18-04-2025, 01:43 PM
(CHAPTER CONTD)
The next morning they woke up earlier than usual. Hemant was surprised that Karan was so excited about the day. By 7.00 they were off in their vehicle to the WB Studio Tour in the outskirts of London. On their way , they recieved a call from Sonarika which Karan was ecstatic about. He kept on talking about the places they visited and the place they were going to be. It took more than 15 minutes until Hemant got the phone to talk to his wife.
"Hey Sona , good morning"
"Hi Hemant and here its Good Afternoon"
"How is Bali?"
"Its , fresh , the greenery , the cold waters , its a very zen place , gives me great relief from the chaos of Mumbai"
"Uhuh , and you did your meeting go?"
"Meeting? Oh , yeah meeting , yeah its been well , only the introductions happened yesterday , today the main conference began. It was.....exhausting"
"Alteast you have a scenic view right?"
"That I definitely do , this place its....good....for the work that I am doing....gives me some relief"
"I am glad to hear that"
"Enought about me , how did your presentation go?"
"It went better than I expected , I've got a few more contacts and business proposals , my pasture is getting greener"
"See. I told you it will go well , like I said you underestimate yourself a lot. So this means you are moving forward with your business plans?"
"I am faster than you think"
"I am happy not just for you....for us as well. This can bring that much needed change in our lifestyle I assume?"
"It definitely will"
"Is Karan behaving well?"
"He is surprisingly , he is more excited to visit the WB studio tour in a few moments"
"And Anju"
"Yeah she too likes it , she is especially ecstatic because she is getting a lot of Social Media views from her photos she took in Buckingham Palace yesterday"
"Yeah I saw it too , you looked especially handsome in one of those"
"You're saying that because you're my wife"
"What I cannot complement my husband? You have no idea how hot you are to me"
"Really?"
"How about when I get home after Bali , I show you"
"Careful lady , you know we're not the only people in our house remember?"
"I'll find a way , I promise. Love you Beloved"
"Love you more Sona"
He ended the call. That talk gave him an extra boost to enjoy the tour today.
The tour was an amazing experience. All three of them were big fans of the Harry Potter world. It was a surreal feeling seeing the world of Harry Potter come back to life. Karan's eyes glowed when all three of them went to Diagon Alley and shoped for their respective wands , since Hemant could not be a student , he preteneded to be a teacher and proclaimed himself the new defense against the dark arts teacher. Anjali and Hemant shared an in world joke that the post of that specific teacher is always available every year in that college. There were kids there who enjoyed and had a great time being students shoping their wands and brooms. Hemant interacted with some of them and they all enjoyed playing their roles in the world of Harry Potter.
The place was a wonderful experience for all of them , they enjoyed taking photos with props. Hemant even tried a wizard outfit , Anjali tried a trivia which made her eligible to be a member of house Hufflepuff. Hemant got the house Raveclaw while Karan was jumping in happiness when he learned he is now part of Gryffindor.
By noon there was a short play and Hemant got to play Snape in it where he could play sequences of the movies to an audience of children and elders. It was all kinds of fun. Harper shot his moments on his phone and then he shared it to him. Anjali shot some as well and put it on her social media and immediately there was some positive responses from many of the people. Even Sonarika liked the post very early as well.
They had a wonderful lunch at a Harry Potter themed restaurant after which all of them returned to the city. Hemant then took all of them to some of the shopping centers in the city for Anjali. Anjali was given some extra cash by Hemant to buy whatever she likes , she loved the good gesture and she ended up enjoying the shopping spree. Though Anjali used the money to buy some stuff not just for her , but for the entire family as well including Sonarika. After that they returned to the hotel because they could not carry all the things around and Karan had bought a lot of toys from the studio tours as well. After stashing their shopping items and toys in the hotel , the family then went to the London Zoo. Karan loved the experience there , especially the portion where people get to pet the infant animals. Anjali took a photo of Hemant holding a tiger cub. The zookeeper complimented that the cub is often very loud and crying but in Hemant's hands he feels well comforted and relaxed.
By evening they came to Big Ben and took some photos there. Karan and Anjali were enjoying the view of the river and the Clock Tower when Hemant decided to call Sonarika.
Her phone ringed multiple times until eventually Sonarika picked the call.
"Mmmm...mmmm....hey Hemant....is everything okay?"
"Yeah everything's fine Sona , just wanted to call because we are at the Big Ben now"
"mmhmm...mmm...that's great...mmm.."
"Why are you breathing heavily?"
"Ohhh....that....I just had dinner and some of my associates wanted to.....jog at the beach after dinner.....you know to ease the stomach.....mmm...."
"Oh that is very unusual of you"
"I don't go to Bali everyday Honey.....Ahhh..."
"What happened?"
