Leaning back in his chair, the chubby middle-aged man let out a laugh that was half amusement, half disbelief. His gold wristwatch caught the light each time his hand moved, swirling the wine in his glass.

“It’s funny,” he said, shaking his head. “How easily things can work.”

“Eh, it’s all about knowing the right people. People can’t complain about what they don’t know,” replied the even chubbier man sitting across from him.

Both men were important, and they dressed like it, in outfits that probably cost as much as an average man’s three-year salary.

The less chubby one was Mr Erik, president of Korina, a fast-rising national construction company handling some of the country’s biggest projects. The more chubby man was His Excellency Ukeme, a Local Government Chairman with ambitions far beyond grassroots politics.

They sat across from each other in a lavish fine-dining restaurant. Mr Erik chuckled again.

“That’s why I’m grateful for our friendship,” he continued. “Without your help, we wouldn’t be this successful.”

They laughed loudly, like men who had never been told no.

A pause followed. The restaurant was quiet in the way only expensive places could be. Soft piano music floated above the clinking of cutlery as waiters moved like shadows between tables, dressed in white linen.

The Chairman cleared his throat.

“So,” he said carefully, “can I expect your support in the next election?”

Mr Erik didn’t answer immediately. He wiped his mouth with a napkin, then leaned forward.

“After your help with everything?” A slow smile spread across his face. “You can rest assured. I have you covered.”

The Chairman’s face opened into a wide grin before rasing his glass. “This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

Their glasses clicked.

Mr Erik glanced toward the entrance just as a young woman made her way to their table. She wore confidence like perfume, a type of person you’d notice before she even spoke.

“I prepared a little dessert for you,” he said, smiling mischievously.

The Chairman frowned lightly. “I’m trying to avoid sweet things.”

Mr Erik smirked. “A little never hurt anybody.”

Laughter resumed as the young woman settled comfortably on the Chairman’s lap.

Above them, a fly buzzed lazily near the ceiling light. It didn’t matter. No one in the room was paying attention. They were too busy laughing and whispering half-finished deals above the steady clatter of cutlery. 

A fly buzzed lazily around the room.

The sound was small, but in the quiet, it felt loud and annoying, like it owned the place.

The room itself was barely lit. Just shadows and shapes. Whoever was inside sat somewhere near the far wall, but it was hard to make out anything clearly. The light was too dim for that.

Only the soft blue glow of the computer screen flickered in the dark.

The fly drifted toward it, circling once before veering away again.

From the darkness came the sound of keys tapping.

Click.

Click-click.

Pause.

Click.

The room slowly revealed itself the longer you looked.

It wasn’t big. But it was packed.

Two monitors. Audio mixers. A small recording microphone with a foam cover. Cables running everywhere like tangled vines.

Hard drives blinked quietly on a shelf. A router light flashed green every few seconds. The whole place looked like a small studio someone had built piece by piece.

The person at the desk leaned forward slightly.

More typing.

A window popped up on the screen.

Files moved. Audio waveforms. Video clips.

Another click.

Upload.

The progress bar crawled slowly across the screen.

And just like that …

Breaking News... SE LG Chairman Caught on Camera in Road Construction Corruption Scandal

Phones, tablets, and newspapers all carried a version. The story was out.

The headline took centre stage. Days turned into weeks, and article after article poured out as each party laid blame on the other.

One article read:

KORINA CHAIRMAN PLACES BLAME ON LG CHAIRMAN

"Mr Erik, president of Korina Construction, has laid blame on the LG Chairman, stating he was forced to reduce construction quality after being pressured to pay “facilitation fees” demanded by the chairman’s office…"

Another report read:

"Breaking developments tonight in the corruption investigation surrounding the South-East Local Government Chairman.

The chairman has officially been impeached and brought to trial on multiple counts of bribery and project cost manipulation. So far, the court has identified and seized five hundred and twenty-eight million Naira hidden across several private accounts.

That discovery has sparked new conversations within the National Assembly and the Federal Government about stricter monitoring of public project funding and contract awards.

Investigations are ongoing. And sources suggest this may only be the beginning."

The room was filled with low murmuring before a man in his 50s finally spoke.

“It is high time your team starts looking into these video uploads,” he said, his voice firm with irritation. “It’s becoming unbecoming.”

Another man, clearly much older, leaned forward slightly. “With all the tools at your disposal, you people should be able to tell us who is behind this. Or is there something we aren’t aware of?”

Isa adjusted himself in his seat before responding carefully.

“Sirs, we are at a crossroads here. For one, we don’t even know if this is an internal problem. We have kept quiet because, as per the rules given to us by the leaders, internal feuds are not within our jurisdiction.”

A third man scoffed lightly. He was a man well into his 60’s and clearly the leader of the three men interrogating the fourth man in the room.

“Look, Isa, we know it’s an internal game…” The third man began, “Elections are coming, and everybody is playing dirty.”

“The fact that you don’t know if it’s internal is irrelevant,” The second man added immediately. “We know it is. We just want to know who is behind it and serve him his punishment.”

The room fell silent for a brief moment.

“We are all trembling in fear now, and that is wrong,” The second man continued. “The PSS should get to work.”

The first man nodded in agreement. “Even if you can’t openly say who it is because of political reasons, at least stop them from posting publicly.”

“Exactly,” The second man said. “We can do all this privately. This is a game we all play. Why take it too far?”

Isa let out a slow breath.

“I have heard everything you’ve said, sirs. The PSS will look into it and give a response as soon as we can.”

“Five hundred and twenty-eight million…”

“Somehow I'm not even moved by this amount anymore? Ehen?” Bibi asked stating at her phone as she read the article.

“Don't tell me you've been desensitised already?,” Edin asked picking up her coffee from the sink and walking to the island in the kitchenette.

"Would it be strange if we were?” Soji asked joining the ladies on the island where they sat.

"Not necessarily but let's not become that." Edin answered.

Bibi nodded as she scrolled further through the article. Then paused. 

“But wait…” She looked up. “I wonder who is exposing them.” Her eyes moved between the two of them. “And why?”

Edin shook her head. “I don't completely buy the hero doing public service explanation. Something deeper is happening”

“I've thought that for a while now, their strategy has always been unique and it's only getting better” Soji answered looking a little concerned.

Bibi sighed and focused on her meat pie.“Whatever the case,” she said between bites, “I just hope we don't get involved. It'll be a lot of work to handle.”

The three of them went quiet for a moment.

Then Soji looked up. “Was that always there?”

They all turned. Someone had written a message on the kitchen board.

Bibi squinted slightly. “I wonder how she does that.”

“It’s best not to think about it, but she knows how to get our attention, though”, Edin said, reading the message.

“Meeting at 10am. Conference room. New job briefing.” 

Each phrase was written in a different colour, circled and starred. There was no way you’d miss it.

Bibi blinked. “10am, that’s in 50 minutes.”

And that is my cue to get going. Edin said, taking her cup with her.

The alarm blared loudly through the room.

“Uh, I know, I know. My eye is open,” Lotanna muttered groggily.

Neto lifted his head from the foot of the bed, his ears dropping in sleepy solidarity.

“Why did I ever agree to take this job?” Lotanna grumbled as he sat up. “Wasn’t I doing fine with freelancing before? Ehen?”

The strange mix of Basenji, Azawakh, and Greyhound simply stared at him for a second before curling back into himself like the conversation was no longer his concern.

Lotanna dragged himself out of bed and into the shower. The morning was far too early for any human being to function properly, and he was not ready for it at all.

By the time he entered his kitchen, he moved much less slowly, preparing Neto’s food while throwing together a quick sandwich and a hot cup of tea. He paused by the kitchen window for a moment, staring at the street outside. A small smile found its way onto his face as he observed people moving about in their usual morning rush, analysing them like it was some private game. 

It was exactly 8 a.m. when he took the last sip. He had already placed the food and water neatly at Neto’s feeding corner, but Neto wasn’t a dog you could force to eat when he didn’t want to. Lotanna knew that much and simply patted his dog lightly before picking up his bag.

“I’m off,” he announced. “And I expect empty bowls by the time I’m back. Picky eating is not allowed anymore.”

Neto followed him to the door, watching silently until Lotanna stepped outside.

The moment the door shut, the dog turned around, layed down, and then went back to sleep.

The building had no signboard. That was the first thing Lotanna noticed.

He adjusted his sleeves slightly and followed Tosin down the corridor. Several doors lined both sides of the hallway.

“Welcome to the Privacy Security Service,” Tosin said casually as they walked. “We handle everything related to federal and state privacy.”

Lotanna slowed down. “Government privacy,” he asked, “or government people privacy?”

Tosin smiled but didn’t stop walking. “Government people.”

They stepped into a small but sleek office. Eight desks. Large monitors. No decorations save for desk plants by the window. No photos. No personality. Just workstations.

“Our job,” Tosin continued, “is to ensure that people in power maintain maximum privacy.”

“In good and bad situations?” Lotanna asked.

Tosin hesitated for half a second. “It’s not our place to…”

“I’m not a moralist,” Lotanna cut in calmly. “I just like to know the kind of dirt I’m stepping into.”

Tosin studied him briefly. “Yes,” he said. “In good and bad situations. We protect them. And anyone they say concerns them.”

Lotanna nodded slowly. “What happens to the information we collect?”

“Stored under heavy encryption. Six-man access.”

“Do we know the six men?”

“No.” Tosin shook his head. “All six of them don’t even know who the others are.”

Lotanna raised his eyebrows slightly. He was impressed by how meticulous a Nigerian agency could be.

Tosin gestured around the room. “We’re eight in total. Small team. I’m the team leader. Every new privacy threat comes to me first.”

He began pointing at the desks as he spoke.

“Edin handles communications. She can change public sentiment in one paragraph if you vex her enough.”

“Makua handles payouts and accounting. Wizard with numbers. He can manipulate them… and find manipulation when it happens.”

“Soj is our hacker. If it’s online, he’ll find it.”

“Bibi is our analyst. Risk assessment, projections, trend manipulation.”

“Maya is our office assistant and records keeper. If you need anything in the office, she’s your girl.”

Tosin stopped in front of Lotanna.

“And you… You’re our behaviourist. Mediator.”

Lotanna tilted his head slightly. “I prefer manipulator.”

Tosin laughed. “You’ll fit right in.” He said as they continued walking.

“Your work includes fact-checking, field data gathering, persuasion, and negotiation.”

“Field data gathering?” Lotanna asked.

“Eavesdropping,” Tosin replied flatly.

“Classy.”

Tosin ignored the comment.

“And of course, Director Isa. He handles funding and reports to higher authorities. We don’t see those higher authorities. Only he does.” They stopped beside an empty desk.

“This is yours. Meals are covered. We work ten hours daily. On call all year. Pay is excellent.”

Lotanna sat down slowly, looking over the fully equipped workstation in front of him.

“Anything else?” Tosin asked.

“No,” Lotanna said, switching on his monitor. “I’m good.”

“Alright then, we’ll begin a briefing in 10 minutes. Let’s see how good you really are.”

Isa folded his hands on the table and looked around the room. “Okay. That wraps up the last two cases.”

“At this point, we have one pressing case and one messy case. The messy one needs additional approval before we touch it, so we’ll start with the pressing case.”

He looked toward Tosin. “Tos.”

Tosin tapped his tablet, and a file opened on everyone’s screens.

“Alright,” he said. “If you look at the file on your tabs… six weeks ago, an anonymous parcel was received. Inside were seven explicit photographs of a woman.”

He scrolled down.

“The woman is Eteno Omoruyi. Forty-three years old. Married. Two children.”

Bibi looked up. “How explicit?”

Tosin didn’t even pause. “She was performing at a strip show. As the stripper.”

A few heads lifted.

“The club is extremely exclusive,” Tos continued. “Only people with serious money get in. It’s located in the heart of Edo.”

Edin leaned forward slightly. “How clear are the images?”

“Crystal,” Tos replied. “High resolution. Good lighting. Multiple angles. Different days. There’s no way to deny it’s her.”

He tapped the screen again. “But the images themselves are not the main problem.”

Another file appeared. “The parcel also included a note.” “The sender claims they have a video, three additional images, and an unknown document.”

Lotanna leaned closer to his screen. “What did they ask for?”

“Six hundred and forty million naira.”

The room went quiet for a moment.

Lotanna tilted his head slightly. “That’s… specific.”

Isa spoke next. Mrs Omoruyi is the wife of the current Commissioner of Crops in Edo State. Her husband and his political allies recently secured a major government allocation meant to uplift the state’s agricultural sector.” 

Isa paused. 

“But it required favours, influence, and some… questionable arrangements.” “But the public supported it strongly.”

Tosin swiped the screen again. “The allocated fund was exactly eight hundred million naira.”

Makua leaned back slowly. “So the blackmailer is demanding eighty per cent.”

Lotanna nodded slowly. “Still very specific.” He looked at Isa. “Why eighty per cent?”

Isa didn’t hesitate. “Because that is the amount the commissioner and his allies quietly pocketed.”

