The Silent Courtesan

For the next twenty minutes not one of us interrupted Casey as she spoke and eventually nailed her point with one sentence.

"Kenzie gave us all the greatest gift she could have ever given us, Paige. For years now she has kept us all safe, it's time to show her the same in all this. Matt and I want to give her a gift in return, and that is to be a special part of our lives, permanently."

Erin lunged across the distance between her and her mom and hugged her, we followed her lead. Casey was right in most respects, the young ones just shrugged and got on with life. We had to redecorate and get a bigger bed for the guest room and Casey and I moved in with Kenzie, her black robes went into my chest that sat in the corner of the basement and once a week she would ask for the key to the gun cabinet so she could clean her sword. In the end I got a spare key made for both the chest and the gun cabinet and gave them to her.

Feeling at a loose end one evening Kenzie went with Erin to karate class; she ended up training there along with our daughter. When one of the instructors took an interest in her training techniques he tried to get her involved further, she politely refused and kept as best she could to herself, sometimes that can have an opposite effect to what people want.

Eventually she sought out the Dojo owner, a heavy set Japanese man who always gave me the impression he saw more than he ever let on and asked to speak to him privately, within half an hour of her leaving his office all the instructors were told to give Kenzie any assistance she required, other than that 'leave her alone'.

Kenzie had been 'off' for a couple of days, we could all see it and I feared the worst and waited for her to say she was leaving, far from it. I heard the scream of delight from Casey clear across the house when Kenzie shared with her why. I've never seen my wife do a happy dance in the day room before, hell all the girls joined in while I, not to pass up such an opportunity took pictures. Kenzie's pregnancy was celebrated by all of us that weekend.

*******

We had set the table for a late dinner for us, we had all been to the cinema so dinner was close to seven when Pizza arrived. I sent Susan to let Kenzie know that it was time to stop sitting out on the porch and come in. We all kidded her about it but we all knew that sometimes she just got overwhelmed, she was due in five weeks and every emotion known to a pregnant woman played out in her, from 'I'm fat and ugly' to my favorite 'I walk like a duck' she did but I knew my place, hell she was a trained killer with all sorts of hormones rampaging through her body, not even I'm stupid enough to tell her that.

Susan walked slowly backwards into the house, Casey spotted her do it and dropped the spoon she was holding and that alone got my attention.

When my daughter turned to look at us it was with genuine fear in her eyes, "Mom, there are three men standing in the middle of the lawn watching aunt Kenzie."

By the time I got outside nothing had changed, the three men all stood about twelve feet from the porch steps, the one who seemed to be the leader of this trio stood about a foot in front of the other two who flanked him either side. But seeing what they wore and my past experience with Kenzie I wouldn't admit to all three being men. Kenzie simply sat and watched the group, her eyes never leaving them.

It took a bit of effort on her part to get up from her seat, stand and lean up against one of the porch supports. When she came to a stop all three knelt down on one knee, heads bowed slightly in a form of respect. But not enough to give up seeing what was going on around them.

It was Kenzie who spoke first, my Japanese although still rusty was enough to know that she had asked them why they had come here. The leader spoke and I lost all hope of understanding anything after that, the Japanese dialect thing once again came into play and at best I could make out one in every twenty words.

Finally the leader stopped talking and Kenzie nodded her head, "Casey, I need my sword."

Other than hearing movement behind me, nothing happened for about four minutes. Neither Kenzie nor I took our eyes off of the three still kneeling on the lawn. Someone walked out of the house and walked up to Kenzie going behind me when they did, I felt a Sig being pushed into the back of my jeans as Casey's hand came into view with Kenzie's sword. She took it and thanked Casey who was already moving back to the open door of the house.

The leader placed his hand into one of his many pockets, I heard a slight click by my side, Kenzie had unlocked her sword. His hand came away with something like a roll of paper, the one to the left of the leader stood and took the paper and walked to the porch steps, stopped and knelt once again holding out the roll as he did.

"Matt could you be a dear and get that for me, waddling over there like a duck to get it may ruin my street credibility."

I heard a snicker from behind me and reminded myself that I had to ground Erin for a week. The hand stayed steady, even when I took the paper from the figure in front of me. My mind still screamed 'Danger Will Robinson Danger' I especially had to fight the urge to reach for my Sig. Thanks to my loving wife that was my ace in the hole and feeling it tight to the small of my back offered some comfort but not as much as it would if I was holding it against this guys head.

Kenzie read it as the guy moved back to his position behind the leader and other than a quick conversation between her and the leader in that dialect of theirs she said nothing, just let the paper roll itself up and placed it on the seat she had vacated.

"Matt, Casey and even you Erin I need you to stand very, very still. Don't move and always keep your hands away from your sides. Please do this for me."

