The Chase Begins
The railway yard stretched into the darkness, abandoned and forgotten. Rusting freight trains stood like silent ghosts, their hollow shells barely illuminated by the flickering streetlights.
Vikram, Aisha, and Arun Bose darted between the carriages, their breaths ragged, their feet pounding against the gravel.
Behind them, the sirens grew louder.
"Where the hell do we go now?" Aisha gasped.
Bose didn't answer. He was clutching his bleeding shoulder, but his eyes were sharp—scanning their surroundings like a man who had escaped death too many times.
Then, he spotted it.
An abandoned train engine, half-buried in the darkness.
"This way," he grunted.
Vikram hesitated. "You're planning to hide in a—"
"Just move!" Bose snapped.
They clambered into the train cabin, slamming the door behind them.
Bose collapsed onto the metal floor, his breathing uneven. Blood dripped onto the rusted steel.
Vikram turned to Aisha, his mind spinning. "We need to stop the bleeding."
Aisha nodded, tearing a strip from her shirt and pressing it against Bose's wound. "This isn't good. He's losing too much blood."
Bose gritted his teeth. "Forget about me. We have bigger problems."
He pointed out the window—
At the convoy of black SUVs pulling into the yard.
The Ghosts of the Past
Vikram's heart hammered. The men emerging from the vehicles weren't just police.
They moved too efficiently.Too disciplined.
These were covert operatives.
Aisha whispered, "Who are they?"
Bose exhaled sharply. "Not police. Not RAW. Something older."
Vikram frowned. "Older than RAW?"
Bose's expression darkened. "Before 1947, the British had an elite intelligence network in India. When we gained independence, many of them disappeared."
Aisha's eyes widened. "You're saying they still exist?"
Bose nodded grimly. "And they're here for me."
Outside, the leader of the group stepped forward. A tall man in a military coat, his face hidden in the shadows.
And then—he spoke.
"Arun Bose," his voice boomed. "You cannot run forever."
Bose's jaw clenched. "Damn it."
Vikram exchanged a nervous glance with Aisha. "Who the hell is that?"
Bose's face was unreadable.
"He's the man who was supposed to kill me 50 years ago."
The Phoenix Protocol
The man in the military coat stepped forward, his gloved hands folded behind his back.
"Phoenix Protocol is now active," he announced.
Vikram's stomach dropped.
He had no idea what that meant—but it couldn't be good.
Bose cursed under his breath. "I was afraid of this."
Vikram whispered, "What the hell is Phoenix Protocol?"
Bose's fingers tightened into fists. "It means they're erasing me. Completely. No records. No history. No trace."
Aisha's breath hitched. "They're trying to make it like you never existed?"
Bose nodded. "And anyone connected to me…"
His eyes met theirs.
Vikram felt a chill.
"…will disappear too."
The Impossible Escape
The air shifted.
The agents outside raised their weapons.
The leader's voice rang out: "You have 30 seconds to surrender."
Bose gritted his teeth. "Not happening."
Vikram's hands shook. "How do we get out of here?"
Bose's gaze flickered toward the control panel of the train engine.
Aisha blinked. "Wait. You're not seriously thinking—"
Bose grinned. "Kid, ever driven a train?"
Vikram's stomach plummeted. "You're insane."
"Debatable." Bose slammed his fist onto the ignition.
The engine rumbled to life.
Outside, the agents reacted instantly—raising their rifles, barking orders—
Too late.
The train lurched forward.
Metal screamed against metal as the rusted wheels began to turn.
Vikram and Aisha grabbed onto the cabin walls, struggling to stay on their feet.
The leader of the agents snapped a command.
Gunfire erupted.
Bullets ripped through the train's exterior.
Aisha ducked. "They're gonna shoot us to pieces!"
Bose grinned through the pain. "Not if we derail first."
Vikram's eyes widened. "What?!"
Bose yanked the lever hard to the right.
The train lurched violently.
Metal shrieked.
The whole world tilted.
And then—
Impact.
The train slammed into an abandoned freight car.
The force sent them flying.
Everything went black.
The Aftermath
Vikram groaned, his head spinning.
Aisha was beside him, coughing through the dust.
Bose was on the ground, barely breathing.
The agents were scattered outside, struggling to recover from the blast.
The leader of the operation rose to his feet, his coat billowing in the wind.
He locked eyes with Vikram.
Then he simply said, "You're part of this now."
Vikram's breath caught.
The man turned to his men. "Find them. Finish this."
Vikram grabbed Aisha's hand.
They had seconds before the agents regrouped.
And Bose…
Bose was dying.
They had one shot to escape.
One shot to uncover the truth.
And one shot to stop Phoenix Protocol before it erased them all.