He ran towards the building, screeching sounds filling the air as the traffic came to a halt. Knives appeared on his hands, they were thrown one after another. Cutting through the air they missed the mark, stabbing into the railing. They moved without any panic, their actions practiced.

Running at full speed he jumped, flying across the wall, throwing another pair while mid-air. This time he adjusted for the greater than normal distance and screams rang out. He saw them grabbing their arm and then gravity started pulling him down. He rolled, conversing most of his momentum, and ran towards the building itself. He jumped just arms touch away from it. Again he felt that feeling of weightlessness, then he slowed as he started reaching the peak. Knives in his hands stabbed into the concrete. His arms twitched from force and then his body felt upwards again, grabbing the knives that had missed the mark.

On the roof, he rushed towards the one grabbing the RPG, his other hand struck the attacker’s armpit. Another scream and the grip loosened. He kicked him, slowly taking out the rocket and placing it in the storage.

From the corner of his eye, he saw the remaining attacker's hand moving and he saw the pistol. His body reacted, the RPG smashing into the attacker’s chest. He was upon his before he could do anything, took out the pistol and put it in the storage. Pulling him along, he ran towards the attacker’s companion and took his pistol too.

Tearing their shirts and tying them up. They tried moving but their arms and legs were tightly bound. Sweat was falling down all their faces. He pulled their arms, a tattoo engraved on both their arms.

“What to do with you?”

He considered, not letting them move while the extremely hot roof burnt their bare backs.

“Why did you target us?”

“No need to answer but don’t think of moving an inch from here.”

It took not long for their mouth to open when he dragged them bare-chested on the burning roof.

“Boss told us to recover the boy at any cost when a few hours ago we were informed of the situation by our member.”

As they begged him, he pulled them up from the ground.

His head snapped towards the burning car, it just had another blast as the fuel tank that had somehow survived the initial strike exploded. The people were rushing towards the flaming car afterward, grabbing at the body was still trying to get out of the fire. Abram’s screams reached up to him.

“But why the boy?”

Seeing them still unwilling to answer he turned them and when their chests slammed into the burning roof they could do nothing but answer. The sensation of burning was unique, no matter what one did, the pain remained the same and he knew it well.

“The boy knows something important and the chief wants it.”

“The boy and not his dad?”

“That police officer? He is powerless now. There is nothing much he can do.”

While his mind pondered the information he went through the bag. Within there were another pair of rockets and something else. He quickly took out the elixir and then something clicked into his mind.

“Blast the car, extract the people, escape, and heal the person on the way.”

Just as he whispered an ambulance rushed towards the car. His eyes narrowed. It had not even been a minute since this whole thing and the ambulance was already here. The people rushed out and extracted the burning body rather violently. He could see one of them looking around searching for something.

His eyes shifted towards the hotel on the other side of the road, towards the rows of trucks parked there.

His hand on the railing, he shouted.

“The terrorists are up here, tied up!!! Contact the police.”

The mobile turned towards him and he squatted, taking a peak he had their attention. He grabbed them both and their bag and ran towards the door on the roof, kicking it open. Dragging them down the stairs he quickly exited the building amid the shouting from within. Throwing the bodies out the door, he placed the bag and the RPG carefully outside.

“There are rockets in the bag!!”

He could hear the people in the building rushing back in panic. Running back in, he jumped out a side window and ran toward the back of the building.

‘This should slow them down for now.’

He escaped towards the cluster of trees that were behind the building. He circled from behind hiding among the rows of cars and container trucks. As he was running between them he saw a hat that was fallen on the ground. He put it on the head and resumed running.

The sun burned the ground and the road appeared shimmering with heat, it looked as though there was water spilled on the ground. He crossed the road that was becoming increasingly compact, filled with people. He made a beeline for the car while pulling down the ends of the hat to make sure no one got a look at his uncovered face. The back of the car was destroyed. He looked for the gangster, they were putting them on a stretcher.

Abram was still alive, somehow despite his stomach having exploded and his legs burning. He could only watch as he was put into the ambulance. Looking at the physique of those carrying the stretcher only made him surer of his hypothesis.

He ran towards the hotel while covering his face with the cloth once more. A head peaked out of the trucks that were parked there.

“Come, let's go.”

***

“Do you have any money?”

“No.”

The little bit of life that had returned within him seemed to retreat into hiding.

“Any relatives here?”

“No.”

He circled from the back, under the trees, and travel away from the main road where the crowd was getting even bigger still.

They passed by one building after another while trying to stay under the shade of the trees. This place was devoid of people.

‘What to do, what to do?’

