Free Carlie Simmons (Book 5): One Final Mission by JT Sawyer Page B

upcoming departure for the islands, to leave this
place once and for all and start over.” She turned to check on Tyler, who was
swaddled in a fleece blanket, and then walked over to Shiro.
    He continued lifting the chopsticks full
of noodles to his mouth and motioned for her to sit beside him.
    “You always get by on only five hours of
sleep a night. You sleep like you eat—very modestly.”
    He arched his eyebrows, surprised that she
was so keen on his habits. He glanced at her shoulders and arms that were
etched from months of blade- and stick-fighting practice.
    “I guess with us all living under such
tight confines, it’s no wonder we know each other’s routines so well,” he said,
placing the empty green bowl on the floor by his knee.
    “I know yours, anyway,” she said, tilting
her head and smiling.
    He had tried to ignore her interest in him
these many months. The rigor of surviving had prevented any romantic
inclinations from reaching beyond his ever-present tactical mindset. He wasn’t
disinterested: her honey-blond hair was an anomaly amongst the women of his
country and her expressive demeanor could, at times, be enjoyable when it
wasn’t overwhelming. However, his only experience with women had been in
fleeting sexual relationships with courtesans who worked in the employ of his Yakuza
clan. Those women bore the same sad expression in their eyes that he frequently
saw in the mirror when his steely façade wore thin. They always looked at him
like he was a prison guard and not with the sweet warmth that Nora’s eyes revealed.
When he was around her, the younger, carefree boy in him that he thought lost
forever would awaken from its dormant slumber and the shackles of his adult
life would slip away. Her honest gaze always disarmed him. She was so
expressive and bore her feelings in the melodic words that flowed from her soft
lips. There was never any pretense with Nora, no cultural formalities that restricted
her. He found himself thinking about her during quiet moments. Shiro wondered
how she could be interested in someone with his nefarious background which the
others never let him forget despite their appreciation for him saving them time
and again. Modern Japan had fallen but vestiges of the old caste system still
threaded their way through their daily interactions. 
    Shiro forced his attention back to the
task at hand. As he stooped forward to stand, Nora placed her hand over his. “It’s
so nice sitting together—won’t you stay with me a while longer?”
    He gazed upon her smooth neckline and up
past her ears, visually imbibing the contours of her lovely face. He brushed a
lock of hair aside from her cheek. Nora grasped his hand and pressed it against
her lips, kissing his palm. A smile formed in the corner of his mouth and for a
moment he forgot about his duties. As he slid closer to her, he heard someone
rustling in the distance as they awoke. Shiro pulled back and withdrew his
smile, his expression returning to the former chiseled surface it normally
resembled. He stood up and leaned back on the half-wall, grabbing his sword and
tanto blade.
    “It will be light soon and I have to
relieve Yoshi of his overwatch.”
    Shiro tucked the blade into his belt and
slung the sword across his back. While reaching down to grab his green
rucksack, he saw Yoshi bolting down the rooftop stairs. The tireless man had
become a trusted fighter and Shiro’s second-in-command.
    “You should come see this—something to the
north—a white glow like we saw a few days ago, only growing in size.”
    He looked at Nora and then trotted off to
the stairs. He followed Yoshi back to the roof, the warm ocean breeze sweeping
through his thick black hair. Both men rambled past the small rooftop gardens
and over to the edge, walking along the crunchy tiles of the cracked surface.
    “It was there a minute ago,” said Yoshi,
pointing beyond the derelict skyscrapers of downtown Osaka.
    Shiro scanned the inky horizon and