The evening sky darkened gradually, cloaking the world in dusky shades of gray and blue as Ria and Kael stepped away from the tension of the command center. The air felt different outside, a mix of cooling night and distant chaos—a shuddering breath that echoed the unease in their hearts.
Ria clenched her jaw, fighting the fire still burning inside her, refusing to let it dim. The confrontation with Major Pratap had ignited something primal, a storm brewing beneath her skin, a potent cocktail of anger and determination. “How can they be so dismissive?” she muttered, frustration ebbing into the twilight. “We’re all on the same side, or at least we should be.”
Kael, walking beside her, remained silent for a moment before responding. The tense atmosphere between them from the prior encounter hung like a fragile thread. “It’s a power play, Ria. They’re more concerned with maintaining their authority than addressing the real threat. But we can’t allow their egos to sidetrack us.”
Ria turned to him, eyes ablaze. “This isn’t just about bureaucratic power, Kael. This is a life-and-death situation. We need to dig deeper into Singh’s connections. If he’s as entrenched as we think, we need every ally we can get—American or otherwise.”
Kael nodded his agreement, but the slight crease in his brow suggested that he, too, was grappling with the weight of the task set before them. “Let’s regroup and see if we can retrieve more intel from the archives.” He glanced toward the now-darkening skies. “There’s got to be something connecting Singh to these underground networks. If we can make those connections visible for everyone, then maybe we can push those Air Force yahoos to act.”
Even as they moved toward the records room—half expectant of what they’d find in those dusty folders—Ria felt a sense of gnawing anxiety. Every second felt consumed by the relentless march of time, and the fear that Singh was plotting his next move had her heart racing. She couldn’t shake the image of the marketplace, the devastation, the shattered lives.
As they reached the small room filled with aging documents and maps, the tension of the prior argument began to fade into the recesses of her mind. They needed to focus, needed to be sharp.
Sifting through boxes of files—all housed in a labyrinth of organized chaos—Ria felt a renewed sense of purpose. They flipped through dozens of documents, piecing together Singh’s connections with mercenaries and dark enterprises scattered across the globe. Each page turned revealed additional layers of complexity, a veritable spider web of corruption.
“Here,” Kael said suddenly, his voice laced with urgency. “Look at this.”
Ria peered over his shoulder, heart quickening as she scanned the document he pointed to—a ledger that detailed funds transferred through a deep network of shell companies. “This shows significant payments to a group out of the States. They’re operating under the radar, but this means—I mean, Singh has influence over American assets!”
“The implications of this…” Kael trailed off, a whirlpool of thoughts evident in his eyes. “If this information is confirmed, it could change everything. We need to get this to someone with real authority, fast.”
Ria’s heart raced with both apprehension and exhilaration. “I know a few contacts that might be able to navigate this maze and get it into the right hands. But we have to act fast.”
Suddenly, the door swung open with a jarring thud, and a group of uniformed Air Force officers burst in, led by Major Pratap. The earlier tension rekindled, palpable like static electricity in the air; an unspoken battle of wills loomed over them.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Pratap demanded, eyes blazing. “You’re rifling through classified materials without authorization!”
Kael squared his shoulders, the remnants of his earlier command cracking through the surface. “We’re looking for any lead we can find on Singh. He’s a threat not only to our operation but to national security.”
“National security?” Pratap scoffed, trying to exercise whatever authoritative power was left to him after their earlier shoestring confrontation. “You think you can just wade into the deep end without getting your hands dirty? This isn’t a video game.”
“Major, this is real life!” Ria shot back, undeterred. “And lives are in jeopardy. We have intel that connects Singh to—”
“Enough!” Pratap bellowed, cutting her off. The atmosphere crackled with tension, each word a bullet fired in the ongoing feud between authority and ambition.
Kael stepped forward, voice steady but eyes blazing with conviction. “If you want to play politics, go ahead. But know this: we’re on the cusp of something much larger than anyone here understands, and if you want to obstruct us, we will find a way around you.”
For a moment, silence reigned. Ria held her breath; the stakes felt impossibly high.
“And you think the American Army’s going to swoop in and save you just because you threatened us?” Pratap’s expression twisted, disdain curling his lips. “Your alliances mean nothing here, not anymore.”
Ria’s temper flared once again. The audacity in Pratap’s tone threatened to crack her already frayed patience. “Then maybe it’s time we break this alliance,” she shot back. “We don’t need your approval or your help if it means we are bound to sit in bureaucratic chains as lives slip away. Singh’s operation is a global threat!”
“Fine. If you want to treat this like a game of chess, then go right ahead! But don’t come crying to me when the pieces fall,” Pratap retorted venomously.
Kael’s voice cut through the mounting tension like a knife. “If you think your obstinacy is going to change the outcome here, you’re wrong. We’ll take this to the people who can actually make decisions.”
Ria looked between him and Pratap, her heart racing as she made a decision, stepping back to allow the men to settle their scores. “You two can squabble like children all you want. I’ll take this information to someone who matters, before Singh acts again and we lose our chance.”
In that moment, Ria’s resolve steeled further; she would not allow herself to be caught up in petty rivalries and egotistical showdowns. Singh was out there—somewhere lurking in the shadows, planting the seeds for his next act of havoc. If the powers that be were going to squander their chances, she could not let them hinder her mission.
Ria spun on her heel, preparing to stride out of the records room when Kael’s voice halted her. “Ria, wait!”
But her determination was unyielding. She paused only long enough to say, “I’m moving fast. We need to stay ahead of him. If you all choose to bicker instead of fighting against the real enemy, then I’ll do it myself.”
“By yourself?” Pratap scoffed again, a scathing disbelief washing over his brow. “Chances are we’ll never find you before you stumble headfirst into trouble.”
“Then I guess you’ll be reading about my successes in the papers.” Ria shot him a wry smile, turning on her heel with purpose, the gale of wind at her back propelling her into a concrete world that awaited salvation.
Stepping outside into the night air, she opened her phone’s contact list, her heart pounding with resolve. A message would be sent to her connection within the intelligence community, a move she hoped would bridge realms between nations to unite in the face of mounting peril.
If the Air Force officer’s egos blocked real action, they would be nothing but shadows, outflanked by the broader forces of chaos. Singh was the true enemy, and Ria felt it rising to meet her with an urgency she couldn’t ignore.
They would find him or die trying.
To Be Continued...
Chapter 17: https://storylinespectrum.blogspot.com/2025/03/web-novel-reason-chapter-17-sci-fi.html
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