~~~

June 6th, 2022

Bhushan couldn't help but massage a headache. Oh, how he couldn't wait for Vinoth to be dead all the guy did and was bitch and complain about his missing daughter. Somedays he wished he could just tell him so he'd shut up for five seconds but it would ruin everything. He sadly needed him alive so he could save Jimmy and put himself in his good graces and he needed his yes-men alive so he could recruit them into The Syndicate. But at the very least, Bhushan knew Harshita was in a better place right now. His goals and ambitions have drastically changed, however, a small part of him would always be a family man. Vinoth was insane, she didn't deserve a ruined childhood. No one did.

Maybe that's why he sympathized with Jimmy so much. He could easily just kidnap him again and force him to fight. But he's done an extensive background check on him, the last thing he really needed was more trauma. Then again, trauma creates obedience- No... he was in the position where he could give him the illusion of a choice. He didn't want a trained dog, he wanted a friend... at least to some degree. Of course, conditioning was a part of it, but he wasn't like Dawood or Vinoth. They were monsters! This was deliberate and purposeful, Bhushan reasoned with himself. Dawood Ibrahim wanted unattainable power, control of an entire country with little logic guiding him. Vinoth Chandar wanted a monopoly, perhaps for a better reason than his previous associate. But it was still done out of insanity. Bhushan Kumar swore to himself he'd be different.

I have restraint

I have empathy

I am human

They were not

A mantra of intentions ran through his head. He has more admirable desires; to finish and avenge his father. He has more admirable means; refusing to go straight to torture and violence without reason. But a little voice in his head kept getting louder every day.

Take him

Conquer him

He's your well-earned prize.

"MR. KUMAR! Are you ok?" It was Vinoth.

"Huh ya what's up?"

"You just broke a fucking glass what do you mean!?!?" He looked down at his hand, blood dripping down from the impact. 

"I suppose I did. Er, I'll go clean this up. Sorry about the glass Mr. Chandar." The concern in his eyes quickly disappeared, being replaced with a scoff.

"Ya you better be, don't get blood on the carpets this yacht is a rental you know!"

"Mhm..." He rolled his eyes. Ya, he was right for hating him. Couldn't wait till the fuckin' prick was dead.

***

The moment Calvin stepped onto the island, he felt as if more than just Keem's eyes were on him. He couldn't have been the only one who saw the yacht in the distance that never seemed to disappear right? His paranoia was through the roof. Rather than joining in on the festivities, after each round of the tournament, he ventured every corner of the island. What interested him most was an armory. Taking a gun, Calvin refused to go anywhere without the pistol in his pocket.

"Something isn't right!"

"CALVIN GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF!" The hand on his shoulder was one he'd never let himself consider as comfort. 

"We're getting stalked Daniel I can sense it!"

"That doesn't mean you just steal a gun are you insane?"

"..." He couldn't help but chuckle. "Maybe I am. But if that's the case, that makes everyone on this godforsaken island so far gone they hardly are human."

"Just give me the gun. I can't trust you with it."

"What do you think I'll do?"

"You might- ..."

"Heh, cat got your tongue?"

"You fucking know what I'm thinking, now hand it over!"

"Why should I? I don't feel safe without it and I can't trust you either."

"I won't hurt myself you know that." Calvin put on his best condescending tone.

"Do I really though? Every passing day you're turning more into a deadbeat alcoholic, and maybe one night you'll just be really sad... and I hate for your daughter to be halfway to orphanhood for the second time now."

"Don't you fucking dare bring Mia into this... Fine, you can keep the gun don't make me regret it." Instead of turning on his heels and leaving, he just refused to face him as he sighed. "Calvin you know I just want to help you."

"You can't help someone who doesn't want it, I'm sure you know that very well."

"It doesn't matter if you don't want it, you need it!"

"Hm... maybe stop drinking and I'll consider it."

"My problem isn't as bad as yours."

"Subjective. Hey, at least I'm not on black tar heroin. Though now thinking I do know a guy..."

"If you do that I'll just get you into a mental hospital."

"And then I'll just kill myself! That's the dullest life I can imagine!" Keem had no fucking clue of what to do with this kid. He wanted thrill, something to finally excite him, or else he saw no point in sticking around. But everything fun he's tried never took him out of his comfort zone.

