Among the SP who protect the VIP of the world, there is a woman with cold eyes and silver hair… her name is Vanessa.
During her childhood, she was held in the J6 military research facility, where her bodily ability was augmented abnormally. When she was about 10 years old, the military research facility was attacked, and Lewis, an officer of the Special Forces, rescued Vanessa.
Initially, she was reclusive, but gradually, her heart opened itself to Lewis's warm love and affection.
But, as she became an adult, her father was murdered in duty, and her heart again closed itself off…
Years later, she learned that the terrorists who killed her father are targeting the world's VIPs. She joined the SP, a private organization that defends VIPs. Though she handles her work, she continues to search for the perpetrator…
Later, she learns that the J6 organization is aiming for a woman named "Sarah Bryant." Quickly, the Bryants were informed, and she was dispatched as a guardian…
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The plane was gliding gracefully through the morning sky. As she stared at the ground beneath her, Vanessa's mind wandered, wondering about the newest assignment. She felt an uncomfortable insecurity welling within her, gnawing at the edges of her mind. Was she really prepared to undertake this new operation, which would demand so much from her? She told herself not to ponder such questions. She was a professional, after all… being a guardian was her life's work and her heart's devotion. Still, this assignment wasn't going to be like anything she had ever undertaken before – a long-term project to ensure the safety of an individual and their family who had apparently been consistent targets of underground criminal activity in the past.
After the briefing, she had done a bit of research into the family history and discovered the suspicion of her superiors seemed very viable. The older brother had been involved in a racing accident that left him near death, upon investigation, it was found that without a doubt, it had been intentionally set up. His younger sister had begun an analysis into the incident, only to vanish mysteriously for a few years. When she was finally found again, her memory had been completely erased. It was theorized that she had been kidnapped by the group responsible for the racing accident, with the intention to program her to kill her other family members. And now, intelligence indicated that she was once again a potential target…
Yes, Vanessa knew it. She knew they were involved. This was an assignment she absolutely had to do. But, she also knew that this would probably be her most physically and mentally demanding work yet.
The ground continued to roll endlessly below. As her mind drifted in thought, Vanessa's hand moved up and gently pressed her gray cotton shirt above her chest. She could feel the cold metal of her father's dogtags she was wearing underneath against her skin. Warmth shot through her body as she was reminded of him, followed by a twinge of sadness…
I'm going to do this for you. I hope you'll be proud of me…
Her fingers fondled metal through the fabric, grasping at a precious memory eternally dear to her heart.
I love you… she mouthed silently to herself.
The plane had landed safely. It was a quiet flight, allowing Vanessa the time to take a short nap before the jet landed. She had found sleeping rather difficult recently, worrying about this assignment and what might come of it. Being forced to rest in such a small space had required her to contort herself into a rather uncomfortable position. As a result, her usually lithe figure was now quite stiff and sore.
Vanessa stepped out of the gate and into the terminal, attempting to stretch out her thick, cramped legs a little as she walked away into the dull roar of the airport crowds. All she had to do now was wait to collect her bags and find the ride that would escort her to the household, then go from there to wherever she would be staying. She quietly observed the people around her, stopping off at the coffee shops for a quick lunch, picking up a paper at the airport newsstand, and stopping to greet those who had been waiting outside for their arrival. She couldn't help but feel a bit sad seeing the loved ones of others rushing to welcome them with open arms…
A loud, obnoxious buzzer sounded through the terminal, breaking her concentration suddenly and signaling that her bags were available to pickup. Vanessa hastened her walk towards the claim area, where she saw her suitcases of personal items circling through the rotunda. She had only brought enough luggage for a few days' stay with her – the rest would arrive within a few days via freight once she reported back with her location. She didn't know yet how long they expected her to stay around, but it was hinted at that it would be a considerable amount of time. It was still a mystery where exactly she would be staying as well.
She grabbed her luggage and ran down to the entrance. She spotted a man standing and holding a small sign with "Lewis" written upon it. Her ride, obviously. After exchanging a few short words, her luggage was safely stored in the trunk of the shiny black BMW, and she was being driven to the Bryant estate, located a ways outside of the city.
Looking outside the window, she saw the buildings passing her by, gradually growing smaller and sparser as they got away from the inner city and into the suburbs, and then out into the countryside. She felt an anxiousness beginning to grow within her.
Vanessa hoped her feelings would clear up when she met with the family, and got her arrangements straightened out with them. She was a little curious as to what they were like. She had heard of the Bryant name several times in the past, and she knew that they were a family with a long-standing lineage, a strong business history, a position of world prominence, and, obviously, a huge fortune to their name. She didn't know much beyond that, though…
Eventually a large structure could be seen ahead in the distance, coming closer and closer. Even from a distance, it was an impressive piece of real estate… 3 stories high, stretched out wide, with a huge garden and enclosure surrounding it, as well as a fountain behind its gate and other, smaller structures to the sides of the building. All on a sizable chunk of land just a ways outside the city limits.
As they pulled up to the large, elegant metal gate, her driver took out a security card and flashed it in front of a small panel off to the side of the road. In a few seconds, the gates had opened for them, allowing them to drive inside. They passed by the fountain as they drove: a tall rock structure decorated with statues of mythical, elaborate sea creatures, sending fountains of liquid cascading down its sides, the bright sunlight of the day refracting off the water. Vanessa was quite impressed.
The car drove further, into a large, multiple-car garage away from the main building. Her driver pulled in slowly, and then came to a gradual halt. He put the gear into park, pulled out the keys, then turned around to face Vanessa.
"Your luggage shall be taken care of later, so don't worry about it for now. I will escort you inside, miss." He smiled and climbed outside.
Vanessa stared back and responded equally politely. "Thank you for your assistance, sir." She quickly followed outside. "Please show me where to go next."
He lead her down a path, past a large garden, an outdoor poolside area, and a few small buildings that held various equipment. Vanessa noticed how well everything was kempt: the rows of shrubbery were neatly trimmed, the grass was a bright, lively green and cut to an even length throughout, and the concrete walkway was spotless.
After a few moments walking, they reached the small set of stairs leading up to the doors of the main mansion itself. The large double doors were a lovely, shining ivory white color, with a bright golden frame surrounding them and similarly gold-colored, ornately designed knockers installed towards their top center. They ascended the steps, Vanessa feeling the anxiety beginning to form again. What is making me so nervous about this, anyway? she wondered to herself. Protecting VIPs was something she'd been doing for years now…
They reached the top of the steps, and now the beautiful doors stood directly in front of them. Vanessa reached up to take ahold of the knocker, but her escort signaled her to do otherwise. Instead, me moved to the right side to the door and pressed a small button.
"They're just for show," he said, grinning.
The door was answered within a few seconds. Standing before Vanessa and her escort was a fairly tall, strongly-built blonde-haired man. His short, pure blonde hair was styled distinctly in tufts of small spikes sticking straight upwards. His face and body were very firm and strongly built, and his eyes were a deep, dark shade of blue. He wore a black jacket with various logos and emblems stitched all over it, stretching from one side of his body to the other, and a tough, rather worn-looking pair of jeans. Vanessa was taken by surprise at his appearance – she didn't expect people living in such high-class real estate to be dressed so casually! Was this one of the family members?
"Um… hello, sir," she stammered, trying to recompose herself a little. "I am looking for the head of this household… a Mr. Bryant?"
He was looking her over, eyes shifting up and down her body. "Mr. Bryant? Well… if you mean my father, he and mom have retreated to the summer home outside the country, and they are not due to return for months yet. My name is Jacky Bryant, and I am currently in charge of the household." He stared at her shirt and the small badges adorning the light sash she was wearing above it. "I assume from your dress that you are the agent sent to us to assist in our… security matters?"
She nodded. "Yes, sir." Something about the way he was looking at her made Vanessa feel awkward. She didn't know why exactly – she certainly wasn't a shy sort of person, and was used to people being surprised at a woman presented as a capable guardian.
"Great! I'm the person you want to speak to then." He stretched out his arm and extended his hand to her. "I'm pleased to meet you, Miss…" He squinted trying to make out the name on her badge.
"Lewis," she said in assistance, as she took his hand and shook it. "Vanessa Lewis."
"Miss Vanessa Lewis!" He was staring at her again. Her long, silver hair blowing softly in the wind, with rays of the sun reflecting off its surface and giving it a brilliant luster, was truly an impressive sight. She noticed his stare beginning to drift off a bit, and felt a tad uneasy again, not knowing exactly what was going on with him.
"Um…Yes… I'm pleased to meet you too, sir."
Jacky's mind snapped back into place. "Oh, er…" He laughed a little. "You really don't need to call me 'sir', OK? Jacky's my name, and I rather like it, so… I'd prefer you used it." He paused for a second. "Do you mind if I just call you Vanessa?"
She shook her head. "No, that's perfectly fine."
She's really formal, Jacky thought to himself. I wonder if that's just because she's nervous from meeting someone for the first time, or if it's a business thing? "Wonderful! Now please, come on in." He put a hand lightly on her shoulder and gestured inside. "We have some business to attend to." He turned his head to her attendant. "I'll show her around from here. Thanks a lot for your help." With that, the attendant departed.
She walked inside the entrance of the huge estate, with Jacky closing the doors behind her. He took an opportunity to grab another glance at the sun shining through the doors' windows upon her silver hair, which billowed down from her head past the blades of her shoulders. It struck him as very unusual… he had never seen anything like it before. Was that even natural? His vision was constantly drawn to it…
Vanessa turned her focus around her to the giant hallway she had just entered. The hall itself was spacious, very attractive and designed in contemporary taste. All manner of paintings and photos hung on the walls, with the occasional sculpture piece standing erect upon the floor. Fancy, modern-style furniture also was spread about, with several chairs sofas, and tables available for one who might want to sit down and relax. Atop the tablets sat various plants and candles, adding a bit of extra flair to the surroundings. Decorative ceiling fans and lamps hung from the ceiling above, spinning quietly to themselves. There were several doors and branches off of the main hall that she could see. Somehow, a sense of calm and openness pervaded this passage, easing the initial tension that had amassed within her upon first meeting with the elder Bryant.
