‘He may look young, Ms Borges, but I assure you, I’ve seen his work and what he’s capable of, and he’s the best field agent I know. Is there anything else?’
‘Yes,’ said Laila. She turned to Brijesh. ‘I know the colonel. Again, I’m wondering at your choices, General. If I’m not mistaken, Colonel Singh took voluntary retirement from the army after being found unfit for duty.’
Till then, Brijesh had sat silently, eyes on the floor. But Laila’s words struck him like a whip. His eyes flashed, and he turned and looked her full in the eye. ‘You may be eminently qualified, madam, but have you ever lost an entire team and been unable to save them? Have you ever watched them die in front of you, knowing their deaths were because of you?’ He spoke quietly and firmly, but there was an immense sadness in his voice.
Laila was taken aback. ‘I–I–I’m sorry. I didn’t—’
‘It doesn’t matter,’ interrupted Waris. ‘I know Brijesh is capable and he’s my first choice for what we’re about to do.’
Kang cleared his throat and spoke. ‘Sir, what are we here for?’
Waris smiled grimly. ‘Retribution, Mr Kang. It’s time to strike back.’
6
28 April 2013
‘The deaths have to look natural.’
There were puzzled looks all around at Waris’s statement. Only Brijesh sat expressionless, staring at a spot on the wall.
Kang leaned forward in his seat. ‘All of them, sir?’
‘Yes.’
‘But sir,’ said Laila, a troubled look on her face. ‘That will complicate matters immensely.’
Waris nodded. ‘I’m sure it will, Ms Borges. But that’s the way it has to be.’
Vikrant spoke up. ‘Correct me if I’m wrong, sir, but these are India’s enemies, and we’re going to kill them. But if they appear to have died of natural causes, how will that get the message across?’
The others nodded in agreement. ‘A clean shot or a garrotte will show them we mean business,’ said Kang. ‘We’re just as deadly as anyone else, and we can do it.’
‘I understand your concern, Kang. And I’m not doubting any one’s abilities. You are among the best, which is why you’ve been chosen for this mission.’
Kang shifted uneasily in his seat. ‘Thank you for your confidence, sir. But I don’t think you’re aware—’
‘About your background? Transferring you from the Chandigarh STF, which was your home base, was a punishment. I know everything, Kang.’
Before Kang could reply, Laila broke in. ‘What do you mean, punishment?’ She eyed Kang quizzically. ‘What did you do?’
‘It wasn’t what he did, it’s what he didn’t do,’ said Waris. ‘Mr Kang here was present at the time of Beant Singh’s assassination. He was charged with dereliction of duty.’
The attention in the room shifted, as everyone first looked at Kang, and then back at Waris. Brijesh stared at Kang, a fierce light in his eyes.
‘Mr Kang was at the top of his class. He was assigned to the Punjab chief minister for protection duty. Then departmental rivalry got him shunted out of the protection unit. But he was at the spot when the assassination was carried out.’
‘I was just outside the secretariat,’ said Kang mechanically, in a low voice. ‘The perimeter was secure. The CM was walking towards his car, and as he was getting in, I saw a man in a police uniform walking towards him. I should have shouted an alert. But I couldn’t take my eyes away from him. It all happened too fast. And then …’ His voice trailed off.
‘I did some background research,’ said Waris gently. ‘Your son had been taken very ill the night before. It is possible that you were already distracted.’
‘I froze, sir. It had never happened to me before. I was the only one who knew what was going on, but I froze. And the minister was killed.’
Waris got up, walked over to Kang and placed a hand on his shoulder. ‘I know what you’re going through, Kang. But what happened that day has got nothing to do with my choosing you for this mission. You’re a good soldier, I know that. And you’re clearly capable, since we all know you saved the prime minister designate from certain death. That’s why you’re here. You’re loyal, obviously quite fearless, you’ve proved that you can overcome the past, and that’s what I need.’
Waris glanced at Brijesh as he spoke, but the younger man’s face was inscrutable. Waris knew that of all of them, Brijesh understood exactly what Kang was going through. He hoped his words would have some effect on Brijesh and bring him out of his own private hell.
