Chapter 49: chapter 49

As Kaushal stared at the image on his screen, a mix of shock and realization spread across his face. The person identified as Azad was none other than Col. Prakash, his would-be father-in-law, known for his charismatic public image and influential position.Kaushal was trembling. "There must be some error in my software, Karan. He's my would-be father-in-law, a prominent figure, and exposing him will send shockwaves through the entire system."Karan, processing the information, couldn't hide his astonishment. "This is beyond anything I could have imagined. Azad, someone we trusted, is manipulating everything from within."Kaushal nodded and ran the image scan several times again. "This is unbelievable, Karan. I need to talk to him directly to understand his motive. Something is missing. Gulmohar told us how he chooses the operations carefully and eliminates his rivals skillfully, which means there has to be some reason why he does that. We might have miscalculated the whole thing."Kaushal messaged Neha about his find. Neha was equally taken aback by the revelation.In Colonel Rathore's office, Neha presented her findings. "Sir, the source of the information can be traced back to Crimson Dagger's internal communications. There's a high-ranking official involved, feeding them classified data. I think we know who it is, but his name will stir the whole system. Our roots will be shaken if we disclose his name."Neha was nervous and trembling while speaking, and Col. Rathore was surprised to see her in that state.Colonel Rathore said, "Neha, I don't understand, stop beating around the bush and come to the point. We can plan a joint operation to take the head and their collaborators into custody immediately. We will plan that out effectively, but why are you shaking?""I am still shocked, Sir. How do I tell you? It's a system failure if he is exposed. We need to find another way!" Neha looked lost.Colonel Rathore was surprised and confused by Neha's sudden breakdown. "Okay, just relax, have some water. I think I will secure this room first, and then you can tell me."Col. Rathore rose from his seat, made sure no one was around, closed the doors, and activated the jammers to ensure no information leaked from his office. Then he resumed his seat."Now tell me, what have you found out? I understand it's top secret, but we both have to get through this together, Neha." Col. Rathore tried to calm down Neha."Yes, Sir. Let me start from the beginning, and then you will understand how I came to this revelation!" Neha gave a brief to Col. Rathore about her hunch during the insurgency, her meeting with Kaushal, their meeting with the informant of Crimson Dagger, spreading the news, uncovering the head's name as Azad, and then finally unveiling the face behind Azad.Col. Rathore attentively heard Neha without blinking; he was astonished to know that his most trusted officer was after the outbreak of Crimson Dagger news. He patiently listened until Neha uttered the name."... And we found out he is Col. Prakash!" Neha was still shaking.Col. Rathore rested his body back from his attentive position; he was equally shocked. "What the hell, this is treason!""I cannot believe you, Neha. I have worked with Col. Prakash for so many years; he is a person of dignity and immense repute. How can we pinpoint him? This is next to impossible. What can be the motive behind Col. Prakash's involvement? This is above my pay grade; he is a very senior officer.""I am shocked as well, Sir. I don't know what is the reason he has, but our sources are strong, and we have to believe them." Neha reiterated.Both Col. Rathore and Neha felt the adrenaline rush."Let me immediately sanction a covert operation. You, with your most trusted officers, have to dig deep into this. Check into Col. Prakash's logs discreetly, where has he gone? If they are around the same places where these attacks happened, you will not find his call logs. But the only way to link him to this elusive Azad's name is by checking his whereabouts during those operations. Also, check for his account information, and see if there are hidden accounts he is associated with. We can get a trace from there as well. In the meanwhile, I will buy more time from my top officials as we are still not ready to expose him." Col. Rathore gave detailed orders to Neha to find out the missing pieces of the puzzle behind Col. Prakash's involvement.Neha geared up and left Col. Rathore's office, determined to take down Azad, aka Col. Prakash, and bring out his reality to the top command.She was nervous but feeling better after talking to Col. Rathore.She messaged Kaushal and asked for a call. Kaushal and Karan connected with her and got the next steps.Both Kaushal and Karan spent hours trying to unwind the mystery behind Prakash's involvement, and surprisingly, they started getting results.But one question still loomed large in Kaushal's mind: why would Col. Prakash betray his country? There had been several instances when he had seen him fighting for the motherland bravely. This piece of the puzzle was not fitting into the chain of events. The motive behind Col. Prakash's betrayal!Karan, connecting the dots, speculated, "Could this be about power and influence? Maybe Col. Prakash saw Crimson Dagger as a means to elevate his position, both within the military and globally."Kaushal nodded, "Power, money, influence – it's a classic motive. But we need concrete evidence. We can't rely on speculation to expose someone of Col. Prakash's stature."Neha, determined to find the smoking gun, suggested, "We should cross-reference the financial transactions with his official activities. If we can prove that the money trail aligns with Crimson Dagger's operations, we'll have a solid case."As the team continued their investigation, Col. Rathore remained vigilant. The tension within the military circles grew, and the need for secrecy became more critical than ever.One evening, as the team collaborated over a secure virtual meeting, Neha stumbled upon a crucial piece of information. "I've found a direct link between the financial transactions and the events orchestrated by Crimson Dagger. The money was funding their operations, and Col. Prakash was the facilitator."Col. Prakash was always in the vicinity of the treacherous events planned by Crimson Dagger. Kaushal also found an unknown account where Prakash had been transacting, but it was very secure, so he couldn't hack into the account to unveil how much it had. But since there were messages in his mail, he could link the time of transactions around the events that occurred around the globe. Col. Prakash, being an influential officer, used to travel outside India as well during bureaucratic summits and workshops.Kaushal, absorbing the revelation, stated, "This is it. We have the evidence we need to expose Col. Prakash. Neha, document everything, and we'll present it to Col. Rathore. It's time to act."Neha, compiling the evidence, messaged Col. Rathore about their breakthrough. A sense of urgency filled the air as the team prepared for the final move.In Colonel Rathore's secure office, Neha presented the evidence, laying out the intricate connections between Col. Prakash's financial transactions and Crimson Dagger's operations.Colonel Rathore, now with a stern expression, said, "This is damning evidence, Neha. We can't ignore the facts. It's time to bring Col. Prakash in for questioning."Neha, though shaken by the prospect of confronting her once-respected senior officer, nodded in agreement. The room, fortified against any potential leaks, became the epicentre of a decision that would shake the foundations of the military.Col. Rathore initiated the necessary protocols for Col. Prakash's apprehension. The joint operation was set in motion as law enforcement agencies prepared to detain the high-ranking officer.As the team awaited updates, Kaushal messaged Neha, "We've done our part. Now it's up to the system to bring justice. Stay strong, Neha."~~~~~