|| ENDLESS LOVE || -- A MaNan FF

|| Chapter Twenty Six ||

7:05 PM, the same day, dining hall.

"Tara, put that down baby. GET OFF THE DINING TABLE! And Nikki, don't pout and look at me like that. I am not going to change your punishment."

"I am making a song."  Tara goes clinking the glasses and plates with a spoon, sitting on the dining table.

"Why are you so hyper? Wait a second, you were eating a cookie!!!!!!!!!! Weren't you?"

"Nouh!!" she suddenly stops her song and her eyes roll from far right to far left corners of her eye - her eyebrows arched up; and she is looking at me with a confused face.

I am glaring at Tara and the intercom in the kitchen rings. "Mumma..phone!!!!!!"  Tara shows me immediately.

"Liz, can you get that?"

"Liz is not here."  Tara tells me. I turn around and back at Tara. "I am NOT done talking with you Tara Malhotra."

She rolls her eyes at me.

"Did you just roll your eyes at me Tara?"

"Phone Mumma!!"  she reiterates.

I walk to the kitchen without taking my eyes off her and take the call. "Hello."

"Nandini, listen to me carefully. No questions. This is very important ' DO AS I SAY."  His voice is panicky and very resolute at the same time. I look around in the living room. Wasn't he here a minute ago?

"Manik? Everything alright?"

"No, everything is not alright. Nandini, there are three shooters in the house and they have surrounded the living room and kitchen from three directions. They are snipers and they are just getting into position; they can shoot you from a distance. I want you to duck down behind the kitchen counter and shield yourself."

WHAT?!

"DO AS I SAY NANDINI and don't hang up."

"Ok"

"Sir, Miss Navya is in the kid's room."  I hear someone else on the intercom.

"Call her and ask her to lock the room. But they won't go there. They want me and they want Nandini. Jo, do you have a clear shot?"  Manik asks.

What am I am on radio? I am hearing everyone's voices. I hear the security people talking among themselves, deciding their positions and Jo and Manik were instructing them.

"Sir, our men have a clear shot of two people. We cannot locate the third person. They are wearing masks and it is dark." Jo tells Manik.

I am tensed and nervous and I start grasping the gravity of the situation! What the hell is going on? My throat is parched and my kids are out there.

"Manik, where are you?"  I ask nervously.

"I am right behind the wall of the living room, Nandini. Our Security is moving into position - surrounding the shooters."

"Manik, the kids are on the dining table."

"I know!! I am standing right behind them. As soon as they have a clear shot of the shooters, I will go grab them."

I look at my kids from the crevices of the cabinet. Tara is standing on the dining table and Nikki is petting spiderman. Oh my god!!!!!!!! I cannot sit like this. I cannot live if anything happens to them. I have to get them safe.