James Axler – Keepers of the Sun

THOUGH THE WOMEN objected strongly, Ryan insisted that they should both stay behind with the main force when the initial assault party went in.

“Why?”

“Times like this, there isn’t time to start a debating group,” Ryan replied.

“I think that Master Cawdor is probably correct in this,” Doc said in his best orotund voice. “I sense danger in this procedure.”

“And you stay, as well, Doc.”

“What?”

“Deafness isn’t among your weaknesses, old friend. Just me, J.B. and Jak are going in on this one. I don’t like it much myself, Doc.”

“The Tanners of Vermont have not been noteworthy for being backward at going forward,” Doc said, drawing himself up to his full seventy-five inches, knee joints cracking like dry twigs. “In this matter I feel that the concept of our hosts regarding honor is of some relevance.”

“Doc” Ryan bit his lip. “This has a real bad feeling to me. If there’s going to be some chilling, then me, J.B. and Jak are the ones with the best hope of walking from it without buying the farm.”

“It is not a question of doubting courage, Master Cawdor? I would not feel happy if it were courage.”

Ryan patted him on the shoulder. “When they handed out courage points, you got a whole lot more than your fair share, Doc. I swear that.”

Yashimoto called over to them, “We are going now into the attack, gaijin . Perhaps you should all be staying here safe with women.”

“Perhaps you could shove it up a dead skunk’s ass,” Ryan said, bowing politely to the puzzled samurai.

THE SIGN HAD FALLEN DOWN, maybe a hundred years earlier, but it looked as if it had been recently excavated and nailed back into place Best Eastern Serendipity Overlook.

Jak jerked a thumb at it. “What’s mean?”

Ryan carried the big SIG-Sauer cocked and ready in his hand as they picked their way closer to the predark motel. “Can’t tell you.”

He’d left the Steyr SSG-70 rifle behind. J.B. had also left the murderous Smith amp; Wesson M-4000 scattergun with Doc and the ladies.

They were a hundred yards from the main body of watching troops, roughly the same distance from the front of the weather-stained building. The frail pillar of smoke had vanished from the rear of the motel, and the building was still and silent. A small lizard skittered across the overgrown path, pausing for a moment to gaze at the intruders, a turquoise ruff lifting around its wattled throat.

The path toward the entrance was pocked with the marks of a number of horses. There was no doubt at all that the ronin had passed that way within the past two or three hours, but it didn’t answer the important question whether they were still hiding behind the blank windows.

Just before parting, Ryan had asked Krysty whether she felt anyone close by. But the sheer numbers of Mashashige’s own army blurred her mutie sense and made it impossible to focus on the motel.

Now the shogun was striding ahead of the others, still wearing his black cotton gown, one hand steadying the hilt of his long sword. Yashimoto was close at his heels, with Hideyoshi in third place. There were four more of the senior samurai who had survived the tidal wave, though Ryan didn’t know any of their names, as they kept to themselves and hadn’t made any real attempt to speak to the outlanders.

Ryan walked a couple of paces farther back, trying to keep a clear line of sight on the building. Jak was off to his right, his big blaster still holstered, and J.B. stalked along on his, left, cradling the Uzi.

“Want us to go around back?” he called to the shogun. “Come in the other side?”

“We will all go in together. Not sneaking like thieves and spies, cowarding in bushes and trees. Together in the front door of the place.”

“We’ll all go together when we go,” Ryan whispered. “All for one and all dead.”

“This is insane, Ryan,” J.B. whispered. “If they got rifles, they can take us all in a single volley.”

“See the windows?”

“Sure.”

“Not one of them’s broken. If you were planning to ambush someone, you’d clear the glass out of the way first. Whatever the ronin got planned, I don’t figure it as a shooting.”