Inspirational quote: Quitters never win and winners never quit. So never quit! Please.

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Dr Kozak had opened the car door once and for all, leaving Kieran near the cold.

"What?" Kieran snapped, looking back at him, absolutely mortified. "You're shooing me away?"

"I'm not 'shooing' you away, you kind of have to go away anyway, and Kieran, you're making yourself late, and I can sense that Esperanza is starting to get ticked off."

Kieran just stared at him, Dr Kozak checking his phone for any notifications, then realising that Dr Kozak was being stared at cholerically by Kieran, he looked up and sort of frowned at Kieran.

"What do you want kid?" He said, sounding quite angry at Kieran all of a sudden.

"I want to finish off our private conversation," Kieran told him, sulking, making Kozak roll his eyes at him.

"Kieran, what part of we're running late don't you understand? Can't we finish it later?"

"No!" Kieran snapped back. "I'll forget much much later, Dr Kozak."

Dr Kozak sighed as he told Kieran to close the door, looking shamefully at him.

"Okay fine. Five minutes though."

"Seven!" Kieran bickered back to Dr Kozak.

Dr Kozak just scanned Kieran's eyes up and down in absolute perplexity.

"Why seven?" He wanted to know. Kind of a random number, wasn't it? Seven.

"I don't know. It was the first number that popped up in my head between one and ten that wasn't five."

Dr Kozak cursed in Spanish to himself as he set a timer on his phone to seven minutes.

"Fine. Seven minutes. Shut the door properly, Kieran."

So Kieran did just that, and there was silence between them for a while as Dr Kozak cursed in German again in downright aggravation.

"Kieran, I have a question for you, and I think it's really indispensable that I say it right now," Dr Kozak began, realising how dirty his car screen was, therefore using the window wipers to clean it.

"Okay, what is it?"

Dr Kozak didn't say anything for a while, as he stopped using the window wipers in indignation.

"Why do you care so much about the way I treat you?"

Kieran sighed before saying anything else. He was about to say something but stopped once a car opposite them was blaring out Bruno Mars' song 'That's What I Like' for the whole world to hear, then left.

"Because people have always mistreated me a lot in the past and I really don't want you doing the same thing, Dr Kozak," Kieran answered, falling quiet.

"Kieran..." Dr Kozak trailed off sympathetically. "I'm not going to mistreat you, I promise... I know I've mistreated you a lot in the past, especially when I first met you at that hospital, but I was judgmental back then and I'm sorry..."

Kieran was about to say something but stopped once he heard sobbing coming from Dr Kozak's direction.

"Dude, are you crying?"

Dr Kozak didn't say anything, as he looked up at Kieran really slowly.

"No?..."

"But I can see tears coming down your face. Thinking about your grandfather's death again?"

"No... Kieran... I can smell onions."

Made sense.

"Oh. Oh, and Dr Kozak, can you please do me a favour?"

Dr Kozak just looked at him, reaching out for his first toothpick.

Either he had a problem with toothpicks, or ice cream, because Dr Kozak had had like five ice creams in the past ten minutes.

Oh yeah. There was an ice cream freezer in his car. That really explained everything.

Dr Kozak: What's the favour first, before you ask me to do anything?

Silence.

Did Lauriel's parents and relatives even know that she was dead?

Kieran truly wondered this for a while, before actually telling Dr Kozak about this once and for all.

Dr Kozak: You okay, kid? You're not replying.

Kieran: Sorry. And the favour? Tell Lauriel's parents that she died.

Dr Kozak froze and just glared at him, shaking his head.

Kieran: What? Why not!

Dr Kozak: I'd get in big trouble if I did. And when did you care so much about Lauriel anyway?

Then Kieran explained everything.

Lauriel was initially hostile to Kieran at first, but apparently it was only because two of her pets had died on the same day and she was seriously grieving.

She had unexpectedly apologised to Kieran the other day, explaining everything. Kieran was reluctant to forgive her at first, because he had kind of gotten detention because of her, but he did so eventually.

Then he explained how his friend Clyde had left him, so Lauriel and Kendrick was pretty much the only person that he had.

Then Kieran asked if Dr Kozak was going to inform Lauriel's parents about her sudden death or not.

Dr Kozak didn't say anything for a while, as he didn't exactly know how to.

Then he examined his fingernails for a long time, before looking at Kieran again with a different toothpick in his mouth this time round because he accidentally threw away the previous one, thinking he didn't need it but in reality, he did.

