CHAPTER EIGHT - The Virus

#Chaptereight #thevirus #meeting

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The Chief of Army Staff persisted, wanting answers to his question. "Mr. John, you haven't answered my question yet. What kind of virus are we talking about?" His question hung in the air, momentarily silencing Bill and his coworkers.

Ben let out a sigh before delivering the unsettling news. "Sir, I'm sorry to say, but we're dealing with something we all know as the coronavirus." His words fell like a lead weight, and disbelief swept over the faces of Mr. President and his cabinet. The Chief of Army Staff, who had leaned forward, now sank back into his chair, a narrow look etched on his face.

Still in shock, the governor, connected via video link from Lagos, muttered, "Mr. John, if I heard you correctly, you're saying there's a deadly virus, known as the coronavirus, right here in our city, ready to be released?"

Ben affirmed the grim truth, "Yes, Mr. Governor." His sharp response left the entire cabinet in a state of disarray. The Chief of Staff wiped his brow with a handkerchief, while Mr. President shifted in his seat, trying to process the information.

The Vice President, struggling to find a course of action, inquired, "Are there any clues on finding the virus?"

This time, Bill replied, "I'm afraid not, Mr. Vice President. But we're doing everything in our power to locate Jakeem, as he's our only lead."

Mr. President, issuing a direct order, turned to Bill, "Mr. Williams, I want you to do everything in your power to find that virus and those maniacs."

Bill nodded sharply, "Yes, sir."

He continued, "I also want to be updated as things progress. If you need anything, get in touch with the governor or me, and we'll assist in any way we can."

Bill acknowledged the president's directive, "No problem, Mr. President. I'll do just that."

The President then relayed his instruction to Ben "And Mr. John, I want you to do everything in your power to apprehend Dando and his allies."

Ben simply nodded in acknowledgment, "I'll do my best, Mr. President."

The Chief of Staff, sensing that the meeting had reached its end, decided to conclude it, "That will be all for now."

Bill nodded and pressed a button, ending the video feed connecting them to the President's office.

With the meeting wrapped up, Bill turned to his team, providing instructions and assignments according to Mr. President's requests.

He started with Kendra, issuing a directive, "Kendra, I want you to set up a level-one surveillance protocol immediately."

Kendra swiftly responded, "Right away, sir," and turned her attention to her computer.

Next, Bill turned to Nick, tasking him with preparing a holding package for Muiz, their only lead. "Nick, I want you to prepare a holding package for Muiz. I'd like to ask him some questions since he's our sole lead right now."

Nick replied with determination, "Copy that."

Finally, Bill addressed Hakeem, instructing him to send the virus's database to Aso Rock and coordinate with Kendra on the surveillance protocol.

Hakeem nodded with a faint smile, "Yes, boss."

After providing clear instructions to his team, Bill addressed them collectively, "Now, I want all hands-on deck. No sitting around. Jakeem needs to be captured before he can hand over the virus to Dando, understood?"

The team replied in unison, "Yes, sir."

Bill concluded, "Good. Now, let's get back to work."

The team members rose from their seats at different times and began to leave the conference room. It was a critical moment, and they were determined to carry out their tasks with precision and urgency.

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Time: 10:36:24 AM

Location: The Aso Rock

In the aftermath of the meeting with the FBI, the President decided to convene a cabinet meeting. Gathered around the imposing conference table were the Vice President, the Chief of Staff to the President, the Chief of Army Staff, the Permanent Secretary to the President, and the Governor of Lagos State, who joined the meeting remotely.

The Vice President, his brow furrowed, opened the discussion with a suggestion, "So, Mr. President, what do we do? Do we declare a state of emergency in Lagos State?"

The Chief of Staff shook his head in disagreement, "I don't think that's the best move right now. We don't know where the virus might be."

The Governor of Lagos State supported the Chief of Staff, "I agree. Declaring a state of emergency could plunge Lagos into chaos. These perpetrators could release the virus without us even realizing it."

Caressing his beard, the Vice President turned to the President, seeking his opinion, "Mr. President, what do you think?"

The President leaned forward, his expression serious, "Both perspectives have their merits. Evacuating the citizens would indeed cause trauma in Lagos, and it could also put other states in danger."

Before he could continue, the Chief of Army Staff stood up and walked to the large flat screen in the conference room. "Sorry to interrupt, Mr. President, but I'd like to bring something to your attention. Regarding evacuating the population, last week, the population of Lagos reached approximately 20 million citizens." He explained, standing next to the screen and projecting a map.

He continued, "Trying to evacuate such a large number of people would take days, even weeks. And we don't have that kind of time. An attack could be launched within the hour." The President looked intrigued as he inquired, "What are the likely locations for this attack?"

The Chief of Army Staff used a light pen to project locations on the screen. "Alimosho could be a primary target, with a population of over 11.5 million citizens. Other areas include Kosofe, Mushin, and Oshodi-Isolo, all densely populated. According to a medical report we received from FBI earlier, if this virus is released in all these densely populated areas..." He paused, a deep frown etched on his face, "it's highly likely to affect the entire state and beyond."