A specific article caught Vanessa's eye – a glass display atop a small table towards the center of the hall with something large and shiny in it. She walked a ways up to the case and stared inside. The glittering object was a huge golden trophy, adorned with trim and shimmering jewelry, its height reaching up to her chest. She could make out a large object sitting on the very base of the award that looked like a gold statue of a vehicle. In front of it sat a dedication plaque with writing engraved finely into it. The printing was incredibly tiny, so much that she was forced to bend over and squint in order to read it.
It said:
CONGRATULATIONS
JACKY BRYANT
INDY 500 CHAMPION
Jacky walked up behind her. By the way she was eyeing his prize so intently, he could tell that she was curious about it. He kept on expecting her to ask an obvious question that he was fully prepared to answer… yet nothing came from her. She continued to stare, eyes transfixed on the shimmering statuette.
He couldn't stand the silence... he had to break it himself. "….Yeah. That's mine,"
Vanessa nodded, not even turning to face him, continuing to observe. "Yes. That's what I figured. It has your name on it," she said, her tone of voice indicating that this fact was blatantly obvious.
Her unresponsiveness made the typically outgoing Jacky feel a bit uneasy. She wasn't reacting well to his attempts to kindle some sort of conversation. "Well, um… Do you like it?"
"It's… interesting. I haven't seen anything like this before." She finally turned around slowly to face Jacky. "I had heard there was a famous racer from this family. I guess my information was correct."
"Yeah, but… it's been a while since I last raced. I've been working on getting into it again."
"Hmmm… I see. That's good to hear."
More awkward silence drifted between them.
Every second of this was absolutely killing Jacky inside. Even as he tried to generate a dialogue, her responses seemed so unusually unemotive… he just didn't know how to deal with it. He had to do something.
"Erm… would you like to look around the place a little? I'll be happy to show you everything."
Her expression was unchanging. "I would be happy to see your residence, however, I'd like to take care of the business aspect first."
Oh, maybe that was it… Jacky thought to himself. Perhaps she is the businesswoman type, the one who wants to get arrangements set in stone as soon as possible. Well, in that case, best get this over with….
"Well, OK then! That's fine by me. Come on, I'll show you to the office."
He walked a few steps ahead, gesturing for Vanessa to follow him. She trailed only a step or two behind him, winding through the main passageway into a smaller branch off to the left, going up a flight of stairs, and then heading through more long halls again, until they finally reached a room with a large, locked wooden door. Jacky took a set of keys from his jacket pocket and undid the large lock which barred their entry, then pushed the door inwards and stepped inside. Vanessa went in alongside him.
The room looked like a rather old-fashioned office, with full, dark wooden bookshelves lining the walls, a desk and chair set towards the back, and several other large chairs sitting in front of it. Atop the desk sat a small lamp, a laptop computer, and a wireless telephone. Jacky walked behind the desk and sat down in the chair, facing in Vanessa's direction.
"Please," he said, gesturing to the chair situated directly in front of the desk. "Sit down."
Vanessa looked at the large, dark-green padded seat for a second, then sat herself down. Her body sank easily into the soft cushioning of the chair, taking her a bit by surprise after having to endure the hard airplane seats. It was quite comfortable.
She lifted her head and looked at Jacky's face. He stared back at her intently, with a rather serious expression on his face, elbows and arms folded across the table. "So, Vanessa… you know why we have called you here?"
She nodded. "I am not sure of all the details, but I know our group has informed you that your family is in danger, and you have been working on an agreement for our assistance."
"OK then. What do you know about the Bryant family?"
She shook her head. "I'm afraid I don't know that much," Vanessa replied. "I would appreciate it if you would tell me about yourselves."
"Hmmm. Where to start then?" Jacky leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. "Well… the Bryants have been a well-known family for a very long time. We have a large legacy to our name that spans back several generations. Currently, the Bryant household runs many well-established businesses throughout several major world industries. Overseeing these is the responsibility of my parents. That is the reason why they are going to have to be away for a while… they have to tend to important business matters elsewhere in the country and overseas."
"…I see."
"We also have some influence in government both here and abroad," he said, shifting his gaze back to Vanessa. "Mom and dad have been known to engage in political activism sometimes, and they also maintain several funds and charities. We try our best to keep ourselves out of the mainstream news, but most of the time we don't succeed with that." He chuckled nervously.
"Interesting. So you believe this has something to do with your security problem?"
"Yes, most certainly. Because we have such strong influence, and our family can be so visibly prominent at times, we have made ideal targets for criminal and terrorist groups. Recently your superiors have alerted us of a new, very severe threat to our family's welfare. That is why we have asked the SP to help us."
"I understand."
"Also, just so you know… we have a small private security force that usually handles some minor incidents every now and then. However, like I said… they are pretty small, and by no means experts. They have failed in the past, during situations where we needed protection more than anything…" His expression became noticeably bitter and resentful as he spoke about this. "We simply can't rely on them for major threats such as this. But the SP, well… you guys are simply the best of the best in the world, no contest. I am honored to entrust our safety to you."
"Thank you for the compliments," she said, tone of voice unchanging. "However, we should get straight to the point. What is the threat you are facing right now that you have called upon me to help you deal with?"
Jacky sighed. "Alright, let me explain. This might take a while…" He closed his eyes for a brief moment and raised his fingers to his lips, obviously in thought. He then opened his eyes again, but they were unfocused on the room in from of him, lost deep in recollection.
"Well, it started several years ago. Back in 1991, I was at the peak of my racing career. I had already won a major championship the year before, as you saw out there. So about mid-year, I was participating in one of the bigger races… the competition was very fierce. I wasn't sure how I was going to do, but everyone was predicting me to win it all. I was extremely nervous.
"I was doing well for quite a while. Among the best I've ever raced. Though I was nervous, I tried to keep my confidence high. About midway through the race, though, I thought I felt something strange beginning to happen with my car – like it wasn't handling the way it was supposed to. I figured it was just the excitement and tension causing me to imagine things. But only a few minutes later, I heard a series of noises from the front of the vehicle – then everything went straight to hell. The steering flipped out, the front end burst into flames, and I went spinning out of control at an insane speed. I flipped over and crashed violently, and was lucky to have only taken a few other drivers with me. They didn't suffer any severe injuries. But I was lucky to have survived."
"Wow. That must have been something…" she said, astonished.
Jacky nodded. "I was hospitalized for several months, recovering from severe injuries and burns caused by the crash. I went through rehab and managed to come out only slightly scarred from the whole experience. But since our family takes martial arts training, my body was in very good shape before this all happened. I am positive that alone is what saved me from death."
"But from the outset, we knew this was some sort of foul play. We checked the vehicle over many, many times before I went out there. There was absolutely nothing at all wrong with it. Plus, the investigators at the scene discovered suspicious evidence from the wreckage. My race had been sabotaged, but we didn't know by who. At first we suspected one of the other drivers, since I was the obvious favorite. There was a huge investigation, but we could find no evidence linking any of them to the incident. Besides, when you think about it, it would be extremely dangerous for them to try something like that on a crowded racetrack, where anyone else could have been severely hurt along with me.
"After the official investigations began to stagnate, my younger sister, Sarah, began investigating. She told me that she had learned about some underground criminal and terrorist organizations that were working to usurp world powers. She thought that there was one of these underground groups targeting us to attempt to overtake the resources our household has control of.
"We were skeptical at first. She was young, and seemed like she would buy into conspiracy theories easily. But…" He looked down, as if he was ashamed of something. "Oh god… how wrong we were…." His voice trailed off as he sunk his face into his hands.
Vanessa saw his distress and reached out towards him. "Are… are you OK?"
He raised his face up, internal turmoil obvious from the anguish in his features. The way his eyes and mouth were quivering slightly revealed emotion he was desperately trying to hold back from being exposed. Vanessa immediately knew what was going on with him. She knew the feeling all too well…
"…One day, Sarah was heading to an agency that was helping her with the investigation. …She never made it there." He lowered his head as he continued to speak. "They… the Organization… they knew what she was doing, and they already had plans for her. She… Sarah… was kidnapped and held by them for almost three years.
"My parents and I were scared to death. We didn't know how or why she had disappeared… we were searching for her whereabouts by every means possible, with the help of every agency we could get ahold of. But about 2 weeks afterwards, I received an invitation to participate in a World Fighting Tournament. At a time like this, I normally would not have cared at all… But, that wasn't everything it said… the… the invitation said… they would reunite me with my sister…" Jacky sighed a deep, painful sigh, and put his face in his hands again. "Oh god…"
Vanessa felt quite uneasy watching him describe something that was obviously causing him a great deal of distress. "I'm sorry…"
"No," said Jacky, lifting his head back up to look at her. "It's just that… this was the darkest, most painful period in my life. I… never want anyone to have to endure what I did."
"But what happened, then? Why did it take so long for you to get her back? And why didn't you try and trace where the letter had come from?"
"Of course we tried that!" He snapped, irritated. "That was our immediate reaction. But it had been mailed from some international location. We tried using our contacts abroad to trace it but it proved to no avail. My only hope was to trust their words that I would be reunited with my sister if I were to enter. From that point on, I began to take my usual Jeet Kune Do training very seriously. More than anything, I wanted to do well in the tournament and discover what had happened to Sarah…"
Vanessa could sense the anger growing within him. Though she was remaining calm and focused herself, and she understood the severity of the situation at hand, she wished that he could try and curb his temper just a little bit more. Nobody likes dealing with a person who is agitated…
"The months seemed to drag on endlessly, but eventually the date of the first Tournament came to be. I was flown to the Far East to participate in the matches that were being held in that area. The first fights I had were quite easy… even though my focus was not on the battle itself. The whole time, I just kept thinking about Sarah. I began to worry when I did not see her after those first few bouts… had they tricked me? What purpose did they have for bringing me there? Words simply cannot describe the tempest that raged within me during those first few days…" he paused for a second, making a futile attempt to try and recollect himself a little.
