Free White Tiger by Stephen Knight

Japanese word for honor.
    She giggled. “You think Chen Gui understands giri? You’re more foreign than he is!”
    “Chen Gui tells me you know the movements of the Fujianese snake head.”
    “Yes...I’ll be with him at nine tonight.”
    “Nine? Aren’t your parents going to be concerned?”
    “It’s Friday, and I can stay out until midnight on Friday and Saturday. He’ll be taking me to Lychee tonight...you know it?”
    “A karaoke club in Roppongi.” Manning knew it, though he’d never been inside. It wasn’t far from his apartment.
    “Yes,” Chisako murmured. “We always leave through the side exit. I’ll send you his picture...” An instant later, Manning’s cell phone trilled.
    “Just a moment.” Manning thumbed the menu buttons on his phone, and was rewarded with a photo of a very thin Chinese dressed in an expensive business suit. He had lank hair and oversized glasses which were held in place by an unusually broad nose. Even over the telephone’s small screen, Manning could make out the acne scars. He put the phone back to his ear.
    “Got it, thanks.”
    “We don’t have sex or anything,” Chisako said quietly on the other side. “Nothing like that. He just holds my hand and likes it when I wear short skirts. Do you like short skirts?”
    “Sure. Why not.”
    “Would you like to see a picture of me?”
    “That’s not nec—” His phone trilled again, and Manning stifled a sigh. “Just a moment.”
    He thumbed through the menu again. Chisako was a young, fresh-faced girl with eyes that were as empty and devoid of warmth as a hungry shark’s. Surprisingly straight teeth that were white, hair dyed to a glossy light brown, and smooth skin. A touch of eye makeup heightened the sense of budding exoticness she emanated even from a digital photograph. Manning put the phone back to his ear.
    “You’re very lovely. Chen Gui is smitten with you, and I can see why.”
    “But I want a white foreigner...” she pouted.
    “How many men travel with your — with the Fujianese?”
    “Usually only three. Sometimes four. They take two cars...Audi A8s. Black. Very kako ii, ” she said, using the Japanese word for “cool.”
    “How are they armed?”
    “Two of them usually carry guns. They all carry knives, though. Do you like women with hair, or do you prefer them shaved?”
    I prefer them legal, Manning didn’t say. He ignored the question and stuck to business.
    “You’ll have to find an excuse to leave him. As they’re walking out to the cars. It’s very, very important that you’re not there.”
    “I want to see it.” Chisako’s voice was small and suddenly dreamy, and Manning had no trouble picking out the sheer lust riding her voice like a carrier wave. “I’ve never seen men die before... I want to see it. I want to know what it’s like.”
    “That’s not at all wise. You could be injured, or even killed yourself.”
    “You would shoot me? To get to your target, would you shoot me?” she whispered.
    “No. But one of his men might, and that would be a bad thing.”
    Chisako sighed. “I’m so wet now,” she murmured.
    Manning put his head in his free hand and sighed. “Chen Gui would be very upset with me if you were to be hurt. That can’t happen.”
    “Then don’t shoot me,” Chisako said coyly. “The man who opens the car door for him is armed. The one behind us will be armed. Mister Yang is always between them. One tall and thin, the other short and fat. The fat man wants to fuck me, but he’s disgusting and has bad teeth. Do you have good teeth? White teeth?”
    “I’ll want you to send me a text message when you’re leaving the club. And you’ll have to get down as quickly as you can,” Manning advised her, knowing in his mind that she wouldn’t. “I’ll need a clear shot at him, but he won’t be the first. The others go first, then him.”
    “If he tries to run, I’ll hold onto him.”
    “You’ll do nothing of the sort.”
    “If you get some