Border of the sun

by Aditya Mewati

  The cafe was almost empty. Few college students were chatting at the far corner. Three guys in suits were having lunch and boring business talks. A middle-aged guy was sittings alone two tables away from them, enjoying his coffee and pasta. All other tables were empty.

  The waiter returned with their order. He gently placed two cups on the table, smiled, and left.

  Piper sipped on some coffee and gazed at the college students. "They look so happy," She muttered.

  Karthik followed her gaze. "Yes. They do look happy." He shrugged.

  "I wished I could have stayed eighteen years old forever," Piper said and took another sip of coffee.

  Karthik frowned. "Uh, I know it's not the right time to ask. But...what were you...people working on? I think it has something to do with Alex Bill's abduction."

  "I seriously don't want to talk about it," Piper said.

  "It's okay. No problem," Karthik said quickly.

  She rolled her eyes. "Okay! listen, you know what PharmaGen do, Right? Cancer research. Our team was working on gene therapy." She looked around and whispered. "And we were about to get a breakthrough."

  "Breakthrough?" Karthik said, raising his eyebrow.

  "We were so close to developing a new medicine. It could have cured even a third stage cancer."

  "Wow!" Karthik exclaimed. He pressed the cup rim against his lips and realized that his cup was already empty. Never mind.

  "That Interpol Guy said that he was the third scientist to be abducted this month," Piper said, thinking hard.

  "And also warned you to stay more alert..." Karthik added. "And you should."

  The chair creaked and moaned as she shifted uneasily in it. "What can be that classified project?" She asked him.

  "Beats me," Karthik replied drumming his fingers on the table.

  "Dr. Alex Bill never told me that he was part of some classified project," She said to herself.

  "Because it was a Classified project," Karthik said and smiled.

  But she didn't find funny. "Sorry," he said and glanced at his watch. "Maybe we should leave."

  She nodded. They got up and strolled across the room and went out of the door.

  After they were gone, the guy who was sitting two tables away from them pressed his ear and whispered over the microphone. "They are leaving. Should I follow them?"

  "No! We need her alone." A harsh voice blared in his microphone.

  He grinned. "Then I'll have one more coffee."

  Outside the eatery.

  Karthik slid into his car. "Are you sure you don't want me to drop you home?" He asked Piper.

  "I'll take the cab." She nodded, leaning against the car window. "You have lots of work. And besides, I can handle myself, you know."

  "Okay... I seriously don't want to hear that independent woman stuff again." He giggled. " Everything will be fine. " He added softly.

  She nodded and went silent. She glanced at the headlight. "What happen to the headlight?" She scowled.

  "Uh, long story," He said, clenching his teeth.

  "Okay, Bye." She looked down and pretended to kick an invisible stone. "See you later..."

  5

  "Just stop next to that gate," Piper instructed the cabbie, pointing at the gate.

  Whistling softly to himself the cabbie pulled the cab close to the gate.

  "How much?" Piper asked while getting off from the cab.

  "Forty-eight."

  Piper nodded. She shoved her hand deep into her denim pants pocket, searching for the money. After struggling for a while, she pulled out some money and handed it to the cabbie. "Keep the change," She said, softly.

  Pleased, the cabbie beamed at her. He gave her a final wave and drove the cab to the highway and soon disappeared around a corner.

  Piper sighed. She glanced at her wristwatch, it was around two-thirty. The sun burned down, the air around her was warm and damp. It was a humid day.

  She made her way across the garden to the main door.

  She grabbed the doorknob with one hand and shoved her other hand into her pocket for the keys. But stopped. She realized something was wrong with the door.

  She gave the door a little shove and surprisingly the door swung away, creaking and moaning, allowing the sunlight light wash on the floor.

  Her eyes gaped in shock. Heart pounding in her chest, she crossed the entryway and made her way toward the entrance hall.

  As she walked something crunched below her sneaker. She looked down and saw broken glass pieces.

  She jumped over her wrecked telephone. And after reaching the entrance hall, she gasped in horror.

  ***

  His eyes sweep from one page to another. He raised his eyes from the file when he heard Jane steps in the room.

