`*`Chase 4`*` {NOTE- P-19} {9/18}!!!! ❤️ - Page 11

Originally posted by: sameira-90

hey wow u finally continued..---yeep i fianlly did!!! after almost 10 mnthz!!! soorie 4 da delay wuzz quite buzzi!!! great part... continue soon...---im glad yu liked it!!! will do so in few minz!!!

Originally posted by: AngelsHeaven

fab part...---heyy thnxx!!!
& good to have u back....---im glad 2 be baqq as well!!!
will b waint g 4 u to update & to unravel the mystery soon---hahaha i knwww i just did!!! i had posted a re run!! well chk it out now!!!
continue soon---will do so in few minz!!!

Originally posted by: sanju_veni

hey its really great to have u back n really a amazing update.......---heyyy thnx a ton!!! im glad 2 be baqq as well!!!....thanks for pm..........n plz update soon n will be eagerly waiting for ur next update---wil bee postin it in just few minz!!!STAY TUNED

Originally posted by: aRohAAnGeL

so u'r pretty much saying u want me to spam this..lol..bad bad..ull get in trouble from mods..---hey hey noww!!! dunt be blamin it on me!!! i hvnt said neythin!!!! missy!!!

Originally posted by: sweetdamage

OMG! When I saw the update I was sooooooo excited, ---awwww thnxxx i knwww dat wuzz da whole pt!!! you can't even imagine...I honeslty have no words to describe that part. You had me holding my breath....all I could think of was ANGAD GO SAVE HER! Damn, I wish he gets to her in time! AMAZING PART! loved ever bit of it! totally worth the wait! thank you sooo much for the awesome update, and for continuing this story!!---awwww thnxx 4 suchh wonderfull commentz...phew welll i realli wanna knw whtt yu will be thinkin abut my nxt update cuz datz wrst den diz one!!!!will do so in few minz

~Sweety~

Originally posted by: deeya123

great part ---heyy thnxx

but karthick ...i wonder what happened between him and angad---well yu gotta wait just lil bit more 2 find out!!!

m a bit confused---dunt wrry everythin will fall baqq in place!!! soon

Chapter Forty Seven

Are we having fun yet? Oh, yes, yes indeed.

Because of Aaliyah's metal leg brace, she wasn't able to kneel, and for that reason Father Tom married the couple at the beginning of the ceremony instead of waiting until the middle of the mass, as was the usual custom. Shabir was a good, decent man and very levelheaded. He believed in marriage and commitment, as did his lovely Aaliyah. Both of them had endured hardships in the past and had survived with grace and diginity, and Prithvi knew that they would fight to keep their vows to each other when they hit those inevitable rocky patches. He smiled as Shabir put the wedding ring on Aaliyah's finger. Her hand was trembling, so it took the groom two tries. Shabir was as steady as an old oak.

While the other members of the wedding party quietly filed into the front pews, the bride and groom, flanked by the best man and the maid of honor, followed by Father Tom up to the altar. Crossing behind him, they walked to the chairs against the wall and took their seats. Kripa straightened the long train on Aaliyah's wedding dress and then sat down next to her. None of them would get up again until communion was served.

The two altar boys, cousins on Aaliyah's side of the family, sat on the opposite side of the altar by the sacristy door. Sujal stood beside them. As Prithvi was coming around the altar, he noticed Sujal slouching against the wall. He frowned at him, and cupping his hand at his hand, motioned for him to stand tall. Sujal immediately complied.

Prithvi turned to the congregation then. He bowed his head, braced his hands on the cool marble top, and then slowly genuflected.

And that was when he noticed the flowers. There, tucked under the altar was a beautiful crystal vase filled with white lilies. Prithvi assumed the flowers had been placed there by the florist to get them out of the way while the altar was being prepared for the wedding ceremony. Whoever had put the white linen cloth across the marble top had simply forgotten to put the flowers back. Prithvi bent down and leaned in to pick up the vase, but as he was lifting it, he saw the tiny, pin-size, red light blinking at him.

Puzzled, he leaned in to get a closer look. Then he saw the oblong block attached underneath the altar top. It was about the size of a brick covered in a mass of gray duct tape. There were red and white and blue wires protruding from the tape, and in the center was a red light.

He knew exactly what he was looking at now. It was a bomb. And from the size of it, Prithvi thought there was enough there to blow the church apart. The blinking red light indicated the bomb had already been activated.

