Her hand reassuringly held Madison's. It was her first day of school and Nika could see how nervous she was.
"You're going to be fine, Madison." she told her and smiled.
"I hope so.." she bobbed her head. "Mrs. Clipton said that I'm caught up with my classes."
She searched her face, "Are you afraid the students won't like you?"
The thirteen-year-old peered down at her lap, "What if one of them recognizes me?"
"They won't, Napa Valley is like another country compared to where you used to live. And don't forget, at the end of the month Mai will move in with us and she'll go to school with you."
She beamed, "I know, I can't wait."
"Me too. So, don't worry about today, you will be fine and they will like you," Nika said with greaty certainty.
Madison grinned, "Thanks."
"Do you want me to walk with you?"
"No," she put on her back pack and fixed the collar of her white buttoned shirt, "I'll be ok. I'll see you at 2:30. Bye Mom," she hugged her.
Nika felt her eyes welling up but held back the tears, "Bye Madison, have a wonderful day!" She briefly stroked her face and watched her walk to the entrance of the private school.
Many emotions were running through Nika, but it was maternal pride that unleashed her captive tears. For the past couple of weeks, she had watched Madison work for hours with her tutor and she succeeded in every subject that faced her. Even though she was thrilled for Madison, a small part of her was also envious. She was living a normal teenage girl's life, a life that Nika had been robbed of but she refused to be bitter and dwell on it. She was excited for her daughter because she had given her a second chance at what she never had.
A gentle yet cool breeze caused Nika to shiver once she stepped out of the car. She buttoned her white Hermes trench coat and stood next to the other parents on the sidewalk in front of the school's entrance. A young blond haired woman approached her.
"Hi, I'm Sandra Whedon, I love your coat. It's Hermes right?" She asked Nika while offering her hand.
"Thank you, and it is. I'm Karina Petrova," she smiled and shook her hand.
"It's nice to meet you. I'm waiting here for my daughter Stella. She's in kindergarten," she happily told her.
"I'm waiting for my daughter too, it's her first day. Her name is Madison," Nika proudly shared.
"That's wonderful, what grade is she in?"
"She's a freshman."
"A high schooler..God, it's come up fast for my Stella. It feels like she learned to talk and walk just yesterday," she lightly chuckled.
The bell rang interrupting their conversation.
"There she is!" Sandra pointed to a little girl who looked liked her.
"Moommmy!" Little Stella ran into her mother's arms and kissed her.
In silent admiration, Nika watched the mother and daughter affectionately greet each other. As she observed them, she realized how wonderful it must have felt for Sandra to watch the child that she given birth to and raised, experiencing many firsts in her life. She realized that she wouldn't have the same exact pleasure with Madison and Mai. Becoming aware of this fact didn't prevent her from longing for it in the near future especially now that things had changed between her and Agent 47.
"Stella, this is Mrs..Ms.?"
"Ms. Petrova," she corrected her. "Hello Stella, it is very nice to meet you. You're a very cute girl and I like your Dora the Explorer backpack," she kindly said.
"Thank you! You're pretty..like my dolls," Stella politely replied.
"Thank you."
"We have to go now. She has gymnastics," Sandra told her. "It was a pleasure meeting you. I'll see you here tomorrow. Have a good afternoon!" She carried Stella to their car.
"You too!" Nika called out and then turned around when she heard a familiar voice.
"Hi Mom!" Madison put her arms around Nika.
"Madison, how was your day?" she asked as she withdrew from her.
She smiled and began walking, "It was good, I made a new friend. I think you'll like him."
Excited, she asked, "Really? What's his name?"
"Henry, he's really funny, nice, and intelligent. He's gay too!"
Nika stopped walking and began to cry, "Oh my God, you really are my daughter!" she hugged her again.
Madison giggled as she rubbed her mother's back, "I'm happy I made you proud."
Steam rose from the two mugs filled with hot cocoa. Sarah Perkins lifted the mugs and placed them at Mason's and Nariah's usual seats at the kitchen table. Through the bay window, she watched her children play in the snow with quiet joy.
Ever since husband Thomas's murder a burden had been lifted off of her. She no longer had to worry about him finding them once again and the family court hearing where she would have certainly lost custody of her children. Her new found freedom and the inheritance she was set to receive from Thomas's estate, quashed all her doubts and worries.
The sound of the doorbell pulled away her from the kitchen.
"Sarah Perkins?" The delivery man asked her.
"That's me," she was delighted to use her real name and not an alias.
"This is for you and sign here."
"Ok," she signed the electronic clipboard and took the package. "Thanks."
"You're welcome, Mrs. Perkins. Have a nice day," he tipped his hat and returned to his delivery truck.
"Mommy what is it?" Nariah asked as she and Mason ran up to her.
"I don't know sweetie," Sarah didn't see a return address on the package. "Let's get inside and find out; I made hot cocoa."
"YAY!" Nariah ran to the house.
"With extra marshmallows?" Mason asked her.
"Of course."
"Awesome!" He followed his little sister.
Once she discarded the clear packing tape in the kitchen's trash bin, Sarah opened the package. Her mouth dropped open when she saw its contents.
"What is it Mom?" Mason asked from the table before taking a sip from his mug.
She held a ring and necklace, "It's my mother's necklace and my grandmother's ring..I left it at the house," she smiled and put on the jewelry.
