Hitman 2: Assassinating the Maelstrom - Chasing a Ghost walkthrough Hitman 2 Guide, Walkthrough

Last update: 21 September 2021

This page in our guide to Hitman 2 contains the most important and unique ways of assassinating the Maelstrom in Mumbai. The list consists of assassination methods that require you to, i.e. interact with specific items or wear certain outfits. Some of these methods are part of Mission Stories but it is possible to complete them independently from the missions.

1. Agent 47 starts the mission without the knowledge on the Maelstrom's appearance. You need to identify this target. Check How to easily identify the Maelstrom? page in our guide to learn the best method. It should be noted that not all assassination methods require you to find him. By performing certain activities, you can make the Maelstrom appear in a specific location (i.e. in the house on the hill).
2. The Maelstrom walks around the slums. You can meet him, i.e. at one of the markets, in the alley that goes along the canals, near the barbershop or the tea booth.
3. One of the main reasons for your target to change his daily routine is when the barbershop gets opened. The Maelstrom will keep appearing near the door to that building. Another way of distracting the Maelstrom from visiting the main part of the slums is to hang the flag on the Mumbai hills. The mission target will go visit his beloved.
4. A few of the methods that can change the Maelstrom's route are related to the Kashmirian, another assassin on the map. Agent 47 can meet with the Maelstrom by impersonating the Kashmirian or by calling one of the remaining targets. They will convince the Maelstrom to meet them in their "bases".

• Mumbai Blackout
• Everybody on Board
• Barbershop Duette
• Waiting for a Sign
• What's Your Flava?
• The Suspension is Murder
• Minor challenges

Mumbai Blackout

This challenge isn't related to any of the Mission Stories and it isn't exclusive to the Maelstrom - to complete it, you have to kill all 3 targets with electricity. If you aren't able to eliminate all three targets, assassinate only one of them - this unlocks a separate (and minor) challenge called Mumbai Electric.

As for the Maelstrom, using a Car Battery is a good idea - you can find this item in various parts of the map, i.e. near the side entrance to the high-rise building, or on the junkyard. Check out the ally going down the canals - this area is near the barbershop. Find a puddle and throw the car battery into it. The battery gets damaged upon hitting the ground. Wait for the Maelstrom to step into that puddle - the target will get electrocuted to death.

Everybody on Board

This challenge isn't related to any of the Mission Stories. It also requires you to eliminate both the Maelstrom AND Vanya Shah in a single action. You need to arrange a meeting between these targets.

Eliminate the Kashmirian, another assassin found on this map. Visit the chawls and find the blue gate which leads to the sniper spot. Approach the Kashmirian from behind and either knock him down or kill. Search his body - you will find the key to the flat and the USB drive.

Go to the Kashmirian's room located on the bottom floor of the residential building. Take a look at the board with two mission targets, and the laptop. Insert the USB drive - you learn that both Rangan and Shah have posted assassination contracts for eliminating the other person.

Choose any assassination method that allows you to kill Dawood Rangan. You must eliminate this person.

The next actions should be performed in a slightly different order than that of your current Mission Story. Thanks to that you will be able to prepare yourself better for the assassination. Infiltrate the train yard, the location where you can find Shah. Go up the stairs to reach the rooftop of the train yard. The lever, presented in the picture above, is in one of the corners of the rooftop.

Now, head to the Container Area south-east of the train yard. Find the railroad switch (next to the railroads) - see the picture above. Insert the lever but don't use it just yet.

Reach any of the phone booths on the map, i.e. the one near the chawls. To use a phone, insert one coin into the slot (you can find coins near a cash register in every shop). Agent 47 will call Vanya Shah automatically. Your character tells her that he is the Kashmirian and that he has killed Dawood Rangan. Diana tells you that Vanya and the Maelstrom will soon meet.

Go back to the railroad switch. Make a save here in case you make a mistake. Activate the instinct mode or climb the container and look through the window. Vanya Shah and the Maelstrom must meet in the train yard, and they have to stand on the railroad tracks.

