According to the guidebook, it was a good eight to ten hour drive from Karnal to Manali, which was the last gateway to the mountain passes that would lead to Ladakh. With its large number of hotels and guest houses, they had hoped that they would be able to find some refuge in Manali for the night before they set out again the next morning.
The problem, David thought as he tried to focus on the road ahead, was that there was no way they were going to get anywhere close to Manali by Sunset. With the windows smashed, they could not drive very fast, and he had quickly conferred with Mayukh and they had agreed that if it looked like they were not going to get to Manali by Sunset then they would stop at the town of Mandi on the way.
They had been driving for a couple of hours and Abhi was dozing on Hina's lap. Mayukh was in the front passenger seat, and he felt behind him for Swati's hand, holding it as the trip continued. They played with each other's fingers, and once when Mayukh laughed out loud, David turned to him to see what was so funny.
'Do you lovebirds want to move to the back seat?'
Swati blushed at Hina's comment, but Mayukh noted with a smile, that she did not let go of his hand. It was funny how everything had changed with the times. There was no denying that if he had met Swati in school under normal circumstances, he may have been attracted to her, but with the circumstances in which they had been thrown together, there was no time for him to court her for months, no time for them to trade emails and text messages before they went on that first date. No, things had changed indeed. Their first date had involved being chased around by undead creatures called Biters.
Suddenly Abhi piped up, having awakened and now sitting alert on Hina's lap.
'Is it cloudy today?'
Swati tousled her baby brother's hair.
'No, Abhi, it's actually quite sunny, but see we have no windows, so it feels windy.'
Abhi was however insistent.
'No, no, it's very cloudy there.'
Mayukh had turned around to watch Abhi when his gaze followed what the boy was looking at. In the distance, he could see a rolling cloud of dust being raised on the approaches leading to the highway. By now, Swati and Hina were both looking as well, and Hina shouted to David.
'What is that?'
David caught a glimpse in his rear view mirror and then turned around for a better look. Mayukh could see David's face tighten as he responded.
'At least two or three vehicles, coming at high speed.'
In a few more seconds, they could see them-three jeeps, loaded with at least four men in each vehicle. Swati murmured hopefully.
'Maybe they're also trying to get to safety like us.'
Just then, one of the men in the leading jeep took out a pistol and fired three shots. Moving at high speed, the shots came nowhere near their vehicle, but they all now knew that the three jeeps bearing down on them were hardly coming to offer assistance.
'Get down and stay down! There's no way we can outrun them.'
Those in the back seat needed no more encouragement from David as Hina and Swati both hit the deck, keeping Abhi under them. The boy was asking why they were hiding in the daytime, but nobody had the time to answer him. David motioned for Mayukh to take the wheel, and he slid over, trying to keep the SUV going straight. They would have looked ludicrous in any other circumstance, with David half sitting on Mayukh's lap and leaning out the window. But there was nothing funny about what he had in mind. He asked Mayukh for his rifle and then took aim at the jeep in the middle. Two more men were now firing their handguns, and a few shots were pinging off the SUV. David fired a carefully aimed three round burst and the windshield on the jeep shattered as the shots hit home, killing the driver instantly. The jeep careened over to the side of the road and toppled over, and the men standing in the back were thrown onto the road by the impact. The other two jeeps spread out and continued the chase, steadily gaining on the SUV.
'Mayukh, they're on both sides of us. I can't get them both from here.'
Mayukh was wondering what to do when he heard Swati shout.
'Give me your gun.'
Mayukh hesitated and then not having any better ideas, handed his gun to Swati. She leaned out the window and kept firing at one of the pursuing jeeps before the clip ran empty. She didn't hit anything or anyone, but the surprise of being met with such firepower caused the jeep to slow down and veer back to the right, where it entered David's field of fire. By now David had unloaded a dozen rounds into the other jeep, several hitting the driver and sending the jeep rolling end on end till it landed in a heap by the side of the road. The third jeep, having moved from Swati's side was now a bare twenty meters away and three men on it were firing away with handguns. Mayukh heard David gasp in pain as he fell back into the SUV, falling on Mayukh and causing him to lose control. He then heard a whooshing noise as the vehicle buckled and started swerving to the right, as he struggled to control it.