"Umm.....I stepped on a rough stone.....ahhh"
"Why did you go to the beach with naked feet"
"Mhmm....the beach is generally very smooth Hemant....and the real fun with beach comes with naked feet"
"Okay but please watch yourself.....anyways we will be going for some art shows and a gallery until we check back to the hotel"
"Okay....take care of yourself.....love you....bye....mhmmm....mhmmm...."
"Love you more!"
Saying that Hemant ended the call. He was a bit confused , Sonarika sounded very discomforted in the phone , and it seems the stone stepping might be something harmful. But he was helpless in giving her any assisstance. Hemant decided he will check up on her once she returns. As he was walking towards Anjali and Karan , he saw in a distance a man in a suit taking photos in his camera. Hemant noticed him and he noticed back at the same time , seeing Hemant staring back at him. He ran away to a nearby black car and drove off. Hemant felt something was off as he went to Anjali and Karan and left the place.
The family then went to an art gallery. Karan wasn't very fond of it , but Anjali loved being there. Soon the sun went down and Hemant took both of them to another posh hotel for dinner. Once the dinner was done , Anjali suggested to walk to their hotel since they are close to it. Hemant allowed it and all three were walking through the street vendors section of a pathway. Karan started to insist to eat cotton candy from a nearby vendor. Hemant reluctantly agreed and the family stayed there for him to eat.
Hemant and Anjali had a casual talk about the city as Karan ate his candy. Soon at the other side of the street , a bunch of black vans were arriving in high speed and halted in the road cross. A bunch of well armed individuals got out of the van wearing bullet proof vests , they all weared balaklavas made of cotton stripped towels over their heads. They all were carrying old college AK-47 customised submachine guns , some of the bystanders noticed them and immediately started screaming. That scream alerted Hemant and he instantly noticed those individuals walking up from Lime street and aiming directly towards the entire alley. He also realized they were all standing at the line of fire. Hemant quickly dragged Anjali away as those armed gunmen aimed at the alley. Hemant lunged towards Karan and pulled him towards himself. At the same time the gunmen started firing. A bullet narrowly misses Karan's head and hits the vendor's shop.
"ANJU DUCK , COME WITH ME!"
They both kneel as they run as the entire place is erupted into the sounds of gunfire.
"DON'T LOOK BACK ANJU , KEEP RUNNING!"
Hemant led her while holding Karan in his arms as they ran through the shortcut of the alleyway. Dozens of people were running alongside them away from the gunfire.
"WE'RE NEARLY THERE , WE'RE AT THE HOTEL!"
They soon crossed the street as a bunch of ANVIL guards were guarding the hotel doorway. Harper came running towards Hemant at the lobby.
"Egghead you okay! What happened?"
"Roy , there is gunfire at Lime Street Passage , multiple assailants , all carrying sub-machines"
"Alright , get your kids to your hotel room , you guys are safe here"
Hemant quickly led them to their hotel room. Anjali was still shaking from that whole ordeal. They could still hear the echo of the gunfire going on in the street away. In the distance , law enforcement officials and the London Cops arrived with a massive unit along with their own SWAT teams. Harper ran on the street to meet with the cops and talk to them about the situation.
"What's going on Commissioner?"
"Its a terror attack , HQ just recieved a threat , they are members of a terror unit based in Lebanon."
"What's the casualty"
"Roughly 20-30 are confirmed dead"
"My god"
"We're sealing off the street for now , for now the primary goal is to neutralize all the gunmen"
Back in the hotel room , Karan was constantly crying , Hemant tried his best but he was too shaking. Hemant somehow gained some strength and comforted Karan which after much time made Karan calm down. Hemant made sure he covered his eyes and head when he lifted him and ran to make sure he didn't see anything. But Anjali was pretty shaken , her hands were shaking. She had already went through a trauma not long back with a kidnapping attempt , and now being part of this terror attack has shaken her to the core. Hemant grabbed onto her hand trying to take her attention away from the situation.
"ANJU? ANJU?"
Anjali eventually came into senses and looked at Hemant worried.
"Bhaiya what was that? There were Gunmen , I saw the shopkeeper getting shot"
"You are safe Anju , that is whay matters. I want you to be brave for Karan. Remember what I said about fear , never give in."
Anjali was still reeling from the shock of the situation. Hemant moved towards Karan and held his hand.
"Karan , shall we play an interesting game?"
"Papa I am scared?"
"Don't worry Son , we play this game and your fear will go away. Shall we play?"
"Okay Papa"
"I want you to take deep breaths , and in each deep breaths , I want you to count starting from 1"
Anjali looked at him curiously.
"By the time you count to the number 200 , the sounds will stop and your fear will go away"
Karan feeling a bit normal decided to play his father's game.
"Okay papa"
Hemant then turned to Anjali.
"Anju , I am going out to find out what's going on , I will come very shortly"
"But Bhaiya"
"Don't worry , I won't be in danger. I will return shortly"
Anjali nodded as she sat there and upclose to Karan. Hemant assured them he will be back as he walked to the main door and closed it leaving the room. Hemant for a few seconds stood near the hotel room door thinking about the near miss passing of the bullet near Karan. He kept on repeating it and all the incidents in his past including the goons harassing him , Dilawar threatening him , all the low points combusted in him. The moment he opened his eyes after that , there was a sudden change in his body language.
