Chapter 10

Another day, another pointless argument with Priya Parekh. Rito sighed, stepping out of the classroom and into the third-floor terrace. It was a nice day, but she'd been feeling antsy all morning. The confrontation with Priya over last week's test hadn't helped her mood any. That girl was going to be the death of her.

She leaned against the parapet and tipped her head back, soaking in the soothing winter sunlight. She pulled out her phone, which had been buzzing in her pocket for a few seconds now.

The name on the screen made her lips quirk in a smile. "Laihan," she said, pressing the device to her ear. "How are you? How's Afreen?"

"Rito, I'm so sorry."

Well, that was unexpected. She frowned. "What for? What's the matter?"

A few seconds passed in silence. When he finally spoke, his voice was strained. "Rinisa called. She wanted your number."

"What? Rinisa as in...the deputy chief minister of Eraon? That Rinisa?"

Laihan grunted, managing to somehow convey hostility even through that monosyllabic sound.

"Huh. Guess I'm more popular than I thought. She wanted my number, you said? What for? And why did she contact you anyway? She could've just emailed me if she wanted to talk."

He sighed. "God Rito, I'm so sorry. I should never have...I'd never sell you out on purpose, you know that right?"

"Sell me out? Lai, what're you talking about? Seriously man, you're scaring me now. Is Afreen okay? What about the children?"

The day before Rito left Weritlan, Laihan and Afreen had got engaged. The two of them had been working together to rehabilitate the children rescued from the La Fantome club, many of whom didn't really have homes to return to.

It was strenuous work, physically as well as emotionally draining; and Afreen was yet to recover completely from her own ordeal at the club. Still, at least they now had each other. Rito was glad of that.

The strain in her friend's voice sent a chill down her spine.

"They're fine, for now. But listen to me, Rito. You have to be careful. Rinisa called us yesterday; said she needed to contact you, personally. Guess she just didn't want to leave a paper trail by emailing you. We refused, of course. But she wouldn't take no for an answer."

"Lai, what did you do?"

"She threatened to block the rehabilitation drive if we didn't cooperate. Said she wouldn't allow any of the remaining kids to enter Eraon. You know we couldn't let that happen. After everything they've been through–"

"Of course not. Lai, you did the right thing. I'll deal with this, okay? What I don't understand, is what she could possibly want from me that's so important."

At the other end of the line, Laihan deflated, his voice losing some of its tightness. "I don't know. Information, possibly. Your brother is the PM's chief of security. And after what happened at the La Fantome, I wouldn't be surprised if she wanted some kind of revenge on behalf of her brother and sister-in-law. Whatever this is about, you've got to be careful. That woman's dangerous."

"And utterly psychotic. I get it, Lai. I'll take care of it. I'd have ignored her completely if it weren't for the kids. But don't worry. Whatever she wants, I'll string her along and try to keep her happy until all of them are back home. How much longer do you think it'll take?"

"A couple of weeks, at most. Listen, if she tells you to do anything...anything dangerous...just tell me, okay? We'll find another way."

"Hey, stop worrying about me, will you? You've got enough on your plate already. I'll handle this. And Lai?"

"Yeah?"

"Take care of Afreen. I love you guys. And I'll see you soon."

***

The door to the balcony clicked open. "Dessert will be ready in a few minutes," Lyani said. Smiling, she reached out and tucked a stray strand of hair behind Rito's ear. "Don't keep us waiting, okay?"

"I won't," she nodded as her mother withdrew. The sounds of laughter and cheering floated in from the dining room.

Her family's obsession with cricket had annoyed Rito for as long as she could remember. It was the only thing that drew their attention away from her. And Rito had never dealt well with not being the center of attention.

But in that moment, she couldn't think of a sweeter sound in the universe.

Papa was…well, it wouldn't be accurate to say he was just like before. This wasn't before. This was now. And he was getting better. He was laughing again, arguing with Abhi, cheering for some random team in some random cricket match.

The doctors said he was sleeping better too. The shadows under his eyes had begun to fade. And if she was completely honest with herself she'd have to admit that, even before his resignation, she didn't remember the last time she'd seen her father so relaxed, so carefree.

Her fingers itched for a cigarette. She sighed. One of the drawbacks of living at home – no smoking.

In the drawing room, Rajat whistled. This was followed by a groan from Abhijat and a laugh from Lyani. The game was over, and from the looks of it, her brother had lost his bet with their father.

Reaching into her pocket, she wrapped her fingers around her phone. She tipped her head back and drank in the cool winter air. No more procrastinating. It was time.

Four missed calls. Four missed calls from the soon-to-be chief minister of Eraon. She closed her eyes, half hoping it would all disappear when she opened them once again.

No such luck. Still four missed calls, flashing on her screen in angry red. Sucking in a deep breath, Rito pressed 'return call'.

"You know, for a moment there, I almost thought you were ignoring me," Rinisa's saccharine voice cooed over the line. Rito forced herself not to throw the phone out of the balcony. No point in making herself poorer just to spite the psychotic bitch.

"What do you want from me?" she snapped instead.

"You've got a temper, I see. Runs in the family, doesn't it? Still, there's no need for such...hostility. I just need you to do me one little favor."

"Yeah? Blackmailing my friends, threatening innocent kids…that your idea of asking for a favor?"

Rinisa sighed theatrically; Rito's hands itched to punch her. "There there, you shouldn't hold grudges, my dear Miss Shian. It's not good for the skin."

"Creepy and psychotic. The list just keeps growing, doesn't it?"