"My God," he whispered, so stunned he couldn't move. His heart felt as though it had just stopped. His immediate reaction was to jump up and shout a warning, but he had stay clam. The last thing he wanted to do was cause a panic. He let go of the vase, then grabbed it before it toppled over. His hands were shaking violently now, and he could feel the sweat beading on his forehead.

What in God's name should he do? Still down on one knee, he half turned toward Sujal and motioned for him to come to him.

Sujal saw Prithvi's stricken expression and immediately hurried toward him. He thought Prithvi was sick. His complexion was as gray as the marble.

Prithvi had to grip the edge of the altar to get to his feet. All he could think about was getting the congregation outside. His mind raced. He hadn't been down on his knee for more than four, five seconds at the most, but it was still long enough for the crowd to wonder what he was doing. He held on to the altar top with one hand, grabbed the vase with the other, and stood up just as Sujal reached him. Prithvi forced a smile on his face, put the flowers on the altar, next to the microphone, and then stepped back. He didn't want the microphone to pick up his whisper when he told Sujal what he had found.

Sujal moved to stand in front of Prithvi with his back to the congregation. "What's wrong?" he whispered.

Prithvi leaned close and whispered into his ear, "There's a bomb under the altar."

Sujal's expression didn't change. He simply nodded as he whispered, "Let me have a look."

Then he turned toward the crowd, made a hasty sign of the cross the way Father had taught him, and knelt down. He wanted the congregation to think he was participating in the ceremony. Bowing his head, he ducked lower and leaned in. "Lord," he whispered. He'd wanted to see what he was dealing with, his hope that it was a simple, homemade device that could easily be dismantled. No such luck. One glance told him the explosive was damned complex, too complex for him to deal with. It would take an expert to figure out which wires to clip, and where is God's name were they going to find an explosives expert in a town the size of Holy Oaks?

Sujal pulled back and looked up at Prithvi. "Can't undo it."

As he raised to his feet, Prithvi whispered. "Okay, we've got to get them all out of here. I'll get Shabir to help. You get Father Tom and the altar boys moving.

Prithvi hurried toward the groom. He was halfway there when he stopped and motioned for Shabir to get up and come to him. He didn't want Aaliyah to hear what he was going to say. She was watching him closely, a puzzled look on her face, and then she leaned toward Kripa and whispered to her. Kripa shook her head slightly, indicating she didn't know what Prithvi was going.

In a low, urgent whisper, Prithvi said, "We've got a problem here, and I need your help getting everyone outside. There's a bomb under the altar. We don't want a panic," he added when he heard Shabir's draw-in breath. "We can do this. They'll follow you and Aaliyah. Now go," he ordered.

"The grotto," Shabir whispered. "Tell everyone to follow us to the grotto, like I've got a surprise for Aaliyah."

"Yes, good," Prithvi whispered. He told Father Tom to announce everyone the follow the bride and the groom.

Shabir had already reached Aaliya before Father Tom began his announcement. She looked quite stunned when he pulled her to her feet, then swept her up into his arms.

"Shabir, what are you doing?" she whispered.

"Just smile, honey. We have to get out of here."

Aaliyah wrapped her arms around his shoulders and smiled as he had instructed. She whispered, "Am I going to like this surprise?"

Shabir didn't answer her. He strode across the altar, down the steps, and up the center aisle.

His enthusiasm made Kripa smile. Shabir was practically running. She and David, the best man, waited until Father Tom had finished his announcement. Then they stood. Kripa slipped her arm through David's followed the bride and groom, but at a much more sedate pace.

A murmur rolled through the crowd, and it became quite noisy as the wedding guests gathered up their possessions, kicked the kneelers back, and stood up to file out of the church.

Kartik couldn't believe what he was seeing. They were leaving. No, his mind screamed. This was not acceptable. No on could leave. What surprise was the priest babbling about? Leaving early wasn't part of the rehearsal. The grotto? Why were they going to the grotto? What had he missed? His mind was speeding now, his thoughts getting jumbled together in his mind. Not acceptable. Kripa. She was leaving too. No, No, No. She's walking across the altar now. Prithvi first, then Kripa. Like he planned. But the mule, the mule had to see it happen.

