Chapter 132
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Greg looked around with a burning gaze.
"What the hell happened?" - He repeated his question, finding Paul with his eyes. The guy immediately stepped back and even slumped a little under the pressure of his friend's stare.
"Listen, Greg, I didn't think everything would go that far. They just went wild on their own. These two said it was such a tradition! What could I do?" - Paul defended, reasonably deciding to push all the blame on the shifters.
Greg looked at Mr. Boyle, who immediately raised his hands, trying to show that he has nothing to do with it.
"It is really a tradition, and Lana herself challenged Tonia to a duel." - He said, nodding in the direction of Mr. Benne and Mrs. Stormbridge. The Panther had already turned into a woman, the former Alpha managed to cover her with his jacket and was now trying to make her look presentable, wiping the blood from her neck. Feeling that all eyes turned on them, both turned around.
Greg's face definitely didn't promise anything good. Holding Lana with one hand, he never put away the knife. Mrs. Stormbridge took the hint first and rose from the ground, going straight towards him.
" I assume that you are Gregory Wells right ?!" - She asked coming closer. Greg did not even bother to nod, continuing to drill his wife's enemy with a threatening look. The councilwoman hesitated a bit, still continued.
"Your Mate - Ruslana, acted very brave. I am ready to recognize her rightness and victory in this fight." - she said with a look of benevolence.
" I don't give a f*ck!" - Greg spat out with hatred. - "You're lucky you're a woman. If it were one of your buddies, I would have cut their asses into very thin ribbons."
The woman retreated, not expecting such a reaction.
"Mr. Wells, I believe that you are a rational man and can adequately assess the situation." - Ms. Stormbridge tried to reason with him one more time.
"The situation when my woman decides to come to the Council, a gathering of the oldest and smartest shifters, as I heard, to tell you about the danger that one of your colleagues, her own father can pose and in the end you attack her? You are talking about such a completely logical and normal situation?" - He growled through clenched teeth, playing with a knife in his hand. The ease of his movements definitely showed that he quite knew how to handle it quite well. - "Does it seem to me or is something wrong with your retarded logic? Maybe I should also stab you with a knife a couple of times to believe your words? Hm?"
Mrs. Stormbridge paled, opening and shutting her mouth again, not finding the word. Mr. Benne immediately hurried to the rescue, seeing a new crisis brewing. He did not stop and walked right up to the angry man, squatting down beside him.
"Boy, I understand your anger." - He said soothingly, then tearing off the sleeve of his shirt, stretched the fabric to Greg. - "Just calm down and let's first put Lana in order, and then talk everything out."
Greg spun around, hiding Lana behind him, not letting the man touch her.
"Who the hell are you, old man?" - He growled, staring in doubt at the outstretched hand. Mr. Benne smiled openly but did not remove his hand.
"Gregory, I know that you'll hardly feel better hearing my name, so firstly I want to assure you that I'm on your side."
His words forced Greg to strain even more, but the man, on the contrary, did not show aggression.
"My name is Adam Benne," - said the shifter carefully, and seeing Greg jerk, he immediately added. - "Yes, I am the father of Ralph. But I am also the grandfather of Vicky and Nicky. I hope you take this fact into account before you stab me with your knife in the face? I absolutely don't want to hurt you or especially Lana. And I am very sorry that it all happened like that."
Greg peered into the face of an old man. His words sounded quite sincere, but now he no longer knew who to believe. The sight of the wounded Lana infuriated him so much that he could not calm down until now. Anger tore him from the inside. He just wanted to attack, cut, rip everyone around. He could hardly control his emotions.
"Greg?" - Came the quiet voice of Lana. The girl stirred and opened her eyes. - "What happened?"
The girl was a little disoriented and very anxious. She apparently felt Greg's condition, his rage gurgling like lava inside. And that brought her back from the slumber.
"Shh." - She shushed, stroking the man's chest, trying to calm him a bit. Then she looked around and noticed Mr. Benne smiled.
"I think I blacked out in the end." - She said, embarrassed. - "Mrs. Stormbridge is so strong! I heard so much about her, and didn't even think that I could take a couple of blows from her!"
Mr. Benne shook his head, smiling back.
