The summons arrived at 6 a.m., hand-delivered by a police officer who wouldn't meet Elian's eyes. The document was official, stamped with the seal of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and it commanded his appearance at 10 a.m. that morning to answer charges of "financial non-compliance and obstruction of lawful inquiry."
Elian read it twice, then called Chiamaka.
"They're moving," he said quietly. "EFCC summons. Ten o'clock today."
Her silence spoke volumes. The EFCC was no ordinary agency. It had the power to freeze assets, seize property, and detain indefinitely. It had been used for decades by the powerful to destroy the inconvenient.
"I'll gather the team. We'll have lawyers there within the hour."
"I don't want lawyers."
"What?"
"Not yet. If I walk in with a legal a
