Lost Girl, page 24
‘How do you know Phavit isn’t …?’ Yug began to ask.
‘No, Phavit is alive. I am sure of that. He is using him to get to me.’ Shanaya said.
‘She is right,’ Namita held up the note she had been holding earlier. Aiden took the note from her and opened it. It was a little crumpled and there were flecks of blood on it. Nima’s blood, Aiden thought with a shudder, remembering Nima’s lifeless eyes staring ahead.
Aiden read the note out, aloud. ‘I want what is mine or else your friends are going to die like this. One by one. You know who. Next will be your boyfriend. And if you want him alive, come and meet me. I will be waiting. Again, you know where.’
The ringing of the phone startled all of them. ‘Shanaya, answer it and put it on speaker phone. I want to know what he says.’ Namita sprung to her feet.
Shanaya picked up the phone and took a deep breath, then she said ‘Hello’ into the receiver in a steady voice.
‘Hey kiddo, you still up, huh?’ He saw her relax and she mouthed ‘Vanessa’ to them. ‘Your Pops up too?’ he could hear Vanessa’s calm voice.
‘Yes, he is here.’ She said. She paused a moment and then said, ‘Vanessa?’
‘Yes, sweetie?’ She sounded like she was in an excellent mood.
‘You know I love you, right?’
‘Of course, dear. And I love you too.’ He heard the smile in her voice. ‘Someone missing me?’ she teased. ‘Don’t worry. I have excellent news. I will be home hopefully by tomorrow evening. So I will see you then?’
‘Yes, okay. Take care,’ Shanaya said and clicking it off the speaker she handed him the phone.
‘Is something wrong? Is she okay?’ Vanessa asked him.
‘She is okay,’ Aiden said, not wanting to worry her just yet. ‘And something did happen. When will you be back?’ he asked and listened as Vanessa recounted her encounter with Vaishnavi.
When he had finished the conversation he looked at their eager faces and said, ‘Finally we have some good news. She found Vaishnavi Rawat, or rather Vaishnavi found her, and they are flying in together.’
‘Good. Maybe she can answer some questions for us then,’ Yug said grimly.
‘So coming back to what we have been discussing, what is our next move?’ Aiden asked, tossing aside the phone.
‘Tushar wants me to meet him, right? So I could go …’ Shanaya began. Before she could finish, both Aiden and Yug were on their feet, vociferously protesting.
‘Hey, hey guys. Cool it. No one is going alone anywhere. Let’s get that clear. These people are dangerous and we cannot, I repeat, cannot take such risks. Do I make myself clear? No heroism of any sort.’ Namita voice was sharp, brooking no arguments. They all looked at her, mutely. When she was sure she had made herself clear, she began to say, ‘I can take some men and station…’
Yug interrupted her, ‘Wait, before you make any plan with regards to your men at the station, you need to know something,’ He placed the gun they had seized from Dhiman in front of her.
‘What?’ Namita shook her head, looking at them in confusion. ‘A gun?’ she asked.
Yug recounted their encounter with the trigger happy cop. Aiden saw the look of extreme anger and then defeat cross Namita’s face and she slumped back into the chair. ‘You know, you were right, Aiden. This whole system has gotten rotten. We as people are rotten and then when we see a spark of something new, something good, we try to extinguish it,’ she said, tiredly. She looked at the gun morosely, ‘Now what? Who do we trust?’
‘We can’t trust anyone,’ Shanaya agreed. ‘And right now our number one priority is to find Phavit.’
‘But how do we find him?’ Aiden asked.
‘I think I know where he is,’ Shanaya said.
Seventeen
Phavit pretended to sleep. He kept his head slumped to his side. His arms ached from being duct taped behind his back, since forever. His feet too were taped together and he couldn’t change his position, for fear of alerting them. He had realised early in his captivity that he was in the mountains. It was some sort of a bunker underground, because he had been aware of passing through a trap door on the ground. The inside of the room had no windows and was completely boarded up with roughly cut and smoothened wooden planks. It looked lived in, with roughly cut blocks of wood serving as chairs and a long plank that served as a bed. Some old blankets were thrown over it. He was kept lying on the floor over a thin mattress.
