Page 51 of Into the Gray Zone

“Luckily, the RAW is still focused on Islamic terrorists. The pocket litter and phone numbers seemed to have worked. They’re still clean.”

“You’ll have to ensure they get killed in the attack or kill them later to keep that cover. You know that, right?”

“Yes. I have a plan in place for that. They want to get paid, and when they show up for their money, I’ll give them something else. I’ll leave more evidence with the bodies pointing to Pakistan and Muslims. That won’t be a problem.”

“What are they doing now?”

“I gave them instructions for the mission, and they’re practicing with the drones. Thakkar is taking selected VIPs to the Taj Mahal for a pre-wedding event tomorrow. That’s where the attack will be.”

The taller man said, “How do you know they’re following your instructions? Do you trust them?”

“No, I don’t trust them, but I can follow what they’re doing.”

He withdrew a small tablet, then tapped on it for a moment until a satellite map appeared, showing a field with four icons. He laid it on the table and said, “They’re currently south of Delhi right now, practicing for the mission.”

Chapter30

Agam watched the drone turn into a speck in the distance, then come racing back as he controlled it with his smartphone clipped into a plastic harness. It zipped overhead and began hovering directly above them, the camera on the drone showing their bodies on the screen. Kamal could see he was really enjoying the technology.

Kamal said, “Can you reach the Taj from the old fort?”

Agam continued focusing on his phone screen, manipulating the drone and saying, “Watch this. I can plot a grid and get it to fly there without doing anything.”

He pushed an icon on the phone and the drone zipped off overhead like an angry bumblebee, soon lost from sight. Agam said, “See the target out there?”

Kamal looked out at the field and saw a section of a cardboard box painted white with a red crosshair on it, standing in the field like a scarecrow.

Agam said, “This is how we’ll attack the Taj Mahal.”

He manipulated the screen again, setting some other parameters, then used his thumbs on the joysticks of the controller. Kamal saw the drone fly away, then come back at incredible speed, slamming into the target in a spray of plastic and metal.

Agam shouted, enthralled by the display. He turned to Kamal and said, “This stuff is top-notch.”

Kamal, much calmer, repeated, “Can you hit the Taj Mahal from the fort?”

Adam bent over to the ground and began preparing another of their test drones, saying, “Oh, yes. That’s easy. Like I said, I can set a grid and just let it fly. I don’t even have to be around for the fireworks. Aim it at a minaret, and then hit the street while it does the work.”

Kamal nodded, but said, “I’m afraid you’re going to have to watch it fly.”

Agam quit fiddling with the next drone and looked up. He said, “You told Manjit no unnecessary deaths. You said that hitting the building itself would cause the necessary police response.”

“I know what I told Manjit, but he doesn’t understand. We need the deaths to get the police to overreact. Just hitting the building will generate interest, but nothing like killing some tourists visiting. Tourists from as many countries as we can. We need a complete lockdown of the Taj. We need everyone focused on that attack while we do our own.”

Agam, always the loyal follower, took that in and said, “Are you sure? You want to step across that line? Become Hamas?”

“We’re going to become Hamas at the Jaipur party. That’s a foregone conclusion. If we aren’t willing to commit... if we do half steps while the government responds with full force, we’re going to lose.”

“But the wedding party is full of Thakkar’s people. This will be complete innocents just visiting the Taj.”

Kamal nodded and said, “That’s true, but the Taj Mahal represents the Indian state. It’s necessary.”

“Have you told Manjit this?”

“Of course not. He will follow his heart. I just need to make sure he believes his heart is pure. There’s no reason for him to know.”

Agam said nothing, getting the next drone ready and launching it. He began to control the flight, this time with less enthusiasm. He said, “Are you sure we’re on the right path here? I trust you, but I need to know.”

Kamal said, “Yes. You see what the prime minister is doing. You see how he’s crushing any dissent. It’s not only the Sikhs. He does it to anyone who’s not a Hindu. That needs to be stopped, and we have the means to do it.”

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