Nine: Vengeance of the Warrior (27 page)

‘Fuck! It always ends up being my fault!’ Akash said. He placed his plate on the coffee table and sat down on the sofa, eating with zest. The suite was spacious, with a living room and enough furniture for a comfortable stay.

Raakin didn’t seem antagonized. But he looked like he hadn’t slept in days. ‘How have you managed with the powers?’

‘Cool, man,’ Akash piped in. ‘Zub, show him your stuff!’

Zubin pointed his finger at the soup bowl. ‘Touch that.’

Akash did. It was cold. A thin beam of light emitted from Zubin’s forefinger. There was no visible strain on his face, just a look of concentration.

Akash touched the bowl again. ‘Hot!’ He shook his hand as if it burned. ‘Is that the best you can do? Heat up stuff?’

‘I can turn you into a crisp if you like,’ Zubin replied.

‘Cool!’ Akash laughed. ‘That’s damn useful.’

‘Tara, how’s it going with you?’

‘I messed with your mind just now.’ Tara picked on her salad and put it aside. ‘Didn’t you suddenly feel hungry?’

‘Shit, you did that? I was famished. I had just had a burger and yet when I saw the food, I felt like I hadn’t eaten in days.’

‘I put the thought in your head.’

‘Man, that’s devious!’

‘This is good. I can now combine both powers: to read minds and influence them too. And what have you been doing?’

Akash snickered. ‘I was on the rooftop of the Imperial Tower, stood there like Batman. And then made it here in seconds.’

Raakin’s phone buzzed. He noticed the caller ID and answered it in a hurry. Suddenly, he stood up. ‘I have to speak to that journalist. There seems to have been a situation at her home.’

‘What situation?’ Tara looked worried.

‘Our operatives have noticed Kala Yogis enter her building. Her life could be in danger.’

‘We’ll go too,’ Akash said, pushing away his plate.

‘No!’ Raakin said. ‘I will bring her here.’

‘What’s the point of asking us here if you’re not going to let us do something useful?’ Zubin said.

‘Okay,’ Raakin said reluctantly.

‘I’ll go first. I can recognize her,’ Akash said. ‘Tara, I will be in contact with you at all times.’

The Senior Six

‘Three of us have given up our powers to create a more enhanced Three. They will need to face the Kalingan, who has harnessed the black energies. It is unusual to change the laws of the Nine. We don’t share our powers, we don’t divide or multiply. We work as unique individuals.

‘But times are different and we must act accordingly. They have been trained by the senior councillors to control and use their powers carefully. Mindfulness is essential in every movement and decision.

‘Tara, remember, you may have the power of two of the Nine, you must be careful that it does not overwhelm your mind. Great powers mean great responsibilities.

‘Akash, remember that speed is in your control, just like your ability to fly. Be careful or you may end up in another dimension or timeline. Your ability to move faster than the speed of light will affect your mind. Be bold, accept the changes.

‘Zubin, do not hesitate to kill. You have the power to heal and it will feel odd to destroy. We do not condone violence but, in these times, it is the way to survive and protect. Use your powers wisely.’

The Three touched their implants and bowed.

34

Tara

She stared at Akash.
Do not take any action without thinking.

Yes, ma’am!

Let him be, Tara.

Raakin gave him the address and warned him to be careful. ‘Yes, okay,’ Akash said as he headed towards the veranda, opened the door and jumped. ‘And stay out of sight!’ Raakin called out.

Zubin and Tara hurried out, Raakin on the phone. A car was waiting for them.

The Kala Yogis are inside the journalist’s house. They are arguing with an old woman. The journalist is protecting her.

‘Tell Akash not to interfere,’ Raakin directed when Tara informed him of Akash’s updates. Their car was speeding down the road, but they still needed fifteen more minutes to get there.

‘The Kala Yogis have used some kind of chemical spray on them. They’re following the Kala Yogis,’ Tara said.

‘It must be a hallucinogen, making them like zombies,’ Zubin explained. ‘Didn’t realize they made the stuff this potent.’

‘Tell Akash to follow them, but keep out of sight. Find out where they are headed,’ Raakin instructed.

35

Zubin

The moonlit sky was a carpet of gun-metal clouds rumbling ominously. Zubin was connected to Tara and Akash, and they communicated silently. If it were up to him, he would have asked Akash to intervene and protect the ladies. Raakin’s decision was not the right one. The Three had worked well together before. Damn right, Akash was careless, but he could have stopped the Kala Yogis from leading these women to some godforsaken place where they would probably extract information from them and then murder them even before the Three could intervene.

