The Brightest Fell

by Nupur Chowdhury

  Abhijat raised an eyebrow. “I’m glad to see you’re feeling better.”

  “Well, at least you didn’t shoot me. For a second there, I almost thought you would.” He shook his head. “Should’ve known you’d just get yourself chained to a wall, instead. Very classy. Oh hey there, Milli! What brings you to our cozy little murder den?”

  Abhijat whirled. Following Fasih’s gaze, he realized that the bundle of rags he’d noticed earlier was moving, a mess of tangled auburn hair sticking out from under the pieces of cloth.

  Pushing herself into a sitting position, chains clinking, Ludmila Maganti blinked at them. Dazedly, she stared down at the manacles around her wrists. “Oh my God,” she whispered. It was almost a sob. “My God, he really did it.”

  “Do you know how you got here?” Fasih asked her, his voice oddly gentle.

  She shook her head. “I-I saw some cars pull up outside the house. I thought – I knew something was wrong. He’d threatened my mother–”

  “Who?” Jehan asked. “The president?”

  She nodded. “He’d told Mamma that if she – if she…” Milli trailed off, biting her lip as she stared fixedly down at her manacled hands.

  “Yes?” Fasih prodded. “If she helped me, right? He threatened her because she was helping me.”

  After a moment’s hesitation, Milli nodded, still refusing to meet their eyes. “I don’t remember much. I saw the cars, and then there were footsteps on the stairs. I tried to lock myself in my room but…” Her hand went to her neck, fingers caressing the skin below her ear.

  “A tranquilizer dart,” Jehan said. “That’s what they used on us too. Or at least that’s what it felt like. Not that I had a chance to analyze–”

  “I think,” Milli gulped and looked up to meet their eyes. Abhijat wondered if she’d been crying. “I think he wants to use me to…to blackmail my mother.”

  “I’m sure President Maganti wants a lot of things,” Fasih shrugged. “And if wishes were horses, I’m sure he’d get a ride. Unfortunately for him, what he wants and what he’ll get are two very different things.”

  Milli stared at him. “I-I don’t understand–”

  “We’ll get out of here, is what I’m saying. But first, I need both of you to start talking in Birhani. Those guards mustn’t understand a word of what we’re about to discuss. You know the language, don’t you Milli?”

  She nodded. “I lived in Naimar for a year, as part of an exchange program,” she said in fluent Birhani, only the slightest accent distinguishing her pronunciation from that of a native speaker. “Mamma always said I should practice, that it’ll be useful someday.”

  “And she was right, as usual,” Jehan beamed. “Now, Milli, I’ll need you to start sobbing shortly, okay?”

  “W-what?”

  “Sobbing. Can’t you sob? It’s quite easy. Just gasp convulsively, as if you can’t breathe, over and over again. You don’t even need tears; it’s too dark in here to see them anyway. I’d do it myself, but I need to talk. And it’s hard to talk while sobbing, even if it’s only pretend.

  “And not to be sexist, but I don’t think Abhijat here can sob convincingly at all.” He shook his head sadly, his tone one of mild disappointment.

  “No, that’s not…” Milli swallowed, tried again. “I mean, why?”

  “So they don’t think we’re planning anything.” He glanced briefly at the guards. “Nobody sobs while planning an escape. Very awkward way to go about it.”

  “An escape isn’t possible,” Abhijat interjected grimly. “Believe me, I’ve tried. It’s impossible to get out of these things.” He jerked viciously at his manacles, cursing under his breath as they clanked in protest.

  “A real ray of sunshine, aren’t you?” Fasih rolled his eyes. “Ever heard of optimism? Rinisa’s selling it at a discount today, you should buy some.”

  “You heard that?” Abhijat frowned. “What she was telling me?”

  “Some of it. It’s all kinda hazy. Awfully optimistic, that woman. Not very good at scheming, though. Her plans were so convoluted they gave me a headache. Simplicity, that’s what you need for a plan to work. Anything you can’t put in a nursery rhyme is too complicated to be reliable.”

  Abhijat looked at him blankly. “What’re you–”

  “A pinch of Amven, a pin that pricks

  A key around the witch’s neck

  Be a puppet, steal the key

  Fool the warlock and you’ll be free.”