"You fought quite well, Lana!" - They heard a female voice from the side. The councilwoman approached quietly and stopped in a couple of steps, looking at the girl in the arms of Greg with respect.
" Though you don't have proper training, you have the courage and determination. I would take you into my squad - Black Furies any time!" - She praised, smiling approvingly.
Lana tried to get up in the presence of this woman, but Greg stopped her, keeping her in his arms and rising.
"I do not care about your traditions. And all your damn logic. If that is the price of your help, then we will do just fine without it." - He said, heading for the door.
"Wait, Greg!" - protested Lana, trying to wriggle out of his arms.
"Stay still!" - he grumbled, forcing the girl to raise her eyebrows in surprise. - "We are leaving."
"Gregory, you can't just leave that easy," - Mr. Benné again blocked his way. - "Please think again! The situation is very complicated. If it was only about my son, I'm sure you would have solved it easily. But it's about Ian Winterborn. He is not just a shifter, but the leader of one of the most massive packs in the country. Besides, on his side also Night Watchmen."
These words made Greg pause.
"Whos that? What with this clowns names?" - He said with displeasure, looking suspiciously at the old man.
" That exactly what I'm talking about. You have too little information to engage in open confrontation with them now." - reasonably added a shifter.
- I have a plan! We can deal! - snapped Greg, trying to sidestep the old man.
"If you're talking about Veronica Winterbourne, then this is indeed not a bad choice. - stated The councilwoman, approaching from the other side. - "She is respected and loved in the pack much more than Ian. But don't forget that on the side of Winterborn Senior are trained the special force. These shifters can easily not only crush the uprising, once it begins. They can also turn everything against you. If even we didn't immediately believe in Lana's words, although we quite know what Ian is capable of not by hearsay. Then it would be easy to convince the rest of your guilt will not be so difficult."
The words of the woman made Greg winced. He was afraid of exactly this turn of the events. All that they did up until now was not enough. The whole plan was like a fragile layout, one blow, and it will instantly fall apart.
"Then what do you suggest?" - Finally, responded Greg with annoyance in his voice, turning to the councilmen.
" First, Let's take care of your girlfriend." - Said Mr. Benne, placing a chair near Greg. Mr. Boyle pulled off his jacket and helpfully handed it to Greg. The guy looked at Lana with a sigh, and she only shrugged in response. "Why not?" - he read in her eyes.
" Okay." - Greg finally gave up, putting the girl on a chair and ripping a piece of cloth out of Mr. Benne's hand, began to clean the already dried blood from her face carefully and then checked the back. The wounds already closed mostly. That made Greg feel a little better.
"Judging by the fact that Ruslana told us, we can make one conclusion. - began Mr. Boyle, sitting down at the table opposite Greg. - " Right now Ian is stalling. And the question is, what for?"
"I think this is quite obvious," - Mrs. Stormbridge responded, following the example of her colleague. - "Three days from now, on the day of the Vernal equinox, the Great Assemblage will be held. I think this is the perfect moment for him to present all the evidence. The Head of the Council has been missing for more than five years. The rumor that it is time to choose a new Head has been going on for a long time, but now I increasingly hear a particular name in these whispers. I feel that it is not just confidence. He will undoubtedly try to turn the whole situation around to his advantage."
"But Lana is his own daughter." - Michael entered the dialogue suddenly. No one had even noticed him before, while he stood at the entrance and silently watched the scene. - "Is he ready to throw her under the bus a second time, just for the sake of political power?"
"Not necessarily," - Mr. Bennet shrugged, deciding to leave the introduction for later. - "It will be enough for him that Greg is taken into custody, and then slowly sent somewhere far away. Out of sight. Plus, many will undoubtedly note that as a councilman, he acts in the name of justice, without fear of revealing filth even in his own family. This is an ideal moment not only to shame the rest of the council members for their inaction but also to stand out for himself. And then, the question about a new Head of the council will naturally arise. All the Alphas of the country will arrive at the meeting, and for sure he has already prepared himself quite a lot of support."
"What if we come up with evidence against him?" - Paul suggested, immediately becoming interested in a new, unusual case. The counselors looked at each other.
"The idea is not bad, but with what you have now it is useless." - answered Mr. Boyle. - "You don't have any solid arguments. Ian is not a fool, and the night watchmen are able to clean up after themselves. So the evidence that he has the same pair of pistols as your friend probably already destroyed, and the guns themselves are either hidden somewhere or always with him."
