At first, Uche had thought the gunshot came from Mira, and for a split second, he felt a rush of relief. He had been hoping she would show up, against his better judgment, expecting that she might be the one to turn everything around.
But as several figures, dressed head-to-toe in black, poured into the room with weapons raised, it didn't take a genius to figure out who they were. His instincts kicked in, and he quickly rolled to the side, taking cover behind a large medical machine.
'Did Mira call them?'
The thought hit him like a cold punch.
But no, he shook his head. Mira wouldn't have done that; she knew the cops were after him. There was no reason she'd betray him like that, right?
Meanwhile, another figure in the room, Kante was dealing with his own suspicions as he watched the gunmen storm in, their guns all aimed at Uche.
"Surrender now!"
Sergeant Kim shouted, his voice ringing out as he kept his gun trained on Uche, who was crouching low behind the medical equipment, his eyes darting around the room.
'Damn it.'
Kante thought to himself, irritation flaring up.
'I was prepared for the girl to show up, but I didn't think she'd bring the cops. This changes everything.'
Kante was hidden beneath a table, biding his time as he calculated his next move. He couldn't make a run now, there are too many witnesses who already knew his identity.
Although, Uche won't be a problem a the cops already thought he was Snowflake, but the old surgeon, and the Kim's couple.
If they get out alive, it would cause a problem.
He'd have to take out witnesses, the three of them, before making his escape. As he looked across the room, he assessed the situation. None of the cops had seen him yet, so he still had an advantage. If he could remove a few of them quietly, he might slip out before anyone even noticed.
His gaze locked onto three potential targets: the old surgeon in the room, Mr. Kim, and Kim's wife. He needed a distraction. Casually, he slipped a small red button from his pocket, giving it a quick inspection.
His thoughts were interrupted when the trembling surgeon made eye contact with him. Something in the man's gaze held pure terror, and, realizing what was about to happen, he began shaking violently.
"That old fool."
Kante muttered to himself, narrowing his eyes.
Then, the man's voice broke the silence.
"Snowflake—everyone! The room is rigged with explosives, and Snowflake has the detonator!"
The surgeon's finger pointed directly at Kante, who froze for a split second.
"Crap!"
Kante hissed under his breath as he saw several officers turn their heads in his direction. In that brief moment, their eyes met his, but before any of them could raise their weapons, they only saw a flash of darkness. Kante had moved with blinding speed, his blade slicing through the air.
Three heads rolled onto the floor before anyone could even register what had happened.
He moved again, his blade swift, taking down two more officers as panic spread through the room. A bullet suddenly pierced the air, grazing his arm, and he turned to see Sergeant Kim, gun still raised, staring at him in stunned disbelief.
Time seemed to stand still, and then, as if snapping out of a trance, the other cops opened fire. Uche was momentarily forgotten as all eyes and weapons turned to Kante. Realizing he couldn't outfight them all, especially not with his sword, Kante didn't hesitate. He pressed down on the red button in his hand.
Then, there was silence.
---
Days earlier, the police had been relentless in their pursuit of Snowflake. The investigation was practically an obsession, with officers working around the clock to uncover evidence that could link him to the mysterious organ-trafficking ring.
Sergeant Kim, especially, had a growing sense of unease. They had found very little—no bodies, no traces, nothing concrete—but something told him Snowflake was still out there, biding his time.
While most officers were ready to accept that Snowflake had somehow disappeared with the rest of gangs during the ambush on their way to deliver him to the headquarters, Sergeant Kim's gut told him otherwise.
His instincts whispered that the ambush was a set, almost as if someone had orchestrated it from the shadows. Kim had kept these thoughts to himself, not wanting to give Inspector Ray any reason to second-guess him.
Inspector Ray was relentless in his own right, determined to dig up any last bit of evidence from the traffickers' base. He combed through files and records with a persistence that went beyond mere duty, believing there was still something critical waiting to be found.
And after days of searching, his diligence paid off, though perhaps not as significantly as he'd hoped.
They discovered a list, a roster of every known member involved in the trafficking ring, along with personal details about each one.
To Sergeant Kim's surprise, not all of them had been killed in the ambush. There were a few still alive, though they were scattered and hidden. As they scanned through the list, an intelligence officer pointed out an interesting fact.
"It's been years since any of these leaders visited the city. Most of them likely don't even know about the ambush."
Inspector Ray frowned.
"Why would you say that? These people are clearly higher-ups in the organization. Their names are even marked separately from the others."
"Exactly,"
Kim added, his eyes fixed on the screen.
"They would know everything that's going on, even from a distance."
"Sir, you might want to see this."
One of the intelligence officers zoomed in on a profile, highlighting the image of an elderly man.
"This old man is a genius in the surgical field. Graduated top of his class at Caleb University in Lagos, went on to work at the National Open Hospital, and performed some remarkable surgeries."
The man continued,
"After a few years, he abruptly left his position. No one knows why, but there were rumors that the authorities were searching for him soon after he left. He went completely off the radar—until now. According to the footage from the traffickers' base, he's been visiting the organ traffickers base time to time, operating on victims and removing organs for the ring."
"So he's still in the city?"
Sergeant Kim asked, his brow furrowed.
The officer nodded.
"It appears so. He's the only one from this group who hasn't left the area."
Kim let out a sigh.
"Then we have a lead. But this man is meticulous; no one's been able to trace him for years."
"If we want to catch him, we have to act now,"
Ray said, his eyes flashing with determination.
"Let's get a search party together and bring him in."
It took several days, but their efforts finally paid off. The old surgeon's hiding place was located on the outskirts of the city, nestled in a secluded area that kept him well-hidden from prying eyes. When they received the confirmation, they wasted no time. They assembled a team and moved in under the cover of night, arriving at the hideout with weapons drawn and nerves on edge.
As they approached the house, the sound of struggle inside reached them, followed by shouting. Sergeant Kim raised his weapon and fired a shot through the door to announce their arrival.