We sadly arrived in Varneth yesterday night. The mission started shortly after we landed. Caleb, who will go by the name Miles for the time being, and I, as Anna, are living under the same roof. The house isn't astonishing or middle class. It is structured poorly, and the interior is run down. It is built of wood. The condition of the wood used in the house isn't good. Termites are all over the house, eating it from inside out.
The moment we landed, we were on our own, from the airport to the location of this almost broken house. This house excretes a mixture of smells. The wet wood somewhere in the house is releasing a sour, earthy aroma. The air feels stale, like it's been filtered through hollowed-out beams and eaten walls. The quietness lurks in every corner of this house. Dust, mould and rusty iron add more unpleasantries in the air.
I could hear water dripping somewhere in the house. Insects like cockroaches and spiders were the most common. Spiderwebs were everywhere from the entrance to the living room and all over the bedrooms and bathrooms. A rotten smell of dead animals was dominant in one room and the kitchen area.
The air inside the house is saturated with all the smells, making it hard to stay inside. After entering the house, the first thing I did was to open all the doors and windows inside the house.
It is in pretty bad condition. Some of the windows don't even have glass. It appears that the chief didn't pay any scrutiny to this house and got it because it matched the circumstances of the mission. Two poor siblings who just got out of jail, moving to a new city for their start with no money.
If the house is in such terrible shape, I am beginning to wonder about the condition of its furniture. White cloth was covering the furniture in the house. I'm sure it was white, but because of this place it has changed colour to dusty brown. Debris lies on it layer by layer undisturbed for years. I removed it carefully, not wanting to send the dust everywhere in the air.
Caleb, on the other hand, toured the town; he stayed out for an hour. He said he wanted to visit the area and try to get something out, and in that time I cleaned one room and the living room. The kitchen area is the only place I didn't wish to go in. I mapped the house; there are two small rooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a guest washroom. The entrance opens into the living room on one side and the kitchen on the other. There is a back entrance attached to the kitchen which opens into the small backyard.
There is almost no difference in the rooms. So I chose the one with intact windows and a door lock. I cleaned the room just enough to sleep, which he knows I won't get. There was a table placed along the wall in front of the bed. A side table beside the bed which appears to crumble down any moment.
I grabbed my night clothes and walked into the bathroom, which I shouldn't have done. The washroom was all mouldy, the taps were rusty, and I'm sure there were some insects inside those holes on the wall and beside the bath area.
I decided to look for a public bath area because this won't do. "Mira," Caleb called me by my real name. Stupid. I looked back, and he was in the doorway of my room. "Anna, it is," I said, gritting my teeth. "Sorry," he waved. "Get the bathroom fixed; this house is in no condition to be used, but all glory to the chief, we are here." I didn't give him a chance to speak. "Your room is the next one." He nodded and walked away.
I didn't know why he came to me, and it's not like I wanted to know. Because of my insomnia and Varneth, I stayed wide awake the whole night and gazed outside the window. Unfortunately, this window opens to an alley, which will be another reason for my constant insomnia and nightmares.
'You should have let it go. Why are you so stubborn?' My mother's voices echoed in my head. Stubborn, annoying, careless… You are always like this… Just because of you we have to leave our jobs. Happy now, aren't you…
Her name was Evely Maren, with blond hair, mismatching eyes, and a freckled face. The last time I saw her was when I was 21 years old. I have been living on my own since then. I send her money every month, and she seems to be okay not seeing my face again.
My father wasn't harsh with me with his actions or words, but he resented me as well. The moment I decided to live on my own, I received a text from him that he was leaving my mother. Thomas Keene was like an average person, doing a 9-to-5 job, not happy but okay with his life. I had forgotten what he even looks like. He had not once contacted me after that day.
I guess I was their biggest mistake, and they were holding on to each other for my sake, as it wasn't my fault. In Ravska, if a woman gets pregnant, the man has to marry her and look after the child until the child is 18. Their one-night stand made them live together for years while hating each other for that night. And that's how I know I was an accident; they never wanted me.
When Rafe betrayed me, my father didn't say anything, but his eyes spoke what his mouth couldn't. He always despised me, but that night it was something else. His gaze had no affection, no fatherhood, only rage for my existence.
That's why Rafe will be the biggest regret of my life, and one day I will hunt him down. 'You are my best friend, Mira, and I will protect you.' Liar…
'I need to put aside all these thoughts.' To distract myself I scrolled through my phone a little bit when it hit me that I had totally forgotten about the man who entered my house. That day, I grabbed my report from the hospital for the drug test and never got the chance to read it.
The two days the chief gave us went all in the interrogation and looking for a traitor. My team came clean, which I knew. No one inside the agency had a fake alibi, or maybe two or three agents teamed up. The CCTV of that time was deleted, hinting towards either the security team or the hacking department.
Caleb was with the chief, so there is no way he made it possible, but the thought that Kael ran away is irritating me. Because of that chaos, I totally forgot about the report, and it lay deep in my desk.
Neither I know anything about that man nor did I get to know about what substance he injected. The night passed just like that, pondering over different cases of my life. Unknown man, Kael, Veyric, Rafe and this mafia…
…
In the morning, I went out to grab something to eat. The city has changed a lot. Although I am on the opposite end of where I used to live, it still sends chills down my spine and gives a boost to my anxiety.
The morning walk around the city felt nostalgic. The weather in Varneth stays pretty good; being near to the mountain region means not having to deal with hot days much. Soft and fresh wind blows all the time that brings the scent of wet tree bark and flowers, along with some shed leaves, like in autumn. The clouds stay in the sky, but it rains seldom.
I used to go play inside the forest, which lies not far away from the city. It was pretty close to the area I lived in. Not sleeping at night at all and walking around the town first thing in the morning is a weird decision I made for my mental health and anxiety. Luckily nothing happened, as the city has developed a lot and looks pretty different than it once did.
