Agent 024

MEMORIES BRING BACK YOU

"Moti.", Irrfan said as the bomb squad dog came running towards him.

Animal training was an important part of our course. Animals could detect human presence in dense jungles up to 2 kilometers. Recently they had been instrumental in preventing a terrorist attack on Amarnath yatra pilgrims. Police and army had employed trained dogs for ages and they could even detect IEDs.

"Oh common.", Irrfan said as Moti tried to come near me excitedly but all it made me do was jump away.

"I have had traumatic incidents in childhood with dogs okay?", I reasoned. While most of my class,had taken to these animal contact sessions as stress busters, all they did to my blood pressure was make it spike up.

"Moti is a good boy.", Irrfan said, patting him and rubbing his ears and Moti hugged Irrfan back. I yearned for such selfless love from Moti but I had a long way to go before I could even stand comfortably close to dogs.

I leaned back and watched Irrfan. He had a soft side to him behind his cold rough exterior. He had a side that cared and wanted to be loved. That's the thing about animals - they bring out the best in us. Their love is so pure and raw, you would want to love so earnestly.

"Let's go.", Irrfan said tying a collar around him and taking him out of the field. The dogs were kept without any leash here and we put a collar on them only when we had to take them out for assignments.

Moti sniffed at every pillar, garbage can, vehicle - any probable location for hiding a bomb. We screened all the nearby buildings and found nothing.

"They wouldn't use any detectable material for fake bombs.", I reasoned, "The Agents knew that Moti and every other dog in the Academy was highly trained to sniff out a explosive within meters, they wouldn't make it this easy."

Irrfan nodded, "Yes, definitely not something that could explode. But anything that could cause a distraction would be enough, a smoke grenade a cracker anything.", he said walking to and fro frantically.

"Hey.", I said putting my hand on his shoulder and stopping him, "I know for some reason this task means a lot to you. But don't worry, the team's here for you, we'll back you up on everything.", I said assuring him.

He took a deep breath and nodded. "You're right. It's just they've struck the wrong nerve with this.", he said pointing around.

"Old assignment?", I asked.

"Worst assignment.", he said and shook his head trying to shake back a memory from resurfacing. I knew this defense mechanism well. Avoid acknowledging the existence of the issue in order to avoid it altogether. Pretend that it didn't happen to avoid the pain associated with it.

"It's okay.", I said squeezing his shoulder.

He nodded and seemed to finally gain his composure. "Let's go.", he said and we covered the rest of the surroundings.

We sat down after covering a 2 km radius around the location.

"It's good that we didn't find anything right, I mean one thing less to worry about?", I said taking a bite of an apple I had brought on the way. This much walking around had me hungry.

"On the contrary, I know the plan of action if there are bombs, now there's one more unaccounted factor in the equation that we can't control.", he sighed.

"Irrfan?", I said, "will you be okay?" I had never seen Irrfan losing his cool. Seeing him this unhinged unnerved me. Irrfan was always our rock of support. We knew when things went to hell, Irrfan would bring us out.

"Yes, I have to be.", Irrfan nodded. 

"Common, let's check with the team then.", I said getting off the stage and Irrfan followed.

"Every guest in the list checks with the database, except this name - ", she said pointing to serial no. 28 - Professor Ranveer Chopra.

"Ranveer Chopra - never heard of the name." Irrfan said.

"Okay, stay in touch with the hospitality department. As soon as he walks in, I want you tailing him all the time.", Irrfan said and Aradhya nodded.

We had a ground rule for our group tasks - the team leader would give all the instructions and the team would follow. Only if there was a very strong reason to object and the team agreed, the instruction would be debated. Otherwise, the leader's instruction was taken as a order. It helped speed things up and maintained efficiency in our tasks.

"Roger?", Irrfan asked for an update as soon as Roger arrived.

"He's in the washroom. I've not let him out of my sight.", Roger confirmed.

"He's in the washroom and yet you're here.", Irrfan said tilting his head.

Roger laughed.

Irrfan continued staring at him.

"What, you're serious?", Roger asked, perplexed.

"Fine.", Roger said walking back to the direction he had come from.

"You're the security for today's function?", Irrfan asked one of the guards who had started taking their position at the gates.

The guard nodded and asked, "Group task?"

Irrfan nodded.

"Expect no help from our side.", the guard said with a stone cold neutral tone.

I raised my eyebrow at the agent but Irrfan nodded and walked away.

"What was that about?", I asked Irrfan, catching up to them.

"Eliminating one more variable from the equation.", Irrfan said as the team collected.

"How?", Aviral asked.

"It's not a fake alarm. The guards were made aware of the assignment. The Agents aren't bothered with day-to-day activities. But if they were made of this assignment, one thing is sure that the attack will happen and it will happen here.", he said.

"You seem to know a hell lot about this place.", Aviral said.

I looked at Irrfan wearily. Irrfan had managed to keep all of his history private however this assignment had made him more vulnerable than I had ever seen him.

"I observe.", Irrfan shrugged, "Alright, take your positions team. Let's get the President out of here alive."

We all nodded and took our place. Irrfan and I were to seated close to Gaurav while the rest of the team was surveying the entire building and the surroundings on a rotational shift. Although the probable attack was going to be by a paintball, we were prepared to take down the enemy even if they brought the whole artillery down.