A/N: Oh you guys are so lucky, sooooo lucky. I may have one more chapter in me before I fly out on the 18th, we'll see what I'm like when I get to the hotel tomorrow. If not and this is my last posted chapter for the time I'm away from technology then I really do apologize. And I hope you all enjoy this chapter. This is a raw posted story so you will have to forgive me and my typos and errors, I may crank the rating up I don't know, so far anything in this chapter mentioned is really... really tame. If the story in this chapter isn't as fun as Red's then I apologize, it's late, I'm tired and it was the most fun I've actually written for the situation at hand.
The story will start getting darker as things start to get really interesting. Berlin will have a part to play in all this, but what part it will be? You sadly will have to wait. I again thank those that had favorited and added this story to the watch list. It really does warm my heart to see those messages.
I look forward to writing and posting more in the future and I really do hope you all enjoy this chapter. If you like my writing as raw as it is, you all should have a look at my other works. I think you'll all enjoy them if not that's okay, I get how it is lol.
See you all later and I give you the next chapter.
Guardian
It was early morning when they arrived in Japan; the Yakuza were standing on the airstrip waiting for the plane to touch down. When the plane stopped Red climbed out of the plane and met with his contact and exchanged pleasantries. When Kamryn climbed out of the plane, the Japanese looked between the Dire Wolf and the Concierge of Crime; the contact excused himself from Red and slowly walked over to Kamryn before bowing his head and whispering a few words and looking over his shoulder to Red.
Kamryn chucked and gripped her side and leaned in saying something to the man before he stood to attention and nodded his head. He yelled out in Japanese and the Yakuza that were there quickly got into the SUV's they arrived in and left. Red raised his arms out in a 'what the hell was that?' stance when three armoured SUV's whipped around a corner and pulled up around them. Kamryn stood up straight and despite her pain in her chest she it was apparent to the onlookers that the injured Dire Wolf was putting up a well placed front and stood in the centre of the men that had come out of the SUV's and surrounded her.
"No!" Liz screamed out but she was grabbed by Red and held in his arms when he ran to her to stop her from getting herself hurt again or worse killed. The Japanese where not people you screw around with and with what dealings he had with them he was very careful to conclude and make sure there was no loose ties to him or his organizations that could lead the Yakuza to come and kill him. Mostly dealing in documents and occasional drug importing he was lucky to last as long as he had.
One of the men had stepped up to Kamryn and stared her down or tried to; when the two spoke it wasn't in English, but Japanese and it interesting to watch the interaction.
"Dire Wolf, it has been a long time. What brings you back here after no contact for five years?"
"Injuries, need of a safe house, and that I have found out more about the organization that did this to me. I am not the only one. The first one to fall off the grid and turn against them is the man behind me, have you dealt with him before?"
"Reddington? A few of our shell clients and companies have. Very good a procuring items that we need in bulk supply. Usually raw materials for us, are you saying he's the one that they have been after to cross off?"
"Man disappears after the fire and in a fit of rage turns against the government and everyone, spends twenty some odd years looking into why his life was destroyed. I would be hunting him down if I spent years and millions of resources to turn him into a pawn.
No he's too smart for that, and not when he has so much to lose right now. That is why he is so dangerous right now." The man frowned and looked over the Wolf's shoulders seeing the woman in Reddington's arms, the man's gaze snapped back to the Wolf.
"The daughter, but how?"
"He rescued her; left with someone I'm guessing is an American associate and changed history and everything. I don't know; I didn't look too deep into his past. Just know that Sam is dead." The man hung his head a fraction in honor and respect before he nodded and waved a hand. The circle dispersed and the man stepped closer to the Wolf and leaned in.
"She's been watching for you Dire Wolf, she's also been wondering why you haven't gotten in touch with her."
"Didn't think Saya would still keep tabs on me."
"When you save the daughter of the Clan Master, the Clan is forever in your debt." Offering a smile a fourth armoured SUV pulled around the corner and the group was swiftly and carefully shuttled into vehicles and they left the airstrip. The private jet was taken by the Yakuza to a holding facility where it would remain hidden and off the radar until things could be sorted out.
