Guess who?^
Miguel spent the entire night trying to find the hacker. The sky was still dark outside and the clock showed quarter past three.He had the IP address but the location was jumping off from cities all over the globe. It had been a long time since his tasks were that difficult. The challenge and thrill made his monotonous life a lot brighter.
Finally, a worthy competitor had emerged.
" Uh, sir." a throat cleared.
Miguel looked up from the screen, cocking his head in question.
" It's Gala night at the casino today. You have to make an appearance."
Miguel wasn't a people-person, but Gala nights were fun. All the members of the elite society would gather and pretend. Gamblers on the verge of bankruptcy would boast their wealth, men with 'happy' marriages would have mistresses on their arms, and murderers with the darkest crimes were painted as saints and humanitarians. Only he knew all of their dirtiest and shameful secrets.
" Don't worry." he smirked, " I'm almost done with this bastard.I'm just tracking its location of the device connected to the hacker's." He paused as the location pin popped up, "Oh, the nerve. You're in Goa and you tried to steal from me? Send someone to bring this computer and its owner.I'm going to catch up on my beauty sleep."
*
Abhimanyu heaved a sigh and knocked at her door. Rivannah hadn't shown up for dinner. He understood that she was angry and needed space. But it was half-past seven and the silent treatment needed to end. She must have breakfast with him.
" I'm done being nice, Rivannah." he banged the door, " Come out!"
He was met by profound silence. She knew how to infuriate him and get under his skin. It was a mystery how she caught his fancy. He twisted the doorknob and found the door locked from the inside.
" I'll break open this door. I'm warning you." he said through clenched teeth.
" I have the key, Your Highness." Mrs D'Cruz said meekly.
" Open this damn door." Abhimanyu muttered before saying loudly, " Stop this childish behaviour! Just because you can't meet him doesn't mean it's the end of the world!"
Mrs D'Cruz fumbled with a bunch of keys and tried a few of them before the door unlocked. Abhimanyu sauntered inside, surprised to find the room empty. The sheets on the bed were messy and her phone was on the bedside.
" Check the bathroom." he breathed out.
Cold breeze blew in the room from the open balcony windows, making him shiver. He shut the glass door close, frowning when he saw a muddy footprint on the stone floor. From the shape and size, he could tell it belonged to a man.
" She's not there, milord."
Abhimanyu felt a chill down his spine. Rivannah's door was locked from the inside. No, she couldn't have run away. She would have taken her phone along.There were no signs of struggle or anything missing to suggest burglary. Realisation hit him like a pile of bricks.
Someone climbed through the balcony and kidnapped her.He was unable to protect her.
" Call the guards! Tell them to find Rivannah!" Abhimanyu snarled.He had no idea when she had been taken and by whom. Dread settled in heart, making it painful to breathe.His hands were trembling with strange fear and nervousness.
She was kidnapped from his home, under his nose, without him or his stupid guards knowing. An unfamiliar melody broke his morose thoughts. Her phone was ringing. The tune died when he grabbed the device.There were several missed calls from an unknown contact in her phone.
A cold sweat broke on his face when he called back. The image of Rivannah, hurt and afraid, was haunting him.Apprehension and anxiety nearly paralysed his body.
" Omigod, Riv! You scared me!" a girl shrieked at the other end," Are you fine?!"
*
Rivannah's eyes fluttered open. Her mind was hazy and her body ached. She stretched her toes and tried to sit up. Broken memories came back to her. Kyra hacking BlueFreddie's computer, Miguel's past, the Vienna Project-
She rubbed her neck and winced at the pain. She remembered a harsh prick on her neck and struggling against a masked stranger. Was it just another nightmare?Evil foreboding filled her heart as she looked around her surroundings.
The huge room was dimly lit and sleek shelves that lined the majority of the walls. Yellow light highlighted the black bottles displayed on them. She stumbled to her feet, taking the support of beige sofa she was lying on.It was a modern and luxurious bar.
" I see you're awake.You slept the entire day." a suave and husky voice echoed in the room.
Rivannah whipped her head to the side. A darkly dressed figure was sitting on a high bar stool. He was cradling a crystal glass, filled with amber liquid. The dim lights casted a shadow on his angular face. His lips pulled into a smirk.
