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‘who’, ‘what’ and ‘how’ is important, but also the ‘why’. When we find that out, we can get ahead of the enemy’s future plans.”
                  The old man on the couch nodded agreement: “Tell the navy and coast-guard brass to keep a tight lid on that audio and video. If the enemy doesn’t know we have the evidence, we can get them to make predetermined moves on their original plan.”
                  “Agreed,” Basu added. “But bear in mind that the planners for this strike in Pakistan probably know already that their original plan has failed. The detonation of the weapon so far out at sea has still gotten them damage to Mumbai, but not nearly on the scale it would have if they had succeeded as planned. So they will know that we know something about it. Expect the litany of denials and references to the supposed non-state actors to follow.”
                  “South Block and the Prime Minister’s office is going to be asking us questions very soon,” the man on the couch noted. Basu leaned back in his chair as he thought that over.
                  “I know…” he added absent mindedly, “…that they are going to want some action plans for us. Let’s look into that as well. Nuclear terrorism is not your usual run of the mill stuff. The government will want to take action on this one. If we have to get Makki’s head on a platter for it, we should have a plan to do that. Let’s get started on that one before we are asked for it.”
                  “Military options?” the old man asked soberly.
                  “Why not?” Basu replied, now sitting straighter. “Let’s be prepared for that as well. If we can solidify Rawalpindi’s and Haider’s involvement in this, there is every possibility of an open war.”
                  The man in the couch grunted: “At least that will make our action plans doable! If we have active military support in our operations, that will remove Makki’s protection cover which he currently enjoys.”
                  “We will see,” Basu noted neutrally. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves! This government hasn’t really followed up on any past provocations either. So I won’t be betting money this time either.”
                  “ Except,” Basu’s colleague added, “the nuclear threshold has been crossed this time. We will have to act or stand to invite further such strikes! There has to some line in the sand, no?
                  Basu terminated the meeting shortly afterwards. He made a mental note to meet again after his meeting with the Prime Minister. He was still lost in his thoughts, trying to figure out a game, the rules of which he did not yet comprehend…
    Was this a new game?
    Or just the old one with different rules?
    He needed some advice on matters his department did not specialize in. Especially when it involved the military. Fortunately, he knew a man who did. An old friend with whom Basu and others had worked closely three years ago. He walked outside his office and asked his assistant to get him Lt-colonel Ansari at SOCOM .

 
     
     
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    T he crowd of civilians waiting to be airlifted out of northern Mumbai were pushed away by the wall of dust moved up by the approach of an air-force Mi-26 helicopter. People held on to their belongings as the dust cloud enveloped the grassy fields and the blades of the massive helicopter threatened to uproot trees and people from their feet. One member of the forward-deployed ground teams, dressed in a protective NBC suit down, brought his hands up above his head and made a cross as the helicopter’s wheels touched into the grass and hard terrain and compressed under the massive weight.
                  The loud whine of the massive turbine engines began to lower. The ground crews moved up and began walking towards the