Something inside him finally snapped. Gone was the fearful , concerned family man and a father. His eyes demonstrated a fiery intensity as he walked away from the hotel room door to the elevator. He then arrived at the hotel entrance and saw the cops barricading the street. The gunfire was still going on as the swat team was setting their perimeter and barricade near the road.
Those millitants kept on firing towards the cops as they guarded themselves with shields. Harper was talking with the in-charge when he noticed the variation in the sounds of the gunfire.
"Did you notice that"
"What?"
"The gunfire , there is only less gun firing"
Harper walked outside to see if he could find the gunmen. But it seems most of the gunmen were hiding at the alleywey finding perfect cover while firing into the cops barricade. A minute later , one more gunfire was lessened which Harper noticed again. And just like that as time went by , one by one , each gunfire stopped , which eventually resulted in silence after a long time.
Anjali was stunned in the hotel room when she noticed the gunfire had indeed stopped. Karan was still counting his numbers half way there.
"95..........96...........97...........98.........99......100"
The cops charged when the silence prevailed as they all moved to the alley covering all the corners and layouts. There were bodies of civilians lying around as they moved forward. The cops believed that the terrorists might have ran out of ammo. That was when they heard a female scream. Everyone ran to where the scream was originating from. They eventually arrived to the scene where the scream came from. It was from an old woman who was standing near the St.Michael's church in Cornhill. The cops , harper and all the law enforcement officials were shocked to find that all the terrorist were placed at the steps of the church , all fatally stabbed and killed with one of the terrorist who happens to be the leader of this group laying dead completely penetrated into the statue of St.Michael's sword at the side of the church!
The situation in charge called on his microphone.
"I need EMTs and people from Forensic quick....we have a lot of casualties....the threat is neutralized.....I repeat the threat is neutralized...."
In the hotel room , Karan was closing in to his counting. Anjali felt relieved that the gunfire stopped and that there was some normalcy in the air. She was surprised that what Hemant did say actually happened , this felt a bit strange. Karan was closing into his number.
"196....197.....198....199....200"
The moment Karan stopped counting , the hotel room door opened and Hemant walked in.
"See? I told you it will work. Do you feel better Karan"
"Yes Papa , I feel okay now"
"Good boy"
Hemant hugged his son a little tight leaving a sigh that he was finally alright. Hemant then turned to Anjali.
"Are you alright"
"I've been good ever since the gunfire stopped. What was happening Bhaiya?"
"From what I know for now , it was a terror attack , there is a lot of casualties. Luckily where we were standing was the corner which is why we could escape. The gunfire was aimed towards the sitting area and the benches."
"Are there people dead?"
"I won't lie to you Anju , there is. But you must please focus on the reality that you survived"
Anjali was going through a cascade of emotions. Hemant comforted her.
"Why does this keep happening to me Bhaiya? First the kidnapping , now this. Why can't everything be normal?"
"Sometimes life is not in our control. And fate tends to push us to dangerous situations like this. But tonight , I give you a promise. No matter what happens , I will always be there for you in your time of need. Forget the worry Anju , I promise I will make sure that things like this will never happen again"
"Thanks Bhaiya"
That was when the doorbell rang. Hemant calmed Anjali down as he walked to the door and opened it to find Harper.
"Roy , what is going on?"
"They're neutralized Egghead , you guys had a narrow escape from a terror attack"
"And the civilians"
"For now , officially 21 people are dead. It is a major strike , the city is on high alert. But there is no problem for you and your family. Your flight is still on and will be on time tomorrow morning. I've arranged some security convoy for all of you for a safe passage to the airport"
"Thanks Roy , and what about the Terrorists?"
"Oh , they're all dead , their bodies were found at the entrance of the St.Michael's church nearby , some local civilians are claiming that the Archangel punished them all. Regardless they are done for"
"What was their purpose"
"Gahd some religious bullshit. They are part of a terror outfit originating from Lebanon , usually worked with the Somali Pirates."
"Lebanon?"
"Yeah , you know something?"
"Nothing"
"Were you in the hotel room since you came here?"
"Of course , I had to calm the kids down. They were pretty frightened"
"Obviously , how are they now"
"They're different , I guess returning to their home will eventually heal them further"
"That is true , Good night Egghead. Sorry that things ended in a bad note for the last stay here."
"Its alright , there is always tomorrow. Good night Roy"
Saying that Harper took his leave. Hemant returned to the room checking up on Anjali and Karan. Karan appeared more calm now and Anjali too showed signs of relief. Hemant adviced to sleep early as they will be boarding the morning flight home. Hemant sat in the corner watching Anjali and Karan go to sleep as he looked out through the window watching the night contemplating his life choices. In his mind right now , a different memories were flashing before his eyes. It was no longer the narrow miss of Karan. But rather the screams of death those terrorists made as one by one they were taken down.