  Jehan looked at them expectantly, a serene smile on his lips.

  “Umm, what does that mean?” Milli’s voice was an intermingling of curiosity and trepidation.

  “It’s our escape plan, of course,” Fasih said matter-of-factly. “In a nursery rhyme.”

  Chapter 15

  “So,” Fasih said, chewing on his bottom lip, his brows furrowed. “They want the latest prototype of Amven. Which means they won’t kill us until they have it, or think they know where it is. Hopefully, that’ll buy us enough time to get out of here.”

  “Only as much time as they’ll need to get you to start talking,” Abhijat muttered. “How long do you think you’ll be able to hold out after a few doses of your wonder-drug?”

  “I wouldn’t need to, if things go according to plan. And if they don’t, we’ll be too dead to worry about it one way or another. I just need to get close enough to Rinisa to touch her neck, just for a few seconds.”

  “You want to strangle her?” Abhijat arched a brow. “Believe me, the sentiment is mutual. I just don’t think we’ll survive it if you did.”

  Fasih scowled. “What’s with the constant urge for unnecessary violence? I just want to get a hold of the key.”

  “What key?” Milli asked, wide-eyed.

  “The one around Rinisa’s neck? Didn’t you see it? It’s like a...” he waved a manacled hand, “kind of like a flash drive, I suppose. She was wearing it around her throat like a locket. It dangled right above my head when she was looming over me, being creepy. I almost thought it was a dream.”

  “That thing wasn’t a key,” Abhijat said, frowning. “Like you said, it looked like a flash drive.”

  “Do you see a keyhole anywhere on these shackles?” Fasih snapped, impatient. “They’re electronic, so far as I can tell. Not that this is exactly my area of expertise, but I’m pretty sure that locket Rinisa’s wearing will get us out of these cuffs. If you have a better idea, I’m all ears.”

  Abhijat held up his hands. “Fine, we’ll do as you say. But how’re you planning to relieve her of the locket while still chained to the bloody wall?”

  “I’m not. Rinisa will have no reason to keep me chained after she’s shot me up with a few vials of Amven. She knows I won’t try to run while under the influence of the drug.”

  “No.”

  Fasih frowned. “No what?”

  “We can’t let her drug you for this harebrained plan,” snapped Abhijat. “She could make you do anything once you have that godforsaken drug in your system. It’s too dangerous.”

  “As opposed to what? Getting murdered while chained to a wall and leaving both Naijan and Maralana to burn in our wake?”

  Abhijat pressed his lips together and looked away. Fasih was right and he knew it. But that didn’t make any of this any easier.

  “Look,” Fasih began, his tone gentler, as if he thought Abhijat was a wild animal likely to spook if cornered. “I know this isn’t ideal, but it’s the best shot we’ve got. You said it yourself, Maganti needs to know where the latest prototype of Amven is being stored.

  “Plus, I’d bet a good deal of money he’s desperate to get back the samples I stole from the La Fantome club. If the NIA investigators happen to find it...well, the fact that Amven was used to drug the escorts might become public knowledge. Which would cause all kinds of trouble for Maganti and Rinisa. They wouldn’t have tried to coerce your sister into stealing the samples if they weren’t desperate.”

  “My sister?” Abhijat repeated, his
voice sharp.

  “That’s why Dileep had her arrested,” Fasih said with a shrug. “He found her trying to steal the samples I gave him, from his lab at the QRI. I don’t even think he recognized her. Probably just thought she was some petty thief Rinisa had hired.

  “Not that he was particularly off the mark there. Rinisa had blackmailed Rito into it. Something about blocking the rehabilitation of the kids they’d rescued from the La Fantome, so far as I could gather. She wasn’t very forthcoming on the subject.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me about this before?” Abhijat asked through gritted teeth.

  “Because you wouldn’t have believed me if I did? Besides, I needed Rito to make Rinisa believe her plan was working. And I had a feeling you’d try to talk her out of helping me, if you knew.”

