Shadows of Destiny

117 Into Action

-Leo-

I wasn't the only person shocked by Joan's words. The rest of the people in the hall were surprised too.

Had we not caught her, she would have remained silent. She was despicable. 1 "How do you know

this? Do you attend their meetings? Where does it take place? How do you communicate?" I asked

her, hoping to get information that would help me rescue Casper and all the people kidnapped in the

East. As things were, the East was vulnerable, and time was going. Any information would help.

Joan shook her head and looked at me. Her eyes were swollen. The silver cuffs on her wrist had

stopped her from healing.

"So, how did you get the information?" I asked her, and her lips were quivering. She did not want to say

it; the only reason she didn’t want to say it was that it could get her into more trouble.

"If you do not give us the source of the information, it won't be seen as credible," I said, and she began

to weep.

She looked at Leah and then at the lords. There was shame in her demeanour, and I braced myself for

more shocking revelations.

"This financial issue has been a strain on my family. It was why Leah's father went missing. I believe he

ran away so he wouldn't have to pay the debts. I have been trying to find other ways to keep up with

our lifestyle," She said, and I did not have time for this.

"The source, Joan," I ordered her, tired of her roundabout approach. She was prevaricating on the

matter, and time was of the essence.

"There is a member of the cult named Igor Stepanov. He is Yuri's cousin.

He is also in the inner caucus. Many people do not know because he appears to be neutral most of the

time, but he is a strong believer in Yuri's values, and Yuri trusts him a lot. He gives me a lot of money to

go on a trip with him," She confessed, which was a subtle way of revealing her affairs.

"He pays you for a good time?" Devin asked, simplifying her words, and she shook her head. She was

ashamed.

"Not really, we are dating, but we aren't exclusive, and he helps me financially. He was the one I

planned to join on Cain's island this evening. The reason I told His Majesty I was travelling.

Well, he came to Lucland last yesterday.

It was a sudden visit, and I had to go and see him. I am coming from his hotel. I heard him discussing

the Brighton attack on the phone this morning when he thought I was sleeping,* Joan said, and I was

ecstatic about the news.

"Hotel name now!" I asked.

I wanted to pick this bastard up if he was still there. We needed to question him. I suspect he had a

hand in the attack last night. I was glad the broadcast was stopped before this, or he would have

discovered he was caught.

"He isn't at the hotel anymore; he is leaving for Cains might have left already. He asked me to join him,

but now that he must have seen I have been arrested, he won't be expecting me anymore. He is a

cautious man." Joan said.

"Do you know his other addresses?" I asked her, and she shook her head.

"I have two cousins called Ighor. One of them staying in Hayland," Erik said, and I looked at him. He

shrugged.

"Ighor comes across as a neutral party. He is my cousin. We see his Luis Ivanov. Neutral and peaceful.

He planned not to take sides; now I know he was lying." Erik said and stood up.

"Igor isn't supposed to be on any team, so I am surprised he is on Yuri's team now," He clarified.

"How long have you two been fucking?" He asked Joan, and she did not seem to like how he put the

question, but she had no choice but to answer him.

"Four years now. We met at Yuri's house in Grizlo," She said, and I noted that information.

"Do you have a picture of Ighor because? We have two Ighors that are our cousins, but only one lives

in Hayland. It is either him or the other one. If it is the Ighor in Hayland, we can catch him, but the other

one has been missing for years." Erik asked, and she wondered.

"He does not like taking photos, but there is one I took of him when we were hugging, so all you will

see is his back. I took a selfie of myself hugging him. I do not know if it will help." She said, and Erik

nodded.

"Good enough for me," Erik said, and she requested her phone.

A Kappa searched her handbag and went to her. With guidance, he could scroll through her phone until

he got to the picture she wanted to show us. He brought the phone to Erik, and Erik smiled.

"He is the one. The son of a bitch. Now I know how Yuri found out about AgK32,’ he gritted his teeth.

He was enraged. It was so intense that I knew there was more to it.

"Tell it all now," I told Erik, and he seemed worried.

"I told him I was coming to the north," he confessed, and I ran my fingers through my hair. Erik was

unknowingly the leak.

"What else did you tell him?" I asked him, feeling impatient, and he bowed his head.

"I pleaded with him to help me mobilise some Stepanovs to join my warriors based on my discussion

with you, Leo. I told him that if the King gave us what we wanted, we could use the army to push Yuri

back for peace's sake. Had I known Yuri had bought him over, I wouldn't have," he said, sounding

betrayed.

I could not fault him at all. I had gone to him to help us gather a Stepanov Army to help us push back.

What were the odds that he would know Ighor was a two-faced bastard?

"Increase the security at the airports and seaports," I ordered Bryce. We need to catch this bastard, we

need to alert Jake, and we need to secure Stepanie because she knows where the children are.

It sounded crazy, but the dots connected in my head.

"This hearing is now dismissed," I said, and people murmured.

"Be on your guard and increase your securities at your Various estates. The North might undergo a

brutal, aggressive attack by these people," I warned the nobles, and they began to move faster than

they were initially.

