sword, as if contemplating grabbing it and using it on the Americans, white flag be damned.

Same to you, buddy, Deke thought, locking eyes with the man. He touched the hilt of his bowie knife, just to send the Jap a message. The sergeant nodded, seeming to recognize an equal, a slight smile coming to his lips as if he would welcome mixing it up with Deke. Both men squinted as they studied each other, as if lining up the other man across a rifle sight. Sometimes no language was needed to express how you really felt — Honcho had sure been right about that. Deke had to remind himself that their current purpose was to avoid any shooting.

Sounding angry and glaring at Yoshio, the major spit out something in Japanese. The harsh, guttural language grated on Deke’s ears.

“What’s he going on about?” Oatmire asked.

“He says that I am a traitor,” Yoshio explained.

“Yeah? Well, to hell with him,” Oatmire said. “Anyhow, we’re here to talk about the hostages, not his damn opinions.”

Oatmire began the negotiations by making a direct appeal.

“Major Tanigawa, what do we need to do to get you to release these prisoners that you are unlawfully holding hostage?” Captain Oatmire asked. Then he turned to the interpreter. “It’s Yoshio, right? Go ahead and ask him, Yoshio.”

Yoshio asked the question. The major replied in Japanese, and Yoshio translated. “He says we can leave the area, for a start. Then he will let the hostages go.”

“Tell him we can’t do that,” Oatmire said. “Tell him he and his men are free to go if they leave the hostages behind.”

Tanigawa replied and Yoshio explained, “He says they would require an escort for safe passage.”

“An escort? Where the hell does he want to go, Tokyo?”