“Ah,” Lotanna said, nodding once. “So the blackmail was never really about the woman.”

“Exactly, it was always about the missing funds,” Isa confirmed.

“But that leads to the second problem.” Tosin continued. “When Mrs Omoruyi discovered the parcel, she immediately called her husband. Instead of negotiating with the blackmailers… the commissioner tried to fix the problem by calling a cleaning team.”

Soji laughed. “Leftovers?”

Tosin nodded. “Yes. Leftovers.”

Makua shook his head slowly. “And they messed up, abi?”

“They shat in their pants.” Tosin sighed. “They made the situation worse.”

He brought up another file. “What the commissioner didn’t know was that the mysterious document mentioned in the note was proof of the stolen funds.”

“The blackmailers sent him a detailed financial breakdown after the Leftovers failed to intercept them.”

Makua leaned forward. “Now this story is becoming interesting.” “What happened next?”

Tosin zoomed into another section. 

“Mrs Omoruyi’s in-laws stepped in.” He looked around the room. “The Omoruyi family runs one of the most advanced private security installation companies in the country. They design security for major government facilities. Bulletproof doors. Hidden cameras. Spy and anti-spy technology.”

“So these are not small boys,” Bibi spoke softly.

“No,” Tosin said. “Not at all. But that’s where things became messier.”

He pulled up the negotiation log.

“Ten days ago, the Omoruyis managed to reach a deal with the blackmailers.”

“The agreed payment was two hundred million.”

Makua frowned slightly. “Let me guess…They didn’t pay the full amount.”

Tosin nodded. “They transferred only one hundred million and demanded the video and the document first.”

“Shockingly,” Tosin added, “the blackmailers actually complied. But the moment the Omoruyis received the files… they cut communication completely.”

Makua rubbed his forehead. “Ah. These people are not very smart.”

Bibi sighed. “They probably thought the video and documents were the most dangerous evidence. So they collected those first… then planned to deny the images later and call them fake.”

Tosin nodded. “Yes. But the plan failed.”

Soji leaned forward. “What went wrong?”

Isa answered calmly. “The images showed the audience she was performing for.”

Tosin added carefully. “We cannot confirm if the boys in the images are underage. But they look… very young.”

Edin frowned. ”Do we know if this was a few-times thing or a regular activity?”

Isa shook his head. “According to Mrs Omoruyi, she has never had a security issue before.” “No previous threats. No earlier blackmail attempts.”

Tosin closed the file. “The blackmailers have now returned. Their new demand is two hundred million naira.”

“The same amount they had originally agreed with the Omoruyis.”

“The logical move for the Omoruyis now would be to abandon the situation and fight it through the media,” Edin stated.

“I doubt anyone would pay two hundred million just to suppress three photographs,” Makua confirmed

Isa shook his head. “Our client is not the Omoruyi family.”

Bibi turned. “Then who?”

Isa replied calmly. “His Excellency Etinosa Emovon.”

Heads lifted immediately.

“The former Vice President?” Soji asked.

Isa nodded. Mrs Omoruyi is his granddaughter. And he has no intention of letting his granddaughter’s private life become a public scandal.”

He paused.

“It would destroy her reputation… damage his grandson’s upcoming political ambitions… and stain the entire family name.”

“The blackmailers gave four days. If they don’t receive payment, they release the remaining three images.” Tosin explained

Isa adjusted himself in his seat. “We have two objectives.”

“First. Identify the blackmailers and stop them.”

“Second. If that fails… negotiate the payment down to one hundred and twenty million. That is the maximum amount His Excellency is willing to pay.”

“And as a plan C, let’s start laying the groundwork to cover the potential scandal just in case the images get out”

“We now control the communication channel.” Tosin added, “The blackmailers will negotiate through us.”

Isa spoke firmly...

“Soj, track down their communication and payment. If we can find their trace online, we can catch them”

“Bibi, go through the family’s records and details and find out who has enough money, means, courage, and grudge to pull this off. Any detail could help us trace them.”

“Edin, study their communication patterns. Identify how they plan to release the images. Any detail about their distribution system could save us. Also, identify every platform where this story could possibly spread. Prepare blocks, filters, counter-narratives. If anyone even whispers about this situation online… I want it buried.”

“Makua, track financial movement. The payment account is foreign but not crypto. Work with Soj and Bibi. Trace the account. Find anything that leads back to the blackmailers. I also want you to look into the finances of everyone related to the family. Something might pop up.”

“Tanna, you will talk to them. Convince them to accept the deal. Two hundred and twenty million is already a life-changing amount. Use that. You’ll analyse all available data and build your negotiation strategy.”

“Finally...” he turned to Tos. “Prepare the private meeting room. That will be our communication base. Also, establish a direct link with His Excellency and Mrs Omoruyi.”

Isa looked around the room one last time. “I want reports every six hours.”

“No one goes home… no one sleeps… and we cannot fail.” He said and then left the conference room. 

“I think we should start off with tracing their communication channel,” Soji said, turning to Tosin.

Tos nodded. “The parcels were delivered through physical post offices.”

Soj turned slightly in his chair. “That’s good. Even if the sender used fake details, the postal network logs every package digitally.”

“I’ll access the national postal portal and check their internal tracking reports. Cameras. Time stamps. Drop-off locations.”

He cracked his fingers. “Let’s see what they left behind.”

Tos turned to the others. “We also need a response message ready in case they contact us before we reach out.”

Edin crossed her arms. “The bigger issue is still those boys in the images. If they are underage, the scandal becomes explosive. If they’re just young adults, we can soften the narrative.”

She looked at Tosin. “We need confirmation.”

Tosin nodded. “Tanna, go with Edin to Edo. You two investigate the boys. Find them. Talk to them. If we can get a statement that supports what Mrs Omoruyi told us… We gain leverage.”

Tosin looked at Makua next. “We’ve been allocated fifty million for operational expenses.”

Makua raised an eyebrow. “Only?”

“Make it work,” Tosin replied. “Also, make sure we don’t spend it all.”

Then he turned to Bibi. “While you’re deep diving on the Omoruyis and the Emovon family, focus first on political rivals.”

“You think this could be political? Bibi asked”

“We can’t completely rule it out. If someone benefits from a scandal like this… that person moves to the top of our suspect list.” 

He checked his phone. “Alright, Edin…Helicopter leaves in twenty minutes.”

The helicopter blades slowed as the aircraft settled onto the landing pad. The wind they kicked up scattered dust across the roof before finally fading into silence.

Tanna stepped out first, squinting against the last rush of air. “How exactly do we introduce ourselves to people?” he asked as they walked toward the stairwell.

Edin chuckled. “We typically just say we’re Secret Service and show them our badge. Or give them the badge number. That’s usually enough.”

Tanna raised a brow. “And the actual Secret Service team is okay with that?”

Edin nodded as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

“We actually are an arm of the Secret Service, but we are so private that only the top executives know we exist.”

“Okay,” Tanna muttered. “But I don’t have my badge yet, though.”

“Yeah, it’ll be ready in a few days,” Edin replied. “That’s why I’m here with you. I’ll do the badging. You just ride along and do your thing.”

They stepped into the building and were led into a quiet office where the Head of Operations was already waiting. She looked tense. The kind of tense someone gets when their entire career might collapse depending on how a conversation goes.

“Privacy is our biggest pride here,” she began quickly. “So we were shocked when we heard about this situation. We received the call, and we’re prepared to tell you anything we know.”

Edin nodded calmly. “Is Mrs Omoruyi a regular?”

“Yes,” the woman said. “She comes in two to three times a month.”

“And the boys, are they underage?” Edin asked

The woman hesitated for a few seconds before answering. “Mrs Omoruyi has… a unique taste and young men are a part of it.”

Tanna leaned forward slightly. “So they’re not underage?”

The woman almost looked offended. “No, no. We don’t do that here.”

Tanna nodded slowly. “From what I see, your security system seems top-notch.” He paused. “But clearly there’s been a breach. What’s your opinion about the lapse? What could have happened?”

The Head of Operations sighed. “That’s the shocking part. Phones are not allowed in the club at all. The boys are heavily searched before entry, and even clients are strictly warned about mobile usage. Most of them wouldn’t want this side of their lives exposed anyway.”

Edin spoke next. “Can we speak to the boys?”

“Yes,” she said. “We already called them in and explained the situation.”

“And they all showed up?” Tanna asked.

“Yes.” The Head of Operations said firmly.

“Apart from the boys,” Tanna continued, “who else had access to Mrs Omoruyi’s room?”

“Servers and security only,” the woman replied. “Security is stationed at the end of each wing, and servers are only allowed in when necessary. Our sanitation staff enters only after the client leaves.”

“And no one could have slipped in?” Tanna asked.

“You’ve seen our system,” she said firmly. “Any irregular entry triggers an investigation immediately. We can’t run this facility if we’re sloppy. The class of people we serve… they’re very unforgiving.”

“So this must be a major concern for you,” Tanna said.

“Of course it is,” she admitted. “I’m grateful the news hasn’t spread yet. But I know that won’t last.”

Edin leaned forward slightly. “Who else has access to your main servers besides the tech team?”

“No one. And we use encryption that changes every thirty minutes. You would need an extremely skilled team operating nearby to breach our servers.”

She paused. “And honestly… why would anyone go through all that trouble just for a few images?”

Tanna studied her quietly. “How well did you know Mrs Omoruyi?”

“Not well,” she admitted. “She came, did her thing, and left. We try not to be too cordial with clients. They prefer it that way.”

“And you can’t think of anyone who might want to do this?” Tanna asked

She shook her head, deep in thought, her face slightly concerned as she paused for half a minute. “Everyone here gets a private room. Altercations rarely happen.”

Tanna softened his tone. “I understand how serious this situation is for you. Your job, your reputation… all of it is on the line.”

She looked relieved; someone finally said it out loud.

“But trust me,” Tanna continued, “this isn’t your fault. People like Mrs Omoruyi tend to have… a lot of enemies. We’ll do our best to clear your facility of any suspicion.”

The woman visibly relaxed. “Thank you.”

Tanna stood. “And if you remember anything. Anything at all. Even something small that happened with Mrs Omoruyi… call me.”

He said writing out his number on a sticky note he found on her desk.

She nodded quickly. “I will.”

Edin cleared his throat. “We’ll see the boys now.”

“Smooth,” Edin muttered as they stepped into the hallway.

Tanna smirked. “She knows something. She just wasn’t sure if she could trust us yet. I gave her a little nudge to reassure her that we were trustworthy.”

“You mean to trust you.” Edin corrected.

“Same thing,” Tanna said in defence.

Four young men were waiting in a small lounge when they entered.

Edin stepped forward. “I’m Edin from the National Secret Service. We’d like to ask you a few questions.”

The boys exchanged glances but nodded.

“Are you regulars with Mrs Omoruyi?” Edin asked.

“Yes,” One of the boys replied. “We’re usually called when she arrives.”

“How old are all of you?” Edin continued.

“None of us is underage,” said a second quickly. “The youngest is him.”

The second boy pointed at a slimmer boy sitting quietly at the end of the couch.

“I’m nineteen,” said the third.

“I’m twenty-three,” the second boy added.

“Twenty,” the first said.

“Twenty-one,” the last confirmed.

Edin nodded, studying their faces. “Did any of you work with her before turning eighteen?”

“No,” the second oldest said immediately. “The club doesn’t allow underage boys. And it wasn’t us who leaked anything either.”

Tanna leaned back casually. “We never thought it was you. Besides… you were all visible in the image.”

His eyes settled on one of them, the oldest. “You’re the leader, right?”

The boy shook his head. “Not the leader. I’ve just worked with Mrs Omoruyi the longest.”

“Since you were eighteen?” Edin asked.

Tanna cut in quietly. “Before that...”

The boy stiffened slightly.

“You knew her earlier, didn’t you?” Tanna asked

The room went quiet.

“Nothing happened until long after I turned eighteen,” the boy said carefully.

Tanna tilted his head. “Some people would call that grooming.”

The boy shrugged. “It’s not if you wanted it, and it pays our bills.”

“Ah,” Tanna said softly. “Of course.”

Edin moved the conversation forward. “Can you think of anyone who might benefit from leaking those images?”

Three of them shook their heads. “No.”

Tanna’s eyes moved to the youngest one. “You didn’t join the chorus.”

The boy hesitated. “N… no.”

The oldest boy cut in quickly. “Nothing happens here. Privacy is number one.”

Tanna leaned forward. “You know something. And the longer you hold it back, the longer this problem stays unresolved.”

“We aren’t…” The oldest began

“Something happened,” the youngest blurted.

“Stop,” the second-oldest warned.

“It might help,” the youngest defended.

They argued quietly for a moment before the twenty-year-old boy sighed.

“A few months ago,” he began slowly, “we came in early and found a lot of broken items in the club. Like there had been a fight. Everyone kept quiet,” he continued. “But we heard Mrs Omoruyi was involved somehow.”

Tanna’s eyes sharpened. “Did she come back after that?”

