Page 31 of The Pursuit
Diving into a sheltered nook, I risked a glance around the edge and spotted Ron crouched behind a structural pillar, his men forming a protective umbrella around their leader.
A distant whirring sound reached my ears—unmistakably that was the approaching helicopter. My heart plummeted into my stomach. Ron had called for air evacuation, and judging from the sound, it was already inbound.
The mission parameters scrolled through my mind. As a top priority, we needed Ron alive. That meant I had to take him into custody before that chopper touched down.
“Ayaan!” I shouted over the gunfire. “I’m going after Ron. Cover me.”
An acknowledging nod was all he gave in between his firing. Grabbing a sidearm, I vaulted over the table and opened fire around the pillar at the men surrounding Ron. But my bullets were soon over than I thought. Throwing the gun, I rushed at Ron’s men and knocked down one of them with a vicious kick before whirling to engage the other in hand-to-hand combat. Muscle fight was my thing, and I loved it more than using the weapons. But for now, I didn’t want to let Ron get away. While I kicked and punched his men, Ron made a dash for the landing chopper. No way was I letting this scumbag slip through my fingers.
Taking down his men, I chased after Ron outside, without any weapon. But before I could reach him, he spun around, his arm snaking around my neck as he pressed his gun to my forehead. Panic surged through me, but I refused to let fear paralyse me.
Ayaan followed me out, but the moment he saw Ron pointing his gun at me, he froze on the spot, rifle levelled but unable to risk a shot with me as a human shield. Our eyes met, and I saw the silent communication pass between us. He wanted me to trust him, to believe that he had a plan to get us out of this.
“Back off,” Ron barked at Ayaan, pressing the gun harder to my head. “Unless you want to be scraping up what’s left of your agent.”
My lungs burned, my vision hazing as the pressure on my throat intensified. I choked in his iron grip, seeing spots dance before my eyes. If Ayaan fired, he might be able to incapacitate Ron before the brute could put a bullet in me. It was my only chance, no matter how slim... But we wanted Ron alive. We can’t shoot him.
Ron seemed to know exactly what I was thinking.
“Toss your piece over and let’s be reasonable,” he screamed again at Ayaan, dragging me backwards toward the chopper’s lowered ramp.
Ayaan hesitated just a fraction too long. With a malicious chuckle, Ron pressed the hot barrel of the gun against my temple, daring Ayaan to make a move. Maybe if Ron took me along with him in the chopper, we wouldn’t lose him yet. I could still have a plan to tackle this. Was that why Ayaan dropped his gun? Probably that was his plan too. But before we could act, a sharp crack split the air from behind me, and Ron’s death-like grip on my neck loosened as he shoved me aside. I crashed to the ground, the impactsending a sharp pain through my head. What happened? My vision blurred as the world started spinning into darkness. All I could see was Ron’s body collapsing mere feet away from me. He was shot dead. No, No, No! We needed him alive.
I blinked once, twice, struggling to make sense of the chaos around me. Who shot Ron? It wasn’t Ayaan, for sure. Nothing registered beyond a dull, throbbing pain lancing through my skull, and then the darkness claimed me, and I knew no more.
CHAPTER 12 (Prick too deep)
TRISHA
I jolted awake, the echo of gunshots and chopper blades still ringing in my ears. My heart hammered as fragmented memories flooded back—the firefight, chasing Ron, him using me as a human shield against Ayaan... And then a deafening boom, followed by searing pain as something slammed into me with brutal force. After that, only darkness remained.
Blinking rapidly, I took stock of my surroundings. The sterile walls and harsh lighting were clues enough—I was in a medical wing, tucked under a thin hospital blanket. A dull ache throbbed at the back of my skull, no doubt where I’d hit the ground.
But I was alive. Beaten and battered, yet somehow still breathing.
The door hissed open, and Sudesh, my team leader, strode in, his worn face creasing into a relieved smile. “Hey, you’re awake. How are you feeling?”
I brushed aside his concern with an impatient wave. “What happened to Ron? Is he...”
“Dead,” he replied after a beat, swallowing nervously. “But nothing’s on our heads this time. It was the boss’s call, so we can’t exactly question that, can we?”
My blood ran cold at the implication.
“Who shot him?” I asked, already dreading Sudesh’sresponse.
He shrugged, his expression hardening. “Krish.”
My heart skipped a beat this time. Krish had shot Ron? Of course, he did. To save me. I can’t believe it, though I understood his need to protect me. But capturing Ron alive was our primary objective to access the wider cartel network, however risky it seemed. Neutralising the target defeated the entire purpose of the op.
Unless...my thoughts circled back to those final frantic seconds, recalling the sadistic gleam in Ron’s eyes as he dragged me toward the chopper. He’d been prepared to kill me without a second thought, seconds before his escape.
Had Krish seen that same scenario unfolding and taken the only action that could possibly save me? I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting back the sting of frustrated tears. I knew all too well what it meant to defy protocol in the heat of battle when a loved one’s life hung in the balance.
What had he done? The repercussions would be severe once news of his unilateral decision reached his father’s ears. The mission had failed without Ron, and so had our chance to gather crucial intelligence on the cartel. Was it all worth it? Only for me?
“Hey.” Sudesh’s gruff voice dragged me out of my spiral. “I know what you’re thinking, but don’t start beating yourself up about it just yet.”
He settled onto the edge of the bed, fixing me with an earnest look. “Krish made a tough call out there, one that might very well cost him his career if the debrief goes sideways. But he did it to bring you home. And I’d betevery credit to my name he doesn’t regret that choice for an even a second.”
