FF: Web of Lies - COMPLETED on p80 - Page 50

hey tis is amazing...

What a cliff-hanger! Can't wait to see what happens next. Love your story.

Originally posted by: MjhtFan_Mahima

update when???

Originally posted by: PalyGirl

<font color="#cc0000" size="3">I will post on Friday (New York time) if my betas like the current chapter.</font>

Ok 😊

Loved the start, Surita and Zoya's confrontation was brilliant...And love how everyone, I mean everyone thinks that Assad is her boyfriend...🤣 lol

I love that you are putting Flash backs...very convenientnow for people like me who somehow forget something some times...And because of that now we can see where we have missed the clues that you planted...😆

Oh ho, Now I can see that all the accident that he had were REALLY accident...and not that some one beat him up...God, I feel so bad that no one was beating him up...😭 But thats good for him that he wasnt with them in any way...And HAVE to admit that Surita nd Co are so clever...They slowly made but very cleverly made sure that when they were in action Malak was out of their way...

What to say about ma Surita darling who really did betrayed me...I shall NEVER forgive her...🥺 lol But its good that at least she doesnt want to kill someone, she just wants money...Zoya's mind works so fast...she used Surita's fear so well...👏

Once again, Zoya is very intelligent...She somehow saved them because she refused to save her codes to their server which immediately meant that Surita and Co's whole plan became useless...And then she tried to took advantage of that situation...

Loved that because of Surita we got a trailer of the future action movie that we will get because of our Hero...and Haha, I laughed so Hard after reading about Zoya's smugness when she was treating them..."And now you've hurt me," Zoya continues in her soft voice. "Imagine what will happen when Asad Ahmed Khan gets his hands on you." 🤣 And I have always Loved when she becomes Fangirl whenever some one talks about her Mr.Khan and his ability to break people's bones...especially when he does that for/because his musibaat...😳

Tej ke liye toh mera Sher Ahmed Khan kafi hai...I am going to have SO MUCH FUN when Asad will break him limb by limb...Muahaha...😈

Loved how Asad and Malka were able to put all their differences a side to save Zoya...and what a Man Asad is to think about Malak's health, if it was me at first I would have punch him because somehow I have left her there in his protection... An exaggerated action I know...But as I have said countless times I don't like Malak and I have wanted Asad to punch him from the start...But looks like I won't see, or better read this day EVER...😭 lol

Asad looks around, his architect's mind evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of his building. "Did you set up any security here?"

"No." Malak shakes his head. "I...I didn't think we needed it."

Asad meets his eyes. Malak can't hold his gaze and looks down, shamefaced.

"I did," Asad says.

Malak's head jerks up. "What?"

"I had the remote locks installed on the outside doors last night." Asad looks around one final time. "I didn't activate them because I hadn't told Zoya yet. They'll engage automatically if the power goes out."

...

"Are you crazy?" Malak demands. "You're going to lock them in here? With Zoya?"

"With me," Asad corrects, dark anticipation heavy in his voice.

"You don't understand how dangerous they are," Malak warns.

"No." Asad's eyes narrow, the fierce predator inside him barely leashed. "They don't understand how dangerous I am."

"Asad, don be stupid," Malak hisses. "This is no time to be a hero."

"Actually, it's the perfect time to be a hero." Asad smiles his tight, humorless smile. "Don't worry. Zoya and I have been through this before."

Did I said just HOW much I love Asad Ahmed Khan...That man is so protective,adorably territorial,possessive...He is a total control freak when it comes to her safety...so dangerous when needed...But How thoughtful of him to not do it before talking to her...How can he get more perfect...?? God, I just love him... ☺️

And Dev...

"Why not?" Dev demands. "I can take on Khan."

"No, you can't," Surita snaps. "I did some research on him. In the last few weeks alone, three men have accused him of beating them nearly to death with only his bare hands."

"No," Dev snorts. "I don't believe that."