“Yes,” the boy said. “She came every day for almost a week. But then she disappeared for almost six months. That’s all we know”

Edin nodded slowly. “Alright. Listen carefully.” His voice was firm and authoritative. No one can know about this conversation or the situation at hand. You will not answer any questions from anyone about it, and you will not leave hints anywhere.”

The boys nodded.

Edin placed documents on the table. “Sign here each of you, and you’ll be compensated for your cooperation.”

“What happened?” Tosin asked over the phone as Tanna and Edin walked out of the club.

“The boys are all over eighteen,” Edin said. “Barely past twenty, but still legal. We got them to testify that there was no solicitation, and we settled at two million compensation for each boy. They signed statements and confidentiality agreements.” Makua, you’d need to do the transfer. I’ve forwarded their details to you.

Makua hummed softly as he made the transfers. “Eight million gone already.” He announced.

“Were there any problems?” Tos asked

“No, not exactly. Something happened at the club, and they are holding back on the truth. I’m itching to find out what.”

“What’s your plan then?” Tos asked.

“I planted a few seeds, I’ll just have to wait for them to grow.” He said confidently

“Alright then, we will need both of you to check out the post office. Soji wasn’t able to find much digital footprint. We’ll send the location.” Tos instructed.

Will do. Edin confirmed ending the call.

The post office was already busy when Edin and Tanna walked in. People moved around the small lobby in quick bursts, handing over parcels and collecting envelopes. The place smelled faintly of paper, ink, and dust.

Edin approached the counter. “Hello. Can I speak to the manager here?”

The man behind the counter frowned immediately. “Who are you and why are you looking for him?”

“We’d like to speak with him directly.” She re-emphasised

The man shook his head. “Tell me what it’s about first. You can’t just walk in and demand the manager.”

Before Edin could reply, another man stepped over. “What’s going on, Ire?”

“These people want the manager but won’t say why.”

The second man turned to them. “Good afternoon. How can we help you?”

Edin kept her tone calm. “As we said, we’d like to speak with the manager. The most I can say right now is that we’re from federal security.”

The man blinked. “Is there a problem?”

“None that concerns the public,” Edin said, shutting down further questions.

The man hesitated, then nodded. “Alright. Please sit while I inform him.”

They moved to a bench near the wall. 

Tanna glanced up at the ceiling. “I have a feeling those cameras don’t work?”

Edin followed his gaze.”The tiny red lights are on.”

“Fake indicator at best,” Tanna said quietly. “I’d bet those cameras haven’t worked in months. Maybe years.”

Edin sighed. “Alright then. We do the best we can.”

A few minutes later, the second man returned with a middle-aged man in a light blue shirt.

“This is the manager.”

The manager stepped forward. “Good afternoon. How can I help you?”

“Can we speak somewhere private?” Edin asked.

The manager hesitated. “That’s fine… but I’d like someone present for my own comfort, if you don’t mind. I’m not sure why you’re here.”

Edin glanced at Tanna, then nodded. “Alright. Who?”

The manager gestured toward the door. “There’s a police lieutenant from the station across the street. I already sent for him,” He said, leading them into his office.

A slim man in a police uniform walked in before they had even settled into their seats.

Edin showed her badge to the two men sitting across from her. “I’m Agent Edin from the National Secret Service Agency. We need your cooperation in an ongoing investigation.”

The manager passed the badge to the lieutenant. The officer read it and straightened immediately.

“Good afternoon, ma,” he said quickly. “How can we assist you?”

Edin slid a phone forward. “A few weeks ago, this post office received three parcels on different days. We need to know when they arrived, who submitted them, and any information recorded about the sender.”

The manager picked up the office phone. “I’ll call the post master. They handle the logs.”

Within minutes, a man arrived carrying a large book and a tablet. “Good afternoon.”

“Find these parcels,” the manager said.

The man searched through the large book for a few minutes, jotting something on a small piece of paper he held. “Here they are.”

He turned the tablet around so everyone could see.

“This is the digital copy. They came between 11am and 2pm on separate days. Paid in cash. Different names listed.”

Tanna spoke. “Do you request ID from senders?”

“Yes. Their details and phone numbers are recorded below.” The post master answered.

“Can we get copies of those pages?” Edin asked.

“Of course, I can send a digital copy.” The post master said, looking at the agents.

“Alright, forward it to this email,” Edin said.

As he emailed them a copy, Tanna asked, “Do you remember anything about the sender?”

The man shook his head. “Honestly, no. We see hundreds of people a week. And 11am to 2pm are rush hours. We’re usually overwhelmed.”

Edin glanced up. “And your cameras?”

The manager sighed. “They’ve been down for a while now.”

Edin shot Tanna a quick sideways look. “Thank you for your time. I believe you understand that this meeting cannot be related elsewhere and you are duty-bound as federal workers to maintain privacy and confidentiality.”

“Yes, ma. We understand.” The lieutenant said firmly.

Edin gave a nod before getting up to leave.

Back at headquarters, the team gathered around the main workspace.

Tos looked up as Edin and Tanna entered.

“What did you find?” He asked

Edin dropped into her chair. “Not much. Dead ends, mostly all we really go to is the copy of the post logs that I sent to Soj”

“Yeah, I received it.” He began. “ The postal service had information, but it’s all fake. The sender paid cash for everything. Tracing the currency flow would probably not be possible any more.” 

“The person was careful. They chose a post office that works efficiently but has no functioning security cameras.” Tanna added 

Edin nodded. “And they sent the parcels during rush hour, so no one remembers their faces.”

Tanna leaned back. “What about the calls?”

“Non-Android phone,” Soj replied. “Routed through a chain of dead-end links. Also useless.”

Tosin sighed. “So we have nothing.”

“Let me see the messages they sent, all of them”, Tanna said to Soj

Bibi had a copy of them on her tablet and quickly passed it along. He studied the three typed letters the Omoruyis had received.

“No secret stays hidden forever. There are three more images worse than these. There is also a video and documents. If you want silence, prepare 640 million. Wait for instructions on June 15.”

“Create a payer account at Overseas Send Payment. A call will come by 3pm on June 18.”

“What did you think the Leftovers could do to help you? Here is proof of Commissioner Omoruyi’s allocation fraud. Let this be your wake-up call.”

Tanna tapped the screen thoughtfully. “Control. Professional. straightforward"

He looked up. “This person typed everything carefully. Perfect grammar. Professional formatting.”

Bibi nodded. “Same with the photos and videos. Clean angles. Professional lighting.”

“It’s very possible this is a hired hand, not the main perpetrator," Makua said

“How about the money trail? Did we get anything?” Tos asked

“We ran the account where the first 100 million was sent to. It wasn’t local, and it was heavily protected.”  Makua informed

“It was an offshore system, multiple firewalls. Breaking into it fully would take a few days. I started the code, though, and we should be able to identify the account holder and trigger a rewire”

Tosin folded his arms. “Forget the money. Can you just identify the account holder?”

Soji nodded. “That would be faster.”

“Do that,” Tos ordered.

Two hours later, they gathered for their first report. Director Isa sat at the head of the table. “What do we have?”

Edin began. “I’ve contacted major communication networks. The story is temporarily suppressed. I’ve also prepared damage-control narratives if the images leak.”

“Anything on the parcel delivered or the blackmailer?” Isa asked.

“We got nothing on the delivery person,” Edin informed.

“But we are tracing the offshore account; it may take a few days, though,” Makua said. 

Isa nodded slowly before checking his watch. “The blackmailers will call shortly. Tanna, get ready.”

The call came later in the evening. The room was silent except for the speakerphone. A distorted voice spoke first.

“Who are you, people?”

Tanna leaned forward. “We’re a private brokerage team representing Mrs Omoruyi and her family. We just want to talk.”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” the voice replied coldly. “In three days, the world will see the type of woman she is.”

“We don’t have to go that far,” Tanna said calmly. “We’re willing to purchase the images.”

“When disgraceful families run a nation,” the voice replied, “the nation becomes disgraceful.”

Tanna sighed. “We’re willing to pay. But not two hundred million.”

“Then the images go public.”

Tanna tried again. “Boss… two hundred million is a lot. The family is offering one hundred and twenty million.”

He paused. “That’s forty million per picture.”

Silence.

Then the voice returned. “Two hundred million. Or nothing.”

The line went dead.

Tanna leaned back slowly. “No hesitation,” he said. They’re determined.”

“We need that solved”, Isa stated matter-of-factly

“We will. When do we meet the Emovons?” Tanna asked.

Isa looked at him. “Tomorrow morning.”

Tanna nodded. “Good. I’ll use the time.”

He turned to Tosin.“How quickly can I get back to Edo?”

Tosin blinked. “You’re going back?”

“Yeah. I want to work with the club staff a little more.”

“Do what you need to.” Isa supported

Tosin nodded.“I’ll get the helicopter ready.”

“And I’ll need operational funds,” Tanna informed.

“Talk to Makua,” Isa said, taking his leave.

“How much can I get? I need to rent out a restaurant.” Tanna asked?

“Five million should do. I’ll give you the company card.” Makua answered thoughtfully.

“Alright.” He said then turned to Tosin. “Can I stop by my house first? I need a change of clothes and also to check on my dog.”

“Yeah, sure. I’ll have the helicopter on standby.” Tosin assured.

“Okay. One more thing, Soji, I need your help.”

“What do you need?” 

“I need information about the head of the club. The name plate on her desk had the name Maureen. Could you find out about her generally, likes, dislikes, etc, and her mobile number?”

“Yeah, that’s easy. It’ll be ready by the time you land in Edo.”

“Thanks. I’ll leave now” He said, turning back to Tosin.

By the time Tanna returned to Edo, it was late at night but he immediately went about making his preparations. Soji had already sent in the file on Maureen, so all Tanna needed to do was wait for the right time to call her.  He waited till the early hours of the morning before sending a message to first identify himself before calling.

“Are you just getting off work now, Maureen? It’s almost 5am.”

“How did you know?” She sounded exhausted.

“I’m a man of means. But that’s not the point. You sound tired.”

She sighed heavily. “Today was terrible. The news has spread further than we expected. The club was almost empty, but the calls kept flooding in. The owners are blaming me.”

Tanna kept his voice calm.“Remember what I told you. This isn’t your fault.”

“That’s not how they see it.” She hesitated.“I’m glad you called. Have you found anything?”

Tanna paused deliberately.“I’m not at liberty to say much. But it’s looking like your club had a serious breach.”

“I don’t know how,” she whispered.

“Think carefully,” Tanna said gently. “Anything unusual?”

She hesitated again.“I… I’m just very tired.”

“Where are you right now?” He asked.

“In the parking lot.” She answered

“Let’s get breakfast first,” Tanna said. “Then we’ll think.”

"Alright." She agreed absolutely defeated.

“Meet me at Carol’s Lounge.” 

“I thought this place opened at 2pm,” she said cautiously walking into the closed restaurant Tanna was ushering her into

“It does,” Tanna replied. “The owner's a friend of a friend.”

“You’ll have to forgive the menu,” Tanna said, pulling a seat for her at the bar. “The cooks aren’t here yet.”

She blinked. “Then who’s cooking?”

Tanna smiled. “Me.”

From the small open kitchen, she could see him preparing something quickly.

Egg pudding. Chicken vegetable cream salad. He placed the plates in front of her.

She took one bite and laughed. “Wow.”

“A hidden talent,” Tanna said. “I used to cook before this job.”

For the most part they ate quietly, Maureen was deep in thought and Tanna let her. He cleared up the plates after their meal and handed her a cup of tea.

“How did you know I drink tea?” She asked holding onto the cup

“It seemed like the best option.” He said, a warm smile appearing on his face.

She smiled, finally looking calmer. Then she spoke.

“There was… an incident once.”

Tanna looked up. “What kind?”

“Months ago. Mr Nosa Emovon came to the club furious. He demanded to meet the boys Mrs Omoruyi usually works with. We refused. Completely denied that she ever comes here. But he got violent.”

Tanna leaned forward. “Why did he want the boys?”

“Apparently, she wasn’t just meeting them at the club. She was seeing one of them outside. Like a real relationship.”

Tanna paused. “Did he say which boy?”

“No. But I have a suspicion.”

“The twenty-three-year-old?” Tanna asked

“Yes. Ethan is his name.”

Tanna nodded slowly. “Thank you.”

“I figured I owed you for breakfast.” She said, gathering her things, “And I really hope you can clear our club from this scandal.”

“If you want to speak with Ethan, he’s still at the club,” she added as he walked her to her car. “He’ll be there until 9am.”

“Hey, I’m heading to the club again,” he said over the phone. “Apparently, Nosa Emovon had a full-blown meltdown at the club because Mrs Omoruyi was having an affair outside the club with one of the boys.”

Tosin paused. “Wait. Nosa Emovon? Her brother?”

“Yup. I’m going to talk to the boy and see what I can get from him.”

“Alright. Remember the call with His Excellency is by eleven.”

“I’ll be back before then. Oh, and I need a badge to gain access again. Can I get a digital pass or something?”

