Scene 1 — At the Safehouse
The night air was cold and still when the Phantom Team's convoy rolled into the ISI safehouse on the outskirts of Hyderabad. The seven captured Indian agents sat in the back of the black transport van, wrists zip-tied, blindfolds covering their eyes. A pair of armed operatives stood guard on each side, silent but watchful.
Zayan was already waiting outside when Ubaid stepped down from the lead SUV.
Zayan: (nodding toward the van) "All of them accounted for?"
Ubaid: "Yes, sir. No casualties. Not even a scratch on them. Just like you ordered."
Zayan: "Good. Bring them inside. Separate them into two rooms. I'll start with the one who looks like he's the most scared."
The agents were marched inside. The concrete hallways smelled faintly of damp cement and strong disinfectant. Each room had only a steel table, two chairs, and a dim overhead light that cast harsh shadows on the walls.
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Scene 2 — First Interrogation
Zayan entered Interrogation Room 1. A guard pulled the blindfold off the prisoner — a young man in his late twenties with sweat beading on his forehead. His uniform had no insignia, just a plain olive-green combat shirt.
Zayan: (calm, almost friendly) "You know where you are?"
Prisoner: (breathing fast) "…No."
Zayan: "You're in a safe place. Safe — as long as you talk."
He slid a bottle of water across the table. The prisoner didn't touch it.
Zayan: "Tell me your unit designation."
Prisoner: "I… I was told this was just a joint exercise."
Zayan: (leaning forward) "Joint exercise? Dropping out of a C-130 at midnight near Hyderabad… with no clearance from Pakistan? You expect me to believe that?"
The prisoner's eyes darted nervously. Zayan's tone never rose, but every word seemed to press heavier.
Zayan: "Let me explain something. I already know where you trained, who trained you, and your target. I'm only asking to see if you'll be honest."
The prisoner swallowed hard. "Special Group… attached to… Military Intelligence."
Zayan nodded to the guard. "Take him back. Bring in the next."
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Scene 3 — Ubaid and Benny's Intel
As Zayan stepped into the hallway, Ubaid approached, holding a secure tablet.
Ubaid: "Sir, Benny just sent something. You'll want to see this."
On the screen was an encrypted message from Benish Khan — ISI's embedded operative in the Indian Army:
> "RAW scrambling after failed drop. High-level meeting in New Delhi. Possible diversion planned in Rajasthan sector to pull your focus. Watch border posts 73-Delta to 80-Charlie. Orders for small sabotage teams — within next 72 hours."
Zayan read it twice, his jaw tightening.
Zayan: "They're trying to distract us from the C-130 op… buying time to get answers from these men."
Ubaid: "Exactly. RAW can't afford to admit they lost seven agents inside Pakistan. They'll create noise elsewhere to cover it."
Zayan: "Fine. We'll let them make the noise. And we'll be ready."
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Scene 4 — The Leader Talks
Back in Interrogation Room 2, a different prisoner sat — older, with a square jaw and sharp eyes. Even bound, he carried himself like an officer. Zayan sat across from him without opening the file in his hand.
Zayan: "You're the leader."
Prisoner: "If I was, I wouldn't tell you."
Zayan: (smiling faintly) "You already did."
He placed a photograph on the table — grainy surveillance footage from earlier that night showing the prisoner giving hand signals as the C-130 circled overhead.
Zayan: "Your mission objective was in Hyderabad city limits. What was it?"
Prisoner: (stone-faced) "Training drill."
Zayan: "The drill ends when you cross your own border. You didn't. So I'll ask again — what was the objective?"
The man didn't answer.
Zayan leaned back. "Your friends in New Delhi are already pretending you don't exist. You think they'll come for you? They won't. I've seen this play before."
For the first time, the man's eyes flickered — a flash of doubt.
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Scene 5 — Command Briefing
Later that morning, in the safehouse operations room, the Phantom Team gathered. A large digital map of southern Pakistan and western India glowed on the wall.
Zayan: "Benny's intel says RAW will send small sabotage teams across the Rajasthan sector in the next seventy-two hours. The objective is to draw our attention away from Hyderabad so they can either retrieve or silence these men."
He pointed to highlighted sectors along the border.
Zayan: "Ubaid, you'll coordinate with our forward units here, here, and here. Keep them on high alert — but in blackout mode. No media, no chatter."
Ubaid: "Understood."
Zayan: "Aliza, Aaliya — continue monitoring the radio frequency Aaliya hacked. If they attempt another drop or a rescue op, I want to know before they're even airborne."
Aaliya: "Already running passive scans. Any transmission within a 50 km radius of Hyderabad will flag red on our system."
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Scene 6 — RAW's Cover-Up
Meanwhile, across the border in New Delhi, a closed-door meeting was underway in RAW headquarters.
RAW Director: "Officially, nothing happened near Hyderabad. No C-130 mission. No agents missing. This was a scheduled night navigation drill in our own territory. End of story."
Deputy: "Sir… ISI knows. And if they have all seven—"
RAW Director: "Then they'll keep them hidden. If we admit they're ours, we lose face internationally. Our priority is to create enough border activity so their focus shifts."
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Scene 7 — Zayan's Quiet Warning
That evening, Zayan walked past the interrogation cells. He stopped at the leader's door, looked through the small metal slot.
Zayan: "You're not my only problem. But you are my responsibility… for now. Think carefully about which side of the border you want to be on when this is over."
The leader didn't reply — but his eyes followed Zayan until the slot closed.
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