Silence gripped the room so tightly that even breathing felt loud.Richard stared at the door like it was a bomb. Diane’s fingers were still hooked into his arm, trembling so badly he could feel it through his skin. Brian stood frozen with his stool lifted halfway like a shield. Guy was already sweating like someone poured water on him.Thomas’s voice came again, soft and polite… but dead on the inside.“Richard… you’re wasting my time.”Diane whispered, “Richard… please. Don’t open it. Please.”Guy shook his head violently. “Boss, if you open that door, me I’m jumping through the window. I’m not joking.”Brian hissed, “Guy, shut up and sit down!”“I can’t sit down, Brian! You think this is normal? A whole Thomas coming to our house at night like spirit? This is Nollywood part two!”Richard raised one hand to silence them.His heart pounded like it was trying to escape his chest.Thomas wasn’t supposed to be here.Not at his house.Not tonight.Not while they still had the flash drive

Richard didn’t wait another second.The moment he saw Diane’s frightened face in that picture, something inside him snapped, not in fear, but in a burning, unstoppable rage.He shoved the phone into his pocket and grabbed Andrew by the arm. “Tell me you have a bike, tell me we can move now.”Andrew nodded sharply. “The motorcycle is right there. But Richard, listen, whoever sent that message is already ahead of us. They had people watching your gate.”Richard clenched his fists. “Then they’ll see what happens when they touch my wife.”Andrew grabbed his shoulder. “Richard, calm down..”“Don’t tell me to calm down!” Richard barked, eyes wild with desperation. “They have Diane! I should’ve never left her alone! I should’ve..”Andrew snapped back, “You can’t save her if you lose your head!”Richard froze, breathing hard.Andrew lowered his voice. “We’re going to get her. But we need to think fast. Your enemies planned this. We need to hit them before they disappear with her.”Richard swa

Sirens screamed through the night.Red and blue lights washed over the abandoned quarry, bouncing off broken machines and jagged stone like a nightmare refusing to end. The sound grew louder with every passing second, pressing against Richard’s skull until it felt like his head would split.Andrew pushed Diane toward the tunnel entrance. “Go. Both of you. I’ll stall them.”“No,” Richard said sharply. “You’re coming with us.”Andrew hesitated. “Richard, the police will ask questions. Lots of questions.”Richard looked down at Diane. She was shaking, her fingers locked tightly into his jacket like letting go would make him disappear.“We’re not splitting up again,” Richard said firmly. “Not tonight. Not ever.”Diane nodded weakly. “Please… don’t leave me again.”Andrew cursed under his breath. “Fine. But we need to move. Sean and Brian won’t wait around to get arrested.”As if summoned by his words, a shout echoed from behind.“THIS WAY!”Footsteps pounded against stone.Sean Bishop’s v

Morning came quietly, but Richard had not slept.He stood in the kitchen, staring at a cup of cold coffee, his thoughts racing faster than the city outside. Diane sat at the small table, watching him with worried eyes. Andrew leaned against the counter, scrolling through his phone, but his attention was only half there.The house felt tense. Like something was about to snap.Diane finally broke the silence.“You’ve been standing there for almost ten minutes.”Richard blinked and looked at her. “Sorry.”She stood up and walked closer. “You didn’t sleep, did you?”He shook his head. “Couldn’t.”Andrew put his phone down. “Because of the call?”Richard nodded. “Because of what comes next.”Diane crossed her arms. “You said last night we’d build a network. That sounds dangerous already.”“It is,” Richard said honestly. “But hiding is more dangerous now.”Andrew frowned. “So who’s first? Who do we trust?”Richard didn’t answer immediately. He walked back into the living room and sat on the

The Warren Group building had never felt so cold.Diane stood at the glass window of her office, staring down at the city streets below. Cars moved like nothing was wrong. People laughed. Life went on. But inside her chest, everything felt tight, like the walls were slowly closing in.Behind her, the door opened.“Diane,” a familiar voice said.She turned quickly. “Dad.”Gerald Warren walked in, his face tense, his usually calm eyes filled with worry. He shut the door behind him and lowered his voice.“The board is panicking.”Diane let out a tired breath. “I figured.”“They’re calling emergency meetings. Banks are delaying transfers. Partners are suddenly… unavailable,” Gerald said carefully. “This investigation..”“It’s not real,” Diane cut in. “It’s an attack.”Gerald studied her face. “You’re sure?”“I am,” she said firmly. “Brian Lawrence is behind it.”Gerald sighed and sat down. “Kathleen thinks this is Richard’s fault.”Diane’s jaw tightened. “Of course she does.”“She wants h