Shot!
Shot!
Shot!
A storm of bullets whistling through the benzene-grey sky. Men were groaning and yowling as the ground became greasy with gore. The effluvium of death all around, the battlefield had been baptised in blood and the bitter, mordant smell of corpses emanated from it. The two men surged forward, the wind screamed and slashed at their faces but there was no stepping back from either side.
His grey eyes narrowed and he swiftly toward his left and shot straight in the attackers forehead leaving a bloodied hole there.
"Irtaza others are coming from your end" said Moosa, sweat stung his eyes like tiny drops.
"Let them" replied Irtaza and looked him in the eye. Moosa knew then, they were inviting there own death. Irtaza was in his now or never mode which was relentless, which always caused mass destruction.
Greeted by a two pairs of guards who failed to react to the shots aimed at them by Irtaza. More came to join their fallen comrades. Bullets teared through the air and scarred the walls. Two guards with the little life and brain left with them, charged at him. Taking a hit to his left forearm and another to right thigh, he thrashed both of them on ground and roared in rage.
They began to retreat from the animal they have awakened, realizing their fatal mistake. Irtaza, without wasting any time, ended them both. He bent down and scrounged through the pockets of now lifeless, enemy and took his phone and car keys. Both Irtaza and moosa stepped out of the dingy cell in which they were kept for more than a week.
"Start the car" said Irtaza passing Moosa the keys, their shirts soaked in blood .
He dialled a number as they both sat in the car.
"Who are you calling?" asked Moosa , eyes fixated at the deserted road.
"Haseeb"
"Out of all people?"
"Yeah his phone number is quite easy to remmeber" he replied when the call got answered.
"Hello? Assalam alaikum?" spoke a confused Haseeb
"Give the phone to Shehryaar right now " commanded Irtaza
"Irtaza bhai? You? Where are you? Are you fine? Wait, wait! I'm giving him the phone" Haseeb bombarded and then ran like a maniac to Shehryaar's office and handed him over the phone.
"Shehryaar we are close to orakzai district, direct men here and tell them to unite with a black Honda civic on the highway. I'm texting you the licence number of the car."
"Two of the search teams I sent in north-east for you are near to it. They're on it." replied Shehryaar, content to know that his brother is alive but at the same time the boss in him barking orders to his men on the telecom.
'Fine. I'll stay in contact with you. Call on this cell"
"Okay"
"Shehryaar get Haseeb on speaker"
'Yes Bhai" spoke Haseeb terror bells ringing in his ears. He didn't know why.
"Haseeb, whom did you leak our plan to?" Irtaza questioned straightly and Haseeb was stunned. While both Shehryaar and Moosa were taken aback.
Wtf?
"Bhai what are you saying? I didn't do...do any...thing" he began to stutter giving way to his suspicion. As now Haseeb was able to put two and two together.
"Amman? Was it him?" Irtaza asked sternly. His tone formidable, dropping octaves down. All the while, he had been thinking who could leak the information, how the enemy could get to know his plan when only Shehryaar, Moosa and he were aware of it. And it was practically impossible to catch them without knowing there plan, so he had inferred, definitely, someone had listened to there plan. But who? That was the question, when he recalled, Haseeb had came that day in his office and they had discussed everything infront him. Haseeb definitely was the culprit here but what was his purpose.
While thinking all that, the flimsy detail of Amman being a friend of Haseeb, about which Haseeb told him that day, when Zahra ran away, came to his mind. He was damn sure, it was Amman. His third in command, who was the traitor, who untied Daniyal that day influencing him to kill Irtaza but instead in his fit of fury he tried to kill Zahra. Also the one who made Daniyal escape from that warehouse, where he was captivated, on the day of his wedding. He was sure, he was working for Osmanis. Many times his suspicion had directed towards Amman but there was alot more on his plate than to think about the traitor.
"Dammit answer!" Irtaza snapped.
"Yes bhai. Amman asked me to inform him your plan but he also told that he was just testing me as he already knew the plan."
"The fuck!" he cussed, "Shehryaar catch Amman. Catch him right now. He is the damn fucking black sheep among us!" he barked.
"Relax. I'm on it" Shehryaar told "I'll be in contact with you" he said and then cut the call.
As soon as the call was cut, Shehryaar's raged grey eyes moved towards Haseeb, demanding answers.
"What the fuck was that Haseeb?"
"Bhai he dared me. He kept pestering me for a very long time and would emphasize on how Irtaza bhai always covered my ass when it came to business, that I live in his shadow or something and can't a complete a simple task. So when I argued back he dared me to get the information about your KPK mission to prove that I can keep my cards to myself or that I can be as good as you at striking a deal. So I very nonchalantly heard your plan and conveyed the same to him. But he also told me...that he is the third in command and he is already aware of the plan. And just want to test me" Haseeb blurted like a child caught in lies.
"I so fucking want to put some sense in your brain right now but I don't have enough time."
Haseeb eyes widened as certain information clicked him.
"What else you did Haseeb?" he questioned noticing the expression on his face.
"Shit!" he cussed under his breath, "I'll be back bhai" he replied in a hurry and ran out of the office.
'Amman is the traitor' Irtaza's words made Haseeb's mind spirally out of control. His chest growing tight, muscles stiffened and his face pale as he recalled telling Amman to pick Zahra from university.
His eyes wide in circles as he made a run towards garage, took the first car in his sight and rushed to Zahra' s University. On reaching there, he found the place desolate. Buses stood empty along the curb, collecting dust.
Haseeb was unsure whether to ask the security guards about Zahra because it was clear that she had left just like other students. His stomach churned into a ball, he ran hither-tither aimlessly but still no din from any student, no noise from cars. He wished that ground would develop a hole and he would willingly let it swallow him.
He tried Zahra's and Amman's phone but it was switched off. This made him more anxious. He scratched the lines on his forehead as if that could pull off the lines of worry. He swallowed dryly unable to wet his parched throat.
..........
"He is dead" said Amman
'What? No? How? How you do you know?!" uttered Zahra, partly speaking partly howling. Her world ending in front of her eyes, her heart sinking along the icebergs of faith.
"I just got the news, we must hurry" Amman said blatantly feeding her lies.
When they both were at hospital, Amman had gotten a call from Khurram which told him that Irtaza had escaped the Taliban's, who had made a deal with Khurram osmani to turn in Irtaza in exchange of cash. Osmani being the impulsive snooty mafia whose hands itched to get a hold of Irtaza jumped to the deal. He just wanted to kill his sole enemy with his bare hands.
"Ma'am please wait I have to call someone urgently" saying this Amman came out of the car and finally answered the call from osmani
"That bastard escaped and killed all of the terrorist men. Just him and his acquaintance overpowered the army of men whose bellies I have been stuffing all this while just like you. Now you listen to me you piece of shit, get me his head by hook or crook or I will have yours" barked Osmani in full rage, spitting fires.
"I have one thing which can bring him down to his knees" replied Amman coyly eyeing Zahra's miserable state from the window. "i have his precious queen with me"
"Bring her -fucking- highness to me without wasting a sec" Osmani ordered, smirking as if he has already won.
Amman cut the call and plopped inside the car and continued on the road but on a different route.
Zahra was still gulping in reality more like something died inside her, one part sealed in catacombs at a time. She was so immersed in thoughts and on the voices screaming in her head that her eyes failed to register the things happening around her. She sat mute, rigid and felt coldness and feeling of loss enveloping her timid form.