Searching for love

8

"So Layla is being targeted. How did they even find her after all these years? Keira did a great job of blending into society. From what Layla says she didn't even have a life outside of work. How did they find out she's your daughter? I mean even you didn't know". My father nodded and said, "Yes that's exactly why I am here. I need your help. I want one of your units backing me up on this search. I am taking Layla with me to Maryland and will have this investigated as well as keep her safe there, but I would appreciate your help". Ren nodded and smiled and said, "I will provide all the backup you need. We'll work this out don't worry. I suspect you already have a few ideas". Father nodded and uncomfortably glanced at me. I guess he didn't want me to hear this. I smiled and said, "I'll be downstairs at the main entrance". With that, I strode towards the elevator squeezing past the people running helter-skelter through the halls.

I sighed as I took in my reflection in the bathroom. My blonde hair was a mess and I had deep bags under my eyes. My arm was still bandaged but it had slowly started coming apart. I redid my bandaging and washed my face. All I had on me was my phone. If only I had my purse with me I could fix up my appearance a bit. Afterall I was meeting all of these important people and this was how they saw me. I left the bathroom after that and sat at one of the chairs as I contemplated the situation I was in. I looked at my phone, still no new notifications. I went through my contacts, total contacts 15. Out of them, one person was dead, one was the detective and the remaining were work. What a sad life indeed. My mind made up, I deleted all of the contacts and turned my phone off. Hopefully, things will change soon.

"Sorry for the wait, Lay!", My father came into view. He held his phone in one hand and said, "We'll be taking a helicopter to the airport and then we'll fly to Mayland immediately. I can have your things packed up and sent to my house. We're in a bit of a time crunch so you'll have to make do for the while. Once we're in Maryland you can buy some stuff, sounds good?", as he was talking he walked back to the elevator and I followed him there. However, all I could hear was Lay. He had a nickname for me! Even my mom didn't call me by a nickname. I know it seemed so small but to me, it meant the world. Looking straight ahead I said, "Yes dad it sounds perfect".

This was extremely luxurious. Never in 100 years had I imagined that I would be flying in a private jet. My life has changed so much in the past few hours to say I was confused was... almost like a dream. True the way I met my father was strange and not the most pleasant but still I was grateful for the people who threatened me because if it hadn't been for them I would never have met my father. "So, I know you have a job back in new york but I don't know if it's possible for you to return to that...with what's going on. Asking you to come to Maryland with no notice is very selfish of me but I want you to be close, I'm sorry Lay". I shook my head and said, "No it's for my own safety, and plus I want to live close by so we can spend more time getting to know each other". At those words, my father relaxed and smiled, "So tell me more about you. What are your hobbies? When is your birthday? Have you traveled a lot? Your dislikes and likes". My father said softly and nervously. I smiled and said, "I was born on February 14th, 2020, and love running. I ran track since middle school through college. I have never been anywhere but New York. I hate lettuce and love strawberries. I can't imagine life without them. I'm allergic to seafood. One of my hobbies is...actually shooting. Mom used to take me to the shooting range all the time and even made me take self-defense lessons. Now it's your turn. Tell me about how you met mom".

My father was quiet for a moment and then said his voice low and almost hollow, "I had just joined the NSA and was working as an agent. I was assigned a case where some small-time terrorists were threatening an attack. They were getting their weapons locally in the United States from one of the gangs in New York. It was when I was undercover in that gang that I met your mother. She was a part of that gang, her father was actually the gang leader. We fell in love. It didn't matter to me that she was in a gang. All I knew was that she was the one that I wanted to spend my entire life with. After that case came to a close, I came clean to her. She was pissed. However, things did not fall apart and we were more in love than ever; she even became my informant. Everyone at the NSA loved her. Her father found out about us and how she was an informant. One thing led to another and Kiera killed her own father and we ended up slaughtering her entire gang, her entire family was dead. I never saw her after that. Even with all my connections we never found her. I let her be after a while. If she did not want to be found so be it. I would respect her wishes even if it tore me apart. I also knew that there was no future for us. I had been the reason her family was dead. We were never meant to be".