The Sword

c Copyrigth 2006 Gavril Mikhailovich Pryedveshatin All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the Author.

Contents Dedication Prologue Chapter 1 The Coffee Chapter 2 Memories Chapter 3 New Family Chapter 4 Meeting Chapter 5 The Party Chapter 6 Moring from Hell Chapter7 Interview Chapter 8 Knowledge Chapter 9 Four Sleeping Beauties Chapter 10 The Lion Sleeps Chapter 11 Order and a Stroll Chapter 12 Short Class & New Friends Chapter 13 The Pick Up Chapter 14 The Capture Chapter 15 The Hunt Epilogue

Dedication This is for the men of uniform. You have served with the Greatest Honor within your hearts. May you who have sacrificed your life for the us know that there still are people like myself who appreciate what you have done. This and all that I put to pen is in Remembrance of You the Men and Women of the Armed Services. When Taps is played know in your hearts that I too with great sorrow and deep respect shed my tears as well, along side you. Also for all of those whom have supported me and guided me along the way. You know who you are. One day I hope to write the stories for two very brave men, whom have always been close to me and to whom I respect dearly. Two Noble Soldiers, my Father and Grandfather. These two men have given me, since childhood, a deep understanding of a warrior‟s heart. Not through their stories but rather through their actions. To all my family and friends Thank you. Though the stories I write are fiction, some fiction is not so far from the truth. The places in my writings are real places. The person and their actions are fiction, but as far their personalities, those were inspired by close friends and family. To those people I am Most Grateful.

Prologue When you have lost everything, what is there left to loss! There are men among us whom serve as pawns in hidden Wars, full of shadows and secrets. Some have chosen this life and yet others are thrown into it by a strange and cruel twists of fate. The latter of the two is my story that I am unfolding. I was born into one of the last generations of the Cold War, in the last breathing moments of the Soviet Union only to be exiled to the other side. Before you read on, please contemplate the following. What is a Traitor? It is said that when light appears that shadows are no longer dangerous…Or are they? I have served the country into which I was exiled only to witness hell upon earth. Have I become a Devil, an Angel of Death. My life is haunted with ghosts of my past, in this too I have become a ghost as well, they are my family, my companions. Is it possible for me to be reborn? Even now I feel no Love, no Hate, only sadness and the need to find justice were none was given. Should this justice be reaped, may my sins be repaid. Not all is so Black and White. Do you dare to walk with me through the Grey where your next turn may be you last? Come, let us go. Welcome Dear Friend. Please get yourself a warm drink and a comfortable seat. Turn the lights down low and should you be a smoker be warned, within the smoke you might envision a Devil, the Devil in your own soul. Be careful my Dear Sweet Friend.

Chapter One The Coffee Oct./16/2004

Flower Road, Sannomiya, Kobe, Japan Here I sit again at Doutor Café on Flower Road. What the Hell am I doing here? But, it is okay. Why? No one really notices another foreigner in a business suit. This is a good thing. Well, light up another smoke. I should quit, but, why the hell should I? For four long years all I have seen was the ravages of war in the military. It seems to have the effect of relieving the stress that being in combat has given me to live with. This picture that I have been staring at for the last three days is bothering me. His name is Akihiro Tachibana, a Japanese man about 39 years of age, 163cm, and 78kgs. He manages a small pachinko in Nishi Nada, Kobe. He has been married for 15 years now and has two kids, his boy is in High School and the girl is in Jr. High School. He has a strawberry birthmark on his left shoulder and a tattoo on his back of the Virgin Mary. He always wears a hand tailored grey suit with a blue silk tie that his wife bought for him last year in Thailand. His favorite food is BBQ steak and sautéed mushrooms. He reads the Japanese Magazine Friday. (Note: possibly an inclined pervert.) He travels to Mexico twice a year, on his return he leave the Yucatan in Mexico and flies to Hokkaido, Japan, then he ferries to Russia, non-stop. After staying in Russia for two weeks he returns to Japan from Moscow to Kansai International Airport, Osaka. His monthly earnings exceed any normal pachinko manager by six times. (Note: must have extra-curricular work.) His wife is not Japanese but rather Mexican, she is the daughter of a small time warlord in Southern Mexico. Pieces. I really hate puzzles. Why do I know so much about this person, am I a spy? No. The spy