"What about the prisoners?" Bryce asked me, and I looked up at Sylvester and Tamia where they were.

They were both standing, and there was fear in their eyes. They had connected the dots too.

"Secure the prisoners in the underground prison, for now," I said, unable to think of anything other than

the Volkov children and their safety.

We moved to the top of the building to board the helicopter. We moved quickly, and some of us were

making phone calls. There was a need for urgency, and we all knew it.

Andrew was utterly speechless. I bet he had no clue of anything we had learned.

So much for wanting us to team up with Yuri; we would have fallen into a trap.

"Have you been able to reach mother?" Sylvester asked Dominic, and he shook his head.

'What about Jake? Has anyone called him?" David asked, and Marcel nodded.

"I am waiting for him to call back," Marcel said.

"His son said he went horse riding and will ask him to call me when he returns. I have told his son

Donald to start evacuating the people of Brighton. He said they have no bunkers and nowhere to go

right now. That is the biggest problem," Marcel added, and The helicopter lifted into the air.

Linda, Nicole and Tamia were as white as a sheet. Their children weren't safe.

"Do you think they can successfully abduct your mother?" Tamia asked Sylvester, and he could not

answer.

"If they take her, they can use her to force Jake's cooperation and also try to get the location of our

children from them. I say we move the children," Linda said, and Amelia shook her head.

"I say you don't," Amelia said sternly.

"Stephnie will never give up her grandchildren, and Jake would never do anything that will hurt

Stepanie. They will die first before giving out the location of the children. Give them some credit,"

Amelia said, trying to be the voice of reason.

"If you move them now, they will be exposed. I say we catch Ighor and send troops to Brighton from the

east to defend them," Amelia said, and I shook my head.

" Max and Kyle are occupied with tracing out the people that were abducted," I argued, and she

nodded.

"They should move troops and rescue Brighton. Brighton will be our only safe passage to the South if

war ensues between Yuri and us.

I doubt he plans to come to the North. He seems okay with the West, East and South as his territories.

Andrew did say it initially, only that he forgot to add the west to the number. The West was already

taken with Sean on his side and Stepanovs taking over Western packs. We did not know it," Amelia

said, and we all looked at Andrew, who was as white as a sheet. I had forgotten he was even with us

because he did not speak a word.

"She is right," he said.

"I had wondered why they skipped Brighton all this while. I suspected it was because they were saving

it for last so the King would not be alerted. If they had taken Brighton, it would affect Lady Stephanie,

and King Sylvester would get into the matter. I believe they saved it for last when they would not care.

Amelia is right. If we plan on getting our troops to the South, we must pass through Brighton because it

shares a border with Greenville. Moving our troops from the east to Greenville will be long and leave

room for ambush because Greenville is in the southwest, and we will have to pass through the

southeast to get there if we move from the East. With Brighton still ours, we can set up in Brighton and

move to Greenville easily," Andrew said, and Erik laughed.

"The son of a bitch never planned to give Sean control of the West. He just used Sean to separate the

West from the South. He knew Sean would get caught," Erik said, laughing.

"Amelia is right; We have to keep Brighton open for access to Greenville. The route through the east is

long and unsafe.

If Brighton is taken, then the South is sealed off entirely regardless of the situation in the East," Tamia

advised.

Though it was a difficult decision, I decided I would send help to Donald Brighton and his father.

"Very well, I will call Max and have him mobilise my men," I said, taking out my phone.

While I dialled Max, my heart was uneasy. Every second counted in a hostage situation. I wasn't ready

to sacrifice Casper.

"Hello," Max answered immediately.

I told him everything we heard and what I wanted from him immediately. I had to rush through it so I did

not change my mind.

"Are you sure about this, Leo?" he asked me, and I told him I was sure even though I wasn't, but I

knew it was the best move.

"Okay, we will do it like this," He said, and I knew he could hear my uneasiness.

"Kyle would go with the troops to Brighton while I will take two trackers and three warriors to continue

the search for Casper," he said; as much as I did not want them to be divided, it was the only way that

none of the mission would suffer.

It was the only way to set both of them rolling. I reluctantly agreed, and he promised to update me.

"Casper will be found, Leo," Devin said after I hung up.

He knew exactly how I felt. I wouldn't be so worried if Casper had been locked in a cell-like Lukman. I

needed to know he was alright and safe,"

The ride back was silent.

We landed at the estate, and everyone moved quickly. There was no time.

Erik requested for his lab to be set up immediately. He wanted to get the

AgK32 production ready. I understood his urgency because Yuri was moving the pieces quickly.

We all headed to the lounge to discuss what was going on extensively.

While we moved, Theodore received a call, and the way he jubilated after receiving that call made us

hopeful.

Theodore hung up and looked at Sylvester. We all stood waiting for him to speak.

"Bryce said his men have apprehended Ighor at the Airport. They are taking him to the secret

warehouse for torture and interrogation. Anyone coming? " He said asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

The joy that erupted was overwhelming.

Everyone was beaming.

Ighor might not be Yuri, but he was in the inner circle and might lead us to the bastard.