The room buzzed with murmurs as the gravity of the situation sunk in. The Governor leaned in closer to the screen, addressing the Chief of Army Staff, "So, you're saying this virus could potentially affect all parts of Nigeria?"

Stepping forward, the Chief of Army Staff came close to the screen. "Mr. Governor, I don't need to remind you of a similar case that occurred in 2019, a decade ago. Countless lives were lost worldwide due to this deadly virus. This means that not only Nigeria would be affected but the world at large... again."

Listening to the Chief of Army Staff's explanation, the President appeared more concerned. He stood up and paced around the office with his hands clasped behind his back. Suddenly, he stopped and locked eyes with the Chief of Staff, directing a question at him, "What's your suggestion, Yakubu?"

Yakubu sat upright and responded, "Mr. President, from my perspective, to prevent this attack, we must capture the culprits. The only person I trust to handle this case is Agent John and the FBI. I suggest we give our security agents some time to locate this man and the virus."

The Governor appeared dissatisfied with Yakubu's suggestion. He interjected, "But, as he said," pointing to the Chief of Army Staff, "we don't have time. Lagos could be a ghost city in a matter of hours, and the same goes for the entire world.

The governor's last words hit a nerve with Yakubu. Instead of offering a ray of hope, the governor's statement appeared pessimistic and unsettling.

"Mr. Governor, no offense, but I don't think that's the right thing to say. We should be hoping and praying for the terrorists to be caught, not predicting more trouble," Yakubu said, his face marked by a disapproving frown.

Mr. President, a wise and tactful leader, intervened to prevent a potential conflict between the two sides. "Well, you both have made valid points, and I appreciate your input," he began. "I believe I'll go with Yakubu's suggestion. I'll grant the security agents a few hours to track down this maniac. If they don't produce results by then, we'll initiate the evacuation process. In the meantime, let's keep this information between us. No leaks to the press, as I can't risk undermining my peace meeting with the President of Ghana." Mr. President said, his face showing a hint of concern, even if he didn't look too bothered.

"No problem, Mr. President, we'll do as you've said," Yakubu assured, a reassuring smile on his face.

"Any more suggestions or observations?" Mr. President inquired, his gaze directed at the person sitting right in front of him. Suddenly, the usually quiet permanent secretary couldn't contain himself any longer.

"Yes, Mr. President, just to inform you that you're to address the whole nation in the next 30 minutes regarding the attack on Shoprite."

"Oh yes, that's true," the President acknowledged, looking slightly flustered. "Umm... Yakubu, do you have my speech ready?" He turned to Yakubu, who promptly retrieved a black briefcase. "Yes, Mr. President, it's ready."

"Good, good," he nodded, a small smile appearing on his face. "Okay, that will be all for now." With that, they all rose from their seats and filed out of the room.

Yakubu, however, didn't follow suit. He remained seated, watching the others depart. The President noticed his hesitation and decided to address it.

"Yakubu, is there something you want to tell me?" he asked, loosening his tie slightly. Even with the air conditioner on, the situation at hand had elevated his body temperature, causing a sheen of sweat to form on his skin.

"Yes, Mr. President. I observed something during our meeting with the FBI," Yakubu began, moving closer and taking a seat adjacent to the President.

"Tell me," the President urged, leaning back in his chair, his right leg crossing over his lap.

"Firstly, I strongly believe that this Dando character isn't planning to release this virus but is, in some way, trying to use it as a threat against us," Yakubu stated.

Taken aback by this revelation, the President furrowed his brows. "What do you mean, a threat against us?"

Yakubu sighed. "One of the agents earlier discovered that Dando has a family connection with a terrorist who was executed in Ghana. Given our peace talks with the President of Ghana, and now Dando's involvement…" Yakubu paused, fixing the President with a pointed gaze. "Doesn't it strike you as suspicious, Mr. President?"

"I see your point, Yakubu, but you know how delicate the situation is between Nigerian and Ghanaian citizens. The effort I put into establishing this peace treaty with Ghana has been immense. I can't just throw that all away. Besides," the President began, but Yakubu interrupted him, vigorously shaking his head.

"Sorry to interrupt, Mr. President, but I'm not suggesting that you end the peace agreement with Ghana. No! What I'm insinuating is that you inform the president about our knowledge of the situation."

The President leaned forward, raising his eyebrows. "Do you think that's the best approach?"

"Yes, Mr. President, I believe it's the way to go," Yakubu said earnestly. "I hope it is."

Yakubu's words hung in the air as the President reclined in his chair, deep in thought, contemplating the advice given by his Chief of Staff.

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A/N: To those that guessed the name of the virus, congrats 🎉 Anyway, as u can see, we are dealing with something everyone know as the corona virus. Quite tragic right? Pls don't forget to comment guys.