Chapter 3 Where Am I?

They looked at each other, just as in the instructions; each of them knew the story separately, although in this case, the one with the specific mission was Alejandro, and Germán was there to protect him—to serve as his personal security—but he hadn’t yet told his friend that he was there solely to watch his back.

In any case, Germán was just another soldier on a mission, and he cared deeply for Alejandro.

He was a nurse and was studying medicine; he just hoped he could continue doing so in the other dimension—or wherever they were going. He didn’t really believe in any of this.

Maybe they’d be taken for a ride, drugged, and end up in some other neighborhood, another city, or another country…

It was all very strange, and the two skeptical young men, after a sigh that said nothing yet meant so much, set foot on that extraordinary staircase.

They began to climb, but soon they didn’t know if they were going up or down, and they were swept away by a force that seemed centrifugal.

What was happening?

Unable to explain what had happened, Alejandro opened his eyes and looked around.

Germán was beside him.

Were they on a plane?

It wasn’t a regular plane; it was a military aircraft, the kind that carried only a few people.

They were strapped to the walls of the aircraft with numerous rope harnesses.

He had traveled several times in that type of vehicle, which didn’t even seem safe, since it let in outside noise and shook like a washing machine on the spin cycle.

Still, it must have been safe—much safer than a commercial plane, though also more uncomfortable.

He couldn’t say exactly how long he’d been observing everything until Germán opened his eyes. “What

?

” asked Venegas’s driver. “I haven’t

a fucking clue where we are.”

“Apparently we’re flying.” “Very

funny.”

“That’s always the case…”

Germán shifted restlessly.

“How long have we been flying?

” he asked Alejandro. “I don’t

know, I can’t even estimate the time.” “On

these damn planes, the bathroom is either shoddy or nonexistent.” “In

this case, it seems to be shoddy,

” he said, pointing to a corner with a wall less than two meters high and not even a meter wide.

Germán, carefully shuffling his feet and holding on tightly to the ropes, made his way to the makeshift bathroom.

Alejandro followed his companion’s lead; Germán was right—those bathrooms were practically makeshift, but they could be worse.

Despite their academic degrees, they had undergone strict military training.

Sometimes they’d spent a week in inhospitable places, to test their mettle in situations where the outcome didn’t depend on them and everything was out of their hands.

Both Alejandro and Germán wondered what the point was of going through that kind of training.

After the two of them had been silent for a long time, the medical student broke the silence—which wasn’t really silence, since the noise of the ship’s engines was quite loud.

“I’m your bodyguard.” “What

?

” Alejandro was confused by his friend’s words. “I guess

this mission was planned a long time ago—that’s why we trained together so many times.” “I guess so

.” “Venegas

sent me to be your bodyguard—or at least to watch your back.” “That

doesn’t make sense.”

The psychologist wondered how much of Venegas’s story was true and how much was a lie.

Maybe there were no lies, but he was sure Venegas hadn’t told him the whole truth either. “I

understand we’ll head back once you rescue the target.” “I don’t

know who the damn target is!

” he exploded in anger. “This

is going to take some time,

” said Germán, almost resigned. “Possibly

.

I really had no idea.”

They descended; the craft landed almost gently, and it seemed incredible that this seemingly crude machine had the capability to make the descent and landing imperceptible.

Both stood up; they were hardly tired, but both were very anxious—it seemed they were going to be together forever…

Alejandro knew that his partner was an expert with weapons; he’d always been the fastest in training, but from there to being his bodyguard…

That was just as ridiculous as the whole mission.

“Predetermined woman!

” It was the most implausible thing he’d ever heard—and that was saying something, considering that in the last few hours he’d heard nothing but idle chatter, manipulation, and things that were downright strange.

As soon as they set foot on the ground, a dozen men approached them, all armed to the teeth.

“Where the hell am I?

” Alejandro wondered, and from Germán’s expression, he knew he was asking himself the same thing.

Both were observing everything carefully, though discreetly; they wanted to commit as many details as possible of their surroundings to memory, so they could later compare what they’d each observed—that’s what they usually did during those weeks they occasionally spent together.

Alejandro was certain that on those occasions, they were being prepared for this mission. “Gentlemen

.”

The soldiers saluted, and they returned the salute.

They were inside what appeared to be a military complex, just as large as the one where they lived.

This one looked different—everything was light blue and dark green, whereas where they came from, the distinctive colors were gray and yellow.

Without saying a word, they began to walk, leaving them in the middle of the group.

Our psychologist got the feeling that they were being arrested.

They arrived at an extremely luxurious building—so much so that they were taken aback.

Immediately, several hallways, staircases, and elevators came into view; they kept walking behind two men who moved like automatons.

Only two more soldiers remained behind them; the rest—Alejandro wasn’t sure—had gotten lost in one of the hallways.

They arrived at an office containing a dozen desks, where men and women were working intently, without looking up.

One of the officers knocked on a door, which opened immediately; then, stepping aside, he motioned for them to enter. “Sir

.”

Both saluted.

They stood at attention as soldiers before a superior.

“At ease, soldiers,

” said the general standing before them. “I

am the Chief of Staff, General Lautaro Moreno.”

-“Sir.”

Although they were both in casual attire, they saluted again to show respect.

“I like the attitude of both of you; it’s a shame you’re only on loan for this mission.” “Thank

you, General.” “Please take

a seat.”

They didn’t make him repeat the order. “I spoke

with Brigadier General Venegas, who assigned you here. If you truly manage to complete the mission successfully, you’ll earn the most prestigious star in your branch, but… you don’t just have to rescue… your target; you also have to turn in the head of the espionage ring—that is, the one who masterminded the kidnapping of that key individual.”

Lautaro Moreno wasn’t speaking clearly either, but apparently, he had added an extra mission for them.

Or perhaps that, too, had been predetermined.—

Gentlemen, my only intention was to meet you and tell you that no one is an alien; we’re all the same—made of flesh and bone, with blood running through our veins. So, Germán, you now have all the paperwork you need to take the few courses you’re missing to finish your medical degree. This is the only time he’ll be away from you; and while Germán is taking those courses, you, Alejandro, will

be seeing patients; you’ll join the psychology department as head of the division. Although you’ll see X number of patients per day, you can pursue a master’s degree or another degree, and remember that no one can find out you’re under protection.

Alejandro was astonished.

“You’ll be living off-base, though in a gated community where everyone is military. No one—absolutely no one—knows about the mission. There might be a mole within our ranks. You’ll continue training; it’s essential that you stay in the best possible shape, and if necessary, you’ll go out on military missions.” “Missions

? What kind of missions?

” Alejandro dared to ask.

“You’ll meet your target; it’s up to you to recognize her, though since she’s your predetermined wife, you’ll have no trouble doing so.”

That made Alejandro very nervous.

Was he dreaming?

“You’ll work at the same medical center; the rest is up to you.”

The General, offering no further explanation, stood up, and they both followed suit.

They were taken to the gated community where they were going to live; each had his own home. Although they weren’t huge, they were right next to each other, separated by a garden.

The houses were similar—in fact, all the houses in that neighborhood were—though each had something that set it apart from the others. “Am

I your bodyguard or your party buddy?

” Germán asked jokingly.

“Looks like I’m going to have to put up with you even when I go to the bathroom,

” Alejandro replied in the same tone.

Once in their respective homes, they found their belongings and even a car in the garage.

With every passing moment, everything became stranger.

They had already settled in, since they had almost nothing to do. Alejandro opened the fridge and, after making himself a sandwich and finally having his can of beer, he went to bed, thinking he wouldn’t be able to sleep; however, he fell asleep immediately.

He woke up thinking about the strange dream he’d had…

When he looked around, he realized it hadn’t been a dream.

He spent the whole day waiting for instructions that never came.

He was chatting with Germán in the front yard of his house when a military truck pulled up; he wasn’t surprised when it stopped in front of his house.

He was surprised when one of the soldiers got out and handed them uniforms and weapons. “Gentlemen

, today’s mission is waiting for us.”

“That sure was fast—maybe I’ll meet my target today.

Years?

If I meet her today, I’ll rescue her, and this crazy dream will soon be over. Maybe someone will put on dark glasses and erase my memory,” Alejandro thought, recalling a famous movie.

Both of them climbed into the truck that was going to take them who knows where.