"Why you fucking–" Rinisa hissed. Then, that saccharine tone was back. "I can understand, of course, why you would be upset. It's very natural. But here's the thing, Miss Shian – can I call you Rito? I gather that's what your friends call you. And I really do hope we can be friends."

Rito let out a mirthless laugh, but said nothing.

Rinisa ignored her silence. "The thing is, you see, I have absolutely nothing against you. Or your family, for that matter." A pregnant pause, then she continued. "No, I deeply regret having to drag you into this. It wasn't my intention to cause you any trouble, I swear."

"Yeah? You arm-twisted my friends to get my number so you could invite me to a sleepover?"

"Delightful as that sounds," she giggled. "No. I called you because Jehan Fasih stole something from me. And I'd really appreciate it if you could steal it back."

Rito snorted. "Are you insane, lady? You want me to steal? And steal from the fucking prime minister, of all people?"

"You seem to think this is a negotiation," Rinisa said sweetly. "I can assure you, it is not."

"Meaning?"

"Simply that I meant what I said before. I really do have nothing against you. Hell, I like you. But that doesn't mean I couldn't cause you some very real problems, if I wanted to. You know, like leaking some…ah…sensitive information to the press, let's say."

For a second, Rito was too surprised to form words. Then, she laughed. "Are you serious right now? You're trying to…to blackmail me?"

"I don't really care what you call it, my dear. But what I do know, is that you won't like it when it happens. Not one tiny little bit, trust me on that. You're no stranger to being a public figure, with your impeccable pedigree and all that. So you'd know better than most, some stories are not meant for…public consumption."

"And what is this story, exactly, that I'm supposed to be so eager to hide? Eager enough to steal from the prime minister?

"Let me guess. Does this have something to do with the fact that I had a girlfriend at Weritlan University? Or that I…ah, what do they call it? Play for the other team? Is that it?" Rito chuckled. "And you think any of this is a secret? Lord, you must think I live an exciting life.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Ms. Rayeek. I'm an open book, you see, and my life's blander than vanilla." She sighed. "My biggest secret is that I flunked geography in seventh grade. Apart from that, all other salacious details of my misspent youth are already available for…what did you call it? Oh yes, public consumption."

"Well, you're very brave, I'll give you that. A quality you'd expect in the daughter of such an accomplished leader. But I don't much care who you're sleeping with. And neither will anybody else, I'm sure. The times, they're a-changing.

"But while society may be more accepting of sexual...mavericks such as yourself, you know what they will not accept? A corrupt politician. A leader they cannot trust."

"Sounds like you'll need to start job-hunting, then."

Rinisa let out a coy little laugh. "You have an...interesting sense of humor, Rito. Still, it isn't me I'd worry about, if I were you. Especially seeing as the fortunes of your own family have dwindled quite significantly in recent months, no? I don't know if the Shian name can withstand another blow."

"What're you getting at?" Rito hissed through gritted teeth.

"Just wondering how the people of this lovely nation might react to the news that their former – disgraced – prime minister allowed the metro terror attacks to happen, in exchange for a little...monetary consideration from the Maralanese government."

A chill ran down Rito's spine. She bit down on her tongue to keep herself from saying something she'd regret. She needed to know what the fuck Rinisa was talking about. "You're lying," she said at length, the nails of her free hand digging into her palm. "My father has never accepted a bribe in his life. And he's most certainly not a murderer."

"Of course he's not," Rinisa agreed, a hint of a sneer in her voice. "Though I must say, your conviction is very touching. Family loyalty all the way!

"Your father wasn't corrupt, it's true. But people in his government were; ministers, bureaucrats, you get the picture. And when Fasih booted out half the Cabinet – along with your dear father, might I remind you – they left behind one hell of a paper trail.

"Fasih dragged your father's name through the mud during his little...coup d'état. Remember that press conference of his? Still gives me nightmares. If your father hadn't resigned voluntarily, an impeachment was almost inevitable."

"What's your point?" Rito snarled.

"Simply that the public doesn't trust Rajat Shian anymore. People are already suspicious, wary of your family; Fasih has made sure of that. How hard do you think it will be for me to water those seeds of suspicion? Start some rumors in the media; push the...idea that the former PM may have been privy to the illicit dealings of his ministers. That he may have known more than he's letting on, that he might even have been an active participant."

"You'll never be able to prove anything," Rito snapped, her voice hoarse.

"You're right, I wouldn't. And the beauty of it, my dear, is that that's completely irrelevant. I know I won't be able to send Rajat to prison on charges of corruption or treason. But that won't stop people from seeing him as a traitor. In fact, not going to prison will only hurt his reputation even more; make the common people think he used his wealth and privilege to get out of the punishment he deserved.

"He was a darling of the media only a few months ago, but that won't stop them from hounding him to the ends of the world. You know how it is. It'll all blow over eventually, of course. And your father will still be a free man at the end of it. If he hasn't thrown himself off the nearest parapet by that point, that is."

"My father is stronger than that."

"Perhaps he is. But are you really willing to risk it? Are you willing to see your family crumble all over again? And all for Jehan Fasih, the man who betrayed your father and caused this whole fucking mess in the first place? That's the real question here, isn't it?"

"What you're asking is not–"

"I'm not asking you to kill him, though God knows he deserves it. I'm not even asking you to hurt him in any way. Just to get something back to me that was rightfully mine all along. Something he stole from me.