"But then, like a ray of hope from Heaven above… on my fifth day, I saw my next opponent. It was Sarah! Sarah… was there!" Jacky's hand had balled into a fist, and began to quiver violently. "She was fighting, too! I couldn't believe it. The moment I saw that it would be her, my heart was filled with such an indescribable, profound joy… and then everything inside me just…. shattered…" he pounded his clenched fist on the table a few times, his rage apparent. Vanessa was shocked a little by his sudden action, jumping a bit in her seat. Jacky, seeing that he had unwittingly frightened his guest a little, paused for a brief moment. He then loosened his hands and closed his eyes tightly, taking deep breaths, trying to calm himself down to a reasonable level.
"The person… who I was fighting…" he said between his gasps, "it…it was not Sarah." "It was not the sister who I loved so much… Her body had been turned into a hollow shell of a human… her mind had been destroyed and replaced with a demonic program of their own creation. All the love, joy, and memory she had carried as my sister before were gone… she was their living puppet now, and as I later found out, she had only one command… to take my life, by any means possible."
"I was forced to fight against her, and though I recognized some of the techniques she used as ones she had studied in the past, but she did all sorts of insane stuff I had never seen… she wasn't that skilled before. I tried to talk with her, but she didn't say a word to me… she didn't know me as her own blood anymore. I could tell from the viciousness in which she struck at me, and the blankness in her eyes… I managed to defeat her in the fight, but I didn't know what was going to happen… what if I won? What if I lost? What would happen to us? I felt so frightened and confused…
"After my victory, during the fanfare and ceremonies afterwards, I tried to break through the crowds and officials to get to her… but she had vanished. I looked all over for her… there was not a trace. I was so shaken up by everything that I simply couldn't focus anymore. I felt so dazed and numb… I didn't know what had happened to Sarah, if I would ever see her again… The next few fights in the tournament were difficult, and I eventually lost out."
The night after all this happened, we were driving on the way back to the place where I was staying. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, something leapt down and broke one of the car windows. We were taken by complete surprise, but we managed to regain control of the vehicle and pull over to the side of the road. As we got out of the car to check the damage, I heard gunshots fire at me… quickly I grabbed the driver and lay flat on the ground. The shots grazed a good distance over us, but had I not reacted faster, we would have definitely been hit. I heard footsteps running away, and I went to pursue them. It was late at night and quite dark out, so I couldn't see very well…. But in the faint streetlights, chasing after the shadow, I could see a silhouette I knew was familiar… and then, she was swallowed by the darkness. I couldn't find Sarah again. My own sister… she tried to kill me." He swallowed. "I realized what had happened… the same people who were running the tournament… they had Sarah, and they wanted me dead.
"I went back home and tried to continue where my sister had left off in her investigation. Unfortunately, most of what she had managed to uncover had been destroyed when they got ahold of her. I did find out that her suspicions were correct… there is a group out there that most people just call "The Syndicate" or "The Organization." Their goal is to obtain control of major world interests and eventually, all of society itself. They are already believed to have connections to some world powers and industries, which they are manipulating tacitly. And because our family has so many powerful interests and business connections, they decided to come after us. Most authority dismiss them as some sort of insane conspiracy theory. But as we have found out… they are very, very real. It seems like the SP are among the only people out there who take their threat seriously.
"I learned that for many years, they have been engaging in assassinations, military training, and experiments to help attain their goals. Sarah was an ideal target for them… she was fairly strong, young and easily controlled, and she allowed easy access to our family."
Vanessa felt a dread well inside her as something dark started to reemerge from the depths of her memory. She quietly forced it back and continued to listen to Jacky intently. She couldn't let herself get into that right now…
"I knew they still had her in their control, and she would either come after me again… or else I would hunt her down and find her. Immediately after the first Tournament, there was a second announced. About half a year later, I got another invitation, with the same notice as before… I knew I couldn't fail this time. I had to get Sarah back.
"I began to train with everything I had to succeed in this second battle… not to win, but to save my sister. That was my only focus… I was determined, but… I was also frightened beyond belief. I still didn't know what was happening to her, or what might happen to me if I were to fail…
The first time, I had shown some restraint in fighting her… but this time, I had to show no mercy. I knew deep inside my heart that it wasn't truly my sister I was fighting, but a pawn, a parasite that had taken host in her body. She fought similarly viciously. They had taught her quite a bit since last time, and her resolve to destroy me was just as fierce as my determination to save her. I could either defeat her… or I'd die.
It was close, far too close. I felt like I could have fallen at any minute… but I knocked her out for the final bout. I knew had I had to do immediately. With my last remaining strength, I took her in my arms and I fled. Immediately, they knew what had happened. They began to pursue us…
I don't know how I did it. My strength had been almost completely spent from the fight, yet somehow, I managed to run away, with my sister in tow, into the depths of the city. I had managed to lose them by taking a series of side paths into god knows where. I finally stopped at the end of a dark alley, exhausted. I had not heard the sounds of their pursuit, and I had a feeling that they were finally gone. I was alone there with her, frightened, in that unfamiliar place… but I didn't care. I had Sarah back. I could finally hug my sister and tell her how much I loved her again… when I over her unconscious body, she looked so peaceful, like the Sarah I remembered from years ago. I was so happy, and I swore I would never let anything happen to her again.
She began to wake up, and I could tell that being out of the range of the Organization's influence had changed her. Instead of that cold, demonic look in her eyes… I saw a sadness and innocence that had seemed all but lost before. I started to talk to her, but she didn't recognize me at all, and still seemed only semi-aware of what was going on around her. I figured this was because she was still recovering from the shock of everything that had happened, and she would return to full consciousness soon. That night, I just stayed there alone with her…
"During the middle of the night, we were attacked by their agents. By that time Sarah was awake but still not functioning well... and we were trapped by them, with her still in only a semi-conscious state. They were going to kill me and take Sarah back. But I knew… I could never let them do that." He shook his head. "I don't know how I did it… I think it was just the determination in my heart and the grace of God that gave me the strength, but… we were able to break through them and flee further into the city. Eventually, after being on the run for hours, we found a foreign embassy. They knew of our family and were more than willing to offer us safety.
They then gave us access to a medical facility. I was in bad shape, obviously, but Sarah was even worse. I was worried the whole time about her. She had been drifting in and out of various states of consciousness, and I was sure the constant running, hiding, and fighting were going to have a bad effect on her. They examined and treated us both for our injuries, and they tried to perform some preliminary psychoanalysis on Sarah. It appeared that her brain was functioning normally in all respects, but her memory seemed to be suffering. I assumed it was just a temporary aftereffect of whatever had been done to her. At that point, I just wanted to take her home as soon as possible. So, a few days later, we were off on a plane back to the United States… back to our home…
"Unfortunately, I had been wrong about her memory loss. The brainwashing they had inflicted upon her had destroyed everything she knew about her past life… who I was, her relation to the rest of the family, what she had done in her past life before all this had happened…all gone. She couldn't remember anything of her experiences inside the Organization, either. Most everything else, including her skills from training, had been retained in her memory. I think this amnesia was some sort of "safety mechanism" they devised in case we managed to get her away from them. I was so happy that finally my sister could be part of my life again, but… she… she couldn't even remember me…she still wasn't the Sarah I had known and loved before… it was absolutely heartbreaking." He sighed.
"So, we began to take her to some doctors and therapists in order to help her recover. She slowly began to re-accustom herself with aspects of our old lives together, but something was still missing. She didn't feel comfortable with us. She told us a few months after this all started that she couldn't bear to live like this and that she wanted to move away to New York where she could forge a new life for herself. We begged and pleaded with her not to, to stay with us, to try and fully recover her old life back with a family who would love and care for her, but… despite her memory loss, she hadn't lost that fierce determination from old times…"
Out of nowhere, a few knocks sounded upon the door, interrupting the conversation. Surprised, Jacky stopped and turned towards the source of the noise. "Who's there?" he asked, knowing full well who would answer.
"Jacky, it's me. I'm home for the evening," came a muffled female voice from the other side. "What're you doing in there?"
"Oh!" exclaimed Jacky, in pleasant surprise. "Vanessa, can you hold on a second?" Jacky stood up from his seat and walked over to the door, opening it eagerly. Outside stood a very pretty woman wearing a stylish cutoff top and bright blue jeans, with various jewelry adorning her neck, wrists, and ears. Her long, pure blonde hair and sharp blue eyes matched that of Jacky exactly. Vanessa immediately knew her identity upon first sight.
"Sarah, I'm talking with a family friend."
"Hmmm? …I didn't hear about this." Sarah leaned to the side a little, trying to look behind her brother and catch a glimpse of the visitor. "Did she just come today?"
"Yeah." Jacky responded, stepping aside so his sister could come in. "She's going to be staying in the house with us for a while. Her name is Vanessa Lewis."
Vanessa's ears perked upon hearing this. Family friend? Staying in the house…? I had thought he was just going to put me off somewhere nearby…
Jacky turned back to the silver-haired, tan-skinned woman. "Vanessa, I would like you to meet my younger sister, Sarah."
Sarah walked over to Vanessa's seat and smiled, taking one of Vanessa's hands in hers. "Hello, Vanessa. I'm Jacky's sister, Sarah. I'm very pleased to meet you!"
Vanessa stared back. "I'm pleased to meet you, too."
"I hope Jacky been treating you well?"
"I've had no problems so far, Miss Bryant."
Jacky, who was standing beside them, laughed rather nervously. "Vanessa, you don't always have to be so formal! Her name is Sarah, just call her that. You don't have to worry about "Miss" or "Mister" here, OK?"
Vanessa's eyes turned to Jacky for a moment, then back to Sarah. "I'm sorry, Sarah."
"That's OK," she laughed in response. "So, how did you get here, Vanessa?"
"Erm…" Jacky cut into the conversation again. "Sarah, we're kind of talking about important stuff right now. We'll be done a little bit, so… you two can meet and chat later, OK?"
"Oh!" A look of realization came over Sarah's face. "I should have known that I was interrupting something. You usually don't use this room for much of anything… Well, I'm sorry, then." She turned to Vanessa again as she began to walk out of the room. "I guess I'll meet you downstairs in a little while," she said, smiling, as she exited and closed the door behind her.
