Sorry this update took so long. I had a hell of a touch of writers block and miss rona didn't help. Hopefully I'm over the hump and can get to finish this story. Thanks for sticking with it and all the reviews and favourites.

Chapter 16

It was nearly midnight when Raizo carefully peeled himself out from underneath Mika's peacefully sleeping form. She'd curled up on the sofa after he'd left, trying to find the warmth that was now missing, like a cat searching for a sun spot.

Raizo tidied away all the dinner glasses, plates and leftovers, and washed the dishes happy to leave Mika to sleep. He considered his life when he first met Mika. He knew from the moment he met her, life would never be the same. He remembered pulling her out of that burning building in the Ozunu camp and the excruciating moment when he thought she was dead. He laid her on the ground among the fire and chaos and truly thought she'd given her life for him and to some degree, she had. It was pure dumb luck that Mika was born with dextrocardia. She could easily have died that day and if she were like 90% of the world, she would have. How his life had changed since that time.

10 days has passed since Mika had been fitted with her tracker by Jacob. The healing knife wound was itching but healing nicely alongside her many other injuries picked up on her first ever mission. Raizo was performing his daily inspection of Mika's bandages while she lay on a large triple wide sun lounger on the beach at the back of the house. Raizo had bought the extravagant piece of outdoor furniture for them and constructed it a few days earlier so they could relax outside more comfortably now the nights were getting warmer and the evenings longer. It was more of a bed with three sides than it was a chair.

Mika was sat up on her knees in a bikini top and shorts, while Raizo re-applied fresh bandages. Mika was busy going over the paperwork that Mel had left her to complete.

"This is not what I expected at all." She said placing the paper form against a hardback book.

"It does the job." Raizo said tugging the tape around her ribs tight enough to elicit a grunt from Mika. Raizo smiled at her and lay down on his back with his hands behind his head.

"I'm not sure what to put for deposits," Mika said.

"I would not recommend using your usual bank account. There is a facility that we all use to keep contract funds safe. Just tick the box that says Quest, Mel and Jacob will talk you through how it works and only you will have access to it."

"Emergency contact stroke next of kin?" Mika contemplated out loud.

"You could put Mazlow and your Father?" Raizo suggested.

Mika looked down at him. "I dunno about that, who did you put?"

Raizo stared back at her, smiling and squinting up at the bright sky. "You."

"Me?" Mika asked, surprised. "Really, for both?"

Raizo turned onto his side to better see her. "In the beginning it would have been Jacob and Mel. I didn't have anything more in the way of family." He reached a bare foot up and gave Mika's leg a gentle shove with his foot. "Now I do."

Mika smiled down at him, "When did you change it to me?"

"A week after the Ozunu compound battle." He said with a stillness that was almost unnerving.

Mika looked down at him in disbelief, "I can't believe you did that. Why?"

"You risked your life for me, a stranger. More than once. I couldn't think of anyone else that had earned my respect more. I knew you would make good use of whatever wealth I left behind and I thought you might want to know if something final had happened to me. I know I would have wanted to know the same about you."

"And what did Mel and Jacob say when you did that?"

Raizo chuckled, "It took a bit of explaining but in the end they understood."

Mika shook her head at Raizo and rolled her eyes. "You're crazy." The emotion in her eyes gave away her true feelings.

Raizo pulled her hand to his lips and lay a kiss on the inside of Mika's wrist. "But for next of kin you should probably put your Father with a note about how you would like him to be notified should the worst happen. You can make a Will separately to decide how your assets will be passed on."

Mika sat back on her butt and crossed her legs. "This is all getting a bit real. My Father doesn't even know you exist. I can't imagine him getting a phone call from you one day to tell him I'm…"

Raizo casually trailed his fingers across Mika's left knee. "What makes you think I would be the one notifying him?" He asked matter of factly.

"Because I know you. If something happened to me you would feel obligated to tell him, probably in person." She gazed out at the sea. "Jesus, he can't know about all of this, not yet, maybe not ever."

"Well like I said, you can put a note about how you would like him to be notified. You can say you were ill or it was a freak accident or something. It's up to you. Mel and Jacob will have some suggestions. You're not the first to have run off to join the 'circus.' " Raizo used his fingers to make quotation marks around the word circus.

