The night air was thick with tension as Ayo and Bimpe exited the upscale hotel. Their every step felt watched, their every move scrutinized. The message had been clear: they were walking into a trap. But if the enemy thought fear would keep them away, they had another thing coming.
Back at headquarters, Inspector Goke was waiting for them. His face was grim as he gestured for them to sit.
"You two need to tread carefully," he said. "Whoever this 'Man in the Shadows' is, he's orchestrating this game with precision."
Ayo leaned forward. "We don't have a choice, sir. We need to take the fight to them."
Goke sighed, rubbing his temples. "Fine. But we do this smartly. I pulled some strings and got access to the security footage from the hotel. You might want to see this."
He pressed play on the laptop. The grainy footage showed a man in a dark suit entering the suite shortly before Ayo and Bimpe arrived. He moved with purpose, his face concealed by the brim of his hat. He placed the envelope on the coffee table, turned toward the camera, and raised his hand in a mocking salute before walking out.
Bimpe clenched her fists. "He knew we'd be watching. He wanted us to see this."
Ayo exhaled slowly. "We need to track him. Where did he go after leaving the hotel?"
Goke clicked a few keys, bringing up another clip. The man had exited through the service entrance, getting into a sleek black car. The plates were fake, but Goke had already anticipated that.
"Our tech team traced the car's last known location," he said. "An abandoned warehouse by the docks. It's a known meeting point for high-level criminals."
Ayo nodded. "Then that's where we go."
The docks were eerily silent when they arrived. The scent of saltwater mixed with oil lingered in the cold night air. Ayo gripped his gun, signaling for Bimpe to stay close.
"We go in quiet," he whispered. "If this is a trap, we need to be ready."
They moved cautiously through the shadows, the old warehouse looming ahead like a sleeping beast. The doors were slightly ajar. Ayo pushed one open, stepping inside with Bimpe covering him.
The interior was vast and empty, save for a single chair placed under a flickering light. On it sat a phone, ringing.
Ayo picked it up. "Ayo."
The distorted voice responded. "I was expecting you."
His jaw tightened. "You like playing games, don't you?"
A chuckle. "Only with worthy opponents. You and your partner have been quite entertaining."
Bimpe frowned, scanning the area. "Where are you?"
"Closer than you think."
Ayo's eyes darted around the space. Then he saw it, a small red dot moving across the floor, landing squarely on Bimpe's chest.
"Sniper!" Ayo shouted, tackling her to the ground just as a bullet whizzed past where she had been standing.
They scrambled for cover behind a stack of crates as more shots rang out.
"We need to move!" Bimpe said, her breath ragged.
Ayo reached for his radio. "Goke, we're under fire at the docks! Send backup, now!"
"Hang tight, we're on our way!" Goke's voice crackled through.
Ayo turned to Bimpe. "We can't wait. We need to flush them out."
She nodded. "Let's do it."
They split up, moving swiftly between cover, returning fire at the unseen assailant. Then, a shadow moved on the catwalk above them.
Ayo took aim and fired. A body fell, landing with a sickening thud.
Silence followed.
Then, the slow clap of hands echoed through the warehouse.
Ayo turned toward the sound, his gun raised.
A man stepped into the dim light, his face finally visible.
"Detective Ayo," he said smoothly. "We finally meet."
Ayo's grip tightened on the trigger. "And you are?"
The man smirked. "Call me Victor."
Bimpe's eyes widened. "Victor Adeyemi? The missing CEO?"
Victor nodded. "I prefer the term 'strategic disappearance.'"
Ayo's mind raced. Victor Adeyemi had vanished months ago after his company was linked to money laundering. Everyone assumed he had fled the country. But now, here he was, standing in the heart of their investigation.
"Why orchestrate all this?" Ayo asked.
Victor's smirk deepened. "Because, Detective, some things are bigger than you can imagine. And you've just scratched the surface."
The distant sound of sirens grew louder.
Victor glanced toward the entrance, then back at Ayo. "Looks like our time is up. But don't worry—we'll meet again."
Then, in one swift motion, he pulled a smoke grenade from his pocket, tossed it to the ground, and vanished into the mist.
By the time backup arrived, he was gone.
Ayo stared at the empty space where Victor had stood, his jaw clenched. This wasn't over.
It was just beginning.
Ayo paced back and forth inside the station, frustration simmering under his skin. "We had him, Bimpe. We had him in our sights, and he just vanished!"
Bimpe leaned against the desk, shaking her head. "He's been planning this for a long time, Ayo. Every move he makes is calculated."
Goke entered the room, holding a file. "You're not going to like this. The forensics team swept the warehouse. No prints, no DNA, no trace of anything. It's like he was never there."
Ayo ran a hand through his hair. "That's impossible. There has to be something."
Goke placed the file on the desk. "There is one thing: a voice match. Our tech team ran the recording of his voice through the database. It's a near match to someone else on our radar."
Bimpe frowned. "Who?"
Goke's expression darkened. "A former intelligence officer. Someone who disappeared years ago."
Ayo took the file, flipping it open. His eyes widened. "You have got to be kidding me."
Bimpe leaned in. "Who is he?"
Ayo's voice was grim. "Victor Adeyemi isn't just a missing CEO. He's a ghost. A trained operative who knows how to vanish. And if he's resurfaced now, it means he has a plan."
Bimpe's jaw tightened. "Then we find out what it is."
Ayo nodded. "And we stop him before it's too late."