Oh, we saw how that did go...😎 LOL And Muahahaha...God, Oh MY GOD...What a fight that was...😲 The terms that you used and write the Fight..."a skilled hunting cat" and the way you used boxing terms "a sharp right hook to his temple" I Never knew about these boxing terms...At first I thought Asad used some object...But that was a very fair and vivid fight...Loved it...and what an intelligent way to use UPS...Can't wait for the next one = Tej... I am amazed...And so proud of Mr.Boxer Ahmed Khan...

I perfect end as always...the same one that makes you want to sit at the edge of your seat...A very clever and vivid chapter, Brilliantly written...That was mind blowing, to say the least...😳

But the most cleverest of all is the Mastermind behind this story...BRAVO Paly...What a thought, what a concept...👏 You did add a disclaimer...you worry too much but in the end of the day, that's so responsible of you...

U KNOW U R AN EXCEEELLLEENT WRITER... EVN MORE THAN THAT

Originally posted by: PalyGirl

I will post on Friday (New York time) if my betas like the current chapter.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Zoya slams Kesavan's office door shut and clicks the lock. She turns in a full circle, looks around desperately and drags over a straight-back chair, jamming it under the doorknob. Another shot rings out. She stumbles back and stares, wide-eyed, at the bullet embedding in the solid-core door.

"Allah miya!" She puts her hand to her heart, as though to keep the pounding muscle inside her chest. "Thank you for using such good quality materials, Mr. Khan."

She rushes over to the window and wrenches it open. Standing on tip-toes, she leans out and looks down. It's a three story drop to the ground. There's soft vegetation and bushes around the building but not enough to cushion her fall.

"No, that won't work," she mutters. "I'll break my legs for sure."

She pulls her head back in and studies the office layout. There's only one door leading back to the main office and the windows at Zoya's back. They are the only exits out of the room.

"Think, Zoya, think. There must be another way out."

Another shot rings out and another bullet embeds itself in the door. Then the door rattles as Tej attempts to break it down.

"Come on, Zoya." She turns in a complete circle again, surveying the room. "Mr. Khan's superior construction isn't going to save you for long."

She goes statue-still as she has a flashback to the day Asad first showed the office to her and Malak.

"Are you accusing me of shoddy workmanship?" Asad strides over to him. "Not only are my buildings up to code, but they exceed them."

Malak puts his hands up. "I'm just asking. After all, Zoya will work here. You want Zoya to be safe, don't you?"

Asad doesn't miss the hard, mocking edge in Malak's voice. Asad's mouth flattens into a thin line. He climbs up on a cubicle desk and punches the foam ceiling tile.

"Mr. Khan, what are you doing?" Zoya hurries over to them.

Asad shifts the tile aside so that the two-foot wide steel beams are exposed. He gestures towards the beams.

"Reinforced steel," he says. "The entire building, every floor, is built on a steel cage."

Zoya's mouth drops open as she looks up at the ceiling. She climbs onto Kesavan's desk and pushes aside the foam ceiling tile. The two-foot wide steel beam is there but too high for her to reach. She jumps down and sets the other visitor's chair on the desktop.

The door rattles as Tej rams it again. Zoya jumps in fright and turns to the door. So far the chair under the doorknob is holding. She climbs back up on the desk and chair and grabs the metal beam. Even with the extra chair height she struggles to pull herself up. She grits her teeth, squelching her cry of pain as her weak arm protests the action.

"You can do this, Zoya" she encourages herself, effort straining her voice. "You're Zoya Farooqui. You can do anything."

She puts her foot on the chair back for extra height and lifts herself, sending the chair tumbling off the desk. Unfortunately, it tumbles into the chair bracing the door, knocking it out from under the doorknob. The door frame rattles and the door cracks under Tej's relentless assault.

"What's going on in there?" Surita muffled screech can be heard through the weakening door. "What is she doing?"

Zoya pulls herself above the ceiling line and straddles the beam, her injured arm held close to her body. She has to hug the beam to keep her balance as she shifts the tile gently back into place. The office door crashes open only seconds later.

