A New India
Chapter 164 - 164: Escape - I

The rugged terrain around the Peshawar border felt like a cold, barren wasteland as Ajay Singh and his remaining team trekked in silence.

The recent assassination of Major Farhan Ali had gone off, but not without cost.

Rajesh was dead, and Sandeep was injured, but they were alive, and now the mission was to get back to India-alive.

But in their bones, they all felt the tension thickening around them like a tightening noose.

ISI would come.

It was only a matter of time.

They had been traveling on foot for the better part of four hours.

Each step was careful, measured, and silent.

The chill in the air was biting, the sound of the wind occasionally masking their own footsteps, but every crunch of gravel beneath their boots felt like a warning.

There was no guarantee they'd make it back.

"We're getting close to the extraction point," Ajay said quietly, scanning the horizon with his binoculars.

His voice was calm, measured-but it was the calm of a man who knew danger was right on his heels. "Once we cross the ridge, we're in safer territory. But keep your eyes sharp. ISI won't just let this slide."

Sandeep, clutching his injured shoulder, looked grim. "We just killed one of their best. They're not letting us out of here without a fight."

Ajay nodded.

He knew that better than anyone.

R&AW had dealt a heavy blow to ISI, and there would be consequences.

Karan, at the rear of the group, scanned their six, his rifle always in hand. "Feels too quiet," he muttered. "They know what happened. They're waiting for us to get comfortable."

Ajay shot him a look but didn't argue.

Karan was right, after all.

The silence was unnerving, and every instinct told Ajay that their enemies were closing in.

And then, the silence shattered. In the distance, the low rumble of engines cut through the cold night air.

It wasn't just one vehicle-it was several. Headlights appeared on the horizon, bouncing as the trucks made their way over the uneven terrain.

"They're here," Ajay whispered, his jaw tightening.

His eyes scanned for cover.

They were in a bad spot-open ground stretched out for nearly a kilometer before the ridge, and the trucks were already closing in.

"Down!" Ajay ordered sharply.

The team moved as one, instinct kicking in as they dropped low behind the boulders scattered around the path.

The first burst of gunfire crackled through the night.

Bullets ricocheted off the rocks, sending shards of stone flying into the air. The ISI team had found them.

Ajay peered over the edge of the rock, his rifle ready. "They're trying to box us in! Flank left, Karan, Aditya, cover the rear! Sandeep, you're with me. We have to push through!"

Karan and Aditya moved with precision, rifles raised as they took position behind the larger boulders, laying down suppressive fire to keep ISI's operatives from getting too close.

They weren't looking to kill just yet, they were slowing down the enemy, buying time.

Ajay and Sandeep darted left, moving from cover to cover as they tried to put distance between themselves and the approaching ISI vehicles.

But it wasn't just a chase now, ISI had anticipated this route.

They had men in position, waiting.

The first ISI operative lunged out of the darkness, catching Sandeep off guard.

The two men collided in a flurry of fists and kicks, Sandeep barely managing to block the first knife strike.

The operative was quick, brutal, but Sandeep was faster.

With a quick twist, Sandeep wrenched the knife free from the man's hand, slamming his elbow into the operative's face, sending him sprawling into the dirt.

"Sandeep, move!" Ajay shouted, firing off two rounds that dropped another operative who had been advancing on their flank.

The ISI trucks skidded to a halt, and more operatives poured out, rifles raised as they advanced.

The night lit up with gunfire, the sound deafening in the open space.

Bullets whizzed past Ajay's head, some striking the rocks with sharp, deadly cracks.

He fired in short bursts, aiming low to keep the ISI men from closing in too fast.

"They're everywhere!" Karan shouted from the rear, his voice strained as he kept firing. "We can't hold them much longer!"

Ajay swore under his breath, glancing at the ridge.

They were too exposed here.

They had to make a move, or they'd be overrun.

"Pull back!" Ajay yelled, his voice carrying over the gunfire. "We need to hit the ridge and lose them in the rocks!"

Aditya grabbed Sandeep, who was struggling to keep up with his injured shoulder, and together they sprinted toward the ridge, bullets kicking up dirt and gravel around them.

Ajay and Karan provided cover fire, their rifles snapping in unison as they took down as many of the advancing ISI men as they could.

But ISI was relentless.

They had come prepared, and they had the advantage of numbers.

As Ajay's team retreated, the operatives pushed forward, closing the distance with each passing second.

A sharp pain tore through Ajay's side as a bullet grazed him.

He hissed in pain but didn't stop, reloading his rifle with practiced ease as he fired back at the men pursuing them.

They reached the base of the ridge, panting heavily, adrenaline coursing through their veins.

The rocks here provided better cover, but ISI wasn't backing down.

A group of operatives broke off from the main force, coming at them from both sides.

"We're boxed in!" Karan growled, reloading as he ducked behind a large boulder. "They're not giving us any room to breathe."

Ajay nodded, his mind racing.

They were running low on ammo, and the ISI operatives were getting too close for comfort.

They had to turn this into a fight that favored them.

"Draw them in!" Ajay ordered. "Close combat. We can't win a shootout from here."

The team moved into the rocks, forcing ISI to follow them into the narrow, cramped spaces between the jagged boulders.

The gunfire slowed as the operatives closed in, knives drawn, ready for the kill.

The first operative reached Karan, slashing at him with a blade, but Karan deflected the blow, driving the butt of his rifle into the man's throat.

The operative choked, stumbling back, and Karan followed up with a brutal punch to the jaw, sending the man crashing into the rocks.

Ajay was locked in his own deadly struggle, grappling with an ISI agent who had managed to tackle him to the ground.

The man was stronger, and for a moment, Ajay felt the cold edge of a knife press against his throat.

But with a quick twist, Ajay used the man's momentum against him, flipping him over and slamming his knee into the man's ribs.

The knife fell, and Ajay grabbed it, plunging it into the man's chest.

Sandeep, despite his injury, was still fighting with everything he had.

An ISI operative came at him from the left, swinging a knife in a wide arc, but Sandeep ducked low, driving his shoulder into the man's stomach.

The operative staggered back, winded, and Sandeep wasted no time in finishing him off with a sharp elbow to the temple.

But the fight wasn't over. More men were coming, and Ajay's team was running out of steam.

"We're not going to make it at this rate!" Aditya yelled, his breath ragged as he fired off a few more rounds.

Ajay's mind was racing.

They couldn't hold out like this much longer. The ISI team was well-trained, determined, and willing to die to bring them down.

"We push through!" Ajay shouted, his voice filled with determination. "We don't stop!"

The team regrouped, moving as one as they charged toward the ridge, using the terrain to their advantage.

The ISI operatives were close behind, but Ajay and his men were relentless, firing with precision, taking down any enemy who got too close.

Sandeep, despite his injury, took point, leading the team up the steep incline. His face was pale from blood loss, but he didn't slow down He couldn't.

Ajay fired the last of his rounds, dropping an ISI agent who had been closing in on Sandeep.

But as they reached the top of the ridge, a sudden explosion rocked the ground beneath them.

ISI had thrown a grenade, and the blast sent Aditya flying into the air.

"Aditya!" Karan shouted, rushing to his side as smoke filled the air.

Ajay's heart sank as he saw the blood pooling around Aditya's body.

He was still breathing, but barely.

"We have to go!" Ajay shouted, pulling Karan back as the ISI operatives closed in again. "Now!"

With one last burst of energy, they sprinted down the other side of the ridge.

The Indian border was just ahead. They could see it now. Safety was within reach.