It was a very pleasant afternoon. One of those unique moments when one can tend to lighter matters, act without submitting to the whims of a board of directors or a boss's posture. My wife was turning around thirty-six. We gathered our close family, went to my wife's favorite restaurant, walked around the city, and planned to end the day with something special.
"What shall we do now, love?"
"Let's choose your gift, and maybe dinner too?"
"Eat out again?"
"Come on? Please?"
The children began to get excited.
"Do you want to do something on your own, just the two of you? We can stay with the kids."
"Never, father-in-law! We don't want to lose sight of you!"
As we walked through the city, we decided to stop to watch the rally of President Phuong Lavinia, one of the only politicians who can be considered honest in this country. After witnessing so much polarization from his opponents, it is good to find someone who brings together the best of both sides without losing coherence, and who is as clean as an external audit report. However, his appearance was delayed, and as much as I wanted to see him, one of my children convinced me to go to the café because he needed to use the bathroom, and afterward we ended up sitting down to eat something. As I interacted with my family, my desire to see the president faded. It was not such an important occasion.
At last, when everything was over, it was time to leave.
That was when that individual appeared. A boy around twelve years old entered the café and slammed the door, drawing everyone's attention. He stared at me, smiled, and nodded. Right after that, he did the same to all the men in the place, who immediately became alert.
"Mom, wait! Can we get this?"
"Of course, dear."
While we were at the counter, the boy walked past us, opening his coat. Inside his clothes there were devices I could not clearly identify. At the same time, some people began to stand up and leave, and I could see others outside running in the opposite direction of the rally. In the blink of an eye, the boy closed the distance and grabbed my son.
"Don't think about doing anything, sir. Don't react. Or it will be the last thing you ever do."
My wife was about to scream when I stopped her. I did the same with my children, my parents, and my father-in-law. Simultaneously, the boy took candy from the shop and indulged himself near us. The more I looked at the devices in his coat, the clearer it became: they were real detonators. That child was not normal in any way.
Then, to everyone's surprise, he pulled out a gun and shot the waiter in the head, killing him instantly. The lifeless body collapsed like any object, while the crowd scattered and screamed. The boy kept staring at me and eating candy.
"Don't leave. I'll take care of some business shortly, and then I'll let you go."
I remained in shock, unsure of what to do. I could not even conjecture the boy's motivations or which course of action would be the most effective. I knew this was my duty, but at that moment it was as if I were no longer myself.
Then a detective arrived at the scene, armed. I did not notice him immediately, because I was not perceiving the environment clearly enough for my brain to process such a change.
Run away, acting like an ordinary citizen while reporting the situation to his allies… No, I need to keep my composure, even in panic. I have to protect my family…
"Step away from them! I'll shoot in six seconds if you don't!" The detective quickly drew a revolver and aimed it at the boy, hoping to provoke some reaction.
He continued eating, paying no attention.
The agent fired twice at the wall, staring firmly at the child's face. Even in that situation, the boy kept his eyes closed, savoring the candy.
Quickly, the detective grabbed a cup and threw it at his body. In his desperation, he considered the possibility that the boy could not hear him, and the object shattered against his leg, again causing no reaction.
"Sir, these candies are delicious. Please don't interrupt me."
There was a chance of communication, however minimal. When communicating with an insane individual, one must try to establish things in a primitive way, but that was not the case with this boy. Based on the fact that he had been instructed by someone and that he most likely did not fear death…
"What's your favorite flavor?"
"I like strawberry," he replied, still with his eyes closed.
"That's mine too."
"Hm… Is it really?"
"If you come with me and stop this now, I'll give you more things you like. Is there anything making you think that's not possible?"
My family began to calm down. My father-in-law, having little left to lose, though with little willpower remaining, might react soon. His notion of life's impossibilities had been tested recently, to the point that he had begun to consider his idealizations as faithful representations of reality regarding outcomes after separation events or overcoming death—behaviors typical of experienced and stubborn individuals dealing with significant changes, something perceptible in the remnants on his ring finger.
If I could instruct them to eat together with the boy, perhaps I could rebuild a bit of his sense of empathy. If the detective did not do this, I would react soon.
"Uncle, this isn't even real strawberry."
When he said those words and seemed to tilt his body to the side, I quickly directed my gaze around, making sure I was not falling into a trap. After my irrational decision, I no longer had the same chances to protect myself. When I looked back at the boy, he was staring at me.
"GET AWAY FROM THAT BOY AS FAST AS YOU C—"
I saw the explosion slowly emerging from the boy's body and spreading, tearing everything around him apart. The step I took backward at that moment was decisive in keeping me from becoming part of it all. Meanwhile, the family around the boy could not express the slightest reaction before being killed.
Once again… That feeling…
Moments earlier, amid the screams of a large crowd, there he was: Phuong Lavinia, the president of our country. Directly responsible for thirteen deaths, a financier of trafficking activities, and the individual who best fit the role of our national representative. His reputation was maintained by the small achievements Agniuny had been having recently, even though they were concentrated exclusively on the international stage.
