The command center was buzzing with people moving here and there, crisscrossing the place as the group entered. Bevis pulled the safety on her weapon into place, securing it as she scanned the room.

"These are all friendlies, Mom," she whispered.

"I know they are," Jonaraja sighed, "I think I'm in control. Really. I do thank you for disengaging me back there."

Bevis met her mother's gaze, noting the warmth, but she saw the lingering Death Dealer in the depths. Shaking her head, she scanned the room again.

"Your other side is still there," Bevis said. "If you cannot control it, you know what they will do."

"Protocol," she said, nodding as she absorbed the room's activity. "What is the protocol for someone like me again?"

Bevis sighed, "Permanent retirement."

"Oh lovely, where will they send me?" Jonaraja asked.

Bevis shook her head and stared unblinkingly at this innocent of this world. Jonaraja glanced at Bevis and giggled before the smile disappeared and realisation entered her expression.

"Oh .... that kind of retirement," she said, "I'm not ready for that kind of retirement."

"Then you need to control that Death Dealer and close it down," Bevis whispered as they moved into the room. "Please, Mom."

Jonaraja sighed, "I'll do my best," she whispered, "it took a lot to get that side to engage, so I'm not expecting anything to be quick about it disengaging."

Nodding, Bevis moved toward a group around Nagid, "What's going on?"

Nagid scanned the group with her before focusing on her mother. Sighing, Bevis introduced them and waited, but he stared at her mother, who shifted uncomfortably.

"Bevis, I know," Nagid said quietly, "but this Death Dealer is new and untested. Are you safe?"

Jonaraja rolled her shoulder and neck, cleared her throat and sighed, "You are a seasoned warrior," she said quietly, not meeting his gaze, "and can see more than others."

He waited, but she did not continue speaking, "Are you safe?"

Bevis' gaze snapped to his. The tone of his question had changed, and instinct flared within her. He was no longer addressing her mother as the Secret Keeper; he was addressing her mother as the Death Dealer.

Slowly, cautiously steady eyes rose to meet his before her mother's voice became hoarse and strained.

"It has been decades that I have been discarded, sitting waiting to be of use. Instead, there are more secrets around me than I wish for, and it churns my blood to boiling when I know I can deal justice." The sigh was long and low, "safe... I don't know if I'm safe or can be trusted, but I know I want to live."

Staring at each other for a moment made the air around them tense as Bevis waited with her heart in her mouth. Nagid would think nothing of following the termination order if he sensed her mother was untruthful.

"Then don't do anything to jeopardise that right for you to live," Nagid said, "you are being watched."

Her mother nodded as though someone else was present, and Bevis stared bewildered at the person turning toward her. This person looked like her mother but sounded ... brutal and unforgiving.

"Can you discern between right and wrong?" Bevis asked.

"If it is directed," her mother said.

"No, do you, as an individual, know right from wrong?" Bevis rephrased the question.

A frown puckered and deepened before a strange expression entered her mother's eyes. "That is how you do it," she whispered. "That is what makes you different. They could not irradicate who you are, which has made you different."

"It should make all of us different," Bevis said, "not machines to be ordered and disposed of when they are finished with us."

A sharp intake of breath came from behind her. Whirling to face it, Bevis found her father staring at them.

"Dad? What are you doing here ?" Bevis asked.

"All hands on deck," he said, looking past her at her mother, "so this is what the other side looks like. We finally meet." Stepping toward his wife, he slowly hugged her and kissed her temple, "No matter what you are, I will always love you, my Raja."

Bevis stared, stunned, as this hardened Death Dealer melted against her father's frame, clinging to him desperately as she buried her face in his neck and sobbed.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

Looking at Nagid, Bevis sighed and shook her head. "It looks like she is safe for the moment."

He nodded and turned toward a large round table, motioning for the rest of the group to follow.

"Although you terminated The Calderone and her ... accomplice," he said, glancing at her, "nice job."

"Thanks, but it was a team effort," Bevis said, nodding in her mother's direction.

Nagid nodded, "It seems some of her men pretended to be her prisoners and are now starting skirmishes, but we cannot figure out if it's just to cause unease or if there is a point to it."

"Where are the skirmishes?" Bevis asked, following Nagid to a section where a large map was spread across the surface, with coloured markers dotted around, "Someone is using a legend ... what colour are the skirmishes?"

A short, red-haired youth glanced her way, surprise flaring in her eyes before pointing to the dark grey markers.

