PRIMAL Starter Box Set (PRIMAL Series)
Page 9
“Me, Atal.”
Mirza yanked the door open, hauled the boy inside, and slammed the door. “Why didn’t you pick up your phone? And why aren’t you watching Neeraj’s place?”
Atal waved the cell phone in Mirza’s face. “Nasty Chinese shit went flat. You cheap bastards should buy Nokia.”
At the street urchin’s indignant attitude, Mirza burst out laughing. “We’ll get you a new phone.”
He pulled out the digital camera. “I got good stuff for you. You’re the spies. But I do all the work.”
“Let’s take a look,” said Himesh.
Atal passed the camera to Mirza. “It’s good stuff. After you left, I saw more Pakis.” He stood erect, chest puffed out. “I make a great secret agent.”
Mirza reviewed the images. He studied the face of one man Atal had zoomed in on. He matched the photo given to them by their surveillance team: bug eyes and a neatly trimmed beard. “That’s our man. You’re right Atal, you’re a natural.”
Atal pointed at the screen. “He hit me.”
“He’s the one you guided to Neeraj’s?”
“Yes. He’s cheaper than you. Cheap prick wouldn’t even give me a rupee.”
Mirza handed the camera to Himesh. “That’s our guy.”
“More cash?” Atal asked in a hopeful voice.
“That depends,” said Himesh.
“On what?”
“On whether you can find us some transport.”
“I get you anything you want. Tuk-tuk, truck, pickup, cab, train, bus, horse or elephant, what do you want?”
“I’ll settle for a tuk-tuk.”
“I get a tuk-tuk. Five minutes.” He bolted out the door.
“Where’re we headed?” Mirza asked.
Himesh held up the camera. “The NSG compound. We’ve got enough to justify a hit on the safe house.”
Knowing the grief they were about to get, Mirza grimaced. “They’re not going to like us rolling in and telling them how to do their job.”
“Too bad. The Major wants it to happen. That means we make sure it does.”
“If those were NSG men with Neeraj, they might already be planning to hit it.”
“Most likely. So, at the meeting, we play it cool. Let them take the lead.” Himesh pulled his Glock out from under his shirt, unloaded it and dropped it in his bag. “We can’t take these with us.”
“Right.” Mirza removed his pistol and holster. “And if they’re not already covering this?”
“We bring our intel to the table.”
***
Glaring at Atal, Mirza clung to the rail on the side of the bench seat of the tuk-tuk. “How in Allah’s name did you get a tuk-tuk? Do you even have a license?”
The three-wheeled taxi’s little tires screeched as it darted like a deranged yellow and green bumblebee through the morning traffic. As it barreled around one of Delhi’s many roundabouts, Mirza grunted as Himesh lost his fight with the G-forces and slammed into him.
Atal glanced over his shoulder. “My friend’s tuk-tuk. It broke and he borrowed money to fix it.” He paused to hurl abuse at another tuk-tuk driver. “Neeraj had him killed. When I got money from you, I fixed it. Now, I drive and make money.”
As they screamed around another corner and shot off onto a wide tree-lined road, Mirza shook his head. He didn’t think he’d ever get used to the hectic pace of this city. More importantly, he didn’t want to. He hated the noise and smells and crowds.
They screeched to a stop. “We’re here. NSG base.”
Himesh leaped out of the cab.
Mirza handed Atal some cash. “Wait here.”
Atal grinned, giving him thumbs up. “Yes, boss.”
High walls surrounded the NSG compound. A solid metal sliding gate barred the entrance and was defended by three black-clad commandos wielding MP5 submachine guns. Mirza approached the guard box and joined Himesh, who was already talking to a guard.
The commando was looking down his nose at his disheveled partner.
Himesh shoved an ID card through the small gap at the bottom of the Perspex window. “We need to see your commander. Now.”
The man eyeballed the ID. Lifting it, he compared its photo with the scruffy, bearded Himesh. “He’s not here.”
