Every week, the lead Detective of Anti-Terrorist Squad in India, Detective Skye Fernandes, gets a routine list of terrorist threats from the Research and Analysis Wing of India. This carefully organized list of eminent threats by the country’s inteakkarlligence agency has three major flags. If a threat is labeled, red, it needs to be dealt right away. An orange labeled threat needs some more intelligence before any action is taken. Yellow labeled threats are scattered tip offs and green labeled ones have already been dealt with by RAW. Sometimes, the red labeled ones even have threats that can be considered as an extinction level event.

Being a busy detective, Skye doesn’t bother checking yellow labeled or green labeled threats. She delegates the red and orange labeled ones to her subordinates after making sure that they are legitimate. For her to personally handle the threats, they need to be catastrophic i.e. the extinction level ones. As usual, there was nothing worth her time. While assigning the orange and red labeled ones, a young and opportunistic new recruit walked in.

Girik Rakkar was known for his rock solid instinct. If he said something was worth checking, the others should just take his word for it. As he walked into Lead Detective Skye Fernandes’ office, he knew he had a purpose for that visit. He wanted a real terrorist case. “May I come in, ma’am?” he said in his orotund voice.

Skye replied, “I don’t have a case for you Girik, go away!”

Girik said, “But ma’am, it has been months since I was appointed to this esteemed Anti-Terrorist Squad and all I have been doing is shredding papers!”

Skye was not in mood for another discussion with Girik. She knew she wasn’t supposed to give a newcomer an orange or red labeled threat which is why she decided to give him all the green and yellow labeled ones. “Come in!” she said.

Girik was really excited. He knew this was his big break and he was not planning on wasting it. Skye continued, “As you have not crossed the policy mandate time in this bureau, I cannot assign you an orange or red labeled threat. But seeing your enthusiasm, I have decided to give you all the yellow and green ones. If you find me a case worth my time, I will assist you and maybe even consider giving you an orange or red labeled threat.”

Girik knew she was just trying to get rid of him but he liked a challenge which is why he accepted her offer. He took all the files from her and started studying them on his desk.  Out of all the green and yellow ones, just one threat caught his eye. It was a highly unrealistic tip off. The file had a link to a recording on an untraceable server:

When he played the file, he heard a robotic voice say “Three Eight One Six Four Zero Nine Six Six Two, World Population after calculated attacks on 13th December, 2019.”

The current world population is 7.6 Billion approximately. The number in the file was approximately half of the current world population. It was highly unrealistic that a series of calculated attacks on  a single day halfens the entire world’s population. Girik had a gut feeling about this attack but he knew he couldn’t go to Skye with just a gut feeling. He had to dig up something. With only a week to go, he had to figure out something pretty soon.

Tracing the source of the audio file was impossible. The best way to crack this case was putting himself in the terrorist’s shoes. He decided to plan the attack in the hopes of finding the real culprit.

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On Thursday evening, 12th December, 2019, just a day before the predicted terrorist attack, Girik walked in Skye’s office and said, “Ma’am I am positive that one of the threats in the report is 100% credible but I don’t have a suspect list yet and I was hoping you could help me with that.”

Skye had already packed up her desk for the day and was ready to leave. She said, “Which one? How can you be positive that the threat is credible?”

Girik replied, “I have a gut feeling and my gut has never disappointed me.  I even have a plan for executing the threat.” He presented his findings to Skye.

Skye took one look at the threat he mentioned and immediately slammed the file on the desk.  She said, ” This is the reason why I haven’t given you bigger threats. You can’t even see that such a threat is completely impossible and that too in such a short notice. You need to stop wasting my time as I am already late for my appointment tonight. Now get the hell out of my face and waste someone else’s time.”

“But ma’am,” said Girik and before he could finish, Skye said, “Not a word Girik. Just go home!”

Even with Skye shutting him down, Girik knew he was right but without Skye’s help, he won’t be able to prove anything. He obeyed his boss and went back home.

Friday, 13th December, 2019

Skye woke up to unprecedented alarms going of at her house. She lived alone as it was just the way she liked it. When she woke up, she saw that they weren’t actually alarms but all her phones ringing at once. Everything including her landline, personal mobile and work phone were ringing at the same time. It was 3 A.M. which made it even more bizarre. She answered her work phone first and it was the Office of the Prime Minister of India.

“Am I speaking to Lead Detective Skye Fernandes of the ATS?” a ladylike voice asked.

“Yes, this is she,” she answered.

“I have the Prime Minister of India on the line for you.”

“Detective Skye, I’m sure you are aware of the recent global catastrophe that took place minutes earlier. If you aren’t please switch your Television on.”

“Which channel should I put on?” she asked politely.

“Just switch your television on.”

She switched her television on as requested and found the horrific news. Girik’s gut feeling was bang on.

Continued at Three Eight One Six Four Zero Nine Six Six Two – Chapter II