The Devil's Footprint by Victor O'Reilly

that he would come across a terrorist as significant as
Oshima.   But he is a resourceful man and
he responded well to the challenge of what to do.   He took her in and cared for her, and when he
got a chance he contacted his superiors.
    "Our
immediate reaction would normally have been to pick up Oshima and that would
have been that," continued the Spider, "but Hori- san saw Oshima's arrival as his big chance to make a mark, the case
of a lifetime.   He proposed to his
control that he befriend Oshima, work his way into her confidence, and thus
penetrate the very heart of the terrorist movement.
    "Given
Oshima's violent record, it was a very risky strategy.   Not only was Hori- san personally in danger, but it would mean leaving a known
dangerous terrorist loose — and one who almost certainly   would want revenge.   She had nearly been killed, and many of her
group had been destroyed.   It seemed
unlikely that she would let this pass without a response.
    "Hori- san 's proposal was referred to the
highest levels, where it was considered for several days.   The initial reaction was to reject it, but
then it was suggested that it Oshima could be encouraged to flee this country,
we would have a chance to learn about Yaibo's international network without
putting Japanese citizens and property at risk.   Of course, this would only work if Hori- san fled with her."
    Silently
furious though she was at not having been included in the operation, Chifune
could not argue with either its daring or its logic.   It was also quite cynical.   The unstated corollary of letting Oshima flee
was that if Japanese interests were not harmed and, indeed, advanced, it was of
no concern that other nationalities might suffer.   But such cynicism was not unique to Japanese
security.   It was fundamental to her
trade in every country.
    "A
complex operation was mounted to make fleeing
Japan
seem a highly desirable
option for Oshima and her new friend.   Normally, such an intensive series of raids might have aroused suspicion
of Hori- san , but in this case
considerable police activity was to be expected.   Oshima had been shot and many Yaibo members
killed during an attack mounted in the very center of
Tokyo
.   A major response from the authorities was both inevitable and
expected.   The trick was to bracket
Oshima and Hori- san without actually
capturing them.   Thanks to Hori- san 's information, that is exactly what
we were able to do.
    "They
fled initially to the
Middle East
, as
expected.   Oshima has never stayed in one
place for too long, so she and Hori- san flitted from
Libya
to
Lebanon
and then
Syria
, and we received much good
intelligence.   But then there were some
unexpected developments.   First, she met
a renegade American scientist in
Libya
,
Edgar Rheiman, who was on the run from the
U.S.
authorities, and then a
Mexican general, Luis Barragan, arrived on the scene.   He was buying arms and recruiting mercenaries
to protect his base in the state of Tecuno run by a certain Governor Diego
Quintana.
    "He found
more than he could have hoped for in his wildest dreams.   The American scientist, Edgar Rheiman, had
some very specialized weapons expertise he was trying to sell, and General Luis
Barragan was in the market and had the necessary capital.   And to round everything off, Oshima and
Barragan became lovers.   All of them,
including Hori- san , decamped for
Mexico
and
suddenly the operation crossed the line between acceptable risk and out of
control.   And to make it worse, our
agent's ability to communicate from
Mexico
is very limited."
    The Spider
paused and sipped his tea, and Chifune understood that it was now acceptable
that she should ask questions.
    " Sensei , I am not sure I fully
understand.   What is the significance of
this scientist Edgar Rheiman, and why is the operation now no longer
acceptable?"
    The Spider
spoke without emotion for about ten minutes.   Chifune's mind raced as she pieced together