86 Big Haul (1)

It was around midnight, a crescent moon hung in the sky occasionally hiding behind the floating clouds as cold air blew across the reserved forest area which was around 40 km from Bangalore. A National Highway (Freeway) cut across this forest connecting Bangalore to other southern states (provinces). A trailer truck was cruising at normal speeds in the middle lane.

The driver was chewing tobacco as he looked at the other vehicles overtaking his truck from time to time. Some old, classic regional song was playing in the stereo set. A few people were sleeping behind his back where sleeping beds could be seen while another person was awake and sat in the passenger seat beside him as he crushed hemp (marijuana) leaves in his hands. He then rubbed them in a circular motion with his palms, for a while, before rolling it into a small ball which he placed in a space between his teeth and cheeks.

This person began conversing with the driver, "Elder brother, we have taken a big risk this time, I heard that the members of the Flaming tiger gang and the elder Gani gang have been apprehended in the last month with a 'load' of goods. Also, the required personnel to handle a load of this scale should not be just us few. Where are the others?"

The driver laughed as he said, "precisely because the packages were caught by the police last month, the demands for these goods have increased in Bangalore city have increased by more than one time. As for the personnel, if any more people are present, it might raise unnecessary suspicion. Though a little risk is there, we have to take this chance to make a little money. I am going to buy your sister-in-law some jewellery, also my second son has reached schooling age, I want to get him into a good school."

The other person laughed as he rubbed his head, "I also took up this risk so that I could open a grocery shop in my village and get married. Also, our boss had guaranteed that the people of the police check post had already been taken care of. So, it won't be a..."

He just noticed that another truck which was overtaking them actually slowed down to the same speed as them. The driver of that truck was a lively youth as he looked at them and made a gesture to follow him. The person who was in the passenger seat, who had placed the ball of cannabis in his mouth, felt his heart constrict with an unknown fear when he saw the lively youth.

The driver who was chewing tobacco also turned grim when he saw the other truck. He did not think before waking up the others and also reaching out for a gun. He had come prepared. But, before he could even reach for the gun, a shot was heard along with a gasp of pain. He turned to discover that the person in the passenger seat was bleeding from his arm profusely. The driver's hand stagnated as his heart trembled, he was now sure that this was not a coincidence and that it was a pre-planned attack.

He gritted his teeth as he still reached for the gun, he wanted to fight as the consequence would be disastrous if he failed today. But before he could lift the gun, the gun was hit as it fell from the side window. The driver's resolve was crushed with this as he meekly followed the other truck as it took a diversion into the forest area, it seemed to lead to a tribal village as the road was made of sand and bumpy. The truck did not go into the village but stopped in its outskirts in an open area sparsely lit by the moonlight.

The rustling sounds of the trees which would usually be soothing during daytime turned into whispers of ghosts during the night time, especially in this uninhabited place. The sounds of someone jumping from the other truck was heard as the driver gripped the steering wheel tightly.

He knew that some gangs would fight for the loads with others and usually the defeated gang would end up dead. He felt that the other gang was well prepared from their 'warning' shots. His heart started beating rapidly as he waited. He looked at his associate in the passenger seat who seemed to be whimpering with pain as he held his bloody arm.

"Get down folks, no one else will be hurt if everyone cooperates in this operation. If not, don't blame us if you find yourselves missing the sack of golden balls between your thighs when you meet your wives in the future," the lively youth who was the one driving the other truck said in a 'matter-of-fact' way.

The other ten people who got off the truck guffawed as one person who seemed to be the leader knocked the head of the youth as he said, "Giri, you seem to have grown horns since the last two raids, joking in front of the boss, you have become quite gutsy, huh?"

The lively youth trembled a little as he sneaked glances at their truck and muttered to the person who knocked him, "Elder brother Thomas, don't we all know that the boss does not mind us having a little fun."

"He doesn't mind because the boss does not fret over the minor things but we should know how to behave ourselves," Thomas berated as he turned to face to the group of people who stood restlessly as they looked at the group of young people with shock in their eyes. They never saw such a gang filled with people who seemed to be in their teens or early twenties. These kids were holding firearms skillfully like it was totally normal. They could see that though these people seem to be having a talk with themselves, a few people were looking at them with sharp gazes and ready-to-fire positions.

Just at that time, a figure got down the truck and walked towards them. The driver noticed that even the lively youth called 'Giri' calmed down as everyone gave way to the person who was clearly the boss of this group. He could see the awe and respect these people had by looking at their body language.

Moonlight illuminated this person figure as a tall person with broad muscular shoulders and the waist of a tiger cam in everyone's view. He walked at a steady pace towards them. This person had a Buzz Cut hairstyle (very short hair of equal length on all sides) with a thick lumberjack beard. A knife scar could be seen cutting right across his right eyebrow. His facial skin was rough with a bronze complexion which suggested this person stayed a lot in the sun and did not maintain his skin. He looked like he was this early thirties.

His face was rectangular with a square jaw. His eyebrow ridge was a little bigger than normal which shadowed his eyes. Especially, in this moonlight, the driver was not able to see this person's eyes hidden in the shadow as he stared into the abyss-like shadow, he noticed a pale glint in those depths which chilled his heart. He felt that things might not turn out good for them if they went counter to this person's wishes.

This person was Aditya disguised as 'Rudra'. He had studied all his favourite bad-ass comic characters and anime antagonists to come up with this 'avatar'. He wanted to create the most shocking and fearsome of all first impressions when anyone saw him. He was satisfied with these people's expressions as they became meek when they saw him. This would make things much easier for him.

Aditya turned to gaze at Thomas who understood his meaning and ordered the others to start looting while some people kept their eyes on the smuggling gang while a person checked them for any guns and the like. A person tied a strip of cloth to stop the bleeding of the only unlucky person who got shot. Aditya took out a cigarette while Thomas offered a flame-less cigarette lighter as a normal lighter flame would not steady in this windy night. There was no other sound in the area apart from the rustling and creaking sounds made by the tall eucalyptus trees as they swayed in the wind. Aditya inhaled deeply as he slowly released the smoke while enjoying the ambience.

Aditya had rented a 'farmland' outside the city to make it the base of his operations as 'Rudra'. He had just paid the farmer in cash directly and did not bother about official formalities like signing contracts. He had the paid the money and he felt that the landowner was not foolish enough to go back on his word to Aditya. He should already thank his ancestor's good deeds that a person like 'Rudra' actually paid the rent instead of just forcefully occupying his land.

Aditya had chosen this farmland near a sports academy. The uniform of this sports academy was a hooded sweatshirt and a pair of track pants of all kinds of colours. Students of this academy had to wear this uniform when they went to this academy after their schools or colleges. Aditya chose this place for a reason. He could mix into these people as they rushed to the academy in the evening time. He could slip away in the middle without being caught by anyone or any electronic surveillance. In this way, Ishaan's identity separated from Rudra's.

He had also enrolled in this sports academy as a premium member for safety purposes. One of these days he was planning to hack into their surveillance system to add video clips of Ishaan entering the academy. They were many facilities in the sports academy and he had also planned to befriend a member in the academy who could act as his alibi.

While Aditya was thinking if he had left any loopholes in his planning, Thomas came with a strange expression in his eyes as he said, "Boss, there is nothing in there other than padlocks and Ink cartridges which are used in printers."