One more time : Where Oblivion meets Obsession

#27 – SHE WAS NEVER MINE

"Sherry, I am sorry for being so mean all this time." Myra said, looking elsewhere.

He looked at her in wonder. "And what brought this on?"

"I'll tell you when we get on the flight." She said with a smirk. It was a private plane and she would surely enjoy Sherry's reactions.

He sat there and impatiently waited for them to enter the flight. This is going to be interesting. After 45 minutes, they boarded the flight and Myra told him everything without skipping any part, right from the day they met at the ship Harbor to the time he took care of her in that cottage. It took him a few minutes to digest it. He heaved heavy breaths and many times wanted to say something but his tongue wouldn't pronounce it and he just made hand gestures and then went quiet.

"Really Mye? Really?" He exclaimed loudly, almost jumping from his seat and Myra couldn't help smiling. "This is like... those romantic movies. Cheers! my friend is in lovvveee." He drooled hugging her tight.

She pushed him away. "This is not love. Come on Sherry. Grow up."

"You grow up Mye. You know you're not always lucky enough to find love a second time." He beamed.

"Sherry, I am lucky enough to find you... my friend. And my team. This is the love I need and that is enough. I can't trust anyone anymore."

"Whatever you say, I totally support him."

"Really? Why so?" She asked unbelievably.

"If he was able to shed your rude, stubborn shell and make you stay with him in harmony for 11 damn days, we can expect more miracles from him. And to be honest there is nothing wrong in falling in love again."

She sighed. She never expected this. "What if he has some ulterior motive? Some plan?" How can I trust him just like that?"

"Mye the only way to see if you can trust someone is to trust them." He sighed.

"I can't risk it." She shook her head.

"Wow so now... you're afraid to take a risk?" He mocked.

"What? Afraid?"

"Mye... in any relationship, or friendship or in love, there is a risk... which we HAVE to take. To find true love, you have to place yourself vulnerably out there, in this harsh world. Some people will let you down, but some will lift you up too. Some will disappoint you but some will not, some will break your heart but some will mend it too. And you can't let that stop you. If you get hurt, betrayed or disappointed you just pick yourself up, dust off your feelings, and try again harder... OR you can whine at destiny for making your life loveless, friendless and lonely. It's up to you." He shrugged.

"Wow. Philosophy professor on the go!" She clapped sarcastically.

"Okay. Jokes aside. What have you decided?"

"There's nothing to decide in the first place."

"Really? So, you're planning on being this quiet, distracted, heavy smoker and alcoholic all your life to escape from his thoughts?"

"I told you I won't let that affect my work."

"I'm not worried about work Mye. But it hurts to see you so restless and lonely all the time."

"I don't know Sherry. I've tried so hard to get his words out of my head. I just can't."

'Maybe because that's where they are meant to be.' He didn't say that out loud.

"Why can't you accept your feelings Mye?"

"I have no feelings Sherry. Stop pestering me about it."

"Mye had it been someone else, I wouldn't have but him... I'm forced to think. I may be wrong but What is it that Shahmeer Zamán doesn't have? Yet, being so powerful, a killer, he opened up to you. Bowed down in front of you, proposed to make you his queen. I find no reason to think his actions are fake."

"Maybe not." She said casually while opening a beer.

"What? So even if you're sure he is not lying, you won't accept him?"

"No." She said flatly.

"Why?"

"Because it is not me! I am Myra. The Myra. A killer. A manipulative, merciless woman who has no attachments to anyone. Nobody can love that Sherry. If he's giving something, he'll be expecting something too. Now, or later in time, he’ll be fed up with who I am and try to change me. I can't let that happen. I've endured a lot, come a long way, lost my soul, scarred my body, carved my mind to become who I am right now. And that woman is dangerous. And I know no man in his right mind can love me with it. And I truly don't care. I would rather walk alone in darkness than follow anyone else’s shadow."

He huffed. This was going to be so difficult. "You know Mye... after Amaan's death you changed, became a totally different person. And for that person, it's hard to fall in love because she likes control of her life, power to do it. And that's where the problem starts. You can't control what Shahmeer does or feels Mye. You can't stop him from loving you. So, all you can do is, refuse to accept it, keep all your cards."

"So, in other words you want to say... I'm afraid?"

"Yes you are."

"Sherry! What is wrong in wanting control of your life huh?"

"The thing wrong is... Life is to be lived, not controlled."

"I lived my life, my forever with Amaan. And I'm done."

"Mye Let him heal you."

She smiled sadly. "Injured people heal. Not dead people."

Sherry wanted to say something but didn't argue further and kept his mouth shut. There was no way he could convince her over something that she didn't want.

But he was happy and hopeful now. At that moment, he made a promise to himself that if he ever needed to play cupid, he would surely do it for his friend.

***

—Svalbard Islands—

""Good morning Sir Leonard." Bryan greeted their senior with a smile while others looked on. Sir Leonard walked in hurriedly with a file in his hand, "Good morning team. Here is the file." He said placing the file on the table. "As you know UDF has a unique style of working. It is not bound to answer any government or political party for its rogue activities which makes it scarier for enemies. It cannot be pressurized by money, politicians or anything else plus the secrecy gives us an upper hand but there are organizations targeting UDF always. Sometimes it gets worse like it has now. One of our few Special suppliers of ammunition that we had at hand has been targeted. By pulling a few government strings, his working has been stopped.

