Identity
1089 Words
*Jake POV*
Six hours after the attack on the president….
“Good evening, Mr Anderson. Or should I say high profile spy, undercover agent, secret service agent and ARF agent?”Tanya runs through the many identities everyone has speculated about me.
I don’t know how long she has been awake surfing the net.
“Hey, Gorgeous. ARF, really now?”
“Apparently, the Asherway Restricted Fraternity agent stays inactive for years. They behave like ordinary citizens until something big like the attack on the president or the country happens.”
Tanya is really intrigued by all of this, so I decide to entertain her.
“They are the ultimate agents, extremely connected, no families, the best martial artists, swimmers, snipers…” I add, amused. This is a myth every Asherway citizen has heard yet no one knows of any ARF agent.
She turns her phone around to show me a video with over a million views already. My jaw drops as I sit up.
“That’s over years ago!”
I am really shocked that someone has dug up my swimming video from the school competition I won so long ago.
I was one of the best swimmers at school back then and even won a few competitions. It’s another thing that came naturally to me and I remember my parents being the same. That’s why their death by drowning in that accident still makes no sense to me.
I have not swam in years because I could not afford pool fees and the gear.
“Babe, you fit every criteria. After yesterday’s video and now this one, everyone is convinced that you an ARF agent.”
I raise my eyebrow.
“Is everyone including you?”
She giggles and shrugs her shoulders.
“Really now? You think I would take all George’s crap for so long if I was an agent?”
“Endurance is one of the attributes of an ARF agent.”
I can’t believe this!
“I was homeless for over a year!” I remind her. “Why on earth would I be if I was so resourceful and connected?”
Tanya does seems to be really convinced by all these speculations.
“ You are by far the only person who’s ever seen Mr Smith AKA the country’s ghost,”she continues.
“Wow!”
“Come on, Love. Look at the videos threading on social media, these are hectic skills. You can’t blame me.”
I take her phone and watch yesterday’s footage of the president’s attack and something hits me.
“s**t!”
“What?”
“These guys had an insider at the club. I need to speak to Stern.”
I don’t know how I missed this earlier, it’s so obvious to anyone who knows how the race club operates.
“Stern? as in, the president?” she asks.
I shake my head, knowing how this sounds and looks.
“You need to speak to the president you are on first name basis with and have his number? Do you realise how this looks, Jake?”
“I know, Babe but I swear that you know everything about me now.”
I told Tanya everything I remember about my parents and my life as soon as I rested.
“I know, but too many strange things have happened in your life that you can’t explain. Your parent’s death, that Bra Joe guy and what the president said about your parents. Don’t you think that somehow you were being groomed to be an agent?” she asks.
I must admit that I have wondered about Bra Joe’s motives when he trained Ty and I, but I would know if I was an agent, right?
I honestly don’t have answers for Tanya. I dial the president’s number instead.
He answers on the first ring.
“Jake?”
“I might be wrong but…” I get to the point but he interjects.
“Stop!”
I am taken aback by his reaction until I hear a humming sound on the line. It unsettles me that I know exactly what it is because I heard it before in Bra Joe’s calls.
“Sorry, Jake, I had to ensure that this line is secured.”
“I think your attackers had an insider at the club.”
There is silence for a while before he responds.
“We need talk. I will send you details shortly. Be careful.”
.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Mr Smith POV*
Len and I walk into the President’s office right when he concludes his call with Jake.
“Our country’s ghosts,” he says with a neutral tone before pouring himself whiskey and taking a seat.
“Aren’t you going to offer your guests some, Mr President?”
He laughs and sips his whiskey. “I am the one who is a guest, remember?”
“Point taken.”
We have been around here and running things in the background way longer than he even became minister, deputy and finally president.
“We are here about Jake,” Len gets to the point.
He hates coming out but this is important.
“We have kept him out of this for a reason,”I add.
“Have you ever considered that you are doing him no justice by keeping his whole identity a secret?”
Len and I exchange looks. I have wondered about the same thing many times before.
“It’s for his own good.”
“Or to make you feel less guilty,” he sneers and Len loses it.
In a split second he has a blade around the president’s neck.
“Len,” I warn before he does something stupid. It has been years but this case is still very sensitive to both of us.
Len sighs, removing his blade and snatches the president’s glass, gulping all the whiskey from it before banging the glass on the desk.
“I know that you have read the file on his parents, but believe me, you don’t know half of it.”
“Whatever the case is, Jake is coming in and he deserves to know the truth.”
Len and I exchange looks. We both hate ultimatums and we can hear one coming.
“You either stay and tell him the whole truth or I will tell him the half I know,” the i***t continues.
He has no idea that he forcing us to make a choice between taking him out or exposing ourselves and weaknesses….
- Writer
