#32

Vihaan pushed a goon towards Bough's desk and rammed his head onto the surface. He picked up the gun from the desk and shot another one at the doorway. He came out of the room where Vistrom held his neck from his back. Vihaan grabbed his hand with his one hand and shot him on his foot. Vistrom groaned and left him.

"Sarika, this way."

The commandoes went downstairs following each other to the second floor. Sarika and Vihaan came to them.

"Head to the terrace. The helicopter is waiting." The second told them.

They came to the terrace while having Bough in their possession. He grabbed Bough's arm and walked towards the helicopter. Sarika was shot on her back. She fell on the ground. Vihaan turned back where Olance was standing at the doorway with an assault rifle in his hand. He was about to shoot him but Vihaan did it before and shot him dead. He rushed to Sarika. He kneeled down to her. He put her back on his lap. She was gasping.

"Sarika!"

He shook her.

"Sarika!"

She stopped gasping and died in his arms. He was not even able to believe that his colleague was no more.

"She's gone." Bough said.

Vihaan turned to him. Bough was smirking while looking at them.

"She's gone, forever."

Vihaan shot him on his knee. Bough groaned and fell on his knees. He stepped towards him. He pointed the gun at his forehead.

Bough started laughing.

"If you really wanted to get me killed you would have done it earlier before loosing her."

Vihaan dropped his gun and punched him on his face. Bough fell on the ground and started bleeding from his nose. He kept laughing.

"Kill me, but remember you could have saved her."

Vihaan grabbed his collar and made him to stand. He was about to punch him again but Bough's phone rang. He lowered his hand down. Bough took his out.

Vihaan said, "Pick it up. I want to listen too."

Bough attended the call and put the on the loudspeaker.

Marcello said, "Bough, would you like to have a word with Namphor?"

"Marcello?"

Marcello (in his mid fifties) was standing at his table in house. Penchez and Hepkins were too there in the room. Namphor was sitting by Marcello on his knees with his hands tied at his back. His face was drenched in blood. A dog chain was wrapped around his neck of which the other end was held by Marcello.

Bough asked, "Where is he?"

Marcello placed the phone before Namphor's face.

"Talk to your cousin. Tell him that you are wearing a dog chain."

Namphor was gasping.

Bough said, "Namphor. Talk to me. Namphor, speak to me."

"Bough."

After spelling the name, Namphor started crying.

Bough said, "Namphor, don't cry. Don't worry. I am here for you. I'll take you out of there."

Marcello put the phone away from Namphor and went near to a bronze statue. He caressed the head of the statue.

He said, "If you really want to your cousin to get back to you in one piece then listen to me what I want from you."

"I am listening."

Neel was working on his office computer having his elbow of his right hand kept on the table and fingers on his forehead and tapping the keyboard keys with the fingers of the other hand. His indigo blazer was hanging at the back of the chair he was sitting on. His eyes were at the clock on the screen more than the spreadsheet he was working on. When the clock displayed, '02:00 PM' he got a sigh of relief. He saved the file in the computer. He stood up from his chair and picked up his blazer and walked out of the room. He came near to a shelf in the corridor where his bag was kept on a shelf. He picked up the bag and went upstairs to a table. He turned on the fan. He pulled a chair and sat the table. He opened the bag and took out his tiffin box. He was about to open the tiffin when his phone started ringing. He took out his phone from his pocket and looked at the screen.

"Why is he calling now?"

He picked up the call.

"Yes sir."

He arrived at the cabin of the secretary Mr. Jaikant Dikshit. He pushed the door.

"May I come in sir."

Jaikant was sitting at his table on a comfy office chair. Aditya and Sameer were sitting before him on the couch. Jaikant lifted up his head and looked at him.

"Come in, Neel."

He came in.

"Yes sir."

"The Arclight officers wants to have a word with you."

He turned around to the couch. Aditya and Sameer stood up and came to him.

Aditya asked, "Mr. Neel, you were at Unicorn earlier, right?"

"Yes."

Vihaan was standing at the window inside the safe house. He was facing outside. Bough was standing a few feet behind him near the doorway.

Bough said, "The painting was precious to Marcello. He had bought the one in order to surprise his wife on her birthday who was suffering from cancer."

He stepped ahead and continued to talk.

"The price of the painting was much for a person to become a millionaire if he would sell it in the black market. Namphor came to know about the painting and he decided to steal the painting."

Vihaan asked, "What happened then?"

Bough sat on a wooden chair kept in the room.

"Despite my repeated warnings, Namphor stole the painting on the day of her birthday. The next day, Marcello's wife passed away without knowing what her husband had brought for her. He couldn't bear the demise and vowed to find the person who had stolen the painting."

Vihaan left the window and turned around.

"And he wants the painting back to him just because he thinks it's the last trace of his wife. The memories of his wife are attached to the painting."

"Yes."

"Are you sure he will let Namphor walk away if he gets the painting?"

"I don't know, but that's the only way for you to get to know about the client who had contacted him to buy the drone."

Vihaan hummed and walked towards the doorway. He stopped at the doorway and started scratching at the back of his head.

Bough asked, "What happened?"

Vihaan sighed. He walked towards Bough. He grabbed his collar, lifted him up from the chair and pushed him to the wall.

"Bough, I am warning you. If you try to betray me or if I come to know that you are lying me then neither you nor your cousin will remain alive to see the next sunrise of the day."

"Trust me, I am on your side this time."

Vihaan nodded and left him.

"Good. Remember what I just said."