Scene 1: Gwadar Beach – A Moment of Peace
Golden sunlight shimmered over the calm waters of the Arabian Sea as the Phantom Force ran barefoot along the warm sands of Gwadar Beach, the waves licking at their feet. Laughter echoed as they played a spirited match of volleyball.
"Ubaid, that's cheating!" Aliza shouted, diving into the sand with a grin as the ball flew past her.
"You blinked," Ubaid teased.
"Game point," said Kashif, spinning the volleyball on one finger like a basketball. Sadia clapped from the side, sipping a coconut.
Javaid, now in his relaxed beach outfit — a stark contrast from his usual camouflaged getups — adjusted his shades. "Finally, a mission where no one's trying to kill us."
The whole team laughed.
Suddenly, Aaliya's secure satellite phone buzzed on the beach chair.
She picked it up, her smile fading. "It's from HQ... Priority Alpha."
Ubaid's face turned serious instantly.
---
Scene 2: ISI Safe House, Islamabad – Code Red
In a dimly lit operations room inside an ISI safe house in Islamabad, Major Zayan leaned over his desk. The glowing screen in front of him displayed a message intercepted from encrypted Indian military frequencies.
He narrowed his eyes, muttering to himself.
The code read:
"Ind IA-G3 Echo-Charlie SCTN-Viper-BRV Alpha→S-N AxRR9: Adv 09+ H, Target: Post-Kilo20, Obj: Cap Hold @ Z+15. Wx-NAV for rotary, move silent. Send HALO confirm Z+10."
He decoded the message quickly.
Translation:
> Indian Army G3 Recon advancing silently towards Siachen Post K20 (20,000 ft). Already 9 hours ahead. Objective: Capture and hold. Weather not available for helicopters. HALO insert to be confirmed in 6 hours.
He picked up his secure red-line and spoke swiftly.
"Get me Ubaid. Now."
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Scene 3: Evacuation – Phantom Force Returns
The Phantom team had barely packed their bags when an ISI transport chopper landed near their resort bungalow.
Ubaid looked at his team. "Time to drop the sunscreen. We're heading north."
They climbed aboard with practiced urgency. No one spoke much. The atmosphere had changed completely.
As the rotors lifted, Kashif asked, "What's the sitrep?"
"We'll know soon," Ubaid said, looking out the window, his expression unreadable.
---
Scene 4: ISI War Room – Mission Briefing
Inside the secure operations bunker, holographic maps of the Siachen Glacier flickered above the conference table. The air was tense, cold — not from the air conditioning, but from the gravity of the situation.
Zayan stood at the head, arms crossed, eyes intense.
"Gentlemen," he began, looking around at each operative, "vacation's over."
He tapped the screen. A 3D terrain model of Siachen appeared — jagged peaks, enemy markers, known Pakistani outposts.
He continued:
"Our intercept confirms that the Indian Army has initiated a covert mountain assault toward our forward post on the glacier — codename Kilo-20. Altitude: 20,000 feet. They're already 9 hours ahead of us."
Sadia's eyes narrowed. "How are they moving so fast?"
"Winter gear, pre-positioned logistics, and a break in the weather window gave them an opening. They're gambling we won't reach in time."
Zayan added, "One more thing — we cannot use helicopters for lifting up troops."
A wave of frustration moved across the room.
"Severe turbulence, low cloud ceiling, and jetstream anomalies. They've timed this well. If they take that post, it gives them a vertical view into three of our strategic supply routes. We lose that — we lose Siachen."
He looked at Ubaid.
"This will be a race against time and terrain. You'll climb on foot. With packs. With gear. In sub-zero winds. Phantom Force will coordinate with a special Pak Army mountaineering division en route. No room for mistakes."
He turned solemn. "I don't need to tell you what Siachen means to us."
---
Scene 5: The Climb Begins – Phantom Mobilized
The next 12 hours were a blur of movement.
Special ops transport trucks loaded with crampons, ropes, satellite kits, winter weapons, and oxygen tanks rolled towards Skardu under cover of darkness. Phantom Force rode quietly, layering up as the terrain rose sharply.
Salman and Rizwan reviewed extraction protocols and altitude sickness countermeasures in the back.
"Twenty-thousand feet," Salman muttered. "That's not a climb, that's punishment."
Rizwan smirked. "Then let's give punishment back."
Meanwhile, Kashif was busy checking his custom high-altitude sniper rifle with a thermal scope. Sadia and Javaid went through a checklist of disguises and climbing suits tailored to blend with snow terrain.
Ubaid stood near the cabin, his voice firm.
"Listen up! This mission's about speed, silence, and strategy. No heavy fire unless engaged. We reach before them or we lose the post. Understood?"
"Sir, yes sir!" the team chorused.
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Scene 6: Crossing Baltoro – Ice and Blood
By dawn, Phantom Force was airlifted to Baltoro Sector via low-flying military aircraft, skimming under radar and cloud cover. They began their ascent from a secondary path, hoping to outpace the Indian movement by taking a more direct — but riskier — icewall.
Crampons clanged on ice. Frostbitten winds howled like banshees.
Aliza, despite her lean frame, pushed ahead with calculated steps. Aaliya carried the encrypted comms set, her fingers numb but her grip steady.
Salman's group stayed at the base camp, preparing the fallback plan if things went south. Rizwan coordinated real-time movement using infrared thermal maps fed by surveillance drones.
Zayan's voice came through the comms:
"Halfway mark reached. Indian unit less than 2 hours from the post. Move like ghosts, boys."
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Scene 7: Near Post Kilo-20 – Final Approach
"Hold!" Ubaid raised a hand.
Through his binoculars, dark figures moved near the ridgeline.
"Indian forward unit — six-man vanguard, 300 meters out."
Kashif moved into position behind a rock. "Wind 12 knots northeast. Target lock in 3... 2..."
"Hold your fire," Ubaid ordered. "Let's flank them."
Sadia and Javaid moved like shadows through the snowbank, disguised in enemy fatigues. Javaid approached from the left ridge, mimicking Indian comm chatter to confuse the patrol.
It worked. The unit paused — just long enough.
Phantom Force pounced.
CRACK!
THUMP!
SCUFFLE!
Within minutes, the Indian advance team was neutralized without a single shot fired. Quick, clean, and cold.
---
Scene 8: Securing Kilo-20
As the sun dipped behind the peaks, Phantom Force reached Post Kilo-20. Snow was freshly disturbed — signs that another Indian team was close behind.
Ubaid barked orders.
"Defensive perimeter now! Kashif, eyes on north slope. Aliza, tripwire sensors on the southern path. Javaid, booby trap the blind spots."
They fortified the post just in time.
From the distance, a flare shot up — a signal from the Indian side.
Ubaid's voice came through comms, firm and cold:
"Let them come. We're already home."
---
Scene 9: Debrief – Zayan's Office
48 hours later, inside ISI HQ, Zayan reviewed the final report.
Ubaid stood in front of him, uniform slightly scuffed, face sunburned, but eyes steady.
Zayan smiled slightly. "You beat the clock."
"By 18 minutes," Ubaid replied.
Zayan nodded. "That's all the difference between losing a glacier... and keeping a nation breathing."
He looked up.
"Get some rest. Something tells me your next vacation will be even shorter."
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