C13 The confrontation

Back at camp...after Rhea escaped.

After the Camping party the next morning, news reports on Tom Carter and his friends' accident on their way home after the night's party, spread amongst the camping schoolmates which created panic and fear from the horrendous turn of their party out of town resulted into. The accident became the ground for their random trip to be brought to a devastating end.

While others were dumbfounded about the news of the unfortunate incident, others were subjected to a lasting shock as a result of an emotionally disturbing experience of their mates' physical injury and their critical situation at the hospital.

Meanwhile, upon the news of the crushed camping, some friends only felt an overwhelming disappointment that their three nights out of town holidays had to be cut short due to this unexpected complication, since they needed these holidays to overcome their stress and spend a lively and exciting time with their formal friends.

Meanwhile, Jason and his three friends including Sam, carpooled together on their way back from camp toward exploring Riley State, just like what Jason had them believe. Instead, he had been up on another mission.

Before they all left camp, Sam heard one of Jason's conversations about a strange phone call which had his suspicions about Jason's handiwork in Tom's sudden accident confirmed. So he confronted Jason about it.

"What the hell is happening Jason...I need to know. What are you up to?" Sam called out to Jason for a private talk, to confront him on all his suspicions.

"Wow!, Sam...you have changed. Since when have you been curious about what I have been up to? In any case, ever since our three-year deal with Rhea was done, you already considered all your debts to me, fully paid. You never used to ask me anything...what changed?" Jason asked amusingly at Sam's sudden attitude.

"As you said, we had a deal, and now it's over...Since I owe you nothing after doing that to Rhea, I realize I should start getting some answers. You never even told me that was how you planned to reveal my involvement in the plan..." Sam annoyingly replied.

It seemed Sam was now fed up with Jason always keeping him in the dark concerning everything he had been up to so far. Including how Jason schemed his sudden appearance before Rhea at the warehouse.

Sam had no idea Rhea was locked up in the room back at the warehouse. Jason told him he left her at the party. Therefore, Sam was as shocked as Rhea was when he lifted his eyes to meet Rhea's anguish and broken self. But before he could make out what was going on, it was too late, and Jason dragged him out of there before he could find his tongue to speak.

"So tell me...how did you expect me to break the news to Rhea about your involvement? You thought I would only use words so you could deny it later on...you didn't think I noticed how reluctant you have been behaving towards me anytime I talked to you about Rhea? So what happened was simply a test.." The amusement on Jason's face was replaced with suspicions.

"What do you mean a test...you didn't trust me even after I left Rhea in the warehouse simply because you asked me to? or showed up before her after a text from you to report with an excited face? Why didn't you tell me it was in front of Rhea...and the hugs, the congratulations. what was the meaning of all that." Now Sam was totally frustrated with the turn of events, especially when he didn't get to speak to Rhea after all that. Since she escaped before he had the chance to explain. Now, he had nothing to lose.

"Like I said, It's a test!...to confirm you never had any soft spot for Rhea or fell in love with her after three years together. And second, I wanted to break Rhea's soul so she would remember this betrayal once more in her life, and never date anyone for the rest of her life...that was my plan for revenge all along." Jason replied provoking Sam into confirming his suspicions all along, about his emotional changes...that, he really had a soft spot for Rhea.

But it seems Sam has seen through Jason's plans all along, so he controlled himself. Now wasn't the time to give in to his emotions, he had a quest to fulfill...why else will he suck up to Jason all these years and even hurt a kind and loving girl like Rhea for him. He will have time later to explain everything to Rhea and he hoped she will believe him.

Further, into their conversation, Sam interrogated Jason about everything he had been up to and Jason confided in him since he realized Sam didn't give in to his anger, or confirmed his hidden suspicions about his baseless assumptions of Sam loving Rhea.

"Well, I am sorry I doubted you...you have been my most trusted friend and ally all these years, and you have proven yourself worthy of my trust. So I won't keep anything from you from now on."Jason reasoned after a while.

