"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
Suddenly, out of my blank state, my eyelids fluttered slowly. Awareness crept back into my senses. A deep breath escaped my lips, and with each inhale, life returned like the first rays of dawn breaking through the darkness. Finally, my eyes opened, and I blinked at the world's brightness.The weather seemed cold and unforgiving, with a biting wind that cut through layers of clothing like a sharp blade.As soon as I groaned in agony, attempting to sit upright, the first person my eyes peered at was Samantha."We thought you were dead!" she said."Welcome to a new day. Now, get ready for training," she said again."But training? I was barely getting better," I thought. As if the others heard my thoughts, my eyes peered at them, who were right in the right corner adjacent to Samantha in the left corner in the same tent with me. I saw them shrug their shoulders and raise their hands like they were unconcerned about my health."Get up now, Mr. Marcus. Get to training. Your father's enemie
I did not flinch, nor did my feet tremble with fear. Just like before, I knew the gun was empty because I was the one who assembled it, and I did not see where I had inserted the bullets. "Why are you not flinching?” Samantha asked, and with that, I replied, "Because there is no bullet in the weapon in your hand.” I answered, showing perfect confidence on my face. "Oh! Really?" Samantha asked. "How about now?” She said this as she now, indeed, right in front of my eyes, inserted some bullets into the gun and pulled the safety off. "I ask, how about now?" My heart was racing right at this moment; however, I did not show it. For some reason, I knew very well that Samantha was never going to shoot me. I did not respond but continued to breathe heavily, with my face swollen like a frowning child. Either way, it did not mean Samantha was not going to ask another question. "Are you the son of your father?” She asked. However, if I said anything, it would be a lie. A perfect silence ami
How Samantha said, "If I were indeed the son of my father, I would assemble the gun back," made me furrow my brows in deep seriousness as I immediately began to disassemble the gun, noticing each piece I had disassembled and capturing it in my mind as if a camera had snapped it and stored it in a hidden place to be used later.I said nothing at this moment, and certainly, Samantha said nothing to me either. Even so, she stood closer to me and picked up one of the pistols from the sandy patches, then proceeded to load it with bullets.With both hands, she held the pistols in her grip, closed one eye, and aimed at a distant target."Pa! Pa! Pa!"She fired three times, and the sound of the pistol was deafening. However, when I looked to see what Samantha had shot, I realized it was all a ruse.Nevertheless, I said nothing and continued with what I was disassembling and assembling as instructed by Samantha. At this moment, Mr. Harry's voice called my attention."That's some excellent targ
"Is she insane? How could she tell me to pull the trigger on her? Does she want me to kill her all in the name of training?" I thought, and hence, I refused, saying, "I can't."Hearing what I said, Samantha's face grew colder as she said, "In the act of war, it is a game of being the first. When your enemy refuses to shoot, you hit him in the head with a bullet."Now Samantha came closer to me and pointed the gun at her head. She looked at me and said once more, "Now f**king pull the trigger!"At this moment, my legs trembled in great fear, and I could not even fathom what Samantha was thinking."Does she really mean I should kill her?"My hands began to shake simultaneously like leaves in the wind, trembling under the action Samantha had portrayed.Slowly, while I expected Mr. Harry and the others from a distance to see the insanity Samantha had asked me to do, I looked at Mr. Harry and the others, and what they did and said at this moment surprised me."Such a feeble-minded street b
Coming out of the tent, I wore a breathable, lightweight shirt, as it was the only shirt provided in the tent. Then I put on athletic shoes with good support and cushioning. I also wore a light jacket and a head cap that lowered to my forehead.Seeing this, Samantha walked towards me immediately. I could see how she smiled at me and led me towards the sandy patches.As I walked with Samantha, the way she approached me and smiled at me made it clear that my claim of not being nervous was a lie. I turned my head around in search of Ethan, who might emerge from the tent he had entered at any moment.Meanwhile, the others were with Mr. Harry by the crates. They opened each crate, selecting weapons and loading them with bullets.I quickly wondered why they were doing this, considering that Mr. Harry had asked Samantha to train me specifically. Suppressing my question wasn't an option at this point, so I directed it to Samantha."Why are they loading bullets into each gun and strapping them
Before I knew it, we had already arrived at a location different from the bushes Mr. Harry had driven through. This area had tall rocks surrounding it and a small pond of water that seemed to lead nowhere, visible from the car we had yet to step out of.As I gazed around, I noticed in the distance to the right a formation that provided both a sense of containment and a touch of rugged beauty.In this way, the tall rocks acted as protective barriers, enclosing the training area in a secure embrace.Additionally, I observed that the landscape within was a combination of sandy patches and compacted earth, with clear demarcations indicating designated firing zones and pathways.At the center of the training ground, a wide and well-maintained firing range was set up. The range featured a row of target boards at varying distances, allowing participants to practice their marksmanship skills effectively.Upon exiting the car, Mr. Harry and I walked towards the sandy patches. I saw a sturdy wo
In this way, I heard the car tires screech so hard, like a whistle that signaled the end of the world. With this, the fear gripping me was tighter than when any gang leader had grabbed any kid by the neck on the street.Immediately, I heard Mr. Harry's voice again. "Hit the brake, son, and turn the wheel left so the car doesn't flip completely like a tossed coin."As if I understood what Mr. Harry had said at this moment, I did what I thought he said, hitting the pedal beside the accelerator and turning the steering wheel to the left.Suddenly, I saw that the car halted and smoke began to spread from inside the car and, hence, out of the car window."You are such a terrible driver, Mr. Marcus, but thank you for not killing us," Darling said.I began to sweat profusely suddenly, like a racer who did all he could yet came last on the track, as the whole scenario felt as if I had seen death face-to-face, and my heartbeat was heavy like a mythical hammer pounding so greatly inside the mor
Driving a car for the first time was a mix of immense fun and an undeniable risk to life.Every time I turned the wheel, either I had turned it too much, nearly colliding with a car beside me on the road, or I had turned it too little, causing the car to deviate from my intended direction.Throughout this, Mr. Harry continued to chuckle, playfully teasing me with a mischievous glint in his eyes. In that moment, I couldn't help but wonder how he remained so relaxed, akin to a king on his throne, despite being aware of the potential danger. So I inquired,"Mr. Harry, how can you sit so comfortably while you know I'm driving poorly?""You're not driving poorly, son. In fact, for a first-timer, you've done quite well to avoid colliding with other cars or walls. You've performed better than I did during my first drive," Mr. Harry responded, leaving me perplexed as to why he had laughed earlier if he thought I was doing a good job."So why did you laugh, Mr. Harry?"Once more, upon posing t
But how did Mr. Harry expect that I would be able to start the car when all I have done all my life is be on the street and beg for alms to feed me for the day?Did he also not recall that he was the one who, in fact, taught me how to open a car door?"But Mr. Harry, I do not know how I am going to start this vehicle," I said, immediately after I had stared at the steering wheels for a while and could not figure out how to start the car at all.Hence, Mr. Harry said, "Hey darling,"And immediately, the voice from the car answered, "Hey Harry, what can I do for you?""Our friend here, Mr. Marcus, does not know how he is going to start this vehicle. Could you help him figure it out?" Mr. Harry asked at once."Of course, Harry, I can certainly do that," the voice answered, and she immediately continued talking."Hi, Mr. Marcus. If you want to start this vehicle, it is very easy because it is fully automated. So, don't worry about a thing. I will surely be of help until we arrive at our d