The sun was shining brightly today, and as I walked from my house to breakfast, I began to sweat. It was only a 15-minute walk, but given the climbing I had to do on the hilly roads, it wasn't surprising. The temperature is approximately 28 degrees Celsius around 11 a.m. The sun is absorbing every last drop of water vapour from the atmosphere, leaving it drab and scorching.
I went to the regular shop I usually tend to go to for breakfast, Varneth Hearth & Flour. It's a nice cafe and bakery, embracing the old traditional interior with a hint of modernism. It's cosy, and the aroma of fresh bread, cake, brownies, and chocolates mixed with other flavours dominates the air. I sat on the corner seat and placed my order. "One chocolate croissant, one iced latte, and 2 patties," the waitress repeated, and I nodded. "5 minutes and your order will be ready." She smiles brightly at me.
A young lady, she must be 18, working part-time. She should be in her school but who knows the circumstances of anyone? Her blonde hair perfectly blends in with her pale skin, which has freckles all over her cheeks and nose. Freckles are very common in Ravaska; every second person would have them.
I got back from my shift around 7am and slept a little because of the guy who suspiciously mentioned someone. Although it's been a few days since that incident, I still can't brush it off. Who that someone is I don't know but the idea of someone knowing me like that is quite frustrating.
How can an unknown person walk over and tell me not to call anyone handsome because someone would be jealous? Whom was he referring to? Is it possible I know the person? His words are stuck in my head. Coming back here was never a good idea. I am failing in everything. Kael, Vayric, investigating the strange man, Rafe, Caleb… nothing is going my way.
The chief also hasn't responded to the spy request. There has not been anything suspicious on Caleb's end except for his job. He sleeps like a log after he comes back from his shift and I somehow envy him for that. It's nice to get some good sleep, no thoughts, no nightmares, no worries, just peace of mind. I can't even get that.
So far the investigation on Kairo is slow-paced. He is very secretive about everything and getting a single piece of information is getting harder and harder. I don't know if I would be able to solve this case.
Caleb's team is giving him daily updates on the case, which he shared with me around 6pm. My team is also working on providing me details and material. I am in contact with Evan directly so he would give me information on what task the team is doing and apparently Agent Karl has asked Chief for one of the members from my time, as we did the mission and know it better than anyone.
As per Evan's email, Talia volunteered for this. Zara and Noah are mostly on the field in Zena, catching small gangs and digging up things, while Evan mostly stays behind computers, helping them with anything.
A Royal's Roy blocked my vision through the window when I was deep in thought. An old man walked out of the driver's seat and opened the back car door. A man wearing black shoes and a navy blue suit walked out. He adjusted his tuxedo coat. A navy coat with small and linear white lines all over it, same-coloured pants and a plain white shirt underneath. A few buttons of his shirt were down, exposing his chest. His physique was speaking for itself. Muscles build, and veins are quite visible on hands. He seemed to be 6 or 6-plus feet tall. His skin was tanned, not like the locals of Varneth.
His face is sculptured with details just like a detailed picture of some old refined artist. His jawline was sharp like a knife; his jaw was clenched. He had a pair of beautiful eyes with long lashes. His eye colour was green and was very prominent. His hair was combed back and a few strands fell on his face just above his eyes. He was wearing a watch on his left hand, with which he opened the cafe door.
The room went quiet as he entered. There was a strange dark aura around him in the broad daylight. He brought out his phone from his pocket and didn't lock up until he reached the counter.
"Is it ready?" He enquired. His voice was deep, confident and demanding. He looked like he owned the Cafe and I am sure he would walk into every building just like he did now. He seemed arrogant.
He glanced at me through the corner of his eyes. Even when I was sure he was looking at me, I didn't shift my gaze to anywhere else. I kept looking at him. He resembles someone I have met. It's strange that I am being pulled toward him without my consent and my body and brain don't even mind.
"Need anything?" He walked over to me, standing just a few inches away. I couldn't seem to collect words. I just stared at him silently until a man came from behind and called him. "Boss, it's ready." He turned around and left the cafe.
His eyes, his face, his voice… I can't seem to recall it but I have heard it before. "Mam, here's your order; sorry for the delay." The waitress pulled me out of my thoughts. "No worries," I said and grabbed my food.
"Need anything"... the accent, the deepness in his voice, the demanding, the assertiveness… "Good night, detective." It was him. I ran after him but there was no car outside the cafe, which was obvious. It took me longer to register his voice and scan it with thousands of others I have heard.
The man, who injected some drug into my blood, took me home safely and left enough proof for me to know his presence was only in Varneth. I saw him so out of all the stacked things, I am progressing in one more.
I walked back inside and asked the waitress and cashier about the name of the person but they refused to give me any information on him. They said it is highly confidential and they are forbidden from leaking any information about my customers.
Why does such a small cafe have this type of rule? I couldn't investigate further because I am currently just a normal girl, not an FBI agent. The disguise must be maintained in all circumstances.
