Chapter 47: The Rabbit Dies, the Dog is Cooked

  The news of the deaths of two fourth-generation core members of the Gandhi-Nehru family and the Indian Army and Navy commanders in a Pakistan air raid also shocked Jabeer. The politician's sharp intuition immediately told the US President that this was absolutely not an isolated incident.

  Without hesitation, Jaber immediately had the Marines dispatch a helicopter to bring Wesley over.

  "I've just received the news too, and I'm not entirely clear on the specifics." Wesley wasn't lying; he was also shocked and bewildered.

  "I just want to know if this incident has anything to do with us!"

  "It has nothing to do with us, definitely," Wesley replied emphatically. "Maybe it was just a mistaken bombing or a Pakistani decapitation strike aimed not at Rajiv but at the Indian Army and Navy commanders. Besides, who would want to kill Rajiv Gandhi?"

  "Wesley, are you really not understanding or just pretending not to understand?" Jaber was getting impatient with the deputy director of intelligence's incompetence.

  The deputy director of intelligence was stunned and didn't react for a moment.

  "Rahul Gandhi is the only one who can pose a threat to Santos, we clearly support Santos, now that he's dead, our suspicion is greatest, understand?"

  "But we neither have the ability nor the reason to do so."

  "It's not about whether or not there is capability and reason, but that Rahul Gandhi is already dead!" Jaber slapped his palm on the table. "In any case, you must immediately investigate this matter. I want to know if this incident has anything to do with us, and if there is any unfavorable evidence against us."

  Wesley didn't argue anymore, what the President said was right.

  The key is whether there is evidence unfavorable to the US; if so, it must be destroyed.

  New Delhi, inside an apartment building east of University of Delhi.

  Like other intelligence officers, Makri has a cover identity - Associate Professor of Politics at the University of Derby.

  He was woken up by a phone call and immediately sent one of his most trusted men to verify the authenticity of the intelligence.

  Decades of intelligence work experience told Markri that it was not the Pakistani warplanes' bombs that killed Rahul Gandhi. Pakistan had no reason to kill Rahul, but instead wanted Rahul to replace Santos and end this war. According to the "motive principle", the real behind-the-scenes murderer is Santos living in the Prime Minister's residence, as well as the US interest group that can benefit from it.

  When Santos asked him to provide Rahul Gandhi's schedule, Makri found it strange. Rahul Gandhi hadn't done anything out of the ordinary, yet Santos was so concerned about this "relative", what was the hidden motive? At that time, Makri kept an eye on it. After leaving the Prime Minister's Office, he didn't immediately return to the Joint Investigation Bureau, but stopped the car halfway. A few minutes later, he saw US intelligence liaison officer Serrate drive away from the Prime Minister's Office. Unexpectedly, just a few hours later, Rahul Gandhi was assassinated.

  All the clues point to Santos and an American interest group. Macri knows that as someone in the know, Santos won't let him off.

  When it was time to leave, Mark had already packed his luggage.

  Even when he was still an external operative, Mark had prepared more than a dozen passports, several fake identities, and deposited $15 million in "retirement funds" in a Swiss bank.

  The day Mark became head of the Joint Investigation Bureau, he knew that these things would come in handy sooner or later.

  Mark glanced at his watch and then looked again at the phone. Just then, a faint sound of footsteps came from outside the door, followed by the ringing of the phone.

  What a coincidence? No, it's definitely not a coincidence!

  Mark didn't answer the phone, but instead pulled out his pistol. He realized that his most trusted subordinate had betrayed him. As soon as he picked up the receiver, the hitman outside would know he was at home.

  Aiming the muzzle at the door, Mark cautiously approached the edge of the door.

  A heavy object fell on the floor outside the door, and then it was quiet again.

  Was the hitman not planning to use a gun but instead blow up the entire apartment?

  He released the safety on his pistol and grabbed the door handle. It had been over a decade since he'd last fired a gun, and it had also been over a decade since he'd last killed someone.

  Mark opened the door and immediately pulled the trigger without thinking.

  The bullet hit the iron door panel across from him, sending up a bright spark. The gunshot echoed in the hallway several times before gradually fading away. On the floor outside the door lay a robust middle-aged man in a suit and leather shoes.

  Mark quickly checked the situation in the corridor and turned over the middle-aged man.

  As he caught sight of the middle-aged man's face, Markridon instantly broke out in a cold sweat. It was Serati, that CIA intelligence liaison officer, who had a pistol with a silencer installed and a bullet already chambered pressed against his back!

  "If I were you, I would leave here immediately."

  As Mark heard the sudden voice from the corridor, he immediately turned sideways and pointed his gun in the direction of the sound. When he pulled the trigger, however, the handgun didn't react at all because its slide was grasped by a powerful hand, unable to fire a bullet.

  "If I were to kill you, I wouldn't even need to lift a finger." The man snatched the pistol from Mark's hand, "And not using a silencer, did you want everyone in the building to know that you just killed someone?"

