Operation Chaos: A Gripping Action Thriller (32 page)

David was quietly listening to Ayaaz's story when there was an incoming message on his radio. It was Sameer. ''Sir,'' he sounded confident, ''That artefact has been retrieved. We are on the way to the airbase now. Will stay in contact''.

''Good job, Sameer. You and Shonali have done a really good job. I have got no news from Pratap yet. So our best shot is to give up that artefact. Bring it here as fast as possible.'' David tried to remain brief. He was missing out on the conversation happening at the middle of the airstrip.

''... Even though our nuclear program started in 1972 and we were as close to success as you were by 1998, it would not be appropriate if I don't mention that your data and research helped us in racing things up.'' Ayaaz continued with his story and Ajay popped up another question just in time to keep him occupied.

''And why does a spy like you suddenly develop an interest in this ancient artefact?'' asked Ajay.

There was a silence. Abrupt and complete silence. Ayaaz just stared quietly at the ground. David suspected something shady going on. He tightened his grip on the concealed weapon. Ayaaz's face was completely blank. Almost a minute went by and a silent tension mounted up.

And then, breaking the silence, Ayaaz asked Ajay a question.

''What do you live for?'' He was looking directly in Ajay's eyes.

Ajay was taken aback by the question. He kept guessing why the man in front of him switched to such an odd subject.

Seeing the puzzled look on Ajay's face, Ayaaz bit into his lower lip and continued, ''What is it that held your life together? What kept you going for all these years?''

Ajay had no answer to that. There was an abrupt silence in the air and he needed to break it. So he decided to play along.

''Um... my job, my research, my responsibility as the President,''
said Ajay, making up the answer  in a confused state.

Ayaaz was now staring at him with a fire in his eyes. A rage like an erupting volcano. ''You had something to cling to'' The words were almost inaudible the first time. But the next words came flying out of his mouth like poisonous darts.

''YOU HAD SOMETHING THAT DEFINED YOU...'' The voice was piercing. Ajay could see the stretched veins on Ayaaz's lower neck as he shouted in Ajay's face, ''... I did not have that for a prolonged period in my life. Orphaned, alone and helpless I tried to work for my country. And finally when I got something I could cling to- a job which was something I could treasure, you took that away from me.''

''Me?'' Ajay asked.

''DO NOT TRY TO DENY IT.'' There was an inexorable rage in Ayaaz's eyes. ''You took away from me my job, my passion- the thing that kept me ticking. The people who employed me did not take my failure as a good note. I was a failed, crippled spy who spent a year trying to get off a hospital bed. How would they expect someone crippled to work again as a spy for them? All I did for the next two years was some boring office job. You took away the PURPOSE from my life. They took away my identity and you were the reason for it...''

David was too busy listening to the man in the wheelchair that he did not feel his cellphone vibrating in his pocket. It was the fourth vibration that got his attention. He dived his hand into his pocket and hurriedly pressed the receive button.

It was Captain Pratap.

''I tried to reach you over the radio, but you didn't respond. We are done at Wheeler Island. The missile is no longer a threat. We blasted the power supply station of the control tower,'' said Pratap.

''Blasted what?'' David asked in alarmed state.

''Just the basement of the control tower. It was necessary to kill the power of the missile launch systems. Nothing to be worried about. They were going to launch the missile towards Mumbai, but now it is not going anywhere.''

''Well done, Pratap! Excellent job. I think we can go ahead and just kill this bastard. He has got no leverage on us now,'' said David, loading his sniper rifle.