'Bastards shot out one of our tires', David exclaimed through clenched teeth as he felt at his wound, his hand coming back covered with blood.
Hina asked if he was okay, and David said that it was just a flesh wound, and then added somberly.
'Now we have no choice but to stand and fight.'
As the SUV slowly rolled to a halt by the roadside, David did something unexpected. He opened the door and rolled outside onto the road. The jeep's occupants saw him and began firing at him as he ran to the other side of the road, diving to take cover behind a road sign. Mayukh took his gun from Swati, loaded his last clip and stood outside the vehicle, aiming at the jeep that was now bearing down on David.
He had fired at one of the goons attacking Swati, and then at the Biters outside Purohit's apartment. But this was different. It was the first time he was shooting to kill a human being. David was not returning fire, and he was either out of ammunition or more badly wounded than he had admitted. Either way, Mayukh knew it all came down to him. He steadied his hands, spreading his legs slightly and bending at the knee to get the best balance. He remembered what his father had once taught him. Always shoot between heartbeats. He aimed just ahead of the driver and pulled the trigger twice in quick succession.
The first bullet hit the man in the hip and the second, raised by the slight recoil of the gun, hit him in the chest. The jeep swerved to the side as the driver fell out, not to get up again. Mayukh had no time to contemplate what he had done. The three remaining men were now jumping off the jeep, guns in hand, and turning towards him. A bullet pinged off the SUV inches from his face as he knelt down and fired at the shooter. Three shots in rapid succession, two of which struck home. The man went down hard against the jeep, bounced to the ground and did not get up. Another man fired at him, the bullet grazing his hip as Mayukh felt a stinging pain sear through his leg as he fell.
That was when David exploded into action. He raced out from behind cover, his handgun raised, firing as he ran. He emptied the clip into the man nearest to him, who was struck by round after round, pirouetting like a puppet on a string before he fell. David discarded the gun, took his combat knife in hand and jumped on the man who had just shot Mayukh. The man had turned to face him and tried to raise his gun, but he never stood a chance. The man must have fancied himself to be tough in innumerable drunken brawls, but facing a Navy SEAL out to kill him, he lasted no more than three seconds.
Hina was now outside, and Abhi had run up to Mayukh, hugging his knee and crying. Mayukh felt Swati hugging him close as he tried to get up. She was smothering him in kisses.
'Oh God, I thought you were…..'
There was no need for saying anything more. Mayukh held her close, as he saw David walk over. His right shoulder was covered in blood.
'Ah shucks, I wish someone would fuss over me as well. I'm bleeding as well, you know.'
Hina walked over to take out David's first aid pack and tended to his wound.
'All you get is a sixty-five year old crone. Now stop being a baby and let me look at your wound.'
They had both suffered superficial wounds that were soon bandaged and they just sat there on the highway for some minutes, reveling in the close escape they had. Mayukh looked at Swati, who was feeding Abhi some cookies.
'You were really brave back there.'
Swati said something about not even hitting anything, but David patted her on the shoulder.
'Doesn't matter, Swati. You probably saved all of us there.'
He had been inspecting the weapons of their fallen enemies to see if there was anything useful but had proclaimed them to be pieces of junk-all crude country-made pistols. The hunt for a spare tire for their SUV had proved equally fruitless, with the spare having been slashed by the Biters. Two of their pursuing jeeps were wrecks, and the third was leaking fuel from two bullet holes.
