by Rahul Badami
“Great. Walk me through this.”
“The facility is surrounded on three sides by mountains and a river on the fourth side. There are no civilian buildings for miles around. The only approach as you can see is via a bridge that crosses over the river. High walls of around ten feet surround the facility on all sides. On both corners of the front perimeter there are two guard towers that monitor the entry road and the bridge. The access road ends at the gate. The gate is at the southern end of the facility. The U-shaped mountain acts as a natural shield on its north, east and west sides.”
“Got it. Mountains on three sides. Sole access via a road from the south. Are there any entry or exit paths through the mountains?”
“I saw some goat trails when I zoomed in on the mountains. But nothing man-made. Like I said the mountains act like a natural barrier. Once you get inside the compound, on your right is a parking lot. Adjacent to the parking lot is the barracks for the guards. Next to the barracks is a flat structure that houses multiple missile bays. Further ahead is the main facility. It is a rectangular behemoth of two stories taking up the entire area–”
“One question.” Armaan interrupted. “I also noticed that's its only two stories tall. That seems a little small for a missile facility.”
“Yeah,” Eagle said, “That is where things get interesting. But having the latest cutting edge satellite technology helps. Not only can our satellites give crystal clear images even if the place of interest is under cloud cover, but with the breakthroughs in Synthetic-Aperture Radar imaging technologies, we can get to see right through the roof and walls of the facility.”
“And you found something.” Armaan probed.
“Yes,” Eagle's voice was full of pride. “Not only were we able to see through the two stories, but I discovered four additional floors beneath the two visible stories.”
It took a moment for it to sink in. “The facility has four floors extended under the ground?” Roshan asked. What were the Pakistanis doing in this facility? Four underground floors built such that no one could observe it from afar, except for the technological miracle they had on their side. A place surrounded by mountains and a river, isolated and impregnable. It seemed ominous.
“Yes.” Eagle replied, “Also, the site has missile launch pads as well which means they can manufacture and deploy the missiles from a single location. I will try to gather any other piece of information that I can get. This Eagle will keep an eagle eye on the target. Talk to you soon.”
“Copy that, Eagle.”
“Things seem to finally going well for us.” Armaan said. “We have the imagery. The facility does look curious. Eagle has given us the overview. Hitesh, you study the images that Eagle has given. I would like to hear your thoughts as well once you are done.”
“Sure.” Hitesh replied.
“Good,” Armaan turned to the others. “Next, I will contact the Israeli and tell him we will need an entry into the Karak facility. He should be able to work with his agent to give us the access.”
Roshan watched Armaan move into the other room. He heard Armaan speak with the Israeli on the phone. Now the only thing left was to decide when to infiltrate the facility. The sooner the better. He wondered if their escape had been noticed. Hitesh had checked the news websites; he hadn't seen any information that related to their capture or subsequent escape. It was best that they finish the mission ASAP and exfil. He still didn't have any idea of how they were going to traverse the entire length of Pakistan and reach the coast without getting caught at the routine check-posts or avoid the CTD and the ISI who by all indications were actively pursuing them.
“Shalom.” Roshan’s mind was immediately riveted to Armaan as he expressed his goodbye to the Israeli on the phone. A moment later Roshan heard Armaan’s voice from the other room.
“We have a problem.”
Armaan came out of the room and answered the questioning stares. “The Israeli’s contact will be going to Rawalpindi for a conference the day after tomorrow.”
“Why is that a problem?”
“We were going to lie low for a while. Well, we cannot do that now. We have to move to KP, because Tahir is the only person who can give us access.”
“Tahir?”
“Mohammed Tahir. He is the Israeli's contact. Once he leaves the facility, it will be impossible for us to gain access so easily. We will have to move ahead on our plans.”
Roshan thought about it. This was unravelling a little too quickly. He looked at Hitesh. The analyst didn't look too pleased. “How are we going to get out of here? We don't have a ride.”
“I will look around for a local rental. Be back soon.”
“You do that.” Baldev said. He turned to Hitesh. “Get me all the details you can of our destination. I don't want to be caught unprepared.”
Hitesh took out the tablet. “I'm on it.”
Baldev squeezed next to Hitesh, and gave instructions as they waded through the data that populated on the screen.
Gorbat blinked his eyes rapidly. It didn't help. He still felt sleepy. The morning haze on the highway made driving difficult. He wasn't sure if it was his sleepiness or the fog. He lowered the window of the car that he had borrowed from Bugti. The blast of air that rushed through the window helped. The fresh air cleared his head a bit.
It was early morning and the N-5 highway was nearly deserted save for a few trucks. Gorbat was driving at ninety kmph. He again blinked his eyes, a slight headache developing. He had driven till two in the night, and had only stopped when he had suddenly woken up and found an incoming truck frantically honking at him. He had swerved to his side of the road just in time, his heart thudding in his chest. He had promptly braked to a stop at the side of the highway and had told himself that he would sleep if only for a few hours. He couldn't remember when he had last slept.
Gorbat had parked on the side of the highway and dozed off immediately. It had been a fitful sleep that had ended when the early light of the dawn had pierced the sky. He had woken up freezing in the open plains.