Red, Liz and Kamryn where sitting in the lead vehicle as the Dire Wolf started to show weakness in her facade, sweat was making itself present along the hairline and running down the back of her neck. The pain was making her hands tremble slightly as she leaned her head back against the headrest. The now hunted FBI Agent and the master manipulator were somewhat out of their depth but they knew that Kamryn couldn't last much longer. Red figured it would be better to speak up now cause he really wasn't going to have the of the few people that could help him die in a car seat across from him.
"Out of beneficial interest, how long would you say it would take to get to wherever it is we are going to?"
"Red..."
"No, I just ask because I don't want to see you dying in your seat... with three broken ribs and a stab wound." Grunting Kamryn if she could have would have hit Red to shut him up, but the Japanese voice from the front passenger seat cut Red off.
"Why didn't you say anything Wolf?"
"Because it wasn't needed, and I mention injuries."
"You just didn't want to mention your injuries because you don't want Saya to worry and take care of you like last time."
"No disrespect Iwao, but have you had someone fawn over you for three weeks taking care of your EVERY need?" There was a mighty roar of laughter and Iwao turned in his seat to grin at Kamryn who groaned but not in pain.
"Don't do this man, don't tell her. Come on, it was bad enough after I had my guts spilled by that European asshole and she looked after me. I'm not Japanese; I follow the customs but that level of attention to my care. I'm not used to that." Red and Liz were lost, so beyond lost that Red actually let his jaw drop a fraction. This reminded him of when Tom Keene's 'Brother' jumped out the window to avoid answering questions.
"You can't get away from the Traditional Japanese care Kamryn-Chan, but it does make us laugh and makes us smile when Saya-Chan has her way with you."
"Oh don't feed these two especially him, my personal life is mine. That being said, Red, do not listen to a thing this man says because it's a flat out lie." Raising her right arm up to rub her face, Iwao grinned gave Red a thumbs up before turning around as the vehicle picked up speed.
"I saw that!"
"Would you like to explain what just happened?" Liz asked, her confusion was so evident that Kamryn sighed and lowered her hand from her face and glared at Red.
"Ask him... the old man opened his mouth." Red's jaw snapped shut and he too returned the glower that Kamryn was giving him. She was clearly working on making sure that Red told Liz and it was evident that the woman knew exactly what she was doing despite being in the amount of pain she was in.
"Long story that I might share much later... right now I have to mentally prepare for an onslaught from a woman whom I have not seen in about five years."
"Is her care really that bad?" Kamryn opened her closed eyes and looked softly to Liz offering a pained smile.
"No, she isn't. She is actually very sweet, demanding and one hell of a rehabilitator and very patient. It's just that I am not a person that enjoys being seen weak and I am not used to the type of care she gives. That and her father unnerves me." After the couple hours drive they pulled up into a old Japanese style village with people mulling about. It was as if they went back into time. Another five minutes and they pulled into an underground road that ended up at a car park with several armour vehicles, regular looking cars and expensive supercars. There was a cargo elevator and several people standing by it waiting.
Kamryn looked out the windows and when the SUV stopped, the door was opened and Kamryn climbed out with a pained look on her face before she stretched lightly before the rest of the occupants of the various vehicles got out. Red had managed to get a quick look around before the soft pattering of feet took his attention and a woman in a kimono walked up to Kamryn taking a swing at her, the long hair that had been tied back snapped with the movement. She really was something amazing to behold as Kamryn had backed off and grunted backing up into the side of the SUV. Ducking under a kick and using her uninjured side and shoulder to bounce the attack off all they heard was yelling in Japanese and Kamryn's English.
"How dare you come back here after five years of no contact!"
"Saya... Saya look it's not that I didn't want to stay in contact, but I do have a living I have to make."
"And you couldn't call or mail or hell even e-mail me?"
"What!? You actually expect me to contact you through those channels? Your father already has issues with me despite saving your ass."
"And what, you would let him scare you off? The great Dire Wolf scared of an old man?" Kamryn turned her body taking the impact of another hit before she used her uninjured side and her arm to trap the kick and with a roar she lifted the woman up and swung her up in the air and tossed her away before she turned and gripped both arms around her middle.
"Yeah, and?"
The westerners just stood there and watched the back and forth when Iwao walked up and stood beside Red who had taken his fedora off and scratched at his head and confused grimace on his features.
