The knock on the door sent a chill down Victor's spine.
"Victor. It's me. Open up."
The voice was familiar, too familiar.
Julius gripped his gun. "We can't take chances."
Anita peered through the peephole. Her eyes widened. "It's Inspector Mutua."
Victor stiffened. The last time he had seen Inspector Mutua, the man had been working for Joseph.
Elijah whispered, "What if it's a trap?"
Victor took a deep breath. If Mutua was here to arrest him, they were cornered anyway. He nodded to Anita. "Let him in."
The door creaked open. Mutua stepped in, looking tense. His usual sharp suit was slightly disheveled, as if he had been in a hurry.
"We don't have much time," he said, closing the door behind him. "Joseph sent an elite unit after you. If you're here when they arrive, you're dead."
Victor's jaw tightened. "Why are you telling us this? Last I checked, you worked for him."
Mutua sighed. "Things have changed." He pulled out his phone and showed them a text message.
Joseph: 'Mutua, find Nyagah and kill him. No loose ends.'
Anita gasped.
Mutua pocketed the phone. "He's burning all bridges. I'm next on his list. I can help you, but we need to leave now."
Victor studied Mutua's face. There was sincerity in his eyes, but could he be trusted?
Before he could decide...
A loud 'bang' echoed outside.
The elite unit had arrived.
Gunshots shattered the silence.
"Move!" Mutua barked, drawing his pistol.
Julius kicked open the back door, leading them into a narrow alley. The sound of boots pounded behind them.
Victor ran, his heart hammering. Elijah stumbled, and Anita yanked him up. They couldn't afford to slow down.
A spotlight swept over them.
"There! Stop or we shoot!"
A bullet whizzed past Victor's ear.
Julius fired back, taking cover behind a stack of crates. "We won't outrun them like this!"
Mutua pointed to a sewer grate. "Down here!"
Anita hesitated. "Are you serious?"
Victor didn't think twice. He pried the cover open and jumped in. The stench was unbearable, but survival mattered more.
One by one, they climbed down just as more bullets rained down from above.
Julius pulled the grate back into place.
Above them, footsteps stopped.
One of the officers cursed. "They're gone."
Victor exhaled in the darkness. They had survived.
They emerged from the sewers miles away, exhausted and filthy.
Anita wiped sweat from her brow. "That was too close."
Elijah nodded. "Joseph won't stop. We need a new plan."
Victor turned to Mutua. "How much dirt do you have on Joseph?"
Mutua hesitated. "Enough to bring him down. But if I go public, I'm dead."
Julius smirked. "Welcome to the club."
Victor's mind raced. The corruption evidence was already out, but Joseph had twisted the narrative. They needed something bigger.
"We go after his money," Victor said. "If we freeze his accounts, we cut off his power."
Mutua frowned. "That won't be easy. He has layers of protection."
Elijah leaned forward. "But not impossible, right?"
Mutua sighed. "There's one way, but it's dangerous."
Victor's eyes narrowed. "Tell us."
Mutua glanced around. "We steal from him."
Silence.
Anita raised an eyebrow. "You want us to rob the most powerful man in the county?"
Mutua nodded. "His offshore accounts are linked to a private bank here. If we access those records, we can force an international investigation."
Victor exhaled.
This wasn't just politics anymore.
It was war.
---
Victor sat at the dimly lit table, staring at the blueprint Julius had spread before them.
"This is insane," Elijah muttered.
Mutua pointed at a section of the map. "Joseph's offshore accounts are linked to a private banking firm downtown. Their vault holds physical backups of all high-profile clients' financial records."
Anita frowned. "Breaking into a bank? We aren't criminals."
Mutua smirked. "Neither is Joseph, technically."
Victor rubbed his temples. The idea was madness. But it was their best shot at crippling Joseph before he silenced them all.
"How tight is security?" Julius asked.
Mutua exhaled. "Top-of-the-line. Armed guards. Biometric access."
Elijah shook his head. "So how do we get in?"
Mutua's eyes gleamed. "We don't. Someone on the inside does."
Victor leaned forward. "You have someone?"
Mutua nodded. "A bank employee. He hates Joseph. If we get him what he needs, he'll give us access."
Victor met Mutua's gaze. "What does he need?"
Mutua hesitated. "Protection. If we do this, Joseph will hunt him down."
Victor exhaled. "Then we get him out before Joseph finds him."
Anita looked at the blueprint. "When do we move?"
Mutua's voice was firm.
"Tomorrow night."
---
The night was eerily silent.
Victor adjusted his earpiece. "Everyone in position?"
Julius' voice crackled in. "South entrance, clear."
Anita checked her watch. "Our guy should be inside already."
Inside the bank, their contact, a nervous junior accountant named Peter wiped sweat from his brow.
He reached the vault's security panel. His hands trembled as he input the code.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
A green light flashed. The heavy door clicked open.
Mutua's voice came through. "He's in."
Victor exhaled. "Get the files and get out."
Inside the vault, Peter found the section marked 'Confidential'. He grabbed the files linked to Joseph's alias accounts.
Suddenly...
A red alarm light flashed.
Peter's breath caught. "Oh no."
Outside, sirens wailed.
Julius cursed. "They know."
Victor's blood ran cold. "Get him out! Now!"
----
Peter sprinted through the corridors as security guards stormed the bank.
Mutua barked into the radio. "He's heading for the east exit!"
Anita and Julius were already there, waiting in a getaway car.
Peter burst through the doors, files clutched to his chest.
"Move!" Julius shouted.
Peter dove into the back seat. Anita floored the accelerator.
Gunshots rang out behind them as guards tried to stop the escape.
Victor's heart pounded as he listened through the earpiece.
"Did we get it?"
Peter held up the files. "Everything. We got it all."
Victor exhaled in relief.
But then Mutua's voice came through, tense and urgent.
"Joseph knows. And he's coming for you."
---