Vanessa turned back to Jacky, whose mood had improved noticeably since his sister had stopped by. "So, that's Sarah..."
"Sure is. You'll be able to meet with her later on. You two will need to spend a lot of time together."
"I thought you said she lost her memory?"
Jacky nodded. "She did. But we found an unusual form of therapy for her. It seems like when the Organization did their mental treatments, they put a lot of emphasis on her fighting abilities and improving her skill. A lot of it came from the times when she and I had trained together in the past. Ever since she returned, she has had an unusually high desire for practicing… she began solo training, but as she practiced her skills, she suddenly found herself able to recover fragmented bits of memory from the past. "
Vanessa's face was heavy with disbelief. "Really? That seems rather bizarre. How did that work?"
Jacky shook his head. "The doctors were baffled. Nobody could understand what the connection was. But she was determined, and she kept training… she wanted to deal with this herself. About a month later, she called and told me she wanted to go back and fight in the next World Fighting Tournament." He chuckled nervously. "You should have seen me… I absolutely flipped out. How she could even think about going back and putting herself into such danger, after all I had gone through for her sake… even if she was trying to recover what she had lost… was infuriating. I was angry beyond words, but Sarah was absolutely determined to go back and participate. That's the way she's always been… determined to accomplish things, no matter what the cost. I didn't want to, but I knew I had to… if she was going to enter, I would too.
"So, I went with her. It was actually pretty uneventful, this time around. Both Sarah and I did quite well, and I almost made it to the championship. During the tournament, I was very afraid that they might try to get ahold of Sarah again, so I was at her side constantly. Fortunately, nothing suspicious seemed to be going on, and nobody even showed any signs of wanting to harm either one of us. Sarah managed to recover most of her memory from that trip, as well, and even more in the months afterwards, finally returning to her old self. For once, things finally looked like they were all going to be OK again."
"But, unfortunately… with all the good memories came the bad ones. She remembers a lot about what happened to her while she was under the Organization's influence." He looked down and shook his head sadly. "She still has nightmares and flashbacks sometimes that give her a lot of problems. Most of the time she seems OK, but she's still undergoing regular therapy and psychological treatment."
"I see."
"After that, I figured everything would be good from then on. Sarah was still having some problems, but we were working on them. I felt happier than I had been in years. It was then that I decided to take a break from training and fighting and go back into racing."
"Racing? You decided to go back after all this time?" she was rather stunned by his statement. Why on earth would he go back to doing that after all he'd been through?
Seeing the skepticism in her expression, he continued. "Yeah… it was like it was my mission, and the track was calling me back to fulfill it." He smiled apprehensively. "I don't think anyone can really understand unless they've done it themselves. It's a part of your being… you just can't abandon it so easily.
"Unfortunately, after all this had started, I hadn't been practicing my race skills much, so I was still quite rusty. I worked on it for a while… right now, I'm at a good level, but still a ways away from where I was a while back.
"But, people recognize my name from several years ago, and seem really happy to hear that I might be making a comeback. I had a lot of people approach me interested in sponsoring my return. I signed a few deals, and our press relations people began to work on plans to promote my return to competition."
Then, out of nowhere, a look of rage suddenly overcame his features as he held up some sheets of paper. "But then, I got THIS through our business fax." He handed them to Vanessa. "Read it over."
She took the sheets from him and glanced over them. As far as she could tell, there was nothing special about them… they were typewritten in a standard letter format, in a generic computerized font. She then began to read through the contents closely.
Dear Mr. Jacky Bryant,
We have recently heard about your intention to return to active racing competition. We admire you diligence and competitive spirit, and believe that you would perform extremely well upon your return to the sport.
However, due to the circumstances that be, we are afraid that it is impossible for us to allow you to continue upon this path. We require your immediate participation in the upcoming 4th World Fighting Tournament (date TBA) instead. Therefore, we shall have to seek the active elimination of those that may be planning to sponsor your return.
We ask that you please do not attempt to resist, as it will most certainly result in unexpected, undesirable consequences for you and those who you may be associating with. We sincerely hope that you come to an understanding of this as soon as possible so as to prevent any potential mishaps.
Sincerely Yours.
"So I see… these people don't want you to participate, then. And they're threatening to hurt your sponsors if you do?"
Jacky nodded and sighed. "Yes…already all of the people I have been speaking with have received death threats in all kinds of forms… and one of them, who I was working on a major promotional deal with, had several key executives involved in an 'accident.'" His tone of voice changed considerably at this last word, giving away his suspicions. "Some fuel tank on a private jet exploded as the plane was preparing to take off for a trip here… Thankfully nobody was killed, but they did get hurt pretty bad. We were forced to stop proceedings on that deal out of fear that even worse might come."
Vanessa looked over the papers, but could find no sort of indication on them of where they may have come from. "There's no sort of identifying marks on here… Do you have any idea where this could have come from?"
"No… we tried having the number where it came from traced, but it lead to the middle of nowhere in some weird South American locale… and even that number had been disabled for months."
Vanessa looked up at him again. "So, it looks like the work of the Organization again… I certainly can't think of anyone else that might be involved, considering your past with them. Unless there's something you're not telling me."
"It's definitely the Organization. There's no way it couldn't be." He shifted his legs with a stern look on his face. "As much as it pains me, I've put everything on hiatus for the time being… I just can't see anything else we can do right now." He sighed again.
"Then, we got a call from the SP… your superiors. They told me that they managed to dig up some intelligence indicating that Sarah might be a potential target. I can say in all honesty that this frightened me more than anything… the thought of losing my sister again to those bastards… I had to know what could be done. They told me that they could send one of their experts to aid in Sarah's protection and our family security…
"And… that's where you come in," said Jacky, looking straight at Vanessa. "We have asked for your presence here to help investigate the situation, but most importantly, to help protect Sarah."
Vanessa stared firmly back at Jacky, seeing how intent he was. "I understand. But… you do not think you or her are fully capable of defending yourselves?"
"Well… yes, we are, and we've managed to do so in the past. But we've also been taken by surprise, too. Also, we have no idea of the full capabilities of this group, or what they are planning. All we know is that they want back at Sarah again. And you guys, the SP… you are experts in this field. I was told that you especially, Vanessa, have knowledge about combating terrorist groups. I don't know if the Organization really counts, but…"
"No…" she said, holding her thoughts in place as they began to slip. "I actually know a few things about them. They're not unfamiliar to me at all."
"Oh? Really?" As Jacky was speaking, he was staring into her eyes. They struck him as unusual – not because of their coloring, but because they seemed to reflect a very frigid feeling. It was almost like there was something inside them, trapped under a layer of hazel-green ice… "That's absolutely wonderful! You might really be able to help us out, then. We'd be even more grateful for your services."
Vanessa nodded, but hesitated a little before speaking again, something gnawing at the back of her mind. "…May I ask you something, Jacky?"
Jacky smiled a little upon hearing her finally refer to him by his first name. "What's that?"
"When Sarah came in here… why did you tell her I was a family friend, and would be staying here?"
"Well… we absolutely can't have her know that you've been hired by the family to act as a guardian for her. I'd hate to think what the psychological implications of Sarah finding out she's still being targeted would be… Like I said before, we're still having problems with parts of her rehabilitation, and we want to avoid making anything worse. So, you are going to be staying here, in the house with us, as a guest."
Completely taken by surprise by this revelation, Vanessa opened her mouth to say something, but Jacky continued on.
"We already have our big guest room prepared for you. I really hope you'll like it. Once everything of yours arrives you can make it into your little home-away-from-home. Sort of."
Vanessa's eyes were wide with total astonishment. This was something she had never expected… being allowed to live in the client's quarters together with them? She wouldn't have even thought of it before.
Jacky smiled back at her, seeing the obvious disbelief upon her face. "We want you to become part of the family for a while. We wouldn't do anything less for someone putting themselves in danger for our sake."
Vanessa's gaze shifted down to the floor nervously. She really didn't know what to say in reaction, feeling almost flattered by the unexpected show of hospitality. "So… what will my official duties be?"
"Well, you are going to be looking after Sarah's safety, first and foremost. We don't expect you to be with her every single minute of the day, of course, because that would be impossible. But… we want you to keep an eye out for anything suspicious involving her, seeing what she might be up to, if she might do anything or go anywhere that could potentially put her in harm's way. However, you must remember… she absolutely, under no circumstances, can NOT know what is going on, at all. We want Sarah to lead as normal a life as possible, but we also want her to be safe."
She lifted her head up again and looked straight at him. "Understood. You have my utmost guarantee that I will perform to the very best of my ability for Sarah's sake."
"Good. You have no idea how much comfort that will give me..." Upon saying this, Jacky slowly stood up from his seat and stretched his arms out a little. "Well, I think this is enough talk for tonight. Maybe we can discuss this all a little bit more tomorrow? I would like to have you get acquainted with a few things around here before it gets late. Besides, you still have Sarah to meet."
"Um…" she hesitated. "I really do think we should get everything discussed ahead of time. I still don't know how I should function around here," she said seriously.
Jacky walked to the side of her chair and looked down at her, seeing the cold, focused look in her eyes. "Vanessa, don't worry about that. Just get yourself settled. I'm sure you'll develop your own routine during the time you're here." He pat his hand on her shoulder gently. "Now may I please have the pleasure of fully introducing our guest to my dearest sister?" He said, grinning widely.
"Well, if that's what you want…" she said, rising from her seat. She followed Jacky from the room and out into the hallway.
-- NOTES --
Another VF4 fanfic from me. This is the fic I spoke of in my previous story, and if everything goes as planned, this is going to be quite long. I hope other VFers will enjoy the effort and affection I'm trying to put into it.
I know this chapter is fairly lax on action, and the next will probably be too. I just want to make sure the character and setting are well established first. Worry not, there's going to be plenty of action and drama coming soon.
The next chapter is already partially done, and will hopefully be completed in the near future.
FYI, the text at the beginning is a translation of Vanessa's Japanese VF4 storyline.
