25 - Memory

"I have never seen this person before in my life."

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As he took note of Nikolai's change in demeanor, Maximillian's eyes narrowed slightly in suspicion. The former lieutenant cleared his throat before he gestured toward the other two empty recliners under the big umbrella.

"Uh, please take a seat."

"Thank you."

Both agents took their seats and flipped their tablets open at the same time. Inside were all the data they gathered so far, pending re-investigation.

"We understand that you were the team leader in charge of apprehending Dr. Heinrich Krausser on 20th December 2030," Julia said.

"Yes."

Distress etched itself onto Nikolai's face as he furrowed his brow. "Fourteen years," he muttered, the weight of the past settling on his shoulders. "Fourteen years, and that night still feels fresh in my mind."

Maximillian leaned forward, his gaze steady. "In that case, Lieutenant, perhaps you could recount the events for us in your own words. Sometimes, with the passage of time, forgotten details resurface."

His voice held a hint of persuasion, a gentle prod towards a more complete story. Nikolai locked eyes with the agent, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his features. "I submitted a full report after the incident," he said, his voice clipped. "There's nothing new to add."

Maximillian's smile remained polite, but his eyes held a hint of skepticism. "Sometimes, Lieutenant," he said gently, "the act of recalling events without the pressure of paperwork can jog a detail or two. Memories can be quite… elusive." The last word hung in the air, a subtle invitation to consider forgotten details. Details that might have been omitted for whatever reason.

There was no use dodging a simple retelling of the incident, save for drawing suspicion to the bureau's eyes, thus Nikolai gave in and started speaking.

"Fourteen years ago, I received official military orders to apprehend Dr. Heinrich Krausser, who was accused of conducting illegal experiments on mental patients by using untested, unapproved drugs.

Two days later, at eight o'clock sharp at night, my team -- consisting of twenty-five armed men -- stormed the Eichwald Center for Neurology and Psyche.

Dr. Heinrich Krausser openly resisted detention, going as far as attacking my men with a scalpel. We had no other way but to incapacitate him. During one of the struggles, we accidentally killed the scientist. This unfortunate ending cast a long shadow on all of us."

"What about the late scientist's family?" Julia dug deeper. "On a separate report, his wife and young son's lifeless bodies were found stranded at a shore some distance away from the psychiatric hospital."

Nikolai's left eye twitched slightly upon hearing the question.

"It has nothing to do with the attack that night," he decided resolutely. "If you want more details about their death, you should talk to the person who handled the case."

"Unfortunately, the person passed away during a mission seven years ago," Maximillian remarked. "Thus we only have the official report to rely on."

Relief flooded Nikolai's face.

"Well, there you have it. The official report should be enough to give you an approximate picture."

"Ah. Are you sure that you did not see Dr. Krausser's wife and son at all that night, Lieutenant? Or maybe one of your team members did?" Julia pushed harder for information.

"No, sorry," Nikolai snapped. "We were focused on Dr. Heinrich Krausser only. His wife and son might be in the vicinity, but we knew nothing about it."

"I see."

Maximilian reached for his tablet and tapped a picture. It expanded on the screen, revealing a captivating portrait of a young omega with striking features.

"Do you recognize this person?" he asked, his voice laced with suspicion. Nikolai's fists clenched involuntarily, digging into his thighs as his gaze locked onto the image. Despite the betraying tension in his body, he lifted his chin and uttered stoically, "I have never seen this person before in my life."

"That's all," Maximillian declared with a broad smile. He then proceeded to shake Nikolai's hand. "Thank you for the cooperation, Lieutenant."

With a curt farewell, the two agents departed, leaving the bewildered elderly man staring after them in confusion. Evidently, he had anticipated a lengthier interrogation, one that might have pushed him past his comfort zone.

With their task of the day accomplished, both agents prepared to return to Germany.

As soon as their hover car zoomed away and left Evergreen Valley behind, Maximillian flipped his tablet open again.

Upon switching to a particular application, an android voice rang out, "The lie detection analysis has herewith been completed. Do you want to view the result now?"

"Proceed," Maximillian replied curtly.

"A moment, please."

Anticipation hung heavy in the air as both agents fixated on the tablet screen. A rapid succession of several clips was played out, all of them featuring Nikolai Morton's changes in facial expression from the start to the end, including a close-up recording of his reaction when he leaned in to take a better look at Julian's image.

Finally, a vibrant graph materialized, displaying the lie detection analysis results.

A window popped up, and words typed themselves onto the screen, followed by a female android voice.

"Analysis of the subject's responses revealed a significant probability of deception following the specific statements :

1. 'It has nothing to do with the attack that night.'

2. 'No, sorry. We were focused on Dr. Heinrich Krausser only. His wife and son might be in the vicinity, but we knew nothing about it.'

3. 'I have never seen this person before in my life.'"