One dark evening in December, I was casually sitting on my easy chair in front of the warm fireplace. I was sipping on my delicious hot chocolate while I read a book. My dachshund was too sitting beside the fireplace. This was the first time I saw him so laidback and silent because, according to my experience, he is the most energetic dog. This moment in my life looked just like a typical Christmas movie’s first scene.
Just as soon as I read the second-to-last chapter of my book, someone knocked on the door. Hotdog and I both were startled for several reasons, the foremost being who had come to my house so late in the night and then not ring the doorbell but knock on the door. I kept my book and hot chocolate on the side stool beside me and cautiously started to tiptoe my way to the main door. By the time I could reach the door, the person outside knocked once more, and this time, it felt a little more frantic. I looked through the eyehole and saw a young man standing at the door. I noticed the expression of fear and nervousness on his face. Without opening the door, I asked the man the reason for knocking on the door so late in the night. I could see the change in emotions on the man’s face as he heard my voice. He said that he was being followed and needed a place to hide. He also assured me that he had made sure that the goons were not following him. It took me a second or two to think, but I opened the door.
I quickly asked the man to enter. He frantically came inside and set down his suitcase. I asked for his name, and he replied by saying that his name was Eddie. Before moving on with the conversation, I locked all the possible entryways and closed all the curtains. I asked the man what happened, and he told me the complete story, from which I took back that he once gambled in London and did not pay his debt, so now, after 3 months, goons were sent to take him to London so he could pay his debt. I asked him why he didn’t pay the debt. He said that his ancestors worked as farmers, and he also continued with this profession, but did not earn enough money to pay the debts. I asked him if he was hungry, but he replied in the negative, so I showed him the guest bedroom. After ensuring he was comfortable, I went into my room and travelled to the dream world.
My alarm woke me up. While I was getting ready, I noticed that the safe kept on my dresser had shifted from its place. Once I got ready, I took talcum powder and gently threw it on the safe's keypad and saw that a few keys had been pressed. This finding confirmed what I had thought last night. I quickly rushed to the guest room. I started banging on the door and called out to Eddie. Eddie opened the door and asked what had happened. Without saying anything, I pushed Eddie inside the room towards the wall opposite the door. I used the curtain to tie his hands off swiftly. As soon as I tied his hands together, I could see on his face that he knew that I knew that the man he portrayed to be yesterday was a lie.
Finn: Who are you !?
Eddie: I am Eddie.
Finn: I am repeating myself. Who are you? (punching his stomach twice, as hard as I could)
Eddie: Ahhh! Stop! I’ll tell you everything truthfully.
Finn: Good
Eddie: I am Robert.
Finn: So, Robert, why are you here and who has sent you?
Robert: I was sent on a mission to see if you are a secret agent.
Finn: And who has sent you?
Robert: Victor (with an emotionless face)
(I just realised that the person I was spying on had known that I had been doing so, and I had to do something)
Finn: What did you find then? Am I the one you think I am?
Robert: YES. (with an evil smirk) But how did you know I was a spy?
Finn: Your American accent, expensive clothes, fingerprints on my locker, and carrying a huge suitcase when you were being chased tipped me off.
Robert: Now, what will you do with me?
Finn: Because you know about my mission. (I pulled out the gun from my pocket and pulled the trigger)
Once I hid the body and any traces possible, I called the UK intelligence. “Mission Not Compromised. Target suspects spying on them. The agent sent was neutralised. Asking Goldfish to eliminate Victor.”
Goldfish or Luca was Victor’s henchman for years, but he was also an agent like me. One thing I forgot to mention to Robert when telling him about how I knew he was a spy was that Luca (Goldfish) had already told me that a spy would come to my house last night. Now that the spy was killed, Vazir’s suspicions would be confirmed, and hence Luca had to kill him tonight or else he would flee this country.
At 11:30 at night, my phone started to ring. I ran and quickly picked up the call. “Goldfish eliminated Victor” Finally, a mission lasting 2 years had ended successfully.
-Authentic Arnav
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