"Do not worry about them Mr. Reddington, this is a semi-usual occurrence. Saya has had to fight her father on having a debt owed to a Westerner. He was also no happy with the fact that his daughter had taken off one night to experience the outside world and the public. She was being groomed to lead the clan and it is because of her that we have as you would say modernized our operations.
It was that and 'unhealthy' amount of time that Saya spent around the Wolf. Her father wasn't exactly opened minded and he saw the Dire Wolf as an unnatural 'creature'." Liz turned away from the fight looking over Red's shoulder and chest to Iwao.
"What do you mean 'unhealthy'?" Iwao just grinned like an idiot and pointed at the two that had stopped fighting with Saya grabbing Kamryn by her shirt and kissing her soundly before letting her go. Eyebrows were raised and the Japanese were cackling at the expense of one western white girl.
"No..."
"Oh Lizzie my dear, I believe so..."
"Would you two just shut up and get your asses over here. I am not going alone with this woman by myself." Kamryn all but yelled out. Everyone including the dog had filed into the cargo elevator as they were taken up to their next destination.
"Welcome to Japan friends and clients of Kamryn-Chan. I trust she's taken care of you to the best of her ability?" Hearing the sexual innuendo did nothing for Kamryn as she leaned against the wall with her arms around her middle. Red just looked over Saya's shoulder with an impassive look on his face before offering one of his shit eating grins.
"You could say that, more my... more the FBI Agent here."
"Okay, that was not needed Red, and for your information Saya. It's that shadow organization that I've been hunting in between jobs." The fun, jovial atmosphere chilled within moments as Saya turned and came over to Kamryn who let out a deep breath. "They are after those that fell off the programming, newer initiates are easier to spot but the methods are the same. It's them, but I still don't know who or what they are Saya. They want the number four of the FBI list knocked off along with the FBI Agent Keene here."
"The methods are the same?"
"Yes, fire and military. What's new is that they are skinning sections of members; second attack on the agent after her shooting was a guy that tried to get in through the ceiling. Upper chest was partly skinned and he opted out taking a cyanide pill in his molars. These two are now on Interpol and wanted lists all over the world..."
"Which would suggest government players?"
"Yes." The elevator stopped and they were treated to the most modern and yet futuristic security room known to man. When they stepped off people came around and took coats and in Red's case, his hat. It was an hour of doing security clearance checks, taking fingerprints for biometrics and retina scans. For Kamryn she was taken away by Saya leaving Liz and Red to look around. Red was taking in the operation and how things were being run when he was tapped on the shoulder and led away with his compatriots to living quarters which were a renovated family home. They were told that this would be their home for the time being and if they would like to leave; this was directed to Red as he still was working business man that they let security know and they would have someone shadow him and his people.
Mr. Kaplan took in the age and architecture of the home and was impressed with the accommodations. Liz had let Hudson go from his lease to explore while Red, Dembe and Mr. Vargas went exploring while discussing whatever it was they needed to talk about.
"Liz dear, how is your shoulder and arm doing?"
"It's good, a little sore from the travel and everything that's happened in the last day or two. This is crazy;I'm now a wanted fugitive from the FBI. I'm probably flagged everywhere, my husband or ex-husband in this case is an assassin and dead by my hand. Berlin wants me for some reason, now there is this organization that wants me dead to get to Red, they hurt Kamryn who is the Dire Wolf. The Dire Wolf is exceptionally friendly with the Japanese Yakuza and this... ninja clan?"
Mr. Kaplan came over and stood shoulder to shoulder with Liz who was trying not to break down, an older woman in a Kimono padded in with a tray of tea and set it on the low table and set about pouring tea into two of the six mugs before bowing and leaving. The two came and took the mugs and settled onto what was defiantly not a Japanese couch. Sitting for a couple hours Red and company had come back and joined Liz and Mr. Kaplan talking amongst themselves. Red had gone to stand outside about half an hour later with his satellite phone making calls and doing his business telling whomever was on the other line that he would not be physically available for a while due to pressing business.
