"We as humans always act so righteously in the face of lies and secrets. We act as if we want to know the truth when in actuality, we don't. Sometimes the truth is just as ugly as the lie, just as cold and harsh."
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♙Kai Hamilton♙
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"There you are? Jesus, I thought I was going to have to call a search party." Rafeeqa said as Kai enter the back seat of the patrol car.
Both Jaivon and also Arthur were in the front seat, Jaivon had a rather annoyed expression on his face which made Kai think that he had at least suggested leaving Kai once or twice with no response from the rest of the team. Arthur on the other hand gives Kai a small and polite smile as he enters.
"Yeah, sorry about that guys." He replied with a sheepish look on his face.
Arthur and Rafeeqa just smile and nod while Jaivon grumbled something under his breath before starting up the car. It takes about 25 minutes or so to get to Michael's bar. The Dark Drink was the same as Kai last remembered it. It was closer to the outer reach of the slums, where the roads are at least plausible and the streets aren't riddled with trash. The Dark Drink was known for its rather dubious patrons and exclusive information. It was a defined meeting place if one what to keep to secrecy. It was also not really somewhere favorable for the police of Briagas.
Something much worst for these people than a snitch was the police.
Too much messy history and bad blood.
The team entered the bar with moderate caution. Inside was also as Kai remembers with a few changes here and there. Almost immediately everyone look over at them, dressed in police uniforms was one real viable way to get stabbed here. Kai hoped that they would get out of this in one piece without too much trouble. Jaivon walks over to the bar and flags down a man. The man in question is large, bludging arms, a large body, and a squared-off heaven head. He looked over the group, dark-colored eyes barely passing over Kai before looking back to Jaivon, his face just as stormy at his intimidating body.
"The hell do you want?"
The rough voice sounded almost as angry as over the phone Kai notes as he continues to look around the bar almost absentmindedly. Michael was reasonably pissed at having police in his bar, especially after the Garnder case fiasco. Jaivon however either didn't know or didn't care as he too returned to stern look back at Michael. Jaivon flashes his badge like that would do anything down here before pulling out a picture of Honda.
"This guy was here about a night ago. We need to know who he meet or what he doing leading up to when he left." Jaivon said with a grunt.
The answering look Michael gave him was somewhere stuck between 'Fuck off' and 'Why the fuck would I tell you'. It would appear Michael was going to be difficult Kai noted with a sigh in the back of his mind. Jaivon however was like an attack dog himself, his face twisted in a sneer. He then pulls out another image, this one of which was from the scene of Honda's. Michael's eyes flash in a second of fear before looking back a Jaivon like he was a demon.
"I'm sure you don't recognize me now huh? So how about you tell me what I want to know so we both can go on with our lives."
Michael looked conflicted for a few seconds as he look between them, his eyes quickly darting over Kai but Kai didn't return his look. There was nothing Kai could do for him this time around.
"...James, watch the bar." He said back to one of his workers before nodding to the side.
He quickly leads us back to one of his many VIP rooms. Soundproof and perfect for a private meeting. Kai had been in one such room a few times around when he needed to get information. Michael slumps into one of the chairs and glares over at them.
"He wasn't a regular so I don't know shit about him. He just came in yesterday evening with some other prick."
Kai's team looks at one another before turning back to Michael.
"Really prissy guy that one. Never would have expected someone like him in my bar at least."
"Someone like him? What do you mean?' Jaivon watched onto Michael's words.
Michael looks at him with a snort.
"Rich guy, but there was something about him that just didn't sit well with me."
Kai's team appear confused while Kai could help a suddenly gut feeling rearing his head again. Kai then pulls out his phone and scrolls through it before turning it over to Michael.
"Is this the man who came in?"
On his phone was an image of Lance Holloway. The rest of his team was looking at him with each look of shock and anger, but he had to check. Much to his disappointment however take a look at the image and shakes his head.
"Nah, it was a dark-skinned guy, tall fucker too. The man could peel wallpaper with just a look." He responded with a far-off look on his face as he remembers the encounter.
"Dark-skinned?" Jaivon says.
Everyone immediately knew from that description who possibly that could be.
"Yeah, I don't think the first guy knew he was going be meeting him. Their meeting was short, and the first guy rushed out as he had just seen a ghost or something."
"And the second one?"
"..I think he stayed for a while? Like I said neither were regulars, so I don't really have much to go off on them. It was maybe an hour or so afterward that?"
The room lapsed into silence which Kai fishes through his phone before turning it over again.
"Is this him?" He said with a slight tense tone.
He really hoped it wasn't. Cause if so that made things much more complicated.
Sadly Michael took one look, not even a second, and nodded.
"Yeah, that's him, mean-looking fucker."
On Kai's phone was a website, an article to be specific, that had a picture of the elusive Aresio Gasparini. A dark suit sculpted to his form, his steel-grey eyes staring off the side away from the camera. A clouded look came to every face on Kai's team, himself included.
Things were going to get just a bit more complicated.
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