Chapter 13

I have no idea what the mob of naked girls did after I crashed. I slept like a rock until my internal clock awakened me at 6:30, Friday morning. I knocked the fuzz off my teeth, applied a diluted depilatory to my barely there stubble and let it work while I answered nature’s calls. The crème remained in place until I showered again. It was nice not to deal with razor burn and aftershave. I was not a cologne kind of guy. I had no problem smelling like me. Obviously girls seemed OK with the way I smelled and fancy fragrances just annoyed me, much the same as false advertising does. Don’t get squicky; I do use an unscented deodorant. I dressed in my black urban commando clothes, vest, white tie and utility boots. The get-up included the shoulder holster and Desert Eagle. I hoped not to use it, but if I had to call in Ten Penny, it would suck to be underdressed.

No noises came from the fifth floor, but it was just 7:00, so I let them sleep and went to the kitchen to make coffee and a light breakfast. I found Yumi, Mika and Suki sitting naked at the table waiting for me with sunny-up eggs, bacon, toast and cantaloupe ready to eat.

Suki stood and poured me a mug of black Colombian. “You look quite handsome this morning, Master. Did you sleep well?”

“I feel rested and ready to face what might be a taxing day, so I must have. I can’t really say I slept well, because I was asleep.” I looked them over thoroughly. “You three look quite pretty this morning, too. Thank you for making a perfect breakfast. This is precisely what I was going to make before the other pretties got up.”

Yumi filled my plate and the girls served themselves. In silence, I watched the little creatures eat daintily. Finally, I commented, “Not that I will ever complain, but why are you still naked for me to appreciate?”

“We don’t have anything to wear but traditional Japanese dresses, not the shorts and blouses you allowed your girls to wear.” Mika blushed crimson down to her titties. “Rather than disobey, we delayed obedience until we could talk to you.”

“Being cute and naked is always a good default position as far as I’m concerned, girls. I’ll have Sam and Ellie take you shopping as soon as I can. But for this morning, I sure someone will loan you something appropriate if you ask. They aren’t possessive about anything I’m aware of.”

“Thank you. We’ll be ready on time.” Suki assured me and resumed her breakfast, acutely aware of my inspection of her charming charms.

I sat down my empty cup, only to have Yumi fill it again. It’s good to be Master.

“I have good news for you. I found out you have about $6000.00 each in your debit card accounts and $25 million each in your trust funds. You will be very wealthy young ladies when you reach twenty-one.”

The response was three gasps. “Why would we ever need that much money?” Suki asked in wonder, “We’ll always live here, with our Master.”

“Whatever happens in all the tomorrows, it is your money, to keep or use as you will.” I grinned, “Of course, I insist you live here forever, that’s part of the deal.”

“Where did it come from? I didn’t think Seiko had that much money, especially to give his girl children $75 million.” Mika spit out. “If we were boys, maybe, if he had it. Girls are hardly worth more than party favors once they reach sixteen to his kind, even less before.”

“Master, Seiko and Sumi were very old fashioned. Girl children are tools to gain favors.” Yumi said with some sadness. “Even if the Yakuza had not disrupted the cycle, we didn’t have nearly as bright a future as Sumi claimed to hope for us. Sumi’s real sorrow was caused by the loss of profit the situation cost her. This is exactly the same life and yet, far better than the life for which we were trained.”

“We really are glad she was forced to give us to you. We can accept this. It’s a happily-ever-after fairy tale. Though it is still weird to choose to stay naked, I’ll admit. I doubt Cinderella did the castle housework naked. Snow White would have been in serious trouble.” Mika added, “It is embarrassing and exciting to be wanted by a powerful man who can have any girl he wants.”

Suki quickly said, “History makes no difference. We are happy with the weird life we have now. It fits our culture and in the end, we are just fourteen and fifteen years old. We have to be somewhere. Japan is not the choice we would make, nor is foster care placement.”

“And none of that explains where the money came from.” Yumi noticed how I was dressed, gasped. “Why are you carrying a gun, looking like an action movie hero?”

“First, I don’t think your parents were all that sad to be recalled to Japan. No matter what Sumi said, too many readied things, like your documents, the deeds, the trusts and the ease the restaurant changed over, make me very suspicious. They were either in league with the rogue element or what is more likely, were planning the same move, but another group got the drop on their plans.”