" Care to join me, sweetie? I'm having a pre-Gala drink." he chuckled, holding up the glass," It's not fun if I'm drinking alone."
" Who are you?" Rivannah asked sharply.
" That's interesting." he cocked his head, " Didn't you know whose computer you were snooping around?"
Rivannah gulped in realisation. She was exactly where she wanted to be. In front of BlueFreddie, a.k.a Miguel Mascarenhas. He had found her, like Kyra said he could. Fear lingered in her mind, but her feet moved towards him. At least she can ask about the Vienna Project and her enemy.
"Here, you're going to need this." Miguel snickered, pouring some whisky into another glass. He slid it across the marble top to Rivannah. She stared at the alcohol disdainfully and shook her head.
" This is the finest Japanese whiskey money can buy." Miguel said hoarsely, " I insist you drink some. We have a lot to discuss. For example, what you saw in my private file."
" I'll answer your questions if you answer mine." Rivannah quipped.
" You sure are gutsy." Miguel laughed, " Despite being under my mercy, you dare to negotiate?"
Rivannah swirled the amber liquid and took a tentative sip. It was bitter and stronger than the occasional beers she had in college. It burned down her throat and warmed her body.
" I know your secrets." she shrugged.
" You weren't the one who hacked my computer. I checked your laptop." he rubbed his dark stubble, " Who is your partner? Where can I find him?"
" I'm going to ask the questions first." Rivannah demanded, chugging down the entire drink.
" Whatever you say, sweetie." he chuckled.
He found her unrelenting attitude quite amusing. It was a stark contrast to her delicate and beautiful face.He poured another drink into her glass. Getting her drunk was the easiest way to make her spill the truth.
" You took up a job called the Vienna Project in August." Rivannah said slowly, " Who commissioned it?"
" I remember it clearly." Miguel exclaimed, " The task was to assassinate a Prince and his daughter. I had sent a worthy subordinate, but he's been missing ever since. He didn't even confirm whether the job was completed. Do you know where is Ram Prasad?"
" Give me a name." Rivannah pressed.
"My patrons don't bother with names or introductions. A request came to me nine months ago. The person's IP Address was in Vienna, hence the title. His attendant came soon after, completing the trade with a list of Rathore family secrets."
" Even you don't know who he is?" Rivannah cried out.
" That's a separate question. As per our deal, you're answering."
" Suryagarh Palace." she muttered. She felt guilty about compromising Abhimanyu's secret. But he would probably do the same if he was here.
" Home of the Chauhan family." Miguel said casually," That's interesting. You were found at their house in Goa. I had no idea they were so heavily involved."
BlueFreddie was fickle and manipulative. The charm and friendliness was a mere facade. But she could tell he wasn't lying. Her efforts were in vain. It suddenly dawned upon her that she was stuck. Nobody would know where to find her. Kyra couldn't help her from the States. She had no means of escape.
" You don't know anything about that subordinate?" she repeated dejectedly.
" No." Miguel smirked, " But I do know about you, Princess Rivannah Rathore." he chuckled at her surprised expression, " I always profile my targets when I take a job. You weren't on social media so I found your photos with great difficulty. But let me say, you are much prettier in person."
" Is that why you kidnapped me?" Rivannah asked bitterly. She grabbed the whiskey bottle and swallowed its contents.The alcohol eased the guilt and regret in her heart. Abhimanyu's voice chorused in her head, I'm not serving his victim to him on a silver platter.
He had been right.
"No, not at all.My computer was breached yesterday. I stumbled upon your IP address in a fluke. I couldn't believe my luck when they brought you here. When I didn't hear from Ram Prasad, I had assumed you were dead.But that's a matter for later." Miguel's tone changed, " I need you alive right now. Someone had the audacity to steal my secrets. And you're going to tell me who."
" I just want to find who hurt my father. It's my duty to take his revenge. I can't bear the hatred in my heart. Every day is a painful reminder of my inability to protect my father. He's all I have in this world.You've been down this road, haven't you? Your parents were murdered when you were young. Whether you punished their criminals or not, you must be familiar with this road. The thirst of vengeance suffocates me, plagues my dreams and hollows my soul. My life is shrouded in never-ending darkness. Even the death you offer seems better than living."
