As she stormed outside, the cool night air provided a fleeting sense of relief. She leaned against the wall, her chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath, her mind still haunted by the specter of the shadowy figure, or better yet, Ejay. No one could convince her that that man was not Ejay and that that was not his plan. He had planned it all. And so well.
“You need to calm down, Gia.” Martin comforted her, resting his hand on her shoulder.
Gia wiped her tears, her chest still heaving up and down, and she discharged her rage through rapid sobs. “Calm down, Martin? How can I calm down when hundreds of people now think I am going insane? Tell me, at least you believe me.” She pleaded. She just wanted to know that she had just one person who believed in her. Who believed in her soberness? Who believed that she was not mad?
“Of course, I believe you, Gia. That man pulled a fast one on us.” Martin said.
Gia nodded her head in appreciation. She looked miserable. Her face was drenched in tears. Her eyes looked red. “He must be enjoying seeing me this way. This is what he wants.”
Martin pulled her face up, cupping it with his two warm hands. “Then don’t give him that satisfaction. Be strong. If not for anything, for Deep. You will not be able to find him this way. You need to be strong.”
Gia closed her eyes, etching Martin’s words in her heart. She needed to stay bold. For Deep. If not for anything, she needed to stay strong for him. She dried her tears. “You are right. I know I have told myself this countless times, but this is the last one. I am done crying because of this man. I need to be strong. And we need to draft a plan to capture him, and I have confirmed that he is alive.”
Martin smiled slightly, dropping his hands from her face. He felt bad for the poor lady. “Now you are talking. We need to draft a plan to capture him. I find it strange that he is able to walk free even in high-profile places like this.”
“I also noticed something odd.” Gia spoke, recalling every single detail from inside the lodge.
Marting paid attention, and at the same time, his men started arriving in small groups. “What?”
“Three-quarters of them were black. Even the man who asked us to leave was in black. It is not a coincidence.” She stated.
Martin toured his eyes around the opulent place. His mind was banging with a lot of unanswered questions. “This is such a deluxe place. How was he able to get in and control almost everything?” Martin’s words swam through the air to Gia’s ears, igniting a sense of connection.
“He supposedly resurrected from the dead, Martin. He is walking freely, even in such places as this. I think that is enough proof to tell you that this man has deep connections. The same way he is miraculously alive, is the same way that he is able to do all this, and he will do even much more things that will shake this nation if we do not act fast.” Gia stated, her eyes flaming with pure, undisputable wrath.
“I don’t get it, Gia! Where is he getting all the guts to do this? The resources and all? He is back, like he had never left at all. Or like he had just taken a vacation. What is the mystery surrounding this guy?” Martin could not hold his bafflements.
“Boss, I think that a very strong support system is supporting this man. He wouldn’t have the guts to do all this alone. Also, as you said, he seems super rich, which means he is getting resources. Has he returned to business already?” One officer spoke.
“I think those are the questions that we need to figure out first before we can start planning to fight him.” Gia said.
Martin looked at Gia with a look of skepticism. He seemed bothered. “The problem is that we cannot investigate this man without the consent of the higher-ups. If we do something against the law and we get caught, we will be doomed for good. Suspension will be an easy punishment.”
Gia looked at Martin, her face denoting empathy. “I understand, and I swear I won't get you into any trouble. We will do this with the consent of the higher-ups.”
All of them looked at her as if she were ranting. “But how? The general has his own distinct thoughts about this. He is the only one who can authorize this, and I doubt he will.”
“I would love to hear his reasons for refusing. We will start with that general.”
Everyone was lost in Gia’s words. Their faces were cloaked with dense layers of curiosity and disbelief. “Are you saying that?"
“I have not said anything.” Gia cut Martin off, fixing her gaze at him. “Get me an appointment with him.”
“He might decline.” Martin did not even think about his response. It was like he knew the general would not agree to meet Gia.
“I am not pleading, Martin; I am demanding a meeting with him.” Gia insisted, shocking everyone.
“But you know we cannot force the general into this. He is our boss, Gia. He orders us, not the other way around. If he refuses, then we will have no choice but to respect his wishes.” Martin spoke again.
“Tell him that I am giving him three options: he either comes here to meet me or, if he is too busy, I can fly to Nairobi at his own convenience, which should take no more than three days. And thirdly, we hold the dialogue in the media.” Gia stated.
Lines of confusion were etched on Martin's face—just everyone’s face—as they tried to digest what Gia had said. However, her words hung like a dark cloud in their heads. “What do you mean?"
Gia breathed out a sigh, her tone balanced as she spoke with boldness. “I will reveal everything revolving around this case from the beginning to this point to the media. That involves the general’s contradicting ways in this case, for which I am now demanding clarification. He either speaks directly to me or he will have the whole country to deal with.”