“So why keep us hidden here in America?” Mika wondered. “Why deed us to you? Not that that is a bad thing.”

“I’ll bet your parents were going to wait until you were sixteen, ‘find’ you later and use you three as pawns just like Yumi described earlier. They were caught off guard and liquidated their assets to deny any advantage to the usurpers. I got lucky.” I continued, “Second, that ‘small’ home on Staten Island had to cost a fortune. When do immigrant newlyweds have that kind of money? Clearly they were higher in the Organization than Sumi claimed, perhaps planted here as a ‘sleeper cell’. Maybe their faction planned to infiltrate our neutral zone and brought them home when the other people jumped first. Your mother said her life was not in danger and she and your father would prosper if things worked out.”

“Please stop calling Seiko and Sumi our ‘parents’, Master. They voluntarily gave up that title last night. From what you say, I’m glad they did.” Suki insisted, pleading. “You are all the family we have now.”

“So let’s say the money comes from their future earnings, which in America, would go to you. Call it an early inheritance.” I eventually answered. “The gun is for the remote chance that the fallout lands near our house.”

“Fallout?” Yumi asked.

“Between we four and the walls, certain interested parties, already established in New York, are offended by the intrusion into the city and are planning to put a stop to it. I am involved as an independent, non-competitive third party seeking no personal part of the affairs of those certain parties; simply protection of what is mine. They are aware I have at my disposal a Special Forces team who would gladly make the rogue element disappear, but I would rather the Triad and Italian Mafia deal justice on a global scale, in a language the Yakuza understands.”

“Our Master wields a much larger hammer than we thought.” Mika giggled. “The one we knew about was big enough. We chose well, my sisters.”

“My part will be to provide accurate information and to post ‘observers’ in the area to track strays.” I sighed, “I would not enjoy any further involvement.”

I bid them good morning and went to the office to prepare the presentation for Chin and Romero.

I emailed Rose LaSalle the new set of measurements with names and authorization to duplicate the orders placed for the other girls, adding full skirts, knee-length, and cotton blouses, embroidered B A R A R A over each office girl’s name for the Baker sisters. I thanked them all sincerely for the prompt service and imaginative interpretation of my design ideas. Thanks was reinforced by a $10,000.00 transfer into their account.

I called Laura Belkin first. She agreed to put the ten on the street around the eatery and near my brownstone. She wanted to hire a twenty-person passenger van or small bus and have it standing by if the shit really hit the fan. I gave her the lead on that one.

The transportation seemed like a good idea and I asked her to reserve it for all day Sunday. I felt a field trip coming on to Staten Island.

I knew exactly what I was going to tell Messrs. Chin and Romero: everything useful but the banking shenanigans. Names, associations, internecine conflicts, locations, shadow supporters and what I could tease out of the few records the Organization kept online. I planned to cite sources that would be useless if known, so don’t ask.

I would suggest that the convenient internal conflict would give them time to round up the interlopers, stash them in a shipping container with enough food and water for a week or so and ship them to Barcelona on a particular Greek ship flying a Liberian flag. Toss in a portapotty to show we weren’t as harsh as we could have been.

Romero could handle the teamsters and longshoremen in Brooklyn who would be stocking and loading an undocumented box. Chin would tell his Asian contacts to clue the Yakuza in and suggest that the rogue elements in the Japanese group violating neutral territory had been apprehended and made available for discipline from above. Surely, the upper management would appreciate the generous and peaceful gesture, since all parties respected the territories of the others. Good will with a sharp edge goes a long way.

I’m certain Chin and Romero would find tactful ways to not say that expansion would result in open warfare and no one wanted a bloodbath across two continents.

Establishment of a New York Council of Elders, including representatives from the Puerto Rican, Dominican and Cuban underworld, the Five Families, the Triad and for show, the Russians, could go a long way toward preventing incursions down the road. I probably wouldn’t mention that it would be a way for the police to keep tabs on the gangsters’ more unsavory activities.

Which is exactly how the conference went. They spoke first of their suspicions. I confirmed those and revealed my research over the phone and again in texts in Chinese and Italian.