‘That’s what I need from all of you,’ Waris said, straightening up. ‘You know your enemy, and I know you want to wipe them off the face of this earth as much as I do. I need your cooperation, your expertise and experience.’
‘But sir,’ said Laila. ‘None of this explains why we can’t simply shoot them dead.’
Waris went back to his desk and sat down. ‘We don’t exist, gentlemen. As far as our colleagues and compatriots are concerned, we are not here. We won’t have support from anyone, not the government, nor any of the agencies. It is only us, a rogue team, if you want to call it that. We cannot let this get back to India. It is a private mission and not a government-sponsored hit job.’
There was a chorus of protests. But Waris quietened them with a raised hand and continued to speak. ‘I know. I understand your indignation. Unfortunately, this is the way it has to be. We are a peaceful, democratic nation, and the world knows us as such. We cannot take the law into our own hands; these people, even though they’re terrorists, need a fair trial in the eyes of the law. But I say we don’t give them that. Just as there was no sense or justice in the case of the hundreds and thousands they have killed, these terrorists don’t deserve our justice. This is war, and if the enemy can intrude on our land and kill our innocent citizens, why can’t we do the same? After all, everything’s fair in love and war.’
‘But sir,’ said Vikrant, ‘how are we different from them then? If we too ignore all the rules and laws, if we too kill whoever we want, don’t we become the same as them?’
‘No, Vikrant, we don’t. They’re violating every principle in the book, so why can’t we? The difference is that they are killing innocents. We will kill the guilty. And it’s because of our standing in the world that we can’t show everyone that we are the ones who killed them. That’s why the deaths have to look natural.’
Finally, Brijesh spoke. ‘And how do we plan to do that, sir?’
Waris smiled and waved at the small man who till now had been quietly observing the proceedings. ‘I believe,’ he said, ‘that Mr Ray is more qualified to answer that question.’
Ray grinned and got up. ‘Sir, with your permission, I’d like to use your desk.’
Waris waved his assent.
Ray walked over to the desk and plonked his backpack down on it. He took out a thin laptop and switched it on. There were no logos on it, and upon Vikrant’s questioning look, he said, ‘Oh, this is a laptop I built. I didn’t like any of the ones on the market. They weren’t, shall we say, efficient enough, and didn’t have any of the designs I wanted.’
He jabbed at the trackpad and a few keys, then suddenly closed the lid. Nothing happened for a second, then the opaque cover of the lid lit up, and a shape formed in the air just above it. Ray was using the laptop as a holographic projector, and instead of a wall or a screen, he was projecting the images in the air.
The others were suitably impressed.
‘I’ve prepared a small presentation using the data Lt Gen. Waris provided me. Observe, please.’
He clicked a small pen in his hand, and five images appeared above the laptop. ‘These are your targets. First, Sabahuddin Umavi: 26/11 mastermind. Second, Wajid Mir: recruiter, trainer and strategist of Lashkar. Third, Damien Bradley: white American, all-round recon man. Fourth, Mahmoud Azhar: fugitive, terrorist. Fifth, Haaris Saeed: the man in charge, the brains behind Lashkar.’
‘Our objective,’ said Waris quietly, ‘is to eliminate ea
ch of these men. With them gone, the Lashkar-e-Toiba will be directionless without a leader. That’s a step in the direction we want to take – to make India safer. Umavi was the mastermind. He’s our first target.’
Ray went on, unperturbed by the interruption, ‘There are several ways in which this can be done. For example, you can attack the target and hold his head underwater. Autopsy will reveal drowning as the cause of death.’
Vikrant shook his head. ‘Difficult. Impossible if there are people around.’
‘Then there is the customary push from high above. The target will fall to his death.’
‘It’ll be difficult to ensure that the target is at an elevation. Do you have anything practical?’
Far from being discouraged, Ray seemed to liven up at the challenge. ‘Well, what about a staged car accident?’
‘And where would we get the equipment and men necessary to do that?’ asked Laila, icily.
‘That’s easy,’ scoffed Ray. ‘It was difficult, back when Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic or even Princess Diana were killed. You needed men, expensive equipment, bribes and God knows what else. Today I can arrange for a software malfunction of the car. It’s easy, all I need to do is to get close enough for wireless access of the car’s onboard computer. I can simply disengage the brakes. Done!’
