by Kumar L
As Ryan proceeded towards their transport to drive them back, Anara held his arm. “Let's take a walk, Ryan. I want to clear my head. I also intend to keep my promise and show you around the area. And it'll be better if we can talk in private.”
Leaving the transport behind in the parking lot, the three of them exited the gate of the facility to turn right onto the old Shahid Bhagat Singh Road. It felt good to be back in the open air and feel the moisture-laden breeze from the sea just a few yards away. She, Ryan and Rawat walked ahead while Abhiram trailed behind just out of earshot.
“What's troubling you, Rawat? Why'd you leave Ryan alone at the hospital?” Anara came down straight to business.
“I just went to check the security details at the hospital. I don't like what I see, Captain. For all the noise surrounding the humans of Proxima, the hospital offers minimal security. I'd have never allowed a place and people of such vital importance to be left unprotected like this.”
“Maybe it's just their way of avoiding unwanted publicity. The less overt display of security, the better. They must be having fast responders around that place. And it is a hospital after all, not an armed naval base.”
Rawat shook his head. “That may be so, Captain but I have scouted the place. It is minimally guarded. I don't like it at all. What if the TrueKifs turned up looking for Lucy and Joe? I’ve asked my commanding officer to help review the security measures. He's promised to see what he can do, but I'm not very hopeful.”
“Also,” Rawat continued, “this guy, Abhiram, has been dogging our steps ever since we left NIA station. Why do we need to be trailed? Are we not the good guys here? I don't like it at all, Captain,” he repeated.
“You are being paranoid. Tej must have sent him along to protect us,” countered Ryan.
“Am I being paranoid, Commander? Then why has she not kept us in the loop about the progress in the investigation? And tell me, how exactly will one person be able to protect us? Something is going on. Every instinct tells me so.”
Anara kept quiet as they walked down the side of the road and entered Colaba market. Once an area chock-full of vehicles and tourists 24 hours a day, it'd been designated vehicle free and had been bereft of traffic for many years now. They turned right, next to the iconic Taj Mahal Hotel and reached the seafront. The majestic frontage of the hotel had not changed over the last century, and the hotel itself was still popular with travelers to Mumbai.
“There might be a reason for all this, Major but I don't think you will like it,” she finally spoke up as they walked straight towards the Gateway of India, dodging sundry tourists and hawkers of trinkets and street food. Some things will never change in India, thought Anara, looking at the crowds around her. It felt good to see the activity around her.
“And what might that be, Captain?”
“You heard the discussion about someone on Earth helping the aliens, right? Well, guess what - I think Tej believes that's us.”
“What?” exclaimed Ryan and Rawat together.
“Keep your voices down! We don't want to draw unnecessary attention,” commanded Anara.
“But that is preposterous! I'm a decorated soldier, and so is Ryan. Surely, there can be no doubt of your allegiance. We did not travel four light-years away from Earth just to be branded as traitors when we return.”
Anara laughed mirthlessly. “Traitors may be too strong a word right now. Suspicious would be more like it. That's how the intelligence services work. You of all people should know this, Major. To them, everyone is guilty until proven innocent. Even you must admit - the crew of Antariksh is the most likely candidate to help the aliens. No one else has had contact with the TrueKifs except us.” She was interrupted by Rawat glancing at his palm as a call came in. He looked at her apologetically, and when she nodded, he moved aside a few steps to attend the call while his companions waited patiently.
Rawat came back shortly while Abhiram continued to watch the entire scene being played out. “Sorry. That was just someone from the crew checking in. I told him the humans from HuZryss are fine at the naval hospital and so are we. Good to know there are some decent people around still interested in our friends from HuZryss. Anyway, back to the earlier discussion, Captain. If what you said is true and the three of us are under suspicion, then we'd better be on our toes. With your permission, I'd like to make one more call. I want to get someone I trust at the hospital to keep an eye on things. Just in case.” He moved ahead a little and spoke to someone and then returned. “Done. Lieutenant Keisham will be here shortly. I've told him to scout out the hospital and try to spend as much time as possible in the general vicinity. Hopefully, he'll not be tailed by the NIA like we are.”
“I’m not sure that is a good idea, Major, especially considering the cloud we are under right now.”
“You’ll have to trust me on this, Captain. I’m doing what’s required to keep our friends safe.”
They'd reached the Gateway and just stood in front of it, looking out over the sea. Each one was busy with their own thoughts. There were few boats in the water. It was not the fishing season. A few hovercrafts went around their business and tourists milled around. In just a few hours they'd changed from being heroes to being traitors. It was a sobering prospect.
Just a few yards away, Abhiram was on call to Tej describing everything he'd seen. To him, it all looked very suspicious, and he told the DG as much.
It started to rain, and Ryan summoned their transport to show up at their location. It was time they returned to the NIA office.
