Sitting in the backseat made Kayle felt both uncomfortable and pleased at the same time. The comfort that Nissan offered was beyond anything she expected. Premium leather upholstery, carpeting was also a special type of handmade product and if she got thirsty while praising how soft and pulpy it was, there was a mini fridge under the seat ready to serve.
Kayle was no stranger to expensive goods. More than half of her life associated with the most fashionable outfits from designers whose names were confusing and ridiculous, equivalent to their reputation. She drove the Mercedes to school and spent most of her winter vacation in a Manson in Charleson. Compared to them, this Nissan wasn't that much to begin with. But as people often said, "It is so good to be so miserable,". Kayle just had a awful flight and a terrible breakfast, so she didn't hesitate to enjoy this luxury with enthusiasm. The only thing that made her uncomfortable here was the guy who was reluctant to act.
Pattrick Hammer, also known was a man of few words, only open his mouth when asked. Is he really a Embassy employee, she asked herself, And why does he have to sit behind the wheel? Didn't the Department always use their own chauffeur to let loquacious fellow like Patt do the talking part?
Maybe he was a trainee ... No way, she dismissed that thought immidiately, he was too old to be a trainee and too scary to be related . His face's skin was and clean , somewhat pale, and his eyes were easily reminiscent of weasels or wolves. In every aspect, Patt wasn't a friendly person.
"When will we get there?"
She asked him. Actually, she didn't need to know until she arrived but she kept asking him anyway. His silence began to make her feel frustrated.
"Forty minutes." He glanced at the rearview mirror. "Maybe a little bit longer."
And he never add "Major" in the end of the sentence. Although Kayle wasn't principle kind of person, she must admit after that being in the Army for a long time made her accustomed to be addressed by her rank instead of her name. It felt a little weird when people didn't do so, even the ones she was talking to was a civilian like Patt.
He looked at the rearview mirror again and then drove into the deceleration lane. They were on the freeway connecting central Tokyo with the suburbs, where factories, industrial zones grew close together and this overpass overlapped that overpass. The scenery outside was boring. In front of her eyes was only a long line of cars and cars with gray buildings.
Curling up in a thin blanket found behind the driver's seat, Kayle tried not to fall asleep. For several months, every time she closed her eyes, she instanly sunk deeply into dreams and strange illusion. At Fort Barg, They did taught her to master thing so-called "Sleeping technique", a trick that help soldiers to control sleep as they desired. Once the body has reached its limit, muscles began to have signs of numbness and brain activity was slowing down, anyone needed to sleep but taking naps for more than two hours on battlefield meant closing your eyes forever. Twenty minutes was more than enough to recover the functions needed to fight on. Sadly, Kayle had lost this ability since leaving Iraq. Now she often slept like the death, and in her dreams, she saw cows running wildly in the fields, seeing waves hitting rocky shores before rolling small stones back into the ocean.
I have to keep awake and cautious
She mutter to herself. Being sent to a place that had nothing to do with her specialty made her mood worse. Kayle could not help but wondered what exactly those fragrant and beautiful civil servants needed from a military personel like her and why it was so rushing?
The situation is going on in the way she was so familiar with when she was in Spectre and it made her goosebumps a bit. Kayle was part of a hasty and secret plan carried out by the hands of the central intelligence agency and only God knew what its goal was. Funny when the CIA was better at fooling its people than fooling its opponents. In that case, Pattrick Hammer wasn't a normal employee on the payroll of Department of State and she could not sure if his name was Pattrick or Patt.
After nearly ten minutes of trying to keep her eyes from closing and almost failed to do so, Kayle decided to pry Pattrick even though she didn't expect him to spew out something useful.
"This is first time you were abroad, right?"
He hesitated for a while but then he answer. "I practiced for a year in Paris, a year in London. This is my first time in Asia."
" Paris? "Kayle gasped." The city of light. "
Almost every woman felt so excited when Paris or France suddenly appeared in the story. Kayle wasn't the exception after being promised by her parents that they would allow her to visist Paris when she was old enough.
Paris, Just whispering the name and she cold smells the toast, the smell of white cheese, the smell of roasted coffee from the cafés next to the river bank and the great Louvre museum where all the essence of human creativity was stored. One day, Kayle told herself, she would definitely visit France. When thinking of it, everything seemed to be on the right track. Kayle was sitting on a vehicle owned by the Department of State, driven by its agent, and even a bottle of mineral water on her hand was labeled "US State Department".