Miguel narrowed his eyes. She knew about his darkest secrets.
" I'll draw the blood of my enemy." Rivannah slurred, "If it means the pain, secrets and betrayal will go away.I will choke them in the ashes of the dreams they burnt, if it means I can be happy, again. I'm willing to sacrifice everything, including my life, if it means my father is safe."
At the thought of her father, she burst into tears. The alcohol magnified her sorrow and heartache, making her slump into the floor and hide her face in her white palms.
Miguel's jaw opened slack, rendered speechless at the sudden mood swings.
One moment, she was brave and resolute like a warrior and in another, she weeped hysterically like a child. Miguel was rendered helpless against her mood swings.Crying woman always terrified him.He had no idea how to calm her down. He tried to shush her but it made her sob even harder.
" Stop it, dammit! Stop crying! Let's talk like rational people!" he pleaded, " I am begging you, Rivannah!"
*
Abhimanyu manoeuvred through crowds of people around the gambling tables. Radhika followed closely in a shimmering black sari. The air smelled like expensive alcohol and smoke. He recognised a few acquaintances but stayed away from the crowd. There was only one thing in his mind.
" Isn't it nice that we get to spend an evening together?" Radhika beamed, standing next to him.
Abhimanyu's eyes were stone cold and blank. He wanted to rip the whole place apart until he found her. It had been excruciating to wait until the evening. Man Singh and Dharam had implored him to think rationally and make a plan.His men had mixed with the catering staff and secretly scanning the huge cruise-liner.
" You're always busy. As if the hotel wasn't enough, you want a political career, too." Radhika chuckled lightly, "I never understood why you wanted to become a MLA first.Dad could've gotten you a MP seat with no problem. He's a good friend of the home minister-"
" Starting small would help me win the hearts of people." Abhimanyu said disinterestedly.
" It's strange to see you passionate about something." Radhika giggled, batting her lashes," Over the years, I learned to love your aloofness and pride. You always treated me differently from the other girls in college. You may hesitate to say it, but your silent affection and care was enough for me."
Abhimanyu cocked his head at her confession.Radhika was just as crazy in college. She wrote him uncountable secret letters, followed him in his classes, harassed his female friends. He made no acknowledgment of her antics, partly because of their fathers' friendship and partly because she was beneath his notice.
He thought that time must have cured her psychosis. But she was still wrapped in her own delusional fantasy. He didn't have the patience to deal with her. He was fraught with fear and distress. There wasn't a moment of peace until she was with him again.
" You're always evading my feelings." Radhika whined, "What's wrong with me? I'm beautiful, smart, and rich. My father can give you all the political connections you need. Unless...there's someone else?"
" Just stop, Radhika." Abhimanyu breathed out, finally, " This isn't the time."
A waiter halted in front of him and whispered in a low tone, "She's in the lounge at the third floor, Your Majesty. BlueFreddie is with her. There are no guards, we've taken care of them."
" What's going on?" Radhika asked urgently.
Her words fell on deaf ears. Abhimanyu stalked in long, anxious strides towards the elevator.His gaze was affixed on the display, anxiously counting the numbers until it halted at Level 3. He nearly broke open the double doors at the end of the hall.
Rivannah was crumpled into a small ball, trembling like a leaf, shaking with loud sobs. Her beautiful hazel eyes were defeated and lifeless.A tall, lithe man was towering over her, snarling profanities under his breath.
The dark-web operator was at his wit's end. No amount of cajoling, persuading, or threatening had any effect on the Princess. He called his guards to take the screeching banshee away, but the damned wastrels hadn't shown up.
" Stop yammering, woman! Jesus, my head hurts!" Miguel groaned, pulling his hair in frustration, " Just tell me who hacked my computer! Or I swear I'll-" he paused and stared at intruder, " Where the fuck did you come from?"
Abhimanyu clenched his fists, the veins of his neck throbbing, as unprecedented fury took over him. He stalked the entirety of the bar and yanked Miguel by his collar. Miguel was taken by surprise, and a heavy blow on his jaw made him staggered back.
" I don't care who you are." Miguel wiped blood from his mouth, pulling out a gun from his silk jacket, "But you just made me your enemy."