"Where is she?" Surita's voice comes from below Zoya's hiding place.

"I don't see her," Tej responds.

"Tear the room apart," Surita orders. "Look under the desk and in the cupboards. I'll check Mr. Nair's private washroom."

Zoya can hear them open and close cupboard drawers through the thin barrier of the foam tile. She presses her forehead against the beam, barely daring to breathe. There is a tremendous thump below her and Zoya shudders in reaction.

"What was that?" Surita demands.

"I kicked over the desk," Tej snaps. "She's not in this room."

"She's not in the washroom, either," Surita responds. "Where is she hiding?"

"The window is open," Tej says. "Do you think she jumped?"

There is silence then Surita speaks again. "I don't see her body and it doesn't look like the vegetation's crushed."

"Then where did she go?" Tej counters. "She had to have jumped."

"She would've broken something for sure," Surita says. "That means she can't get far. There's no taxi service all the way out here. She doesn't have a cell phone or any way to call for help or ---"

Surita stops speaking on a sudden gasp.

"What? What?" Tej demands.

"Look over there!" Surita's voice is now higher pitched. "Look past those trees, in the bushes by the side of the road!"

"I don't see anything," Tej grunts.

"It's silver and reflecting sunlight." Surita lets out a little shriek. "It's a silver SUV!"

"So?"

"That's Khan's car!" Surita's voice is sharp and tense. "Asad Ahmed Khan is here!"

Above them, Zoya shoves her fist into her mouth to keep from crying out. Sweat beads her brows and a tremor passes through her body.

"How's that possible?" Tej sounds confused. "Malak only left a few minutes ago. Even if he called Khan, there's no way for him to get here so fast."

"Zoya did it!" Surita snarls.

"Not possible," Tej insists. "I've been watching her the whole morning. You took her cell phone and disabled the land lines. There's no way she called her boyfriend."

"She's a computer security expert. There's a dozen ways she could have reached him," Surita snaps. "She underestimated me and I underestimated her. Somehow she got to him and now he's here."

"Not a problem," Tej's voice is thick with confidence. "He's no match for the three of us and my gun."

Surita draws in her breath on a sharp hiss. "Wait! Where's Dev? It's been ten minutes and he's not back yet."

"The power isn't back, either," Tej grunts.

"Khan got him," Surita gasps. "He got Dev!"

"No, he didn't," Tej says. "Dev can handle himself. And even if Khan did get him, we still have a bargaining chip. We have the old goat."

There is the sound of hurried footsteps then Surita screams from the outer office.

"He's not here! Mr. Nair isn't here!" she cries. "Khan took Zoya and Mr. Nair. How did he do it?"

Tej erupts with a string of curse words. "It's not possible. There's no way he got both Zoya and Nair out at the same time."

"But neither of them is here." Surita points out in her high-pitched, anxious voice. "How did they get out without his help?"

"Nair probably woke up and ran out of the building," Tej snaps. "That's one anyone with half a brain would do."

"So where did Zoya go?" Surita demands.

Tej is quiet for a moment. "Khan must have helped her," he finally agrees. "She wasn't in the office. He could have cushioned her fall somehow."

"So Zoya's gone, Mr. Nair is gone and even Dev is gone." Surita's voice tightens with her fear. "Our plan is falling apart. We need to leave before Asad Ahmed Khan finds us."

"Our plan can still work. Don't worry about Khan," Tej assures her. "I've seen him and I can take him. I'm bigger and stronger than he is."

"But he has a nasty reputation," Surita warns.

"Doesn't matter, he's still no problem," Tej assures her. "I wrestled professionally and I'm a second degree black belt. I've taken down tougher men than Asad Ahmed Khan."

"Plus you have that gun." Surita sounds calmer now. "Okay, so now what do we do?"

