Jack-san shrugged. “Couldn’t tell you. Didn’t hang around to count. But whatever, the body count was way too high already. And all this is making less sense by the minute.” He stared at Yoshio. “And you’ve got absolutely no idea what this Clayton technology is?”

Yoshio could answer that quite truthfully. “No.”

“Kemel’s big advantage is that he does. At least I hope he does. Hate to think he blew up a planeload of people on a hunch. So let’s assume he does. That puts him way ahead of us.”

Us… was Jack-san aligning himself with Yoshio—and therefore Kaze Group—or was it merely a word? This might be an avenue to explore.

“Kemel Muhallal has no right to the Clayton technology,” Yoshio said. “My… country has a moral right to it because Mr. Clayton so obviously intended to sell it to us before he was murdered. And should we discover that it is so valuable as our trade minister said, we will buy it from his heir. Something Iswid Nahr does not seem to wish to do.”

“Yeah, you’ve got that right,” Jack-san said slowly. “They’ve offered to buy the house… they’ve never breathed a word about an invention or technology. Maybe they think the price will be too high.”

Yoshio shrugged. “Something so valuable will pay for itself, I would think.”

“I would think too,” Jack said. He twisted farther in the front seat. “So where does that leave us? Do we work together on this?”

“No,” Yoshio said quickly. He always worked alone. To have a… partner—especially one not aligned with Kaze Group—was unthinkable.

Jack-san almost looked relieved. “Good. But I assume we can have a nonaggression pact. And can I assume that should Alicia and I dig up this Clayton technology, whatever it is, that we’ve got a buyer?”

“A potential buyer,” Yoshio said. “It may be that this technology is of no use to us.”

“Fair enough,” Jack-san said, “but we’ll give you first refusal.” He extended his hand over the top of the front seat. “Deal?”

Yoshio hesitated. Something was wrong here. He had the weapon, but somehow this Jack-san had taken charge. And somehow this meeting had been all to the American’s advantage. He had learned much while Yoshio had learned only that Ronald Clayton was a pedophile who had defiled his own children.

But still, an ally would not be a bad thing… if this was a man who could be trusted to keep his word.

Yoshio had a sense for these things, and he felt Jack-san was such a man.

They shook hands.

“It is a deal,” he said.

Yes… a deal. But as Jack-san drove him back uptown, Yoshio decided it would be a good thing to keep a close watch on this man. If he could find him.