"Of gangsters and thieves" Patt said in a mocking tone "Immigrants rushed to Europe, filling every shappy dirty building blocks you can find in the suburb, and mosque after mosque pop up like mushrooms after the summer rain. Every time I go down to the street, my ears are about to explode . Romanian, Arabic, even Indian. The whole city look like stuffed turkey right now and giving it a few more years, who know what will it became "
What a strange attitude for a man of diplomacy. Indeed.
He spoke as if throwing a bucket of cold water into Kayle's face. This guy was not only annoying but also rude and xenophobic at the same time, rarely did a man denigrated the city of light in front of women. Kayle tend to argue with him but then gave up because she knew she must restrain herself. The impulse of officers should not be spent on such pity quarrel like this. Moreover, Patt might be right. She had never been in the city of light for once after all? Paris might not be as in her imagination as Bagdad turned out not to be the paradise oasis in the desert from Arabian Nights.
"That's a pity" She commented "Ten years ago it was still crown jewel of Europe."
"At least Jausiereine is the same as ever." He said, "I'm happy for that."
"Whoa...she must be a wonderful woman." Kayle was surprised. It was hard to believe there was still a person out there who actually fell in love with him "Are you still in contact with the Jausiereine?"
Through the rearview mirror, a mysterious smile appeared on Patt's thin lip. He was smirking and although Kayle didn't understand why he did that, she assumed he was up for something that she wouldn't want to know.
"Yes, I meet her every day." He said "Right in front of the restaurant opposite to the embassy."
After that, the journey returned to its original state. Dull and silent. The Nissan turned off the highway and headed for the city center. From afar, buildings were like ash-colored bricks standing close to each other in mist. And in the middle of them, Tokyo TV Tower was like a strange touch that rose above from the gray background of a painting. Kayle hate rainy days like this. They reminded her of the funeral. Coincidentally, any funeral that she attended procceed in they way as if they had been scripted by the same man; The widows sobbed uncontrollably then collapsed, the children stood sagging next to the coffin, the guards of honor with faces carved from stones, shooting a volley of farewell gunshot in the gloomy sky. It seems that people always had a habbit of choosing horrible days to do horrible things.
If I die, I will leave this world in mid- summer day with blue sky and light shinning above. But time passed and that promise gradually became a wish then Kayle suddenly realized people always thought of something they could never achieve.
"It looks like we'll be late." Patt chucked and looked at the platinum watch on his wrist "Damn it, the line is even longer than yesterday. "
Kayle looked up and noticed that the vehicles were crowding around her. She lowered the window, poked her head out, cold raindrop fell on her blond hair and collar.
"Something is going on near the bridge," she told Patt, "An accident? Traffic jam?. "
" Probably both." He patted his finger on the wheel, whistling to the cheerful melody of yankee doodle " As usual. "
"You speak as if the Japanese were the ones who messed things up all the time. I don't recall they have ever earned that reputation."
She remembered the way the Japanese man carefully folded his jacket and placed it under the tree. The folds were so beautiful and neat, she thought she had lightly touched them with admiration.
"That may not be true before but this war had done something wrong to their mind , and what we are seeing here is the consequence of it. There are two bridges connecting this district to the city center, one has been knocked down on the day of the attack, the smaller one is in front of our eyes. "
Patt began to tell about that fateful day. A deafening explosion, louder than any explosion that the embassy's people heard during the acttack. They ran out and then saw a giant column of smoke appearing in the east.
"It took a while for us to know that the Japanese Air Force had knocked down the Toyomi Bridge on the news channel. Everyone was afraid that the enemy would enter the inner area while the JSDF did not have enough troops to protect every sectors. A Tomahawk from a warship in the bay I suppose because I don't think they dare to use bombs. "
About this, Kayle was not surprised at all. Althought GBU had the power and the reliability suitable for the task, they weren't always on the standard list of Japanese F-16 weapons system. Moreover, none with a sane mind would think bombing a populated city on their own soil was a good idea . With Tomahawk, the accuracy was almost absolute and therefore much safer. What was borthering Kayle was why Pattrick Hammer, a paper handler, knew what collapsed the bridge was a missile. Did they teach these things at the diplomatic academy? It would be strange if they had but there was an possibility …. Impossible, she dismissed that thought right away.