He saw a sedan zooming towards the main road and an idea clicked,

“Cover your face.”

He took aim, and fired, the bullet zoomed past the car, grazing the top. The car came to a screeching halt as he aimed at the driver.

“Come.”

“Asalam o allium. Due to some unfortunate circumstances, you are being temporarily kidnapped. Understood?”

The driver and his companion nodded and he and the kid sat in the back seats.

“Please drop us off in Lahore.”

He had taken out both the pistols, each aimed at both of the individuals.

“And please understand I am terribly sorry for this inconvenience.”

All they could do was nod, too afraid to speak anything.

“Ah, please go from another route, the one in front is blocked.”

***

“Thank you and God bless you.”

He waved at them, grabbed Afzal, and escaped into the streets. There were new buildings everywhere his gaze went. The area was bustling unlike what he remembered. It took a lot of asking the locals but even then it was difficult. What he remembered of the area and what currently existed had a big mismatch. Still, he kept asking and then he suddenly got the directions.

Back then it was a small dhaba, surrounded by an open area filled with trees and big grass now all that remained from that time was a mosque and a few houses, there were only concrete buildings all around, and squeezed within them was the familiar name with an unfamiliar look. Where there used to be a dhaba, now existed a concrete building just like all others in the surroundings. Bland was the only word he would choose for them all.

“Everything has changed.”

His eyes snapped towards the middle-aged men who were standing under the shade of an old tree that had somehow survived this change. It took him some time to match the younger and brighter faces with what he saw now. They too had been changed by time.

‘Just like I have been.’

With each step, the emotions bubbling within him mixed with his memories. Those old days seemed perfect to him now even when they were not. Life never had been perfect but that did not matter.

‘Someone has to pay for this.’

“You have grown old.”

Their heads turned towards him and from within Mamun quickly stepped forwards, rushing for Afzal. His hands checked every inch of his body making sure he was in one piece. It was during this that he came across the marks. He could see his face twisting with anger, then came the crushing realization that there was nothing he could do. It was a realization he had during the time he spent in prison.

“Why were you not picking up the phone?” Mamun asked after calming himself.

Afzal opens his mouth, describing the situation, his body trembling and his words breaking. He looked around, their faces had stiffened, their eyes moving from scar to scar. From fingers to palm to mouth to head.

“Those bastards! Do they think there is nothing we can do?”

“There is nothing that we can currently do.”

He heard an unexpected voice, it was not something he had expected or even considered. Still, Abdul Matin’s was a voice that reassured him. He looked around, trying to find the remaining missing person but he could see him nowhere.

“He is not here, unfortunately.”

“What happened to Arshad.”

His eyes narrowed as he prepared himself when he saw all of their faces twitch, a bitterness flashing over.

“Abdul Matin, what happened?”

“Did Mamun no tell you? Sadly he has been arrested for the crimes of corruption and others that they bothered to include. Currently, my student is fighting the case so let's see what happens.”

He felt another surge of anger as it blazed a new, trying to overpower him. He drank it and he could feel the poison swirling within his mind becoming even stronger. There was no use lashing out now after all these years. He just had to make sure he inflicted the same pain upon them. He just had to wait some more.

“Any chances of winning the case?” he asked after calming himself.

“Nearly none. Almost all of their own people have been posted in the positions and the remaining have been bribed.”

Again his eyes darted around taking in them all. Except for Abdul Matin, nearly all of them had been wearing old worn-out clothes.

“Where are your uniforms.”

“Most of them quit their jobs.” Mamun stood up, his eyes were red.

“They were threatening our families.”

“Not all of us have courage like DSP, he still does everything that he can but look what happened this time.”

His head moved towards that person and his eyes rested upon the walking stick.

“Why did they kidnap your son?”

“They wanted me to attest against SP Arshad since I too have worked a lot with him both in the field and in the office. It would have made their case even stronger.”

“Nothing else?”

He still remembered what those attackers had said. He did not say anything about it for now. They moved around, one of them taking the lead while he followed them from behind.

“Where is Arshad locked up?

“Central jail.”

“Matin, there really are no chances of winning?”

“I don’t think so.”

He nodded, “I am jailbreaking him from there.”

His voice was intentionally light, just enough that it reached Matin and Mamun. They all had families now who were waiting for them at their homes. He did not want them to come especially now that they had carved out new lives for themselves.

They came to another dhaba. He stopped and so did Matin, Mamun, and Afzal.

“Matin, I need information about the jail and where Arshad is currently being kept.”

Matin nodded and then went to the side taking out his phone.

“Sir, what are your plans for the future?”