: The Lion

“Sarge, thank god you came!” Gunner said while approaching Lily.

“Of course, I came,” Lily replied.

With Lily reinforcing the squad, teamwork picked up a notch. Gunner and his colleagues were more confident under Lily’s presence and command. They managed to immobilize most of the attackers, and with the police arriving for backup, the crossfire eventually ceased.

Lily studied the damage to the three bulletproof Lexus cars in the middle of the crossfire. The first car’s windshield had been shattered due to the number of shots incurred. Lily assumed that was how Gia got shot.

Around them were police officers questioning members of her team, paramedics taking the wounded attackers to the ambulance, and crime scene investigators taking pictures and collecting pieces of evidence.

“Anyone else hurt?” Lily asked Gunner.

“Gia is already headed to the hospital. Nolan only got an abrasion. He will be fine,” Gunner reported. “Johnson and Rick are unharmed.”

“And - the client?” Lily paused, finally remembering the “big fish.”

“Mister Thompson is fine. His car’s windshields did not break, and his personal bodyguard and driver instructed him to remain inside,” Gunner said. “MVM has sent another two Lexus cars to pick him up. The ones that are here must remain for evidence collection.”

Lily tried to avert her gaze from the cars that had arrived. She knew Lucas would be moving into one of them, and she could not bear to see him. She was afraid she might end up killing the client herself.

Instead, she said to Gunner, “Then, I guess I’ll be leaving now -”

“Ah!” Gunner raised his brow, asking, “Aren’t you going to meet the client? Technically, you are our boss. Shouldn’t you talk to him?”

“I have nothing to say to him. Continue to escort him as planned. I’ll call MVM to send in more men from their side to protect the big fish until he leaves Koplin,” Lily responded before turning on her heel and approaching the detective in charge of the investigation.

Gunner had to chase after her and asked, “Wait. Wait. Wait. What’s with the rush, Sarge?”

Shifting to Gunner, Lily reminded, “I gotta get home, remember?”

Lily went ahead and gave her testimony to the lead detective. Afterward, the officer studied her identification and expressed, “An exciting job you got here, Sergeant: a part-time National Guard and a full-time private military contractor for Black Hawk. Any openings for Black Hawk?”

“You are free to apply anytime, Detective,” Lily said casually.

“I probably will do that, Sergeant. I always thought all members of Black Hawk were cool,” the detective said with a laugh. “We are all good here. You may go, but we will be in touch.”

“I’m not hard to find, Detective,” Lily responded.

Just as Lily went past the police officer, she realized that she did not have a car or a bike for that matter! She had wrecked the police motorcycle when she had let it crash against the ten-wheeler truck.

She was about to ask for a ride from one of the police officers when Gunner called from behind, “Sarge! Sarge, Mister Thompson would like to take you to the airport!”

Lily became rooted in place. It took her seconds to get back to her senses, and she continued to walk, pretending not to hear anything. However, Gunner could not take a hint and kept calling her, “Sergeant! Lily! Boss!”

A black, armored Lexus 500 pulled over and blocked her path. Gunner stepped out of the car and said, “Boss.” He leaned his head to the vehicle, saying, “Mister Thompson would like to speak with you and take you to the airport. The ground-breaking ceremony has been re-scheduled due to the attack.”

Lily saw the confusion in Gunner’s expression. He gave her that look that screamed, ‘Be professional, Boss! What the F are you doing?’

Left with no choice, Lily unwillingly entered the car and immediately felt the man’s presence from inside. The energy from Lucas seemed to be eating her whole, yet she refused to look at him as she settled in the backseat.

Gunner had taken the front seat opposite to Lucas’ driver. She noticed the other Lexus car drove past them, taking the lead. After which, they all drove away.

“Mister Thompson, this is our operations director, Sergeant Lily Wright. Like me, she is a National Guard,” Gunner introduced.

Lily remained silent and stared only at the front. Beside her, she heard the man say in a deep voice, “It’s nice to meet you, Sergeant Wright.”

Of course, what did she expect? He left her without saying anything. So now, he was practically denying their past relationship by pretending not to know her!

The truth was, it stung a little. When he disappeared, Lily cried an ocean for him, yet this was how he treated her now? Then again, Lily supposed it was better that way. She could not handle a confrontation with him right now or ever!

Lucas sucked in a deep breath. He added, “Thank you for coming to my rescue -”

“You are mistaken, Mister Thompson. I did not come for you. I came for my team,” Lily cut him off before facing him. Her tone was frosty, and her face was grim.

Finally, she had a glimpse of Lucas. She had to admit what she saw took her aback.

This was… a completely different Lucas Thompson.

