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Killer
Instinct Revelations:08
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3 Years Ago
Tibet: The Tiger Shrine
Maverick quietly opened the door to his room
in the Tiger Shrine, slipped out into the hallway, and shut the door behind
him. As it was a few minutes before sunrise, the brownish colored
marble hallway of the Shrine was illuminated by wall torches, which extended
down the hall, about ten feet apart from each other. Tucked under
his right arm, Maverick carried a small, laptop computer. He made
his way down the hall in complete silence, eventually coming to the end.
Against the wall was a small, wooden table. A standing tiger had
been carved out of wood with amazing detail; the flat tabletop lay on the
tiger’s back. Maverick placed his computer on the table and opened
it. The screen was blank, except for a small, white box with the
words “Incoming Transmission: Audio Only” written inside.
“Agent Maverick, are you there?” a voice
said, from within the computer.
“Yes, I’m here.” Maverick responded.
“What is it?”
“Where are you now?”
“We’re at a small religious temple in Tibet.
It’s almost sunrise, and we’re preparing to move out.”
“Well, don’t.”
“Huh?” Maverick said, highly confused.
“I’m afraid that......concerning your mission,
certain factors have changed.”
“What do you mean?”
“I can’t say.”
“Well then, has our mission been affected?”
“Not really. Your mission remains the
same. The only thing is you must push everything on the schedule
back exactly one week.”
“One week? Why?”
“I am not at liberty to discuss that.”
“Oh.” Maverick said, flatly. “What
are our orders for this week? Should we return to our previous position?”
“No. Hold your current position.
You said you were at a temple at Tibet.....is it possible to stay there
for the entire week?”
“I don’t know.....possibly.....”
“If you can, you should. Then, exactly
one week from today, you will move out as you were planning to now.”
“Yes sir.”
“Very well. Except for the schedule
change, all of your orders are as they were. I will not contact you
again unless your objectives change again.” With that, the computer
screen went totally blank.
“Hey!” Julie said, suddenly, from behind
Maverick. “Was that headquarters?”
“Yes, it was.”
“What did they want?” Julie asked.
“Nothing. Just that our timetable has
been pushed back exactly one week.”
“Really? Did he say why?”
“No. Just to hold our current position,
and to proceed as planned one week from now.”
“Hmm. So, what are we going to do in
that time?”
“Excuse me.” One of the Tibetan monks
said, from behind Julie. It was the same old monk who had welcomed
them from the previous night. “I couldn’t help but to overhear.
Did you say that your plans have been pushed back one week?”
“Yes, they have.” Maverick responded.
“Am I correct to assume that you still do
not have a place to stay?”
Both Maverick and Julie nodded.
“Well then!” The monk exclaimed.
“I insist you stay here for the week. As I said before, we have plenty
of room, and we don’t mind the company.”
Maverick started to protest, but Julie shot
him a look. “Are you sure it’s okay? For the whole week?”
she asked.
“Yes, of course! In fact, since you’ll
be staying, why don’t you join us for breakfast? It will be starting
in about half an hour; I’ll come by your rooms and get you.”
“That sounds nice.” Julie said.
The monk smiled, turned, and walked down the
hall.
“How much do you think he overheard?”
Maverick asked, as the monk was well out of eyesight.
“Not enough to matter. I walked up on
you just as you were finishing your transmission, and I know he wasn’t
behind me then.” Julie looked around. “Stuck here for a week,
huh? I could think of worse. I wonder.....what happened concerning
our mission? Why was our timetable the only thing affected?”
Maverick picked up his computer, and headed
back for his room. “That is strange. But, we must carry on
our mission as ordered, without questions.”
Julie pouted. “Still, considering that
we are the ones carrying out these missions, it would be nice to be included
in the information loop, y’know.”
“If we needed to know, they would have told
us.” Maverick said, entering his room and quietly shutting the door
behind him.
“Hmph!” Julie snorted. She marched
down the hall back to her room as well.
“I’ve never seen so much food!” Julie
exclaimed.
At the back of the Shrine was the dining hall.
It was an extremely large room that, like most of the outer rooms of the
temple, did not have walls, but pillars instead. The front and left
walls were nothing but large, brownish marble pillars, which were spaced
only a foot apart. In the center of the front wall, the two center
pillars were spaced four feet apart; from the roof down to about seven
feet above the ground, the space between the pillars had been filled in
with marble. In the space remaining, a red, double door stood.
The right wall was solid marble, and positioned along the wall were small
tables and ovens. Several monks were in this area, preparing food.
The back wall was also solid; in the center was another large double door
leading back into the Shrine. In the center of the room was an extremely
large table. It was nearly ten feet wide, and at least seventy feet
long. The head of the table was considered to be the end closest
to the back wall, and seated at the head were three of the Tiger Shrine’s
masters; Master Zen’keth, who was the one who invited Maverick and his
group to stay, Master Solar sat to his left, and Master Deshaun to his
left. Like Master Zen’keth, they were all old, and their heads were
shaved. Master Solar had a wiry mustache, and Master Deshaun had
a thin beard. They wore the thick, brown robes that were traditional
of the Shrine.
