Partner's Crime

Kylo's Point of View

I thought Wagner was handling things pretty well, not until I saw him yesterday. He arrived home with a dirty uniform and bruises on his body. He said that he let John beat him to a pulp. He did what I told him.

At that moment, I felt guilty. For a second, I thought that Wagner doesn't deserve to suffer like I did. It seems like he inherited my bad luck. I felt sorry that he has to maintain my image.

Mom was always busy with work that sometimes I forget that I have a mother. I understand that it's hard to raise a child alone, so I didn't plant any hatred for her. I still love her more than anyone else because she's all I have.

Staying at home with nothing to do makes me sick. I can't figure out how to get our lives back. I have to breathe some fresh air.

I went out to the grocery store to look around. I scanned my eyes and it landed on a napkin. I suddenly remembered that it's almost my monthly period and Wagner was clueless about it. I must warn him before it's too late. I hope he won't freak out.

I grabbed a pack of it and smiled. I'd love to piss him off when the time comes and tell him that he has cancer and he'll die soon. I could imagine his face in my head and it made me chuckle.

My smile vanished when I felt something hard being pointed behind my back.

"Don't make any sound," the man behind me whispered.

I think he was holding a gun.

"Don't make unnecessary movements and go out slowly," he added.

I was so nervous that I followed his order. Am I being kidnapped?

We walked out like nothing happened while he's still behind my back. He was covering the gun with his leather jacket so it's not visible in the eyes of the public.

"Get inside the car," he whispered.

This is it, I'm being kidnapped. I'm screaming in my mind but I was voiceless.

I opened the black car in front of us and went inside.

"Move," he said in a terrifying tone.

I moved to the right side, and that's when he entered the car and sat beside me. I'm scared to death that I managed to do the sign of the cross while closing my eyes.

"Where are you taking me?" I asked while my body's shaking in my seat.

"Open your eyes, dickhead," the man replied.

I slowly opened my eyes and to my surprise, the man was smiling widely at me. He was a buffed, black American with his corn-row hair. His white teeth sparkled and almost blinded me.

"Wagner! It's me, Stinger!" he gleefully said and hugged me tightly.

I was frozen and I still do not know what's happening. He looks like the guy from the video game I used to play. CJ, he looks like CJ.

"Oh, man. You should look at yourself in the mirror. It's priceless. I was just fooling around, but you look threatened," he said and laughed.

What's so funny about this? Is he insane?

"Ugh... Do I know you?" I asked with a confused look on my face.

He stopped laughing and stared at me for a moment.

"Are you kidding me?" he asked, amused.

"I'm serious. I've been in an accident and I have amnesia."

He looks more surprised as he covered his mouth with his hands.

"Holy crap, that's crazy!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, it's crazy."

"That's why you talk different and you act differently too. You're supposed to punch me in the face, I was prepared."

"Am I that violent?"

"You're that hot-headed."

He looks at me in disbelief. I think he didn't expect me to act like this since Wagner was always been domineering.

"I'd like to hear our story from you," I said.

"Okay. Let's do that while we go on a trip. Puerto, take us to my place."

The car immediately went on its way to somewhere I don't know.

"What happened to you? Did you catch Lambo?"

"Lambo? Who's that?"

"Man, you're in trouble. Lambo's the thug you've been chasing around. He looks peculiar with his cowboy attire."

Oh, I remember now. He was the guy who captured me. He's giving me the creeps.

"I was able to escape from him. He was about to kill me, but I survived from the explosion."

"What do you mean you escaped? He caught you? Man, that's not you."

I was taken aback. He's too fast to identify that I'm not Wagner. I'm doomed.

"I mean you're not the type who would get caught that easily. You wouldn't leave a battlefield without bringing the head of the enemy," he added.

I sighed in relief.

"It's complicated. Accidents could happen in my job. Not every plan works. The explosion damaged my brain so I couldn't remember a thing aside from my name and my recent activity."

"That's unfortunate. It's a good thing that the IIF sent you here, away from the stressful world of secret agents."

"They don't know that I'm here."

"You mean they don't know whether you're dead or alive?"

I nodded.

"We have to ask them," he said and dialed something on his phone.

He was talking to someone over the phone. Wagner didn't mention this guy to me, but I think he knows a lot.

"So how did it go?" I asked.

"They said that they can't assume you're dead without seeing your lifeless body. But they're considering the possibility that you turned to ashes. Still, they can't just declare your death. They've been tracking you, but they found no signs."

"You must not tell that I'm alive."

"Why?"

"I can't do my mission for now. I don't need their assistance with my medication. My enemy can't find out that I exist. I haven't prepared for the worst."

I don't know if I made the right decision, but I'm going to consult Wagner when I come back.

"I also think that it's the best choice. If IIF gets involved with your treatment, it will be chaotic. It's better to live in peace. It was the wisest decision I made," he said.

"What do you mean?"

"Let's continue the chit-chat inside my humble home."

The car stopped. We stepped out and a huge house welcomed me. Its foundations look perfectly sound, all set to stand for generations to come.

As we entered, we walked past a small pond and a garden filled with enchanting flowers. It's telling me that it's beautiful than I am.

The inside was quite simple. The floor was an old-fashioned parquet. There were pictures of children on the walls. I paused and looked at the photograph of their loving family.

"You and I are batch mates where there were only five of us. We were partners back in the days. We accomplished a few missions before I quit," he said as he reminisced the past.

Does Wagner have a partner? This is extremely startling.

