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.‘You have no idea what you are dealing with.I am involved in a top secret government project.If you want details, go ask your boss.This interview is over.’Without another word or glance at Imran, he stalked out of the room.After a few moments, two tall, well-built security guards entered the office.Imran sighed.‘I was just leaving,’ he told them, and they followed him out.24Day 7Intelligence Bureau Headquarters, New DelhiImran sat in Vaid’s office, across the desk from the Director, a sullen and defiant look on his face.Vaid looked both perplexed and angry.‘What were you thinking?’ he demanded of Imran.‘Alleging that Bheem Singh was trying to suppress the investigation into the kidnapping case? You promised me that you wouldn’t try and pull any stunts.Do you know the bollocking I got from the Home Minister?’Imran stared back, unrepentant.‘Well, it’s true.I got that from a reliable source in the office of the Chief Secretary of Haryana.’Vaid leaned forward to emphasise his words.‘But you didn’t get that as an official statement from the Chief Secretary, did you?’‘I know it is a hunch, sir, but I believe I am right,’ Imran’s gaze didn’t waver.‘I think we need to tap Bheem Singh’s phones.He claims to be involved in a top secret project, but how is it that the Home Ministry doesn’t know about it? How come we don’t know about it?’Vaid shook his head firmly.‘The answer is no.After what happened today, there’s no way I’m going to the Home Minister with a request to tap Bheem Singh’s phones.’Imran was prepared for this.He had spent some time planning this conversation.‘Well, then, sir, I’m going to ask you to get me included as part of the security detail for Steve Buckworth, when he visits Bheem Singh tomorrow.’Vaid stared at Imran as if he had lost his mind.Curiosity kept him from rejecting this request outright.‘The US Vice President? And what will you gain by that?’‘Sir, we can’t get an official search warrant on Bheem Singh.And I know I won’t be allowed into that farmhouse after today.But, if I am officially assigned to Buckworth’s security team, they can’t stop me from getting in.While the VP meets Bheem Singh, I plan to slip away discreetly and conduct a search of the premises.I want to come back with evidence to back my hunch.’Vaid sighed.He knew that Imran was perceptive and highly intuitive and had cracked several cases in the past, going purely by his instinct.But that had been a different world.They had hunted down criminals.This was bigger.And potentially more explosive.They were not dealing with a petty criminal here.Imran had a former Maharaja in his sights, who was also a prominent politician with immense clout in the ruling political party.The fallout, if he was wrong, could destroy both men.‘I’ve done some homework before coming to you,’ Imran was speaking again.He placed a dossier on the desk and flipped through the pages until he found what he was looking for.‘You know why Buckworth is meeting Bheem Singh.’Vaid decided to play along.‘Bheem Singh put together a consortium through his business contacts across the world and the business they created in the US generated a 1,00,000 jobs in the last six months.The American VP, since he is in India on an official visit to push the aircraft carrier deal, is going to convey the American President’s gratitude and appreciation for this job creation at a time when there is a recession and high unemployment in the US.’‘Correct.’ Imran smiled.‘At least that is the official story.’Vaid waited.He knew Imran was going to throw his punch now.‘Perhaps this is the true reason for their meeting,’ Imran continued.‘But then, what reason would Buckworth have had for meeting Bheem Singh on earlier occasions?’Vaid looked surprised.‘They’ve met earlier?’‘Several times.’ Imran glanced at the sheet in the dossier.‘They’ve been meeting regularly since 2004, when the VP was a Senator.Different places each time.But they’ve met at least 15 times since then, including a meeting earlier this year; approximately twice a year, all low-profile meetings.’‘They could have been discussing Bheem Singh’s business prospects in the US,’ Vaid argued.‘Perhaps.But it wasn’t a one-on-one meeting every time.On several occasions they were joined by others; Xen Haojing.Jacques Deaubois.Jeremy Martin.One or more of these others were also present at some of the meetings.Sometimes all of them were there.’Vaid recognised the names.These were prominent politicians with very public aspirations to lead their respective countries; China, France and the UK.It was also no secret that Buckworth was going to run for President once the incumbent’s term came to an end.It didn’t make sense.What would prompt these men to meet so often over a period of nine years? And why hadn’t any of these meetings caught the attention of the media?‘There’s more.’ Imran tapped the dossier.‘During many of these meetings, a European businessman was also present.Christian Van Klueck.’ He paused to see if Vaid showed any recognition of the name.He did.‘The Austrian businessman?’Imran nodded.‘And Van Klueck is also part of the consortium that has invested in the US and created all these jobs that Buckworth is going to thank Bheem Singh for.’Vaid looked puzzled.‘It certainly isn’t possible that the consortium investment was planned nine years ago.All the publicity and hype around the job creation, talks about the investment being planned after the recession struck.’‘Exactly.So what were these guys meeting for, almost twice a year, for the last nine years? Five politicians and a businessman.If you don’t count the fact that Bheem Singh is also a businessman
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