  “What the fuck made you think you had the right to use my family to further your own agenda–”

  “The fact that I was desperate.” Fasih sighed. “And arrogant. But if it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer we hash out the details of my crimes against your family when we’re not chained to a wall, waiting to be drugged and decapitated by the Maralanese president.”

  “But I don’t understand,” Milli piped up from her corner. “How will you get the key from Rinisa if you’re drugged? Isn’t Amven supposed to make you compliant and docile?”

  “Sure it is. And Rinisa knows that better than most. Which is why she’ll have no reason to keep me chained once I’ve had a dose.”

  “You think she’ll unchain you just because you asked?” Milli’s tone was skeptical.

  “Rinisa isn’t exactly the type to err on the side of caution.” Fasih grinned. “She thinks she’s got this whole thing figured out. She thinks she’s already won. All we need to do...is make her believe she’s right.

  “I’ll tell her these manacles are uncomfortable, painful. And I can’t be expected to give accurate information if I’m too confused and sore to concentrate, can I?”

  Milli frowned. “Are you sure about this? I mean, if you’re so heavily drugged–”

  “Amven makes you docile and pliable, not an imbecile.” Fasih rolled his eyes. “Besides, these goddamn shackles really are uncomfortable, so it’s not like I'd be lying outright. I’ll just...exaggerate the severity of the problem...a tiny little bit. And as long as she thinks I’m drugged and harmless, Rinisa would’ve no reason to doubt me. It’s not like I could do anything, even if I was freed.”

  “The problem with that plan, though,” Abhijat pointed out mildly. “Is that you really will be harmless once they’ve drugged you up to your gills. Even you aren’t completely immune to the effects of Amven.”

  Fasih’s eyes twinkled. “You really are a terrible student, you know that? What did I tell you in Weritlan? There’s always a Plan-B. You just have to remember it.”

  For a moment, Abhijat stared blankly at him. Then, something clicked. “You mean you want me to punch you again?” He grinned.

  “Something a little less...conspicuous would be preferable, considering the situation. But yes. Pain, sudden and intense – that’s the key.

  “Just pretend to have an argument with me when she comes back with Maganti; shouldn’t be hard for you. And a little violence wouldn’t be out of character, either.” He winked. “Nobody would get suspicious about Abhijat Shian punching his way through life. See? It’s the perfect plan!”

  “You want me to beat you up once Rinisa’s shot you up with Amven, is that it? You think that’ll allow the drug to wear off with enough time left for you to steal the key?”

  “It should.” He shrugged, looking away. “To the best of my knowledge, Rinisa doesn’t yet know about this…that pain causes the effects of the drug to wear off. So if nothing else, we’ll have the element of surprise on our side–”

  “You’re throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks, aren’t you?”

  The corners of Fasih’s lips quirked into a rueful little smile. “Is it that obvious?”

  “You know, you were supposed to meet the finance secretary more than two hours ago. They must’ve realized by now that something’s wrong. For all we know, help is just around the corner–”

  “For all we know,” interjected Fasih. “The finance secretary – who’s part of the president’s inner circle, by the way – was in on all this from the beginning and knows exactly what’s going on. In which case, we could all be dead before anybody figures out that something’s amiss.”

  Abhijat sighed. “Look, even if this plan works exactly the way it’s supposed to – and I don’t even know how it’s supposed to work – we still have no weapons. And I don’t think Rinisa was lying when she said this warehouse is surrounded by Maganti’s guards.”

  Fasih nodded. “We’ll probably get shot before we can get out.”

  “Well?” Milli prompted, her voice shaking.

  “The choice, dear friends, is not between dying or staying alive,” Fasih said, his eyes alight. “It’s between fighting to the death or sitting around in chains, waiting for death to come get us.”

  “Well,” Abhijat smirked. “When you put it like that…”

  Out of the corner of his eye, Abhijat saw the guards move. He stiffened, gesturing for the others to be quiet.

  With a loud bang, the door flew open. Two tall and well-built men entered the room, dragging a prone and hooded figure behind them.

  They threw their charge unceremoniously against the wall and turned to the guards. “Shackle her,” the taller man said in Maralanese.

  The guards looked at each other, before one of them said, hesitantly, “There’re no more chains. There were only three.”

