Operation Deep Strike

by Rahul Badami

  “But, this is a valuable opportunity. Not sure if we will get another one like this.”

  Shafiq understood that the General wanted him to eliminate the High Value Targets all by himself. If he was captured or killed, he would be completely disavowed. It was the standard protocol of espionage. “Yes sir, I will do my best.” He paused and then continued, “Sir, if I am not able to...”

  “I have been thinking of that. The other option is an overt strike on the camp. But since the camp is in a foreign land, that will be the last possible recourse.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “In the meanwhile, you move forward as decided. If you get in a fix, call me.”

  “Will do. I will send a status report every hour. If you do not hear from me even after three hours, assume the worst.”

  There was a pause and then General Singh replied. “I will be here, waiting for your next update. I know you will do well.”

  “Thanks Chief.” Shafiq terminated the call.

  Zia walked as if he was in the air. The slight he had faced a few minutes ago was forgotten. Malik gave me an important job. I am indispensable. It was time for him to show them who was the boss around here. They doubted his potential and his killing abilities. He would show them once and for all.

  They would understand that Malik evaluated his abilities and found him deserving enough to lead his own unit. Today, they will know that Zia is the true hero of Allah. A fearless warrior.

  Suddenly a figure caught his eye. It looked like Shafiq and he was talking to the guard at the entrance to the resort.

  Is that Shafiq? Zia couldn't be sure. The entrance was far away, but his profile and mannerisms resembled that of Shafiq’s. The man passed the gate and disappeared beyond the compound wall.

  What is he doing talking with the guards? He should be with the rest of the team. If it’s Shafiq, he's going to have it from me. Its time he understands that I make the decisions around here.

  Zia walked towards the entrance wondering if he was still right about his hunch that it was Shafiq. It could have been anyone.

  Zia gave the guards a contemptible stare. “Who was the person who just went outside?”

  “I don't know. Probably out to get a smoke.” One of the guards replied.

  “You incompetent fools, your job is to question anyone who comes in or goes out.” Saying so, he moved past the guards and looked outside. But beyond the white expanse of snow on the plateau, it was deserted.

  Now, where did he go? Zia muttered.

  Zia took a left from the entrance and kept walking around. His eyes roving across the white plains trying to locate the unknown stranger who had inexplicably vanished. The wind was picking up, inducing a biting pain in his ear. In a few minutes it could start snowing. He turned back to the resort entrance hoping to shelter himself. As he reached the entrance, he espied a track of footprints made by someone recently. Zia smiled an evil grin.

  He had found his man.

  As he followed the track, he could pick out a faint voice through the wind that was sweeping the plains. Intrigued he walked cautiously. It appeared that two people were in a meeting. He wasn't sure what they were meeting about, but if this was the place that they had selected, far away from the others, it meant that it was private. Zia loved snooping on other people and discovering their secrets. He inched closer. The sound was coming from beyond a clutch of rocks at the base of the cliff a little ahead. He reached closer, and inched his head over the boulders.

  He couldn't believe it. It wasn't two persons speaking, but only one. And he couldn't miss the familiar back of the head that was visible in the midst of the small clearing.

  It was Shafiq. It appeared that he was communicating with someone.

  But who?

  As he stood at the edge of the boulders wondering, he heard Shafiq say, “Thanks Chief.” and it went quiet after that.

  Zia’s mind did a double-take. Shafiq had just called someone as Chief.

  It could only mean one thing.

  He was working for someone else.

  Zia pulled out his sub-machine gun. He wanted some answers.

  Shafiq shut down the communication device within the magazine and placed it in his pocket and took a deep breath. He knew the task the General had given him was a tall order. Kill three terrorist leaders and exit from the camp without any of the other hundred terrorists around knowing about it.

  It was not just impossible. It was an invitation to certain death.

  But Shafiq wasn’t a stranger to death. He wasn’t afraid of it. He was a professional. He would perform the task unemotionally with no regard for his safety. If need be, he would kill as many people as he could before he died.

