Chapter 4

On her way to Washington to represent her Emperor Lotus, as she was now known in Japan stopped in San Francisco. The family gathered at the desert slave pens where Jarred planned to use then sell her. When she took Tommy's hand she looked at Cato, Sato and Tomo, they all nodded. She looked at her brother, he too nodded and she squeezed his hand. "Uncle, you have denied Tommy and I the pleasure of killing you. Also these girls, I bet would be able to suggest some things to do to you, but we made you a promise. We will not kill you, you will leave here alive, for you have told us all you know."

She waved him away as the family left. Jarred was taken 50 miles into the desert, his bonds were undone and he was placed in the sand. "You are free" one of the guards said. If you are not familiar with the California desert it is very warm and dry daytime and cold and wet at night. Jarred lived until the next day.

Lotus was aboard one of the Emperor's planes. JAL had provided the ground support in San Francisco and the State Dept arranged things at Regan in D.C.

Her plane landed, a bodyguard exited the plane and Secret Service opened a door. As Lotus exited, an alarm must have sounded when the door had been opened. Four TSA goons began to race towards the plane and towards Lotus. As two shouted for her to stop 2 had drawn weapons and tried to point them at her, the other two drew Tasers and ran towards Lotus.

It all took place in what seemed to be a few seconds. The two TSA who had wanted to shoot Lotus had hands then heads severed from their bodies. Four bodies protected Lotus and started to move her back to the plane while 12 black-hooded men emerged with swords drawn to ensure only Lotus enter the plane, she was escorted up the ramp. The two TSA clowns were on the ground with Secret Service using plastic ties on them. As four of Lotus's bodyguards held swords at the men, as one of the Secret Service fired a weapon. Two throwing stars entered his forehead; he was dead before he hit the ground.

"Stop, Stop" a bullhorn sounded. As the Secret Service men all raised pistols and sub-machine guns in the air. The Pilots on-board had begun to turn back to the runway. The plane had some fuel but not enough to reach Japan.

One of the Ninja on board used a sat phone; he reported what had happened, handed the phone to another guard near Lotus as the dead guard was moved to the plane. 20 swords had been drawn, only 2 had drawn blood. In something that no American could understand, the dead man's sword was carefully picked up by one of the men that had killed the TSA goon, then 18 arms were bared and deep cuts made as blood flowed over each blade. The man would have earned great honour; he had been killed defending the Emperor, Lotus by name, substitute for the Emperor.

The men boarded, the plane was vectored over the ocean to Toronto for fuel and a routing that would never take them over US airspace. The planes pilots heard frantic calls that they were not authorized to leave, that they would be escorted back or shot down by fighters.

The US government had just attacked the Emperor of Japan and killed one of his personal guards. The Russian Ambassador had informed the White House that a State of War now existed between the United States of America and the Country of Japan. The Japanese Embassy had been closed and all high-ranking diplomats scrambled to waiting JAL flights. The US officials in Japan were asked to leave within 5 days.

The UN was apprised of the sneak attack under some treaty request as the delegation from Japan left NYC on way to Geneva, where the formal documents would be filed. Japan would never win a physical war against America, not alone, but the immediate support that Russia had offered now worried many people, as DEFCON would continue to be raised. Japanese response was immediate and very effective. Okinawa, the US base in the Pacific was now cut off from, land, sea and air unless the entire Army of Japan could be defeated.