Hina had her head against the SUV's side, her eyes closed. Her heart was still hammering, and as she began to think of the dangers they had all faced and the stakes each of them had in the struggle to get to Ladakh, just how little she mattered. David was their unspoken leader due to his military experience; Swati and Mayukh had each other and Abhi to live and fight for; and the little boy was the key to this whole expedition, the one spark of hope that kept them all going. But what was she doing in all this? She couldn't fight, had nobody who would lament her passing, and had no useful skills to offer. David sat down beside her, smiling as he tried to think what was going through her mind.
None of them had yet asked the question that was on the back of everyone's mind. How would they ever get to Manali or to anywhere safe before Sunset? It was already two in the afternoon, and nobody had any bright ideas. They were also running short on ammunition. David was out of ammunition for his rifle, and was on his last clip for his handgun, and Mayukh had only four rounds left.
Just then, Mayukh shouted.
'Shit, not again!'
All of them looked to see a cloud of smoke approaching them on the highway.
***
Given the attack they had just survived, they were in no mood to take any chances. Hina, Swati and Abhi crouched inside the SUV while David took cover behind one open door, and Mayukh the other. They had just over a dozen rounds between them, but they were hoping to catch whoever it was in their crossfire. As the vehicle, a black van, came closer, David aimed at the driver, and was about to fire when the van stopped and a single man stepped out, his hands in the air, and began walking towards them.
As he came closer, they saw that he was white, totally bald and wearing jeans and a plain white shirt. His hands were raised, and as he came within a few feet, he said loudly, in a thick accent.
'I am here to help.'
Mayukh got up, and started to move towards the man, but David motioned for him to wait, his gun still pointing at the man.
'That's close enough. Who are you?'
The man looked at David and smiled.
'My name is Walter. I am alone and unarmed.'
The way he said his name, it came out sounding like Valter. Hina and Swati had also come out of the vehicle, and the man waved to them. He seemed friendly enough, but with all they had gone through, David was not about to take any chances.
'Walter, what are you doing out here all alone?'
The man dropped his hands, causing David to tense, but then he laughed.
'Come on, you have two armed young men covering me. I am fifty and have no weapons on me. Let me come closer and I can tell you more. By all means, keep your guns on me if that makes you feel better, but don't make me shout through this conversation'
David nodded and the man approached them. Up close, Mayukh could see that the man was very fit, with not an ounce of spare fat on his body and his arms were sinewy and muscled. His face was however creased and wrinkled with age. He smiled again as he came up to them.
'I do this route twice every day, looking for people like you.'
When David asked him what he meant, he pointed to the overturned jeeps and carnage around them.
'There are many like them, preying on the weak and desperate. And then, there are the Biters. It seems nowadays safety is a precious commodity. Thankfully, we have safety to offer and are trying to get as many people there as we can.'
Mayukh asked him where he was from, and the man responded with an expression that indicated that he would have thought that everyone knew about the sanctuary he was referring to.
'The Sammasati Ashram in Kullu, of course.'
Then Mayukh remembered the ashram that Freddy of the one star price had referred to. David must have remembered as well, for he visibly relaxed, lowering his gun, though he did not put it back in its holster. Walter took this as a good sign, and came closer, still smiling and nodding politely to Hina and Swati. Abhi had bounded out of the SUV and looked at the stranger in their midst. He ran his fingers over his hair and then giggled.
'You have no hair.'
Everyone tried their best to suppress their laughter as Walter knelt in front of Abhi.
'No, my dear, I have not had hair for many years now. But I do have a toy train set back at the Ashram. We could play that if you liked to. Would you like that?'
Abhi's eyes lit up and he looked at Swati, as if seeking permission. David asked Walter how they had set up the Ashram and how many people were there. Walter looked at his watch.
'My friend, it's almost three in the afternoon. Even if I drive as fast as I dare to with all the abandoned trucks and cars on the highway up ahead, we will barely get there by Sunset. Come with me, and I can tell you everything you want on the way. But you have to trust me at least that much.'
David looked at Mayukh, and he took the American soldier aside.
