Page 99 of Born in Sin

She adjusted her earpiece and muttered, “Showtime.”

“We have twenty minutes,” Virat barked, watching the guards patrolling the perimeter with German Shepherd dogs. “Let’s get to it.”

“On it,” Vikram muttered before calling his associates and passing on instructions.

On the screen, Kabir had gotten out of his car and told his guards to stay with the vehicle. He straightened his suit and walked towards the large house. The door slid open automatically, revealing no one standing on the other side. Kabir stepped through the open door and into the house, the door sliding shut behind him.

“Shourya, jam their security protocols, take them down, cameras, automation, everything.”

“Yes, Sir.”

“Twenty minutes less the eight to take the security down,” Virat said almost to himself. “We’re cutting it fine.”

“Vir,” Cara inhaled sharply, her gaze on the screen. A large hall with gilt edge furniture filled the frame of Kabir’s camera. As they watched, a figure appeared, covered from head to foot in a black, hooded cloak, a black mask obscuring the top half of his face. With one hand, the figure pointed to the black robe Kabir held in one hand. Kabir shrugged into it, pulling it on over thesuit, making sure to let the lapels gape open so it didn’t obscure the camera. The robed figure wordlessly gestured for Kabir to follow.

Kabir followed the figure out of the hall and down a long corridor that was lit by sconces.

“Shourya,” Virat said quietly. “Time to deactivate?”

“Five minute window, Sir.”

On the screen, Kabir walked to the end of the corridor. A grand, double door stood, firmly shut. The figure that had led him there, disappeared in the direction they’d come from.

Cara wrapped a hand around Virat’s bicep, her nails digging into it as she stared at the screen.

The doors swung open into pitch darkness. Kabir took a hesitant step forward, the doors slammed shut behind him, closing him into the dark. From the depths of that darkness, an electronically distorted voice boomed.

“The Sons of Andhaka welcome you, Kabir Raizada.”

Crestwood

Lightning streaked across the sky as they raced around the edge of the school grounds, beer bottles hidden under their uniform blazers. Ishaan laughed, wild and exultant, the sound floating away on the strong breeze buffeting them.

“Shut up,” Amay hissed at him, as thunder boomed overhead. “Someone will hear us.”

“There is nobody crazy enough to be out in this weather!” Ishaan yelled. “Nobody but us.”

“Will you shut up?” Amay shouted back, cuddling his beer bottle like a baby against him.

Virat grinned. There wasn’t much to laugh about in life but tonight, the smiles came easily. Tonight was graduation night which meant they could leave this hellhole of a school behind a week from now. The last week was meant for paperwork and packing up their lives at Crestwood. But that was for tomorrow.

Tonight, his friends and he were going to celebrate their imminent freedom. And tonight, he was going to finally tell Celina his good news. He’d gotten his offer of admission from the Ivy League college of his choice.

“Hey Harvard.” Ishaan’s shout had him glancing over. “Stop smiling to yourself and keep moving. These beers aren’t going to drink themselves.”

“You keep shouting about smuggling in alcohol on school grounds and we won’t be drinking it either,” Virat tossed back.

“You’re going to get us caught,” Amay grumbled.

“Well,” Ishaan said dipping into a low bow. “If I do get us into trouble, Virat will get us out of it.” He grabbed Virat with an arm around his neck. “Vir will fix everything. Won’t you, Vir?”

Virat shrugged out of the headlock, laughing good naturedly. “I’m retiring from that nonsense. You’ve aged me before my time, Ish. I can’t fix any more of your messes.”

“Not fair!” Ishaan protested, mock punching Virat in his ribs. “Amay messes up more than I do.”

Amay rolled his eyes. “I bet Virat refuses to even keep in touch with you once he reaches Massachusetts. Then who is going to fix your life for you, huh?”

Now, that would never happen. Admission to graduate school in Harvard might have given Virat a chance to leave his life here behind but he’d never leave his friends. And he’d never leave her. His suspension had finally been lifted with Graduation Day. Tomorrow, he was going to find Celi and he was going to tell her everything.

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