  "Mr. Arnold had called you," She said.

  "Arnold Schwarzenegger?" Karthik asked, raising his eyebrow.

  Jane frowned. "Foy, Arnold Foy. The guy who is recently popular on TV because of his divorce case."

  "Tell him, I'm not a divorce lawyer," Karthik replied frowning a bit.

  "I told him. But he said that his one has to do with his company. His wife wants the 50% of his company."

  "But still it has to do with his divorce," Karthik said.

  Jane nodded. "Okay, and you have a meeting with Mr. Warrick at three. Annndd Mr. Ford had called again, reminding you about the tomorrow's schedule. Tomorrow is a very special day for his company."

  "Special day?"

  "Uh! Oh god! Don't tell me you forgo—"

  "No-no," Karthik said, swinging his leg off the desk. "I remember it." He wrinkled his forehead. "Maybe I Don't," He muttered.

  "Great," Jane replied. "Tomorrow is world cancer research Summit, Sydney. Should I repeat it, again?"

  "No. Tomorrow is world cancer research Summit, Sydney. See I got it."

  Jane was about to say something but stopped when the telephone rang. She marched away, muttering to herself, maybe about quitting the job.

  She returned after few seconds. "Ms. Piper is online. She sounded tense."

  Hearing this Karthik jumped to his feet and tore his way to the telephone.

  He picked up the receiver and said. "Hey, Pipes—"

  "Karthik someone broke in and searched my house." She was gasping. She definitely sounded tense. In fact, she sounded terrified. The distraught tone of her voice made Karthik worried.

  "What—"

  "And I think he had got what he wanted. Please. Come here—"

  "Calm down," Karthik said; although he himself felt nervous. "Have you called the police?"

  "No, not yet. Please, I need you here."

  "Okay, h-hang on. I'm coming."

  She hung up the call.

  "Where are you going now?" Jane grumbled.

  "Piper needs me," Karthik replied, collecting the car keys from the drawer.

  "What about your meeting with Mr. Warrick?" Jane scowled, throwing her arms in frustration.

  Karthik stopped. The meeting with Mr. Warrick was very important for him. But Piper is in trouble.

  "Tell him I'm not well," Karthik said and ran toward the lift.

  He couldn't find his car in the parking lot. He cursed himself, remembering that he had sent his car to the repair shop. And after a while, bored of cursing, he decided to hire a cab.

  "There. Next to that gate!" He yelled to the cabbie.

  "Whoa, relax man! You don't need to shout like that." The cabbie replied. He was a young man, maybe in his early twenties. He stopped the car next to the gate. "Take it slow..."

  Karthik climbed out of the cab, throwing the money at the cabbie. "Wait here," He instructed the driver, running toward the main Door.

  "No problem, man. Just don't make me wait longer." The driver replied. He laced his fingers behind his back and tucked his back into the seat.

  The door stood ajar. Karthik shoved the door and stepped inside the entryway.

  "Piper...!" He called. No reply came.

  "Pipes!" He calle
d again. Silence.

  No no, silence is not good, he thought. He glanced behind at the cab. The Driver was dozing off. Karthik exhaled.

  Carefully, skipping over the broken glass pieces, he made his way across the entryway. And uttered a low gasp when he saw the condition of the hall.

  Everything was wrecked and was scattered on the floor. All the drawers were hanging open, clothes and documents were tossed on the floor and on the staircase.

  "Piper!" He yelled. No reply. Where the hell is she?

  He first Checked upstairs, and saw the same sight. Everything lying untidily on the floor. Lockers open. But something peculiar caught his eyes: The bed was not in its right place... and there was a small trap door on the floor. He pulled it open and saw a small compartment, which was empty.

  He heard some kind of sound, maybe from the kitchen. He hurried down the staircase and into the kitchen.

  But found no one in the kitchen. The plates and other utensils were scattered around the kitchen floor. The silverware gleamed in the sunlight that filtered in through the open window.

  He heard another sound. He was not sure whether the noise came from outside or from the house itself.