The man she used to love always had a gentle expression on his face, and his build was modest. The Lucas now, however, was muscular, like he had been working out all those years he was gone. The muscles around his body were practically cramping his attire.

Additionally, his uncompromising and domineering look appeared to say he had been to hell and back. Lily thought that was really odd.

He looked more mature, and his dark eyes were sharp as if piercing through her frame. His skin was tan. His face was now slightly bearded, and she did not miss the long yet thin scar at the side of his left cheek.

For a fleeting moment, she felt concerned. She wondered what had happened to Lucas all this time and why the hell was he facing a level-three assassination threat to begin with.

A tiny part of her wanted to just throw her pride out the window, wrap her arms around him, and cry out of anger and pain. However, she held back and let her bitterness overpower her. Moreover, a lot had changed from her end. Aside from that, Lily was also in a relationship.

‘Yes, that’s right. I have Jake, my boyfriend,’ Lily convinced herself before returning to study the man next to her.

Lucas wore a black suit and a dark violet shirt underneath. His legs were crossed, and his left elbow leaned on the armrest while his fist supported his chiseled jaw.

He flaunted that latest edition Omega watch and smelled of Versace cologne. He reacted calmly to her curt words, saying, “Ah, no wonder Black Hawk holds such an impressive reputation.”

“You are a private army led by a lion.” Lucas chuckled while glancing at Gunner through the rearview mirror.

While Lucas was talking, the car was moving relatively fast, but Lily felt like everything was in slow motion. The agony of being next to Lucas was killing her composure.

“Lions have always been considered the symbol of power, bravery, courage, strength, and ferocity.” Lucas looked back at Lily, describing, “I saw how you took down those men, Sergeant. You were fearless out there.”

She responded with silence, and from the corner of her eye, she saw the panic in Gunner’s expression. The poor guy was probably afraid he would not get paid for how she treated the client.

“I’ll be sure to compensate you and your team for the hard work you have put in today. I’ll increase the pay to five times your standard rate. I’ll also pay for your colleague’s medical expenses,” Lucas assured, maintaining his stare on her.

Lily did not react. She merely looked straight and crossed her arms against her chest.

“Don’t I get a thank you?” Lucas asked.

At that point, Gunner was glaring at Lily. He seemed to have forgotten that she was above in ranks! But because she understood why Gunner reacted that way, she turned to Lucas indifferently and answered, “Thank you, Mister Thompson.”

Finally, they rode in silence. When they arrived at the airport, Lily was ready to leave the car. Lucas, however, unexpectedly asked, “Will I see you again, Sergeant Wright?”

“I think... never,” Lily said coldly.

She had just opened the car door when Lucas responded, “Really?” The man chuckled and suggested, “On the contrary, I think we will.”

Lily snapped in his direction, and their eyes met.

: Aiden

“Lily? My favorite daughter in the world is back!” Lily’s mother, Scarlett, exclaimed.

Lily could not help but roll her eyes at her mother’s remark. She responded, “Mom, you can’t have a favorite daughter. I am your only daughter!”

Scarlett laughed. Lily’s father, Kaleb, who was sipping tea in the living room, also laughed.

Yes, she was still living with her parents at thirty-three years old. Since her work often took her to different stations, having a place on her own was unnecessary, especially since she had Aiden.

“How was work, Lily?” Kaleb asked.

“Um.” Lily put down her bag on the floor. She replied, “It was a counter-drug operation. Pretty easy.”

“Did you get shot, Sweetie?” Kaleb asked while studying her.

Lily smirked. She proudly said, “I would not be here if I got shot.”

“Very good,” her mother remarked. She sat beside Kaleb and asked, “Why don’t you join us for tea?”

“I -” Lily paused. “I think I’ll go see Aiden.”

“Anything the matter, Lily?” Scarlett asked with a frown. “You seemed bothered?”

Lily had already walked to the foot of the staircase. She stopped, thinking if she should tell her parents about Lucas.

The Thompsons and the Wrights used to be good friends and business partners, but Lucas’ disappearance ten years ago created friction between their families. The Wrights blamed the Thompsons for breaking the trust they had built as friends.

It wasn’t just them, though. Back then, Lily sensed Lucas’ mother had become aloof towards her. It felt to Lily that Lucas’ mother blamed her instead.

Decades of friendship were flushed down the drain because Lily’s oldest brother found evidence suggesting the Thompsons hid their son’s whereabouts. So, given that fact, was it wise to bring up the pain of the past? She did not think so. Thus, she replied to her mother, “Nothing, Mom, I’m just tired.”

“Then, take a rest, Lily,” Kaleb said. “Your mom and I are going to enjoy our alone time.”

Her parents giggled while Lily choked. She knew exactly what that meant. Her parents were already seniors, but they still had an active sex life!

