“But there is something I need to warn you about,” Christine continued. “Since our line of work is a dangerous one, if you eventually change your mind and decide to come back to the USIA, you’ll eventually be forced to kill someone again. There’s no way to avoid it.”
“Why do you say that? Have you had to kill someone else? Not just the man in Houston?”
Christine nodded. “I have. I’ve killed five.”
Kiana was in shock. She could not believe what she had just heard. “You’ve killed five people?”
Christine nodded. “Trust me. It never gets any easier. I can still see each of their faces vividly in my mind. But you learn to deal with it, one way or another.”
“I don’t want to kill any more people. Ever. There’s never a good reason to kill someone. ”
Christine looked at her carefully for a few seconds, then responded. “I’m not certain I agree with you. What if your dad was in danger? What if a terrorist was going to shoot him and the only way you could save him was to shoot the terrorist first?”
“I wouldn’t shoot him. I’d kick the gun out of his hand. I’m good at kicking.”
Christine smiled. “You are good with those kicks, I’ll give you that. But what if you couldn’t kick the gun out of his hand? What if he was too far away and the only way you could stop him was to shoot him?”
“My gun is a tranquilizer. It would only knock him out.”
“What if you didn’t have your tranquilizer? What if, for some unknown reason, you had a real gun?”
“I’d try to wound him.”
“That’s what I tried when I was in Houston. It didn’t work for me. My attempt ended up with a man drowning in his own blood.”
“You’re not making me feel any better.”
Christine laughed. “I never claimed I was a head shrinker. But you’ve got to give me credit. I’m trying. And at the same time I’m being honest with you. I’ve only known you for a short time, Kiana, but already I know you well enough to know you’re going to return to the agency. Eventually.”
Kiana was about to say something, to contradict her, but Christine cut her off.
“I know you said you’re done but trust me, you’ll recover and you’ll come back. And it’ll be quicker than you realize.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because you were meant for this type of work. You’re an absolute natural. And you’re like me. You like to help people and at the USIA you can do that.”
Kiana was silent for a few minutes. To be honest, she really didn’t know what to say. She was still adamant about the agency, she wasn’t going back, no matter what Christine said, but at the same time she had to give Christine some credit, for she had made some good points. For the most part, Kiana had enjoyed her time as a secret agent (other than getting shot in Portland). Seldom had she felt so alive. The only things she had ever enjoyed as much were her taekwondo, her softball, and the time she had spent recently with Jacen.
“Speaking of helping people,” Christine said. “I’ve been meaning to ask you about that nickname of yours.”
Kiana raised an eyebrow. “What nickname?”
“King Kiana.”
Kiana’s heart stopped the minute Christine said it.
“You know about that?” She had never told Michael or Christine anything about the fight with Brett. Nor about her popularity at school as a result.
“I just happened to be on Facebook one night and I noticed someone had gotten really popular. Somewhere around three thousand friends.”
“Three thousand one hundred and fifty two. Give or take a few.”
“Why don’t we head down to Starbucks and grab something to drink? And then you can tell me about this encounter with Brett Kingsley. I’ve been wanting to hear about it for a while now.”
“You’re not going to tell my dad, are you? I don’t think he’ll approve of me beating up kids at school, even if they are bullies. He’s kinda funny that way.”
Christine laughed. “I’m not going to tell him a thing. But I’ve got to hear it myself. And I bet it’s a good story.”
“It is. You had to see how hard I kicked him. I flipped him completely over which is amazing since he’s so big. Even Master Gwon would have been impressed.”
They hopped up and headed to a local Starbucks, which was just a few blocks away in the Mill Creek Town Center. They thought about driving but since they weren’t really in a hurry and since it was a nice, sunny day (which was rare in the Pacific Northwest in December), they decided to walk instead. After that, they went to a local mall and looked at clothes, then went to a restaurant for lunch.
Much to Kiana’s relief, as the day progressed, and largely thanks to Christine, she started to feel a little better.
Chapter 38
It took a few weeks for Kiana to return to normal but ever so slowly she did, and as she did, she quickly started to realize Christine was right. Kiana was meant to be a special agent, and, despite the tragic incident at the Space Needle, she actually started to miss being one. She had never felt as alive as that day in Bellingham, when she had been on her first assignment with Michael, or that day in Chiang Mai when she and Christine had rescued Johnson. Granted, each assignment had had its share of scary moments (especially the one in Chiang Mai), but she had enjoyed them nonetheless, and during the Chiang Mai mission she had done something really important. She had helped rescue a fellow agent. So despite the risks, and despite the fact she might occasionally have to deal with unfortunate events, she wanted to return to her life as an agent. As such, she got in her car and headed to the USIA’s headquarters in Bellevue.
Beckman looked up the minute she entered her office.
“Kiana. What a pleasant surprise. When Alyssa said agent Cruise was here, I assumed she meant your father. It’s nice to see you again.”
“You too, ma’am.”
“How have you been lately?”
“Good. I got an A on my last history exam.”
Beckman smiled. “Well done. Well done indeed. And what about your softball?”