"But there is another option," - drawled Mrs. Stormbridge thoughtfully, with a sharp look around. - "To get to the base Night Watchmen must pass a particular test. Each of them is required to report the exact number of their victims. Snoops at the entrance will always feel a lie. It is clear that the second victim was killed by your friend Martin, whom Ian's secretary, Sybil, most probably, could well have provoked. She is an expert in such matters. But that Martin was most likely killed by one of Ian's subordinates. They had to act in a hurry to seal his mouth quickly. Sybil and Ian are also in the database of night watchmen and are required to be checked every three days. "
"You want to say that the name of this guy should already be in the database?" - began Mr. Benne.
"Yes," - the woman confirmed. - "Snoops only checking the number of victims, they are not going into details. And the Council does not have any direct link to that database. Ian would not bother with these and quickly cover up this information with new things. He has long been the unofficial leader of this organization and probably does not expect that anyone will be able or will even dare to crawl straight into their lair. Plus, who knows what else can be found there?!"
" Understandably! Who is capable of such madness?!" - Mr. Boyle laughed, but his laugh broke off as he ran into the stern and confident faces of his colleagues, Greg and Lana.
"Guys, I think this is a very bad idea." - Said the old shifter slowly, and then suddenly broke into a smile and winked at Greg, - "But I kind of miss doing naughty things. Sounds like fun!"
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Greg looked around with a burning gaze.
"What the hell happened?" - He repeated his question, finding Paul with his eyes. The guy immediately stepped back and even slumped a little under the pressure of his friend's stare.
"Listen, Greg, I didn't think everything would go that far. They just went wild on their own. These two said it was such a tradition! What could I do?" - Paul defended, reasonably deciding to push all the blame on the shifters.
Greg looked at Mr. Boyle, who immediately raised his hands, trying to show that he has nothing to do with it.
"It is really a tradition, and Lana herself challenged Tonia to a duel." - He said, nodding in the direction of Mr. Benne and Mrs. Stormbridge. The Panther had already turned into a woman, the former Alpha managed to cover her with his jacket and was now trying to make her look presentable, wiping the blood from her neck. Feeling that all eyes turned on them, both turned around.
Greg's face definitely didn't promise anything good. Holding Lana with one hand, he never put away the knife. Mrs. Stormbridge took the hint first and rose from the ground, going straight towards him.
" I assume that you are Gregory Wells right ?!" - She asked coming closer. Greg did not even bother to nod, continuing to drill his wife's enemy with a threatening look. The councilwoman hesitated a bit, still continued.
"Your Mate - Ruslana, acted very brave. I am ready to recognize her rightness and victory in this fight." - she said with a look of benevolence.
" I don't give a f*ck!" - Greg spat out with hatred. - "You're lucky you're a woman. If it were one of your buddies, I would have cut their asses into very thin ribbons."
The woman retreated, not expecting such a reaction.
"Mr. Wells, I believe that you are a rational man and can adequately assess the situation." - Ms. Stormbridge tried to reason with him one more time.
"The situation when my woman decides to come to the Council, a gathering of the oldest and smartest shifters, as I heard, to tell you about the danger that one of your colleagues, her own father can pose and in the end you attack her? You are talking about such a completely logical and normal situation?" - He growled through clenched teeth, playing with a knife in his hand. The ease of his movements definitely showed that he quite knew how to handle it quite well. - "Does it seem to me or is something wrong with your retarded logic? Maybe I should also stab you with a knife a couple of times to believe your words? Hm?"
Mrs. Stormbridge paled, opening and shutting her mouth again, not finding the word. Mr. Benne immediately hurried to the rescue, seeing a new crisis brewing. He did not stop and walked right up to the angry man, squatting down beside him.
"Boy, I understand your anger." - He said soothingly, then tearing off the sleeve of his shirt, stretched the fabric to Greg. - "Just calm down and let's first put Lana in order, and then talk everything out."
Greg spun around, hiding Lana behind him, not letting the man touch her.
"Who the hell are you, old man?" - He growled, staring in doubt at the outstretched hand. Mr. Benne smiled openly but did not remove his hand.