He kept his eyes shut as somewhere above him, a trap door opened and someone burst into the room. It was those two men, the one with the limp seems to be the leader and the other a lean tall guy was the minion, he could tell. He had been observing them covertly. They thought he was still out cold, and if he showed signs of movement they would immediately dose him with something and he would black out. There was a third man, a short guy who moved a little slowly. He was slow to understand orders too and the other two pushed him around. He looked like a local while the other two were not, and it was always the slow one who stayed behind to watch over him. Then there was someone else, someone they consulted on the phone, continuously. So that meant they were at least four men.
He could hear one of the men wheezing, breathing heavily.
The short one ran forward. ‘What happened to Jaggi, Lalit sir?’ he asked.
Phavit heard a sound like a slap and the short guy whined. ‘Shut up, you imbecile. I told you before, no names.’ The voice was a vicious whisper. The man with the limp. The leader. ‘He got shot,’ the same voice. So he was Lalit. And the other was Jaggi. Probably short for some other name. The short guy was nicknamed ‘Butlu’ probably because he was short.
‘He still out?’ the guy with the limp again, Lalit.
‘Yes,’ Butlu was a little subdued.
‘Alright, go get some bandages. And patch him up,’ Lalit instructed. ‘I need to make a call.’
‘But sir, he will die. He needs a doctor.’
‘Yeah sure,’ Lalit mocked him. ‘Maybe we can even call the police.’
‘We can?’ Butlu sounded confused.
‘One of these days you will get killed because of your stupidity,’ Lalit growled. ‘Now do as you are told.’ Footstep receded and a door banged somewhere. Phavit assumed Lalit had gone. He could hear Butlu moving around, muttering to himself.
One down, three to go, he thought with some satisfaction. Shot. Lalit had said. By whom? He remembered the scene at the cottage. When he had burst into the room and had been hit from behind. He remembered Nima’s horrific scream and the other guy screaming at him to duck. There had been gunshots. Nima, he thought worriedly. Had they taken her hostage too? If they had taken Nima and the other man hostage they were holding them somewhere else because as far as he could tell he was the only prisoner here. Nima had been helping that other guy keep Shanaya safe. He wondered who he was and why he was protecting Shanaya.
He could think about that later, right now he had to figure a way out of here. One thing he was sure of. He was sure he was being held to bait Shanaya and no way in hell was he going to be the reason Shanaya was walking into a trap.
He heard the trap door open again and bang shut. They were not concerned about being heard. Of course, they wouldn’t have to if they were where he thought they were. Something else struck him. Was this what Shanaya had been searching for in the hills? This bunker? Was this where she had come from that night?
Lalit walked in and said in an undertone. ‘How is he?’
‘Very bad. He has high fever.’ There was silence.
‘Well that is too bad. We can’t have anyone know.’ Phavit could hear Lalit move around. ‘Give him these pills every four hours. There is nothing more we can do. And listen carefully. You are going to take care of the prisoner, understood? He is important to the boss. I have to attend to urgent work and will come back tomorrow morning. If the prisoner wakes up dose him again. Keep him unconscious. Have you understood?’
‘Yes, sir,’ Butlu said.
‘If he escapes, I will skin you,’ Lalit threatened. A little later the trap door banged again and all Phavit could hear was Butlu muttering angrily to himself, again.
Eighteen
In Aiden’s living room, everyone stared at Shanaya. ‘You know where Phavit is?’ Yug asked incredulously.
‘Yes. The bunker … it’s there … up in the hills, near the Gompa. That is the only place he could be. Remember what the note says. You know where. It has to be it. Not only is it secluded, it is perfect for whatever it is they are planning.’
‘But we have already searched the place. There is no way …’ Namita began.
‘I have been there, ma’am. That is the place I came down from that night.’ Shanaya insisted. ‘It is … it is what I was searching for on those mountains, after I found Megha’s body. I found it yesterday. When I first saw the broken fence inside the Gompa, I remembered.’
‘Hmm.’ Aiden rubbed his chin. She could see he was tired. They all were. ‘But why are you so sure Phavit is there?’
‘Lalit was still here when I arrived,’ she said quietly.
