Shackles of Desire - Chapter 31

Rudra narrowed his eyes and looked out of the window. It had been more than 2 hours that he had come to know that she had been kidnapped. But till now there had been no ransom call.

And he hadn’t expected one.

His men were working double-time to find where she was but still nothing. He turned and looked at the security screen. The tracer was on but nothing.

The Mafia had been activated, his informers were combing the city, the police were searching all over, but till now no one had come up with anything.

And this was getting on his nerves.

He picked up his phone from the desk and called Chinna.

“Boss nothing. We have found the car they had taken till Karol Bagh but the driver is missing. We will find the driver. My men are working on it.”

“Chinna find him, and fast,” he ordered, a hint of irritation edging his voice.

On the other end, Chinna swallowed and replied a timid yes.

Disconnecting the call, Rudra slowly turned and his eyes automatically shifted to the security screen in front. Every cell in his body stood up in attention as he registered the blinking red dot on the map.

He was about to intercom Mayank when he burst through the door panting.

“I have alerted Shastri and Arshad.”

Rudra shoved his phone into his pocket and went behind his desk. Sliding the drawer out, he picked up his gun and threw it towards Mayank.

“Ask Chinna to reach the location and set up the perimeter. I want everyone there.”

Saying this, he left his office followed by Mayank.

In a matter of an hour, they reached the location of the blinking dot. Rudra was the first one to get down.

Annie got down from the second car and was about to approach Rudra when Manna stopped her.

“Ma’am, please stay here.”

“Ishani is inside. Don’t expect me to not do anything.”

“Nothing is going to happen to her. She is alive and if there is anyone who can get her out of there then its Hukum. Please let him do what he is doing.”

Annie was about to reprimand him when Viman came and stood next to her.

“I need to go inside,” she said to him.

“You can’t. Rudra won’t allow that.”

Irritated, she looked at Rudra and saw him talking to a man wearing all black.

The man looked too shady to be here and apart from him, two other men were closing in on Rudra who looked similar. One of them was wearing a kurta-pyjama and the other a safari suit.

“Who is he?” she asked gesturing to the man talking to Rudra.

“He is Chinna.”

“And the others?”

“The one in kurta is Shastri and one is suit is Arshad.”

“Who are they?”

“They are his friends.”

“What are they doing here?”

Viman turned towards her and then sighed audibly.

“What is more important to you? Them or saving your friend?”

Annie scowled and then strode briskly towards Rudra. She could feel Manna trying to stop her but this time she didn’t listen.

“Will you tell me what’s going on? What are we waiting for? Why aren’t we going inside?”

Rudra flicked his gaze at her and then looked at Chinna again.

Seeing him ignore her, she started towards the door in front. But some men in police uniforms stopped her in the middle making her go mad with rage. Furious, she turned towards Rudra.

“She might be dying inside. If you are not getting in then let me,” she said, her voice shaking with suppressed panic and anger.

Rudra narrowed his eyes and then turned, ignoring her totally. A man approached him and gave him a shoulder gun holster, which he started tying to his body. Shrugging into his coat, he gave a warning look to Annie and then flicked his gaze to Chinna.

Chinna handed him a walkie-talkie, which he switched on and checked.

“Don’t let anybody get inside till I give the signal, especially her,” Rudra said signalling towards Annie.

Annie watched him with exasperation as he walked past her and then disappeared at the back of the building.

Rudra crossed a heap of thermocol boxes as he cautiously set foot on the path near the back entrance of the building. One of Chinna’s men had already entered the building and Rudra was waiting for his signal. Crouching low, he neared the back door and waited. Thankfully he was standing on the blind side of the building so there was no possibility of him being seen if anyone was keeping a watch from the terrace.

What’s taking him so long?

His patience was slowly giving up on him and unable to take it anymore, he was about to throw caution to the wind and shoot the door down when a faint creaking sound made him go still.

He flicked his gaze on the door but a man showed his face through the shadows on its left. The man beckoned him and Rudra cautiously placed one step after another to reach him.

“The door is jammed,” he whispered.

“Dammit!” What now?” Rudra whispered back.

“There is half broken glass door at the end of this alley.”

Rudra nodded and started following him.

The alley was as dark as it can get and supremely narrow. By the time he reached the broken door, he had already lost his patience. Shoving the man aside, he placed his foot on the door’s threshold.

“Be careful!” the man warned.

Ignoring him, Rudra touched the side of the door and within seconds a sharp pain shot through his arm.

A small glass piece had pierced through his palm.

Taking a deep breath, he ignored the pain and dragged himself inside. Broken glass scraped through his arm but without caring, he cautiously strode ahead through the semi-lit corridor.

Rudra could hear people talking inside then suddenly it all stopped. He shrunk into the darkest corner waiting.

But he didn’t have to wait long.

Angry tones, shouts and muffled instructions sounded in the corridor. Minutes passed as Rudra waited with bated breath.

However, impatience and irritation took the best of him.

Taking out the gun and taking the safety off, Rudra strode briskly through the corridor and rounded a corner and just as he did, his eyes fell on something.

Following his vision trail, he looked down at his feet and stopped short.

Blood!

Crimson, dark, thick and sticky blood!

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