The Mark of Innocence II - Dark Angels
Chapter 3
That night I sat in the car with Zack and Ayesha waiting for her to come out 'are you sure she is in there, it's nearly midnight' Zack said becoming a little concerned 'patience sweetheart, she'll be here'. At that very moment we saw the gates to the car park slide up and within a flash a motorbike zoomed past us 'that's her...let's go Zack' I said 'how...' 'I just do move it...we will lose her'. Zack stamped his foot on the accelerator and followed her, I felt as if my heart was in competition with the car, it beat erratically as she came into sight'
'Where is she going?' I asked as she took the strangest routes 'she isn't going Asad she is leading...she knows that we are tailing her...and if we know Zoya she not one to flight, she will fight'. Zack was right, Zoya drove into the old dock yard as soon as her bike came to a dead end she switched of her engine and waited for our car to pull up behind her.
Clad in her leather trousers and bikers jacket Zoya jumped off the bike and kept her back towards us. Zack switched off the headlights and the looked at me, we both opened our doors simultaneously and stepped out side.
As we took a few more steps forward, she raised her hands a slowly took off her helmet, as she did her beautiful hair fell down. I immediately stopped and held my breath, I had waited for this moment for so long, I could feel my insides summersault. My eyes refused to blink just in case I missed the moment she turned around '15 years...it took you 15 years' came her broken voice 'Zoya' Zack called out to her.
Zoya finally turned around and when she did it felt as if time had ceased to exit, everything faded out as my eyes met hers. A warmth started to consume me and at the same time I felt a cold slowly freeze and slow down every part of me.
As I stood there Ayesha ran out of the car and crashed into her, her reunion with Zack and Ayesha was enough to make anyone cry, I couldn't believe that my family stood before me together again.
I stood rooted waiting for her to look at me, waiting for her to see how much I yearned for her but she didn't 'tomorrow 8.30 there is a small shack north west just on the outskirts, follow the main highway and take the second mud path on your right from the little service station' Zack nodded 'Zoya, keep this' he gave her a mobile phone similar to the one he sent me 'you only communicate with us through this...I will see you tomorrow' 'In Sha Allah'.
Zoya gave me a quick glance before she pulled her hair back and put on her helmet, all of a sudden I felt a sharp pain twist in the pit of my stomach, was she really going to leave without having met me or said anything, why?
Zoya sat on her bike and started it she turned the bike around and pulled up beside me, I looked at her and then towards Zack and Ayesha who gestured for me to sit behind her, which I silently did. Zoya released the break and before I knew it we were zooming away from them and into the night sky. As I held on to the back of my seat I couldn't help smiling thinking that she was still an adrenaline junkie.
Zoya drove through a woodland area that opened up to the top of Antlers Hill. As she got of she pulled off her helmet and took a few steps away from me. 'Zoya' I called out to her 'Zoya...will you not look at me?' She turned around slowly and took a few measured steps towards me, I did the same. Her eyes started to moisten as she bore deeper into mine and before I could say or do anything she held the side of my face, her fingers raked through my hair before she held on to them tightly and within what must have been a split of a second her lips were firmly placed over mine. My eyes widened as my heart stopped beating, she kept on kissing me, at first the shock of what was happening seemed to have disabled every reaction but as soon as I came back to my senses I placed my hand around her waist and pulled her flush against my body kissing her back with equal vigour.
As she pulled back to take in some much needed air she lowered her head and wrapped her arms around me, she held on so tight I could feel her heart beat hard against my own chest. Zoya slowly distanced herself from me, taking a step back she held out her hand which I took instantly. She led me to the top of the hill which over looked the city of lights below 'sit' she whispered. As I sat down she placed herself between my legs and leaned against me wrapping my arms around her.
'You want to tell me where you have been...if you were here...how could I have missed you?' Zoya turned her head slightly resting her cheek against my face 'California, I moved back a couple of weeks ago...I didn't know you were here...you remember Ayaan and Humera from the other group?' 'Tag HAL?' 'Yes, I bumped into Humera and recognised her straight away...after a few weeks of having met her and Ayaan I had arranged to meet them...when I got to their flat I found them dead...and I knew he was still alive, if he managed to get to them then it was only time before he got to me...I moved here hoping against hope that I would be able to find something...anything that would lead me to you...and then I saw Ayesha, at first I wouldn't believe it...but it really was her, and then I just knew that you three would be together and you would come back...so here we are'.
