Shadow of The Fox

By Mike MacDee

Mata the Fox is a ninja agent whose mastery of disguise allows him to change shape like the foxes of myth. He has infiltrated places thought impregnable, stolen things thought irretrievable, and killed those thought untouchable; thus Mata always gets the Shogun's most dangerous assignments.

Escape From Graveyard Bay
Trapped on the dreaded island prison of Graveyard Bay, Mata must assassinate a loyal friend before she breaks under interrogation...or improvise an impossible rescue.

The Oshiro Songbird
The deadly leader of an impenetrable spy ring is rooted in the community of Inari Pass: she's invaluable to the town, lethal to those who threaten her, and irresistible to everyone else. Breaking up her spy ring seems impossible...so it's a perfect assignment for the Fox.

The Gold Barons of Izu
Second Place winner in the 2013 Samurai Fiction Contest. A revolt is on the horizon as Grand Minister Okubo and Yakuza Boss Kurai continue to oppress the Izu miners. To prevent the revolt, Mata must find a way to turn the barons' dream alliance into a nightmare.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pro Se Press
• Release date: Jun 18, 2016
• ISBN: 9781311773395

Mike MacDee

Mike suffers his existence in a desert full of barbarians, sorta like Mad Max without the coolness factor. Despite his misanthropic demeanor, he's very approachable and responds to basically all messages.

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Shadow Of The Fox

Mike MacDee

Published by Pro Se Press at Smashwords

SHADOW OF THE FOX

A Pro Se Publications

All rights reserved under U.S. and International copyright law. This book is licensed only for the private use of the purchaser. May not be copied, scanned, digitally reproduced, or printed for re-sale, may not be uploaded on shareware or free sites, or used in any other manner without the express written permission of the author and/or publisher. Thank you for respecting the hard work of the author.

Written by Mike MacDee

Editing by Richard Thomas and Wayne Carey

Cover Art by Larry Nadolsky

Book Design by Antonino Lo Iacono

www.prose-press.com

SHADOW OF THE FOX

© 2016 Mike MacDee

Dedicated to Brick McBurly for putting up with my incessant questions.

Escape From Graveyard Bay

I

THE RING

Warden Kai was the poster child for the importance of loving one’s work. When he smiled he looked like a devil who’d just been told a dirty joke, and he was always smiling. When he stopped smiling, someone usually got hurt.

He was about forty, and on most days he dressed casually, but today was a special occasion: he wore the black haori jacket of the city constable, steel truncheon of authority tucked in his waistband, guitar-shaped gunbai fan in his right hand. He stood waiting on the pier of the Graveyard Bay island prison, tall and straight as if posing for a portrait, idly fanning himself with the gunbai. And smiling.

The arriving boat was a standard fishing skiff, twenty feet long with a bow that curved into a fine point like a sword. These boats doubled as ferries that brought prisoners and officials from the shore a half-mile away; so while they were typically packed with smelly fish crates and equally smelly fishermen, they sometimes had additional cargo, like the two men stepping onto the pier to greet the warden.

The first, with a slender tobacco pipe clutched between his teeth and a bowl-shaped jingasa on his head, was another forty-year-old government official known as Master Soho. Few facts were known about him: only that he handled Sumiyoshi’s illicit trading with foreign devils, and that he was the most brilliant interrogator on the daimyo’s payroll.

The other, carrying a decorative twelve-inch-wide wooden box, was Soho’s retainer, Gen. He couldn’t have been more than seventeen, and dressed in a casual gray and white kosode. As payment he tossed a few copper mon to the boat’s crew, the Gray-Haired Woman and the eldest of her three fisherman sons.

Kai waved with his fan and said, Master Soho, I presume? We didn’t expect you for at least another week!

Soho grunted. The Dutch do swift business. And I was anxious to see the legendary ‘inescapable prison’ of Lord Sumiyoshi for myself.

Soho approached Kai with his right hand extended, taking the warden’s in the foreign custom of a handshake. Greetings from the West, Warden Kai, he said.

Kai beamed. My, my! One of these days you’ll come back a different race altogether!

Gen offered the box to the warden, opening it to reveal fifty fine cigars.

Soho’s smile was much smaller than Kai’s, as if it resented its job. He gestured to the cigars and said, A present from Lord Sumiyoshi.

Kai plucked one eagerly from the box and ran it under his nose. "How generous! He’s far too good to us, our Lord Sumiyoshi."

He rewards excellence, said Soho. He removed his jingasa and handed it to Gen, who tucked it under his arm. Then his smile faded and he took the pipe from his mouth. About this prisoner I’m to speak with?

Ah, of course. Would you like a guided tour on the way?

Please.

As you can see, it’s only a half-mile to the shoreline. When we need a ferry, the guards wave a red flag...

The pier led straight to the front gate. Soho took note of the prison wall as Kai led him inside. There was only a two-man lookout posted on it, watching the fishing boats in the distance. They didn’t even need that many there was nowhere for an escapee to go.

