“Sidius, do you copy, what’s your position?” Navan had a microtransmitter attached in his ear.
“Over the southwest position of the hall. Keeping an eye on backdoor entries.”
“Sam, I need a Sit-rep. Anything you got?”
“Nothing sir. My drone cameras are active and is recording from above. You can look at them hiding over the chandelier.”
Navan and Armun are amidst the crowd and noticing every single activity of the reporters and invitees. Is the person behind the voice is present among them? Who could it be? That guy with the mic? Or that bald man sitting and looking irresolute? Is he present here? Today?
“Go and check out the snipers, everyone is holding the position or not” Navan whispered to Armun.
After the Speech delivered by Mr.Kane, there was a buzz among reporters. One of them stood up and said, “Congratulations for this breakthrough Mr.Kane. But speaking about carrying forward the legacy of Mr.Gilman, isn’t it possible to make the cure available for everyone? What made you took this decision?”
“Yes, of course we wanted to disseminate, but it is beyond our endeavours. One vial takes more than 2 months to produce and generate. Maybe in future hundreds of AD5 will produce in seconds but we are still backdated regarding time and technological constraints.”
“What’s your prospective about the future of this cure? How the common people will react against it? Will it be like Mordana’s successful ascension of same or like cancer pills,, miserably flunked in third world countries?” Another reporter questioned him.
“That will be hard to forebode. We are running the costing and marketing of this by our own. Questions are inevitable that why its so expensive, but I’m requesting you, look at our side too. If any arbitrator want to put funds in our project we will surely come in an contractual agreement. But I believe AD5 will retain its position to save people and will be free in near future.”
“Mr.Kane, for the past 8 years Adage is struggling to retain the market position and Goodwill. The ASF is also stopped its social works for the needful. What’s your take on those?”
“If only Mr.Gilman is alive, Adage could reach to space today. There are some intricacies we faced but in future questions will not be raised regarding these.” Fulkan gave a peremptory reply.
Navan felt a bit ecstatic that people still remembered his father after 12 years of his passing. People dies, but their oeuvres still create a sense of respect among the rest. The gratitude that the world is still conveying to his father is immense. Navan’s eyes were full of tears, but he holds himself strong and disposed among the public. The entire office including the hall is refurbished and Navan felt like he has not been here before. The colour, the ambience the glass doors, the interior decoration all were changed keeping the company name the same. He recalled how he used to come at this office holding his father’s hand and got awestrucked and stunned by observing this stupendous office and hallrooms. His father’s office was at the 174th floor, from there, Montgomery’s Civil rights memorial can be seen. As a kid his favourite spot was to experience the sunset over the horizon, sitting in front of the glass windows, during summer vacations. Yes his father was a workaholic, but his affection towards Navan didn’t lessened for a single moment. Inspite of innumerable projects and deadlines, he gave company to Navan, teaches him and took care of him.
He was overwhelmed in those moments for a couple of seconds. The sound of applaud broke his inattentiveness. Mr Fulkan took his seat on stage and the other officials with the Marketing manager started giving speech about the history of Adage, its journey till the invention of AD5, uplifting the veil of the new brand. Fulkan’s face was gleaming with success. Navan surmised, for what reason, Fulkan’s life is in danger. Doesn’t the strider of Jade Vipers path want this AD5 to be launched successfully? Is he belonging to one of Fulkan’s friend, trying to dissuade the dissemination by killing him?
He was listening to the speech, all of a sudden the peeping sunrays over the hall from the glass shades and slanting roofs wiped off, hiding the sun. The entire audience observed that one of the two helicopters lost its control and is bumbling over the air. The hall bursted with panic and shuddering, yelp and yammering of the crowd. The chopper was not in control and wriggled continuously on mid-air.
“Sidius, Armun, what’s the matter?” Navan was flummoxed.
“Seems like they cannot retain the altitude! It could crash in any moment!”
He didn’t finish the sentence, the tail of the chopper shattered the glasses of the the halls slanted roof. It was swinging and swaying, trying to get still but couldn’t.
ALERT! ALERT! The emergency shutdown inside the hall got initiated. Panic striken, the crowd were thronging here and there. The evacuation process was started by the security team by then.
“Do not lose Mr.Fulkan!” Sidius yelled. He came running from the back of the Hall. Armun and Sam also reached over there. “We need to extract Mr.Fulkan out of here to a safe zone!”
Fulkan, the doctors and the officials of Adage on the dais were agitated. Armun called the COD in action to safely escort them out. NYPD securities also helped them. The hall was about to be barricaded with metal doors; Sam cried out in astonishment.
“Look out! Its crashlanding!” The chopper dashed into the hall destructing the emergency metal doors pulverizing the dias and flexes. It was already burning, and the fuel tank was about to burst.
“Need to save the pilot!” Navan took a dash. He was about 5m near the chopper, it explodes, with a smouldering fire extirpating the hall. Navan got flinged at a distance because of the blow. His legs controlled him from debilitating and pitched. Standing up, he found his arm got stabbed with a glass piece of the broken chandelier.
