A.N. -Thanks for the people that reviewed. I plan to make this a big project, and really would appreciate a few kind words or comments.
Chapter 2Leaving
A week later…
The weather was still quiet chilly in Los Angeles, and predicted to rain later on in the afternoon. Syaoran looked outside from his drop down window in his temporary apartment. Skyscraper crowded the city, along with cars that honked constantly at one another. Visible black puffs of smoke came from various places. He turned his amber eyes back at his messy room. The apartment looked more like a hotel rather than a cozy apartment building, with its matching curtains, carpet, and bedcovers. The wallpaper was forest green, with beige stripes going up and down.
His mouth crinkled. His usual organized floors were covered with maps, and layout drawings of Los Angeles. Highlighters, pens, and markers were sprawled across the rug.
A faint vibrating sound disrupted the comfortable silence. A message was left on Syaoran's cell phone telling him a car for his upcoming mission was being dropped off.
Syaoran glanced at the windows again, finding a thin layer of what seemed to be frost coating the surface. He grabbed his black wool trench coat of the hanger and walked out of the door, double locking it.
Syaoran circled around the car brought over by the agency for his new mission.
A pitch black Vanquish S Aston Martin.
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"I informed the rest of your squad, Agent Eriol, and Tomoyo to accompany you on this mission." A man around 30 instructed Syaoran. He was sitting in the middle of a dark octagonal room, filled with computers, and gadgets. A flat screened TV hanged from the ceiling against the wall. The man had messy russet hair and hazel eyes. His dress was dark, and faded into his surroundings, a black button down shirt, and a pair of casual grey jeans. With a flick of his wrist the once blank screened TV came to life.
'Taki', or what everyone at the base calls him, was the "commander" for Syaoran's CIA unit.
Syaoran turned his attention to the screen. The words 'Mission EST' came up followed by a photograph of a woman around the age 18 to 20. The woman had slate black hair that flowed past her shoulders. Two piercing indigo eyes were set delicately on her heart shaped face along with a pair of delicate, blood red lips. Her appearance was none less exceptional, than a model's.
Taki pointed his index finger at the woman on the screen. "Takara Nakamuru, daughter of Yoshifumi Nakamuru, a wealthy business man. He owns several companies in the United States as well Taiwan."
Syaoran nodded mentally taking points on the names.
"The mission is no where near complicated as your last. Involves no gathering of evidence or tracking down suspects. Your main goal is to protect Miss Nakamuru from any possible danger. A lower member of the Black Dahlia group provided us information during interrogation, for a possible attack on the daughter of Mr. Nakamuru, during her twentieth birthday party."
Syaoran narrowed his eyes, unknowingly, shifted into a guarded position.
Taki watched Syaoran with a grim expression. "I understand your emotions right now, Syaoran, but it's not yet our time to occupy our minds with Black Dahlia. Focus on the mission. The mission starts tonight, beginning with your flight Chicago, which I had Midori, my underhand schedule. A packet of information will be handed to you by Midori, when you leave here. You are due here, with a mission report five days from now, at twelve o'clock sharp."
Syaoran lifted two fingers to his forehead in a salute before turning heading towards the door.
"Good luck." Taki added.
Sure enough, a lady was standing outside the door with a black, leather tote bag, looking quite overwhelmed.
Syaoran glanced at the lady, presuming her to be Midori, before nodding his head towards the bag. She smiled gently, a blush tinting her cheeks before handing the overstuffed tote towards him.
Syaoran swung the tote over his shoulders and walked towards his new car. Clearly there was no time to spare, with packing clothes, gadgets, and weapons on his to-do list.
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Sakura stared at the wooden vanity table in her room, that she never used…at least as far as the word vanity went.
It wasn't there anymore.
It really wasn't there.
KAMI-SAMA, IT WASN"T THERE!
She had searched the whole thing, up and down, twenty thirty times already in the past hour.
Sakura swore she didn't leave anywhere around the base. She hardly ever wore it, only once in a while for good luck purposes. The last time she wore the thing was…a week ago! On a mission and after that, she didn't remember what happened to it.
Sakura clenched and unclenched her fists. Her green eyes flickered all over the room, searching for her most precious possession she had. It used to belong to her mother. Nadeshiko had stuffed it into her arms during the last breath.
