Blind Sky

I pull up to my driveway wondering how many secrets mom hid from dad, or if he knew anything about the threats made against her.

The house is quiet, and despite’s dad’s lack of organizational skill, must admit, he does a good job maintaining the house well, though with my help of course.

Mom although she loved simplicity, had a few quirks, painting the house all white inside and out, but insisted on a rustic colored garage, adding her personal touch with contemporary furniture and tropical landscape which gave the house a nice curb appeal while showcasing her unique style.

I still have vivid images of the many mornings she spent looking outside the large windows near the kitchen, curled up on the built in bench she requested as a kitchen add-on, sipping on one of her many favorite herbal teas.

I stroll outside pass the kitchen which is modern and mostly white, with beige colored bamboo floors that accents the house beautifully. I head to the patio outback, another one of mom’s beloved oasis. The patio was always a great place to go unwind. It had a great view of the lake, which is accented with a blue tinted glass fence that spans around the pool. There are also various stones that added a tranquil vibe, accompanied by wood deck flooring, and urban style patio furniture that came in handy for the many parties she threw.

I head back inside finding dad in the kitchen.

“Hey kid, how were classes today?” And he’s in an abnormally chipper mood.

“Um… pretty decent,” feeling awful for not being able to disclose the complete truth.

“Anything interesting?”

“No, not really, just the usual lectures. Did you eat already?”

“Yeah, picked up a salad today. I brought you back one. I left it in the refrigerator.”

“Thanks.”

“Should I start something for dinner?”

“No. I am meeting up with Ted and Henry later this evening. I’ll get something to eat while I’ m out. I am sorry to leave you all the time, I feel guilty.”

“Don’t worry about me. I have a lot of reading and assignments I want to get a head start on for class.”

“Are you sure?” glancing at me with concern.

“Yes, I am good. Don’t worry.”

“I’ll probably be late, so don’t wait up.”

“Thanks again for the salad,” giving him a hug.

“Love you Sky.”

“I love you too.”

“Sky,” he calls.

“Yes,” I yell.

“I forgot to give you these,” handing me a stack of mail.

“Thanks,” waving him out.

I head upstairs to mom’s office deciding to search through some of her boxes, files and documents for some kind of a clue as to who would have wanted her dead. I found nothing substantial and sat on the floor next to the large shelve of books. There was a black and white photo of her wearing a tank top that shows her holding her exposed pregnant belly, with long flowing hair covering her face.

While staring at the photo, an ice prick of chills travels down my spine. I pick up the small floral box next to the photo, finding some sort of specialized passport with clearance to Division 19.

The passport had twelve stamped visits, but there was no record of the date or year. Scrolling further down, viewed the signature. It was signed by Victor Slate, Chief of Staff for Australian Government and Lacey’s father.

******

The next morning before heading to work, stop in at the agency to see Gram showing him the passport I found.

He looks at me and smiles. “You remind me so much of her. Your mom,”continues was a smart and crafty woman. She was very much into science and was always coming up with new ways to improve the agency. Lars needed a team of people to help cultivate his experiment on cellular research. Lars had access to government experiments and researchers and found your mother. He was impressed with her profile, credentials, and background. They met and she introduced him to another researcher she was helping to fund his cellular research.”

“My dad.”

“Yes. Your mother believed in the work your dad and Lars was doing, and together they began working on experiments decades ago here at Logue, but once Victor got word what Lars was doing, he ordered us to stop everything.”

“Why?”

Gram shuffled his hand through his hair taking a seat at the side of his desk.

“The enmity between Lars and Victor runs deep. They’re brothers. When your mother discovered Victor put a halt to the research, she quit her position, began working freelance with us, then privately and separately with Lars.”

“Sky,” he says settling his voice, “the skills that your mother had and you have, are very valuable and any agency would be honored to have. You both demonstrated tenacity and an innate ability to pull people in, which are great advantages. Do you remember when you first came to the agency?”

I think of the person I was and the person I am now. At lot has changed besides my age. At eighteen I was working on special assignments with the agency and killed my first target.

“You certainly advanced quicker than most people during your first year of training. And as only the second female promoted to our System Protocol missions, it’s a testament to how much potential you have. You’ve come a long way.”

I smile at the appreciation of his kind words.

“Sky,” he says, only this time he speaks in a fatherly way. “We are proud and honored you chose us.”

“Gram, if Lars worked with Logue and my mother supported his research, then why is he a target, and why am I the one assigned to locate him? Wouldn’t that be betraying my mother?”

“Unfortunately, after your mom got Lars entry into Division 19 as an experimental researcher, Lars quickly formed relationships, which was much easier to do back then. It was a different time and era. Division 19 wasn’t as closed off from the rest of us, as they are now and were open to form and create alliances, but Lars got greedy, enjoying the power and lifestyle he was shown there. He began planning a strategy of war, and your mom wanted no part of it. She notified the agency and Australian government, which helped us prepare for attacks, but Victor blamed her for giving Lars access to Division 19 fueling his ability with the power he obtained to forge war, and Lars offended by her disloyalty saw her as a betrayer.”

“So she only had you guys to protect her?”

“Yes, and with both sides against her, we were up against a lot. And we take orders from Australian government because there funding keeps us afloat. So whoever they assign as our targets, is our enemy. And speaking of targets, how is the assignment going?”

“Gram you know befriending an assignment is much harder than taking out a target. This kind of assignment is slower and more involved,” I rationalize to him.

“I can’t just coerce the guy to give me information. You and I both know it doesn’t work like that. You’re expecting me to form some kind of friendship and develop trust. That doesn’t happen overnight and it’s only the first week.”

His slight agitation is evident, but he sighs and gives me the okay.

“Speaking of the assignment, did you know Galen was our fight instructor brought in by Tadao during training here at Logue?”

Gram looks at me unsurprised. “Yes.” And now I am even more confused.

“I do not understand. If he was brought to Logue and knows Tadao, why am I tracking him as a target?”

“Lars is our ultimate target, and Galen belonging to Division 19 can give us access to information we need and want. This is very important Sky, so take the time that you need, but the sooner the better.”

My meeting with Gram took longer than expected, but I should make it to work on time. It’s 9:45 a.m. and I should make it on time for 10:00 a.m. Luckily, even if I didn’t, Dr. Fieldson, my boss is not a mania on time. I think he trust me and the other girls enough, since we’re the only ones that work in the mammal research department.

“Good morning Dr. Fieldson.” I greet.