The Departure Protocol

Chapter 2

Wared glanced at his watch as he took in the view from the second story office. A hand appeared around his waist as Kyra put her head on his shoulder and kissed his cheek.

"Don't worry, love. He's always late."

He flashed what he thought was a confident grin and took a deep breath. "If you say so."

"Come," she said and took his hand, "Let's sit down. Try to relax, ok?"

"That's easier said than done, you know that. It's not like I've always known your dad and we are best friends or anything."

"You will be," Kyra said with a smile and led him away from the large window panels that faced the distant mountains. The suns were just rising over the horizon, the jagged peaks of the eastern mountain range a mere shadow against the illuminating rays that brightened up the office.

They sat down on a large couch in the middle of the room, their backs against the window. A coffee table separated them from a couple of lounge chairs opposite them while an imposing, wide wooden desk was tucked up against the wall on their left.

"You never said who the woman is," Wared said and pointed towards a large oil painting that hung on the wall behind the desk. A woman with dark brown hair stood in a field of wheat, the tree line and a small cabin in the distance, the blue sky with wisps of soft, white clouds in the background. She held a bouquet of wildflowers and greeted him with a gentle and inviting smile. Strands of her brown hair made their escape across her face as her green eyes seemed to stare straight at him. He didn't recognize the location, yet it felt inviting.

"I'm not sure, to be honest. She's a distant relative. I think."

"She reminds me of you," Wared said and turned to Kyra, a smile on his face.

Kyra raised her eyebrows. "Is that so?"

"Yeah. Must be where you got your beautiful face from."

"Stop it. I don't even know who she is," Kyra said and blushed.

Wared laughed and squeezed her hand. "It doesn't matter. So hey," he said and nodded towards the back wall. "What's with all the books?"

Shelves of alphabetically sorted books occupied the entire wall opposite the windows, filling it from floor to ceiling.

"I've never seen so many books in my life," he continued.

"He's a collector."

"Why books?" Wared said with a furrowed brow. ""

"The books contain the foundation of our history," a voice from the far side of the room said. Wared jumped to his feet in attention as a man of medium build approached. His cropped white hair and blue eyes were a stark contrast to his black pants and shirt. A couple of stars on each shoulder showed his rank. Wared had never met such a powerful man before.

"I'm Henrin, Kyra's father," he said as he approached with a curious smile on his lips. He stopped briefly in front of Wared, bowed, and then sat down in a chair opposite the couple. "My apologies for my tardiness. Official business, I'm afraid."

Wared smiled and nodded, unsure what to say. He felt butterflies in his stomach and a sudden urge to vomit as he realized he sat face to face with one of the most powerful men on the planet.

"Sir," he said and nodded. "Thank you for seeing us today."

Henrin waved dismissively and smiled as he leaned back in his chair. "Anything for my girl. Can I get you anything? Refreshments? I think we just received some exclusive spring water from the northern plains. It is most satisfying."