Pull the railroad switch lever and don't let it go until the train arrives (this can take several dozen seconds). The train moves on the track on the right and it will crash through the building, killing two mission targets (as well as several civilians).

Barbershop Duette

This challenge is related to A Close Shave Mission Story. The full walkthrough for that assassination method is in the chapter dedicated to Mission Stories.

1. Reach the barbershop in the slums.
2. Eliminate the barber and his wife. Wear the barber's outfit.
3. Take the barber razor and the key to the barbershop. Use the key to raise the roller-blind.
4. Stand near the stall in front of the barbershop.
5. Keep telling others that you won't shave them while waiting for the Maelstrom to appear. Invite the target for a shave.
6. Use the barber razor to slit his throat.

Waiting for a Sign

This challenge isn't related to any of the Mission Stories, nor it is complicated. The eastern part of the slums has a lot of neon signs that you can knock down on the Maelstrom's head. Save your progress before you start doing that - you need to shoot a neon sign at the right time. Also, doing that will alarm people in the area. If you want to reduce the chance of getting caught, shoot a neon sign while inside a house or when you are standing on a rooftop.

What's Your Flava?

The best way is to start this mission in a food vendor outfit (the reward for reaching Mastery level 11 in Mumbai). Thanks to that you won't have to attack any of the food vendors. You should also take a rat poison with you - this saves you time on looking for it on the map (you can find rat poison in, i.e. Shah's wagon in the train yard or in the Kashmirian's room in the chawls).

Examine the tea shops - they are in the eastern part of the slums.

Wait for the Maelstrom to appear and see which tea booth he will approach. Stand in that spot and poison his tea. When he goes back to this place, invite him for tea. Be precise here, you don't want to poison a random pedestrian.

If you use rat poison, the Maelstrom will go to a secluded place to throw up. You can now assassinate him with, i.e. garrote (you can't drown him). If you use lethal poison, the target will die in a public place - others will notice that.

The Suspension is Murder

This challenge isn't related to any of the Mission Stories. It also requires you to eliminate both the Maelstrom AND Dawood Rangan in a single action. You need to arrange a meeting between these targets.

Eliminate the Kashmirian, another assassin found on this map. Visit the chawls and find the blue gate which leads to the sniper spot. Approach the Kashmirian from behind and either knock him down or kill. Search his body - you will find the key to the flat and the USB drive.

Go to the Kashmirian's room located on the bottom floor of the residential building (its southern part). Take a look at the board with two mission targets, and the laptop. Insert the USB drive - you learn that both Rangan and Shah have posted assassination contracts for eliminating the other person.

Choose any assassination method that allows you to kill Vanya Shah. You must eliminate this person. Also, try to get a local guard outfit. You can easily get it, i.e. in the construction site or on the barge.

Reach any of the phone booths on the map, i.e. the one near the chawls. To use a phone, insert one coin into the slot (you can find coins near a cash register in every shop). Agent 47 will call Dawood Rangan automatically. Your character tells him that he is the Kashmirian and that he has killed Vanya Shah. Diana tells you that Dawood and the Maelstrom will soon meet.

Head to the construction site. You can get there by opening the side gate (preferably with a lockpick). Other entrances (i.e. the one accessed from the barge) can be guarded better. Once you are in the construction site, find the container presented in the picture above. Inside it you will find the control panel that will allow you to operate the crane.

You can wait for the meeting without leaving the container or you can approach the barge. This is where Dawood Rangan and the Maelstrom will meet. Move the crane to the spot presented in the picture above. Then, drop down the concrete pipe on the targets.

Minor challenges

1. Piano Man - You can kill the Maelstrom with a garrote after you, i.e. meet him in the Crows hideout disguised as the Kashmirian, or after you poison him with tea.
2. Straight Shot - This mission has multiple opportunities for shooting the target, i.e. when the Maelstrom is walking down the alley near the canals (it is highly probable that no one will notice this assassination).
3. Sniper Assassin - You can shoot the Maelstrom when, i.e. he is visiting his beloved in the house on the hill or when he is meeting with another target.