D-DAY?

The airstrip loomed in the pre-dawn darkness, silent yet charged with an impending storm. The cold wind howled against the metallic structures, carrying the scent of jet fuel and damp earth. The sky was an endless abyss, only punctuated by the dim glow of hangar lights in the distance.

Arjun crouched behind a stack of cargo containers, his earpiece crackling softly. “Status?”

Agent 1’s voice came through first. “Perimeter secured. No movement.”

Agent 3 followed. “Roadblock in place. The ‘accident’ on their original path forced them toward the service road. They should be arriving in three minutes.”

The Chief’s voice was steady. “Remember, we let them think they’re in control.”

Arjun’s gaze flickered toward the runway. A private jet stood waiting, its engines quiet, its fuselage gleaming under the floodlights. It was a picture of escape—a perfect lie waiting to be shattered.

Then, headlights sliced through the darkness.

A black SUV approached at a calculated speed, kicking up dust as it veered off the main road. Inside, Rakesh sat in the passenger seat, his face unreadable. Kailas gripped the wheel, his knuckles white.

“Here we go,” Agent 3 muttered.

The SUV rolled to a stop near the hangar. Kailas killed the engine. Silence swallowed the airstrip.

Rakesh stepped out first, his sharp eyes scanning the area. He was a man who trusted nothing. His fingers twitched near his waist, where a gun was holstered.

“Something’s off,” he muttered.

Kailas exhaled sharply. “We checked the route twice. If they knew, we wouldn’t have made it this far.”

Rakesh’s jaw tightened. “Unless they want us to think that.”

He glanced at the jet, then toward the surrounding darkness. His instincts screamed at him. Something was waiting. Watching.

Kailas moved to the trunk, pulling out the suitcase. “We need to move. Plane’s ready.”

Rakesh hesitated. Then, with a slow nod, he followed.

From the shadows, Arjun whispered, “Wait for it…”

Kailas reached the plane’s steps first, suitcase in hand. Rakesh followed, one foot on the stair—

Boom.

A muffled explosion rocked the undercarriage. Smoke billowed from the landing gear. Sparks crackled against the tarmac.

Kailas cursed, stumbling back. “What the hell?!”

Rakesh whirled, gun drawn, his mind working in overdrive. “Sabotage. The plane’s useless now.”

Then, the hangar lights flickered—once, twice—before plunging the entire area into darkness.

“Move!” Rakesh barked, dragging Kailas back toward the SUV.

Too late.

Shadows shifted. A dozen armed figures emerged, their weapons leveled. Silent. Deadly.

Arjun stepped forward, his voice cutting through the night. “Game over, Rakesh.”

Rakesh exhaled through his nose, his grip on the gun tightening. “You think so?”

In a heartbeat, he fired—

Not at Arjun. At the cargo containers behind him.

The shot ignited a hidden stash of fuel drums. Fire roared to life, sending a blinding explosion between them.

Chaos erupted. The perimeter team scrambled as flames devoured the scene. The heat was instant, suffocating.

Rakesh grabbed Kailas and sprinted for the service road. “We’re improvising.”

Arjun coughed through the smoke, his earpiece buzzing with frantic voices. “They’re on the move! Cut them off!”

Agent 3 was already ahead. She moved like a phantom, cutting through the firelit haze, intercepting the fleeing men. “Going somewhere?”

Kailas swung the suitcase like a weapon. She dodged, then countered with a brutal kick to his ribs. He stumbled, gasping.

Rakesh, however, was ready. He launched himself at her, their bodies colliding with raw force. They rolled across the dirt, trading blows in rapid succession.

Agent 3 grunted as Rakesh’s elbow cracked against her jaw. But she recovered fast, twisting free, striking back with a vicious punch. “You fight better when you’re desperate.”

Rakesh smirked through the blood on his lip. “And you still telegraph your kicks.”

He ducked under her next attack, sweeping her legs from beneath her. She hit the ground hard, dazed.

Kailas took the opening. He grabbed the case and ran.

“Kailas! The road!” Rakesh barked, following close behind.

