As the evening gradually went from sunset to dusk, Tangie’s panic became more and more of fear. Her heart pounded heavily in her chest as she flipped through channels, searching for any news about her husband on every TV station.Mr Mathew was running out of words of consolation, he couldn’t even bring himself to assure her that Archer would be back home. The night was deepening and not one person they had contacted had any information on his whereabouts.Celestine sat away in a corner, scrolling through pages of the black market, following a link sent to him by Lebanon. His attempts to trace the anonymous message that announced the auction cancellation were all futile, driving him to a near brink of insanity.Suddenly, the door bust open, and Tangie and everyone’s desperate gazes turned towards it with hope glinting on their features, only to be met with disappointment. Mariah walked in, her face etched with concern. “It feels like a funeral in here…” she said. “Keep quiet!” Cel
Tangie's eyes sparkled as the lights of the mansion reflected on the steely body of thee revolver. "I... I dont understand. What's going on? Why would he send me a gun?" Mr Adejobi’s expression remained solemn as he replied, "I don't know for certain but, the one reason I can think of is, he wants you to be safe.""Well, I can't shoot anyone, it is illegal.""Not if someone breaks into your home, and threatens you. It is called self defense.""Mr Adejobi, I don't understand, is anyone coming after me? I need to know, please.""I suppose he assumes that whoever is in desperate need of the items will come after him,..." Mr Adejobi explained, his eyes bearing his concern for her. As if a shot of adrenaline had just been injected in her, Tangie's squared her slouched shoulders, gazing at the gun with resolve. "A revolver allows you to shoot many times without reloading." She said, "I'm ready." Mr Adejobi released a deep breath he didn't know he was holding, he scanned the open field
Mr. Mathew fumed in the garden, his reason was Mr. Adejobi’s insistence on speaking privately with Tangie.He felt left out, but most importantly, betrayed by his daughter.Pacing restlessly in the walkway, the sound of faint laughter echoed in the air driving Mr Mathew’s hurt to anger.He pulled out his phone and dialed Archer’s number for the last time. He was going to scold him for his sneaky behavior.Archer’s contact went straight to voicemail for the third time and Mr. Mathew decided to find Big Dot himself. He wanted to know the dire thing about this man that would make his daughter ignore him. Equipped with that thought and a newfound confidence, Mr. Mathew stormed into the house to change into a better fit for the resolve. As he headed inside the house, echoing footsteps on the stairs stopped him abruptly. Tangie’s luster hair reflected in the light. “Tangie!” He called out, “Let’s talk for a minute.” “Now she’s ignoring me too,” he sighed, pivoting his steps towards the
Six guards stood between him and Master Woods, their swords pointed at him gleamed in the sunlight, reflecting their determination to stop him. Before he came to the temple, he knew gaining access would not be easy but he didn’t expect to fight with six Kenjutsu martial artists. As he calculated his move, the lead guard made the first move, swinging his sword with fierce intent. But Archer quick on his feet, sidestepped the attack with effortless footwork, his grip on the briefcase tightened simultaneously.A silent war brewed within Archer, even if he had a chance to win against the guards, Master Woods would be unpleased that he chose to fight over reasoning. Before he could say another word, all six guards gained in on him. By instinct, Archer’s skills in martial arts took over. His fists and feet moved faster than his mind, surprising the guards with precise counterstrikes.Protecting his briefcase with one hand, his one free hand was burning from overuse, sweat beaded on his
"It can't be my father!" Tangie exclaimed, "No, he wouldn't do this.""Tangie, you didn't see him last night. He was furious, he left in a fit of anger.""Mariah my father would never do this without my permission, he would not declare my husband missing when he knows the situation, he also knows that he spoke with me last night. I have that card to show for it." Tangie replied, her voice although firm, held no anger towards Mariah.Glancing at the TV, the eyesore headline stood boldly across the screen; "President Archer Williams missing after his public announcement to launch Asthma cure."That was the headline on every news channel she flipped through, it was as if someone was intentionally painting Archer Williams in a bad light.Tangie rose to her feet, seething with anger. "This is unbelievable!" She spat, "I'm going to sue everyone involved in this misleading information.""Isn't it family that's supposed to declare a person missing? First, how can he be declared 'missing' jus
Archer Williams woke up with a throbbing headache, chants resounded distantly in his head accompanied with shimmering cymbals and soft hums.Forcing his eyes open, he was instantly greeted by harsh sun light pouring directly from the window- a stark contrast of what he last remembered.Archer recoiled, instinctively clenching his eyes shut against the harsh sunlight."Open your eyes," a soft voice ordered, and Archer obliged, squinting his eyes open.His headache intensified by the moment, the chants that seemed so distant now echoed around him, but with no visible singers.He turned around, in a desperate search for the owner of the voice who was tending to him- Master Woods. "Why did you come? And how did you find me?" He asked, watching him struggle with himself.His question suddenly reminded Archer of the briefcase he had risked his life to protect. "The briefcase," he muttered, scanning the room with his eyes only, since his body was too weak to move. Finally, at a corner in
The journalists exchanged nervous glances, each person looking for a savior. Tangie glared at them, her anxiety from before gradually building into an intimidating demeanor. “I will assume you all were just desperate so you coined a lie to stain my husband’s reputation.”“That’s not true ma’am,” one of them finally spoke up, “We received an anonymous call from someone claiming to have insider information about President Williams.”Tangie’s brows furrowed with suspicion, she glared at the speaker intently as if to uncover more hidden details, “You didn’t bother to verify the authenticity of such a tip before causing a frenzy in my house?” The journalists dropped their gazes with shame, realizing the gravity of their mistake. Tangie’s disappointed tone was daunting enough to stir their remorse. “We were too excited to break the news ma’am. Since President Archer gave Scott McFarland an exclusive, we’ve been under pressure to beat him.”“Pressure to beat him? There are several other
“Huh!” Archer gasped, his legs failed him as he tried to stand. Yet, he pressed on.“Where are you going?” Master Woods asked, concerned about his state.“Master, I trust this man with my family, my wife, my pregnant wife. Celestine, and the guards, everyone that lives with me, they believe he’s trustworthy, because I trust him. Master, he came to meet me at my father’s house.”“Golden Gates?”“Yes!” Archer replied, losing his cool. The gradual realization that Mr Adejobi was not who he said he was felt like the pain of miscarriage, biting and chewing on his insides. He felt his heart decaying with both anger, pain and anxiety. Master Woods reached out to him, tugging at his arms gently, “Sit down, Archer. Sit, and calm yourself. Never loose your grip, you can’t think when you’re like that.”“I apologize, Master. I am no monk. I’m scared for my family, he has access to them, who else is lying to me? Who else? Who are you? Are you lying to me too? Who can I trust?” “Nobody.” Master