arm around Alvarez and the other around Bonnie and pulled them close.
“I’m just glad I could help you out in your time of need,” the chief said. “Nobody is assigned this room until we pick up an admiral in Guam. So you and Bonnie can rest easy. You’re safe now. When you wake up tomorrow, we’ll be preparing to get under way.”
Cain was used to pushing his body to its limits, but this had been different. He had gone days without rest or peace of mind, having been fueled by sheer determination to rescue Bonnie. As soon as Chief Alvarez shut the door on his way out, Cain lay in the bottom bunk, staring at the bunk above him. His mind drifted toward wonderful thoughts of Umiko. He thought of how special she was. How she’d gently cared for him, and of their life-changing kendo trip to the base of Mount Fuji. He would never forget that trip: the retreat had helped him overcome his feelings of guilt. Feeling a sense of newfound peace, he crashed into a dreamless sleep.
Hours later, what seemed like chaotic activity woke him. Hatches were opening and slamming shut. Senior enlisted sailors were shouting instructions and junior sailors were replying with the same level of intensity. The intercom bellowed commands from various military officers, but it was the command from the boatswain’s mate that caught Cain’s attention.
“Prepare to shift colors.”
That was the command for sailors to stand at attention on the side of the ship in their dress white uniforms.
Cain and Bonnie stayed put in their room, competing for a view from the porthole. The pier was full of hundreds of family members waving good-bye to their military spouses and parents. It felt as if they were waving good-bye to Cain and Bonnie.
The sun was peeking over the mountain, slowly rising with each minute. The island nation was getting smaller as the massive aircraft carrier cut through the water and sailed on its own power.
“Take one last look, sis. The land of the rising sun.”
“Sayonara,” she whispered, peering through the small porthole.
“Soon we’ll be in Guam, and then back on the bayou.”
“Home sweet home,” she said.
Epilogue
Ten months later
New Orleans was celebrating Mardi Gras, and the French Quarter was bursting at the seams with excitement. More than a million visitors had gathered near Café du Monde, Cain’s favorite place to relax and enjoy coffee and beignets. The rowdy tourists lined Decatur Street, hooting and hollering as masked kings and queens threw beads and doubloons from atop ornate purple, green, and yellow floats.
Cain sat under one of the café’s rotating wooden ceiling fans, sipping his chicory coffee from a white mug and wiping the beignets’ powdered sugar off his lips. He loved the Big Easy’s energy during this special time of year. He double-checked the time. I have time for another round of coffee, he told himself. He pulled out his copy of the Times-Picayune newspaper. The news was predominantly about sports, Louisiana politics, and Mardi Gras, but a headline caught his attention: a story reprinted from USA Today by none other than Champ Albright the Third.
Cain was snickering as he read Champ’s story but was interrupted by the buzzing cell phone in his shirt pocket.
“Hello?”
“Hi, twin brother.”
“You gotta talk much louder,” Cain shouted into his phone. “It’s a wonderful madhouse down here. I wish you could have joined me.”
“Me, too! Are you at Café du Monde?”
“You know it, sis.”
“I don’t know anyone who loves that chicory coffee as much as you and Pops,” Bonnie said. “By the way, have you checked out today’s paper? Our old friend Cat has a big story. Looks like Japanese prosecutors have indicted seven senior-level yakuza members and seized over ten of their businesses—including the Angel Cloud and Hakugei.”
“Hooyah!” Cain said. “That is how you take down an enterprise. You gotta hit ’em where it hurts: in their pocketbook. We can thank LeRoy for sending that information that helped track their assets.”
“No, we can thank you. None of this would have ever happened if you were not in the equation.”
“You’re just biased, sis.”
“Maybe. You are my favorite twin. That’s why I did something special for you.”
“Oh, no.” Cain feigned worry. “I’m afraid to ask. What did you do this time?”
“Relax,” Bonnie said. “You’ll like this one. It should be arriving any minute now.”
“Thank you, sis. I’ll call as soon as I get it.” He placed his phone back in his pocket and took a few more swigs of his coffee. To