‘What?’ Aiden, Namita and Yug chorused together.
‘Young lady, when were you going to tell us that?’ Namita asked her.
‘Tell us what happened,’ Yug urged.
‘I think they were not expecting anyone when I walked in so early.’ She recounted what had happened then and how she beat them off.
Namita looked at her with renewed respect. ‘Wow, you beat two men!’
‘That’s my girl,’ Aiden said, swelling with pride.
‘You taught me well, Pops. It’s all thanks to you. Besides, I had a gun, so it was easier.’ She said modestly, feeling uncomfortable.
‘That was very brave, Shanaya,’ Namita said, in awe.
Shanaya flushed and shrugged, ‘Lalit told me to come up there to the bunker and that a surprise waited for me there. I believe Phavit is there, that is the surprise he was talking about. And I know Tushar.’
‘Alright, so we can go check again.’ Namita stood up.
‘Ma’am, please,’ Shanaya said quickly. ‘There is something you need to do before that. We don’t know what Nima may have told them before … before they killed her. The baby is … was with Nima. Of that I am sure. Her frequent visits to Shimla means her parents and the kid are there. Even if she didn’t say anything, they would have figured it out. And there is Anurag. There is no one I can trust other than you with his safety. So please let us follow this lead. You need to ensure these people are not harmed.’
‘True,’ Yug chipped in. ‘We are here with her.’
Namita looked at Aiden and he nodded. ‘She is right. We have to trace the kid and Anurag needs your protection. We can’t trust your men, you know that.’
‘But I can’t let you guys handle this alone.’ Namita argued.
‘Namita, can you trust me?’ Aiden asked. ‘I won’t let anything happen to the kids. And they have more than proved that they are capable of taking care of themselves. So let us do this. Once we have Phavit safe, we will let you know. We will be okay.’
Reluctantly, after making them promise not to try anything foolish, she left. On her way out she put Dhiman’s gun back on the dining table and looked at Yug. ‘Take this, you will need it,’ she said.
When Namita had left, Aiden walked to the closet and withdrew the gun he had put back there and loaded it. ‘And you take this, Shanaya, and let’s go.’
‘No,’ Shanaya shook her head. ‘We have to wait for first light. It would be foolish to try anything now. We still have about four hours, let us get some rest.’
Bhuvan who had been sitting quietly in the background, spoke up, ‘The ketee is right, Sahibji. You will only be putting everyone in danger. Those hills are unsafe, not only from bad men but also from all sorts of wildlife.’ A look passed between Bhuvan and Aiden.
Aiden nodded slowly. ‘You are right. We should wait for daylight. Get some rest first. You two take my room. I will sleep on the couch,’ he said.
‘But Pops—,’ Shanaya protested.
‘No arguments, Shanaya. Let’s not waste time.’ He ordered.
An hour later, Shanaya looked at Yug sleeping next to her. The steady rise and fall of his chest told her he was fast asleep. It had been a long day and she had hoped he would drop off immediately. But he had taken his own time to fall asleep, moving restlessly. She had waited patiently, pretending to be asleep.
When she was sure he was really fast asleep, she threw back the covers gently. They had slept in their clothes, so she just pulled on her shoes and jacket, pocketing the gun Aiden had given her. She gave one last look at the sleeping Yug and slipped out. There was enough light from the moon streaming into the living room that she could see Aiden covered in thick blankets lying on the sofa. She could hear him snore, softly. Gently easing out a notepad from one of the drawers she scribbled a note:
Dear Pops,
I am sorry to be doing this behind your back, but please understand, I have to do this alone. This can only end one way. It will either have to be me or him. There is no other way to bring justice to the ones we have lost. No case is going to stand in a court of law against him. Not with the sort of money and power he exudes. If I have to free myself and all I love from him, this is the only way. No one else can die. I love you and I hope I was worth loving too. I hope to see you and Vanessa again, but if not, please tell Vanessa and Yug, I am sorry and that I love them. Thank you for everything. Love you, and goodbye.
She folded the note carefully and walked to the couch. In the moonlight she could see Aiden’s face, calm and serene as always. She bent down to kiss him lightly on his forehead and put the note near his pillow. She then walked out of the door without a backward glance. She stood on the porch and took a deep breath.
