Chapter 113: Small Money, Big Pockets
Alphonso was sitting in a jeep roaring through the streets of Goa. Alphonso looked at Bhanu and said, "I know that it is a very big job for you and you are eyeing the big reward. But, be careful with the people who are working with. They don't seem too friendly to me." Bhanu laughed, "I don't blame them. Even at first, I was a bit skeptical about you. A slender, Italian guy coming to my country and offering me such a huge amount of money to dig up some treasure. I don' t know if anyone else would have believed your words." Alphonso smiled, "Okay. I don't want to argue any further." Bhanu said in a low voice, "Don't worry, Sahib. Once, we get that treasure, you won't be able to argue anymore." Alphonso looked around and said, "We are getting closer. Mr. Khatri liked quiet places and I'm pretty sure it must be somewhere far from the noise and crowd." Bhanu said to the driver, "Turn right and then go straight." The driver said, "The jeep is running low on fuel. We have to refill it." Alphonso mumbled, "Stupid Bhanu. Hired a guy who doesn't even keep his tank full." Bhanu said, "Okay. I will pay for whatever you charge for fuel here." The driver said, "Okay. But, the place where we are heading is kind of a restricted area. My jeep can only take you a kilometer inside." Bhanu said, "Good." The driver speeded towards the place and soon they reached a small check gate.
An old guard came to them and said, "You might have forgotten the route and landed here. It happens most of the times. Anyway, take the right and you will reach the road. Alphonso got down from the jeep and said, "No, dear uncle. We are at the right place or atleast heading towards it. We have come to visit Khatri residence." The old guard smiled, "You are definitely at the wrong place, son. No Khatri lives here. Go away." Alphonso asked, "Then, why is a check gate here?" The old guard said with a little tone, "It's none of your business, boy. Go away or else you will liable to the consequences." Alphonso smiled and said, "Okay. If you want us to go, we shall do so." Alphonso went on the jeep and said, "Break the check gate." Bhanu translated the command and soon they speeded towards the check gate. The guard screamed, "What the hell are you doing!" Alphonso took out his gun and shot a bullet in his head. They speeded towards the mansion, but several other cars started emerging from the sides. Alphonso smiled, "Now it's going to be fun." He pushed the driver and sat on his seat.
Bhanu said, "Why did you do that?" Alphonso smiled, "Don't ask and shoot those bitches." Bhanu sighed and took out a Uzi from the backside and started firing at the jeeps. They didn't expected the bullets and two jeeps flipped over and blasted on the road. Alphonso said, "Take the wheels." Bhanu took the wheels and Alphonso took out an AK 47 out from his bag and assembled it. Bhanu asked, "You always carry an assault rifle with you?" Alphonso smiled, "Yeah. I have a complicated life." Alphonso started firing at the jeeps. The bullets pierced through the glasses of the jeeps and they flipped over and some even caught fire. Alphonso said, "My bullets are low. Quickly go towards the house." Bhanu pressed the accelerator as hard as he can and they speeded deep inside the forest, leaving behind a trail of dust and smoke. They soon reached a place which seemed like an old yet beautiful house. They stopped their jeep near the gate and went inside. The whole place was covered with dust and cobwebs and on the ground were several boxes full of TNT and cheap pistols. Bhanu said, "Looks like you are not the only one who knows about the treasure." Alphonso picked up a pistol and said, "No. No one has a chance to know anything about the treasure unless they know Khatri family deeply." Bhanu laughed, "Whoever they are. They don't won't be friendly to us." Alphonso asked, "Do you know how to plant TNT?" Bhanu said, "Yes." Alphonso smiled and dragged a huge box of TNT towards the gate. Minutes later, the whole place was covered with TNT. Alphonso and Bhanu took as much pistols they can and filled their pockets with bullets.
Soon, a dozen more jeeps arrived near the house and a middle aged bald man got down from the car. He looked at the jeep on which Alphonso and Bhanu came to that place. He said in his deepest voice, "Go and find those rascals. I want them alive so that I can kill them myself." Four guards ran inside the house but the TNT blasted them off the ground and they fell on the ground dead. Alphonso and Bhanu started firing at them and the man quickly hid behind one of the jeep and said, "Hurry up and take your positions." They started shooting too but due to them being inside the house, none of the bullets injured them. Alphonso pressed the detonator and another blast occurred. This time, one of the jeeps caught fire and blasted in pieces. Seeing the situation getting worse, the man said, "We are surrendering. But, please tell us your identity." Alphonso said loud, "How can we believe you? It can be a trap." The man said, "Okay. I'm coming inside. Unarmed." The man put down his weapon and went inside. Alphonso pointed his gun towards him and said, "Wait there. My partner will come to you and check you." Alphonso signaled Bhanu to go and check him. Bhanu went outside and said, "Mister. Hands up."
