Chapter 10: The Man with the Knife
545 Words
Chapter 10: The Man with the Knife
Lola’s grip tightened on her gun, eyes locked onto the man standing beside Ugo.
He was calm. Too calm.
His suit was clean, sharp, out of place in the gritty environment of the mechanic’s shop. The knife in his hand was small but deadly—not a weapon of intimidation, but precision.
Ugo groaned, lifting his bruised face. "Lola… don’t—"
The man pressed the blade against his throat.
"Ah ah," he interrupted, his voice smooth, almost amused. "No sudden moves, Detective. Unless you want your friend to bleed out right here."
Lola didn’t lower her gun.
"You must be Black Shield," she said evenly. "One of Odukoya’s men?"
The man tilted his head, smiling. "One of? Oh, no. I’m much more than that."
He pulled out a gold-plated badge from his pocket and tossed it onto the ground near her feet.
Lola’s blood ran cold as she recognized it.
The Nigerian Police Force. Special Intelligence Unit.
Her grip on the gun didn’t waver, but her mind was racing. A high-level officer. Corrupt. Working for Odukoya.
"So this is how far the rot goes," she muttered.
The man chuckled. "You don’t get it, do you? You’re alone, Ajibade. The force won’t back you. The system won’t save you. If you walk away now, we let you live."
Lola’s jaw clenched. "And if I don’t?"
His smile widened. "Then we put you in the ground next to your friend."
A sharp click sounded as Lola disengaged the gun’s safety.
"Try me."
The tension thickened, the room charged like a live wire.
The man sighed dramatically. "You detectives are always so stubborn."
Then, he moved.
Fast.
Lola had barely a second to react as he lunged toward her.
She fired—
Too late.
He slammed into her, knocking the gun aside. The shot went wide, shattering a rusted car mirror.
Pain exploded in her ribs as his elbow drove into her side.
He was trained. A professional. But so was she.
Lola twisted, using his momentum against him. She brought her knee up, slamming it into his stomach. He grunted, staggering back—just enough for her to regain control.
Gun. Where was the gun?
Her eyes darted to the side—there. On the floor.
But the man saw it too. They both dove for it.
Lola hit the ground first, fingers closing around the grip—
The knife sliced across her arm.
Pain. Hot, sharp.
She hissed but didn’t let go. Didn’t hesitate.
She rolled onto her back and fired.
BANG!
The man stiffened. Eyes wide. A dark red bloom spreading across his chest.
Then, he collapsed.
Silence.
Lola’s breath came in short bursts as she pressed her hand to her bleeding arm. The pain could wait.
She pushed herself up and rushed to Ugo, cutting the ropes around his wrists.
"Can you walk?" she asked, voice tight.
Ugo groaned but nodded. "Yeah. Let’s get the hell out of here."
Lola hauled him up, her mind still spinning.
This was bigger than she’d thought. Black Shield wasn’t just a criminal organization.
They had men inside the police. Inside the system.
And now, they knew she wasn’t going to stop.
Which meant they’d be coming for her next.
- Writer
