Blade pierces all bodies !

The blade was wet. With blood. The northwest monsoon which was waving a bye to eastern coasts of India was helping it get dry. A bucket, half-filled with water was waiting inside the hut. At midnight, the blade found the water and was silenced. It will wait two more days, before it tastes its next victim.

The home minister's death was a shock to everyone in the state. Not because they loved him. It was the fifth high profile murder in a fortnight. A retired government doctor, the collector, an MLA, the water resources minister and now the home minister. All killed in the same manner. A stab to the heart and the left eye. And they were drowned in the bath tub or the water tank. A serial killer. And there was always a note left behind. Scribbled with the victim's blood. Its read "Justice without mercy".

The morning newspapers on December 25,2008 screamed, "Home minister down ! Who's next ?". The size of the head line was enough to scare everyone. The first three pages were dedicated to the noble deeds of the home minister. Editors from across the country had had their pens empty writing columns about his sacred life. Any reader dismissed them outright as bullshit as they knew he was corrupt, like hell. They knew he was rich than half the state combined.

Anthony scanned the paper for other news. He found it on the bottom of the twelfth page. A small write-up less than 250 words. He knew of no reason why the entire incident should be ever forgot. Four years back, the news filled entire newspapers. Photographs of dead bodies, damaged belongings, battered buildings, ruined huts, violent sea, and lost lives were shown on every paper. He found himself on the front page of one of the news papers. looking at the sea, kneeling down with his dead son in his hand, crying to the heavens. He never found his wife's body. He folded the paper neatly and kept it aside. He took the keys of his boat and left the hut. The blade watched it all in silence.

The CBI arrived at the crime scene at around noon. They secured the area, formed a perimeter and started collecting evidence. The chief inspector of the CBI, crime branch took charge of the developments. He had to find connections. And that meant he has to browse folders. He had the story before sunset. All corrupt men with lot of power. All had pocketed public money in all possible ways. They had all handled the Tsunami relief funds, that never reached the victims. Ram knew where to start his search. He headed for the coast.

Anthony sat in silence in his boat, looking at the blade. He remembered the day. He had gone fishing and returned to the port around 5 in the evening. The news was awaiting him. The death of his son and wife. However his son's body was only found. Hanging down from a cluster of thorns. All his body was pierced with thorns. He cried like hell. However life continued. The remaining 500 odd survivors of his village formed a community and moved on. They awaited the funds to restart their lives. It never came. Soon people started dying of starvation, diseases, panic and fear. Nature played its part. Men were playing theirs now.

A team of 200 men swept the coasts. They searched every house. Of course they didn't know what they were searching for. No one has been in their suspect lists. It was noon on December the 26th, when they finally found Anthony's house. They found a photograph of a child and a lady wrapped in garlands. Finding nothing suspicious, they were leaving the home, when one constable saw the bucket. They knew whom they were looking and where to look. Ram was called in. He wanted to call the coast guard.

The ship was in sight. The last victim was aboard. The blade was closing in. Anthony overturned the boat and drowned. He pretended to. The crew aboard the ship saw him and went for the rescue. It was 3 in the afternoon when he landed on the ship. He was taken to the lowest deck where most of the crew stayed. He was given first aid and a bed. He closed his eyes. He could see them.

Small kids, out of schools, deprived of their parents were running around the refuge camps preparing to die. Old men and women, who had lost their children, not cared by any one were preparing to die. Poor fishermen who lost their boats as well their lives were preparing to die. So was he.

The ceremony began at 5. The guest of honour threw petals of rose into the sea in memory of the victims of December 26,2004. he briefed the media about how he and his government had sailed past hard times to help the poor and the needy. The blade was watching. Soon, from nowhere it was around the chief minister's neck. A stab to the heart, the left eye and a push. Anthony jumped out of the ship. Hundreds of bullets were fired from all directions. Two hit him before he hit the water. He was not running away from them. He was running to his wife and son.