  He wrapped his arms and slapped his shoulders. It had started to get chilly. It was time to return to the relative comfort of the cottage. He was about to pick up his gun, when he heard a voice.

  “Put your hands up, Shafiq.”

  Shafiq froze in surprise. He twisted his head and found Zia, wielding a submachine gun pointed at him.

  “No sudden moves or it will be the last thing you do.” Zia pushed the barrel of the gun into his chest. “Now, you will answer a few questions. Who were you talking with?”

  Shafiq wondered how long Zia had been listening to his call with the General. He guessed that he hadn’t heard much. If Zia had understood that he was working for the Indian intelligence agency, he would have directly shot him. Maybe he listened to the last few words and gathered only enough to know he was working for someone else. Shafiq kept quiet, his eyes locked into Zia’s, waiting for him to make a mistake. But Zia’s gaze never wavered.

  “So you won’t answer me. Well, if you don’t tell me I will have to kill you.”

  Shafiq’s lips curled at one end in a wry smile. Zia was threatening to kill him if he didn’t reveal everything. Who did Zia think he was fooling?

  Shafiq knew how it worked. Once he told the truth, he would be killed anyway. Shafiq kept a stoic silence knowing that it would madden Zia.

  But Zia was unperturbed. “Looks like we will have to do this the hard way.” He circled Shafiq and poked the barrel of the gun in his back. “You will come with me inside. And there I will expose you as a traitor in front of our brothers. Now move it.”

  Shafiq’s mind raced as he was pushed ahead at gunpoint to the resort entrance. Once he got inside, he would be outnumbered and at a disadvantage. Whatever he had to do, he had to do it in the next few seconds.

  He twisted his head to glance at Zia.

  “Eyes straight ahead or I will shoot you.” Zia growled.

  Shafiq side-stepped suddenly and twisted his torso out of the line of fire. Zia let loose a round of shots. Shafiq winced with pain as one of the bullets tore through the side of his stomach.

  But he didn’t have time to glance at it. Zia was reloading his gun, and the next volley would be fatal. He swung around his fist hoping to knock his skull, but Zia was faster. He dodged out of the way and gave a rousing kick to Shafiq in the crotch.

  An intense pain rippled through Shafiq’s abdomen as the kick struck hard. His knees buckled and he instinctively clutched his hands between his legs. It was a mistake. He had lowered his defences. His eyes were blurry with tears of pain, but he could see the butt of a gun rushing fast towards him encompassing his entire vision. Zia had wasted no time in taking advantage of the situation.

  The butt struck his face with a resounding thud, and Shafiq’s vision changed to a painful dazzle of exploding white lights.

  Then everything turned dark.

  Chapter 30

  “That high-end tablet really looks incongruous lying among the rocks.” Eagle's cheerful voice hummed in Roshan's ears.

  They were at the top of a tiny hill ten kilometres from the KP facility. From this vantage point Roshan could see for miles around. The narrow road they had just used to drive down here was completely devoid of cars or traffic. Nobody could have followed them in the deserted stretch t
hat marked this part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

  “Now that's what I call real-time.” Roshan heard Armaan's voice twice. First, directly from a few feet across, and secondly from the secured communication earpiece that was unobtrusively inserted into his ear. The earpiece was a technological marvel. It was extremely small and fit snugly into his ear canal. The earpiece was virtually undetectable. The team and Eagle were all tuned on a secure satellite relay that would allow them to communicate with each other from anywhere in the world.

  “Not quite real-time, but very close.” Eagle said. “The satellite goes over you every fifteen minutes. We get a time-lapsed view here at HQ.”

  Armaan said, “I find it very reassuring that I have got an eye literally looking over me from above, sitting in judgement over my every action.”

  “So be it, my child.” Eagle's tone had a touch of derision.