T minus 36 hours - standstill
T he TrueKif ship was completely powered down. The repairs were going slowly, but the pilot was confident it'd be ready to fly in a few hours. The speed would be slower, and it would need to manage the maneuverability of the damaged ship. They'd set up a constant watch outside to ensure they remained undetected. Even though there had been a number of patrol ships scanning the area in the last few hours, the ship was hidden deep inside a building and had remained undetected. The team itself, whenever it ventured out, was careful to mask their heat signatures. Hiding away for another day or two did not look like a problem, and they were under clear orders not to take unnecessary risks.
******
Tej was getting frustrated with the lack of progress in locating the aliens. She'd thrown every bit of technology at her disposal into the hunt, and still, it had not turned up a single clue. She was contemplating getting in touch with the Commissioner of Police for Mumbai. With one of the best police forces in the country and access to informants and human intelligence, they might be able to succeed where her team had not. The police would enter into the picture sooner or later anyway, she was sure of that, but she could not admit defeat this early in the game or give up her control of the operation.
Maybe there was another way. An old trick used by intelligence agencies across the world - limited information on a need-to-know-basis. She placed a call to the Commissioner to inform him of the current status and seek his help. She was aware the PM was briefing the Chief Minister along the same lines. She would not share all her data right away and she hoped, if nothing else, increased vigilance by the police would make free movement difficult for the aliens. Combined operations would happen when the time was right.
She sat back thinking of her conversation with Abhiram. Things would come to a head with Anara very soon. If needed, she was contemplating activating the Prana Protocol. Tej hated traitors. Ethics be damned.
********
The night was passing uneventfully. The three of them sat quietly in the darkened room with the windows closed tightly. They had seen a number of crafts, drones and surface vehicles pass nearby. So far, they had been lucky that no one had approached to investigate the abandoned building itself, but that may change at any moment. For the moment the three of them were sitting in the protective EM environment that masked their body signatures and made them invisible to sensors and tracking equipment.
He was br
ooding over the next steps he needed to take. He had to convince these two nut cases to allow him to leave the station building to find safer accommodation. The problem was, they still had half his diamonds.
He rejected plan after plan on how to travel out to their target or even to a safe house. With private ownership of passenger vehicles almost non-existent, he did not have any transport at hand, except for the pod he had travelled in. He expected it could still be used, but the increased vigilance would mean the chances of getting caught were very high. Public transport may be his only option. Unless …
He got up excitedly, startling the two mercenaries. Jur reached for the gun and raised it with frightening speed. “Whoa! Ruko! Stop!” he almost screamed raising his hands. “I’ve just got the most brilliant idea. I can get you to the target, and no one will ever suspect a thing, but I need to go to the city to make the arrangements. Don't worry, I'll be back in a few hours, and then we can move out.” His eyes shone with his excitement.
“Don't try anything funny,” warned Biw.
“I'll be a fool if I try a double cross now. You have what I need. You guys just chill here. I'll be back shortly.”
He picked up his empty rucksack and one of the walkie-talkies. “These have a range of almost twenty kilometers. I'll contact you if required. But I suggest radio silence unless absolutely necessary. If I'm not back by 5 p.m., call me.”
The two of them looked at him blankly.
“Oh, of course. You have no idea of our time. Here,” he said taking off his digital watch. It was a gift from his father, an old antique and ordinarily, he loathed the idea of parting with it. But now, with his newfound riches, he could buy any number of antique watches he wanted. “I'll set an alarm, so you'll know when it is time.” He fiddled with the controls and handed over the watch to Biw. Then with a quick salute, he was out in the corridor closing the door silently behind him, tucking the walkie-talkie in his jacket.
He walked to his pod keeping in the shadows of the trees. He stopped a few yards away, looking out for any signs of surveillance. He could hear nothing except the sound of crickets. Satisfied that the pod had not been discovered, he turned on his heels and walked off in the opposite direction. The metro tube station was a kilometer or so away, and he could quickly get an overhead train to the market. The plan firmed up in his mind as he walked and he was sure it could be managed. He plodded on purposefully, keeping a sharp eye for any disturbances. His combat training kicked in automatically, silently guiding his feet in the stillness of the night.
********
Some kilometers away another person was moving equally purposefully to deliver her message. Nurse Aisha had just completed her shift, tending to the aliens in the hospital. The baby was due any day now, and she had to get the word out to her contact. It had taken her all day to gather enough courage for what she planned to do. The head of her local chapter of Radical Earth would know how to use the information she was going to share. Ever since the first contact with aliens, that group had been advocating actively against carrying forward the mission to Alien Centauri. This would be their chance to make a substantial statement.
Within the hour, news about the presence of aliens in Mumbai had reached the headquarters of RE and its head, Keith. For the last fifteen years, he had been waiting for a chance just like this to make his mark.
RE had been established many years ago as a progenitor to various environmentalist movements of the 21st century. Having broken away from general norms of silent or confrontationist protests, the Radical Earth movement could be better described as eco-terrorists. They had decided on more violent and direct action as part of their charter. From sabotaging oil pipelines to bombing meetings of the heads of states, it had used fear and intimidation to force countries to follow its will. However, like many great movements, violent or otherwise, it had degenerated into a quasi-military organisation more prone to blackmail than working to protect the environment.