“We haven’t been playing much lately since it’s the offseason. But things will be kicking into high gear soon, once spring comes around.”
Beckman nodded. “I’ll have to come and watch one of your games one day. Your dad says I’m in for a treat.”
Kiana nodded. “It would be nice to have you there. I won’t let you down. I’ll put on a good show for you.”
“I’m sure you will. But enough of the small talk. What brings you here today?”
“I’m ready.”
“Ready?”
“I’m ready to return to the agency. And I apologize for leaving in the first place. I totally overreacted.”
Beckman’s answer was quick and about as blunt as it could be. “Kiana, you did not overreact in any way. Our line of work is a stressful one and you’ve been through a lot lately. First getting shot, then the incident at the Space Needle. That would have discouraged anyone, even a veteran agent with years of experience, let alone a new one like you.”
“Still, this work is what I want to do. So I want to come back. And I promise I won’t quit again.”
“You don’t need to make any promises to me. As far as I’m concerned you’ve already earned your keep. As such, your request is granted and you’re reinstated immediately. I’ll send you word as soon as I have an assignment for you.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.”
She got up and headed for the door but Beckman’s voice stopped her one final time.
“Kiana. It’s nice to have you back.”
“It’s nice to be back,” Kiana said.
Chapter 39
Pavel Voronov stood in front of a large holding pen that had been constructed in one corner of his compound, near the chain link fence that separated the compound from the jungle that sat outside. At his side was his assistant, Dimitri Nikitin, and both men were watching the pen’s inhabitants closely. The pen w
as filled with Dr. Charles Zander’s monstrous creations and there were at least fifty of them total, probably more. They milled about the pen aimlessly, from side to side, hissing loudly at one another whenever they got near. Like all dead bodies, the creatures had already begun to deteriorate and many of them already showed signs of decay at various places on their skin. One of them had gotten so bad it had lost an arm and it was carrying it around in its other hand.
“These things are ghastly,” Dimitri said. “How many more is Zander planning to make?”
“I’m not certain,” Voronov said. “He says his experiments are nearing completion but to be honest he’s been saying that for a while now. His serum is completed but he is trying to convert it into a gaseous form for easier dispersal. Which reminds me - have you been able to obtain enough planes?”
Dimitri nodded. “Fifteen have already arrived. The rest will be delivered in the next week or so.”
“Good. We’ll need plenty. In order for our operation to succeed, we must hit at least one major city on each continent. Ideally, I’d like to hit at least double that. Only by doing so can we guarantee success on a global scale.”
“What about us?” Dimitri asked. “Upon dispersal, won’t we be affected by the serum, too?”
“No. We’re completely safe here. We’re fifty miles off of the coast of Costa Rica. Nothing can reach us here.”
Dimitri nodded, then turned back to the creatures. He grimaced as two of the mindless brutes started to fight, and their melee didn’t come to an end until one of them had bitten the other’s nose off.
Voronov addressed him once again.
“When you’ve got some time I’d like you to locate a new assistant for me.”
Dimitri raised an eyebrow. “Are you unhappy with my services?”
“Not at all. But you can’t be at my side at all times, Dimitri. And in these upcoming weeks there is much that needs to be done so I may need to send you on several different assignments in a row. While you’re gone, I want someone at my side. And I want someone good, with skills comparable to yours. I don’t want any of these buffoons you’ve got guarding this place. These mercenaries are clowns. I want someone like you with some real skills.”
Dimitri nodded. “I may have someone in mind. An associate of mine from Sydney. She used to be an MI6 operative but had a falling out with her superiors a while back.”
“Is she trustworthy?”
“I believe so. She’s been working with me for about six months now, doing various things, and she has yet to let me down. And she would make an excellent bodyguard. Her hand-to-hand skills are comparable to mine. Perhaps superior.”
“Excellent. Bring her to me.”
Dimitri nodded, turned, and walked away.
Chapter 40
As far as Kiana was concerned, the previous year had been one for the record books. She had had other noteworthy years, like the one when her softball team, the Lady Sharks, won the state championship, and the one when she had gone on her first date (which had led to her first kiss), and the one when she had won her first big taekwondo tournament. But nothing could top the current year. Nothing could even come close. After all, how many times did a person get in a car accident and die, change her identity, move to a new city, become a secret agent, get shot, and throw a man off of the top of the Space Needle? It was pretty hard to top all of that. But much to Kiana’s surprise, one more thing happened to make her year truly unforgettable.
She got a sister.
And she got one in a completely unexpected way. She wouldn’t have been surprised at all if Michael and Christine had come home one day and had announced Christine was pregnant. But that didn’t happen and the sister had nothing to do with Christine.
Kiana was sitting in the school cafeteria eating lunch with Stacy, Hailey, Veronica, Jacen, and John when she got a call from Michael.
“What’s up?” she asked.
“Hopefully you’re not doing anything tonight.”
“Why?”
“I made dinner plans for us. We’re meeting an old friend of mine. She’s in town for a couple of days and just gave me a call. I haven’t seen her for ages and she really wants to meet you.”