Mirza winced as Himesh drummed his fingers against his thigh. It was something he had seen him do a number of times. All of them had ended with the normally cool operative losing his temper.
“You have ten seconds to contact whoever’s in charge. At eleven seconds, I contact The Director.”
“Colonel Prasad and the XO are out.”
“I don’t give a fuck. Find me someone with some rank. We’ve got information about a possible Paki attack here in Delhi.”
Mirza gave Himesh a sideways look and stepped up to the booth. “We are happy to wait while you phone this in.”
The guard nodded and reached for a phone as Mirza steered his partner away from the box. “What happened to not showing our cards?”
“That guy pissed me off. Typical NSG. Shit reputation and shit attitudes.”
They stood waiting a few yards from the guard box and watched as the security force eyed them warily. After a minute, the gate rumbled open and the guards snapped to attention. A black Mitsubishi Pajero with dark-tinted windows drove straight through the gate pulling to a stop at the front of the headquarters building.
“Whose car is that?” Mirza asked the guard standing beside the gate.
The man eyed him suspiciously. “Why do you want to know?”
“We’re here to meet with your commander.”
“You’re in luck.” He nodded at the black SUV. “He just arrived.”
CHAPTER 17
Prasad stepped out of the Pajero. As he started up the steps to the headquarters, one of the guards approached. “Sir, there’re two men at the front gate from Special Group who want to talk to you. They’re going on about a possible attack here in the city.”
“What men?”
“They’re outside the gate.”
Prasad spotted the two men on the footpath. “Send them up to my office.”
Roshan joined him as he walked up the stairs. “What’s going on, boss?”
“I think the liaison officers from Special Group just turned up.”
He opened the door to Prasad’s office and held it for him to enter. “Do you want me to stay?”
Prasad shook his head. “No. Come back once they’ve gone.” As the NSG captain left, he sat, staring out the window at the view of the Secretariat building. A knock on his door announced the arrival of the visitors. He swiveled his chair and faced the door. “Come in.”
His eyes widened as they entered. They weren’t what he was expecting. Both had thick beards, wore filthy clothes, and one appeared to be half-Nepalese. He motioned to the two chairs in front of his desk. “Please sit down. I’m Colonel Prasad, head of the NSG for New Delhi.”
“I’m Himesh and my partner is Mirza, sir. We work for Special Group. The Director has tasked us as liaison officers to the NSG.”
Prasad made a mental note to direct all of the questions to the senior man. It annoyed him how the Special Group operatives didn’t even bother to introduce their rank. “If I understand correctly, you’ve identified an imminent attack here in New Delhi.”
Himesh nodded. “Correct. I’m sure you’ve seen the original intercept from Pakistan.”
“I’m sure I did. But I see many such reports.”
“This intercept was followed by a raid into Kashmir. Mirza and I found intelligence in the camp. While on the ground, we interrogated a prisoner and learned a Lashkar terrorist cell had departed for New Delhi.”
Prasad studied the Special Group men closely. While they didn’t look like professionals, a mission into Pakistan-held territory spoke volumes about their experience. “I remember that report. It would seem your terrorists entered India in a van with no weapons. I take it your men failed to track them from the border.”
Prasad tipped back in his chair and put his hands behind his head. “You believe? I have little time for whimsical thoughts, Himesh. If I did, I would be a poet, not a counter-terrorism professional. Where are your facts?”
“We have a reliable source who pinpoints their location to a safe house in Chandni Chowk.”
“A source. What type of source?”
“The origin of the information is sensitive. We’ve been supplied with a location and a description of the terrorist leader.”
“Do you have any information regarding the target?”
“Not yet. But as I’ve said, we know they’re planning an attack and have confirmed their current location.”
“Sounds like you’ve got a single source who may or may not be reliable.”
“Wrong. The safe house is in Chandni Chowk. We also have surveillance images of the suspects. They are the same Pakistanis we tracked from the border.” Himesh took his camera from his pocket.