"An terrible mistake" He cleared his throat and continued, "Toyomi is the shortest path to Ginza, so the reinforcements had to take a detour and the horde of legionarie and monsters almost overran the palace if it wasn't for that guy. A random JSDF officer I think but what was his name? Ita..Itami? Whatever, it doesn't matter anymore. "
If it was the US military, then Marine battalions would certainly fight to tooth and nail to regain control of the bridge instead of destroying it. But the JSDF was not U.S Army, if she remember correctly, the last time they fought in a war was seventy years ago. The first battle of Spectre was better to be said. Hugh the tallest and strongest operator of the unit lost one leg and Kayle herself got shot on the shoulder while trying to find that detached limb of his.
"It took some time for the Japanese parliament to find their scapegoat. A retired old general stood up and took full responsibility. But the most interesting thing is how to restore the bridge. Some people demanded that the bridge be moved to another place because the cost of cleaning up the rubble on the river bed was too high while the whole of Japan was in the state of war. Maybe they did not see it in that way but sending the army to foreign territory only means war. "
"And the bridge hasn't been re-built yet? "
"Look around you, Major" He said "Does everything look good? Not at all. Let me tell you a truth. Japanese people have more things to worry about than a bridge. Ever since that gate appeared, Middle East also left the New York Time cover page. All nations crave to set foot in the Special Region so bad that they are actually ready to use force if necessary. Do you remember what happened when people found America?
They fought each other for five years to own the new land. The first was the Spaniards who came and destroyed all of the indigenous civilization then British and the French struggled for the East Coast, and finally the United States swept all of them out to become hegemony. The prospect of a century-long war did not interest Kayle at all and there was not a chance in hell she want to be the next Conquistador.
"Let hope it wont come to that."
Kayle smiled bitterly. How many times had her hope been crushed by the harsh of reality? One, ten or one hundred? Sometimes one was just more than enough.
"God of fortune favor the bold" He said, "War educates the senses, calls into action the will, perfects the physical constitution, brings men into such swift and close collision in critical moments that man measures man."
"The man is a good philosopher but he isnt a soldier. "
Finding the bright side of the war was like catching a cat in a dark room, only there was no cat there to be caught.
"You knew him? "
"I know some of them" Kayle replied.
"A philosopher doesn't have to be an outstanding warrior. Machiavelli had never been on battlefield once but none can the understand war like he did. War is a play and we are all actor with specific role and limited lines but that doesn't mean we don't know what is going on right? Let me give you example. We have a tons of poor bastards in the Army now and when it come to fighting, there is without a doubt they are among the best that we can offer but they are still a pieces of the game, a satellite that rotate around the planet, never see the whole picture or the truth behind every shots they took. They seemed to accept their role given to them but you and I didn't and that made both of us exceptional."
What the hell was he talking about? Kayle now prefer the silent and sullen version of his more than ever.
"What do you mean by that?"
Patt didn't answer, he simply put his hand into the inner pocket and took something out. Kayle was startled by that, her hand immidiately reach to the non-existent holster on her ight thigh. Not only did his looked unfriendly but even every movement he made also push her to the edge.
"Here." He leaned back and gave her a Japanese cigarette packet with a matchbox. "Sorry, it's hard to get American goods here."
"I don't smoke." Kayle shook her head.
"You do." Pat's voice was cold, but green flames burn wildly in his jade-colored eyes "Roland said you smoked a lot in Iraq."
Roland died, Kayle wanted to say so but somehow, words get suck in her throat. There was no way this weasel knew Roland. Spectre members only used alias and constantly change their names when being on missions. There was only a few people who knew Kayle's true identity and that number would be smaller if the person they was talking about was Roland, who was in charge of all Spectre field mission.
"Oh my bad. I should better call him Lamb. I suppose that was how they used to call him, right?"
Kayle waited for Patt to lower the window then lit her cigarette up. The cool air rushed in, caressing the naked skin on her neck but the smoke made her blood vessels boil, and her head light so she didn't feel cold.
"Who are you, Pattick?"
