The whispers were tough to ignore. Daniel knew the military would strike back, but he was surprised at how quickly the rumours spread. He glanced over his phone and read the most recent message from someone he didn't know.
"The word is out." They want to kill you. You're on the list to be killed.
He swallowed hard. The words hit him like a punch in the stomach.
Daniel added, "Tunde," his voice tense, "we need to go now."
Tunde looked up from the corner of the room, his countenance serious. For weeks, he'd been trying to keep Daniel one step ahead of the military by running interference. "What's going on?"
"The military is getting ready for a big operation. Tunde, they want me dead. Now. Daniel's eyes become sharper. "They've sent a special unit to get rid of me."
Tunde's face got firm. He moved up to the table and picked up the map of their escape routes. "We knew this was coming, but this is happening faster than I thought." You don't have a lot of time.
Daniel said, "I don't care about time." "They'll never get me without a fight."
Tunde laid a hand on Daniel's shoulder, and it was heavy with years of friendship. "We've already gone too far." But we can't keep running forever. We need a plan. Quick."
His phone buzzed again before Daniel could answer. Amina sent an SMS that said, "The rumour is spreading quickly." They know all there is to know. "They're already watching you."
Daniel's stomach was churning. Every step he took brought them closer to danger, and there was no way out.
Amina's phone buzzed again while she was looking at the screen. She stood there in the little coffee shop, reading the message again and over.
"You have one opportunity, Amina. Don't help him anymore. "Just walk away, and you'll be fine."
She could feel the intensity of the words and the threat that hung in the air.
Daniel walked up to her and said, "You look like you've seen a ghost." His face showed determination, but Amina could see that he was tired.
Amina said, "I just got a message," her voice shaking a little. She gave him the phone and watched as his eyes moved over the text.
Daniel swore and tightened his grip on the phone. "Are they going to stop?"
Amina murmured gently, "Maybe they could," and bit her lip. "We can stop all of this if we leave." Daniel, we can get out of this. "You and me."
Daniel looked her in the eye, his jaw tight, but his eyes softened. "You think I don't know what may go wrong? You think I don't know what they will do to us? He spoke in a low voice. "But the truth is out there, Amina." It needs to be shown.
She looked away, torn. She had a clear choice: stop aiding him and live, or keep going and know that she would be a target too.
"Amina..." Daniel's voice sounded almost like he was begging. "We're all in this together." You and I. You can still change your mind. But I will understand if you do.
The tension between them grew stronger, and the weight of their choice hung heavily. At that moment, her phone buzzed again. Another message with no name.
"You're both going to die if you keep going." "Get out of here while you can."
Daniel walked back and forth in the dark room, his mind racing. The military wasn't only after him anymore; they were also after everyone he knew. He couldn't shake the feeling that someone was always watching him.
"Daniel, we need to have a word." Daniel could sense the worry in Amina's voice even though it was steady. She was by the door with a phone in her hand.
"What now?" Daniel asked, narrowing his eyes.
Amina raised the phone. "They can see everything." Now they're going after your family.
Daniel's breath stopped. "How's my family? "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm sure. I've heard that they are following your mother. They know she's close to you.
Daniel made his fists tight. "No." I won't let them hurt her. They won't be able to get away with this.
Amina moved closer, and her face softened. "Daniel, there's more. They've already gotten her. Military agents came to her house this morning. "She's gone."
His face lost all its colour. "What do you mean, gone?"
"I mean they have her," Amina remarked, her voice shaking. "And they're giving you a choice: give up or never see her again."
Daniel's body froze as the news hit him like a punch to the gut. He had put everyone he cared about in peril, and now they were paying for it.
Daniel responded in a low, threatening voice, "Get me my mother back."
Amina nodded, her expression set. "We will." But you can't do it by yourself.
Daniel's phone vibrated on the table, shattering the quiet in the dark room. He grabbed it, and his fingers shook as he read the secret message from Amina: "They're getting closer." I guess I'm in trouble. Watch out. "Someone is watching you."
He felt the weight of her words in his chest. He gazed at the screen again, and the room started to spin. Could she really be?
"Tunde, what's next for us?" Daniel questioned, looking at his old friend sitting opposite from him and going through the papers that were all over the table.
Tunde replied, "We move fast, or we don't move at all." His voice was calm yet had a sense of urgency. "But the question is, Daniel, how much more are you willing to show?"
Daniel's jaw got tight. He understood what Tunde was saying. The more they leaked, the more trouble they were in. It was no longer only a moral campaign to expose the military's wrongdoing; it was also a fight for life.
Daniel looked Tunde in the eye and stated, "I won't back down." "But what if Amina is right? What if she's in trouble?" He swallowed hard. "What should I do? More exposure could cost innocent lives. But being quiet? That's not an option anymore.
Tunde sat back in his chair with a serious look on his face. "Daniel, that's the sword with two edges you're holding. There is no simple way out.
Daniel's phone buzzed once more. He looked it over. Amina sent another message: "They're coming for me." Be careful. They know it all.
His gut was churning. The threat was no longer vague; it was real and getting closer.
Daniel and Amina were crowded together in their small flat, the thick curtains over the windows blocking out the noise from the streets. They had been plotting their escape for days, but now the pressure was on. The military was everywhere, and there wasn't much time left.
Daniel stated in a low but forceful voice, "We need to move." "The more time we spend in one place, the more danger we put everyone in." We need a different way.
Amina nodded and anxiously tapped her fingers on the table. "I've talked to a few folks in Lagos. They can assist us get out, but it will be dangerous. "We're already pushing our luck."
Daniel's eyes hardened as he said, "We don't have a choice." "They're already coming after us." We can't wait for the right time. "There is no perfect time."
Amina groaned and looked towards the door. "And what if they find us before we go?"
"Then we fight," Daniel responded, his voice crisp and full of purpose. "We don't give them an inch."
There came a knock on the door out of the blue. Amina stopped moving, her eyes wide with fear.
"Who is it?" Daniel murmured, and his hand moved without thinking to the revolver hidden at his side.
"I don't know," Amina remarked as she stood up slowly. "But whoever it is, they shouldn't be here."
There was a long gap between them until Daniel stood up and told Amina to keep back. He moved towards the door, his heart racing.
Then, from the hallway, a car's engine started up. Daniel's eyes got smaller. There was something wrong.
Suddenly, a queue of military vehicles showed up at the end of the street, blocking their way out.