“Navan, come out from there!” Armun and Sam was still waiting for Navan at the exit. The entire audience with reporters were evacuated Fulkan is in safe hands with COD and NYPD.
“Get out of there now!” The hall got smoked with fumes and flames, and columns of fire were flourishing. Navan’s arms was wounded with blood spills. He ran to the exit towards Armun and Sam. “There’s a man got stuck in the elevator at the fifth floor!” Getting out in broad daylight, one of the officers yelled. Fulkan was safe inside a bullet proof van of NYPD. The armed forces are controlling the pandemonium and detaining the reporters.
“Anybody else is inside the office?” Navan questioned.
“No, everybody got whisked out, immediately before destruction. The offices are also closed today.”
Navan ripped off a piece from his shirt and tied strongly to his arm to stop the internal bleeding. “Sam, gimme the transmitter. mines got lost”. He spoke.
“Its too risky, Navan! The fire has reached to the third floor and firemen has not arrived yet! They are on their way!” Armun exclaimed.
Navan didn’t answer. Attaching the transmitter to his ear he hurled inside, running in the backdoor entry. Black smoke pervades the entire first and second floor, including the flames on stairs. “Armun, do you copy? I need eyes on the fifth floor.”
Armun, taking the tablet from Sam, directed “all the elevators got disrupted. You need to take the stairs on the north-east of first floor. From there, take the stairs on the left of green room, that will be a shortcut.
Navan jumped and evaded the fire columns, then grabbed a ledge and wall danced to the other side on the second floor. Doing a flip over the pit over broken debris, he putted his feet on the bumps of the ridges and somehow reached the fifth floor.
“I can’t read the exact location of the hostage, the heat signature is not working now. He is might be at the south end cubicle. Rescue and get out of there fast!”
Navan understood how impeccably his limbs work in inadvertent situations. Putting a bit effort, he can spring, jump and dash beyond potentials. Reaching at the cubicle corner at the south end, his eyes got on an employee of Adage under the table.
“Don’t come, were all gonna die. Its too late to get out!” He we
pt. The exits were all blocked with debris, theres no way out to extricate from this mess.
Navan groped him with his collar and said “Hold me tight, okay! Don’t let go of your grab!”
Navan kicked the glass window behind the table. Holding the man he said, “close your eyes!”He slithered out and slipped through the slanting shades and ridges, he landed on the ground. The hostage was panic-striken, he thanked Navan with shivering hands “T... thank you..u…mister!” Navan handed him to the medic team, reached there including firefighters. With continuous effort of dousing the fire, they have started their duty. “Wheres Sidius? Navan asked Armun. And where’s Mr. Fulkan’s Van?”
“They are on their way to keep him in protection. Sidius is with Fulkan. I have kept constant connection with the convoy, and our forces from COD is also with them on wheels.”
“I… I…don’t feel good, Sir.” Sam looked uncomfortable. “I …I cannot handle it…” without finishing his sentence, he blacked out on the ground. Navan beckoned to the Medic team to bring a stretcher. “Take him to the hospital. He needs medical assistance.” He told them. “Armun, go with them. Im following the convoy, I don’t feel safe about it.”
“No, im going with you too. You alone cannot assure your own safety.” Armun grubbed out the car keys from his pocket and indicated Navan to get in. He started the car and contacted the COD force. “Whats your location, right now? We’re on our way.”
“About 3km north from Adage sir. About to cross the Foresthill bridge. We’re besieging Mr. Fulkan’s convoy.”
One thing was continuously bugging Navan. He can see a ray of light amidst dark but could not identify its source. “What is that? What’s that im missing out?” He was in a pensive mood.
“Got a call from Hudson. Putting it on speaker.” Armun turned on the phones speaker.
“How the malfunctions occurred in the chopper? Anybody got any idea about it? Hope you are all with Fulkan!” Hudson was imperious from the other side.
“Sir, We are still unaware about how it crashed. Probably the forensic department can find out something after the fire extinguish. Sam just sufferd a mild blackout, and we are following Fulkan’s convoy.”
Behold the Samurai!
Location: Foresthill Bridge
Time: 3:18pm
Sidius, till now after his departure with Fulkan haven’t contacted with any one of them. Navan was a bit sceptical. What plans does Sidius have? Is he really an honest officer, diligent to his duties? Or, something else?
“There, they are” Armun pointed the convoy running surrounded by police bikes and cars. Foresthill bridge is just about 500m. The safehouse is within 5km.
“W-Whats that yonder? Is that our man standing?” Armun pointed forward, towards the bridge. Navan was checking the photographs in his phone, he noticed that theres one person standing in the middle of the bridge, wearing some black attire. The distance was too much thus they only could see a hazed figure. All the other convoys in front of them has already stopped and forces came out to inspect the blockage. Navan and Armun also got out of the car to have a clear vision.Forces were oblivious, they took out their armed weapons. The NYPD officers pointing their gun, approached towards him slowly.