AT THE CRIME SCENE.
Forensics experts and EMT were gathered in the area checking the wounded and marking the dead bodies. The forensic teams took extra times with detailing the dead bodies of the terrorists. The in charge officer talked with the forensic expert.
"What's the situation?"
"Its a lethal kill sir , each of these folks were killed by a spare part of their respective guns , this guy was stabbed by the trigger screw at the back of the gun , this one was fatally stabbed by the nozzle of the rifle , this one by the shell valve. Crazy part is each of these spare parts have sharp points that made it easy to penetrate. But the crazy part is this guy. He died from this wound itself , but the statue is made of stone so there was no way a normal force could penetrate his body like that."
"Then how?"
"He was pushed sir. From the top of the church. He was subdued and dragged upstairs and dropped into the statue. The force of the fall made the stone penetrate his skin. Whoever did this is a well known lethal assasin"
"Is there any fingerprint?"
"None sir , not gonna lie this make the killer look like someone supernatural. Maybe the locals are indeed right. The Archangel did indeed show up"
"This is not the time for fairy tales doctor. Finish up the analysis and send a report to my table when its done"
"Right away sir."
BACK IN THE HOTEL.
In the hotel room , Hemant was standing near the window looking out to the city. Ever since the incident few hours ago , there is a shift in his demeanor. He no longer acted concerned or worried , but rather protective and vigilant. Hemant was looking into the city at night with a sinister expression. His mind no longer holding the worries , but the familiar flames of vengeance touching his core. He remembered the old man from the photo and the old visions of the people dying. But for the first time , he didn't feel any discomfort with it , instead , he was simmering in it. For the first time , he has learned to accept his past and thus this has created a transformation in Hemant. A blend of past and present , as he stood there looking over the city , his shadow casted upon the sleeping Anjali and Karan making him cover them as a dark protective shield.
SOMEWHERE IN LONDON
Kira was at her motel room at the edge of the city as she was watching a special BBC live news coverage.
'We bring you this exclusive coverage regarding a tragic and at the same time bizzare incident that culminated in London. A few hours ago , a couple of armed terrorists opened fire on the Lime Street Alley resulting in a major tragedy. As of now 21 civilians are confirmed dead and over 40 are critically injured. The Law enforcement and SWAT took control of the street now but the bizzare part regarding this shootout was that all the terrorist responsible for this heinous act were all taken out and their bodies were piled up at the doorstep of St.Michael's church in Cornhill. One of the terrorist was even brutally assasinated as his body was lying stabbed into the sword of St.Michael's statue. Investigations are unclear who is behind this and a special team is being assigned to track the nature and source of this entire tragedy. Some of the local officials claim that the terrorist were punished by the Archangel himself. As for now , the authorities are working overtime to ensure law and order are in effect and the street be cleared for civilians. The law enforcement has assured the civilians that there will not be anymore attacks like this in London as much needed precautionary measures will be going into effect , this is Regina Stewart , BBC News, Cornhill'
Kira's whole demeanor changed as she saw the news bulletin. The blurred out image of the body being stabbed into the Michael statue created a discomfort within her. Deepika with concerned look only murmured few words.
"Oh Hemant , what have you done!"
30 MILES AWAY FROM LONDON AT HERTFORD.
The massive WILLIAMS mansion had its lights glowing making the whole place look like a movie set. Guards wearing suits and holding silenced Vector Acog Assault Rifles were doing their usual rounds and guarding the main gate when a black car arrived at the gate. The security did his check and let the car in opening the massive gate of the mansion entrance. The car sped its way to the Mansion's lobby. The door opened of the car and a man got out. It was the same man what was taking the photos of Hemant and his family near the Big Ben.
He looked nervous and was sweating as he entered the mansion. Inside the Mansion was decorated with big chandelier and wonderful carpets , but only the house keeps and guards were present. The man arrived at the office area of the mansion located at the first floor. There near the big desk a middle aged man was sitting reading some documents. He noticed the incoming man.
"What brings you here Jack?"
"Sir William , you need to see this"
He handed over an envelops , juding by Jack's worried expression and shivering hands intrigued William as he opened the envelope. Inside the envelope were the photos he took of Hemant and his family. The moment William saw it , the worried look came in his face as well. He looked at each photo very carefully. For a moment his mind was in disbelief but he eventually had to accept reality.
"When did you take this"
"This evening sir , he was at the Big Ben"
William sat on his chair taking a deep breath. He was thinking about something when one of the guard walked into the room.
"Sir , you need to see this"
The guard turned on the TV and it was the same news bulletin that Kira saw moments ago on BBC. As each detail regarding the shootout came out and the bulletin showed a blurred image of an impaled dead body in St.Michael's statue , William felt deja vu and was stunned as he stood up from his chair. That bloody but gruesome image itched into his mind. His breathing became erratic as he spoke the following words with shivering voice.
