“So you think they could have been trying to quiet things down by taking out Takahashi?” Randi said.

“There’s a certain twisted logic to it.”

They sat in silence for almost a minute before Klein spoke again. “Something we need to remember is that whatever happened at Fukushima, it wasn’t seen through to its conclusion. The tsunami intervened. Could it have been a terrorist group? The JPF has been escalating their attacks. What about an antinuke group? Japan has their share of those for obvious reasons.”

“It’s unlikely,” Smith said. “We’ll know more after Greg finishes his analysis, but at this point the technology used looks well beyond what you’d expect from a terrorist group.” He leaned forward to ease the pressure on his back. “Hell, from what I’ve seen so far, it may be beyond us.”

25

25

Tokyo
Japan

When General Takahashi entered the office, the two men inside immediately stood. Prime Minister Fumio Sanetomi walked quickly toward him and bowed before extending his hand—an American custom he’d adopted in recent years.

“How are you, General? I’m happy to see that you look well despite your recent ordeal.”

“I’m fine, thank you for asking, sir. I was extremely lucky. Many others weren’t.”

Sanetomi nodded gravely and swept a hand toward the other man in the room. “You know Akio Himura.”

Takahashi bowed respectfully to Japan’s intelligence czar. Of course, the prime minister had no idea of their close relationship. Politicians were men without honor who came and went with the whims of the Japanese people. Admittedly, Sanetomi was better than most. His economic policies had accelerated Japan’s escape from recession, and he seemed to have at least a vague notion of his country’s potential to again rise to world prominence. Like his predecessors, he had supported the growth of Japan’s defense forces—but also like his predecessors, he had been kept in the dark as to the full scope of that growth. In the end, neither his conviction nor his courage could be counted on.

“Please,” the prime minister said. “Sit with me.”

Takahashi and Himura did as they were told. Sanetomi poured them tea.

“I think you both know that I believe it’s time for Japan to step out of America’s shadow to pursue its own interests. And I’ve taken whatever political risks are necessary to start us down that path.”

Takahashi fought back a smirk. Political risks.

It was considered the grandest of sacrifices by people in Sanetomi’s profession. Takahashi thought of the two pilots who had happily died to carry out the test of their new air defense system and felt sickened by the man sitting before him.