Chapter Three: Raising their Ugly Heads.

Ray's POV

Ray sprang up, panting heavily with sweat dripping from his palms.

It was one of those dreams again, the dreams where he'd see Jake dead or chasing after him with a knife.

This time, they both stood in the courtroom, Jake surrendered everything to him and suddenly he began to sink right in the courtroom, everyone pointed at him.

As he cried for help.

His alarm clock beeped.

He turned, almost snapping his head as he reached for it.

He sat in the driveway of the company for what felt like forever.

It's been 18 months since Jake left. 18 months since he signed the contract.

The company had expanded to three other provinces in the Valley Field.

But he still felt his breath echo in his chest.

The last time he remembered feeling this way was when he lost his parents and 2 sisters to a car accident.

He never let himself feel pain…. After that incident, he couldn't recognize pain anymore, not until recently.

A small knock tapped on the window of his blue Ferrari.

He paused.

Without looking, he wound down…. “Sir are you coming inside?”

Ray let his gaze rest on the nerd-looking boy who dared to disturb his peace.

The lad took a step back instinctively… “I … just” he stuttered.

“Who are you?” He asked, his cold stare boring holes into the lad’s eyes.

“I'm John, an intern, your intern sir” he stuttered through every word.

Ray pushed open his car door, and John swerved to avoid the door.

Now standing right in front of the intern, who was about a chest length away from Ray.

“Don't ever try this again” he finally blurted out, sounding almost bored with torturing him with his cold stare.

The intern almost nodded his head off his neck.

He walked on.

“Good morning sir…there's a problem” Frank, Ray's new secretary, scrambled after Ray as he stepped out of the elevator.

He continued to his office without looking.

“What is the problem?” Ray asked only after shutting the door to his office and sinking majestically into his seat.

“The state police sent an email…. They said they will be coming to pay us a visit”

He nodded, “Well, prepare them gifts or something”

He waved his hands dismissively as he spoke.

“This isn't that kind of visit sir” Frank continued. Pausing between each word.

Unsure whether it was better for his boss to hear this news now or find out on the arrival of the police men.

Ray let his back rest fully on his seat.

“I don't have all day Frank” he said, without missing a beat.

“Sir…my Intel there told me that, a website involved in trafficking girls, money laundering, gambling, illegal ammunition sales, and hiring of assassins was recently exposed and their server was traced to this company”

Ray felt his blood stop rushing through his veins, his breath hitched.

He shut his eyes.

“Leave!!” He ordered, his face expressionless, his eyes still closed, his voice trying to hide away the tension buried in his chest.

Frank hurried out.

Ray let his hands reach into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

He heaved in a huge breath. Before opening his eyes that immediately landed on his already lit-up phone screen.

“Rick, there better be a good explanation for all this” he texted a number in his contact list.

He threw his phone on the table, and heaved in another sigh.

“This contract is costing more… every single time” he muttered.

Outside, staff and members of Elite Valley Tech Limited whispered gently, as five armed cops stormed into the company.

Their faces as cold as stone.

They matched ahead, and some staff tried to follow but chickened out.

When the men stopped in Frank's office.

A gentle knock was placed on Ray's door, Frank's head peeped through the little opening between the door and the frame.

“Sir, the cops are here” his voice quivered.

Ray's eyes dragged open… he hesitated, then cleared his throat.

“Let them in,” he ordered.

Two of the cops stepped in, the others waited by the door.

Ray let out a practiced smile “Welcome gentlemen please sit?” he gestured to the seats on the other end of the table.

They shook their head

“We rather stand,” the officer on the left with burnt skin replied.

“Mr Raymond Lorenzo…I am Inspector Duke, your attention is needed at the station”. The other added.

Ray's eyes narrowed… he stared still, silence and tension played rhythmically across the room.

“Why?” he broke the silence… face expressionless.

“Does Ricky Fernando ring a bell?” Inspector Duke continued.

“Should it?” His face remained still, cold but inside, his stomach twisted.

A pause followed

“If that's what you came here to ask me, please leave”

Ray's jaw tightened.

The officer beside the detective took a step back instinctively.

“But…but sir, we sent you a notice, before coming” Inspector Duke responded, trying to mask the fear in his voice.

Ray scoffed,

“You waltz into my company and think I will follow you just because of a notice” his voice roared across the room.

“I have answered your question. leave!!” he buried his face into the blank laptop on the table.

A long pause followed. The men, though trembling, remained where they stood.

Ray sighed.

“Lead the way” he closed his laptop and followed behind them.

In a dark room, Ray sat opposite a blonde detective.

“Thanks for cooperating with my men” she said, with a rather charming smile.

Ray let his eyes scan the parts of her body that were visible and before fixing them back to her eyes.

“They left me no choice,” he added coldly.

“I know you are a busy man so I will go straight to the point”

She searched his eyes for a response.

He nodded.

“Recently, a global illegal website was confiscated… this website has aided in the trafficking of 500 underaged girls from different continents and laundering of 360 billion USD amongst other activities”.

Ray let his back rest on the hard wooden chair he was offered.

He nodded again for her to continue.

“This website was handled by Mr Ricky Fernando and the server was traced to your company, can you explain that?”

A long pause followed.

“What exactly am I to explain?” Ray asked, shocked that he was able to pull it off without missing a beat in his voice.

His stomach twisted, his forefinger under the table fiddled against his thumb.

“Mr Raymond, were you aware of the purpose of the website and built it regardless?” The detective's voice switched into something more serious.

“Did Ricky say so?” He shot back.

“Why don't we ask him together?” The detective waved her hand.

Suddenly, a rusty metallic smell filled the room.

Rick was pushed into the room with bruises and wounds.

“Mr Fernando… Do you know this man here” The detective motioned towards Ray.

Rick nodded.

“He's my dawg,” he chuckled.

Ray felt chills run down his spine, visibly disgusted by Rick's comment.

“What was Mr Raymond's part in the website”

“He built it from start to finish and if there were any issues, he fixed them…” Rick responded.

The detective turned back to Ray, “Do you still have no idea who he is?”