"HE..........HE IS BACK!"
(CHAPTER TO BE CONTD)
"Hey Sona , good morning"
"Hi Hemant and here its Good Afternoon"
"How is Bali?"
"Its , fresh , the greenery , the cold waters , its a very zen place , gives me great relief from the chaos of Mumbai"
"Uhuh , and you did your meeting go?"
"Meeting? Oh , yeah meeting , yeah its been well , only the introductions happened yesterday , today the main conference began. It was.....exhausting"
"Alteast you have a scenic view right?"
"That I definitely do , this place its....good....for the work that I am doing....gives me some relief"
"I am glad to hear that"
"Enought about me , how did your presentation go?"
"It went better than I expected , I've got a few more contacts and business proposals , my pasture is getting greener"
"See. I told you it will go well , like I said you underestimate yourself a lot. So this means you are moving forward with your business plans?"
"I am faster than you think"
"I am happy not just for you....for us as well. This can bring that much needed change in our lifestyle I assume?"
"It definitely will"
"Is Karan behaving well?"
"He is surprisingly , he is more excited to visit the WB studio tour in a few moments"
"And Anju"
"Yeah she too likes it , she is especially ecstatic because she is getting a lot of Social Media views from her photos she took in Buckingham Palace yesterday"
"Yeah I saw it too , you looked especially handsome in one of those"
"You're saying that because you're my wife"
"What I cannot complement my husband? You have no idea how hot you are to me"
"Really?"
"How about when I get home after Bali , I show you"
"Careful lady , you know we're not the only people in our house remember?"
"I'll find a way , I promise. Love you Beloved"
"Love you more Sona"
He ended the call. That talk gave him an extra boost to enjoy the tour today.
The tour was an amazing experience. All three of them were big fans of the Harry Potter world. It was a surreal feeling seeing the world of Harry Potter come back to life. Karan's eyes glowed when all three of them went to Diagon Alley and shoped for their respective wands , since Hemant could not be a student , he preteneded to be a teacher and proclaimed himself the new defense against the dark arts teacher. Anjali and Hemant shared an in world joke that the post of that specific teacher is always available every year in that college. There were kids there who enjoyed and had a great time being students shoping their wands and brooms. Hemant interacted with some of them and they all enjoyed playing their roles in the world of Harry Potter.
The place was a wonderful experience for all of them , they enjoyed taking photos with props. Hemant even tried a wizard outfit , Anjali tried a trivia which made her eligible to be a member of house Hufflepuff. Hemant got the house Raveclaw while Karan was jumping in happiness when he learned he is now part of Gryffindor.
By noon there was a short play and Hemant got to play Snape in it where he could play sequences of the movies to an audience of children and elders. It was all kinds of fun. Harper shot his moments on his phone and then he shared it to him. Anjali shot some as well and put it on her social media and immediately there was some positive responses from many of the people. Even Sonarika liked the post very early as well.
They had a wonderful lunch at a Harry Potter themed restaurant after which all of them returned to the city. Hemant then took all of them to some of the shopping centers in the city for Anjali. Anjali was given some extra cash by Hemant to buy whatever she likes , she loved the good gesture and she ended up enjoying the shopping spree. Though Anjali used the money to buy some stuff not just for her , but for the entire family as well including Sonarika. After that they returned to the hotel because they could not carry all the things around and Karan had bought a lot of toys from the studio tours as well. After stashing their shopping items and toys in the hotel , the family then went to the London Zoo. Karan loved the experience there , especially the portion where people get to pet the infant animals. Anjali took a photo of Hemant holding a tiger cub. The zookeeper complimented that the cub is often very loud and crying but in Hemant's hands he feels well comforted and relaxed.
By evening they came to Big Ben and took some photos there. Karan and Anjali were enjoying the view of the river and the Clock Tower when Hemant decided to call Sonarika.
Her phone ringed multiple times until eventually Sonarika picked the call.
"Mmmm...mmmm....hey Hemant....is everything okay?"
"Yeah everything's fine Sona , just wanted to call because we are at the Big Ben now"
"mmhmm...mmm...that's great...mmm.."
"Why are you breathing heavily?"
"Ohhh....that....I just had dinner and some of my associates wanted to.....jog at the beach after dinner.....you know to ease the stomach.....mmm...."
"Oh that is very unusual of you"
"I don't go to Bali everyday Honey.....Ahhh..."
"What happened?"
"Umm.....I stepped on a rough stone.....ahhh"
"Why did you go to the beach with naked feet"
"Mhmm....the beach is generally very smooth Hemant....and the real fun with beach comes with naked feet"
"Okay but please watch yourself.....anyways we will be going for some art shows and a gallery until we check back to the hotel"
"Okay....take care of yourself.....love you....bye....mhmmm....mhmmm...."
