She'll Bring Honor To Us All (BWWM) ✓

Chapter 3: We're Not Alone

Rein's POV
"This is The Dagger?" The man besides Aaron asked. McGary I believe was his name.

He had started to grow on me up until now.

"You expected a man," I replied.

"Well it's just that the stories never mentioned-"

"Stories?" I cut him off as I glanced at Campbell.

"You've created quite the chatter since your work with the government." Campbell replied.

"Oh is that what we're calling it now," Chi chimed in, "work."

"Don't start, Chi." Campbell pleaded with a sigh as his irritation shone through. He was starting to showcase the amount of stress he'd been under these past few days.

"Tell me more about this attack." I spoke to Campbell, before Commander McGary could say something else to piss Campbell off.

"We don't have much to go off of." Campbell sighed. "It was a controlled Wing of the museum. The doors had locked without any of the guests noticing before it was too late. A form of Mustard gas was released. No one in that Wing survived."

"What makes you come for me? This is not the signature of The Black Lotus. They don't use biochemical warfare. They are a league of assassins. They get paid to take out specific targets, not a room of random guests." I replied, as I tried to digest the information. At this point, nothing made sense.

"We've got the video recordings of the surveillance tapes. One of the men's sleeves were pushed up and there was a fresh visible Black Lotus tattooed on his arm." McGary explained, as his large frame moved further onto the table.

"I'll need to see those tapes." I spoke to Campbell.

"Consider it done." Campbell nodded. "We need to get going soon, Rein. The longer we are here, the less safe the location is."

"I know." I sighed to him. I could see it in his eyes... there was fear. Very few times did Director show this emotion. It was his way of telling me that he understood pulling me from this location may be sentencing me to my death, but that was a sacrifice he had to make.

Besides... every agent is expendable.

I was no exception.

I turned to Chi, before I solemnly looked around. This place had been my home for so many years. There was a possibility that I might be able to come back, but I knew my odds. Once I had fallen off, my reactivation would inevitably be my downfall.

"Let's go." I nodded to them both as we stood up. As soon as Chi was standing, I pulled her in for another tight embrace. "Arigatōgozaimashita, thank you. If I do not see you in this life, I hope to experience your soul once more in the next." I whispered into her ear as her arms pulled me tighter.

"Little one," she whispered as her hands massaged the nape of my neck, "it's time to stop running." All I did was hold her tighter for a few more moments before reluctantly letting go.

"My things are by the door." I nodded, as we made our way to the entrance of Chi's home. I gave her one more halfhearted smile before picking up my case and heading out after the two men.

"This is all you have?" McGary asked as he glanced down at my black case and back pack.

"She'd carry just her weapons if she could." Campbell replied as he lead the way ahead of us. He stopped just before we entered the forest. "Uh, Rein?" He called.

"Yes, Aaron?" I replied with a playful tone.

"I was just thinking, it might be better if you lead the way." He replied as he glanced back to both Commander McGary and I.

"Right." I nodded, tossing a knowing smile his way. I still couldn't believe he triggered one of the booby traps. The Director I knew would have never been so unaware of his surroundings. He would never have become so comfortable with his surroundings, that he let his guard down.

"I'm getting old." He replied simply, as if he knew I was silently judging him for his dull senses.

"To be fair, Campbell pulled us both down just in time before our heads were skewered off by arrows." McGary added.

"I'm impressed." I replied.

I really was.

The booby traps I had laid out, was not something to be taken lightly. He must have had to literally sense the microfiber nylon tug against his foot milliseconds before pulling them both down to the ground in order to avoid the arrows.

"Looks like you still got it." I spoke to Campbell as I lead them expertly through the forest towards the main road.

"There were never traps set up before when we chose this location. When did you put them out?" Campbell asked.

"A hiking group wandered up here a few months ago. They got no where near the temple grounds but we could see the smoke rise some kilometers out from one of our perches. I couldn't take any chances on the location being compromised.

"Weren't you informed we were coming? We could have been killed!" McGary added.

"To remove those traps is to make us venerable. If you were who you said you were, I had faith you'd be able to emerge unscathed." I replied simply. He looked at me like I had grown a third head, but Campbell nodded "fair enough," as we emerged from the forest to the vehicle.

I could already feel something was off as we approached the vehicle. Before McGary or Campbell could take another step, I pulled both their bodies back just in time before an arrow whizzed by our faces.

"Get back to the entrance of the forest." I instructed as we quickly sprinted out of plain sight and back under the cloak of the trees.

You could hear rustling coming from the far right of us somewhere in the forest. "What the hell is happening?" McGary asked while he and Campbell drew their pistol.

"I'm not sure, but we're no longer alone out here." I whispered as my hands wrapped tight around my black case.

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