The weight of the situation bore down on Veer like a suffocating force. His body, ravaged by the aftershocks of the cosmic storm, was now reduced to the frailty of a child. But his mind—sharpened by endless survival in the void—remained unyielding, dissecting every piece of information with surgical precision.
Come on, Veer. Don't let all those hours watching spies and operatives on screen go to waste. Think. What would Michael Westen or Jason Bourne do,
The children around him ate quietly, trembling. Every shaky hand, every nervous glance, betrayed their terror. Veer, however, watched the thugs. These men weren't the usual breed of traffickers; they were too disciplined, too methodical. This was no low-level operation. They were part of something much larger, organized, their movements choreographed like a dance of death. The children were commodities, destined for a buyer who had twisted plans for each of them.
His eyes settled on the girl again. She wasn't like the others. No, there was something more at play. Veer's instincts screamed it—she was too valuable to be sold off like the rest. But why? Was she connected to someone important? Or was her presence here the key to a far deeper conspiracy? The questions gnawed at him.
The thugs, oblivious to the intensity of his observations, began to relax. Some smoked, while others shared muted conversations, their weapons always within arm's reach. Yet, Veer noted their eyes—shifty, darting nervously toward the dense jungle at the edge of the clearing. They weren't comfortable. There was something out there that unsettled them.
Escape was an option, but not yet. He needed a plan, one that exploited every weakness. Veer's body was fragile, but his mind was sharper than any of the brutes around him. Patience. Observe. Learn their patterns. Analyse their flaws.
Focus, Veer. You can't afford a single misstep. Count the men, track their weapons, gauge their coordination. And the girl—why is she so important?
His thoughts drifted back to her. She might be his way out, a possible bargaining chip or, better yet, someone with the knowledge he needed. But there was no room for error. One wrong move, and he'd be dead before the night ended.
As the thugs rounded the children back into the cottage, Veer kept up his charade—playing the scared, helpless boy. But then, the fat one, the one with greasy hands and a sick grin, singled him out.
"Aww, don't be scared," the thug sneered. "Big uncle's not gonna hurt you. Come here, let's have some fun. Afterward, maybe we'll play in the jungle."
Veer's stomach churned. I want to kill this pig. Slowly.
But he kept his composure, realizing there was an opportunity to extract information here. He forced his face into an expression of dread.
"Uncle... I don't want to go into the jungle," Veer whimpered, voice trembling, tears welling in his eyes. "There are animals. I just want to go home."
The thug's grin widened, his eyes gleaming with sick delight.
Disgusting. This freak enjoys it. Stay calm. Keep him talking.
"It's okay, little guy," the thug crooned. "We'll be leaving soon. Real soon."
"When, Uncle?" Veer's voice cracked just enough. "The others said we're going to a boat... Is that true?"
The thug grinned wider, leaning in as he tied Veer's hands. "Yeah, once the boss gets the go-ahead from the higher-ups, we'll be out of here. And you—"
The conversation ended abruptly. A gunshot cut through the air, and the thug's body jerked violently as a bullet tore through his ear. His scream echoed through the clearing as he collapsed, blood gushing from the wound. The other children fell into stunned silence, too afraid to even cry.
Raka, the man who'd fired the shot, walked toward the bleeding thug. His measured footsteps were like the ticking of a doomsday clock. "Chita," he said in a low growl, "I've warned you three times now. No playing with the merchandise. Damage it, and you'll pay."
The fat thug whimpered, clutching his ear. "I'm sorry, boss, I just—"
The sentence was cut off by a swift, brutal kick to the face, knocking the man unconscious. Raka didn't even flinch.
Veer watched with cold satisfaction. He deserved that.
Raka turned to the rest of the group. His voice was deadly calm. "This delivery is under my control. If any of you fuck up again, you'll answer to me."
The boss, lounging near the fire with the girl at his side, spoke next. "Get the kids inside. Patrol the perimeter. We've got one week left, then it's time for the delivery. After that, we celebrate."
The men cheered half-heartedly as they dragged the children back into the cottage. Veer, now bound and blindfolded again, pieced together everything he had learned. Chita, the fat thug, was weak—a liability. He could be baited. Raka, on the other hand, was cold, brutal, and unwavering. No easy weaknesses there. But the boss... he was the true threat. A strategist. And the girl? She was central to whatever they were planning.
The jungle. The mention of a boat. A one-week deadline. They were all pieces of a larger puzzle. But the way the thugs kept glancing toward the trees unnerved him. They feared something in the jungle. Veer didn't know what it was, but if it terrified men like Raka, it might be the leverage he needed.
For now, he would wait. His mind raced, calculating, planning.
Observe. Plan. Escape.
...…
The next day, the children were herded outside again for a merger meal, their movements slow, their spirits broken. Veer kept up the act of helplessness, but his mind was in overdrive. The air was thick with tension, and even the thugs seemed more irritable than usual. Something had changed.
As they began to eat, a deep, guttural roar echoed from the jungle. The sound was primal, menacing, unlike anything Veer had ever heard before. The thugs froze, weapons instantly drawn. For a moment, silence hung in the air. Then, chaos erupted.
Another roar reverberated through the trees, closer this time. The thugs yelled in panic, guns firing blindly into the jungle. "Stay back!" one shouted, while another cursed, "Fucking animals!"
Bullets tore through the foliage as more roars answered the shots. The jungle seemed alive with an unseen force, and for the first time, Veer saw genuine fear in the eyes of these hardened criminals. Whatever was out there, it terrified them.
The children huddled together, paralyzed by fear, while the thugs frantically tried to hold the line. Shouts, gunfire, and the haunting sounds of wild animals created a cacophony of chaos. Veer's heart raced, but beneath the panic, a thought lingered—This could be the distraction I need.
As the situation grew more desperate, one of the thugs stumbled back from the jungle's edge, blood oozing from a deep claw mark across his chest. "They're coming closer!" he shrieked. The sight of him sent the others into a frenzy, firing wildly into the darkness.
But amid the chaos, Veer remained focused. He couldn't make his move yet, but this event—this terror in the jungle—was something he could use. He just had to wait for the right moment.
...….
Later, back in the cottage, the children were tied up again, but Veer's thoughts remained sharp, dissecting the earlier events. As the thugs resumed their patrols, their nerves clearly frayed, he turned his attention back to the girl. There was something about her, something he hadn't fully grasped yet.
He replayed the conversations he'd overheard and pieced together the fragments of information. She wasn't just another victim—she was the daughter of wealthy parents, a girl with powerful connections. The traffickers had been given strict instructions to keep her alive at all costs, at least until they received further orders. But who had orchestrated this? The operation was too meticulous to be random. Someone with influence was pulling the strings, and the thugs were just pawns.
The mysterious figure who had given the job hadn't shown themselves yet, but it was clear they held all the power. The traffickers were waiting for further instructions before making their next move. Veer knew this was crucial. Whoever this person was, they were the key to everything. And the girl was more than just collateral—she was central to their plan.
One week left, Veer reminded himself. Time was running out, and with the jungle threat escalating, tensions would only grow. That gave him a window—small, but real. He had to learn more about this girl and find a way to turn her importance to his advantage.
The traffickers may have been tasked with keeping her alive, but Veer's survival depended on exploiting that fact. Whatever their plans, he would have to disrupt them before the mysterious figure made their next move.