The sun rose over Bahari County, casting an orange glow over the coastal city. The streets bustled with life as boda bodas kept weaving through traffic, vendors calling out prices, schoolchildren laughing as they hurried past. To the people, today was just another Monday. To Victor Nyagah, it was the beginning of a storm.
Inside the governor's office, Victor sat behind his large mahogany desk, skimming through financial reports. His Chief of Staff, Anita Wanjiru, stood by the window, arms crossed. She had been with him since his campaign days. She was sharp, loyal, and just as determined to fix the county's mess.
"The numbers don't add up," Victor muttered, flipping another page. "How do we spend 500 million on a road project that doesn't exist?"
Anita exhaled sharply. "Welcome to Bahari County, Governor. The previous administration called it 'development.' I call it theft."
Victor leaned back in his chair, his mind racing. Roads that existed only on paper. Schools that had been "built" but were nothing more than empty fields. Salaries paid to employees who didn't exist. This wasn't just corruption it was a well-oiled machine of theft.
A knock at the door. His personal assistant, Joel, poked his head in. "Governor, the County Executive Committee members are here."
Victor nodded. "Send them in."
One by one, the county ministers entered. Men and women in expensive suits, their faces unreadable. Some had been part of the previous administration; others were new appointees. But one thing was certain many of them had dirty hands.
Victor stood. "Good morning. Let's get straight to it."
The room fell silent. He scanned their faces. He could see it; the fear, the skepticism. They had underestimated him. They thought he was just a businessman, new to politics, easy to manipulate.
They were wrong.
Victor placed the financial report on the table. "I've gone through the county's accounts. What I've found is theft on a scale I can't even begin to describe. Money meant for roads, schools, hospitals all gone. And no one seems to know where it went."
The Transport CEC, a stocky man named Kamau, cleared his throat. "Governor, these matters are… complicated. You're new here. Perhaps with time, you'll understand how things work."
Victor met his gaze. "Oh, I understand perfectly, Kamau. I understand that millions meant for development are in someone's pockets." He let the words sink in before continuing, "I want answers. And I want them now."
A long silence. Then, the Finance CEC, a woman named Gladys Njoroge, shifted uncomfortably. "Governor, if you dig too deep, you won't like what you find."
Victor held her gaze. "I already don't like what I've found. But let me make one thing clear. I wasn't elected to sit in this office and look the other way. Corruption ends today."
Some exchanged uneasy glances. Others remained stone-faced.
Then, Kamau chuckled. "Governor, you're a good man. But let me give you some advice. Many have tried to 'clean' Bahari County before you. None of them lasted."
The words hung in the air like a warning. A challenge.
Victor's lips curled into a small, knowing smile. He leaned forward slightly. "Then I guess it's time to change history."
Kamau smirked, but his eyes held something else. Amusement? Pity? Or was it a silent threat?
Either way, Victor knew one thing: The battle had begun.
And he was ready.
---
Victor's phone rang again. This time, the caller ID read "UNKNOWN." His fingers hesitated before answering.
"Governor Nyagah," the voice on the other end said, low and urgent. "I have something for you. It's big. It's about the contracts."
Victor's heart rate quickened. "Who is this?"
"There's no time to explain. Meet me tonight. The usual place. The docks."
The line went dead.
He sat back in his chair, the phone still pressed to his ear. The docks. It was a place he knew well from his business dealings, a location often used for those who needed to meet without questions. But in this world, it was a place for deals done in the shadows.
Anita entered the office just as Victor hung up. "Who was that?"
Victor's eyes narrowed. "Someone who knows something we need to know." He paused. "I'm going to the docks tonight. I need you to be ready. I have a feeling this won't be just a friendly chat."
Anita looked concerned. "Governor, this is dangerous. We don't know who we're dealing with."
"I know." Victor's voice was calm, but the weight of the situation settled on him. He had been warned. He had expected resistance, but this? It was getting personal.
Anita hesitated but nodded. "I'll have your back."
----
The sun dipped below the horizon, and the city of Bahari turned to a hazy, shadow-filled silhouette. Victor's car glided silently through the streets. He glanced at Anita, who sat beside him, eyes fixed on the road ahead.
The docks were located on the outskirts of the county, a remote area where the night's darkness seemed to smother everything. They pulled into a deserted parking lot near the water.
Victor stepped out of the car, the cool night air biting at his skin. The sounds of distant waves crashing against the rocks echoed in the silence.
"Wait here," he instructed Anita. "If anything happens, call for backup."
He moved cautiously toward the pier, his every sense alert. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. The shadowed figure in the distance had yet to make a move.
Then he saw him, a tall, cloaked man standing at the edge of the dock, his back turned.
Victor approached slowly.
"Are you the one who called me?"
The man turned, his face obscured by the hood of his cloak. "You're late."
"I came as quickly as I could," Victor replied, trying to steady his pulse. "What do you know about the contracts?"
The man stepped forward, a briefcase in hand. "Everything you need to know is in here." He handed the briefcase to Victor but kept his eyes fixed on him.
Victor took it, but his hand lingered on the handle. He wasn't sure why, but something about the man's demeanor felt off.
Suddenly, a loud shout echoed through the pier.
"Get down!"
Victor didn't hesitate. He dove to the ground as gunfire erupted, the sound of bullets whizzing past him. The cloaked man stumbled, clutching his chest, before collapsing to the floor with a sickening thud.
Anita's voice crackled through the radio in his ear. "Governor, we've got company! Get out of there now!"
Victor quickly grabbed the briefcase, heart pounding in his chest, and sprinted toward the car. As he turned the corner, he saw a black SUV speeding toward him. It was too late to outrun them.
"Anita!" he shouted. "We need to move! NOW!"
They jumped into the car, speeding away from the docks, the sound of gunfire still echoing behind them.
Victor's thoughts raced. The man had known about the contracts. But who had been trying to kill him.
---
The next day, Victor stood in front of his desk, the briefcase now open in front of him. Inside were several contracts. Official-looking documents with signatures from high-ranking government officials.
Anita stood beside him, her expression unreadable. "This is it, isn't it?" she asked.
Victor nodded. "The evidence we needed."
They sifted through the documents. The contracts were tied to fake infrastructure projects; roads that didn't exist, schools that were never built, all signed off by the previous governor's administration. The amounts were staggering.
But as he flipped through the pages, something caught his eye. A name. Kamau.
The Transport CEC. Victor's mind clicked. He had always been too eager to push projects through, too keen to cover up discrepancies.
He looked up at Anita. "Kamau's involved. He's the one who signed off on these."
Anita's eyes widened. "But he's one of your allies, your most trusted ally."
"I trusted him too much," Victor muttered.
Just then, his phone buzzed. The screen flashed with a single message:
"If you want to stay alive, stay away from Kamau."
Victor's breath caught. Was this another warning? Or was it something more?
Anita glanced at the phone. "What are you going to do?"
Victor clenched his jaw. "I'm going after him. Kamau has answers. And I'm not backing down"
----