On the right side of the table, Maverick sat
in the first seat, with Julie to his right, Recon to her right, and Orchid
to his right. To the right of Orchid, as well as everywhere else
on the table, were the monks of the Shrine. Although they were of
various ages, most of them seemed to be between eighteen and twenty-five.
They all wore the brown robes, but only some of their heads were shaved.
Covering every inch of the table were different exotic foods; from a gigantic
plate of scrambled eggs, to a towering stack of pancakes, an abundance
of salads, and more foods than could be named.
“Well,” Master Zen’keth said, “in a Shrine
full of growing young men, this is hardly enough! What is before
you is only a third of our population; to eat all at once would be an exercise
in anarchy.”
“We have more than enough; please eat up!”
Master Deshaun said.
“Happy to oblige!” Recon responded.
He smiled happily, sinking his teeth into a baked potato.
“So tell me,” Master Solar started, “how have
you four come into Tibet without a place to stay?”
Julie took her attention away from her salad
to shoot an eye towards Maverick, whose eyes widened. He opened his
mouth, but nothing came out.
“Go on, tell them why we’re here.....”
Julie prompted Maverick. He still looked confused.
Maverick leaned in closer to Julie, and whispered
in her ear. “I don’t have a cover story.”
“What?” Julie said, aloud, then realizing
her mistake, she spoke in Maverick’s ear. “Why not?”
“Remember, we weren’t scheduled to make contact
with anyone on this mission. So a cover story was never made.”
“Oh for the love of.....” Julie broke
from the secret conversation. The three masters gave them all a funny
look. “It’s okay.” Julie said aloud, to Maverick. “They’re
just monks. I think we can tell them.” She now turned her attention
to the three masters. “You see, we are a part of a special United
States task force. A few days ago, an American cargo plane went down
somewhere in this general area. This plane was carrying.....let’s
just say, sensitive materials. It’s important to the United States
government to get these materials back. However, since the plane
didn’t go down over American soil, it’s fair game for anyone who gets to
it first. China, Russia, Japan, Cuba, Iraq, and other countries all
know about the crash, and they would love to get their hands on the cargo;
they have all sent salvage teams to find the plane and bring back it’s
cargo. We have been sent to find the plane and retrieve the information
before anyone else does.”
“Really?” Master Zen’keth said, actually
interested.
“Yes,” Maverick added, getting into
the spirit of the story, “we have an advantage over everyone else;
we have a basic idea as to where the plane is. We just don’t know
exactly where. If the other salvage teams knew what we knew, we would
lose our advantage and it would be a matter of who found the plane first.
We were detained here for a week because our superiors think we are being
followed. This will give our surveillance experts more of a chance
to find the plane with satellite imagery, and get whoever is on our backs
off.”
“Fascinating.” Master Deshaun commented.
Maverick leaned over and whispered in Julie’s
ear again. “Good one.”
Julie grinned. “You boys would be helpless
without me.”
Master Solar smiled. “An operation of
such levity, and your government didn’t see fit to give you all tents?”
Julie laughed. “Oh, we have sleeping
equipment, but it’s not much more than a sleeping bag.”
“We came here not wanting to sleep on another
rock.” Recon added. His comment earned a laugh or two from
the monks. “Besides, it’s really cold out there.”
“Do all of your missions put you outside in
the cold?” Master Zen’keth asked.
“It varies.” Maverick answered.
“Sometimes, we’re in a fancy hotel, sometimes, we’re out in the cold.
It depends on the nature of the mission.”
“Your way of life sounds very fast paced.”
Master Deshaun said.
“It is.” Recon said, taking a time out
from devouring a side of beef. “As soon as we finish a mission, we’re
assigned to another. We’re always on the move, carrying out operations.”
“Is that the way you would prefer to live
your lives?” Master Deshaun asked.
“Yeah.” Maverick said.
“Mmph.” Recon responded, from behind
a blueberry pancake.
“And what about you, miss?” Master Solar
asked Orchid.
Orchid looked up from the salad she was picking
at. “It’s fine.” She said softly, returning to her salad.
Julie sighed. “I guess it’s okay.
Although, to tell you the truth, I wouldn’t mind living a life like this.
Y’know, slow things down. Enjoy every moment of life.”
“So why don’t you?” Master Zen’keth
asked innocently.
Julie blushed. “Unfortunately, it’s
not that easy. Life in America is quite fast paced.”
“I know.” Master Zen’keth said.
“I’ve been a few times.”
“Really?” Julie asked.
“Yes. After so many years of training
and meditation, our monks deserve a break every now and then. We
allow them to go anywhere they choose; America is quite a popular destination.
I’ve even found a baby there, but that is another story.”
“What did you think of America?”
Master Zen’keth paused, looking up at the
ceiling. “Uh.....let’s just say fast paced.”
Everyone laughed.
“Excuse me.” Orchid said. She
got up, leaving her half-eaten salad at the table, and left the room through
the back doors.
Master Deshaun watched Orchid leave nervously.
“Did we.....say something to offend her?”
Julie rolled her eyes. “No, no.
