Prompt 4

 Amidst all the commotion, he tries to make his way to the dais. The man with the gun lies there in his olive-green combat uniform, all sweaty and - hopefully - just fainted. To be sure, he takes the pulse, finally finding a chance to concentrate on something, be it another man's radial artery. The panic starts to seep into him now. He settles his vision on the Casio watch - Saida got it for him from her trip to Japan last year. Or was it this year?

He breaths in, steadies himself so he can start counting. His fingers move swiftly to and fro on the man's wrist.

She should be in her office by now. She has to be.

Oh! He gets the pulse - thanks Allah - this man, whoever he is, is alive.

One...Why does he even care?? This man pointed a gun into the Director's head.

Ugh, the bloody oath - made him treat even the bombers that killed 129 people in that movie theatre. And now this bloody brat.

Two... in 4 seconds! Bradycardic? Too soon....

Three...Should he call Sayeeda?

Four..... She has to drop off Rakib & Rushma at school by now. She has to.

He can't think, his chest tightens.

Five....tik, tik, tik...

Is this the end?

Something cold slides through his spinal cord. Feels like the watch is stuck. Feels like the whole universe is stuck. All the generals were seating here a few moments ago.. 

Gunshots!

He finds himself ducking behind the body of the fainted man, then crawling under the dais. He starts shaking, whispering Allah's names.

Nine beats in ten seconds. The man should be okay, he thinks; murmures, "Allah, ya allah, please save me."

Never had he felt this uncannily scared. Tears start pouring out of him. He needs to control this! He cannot make any sound.

Gunshots again. He startles every time, and begs allah to keep Saida and the kids safe. He peeks through the holes in the dais, and sees some of the people he had been sitting with five minutes ago. Some are running towards the East entrance, some towards the pond, and many lie still on the ground - blood everywhere. He sees three shooters - tall male army soldiers in combat outfits, masked like the fainted man - their faces are wrapped with Gamchas, only the eyes visible.

A mutiny by soldiers? He gulps. Glances toward the Director of Security, lying lifeless among fellow men- just three meters away. Among those men lie officers and soldiers he worked and dined with. Not by soldiers then. But who?

He can see the three masked men only from the back behind now. They position their rifles toward Salma - Area Commander, Jessore. The only female brigadier general in the Bilsan Army. She kneels down, crying, and begging for her life.

Bilal - her son, plays with Rakib.

One of the masked men spits. He yells at everyone to stand still, hands on shoulders.

Gunshots again. Ya Allah, ya Allah! He hears a combined harmony of screaming, above it all he hears Salma's voice - screaming for her son and then groaning "Allah!". His heart stops, terrified the men in masks will hear him breathing. He sees at least seven more bodies.  It's impossible to stop shaking. Why can't he stop?

The three men might look this way any moment. But they don't. They pant instead. 

On the right side of the dais, across the field, two people tremble in terror, trying to stifle their cries, with their hands on their shoulders. He recognizes them - Shaila and Fadin. One's a gynecologist, the other a general surgeon.

The man in the center asks, "You doctors?"

They nod.

The man gestures for them to move, and starts walking towards the dining area with their rifles raised. They cross the field - mowed just yesterday, now soaked with blood. Then they shoot a few people. Four- he counts, by their screams. They enter through the door, keeping hostages in front.

He inhales - deep. Then exhales everything he's been holding in.

He is safe now. He just needs to find an escape route. Then he'll call Saida.

He had been completely blind to the reality of her situation, and his own. She had already bled out by then. And then a bullet hits his temporal lobe.