The server room was small, cramped, and dimly lit by the glow of Zarah's laptop screen. The deafening alarm reverberated through the facility, its shrill wail making it hard to think. Zarah's fingers moved with desperate precision across the keyboard as the download bar inched closer to completion.
"Eighty-five percent," she muttered under her breath.
Ayodele peeked out of the doorway, his body tense. The sound of heavy boots pounding against the concrete floors grew louder. "They're coming, Zarah," he said, his voice clipped. "How much longer?"
"Two minutes. Maybe three," she replied, her eyes not leaving the screen.
"We don't have three minutes," Tunde interjected. He was crouched behind a desk, his face pale with fear. In his hands, he clutched a crowbar he had grabbed from the maintenance area—a makeshift weapon that looked laughably inadequate against the armed guards now swarming the building.
Ayodele clenched his jaw and pulled out the only weapon they had managed to smuggle in: a compact stun baton. "I'll hold them off," he said, glancing at Zarah. "Just finish this."
"No, wait!" Zarah hissed, her voice tinged with panic. "You can't go out there alone. Tunde—help him!"
Tunde shook his head vehemently. "I'm not trained for this! I'm a strategist, not a fighter!"
Ayodele didn't waste time arguing. He moved into the hallway, his footsteps swift but silent.
---
The corridor was dimly lit, lined with metal doors and exposed wiring. Ayodele pressed himself against the wall, listening to the approaching guards. He could hear their voices now, barking orders in a mix of English and Hausa.
"Secure the server room! They're still inside!"
Ayodele's heart pounded, but he forced himself to remain calm. He waited until the first guard rounded the corner before springing into action.
With a quick, fluid motion, he jabbed the stun baton into the man's side. The guard dropped instantly, his body convulsing before going still. The second guard was quicker, raising his rifle, but Ayodele lunged forward and knocked the weapon from his hands.
A sharp punch to Ayodele's ribs sent him stumbling back, pain exploding through his side. He recovered quickly, swinging the baton in a wide arc and striking the guard across the temple. The man crumpled to the ground.
Ayodele didn't have time to celebrate his victory. More guards were coming. He retreated back toward the server room, his breaths ragged.
---
Inside the server room, Zarah was oblivious to the chaos unfolding outside. Her world had narrowed to the progress bar on her screen, now at ninety-four percent.
"Come on, come on," she whispered, her voice trembling. She could feel the sweat dripping down her back, soaking into her shirt.
Tunde paced nervously behind her, muttering to himself. "This was a mistake. We should have waited. We should have—"
"Shut up!" Zarah snapped, her patience wearing thin. "You're not helping."
The laptop emitted a soft ding, signaling the completion of the download. Zarah exhaled sharply, her hands shaking as she disconnected the hard drive and slipped it into her backpack.
"It's done," she said, standing up. "Let's get out of here."
Before Tunde could respond, Ayodele burst into the room, his shirt stained with sweat and his expression grim.
"They're right behind me," he said, slamming the door shut and locking it. "We need another way out."
Zarah looked around the room frantically. There was only one exit: the door now barricaded by Ayodele.
"No windows. No vents," she said, her voice rising with panic. "We're trapped."
Tunde stepped forward, his face set with determination. "Not yet." He pulled a folded piece of paper from his pocket and spread it out on the desk. It was a map of the facility.
"There's a maintenance hatch in the adjacent room," he said, pointing to a spot on the map. "It leads to an underground tunnel that connects to the shipping docks."
"And how do we get to the adjacent room?" Ayodele asked, his tone laced with skepticism.
Tunde hesitated. "Through the hallway."
"Of course," Ayodele muttered under his breath.
The sound of the guards pounding on the door cut through their conversation.
"We don't have a choice," Zarah said, tightening the straps on her backpack. "We go now."
---
Ayodele led the way, his stun baton held at the ready. Zarah and Tunde followed close behind, moving as quickly and quietly as they could.
The hallway was eerily silent, the only sound the faint hum of fluorescent lights. They reached the adjacent room without incident, but as they entered, Zarah's heart sank.
The maintenance hatch was secured with a heavy padlock.
"Of course it's locked," Ayodele said, his frustration evident. He turned to Tunde. "Do you have a key?"
Tunde shook his head. "No, but I have this." He held up the crowbar.
Ayodele rolled his eyes. "Better than nothing."
Tunde knelt beside the hatch and began prying at the lock. The metal groaned under the strain, but it refused to budge.
"Hurry up," Zarah urged, glancing nervously at the hallway. She could hear the guards shouting now, their voices growing louder.
"I'm trying!" Tunde snapped, his face red with effort.
Finally, with a sharp crack, the lock broke. Tunde pulled the hatch open, revealing a narrow ladder leading down into darkness.
"Go!" Ayodele said, motioning for Zarah to climb down.
She didn't hesitate, lowering herself onto the ladder and descending quickly. The air grew cooler and damp as she climbed, the faint smell of mildew filling her nostrils.
When she reached the bottom, she stepped into a narrow tunnel lined with rusted pipes. Ayodele and Tunde joined her moments later, the sound of the hatch slamming shut behind them.
"This way," Tunde said, taking the lead.
---
The tunnel seemed to stretch on forever, its walls closing in around them. Zarah's flashlight flickered, casting eerie shadows that danced along the damp concrete.
"Are we almost there?" she asked, her voice echoing slightly.
"Just a little farther," Tunde replied.
They finally emerged at the shipping docks, stepping into the cool night air. The area was deserted, the only sounds the distant hum of machinery and the lapping of water against the dock.
"We made it," Zarah said, her voice tinged with disbelief.
Ayodele nodded, though his expression remained tense. "We're not safe yet. Let's move."
They slipped through the docks, sticking to the shadows. Zarah clutched her backpack tightly, the hard drive inside feeling heavier with every step.
When they reached the edge of the docks, a van pulled up, its headlights off. The driver, one of their allies, motioned for them to get in.
As the van sped away, Zarah finally allowed herself to exhale. They had the evidence. They had escaped.
But deep down, she knew this was far from over.
---