When Susan came out of the club the storm had past and a light rain was coming. She went to the beach and sat on a bench, watching the white line of the high waves on the dark surface of the troubled ocean and tried to relax until sunrise.
She then left the beach and went to a little room, booked in a little Hotel not far away from the club. She had a light breakfast and had taken a shower and then check out from the hotel and got to JFK airport at 12 P.M. She bought a coffee and sat on a bench. She was sure that his two targets will come soon or late. In fact, they didn't keep her waiting for long.
Soon they sat on either side of her and boomed their bags on the marble ground of the airport. "fake passports?" asked Harris and waved the passports in the air.
"Maybe this can hide our tracks for a bit." Answered Susan.
"Do you have any plans for what you said last night?" asked Bishop.
"One or two. Yes." Said Susan.
Bishop huffed and leaned on the seat. "I don't know why we have trusted you." he said irritated.
Susan smiled but said nothing. The flight had no delays and soon they took off to China.
***
A fifteen hours flight, six hours driving to a village in the slopes of mountains, and climbing endless rows of stairs located in the slopes of a mount was not easy for even trained soldiers like Harris and Bishop and Susan was not answering any of their questions. They had almost regret trusting her.
"I don't know why we had trusted her." nagged Harris but quietly so Susan couldn't hear them. Bishop didn't say anything. "At least here is not suffocatingly humid. Where is she taking us? To show us around on the peak?" asked Harris in a low voice.
"To see someone, master Harris." Shouted Susan without turning back while climbing ahead. Harris stopped and stared at her back with wide eyes.
"Come on, John." Said Bishop and gritted his teeth.
Soon after, the stairs finally ended and they reached a flat area in the forest. Small and big cottages were there and had created a small temple. Rays of the sun had passed through dense branches and had created golden pools here and there and had created a beautiful scenery. The fragrant air was full of good energy. "Where are we? Shaolin Temple?" asked Harris.
Susan guided them through cobblestone ways. Many kids and adults with traditional clothes were coming and going or training in groups. Harris and Bishop were looking around with amazement when a man came and stood in front of them. He was bald and his clothes were gray. "Susan Grays." He said with a Chinese accent.
"Chan!" greeted Susan and placed her right fist on her left palm and bowed slightly. The man did the same. "很高興見到你，我的朋友. (It's good to see you, my friend.)" said Susan in Chinese. Harris and Bishop both knew Chinese a little. "來。 主人在等你。. (come. The master is waiting for you.)" said the man and motioned with his hand politely. Susan smiled at him and went forward.
Soon, they reached the biggest and highest house. It was beautiful and magnificent. Susan and Chan took off their shoes, bowed, and went inside, followed by curious Harris and Bishop.
There at the end of a long and big room with two rows of wooden pillars had stood an old man in front of a few monuments. His white straight hair was reaching to his waist. Chan went and stood in a corner with his hands folded on his back. Susan went and knelt on the ground with a dropped head. "Master!" said Susan.
"So you've returned." Said the old man but his voice couldn't belong to an old man, for it was smooth and soothing. He turned around. His long beard was white as well as his thick eyebrows which had made a shade on his eyes, black eyes like two pieces of coal ready to burn, like two wells full of wisdom. "And I see with your two trusted people." He said and gazed at Harris and Bishop. They dropped their heads in respect. This was a man to respect.
"Rise, my child." Said the old man and Susan stood.
"I've done what you ordered me, Master." Said Susan.
"I see. I can easily see the reason for your choice. 純淨的靈魂. (pure souls)" He said and smiled at Harris and Bishop and released them from his sharp and intense gaze and nodded in approval. He stepped toward them. "Welcome to China, my sons." He said. "Tell me your names."
"I'm John Harris." Said Harris fast and he was surprised how much he felt secure to tell his name. He could tell everything to this man. The old man nodded and looked at Bishop.