"I'll shoot out the engine block on the SUV," Tej says. "Khan has nowhere to go once I disable his vehicle. Then the plan still works."

"What about Dev?" The anxiety creeps back into Surita's voice. "Where's Dev?"

"Khan wouldn't waste time taking Dev out of the building," Tej muses. "That means he's still here, probably locked in the maintenance room. We'll look for him after I take care of Khan. Our plan is still in play."

"Okay," Surita agrees. "Dev took the flashlight so we only have our cell phones to see the staircase."

"We'll be fine," Tej assures her. "Just take off your shoes and stay close to me."

"What if he's waiting in the staircase to ambush us?" Surita frets.

Tej barks with laughter. "Then he's doing me a favor. I'll flatten him here and now. I wouldn't even need to shoot out his car."

The sound of footsteps echoes through the near-empty office. Then there is total silence. Zoya shuts her eyes and takes a deep breath. She massages her injured arm for a moment before reaching down to shift aside the ceiling tile.

Suddenly there is a scrape of sound and a soft click from the outer office. Zoya freezes. Seconds later, someone enters Kesanvan's office. Zoya holds her breath, not daring to move a muscle.

She hears rapid footsteps then a low moan.

"Zoya!" Asad says in an agonized whisper.

Zoya gasps as she recognizes his voice. "I'm here, Mr. Khan."

"What?" She hears movement below her. "Where are you?"

Zoya shifts the ceiling tile aside. She blinks as her eyes adjust to the afternoon sunlight. Asad is standing beside the upturned desk, wide-eyed, hands on hips, as he stares up at her.

"Ms. Farooqui, what are you doing up in the ceiling?" he demands.

"I'm hiding from the big man with the gun, Mr. Khan." She speaks slowly and clearly, as though Asad is dim-witted.

"Ms. Farooqui, get down from there right now!" Asad orders in a sharp whisper.

She nods and shifts her weight. Her weak arm can't support her and she cries out in pain.

"Zoya!" Asad's voice is still low but his concern is clear. "What happened?"

"I injured my arm pulling myself up." She grimaces. "I knew I should have taken those yoga classes."

Asad quickly but quietly sets the desk upright. He climbs onto the desktop to assist her from her hiding spot. She slides down his body to stand beside him. Their gazes meet and they freeze, lost in the moment and in each other.

Finally Zoya takes a deep breath. "We...we have to go, Mr. Khan."

Asad blinks and nods. Zoya jumps down from the desk and goes to the door. The main office is empty.

"Where's Mr. Nair?" She turns back to Asad. "Is he okay?"

"He's still unconscious." Asad also jumps down from the desk. "I carried him into the next office suite."

"Smart thinking," Zoya compliments. "We need to get him to the hospital as soon as possible. How's Malak?"

She turns back to Asad but he isn't paying attention to her. His arms are tightly crossed as he looks from the ceiling to the window and back again. Zoya comes to his side.

"Mr. Khan?"

Asad turns and snatches her into his arms, wrapping her in an embrace so tight the air is squeezed out of her lungs. For a second, she's unable to react, then her eyes widen and she holds her hands out to her sides, at a loss for what to do.

"M...Mr. Khan?"

Asad buries his face in her shoulder, his hold still tight. A shudder passes through him.

"You could have died." His voice is muffled against her.

"No, I couldn't." She pats his back in a tentative manner. "They wouldn't kill me. They need me to verify and show them how to customize my codes."

"Now." Asad's voice vibrates with the depth of his feelings. "You could have died now while they had you trapped in this room."

He finally looks up at her, still holding her safely in his arms. His eyes are moist and cloudy but the desperation in them is clear.

"How?" Zoya shakes her head.

"If you had been anybody but you," he mutters. "If you weren't so calm in a crisis, you would have panicked and jumped out the window. That fall could have killed you."

"But I am me," she points out gently. "And I didn't panic because I knew you were here." She lays her hands lightly on his back. "My Mr. Khan would never desert me when I needed him."

