Chapter VI: The Truth

It was now early evening. The crowds were beginning to thin out as shoppers went home to be with their families. Fewer and fewer cars were on the street. Shops started closing. The Christmas jingles hawking goods were now gone – replaced instead by more somber Christmas carols, celebrating virtues instead of wares. In particular, Silent Night was a favorite in this city – adding to the mood as the snow slowly fell.

Policemen were still about, but in lesser numbers. Many had spent the afternoon searching for the rogue agent, but slowly fatigue set in. Finally, as the clock struck seven, the Chief sent out an order over the radio.

“Call off the search,” he said, “We can try looking for her tomorrow.”

And with that, even the policemen started to go home. One, a rather old officer with graying hair, yawned loudly as he left his post and headed for home. He did not see the woman who had been silently watching him for the past few hours.

It was Spirit.

With the coast finally clear, she emerged from the shadows. She had changed clothes in the intervening hours, and she now wore a thick, casual, turtleneck sweater with a pleasant light purple color. Save for the band aid on her cheek, all of her wounds were covered by her clothing, giving bystanders little clue as to the fierce battle she had just fought this afternoon.

Her hands in her pockets, she boldly walked the streets once patrolled by her enemies. Though her face still refused to indulge in a smile, she headed for a bake shop, which was within minutes of closing.

She spent a few moments outside the store, a neutral expression on her face as she examined their cakes. She spotted one she liked, and headed inside. She ran headlong into somebody as she opened the door.

To her surprise, the figure hugged her and held her tight, one hand gently holding her head and hair, and burying her face in his chest. Pulling back slightly, she looked up. Her eyes went wide in shock.

It was Reed.

“You’ve done quite enough Spirit,” he admonished.

“How did you…” she started.

“Spirit, I know you,” he explained, looking rather hurt, “Eating cake on Christmas is one of the few luxuries you allow yourself. I just had to figure out which store you would go to.”

“I am not going back,” she declared defiantly, turning her head away.

Reed then noticed Spirit’s hands going for her pockets, possibly to pull out a gun.

“Do you really want to fight here?” he challenged, motioning towards the other people in the store. There was a grandmother buying cookies. There were two kids playing around their parents. There was a happy saleslady packing a brand-new cake. All would be at risk if they fought.

Spirit looked back at Reed, anger and defiance in her eyes. She clenched her fists. She seemed ready to resist.

Then, just as quickly, her expression softened and changed to one of defeat. She unclenched her fists, and instead gave Reed an awkward embrace in return. Finally, she tiredly laid her head on his chest.

“Alright,” she said, “You win.”

-----

The Chief grumbled as he entered his own office, looking tired and a bandage still on his head. Rather than going to his chair, he headed for the couch, normally meant for visitors. He laid down on it, moaning as he felt the pain in his back.

But there would be no rest for the weary, as his cell phone began ringing. Growling again, he reached for the phone and answered.

“Hello?”

“It’s me Chief.” It was Reed.

The Chief’s expression quickly changed, from exhaustion to annoyance, as he found himself sitting up, “Well, well, hello Mister Agent! I hope you’re happy with the fine mess you’ve left me in!”

“I got her Chief,” Reed said, getting quickly to the point, “Tell your men they can rest easy and enjoy the holidays.”

“How the hell did you…?”

“That’s not important Chief,” Reed cut-off, “What’s important is that she is no longer a threat. I’m bringing her back to the Agency for reconditioning. She’ll be our killing machine again in no time.”

“Now you just wait a minute!” the Chief said, “She destroyed police property! A lot of police property! And yet you want to do what?!”

“As you said Chief, she’s a sword. We have her back, so we might as well use her,” Reed replied, keeping his tone even and logical, “Also… you might want to check your drawer. Merry Christmas, Chief.”

And with that, Reed signed off. The Chief looked at his phone in disbelief, before grimacing. He cursed out loud, “Crazy Agency people.”

Nonetheless, his curiosity got the better of him, and he found himself heading for his drawer. Upon opening it, he found a pleasant surprise.

Inside was a diamond necklace – and a rather expensive looking one at that. As he pulled it out to appraise it, he realized that it was the same necklace he had seen in the magazine. It was the one he had wanted to buy for his wife for Christmas, but could not afford due to its extravagant price.

Grinning sheepishly, the Chief found himself saying, “Well now, a Merry Christmas to you too, Agent Reed!”

-----

Reed, by this time, was still busy driving his car, a subdued Spirit sitting beside him. Handcuffs on her hands, she tried her best not to look at him, choosing instead to look at the landscape outside. They were far from the city now, traveling along the coast. The full moon was high above in the sky, its light reflecting off the ocean’s surface below. It was a beautiful sight.

Suddenly, Reed stopped the car, parking on an embankment beside the highway. For a few moments, he silently looked at the same landscape Spirit was viewing, taking in its beauty. Finally, for one of them, the silence was too much.

“Please don’t take me back,” she said, her face still without emotion, only a tiny hint of fear in her voice. Reed sighed in reply.

“If I don’t take you back, I have to shoot you.”

Spirit clenched her fists before she answered, “Better dead than another round of “reconditioning”.”

Reed looked at her dubiously, “Are you sure?”