He had already been planning to have Sam join him in his dirty Underworld dealings with his boss.

Tom Carter's accident was simply a warning to Tom's father, which was ordered to be carried out by Jason's Boss. So Jason confessed everything to Sam and proposed to Sam to join him so they can work under his boss together.

This was where Sam finally confirmed the existence of the deadly underground Cartel which he had heard many times from his deceased Dad's phone calls for a while, before his death. They were the culprits behind his parents' death and he was sure of it...

Finally, He had found a lead to track them, after sucking up to Jason all these years.

Sam Wilby had been suspicious about how Jason suddenly approached him years ago and how he knew about his sister even before Sam told him, and even saved her life.

Moreover, what confirmed his suspicions was when Jason stopped the threat on him and his sister's lives with just a simple phone call. That was when Sam figured something was definitely not right!.

"It seemed I was right all along...Jason was the lead to finding my parents' murderers and it's more complicated than I thought... A real underground Cartel eh!." All these thoughts were running inside Sam's head as Jason was telling him his biggest secrets which he had kept from him all this time...

However, Sam wondered what led to his Dad's involvement in that dirty business of the Underworld which had him and his mother killed. Well, that was another mystery he needed to find out and that was why Sam accepted Jason's offer to join the cartel.

Meanwhile, It seemed they have another mission to accomplish shortly after his recruitment into the syndicate, and that was where they were currently driving to.

Sam also found out that, the birthday party Tom Carter was preparing to go to after living their camping party, was to surprise the famous Superstar Eric Kurt in his house to hang out and crush for the night since it was his birthday.

Tom Carter's dad was the CEO of White Entertainment Industry (W.E.I), the company under Eric Kurt's stardom management which nearly went bankrupt three years ago, from rumours raised by a formal female actress...Tanny Shawl, labeled against them.

Tanny filed sexual harassment charges against the industry's personnel three years ago which proceeded into court. It ended up ruining the company's image even after they were found not guilty of the charges after three weeks of trials by the court.

But Tanny simply wanted to ruin the company after she was denied a part in one of the superhit movies of all time, which made her rival more popular than her. Tanny claimed she should have been the one in the spotlight and not her rival, so due to that reason, she ruin the company's image and they couldn't recover from it until Jeffery met Eric for the first time and decided to manage and make him into a star and uplift the company's image, which happened in simply three years of Eric's entry into the industry.

Currently, White Entertainment is now the number one entertainment industry where every upcoming star wishes to train and get admitted for their dream...

But it seemed an Underworld Cartel needed some information from Tom's dad which he had been hard-headed on giving, so Jason was ordered by the Boss to give the Ceo a warning using his son as an example, which Jason did by wrecking Tom's car.

Now, another step in the mission was on the way...

"So where are we going now?" Sam asked Jason who was driving toward a different root through Riley State, instead of going towards Textile state.

"Another mission!...Don't you want to meet the famous Superstar? We have an invitation to his house for a small party." Jason replied excitedly while Kyle and Josh were shocked about how Jason got an invitation to a Superstar's house for a get-together within short notice.

"How far do your connections reach, Jason!" Josh asked amidst all his excitement.

"Believe me, you wouldn't want to know. You might get hurt!...".Jason explained with a smirk on his face.

At the Superstar Eric Kurt's residence...

"Cheers!..... Cheers to our shining Star!

The loud celebrations were from a few friends Eric Kurt invited for brief guys out in his garden. He had to throw this mini-party even though he hated it. Sofia's clinginess to stay on for the party left him with no other choice, but to invite a few friends over.

Most of the guys present there were few amongst his friends, while others were simply friends of friends. Some he knew, and some he barely knew. But they all knew him, all thanks to his fame as a Superstar.

There were safety security checks conducted by his security team before any of his guests were allowed entry. The tight security team were the best so far in handling all of Eric's schedules smoothly and protecting him from all impending harm.