Gorbat wanted to reach Sargodha at the earliest before the Indians. He wasn't sure how they would be coming to Sargodha, but he was pretty sure they would follow the road, just as he had. They wouldn't go by air. When they reached Sargodha, he would be ready for them.
He saw a signboard up ahead on the road and turned off the highway. He made his way to the Central Ammunition Depot. He knew that there were only three places around Sargodha that the Indians would be interested in. The air-force base, the Central Ammunition Depot and the Khushab nuclear plant.
He stopped in front of the barricade and showed his Counter-Terrorism Department ID card to the guard manning the entrance.
“Inspector Gorbat Khan of the Quetta CTD. I am here to meet the Security Head.”
The guard made a call and spoke for a few seconds. A moment later he beckoned Gorbat. Gorbat leaned into the narrow guardhouse as the guard handed him the phone. He held the phone to his ear.
“Inspector Gorbat Khan, this is Major Ijaz Ibrahim. I am the Head of Security here. How may I help you?” Ijaz spoke from the other end.
“Major, I need to meet you. There is an emerging threat that we need to discuss.”
“Inspector Khan, could you be more specific? Maybe I can help you.”
“Yes, I have credible intelligence that spies may try to attack installations in Sargodha. I am not sure which one, but I thought that it’s best that every facility in the area is alerted.”
“You are too late, Inspector.” the voice turned mocking. “Our men neutralized the threat you speak of.”
“What?” Gorbat grabbed the phone tighter. The Indians had already reached here? “Where are they? The spies I mean.”
“They are dead. Our security forces killed them as they attempted to infiltrate the facility.”
“I need to see the bodies and take custody of their belongings.”
“I don't think that's possible. They were caught in an Army f
acility, so this matter is not under the jurisdiction of the CTD. We will be completing the necessary formalities. Till then I request that you keep the matter quiet and don't raise it. It is a matter of national security and prestige.”
“But, shouldn't we work together? We can pool our intelligence and learn more about why these spies were here.”
“Yes, we will. You know what, if I need your help, I will call up the Quetta CTD and ask for you. Have a good day.”
The line disconnected. Gorbat looked at the receiver in disbelief. The Security head had refused to even allow him inside. Moreover, he hadn't given him any information on how the Indians had died. The Security head had completely dismissed his presence.
Gorbat stomped back to the car in anger. The Army had always been cagey about their facilities. He knew that Ijaz wouldn't call him again. As he turned on the ignition and backed the car out of the premises, he realized that his chase was over.
The Indian spies were killed by the army. Gorbat supposed he should be happy. But instead he felt empty.
Ijaz watched the video feed that was streaming in from the camera installed at the gate. He watched Gorbat drive away. A smug satisfaction crossed his face.
The enemy of an enemy is my friend.
Ijaz had anticipated that someone would come questioning in about the Indians. It was virtually impossible that they would not create a trail. The trail had ended at his door and he had smudged out the footprints.
Now the CTD couldn't do anything but seethe in anger. The CTD was a powerful force in Pakistan, but none matched the authority of the Army. Even the PM couldn't influence what the Army could or couldn't do.
Pakistan was a strange democracy, Ijaz smirked. There were four factions in Pakistan and everyone thought they had the power. They were the politicians, the terrorists, the army and the common Pakistanis.
Each of them were deluded into thinking they were the most important faction, when in reality, only the Army had the true power. Being a part of the Army, Ijaz would do his utmost to use that power and influence to reach his goals.
Chapter 27
Shafiq looked at the winding roads passing along the mountainside. They were surrounded by lush green fields that reached up to the snow-clad mountains on both sides of the road. The road was narrow and ascending slowly upwards. The Kunduz brothers had said that they would go north to a secret location in the mountains.
He was sitting with the others in the rear of the truck. It was nearly dark inside except for streaks of light that escaped between the wooden planks making parallel beams of light on the faces of his comrades. The roof of the truck was covered with tarpaulin. The truck creaked as it negotiated the twisted roads and the engine groaned on the bumpy road that kept ascending upwards. The vehicle slowed to a stop forty minutes later.
A small slot at the front of the cargo area that connected to the driver’s cabin slid open. A voice whispered from the slot.
“Everyone, stay quiet.”
The mood in the back immediately tensed. Shafiq gripped his weapon close, finger on the trigger. He saw others sit up straight and gather their weapons. Shafiq peeked through the wooden walls of the compartment. The walls were beams nailed together and one could see the outside through the thin spaces between the beams.
They had approached a sentry check point. The sign next to it read Mattani Check-post followed by the words: Please be ready with your identity papers.
He looked at the guards. Two of them were patrolling the road and one of them was sitting inside the guardhouse. Nazal had said that there would be checkpoints along the way, but they would not be a problem. Shafiq wondered what Nazal would do.
As he dwelt upon it, he saw Nazal get down from the cabin and approached the guard with a smile. He reached into his pocket and surreptitiously handed the sentry a wad of cash. The sentry nodded at him and waved to his colleague in the guardhouse to let them through. Nazal climbed back into the cabin and the vehicle started.
