Chapter 4
Episode 2: The Midnight Raid
Darkness cloaked the city as we crept through its winding streets. My heart pounded so loudly I was sure it would give us away. Beside me, Adebayo moved with the silent grace of a predator.
Our target: the headquarters of the Diamond Syndicate. Our mission: to uncover evidence of their corruption and their plans for the new diamond deposit.
“Remember,” Adebayo whispered as we approached the looming building, “we’re here for information only. No unnecessary risks.”
I nodded, trying to calm my nerves. We’d spent days preparing for this moment, but nothing could have truly readied me for the reality of it.
With practiced ease, Adebayo picked the lock on a side door. We slipped inside, the darkness enveloping us. Every creak of the floorboards, every whisper of fabric against skin seemed magnified in the silence.
We made our way to the main office, our path memorized from the plans we’d studied. As Adebayo worked on the office door, I kept watch, every shadow making me jump.
Suddenly, a noise from down the hall froze me in place. Footsteps, growing closer.
“Someone’s coming,” I hissed.
Adebayo cursed under his breath, redoubling his efforts on the lock. With a soft click, the door swung open. We dove inside just as the footsteps rounded the corner.
My pulse raced as we pressed ourselves against the wall, hardly daring to breathe. The footsteps paused outside the door. A long moment passed, then another. Finally, mercifully, they moved on.
“That was too close,” I whispered, my voice shaky.
Adebayo nodded grimly. “Let’s find what we came for and get out of here.”
We ransacked the office as quietly as we could, rifling through papers and prying open locked drawers. Just as I was beginning to lose hope, Adebayo let out a soft exclamation.
“I’ve found it,” he said, holding up a sheaf of documents. “Proof of their plans to seize your land and exploit the diamond deposit.”
As he spoke, a floorboard creaked behind us. We whirled around to find ourselves staring down the barrel of a pistol.
“Well, well,” a familiar voice drawled. “What have we here?”
My blood ran cold as I recognized the face behind the gun. It was the man who’d bought Bidemi’s land – and he wasn’t alone.
