Episode 2 of "The Kollective" unfolds amidst the labyrinthine slums of Congo, where the narrative kicks off with police officers in hot pursuit of two motorbike-riding fugitives. A police cruiser violently intercepts their escape route, forcing them to abandon their vehicle and dart through narrow alleys and over bustling streets, eventually plunging into the maze of the slums. However, their relentless flight came to an abrupt end when police bullets found their mark.
In hushed conversations conducted in Swahili, one officer inquires whether the fallen men match the description, but his colleague responds with resolve, insisting there's no turning back. The officers subsequently orchestrate a scenario, meticulously arranging the scene to suggest that the deceased men had possessed Joshua's belongings.
As Delia and Aaron touch down in Kinshasa, they converge with Joshua's heartbroken mother and Maya, who have preceded them to identify his body. In a poignant encounter later, Maya and Delia confront the chief of police, who recounts a tale of Joshua's untimely demise during a botched robbery. He alleges that the perpetrators, now deceased at the hands of the police, were found clutching Joshua's possessions.
Delia remains unconvinced by this narrative, her skepticism palpable as she challenges the chief. She probes the rationale behind the brutal act of burning cigarettes into Joshua's eyelids, to which the chief responds by blame-shifting onto the deceased killers. He maintains that the men opened fire on the officers, necessitating their retaliatory actions. With a curt nod, the officer hands over Joshua's bag, phone, and wallet, leaving Delia to grapple with the grim realities unfolding before her.
However, the wallet is not Joshua's possession. Maya and Delia are well aware of this fact, as Joshua inherited it from his late father, cherishing it as a priceless treasure. Maya intercepts Delia's persistent meddling, knowing full well that the chief is weaving a web of lies and she intends to let him ensnare himself. Delia accuses Maya of Joshua's demise, but Maya counters by reminding her that Joshua was fully cognizant of the risks when he embarked on his journey by air. Maya cautions Delia to approach Joshua's murder investigation with a level head, should she choose to delve into it.
At the hotel, Aaron and Delia conspire to uncover the mystery behind Joshua's death. Their mission is to unravel who decreed Joshua's fate and the reasons behind it. Aaron reaches out to Claude, and they convene at the hotel. But Claude declines to lend a hand, haunted by the grim fate that has befallen those she has aided in the past.
Claude holds fast to the belief that Lusamba's victory in the elections is paramount, heralding a new era of freedom for Congo, free from foreign domination. She sternly advises Aaron and Delia to abandon their quest and return home.
Back in their hotel room, Delia stumbles upon a startling discovery: Joshua's phone password was her birthday. She unearths a geotagging application revealing the location of his wallet. Aaron and Delia track down Omar, the man in possession of Joshua's wallet, at a swanky club. Delia deploys her enchanting charms to gain access to the VIP section and strike up a conversation with Omar. Omar reveals himself as a close confidant of Lusamba and claims that the wallet was a gesture of friendship from an acquaintance.
Delia persuades Omar to exit the club and accompany her to his abode. Maya, acting covertly, spikes Omar's drink. As Omar succumbs to slumber, Delia gains unfettered access to his phone and shares it with Lucas and Etienne. The tech wizards spend a sleepless night sifting through the phone's data, eventually uncovering a hidden connection between Omar and Ivanov.
It transpired that Ivanov had forked over a considerable amount to Omar for a press pass to Lusamba's pre-rally media gathering, which served as the conduit for acquiring the wallet. The team pondered the rationale behind Ivanov's extravagant expenditure merely for a press pass, ultimately deducing their sinister plot to eliminate Lusamba. In a rush, Aaron and Delia spearheaded to the media junket at the Kinshasa Convention Centre, gaining entry through Maya's assistance. Maya, alert to the looming assassination threat, cautioned Lusamba and urged him to cancel the rally, but he steadfastly declined. Instead, he insisted on an interview with Ivanov.
When his assistant reached out to Ivanov, Delia observed a striking discrepancy in his demeanor. In a fit of urgency, Delia dashed out and witnessed the authentic Ivanov boarding a sleek black SUV, speeding away from the venue. Aaron and Delia hastily hailed a taxi and tailed the SUV, their hearts pounding.
Concurrently, Lusamba proceeded with the interview, oblivious to Ivanov's imposter status. The taxi driver relentlessly pursued Ivanov until they veered off course, ignoring Aaron and Delia's frantic pleas from the backseat. Back at the convention hall, the fake Ivanov cunningly requested Lusamba to autograph his book at the interview's conclusion. Maya, kept at bay by security, observed the exchange from afar with growing unease. Upon wrapping up the interview, Ivanov, in a hurry, exited the premises.
Elsewhere, the taxi driver, escorting the petrified Aaron and Delia, navigated to Claude's location. She reprimanded them for their overt actions, warning of impending peril. Claude exhorted them to halt their investigation and return home forthwith. Their luggage was already arranged in a taxi, and she intended to escort them to the airport.
At the convention hub, Lusamba collapsed shortly after concluding the interview with Ivanov. Maya, attempting to reach Aaron and Delia, who were now en route to the airport, received no response. The episode culminated in Claude and Omar's untimely demise, along with Lusamba being declared dead. Delia, now at the airport, posted about Joshua's demise on The Kollective, vowing to uncover the truth by any means necessary, promising to fight fire with fire until justice prevailed.
