ALL IN A DAY

CHAPTER FOUR - Crime Scene

#Crimescene #AlbdulMuiz #Hakeem #Kelvin

*Subtitled In English and Hausa Language*

Time: 08:56:44 AM

Despite the imposing walls surrounding the warehouse, it was evident that security was tight with at least five armed guards stationed strategically. The men were equipped with sophisticated firearms, ensuring that the compound was heavily guarded. One guard stood watch at the gate with a rifle, while two others were positioned at the entrance of the large industrial gate leading inside. The remaining two guards patrolled the compound, maintaining vigilance for any signs of suspicious activity.

Inside the warehouse, a vast collection of dangerous weapons lay stored inside wooden crates and on various surfaces. Axes, knives, daggers, grenades, pistols, rifles of different types, shotguns, AK-47s, AK-49s, snipers, and even sets of bazookas were present. Additionally, individuals who appeared to be religious men, identifiable by the black spots on their heads, long beards, and attire, had their own array of firearms, indicating that the warehouse was involved in more than just storing weapons. It was evident that dangerous activities were taking place within its walls.

In a dimly lit room within the warehouse, Muiz Abdulganiu spoke on the phone in Hausa language. He wore white from head to toe, including a small cap. After concluding his call, he left the room and made his way to the experiment room. Inside, he found a Chinese man named Zixuan Li, who appeared battered and bruised. Zixuan had arrived in Nigeria for a meeting with a laboratory in Lagos, but instead, he was kidnapped by Muiz's men and brought to the warehouse. Due to his reluctance to cooperate, he had been tortured, losing one of his fingers.

Zixuan, despite his condition, continued to focus on his experiment, wearing a mask to protect himself. Taking out a spatula, he filled it with a little white powder dipping it into a beaker full of solution. he slowly observed the reaction.

"How long until the virus is ready?" Muiz inquired with a stern expression, causing Zixuan to straighten up nervously.

Turning to face Muiz's intimidating glare, Zixuan's voice trembled as he replied, "Due to the complex chemical reactions and the catalyst I used, it will take some time to achieve a successful result."

Muiz slammed his hand on the table, causing both Zixuan and the nearby terrorist to flinch. "I asked you a question, not for a tutorial. Now tell me how many minutes?" Muiz demanded.

Gulping, Zixuan stammered, "Roughly 20 minutes."

"Make it 15; Dando is impatient. He needs his package as soon as possible," Muiz ordered, to which the scientist nodded and resumed his experiment. Muiz remained in the room, his displeasure evident as he glared at Zixuan, who seemed on edge.

Threateningly, Muiz held Zixuan's shirt to his face and warned him in Hausa, "Na rantse da Allah zan kashe ka (I swear to God I will kill you) if you ever, I mean ever, think of tampering with the virus."

"I swear I won't do anything to it. I swear, believe me, please; don't kill me, I have a daughter, please," Zixuan pleaded fearfully, his brows furrowed in distress. Muiz observed him for a moment before roughly throwing him to the ground.

Adjusting his disheveled attire with a scowl, Muiz left the room and approached his son, Jakeem, who had just finished wiring an explosive device.

"Father, the bomb is ready," Jakeem informed, turning away from the miniature explosive he had assembled.

A warm smile spread across Muiz's face as he leaned down and placed a loving kiss on Jakeem's forehead. He then spoke to him in Hausa, "Kyakkyawan farawa shiryawa; zamu bar wannan wurin a cikin mintuna 20 masu zuwa (Good, start packing; we'll leave this place in 20 minutes)."

"Yes, father," Jakeem nodded with a smile, and he immediately relayed the message to the other members inside the warehouse. "Everyone start packing; we're leaving this place in the next 20 minutes! Mosta mosta mosta: move, move, move!" he called out, clapping his hands together to emphasize the urgency.

Without delay, the entire group sprang into action, preparing to leave the warehouse as quickly as possible.

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Time: 9: 10: 33 AM

Location: Outside the Radiography Warehouse

The streets of Yaba were a buzz with activity when a sleek BMW vehicle zoomed by, kicking up tiny particles of dust in the air. Abruptly, the car came to a halt several meters away from a police checkpoint that marked a 4-block perimeter from Muiz's suspected location. Ben, the agent, opened his car door, retrieved his bag containing his weapon and personal belongings, and slung it over his shoulder before stepping out of the vehicle.

The door slammed shut with a resounding "Gbam." As he walked toward the police checkpoint, Ben's gaze fixed on a police officer dressed in a black uniform, who was approaching him with a cap tucked under his armpit.

"You must be Agent Johnson," the policeman said, extending his right hand for a handshake.

"Yeah, but I prefer John. Nice to meet you, Officer Emeka," Ben replied, accepting the handshake with a friendly smile. Ebuka, another officer, just smiled at Ben's name preference. He had adopted the name John back in secondary school as he found it more appealing than the longer version, Johnson.

