The Wedding Date

Chapter Nineteen

Jack

I met Amelia down at the bottom, her cheeks were glowing red from the heat and the adrenaline. She wore a huge smile standing by herself taking in the scenery. Down here on the edge of the island you could hear the lap of the waves on the beach and smell the freshness of the ocean.

"Ride back with me?" I asked her. I wasn't sure why I was asking. There was only one van set to take us back to the resort so no matter what we'd be riding back together.

"Only if you take back your invitation for dinner." she replied pulling her hair from the ponytail she had tied it in. It fell loosely about her shoulders. She shook her head and ran her hands through it before deciding it must look acceptable. Her hair was stunning like a wavy golden mane about her head.

"Take it back?" I asked confused.

"Yes, dinner feels much too formal for us. Especially since my family is trying to set us up. Might give them the wrong idea. Like they might actually be successful." she replied smoothly. I almost laughed. She's right.

"Yes, I guess you're right." I replied rubbing my chin as if deep in thought.

"How about dancing instead?" She asked. I stopped dead in my tracks. Dancing? Her firm thick body pressed up against mine. I could hardly formulate an answer the way thinking about it just boggled my mind.

"Absolutely!" I replied maybe a bit too enthusiastic. Amelia laughed gathering in a line with the rest of the group as they noticed the van approaching to take us all back.

As soon as the van pulled into the resort I saw Jennifer standing outside. I saw the look on her face, her usually kept blonde hair an absolute mess, and the absolutely frantic waving of her hands. I was both furious and frantic at the sight of her. Frantic to find out what happened and furious she was behaving in such a way with my enemies all around her.

"God damn it." I said under my breath when I saw her. Something happened.

"What happened?" Amelia leaned in close as she whispered careful not to draw the attention of those in the van around us. She's more perceptive than Jennifer.

"I'm not sure." I replied. As soon as the van came to a stop Amelia, who was on the outside of the bench, was up and pushing her way through the others trying to get off. I followed her straight through. Breathless she made sure I reached Jennifer before walking away without saying a word. She turned before disappearing into the crowd ahead of us to flash me a smile. I'll remember to thank her later.

"What's happened?" I asked as soon as I reached Jennifer. "What the hell do think you're doing out here looking like that? Why don't you just make an announcement to my enemies that I'm in trouble and weak?"

"I'm so sorry sir, I just needed to tell you right away." she replied breathless.

"What is it?" I hissed spinning on my heel stopping her in her tracks.

"Mr.Takahashi called. There was a breach in security at his office in Japan." she told me. My blood ran cold. I grabbed her by the arm and pulled her down a hallway.I left her in a little nook where it was easy to see people approaching from either way. I checked the area was clear of any people three times before returning to Jennifer.

"What do you mean security was breached?" I asked her.

"I don't know everything. He was talking so fast and his accent is so hard for me to understand!" She pleaded I could see tears brimming in her eyes. I gripped her by the shoulders.

"Listen, I promise, I'm not upset with you. Just please tell me what you were able to understand." I begged her meeting her eyes.

"He said one of his employees was attacked in his own home this morning. Another man, who looked just like him, came and took his clothes and badge. Apparently, he was able to make it past all of their security precautions because of his resemblance to the employee. He gained access to Mr.Takahashi's main office." She told me. I felt a cold sweat building on my brow. I put my hand up and she stopped talking. I wiped my brow giving her a pleading look as a couple passed behind us down the hall. I didn't even look up at them, I was transfixed on Jennifer.

"What was he able to get?" I asked once I was sure they could no longer hear us.

"He signed into one the hubs computers and was able to spend over twenty minutes at the terminal before it was realized he was accessing documents the employee did not have clearance to see." she told me. I felt my heart rate begining to pick up in my chest.

"What documents?" I asked my voice trembling inadvertently.

"I'm not sure but, Mr.Takahashi said as soon as the breach was discovered he contacted your friends with the Japanese authorities. He said that you should call him right away." she replied. I pulled out my personal phone and dialed leaving Jennifer standing in the hall. I did not dial Takahashi's number though, I dialed Wantanabe, a friend I had that worked at the local precinct in Japan.

"What happened today?" I asked him in Japanese watching closely behind me as I made my way back to my rooms. Though I doubted that Andersons had anyone following be who could speak Japanese still, one could never be too careful. Especially after my own recklessness had almost got me into trouble in the jungle.

"Well, it looks like Mr.Takahashi and youself have some very big enemies. It would have been nice of you to mention such things before I agreed to help you." he told me. I could hear the irritation and exhaustion in his voice.

"I told you that what I was doing was not going to be easy work." I told him running a palm over my face. I finally reached my office, I sat down on the couch putting my head in my hands. Was this Anderson? If it was I needed to know exactly what they had gotten and I needed to know now.

"Four men broke into Irchiro Sato's home this morning sometime before five am, when he wakes to get ready for work. They entered his bedroom and beat him until he gave up the password for his computer. They then beat him again to ensure he wouldn't be able to alert police." he told me. The tone in his voice told me just how grave the situation was. I could feel a lump building in my throat. I stood trying to calm my breathing.

"Is he alive?" I asked.

"He is in critical condition. I have the best doctors in the city working on him as we speak." he told me. I let myself breath a small sigh of relief.

"And the men who attacked him?" I asked.

"All of them are still at large." he replied. I tightened my fists at my sides feeling my anger bubbling up from deep within.

"What exactly did they do?" I asked.

"The four men had a fifth with then who showed up after the dirty work had been done. He was a look alike hired to breach the Takahashi building. He was able to put on Mr.Sato's clothes, took his work ID, and walked right into the building without anyone batting an eye. Sato was a loner apparently I think that is why they chose him, he had no friends, no one he spoke with regularly, so no one noticed that he looked different." he told me.

"He logged into Mr.Sato's computer in the hub and downloaded some kind of file that gave a hacker access to the computer." he began to speak a little more slowly anticipating the gravity of the situation for me specifically. He and I had become friends while I had lived in Japan. He knows how important this is to me.

"What exactly did they get?" I asked.

"We still aren't completely sure. I have my team working on it now. As far as I can tell though, it doesn't look like they got what they were looking for." he told me. I wanted to vomit. A man had nearly died and I was partially responsible. I had turned up the heat on Thomas. And they were willing to kill to get even.

"Please keep me updated." I croaked throat rough and dry.

"I will." he told me before hanging up.