Mako Tanida (No. 83)

Send an Encrypted Message to the MenAh, Mako Tanida — now there’s a name that should’ve remained buried in the rubble of Japan’s underworld. But alas, ghosts are rarely content to stay dead.Raymond “Red” Reddington here, with a tale that bleeds betrayal, vengeance, and the kind of poetic irony that makes even me pause for a drink — or, in this case, a celebratory sashimi platter.You see, Mako Tanida was once a Yakuza kingpin — a man with an appetite for retribution and a rather unorthodox approach to justice. After escaping from a maximum-security prison (a feat that required more than just a nail file and determination), Tanida sets out to dismantle the task force responsible for his downfall, one member at a time. It’s personal. Messy. Bloody. And oh, does it send poor Agent Ressler spiraling into a moral tailspin so severe I thought he might actually loosen his tie.As bodies pile up and secrets unravel, we learn that Ressler’s old partner, Bobby Jonica — a man so squeaky clean he practically squeaked — may not have been the Boy Scout everyone thought. Dirty money, dirty hands, and a betrayal that cuts deeper than Tanida’s blade.Meanwhile, Elizabeth is busy playing house with a man whose secrets could fill volumes. But we’ll shelve that for now. Let’s just say Tom’s extracurricular activities are about to become very interesting.In the end, Ressler is faced with a choice: justice or revenge. And wouldn’t you know it — the line between the two gets blurrier every time someone bleeds.Ah, Mako Tanida. Proof that no matter how far you run, the past always catches up — preferably with a tanto to the gut.