Beneath the shimmering lights of the luxurious mall, something dark was brewing—evil wrapped in glass walls and polished tiles.
Kiaan's boots tapped quietly against the marble floor, eyes narrowed, body tense. Rudhra Khaali moved confidently through the staff exit, unaware of the silent shadows tracking his every step.
From above, Dev's voice crackled softly through the comms,
> "Target's heading to the back loading zone. He's not alone."
Kiaan raised two fingers. Tara and Dev instantly split off to flank from the other side. Rehaan nodded and stuck close to Kiaan.
Suddenly—Rudhra halted. A shadow stepped out from behind the last pillar.
The Viper.
Face masked. Build lean. Aura lethal.
Rehaan whispered, "That's him… The Viper."
The next second exploded into chaos.
Kiaan lunged. Tara and Dev closed in. In a matter of seconds, Rudhra was pinned, Tara's gun to his neck, Dev twisting his arm behind.
But The Viper broke into a sprint, tearing through the staff corridor.
> "He's escaping!" Rehaan yelled.
Kiaan didn't hesitate.
> "On him."
He sprinted forward, heart hammering, muscles pushing past the pain of previous scars. Rehaan followed fast behind.
They burst through a side door into the parking garage.
Bang!
First shot missed.
Bang!
The second tore through the air and hit Kiaan's shoulder, the impact violent. He staggered, his gun flying from his hand as blood splattered across his sleeve.
> "Kiaan!" Rehaan shouted.
Kiaan gritted his teeth, refusing to fall.
The Viper turned to fire again—but Rehaan's bullet was faster.
Straight to the knees.
The Viper screamed and collapsed.
Rehaan rushed to Kiaan, grabbing him by the arm.
> "You okay?!"
Kiaan hissed through clenched teeth,
> "Just a scratch."
Rehaan looked at the blood-soaked sleeve.
> "Yeah, sure. 'Scratch.' You need med—"
> "Later," Kiaan cut him off. "Check his mask. I want to know who we're dealing with."
Dev and Tara arrived, Rudhra cuffed and groaning in pain. Tara glanced at Kiaan's bleeding arm.
> "You need stitches, dammit."
Kiaan didn't listen. He turned to them, voice cold and sharp.
> "Search the building."
Dev blinked.
> "What? This is a luxury mall, Kiaan! The media will eat us alive. No search warrant. No cause—"
Kiaan stepped closer, dark eyes burning with certainty.
> "That's exactly why I want it searched. Because no one would expect it."
Rehaan added,
> "He's right. If Rudhra and Viper met here, it's not a coincidence. They weren't shopping for clothes."
Dev rubbed his forehead.
> "Bro, your hand is bleeding like hell, and you want us to flip a mall upside down?"
Kiaan's voice dropped low, deadly calm.
> "I don't care if it's the Queen's palace. I want this building searched—every wall, every basement, every restricted floor. If there's even one gram of drugs or documents in here, we bust this whole operation wide open."
Tara exchanged glances with Dev.
> "He's in that 'I'll-break-the-world' mode again," she muttered.
Kiaan turned, blood dripping onto the marble as he walked away.
> "And someone get me my gun."
Rehaan smirked and retrieved it, tossing it toward him.
> "Still dramatic as ever, even with a hole in your shoulder."
Dev finally groaned.
> "Fine. But if media shows up, I'm telling them Kiaan planned a surprise cleaning drive."
Tara laughed.
> "With guns and bullet wounds."
The team spread out. Sirens were already starting to wail outside.
But inside this glass tower, Kiaan knew—something deeper was hidden.
And tonight was just the beginning.