His memories (2)

Tachi remembered her young, crystal voice introducing herself to him for the first time. Broken body, but spirit still intact.

"Lina..." he continued to speak out loud to himself on the cold, prison cell floor.

He was here in captivity of his own agency because of her.

He'd made a mess of his life because of her.

His life had been a mess since that very day.

Maybe it was slightly inappropriate for 26 year old man to take such a strong liking to a young 16 year old teenager that day.

But he couldn't turn away from her.

She'd looked at him with those enchanting eyes of hers, asking a stream of questions, sparkling with curiosity.

"What's your name mister?" she had asked.

"Just call me Tachi."

She'd giggled.

"That's funny. What kind of name is just 'Tachi'?"

That had made him smile. She was definitely cheeky.

"Where's your family?" he asked carefully.

No one in town seemed to be looking for this girl. His eyes darkened at the thought of her orphaned childhood if she was who he thought she was.

Besides, he didn't know how she ended up in Country J.

"I live with my aunt and cousin sister..."

Tachi breathed a sigh of relief that this girl still had family she was living with.

"But they'd much rather I be dead."

When Lina finished her sentence, Tachi looked her at her anguished face in distress.

He reached out to touch her hand, but years of distrust made her pull back.

She'd never truly believed anyone would care for her. She was just a thorn on everyone's side.

Lina quickly changed the topic.

"Mister Tachi, were you the one who shot those thugs when I was fighting them?"

Tachi turned away. This was not information he should be divulging to people outside the agency.

Without waiting for an answer Lina continued speaking.

"I think it was brave to have helped me even though I was outnumbered. Everyone else ran away. But few have the courage to stand up for what they believe in fearlessly. If it was you, Mister Tachi, thank you very much."

Her words touched him. For some reason, he desperately wanted this girl's approval and acknowledgment.

"It was nothing." he said quietly.

"So it was you! Can you teach me to shoot like that?!" she had asked him excitedly.

Tachi sighed. He should have said no. He should keep her away from his business. But he just didn't want to.

Was it her earnest eyes, burning with the fires of justice and integrity? Or was it simply her goddess-like beauty that had him trapped like a bear in a honey-trap?

Did this girl have no sense of danger?

The next few days spent recuperating, Lina begged and begged Tachi to help teach her how to defend herself and use weapons.

He finally gave in when she was well enough to engage in physical exercise.

"I'll teach you on the condition that you listen to me without question, don't complain and do no touch any weapons or pick up fights without my supervision."

Lina had nodded eagerly agreeing to every condition.

The girl was an impressively gifted and fast learner.

Within a week, her close combat fighting especially with knives and martial arts was instinctive and reflex based.

She was quick and agile.

Her shooting was the actual deal. She had the concentration and eyesight of a hawk.

The girl was no short of prodigal.

Tachi received a call from the boss' right hand man one evening.

"Agent Tachibana, you are wasting the Agency's time and resources by continually extending your mission. I'm sure the leader of the Xin group isn't that hard to track down and kill for someone of your proficiency."

The boss' secretary was a cruel man of few words. He was especially scathing on this phone call. They had expected Tachi to have completed this mission much sooner.

"Sorry, Senior. A civilian got in the way. The Kingpin has been in hiding since then. This is their territory. I can't rush things." Tachi reported.

"Are you sure that's all it is? Is there nothing else keeping you there, Agent?" the sharp voice retorted.

Tachi paused, wondering whether he should report the possibility of Lina as a recruit due to her extraordinary skills.

He realised it was better not to keep secrets from the Senior.

"Senior, there's a girl. She's exceptionally talented. I would like to propose recruiting her."

"No."

"Senior?"

"We're not taking recruits, no matter how good they are."

"Why, senior?"

"No more space."

Tachi became agitated.

"Senior, may I speak to the boss about her?"

"Agent Tachibana, you will complete your mission in the next three days and return to head quarters. Alone."

As soon as Senior had spoken his orders, the phone line went dead.

Just then, Lina entered Tachi's room, smiling. She had just finished the training set he had put her on. Her face was glowing with health and youth.

Tachi wanted this girl more than he'd care to admit.

But the guilt and the shame made her impossible to reach. He was the reason she had been orphaned.

But he would pay her back in full by rescuing her from this abusive life under her aunt.

"Lina, I have to leave in three days."

Lina's bright face dropped.

But then her big eyes burned with determination.

"I'm coming with you."

"Lina, you don't even know anything about me or where I work."

"I don't care. It's better than here." she would not give in.

That night Tachi told her about the Agency.

"Tell them I'm good, Tachi. I want to serve the people. I want to work for the Agency too. I want to be like you, Tachi!" she had begged him.

He didn't have the heart to tell the young girl that the Agency was not so much a beacon of justice as it was a neutral, emotion-less entity that killed in the name of balance and maintaining a status quo.

It was blind to its victims.

Like her parents.