Lisa Riccio

2

CASE: PI-K-E-7912 These high-profile political cases always take the most out of me. Seems these government crooks think that just because they wear expensive suits, throw around a little authority, and pay a man handsomely, they can treat him like yesterday's garbage. I've had my fill of their double-talk and backroom dealings. But this case? This one's different. Word came down straight from the White House. Lisa Riccio, President Truman's own mouthpiece, needs help, and this time it ain't behind a podium. Seems her kid sister, Amy, has been snatched by Japanese spies, and they've got themselves one hell of an ugly bargain. They want Lisa on live American television, feeding the public a pack of lies about the atomic bombs dropped during the war. Refuse, and Amy disappears for good. Now, what kind of lowlife uses a woman's family as a bargaining chip? The White House wants me to find the girl, but there's a catch: no government interference. No military muscle, no official intelligence operation, and certainly no cavalry riding in to save the day. Apparently, they want this handled quietly, and they've decided I'm the poor sap to do it. Why me? Because I get results, or so they tell themselves. Truth is, I'm beginning to think that reputation is the worst thing that ever happened to me. Now I've got a missing girl somewhere across the Pacific, a gang of Japanese operatives who think they're untouchable, and a press secretary with the weight of Washington sitting on her shoulders. And here's the real kicker: how the hell am I supposed to get into Japan without the government knowing about it? I've survived battlefields, crooked politicians, and enough back-alley trouble to last three lifetimes. But this one's a different kind of war, and the price of losing is a young woman's life. Another long night, another dirty business, and not a clean pair of hands in sight. I swear, when this is over, I'm retiring. Then again, I've said that before.