Scars of the past

Understanding better

"Nina."

It was my father signaling to the entire team that came with him, they were on duty, and saluting, my rank was higher than theirs. I had completely forgotten.

"Dismissed."

Said dismissing them, which made the confusion even bigger. My father came around, positioning himself in front of me and my mother, he walked in circles to explain his cases, as he always loved to do.

"I'm General Gerald Colin, Director General of the National Security and Intelligence Agency, this is my wife also General Marisa Colin and Deputy Director. We are Nina's parents. Nice to meet you."

The pieces were starting to fall into place in their heads, but it seemed to raise more questions than it provided answers. I could only stare at George, completely stunned and uncomprehending. My speech before they arrived, must have done nothing.

"Let me explain.... Trying to explain....I never deceived you, I really am a police officer, and coming here was my fresh start, but I had a background in the Agency."

I sighed, to continue counting. The story was long and they needed to know.

"I grew up inside the Agency, they were promoted to their charges as soon as I was born, and I practically lived there alone. I became an agent very young, at 15 I already helped with cases and at 18 I practically already organized and led missions. It was natural and fast, it was my reality, that's all I lived. Until I discovered a human trafficking scheme, which involved very powerful men, and I set up a scheme to catch them."

"I tried to stop it, it was too big a case for her. But you know her, she's very stubborn."

My father always needed to complement what I said, but the stubborn part I knew he was right.

"We found out it was much bigger than that, it also involved arms and drug trafficking, and it was taken passively, we were looking for the name called Mahamud Lijen. I assembled my team to go into the field, and everything was going well. Until they caught me, and they took my best friend too, Alisson, my right hand man on the mission. They were going to kill us, until she said that I was the Director's daughter, she said that to save me. But they killed her in front of me right after ."

"That's why you spoke her name while sleeping..."

George said trying to take things in. I just nod my head in agreement.

"So they held me captive by the wrists and ankles and tortured me for 62 days."

As I said that, I removed my watch and bracelet, which were strategically placed over my binding scars. It still hurts me to see them. I also prefer to hide myself so I don't have to see.

"Until my father got a deal and they released me in exchange for a prisoner of theirs, who was in custody of the Agency, but the exchange wasn't very friendly and I left a shot in the belly before running away."

I pulled my shirt up, and the gunshot scar was there, I had told George it was a scar from an accident in my police training.

"When I came back, I was completely malnourished and traumatised, I spent months in rehab and swore never to work at the agency again. I always thought that if I wasn't an agent I would be a police officer, and I joined the academy, the rest of the story you already know."

"That explains all your unusual skill, especially with weapons. But what about this King and Queen thing?"

Bruce responded by scratching his head.

"These are the code names. We were promoted to directors together, soon everyone started calling us King and Queen, when Nina was born they already called her princess, and when she became an agent, it became her code name too."

My mother answered this time, with her imposing voice, and her confident posture, it was visible that she was not in my father's shadow, they were a team.

"This man was Mahamud's right hand man, he was responsible for torturing me most of the days, and the fact that he has the same marks they left on me is a warning that they are after me.

"But why now? Why did they look for you now?"

Sara asked this time.

"Probably why I got attention, arresting an interpol wanted, then a serial killer, then the ceremony... And actually I knew that sooner or later, this ghost would come. It would haunt me, my life was too good to be true ."

I said my last words looking at George, I wanted him to understand that I loved him and I loved our life, I didn't want all that to happen. I couldn't read him, he was blank for me, I didn't know he was upset, or confused, or angry.

"Actually it was because his son died in combat with us last week."

My dad said for the first time looking down, he knew what was coming next.

"By your order..."

I said sighing already.

"And now he wants your daughter because you killed his son."

"And after that he hacked into one of our servers, and he got a file with the names and addresses of all our agents and government officials. I believe that's how he found you."

"What? You've got to be kidding, this puts the entire police force, agents, feds and national security of the country at risk."

"I know my daughter, that's why we're here. But at first he hasn't used any data from those files yet."

"We need to see what he wants out of it."

My brain was frying with all this information.

"Captain Banner, do you agree to work together on this? I need my daughter for this, but she is no longer an agent on my team, she is a police officer on your team. I would like us to join forces to resolve this."

Him asking permission? It was unheard of, he was used to simply issuing orders.

"Sure, we'll do whatever it takes."

Bruce responded by shaking my dad's hands.

"Daughter, I brought your old team to help you in this new phase."

Three of the agents removed the protective mask, and it was Rufus, Angelic and Clark, I couldn't believe it, they put themselves in front of me and before anything else they saluted me. I dismissed them, and then hugged them all, Alisson was missing for the team to be complete, but it was good to see them again.