Dr Kozak: Lauriel is the least of my problems right now, to be honest.

Kieran: Yeah, but her relatives have to know eventually, otherwise it really wouldn't be fair on them.

Dr Kozak: I'll tell her relatives when I feel like it, okay? When I'm ninety years old & this conversation means nothing to me anymore.

Kieran: What if you don't live to be ninety, though? Or any of them?

Dr Kozak just shot him a seriously long and hard look.

Dr Kozak: Actually, God told me that I'd live to be 92 and go to heaven so...

Kieran just thought something in return, but he didn't actually say it.

Heaven? Are you sure that God didn't get confused with hell?

Dr Kozak just stared at Kieran spitefully because he read Kieran's mind and he didn't like what he had read.

Kieran: And don't give me that dirty look.

Dr Kozak: I can give you a dirty look if I want to, okay?

Kieran genuinely didn't reply. He didn't really feel like it was absolutely necessary to.

Dr Kozak: Plus what did I say? Get used to it, Kieran. Jeez.

Kieran: Right.. Moving on. How do you know that?

Dr Kozak: *is slightly confused* How do I know what?

Kieran: I meant how do you know when you're going to die?

Dr Kozak: Can't say right now. I'll explain later. Well... if you remind me.

Silence for about fifteen seconds from Kieran.

Dr Kozak: Erm... You alright, kid? Your silence is creeping me out.

Kieran: Yeah, I was just going into retrospective a little bit. Like, how can you be that hostile to your grandmother? It just doesn't make any sense to me.

Dr Kozak rolled his eyes in disbelief.

Dr Kozak: Because. I can't yell at her in person. She lives in Italy, kid. She was born there. This is the UK.

Kieran: So does that mean you were born in Italy too then?

Dr Kozak shook his head.

Dr Kozak: No. Not necessarily.

Kieran: Then where are you from then, if you're not from Italy, Dr Kozak?

Dr Kozak didn't really want Kieran to know, so he kept quiet for a bit before he kind of changed his mind and eventually said something again.

Dr Kozak: *under his breath, he is really tired and kinda stressed* Argentina.

Kieran gasped as his head metaphorically exploded.

Kieran: You're from Argentina ?

Dr Kozak nodded vigorously.

Dr Kozak: Yes. Believe it or not.

Kieran tilted his head to his side, looking at Dr Kozak's now bloodshot face and eyes.

Dr Kozak: Why are you staring at me like that?

Kieran: Nope. Don't see it. You don't look like you're from Argentina.

Dr Kozak: *a bit ticked off by now* Yeah. Well it's true kid, okay?! Although it's really crazy, half of my family are from Mexico so... It kind of confuses me on how I was born in Argentina and not Mexico like everybody else. Venezuela too.

Kieran didn't know what to say.
Dr Kozak was from Argentina? It just seemed too surreal to be true.

Dr Kozak: Plus, in my defence, you don't look like you're from France. Heck! Your name isn't even French.

Kieran frowned and swore at him as Dr Kozak opened the door once and for all, shooing Kieran away.

He was about to start the car and drive off, when suddenly, Kieran called his name again.

"Wait, Dr Kozak!"

Dr Kozak was about ten seconds away from DIE ANNA INCORPORATED but once he heard his name again, kind of screamed at Kieran.

"What? Kieran, the seven minute timer has ran out. Stop talking to me!"

"Jesus. I just wanted to ask you two more questions. Calm down."

Dr Kozak lost it. He face palmed himself in frustration as he reversed backwards to Kieran again.

"Yeah, well, make it quick. You're really late. It's like 3AM. You were meant to start the mission at midnight!"

"Okay. Why did you marry Agent Astera if you never really liked her?"

"Money," Dr Kozak replied, stopping his car angrily. "She was the reason I was and still am a millionaire."

Kieran gasped in shock surprise.

"Dr Kozak! You're a gold digger!" which was where Dr Kozak nodded and agreed.

Kieran probably shouldn't have said that though because the next minute, the same car that blurted out That's What I Like blurted out the song Gold Digger by Kanye West.

Dr Kozak was fed up completely as he turned to the person that had drove the car, strangling him.

"Will you quit with the music?! It's three o'clock in the morning! Let some people sleep why don't you!"

The stranger in the car didn't listen to Dr Kozak one bit, only narcissistically turning his cruddy music up even louder than before.