Orchid.....she’s just a loner. She was probably getting uncomfortable
being around all these people.”
“You speak of it as if it were a bad thing.”
Master Solar said. “There is nothing wrong with being a loner.”
“True.” Julie responded. “But
that girl, she can’t relate to people at all. I’ve been trying to
help her, but she fights it with a passion.”
“Perhaps you should just let her be.”
Master Deshaun suggested.
“Perhaps. But she’s been left
alone all her life. She puts this barrier around herself, and everyone
steers clear of her. I think someone should try to reach out to her,
and why shouldn’t it be me? If, after a while, she still rejects
me, I’ll back off. But I at least want to give her the chance to
come out of her shell.”
Master Zen’keth raised his cup towards Julie.
“It’s a very noble cause. I wish you luck in your endeavor.”
Julie smiled. “Thanks. I’ll need
it.”
Recon had just finished of the contents of
his plate, and began reaching for various dishes to replace the eaten food.
Master Solar noticed this. “I’m glad you’re enjoying the food, Recon.”
He said.
Recon stopped, and turned slightly red, then
reached for another side of beef. “What, are’ya kidding me?
This is the best food I’ve had since......since......ever. So, what’s
for lunch?”
Master Solar grinned. “With any luck,
it’ll be coming through the door any minute now.”
“Huh?” Recon raised an eyebrow.
As if by cue, the doors on the front wall
burst open, and a monk entered the room. He was young; probably barely
eighteen. He had large, blue eyes, soft thin lips, and a prominent
jaw. He had short, dark brown hair, some of which dangled in front
of his forehead. He was of an average height; about 5’9, but he was
extremely well built. He wore a dirty, gray T-shirt, with large,
orange pants. Most notably, he carried a slain wild bore across his
back. He carried the dead animal all the way across the room, finally
stopping between Master Zen’keth and Maverick. Julie found herself
staring at the young man, unaware that she was doing so.
The monk bowed, still carrying the carcass.
“Master Zen’keth, Master Solar, Master Deshaun, I have returned.
I have slain the wild bore exactly as you ordered me to.”
Master Zen’keth stood, and examined the animal
on the monk’s shoulders. “I see.....no cuts, scars, puncture wounds,
or bruises. You have defeated a wild animal with grace and skill.
Good work, Jago.”
Jago bowed even further.
“Take your prize over to the cooks, Jago.”
Master Deshaun said. “I’m sure they will waste no time in preparing
a fine feast for us and our guests. Then return and help yourself
to breakfast. You’ve earned it.”
Jago bowed his head, then lifted himself and
started over towards the right side of the room. Once he reached
one of the small tables, he dropped the carcass with a great sense of relief.
A small group of the cook monks immediately began to gather around the
bore, scooping it up and preparing it for cleaning. Jago turned and
left the dining hall through the back doors, going back into the Shrine.
“What was that all about?” Maverick
asked.
Master Zen’keth sat back down. “That
was Jago. He is currently in training to become a ninja.”
Julie’s interest perked up, although she had
already devoted her full attention to Jago and the wild bore. “A
ninja? Really?”
“Yes.” Master Zen’keth said. “That
particular exercise was meant to sharpen his gracefulness, finesse, and
endurance. He was asked to kill a wild bore without using force,
and as you just saw, he did.” Master Zen’keth smiled. “Not
only does Jago sharpen his skills, we get a fine meal. Not a bad
deal, if you ask me.”
“A ninja......” Julie repeated.
“How far along in his training is he?”
“It is almost complete. In fact, just
three days from now, Jago will fight the last monk to obtain ninja status,
a young man named Tomas. If Jago is successful, he will have earned
his ninjahood. Perhaps you would like to watch that fight.”
“I think I just might.” Julie said.
“I’m a practicing martial artist myself. I have to admit, I haven’t
seen all of your temple yet, but I’ve been very impressed with what I’ve
seen thus far. Your monks seem very disciplined and focused.”
“Thank you.” Master Zen’keth said.
“You haven’t seen our temple yet?” Master
Solar asked. “That’s right, you came late last night, and you’ve
come straight from your rooms here to breakfast.” He addressed the
three agents. “If you’d like a tour, I can have Jago show you all
around when he gets back.”
“Thank you.” Julie responded.
“That would be nice. I’m looking forward to seeing your Shrine.”
Maverick shook his head. “No thanks.
I’ve got some......er......surveillance maps to go over.”
“And you?” Master Solar asked Recon.
“Oh no. After a breakfast like that,
I’d better take a nap and wait for lunch!”
Everyone laughed again.
“What about the other one?” Master Solar
questioned.
“Orchid?” Julie said. “Forget
about it. She wouldn’t be interested.”
Master Solar smiled. “So I guess it’ll
just be you and Jago, Julie. You can wait here until he returns;
I’m sure he just went to change clothes, and he’ll be back any minute now.”
“Sure.” Julie said. Maverick and
Recon got up, thanked the masters for the breakfast, and headed back for
their rooms. Julie remained at her seat, eyeing the back door.
“A ninja, huh?” She said to herself. She smiled. “I’ve
never met a ninja before. This should be interesting.”
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