Chapter Two:
Kitara was roused by a warm hand gently shaking her shoulder. She looked up and was greeted by a familiar face. She yawned.
"Hey Wolf, what's up?"
The older man had been one of the organization's first recruits. He smiled.
"We need to head to the debriefing."
Knowing that it was standard procedure after any mission Kitara nodded her consent. She looked down at the sleeping man.
"Keep tabs on him for me while I debrief will you?" Genuine affection showed in her soft gaze and voice as she stroked Dran's cheek.
She always has had a way of making everyone want to be her friend. The older man smiled. "Will do. Ghost and Ryder are waiting for you. I'll take you there and check back on this young feller."
"Thank you Wolf."
He nodded and then led her down the corridor to the debriefing room where he opened the door for her.
Kitara smiled and walked into the room. Once the door was closed the two heads of the company cleared their throats.
Ryder stood at five feet eleven inches. He had brown eyes and black hair which was usually tied into a bobtail. He was muscular and athletically built. He stared at her.
"First, we're glad to have you back."
"Thanks Ryder, it's good to be back."
Ryder nodded and set a note pad in front of him.
"Let's get started then, shall we?"
Kitara blew her bangs off her forehead and nodded.
"The sooner the better."
Ghost stood six feet tall and weighed two hundred pounds of solid muscle. His black hair was often worn up in a Japanese topknot. He had brown eyes and tanned skin denoting his heritage.
"Let's start from the beginning."
Kitara sighed as she slowly and patiently fill them in on everything from going undercover, to blowing the lab, leaving out the part of getting a vile spilled on her four months ago. Once the actual debriefing was over she signed the paper and handed them the dual copies of the doctor's PC files and the current paperwork from the day's routine.
"Good job, Tempest." Ryder accepted the disks and files, passing them to his partner.
"Dran and his men will need someone who can decipher those files to start their rehabilitation. If there are no objections, I'd like to work with them, after I get caught up here."
Ghost raised a brow. "Dran and his men will be given living quarters here. I don't see why you shouldn't be allowed to help them, as long as you get your work caught up first, young lady." He sent her a stern look.
Kitara smiled. "Yes daddykins."
Soru walked over enveloping his daughter in a strong bear hug.
"I'm glad to have you back home safe, baby girl." Leaning down he brushed a fatherly kiss upon her brow.
Smiling and feeling lighter then she had in the last twenty eight months Kitara hugged him back.
"I've missed you too daddykins."
Raven had been present the entire time, cleared his throat. "If yer done now, I believe that Tara and I shall start cracking down on those piles of files." He turned to his father for approval.
Ryder and Ghost both smiled and Shane nodded his approval.
"You know where to find the key." Soru turned to Kitara. "Your assignments are piled nice and neat in order on your desk. I expect at least two completed by the time I come home to take you out for dinner." He glanced at the watch on his wrist. "That gives the two of you four hours." He stared down at his daughter showing her that he meant business by the look in his eyes.
Kitara heaved a heavy sigh. "Yes sir."
Devon led her away from the room so that the two co-founders of the company could go over the information they had received and discuss what steps to take from there.
XOXOXO:
After the door to the debriefing room closed Kitara sighed ruefully.
"You would think that after sending me deep undercover for nearly two and a half years, he'd give me a few days before the makeup work." She ended with a pout on her face, which made her appear more of a child than a hardened killer.
Devon had brown hair that went into a high ponytail, with hazels eyes. He was taller than her, close to six feet and weighed one hundred and eighty pounds. He had a muscular, but not bulky build. He chuckled.
"Come on Tara, the sooner we get started, the sooner we'll get done." He led her towards her house.
She pulled her key out of her hiding spot and swiftly unlocked the steel door.
Devon led her inside and up to her room.
"How about we start with the math, since its yer favorite?" He chuckled at her groan. "Hey, they did at least hold off on the psyche evaluation for a few days, right?"
She grimaced. "At least that's something that isn't being thrown at me the minute I get back." A small smile crossed her lips. "I even got a warmer welcome than normal from your Pop this time."
