LOOKING FOR AN ALY

Within the expansive rooms of his lavish office, the general sat behind an elegant mahogany desk, his normally cool attitude hidden by a mask of worry. Ejay felt the weight of his mistrust pressing down on him, causing a whirlwind of anxiety and reflection.

The general was constantly reminded of the precarious state of their relationship by Ejay's warnings, which reverberated in the back of his mind. It was not something the general could afford to lose Ejay's trust in. He thought about it a lot, trying to figure out how to calm Ejay down and salvage what was beginning to fall apart between them.

The general's mind was full of ideas, creating a complex web of potential tactics. His relationship with Ejay had been essential to ensuring his own rise to prominence. His carefully constructed network would be put in jeopardy, and his power would disintegrate if that connection were lost.

‘An ally.’ He murmured to himself.

The general's eyes lingered on the expansive view of the city outside his office window as his brain worked out all the little details that would need to be taken to satisfy Ejay. Ejay's main worry, monitoring Gia, loomed as a possible remedy. He wondered if he could get officers in the force recruited—people who could be bought off or coerced into quietly watching Gia and reporting back to Ejay.

Nevertheless, the general saw the dangerously thin line along which he was walking. There was a danger involved in using officers for covert surveillance because there was a chance they would be discovered or betrayed. It needed to be done carefully so that Ejay would stay informed and not get lost in the complex politics of the police department.

The general's head was full of calculations and backup plans as he considered the advantages and disadvantages of this kind of alliance. He considered possible candidates—policemen who might be influenced by subtle pressure or cash rewards. The idea excited and alarmed him at the same time because it meant venturing into uncharted ethical territory.

However, the urgency of appeasing Ejay eclipsed the general's hesitations. He understood that preserving Ejay's confidence was critical to preserving his own power. Even though it was a big risk, it felt worth it to keep their partnership together.

The general was caught in thought, toying with the consequences of his choices as the sun sank below the horizon and cast deep shadows across his office. The intricate dynamics of power dynamics inside the force, along with the delicate balance between loyalty and self-preservation, created a challenging riddle that required a planned and perhaps dangerous solution.

With the urgency the situation lingered with, he fished out his phone and dialed.

Officer Martin was engrossed in his desk, trying to piece together the dots he had to connect the key to the nightmare, when his phone rang.

He swiped it up. “Sir, Officer Martin is in line, sir!” He said, his feet erect.

“Are you in your office, Officer Marting?” The general spoke.

“Yes, Sir. I am…”

“Expect me in twenty minutes. Prepare a secret meeting room. It has to be only you and me. No one else should know about this meeting. Do I make myself clear?” The officer spoke with a stoic, appalling tone of urgency.

“Yees, sir! Of course, sir. But, sir, what is this meeting all about?"

The call went dead before Martin could finish his question, leaving him hanging in bafflement and curiosity.

Thirty minutes later!

窗体顶端

窗体底端

In a discreet meeting set in a secluded location, the general sat opposite Officer Martin, the air thick with tension and unspoken implications. The general's expression was unreadable, yet an underlying intensity simmered beneath his composed facade.

General: "Officer Martin, our discussions today are of the utmost confidentiality. I need your cooperation in a matter that requires discretion and your particular set of skills. No word about this meeting to anyone, no matter the outcome."

Officer Martin regarded the general warily, sensing the gravity of the conversation. "I'm committed to upholding the law and the principles of this force, sir."

The general leaned forward slightly, his voice taking on a persuasive tone. "Your allegiance to the law is commendable, but sometimes situations arise that require a different perspective. Ejay has expressed concerns, and I believe your expertise could be invaluable in addressing them."

Ejay?

A mental note flushed across Officer Martin’s mind. He did not expect to hear that name from someone who was clinging to the lie that Ejay was still dead.

Officer Martin's brow furrowed in uncertainty, wary of the path this conversation was veering toward. Officer Martin: "I'm not sure I quite understand, sir. What? Ejay, what are we talking about here? The Ejay that we all know is supposed to be dead. You speak as if he is alive, sir. I don’t understand."

“He is!”

Officer Martin's eyes widened in disbelief. The revelation struck him like a bolt of lightning, causing a momentary lapse in his usual composed demeanor. "What? General, with all due respect, how is that even possible? You did not believe Gia at all with her claims of this man being alive and chasing after her. You made her look like she was going mad daydreaming with this same man. And now it turns out that she was right all along? And you knew? Yet you differed with her? Why? How? What is happening here, in general?"

The general expression turned solemn, lines etched deeper on his face, bearing the weight of unspoken burdens. "I made people believe what Ejay and I wanted you all to believe. We made you see what we wanted you to see.”

After his initial shock, Officer Martin's emotions were turbulent and erratic. What was left on his face was a painting filled with conflicting concepts—a mixture of shock, skepticism, and the beginnings of an awareness of the complex web he had unintentionally created for himself.

Officer Martin's features twisted momentarily, a crease appearing deeper across his forehead as the general's remarks took effect. His eyes widened slightly, showing how surprised he was at the revelation. With his mouth slightly open, he tried to think of a suitable reply as he considered the ramifications of the covert alliance between the accused criminal Ejay and the General, the very embodiment of power standing in front of him.