John, Isabella, and Ozlo continue on their journey. On the way, they encounter a settlement of Nomads who inform them that the trio should be careful on their path as there had been many sightings of bandits lately.
"Bandits, huh?" John frowned. "We better watch our backs."
Isabella nodded in agreement. "We can't let our guard down. Who knows what they might do."
The trio thanks the nomads and continues on their way. After a while, they find an abandoned nomad village. The food is still fresh, and the animals are walking around, but their owners are nowhere to be seen.
"This is strange," Ozlo said, looking around. "Where could they have gone?"
John shrugged. "I don't know, but we should find out."
Frowning, the group decides to track down where the villagers have gone missing. On their way there, they spot a bandit carriage. Walking behind it are men, women, the elderly, and children of different ages, all bound in rough rope. Obviously, they were the nomads who had gone missing.
Isabella gasped. "Those are the missing nomads! We have to do something!"
John nodded, his eyes narrowed. "We can't let them be sold as slaves. Let's go!"
Noticing the arrival of their new company, the leader of this bunch of bandits halts their carriage. The leader is a rough, tall, and gangster-looking man with a huge scar on his nose. In his mouth, a cigar is slowly burning with thick snake-like smoke escaping from his mouth. The leader looks at these new visitors as the group confronts these bandits.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Big Scar sneered, looking the trio up and down. "You think you can take us on?"
John stepped forward, his fists clenched. "We don't want any trouble. We just want to free those people."
Big Scar laughed. "You don't get it, do you? Those people are ours. They're going to be sold to the highest bidder, and there's nothing you can do about it."
Isabella stepped forward, her eyes flashing. "We'll see about that. We're not going to let you get away with this."
After a fierce scuffle, the man leading the bandits named Big Scar escapes, leaving behind their “goods” which the team saves.
"Phew, that was close," Ozlo said, wiping his brow. "But at least we saved those people."
Isabella nodded, after going through their belongings she found documents which made her expression grave. "we need to be careful.” Isabella voice containing a hint of concern “The Syndicate is involved in this, and they're not to be underestimated."
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John and Ozlo furrowed their brows. John asked quizzically "The Syndicate?”
As Isabella explained the nature of the Syndicate, the team listened intently, taking mental notes and asking questions.
"The Syndicate is a secretive and powerful criminal organization that operates in the shadows," Isabella said. "Its members are spread throughout the world, and they're involved in various illegal activities such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, arms dealing, and money laundering. Their ultimate goal is to accumulate power and wealth, and to maintain control over their territories by any means necessary."
John spoke up. "So they have their own set of rules and hierarchy?"
"That's right," Isabella replied. "The Syndicate is led by a council of Six powerful and wealthy individuals, each with their own area of expertise and influence. They are known only by their code names: The Broker, The Enforcer, The Insider, The Shadow, The Viper, and The Hand. Each member controls a different aspect of the organization, from finance to operations, and they work together to ensure that the Syndicate stays one step ahead of law enforcement and rival criminal organizations."
"And beneath the council are the lieutenants," Isabella said. "They're responsible for running the day-to-day operations of the Syndicate in their assigned territories."
Isabella continued. "They're ruthless and cunning individuals who have earned the trust of the council through their loyalty and competence."
"What about the their lowest fighters?" asked Ozlo. "Who are they?"
"The foot soldiers of the Syndicate are known as 'soldiers,'" Isabella explained. "They're recruited from all walks of life and are fiercely loyal to the organization. They're trained in various forms of combat and are equipped with the latest weaponry."
"But why do they operate in the shadows?" asked John.
Isabella's expression turned serious. "They carefully conceal their activities and avoid direct confrontations with law enforcement. But those who cross the Syndicate or threaten its interests are dealt with swiftly and mercilessly, often with deadly force."
The team exchanged concerned glances. It was clear that taking down the Syndicate would be a dangerous and challenging task. They would need to be prepared for anything.
John looked at his companions. "We need to be on our guard. We don't know who we can trust."
After that, the team escorts the nomads back to their enclosure. Then John receives several documents which state that these nomads were not supposed to be sold as slaves, but were purposed to be sacrifices for the Syndicate.
Isabella looked over John's shoulder as he read the documents. "This is bad. The Syndicate is involved in some sort of sacrificial ritual."
Ozlo frowned. "That's messed up. We have to put a stop to it."
Isabella nodded. "But we have to be careful. We don't want to walk straight into their trap."
John agreed, "Agreed. We need to gather more information and come up with a plan."
Ozlo, who had been quiet until now, spoke up, "I think we should try to find out more about their lieutenants. If we can find a weakness, we might be able to exploit it."
"That's a good idea," Isabella said, "But how do we go about finding that information?"
John thought for a moment before speaking, "We could try to infiltrate one of their operations. That way, we might be able to gather some useful intel."
Ozlo looked hesitant, "But that's risky. We don't even know where to start."
Isabella shrugged, "We don't have a lot of options. We can't just sit around and wait for them to come after us."
John nodded in agreement, "Let's start by gathering some intel on their operations. We can't take them down if we don't know what we're up against."
With their plan in place, the group continued on their journey towards Mirage Marketplace, keeping a close eye out for any signs of Syndicate activity.