"First of all, if you're watching this footage, it means I'm dead. And I'm really sorry about this, son," the voice on the footage said as Ethan played the video on the flash drive.As soon as Ethan played the video, all of us, including Mr. Harry and driver Chi-kin, paid close attention.However, my attention was interrupted by thoughts. I kept asking myself why my father always looked back fearfully whenever he spoke in the footage."Who was after him?""Clearly, someone was after him, which explains why he knew he was going to die soon enough.""The document you found with this drive is a classified binder. You can't let anyone else see it, talk about it, or read it. That's why I kept it securely away from Chicago in the first place.""Ahem, cough, cough.""Go through the profile of each one of them, and let justice prevail. I'm not asking you to avenge my death, son. I know you deserve a life beyond all of this. I'm sorry for involving you, even after my murder.""Seek justice for
We arrived in Nigeria like valiant soldiers descending from our private helicopter, evoking an air of grandeur and authority. This led me to ponder why we hadn't utilized this luxurious mode of transportation to reach Hong Kong initially.Why did Mr. Harry subject us to such arduous travel, enduring screening by airport officials who nearly falsely accused me, when he could have effortlessly employed his influence and resources to expedite our journey as swiftly as we did to Nigeria?It was approximately 2 P.M, and the surroundings were teeming with people, jostling and struggling to navigate through the congested pathways. The streets were populated with ragged street urchins, bearing a disheveled appearance akin to deranged individuals with a hint of sanity.The more I observed them closely, the more I realized that these street urchins held sway over the local economy, a perplexing phenomenon that defied logic.As we made our way through the crowd, an unpleasant odor emanated from
"Come on, son, go!" screamed Mr. Harry. When I looked at him, he was already tucking his smoky gun into his belt.That provided some solace for me. Finally, I wasn't in shock of my life, trembling like a leaf in the wind, fearing the imminent embrace of death.At least I now knew that it was Mr. Harry who had fired the shot, so I couldn't be hit by friendly fire. With newfound confidence, I scanned the surroundings and realized there was no blood on the ground, nor anyone wounded by the bullet."C’mon! After him, stop wasting time!" Mr. Harry's voice echoed in my ears. It transformed my legs into wheels, and together with the other five, we sprinted after the thief, swiftly closing the gap.When we finally caught up with him, we discovered he was empty-handed, raising two perplexing questions in my mind.If he was empty-handed at the moment of capture, it meant that the street, like a protective mother, had shielded him and safeguarded the device we had chased him for.Or perhaps, he
Back on the street where I came from, we could be chased for far too long, and the pursuers—which could be the police or the other gang from the street—would never get tired easily until we were caught and they got what they wanted from us.But here, it was such a different story. Five able-bodied men chased after 22-year-old me for only about 30 minutes, and they had already given up.Immediately, as I looked back, still breathing heavily through my nose and mouth at the same time, I saw that they were no longer chasing me. Not only that, I could not see their traces anywhere.However, it was a good thing. There was still a problem. The place I was in was unknown to me, and even though I was chased here, I did not know how to find my way back to the others.At first, I looked around with the hope of finding Mr. Harry or maybe Samantha or Ethan. It could have been possible we came out the same way, but there were no signs of any of them. The only faces my eyes beheld were the indigeno
Mr. Harry was already covered in blood, and he was also made to kneel with his hands tied behind his back. His white suit was no different from the color of mud, and he was without a hat.Behind him stood the rest of the five. Samantha was breathing heavily, as if she had a mountain tightening her chest, and the others, including Ethan, looked disfigured like a shattered mirror."Who the fuck are you?" the black thug sitting in front of Mr. Harry yelled again, holding his bloody fist in a threatening manner.I had just met Mr. Harry, but this was the first time I had seen him so powerless and helpless. He said nothing, kneeling in front of the black thug, and his breath suggested that he might die soon."Do it," the black thug ordered, looking at another one behind Mr. Harry and the five.The thug held a piece of rotten metal, like a hole punch. As soon as he received the order from their apparent leader, he grabbed Emily's hair, as she was the closest to him."I will not ask you agai
Finally, we were able to find our way to the bank. As the bank was tracked through the GPS Ethan had in his hands. However, if the bank was different from the ugly roads, gutters, and all that the city itself looked like, it was a lie.The name of the bank was visible enough with the engraving they designed on their wall. "The Total Bank of All."It was painted white, but the color was also stained with sand and fading away like a forgotten memory drifting through time. The bank's fences were made of iron bars, which made the whole bank look somewhat like a prison yard. And the security guards that protected the bank didn't carry any weapons, like they were just ordinary people."Will these people be able to protect this bank from theft and invasion?" I thought, looking at one of the guards who was eating from a large cooler at his post.It seemed like Mr. Harry and I had the same thought. However, he didn't say anything, but his thoughts were obvious on his face, like a transparent w
It was our turn to speak to the bank teller. I didn't know why, but in that moment, I felt nervous like a cat on a hot tin roof.It was as if the bank teller could read my face. Like a monster deliberating and inciting fear at a Halloween party, she frowned at me and asked."What can I do for you, sir?"I didn't know what to say; my mind shifted from right to left and left to right like a wanderer in search of greener pastures. But of course, Mr. Harry came to the rescue, as he always did."This is Marcus Taylor, and we would love to visit the locker."I could boldly see it written on her face. She recognized my name with that flinch she carried on her shoulder as well, but she tried to keep it to herself."Why does everyone seem to recognize the name Taylor?" I thought, but if the thought lingered for a long time, it was a lie."Come with me," the bank teller interrupted suddenly, directing her hands towards a path that led behind the counter table.The bank teller was a lady who see
Suddenly, like the light illuminating a sniper gun, I saw pink light from the right wall touching the left wall.At first, they were stagnant, but now they are moving in a direction I could not even predict.Both the expanses of space in front of me and the ones behind me were filled with this light. And like a child afraid of heights, standing at the tip of Mount Everest, my heart rose and fell in maximum fright as I saw death flash before me."Do not breathe too rapidly, Mr. Taylor. It senses fright, and it attacks." The voice said, As it appeared, they realized my fright. "Then f*cking do something about this, huh!" Mr. Harry yelled from the room where he was, and immediately I heard his footsteps approaching."Sir, do not go in there. You will further complicate this." The voice warned."Then stop all this nonsense if you don't want me in there," answered Mr. Harry.No matter how much I tried to control my rapid breathing, I could not. My fear took total control of me like a pilot