"Love you more!"
Saying that Hemant ended the call. He was a bit confused , Sonarika sounded very discomforted in the phone , and it seems the stone stepping might be something harmful. But he was helpless in giving her any assisstance. Hemant decided he will check up on her once she returns. As he was walking towards Anjali and Karan , he saw in a distance a man in a suit taking photos in his camera. Hemant noticed him and he noticed back at the same time , seeing Hemant staring back at him. He ran away to a nearby black car and drove off. Hemant felt something was off as he went to Anjali and Karan and left the place.
The family then went to an art gallery. Karan wasn't very fond of it , but Anjali loved being there. Soon the sun went down and Hemant took both of them to another posh hotel for dinner. Once the dinner was done , Anjali suggested to walk to their hotel since they are close to it. Hemant allowed it and all three were walking through the street vendors section of a pathway. Karan started to insist to eat cotton candy from a nearby vendor. Hemant reluctantly agreed and the family stayed there for him to eat.
Hemant and Anjali had a casual talk about the city as Karan ate his candy. Soon at the other side of the street , a bunch of black vans were arriving in high speed and halted in the road cross. A bunch of well armed individuals got out of the van wearing bullet proof vests , they all weared balaklavas made of cotton stripped towels over their heads. They all were carrying old college AK-47 customised submachine guns , some of the bystanders noticed them and immediately started screaming. That scream alerted Hemant and he instantly noticed those individuals walking up from Lime street and aiming directly towards the entire alley. He also realized they were all standing at the line of fire. Hemant quickly dragged Anjali away as those armed gunmen aimed at the alley. Hemant lunged towards Karan and pulled him towards himself. At the same time the gunmen started firing. A bullet narrowly misses Karan's head and hits the vendor's shop.
"ANJU DUCK , COME WITH ME!"
They both kneel as they run as the entire place is erupted into the sounds of gunfire.
"DON'T LOOK BACK ANJU , KEEP RUNNING!"
Hemant led her while holding Karan in his arms as they ran through the shortcut of the alleyway. Dozens of people were running alongside them away from the gunfire.
"WE'RE NEARLY THERE , WE'RE AT THE HOTEL!"
They soon crossed the street as a bunch of ANVIL guards were guarding the hotel doorway. Harper came running towards Hemant at the lobby.
"Egghead you okay! What happened?"
"Roy , there is gunfire at Lime Street Passage , multiple assailants , all carrying sub-machines"
"Alright , get your kids to your hotel room , you guys are safe here"
Hemant quickly led them to their hotel room. Anjali was still shaking from that whole ordeal. They could still hear the echo of the gunfire going on in the street away. In the distance , law enforcement officials and the London Cops arrived with a massive unit along with their own SWAT teams. Harper ran on the street to meet with the cops and talk to them about the situation.
"What's going on Commissioner?"
"Its a terror attack , HQ just recieved a threat , they are members of a terror unit based in Lebanon."
"What's the casualty"
"Roughly 20-30 are confirmed dead"
"My god"
"We're sealing off the street for now , for now the primary goal is to neutralize all the gunmen"
Back in the hotel room , Karan was constantly crying , Hemant tried his best but he was too shaking. Hemant somehow gained some strength and comforted Karan which after much time made Karan calm down. Hemant made sure he covered his eyes and head when he lifted him and ran to make sure he didn't see anything. But Anjali was pretty shaken , her hands were shaking. She had already went through a trauma not long back with a kidnapping attempt , and now being part of this terror attack has shaken her to the core. Hemant grabbed onto her hand trying to take her attention away from the situation.
"ANJU? ANJU?"
Anjali eventually came into senses and looked at Hemant worried.
"Bhaiya what was that? There were Gunmen , I saw the shopkeeper getting shot"
"You are safe Anju , that is whay matters. I want you to be brave for Karan. Remember what I said about fear , never give in."
Anjali was still reeling from the shock of the situation. Hemant moved towards Karan and held his hand.
"Karan , shall we play an interesting game?"
"Papa I am scared?"
"Don't worry Son , we play this game and your fear will go away. Shall we play?"
"Okay Papa"
"I want you to take deep breaths , and in each deep breaths , I want you to count starting from 1"
Anjali looked at him curiously.
"By the time you count to the number 200 , the sounds will stop and your fear will go away"
Karan feeling a bit normal decided to play his father's game.
"Okay papa"
Hemant then turned to Anjali.
"Anju , I am going out to find out what's going on , I will come very shortly"
"But Bhaiya"
"Don't worry , I won't be in danger. I will return shortly"
Anjali nodded as she sat there and upclose to Karan. Hemant assured them he will be back as he walked to the main door and closed it leaving the room. Hemant for a few seconds stood near the hotel room door thinking about the near miss passing of the bullet near Karan. He kept on repeating it and all the incidents in his past including the goons harassing him , Dilawar threatening him , all the low points combusted in him. The moment he opened his eyes after that , there was a sudden change in his body language.
