Chapter 11: The Child Nobody Knew
909 Words
The convoy sped towards the airport through the early morning traffic.
Amara sat quietly by the window, clutching her handbag. Her eyes were swollen from a night of endless tears.
Every kilometre took her farther from Ethan.
Every heartbeat made her question whether she had made the right decision.
Her phone vibrated.
It was Ethan.
She stared at his name on the screen as tears blurred her vision.
She wanted to answer.
She wanted to hear his voice one more time.
But the threatening note echoed in her mind.
"If you truly love Ethan, leave him before sunrise... or you will watch him die."
With trembling fingers, she switched off her phone.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
"This is the only way I know to protect you."
---
Meanwhile, Ethan refused to accept that Amara was gone.
Ignoring his doctor's warning, he drove recklessly through the city, searching every place they had visited together.
The small café where they had shared their first meal.
The riverside where they had watched the sunset.
The hospital chapel where they had prayed.
Everywhere reminded him of her.
But she was nowhere to be found.
By afternoon, exhaustion forced him to stop.
As he rested his head against the steering wheel, his phone rang.
Inspector Musa Ibrahim.
"Ethan, where are you?"
"I'm looking for Amara."
"Stop searching for a moment. I have something you need to see."
"What is it?"
"We recovered the memory card from the photographer's camera."
Ethan's heart raced.
"I'm coming."
---
At Police Headquarters, Inspector Musa inserted the recovered memory card into a secure computer.
The screen flickered to life.
Dozens of photographs appeared.
Most showed Victor Dike secretly meeting politicians, businessmen, and senior officials.
Then another photograph appeared.
Ethan leaned closer.
His breath caught.
The picture showed his late father...
...holding the hand of a little boy.
The child looked no older than five.
Standing beside them was an unfamiliar young woman.
On the back of the photograph, someone had written:
«"Michael's greatest secret."»
Ethan frowned.
"I've never seen this child before."
Neither had Inspector Musa.
The next image was even more shocking.
It showed the same little boy standing beside Richard Okafor.
The date on the photograph was only three weeks before Michael Okafor's death.
"Who is he?" Ethan whispered.
Inspector Musa looked thoughtful.
"I think we've just found the person everyone wanted to erase."
---
Elsewhere...
Victor Dike's convoy quietly followed Amara's vehicle.
Daniel sat beside Victor in silence.
"What if she escapes?"
Victor smiled.
"She won't."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because she still believes people are basically good."
Daniel looked away.
Victor continued.
"The easiest people to deceive are those with kind hearts."
---
As Amara's vehicle approached a lonely stretch of highway, the driver frowned.
"Madam..."
"What is it?"
"I think we're being followed."
She looked through the rear window.
A black SUV remained several car lengths behind.
Another vehicle suddenly appeared in front of them.
The road was blocked.
The driver slammed on the brakes.
Tyres screamed against the asphalt.
Four armed men stepped out.
"Stay inside!" the driver shouted.
But before he could react, another vehicle rammed them from behind.
Glass shattered.
Smoke filled the air.
One of the attackers yanked open Amara's door.
"Come with us."
She fought desperately.
"Leave me alone!"
A sharp blow to the back of her head sent everything into darkness.
---
Several hours later...
Amara slowly regained consciousness.
She was lying on a bed inside an unfamiliar room.
The curtains were drawn.
The windows were barred.
She tried to stand.
The door opened.
An elderly woman entered carrying a tray of food.
"You're awake."
"Where am I?"
"You're safe."
"I don't believe you."
The woman sighed sadly.
"You have every reason not to."
"Who are you?"
"My name is Mama Agnes."
"Why am I here?"
"I was told to look after you."
"By whom?"
Before the woman could answer, the door opened again.
A small boy, no older than eight, ran into the room.
He stopped the moment he saw Amara.
His bright eyes widened with surprise.
"Mama Agnes..."
"Is this the lady Grandpa said would save us?"
Amara looked at the child in confusion.
The boy smiled shyly.
"My name is Samuel."
Then he said something that made Amara's heart stop.
"My father says my grandfather was called Michael Okafor."
The room fell silent.
Amara stared at the child, unable to breathe.
"What... did you say?"
Samuel repeated innocently,
"My grandfather's name was Michael Okafor."
Tears filled Mama Agnes's eyes.
She quietly closed the door.
"There is something you deserve to know."
She looked at the frightened little boy.
Then back at Amara.
"For twenty-five years..."
"...the world has believed Michael Okafor had only one child."
She paused.
"That was never true."
Amara felt the room spin.
Mama Agnes took a deep breath.
"Samuel is Michael Okafor's grandson."
"And his father..."
"...is the son nobody knows exists."
Far away, at that same moment, Ethan's phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown number appeared.
It contained only one sentence.
«"Stop looking for Amara... unless you also want to lose the last surviving member of your father's bloodline."»
Ethan stared at the message in disbelief.
"The last surviving member?"
His voice trembled.
"What does that mean?"
He had no idea that somewhere, hidden from the world, a boy named Samuel was waiting...
...with the power to uncover a family secret buried for more than two decades.
- Writer