"I mean, surely that can't be a surprise to you. That's what he does, you know that." Abruptly, her voice softened. "Perhaps what he stole from you, from your family, was the most valuable thing of all – your dignity. And all for his personal gain, to get a position of power to which he had no right.

"He's the one responsible for all of this. So why not kill two birds with one stone? Save your family some undeserved heartache and let that manipulative prick have a taste of his own medicine for a change. That way, we'll both get what we want. You'll have your revenge, keep your family safe and sound. And I'll be a queen."

The sounds of laughter floated in from the dining room. Through the curtain, Rito could just make out the silhouette of her father, leaning into Abhijat's shoulder as he laughed about something her brother had said. It had been so long since she'd seen them like this…

"Fine. What exactly is it that you want me to steal from Fasih?"

***

"What's the matter, darling? Is the kulfi too sweet?"

Rito's eyes snapped up to her mother's worried face. Her hands felt sticky. She glanced down to see that her kulfi had almost melted, coating her fingers in milky residue.

She reached for a tissue, even as her brother chuckled. "Must be something big if Rito is ignoring kulfi. Who were you talking to on the phone for so long, anyway? Is that Nikita calling you again?"

"Abhijat," their father warned. "Your sister isn't a child anymore. She can handle herself. And if there's anything she needs our help with, anything she wants to share, I'm sure she'll tell us in her own time." He turned to Rito, a slight frown marring his forehead. "That said, you really have been acting strange today. Is everything alright at the university?"

"Yes, yes. Absolutely fine." Rito smiled, scooping the semi-liquid dessert into a spoon and thrusting it into her mouth. That, at least, was not a lie. If there was one oasis of peace in the bedlam of her life at the moment, it was the university. For the first time in her life, she actually looked forward to Mondays.

She considered telling them about Rinisa's call. But what would that achieve? She'd just be passing on the responsibility, not solving the problem.

If her family knew about Rinisa's demands, they'd never allow her to go through with the plan. But Rinisa would still do what she'd said she would, make Papa a scapegoat for her own ends. Only then, it would be somebody else's problem, not hers.

A few years ago, she'd have blurted everything to Abhi, trusted him to handle it and make things right again. But the older she got, the more uncomfortably aware she became of the limitations of those on whom she had always relied for support and guidance.

Her brother had left a job he loved, to become a glorified bodyguard to the man who had ruined their family, all for their sake. He had already sacrificed enough. And what could he do in this situation that Rito couldn't, anyway? It wasn't like there was anything he could do to stop Rinisa.

Spreading the problem around wasn't going to solve it, and Rito could no longer allow her brother to bear her burdens. She'd been shrugging off responsibility for the better part of two decades. It was time to step up.

And if that meant stealing a sample of the Amven drug from Fasih, then that's what she was going to do.

She rose to help one of the servants carry the dishes, but was waved off by Abhijat, who was already stacking plates together. Shrugging, she walked over to the couch and lay down with her head on her father's lap, as he browsed through the channels before settling on a tolerably entertaining late-night comedy show.

They were doing a sketch on the prime minister. It shouldn't have been as funny as it was.

Rinisa had said Jehan stole a sample of the prototype drug that was being used at the La Fantome. And while she didn't admit it in so many words, Rito gathered from her long-winded explanation that that drug was one of the older Amven prototypes developed by Fasih and his team.

So, assuming Jehan wasn't playing an incomprehensible game of roulette with his own invention – and the future of his country – Rinisa had somehow pilfered the formula for one of the old Amven prototypes from the QRI. And the only person who could've helped her do that, the only person who had high enough clearance, was Badal.

And now, Fasih had stolen a sample of the drug created using his own formula from Rinisa. Why he would do that, Rito couldn't begin to imagine. But the fact remained that Rinisa wanted it back, and she wanted it back before the Maralanese New Year.

From everything she'd said, Rito got the distinct impression that Rinisa was working some kind of an angle with Maganti, though she didn't yet know what exactly it was. Still, she seemed almost besotted with him, like a teenager with a crush. All her plans and goals seemed to revolve around him in one way or another. And what was that she'd said about being a queen?

Queen of what, Rito wondered. Corruption and blackmail?

In any case, Rinisa wanted the stolen samples back before the New Year's gala in Maralana. And nobody seemed to know where the hell it was. Or at least, nobody who'd tell Rito about it. Still, she needed to find it, and she had less than two weeks in which to do so.

Her phone beeped, and Rito sighed. The pictures of the stolen drug samples were coming in, just as Rinisa had promised. At least now she'd know what she was looking for.

"It'll be alright, Rito," her father murmured, carding his fingers gently through her hair. "Everything will be alright."

***

Professor Haval stepped out of the class, Priya Parekh hot on her heels to get her opinion on some assignment or the other. Ducking behind the nearest wall, Rito held her breath and willed them not to look her way.

The last class before lunch break had just ended. Rito prayed she'd got the day right. A couple of times each week, Sinya would head over to the QRI building to meet her husband during lunch.

The Qayit Research Institute was located at the opposite end of campus. Dileep Haval, Sinya's husband, was a renowned chemist and the current head of the Amven project. Apparently, he and Jehan had been the best of friends before the latter's political ambitions manifested earlier that year, causing a very public dispute that had since become campus legend.

Rito had spent the last few days researching Fasih, reading up every last scrap of information she could find on his past, his career, his hobbies – anything that could help her figure out where he might've stashed the drug samples he stole from the club.

He was one of the most famous people in the country at the moment, but information about him wasn't easy to come by. Fasih seemed to have taken pains to keep information about his life and his past from the clutches of the media; not an easy task when you were the youngest prime minister in the history of the country.

