A New India
Chapter 166 - 166: Operation Mountain Shadow - I

The silence in the R&AW conference room felt heavy.

Ajay Singh sat, his eyes showing the weight of countless missions, losses, and near-deaths.

His team had barely returned from the brink of death, and the exhaustion was written all over him.

The death of Rajesh still hung over the room like a dark cloud.

K.N. Rao stood at the head of the table, pacing slowly, his face grim.

Ajay knew what was coming.

"You've done enough," Rao said quietly, breaking the silence, his voice soft but firm. "You and your team need to stand down. Get some rest."

Ajay opened his mouth to argue, but Rao raised a hand.

"Listen to me, Ajay. This isn't a request. You're tired, and your team has given everything. We've lost too many good men."

Ajay let out a long breath, leaning back in his chair.

The bruises from their last mission still throbbed, and the mental fatigue was even worse.

His body was demanding rest, even if his mind was still wired for the fight.

"We can't leave this unfinished," Ajay muttered, his voice low, almost as if he were talking to himself.

"Only 3 are left of the 7 and soon they will regroup in their last bid to save themselves"

"I know," Rao replied, his voice tightening. "And that's why I'm sending a new team."

That got Ajay's attention. He sat up straighter. "Who?"

Rao threw a file onto the table.

The black-and-white photos inside showed three hardened faces.

Ajay recognized Major Arun Malhotra immediately, tough, seasoned, and with the kind of reputation that came from surviving too many close calls.

His team, Captain Vikram, Lieutenant Anil, and Sergeant Shankar, were known as some of R&AW's finest operatives.

"They'll take over from here. Your team has done its part," Rao said. "We've intercepted intel that the last three ISI operatives are regrouping in Afghanistan. They're holed up in an abandoned fort deep in the Hindu Kush mountains, setting up a new operations hub. If they succeed, they'll be back stronger than ever."

Ajay studied the photos, feeling a pang of something he couldn't quite place, relief that it wasn't him this time, mixed with frustration that the fight wasn't over yet.

----

After meeting with Ajay, Rao directly assembled the new team and brief them about what they were about to do.

Major Arun Malhotra stood tall, his sharp features and muscular build giving him the appearance of a man who had seen war, but not let it break him.

Behind him were his team, Captain Vikram, Lieutenant Anil, and Sergeant Shankar.

They were R&AW's best remaining operatives, seasoned in mountain warfare, infiltration, and intelligence gathering.

Rao briefed them in the same room that had seen Ajay and his team prepare for their deadly operations.

There was no time for pleasantries or small talk.

"We believe they've holed up here," Rao said, pointing to a map of the Hindu Kush mountains. "This fort has been abandoned since the 1940s, but it's defensible, hidden, and isolated. The perfect location for a new ISI hub."

Arun examined the map closely. "What kind of defenses can we expect?"

"We don't have precise intel on their manpower, but they've fortified it. Expect resistance," Rao replied. "Your mission is simple: infiltrate, eliminate the targets, and destroy whatever infrastructure they've built."

"Are we bringing them back alive?" Vikram asked.

Rao shook his head, his voice cold. "No. This is a kill mission. We can't afford to let them regroup."

And with this the men were ready and soon deployed for a battle that will finally decide the outcome of Shadow

-----

The Hindu Kush stretched out before Major Arun Malhotra and his team like a desolate, unforgiving maze.

Sharp peaks and deep valleys, covered in snow and ice, formed a natural fortress that hid the enemy inside.

Arun crouched behind a jagged boulder, scanning the distant fort through his binoculars.

The structure was old and crumbling, but there were men stationed along the walls, ISI operatives guarding it with military precision.

"Sniper on the south tower," Vikram whispered beside him, his eye trained through the scope of his rifle. "Distance, 800 meters. Wind is light, but he's moving too much."

"Take the shot," Arun said quietly.

Vikram inhaled deeply, holding his breath as his finger squeezed the trigger.

The crack of the rifle echoed through the mountains, and the sniper's body slumped forward, falling silently off the edge of the tower.

"One down," Vikram muttered, already scanning for more targets.

Arun signaled for the team to move.

They crept down the ridge, using the rocks and snow to stay hidden.

The temperature had dropped sharply as night fell, the biting cold making every movement stiff and slow, but they had to keep going.