"I'm Tom Bishop, Sir." Said Bishop. The old man laughed. "Please call me, Master. Like everyone else." He said. "I assume you are confused about what are you doing here. You must forgive me, for I was the one who told Susan to say nothing to you. consider it as a test." He then walked to a little wooden table with four wooden chairs around it.
"A test?" asked Bishop confused.
"Come. You must be tired. It was a long way from New York." Said Master and sat on one of the chairs. Harris, Bishop, and Susan sat as well. Chan came and stood behind them.
A little teapot was there with four little bowls. Master poured a brew into the bowls and placed them in front of them. Susan took her own and drank it gratefully but Harris and Bishop looked at their ones suspiciously. "Drink. It will make you refreshed. It's my own brew. You can call it the Master's brew, made of a few herbs." Said Master kindly.
Harris and Bishop took their bowls and drank and immediately relaxed. It was delicious. It was like you mix the tastes of the forest, water, wet soil, and grass. It was like the weariness of their long journey was pulled out of them.
Master smiled satisfied and proudly. "Now we can talk." He said and gestured to fill their bowls again which they accepted happily this time. "A year ago, this child, Susan, came here. So young but tired. Her soul was old but almost gray. Like an ill tree ready to fall. Black clouds had been filled her heart. She asked for help and I accepted to clean her wounded and gray soul. She stayed here for a year and let me say it was not an easy year for a 15 years old girl. She passed exercises and tests that only our grown trainers could do, but she did for she had a goal. One goal to save humanity." Said Master and gazed at Susan kindly with a light of pride. He was obviously fond of the teenager. "When she told it to me and I saw her golden goal, I promised to help her with all of my power and the first step for her was to find two trusted people."
"Only two? What do we want to do? Save the world like a trio?" asked Harris.
"Don't be hasty, Mr. Harris. For great achievements, you should take small but continuous steps. And Susan has taken great steps till now." Said Master and looked at Susan.
"I'm rich. So rich in fact. I had many projects alongside working for agencies that earned me lots of money. I want to found an organization called GSS, Global Security Service. Actually, I have set people to build the first base somewhere near London." Said Susan.
"A real and known organization? I thought that you want to at least have a secret group." Said Harris.
"What did you think I am? Robin hood?" said Susan. "No, Harris. I want to have a known and authorized organization, so powerful so no other organization or agency has the power to challenge me."
"And you become a new devil yourself?" asked Bishop. Susan looked at him for a moment. "You can trust me or not. I don't force you to follow me like you were till now. You can have your choice." She said.
"And if we want to go? Don't you afraid that we ruin your plans?" asked Bishop.
"I know that I can trust you. If you want to go you can simply give a promise to don't tell anyone and you are free to go. By the way, soon everyone will become aware of GSS." Answered Susan. The two stared at each other for a moment.
"You know, you could've told us these back in New York. And as you said your base is going to be in London. So, why are we here?" asked Harris and finished the battle of trust between Susan and Bishop.
"Because you need to get prepared." Answered Master.
"Prepared?" asked Harris.
"I'm going to challenge the world's most foul people who have a lot of power. I'm going to deal with most powerful agencies, so I need to be assured from inside while fighting with outside. I need people who I can trust completely. Master has helped me to find these people from all over the world. We have people like Chan out there who are looking for those who want to fight and bring them here. If Master sees them worthy, we will hire them. We have recruited at least 100 people till now and the number is increasing. But I needed two people who I can completely rely on and share everything with. And well, I found you." explained Susan.
"And you trust us?" asked Bishop from Susan and then turned to Master. "And you see us worthy? You know I have spilled too much blood in my life and some of them were innocent. Most of them in fact." He said and his hands curled into balls under the table.
"You doubt yourself too much, Mr. Bishop." Said Master and stood. "Forget your past and try to build a future you always dreamt about."
Bishop calmed down a little and dropped his head. "What preparation we should have?" he asked after a few moments.
