Just when they thought about ending the case, I made my preparation of beginning the chase and that's where I always won, for I never stopped when they started and never paused when they departed ~ The Stalker
Imagine getting invited to a grand feas...
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The journey back home was tiresome. The only clue they had was History! The year and era, a mystery. There were fewer cops than usual at the station, which was unusual, something was cooking up. There was no sign of Mr. Khatri, as well.
Akash and Syna entered the cabin without greeting any of the uniformed men. Dexter jumped upon seeing them and offered Syna a seat. Akash narrated to him everything that had happened on the secret mission.
'We need to do something to save him.' Syna said.
'He has murdered innocent people. Of course, he regrets it now, but that doesn't change the fact that he is guilty.' Akash banged on the table.
'So, what's our next move, SHO Syna?'' Dexter asked, his tone seemed very polite. First a gesture of respect and a polite tone, Akash knew something was on, but Syna was too busy to notice.
'I don't know what I'm going to do. Since the beginning of this case, I have only encountered failures.' She said on the verge of tears. 'My leadership sucks! And I know it's just a matter of time now until I get suspended. Screw that damned Stalker, he has ruined my entire career. He's won, I've lost.'
'That's not quite true.' Akash comforted her. 'Your leadership brought the three of us together. It helped us decode The Stalker's letters, and gain meaningful insight into the mind of his accomplice, which no one else could do.'
'What good did that do to us?' She retaliated. 'We got nothing out of him, except that History would help us, and now he's going to be executed in a few hours.'
'SHO Syna, I know I am in no place to make suggestions. But you can inform the authorities, they will take some action and delay the execution.' Dexter suggested courteously. Syna noticed the politeness in his tone, wiping her tears. She stood up and headed for the telephone.
'Correct me if I'm wrong, but are you really-'
'Informing my authorities, yes!' She declared, her voice strengthened. Akash and Dexter smiled at each other; this was the moment they were waiting for.
'That's as far as you shall go.' There came a voice, as the cabin door swung open. Syna's hand clutched at the telephone, her eyes widening in fear, as she saw the person approaching.
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'Sir!' Dexter saluted at the DSP and all the other higher authorities that were lined up behind him. Akash, Dexter, and Syna stood bewildered, there were new characters onboard. Syna tried to think of who could have been the master behind this, that's when he entered. Mr. Khatri, with a triumphant smile on his face.
'Good evening, sir. It's so good to see you in these times of despair.' Syna fought hard to keep her cool.
The DSP started circling in the small cabin and studied all three of them. Anger was visible on his face. His moustache flustered under his flared nose; he had a scar on his left cheek. His height was on par with that of Mr. Khatri's; the only difference was the uniform. His were neatly ironed.
'Who the hell were you calling at this hour?' he asked, rashly.
'I was –'
'Did you not consider it important to report all of this to us?' One of the officers peered at her.
'How dare you hide about The Stalker's comeback and all of your communications with him? You think you can take all these decisions?'
'I-, Sir. I was about to inform-'
'Shut the hell up!' The DSP dominated. 'Do you realize what damage your spooky games have caused? It's all on our head, now. Do you think you have it in you to deal with The Stalker yourself? With a bunch of clowns?' he motioned at Dexter and Akash.
'She even kept her own department in the dark, sir. Except for Dexter, no one knew about The Stalker.' Mr. Khatri added, Syna cursed him internally.
'Why only him?' One of the officers asked.
'Not sure, sir. But I believe Dexter here used to wander off at night shifts and would be seen near SHO Syna's apartment, more than often. I suppose the SHO's affection towards him brought him on board.' Anger ran through Syna's blood, and she banged the telephone on the floor. Dexter just lowered his head in embarrassment.
'We wouldn't have even known about this if it wasn't for Mr. Khatri. You have violated the various protocols that an SHO is expected to follow, which is why you don't deserve the title. Your actions will be investigated. You are hereby suspended.' He announced.
'You are right, sir.' Syna replied. 'I don't deserve the title of an SHO. I deserve far more than that.' Her juniors in the audience howled at her. The DSP's face grew small, he struggled to form a sentence.
'Officers! Drag these lunatics away from my sight.' He ordered, and all the officers gathered around them. When suddenly -
'Sir! A few officers from the CBI have just entered the station and they demand to meet the SHO right away,' Akash stared in wonder, Mr. Khatri had informed the CBI, too, that meant deep trouble. Dexter knew his career as a cop was over.
*********************************
1700 km away,
At an unknown residence,
The birds above flew in a symphony, circling the gigantic structure. The monument never failed to amaze the crowd and foreign tourists. It was one of the most important structures, built decades ago, with a lot of security. The taxi honked as it took a sharp turn. There were numerous buildings and cafes packed the area from either side, the inhabitants always busy in their schedule. Well-known for its crowded streets, it was called the 'Busy City'.
Among this rush, amongst these buildings, was an apartment that screamed in silence. Confined with many dreams, but was a lone island. The king within was known, yet his real identity remained unknown. The pages of the journal and the diary flickered with a gentle push of the air, pleading to be read by the whole world. For those pages were inked with atrocious and powerful secrets, and answers that the world longed for.
Legacy is a dangerous artefact, a rare gem to those who understand its potential, but a real benefactor to those who understand it even better. Gems always ended up in museums, but benefactors would store it as undiscovered antiquity. For it is undiscovered secrets that make something powerful and desirable.
Another long year since the Known-Unknown's hideout went untouched. The neighbors still didn't know that they lived right beside the house which was the root of planning the deaths of almost One Hundred and fifty individuals. Scholars and investigators could never breach the pattern and the codes put forth by The Stalker. All had the same question, "Does there really exist a serial killer smarter than the investigators, the CBI? If he does, what exactly is his pattern?" The pages of the diary flipped again, to reveal about the king of the Forest.
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"The Devil" is not a title, but a mask, preserved by a deity to eradicate humanity, which is why every new era has a different Satan but the same divinity.
