A New India
Chapter 149 - 149: Failed Attempt and Mole

The lights of Islamabad flickered outside the office of Khalid Qureshi, head of ISI, but he barely noticed.

His focus was on the reports spread across his desk, each one a reminder of how close they had come to completing their mission.

They had failed.

And failure, especially against India, was unacceptable.

Khalid's usually composed face was a mask of frustration.

The Chagai Hills disaster had been a slap to Pakistan's pride, and now, R&AW's senior field officer, Raghav Kapoor, had slipped through their fingers.

"Directly targeting Rao was too risky," Khalid muttered, flipping through the reports. "Kapoor was the next best thing, and we let him escape."

Abdul Rashid, one of ISI's top field commanders, stood at attention in front of him.

His face was still bruised from the chaos earlier night, but his expression was unreadable.

He had led the mission. He had overseen every detail. Yet Raghav Kapoor had survived.

"We were seconds away from eliminating him, sir," Abdul said through clenched teeth. "But their extraction team arrived at just the right moment. They knew we were there."

Khalid's eyes narrowed. "Which means they knew about our plan in advance."

"Yes, sir."

"And how do you think that happened, Abdul?"

Abdul hesitated. "There might be a leak, sir. Someone's feeding information to R&AW."

Khalid tapped his fingers against his desk. "Find the leak. Fix it."

Khalid's fists clenched the edge of his desk. The plan had been foolproof, or so they thought.

Eliminate Kapoor, one of R&AW's most critical officers, and send a message to India that ISI could strike back, even after the humiliation of Chagai Hills.

But now, the tables had turned again, and India was sure to retaliate.

"What now?" Abdul's voice was steady, but beneath the calm was a burning desire for revenge.

Khalid stared out of his window, watching the city lights dance in the distance.

"We regroup, Abdul. And we get smarter. R&AW will be tightening their security after tonight. But we'll find another way to strike, and we will not fail again."

Abdul nodded, stepping back toward the door. But before he could leave, Khalid's cold voice stopped him.

"And Abdul," Khalid added, his eyes sharp as daggers, "don't make any more mistakes."

Abdul met his gaze and gave a stiff nod before leaving the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

But Khalid's mind was already racing ahead. This time, they wouldn't attack from the outside.

They needed to infiltrate.

They had been too obvious, too predictable.

The next move would be from within.

But for now he knows the backlash from Military might change this.

New Delhi - R&AW Headquarters

The car sped through the mostly empty streets of New Delhi, taking sharp turns as it headed toward the R&AW headquarters.

Inside, Raghav Kapoor leaned back against the seat, the cool leather pressing against his bloodied, aching body.

The adrenaline that had kept him alive just hours ago was fading, leaving only exhaustion and pain in its wake.

Beside him, Ajay Singh stared out the window, his radio suddenly crackled

He glanced at the Radio and realised it might be K.N. Rao.

He picked up immediately.

"Sir," Ajay said, keeping his voice even, though his heart was still pounding from the escape.

"Is Raghav safe?" Rao's voice was sharp and to the point, but Ajay could hear the concern behind the question.

"Barely," Ajay replied. "ISI had a team waiting for him. They were seconds away from finishing the job, sir. We arrived just in time to pull him out."

A tense silence followed.

"Bring him back," Rao ordered. "We need to reassess security measures. ISI is playing a dangerous game, and they're getting too close."

"We'll be at headquarters in fifteen minutes," Ajay responded before ending the call.

Raghav sat up slightly, wincing as he touched the gash on his forehead.

His hand came away sticky with blood.

He glanced at Ajay, his voice low but steady. "They knew everything, Ajay. My location, my safe house, even the extraction time. They were two steps ahead."

Ajay's jaw clenched as the realization hit him. "Someone's feeding them information. It's either a mole or they've managed to breach our systems. We'll get to the bottom of it."

Raghav nodded slowly, but the exhaustion of the situation still hung over him. "We have to. If they're this close to taking us out, they'll keep trying. They won't stop."

Soon they were at Headqauters. The debriefing room at R&AW headquarters was silent as Raghav Kapoor limped inside, followed closely by Ajay Singh.

K.N. Rao sat at the head of the table, his face as unreadable as ever, though the tension in the room was increasing.

Raghav sat down heavily, wincing as his bruised body settled into the chair.

"You look like hell," Rao said, though his rough tone was tinged with a trace of concern.

Raghav managed a weak smirk. "I feel worse."

"It's a good thing you feel, I would rather have you feeling pain then nothing"

Rao replied with a smile.

Ajay sat down beside him, the seriousness of the evening's events still troubled everyone heavily.

They had barely made it out. Raghav was alive, but only just.

"Tell me everything," Rao ordered, leaning forward slightly, his eyes sharp.

Raghav took a deep breath. "They knew too much, sir. My location, my schedule, even the extraction time. It wasn't a lucky guess. ISI has inside information. They've infiltrated our systems, or worse, they have a mole.

Either way, we have a breach."

Rao's face darkened. He had suspected as much, but hearing it confirmed was far worse. "We'll investigate this thoroughly. No one is above suspicion right now."

Ajay leaned forward, his voice filled with urgency. "Sir, we need to act fast. If they've already infiltrated us, they could be planning their next move. And next time, we might not be able to pull off a rescue."

Rao stood up abruptly, pacing the length of the room.

His mind was already racing, working through the problem from every possible angle.

He had spent his career defending India from threats, but this was personal. ISI had come too close. They had targeted his people, and that couldn't be allowed.

"We'll lock down our systems," Rao said, his voice steady but filled with quiet fury.

"Everyone, from the top down, will be vetted. Surveillance on all suspects. We'll track every lead. I don't care how small the clue, I want it followed. But this isn't just about defense."

Ajay exchanged a glance with Raghav. They both knew what Rao was about to say.

"We need to hit them back," Rao continued, his voice harder now. "They need to understand that we won't sit by and let them take shots at us. Kapoor, you'll stay off the grid for now. We can't risk another attack on you."

Raghav nodded, his body aching, but his mind sharp. He hated being sidelined, but he knew Rao was right.

Ajay spoke next, his voice firm. "And our next move, sir?"

Rao's eyes narrowed, his decision already made. "We hit them where it hurts. And this time, we don't miss."