"There are a few," she said, her quiet voice barely heard over the surrounding rumbling. "The pattern is strange and doesn't point to anything I can make out."

Bevis watched as she indicated the skirmish areas, her mind popping with scenarios and strategies, "This is The Calderone's contingency plan."

"What?" Nagid spluttered, "How can you know?"

"Does anyone have the faces of the men doing this?" Bevis asked the room in general. The sudden silence raised her gaze, and she scanned the room. Each person stared at her strangely. "Or women?" she asked, but no answer came. "Nagid, do I have to repeat that phrase?"

"Ah ... no," he said, "I think it would cause a panic in a room like this."

"So ... where are the faces of those people?" she asked again.

"I have them," the words and the voice brought Bevis around as she broke into a smile.

"Akiva, you're here," she said, moving forward and hugging the young man. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you as well," he said, clearing his throat. "Do you want to see the photos?"

"Yes," Bevis said, "where are they?"

"I have printouts here," he said, moving to the table and laying them out over the lower section of the map.

Bevis took in the faces before looking at the dark grey spots. She frowned before nodding, "So it's one person per skirmish? " Bevis said, nodding in understanding, "There must be more phonies that got past us."

"What do you mean?" Nagid asked.

"How can the protection forces for this land not have this under control in minutes if it were just one person per skirmish?" Bevis asked, gasping as a memory flashed in her mind, the hum of voices vibrating against the wall she had built. "I know them."

"Know who?" Akiva asked, glancing at her in concern before looking at the table.

Shaking her head gently, Bevis inhaled and opened her eyes as she exhaled deeply, focusing her gaze on the pictures.

"These two," she pointed at a pair side by side, "if I remember correctly, they are brothers. This one … and those two..." she pointed to the far end of the cluster of paper, "twins I recall … rather nasty habit of causing trouble and letting everyone else take the rap."

"How do you know these faces?" Akiva asked.

"I have something of a memory," Bevis said, "and some of them are still my targets."

"Then you can close the job," Akiva said, grinning, "and help save these people."

"That is the idea," Bevis said, looking at the map, "what is in the centre of these trees here."

"Hmmmm, a cabin," Chelsea said, looking at a clipboard lying on the table.

"Whose?" Bevis asked, a sense of dread growing.

"Ah … oh," Chelsea said, glancing at Bevis before frowning, "Angie's."

"The job is not done," Bevis whispered, "they're heading towards that cabin to complete the hit."

"My Dad just went there to help protect my mother and Angie," Jason said as he pushed through the crowd to the edge of the table on the other side. Their eyes met, clashed, and connected, "I'm not losing my family."

"You won't," Bevis said, turning to Nagid. "This is now our fight. Get me to the cabin, and then get your men to those skirmishes, and let's fulfil our mandate."

"Which one?" Akiva asked.

"All of them," Bevis said, nodding as Avkia's eyes widened, "I know ... start making a list."

Turning toward the now-activated room, Bevis started checking her weapons, "Akiva, I need to replenish."

"This way," Akiva said, indicating that Bevis should follow him. Moving a curtain aside, he exposed an area to the side of the room and indicated for Bevis to enter.

He whispered, "There are weapons and clean clothes. You may need to soak those to get the blood off."

"My gear," Bevis said, "how?"

"I can now mark off one of those mandates," Akiva said, grinning and looking at his watch. "Oh, you have five minutes before they move out."

"Thank you, and I'll be ready," Bevis said as the curtain dropped. She turned to look at her gear and weapons. "Hello, old friends."

"I never thought I'd hear you speak like that," Jason's soft voice startled her. Turning to the entrance, she froze at the expression on his face as he stood holding the curtain to one side. "I really thought I was wrong when I found …"

"You found my work record among my parents' journals," Bevis closed her eyes and sighed. "Jason, this is who I was, not who I really am."

"Who are you … really?" he asked.

"The woman you met but more kick-ass that has to change and gear up so I can save your parent's lives," Bevis said urgently, "and I mean to do just that … save them."

"How and from whom?" Jason asked.

"Those men and women that are being monitored are contract killers," Bevis said, "Nagid has a team to deal with them, and I have a set of skills they know nothing of which can save your parents and … I'm authorised to terminate those ... hit-men."

"You're going to kill them," the words were factually said.

"Yes, it's the only way to save your family and these people who are as precious to me as they are to you," Bevis said, gently pushing him beyond the curtain. "My prep time is diminishing. Please... trust me."

The curtain fell, allowing Bevis the time to prepare for anything coming their way. This was not a one-man show anymore… this was about family.