Devon draped an arm over her shoulders. "Of course. Pop missed ya nearly as much as Soru and I did." He grinned.
Kitara hugged his waist. "After twenty-eight months it is nice to finally see you again."
Devon hugged her back. "I'm glad that yer back. Things have been rather dull without you kicking my butt every day."
Kitara laughed and sat down on her soft bed.
I'm finally home. Her warm eyes scanned her bedroom taking in the soothing waterfall mural on her wall, which her mother had painted when she was still a young child. She smiled affectionately stroking the mural.
I miss you so much, Mama. Taking a deep breath of the sweet vanilla scent that always permeated her room, usually mixed with lavender, she smiled and continued scanning her room.
The soft green carpet reminded her of a lush grassy hilltop. The twin sized bed was carved of light oak and was decorated with a blanket with leaves brushed on it. Everyone that knew Kitara already knew how much she absolutely adored nature themed settings, so they weren't surprised to discover that her bedroom reflected that.
She sighed and plopped back onto her soft bed.
"Man it feels good to be back home."
Devon carried over her first couple of files.
"Hate to be the one to rain on yer parade darlin', but we should get started on these."
She released a heavy sigh and nodded. They opened the files and set to work. The two of them continued working until Soru's voice boomed downstairs.
"Kitara! You ready for dinner?"
"I'm gonna leave ya with yer Pop now, but I'll come back and help ya tomorrow, okay?"
"Thanks Dev," She set the files aside and hugged him.
He smiled and took his leave.
Soru watched his daughter descend the stairs with her mother's graceful movements. He walked his daughter out to the car.
Once they passed through the thick steel gates of the security fence built around the facility near the entrance, Kitara enjoyed the quite car ride with her revered father.
At least he's not interrogating me. She allowed her eyes to drift shut as she basked in the silent yet comforting atmosphere.
XOXOXO
Soru smiled glad that his precious daughter had returned home safely and continued driving towards her favorite restaurant.
International Seafood Delicacies was a quaint restaurant that catered to just about any customer, from American, to Japanese. The fluorescent sign above the door read:
We pride ourselves on offering only the finest seafood meals with the freshest products. Soru smiled as he parked the car.
"We are here."
Kitara slowly opened her eyes and saw where they had arrived. Her eyes lit up. "Thanks daddykins," She leaned over to hug him.
Chuckling he returned her hug and kissed the top of her head.
They parted and exited the vehicle. Soru made sure to lock the car and arm the alarm before placing his hand at the small of her back and ushering his daughter towards the restaurant.
It was beautifully decorated with huge chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, which caught their attention the minute they stepped in the door. The decor was very sophisticated. The tables and chairs were all hand crafted cherry-wood and the seats had royal blue cushions built into the chairs. The walls were huge murals mainly of a large beach and a nice sun set.
They were escorted into the non-smoking section and handed menus. They made their selections and the waiter wrote down their orders and took their menus, promising to return with their drinks soon.
"I have to admit it was one of the most difficult missions that I've ever had."
Soru placed a hand on top of hers. "I'm proud of you Kitara. Not only did you stick it out through a really tough situation, but you managed to free the victims and get us some valuable information too." He grinned and squeezed her hand. "Good job."
I have to tell him tonight, but how? She chewed her bottom lip as she tried to figure out how best to word it.
Soru smiled at her. "Relax, you're home now."
She smiled weakly at him. "You're right daddykins." She bounced her knee under the table while they waited for their food.
Soru gingerly sipped his tea and watched his daughter. He noticed the way her eyes kept blinking.
Something is on her mind. Her hands were crossed in front of her on the table.
I'll have to wait until she's ready to talk about it, otherwise she'll clam up. She's always been like that. He sipped his fruity sweet grape tea and savored the taste.
Her leg continued bouncing up and down.
