Encounter Between Enemies

Seconds to Zero

Fajr sat on the plush sofa, the quiet elegance of the room wrapping around her like a blanket. A moment later, Rehman walked in holding a small plate with a freshly warmed piece of apple pie. He set it down on the glass coffee table in front of her, along with a cool glass of water.

"Eat this first, then speak," Rehman said, his tone surprisingly calm, though his dark eyes lingering on her face told a different story. "You look like you haven't rested all day."

Fajr looked up, completely caught off guard by the sudden gesture from a man who had been so cold and distant just moments ago. "I didn't come here for tea and cake, General."

Rehman leaned against the edge of the table, looking down at her with a faint, dangerous charm playing on his features. "Consider it a command, Miss Fajr. You brought me crucial information. The least I can do is ensure you don't collapse in my living room."

Suppressing a small smile, Fajr picked up the small fork and took a bite. The warm cinnamon and buttery crust melted instantly on her tongue. Involuntarily, she closed her eyes for a fleeting second, savoring the rich flavor.

When she opened them, she found Rehman standing just a step away, watching her intently. His gaze was dark, heavy, and completely unreadable.

Their eyes locked in the quiet room. In a heartbeat, the atmosphere shifted—the sharp friction between them dissolving into a sudden, unspoken warmth. Under his intense gaze, Fajr’s heart skipped an erratic beat.

Realizing how close they were, she quickly set the fork down, cleared her throat to regain her composure, and stood up from the couch. She finished the glass of water in a single, silent gulp, then turned on her heel. Walking out of the house without saying another word, her silence carried a quiet pride that lingered in the dimly lit hallway long after the front door clicked shut.

As soon as she left, Rehman took a deep breath, locked the door, and muttered to himself with a subtle smile tugging at the corner of his lips:

"What a strange girl... I kept telling her to leave, yet she took her time and ate my pie."

Meanwhile, miles away on the highway...

Hamid navigated the quiet, dark roads with the children tucked safely in the back. Suddenly, a sharp, unbearable discomfort forced him to pull the vehicle over near a deserted stretch of road.

Turning back, he offered a firm instruction. "Listen to me closely—stay inside the car and do not step out. I'll be back in two minutes."

However, the moment Hamid walked away, childhood curiosity took over. Ignoring his warning, the children unlatched the doors and stepped onto the misty roadside anyway.

Within seconds, two unmarked black vehicles screeched to a halt, their tires burning against the asphalt!

Black-clad, armed operatives swarmed the area in a swift, merciless strike. Before the children could even scream, they were violently forced into the vans and sped away into the night.

When Hamid returned, his blood ran ice-cold.

The car doors were flung wide open. The roadside was completely empty.

Panic seized him. He searched frantically, screaming their names into the dark woods, but found no trace of them. With trembling, sweating hands, he dialed Rehman's private number.

"Boss!" Hamid’s voice broke in sheer terror. "Something terrible has happened... someone else has kidn*pped the children!"

Rehman's voice exploded over the speaker in absolute fury.

"How careless can you be, Hamid?!" Rehman roared. "I entrusted you with such a massive responsibility! Tell me the exact location where they were taken right now—I'm on my way. And by the time I get there, find out where those kidnappers took them at any cost! If you show even a fraction of carelessness now, I won't spare your life!"

Rehman arrived at the location like a storm. Working together with frantic, razor-sharp efficiency, they tracked down the kidnappers' secret hideout inside a dilapidated, abandoned warehouse and stormed inside.

All the children lay unconscious on the cold concrete floor. But what was truly terrifying was the modern time bomb strapped directly across the chest of one of the youngest kids.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

The sharp, rhythmic countdown echoed through the deserted room like the relentless footsteps of death.

In utter panic, Hamid immediately began calling the bomb disposal squad and the police. Rehman rushed over to the children, gently slapping their cheeks to wake them up, but they remained completely unresponsive—heavily drugged.

"Boss, please calm down!" Hamid pleaded, his hands shaking violently.

Rehman glared at Hamid, his eyes bloodshot with rage and desperation. "How can I calm down?! Can't you see the timer is running out? There's only one minute left! This bomb could detonate at any second! Call bomb disposal again immediately and hand the phone over to me!"

Hamid connected the call right away and shoved the phone into Rehman's hand.

"How long will it take for you to reach here?!" Rehman demanded anxiously.

"Sir!" the Bomb Disposal Officer shouted through the receiver. "It will take us at least five minutes to reach your location!"

"No... that's far too late!" Rehman yelled in deep distress. "We only have ONE minute remaining!"

"Sir! Can you describe the bomb's structure to me? What color wires can you see?"

Rehman leaned over, staring closely at the intricate circuit board. "Yes! There are three colored wires—red, black, and blue."

"Sir! If it's a standard timer bomb, snip the red wire without wasting a single second!"

Rehman hesitated, his hand hovering over the mechanism, torn between pure military instinct and overwhelming fear. "Are you absolutely sure it's the red wire?!"

"Yes, sir! Cut that exact one!"

Rehman closed his eyes for a split second, remembered God, steeled his trembling heart, and snapped the heavy wire cutters shut over the red wire.

Snip.

The digital timer went completely black for a agonizing second.

Then, the LED screen flashed a brilliant, blood-red hue. The numbers reappeared—and began counting down at double speed:

00:10...

00:09...

00:08...