“Yeah,” Tosin replied. “I’ll have it sent over.”

Back at the club, the morning security was tighter than before. The guard behind the front desk narrowed his eyes immediately.

“You are?”

“Federal security,” Tanna replied calmly. “I was here earlier with my colleague.”

“Badge, please.”

Tanna brought out his phone and displayed the digital credentials Tosin had generated.

The guard frowned. “Digital? No physical?”

“We operate with both.”

The guard studied the screen for a few seconds before stepping aside reluctantly. “Alright. You may go in.”

“Where can I find the boys?” Tanna asked

“Lounge. Last door through that corridor.” He pointed left.

Tanna walked through the corridor slowly this time, taking everything in properly.

The place barely looked like a club. Muted beige walls. Thick padded panels. Soft recessed lighting. No loud branding. No alcohol displays. No music. It felt more like the hallway of a luxury private hospital than a pleasure establishment.

Eight doors lined the corridor. But the last door stood alone without an opposite pair, breaking the symmetry in a subtle way. He pushed the door open. The lounge inside was massive. Most of the boys were asleep, half-awake, drunk, or high. Expensive sofas lined the walls. A large television played silently in the background while an industrial AC hummed overhead.

Near the dining area, Ethan sat eating a sandwich with three other men.

Tanna spotted the youngest boy from earlier passed out on a brown sofa near the wall. Another sat alone, staring blankly at nothing, visibly high. The fourth boy from before was nowhere in sight. At least twenty men occupied the room.

Ethan looked up before Tanna even reached him.

“Can we talk?” Tanna asked.

“Do I have to?”

“Yes. If you want to help Mrs Omoruyi.” Tanna stated plainly

Ethan leaned back slightly. “Who says I want to?”

Tanna shrugged. “Let’s see. One, your contract with the club. Two, because you love her.” That landed.

Ethan stared at him for several seconds with irritation written all over his face before finally standing up.

“Let’s go somewhere quiet.” 

He led Tanna out of the lounge and into the second room along the corridor. It was a small bedroom. Simple. Neat. One bed. Two chairs. A side lamp. Ethan checked the hallway once before shutting the door.

“What do you want?” Ethan asked, taking a seat on one of the chairs.

Tanna remained standing. “How do you know Mrs Omoruyi? And don’t tell me from the club. You’ve known her far longer than that.”

Ethan exhaled slowly. “I first met her when I was twelve. My mum died during childbirth when I was six. My father remarried before I even turned seven. Claimed he needed help raising us.” He laughed bitterly.

“My stepmother entered a wicked stepmother competition and decided to win first place. My father knew but didn’t care as long as somebody else handled the children. By the time I was nine, he died too. My stepmother got custody and remarried almost immediately. Now there were two people making life hell for my siblings and me.”

He looked down briefly before continuing.“Mrs Omoruyi was the first person who ever stood up for us. She made my stepfather lose his job after finding out what he was doing. Ruined him financially, too. Then she made sure my stepmother stopped treating us like animals.”

“She paid for our boarding school from when I was thirteen. During the holidays, we stayed at an orphanage she funded. Even there, we were treated better than most children.” He shook his head slowly. “I swore I’d repay her somehow.”

“What happened after you graduated secondary school?” Tanna asked

“I tried regular jobs but none paid enough, and I wanted to get my siblings out of the orphanage system permanently.” He looked around the room. “I found this club by accident, and they hired me the day I turned eighteen.”

“And then she joined?” Tanna asked

Ethan nodded once. “ A year after I began, she joined, she wasn’t very receptive to me at the start but she eventually became my regular.”

“Did she ever explain why she joined? She’s a respected woman from a respected family married to a politically connected man. Or was it simply indulgence?”

Ethan scoffed immediately. “Respected my foot. Most women here just have money and hidden desires. But her own case is different.”

“How?” Tanna probed

“Everyone in her family is chasing power. Somehow, she ended up in the middle of all of them while still being His Excellency’s favourite grandchild. Her father remarried after her mother died and had sons with the new wife and those boys grew into greedy pigs.”

“And then?” Tanna asked

“She got married off to Commissioner Omoruyi to strengthen political ties. Her brothers demanded perfection from her publicly while privately they were doing drugs, women, fraud… everything.”

Ethan laughed quietly. “But she endured it for her daughters.”

“What changed?” Tanna asked

“One day, something happened.”

“What thing?”

“She never said.” Ethan stared at the floor. “But whatever happened broke her completely.”

“That’s when she joined the club?”

“Yes,” Ethan answered. “To destroy the perfect image. To spite them. To rebel. To breathe.”

Tanna nodded slowly. “So the family knew she came here.”

“Everybody knew. Even His Excellency.”

“And nobody stopped her?”

“Who will stop her?” Ethan almost smiled. “She has enough dirt on everybody in that family to destroy their political careers. Besides, His Excellency protects her openly.”

“And her daughters?”

“She moved them overseas. They know nothing.”

“After the incident at the club… did she explain what happened?”

“Yes.” Ethan’s face darkened. “They found out we were seeing each other outside the club. And her brother lost it.”

“Why didn’t he confront her husband? Or His Excellency?”

Ethan laughed outright this time. “Confront His Excellency? Nosa doesn’t have that kind of courage.”

“And her husband?”

“That marriage was barely alive before whatever happened but afterwards everything changed. Her husband stopped having control over her.”

“And her father?” Tanna asked

“They haven’t spoken properly in years.”

Tanna finally sat down opposite him. “Did she say anything else after the incident?”

“She promised to handle it and asked that we stop seeing each other outside for a while.”

“And did you?” Tanna asked

“Yes.” Silence lingered briefly between them. Then Ethan spoke again quietly.

“She’s a good woman. She doesn’t deserve this.” He leaned forward, his face inches away from Tanna’s. “So if your job is to clean this mess up… clean it properly.”

Tanna leaned back and stared at him intently. This was a young man deeply concerned about a woman he cared for. She also clearly cared for him, because everything he wore was designer and the Rolex watch on his hand was definitely a gift from someone. As he scanned him, for the first time he noticed a small scar on his right hand barely peeking out of the long sleeve which covered most of his palm. He stared for a bit and finally nodded once. “We will.”

Ethan hesitated before adding: “If you ask me who could do this… I’d say her stepmother and brothers. Especially the oldest one.”

“Why him?” Tanna asked

“He and his mother would do anything to remove her from His Excellency’s favour.”

Tanna stood slowly. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

By the time Tanna stepped out of the club, it was already past nine. He hurried straight for the airstrip. Meanwhile, back at headquarters, the office had transformed into controlled chaos.

Soji had been at his station since 2 a.m. Three monitors glowed across his desk as endless lines of code scrolled down the screens. He barely moved except to occasionally reach for the coffee and biscuits that mysteriously kept appearing beside him.

Bibi was buried under files and open tabs, cross-referencing family histories, business records, political donations, and land registries. Printed papers circled her desk like a storm.

Edin hadn’t left her phone once. One moment, she sounded threatening, warning media executives about “future policy complications.” The next moment, she sounded warm and persuasive, offering favours, leaks, and incentives in exchange for silence.

Makua moved between desks reviewing financial trails with frightening speed while Tosin organised the upcoming meeting room for the eleven o’clock call.

“I got it!” Soji practically shouted as Tanna entered the room.

Everyone looked up.

“The offshore account.” He explained

Director Isa had just stepped into the room himself. “I believe we should have a meeting now,” he said.

Tosin nodded immediately. “Yes, sir.”

Minutes later, they gathered inside the conference room. Director Isa sat at the head of the table.

“Alright,” he said calmly. “Report.”

Soji spoke first. “I tracked the offshore account. It belongs to a man named Bath Marion.”

Bibi frowned instantly. “That sounds fake.”

“I thought so too,” Soji replied. “But the bank’s KYC records check out. The identity is real.”

“Could still be a proxy,” Tosin muttered.

“Yes,” Soji agreed. “But whoever owns that account is wealthy. This isn’t some random criminal setup.”

Isa leaned forward. “Financial history?”

“There’s over sixty billion naira that has passed through the account over the years. Most of it disappears through crypto channels,” Soji continued. “That part is nearly impossible to trace but some direct deposits stood out.”

Makua took over. “The account was created five years ago. Non-crypto payments, consistently entered during the last week of every year.”

“How much?” Isa asked.

“Never more than four hundred million at a time.”

Bibi’s eyes widened slightly. “The timeline I’m seeing on the report coincides a little too much with the Omoruyi-Emovon internal audit period.”

Makua nodded. “I thought so too. Their joint businesses conduct annual audits in the last month of the year with the final report typically out in the second-to-last week of each year. After reviewing their records, I found recurring discrepancies.”

“Meaning?” Tosin asked.

“Money disappears yearly. Most get covered up internally. But some amounts couldn’t be reconciled.” Makua replied

“And those amounts match the deposits?” Tanna asked.

Makua nodded again. “I suspect someone has been siphoning funds immediately after audits and covering the gaps gradually throughout the year.”

Isa leaned back. “So this may be bigger than blackmail.”

“Yes, and it’s very possibly an inside job,” Bibi replied.

“How?” Isa asked.

“The Omoruyis moved houses four months ago. Their new estate has triple-layer security. Most people don’t even know they relocated.” Bibi explained

“And yet the parcels arrived there directly,” Tosin completed.

Bibi nodded. “Exactly.”

“I agree. The Silence Club is heavily referral-based. Nobody outside elite circles even knows it exists. The media only caught wind after the Leftovers operation failed, even then, no one seems to know the exact location.” Edin explained. “Whoever did this knew insider information from the beginning.”

Isa looked toward her. “Were you able to silence the channels?”

“Yes.”

“Even bloggers?” He emphasised

“Especially bloggers,” she replied. “Most already belong to somebody politically anyway.”

Any report from you, Tanna? Isa asked.

“The family knew about her visits to the club. She was also having an affair with one of the escorts outside the club. Her brother, Nosa, found out and caused a violent scene there.”

“So could it be him?” Tosin probed.

Bibi answered before Tanna could. “Nosa is emotional. Loud. Reckless. This operation is detailed and patient.” She tapped her pen thoughtfully. “If anything, his mother feels more likely.”

“But why would a mother destroy her own daughter’s reputation?” Makua asked.

Isa answered quietly. “Stepdaughter.”

The room fell silent briefly; that was more than enough of an answer. 

“Could the lover have done it?” Isa added.

Tanna shook his head. “Not impossible. But unlikely. The boy genuinely loves her.”

Isa folded his hands. “So for now… the strongest suspects are the brother and stepmother.”

“They gain the most in many aspects,” Tanna said.

“And the husband?” Isa asked again

Bibi shook her head. “Nothing points towards him yet. This scandal damages him too.”

The room went quiet for a bit, then Isa noticed Tanna’s unsettled expression. “Something is bothering you.” He stated rather than asked.

Tanna stared at the table for a moment before speaking. “At first, the blackmail looked aimed at Mrs Omoruyi. Then it shifted to the stolen funds. But now the focus is returning to her again.”

Makua shrugged. “They just want full payment.”

“Maybe,” Tanna replied quietly. “But what if the money story was only camouflage? What if this was always about destroying her specifically?”

Then that places the brother and mother at the top of our suspect list. Isa said slowly. Fine, Soji, Bibi, keep digging around, find out all we can about this Bath Marion. Makua, start digging into the family’s finances. I’ll get you the approval you need. Edin, see if you can get any gossip on this situation. The gossip world could hold something. Tos, Tanna, let’s get ready for the call.

The large screen flickered to life minutes later. Director Isa, Tosin, and Tanna remained in the conference room after the others left.

“Good morning, sir,” Isa said.

An assistant appeared briefly on-screen. “Sir, it’s ready.”

A moment later, His Excellency appeared. He was old and looked tired, but his eyes were sharp and piercing. “Do you have good news or bad news?”

“Unfortunately, sir… neither.”

“Explain.”

“We have successfully silenced media circulation and contained secondary leaks. We’ve analysed all available evidence, but no direct culprit has emerged yet.”

“Have you spoken to the blackmailers?”

“Yes, sir.”

“And?”

“They refuse to negotiate below two hundred million.”

His Excellency’s face hardened. “So what is your solution?”

Isa hesitated carefully. “We now believe Mrs Omoruyi may have been the intended target from the beginning.”

The old man’s expression changed subtly. “Go on.”

“If that is true, then we must focus on who benefits most from her public disgrace.”

“And who is that?”

Isa answered carefully. “Your son’s wife and your grandsons.”

“Can you confirm it?”

“Not yet, sir.”

“What do you need?”

“Permission to discreetly monitor their communications and check their financial records.”

A long silence followed.

“Do it carefully.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Resolve this quickly, Isa.” 

The old man stood and walked off-screen immediately. The assistant gave a polite nod before ending the call. 

Then Isa turned to Tosin. “Have Soji run communications analysis on both targets. Calls, messages, financial contacts, everything.”

“Will do,” Tosin replied.

Most of the team had gone to grab breakfast while Soji remained glued to his system, running traces, breaking through layers of encryption and extracting whatever data he could find. 

