The masked man didn't speak again.
He simply raised his gun.
Kelechi's heart stopped—but Ayo didn't hesitate. In a blur, he launched himself forward, slamming into the man's side with brutal force. The shot rang out, sharp and deafening, and Kelechi dropped to the ground with Seyi still cradled in her arms.
Chaos erupted.
Another man surged forward, but Ayo was already moving—he tackled the second assailant into the wall with a thud that shook the room. Kelechi didn't wait. She scrambled to her feet, half-carrying, half-dragging Seyi toward the far side of the room where Ayo had glanced earlier.
There. A narrow service corridor.
Bullets shattered the light overhead. The room flickered into near-darkness.
"Kelechi, go!" Ayo barked, his voice rough and desperate.
She didn't look back. She ran.
The corridor was barely wide enough for her to squeeze through, and Seyi's weight slowed her down, but she pushed forward, her breaths ragged, her vision blurring. Behind her, the sounds of fists slamming against flesh echoed, followed by another gunshot. She didn't know if Ayo had made it out.
And right now, she couldn't afford to care.
⸻
The corridor opened into a small back exit—some forgotten loading dock that smelled like rust and stale water. There was a car waiting. Black, unmarked. Running.
Kelechi froze.
This wasn't coincidence. This was planned.
The passenger door flung open, and a man stepped out. Tall. Bald. Expensive coat. He looked like he belonged behind a boardroom desk, not at the back of a warehouse in the middle of a gunfight.
"Get in," he said, his voice smooth. Unbothered.
"Who are you?" Kelechi demanded, clutching Seyi tighter.
"We're the ones who've kept you alive this long."
Before she could react, two more men exited the vehicle and pulled the back door open. She flinched, ready to fight—but they didn't touch her. They reached for Seyi.
"Your sister needs urgent care. If you want her to live, you'll let us take her. Now."
Kelechi hesitated.
Ayo was nowhere in sight.
This felt wrong.
But Seyi's body was limp, and her breathing was too shallow. Kelechi could see the bluish tint in her lips now.
She gave in.
"Touch her wrong, and I'll end you," she hissed as they gently pulled Seyi into the back seat.
The suited man gestured toward the front passenger seat. "You're coming too. There's much we need to discuss."
⸻
As the car sped off, leaving the warehouse behind in its dust, Kelechi pressed her hand against the cool window, trying to quiet the pounding in her chest.
The man didn't look at her as he spoke.
"We've been watching you, Miss Ajayi. You weren't supposed to get involved—not this deep. But your choices have changed that."
Kelechi turned to him, fury in her eyes. "What the hell is going on? Who are you people? What do you want from me?"
He smiled faintly, like her anger amused him.
"You've stumbled into something that's bigger than your past. But this isn't just about revenge anymore. It's about access. Leverage. Power."
"I don't know anything."
"But you do," he said quietly. "You just don't realize it yet."