  The tall man grunted. “Fine, just find some rope and tie her up. She’ll be waking up in a few minutes. Make sure she can’t cause any trouble.”

  The guards nodded, and the newcomers strode out of the room, shutting the door behind them.

  Soon, the guards had the unconscious woman tied up, her limbs secured with multiple lengths of rope. Then, they settled her against the wall opposite Milli, removed the hood obscuring her face, and went back to their positions near the door.

  Abhijat’s breath hitched, his heart hammering in his chest.

  “Rito…” Milli whispered faintly.

  “Rinisa,” Fasih sighed, rubbing his forehead. “The gift that keeps on giving.”

  “Oh god,” Milli stammered, her voice shaking. “This is m-my fault. I sent her that picture. I didn’t know what to do…it all happened so quickly–”

  “What picture?” Abhijat demanded. Anxiety and fury warred in his chest, combined with a strange relief. He had thought he’d never see her again…

  “It doesn’t matter,” Fasih said, turning to Milli. “Rinisa thinks Rito has the Amven samples she was supposed to have stolen from me. She’d have gotten to her sooner or later, anyway. Maybe it’s a good thing they got her now, when we can all be together. Strength in numbers and all that.”

  “If anything happens to her…” Abhijat shook his head, forcing himself to stop talking. He sounded desperate and terrified even to his own ears.

  “It won’t,” Milli said, a strange determination in her tone. “She-she came here for me. I – we’ll get her out of here. Alive. No matter what.”

  Rito stirred, groaning.

  Abhijat surged forward, instinctively moving towards her. The chains clanked, forcing him to jerk backwards, cursing under his breath.

  “Wha-where?” Rito croaked, looking around through half-lidded eyes. Then, her wandering gaze landed on Milli and she surged upwards into a sitting position. “Milli!” she croaked, before curling in on herself a little, disoriented and confused. “Y-you’re okay. I thought – I thought…”

  Fasih cleared his throat, and Rito whirled. “Jehan, what’re you–”

  Her eyes landed on Abhijat. She gasped. “Abhi.” Her voice was soft, broken. “They got you too?”

  President Maganti was tall and broad-shouldered. His gray-streaked hair was slick
ed back and light stubble covered the lower half of his face. He was dressed in a pristine white shirt, the sleeves rolled back to reveal muscular forearms.

  Despite the cold, he wore a simple cotton shirt and trousers, seemingly unaffected by the weather.

  He was even larger than he looked on TV, Abhijat thought distantly.

  “Well, what’s the holdup?” Maganti scowled, turning to Rinisa. “Let’s get on with it. I don’t have all day.”

  “Always so impatient.” Rinisa smirked, placing a small metal briefcase on the makeshift table near the door. She clicked the briefcase open. “We have Jehan Fasih at our mercy. Do you have any idea how much trouble this bastard’s caused me? How close he came to destroying everything we’ve worked for all these years?” Picking out a syringe from the briefcase, she sauntered over to Fasih’s side. “Just let me savor the moment, won’t you?”

  “Make it quick,” Maganti growled, looking at Fasih through narrowed eyes. “You can gloat over their dead bodies all you want. The longer they’re alive, the more trouble they can cause. The gala starts in less than 24 hours. I can’t afford any mistakes.”

  “Then we won’t make any,” cooed Rinisa, kneeling beside Fasih and taking his hand gently in her own. She held up the syringe in one hand, squinting at the clear liquid in the barrel. With her other hand, she pushed up the sleeve of his cardigan.

  “This doesn’t have to be unpleasant, you know,” she said, smiling sweetly at Jehan. “If you cooperate, I can make this a lot of fun for both of us.”

  He dipped his head slightly, hair falling into his eyes. “I can barely contain my excitement.”

  “See? That’s what I like about you!” she beamed, plunging the needle into his flesh. “Can’t withhold the supercilious sarcasm even when you’re staring death in the face, can you? I’ll miss these condescending quips after we’ve put a few bullets in you.”

  “I’d say I’m sorry for your loss,” Fasih murmured, fidgeting slightly. “Only I don’t have any sympathy to spare when these bloody manacles have been digging into my skin for heaven knows how long.”