The man smiled, "You seem quite young. How come you are in this business?" Bhanu said angrily, "Shut up and hands up. I won't repeat again." He put his hands up and Bhanu checked him throughly. He didn't find anything except a packet of tobacco and a comb. Bhanu asked, "Why do you have a comb? You are bald." The man smiled, "It gives me satisfaction of having hair once." Bhanu said, "Whatever. Go inside and beg in front of boss. He may forgive you." The man went inside and Alphonso put a gun on his head. He said, "Go and sit on that chair." The man went and sat on the chair. Alphonso tied his hands and then said, "I know that you know that something special about this place." The old man asked, "Special?" Alphonso said, "Yes. Special. Why would you make your base in such a dense forest then?" The old man said, "I don't know what you are talking about. I choosed this place for it's tranquility and deserted nature. I don't think any other forest doesn't have these virtues." Alphonso asked, "What about this house?" The old man said, "It was long abandoned and I thought it will be a good place to store TNT and other smuggled goods." Alphonso smiled, "You don't look like a smuggler to me. Such large amount of explosives and an army of people. No smuggler has such privileges." The man smiled, "Well, I can't say anything much about that." Alphonso said, "I need some people to do a job for me. Are you interested?" The man smiled, "You don't seem like a guy who can offer me any job." Alphonso smiled, "The place that you are sitting on belongs to Khatri family. They were one of the most prominent and rich families of India before they shifted to London. I have a map which can help us dig out the treasure that Mr. Khatri has hidden somewhere in the precincts." The old man said, "I'm sensing a 'but' in your story." Alphonso smiled, "But, Mr. Khatri's son is also coming here to take back his treasure. I want you to help me kill him and you will get half of the treasure." The man looked carefully at his face and said, "I have met many people in my life and I can say for sure that you cannot be trusted."
Alphonso smiled, "You cannot even trust your own shadow, but you still carry it around." The man smiled, "Okay. But, I will work on only one condition." Alphonso asked, "What?" The man smiled, "I don't like your partner." Alphonso asked, "Why?" The man replied, "He called me bald." Alphonso said, "It's your call." Alphonso untied him and they came outside smiling. All the guys, including Bhanu were puzzled. The man smiled and hugged Bhanu, "You are an awesome man." He put three bullets in his stomach and then pushed him on the ground. Alphonso gave him a look and then went towards their jeep. The man said, "Now, that your partner is dead and you are alone with us. Why shouldn't we kill you, right now?" Alphonso smiled, "Because it will cost you atleast fifty crore rupees." The man said, "I want to see the map." Alphonso said, "The map is in my mind. Trust me or kill me. Your choice." The man smiled, "I'm gonna hunt you like a pig if any of the words becomes lie." Alphonso smiled, "So, it's a deal then." The man said, "Come with us. The sun is setting. We will search the place tomorrow." Alphonso smiled and went inside the jeep.
Alphonso asked, "What is your name?" The man replied, "Bablu Pandey. What's yours?" Alphonso replied, "Syman." Bablu looked at him and said, "Syman Rocco?" Alphonso smiled, "No. Syman Richards. You heard of Syman Rocco?" Bablu said, "Yes. Many smugglers of India have become rich dealing and working with Syman Rocco. I heard he died." Alphonso said, "Killed, to be more precise. Anyway, early death is very common in the criminals. I never got to personally met him, but yeah he helped me very much in establishing my business and taking it to new heights." Bablu smiled, "Looks like we have a bond then." Alphonso smiled, "Every criminal has an unseen bond with other criminal. That's the rule of the book." Bablu said, "But you still the upper class." Alphonso smiled, "There is no upper or lower class in the Underworld. The only thing that matters is how you can take what you want to achieve. I have seen many "upper" class people perishing in the sands of time. Guns, money nor power could save Syman from downfall. He was a great criminal, a very crafty businessman and a brutal man. But, a single man destroyed his everything from his dream to his life."
Bablu asked, "Who is that man?" Alphonso replied, "You will meet him soon." Bablu asked, "What about your men?" Alphonso smirked, "They were Bhanu's men. I don't care about them." Bablu said, "Okay. I know it may seem a little uncomfortable, but people there don't appreciate white skin. I don't blame them as they have seen bad things. So, we have to keep you in the grain house at the outskirts of our colony." Alphonso said, "Okay. I hope it is clean atleast." Bablu smiled, "Definitely not. It is full of rats and cockroachs. Anyway, I will tell my boys to clean it as much as possible." Alphonso mumbled, "No wonder, they still use old weapons and are short on money. They have no sense of hospitality." Bablu said, "We will be soon there." The jeep went a little more deeper inside the forest.
The jeeps stopped near a small village. Alphonso got down from the jeep and looked around. The place was very muddy due the heavy rain yesterday night and most of the women were busy pumping air in the stoves. Some young boys ran towards them and stopped near Bablu. They saluted him and said, "The water levels have increased slightly from yesterday, but none of it has affected our crops. No strange activity has been observed near the boundary fence and our patrolling boys have been alerted all night." Bablu said in a high voice, "Good job, my warriors. Now, go and take your positions." The boys quickly ran away like a parade. Alphonso smiled, "You say you are a smuggler, you have equipment like a militant and people follow you like an army. What exactly are you?" Bablu said, "I liberated them years ago from the grasp of a cruel bandit. From then, they started worshipping me like that and we slowly built an army out of it." Alphonso said, "Educate them. Living a life in this forests will take these boys nowhere. An educated man is far dangerous than a man who knows nothing but following orders. That's what my father used to say."
Bablu smiled, "You go and take rest. Traveling such long journeys surely makes the man blabber unnecessarily." Alphonso smiled and went away. Alphonso looked at his sleeping place. A horribly dirty and stinking place made him puke. He wondered how they keep their food in such a sick place. Alphonso put some hay on the floor and then lied on it. He closed the door to avoid sunlight from falling on his face and then quickly fall asleep.
One of the men came near Bablu and asked, "Do you think he is trustable?" Bablu said, "I don't know if he is trustable or not. But, he is not lying." Bablu went inside his hut and closed the door. The man said, "I don't trust this man an inch. Have to know what his true motives are." He stormed away hastily as the sun shined bright in the sky....
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone