MAYA REDFIELD

John was completely taken aback by Maya's words. He stood frozen in place, his mind racing as he tried to process what was happening. He didn't know whether to believe her or not, but one thing was certain: he was in serious danger. Maya's grip on the gun was firm, her eyes fixed on John as if daring him to move. 'What do you want?' he stammered, his voice trembling. 'Why are you doing this?”

“Don't worry. I am not going to kill you.” Maya said to John as she lowered her gun.

John felt a little bit safe and turned around to face with his hands still up.

“By the way, drop the act! I know you're not as helpless as you're pretending to be. You're a trained fighter, with experience in taekwondo and mixed martial arts!” Maya revealed to him with her cold and heartless eyes staring at him.

I can't believe this is happening, John thought. I trained for years to be able to defend myself, but now that I'm faced with an actual threat, I feel completely unprepared. I don't know what to do.

“I don't want any trouble," he said, his voice steady despite his fear. "I'm not going to fight you. I just want to talk." Maya narrowed her eyes, her grip on the gun tightening. "You're not in a position to negotiate," she said. "Now get in the car and don't try to do anything!”

John did as he was told. He had no right to refuse or question Maya's orders as his life was on the line. He got into his car and sat on the driver's seat with his briefcase by his side while Maya turned around all the while looking at him and got into the passenger's seat to sit.

“Now, let's get down to business.” Maya started off as she placed the gun on her lap.

John decided to be courageous and asked “How did you get into my house?”

"How do you know that I've never been inside your house?" Maya replied with another question.

A big realization dawned on John and his eyes widened as the grasp of it.

“The coffee mug, my favorite tie, the garage lights, my storage boxes!” He pointed out, finally understanding it all.

With a slight smirk on her lip, Maya utters “I see you noticed!”

“Why won't I? I am meticulously organized!” John stated firmly. “I thought I was going crazy!” he added.

“Well, you weren't.” Maya consoled him.

"Alright, I am going to ask you a question.” John said, his voice shaking slightly. "What is it that you want? What's your goal here?"

For a long moment, Maya doesn't respond. She just stares at John, her eyes cold and unreadable. John begins to think that she's not going to answer him, when finally, she says, 'Like I said, I was hired to kill you.'"

Immediately after Maya's words left her mouth, little droplets of rain began to descend from the sky. At first they were light and scattered, but quickly intensified into a heavy downpour. Only adding to the tension presence in the air. The rain lashed against the windows, and thunder rumbled in the distance. In the midst of this storm, Maya and John both spared a moment to look at it before turning back to their tense stand-off.

John's voice trembled as he asked, “By whom? Who hired you? Who wants me dead? Why would someone want me dead?” His eyes were wide with fear and confusion. Maya just stood there, silent and unmoving. John felt as if the world had slowed to a crawl, and he was trapped in this moment, unable to move or think. He wanted to run, to escape, but he was rooted to the spot, his eyes locked on Maya.

“I do not know.” Maya answered honestly.

“What do you mean by, you do not know?!” John asked, infuriated by her answer.

Maya cleared her throat and took a deep breath for what she was about to say before continuing. “A month ago, I got a phone call. The caller said they wanted someone dead, but they didn't say who. I could tell from the voice that it was a woman, but she didn't give any other details about herself. The only thing she told me was a name and an address... and that name was yours.”

John felt like the world was spinning around him. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. “No, this can't be real,” he stammered. 'It's not true. I don't believe it!”

Maya's face was stern and cold, and she replied, “Well you shouldn't because that is not all. There's more to it.”

John's body felt weak and numb and with pain in his heart, he asked “What else is there?”, his voice barely above a whisper.

Maya took a deep breath and said, 'The caller didn't just want you dead. She wanted you to suffer first. She wanted me to cause you immense pain before ending your life!”

John's voice cracked as he spoke, his eyes filling with tears. He couldn't fathom why anyone would want him to suffer so much. “What did I ever do to deserve this?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Maya's expression softened slightly, and she replied,“I do not know and I did not bother to ask. Immediately after I got the call, I began to carry out my mission. Trailing and stalking you, gathering every information I can on you before I could actually assassinate you…John Smith.”

“And what did you find?” John asked, his voice lost of hope.

“Are you sure you want to find out?” Maya asked with a hint of dare in her voice.

With certainty, John answered “I am sure.”

“Okay then, here goes the life of John Smith.” Maya started off, clearing her throat and staring directly into the eyes of James before she continued;

“Born on January 17th,1993, John Collins Smith is a 30 years old graduate of Business Administration from Harvard University, coming out as the top of his class. Two years after his graduation, John set up a company named J.S Corporations which specializes in the stock exchange market. A year later, he was awarded ‘Businessman of the Year' and went on to have an exclusive interview with GS entertainment. He further won four awards relating to Business at the ‘Year-end Business Award Ceremony’, boosting the profit of his company to a 100% more. John's business company has been bagging the award for ‘Best Owned Corporation' for five years.” Maya took a pause to notice the effect of her words on John before she continued.

John's eyes widened in shock as he struggled to comprehend how this woman knew so much about him. The more he thought about it, the more confused he became. Suddenly, a sly smile crept across Maya's face, as if she could sense John's confusion and bewilderment. Her demeanor was almost smug, as if she knew something that he didn't.

“John Smith is an only child born out of wedlock and abandoned by his wealthy father. Took care of by his mother named Evie Grace Smith who is very much alive. John bears the surname of his mother's side and has cut off ties with his father's family members for very clear reasons. John has over four houses in the country and owns another six stationed in different countries which includes Dubai, Luxembourg, Germany, Switzerland, Morocco and Cuba.” She disclosed to a stunned John.

John felt very unsettled by the information that Maya was disclosing. He was surprised, confused, and even a little frightened. He wondered how she learned so much about him, and he felt like his privacy had been violated. He began to feel anxious and paranoid, worrying that there is a lot more to this. Maya, regardless of John's worries, continued with her words.

“Every morning, without fail, John rises at 8:00 a.m. and prepares for the day ahead. By 9:00 a.m., he's out the door, armed with a steaming cup of black coffee. His commute to work is always the same, taking him exactly one hour. At 10:00 a.m. sharp, he enters his office and is greeted by his secretary and right-hand man, who briefs him on the day's events. From 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m, he works tirelessly, attending meetings and making decisions. At 4:00 p.m., he leaves the office and makes his way to his favorite bar, Montenegro. He spends 45 minutes there, savoring his favorite drinks, Rum and Coke or Blue Rocks with Ice, while chatting with the bartender. He departs at 4:45 p.m., heading to his mother's house to spend some time with her until 5:30 p.m. Then, he returns home to his wife Monica, whom he has been married to for three years, with no children.

Maya took a pause again to catch her breath and John felt like he was about to throw up. She noticed his reaction was not one bit bothered about it. She was not the kind of person to care about others emotions.

“For the past week, Monica has been away on vacation in Germany. John has a close friend named Scott, whom he visits twice a month. Though few people know about it, John has been secretly donating to a charity organization for the last two years. He's allergic to roses, and his favorite color is blue. Pineapple fried rice is his go-to meal, and his favorite book is 'Native Son.' Among his collection of cars, a Ford and a Lamborghini are included. He's a regular attendee of business award events, though some believe he's cold and money-driven. In his free time, he enjoys going to the park and reading a good book.”

My ended her big reveal with a deep, long sigh which was the notice John needed to know that she had ended.

“Well, I guess it's safe to say that you know me better than myself.” John said afterwards.

A sly smile spread across Maya's lips. “Those are just basic information”, she said, fixing John with a steely gaze. “You and I both know that they are not the truth.”

John felt his pulse quicken and his heart gripped with fear. He could sense the danger in her words, and he was suddenly afraid of what she might say next. She was unto him.

“You think you're so clever, don't you? You've created a persona for yourself… a version of you that you want everyone to believe and know. But I see through your facade, and I know there's so much more to you than what you let on or what you show the world." Maya said mischievously with an underlying threatening tone.

“What are you talking about?” John asked, trying to sound confused.

She moved a little bit towards John whilst staring at him in the eyes. Maya let out another sly smile before saying “I could go on and on about your days in pri–”

“Don't you dare say another word!” John cuts her short, roaring his words at her.