Chapter 7: The Man Behind the Curtain
694 Words
Chapter 7: The Man Behind the Curtain
Lola sat in a dimly lit bar in Surulere, nursing a bottle of water as she waited. The air smelled of pepper soup, cigarettes, and bad decisions.
Her contact was late.
She glanced at her phone. Still no message.
Then, the door swung open, and Ugo, an investigative journalist with a reputation for exposing corrupt politicians, slid into the booth across from her. His shirt was wrinkled, his eyes darting around like he was expecting a bullet any second.
"You’re playing with fire, Ajibade," he said, barely above a whisper.
Lola leaned forward. "Tell me about Chief Lawrence Odukoya."
Ugo exhaled sharply. "You already know he owns BLP Holdings. But his real power? It’s hidden."
He pulled out a flash drive and pushed it towards her. "This has everything I could find. Black Shield isn’t just a company—it’s a covert operation."
Lola’s fingers tightened around the drive. "Operation for what?"
Ugo hesitated, then whispered, "Money laundering. Government contracts. Disappearing witnesses. It’s a front for Odukoya’s dirty work. The people who cross him? They don’t just lose their jobs. They vanish."
Lola’s stomach clenched. "Funmi found out, didn’t she?"
Ugo nodded. "She saw the numbers. The offshore accounts. She knew too much, and now she’s dead."
Silence settled between them.
Then, Ugo’s eyes flicked past her, and his face went pale.
"Ajibade… we need to leave. Now."
Lola turned her head slightly, just in time to see two men in dark suits step into the bar, scanning the room.
They were looking for someone.
And she had a strong feeling that someone was her.
Lola’s pulse remained steady, but her mind was racing. She kept her posture relaxed, her hand drifting casually towards the knife she’d tucked into her waistband.
The two men were professionals—not the loud, careless enforcers that politicians sent to intimidate people. These were the quiet ones, the ones who didn’t make threats. They simply did what they came to do.
Killers.
Ugo wiped sweat from his forehead. "Ajibade, I don’t know about you, but I’m not dying in this bar."
Lola didn’t respond. Instead, she leaned forward, lowering her voice. "Listen carefully. You’re going to stand up and walk to the restroom. Wait there until you hear three knocks on the door. Got it?"
Ugo swallowed. "What about you?"
Lola’s lips curled into a smirk. "I’ll handle them."
Ugo hesitated, then muttered a curse under his breath before sliding out of the booth and heading towards the back.
The men didn’t follow him. They were still looking. Scanning. Searching.
Lola needed an advantage. And she needed it fast.
She grabbed her bottle of water, unscrewed the cap, and “accidentally” knocked it over, spilling it onto the table.
"Ah! My phone!" she groaned loudly, causing heads to turn as she reached for her bag.
A distraction. A few seconds. That’s all she needed.
The moment their attention wavered, she slipped her gun from her holster and tucked it under her oversized blazer.
She rose to her feet, grabbing her bag, and walked toward the exit with the ease of someone who wasn’t being hunted.
As she stepped past the men, her stomach tightened. Would they recognize her?
One of them turned slightly, eyes brushing over her face. Then—
Nothing.
No hesitation. No flicker of recognition.
They didn’t know what she looked like.
Not yet.
Lola pushed the bar’s door open and stepped into the cool night air. But she didn’t breathe easy.
She walked casually down the street, forcing herself not to look back. The real test would come in the next few seconds.
If they were following, it meant they had made her.
If they weren’t… it meant someone else was being hunted tonight.
Her heart pounded as she reached the corner.
She turned.
And then—
She saw them step out of the bar. Not following her. But walking in the other direction.
Lola’s stomach twisted.
Ugo.
They were going after him.
Damn it!
Without hesitation, she spun on her heels and started moving fast. If she didn’t get to him first, he was already dead.
- Writer
