Retaliation

11

"So, tell me, Agent Oxygen. Who is the cause behind it?" Max asked, still yelping in pain.

"Lya is," said Oxygen. "But... Why did you kill Angela? What did she do to you? She was not an agent, right?"

"Wrong! She was an agent."

A mad and astonished Oxygen asked, "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN!?"

"Relax, boy! I told you she was an agent. Did I tell you she was an agent in your agency?"

"Then...?"

Chuckling lightly, he said, "Lya told me this while we broke up. 'The saddest part about betrayal is that it never comes from your enemies.' It's the same that happened in your case too."

"What? Are you talking about Angela first—?"

"First of all, her name is not Angela," said Max.

Oxygen found this unbelievable. He didn't expect that at all. He thought that she loved him. He thought that he was in a real relationship, without any real faking, while Max continued the tale.

***

FIVE YEARS AGO...

Max Richards came to India to stalk Oxygen, who was a trainee in Inspygency. He had noticed his activities. Oxygen used to step out of his house at six in the morning, go to Trance Plus and do Yoga there. Then, he goes back home and steps out again at five in the evening, and spends an hour at the nearby park. Later, he used to meet a girl at various places and that goes for an hour or so, as a date. And at last, he comes back home at eight at night. Sometimes, he used to buy groceries during the evening time, and as an exception, on Sundays, Oxygen goes out to the park for jogging at half past five in the morning.

Max, who noted all these, one day, took a picture of the girl and sent it to his colleague Arif.

"Arif, I need to know A to Z about the girl. Within two days," said Max.

"Okay, Max," replied Arif.

***

A DAY LATER...

Max was waiting for that girl at Diggin Café. He got all the information regarding her through Arif and managed to book an appointment with her.

He saw the girl in her gym clothes coming towards him. As she sat opposite Max, she asked, "Hello, mister! How are you doing?"

"I'm good, Miss. Schmitz! What about you?" Max asked.

"I'm fine, Mr... Ummm..."

"Max," he said, helping her recollect his name.

"Ah, yes! Max," she repeated his name.

"Well, I have a small question, Angela. Is Angela your real name?" He asked, expecting her to tell the truth by herself.

She stammered and asked, "What do you mean?"

"I think you're not deaf, Miss... Paula?" Max asked, revealing that he knew everything about her.

Angela, who was utterly shocked by that, stood up from the place. "What do you mean? My name is not Paula," she stammered out of control. Her body language indicated that she is in extreme fear and that she was telling a lie.

"Miss. Paula Fischer. I know all about you. You can't lie," Max said calmly, seated comfortably in his seat.

"Mr Richards. You're talking to the wrong person. Tell me what you know about me."