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528 Words
FAR AWAY FROM THE BASE
Vihaan and Alpha 2 lead the hostages across the desert towards the extraction point.
The sweltering heat beats down hard and leaves them exhausted.
ALPHA 2: (to Col R.B. Singh) Team Raven reporting sir, we have acquired the hostages and are now proceeding to the extraction point.
COL. R.B. SINGH: Excellent. The chopper is on the way.
Vihaan’s attention drifts towards Keshika once again. She has a tough time keeping up. And so,, does Vihaan with the bullet hits to his body.
VIHAAN: (waits for her to catch up) Just a little more.
KESHIKA: (breathless) I can’t---go on --- any more ---
VIHAAN: (reaches out for her hand) Just a little more. You’re going to make it. (pauses to listen to a rumbling sound) See? The chopper is coming.
ALPHA 2: (horrified) I don’t think that’s ours…
The rumbling gets louder and closer.
Over the dunes, rises a heavily armed attack chopper piloted by Col. Masoud. He is accompanied by three men.
COL. MASOUD: (gnashing his teeth) Found you!
On the ground, sheer terror hits Vihaan, his team and his family.
VIHAAN: Run-run-run!
They break into a furious sprint. Despite the adrenaline rush, they struggle to waddle across the hot, sweltering desert.
DADI: (breathless) I—can’t---run---anymore---
VIHAAN: No! Dadi! Keep up - keep up!
The heat gets to Keshika. She trips over and FLUMPS to the sand.
VIHAAN: Keshika!
He dashes across to her but gets cut off by a sudden blast of bullets from the air. He cowers in defence.
VIHAAN: Everybody stay down!
The chopper opens fire as it flies across and back.
A humongous bullet hits his mother in the leg.
MOM: Ahhh!!!
Vihaan is furious!
VIHAAN: Alpha 2! Fire at will!
They crouch and spray a hard jet of bullets at the chopper.
Their bullets CLANG against the metal, yet, it flies across unaffected, turns around and returns full fire!
Alpha 2 gets hit on the shoulder and chest, inches away from his heart. He is thrown off his feet from the impact.
Another bullet hits his grandmother in the leg.
Vihaan fires at the chopper’s tank.
VIHAAN: Alpha 2! Not yet! Hang on! I need you!
Alpha 2 staggers to his knees, shoots at the chopper.
VIHAAN: The tank! The tank! Go for the tank!
Col. Masoud realizes that trouble is brewing.
The chopper’s siren screams in protest. It desperately struggles to stay afloat. It sways and flails before nose diving into the hot sand.
BOOOM!
It BLOWS APART in a smoking ball of flames.
ALPHA 2: (smiling, relieved) We did it, sir! We did it!
VIHAAN: (falls to his knees, busted) You did very good, Alpha 2.
ALPHA 2: Thank you sir. You too. See? We told you that you were the one.
Vihaan is quiet.
VIHAAN: You’re right. I guess that a strong sense of purpose is what forces us to get through the impossible… Alpha… no… that’s not your real name, is it?
ALPHA 2 – Shaurya, sir. Shaurya Singhania.
***
- Writer