Still, Rito was no amateur when it came to research. And being a member of one of the most prominent families in the city did have certain perks. She had access to resources and people that the average snooping reporter could only dream of.

Fasih had been hailed as a child prodigy from the time he first surfaced in the capital city. Not that he was exactly a child at the time. He was almost fifteen when his father died, and that was a couple of years before he joined the QRI.

Growing up, Rito had heard her father mention Jehan every now and then. After all, Rajat had played a key role in setting up the Amven project. Still, until that fateful press conference a few months ago, she had only been vaguely aware of Fasih's existence.

She certainly hadn't known that his father had killed himself because of the land redistribution drive her grandfather initiated, or that their home had been attacked by the local farmers, forcing Jehan to flee to the capital with the family cook.

The cook, Anuja, had apparently had a daughter. It had taken Rito some time to connect Sinya Banik, Anuja's daughter and Jehan's childhood friend, with Sinya Haval, her supervisor and the HOD of Comparative Lit. at one of the top universities of the world.

Rito groaned. Could her life get any more complicated?

So anyway, Fasih had started developing Amven after fleeing his home, now an orphan for all intents and purposes. His mother was still alive, of course. But Natalya Fasih had returned to her hometown in Maralana as soon as the land redistribution drive began, and had never set foot in Naijan since.

Rito supposed Fasih's decade-long obsession with the drug could be attributed to all that early trauma. Her fifteen-year-old self would probably want a mind-control drug too, after being so thoroughly fucked over by every adult she'd ever known. And then there was the fact that he'd apparently tested early versions of Amven on himself. The man was a psychiatrist's wet dream personified.

And yet, none of that had solved the problem of where she could find the drug samples Rinisa wanted. Until she remembered that she had found Afreen's picture, along with the name of the La Fantome club, on Professor Sinya's desk, all those weeks ago.

How had Sinya gotten her hands on that picture? More importantly, why did she have it? And then Fasih had shown up at the club, kickstarting the mess that Rito now found herself in.

Sinya had known Jehan since they were both children. Could it be that she was helping him behind her husband's back? Could she be passing information to him in secret, or vice versa?

Such were the considerations that had convinced Rito to follow Sinya the next time she went over to the Institute to see her husband. Fasih had worked in that building for years. He couldn't meet Dileep's wife in public, of course, but there was a chance that he might've contacted her through one of his old colleagues at the QRI.

It was a long shot, she knew that. But it wasn't like she was swimming in options. And every new scrap of information could make a world of difference.

***

The QRI building wasn't designed to facilitate snooping. Every surface was glossy, every corner illuminated, and every corridor well-lit. It was profoundly annoying.

By the time Sinya entered a cheerfully painted waiting room, Rito had almost given up on the idea entirely. After all, she wasn't looking forward to explaining why she'd followed Professor Haval to her husband's workplace. That was one conversation she could live without having.

Still, she'd come too far to turn back now. She needed those samples, and this might be the only place where she'd find any clue about their location. If nothing else, Sinya's husband was the head of the Amven project now that Fasih was out of the picture.

She might be able to pilfer some samples of the older prototypes from him, and pass them off as the ones Jehan stole from the La Fantome, if it came to that. But to do any of that, she needed more information than she had at the moment.

Rito pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to think. She couldn't very well keep lurking near the door of the waiting room until Sinya left. And entering the room was out of the question. It was spacious and sparsely furnished, and the only person inside was Sinya. There was no way she wouldn't notice Rito walking in.

The door on the opposite side of the room creaked open, and for the fraction of a second, Sinya turned away, her attention on the newcomer.

Panicking, Rito rushed inside and dove for the attached washroom, shutting the door quietly behind her, even as a little man in an oversized lavender cardigan entered the waiting room.

"Oh my God, I've missed you," Jehan Fasih said, pushing overgrown hair out of his eyes and leaning forward to pull Sinya into a hug.

***

Rito would not have pegged Professor Sinya Haval as the type to have a clandestine affair. And yet, a clandestine affair was precisely what she appeared to be having. And having it with none other than the prime minister himself; one floor below her husband's office, at that. Rito didn't know whether to be scandalized or impressed.

Sinya kissed Jehan on the cheek, and a moment later, they sat down across from each other at the far end of the waiting room. An oddly chaste affair, if that's what it was. Not that Rito had the best vantage point, peeping through the restroom door a few feet away, feeling a little like a pervert. But from what she could see, it looked more like a business meeting than a reunion of star-crossed lovers.

Barely a minute after Jehan's entry, the backdoor creaked again – somebody really needed to get those hinges oiled if people were going to have clandestine meetings in here – and in walked Dileep Haval. Rito's breath caught in her throat. A fistfight was not what she'd been expecting when she decided to follow Sinya to the QRI that morning.

Dileep Haval was a big man – broad shoulders, strong limbs, slightly heavy midsection. In short, the kind of man you wouldn't want to brawl with; especially not if you were a tiny waif of a guy who looked like he'd be blown away by a strong wind.

Haval stepped into the room and stared down at his wife and his former best friend. Jehan rose to his feet.

Rito braced herself for the inevitable. Extricating the phone from her back-pocket, she wondered who'd throw the first punch. She wondered if it was immoral to hide in a restroom while a man got beaten to death a few feet away.

Fasih moved forward. Haval stepped into his space, blocking him with his massive form. He leaned in, wrapping his huge arms around Jehan and lifting the other man clean off his feet.

