Spain’S Savage Samurai

By JOHN DAVIES

Author John Davies pictured at the famous Wellies Restaurant in Portals Portals, Majorca, the main location in his latest novel: Spains Savage Samurai a tale of young Japanese gangsters dabbling in the treacherous trade of selling weapons of mass destruction. It follows his previous best seller La Pasionaria which, like his previous fiction books Gargantuan Gigolo, Inseperable and Lorenzos Legacy are published by Trafford as well as digitally by Amazon and other E-book producers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: Dec 20, 2011
• ISBN: 9781466905962

JOHN DAVIES

John went into journalism after WWII during which he spent five years as an air gunner with the RAF’s Bomber Command. He was a well known sportswriter for the Daily Mail and Daily Express and later wrote several books on sport such as Moonstruck Parrots, a 100 year history of Soccer called Golden Boots which is a parody on galactic stars such as David Beckham as well as biographies of Brian Clough, Billy Wright and the peerless Lester Pigott. Now read how John Davies delved into the murky business of selling weapons of mass destruction to Islamic fundamentalists during the global war on terrorism after 9/11.

Book preview

1

Nothing much bugs the well-heeled clientele of the renowned ‘Wellies’ restaurant and bar, in the chic anchorage of Puerto Portals on the paradise island of Majorca.

The cars parked along the waterfront are a montage of Mercedes, BMW’s, Audi’s, Ferrari’s, Jaguars, Porsche spiced with the odd open-top Bentleys, and Rollers. On special days, very special, a gleaming silver coloured Bugatti Veyron, owned by a British Peer, with a gob smacking valuation of US. 1.7million dollars occasionally gets an airing. Moored along the jetties, bobbing in serried ranks of metal and fibre-glass, straining on their nylon ropes, is a virtual Debrett of the luxury yacht trade. There were Oceanfasts hobnobbing alongside Sunseekers, Pier Vittorio Cerruti’s, Luca Dini Design and Kruger Werft’s.

But the ‘Wellies’ patronage did raise the proverbial eyebrow as the sleek Super Yacht—Mangusta 165—slid into an adjacent berth. The ‘yachties’, clinking the hielo in their jumbo-sized daiquiris noted with interest the name of the magenta colored vessel Yumenonakade with the gold-lettered English translation underneath In Your Dreams. This was a sight to behold. One of the world’s most luxurious yachts valued at a staggering $40.00million US which could cruise at 24 knots with her 3 x 4 4,556hp MTU16 diesel engines. She flew the Rising Sun flag of Japan but her naval architecture was created by Stefano Righini!

The three deck-hands, handling the ropes, were colorfully dressed in magenta tee shirts and bell-bottom jeans topped by a jaunty American style sailor’s hat. The First Officer, who had come down from the bridge to oversee the mooring, was in a smart lightweight uniform again in the same colour, while the captain stayed at the helm. All five of the crew were South Koreans.

But then it got more interesting as three Japanese men all in their twenties, dressed in designer-labelled leisure gear, came to the side of the yacht, ready to disembark when it was secured. They came down the gangplank of the super yacht, three friends from faraway Nippon with one dream, to cement the friendship that began in England’s prestigious Oxford University. Andoryuu Akio, who graduated as a lawyer and would-be known as Andy by Westerners. Fureddor Katsuo, who had earned a degree in economics with honours, nicknamed Freddy, and finally Samu Isamu, a qualified architect and expert in ancient and modern building techniques, a cheeky chappie who the Western girls called Sammy. They strode with confidence to one of ‘Wellies’ kerbside tables and ordered a bottle of Dom Perignon champagne and a plate of tapas-Serano ham and Manchego cheese.

These three Japanese young men had the bearing of rich men’s sons out on a gap year after leaving university and moving on to claim the lifetime legacy their wealthy fathers would hand them of a well-paid seat on the Board of Directors of the family’s mega Company of Crime.

The tender-aged trio of eagles of the Rising Sun, were the eldest sons of three clan leaders of one of the world’s most evil crime syndicates-the dreaded Japanese mafia known as the Yakuza.