"If you want to start. You should ask the right question. "
So this is how your game work? Fine, So be it . Honestly Kayle half want to know what the heck they were planning to and the other half was she knew she had no other choice.
"What the hell am i here for, Pattrick?"
"Well, that is for the ambassador to decide."
The US Embassy looked like a fortified fortress with concrete walls, reinforced glass doors, security checkpoints and machine gun nest rather than a normal civil building. Other embassies were also armed to the teeth. Kayle saw four snipers on the top of the British embassy, the white Kepi of the Foreign Legionnaire in front of the French embassy's gate next to Bundeswehr's typical Flecktarn uniform surrounded the German embassy. Judging by the mere appearance, this diplomatic area was less diplomatic than anywhere else in the city.
"It feels like home right?" Patt Or whatever his name was, commented "After the Ginza incident, the Department of State had double everything needed for the next "Invasion". Guards, walls, guns, you name it. No shit, we just replaced all of our ordinary security guards with two platoon of marines week ago. It seem that big guys in D.C don't place a lot of trust in JSDF even after the battle Alnus. Strange, our friends in NATO also have the same thought too. Those snipers you just saw hadn't been there two days ago and I overheard that they are from S.A.S "
Indeed the sight did reminded her of the Green Zone in Iraq, except Kayle did not think there would be a tax -free pub own by the CIA. She herself had many unpleasant memories with that place. It was fair to say whatever central intelligence agency had it's hand in always brought along tons of trouble.
"Who are you, Pattrick?"
This was the third time she asked him but still hadn't received an answer yet. Patt continued to avoid it by talking about something else.
"The Ambassador will meet you in an hour. I hope bring along suitable outfit. "
Kayle smiled wryly at her appearance. Her combat uniform was wrinkled and filled with rain water. "What do you think?" She asked him.
"I'll arrange" he said with a sigh. "Your meeting with ambassador must go as smoothly as possible. It will be a shame if a US military officer show up in such . "
They passed the first security checkpoint called" Sunrise " although Kayle could not see the sun since she arrived at Tokyo.
"Do you need to name it like that ? Why don't you go with the alphabet and get done with it?"
"I'm not in charge of naming them." Patt said as he pulled down the window and handed to the corporal in marine service uniform some sort of paper.
"Really? I honestly want to know you're ... "
"Good morning assistant Hammer. It's a surprise to see you this early "The corporal at late greeted them with a friendly smile. He was a tall, dark- skinned man with a long scar on his cheek. "And your passenger is ..."
"Nobody. Remember that well, Roger. I just took the ambassador's wife to visit an old friend of her today and because she wanted to sleep at that friend's house tonight, I came back alone. "
" Of course, Yes .. Yes, I am clear on that sir." The smile on Roger's face disappeared , he then nodded his head to signal the barrie bar to be lifted up.
"The fewer people know the you come here, the better it would be. I'm sure you know how we work right?. "
"There's no we here. "Kayle raged." I have nothing to do with you and your damn scheme. Do I need to remind you that i'm a military officer? That's right, I'm only responsible for answering and obeying commands of my commanding officer, Colonel Moyes. "
Moyes was her trump card. He definitely didn't want to loose Kayle to the intelligence agency or anyone. To be more precise, he did not want to leave his lovely little bird in someone else's hand. She was not stupid to think working at training department of Okinawa base would mean the end to the love story between her and the CIA. Langley didn't have the a habbit of letting something cost them lot of time and resource to go with the wind that easy.
Kayle know she have some preparation to make if she intented to enjoy this retirement a little longer. Moyes was a target that couldn't be more perfect. The Goat was indeed a notorious pervert so it wasn't that hard to seduce and he also was too coward to go further so she lost nothing afterward except a bit of dignity. After a few attempts as well as suffering, she hoped that the poor old man would proved himself to be useful for once. A godamn Spook like Patt would soon find out that he had chosen the wrong person to fuck with. To be fair, Kayle today wasn't the idiot with the silly smile standing in the middle of Fire base Kerak that year.
"Relax, Major."He laughed "This is just a normal mission like the hundreds of mission you've ever done in Iraq. Nothing to worry about and Colonel Moyes will sign any paper we give to him otherwise…. "
"Why the hell will he do that? "Kayle jokingly asked "Don't say you gonna make him an offer he can't refuse?
