Neil shot question after question at DD who patiently tackled each one of them. Initially, baffled at the behaviour of Neil, DD later realised his boss was back to serious business. And it is time for me to roll up my sleeves, DD thought as he had another question thrown at him.

"How many constables do we have at Ananya?" The gears in Neil's head already turning.

Trying to keep a blank face, DD answered, "As of now, six in total. Two uniformed constables at her apartment while two each dressed in civil near the NGO and around her apartment."

After a thought, DD asked, "Do we pull them back, sir?"

Neil evaluated the options and the repercussions to each of the options. "Actually, yes. Have only two of those uniformed constables at her. They must follow her, wherever she goes," he ordered pointedly. He knew that she was stubborn to another level but he had to do what was needed.

"DD, let our informers know that we need to have information on this case, as much as they can. I want, if not all, maximum amount of information at my desk," DD nodded in affirmation while Neil glanced at the digital watch at his desk, "by tomorrow, 5 O'clock in the evening." His voice firm with authority.

"Yes, Sir," Neil nodded his head at him and he was dismissed.

Neil felt his thoughts being pulled back to Ananya to which he had to force himself to work. He dug himself into the pile of files; try to find something crucial in the case that he might have missed earlier. The need to get over with this case grew by each day.

*

Not wasting any time, Ananya grabbed the basic keypad handset from her drawer. Buzzing it to life, she punched a couple of keys and texted, "The Party is on."

She rechecked the recipients before sending out the text. It was a code for "Red Alert." Everyone in her team knew the codes well enough to realize the severity of the situation. At least, she hoped so. If not her, it could be someone else on the target.

She settled on the couch with her laptop and replayed the video clip. Her eyes focused on the attacker. The camera had perfectly captured the incident. As if it was meant to be shot. Her mind reeled back to the previous attacks. Not even a single loophole was found from the previous attacks. They were all well-planned and flawlessly executed. Then, why was this attack an exception? Why was the gun aimed at her side such that the bullet would have only scraped across her arm?

She was deeply engrossed in her world of thoughts when her phone sprang to life. Startled by the unexpected blaring of music, she clutched her fist over her pounding heart. Letting out a sigh of relief, her eyes wandered around the room. She grabbed the empty envelope that hid the smart phone beneath it. While emptying the contents of the envelope, she had discovered the smart phone along with the video clippings. Luckily, she always received everything she required without having to ask for it. The cell phone looked similar to the one Aman used. Aman being a tech-savvy always went for the best with applications loaded in it. So, she hadn't expected anything less when he chose a cell phone for her.

An image of Aman grinning widely appeared on her screen; her face split into two. He always managed to light up a smile across her face, irrespective of the situation. Without wasting another moment, she picked up the call, "Aman," her voice stern with a warning laced along.

"Di," his voice reflected panic as he completely ignored the warning held in her voice. She rolled her eyes to which he was oblivious. She plopped over the couch and slouched as she heard him complain, "What was all of that about? Alert? What was that for?" His questions stumbled one after the other without letting her contemplate his queries.

Once he finished with his long list of questions and she found him silenced on the other end, she spoke, softly, "I will explain if you let me, Aman," her eyes narrowed at nothing in specific. "Now, if you allow me to," she added after a pause. She explained him how the whole attack seemed to be a set up. She further stated, "It might not be the case but we can't take a risk with anyone else's life."

She heard him mumble something that she couldn't decipher. Knowing him, she was certain it wasn't something she would be pleased to hear. Blowing out a breath, she recollected her thoughts and chewing onto her lips, she asked, "Aman, did we find any video clip or any other sort of clue in the previous attacks?"

"Not that I can think of," she could hear the wheels of his brain working already. He stressed his memory.

"Me neither," she said in agreement, "but can you still do a thorough recheck and confirm the same?" she inquired.

"Anything for you, di," he told as she heard the sound of keys being punched. "I am already at it. Give me some time and I will have a detailed report emailed to you. If not, I will give you a call. Say about an hour or so," his words were absentmindedly delivered as he busied himself with the task in hand. He disconnected without as much as notifying her; she couldn't help but smile at him.

She grabbed her laptop and browsed through the internet. If nothing, she could at least watch her favorite series. Sherlock.

It was barely an hour later that her cell phone buzzed. She hadn't even completed a single episode and Aman had called. Great job, she thought smilingly. Without wasting much time, she answered, "Yes, Aman!"

"Di, there was nothing there on the previous crime sites. No clue, no recordings, nothing. Nothing at all. Zero. Nada," she could imagine him frown at the thought. This was new. The attacker had left a perfectly captured clipping of the attack which was anything but an attempt to kill her. Why leave an evidence to a perfectly planned setup when it was to mislead everyone? That would only ruin his plans, then why?

The thought lit up in her head and she realised how smartly the attacker was trying to mislead them. However, what the attacker needed to know was that she couldn't be fooled that easily.

There is more to it than what meets the eye. 

*

Thoughts on this chapter. I am damn sure all you readers have some nor the other theory forming in your head with the recent chapters and the respective developments. So pour down your thoughts and let's see what all can we get through at. Let's make this more interactive. Because as you all would have noticed by now, I am talkative. Proud to be one ;P

Okay! Now coming to the real deal. Don't remember? :(
The update schedule, people! I have a plan. Now, I am just hoping it works with all of you all as well. And it's time to find out.
Basically, I am planning to update this twice a week. Yes, 2 updates in a week. As, most of the times my updates consist of 500-1000 words on an average, I believe it shouldn't be a challenge for me to deliver the chapters as per this plan. This might alter in future as per the situation. For that I will be putting up a fresh update named 'NOTE' or something on those lines. You will be notified for any delay or alteration in plan of updates. So, rest assured I will have that sorted.

So, henceforth, updates are mostly going to be published on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Now, there's a new book that planning to publish. It basically is going for all readers and writers, irrespective of the genre or the fandom they belong to. Heck, it is way more general. But that's hopefully going to be fun. I am praying it goes as per what I have in my mind. Because, in that case, it's going to be super fun for all of us. Trust me! More details on this would be up once I publish the book. Soon #fingerscrossed #hopeful.

That's all from my end. If you have something to share, please let me know. :)