I reiterated my position. “Gentlemen, please understand that I have common cause with your groups only to protect what is mine. I have no ambitions whatsoever other than to keep my friends safe and sound. Mr. Chin knows that I have the capability to access information and respond in a surgical manner to remove threats. He also knows, I will stop when satisfied and will cooperate fully to insure that threats to the larger organizations are brought to their leaders’ attention. I merely wish to be left to do my regular legitimate business in peace and I have the resources to insure that outcome. Mr. Romero and I have known one another for years. He is aware of my cyber-security reputation, but knows me better as a business management consultant. I can’t imagine he has any reason to question my integrity.”

Sergio laughed, “I almost wish you had less integrity. You had my daughter pointed in the right direction for a while but let her go to bat for the other team. Now I’ll get no grandchildren from her.”

“My apologies, Mr. Romero. We had some great times, but she was happier the way she turned out. I thought it would be in her best interest if I stepped aside. If it is OK with you, I might give it another try if she changes her mind. Honestly, we enjoyed our time together to the fullest. But don’t bet the pizzeria. Karen is a one-person girl. She will not cheat on her current partner. Nor will she break up without good cause. In a sort of counter-culture way, you raised a good soul.”

“Mark, I appreciate your straight up honesty more than you think. I know things, too.” Romero replied a bit wistfully, “But you were right. I, too, value her happiness over all things. But a old guy can dream, can’t he.”

“Mr. Romero, Karen is not your only chance. Someone will give you some crust-munchers to spoil in due time.”

“Feel free to borrow some of mine. Rice noodles, spaghetti noodles, they won’t care.” Chin almost laughed.

Ultimately, the two bosses decided to hit the restaurant hard during the lull between lunch and dinner today, locate and apprehend any on my list not at the primary target as soon as possible. Saturation was the key. The boat idea was a hit. Sergio had it in motion immediately.

Chin actually laughed at the idea of pointy diplomacy. “Unspoken threats couched in open, peaceful terms are the Chinese way. No one has to lose face. For a Westerner to understand such subtlety is surprising. You have style, Mr. Allyn. Unsaid things heard loud and clear. Nice.”

“Mr. Chin, it is always best not to threaten, but if you must, have the wherewithal to back your words with action. Turn the threats into promises.” I hesitated. “Always keep your promises.”

Both men thought the Elder’s Council would be a way to keep up with the other players and give them a reason to get mean if agreements were broken or lies spoken. I didn’t mention the expected police surveillance. That would be tacky and tasteless.

I agreed to have two commando teams, really my only two, on the street as backup on the off chance they were needed. Romero and Chin assured me they had more than enough soldiers to get the job done without attracting undue public attention. They advised me to stay home. “You live in the neighborhood. Your face does not need to be associated with this if it goes sideways.” Romero insisted. I agreed to consider it.

Any staff not listed would be left to operate the restaurant normally. I promised to use my ‘business skills’ to reorganize and stabilize the people still there on Friday, when the dust settled.

The conference ended, so I called Laura, arranging for Ten Penny to take up positions by 2:00 PM. She, too, wanted me to keep away from the raid. “Close quarters infighting is one thing. Urban warfare in the streets is another. That’s what we do. Besides, our mission is to establish covert observation posts. You’ll blow our cover. Stay home, we got this.”

Albert received the next call. He would meet me at the brownstone Saturday morning for a simple deed transfer and the business ownership switch paperwork. The conversion of the restaurant to an employee-owned concern would be done Monday, after my name was on the license, permits and lease. Gonzales would do the heavy lifting with the landlord and Board of Estimate.

My career in the hospitality industry would last less than four hours. With the rest of the day free, I checked up on my moblet. First, I put the Colt and holster back in the gun safe.

During the time I was preparing for the conference, the girls were showing the amenities to the Tanaka sisters. They had the mini-art area stocked, books on the shelves in the study zone and the existing computers booted and ready to network. The dorm looked like a proper communal living space. Everybody had a place to sleep, dress and hang out. It was spotless. In fact, the whole house was! No way teenaged girls were even in the same zip code. But the evidence was right there in front of me.

The only noises in the house were coming from the dance studio.

Fifteen of them were in sturdy bras and full coverage cotton panties, barefoot. Their street clothes were just steps away. The Tanakas wore shorts and blouses. I noticed.

