Living in His World of Lies Cast Match Up: Orlando vs Antonio vs Louis

I love to give you guys the stuff you want to read in my blog. This week's blog topic comes from a request/ suggestion from a reader who's a fan of my first series, Living in His World of Lies and its spin-off series, The Highest Hell. I also love that y'all are making me think. The first book of this series was released almost nine years ago; the last, seven years ago. So, I'm having to think back a bit and recall all these facts. Surprisingly enough, though, I remember sooo much of this series--more than enough to at least attempt to come up with an answer to this question:

"Throughout the series, we see what a force Antonio is, and we hear/read about the fact that Orlando was Top Dog during his years with The Nation. Then, in The Highest Hell 1 & 2, we see that Louis isn't to be played with either. I want to know what you think as the author and creator of these characters: If Orlando, Antonio, and Louis were pitted against each other, who do you think would win?"

This is such a tough one for me. The Living in His World of Lies series is my very first baby, and I hold all these characters near and dear to me. When writing the series and the spin-offs, I was incredibly intentional about depicting each of these three men as assassin powerhouses with unmatched skill, ability, and imagination. Neither of them is just deadly. They all possess imaginations that concoct ways to eliminate their victims that are unorthodox, at times educational, and sometimes even hilarious. Each of them has their own set of skills that are unique to them as well, which makes them stand out, even amongst each other.

So, first, you've got Orlando Cochran aka The Judge. He's the Big Dawg, the O.G. He brought both Antonio and Louis into The Nation--though at different points in their lives--and put them on. The whole company is scared of him. Terrified of him. Absolutely mortified of his presence. He's been retired for a few years at the beginning of Living 1, and when he walks into the building, the energy of the whole floor shifts. Even the receptionist at the front desk is ready to pack up and get tf out of dodge like the piano player at Harpo's in The Color Purple. He's also the logistics and "long game," proactive one of the trio. The storage unit they used to torture Adonis in Living 3 belonged to Orlando. It was in a completely random location and was equipped with such a wide range of tools that there was nothing that they couldn't do out there. The safehouse he owned out in Watts was just as random and unexpected. It was definitely a "long game" type of investment as well, and it came in handy again in The Highest Hell 1. Orlando is also not just an assassin. He's a trusted advisor. His name, his opinion, and his word all carry weight and respect.

Next, there's Antonio Payne aka Agent Texas Hurt. Now, Antonio has considerably more time in The Nation and The Elite than Orlando. When Orlando got out in preparation to move to Los Angeles and begin building a family, Antonio was still there, still doing what he did best for several years post Orlando's retirement. He has the longest tenure in The Nation and The Elite and the most experience of the three of them. He's an absolute master of conducting research and amazing with numbers. The opening scene of the entire series is a scene that involves Antonio mowing down a target at exactly the right speed to kill her. The contraption he and Orlando use to essentially bake Adonis in the storage unit in Living 3 belongs to Antonio. He did all the research to find the precise temperatures to torture but not kill Adonis, and he installed the app connected to the device on his phone and managed it remotely. He's a precision person. If you want something done and done right, there's no question that Antonio is definitely a great person to know and the first one you should consider commissioning for the job.

Finally, we have Louis Broward aka Agent Hellhound. When it comes to creativity, Louis is absolutely unmatched. We see in the Highest Hell series that Louis is a master of engineering. He doesn't just research, find, and use contraptions. He creates and builds them himself, as is demonstrated in The Highest Hell 1. He doesn't just find a building to torture his targets in. He builds the buildings around the targets, as we see in The Highest Hell 1 as well. One of his most valuable assets, though? The way he takes some of both Orlando and Antonio's best attributes and makes them his own. Louis is a master of research just like Antonio, and nothing shows that better than his plan to counter the poison-spiked weapons of his target in The Highest Hell 2. He's also a logistics king, just like Orlando. He was able to identify Orlando's hideaway in Watts as the perfect stakeout post in The Highest Hell 1 and set up his equipment at impossible angles and through completely unconventional methods. Not to mention that he was able to manipulate Los Angeles' traffic system using an ambulance to control his targets' family member's arrival time at the scene. It's also stated in both books more than once that Louis was well-known throughout the company for his incredibly innovative methods of eliminating his targets. He has an incredible curiosity and an incomparable imagination that has given him this title and fame.

With all of that being said, my honest, educated, expert opinion is that Louis Broward aka Agent Hellhound would be the most likely winner in this situation. Not only is he equipped with his own natural instincts, skills, and abilities, but he's acquired all of this extra knowledge and training that has essentially made him the best parts of Orlando and Antonio wrapped into one. He has all of his formal training from The Nation, plus everything he's learned from his best friends, and he consistently uses all of this knowledge and skill effectively and efficiently.

Now, this is just my opinion. You guys as readers may disagree with my opinion. Not only do I respect your right to do so, but I also request you drop your own opinions in the comments. Let me hear it. What do you think? Is Louis truly the best of both worlds, or do you believe Orlando or Antonio has him beat and would come out the victor in this scenario?

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