59
It Was a Trap
At that moment, why did I remember Volkari’s words?
“Good heavens, it was really true…”
Was she talking about me?
No, that can’t be. No matter how clueless I am, that couldn’t have been about me. If it was, the Director and Volkari wouldn’t have remained silent at that moment. And Sebastian wouldn’t have so boldly demanded an amnesty.
Unlike others, Sebastian wouldn’t have said, “Well, I’ve brought the spy, so how about that amnesty for our family?” while I was sitting right next to him, unable to understand. Impossible. If Sebastian thought I was a Canaris spy, he would have interrogated me about why I did it. I may be clueless, but I know enough about how Sebastian feels about me.
“It’s not me.”
If Jay doesn’t believe me, we’ll have to fight. I was prepared for that. As tension filled every muscle in my body, Jay, without trying to shoot or put away his gun, asked,
“If it’s not you, Team Leader, then who is the Canaris spy?”
“Why would I be a Canaris spy?”
“We were processed because you’re a Canaris spy! Because your account, your movements, were closely linked to Canaris! Even your adoptive father!”
My head was spinning. Before I could think, my mouth was already asking,
“Who… provided that information?”
“…”
“Who claimed that I was a Canaris spy?”
Jay’s eyes were wavering.
Why, who was it? I was about to shout but stopped.
Why is Jay wavering? Who recruited Jay to Department 1 in the first place? I know the answer.
It’s Otto Layer.
“Did the Department Head claim I was a Canaris spy? Is that why he tried to bury our team?”
“…”
“How much were you involved in this?”
Seeing Jay unable to speak and wavering, fear suddenly overwhelmed me. I had only thought of Jay as a victim. I was just happy and relieved that he was alive. But how is Jay alive? Why did the Director only fake Jay’s death and extract him?
Did Jay cooperate in burying our team?
A chill ran down my spine.
“Tell me.”
At my words, he moved his lips. Seeing him unable to speak made me angrier. I snatched the gun from Jay’s hand. Jay tried to prevent me from taking it, but he can’t beat me in hand-to-hand combat. I grabbed Jay’s hand and elbow with both hands and entered his embrace. While doing so, I fixed his gun-holding hand in the opposite direction. So that even if he fired, no one would get hurt.
Then I immediately pressed on his joint. While Jay was sinking to his knees with a groan, I kicked his knee to throw off his balance and took the gun.
He seemed to have expected that I would take his gun, as he didn’t seem particularly attached to it.
After removing all the bullets from the magazine and throwing them away, I grabbed Jay by the collar and lifted him up. He, taller than me, stood up with a distorted face.
“How many died?”
I shouldn’t mention that Walter is alive. I asked as if I knew nothing.
“How… did they die?”
“…”
“Did you kill them? Or was it someone else? Who else was involved in this besides the Director? So who did the killing, the Department Head or the Director?”
Department Head Otto Layer presented evidence that I was a Canaris spy and argued that our team should be processed. Good heavens. I had been wondering why we had to be processed, but the reason was very clear. Because I was a Canaris spy. Right, then of course we should be processed. Layer set a trap to bury me and all my team members.
Yes, now I see the outline.
Layer claimed I was a Canaris spy, and given the clear evidence, the Director had no choice but to approve the processing of our team. In the midst of this, she extracted Jay. Why? Jay was someone Layer had recruited.
“Since when have you been working under the Director?”
I can’t believe my surroundings were so riddled with conspiracies. And Layer framing me as a spy. Hadn’t I shown enough loyalty to him to be mocked as Layer’s hunting dog?
Jay sighed while still held by his collar. Eventually, he whispered,
“From the beginning.”
And he added words he didn’t need to,
“I was assigned to the team from the start as personnel to monitor you, Team Leader.”
I know there’s a lot to hear from Jay. But paradoxically, I didn’t want to hear anything. Jay was my monitor. Why he was chosen as my monitor, what the Director was suspicious of about me, it was too much to hear all that today and I was too tired. So I asked just one thing.
“What about the other team members?”
“They’re all safe. As you know, Walter is safe too.”
The fact that Walter was safe, and that he approached me and tried to contact me, must have all been part of that damn spy game.
Now that I know no one died, I don’t want to say anything more.
Right, no one died and I’ve also been cleared of false charges. I didn’t try to clear myself, but at this point, I should consider myself cleared. That’s enough.
Now I’ve really lost all affection for the company. I should either ask Sebastian to hire me or join a PMC, ah, I don’t know. Whatever it is, I need to quit this company. I’m not even angry anymore.
