Agent M: Testament (The Agent M Series Book 2) (23 page)

That opening statement sent thousands of scenarios coursing through Michael's inquiring mind. None of which led to a positive outcome. Jiro continued.

“We were asked to train two of their finest soldiers in exchange for a large sum of money. We initially resisted the offer but the Grand Master allowed it. He had hoped it would help discipline some of their soldiers and perhaps bring them closer to becoming a nation of peace, not war.”

Michael was surprised to hear that form of logic. Normally the Yamatera clan is very selective on who they decide to train. Money is usually of no object. Many of Japan's most prominent business leader and political figures beg the Yamateras to train them in their style. This is how this noble clan hidden deep within the mountains of the Iwate Prefecture has been able to not only survive, but thrive for centuries. When the most powerful people in the country owe you favors, there's not a lot you can't do.

A specific part of Jiro's statement stood out vividly in Michael's mind.

“There were two of them?”

“Yes,” replied Jiro sounding almost distraught by the thought. “Ryoo Myung-Dae and his older brother Ryoo Myung-Ho.”

One brother was bad enough but knowing there'd a second fight potentially waiting for Michael didn't sit well with his thoughts.

“They took to the training very well. Initially anyways. They were both very impatient but worked very hard. We only were able to cover the basics. After about six months they just got up and left. It was like they weren't even here. We soon knew why.”

“What?” Michael replied sounding very intrigued.

Six months is hardly any time to master a level of mathematics let alone the ancient art the Yamatera's taught. Even if the incursion brought them back, there is no way two soldiers could have turned the tide of the battle. Not even with the aid of Agent M.

“Shortly after they left we've had an influx in Korean gang activity. The Chief of Police in the Chiba Prefecture messaged us about an increase in crime in certain areas where Korean migration has increased. Most of them just petty theft but the cases of assault they had on file had statements from witnesses that identified our style of combat amongst some of the gang members.”

“What is being done about it?” Michael's words started to warm up.

He knew just how deadly the Way of the Balanced Fist style truly was.

“Things have calmed down a lot since the initial reports. We still hear about incidents in Korean populated bars that catches our attention from time to time but for now, the threat seems to be over.”

“I need the names of those locations,” demanded Michael.

He finally found a lead in this mess and it was moments away from slipping through his fingertips.

“Absolutely Madison-kun,” Jiro happily replied. “Is this part of your job now?”

“Yes,” Michael stated.

“And,” Jiro began not sure if wanted to continue. “Is that the only reason you came here today?”

Michael didn't like it when his intelligence was insulted so the last thing he was going to do wasn’t going to be anything close to someone he had at least an ounce of respect for.

“Yes.”

March 24th, 2013 4:19PM

Las Vegas, NV

The day passed unexpectedly quickly for Nicole Wells. She just laid in the hospital bed for hours on end enjoying a few grand moments of peace that have rarely been afforded to her. Gone were the chaotic and hectic days of saving the world week after week. Even the busy hospital setting was serene by comparison. Everything outside was difficult. Everything here was simple. Nicole liked that feeling. She was going to chase it.

“Good after noon Ms. Wells,” called the doctor as he opened the door to Nicole's room and entered.

“Hello Dr. Nayar,” Nicole replied.

Her voice was soft and humble. That was something very out of character for her.

“I've gotten all of the test results and if you'd like, we can go over them and discuss your options.”

“Please do,” she said mustering up the weakest form of a smile that has ever graced her expression.

Nicole knew what lied ahead. This wasn't going to be a time for celebration that's for sure.

“According to our tests, your condition has increased from moderate to severe,” Dr. Nayar stated.

He was a professional but still chose his words carefully. He always hated watching a patient become filled with fear and sadness after hearing such bad news. However, Nicole's expression didn't wane at all. It was almost as if she knew this was coming. Dr. Nayar placed a couple of X-rays on the board to illustrate his findings.

“The inflammation in certain sections of your heart has increased tremendously. Before it was estimated that about forty to fifty percent of your heart was affected but now they've appeared to increase to almost eighty percent,” said the doctor pointing to the images of the previous and current test results.

Nicole never cared for seeing her own mortality stare back in her face like that but there's not much she could do about it now. The doctor continued.

“There are several areas of your heart that have severe blood flow blockages. This is why you've been feeling symptoms ranging from mild pain to your episode of collapsing earlier. The disease is causing your body to go through the symptoms of a heart attack without actually experiencing one.”

His next words were grim and hit Nicole harder than she thought they would.

“Your heart is being slowly suffocated.”

“What are my options doctor?” Nicole interjected.

She knew it was going to be bad. That much didn't surprise her.

This was the part the doctor hated most. Many years of doing this has steeled his resolve but it didn't do much to quell his natural and emotional response. He was still human after all.

“Unfortunately, there's nothing we can do at this point. Your cells are too far gone. Even a full heart transplant would only be a temporary solution. At this stage, the disease would be likely to return very quickly and only prolong the inevitable.”

Nicole fought against her instinctive emotional response and asked him directly.

“How much longer do I have?”

The doctor couldn't even bare to look at her. She knew the answer already without having to utter a single word. At the very least, Dr. Nayar gave her the politeness of being frank and not stumbling with a semi-vague response.

“A week, give or take.”

That was much harder to hear than Nicole had prepared herself for. Her work wasn't even close to finished but someone was already pulling the curtain down. The show would still go one but one of its prominent actors would no longer be taking center stage. Her fate had been sealed years ago. Each and every day after that has been a gift. Nicole tried not to squander any of them. Her favorite employees would be inclined to agree and their opinion was the only validation she needed.