A crystal Nadeshiko brooch.
She was so busy throughout the last few days that she had barely kept up with her meals, she hadn't noticed it was gone.
What if she left it during her mission?
What if it was just lying around somewhere in her bedroom?
What if enemies had picked it up and were now scanning it for fingerprints?
It might just be thrown somewhere in her old batch of clothes.
God, she had left evidence for her enemies.
Sakura's mind was torn by the two possibilities. Washi Mestuki, her 'father' had always lectured her on never leaving any evidence behind. No loose strands of hair if possible, which leads to why her auburn hair was only shoulder length and almost always tied in a ponytail.
Sakura tried to calm herself down. Think positively, she told herself over and over again.
Instead she let her hands drift over a canvas bag that Washi had given her this morning. Inside were her new mission papers. This time, her team was supposed to steal something off Takara, Nakamuru, whose father is a wealthy business man that stood third, fourth place in industrial ranks in the United States. While her team, which consisted of two others, Jack and Chiharu played diversion, her job was to steal a jade amulet.
A photograph slipped out from behind the stack of folders. It was a close-up of a piece of jade. A light greenish white round stone the size of a person's fist. There was nothing really special about it with the exception of several calligraphic writings.
Sakura folded the photograph and slipped it back inside the canvas bag.
An airplane ticket was stuffed inside a clear plastic folder. The word ' CHICAGO' was printed at the space next to 'arriving'.
Nakamuru's daughter was having a birthday bash, or so it was written on the paper and a masquerade ball was going to be held. Sakura smiled inwardly, things were going to be a lot easier.
Just out of her window, rain started pelting on the earth. Pretty soon a lightning striked the ground, jolting Sakura slightly. Sakura closed her eyes, and lifted her chin up in the air trying to imagine the feeling of rain against her cheeks. The humid, clammy scent that only belonged to the droplets of water from the sky. Storytellers describe it as sweet and earthly, but when you actually breathe in its smell, is that how it smells? Is it really the tears of the innocent? Is it really the finale touch to a magnificent romance?
Sakura wondered, opening her eyes revealing sparkling green eyes that had dulled into a lusterless sea green.
It's disgusting how people make up all these lies when they don't even know themselves.
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Thin wires wounded around the corners of the window with a small red light flickered in the dark. Every so often a faint buzzing sound could be heard from it. Sakura spat at it, hers eyes raging with detest.
Why use such things, when there was no way for anyone to escape anyways?
♣ ♣ ♣ ♣
Syaoran grimaced at the sight of his closet. He had been trying to avoid it for the past number of days. The top half was completely stuffed. From top to bottom with mini laptops, multiple cell phones, beepers and other CIA toys. The bottom half was filled with clothes that were folded. Were, being the keyword. As the top half increased the bottom started to crumple. And god, no doubt it would really suck…
Syaoran slowly slided the door open, a crushing weight smacked into his body.
A second later did he open his eyes, which his body protested against highly. The sight was quite impressive for one's eyes to behold. Pile of things that only Syaoran himself could identify. In other words, a mountain of garbage.
It was a wonder how he ever managed to pack his suitcase. But again he was wondrous man.
Syaoran had carefully looked through the leather tote, to find his whole wardrobe already prepared. There was hardly a piece of clothing that didn't come from a well known fashion designer. Along with it came a bullet-prove vest. Two handguns were tucked inside an X-ray safe case along with several boxes of bullets.
His fake passport and background info were already in his hands. His name was Uruki Yamamoto. His career was a doctor. Taki mentioned that Tomoyo and Eriol managed to make fake invitations to Miss. Takaru's birthday party. It wasn't exactly fool-prove but good enough to pass through the doors.
A sudden flash lit the room. Seconds later following it, a thundering rumble ripped through the calm air. Syaoran stopped in the middle of dragging his suitcase up. He straightened his back and stared out his window. The clouds were heavy and threatened to never let the sun take its role again. The whole sky was washed with grey, navy, and purple. He wondered if anyone was paying any attention to the theatrical performance.
Taking one last glance at his apartment, he left the room.
Sorry, for the late update. I actually had this chapter written out a while ago, but didn't have time to post it, since I just came back from my vacation to Canada. I know this chapter sucked a lot...hopefully the next will spice things up a bit.