But these three amarillo-colored, slant-eyed youngsters in their pastel polos with the snarling Lacoste crocodile emblazoned on the left breast were on a mission that would hopefully legitimize one of the world’s most murderous, drug dealing, prostitute procuring, gambling organizations.

Just like their counterparts in the USA, where the traditional Mafia families had been busy for years transforming their wicked empires of racketeering into honest business, the three youngsters sipping French champagne at ‘Wellies’ famous port-side restaurant in Majorca were tasked with blazing a trail to turn the nefarious Yakuza into a false front of virtual respectability. Some job!

Andy Akio, the senior of the group by a few months, had accepted the leadership of the triumvirate, addressed his two colleagues: ‘After we have finished our champagne we will go back to the ship for a siesta. When we wake up refreshed we will hold a meeting to decide on a plan of action.

I will book a dinner table for three here at Wellies where, they say, the prettiest girls in Majorca gather at the bar each evening hoping to meet rich yacht owners. It promises to be quite enjoyable.’

Thirty pairs of eyes, stared out from the basket seats where Wellies’ regular customers were focussed on the three Japanese lads as they strode back to the good ship Yumenonakade for their afternoon siesta, cooling down from the blistering 33 degree Balearic sun.

A couple of hours later the remnants of the ‘Wellies’ lunchtime trade got glimpses of the three masked Japanese beaus dressed in traditional uwagis, hakamas, dos, and kotes engaged in seriously violent bouts of kendo on a tatami mat fixed on the yacht foredeck which could alternate as a sunbathing pad with its own heated Jacuzzi. Kendo, the way of the sword the traditional Japanese style of fencing with a two-handed wooden sword was sourced from the ancient fighting methods of samurai. As the centuries passed the padded armour and the swords made of bamboo evolved, allowing the art of fencing to survive without risk of fatal injury. Following the end of the American occupation of Japan in 1952 an International Kendo Federation was founded in 1970.

The bouts take place on tatami mats in an area of 9 x 11 metres. Contestants wear the traditional uwagi (jacket); hakama (long divided skirt); do (chest protector); tare (waist protector); men (mask) and kote (padded gloves). The shinai, the sword varies from 43 to 46 inches and is made of four lengths of seasoned bamboo bound by waxed cord. All blows use the ‘cutting’ edge of the shinai, though this is not sharp it is held with both hands.

The only point scoring targets are blows which land upon the right side, left side or top of the head, or trunk, and for a thrust to the throat.

A one hour session, when each of them faced each other in serious combat left our three Japanese heroes sweating profusely and exhausted despite their siesta earlier. But 20 minutes in the Jacuzzi, followed by an icy shower revived them for whatever the night might produce amongst the happy tourists and ex-pats who frequent the Portal Portals fun palace known as ‘Wellies’.

2

They came down to the cabin on the lower deck which had been fitted out as an office with three desks and three on-line, top of the range, laptops.

Their faces glowed with the vigorous exercise provided by their kendo session. Each was dressed in a traditional kimono of high quality silk, every garment richly coloured emblazoned with images of herons, flowers, trees and sailing ships of ancient times.

It had already been accepted by these three Japanese dandies, all of them eldest sons of clan godfathers of the sinister Yakuza crime organization, that Andoryuu Akio would be their leader.

‘Our parents have generously given us the use of this magnificent super-yacht,’ said 26-year-old Akio, who had agreed that from then on they would only address themselves with the western version of their first name. In Akio’s case that was Andy, who said: ‘All costs regarding the yacht for that 12 months, pay for the five-man crew, victualling the vessel, repairs, mooring and taxes, will be paid from Yakuza funds. It will amount to several million dollars.

‘Our part of the agreement will be to inaugurate, launch, and build up a number of legitimate businesses to launder money and further the Yakuza organisation’s ambition to emulate the American Mafia’s subertfuge switch from crime to apparently honest cover-up enterprises.

‘All costs in setting up these businesses will, of course, be funded by Yakuza who hope when we hand over the reins in 12 months time that they will show signs of profitability. Although our fathers are also notorious Yakuza godfathers under no circumstances will we touch any minor criminal activity that is deemed to be illegal by conventional police forces around the world. Our activities in the next year will be concentrated here in Spain and other Mediterranean countries. Our base throughout the year will be aboard the good ship Yumenonakade, let’s hope she lives up to the English version of her name-In Your Dreams. The front we must keep up at all costs is that of three wealthy Japanese businessmen-playboys. We must never disclose that we are connected in any way with the Yakuza.