I am assigned to this mission, so I have to overcome my fears and should not let the ghosts of the past consume me.
I walked around the area but not too far off. There are interesting cafes, restaurants, hostels, and bars in the commercial area. I grabbed a sandwich, chicken bread and a coffee from the local convenience store as my breakfast.
When I got back, Caleb was still asleep. The room door was open for some reason. I ate my food in peace and emailed Evan about the blueprints of the city. It's around 10am, so he must be in the office and can respond back quickly. I also asked him to report on Kael if anyone gets to know anything. As I am not there, they are my eyes and ears for the time being.
We are using burner laptops; our email IDs cannot be traced because the IP address keeps changing every 10 seconds. We have two phones each, one for contacting our team and agency and the other one for public things.
I was standing by the window after eating my breakfast and emailing Evan, pushing the anxiety down, when Caleb woke up. "Hey, you are awake." He murmured, rubbing his eyes. "As you can see," I leaned against the wall, mildly jealous of him as he could sleep.
My heart started beating way too fast for me to register the cause or to calm it down. 'No… no no no.' A tingling sensation came over me, possessing my body. 'This can't be happening right now.' The rush of blood was fast. My breathing gets uneven and shallow. I grasped for air, which I couldn't seem to receive. My eyes started to blur, and tears accumulated in them. My chest tightens.
It all happened too fast. My limbs began to shiver. My body felt unfamiliar to me. I met Caleb's eyes, and he was a little shocked but hesitant to offer help or ask.
I made my way towards the room and locked the door behind me. I sat by the door catching my breath slowly and calmly, continuously patted my heart and switched to deep breathing instead of shallow and fast. "It's okay… calm down… it's okay." My voice was like a whisper to my ears... numbed, shaky, and hard to hear. I was sweating severely.
The thing I was afraid would happen happened too soon. The memories I hate, the trauma I never wanted, the pain of this city, the torture of that night, the eyes of my parents and the betrayal of Rafe all hit me like a train at all. I crumble under the weight of my own thoughts and past. This city is going to haunt me for a very long time.
One day, I will meet him again, standing eye to eye, questioning him and killing him with my own hands, and then he will realize what a monster he created that night.
…
Caleb found a bar named Gilded Fang. He said this place is known as a criminal hangout. Located 5 miles away from the place we are living in. The bar lies under a defunct opera house in Varneth's edge. It's not located in the commercial area.
The bar has dim, golden-hued chandeliers which are shaped like inverted crowns. Candles flicker behind smoked glass panels, casting shadows like shifting masks.
Black marble floors veined with crimson. Walls lined with velvet and obsidian mirrors that distort reflection. A slow, looping mix of classical string and ambient jazz was being played, which was occasionally interrupted by piano notes. This bar has private rooms behind the bar counter.
The bar counter was made of a serpentine slab of onyx with gold inlay. It was stuffed with bartenders who were quietly performing their jobs. No name tags were attached to their uniforms.
"I love moving here," Caleb shouted. He had a few drinks but not enough for him to forget where he is and how he should behave. "What do you mean?" I questioned. "I am out of that shitty place after 5 years, and it feels nice." He continued. I got him. He is trying to create a scene here. He eyed me to play along. I don't know what he wanted to do, but I guess I will play along just this once.
"It sucks in jail," he uttered loudly, got up and fell on the person who was sitting on the chair behind him. He did that purposely given that he is not too drunk to manage his weight.
"Sorry," Caleb said and pretended to be drunk. The man got up. He was taller than Caleb. His features weren't prominent in the low lighting. He was muscular and had tattoos all over his arms. He tapped Caleb's shoulder aggressively and grabbed him by the collar when Caleb turned back.
"Are you looking for a fight?" He grunted. His voice was deep and showed a hint of alcoholic effect. The other two men beside him also got up. They also stood up. They ganged against Caleb, and just when I thought I was going to enjoy some drama, he shouted again. "Anna, help me; I am your little brother." What the hell? He dragged me in without my permission. We came here to sneak around and get some information about Kairo, but whatever he is doing is not lining up.
"Leave him," I said, placing my glass of wine on the table. "He said sorry, can't you hear?" I grabbed his arm with which he was holding Caleb.
"Look at the little girl among us," he laughed, and so did his friends. I get it; I am just 5'6", and they are like 6 feet, but height does not give one power over the other, and I shall give them a live action of this.
I kicked the kneecap of the man holding Caleb. Caleb fell back and stayed like that. I landed another kick right at the point of weakness, his balls. He screamed and fell to the ground. His friends took charge. One of them tried reaching for my shoulder. I pivoted on my heel and grabbed his wrist. With a loud crack, I slammed it across the table. The other man lunges; I duck low, grab a barstool and swing it up into his ribs. The stool broke, and I grabbed one leg. The second man tried to rise and attack when I hit the stool legs in his stomach and on his head. He fell down instantly. All the attention suddenly shifted on us.
I saw Caleb, who was lying on the floor. I grabbed his arm and ran out of the bar. On my way out, I noticed a gaze from the darkness of the first floor. I could not see anyone there, but I am sure someone lurks in that darkness, ready to attack. I didn't wait to see who it was.
"What were you thinking?" I exploded when we were far away from the bar. "I just wanted to see if we could get something," he replied. "That's how?" I gestured behind me towards the bar, which was long gone from our sight.
"If you don't know how to be a spy, please don't do anything," I said in a very low, murmuring voice and walked ahead.
This was such a high-class bar, and I must say I am both amazed and suspicious of Caleb on how he found it and made it inside. The scene he created there was on purpose. He wanted me to fight, but why, and who was the person in the darkness?