With You

Ain't No Way

November 1st
Holmby Park
- 8pm

The 1980 Chevrolet El Camino occupied the solitary spot in the parking lot, its presence looming in the dim light. Jon expertly maneuvered into an available space, the engine rumbling softly as he parked. In the shadows, Desmond methodically loaded his gun, while Clovel discreetly concealed his weapon beneath his clothing.

"Aight, let's proceed with caution. If things go south, we're out of here," Jon instructed, his tone conveying the seriousness of the situation.

Clovel and Desmond exchanged nods of understanding as Desmond secured his firearm. Stepping out of the car, they followed Clovel's lead, their movements synchronized from years of collaboration. Jon and Desmond had only received the urgent message after Clovel failed to respond for days, a delay that had set them on edge.

Approaching the vehicle, they were met by a fair-skinned man with ginger hair, who emerged from the shadows, the dimmed lights casting an eerie glow around him.

"Apologies for the clandestine message. I had to use my personal phone," he explained, leaning casually against the hood of his car.

Before any of them could interject, he pressed on, introducing himself as Red and delving into the purpose of their clandestine meeting.

"Zephaniah hired me to collaborate with him, but it turns out his intentions were less than honorable. Not only has he failed to compensate us as promised, but his plans were a facade. He intended to eliminate us all, exploiting our services for his own agenda," Red revealed, producing a folder from within his jacket.

"Months ago, after Zephaniah had us tailing a certain girl, Jonah and I delved deep into the situation. It became clear that we were merely pawns in Zephaniah's game," he continued, his voice grave with seriousness.

He handed the folder to Jon, who swiftly skimmed through its contents, his expression shifting from curiosity to disbelief.

"Every detail in there lays out his twisted schemes, painting OHB as some sort of conniving organization," Red explained, his tone laced with frustration as he positioned himself against his car.

Clovel joined Jon in examining the folder, a mixture of amusement and incredulity playing across his features. "He's claiming I stole her while he was behind bars," Clovel chuckled, shaking his head at the absurdity of Zephaniah's accusations.

"Yeah, it's like he's trying to play the possessive ex card. Truth is, he's just a damn lunatic. I wouldn't have signed up for this wild goose chase if I knew the truth," Red remarked, his laughter tinged with bitterness.

Desmond nodded in agreement, expressing his gratitude for Red's candor. "Thanks for coming forward with this. It takes guts."

"Yeah, none of us have any clue when Zephaniah might resurface. But once he finds out about Jonah, his whole house of cards will come crashing down," Red added, his voice tinged with grim determination.

"For real, much respect for having our backs," Jon acknowledged, his tone conveying genuine appreciation.

"Always. You guys keep a low profile, which is probably why Zephaniah saw us as expendable. He was always off doing his own thing, never treating us like a team," Red remarked, a hint of bitterness creeping into his voice.

"Yeah, that's messed up," Clovel agreed, his expression darkening with realization.

"He promised us four million for the job, but looking back, it's clear he's living way above his means," Red sighed, a note of regret in his voice.

"We should've seen the signs, but hey, lesson learned. I won't let myself get played like that again. Oh, and I've got someone else who wants to talk to you guys, if that's cool," Red mentioned, gesturing towards the passenger side of his car.