Prasad leaned forward in his chair. “I’m sorry, you what?”
“We seized an opportunity and nailed down the location of the terrorist safe house.” Himesh met the NSG officer’s icy gaze.
“No, you stepped outside your jurisdiction and operated illegally within my area of operations. I am pretty damn sure your orders were to report here to liaise with my men. Yet now you’re telling me you’ve had time to illegally run a surveillance operation without even the courtesy of a phone call?”
Mirza tried to interject. “We were tracking an imminent–”
“An imminent what? An imminent cluster fuck because you started an investigation without consulting me or my people. Domestic terrorism is our mandate. We take our duty seriously. However, we don’t kick in doors based on incomplete intelligence and ‘thoughts’ or ‘beliefs’. We require time to develop an accurate picture of what’s happening on the ground.”
Himesh bolted up from his chair. “Every minute you waste, brings us closer to the attack!”
Prasad shook his head. “You have no real intelligence. All you’ve got is a van full of unarmed Pakistanis and a source who’s given you a house and description. For all you know, there could be more than one team, more than one safe house. You don’t even know what or where the target is. What do you want me to do? Start arresting every Pakistani in Chandni Chowk?”
Himesh clenched his fists. “You’re kidding, aren’t you? We found evidence in Pakistan that a highly trained team of terrorists were deployed to New Delhi. We’ve tracked them to a safe house run by a known criminal that goes by the name of Neeraj.”
“Neeraj?” Prasad laughed. “Neeraj is pond scum. We’ve got coverage on him, and I can tell you that dirty cockroach is not involved in terrorism.”
“Maybe your men aren’t looking hard enough,” Himesh said, his voice dropping to little more than a whisper.
Prasad stood and pointed to the door. “This meeting is over. Get out of my office and get the hell out of my city. My men will handle this investigation. Tell your director we have it well in hand.”
Himesh glared at him. “You’re making a big mistake.”
“The only person making a mistake is you. I’m going to tell you once and once only. Leave this to my men or I will have you thrown in jail.”
Himesh glared at Prasad a moment longer, then turned for the door. “Let’s get out of here, Mirza.”
Prasad watched them exit. As soon as the door clicked shut, he went to his trophy cabinet, grabbed a bottle of scotch, and poured himself two fingers. As he sipped it, he studied a plaque he’d won at the academy. Then he moved across to the window and watched the gate shut behind the two men.
Entering the office, Roshan said, “They could be real trouble. What should we do?”
“Put surveillance on them. If they try anything, arrest them.” He placed the scotch on his desk as he sat down. “Their intelligence is shit. They don’t know the targets. If this all turns bad, they can take the fall.”
“What about Neeraj? We still haven’t heard back from him.”
“Neeraj can get fucked. We know they’re going to hit the stadium and Sonia Jayaram, probably at the same time. After we’ve killed the terrorists, we’ll raid Neeraj’s place and shut him down. The sick bastard’s carved up his last street kid.” Prasad stood and moved around his desk. “Have my car and weapons ready. I’m going to command the assault force personally.”
***
Al-Jahiz placed the dark blue tactical vests on the floor side-by-side. He checked to ensure they were packed with sufficient explosives and the pouches loaded with AK magazines. Once satisfied, he set one AK assault rifle next to each vest. “Everything’s ready.” He nodded at Karim, who was now dressed in a police uniform. The khaki shirt was almost bursting at the seams as it struggled to contain his bulk.
“Yes.” Karim pinned the last photo on the wall of their makeshift planning room. “Their target is bigger and better than anything we’d dreamed of.”
“And in a few hours, it will be coated in the blood of infidels.”
As he inspected the photo array, Al-Jahiz admitted to himself he made a better commander than he would have a bomber. He was meant to lead the cause not die for it like the martyrs. “Is your team ready?”
“Yes. When your men attack, we’ll snatch her.”
