"The 1978 MP police report on Man Singh's gang has a section on territorial control methods. Not just the signal marks — the full operational doctrine, as reconstructed from interviews with surrendered gang members." He read from the phone screen. "Quote: 'The gang operated a system of territorial control based on four sequential phases. Phase one: Observation. Unknown persons entering the territory are observed for a minimum of two hours before contact. Phase two: Assessment. The observed persons are tested through indirect interaction — sound, stone-throwing, the kankri method — to determine capability and likely response. Phase three: Separation. The group is divided by driving individual members away from the main body through directed fear or deception. Phase four: Resolution. Depending on the assessed threat level, separated individuals are dealt with individually.'"
The silence that followed was very complete.
"That's exactly what's happening to us," Priya said.
"Yes."
"Phase one was yesterday. They watched us in the caves."
"Phase two was this morning. The stones."
"We're in phase three," Tanya said. Her voice was very flat. "Separation. He's trying to split us up."
"Which means phase four—"
"We don't separate," Aryan said. He said it with the firmness of someone establishing a rule before there was time to debate its necessity. "Under no circumstances. Whatever happens, we do not separate. If someone runs, the others follow. If someone falls, we stop. We are one unit."
"Who is doing this?" Priya said. She was asking Kabir, who had the archive.
Kabir scrolled through his phone. "The system as described in the 1978 report was specific to Man Singh's gang. But Man Singh died in 1955. His gang dissolved. The members were either killed or surrendered over the next fifteen years." He paused. "But there's a note in the margin of the 1978 report — handwritten, by whoever was studying the file later. It says: 'See also 1992 Morena district report, Case 447.'"
"Do you have Case 447?"