"It wont come to that. We just need to remind the colonel to remember the fifty thousand dollar golf clubs, the free vacation to Fiji, and how many times he lay his hand on your breast. I have to be honest with you Major. I know you did on purpose but it was still pretty low and ... "
"That's enough! "Kayle was angry" Why are all of you weasels such cowardly, sneaky bastards? "
" Because, as I said everyone must play their roles. Politicians should be manipulated, generals need to be assertive, a good soldier must be valiant and spies must always be cowards. A valiant spy is as much useless as cowardly soldier. As far as I know, Major is a good soldier. "
Roland was an excellent warrior she had ever witnessed, so were Fisher and Carrick. But where are they now? Sometimes she considered that compliment was no different from bad luck and it was true to say good soldiers never die on sicking beds.
The Nissan turned right and headed straight to the parking basement. Patt didn't like the idea of parking outside because according to him, there were so many eyes looking at them right now and more important, the suit he was wearing costed at least nine hundred dollars.
"It would be a waste to ruin it." He smiled as he opened the car door for Kayle. This was the third time she saw him smiling and still didn't see any pleasant in it.
He then led her through a clean, but empty hallway and at the end of the hallway was an elevator with two marine armed with MP5s. Kayle realized immediately that this passage was only for VIPs or the ambassador himself when there was an emergency.
"As I said, we need to keep things as quite as possible." Patt said as he stepped inside. "I'll lead you to the waiting room now, Major. You has thirty minutes to prepare for the incoming meeting with the Ambassador."
The elevator took them to the fifth floor, the highest floor of the building according to the electronic panel near the elevator door. Patt led her into a room with a velvet sofa and a small wooden table set beside.
"You stay here while I go to find you a suitable uniform." Patt said then pointing his finger at the red door in the corner of the room. "The bathroom is over there. Make yourself at home."
After saying that, Patt stepped out, leaving Kayle alone. She silently observed the surroundings and began to act instinctively. At first, Kayle conducted a check under the two sofas to make sure they didn't install any recorder. After nothing had been found, she turned to the next suspicious object. That bookshelf was an ideal for hidden surveillance cameras. The cute Japanese doll dressed in Kimono on the table also looked suspicious as hell but since Kayle couldn't tear it apart to see what was inside her, she turned its face towards the wall. The thought of Patt standing somewhere out there and watching her through the screen made Kayle sick to the bone.
"It looks like everything is fine," Kayle muttered as she removed each ballpoint pen from the table. "Maybe I just get too paranoid."
The bathroom was very nice and comfortable compared to its modest size. Kayle looked at two small cabinets on the wall. There were two new brushes in nylon bags, an electric shaver with cream and soap for shaving. The rest is a multitude of colorful bottles stood neatly in an orderly fashion. Kayle guessed they were some sort of cosmetic or styling gel but she didn't borther to find out because most of them were not suitable for her anyway. This room was originally designed for men. Rarely did a woman went out and forgot to bring along any kind of makeup accessories like her.
Kayle looked into the mirror and was horrified when she realized how terrible she was at the very moment. Two dark circles was easy to been seen under her eyes bags due to lack of sleep while her hair as well as her whole body was sticky and smelly as she had been constantly exposed to the rain since last night.
I need to bathe and do some makeup right away or become greatest joke ever in front of the ambassador, Kayle thought. Fortunately, mascara boxes were available and she had about twenty minutes left to the meeting.
Taking a bath proved to be a wise decision. Hot water made Kayle feel sober, wash away all the sorrow and tension on her body from the time she boarded that chooper in Okinawa. But when it came to makeup, things got complicated. Kayle hesitated, not knowing which type of makeup would be more appropriate. Heavy or light? It was very popular to use heavy makeup when attending such formal event like this but honestly, Kayle prefer light makeup more and should she bold her eyebrows or just leave it there? In the end, she decided to just play a layer of chalk and used a special kind of cream called concealer to cover the dark circles below her eyes because she only had ten minutes left at best.
Just ten minutes later, Patt returned as scheduled. Kayle heard the sound of his footsteps as he gradually approached the bathroom door.
"I brought uniform for you, Major" Patt said as he knocked on the door.
"You can leave it on the sofa." Although she was wearing a bathrobe, Kayle by all mean didn't want him to get inside. The intuition told her that under those scary emerald green eyes of his, she would looked like she was naked.