“And that fool, Neeraj. Has he gotten us the van?’
“Someone is getting it now.”
“Send one of your men to make sure it arrives. It’s the final piece of the plan.”
“I’ll go myself.” Karim started for the door.
Al-Jahiz clamped a hand on his shoulder, halting him. “Today, my friend, India will pay for her sins against Islam and the people of Pakistan.” He adjusted his white robe and smiled. “We are ready. Have one of your men bring in the fedayeen.”
A minute later, the suicide team entered. Solemn, dressed in police uniforms, their faces freshly shaven and eyes bright with fanaticism.
Al-Jahiz directed them to the four prayer mats in front of their equipment and weapons. “My brothers, the time for jihad has come. Today you will strike a fearsome blow for mighty Allah.”
He pointed to the enlarged photo of Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium centered on the wall. “You will strike here and catch forty thousand infidels unawares. You will slay them like sheep. The city will flow with their blood.”
Jawid punched his fist into the air. “Allahu Akbar!”
“Allahu Akbar!” the three other men raised their own fists. “ALLAHU AKBAR!”
CHAPTER 18
As he got into the tuk-tuk, Mirza glanced back at the NSG compound. He was worried they had made a powerful enemy.
Himesh slid in next to him. “Prasad is a fucking arrogant fool.”
“And a dangerous one at that.” He’d never seen Himesh this outraged.
Atal looked back at them. “Where to, mister?”
“The hotel.” Mirza turned to his partner. “What’s the plan?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Should we call headquarters?”
He shook his head. “No, they made it clear this was NSG’s lead even though they’re useless. Seriously, fuck all this bureaucracy. We ought to let these jihadi bastards blow something up to teach everyone a lesson.” He thumped the side of the tuk-tuk in frustration.
“Hey, not so rough. Just got this back from the shop,” Atal snapped as he merged with the heavy midday traffic.
Mirza stared out into the mass of scooters, taxis, cars, and buses. There were so many they were barely moving. “We still aren’t sure what their target is.”
“Target?” Atal asked.
“Yes. What bug-eyes and his exploding friends plan to attack,” said Himesh.
“That’s easy. Everyone’s at the cricket today. That’s where I would go.”
>
The SPEC-B operatives looked at each other in disbelief. “Why didn’t we see it?” Mirza asked.
“Thousands of people jammed into a stadium. Atal, get us to the hotel now!”
Mirza wrapped his arm around the side bar and prayed as Atal jerked the tiny three-wheeled cab off the road, bounced over the gutter, and tore down the median strip at full throttle.
***
Karim frowned at Neeraj’s driver. “Constantly honking won’t make them move. Find another way.”
The man shook his head. “It would take us too long.”
Swearing, Karim opened his door and jumped out of the van. At the sight of his police uniform the crowds shuffled to the sides. “Out of the way, police business!” He waved the van forward as he pushed his way through.
His phone buzzed. It was a message from his man tailing the lawyer.
Restaurant at Imperial Hotel.
No doubt she whored herself out to businessmen and politicians, he thought. With any luck, he’d kill a few during the snatch.
He still had to pick up the suicide bombers, drop them at the stadium, and then get across town to the Imperial. He checked his watch. Fuck! He was behind schedule. “Move, you fools,” he bellowed.
CHAPTER 19
Mirza jammed his Glock into the holster beneath his shirt. “Atal, stay hidden and keep watch on Neeraj’s compound. Anything happens, call us.”
Once they got the boy’s assurance he understood, they took off and raced through the alleys and lanes to the police post. As Himesh pounded on the police station’s side door, Mirza caught his breath. He could run for miles in the mountains, yet gasped for air after a few blocks in this polluted city.
The tall, turban-wearing policeman opened the door and motioned them inside.
“Ranbir, isn’t it?” Himesh asked.
“Yes, sir. What’s going on? Did you find the boy?”
“Yes, we found him. Now we need help. Are you the only one here?”