Friendship a little ahead

Chapter 7

         Everyone kept talking while having lunch. Team was being more and more frank with Ayona. Meanwhile sameer gets a call which made him all serious. Which Arjun noticed immediately.
"Rathore! What happened?" Which got everyone's attention.
"They found another dead body Rowte. Same way. Same position."
"This is more serious than my imagination." Ayona said. "We should go back to the headquarters. This thing need our attention ASAP."
"She is right. If there is another dead body at the same way. There must be another chip in its body. Another number." Arjun said.
"Ohk. Let's move. I'll make our ground team to directly bring that one up to the headquarters." Sameer said.
"Sameer wait." Ayona said halting everyone. They all looked at her.
"What if we miss something on the crime scene? What if it's not that simple as it seems? These type of criminals can go above and beyond to make their work. They can create illusion which can trick the sharpest of minds. I want to look that dead body at its location." Sameer nodded. But at the same moment sakshi interjected.
"The ground team knows what they are doing. There is no need of fussing over small things. They will provide all the information that's necessary. You are here to help us not to point fingers at our men."
Ayona didn't even acknowledge what she said and looked at sameer.
"Sameer?"
"We are going to the crime scene." Sameer informed the team.
       Sakshi gave Ayona a nasty glare. Who was on her phone closely walking behind sameer. Who then steped back to walk with her and they started talking. She then looked at Arjun who was serious and yet looking calmed. Like he was at peace even in a tensed environment. Sakshi felt like even if Ayona was with Sameer, Arjun's attention was still glued to her. That was irritating her. She went back to Liza.
"Just few hours and two of the men were following her like lost puppies."
She said.
"Grow up Sakshi. We aren't in high school. Arjun sir is her childhood friend and she maybe the only family left for him. Let them be. And as for Rathore sir, if he takes any intrest in someone then good for him. He deserves to be happy. I can't understand why you are being so bitter to her. All she did till now is show up." Liza said with an eye roll.
"Yah and ruined everything." Sakshi countered.
      They all reached at the crime spot. There was local police and ETS ground staff waiting. A Young guy, as Shree came to them. He was looking extremely excited.
"Ayona This is Raman. Our information experts. He can get any information on anyone with in 30inutes." Sameer introduced.
"Hi Raman please to meet you. " Ayona said.
"Pleasure is all mine. Ayona Mam.. I'm such a big fan. I have been studying you. Since my first year at academy. Didn't ever dreamed that I'll be shaking your hand.. Wow I'm shaking your hand for quite a long time. I should let go.." He said still shaking it. "Yah. You should."Ayona said and he immediately did.
" What do you mean by studying her?"  Shree asked.
"Shree sir, we have thesis over Ayona Mam. Her case is in our course. They teach us her cases as reference."
"They do?" Ayona asked.
"Yahh.. 2015 Syria. That was my thesis project." Raman said very proudly.
"Well! Syria was a group mission." Ayona said trying to brushed it up.
"And the most successful one though. But could have been a complete disaster if it wasn't for you. Wow you are more beautiful up front." He said. And that last line snapped something in Sameer.
"Raman tell us about this case now."
"Oh right. Sir.. He is Morish Horo. Originally from Goa. But living in here for a quite a long time now. Goan fish business he had. Nothing unusual. No prior police encounters. No shady business. Perfectly clean." He said.
"That's what they are! Perfectly clean. They only go shady for once in their life." Ayona said looking around the dead body.
"His office is upstairs right?" Arjun asked to Raman, who nodded. So he continue.
"Sealed?"
"Yes sir."
"Ok. We will take a look. Liza get all the bio evidence you can find. Ayu! Let's go." Arjun said.
   Ayona was sitting near the face of the dead body. Sameer went to her.
"What happened Ayona?"
"He knew. Sameer he knew he was going to die. He must have kept something behind."
"He was a terrorist. They are brainwashed to die. They don't confess anything in fear of death. And you are saying he will keep something for you to find out because he was going to die. Come on." Sakshi said with an eye roll.
"Shut up Sakshi. Don't interfere." Liza said under her breath.
"This man is not ordinary sleeper cell. May be a active one. Or a cordinator. They are trained to die, but if they are dieing without finishing their task then they will retaliate. We need to find what he kept ASAP."
      She said and everyone headed towards the office of the victim except for chhotu and Liza. At the door Ayona suddenly stopped and said
"I don't think everyone should go. That clue can be anything, and I'm positive that it is easily destroyable. So we need to tip toes around."
"In that case you should not comeLo then. We have the experience in crime scene investigation more than you." Sakshi said with a smirk.
          To which Ayona smiled mysteriously. And Shree went away saying he needed to check the cameras and other systems in the building. They all entered and started searching.
"Seems like a artistic man." Sameer said.
"Art lover. A vincian to be exart." Ayona replied.
"Vincian??" Sameer.
"A person who love Leonardo Da Vinci. See this. Monalisa is common for people to have, but Virtuvian man. No much people are comfortable to have a painting of a naked man in their office. A true Vincian can do that." Ayona explained while nodding towards the particular picture.
"That means that clue can be related to Da Vinci as well." Arjun said.
"Right. Check the paintings." Ayona said.
         They started searching. And once again Sakshi felt left out. She was looking around and picking things. While a certain thing attract her attention. She picked it up. And started shaking it as if something was in it. That caught Ayona's eye.
"Sakshi careful. That's important. And fragile." She almost shout.
"Oh.. Come on.. It's just a fake antique." Sakshi said.
"Sakshi.. Listen to her." Arjun said.
"One more know it all. I'm telling you it's nothing." Sakshi said while moving the object like a toy.
"No it's a..."
But before Ayona could finish the object fall on ground with a loud sound. But wasn't visibly broken. But Ayona knew it was no use now.
"I told you to be careful.." She said very much disappointedly. To which sakshi said.
"Why are you being so dramatic? It's not even broken."
"And why are you so ignorant? We were telling you to be careful around it." Arjun shout at her.
"Arjun, she doesn't even know what it is. She is making a scene because i dropped a decorative item. And you are taking her side? That's what she..." But before sakshi could finish. Ayona who was sitting next to that item said,
"It is a cryptex. It's a fictional device first came to light in Dan Brown's famous novel the Da Vinci Code. It's a self destroyable portable vault. See these alphabets. They are need to be arranged in a correct sequence to open it. Inside it there is a message written on a scroll of thin papyrus wrapped around a fragile vial of vinegar as a security measure: if one does not know the password but tries to force the cryptex open, the vial will break and the vinegar will dissolve the papyrus before it can be read. And knowing Mr. Horo's Art choices, the message was inside it and by dropping it Our tinker bell here broke the vinegar vial inside it."

