The air inside the CBI's high-security strategic operations room was electric with tension. A large digital screen glowed at the front of the room, projecting a city map pulsing with red and yellow markers. Officers filled the room, their chatter low, focused, and intense. The walls were lined with surveillance monitors, digital tracking feeds, and classified case files.
The door opened with a swift whoosh, and in walked Kiaan Verma, with Dev Malik and Rehaan Sethi following closely behind. He didn't pause for greetings. His eyes were locked on the data being streamed live on the central console.
Kiaan walked straight to the screen, his boots echoing on the tiled floor. His jaw was tight. He looked like a man on a countdown to something explosive.
At the side, Tara Iyer was already seated, fingers flying across her keyboard like a pianist in a war.
> "Satellite feed synced. Drone surveillance from Sector 9A active. Rudhra's last signal pinged 12 minutes ago near the docks," she said rapidly, eyes never leaving her screen.
Kiaan faced the room.
> "Everyone—focus. We've got one shot at pulling down not just Rudhra Khaali… but the puppet master behind him."
He tapped the screen. The map zoomed into a warehouse district near the eastern pier of the city.
> "We let Rudhra roam for now," Kiaan said. "He's reckless but not stupid. He's got someone protecting him—someone feeding him intel before we get close. If we move now, we'll spook the real target."
Rehaan leaned forward, arms crossed.
> "You want to bait Rudhra… let him move drugs, maybe even kill again, just to see who meets him in the shadows? That's not just risky—it's suicide if it goes wrong."
Kiaan nodded, voice calm but firm.
> "We'll have full eyes on him. One mistake—one glitch—and we swoop in. But if we get this right, we shut down an entire syndicate in one strike."
Dev paced slowly behind the table, adding,
> "There's chatter on the dark web. Someone nicknamed 'Viper' is giving Rudhra clean routes. Whoever that is—they're the real kingpin. And they've never shown up in any government file."
Tara turned her laptop around, showing a grainy CCTV still.
> "This was captured from a gas station security cam. Rudhra met someone last night. Face blurred, but the height and build don't match any of his known crew."
Kiaan stared at the image, his eyes darkening.
> "That's our ghost. That's who I want."
One of the senior officers—Deputy Chief Ramesh Naik—spoke up from the corner.
> "Kiaan, this is borderline reckless. Letting a known killer loose just to catch his boss? What if it goes south?"
Kiaan met his gaze with sharp conviction.
> "Then I'll take full responsibility. But I know this pattern. I've seen it before—this is bigger than we thought. I can feel it in my bones."
Tara looked up, concern in her voice.
> "You're thinking about your father again, aren't you?"
Kiaan didn't reply. But the look in his eyes said everything.
Rehaan clapped his hand on Kiaan's shoulder.
> "Fine. We follow your plan. But no solo hero moves this time, understood?"
Kiaan smirked faintly, the kind that never reached his eyes.
> "Can't promise that."
The room filled with the murmur of officers adjusting earpieces, reviewing files, and preparing for what was quickly turning into a citywide, multilayered surveillance mission.
Operation Viper, they started calling it.
And at the center of it stood a 21-year-old boy who had nothing left to lose, except the truth he'd been chasing for years.