  Something cracked behind him. His muscle twitched. He was about to spin around but stopped when he heard the rumbling of a car and a girl yelling loudly. "Someone please help me!"

  He soon recognized the voice. Piper! He bolted to the window, just in time to see piper. Her head was perched out of the silver car window, and she was yelling in terror.

  She also spotted him, her eyes were filled with fear. She was about to yell his name, but someone's hand tugged her in.

  "No!" He yelled and spun around, again in time to see a man about to smack his head off with a sub-machine gun's butt.

  Karthik dodged and rolled away. He uttered a low moan as his head hit the wall. His attacker lashed at him, swinging the gun's butt. Seeing him lurching toward him, Karthik rolled away and kicked frantically. He swung his leg and hit his attacker's knee. Grimacing in pain, his attacker stumbled back. He cursed Karthik and spun his gun and pointed it at Karthik. Ready to fire.

  6

  Karthik gaped in horror. His body tensed up. He sat upright, leaning against the wall, not moving, not blinking. Frozen Like a stone. Waiting for his death.

  A thin evil grin crossed on his attacker's face. He pressed the trigger. Click.

  Karthik heart thudded in his chest. Almost ready to burst out. He closed his eyes, waiting for the pain to shoot up from his body. He clutched the metal plate lying next to him and waited and waited. But did not hear a single gun fire. Bewildered, he opened his eyes.

  He caught a confused expression on his attacker's face. The man was shaking his gun furiously.

  The gun is jammed up, Karthik realized. Taking the advantage of the situation, Karthik pelted the giant metal plate at the man.

  The plate swooped like a Frisbee and flew into the man's face. Stunned, the man stumbled back and tripped over on a frying pot. His back slammed hard on the floor. The gun hit the floor with a loud thump, and bullet burst out from the gun's muzzle. Luckily the bullet hit the ceiling.

  Karthik quickly scrambled back to his feet and searched for an exit.The door was blocked by the man, who was also climbing back to his feet. Karthik's eyes swept frantically searching for an exit. Everything went into slow motion.

  He saw his attacker's eyes and face, both red with anger; picking up the gun from the floor.

  Then Karthik eyes spotted the open window. He tore his way to the window and dove out of it.

  He thrust his hand in front him, bracing himself against the impact. Bullets burst out of the gun's nozzle behind him; clattering on the kitchen wall. Maybe, the silence was good.

  He landed on the grass with a soft thud and rolled a few feet away from his landing spot. Everything came back to normal speed. Panting, he climbed back to his feet, and started running around the lawn, toward the main gate.

  He turned around the corner. The main gate slid into view. The cab was still parked in front of the gate. The driver was still dozing off.

  How could he sleep in a gunfire like this? Karthik thought, shaking his head in disbelief. He ran toward the cab, shouting his head off. "Hey, wake up!"

  The driver aroused, making faces at Karthik. He shifted in the seat and stretched his arm. "Ready to leave?" He asked, yawning.

  The main door behind Karthik swung open; the man carrying the gun bust out from the darkness.

  Seeing him with the gun, the driver gasped in terror. "Oh, shit!" He cried, and dropped his leg on the accelerator. The car engine rumbled, and the car jolted forward.

  "No, no wait up! Wait for me, you son of...." Karthik cried, tearing his way to the cab. But the cab was already gone. Karthik helplessly stared at the vehicle, sliding forward getting tinier, and tinier.

  The man behind him started firing.

  Karthik plunged around the corner of the gate and started running toward the other side of the road. The man behind him stopped firing. Then Karthik heard the screeching of rubber tires on the road. He spun and saw the man hurling himself in the silver car. The car door slammed shut.

  He stared in horror at the car moving away from him. Panting, he surveyed around for help. Suddenly a red car screeched and stopped in front of him. The shotgun seat door flung open.

  "Quickly, get in," The dark, brown haired woman said.

  Karthik blankly stared at her.

  "We Don't have time." The woman insisted. "Get in."

  Without saying a single word, Karthik climbed in the car.

  The woman kicked the accelerator, and with a little jerk, the car raced forward.