"Gregory, I know that you'll hardly feel better hearing my name, so firstly I want to assure you that I'm on your side."
His words forced Greg to strain even more, but the man, on the contrary, did not show aggression.
"My name is Adam Benne," - said the shifter carefully, and seeing Greg jerk, he immediately added. - "Yes, I am the father of Ralph. But I am also the grandfather of Vicky and Nicky. I hope you take this fact into account before you stab me with your knife in the face? I absolutely don't want to hurt you or especially Lana. And I am very sorry that it all happened like that."
Greg peered into the face of an old man. His words sounded quite sincere, but now he no longer knew who to believe. The sight of the wounded Lana infuriated him so much that he could not calm down until now. Anger tore him from the inside. He just wanted to attack, cut, rip everyone around. He could hardly control his emotions.
"Greg?" - Came the quiet voice of Lana. The girl stirred and opened her eyes. - "What happened?"
The girl was a little disoriented and very anxious. She apparently felt Greg's condition, his rage gurgling like lava inside. And that brought her back from the slumber.
"Shh." - She shushed, stroking the man's chest, trying to calm him a bit. Then she looked around and noticed Mr. Benne smiled.
"I think I blacked out in the end." - She said, embarrassed. - "Mrs. Stormbridge is so strong! I heard so much about her, and didn't even think that I could take a couple of blows from her!"
Mr. Benne shook his head, smiling back.
"You fought quite well, Lana!" - They heard a female voice from the side. The councilwoman approached quietly and stopped in a couple of steps, looking at the girl in the arms of Greg with respect.
" Though you don't have proper training, you have the courage and determination. I would take you into my squad - Black Furies any time!" - She praised, smiling approvingly.
Lana tried to get up in the presence of this woman, but Greg stopped her, keeping her in his arms and rising.
"I do not care about your traditions. And all your damn logic. If that is the price of your help, then we will do just fine without it." - He said, heading for the door.
"Wait, Greg!" - protested Lana, trying to wriggle out of his arms.
"Stay still!" - he grumbled, forcing the girl to raise her eyebrows in surprise. - "We are leaving."
"Gregory, you can't just leave that easy," - Mr. Benné again blocked his way. - "Please think again! The situation is very complicated. If it was only about my son, I'm sure you would have solved it easily. But it's about Ian Winterborn. He is not just a shifter, but the leader of one of the most massive packs in the country. Besides, on his side also Night Watchmen."
These words made Greg pause.
"Whos that? What with this clowns names?" - He said with displeasure, looking suspiciously at the old man.
" That exactly what I'm talking about. You have too little information to engage in open confrontation with them now." - reasonably added a shifter.
- I have a plan! We can deal! - snapped Greg, trying to sidestep the old man.
"If you're talking about Veronica Winterbourne, then this is indeed not a bad choice. - stated The councilwoman, approaching from the other side. - "She is respected and loved in the pack much more than Ian. But don't forget that on the side of Winterborn Senior are trained the special force. These shifters can easily not only crush the uprising, once it begins. They can also turn everything against you. If even we didn't immediately believe in Lana's words, although we quite know what Ian is capable of not by hearsay. Then it would be easy to convince the rest of your guilt will not be so difficult."
The words of the woman made Greg winced. He was afraid of exactly this turn of the events. All that they did up until now was not enough. The whole plan was like a fragile layout, one blow, and it will instantly fall apart.
"Then what do you suggest?" - Finally, responded Greg with annoyance in his voice, turning to the councilmen.
" First, Let's take care of your girlfriend." - Said Mr. Benne, placing a chair near Greg. Mr. Boyle pulled off his jacket and helpfully handed it to Greg. The guy looked at Lana with a sigh, and she only shrugged in response. "Why not?" - he read in her eyes.
" Okay." - Greg finally gave up, putting the girl on a chair and ripping a piece of cloth out of Mr. Benne's hand, began to clean the already dried blood from her face carefully and then checked the back. The wounds already closed mostly. That made Greg feel a little better.
"Judging by the fact that Ruslana told us, we can make one conclusion. - began Mr. Boyle, sitting down at the table opposite Greg. - " Right now Ian is stalling. And the question is, what for?"