Thanks for reading!
During her childhood, she was held in the J6 military research facility, where her bodily ability was augmented abnormally. When she was about 10 years old, the military research facility was attacked, and Lewis, an officer of the Special Forces, rescued Vanessa.
Initially, she was reclusive, but gradually, her heart opened itself to Lewis's warm love and affection.
But, as she became an adult, her father was murdered in duty, and her heart again closed itself off…
Years later, she learned that the terrorists who killed her father are targeting the world's VIPs. She joined the SP, a private organization that defends VIPs. Though she handles her work, she continues to search for the perpetrator…
Later, she learns that the J6 organization is aiming for a woman named "Sarah Bryant." Quickly, the Bryants were informed, and she was dispatched as a guardian…
---------
The plane was gliding gracefully through the morning sky. As she stared at the ground beneath her, Vanessa's mind wandered, wondering about the newest assignment. She felt an uncomfortable insecurity welling within her, gnawing at the edges of her mind. Was she really prepared to undertake this new operation, which would demand so much from her? She told herself not to ponder such questions. She was a professional, after all… being a guardian was her life's work and her heart's devotion. Still, this assignment wasn't going to be like anything she had ever undertaken before – a long-term project to ensure the safety of an individual and their family who had apparently been consistent targets of underground criminal activity in the past.
After the briefing, she had done a bit of research into the family history and discovered the suspicion of her superiors seemed very viable. The older brother had been involved in a racing accident that left him near death, upon investigation, it was found that without a doubt, it had been intentionally set up. His younger sister had begun an analysis into the incident, only to vanish mysteriously for a few years. When she was finally found again, her memory had been completely erased. It was theorized that she had been kidnapped by the group responsible for the racing accident, with the intention to program her to kill her other family members. And now, intelligence indicated that she was once again a potential target…
Yes, Vanessa knew it. She knew they were involved. This was an assignment she absolutely had to do. But, she also knew that this would probably be her most physically and mentally demanding work yet.
The ground continued to roll endlessly below. As her mind drifted in thought, Vanessa's hand moved up and gently pressed her gray cotton shirt above her chest. She could feel the cold metal of her father's dogtags she was wearing underneath against her skin. Warmth shot through her body as she was reminded of him, followed by a twinge of sadness…
I'm going to do this for you. I hope you'll be proud of me…
Her fingers fondled metal through the fabric, grasping at a precious memory eternally dear to her heart.
I love you… she mouthed silently to herself.
The plane had landed safely. It was a quiet flight, allowing Vanessa the time to take a short nap before the jet landed. She had found sleeping rather difficult recently, worrying about this assignment and what might come of it. Being forced to rest in such a small space had required her to contort herself into a rather uncomfortable position. As a result, her usually lithe figure was now quite stiff and sore.
Vanessa stepped out of the gate and into the terminal, attempting to stretch out her thick, cramped legs a little as she walked away into the dull roar of the airport crowds. All she had to do now was wait to collect her bags and find the ride that would escort her to the household, then go from there to wherever she would be staying. She quietly observed the people around her, stopping off at the coffee shops for a quick lunch, picking up a paper at the airport newsstand, and stopping to greet those who had been waiting outside for their arrival. She couldn't help but feel a bit sad seeing the loved ones of others rushing to welcome them with open arms…
A loud, obnoxious buzzer sounded through the terminal, breaking her concentration suddenly and signaling that her bags were available to pickup. Vanessa hastened her walk towards the claim area, where she saw her suitcases of personal items circling through the rotunda. She had only brought enough luggage for a few days' stay with her – the rest would arrive within a few days via freight once she reported back with her location. She didn't know yet how long they expected her to stay around, but it was hinted at that it would be a considerable amount of time. It was still a mystery where exactly she would be staying as well.
She grabbed her luggage and ran down to the entrance. She spotted a man standing and holding a small sign with "Lewis" written upon it. Her ride, obviously. After exchanging a few short words, her luggage was safely stored in the trunk of the shiny black BMW, and she was being driven to the Bryant estate, located a ways outside of the city.
Looking outside the window, she saw the buildings passing her by, gradually growing smaller and sparser as they got away from the inner city and into the suburbs, and then out into the countryside. She felt an anxiousness beginning to grow within her.
Vanessa hoped her feelings would clear up when she met with the family, and got her arrangements straightened out with them. She was a little curious as to what they were like. She had heard of the Bryant name several times in the past, and she knew that they were a family with a long-standing lineage, a strong business history, a position of world prominence, and, obviously, a huge fortune to their name. She didn't know much beyond that, though…
Eventually a large structure could be seen ahead in the distance, coming closer and closer. Even from a distance, it was an impressive piece of real estate… 3 stories high, stretched out wide, with a huge garden and enclosure surrounding it, as well as a fountain behind its gate and other, smaller structures to the sides of the building. All on a sizable chunk of land just a ways outside the city limits.
As they pulled up to the large, elegant metal gate, her driver took out a security card and flashed it in front of a small panel off to the side of the road. In a few seconds, the gates had opened for them, allowing them to drive inside. They passed by the fountain as they drove: a tall rock structure decorated with statues of mythical, elaborate sea creatures, sending fountains of liquid cascading down its sides, the bright sunlight of the day refracting off the water. Vanessa was quite impressed.
The car drove further, into a large, multiple-car garage away from the main building. Her driver pulled in slowly, and then came to a gradual halt. He put the gear into park, pulled out the keys, then turned around to face Vanessa.
"Your luggage shall be taken care of later, so don't worry about it for now. I will escort you inside, miss." He smiled and climbed outside.
Vanessa stared back and responded equally politely. "Thank you for your assistance, sir." She quickly followed outside. "Please show me where to go next."
He lead her down a path, past a large garden, an outdoor poolside area, and a few small buildings that held various equipment. Vanessa noticed how well everything was kempt: the rows of shrubbery were neatly trimmed, the grass was a bright, lively green and cut to an even length throughout, and the concrete walkway was spotless.
After a few moments walking, they reached the small set of stairs leading up to the doors of the main mansion itself. The large double doors were a lovely, shining ivory white color, with a bright golden frame surrounding them and similarly gold-colored, ornately designed knockers installed towards their top center. They ascended the steps, Vanessa feeling the anxiety beginning to form again. What is making me so nervous about this, anyway? she wondered to herself. Protecting VIPs was something she'd been doing for years now…
They reached the top of the steps, and now the beautiful doors stood directly in front of them. Vanessa reached up to take ahold of the knocker, but her escort signaled her to do otherwise. Instead, me moved to the right side to the door and pressed a small button.
"They're just for show," he said, grinning.
The door was answered within a few seconds. Standing before Vanessa and her escort was a fairly tall, strongly-built blonde-haired man. His short, pure blonde hair was styled distinctly in tufts of small spikes sticking straight upwards. His face and body were very firm and strongly built, and his eyes were a deep, dark shade of blue. He wore a black jacket with various logos and emblems stitched all over it, stretching from one side of his body to the other, and a tough, rather worn-looking pair of jeans. Vanessa was taken by surprise at his appearance – she didn't expect people living in such high-class real estate to be dressed so casually! Was this one of the family members?
"Um… hello, sir," she stammered, trying to recompose herself a little. "I am looking for the head of this household… a Mr. Bryant?"
He was looking her over, eyes shifting up and down her body. "Mr. Bryant? Well… if you mean my father, he and mom have retreated to the summer home outside the country, and they are not due to return for months yet. My name is Jacky Bryant, and I am currently in charge of the household." He stared at her shirt and the small badges adorning the light sash she was wearing above it. "I assume from your dress that you are the agent sent to us to assist in our… security matters?"
She nodded. "Yes, sir." Something about the way he was looking at her made Vanessa feel awkward. She didn't know why exactly – she certainly wasn't a shy sort of person, and was used to people being surprised at a woman presented as a capable guardian.
"Great! I'm the person you want to speak to then." He stretched out his arm and extended his hand to her. "I'm pleased to meet you, Miss…" He squinted trying to make out the name on her badge.
"Lewis," she said in assistance, as she took his hand and shook it. "Vanessa Lewis."
"Miss Vanessa Lewis!" He was staring at her again. Her long, silver hair blowing softly in the wind, with rays of the sun reflecting off its surface and giving it a brilliant luster, was truly an impressive sight. She noticed his stare beginning to drift off a bit, and felt a tad uneasy again, not knowing exactly what was going on with him.
"Um…Yes… I'm pleased to meet you too, sir."
Jacky's mind snapped back into place. "Oh, er…" He laughed a little. "You really don't need to call me 'sir', OK? Jacky's my name, and I rather like it, so… I'd prefer you used it." He paused for a second. "Do you mind if I just call you Vanessa?"
She shook her head. "No, that's perfectly fine."
She's really formal, Jacky thought to himself. I wonder if that's just because she's nervous from meeting someone for the first time, or if it's a business thing? "Wonderful! Now please, come on in." He put a hand lightly on her shoulder and gestured inside. "We have some business to attend to." He turned his head to her attendant. "I'll show her around from here. Thanks a lot for your help." With that, the attendant departed.
She walked inside the entrance of the huge estate, with Jacky closing the doors behind her. He took an opportunity to grab another glance at the sun shining through the doors' windows upon her silver hair, which billowed down from her head past the blades of her shoulders. It struck him as very unusual… he had never seen anything like it before. Was that even natural? His vision was constantly drawn to it…
Vanessa turned her focus around her to the giant hallway she had just entered. The hall itself was spacious, very attractive and designed in contemporary taste. All manner of paintings and photos hung on the walls, with the occasional sculpture piece standing erect upon the floor. Fancy, modern-style furniture also was spread about, with several chairs sofas, and tables available for one who might want to sit down and relax. Atop the tablets sat various plants and candles, adding a bit of extra flair to the surroundings. Decorative ceiling fans and lamps hung from the ceiling above, spinning quietly to themselves. There were several doors and branches off of the main hall that she could see. Somehow, a sense of calm and openness pervaded this passage, easing the initial tension that had amassed within her upon first meeting with the elder Bryant.