Caralyn, Yumi, Mika and Suki were giving a clinic in their several martial arts disciplines. One would begin an attack while telling the others the standard counter move. Another girl would suggest a move from another style and the two would trade tips and defenses. They were blending jujitsu, tai chi and tae kwon do into a fourth form, seamlessly.

The dancers and gymnasts paid close attention, accurately imitating the moves but timidly, packing less power in their punches. That would change as they practiced enough to react automatically. I felt really good about the cooperative effort. I heard no criticism, just encouragement mixed with gentle coaching. They were making each other better.

My biggest surprise came from the Baxter twins and the Baker triplets. Jean and Jane obviously had more than a minimal knowledge of muy thai mixed with good old farm girl barroom brawler. They weren’t kicking hard enough to break faces, but they could kick you twice before you could block. The dance skills showed when Jane tapped a shocked Eve on the top of her head with her heel. Jean got Caralyn’s attention with a foot to the chest and a palm to the chin in one move, a double tap.

Caralyn returned the favor by sweeping Jean’s feet out from under her. Helping Jean up, Caralyn said, “That was sweet. If you hit me at full speed, you would be helping me up after I got my wind back. Show me how you snuck that in, I’ll show you how I’d have blocked it if I saw it coming, how you should respond to my block and then how to stop my sweep.”

“It’s a deal, sister. First, it helps if you can kick over your head with one leg and jump with the other.” Jean giggled. “It’s a dancer thing.”

“Rats, I knew there was a trick. Screw it, let’s tango.” They both laughed and continued at quarter speed, talking constantly.

Later, I nearly laughed out loud watching the Bakers. Someone in North Carolina, probably a SpecForces vet, teaching self defense for a police department, had given the tiny girls an excellent grounding in krav maga and kung fu. They paired up against Caralyn, Suki and Yumi, the most experienced fighters in the room. Mika would challenge the first winner.

At Amy’s signal, the triplets exploded into screaming maniacal berserkers, scoring several hits, some of which would have been fatal if the punches weren’t pulled. Jeez Loueeze, they were fast, going from zero to flat out wide open instantly. You can’t grab a chainsaw. Soon, the three defenders figured out effective counter moves and went on the attack, gaining the upper hand. Good thing, too. They were getting their tits handed to them on a silver tray. The triplets yielded the match gracefully, and then checked to make sure no one was hurt.

“Holy Shit, Catwoman! If you weren’t pulling punches, we’d be pushing up daisies. Office girls, my ass! What the hell was that?” Yumi asked, rubbing her jaw, but laughing.

“I thought it was a bad case of not taking your opponent seriously. Just like Mr. Allyn warned me.” Caralyn admitted. “I was taking them seriously. But no one in this room expected them to just go TNT in a nanosecond. I’ve never seen anything like it, not even in kung fu movies.”

Suki agreed, “Not even in cartoons. Kung fu is the closest thing I can call it, but it had a touch of something way more lethal. Then there was the hyper speed berserker attack and the noise!”

“Ya think?” Yumi squealed, “My brain turned to mayonnaise, it was so loud.”

“Sorry about that. But we’re small people and will never win against a bigger rapist or mugger in an extended struggle. Captain Collins in Durham told us to go all out to kill or disable an attacker before we were overpowered.” Beth said. “Any attacker is going to be bigger and stronger than us.”

“He gave us some tools from what he called kung fu and krav maga to use in defense. If they show a weapon, try to get close enough to negate the advantage, and then break the arm holding it or blind the wielder.” Carol smiled sweetly. “He called us little girls with big fists. The screams were our idea. Kinda disorienting ain’t it?”

“If they are armed, we have nothing to lose. He said that anyone who would attack us probably intended to commit murder after causing great pain.” Anne concluded, “He advised us to ‘Go big or go to the morgue.’ Trust me, when you’re maybe 59 inches tall and weigh a whopping 90 pounds in a wet sweater, big is better.”

I spoke up. “There is the larger lesson. No rapist will expect a timid little girl to suddenly grow sharp talons. Surprise is your first weapon when you find yourself in a life or death situation. You’re at war. War is not about honor and nobility. The street is not a sparring match. You die or the other person dies. It’s that simple.” I addressed the Baker Triplets. “Your Captain Collins gave you considerably more than a few tools. He gave you a thorough grounding in krav maga, a military technique designed to kill as quickly as possible, and the most advanced lethal strikes in kung fu. I recognize the style. Your teacher, Captain Collins, is a Marine Seal.”