"I think this is quite obvious," - Mrs. Stormbridge responded, following the example of her colleague. - "Three days from now, on the day of the Vernal equinox, the Great Assemblage will be held. I think this is the perfect moment for him to present all the evidence. The Head of the Council has been missing for more than five years. The rumor that it is time to choose a new Head has been going on for a long time, but now I increasingly hear a particular name in these whispers. I feel that it is not just confidence. He will undoubtedly try to turn the whole situation around to his advantage."
"But Lana is his own daughter." - Michael entered the dialogue suddenly. No one had even noticed him before, while he stood at the entrance and silently watched the scene. - "Is he ready to throw her under the bus a second time, just for the sake of political power?"
"Not necessarily," - Mr. Bennet shrugged, deciding to leave the introduction for later. - "It will be enough for him that Greg is taken into custody, and then slowly sent somewhere far away. Out of sight. Plus, many will undoubtedly note that as a councilman, he acts in the name of justice, without fear of revealing filth even in his own family. This is an ideal moment not only to shame the rest of the council members for their inaction but also to stand out for himself. And then, the question about a new Head of the council will naturally arise. All the Alphas of the country will arrive at the meeting, and for sure he has already prepared himself quite a lot of support."
"What if we come up with evidence against him?" - Paul suggested, immediately becoming interested in a new, unusual case. The counselors looked at each other.
"The idea is not bad, but with what you have now it is useless." - answered Mr. Boyle. - "You don't have any solid arguments. Ian is not a fool, and the night watchmen are able to clean up after themselves. So the evidence that he has the same pair of pistols as your friend probably already destroyed, and the guns themselves are either hidden somewhere or always with him."
"But there is another option," - drawled Mrs. Stormbridge thoughtfully, with a sharp look around. - "To get to the base Night Watchmen must pass a particular test. Each of them is required to report the exact number of their victims. Snoops at the entrance will always feel a lie. It is clear that the second victim was killed by your friend Martin, whom Ian's secretary, Sybil, most probably, could well have provoked. She is an expert in such matters. But that Martin was most likely killed by one of Ian's subordinates. They had to act in a hurry to seal his mouth quickly. Sybil and Ian are also in the database of night watchmen and are required to be checked every three days. "
"You want to say that the name of this guy should already be in the database?" - began Mr. Benne.
"Yes," - the woman confirmed. - "Snoops only checking the number of victims, they are not going into details. And the Council does not have any direct link to that database. Ian would not bother with these and quickly cover up this information with new things. He has long been the unofficial leader of this organization and probably does not expect that anyone will be able or will even dare to crawl straight into their lair. Plus, who knows what else can be found there?!"
" Understandably! Who is capable of such madness?!" - Mr. Boyle laughed, but his laugh broke off as he ran into the stern and confident faces of his colleagues, Greg and Lana.
"Guys, I think this is a very bad idea." - Said the old shifter slowly, and then suddenly broke into a smile and winked at Greg, - "But I kind of miss doing naughty things. Sounds like fun!"
Greg looked around with a burning gaze."What the hell happened?" - He repeated his question, finding Paul with his eyes. The guy immediately stepped back and even slumped a little under the pressure of his friend's stare."Listen, Greg, I didn't think everything would go that far. They just went wild on their own. These two said it was such a tradition! What could I do?" - Paul defended, reasonably deciding to push all the blame on the shifters. Greg looked at Mr. Boyle, who immediately raised his hands, trying to show that he has nothing to do with it."It is really a tradition, and Lana herself challenged Tonia to a duel." - He said, nodding in the direction of Mr. Benne and Mrs. Stormbridge. The Panther had already turned into a woman, the former Alpha managed to cover her with his jacket and was now trying to make her look presentable, wiping the blood from her neck. Feeling that all eyes turned on them, both turned around. Greg's face definitely didn't promise anything good. Holding Lana with one hand, he never put away the knife. Mrs. Stormbridge took the hint first and rose from the ground, going straight towards him." I assume that you are Gregory Wells right ?!" - She asked coming closer. Greg did not even bother to nod, continuing to drill his wife's enemy with a threatening look. The councilwoman hesitated a bit, still continued."Your Mate - Ruslana, acted very brave. I am