She ran up the stairs and first checked in on Aiden. It was a weekend, and he did not have school. The young man was sound asleep. So Lily went to her room and bathed. After getting changed, she called her boyfriend, Jake, and let him know she had arrived.

Jake was out of town and on a business trip. Thus, she had no other commitments and meant to spend more time with her son. She returned to Aiden’s room soon after.

Seeing that Aiden was awake, Lily called, “Hey!”

The boy turned to her, and he screamed, “Mommy! You are back!”

Lily wasn’t a crybaby. Oh, no, she wasn’t at all. However, seeing her son and how he looked so much like the man from earlier simply brought tears to her eyes.

Ten years ago, she gave herself to Lucas. She lost her purity, but that experience gave her Aiden.

Since Lucas was nowhere to be found and the relationship between her family and the Thompsons became stained, no one knew about Aiden except for the Wright family - her family.

Lily gave birth to a private clinic. Her family opted to home-school Aiden for the first few years. They finally let Aiden enroll in a regular school when they were sure the Thompsons were no longer checking on them, and all their business ties were canceled.

“Hey, Mom. Why are you crying? Did you get hurt from arresting bad guys?” Aiden asked with concern.

“No, Aiden,” Lily quickly shook her head. She sniffed her tears away and said, “I just miss you.”

Aiden embraced her and said, “I missed you too, Mom. Can you take a break from Black Hawk? Can you practice martial arts with me after school?”

Lily chuckled. She answered, “Sure, Aiden, but you know, any of your uncles can also teach you martial arts.”

“I know. I just want to learn from you!” Aiden said.

“Okay. Okay! It will be better if you learn from the best, anyway,” Lily winked at her son.

Lily and Aiden played video games for the first hour of their bonding. Next, they had dinner and watched a movie. It was supposed to be an adventure movie, but it featured a father and son thriving through obstacles. The film probably reminded Aiden of his father. He asked, “Mom? Is my real father still missing?”

Hearing her son, Lily’s body stiffened. Should she tell him about Lucas now? Right now, she did not know what to do. She wanted to give it a lot of thought. She gulped and replied, “Yes, Aiden. He is still... missing.”

That night, Lily remained by Aiden’s side. She stayed up for a few hours, acknowledging how her son needed a father figure. ‘Should I introduce him to Lucas? Or maybe Jake and I should get married.’

‘I can’t stay single forever,’ Lily thought.

***

The sun’s rays hit Lily’s face. She winced and woke up beside Aiden, hugging her tightly in bed the following day. Her phone rang, and she panickedly picked it up, hoping it would not wake her son.

“Lily Wright speaking,” she said, still in a daze.

“Sergeant Lily Wright, This is Sergeant Major Patton. I need you to report to the Fort Eagle Military Camp this Wednesday,” the officer said on the other line. “You have been called for an active duty.”

“Active duty? If I may ask, Sir, what for?” She asked with a frown. “I - I had just reported for my monthly service at Koplin Troop Command -”

“Sergeant, we all know that even serving as a part-time National Guard, you can be called for duty at any time,” the officer reminded her. “For now, I can only say that it is classified. You know the drill.”

“Yes, my apologies, Major. I will be there on Wednesday,” Lily reluctantly acknowledged.

“And Miss Wright,” the major said. “Prepare for a long assignment. You may need to put your full-time job on hold. Inform your family because we don’t know how long this secret mission will last.”

After the call, Lily fell silent. She was going on a secret mission, and the length of the job was unknown. She turned to Aiden and felt regretful because she was going away again.

“What in the world is this secret mission?” She muttered to herself. “On the bright side, Lily. This mission might help you decide what to do about Lucas, maybe even help you stop thinking about him.”

That was what Lily thought until... Wednesday came.

: New Mission

"Somebody has guilt written all over their face," Lily softly commented, seeing her oldest brother, Liam Wright, in the dining area of their home early that morning. If anyone knew about the arrival of one Lucas Thompson, her brother would be it. After all, Liam previously managed the joint businesses between their family and the Thompsons.

"Good morning, Lily," Scarlett greeted with a smile from the far end of the table. "Your dad and I made waffles. It's special today because you are home, and your brother Liam came to visit. It's such a wonderful surprise!"

"Take a seat, Lily," Liam urged, eyeing the chair right in front of him.

Lily narrowed her eyes at her older brother, sarcastically saying, "It is a surprise that Liam is here. Wonder why big brother flew out here early in the morning?"

She made sure to enunciate every word that left her lips.

At first, Liam did not respond. He studied their parents, and after seeing they were busy preparing for breakfast, he leaned closer from across the table and said, "I wasn't sure if we were ready for Lucas' return. I wanted answers before I could tell you. I had men follow the Thompsons, but they were cautious. I still did not get anything about ten years ago."

