Trust Issues

I waked up late in the morning as my health was a little weak that day. I had a little fever and also feeling a little bit stomach pain. I weakly walked towards the bathroom and emptied my stomach. I slowly climbed down and saw that Captain was eating his breakfast. Captain looked at me and asked, "How is your health today? Yesterday's vigorous training has really exhausted your soft body. You were blabbering in your sleep about the pain you felt." I smiled, "Yes. It was really painful and moreover the scorching heat had sipped all the adrenaline out of my body." Captain laughed, "First day at training and you are complaining like a little boy. I hope your zest of being in the squad has finished." I said, "Not even a little bit." Captain laughed, "Answer it in the training camp." I asked, "What about Cathy? Is she still suspended?" Captain replied sadly, "Partially suspended. She will be still doing her work, but the respect and trust she once had is now gone forever." I asked, "Why did she even had drugs with her?" Captain replied, "I won't believe in a thousand lives that Cathy possessed drugs. Someone must have framed her and when I get to know his name, I will puncture his heart with my gun."

I smiled, "Anyway, you must be getting late. You are such a big officer now." Captain said, "Don't tease me. Anyway, I don't think that after attending the meeting, Trainer Mario will have enough time to train your platoon. So, it's up to you to attend the training or not. I will advise you to go and bond with some of your fellow comrades, so that in hard situations, you can easily communicate with each other through sign language." I said, "Okay, if my stomach and fever both get a rest, I will go and bond with my comrades." Captain said, "Don't stress too much. Flexibility is the key to being a complete soldier." Captain went out and shut the door behind him.

I walked downstairs and prepared some fruits for my breakfast. I looked around and found a knife on the shelf. As I was about to pick it up, I felt a mosquito bite on my neck and the knife fell from my hands. I kneeled to pick it up and saw some white powder on the ground. I took a pinch of it and tasted it. It was salty and I was feeling a little dizzy. I opened the shelf and found that there was a small plastic packet containing the white powder. I took it and burned it. I searched the house and found only one suspicious material, a diary full of numbers. It was suspicious because it had only three numbers and two of them were marked as important. I opened my tracking number device and found that two of the numbers were of the same person. Martin Doug, an ex police officer who was banished from police for helping drug dealers to escape. I couldn't get his exact location, but a place where he frequently visits flashed on my screen. I picked my car keys and went to my car. I quickly started the car and speeded towards the location.

I stopped my car near a lamppost and got down from the car. The place was quite like a stereotypical criminal neighborhood. There were lots of piles of garbage near every single house and most of the walls were covered with variety of graffiti of various colors and designs, but most of them were slang and foul words for police. I would have not dared to go deep inside the neighborhood but looking at the gravity of the situation that I was in, I gathered some courage and went inside. The place was filled with drug addicts and young girls selling themselves for drugs. I looked around and saw many lives were destroyed by the addiction of drugs and there was no coming back for them now. I slowly walked towards the only house was looking crowded. As I was about to enter the compound, a chubby man stopped me and said, "I don't want any trouble, dog. Leave at once." I smiled and said, "I am here to meet Martin Doug. I don't want any trouble either." He gave me a look and said, "Boss doesn't meet someone without appointment. Go away, man." I took out the packet and gave it to him and said, "I hope this can be an appointment." The man smiled, "Packets like these can be found in any roadside dumpsters around this neighborhood. It values nothing." I said, "Okay. Tell your boss that Ms. Catherine has sent me. I hope that does the trick." The man said, "Go away or I will sent you home in a body bag." He pointed his gun towards me. I sighed, "Okay. Take this. I hope it can go atleast it means something." The man said, "A bundle of cash just to meet someone. You sure do look like being on drugs. Anyway, what do I have to lose anyway. Fine, stay here." He went inside and vanished in the crowd.

I felt a sudden pain in my shoulder and turned and saw that a drug addict has attacked me. I dodged another strike and kicked him in his groin and then punched him in the neck. He fell on the ground screaming in pain. Two other addicts jumped on me and one bit my chin. I pushed him on the ground and slammed the one on my back on him. I quickly turned around as an addict came running towards me with a broken glass bottle. I caught his leg and used his momentum to outsmart his attack and he fell on the ground. But, he rose and started running towards me, when a bullet went right through his head. The sound of the gun scared the other addicts and they ran away. I looked around and saw that the chubby guard was standing there with a shotgun. He came near me and looked at my injury, "Thank God, they were quite high on drugs and couldn't attack you properly or else you would become a dead man till now." I wiped the blood from my chin and said, "Drugs should be banned from this world. All it does is making people joyful for a short moment and depressed for the whole life." The guard smiled, "Those are some weird words coming out from the mouth of a person who is himself standing in a crack den." I smiled, "Life sometimes brings us to places we wish we never visit in our life." The guard said, "Anyway, boss said that you will get what you were promised by next Saturday. For now, it's best for you to not come around searching for him." I said annoyed, "That's quite a long time. Things should be faster nowadays." The guard said in a rough tone, "Don't teach us how to do our work. You will get your stuff on the right time. Now, go and fuck around." He smiled and went away. I slowly came out of that shithole and went inside my car.

