Nairobi, Kenya
Amidst Nairobi's bustling heart, towering skyscrapers captivated both locals and visitors. The most striking, a futuristic glass tower resembling a horn, was Jubilee House—an awe-inspiring structure of 88 floors. Within its luxurious floors, prestigious law chambers, corporate headquarters, and esteemed clients proudly claimed this iconic edifice as their professional abode.
Somewhere on the 80th floor of Jubilee House. In a dimly lit large office, sat a man in his late 50s, of modest height with a bulky frame encased in an expensive extra-large suit. His bald head and square face bore the mark of time, with cunning brown eyes that hinted at a lifetime of intrigue. His light brown skin was adorned with wrinkles that gracefully circled his eyes, and a short well-trimmed grey beard adorned his jaw. There was no doubt, that he was a man of power and influence, a man who commanded authority.
His name was Kayne Sitoka.
From his comfortable leather seat at the far end of the dimly lit office. He stared at the city through the open curtains. The city below, despite the impending asteroid apocalypse, still buzzed with life as if obliviously dancing on the precipice of annihilation. Testament to the undying human spirit for survival amidst hardships.
His loyal Personal Assistant had left hours ago, leaving him in solitary confinement of his thoughts. Kayne had no desire to return to his empty home. His family had been whisked away by his trusted Lieutenants to the government shelter in Mt Kenya, safe from the impending cataclysm. He knew even if the worst came to the worst, a shelter in the bowels of Mt Kenya was a much safer alternative compared to the other shelters within the city of Nairobi.
But returning to an empty house, devoid of his lively wife and boisterous teenage children, felt surreal and demoralizing. There was no one to welcome him back, no laughter to fill the void. A stark contrast to the warmth and life that once filled his house. Even his sometimes cranky mistress, whom he had purchased for an apartment in the suburb of Nairobi, had returned to her family in Kakamega wanting to shelter with them. As such, this office was the only place that made him feel at home and calm his spirits somewhat.
His eyes remained fixed on the holographic computer screen on top of his desk, waiting anxiously for an important email from his field agents, mostly referred to as 'Falcons'.
Falcons or agents were the lowest-ranking cartel members who were embedded in other legitimate businesses, government enterprises, or even private homes in different capacities. They were primarily used as scouts, to report any activity within their area which may benefit the cartel or threaten its interests. Basically, they were the 'eyes and ears' of the Cartel.
Above the Falcons were the Lieutenants, these were senior cartel members in charge of cities or towns. Lieutenants supervised Falcons and also oversaw the execution of the cartel's business in their respective areas. Lieutenants were of two classes: Junior and Senior. Junior Lieutenants served more as executioners and errand boys for the Senior Lieutenants.
In the day, his Falcons in the Federal State of the Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly in Kisangani city had contacted his office to notify him of a new development that went against their interests. The matter was being investigated fully before a conclusive report was sent to him.
Kayne Sitoka was no ordinary man; he was the Governor Jua Kali cartel. His position as Governor granted him full authority over the affairs of the Jua Kali Cartel on the African continent. His dominion was absolute, unchallenged unless the Godfather himself intervened, something that rarely happened unless he badly messed up.
An anomaly had been unearthed, a threat to the Jua Kali Cartel's unassailable dominance in the region. The cartel's reach stretched across the African and Indian subcontinents, a silent behemoth that controlled all mineral exploitation. It had grown steadily over the years, its machinations hidden from the prying eyes of law enforcement authorities and foreign media. The cartel held the reins on governments, businesses, politicians, monarchs, social celebrities, the media, the banking sector, and even the criminal underground. Unknown to the general public, they shaped perceptions and laws in their favor. If there was a 'deep state' on the continent, then Jua Kali Cartel qualified to be one.
It did not take long before a confidential and encrypted email finally landed in Kayne's corporate inbox. The holographic screen which was in a faint blue color turned to a vivid crimson color, on the sight of this color, his once calm heart started racing within his chest. In the cartel's ranking and danger levels; crimson was a color denoting 4 stars, symbolizing High Danger. A harbinger of a perilous element or situation that jeopardized the cartel's current or future operations. It was just one star below the dire 5 stars, Black. Black represented an existential threat to their cartel while the current crimson represented High Danger – requiring immediate action.
For some time, they had coveted the heiress of AZ Mining Group, Agnes Nzanzu. So far, AZ Mining Group which was a family-owned empire was outside their control; an exception that they wanted to rectify once they recruited or coerced the young heiress.
They had subtly attempted to bring her into their fold, but she had remained steadfast, refusing to succumb to their maneuvers. Having failed in the earlier attempts, their sinister plot had pivoted to a new strategy, matchmaking her with one of their agents. Through marriage, they aimed to grasp her father's mining empire. However, their efforts had been thwarted repeatedly, leaving them to wonder if she had an inclination towards a different gender.
Kayne wasted no time in opening the email, despite the nervous pounding of his heart. His fingers tapped swiftly on the keyboard, initiating the decryption process. Being a confidential mail, it was buried under layers of algorithms and their custom encryption. Time seemed to crawl on as he watched the movement of the progress bar representing the decryption process.
One percent… two percent… three percent… ten percent… fifteen percent…it was a slow process. He did not peel his eyes away from the progress bar as he anxiously waited for it to reach a hundred percent.
The cartel had enjoyed a period of relative peace, growth, and prosperity. So, any misstep on his watch could lead to dire consequences, including the wrath of the Godfather, a fate he wished to avoid.
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