A New India
Chapter 159 - 159: Capturing Tariq

The quiet, coastal city of Karachi was just starting to wake up under the soft glow of dawn.

Fishermen were preparing their boats, shopkeepers were setting up their stalls, and in a hidden compound on the outskirts of the city.

Colonel Tariq, one of ISI's most seasoned operatives, was finishing his morning routine.

Tariq had been moved here in haste.

ISI knew R&AW was closing in on its top handlers.

It was only a matter of time before they came for him, and yet Tariq, in his arrogance, believed he was untouchable.

His location was secure, the compound heavily fortified, and his guards were handpicked by ISI's best.

But he had underestimated Ajay Singh and his team.

Far away New Delhi, the mood was tense but determined.

The successful operations against Farooq and Arif had given R&AW the upper hand, but Colonel Tariq was an entirely different beast.

He was a high-ranking ISI official, the kind of man who didn't make mistakes, the kind who wouldn't go down easily.

Ajay stood in the operations room, surrounded by maps and dossiers.

His eyes were locked on a map of the compound where Tariq was holed up.

"Tariq's compound is heavily guarded," Ajay said, his voice measured as he addressed the small team assembled around him. "The place is crawling with ISI agents, and they've set up multiple checkpoints around the perimeter. This isn't going to be a quiet extraction."

Rajesh, the field operative who had led the earlier missions, nodded. "It won't be easy. We'll be walking into a hornet's nest."

Ajay didn't flinch. "We don't have a choice. This is our last chance to take Tariq before he disappears completely. We go in hard, we go in fast, and we don't stop until we have him in custody."

"Any questions?" Ajay asked, his eyes scanning the room.

Silence.

"Good," Ajay said. "Gear up. We move at first light."

------

Within few hours through secret routes and agents deep within Pakistan Army and ISI, they were able to reach Karachi

The streets of Karachi were eerily quiet as the R&AW team made their way toward the heavily fortified compound on the outskirts of the city.

The mission to capture him was going to be bloody, but there was no turning back.

In the darkened van, Ajay Singh checked his weapon. His face was tense, his jaw set, as he glanced at the men around him.

These were men he trusted, soldiers he had fought beside in countless operations.

Ravi, Rajesh, Amit, Iqbal, and Sandeep sat quietly, preparing themselves for what was to come.

They knew the risks. They had accepted them.

Now it was time for action.

The compound was a fortress, a large structure surrounded by high walls, barbed wire, and armed guards who patrolled the perimeter.

Ajay and his team crouched low in the shadows as they approached the compound's fence, their movements swift and precise.

"We cut through here," Rajesh whispered, pulling out a pair of wire cutters.

As Rajesh silently worked on the fence, Ajay kept an eye on the guard towers.

The guards were inattentive, but that wouldn't last long.

They needed to move fast, or everything would fall apart.

The fence gave way with a soft metallic sound, and one by one, the team slipped through, disappearing into the compound's maze-like layout.

The plan was simple, breach the building, eliminate any resistance, and capture Tariq alive.

But things never went as planned.

As they approached the central building, their presence was detected.

A lone guard, standing near the entrance, caught a glimpse of Ravi out of the corner of his eye.

"Hey!" the guard yelled, raising his rifle.

Before he could fire, Ajay whipped out his silenced pistol and squeezed the trigger.

The bullet found its mark, embedding itself in the guard's throat.

The man collapsed instantly, clutching his neck as he bled out on the cold concrete floor.

The gurgling sound of his final breath sent a chill down the team's spines.

There was no time to think, no time to hesitate. The alarm had been raised.

"We're blown!" Ajay barked. "Move! Move!"

The team burst forward, guns drawn, as guards poured out of the building. The sound of gunfire filled the air, deafening in the confined space.

Bullets tore through the night as Ajay and his men took cover behind a low stone wall, returning fire with deadly accuracy.

"Take them down!" Rajesh shouted, his voice strained as he leaned out from behind cover and fired off a few rounds.

A guard fell, his chest torn apart by the bullets, but more were coming.

"Flank them!" Ajay ordered, signaling Sandeep and Amit to move to the right.

The two men darted forward, using the crates and debris for cover, but the enemy was prepared.