There has always been a strong Korean influence inside the sinister ranks of the Yakuza and Japanese-born people of Korean antecedents are a significant segment of the Nippon population.

But they are ranked as resident aliens because of their nationality. Yet although Koreans are shunned in legitimate business they are welcome in the evil ranks of the Yakuza because they conform to the organization’s ‘outsider’ image.

Andoryuu Akio’s father, Tumma, was not only of Korean stock, but he was the highly feared boss of the all-powerful Yamaguchi-gum clan, he was also Godfather of Godfathers to the whole of the mighty Japanese mafia popularly known as the Yakuza. There are three other Yakuza clans.

Sumiyoshi-Kai, whose leader was the father of 24-year-old Fureddo Katsuo. Fureddo became a favourite of the beautiful western girls who frequented Mallorca’s pleasure-seeking Puerto Portals strip. These attractive girls affectionately nicknamed him ‘Freddy’, although sexually he was ambivalent with an equal liking for boys. A deviation that had, paradoxically, been tolerated inJapan back to the ancient days of the fearsome samurai warriors

‘We have been interested in what you say and are now aware what our fathers, and the Yakuza organization they lead, expect from us in the next year,’ Freddy reacted to Andy’s opening dissertation. ‘Because you are senior in age to Samu Isamu and myself we unconditionally accept you as our leader in this enterprise for the next 12 months. Can you give us some guidance as to what kind of businesses we should be looking to develop during the year?’

Andy was quick to reply to the challenge from Freddy. ‘We must look at all options in legitimate business,’ said Freddy. ‘Options that would dove-tail with the Yakuza’s normal activities of blackmail, illegal gambling, casinos, prostitution and smuggling. Look at our eastern cousins the Chinese, or to be more precise the Hong Kong Chinese, have a grip on the restaurant market in Europe. For instance there are more than 50 Chinese restaurants up and running on this small island of Mallorca. The Chinese are not bothered that some of these eating places don’t make huge profits because they are excellent for laundering illicit cash earned by the money men who own them, the Triads, the Chinese Mafia.

‘The Chinese Triads are already well down the path of legitimizing their businesses, steering away from their old activities of car theft, contract killing, drug trafficking, extortion, gambling and prostitution. Concentrating on counterfeiting of copyrighted and trade-marked goods such as clothing, coins, computer software, handbags, music CD’s, watches, movie DVD’s, endangered species, bootleg tobacco and alcohol.

‘The traditional American Mafia families once led by the murderous Lucky Luciano, Frank Costello and Bugsy Siegel have made a big move away from the rackets and now own considerable shareholdings in many of the USA’s largest business conglomerates. That is the task in front of us. We are pathfinders in the bid to modernise and legitimise the Yakuza. It is why the organisation is funding our expedition and paid for our education at Oxford University.’

Samu Isamu, known to his two pals as "Sam", was the last of the Japanese triumvirate to speak.

‘Twelve months is a long while for us to be away from our beloved environment in Japan,’ said Sam, who graduated as a first class student of modern architecture and building techniques. ‘The food, the way of life, the women are totally different to someone like me brought up in the samurai tradition by my parents although my father, head of the Inagawa-kai clan of the Yakuza, is considered to be a criminal by some high-powered Japanese people. But I will do my best to fullfil my duties to the organization.’

Andy, the leader of the group, gave a final word of warning.

‘We must blend into Western ways as much as is possible for men brought up in the Japanese way,’ he said. ‘We must not think every western woman is wetting her panties for the chance of jumping into a Japanese man’s futon. We must remember to treat western women with respect and not like prostitutes.

‘Now let us go back to our cabins. Put on our Armani gear, our silk shirts and Italian suits and walk across for dinner at Wellies and later see what the local women are like!’