Without even waiting for an answer Kenzie pulled her short sword from its scabbard. At the same time the leader leapt from the ground pulling his own sword out as he did. Kenzie swung her sword in a sideways arc and with a thud the first six inches of her sword stuck itself into the porches main support post. Instinct already had me reaching for my Sig I heard a "don't," from Kenzie as the leader swung down with his sword.

His connected with Kenzie's sword with a heck of a crack breaking her sword. The leader now sensing the threat came from me then turned fractionally and in a now upward arc had his own sword inches from my neck, although I'm not sure he was expecting the business end of a Sig nestled against his jaw by the time he had come to a stop either.

The sound of a pump action shotgun being made ready by my wife seemed to finalize the whole movement. The leader's eyes finally left mine and looked down to see Kenzie's now broken sword uncomfortably close to being pushed into his stomach. Slowly he took a step back and placed his own sword back into its scabbard before bowing to Kenzie. He looked once again at me and said something in that dialect of theirs.

Kenzie smiled and said, "He said that you live a charmed life and that he hoped some of that will rub off on me."

Even when I turned that over in my head it was way to Zen for me.

"Was that a concealed threat?"

"Oh no honey." She then patted her stomach before saying, "but it seems this little girl has your charmed life as well."

With one final bow to Kenzie the leader walked back to join the other two before all three walked into the darkness at the far end of the garden. We had kept very little from any of the girls throughout all this, Kenzie took it upon herself to explain what had just happened over dinner.

"I have been given a pardon, my life is mine now and of course I choose to live it out with you guys."

That statement turned into a party for us all. Casey and I knew we would get more details later tonight so we bided our time. The real story came out over the next few days and went back well over a decade ago.

*******

The kidnapping of the twins forced Kenzie to take her place amongst the clan, she had a contact number given to her to memorize by her father Shingi Osowar. The clan had kept that number alive so that when her father was able to find the location of the Farm the clan would take back one of their most valued lieutenants. When a woman rang it took some time for those at the other end to accept who Kenzie was.

Kenzie met with a pick-up who took her onwards to meet those that had moved to America in preparation for this meeting, it didn't go according to their plan that was for sure. Kenzie requested help in finding the man who stole two children, she even had her own challenge in making them agree to use the network they themselves had built up in finding them, it helped that Kenzie now held the rank that Shingi Osowar himself had passed onto her when she left the Farm.

As a right of birth she was now a leader in the clan's organization and no one could challenge that. When word went out that this Japanese gang was looking for someone, many of those on the periphery had two choices, keep out of the way or come up with the answer real quick in the hope of currying favor with the gang.

It seems Casey's husband was a frequent player in one of the underground gambling rooms the clan had established, midway into the second day Kenzie had the address of the house he was squatting at.

We knew from the twins what happened next, hearing almost the same from Kenzie simply confirmed what we both knew, she watched from the darkened street when the reverend and his wife took the twins into the house and the police and ambulance turned up minutes later. It was then her voice lowered as she came to a very personal part in this story, it was only when she was about to leave for Japan to meet with the clan leaders that she discovered she was pregnant.

Other than sending another lieutenant from the clan to speak with her and finally put to rest her claim within the clan they decided to do nothing until the birth, she was after all going to be pivotal in bringing this debt the clan owed to an end. More so when Kenzie told them that Jacob Masterson had died two years previously and the son now ruled the Farm and was fiercely tyrannical about it.

Both Casey and I listened as Kenzie described the birth and her own love for the child she knew she had to return to its father.

"I knew you felt I was a bad mother, my love, for giving away our child but it was Paige that finally brought you two together. Debt of any kind weighs heavy on our shoulders, I understood that all too well because it forced me to give Paige to you both, my father's request that I bring an end to the Farm meant I had to take a step back from you both."

With our daughter becoming the glue that would hold all of us together, Kenzie finally left for Japan to claim what was hers by birth, a year later the President came to visit Japan. Both Casey and I noticed she became real vague about the details of the meetings she held both with the clan leaders and her time there. We didn't ask detailed questions, hell we were still hanging onto her every word of the world she had been living in these last few years.

For Casey's sake she also skipped over the details of what happened on the assault on the Farm and when she told us of an advert in the paper that caught her attention we both knew where she was both in time and how far along her story had gotten. Both twins told stories from that evening on for almost six months to the young ones who themselves ate it all up and always came back for more.

A question slowly started to nag at me, by the time Kenzie looked like she was coming to the end of what she was willing to tell us, my own question became all the more like it needed an answer.

"Kenzie what happened to your father?"

I was expecting her answer to be that he died in the attack, but as her words reluctantly came from her lips I realized the true extent of the clan's code of honor.

"When Masterson himself insisted that the clan honor their debt to him, he named my own father Shingi Osowar and his wife should join him in America, the clan had no choice. Even when he arrived the first thing that Masterson did was insist my father give his word that he would not pass on the location of the Farm to anyone."

Casey and I could almost see the outcome of this conversation.

"Not long after he got there his wife became ill and was eventually diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. She couldn't give him children and eventually her illness put her in a wheelchair for life."

