CUNNING GAMES

Gia sat at the seat in the hospital, her sister beside her, but their minds seemed distant—both lost in different dark jungles. the dim light casting shadows across her determined expression. Her mind buzzed with thoughts and suspicions, connecting the dots between Ejay’s reappearance and the suspicious behavior of influential figures, particularly the General of Police. She was convinced that someone powerful was shielding Ejay, preventing justice from prevailing.

Gia scrolled through her mind, overflowing with clear incidents that put the general in the spotlight in her wild mental investigation—a series of contradicting events forming fragments of a puzzle that hadn't yet formed a coherent picture. Like, why would the general betray his own course like that? Betraying the whole country? Risking the lives of everyone for nothing. Risking the lives of the people who were supposed to protect them and protecting those that he was supposed to bring to justice.

But Gia was undeterred. The more difficult the tangle got, the more she grew suspicious and almost convinced that the powerful force protecting that animal was the general. She knew her thoughts were right, somehow. There was a caliginous mask on the general’s face that needed some peeling.

She had faced misfortunes before in the vicious bondage of that evil, cursed soul and emerged triumphant, and this time would be no different. She believed she could screw the bastard again and secure permanent freedom for herself, her loved ones, and everyone else who was at risk from that evil man.

The general's name appeared repeatedly in her mental notes, a figure looming large in her suspicions. With steely determination, Gia vowed to herself that she would unravel the connections and bring them to light, starting with the one person she suspected had a hand in shielding Ejay from justice.

She began drafting a plan, strategizing each step meticulously. Gia knew that taking down someone in such a high position of power in the government required finesse, cunning, irrefutable evidence, and all, but most importantly, one should not be acrophobic and play dirty if need be. Life was not a fair game, and that had been proven to her in countless ways that left permanent marks on her soul.

Nothing is fair in life. Either you stand firm and do everything possibly possible to fight for your course, or you just get screwed without mercy. The tide she was against was strong and dangerous—a combination of two strong forces. The battle ahead would be much bigger than the one she had encountered before, but she was not just about to entertain any fears. She knew that fear would be a step down to her defeat and total ruin.

Minutes turned into long hours as Gia delved deeper into the general's activities, mapping connections and connecting all the dots. She knew she was treading on breakneck ground, risking not just her safety but that of her family. She knew that just a slight slip would land her in serious danger that would claim not just her life but all that was close to her.

But the fire of resoluteness flamed brightly within her, fueled by a desire to protect her loved ones and seek justice for Deep and for herself for being cheated in the just-concluded battle. Looking at her sister with a side eye, she wished that she could keep her and everyone else out of harm's way. Deep had already suffered; she could not bear another person suffering the same fate as Deep’s.

With the networks of influence and power involved in the dirty, tangled web of corruption and deep secrets that she was seeking to expose, Gia was certain that she would encounter obstacles and threats. She went through a fleeting moment of doubt and fear, but her resolve remained undaunted. She would kick the intimindations aside and keep pushing forward, leveraging every resource at her disposal, determined to uncover the truth.

“You are lost,” Grace remarked after staring at Gia for a long while. She feared for her sister so much. What she was about to confront was not easy at all. The people she was targeting were not easy people. They had power and influence. Ejay was a demon on his own, and if the general turned out to be his accomplice, that would mean that Gia was after two demons. That scared her to her bones.

“I was just thinking.” Gia responded after taking a deep breath, finally looking at her sister.

“Did you come to your senses? Have you changed your mind about throwing yourself to the hungry wolves?” Grace asked.

“If by that you mean if I will sit down and wait for the police to get things their way, then no.”Gia said, her voice without a tremor.

“You know those people are evil. There is nothing they cannot do. Why must you provoke them? Why can’t you just stay under the police shade and wait for the police to do their work like Officer Martin had advised?” Grace spoke again, her voice pleading in a slow, soothing tone.

Gia shook her head. “I just can’t, Grace. The last time I did that, that monster bombed a motel. The Azzua Motel! Does that ring a bell?” Gia implored, her eyes locking on her sister’s.

Countless furrows formed on Grace’s face. “Azzua motel? You mean Deep’s parents' motel?”

Gia nodded her head. “That is right. Just two days after the Kisumu massacre. He attacked them directly. Lives were lost. A lot of damages were incurred. No one can tell me to sit down and wait for that monster to attack me.”

“So, attacking the general is your plan. If they are connected, that means the general will be reporting to him.” Grace tried connecting the dots to Gia’s plan.

Gis nodded. “Yes, but that is still not enough. Ejay likes action, but the problem is that you never know when he will take his game to the next level.”

“You are playing a very dangerous game, Gia. They have influence. These people are powerful! They can do anything to us at any time.” Grace pleaded.

Gia stayed mute for a moment, her eyes furrowing as if that caught her unaware. Then she snapped her eyes at Grace, as if some new lead had just been slammed into her face. “You are right.” Her head was wiggling from side to side, a small grin on her face.

“And?” Grace asked in befuddlement, lost at what had brought about the sudden change on her sister’s face.

“Well, I am Gia Wilsons, remember? It is high time I put my little billions to better use.” Gia said, her face confirming a sinister one.

“Don’t tell me that you are planning to play dirty just like them. That is not you, Gia!” Grace snapped.

“Circumstances call for a change right now, Grace! I tried being civil before, but see where all that left me. I will use all the means I have this time around to fight this battle. Wait until I meet that general and I slap him with my questions and demands. That will be the start of this second world war!” Gia spoke, drawing her sister into a heap of confusion.

“What are you planning? What demands are you talking about?" Grace asked.

Gia stood up. “You will see. Just wait and see. If those two think they are cunning, then surprise, surprise, they are just about to welcome the most cunning member in their club!”

“What? Gia, what are you thinking?”

Gia just responded with a confusing wink that left Grace even more confused and floating in curiosity.