"Did he say anything?" Neil asked through the phone's speaker.

"Alright. I'll be there with James." With that he put the speaker down and looked at me.

"I can't make out whether you're angry or excited, Neil." I said frankly.

It was getting comfortable to talk to him freely without any filter. Though he'd give me murderous looks if I swore, but at most of the times, he'd let me talk even if what comes out of my mouth is shit.

He laughed at my remark. "Both. Come see for yourself."

He started walking and I followed him. Perks of him being my I/C - I stay with him like his shadow while he randomly screws me but I don't mind because it's him and not Norman.

We reached the gym at freaking midnight to find Charles smoking a youngster head to toe.

Neil crossed me and faced the man head on. He seemed to be pissed off at this boy.

"Did he make a sound, Instructor?" Neil asked Charles while grabbing this boy by his collar.

"Not even a single beep." Charles replied proudly surprised.

"That's good. So you know how to follow orders. You kept your mouth shut as told. Now I want you to say the name of that person who told you to spy on MY birds." Neil said harshly.

What?! This guy spied on Neil's birds? He has balls!

"Nobody, Sir." Poor boy replied tired and broken.

"Look Kelly, I ask one question just once. If I am made to repeat it, I prefer to do it in the interrogation room." Fuck! Not IR!

"Nobody, Sir." Kelly repeated in broken voice again.

"Fine. Instructor Charles, get him to IR and hang him upside down. James will see my first interrogation session today." Neil said casually.

Me and Kelly crossed looks. He was haunted. Obviously! You need to start talking, K-boy!

"I'm telling the truth, sir. Nobody gave me the job." "Then why the hell did you try to poke your nose in?" Neil asked irritated.

"I want to work with you, under you I mean." He replied hurriedly before Charles follows the order.

"Kelly Kleigman, 23 years, 64kgs,168cms, resident of a town that's not even visible on the world map, no army background in past three generations of the family, barely 15 days of service as a soldier. Why do you think you're so special that I'll pull you in?"

Kelly lifted his face up, not at all surprised that Neil knew so much about him. "The fact that only I know you've got a secret camera installed at the topmost floor of main building." There was no bragging, he said all that in the lowest tone possible.

It was Neil's turn to be surprised. He walked a few steps ahead and Kelly moved equal number of steps back in fear. "Are you threatening me? Blackmailing me?" Suddenly Neil's voice was so bitter I got dragon flies.

"Neg- negative, Sir. I have no such intentions. I just want to work under you, that's it." Kelly tried to look up and say this to him.

"And why do you want to work under me?" "I don't want to work under Major Norman or other senior agents." He replied curtly but respectfully.

I was amazed at his decisiveness. He knew what he wanted and was ready to face everything head on.

Neil sucked in a breath in offence. "And tomorrow when I'll grow old, you'll leave me too?" "Then I'll be old with you, sir."

He tried to be serious but nobody missed the common sense joke. Neil smiled a little too.

"Fifty rounds. No food. No water. You come back to me in senses, I'll think about it." Neil said and Kelly took off before he even finished speaking.

He looked at my open mouth. "That's what you call loyalty. He was being beaten for past thirty minutes and was ordered to stay mum."

"What?! Still he wants to work under you!" I did not care to hide my shock.

"Suprising, right?" Neil said proudly.

"Yeah. Then why would he?" I was baffled at this point.

"He belonged to a poor family settled in country side doing farming and maintaining a dairy - barely keeping up with daily needs. His parents insisted that he goes out and works and makes his life better instead of being stuck there. He denied and continued to stay with them. His parents got flu and they had to borrow money for their treatment. His mother couldn't survive and he was left with a huge debt and an old and sick father. He finally decided to join forces since that gave him good opportunity to clear the debt from his and his father's head. He got selected and got commissioned only to know that his father too passed away two days after the ceremony. The regret of not listening to them earlier is eating him away. Though he did everything for them, but he didn't see the future as they could see. Now he wants to go as far ahead as he possibly can because he has nothing to lose now. That's what he must have thought before deciding to join me. Becoming a part of my team will not be an easy task and he wants to go for the most difficult one." Neil sighed, turned around and laughed at my expression. I stood with my eyes out and jaw open.

Joining forces not as an officer, getting selected for testing for Class-I team, clearing the tests, facing Instructor Charles day and night - every next is fucking impossible as compared to the previous. On top of that, he tried to mess up with Neil knowing how dangerous this man can be? Just to get in his team after another set of grand screwing? I was right, the boy has balls.

He must really be feeling the loss of his parents and blaming himself for being helpless. It sucks. It sucks when you let go of an opportunity while you need it the most.

"How do you come to know about such things?!" I exclaimed.

"I don't like repeating my answers either." He said sternly.

I raised my hands in apology. Here this Kelly was taking such huge risk to get to work with Neil. If Neil wanted, he could have complained or framed him in something and kicked him out of this place. But he didn't. May be thats what he knew Neil would do - give him a chance. Man, this is just too intense.

"Instructor Charles. This man claims he knows better fighting than you." Neil pointed a finger at me and my eyes popped out. Why was he fucking with me?

"I'm pretty sure sir is on some drugs, but I'm interested to see that myself if you permit." Charles challenged me.

"What do you say?" Neil whispered in my ear.

"I don't remember telling you anything of that sort. And I know you're just playing with my mind. But whatever you decide..." Trust. Complete trust.

Neil looked at me for a few tense seconds and laughed. "Some other day, Instructor. Right now I want to focus on this guy" he nodded towards Kelly running on the ground who didn't look in good shape.

"Took heavy blows like a man." Charles said impressed.

"I'm yet to hear of a man who took your hits and didn't even mewl with your punches." Neil said with utter respect for this bitch.

"You heard about him today. That man wants to work with you. His abs are made of stone, no doubt. And his determination.. Ever stronger." Charles said impressed.

"All those years of plowing fields paid him off. Take him to med care, Instructor. He's in." Neil said, turned around and walked inside. Charles left us immediately. I looked behind at the guy they were talking about. He had no clue he was being praised here. Or did he?

He ran for a few more minutes and collapsed right in front of my eyes! "He's down!" I said loudly to alert Neil.

"I know. He knew it himself too." Came his calm voice from inside.

This is mind fucking! Kelly was in such a bad shape still he didn't even mumble when Neil told him to run 50 to qualify! He gladly went for it just because he got a chance. Fuck are these people crazy?

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OH MY GODD! HOLY SMACK!!! BREAD AND CHEESE AND WHAT NOT?!!

Do you remember Kelly?! The I. K.?

Could you have even thought about Kelly's past this way? I bet not! Nor would Wills, Nick, Kadner or anybody else at KMA!!

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I know you guys are going to read those chapters of 50PM again where Kelly makes an appearance. 😉 So comment here what all you read! Let me know how you relate his past and future.

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VOTE AND COMMENT IF YOU LIKED THE CHAPTER.