Balance (28 page)

The exercise
also
helps us
gauge the bond the pair share with each other.  This observation occu
r
s
during,
as well
as
the
days
following
.  Michael’s ability to comfort and ground you Rena is part of the
Dispatch
core responsibilit
ies.  Michael’s top priority
is
your protection and your extraction, both physically and emotionally.  We have lost many field teams because the relat
ionship
was
not strong enough to facilitate the psychological extraction from the immersion.

When I first observed you two, I saw you shared a bond.  I can say that your individual personalities are the perfect complement to each other.  I have never witness
ed
this combination in a paired team.  We
intend to
use w
hat we have learned from you both to
help us identify future candidates.

I also know
you
both
love ea
ch other deeply … on many levels.  Al
though
,
I am willing to bet
,
neither has expressed those feeling
s
to the other.

It was over
the
last two days that we deliberated our decision, though I think when it came down to it, we
all knew what we had
.
 
You
will remain paired together as
an
I
nfiltration
T
eam.

I see in you the potential to become the most effective
Infiltration
T
eam I
have
ever
observed.  You may already have attained that level, but witho
ut field experience
,
it’s
unsubstantiated
.
 
Due to your potential, we have determined,
you
will receive
additional
training
in skills beyond
those
normally
acquired
.

I will introduce you, Michael, to the world of parkour.  You and I will train daily on the Monolith.  I believe parkour will further enhance your unprecedented
close-quarter
fighting
skills, if that’s even possible.  We will also
ac
celerat
e
your sniper training,

In addition,
Michael, you will take on Rena’s hand-to-hand instruction
.  I fe
el your skills, and your relationship,
make you the most effective teacher for her.  F
ocus
Rena’s
training in
advanced
Jeet Kune Do, Aikido, Hapkido and Karate.

Rena, you will instruct Michael in deep immersion with
Ms. Smith
’s team, including computer intrusion.
  The circumstances of the type of mission you will likely be involved will require Michael to operate in closer proximity to you, in many cases, from inside the immersion. 
You will bo
th receive advanced training
in human anatomy,
pharmaceuticals, herb
ology,
languages, variant
communications, social interactions,
access
and
withdrawal
.
  Your handlers will vet out a
dditional skills
required,
depending on th
e
needs
of the
operation
.
”

Michael slides back into the couch
, taking a moment
to absorb
all
explained
.
 
After a few seconds, he looks
up to consider Takada,
t
he
n
asks,
“So
,
what would have happened if Rena didn’t
fare
well in the ‘saloon’?” trying to grasp ho
w far Takada
would’ve
allowed the exercise to go
.

“Interesting question,
I’m surprised
you ask
ed before she
did.
” Takada remarks, appreciating their unity, “
There
was
ri
s
k in the saloon, but not as much as you were
led to believe. 
We had a dilemma …
Rena had proven herself ex
tremely
valuable
, so valuable we were fearful of putting her in jeopardy
. 
So, w
e agreed, we would let the exercise vet out her course.  If she had not proven
herself
capabl
e
, she
would’ve
been reassigned to
Ms. Smith
’s team.”

“S
he would have been pulled out unharmed?” Michael asks
.

Rena, silent, listens intently to the exchange, Michael doing an excellent job speaking for her.

“We had a team on site.  If Rena
had
been unable to protect herself
,
the situation would have been
defused
.”

“
The others
would’ve
been
terminated,
as well.” Rena states.

“Yes
… As I said, it
’s
an
unfortunate test, but one that’
s
essential
for you
, Rena,
as well as Michael. 
Y
ou
both
need
to
appreciate
the nature of
the
world,
you are venturing
. 
It is likely Rena, and sometime
s
you, Michael,
will
not be the only agents
present in
many
of your immersions. 
Meaning, you’ll
have to
maintain your anonymity from not only your mark, but from people trained to identify you, very skilled people. 
Each of your decisions will have consequences
.  If
you,
Michael
,
were
to
terminate a mark to
o
soon
,
Rena
risks
expos
ure
. 
Just as dangerous, Rena, pushing
a manipulation too hard,
could expose you both
.
”
 
Takada pauses
,
permitting
them
time
to
appreciate
his
declaration
.

“It’s a game of chess, where every move has an impact, cause and effect.”
  Rena comments
.

“Yes
Rena
,
cau
se and effect.  I will admit
I was less
concerned
for your wellbeing in the saloon than I have ever been with any
infiltration
candidate.  As I said,
you are a remarkable young
woman
… If you were
n
o
t already in love with Michael
…
well
we’ll
just leave it at that
.
”

Rena blushes, that was the second time Takada made the statement.  She
does not
deny
her feeling
s
for Michael, only where
those
emotions
would take them
and the
potential
fallout … as Takada said, cause and effect.

Michael doesn’t need Rena to tell him how she feels, he knows
;
just as
s
he knows he loves her.
Nevertheless,
her welfare
is
so dependent on him maintaining a level head, m
ore so than he even realized, t
his statement changes nothing of their relationship
.
I
f
anything,
his feeling
s
for
Rena
have grown
.

“
Are you two hungry?
”  Takada asks, standing to imply
th
is
discussion, for now,
has concluded
.

Michael looks at
Rena
, “Yes, I know I’m famished
and I’m pretty sure Rena could muster an appetite.  If you cook as well as you
teach
,
this could be interesting, potentially deadly, but interesting.”

Takada laughs, “Great, join me in the kitchen at your leisure.” He
departs for the far side of the room, leaving
Michael and Rena alone.

S
lid
ing back i
nto the
couch
and
resting her
head
on
his chest
,
Rena
whispers,
“Thank you
.
”

Placing
his hand on her
back
,
Michael
gently
touches
her bare skin
,
“For what?
”

Lifting her head to
look into his eyes, she replies
softly
,
“For being you, for understanding me.”
 
Rena
holds his gaze for a mo
ment, then slides off the couch.  Turning to face him, reaching down, she
take
s
hi
s hand
, his sk
in warm and soft
.
  His eyes find hers, together they come to the same conclusion … yes, they absolutely love each other.
 
Without a word, t
hey
walk hand-in-hand
toward
a
jubilantly
singing
Takada, working
at the hibachi grill.

The three of them enjoy an
entertaining
evening of excellent Japanese
cuisine, drinks and laughter.

Rena takes time to stroll around the expansive room, admiring the view and decor.  She spots Takada’s staff-sword
resting
on a ceremon
ial stand
in the shrine
,
along with several other Asian style weapons of various
designs
, knives, shuriken, blowguns and ornamental swords
.

Michael is thankful
they were able to eat, since Takada had him t
rying
several
liquors. 
Sitting around the hibachi bar, alternating between watching Ren
a and conversing with Takada, he
comments
,
“After all this, I’ll
probably be
worthless
tomorrow.
”

At
Michael
’
s
declaration
, Takada smiles and implore
s
, “Rena, could you please
join
us?”
 
T
he two smiling men
watch her
, enrapt, as she
gracefully
walks toward them
from the far side of the room
, the moonlight outside comingling with the soft lighting of the suite, enhancing her visage, casting her in an angelic glow
.

“Michael,” Takada begins, “
w
omen o
f Rena’s grace, elegance and presence only come along once in a lifetime
, if even that
.  The
time you get to share with her …
please,
make the most of it
.
”