Episode 12

Death at Midnight

Episode 12: The Name That Changes Everything

Meera Sharma’s lips trembled as she finally spoke the name.

"Commissioner Dheeraj Khanna."

Aryan froze.

His blood ran cold. His breath caught in his throat.

He must have misheard.

"Say that again," he whispered, his voice dangerously low.

Meera looked at him with terrified eyes. "The person who ordered the transactions, who wanted Karan dead, who has been controlling everything from the shadows… is your own boss."

Aryan felt like the world had shifted beneath his feet.

Commissioner Khanna.

The man who had mentored him. The man who had led some of the biggest investigations in Mumbai. The man who had personally put Aryan in charge of this case.

Had he really been orchestrating everything all along?

Or was Meera lying?

Trust—And Betrayal

Aryan forced himself to stay calm. "Do you have proof?"

Meera hesitated, then reached into her bag and pulled out a USB drive.

"This has bank statements, emails, and even voice recordings of conversations I wasn’t supposed to hear."

Aryan took the drive carefully. His hands were steady, but his mind was racing.

If what Meera was saying was true, then this case was no longer about Karan Malhotra.

This was about the entire system being rotten from the inside.

But before Aryan could say another word—

The power in the interrogation room went out.

Pitch darkness swallowed them.

Then—

BOOM!

The sound of gunfire.

A Desperate Escape

"DOWN!" Aryan shouted, grabbing Meera and pulling her to the floor as bullets shattered the glass of the observation room.

Shadows moved outside. Footsteps thundered in the hall. Someone had cut the power to kill them.

Meera was sobbing, shaking in fear. "They found me! They’re going to kill me!"

Aryan’s instincts kicked in. They had seconds to get out.

He grabbed his gun and aimed at the door. Two figures appeared.

He fired. One went down instantly. The other ducked for cover.

"Meera, move!" he ordered, dragging her toward the emergency exit.

The station was in chaos—alarms ringing, officers shouting. But Aryan knew one thing—

He couldn’t trust anyone.

The Commissioner’s men were inside the force.

If he wanted to survive, he had to get out.

And more importantly—he had to protect the USB drive.

Nowhere Is Safe

Aryan and Meera managed to slip into the police parking lot. A black SUV was waiting, its engine running.

Rakesh.

"Sir! Get in!" Rakesh shouted.

Aryan hesitated. Could he trust him?

He had no time to think. More gunshots rang out from inside the station.

He shoved Meera into the back seat and jumped in. "GO!"

The tires screeched as Rakesh sped into the night.

Aryan turned to Meera. "Are you okay?"

She nodded weakly.

Rakesh gritted his teeth. "Sir, what the hell is happening?"

Aryan exhaled. "We’ve been chasing the wrong target, Rakesh. This goes beyond Karan Malhotra."

Rakesh glanced at him. "Then who’s behind it?"

Aryan tightened his grip on the USB.

"Commissioner Khanna."

Rakesh’s hands stiffened on the wheel.

For the first time, Aryan saw real fear in his friend’s eyes.

The War Has Just Begun

Aryan knew the truth now.

This wasn’t about a businessman’s murder.

This was about power, corruption, and a cover-up that stretched to the highest levels of law enforcement.

And now, he was on the run.

No backup. No official support. No one he could trust except himself.

His only option?

Expose the truth.

Before the truth buried him.

To Be Continued…

(Next episode: Episode 13: The Man in the Shadows—where Aryan plans his next move, but the enemy is already one step ahead.)

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