Chapter 21
A grand and imposing structure loomed in the night, its illuminated signboard boldly declaring ‘People’s Bank.’ Despite the late hour, the bank was bustling with activity, as individuals continued to enter and exit with purpose. Directly opposite the bank lay a spacious car park, where two figures, Anbu and Shambu, sat comfortably inside a discreet Sedan, their presence unremarkable among the vehicles surrounding them.
From the passenger seat, Anbu broke the silence, his voice carrying an urgent tone, “You need to go inside and withdraw some cash. And do make sure to change your appearance too; it's likely that several people have already seen us in these forms.”
Shambu, seated in the driver’s seat, considered the suggestion for a moment before responding, “Why don’t you come with me? You could change your appearance now too.”
Anbu shook his head resolutely. “I can change anytime, it won't take long for me to come up with a plan to infiltrate the Chemical facility. For our operation to run smoothly, we’re going to need funds. So just get moving. ”
With a resigned nod, Shambu stepped out of the vehicle and slipped through the staff entrance of the bank. Meanwhile, Anbu took a moment to connect with his conscious puppet, a tool he relied upon for information and coordination.
Once linked, Anbu conveyed his needs. “We need to find a way to sneak into the Chemical facility without raising alarms. Can you provide me with a list of suitable candidates?”
The conscious puppet responded, “I’ve done some digging into the facility’s layout. You’ll need a hacker to ensure easy entry and exit, plus some operatives to swiftly manage the liquid VX, and two drivers for the trucks.”
Anbu’s irritation flared up. “I specifically asked for a list, not a summary!”
“Apologies! I got ahead of myself,” the puppet quickly realised its mistake, apologising profusely before sending a detailed list, complete with locations, to Anbu via social media messaging.
With the call concluded, Anbu scrutinised the list, his interest piqued by the sheer number of potential candidates. His eyes brightened when he spotted a particularly fitting hacker. “This one seems promising. He could hack into the Parliament if the price is right.” He noted down the hacker’s name and address, then continued the same process to identify others nearby who could assist.
At the same time, Shambu had successfully taken over the persona of the bank manager and strode purposefully down the corridor leading to the vault. The two security guards stationed there immediately recognised him, offering a respectful nod as they opened the door. Inside, he approached the vault, where a series of high-tech scanners activated to confirm his identity; one scanned his thumb, while another assessed his retina and facial features, all essential steps to unlocking the final barrier.
As the final door swung open, a potent aroma of money hit Shambu like a wave, revealing stacks of cash neatly arranged within. He momentarily paused, contemplating how much he should take.
One of the manager's henchmen, noticing Shambu’s indecision, chimed in, “I’m aware of the affluent clients. If they require liquid cash, why aren’t they here? You needn’t worry, Sir; I’ll handle the transport for you.”
Shambu turned, amusement flickering across his face as he regarded the henchman. “You’re right, but this quantity is quite substantial, so I could use your assistance with the transfer.”
The henchman’s eyes widened with excitement, “You’re going to handle this personally! This must be a VIP customer for you to take such action.”
Shambu ignored his prying questions and directed the guards to prepare for the cash transfer. A guard, curious, asked, “How much cash are we moving?”
Shambu hesitated, feeling a pang of uncertainty and thinking, ‘I should’ve looked into the local currency values beforehand.’ He glanced back at the enormous stacks of money and decisively replied, “Full truck.”
“Ah! Just ten million. That’s straightforward and won’t take much time,” the henchman reassured.
Reevaluating in his mind, Shambu replied, “Actually, it's five full trucks.”
“Five!” the guard exclaimed, shock evident in his expression.
A wave of doubt washed over Shambu as he questioned his own judgment. ‘Did I overestimate? Should I eliminate them all?’ However, to his astonishment, the henchman stepped in, “What’s with the dazed look? It’s for a VIP. Get this done quickly; we want to demonstrate our bank’s superiority in North India.” After issuing commands to the guards, the henchman turned back to Shambu.
Shambu couldn’t help but smile internally at the henchman’s eagerness, thinking, ‘This guy is really trying to win some favor with the manager.’ He nodded appreciatively at the henchman, ready to proceed with their audacious plan.
