Chapter 2

The Sudden Arrest

Deji stood by the large hotel window, staring out at the Lagos skyline as twilight faded into the deep indigo of evening. The city’s flickering lights stretched far beyond him, but none of it registered in his mind. It was around 9 p.m., but he felt as though time had come to a standstill. He had been back in Nigeria for only a few hours, yet the weight of the decision he’d made to confront Senator Bala was already closing in on him. But there was more than just Bala’s impending reckoning troubling him—an unsettling feeling had been gnawing at him since he arrived.

Seeking some comfort, Deji pulled out his phone and dialed Ada’s number for a video call. Her familiar face appeared on the screen within seconds, her expression soft but filled with concern. He smiled briefly at the sight of her, though the tension in his body remained.

"How’s my man doing?" Ada asked, trying to sound upbeat, but her worry was clear in her eyes.

“I’m okay,” Deji lied, trying to steady his voice. "Just thinking about a lot of things. But seeing your face helps." He moved from the window, pacing around the room, hoping it would ease the strange feeling that had taken root in his gut.

The unease had been there since earlier that day when he received a mysterious phone call. A cold, unfamiliar voice had warned him, "If you value your life, stay away from Senator Bala’s business. This isn’t your fight." At the time, Deji had dismissed it, believing it was just another scare tactic from Bala’s people. But now, in the quiet of his hotel room, the warning played louder and louder in his mind, refusing to be ignored.

"You don’t look okay," Ada pressed, her intuition sharp. She tilted her head slightly, her eyes narrowing as she tried to read his expression. "What’s going on, Deji?"

Before he could answer, a loud, forceful knock sounded on his hotel room door, making him freeze.

"Deji, what was that?" Ada’s voice sharpened with alarm as her face on the screen became tense.

Another knock—this time louder, more aggressive, followed by a harsh voice. "Police! Open up!"

Panic surged through Deji. His heart pounded as he grabbed his phone tighter, his hands shaking. He knew what this was. Bala had acted faster than he expected. There was no time. Frantically, he opened a text message, typing quickly as Ada watched, her concern growing.

“Ada, I’m sending you something,” Deji whispered, glancing at the door as it rattled again. "My cloud storage password. Keep it safe, protect it with your life."

“What? Deji, what’s happening?!" Ada’s voice trembled, her eyes wide with fear.

"I love you, Ada," Deji said softly. There wasn’t time to explain.

Before she could respond, the door burst open with a violent crash. Uniformed officers stormed the room, rifles raised, their faces hard with intent. Deji barely had time to shove his phone under the pillow before one of them slammed him to the ground, pinning him face-first against the cold tiles.

"Lie down! Lie down now!" one of the officers barked, his voice rough, the barrel of his rifle inches from Deji’s head.

“What is going on?” Deji stammered, his voice shaky. His mind spun in disbelief.

“Shut up!” an officer growled, his words thick with Pidgin English. “You dey mad? You think say you fit play with us?”

Deji stayed silent as the officers tore through his belongings. Papers, clothes, and personal items were scattered across the room in their search. He’d heard of corrupt setups like this before, but now, trapped under the weight of these officers, he was living it.

"Oga, see wetin I find!" one officer suddenly shouted triumphantly. He held up a small bag of white powder, waving it in front of his colleagues like a trophy. "Cocaine!" he declared, grinning.

Deji’s heart sank. The drugs had been planted. He was being framed, just as he’d feared. The officers exchanged smug looks, satisfied with their work.

"Big man no fit deny this one," another officer laughed as he tossed the bag onto the bed.

The lead officer grabbed Deji roughly by the collar, yanking him from the floor. "You dey finish for prison," he said coldly. “No CCTV, no witness, no problem.” as he dragged Deji out of the room

But the officers were wrong. Hidden under the pillow, Deji’s phone was still on the video call.

Across the city, Ada sat frozen in front of her laptop, her heart pounding as she watched the video call that hadn’t ended. She had seen it all—the pounding on the door, the chaos of the officers ransacking Deji’s room. Instinctively, she had hit the record button when the raid began, capturing the entire ordeal on her phone.

Now, as she replayed the footage, her hands shook. The officers had planted drugs, laughed about framing him, and made it clear they were part of something much bigger. This wasn’t just about Deji. This was a coordinated attack to destroy him completely.

Deji’s last words echoed in her mind: “Protect it with your life.”

Ada sat in stunned silence, the reality of what she held sinking in. The evidence she had recorded wasn’t just proof of Deji’s innocence—it was a direct threat to powerful people, people who wouldn’t hesitate to silence her to keep this secret buried.

Her phone buzzed, snapping her out of her daze. It was a message from Tunde, Deji’s best friend.

Tunde: “Ada, I heard something’s wrong with Deji. Are you okay? What happened?”

Ada hesitated, her fingers trembling as she typed a response.

Ada: “"It’s bad. The police just arrested Deji and planted drugs on him. I have proof—I recorded the entire encounter. I was on a video call with him when the police arrived, and the call stayed on throughout the raid. What should I do?"

There was a long pause before Tunde replied.

Tunde: “Send me everything. I’ll help.”

Ada’s thumb hovered over the "send" button. She hesitated, a sudden wave of doubt washing over her. How did Tunde know something was wrong? The arrest had just happened, and only moments ago Deji had sent her that frantic message.

Her heart raced. _How could Tunde know?_ she thought. _Unless…_

The realization hit her like a punch to the gut. _Tunde could be working with them._

Ada’s pulse quickened as fear closed in. If Tunde was compromised, then she had just revealed herself to the enemy. She couldn’t trust anyone. The danger was real, and it was closing in fast.

With a racing mind, Ada canceled the message, her hands trembling as she clutched her phone. She needed to think. There was only one word running through her mind now: _escape_.

CLICK HERE TO GO OVER TO CHAPTER 3 RACE AGAINST EXPOSURE