The Priest was speaking into the microphone again. "Those of you who are close to the side doors should go out that way. It will save time," he added.

Kartik, shaking with fury, could feel his control slipping away, disintegrating, but then, just as he was about to leap to his feet and start shooting, he saw the side door open, and there he was, the mule himself, trying to get inside as the crowd was pushing out. Angad had finally arrived. "There now, there now, it's all the right now," he whispered. He felt like shouting with joy. He was so thrilled to see the mule, he wanted to wave to him. Good to see you, Khanna. Yes, indeed.

There was still time 'show time' if he acted quickly. Swinging his rifle up, he went for his first target. "Don't laugh. Don't laugh," he whispered, but the thrill was so exquisite, he didn't know if he could stop himself. He looked through the scope as he slipped his finger on the trigger. Gentle now. Gentle now. Wait for it.

Sujal had just nudged the altar boys toward the side door and was turning to intercept Kripa before she reached the center aisle. He wasn't about to let her out of his sight. She would leave with Prithvi and him.

He was about twelve feet away from Prithvi when he saw the beam of light bouncing across the wall. He instantly reacted. "Gun!" he shouted as he pulled his own weapon from his sleeve and raced toward Prithvi. His attention was focused on the choir loft as he fired at the source of the light.

Angad had seen the laser beam skipping across the altar towards Prithvi just as Sujal shouted the warning. "Get down!" he yelled as he shoved his way through the startled crowd.

Prithvi didn't have time to react. He heard a spitting sound, and a chunk of the altar splintered into the air. One second Sujal and Angad were shouting, and the next, Sujal was firing his gun at the balcony as he made a diving leap at Prithvi and knocked him to the floor. Sujal's head stuck the edge of the marble top as they went down, and then he fell like a dead weight on top of him. Prithvi pushed himself free and scrambled to get the unconscious Sujal behind cover. As he struggled to pull him back, Prithvi saw the blood pouring from Sujal's left shoulder.

The screams from the crowd, frantic to get out of the church, pierced the air. The aisle were crammed with hysterical men and women. Angad had his Sig Sauer in his right hand, and as he pushed forward, knocking people out of his way, he reached behind him under his jacket and pulled out the loaded Glock from his waistband. He leapt onto a pew and opened fire. Running along the tops of the benches, he fired the guns in succession, trying to keep the b****** pinned down.

Kartik ducked behind the railing. What was happening? The Priest in training had pulled out gun and started shooting at him, and he'd been able to get off only a few shots. He's seen Prithvi go down, then the other Priest, and he was sure he'd hit both of them. Now he had to get Kripa. Kartik inched the gun up and got her in his sights. She was down on her knees at the bottom of the altar steps. She was struggling to get up when he fired. She went down again, but he couldn't tell where the bullet had struck her. Gunshots were blazing away at him. He dropped the rifle and scrambled on his belly to get to the trapdoor. The videotape. He had to get the tape. The air around him sizzled with bullets. One nearly go him in his hand as he reached for the video camera. Couldn't get it, but he couldn't leave without it. Kartik crawled to the outlet next to the organ, then jerked the cord. Gunfire and screams ricocheted around him. The camera crashed to the floor, shattering, and he reeled it toward him. A second later, he had the tape. He shoved it into the pocket of his windbreaker, zipped it closed, and then scrambled behind the organ and lifted the trapdoor. Swinging his feet in first, he slid down onto the ledge he'd built in the ceiling below. Then he reached up, pulled the trapdoor closed, and slipped the bolt in place.

There was so much noise he didn't worry about anyone hearing him kick through the ceiling. He landed in the closet, opened the door, and peeked out. No one was inside the vestibule, but he could see the swarm of people pushing and shoving to get out the front doors. Kartik decided to blend in with the mob. He ran through the vestibule and then elbowed his way into the crowd. An old woman grabbed his arm to keep from being pitched forward, and gentleman that he was, he wrapped his arm around her and helped her outside.

He glanced back once and had to fight the laughter. Angad was probably still fighting the crowd, trying to get to the iron gate. Eventually, he'd make it up the stairs, but would he find the trapdoor? Kartik didn't think so. It had been so cleverly designed. He could just picture the mule standing there, scratching his head in puzzlement. Where oh where had Aprajit Deb gone? Yes, that's who the mule would be looking for, but when Angad next saw him, Kartik was sure the FBI agent wouldn't recognize him. The beard would be gone, the farmer's haircut would be longer, styled, and dyed a different color. He'd also change the color of his eyes, maybe green or blue. He had such a nice collection of contacts to choose from, every color of the rainbow at his disposal.