Spirit closed her eyes, and cast her head downwards, “I’m… I’m sorry it had to be you.”

Reed didn’t answer with words. Instead, he sighed again, this time more loudly. Then, he began rummaging through his bag. After a few seconds, he found what he was looking for.

“Open your eyes,” Reed ordered.

“No.”

“I said open your eyes,” he insisted.

“I don’t want to make it any harder than it should be.”

“Ann, just do it,” he repeated for a third and final time, this time using her real name. This time, he got a different reaction.

Frustrated and angry, she turned to face him and opened her eyes. She was about to shout at him and opened her mouth, but no words came out. The anger in her eyes quickly turned to surprise.

He wasn’t holding a gun. He was holding up a key.

Then, leaning over, he took the cuffs off of Ann’s hand. Tiny shades of red appeared on her face. The beginnings of a smile appeared on her lips. A tear threatened to roll down her cheek.

“Ann, I already cooked a Christmas dinner for two,” Reed explained, taking a moment to reach out and gently hold her hand. Smiling, he continued, “And you know as well as I do that I hate wasting food.”

Despite the sweet explanation, Ann’s tenderness was only fleeting. Pulling her hand away from his, her expression quickly returned to its usual cold and calculating demeanor. There was anger in her voice when she spoke.

“David, you shouldn’t do this.”

“Why not?” David asked rather playfully, ignoring her glare as he again started rummaging through his bag.

“You’re risking everything for me!” she said, incredulous at his lack of self-concern.

“We’re partners, Ann,” he replied in his matter-of-fact tone, “It’s what partners do for one another.”

“I fired on the police, David,” she reminded, “If they find out what you just did, they’re going to kill you too!”

“Yes, you did fire on the police, among other things,” David answered, still rummaging through the bag, “But, with a little work and a few bribes we can cover everything up. We’ve done it before, and we can do it again. That’s not what’s important though.”

“You have no clue what is or what is nor important!” Ann said indignantly.

“Oh yes I do,” he countered, as he stopped his search for a moment and turned to look at Ann in the eye, “Why did you risk everything for the sake of that mother and child anyway?”

For once, Ann could not reply. Instead, as usual, she merely turned away.

“Oh come on, surely you owe me an explanation!” he exclaimed, frustration creeping into his voice for once. It was enough to make her quiver in her resolve.

“The child,” she said.

“That’s never bothered you before,” he snorted.

She turned to face him, a hurt and enraged look on her face. David then realized what an awful thing he had implied.

“I’m… I’m sorry. My bad,” he said, his voice softening, “That… was a bad choice of words.”

“No, you’re right,” she answered, turning away again as the anger in her face disappeared, leaving only the pain, “It… it never stopped me before, even if it was a child. I’m… I’m just a heartless killer.”

“I’m a killer too Ann,” David reminded, “I’ve done things I’m not proud of.”

“It doesn’t change who I am.”

“True,” he said, before he changed his tone. It was the gentlest tone he could manage, and one that he reserved only for her, “But Ann, it also doesn’t change the fact that you cry in your sleep every night. Because all you ever do in your dreams is to ask for forgiveness from the ones you’ve killed.”

Ann didn’t answer. She kept her head turned away. Yet he knew that she was on the verge of tears.

He reached out for her hand again. She tried to pull away, moving her hand wildly, but he didn’t let her escape this time. He caught her hand, and held on even as she defiantly kept struggling. Finally, caught in his grip, she turned her head and faced him. Her eyes were pleading for him to let go.

Yet he held on. He smiled at her sadly and touched her face with his other hand, as if to say that everything would be alright. A tear rolled down her cheek as soon as he did.

At last, she relented, and she squeezed his hand right back, to give the same affection as he was giving. Neither said a word. For both of them, it was better left unsaid.

Ann did give David one last concession. She let him see her at her most beautiful, at least in his eyes. Despite the band aid on her face, despite the fatigue, and despite the tears and fears in her eyes, one thing quickly erased all of the darkness within her.

Her smile.

It wasn’t her evil smile. It was the one she saved only for him. And it was one that proclaimed that no matter the consequences, and no matter the pain, it was only him that brought happiness to her lonely heart.

“Sorry I was such trouble today,” she said quietly, almost as a whisper.

“It’s okay,” he replied, the volume of his voice just as low, “Just tell me why you did it and we’ll call it even.”

Nodding, she leaned over to him, and whispered the answer to his ear.

“David… the child didn’t understand what was going on. She didn’t understand a thing about politics or war. For her, there was just one thing on her mind.”

-----

Far away, on the ship, the mother and child were sleeping soundly in their cabin. The mother looked exhausted, her face unkempt, her hair a mess. Yet, there was an expression of peace and contentment on her face.

She was hugging her child, whose face showed no sign of stress or fear. Instead, the little girl was smiling in her sleep, smiling so hard that her cheeks were glowing red in joy. The little girl was still clutching the gift – the teddy bear wrapped in green paper and topped off with a bright red ribbon.

She didn’t understand what was going on around the world. She knew northing of politics or war. And there was, indeed, only one thing on her mind:

“Finally, it’s Christmas!”

Dedicated to those who sweat and toil, to give the children one more reason to smile.