I walked back home, ate my breakfast and waited for Caleb to wake up. I want to ask him to look into the CCTV of that cafe and try to locate that person. He doesn't look like a local person nor does he look like a normal one; maybe looking into him will help us get to Kairo and Kael. Just a vague hunch…
…
Caleb, thankfully, listened to me and got something fixed in the house, like the leaking, glass in windows, locks and bathrooms, and he also got a small TV to kill his boredom. I turned it on, sat on the dusty-coloured couch and opened my email. A movie about dinosaurs was being played.
No email…weird. I threw the phone aside. This mission is better than others. I could relax at any time; before these things were pretty hectic.
Even in this relaxing time, I just can't stop thinking about his piercing gaze. It looked like he was looking at me beyond my mask, like he could tell how wracked my soul is and how many demons are dancing inside my head. It was like a person looking at another with the knowledge of how they were and what they have become. It was like he knew the mask of Anna and the truth of Mira.
The green hunting eyes… Kairo. The thought hit me and I jumped towards my phone. I had a roughly captured picture of him. I opened it but couldn't seem to resemble them except for the eyes that were prominent in the picture.
I called Evan; he picked up after four rings. "Hello," he said. "Get me a clear picture of Kairo as soon as possible." I uttered in one breath, "What happened? You got some lead?" He enquired curiously. "I am not sure but I think I saw him." I started pacing back and forth in anxiety. It's building up again.
If my hunch is right, the man who drugged me that night was Kairo; he entered my house, he knows me… he knows the real me. The two voices are very similar; it can't be a coincidence. If he knows the real me, Mira Keene, an FBI agent, there is no point in staying here and investigating; he is already aware of our presence and won't let us catch him, I am sure. We would need to retreat, rethink and replan.
But then why did he come to a local cafe to pick up something himself when he could have sent someone else? His increasing activities in Varneth point out that he is living here and working from here.
I need to know everything about him. I can't risk my identity on my assumptions but I need to know the truth more than investigate him.
My hands started shivering again, my heartbeat was rising, the room blurred under my anxiety and after a long time I felt like I was about to faint. I stopped pacing back and forth and made my way to my bedroom from the living room.
The vision got darker from blur and I bumped into my bed edge. My knee failed to support me and I fell to the floor. The floor was hard and chilly against my face. I could not expect my heartbeat to return to normal anytime soon. Shallow breathing and shivering persist as well and my vision gets darker and darker until I don't remember anything. Coming here was indeed a bad idea.
…
I gently opened my eyes and got out of bed. The space was dimly lit by a small quantity of sunshine, making objects difficult to see. It's not my room… I looked around from the bed only to notice a figure sitting on a chair across the room. That person isn't close to me at all and he is maintaining a distance. His hands were on the armrest; he was sitting in the dark, observing me.
For the first time seeing a man, even though I don't know who he is, I am not getting panicked. My body is calm, my brain is relaxed, and my thoughts aren't racing in anxiety. Is this man the reason for that? In the dark I could only notice his muscular body.
"Hel…" He got up before I could get a chance to greet him and walked out of the room. My eyes got fixed on the door for quite a long time until it opened again and an old lady came in. She turned on the lights; the sudden brightness irritated my eyes. She came close and grabbed my hand; only then did I notice there was an IV on my hand.
"What is this?" I questioned, my tone stern and rude. She looked up at me and didn't say a word. After removing the drip, she put on a bandage and left the room.
I got up from bed and examined the room under the light. The bedroom exuded a sense of old-fashioned elegance by offering intricate mouldings, clean linens and cashmere on oversized four-poster beds, an ornate chandelier cast in amber light, fresh rose petals from the garden, and antique furniture. It was reminiscent of past glory more than wealth. And it was all about time.
I looked outside the window… Endless grassland seemed to have covered the area in my sight. I didn't see any wall or boundary. Where am I? What is this place? Why am I here?
I rushed towards the door and tried to open it. It was locked, which is obvious. Am I being kidnapped? Is it Kairo?
My thoughts started racing again and unknowingly, I started knocking on the door violently. After a few knocks and shouting for help, it unlocked.
It was a man… He is tall. I looked up to meet his eyes and he is the same man from the morning. Same green eyes, jaw clenched, hairs scattered over face, unlike in the morning, dressed more casually. He looked at me but didn't say a word.
"Who are you?" I finally spoke after a brief pause. He didn't answer and walked silently inside. I backed off from the door as he walked in. He closed the door behind him but kept his eyes on me the whole time.
"I… I am asking… you." I shudder under the weight of his strong presence. He kept walking towards me and I kept walking back until my back hit the sofa and I almost fell.
"You don't need to know anything. Just stay here until I settle things with your government, agent." He finally spoke in the same voice. Is he Kairo? He must be. Who else is going to talk about the government… what the hell is going on?
"Sit silently, do not cause any trouble for me and I'll let you go soon." His tone was rough, with no empathy, no remorse, and no guilt… more like, emotionless. Is this what makes him a Mafia king?
"It was you…" I shouted as he turned to leave the room. His hand was on the door handle as he turned and smiled. He grinned more like he was acknowledging the truth and subtly letting me know his answer was yes.
It was him. "Yes or no?" Although I am aware he is going to say yes, I want to hear it. "Yes," he walked back towards me and pulled up my chin with his finger. "It was me, agent."