Something inside him finally snapped. Gone was the fearful , concerned family man and a father. His eyes demonstrated a fiery intensity as he walked away from the hotel room door to the elevator. He then arrived at the hotel entrance and saw the cops barricading the street. The gunfire was still going on as the swat team was setting their perimeter and barricade near the road.
Those millitants kept on firing towards the cops as they guarded themselves with shields. Harper was talking with the in-charge when he noticed the variation in the sounds of the gunfire.
"Did you notice that"
"What?"
"The gunfire , there is only less gun firing"
Harper walked outside to see if he could find the gunmen. But it seems most of the gunmen were hiding at the alleywey finding perfect cover while firing into the cops barricade. A minute later , one more gunfire was lessened which Harper noticed again. And just like that as time went by , one by one , each gunfire stopped , which eventually resulted in silence after a long time.
Anjali was stunned in the hotel room when she noticed the gunfire had indeed stopped. Karan was still counting his numbers half way there.
"95..........96...........97...........98.........99......100"
The cops charged when the silence prevailed as they all moved to the alley covering all the corners and layouts. There were bodies of civilians lying around as they moved forward. The cops believed that the terrorists might have ran out of ammo. That was when they heard a female scream. Everyone ran to where the scream was originating from. They eventually arrived to the scene where the scream came from. It was from an old woman who was standing near the St.Michael's church in Cornhill. The cops , harper and all the law enforcement officials were shocked to find that all the terrorist were placed at the steps of the church , all fatally stabbed and killed with one of the terrorist who happens to be the leader of this group laying dead completely penetrated into the statue of St.Michael's sword at the side of the church!
The situation in charge called on his microphone.
"I need EMTs and people from Forensic quick....we have a lot of casualties....the threat is neutralized.....I repeat the threat is neutralized...."
In the hotel room , Karan was closing in to his counting. Anjali felt relieved that the gunfire stopped and that there was some normalcy in the air. She was surprised that what Hemant did say actually happened , this felt a bit strange. Karan was closing into his number.
"196....197.....198....199....200"
The moment Karan stopped counting , the hotel room door opened and Hemant walked in.
"See? I told you it will work. Do you feel better Karan"
"Yes Papa , I feel okay now"
"Good boy"
Hemant hugged his son a little tight leaving a sigh that he was finally alright. Hemant then turned to Anjali.
"Are you alright"
"I've been good ever since the gunfire stopped. What was happening Bhaiya?"
"From what I know for now , it was a terror attack , there is a lot of casualties. Luckily where we were standing was the corner which is why we could escape. The gunfire was aimed towards the sitting area and the benches."
"Are there people dead?"
"I won't lie to you Anju , there is. But you must please focus on the reality that you survived"
Anjali was going through a cascade of emotions. Hemant comforted her.
"Why does this keep happening to me Bhaiya? First the kidnapping , now this. Why can't everything be normal?"
"Sometimes life is not in our control. And fate tends to push us to dangerous situations like this. But tonight , I give you a promise. No matter what happens , I will always be there for you in your time of need. Forget the worry Anju , I promise I will make sure that things like this will never happen again"
"Thanks Bhaiya"
That was when the doorbell rang. Hemant calmed Anjali down as he walked to the door and opened it to find Harper.
"Roy , what is going on?"
"They're neutralized Egghead , you guys had a narrow escape from a terror attack"
"And the civilians"
"For now , officially 21 people are dead. It is a major strike , the city is on high alert. But there is no problem for you and your family. Your flight is still on and will be on time tomorrow morning. I've arranged some security convoy for all of you for a safe passage to the airport"
"Thanks Roy , and what about the Terrorists?"
"Oh , they're all dead , their bodies were found at the entrance of the St.Michael's church nearby , some local civilians are claiming that the Archangel punished them all. Regardless they are done for"
"What was their purpose"
"Gahd some religious bullshit. They are part of a terror outfit originating from Lebanon , usually worked with the Somali Pirates."
"Lebanon?"
"Yeah , you know something?"
"Nothing"
"Were you in the hotel room since you came here?"
"Of course , I had to calm the kids down. They were pretty frightened"
"Obviously , how are they now"
"They're different , I guess returning to their home will eventually heal them further"
"That is true , Good night Egghead. Sorry that things ended in a bad note for the last stay here."
"Its alright , there is always tomorrow. Good night Roy"
Saying that Harper took his leave. Hemant returned to the room checking up on Anjali and Karan. Karan appeared more calm now and Anjali too showed signs of relief. Hemant adviced to sleep early as they will be boarding the morning flight home. Hemant sat in the corner watching Anjali and Karan go to sleep as he looked out through the window watching the night contemplating his life choices. In his mind right now , a different memories were flashing before his eyes. It was no longer the narrow miss of Karan. But rather the screams of death those terrorists made as one by one they were taken down.
AT THE CRIME SCENE.
