Chapter 3
Episode 2: The Pursuit
The sun climbed higher in the sky as I pushed on, my legs aching with each step. Behind me, I could hear the occasional shout, the sound of pursuit growing nearer with each passing hour.
I stumbled into a small clearing, my vision blurring from exhaustion and thirst. As I leaned against a tree to catch my breath, a glint of metal caught my eye. A well!
Desperation gave me strength as I lurched towards it, my parched throat crying out for relief. But as I reached for the bucket, a rough hand grabbed my arm, spinning me around.
“Thought you could escape, did you?” Fulu sneered, her nails digging into my skin.
I struggled against her grip, panic rising in my chest. “Let go of me!”
“Not a chance,” she hissed. “You’re going to tell us where you’ve hidden those diamonds, you ungrateful little wretch.”
I spat in her face, using her moment of shock to wrench free. But as I turned to run, I found my path blocked by two burly men – hired muscle, no doubt.
“Now, now,” came a silky voice from behind me. Bidemi sauntered into view, a triumphant smirk on her face. “There’s no need for violence. Just hand over the diamonds, and we can all go home.”
I backed away, my eyes darting between my captors. “Never,” I growled.
Bidemi’s smile fell away, replaced by a look of cold fury. “Have it your way. Boys, search her.”
As the men advanced, I did the only thing I could think of. I yanked the pouch from my neck and hurled it into the well.
The splash echoed in the sudden silence.
“You fool!” Fulu shrieked, rushing to the well’s edge. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
I laughed, a wild, desperate sound. “If I can’t have it, none of us will.”
What happened next was a blur of motion and pain. I felt a sharp blow to the back of my head, and the world tilted sideways. As darkness closed in around me, I caught a glimpse of a familiar figure bursting into the clearing. The stranger…