How will he react? Will he be disappointed in me for not telling them up front? He knee stopped and she froze unconsciously holding her breath. She couldn't bare seeing disappointment of her in his eyes. Her mouth turned down into a frown and her eyes lowered to the floor just at the thought of possibly disappointing her father. She closed her eyes to stop the tears that threatened and her throat became tight. A hand flew up to cover her chest.
Breathe Kitara, in and out. Soru frowned noticing her actions. "Baby girl, what's - "
"How are you two enjoying this lovely evening?" The waiter smiled warmly at them and placed their orders in front of them.
"Fine thanks," She sent him a fake smile and looked down at the food in front of her, a bowl of cooked rice with freshly fried tempura on the top. She licked her lips.
Soru chuckled. "My daughter has always loved Donburi, it's her favorite dish." He noticed the waiter's amused grin.
"That's understandable sir. It's a great meal." He placed Soru's order in front of him. "Enjoy the food and if you need anything just let me know. My name's Lance by the way." He bowed and took his leave.
Soru smirked and pulled his chopsticks apart as he admired his own dish of thinly sliced raw seafood arranged and served on top of shredded daikon and shiso leaves. He spotted the soya sauce and smiled. He picked up a piece of his sashimi and dipped it into the sauce before popping it into his mouth.
"You never could pass up a dish of sashimi, daddykins."
He grinned and savored the next bite.
"So what kind did you get this time?"
"I went with the Tako. Want some?" He held up a bite for her to try.
She shuddered. "No thanks. The last time I tried octopus I nearly threw it up."
He shrugged. "More for me." He dipped the next piece and popped the raw meat into his mouth.
She used her chopsticks to grab a piece of tempura and popped it into her mouth enjoying the sweet vegetables. She added some rice in with it, before sipping her tea.
I've missed the nights like this more than anything. Needing this evening with her father to soothe her nerves and escape the last two years of stress, she pushed her concerns aside for now and decided to tackle that problem later. Kitara gladly basked in the novelty of having had dinner with her esteemed father, whom she'd missed greatly.
Soru dipped some of the diakon and shiso leaves into the soya sauce and enjoyed their fresh minty flavor.
After they finished their dinner they walked out to the car and got in.
"I expect you to catch up
all of your school work before you do anything else. Your education is just as important as being a good operative." He watched her worry her bottom lip with her teeth. "I've missed you terribly and I'm so proud of you. You've completed one of the hardest missions this company has ever handled." He reached across the seat and clasped his daughter's hand between both of his.
She beamed at his praise. Her stomach churned and she shifted in her seat fidgeting her free hand. She took a deep breath.
"Um, there is something I need to tell you."
He noticed the light tremble of her hand he held. He stared deep into her eyes.
"What is it?"
Her heart pounded so hard she worried he might hear it. "I left something out of my report." She lowered her gaze to the floorboard.
Soru frowned and gripped the steering wheel. "Which was?"
She swallowed against the lump in her throat and fidgeted with her hands in her lap. "About four months ago, doc spilled... a vial on me."
Soru's eyes widened and then his gazed pierced her. "What was in the vial and why did you leave that out of your report?"
She ducked her head. "I was afraid that I'd be treated like one of his test subjects and I have no idea what was in the vial." Her hands covered her face. Tears rolled down her cheeks and her voice cracked.
"I'm sorry daddykins. I threw the lab coat off and immediately showered, rubbing my skin raw in hopes that I had gotten rid of whatever it was."
Her shoulders shook and she sobbed. "I know it was wrong not to tell you during the report but I - " A whimper escaped her throat and she cried harder.
Soru sighed heavily. "Don't worry Kitara, we will figure it out." He lifted her chin with his thumb and forced her to look at him. "You should have told us this earlier."
She timidly stared into his eyes with her lower lip quivering.
He stared directly into her gaze. "Do not
ever with hold any information from us again. Understand?"
She bit her lip and nodded as more tears fell down her cheeks.
Soru pulled her into his arms and closed his eyes, swallowing to relieve the tightness in his throat.
"We will work this out, baby girl."
She blinked as he gently wiped away her tears and nodded her head.