3

The eyes of the famous and notorious, the rich and beautiful, who frequent Wellies chic eaterie at Puerto Portals, Mallorca, where more than 360 yachts can be accommodated, were focussed on the three slim-waisted Japanese young men who arrived at 9 pm to claim the table they had booked for dinner after disembarking earlier in the day from the super-yacht Yumenonakade (In Your Dreams) earlier in the day.

The motley collection of yachts straining at their moorings in Puerto Portals ranged from 80 meter monsters to a minnow of a mere eight meters. The good ship Yumenoakade, a sturdy, spruce and speedy luxurious floating palace of nearly 50 meters overall length was not the largest vessel on view but it was arguably the most luxurious. All were elegantly dressed in lightweight Armani suits with contrasting open neck shirts noticed the bimbos, dolly birds, off duty flight attendants from the airport across the bay, and good-time girls. The leader Andy in a blue silk suit and pale lemon shirt, followed by Freddy in grey with a pale pink shirt while the youngest and most handsome of the triumvirate, Sam, wore a light beige suit set off by a Lacoste shirt in dark brown.

This group of inscrutable orientals personified money, reeking of expensive jasmine after-shave, drooled the predatory girls, noting the gold bracelets unable to hide their disappointment as the three Japs circumvented Wellies newly opened bar extension heading for their table under the direction of the obsequious maître d’hotel. The girls waited patiently for the three elegant Nips to finish their meal and hopefully then move to the cocktail bar for their coffee and brandies. But there were 13 very attractive girls seated on the high leather and chrome bar stools and, as any predatory female knows, the divisible conundrum of 13 divided by three would leave ten disappointed birds without a perch. They quizzed maître d’ Josef Paredi about the dishes shown on Wellies’ extensive a la carte menu and made clear their preference for fish or meat of the highest quality. As a starter they chose crispy tacos to dip in a tasty dish of melted mozzarella cheese. Their choice for a main course was not one very often opted by squeamish British tourists—pulpo gallego-octopus cooked Galician-style in its own black ink.

They ate delicately, much more delicately, than Europeans consuming the octopus flesh slowly mopping up every last drop of the rich ebonised gravy. It was accompanied by a bottle of an excellent eight year old Rioja Gran Reserva.

‘The fish was to our liking,’ Akio Andoryuu congratulated the maitre d’, before adding cautiously. ‘But I have to say that the octopus caught in Japanese waters is much tastier than your Mediterranean variety. One day maitre d’ we will invite you aboard our yacht and let you sample octopus prepared in the way we prefer. One of our crew is also a sushi chef-a genius with fish. It will be an experience that will add to your own excellent professional knowledge of world-wide cooking.’

Josef Paredi, the maître d’, a shrewd man in the catering world, had already figured the three young Japanese men were going to be good customers and there were signs that they would be generous tippers if they were given the right service. Having ascertained that they were not interested in a dessert course, at least not on this occasion, he arranged for them to be moved to a table near the cocktail bar for drinks.

‘Senors, since you have all opted not to order a postre can I, with respect, recommend a refreshing bebida which was my invention when I was cocktail barman some years ago?’ invited the maître d’. It is in between a dessert and a drink. It is wonderful for cleaning your palate and sets you up for your after dinner drinks. It is based on a little known French champagne and I would like to present it to you as a chupito-courtesy of the house.’

The drinks came prepared in chilled champagne flutes and were garnished with a glistening fresh strawberry in each glass. On the side there was the remainder of the bottle of champagne from which Josef Paredi’s iced concoction was based.

‘I call it Sorbete de Gaston Chiquet Brut Tradition y limon,’ explained the maître d’. I will explain that Gaston Chiquet, owned by Antoine and Nicolas Chiquet have made a reputation as an outstanding small producer with 22 hectares of vineyards in the Valle de la Marne area of central Champagne.’

The Sorbete de Gaston Chiquet met the approval of the three Japanese businessmen. So much they asked the maître d’ for the recipe which simply was one bottle of the bubbly wine, blended with two pints of sorbet and half a dozen plump strawberries and lemon for garnish. They were so impressed that their leader Andy Akio asked Josef Paredi whether he could buy a dozen cases of the Gaston Chiquet Champagne to add to their super-yacht’s already impressive stock of international wines and rare vintage sake. The shapely girlie talent at the bar squirmed on their stools, hitched their bra’s, checked their lip salve and mascara, cast their predatory eyes towards the trio of Japanese beau’s and wondered if the smooth guys from the Orient were in the mood to party. Japanese are reticent by nature. Protocol is all-important, introductions are formal, and spiced with low bows and courteous obeisance.