"There is no rush." Raizo said laying back down and facing the sky.

"Maybe I should take up skiing?" Mika pondered. She noticed Raizo raise an eyebrow. "Ya know for my potential freak accident cover."

"That's not a bad idea," Raizo contemplated.

"I was joking."

"Still not a bad idea. Could open you up to more work"

"I think I've had enough of thinking about my mortality for one day. "Mika said getting up, "Want something to drink?"

"Whatever you're having," Raizo replied.

Mika went inside the house to place the forms on the kitchen counter and came back out with two cold beers. She handed one to Raizo and sat back down beside him. After a short moment of silence Mika glanced over at Raizo who was now sitting up beside her with his legs crossed.

"Do you think about the end much?" Mika asked.

Raizo looked quizzical, "Death?"

Mika nodded. "Those forms have reminded me how much I didn't really think about it until I met you."

Something in Raizo ached at hearing Mika say that and not in a good way. Mika saw the look on his face, a look of apology and regret. She shook her head before Raizo could speak the words. "No, don't do that. I've never been happier, but I guess, well I know you've been around death a lot more of the time than I have."

Raizo exhaled and placed his beer down in a groove in the sand beside the lounger. His gaze cast out to the waves crashing against a nearby rock wall. "I know when death is near." He said with an eerie ease. "When I was recaptured by the clan and transported back to the base for execution I wondered if my injuries might kill me before the clan had a chance to. It was the closest I had come to the end as you call it. I don't fear it, but I try not to court it."

"How can you not fear it?" Mika asked trying to understand.

Raizo kept his gaze on the ocean. "Because Ozunu taught us that there are many things worse than death." He drew his knees up to his chest, crossing his arms about them.

Mika didn't know what to say. She felt silly and small and somehow weak for asking such a question. She put her beer down and gently shook her head while tracing a scar on Raizo's shoulder that looked like the assailant might have been trying to cut his arm off. "I'm sorry" she whispered as she lay her lips gently on the old angry scar and took in the scent of Raizo's skin.

Raizo's cell phone rang suddenly. It was Jacob.

"I have a short notice assignment for you if you're not too busy."

Raizo sat up, "Inland?" He asked.

"Outskirts of Latvia. It should be pretty straight forward but it's a 2 hander."

Raizo's brow knitted. He didn't like where this was heading. "What sort of damage are we looking at?"

"Potentially 58."

Raizo let out a slow and measured breath. "Send the details."

"Sure thing Brother. You have a flight scheduled for 2300 hours. Drop by the shop if you need anything extra." Jacob hung up before Raizo could respond.

"What is it?" Mika asked concerned, her hand still on Raizo's shoulder.

Raizo got up suddenly. "We need to pack."

Mika was confused. "Huh? What's happening Raizo?"

Raizo held his hand out to Mika to help her to her feet. "We have an assignment." He cupped her cheek a moment. "Do you feel ready? It's alright if you don't."

Mika considered the question for a second. Her mind was going a mile a minute. "I, think so."

Raizo shook his head. "Not think my love." He splayed a hand gently over Mika's taped ribs, "Sure."

Mika nodded. "I'm sure."

Raizo nodded before darting inside. "Then we leave in 6 hours. Jacob will send the details in the next 30mins. Pack your work passport not your real one."

Mika followed quickly behind Raizo who had opened up a hatch in the living room wall near the kitchen and pulled out a small case. "Wait, What? We're going abroad?"

Raizo nodded absently. "Latvia. It should be a relatively quick and simple job but it takes two people. Mass loss of life is a possibility so I'm assuming explosives are involved."

"Explosives!" Mika exclaimed a little louder than she had intended.

Raizo nodded while opening up a backpack on the kitchen counter. "You honestly don't have to come. I can…"

"I'm coming!" Mika cut in before Raizo could finish.

Raizo smiled and gave her a quick wink. He tossed the backpack at her. "This will be yours. I've packed a few essentials but feel free to add anything I might have missed."

Mika looked through the bag quickly. It seemed well stocked for a short overnight stay. It even had her Kevlar suit in it. "Ah what about weapons?" I'm assuming we won't be trying to sneak them into the cargo hold?" She asked only half joking. "Will we?"