I quickly went to Cathy's house and saw that Cathy was already there with Captain, Sir Lorenzo and someone I don't recognize." I slowly parked my car and tiptoed inside. Sir Lorenzo saw me and asked, "Where did you go, boy? We were waiting for you." I gave a big smile and said, "I just went outside for a walk." Captain asked, "Went for a walk in a car?" I replied, "Yes. I have a habit of going far places for a walk." Cathy smiled and hugged me, "I am happy that you are finally getting a recognition in U.C.I.D after so many years." I smiled, "Hard work pays well." Cathy smiled, "Anyway, I have to introduce you to someone." She went near the unrecognized man and said, "He is our most respected and brave heart, Sir Alexander Gravenberch. His tales of bravery and knowledge goes a long way. He is the one who personally recommended you to be a part of the special squad." I folded my hands and said, "Namaste, Sir Gravenberch. It's a pleasure meeting you." Sir Gravenberch came near me and said, "What happened to your chin, young man? Looks like someone bit you." I smiled, "Nothing serious, sir. Just got in a scuffle with a bunch of rogues." Sir Gravenberch smiled, "Keep good care of yourself. Finding people like is very rare nowadays." I smiled, "It will be my pleasure serving you." Sir Gravenberch said, "Don't serve me. Serve your country and its dignity." I said proudly, "I will, sir." Sir Gravenberch said, "I would have loved to exchange some tales with you, but I have to go to Canada urgently. My boys back there are having a tough time fighting some bad guys there." Everyone stood up and greeted him goodbye and safe travel. He shaked my hand and said, "Remember one thing, my boy. Nothing is more bigger than one's nation and you should serve it without fearing the consequences. That's what makes a perfect soldier a great warrior." I smiled, "Thanks. I will surely stay true to your words." Sir Gravenberch said, "Don't worry. Time will test your honesty anyway." He sat inside his car and soon became a dot in the distance.

Captain laughed, "No wonder no one stays for too long with him." Sir Lorenzo said, "He is just like this. He is very committed to his nation and has gone to extreme measures to fulfill his duties. Working with him is both tiring and inspiring. Harsh is very lucky to be selected by him. Can you believe that in his four decades of service in U.C.I.D, he only selected six people to work with him, me being the sixth and Harsh is the seventh." I smiled, "Now I know who recommended my name." Sir Lorenzo laughed, "Bullshit. I would die chanting your name but he won't even give a look on you if he doesn't think that you are special enough to be his partner. He himself selected you and to be honest, I actually opposed your selection." I asked, "Why?"

Sir Lorenzo said, "Because there is no need for you to be in a squad so soon in your career. You are new and young and would be more useful if you gain some experience from less dangerous wars." I smiled, "I really can't say anything right now. You think I'm still quite inexperienced and Sir Gravenberch thinks I'm quite special. I don't know who to obey." Captain said, "Obey your own heart. If you think that you are still afresh, then don't go. But, if you think that you can handle the pressure and responsibility, then I say you should go. Doubting one's capabilities is always a bad thing." Sir Lorenzo said, "Okay. I will meet you at the training camp tomorrow morning." He hugged me and went away. Captain yawned and said, "I should go and take a small power nap." He went to his room and closed the door. I went to the kitchen to fetch some water, when Cathy came inside and caught me from behind, "Did you go to meet Martin Doug today?" I replied, "Yes, I thought that he can give me some clue on the people who framed you." Cathy said, "Don't worry about me. I can take care of my problems. Never go to his house or try to meet him. He is a very dangerous and short-tempered man." I said, "Okay. As you wish." She released me and went away in a haste. I looked at her direction and sighed, "I don't why are you doing this. But, one thing is for sure that you are gonna pay a very heavy price for your mistakes." I went upstairs in my room.

I took out my phone and called a number. After few rings, the other end answered, "Yes, sir. How can I help you?" I replied, "I want to put a detective behind a person." The other end replied, "Okay. What type of detective would you like to employ?" I asked, "You have different types of detectives?" The other end replied, "Actually forget about that. What is your range?" I replied, "A safe range is between 50 to 60 thousand dollars." The other end said, "Okay. A detective will contact you in an hour." He disconnected the call. I mumbled, "I know that if Cathy ever gets to know about this detective, I will be kicked out from the house and probably from this world. But, I can let a wrongdoer go away so easy." My phone ringed and I picked up the call. A heavy voice said, "I am Detective Mario. I have been informed that you need a detective and have a range between 50 to 60 thousand dollars." I said, "Affirmative." He said, "Okay, I will contact you after you have sent me the photo of the target and then I will say my money." I sent Cathy's photo to his number and said, "She is the one." Mario asked, "How close are you to her?" I replied, "Close enough to be in her love." Mario laughed, "I liked your style. Anyway, I will take 56 thousand dollars. Half before and half after the job."

I said, "Okay. But, be careful. She is quite smart." Mario said, "All are smart until they become my targets." I smiled, "I will give you the whole money after the job as I can't risk getting caught giving 28 thousand dollars in installments." Mario asked, "But how can I trust you?" I replied, "Trust is a very important thing in this line of business." Mario laughed, "Okay. But, I don't like betrayals." I said, "Neither do I." I disconnected the call and lied on the bed. The whole day was quite tiring and also very hot. I turned on the air conditioner and soon felt asleep as the soft and cool air gently massaged my whole body.....