"Imbecile!" He shouted at Dr Kozak, pouring water on his hair and down his tuxedo shirt, swearing at him and driving off, changing the song to the beginning bit of 'Rock Your Body' by Justin Timberlake that both Kieran as well as Dr Kozak really couldn't help dancing and singing to.

Don't be so quick to
Walk away
Dance with me
I wanna rock your body
Please stay
Dance with me

You don't have to admit ya
Wanna play
Dance with me
Just lemme rock you
Till the break of day
Dance with me

Dr Kozak turned back to Kieran, really annoyed, with his hair wet, immediately once the car blaring the funky music had left.

"I'll just pretend that that never happened!" He shrieked, getting a tissue and another one for that matter from his bag.

Kieran didn't say anything and neither did Dr Kozak as Dr Kozak's phone had vibrated in his jacket pocket and he read what someone had sent him, half smiling.

"You okay sir? Are you going to start driving your car?"

Dr Kozak didn't respond, just typed something away with a mischievous look on his face.

"Yeah, later. I just received a text message from someone that brings you and Esperanza good news."

Kieran asked Dr Kozak to read what it had said but Dr Kozak had shook his head, telling Kieran that he should just read it for himself because he couldn't be bothered anymore. Plus it was too long.

So Kieran did, and he couldn't stop smiling either.

Hello Demetrius ! Because you're late for the mission, and it wasn't your fault due to the haywire amount of traffic and Diana Valentine using a holographic elephant to try and kill you, you may have extra time for your mission.

You were initially supposed to start at midnight, finish two am, but since you're late, and it's totally not your fault, I have extended your time to start at quarter to three am (aka in ten minutes) and finish five am.

"Yes!" Kieran cheered, giving Dr Kozak his phone back. Although while he was doing that, he noticed who had texted Dr Kozak that message, looking confused all the way.

"Your Sat Nav can text?"

"No... The person voicing it can though. Her name is Sarica. Anyway, before I leave.. What was your second question.? You said that you had two?"

Kieran nodded.

"Okay, so what is it?"

"What makes you read minds?"

Boom, instant silence.

Although come to think of it, that was actually a really good question....

Dr Kozak didn't reply as he started the car and felt like driving away completely.

"Psychic cold two years ago," Dr Kozak replied so quietly that he didn't really want Kieran to hear, but still did anyway.

"Wait, what?"

"I said I had a psychic cold two years ago," Dr Kozak repeated, really quietly.

"Wait? So what? Let me guess, you're a psychic?"

Although Dr Kozak covered Kieran's mouth on the word psychic and nodded.

"Wait? So does that mean you can predict the future correctly?"

"Sometimes. Yeah." Was all Dr Kozak was bothered to say back. "Although my predictions are usually incorrect."

"How?"

"Agent Astera was a fortune teller, it just kind of rubbed off on me in way that I can't really explain right now because we don't have enough time, plus it's too complicated," Dr Kozak whispered. "Oh and kid, you can't tell anyone this. I haven't, you're the first person I've told... Don't let me down."

Kieran nodded as Dr Kozak squeezed his mouth, before letting go of it once and for all.

"Wait, so is that why.."

"Is that why I know when I'm going to die?" Dr Kozak trailed off for Kieran. "Yes, that's why. Because I'm psychic, Kieran."

Kieran couldn't believe this. He even thought those words. And something else.

"Psychic, fortune teller, same thing!" Dr Kozak accidentally on purpose yelled out loud as he read Kieran's mind in absolute anger.

"So, have you seen the future yet? Do you know if me and Esperanza are going to ace or fail our first mission?"

Dr Kozak pretended to zip his mouth.

"That, Kieran, I cannot discuss. Although, just warning you, something terrible is going to happen to Esperanza later on during this mission. You're lucky it's not you. Although I'm pretty ticked off that's it's Esperanza, she doesn't deserve any of this, especially on her birthday. But hopefully, I'm incorrect. I'm not sure though. I never really am."

Kieran just glared at him looking absolutely flummoxed which was when Dr Kozak winked at him.

"What's the wink for, sir?"

"To wish you and Esperanza good luck, of
course!" Dr Kozak whispered, winding his windows up and leaving.

And in the blink of an eye, well, Dr Kozak was gone for good.

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Moral of chapter: See? Even the most villainous characters in stories have secrets!