One of the guards spotted Amit and fired. The bullet slammed into Amit's thigh, and he dropped to the ground with a scream, clutching his leg as blood poured from the wound.

"Man down!" Ravi shouted, firing at the guard who had hit Amit.

The bullet struck the guard's head, and he fell backward, his skull splitting open on impact with the ground.

But there was no time to save Amit. The team was pinned down, outnumbered, and the sound of gunfire was drawing more and more guards to their location.

Ajay clenched his jaw, his mind racing. "We push forward! Don't stop!"

The air was full of smoke and ground filled with blood as Ajay's team advanced toward the building's entrance.

The guards inside were well-trained, well-armed, and merciless.

Ajay watched as Rajesh ducked out of cover, firing rapidly, but a barrage of bullets ripped through the wall behind him, showering him with dust and debris.

"Ravi! Cover him!" Ajay shouted.

Ravi turned, laying down suppressing fire to give Rajesh time to advance.

But the enemy's fire was unrelenting, and the narrow passageways of the compound became a death trap.

The gunshots seemed to echo off the walls, growing louder and louder as the team pressed forward, each step more dangerous than the last.

Suddenly, a guard appeared from behind a corner and fired a burst of automatic gunfire. Iqbal, who had been moving alongside Sandeep, was hit.

The bullets tore into his chest, and he let out a sharp cry before collapsing against the wall. Blood poured from the wounds, staining the ground beneath him.

"Iqbal's hit!" Sandeep screamed, rushing to his side.

But Ajay knew they couldn't stop. Not now.

"Leave him!" Ajay barked, the words heavy with grief. "We can't stop!"

Rajesh fired another shot, taking down the guard who had shot Iqbal, but it was too late.

Iqbal's body lay still, the life drained from him.

Sandeep choked back a sob, his hands trembling as he reloaded his weapon.

The team pushed forward, knowing that every second counted.

The sound of gunfire was deafening.

Each step felt like it could be their last.

They soon reached the main entrance, bursting through the heavy doors and into the dimly lit building.

The hallway stretched out before them, but they knew they were close.

Colonel Tariq was somewhere inside, and they had to capture him, no matter the cost.

The team moved quickly, clearing room after room, but the enemy wasn't done yet.

A group of ISI soldiers had set up a barricade at the end of the hallway, their weapons trained on the entrance.

The moment Ajay's team appeared, a hail of bullets tore through the air.

Sandeep and Ravi returned fire, but the enemy had the advantage of numbers and position.

As the team exchanged fire, Ravi was hit in the chest.

He stumbled backward, his eyes wide with shock as he collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.

Rajesh rushed to his side, but it was clear, Ravi was dying.

"Stay with me, Ravi!" Rajesh shouted, tears streaming down his face as he held his comrade.

But Ravi was gone.

With fury burning in their hearts, Ajay and Rajesh pushed forward, eliminating the remaining guards with brutal efficiency.

The sound of gunfire slowly faded as they reached the final door.

Inside the room, Colonel Tariq stood, his eyes wide with fear.

The once-arrogant ISI officer now looked like a trapped animal, his hands trembling as he reached for a pistol.

"Don't!" Ajay shouted, aiming his weapon at Tariq's chest.

For a moment, it seemed like Tariq would fight.

His hand hovered over the pistol, but then, with a slow, defeated sigh, he raised his hands in surrender.

Rajesh stormed forward, grabbing Tariq and pinning his arms behind his back.

"You're done," he growled, his voice thick with anger.

Tariq didn't respond. He knew it was over.

The team emerged from the compound and ran away with the escape plan they had already made and met with the extraction team.

They had captured Colonel Tariq, but the cost had been high. Amit, Iqbal, and Ravi were dead.

The grief killed them from within

Ajay stared at the ground, his mind filled with the faces of the men they had lost.

He had known this mission would be dangerous, but the reality of it was crushing.

As they reached the extraction vehicle, Rajesh looked at Ajay, his face etched with pain. "Was it worth it?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Ajay didn't answer.

He didn't know.

The price they had paid was far too high.

But as the van sped away, with Colonel Tariq in custody, Ajay knew one thing for certain.

The war wasn't over.

Four more to go.