“That’s enough then.”
As I left the study, Jay followed with a worried face.
“Team Leader, of course that was the initial purpose, but our relationship wasn’t just that, was it?”
“I thought it wasn’t. I thought, precisely, that our relationship wasn’t like that.”
Jay was perplexed by my words. Even on the stairs going down to the living room, he kept trying to stop me.
“Please listen to me. It wasn’t meant to deceive you. The Department Head, no, that bastard Layer, brought such perfect documents. He pushed it through in the meeting without giving time to verify, so this was the best way to buy time.”
“You mean you all conspired to make one person look like an idiot?”
“That’s not it.”
“If that’s not it, then what is it?”
I asked, standing in the middle of the stairs.
That’s exactly what it is. You were all in it together.
Now I understand. The “sensible subordinates” attached to me, the “clueless combat weapon,” were actually personnel who could turn into monitors at any time. Ah, I didn’t know that’s what it meant. Because I’m clueless.
As Jay was scratching his head, I was coming down, not wanting to look at him anymore, when he shouted at my back.
“This! This was the only way for all of us to survive!”
“…”
“Damn it, we really didn’t want to hide while pushing just you, Team Leader, into danger!”
When I turned around, I saw Jay’s reddened face. Not understanding what he meant, I looked at him, and Jay messed up his hair vigorously. Meanwhile, people who heard the loud voice came out of the living room and started watching us.
Jay seemed uncomfortable with people’s eyes. But as if he was more afraid of me going down, he continued speaking.
“We ran simulations, and this came out as the only way for everyone to survive… If it wasn’t for that, we really wouldn’t have agreed to such an operation. When we heard the news that you were stabbed at the Colosseum, we really felt like dying.”
“…”
“Because Armin Schnieke doesn’t die! We had no choice but to rely on that ability! That’s what the computer said! The usually so strong Team Leader suddenly got stabbed by some stupid bastard and was laid up! We really thought we were going crazy!”
I understand what he’s saying.
Layer presented evidence. Unfortunately, it was in an official setting, so the Director had no choice but to approve the processing of Team 9. However, the Director was suspicious of Layer and tried to save Team 9 behind the scenes. But in the process of saving Team 9, there was a possibility of arousing Layer’s suspicion, so they needed bait, and I was chosen for that role.
The story is that they just rolled me along in a state of information blackout, since I can’t manage my expressions well and am not good at the spy game.
It’s a cold judgment. I think it’s right. And in the end, everyone survived, so it’s a happy ending.
But now I don’t want to work for the company anymore. I’ve lost all affection for it, I don’t even want to see Jay’s face, and I don’t want to go to that bastard’s wedding.
You excluded me from “us.” You treated a colleague who risked his life like a chess piece. I can’t feel at ease with such colleagues behind me. I can’t risk my life to save such colleagues either.
“Right, it must have been hard for you too.”
At my words, Jay shuffled his feet in the middle of the stairs.
“Team Leader, please…!”
At that moment, Sebastian came walking with my coat. That coat was bought by Sebastian. Suddenly, I thought that I hadn’t sacrificed anything for Sebastian, who had done everything for me, running here and there to save such guys. He said he’d buy me a meal, but in the end, didn’t Sebastian pay for that meal too?
“Let’s go eat something delicious.”
When I said this to Sebastian, he smiled and hummed. As if he didn’t know how to respond.
Instead of answering, he draped the coat over my shoulders. Lemon-colored blonde hair and Mediterranean blue eyes. I couldn’t even tell you that it suits you.
“This time, let’s go to a restaurant you like. I’ll treat you even if I have to spend my entire fortune.”
I’ll spend that damn money the company gave me lavishly on you. After all, you’re currently supporting my father and brothers overseas.
Sebastian laughed at my words, saying, “Shall we?” He didn’t refuse. Rather, he led me, saying we should go before it gets dark. Just as I was about to leave with Sebastian, hurried footsteps followed me. Those footsteps stopped a few steps behind me.
“Team Leader, it really wasn’t intentional. No matter how our first meeting was, I’m a subordinate who trusts and follows you. The reason I couldn’t tell you until now is—”
“It’s natural that you couldn’t tell me. You’re saying you didn’t have a chance to tell me until the situation unfolded like this? I understand. So you should understand too, that I have no choice but to do this.”
I didn’t turn back to Jay. Everyone is alive, so that’s enough. Joy, relief, and a sense of betrayal mixed like a typhoon in my chest.
My heart has become a ruin. Nothing is left.