It took Rito a moment to realize that they were not fighting. They were hugging.

She sagged against the tiled restroom wall, unsure whether to be relieved or confused. A ménage à trois wasn't exactly what she'd signed up for, either. But she supposed it was better than witnessing a murder in broad daylight.

As Rito watched, Sinya retrieved three lunch boxes from her tote bag and passed two of them to her companions. Soon, conversation died down and the mouthwatering aroma of fried rice and sautéed vegetables filled the room.

Behind the restroom door, Rito's stomach rumbled. She prayed the sound wasn't really as loud as it'd seemed to her over-sensitive ears.

Twenty minutes of animated discussion and heated debate followed what had been – by all appearances – a very satisfying lunch. The three were huddled together, talking earnestly. Yet, their voices were low, and Rito could only catch about half of what they said.

Still, the little she overheard told her what she needed to know – that the stolen samples were currently being tested in Lab 307 of the Biochem Department, and that they were apparently more potent than Dileep had expected them to be.

He assured Jehan that he would have the results by the end of the week. Which meant Rito only had a couple of days to act, before the drugs were removed from the lab and became out of reach once again.

Sucking in a deep breath, she tried to prepare herself mentally for her very first burglary. As the trio exchanged hugs and dispersed, Sinya returning the empty lunchboxes to her tote-bag, Rito wondered if they served fried rice in prison.

She had a feeling they did not.

***

The lab was dark, illuminated only by the shafts of light coming in through the glass sections of the aluminum door. Thank God the corridor lights stayed on at night. If not for them, the place would've been pitch black. And while the entire floor seemed to be deserted, Rito couldn't quite work up the nerve to use the tiny flashlight in her back pocket yet.

She wasn't sure what exactly she was afraid of – calling attention to herself, or seeing something she'd rather not see.

If ever there was a bad time for psychoanalyzing herself, this was it. Sighing, she inched forward as quietly as possible, feeling her way into the lab and trying not to knock anything over.

She could hardly even believe she'd managed to get this far. It had been easier than she'd expected. The solitary guard at the entrance had been easy enough to satisfy. He'd let her in – and even told her which way the Biochem Department was – after seeing her ID card.

Apparently, being an employee of Qayit University was enough for her to be granted access to the QRI building. It didn't seem to matter that, as a research scholar in the Comparative Lit. Department, she could have no earthly reason to visit the Qayit Research Institute near midnight.

Well, she was here now, and all that was left for her to do was to find those goddamn drug samples and make it out of here in one piece. On her cell phone, she pulled up the photos Rinisa had sent her. Holding the phone up with one hand, she flicked on the tiny flashlight with the other and rotated on the spot, illuminating each section of the lab by turn.

Finally, her eyes landed on a row of shelves behind some instrument or apparatus she didn't immediately recognize. On each shelf was a batch of six transparent vials, each containing a liquid of some kind.

Three of the vials on the top shelf contained gray liquid, while the substance in the other three was green. On the shelf below that, all the vials contained a honey-colored substance that seemed quite thick.

Glancing at her phone, she tried to match Rinisa's pictures with one of the vials. But while the containers were similar, none of the substances seemed to have the right color or texture.

Dammit! They couldn't have moved the samples already. Dileep had said just this afternoon that they were being tested in Lab 307.

Desperate, she looked around for anything that might provide a clue. She had to find those samples. She'd come too far to fail now.

Eventually, her eyes wandered over to the apparatus she'd seen when she first entered the room. It had a lot of buttons, and a lot of tubes, and looked vaguely scary. For the first time in her life, Rito regretted all those science classes she'd slept through at school.

Hesitantly, she inched towards the machine. It wasn't logical to feel intimidated by an inanimate object, of course, but that was precisely how she felt. Almost timidly, she reached out and ran her fingers along the large monitor, then over one of the flasks attached to the contraption by a series of wires.

As she felt her way downwards, towards the bottom of the flask, her fingers slipped. Frowning, Rito squinted at her hand, bringing it closer to her face.

There was some sort of bluish residue sticking to her skin.

Flicking the power button on her phone, she pulled up Rinisa's pictures once again. The substance in those vials was a sort of bluish gray, the exact color as the droplet balanced on her index finger right now.

She bit her lip to keep herself from letting out a whoop of joy! This was it. The samples had to be somewhere nearby. Now, all she had to do was find them and get the hell out of here.

Forcing her trembling hands into steadiness, she ran her fingers over every section of the machine, looking for any recess or alcove that could fit a small vial. The samples had been here at some point during the day, so it seemed like the most logical place to begin her search.

After a few minutes of futile searching, she focused her efforts on the marble worktop on which the machine stood. It was hard to see in the dark, but the worktop seemed to be divided into several large sections, with a different machine or lab instrument in each one.

Narrow strips of metal separated one section from the other. And while every strip was equal in length and width, there was something off about their positioning.

Frowning, Rito bent to examine the metal strip next to the machine on which she'd found the drug residue. Carefully, she pressed down on it with two fingers and pulled.

It moved.

"Shit," she whispered, and focused on pulling it all the way out. Under the metal strip was a dark alcove, containing a series of tiny flasks and vials.

Most of them contained the bluish-gray liquid that Rinisa claimed had been stolen from the La Fantome club.

Working as fast as she could, Rito pulled out all the vials in the alcove and pocketed the ones which contained the bluish liquid from Rinisa's photos. Then, she carefully put the others back in their place and began sliding the metal strip back over the alcove in the worktop.

