887. Chapter 887

After The Way of the Ninja

Episode 6.18

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: There are no UCSBdads who own Castle. That is a myth. Rating: K Time: See above.

Author's note: This is a sequel to chapters 623, 632, 702, 752, 776, 793 and 848.

"Welcome to Singapore, Dr. and Mrs. Castle." The man at the immigration desk said with a smile. That brought a smile to Kate's face and a slight blush to Rick's.

"Actually, it's my wife that's the doctor…." Rick began.

"Hmm! "The immigration man said. "Know anything about the treatment of corns?"

Rick gritted his teeth, but smiled. "My wife is the famous archeologist Dr. Katherine "Idaho" Beckett-Castle. She's a PhD, not an MD."

The man looked confused but then smiled. "So you specialize in arks?"

Kate looked at the man's name tag which said, "Mao Tse Demming" and that told her all she needed to know. She nodded. "Close enough."

Demming nodded. "On behalf of His Britannic Majesty's Government, welcome to Singapore."

"Thank you." Rick said. "But now we must be off to the Raffles Hotel. It's our honeymoon, you know."

As they walked away, Kate shook her head. "The Demmings are always with us."

Once settled in the honeymoon suite, they unpacked, fooled around and then went to the famous Long Bar of the Raffles Hotel, said to be the longest bar in Asia. They of course drank Singapore Slings which had been invented there. After drinks, they had dinner. While Rick went to the billiards room for a game, Kate decided to take a walk in the garden.

As she stood in the garden, she felt a slight breeze, and turning, she saw a man standing next to her. Oddly, her superior hearing hadn't detected him approaching her. That could mean only one thing.

"Greetings, Yamada-san. To what do I owe the honor of a visit by the greatest ninja master of all time?"

The older man smiled. "Can't I come to see my favorite and best pupil, Kati-san? Must you suspect me of some ulterior motive?"

Kate bowed slightly to him. "A thousand pardons, Yamada-san."

He laughed. "I fear you were right. There is a problem."

"And how may I be of assistance?"

"You are familiar with the news from China?"

Kate nodded. "Of course. The Japanese army has invaded Manchuria. There are rumors that the Japanese will begin to move south soon, into China proper."

Yamada-san nodded sadly. "I fear that my country is leaving behind the ways of peace in favor of the ways of war. Manchuria is just the beginning. They intend to take over all of Asia. They call for a Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, but the prosperity will go to Japan, I believe and the war that my country's government seeks, will be destructive beyond all others."

Kate nodded, taking all of this in. "How can I help?"

"The British are building a great fortified naval base here at Singapore. There will be artillery, air bases and many soldiers guarding the base."

Indeed, Kate had read of the efforts to build an impregnable base in Singapore. "I am aware of that."

"But the plans for the base have been copied and stolen. The plans are held by an infamous member of the yakuza, the Japanese organized crime syndicate. The spy who stole the plans is well known to you. He is Herr Joshua von Davidson. A renegade who raised his own force of thugs and cut throats from the ruins of the Russian Empire in Siberia. Thanks to you and your husband, his army is greatly diminished, not more than a dozen or so are left. That is why he has had to approach the yakuza for assistance. He doesn't have the men to do the job by himself. However, when he provides the Japanese military with the plans to fortress Singapore, the Japanese will provide him with weapons and money so that he can recreate his army and lead it on a bloody path through the more distant parts of China. With the Chinese distracted, the Japanese army will have an easier time invading China."

"But what can I do?" Kate asked.

"You were my best pupil. You are the greatest ninja of all time. The plans are hidden in the Shinto temple in Changi Village. Do you know of it?"

"I know where it is. I assume there are guards there."

Yamada-san nodded gravely. "There are a dozen yakuza and several of von Davidson's men. Von Davidson may even be there."

Kate took a deep breath and nodded. "I'll go tonight."

"Thank you. If my country feels the price of war is too high, they may seek more peaceful means to expand, such as automobiles and consumer electronics. We may be saved a horrible war."

That night, Kate dressed in a skin tight ninja outfit. Rick watched her with undisguised dread.

"I should go with you." He said.

She slowly shook her head. "No, I have the training for this, you don't. With any luck my ninja skills will let me get in, steal back the plans and get out all without being seen." She kissed her husband passionately. "I'll be back by morning. "

"Are you sure?"

"Smoke me a kipper. I'll be back for breakfast."

Once at the temple, Kate easily climbed the outside of the building and crept down the inside of the building, using every tiny crack and crevice in the walls to climb down. She paused and looked down. It appeared that the yakuza and von Davidson's soldiers were drunk or stoned. She dropped lightly to the floor and headed for a desk upon which was a bulky file. As her hand touched it, an electric light came on.

"Doctor Beckett, or should I call you Mrs. Castle?" Kate heard the gloating voice of von Davidson.

Kate smiled. "Do you really expect to stop me with just a dozen of the yakuza and a couple of your men? You should all run away before I have to hurt you."

She could hear footsteps moving away from her, but then they stopped.

"I expect to stop you with the finest ninja ever to be trained. Her name is Gi-Na."

From out of the dark came a blonde woman. Kate managed to get out of her way, but she could tell that her years of not practicing her ninja skills were catching up to her. The blonde was better than she was. Kate only hoped that her greater experience would tell. Alas, that was not to be. Kate found herself flat on her back with Gi-na's sword at her throat.

"I will do this very slowly so that I may enjoy it for a long time." Gi-Na said. But, suddenly the sound of a rifle shot filled the air. Gi-Na was slammed backwards, and Kate leapt to her feet.

Gi-Na stood there, examining her chest. "My padded bra stopped the bullet!" She exclaimed.

"A padded bra!" Raged von Davidson. "You told me you were a 44 DD cup."

Gi-Na shrugged. "What's a few letters among friends?"

When they looked around, Kate and the plans were long gone.

When Kate returned to their suite in the Raffles Hotel, she found Rick cleaning his Springfield rifle. The one with the telescopic sight.

'You know that we're better as a team." He said.

"I'll remember that in the future."