***

The prison was a small fortress built on top of a tiny crescent-shaped island so that the foyer floor was directly over the water. This floor had a dozen square pits cut out of it, and a hinged metal grate covered each. As the warden led Master Soho and Gen into the room, two of his officers were standing over one of these grates, holding a small, middle-aged, and very dead man—his chest and back were badly lacerated from a savage caning. The first officer opened the grate.

Warden Kai was in full tour-guide mode. An island fortress such as this has many benefits: escapees have nowhere to go, and cleanup is a breeze! We have a maximum capacity of twenty prisoners. We use only the first floor for the prison to satisfy the magistrate’s men when they visit. The upper levels are used for storing Chinese silks, firearms and other contraband—that which you buy and sell so well for our lord.

I don’t procure guns. That’s the department of Magistrate Ikoma.

The resentful look in Soho’s eyes tickled a laugh out of Kai’s face. The warden turned and bowed to him. "Forgive me. As the head of security here, I wouldn’t be doing my job if I admitted just anyone claiming to be Master Soho. I had to test you, you understand."

Soho sniffed. Still a small capacity for a prison, isn’t it?

Kai giggled. Oh, we are an exclusive club. Lord Sumiyoshi only sends special prisoners here. And as such, they require special treatment. All final requests within reason are granted

The second officer held the dead man upright in his arms while the first chained an iron weight around the ankles.

The officer dropped the weight into the pit. There was a loud splash, then the corpse was yanked from the second officer’s hands as it followed the weight to the bottom of the bay.

 and every execution gets a burial at sea!

Soho smoked his pipe quietly.

Kai shrugged. That, I’m afraid, is the extent of Lord Sumiyoshi’s courtesy. All of our prisoners are permanent residents. Even after they’ve, ah... left our care.

***

The girl was in her early- to mid-twenties, wore a dirty brown kimono, and had bags under her eyes as if she hadn’t been allowed to sleep much. She didn’t dare fall asleep, though, especially where the guards at the door could see. She scrubbed the washroom floor with terror-induced zeal. She scrubbed faster when she heard the warden’s voice as he entered the room.

Master Soho couldn’t see her face from the entrance.

Warden Kai gleefully watched her scrub for a minute before he continued. "She was posing as our lord’s housemaid so she could spy on his meetings while cleaning the bath house. She finds her community service duties most nostalgic, I’m sure! She works very hard keeping the staff bath house clean and polished."

Kai stepped into the room as he talked, judging the room’s cleanliness. Every surface shined with the love and care provided by those who work under the threat of endless torture.

Kai dragged his finger along the edge of a stool and checked it for grime. She works very hard not to disappoint me.

He knelt next to the girl and leaned close so she could see the tiny speck of dirt on his finger. She refused to look, but she stopped scrubbing and held perfectly still as if a viper had just reared its head nearby.

Kai wasn’t smiling. "She hates to disappoint me."

Calmly he stood up. Then he drove his foot into the girl’s ribs, bowling her onto her side and spilling her water bucket. "She knows how easily I disappoint!"

As Kai swung his fan at her head and snarled at her to start again, Soho’s hands went behind his back. Bring her here, Warden. I want a closer look at her.

Kai smiled again as he grabbed the girl by the collar and dragged her to her feet. Oh, she’s a pretty one!

All eyes were on the girl. No one noticed Soho slip the ring onto his left ring finger—no one but Gen, who held his breath as he watched.

The ring had a tiny spike on the palm-side of its band. A tiny prick and the victim would drop dead of a heart attack in a matter of minutes.

Kai dragged the girl over to Soho, who reached out to the girl with his deadly left hand. How long has she been here?

Kai said, Six eventful days!

Soho saw the girl’s face. At the same time, the girl looked up and met his eyes.

They froze in recognition for only a split-second.

Soho withdrew his left hand to scratch the back of his head as Kai went on: "She’s not housebroken yet, obviously. Heheh. Lord Sumiyoshi tells me you get that honor. I’ve just been holding her ‘til your arrival."

Soho nodded his approval, then stretched and let out a long yawn. Well, it’s been a long day’s travel. Will you show me to my quarters, Warden?

The guards looked at each other. Kai looked at Soho, his smile replaced by a look of polite confusion. Gen looked at Soho with less polite confusion. The girl looked at Soho with a tiny glint of hope.

Kai said, I wasn’t told you were staying overnight. The smile came back immediately. I’m honored, of course! It’s just

Unexpected? said Soho, scratching himself. "My instructions were to take as long as needed to do the job right. Just like yours were to assist me in any way possible. Our lord’s safety is at risk here. That means our jobs are at risk."

Kai didn’t miss a beat. I’ll make arrangements at once. He clapped his hands sharply and shouted to the guards, Take Master Soho to the vice warden’s room! He is our guest for the evening.

The warden gestured disgustedly to the girl, who had quickly returned to scrubbing the floor. And take the bitch back to her cell!

II

ZAKURO

Late in the evening, the guard shift changed to a skeleton crew and Warden Kai was asleep. Most of the prisoners were asleep, too, or unconscious by less voluntary means.

Master Soho and Gen were awake and holding conference over