“It’s kind of you to say that.”

“He’s not just being kind, Akiro, ” Kira said. “We don’t know how

many necromancers are still out there. We can’t be everywhere at

once. We need people we can count on, people we can trust. People

to keep, watch. We know about Leila. There are a lot more like her

that we don’t yet know about.”

Modred had glanced out the window. “The sun is going down, ” he

said. “We’d best be on our way.”

Don Ito Nishikawa raised his head and glanced out the window

as the pretty young masseuse worked on his back, skillfully probing

pressure points with her fingertips. The sun was going down.

“You are so tense, ” the masseuse said. “Too much worry. Try to

relax.”

He could not relax. He hoped that he had not made a big

mistake. He did not like depending upon Shiro Kobayashi. But he

had committed himself. He felt sure that young Kobayashi would

deliver what he’d promised. And then he would be paid. Only not

quite in the manner he expected. Don Nishikawa had no intentions

of letting Shiro live. He was taking no chances. To that end, he had

hired Tanaka to accompany his own assassins and perform the hit.

He could not afford any mistakes. Kobayashi and Fugisawa both

had to die in order for the plan to succeed.

It would be very soon now. Soon he would know.

The sun was sinking lower in the sky. Kanno sat in Shiro

Kobayashi’s apartment, watching the sunset and waiting tensely.

He would have to time it perfectly. He knew that the moment he

got close to them, the milestones would detect his presence. He had

to make his move at almost the same time the Yakuza assassins

made theirs. He glanced at Shiro’s bloodstained body, lying on the

carpet. Leila had believed that he was working with the avatars,

her enemies, the bearers of the runestones, but instead, ironically,

what he had done had given her the perfect opportunity to make

her final move.

They had come very close. Far too close. Leila had been furious

when she realized that the avatars had discovered her sanctuary.

Once before, they had defeated her and she was determined to pay