A New India
Chapter 163 - 163: The Hunt for Major Farhan Ali

The cold wind howled through the foothills near Peshawar as the R&AW team moved silently under the cover of night.

There was no moon tonight, which suited Ajay Singh just fine. Darkness was their ally.

Each step was measured, every sound suppressed.

The terrain was rugged, and the path to Major Farhan Ali's hideout was anything but easy. Ajay, Rajesh, and the rest of the team moved like shadows, light-footed, disciplined, their breaths even.

Farhan was hiding in a fortified compound nestled into the rocky hills, surrounded by an elite guard.

This wasn't just an extraction mission; it was a full-blown assault.

R&AW was hell bent on capturing Farhan alive. He was too dangerous, too deeply entrenched in ISI's operations, and he knew too much. K.N. Rao had made it clear: Farhan was to be neutralized, either capturing him or killing him.

The team stopped just short of a ridge, crouching low behind a cluster of boulders. In the distance, they could see the compound.

It was as fortified as the intel suggested. The guards moved in disciplined patterns, and there was no sign of Farhan himself.

But they knew he was inside. He had no other place to go.

"Two sentries by the main entrance, another two at the rear," Rajesh whispered, his eyes scanning the compound through his binoculars. "More on the watchtower. This isn't going to be easy."

Ajay nodded, his voice low and calm. "We go in hard and fast. The moment we breach, we'll have a few minutes before they get their bearings. We use that time to push through. No mistakes."

The rest of the team listened in silence.

Their faces were hardened and their eyes sharp with focus.

Each of them knew what was at stake. There was no room for error.

"Rajesh, you and Karan take out the sentries. Sandeep and Aditya, you're on the back entrance. I'll lead the breach." Ajay's orders were met with curt nods.

There was no need for questions; they had drilled this operation to perfection.

With the plan set, the team began their final approach.

The soft crunch of boots on gravel was the only sound as they moved closer, their rifles raised, fingers steady on the triggers.

Rajesh and Karan split off, moving toward the sentries at the front gate.

They worked silently, moving like predators through the dark.

Rajesh reached the first sentry, a quick motion sending his knife deep into the man's throat.

No noise, no struggle.

The second sentry barely had time to register what had happened before Karan's blade found his spine.

They dragged the bodies into the shadows, out of sight.

At the rear of the compound, Sandeep and Aditya moved in, placing silencers on their rifles.

Two more guards were patrolling the area. A soft hiss of air, a puff of smoke, two suppressed shots, and both guards dropped without a sound.

"All clear," Sandeep whispered into his radio.

Ajay signaled to the rest of the team. "We're moving in."

Ajay planted the small explosive charge on the side door.

The compound's walls were thick, but the explosion would be contained enough to breach without causing too much of a ruckus.

He took a step back, raising his hand as the countdown began.

3... 2... 1…

The explosion was sharp but controlled. The door blew inward, the smoke curling into the night air.

Within seconds, the team was inside.

"Go!" Ajay shouted, his voice low but urgent.

They moved quickly, slicing through the compound like a knife.

The first wave of guards barely had time to react as the R&AW team pushed forward, suppressors on their rifles making quick work of the resistance.

But as they advanced deeper into the compound, the guards regrouped.

Gunfire erupted, and the silence of the night was shattered.

Bullets ricocheted off the walls as the firefight escalated.

Rajesh ducked behind a pillar, firing off a few rounds. "We're taking too much heat, Ajay! They're organized!"

"I know!" Ajay growled, ducking as a burst of automatic fire grazed past his head. "Stay low, push forward!"

They advanced room by room, clearing each one with brutal efficiency.

But the guards weren't going down easy. These weren't just ordinary soldiers, they were ISI-trained, disciplined, and deadly.

As the team moved deeper into the compound, the corridors narrowed, and the fighting became more intense.

Gunfire gave way to close-quarters combat. Sandeep found himself locked in a brutal hand-to-hand struggle with one of Farhan's guards.

The man was taller, stronger, and faster than he had anticipated.

The guard swung at Sandeep with a knife, the blade glinting in the dim light.

Sandeep barely dodged the attack, feeling the sharp wind of the blade as it passed inches from his face.

With a quick movement, he blocked the guard's arm and delivered a sharp elbow to the man's ribs.

The guard grunted, but he didn't go down.

He grabbed Sandeep by the throat, slamming him into the wall.

Sandeep gasped for air, struggling as the guard's grip tightened around his neck.

His vision blurred, but just before he passed out, he reached for the combat knife strapped to his leg.

With a swift motion, he plunged the knife into the guard's side.

The man staggered, releasing his grip, and Sandeep shoved the blade in deeper before twisting it.

The guard collapsed, blood pooling around him.

Nearby, Rajesh and Aditya were pinned down by gunfire from two ISI soldiers.

"We need to flank them!" Rajesh shouted over the din of gunfire.

Ajay nodded, moving swiftly. He signaled to Karan, who tossed a flashbang into the room.

The explosion was blinding, and the guards were momentarily disoriented.

Rajesh didn't hesitate. He sprinted forward, tackling one of the guards to the ground.

The two men grappled in the dirt, fists flying. Rajesh slammed his elbow into the man's throat, ending the fight quickly and brutally.

Ajay took out the second guard with a clean headshot, the suppressor muffling the shot.

"We're almost there!" Ajay called out, panting as the team regrouped.

The path to Farhan Ali was almost clear, but the cost was starting to show.

Sandeep had taken a bullet to the shoulder during the firefight, and Karan had a deep gash across his arm from the hand-to-hand combat.

But neither man was down.

"We keep moving," Ajay ordered, his voice steely.

They reached the last room, the door heavy and fortified.

Behind it, Major Farhan Ali waited.

He knew they were coming.

He had heard the gunfire, the screams of his men, the sounds of death creeping closer.

Ajay signaled to Rajesh, who set the breach charge.

They couldn't afford to hesitate now. Farhan was too dangerous to capture alive, he had to be taken down.

The door blew inward, and the team rushed in, guns raised.

Farhan was waiting, a pistol in one hand and a smirk on his face.

"You've come a long way," he said calmly, as if this were all a game. "But you're too late."

Ajay didn't respond. He squeezed the trigger, sending two bullets into Farhan's chest.

But Farhan wasn't alone.

From the shadows, one last guard lunged at Rajesh, a blade flashing in the dim light.

Rajesh turned just in time to catch the man's arm, but the knife sank deep into his chest.

He gritted his teeth, twisting the man's arm with brutal force until he heard the snap of bone.

With a final push, he drove his own knife into the guard's throat, blood spraying across the floor.

Rajesh staggered, clutching his chest, blood seeping through his fingers.

He looked at Ajay, his face pale.

"We did it," he whispered, his voice weak.

Ajay knelt beside him, pressing his hand to the wound. "Stay with me, Rajesh. We're getting you out of here."

But as the rest of the team cleared the room, checking for any remaining threats

Ajay knew the truth. Rajesh was dying.

Farhan was dead, but the cost had been heavy. Too heavy.