Keeper of His Heart

Chapter 1

2 weeks later…

This Weaponry Department really needs a space expansion. Tim Scam thought to himself with mild irritation. It was not the first time he came to this conclusion. His attention was all on the gadget he was working on, but it was hard to garner the hundred percent focus he needed when his arm kept brushing against other objects that were taking up space on the cluttered table.

O.R.A.I. C's Weaponry Department was really just two small rooms enlarged into one by hacking down the wall in between that separated them. It was miniscule compared to the Weapons Department at W.O.O.H.P which Tim had once worked in long time ago (before he turned evil). However, Tim Scam had long ago learnt to count his blessings, which was exactly how he managed to survive a year in the cramped space without going stir crazy.

Tim glanced over at Elizabeth, the current head of their small department, who was getting ready to test out one of their gadgets with another young man named Lonnie. Both were former W.O.O.H.P operatives that had been unwillingly caught in Terence's grand scheme of things. Together, the three people that formed the Weaponry Department were all part of the group of fifty agents Terence Lewis had set free. The fifty 'lucky' survivors.

The former criminal gritted his teeth in frustration as his left elbow bumped into the upgraded version of the Sonic Boom Box. It was already tough enough to carve out a decent workspace while sharing with two others, let alone with all the gadgets scattered around.

Thank god when the transfer from W.O.O.H.P Germany gets here; I'll be able to return to the field. Just a few more days…

Although officially a hybrid agent that was part of both the Field Work Department and Weapons Department, the lack of gadgets for field agents when O.R.A.I.C had first started off meant that Tim had spent most of his past year in the latter department. He had replicated countless W.O.O.H.P gadgets that he had prototyped back in the days, and even upgraded some of the functions. Elizabeth, whom he had worked with back in the day before he turned evil, fully supported his experiments.

However, one draw-back of this was the lack of time in the field. Tim couldn't remember when was the last time he had been upholding justice on the frontlines. And as much as he had a good head for drawing out blueprints and the creative eye for gadget making, he was itching to be on the field again. The thrill of frontline work gave him a sense of satisfaction that was like a drug- it was an addiction that only continued growing the more he didn't have it. Weapons creation just could not hold a candle to his desire to melt out justice on the frontlines.

Which was why Tim had requested for a transfer to full time field agent. And after liaising with various W.O.O.H.P branches around the world, Jerry managed to find a suitable replacement that would be arriving in a few days.

O.R.A.I.C was not affiliated with any of the W.O.O.H.P branches. The knowledge that Terence Lewis would stop at nothing to take his brother down had played a key factor in Jerry's ultimate decision not to associate his new organisation with W.O.O.H.P International, at least not officially.

Behind closed doors however, O.R.A.I.C had an established a close working relationship with the FBI, CIA, and other W.O.O.H.P branches worldwide. Their organization largely worked in the background, supporting the needs of their partners, while researching and tracking a way to take down Terence and his team. In turn, these partner organizations helped by providing manpower and resources which Jerry and his group required.

Just as Tim managed to complete the wiring for the gadget he was working on, there was a beep on the door scanner, signalling that one of his colleagues at O.R.A.I.C had tapped their pass. A glance at the door yielded two familiar faces watching him. With those anxious expressions, it wasn't hard to deduce that Clover and Alex wanted to speak to him.

Ensuring that his colleagues were not testing anything volatile, Tim waved the two women in.

"Hey girls." From across the room, Elizabeth noticed the two new-comers and greeted them.

"Hi Elizabeth, Lonnie." Alex answered politely. Clover sent the older woman a distracted smile and a wave. The blonde spy said nothing but plopped herself on one of the barstools situated near the door with an exasperated huff. Although not as dramatic as her friend, Alex settled down on the seat next to hers with a small sigh.

Tim observed the two women nonchalantly at the corner of his eye as he carefully pushed his work to the side. They were dressed in their spy suits, which hinted that they had just returned from a mission. A closer look revealed fatigue and heavy dark eye circles visible on their faces, proving his hypothesis that the two women hardly got any rest the night before.

If that wasn't obvious enough, the fact that Alex had a bump on her forehead and Clover grimaced every time she moved her shoulders was proof of its own.

Leaning against the table, he faced them squarely.

"What brings you ladies to my lovely lair this early in the morning?" Tim's voice was laced with sarcasm, but he was secretly glad for something else to think about other than his frustration of the cramped room.

"The Red Woman strikes again." Clover said without preamble. She combed her fingers through her hair in frustration.

Tim's eyebrows went up and his eyes snapped to attention. "And I'm assuming you guys didn't get her?"

"No." It was Alex that responded. "She got away. Again." The athletic spy sighed heavily, shaking her head in disbelief. Tim's thoughts turned to the Red Woman.

No one knew who the Red Woman really was. Heck, she had only been christened with that name because she always wore a red belt with her black attire, along with a dark red mask spanning the top half of her face.