Zubin couldn’t hold back. ‘I think we should have let Akash kick the shit out of the Kala Yogis. Travel back in time and attack before they enter the building.’

Raakin shook his head. ‘Changing the course of destiny, no, that’s not how it works. Akash’s powers must not be used to change the fabric of time. Or everything will change. And who knows what devastating consequences would result.’

Zubin wasn’t letting go. ‘You should leave it to us to handle the Kalingan, sir. If Akash had intervened, he could have led the women to a safe place.’

Raakin’s expression was hard. ‘You are mistaken. You must learn to respect your powers to be part of the Nine. If Akash had intervened he too could have easily been overcome by the hallucinogen. We would have had to save him too.’

The driver, one of the protectors of the Nine, sped through the dark quiet roads.

Zubin didn’t let up. ‘Times have changed, sir. Ancient knowledge is only valued if it can be used constructively in our fragmented world. If time travel saves lives, it should be used.’

Raakin’s words were sharp. ‘I have never experienced such difficult students in my life.’

‘They’re heading to the outskirts of the city,’ Tara said, breaking up the heated argument.

‘Then we better pray that we get there before the Kalingan kills them,’ Zubin said pointedly.

36

Anita

‘Where is that Mauryan puppet?’ the crazy woman roared.

Shackled to a chair, Anita was suffering the aftereffects of the chemical used on her. Her head was pounding, her vision blurry. She barely caught a glimpse of the farmhouse where the weird men had dragged her from the car. ‘Where is my grandmother?’ Anita shouted back.

‘Safe inside the shed with the chickens,’ Tejaswi giggled and pointed to the right. Anita tried to focus, but it was hard. She could barely make out an outline of a closed door. Two guards stood watch. They were in some kind of a barn converted into a lab. ‘And if you don’t tell me where that minion is, I will kill her.’

The pause was tense. Tejaswi paced like a lioness, bold and ready to attack. She had five guards around her.

‘Freak!’ Anita shouted, pulling at her restraints. The sickening odour of chemicals made her want to gag. She tensed up. ‘I should never have trusted you. Why are you behaving this way? I’m your friend, remember?’

The guards moved in closer. Tejaswi waved them aside. ‘I’m still your friend. In fact, I offered you a great deal. But you, unfortunately, refuse to see things from my point of view. These men of Ashoka have to die. And I will make sure they die, with or without your help.’

‘Well, I don’t have any more information for you,’ Anita yelled. ‘You killed Karl, didn’t you?’

‘I didn’t have to kill him. He was convicted of murder. How do I know what goes on in jail?’

‘No shit!’ Anita shouted. ‘Must be one of your black-magic men who raped him to death.’

Tejaswi leaned in close. Her eyes were wild and red-rimmed. She softened her tone. ‘Give me that idiot’s address in London.’

‘I don’t have it,’ Anita said in defiance. She felt the restraints burn her wrists as she struggled to break free.

‘I will kill your grandmother then.’ Tejaswi’s words were like an ice pick to her heart.

Anita trembled involuntarily. ‘No, don’t … please … she’s old and frail and has nothing to do with this.’

‘Bring the old woman here,’ Tejaswi commanded. Three of her guards dragged the elderly woman’s unconscious body out of the small enclosure.

‘Don’t hurt her,’ Anita cried out.

‘I’m not unreasonable. Get me this guy’s contact and I will personally escort you and your grandmother to your car and you can go home.’

37

Akash

There was a sudden swishing sound and Akash made it inside. He reared straight and punched one of the Yogi-guards. There were five of them, ready to get him. He swung out, rising up in the air, and grabbed one of the beams, then whipsawed backward and kicked hard. Two of the Kala Yogi attackers were on the floor, their faces bloodied.

‘Get him!’ Tejaswi roared. But Akash was too fast for them. In less than two seconds, he freed Anita. She fell to the floor in agony, but moved swiftly towards her grandmother who was coming to. Akash was in the midst of defending himself.

‘Watch out!’ Anita yelled. The guards aimed tranquillizer darts at Akash, which zipped past, narrowly missing him. He sped towards them and rammed the trio square in the back, before he moved to the ceiling, lunged forward, wrenched one of the pipes and swung it like a mace. The Yogis used their weapons, but Akash zigzagged with surprising speed, avoiding them easily. Tejaswi muttered a chant under her breath. Then, as if they were light as feathers, loaded gunny bags came flying at him. He punched and weaved through the fifty-pound attack, slamming the bags towards the Kala Yogis. Tejaswi screamed obscenities. ‘I will get you, you coward!’

Swift and weightless, Akash zipped close behind her and whispered, ‘In your dreams!’ And he was up in the air before she could get her hands on him.