'We don't have much of a choice do we? We're stranded here, we're almost out of ammunition and in about three hours, if those Biters are indeed looking for us, then we have almost zero chances of getting through the night.'
David looked at Hina and Swati, as if seeking their agreement. They both nodded and Hina added with a whisper.
'I don't like when I am forced to do something because there's no other option available, but in this case, we have to go with him.'
Abhi was now running around Walter asking him how fast his train was, and laughing uncontrollably. Each of them looked at the little boy, and were reminded of what the stakes really were. Whatever their misgivings about joining this stranger, they knew only too well that Abhi had to be protected, and if there was even a remote possibility that the Biters were indeed trying to target him, then they could not take any chances.
David finally held out his hand and introduced himself. Walter shook it with a broad grin and then asked them to get their stuff and join him in his van.
A few minutes later, they set off with Walter at the wheel. Swati squeezed Mayukh's hand and looking at her anxious face, he knew she was thinking the same thing they all were.
Had they made the right decision in joining this stranger?
***
The first thing David noticed when he sat down in the front passenger seat was the shotgun placed lying on the floor. That wasn't much of a surprise-anyone expecting to be driving alone in these times would reasonably be expected to have some means of defending himself. The second thing he noticed did take him by surprise. Walter had a small radio transmitter set placed on the floor and it seemed to be connected by wires to the battery for power. When he turned on the ignition, it flared to life.
'Bald Eagle, where are you? You don't have much more time.'
Abhi screamed from the back seat.
'Yes, uncle is bald, bald, bald.'
Mayukh and Swati were trying not to laugh, and red with embarrassment, Hina was trying to ask Abhi to be quiet but the boy continued his chant, if at a slightly lower volume.
Walter tut-tutted and picked up the attached microphone to respond over the radio.
'Guruji, I am on my way. I have picked up some friends. Over.'
David waited for a few more minutes before bringing up the subject.
'You guys seem very organized.'
Walter responded without taking his eyes off the road.
'We have to be. There are three hundred people at the Ashram now, and we need to have some sort of organization to both take care of their needs and also find and help others like you.'
'Three hundred! How did so many…'
Hina had left her question unfinished but Walter responded, looking at her in the mirror.
'Take me for example. An Austrian businessman on holiday in Manali. Then all Hell breaks loose. Where could I go? The cops had died, run away or become Biters. I stumbled upon the Ashram where Guruji was, and together with some others, under his guidance we started off. As word spread, more and more people sought us out.'
'You mentioned Guruji again. Who is he?'
'He's the one holding it all together. I gather he was well known in India. His name is Swami Vinesh.'
Despite himself, Mayukh sniggered and he turned to see that Swati was rolling her eyes. Hina, with more years of experience and maturity behind her managed to just nod in response. David, unaware of what they were reacting to, turned and asked Mayukh who Swami Vinesh was.
'He's a Godman, or so he claims. Started teaching Yoga, and then started becoming a Guru to politicians and movie stars. Has his own TV channel, a private jet, and nominated himself for the Nobel Peace Prize.'
'Are you pulling my leg?'
Hina piped in.
'I think Mayukh is being quite diplomatic. He was caught in a sex scandal last year when he was taped asking a devotee for sexual favours since that would get her Nirvana. Nice to know we're going to be his guests.'
David, now not so sure they had made the right choice after all, looked towards Walter, who shrugged his shoulders.
'Look, I know nothing about his past or if what they say about him is true or not. All I know is that he is selflessly helping hundreds of people survive this Hell. That makes him a good guy in my books.'
The drove the rest of the way in silence, each of them wondering what lay ahead. After about an hour more, with the Sunlight beginning to fade, they saw a group of huts ahead. As they passed the roughly built huts, David's experienced eyes picked up what the others had missed.
'Ambush points with gunmen inside.'