"For this fight and to stand next to Susan you need to have strong minds as well as bodies and let me say you are not ready in both fields." Said Master.
Harris snickered and leaned on the back seat with his hands folded. "Alright, I don't know what do you mean by mind, but we are two of the best in America's army." Said Harris.
"Chan!" called master and Chan step closer. "Chan is one of my best students. If you beat him, I will take back my words." Said Master.
Harris stood and stretched his arms and legs. "Well, I have missed combat. Let's take credit for America." He said.
After only 5 minutes, both Harris and Bishop were on the ground panting and wincing from pain. Chan bowed to them traditionally.
"Well, I think someone needs a little training." Grinned Susan who had stood in a corner with her arms folded in front of her chest. She detached herself from a pillar which she had been leaned on and then went out of the room.
It was a cloudy sunset. Light rain was coming. The breeze had the scent of the forest, the scent of life. Susan looked ahead and took a deep breath. This place had become a home for her and had become her shelter for a year, a shelter when she could hide from her past. She closed her eyes.
She was running in the dark aisle of an almost ruined factory. Her heavy laptop bag was making it difficult to run. The few twinkling lights had lit the aisles. She was trying to be as soundless and possible. Some strand of her long hair had come out of her ponytail and had stuck to her sweaty forehead. She heard footsteps and almost throw herself into a room. "Shit! Shit! Shit!" she whispered and sat behind some boxes which had been laid upon each other.
Just a second later a group of people thunders passed the door. Luckily for her, no one came into the room. Susan put her trembling hand on her mouth to silence her labored breathes. Her whole body was trembling. She had just witnessed a murdering. Someone had been gutted in front of her eyes. That was too much even for her. She was 15 for God's sake.
Police were on the way but till their arrival, she should flee from those who had found out her presence.
She took a few deep breathes and then came out of her hiding and went to the door. The staircase was not far away. She peeked the aisle and when she saw no one, she stepped out of the room and almost ran to the stairs. "I'm lucky. I'm lucky." She said to herself but fate didn't agree with her.
"She is here." Someone shouted and Susan whipped around when she was only a step away from the stairs. A man with a gun was on the other side of the aisle. Susan cursed and flew down the stairs. Just as she stepped on the first stair, the gun roared and the ear-piercing sound echoed. The bullet hit the wall just above Susan's head and rain of gravel poured down on her.
She didn't know how she managed to run down the stairs and out of the building. She was behind the building and could hear the shouting of men behind her. The guns roared again. She ducked her head and ran into an alley. She was passing a big door when suddenly two strong hands grabbed her by her collar and pulled her inside. She tried to scream but her captor covered her mouth with his hand and turned her toward himself.
Susan saw two black eyes under thick and white eyebrows just like his beard. He looked to be Chinese. The old man put his finger on his lips and invite her to be silent. Susan nodded. She could see great power in his eyes, a power you could trust.
Soon, Susan heard shouting and gun fires from outside. The man's hold on her become stronger. "Calm down, child. Clam down." Whispered the man. His power worked and Susan calmed down a bit.
After a few minutes, the sounds died outside. The man moved and took Susan with himself. Susan saw another Chinese man standing above a few men's bodies. He saw them and walked over to them quickly. He bowed to the old man. "They will wake up soon. We should leave, Master." He said.
"Alright. Come." Said Master and took Susan's hand and they all began to run.
Susan was almost passing out from lack of Oxygen when they reached an allay far from the factory and stopped. She now could hear the police alarm. She closed her eyes and slid down the wall while panting hard and pressed her bag to her chest.
"You are right, child?" asked the old man. He even wasn't panting, like he had not run that long way. Susan opened her eyes. She then began to laugh.
"What's wrong?" asked the young man surprised.
"mind cannot save you all the time." Said Susan. "I should try to learn at least how to run." She then looked up at the two men who had stood in front of her. "Thank you. You saved my life." She said.