They focused on spending the rest of their evening being with each other while he started up the car and drove home.
XOXOXO:
"I understand your concern Soru, but the fact that she kept
anything from us during the debrief is troublesome. We can't have our operatives withholding anything from their reports."
Soru ran a hand through his hair. "I agree Shane, but she was undercover for twenty eight months. She barely had contact with anyone besides the doc, the people who worked at the lab, his victims and her contact."
Shane sighed and rubbed his temples. "Be that as it may, she deliberately withheld what could be vital information from the report."
Soru's jaw clenched.
Shane placed a hand on his shoulder. "She's one of the most promising young operatives we have. That's why she was chosen for this assignment in the first place."
Soru's shoulders relaxed a fraction and he blew out a frustrated breath.
"She is one of the two future owners of H.A.N.T. She needs to be honest with us about everything, no matter how small the details."
Soru huffed and paced with his hands clasped behind his back. "You're right Shane, I just hope she's okay." He ran his hand down his face. "The last time she cried in front of me was when her mother died." His face fell and sadness filled his eyes.
Shane winced. "Yeah, she's not one to cry often." He lightly squeezed his friend's shoulder. "Tell you what, we will put her on as the data analyst."
Soru scowled. "No, not yet. First she's going to finish school." He stared at his friend. "Shane, she just came off of a twenty eight month undercover assignment. She needs a break or she will burn out."
Shane opened his mouth to say something, but Soru held up a hand.
"My daughter
is going to finish her schooling, period!
After she graduates she can come back to work full time without anything else interfering. Until then, I'm going to have her finish her makeup work and then I'm sending her to her aunt's to finish her schooling."
Shane sighed heavily. "Alright, I'll have Wolf stay the data analyst, for now."
Kitara and Devon overheard them and walked in. Before Kitara could say a word, Devon turned to his father.
"I'm going with her."
"Now wait just a - "
"Tarnation Pop! If Tara is sent away, she'll have no one to be friends with. You know how shy she can get around strangers and right now she needs a friend." Clenching his fist Devon glared at his father. "It's just till after senior year, Pop. Soru's right, Tara needs a break. We could both finish High School and be good to come back full time with no more distractions."
"I'm right here you know! The three of you damned well better stop talking like I'm not." She huffed plopping onto the couch to glare at each of them.
Shane closed his mouth and clenched his jaw.
Soru smirked at his friend. "They are still teenagers after all."
"That will leave us minus two operatives." Shane slammed his fist on the table.
Soru bit back a laugh.
"Junior operatives."
Shane snorted. "Fine. Son be ready to leave the day she is." He stared at Soru. "Finish her makeup work." At Soru's nod Shane walked back into his office and shut the door.
"Now wait just a damned minute here." Kitara jumped up. "Don't I even get -"
"No you don't." Soru silenced her with a glare.
She grit her teeth and crossed her arms, falling back onto the couch.
With his arms crossed over his large chest Soru's pinned her with a hard stare and waved a finger at her.
"Don't you give me that young lady. You
are going to finish High School before I allow you to do take anymore assignments, period!"
When she remained silent Soru turned to Devon.
"I appreciate this Devon." He placed a hand on the young man's shoulder.
"Not a problem. Tara's my best friend and I ain't having her face a new school alone." His hand rested on top of the older man's and he gave it a firm squeeze.
Shane walked out of his office.
"Kitara, go home."
She opened her mouth to say something, but then closed her mouth and left the room in a huff.
Devon wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"Come on Tara, let's get ya home and start on the history packet, okay?"
She nodded. "Alright and thanks Dev."
His chest puffed out and he sent her a confident smirk.
"Anytime darlin'."
XOXOXO:
Kitara climbed into bed just as Soru knocked on her door.
"Come in."
Soru tucked her into bed and kissed her forehead.
"I only want what is best for you, baby girl."
She sighed. "I know." They hugged.
"Sleep Kitara, you have a busy day tomorrow."
"Night daddykins." She rolled over staring at the wall until exhaustion took over and she fell asleep.