From what Tim had gathered from the gossip mill (and from reading the news), the Red Woman had been targeting banks and small establishments sporadically for the past three months. There was no set pattern to her movements, no evidence left behind and hardly any clues to her identity. Those who have had the misfortune of crossing paths with her said that she had short, shoulder length, wavy brown hair, and black eyes, but Tim knew from experience that it was likely a disguise. Smart robbers like the Red Woman were only able outwit law enforcement long enough because they bothered to mask their true identity.

This was the second time Clover and Alex crossed paths with the Red Woman. First hand experienced told Tim that Clover and Alex were good fighters and field agents. On a good day, their skills could give him a run for his money.

For this Red Woman to beat the two young women in front of him TWICE, Tim had to grudgingly admit he was impressed with the mystery woman's abilities.

"She's good, whoever she is." He commented. "It is not easy to avoid capture for so long. She must have had good training."

The two young woman traded looks. "Actually, this is what we wanted to talk to you about." Alex began.

"We want to run a theory by you, if you can spare us the time." Clover added swiftly. Tim did not miss how her baby blues darted to glance at Elizabeth and Lonnie in the background. He caught on her subtle hint for the need for discretion immediately.

The man straightened up to his full height. "Sure. I need some fresh air anyway. Lead the way." After informing Elizabeth that he was taking a short break, Tim followed the two spies out of the room.

If someone told Tim Scam a year ago that he would become friends with Clover Ewing and Alex Vasquez, Tim would have recommended the person to see a psychiatrist without hesitation. But in the year, they worked together, he had formed a strange bond with both women. They were like the younger sisters he never had.

Their friendship was never without its ups and downs however, particularly at the start when no-one (saved for Jerry and Elizabeth) had trusted him. Their dislike for him was further fuelled by the undisputable fact that Samantha Simpson would be in his place if not for her sacrifice. That had irked both Clover and Alex to the core. As they eventually warmed up to him however, it was ironically the bond they all had with Sam that tied the trio closer together.

Everyone was grieving, but only Clover and Alex understood the intensity of the grief he felt towards the third member of the former superspy trio. And the reverse was true too. Although the two women never knew of the full story, Tim suspected the two young women had formed their own conclusions about his relationship with their best friend. Regardless, they each found solace in one another, anchored by the loss they suffered, and a common goal to annihilate Terence for good.

For the umpteen time, Tim allowed his mind to wonder into the possibilities and the what ifs. The possibilities of a promising future with Sam had been so close to his reach, only for the choice to be ripped away by a sadist sociopath.

As much as he hoped however, there was no turning back to fix past mistakes. Sam was gone, and the only way forward was to live his life to the fullest and fight for justice.

Tim's curiosity only grew in volumes when Alex and Clover brought him to the training room. The place was deserted at the moment, given work hours had barely began. Alex closed the door behind her and locked it for good measure. Clearly, she didn't want to be overheard.

The training room was about the size of a basketball court, foam mats covering the entire span of the floor. At each corner were a variety of training equipment ranging from overhanging boxing sandbags to treadmills. The middle was a free open space that served as a sparring area.

"What's going on ladies?" Tim asked, cutting off the tense silence between the two spies.

"We fought the Red Woman last night." Clover said after a pregnant pause. "She was good, as you deduced. Alex and I almost had her."

"Okay…?" Tim trailed off, not knowing where this was going. "What does this have to do with me?"

"It's not so much of us fighting her actually, but rather what moves she used." Alex revealed. Her body language screamed her uncertainty and her reluctance to admit what she knew, but she pressed on either way.

"She uses some moves that we've only seen Terence use."

"What?!" Tim was caught so unaware by the bombshell revelation that his eyes widened considerably.

"Both Alex and I discussed it on our way back to HQ just now." Clover added on. "We both found her fighting style and moves familiar, but it was only after we put our heads together did, we realize the similarities to Terence's fighting style."

"You think the Red Woman is connected to Terence somehow?" After his initial shock passed, the wheels in Tim's mind started to turn rapidly.

"That's what we wanted to talk to you about." Alex acknowledged. "Next to Jerry, you're the one who knows Terence the best. Is it possible? For Terence to take on a sidekick…and train her in a fighting style that is so uniquely his?"

Tim let the question sink in for a bit as he collected his thoughts. "It's possible." He said slowly, musing over his every word.

"When Terence first recruited us into the LAMOS, Helga didn't have much combat experience compared to the rest of us, so he took it upon himself to train her. However, he had never taught her his secret trademark fighting moves. I sparred with Helga a few times so it would have come up if he HAD taught her…I suppose that if Terence feels this Red Woman is worthy of joining his ranks, the idea of him training her isn't too farfetched." He finished with a thoughtful sigh.

