Missing Case 101
By: Srinish Muthukrishnan
Tags: Magic, Fantasy, Thriller, Mystery Thriller, Stories

It was 3 years since Ayla was raped and murdered.

25-December-2017 — He can’t get that date out of his mind.

Ayla… Ayla was Dev’s only daughter.

Ayla was just 11 years old when she was murdered. Dev was dressed like a Santa to surprise Ayla with a gift when he found her daughter in his car, covered in blood. He was devastated.

He would do all things to make her happy. He used to put on his nose mask and act as ‘Giggle’ the clown one day or he used to put on the red blanket over his back and a hat over his head and become ‘Fuhrer’ the magician the next day. He even learned musical instruments to play for her. Being a single father, Ayla was his only happiness.

Thinking about all these memories with Ayla made him have sleepless nights. That incident made him enter the police services to kill every pedophile that lived.

2 years into the service, Dev has encountered several criminals and has been suspended multiple times. Dev dealt only with crimes against children.

But this time, Dev took up the case of a missing businessman, Vir Rathore.

Vir was Dev’s best friend. They met at a party 5 years back and they have been close friends since then. He was the one who was with him when he was completely depressed over Ayla’s murder.

Vir has been missing for 2 months now. No clue of abduction — No ransom demanded. The case was a mystery.

It was Christmas — 1400 hrs when he received an anonymous letter.

“Dear Cop,

Whats up? Are you too tired of searching for your best friend?

Interestingly, I know where he is.

He is WITH ME.

I want you to meet me before I let you save him.

Room A101, Fantasy Resort on 25th December — at 4 PM SHARP.

Hurry up!

Best,

The Villain”

Without having a thought, Dev put on his helmet and rode his bike to the Resort.

“A101? It’s in the other corner of the building. That way,” the manager pointed out the way to the room.

He twisted the knob to open the door as soon as he reached.

“Well, well. Dev, drop the gun. You can't enter unless you drop your gun,” said a voice from the other side of the door.

Dev took his gun and dropped it on the floor. He twisted the knob again.

The door did not open again.

“Do I sound like a kid, Dev? Fucking Asshole, I said drop all your guns. The one that you hid in your fucking socks too”

Dev nodded and took the gun off the socks. The door opened.

As soon as he entered, the door closed. He quickly went to the room to his right. He was there.

Vir Rathore.

“Dev. I am sorry,” he said.

“What’s going on, Vir?”

“This is a Magic Room, Dev. I am caught inside this room. I can’t go out. I can go out only if there is another person inside this fucking room. This room is full of llusions. Magics. Fantasies. The photo there talks..”

“THE MASTER IS HERE!!” — the person in the portrait shouted in the weirdest voice.

“Welcome to the Battle. One person stays. The dead stays. I am the Master”

Dev understood. It was Vir’s plan.

Dev quickly took a knife from the table nearby and looked towards Vir.

Vir was missing.

“A World of Fantasy, Dev. I have learned all the things about the room before I invited you to replace me,” Vir said from behind Dev.

He quickly commanded the bookshelf to fall on Dev.

Dev rolled away.

“Players! you will be given a gun each. You have 120 seconds to leave the room. The dead stays,” a voice instructed.

Two guns drop from the roof. They float in the air as six bullets get inserted into the guns.

Dev quickly grabs the gun and shoots all the six bullets continuously towards Vir.

Vir looks at the bullets and utters — “Pause”

The bullets pause and float in the air. He walks near the bullets and flicks them to the ground.

The next moment, he shoots Dev. Two to the legs, Two into the stomach, One into his heart, and one to the head. Dev falls to the ground as blood covers his body.

“I am sorry, Dev. I need to escape this room”, Vir says as he looks at Dev’s body below him.

A bullet passes through Vir’s Chest and one through his head.

Dev raises above and the bullets force themselves out of his body and the blood returns into his body.

“I know you would invite me. This is not for this betrayal.”

He shoots again on his groin. “Ayla should rest in peace.”

“The Master is here” — The man in the picture shouted again.

“Bullets?”, Vir uttered as blood blurted out his mouth

“This is a world of Fantasy, Vir. I am ‘Fuhrer’ the Magician. The Master of this world”

He shoots again on Vir’s groin.

“Headlines: The City’s top businessman Vir Rathore, found dead at a resort. No evidence found”