Code-I-09 Chapter -1:- The Hunt Begins

"Some people are born to change the world... while others are born to be hunted by it."

New Delhi, India

11:48 P.M.

Rain poured relentlessly over the city, blurring the bright lights into streaks of gold and white. Thunder rolled across the dark sky as traffic slowly disappeared from the roads.

Far from the crowded markets and towering office buildings, a black armored convoy sped through an isolated highway on the outskirts of the city.

Three bulletproof SUVs.

Two military escort vehicles.

One transport truck.

No number plates.

No official markings.

Only one destination.

Inside the transport truck, dozens of steel lockers were chained to the floor. Each locker carried a red security seal stamped with bold black letters:

CLASSIFIED

A pair of armed officers stood silently beside them.

"No unnecessary conversations," one of them ordered through his earpiece.

"The package reaches Headquarters in twenty-three minutes."

"Copy that."

The convoy continued through the rain.

For a few moments...

Everything was quiet.

Too quiet.

High above the highway...

A lone figure lay motionless on top of an unfinished flyover, watching the convoy through a sniper scope.

His voice remained calm.

"Target confirmed."

A faint crackle answered through his communicator.

"Team Alpha... prepare."

Elsewhere, hidden beneath the bridge...

Several black-clad operatives waited in complete silence.

Night-vision goggles.

Suppressed rifles.

Smoke grenades.

Every movement was precise.

Every second had been calculated.

The leader glanced at his watch.

"Three..."

"Two..."

"One..."

A deafening explosion erupted ahead of the convoy.

BOOM!

The lead escort vehicle skidded sideways, crashing into the highway divider.

"AMBUSH!"

Gunfire tore through the rain.

Bullets sparked against armored doors.

The officers immediately took cover, returning fire.

"Protect the transport!"

"Don't let them reach the package!"

The attackers moved with frightening coordination, using the smoke and darkness to disappear almost as quickly as they appeared.

Within minutes, the battle was over.

Silence returned.

The rain washed away the blood on the road.

One escort vehicle burned in the distance.

Another lay overturned.

The attackers...

...were gone.

Minutes later...

The first emergency helicopters arrived.

Floodlights illuminated the ruined convoy.

Senior intelligence officers stepped out, their expressions growing darker with every passing second.

One of them rushed toward the transport truck.

"Check every locker!"

The locks were opened one after another.

Locker 01...

Secure.

Locker 02...

Secure.

Locker 03...

Secure.

Then...

Locker 09.

Empty.

The officer froze.

His breathing became uneven.

"No..."

He quickly searched the floor.

Only a single black file remained.

Rainwater dripped from its edges.

Stamped across the cover in crimson letters were the words:

TOP SECRET

PROJECT: IRIS

SUBJECT: I-09

STATUS: MISSING

The officer's hands trembled.

He immediately grabbed his radio.

"This is Alpha Convoy!"

His voice cracked with urgency.

"The classified file has been compromised."

A long silence followed.

Then a cold voice answered.

"Repeat the subject designation."

The officer swallowed.

"...Subject..."

"...Code I-09."

The voice on the other end fell silent for a few seconds.

When it spoke again...

It carried only one command.

"Inform every division."

"The hunt begins tonight."

Organization One Headquarters-

The atmosphere inside the underground command center was suffocating.

The Director stared silently at the incident reports projected across the giant screen.

After twelve long years...

They had finally traced the whereabouts of Code I-09.

And now...

Everything was gone.

An officer stepped forward.

"Sir... there were no survivors among the attackers."

Another added,

"We believe the assault was carried out by Organization Two."

The Director's eyes hardened.

"So..."

"They've finally made their move."

He turned toward the command table.

"Summon Arjun Rathore."

Moments later, the doors opened.

A tall man in a black tactical uniform entered the room

Calm.

Disciplined.

One of the organization's most respected elite officers.

He saluted.

"You called for me, sir."

The Director walked toward him.

His voice carried both urgency and responsibility.

"Arjun..."

"Twelve years of investigation have led us to one child."

"If the stolen dossier reaches the wrong hands, countless innocent lives could be at risk."

He looked Arjun directly in the eyes.

"You must reach Uttarakhand immediately."

"Find Code I-09 before anyone else."

"This isn't just another mission..."

"You're doing this to protect our organization... and to safeguard the future of countless others."

Arjun answered without hesitation.

"Understood, sir."

Organization Two Headquarters-

Hundreds of kilometers away...

Another underground headquarters received news of the convoy attack.

The Director listened in complete silence.

One officer finally spoke.

"Sir... Organization One's convoy was attacked tonight."

Another officer frowned.

"They'll blame us."

The Director remained expressionless.