ready to recognize her rightness and victory in this fight." - she said with a look of benevolence." I don't give a f*ck!" - Greg spat out with hatred. - "You're lucky you're a woman. If it were one of your buddies, I would have cut their asses into very thin ribbons."The woman retreated, not expecting such a reaction. "Mr. Wells, I believe that you are a rational man and can adequately assess the situation." - Ms. Stormbridge tried to reason with him one more time."The situation when my woman decides to come to the Council, a gathering of the oldest and smartest shifters, as I heard, to tell you about the danger that one of your colleagues, her own father can pose and in the end you attack her? You are talking about such a completely logical and normal situation?" - He growled through clenched teeth, playing with a knife in his hand. The ease of his movements definitely showed that he quite knew how to handle it quite well. - "Does it seem to me or is something wrong with your retarded logic? Maybe I should also stab you with a knife a couple of times to believe your words? Hm?"Mrs. Stormbridge paled, opening and shutting her mouth again, not finding the word. Mr. Benne immediately hurried to the rescue, seeing a new crisis brewing. He did not stop and walked right up to the angry man, squatting down beside him."Boy, I understand your anger." - He said soothingly, then tearing off the sleeve of his shirt, stretched the fabric to Greg. - "Just calm down and let's first put Lana in order, and then talk everything out." Greg spun around, hiding Lana behind him, not letting the man touch her. "Who the hell are you, old man?" - He growled, staring in doubt at the outstretched hand. Mr. Benne smiled openly but did not remove his hand."Gregory, I know that you'll hardly feel better hearing my name, so firstly I want to assure you that I'm on your side." His words forced Greg to strain even more, but the man, on the contrary, did not show aggression. "My name is Adam Benne," - said the shifter carefully, and seeing Greg jerk, he immediately added. - "Yes, I am the father of Ralph. But I am also the grandfather of Vicky and Nicky. I hope you take this fact into account before you stab me with your knife in the face? I absolutely don't want to hurt you or especially Lana. And I am very sorry that it all happened like that." Greg peered into the face of an old man. His words sounded quite sincere, but now he no longer knew who to believe. The sight of the wounded Lana infuriated him so much that he could not calm down until now. Anger tore him from the inside. He just wanted to attack, cut, rip everyone around. He could hardly control his emotions."Greg?" - Came the quiet voice of Lana. The girl stirred and opened her eyes. - "What happened?"The girl was a little disoriented and very anxious. She apparently felt Greg's condition, his rage gurgling like lava inside. And that brought her back from the slumber."Shh." - She shushed, stroking the man's chest, trying to calm him a bit. Then she looked around and noticed Mr. Benne smiled. "I think I blacked out in the end." - She said, embarrassed. - "Mrs. Stormbridge is so strong! I heard so much about her, and didn't even think that I could take a couple of blows from her!" Mr. Benne shook his head, smiling back. "You fought quite well, Lana!" - They heard a female voice from the side. The councilwoman approached quietly and stopped in a couple of steps, looking at the girl in the arms of Greg with respect. " Though you don't have proper training, you have the courage and determination. I would take you into my squad - Black Furies any time!" - She praised, smiling approvingly. Lana tried to get up in the presence of this woman, but Greg stopped her, keeping her in his arms and rising. "I do not care about your traditions. And all your damn logic. If that is the price of your help, then we will do just fine without it." - He said, heading for the door. "Wait, Greg!" - protested Lana, trying to wriggle out of his arms."Stay still!" - he grumbled, forcing the girl to raise her eyebrows in surprise. - "We are leaving.""Gregory, you can't just leave that easy," - Mr. Benn again blocked his way. - "Please think again! The situation is very complicated. If it was only about my son, I'm sure you would have solved it easily. But it's about Ian Winterborn. He is not just a shifter, but the leader of one of the most massive packs in the country. Besides, on his side also Night Watchmen." These words made Greg pause. "Whos that? What with this clowns names?" - He said with displeasure, looking suspiciously at the old man." That exactly what I'm talking about. You have too little information to engage in open confrontation with them now." - reasonably added a shifter. - I have a plan! We can deal! - snapped Greg, trying to sidestep the old man."If you're talking about Veronica Winterbourne, then this is indeed not a bad choice. - stated The councilwoman, approaching from the other side. - "She is respected and loved in the pack much more than Ian. But don't forget that on the side of Winterborn Senior