7

««⟨•⟩»»

/Set our minds free/

««⟨•⟩»»

"Seven murders in Nekpura over the past four days. Among the victims: the principal of Ashokrao College, the most prestigious institution in the Marathwada region, and Kantilal, a small business owner. The other five? Ordinary people believed to be connected to a man named Ramprasad.

"The police say these victims were involved in larger crimes plaguing the city. Chillingly, the murderer left a list of crimes in the upper pocket of each victim.

"Who is this murderer who calls himself 'Mogambo'?" The News played.

Posters of three wanted criminals were plastered on every street corner, with a one lakh reward for any information on their whereabouts. Yet, in a city with hundreds of streets, not a single person claimed to recognize them.

This was not seen as a small issue. The District Collector himself gave orders for a strict lockdown in the city for two straight days.

The police were running on fumes.

Godbole, Shaaney and other police officers stood surrounding them. Their faces were dull.

The lights in the crowded police station kept blinking, making the room feel tense and uncomfortable. Godbole wiped the sweat from his brow, his fingers trembling slightly as he turned to his colleagues.

"We're missing something," he muttered, staring at the map on the wall. Red circles marked the locations of each murder, like a pattern waiting to be decoded. "Seven murders in four days… there's a reason for this pace, and we're not seeing it."

Shaaney leaned over the table, his voice low and urgent. "What if Mogambo is sending us a message? What if the list of crimes left in their pockets is some kind of code?"

Godbole glanced at him, his eyes narrowing. "A code? You think this is a game to him?"

"No," Shaaney replied, "but he's playing with us. He wants us to know he's always one step ahead. The name 'Mogambo'… it's like he wants to be known, feared, but not found. Like he's daring us to catch him."

Tiwari piped up nervously. "Sir, maybe we should ask for more reinforcements. The city's on edge, and we're stretched too thin."

Godbole shook his head. "No, more uniforms on the street won't help. Mogambo knows our moves, he's planned for this. We need to think smarter, not louder."

Shaaney suddenly stood straight, an idea sparking in his eyes. "What if… what if we release false information to the media? Make Mogambo believe we're closing in on him, force him to make a mistake."

Godbole paused, considering. "Risky. If he catches on, he could retaliate. But it might be our best shot. What do we leak?"

Shaaney hesitated. "Maybe we say we've identified someone who's seen him… or that we've found a witness who escaped. It could draw him out."

Just then, an officer burst into the room, panting. "Sir, there's been a report… five more murders, near the old sugarcane factory on the outskirts."

The room fell silent. Godbole's face hardened. "Get the cars. Now. And alert the forensics team. If Mogambo left another message, we need to find it before anyone else does."

Shaaney grabbed his jacket, his heart racing. "He's escalating. He knows we're getting close, or he's getting bolder. Either way, we're running out of time."

««⟨•⟩»»