The Immense Shadows - chapter 2: Echoes from the Shadow
Winston Narendra, William's cousin and a criminal profiling specialist from the Intelligence Bureau, sat in the back seat of the car, his voice low but intense.
Winston (murmuring): "It's like our reactions are being watched. Who frames a murder as an accident… and gets away without a single flaw? No slip-ups, no overlooked detail. That's not just a cover-up—it's a performance. And performances like that… they're designed to be seen."
Garuda, hands firm on the steering wheel, kept his gaze ahead.
Winston (continuing): "I think this was an experiment. Not by amateurs. By someone... no—something that understands human behavior at a depth we can't imagine. Dark psychology, predatory intelligence. The way they move, it's surgical. It's as if they're trying to provoke a reaction, not avoid it. And that's what chills me. This wasn't a one-off. Garuda sensed it too—not just the methods, but the mind behind them."
He looked at William with narrowed eyes.
Winston: "Everyone there—those so-called 'witnesses'—were pawns. All but one. The ex-forensic analyst. His presence was too convenient, too aligned. I'm convinced he's tied to them. That shadow... it's haunting us, watching how we respond. This is a game, William. One mistake... and we become the hunted."
Garuda's voice finally cut through the silence.
Garuda: "You profiled it perfectly. They do this when they're bored. Like cats playing with mice. They fabricate tragedy to observe panic. That woman who died... might've been just a test subject for them. A helpless soul caught in a heartless experiment. We've seen signs before."
He paused, then added:
Garuda: "They call themselves 'The Shadow Organization.'"
William, sitting quietly in the corner of the back seat, murmured:
William: "So that's why you didn't react or investigate immediately. You knew… they're beyond cruel."
Garuda glanced at him in the rearview mirror, his eyes full of fire.
Garuda: "We've chased ghosts for too long. But we'll catch them. They've crossed the line. We tried to track their locations—they vanish like mist. But mist leaves a scent… and now, we're learning how to follow it."
He reached over and tapped William's shoulder—a rare gesture of approval.
Garuda: "We'll bring justice. Not just for today—for all the days they thought they were untouchable."
William nodded, absorbing every word.
William: "No matter how long it takes... justice will prevail. Even if we have to drag it out of the shadows ourselves."
Later, they dropped William off at his home. Garuda and Winston departed quietly into the evening.
William, still unsettled, switched on the TV absentmindedly. The screen blinked to a Breaking News alert.
NEWS ANCHOR: "A disturbing update: the ambulance transporting evidence from today's fatal crash was destroyed en route to the hospital. All four aboard—including paramedics and a key medical examiner—are confirmed dead. The police are investigating what appears to be a deliberate attack. No eyewitnesses have been identified."
William's heart sank.
William (to himself): "That wasn't random… they planned for this. We were made to see the crime that way… to lower our guard."
His phone buzzed—Winston.
Text: "Re-check the witness list. The husband in the first car. Garuda noticed it too. That man… something was off."
A flashback hit him—
That man.
Not grieving, not shocked. Too still. Too aware. When William passed him at the scene, he gave a faint smile. Not of relief—but recognition.
Winston (via call, low and grave): "I've seen killers try to hide guilt. But that guy? He radiated control. His aura was wrong. Like he was savoring it."
Garuda (from background): "The Shadow doesn't send amateurs. They plant grandmasters. And we just let one of them walk away."
William stood frozen, staring out his window. A breeze rustled the trees. Was that a figure under the streetlight… or just his mind unraveling?
He whispered:
William: "This isn't just a game to them. It's art. And we're already painted into their masterpiece."
Somewhere, from a place unseen, something watched.
The taillights of Garuda's car had long vanished—but the eyes in the shadows never blinked.
To Be Continued.....