" Man.. can not learn to forget, but hangs on the past: however far or fast he runs, that chain runs with him. "
It was absolutely gorgeous weather in the gorge. Nathan looked out till the horizon, savoring the view. He stood at the edge of the camping site that was in a tiny village, situated in the middle of the mountains, tired from the day's activities. After hours of trekking, they had finally reached the small, scarcely populated village and had sent up camp. The air was chilly and the distant hills looked almost magical, hidden by the mist.
So far, it had been just the perfect break he had wanted. Life, while working with the country's top intelligence agencies, was very strenuous and definitely not easy. After five years of living life in fast-forward, he had finally taken a call. Mountaineering and trekking, Two of his favorite activities. A month spent at a breathtaking gorge in the southern province of China, was the answer to all his problems. And now, there he was, on his much-deserved vacation, finally.
"Hey man! There's a call for you. The crazy guy's been calling for the past twenty minutes non-stop. I was worried that he might blow his head off in the next thirty seconds, had you not shown up!" One of the climbers yelled out to Nathan as he neared the tents.
The one day that they had finally received a signal on their cell phones, a psychotic man decides to call him? Nathan shook his head, thinking of his terrible luck.
Grabbing the cell phone from Oliver, he shouted into the phone, "Who are you?
Instead of answering, the man on the other line hurriedly yelled out, " Sir! Sir! He has finally returned." Nathan heard a muffled reply followed by the quick shuffling of feet.
" Nathan Hunt. Hope the vacation is going good," the all too familiar voice of the director resounded from the other end.
Nathan looked upwards and muttered a silent prayer. Continuous calls from the agency and the director want to speak to him, all while he was supposed to be on vacation! This definitely couldn't be good.
" Mr. Barrack, what a surprise. How may I help you?" Nathan answered hesitantly.
" I'm afraid that vacation of yours is going to have to be cut short. There's a mission that needs urgent implementation in China. We thought you would be the most ideal agent to carry it out."
Nathan froze, shocked. He knew that the service would eventually summon him back during his vacation, but little did he know they would do that so soon. Right now, he had no option. Either accept or get kicked out. It was one of the most vital rules that the agency had never let them forget.
" What is the mission about?" Nathan asked, defeated.
He signaled towards Oliver that they could carry on with their dinner. This call would most probably take a while, or more like hours.
" The Colombian drug cartels are reportedly smuggling drugs into China using ships and cargo vessels. We have reason to believe that the same ring is operating in our country as well. You have to confirm this suspicion. Be aware. Mission code is red; high alert."
Left with no option, Nathan sighed. " When do I get briefed?"
"Tomorrow morning. Report at eight in the morning at our Beijing office. We'll brief you there. "
With a single click, the call ended and there was silence.
Nathan looked at the phone. He started walking back towards the camp to pack his things. It was going to be an early morning.
"The ship docks at the port at eight thirty tomorrow night. The cargo is checked by nine and the reported drug boxes are smuggled inland. You have to watch this very carefully. Sources have informed us that the drug lord has a trick up his sleeve. Remember think fast, and act faster. Time is the key." The voice of the director droned on in the briefing room.
Several layouts of the dockyard were put up on the projector. Holding the basic blueprint of the mission in one hand and a starbucks coffee in the other, Nathan sat in the middle of the room, weary and exhausted.
The day went by. Meetings. Briefings. Studying data. Checking out profiles of the drug lords. Confirming the weapons he would use. By the end of the day, Nathan was ready to drop dead. He just hoped that the mission would be a success. Else it would be: GAME OVER.
Seven thirty-five. The clock continued ticking as Nathan made his way into the compound of the dockyard. He walked past the custom offices and towards the pier. He crouched behind the storehouse and waited for the ship to arrive.
Muffled voices came from the dock. A few men were unloading the craters from the ship. It was a dark night and only their silhouettes were visible. Nathan sat quietly, watching it all. They carried the craters, one by one, until all were stacked in the warehouse.
A door from the back was pushed open and then two huge African guys came out. Suddenly, the whole warehouse was lit up. Lights flickered and the darkness was expelled. Nathan held his hands up to shield his eyes from the staggering brightness.
The men neared the boxes. Slowly, and very carefully, one of them lifted one crater onto the table. He upturned it and removed the lid, breathing heavily.
" How many in there Johnny?" the second guy asked the first one.
Johnny lifted some packets from inside the crater. And that's when Nathan saw it.
Tons and tons of drugs smuggled into the country every month through these ships. It was ingenious actually. But yes, the director had been right. This ring was deadly. Very very deadly.
From behind, Nathan started walks towards the table stealthily. He had to capture the two guys somehow. He was almost halfway through, when the lights were switched off abruptly. Nathan jumped back, unable to see in the darkness. He froze.
All of a sudden, a gruff voice, eerily close to Nathan whispered, " Don't really belong here now, do we?"
Nathan gulped. His heart started beating rapidly. He couldn't see a thing and the man didn't sound as if he was in a very good mood.
He had to do something. He had to buy time. " Don't really think about the lives of hundreds that you kill everyday now, do you?" he spat at the figure of the man.
A punch landed directly on Nathan's stomach. He doubled up in pain. "Next time, I'll use the gun."
Rough hands gripped both his hands tightly and pulled him towards the centre of the warehouse. He was pushed onto a chair. " Why don't you start from the beginning? Who are you and why are you here?" The second man coming up to Nathan said.
Both the men were standing on either side of the chair. One held a pistol in his hand, loaded and ready to shoot. When Nathan refused to answer, they kicked him in the shin. " Start speaking or there is going to be trouble."
And then without warning, the second man punched Nathan on his jaw, and pushed him down. Nathan fell, his head hit the hard concrete floor. A stream of blood started flowing down from his head.
And that's when years of training kicked in. Nathan sprung up from the floor and side-kicked the man on his right. The kick landed on the man's stomach and he winced in pain. Snatching the pistol out from his hand, he aimed directly at the man on his left. "One step and I shoot."
Taking deep breaths, Nathan knew that if he escaped alive from the warehouse , he would still be successful in his mission. He knew he could do it. The first man ran towards Nathan. As Nathan readied himself for defence, two more men brandishing guns entered the warehouse. Now he was definitely outnumbered. Four on one. Even special training couldn't help him in taking all the four burly guys together.
Thinking quickly, Nathan started sprinting towards the door. A man from outside suddenly entered the warehouse and blocked the exit. Looking behind him, Nathan realised that the other men were close on his heels. Taking aim, he shot the man, hitting him on his leg. The man stumbled forward and yelled, " Activate!"
Running with all his might, Nathan reached the edge of the pier. He heard a loud blast from behind. Ducking to protect himself, he glanced back and saw the storehouse, engulfed in flames. Burning bright in the silent night.
And that's when he realised that it had all been a trap. A trap to lure him into the warehouse...
The past was back to haunt him.
