The woman who heard the silence - part 2

THE WOMAN WHO HEARD THE SILENCE PART TWO — THE WAREHOUSE The gunshot echoed through the darkness. Nneka dropped immediately. A second bullet tore through the metal door behind her. She rolled behind a concrete pillar and drew her weapon. “Police!” she shouted. “Drop your weapon!” No answer. Only silence. Then footsteps. Slow. Calm. Someone was walking toward her. Nneka held her breath. The footsteps stopped. A man's voice came from the darkness. “You shouldn't have come alone, Inspector.” Nneka fired toward the voice. The sound exploded through the warehouse. A light suddenly came on. A man was standing beside an old table. It was Samuel Obi, the man she had been searching for. His hands were raised. “You nearly killed me.” “You shot first!” “I fired into the ceiling.” Nneka kept her weapon aimed at him. “Why did you bring me here?” “Because I have something you need to see.” Samuel reached slowly into his jacket. Nneka tightened her grip. “Slowly.” He removed a small envelope. Inside was a photograph. Nneka looked at it. Her heart stopped. It showed Emeka Dike entering a hotel three nights before his murder. He was not alone. Beside him was Chief Superintendent Victor Adeyemi, Nneka's superior officer. “What were they doing together?” “That's the question that got Emeka killed.” Samuel pulled out another photograph. Then another. There were meetings. Money transfers. Private conversations. And Victor appeared in several of them. Nneka stared at the photographs. “Are you saying my superior was involved?” Samuel shook his head. “I'm saying you shouldn't trust anybody.” Suddenly, headlights appeared outside. Samuel looked toward the warehouse entrance. “They found us.” “Who?” He didn't answer. A vehicle crashed through the metal gate. Three armed men jumped out. “DOWN!” Gunfire erupted. Nneka and Samuel dived behind a concrete barrier. Bullets struck the walls. One of the attackers moved closer. Nneka waited until he was near enough. Then she rushed him. They crashed into a wooden table. He tried to grab her weapon. Nneka struck his wrist. The gun fell. She kicked it away. The man punched her. She staggered backward. Samuel attacked him from behind. Together, they brought him down. But two other men were still shooting. “RUN!” Samuel shouted. They sprinted toward the rear of the warehouse. A bullet struck the wall beside Nneka's head. They reached a small door. Samuel kicked it open. They escaped into an alley. A black SUV was waiting. Samuel jumped behind the wheel. “Get in!” Nneka hesitated. “You're a wanted man.” “And you're being hunted by people inside your own department.” She got in. The SUV sped away. For several minutes, neither spoke. Then Nneka asked: “Who are those men?” “People who work for the same person who killed Emeka.” “Who?” Samuel stared at the road. “I don't know his real name.” “Then what do you call him?” Samuel's answer was barely a whisper. “The Architect.” Nneka frowned. “Why?” “Because he doesn't commit the crimes himself. He designs them.” Samuel explained that the Architect had created a network involving fake companies, stolen government funds and carefully selected people inside financial institutions and security agencies. “Emeka discovered the network,” he said. “And you?” “I helped build part of it before I realized what it was.” Nneka looked at him. “So you're guilty.” “Yes.” The honesty surprised her. “I wasn't the mastermind,” Samuel continued. “But I was part of the machine.” He reached into the dashboard and removed a small memory card. “This belonged to Emeka.” Nneka took it. “What is inside?” “A recording.” “Of what?” Samuel looked at her. “The night before he died.” Nneka inserted the card into a small device. A voice filled the vehicle. It was Emeka. “If you're listening to this, something has happened to me.” Nneka leaned closer. Emeka continued: “I discovered who is behind the missing money. But the person I trusted most is working for him.” There was a pause. Then Emeka said something that made Nneka's blood run cold. “Nneka Okoye is investigating the case. If I die, she must never trust Victor.” The recording ended. Nneka stared at Samuel. “How did Emeka know my name?” “I don't know.” Nneka's phone suddenly rang. Victor. She answered. “Inspector Okoye,” he said calmly. “Where are you?” “Why?” “I need you back at the station.” Nneka looked at Samuel. Victor continued. “We found the murder weapon.” Nneka's eyes narrowed. “Where?” “In your car.” Silence. Her face went cold. Someone had planted evidence in her vehicle. Victor spoke again. “Nneka, I strongly suggest you come back immediately.” She ended the call. Samuel looked at her. “They're setting you up.” Nneka stared through the windshield. “I know.” Then she noticed something. A motorcycle had been following them for several minutes. Samuel saw it too. He accelerated. The motorcycle accelerated. Nneka looked behind them. The rider raised a gun. “Samuel!” BANG! The rear windshield exploded. Samuel swerved violently. Another bullet struck the driver's door. The SUV spun across the wet road. Nneka grabbed the steering wheel. “Hold on!” The vehicle crashed through a roadside barrier. For a moment, everything went silent. Nneka opened her eyes. Blood was running down her forehead. “Samuel?” No answer. She turned. Samuel was unconscious. Then she heard footsteps approaching the wreckage. Someone opened the driver's door. Nneka looked up. The person standing there was wearing a police uniform. He leaned toward her. “Nneka…” She recognized his voice. It was one of the officers from her own investigation team. He pointed a gun at her. “You should have stopped when they warned you.” Nneka stared at him. Then he smiled. “Now you're going to tell us where you hid the evidence.” TO BE CONTINUED…

Other insights from Stone_16

Contributor Points

Points-to-Coupons

Referral Earning