Asad swallows and musters a tight little smile. "You said the same thing last time."

"That's because you did the same thing last time." The brilliance of Zoya's smile rivals the sun. "You came to my rescue."

Finally Asad releases her and steps back. He shuts his eyes briefly and nods to himself.

"Mr. Khan, how's Malak?"

"He's going to be okay." Asad pulls out his cell phone. "He sent me a text message from the hospital. They've taken him into surgery now."

She reads the text message. "We need to get Mr. Nair to the hospital, too. He's been unconscious for such a long time. He must have a concussion."

Zoya turns for the door but Asad catches her hand. She looks back at him questioningly. He tugs on her hand and pulls her flush against him.

"Why did you run?" he demands. "I nearly had a heart attack when you bolted and I heard the gun shot. I thought Tej had shot you."

"No, he only hit the wall." She nods to the bullet hole embedded in the wall next to Mr. Nair's office door. "Didn't you see it on my webcam image?"

Asad shakes his head. "No, the image went out."

Zoya nods. "The UPS backup battery must have died. They only have a fifteen minute charge."

Again Zoya tries to turn away and, again, Asad tugs her back.

"Why did you run?" he asks again. "You knew I was here. Why didn't you stay with them?"

Zoya tugs on her arm but cannot free herself. Asad's hold and his expression are both unyielding. He won't allow her to avoid an explanation. Her eyes soften and she sighs.

"Because I knew you'd come up here if I didn't get away. Then you'd have to face Tej." She holds her injured arm close to her body. "I didn't want that to happen."

"Why not? I'm going to enjoy hurting him." Savage anticipation glitters in Asad's eyes.

"Mr. Khan, you've seen Tej. He has six inches and forty pounds over you," she points out.

"So what? I took down five guys at the bus stop, the bas***ds in Guspind and that damn bodyguard who hurt Ammi," he reminds her. "I can handle one office bully."

"You don't understand, Mr. Khan. Tej isn't an out-of-shape former military officer or a village goon. He's a trained professional fighter." She twists her hand free and lays it on his bicep. "You're no match for him."

"Really?" Asad narrows his eyes. "Watch me."

Asad strides into the main office. Zoya rushes after him.

"This is just foolishness, Mr. Khan," she hisses. "My webcam recorded everything that happened. We have all the proof we need to convince the police to track them down."

"There's no need, they're still here," Asad says with grim satisfaction. "I'll take care of this myself."

"What?" She grabs his arm again. "Why are there still here?"

He allows her to pull him to a stop. "I locked them in."

She stares at him. "And how did you do that?"

"Remember all that security I said I'd put in place?"

Zoya nods.

Asad crosses his arms. "I put it in place."

She puts her good hand on her hip. "Do you mean the automatic door locks and security cameras?"

"No cameras yet," he admits, "but the locks are functional."

Her mouth drops open. "They engaged as soon as the power went out, didn't they?"

He nods. She shakes her head.

"You can't go after them. Tej has a gun," she warns.

"Yes, I know. I saw him shove it into your face many times." His voice is so hard and controlled, it's flat.

His gaze goes to her temple and the soft underside of her chin where the skin is red and irritated. She touches her temple and winces.

"Even so, he has a serious weapon, Mr. Khan." She wraps her hand around his bicep again as though to hold him back. "It's a Glock 30 with a ten round capacity. He only shot three bullets so he still has seven left."

Asad stares at her. "How do you know that?"

She points to Kesavan's wall and door. "I counted bullet holes."

He shakes his head. "No, I mean---"

He breaks off when the sound of rapid gun shots bounce around the room.

"Six - five - four," Zoya counts. "He has only four bullets left unless he has an extra magazine clip."

Asad stares at her again then shakes his head to clear it. "At least we know where they are. They're trying to shoot through the front door."

Again Zoya looks at Kesavan's door. "Your construction is good but it won't hold them for long."

"Then let's get them."

"How?" She demands. "We don't have any weapons."

