Double Vision

14

014. ryan .

feb. 24, 2024.

10:57 p.m.

I don't think there's anything that can mentally prepare myself for this. And I'm not a very anxious person.

Meeting V is crazy enough. But meeting B, too? It just sounds so surreal. 

Me along with the rest of the secret police stood outside the hotel door. V instructed to knock at 11:00. On the dot. So specific for what reason...? It's just a hotel room.

My brain is trying to conjure up some image of V and B in my head, and I think I'm gonna be pretty accurate. B is probably a little gay boy, and V is probably some old wise army veteran. 

If I'm wrong then I don't know what to expect.

10:59.

God, I've been standing here forever. My legs hurt.

11:00. 

Peri knocked, and almost immediately the door opened. I held my breath. We all walked inside. Whoever opened the door was standing behind it. 

I almost don't want to turn around. I feel like I'm going to be really disappointed.

"Hey." the person who opened the door said. Oh, fuck, everyone's turned around but me. Wait, was that a girl voice? Oh my god, that voice sounds familiar. Don't tell me—

I turned around.

VIRALIYA?!

I could tell she was shocked to see me, too, because her eyebrows shot up momentarily. Shit, is Viraliya her actual name? I can't call her that in front of everyone, that might ruin everything for her.

Wait, if Viraliya is V, then B is probably— 

Oh my fucking god. You're joking.

"You're... V?" Rene said, sounding like he was judging her. Jesus, so much for masking your emotions. 

"Please call me Kate." she muttered, rubbing her eye. "I'm not exactly sure how thin these walls are, so being extra cautious is probably the smartest thing to do.."

Peri and the rest of the secret police exchanged glances, clearly caught off guard by the revelation. I couldn't believe it either – Viraliya, or rather, Kate, was V. My mind raced to process this unexpected twist. And if Kate was V, then who was B? Surely it's not Bella.

Before anyone could vocalize their thoughts, the bathroom door opened, and a figure stepped into the hotel room.

Bella, Jesus fucking Christ, Bella, stepped out, her hair soaked. She was holding a towel to her head. 

"Oh— shit, they're already here?!" she raised her eyebrows. Viraliya nodded.

"Fuck, uhh, sorry for the suspense. I'm B," she said casually, as if she hadn't just disrupted our preconceived notions. "Call me Eui, please and thank you!"

The room fell silent for a moment, with everyone processing the information. It felt like the air was charged with a strange mix of tension and confusion. Rene, still trying to wrap his head around the situation, broke the silence with an incredulous laugh.

"You're B and V?!" he stammered with wide eyes. "No way! I can't be that stupid!"

Peri raised an eyebrow, turning to Rene. "You know them?"

He nodded. "Yeah."

"Uh," I added, raising my hand. "I'd like to mention that I also know them..."

Peri and the rest of the police turned their attention to me, their expressions a mix of curiosity and surprise.

"You know them too?" Peri asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

I nodded, feeling a need to provide some explanation. "Yeah, I mean, not in a personal way. We go to school together. I had no idea they were... well, V and B."

Bella chuckled. "Small world, huh? Anyways, if any of you are hungry, I made—"

"You are not feeding them your probably poisonous cookies." Viraliya glared at her. Bella looked like a deflated balloon.

The room was filled with an awkward tension. I couldn't really wrap my head around the surreal turn of events – the mysterious V turned out to be Viraliya, and B was none other than Bella. It was like stumbling upon a secret within a secret.

And am I the only one who knows them as Viraliya and Bella? Are those even their actual names?

Peri, still processing the revelation, spoke up, breaking the uneasy silence. "So, you two are the ones we've been working with all this time?" he asked, directing his question at the two.

Viraliya sighed, seemingly resigned to the situation. "Yes, and I'd appreciate it if you kept our real names under wraps. It's safer that way." she glanced at me.

Oh, fuck, those are their real names.

Bella nodded in agreement. "Eui and Kate will do just fine!"

Molly, recovering from his shock, muttered to himself, "I can't believe I didn't see this coming."

Peri turned to me, a hint of suspicion in his eyes. "You knew them from school, huh? Interesting."

I nodded, "Yeah, we're classmates. But I had no clue about their identities until now."

Bella, attempting to lighten the mood, spoke up. "Well, since the cat's out of the bag, and you're all here, might as well make the most of it! Anyone hungry? I really did make some cookies!"

Viraliya shot her a glare. "No one is eating your cookies, Eui. We're here for a reason."

She frowned.

"I'll eat one." Lyra called from behind us, crossing her arms. I forgot she was here, to be honest. She doesn't even help us, we're just supposed to keep an eye on her.

"Really?" Bella's eyes lit up. "Give me a sec!" she scurried over to the counter.

Peri, trying to refocus on the mission, cleared his throat. "Let's get down to business. We have some important matters to discuss."

Everyone followed Viraliya over to the couch, except for Lyra, who went into the kitchen with Bella.

"Please have any electronic devices you have shut off and on the table over there," Viraliya sat on one of the chairs. "For security reasons you're not to record anything said in here in case one of you are Aneri."

She watched as we took our watches off and shut down our phones, setting them in a pile.

Viraliya raised an eyebrow as they all sat down. "Have any of you checked the times of death as asked?"

Molly nodded. "They all occur between 2pm and 10pm on weekdays, but they're much more random on weekends."

Viraliya furrowed her brows. "Probably a college student, then."

Peri leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "Any leads on the motive? Why target these specific individuals?"

"I'm a detective, not a mind reader."

"Oh." he mumbled, staring at his lap.

Viraliya sighed, glancing at Bella, who was walking over to us holding a plate of cookies. Lyra followed her, cookie in hand.

Peri folded his arms. "We need to speed up the process. The longer it takes, the more victims we might have."

Viraliya leaned back, her expression serious. "We're doing our best, but we need your cooperation. Any information you gather could be crucial. Be vigilant, and take anything reported into consideration. No matter how small it seems, tell me or Eui immediately."

Peri broke the silence, "Alright, we're on board. We'll do whatever it takes to put an end to these killings."

Viraliya nodded. "Good. Remember, discretion is key. We don't know who else might be involved or watching."