It was supposed to be an ordinary day. A president's rally and the country's sudden leverage were not things that intrigued me. Still… something felt off the rails.
In the middle of all those people, several agents collaborated to secure our national representative. As well as they blended in with ordinary citizens, it was possible to identify some of them. The system we used to hide the most important agents was based on layers. While more obvious guards acted in the crowd, apparently ordinary citizens acted as covert forces. This also meant that those who approached the president, whether supporters or opponents, were also under our control.
There would be no staged demonstrations today. If something happened, it would be completely spontaneous, and knowing how our system worked, it was obvious that such a thing was impossible. That also meant I would be terribly bored… No. I wasn't.
"What heat… Am I going to have to put up with this the whole time I'm in this city?" It was Marcus, my assistant. Like me, he had also noticed the suspicious movement emerging on the right side of the large square where the president was giving his statements.
"I feel the same, my dear friend. Coming to this city was a terrible incident."
Agniuny. East Lypey. Eastern movement of the square. Boy. Anonymous message. Destined for… Many people at the location… International infiltrated agent, population movement, or… No, it can't officially be the government. Distraction…?!
"Certainly… Let's go back home soon… Monday or Tuesday?"
I knocked three times on the table where we were sitting while looking around. That overcoat-wearing boy slowly pointing at all the agents in the crowd should not have been our focus. The rest of the team would still take time to find him, but there was something bigger elsewhere.
A trap…? Maybe. I would secure myself first.
"So, shall we go?"
As we began to stand up, the boy started running in another direction.
"See you later."
"Goodbye."
Marcus would report the information while I would investigate, remaining at the location I had previously occupied. First of all, what was the value of sending a message that could easily be intercepted by us? That was why I considered that there was something more… The probability that the recipient was at an angle I could see, however, was high. Sending two messages is inefficient when dealing with a governmental organization, and a technical failure at that level was unlikely here.
"ATTENTION!!! BREAKING NEWS! THE PRESIDENT'S SON HAS BEEN ASSASSINATED!" said a tall woman wearing dark glasses, clearly beside herself. Although she drew attention, she was quickly detained by our security, who were aware of the possibility of a distraction arising to start a movement elsewhere. "LET ME SPEAK! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! WHERE ARE MY RIGHTS?!"
Suddenly, some people began to stand up and scream, running away from government agents, which caused most citizens to panic amid the turmoil.
I was just waiting for "him" to give instructions to the agents. He should know that, strategically, the best decision now was—
"Everyone, please pay attention! A dangerous criminal is roaming around here! Please be careful and return home safely!" said a medium-height man with long hair. He was not part of our security team.
That left everyone far more agitated. A security announcement should have been issued by us if we wanted to continue the speech, but it would lead to the demonstration that would certainly occur soon. Stopping everything and leaving the area under investigation was the correct decision.
With no more time to think, another scream came from where the woman in dark glasses had been detained. It was from another woman very similar to her, who tried to attack the guards while many people filmed her.
"YOU KILLED HER! MY SISTER! WHY DID YOU DO THIS?!"
The woman in dark glasses was dead, to the surprise of the agents holding her.
A line of reasoning meant to confuse us internally while causing an uproar, or pretending that was its goal to confuse us even more.
After that, our team finally began to move effectively, evacuating the event decisively. Agents from all sides pushed people out while protecting the president. No instructions were given to me by "him," but I knew what to do.
I quickly ran to a café located near where the boy involved in all of this had gone. Others would take the necessary measures to locate him, heading to the most obvious exits and warning citizens to evacuate, but my priority at that moment was to go to the place where I was certain an uproar would manifest most intensely if it occurred.
My speed fluctuated as I watched people leaving the building, and before I realized it, I was already at the door, out of breath. That fatigue was not normal. I must have woken up on the wrong foot.
Upon entering, I found myself facing an extremely delicate situation. Analyzing what had caused all of that, my mind wandered too far. I began to notice snowflakes falling on me. Glasgow, Hare, points of interest, contexts… Construction of the mind. At a certain point, I saw myself trying to cross the door of a winter house. It was impossible. As much as I understood the appeal that interior decorations and a cozy atmosphere have on human beings, as much as I understood the comfort of a safe life, one simple thing prevented me from relating all of that to myself.
I do not feel cold.
The strange beings then began to enjoy the food on the table. Turkey, lamb, mashed potatoes… I tried to speculate how they perceived taste. How such experiences would shape their lives and motivate their actions in the near and distant future. How each demonstration of unconscious interest was subjected to stimuli.
Eventually, I stopped seeing myself. Or rather… seeing itself was not something I should have been doing. "I" should not even think about time, much less the space I was in. In fact, I should return to my daily activities. Here at home, with my family. Tonight is a special night. There is no one outside.
I need to wake up.
After putting my hands on my head, I regained my posture and returned to analyzing the situation coldly. I had clearly confused an important profile by placing myself under a judgment of similar parameters, but with different bases. A stupid mistake.