He looked around, beaming. They’d all been impressed by his holographic trick, but now they were looking at him with newfound respect.
‘That does have possibilities, Ray,’ said Waris. ‘What else?’
Ray looked crestfallen. ‘So we won’t be using that? There are other variations too. If he’s in a lift, I can cut out its brakes, drop it down like a brick. It’ll just be a malfunction!’
‘We might, my dear fellow,’ said Vikrant, chuckling. ‘Depends on the situation.’
Ray nodded. ‘Agreed. Then there’s the anthrax hit. Carry a pellet with anthrax in your gun chamber, wait until the target is clear and fire the pellet. It should pass close to his face so he inhales, and he’s a dead man.The biggest problem is that it has to be fired from close quarters and the bullet has to necessarily explode close to his face. It’s difficult to monitor the bullet movement and the target’s location in such conditions.’
‘Intriguing,’ said Kang, a gleam in his eye.
‘But problematic,’ said Waris. ‘The bullet will be lodged somewhere and can be discovered; if there is anyone else close by, the anthrax will get them too, and anthrax poisoning itself can be detected.’
‘Well then, it looks like the best way we can do it without attracting attention is poison,’ said Ray.
Kang cleared his throat. ‘Poison?’ he said, eyebrows raised. ‘What kind of poison?’
‘Oh, there are thousands of them, take your pick. My favourite is the umbrella shot. You know, the CIA’s weapon in the seventies? The Bulgarian dissident, George what’s-his-name, Markov, I think, was killed with a ricin pellet fired from an umbrella gun. Killed him in minutes.’
‘And where exactly do you think we’ll get the opportunity to use your umbrella gun?’
‘Well, ahem, that’s up to you. I’m just listing possibilities.’
‘What else?’
‘Well, for a time, the frozen poison dart was quite popular. There’s speculation that JFK was killed in that manner. The entire poison mixture is shaped into a tiny dart, maybe mixed with some analgesic, and kept in the chamber at high pressure or a low temperature. Fire it at the target, it pierces the skin, dissolves and mixes with the bloodstream. Death in seconds, and no trace except for the puncture wound.’
‘And won’t they find that?’
‘Not if they’re not looking for it. They’ll assume the death was due to natural causes and won’t even look for a tiny red dot.’
‘What about the poisons themselves?’
‘Well, ricin is a good one. I’m sure all of you know about cyanide. Then there’s arsenic, scopolamine, thallium—’
‘Can they be traced?’ said Laila.
‘I suppose some of them can—’
‘Then they’re no good. What about poisons that can’t be traced?’
‘Well, you have your standard muscle relaxants. Not necessarily poison, since administered in extremely low doses. But a high enough dosage will paralyse and kill. There are some drugs that can do that.’
‘That’s more like it!’ exclaimed Kang.
‘Yes. Then there’s something that I’ve only heard of, but it’s extremely effective. You know how your heart pumps in a set rhythm? When that rhythm is disrupted for a brief period, it’s called arrhythmia. Prolonged arrhythmia is fatal. So you aim at the target’s chest and fire a microwave beam containing extremely low frequency signals given off by the heart. It puts the heart in a chaotic state, and you have a heart attack!’
Waris nodded. ‘That is an interesting piece of information, Ray. However, Umavi is in extremely good shape. He’s muscular, athletic and most importantly, he gets a check-up every month. If he dies of a heart attack, it’ll definitely be suspicious.’
‘Yes,’ said Brjesh. ‘Umavi can’t have a heart attack, and all your poisons will induce something of the sort.’
Now Ray looked faintly anxious. ‘Well then, gentlemen, I’m stumped.’
‘Ray,’ said Waris, grimly. ‘You’re here because you’re the best, because you’re never stumped. That’s why I wanted you and nobody else. Can’t you give us anything else?’
Ray was silent for a minute. Then he said, ‘There might be something, but I cannot guarantee results, sir.’
‘Agreed. Out with it.’
