Chapter 50: “Operation Skyfall: Through the Eyes of Authority”
Chapter 50: "Operation Skyfall: Through the Eyes of Authority"
—When Soldiers See the Line Between Mortal and Myth Begin to Blur—
---
[Scene 1: Indian Military Intelligence HQ – New Delhi, 04:47 AM IST]
Dim lights reflected off cold polished floors. The large operations room buzzed with quiet urgency. Officers hovered over digital maps glowing across walls. Live feeds from satellites, drones, and surveillance arrays played simultaneously.
Colonel Aaryan Singh, decorated veteran of counter-terror ops, stood at the center with folded arms. His sharp eyes never blinked once the red signal came through.
> Technician: "Sir, confirmed location ping. Encrypted signal originated from Goa, rural zone—longitude locked, altitude confirms ground-level."
> Colonel Singh: "Encryption key?"
> Technician: "Unknown, sir. Advanced. The trace buried itself under 17 government proxies. It wasn't a slip-up… It was a call."
Singh raised an eyebrow.
> Colonel Singh: "A cry for help… or a challenge."
---
[Scene 2: Military Convoy – Goa Skies, 06:13 AM IST]
Three helicopters sliced through the early dawn fog—each a machine of war humming with restless anticipation.
Major Kavya Rao sat beside her troops in Helicopter 02, strapping her rifle as she reviewed the briefing.
> Kavya (thinking): "Eleven girls, one boy, rural area, possibly armed kidnappers. But the Intel… too sharp. Too surgical."
> Private Naeem: "Ma'am, I read the signal analysis—this wasn't done by any civilian. Whoever called us knew exactly how to reach the military net without triggering standard law enforcement alarms."
> Kavya (calmly): "We're dealing with someone trained. Possibly rogue intelligence. Stay sharp."
---
[Scene 3: Police Response Unit – On Road, En Route]
Four black SUVs ripped across winding roads. Goa's morning mist danced off the hoods. At the wheel of the first: Inspector Harsh Mehta, rugged, sharp-witted, and known for cleaning up Goa's darkest corners.
> Harsh (radio): "This is Mehta. ETA to target zone—9 minutes. Civilians nearby?"
> Dispatcher: "Negative. It's isolated. Former Portuguese estate, abandoned, converted to safehouse."
> Harsh (smirking): "Perfect. No civilians means no reason to hold back."
In the backseat, two cybercrime officers whispered.
> Officer 1: "Sir, the hacker's signal? Untraceable now. Whoever he is, he covered his trail the moment we locked on."
> Officer 2: "But he's still there. And wants us to come."
> Harsh: "Then let's knock."
---
[Scene 4: Drone Eye View – Above Kidnappers' Safehouse]
The heat map displayed on screens showed twelve life signs. One moving near a window—pacing. Others huddled. Two guards outside.
But one signal stood out.
> Drone Operator: "Sir, Signal #08. Breathing steady. Movement fluid. Like he's... relaxed."
> Colonel Singh (zooming in): "What's he doing?"
> Operator: "Typing, sir. On a laptop."
> Singh: "…That's our hacker."
---
[Scene 5: Inside the Helicopter – Tension Rising]
Major Kavya looked out the chopper window. Below—dense jungle and aged wooden roofs.
> Pilot: "Landing in 90 seconds."
> Kavya: "On my mark, secure perimeter. Guns down unless fired upon. We're extracting survivors, not body-bagging."
Private Naeem adjusted his helmet.
> Naeem: "Ma'am… what if the signal's a trap?"
> Kavya (coldly): "Then we teach them what happens when you toy with India's armed forces."
---
[Scene 6: Police Strike – Compound Gate Breach]
The black SUVs screeched to a halt. Goa's elite police stormed out—guns raised, forming a perimeter. Dogs barked. A battering ram swung into action.
> Harsh (shouting): "Surround the perimeter! Door team, GO!"
The wooden gate exploded inward.
Gunfire erupted—two kidnappers panicked and opened fire. Police responded with precise, controlled shots. One man fell. Another surrendered.
> Harsh (into radio): "Main door clear! Move in!"
---
[Scene 7: Military Drop – Roof Breach]
Above, helicopters hovered. Ropes dropped. Troops descended.
> Kavya (mid-air): "All units! Breach from roof and west wall!"
She landed with a thud on the rooftop, broke open a skylight—and jumped in like a vengeful shadow.
Guards inside froze.
> Guard: "Who—?!"
> Kavya (raising rifle): "Move and I put you down."
They dropped their weapons instantly.
---
[Scene 8: First Visual – The Boy With the Eyes of a Storyteller]
As Kavya and her squad stormed room-by-room, they entered a candle-lit hall.
There sat Boby, arms relaxed, a cup of tea beside him. Laptop on his lap.
He looked up.
> Boby: "Took you long enough."
> Kavya (blinking): "…You're the hacker?"
> Boby (smirking): "Author, hacker, hostage, future bestseller."
Behind him, Raviel, still in her human form, leaned weakly against the wall. The moment she saw the soldiers—
Her legs gave way.
> Boby (rushing to catch her): "Hey! Stay with me!"
> Kavya (shouting): "Medic! We need IV and thermal blankets here!"
---
[Scene 9: Police Find the Girls]
In the basement, Inspector Harsh and his team found eleven kidnapped girls. Shivering. Hungry. Afraid.
One of them, the blonde foreigner, clutched a tattered teddy bear. She whispered:
> Blonde Girl: "The boy… and the girl… they saved us."
> Harsh (nodding): "Noted. You're safe now."
He pulled out his radio.
> Harsh: "All units, all girls secured. Repeat, civilians secure."
---
[Scene 10: Briefing Room, Hours Later – Military Debrief]
In a temporary command tent, Colonel Singh watched the live drone feed rewinds. He frowned as the camera zoomed in on Boby.
> Singh: "This boy… hacked our defenses, used military-grade routing, tricked every civilian system—"
> Advisor: "—And delivered the kidnappers without firing a shot."
> Singh (pausing): "He's not normal."
> Advisor: "Should we monitor him?"
> Singh (smirking): "No. Offer him a job."
---
[Ending Scene: A Soft Sunset and a New Beginning]
That evening, Boby and Raviel sat in the back of an ambulance.
He held her hand. She leaned on his shoulder.
> Raviel (softly): "You saved me. As a human… with no power…"
> Boby (smiling): "And you kissed me. As a goddess. With no power."
Their fingers laced together.
> Raviel: "You are everything to me… in fiction… and in truth."
The ambulance doors closed as sunset kissed the horizon.
Above, in distant stars—
Fictional Boby watched quietly.
> Fictional Boby (smiling): "Good job, real me. Take care of our goddess."
---
TO BE CONTINUED…