Never Judge

"You won't find them alone." Alexi said as he stopped Cedric and Ian. He had just arrived with Ray and had heard what Cedric told Ian.

"Yeah, these people managed to slip through Ian's fingers, they still have their connections. They aren't as powerless as you are hoping." Ray told Cedric as he crossed his arms on his chest.

Cedric frowned as he looked at his two friends, they made a point.

William Trent still had his family and their friends, he doubted that Jim Walker was helpless either.

"What do you suggest we do then? We can't do nothing while Eric fights for his life." Cedric said in a raised voice as he struggled to control his anger, they were still, after all, in a hospital.

"I know where they are, but we need to draw them out. I know what you want to do and we all know it's wrong." Alexi admitted.

"Take me to them and I will take the fall." Cedric insisted.

"You aren't thinking straight." Ray told Cedric calmly as he placed a hand on his shoulder. "I have a plan, but you need to wait a little. We need to plan things properly."

"We can't wait and plan here." Ian told the other men.

"Let's go to the fortress." Ray said as he referred to the compound he ruled the underworld from.

It was called the fortress by those who knew of it due to it's impenetrability. There were very few places that could rival it in the level of security, among them were Mountain View and the President's Palace.

Cedric simply nodded and agreed as he followed Ray to the elevator, not failing to look back and see the doors of the VIP ward.

"We'll end this." Cedric swore as the elevator doors closed and they descended to the parking lot.

When they arrived at the Fortress, Ian was on the phone with Nicole as she gave him an update on Eric's status.

"How is he?" Cedric asked.

"He's holding on, they still don't know how, but he is fighting." Ian said, his tone a little bit more hopeful.

"For Katerina and the baby." Alexi said with a sigh as the gates to the fortress closed behind them and armed guards stationed themselves on the walls.

At the heart of the fortress was a simple building, one that would not demand a second glance.

Alexi parked the car in front of it and the boys climbed down from the car.

They were quickly greeted by some of Ray's men.

"What do you need, sir?." One man said as he struggled to keep in step with Ray as he marched to his office.

"Send some of our best spies and assassins over." Ray ordered as he dismissed the men and pushed open the doors to his office.

"Make yourselves comfortable." Ray said as he gestured for his friends to sit.

As they took their places, the cogs in Cedric's mind began to turn.

He knew he was being irrational earlier when he had insisted on going after the two remaining Rajas without a plan.

With him having calmed down, Cedric now had an idea on what had to be done.

"What if we frame Jim Walker for William Trent's death?" Cedric suggested it to his friends.

Ian slowly nodded as he considered the idea.

"The problem I see there is that Jim Walker and William Trent are not known associates." Ian pointed out. "They were careful not to be seen in public."

"Do you have any photos of them?" Alexi suddenly asked.

"I do, from watching them, why?" Ian asked, confused as to what Alexi was planning. "I mean, them being together on an island doesn't really mean much."

"We can push it as a closeted love quarrel." Cedric told Ian as he realized what Alexi was plotting.

"Well, I was thinking of making them seem like secret business partners, but yeah, secret lovers will work better." Alexi chuckled as he shook his head.

"It's a story Ram could play with as well." Ray nodded in agreement as he thought of the plan that was forming. "Then we could tie it up to the incident with Eric, saying that Jim Walker was jealous because of a remark William Trent had made in the past."

"Sounds good to me." Ian said with a nod as he looked to Alexi and Cedric for their opinion.

The two men also nodded as a knock came from the door.

"Sir, as you requested." One of Ray's men said as he allowed two women and three men into the room.

They were all silent, some were ordinary looking, but Cedric knew better than to judge people by their looks. It was the very thing that had caused the downfall of those who had looked down on him during his poverty training.

"Leave us." Ray ordered, as the man bowed and left the room.

"These are the best in the business." Ray pointed out to Cedric as Ian and Alexi were both familiar with the people that had joined them.

"Can they do what we need?" Cedric asked his friends.

"Child's play." Alexi confidently answered Cedric. "The only question now is, who should pull the trigger?"

"We can make Jim Walker pull the trigger himself." Ian said with a grin as he looked at one of the women.

"What are you talking about?" Cedric asked as he looked at the person that had caught Ian's attention.

"I thought you had left the industry, Kai?" Ian asked the unassuming woman. "I thought you were tired of this world?"

"I thought so too, sir." The woman said with a grin on her face.

"I think Jim Walker will be more than shocked to see her." Ian said with a laugh as he shook his head.

"Who is she?" Cedric asked as he observed the woman.

"To the underworld?" Ian asked. "She is one of it's deadliest assasins, but all her missions come at a steep cost."

"Revenge." Alexi said, explaining for Ian. "The death of the people behind her lover's murderers."

"Sounds reasonable." Cedric replied with a smile.

"There is still one person on your list, if I'm not mistaken, right Kai?" Ray said with a mischievous smile.

"Yes, sir, Jim Walker." She responded, much to Cedric's surprise.

"Jim Walker's head for your cooperation in this mission?" Ian calmly asked.

"I'd be more than happy to oblige." She said with a small bow as they began to discuss and formulate a trap for William Trent and Jim Walker.