A specific article caught Vanessa's eye – a glass display atop a small table towards the center of the hall with something large and shiny in it. She walked a ways up to the case and stared inside. The glittering object was a huge golden trophy, adorned with trim and shimmering jewelry, its height reaching up to her chest. She could make out a large object sitting on the very base of the award that looked like a gold statue of a vehicle. In front of it sat a dedication plaque with writing engraved finely into it. The printing was incredibly tiny, so much that she was forced to bend over and squint in order to read it.
It said:
CONGRATULATIONS
JACKY BRYANT
INDY 500 CHAMPION
Jacky walked up behind her. By the way she was eyeing his prize so intently, he could tell that she was curious about it. He kept on expecting her to ask an obvious question that he was fully prepared to answer… yet nothing came from her. She continued to stare, eyes transfixed on the shimmering statuette.
He couldn't stand the silence... he had to break it himself. "….Yeah. That's mine,"
Vanessa nodded, not even turning to face him, continuing to observe. "Yes. That's what I figured. It has your name on it," she said, her tone of voice indicating that this fact was blatantly obvious.
Her unresponsiveness made the typically outgoing Jacky feel a bit uneasy. She wasn't reacting well to his attempts to kindle some sort of conversation. "Well, um… Do you like it?"
"It's… interesting. I haven't seen anything like this before." She finally turned around slowly to face Jacky. "I had heard there was a famous racer from this family. I guess my information was correct."
"Yeah, but… it's been a while since I last raced. I've been working on getting into it again."
"Hmmm… I see. That's good to hear."
More awkward silence drifted between them.
Every second of this was absolutely killing Jacky inside. Even as he tried to generate a dialogue, her responses seemed so unusually unemotive… he just didn't know how to deal with it. He had to do something.
"Erm… would you like to look around the place a little? I'll be happy to show you everything."
Her expression was unchanging. "I would be happy to see your residence, however, I'd like to take care of the business aspect first."
Oh, maybe that was it… Jacky thought to himself. Perhaps she is the businesswoman type, the one who wants to get arrangements set in stone as soon as possible. Well, in that case, best get this over with….
"Well, OK then! That's fine by me. Come on, I'll show you to the office."
He walked a few steps ahead, gesturing for Vanessa to follow him. She trailed only a step or two behind him, winding through the main passageway into a smaller branch off to the left, going up a flight of stairs, and then heading through more long halls again, until they finally reached a room with a large, locked wooden door. Jacky took a set of keys from his jacket pocket and undid the large lock which barred their entry, then pushed the door inwards and stepped inside. Vanessa went in alongside him.
The room looked like a rather old-fashioned office, with full, dark wooden bookshelves lining the walls, a desk and chair set towards the back, and several other large chairs sitting in front of it. Atop the desk sat a small lamp, a laptop computer, and a wireless telephone. Jacky walked behind the desk and sat down in the chair, facing in Vanessa's direction.
"Please," he said, gesturing to the chair situated directly in front of the desk. "Sit down."
Vanessa looked at the large, dark-green padded seat for a second, then sat herself down. Her body sank easily into the soft cushioning of the chair, taking her a bit by surprise after having to endure the hard airplane seats. It was quite comfortable.
She lifted her head and looked at Jacky's face. He stared back at her intently, with a rather serious expression on his face, elbows and arms folded across the table. "So, Vanessa… you know why we have called you here?"
She nodded. "I am not sure of all the details, but I know our group has informed you that your family is in danger, and you have been working on an agreement for our assistance."
"OK then. What do you know about the Bryant family?"
She shook her head. "I'm afraid I don't know that much," Vanessa replied. "I would appreciate it if you would tell me about yourselves."
"Hmmm. Where to start then?" Jacky leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. "Well… the Bryants have been a well-known family for a very long time. We have a large legacy to our name that spans back several generations. Currently, the Bryant household runs many well-established businesses throughout several major world industries. Overseeing these is the responsibility of my parents. That is the reason why they are going to have to be away for a while… they have to tend to important business matters elsewhere in the country and overseas."
"…I see."
"We also have some influence in government both here and abroad," he said, shifting his gaze back to Vanessa. "Mom and dad have been known to engage in political activism sometimes, and they also maintain several funds and charities. We try our best to keep ourselves out of the mainstream news, but most of the time we don't succeed with that." He chuckled nervously.
"Interesting. So you believe this has something to do with your security problem?"
"Yes, most certainly. Because we have such strong influence, and our family can be so visibly prominent at times, we have made ideal targets for criminal and terrorist groups. Recently your superiors have alerted us of a new, very severe threat to our family's welfare. That is why we have asked the SP to help us."
"I understand."
"Also, just so you know… we have a small private security force that usually handles some minor incidents every now and then. However, like I said… they are pretty small, and by no means experts. They have failed in the past, during situations where we needed protection more than anything…" His expression became noticeably bitter and resentful as he spoke about this. "We simply can't rely on them for major threats such as this. But the SP, well… you guys are simply the best of the best in the world, no contest. I am honored to entrust our safety to you."
"Thank you for the compliments," she said, tone of voice unchanging. "However, we should get straight to the point. What is the threat you are facing right now that you have called upon me to help you deal with?"
Jacky sighed. "Alright, let me explain. This might take a while…" He closed his eyes for a brief moment and raised his fingers to his lips, obviously in thought. He then opened his eyes again, but they were unfocused on the room in from of him, lost deep in recollection.
"Well, it started several years ago. Back in 1991, I was at the peak of my racing career. I had already won a major championship the year before, as you saw out there. So about mid-year, I was participating in one of the bigger races… the competition was very fierce. I wasn't sure how I was going to do, but everyone was predicting me to win it all. I was extremely nervous.
"I was doing well for quite a while. Among the best I've ever raced. Though I was nervous, I tried to keep my confidence high. About midway through the race, though, I thought I felt something strange beginning to happen with my car – like it wasn't handling the way it was supposed to. I figured it was just the excitement and tension causing me to imagine things. But only a few minutes later, I heard a series of noises from the front of the vehicle – then everything went straight to hell. The steering flipped out, the front end burst into flames, and I went spinning out of control at an insane speed. I flipped over and crashed violently, and was lucky to have only taken a few other drivers with me. They didn't suffer any severe injuries. But I was lucky to have survived."
"Wow. That must have been something…" she said, astonished.
Jacky nodded. "I was hospitalized for several months, recovering from severe injuries and burns caused by the crash. I went through rehab and managed to come out only slightly scarred from the whole experience. But since our family takes martial arts training, my body was in very good shape before this all happened. I am positive that alone is what saved me from death."
"But from the outset, we knew this was some sort of foul play. We checked the vehicle over many, many times before I went out there. There was absolutely nothing at all wrong with it. Plus, the investigators at the scene discovered suspicious evidence from the wreckage. My race had been sabotaged, but we didn't know by who. At first we suspected one of the other drivers, since I was the obvious favorite. There was a huge investigation, but we could find no evidence linking any of them to the incident. Besides, when you think about it, it would be extremely dangerous for them to try something like that on a crowded racetrack, where anyone else could have been severely hurt along with me.
"After the official investigations began to stagnate, my younger sister, Sarah, began investigating. She told me that she had learned about some underground criminal and terrorist organizations that were working to usurp world powers. She thought that there was one of these underground groups targeting us to attempt to overtake the resources our household has control of.
"We were skeptical at first. She was young, and seemed like she would buy into conspiracy theories easily. But…" He looked down, as if he was ashamed of something. "Oh god… how wrong we were…." His voice trailed off as he sunk his face into his hands.
Vanessa saw his distress and reached out towards him. "Are… are you OK?"
He raised his face up, internal turmoil obvious from the anguish in his features. The way his eyes and mouth were quivering slightly revealed emotion he was desperately trying to hold back from being exposed. Vanessa immediately knew what was going on with him. She knew the feeling all too well…
"…One day, Sarah was heading to an agency that was helping her with the investigation. …She never made it there." He lowered his head as he continued to speak. "They… the Organization… they knew what she was doing, and they already had plans for her. She… Sarah… was kidnapped and held by them for almost three years.
"My parents and I were scared to death. We didn't know how or why she had disappeared… we were searching for her whereabouts by every means possible, with the help of every agency we could get ahold of. But about 2 weeks afterwards, I received an invitation to participate in a World Fighting Tournament. At a time like this, I normally would not have cared at all… But, that wasn't everything it said… the… the invitation said… they would reunite me with my sister…" Jacky sighed a deep, painful sigh, and put his face in his hands again. "Oh god…"
Vanessa felt quite uneasy watching him describe something that was obviously causing him a great deal of distress. "I'm sorry…"
"No," said Jacky, lifting his head back up to look at her. "It's just that… this was the darkest, most painful period in my life. I… never want anyone to have to endure what I did."
"But what happened, then? Why did it take so long for you to get her back? And why didn't you try and trace where the letter had come from?"
"Of course we tried that!" He snapped, irritated. "That was our immediate reaction. But it had been mailed from some international location. We tried using our contacts abroad to trace it but it proved to no avail. My only hope was to trust their words that I would be reunited with my sister if I were to enter. From that point on, I began to take my usual Jeet Kune Do training very seriously. More than anything, I wanted to do well in the tournament and discover what had happened to Sarah…"
Vanessa could sense the anger growing within him. Though she was remaining calm and focused herself, and she understood the severity of the situation at hand, she wished that he could try and curb his temper just a little bit more. Nobody likes dealing with a person who is agitated…
"The months seemed to drag on endlessly, but eventually the date of the first Tournament came to be. I was flown to the Far East to participate in the matches that were being held in that area. The first fights I had were quite easy… even though my focus was not on the battle itself. The whole time, I just kept thinking about Sarah. I began to worry when I did not see her after those first few bouts… had they tricked me? What purpose did they have for bringing me there? Words simply cannot describe the tempest that raged within me during those first few days…" he paused for a second, making a futile attempt to try and recollect himself a little.