If Walter heard it, he did not say anything but kept driving till they reached a complex ringed by a wooden fence that was at least a dozen feet high and a massive wooden gate that was closed. As they came closer, they saw that the fence was ringed with torches that were in the process of being lit, and by the time they reached the gate, the complex was lit up like a giant birthday cake packed with candles. Or at least that's what it appeared like to Abhi, who gaped at the building and asked Mayukh.
'Can we blow those candles out and eat the cake?'
At any other time, they would have laughed, but now they were all too tensed up to joke. The complex they were approaching appeared to look more like a medieval castle than an Ashram where the well heeled came to practice Yoga and seek salvation in the faux spirituality of a jet-setting Swami. As they came closer, the gate swung open and they entered the complex.
Mayukh's first impression was that it resembled a holiday resort more than a spiritual Ashram, with villas lining the street that cut through the complex and with trees bursting with apples and flowers. He could see a handful of people around, but what immediately got his attention was the group of armed men who approached the van as it stopped. There were three men, all Caucasian and each carrying a shotgun with a pistol tucked into his belt. Seeing them approach, David's hand went to his handgun, but Walter spoke in a reassuring voice.
'Relax. They are friends. They help look after security here, that's all.'
As they got down from the van, they huddled as a group and Walter exchanged some words with the three men. One of them, an overweight man with an immense gut, approached them, speaking in a heavy Slavic accent.
'Ve vill need to take your gunz.'
It took David a second to process what the man meant, but when he understood he smiled, sizing up his opponent. The man was tall, more than six feet, and had muscular arms and a thick neck, but the muscle he must have built during his youth had dissipated into the fat that lined his waist. He carried his shotgun like an amateur, with his hand gripping it in the middle like a baseball bat. David knew that if he wanted to, he could fell him with his gun or knife before the man ever got his gun into firing position. With his senses honed by countless hours of training and combat, all that assessment took a split second. But also a split second later, he forced himself to calm down. There were other armed men around, and even if he might have been tempted to take his chances if he were alone, there was no scope for heroics with the others depending on him, especially Abhi. But there was no way he was going to give up their only means of defending themselves.
So he turned to Walter, who seemed to be watching expectantly, as if waiting to see how David would react.
'Walter, please tell your friends that I take my orders only from my superiors in the US Military, and till someone in my chain of command tells me to stand down, I am on active combat duty.'
The fat man in front of him did not seem to be very pleased but Walter stuck out his hand, showing a thumbs up sign.
'Of course, Captain. My friends have not dealt with any soldiers yet. They mean no disrespect, but they are just trying to ensure everyone here remains secure.'
They were ushered then to a villa to the left that had a hand-lettered sign hanging on the front saying `Administrative Office'. The inside had indeed been transformed into what resembled a fully functional office, with shelves lined with files and desks where people seemed hard at work. Two desks were occupied by radio operators sitting in front of hand cranked radio sets. Walter whispered as they walked in.
'You won't believe the paperwork it takes to feed and keep three hundred souls alive and safe. Inventories of supplies, records of fights or disagreements, even rumours of illicit romances.'
He smiled but David was impressed. Whoever this Swami Vinesh was, and whatever his history had been, it was clear that he was running a very tight ship here. They approached a desk where a thin man wearing glasses was sitting, scribbling something into a thick file. He looked up at the newcomers and without any further niceties said in a slightly nasal voice.
'I am P.C Sharma, the Administrator here. Please give your name, age, occupation and where you are coming from.'
Mayukh and Swati went first and when David introduced himself, Sharma raised his eyebrows a bit, perhaps wondering what he was doing here. He asked Swati for Abhi's name, but the boy stepped forward and gave it himself.
'Abhimanyu Talwar.'
The man smiled and said.
'You are a cute boy. Do you want a chocolate?'
Abhi scowled.
'My Mama told me never to take chocolates from strangers.'
Suitably chastened, he called Hina over. She stood in front of the table and said her name. Sharma looked up, and then at Walter, who just shrugged his shoulders. He then asked Hina to repeat her name.
