The 11:07 PM Guest

Warehouse 4PM

3:54 AM.

The port smelled like rust and sea water.

Elena was standing across the street from Warehouse 17. A big metal building. No windows. One door. Two guards outside with guns.

Her phone buzzed. Aarav.

"Door se nazar aa rahi hai," Aarav whispered. "Hum roof pe hain. Mira sniper le kar baithe hai. Tum andar mat jao abhi."

Elena whispered back, "Usne kaha akeli. Agar guards ko pata chal gaya to wo larkiyon ko nuksan pohuncha dega."

"Toh kya karein?" Mira said.

Elena looked at the burner phone. New message: `4:00. Door. Alone. Now. -A`

She took a deep breath and started walking.

The guards saw her. One raised his gun.

"Stop. ID."

Elena stopped. "Mujhe andar bulaya gaya hai."

"Kaun?" guard asked.

Elena didn’t answer.

Tabhi door khula. Andar se wahi hoodie wala banda nikla. "-A"

"Usay andar aanay do," A said. Voice still robotic.

Guards moved aside.

Inside the warehouse it was dark. Cold. Smelled like fear.

20 girls. Sitting on the floor. Hands tied. Mouths taped. Eyes wide with terror. Some were crying silently.

Elena’s chest hurt.

"Yeh hain," A said. "Tumhari wajah se inki life khatam ho gayi."

"Jhoot," Elena said. "Tumhari wajah se."

A laughed. "Chalo. Deal ka time."

He pointed to a table. On it: one USB, one gun, and a key.

"3 cheezein," A said. "USB mein baaki sab evidence hai jo police tak nahi pohuncha. Gun mein ek goli hai. Key se in larkiyon ke haath khul jayenge."

"Deal kya hai?" Elena asked.

"Simple," A said. "USB le kar police ke paas jao. Sab khatam. Lekin main bhaag jaunga. Aur ye larkiyan phir kabhi safe nahi hongi.

Ya... gun uthao. Mujhe goli maaro. Larkiyan bach jayengi. Lekin tum murderer ban jaogi."

Elena stared at the gun. Her hands were shaking.

"Ya teesra option," A said. "Key uthao. Larkiyon ko khol do. Aur mere saath kaam karo. Mere jaisi bano. System ke khilaf."

Elena looked at the girls. One of them was maybe 16. Same age as she was when her brother disappeared.

She reached for the key.

A clapped slowly. "Good girl."

The moment her fingers touched the key, glass broke upstairs.

Bang!

A guard fell outside.

"Police!" someone shouted.

A cursed. "Tumne dhoka kiya!"

"Nahi," Elena said. "Tumne."

Chaos. Lights on. Sirens.

A grabbed Elena’s arm and pulled her. "Agar main nahi bachunga to koi nahi bachega."

He dragged her to the back door.

Elena fought back and bit his hand. He let go and she ran to the girls.

Key. Lock. Key. Lock.

"Larkiyon utho! Bhago!" Elena shouted.

Mira jumped down from the roof. "Elena! Idhar!"

A was running toward the exit. He turned once and looked at Elena.

"Ye khatam nahi hua," he said through the mask. "Main wapas aaunga."

And he disappeared into the night.

Police came in. Ambulances.

Elena sat on the floor, holding a crying girl. She was shaking.

Aarav ran in and hugged her. "Tum pagal ho. Akeli kyun gayi?"

"Kyunki kisi ko to jana tha," Elena whispered.

Mira came and gave her water. "Sab larkiyan safe hain."

Elena nodded. But her eyes were on the door where A ran away.

The war wasn’t over.

It had just started Round 2.