"But then, like a ray of hope from Heaven above… on my fifth day, I saw my next opponent. It was Sarah! Sarah… was there!" Jacky's hand had balled into a fist, and began to quiver violently. "She was fighting, too! I couldn't believe it. The moment I saw that it would be her, my heart was filled with such an indescribable, profound joy… and then everything inside me just…. shattered…" he pounded his clenched fist on the table a few times, his rage apparent. Vanessa was shocked a little by his sudden action, jumping a bit in her seat. Jacky, seeing that he had unwittingly frightened his guest a little, paused for a brief moment. He then loosened his hands and closed his eyes tightly, taking deep breaths, trying to calm himself down to a reasonable level.
"The person… who I was fighting…" he said between his gasps, "it…it was not Sarah." "It was not the sister who I loved so much… Her body had been turned into a hollow shell of a human… her mind had been destroyed and replaced with a demonic program of their own creation. All the love, joy, and memory she had carried as my sister before were gone… she was their living puppet now, and as I later found out, she had only one command… to take my life, by any means possible."
"I was forced to fight against her, and though I recognized some of the techniques she used as ones she had studied in the past, but she did all sorts of insane stuff I had never seen… she wasn't that skilled before. I tried to talk with her, but she didn't say a word to me… she didn't know me as her own blood anymore. I could tell from the viciousness in which she struck at me, and the blankness in her eyes… I managed to defeat her in the fight, but I didn't know what was going to happen… what if I won? What if I lost? What would happen to us? I felt so frightened and confused…
"After my victory, during the fanfare and ceremonies afterwards, I tried to break through the crowds and officials to get to her… but she had vanished. I looked all over for her… there was not a trace. I was so shaken up by everything that I simply couldn't focus anymore. I felt so dazed and numb… I didn't know what had happened to Sarah, if I would ever see her again… The next few fights in the tournament were difficult, and I eventually lost out."
The night after all this happened, we were driving on the way back to the place where I was staying. All of a sudden, out of nowhere, something leapt down and broke one of the car windows. We were taken by complete surprise, but we managed to regain control of the vehicle and pull over to the side of the road. As we got out of the car to check the damage, I heard gunshots fire at me… quickly I grabbed the driver and lay flat on the ground. The shots grazed a good distance over us, but had I not reacted faster, we would have definitely been hit. I heard footsteps running away, and I went to pursue them. It was late at night and quite dark out, so I couldn't see very well…. But in the faint streetlights, chasing after the shadow, I could see a silhouette I knew was familiar… and then, she was swallowed by the darkness. I couldn't find Sarah again. My own sister… she tried to kill me." He swallowed. "I realized what had happened… the same people who were running the tournament… they had Sarah, and they wanted me dead.
"I went back home and tried to continue where my sister had left off in her investigation. Unfortunately, most of what she had managed to uncover had been destroyed when they got ahold of her. I did find out that her suspicions were correct… there is a group out there that most people just call "The Syndicate" or "The Organization." Their goal is to obtain control of major world interests and eventually, all of society itself. They are already believed to have connections to some world powers and industries, which they are manipulating tacitly. And because our family has so many powerful interests and business connections, they decided to come after us. Most authority dismiss them as some sort of insane conspiracy theory. But as we have found out… they are very, very real. It seems like the SP are among the only people out there who take their threat seriously.
"I learned that for many years, they have been engaging in assassinations, military training, and experiments to help attain their goals. Sarah was an ideal target for them… she was fairly strong, young and easily controlled, and she allowed easy access to our family."
Vanessa felt a dread well inside her as something dark started to reemerge from the depths of her memory. She quietly forced it back and continued to listen to Jacky intently. She couldn't let herself get into that right now…
"I knew they still had her in their control, and she would either come after me again… or else I would hunt her down and find her. Immediately after the first Tournament, there was a second announced. About half a year later, I got another invitation, with the same notice as before… I knew I couldn't fail this time. I had to get Sarah back.
"I began to train with everything I had to succeed in this second battle… not to win, but to save my sister. That was my only focus… I was determined, but… I was also frightened beyond belief. I still didn't know what was happening to her, or what might happen to me if I were to fail…
The first time, I had shown some restraint in fighting her… but this time, I had to show no mercy. I knew deep inside my heart that it wasn't truly my sister I was fighting, but a pawn, a parasite that had taken host in her body. She fought similarly viciously. They had taught her quite a bit since last time, and her resolve to destroy me was just as fierce as my determination to save her. I could either defeat her… or I'd die.
It was close, far too close. I felt like I could have fallen at any minute… but I knocked her out for the final bout. I knew had I had to do immediately. With my last remaining strength, I took her in my arms and I fled. Immediately, they knew what had happened. They began to pursue us…
I don't know how I did it. My strength had been almost completely spent from the fight, yet somehow, I managed to run away, with my sister in tow, into the depths of the city. I had managed to lose them by taking a series of side paths into god knows where. I finally stopped at the end of a dark alley, exhausted. I had not heard the sounds of their pursuit, and I had a feeling that they were finally gone. I was alone there with her, frightened, in that unfamiliar place… but I didn't care. I had Sarah back. I could finally hug my sister and tell her how much I loved her again… when I over her unconscious body, she looked so peaceful, like the Sarah I remembered from years ago. I was so happy, and I swore I would never let anything happen to her again.
She began to wake up, and I could tell that being out of the range of the Organization's influence had changed her. Instead of that cold, demonic look in her eyes… I saw a sadness and innocence that had seemed all but lost before. I started to talk to her, but she didn't recognize me at all, and still seemed only semi-aware of what was going on around her. I figured this was because she was still recovering from the shock of everything that had happened, and she would return to full consciousness soon. That night, I just stayed there alone with her…
"During the middle of the night, we were attacked by their agents. By that time Sarah was awake but still not functioning well... and we were trapped by them, with her still in only a semi-conscious state. They were going to kill me and take Sarah back. But I knew… I could never let them do that." He shook his head. "I don't know how I did it… I think it was just the determination in my heart and the grace of God that gave me the strength, but… we were able to break through them and flee further into the city. Eventually, after being on the run for hours, we found a foreign embassy. They knew of our family and were more than willing to offer us safety.
They then gave us access to a medical facility. I was in bad shape, obviously, but Sarah was even worse. I was worried the whole time about her. She had been drifting in and out of various states of consciousness, and I was sure the constant running, hiding, and fighting were going to have a bad effect on her. They examined and treated us both for our injuries, and they tried to perform some preliminary psychoanalysis on Sarah. It appeared that her brain was functioning normally in all respects, but her memory seemed to be suffering. I assumed it was just a temporary aftereffect of whatever had been done to her. At that point, I just wanted to take her home as soon as possible. So, a few days later, we were off on a plane back to the United States… back to our home…
"Unfortunately, I had been wrong about her memory loss. The brainwashing they had inflicted upon her had destroyed everything she knew about her past life… who I was, her relation to the rest of the family, what she had done in her past life before all this had happened…all gone. She couldn't remember anything of her experiences inside the Organization, either. Most everything else, including her skills from training, had been retained in her memory. I think this amnesia was some sort of "safety mechanism" they devised in case we managed to get her away from them. I was so happy that finally my sister could be part of my life again, but… she… she couldn't even remember me…she still wasn't the Sarah I had known and loved before… it was absolutely heartbreaking." He sighed.
"So, we began to take her to some doctors and therapists in order to help her recover. She slowly began to re-accustom herself with aspects of our old lives together, but something was still missing. She didn't feel comfortable with us. She told us a few months after this all started that she couldn't bear to live like this and that she wanted to move away to New York where she could forge a new life for herself. We begged and pleaded with her not to, to stay with us, to try and fully recover her old life back with a family who would love and care for her, but… despite her memory loss, she hadn't lost that fierce determination from old times…"
Out of nowhere, a few knocks sounded upon the door, interrupting the conversation. Surprised, Jacky stopped and turned towards the source of the noise. "Who's there?" he asked, knowing full well who would answer.
"Jacky, it's me. I'm home for the evening," came a muffled female voice from the other side. "What're you doing in there?"
"Oh!" exclaimed Jacky, in pleasant surprise. "Vanessa, can you hold on a second?" Jacky stood up from his seat and walked over to the door, opening it eagerly. Outside stood a very pretty woman wearing a stylish cutoff top and bright blue jeans, with various jewelry adorning her neck, wrists, and ears. Her long, pure blonde hair and sharp blue eyes matched that of Jacky exactly. Vanessa immediately knew her identity upon first sight.
"Sarah, I'm talking with a family friend."
"Hmmm? …I didn't hear about this." Sarah leaned to the side a little, trying to look behind her brother and catch a glimpse of the visitor. "Did she just come today?"
"Yeah." Jacky responded, stepping aside so his sister could come in. "She's going to be staying in the house with us for a while. Her name is Vanessa Lewis."
Vanessa's ears perked upon hearing this. Family friend? Staying in the house…? I had thought he was just going to put me off somewhere nearby…
Jacky turned back to the silver-haired, tan-skinned woman. "Vanessa, I would like you to meet my younger sister, Sarah."
Sarah walked over to Vanessa's seat and smiled, taking one of Vanessa's hands in hers. "Hello, Vanessa. I'm Jacky's sister, Sarah. I'm very pleased to meet you!"
Vanessa stared back. "I'm pleased to meet you, too."
"I hope Jacky been treating you well?"
"I've had no problems so far, Miss Bryant."
Jacky, who was standing beside them, laughed rather nervously. "Vanessa, you don't always have to be so formal! Her name is Sarah, just call her that. You don't have to worry about "Miss" or "Mister" here, OK?"
Vanessa's eyes turned to Jacky for a moment, then back to Sarah. "I'm sorry, Sarah."
"That's OK," she laughed in response. "So, how did you get here, Vanessa?"
"Erm…" Jacky cut into the conversation again. "Sarah, we're kind of talking about important stuff right now. We'll be done a little bit, so… you two can meet and chat later, OK?"
"Oh!" A look of realization came over Sarah's face. "I should have known that I was interrupting something. You usually don't use this room for much of anything… Well, I'm sorry, then." She turned to Vanessa again as she began to walk out of the room. "I guess I'll meet you downstairs in a little while," she said, smiling, as she exited and closed the door behind her.
