Love and Betrayal

Chapter three

    Javier was in the office of their stronghold talking with Keener when one of his men rushed in. “ Sir, one of the new recruits is back. He’s got news.” his man said. Javier and Aaron walked out of the office to where the recruit was panting, covered in blood. It was clear it wasn’t his. “ Report.” Javier demanded softly. He wasn’t one to yell. “ We were doing what we were ordered to when two more agents showed up.” He said and shivered as he remembered the agent who’d attacked them. “ One agent in particular, she fought like a f*****g demon. She ran right in, like she wasn’t afraid of death. I haven’t seen anyone move the way or as fast as she did!” he said and shivered again. Javier was quiet for a moment. “ What did this agent look like?” he asked. The recruit swallowed. “ I snapped a picture of her as I was getting away.” He said and showed Javier his phone. All the blood drained from Javier’s face as he looked at the picture. The last he’d seen her, he had thought for sure she was dead. James had been dragging his busted body away from the battle. When he’d looked over, Dani was on the other side of the street, a huge puddle of her blood soaking the ground underneath her. She’d been impaled on a huge sheet of scrap metal. There was no confusing the picture he stared down at. Dani’s hair was longer, her skin now pale but it was her. She still had the tattoos on her back. She’d survived and the Division had activated her to hunt them. Keener saw the blood drain from Javier’s face and his eyes actually glistened. “ What is it Kajika? Who is this agent?” Keener asked. He took the phone from Javier and looked at it. The woman in the picture was stunning. Her hair was long and the color of blood. In the picture she had a snarl on her face but it didn’t detract from her beauty. She had blood splattered on her neck and hands which were wielding sharp looking daggers. Javier cleared his throat and shook his head. “ I thought she was dead. We used to go on missions together. She was part of the first wave. She’s saved my life more times than I can count. She’s an assassin. She is the one the Division sends out when they can’t catch someone. Agent Cross, also known as the Reaper.” Javier said.  Keener sent himself a copy of the picture and then  handed the phone back to the recruit. He remembered Javier talking about the girl he loved like a sister. She had shoved him out of the way when they’d had a repulsion grenade thrown at them. Aaron remembered that when James had brought Javier to him, how the man had been crying. At night while he recovered, he’d cry out, ‘ Dani, no!’.  Aaron groaned softly and ran his fingers through his hair. “ If she is with Lau, she may be our enemy. Will you be able to take her out if the time calls for it?” Keener asked. Javier hesitated only a second before nodding. “ It won’t be a problem, Sir.” He replied. Keener nodded and left.

Dani tossed and turned in her sleep. She dreamed about the last time she saw Kajika. She ran out into the street just as a guy was going to plunge a knife into Javier’s back. Dani came out of nowhere and drop kicked the guy away from Javier. She jumped back up and roundhoused the next guy. She and Javier were fighting back to back when she saw a big dude throw a repulsion grenade. “ Kajika!” she yelled out and shoved him out of the way just as it landed. When it exploded, Dani felt her body flying backwards. There was a  sharp tearing pain through her back and out her front. She coughed up blood and swore. “ Javier!” she coughed out but he didn’t answer her. Then everything went black. Dani sat up straight in bed with a gasp. She’d been reliving that day for three years. Dani reached down and rubbed from her front, around her side, to her back where the scar was. Sometimes she still felt a phantom pain there. Unable to sleep any longer, Dani got up and threw on her clothes. She threw her hair in a messy bun and started her workouts. She was still shadow boxing when Lau and Kelso got up.  Lau gave Dani a weird look but didn’t say anything. Dani then had a quick shower and cleaned all her weapons. By the time she was done it was time to go. She strapped everything up and left. Benitez stood beside Kelso as Dani left. “ Is she as good as everyone says?” he asked her. Kelso chuckled and looked at Benitez from the corner of her eyes. “ Cross used to work with Kajika, they were close like family. If anyone can track him and take him on, it’s Cross.” She said.