Chapter 1: Fraudster (I)

Joel Brown Winston yawned, extending his arms until he was well set. He had been working at night and so could not go back home to his wife and daughter.

He just had to call her to inform her that he could not come back home the previous day.

Frank Simsero, his senior at work, had assigned him some work to do and he was to present it to him and the CEO this morning. That's the reason he had to work all through the night.

He was about to fold his sleeves, when he realized that a crucial paper was not on his desk as it should. It was a financial report he was going to also present to the Chief Executive Officer of the company, Jimmy Hendrik.

Joel was carried away searching for the documents when two police officers walked into the office. He didn't know they were coming to him.

“Are you Joel Brown?” One of the police officers questioned.

Joel glanced up from the work desk that he was using. Everyone at the office looked at him, wondering why two policemen were here at this early in morning. They were concerned for Joel.

“Yes. How can I help you?” Joel asked. He was not in the mood to be disturbed in any way because he wanted to locate the missing paper; the financial report. He remembered vividly that he had placed it on his work table.

He has admitted that, as the junior financial manager of the company, he has tried his best to work hard in order to contribute his share in the growth of the company. Now he could not afford to let his CEO down.

“You are under arrest for fraud in this company.” One of the policemen said, and proceeded to arrest Joel.

"What? I don’t know what you are talking about!" Joel said as he could not comprehend what was being said.

“You should remain quiet and come with us to the police station,” The policeman muttered.

”What would make me do such a thing?” And what evidence do you have to make such allegations”

‘You want proof, do you?’ The policeman stepped out and came back with a file. He dropped it before Joel, who couldn't believe what he was seeing. .

"What shit is this?"

Joel was shocked to find the report he was looking for but it was in a different format. The figures and report looked so fake.

Other papers that were with it included copies of checks that the CEO signed indicating that he had instructed part of the company’s cash to be transferred to another account.

He was surprised at who was into forgery, “No, I’m not going anywhere with you.” Joel pushed him away. "This can not be so; there is something that I do not understand; There is a mistake somewhere."

Joel Brown Winston sat in disbelief, his hands cuffed tightly behind his back, as the police officers led him down the cold, sterile corridors of the police station. His mind raced with confusion and fear, trying to make sense of the sudden accusation of fraud and the brutal treatment he was enduring.

The atmosphere inside the interrogation room was rather tense. Joel was perched on a metallic chair, across him were two policemen who had a rather serious look on their faces.

"Confess, Winston," one of the officers demanded, slamming a thick file on the table in front of Joel. "We have evidence of your frauds. It's best for you if you cooperate."

Joel's voice trembled as he protested, "I haven't done anything wrong. This is a mistake!"

The two officers circled Joel like predators, their laughter echoing off the cold, bare walls of the interrogation room.

One officer, a burly man with a cruel grin, leaned in close, his breath hot against Joel's ear.

"Look at you," he sneered, yanking Joel's head back by his hair. "Thought you could outsmart us all, huh? Stealing from your own company like some greedy rat."

His partner, a younger officer with a sadistic glint in his eyes, joined in with a mocking tone. "You must think you're pretty clever, cooking up those fake reports. Did you think no one would notice?"

Joel winced as they tightened the ropes around his wrists, suspending him upside down. The blood rushed to his head, intensifying the pain throbbing behind his bruised eyes.

"What's the matter, Winston?" the burly officer taunted, waving a thick stick in front of Joel's face.

"Cat got your tongue? Or are you too busy thinking about all that money you thought you could get away with?"

The younger officer chuckled darkly. "Maybe we should just let him dangle there a bit longer. Give him some time to reflect on his crimes."

They exchanged knowing glances, relishing in Joel's helpless state. Each taunt, each insult was like a lash across Joel's already battered spirit.

"You know," the burly officer continued, nudging Joel's swinging body with the stick, "I've seen scum like you before. Always thinking you're smarter than everyone else."

Joel struggled to speak through the pain and dizziness. "I... I didn't... do..."

The younger officer interrupted with a vicious laugh. "Save it, Winston. We've heard enough lies from your kind to last a lifetime. The evidence doesn't lie."

Joel winced in pain as his head hit the wall. "Please," he pleaded, "you're making a mistake. I'm innocent."

The officers ignored his pleas. They tied him up, sometimes hanging him upside down and hitting him with a stick, all the while laughing at his suffering. They mocked his attempts to defend himself, taunting him with accusations and insults.

Unbeknownst to Joel, his torment was being broadcast live via video call.

The man on the other side of the screen reclined in a plush leather chair, his face obscured by the dim light of the monitor. His voice carried a chilling nonchalance as he directed the officers .

"Let's see more," he commanded, his tone devoid of any empathy or remorse. "I want to hear him scream. Make him feel every bit of pain he's caused."

The officers, obedient to his commands, intensified their assault on Joel. They prodded him with the stick, striking him with calculated precision to elicit the maximum agony. Joel's agonized groans echoed through the small room, muffled by the bruises and cuts that covered his face.

"He's a tough one," one of the officers remarked with a twisted grin, glancing back at the camera.

The unseen man chuckled darkly. "Oh, he'll break. They all do. Just keep at it."

Joel, barely conscious from the relentless beating, managed to croak out a question between gasps of pain. "Who are you? Why are you doing this to me?"

Joel's mind reeled with confusion and fear. Who could hold such a grudge against him? What had he done to deserve this brutal treatment?

The voice on the other end responded with chilling indifference, "You don't need to know who I am. Just know that you've crossed someone who doesn't forgive easily. Consider this your punishment."