REIGN ON ASHES

Chapter 5

Chapter 5

DEREK

My face scanned through the file in my hands. Doctor John, a prominent Doctor, a loving husband with two kids, was murdered in front of his family in the most gruesome way possible. My eyes scanned the dossier in my hands, studying the man’s body, the way in which he was murdered.

It was obvious, this death was caused out of anger, revenge. The killer didn’t just kill for fun, whoever she is, she had some deep resentment towards the man.

The door to my office creaked open, and one of my colleagues walked in, dressed in a black leather jacket, black pants, loafers, his ID card, dangling around his neck, his hair roughly combed, and on his nose and ears sat his anti-blue glasses. This colleague is the bean of my existence; he does everything in his power to piss me off.

“I am patiently waiting for the day I have an excuse to blow your head off,” I grunted, closing the file in my hands and mixing it up with the other files, because the last thing I want is to be assigned to this case.

Bart let out a mocking laugh, his hands slid into his pocket, “That day will never come, you know why? Because I am your favorite tech guy, you’d rather deal with me than that nosy Solomon man of many women and besides, I am your daughter's favorite uncle, you wouldn’t deprive your daughter of a man like me.” He winked, sinking into my couch.

I glared at him, not about to refute any of the things he said because they were true. I am a single father, my wife died three years ago, two years after our daughter was born and now, I am an agent who has a five-year-old daughter who thinks she is all grown up.

Between being an agent and being a father, I don’t know why one will take my life first. But the fun part, I love doing both.

“What do you want?” I grunted.

“The big boss wants to see you.” He placed his legs on my center table, his back leaning into the chair, his hands above his hair, “I love your office, can I move here if you get assigned a new case?” He pouts.

My eyes bore at him and he got the message, instantly taking his leg off my desk, “First, you may not under any circumstances move into my office, second, why does the big boss want to see me and third, what do you mean if I get assigned to a new case… I am supposed to be off in-person duty for the next two months; I need to be with my daughter.” I blurted.

“So, the answer to your question is I don’t know but I believe the murder case of Doctor John would be assigned to you, you are the only man for the job.” He winked.

I grabbed my phone and surged to the big boss’s office. I placed a gentle knock on the door.

“Derek, come in.” I heard his deep stern voice come through the door.

I opened the door, walked in, heading straight to the fifty-year-old man sitting right in front of a big computer screen, sitting on his nose wearing recommended glasses because the man is getting old and his eyes are no longer the same.

“I am not taking the case; we had a deal.” I blurted.

“Good morning to you too.” He let out, looking at me through his glasses.

I rolled my eyes not giving two damns about pleasantries, because when you are the top agent, you are untouchable, a valuable asset.

“Collins, I told you; I am not taking another job for the next month, I can’t leave Mori.”

“Which is why you will be going with Mori because this time it’s different.” He muttered, shifting the computer away so we could see eye to eye.

“There is nothing different about it and besides, I don’t like the case, I don’t want it,” I grunted.

That was a lie… the case is intriguing... I love cases that are hard to track, hard to figure out, filled with mysteries. And he knows this because he raised me in this line of work so scarp that he won’t believe it.

Fuck.

He looked at me and nodded, pulling out the case file, “His daughters are traumatized, his wife, Mrs. Loveth is devastated, this case is a mess, they need you, Derek.” He muffled.

“Lura.” I corrected.

“What was that?”

“His wife’s name is Lura not Loveth.”

Fuck.

“I thought you said you didn’t like the case?” He chuckled.

He set a trap for me and I walked into it.

“It doesn’t matter, I don’t want to go, I am not going.” I snapped, I turned to leave.

“This is not about the case, is it?” His low voice caused me to halt, my fist clenched. I knew it was only a matter of time before he realized why I didn’t want to go.

I shut my eyes taking in a deep breath.

“Russia has a scare on you son, the death of your wife, the mystery you were never able to solve.” His words were subtle but they broke through every wall I held up.

“Stop.” I snapped. “Just stop…… I am not taking the job.”

“I spoke to the higher ups and they decided to come around.” He muffled. He pulled out a different dossier, black with red tape and the word ‘Classified’ boldly written on it.

“What is that?” I asked, my eyes scanning the file. Black files are for cases that were restricted from the regular agents, they are cases that shouldn’t be open to anyone, and more importantly, they always hold heart-wrenching secrets and mysteries.

“Remember when I asked you to trust me with finding the person who murdered your wife?” Those words cut deeper than anything I know. He placed the file on the table, “I was able to find a lead, I was going to let you know when I was certain but since you will be in Russia, you can handle it only if you take this job.”

I didn’t think twice.

--

“Mori?” I called out to my daughter as I stepped into the living room. Her nanny came out of the kitchen, and she bowed. “Where is Mori?” I asked.

“In her room sir.”

I went up to my daughter’s room. I knocked but no one answered. I opened the door and found her pouting on the bed. “Let me guess, you’re going on another mission and I’ll have to live with grandma and grandpa for another five to seven months? Got it, I’ll start packing.” She grumbled, walking to her wardrobe.

“Mori?”

“Mori?” She didn’t respond to me. So, I walked up to her and pulled her to me. We both stared at each other silently until I broke it. “I’m sorry.” I apologized.

“No, it’s fine, Dad, you’re saving the world the best way you can, I just wish you would be around more.” She sighed.

I stroked her hair, “Which is why, my little agent, I decided to take you with me this time.”

Her face lit up, the smile on her face was beyond words, “Yes! I am going on a mission!” She cheered.

Damn, I thought she would be scared or something.

I called Bart, “Do you have your passport?” I rasped.

“Derek, it’s seven in the morning, go back to bed…wait, why are you asking?”

“Because you are coming with me to Russia, the plane leaves at 10.”