Novels by Samuel Chikwado

I squeezed.My hand was like iron around his neck, holding him tight. I could feel his heart beating fast against my palm, like a scared bird trying to escape. “Say it again,” I whispered, my voice sounding rough. “Say his name. I dare you.”Hot blood from his beaten face smeared across my gloves. He was badly battered, but his eyes still had a glow in them.Then, he smiled. It was a slow, bloody grin.“Wait,” he whispered hoarsely. “You’ll want to hear this, Ethan.”I squeezed his throat harder until my knuckles turned white.“I know who is really behind all of this,” he choked out, his eyes pleading. “And I know why they chose your brother.”My anger didn't go away, it just froze. It felt like a heavy block of ice in my chest that made it hard to breathe. My fingers shook, but I didn't let go.“You’re lying,” I said, but I didn't even really believe my own words.I looked into his eyes to see if he was lying. I’ve spent my whole life figuring people out, and I could tell he was tel

The sound wasn't loud at first. It was a slow, heavy, low groan. It sounded like something huge was waking up from a long sleep.The floor vibrated beneath my boots, making me shake slightly.Noah felt it too. His body stiffened against me as the scary silence grew around us.Then the shaking stopped, and a part of the far wall scraped open with a loud, painful metal screech. Bright light shone through the new opening.A silhouette stood in the doorway. He was huge, with wide shoulders. He did not move.The person in the doorway didn't rush in. He just stood there in the bright light. Then, he took two slow, careful steps forward.My stomach twisted into a cold knot. I recognized him when he finally stepped into the light, the truth hit me like a bullet to the chest.It was him.This was the man who had broken into Noah’s house. He was the one who smashed through heavy doors as if they were made of paper. He was so strong it didn't seem human.He was the person who caused all of my br

The shot was so fast that I felt the impact of it on my back before I heard the loud bang.It was a sniper. My body acted on instinct, I raised my shoulder and desperately rolled across the floor, and a second later, another bullet blasted through the concrete exactly where my skull had been resting a heartbeat before.This wasn't like the disorganized men I’d cut through earlier. This shooter was different, he was patient. He was a professional. He was waiting for me to bleed out, and looking at the state of my gear, he wouldn't have to wait long.I dragged myself behind a thick stone pillar, my fingers slipped along the rough surface for any grip. Every movement felt like a betrayal of my own body. My ribs weren't just aching, they were grinding together with a sickening, wet sound that made my stomach turn. My armor had absorbed the impact, but the force had gone deep. Under my vest, I could feel a heavy, spreading warmth that was thick and warm. I was bleeding internally, some

My boots barely touched the ground. I was moving too fast for the world to catch up as I fired, aimed at the next target and Fired again.It wasn't a choice anymore, it was a necessity. I wasn't just a man in a suit, I was a shadow hunting other shadows. I had stopped using the glass scope on my rifle, it was too slow. Instead, I let the tech in my visor do the work. It painted the world in lines of neon blue and freezing yellow. Every man hiding behind a crate, every nervous breath, every finger twitching on a trigger, they all lit up like stars in a dying sky.The heavy thud of their bodies hitting the floor as I fired became a sound I marched to. But even as I shot through them, a heavy weight settled in my gut.It wasn't fear. I’d used up all my fear hours ago. It was the feeling of being hunted by time itself. My side had taken multiple bullets hits, although I was protected by my armor. Each breath felt like I was swallowing jagged pieces of glass. My legs were heavy, like

They were watching my every move, and at any given time, they could all fire at once. The armored vest may be hard enough to stop the bullets, but it was just metal and fiber. If all those shooters pulled their triggers at once, the sheer force would crush my ribs and throw me back like a broken doll. I took a breath, trying to steady the quick rhythm of my heart, and peeked over the opposite edge of the concrete slab. I brought the scope to my eye, and for a second, my lungs felt so tight I couldn't breathe.The darkness was completely occupied with so many men, they shifted slowly and moved quietly and crouched behind the pillars and old machinery like professionals without talking or making a sound.I sat back down, resting my spine against the cold stone. For the first time since I stepped into this nightmare, I just... stopped. I let my gun rest against my lap.Noah’s voice from the tape echoed in my mind, like a haunting reminder that he had seen this coming. This wasn't some

I walked over to the SUV, opened the door, and grabbed the keys before locking it up. I couldn’t make the same mistake twice and let some riff raff hijack my vehicle.I hurried back to the entrance and stepped inside. The door shut, and I followed the left path to avoid the mine I had set.I watched my steps carefully along the familiar tunnel in case they had set a trap. The fact that they timed my exit to take Noah proved they were watching my every move or being updated by the person controlling my lair.I kept walking down the tunnel with my gun pointed forward until I reached the next entrance which didn't open earlier. Just as I expected, the area was empty, they had already moved.I drew the triangle symbol on the sensor, and surprisingly the door slid open. I walked toward the other entrance and turned right. My mine hadn't gone off, meaning they had relocated while I was inside.I knew that would happen. If this person was playing a game, I had to play along and beat them w