Chapter 44: chapter 44

"We need to expose this, Kaushal. The world needs to know what they're capable of," Neha declared.Kaushal nodded, "But we have to be strategic. If we rush this, they'll crush us. We need solid evidence, and we need to ensure our safety."The file had pictures of all the recent disasters that had happened all over the globe. They were dealing with an international organization. The scope of CD's influence was overwhelming.That night, as they sat in Kaushal's apartment immersed in those disturbing files, Neha voiced a concern, "What about the informant? We can't just leave him hanging. CD might come after him?"Kaushal sighed, "You're right. We need to find a way to protect him. Maybe we can use the information we have to negotiate for his safety."“No, I don’t think that is a good idea. CD should never know about us. Remember what the informant said – no normal communication, and no names!” Neha repeated the warning.“Then let me use a different channel, one which no one will have any clue about!”“What is that?” Neha became curious.“Pigeon!”“Pigeon? You mean sending him a message through a pigeon?"“Yes, and it’s highly reliable with no reach of technology!”“That’s a great idea. You are really a genius!” Neha hugged Kaushal in excitement.They reached out to the informant through a pigeon, proposing a plan to expose CD without compromising their identity. The pigeon didn’t find the informant and returned without any news.The plan involved leaking carefully selected information to the media, exposing Crimson Dagger's operations while keeping the informant's identity hidden. It was a dangerous game, but Neha and Kaushal were running out of options as now they weren’t sure if the informant was safe or not.Amid the chaos of not receiving a response from the informant, both were worried and were wondering about what to do next.Neha had to leave for Leh, and her time was running out.“See, this is a war, Neha. I think you should go back, and we will stay in touch through our coded language. No one should have any suspicions about your involvement!” Kaushal said.“Yes, but I feel because of me, you are now in danger as well. Promise to keep me updated!” Neha held Kaushal’s hand.“Yes, don’t worry about me; I will stay vigilant.”Suddenly Kaushal received an anonymous message – a plea for a face-to-face meeting. The message contained a location and a cryptic promise: "Found the key to dismantle the CD."Curiosity mingled with caution as they approached the designated meeting place. In a dimly lit alley, a figure emerged from the shadows, his face concealed."I know who's behind the CD," the mysterious informant declared.Neha and Kaushal exchanged a glance, realizing that the final piece of the puzzle might be within their grasp. The revelation of Crimson Dagger's secrets had sent shockwaves to Neha and Kaushal; the battle had just begun. The anonymous informant had brought them face-to-face with the unfathomable figure orchestrating the sinister organization. As they listened intently to the informant in the alley, the masked person began to unravel the twisted narrative."The mastermind behind CD goes by the codename 'Azad.' Nobody knows his or her true identity, not even the high-ranking members. Azad operates in absolute secrecy, hidden behind layers of deception," the informant explained, his voice a hushed whisper.Neha furrowed her brow, "How can we trust this information? We've been burned before, and we can't afford to be misled."Kaushal nodded in agreement, "We need proof, something concrete to verify what you're saying. Azad sounds like a fancy name, and we can't risk chasing shadows."The informant, still shrouded in darkness, showed them a video, "This contains evidence linking Azad to CD's operations. It's a risky move for me, but you need to know the truth if you're going to take them down."As Neha and Kaushal examined the video, the informant continued, "Azad is cunning and ruthless and manipulates CD from the shadows, ensuring their hands remain clean. But sometimes puppet masters leave a trace, and I've managed to gather breadcrumbs that could lead you to the truth."The video revealed a disturbing scene from the recent terrorist attack on a world-famous church. As Neha looked at it, a sense of urgency filled the air, there was a pattern – some influential figures were meeting a masked person in the video just a day before the attack, and then the video showed a blast at the church, and lives were destroyed."So how do we link these attacks with Azad, we can't do it alone, also we need to ensure our safety," Kaushal emphasized, glancing around as if expecting shadows to leap out.Neha nodded, "This is far beyond my pay grade, I am nervous now, can we really expose Crimson Dagger's operations? Maybe if we know who Azad is, then we can eliminate him. If we find out about Azad, we might bring the entire organization crashing down."Kaushal looked at Neha and then back to the masked informant. “I think I have an idea, if we leak some information to the media, Azad will get jittery and try to catch this link, what do you think, will that work?” “Yes, it may work but we need to make sure it has no link to us! Otherwise, our lives will be in danger!” “Agree, I have a few connections and they are trustworthy, let me do this!” Neha volunteered.Thus the trio decided to leak selective information to the media anonymously, creating a narrative that would put pressure on Azad to come out in the open or do something foolish. But little did they know, the battle against Crimson Dagger and Azad was far more complicated, this was just the tip of the iceberg.The revelation of CD's secrets had sent shockwaves through the country. The anonymous informant had brought them face-to-face with the unfathomable figure, Azad. As the media caught wind of the shocking revelations, the public's attention shifted from Crimson Dagger’s heinous operations to who heads this organization. The news outlets were hungry for a name to attach to the organization Crimson Dagger.Neha was back in Leh, and Kaushal was still working on the details of how to uncover Azad. One evening, as he was surrounded by stacks of documents and complex algorithms on his computer screen, the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place."I've found a pattern," he exclaimed, pointing to a timeline of events on the screen. "Azad targets influential figures before major political shifts or conflicts. It's like they're shaping the world to fit their agenda.""And here, they've been funnelling funds through a network of shell companies. If we can trace the money, we will have proof of Azad’s nefarious network, bank accounts, and the money."Kaushal was talking to himself when there was a knock on his door.Kaushal wrapped all his documents and kept them in his safe, and then opened the door. It was Major Karan, Kaushal’s friend at the office.“How are you, Boss said you are not well, didn’t see you for the last two days, so came to see you!”“Yeah, I had some fever, looks like it's finally getting better, thanks for visiting, come inside!” Kaushal let Karan in.A secure message suddenly popped up on Kaushal’s phone.Kaushal got distracted as he read it, "Be cautious. Azad is meticulous and won't leave a direct trail. You'll have to follow the details through layers of deception. Don’t trust anyone!"~~~