“Identify yourself who you are!” The person was wearing a black armor, with a tinge of yellow chasms glazing in the sunrays. He was standing with his back turned towards the convoy. A sword was dangling with his holster, in a cover. He was wearing some kind of helmet matching with the armor , so it was impossible to guess who he or she is. “Sir, I repeat, identify yourself!” four of the policemen were near, and tried to hold by shoulder. Navan and Armun were at the end of all the cars, so avoiding the obstruction, they came near 100 feet of the incident.
In a blink of an eye, the armoured person yielded his sword from his holster and chops off the policeman’s wrist. Within moment before the other perceive what just took place, he slits their throat and stabs their spleen. Wiping off the blood drenched sword, the figure stood at the same place without moving or turning back. His sword was fiery red and presumed it to be not like normal weapons.
“Stand Down!!! I repeat stand down! Throw your weapon, put up your hands in the air where I can see them and kneel! “All the armed fighters of COD too joined the NYPD polices, getting out from the Jeeps. “four of our men are down! We need Backups! Send a team at the location immediately!” Directing them over transmitter, all forces armed themselves and armed themselves with ion shield. “Shoot at his legs” One officer ordered.
“Clonk!” The armour was so puissant that bullets could not penetrate it. From head to toe, he was entirely covered with some indestructible shielded protection. This time the figure turned back towards the armed fleet. The face was also covered with some abominable, creepy looking protection. The figure has some resemblance to traditional Samurai armours like what is observed in museums as artifacts and relics. The only difference is that, this looks more advanced and formidable. It pointed the sword towards the forces and slightly nodded his head to the left. Fissions of electric passed through the sword.No wonder it is some augmented weapon with tech-implementations. It stabbed on of the dead policemans corpse with it and in a matter of seconds, the dead started burning.
“Shoot to kill!” The entire force rained bullets on the Armor. Defying it, taking the shots on its chest, face and the helmet, it started walking tiptoes towards the convoy. Two choppers, by then, emerged on the either sides of the bridge, lowered their altitude. SWAT teams gushed out from both through wires and dropped on the bridge. Aiming their Assault rifles, they started shooting too. Navan and Armun were completely stupefied at this moment. Breaking the stun, he was about to jump over the car, Armun stopped him by holding his arm.
“What are you doing? Stop yourself!” Armun seized Navan by his arm.
“So, what would we do? Stand here and watch them killed and murdered?” Navan was pugnacious.
“Now don’t start off like the Italy’s incident, Navan. You’re forgetting that we work furtively, not aggressively. If anything happens to you, we will confute your identity. And from the footage of Italy, suspicion arised about you. So control your hostility!”
The spiteful figure started chopping, slashing, blowing and stabbing the police and SWAT teams one by one. Sidius was unaware, so he came out of the convoy. More than a dozen was mutilated by the sword, The bridge was getting imbrued by the toxicity of flesh and blood. Navan and Armun had nothing to do except standing and watching the brutality of it. Sidius pulled out a grenade launcher from the convoy and yelled at the figure “Over here!” and pressed the trigger. Within seconds, the projectile blasted in proximity of the figure and the jeeps near it tilted and uplifted. Sidius rushed towards the black wall of smoke with the launcher with him.
“Sidius NOOO!!!!” Navan and Armun yelped! “I have to go to save Sidius!” Navan jumped over the car and slinked towards the smoke. The choppers activated their submachine guns and targeted the frowzy mess covered with aftermaths of explosive. The convoy was locked by Sidius, and Fulkan inside was cowered in terror. Navan could not notice anything as the smoke was skittering. Slowly the flame and the smouldering mitigate, and Navan saw the body of Sidius at a distance. The armoured figure was staring at him with his dazzling, electrifying red sword.
“SIDIUSSS!!! Navan was about to dash; the figure took out two smoke pellets from his holster and threw at him. Armun also ran towards them, meanwhile the choppers started drizzling bullets with their sub machine guns. Armun sprang and groped Navan and drifts him to a safe zone behind the jeeps. The figure didn’t seem to care about those two, as if they were redundant in this situation. It shook its gloved hands and pulled out Shurikens. With a professional mechanism of arm bending, the figure flipped and threw those at those Gunners of two choppers. The Shurikens flew and disrupted the choppers engine.
“Mayday! Mayday! We’ve been hit!” The two choppers like a flightless bird wriggled and was trying to hover in air. No on
e , but Navan and Armun were the witness of this diabolical pursuit of this unidentifiable, cladded in Samurai armour. including Fulkan inside the convoy. Both of them were losing consciousness, and Navan with his blurry vision realised it is because of the smoke pellets that might contain sleeping gas. The Samurai walked towards the convoy and slashed the car with its sword. By slashing continuously, the effect created a cavity on the side.
“Wh..who are you?” Fulkan was pale. “Where are the others? Oh god, you’re here to kill me!”
Without answering, the Samurai turned off its Hi-Tech sword and hung it in the holster. Fulkan was going to escape evading the Samurai, with one strike of Samurai’s punch, he got senseless.
The Viper's Successor Page 8