"Did you keep that information from coming into Braeton too?" Lily asked. Surely, something of this magnitude was aired on TV and covered in an internet article: The lost heir of the Thompson Group of Companies has returned.

"I did not have to. The Thompsons kept everything quiet, Lucas' arrival and down to his CEO appointment," Liam replied. He gave Lily a concerned look and asked, "Do you believe me?"

Lily sucked in a deep breath and thought about it. The anger and the pain felt like it was rushing back. Soon, she answered, "I believe you because I love you."

"You will always be my little sister." Liam reached for her hand and said, "I would do anything to protect you and get answers, but the Thompsons have risen into power over the years. Their influence has gone so deep that they are now very efficient at covering their tracks."

"Good morning, guys - Uncle Liam!" Aiden's scream echoed in the dining hall. He ran towards Liam and leaped in his arms.

"Easy, Buddy. You are not so young anymore," Liam laughed before making a mess of the boy's hair.

"It has been a while, Uncle," the boy said.

"It has been Aiden. And you are already nine years old. You are too heavy to be jumping into people's arms," Liam complained.

The dining area became filled with laughter and warm discussion after that. Aiden had so much to tell Liam about martial arts and school.

Soon, breakfast began. Aiden sat beside Lily and announced, "Mommy stayed in my room last night. We played video games and watched a movie."

"Great bonding with Mom, eh?" Liam asked before giving Lily an approving nod.

"Yep!" Aiden turned to his grandparents and asked, "Waffles, please!"

As Aiden ate, Lily glanced back to her older brother and said, "Well, the Thompsons have their secrets, and so do we. I guess we are even."

While Lily said those words, somehow, she doubted if it was truly fair for all parties, especially for Aiden, her son.

Lily knew she had a big decision to make, one that involved Lucas.

***

Wednesday.

"Do you have to go? How many years do you have to serve in the army?" Aiden complained. His brown eyes narrowed, and his face was grim as he asked, "Can't you quit?"

Lily paused. She leaned down to Aiden and explained, "I made a deal with the army. I was supposed to be in the infantry, to be deployed to another country. My contract should have already ended, but because I did not want to stay away from you, I pulled strings to be a part-time National Guard."

She pinched his cheek and added, "As a result, my contract got extended, and no, I can't pay my way out of a military contract."

"Don't worry, Aiden, my contract ends next year, and I'll only work for Black Hawk. We will have more time together," she promised with a wink.

Lily hesitated for a moment before smiling at her son. She said, "And I supposed it's time for Mom to settle down. I'll marry your uncle Jake, and you'll have a daddy -"

"What?" Aiden loudly objected. "I don't like Uncle Jake!"

Jake was Lily's boyfriend of two years. Lily never understood it. With Aiden and Jake, it was like hate at first sight! Jake did nothing to Aiden, but her son created a natural dislike for Jake.

To Lily, Jake was a very good catch. He was handsome, and he was one of a few who accepted her past and Aiden. It was never easy for a single military mom to date and find a man who was completely understanding of that fact.

"But, I thought you wanted a father?" Lily asked. "Jake adores you."

"He is a fake!" Aiden angrily growled.

"How in the world could you tell he is fake?" Lily asked, but her son did not answer. Instead, Aiden rolled his eyes.

"Then who do you want me to marry?" Lily asked.

"My real dad," Aiden responded, crossing his arms against his chest.

"That's not going to happen," Lily answered while choosing a jacket from the closet.

"Why?" Aiden asked angrily.

Lily turned to her son. She gasped and reminded him, "Because I told you he is missing. He left us, Aiden."

She turned to collect her duffle bag. Just as Lily picked it up, she heard a faint cry. Aiden sought, "He did not love us?"

His question broke Lily's heart. They had talked about Lucas before. She had always been open about the fact that Lucas had left them, but it was undoubtedly the first time he had cried about it.

"Look, I don't care if we don't find my dad, but not Jake! I don't want him!" Aiden said bitterly.

Lily embraced her son. She caressed his back and said, "Okay. I won't get married."

Sometimes, Lily felt like nobody was ever good enough for Aiden. He had such a high standard for a father, something that she could not even point out.

She pulled away to wipe the tears that stained Aiden's face and said, "Let's talk about this another time. I'll be on a mission and don't know when I'll return. I'm not sure if I can call either. You know how this works?"

"Yeah," Aiden said dryly. It took him a while to say, "Be safe, Mom. I love you."

"You know, I will," Lily responded. "I love you too."

***

Hours later, Lily discovered the full details of her new mission. She was supposed to protect a very important individual.

When she met this person, her heart sank. She silently thought, ‘No. Why didn't I see this coming?'