“Okay. Sounds fine. Where are we going?”
“The Steakhouse at Bellevue Square.”
Kiana’s mouth started to water the minute she heard the name. She loved The Steakhouse. The prime rib was incredible. “Sweet. Christine coming?”
“No. It’ll just be the two of us tonight.”
That was strange, Kiana thought. Lately, the three of them had become quite a team and she and Michael rarely did anything without Christine any more.
“Who’s the friend?”
“Just someone I knew years ago. A British agent. You’ll like her. Her name is Holley Livingston.”
Kiana’s eyes got big the minute he said the name. She remembered it. It was one of the names Christine had mentioned during their flight to Chiang Mai. It was one of Michael’s old girlfriends before he met Kiana’s mom.
Suddenly, her day had become a lot more interesting. She was going to get to meet one of Michael’s old flames.
As such, and according to plan, she and Michael met Holley at The Steakhouse at 6:00 pm. Kiana was immediately impressed. Holley was tall, dark, and extremely shapely, with long, ebony hair and auburn eyes. She wore a tight, form fitting dress and some of the nicest shoes Kiana had ever seen.
Wow, Kiana thought. I’ve got to give my dad credit. He has good taste when it comes to women.
“James,” she said, “it’s so nice to see you again. It’s been so long. Almost twenty years now, right?”
“I think so,” Michael said. “And actually, it’s Michael now. Ever since the incident in Anaheim.”
She nodded. “I forgot all about that. Forgive me, Michael.” She put special emphasis on the word ‘Michael.’
Michael turned to Kiana and introduced her. “Holley, this is Kiana. Formerly Amanda.”
Holley shook Kiana’s hand enthusiastically. “It’s a pleasure, Kiana. I’ve wanted to meet you for a long time. But since I rarely make it back to the states, especially these past few years, I’ve had few chances.” She paused for a second so she could take a closer look at Kiana. “Oh my god, you look so much like your mother. I feel like I’ve gone back in time twenty years and she’s standing right here in front of me.”
Kiana couldn’t help but smile. Christine had said something similar about her appearance when they had been in Thailand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Why are you here in town, Holley?” Michael asked. “Do you have business in Seattle?”
She shook her head. “No. This trip is purely for personal reasons. There’s something I’ve needed to do for a long time and I’m afraid I cannot put it off any longer. Someone won’t let me.”
As if on cue, another woman appeared and walked up. In most ways, she looked exactly like Holley, just twenty years younger. She had the same shapely figure and identical, ebony hair.
“Michael and Kiana,” Holley said. “This is my daughter, Olivia.”
Michael’s eyes got large. “What a surprise. I never knew you had a daughter, Holley.” He turned to Olivia. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too,” Olivia said.
They shook hands, and then Olivia turned and nodded at Kiana. They didn’t say anything to one another but Kiana couldn’t help but feel slightly strange when their eyes met. There was something in Olivia’s eyes, something peculiar about the way she looked at her, that instantly told her there was something more going on than had yet been revealed.
Michael hoisted his wine glass into the air and proposed a toast. “To old friends and their lovely daughters.”
They touched their glasses and drank. Kiana and Olivia were both under twenty-one (Olivia was nineteen) so their drinks were non-alcoholic, but it was fun nonetheless. The waiter came by and took their orders and a few minutes later their
meals arrived. As always, Kiana ordered the prime rib and it was heavenly. Michael got a New York steak and Holley and Olivia ordered miscellaneous pasta dishes.
“How is it?” Kiana asked.
“Excellent,” Olivia answered. “Yours?”
“Superb.” To be honest, it was so good Kiana could barely control herself but she did her best because she didn’t want to embarrass Michael by eating like a pig in front of his old flame.
“Where have the two of you been living all of these years?” Michael asked.
“Here and there,” Holley said. “We lived in Greece for a while, when I was stationed there, then in London, and the past ten years or so we’ve lived in Sydney.”
“Australia?” Kiana asked. That was one place she and Michael had never visited but she had always wanted to. “I’ve heard it’s so nice.”
“It is,” Olivia said. “The weather is awesome.”
“But you don’t have an accent. There are some exchange students at my school who are from Australia and they all have accents.”
Olivia smiled. “I can turn it on and off when needed. British, too.”
“Let me hear it.”
Olivia smiled, then said, “Let’s throw some shrimp on the barbi, mate.” They all laughed. It was a perfect Australian accent, at least as far as Kiana was concerned. But then they laughed even more as Olivia switched to her British accent and said, “Let’s have a jolly good time tonight, lads.”
Dinner continued from there and Kiana had no choice but to admit it was a fun evening. Holley and Olivia were delightful and within an hour Kiana felt like she had known them forever. And there was something about Olivia that perplexed her, almost like they had some sort of strange connection or something. Twice, they finished each other’s sentences, and once they said the exact same thing at the exact same time. Everyone laughed as they did it.
“That’s hilarious,” Michael said. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think the two of you were sisters. You even look alike.”
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