The Feel I Get (TFIG)

Chapter 9 : It strikes back

"Sorry, we are late", I said as me and Avni returned.
"It's okay", Vinay smiled. No Vinay, don't get the wrong idea.

We started assembling the bamboo sticks and tied them up using creepers than Mahira had brought.

I'd already praised her for that. Of course, accompanied by a weird look from Avni.

It was afternoon now. We had our lunch. I looked around. Back of the mind, I will thought something was fishy here. I could see the military officers tensed.

The team that'd gone to search for the ghosts had not returned yet. One of the other officers was talking to Elizabeth miss and the other teachers.
"You alright Akshit ?", Tanvi asked seeing my worried face.
"Ya ya everything's fine"

Evening was approaching, we were busy on our next task, fire. We required fire for the rest of the night, in order to protect us from wild animals. All started to search for dry wood.

"I'll find something to lit this thing up", Mahira said as she dashed into the woods.

I began cleaning the place for fire. I looked at the main camp. There was only one officer there now. The other one...where was he ?

The first one looked tensed as he tried his dialup phone. He was just trying and retrying. Something was definitely fishy.

That's when I found Vinay- as usual talking to girls, but unconsciously obtaining their collected firewood. "Great going Vinay", I laughed.

The sun was about to set now. Where was the trio ? I decided to find them. Suddenly, Mahira jumped out of nowhere and came running towards me.

"Hey...", I was gonna say but she silenced me with her "Shhhh." She took a glance around. "Follow me", she said.

"Tanvi and Avni were fighting while finding the firewood. That's when we realized we had gone too close to the red line. We turned back but suddenly.... they attacked. I ran off, but I don't know about Tanvi and Avni", she whispered as I followed her trail.

There was no one around. I asked Mahira to go back and inform everyone. Meanwhile, I had to try to get my teammates back.
"They have guns", she warned me one more time, before sprinting to the camp.

I took slow and cautious steps to the red line. It was a slope. "Haaaa", someone shouted. I followed it. I saw them running. I leaped towards the chase.

There were 3-4 people, more or less like some militant group running behind Avni and Tanvi. I removed a pen from my pocket, and sprinted towards them. I thrusted the pen's nib in one of the militant's neck. Pressure point.

"Aaahhhhh", his scream got me the attention of the other two freaks. 4 punches and a full moon kick was enough to get them down. These people were more like zombies. Brainwashed.

One of them, charged towards Avni, but I kicked him on his face. One last blow with his knife... But Avni stopped me. "No... Don't ! You... You don't have any right to kill anyone. It's just... It's wrong !! It's brutal...", She gasped.

I looked into her eyes. Filled with water. As if the whole ocean had somehow submerged in her eyes. Golden brown. With a tinge of blue... Our eyes locked. Time was slow. I didn't know what to do.

"Aargghhhhh", a man screamed. I looked behind.

Blood dripping from his chest, from the point where a knife was cast deep inside. The blade held firmly by smooth fair hands.

"Tanvi ?!", I mumbled.

The man hit the ground instantaneously. He laid still. Avni checked his pulse. Her eyes widened. She backed away quickly. "He.. he's dead."

Avni charged towards Tanvi. "You fucking bitch, you killed him. You killed a person. What are you ? Some sorta killer ? Murderer ??!!" Avni was almost screaming. This was getting intense.

I noticed something weird. They were only 3 people down. Where was the fourth one ?

I heard several footsteps approaching us.
"No. No. Let's get outta here !!", I said. But before we could run, they surrounded us from all sides. 20-30 of them.

"Freeze !! Put your hands back", a man in blue mask said. I started to search for any escape chances. "NOW !!!", he yelled. We had no other option.

"Get on your knees", he yelled again. We did as we were told.
"So you are that guy we were searching for ? I understand why he's behind you.. you have what it takes. To lead this movement", the chief said.
"I would rather die", I muttered.

He walked circles around me and pierced a knife in my shoulder. But I didn't scream inspite of the pain.
"You think you are smart, huh ?", He said and raised the knife again.

"STOPP !! Please...", Avni said.
"Please don't hurt him", she added meekly.

He walked towards her. "NO ONE OPPOSES ME", he said as he grasped Avni's hair.
"Leave her alone ! Just get me out of here and I'll show you what am I ", Tanvi snarled.

He turned to Tanvi and put his arms around her.
"I'm curious indeed", he said. She tried to shake him off, but he was firm.

"JUST LEAVE THEM ALONE ! PUT YOUR HANDS OFF THEM", I shouted with rage and fear.
"Do whatever you want to me, but leave them", I yelled.

"I know very well what to do with you", he said. He snapped his fingers in the air.
"Arghh", something hard hit my skull. Something cold. A gun.

"Who'll rule the world ?", The chief yelled.
"All hail...", another guy yelled.
"HAIWAN-E-AATANK !!!", all of them burst in unison.

With that I blacked out....

**INTERVAL**