It was almost halfway in when there was a loud clang.

Rito almost bit off her own tongue in surprise, her heart thundering against her ribcage. The metal had hit some kind of an obstruction on the way in, and was now stuck, refusing to budge no matter how hard she tried to push it back into place.

"Fuck," she muttered, pocketing her phone and the flashlight and heading for the door. She didn't like leaving the lab in disarray; the first person who stepped through the door tomorrow would know exactly what'd happened.

But there was no more time to waste. Although the corridor had seemed deserted on her way in, the noise might've alerted someone in the vicinity. She didn't have time to stick around and set things right here.

Feeling her way to the door, she reached out blindly for the doorknob. As she wrapped her fingers around it, it turned, and the door was flung open, knocking her back.

A scream stuck in her throat, Rito stared at the large, man-shaped silhouette at the doorway, framed against the well-lit corridor beyond.

***

Abhijat's palms bled from where his nails had been digging into them over the past hour. The drive to the prime minister's residence had been a blur. He couldn't even remember consciously deciding to go there.

All he remembered was the phone call from the police station, and Rito, her voice heavy and broken, saying she was sorry, over and over again.

Getting into the building wasn't a problem; the security team at Qayit Hall recognized him immediately. Finding Fasih was a different matter. At length, one of the secretaries informed Abhijat that the prime minister had gone over to his old flat and would be staying there for the night.

For the first time since he'd spoken to his sister, Abhijat smiled. This was going to be easier than he had imagined.

Ruqaiya had told him she'd get Rito out of jail and back home first thing next morning. She'd also told him not to do anything rash until they'd had a chance to talk face to face.

As Abhijat stepped on the accelerator, his car speeding down the deserted highway, he had the sudden, incongruous urge to laugh. In all probability, he'd end up behind bars before Ruqaiya could bail his sister out tomorrow. Well, wouldn't that be funny? Both the Shian siblings handcuffed and in prison, months after their father had been forced to resign from the premiership in disgrace.

It was what Fasih wanted, Abhijat knew that. He'd probably planned this whole thing, knowing exactly what the outcome would be. Hell, maybe him spending the night at his old flat, alone and vulnerable, was also part of the scheme. As likely as not, Abhijat was driving straight into a well-laid trap.

And the damnedest thing was, he just didn't care. His ears were ringing, the wind lashing against his face as his hands shook on the steering wheel. He stepped on the accelerator again, his eyes stinging. He told himself it was from the dust blowing in through the open windows. He wouldn't let Fasih mess with his family and hurt his loved ones ever again. And if that meant spending the rest of his life in prison, he couldn't really bring himself to care.

The two guards stationed at the bottom of Fasih's building were his men. They simply nodded at Abhijat and let him through. He had never imagined he'd be grateful to be the head of Fasih's security team, but tonight, he truly was.

Forgoing the elevator, he headed for the stairs, taking them two at a time. The adrenaline coursing through his veins demanded movement, action.

Seconds later, he was banging on Fasih's door. The logical part of his brain – and despite what Rito might say, it did exist – was screaming at him to take a step back. To think about what he was about to do, about the consequences it might have. But his sister's choked sobs rang in his ears, driving out all logic and rationality from his head.

Fasih had betrayed his father, had hurt him and almost driven him to suicide. And now he was coming after his sister. All Abhijat knew was that he needed to be stopped.

There was a click, and the door swung open. Jehan stood on the threshold, one hand wrapped around a steaming mug while the other rested on the doorknob. Dressed in a loose brown cardigan, his hair falling into his eyes, and clutching a coffee mug with the image of a bespectacled teddy bear solving math equations, Fasih looked the very picture of innocence.

He stared at Abhijat, eyes wide with surprise, but there wasn't any guilt in them, so far as he could see. Then again, to feel guilt you needed a conscience, and if Fasih had ever had such a thing, he'd murdered it a long time ago.

Stepping over the threshold, Abhijat grabbed Fasih by the collar and shoved him back against the nearest wall. Jehan's head banged against the wall with a resounding thud and the mug he'd been holding clattered to the floor, shattering into multiple pieces and spilling hot tea everywhere.

Almost of their own volition, Abhijat's fingers circled Fasih's throat. It was pale and slender, and looked like it would snap at the slightest pressure. It took everything in him not to press down harder and end this once and for all.

As it was, Fasih was already gasping for air. "God! Let go of me. What're you–"

Abhijat increased the pressure by the slightest degree, forcing the other man to stop babbling.

"Why did you do it?" he growled. "What'd she ever done to you?"

Fasih grunted, struggling to free himself. Abhijat just pushed him harder against the wall and tightened his grip around his throat until he settled. Only then did he relax his hold a little. His captive did need air to speak, after all.

Fasih gasped, gulping in air as fast as he could. "Do what? And who's she? I don't–"

"Don't you dare play dumb with me, you lying bastard." He pulled Jehan forward by his throat and shoved him back again with enough force that his knees buckled under him. If it wasn't for Abhijat's grip around his neck, he'd have been on the floor at his feet. "She's in jail because of you. Because you framed her, you and that bastard Haval."

"What?"

"You think I'm stupid?" Abhijat snarled. Once again, Fasih's head crashed painfully against the wall, making him wince.

Heedless, Abhijat continued. "You really think anyone believed that little squabble you two had on campus was real? You may have been able to distract the media with your silly little stage-fight, but you know what they say about fooling everyone all the time? It doesn't work. I know you two planned this together, you and your old friend Dileep Haval–"

"This being?" Fasih raised a delicate eyebrow, sounding vaguely bored. His face was white, his eyes bright and unfocused, and there was a tinge of blue on his lips. He clearly wasn't as unaffected as he wanted Abhijat to believe, and yet he made no attempt to call for help.

"My sister, you lying son of a bitch! You framed her. Along with Haval and his wife. Admit it! First, you got Sinya Haval to hire Rito as her assistant and then Dileep framed her for theft. She's in jail now, because of what you did. You and your damned friends!

"Still, it doesn't matter. I'll take care of them after I'm done with you. You'll pay for what you've done to my family, you bastard. All of you will pay!"

Fasih wheezed out a broken laugh. "I can't believe you're still feeding yourself that crap, Abhijat. And here I thought you were smarter than that. I didn't do anything to your family. Hell, if anything, I'm the reason they're still alive for you to get all protective about. Still, if blaming me for your familial issues helps you sleep better at night, by all means, indulge yourself."

Abhijat's fist connected with Fasih's jaw before he knew what was happening. He hadn't planned to hit Jehan, not really. The blow was almost instinctive, but God, it'd felt so good.

He let go of Fasih's neck, and the smaller man crumpled to the floor. Then, he yelped and rolled over. He'd landed on the jagged shards of the broken cup. Abhijat could feel his lips curl into a sneer.

"I wasn't here when you came for my father, and there's nothing I regret more in the world. But I am here now. And if you so much as think about harming my sister, I will kill you. Or better yet, I'll make you wish you were dead. And if I have to spend the rest of my life in prison for that, it'd be worth it."

Jehan tried to clamber up, off the floor. Abhijat's boot connected sharply with the side of his head, sending him sprawling once again.

"I'm going to get her out," he hissed, bending to ensure that Fasih could hear him. "And if anything happens to her in the meantime, Fasih, I swear to God I'll make you regret the day you decided to cross the Shian family. By the time I'm through with you, you'll be begging me to kill you."

***

"What happened to your face?" Rito asked, clambering into the car.

There were many things she'd expected after being handed over to the police by Dileep Haval, who thankfully didn't seem to have recognized her. But being bailed out at 3 in the morning by the prime minister wasn't one of those things. Maybe Haval had put two and two together and figured out who she was, after all.

She wondered what Abhijat was doing. She wanted to call him, but her phone was discharged. She glanced around for a charging point in the car and plugged it in, setting the device over the dashboard before fastening the seat-belt and sitting back with a sigh. It'd been a long night.

Now that it was all over, she regretted having called her brother. She was sure he was going out of his mind, worrying about her. Abhijat had always been like that, the over-protective big brother. He'd always felt responsible for her, ever since they were kids. And it was like he couldn't stop thinking of her as his baby sister, no matter how old she got.

But Rito had never been in jail before, and for a moment it'd scared the living daylights out of her. Calling her parents was out of the question, so she'd dialed the first number that'd popped up in her head, which happened to be Abhijat's. She could even remember crying during the phone call. God, she needed to call him ASAP and tell him everything was alright.

Thinking about Abhijat brought her attention back to her companion, who was wearing a tattered turtleneck and looked like he'd just gotten out of a bar brawl. His face was heavily bruised and he had a split lip that looked like it'd only recently stopped bleeding. Still, he'd said nothing in response to her question, and she supposed it wasn't her place to pry.

"So, where're we going?" she asked instead, turning to look at him.

Jehan shrugged. "I thought I'd drop you home, but I suppose we can go anywhere you want."

"Very obliging of you," she grinned. "Now, what do you want?"

"I have no idea what you mean."

"Yeah, right. So you came all this way to bail me out of prison at 3 in the morning, after I'd tried to steal your precious drug samples, out of the goodness of your heart?"

"What can I say? I have a very good heart."

"That, and an agenda you're not telling me about."

Jehan smirked. "Fine, why did Rinisa want those samples?"

"How did you know she's the one who wanted them?"

"It's not rocket science," he shrugged. "I got them from the La Fantome, which was owned by her brother, but I have reason to believe was operated largely by her. And the police found the pictures she'd sent you on your phone."

Rito sucked in a sharp breath, but said nothing. It wasn't like she hadn't known the risks when she'd decided to go through with this.

Jehan waved a hand. "We're not going to press charges, don't worry. All this will be resolved in a couple of days, and nobody has to be the wiser. Question is, why did she want those samples?"

"I don't know. All she said was that she wanted them back before the Maralanese New Year. So, you really did pilfer them from her, huh?"

"Only because she'd made them using a stolen formula. A formula she'd stolen from me, to be precise. So, I see it as…reclaiming what was mine to begin with."

The car slid into a deserted highway and sped up. Rito didn't remember the last time she'd seen the city so quiet, so peaceful. A few trucks rumbled along from time to time, and a lone car or bike would whizz past them every few minutes. But there was no sign of the bumper-to-bumper traffic and the constant honking and pollution that characterized daytime Qayit.

After a few minutes of silence, Jehan cleared his throat. "Whatever Rinisa offered you, I'll double it," he said. "You may not trust me, but you know what Rinisa's capable of. You saw that club. Surely, you don't want to see more like it."

"Of course not," Rito snapped, looking away. She bit her lip. She wasn't angry at Jehan, not really. And she had no reason to lash out at him. He had nothing to do with the mess she'd gotten herself into.

It still stung that he thought she'd accepted some kind of bribe from Rinisa. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? And she didn't offer me anything. Or at least, nothing I had any interest in. She…she threatened to frame my father for the metro blasts, if I didn't do what she said."

Jehan sighed. "My own fault, I guess. I'd left that door wide open; someone was bound to use it sooner or later. Anyway, what's done is done. So, here's the deal. You stop working for Rinisa and start working for me instead. And I promise you, by this time next year, your father's name will be cleared and he'll be the prime minister once again."

Rito's breath caught in her throat. To say that she couldn't believe her own ears would've been an understatement, and a cliché one at that. Then again, she didn't need to believe them. Jehan was obviously lying. Another trap set to lure her into some scheme or plan, to make her dance to someone else's tunes.

Still, until she learned how to choreograph her own moves, she would much rather dance to Jehan's tunes than Rinisa's. Neither choice was desirable, but to the best of her knowledge, the worst thing Fasih had ever done was to lie, cheat, and betray his friends. Which was still a damn sight better than selling drugged children into prostitution.

How had her life come to this?

"Fine, what do you want?" she asked, after a few minutes of silence.

"Fantastic!" Jehan said, and flashed her a bright smile before focusing on the road once again. "I want you to tell Rinisa that you got the samples she wanted."

"But I didn't. The officer who arrested me confiscated the vials I took from the lab. I don't even know where they are right now."

"They're safe with Dileep, but that's inconsequential. It doesn't matter if you have the drugs. All that matters is that Rinisa believes you do. You can send her photos of the samples if she asks for proof. I'll email them to you first thing in the morning."

Rito began to speak, but Jehan interrupted her. "And you don't have to worry about her finding out what happened here today. All records of your arrest have been expunged and you can rest assured that there'll be no mention of this in the media."

Rito frowned. It all sounded too good to be true. She felt like a pawn on a chessboard she couldn't see the entirety of. "And what happens when she demands I hand the samples over?"

"You will agree to do so, but only in Maralana during the New Year's gala."

Rito rolled her eyes. "She'd never agree to that."

"She wouldn't, if she had a choice. As things stand, she doesn't. She needs those samples desperately, and needs them by the time that party in Maralana kicks off. And she can't have anyone knowing what she's been up to.

"Just tell her your brother's been worried about you because of the debacle at the La Fantome club. You could've gotten yourself killed, so it wouldn't be unnatural for him to worry. Everybody knows about the excessive codependency of the Shian clan–"

"Hey!"

He flashed her a grin. "My point is, you have to convince Rinisa that Abhijat's been keeping a very close eye on you ever since you returned from Weritlan, because of what happened at that club. Hence, it'd be impossible for you to meet Rinisa in Naijan – either in Weritlan or in Qayit – without making your brother suspicious.

"And if Abhijat feels like he has reason to be concerned about his sister's safety, it's very likely he'll start digging into whatever it is that Rinisa is planning. I mean, if your brother were to find out that you're meeting Rinisa, you know he'd stop at nothing to destroy her. Even she isn't stupid enough to risk that.

"Just tell her you'll hand over the samples in Maralana, when everybody's busy preparing for the party. Abhijat would be too preoccupied with the preparations to pay much attention to who you're meeting and for what. It's a perfectly plausible excuse; she'd have no reason to doubt it. And even if she did, there's no real way she can prove you're lying, is there?"

"And what if she sent someone to Qayit to collect the samples from me? I'd have no reason to refuse a meeting with some random stranger Abhi wouldn't even recognize. No one would ever have to know that it had anything to do with Rinisa; not unless I told them."

"You underestimate the extent of Rinisa's paranoia, Ms. Shian," he smiled. "There isn't anyone on the planet she trusts enough to delegate a task this important. The only reason she blackmailed you into committing the actual theft is because it was too dangerous for her to do it herself. You were cannon-fodder, essentially. But she knows exactly how valuable those samples are. She'd never risk them getting stolen or lost in transit, not if she has a choice in the matter."

Rito thought about that for a few seconds, then nodded. "And what happens when I finally have to give the samples to her in Maralana?"

"Well, if all goes according to plan, that wouldn't be necessary. But if it is..." he shrugged. "Then you'll give her what she wants. It's a prototype, anyway. And while I'd rather keep any version of Amven out of Rinisa's hands as far as possible, those samples aren't that important in the grand scheme of things."

"Really? Then why go through all this trouble to keep them from her, if I may ask?"

"Oh, I'm not doing any of this to keep those samples from Rinisa. That's just a bonus. What I really want is for you to spy on Rinisa and Maganti for me, during the New Year's gala and beyond, if possible.

"Get in contact with her a couple of days before the event and find an excuse to meet her more than once, if you can. Feed her some bullshit about somebody following you around the city, tell her you think I employed them. That should spook her enough to go running to Maganti. And I'll take it from there."

"So you really think they're working together? Maganti and Rinisa, I mean."

"I don't think it. I know it. All that's left now is to prove it."

She grinned. "You're strange. But your plan's sound enough, I suppose. Or as sound as these things can get."

She shook her head, covering her mouth against a gigantic yawn. When had she last slept? She could barely remember anything that came before tonight's misadventure at the QRI. "Fine, I'll help you. But you should know, in the spirit of full disclosure, that if my brother finds out you've been using me as a spy, he will find a way to kill you. He's annoying like that."

"Your brother seems eager enough to kill me as it is," he said with an exaggerated sigh. "So I'll take my chances. At least then, my untimely demise will serve a higher purpose."

"Which is?"

"I'll die screwing Rinisa over."

Rito laughed. "Count me in."

***