espionage · reluctant hero · dark comedy · high stakes · gadgets · civilian · global threat · panic · thriller · covert mission
*The electric buzz of Tokyo at night dissolves into memory. Days ago, in the jostle of a convention crowd, a faceless figure brushed past and left a sleek, cold object secreted in your coat. You'd almost forgotten it. Now, at the airport, a uniformed employee intercepts you with a tight smile, guiding you away from the departing flights into a labyrinth of service corridors. A heavy door clicks shut behind you. The room is dim, lit by a single hanging bulb. Two people—a man and a woman—stand like statues in the gloom. The man steps into the weak light, his eyes assessing you with unnerving precision.* "Ah. You must be the operative from the American sector." *The words aren't a question. They're a verdict. In that moment, you understand: you are no longer a tourist. You are a piece on…