"I spy you!" - 24

She was embarrassed by his gaze. But she had a job to do.

The talk turned to subjects like Nation, our duty to the nation etc. The subject was brought up by Vasupradha but not directly. She ensured that it started with him. She did not want to make him learn at any cost that she is from the Intelligence Office.

He was in high praise of the country. But there are issues he said. What issues she asked. He was not ready to divulge any more details than that.

She wanted to tackle him with what she had brought specially from her country which should either make or break the case.

Would he take it positively or negatively depended on how much his words were true about loving his family.

She cleared her throat to broach that subject when there was a careful knock on his door.

He suddenly became alert and asked her to hide below the cot. The bed had a drape which was touching the carpet on the floor of the room. She was below the cot in a jiffy.

It was almost immediately that she could hear two hissing voices. They were not being pleasant in their talk. She decided to see what is happening. She lifted the drape a little and peered from below the edge of the drape.

To her horror the same two people who had dinner with Gupta were holding him at a gunpoint.

She found that one of them had a gun and the other was sitting on the same chair where she was sitting a few moments ago.

She was attracted by a small movement. It was Gupta’s feet. He was still sitting on the bed and he had slowly slipped something which fell in front of her with a soft thud due to the plush carpet on the floor.

It was a pistol. She was very fast in moving it towards her. When she held the pistol in her hand, she felt a lot confident.

She was given training in handling the guns. She loved the banging noise of the guns.

She did some quick thinking. Why did Gupta push the pistol towards her? Obviously to use it. All these days she had never used it in a real situation. Well, it has presented itself now.

She mustered her courage. She had to divert their attention first. But she suddenly understood why they not shot him. The reason is that the guns are noisy and they would attract attention.

They were trying to negotiate whatever it was, by talking. But how long? Probably they will knock him off on his head.

She had to act fast. How? She started thinking furiously.