Forensics experts and EMT were gathered in the area checking the wounded and marking the dead bodies. The forensic teams took extra times with detailing the dead bodies of the terrorists. The in charge officer talked with the forensic expert.
"What's the situation?"
"Its a lethal kill sir , each of these folks were killed by a spare part of their respective guns , this guy was stabbed by the trigger screw at the back of the gun , this one was fatally stabbed by the nozzle of the rifle , this one by the shell valve. Crazy part is each of these spare parts have sharp points that made it easy to penetrate. But the crazy part is this guy. He died from this wound itself , but the statue is made of stone so there was no way a normal force could penetrate his body like that."
"Then how?"
"He was pushed sir. From the top of the church. He was subdued and dragged upstairs and dropped into the statue. The force of the fall made the stone penetrate his skin. Whoever did this is a well known lethal assasin"
"Is there any fingerprint?"
"None sir , not gonna lie this make the killer look like someone supernatural. Maybe the locals are indeed right. The Archangel did indeed show up"
"This is not the time for fairy tales doctor. Finish up the analysis and send a report to my table when its done"
"Right away sir."
BACK IN THE HOTEL.
In the hotel room , Hemant was standing near the window looking out to the city. Ever since the incident few hours ago , there is a shift in his demeanor. He no longer acted concerned or worried , but rather protective and vigilant. Hemant was looking into the city at night with a sinister expression. His mind no longer holding the worries , but the familiar flames of vengeance touching his core. He remembered the old man from the photo and the old visions of the people dying. But for the first time , he didn't feel any discomfort with it , instead , he was simmering in it. For the first time , he has learned to accept his past and thus this has created a transformation in Hemant. A blend of past and present , as he stood there looking over the city , his shadow casted upon the sleeping Anjali and Karan making him cover them as a dark protective shield.
SOMEWHERE IN LONDON
Kira was at her motel room at the edge of the city as she was watching a special BBC live news coverage.
'We bring you this exclusive coverage regarding a tragic and at the same time bizzare incident that culminated in London. A few hours ago , a couple of armed terrorists opened fire on the Lime Street Alley resulting in a major tragedy. As of now 21 civilians are confirmed dead and over 40 are critically injured. The Law enforcement and SWAT took control of the street now but the bizzare part regarding this shootout was that all the terrorist responsible for this heinous act were all taken out and their bodies were piled up at the doorstep of St.Michael's church in Cornhill. One of the terrorist was even brutally assasinated as his body was lying stabbed into the sword of St.Michael's statue. Investigations are unclear who is behind this and a special team is being assigned to track the nature and source of this entire tragedy. Some of the local officials claim that the terrorist were punished by the Archangel himself. As for now , the authorities are working overtime to ensure law and order are in effect and the street be cleared for civilians. The law enforcement has assured the civilians that there will not be anymore attacks like this in London as much needed precautionary measures will be going into effect , this is Regina Stewart , BBC News, Cornhill'
Kira's whole demeanor changed as she saw the news bulletin. The blurred out image of the body being stabbed into the Michael statue created a discomfort within her. Deepika with concerned look only murmured few words.
"Oh Hemant , what have you done!"
30 MILES AWAY FROM LONDON AT HERTFORD.
The massive WILLIAMS mansion had its lights glowing making the whole place look like a movie set. Guards wearing suits and holding silenced Vector Acog Assault Rifles were doing their usual rounds and guarding the main gate when a black car arrived at the gate. The security did his check and let the car in opening the massive gate of the mansion entrance. The car sped its way to the Mansion's lobby. The door opened of the car and a man got out. It was the same man what was taking the photos of Hemant and his family near the Big Ben.
He looked nervous and was sweating as he entered the mansion. Inside the Mansion was decorated with big chandelier and wonderful carpets , but only the house keeps and guards were present. The man arrived at the office area of the mansion located at the first floor. There near the big desk a middle aged man was sitting reading some documents. He noticed the incoming man.
"What brings you here Jack?"
"Sir William , you need to see this"
He handed over an envelops , juding by Jack's worried expression and shivering hands intrigued William as he opened the envelope. Inside the envelope were the photos he took of Hemant and his family. The moment William saw it , the worried look came in his face as well. He looked at each photo very carefully. For a moment his mind was in disbelief but he eventually had to accept reality.
"When did you take this"
"This evening sir , he was at the Big Ben"
William sat on his chair taking a deep breath. He was thinking about something when one of the guard walked into the room.
"Sir , you need to see this"
The guard turned on the TV and it was the same news bulletin that Kira saw moments ago on BBC. As each detail regarding the shootout came out and the bulletin showed a blurred image of an impaled dead body in St.Michael's statue , William felt deja vu and was stunned as he stood up from his chair. That bloody but gruesome image itched into his mind. His breathing became erratic as he spoke the following words with shivering voice.
"HE..........HE IS BACK!"
(CHAPTER TO BE CONTD)
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