Dinner had been served and it had a bit of a culture shock for all but Red when the food was served. However there were two bottles of Sake that Red found to be exceptionally good with the meal and he spent his time teaching Liz what he knew of the Japanese and few of his clients. It was a good five hours after they had been left in the house that Kamryn had all but trudged into the house, kicked off her shoes and walked into the living room/eating space to see everyone she had brought along with her having a hot meal and sharing stories. She didn't make herself know because of the riotous laughter in the room, so she headed down one the halls and to a door with a shadowed figure riding a black wolf in Japanese art. Raising her hand up she reached along the frame and hit a button and hearing the sliding door unlock she pushed it open and flipped a switch. It was like a small bachelor suite without the kitchen space. It was split into three areas; there was her bedroom area with a low bed with black and blood red bedding, her office space held computer monitors along one wall and a black oak desk with papers, pens and other items lying about along with a black mug that was flipped upside down.
There was a walk-in closet that led to an in suite bathroom that was half opened; one wall had clothing the other had weapons and armour in a half opened drawer. The last open area had a TV mounted on a wall with book cases and large amounts of books and a stereo system with a game console lying on its side with dust on it, while against the last open space was a weapons work table. Walking over to her bed she sat on the edge of it and looked around. She was home after five long years away, she had spent years in various properties in North America that she forgot what it was like to be home and sleep in her own bed. She hadn't explained a great deal to Red or the others, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to explain why a Canadian made her home with the Japanese.
Flopping back on her made and somewhat surprisingly clean bed she groaned and left her right arm protectively around her middle. She had shut her eyes when she heard footsteps walk into the room and a tell-tale signs of claws from a dog.
"Kamryn?"
There was movement on the corner of her bed and Kamryn opened her eyes long enough to see Liz looking at her worriedly. Letting out a slow breath Kamryn pushed herself up and sat cross legged on her bed.
"Hey."
"Are you okay?" Kamryn chuckled slightly before letting out a soft moan; she reached out and patted Hudson who was sniffing at Kamryn's knee that was hanging off the edge of the bed.
"Yeah, I'm alright. Saya took care of me after throwing me through a blender and making me feel bad for not returning home often enough. She doesn't want to lose me, and I don't blame her." Looking around and taking in all her things, it really was nice to be home. When she was given this house it was too large for her, but she found over time that it grew on her and every now and then she wondered about her future. She was set for life, she had the money and the few jobs she did that didn't involve protecting she made very good coin and that was also an entirely different conversation she would need to have with Red and Liz.
"What exactly is the story between the two of you?" Kamryn chuckled and shook her head thinking about what to tell Liz.
"Well, as you may have heard. I saved Saya, however it was the manner in which I saved her and it wasn't exactly flattering on her end. She's a smart girl, exceptional fighter, good assassin, but it was actually when she went out clubbing in LA that she caught herself in some serious trouble, funny, but still serious." Hudson laid down beside the bed as Kamryn pushed herself off the bed and stood and pulling the vest off she was wearing and rolling her sleeve up to mid-arm going to bathroom and coming back out with a glass of water.
Saya is full-blooded Japanese but her mother loved to take her all over the world. Her father being who he is did the same, mostly to deal with business and set up whatever it was. I was in LA on a low key assignment; it was to look out for one of her friends who happened to be that Senator that was being set up on the other guy that wanted his job. You know what one I'm talking about Liz, it was plastered all over the news when I was done.
"The Senator Greg Sampson scandal... that was you?" Kamryn twitched her eyebrows and grinned. Liz remembered the Sampson scandal and the fall out of his office and the people that worked for him, there was evidence of the cocaine trafficking he was dealing with alongside the sex trade ring he had funded. The evidence that actually put him away was found on his hard drive that he claimed didn't exist. "You left the hard drive in his office when they busted him, we never knew how it got there but it was hidden in plain sight in one of the drive bays in the computer. What does that have to do with Saya?"
"Saya was clubbing one night with Senator Wilson's daughter, they are actually really good friends still are too this day. Saya and the senator's daughter were on their way home, Saya wanted to hit one more place but the daughter didn't want to. As they walked the streets a van came out around the corner and got one of the two girls, it wasn't Saya that got away. I intervened and got my client out and away, Saya decided it would be a smart idea to fight back against the sex traffickers and she was drugged go figure right? Anyways I managed to track them down because Saya fun as she is accidently held onto the cell phone that had my tracking tag in it. I found her tied up and about to be 'sold' to a sleaze ball Iranian for the night in a sex dungeon. I am normally not a fan of those places but the German's that apparently bought Saya and run the place make good business and it was clean, I'm not going to judge." Liz's face was going through so many emotions that when it came to the last one, it was comical to Kamryn when she said German, sex-dungeon, clean. Those words should never be mixed on any level and the look of disgust on Liz's face was priceless.
