(Author POV)

The morning sun cast a golden glow over the private helipad as the blades of the helicopter roared to life. Vedant adjusted the straps of his tactical gear, his sharp gaze locked onto Ketan, who stood beside him. The pilot gave them a brief nod, signaling readiness. Without a word, Vedant climbed aboard, followed closely by Ketan. As the helicopter lifted off, the cityscape blurred beneath them, giving way to a remote destination where their target awaited.

After an hour in the air, the helicopter descended onto an isolated clearing near the outskirts of the city. The moment the wheels touched the ground, Ketan turned to Vedant.

"Change of plans," Ketan said, his voice steady. "I have an urgent matter to handle. I won't be coming with you inside. But I'll be here, waiting. You have exactly three hours to get the job done and get back."

Vedant didn’t ask what the urgent matter was. He simply gave a nod and stepped off the aircraft, heading toward the waiting car. A black SUV was parked a few meters away, its driver already briefed. As Vedant slid into the passenger seat, the vehicle roared to life, speeding toward Amresh Pal’s building.

The towering skyscraper stood like a fortress, its security impenetrable to an average infiltrator. But Vedant wasn’t average. His eyes scanned the perimeter, noting the strategically placed armed guards, the high-end surveillance cameras, and the restricted access points. None of it mattered. He had already planned the perfect execution.

From his vantage point, Vedant took out his sniper rifle, assembling it with practiced ease. His target, Amresh Pal, had a peculiar habit—every morning, he swam alone in the infinity pool built into his private balcony on the tenth floor. It was the only time he was vulnerable.

Through the scope, Vedant’s vision zoomed in on the shimmering pool. The water was still. A few minutes later, a side door slid open, and Amresh emerged. Unaware of the death looming above him, he stretched lazily before stepping into the water. Vedant exhaled, steadying his aim.

The moment Amresh swam to the pool’s edge, Vedant didn’t hesitate.

His finger pressed against the trigger. One. Two. Three shots fired in quick succession.

The first bullet struck the glass wall, sending a web of cracks rippling across its surface. The second shattered the already weakened structure. The third sent the entire panel collapsing outward, taking Amresh with it.

A blood-curdling scream ripped through the air as Amresh plummeted from the tenth floor, his body twisting mid-air before crashing onto the concrete below.

Vedant watched without emotion, lowering his rifle. The job was done. But his mission wasn’t over yet. He had something else to retrieve.

Without wasting a second, he packed up his rifle and prepared for his next move. Time was ticking, and he had exactly three hours to make it back to Ketan.

The moment Amrish’s body crashed from the tenth floor, chaos erupted in the building. Alarms blared, sirens wailed, and his army scrambled into action, rushing toward the shooting point. The entire compound was on high alert, but Vedant had already anticipated this.

With swift movements, he retreated behind the building where Akshat had informed him to rendezvous. As he reached the secluded spot, he found Akshat and Mehul waiting, their expressions tense yet focused. Their equipment was laid out, ready for use.

“You have exactly fifteen minutes,” Akshat informed him, his eyes scanning the tablet in his hand. “The HDD is located on the fifth floor, in Amrish’s private study. Mehul has already hacked the building’s security system. No cameras are functional, and the electronic lock to the HDD safe has been bypassed. All you need to do is grab it.”

Vedant nodded, adjusting the grip on his gun. “Stay put. I’ll handle the inside.”

Without wasting another second, he slipped into the building through a maintenance entrance. The hallways were dimly lit, and he moved like a shadow, silent and calculated. However, as he neared the stairwell leading to the fifth floor, he heard hurried footsteps. Soldiers—already stationed here, waiting.

They spotted him instantly. “Intruder! Take him down!” one of them shouted.

Vedant didn’t hesitate. He dived behind a pillar as bullets whizzed past him, chipping the concrete. With precise aim, he fired back, dropping two of them instantly. The remaining three rushed him. One lunged with a knife, but Vedant twisted his body, dodging the attack and delivering a brutal elbow to the man’s throat. As the soldier staggered, gasping for breath, Vedant grabbed his wrist, flipped him over, and shot him point-blank.

A sharp pain seared across his shoulder—another soldier had managed to graze him with a bullet. Growling, Vedant turned and fired, the bullet piercing through the attacker’s skull. The last one charged at him like a mad bull. Vedant let him come close, then swiftly ducked and shot him in the chest. The man collapsed with a gurgled scream.

In the midst of the fight, his shirt had been torn, leaving deep gashes on his arm and abdomen. Ignoring the pain, Vedant wiped the blood from his face and sprinted up the stairs.

Reaching the fifth floor, he found the study. As expected, the electronic lock was already deactivated. He stepped inside and immediately spotted the locker against the far wall. Without hesitation, he pulled it open and grabbed the HDD.

“Got it,” he murmured, shoving it inside his pocket.

The air was thick with tension as Vedant stepped onto the ground floor of Amresh’s building. His breaths were steady, but his body bore the marks of battle. His once crisp shirt was now nothing more than tattered remnants, barely hanging onto his bruised and bloodied torso.

Akshat and Mehul, who had been waiting in the shadows, widened their eyes at the sight of him.

"Damn, bro! What the hell happened to your shirt?" Akshat blurted out, half in concern, half in amusement.

Mehul gave him a once-over before shaking his head. "Forget the shirt. Are you injured?"

Vedant exhaled sharply, wiping the sweat off his forehead. "Nothing serious. Let's focus on the job."

Without wasting another second, he pulled out the HDD from his pocket and handed it over to Mehul. Mehul immediately got to work, connecting it to his system. His fingers moved rapidly over the keyboard as data streamed across the screen.

"Alright, copying all data now," Mehul muttered under his breath. "Give me a few minutes."

Vedant stood by the window, his sharp gaze scanning the surroundings, ensuring no one was closing in on them. Meanwhile, Akshat kept an eye on the entrance, his gun ready for any incoming threats.

"Copying done," Mehul announced. "Now deleting seventy percent of the data... and... done! I've also implanted a virus in the HDD. If they ever try to extract anything, the entire system will be corrupted. They won't suspect a thing."

Vedant nodded approvingly. "Good work."

Mehul ejected the HDD and handed it back to Vedant. "Just be careful. Ketan might ask questions, but he has no way of knowing we tampered with it."

Vedant smirked. "I know how to handle Ketan."

He secured the HDD inside his jacket and turned to his team. "This was smooth. I’ll take it from here. We’ll be in touch."

Mehul and Akshat exchanged glances before nodding. "Stay alive, Vedant," Akshat said.

Vedant gave a small smirk before walking away. He disappeared into the shadows.

He made his way back to the spot where Ketan was waiting for him near the helicopter. As soon as Ketan spotted him, he raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"Where the hell is your shirt?" he asked in a teasing manner. "Decided to show off your muscles, or is this your new fashion statement?"

Vedant exhaled through his nose. "Lost it during the fight."

Ketan let out a low chuckle but didn’t push further. Vedant handed him the HDD, and without wasting any more time, they boarded the helicopter, ready to take off and return home.