08:50
North Building
Sohel and Naomi crouched behind a thick concrete wall, their eyes locked on the control room across the wide, empty lobby. The silence was eerie—no footsteps, no gunfire, no signs of the enemy anywhere along the path they had just traversed. The lack of resistance unsettled Sohel deeply.
Just then, a loud bang echoed from the roof of the south building, followed by the sharp screeching sound of metal twisting and breaking. Sohel muttered under his breath, a mix of frustration and reluctant admiration in his voice, "That idiot... always has to blow something up."
ARIA's calm voice came through the earpiece. "Sir, we're back online. I've reestablished connection to the UAV."
"So good," Sohel replied. "Send a signal for backup and show me the UAV feed of the control room."
"Understood, Lieutenant." The holographic interface flickered to life in Sohel's glasses, displaying a detailed 3D model of the control room and the figures moving inside.
"Mark everyone holding a weapon as hostile," Sohel commanded. "And find the optimal breaching method."
A few tense moments later, ARIA's glasses projected a precise simulation of the room and the best entry points. Sohel studied the display, then explained the plan in a low voice to Naomi.
Together, they retraced their steps back to the café and retrieved two AK-47s from the weapons cache. Moving stealthily, they returned to the lobby of the north building, creeping closer to the control room door.
Just as Sohel reached out to open it, a sudden static buzz erupted from the speakers overhead. A cold, familiar voice echoed through the lobby.
"Naser," Sohel whispered, eyes narrowing.
The voice on the speakers was smooth and chilling, unmistakably Naser's. "Don't do that, my friend. If you value your comrade and childhood friend's life, I'd advise both of you to drop your weapons and come in."
Before Sohel or Naomi could react, a television mounted on the wall flickered on. The screen showed live CCTV footage of the control room.
Sohel and Naomi's hearts dropped. There, pinned face-down on the floor, were Mitali and Jacob—hands tied behind their backs, faces battered and bloodied, bruises spreading across their skin.
Naomi barely breathed, whispering, "When did he—?"
Naser's voice crackled over the speakers again, slower this time, with a mocking undertone. "Come on, my friend. I don't have all day."
Sohel's fist clenched tightly around the AK-47's grip, finger twitching on the trigger, rage flooding his veins. But then, with a heavy sigh, he released the weapon and let it fall to the ground.
Naomi, eyes blazing but determined, followed suit, lowering her own gun.
"Good boy," Naser sneered over the speakers. "Now, come inside quickly."
Sohel exchanged a tense glance with Naomi. He whispered, "Stay alert."
Slowly, cautiously, they pushed open the heavy door and stepped inside the control room.
Almost immediately, two figures lunged from the shadows behind them, rough hands grabbing their arms and forcing them to the ground. The zip ties clicked shut around their wrists before they could react.
Sohel's eyes burned with fury and determination, but there was nothing he could do—at least, not yet.