Kartik believed he was the master of disguises. Subtle changes, which was the ticket. Nothing dramatic, just a little of this and a little of that to make a world of difference. Why, his own mother wouldn't have recognized him today if he'd walked up to her and tapped her on her shoulder. Of course, Mother wasn't seeing much of anything these days, rotting as she was in her backyard under the petunias she was so partial to. Still, if she could see him in his farmer's getup, Kartik was sure she'd get a kick out of it.

He didn't let go of the old woman on his arm but dragged her along with him as he turned the corner. He kept close to the building so that when the mule got up to the loft, he wouldn't see him if he looked out the window.

The old hag was crying. He reached the side door where the crowd was spilling out of the church, and she started to resist. "Let me go. I have to find my husband. Help me find him."

He shoved her away from him and watched her fall into the bushes. Then he moved on, pushing his way through the throng of people and turning again to make sure the mule wasn't hot on his trail.

He let out a low squeal. Prithvi was rushing outside, and the crowd was parting for him. He was carrying the other priest. Prithvi's white coat was bloody, but Prithvi didn't look any worse for wear. And Kripa. God Almighty, she was coming out of the door with him.

He was so shocked to see that both of them were still alive and kicking, he almost shouted at them. He recoiled against the wall, his shoulders pressing into the cold stone. What to do? What to do? No time to plan, no time at all, but he had to do something before the opportunity slipped away.

A crowd surrounded Prithvi now. Kartik watched as he slowly lowered the other priest to the grass, then knelt over him and whispered into the dying priest's ear. Praying for him, no doubt, as if that would do any good.

Only, the priest he'd shot wasn't a priest, was he? He had a gun. He was a mule, a pretender. How dare they trick him? How dare they? He was a mule all right. But now he was dying.

Kartik desperately wanted to kill Prithvi, yet he knew he couldn't get a clear shot at him---too many people running around like chickens with their heads cut off.

He turned his attention to Kripa. Easy pickings, he thought. She was standing be the door, against the wall, trying to stay out of the way, but every couple of seconds she turned to try to look inside. She wasn't more than thirty feet away from him. He slowly crept forward. She looked dazed, and that gave him an added advantage.

He pulled the gun out of his pocket and hid it inside his jacket.

"Kripa," he shouted her name and tried to sound pitiful. He doubled over, his head down, but he peeked up at her as he called out to her again.

"Kripa, I've been shot. Please help me." He staggered closer. "Please."

Kripa heard Aprajit Deb call her name, and without a second's hesitation, she started toward him.

He pretended to stumble. Then he groaned loudly. An Academy Award. He should get an award for his flawless performance.

Kripa took a step in his direction and a sting pinched the calf of her right leg. Most likely she'd cut herself when she'd been thrown to the floor by one of the bridesmaids trying to push ahead of her into the aisle. She could feel blood tickling down into her shoe.

She was limping but moved as fast as she could. When she was about five feet away from him, she suddenly stopped. Something wasn't quite right. She heard Angad's voice inside her head. Don't believe anything anyone tells you. And that's when she glanced down and saw what was wrong.

Kartik watched her take a step back, away from him. He had his right hand inside his jacket, holding his gun flush against his side. He kept stumbling toward her, half doubled over, trying to look as though he were in terrible pain.

She wasn't buying it. What was she staring at? His hand. She was staring at his hand. He looked down and then he saw it. The surgical glove. He had forgotten to remove the damn glove. Jolted by his own carelessness, he ran at her like a charging bull. She was turning to run away, shouting for Angad, when he slammed the back of his gun against the base of her skull, silencing her scream.

Hurry, his mind told him. Get her, get her, get her. She was unconscious, falling, but he caught her around the waist before she hit the ground and dragged her back, and around the corner of the building. People were still pouring out of the church, and there were clusters of men and women and children in the parking lot, but no one tried to stop him. Did they see what he was doing? Did they see the gun pressed against Kripa's chest? The barrel was pointed upward, the muzzle under her chin. If anyone dared to interfere, Kartik knew exactly what he would do. He would blow her pretty little head off.