Upon arriving at the house under the CDF's authority, the gate opened effortlessly as the guards recognized him. However, he was surprised to find significant changes inside the house. There were a lot of soldiers armed to the teeth, and the security was tight, which made him feel a bit uneasy. Nonetheless, he brushed off the feeling and continued to the back area where the Chief of Defence Forces was seated.
He found him preparing two cups of coffee, as was their usual custom whenever they met. The IGP unbuttoned his coat, approached the table, poured himself some coffee, and drank it.
"You've chosen a very wrong path to tread, my brother," were the first words uttered by the IGP to his counterpart.
"At times, life chooses the course of action for people, but it's different for some who choose their own path. I belong to the latter group; I have decided to choose my own path," he replied, with a cryptic undertone. Before he could say anything else, the IGP's phone beeped with a message. Not overly concerned, he took out his phone from his pocket and opened the message.
"There's a video I've sent you; you can watch it," the SMS read.
He put on his headphones, and watched the video carefully. It showed his daughter lying on a modern bed, stripped of her outer clothing and left in her inner garments, with words inscribed beneath her.
"You have a beautiful daughter, so you should cherish her moments well. Come to The city limits at 7 PM and tell us everything you know. But if you refuse, you can simply not come, but consider these men, who will all be there for your daughter," the message attached to the video read.
Below it were other videos showing muscular men, with a warning that if he defied the order, they would all be for his daughter.It pained him deeply; he wiped the sweat off his body with a cloth.
He had told his wife that he was returning with their daughter, which was the reason he had come to see the Chief of Defence Forces. He knew he couldn't evade the truth here, and indeed, upon arriving, he learned the whereabouts of his daughter. The location mentioned was under military control, so an ordinary person wouldn't dare ask a leader like him to go there.
"Is this the appropriate way to force me to find out about him?" the IGP asked, a question that greatly startled his counterpart.
He felt as if this person already knew that he was directly involved in everything that was happening.
“Have you been drinking today? I don't understand you. You came here without notice, just because you're my brother doesn't mean you can come here as if it's your own house. Have I not treated you with hospitality? I pleaded with you to tell me about him, but you refused, and I decided to let it go after realizing you were just deceiving me. Now today, you come here again with your poetics. Which path have you chosen? MD, I respect you a lot, don't make me forget everything, about you and our history altogether. Please leave now,” the two brothers were exchanging bitter words. For the first time ever, the Chief of Defence Forces decided to dismiss his brother and uttered heavy statements.
“Remember, we were the only two left. You've done a lot of wrong, and I protected you as my beloved brother. You caused one of our brothers to die, and we never blamed you; we considered it an unfortunate incident. Now, our other two brothers are also gone, and yet you act as if you know everything in your own world. Not only that, you've now started intruding into my family. Today, my child has been kidnapped by unknown people, but I know you know them, or they might be your people, because ordinary people wouldn't dare tell someone like me to have a conversation in military-controlled areas. They know very well that the Chief of Defence Forces of the country is my brother,” he continued.
“Remember, before you got to where you are due to your limited capabilities, you were given the position of a colonel, to someone who lacks expertise just for your convenience. I used my influence to make you the Chief of Defence Forces, yet today, you repay me like this? you're own brother. My child, who is like your own, you've decided to abduct for your own interests. Today, you win because you're going to hear what you wanted to know. I'm going to tell you the whole truth of everything you want to know, then I'll leave with my daughter. But let me warn you, for the rest of your life, if you ever touch my family again, I will personally kill you,” he warned.
“If you say our brotherhood might no longer exist, it's not a problem for me. From the moment I leave, I won't come back here again, and if you ever see me here again, you'll have a few days to count while you're still alive. Tomorrow, I'm going to see that child, Jason. I think from now on, you'll know him very well, because from tonight, you'll get to know him from the first letter of his name to his entire life. And you'll get an answer to your question about who he really is in this life, to the extent that some people fear him greatly,” the IGP spoke firmly as he buttoned up his coat, preparing to leave the premises.
He decided to take them with him, believing he might need them along the way. Officially, the IGP was ready to speak the truth and reveal the secret that had been guarded for many years. It was a secret for which people were willing to die to protect Jason's life. Because his family had been mentioned today, he was ready to vomit out the whole truth in front of those people. He left the scene, leaving the CDF assessing him without saying another word.