Asad leans down under her workstation to retrieve the flashlight. He flicks it on. "Since when have I needed weapons?"

He turns and strides for the office door. Zoya hurries after him.

"Mr. Khan, please be reasonable," she pleads. "Let's call the police. There's no need to put your life at risk."

"Just like there was no need for them to put your life at risk," he snarls. "But they did. I won't wait for the police. It'll take them forever to get out here. I don't want to give Tej and Surita a chance to get away."

"What about Dev?"

"Dev is out of commission for a long, long time."

Asad smiles in smug satisfaction as he cautiously opens the hall door. He checks the corridor before gesturing to Zoya to follow him. She reluctantly comes after him.

"Mr. Khan, please reconsider," she pleads softly." You can't take on Tej."

Asad stops at the staircase door and turns to her. "Watch me."

He's quick and quiet on the stairs. Zoya is equally silent in her soft slippers. Asad takes her hand as they maneuver down the steps guided only by the glow of the flashlight. Once they get to the bottom, Asad snicks off the flashlight and puts it in Zoya's uninjured hand. He opens the door a small crack so they can see into the main lobby.

Tej throws himself against the front door, using his body as a battering ram. Asad presses his mouth against Zoya's ear.

"He maybe big but he's not very smart," Asad whispers. "He should wear stronger shoes. Then he could kick the door at the latch point. It's the weakest part of the door construction."

Zoya stares at Asad, open-mouthed. Then she looks through the small opening. "Where's Surita?"

Asad opens the door further. Tej is too focused on breaking down the door to pay any attention to them. Asad and Zoya look around, careful to stay hidden in the staircase.

"More importantly, where's his gun?" Asad asks.

Zoya narrows her eyes as she studies Tej. "There! He put it down on that table." Her eyes darken with worry as she looks at Asad. "But it's on the other side of him. You can't get to his gun before he does."

Asad's eyes narrow as he assesses Tej. "I don't need to get to his gun. I just need to keep him away from it."

Zoya puts her hand on his arm, her eyes dark with worry. She presses her lips against his ear. "Be careful."

"I will." Asad put his hand over hers and squeezes gently.

Then he removes her hand and nods at her. She nods back. He slips out of the safety of the staircase and begins to creep closer to Tej. Tej is too focused on trying to escape to notice Asad sneaking up on him.

"I found Dev!" Surita calls. Her voice sounds hollow and distant. "Oh my God! He's hurt badly!"

Tej whirls around and spots Asad. He turns for his gun just as Asad launches himself at Tej. They go down in a heap. Tej's outstretched hand just misses the side table - and his gun. He and Asad grunt as they both fight for dominance, rolling over and over, too close to each other for either to land a blow.

"Tej!" Surita screams as she rushes into the lobby.

She tries to go to Tej's aid. Zoya transfers the flashlight to her injured hand and slips out of the staircase. She grabs Surita's arm as she runs past, turning Surita in a full circle.

"Oh, no you don't!" Zoya cries.

Surita lashes out at her, snapping Zoya's head back with a sharp backhanded slap. Zoya flinches but doesn't release Surita. Surita raises her hand to strike again. Zoya still has the flashlight in her weak hand. She uses it to block Surita's next blow. Surita cries out as her hand comes in contact with the hard metal cylinder.

Both women bend over in pain, Surita from hitting the flashlight and Zoya from the impact of Surita's blow.

"You broke my hand!" Surita shrieks, cradling her damaged hand against her body.

Zoya gaps for breath, her injured arm held close to her side. Surita launches herself at Zoya but Zoya steps to the side. Surita, off-balance from clutching her broken hand, stumbles into the stairwell. She trips over the bottom step and goes down hard. Instinctively she puts out her broken hand to break her fall. It can't hold her weight and she slams, face first, into the cement steps.

Zoya stares, wide-eyed, as Surita moans then slumps onto the steps. Then Zoya looks back to Asad. He and Tej have broken apart and, fueled by rage and adrenaline, hit at each other savagely, ignoring the gun at their side.