      Sakshi became white like a ghost, and started rambling things like she didn't know. She thought it was nothing.
"Chief... I want to record my formal statement right now." Ayona said, ignoring what ever the other girl was saying. Sameer nodded and call everyone, who looked puzzled.
"Sakshi destroyed an important piece of evidence, ignoring Ayona and Arjun's words." Sameer briefly explained.
"Is that a cryptex?" Shree asked.
"Was. Now just a destroyed brass garbage." Ayona said "Start typing Shree. " He obeyed.
"I Ayona Shekhar notting my first official statement in the assignment siding with the ETF Mumbai. It is about the work ethic and a team member of ETF. The crime Journalist Sakshi Anand is not a good fit for this team handling the case. Her ignorant behavior cost us a valuable evidence which could solve the case right then and there. She is unable to keep her personal emotions in check for the sake of the millions of civilians life at risk. I suggest of her termination from the team for the length of this case. Seconded by... " Ayona stopped.
"You are terminating me for this. I know it was a mistake but you can't just kick me out."  Sakshi was cut by Arjun.
"Seconded by Arjun Suryakant Rowte. Second in command. ETF." Arjun said.
"And Shreekant Sen. Sorry sakshi." Shree said after typing his name.
     Sameer was not sure where to stand. He looked at the laptop Shree was typing as six people staring at him.

A/N
Hi everyone.. I'm really sorry for such a long wait. I started this book a while ago but didn't thought someone will like it. So just lost interest in it. But now that so many people are reading it I decided to restart it. It took me a while but now that I have started you can expect a regular publishing.
Thank you for your patience.
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See ya..