Padding across the length of the monitoring room, Neil cursed the moment he had left her side and stepped aside. As he had missed to consider a factor - a minor one, yet disadvantageous nonetheless. The danger lurking in the dark. It was no secret that an enemy in the open can be tackled much more  easily than the ones wandering in the dark alleys.

This opponent of theirs' wasn't any less lethal, if not more, especially considering the fact that it's identity was yet to be uncovered.

Aman was screening the footages to get his hands on the clue as DD helped alongside, while Ali and Zeenat stood on the sidelines.

Paired with frantic footsteps along with a pained cry for Aman disrupted the silence in the room. Questioning yet attentive eyes turned towards the door only to witness Neela who didn't look well.

"Where is she?" The torment in her voice was sharp enough to slice ones soul. She held onto Aman's shoulder, with eyes reflecting how torn apart she was, yet holding onto the silver of hope. She badly wanted to disregard all of it, hoping nothing of it to be true, that all of it was just another nightmare she had to get through.

Unable to see Neela breaking apart, Aman moved his guilt driven eyes away. Zeenat came forward and hugged Neela as she whispered, "We don't know but that won't hinder us from finding her out. She will be home soon and she will be safe. She will be. She has to be."

Aman plopped back onto his chair, resuming his work when Neil's eyes turned sharp and lethal. He marched towards the screen, his right arm rested around Aman's shoulder while the other rested on the wooden work station. Closing in, he asked, "Where are footage from the night vision cameras?" The calm and laid back attitude in his speech was more terrifying than had he asked otherwise.

"The footage came out distorted due to the fogginess of the smoke," Aman reasoned, equally pissed at the turn of events. "Doesn't do much good when the opponent is a step ahead of you."

"Now, was he really a step ahead?" The sudden question had evoked confusion in the kinds of many present in the room but none came forward to counter the same.

"What the hell are you trying to prove?" Aman gritted his teeth.

"Oh, nothing much. The murderer was either too smart, which I highly doubt given his lack of planning in the past occurrences. Or, he had some sort of a help - some kind of an alliance on the inside," Neil stated with deliberate pauses and ambiguous accusation.

"Could have been someone from your team," Ali jumped in blaming the other party at once.

"Could have been," Neil straightened himself and looked at Ali with a provoking smirk as he continued further, "if only we had enough intel about the techs used during this event. Not many of us happen to know that. So don't you think, we have already been ruled out?" The mockery in his eyes was hard to miss.

"So, let me reframe it for you," Neil smile as he stepped back, sweeping his eyes across each and everyone present in the room. "Who helped them abduct Ananya?"

The question was casually dropped but the intensity of it wasn't lost. The varied expressions on their faces cleared most of Neil's doubts. While Ali and Zeenat stood stunned, Neela was struck with a blow as she felt the floor beneath her being pulled away. It was only Aman who still looked surprised yet not completely devastated by the betrayal of one of their own.

"No," Neela shook her head in denial, "none of them would." It was difficult enough for her to stand the fact that Ananya was missing, she wasn't sure she could handle a loss at the hands of one of their own.

"Are you sure, Miss Parekh?" Neil pressingly countered. "Look around and tell me you don't believe in them."

Ali and Zeenat looked at each other and then at Aman. Even though Neil's theory was far fetched and baseless without any substantial evidence, the traces of withheld secret could still be seen.

"Why?" Zeenat couldn't hold herself back. The sudden turn of events puzzled her, tossing her brain in an endless maze for eternity. 

"Exactly what I would like to ask," Neil turned his eyes at Aman and so did the rest of them. However, Aman still chose to stand in silence. Unable to tolerate any further, Neil rephrased his question, "What did she intend to do with this all new dangerous plan of hers?"

Once again, his words spun the heads of the people in the room, while Aman's eyes snapped, momentarily stunned.

"Don't play dumb with me, I haven't got the time for all the games you've got up your sleeves or anything she arranged for you as the coverup plan," Neil laid it out with a hint of impatience to his otherwise composed words. "You do realise the kind of danger she has put herself into, right?" He pushed the buttons he knew would click right for him to have his way.

"And if you don't really care about her life, think of the ones that are going to fall prey to this evil after her. However, I doubt you'll be willing to let her fall in harm's way," he inched closer and murmured words audible only to the two of them, "After all, she is your sister." Another fatal blow to Aman as he understood how close Neil had moved to unveiling the secrets that they had securely tucked away.

He found his friends staring at him with hopeful eyes yet there was a tinge of faith they still held in him. But the eyes that shattered him, were that of his Neela Maa. One by one, she had taken in the advancements of the plot, with his sister disappearing to his involvement in the incident and to finally be hit by the storm as she took in the piece of news only to find it was the siblings who collided to easily have one trapped into the endless abyss while she knew nothing of it. Their Neela maa. What was he to answer her?

'Di, what am I supposed to do now?' he thought of his warrior sister who wasn't around then.

"Why?" Neela cried out in agony as she thought of the consequences of letting Anaya slip into the territory of danger.

"They consulted me, Neela," a hoarse voice rang from behind. The people in the room, all turned around to look at the man who stood at the door.

While Zeenat and Ali could let go some of their worries, and Aman felt the burden of accusations being shouldered alongside, it was Neela who was close to having heads torn apart.

"And you didn't feel the need to share some of it with me?" Neela looked unbelievingly at him. "You of all people should have advised them against that, RV." Zeenat and Ali, even though had faith in the man they couldn't overlook the point made by Neela because that made absolute sense.

Neil looked cautiously at the suited up man, who entered the room as if he owned it and held adequate amount of say in the lives of many. He didn't know who or what the man was but he was running out if time to engage in plesantaries. "I will have to cut in between whatever kind of drama this is, and demand you to get the part where I can know where she is or how I can get to her."

"You have got zero to little patience, boy," the man disapprovingly shook his head which in turn irked Neil.

"Sorry, if I actually care about the life that you so conveniently decided to put at risk," he replied sarcastically.

The man smiled as he looked the tinge of worry for a girl he had adored and cherished like his own daughter or even more. She was his gem, handpicked and personally mentored agent. He had spent years to cultivate the strength in her, to make her responsible enough to hand over his throne to her. He was the one who ran this private investigation firm with few close knitted agents, only a handful of them could overturn powerful forces if they set their minds to it, with no fear of consequences. And he ruled this small empire of his. Rajveer Vadhera a.k.a. RV.

"There has never been a man who has ever cared about her more than I do. And there certainly won't ever be one either," RV countered coolly.

"I need you to get her back," Neela spat irritatingly as she saw the two grown ups going against each other at a war of some stupid display if affection. "Now," he commanded seriously.

"She will be back but now is not the time," he replied flatly. Ignoring all the dubious stares at him, he marched towards Aman, signalling something as he plopped onto the chair next to Aman's. He was preparing for the move that the opponent would have never imagined coming. An unexpected war was soon to be showcased and he was counting down time.

--
Not proofread.

A short attempt I made today at jotting this one down. Might seem a little short and a bit scattered in places. But everything will be pieced together in the upcoming chapters.

I will try to write the next chapter soon. *Fingers crossed*

Do let me know what you think of this chapter. Any specific thoughts about our newest entry RV; any idea of your own what Ananya would have cooked up; and what show is RV so keen on witnessing, maybe with some pizza, coke and popcorn.

In case you do, let me know. ;)