was found dead two weeks ago in Yodogawa River near Osaka. I‟m just another gaijin. Our friend enters the café and orders a café latte. Its about time, I‟ve been here since nine o‟clock and he‟s thirty minutes late. Interesting! A small protrusion from his left inner pocket, (Note: possibly a small .22 pistol.) Why? What is he afraid of in Japan. Anyways, Japan has a standing Anti-gun Law. For carrying a pistol he is not very attentive. This is good… . Seven minutes later a Latino enters the café and proceeds to order a blend coffee. Then goes and sits with our Japanese friend. This man is Dark skinned, (probably a Yucatani Native), he has long black hair, pinned back in a braid. This man is tall, standing close to 196cm and weighing close to 130kgs. He is not fat, this is muscle. Both men stare at one another without speaking. After a few minutes our Japanese friend gets up and leaves. Ah, what is this? He has left behind a small case in his chair. The case is about 8cm wide, 10cm high, and 4cm thick, with large red letters on the side. The letters spell out CCCP. The Latino picks up the case and stashes it in his Jacket. (Note: Japanese and Mexican men possessing a case that was or is property of the former Soviet Union, Russian Federation. Why?) It takes the Latin another thirteen minutes before leaving the cafe, I think I will have a look see. I tag along behind this fellow at a slow pace. (Note: Latin show no signs of being nervous.) He proceeds to the Hankyu Railway‟s men‟s lavatory. Time to go to work. He enters the men‟s stall. Wow, its ten in the morning and no people. This is good. Using two small vials of tear gas, I proceed to drop one into the stall and break one outside the stall. He responds like I expected, he steps out into the second batch of Tear Gas, blinded, one shot from a .22 to the temple, and it is over. He has slumped back into the stall. It will be a few hours before anyone finds him. Recovering the case and concealing it within my shoulder bag, I jam the stall door and leave. (Note: Latino was not military, was over taken by a small amount of tear gas.) Train leaves at 10:05 five this is good it gives me three minutes to buy my ticket to Osaka via Hankyu Railway, this will take me about 30 minutes. The case is heavy, what the hell is this. I think I will make a stop to play on the internet. Juso sounds good. Popeye‟s Internet Café, Juso, private booth. You have to love Japan and Japanese, they love their privacy. Now what is in this case? Bullets…Russian Special Ops Anti-body Armor Ammo, but only 16 bullets. What do we have here, 12 forged passports, (American). More pieces of the puzzle. I am really hating puzzles now. Time to talk to a friend. Check my e-mail before leaving…ok, ok, send an e-mail. Hey, this place has a shower,

God I stink. E-mail: Dear friend; My brother says you have good coffee, and what about this Pivo you make. Let‟s go and do a little fishing. Say at 3:30 pm today. Reply As Soon As Possible. Little Nephew. Now time for a shower. Now that felt good. Ah, what do we have here a response. Dear Pup; Let us go, you buy coffee and bait for the fishys. I will bring the Pivo. Do not be late. Go to Akashi by JR Train. Then go to the Akashi-Awaji Ferry. When you dock you will be in Iwaya, Awaji. There find Café de Watanabe. Be there before the turn of three. Uncle. Time to go. (Rule #1: Never take the expected way.) I will just take the 11:40 Hankyu Express train back to Sannomiya and go have a cup of coffee before proceeding to Awaji. Now, lets see how should I go? Yes, I will take the Hanshin/Sanyo from Sannomiya to Maiko Koen, then go by bus to Iwaya, Awaji.

Sitting at the Cosmopolitan, a little Russian café in Sannomiya. Well its only 12:20, might as well have lunch. Borsch and Russian coffee sound excellent. I start to wonder about this life and what it has to offer. Three years ago I lost my wife in a car accident what is there for me now. Now I sit here watching people. This waitress what is her name, I should remember it. Nice lady about 23 years old but a little skinny but she knows what kind of coffee I want, every time. “Excuse me, what is you name?” What I can‟t ask! “Matsui, Keiko.” She replies. “Thanks.” Well there is a upside, maybe. The only problem is I have a strange life and I‟m only a memory to those who knew me. Like the Chinese say, „there is no life for an Kwui 鬼.‟ I am one of

