Shadows Of The Stumps

Chapter - 59

The next morning, the stadium buzzed with activity. Meera stood near the boundary ropes, alert, her sharp gaze sweeping over the crowd that had gathered to watch the practice session. With Ira officially on leave, Arya was paired with Meera for security today. Meanwhile, Ayan and Arjun stayed back at the academy to train the junior players.

The team was already on the field, immersed in their practice. Virat and Rohit were huddled with the younger players, offering tips, while Rahul stood a little apart, adjusting his gloves, preparing for his batting drills. The coaches were busy setting up drills, their whistles piercing the air as they assigned tasks. Arya, sitting nearby with his laptop, browsed through online chatter, tracking the latest trolls and monitoring social media threats. The weight of yesterday's tension still lingered, but the team felt reassured, thanks to Meera's calm demeanor and the heightened security.

Security around the stadium had doubled. Only the team, staff, and officials were allowed inside the practice area. The most ardent fans were pushed to the farthest end of the stadium, restricted from coming closer. Meera's watchful eyes scanned the perimeter again, every instinct honed to detect the slightest threat.

As she gave further instructions to Arya through her earpiece, something caught her attention. In the sea of officials entering the stadium a small figure slipped into the practice area—a young girl. She was moving toward the section where Rishabh and Shubman were practicing their strokes. What made Meera's pulse quicken was the sight of the odd-looking bag clutched in the girl's hands.

Her sharp gaze locked onto the unsupervised child. How did she get in? The girl walked with an eerie calm, completely out of place in the restricted zone.

Meera's hand hovered over the radio clipped to her belt, but she kept her expression neutral. Any sudden move might startle the girl—or worse, draw attention to her.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted on the far side of the field.

A man broke free from the crowd, sprinting towards Rahul with alarming speed, a glint of steel flashing in his hand. A knife.

Meera's heart jumped. Without hesitation, she bolted toward him, her hand instinctively reaching for her pistol. But the chaotic movement of players and staff blocked her view, forcing her to abandon the weapon. She had to act fast—there was no time to think.

"RAHUL!" Meera shouted, her voice cutting through the noise.

Rahul turned at the sound of her voice, his eyes widening in confusion. But it was too late—the assailant was just a step away, the blade arcing toward his chest.

With a burst of adrenaline, Meera lunged between them, shoving Rahul to the side just as the knife came down. The blade slashed across her palm as she grabbed the attacker's arm, yanking him off balance. A sharp, searing pain shot through her hand, but she ignored it, focused solely on taking him down.

Rahul stumbled, falling hard onto the ground, his head hitting the turf with a dull thud. His eyes fluttered shut, and he lay still—unconscious.

Time seemed to slow. Blood from Meera's injured hand dripped onto the grass as she twisted the attacker's wrist, forcing the knife from his grasp. The man growled, struggling against her, but she held on, her training kicking in despite the throbbing pain in her palm.

Arya sprinted across the field, reaching her just in time. She tackled the assailant, driving her shoulder into the man's side and pinning him to the ground. "Got you, you bastard," Arya snarled, twisting the man's arms behind his back and securing them with a zip tie.

The guards pinned the attacker to the ground, securing his hands behind his back. Meera barely registered their voices or the commotion as the players were quickly ushered into the indoor nets for safety. A few security officials formed a protective circle around the remaining players, herding them away from the scene.

Virat and Rohit hovered over the stretcher as the medics lifted Rahul carefully. "Get him to the medic room, fast!" Virat snapped, his voice laced with urgency.

Rohit placed a steadying hand on Virat's shoulder. "He'll be fine. Let's go." But Virat's face betrayed his unease, his expression grim as they trailed behind the medics with Rahul.

Meera stood rooted to the spot for a moment, the sharp sting in her palm barely registering.

"Colonel, we have a situation," Arya began, her voice steady but urgent. "There was an intruder at the stadium—armed with a knife. He targeted Rahul. Meera intercepted just in time, but Rahul hit his head in the scuffle and lost consciousness."

The attacker has been restrained," Arya continued briskly. "We've secured the perimeter, and the players have been moved to the indoor nets. Virat and Rohit are with Rahul in the medic room. The doctors are conducting tests."

She glanced at Arya, who gave her a quick nod, already working on securing the stadium's perimeter again.