He then did what she as without any further question. Kayle waited for him to leave the room and closed the door before stepping out.
"Holy mother of God! What the hell is this. "Kayle exclaimed when she saw the military uniform" Pattrick! The hell was you thinking? "
"What's the problem? "Patt opened the door, his face was expressionless as if he had expected this to happen." I think everything is still alright in my opinion." he glanced at Kayle and smirked and that only made her head about to explode.
"Naval service uniform?" She pointed her finger at the white militaryuniform lying on the red sofa. "Does it look alright to you?"
"White creates a feeling of friendliness for everyone around and beside this is the only uniform that I could find." He punctured straight answer, "Don't worry, I'm sure you will look great in it."
"Thanks for the compliment, but if you borthered to read the file, you would see it clearly states that I was an officer of U.S Army not the Navy"
"Then it cant be more convenient, as I said ..."
"The fewer people know who I am, the better!" Kayle interrupted. " Yeah I know it but swear to God, if I heard you say that one more time, you will regret it dearly and I won't put this thing on whatsoever! "
" Is there another option?"He leaned against the wall, watching Kayle stand there awkwardly in her bathrobe" Or are you going to wear that to the meeting? "
"No" Kayle helplessly answered. She indeed had no other choice.
Nice move, you damn weasel, Next time it would be her turn to retaliate.
"Good. The problem has been solved. You have five minutes left. "Patt hastily replied and walked out.
Kayle murmured furiously as she pu her uniform on. The skirt was one size wider while the shirt was too tight. It was so tight that when Kayle finished installing all the buttons, she was almost unable to breathe. The scarf troubles her the most because she didn't know how to tie it properly. After a few minute of searching for memories of the naval officers she had met in her life, Kayle finally succeeded.
"Okay" Patt said when he saw Kayle came out of the room "Follow me."
He led her across the administrative room, where embassy employees were eager to read paper after paper of document before stamping it. There was an empty table at the end of the row and Kayle couldn't help but wish she had came here just to filled that empty seat. How simple and pleasant things would be if it was the truth. No deadly secrets, no danger.
"This is a visa room. The most bustling part here." Patt explained," And also the most dangerous. "
Some people looked up at Kayle as she passed by, but then quickly lowered their faces before the sharp gaze of Patt glided over them. No matter what position this guys held, he must have great power. Roger, then those Guard at the elevator and the staff didn't feared him for no reason.
"Mr. Hammer." A man called Patt from behind. "Mr. Henrich wants to meet the Ambassador for lunch."
"I have already told you the ambassador would not meet anyone today." He grumbled "Cancel his appointment immidiately. "
" But…. What should I say to him? "The agent was taken by surpirse. He replied awkwardly," Yesterday, the ambassador had accepted the invitation. "
"That was yesterday's story. "He growled "Tell that idiot our boss is having stomach aches, headache, a flu or something. Are you so stupid that you can't make up a excuse, Tom? If indeed you were that dense, then you was free to clear your table and fuck off "
"No, Mr. Hammer…I just…" Tom stammered, his face was as pale as a corpse, trying to find right words "I will do it right away, sir."
Then the employee nodded and ran in terror to his desk.
"That's it. What a useless pieces of shit. Do you agree with me Major? "He asked her." Sometimes, you need to use a whip instead of sweet candy. You can't imagine how bad the situation was when I first came here. "
Certainly more pleasant and bright than it was now, Kayle thought. She suddenly felt sorry for the people here when Patt was the one in charge.
The two continued walking and only stopped when they reach another elevator.
"And yet I thought the fifth floor was the highest." Kayle said with indifference. Embassies always have room for underground corridors, hatches, and other deadly secrets since the Cold War.
Patt ignored her comment and swipe security card through the scanner on elevator control panel. The door was opened and they entered.
"Can you tell me what is going on now?"
"That will be decided by the ambassador." He repeated mechanically "I didn't know you are that impatient."
The ambassador's living quarter was unexpectedly large, fully equipped with separate bathroom, living room and office. Kayle looked around and came to a conclusion: It's owner loved Roman Roman antiques. The pattern on the flower pots in four corners reminded her of the previous Latin lessons. Sobel, her Latin teacher also had similar pots like these, even though they were just replica. Next to the brown wooden door led to ambassador's office was a bust of a Roman celebrity. Ceasar? He doesn't look young. It might be Octavius.
