Catarsis

Catarsis

She was there sitting at the ballroom, staring at the window with the streetlights against it, marking the raindrops on the glass; surprisingly it was still raining and it was getting late, almost 11:00 at night, however she did not care, she just wanted to stay there, doing nothing thinking about everything, the raindrops were still moving over the glass, marking their way and crossing their paths with other raindrops, she pictured that as her life, as her present moment; she then picture her life at the orphanage, no one liking her, not even picking her as their new child, new daughter… until one day on her 18th birthday Mr. 9 came and visited her, he talked about Paris, London, and Switzerland, he did emphasize on their culture and beautiful landscapes, she remembered when he looked her into the eyes and offered her to be a spy.

1 year before

Mr. 9 was very silent that day like he knew something was happening, or something was about to happen; he looked at Sunday directly into her eyes:

You.

Me? She replied.

Yes… you… you are the one chosen to lead this mission; you will get the new algorithm for us. Nothing more, nothing less.

She always liked that phrase of his, “nothing more, nothing less”, however she had not one; plenty of questions to him.

But how I am going to be able to get the new Tierra Algorithm, is almost impossible.

Nothing is impossible, Sunday, and we are proof of that, he said, looking into the glass.

Our undercover team is pretty much aware that one of the creators of the algorithm maintains the entire algorithm process at his residential in Los Angeles, California, once we know all the details, we will proceed with our mission.

What makes this algorithm so important?

Everything, Mr. 9 said.

Can you please be more specific Leonard said.

It is top secret, I am not even allowed to share that information with you.

Leonard always listened to his father with such detail and mistrustfulness.

Sunday, it’s such an honor for me to assign you this secret and security mission, you know that I and the agency believe in you with our eyes closed, from now on the entire agency depends on you, never forget that.

Mr. 9 smiled at her, she never realized that smile will be his last, Mr. 9 was killed that night.

Present

Her 11:30 p.m. alarm announced her last call, she needed to be outside in at least 15 minutes, Alexander was going to be waiting for her one mile away, however, all the plan seemed like treason, she did not even recognize her mission, she wanted to see his face one more time and remember his betrayal for the last time of her life, her feelings were exploding inside her chest, she felt anxiety blowing up her mind, her thoughts, she was angry, she was scared, she only wanted to run away, but in the end, she never had anyone, she was again, Sunday, the orphan girl, who turns up to be an international spy for an agency that she not even recognizes, her mind was somewhere else processing thoughts and feelings she never experienced before, until she saw through the window a car coming inside the big house, she then listened to the garage slowly opening. Her heart was pounding not on her chest, it was on her brain.

You must get out now Sunday, you are the only one you have she said to herself.

5 months ago

-Leonard, are you ok? She asked, he was smoking his fifth cigarette.

-No, I am not, I am worried about you Sunday.

-About me? Why?

-You are in extreme danger, you are the agent that will get into Angelo’s residence and steal the algorithm, after what happened to my father, maybe you are the next one, we must tell our new commander that you need security, you must.

-Come on, nothing will happen to me with Alexander on my radar.

-Don’t act like a child, like you don’t care, you must understand that you are in extre…

-Sunday kissed him, she only wanted him to be quiet, in silence with her. The mission was already established but she did not want to talk about that, her entire life was always like that, extremely dangerous, always been worried about something.

-His lips were her safe place, her comfort zone. Her everything.

-You know what, I know that you will be there for me, protecting me, and that’s all that counts.

Leonard kissed her throwing his cigarette on the ground.

Present

She knew the entire residence by memory, it took her one week to remember all the doors, the hallways, and the hidden passages with her eyes closed. Sunday decided to take the stairs but by the time she was at the main entrance, she listened to a man’s voice, talking directly to her.

-Do you think that we are stupid? and we will never notice whenever you stole our microchip from us? The door girl, you forgot to lock the door, 1 minute and the entire alarm system is turned on, even now…

Sunday was covering her face with a balaclava; he could barely see her.

She started to run, and he started to follow her, walking, not even scared.

