Page 48 of Over the Top

Spencer asked, “Are the guys pursuing you Tanaka guys who want Kenji’s kid back, or are they from some rival clan?”

Gunner frowned. “If it’s Kenji’s guys, it seems to me they’d be coming in a whole less hot than these guys are. When they entered the hotel the first night we were on the run, they were wearing full tactical gear and carrying Uzis and AK-47s. Would you send in armed guys with itchy trigger fingers after your kid?”

Chas answered promptly, “No way. I wouldn’t want weapons anywhere near my kid. I wouldn’t want to chance an accident.”

“Or a stray bullet or a ricochet,” Spencer added.

“So Daddy’s enemies are chasing Poppy?” Chas asked.

The little girl looked up at him, and her face started to crinkle pre-tears. Did she sense his distress? Chas scooped her up off the floor into his lap and bounced her on his knee. “It’s okay, squirt. Nothing’s wrong.” She started pulling at the buttons on his shirt, and he pretended to bite at her fingers until she was giggling happily.

“What else can you tell us about Kenji Tanaka?” Gunner asked.

Spencer typed some more, read some more, then typed some more again. “He’s not married. Never has been.”

“Who’s her mother?” Gunner blurted, glancing at Poppy.

“Looks like he might have adopted her, or maybe he used a surrogate. The Japanese press is being cagey about how Kenji came into possession of a baby he seems to be treating as his own.”

“They probably don’t know,” Drago responded. “They’d have printed it if they did.”

“So DNA testing might not tell us if he’s her papa,” Chas added.

“Not if she’s adopted,” Spencer agreed.

“What are we supposed to do with her, then?” Gunner asked. “I’m not keen on handing her over to the first Yakuza types to catch up with us.”

“I’m not keen on handing her over toanyoneuntil I’m convinced she’s going back to her actual family and she’s going to be safe,” Chas said vehemently.

Spencer glanced over at Drago. “Your instinct in the embassy was a good one.”

“How’s that?” Gunner asked.

Spencer explained, “Drago didn’t tell the Japanese embassy staffer that we might know where Poppy was and that she might be the missing Tanaka baby. He… prevaricated… a bit.”

Gunner nodded. “So he bought us some time. But to do what? Draw in the guys who’ve been following us and ask them which gang they work for?”

Drago snorted. “That would not go well.”

Gunner snorted right back. “Not for them. I doubt they’ve ever run up against SEALs. I’m confident we can take them in a straight-up fight.”

Catching the other men’s speculative looks at Poppy, Chas stated firmly, “We’re not using her as bait. No way.”

Spencer shrugged. “We could use the idea of her as bait, though.”

“I beg your pardon?” Chas asked sharply.

“We can stash Poppy somewhere safe. Out of the way. But if you and Gunner go on the run with a Poppy-sized mannequin in a car seat, your pursuers would be none the wiser. We could lay a trap for them.”

“That sounds dangerous,” Chas blurted in alarm.

The other men shrugged, supremely unconcerned.

“Hello. Civilian here. I’m a kindergarten teacher, for God’s sake. I’m no commando.” When nobody responded, he added a little desperately, “Just running away from those guys was more than I could handle. Knowing I’m bait in a trap—” He made a slashing motion with his hand. “Not a chance.”

“It could work,” Gunner said eagerly.

“No. It could not,” Chas objected.

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