"Is there anything for me?" He asked then joined her at the counter, "My Derek Jeter bat! My baseball cards, my Xbox and my games!"
Little Nariah ran to her mother and older brother then looked inside the package and happily yelled; "It's Mr. Squiggles!" she picked up the toy stuffed pig.
Through his sniper rifle's scope, Agent 47 watched the Perkins celebrate and allowed a smile spread across his face. It slowly faded as continued to see the beautiful love they had for each other. He was envious of what they had. The current state of his life wouldn't provide him such an opportunity to give and receive the unconditional love and bond shared between parents and their children. Before Nika, whenever he saw families like the Perkins, he wondered it would be like to live their life. Now, he wanted to experience it for himself.
Diana excused herself from her husband's embrace and left him in the living room. She answered the call once she closed her office door.
"Hello," she answered.
"Diana, how have you been?" Agent 47 asked her.
"I'm well..I have something very important to tell you about Gateson."
She piqued his interest, "What?"
"You're not the first agent to leave, the other is Agent 18."
His eyebrows furrowed, "I've never heard of him."
"Of course not, he is a blemish on the Organization and the Gateson family. He severed ties with the Organization after requesting to be relieved of his position in 1973, they refused and he disappeared soon after. No one knows of his whereabouts," she shook her head.
He couldn't believe another agent had been successful at evading the Organization, "Gateson wants me to find him?"
"Yes, he does.."
"For what?"
She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, "For your freedom but it's just a ploy. At the rendezvous location where you will bring Agent 18's body to Gateson in person, you will be ambushed by at least a dozen of our best agents."
The concern in her voice worried him but he didn't show it, "What if I kill them all?"
"It doesn't matter, Gateson wants you dead. He is far from being an honorable man, he will not just let you walk away alive."
"Will you select the agents?"
"Yes, but not until you capture Agent 18. Gateson and I will formulate a plan but it will be on very short notice…I don't think you should do this."
He knew that she had reason to worry, "I have to, Diana."
"Why? For Nika? Look..I know what you two have isn't ideal or even normal but you should keep it that way for the sake of your life," she told him.
"I am the best that the Organization had. With the right plan I can do this. But I'll need your help." he asked her.
"This is madness, Forty-seven! Even if we did come up a plan it doesn't guarantee that you will survive. You are an exceptional assassin but you're also a man, a mortal." she told him and felt her voice quiver.
"This is my decision and it's final," he stubbornly told his former handler and ally.
She exhaled, "All right then. Give me your new e-mail address so that I can send you Agent 18's file," she then listened to him and wrote down his temporary e-mail address.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome and Forty-seven.."
"Yes?"
"Be safe."
"I will," he hung up the mobile phone and leaned back in his chair. Diana had a valid concern and he knew it. However, he was also tired of being away from Nika and from having a normal fulfilling life.
Diana had revealed that Gateson would be at the rendezvous location in person, within his grasp. Agent 47 knew how to persuade a person when he or she was in his striking distance. It was dangerous but he felt like the risk was worth the reward.
It had been only two weeks since Agent 47 sent Declan Agent 18's file. So far, he had failed to locate Agent 18. Unfortunately, he had to inform Agent 47 of this and he hated it. He prided himself on being one of the world's best hackers and never failed when a task was presented in front of him. Also, he had considered Agent 47 to be a friend of his and he didn't want to disappoint him.
"Declan," Agent 47 said when he answered.
"Hey.." he sat down on his couch, "Um..I'm-I haven't found him yet."
Agent 47 sighed, "It's early. You eventually found Diana."
"Because you actually gave me more to go on! All I have here is an age and a physical description that is over thirty-years-old. He could have gotten plastic surgery or he's dead. I mean..I can't even say that he 'fell off the grid' because it didn't even exist when he quit," he told him.
"Why are you giving me these excuses? You're the best at what you do," he was clearly annoyed at Declan's tone.
"Being the best doesn't mean perfect!" he shot back; it was the first time he had ever done so in all the years he had known Agent 47.
"Then try harder!" he snapped at him and heard a hint of desperation in his voice.
Declan didn't take too kindly to be yelled at, "I am working my ass off, ok? You're asking me to find one man who could be dead or alive on a planet with billions and billions of people on it! Why the hell do you want to find this guy so badly?"
He paused and decided to tell Declan his reason but not directly, "How do you feel about Lisa?"
His head pull back, "What does she have to do with this?"
"Just answer the question."
He pushed his confusion aside, "I love her. She loves me for who I am but makes me want to be a better man..I'd do anything for her." Once he finished speaking, the silence that came from the other end of line made him realize what Agent 47 was implying. The annoyance and anger in him dissipated.
"Declan?"
"That's why you've changed, you're in love with a…"
"A woman," he told him.
He grinned, "That's great! She must be some woman to crack through your shell."
Agent 47 didn't know how to respond to his compliment of Nika, "You understand now?"
"Absolutely..but I can't promise you anything. This guy..he's been damn good at successfully at hiding out all these years and that's assuming he's alive. What I'm saying is, this is will take some time and even then I may not able to find him but I'll give everything I got," he assured him.
"Thank you," he sincerely stated.
"Ok, I gotta go take Boomer on his walk now. Bye."
"Goodbye, Declan."