Yumi, Caralyn and Suki nodded, knowing what was coming next. “Had you not pulled your punches, three girls, rated much higher than you, would be seriously injured or even on the way to the Medical Examiner. That tells me you have remarkable skill and amazing muscle control.”

“That, ladies, is the cold truth.” Yumi added, “I will be wearing a mouth guard from here out.”

“I’m thinking football helmet.” Suki laughed. “The only real defense against the Demon Trips is to let them vent on the next guy.”

The Baxters received my praises next. “You two are major brawlers with a sophisticated advantage. Somewhere you received instruction in muy thai, a kickboxing style and, combined with your dancer’s flexible quickness and grace, you became very capable fighters. Plus, you’re very sneaky.”

“That’s good. I like sneaky. Thank you.” Jane laughed.

“We can do sneaky.” Jean chuckled.

“Sir, will we be having company today?” Amy asked, “Should I make snacks or extra settings at supper?”

“Maybe a messenger, but no one I can think of will stay for long. Some Very Serious People are cleaning up the Japanese restaurant and asked me to stay home and let someone else take out the trash. Later, Laura Belkin may drop by or call to report. If things go sour, we head for Chandler’s Row or Staten Island. Ten Penny will provide transportation.”

The buzzer at the front door made a liar out of me. “Bummer. Get dressed for company, girls. I have no idea who this is.”

The visitors were Yolanda and Linh. They were standing over a pile of cartons marked the same as before, except the Bakers’ and Tanakas’ packages had names. Bright Star had completed the entire order, including the additions for the six new ‘students’.

We now had:

Leotards: green w/white trim, white w/green, and solid sky blue, logo on left hip. Uniforms: white blouse, green shorts, logo and name on left breast pocket. Loungewear: sky blue ‘Daisy Dukes’, ultra sheer crop tops. Dance dresses: Sheer, white knee length, worn w/wo leotards. Skirt and halter-top: Same as white dance dresses, worn alone. Bikinis: made of logo, without the twister emblem, transparent. Office wear: skirts, blouses, sharp and professional. BARARA instead of ‘Z’ logo. Logo: red ‘Z’ over green tornado in 3-inch white diamond, green trimmed.

Extras: Collars: thick white silk, silver disc clasp, engraved w/girl’s name under ‘Z-MA’. Swimwear: sheer, low-cut panties, strap from each side crossing between tits, tied behind neck. Bonus skirts, halter-tops and dresses in glass-clear fabrics. Bonus leotards: form fitting, transparent or white, invisible second skin.

Three each for all eighteen girls, including Amy, except for the office wear. Only the Bakers and Amy got that. The ‘extra’ items delivered earlier based on Yolanda’s accurate ‘seeing’, were considered just that, extra, no charge.

My girls swarmed the cartons into the large conference room, sorted them into name piles and waited for permission to pillage and plunder. I could hear the little teens vibrate.

Perhaps cruelly, I talked to the ladies laughing at the door, too low for the fidgety girls to hear. “Eager much? They must have liked the bikinis and ‘lounge wear.’ Have they tried the white dresses yet?” Linh asked.

“I don’t know about the dresses, but they tried on the other things.”

“So what did they think about the crop tops?” Yolanda smiled, “I had the cutters make them a half inch shorter than the specs.”

“I didn’t know if you approved or not, but it seems we will make great design partners. They were a little shy at first, but all of them like being girls and want me to know it. So I look and like what they show. I encourage and insist on it. What can I say? I’m a guy, it’s my house and they are cute as hell.”

“Rose thinks we should market those in opaque, semi-transparent and completely glass-clear ultra light fabrics with adjustable straps that allow the areolas to be barely covered only at the full extension. Total underboob exposure, always. It would fly up in the slightest breeze, whenever the wearer moves and stay up. The girl is as good as topless, but the top gives imaginary comfort in the illusion her little titties have some cover. Half her brain gets a thrill by the unintentional, unavoidable, exposure; the other half hides behind the delusion that she’s wearing something. Even if the fabric is transparent, the pretense works if she doesn’t look down. She won’t admit, even to herself, that she desperately wants to be seen.” Ms Beauchamps whispered, “That’s how it works with most young girls growing into their power. The proof is in the most popular bikini styles.”