It took me a few moments to digest what she had said, as she looked back out into the night sky I kissed the back of her head. As I stroked her hair I pushed it to the side to reveal her tattoo, her tag. I stroked it gently with the tip of my thumb 'a mark that will never go, that will constantly remind us of who we were and who we are...a mark that robbed us of our innocence' I heard her voice break as she said the last few words, I turned her around to see a stray tear ran down from her eye 'since when did my Zoya ever let these escape?' She held onto my hand 'I have waited 15 long years for you Asad, you separated me from yourself once...and I am not letting you do that again...if anything separates you from me it's death and nothing else' 'I promise...never again' I cupped the side of her face and brought her closer to me, as she closed her eyes I placed my lips over her soft ones and kissed her gently 'I love you' I whispered against her lips making her smile 'I love you too, I love you too'.
Over the next two weeks we all met in this shack that Zoya had told us about putting down a plan, with only four of us the task at hand was near impossible but we couldn't let that get in the way.
'Zoya, I need you to find out as much as you can about Humera and Ayaan's death...and Zack the informants that you have based in India we will need them on board too' at this moment in time all we needed to do was gather intelligence and then based on what we get we would move forward.
I knew I would have long periods of absence from work so I needed to add in extra meetings and activities in my diary, I sat with Suzy going over some of them, there was no one else in the world I had built around me that I trusted more 'Sir, you are going to Goa for three weeks...what kind of a conference lasts that long?' I let out a laugh seeing her perplexed face 'Suzy a man is allowed to take a break too, the conference is only for a couple of days and then I plan to sit on the beech and work out a tan' 'lucky for some...how come I don't get to work out a tan?' 'Fine, the minute I get back you can go where ever you want for two weeks, I'll even pay for your ticket' Suzy being Suzy managed to trip up on thin air whilst standing and fell flat 'are you ok' I asked as I went to pick her up 'two...weeks and you'll pay for my ticket...man what kind of a boss are you?'
After having finished for the day I stood by my office window and looked out to the descending sun waiting for my phone to ring. And right on cue it did, I picked it up to read the message 'grand park behind corporate city in fifteen' the one thing we learnt to do was never to question anything the other person said or did, if Zoya had changed the venue for today's meeting there had to be a good reason. I quickly picked up my phone and keys and left to go to the grand park.
'Public toilets...really Zoya was there no where else?' Ayesha complained 'I'm sorry...there really wasn't' I looked at her and instantly knew 'the shack...it's been found?' Zoya nodded 'that means they are on to us' Zack said with caution 'yes they are...the only thing we have on our side is that they haven't seen us...we will need to separate...we will meet in Delhi in three days time' everyone took in a deep breath nodded to her instructions.
'Whats wrong Asad?' She asked me 'something isn't right...I mean all this time we have been lvi g undercover, in hiding thinking that commando is the one hunting us down...taking us out one by one...but is it really him...I don't think it is'. The three faces before me looked at me with scrutiny 'think about it...he invested everything he had in training us...sent us out into the world to take down men and women of the corporate, political and underworld...people that were essentially bad...yes we have intelligence and knowledge but why kill us...he brought us up as his own...his own Angels...plus we still have no confirmation if he is alive of not, we are only going by our assumptions'
'If it's not him the who else could it be?' Zack questioned 'I don't know...but we need to find out' 'you always were the one who tried to find the human behind that man...maybe you are right but we still need to keep him at the top of our list...and if it is someone else that is out there then they are already a step ahead of us...we need to act fast...Asad maybe can you make reservations through your company?' 'Yeah it shouldn't be a problem...but how are we going to get there?' Zoya looked at Ayesha 'will you two be ok travelling by train?' Ayesha nodded 'ok...separate compartments and you are not to be seen together...Asad if it's easier for you to fly then do that I will go by road'.
Seeing her confidence and ability to take charge and direct made me proud but I didn't like the idea of her travelling by road on her own, her travel time would take the longest and I didn't know if I would have the patience to wait for her. 'Don't look at me like that...I will be fine and I will be there faster than you think' I couldn't help smile at her, it was as if she had read my mind so clearly.
Ayesha and Zack hugged her and bid her farewell, as they left I stepped forward 'I guess I will see you in three days time' 'yes...you will but before then...I...ummm' not letting her continue with her hesitation I pulled her by the waist and wasted no time in claiming her beautiful lips 'you be careful...I love you' I whispered letting her go gently.
Edited by Saima-Syed - 10 years ago
Ghum Hai Kisikey Pyaar Meiin
