Scene 1 – The Whisper of Betrayal
New Delhi, a dimly lit office, 11:30 pm
Inside a tightly sealed room at the Indian Northern Command, senior officers leaned over a satellite map glowing on the table.
General Rathore's voice was low but cold:
"Pakistan thinks they've humiliated us in front of the international media with their so-called proofs. But we will respond… quietly. This time, no signatures, no evidence."
Colonel Mehta nodded, sliding a file forward. "We've arranged support from Lashkar-e-Khorasan—our friends across the border. Afghan mercenaries with no trace back to us. The plan is simple: cross the LoC, hit their supply lines, and return before dawn."
In the corner, Major Tejas adjusted his gloves. His face betrayed eagerness. "Just say the word, sir. My team is ready."
General Rathore smirked. "You'll infiltrate with them. A joint strike. Pakistan will never know what hit them."
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Scene 2 – Benny's Race Against Time
Somewhere in Delhi, 12:10 am
Benny, ISI's deep-cover asset, sat in her small apartment, her heart pounding. A coded message had just flashed on her secure device—tonight was the night. She grabbed her encrypted satellite phone and dialed the emergency channel.
"Zayan… listen carefully," she whispered. "They're moving with Lashkar-e-Khorasan. Infiltration at midnight, just three hours from now. Five Indian commandos with Afghan fighters. They'll cross through sector Black Echo, near the LoC."
Zayan's voice tightened. "Benny, are you sure?"
"By Allah, I'm late, but not too late. Don't waste a second."
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Scene 3 – The Briefing
ISI Forward Base, 12:20 am
Major Zayan Malik stood in the operations room, the air tense. Phantom team gathered around the table—Ubaid, Haroon, Daniyal, and others—all geared and ready.
Zayan's eyes burned with determination.
"Men, listen up. Benny just confirmed: at 0000 hours, enemy elements—five RAW commandos and Afghan militants from Lashkar-e-Khorasan—will attempt infiltration at Black Echo sector. We have three hours. They want a covert strike, but we will welcome them with a storm."
Ubaid grinned, adjusting his rifle.
"Don't worry, sir. Phantom is already prepared. If they come, they won't leave."
Zayan nodded. "Good. Tonight, no mistakes. Every shadow at the LoC could be the enemy. Move out."
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Scene 4 – The Ambush
LoC, Sector Black Echo, 2:45 am
The night was pitch-dark, broken only by the faint shimmer of moonlight over the jagged mountains. Phantom team lay hidden in rocky outcrops, night-vision goggles scanning the treeline.
Suddenly, Haroon whispered over comms:
"Movement… multiple silhouettes, bearing east. Thirty meters."
Zayan clenched his jaw. "Hold fire… wait for my command."
The figures crept closer—armed men in black fatigues, guided by Tejas. Among them, Afghan militants whispered in Pashto, clutching RPGs and AKs.
"Now!" Zayan barked.
Crack-crack-crack!
The silence shattered. Phantom unleashed a hail of fire, tracer rounds lighting up the night. Afghan militants dropped instantly, their cries drowned by gunfire.
"Contact left! Push forward!" Tejas shouted, rolling behind cover and firing bursts.
Explosions rocked the slopes as grenades detonated. The firefight raged for minutes that felt like hours. Phantom pressed hard, cutting through the attackers with surgical precision.
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Scene 5 – The Escape
3:20 am
The battlefield was littered with silence. Smoke hung in the cold air. Bodies of militants lay sprawled across the rocks. Four of Tejas's men were down, and the Afghan unit was decimated.
But Zayan's ears caught something—a faint crunch of boots breaking away.
"Someone's running—northwest!" Daniyal shouted.
Through his scope, Zayan saw him—Major Tejas, blood on his arm, sprinting into the darkness. Phantom opened fire, but Tejas vanished into the thick forest beyond the LoC, slipping into Pakistani territory.
"Damn it!" Ubaid cursed, slamming his fist into the dirt. "One slipped through."
Zayan exhaled slowly. His eyes hardened.
"He won't get far. If he's inside our soil, Phantom will hunt him down. Pakistan's borders are not a playground."
The men nodded grimly. The battle was over, but the real threat had just begun.
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