Episode 14

Death at Midnight

Episode 14: A City Against Him

The night was alive with danger. Sirens wailed in the distance. Flashlights cut through the darkness as Khanna’s men spread out, hunting them like prey.

Aryan sprinted through the dense underbrush, his breath ragged. He was outnumbered, outgunned, and running out of time.

Behind him, gunfire erupted again.

Rakesh.

He turned for a split second—long enough to see the SUV swerve violently onto the road, Meera inside, and Rakesh behind the wheel.

Then—BANG!

A tire exploded.

The car skidded, spun out of control, and slammed into a tree.

“No!” Aryan growled, his heart slamming against his ribs.

He couldn’t lose them.

A Trap Within a Trap

The wrecked car hissed with smoke. Aryan ran toward it, ducking behind a tree as bullets rained down.

He spotted Meera—still alive, barely moving.

Rakesh had pulled her out, shielding her with his own body, firing at their attackers.

“Rakesh!” Aryan called.

Rakesh turned—and in that second, it happened.

A single shot.

Straight through his chest.

Rakesh staggered. His gun slipped from his grip.

Aryan’s world slowed. No. No. No.

His most loyal friend—gone in an instant.

The rage was instant. Explosive.

Aryan fired without hesitation, taking down two of Khanna’s men before grabbing Meera and running.

Tires screeched in the distance. Reinforcements were coming.

They had to disappear. Now.

The Face of the Enemy

By the time the city awoke, the news had already spread.

“Breaking News: ACP Aryan Mehta Wanted for Treason.”

Every channel. Every newspaper. Every radio station.

Aryan stood in a dingy motel room, watching as his own face flashed across the screen.

Commissioner Khanna stood at the podium.

“With great sorrow, we confirm that ACP Aryan Mehta has gone rogue. He is responsible for leaking confidential police information, conspiring with criminals, and murdering officers. If anyone sees him, report immediately.”

A photo of Rakesh appeared.

Khanna’s voice was calm. Controlled.

“…and in his latest act of betrayal, he is responsible for the death of Inspector Rakesh Sharma.”

Aryan’s grip on the remote tightened until it cracked.

This was Khanna’s move. Frame him. Make the city turn against him. Make him the villain.

Meera stood behind him, her face pale. “He’s… he’s taken away everything from you.”

Aryan exhaled slowly. His heart was burning, but his mind was clear.

“No,” he said. “He hasn’t. Not yet.”

War Begins at Midnight

Khanna had the police, the government, and the media.

Aryan had the truth.

And he was done running.

He turned to Meera. “The USB. Does it have enough to take him down?”

She nodded. “Yes. But we need to get it to someone who can use it.”

Aryan thought fast. They needed someone untouchable, someone who wasn’t in Khanna’s pocket.

Then he had it.

Ritika Malhotra.

Karan’s widow. The woman falsely accused. The one person with nothing left to lose.

If they could get the evidence to her, she could go public before Khanna had a chance to silence them.

It was a long shot. But it was all they had.

Aryan picked up his gun, checked the bullets.

“This ends tonight,” he said.

Meera swallowed hard. “How?”

Aryan’s gaze was cold. Determined.

“We take the fight to him.”

To Be Continued…

(Next episode: Episode 15: The Last Safe Haven—where Aryan and Meera seek refuge in the unlikeliest of places, and the truth begins to surface.)

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