OS: Raffe foils terrorist plan (Part 2 up)

OS:  Raffe foils terrorist plan 

Part 1

Raffe and Raghav were treating Sonu and Lakhi at a local Pizza house.  They had just received Rs. 3000/- for recovering the lost cat, Maheshwari.  The cheque had come as a total surprise as Raffe had offered to do the job for free.  Suddenly, Raffe froze.

Across the street a large delivery van had stopped.  The driver's helper had got off to unload but before he could get to the door at the back of the van, he was shot.  The shooting was done by one of the two men Raffe had been staring at idly while talking and eating. 

The driver of the delivery van took off at high speed without getting off to help his assistant.  The gunman and his friend ran across the street got into an old fiat and took off after the delivery van. Raffee pulled up Sonu and ran out with him - while shouting instructions to Raghav "Call Tiwari.  Call an ambulance  - Sonu and I are following the fiat.

(This is it for today folks. Got to complete my School work.  I will come up with a similar para at the end of the week)

Raffe foils terrorist plans

Part 2

The driver of the van, Tony, put his foot on the accelerator and took off.  The van was large and he tried to dodge the Mumbai traffic by choosing the smaller lanes, particularly the one ways so that he could see if he was being followed.  He was perplexed, sad, and terribly frightened.  Perplexed because he did not know why Mustafa, his fellow Keralite friend, shot Pandu, his assistant.  He and Pandu had done many a trip from Kerala to Mumbai hauling areca nuts (supari), pineapples, and tender green coconuts.  Was Pandu alive or dead?  He would never know - because he ran away.  He ran away from Mustafa and Mustafa's friend - because he was afraid.

 Who was this person with Mustafa?  He had met him earlier in the day at the weigh stations by the state borders.  Generally it was Mustafa who met them there - to grease the palm of the border police so that they could smuggle some cocaine into Mumbai.  Mustafa paid him and Pandu pretty handsomely for smuggling dope - and, it was Mustafa who should have picked up the dope instead of shooting Pandu. "What went wrong?" Tony wondered.  That man with Mustafa - appeared to be a muslim but not from Kerala.  Did they smuggle a large quantity of dope?  It certainly appeared so given the hefty bribe that he saw Mustafa hand over to the police.  "That's it" - Tony decided, "the quantity this time is larger - and Mustafa does not want to pay Pandu and me more.  Well, I will not let Mustafa go easy.  I will check the dope and make my own demands before handing it over.  I will make sure Pandu gets his share".  Once his mind had settled, Tony concentrated on driving - Mustafa knew where he was likely headed - one of two garages in Powaii.  Tony decided to go to the garage where he would arrive a good 30 minutes before Mustafa - if, he took a shortcut that Mustafa was not aware.

 Mustafa, and his friend Abdul speeded away.  Hardly had they gone a mile (1.5 kilometers) - that they were stopped by a cop. Mustafa bribed the policeman.  He decided to avoid the highways and took the smaller lanes.

Raffe and Sonu took off in the auto - but when they got to the main lane they could not spot the van or the early model fiat car.  Raffe asked Sonu to head North.  "Why North?" asked Sonu.  Raffe replied "Arre yaar, they are going to run away from the city. The easiest way out of Mumbai is to head North.  So just keep going and speed it up".  They had gone just a little further - when Sonu shouted excitedly - "Raffe look - there is that early model fiat car - that cop has stopped them.  Do you think he will arrest them?"  Raffe took a look and said "Sonu that is a traffic cop.  He probably stopped them because they jumped a red light, or were speeding.  I just want you to follow the fiat - be careful - they should not know you are following, else they will shoot us too".

Sonu shivered at Raffe's words and replied "Raffe, why don't you ask Inspector Tiwari to follow the fiat?  Do you think this is a good idea?"  Raffe realized he had frightened Sonu and said "I will give Tiwari a call. But you better not lose sight of that fiat".

Tiwari had reached the site of the shooting (opposite the Pizza eatery) when Raffe's call reached him.  "Raffe you follow, I will alert all police stations.  When the car stops call me and I will send some cops from the nearest police station to nab them".

Finally, Tony got to the hideout garage.  He got off the van, flipped open the back door and examined the boxes that were in his van.  To his surprise, four of the boxes were filled with machine guns and ammunition.  He had never seen such guns before, except in movies.  He panicked.  On one hand was fear and on the other greed.  The greed finally took over - Tony decided he would ask Mustafa to pay 5 lakhs for this haul.  Then the fear set in - what if Mustafa shoots him?  Tony needed an escape plan - a plan that would remove him from the line of fire.  He decided to lay the boxes on the floor by the open door leading into the garage.  That done, he stayed way back partly hidden by the van and near the rear door that provided an exit to the nearby highway where he had rolled out his bike so that he could do a quick getaway if things heated up.

Mustafa and Abdul finally got to the garage.  When Tony asked for more money.  Mustafa laughed while Abdul pulled out his gun and began shooting - Tony fled, got on his bike and made his escape.

Raffe and Sonu were about 300 yards away - waiting for the cops before proceeding.  At the sound of the shots they ran to the highway.  They had a good look at Tony and the bike, including its number.  Raffe pulled back Sonu behind some trees just as Mustafa and (gun-toting) Abdul emerged out of the garage.  Both Raffe and Sonu had a good look at them too.  Far away a police siren could be heard.  Mustafa and Abdul rushed into the garage - transferred the boxes into the car and sped away.  When Raffe, Sonu, and the cops arrived the men had got away.

(Do press the like button and comment - as a gesture of appreciation)