After the introductions, Officer Ebuka led the way toward the police vehicle where his fellow officers were stationed.

"I'm the officer in charge here, and I've been updated about the situation," he began, not taking his eyes off the warehouse in the distance.

"Any suspicious movement?" Ben inquired, his gaze fixed on the warehouse several blocks away.

"As of the time we were radioed, no. However, we spotted two security cameras at these angles," Officer Ebuka pointed toward the warehouse. The 4-block perimeter was designed so that Muiz couldn't see the cameras, but Ben and the other policemen could observe parts of the building.

Ben took out his mini telescope from his black bag to get a clearer view of the cameras. Then, he dialed Kendra's number on his phone.

"Orlando Daniels," Kendra answered, using the codename they employed for official calls.

"Hey Ken, it's me, Ben. We have a problem," Ben replied, holding his phone to his ear while using the other hand to steady the telescope.

"What is it?" Kendra asked, her face tensing as she stopped what she was doing.

"I just spotted two security cameras at the front and side of the building," Ben informed her promptly.

"Okay, let me check," she said, rapidly typing on her system as she accessed the warehouse's location via a drone feed. She soon spotted five armed men outside the warehouse.

"Uh, Ben," she called out, "it's not just the security cameras. Muiz's security is pretty tight." Kendra bit her lip thoughtfully as she continued her observations. "Using the heat signature, I count close to 40 people scattered inside the warehouse."

Ben frowned, "Copy." He ceased looking through the telescope, showing his frustration. "Is there any way you can disable those cameras?" he asked, looking back at the warehouse.

"Yeah, sure I could, but cutting their power would be more effective. I can disable the cameras for thirty seconds, and then you can cut off their power," Kendra suggested, her hands adjusting the earpiece she wore.

Walking away from the perimeter toward his vehicle, Ben replied, "Good, make it fast. And where's Kelvin?" He checked his watch for the time.

"He should be there by now," Kendra responded, also checking her watch.

At that moment, two cream-colored Nissan vehicles skidded through the streets, coming to a stop in front of Ben.

"They just got here," he informed Kendra before ending the call without even looking at his phone. Putting his phone away, he approached the agents who had just disembarked from the vehicles. They were dressed in navy blue uniforms with helmets, but they didn't resemble police officers. Almost ten members of the Tactical team held various colors and brands of M481 carbines, each with "FBI" emblazoned on their clothing like a badge.

"Hey Ben," Kelvin, Ben's partner and leader of Team Alpha, greeted with a fist bump. Kelvin had a youthful and attractive appearance, thanks to his well-kept afro haircut and cleanly shaved beard, devoid of any spots or wrinkles unlike Ben.

"What took you so long?" Ben asked, his face furrowing with a frown as they walked toward the back of the jeep.

"We were stuck in traffic. Any heads up?" Kelvin replied before opening the trunk to reveal an array of gadgets.

Ben smirked at the sight of the gadgets, then moved to a black bag filled with weapons and unzipped it. "Nothing much. We just found out about two cameras planted outside and at the side of the warehouse, which means they can monitor all activities outside their perimeter. Now, the challenge is getting past the five guards without detection," Ben explained, loading a bullet into a pistol. After loading bullets into several short guns, he carefully placed them in his bag.

"And how do we do that?" Kelvin inquired, taking out a Sig Sauer MCX from the trunk before closing it.

Ben cocked his pistol before answering, "To disable the cameras, Kendra is working on it. Once they're down, we'll cut the building's power, and Team Alpha," he gestured to James's team, "will take out the guards inside without alerting anyone else in the building." Ben paused for a moment, using precise hand gestures to illustrate his explanation.

He then swiped on the laptop, revealing the heat signature of the people inside the warehouse, which Kendra had sent. "According to this heat signature, there are at least forty people inside the warehouse, and we believe Muiz is among them. Our main priority is to capture Muiz alive, as we suspect he's planning another attack. So, whatever you do, make sure Muiz stays alive. Is that clear?" Ben addressed the entire team, who nodded in unison, responding, "Yes, sir."

Before he could say more, his ringtone interrupted him. He realized he forgot to put the phone on silent mode. "Ben John," he identified himself as he answered the call.

"I'm ready," Ken stated from the other end.

"Copy," he ended the call, turning his attention back to the team. "Let's go," he ordered, and they all marched toward the back of the warehouse, armed and ready. Ben and Kelvin were distinguishable from the others, as they wore normal outfits but with chest bulletproof vests, unlike the team members who were in full uniform.

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A/N: Among all other chapters, Chapter four and five happens to be my favourite. I really love Ben and Kelvin's expression with the weapons and plan... I can't wait to know what happens next.

But before that, do take a moment to support me with your gift 🙏