Raizo smiled again. "No." When we land we'll have directions to a cold-site. It's usually a property off radar somewhere. Whatever weapons we need will be couriered there and waiting for us."

Mika found a grey fabric wallet in her backpack. She held it up to Raizo before opening it. "That's in case we need to disarm anything. Electronic doors, safes, bombs. It doesn't cover everything but it's all legal and quite extensive." He said matter of factly.

"And smaller than I would have thought" Mika replied placing it back in her backpack trying to remain focussed and calm.

"Such is the nature of stealth Mika."

Mika rolled her eyes and fetched her work passport. She knew what Raizo was doing. He was trying to keep her at ease with humour. She appreciated it.

The laptop in the corner beeped and an encrypted message played across the screen briefly before the printer started whirring. It was their instructions. Raizo asked Mika to read it out loud.

"Target is Danish National, Noah Agner, a journalist covering a story on Juris Olgoza aka 'The Crane.'

Agner was last seen in the grounds of Olgoza's compound on the Latvian coast. Europol will be conducting a targeted strike in 36hours. The Danes want Agner extracted, whole, before that happens. The compound is a historical stately home so floor plans have been included but we expect recent renovations may have taken place meaning this plan may not be entirely accurate.

The compound is guarded and armed both physically and electronically. You will enter from the coast. Diving gear will be left for you at the rendezvous. Agner is to be placed in an escorted taxi and sent to the airport. A connect will be waiting for you once you complete. We expect the compound to be rigged. Do not engage if it can be avoided. Olgoza is not the target but he is expendable should it become unavoidable."

Mika turned the paper over to find a black and white image of Agner on the back and more coordinates.

"Is that all?" Raizo asked as he finished up packing his duffle bag.

Mika nodded. Raizo motioned for Mika to hand him the note which he took over to the fire place and lit it with a lighter set on the mantle. He tossed the paper on to the pile of charred logs.

"Don't we need that?" She asked confused.

"I've memorised it." Raizo replied as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Show off." Mika playfully swatted Raizo on the shoulder as he walked away.

...

10 hours later and Mika and Raizo were stood in the lounge of a well kept cottage that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. The weather was cool enough for a jacket but not freezing which Mika was thankful for, especially if they had to end up in the water at any point. Raizo had laid out their weapons on the coffee table and instructed Mika to check through them. It was busy work and she knew it to be, but she didn't mind. It gave her something to focus on for the moment while she tried to keep her heart rate down and remember all of her training.

Raizo was quiet. He usually went on mission alone. It had been a long time since he had a partner get ready with him. It felt strange and as much as he could hear Mika struggle to keep a lid on her speeding pulse, he also found that it took some effort to remain calm himself. They had another 3 hours before they had to leave as they waited for sunset.

As the sun died behind the hills Mika and Raizo had changed into their tactical gear and they looked at each other as if for the first time. It was a strange feeling for both of them. Mika had a tight face covering similar to raizo's which they both had lifted off their faces for the time being. Raizo was in his focussed quiet place mentally but when he locked eyes with Mika he laid a hand on her shoulder and met her gaze. She only nodded back at him in acknowledgement and took another steadying breath.

"Arm up." Raizo said with an authority that reminded Mika why she found him so compelling from the first moment they met.

Raizo had a smattering of throwing knives attached to his sleeves along with two short swords on his hips and his signature chain-sword whip, kyoketsu-shoge, across his back. Mika also had two daggers at the small of her back along with two semi-automatic handguns in a double shoulder holster. Once she was dressed and armed she suddenly felt calmer.

Raizo gave her another knowing look. "You look…" He stopped mid-sentence.

"Look what?" Mika asked but Raizo put his hand up with such command that she silenced herself immediately.

"KITCHEN!" he yelled dragging Mika by the arm to dive behind the huge stone kitchen island mere seconds before the air erupted in a storm of bullets. Mika and Raizo made themselves as small as they could while the room seemed to explode around them. Stone, dust, brick, glass, anything that could be destroyed was being destroyed and then the sound of two tin cannisters being tossed through the window and clanging to the ground. The smoke billowed out of them just seconds later and both Raizo and Mika pulled their hoods down over their nose and mouth.

"What the fuck is happening?!" Mika called out to Raizo straining to be heard through the racket of destruction.

