"Sir, we could have been traced because of him!" she exclaimed with frustration.
"I just wanted to call home once and let my wife know that I love her and my daughter. I wasn't certain if we could have made it out of that mission," he retorted, defe...
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Chapter Nine: Heads Down
The next morning, they eagerly awaited Rafiq to guide them to Khatri. When Rafiq entered with Farida, a tall man accompanied them, almost scraping the ceiling of the old house. His whitish skin bore evidence of years of rough work, with a large cut near his eyes and hands that seemed torn and worn.
"Is everyone ready?" Farida asked, and they all nodded in agreement.
"This is Azaan, one of Khatri's most trusted men, who has spent years in Azmiria," Rafiq introduced the tall man.
Handshakes and nods followed, but Vasisth couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Trusted? And how are we supposed to believe he'll introduce us to Khatri?"
"Well, when Khatri began building his empire with his men, for every 100 working for him, we ensured that two were secretly working to undermine him. Another man, Veer, is currently in a meeting with Khatri and his men, discussing further plans," Rafiq explained.
"If you guys already knew, why didn't you tell us? We could have gone to Khatri tomorrow instead of wasting time planning to get close to him," Gill exclaimed in disbelief.
Azaan's eyes flashed with fury as he explained, "Veer and I have been secretly taking down Khatri's men on various missions, causing a decline in his power. This is why Khatri retaliated by capturing our nurses and authorities, demanding the release of his top associates from our government. Together, he and his released associates plan to take over Azmiria and seize power. Throughout this time, Amar has been actively recruiting more men for his forces. If Veer and I continued to take down Khatri's men, it would have escalated the situation, putting our nurses and authorities at even greater risk. Khatri made it clear that unless his top associates were released by our government, the lives of those in captivity would remain in jeopardy."
He took a deep breath before speaking again. "Luckily, I was leaving a meeting when Rafiq called me and informed me about Rehmat's plan. Coincidentally, Khatri had expressed a need for some strategic thinking and intellect. Seeing an opportunity to gain Khatri's trust and capture him, I willingly stepped into that role."
Vasisth nodded thoughtfully before turning to her team. "Rehan and I will act as his strategic advisors. Sohail Ji will handle the IT work making sure to remove our important information from his device and Rehman you will work with wires when required and you know how. And Arhan, you stay here and pass on information through Farida and Rafiq to Azaan."
"But Ma'am, I want to come too," Arjun said frantically.
Vasisth maintained her composure. "We need someone to stay behind and coordinate the information flow. Your role here is equally important, and we trust you with it. We all have a part to play in ensuring the safety of our people and the future of Azmiria."
Arjun hesitated for a moment, his eagerness to be directly involved in the action evident. Vasisth, sensing his frustration, placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
