The Rogue Agent

Chapter 1: The Ultimatum

The night was still, the usual cacophony of Delhi's traffic dulled to a distant hum. The faint sound of footsteps echoed in the empty corridor of the high-security government facility, each step deliberate, each move calculated. A figure moved through the shadows, almost invisible, a ghost among the living. The facility was supposed to be impenetrable, guarded by the most advanced security measures and some of the best-trained personnel in the country. Yet, someone had breached its walls with an ease that defied belief.

Tiger was back.

Tiger moved with the fluid grace of a predator. Every nerve in his body was attuned to his surroundings. Years of elite training had honed his instincts to perfection, allowing him to bypass the electronic security systems without a hitch. The dim light reflected off his chiseled features, revealing a face hardened by loss and vengeance. His real name had been forgotten even by him; "Tiger" was the only identity that remained.

He remembered the layout of the building from his time in RAW-nothing had changed, not even the scent of stale air that permeated the hallways. His knowledge of the facility's security protocols was impeccable. He knew exactly where the cameras were positioned, the guard shifts, and the blind spots. His mind, a repository of classified information, operated with the precision of a machine.

He passed through the first checkpoint effortlessly, disabling the alarm system with a device he had acquired through years of black-market dealings. The guards were no match for his stealth; they didn't even notice the shadow slipping past them. Tiger felt the familiar rush of adrenaline, his pulse quickening as he approached the heart of the facility.

As Tiger moved deeper into the facility, his mind flickered back to that night-a night seared into his memory with the heat of a thousand suns. It had been raining, a torrential downpour that masked the sounds of violence. He had returned home late from a mission, only to find his world shattered.

The image was as vivid as if it had happened yesterday: his wife, her eyes wide with terror, her body broken and bloodied; his children, innocent souls caught in the crossfire of a brutal execution. He had found their lifeless bodies arranged in a grotesque display, a message written in their blood: "This is the price of betrayal."

Tiger had lost everything in that moment. His rage had been so overwhelming that it had threatened to consume him whole. He had scoured the earth for the perpetrators, but every lead had been a dead end, every trace of the killers expertly erased. The pain had festered within him, turning into a cold, calculating need for revenge.

He left RAW after that, severing ties with the very agency that had trained him, believing them complicit in the crime. Over the years, he had become a ghost, operating in the shadows, tracking down every person connected to his family's murder. Yet, the mastermind had remained elusive-until now.

Tiger reached the central command room, where the facility's top officials convened for emergencies. He knew this would be the most challenging part of his infiltration, but he was ready. His hand tightened around the grip of his silenced pistol, his other hand hovering over the detonator in his pocket-his insurance policy.

He kicked the door open with a force that sent it crashing against the wall, his gun raised, finger on the trigger. The room's occupants, a mix of senior RAW operatives and government officials, looked up in shock. For a moment, no one moved.

Arjun Sharma, the head of RAW, was the first to react. A man in his late fifties with sharp eyes and a calm demeanor, he recognized Tiger instantly. The others followed his gaze, their faces pale with fear. Tiger's reputation was legendary; they knew they were in the presence of a man who could end their lives in seconds.

"Tiger..." Arjun's voice was steady, but there was an edge to it. "What is the meaning of this?"

Tiger's eyes were cold as he stepped further into the room, gun still trained on the nearest official. He moved with the confidence of someone who had nothing left to lose.

"You have 24 hours," Tiger's voice was low, filled with a menace that sent chills down their spines. "Find the people who killed my family. If you don't, I will start killing your agents, one by one. And not just RAW agents-ISI too. I'll make this a bloodbath that neither side will survive."

There was a collective intake of breath. The tension in the room was palpable, as if the very air had thickened with fear. Arjun stared at Tiger, trying to gauge the depth of his threat.

"You don't have to do this," Arjun said, trying to maintain control of the situation. "We can help you, but not like this. You're threatening national security-"

"National security?" Tiger's laugh was bitter, devoid of any real humor. "Where was your concern for security when my family was slaughtered? I was one of yours, Arjun. I served this country, gave everything I had, and what did I get in return? Nothing but silence and betrayal."

His voice rose, fueled by years of pent-up anger. "Twenty-four hours. That's all you get. Find them, or I will burn everything to the ground."

He took a step back towards the door, his gun never wavering. "And don't think about trying to stop me. You know what I'm capable of."

With those final words, Tiger slipped out of the room, disappearing into the shadows as quickly as he had appeared. The door swung shut behind him, leaving the officials in stunned silence.

Arjun remained standing, his mind racing. He was no stranger to difficult situations, but this was different. Tiger was a force of nature, a man driven by a singular, destructive purpose. And now, he had set his sights on the very agencies that had once been his allies.

Arjun knew that Tiger's threat was not an idle one. He had seen firsthand what the man was capable of when pushed to the edge. As head of RAW, Arjun had overseen countless operations, but never had he encountered a challenge like this.

He turned to the others in the room, his voice calm but authoritative. "We need to act fast. I want every available resource dedicated to finding the people responsible for what happened to Tiger's family. We can't afford to let this escalate."

The officials nodded, their fear replaced by a sense of urgency. They knew that failure was not an option-Tiger's ultimatum was not just a threat to them, but to the delicate balance of international relations. RAW and ISI had long been adversaries, but Tiger's plan to target both agencies could ignite a conflict that would be impossible to contain.

As the room buzzed with activity, Arjun stepped aside, pulling out his phone. He needed to contact the Prime Minister, to explain the gravity of the situation and to request full authority to handle this crisis. There was no time to lose.

Tiger moved through the corridors, retracing his steps with the same silent precision. The facility was still unaware of his presence, a testament to his skills. But as he approached the exit, he allowed himself a moment of reflection.

The confrontation had gone as planned, his message delivered with the intended impact. Now, all he had to do was wait. Twenty-four hours was a generous deadline, but he knew it would push RAW to its limits. He had given them a choice-find the killers or face the consequences.

As he stepped out into the cool night air, Tiger felt a strange sense of calm. The storm that had raged within him for so long was finally finding an outlet. He had set things in motion that could not be undone, but he didn't care. His mind was focused on one thing: justice for his family.

The countdown had begun.