It had been roughly four since the meeting with His Excellency and everyone was back on the general office floor, buried in files, laptops and open reports. Suddenly…

“Guys… something just happened.” Edin half screamed from her desk. Her voice carried enough urgency to make everyone get up immediately.

The team gathered around her monitor. An image had just gone viral online. It showed a woman standing with four boys inside what looked unmistakably like the Silence Club. The woman’s face was blurred, but the boys’ faces were visible enough for anyone familiar with the case to recognise them.

The caption underneath read:

“Sometimes the most respectable are simply putting on a facade.

Who could she be?

A woman old enough to mother them.

Who could she be?

A woman standing with prestige.

Who could she be?

Who do you think?”

The words read almost like a taunting poem.

Tanna read it aloud just as Tos hurried into the room.

“Everybody, gather up.” He said as director Isa walked in right behind him, his expression tight with contained anger.

“Another package came in. This time directly to His Excellency’s office in Abuja.”

“What was inside?” Tanna asked

“Forty-two printed copies of that exact image. Same caption at the back of every single one.” He said, pointing to the image on Edin’s screen

“Forty-two…”Tanna muttered

“Yes. Symbolising her age.” Isa stated the obvious. “His Excellency did not take that lightly.”

“Anything else?” Tanna asked again.

“Yes. The sender says they’ll call by 2am tomorrow morning. That gives us roughly eleven hours to figure out who these people are.”

He looked around the room sharply. “Bibi, Tanna go to Abuja and question everybody involved with that package.”

Both nodded and got ready to leave.

Bibi and Tanna arrived at the Abuja office shortly after evening traffic began building. They were greeted by the head of security, a huge man in his fifties. 

“ Welcome.” He said, shaking both their hands. “ We were informed you were coming.”

“Can you walk us through exactly what happened?” Bibi asked, leading the interview.

“Of course. Let’s head to the surveillance room.” The head of security replied

They walked through a secured hallway before entering a monitoring room lined with screens.

“At approximately 1:20pm…” The head of security began. “A dispatch rider delivered a package. Normally, we sort incoming mail once in the morning and store anything late till the next day. But because of the new project the company is handling, mail traffic has increased heavily, so we now run three sorting cycles.”

“Morning, afternoon and evening batches.” Tanna said pointing at the calendar banner by the door. 

“Exactly.” The man confirmed. “Morning sorting by 8am, dispatched by noon. Afternoon sorting starts around 1pm and goes out by 4pm. Then evening sorting by 5pm for next-day dispatch.

“So the package came during afternoon sorting?” Bibi confirmed

“Technically yes. By timing, it should’ve entered the evening dispatch batch. But because it was directly addressed to His Excellency, the mail clerk pushed it into the outgoing afternoon dispatch. The head of security explained

He called toward a young girl, barely past eighteen, seated nervously nearby.”She handled the package.” 

“Were any checks done before it went upstairs?” Bibi asked the frightened young lady

“Not really, ma. We just sort and deliver. Regular staff get theirs directly. Executive mails go through the secretary.” She replied eagerly

“What happened after you received it?” Bibi questioned.

“Nothing unusual. I added it to the outgoing tray and delivered it.” She replied dramatically.

“Who collected it from you?” Bibi continued.

“Oga’s secretary. I dropped it on his table and left.”

“Do you remember the time when you dropped it?”

“I left around 1:30pm and came back maybe at 2:20pm because my lunch break starts by 2:30 and I was rushing to meet it.”

“We’d like to speak with the secretary.” Bibi said, speaking directly to the head of security.

“I’ll call him.”

While Bibi handled the questioning, Tanna barely listened. His attention remained fixed on the surveillance footage playing across the monitors. He watched the dispatch rider’s movements repeatedly.

Arrival. Drop-off. Exit.

Again.

And again.

“Good afternoon. I’m His Excellency’s office secretary.” A man also in his fifties but slimmer built said extending his hands to Bibi.

“Walk us through your side of events.” Bibi said.

“The mail clerk dropped off the afternoon deliveries. I was occupied, so I finished what I was doing before sorting through them.” He narrated

“Do you personally inspect packages?”

“Only mails from familiar contacts or companies. Anything unfamiliar or marked private goes through a mechanical scanner first for explosives or irregularities.” He explained

And this package? Bibi asked

“It cleared the scanner. So I placed it on His Excellency’s table with the rest of his documents.”

“Did you stay while he opened it?” She asked again

“No. I left after briefing him on other files. Maybe thirty minutes later I heard him shout. I rushed back but he dismissed me immediately.”

“You’re not the personal assistant that follows him around, correct?”

“No. That’s Mr. Ijede. I only handle office administration.” The secretary answered.

Tanna finally spoke without looking away from the monitor. “Does His Excellency follow a fixed office schedule?”

“Not at all. That’s the strange part. He only resumed active office appearances last week. Even then, his movement is unpredictable. Sometimes he comes daily. Sometimes he disappears for months.”

“So who knew he would be in today?” Tanna asked.

“Honestly? Not even I knew for sure. Maybe only family members and his personal assistant.”

Tanna nodded slowly. Then turned toward the receptionist, who had also been called in. She was a young lady in her late twenties, professional looking.

“Did you see the dispatch rider’s face?” He asked

“Not clearly. He wore a mask. Tall guy. Looked young though. Younger than me even. And he walked fast… not suspiciously fast… just purposeful.” She answered clearly.

Tanna’s eyes narrowed. “Any marks? Tattoos? Birthmarks?”

“Yes actually. There was a mark like a scare at the back of his right hand it was most covered by his shirt sleeve”

Tanna finally stood upright from the monitor. “Alright. That’s enough.” He said to the security officer who was assisting him

“Can we get a copy of the CCTV footage?” Bibi asked.

“We already prepared one for you.” The head of security said handing her a flash drive.

They thanked him and were escorted out.

“What’s going on? You saw something?” Bibi asked, struggling slightly to keep pace beside Tanna.

“Yeah.”

“What?” Bibi asked again.

“That was Ethan.” He answered plainly.

“What?” Bibi stopped walking.

“Same height. Same movement pattern. Same scar on the hand.”. Tanna said slowing down

“Why would Ethan deliver the package?” Bibi questioned meeting his pace.

“I don’t know yet. But we need to get back to the Silence Club now.” He answered

Bibi immediately pulled out her phone. “I’m calling Tos. We’re rerouting the helicopter.”

Now in Benin, evening had already settled across the city. As they pulled into the underground parking of the Silence Club, Maureen was there speaking with security personnel.

The moment she saw Bibi and Tanna step out of the vehicle, her face changed.

“Let’s go to my office.” She said hastily

“We need to speak with Ethan again.” Bibi said as they entered her office.

Tanna stared directly at Maureen.”Something happened.” He stated

Maureen hesitated. “Ethan is gone.”

“Gone how?” Bibi asked

“Last night during operations, he accessed the holding room that kept cash deposits temporarily and stole eleven million Naira. Then he disappeared. His siblings are missing too.”

“Was there any unusual behaviour before then?” Tanna asked

“Not that I noticed.” Maureen replied

“We need to speak to his friends.” Tanna said

“The owners had them detained because of their connection to him. They’re currently at Area Command C.”

AREA COMMAND C

It was almost 8pm when they arrived at the area command zone C. Bibi quickly handled authorization with the Area Commander before they were led toward an interrogation room. The three boys were sitting quietly.

Tanna pulled up a chair. “Tell me everything that happened with Ethan yesterday. His mood. His behaviour. Anything unusual.”

The boy who was twenty one shook his head slowly. “At first, nothing was different. Ethan was normal. He was worried about Mrs. Omoruyi but still doing his work properly.”

“He changed after coming back from break.” Added the slim young boy who had identified himself as nineteen.

“Break?” Tanna looked at him intently

‘During events we sometimes sneak out for downtime… especially after heavy drinking sessions. Ethan stepped out and when he returned… he was different.” The youngest continued

“One of my friends from security saw him using his phone inside the locker room.” The third guy, the one who was twenty said

“Phones aren’t allowed on the floor, right?” Bibi confirmed

“Yes. But sometimes we sneak off briefly to check messages.” The third guy answered

“What happened after he returned?” Tanna asked

“He became anxious and distracted. Like something serious had happened.” The oldest said

“He started drinking hard. Big gulps. Like he was trying to get drunk fast.” The youngest explained. “And smoking too. Deep pulls one after another.”

“How long was he gone for his break?” Tanna asked

“Maybe twenty to thirty minutes.” The third guy said.

“And after he came back, how long did he stay before leaving again?” Tanna questioned again.

“He stayed around an hour. But mentally he wasn’t there anymore.” The third guy answered.

“We kept trying to lighten the mood because clients complain if the atmosphere drops. But Ethan was dragging everybody down.” The oldest said.

“Then what?” Tanna asked

“He left again.” The youngest started. “And never returned.”

“About two or three hours later management called us in and told us what happened.” The oldest said

“I hope you people find him.” The youngest boy said looking genuinely distressed. “Something definitely happened because Ethan isn’t greedy or hungry for money like that.”

“If you find him… tell him we’re okay. Whatever he’s involved in now… he’s in danger, and he needs to focus on keeping himself safe.” The oldest said with a deeply concerned expression on his face.

The team had barely settled into the conference room when Bibi and Tanna walked in.

Director Isa looked around the table. “Alright. Let’s run everything down again.”

Edin rubbed her forehead tiredly before speaking. “I managed to stop the spread of the video. For now no mainstream news outlet or blogger will carry it. I spent almost ten million settling smaller blogs because those ones definitely would have run the story immediately.”

“I also got the images taken down online. It took a while but we cleared almost everything.” Soji said

“Except for people who may have downloaded it already… The internet is clean for now.” Edin seconded.

Isa nodded once. “Good start. What about the account that started it?”

Soji adjusted his glasses and turned slightly from his laptop. “ That’s a dead end, it was an anonymous, one off account. The IP kept bouncing around. Whoever is doing this has some serious gear and skill. I’m still cross-referencing the offshore account against everybody remotely connected to the families but nothing solid has hit yet. While waiting, I tried tracing the origin from the last call by the blackmailer.”

“And?” Tosin asked a little too eagerly.

“Mostly dead ends. Same masking systems. Same routing loops.” So instead I worked with Makua to review the communication and financial records of His excellency’s daughter inlaw and son-in-law.”

“We only uncovered their internal fraud activities and siphoning from their foundation funds. Nothing directly tied to the blackmail case.”

Isa’s face hardened immediately. “Then that information is irrelevant to this investigation. It stays out of official reporting.”

“Yes sir.” The room echoed

Isa turned toward Bibi and Tanna. “What do you two have?”

Bibi plugged the flash drive into the conference system. The large screen flickered to life as surveillance footage appeared. She fast-forwarded carefully before pausing at a frame. The clip played.

“We recovered this footage from His Excellency’s company.” 

A dispatch rider walked briskly through the lobby, delivered the package, then exited. The footage replayed twice in silence before Tanna finally spoke.

“That’s Ethan.” Tanna said

Isa looked sharply at him. “You’re certain?”

“Yes. Same build. Same walking pattern. Same scar on his hand.”

“Run confirmation against footage from the Silence Club.” Isa said to Soji

“Already processing.” Soji answered

Edin folded her arms slowly. “If it’s truly Ethan… then why? What exactly pushed him into this?”

“Crime of passion maybe?” Tosin opined

“Or money.” Makua stated

“Definitely money played a role. He stole eleven million cash from the club before disappearing.” Bibi said

“Money is usually enough motivation.” Makua confirmed

“His friends don’t think so. They believe he’s being set up… and that he’s in danger.” Tanna countered

“Is that also what you think?” Director Isa asked looking at Tanna

“I don’t think money was the trigger. Mrs. Omoruyi practically spoiled him already. The watch he wore when I met him was a Rolex worth at least ten million naira.” 

“Then why disappear?” Tosin asked

“Maybe he was genuinely threatened.” Bibi answered

“Or Mrs. Omoruyi dumped him and he snapped. Maybe it’s both money and emotional revenge.” Soji said

“It doesn’t seem like that. But I wonder, could Mrs Omoruyi be involved?” Bibi asked

“To destroy her own image like this? For what exactly?” Edin asked

“What about the stepmother and brother? Maybe this is just a bigger escalation from them.” Tosin asked.

“That sounds more likely honestly.” Edin answered

“All of these are still theories. We need facts and we need them quickly.” Isa concluded

“Got it.” Soji announced. “Facial proportions, movement analysis, height mapping… it’s definitely Ethan.”

“Then we focus on why he disappeared. What do we know for certain” Isa concluded.

“He received a call shortly before his behaviour changed. Then he stole money and vanished. It is safe to say someone threatened him.” Tanna said 

“But why now?” Bibi asked

“Exactly, why now.” Tanna re-emphasised. “I believe we’re getting too close. Whoever is behind this is starting to panic. Ethan may just be their attempt to throw us off the trail.”

