The time was 7 PM when my mobile
beeped of a text message. Within seconds I opened it but it in no way was
related to my present situation. Ignoring it I stood up from the small bench
placed in front of the mall.
It was time for action, I
decided. I had to start somewhere. With every passing minute there was a life of
loved one at stake and some critical data at risk of getting into the wrong
hands. I walked straight up to the CCD in the mall and ordered for an Espresso
shot. Within a gulp I finished it off. Though it did not help the situation it
did help stabilizing my nerves.
The first thing I did was to make
peace with my heart and give it a rest. The next thing was to bring
my brain in action. It was a good decision when my brain said, “The more you
sit here staring at the empty glass, lesser is the chance of getting
your girl back”
I dialed the number again.
“Why the hell are you calling me
from a public number? Why don’t you understand the situation?”
“I am sorry. But this cannot be
avoided. A life is at stake and you know that. I am not letting any stone
unturned on this. Those suckers should know how they spoiled their weekend.”
“I asked you to meet me at our
emergency point”
“There is no time for that. This is time for some serious action”
“You are not doing anything until
you have the right information and the required backup team. We need to figure
all that”
“Sir. If they have reached this
close, don’t you think that they won’t be having any clue of the location of
that USB Drive? Are you damn sure they are that idiots? I am not letting myself
wait for any backup.”
“I understand your position. But
you are taking it too personally”
“Yes, I am. And I will. The only
thing she ever did was to love me and I am not letting her sit down thinking
that to be her biggest mistake.”
“Sam. Stop it! I just want you to
stay out of this. Get this code straight into your mind, Sunny Days getting
hotter”
“Got it but I promise you
that I won’t stop until I see her again and safe and with a smile on her face. I know my phone is being tapped right
now and that bugger is hearing me with a grin on his face. I do not know his
name for now, but I am sure I will enjoy wiping off that grin off his ass”
Disconnecting the call, I threw
the mobile in a dust bin designed as a big penguin with a wide grin on its face placed at one of the corner of mall in ground floor. I
knew my bike would be bugged by now and I would be having a set of eyes ready
to follow me till the end of the world.
Walking out of the mall, I went
straight up to the first auto standing in queue and asked him for a ride. He
agreed quickly but looked up at me in shock when I said him I need another auto
to follow us.
“Brother, I will give you both
double the amount. I just want you to do as I say. Will you?”
The sound of double amount did
ring bell in his ears and he quickly agreed putting the tobacco he had spread
out in his right palm into his mouth.
He started the auto and asked me,
“What should I do?”
“Do you have any friend who is in
Marathahalli now with his auto ready to follow us?”
“Yes. But I also have another
friend here. He can follow us from here”
“Just do as I say. Start driving
towards Marathahalli in slow speed. Get into as many Traffic Jams as you can. Stop
at every signal. Start now.”
“What about my friend?”
“Buddy, you will be losing money as
you talk. Questions are good only if the answers for them are coming free”
“Okay Sir. As you say. What we
have to do with the entire world. We have our own small world. Need to run our
family. Need to collect as much money as possible. It’s very costly Sir. No one
even listens to us”
“I will sit with you and listen
to your story once I am out of my own story. The drink will be on me. Now just
drive. I will give pay the bill for this”
“For what Sir?” he asked turning
back.”
“Don’t turn back. I said I will
pay you everything. I am just making a hole at the back”
“Whatttttt??? Sir just tell me
what you are upto. I am feeling scared now. Are you running from someone? Who
are you? I am a poor man. I have a family. Don’t get me mixed into anything”
“Just shut up. Look in the mirror
quietly and don’t change your expression.”
He looked in his rear view mirror
and stopped chewing the tobacco for a second and was about to start talking
something but I interrupted, “Yes I am from some department related to the
Police. You are on the right side of the chase and your help to our department
will be recognized. Just keep doing as you say and some day…” I looked down at
the Driver details printed in front of me and continued, “Ramanna will be known
for his bravery”
He had a smile on his face which
was still confused if it needed to stand out or sleep in. But those words did
work on him and he stopped talking. The first signal where the auto stopped was
the Kundalahalli signal. The day being Sunday, traffic was lot lesser and the
roads were clear. The silver colored Qualis that had been following the auto
had not lost its sight on our auto.
It was neither too far nor too
near to give me any idea of missing it nor to notice the number of persons
following me. It clearly showed they were professionals.
As the signal turned green, I
asked the driver, “Call your friend in Marathahalli and talk normally. He shouldn’t
know what is happening. Then just tell him that he has a pickup in Outer ring
road. Tell him to keep an eye on your auto and then he should be noticing a
silver Qualis with dark windows right behind us.”
He suddenly turned into the right
mirror to look back at the vehicle.
“Stop looking in the mirror. Don’t
make them turn suspicious”
Obediently turning back, he said,
“Sorry Sir”
“Tell him that he has to keep
following that Qualis because the customer is travelling in it and he will be
getting down somewhere in the Ring Road and he needs to pick him up. And one
more thing, don’t call me Sir again”
He dialed the number and started
speaking when I interrupted, “Please don’t look tensed and don’t stop chewing
that tobacco”
The rest of the drive until we
crossed the Marathahalli Bridge, taking a left turn towards the Silk Board, was
silent with most of time keeping an eye on the Qualis. I guessed another
vehicle to be behind us but in no way I could be sure of that.
The team back at the Bureau must,
by now, would have collected more information on this. Every bit of that was a life
saver. I was getting impatient to get my hands on that. If they were
professionals, there would be no chance in getting any CCTV images from the
mall. But still it was not to be left untouched.
As the driver took left and
started driving down towards the ring road, I noticed the Qualis stuck in the
signal. It was the right time as the glass of front left window came down and
the man, a clean shaved man with small hairs, started staring at us not to miss
us. I saw another auto right behind it.
“Is your friend wearing his khaki
jacket on top of his red long sleeved shirt?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Now drive past the bus
stop and make a halt exactly where I say”
He slowed down the speed and
started driving cautiously to be in the fast moving traffic and stopped right
after the bust stop when I asked him. Quickly jumping out of the auto I ran to
the coin phone and called my director again.
“Any inputs from the CCTV cam?”
“You are not stopping right?”
“Quick. Don’t have time.”
“They are damn professionals but
we got clues. Most of the tapes were erased. The security in the office was
attacked.”
“Thanks. I will be at the emergency
point by mid night. Bugged, need to take bath. Captain has chosen to bat first”
“Hmmm. Batting order ready for
match?”
“Lined up for Twenty-Twenty match”
I saw the Qualis coming down the
way and keeping the call quickly walking into the auto, as though in no way
being concerned of anything in the world, asked him to drive as fast as he
could.
The Sun had started setting and
the darkest dusk of my life was setting its foot in Bangalore. A goose chase
had begun and a long battle awaited me. The plan chalked out for the night had
just started taking its form. This was just a tip of the iceberg and I knew the
water as colder and deeper as the iceberg was stronger and deadlier.
The chase continues next Sunday…
Comments Welcome…
Vishal…
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