In the last few years facing intense crackdowns from various governments, RE was finding it increasingly difficult to continue its agenda. With funds drying up, its leadership had decided they needed at least one big bang event to propel RE back in the driving seat. The proposed exploration of the Centauri star system had seemed to be the perfect opportunity to further its cause. But the intense security around the whole mission had meant that RE had not been effective.
For Keith, therefore, this news of aliens present right here on Earth was a godsend opening. This was his opportunity for more direct action. With the cellular nature of the organisation he headed, no direct links could be established to him. Hence he was free to go where he pleased without security agencies interfering with his movements. Still, he needed to be careful for a little while longer. One wrong move and he'd be exposed, possibly facing a very long prison sentence.
He set his team to make detailed plans while he flew to Mumbai on the orbital flight. He used the two hours on the plane from New York to firm up the game-plan.
T minus 32 hours - ATS
I t looked like the time to start working with the local police had come earlier than she had expected. Political ramifications and the paucity of time were forcing her hands. Having investigated more than two hundred leads sent in by the police and not having uncovered any traces of the aliens, she was no longer in a position to deny their help. Her briefing for the commissioner had covered the background and the progress or lack of it. The police may not have the NIA’s technical resources but they had feet on the ground.
Tej was now with the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Shinde in-charge of the Anti-Terrorism Squad at the Force One headquarters in Goregaon. The ATS of the Mumbai police was a special force set up at the turn of the 21st century to investigate and combat modern day terrorism. It had established a fearsome reputation over the last century, having successfully neutralised several terrorist cells and preventing attacks across the state. Force One was its very own specialised counter-terrorist squad.
The third person at the meeting was a colonel who led the regional unit of the National Security Guard. These elite commandos had been directed to support the NIA to capture the aliens. The chain of command was a bit muddled for Tej's liking, but with the Crisis Management Group at New Delhi calling the shots, there was very little she could do. Anyway, she needed the special forces since the NIA; primarily an investigative agency, lacked offensive capabilities.
She briefed the senior personnel on the threat facing the city and shared whatever little information available to her. A full-scale holographic map of Mumbai was visible on the tactical table between them.
“Let me get this straight, Madam DG - we have an unknown number of aliens on the loose in Mumbai? We don't know their location. We don't know what they look like and we don't know what they're planning to achieve?” asked the chief of the ATS. “Is there anything that we do know?”
Tej bit back her sarcastic reply to this jibe. Historically, the ATS and NIA frequently worked on the same cases, and their rivalry was well known. The chief was right - she didn't know squat.
“That is correct, ACPji. We don't have a lot of information and therefore we need to continue maintaining secrecy. We should be prepared to act swiftly once we get credible intelligence. Now here's my plan,” she said, bending over the layout. “The local police will have secured most of the public places with security which is highly visible. That will restrict free movement by the aliens. Let's assume the aliens have help on the ground and will be trying avoid the general thoroughfares. If I were in their position, I'd be looking for a high profile target. Also, I assume they know that we are in pursuit, so I'd like to accomplish my mission as quickly as I can and get the hell out of here.” The men around her nodded.
“Therefore, I'd guess that we've maybe forty-eight hours on the outside to flush them out. Of course, I only have a little more than twenty-four hours left from the deadline the PM has set. But we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. I will find th
em and then it will be up to your forces to take them down. Any thoughts?”
Colonel Sandeep from the NSG stroked his chin. “It's not a question of preparedness, Ma’am, but rather one of resources. I have fifty men with me trained for these types of tactical situations. But they'll not be able to respond fast enough if they're based here at Goregaon. How many people do you have, Chief?”
“I have a hundred and twenty. The rest are already on the ground at strategic locations. I can't recall them.”
“That's it? Less than two hundred special forces men in all of Mumbai? What about AutoSecs, Chief?” She was referring to the automated police response units.
“We have some of those, but I won't recommend using them in critical situations. They are good for guard duties but just not responsive enough for tactical situations we may encounter. I need humans on the ground.” The AutoSecs were getting better, but they were many years from becoming perfect for deployment in special operations. “Let's do it this way. I'll deploy the contingency plan for the city.” He gestured, and the map changed to show a system of grids overlaying the infrastructure. Different colours highlighted different areas based on population density and ease of coverage. “We have six core sectors. ATS will take four, and the NSG can take the other two. We get fast response teams located in each sector. That way we cut down our response time once you have a location to zero in.” Shinde looked around for confirmation.
“Okay, I can take the south - that's where the naval assets are located, and I have some people on my team from the navy. They should find it easier to integrate. And our second team will be right here in the western suburbs. We can operate out of our HQ.” Colonel Sandeep pointed out the areas, and the map changed again to show their deployment.
“Sounds good. Let's get down working on tactics. The information for the teams is that we have teams of heavily-armed terrorists in the city. We'll start deploying within the hour. Alright Ma’am, the colonel and I will get back to you once we're in position. But you've got to give us something to run with. I can’t allow my men to move without solid intelligence.”