  “Don't tell me you can zoom in on everything that we are doing.” Roshan echoed Armaan's sentiment. “It’s like I am being stalked. I feel naked.”

  “Not sure about being naked but I can even tell the colour of your underwear from here.” A shrill cackle emitted in his earpiece. It looked like Eagle loved his new role of playing God over them.

  Roshan looked north. The hill they were on was just the starting point of a mountainous range that stretched adjacent to the target facility and continued beyond. They were on a ridge and the mountains ahead were capped at their peaks with snow. He looked at the satellite image of the area on his tablet and tried to understand his relative position with respect to the facility. Hitesh was watching him and he pointed at a jagged peak of a mountain.

  “It's on the foothills of that mountain.”

  Roshan nodded impressed with Hitesh. He had precisely determined their location from the myriad hills and vales that he was seeing on the screen. Roshan looked at the mountain and back at the tablet. He peered at the multicoloured depressions and elevations that made up the contours on the map. They all still looked the same to him. He panned and zoomed the map alternatively and then raised his hands in frustration and gave up trying to figure it out. Hitesh laughed looking at his confusion.

  “You are better with weapons. Let me handle the technical side of things.” Hitesh picked up the tablet and spoke to Eagle. “What do you see up ahead?”

  “The path over the mountains is a mixed bag. At some places it’s a steep climb, and at other places it’s a level walk. You should reach the observation point within three hours.”

  “How about weather?” Armaan asked.

  “It may snow tonight. Wind is steady, but not threatening.”

  “Roads?”

  “The roads ahead are deserted till the facility.”

  “Any patrol on the mountains?”

  “None.”

  “Copy that.” Armaan said. “Roshan and Hitesh will be at the observation point, while Baldev and I will get inside the facility.”

  Before leaving for Karak, they had discussed their approach to the facility and had eventually decided that Armaan and Baldev would take the role of visiting scientists and Hitesh and Roshan would act as their lookout from an adjacent mountain that gave a clear view of the facility. Roshan hadn't been sure what their role entailed, but they had all agreed that it was best that they split up with two people getting inside the facility, two outside on a mountain and Eagle monitoring them from headquarters.

  Roshan looked at Armaan and Baldev. They had both donned white suits and white trousers; Armaan had said it made them appear like scientists, while Baldev had frowned that his tie would cut off his air circulation.

  The Israeli had said that Mohammed Tahir, their contact at the facility had informed security that he was expecting guests today. So their entry would be pretty smooth. Hitesh and Roshan would reach the lookout spot before Armaan and Baldev, and set up an observation post overlooking the facility.

  “All right,” Armaan declared, “it’s time for a buddy check.” They made pairs and faced each other. Hitesh and Roshan double checking each other’s equipment while Baldev and Armaan did the same between them. The difference being Armaan and Baldev checked to make sure they weren’t carrying any weapons. Once they had completed the buddy check, Armaan walked up to Roshan.

  “We make plans, but it is rare that plans are executed perfectly. Keep an eye out for any patrols in the mountains, though Eagle has said that there are none. And most important, don't get caught.”

  Roshan nodded solemnly. Armaan and Baldev would be taking up the car that was currently parked at the foot of the hill and drive it to the facility. They would leave once Roshan and Hitesh reached the observation post. It was a thirty minute drive to the facility and Eagle had informed them that the road ahead was devoid of traffic.

  Roshan looked at their destination. A far-away peak clad with snow. There appeared to be four mountains between them and their destination. The wind picked up conspiring to fight against his will, but he ignored the biting chill on his cheeks and started to trudge through the rocks, balancing the Vidhwansak that was strapped to his shoulder. Hitesh followed close behind him.

  “Good luck, boys.” Roshan heard Armaan call out behind his back. He raised a thumbs-up sign as he walked forward.

  Roshan was happy to be trekking the mountain ridge. Even though it was strenuous, it was better than being cramped in a tight space like he had been for the six hour journey from Sargodha. He was glad to be out in the open and be able to flex his arms and legs.