In the parking lot, Anbu was finalising his team for the infiltration mission at the chemical facility. After careful consideration, he selected three individuals who he believed were crucial for the operation. He swiftly sent a text message to two of them, instructing them to meet at a designated location. Just as he was about to send a similar message to the third member of the team, something caught his eye. Emerging from the underground parking structure were five money trucks, their metallic gray bodies shining under the night light of buildings, drawing his attention away from his mission.
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From the lead truck, a man in his thirties caught Anbu's attention. Clad in a formal black coat and pants, he waved enthusiastically. Anbu recognised him instantly as his brother Shambu. With a nod of acknowledgement, Anbu quickly sent the final text, saying that the remaining team members should meet up without delay. He then slid into the driver's seat of his car, determination coursing through him as he began to follow the trucks, keeping a safe distance to avoid raising any suspicion.
Navigating the manual gear shift was proving more challenging than he anticipated, and in frustration, Anbu shouted out, "How on earth did someone drive this thing?" His voice carried across the pavement, catching the attention of a driver in a car passing by.
"My friend!" the other driver shouted back, a note of amusement in his tone. "Switch to an automatic or an electric car. It's way easier to drive!"
Intrigued, Anbu asked, "Ah! Is your car automatic?"
"No, it's electric," the passing driver replied, barely managing to stifle his laughter at the situation.
A grin broke across Anbu's face, and he responded with respect, "Alright then, thank you in advance."
The other driver, clearly confused by the response, asked, "Huh! What do you mean?" Suddenly, he noticed Anbu's car veering dangerously close to his own. "Ahh! Wh-What the hell are you doing, suddenly bumping into my vehicle?" With a jolt, the driver slammed on his brakes, bringing his car to a halt in the middle of the road.
He leapt out in a fit of rage, clearly ready to confront Anbu about the near-collision. However, as he approached, his anger was abruptly replaced with shock. He witnessed a dark, shadowy figure resembling a spectre emerging from Anbu's body before vanishing inside him, leaving the other driver wide-eyed and speechless.
After this unexpected turn of events, Anbu resumed his pursuit of the money trucks, which continued their journey towards a deserted beach. Shambu, leading the way, navigated them through the area, and despite the security guards’ initial scepticism, they didn’t question the operation as the Bank Manager himself was present, lending an air of authority to their mission.
Meanwhile, at the makeshift home on the deserted beach, Dhruv had finally found a spot where he could conceal himself while also recovering by using the Sniper's neurons in his subconscious mind. As he settled into Sniper's mind, his main body found himself chuckling at the situation. “Haha, my clone cannot notice me inside his mind, while this conscious puppet remains blissfully unaware of my clone’s presence. I wonder how many people can hide inside others' minds while they are unknown about it. I should develop some countermeasures for this myself. This is a huge privacy issue.”
In contrast, the Star Clone, aware of the gravity of the situation, contemplated, 'The Sniper should wake up soon, but I’m genuinely worried about that kid, Raju. He needs to get out of here as soon as possible. Black Soul users could show up at any moment. Should I swiftly take care of him? No, it took me a substantial amount of time to hide myself, and I left him a note outlining what he should do upon waking. I’ve already done so much for him—curing his injuries and helping him settle down.' A wave of protectiveness washed over him but he stayed true to his nature and chose not to help the pitiful boy any further.
HONK! HONK!
Loud honking noise interrupted his train of thought, and he realised that a multitude of vehicles had arrived. “Are they the Black Soul users? I can’t move on my own to confirm the identity of these newcomers; I’ll have to wait until Sniper regains consciousness.”
Moments dragged on like an eternity, and then the sound of the truck engines abruptly cut off. Just as he thought there might be a lull in the situation, the unmistakable sound of gunshots rang out in a rapid succession—Pew! Pew! Pew! 'Yes! It’s definitely them. There’s no doubt about it. But who are they fighting?' he thought, his mind racing with possibilities. 'Could I align myself with them?' But his optimistic musings were short-lived as the gunfire ceased. 'I guess I can’t ally with the dead.'