Eric made sure his security team was vigilant to any unforeseen threats, or unruly behaviors that might tarnish his image as a celebrity. And also prevent any scandal or mischief from his anti-fans. Those foes who appeared as friends to ruin his career, were the kind of threats famous stars like him face in their line of work. So it's not all happy endings. But even with all the setbacks and harmful plots from his enemies, Eric still enjoyed his career.

A while ago, Eric received a strange call from his CEO Boss about his son...Tom Carter's accident and advised him to stay at home and to be careful of any unforeseen danger. Even though he said Tom was okay now after his brother operated on him and they were just waiting for him to regain consciousness.

However, Eric wondered why his CEO would make such a call to warn him.

"What the hell is going on?" Eric asked his Boss during their phone call.

"Nothing...just wanted to check up on you! see your at your party tonight! No strangers around you in the meantime...Bye!" and the other end of the line went dead.

It seems now, Eric had to vacate everyone present at his party to return home, since he was currently surrounded by strangers amidst friends too, concerning his Boss's warning.

Moreover, Eric's suspicion though, was on Sofia, for her unwarranted appearance with the pretense of simply coming to wish him. He still found it hard to believe that, despite her coolness to mingle and enjoy his guest's chit-chats. She even joined in their mindless drunken chatters. So far, everything was going on smoothly without any hitch.

Maybe he was thinking too much into her innocent gesture.

It seemed he had been on red alert lately, because of the weird call from his CEO and also the cards that kept appearing out of nowhere. He also received one of those packages a while ago.

But even though he had his suspicions about the sender, what if he was wrong all along? What if all the birthday packages he received every year with the same name and address, weren't from her after all? What if the sender was still unknown?

Eric Kurt's inner instinct kept nagging him about a dangerous plot ahead, an unforeseen threat against him, making him the target.

Well, he had always been prepared for anything..and had already faced worse obstacles at the beginning of his career. No conspiracy could faze him now. Soon, He shall seek out that mastermind behind everything and they would surely feel his wrath. They would wish death was a better companion, compared to his wrath.

Eric Kurt cleared his throat to give a speech about bringing the party to an end, so he took a stance in front of his guests.

An unexpected turn of events made Sofia take her position next to him. He hoped he knew why she would do that, but they were women, after all, they do everything on a whim before they even thought it through.

All the guests before them were surprised at him and Sofia standing close to each other before them, and it showed on their faces. Some were assuming he and Sofia had something going on, even after all their denial. Some even guessed they were dating discreetly all this time, while keeping it on a low profile.

Their couple's stance in front of the guests already called the attention Eric sought, since they might be thinking he and Sofia were about to announce an engagement or an upcoming wedding.

"Are they finally going to announce their engagement?" Kyle silently whispered into Jason's ears.

"Were they really dating? Didn't they say they were just close friends?" Josh answered instead, whispering back to Kyle.

"Fool! and you believed that? they just didn't want to publicly announce their relationship at that time, since they were at the getting-to-know-each-other stage." said Sam sounding convinced.

"Oh Yeah!...That could actually make sense. But my point is, why announce anything here? We are simply some few friends, some he barely knew. And his birthday party is just mere hours away. wouldn't he announce it there instead?" Kyle reasoned at Sam's assumption.

Sam thought for a minute about Kyle's comments before he patted him on his shoulders. It seemed the hot air around them had finally cooled down after their brawl at the warehouse.

"You are right Man!.. I guess we have to wait to find out. It might be another surprise from the famous couple." Josh replied excitedly.

Meanwhile, Jason who had been silent and observing his surroundings since he arrived, excused himself amidst his blabbering friends who haven't shut their mouths since they arrived at the Superstar's house, out of wonder and admiration, to send a text.

"Bugs planted! mission accomplished..." Jason typed into his phone to the caller ID which he saved as 'Dragon'.