Isa nodded slowly. “Soji put a trace on Ethan. Let’s find him ourselves.”

“Edin, coordinate with state police and circulate him quietly.”

Tanna, prepare for the next contact.” 

“Everyone else, back to digging. Something is missing and we haven’t seen it yet.”

Isa stood up and motioned for Tosin to follow him into his office.

The office grew quieter afterwards. Everyone returned to their stations. Tanna sat reviewing details repeatedly while Makua and Soji alternated between technical setup for the next ransom call and tracking Ethan’s movement history.

Around 1am, Edin finally dropped into her seat carrying another cup of coffee. “I just finished talking with the state commander. They’ll circulate an APB quietly. But honestly… Ethan could be anywhere by now. He moved from Edo to Abuja without detection. For all we know he may already be outside the country.”

“Were you able to locate his siblings?” Tanna asked

“No. The police couldn’t find them. They vanished overnight.”

 “So either they escaped… or someone moved them.” Tanna said. his fingers tapping slowly against the desk. “But why now?”

“Any luck with the money trail?” Edin asked

Makua sighed. “Still nothing solid. Cross references didn’t bring up any matches. It’s like the account holder exists but doesn’t exist. I’m currently comparing executive travel histories against the payment dates.”

“The yearly payment pattern still lines up with post-audit periods.” Bibi reconfirmed.

“Exactly. But executives travel constantly, so narrowing movement patterns will take time.” Makua said.

By 1:45am, everyone regrouped inside the conference room for final preparations before the expected ransom call.

“His Excellency wants another briefing immediately after the call. Be ready.” Director Isa announced.

At exactly 2am, the phone rang. Tanna answered calmly.

“Talk to me.” Tanna said

“Is the money ready?” The blackmailer asked

“You didn’t keep your side of the agreement.”

The distorted voice chuckled softly. “The little teaser? That was simply my wake-up call to you people. Didn’t you understand it?”

“We did. In fact the entire country did.”

“Good. So… is my money ready?”

“How do we know you still won’t release everything after payment?” Tanna asked

“You don’t.” “But one thing is certain. If you refuse to pay… everything goes public.”

“Why use Ethan? You had smoother methods before.” Tanna asked

A low laugh followed.”Her lover might as well become her downfall. Anyway… enough talk. I’m sending a crypto wallet now.”

A beep echoed across the system.

“It’s 2:12am. I’ll be generous. You now have until 6am two days from today. Roughly fifty-one hours. Use it wisely.”

The line disconnected immediately.

“I got a ping.” Soji said, breaking the silence that came from the abrupt call.

“Where?” Tosin asked

“Edo State. That’s all I could isolate before the signal collapsed. If he stayed on longer I could’ve narrowed it further.”

“Call His Excellency.” Isa said

Tosin immediately dialed and the video connected on the second ring. The team had cleared out leaving just Isa, Tanna, and Tosin.

“Good morning sir.” Isa greeted

Four people sat facing the screen this time.

His Excellency, Mrs. Omoruyi, Mr. Emovon, his excellency’s son and Mrs Omoruyi’s father, and Nosa. They were seated  inside a private study.

Nosa spoke first. “What’s the update?”

“We believe it would be wise to prepare the funds while we continue narrowing suspects.” Isa replied

Nosa gave a dry laugh and glanced toward his sister. “Wow. Even the “organized professionals” are advising payment now.”

“Who are your primary suspects?” Mrs. Omoruyi asked, ignoring him completely.

“Obviously that useless boy you’ve been sleeping with.” Nosa answered scoffing loudly

“Ethan is a person of interest but we need to locate him first.” Isa answered.

Nosa leaned back immediately. “He ran? Then congratulations, you’ve found your culprit.”

“Were you able to take down the images involving the boys?” Mrs. Omoruyi asked.

“Yes ma.” Isa replied

Nosa stared at her in disbelief. “I can’t believe you’re still worried about those boys. How shameless can you actually be?” Nosa continued. “Even your husband has washed his hands off this embarrassment. Can’t you see this entire thing is damaging all of us?”

“Stop whining. You sound pathetic.” Mrs Omoruyi finally answered.

Nosa sat upright immediately. “Pathetic? You call me pathetic? You, a married woman running around with club boys old enough to be your sons. Your daughters must be ashamed?”

Mrs. Omoruyi’s voice dropped dangerously. “Mention my daughters again and I will personally destroy your political career before it starts.”

Nosa laughed bitterly. “There it is. Finally the truth. Dad, can you hear her? This was always about politics. Your husband lost his chance already, move on. For all we know, maybe she and her husband staged this whole thing themselves.”

He pointed toward the PSS team on screen. “Even with all their resources they still can’t identify the blackmailer.”

“Now you’re just sounding stupid.” Mrs Omoruyi replied.

“Stupid? Maybe if you had done your job as a wife your husband wouldn’t have loooked…”

Before he could finish, Mrs. Omoruyi grabbed a hardcover book from the shelf beside her and hurled it straight across his face.

Nosa exploded to his feet instantly. His Excellency restrained his granddaughter before she could lunge again. 

“Step outside now, Nosa.” His father ordered

Nosa looked seconds away from attacking his sister physically.

His father’s voice deepened. “NOW.”

Nosa stormed out furiously. The old man, his son, and granddaughter calmed themselves before continuing the conversation.

“Resolve this quickly and quietly.” His excellency ordered

“Yes sir.” Isa replied.

Isa exhaled slowly. ‘Bring the others back in.”

“Priority one is finding Ethan. If we can recover the message he received, we may finally get a breakthrough.” Isa began

Soji shook his head. “I still can’t locate him. His social accounts are disabled and his phones are inactive too.”

“Search for remote properties owned by Mrs. Omoruyi. Anywhere private within Nigeria.” Tanna said

Isa looked at him carefully. “You think she’s helping him?”

“She barely reacted when we said Ethan disappeared. She cared more about the scandal than his safety. And if the blackmailers kidnapped him, they would’ve weaponized that already.” Tanna explained

“I believe Ethan reached out to her and she moved him and his siblings herself.” He continued

Soji typed away. “eight registered properties… filtering remote locations…Down to three.”

“Cross-check against recent rise in electricity usage” Makua suggested.

Soji typed again. “Two properties increased their electricity tariff payment this week.”

“Locations?” Tanna asked

“One is a farmhouse inside one of her plantations in Edo. The second is a private resort cabin in Abuja.”

“The farmhouse.” Tanna confirmed. “It’s easier to hide people there. It’s isolated, controlled, and has less attention.”

Tanna, Soji, go now. Edin, have Tito ready once they land, everyone else, back to work. Isa commanded.

Tanna and Soji rolled out with full gear and enough computers to set up a temporary command centre if necessary. By the time they left, it was already 6 a.m. Everyone had managed to shower, change clothes, and eat the breakfast wraps Summaya had set up in the kitchen.

By 7 a.m., they were in Edo. Tito met them with a car outside the airport and immediately drove toward the farm. 

Tito was the kind of man people forgot the moment they saw him. Average height, average build, simple clothes, and a neutral Nigerian accent that made it almost impossible to place his tribe. Nothing about him stood out, but that was the point. He was their grounds assistant that liaisoned with the team outside the office. He didn’t even know where the office was; he simply helped out when he was called.

The drive to the farmhouse took a little over an hour because of the terrible roads and how remote the place was. The plantain and banana farm stretched deep into the village, isolated from almost everything else around it.

A security man stepped forward immediately. “Who are you people?”

Tito answered without hesitation. “Cleaning and maintenance team. We got a call yesterday to come this morning.”

The guard frowned. “I didn’t get any messages like that.”

Tito quickly brought out his phone. “Here’s the message now, and payment has already been made.” He showed him the fabricated text Soji had prepared earlier. “Abeg, call anybody you want, but we need to do this work this morning.”

The security man studied the message carefully, confusion settling across his face. “Wait first,” he muttered eventually. “Make I call inside.”

He disappeared into the small security post.

Soji lowered his voice immediately. “What if they actually call?”

“Be patient,” Tanna replied calmly. “The house is old and clearly needs work. Somebody will believe it.”

“All we need is one misunderstanding,” Tito added, staring intently toward the security house.

“He’s coming back,” Soji whispered.

A few seconds later, the security man returned and waved them through. “Oya, go. You people have been cleared.”

Tito grinned immediately. “Shabi I tell you. Thank you, boss.”

He drove in quickly before the man could change his mind.

“That was close,” Soji muttered.

Tanna shook his head. “Not really. The house is old, three people were suddenly moved there, and Mrs. Omoruyi feels guilty about Ethan’s name being dragged into this mess. She probably promised to renovate the place whether he agreed or not. That promise is what we wagered on.”

“They could’ve called her to confirm.” Soji said

“Again,” Tanna said, “we wagered on the fact that they wouldn’t.”

The farmhouse looked exhausted. The building was a few decades old and had clearly received little maintenance over the years. Cracked walls, fading paint, rusted rails, the entire place looked like something that had given up trying to look good. 

The team got down with their equipment and walked toward the front door. A young boy opened it quietly and stepped aside. The moment they entered the sitting room, they saw Ethan and his sister.

Ethan froze instantly. “Both of you, go inside now,” he ordered his siblings sharply as he immediately recognised Tanna.

The children disappeared without arguing.

Ethan turned back immediately. “What’s this about? I’m calling security.”

“Calm down,” Tanna said. “We’re here to help. We don’t have much time before the final payday, so the quicker you cooperate, the quicker this ends.”

Ethan’s expression remained guarded. “What do you want?”

“The message you received. Can we see it?”

“I threw my phone away.”

Tanna sighed lightly. “We really don’t have time for this, Ethan. We know why you did everything you did. You’re hiding with your siblings because you’re trying to protect her. We’re trying to do the same thing. Our goals are aligned.”

“And who says you people haven’t already been bought over?” Ethan shot back. “Maybe you’re only pretending to help her.”

“Is that what you were told?” Tanna asked calmly. “We are a state agency. We work for the government only.”

Ethan scoffed. “Like state agents can’t be bought.”

“Not this agency,” Tanna replied. “The government already bought us first.”

That earned the faintest reaction from Ethan. Finally, he asked quietly, “What do you want?”

“First, tell us exactly what happened. Then show us the message.” Tanna said

Ethan hesitated before speaking. “I went for a bathroom break and checked my phone in the locker room. I was scrolling when the message came in. The first thing I did was call her.”

His voice softened slightly. “She moved my family immediately, but I still had to follow through. She didn’t want me to, but what else could I do?”

He finally handed the phone over. Tanna read it carefully.

“You know who she is, don’t you? And soon the world will know too.

If you want to stop it, steal from your boss. Go to Governor’s Park and pick up the package by the back of the gazebo.

Deliver it yourself to His Excellency Emorvon's office. A little disguise should suffice.

You have 24 hours or the world will know the truth.

So will your siblings.

Your time starts now.”

Ethan looked away. “This was all I could do to protect her. My phone has been in flight mode ever since. I’m worried the owners of the Silence Club will find me.”

Soji was already running traces. “I can block the signal while I trace the message.”

“Alright,” Tanna said. “I’ll call the team.”

Tanna stepped aside and called the team, narrating everything they had learned so far.

“The brother looks very good for this,” Bibi said immediately over the line.

“Could be,” Tanna replied.

Isa’s voice followed next. “Soji, how long will it take to track the message?”

“Not too long,” Soji answered, fingers flying across his keyboard. “It’s the same level of security protocol but I’m accustomed to it now.”

Before anybody could respond, the front door opened abruptly.

“Who are you people?” Mrs. Omoruyi walked in sharply, her eyes immediately scanning the room.

Ethan stiffened. “Etty…”

Tanna stepped forward calmly. “I’m Agent Lotanna from the PSS.”

“Why are you here?” She demanded

“To solve this matter as His Excellency requested.” Tanna replied firmly.

Isa’s voice came through the speaker immediately. “Mrs. Omoruyi, this is Director Isa of the PSS. My agents are there to help resolve this quickly. I hope you can bear with them.”

She folded her arms tightly. “What more information do you people need? Innocent people are suffering and you’re still sourcing information.”

“And we’ll keep sourcing information until we solve it,” Tanna replied evenly.

Mrs. Omoruyi stared at him for a moment before finally taking a seat. “What do you want to know?”

“This morning,” Tanna began carefully, “Mr. Nosa mentioned something that bothered me. He said your husband lost his chance.”

She frowned slightly. “I don’t see how that’s relevant, but yes. My husband was originally supposed to be preparing for the election.”

“What happened?”

Ethan scoffed loudly before she could answer. “He’s a scumbag. That’s what happened. A scumbag that doesn’t know what he has.”

“Calm down,” Mrs. Omoruyi warned quietly. “This is not the time for anger.”

She sighed before continuing. “If you must know, my husband had an affair that resulted in a child. We found out about it around four years ago. When my grandfather confronted him, he defended his actions instead of apologising. That pushed him out of favour completely.”

“All because of a son,” Ethan muttered bitterly. “Because of one son he practically destroyed his marriage and washed his hands off everything.”