"I quit because I've fallen for a woman I used to hunt down."

A smile formed on his lips as his eyes glittered. I was imagining the scene in my head while he speaks, and I find it romantic.

"It wasn't easy. It was love-filled with bullets and blood. You cursed at me when you discovered it."

Goodness. I could imagine Wagner's face. He must be so frustrated. For him, accomplishing a mission is a top priority.

"I only cursed? I thought I would've killed you," I grinned.

"Yes, you almost did. But in the end, you made me choose. Your exact line was-- me and your career, or that fucking bitch?"

We both chuckled.

"I've chosen love because she was pregnant at that time. I have no regrets."

"Since then, I chose to work alone. Maybe what happened traumatized me."

"It's alright because you became the best agent. I'm proud of you," he said and tapped my shoulder.

"What if she's not pregnant? Would you still choose her?"

"If she's not, then I'll impregnate her soon after."

I shook my head as he laughed.

"You don't have plans on returning?" I asked.

"I'd rather not. It's hard to go out there if you have a family. Consider the fact that you might lose them."

"What about Lambo? Who will go after him while I'm not around?"

"The second best agent, I guess."

"There's a second-best agent? Wow."

"Yes, she can play around with Lambo in the meantime."

"A woman? Sounds cool," I said in amazement.

"You wouldn't be saying that if you remembered everything," he smirked.

"Does she have something to do with me?"

"Oh, boy. You don't want to know," he shook his head with a sly smile.

I became curious about the woman Stinger was talking about. Is she Wagner's love interest? I definitely want to know more about it.

"Honey? Who's that?"

We diverted our attention to the woman who came downstairs. She's wearing a floral dress which made her more attractive. The wind blew through her red, wavy hair as she flashed her innocent eyes to us.

She stared at me for a couple of minutes. Her eyes widened when she finally recognized me.

"Vad? Is that you?" she asked.

Stinger and I looked at each other.

"She's my wife," Stinger whispered to my ears.

He used to hunt down this woman? No wonder he fell in love with her, she's a goddess.

I turned to the woman and smiled.

"Hi. It's me, the one and only."

That moment, I sounded like Wagner, and I'm quite proud of it.

"It's really you, huh? Is this a reunion?"

She crossed her arms and sat on a chair.

"We happened to bump at each other at the grocery store."

"Actually, he kidnapped me."

We both laughed at the thought of it.

"So you're back at being best friends?" she asked.

Silence filled the house as no one uttered another word.

"Anyway, how have you been? Don't you have work to do? As far as I could remember, you're not the type who visits an old friend in the middle of a mission," she said with her angelic voice.

"I stopped."

"What do you mean you stopped? Did you quit?"

"No. I'm under a treatment for my temporary amnesia."

She paused for a moment.

"Amnesia?"

"Yeah. IIF didn't know anything about it. They might think I'm dead, and it's better this way."

"But the enemy will be confident since you're gone."

"IIF will strengthen their defense for sure," Stinger said.

"Wait for a second, Miss red hair. I'm confused," I said.

Stinger and his wife looked at each other.

"What did you just call me? Miss red hair?"

"Ugh... I don't know your name, to be honest."

"Back then, you used to call me that."

"Actually, he used to call you Miss red hair with three horns," Stinger said and laughed.

"Really? I won't be surprised because he's a fucking asshole," she added.

"You almost shot her straight to the head, but I jumped and caught the bullet for her."

"I did that?"

"Yes, you did. I almost died."

"What a dramatic scene that was."

"It was part of your mission to kill me, so it's forgivable."

"How did you end up together?"

"We faked my death. Stinger resigned and we got married secretly after two years."

Their love story must be filled with suspense since they're always on the run. How marvelous could that be?

"I don't get why you did that. Why are you making things complicated? Why marry someone that you have to kill? Why choose the hard way?"

Stinger looked at me with weary eyes.

"Because one day, I woke up and realized that I'd rather choose death than live a life without her by my side. I'd rather catch a bullet for her than catch a cold alone. I'd rather die because of her than dig my own grave."

His wife held his hands. They looked at each other with the fire burning in their eyes. Instantly, they kissed in front of me. It took them ten seconds before I broke the silence.

"You're making me hungry," I blurted out.

They glanced at me and laughed.

"You've become very poetic, my friend," I said to Stinger.

"Wagner, don't you think it's time for you to settle down with a family?" she asked.

"He never thinks of that. It's not in his dictionary," Stinger said as he shook his head in skepticism.

"Yeah, I have Goosebumps every time I hear such a notion," I replied.

"You never change. Anyway, call me Suadela and don't forget that," she said.

"Of course, I won't. The two of us used to chase after you, I can't believe you fell for him rather than me," I chuckled.

"I'll never grow weary of your lines, Mr. Perfect," Stinger said.

"Let me correct that. You're missing one person. There were three of you. IIF let Frea joined the mission after a month," Suadela said.

"Frea? Who's that?"

"Hmmm. So I guess Frea will take over the mission while you're gone. I miss that bitch."

"Frea? Is she the second-best agent?"

"You do have amnesia. It's unfortunate that you've forgotten about her."

"Is she that important?"

Stinger and his wife laughed.

"Dude, you're always been mean even when you have amnesia," Stinger said.

"Poor Frea. You may not lay your eyes on her, but you're all that she sees."

I smell an unrequited love story here. But Wagner mentioned that he's never been involved with a woman. Whether she's an ex, a lover, or a temporary pleasure, I would like to find out from him.