Raizo didn't have time to respond as a team of 7 armed men burst in through the destroyed door and windows. Raizo shook his head and quickly made a hand motion across his chest, the short hand for 'disarm.' There were too many people with guns. If they stood any hope of getting out of there alive they would have to even the odds by reducing the battle to hand to hand combat. Raizo flung his kyoketsu-shoge chain out to swipe at the ankles of two men who were nearest to them. The knife at the end of the chain sliced across the meat of their calves enough for them to drop to the ground in pain. Mika sprung to action rolling out behind Raizo and using the cover of him tossing throwing blades across the room at another two men who were shooting at them. Mika disarmed the men on the ground writhing in pain and turned swiftly to lay supressing fire at the other 5 men with guns that quickly became 3. Mika had hit 2 in their shoulders enough for them to drop their weapons. Raizo was already a blur going after the other three who were trying to dislodge throwing stars from their forearms and faces.

Raizo and Mika spun and kicked their way through their opponents in a frenzy. Blood drenched the walls, the floor and each other. Mika took several blows badly but pure adrenalin kept her going. She would not make the same mistakes she made back at the cabin on her first mission.

Raizo flipped out of the open window and yelled at Mika to follow. Raizo had severed a gas line in the kitchen. Mika ran out behind him leaving semi conscience bodies inside the small and now destroyed cottage. They ran out into the darkness for what seemed like several hundred yards but it wasn't far enough and the blast of the explosion shoved them to the ground like a kick to the spine. They both instinctively tucked and rolled. Mika was less graceful than Raizo who seemed to move with the air from the blast as if he were dancing with it.

There was a moment of pure darkness. Just a moment before dim light and focus returned to both Mika and Raizo. Mika blinked across at Raizo who was crouched down in the grass of the nearby still assessing the faraway destruction for signs of any life or even worse, signs of ongoing pursuit.

Mika's ears were ringing. She could smell smoke and blood and grass. She glanced around to find Raizo now running towards an old rundown grain store outhouse. The kind that was originally gravity operated back in its day. It had long since been out of use but it served a different purpose now. Raizo was yelling for Mika to follow but she could barely hear him. Her ears were still adjusting, however his hand motions were quite clear and he didn't have to gesture again. She hauled her battered body off the ground and ran after Raizo.

Inside the grain store was dark and musty. Raizo found a lock box in the corner and cracked the old lock off with the heel of his boot. Inside were two backpacks almost identical to the go bags they had before. He tossed one at Mika and quickly put one on himself.

"We need to leave. Now!"

And that's what they did, taking a beat-up old truck conveniently parked behind the grain store with its keys already in the ignition. Mika was catching her breath while Raizo drove.

"What the fuck?"

"I know, I know. Are you hurt are you shot?" Raizo's mind was going a mile a minute. Every thought Mika had, he seemed to be about ten steps ahead of her.

Raizo pressed a few buttons on his smart watch. Mika was reloading her guns in her lap while keeping a lookout for any company.

"Mika?"

"Sorry, what? No,..No I'm not shot." Mika finally responded starting to get back into herself. Now was not the time to be losing focus. "I'm fine. What happened? Where are we going?"

Raizo's smart watch began to ring before he could respond to Mika.

"Status." Was all the voice on the other end said. It seemed to be electronically encrypted in such a way that you couldn't make out who the speaker was.

"Compromised." Raizo replied.

"Burned?" the voice asked.

"Negative." Raizo said.

"whole?" the voice asked.

"Viable." Raizo responded.

The phone beeped as if the person on the other end had hung up.

"Shit." Raizo exclaimed looking a little tired for the first time. His watched beeped again and several numbers flashed across the screen briefly then disappeared.

"What was that? What's going on?" Mika had lifted her mask off her face and her eyes were darting back and forth from the wing mirrors to the rear view mirror and back. She kept her guns in her hands in her lap ready to go.

"They've doubled our fee."

"I'm not sure I understand. They want us to continue? Do we even have time anymore? What the hell was that back there?"

"I know Mika, I know. This was supposed to be a simple catch and release. We need to finish the job and then we can figure out what went wrong. Ok?"

Mika took a deep steadying breath. "I go where you go."

Raizo gave her knee a quick squeeze. "We should be there in 28 minutes. Keep an eye on our 6."