"Trust me it gets better, Saya thought she would play the game in her half drugged state. Asian girl, hair tied back, leather... sorry that's hot no matter what gender you are. She thinking I was an easy out and target thought she would seduce me. For your information I swing both ways and I don't look like the average woman and not with these scars and lack of breasts. That aside, Saya tried and it was comical as well as impressive that she could even move the way she could with the chain around her ankle.
Not saying that I did anything major with her, but I did not leave with my shirt half off me, bite marks along my neck and shoulder and scratches all over my chest and stomach and a nasty as bruise on the outside of my thigh from the Charlie Horse she thought she would try and give me unsuccessfully. Though she does kiss very well and if I wasn't there to rescue her it might have been fun." Kamryn laughed hard at the look of disgust on Liz's face, when she watched Liz try to burn the images out of her brain by shaking her head she laughed even more.
"By the time I got her out of the place I was half naked my shirt over her assets because they ripped in the escape and when I took her to airport where she managed to call her father, that was then that I learned what Saya was and what I had gotten myself involved in. I was glad then at that moment to be given a jacket and I learned quickly, that Saya liked to have flings after she told her father what I supposedly had done. I had to explain that was not the case and that I was there to protect his daughter's friend and when the Senator showed up and the explanations were given. I was told that the clan was now indebted to me, when I said that was okay they needn't worry. I had a brief and fast lesson about how it worked with the Japanese and I had no choice. When I was grievously injured about six months later, I woke up and found that the clan had paid for my hospital stay, my entire recovery and I also learned that Saya was also a trained medical nurse and physiotherapist.
I was always reminded of what happened that night and for her terms of shits and giggles she actually wanted to have fun with me. I didn't want to because her father threatened me with a fate worse than death. And that is my story between me and Saya. We're friends, very good friends... and maybe with the exception of a really drunken night. There are no benefits to be had between us no matter how hard she tries; I'd rather not die by the hands of a ninja... quite literally." Liz's head spun and she thought Red had stories to tell. She ever wondered if there was anything that could top the one that Kamryn just told. The woman in question was drinking the water from her glass with a cheesy smile on her face. This was beyond surreal, how could... no it wasn't right, it wasn't possible... oh hell. And now Liz had a raging headache, this was the kind of thing that you would find in a bad comedy movie not in real life. But if Red was anything to go by and his nearly carefree attitude she would have to guess it was a bad movie and she was involved, sighing Liz stood up and called for Hudson who got to his feet.
"I think I'm going to go to bed, my head hurts too much and that story was completely outrageous even if it is real." Kamryn nodded and walked Liz out of her room watching her as she went to that room that was given to her, turning around and heading back into her room she sat in her office chair and stared at the black screens before she hit a button on her keyboard. The screens blinked to life with photos up from what she was last researching on a computer at a safe house in somewhere else in the world. It was late and the jet lag she would be experiencing would be slight hindrance but right now all she could do despite the pain she was in was stay awake. Looking at the clock it read 10:45 pm, rubbing her side lightly she closed her eyes and heard the soft padding of feet and her door being slid closed. The footsteps got closer and she felt a hand card through her hair and she leaned into the touch.
"You know, you and I have one interesting relationship. Close but not too close, that and your father would kick the shit out of me if he found out what happened that one night."
The hand was joined by the second ad Kamryn leaned back into the chair and the scalp massage she was getting, she heard a soft sigh before she craned her head up and opened her eyes seeing sadness in Saya's eyes.
"He passed away two years ago Kamryn, he died in his sleep. According to the doctors it was a stroke and he hadn't taken his medication before he went to bed. He told me before he passed away to make sure that I had someone to share my life with. He didn't approve of you but that didn't mean he didn't like you, he just wished you were whole."
"Fat chance of that happening Saya, you and know both know that could never happen. You could have anyone, you could take anyone you wanted and someone that is of Japanese descent. Why a badly fire scarred and difficult person?"
"Cause you were the only one that could see past me and the affiliation I hold. You treated me a normal woman in a party world situation. You weren't there to protect me and you weren't there to make sure it me was that was shadowed. That and you are quite aggressive, I love that." Moving her hands away from Kamryn's head she went and sat on the edge of the desk and crossed her ankles.