Bhuvan waited till Shanaya had stepped out the door. He and Nijoyee had slept near the stairs, on the floor. Stealthily, he ran towards Aiden and shook him awake. ‘Sir, the ketee. She has gone out,’ he whispered.
Aiden scrambled out of the blanket and ran to the window, just in time to see her vault the fence and take the trail up into the hills, just as he had been expecting. As he turned back to look at Bhuvan, he handed him a note.
‘This fell off the couch,’ he said, anxiously.
Aiden read Shanaya’s note. ‘Shall we follow Shanaya?’ Bhuvan asked.
‘No, Bhuvan I am going after her. Give us some time and then go and wake Yug, the ketaa. Tell him he has to go to the Gompa. Go with him. Will you do that?’ When Bhuvan nodded he continued, ‘I don’t think Phavit is at the Gompa. Just in case I am wrong, I need you and the ketaa to check.’
He had been busy pulling on his shoes and a jacket as he spoke. Bhuvan handed him a hunting knife. ‘Be careful, Sahib,’ he cautioned.
‘I will, Bhuvan. You take care too. Of yourself and the ketaa. Good luck.’
Aiden began to run in the direction he had seen Shanaya go. Sure enough, a little ahead, he saw her. She was jogging with her head down and her hood pulled up against the cold. She must have heard him for she quickly swung around to look at him and he caught up with her. ‘Where do you think you are sneaking off to, young lady?’ he asked.
‘How did you …?’ she began.
‘I had Bhuvan watch you. We knew you would try something like this.’
She sighed. ‘I’m sorry. I … I didn’t want anyone else hurt.’
He sighed. ‘I know, Shanaya, but the only way we can do this is if we stick together. Didn’t you tell me that you wished you had known us when you were fighting those guys alone? Now we are here. You don’t have to do this alone. And I will be damned if I let you walk into what is surely a trap all by yourself,’ he said stubbornly. They stared at each other for a while, before Shanaya gave in. ‘Alright, perhaps you are right,’ she said.
He pulled her into an affectionate hug. ‘Of course I am right. There is no need to for you to protect us, Shanaya. We have been in this together since the day you came into our lives. Don’t you know that? So quit trying to keep us away, okay?’
She hugged him back. ‘Okay.’
As they started off again, he asked, ‘Where are we going? This isn’t the trail to the Gompa.’
She looked at him a little shamefaced, ‘No, it isn’t. It is the trail that leads to the bunker. It is a little away from the Gompa.’
‘You said it is near the Gompa,’ he said reproachfully. ‘So much for “no more half-truths”.’
‘Technically it is near the Gompa,’ she protested lightly. ‘We only have to take a different trail.’
They jogged for a bit silently, trying to concentrate on the path. They hadn’t brought flashlights. It would have been like a beacon announcing their arrival on that hill. Also now they were pretty good at finding their way around on the hills even in the dim moonlight.
‘If you are right and Tushar is a careful guy, do you think he will be here?’ Aiden whispered.
‘Yes. That note, it was his, and it specifically said “come and meet me” and I know he will be there. Lalit’s failure to handle this and his desire to know the whereabouts of the kid has brought him out to the open. He will be there,’ she said confidently.
They had reached the groove of the cedar trees, when Shanaya stepped off the trail and parted some bushes. Another trail showed up behind it. Silently Aiden followed her up the path carefully, till they came to a small clearing. The edge was covered in small bushes and Aiden knew that beyond it the hill fell steeply. Shanaya started to stamp her foot on the ground till something sounded hollow. Aiden could make out the rough outline of a wooden trap door. It had been recently used, for the ground was disturbed. Aiden barely had taken it all in when flashlights came on around them.
‘Kiara. Ah, Megha’s baby girl. I can always trust you to do the right thing, can’t I?’ The tone was mocking.
Aiden and Shanaya turned around. Four men stood in front of them, shining their flashlights into their faces, blinding them. Aiden put up his left hand to shield his eyes, while sliding his right into his jacket pocket. His hand gripped the knife there and he kept it there.