How much do you want, he said.

-A million, 10 million? Ok girl, I will put my gun on the floor but you will stop running and we will talk about business here.

Sunday stopped.

-You think you can save the world? We are already in it, I mean, we are alive now, but, there is a difference in being alive, and another one being followed for the rest of your life, with no one that can protect you, not even the agency you are working for, you are just a piece on their puzzle,

I can offer you 100 million dollars tomorrow morning in your bank account if you return the microchip.

Sunday was shocked.

-You can also, work for us, I mean… to get all the way here and get the algorithm, you are brave girl, just one word yes or no, If no, you are going to be followed for the rest of your life, you will be found, and by then we are not going to be looking for the algorithm, we will be looking for you, nothing else.

-So, yes, or no, Angelo said.

Sunday remembered all her life, her childhood, her first day at the agency, Mr. 9 and his last smile. She turned and saw Angelo looking at her, surprised that he really put her gun away.

Yes, I will, she said shooting the enormous chandelier in the ceiling of the main entrance, making it fall over Angelo’s body, in another life, man… in another life. She ran away as fast as she could.

1 week before

Angelo will be attending a New Year’s Eve Ceremony in New York, he will not be at his residence, on that day I will be getting the algorithm Sunday said. Leonard was listening to her with detail, the exact same way he did with his father.

-Leonard, you know that I cannot share this information with you, you are not part of the mission.

-Yes, I know that this will only be between us. I only want to know if you are going to be safe, so I can be around and protect you from whatever might happen that night.

-Promise me you will not tell anyone.

-I promise you, Sunday… you are everything that I have.

The day of the incident

Everything was as she expected it to be, the doors, the alarm, the cameras, everything was turned off with the audacity of Alexander, he was controlling everything outside. Whenever she came back from the safe room with the microchip on her chest pocket she wondered what was in it, those missions were the ones she hated the most, not knowing the fact was always an issue for her.

She was about to close the safe again and enter the code when she felt something, she knew someone was in there, someone was watching her and followed her all the way, her heart was pounding faster and faster.

Sunday looked back, and while she was turning her back she saw him.

There was a man with his face covered looking and pointing at her with a gun.

She wanted to run but he grabbed her by the neck and turned her down to the floor, she was an expert in fighting, he never expected the gun that she had hidden in her arm and shot him in self-defense. Sunday was scared, her entire body was shaking, she took her phone out to take a picture of the attacker’s face, once she pulled the balaclava off, she saw his face, his eyes, his lips, she screamed, it was Leonard.

Her chest was aching, it was hard to breathe and her sight started to blur, she only wanted to run.

What just happened? Leonard, what!! Who are you? She said. She disappeared without taking the picture, forgetting to close the door of the safe room.

Present

Sunday was running fast, the faster she could.

Leonard? Why? Is he working for the enemy? For the same agency? Is he…? Did he kill his father? What is on this microchip? The algorithm for what? Is he the bad guy? Or are we the bad ones? His love was true?

She followed the entire ending of the plan, while running she saw the fireworks on the sky announcing the New Year.

2020.

What will I do? What can I do? Am I safe?

Sunday realized Alexander’s car on the driveway, she was shaking but she had only one thought in mind, everything in her life was a lie, everything in her life was a mystery, and everything in her life was treason.

She stopped for a minute and stare at the fireworks, white, blue, golden, and silver, then white again, thousands of sparks that gave her answers, she took the microchip from her chest pocket and put it under her tongue.

She opened the door of the car and saw Alexander with his eyes worried.

-What happened Sunday, I heard a shot, you were very late, I was about to enter; I saw the car entering the garage and was only going to give you 5 more minutes.

-I am fine but…

-But what?

-Mission aborted. I don’t have the algorithm.

-What? Why? What happened?

Angelo was there.

Angelo?

Yes... him, but can we drive now? Go, go go!

Alexander was confused, his heart was pounding very fast.

They left; Sunday was leaving behind her life getting into the waters of mystery, with Mr. 9's phrase echoing on her head, "nothing more, nothing less".