"You know, you may be a pure bred Japanese woman, but sure as hell a westernized." The two smiled at each other leaving the two of them to talk about whatever came to their mind.
While Saya and Kamryn were talking away Red had gently knocked on Liz's door, he figured now while it was quiet that he would tell his daughter about him.
"Lizzie?"
"Mmm."
"Could I come in?" A shuffling behind door and it opening with Liz in her pj's, she moved to the side and let Red in. he had lost the tie, opened the top three buttons of his shirt and his vest was unbuttoned. He looked frazzled if Liz had to think of a word to describe him. But on top of looking like he had just gotten into a fight he looked more human than any other time she had seen him. There was no smirk; there was no witty comment or off-hand comment or story. He just looked... afraid. Red looked around the room and saw Hudson wag his way over to him and he knelt down rubbing the dogs head and ears.
"Lizzie, I... I have something that I need to tell you. You may hate me for it, or never talk to me, but know that it was something I had to do to protect you." Red stood and let his arms hang at his side, Liz sat on her bed and just watched as Red who never seemed to struggle with words, fight himself. "You asked me before if I was your father... I lied. When you said that Tom had told you your father was alive. I half lied. Moving he dropped to his knees in front of Liz seeing the tears well in her eyes. The lump in his throat was heavy and thick, raising his hands up he moved them wanting to rest them on Liz's knees but as his hands over her knees he moved them to sit on either side of on the edge of the bed. Tears started to track down Liz's face and Red struggled more to say something to her.
"That fire, your father did die, but someone else walked out of that fire. I didn't know what else to do for you, I saw you in the closet with that rabbit and I picked you up. I didn't know where your mother was the fire was too thick. Something exploded in the house and my back caught fire, but I didn't stop I ran with you until I had you safe. Liz's eyes widened at the mention of the fire and burning. Red lowered his head and he pulled a hand off the bed and unbuttoned the rest of shirt and pulling it from his pants and pulling his left arm out of the sleeve. The burn marks tracked just below the color of the shirt and spread what seemed to be along the entirety of his back. There were some bad burn areas that had where years old. Keeping his back to her he hung his head and took several deep breaths. He felt a hand on his back lightly touching the scars before an arm wrapping around his middle and tears running down his back.
"Why? Why did you lie?"
"Because I would stop at nothing to make sure you were safe. I didn't want them to get you, not until I could figure out it was that destroyed my life that Christmas Eve." Turning around Red tipped his daughters chin up and he tracked her eyes as they took in the scars on his chest both burns, cuts, and bullet scars. Sticking his arm back into his shirt sleeve he buttoned up a few of the buttons and he pulled her into a hug as Liz broke down into sobs. She cried for her lost childhood, the lost memories of her family. She cried for the father that had been forced into a life of crime that died in the fire but was reborn as something else.
The two sunk to their knees and Red held Liz so tight that he was afraid that she would disappear from him. He couldn't bare losing her again, Kamryn had been lucky to jump in front of the bullet meant to kill Liz he didn't know if Liz would be so lucky again if Kamryn hadn't been watching. They sat there wrapped up in each other that Red started to tell her small details of her life. Things that he had seen throughout the years making sure that Sam had everything for her. Liz had cried herself to sleep and her one hand was fisting Red's shirt so tightly she was afraid to let go for fear of losing her father's closeness.
Getting to his knees Red picked her up and gently deposited Liz still clinging to him. When he couldn't get her release his shirt he toed his shoes off and climbed into the bed and pulled the blanket over them and wrapping his arms around her holding her close. Over twenty years and he finally got he hold his daughter in his arms again just as he had when she was just a small girl. He may not have been present for most of life, but it didn't mean that he wasn't there for her over the years.
Dembe had gone to check up on his boss when he poked his head into Liz's room and saw Liz curled up with Red. Dembe smiled and realized that Red finally worked up the nerve to tell Agent Keene his story. He had his family back or at least the one that mattered the greatest deal to him. Sliding the door shut the man went to his room and prepared himself for bed time. Red hadn't fallen asleep yet as he tucked stray hair away from Liz's face and leaned in kissing her forehead whispering softly.
"I love you Lizzie." Even in her sleep she snuggled into Red's chest and gripped his shirt tighter in her hand.