Vanessa turned back to Jacky, whose mood had improved noticeably since his sister had stopped by. "So, that's Sarah..."
"Sure is. You'll be able to meet with her later on. You two will need to spend a lot of time together."
"I thought you said she lost her memory?"
Jacky nodded. "She did. But we found an unusual form of therapy for her. It seems like when the Organization did their mental treatments, they put a lot of emphasis on her fighting abilities and improving her skill. A lot of it came from the times when she and I had trained together in the past. Ever since she returned, she has had an unusually high desire for practicing… she began solo training, but as she practiced her skills, she suddenly found herself able to recover fragmented bits of memory from the past. "
Vanessa's face was heavy with disbelief. "Really? That seems rather bizarre. How did that work?"
Jacky shook his head. "The doctors were baffled. Nobody could understand what the connection was. But she was determined, and she kept training… she wanted to deal with this herself. About a month later, she called and told me she wanted to go back and fight in the next World Fighting Tournament." He chuckled nervously. "You should have seen me… I absolutely flipped out. How she could even think about going back and putting herself into such danger, after all I had gone through for her sake… even if she was trying to recover what she had lost… was infuriating. I was angry beyond words, but Sarah was absolutely determined to go back and participate. That's the way she's always been… determined to accomplish things, no matter what the cost. I didn't want to, but I knew I had to… if she was going to enter, I would too.
"So, I went with her. It was actually pretty uneventful, this time around. Both Sarah and I did quite well, and I almost made it to the championship. During the tournament, I was very afraid that they might try to get ahold of Sarah again, so I was at her side constantly. Fortunately, nothing suspicious seemed to be going on, and nobody even showed any signs of wanting to harm either one of us. Sarah managed to recover most of her memory from that trip, as well, and even more in the months afterwards, finally returning to her old self. For once, things finally looked like they were all going to be OK again."
"But, unfortunately… with all the good memories came the bad ones. She remembers a lot about what happened to her while she was under the Organization's influence." He looked down and shook his head sadly. "She still has nightmares and flashbacks sometimes that give her a lot of problems. Most of the time she seems OK, but she's still undergoing regular therapy and psychological treatment."
"I see."
"After that, I figured everything would be good from then on. Sarah was still having some problems, but we were working on them. I felt happier than I had been in years. It was then that I decided to take a break from training and fighting and go back into racing."
"Racing? You decided to go back after all this time?" she was rather stunned by his statement. Why on earth would he go back to doing that after all he'd been through?
Seeing the skepticism in her expression, he continued. "Yeah… it was like it was my mission, and the track was calling me back to fulfill it." He smiled apprehensively. "I don't think anyone can really understand unless they've done it themselves. It's a part of your being… you just can't abandon it so easily.
"Unfortunately, after all this had started, I hadn't been practicing my race skills much, so I was still quite rusty. I worked on it for a while… right now, I'm at a good level, but still a ways away from where I was a while back.
"But, people recognize my name from several years ago, and seem really happy to hear that I might be making a comeback. I had a lot of people approach me interested in sponsoring my return. I signed a few deals, and our press relations people began to work on plans to promote my return to competition."
Then, out of nowhere, a look of rage suddenly overcame his features as he held up some sheets of paper. "But then, I got THIS through our business fax." He handed them to Vanessa. "Read it over."
She took the sheets from him and glanced over them. As far as she could tell, there was nothing special about them… they were typewritten in a standard letter format, in a generic computerized font. She then began to read through the contents closely.
Dear Mr. Jacky Bryant,
We have recently heard about your intention to return to active racing competition. We admire you diligence and competitive spirit, and believe that you would perform extremely well upon your return to the sport.
However, due to the circumstances that be, we are afraid that it is impossible for us to allow you to continue upon this path. We require your immediate participation in the upcoming 4th World Fighting Tournament (date TBA) instead. Therefore, we shall have to seek the active elimination of those that may be planning to sponsor your return.
We ask that you please do not attempt to resist, as it will most certainly result in unexpected, undesirable consequences for you and those who you may be associating with. We sincerely hope that you come to an understanding of this as soon as possible so as to prevent any potential mishaps.
Sincerely Yours.
"So I see… these people don't want you to participate, then. And they're threatening to hurt your sponsors if you do?"
Jacky nodded and sighed. "Yes…already all of the people I have been speaking with have received death threats in all kinds of forms… and one of them, who I was working on a major promotional deal with, had several key executives involved in an 'accident.'" His tone of voice changed considerably at this last word, giving away his suspicions. "Some fuel tank on a private jet exploded as the plane was preparing to take off for a trip here… Thankfully nobody was killed, but they did get hurt pretty bad. We were forced to stop proceedings on that deal out of fear that even worse might come."
Vanessa looked over the papers, but could find no sort of indication on them of where they may have come from. "There's no sort of identifying marks on here… Do you have any idea where this could have come from?"
"No… we tried having the number where it came from traced, but it lead to the middle of nowhere in some weird South American locale… and even that number had been disabled for months."
Vanessa looked up at him again. "So, it looks like the work of the Organization again… I certainly can't think of anyone else that might be involved, considering your past with them. Unless there's something you're not telling me."
"It's definitely the Organization. There's no way it couldn't be." He shifted his legs with a stern look on his face. "As much as it pains me, I've put everything on hiatus for the time being… I just can't see anything else we can do right now." He sighed again.
"Then, we got a call from the SP… your superiors. They told me that they managed to dig up some intelligence indicating that Sarah might be a potential target. I can say in all honesty that this frightened me more than anything… the thought of losing my sister again to those bastards… I had to know what could be done. They told me that they could send one of their experts to aid in Sarah's protection and our family security…
"And… that's where you come in," said Jacky, looking straight at Vanessa. "We have asked for your presence here to help investigate the situation, but most importantly, to help protect Sarah."
Vanessa stared firmly back at Jacky, seeing how intent he was. "I understand. But… you do not think you or her are fully capable of defending yourselves?"
"Well… yes, we are, and we've managed to do so in the past. But we've also been taken by surprise, too. Also, we have no idea of the full capabilities of this group, or what they are planning. All we know is that they want back at Sarah again. And you guys, the SP… you are experts in this field. I was told that you especially, Vanessa, have knowledge about combating terrorist groups. I don't know if the Organization really counts, but…"
"No…" she said, holding her thoughts in place as they began to slip. "I actually know a few things about them. They're not unfamiliar to me at all."
"Oh? Really?" As Jacky was speaking, he was staring into her eyes. They struck him as unusual – not because of their coloring, but because they seemed to reflect a very frigid feeling. It was almost like there was something inside them, trapped under a layer of hazel-green ice… "That's absolutely wonderful! You might really be able to help us out, then. We'd be even more grateful for your services."
Vanessa nodded, but hesitated a little before speaking again, something gnawing at the back of her mind. "…May I ask you something, Jacky?"
Jacky smiled a little upon hearing her finally refer to him by his first name. "What's that?"
"When Sarah came in here… why did you tell her I was a family friend, and would be staying here?"
"Well… we absolutely can't have her know that you've been hired by the family to act as a guardian for her. I'd hate to think what the psychological implications of Sarah finding out she's still being targeted would be… Like I said before, we're still having problems with parts of her rehabilitation, and we want to avoid making anything worse. So, you are going to be staying here, in the house with us, as a guest."
Completely taken by surprise by this revelation, Vanessa opened her mouth to say something, but Jacky continued on.
"We already have our big guest room prepared for you. I really hope you'll like it. Once everything of yours arrives you can make it into your little home-away-from-home. Sort of."
Vanessa's eyes were wide with total astonishment. This was something she had never expected… being allowed to live in the client's quarters together with them? She wouldn't have even thought of it before.
Jacky smiled back at her, seeing the obvious disbelief upon her face. "We want you to become part of the family for a while. We wouldn't do anything less for someone putting themselves in danger for our sake."
Vanessa's gaze shifted down to the floor nervously. She really didn't know what to say in reaction, feeling almost flattered by the unexpected show of hospitality. "So… what will my official duties be?"
"Well, you are going to be looking after Sarah's safety, first and foremost. We don't expect you to be with her every single minute of the day, of course, because that would be impossible. But… we want you to keep an eye out for anything suspicious involving her, seeing what she might be up to, if she might do anything or go anywhere that could potentially put her in harm's way. However, you must remember… she absolutely, under no circumstances, can NOT know what is going on, at all. We want Sarah to lead as normal a life as possible, but we also want her to be safe."
She lifted her head up again and looked straight at him. "Understood. You have my utmost guarantee that I will perform to the very best of my ability for Sarah's sake."
"Good. You have no idea how much comfort that will give me..." Upon saying this, Jacky slowly stood up from his seat and stretched his arms out a little. "Well, I think this is enough talk for tonight. Maybe we can discuss this all a little bit more tomorrow? I would like to have you get acquainted with a few things around here before it gets late. Besides, you still have Sarah to meet."
"Um…" she hesitated. "I really do think we should get everything discussed ahead of time. I still don't know how I should function around here," she said seriously.
Jacky walked to the side of her chair and looked down at her, seeing the cold, focused look in her eyes. "Vanessa, don't worry about that. Just get yourself settled. I'm sure you'll develop your own routine during the time you're here." He pat his hand on her shoulder gently. "Now may I please have the pleasure of fully introducing our guest to my dearest sister?" He said, grinning widely.
"Well, if that's what you want…" she said, rising from her seat. She followed Jacky from the room and out into the hallway.
-- NOTES --
Another VF4 fanfic from me. This is the fic I spoke of in my previous story, and if everything goes as planned, this is going to be quite long. I hope other VFers will enjoy the effort and affection I'm trying to put into it.
I know this chapter is fairly lax on action, and the next will probably be too. I just want to make sure the character and setting are well established first. Worry not, there's going to be plenty of action and drama coming soon.
The next chapter is already partially done, and will hopefully be completed in the near future.
FYI, the text at the beginning is a translation of Vanessa's Japanese VF4 storyline.
Thanks for reading!