The tyrannical rule of the Masterson's and being forced by his own oath meant he himself had little in the way to do anything but the Masterson's bidding. It was only over time and the death of Masterson senior that Shingi Osowars plan could come to fruition. But at its own cost, the day Kenzie left the Farm with the much valued information in her head, her father had in effect broken his oath to the Mastersons.

Shingi Osowar died in his wife's arms and his wife followed him soon after. Even as I watched Kenzie I could see both sadness and pride, with the decimation of her clan hundreds of years ago, the only thing they held dear to them was honor. The word of any Clan member meant everything to them and Masterson knew this and used it to his own advantage.

As I felt her story winding down we were still left with this evening. Kenzie knew she had to explain, more so now, since all four of the children had seen the figures that the twins had told about as story book fantasies before they went to bed.

*******

It seems the President sent his personal thanks to the Emperor, no one knows why of course, but those same thanks have filtered down to the clan leaders who now have to guide their clan back from the shadows to become good citizens of Japan. The one problem was Kenzie; it seems threatening to castrate the Emperors aide was not a nice thing to do. But she herself had been instrumental in wiping the name of the Farm from the corridors of whispers and power.

The daughter of Shingi Osowar would always have a place in the history of the clan but she could never set foot in Japan again. So the leaders of the clan told her she was to be retired and since she was once again with child they knew this would be a request she would gladly accept.

"So you see my husband and sister I am home, permanently."

Her hand slipped into her skirt pocket and the rolled up paper came into view.

"This is also what you would call my severance check, my clan wishes me well and to help with a happy retirement they gave us a check for the sum of ten million dollars."

Both Casey and I went to protest, Kenzie simply put her hand up to stop us.

"What's mine is ours and what's ours belongs to all this family, and besides it would dishonor my clan if I refused and trust me, you don't want to dishonor my clan."

We never got to say much of anything after that, it seems our daughter wanted to see what all the fuss was about, because Kenzie's water broke as we tried to figure out a way of giving the money back. Six hours later Becky Maria McAndrews, screamed her way into our family and all our hearts.

Kenzie worked very hard alongside Erin at the dojo to get back to her usual weight and fitness. She still declined the help of any of the instructors and was polite when asked if she wished to train for competitions. Within six months Kenzie came to both of us and said she needed to see someone, I'm sure she spotted the worry in both our eyes.

"I will be gone a week and when I return I will never leave either of your sides again, I'm a Courtesan and when I return I wish to be a wife."

Casey tried subtle and failed, I tried ganging up on her with Casey and asking her after a strenuous night between us, and failed. In the end we both had to agree, but the day she left we both got the guns out of the cabinet and thoroughly cleaned them.

*******

Alexander Donaldson was on his last lap of the course around the park, the figure on the park bench didn't interest him to begin with, and then she turned to look at him, the sunglasses hid her face well but not enough for him not to recognize her. He slowed down and then started stretching exercises using the end of the bench as he did so.

"I did wonder if I would see you again."

"Like I had a choice, don't think for a second that I don't know that between you and the President you effectively put me in retirement."

Alex hid his face behind his thigh as he stretched once again.

"I don't know what you mean, there has never been such a conversation."

This time she looked directly at him, "Take these words with you to the white house Mr. Donaldson. I ... am ... retired. Leave me and mine alone, failure to do so will mean I take up arms again and you don't want that Mr. Donaldson."

It was broad daylight and in an open park, Alex actually felt brave. "And if this government won't?"

"Two things Mr. Donaldson. Jacob Masterson's son kept very accurate and up to date files on everything, a habit he learned from his father I'm led to believe. This is just a segment of what he had on file, files that are all electronic and sitting waiting to see the world."

Kenzie tossed a pen drive at Alex and instinct made him catch it.

"I've also finished speaking to the clan leaders, they expect your President to honor the agreement he made with the Emperor which it seems is why I'm retired here and not in Japan."

This time Kenzie stood up and leaned ever so slightly into Alex.

"Stay away from me and mine Mr. Donaldson, even an accident to anyone close to me will be looked on as a breach of your word and when that happens, then you really don't want to feel my anger, or the clans for that matter."

In a moment of unprecedented stupidity, after all he had survived combat tours and here he was face to face with one of the best killers known to history, and he had to open his mouth to have the final word.

"We have organizations within our government that could well put your skills to good use, all you have to do is say the word."

That's when his world once again went dark around this woman, he woke with a park Police officer standing over him. Again no one had seen or heard anything, he explained the bruising to his wife as an accident while he wasn't concentrating on the path around the park.

When Alex opened the pen drive and examined the files he suddenly knew what the woman at the park meant with the severity of her threat. He asked for an immediate ten minutes with the President. After an hour behind closed doors it was decided that the case of the Silent Courtesan was to be closed and that no other government organization or even President was ever to re-open it.