When she was about to ask Patt about the statue's identity, the door was opened, a beautiful woman came out.
"Hello, Celie." Patt's voice suddenly sounded less grumpy "Is the ambassador ready to meet Major Wilson?"
"Yes he is waiting inside. Just has finished his breakfast " Said Celie.
Celie has a slender figure and her face remainded Kayle of Spaniel (a type of dog with long ears hanging down and a sad face that looks quite cute),with eyes were so gray it could be considered to be black. She look a little sad but determined still.
"Good luck." Celie said and Kayle had a feeling she was speaking to her rather than Patt.
"What ..."
"Come on, Major" Patt urged "Don't let he wait."
The ambassador sat behind his desk, a magnifying glass in his hand, staring intently at a coin-like object placed in a small wooden box. He was a man in his forties, not tall but fit. With a bald head and funny glasses, it easily mistook him for an antique hunter rather than a US ambassador.
"Major Wilson!" He put his glasses down on the table and held out his hand. " Sit down, please sit down ."
Kayle sat down cautiously, while Patt quickly went to stand next to the ambassador.
"You are more beautiful in the picture. I'm sure ships have to compete to have your service. "
" Ambassador, I don't… "Kayle knew that this would happen sooner or later.
"Oh, my mistake, I forgot the courtesy again. I'm Dominic, Dominic Hobson, the American ambassador to Japan. "He glanced at Patt and smiled." And this is Pattick Hammer, my assistant. I think he'd already introduced himself, right? Pattrick is thoughtful and polite man. "
Kayle gazed at Patt and snickered. He replied her with a look as cold as ice
"Yes, he is." She smiled and said, "Sorry, I have a few questions that I need you to answer. Is it okay? "
"Straight to the point? "He banged or slapped his hand together." Good, good! I like the amry style of doing things. You can ask annything you want."
Kayle tend to lean forward but her cramped shirt told her not to do so or there would exist the most embarrassing moment of her career
"How can I help you?"
Dominic suddenly stiffened, the excitement disapeared into the air. He slowly stood up and left the table then contemplating in front of the ancient mosaic depicting an ancient battle hanging on the wall. Kayle knew that mosaic, her father also had a copy back home.
"You know who this is, Major ?" He pointed to the mosaic "The greatest man in history. On battlefield as well as on the negotiating table. "
" Alexander the Great "Kayle nodded" Battle of Gaugamela "
Son of Zeus, king of Maccedonia, King of Asia Minor, The Pharaohs of Egypt, the one who conquered the Persian empire. Alexanderos's title must be longer at the time when he was alive. Soldiers idolize him, scholar were infatuated with him, and Kayle's father thought his wife had given the birth to the second Alexanderos, Louie. Thinking about it, Kayle found it a little weird because her father seemed not to remembered what had happened to Philipos (2)
"At Gaugamela, Alexanderos made a historic decision. He determined to fight the Persians even though they had a much bigger army than him and Darius was ready to reconcile. The King of Maccedonia dreamed of vast lands stretching from the Agean Sea to India, the city of Babylon and it's treasure of mountains of golden coin while his generals pleaded with him to sail back home. If thing happened in a different way , Alexanderos was just a stream of footnotes in history books but ... in the end we have Alexanderos the Great. "
Alexanderos is an idiot, Kayle thought, at least he could live to sixty years old and watched his son roll on his fortune instead of dragging his ass from this desert to another desert to sleep in makeshift tents, and taking shit in a newly dug hole. Though that was true, Kayle thought it would be impolite to say that.
"We are standing at a crossroads like Alexanderos that year." The ambassador continued, "Only forward or retreat back to the sea, Writing our own story or become a footnotes of someone else's story."
"True with what you said" She had heard enough lectures like this from her father. "But forgive me, Mr. Ambassador, I still don't understand what you mean."
"The US government has just been given access to the Special Region." Patt abruptly interrupted. " We are going to diplomatic convoy to the capital of nation called "Empire" and you are one of the first thirty Americans who first set foot to the new world. "
" Okay. So who am I, Ambassador? "
" Military attaché, representing the US military, "he replied