Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Fight Another Day
Chapter 1: Hit and Run
By: UesugiKenshin
I peer down the riflescope, seeing if the target has arrived. I was thirty minutes earlier than Intelligence predicted the information exchange would occur but you can never tell with spies, they might say one thing and just do something completely different.
I give my watch a glance: 2045 hours, the exchange was estimated to be at 2115. I set my M40A3 sniper rifle down on its bipod and step down from ledger. I stretch for a few moments to get the blood flowing, I've been in a prone position for roughly twenty minutes.
My name is Xi Lin, or for this mission at least, I have many different names.
I am a spy for the United States government and right now I am tracking one of our former spies, a double agent who had been working for the Chinese government for the past decade and now he decides to lay all the cards on the table. He had been siphoning little by little the secrets of our government for a very large sum of money, $12 million dollars worth in fact.
How foolish of him to think our superiors at Langley did not notice soon after the first couple of transactions.
His name is Karl Audrey and being Caucasian, blonde haired, and six feet tall makes him easily traceable in a country where the average height is 5'6 and black hair abound. He must be getting desperate to sell this last information so he can disappear.
Sorry Karl, you won't be getting the last paycheck.
The time ticks on, but I am patient. Rushing into assassination job will get you killed.
I hear a car approaching, Karl is here.
Most spies would send hardcopy to their objective but Karl had always been paranoid. He does not want to lose the money I guess, and is delivering the last package himself.
He has an amazing memory, the original reason why he was recruited into the CIA ranks. He could memorize hundreds of pages of text, and remember them to the minutest detail. Currently, his photographic memory contains the mission objectives CIA wants to conduct this year in China and the CIA operatives who are going to be part of those missions. Two critical pieces of information that can never reach the Chinese government.
I load the single bullet given to me by mission control. If I miss, I don't get a second chance. I cannot allow myself to be captured, so I prepare my suicide pill and place it into my mouth. I hope I don't have to bite down on it.
I look down my riflescope again, this time Karl is in my sight. I tremble with excitement, killing somebody gives me the chills.
Karl shakes hand with the General Zhang who is to receive the information. Zhang says something and Karl shakes his head, they seem to be arguing about something.
Zhang gives a short bark and points in the direction of the compound, I must fire now or I lose my chance forever.
I check for the wind direction, it is little bit off to the left. I adjust accordingly and aim the scope squarely at the back of Karl's head.
"Good bye old friend," I whisper and pull the trigger. The aim is true and his head bursts like a melon as the round pierces his skull, shattering the bone into many pieces that drive home into his brain. No chance of surviving that.
But I am already on the move; I don't check my kill. The brain is shattered and Karl won't be giving away any news if they manage to keep him alive.
I must get to Shanghai as soon as possible to leave China. I take off my camouflage, wearing civilian clothing underneath. I also leave my rifle behind, too cumbersome to run with and I won't be able to explain to the people around me why I am carrying a rifle around.
The train station is two miles away and I easily make the trip over in less then twenty minutes. I pay for a one-way ticket and board the last train for the day; I take out the suicide pill that was secure in my back wisdom teeth and throw it onto the tracks of the train. I smile for a mission well done.
I search for the cell phone in my purse; I give the people at Langley a call.
1-639-124-9843 extension 1449
The ring tone sounds three times before someone picks up.
"This is the TFC Technical Institute, how may we be of service to you today?"
TFC Technical Institute, our facade for passing secure calls into Langley. I still laugh whenever I hear TFC, which we named in honor of our director Tolbert. We call it Tolbert's Fallen Cabinet because he was tanked on Christmas Day on 1995 and knocked himself out by falling on his cabinet.
"Xi Lin, patch me through Langley please."
"One moment please as we patch this call through."
"Thank you." I wait several minutes to the annoying tune and several automatic voices that say 'We appreciate your call, please stay on the line,' every minute. I have a mind to tell Tolbert to screw him for making me wait so long.
"Damn Tolbert, that Son of a Bit-"I mutter when Director Tolbert answers the call.
"Xi Lin, do you wish to finish that statement?" he says.
Thank god this was only a phone call or he would have seen me light up like the sun from embarrassment.
"N-no S-sir…" I stammer.
"Kanako," he calls out in a bemuse tone and reverting to my real name, "How was the mission? Was it successful?"
"Yes sir, Karl Audrey was eliminated at 2117 as of tonight, Beijing time. The shot entered the back of the skull and there is no way he could have survived. If the Chinese manage to revive him, they will not be able to obtain any information whatsoever. Permanent brain damage is likely to ensue.
"Excellent. Congratulations on a job well done. But now I have some bad news for you."
"Sir?"
"Your face has been captured on a surveillance camera on your last mission and shown around the world in intelligence circles. It is too dangerous for you to do any more missions for sometime now. I suggest you rest for a year, when everything cools down enough that you can start up again, until then I am assigning you to Japan. There you can assume an identity we will set up for you as a University student at Toudai."
"Sir, why can't I return to the United States?"
"We cannot get you out of Asia anytime soon; all of our manpower is going to China for the time being. I'm sorry Kanako. Our office on Sansei Street, Apartment 303 will provide everything you will need. Good Luck Kanako."
The phone goes dead before I could answer. Getting into Japan was no problem; all of us agents have enough funds to leave a country by any means. But staying away from United States was something I did not want to do. I was born in Japan but left before my first birthday. I don't know anything about the country besides the language, and I would stick out like a sore thumb.
I give a heavy sigh and look out the window. 'Going back to Japan after all these years. And Tolbert decides to make me look like a University student – what was he thinking?'
I graduated Cornell University at the age of 19 but none of that helps now, I've been a spy for four years now and I do not remember a single thing.
The train continues to travel to Shanghai and I allow myself to fall asleep. 'Damn Tolbert…' I mumble.
A/N: Starts at the end of manga 14, when Keitaro and Naru have already entered Toudai.
Kanako the assassin/spy! Cliché? Yes. AU? Yes. Are there any redeeming qualities for this fiction? It is a Kanako/Keitaro fiction… another approach… O.o
Everyone boos, and throws rotten tomatoes at the author. Ahhh!
Thank You Peacemaker for revisions.