"Watch your mouth, you'll send this old man into cardiac arrest." Twirling the loaded weapon without a care in the world, Calvin simply smiled. And as he walked away, the same paranoia that he felt crept up onto Keem. The phone call he had with Jimmy was rather unsettling now with Calvin's intuition. 

When he wasn't being an asshole, he was rarely wrong, especially about shit that mattered.

***

June 9th, 2022

The final 3 teams awaited their scores. The Red Rabbits; a familial unit and beloved by the community. The Pink Parrots; members of a fallen podcast connected to secrets that went deeper than any of them could've predicted, they have all finally regained some relevancy. And The White Whales; the kings of Minecraft content and set to dominate internet culture for years to come as they each find their own rhythms. 

"The Red Rabbits got a time of... 18 minutes and 36 seconds! You are currently in the lead!"

In the distant ocean, someone listened. Not out of interest per se. Simply out of necessity. He needed to know who he'd be dealing with tomorrow. A day of fate.

"The Pink Parrots got a time of... 26 minutes and 10 seconds. You are currently in second place."

Jimmy's voice was booming, speakers picking it up from all corners of the island. He sized up each team. Phil, Zak, Clay, and Cooper were well built. If the White Whales could be eliminated, it'd be best.

"And finally the White Whales got a time of... 9 minutes and 54 seconds that means congratulations! You and the Red Rabbits will move onto the final round!" No longer could he hear them and he simply leaned back into the yacht deck's chair.

To his left sat Bhushan. He wore this cocky smile Vinoth wanted nothing more than to smack off of his face. The Ex T-Series CEO was so full of himself. He thought he was the one truly in control of this operation. Vinoth saw the way Kumar's eyes glittered when he mentioned his enemy. He was positively infatuated with Jimmy. Bhushan thought he was so subtle, so cunning, it honestly was adorable. The wires pulled in Vinoth's favor. For someone who worked with the mafia, he was rather bad at all this secret stuff.

"Hey, Mr. Kumar, why don't you come inside, let's unwind before tomorrow's chaos." He agreed, all according to plan. Once inside, Vinoth started working on making drinks. "Would you like some wine?"

"That'd be favorable." Cracking open the bottle, he also snapped open a pill, white flakes swiftly dissolving in the liquid.

"Are you excited?"

"Not particularly. I'm squeamish around blood you know."

"Well, I'm rather giddy. I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep tonight!" He spoke casually as if a kid on Christmas Eve. "All at once, we'll strike with our guns a-blazin'. They'll never stand a chance against our army of justice!"

"And you might want to watch your mouth, Mr. Kumar. You're working for ME now." Vinoth's voice fell low and raspy before returning to his typical cheer. "But the least you can do is enjoy a drink with me! Tomorrow we make history!" Bhushan took the drink, a swig of scarlet trickling down and infecting his throat. Now they simply waited.

"I suppose I can Mr. Chandar. To riches and-"

"And to finding my daughter!" He interrupted. 

"Right..."

"Do you think you can join the team looking for her after the attack?" At the end of the day, this is all for her after all. Vinoth kept that one to himself. But Bhushan's mind was already somewhere else. A simple nod and his thoughts wandered. Suddenly, a large grin fell across his face.

"What's with the smile?"

"Nothing Mr. Chandar... just thinking about something nice." Bhushan Kumar's entire body paled. "Vinoth..."

"So you finally noticed?"

"Vinoth what the fuck was in that drink?"

"A sedative, in approximately uh... 2 minutes you'll lose consciousness. Have a seat, I'd rather you not hurt yourself in the process." 

"YOU BASTARD WHAT WERE YOU THINKING!"

"I was thinking of everything. Jimmy Donaldson will be dead by tomorrow and I'm not letting you and your little syndicate intervene."

"MY MEN WILL HAVE YOUR HEAD-"

"And my co-leader is already upstairs telling them you've fallen ill. Oh, no looks like the show is going on without you! Gentlemen tie him up." Before Bhushan could run or struggle, his hands were behind his back.

"Vinoth please... you need me. You don't understand Jimmy is the perfect weapon we need him alive!"

"You're my perfect weapon, Jimmy's just a nuisance." Getting close to his ear, he could feel the shivers emitting from him. 

"You better pray that I die."

~~~

(Honestly speedrunning this book. 7 more chapters left :D)