Chapter Three (Trysis)

The HQ was a spacious room filled with the hum of computers, the glow of LCD lights, and the beeps of keyboards. The air reeked of smoke and stale air, and the walls were plastered with a collage of mugshots. Each face - a testament to the crew's dubious accomplishments, and sticky notes scribbled with cryptic messages and hasty reminders. Guns and drugs littered the table, a grim reminder of the crew's illicit endeavors.

Raymond strode in, his eyes scanning the room like a ghost haunting its murderers. Tyler swiveled his chair, his gaze flicking from the computer screen to Raymond's tense expression. Ria stood by the map-covered table, her eyes narrowed as she studied the layout of Briarcliff, Texas.

"Tyler I got your text. What's going on?" Raymond said. He stood behind Tyler, hands folded across his chest.

"We have a mission, 002," Tyler said. He leaned his back on the seat lazily, hovering his hand to the side of his face.

"And it's too complicated for your dumb ass?" A strange feminine voice echoed.

Raymond and Tyler traced the voice to Ria's lips. She evaded the desk, walking towards Tyler and Raymond. Tyler's face shrunk into a frown at her offensive interruption.

"Hey," she muttered, as she walked past Raymond with a remote in her hand. "Go straight to the point, asshole." she fired, staring into Tyler's eyes.

Tyler clicked his tongue "You should learn some manners bitch. You disrespect me a lot, I will -"

"You'll do nothing, weakling." Ria threatened. She stood in front of Tyler like she'd press a jab on his long face. Raymond stared at them without uttering a word.

Tyler gritted his teeth in rage, his heart pulsing loudly.

Al stormed in, his cowboy hat tilted at a rakish angle, his bushy beard bristling with agitation.

"You two, enough of that bullshit!" Al yelled. He'd been listening to the verbal altercation. "Oh, Ray. You're here. we've got a situation," he gulped down the bottle of whisky in his hand.

"Tyler," Al called.

"One of these days I'd prove to you that I'm a man. I'll cut off that asylum you call a mouth!" Tyler threatened with gritted teeth, as he snuggled back into his seat. Ria replied with a glare.

"So what's the situation?" Raymond muttered. He sat on a seat close to where Ria stood.

Albert cleared his throat. "You saw the news huh? That motherfucker will be burning in hell now. Good Job dawg." A satisfactory chuckle curled on his lips and he continued. "I called you here because of the most interesting part of that news broadcast, I'm sure you know that," Albert growled and another chuckle flew off his lips again. That has been his guilty pleasure. Laughter. Demonic and sinister laughter.

Raymond stared at him for a few seconds before saying a word. "That fund was allocated by the President. Al, it is impossible to lay a finger on it, besides, it is for a reasonable project."

Al let out a loud giggle. "Spare me that president bullshit Ray!"

"002," Ria called.

Raymond swung around to face her, as Al's sinister laughter made him confused and uncomfortable.

Ria pressed a button on the remote, and the monitor flickered to life, displaying the ravaged remains of a village hit by a hurricane.

"Briarcliff, Texas," she said, her voice cold. "A lot of people lost their homes, their properties, and their lives. John Marvin saw an opportunity to fuel his greedy ambition. Ria added.

It felt like she started making a bowl of oatmeal and stopped right when it was time to add milk. And at that point, Raymond's heart blared with questions.

"What greedy ambition are you talking about?" Raymond asked.

"John Marvin. JM is what he likes to be called alerted the president about the situation " Tyler said. He continued immediately after Raymond turned to him. Like he just got his attention.

"The president agreed to rescue the situation. That's why a whooping twenty billion dollars was allocated to JM's office in other to help the affected people in Briarcliff, but -"

"That motherfucker cannot be trusted." Al interrupted.

He grabbed a blunt and lit it up. He stepped toward the trio, whizzing out smoke "My source found out he has a plan. Right now as we speak, John Marvin is out of the country." Al said.

Raymond rolled his eyes. "Why?"

"He was given six months by the president to focus on the project," Ria replied. "But he diverted the money into his personal account and now, he's on his way to Nairobi on his private island. Ready to squander the money."

"He'd show up six months later with photo-shopped pictures of Briarcliff, declaring that the project had been completed," Tyler said.

Raymond hurled a sigh. He paused for a moment, processing all the information he just heard. It all solidified his reason for being a part of Trysis. Politicians aren't meant to be trusted. They're all greedy potbellied assholes.

"So how do we bring this sucker to book?" Raymond asked, directing the question to no one.

Al nodded his grin still in place. "We've dug up some dirt, Ray. You're going to Nairobi. Stop John Marvin before he disappears with the money. I can afford to lose a bottle of vodka, but I'd kill a thousand people if I lose a dollar bill." He puffed out smoke again.

"Considering the number of people who'll be subjected to pain, something has to be done ASAP," Ria muttered.

"Your flight has been booked, Ray. You're going to Nairobi." Al said.

The room fell silent, the only sound heard was the soft hum of the computers and the heavy breathing of the crew. Raymond's eyes locked onto Al's, his gaze burning with determination.

"Let's do this."