''... I was lost. I was purposeless, defeated and that is when I found the true purpose of my life. Did you know how much trouble I had to go through to acquire the four out of those nine books hidden by the Nine Unknown Men? And then how much midnight oil I had to burn to find the clues to the path leading towards the artefact in those books? But it was all worth the trouble because I was finally doing the thing I was destined for. Alas! My disability restricted me to find the other five books and discover the complete path and I had to bother you to help me. You know what... I just wanted that zing back in my life- feel that rush of adrenaline through my veins again. So I arranged this little game for us. You can't imagine the preparation and planning it took to place every single piece of puzzle exactly where it should be. Although, I had explored the path upto the stupa at Nalanda, I didn't want it to be made too obvious. So I misguided you to Qutb Minar where you found the clue I had placed. I MADE you go towards the artefact that I needed. And believe me, I enjoyed every bit of it.'' Ayaaz was savouring his victory- his success to make the President, the Intelligence, the army of an entire nation give in to his demands.

''But why did you make US go for the artefact? You had the information leading towards the artefact and you clearly had the monetary resources. Why not go after it by yourself and keep it silent? You could have made me suffer or get me killed any other time,'' said Ajaysingh. It was a question he asked not for stalling time, but to quench his queries. There were some answers which were still in the dark.

''Don't you still get it? Are you really that naive?'' Ayaaz flashed a sinister smile. ''It was your resources which led me to the artefact. The information I had gathered only indicated me that the journey towards the artefact begins from Nalanda. From there, it was your team which made all of it happen. You people discovered the rest of the path for me. I USED YOU, you RETARDS! I had the information, but didn't have the expertise. I had the money, but not the manpower. I couldn't have gotten all those permissions, those clearances to search the areas. Moreover, my injury restricts me from carrying out heavy physical activity- so I decided to entrust the job to your people. You gave me the best of your commandos, your best crypto analyst- all of them were indirectly working for me. And now speaking of the job, tell me- Where is my artefact?'' asked Ayaaz, looking at his watch. It was ten minutes past eight and the morning sun now shined brightly over the airstrip.

Ajay knew that his act for stalling time was over. He carefully chose his words attempted to stall for more time, ''My team is working on that. But why are YOU so interested in that particular artefact?''

''Don't you think I understand what you are trying to do? Enough of games and stalling for time. I need my artefact RIGHT NOW,'' Ayaaz screamed, banging his palm on the wheelchair.

David had double-checked with Ranjeet and his HQ that the missile situation was now completely under control. He was going for an all out assault and needed to confirm that all the threats had been neutralized.

''That bastard deserves a spiteful death, Commander. Make sure he gets one,'' Capt. Pratap added as he disconnected the call. Just as he ran out of words to keep the psychopath in front of him occupied, Ajaysingh heard Commander David's voice on his earpiece.

''Sir! We have secured the Wheeler Island facility. The missile is no longer a threat now.''

''Are you sure? Have you checked...'' asked Ajay doubtfully. He had hardly expected the tables to turn.

''Yes, Sir. Double checked it. We are going to take down that bastard,'' said David determinedly.

''NO,'' said Ajay, loud enough for Ayaaz to hear it. ''You stand down. This was something I should have done years ago,'' he said it slowly- taking his time to withdraw the concealed weapon.

''But I am going to finish that job today,'' Ajaysingh said as he levelled his pistol at Ayaaz.

The sly grin on Ayaaz's face had disappeared. ''What... What is the meaning of this, Ajay?'' Ayaaz stammered as he spoke. There was a fear on his face.

''The game is up, you bastard,'' Ajay replied, looking in the eyes of his enemy.

''What? No! What are you talking about? You kill me and the missile gets launched,'' Ayaaz replied. His hands were trembling.

''The Black Cats have taken care of it. Wheeler Island facility has been secured-'' Ajay did not complete his sentence. He stopped midway when he observed a sudden change in Ayaaz's expression. The expression of fear and dread had drained off. The big sinister smile was back again.

''You don't think I already know that,'' Ayaaz said, pointing his finger towards the tablet he had concealed beside his thighs. ''You really think that someone like me wouldn't come prepared if something goes wrong? I told you it took months to plan this game and I took every measure to ensure that I won't lose,'' he said with an acute confidence in his voice. All the stammering had just evaporated into thin air.

David pressed his earpiece against his ears tightly. He tried to hear the conversation with utmost attention.