As Zoya predicted, Tej is stronger and faster than Asad, landing vicious head blows that throw off Asad's reaction time. Asad's mouth is bleeding and his breathing is harsh and audible. Tej has taken some hard blows himself. His body is bent forward to protect his midsection and his breath has the distinct wheeze of pain.

Zoya darts past them and snatches up the gun.

"Stop! Both of you!" she orders.

Neither man listens to her, both focused on beating the other to a pulp.

"Stop! Now!" She kicks over the small table.

The noise is enough to get their attention. Both men stop. Tej freezes in place while Asad staggers away. Zoya puts her finger on the pistol trigger, releasing the safety. She puts her weak left hand under her right hand to steady it. Taking a deep breath, she points the gun to Tej's forehead.

"Stop," she says, her voice calm and reasonable. "I don't want to shoot you so stop right now."

Tej looks at her shaking hands and smiles slowly.

"That's not a toy, little girl," he taunts. "You can hurt yourself."

"Stay back," Zoya warns. "I'll shoot you if I have to."

"That's a big, bad gun." Tej takes a step forward. "Have you ever shot a Glock before?"

"No." Zoya's voice is steady even though her hands continue to shake.

"You'll hurt yourself, little girl." Tej takes another step closer to her. "You don't know how to handle a gun."

Zoya aims for the light bulb over Tej's head and pulls the trigger. She keeps her arms lose and unlocked, unlike novice shooters who lock their arms and jerk back from the gun's recoil. She winces as the vibration runs through her weak arm but levels the gun with smooth, practiced ease.

Tej raises his hands to cover his head as the glass shards rain down over him. Both he and Asad stare at Zoya in open-mouthed shock.

"No, I've never shot a Glock before." Her voice is rock steady. "My Jeeju taught me to shoot with a .44 Magnum." She sneers. "Your Glock is a lightweight in comparison."

"But it does have its uses," Asad says.

He comes to her side and takes the gun from her. Tej stiffens, as though ready to attack again. Asad flips the gun so he's holding it by the barrel, engaging the automatic safety. Tej launches himself at Asad. Zoya screams but Asad is ready for the strike. He goes in low and swings the butt of the gun against Tej's knee, breaking the bone with an audible crack. Tej goes down immediately, groaning in pain. Still, he tries to grab for his gun. Asad kicks his arm aside and slams the gun hard against Tej's temple. Tej goes down again, unmoving.

Asad surveys him with satisfaction. "Malak and Mr. Nair send their regards." He holds out the gun to Zoya and pulls out his cell phone. "Now we call the police."

Zoya takes the gun and ejects the magazine cartridge, removing the bullets. Asad stares at her.

"You know about guns?" he demands, his phone forgotten.

"Of course, Mr. Khan." She glances at him briefly as she pulls apart the firing mechanism. "How else you do think I identified the gun used to shoot Phupee just by looking it?"

He watches her quickly, efficiently dismantle the weapon. Her movements are smooth and precise, even with her weak arm, testimony to her complete command of the pistol.

"You're amazing," Asad finally whispers.

Zoya looks up from her task to give him a wry smile. "You're just figuring that out now, Mr. Khan? And you call yourself an intelligent man."

Epilogue: https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/post/92010614

Author's Notes: As always, all mistakes are mine and made accidentally. This story is not intended to hurt anyone's feelings, culture or beliefs. HUGE thanks go out to my wonderful beta readers!

So what did you think of the story? Did you enjoy it? Do you want more? I'll post the epilogue and a sneak peak of ALL THE RIGHT MOVES next Friday.

Again, I want to thank everyone who has left feedback, private mail and LIKE button. You're appreciation does SO MUCH to motivate me to write more. Please keep it up!

Thank you again,

Paly

first spot is mine

u are such a gifted writer Paly..I hope to read your work when u become a famous author one day👏