A New India
Chapter 158 - 158: ISI Moving Fast - Operation Safeguard

Today the ISI headquarters was silent. There was a sense of fear and pressure above each and every agent.

Something had gone terribly wrong, and it wasn't just about the two high-ranking ISI operatives Farooq Aziz and Arif Chaudhry, who were now gone.

The real issue was the terrifying realization that R&AW, India's intelligence agency, had outplayed them at their own game.

Khalid Qureshi sat in his office, his face expressionless but his mind was currently full of chaos.

First he finally got the generals to agree with his plan of not going public with Chagai Hills sabotaged and taking a new path of destroying India from within.

But when it came to implementation he needed his network fully unified and working at full capacity and that is why he needed his men fully secured and ready to move.

He had made several attempts to contact Farooq and Arif over the past few days, all of which had been met with a chilling silence.

Finally after some digging and visit to thier last location. It was now official, one was dead, and the other had been captured.

But how had it happened so quickly?

ISI's network wasn't just strong, it was nearly impenetrable, or so Khalid had believed.

To lose two men like Farooq and Arif in such a short span of time indicated something much worse than simple bad luck.

Someone within ISI had betrayed them.

He has been trying to find the mole within ISI ever since Chagai Hills but now this has evolved into something bigger.

These moles have penetrated deep within the ISI framewo.

Khalid knew that if he didn't act fast, R&AW would continue to dismantle ISI's covert network one by one.

The remaining five operatives in the field were essential. They carried out the most sensitive and dangerous missions, supplying arms, and feeding ISI with crucial intelligence from all corners of the region.

Losing even one more would cripple ISI's entire framework, something Pakistan could not afford.

Leaning back in his chair, Khalid let out a long breath.

The walls seemed to be closing in on him.

His mind raced for solutions.

They were no longer on the offensive. R&AW had flipped the tables, and now ISI was playing defense.

"We need to move fast," Khalid muttered to himself before picking up the phone to summon his top men.

Within minutes everyone was assembled as they moved towards the Operation room.

In a dimly lit room, Khalid stood before his most trusted officers. His face, usually calm and composed, showed signs of strain.

Abdul Rashid leaned against the wall, his arms crossed, his own features locked in a frown.

The rest of the team sat in silence, waiting for Khalid to speak.

"Farooq's captured, and Arif's dead," Khalid said, his voice measured but cold. "We've lost two of our best operatives, and I refuse to lose more."

The room remained silent, though the tension in the air was crushing.

"We have five operatives left," Khalid continued. "And if R&AW has been this effective, they'll be after them next. We need to secure them immediately. Major Imran, I want you to oversee the relocation of Colonel Tariq and Major Farhan Ali. The others will follow shortly after."

Imran nodded, but his brow furrowed in concern. "Sir, R&AW has been moving swiftly and quietly. By the time we realize they've hit, it's already too late. How can we ensure the safe extraction of these men without tipping off R&AW?"

Khalid didn't respond immediately. He knew that the next steps would be risky, and he was about to put everything on the line to safeguard what remained of ISI's most critical assets.

"We go dark," Khalid finally said. "No radios, no phones. Use old methods. Handwritten notes, face-to-face communication, nothing that can be intercepted. We'll start moving them tonight."

He paused before turning to Abdul Rashid. "But that's not all. We have another problem. There's a mole in our ranks. It's the only explanation for how quickly R&AW has moved."

Rashid straightened agreeing. "A mole"

Khalid nodded. "Someone close to Farooq or Arif must've leaked information. I want you to start an internal investigation. We'll root out the traitor before they can do more damage."

Rashid gave a sharp nod. "Understood."

As night fell over Islamabad, ISI scrambled to protect the remaining five operatives.

The pressure was increasing, every move made with the knowledge that R&AW could be watching, waiting to strike.

Major Farhan Ali, stationed near Peshawar, was one of the first to receive orders.

Unlike the others, Farhan had been expecting something to go wrong.

He was the kind of man who never trusted anyone fully, not even his own allies.

Farhan sat in a dimly lit room, scanning the handwritten note that had been delivered by one of Khalid's trusted couriers.

The message was simple: Move tonight. No contact. Safe house in the mountains.

He read it twice before burning it in the flame of a nearby candle.

His instincts had been right, R&AW was coming for him. He had already packed his bags, ready to leave at a moment's notice.

There would be no goodbyes, no trace left behind. Only silence.

But not all of ISI's operatives were as prepared.

Colonel Tariq, stationed near Karachi, hadn't sensed the danger creeping toward him.

He had grown comfortable, trusting the layers of security and secrecy that surrounded him.

Unfortunately for him, R&AW had already been watching.

Back in Islamabad, Officers whispered in hallways, side-eyeing each other with suspicion.

The idea of a mole sent ripples of paranoia throughout the agency.

Major Hassan, one of the officers tasked with finding the leak, sat at a desk overflowing with personnel files, trying to piece together who could have betrayed Farooq and Arif.

His colleague, Captain Adeel, was cross-referencing communication logs, looking for irregularities.

"It has to be someone close to them," Hassan said, shaking his head in frustration. "We've checked every line of communication, but nothing seems out of place. Whoever this is, they're smart."

Adeel nodded. "Too smart. It's almost like they knew what we'd be looking for."

The investigation into the mole had stalled, but Khalid wasn't one to let things go as it is.

He ordered tighter surveillance on all high-ranking officers, trusting no one, not even his closest allies.

The mole had to be caught before they could pass any more information to India.

Meanwhile, R&AW was preparing to strike again. Ajay Singh had been monitoring the situation closely, tracking every piece of information they could get on ISI's movements.

They had managed to locate Tariq last known whereabouts, but getting to him in the mountain near Karachi would be difficult.

"The ISI is going dark," Ajay said as he stood over a map of Pakistan. "No electronic communications, no radio chatter. They know we're watching. We'll need to rely on human intelligence."

Rajesh, the field operative who had led the successful missions against Farooq and Arif, nodded. "We've got contacts on the ground, but it's risky. Getting into Karachi without alerting ISI will take time."

"We don't have time," Ajay replied, his voice tense. "If we don't move fast, they'll relocate all five, and we'll lose our chance."

Rao, who had been listening quietly from the corner of the room, finally spoke up. "We need to hit them while they're scrambling. If we let them regroup, ISI will strike back with everything they have."

Ajay nodded.

In the following days, the remaining five operatives were moved under the cover of darkness, each one relocated to different parts of Pakistan.

Major Farhan Ali had reached the mountains safely.

Colonel Tariq was not so lucky. R&AW was closing in, and time was running out for ISI.