Tanna exchanged a quick glance with Soji.

“Do you know his mistress name?” Tanna asked

“Lola… something,” Mrs. Omoruyi replied. “She handles his finances and accounts. But how exactly does this help?”

“A lot more than you think.” Tanna said. “I think we should get going now. We’ll analyse everything we’ve gathered and get back to you.”

Mrs. Omoruyi nodded. “The money is ready. It’ll be sent to your office later today.”

“Alright, ma.” Tanna said as Soji packed up.

Soji remained glued to his laptop the entire drive back while Tito sped toward the airport. Tanna barely spoke, lost deep in thought as pieces slowly began arranging themselves in his head.

The moment Tanna entered the office, he walked straight to the investigation board.

“Cross-reference the name Lola connected to Mr. Omoruyi,” he said immediately. “That’s the mistress. Let’s see what comes up.”

The room instantly came alive.

“Alright,” Tanna continued a few minutes later, facing the board. “Here’s what we know so far.”

He pointed at the growing web of notes and photographs.

“The blackmailer’s focus is primarily Mrs. Omoruyi. Whoever this is has enough technical skill and security equipment to stall Soji. The money matters, yes, but the real goal seems to be disgrace. Public humiliation. They want to destroy her reputation and, by extension, the family’s image.”

He moved to the next point.

“They also know too much. They know about the family, the offshore dealings, and they have access to a club so exclusive most of the state doesn’t even know it exists. That means money, influence, or connections.”

Soji finally looked up from his system. “I traced the message sent to Ethan. It also originated from Edo.”

Bibi spun her monitor slightly toward the group. “Lola Adeniran. Thirty-two. Financial manager and adviser to Mr. Omoruyi. Has worked with him for seven years.”

She scrolled further. “No child is officially listed in her records, but she took a personal leave of absence for seven months about five years ago.”

Makua had been searching through papers and finally stopped. “I knew I remembered the name. She’s one of the internal auditors for the joint business between the Omoruyis and the Emorvons.”

Edin glanced down at her tablet. “From what I’m seeing, she was usually out of the country whenever money was transferred into the offshore accounts.”

Tosin leaned back thoughtfully. “What if the account is in her son’s name? Bath Marion.”

Isa turned immediately. “Can we dig into that?”

“Already on it,” Bibi replied.

Tosin nodded slowly. “She has enough motivation. If her son is technically the heir to Omoruyi’s empire, then Mrs. Omoruyi becomes the obstacle.”

“And damaging her public image would weaken her position completely,” Edin added.

A few seconds later, Bibi sat up straighter. “Found something. Marion is actually her maternal uncle’s English name. And there’s a Batholomew Marion listed as his son. Four years old.”

“That explains why we couldn’t find the child,” Makua said immediately. “Legally, the boy isn’t registered under her. And if he was born abroad and brought into the country later, we’d barely have records.”

Isa folded his arms. “How’s the uncle looking?”

Bibi continued reading. “Sixty-eight. Married. Three sons. Spent most of his life in Abuja. Runs a printing and logistics company with his youngest son. No criminal record. Just a few civil disputes involving money and business.”

Edin added. “Her file says both her parents are alive, but she schooled in Abuja from primary school all the way to university.”

“So her uncle could still be heavily involved,” Isa muttered.

Bibi nodded. “If he practically raised her, he may see her as his own daughter. That could explain why he accepted the child under his name.”

Isa exhaled slowly. “So now we have two suspects again. The mistress and the uncle.”

“Or maybe just one,” Tanna said quickly.

Tosin looked at him. “You think they’re working together?”

“There’s no reason they wouldn’t be,” Isa replied.

Soji suddenly paused mid-typing. “Hmmm.”

“You found something?” Tosin asked

“Yeah. An old redacted file. I nearly missed it.” “In his early twenties, the uncle served in the military.”

“Intelligence?” Tanna concluded immediately

Soji pointed at the screen. “Exactly. Surveillance and field intelligence gathering. Apparently he worked with an elite unit before retiring. Honourably discharged.”

“I think it’s safe to say we have our people.” Tosin stated.

“They have motive, money, access, and skill.” Makua seconded.

“Not to mention information,” Bib added. “Lola works closely with Mr. Omoruyi. She’d know about the fraud, the new safe house, even Mrs. Omoruyi’s secret hangout.”

“And the uncle lives in Abuja,” Makua continued. “He could easily arrange the package delivery to His Excellency’s office.”

“With his surveillance background and logistics company, getting into the Silence Club wouldn’t even be difficult. Without cameras we can’t be fully certain, but realistically? Everything connects.” Edin explained

Tosin looked around the room. “Everything fits.”

Isa leaned back slightly, thinking through everything in silence before finally speaking. “But we still need hard evidence,” he said. “And more importantly, we need a way to stop them. If we can find where they’re operating from while they make the call, we can catch them in real time.”

“It’s either in Abuja or Edo,” Bibi replied immediately. “Lola has been in Edo since this whole thing started, while her uncle has been in Abuja.”

“So we check both,” Makua said.

“Abuja,” Tanna said calmly.

Isa looked at him. “Why Abuja?”

Tanna folded his arms thoughtfully. “Whoever is leading this blackmail operation is a man. He’s decisive, confident, and comfortable making major moves alone. No hesitation. No signs of waiting for approval. Whoever it is feels fully in control.”

Tosin nodded slowly. “So we focus the search in Abuja.”

“No search needed,” Tanna corrected. “People like this don’t hide in random places. They operate somewhere familiar. Somewhere safe. Probably their home or business property.”

Soji glanced up from his laptop. “I agree. With the level of tech they’re using, I doubt they’re even worried about getting caught.”

“So let’s pull every property tied to both of them and start checking.” Tosin said

“Before that, I want to speak to her.” Tanna said

“The mistress?” Bibi asked.

“Yeah. Maybe even the uncle too. Just casually.” He paused before a small smile appeared on his face. “Actually, why don’t we speak to all of them?” 

Edin immediately understood. “You want to see how they react. And see what they already know,” she added.

“They’ll most likely lie,” Bibi said.

“Of course they will,” Tanna replied. “But we don’t need honesty right now. We need pressure.”

“They’ve kept us chasing shadows this entire time. First the husband, then the stepmother and son, then Ethan, now the mistress. They think they’re ahead. They’re close to their payday and close to destroying Mrs. Omoruyi publicly without anybody figuring it out.” Tanna narrated. “So let’s scare them a little.”

“In that case,” Isa said slowly, “let’s gather every single one of them in one room.”

Tanna smiled faintly. “Exactly. Make it feel casual. Invite everyone three hours before the payment deadline. Keep them occupied long enough and watch who starts panicking around the communication window.”

“You think they’ll call again?” Soji asked

Tanna’s smile widened. “We can make them call again.”

 “How?” Bibi crossed her arms.

“We insult them.”

The room went quiet.

“Forty minutes before the final payment deadline, we transfer a ridiculously small amount into the account. Something disrespectful enough to annoy them.”

“And they’ll call back angry.” Tos chuckled.

“Exactly,” Tanna said. “This whole thing is a game to them. So let’s play.”

Isa nodded slowly. “That sounds like a plan.”

He immediately switched into command mode. “I’ll inform His Excellency and arrange the gathering. We’ll still need people stationed in both Edo and Abuja in case someone else handles the call remotely.”

He pointed towards Soji. “Get every property connected to Lola and her uncle. Extended family too. Share the list with the team.”

Then toward the others.

“Makua and Bibi, head to Edo. Edin and Soji, Abuja. Call Tito and have him on standby there as well. Liaise with the police and place surveillance near every listed property.”

“You and I will head to His Excellency’s residence.” He said to Tanna

Everyone nodded and immediately got to work.

“Good evening, sir,” Isa said once the call connected.

“Do you have something for me?” His Excellency asked immediately.

Tanna stepped closer.

“If I may, sir… could your aides leave the room before we continue?”

Isa quickly explained.

“Sir, this is Tanna, our newest addition. He’s our behavioural analyst and has helped significantly with the case.”

The governor stared silently for a moment before waving both his personal assistant and security detail out of the room.

“One more thing, sir,” Tanna added carefully. “Could you use an earpiece?”

His Excellency frowned immediately. “Is all this truly necessary, Isa?”

“Unfortunately, yes sir,” Isa replied. “We’d appreciate your cooperation.”

His excellency sighed heavily. “Get me an earpiece.”

His assistant quickly returned with one, connected it, and left again.

The governor settled back into his chair. “So?”

Isa was about to speak when the governor interrupted. “Let him talk. He’s the one asking for all this.”

His eyes narrowed slightly. “Speak, behaviourist.”

Tanna glanced briefly at Isa, who nodded for him to continue. “We believe your grandson-in-law’s mistress and her uncle are responsible for the blackmail.”

Tanna continued carefully. “With a son involved and potentially an heir they have everything to gain from destroying your granddaughter’s image publicly. If her reputation collapses badly enough, it creates room for the mistress to eventually replace her completely.”

Silence followed for a few seconds. Finally, the governor spoke.

“So what’s your plan? Because I assume you people actually have one.”

“Yes, sir,” Isa replied. “We want everyone to gather together about three hours before the final payment deadline. Shortly before the cutoff, we’ll transfer a very small amount into the account to provoke them.”

Tanna continued from there. “The goal is to make them angry enough to contact us again. Then we keep everyone occupied and observe who attempts to sneak away around the call window.”

His Excellency nodded slowly. “Alright. I can gather everybody.”

Tanna spoke again.

“That includes your grandson-in-law, the mistress, her uncle, your granddaughter,  your daughter-in-law, and your oldest grandson… everyone, sir.”

“We’ll do it over dinner.” His excellency said quickly

“One more thing, sir,” Isa added. “We’ll need permission to monitor calls and communications on-site.”

“You’ll be there personally?” His excellency asked genuinely surprised.

“Yes, sir. My team and I.”

The governor waved dismissively. “Do whatever you must. I’ll prepare things from my end.”

“We’d also ask for complete secrecy,” Isa added carefully. “Even to your granddaughter. The fewer people who know, the better.”

“I understand.” The governor leaned back slightly. “Come to the main private villa. Dinner starts by 7:30.”

“Alright, sir,” Isa replied before the call ended.

With barely two hours left before 7 p.m., everyone moved like time itself was chasing them.

Tanna and Isa arrived at the villa by 6 p.m. Soji was already there setting up the surveillance equipment.

The Emorvon villa sat quietly inside one of the older GRA estates. It was private, intimidating, and luxurious in the way only old political money could achieve. It was controlled wealth, the kind that didn’t need to prove anything.

Everything about the house reflected the status of a former vice president.

They were ushered in by the housekeeper and taken to a room toward the back of the villa where they could work privately. Shortly after, the housekeeper returned with a simple message.

“His Excellency is aware of your arrival. He’ll see you later.”

The room overlooked the main entrance from the side, giving them a perfect view of everyone arriving.

Mr. Omoruyi was the first to show up at exactly 6:55 p.m.

Lola arrived next at 7:06 alongside her uncle.

The stepmother and her son came in around 7:13, her son trailing closely behind her.

Mrs. Omoruyi arrived last, less than ten minutes before dinner, with her lover beside her.

By 7:30, everyone was already gathered inside the family room.

At exactly 7:15, Tanna and Isa were summoned to His Excellency’s study. The room looked less like a study and more like a command centre for a retired king.

“Good evening, Your Excellency,” Isa greeted as they entered.

Tanna echoed the greeting quietly.

“Are you ready?” the old man asked immediately.

“Yes, sir,” Isa replied.

The governor’s eyes shifted toward Tanna.

“You’ll be studying my family tonight, correct?”

“Yes, sir,” Tanna answered calmly. “We’ll stall them, frustrate them, and provoke reactions. The more uncomfortable things become, the better our chances.”

“I hate drama.” His excellency said plainly. “So get whatever you need tonight. I don’t want this happening twice.”

“We understand, sir.” Tanna answered

A knock came at the door.

“Sir, everyone is ready,” His PA announced.

“Alright.” The old man rose slowly, with dignity.

The walk from the study to the family room felt unnecessarily slow, but Tanna quickly realised it was intentional.

The family room itself was enormous, large enough to comfortably seat fifty people. Unlike the formal sitting room near the entrance used for guests and politicians, this room sat deeper inside the villa. More private and personal.

The moment they entered, the tension was obvious.

The room was quiet and everybody had unconsciously separated themselves into factions.

The stepmother and her son sat closest to the centre, comfortably occupying space like people who believed they belonged there. They sat upright, composed, almost regal.

To their right sat Mr. Omoruyi. He looked far more relaxed than everyone else, casually scrolling through his phone. It was obvious he respected the owner of the house, but not enough to feel intimidated. Or maybe the people he truly refused to fear were his stepmother-in-law and brother-in-law.

A short distance away sat Lola. She carried herself with controlled elegance, back straight, expression unreadable. Years around wealthy families had clearly taught her how to survive rooms like this. Or maybe it was confidence. After all, she was now the mother of the possible heir to the Omoruyi fortune.