  "I... I didn't kill him..."

  "You didn't actually kill him, but your fingerprints are on his gun."

  Mark was startled and immediately threw away the pistol with a silencer on it.

  "I'm not a police officer, and I didn't come here to arrest you."

  "Who... who are you?"

  The man emerged from the shadows of the corridor, revealing an Oriental face. "My name is Li Cunxun, a special agent of the Military Intelligence Bureau, and my mission is to rescue you."

  "You... you're Chinese?"

  Li Cunxun nodded and then glanced at his watch. "The CIA agent downstairs has been taken care of by me. I just didn't expect you to be foolish enough to use a handgun without a silencer. The police will arrive within ten minutes, do you want to stay or leave with me?"

  "Do I have any other choice?" Mark cooled down, that Li Cunxun wouldn't kill him if he really wanted to, or else he would've taken out the CIA agent already.

  In an instant, the Director of the Joint Investigation Bureau understood the situation before him.

  The CIA was definitely involved in the assassination of Rahul and intended to silence him. In this case, even if he escaped from India and went to Europe, he would not be able to escape the clutches of the CIA.

  For Marki, the only way out is to cooperate with China's Military Intelligence Bureau and get asylum from China.

  Li Cunxun sized up Mark for a moment before entering his residence.

  "We should leave immediately..."

  "What's the hurry?" Li Cunxun didn't stop in his tracks, walking into the kitchen and turning on the gas valve. "As long as they know you're still alive, the CIA will keep hunting you down. Go bring up that corpse from downstairs and swap clothes with it."

  Mark was shocked and immediately understood.

  He waited until he carried the body up, changed his clothes, and then Li Cunxun took out the pistol brought by Serati, fired two shots at the body, stuffed a magazine into the bread machine, and finally walked to the door and hugged Serati. The whole process was done in one breath, without any hesitation or delay.

  "What's he staring at? Come over and lift his legs."

  "Didn't he... isn't he dead?"

  "Who said he's dead?" Li Cunxun was a bit suspicious that Mark might not be the director of the Joint Investigation Bureau after all. "He's the only one who can prove your innocence, and now is not the time to let him die."

  Mark immediately went up to help Li Cunxun lift Serati.

  Five minutes later, the sedan carrying the two had already left the university campus. Before the police arrived, a gas explosion occurred at Mark's residence, and firefighters only excavated a charred corpse from the ruins.

  At 11:00 Beijing time, Pan Yunsheng immediately went to the Presidential Palace after receiving a message from Li Cunxu.

  "What's Joint Investigation Bureau?" Ji Youguo was unfamiliar with India's intelligence system.

  "India's largest intelligence agency, equivalent to our Military Intelligence Bureau, Foreign Intelligence Bureau and National Security Bureau, or the US SA."

  Ji Youguo nodded slightly. "When can they come back?"

  "Markri arrived in Pakistan this afternoon, our agent has not left India yet."

  "Isn't it time to leave? Is there another task?"

  "I haven't let him come back yet, there are still many things that need someone to take care of."

  Ji Youguo didn't bother with this issue anymore. Intelligence work wasn't his specialty. "What did Makli confess?"

  According to his deposition, yesterday afternoon, Santos asked him to submit a tour report of Rahul Gandhi.

  "Santos asks Markree to follow Rahul?"

  "It's not stalking, Rahul is an important political figure and the CBI has a duty to protect his safety, which means they need to keep track of his movements."

  Ji Youguo rubbed his chin. "So it seems there's a connection with Santos?"

  "In addition, it also has a relationship with the CIA."

  "What does it mean?"

  "Our operative arrived just as the CIA station chief in New Delhi was preparing to assassinate Makri."

  "What!?" Ji Youguo immediately stood up, looking very shocked.

  "Typical murder to silence. Pan Yunsheng wasn't surprised at all, 'We captured the CIA liaison officer named Serati alive, he will be sent back with Markri.'"

  "Interrogate him immediately!" Ji Youguo gritted his teeth, "No matter what, thoroughly investigate this matter."

  Pan Yunsheng nodded. "I've already made arrangements, and there will be definite news within two to three days."

  "That's best, you go ahead and attend to your business first, if there's any news, let me know immediately."

  Pan Yunsheng immediately stood up and bid farewell, leaving the Presidential Palace.

  After seeing off the head of Military Intelligence Bureau, Ji Youguo gradually calmed down after a while.

  As he had previously speculated, the CIA plotted to assassinate Rahul Gandhi in order to achieve an unmentionable goal. This also once again shows that America has been involved in the Indo-Pakistani War and is getting deeper into it.

  After Rahul's death, Santos inevitably struck a nationalist chord, thereby consolidating his position.

  Within two years, Santos will not step down. But a war cannot last for two years, nor even two months.

  After some contemplation, Ji Youguo picked up the phone receiver.

  The South Asian crisis has developed to this point and it's time for a conclusion.