these such men. I sometimes wonder if I have really become a ghost. Kwui means Ghost, or one like myself, who has seen to much combat in military service. One that has not died but is dead inside. Enough with this depressing crap time to go. Time to catch the next express train out, using the Hanshin/Sanyo I will be leaving at one o‟clock. Well I‟m on my way to my meeting, new people, and new places, sound like fun. Some interesting sights around here, make a mental note, get some time off I should visit around here. Arrival in Iwaya, Awaji, now where the hell do I go. I have an hour and a half to burn. Ah, I guess I will go to these shrines around here. What a beautiful and peaceful place. The fish eagles flying above the fresh ocean air and the interesting odor of the fishing boats. The shrines are all in the old architectural style and utterly quiet. To think for four years I had witnessed hell on earth and now to see this, I am seeing heaven. How can there be a place like this in a world of so much pain. I think I will light another smoke. Well another pack. Must be a good day it is only half past and I am just starting on my second pack. Damn its 2:30! Well, I guess it is time to find the drinking spot. Now I‟m at the Hachiman Shrine, across from me is the Ferry Dock, so the café should be around here. Lets see, I believe I take a left here. Ah, here we are. (Rule #2: Follow your instinct.) Let‟s have a quick look at all possible exits. (Rule #3: Know your surroundings.) One exit, good the way I like it. Ah, Uncle has arrived early, having my attention drawn to someone watching me from the café‟s large widow. Five minutes before! No more waiting time to go in. Uncle is a short but built man, that instills a fear and respect like that of Lenin. “You‟re not a fool, little nephew. Looking the place over and learning all exits. You are not carrying a gun. One, you are crazy, two, you have a knife. If it is number two, you are probably Ex-Special Forces. By the boots you wear, I would say you are former U.S. Army Airborne. This means you are very good with a knife. So why do you want to try my Pivo?” “First Uncle it is my turn. Your eyes are very cold and collected, calm and calculated. Your face seems to be made of stone. Your accent is very Russian. Most Russians in Kobe say that you are a Shaddy Character. So this must mean you are Former KGB.” “Very good pup. Now once more, why do you want my Pivo?” “I came across an interesting article this morning on Pivo. Would you like to take a look at it?” “Well, pup, lets see it.” I give him the twelve forged American Passports. This has gained his

interest. “Uncle, this is half of what I found. Tell me about these.” “Be patient my friend and drink your coffee.” He continues to look over the pictures in the passports for about twenty minutes. Then he makes five pairs and two singles. “Do you know these men and their nationalities?” “Reviewing the pictures, I believe they are Serbians. Is this hunch correct?” “Yes, they are Serbians, also they are apart of an elite corp. called the Scorpions. Mr. Milosevic‟s own hit squad.” “Many Scorpions were tried as War Criminals and convicted. So who are they exactly?” “I would say people like yourself, Professional Shooters.” “Ok, now to part two. These were provided to a Mexican by a Japanese pachinko manager. Why?” “Several Mexican Warlords hired Milosevic‟s Scorpions to train their men against Mexican and American Military. Let‟s do some fishing before it gets late.” Half past four we finally leave the Café we walk to the fishing docks. “Now lets have a drink pup and tell your uncle some more.” He pulls a nice bottle of Nikolai Vodka from his jacket. He take a drink then passes me the bottle and I take a big swig of the World‟s Best Vodka. “You may have been American Army Airborne but you are not an American. This I know by the way you drink the Mother‟s juice.” “Enough Uncle. Here is a case I found with the passports it contain specialized bullets. I proceeded to explain the happenings of this morning to him. “Well, let‟s take a look at the passports again. Here we go. Entrance into Kansai Airport next month. These passport are stamped with Three Month Visitation Visas.” “Uncle, help me with this, what is the meaning? Why would seven Serbian Assassins use American passport to get into Japan. What are they after? Who?” “I don‟t know but I will have a chat with some friends of mine and find you something. I will be in touch.” Twenty after five I‟m on my way back to Sannomiya via Awaji Ferry to Akashi then change to JR rail to Sannomiya. I need a beer. Taking about an hour to get back to Sannomiya, I think I will get a room at Popeye‟s Internet Café. Single Booth, T.V. Playstion 2, and Internet.

What more could you ask for. An instant ramen and a cup of ginger ale would be nice. They have that too. Now to do some Research. Search panel: Serbian War-crime Cases. Enter. A good forty-five minutes has passed and still nothing. Wait a minute, here we go.

HAGUE VS TETRAVICH Defense Team; Marcus Seron (France) Michael Von Hawkin (Germany) Joan De Buki (France) Prosecution Team; Daniel Bright (America) Natasha Belleskaya (Russia) Chisako Fujihara (Japan)

(Note: Tetravich was the Commander of the Serbian Scorpion Death Squad. He was sentenced to two life terms in a international prison in Lyons, France.) If I remember right Mr. Bright was killed last year in a car blast at Harvard University. What about this Mrs. Belleskaya. Damn it, Nothing. I think tomorrow I will find this Ms. Chisako Fujihara. Pieces are starting to fit. Revenge.