They reached Mumbai in the wee hours and checked into The Leela’s. They were famished and directly headed to the 24 X 7 coffee shop, then entered their room and needed sound sleep – 22 hours of total travel time had taken off their energy. He took a quick shower while she took her time to take a bath. She stepped out of the bathroom, dressed in a rust coloured nightgown he had bought at the mall in Amsterdam. Again – they found their feelings surge and worked out to quench their thirst – finally – lay beside each other – sleeping like logs…

“I need to report to my HQ about the Amsterdam incident.” she said as they packed up in the evening, “I’ll be using the phone I normally use during operations in India – you can reach me on that – what about you?”

“I haven’t yet decided to join RAW. Thinking of trying to unearth this group – all by myself – I don’t know who to trust after all these years.”

“I’ll keep my agency involved to help you whenever you need any…”

“Shhh! Not a single word to anyone about my presence in India. If I have a chance, I got to go around as an unknown person. I will rather use my unofficial network here.”

“That seems suicidal – Lion.”

“I don’t want anyone officially to know that I’m in India. Lesser the publicity better is the chance.”

“Lion – this person or group – whoever it is – has been clipping agencies worldwide – be it CIA, KGB, MOSSAD, ISI, RAW – nobody has any clue except counting the diminishing numbers of their agents. If all agencies put together aren’t able to find who is behind this – what chance do you think you would have – single handed?”

“Using their own strategy – nobody knows them – but, they seem to know everyone – they don’t know me and I can seek them without alerting them… I’m off their radar”

“What makes you so sure of your plan?”

“One has to start somewhere … think of it, they shot Victor, not me – they placed the bomb in your room – I wasn’t even considered… This simply suggests – They Don’t Know Me…”

“Hmm – makes sense – knowing you – you will not let any stone unturned till you find the truth…”

“I’ll suggest even you don’t report to your agency – let this person or the group think they got you in that bomb – lie low for some time – use your unofficial network in India to find clues and information – we will be in touch… and yes … try and get information on Fox – want to know where he is and what he is doing as of today.”

“You doubt that ISI is behind these clippings?” she looked at him shrug his shoulders in indecision. She nodded in agreement as he opened the room door for her. She quietly shut it back and kissed him, “You better take care of yourself. I’ll be waiting for your call.” she left the room. He let out a sigh looking at her perfect figure and her graceful walk, swaying her hips to the rhythm of her pace, walking toward the elevator… She was a rookie sent by Bangladesh Intelligence to honey trap him when he had met her the first time – it had worked the other way around – she had fallen in love with him and his way of handling work… Now it seemed, she was quite an experienced agent…

He started to think of a plan to find this group of clippers or the clipper person – he had to stay a step ahead … He thought of a plan and slept that night with a cool head.

Early in the morning, he checked out of the hotel. He called Zeenat. No relevant information. He travelled to a posh locality in western suburbs of Mumbai. He stood outside a door of a lavish flat and rang the doorbell… Nobody home… He opened the door with his master key and entered the flat.

About an hour, he heard noise as someone fiddled with the key and opened the door. He hid from any direct view from the door. A person entered with a bag full of groceries and shut the door. He started to tiptoe to get behind the person. The person sensed his movement, put the grocery bag on the floor and turned around trying to plant a fierce kick. He was quick enough to evade it…

“Hey! Cool down Saloni… It’s me…”

She looked at him as if she was in a dream, “Lion!” she exclaimed in surprise, “I’m so glad to see you…”

“And to think of it – you look mind blowing…”

She blushed at this complement, “wait till you see the reaction of others at the agency…”

“Shhh! Not a single word to anyone that I’m here in India.”

“Any specific reason?”

“I hardly trust anyone – with exceptions like you – that’s the reason I am here, standing in front of you.”

“Have you heard about clipping of agencies?”

“Yes. That’s what has made me return. I would like to find them before they put my name on their elimination list. I want to see the details of agents who were eliminated – clipped out…”

“Just say what you need – I’m at your service…”

“For the time being – a loving kiss which I have been missing all these years” she rushed into his arms, her passion for him, uncontrolled…

“What’s your plan?” she got out of the bed and started to collect her clothes which lay scattered on the floor.

“I want you to research few details for me to start planning.”

She kissed him again, “I’ll be on it as soon as I finish taking a bath.”

He lay on the bed thinking – Zeenat had no clue where Fox was – he hoped either she or Saloni would get some information on him – he couldn’t rule out possibility of Fox involved in these clippings. According to Zeenat, he had been sighted at a mosque in Kaputia, Kharagpur … this was about six months ago … either Fox is involved or is hiding away – maybe, he also has been clipped out – or was he in Pakistan on some other assignment? – Lot of questions – no answer…

“What are you thinking about?” – Saloni’s question broke the chain of his thoughts.

“I better take a bath while you try and find some info about Fox.”

“Okay… here we go…” she said and started to work on her system.

“Any luck?” he asked stepping out of the bath.

“He was sighted about six months ago exiting a mosque in Kaputia, Kharagpur.”

“That’s old news – I want his current status and location.”

“He seems to have disappeared since then … Hey! Wait a minute…” she sounded like she was about yell EUREKKA, “one of his close aides Adil ur Rahman was spotted at Sonagachi, Kolkata, 2 weeks ago…” she continued to work on her system to get more info.

“I know that fanatic – he is either killing someone or screwing some babe. He must have gone there to pick up a chick.”

“Surprise!” she said, “he didn’t pick any girl up nor did he enter any sex cell at any of the brothels – seems, he was inquiring about some female named Sugandha…”

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By Prasad Deshpande

Are you ready for a thrill ride like no other? Look no further than Prasad Deshpande, the mastermind behind heart-stopping, spine-tingling thrillers that will leave you breathless and begging for more! "Unimaginable Plots, Unrelenting Suspense" With a twisted imagination and a flair for the unexpected, Prasad Deshpande weaves intricate tales that will keep you guessing until the very end. From shocking twists to heart-pumping action, it is a wild ride that will push you to the edge of your seat. Dive into a World of Thrills and Chills Explore the dark corners of the human psyche, where the unimaginable becomes reality. Prasad Deshpande's thrillers are not for the faint or weak of heart, but for those who crave a story that will haunt them long after the final page is turned.