are trained the special force. These shifters can easily not only crush the uprising, once it begins. They can also turn everything against you. If even we didn't immediately believe in Lana's words, although we quite know what Ian is capable of not by hearsay. Then it would be easy to convince the rest of your guilt will not be so difficult."The words of the woman made Greg winced. He was afraid of exactly this turn of the events. All that they did up until now was not enough. The whole plan was like a fragile layout, one blow, and it will instantly fall apart. "Then what do you suggest?" - Finally, responded Greg with annoyance in his voice, turning to the councilmen. " First, Let's take care of your girlfriend." - Said Mr. Benne, placing a chair near Greg. Mr. Boyle pulled off his jacket and helpfully handed it to Greg. The guy looked at Lana with a sigh, and she only shrugged in response. "Why not?" - he read in her eyes." Okay." - Greg finally gave up, putting the girl on a chair and ripping a piece of cloth out of Mr. Benne's hand, began to clean the already dried blood from her face carefully and then checked the back. The wounds already closed mostly. That made Greg feel a little better. "Judging by the fact that Ruslana told us, we can make one conclusion. - began Mr. Boyle, sitting down at the table opposite Greg. - " Right now Ian is stalling. And the question is, what for?" "I think this is quite obvious," - Mrs. Stormbridge responded, following the example of her colleague. - "Three days from now, on the day of the Vernal equinox, the Great Assemblage will be held. I think this is the perfect moment for him to present all the evidence. The Head of the Council has been missing for more than five years. The rumor that it is time to choose a new Head has been going on for a long time, but now I increasingly hear a particular name in these whispers. I feel that it is not just confidence. He will undoubtedly try to turn the whole situation around to his advantage." "But Lana is his own daughter." - Michael entered the dialogue suddenly. No one had even noticed him before, while he stood at the entrance and silently watched the scene. - "Is he ready to throw her under the bus a second time, just for the sake of political power?""Not necessarily," - Mr. Bennet shrugged, deciding to leave the introduction for later. - "It will be enough for him that Greg is taken into custody, and then slowly sent somewhere far away. Out of sight. Plus, many will undoubtedly note that as a councilman, he acts in the name of justice, without fear of revealing filth even in his own family. This is an ideal moment not only to shame the rest of the council members for their inaction but also to stand out for himself. And then, the question about a new Head of the council will naturally arise. All the Alphas of the country will arrive at the meeting, and for sure he has already prepared himself quite a lot of support.""What if we come up with evidence against him?" - Paul suggested, immediately becoming interested in a new, unusual case. The counselors looked at each other. "The idea is not bad, but with what you have now it is useless." - answered Mr. Boyle. - "You don't have any solid arguments. Ian is not a fool, and the night watchmen are able to clean up after themselves. So the evidence that he has the same pair of pistols as your friend probably already destroyed, and the guns themselves are either hidden somewhere or always with him." "But there is another option," - drawled Mrs. Stormbridge thoughtfully, with a sharp look around. - "To get to the base Night Watchmen must pass a particular test. Each of them is required to report the exact number of their victims. Snoops at the entrance will always feel a lie. It is clear that the second victim was killed by your friend Martin, whom Ian's secretary, Sybil, most probably, could well have provoked. She is an expert in such matters. But that Martin was most likely killed by one of Ian's subordinates. They had to act in a hurry to seal his mouth quickly. Sybil and Ian are also in the database of night watchmen and are required to be checked every three days. ""You want to say that the name of this guy should already be in the database?" - began Mr. Benne."Yes," - the woman confirmed. - "Snoops only checking the number of victims, they are not going into details. And the Council does not have any direct link to that database. Ian would not bother with these and quickly cover up this information with new things. He has long been the unofficial leader of this organization and probably does not expect that anyone will be able or will even dare to crawl straight into their lair. Plus, who knows what else can be found there?!"" Understandably! Who is capable of such madness?!" - Mr. Boyle laughed, but his laugh broke off as he ran into the stern and confident faces of his colleagues, Greg and Lana. "Guys, I think this is a very bad idea." - Said the old shifter slowly, and then suddenly broke into a smile and winked at Greg, - "But I kind of miss doing naughty things. Sounds like fun!"