“So what would you recommend?”

Every syllable she spoke sounded more defeated than the one before it. Death was staring her in the face and the son of a bitch was laughing.

“At the very least I'd say you'd be restricted to bed rest. Definitely no work or travelling in the slightest. Just do what makes you comfortable.”

              “May I stay here doctor?” Nicole kindly asked.

“Absolutely,” the doctor replied.

His voice nearly broke at that response but he knew he had to stay strong for her sake.

“We can accommodate you any way you'd like. Just let the nurses know and they'll take care of anything you need.”

The doctor paused for a moment, knowing full well what he was about to say next wouldn’t be the most sympathetic but required nonetheless.

“We'll also need to take care of some legal matters as well given the situation.”

“I understand.”

              “Before I go…”

Dr. Nayar stopped himself and gave Nicole a look that was so sweet and sympathetic it could make a weaker person burst into tears.

“Is there anyone here you'd like me to contact? Any friends or family?”

Nicole almost wanted to laugh but forced herself not to. It was a touchy subject with her. Facing one's mortality is something no one wishes to do alone. She had a whole list of people who may and should know about her condition. Her pride made her go another route.

“No,” she started barely getting the words out of her mouth. “No friends. No family.”

“I see,” nodded the doctor. “I'll go draw up your paperwork for our legal team and let the nurses know. Please call them whenever you'd like. You'll be their top priority for the rest of your stay here.”

“Thank you doctor,” said Nicole.

She watched him leave the room just as quickly as he entered. There was nowhere left to hide now. All of her options were exhausted. She knew this day would come for quite some time now but chose to constantly ignore it. Not just for her sake but for someone special as well. She would be leaving him soon; all alone in this crazy world. He was strong but there were still so many things she wanted to experience with him. So many things still left to say. Work always got in the way. It was the only time they could bond together. He'd grown up to be quite the young man but still, Nicole wanted to be there for him. She didn't want to leave him with so much left to do.

Nicole couldn't fight it any longer. The tears started to come down in full force. Her eyes wandered back to the window where the sun rose earlier in the day and watched the orange sky begin to fade into darkness. For the first time in her life, Nicole prayed; prayed for enough time to take care of everything before she had to leave.

March 25th, 2013 8:29AM (local time)

Iwate Prefecture, Japan

Davis sat calmly amongst the beautiful flora that surrounded the entire garden. Lush bushes and mighty green trees spanned as far as his vision would carry. Spring would soon be here and all of the little buds containing hundreds of unique shapes and colors were on the verge of exploding and sharing their glorious faces with the rest of the world.

The tour was undeniably spectacular. This place was a truly wonderful blend of human ingenuity and Mother Nature’s natural beauty. These people were so warm and friendly which made the tour all the more delightful. If Michael had the opportunity to stay here for many years, there had to be a very good reason as to why he left. So many questions and more began to populate Davis' mind. He could hardly wait to dive right in. The only girl with the answers he sought was sitting right next to him.

Shiori kept her eyes at a distance. Sometimes she caught herself staring far too long at some of his more intriguing details and didn't want her inquisitive nature to take over and start asking silly questions. She felt like she had to make a good impression for this man. She wanted to. If he was a friend of Michael's then he must be very important. Shiori wanted nothing more than to be a big part of Michael's world again.

“So tell me Ms. Yamatera,” Davis spoke. “How did you and Michael meet?”

The poor girl couldn't muster the resolve to stop her smile from showing. She remembered the day clearly. It was one of her most precious memories.

“Father used to take us to Miyako in the summer. One of his friends had a house there on the beach. It was very private but fun. My sister and I loved going there to swim and play. I was about thirteen at the time and started to become a little rebellious. It's silly now that I think about it but I was still very immature back then. Anyways, if it weren't for my pouting that day, I never would have met him.”

Davis took note of the strong emotions conveyed by the beauty known as Shiori. Her eyes seemed to glow brighter every time she thought of him. Given the data he's collected, the Michael Madison she knows versus today's incarnation seem like two different people. Shiori paused for a brief moment, obviously relishing in the thought of this memory and continued.

“The sun was setting. It was time to go home but I wasn’t ready. I wanted to spend more time in the water. My parents tried to force me to leave but I ran off on my own back to the beach. I remember the sand looked very orange that particular day. I hid behind some rocks and before I knew it, waves started come in. I was so scared. I started crying for my parents. A big one was coming. I turned to face it and out of the corner of my eye I see a little boy stuck between two rocks nearby. I thought he was dead at first. Without even thinking about it I jumped down there to try and save him. Wave after wave came and hit us but I didn't let go. I desperately wanted to save him. I summoned all of my strength and was able to free him from the rocks. Using my last bit of energy, I dragged him a few feet on shore before I collapsed. I was so tired after that but I wanted to know if he was okay.”

Tears began to well in the corner of her eyes. Shiori had remembered all too well the events of that day.

“When I pulled him out of the water the first thing I noticed was his clothes were so dirty. He must have been swimming out there for hours. We found out later it was actually days. After I caught my breath, I tried to pump the water out of his stomach like I had heard about but I didn't know how to do it properly. Then my parents finally arrived. I ran up to my father with tears in my face begging him to save that boy. He tried so many things for what seemed like a very long time. When he stopped, I was afraid he was going to tell me he was already dead. I didn't want to believe it so I started to cry more. My mother hugged me and told me it would be alright.”