Ratnodweep Resort
21:30
Sohel and Naomi climbed the quiet corridor of the resort's second floor. The soft carpet muffled their footsteps as dim corridor lights cast long shadows along the walls. Sohel glanced at Naomi and said, "Freshen up, then come to my room. We need to talk."
They parted ways, each entering their own room. Sohel dropped his jacket and holster, the weight of the day finally catching up with him. He peeled off his shirt, the soreness in his muscles a dull reminder of the gunfight earlier. The hot shower washed away sweat and grime, steam swirling as his mind raced with the mission ahead.
Dry and dressed in fresh clothes, Sohel pulled out his phone and dialed a redacted number. The line clicked and a voice answered promptly.
"Sir, this is Ghost."
"Hello, Ghost. Situation report." The voice was calm but carried the unmistakable weight of command.
"The police should have secured the safehouse by now. Without weapons, it'll be tough for them to hold it or complete the mission. But we don't know how many of Lu Shen's men remain. Now that they're aware of us, they'll be more alert than ever."
"Don't worry. The Bangladesh Army is on standby nearby. Your orders are clear: get in, retrieve any concrete evidence of Lu Shen's involvement, and get out. The moment you confirm, the army will strike."
"So, just to be clear—"
"If something goes wrong, it's a risk we have to take. It's necessary, son."
"So many lives at stake… is it really worth risking all this just for one man?"
"It is. You'll understand soon enough. If we don't stop him now, millions could die tomorrow. Sometimes, you lose a few now to save many more later. Understand?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good. How are your comrades?"
"Both had minor injuries from the battle but will recover."
"Keep me updated. Contact me if you need anything."
"Yes, sir. Ghost out."
Sohel ended the call and turned around. Naomi stood quietly at the door, arms crossed.
"So I forgot to lock the door, huh?" he asked with a dry smile.
"You shouldn't," she said seriously. "We're not exactly safe here."
He gestured toward the bed. "Come here, I'll patch you up."
Naomi sat down, lifting her sleeve to reveal the scratch on her arm. Sohel took a small medicine box from the cabinet and knelt beside her, carefully cleaning and dressing the wound. The soft glow from the bedside lamp painted their faces in warm light, the silence between them thick with unspoken thoughts.
Naomi glanced at him, breaking the quiet. "What's wrong, LT?"
Sohel shook his head, but she pressed on, "You should share with us—Jacob, Annabelle, me—we're family. Don't carry the burden alone."
He sighed, eyes dropping to his hands. "Naomi… I shouldn't have stopped you on the highway. I knew they wouldn't surrender, but I hesitated to kill them. That hesitation almost cost my friends their lives. If something worse had happened…" His voice cracked.
She laid a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Calm down. We're humans, not machines. You told me that yourself. Even after years of training, you still hesitate because you value life. That makes us human."
Sohel stayed silent for a long moment, staring at the floor. Then he looked up, eyes fierce with determination.
"I've decided. No more hesitation. Next time I have to pull the trigger, I will. There's too much at stake to hesitate."
A sudden knock at the door startled them both. Sohel's hand instinctively moved beneath the pillow to grip his M17 holster.
"Sohel? Are you in there? It's me, Mitali."
He withdrew his hand, unlocked the door, and opened it. Mitali burst inside, pushing him back before she collapsed into his arms, sobbing. Sohel patted her head gently.
"What happened, Mitali? Why are you crying?"
Her voice was muffled against his chest. "Sohel, we almost died on the highway. There was a huge gunfight… scary men in masks…"
Sohel gently pulled her back to face him. "Hey, calm down. Tell me everything."
She took a shaky breath. "After visiting the city, we wanted to explore the countryside. Naser said he knew a place but had to work, so he gave us the location. We were driving there in his car when suddenly we heard gunshots and cars speeding the other way. Before we knew it, Tahmid slammed on the brakes. People were shooting at each other…and then…" Her voice broke again.
Sohel held her steady, whispering comfort. After a while, Mitali's sobs subsided. He led her to a chair by the window. Naomi poured water into a glass and handed it to Mitali, who gratefully drank.
Then Mitali's eyes narrowed as she suddenly focused on Naomi. "Who are you?"
"I'm Naomi, Sohel's colleague. We met earlier at the restaurant. Didn't you remember?"
Mitali blinked and relaxed, but suspicion returned. "Wait… why are you in Sohel's room?"
Sohel chuckled. "We were just gossiping, that's all."
Mitali's cheeks flushed bright. "Oh… okay." She quickly stood and started to leave.
"So, Mitali," Sohel called after her. "Can you tell Jacob I'm looking for him?"
"Okay!" she answered, running down the corridor.
Minutes later, Jacob appeared. Sohel closed the door behind him and motioned for him to sit.
Jacob locked the door carefully and settled opposite Sohel. "Boss, I'm sorry. I—"
Sohel cut him off gently. "It's okay. No one's dead. You didn't know what was happening, and it's clear you were following orders."
Jacob relaxed, the tension easing from his shoulders.
Sohel shared everything he and Naomi had discovered that day—the safehouse, the plan, the attack. As Sohel spoke, Jacob's face grew serious, realization dawning.
When Sohel finished, Naomi asked, "So… what do we do now?"
Sohel glanced toward the door thoughtfully. "First, we catch our peeping tom."
He stood abruptly and flung open the door.
Just then, Mitali stumbled inside, looking shocked.