Beside her sat her uncle, dressed ceremoniously and noticeably more tense than she was.

Then there was Mrs Omoruyi. She sat furthest away from everyone else, almost tucked into the back corner of the room.

Unlike the others, she looked completely uninterested in appearances. Legs folded into the chair, shoulders relaxed, phone in hand, she sat like someone lounging carelessly in her own bedroom.

Ethan sat beside her, upright and alert, looking more like personal security than her company.

The moment His Excellency entered, everybody except Mrs Omoruyi stood immediately. She merely waved lazily. “Hi, Grandpa.”

The old man smiled faintly at her before continuing forward without stopping. He walked straight to the dining hall and everyone followed him like sheep.

By the time they reached the dining hall, the hierarchy became even clearer.

His Excellency sat at the head of the table. Mrs. Omoruyi immediately took the seat to his right, with Ethan beside her, effectively forcing her husband further away.

Mr. Emovon, his excellency’s son, had just arrived and quietly settled by his father’s left side with his wife and son following.

Mr. Omoruyi sat after Ethan with Lola and her Uncle sitting successively.

Isa and Tanna took their seats after the eldest grandson.

Mrs. Omoruyi glanced around once everyone settled. “Grandpa, what exactly is this about?”

“Let’s eat first” His Excellency replied calmly, lightly tapping her hand. “Then we talk.”

And so they did.The entire four-course meal passed almost completely in silence. No course arrived until His Excellency finished the previous one, and the old man took his time deliberately.

By the time the table was finally cleared, it was almost 11 p.m. His Excellency wiped his mouth calmly before speaking.

“Thank you all for honouring the invitation.” His voice was steady and commanding.

“I gathered everyone here because, in one way or another, all of you are connected to my granddaughter’s scandal.”

He gestured toward Isa and Tanna. “These men will speak on my behalf.”

Isa nodded once before speaking.

“A few weeks ago, Mr. Omoruyi received a threat which he acted upon. Unfortunately, he failed to neutralise it, and the situation escalated into a direct attack on Mrs. Omoruyi.”

“During our investigation, several names surfaced. Tonight, we simply want to ask questions and rule people out.”

“Will this questioning be done privately?” Mrs. Omoruyi asked casually.

“No, ma,” Isa replied. “Publicly.”

A faint smile crossed her face. “Good.”

She leaned back slightly. “I’d like to see where this goes.”

The statement subtly unsettled almost everybody at the table.

Isa turned calmly toward the stepmother.

“Mrs. Emovon. You and your son were naturally among our first suspects. Your son is currently being supported by His Excellency for a governorship role. During our investigation, we discovered multiple altercations between you and Mrs. Omoruyi. It was also clear the relationship between both of you wasn’t particularly warm.”

Mrs. Emovon scoffed immediately. “Oh please. She has disliked me from the moment I entered her father’s life. She has spent years painting me as the villain.”

She adjusted herself gracefully before continuing. “Despite that, I have supported and loved her the best way I can. But then she begins living recklessly at the exact same time my son finally gets a serious political opportunity?”

She spread her hands dramatically. “Come on.”

Her son remained silent beside her.

“I had to speak up,” she continued. “And naturally my son was upset too. But we have done nothing except support both the Omoruyi’s and the Emovon’s. What exactly do we gain from this scandal exploding publicly? My son’s reputation suffers too.”

Isa nodded slowly. “True. Which is exactly why we cleared both of you. You had just as much to lose.”

“You were cleared for the scandal,” His Excellency said calmly, his eyes fixed on his daughter-in-law and grandson, “but not for your theft.”

The room immediately went still again.

“Stealing from me is not something I take lightly,” he continued. “And I will recover every kobo. Threefold if necessary.”

Neither mother nor son responded.

Isa allowed the silence to settle before continuing. “Next was the confusion surrounding Ethan. Initially, his actions raised suspicion. He stole, disappeared, and created quite a mess. But eventually we established that he acted more like a victim than a perpetrator.”

The stepson scoffed loudly before he could stop himself. “Should he even be here at all?” he asked. “Isn’t this whole thing embarrassing enough for the family name already?”

His mother immediately tried to hush him. “No, Mummy. I have to speak.”

Mrs. Omoruyi slowly raised her wine glass toward him. “It would do you well to keep quiet.”

The young man immediately leaned back into silence.

Isa continued. “Then we discovered Mr. Omoruyi’s own secret. A mistress. A son. And potentially a new heir to his wealth.”

The tension shifted instantly toward Lola.

“Naturally,” Isa continued, “the mistress became our next major suspect. She had the most to gain and arguably the least to lose. She also had access to sensitive financial information.”

His eyes shifted toward the older man beside her.

“And then we found her uncle. A man with military intelligence experience and enough reason to want legitimacy for his grandnephew.”

The uncle straightened immediately.

“I only kept the boy under my name to give him legitimacy,” he said firmly. “His father wasn’t ready to publicly acknowledge him yet, and I wasn’t going to allow the child to suffer for that. Did I do something wrong?”

“No,” Isa replied calmly. “Not at all. But you were in military intelligence and specialised in surveillance and field intelligence. Which means you had both the training and capability to orchestrate something like this.”

The uncle let out a dry laugh. “I could have,” he admitted. “But I didn’t.”

He leaned back slightly. “The boy was eventually going to inherit everything anyway. Why would I stress myself with all this?”

“Maybe because Ms. Lola asked you to.” Isa stated

Lola immediately shook her head. “I had no reason to ask.”

Her composure cracked slightly for the first time.

“Look, I may not have legal status, but I’ve practically been his wife for three years. They stopped living together long before he moved into his new lodge. I already won.”

She spread her hands in frustration. “So why exactly would I put myself through this kind of stress?”

Her eyes shifted briefly toward Mrs. Omoruyi. “If anything, maybe one of her many underaged lovers is behind all this. Or one of the enemies she’s made over the years.”

“That’s an interesting angle,” Isa admitted. “However…”

He opened a file slowly.

“We also discovered that you’ve been rather sticky-fingered for someone who already won. Our team eventually cracked the paper trail,” Isa continued. “The offshore account receiving the siphoned funds was registered under your son’s identity.”

“As financial adviser to the Emovon’s and Omoruyi's, you had direct access to their finances. Over time, you quietly moved a substantial amount into offshore accounts.”

“We tracked your travel records too. Every major business trip included a stop in Cuba. And every single time you visited, funds entered the account shortly after.”

“That has nothing to do with this case,” she replied quickly, her voice shaking slightly.

His Excellency spoke. “Did you do it alone… or did your uncle help you?”

Her uncle immediately answered. “Yes, I helped her.”

“I did it alone,” she countered quickly, panic flashing across her face. “He wasn’t involved.”

“We already know both of you worked together,” Isa said calmly. “Your uncle operated as a contractor front while you moved the money through internal systems.”

Mrs. Omoruyi suddenly laughed softly. “I applaud you people,” she said mockingly.

His Excellency’s PA spoke from the corner. “You’ll be hearing from our lawyers.”

It was already well past midnight and the room had grown heavier with every passing hour. Arguments had started. Old resentment had resurfaced. Nobody trusted anybody anymore. And through it all, Tanna had remained quiet, simply observing everyone.

Then Isa glanced toward him. It was time for the second phase.

Tanna excused himself quietly and returned to the monitoring room before immediately calling Kuwo.

“Let’s start the payments.”

“Understood,” Makua replied over the phone.

Edin, I need you to check something for me,” Tanna said.

“Shoot.”

“Find out exactly how the Leftovers failed their assignment. What specifically did they do wrong?”

“Alright. Is there anything you are looking for specifically?”

“A sabotage.” He answered

“Will do”

The team had prepared one hundred million naira for the operation. Instead of paying it at once, they split it into irritatingly random amounts over several hours.

12:30 a.m. - 10 million.

12:45 a.m. - 5 million.

1:00 a.m. - 8 million.

1:20 a.m. - 1 million.

1:30 a.m. - 20 million.

2:00 a.m. - 3 million.

2:20 a.m. - 10 million.

3:00 a.m. - 1 million.

4:00 a.m. - 1 million.

4:30 a.m. - 8 million.

By then, most of the villa had gone to sleep. Isa had returned back at 3am after hours of tension and arguments. His Excellency had insisted everyone stay the night ensuring everyone was on the property.

The team settled in for the wait. The house was being monitored, calls, device activity, cameras. Someone had to make a move eventually.

The deadline was 6 a.m, so at exactly 5 a.m., they sent the final insult. Five hundred thousand naira.

Soji, who had spent the last hour decoding metadata from every device connected to the villa, suddenly sat upright. “Got something.” He said showing his laptop to Isa and Tanna

Almost immediately Edin’s message popped up on Soji’s screen confirming Soji’s findings. They all read it together

“XXXXXX  paid them”

Then the phone rang. Isa immediately answered in speaker mode.

A distorted voice came through. “What exactly do you people think you’re doing? Do you think I’m joking? I will release those images.”

Tanna’s voice was worrisomely calm. “Oh, I fully believe you will.”

The caller paused slightly. “Then what’s your game?”

“No game,” Tanna replied smoothly. “Unfortunately, that’s the financial situation the family is currently in.”

“Do you think I’m an idiot?” the voice snapped angrily. “You have forty minutes to send the complete money or I will…”

“Do what, sir?” Tanna said, opening the door.

“Good morning, Mr. Omoruyi.” Isa greeted

Mr. Omoruyi paced around his room holding a burner phone fitted with a voice-muffling headset.

For the first time all night, he looked genuinely shaken.

His Excellency’s PA came up behind Tanna and Isa “His Excellency would like to see you now, sir.”

Minutes later, they all sat once again inside the study.

His Excellency. Mrs. Omoruyi. Mr. Omoruyi. Isa and Tanna.

“I have nothing to say,” Mr. Omoruyi declared stiffly.

“No need,” Tanna replied calmly. “We already know everything.”

The room fell silent.

“After your affair with Lola became public internally, and after it became clear her son would inherit your legacy, you lost favour with His Excellency.”

Mr. Omoruyi looked away.

“You lost your political future,” Tanna continued. “After this administration, His Excellency was no longer planning to support you. Instead, attention shifted toward your stepbrother-in-law.”

“You watched the future you believed belonged to you slowly move to somebody else. So you wanted revenge.”

“If Mrs Omoruyi’s scandal exploded publicly, the entire family’s reputation would suffer. Even her stepbrother’s political ambitions would collapse from association.”

“You already knew about your wife’s visits to the Silence Club,” Tanna continued. “So you planted spyware in her phone and remotely took pictures of her. That was why it was impossible for us to identify how the leak happened. You simply took a picture with her phone.”

Mrs. Omoruyi slowly turned toward her husband in disbelief.

“Considering your family’s expertise in security and surveillance, you could pull the blackmail off with much ease. That’s also why we struggled to trace your communications. Everything was heavily encrypted.” Tanna said.

“But you made one mistake. You attacked yourself first, intentionally making yourself a victim but then you hired the Leftovers and paid them to pretend to sabotage the negotiation. The underground world isn’t very tight lipped” Isa explained

“We kept tabs of device activity in the residence, through the wifi. We blocked access to servers so everyone had no other option than to use the wifi. From there we tracked server spikes tied to the encrypted network.” Soji explained

“Then we staggered payments. We knew whoever was behind this would monitor every transaction obsessively. And then we could catch them.” Tanna said.

“Our Abuja team found your accomplice. A hired Hacker. That was all we needed,” Tanna finished.

Mrs. Omoruyi stared at her husband with complete disgust. “You horrendous excuse for a human being.”

His Excellency’s voice came next. “Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

Mr. Omoruyi laughed bitterly. “Say what exactly?”

Mrs. Omoruyi shook her head slowly. “I’m honestly not even surprised you’ve fallen this low.”

Mr. Omoruyi finally snapped. “What did you expect me to do?” he demanded. “Pretend I didn’t need a son? You couldn’t give me one.”

Mrs. Omoruyi stood slowly. “Well,” she said calmly, “I couldn’t give you a son and now you won’t have daughters either.”

“My lawyers will send the divorce papers.”

“This marks the end of our relationship as a family.” His Excellency spoke firmly, his security details escorting his grandson-in-law out.

“Thank you for your service,” His Excellency said as the team prepared to leave an hour after the reveal. “We’ll handle the rest from here.”

“No problem, sir,” Isa replied.

“I’ll ensure you and your team are compensated properly.”

“We’d appreciate that.”

Outside, Soji stretched tiredly as they packed their equipment into the car.

“What a case,” he muttered.

“I concur,” Tanna replied dryly.

Isa checked the time before sighing. “Let’s get breakfast before heading back.”

Later that morning, back at the office, reality returned almost immediately.

“Alright,” Tosin announced loudly, clapping once. “Case closed. I want reports on my desk before the end of the week. Don’t keep me waiting.”

The entire room groaned in unison.

And just like that, after an entire night of blackmail, betrayal, political drama, and espionage…

They were back to paperwork.