  He had seen Armaan and Baldev venturing down the hill when they were leaving. They would stay in the car waiting for them to reach the observation post and then move out once they were ready.

  Roshan looked at Hitesh. “It's a good day to be out in nature, isn't it?”

  Hitesh simply grunted. Roshan realized that as an analyst, Hitesh didn't have the same gruelling training that he had. He could endure harsh environments. It looked like Hitesh had never experienced anything like this.

  “Have you been trained for cold mountainous region?” Roshan asked.

  “No, we only went through the standard training. As desk analyst designates, we never received advanced training.”

  “You are getting that training now.” He heard Armaan's voice in his ear. They had decided to keep the communication lines open. That way they would keep in touch with each other in case they were suddenly ambushed, which was a very real threat this close to a military outpost.

  “I guess I am.” Hitesh had a wry smile on his face. “Though I would have liked if I had got advanced notice about this so called involuntary training.”

  Roshan chuckled. He remembered when they were doing the Advanced Level training, it had seemed inhumane. The level of physical and mental stress had been insanely high. He had joked to a colleague that the training could be probably the worst thing he would endure during his career.

  “Maybe they are doing it on purpose.” Roshan had quipped at that time. “To see if we can withstand this brutality.”

  “It's possible,” the colleague had remarked. “Only the best of the best graduate through the training.”

  A few days of training later, the colleague had not reached the benchmarks required for the next level and had been told to return to his existing team. Roshan had ploughed on. Every day he got to see more and more soldiers being dismissed. When their trainer informed them that the training had finished, Roshan had been in such a stressful grip that he couldn't believe it and thought of it as another test for them. When the commanding officer told them they were now part of an elite unit, Roshan had looked around; only a handful remained out of the hundreds he had seen on the first day of training. He had somehow made it through with grim determination.

  “Someone once said, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger.” Armaan's words brought him back into the present. “Let us see if we can survive through the day.”

  “We will,” Hitesh replied. “We are well prepared.”

  Roshan smiled. “We are always
well prepared, but eventually all hell breaks loose.”

  “We will know in some time.” Armaan said. “Let's be on radio silence till you boys reach your destination.”

  Roshan and Hitesh trudged through the snow. They were now only a mountain away from their designated location. Further up, he could see the mountain rising high up in the sky. This was the toughest part of the trail, Eagle had warned them.

  “There's the goat trail.” Hitesh pointed towards it. Eagle had informed them that there was a small trail that cut through the penultimate mountain and they slowly made their way to it.

  Roshan looked at the trail and his heart sank. It was narrow and only two feet across on the face of the mountain. A high wall on one side and a sheer drop on the other.

  “I hope you were trained in mountaineering.” Roshan said peering down at the foot of the hills far below. Any sane person would have got vertigo.

  “I have got this.” Hitesh replied and effortlessly started tiptoeing across the narrow trail. Roshan watched Hitesh; he seemed to be comfortable balancing himself as he used his hands to grip the clefts in the mountain face. Roshan watched him for a moment and then followed him.

  The duffel bag dug into Roshan's shoulder as he shuffled behind Hitesh.

  The narrow trail expanded into a small clearing fifty metres ahead. Roshan tried to focus on one step at a time, but the weight of the duffel bag topped by the Vidhwansak cutting in his shoulder distracted him. He leaned into the mountain face telling himself to imagine that he was just playing a slow step shuffling exercise in the army camps, but the biting breeze reminded him of where he was. He wasn't afraid of heights but the situation was debilitating his logical response.

  “We are almost there.” Hitesh said.

  Roshan looked at the clearing, just ten feet away and he was tempted to jump across, but he held himself back. He watched as Hitesh sensibly and slowly made his way to the end of the trail and lightly stepped on solid ground. Roshan followed closely behind him and eventually they were both on the other side, safe and not worse for wear.