  Driving, she opened a small cabinet below the dashboard with one hand and pulled out a bottle. She handed it to Karthik. "Drink it."

  Karthik drank the water quietly. After emptying the bottle, he handed it back to the woman. She tossed it over her shoulder on the passenger seat.

  Karthik sank into the seat, closing his eyes, regaining his breath.

  When his heart stopped pounding in his chest, his breath became normal, he opened his eyes and peered out the windshield.

  He could easily see the silver car right ahead of them. At least Fifty feet of distance between them and the silver car.

  "You are following them, right?" He asked finally. His voice came out in a choked whisper. Hardly audible.

  The woman nodded, her eyes locked at the silver car.

  "W-who are you?" Karthik stammered. He intently gazed at her. "I think I have seen you before." He frowned.

  "Have you?" She asked. A smile crosses her face.

  "Yes! I'm pretty sure I have seen you before. But not this close. My memory is very good. At least in remembering faces."

  "Yes, just a few hours ago at Point Piper."

  Karthik thought for a while. "You are that binoculars-girl!" He said, almost jumping on his seat.

  "Yes, you are right. But my name is Agent Lilly Clarke. Not binoculars-girl."

  "You mean you work for Interpol?"Karthik asked her.

  "Almost." Lilly shrugged. She was wearing a Brown leather jacket. She had beautiful hazel eyes and sharp features.

  Karthik lowered his gaze at the steering wheel. Something about that steering looked unusual. He gazed around and realized that the whole interior of the car looked unusual.

  Everything around him, from top to bottom was cluttered with keys and digital screens. The panel in front of him was alone holding more than fifty keys.

  "Fancy car," He muttered.

  "You said something?" Lilly asked him.

  "Uh, uh... what were you doing on that boat with 'binoculars' instead of being with other Interpol officers in Mr. Ford's house?"

  He felt her hesitating. "I." She paused. "Will explain later."

  Karthik grunted, and nodded. He stared at silver car. "You're going to rescue Piper, right?"

  "We are," Lilly replied.

  "Who are those guys? What do they
want from piper?" He asked.

  "I'll explain later," She replied softly.

  "Great," he muttered angrily.

  She said nothing.

  She drove the car smoothly and efficiently. Maintaining reasonable distance with the silver car. Not too close. Not too far.

  After twenty minutes, they stopped at the traffic signal, next to an open jeep. Karthik peered out the windshield. "Where is it?" He asked, in a shaky voice.

  "In front of that truck," Lilly said, pointing at the truck.

  Karthik nodded. "Don't you think they would have realized by now that we are following them?" He asked Lilly, and glanced at the jeep, and saw a man sitting in the driver seat. Behind the man, Karthik spotted a woman, and a boy playing with a transformer's toy.

  Lilly shrugged. "Maybe. Let's change the color."

  "Change the color? You mean the car's body color?" He asked and let out a shrill laughter.

  "Yes," She said blandly, reaching above her and started pressing keys on the touch screen console. "I think the blue will look good."

  "You are joking, right?" He asked in disbelief.

  "I am not joking," She replied, still working on the console above her. "Done." She sighed.

  The boy who was playing with his transformer toy dropped his toy and also his jaw. He tugged his mom's sleeves.

  "M-mom," He muttered. "T-That car just c-changed its color." He stammered.

  His mom snorted. "You and your wild imaginations."

  "No. I'm not imagining. It really changed its color." He insisted.

  The signal turned green. Lilly dropped her leg on the accelerator.

  "How did you do that?" Karthik asked. He was completely flabbergasted.

  "Physics," Lilly replied. "Special crystal paint coating. They change their orientation with respect to the applied current. Reflecting different spectrum of light."

  "Wow," Karthik muttered.

  The late afternoon sun was now hanging behind the skyscrapers, casting eerie looking shadows on the road.

  After following the car for another fifteen minutes, they found themselves on the express highway, leaving the city.

  7

  "Oh god, my skin feels so itchy." Karthik whined, scratching his hands and fingers. He squirmed on the seat, trying to scratch the back of his neck.