But in the case of the leader of the group Andy Akio the edge of eastern etiquette had been roughened a little by nearly three years on the carefree campus of Oxford University. He had spotted the elegant, scantily mini-skirted girl with the bobbed blonde hair at the bar.

‘Please ask the young lady over there if she would like to join us for a drink,’ Akio asked the bar-waiter. There was a distinct sob of disappointment around the cocktail bar as the bobbed blonde did an excellent dismount from her high stool and with, a staccato of leather heels across the tiles, moved over to accept the invitation.

The Japanese language, unlike English, has a grammatical way to express politeness. There are three politeness levels in spoken Japanese ; the plain form (kudaketa), the simple polite form (teine) and the advanced polite form (keigo). The highly cultured Akio used the middle form of teine to address Sheila Wilson a former air hostess born in a narrow Liverpool street little more than a goal kick away from the famous Anfield Soccer stadium.

He bowed to Sheila and in impeccable Oxford-honed English, albeit with the faintest tinge of the lisp that typifies men from Japan’s Hokkaido Region, he invited her to sit down at the table asking what she would like to drink.

Sheila Wilson, astutely, noted that the three Japanese men still had champagne nestling in an ice bucket. I like the name Sheila but I was christened Shirley.

‘I would like a glass of that champagne, please,’ she smiled.

Akio nodded towards the bar-waiter to pour a fresh glass of bubbly for the attractive English girl and added: ‘Also bring another bottle of Gaston Chiquet, on ice of course. ‘

Then, turning towards his two colleagues at the table, he introduced Freddy Katsuo and Sam Isamu to the delectable Sheila. ‘That is a magnificent yacht you guys have got out there,’ said Sheila failing to disguise her interest in the three friends from the east. ‘The yacht has been a centre of interest since you pulled in earlier in the day. Do you intend to stay in Majorca long?’

Akio, streetwise enough to know that being outspoken was a trait of the English and that a Japanese person would not ask such a personal question outright, answered, uncharacteristically, openly: ‘As we are on a business trip we intend to be in Spain for at least 12 months. It is our intention that our base during that year will be here at Puerto Portals although we will use the yacht to take us to other anchorages in the Mediterranean and Spain in particular. Now tell me Sheila how long have you been in Majorca and what brought you here in the first place?’

Sheila Wilson, appearing to be flattered that she had been asked such a direct and personal question, explained: ‘I was a flight attendant for EasyJet on the Bristol to Palma run.

Then a year ago the Credit Crunch hit the world and airlines had to reduce the number of flights. It was a question of last in first out and as I had only worked for my airline less than 12 months I was made redundant. I worked for a travel company here in Majorca for a few months but because of the financial crisis I was made redundant again as less tourists were travelling to the island. Recently I have been working as a night-club hostess in Palma at weekends it just about keeps the wolf from the door.’

Akio sympathised: ‘Times are hard for a lot of people at the moment. But forget about that, drink your champagne and enjoy yourself.’

4

As befitted a leader, Andy Akio, had blazed the trail and within quarter of an hour aided by the go-between talents of the cocktail bar waiter, there was soon another two comely young ladies making up the party at the liveliest table in the bustling Wellies restaurant that evening.

Fureddo Katsuo, opted for a dark-haired girl who was born and reared in Australia by a Spanish mother who had been dumped by her German lover when the baby was less than two years of age. But she had developed into a busty, 5ft 6inch lass, in her stilleto heels, who looked sensational in her marching black sleeveless dress moulding into her eye-catching curves. Her name she announced was Arantza Stiegel. Katsuo, popularly known as Freddy, could not take his slanted oriental eyes away from her cleavage, that seemed to be diving all the way from Portal Portals in sunny Majorca to Perth, the City of Lights in Western Australia where she was born.

Samu Isamu, the third segment of the Shintoist play-boys, chose arguably the most outrageous play-girl around that evening.