Master smiled. "Your welcome." He said kindly that made Susan smile.
"I assume you are the one who called the police." Said the other man. Susan nodded. "The people of this country owe you a lot, young lady." He said and turned to Master. "we should leave here soon. They could see us in the camera records." He said.
"Don't be worried. They would see nothing other than the dirty action of that band. I had manipulated their system so I can sneak in. Nothing is recorded other than what I wanted." Said Susan and Master smiled. "Come. Let us go somewhere safe and talk." He said and offered her his hand.
Susan gazed at him for a moment. She had never trusted anyone without searching about him or her but there was something in that man that made her trust him. She took his hand and stood.
"They will stay." Her Master's voice brought her out of her thoughts and to reality. She opened her eyes, turned around, and smiled at him. "I knew they would." She said. Master still looked like the day they had met in that factory.
Master nodded and began to walk alongside Her in the long balcony. "You have a great talent to see people's souls. That will help you a lot." He said and then stopped. "Soon you three will be ready and you can start what you dreamt about. Are you sure you want to do this, my child? You are only sixteen. No one expects anything from you. you can go back and have a normal life like any other kids." Concern was evident in his eyes and voice.
Susan smiled. "I'm not a normal kid, Master." She said and turned to the forest. "I'm gifted with high intelligence. People like me can never be normal. They will choose two ways, be a bad guy or a good one. If I wanted to be a bad guy I could have brought this world to its knees," She said with a bit of pity laced with her words. She then turned to Master. "but thanks to you I decided to do good things and be at the side of angels." She said and the moment of pity was gone. "Although, I'm not one of them." She finished her words and looked ahead and her brows furrowed.
She felt a hand on her shoulder and saw her Master standing next to her. "Everyone was an angel from the first place. It's our actions that define who we are, demon or Angel. And you have chosen to be an Angel." he said. "But if you insist that you are a demon that's alright. You can use your evil side for your advantage. You can predict your enemies' movements, for you know how they think."
Susan nodded. "You've got the point." She said and smiled. She felt someone's presence on her left and turned to the direction. Bishop had stood there.
"I think you should go and talk with him." said Master and Susan nodded. "But remember, my child. Don't let your great mind to play with you. Repeating something to yourself all the time will cause you to turn to it in a matter of time. You are not evil or the evil inside of you died a year ago." He then paused and peered into her eyes. "The World needs you a lot, Susan Grays. Needs an angel like you."
Susan bowed her head. "Thank you, Master." She whispered. Master smiled and then turned and left her. He walked to Bishop and said something to him which Susan didn't hear, but Bishop nodded and bowed. Master patted his shoulder and went inside.
Bishop went and stood in front of Susan. "Master told me you will stay." Said Susan.
"Yes," answered Bishop. "He is very odd, but has a strange aura around him that makes you trust him."
Susan nodded. "How old is he?" asked Bishop.
Susan shrugged. "No one knows." She said. "He is just very old and we are so lucky to have him."
Bishop nodded and then both turned to the forest which only could be seen in the radius of the light bulbs, hanging from the roof. "I trusted you as well." said Bishop after a few moments of silence. Susan looked at him and smiled. Bishop rolled his eyes. "God, I don't believe I'm saying this to a sixteen years old kid, but I really trust you and I'm ready to follow you." he said. "For many years, I had the same ideas as you but I had not enough determination to brought them to reality. But I can see courage, intelligence, and determination in your eyes. I know that you won't mislead us." He then stretched his hand toward Susan.
Susan smiled and took his big hand with her delicate one. They shook hands. "Thank you, Bishop. Your words mean a lot to me." She said quietly. Bishop smiled as well and this was the first time that Susan had seen his smile. "Just call me Tom." He said and Susan nodded.
Actually, Susan was in the seventh heavens. She was so satisfied and hopeful. Many things had been done for founding GSS and Many things had remained. But now she had two strong people who she could rely on, on the dangerous road which she had taken.