''I still have a card left to play Mr.Ajaysingh. Believe me- if you pull that trigger and shoot me here, another trigger would be pulled somewhere at your lovely daughter.'' Ayaaz completed his statement with a chuckle.

The words sent a chill down Ajay's spine. The mention of his daughter, Shonali, made him shiver. David knew it was not the time to hold back now. He signalled his three commandos to advance towards the airstrip along with him from all the directions. Ayaaz whistled calmly as he watched himself being surrounded by Black Cat commandos.

''Greetings, Commander David. Pleasure meeting you,'' he said to David, smugly.

''Shut up, you maniac. You are bluffing. Miss Shonali is perfectly fine and safe in the company of my team. I had a chat with our man, Sameer, just a few minutes ago,'' said David, keeping his rifle levelled at the psychopath.

''Did you? Try contacting him again. Chances are your men would be dead by now!''

''Sir, He has to be bluffing. My team has eliminated all of the terrorist threats. I don't think that your daughter is under any kind of threat, especially when my team is with her.'' David tried to assure Ajaysingh.

''Yeah. You are not wrong. Your team has indeed eliminated all the terrorists. But you forgot one important person. I had my nine soldiers- The Nine Unknown. Let us do a headcount of my soldiers whom your team eliminated. Azar, Hasib, Razak, Abbaz, Irfan, Sohail, Parvez and my favourite - Muhammed. That makes eight of them. The ninth unknown was my most powerful weapon. The one who has been making you dance on his fingers all along...''

Meanwhile,
at Sarnath....

Shonali was being dragged amongst the fallen dead bodies of the Black Cat commandos with a gun pointed at her head. She tried to resist hard, but could not outmatch the strength of the assailant. She could feel the pool of blood under her feet as she was being dragged towards the entrance of the museum. An injured Black Cat commando, lying on the ground, tried to get hold of the assailant's legs as he passed by. Raghav kicked him away and shot two bullets right in his head.

Chapter 81

March 2006,

Dharmarajika Stupa,

Taxila, Pakistan.

''Are you sure you want to pursue the search for the object?'' asked the same monk who had inspired Ayaaz on the first day.

''Yes, I do. Didn't I tell you that I figured out the pattern in those manuscripts? They were buried here for a reason. Now that I know that this path leads to that artefact, I just can't stop myself from exploring further,'' answered Ayaaz, beaming with excitement. The monks had never seen him so excited ever since the time he had taken refuge in the monastery. He had been offered a desk job by his I.S.I contemporaries, but Ayaaz had respectfully denied it. After getting over his dejection and accepting the fact that he was permanently disabled for life, he had slowly developed a unique interest in the Buddhist scriptures. In the coming years, he had mastered Pali and Sanskrit, and had studied almost every important Buddhist scripture.

By the time he had spent three years in the monastery, he was reading for 14 hours straight. The more he explored, the more knowledge he obtained. He realised the versions of the truth and the different paths one can take to achieve the state of 'nirvana'. His respect for the enlightened one grew with every scripture he read.

''There is no pattern, son. It's just in your head. These stories, these writings were meant to enlighten people - to make them aware of the truth. They were written in a simple way so that everyone could follow the teachings of Buddhism. How could there be anything hidden in these scriptures?'' the monk said.

''It was made simple so that no one would suspect anything hidden in it. They have hidden it in plain sight for all these years. I am not saying that it is true. But there is a slight possibility and I am not going to ignore it. I need to find those nine books.'' Ayaaz was determined. It was a reincarnated passion burning within him. After so many years, the push to go after something was reborn. He was welcoming the old Ayaaz back. It was a new dream he had seen all these years and now he was going to follow it.

''The nine books?'' the monk asked, baffled by Ayaaz's sudden change in attitude.

''Very little information on these nine books hidden by King Ashoka is available today. But there are a few manuscripts which narrate some episodes from Ashokan times suggesting the existence of these books.''