2. JayBird 7

Read the story from the beginning.

My dear son,

I'm sure you're surprised to hear from me after so long. I know you hate me. It's understandable that you never wanted to see me again. And also that you will never forgive me. You have the right to do so. I'm writing you this letter because I have to tell you something before I die. From your point of view, I'm a monster. Because you think I murdered your mother. Dear son, you are angry and think I have failed you. You hate me because I took everything from you.

Watanabe looked up. It was true. Every word was true. All the feelings his father attributed to him were true. He continued reading:

But now it's time for me to tell you the truth. I have to tell you the whole story. I have to explain to you why I did what I did. And I finally have to tell you who I really am. I ask you to listen to me and read this letter. Please give me a chance!

Your father Hiroshi

T. G. Watanabe put the letter aside and picked up the stick. He went into the large, combined living and working room and said: "Work!", whereupon a glass screen came out of the table, which now turned into a desk. Watanare sat down and inserted the memory stick into his computer. Then he said: “Play!” He then looked at the screen as if spellbound. There he saw the image of a blossoming cherry tree and heard his father's voice from the loudspeakers. Now he spoke Japanese with Takumi.

 ***

My dear son, dear Takumi Goro,

I don't know if you will ever read this letter or if you will ever hear this message. Will you answer me? I don't know that either. But I have to try. I have to tell you my story and tell you the truth.

I am not the man you think I am. I'm not who I seem to be either. I could never be who I really was. Such a tall building of lies has sprung up around me that it seems to be overwhelming me.

In my last nightmare you stood in front of me and shouted "Why?" I held you and wanted to talk to you, but you ran away, like you did back then. Please don't run away now, Takumi Goro! Don't switch off!

You have to know: I'm not Japanese. I'm not a businessman. And above all, I'm not a murderer. I am an American._11100000-0000 -0000-0000-000000000111_A Spy. Yes, you heard that right, Takumi. I was born in New York, the son of an American agent and a Japanese translator. I grew up in a world full of lies, intrigue and danger. In this world I learned how to fight, how to hack and cheat. In a short period of time I rose quickly and over the years became one of the best American agents specializing in Asia. I was given the code name “JayBird 7.” I was sent to Japan to carry out a secret mission. In Tokyo, I was assigned to infiltrate your grandparents' company, which was working on a new technology that could change the military balance. In “Goto-X-SF” I was supposed to collect information, make contacts and carry out acts of sabotage. I should do everything I could to protect U.S. interests.

And then I met your lovely mother. That was right at the beginning when I started at the company. As you know, she was the daughter of the head of the company and the head of the research department. Sakura was beautiful, smart, kind. She was everything I wasn't. This serene cherry blossom was everything I wished it was. I fell in love with her.

I know that sounds unbelievable and impossible. Because it was wrong. But it is the truth. I fell in love with her even though I wasn't allowed to. And I asked Sakura Goto to go out with me even though I wasn't supposed to. She said yes. Because she too had fallen in love with me.

I married her. We got you. And we were a family. As time passed, I forgot my mission. I forgot my loyalty. Takumi Goro, I also forgot my identity. I became a different person, a better one. Because I was happy.

But the happiness didn't last long. Because the Agency found out that I was in love with your mother. They sent spies, they had their people everywhere. Nowhere was safe from them. They found out that I had fathered you. And also that I had betrayed her. They were angry, disappointed and they were vengeful. They sent an assassin to kill me. He came the night you were 10 years old. This disgusting man broke into our house. He shot me. But he met your mother. Do you understand? He was it! And he shot you too. But you hid and survived. And then I defended us.

We were taken to the hospital and operated on. We were saved. But it was too late for Sakura. The police later found some documents. They found out who I was. And then they arrested me in the hospital. They accused me of killing your mother. And they told you I was a murderer. They lied to you, Takumi Goro!

I tried to tell them the truth. I told them over and over again that I was innocent. But they didn't believe me. After a while they didn't even listen to me anymore. They just locked me away. It was terrible what they did to me in prison. Just know that all this time I've only ever thought about you and how much I hold on to my family and want to be there for them. To you. But unfortunately that wasn't possible for me at the time. I was in prison for twenty years. Takumi Goro, if you're listening to this, I apologize for not telling you the truth sooner. But I didn't kill your mother. It wasn't me!

He paused and cleared his throat. Then he continued.

I think about you a lot. And I know you've been through a lot in the last few years too. I found out through my sources that you developed a food processor, founded a company and live alternately in Paris and New York. I like that! You are open-minded and a good businessman. You got that from your mother's family. You just have to have New York from me.

Now I want to ask you a favor, no, I have to. It's about your own safety. I don't want them to harm you. The Agency can be merciless. You have to find a secret chip and bring it to the Agency. But it won't be that easy because the chip is in Tokyo. You have to find it and dig it up. I saved the GPS data on this stick. I buried your mother's murderer there. My son, you must dig up this man's body. Because I hid the chip with the secret information in one of his molars. I can't tell you more.

You have to get the chip out and bring it to the Agency! You need this data. And they need them now, as quickly as possible. That's not a request. It's an order. Because actually I should do it, but I'm too weak for it. You must take over your father's task!

If you don't do it, they will kill you. Before that, they will blackmail you and publicly shame you and they will destroy your company. Not to mention what they will do to you... If you have a wife, they will kidnap her and do something bad to her too. Do you have a wife? Do you have children? A family? ...Oh, Takumi, how I would love to see you now! Please visit me as soon as you have completed the order. Please let me see you one last time!

I'm sorry. Destroy this letter and stick once you have read and heard the news. Just remember the GPS data and fly to Tokyo as quickly as you can to get everything done. A man named "Jack" will be waiting for you at the main post office on Cherry Blossom Alley in our old district. Just tell him you're bringing the package with the gift for Takumi. Then someone else comes and picks you up. Give him my old code name: “JayBird 7.” I'm sorry. I know you will do right. You won't get caught, will you? Take care of yourself!

***

He was breathing heavily. Then he finished and turned off the recording.

Watanabe stared at the blossoming cherry tree on his flat screen.  "He's gone crazy," he murmured.  »Completely crazy!«

Then he stood up. When the doorbell rang, he assumed it was Madame de la Gorge. But something was different than usual. She always rang the bell at least three times and then clicked around in front of the door with her high heels. But now he heard no footsteps and the bell had only rung once. Watanare turned on the camera near the front door. He then saw a strange man on the screen. His face couldn't be seen because he was wearing a hat. Hat and coat. This is what a contract killer looked like, thought Watanabe.

He quickly crept back to the desk. There he opened the drawer and took out his Cleverphone. He put it in the inside pocket of his jacket along with his father's letter and stick, since he couldn't destroy them quickly enough. Hell, he had lent his pistol to Pierre. Watanabe moaned softly. He then climbed out the bedroom window onto the fire escape. There Simone's cat meowed at him and he simply kicked him. While the cat fell from the balcony with the raisin cake, a shot was fired.

To be continued!

Copyright Bente Amlandt 2024

01/19/2024