The SUV's red taillights disappeared into the night.
David ran down the fire escape, heart pounding, boots slamming against metal steps. He didn't have a plan. Just the image of Amira, walking into danger alone, echoing in his head.
She was being taken willingly or not into the lion's den.
And he had let her go.
David hit the pavement and darted into the street. The cab driver who had dropped him earlier was still parked at the curb, lighting a cigarette.
Without hesitation, David yanked open the back door.
"Follow that SUV!" he shouted, pointing into the distance.
The driver blinked. "This ain't a movie, man"
David tossed a wad of naira at the dashboard. "It is tonight."
The engine roared to life.
Inside the SUV, Amira sat still, her fingers curled tightly around the flash drive in her pocket. The masked man beside her said nothing. He just watched.
She felt her phone vibrate once in her sleeve Adaobi's emergency beacon was still transmitting.
Good.
They were still watching.
They would come. Somehow.
The man beside her finally spoke.
"You're brave."
She didn't reply.
"But bravery can become a liability. Especially when it's wasted on lost causes."
He leaned in closer, voice chilling.
"You think your sister is still safe?"
Amira clenched her jaw. "She's stronger than you think."
The man laughed quietly. "So were many others."
Back in the cab, David's phone buzzed. Adaobi.
"We're tracing the signal," she said. "But they're moving fast. They're heading southwest, into the outskirts possibly near the old textile district."
David's jaw tightened.
"That's near the river," he said. "Deserted warehouses, right?"
"Exactly."
"We'll need backup."
"I'm calling in a favor," Adaobi replied. "But it might take time."
David ended the call. He couldn't wait. Amira was inside that car. Every second mattered.
At the hideout, Kaira was barely conscious. Her wrists were raw, tied too tightly.
But she remembered something.
The voice in her dream.
Her mother's.
"Be still, Kaira. But be smart. Remember the light."
The flickering bulb above her buzzed erratically.
She blinked.
One.
Two.
Pause.
Three.
It wasn't random.
It was Morse code.
Someone was trying to tell her something.
She strained to sit up.
There. In the corner. A hidden camera. And a blinking light.
Whoever was watching wasn't just watching.
They were trying to help.
Kaira's pulse quickened.
Maybe she wasn't alone.
Not entirely.
As the SUV pulled into a dirt path, Amira caught the flicker of the moon off the river nearby. The driver killed the engine. Silent shadows emerged from the trees more masked figures.
One opened the door and motioned for her to get out.
Amira stepped into the cold night, her heart racing. She wouldn't show fear.
Not now.
They led her into a crumbling warehouse. A single chair sat beneath a lone overhead bulb.
They gestured.
"Sit."
She obeyed.
Another man entered, holding a tablet.
He showed her a live feed.
Kaira, still bound.
Then he tapped the screen.
The timer was down to 31:09:10.
"I hope you're ready," he said. "Because this time, there are no second chances."
Amira looked straight into the camera.
"Kaira, if you can hear me hold on. I'm coming."
Outside, David's cab screeched to a halt a few blocks away. He didn't wait for change.
He ran into the night, a silhouette against the dying light of day.