Captain Singh’s voice cut through Arjun’s earpiece. “They’re reaching the secondary exit! We can block it!”

“No,” Arjun said, his mind clicking into place. “Let them think they’ve won.”

Rakesh and Kailas sprinted towards the jeep near the perimeter, their breaths ragged. Freedom was a few steps away.

They reached the vehicle. Kailas fumbled for the keys, his hands shaking.

Click.

The sound was quiet. Subtle.

Rakesh froze.

Then, the floodlights snapped back on, illuminating the jeep.

And the dozen red sniper dots glowing on their chests.

Arjun stepped into view, his gun aimed steady. “End of the road.”

Rakesh exhaled, a slow, tired smile playing on his lips. “That was good. You let me think I had a chance. Coz I always have!”

Rakesh didn’t hesitate. With a sudden, brutal move, he shoved Kailas toward the ground, rolling away just as gunfire erupted. He dived behind a stack of crates, evading the immediate barrage. Smoke and dust filled the air as he sprinted toward a side passage.

“He’s escaping!” Agent 1 shouted.

Arjun took off in pursuit, vaulting over debris as he chased Rakesh into the industrial maze of the airstrip. The two men ran through the skeletal remains of an old hangar, their footsteps echoing.

Rakesh spun, firing a wild shot. Arjun ducked, closing the distance. He tackled Rakesh, sending them both crashing onto the concrete.

They fought like animals. Rakesh landed a brutal strike to Arjun’s ribs, but Arjun retaliated with a swift knee to his gut. Blood sprayed from a split lip. They rolled, grappling for control, until Arjun slammed Rakesh against a rusted support beam.

“Give up!” Arjun growled.

Rakesh wiped blood from his mouth, grinning. “Not a chance.”

He lunged again, but this time Arjun anticipated it, sidestepping and driving Rakesh headfirst into the beam. The impact was sickening. Rakesh crumpled to the ground.

Arjun cuffed him, breathing heavily. “Now it’s over.”

Kailas dropped the suitcase. His hands went up. “We’re done.”

Rakesh unconscious, however, still held his gun. His eyes locked onto Arjun’s. “You sure about that?”

“Try it,” Arjun challenged.

A beat of silence.

Then, Rakesh sighed and let the weapon slip from his fingers. It clattered against the dirt.

Agent 1 moved in, securing their wrists with cuffs. “I have to admit, Rakesh. That was a hell of a show.”

Rakesh chuckled, shaking his head. “What can I say? I hate losing.”

The Chief rolled up in his wheelchair, his gaze unreadable. “And yet, here you are.”

Rakesh met his eyes, something unspoken passing between them. “C’mon man, this man is alive, kill me already.”

Rakesh and Kailas were in custody. Yet, amidst the so-called victory, a storm of unease raged within Arjun.

Rakesh was shoved into the armoured transport, his lips curling into a defiant smirk. “You think this is over? You’re playing the wrong game, Arjun.”

Arjun stepped forward, his gaze piercing. “You’re done. Your empire is dust.”

Rakesh laughed, shaking his head. “You still don’t get it, do you? I was never the one pulling the strings.”

Sonia wiped blood from her split lip, her knuckles bruised from the fight. “Let him talk. He’s just trying to rattle us.”

Sunil stood nearby; his face hardened. “Or maybe he knows something we don’t.”

The Chief wheeled forward; his eyes heavy with experience. “The case is marked ‘infeasible’—officially closed. The world will believe it’s over.”

Arjun exhaled, his fingers tightening into fists. “But we know it isn’t.”

A tense silence settled among them, thick as the lingering smoke.

A few hours later, as the first light of dawn crept over the city, the newspapers hit the stands.

“Arjun Roy Returns: The Fallen Officer Restores His Honor!”

But Arjun knew better. Beneath the bold headlines, a smaller article whispered the truth.

“Bilal Sheikh: Ghost in the System? Authorities Silent on His Whereabouts.”

He folded the paper, his pulse steady, his mind racing. The real enemy was still out there, lurking in the shadows.

This wasn’t the end.

---