1.ALL PATHS LEADING TO ONE
Story begins with a kidnapped man crying for his life. Around him stood ten to fifteen kidnappers, laughing as they tortured him and demanded money from his family. One of them leaned close and hissed,
"Aye, nobody knows you're here. No one is coming to save you."
Suddenly, a loud bang shook the room.
The door blasted open, smoke and dust swirling into the air.
A lone detective walked through the haze.
The kidnappers froze.
"Who are you?" one shouted. "What do you want?"
The detective's voice was calm.
"Hand over the boy."
They all burst into laughter.
"You made a big mistake coming here alone!"
He smirked and repeated, "Hand over the boy."
Their anger rose. Rods raised, they charged toward him. In one swift motion, he pulled out his gun and shot them - legs, hands, shoulders - disabling them without killing anyone.
One kidnapper, trembling, shouted,
"You fired eight out of nine bullets! After your last one, we'll kill you!"
The detective simply smiled and tossed the gun aside.
The room went silent.
He walked to the kidnapped boy and cut the ropes. None of the kidnappers dared to stop him - even injured, they were too shocked and confused.
One of them grabbed the discarded gun and tried to shoot, but it clicked empty.
No bullets. There were only 8 bullets in revolver.
The boy, weak and dizzy from the torture, struggled to stay conscious. When he blinked awake, all fifteen kidnappers were lying on the ground - blood everywhere - and the detective stood calmly in the middle, untouched.
The boy's parents rushed in and took him home. As they left, the boy asked,
"How did you do it? Who are you?"
The man simply replied, "A good detective," and walked toward his bike.
This man's name was Ethan Potts.
He was born in America, but his father was Indian, and he grew up in Mumbai. Something tragic in his past had pushed him into becoming a detective.
He worked in a busy agency, though his desk was always calm. Ethan was sitting there now, sipping a cup of coffee and thinking about his next case. Suddenly, an employee arrived.
"Sir, the boss wants to meet you."
Ethan stood up and entered the office. Mr. Kumar was already there - a senior detective, famous for solving many difficult cases. Ethan, on the other hand, had solved only a handful.
The boss got up from his chair.
"There are two cases available," he said.
"The first: nine children have gone missing in a city - one each day. The second: the twelve-houses society case - the twelfth house burned down with a family inside. It's high profile. Many rumours surround that society."
"Which case do you want?" the boss asked.
Mr. Kumar spoke instantly. "I'll take the twelve-houses case."
The boss looked at Ethan, hoping he would choose it, but Ethan shook his head.
"I want the missing-kids case. It's more important."
The boss nodded reluctantly and assigned them the cases.
Ethan chose this case because he wanted to help people. He still remembered how his mother and father died in a terrorist attack - they survived the blast but died waiting for help that never came. Since that day, Ethan vowed to catch every bad guy he could and save as many people as possible.
As he prepared to leave, An employee came
"Sir, you'll have a partner. An intern. Vishnu."
A short boy with a medium build stepped forward, eyes bright with excitement.
"Sir! This is my first case. I'm so excited to work with you!"
Ethan shook his hand and smiled.
-
They reached the city and met the parents of the missing children. One woman fell to her knees, crying uncontrollably.
"Please... bring my children back," she begged.
Ethan felt something break inside him. A flashback hit him - the moment he learned his parents were gone. The same helplessness. The same pain.
He knelt and gently lifted the woman.
"I will bring them back," he said softly. "You have my word."
She looked at him with desperate hope. Vishnu watched silently from behind.
Ethan started the investigation immediately. He questioned locals about where they last saw the children while Vishnu checked all the CCTV footage from the area.
A few minutes later, Vishnu shouted,
"Sir! Ethan sir!"
Ethan ran to him.
On the screen, the footage showed a man kidnapping a young girl. His face was hidden.
"Track him," Ethan ordered.
They followed the kidnapper through multiple CCTV cameras - alley after alley, turn after turn - until the man entered the Society of Twelve Houses.
And then he vanished.
There were no CCTV cameras inside the society.
Only one entry gate.
Only one exit.
But the kidnapper never came out.
Ethan stared at the footage, his expression turning serious.
The case had just become far more complicated.
And he had no idea what was waiting for him inside that society