'Hina Rahman. Is there a problem?'
Sharma seemed to be in a state of considerable agitation and then he called out loudly for someone.
'Vineet, come here quickly!'
A short, chubby man walked over and Sharma whispered something to him. He too looked at Hina, his eyes hardening. Hina had taken a step back, not sure what the problem was, but not liking what she saw. David too sensed trouble, and whispered to Swati to get herself and Abhi behind Mayukh.
For his part, Mayukh had never really liked the look of Walter's friends at the gate and now Sharma's behavior was giving him the creeps. His gun was tucked into his belt and he put his hand on his waist, so that if there were any trouble, he would be able to react quickly.
The big problem was that now it was dark outside, and they had no idea where they could go if they were not welcome here. Sharma finally approached David, assuming he was leading the group, pulling him aside. Mayukh also went over, eager to learn what the problem was.
'The problem is that I am not sure we should let her type in here.'
David was bewildered at the man's statement.
'What on Earth do you mean? Do you mean her age?'
Sharma shook his head, as if he were explaining something to a small child.
'No, no. She is one of them.'
When David just didn't seem to get it, he blurted out, perhaps louder than he would have liked.
'She is Muslim! She cannot stay here. Don't you get it? All those Biters started among Jihadis in Afghanistan, they wear those damned turbans and keep screaming about Jihad!'
Hina gasped and Mayukh sensed her moving closer to Swati, as if seeking safety. David was still processing what the man had said, but being much closer to the religious fanaticism and hate that gripped many in India, Mayukh exploded with rage.
'You frigging moron! The world has gone to Hell and you're worried about your petty religious hatred. She is one of us and she stays.'
His hand was curled into a fist, and he didn't doubt that if Sharma said one word more, he would hit him. Walter had stepped out of the villa, but his overweight friend who had accosted them at the gate stepped towards Mayukh, shotgun in his left hand.
'You vill listen to the man!'
He extended his right hand to grab Mayukh when David stepped in between them. The man must have outweighed David by a handsome margin and was a good three to four inches taller than him, but then he didn't have an iota of the training in unarmed combat David had. David caught his right wrist in one hand and then pirouetted on his heel, twisting the man's arm, bringing him kneeling to the ground, his arm bent behind him. The man's face contorted in pain, and the shotgun fell from his hand.
'Down, boy. Don't get too excited here. If you move, I'll break your arm and then snap the little twerp's neck there.'
He had said it in an even voice, but Sharma shrank back in fear. David knew they had crossed a line. The problem was that even if they managed to get out, with the darkness outside, he had no real plan of keeping them safe.
Mayukh suddenly heard Walter, his voice still even and calm despite the tension in the room.
'Captain Bremsak, please let my friend Mikhail go. He was just doing his job. I assure you this is nothing but a misunderstanding.'
David just snorted in disdain, reaching for his gun so that Walter would not catch him by surprise. Mayukh stepped towards Walter.
'You brought us here claiming to be bringing us to safety. Now your friend here refuses to take one of us because of her religion. What kind of a place do you run here?'
Just then, another man walked in. He was wearing saffron robes, and Mayukh had seen his piercing blue eyes, flowing hair and lean features on TV many times. He spoke in a soothing voice.
'Violence and anger only beget more anger. Walter, Sharma, Mikhail, you have not treated our guests well. Please, everyone, calm down. This is a place of peace, a shared sanctuary for all of us in these troubled times. I will clear up everything, and rest assured, each and every one of you is welcome here.'
He then walked to Hina and bowed his head slightly.
'My apologies for my colleague's words. We are all children of God, even if we try and reach him in different ways. It's just that with all the unfortunate events of the last few days, everyone is stressed-and many are giving in to their worst fears and prejudiced. Please friends, calm down and join us here.'
David loosened up a bit and asked him who he was. The man smiled at him.
'I am your humble host for the evening. My name is Swami Vinesh.'