Chapter 9: A Storm of Bullets

The first gunshot was deafening. The bullet shattered the lamp beside Aryan, sending shards of glass flying across the room. Renu reacted first. In one swift motion, she grabbed Aryan's wrist and yanked him down behind the overturned desk.

Another shot. Then another.

The safe house wasn't safe anymore. They had been found.

"How the hell did they track us?" Renu shouted over the gunfire, reloading her Glock with practiced ease.

Aryan's mind raced. The Phantom's call. It wasn't just a taunt—it had been a distraction. A way to keep them talking while his men closed in.

He glanced toward the window, catching a glimpse of dark silhouettes moving outside. Four… no, five men. Heavily armed. They weren't cops. They weren't random thugs.

They were professionals.

Aryan gritted his teeth. This was an execution.

Escape Plan

"We need a way out," Renu said, pressing her back against the wall.

Aryan scanned the room. One exit—the front door. Problem? It was a death trap. The moment they moved, they'd be mowed down.

"We create an opening," Aryan said, reaching into his jacket. His fingers closed around a small, cylindrical object.

Renu's eyes widened. "A flashbang? Since when do you carry those?"

Aryan smirked. "Since I started getting hunted by a psychopath who looks like me."

He pulled the pin and lobbed it toward the window.

A heartbeat later—BOOM.

The world exploded in white light. Shouts rang out from outside. Aryan didn't hesitate—he grabbed Renu's hand and ran.

They crashed through the back door, sprinting into the narrow alley behind the safe house. Footsteps pounded behind them. The assassins had recovered fast.

"We need a car," Renu said.

Aryan spotted a black SUV parked at the alley's exit. Engine running.

Perfect.

Or maybe not.

Because the driver turned—and Aryan saw his own face staring back at him.

The Phantom's Game

Aryan skidded to a stop.

The Phantom sat in the driver's seat, one hand casually draped over the steering wheel, the other holding a pistol. Smirking.

"Going somewhere, detective?"

Renu raised her gun, but The Phantom shook his head. "Ah, ah. I wouldn't do that."

The SUV's windows rolled down. More guns. More men.

Aryan's mind worked at lightning speed. They were outnumbered. Outgunned. No cover.

For the first time in years, he felt trapped.

The Phantom opened the door and stepped out, his movements a mirror of Aryan's own. The resemblance was unsettling. He wasn't just a lookalike.

He was Aryan.

Or at least, something that had once been him.

"You've been chasing ghosts," The Phantom said, his voice eerily calm. "Looking for answers you're not ready for."

Aryan clenched his fists. "Then why don't you enlighten me?"

The Phantom chuckled. "Because the truth doesn't set you free, Aryan." His smirk widened. "It breaks you."

A single nod from The Phantom—and his men raised their guns.

A Desperate Gamble

Time slowed.

Aryan's mind calculated every possibility. No way to fight. No way to run.

Unless…

He turned to Renu. Their eyes met. Unspoken understanding passed between them.

Then—Aryan made his move.

He grabbed Renu and pulled her close.

The Phantom's men hesitated.

A mistake.

Because the next second—Aryan grabbed Renu's gun, spun, and fired.

One shot. Right into the SUV's gas tank.

The explosion rocked the alley. Fire. Smoke. Chaos.

Aryan didn't wait to see the aftermath. He grabbed Renu's hand and ran. Again.

This time—The Phantom didn't stop him.

Safe… For Now

They didn't stop running until they were miles away. An abandoned warehouse. Silent. Dark.

Aryan leaned against the wall, breathing hard. Renu stood beside him, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

For a long moment, neither of them spoke.

Then—Renu punched him.

Hard.

"What the hell was that?" she snapped. "You used me as bait!"

Aryan winced, rubbing his arm. "It worked, didn't it?"

She glared. "That's not the point!"

He sighed, finally meeting her gaze. "I had no choice, Renu."

Silence stretched between them.

Then—she stepped closer. "There's always a choice." Her voice was softer now. Something unreadable in her eyes.

Aryan exhaled. He wasn't sure when it happened, but somewhere between running for their lives and facing impossible truths, Renu had become more than just a partner.

She was his last tether to reality.

And that scared him more than anything.

Because The Phantom had promised to take away what Aryan cared about most.

And right now, that was Renu.

End of Chapter 9