Veil of Lies

A Deadly Warning

★ Innessa

It had been a month since then I have been roaming around the streets and spending my days, laying down on my bed. And it was one of those Friday evenings where I go to a café to drink a cup of fresh coffee and buy some cakes as well. While walking on the streets of Istanbul, wearing a white woollen sweater with an embroidered pink dress and white trousers, I was enjoying my walk when I suddenly heard the call to prayer of the Muslims.

For the past few weeks, I bought few Islamic and I've been amazed by few facts because the perspective I had about Islam was totally wrong. I thought that Islam was oppression and brutality but Islam makes more sense than anything I've heard yet.

Although, my opinions aren't completely changes, my doubts are surely increasing. I quietly and attentively listened to the Adhan as I reached the shop I was intending to visit and sat on one of the tables.

A waiter asked me for my order and went back after taking it. I was deep in my own thoughts when I heard a familiar voice from behind.

" Privet, Miss Morozova. " The man with the black attire and a mask greeted me as he sat down infront of me.
" Andrei! What're you doing here? " I recognized him immediately and questioned him while whispering.

Andrei Kuznetsov, a fellow spy in the agency under Alexander. He was quiet an acquaintance of mine whom I never would've imagined meet me in such a place.

" Alexander sent me. He wants to know about the situation about your mission since it has been three months and you usually don't take such a long time. " Andrei said in his usual deep voice while leaning in on the table, his silver siren eyes fixated on me while I just smirked.
" He's getting too worked up about it. " I said before sighing " Andrei, I guess I can't do it. " He stared me before questioning me.

" Do you want me to hit that head of yours with a bat to make you return back to your senses? "
" No thank you. Because I am serious. I messed up. "
" You are going to get killed by him. "
" So what should I do? I was fired before making a move. I am not going to beg to Mustafa and I don't know his address either. " I rolled my eyes while looking outside the window.
" Well, if you want to change your decision before facing the consequences then just say so, alright? "
" I won't change my decision, dear. And besides, who cares what that old hag do. " Andrei let out a small chuckle while covering his eyes before continuing
" You are wild, Innessa. You know how that old hag is. You're a woman, you can't fight back against a man like him. "
" If you think that I am just going to hide inside my house for the moment until he discovers me and gets me killed, then you are dead wrong. " I lied bluntly at his face, knowing that I will be doing exactly the opposite.
" Good luck, Innessa. I'll be going now. " He said while standing up " Oh, and Vasilisa told me to send her greetings to you. " Andrei informed me without getting a response from me before walking away.

Man, what a pain. There are so many chances of getting murdered at a random day. I can't stay hidden for such a long time. I know alittle bit of fighting and have few guns with me so I guess I'll just carry them around. There isn't a way out of this except this one, is it?

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As the passage of time, I gradually start to learn more about Islam. I have read only abit about it so consequently, I haven't got the 'guidance' yet. Well I couldn't careless about it anyways.

I always take the safety measures before leaving my house since I know that my life can be endangered any moment but for some reason, there haven't been a trace of such people around me which is making the situation nothing but eerie.

It was one of those cold, lonely October night. I haven't been in a contact with Hiranur and Nazli. Even when they call me, I don't pick it up because I have no idea how to answer their questions of ' why, how, what? '

I was walking in the area of Karaköy. Although I should not be taking such a dangerous route, I still decided to take it since I wanted to take a quiet and long route to my apartment building and this very area came in between the usual route I take. I was looking down while my hands were inside the pockets of my brown, knee length jacket and my hair open, moving with the rythem of cold breeze. Dimly lights were indeed on but the true guider through this darkness was the Moon.

Mustafa... is still succeeding. I wonder what made him such a staunch Muslim? Oh right. He protected and respected me but I repayed him like that. It's so disgraceful. I wish I wasn't the one who was sent in this mission but somebody else.

I was diving into my own thoughts, going with the flow of the creepy yet captivating environment when suddenly the air felt tense. I immediately realized that something was off. My speed drastically accelerated when I further realized that I was being followed. How clever.

The soft footsteps were the reason why I genuinely felt they were following me. I quickly took a turn into a more dark valley. Just as expected, they also took turn and it gave me the opportunity to middle kick the masked man on his head.

Another one came while i continued fighting back and finally took out the gun I had into my pocket when all of a sudden, one of them grabbed my hair. I groaned in agony while he kicked on the back of both my knees, causing me to fall down on the rough ground of the abandoned building.

" Alexander, huh? "
" You guessed it right. " Other one replied back before he went directly for a punch on my face, causing side of my lips to burst and bleed.
" Come on. Three men and one woman is too cruel. " I said while twisting the arm of the one who grabbed my hair, lifting him up and made him fall infront of me. But it didn't ended there. There punches on my head specifically were too brutal. I was trying to fight back until when I realized I couldn't freed myself from all three of them when one grabbed my right arm, another grabbed my left one and the third one started kicking me on my abdomen and head. Upon realizing that I now have to call for help otherwise I will simply die, I opened my mouth but he wrapped a cloth around my mouth. There weren't even much chances for a human to hear me; this area was deserted at 10 p.m. anyways.

The abuse continued for another half an hour, leaving significant scares and injuries. The blood was so much that I felt somebody had put a bucket of water all over me and my body was wet. My knees gave in, my eyes started burning even more because of the continuous crying and sobbings, triggered by the feeling of helplessness and weakness. Who is going to save me now? Am I going to die like a dog in this very building?

The man took out the mini knife he had in his pocket. My eyes widened with horror and screamed a silent scream from my throat before closing my eyes just as he was about to stab it into my abdomen when I saw a figure behind the man who stopped his hand before twisting it brutally, making him yell in agony before placing a powerful punch in his solar plexus. Upon attacked by the two assassinators, he beat them while showing exact brutality in his actions as before. It was difficult to make up his looks and recognize due to the constant strikes in my head, but when the moonlight finally fell on his face, his name was the only thing on my lips.
" Mustafa?... " I said before losing my consciousness and would've fell right on my face onto the ground when I felt him grabbing me in his arms.

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