The rubble and lifeless bodies did not interest me at the moment, not even the remains of the boy. Whatever caused that did so in a calculated way. If it wanted traces to be tracked by us, that issue would be resolved later, and if that was not the case—which was far more likely—there would certainly be nothing at that location that would lead us anywhere.
Thinking this while the debris was still falling, I composed myself and instructed the agents at the busiest exits through the communicator on my chest, based on the location of residences in the city and the rally's audience, to remain alert for the beginning of another public uproar. Not the exits of the square where the rally had taken place shortly before, since "he" must already have instructed that action, but rather the exits of a smaller square where the opposition to the government was holding a demonstration.
The intention to cause confusion at the agency was not guaranteed, mainly due to the systemic difference between the events at the square and at the café, and that increased the chances of another event occurring.
Other agents began to arrive, placing me on a stretcher while surrounding the site. I managed to hide my face from the people around, but I would have to face the consequences of my irrational actions later, since I risked exposing our agency's actions far too obviously.
Five in the afternoon. The device on my chest vibrated at a specific frequency, allowing communication with Marcus. He had considered the same contingency as I had for the other square, but we were anticipated. Protesters dressed as police officers had intercepted one of the routes that a large part of the opposition would take to reach the square, and the path taken was altered so that a considerable number of people returned by another route. A route we had not worried about enough.
"Attention! I need everyone's attention!" A voice emerged amid the crowd that had blocked the streets. "I and many others gathered here were part of Agniuny's intelligence service! We came here to declare that there is a strategic containment of a legitimate opposition to the government's decisions due to an imminent war!"
We could not even contain the deviation generated before yet another action began.
"The only thing I need is for you to open your eyes! I know this may become only temporary, and that is why you must remain aligned with your demonstrations without losing resilience! I call on all citizens of Agniuny to create a true and full democracy! Let us restore social order by removing the filthy trash from power! Let's do something definitive!"
The voice belonged to a thin man with long, disheveled hair, typical of anti-war movements. He had probably also been instructed beforehand, though not in the same way as the boy. It was bait; there was more than one interest here, or in the worst case, both at once—which was unfortunately the most likely.
After his obvious containment, which was followed by shouts and accusations of censorship, we realized that the slope was still far from the ground. At the center connected to the previously mentioned route, a demonstration quickly formed, involving several individuals with appearances similar to that of the man who had just spoken. Then, at the moment our agents arrived at the site, the head of one of the protesters was suddenly pierced by a precise shot coming from afar.
…
"Do you know what this means, Marcus?"
My assistant did not take his eyes off the one questioning him, but I could notice the change in his breathing as his focus shifted.
"It means we are dealing with international interference."
"He" applauded, and touching my shoulder, continued speaking.
"Impeccable organization. Lack of evidence linking a culprit, even with several arrests. Martyrs. The report about the meetings. This timing, aimed at provoking internal chaos with the military. And there's also the damn boy. Can you explain how the hell Edward thinks all this connects to someone with no ties to any government?"
"I believe Mr. Hans is merely considering other possibilities. As for his motives—"
"Possibilities? Edward is assigning values to what is more coherent; don't downplay the situation."
"Again, regarding the motives—"
"Listen, Marcus. There is no point in defending your veteran, nor even in treating him as human. If you don't even understand that, perhaps hiring him was a mistake. Although agents like Edward have an expiration date, at least they don't come with factory defects. Do you understand the situation you're in?"
"The comparison of situations makes no sense here. Your approach is also far from ideal."
After my statement, "he" turned pale.
"I see that you are indeed defective, Edward. As a final service here, why don't you clarify your hypothesis?"
"'Dirty Lands.' The anti-war movement that plummeted in popularity after Lavinia's election. The general panic combined with the association of the event with governmental forces will result in its strengthening. That is the basis on which you think about military instability."
"Correct."
"The international forces you suggest are involved would be openly declaring war, then."
"You are too focused on the information you possess, Edward."
"You know very well that this is not a mistake I usually make."
"If I evaluate you based on what you have already done, things won't go well for you."
"You're right. Instead, evaluate me with our own consensuses in mind."
The man I was speaking with sighed.
"You know that acting on this basis could put Agniuny at risk. You are putting Agniuny at risk, Edward. Because of conjectures."
"I considered you greater as a strategist. The best decision now is obviously to take both possibilities into account."
He laughed.
"Do you realize how ridiculous your hypothesis is, Edward? Do you really think those meetings are the result of a cluster of civilians trying to deceive us?"
"I am the greatest proof that this is possible, Victor."
"…I am impressed. Truly. You really do recognize where you stand. Both of you. Tell me, Marcus. Do you believe Edward wants to be killed?"
Marcus looked at me, somewhat uncomfortable.
"I believe part of him does, Mr. Victor."
Victor let out a light chuckle.
"Listen, Edward. You were the best. The only one who surpassed me. Because of you, more people like this will come to exist. If we do not find clear evidence of governmental forces involved, you will work one last time. And thus, you will prove that not even you escape our control."