"Did we authorize this operation?"

"No, sir."

Silence filled the room.

"If we didn't attack..."

"...then who did?"

The room froze.

Someone else knew about Code I-09.

Someone else had stolen the dossier.

The Director slowly stood.

"Call Kabir Mehra."

Within moments, the doors opened.

Kabir entered confidently, his eyes sharp and observant.

The Director placed a map of Uttarakhand on the table.

"Kabir..."

"Whether the file was stolen by our enemies or by an unknown force no longer matters."

"Someone now knows where Code I-09 is."

He paused before giving the order.

"Leave immediately."

"Locate I-09 before anyone else."

"Do this for our organization... and for the future of the world we are trying to protect."

Kabir gave a slight nod.

"I'll bring her back."

As he turned to leave...

Neither organization realized they had both fallen into the same trap.

Far away...

In a room with no windows...

A gloved hand slowly opened the stolen dossier.

A faint smile appeared beneath the shadows.

The hunt had already begun.

The peaceful outskirts of Uttarakhand were bustling with the usual afternoon crowd.

"Come on, Sunil! Reduce the price a little," an elderly man in his early fifties pleaded while pointing at a basket of fresh tomatoes.

The shopkeeper folded his arms with a helpless smile.

"Mr. Kamal Vyaas ji , I already gave you a discount yesterday."

Kamal sighed dramatically.

"I know, I know... but hurry up! I'm getting late to pick up my beta."

The shopkeeper chuckled as he weighed the tomatoes.

"Arre, Kamal ji... relax."

"The school bell hasn't even rung yet. There's still time before the children are dismissed."

"My son studies in the same school too."

He smiled teasingly.

"So why are you in such a hurry? Ira is twelve now. She can look after herself for a while."

Kamal immediately frowned.

"Look after herself?"

He clicked his tongue.

"She's only twelve."

"She'll always be my little girl."

"Now stop talking and give me those tomatoes. I don't want my beta waiting for me."

The shopkeeper let out an exaggerated sigh before handing over the bag.

"Alright, alright... you win again, Kamal ji."

Kamal smiled victoriously, paid for the vegetables, and hurried toward Shaindav Public School.

Just as he reached the school gate...

Riiiiiing!

The final bell echoed through the campus.

Within seconds, hundreds of students poured out of the classrooms, laughing, chatting, and rushing toward their parents.

Some waved excitedly.

Some chased their friends.

Others eagerly talked about homework and weekend plans.

Standing near the entrance, Kamal carefully searched through the crowd.

"Where are you, beta...?"

His eyes scanned every corner.

Then suddenly...

His smile disappeared.

Near the edge of a small bridge beside the school, a little girl was leaning dangerously over the railing.

"Ira!"

The vegetable bag slipped slightly from his hand as he rushed toward her.

His heart pounded violently.

For one terrifying moment...

He thought she was about to fall.

"Dadu?"

The little girl turned around.

Nestled safely in her arms was a tiny shivering puppy.

"I got him!"

She smiled so brightly that the afternoon sun seemed dull in comparison.

Her warm brown eyes sparkled with innocence as she gently stroked the frightened puppy.

Kamal finally reached her and let out a deep sigh of relief.

"You scared me!"

He placed a hand on his chest, trying to calm his racing heartbeat.

"How many times have I told you not to lean over bridges like that?"

"What if your hand had slipped?"

Ira pouted.

"But Dadu..."

"The puppy was going to fall."

"I couldn't just leave him there."

She carefully placed the puppy back on the ground.

"See? He's safe now."

Kamal looked at the tiny puppy wagging its tail before looking back at Ira.

No matter how much he wanted to scold her...

He couldn't.

He simply shook his head with a helpless smile.

"What am I supposed to do with you?"

Ira giggled and slipped her hand into his.

"Nothing."

"Now let's go home!"

She grinned mischievously.

"I'm starving!"

"What did you make for lunch?"

Kamal laughed softly you foodie girl

"I made your favorite..."

"...rajma chawal."

Ira's eyes lit up instantly.

"Really?!"

"You're the best, Dadu!"

She hugged him tightly before happily pulling him toward the road.

The old man smiled as they walked home together, listening to Ira excitedly talk about school, her friends, and the little puppy she had rescued.

Neither of them noticed...

High above the clouds...

Two military jets sliced through the sky, heading toward Uttarakhand.

Inside the first aircraft...

Arjun Rathore silently studied a classified mission file.

Inside the second...

Kabir Mehra fastened his gloves as his team prepared for landing.

The same destination.

The same mission.

To find one child.

A child who was laughing carefree beside the only family she had ever known...

Completely unaware that, from this day onward...

Her peaceful life would never be the same.

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