"That's what we were afraid off." Clover confirmed, lowering her gaze to the floor. "It will certainly complicate things."

"Have you girls told Jerry yet?"

Alex shook her head. "Jerry's stressed enough as it is, running a tight ship like ours. We didn't want to worry him unless we are sure."

"Fair point…How sure are you that her fighting style is Terence's?"

"Quite. We've fought Terence a few times, over the years… and he has a few trademark moves he uses…We could demonstrate if you like?" Clover offered.

A few minutes later, even Tim had to admit that the combat moves and style the Red Woman used had an uncannily resemblance to how Terence Lewis fights. But he knew in order to make a solid conclusion and argument to Jerry, they needed more evidence to support the theory.

The three unlikely colleagues sat down on the training mats to brainstorm on their next steps. As Clover already pointed out, things could prove more complex if the Red Woman was indeed working for Terence. They were already having trouble tracing Terence's elusive moments. To have someone stealing money on his behalf spelled a massive plan brewing.

Not to mention completely cowardly. Good to see somethings never change; Terence's still asking people to do his dirty work for him. Tim pursed his lips in a thin line as he thought. When he was part of the LAMOS, he had never truly looked up to Terence Lewis as his leader. The man just didn't deserve any respect given. Granted his plans were good, but otherwise, Terence Lewis was severely lacking in leadership and street-smart capabilities.

"Where did you girls encounter the Red Woman again? Maybe some CCTV footage could help us confirm things. If the Red Woman really is working with Terence, we might have some trouble in the horizon indeed…. We could speak to Nancy in the liaison department to help us out."

"Sounds like a plan." Clover answered with a firm nod.

A few hours ago…

The one known as the Red Woman stealthily made her way across town. She was always careful to avoid being spotted by the CCTVs and by people in general, choosing to go by the back alleys instead. It helped that she donned a disguise every time she went out to wreak havoc, so no one knew of her actual identity.

Thank god for Terence. I wouldn't have lasted this long if not for his advice and training. The thought filtered through her mind.

As she dodged in and out of alleyways under the cover of darkness, the Red Woman did an inventory of her injuries. Thanks to her encounter with two pesky spies earlier, she was sore all over. A particularly tender spot in her abdomen had her wincing every time she moved without thinking.

The only consolation is that I'm pretty sure I got them quite badly as well.

Slipping easily under the cover of the trees in a park, the Red Woman made quick work of shedding her disguise.

First, she removed her trademark belt and mask, stuffing it into the black backpack she carried. Then came a set of new clothes- jeans and a long-sleeved blouse- which she wore over her black catsuit. Dawn would break soon, and a black catsuit was way too eye-catching. Besides, the police was on high alert for her now, she needed to look different.

Next came the wig. From what the Red Woman perceived (and from what she read in the newspapers); the police hadn't yet suspected she was wearing a disguise. The news reports said that they were looking for a young woman with wavy brown hair and black eyes.

Oh, how wrong they are…The Red Woman grinned evilly to herself. Freeing the last pin that held her wig in place, she peeled it off in one swift move after a quick scan of her surroundings. That was the first rule that Terence had taught her: to not let her guard down no matter what.

Making fast work on the wig cap that protected her hair underneath, long red hair was soon freed from their restrains. She had kept her natural hair in tight braids and left them as so. They were cut slightly longer than her shoulder length wig, reaching to her upper back.

Oh, the irony of my namesake… They had no idea how right they were when they christened me 'the Red Woman'. She stashed the light brown wig carefully in a separate plastic bag before stuffing it among the contents of her bag.

The contacts she left on, not trusting the cleanliness of her hands at that moment. Besides, she looked completely different now from her alter-ego that the young woman was confident no one would draw the parallels between her and the notorious 'Red Woman'.

As she transferred the cash she had obtained from her earlier expedition into her second bag, the young woman allowed her thoughts to wonder.

Good that I've caught the attention of O.R.A.I.C…She mused. I've been waiting for my opportunity for revenge…

Her smirk suddenly faltered.

But WHY do I feel a sense of déjà vu when I fought those two women? It happened last time, and I felt it again just now…And that flash…Were those my memories? Do I know them from my past? Why can't I remember anything?

A sudden short bark in the distance startled the young woman. An early dog-walker. There will be time to think of this later. Silently chiding herself for getting distracted while in public she immediately packed her things.

Minutes later, a young woman with an uncanny resemblance to the 'late' Samantha Simpson strolled nonchalantly out of the park.

Well, here is chapter 1. And surprise! Sam's alive! (Although working for the evil team...)

Hope you're enjoying it thus far. We'll play catch up on Sam's life this past year in the next chapter. Tim and Sam will encounter each other soon!

Thank you all for your support! This sequel is five years too late from the original story, but it warms my heart to see the support I'm still getting for this.

Stay safe and stay happy everyone!

Until next time,

TrixieNancy.