Shafiq watched the guards as they passed through the check-post. They looked bored and didn’t give their vehicle a second glance, but he stared at them warily till the truck turned a corner and the check-post went out of his line of sight.
They reached their destination two hours later. As Shafiq exited from the truck, he took a deep breath and inhaled the ice-cold air. They were on a high plateau surrounded by mountains. The mountains in front of him were grey, and the ones far off were white with snow. A sprawling resort had been constructed on the plateau with around a dozen cottages. The ground was covered in a thin layer of snow. In the middle of the plateau was an enormous villa. He looked down at the valley they had come from. The place was isolated for miles around.
A couple of persons were waiting for them, obviously their hosts. The Kunduz brothers and Malik greeted them.
“Welcome brothers.” The hosts embraced them.
“This place is beautiful,” Nazal said.
“Yes, it’s a legitimate resort, exclusive and private, but no one knows it’s ours.”
The hosts led the group to their cottages. The cottages were spacious with all possible luxuries the resort could boast of.
“This is where you will make your accommodations.” As Shafiq and his colleagues glanced around, the host said, “Don’t get too cosy in here. It’s a temporary stop.”
“When is the meeting set up?” Malik asked their host.
“You are the last group to arrive. We start in a few minutes at the villa.”
Fifteen minutes later, Shafiq joined Malik and the others as they made their way to the villa. He trudged through the snow taking in the natural beauty of the place. Zia was already in the lead exhorting others to hurry. They entered the villa. Inside the villa was a huge open square. They joined the throng of people that sat on the outskirts of the arena. There were around a hundred people already. Most of them were unfamiliar to him.
A hush suddenly descended on the audience as three men entered. Shafiq craned his neck to see the newcomers over the jostling and shouting men around him.
The newcomers greeted the crowd, “As-salaam Alaikum!”
“Walaikum Salaam!” The crowd thundered.
Shafiq's eyes widened as he looked at the speakers. It was unbelievable. He recognised Hamza Bin Laden, one of the numerous sons of Osama Bin Laden and the current leader of the Al-Qaeda. The second man was Najib Mushtaq, leader of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, and the third was Muhammed Akbaruddin, the leader of the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar.
It was even inconceivable that their group had been invited to this gathering. Shafiq wondered how the varied groups had come together. Someone had done a lot of rapprochement to get all these diverse groups together. He wondered what it meant. It seemed he wasn't the only one surprised. Others were also talking in hushed whispers.
Hamza Bin Laden, Najib Mushtaq and Muhammed Akbaruddin appeared pleased as they watched the gathering.
“Brothers, welcome.” Hamza said. “First of all I thank you for your support in the fight that we are battling against the enemies of Allah. Today will go down as one of the most important dates in the history of our Islamic brotherhood. And you, my brothers in blood will strike a decisive blow in the heart of the enemy. Amongst all our successes, perhaps September 11, 2001 is the most highly acclaimed day in our history. But now, today will be marked as a red-letter day surpassing the deeds that our valiant brothers accomplished many years ago.”
Hamza paused as his words were received with cheers and shouts from the crowd. He continued, “Yes, my brothers. You will be the new heroes, the warriors that will take part in the holiest of wars against the infidels. Your names will be inscribed on the tablets of history. Mark my words; today will be the day of reckoning for our enemies. In fact, September 11 will pale in comparison to what you are going to do.”
Shafiq tried to make sense of what he had just heard. The crowd around him went delirious with joy. The crescendo of voices roused up, deafening in its pitch. The vibes
of exultation from the crowd were contagious. Shafiq focused on the words of Hamza. His words still echoed in his ears.
September 11 will pale in comparison...
He mulled over it. Around three thousand people had died in the Twin Tower crash. What were they looking at? Five thousand dead? Ten thousand? He wasn't sure.
If Hamza was right, this would be the biggest terrorist attack of the decade. If that was the case, he would be involved in the biggest mission since he was recruited. Curiosity gnawed at him. He had to know more about the plan.
Hamza continued, “Brothers, we are the chosen ones. We will have a few senior people to lead the teams. We will divide the teams into smaller units, and each unit will have its own commander. You will be notified what to do next by your designated commander. Remember, if you die in today’s jihad you will get to experience the pleasures of heaven. Fight with all your might.”
Hamza raised his hands in the air. “Nara-e-Takbeer!” He roared.
“Allah-u-Akbar!” The response from the gathering was deafening.
Hamza and the two leaders turned and exited to their quarters. The crowd started to disperse. Shafiq snaked his way through the crowd in the direction of Malik. Malik was speaking to someone but Shafiq interrupted him.
“Malik, I want to be one of the commanders to lead the units.”
Malik looked at him, distracted. “Oh, I have already shortlisted four people for leading our units. You will report to Zia's unit. Go find him and he will give you your orders.” Malik turned his back on him before he even had a chance to say something.
Shafiq turned around stiffly and walked at a fast pace, fuming to himself. He exited the villa. A cool breeze wafted through the air, but it couldn’t dissipate his anger. Zia would now make life hell for him. Malik had told him to report to Zia. He hoped that Zia would be in a good mood.
Shafiq saw his men in front of the cottages. They had grouped into four units. Zia was talking to one of the groups.