The person who handles our weaponry, Matteo Moritz, has gone missing. He alone is the database that has all the information about our Arsenals, stocks, Testing and Repairing spots, material suppliers and everything else. All this data is just present in his mind and nowhere else. No computer, pendrive or documents hold it. So you realize how important he is. Your mission is to get him back on his spot in his office before the end of this month."

"Oh God! It won't be easy." Rose exclaimed.

"Nothing ever was." Leonard retorted.

"Sir, I mean, Now when slowly everyone will know he is missing, they'll try to get him before us. He has so much information about UDF and our weaponry that he can pose a risk to the whole working system."

"Yes, agent. You have to bring him back alive. Try your best to do that and if not possible," Leonard heaved a sigh and continued, "you know what to do then." The sharp order in his words was loud and clear.

Leonard mouthed a 'Good Luck' and left while others looked on.

"Okay. Every second is important. What now Sherry?" Myra asked without wasting a second.

Shermon opened the file and saw the name of his assistant. "We have to get in touch with him. Know Matteo's schedule, his appointments, people he was in touch with and the reason he went out that day."

"Okay. Within an hour." Bryan said and left.

He gathered with whatever he could in an hour. He didn't have to go far away. The island was a hub of information itself. All the files of all the criminals that have existed till date, weapons and their details, the best hackers and satellite connected hacking systems were present here to keep it private.

True to his words, he angrily walked back to the huge cafeteria where we were seated. "You will not… believe this!" He hissed, slapping the file on the table.

"What happened?"

"I got into his phone conversations and looked for the deals he was working on and came to know that a huge consignment was needed in the middle east. And he didn't have that much supply at that time. So he was going to take it from another supplier and pass it over. And for that, he had gone to meet that one when he disappeared."

"I see. What's so unbelievable about that?" Yousuf asked.

"The name of that warlord is… Shahmeer Zamán Khan."

Everyone was shocked except Rose. It takes some time for her to sink in. After it did, her eyes widened and an understanding look crossed her face. "Man! Does this man do some black magic or pull some strings to keep us around him all the time?" She said angrily.

"You know what's worse, when I called Shahmeer Zamán as Matteo's acquaintance, trying to dig about it, he didn't give anything away."

Myra didn't know what to say. She was blank. It was one thing that she didn't believe in destiny but this was too much. Why did this man keep crossing paths with her over and over again? Why did this have to happen all the time?

"He didn't give anything away? Don't worry. He will." She said confidently. "We will talk. Me or Sherry."

"So I guess this mission doesn't require our physical might. It can be easily resolved if we take correct steps in the right direction. First of all, we need one or two people, whom he can trust, with whom he can negotiate about giving the consignment and Matteo back." Shermon said.

"And who are we talking about? Rose asked her.

"Me and Sherry. We will try to get it done on the phone and if needed, we will go and meet him." Myra couldn't trust anybody or even herself about this. A part of her was afraid of feelings. So she wanted Shermon by her side, to stop her from doing anything stupid.

"Are you sure this is the right thing to do?" Bryan asked, concerned. "That man is dangerous, powerful, manipulative. He once held you captive."

"If you people don't trust me, who will? And sometimes we have to risk it. Did we ever go on any Mission with no risks at all? If it works this way, we may actually not need our might. So now all I can think about is this. I'll make the call." She said, picking up the phone from the table and walking away.

Shermon knew how difficult it was for her, how far she had been trying to run away from that man. But there is something you can't fight and it is called destiny. It will spoil your plans, barge in closed doors and change everything you have been looking at.

For a minute, she pondered if this was the right thing to do. But then she realized, if she thought too much she would change her mind. She had no time to waste on thinking. Every moment was precious for Matteo. His life.

She could only hope. She kept herself positive about it. She thought if this worked out well, she could talk to him, make a deal, whatever he wanted, take Matteo and his consignment.

She already has his number in mind. She just dialled it. She needed to do this before she changed her mind. He did not pick up the phone for a few rings and she was going impatient. With a defeated sigh, she was about to disconnect when she had a loud, "hello?" She closed her eyes after hearing it. It seemed so familiar, so warm. "Shahmeer?" She murmured.

"My lioness?" He said like a question.

"I need to talk to you about something."

"Shh!" Just wait for a few moments until I am convinced that this is real. What is it that brings you to me after so long?"

She was annoyed. He was resurfacing the things she had buried within herself with so much effort. "I am not talking to you as a lover or as an acquaintance, only as a client."

"Well then you must know, I don't make deals over the phone. I need the clearance of the client to prevent fraud. If you have to do business, it will only be done face to face."

"Will you? What if you don't have what I want?" She challenged.

"OK then let me hear it first. What do you want?" He asked confidently.

"The whole consignment that was ordered on 19th May and the man who ordered it Matteo Moritz."

There was a moment of silence from both sides until he spoke from the other side. "I have everything you want. And if you want to make a deal, you have to meet me after 2 days in India where we will finalize the terms and price." He said Victoriously.

"I will decide the place and want a complete guarantee of my security and the proof that you have Matteo."

"Suddenly you don't trust me?" He asked.

"My people don't. I'll be there." She said and hung up.