Secrets - [DISCONTINUED]

Chapter 4

Despite my racing heart, I raise my eyebrow and give the headmistress a puzzled look.

"Me? If I remember correctly, I don't know how to hack into anything, given the fact that I don't even have any basic computer programming skills to do such a crime. What evidence do you have that says that I might have been the culprit?"

The headmistress looked delighted as she spoke.

"Because, little do you know, we have been watching you, Miss Chopra. You have shown to have many skills, including self-defense and hacking, right?"

How does she know? The only other person that knew about this was my older brother, who died in a car crash a few months back, and I knew my brother well enough to know that he would never reveal my secrets, even if his life depended on it.

"I don't know what you are talking about, ma'am. Sure, I do have many skills like drawing and baking, but I would never learn something like that. In fact, I am the opposite of athletic; I would rather spend my time reading books on interesting subjects or searching the internet for anything that interests me, like the newest mission to Mars regarding a new civilization there, or like the how the newest government scandal left the c-"

"Those are all interesting, indeed, yet I am here to ask you, are you interested in working for the government? Despite your claims that you don't know how to hack or use self-defense, I believe that you will be a valuable asset to the CSURS, the Covert Services of the United Republic of States. In fact, this is why I brought the director of the CSURS here today."

The headmistress gestured at the silver-haired man, who was now studying me from up to down.

"Mr. Alexander Robert Schultz here has been the director of the CSURS for more than two decades! I invited him to show him our newest prodigy who has the potential of being the next big spy for our nation. So do you accept such a request or would you like to decline?"

Then the headmistress leaned to whisper in my ear.

"Before you make your decision, consider the fact that your brother's death was not that of a normal one. In fact, it was just like the death of your parents."

The last sentence caught my attention. So, apparently, I was such a valuable asset to the CSURS that they needed to bribe me into joining them? Interesting.

"Just because you are trying to bribe me into joining the CSURS, doesn't mean I have to join. I can easily find information on my brother's death, with or without your help."

"Let me guess, you are going to hack into our websites and try to pry the information out?"

"I wouldn't be able to do that because, I know I have been repeating this for quite some time, I don't know how to hack into anything. Also, in case you don't remember, that file on me says that I am an extremely bad liar and why would I have to? I have no criminal-like record that says otherwise."

"How do you know what is written on your file? Despite you claiming, yet again, that you don't know how to hack, how would you ever know such classified information?"

"Why this is easy, sorry to say in case you didn't notice, but you are literally waving this certain type of 'classified information' in my face."

"Why is that so?"

The headmistress clearly fell for the lie and looked down at the file in hands and was currently shuffling the papers.

I turn my attention from my headmistress to the director of the CSURS. Mr. Schultz was still studying me, but I could realize then he could see me take in the whole situation. He smiled.

"She is amazingly convincing as she is lying, and she is, as you say, very analytical of her surroundings. I want her, Miss. Rai Khatri Chopra, to be one of my undercover agents , or should I say assassin?"

Mr. Schultz's face as he said "assassin" made me feel as if I was a porcelain vase on auction. This feeling made me sick. Who does he think he is to think he can make me into something so . . . . cruel? So . . . . . . . heartless? 

Suddenly, Mr. Schultz gave a small, yet discreet, nod to the headmistress. Oh no . . . . .

Before I could move out of the way, the headmistress was suddenly upon me with her knife in her hand. She moved mechanically, as if she performed this action so many times, as she pressed the edge of the knife to my throat.

I could feel the sharpness of the blade as it pressed against my throat. A thin trail of blood dripped from the sharp point of the blade. The pain was like a prolonged annoyance of a paper cut.

"If I were you, I would agree to our proposal to work for us as an agent. Just think about it, you will be our star prodigy there: our youngest official! Just remember, agree . . . . . . or else . . . ."

She pressed harder and the pain increased.

I panicked as I realized that if I didn't act smart, my life was at risk. I could still keep up my act of not knowing self-defense. All I needed to do was act reckless enough. I knew exactly what I needed to do.

I jabbed my headmistress with my elbow into her ribs. At the same time, I kicked my foot back, jabbed the heel of my boot into her knee, and whipped my ponytail in her face as I slipped out of her grasp. I ended up getting a deep cut on my shoulder, but at least it wasn't my neck.

I rolled out from underneath my headmistress and looked around, only to hear a gunshot.

As I looked around to find the source of the sound, I saw Mr. Schultz smiling wickedly as he held a gun aimed at me, and the way he was looking intently at me, I could feel a sense of dread overcome me.

At first, I felt nothing, but I could feel a sticky liquid of sorts dripping down my side. As I looked down at myself, I could see the fabric of my uniform turn dark red and damp, sticking to my skin. So I got shot. Great.

"Last warning, join the CSURS, or die. You know too much to be spared."

With that, suddenly, a wave of pain shudders through me. I drop onto the floor as the pain overwhelms my senses. 

(to be continued in chapter 5)