Ray looked around. ‘I’m sure you’re aware that we are made up of strands of DNA. Deoxyribonucleic acid. It’s a sort of gene pool, if you want to think of it that way. All of us have unique—’
‘Ray, I think all of us are acquainted with basic biology.’
‘Yes, sir. Just checking,’ said Ray hurriedly. ‘Now, all DNA has anomalies, weaknesses. We don’t know most of them because, frankly, our technology isn’t that advanced yet. But if I could get a strand of the target’s DNA, I could run some tests, see if there is a specific genetic defect or weakness or anomaly in him. If there is, we can exploit it. But I’m warning you, it’s a long shot.’
‘And how exactly do you propose we get Umavi’s DNA?’ exclaimed Kang. ‘Do you expect us to simply saunter over and ask him for it?’
‘There’s no need to be so dramatic, Kang,’ said Laila. ‘It can be done.’
‘But how?’
‘We do it ourselves here, as training for our IB candidates. They’re all given a target and told to find out everything they can about him: background, history, family, medical records, everything, all in just forty-eight hours. So they tail the fellow for a while and then visit his house, posing as a polio census executive. Then they ask him or his wife all kinds of questions and get all the details. Simple.’
‘I’ve heard of this,’ said Vikrant. ‘The CIA do it too. Call up some poor chap and tell them to answer a survey or something, ask some dumb questions like, do they read Playboy or do they use condoms or vibrators, and then slip the important questions in between.’
‘What happens if they refuse to answer?’ smiled Waris, persisting for the benefit of his team though he was sold.
‘Well, they tell them they’ll get a free one-year subscription to Playboy if they complete the survey,’ grinned Vikrant. ‘Who’s going to say no to that?’
‘Indeed. But I don’t see us being able to replicate either of those methods in Pakistan.’
‘Sir, do you remember the plutonium mission?’ asked Brijesh.
‘Ah yes, I seem to remember something,’ Waris replied, frowning. ‘Remind us, Brijesh.’
‘It was in the 1980s. We were worried that Pakistan was becoming nuclear capable. The IB had to know how pure their plutonium was, what grade they were using. There was no way we could find out. So they activated an IB asset and instructed him to monitor a barber’s shop close t
o the nuclear plant. The fellow stole the hair from the barber’s bin and smuggled it out to India in a doll’s tummy. The IB got the plutonium grade by examining the strand of hair.’
Ray’s eyes were gleaming. ‘Can you get me Umavi’s hair? I don’t need much, just a couple of strands.’
‘It can be arranged,’ said Waris. ‘I’ll make a few calls, see what I can do.’ He picked up his cell phone from the desk and started walking towards the door when Ray called after him.
‘Mind you, sir, I’m not saying I’ll find anything.’
‘I know. But then again, you might find something.’
‘You always said the sky’s the limit for you, Sky. No harm in becoming a barber for a change.’
‘Very funny.’
‘Well, you heard what I told you. Do you have someone in Pakistan?’
‘I have quite a few someones, Ali.’
‘Today is Wednesday. These mullah types get their beards and moustaches trimmed on Fridays – get me a few hairs.’
‘That’s in two days. You’ll get your hair in four.’
This time it was raining, well past midnight. The team huddled together in Waris’s study, which was cold despite the warmth emanating from the heater.
They were talking in low voices, outlining the risks of various methods, activating their networks across the country, listening to information as it poured in from all quarters.
Suddenly the door burst open and Ray came running in, shouting and waving a piece of paper in the air.
‘I’ve got it, sir! I’ve found it!’
Waris asked quizically, ‘What have you found, Ray?’
‘Exactly what I was hoping to find, sir! It was a real piece of luck, I can tell you that much.’ Ray was almost dancing in his excitement.
‘All right, all right, calm down. What did you find?’
‘Allergy, sir!’
‘Allergy?’
‘You know how we’re all allergic to something?’
‘Nonsense,’ said Kang. ‘I’m not allergic to anything!’
Ray clicked his tongue in exasperation. ‘But that’s exactly the point, Kang! Everybody is allergic to something. It’s just that you don’t know what it is. And if it’s a rare one, it’s impossible to tell, unless you know what you’re looking for.’
Mumbai Avengers Page 6