Dhruv’s attention was abruptly drawn to the sound of approaching footsteps. A group of individuals made their way towards him, their footsteps crunching on the sandy ground. They reached the plastic door, which swung open with a creak, allowing them to step into the small, makeshift house. Among them, Anbu moved with purpose, bending down to gently touch the head of the Sniper, who lay unconscious. “He will wake up any moment,” Anbu stated confidently, his voice filled with anticipation.
A puzzled expression crossed Shambu’s face as he turned to Anbu, a hint of alarm in his tone. “Huh! Where's the body of the old man I killed?” His bewilderment was palpable, as he struggled to piece together the events that had unfolded.
Looking around at the empty space that surrounded them, Anbu replied, “Probably that kid came back and took him. Look at the footprint on the ground.” His gaze shifted back to Shambu as he continued, “By the way, you brought five trucks full of money. What were you thinking?”
Shambu’s demeanor shifted sharply, his face growing serious. “Oh! You see, some stuff happened. I brought five trucks, each filled with 10 million.” His tone was defensive, as if he expected Anbu to challenge him further.
Anbu regarded him with a raised eyebrow. “Hmm, some stuff. Alright, I won't argue,” he said, accepting Shambu's terse explanation for the time being. Rising to his full height, he instructed him, “I called three skilled people here. I will act like I'm hiring them along with you, while you act like Henrik and betray them if necessary.”
Shambu’s face twisted in confusion as he questioned Anbu, “Are you not coming again?”
“I'm coming, but we will act as if we’re meeting for the first time,” Anbu reassured him. “Okay, let's move outside and wait for them.” With that, the two of them stepped outside, leaving the confines of the makeshift structure behind.
In the midst of these unfolding events, Dhruv's mind raced with thoughts of impending danger. “They are planning something big!” he realised, feeling a sense of urgency wash over him. “Wake up faster, you idiot!” he shouted in the Sniper's mind. Miraculously, the Sniper blinked awake, and confusion flickering across Dhruv. “Did I transcend the human limits?” he wondered silently, starting to question his own reality.
Anbu, noticing the Sniper’s awakening, remarked, “Huh! He woke up.” As if responding to Anbu’s words, the Sniper emerged from the makeshift house, steadying himself. “Hmm, you are P640,” Anbu instructed, “go and take your sniper from the yacht. Wait for my next instructions.”
Obediently, P640 made his way to the yacht, preparing his sniper rifle to ensure Anbu's safety. Just a few moments later, two new figures arrived on the scene: a Hacker and a Driver. Both were momentarily taken aback by the astonishing display of wealth in front of them — the mountains of cash seemed to pulse with promise.
Anbu, keenly observing the changes in their expressions, felt a rush of satisfaction at their evident greed. After allowing the moment to linger, he broke the silence with a touch of formality, “Ahem! You guys do realise the gravity of the mission by looking at the amount of money involved, yeah?”
The Hacker exchanged glances with the Driver before turning to Anbu. “I don’t know where you got my personal number, but thanks for inviting me into your mission,” he said, a mixture of curiosity and eagerness in his voice.
The Driver, equally enthusiastic, chimed in, “I also don’t want to know how you found me when I was hiding carefully. Can you just confirm how long the mission will last?”
“Just this night,” Anbu replied, his tone brisk and businesslike. “Tomorrow, we will be at home. But before we delve into the specifics of the mission, I need to handle a small issue here.” With that, he raised his right arm, and a sniper bullet shot through the air, striking a bush with a sharp, echoing sound: Pew!
Both the Hacker and the Driver froze, their eyes wide in shock at this unexpected turn of events. Before the panic could take hold, Anbu quickly reassured them, “You don’t have to worry. I invited four people. Three of you are here, while one was hiding himself in the bush. God knows why, but I can’t take risks, as we’re meeting for the first time only to embark on a night’s mission, and we will be strangers again tomorrow. So why create tension among ourselves, right?”
The Hacker nodded in understanding, impressed. “Yup, you are correct. I like your style.”
The Driver, albeit with a hint of hesitation, stated, “Yeah, I guess. I'm only here for money anyway.” But thought internally, ‘I will definitely leave you psychos behind if I get a chance.’
Shambu, seizing the moment, joined in, “That shot from earlier just missed me, but I’m all in.” The atmosphere buzzed with a mix of tension and adrenaline, as each participant sensed the scale of what lay ahead.