The element of surprise was their only advantage.

They reached the western wall of the fort, where the patrols were thinner.

Vikram took point, slipping a grappling hook over the edge of the wall, securing it tightly.

Arun was the first to climb, pulling himself up the wall silently.

As he reached the top, he peered over the edge.

A guard stood a few feet away, oblivious to the danger.

Arun moved swiftly, pulling the man into the shadows and slitting his throat with a single motion.

No sound.

No struggle.

He motioned for the others to follow.

The inside of the fort was dimly lit by flickering oil lamps.

The narrow corridors were cold, the stone walls seeping moisture that made everything feel damp and heavy.

Arun's team moved like shadows, hugging the walls, rifles at the ready.

They reached the main courtyard, where they could see the last three ISI operatives.

They were huddled around a table, deep in conversation, unaware that death was creeping toward them.

"They're right there," whispered Lieutenant Anil, his eyes narrowed. "We could take them out from here."

"Not yet," Arun replied, eyes scanning the area.

Something felt off. It was too easy.

As if on cue, a door slammed open on the far side of the courtyard, and a squad of ISI soldiers spilled out, rifles raised.

"Ambush!" Vikram shouted, diving behind a stack of crates as the gunfire erupted.

Bullets whizzed through the air, ricocheting off the stone walls.

Arun ducked behind a column, returning fire with controlled bursts. The sound of gunfire echoed through the fort, loud and deafening.

"We need to push through!" Arun yelled over the chaos.

Sergeant Shankar was pinned down behind a low wall, his rifle empty.

He pulled the pin on a grenade and lobbed it over the wall, watching as it exploded in a shower of debris, taking out two of the ISI operatives in the process.

"Move! Move!" Arun ordered, his voice harsh.

They advanced through the courtyard, using whatever cover they could find.

Vikram dropped to one knee, taking out a machine-gunner with a single shot to the head, while Anil swept the area with suppressive fire.

One of the ISI operatives, seeing his men fall, made a dash for a side door.

Arun wasn't having it. He sprinted across the courtyard, his boots kicking up dust and snow as he tackled the man to the ground.

They rolled across the stone floor, fists flying.

The man swung wildly, his knife flashing in the low light.

Arun dodged the blade, slamming his elbow into the man's jaw.

The crack of bone echoed through the courtyard as the man crumpled, dazed. Arun didn't give him a chance to recover.

He drove his knife deep into the man's chest, twisting it once before yanking it out. The body went limp.

"Vikram, cover us!" Arun shouted as the ISI operatives regrouped, firing relentlessly.

Just when they thought they were gaining ground, the remaining ISI elite operatives charged forward.

They weren't here to escape, they were here to kill.

Arun saw one of them coming straight for him, a large man with a cold, determined look in his eyes.

They collided hard, the force of the impact sending both men crashing into the wall.

The ISI man swung a knife at Arun's throat, but Arun ducked, driving his shoulder into the man's ribs and pushing him backward.

The man was relentless.

He lunged again, but Arun caught his wrist, twisting it until he heard the satisfying snap of bone.

The knife clattered to the ground, and Arun seized the opportunity.

He drove his fist into the man's face, feeling the bones break under his knuckles.

But the man didn't go down easily.

He swung wildly, catching Arun in the side with a brutal punch that knocked the wind out of him. Arun staggered back, gasping for air.

The ISI operative reached for a hidden pistol, but before he could fire

Anil appeared from the shadows, slamming the butt of his rifle into the back of the man's head, knocking him out cold.

"Thanks," Arun muttered, rubbing his bruised ribs.

"No problem," Anil replied, his breath heavy.

The last two ISI operatives were holed up in a corner of the courtyard, using overturned tables for cover.

They fired relentlessly, but their desperation was clear.

"Shankar, grenades!" Arun shouted.

Shankar didn't hesitate.

He pulled the pin on two grenades, tossing them into the enemy's position.

The explosion shook the ground, and the two men were thrown into the air, their bodies crumpling as they hit the stone floor.

Silence fell over the courtyard.

Arun and his team stood among the debris, their breaths heavy, their bodies bruised but alive.

"It's done," Arun said quietly, looking around at the carnage. "Set the charges. Let's blow this place."