“If the modest little exhibitionist is noticed noticing, it’s more embarrassing to be caught covering up, bursting the bubble, admitting to the public that she knows people saw her new-grown titties, more embarrassing and humiliating even, than it is to feign ignorance. If nothing else, she’s successfully allowed herself to be trapped into keeping the charms on display.” Linh giggled softly. “It’s what I would do.”

The ladies at Bright Star were full of surprises. I didn’t see it coming, but clearly they were not above enabling young girls to live out some rather personal fantasies.

“Will you be the first, starting now? Exposing your tits all day to preserve your modesty? Maximum nipple slippage as a design element to cure shyness in teens is a revolutionary idea. You could base a marketing campaign on that convoluted concept and sell a zillion units. Obviously you don’t know the girls in this house. At worse, you might call it hesitant enthusiasm, at best, call it voluntary nudity for various punitive reasons, all of which are conditions they choose.”

“The girls in the shop want to work up samples of the dress and halter top/skirt combo, in opaque, semi- and totally transparent pastel colored-air fabrics. They want to call it ‘Zephyr Star Airwear’. Teens will love us. Parents will have to get over it.” Linh thought it the funniest thing ever. “Next year, the moms will be wearing them at the mall. The dads will get with the program then.” She dodged my initial question.

“I like it a lot. Big girls will have to settle for a modified tube top, sans elastic on the lower hem, a narrow titty ruffle. You folks will have to design that one.” I shrugged, “I don’t know any girls larger than the ones here.”

Yolanda laughed also, “Then the big guy in you is going to love the extra things not on the packing list. It is our gift to you, delivered by those tasty morsels waiting impatiently by the boxes.”

“Speaking of modestly naked morsels, can you tell me how you produced over a thousand individual items in such a short time? A modestly priced $7500.00 worth of items.”

“It’s easy when we’re motivated. The pieces were tiny. Cutting tables, computer-controlled lasers, making thirty copies of the same pattern piece at a time. Automated...” She got a spacey look her eyes.

Linh gasped. “Somethings happening.”

Yolanda grabbed me by the shirtfront, pulling my face down, nose-to-nose. “Whatever is going on in your life outside, it just went all to hell. Do. Not. Go. Out! I don’t know why, but heed my words.”

Amy, white as a sheet, came running in. “Sir, put in the earpiece. Talk to Laura. Mr. Romero is on the phone.” She took a deep breath. “Here’s the search engine laptop. They sound worried. This is not good.”

“Type in the terms box ‘Yakuza+war+Internal division+New York+Tanaka’. Under limits, type ‘Previous result +2°’. Press enter. Keep the screen in my face.” I opened a program, entered more code, the closed the window, letting it run in the background. “Amy, the team comm traffic is on the computer speakers. You guys listen in.”

Linh called Rose. “Something got dangerous. No one should leave the house, here or there. YoBeau zoned and centered harder than ever. Means it’s people we like and it’s close. Keep this line open, stay in the loop.”

“We’re OK, for now. Mr. Allyn looks like he will keep it that way.”

“Laura, talk to me. Sit rep.”

“We damn near got caught in a crossfire. Best guess: Rogues attacked by Non-backers. Shadow supporters hit them. Shadows also pissed at Rogues. Pitched battle, three ways, indoors and out. Building is on fire. PD and FD arriving, won’t wait for ceasefire. We’re standing down and pulling back. No casualties. We’re scared tourists on the run toward you.”

“Freddie talking. Romero and Chin’s people evaporated. They’re out of the fight. Smart move.”

“Good work, everyone.” I looked at the screen. “Guess confirmed. Hold. Talking to Romero.”

“Sergio, getting intel now. What’s it looking like to you?”

“It went sideways, upways and down the tubes in minutes.” Romero took a deep breath. “Somebody hit the target minutes before we moved. Then someone else hit them. Then the party crashers. Mark, it’s a bloodbath on Broadway, and the building is in flames.”

“I heard him, boss. What’s our play?”

“Get invisible. Laura, I need two guns to protect two ‘Muslim’ women terrified at the noise. Destination: lower Bowery, Bright Star Productions. Assignment: Get Yolanda and Linh home. Method: MTA. Suggest Belinda at point, two women close behind, Norm on drag.”