Time : 12am
Location: Maitama, Abuja.

The wristwatch on Rex’s hand vibrated and made a beep sound to signify 12 am. It was the time Rex had been waiting for.

After doing a proper check some hours ago, he had decided on the best way to break into the compound and the right tools to use without causing any alarm to the people inside and twelve am was just the right time for him to begin.

He stretched forth his hand to the backseat to take his backpack. He placed it on his laps and opened the main section, he took out a black cloth-like piece of material and wore it on his head, it stretched like a nylon as he pulled it gently to cover his face. He adjusted it till every feature on his face entered the place meant for it on the piece of cloth which happened to be a mask. Then he touched a part on his forehead to test the headlamp in the mask and the light came on, he turned it off immediately. He then took out a set of gloves for his hands and a small tool box which he had neatly arranged his carefully selected tools. He fixed the rope handle of the tool box onto his hand and relaxed back in the chair. He stared thinly through the front glass of the car and took in a breath as he made a quick mental review of all his plans and strategies.

‘Stay awake and alert, with your earpiece on always,’ he said to Stainless as he stepped out of the car.

The night was silent and calm as usual. Rex crossed the two carriageways and turned straight to the gate. He opened the toolbox and took out a tiny drilling tool, he inserted it into the keyhole of the gate and pressed a button on the handle which rolled the metal in. He held the handle of the gate as it gave way. He removed the tool and returned it into the box before opening the gate gently and stepping in. He stopped at the entrance as he closed back the gate, he looked around for a while, studying everything his eyes could see. Inside the compound was brightly lit as outside was, so he could see clearly every object and what they were.

He walked carefully to the left side of the wall and rested his back at the place the walls formed an angle, facing the way which led to the backyard. Then he opened the tool box again and took out a paper which had something wrapped inside it. He unwrapped it and picked out one of the small tiny balls in it. The balls were as small as the seeds of an orange. He squatted and threw one of the balls straight from where he was, he waited to see the response but got none. He took out another ball and flung it towards the main entrance of the building and also got no response immediately. He rose up slowly and surprised as he expected to get a reaction but as soon as he straightened himself, straight red and hot lights emanated from different points on the floor and the soil beside the fence. The lights were so sharp and hot that he could feel the heat and intensity where he stood. He had expected it but the timing was different. He was impressed by the expertise and intelligence of the person who installed it.
After a minute, the lights went off and the place became as normal as it was. Rex took out his gun and attached a silencer, he shot the two bulbs placed on the top at both ends of the gate first and then the light at the entrance of the building before the first one he could see by the side of the building.

The tiny sharp laser lights came on again but this time didn’t take Rex by surprise. He returned the gun to his side and squatted again. The place became darker after the laser lights went off. Rex remained still and listened carefully for minutes, waiting to hear sounds of movement or voices in the house or see anybody or thing come out.


_____
Time : 12:11am
Location : The Underground Facility
‘What sign could that be?’ Henry asked as the lights in the underground control room fluctuated.

‘I don’t know,’ Cole replied, staring up at the bulbs.

‘Could it be that the system is unstable yet because we just installed it?’
‘No,’ Cole replied sharply. He pulled his swivel back to the table and tapped the keyboard to turn on the screen.
The underground control room was a small one, just about a quarter of the main building control room. The computer system in it were just four and were arranged two on each sides of the table.
‘So can it be that someone has already invaded our main facility?’
‘Most likely that what it means,’ Cole replied as he began to type something fast on the keyboard.
‘I and Omotara tried to locate the sources of all the cameras in the main building earlier, half of them were not responding.’ Henry said as he began to work on the system he sat behind. ‘I have to check now if they’ve all been located.’
‘If they’ve not been located, connect the ones we located already, we need to know what’s up there.’ Cole said.
‘Okay but who could possibly be up there at this time, the police or Rex?’
‘Rex or that man who helped us escape,’ Cole stated without thinking much for an answer.
They worked silently for the following two minutes.
‘I’ve got all,’ Henry suddenly announced. Cole left his system to see what Henry had. ‘Someone is truly in,’ Henry added in a low and sad tone. On the screen, the point where the gate bulbs were destroyed was being displayed.
‘And we can’t have a playback to see how it got destroyed right?’ Cole questioned.
‘Yes, we just connected. The only playback we can have is what happens from now.’ Henry replied.


‘Move that camera and let’s see,’ Cole said. Henry did as he was told and the view shifted from the gate to some parts of the wall but didn’t get to the angle. ‘Switch cameras,’ Cole said again and Henry obeyed. The view shifted to the entrance of the house and Henry continued to move the cursor without being told anymore. They saw the destroyed bulb at the entrance and saw the pieces shattered on the floor. ‘Wow!’ Cole exclaimed, releasing a cold breath from his mouth.

‘What do we do? Do we tell the boss?’ Henry asked. The fear in his heart could be easily heard in his voice.
Cole stared at him for a second, it was the first time he heard Henry refer to Tarasha as the boss. He could have smiled or laughed if it happened in a normal condition but he just kept a straight face. ‘She’s asleep already, why bother her? And even if we tell her, she doesn’t have the strength to do anything physical yet.’

‘But she can tell us what to do,’ Henry insisted.

‘No need to bother her, I know how to handle this for now.’
‘Okay, and how do we go about it?’
‘Switch into the cameras inside, let’s see if the intruder has gotten in.’


____
Flashback
16 Years ago
A large open space in what looked like a thick forest, men armed with guns and machetes could be seen working and walking around. Most of them were entering into a smal hutl at one end of the space and coming out with plates of food while some others could be seen on one side sharpening their machetes and others cutting and arranging some sticks.
Every activity seemed to seize as a loud voice emanated from the only bush path which led to the place from behind the hut. The voice spoke in Hausa language and the men began to leave all they were doing to reply in the same language. All the men working and those eating left their foods to respond to the call, they all began to walk towards the hut and stop at the entrance. Soon, the owner of the voice they were responding to surfaced from behind the hut with four other men. The man was Abubakar Shekhau, the leader of the Boko Haram terrorist group.

Rikau watched from where he stood with the other men, he was one of the youngest amongst them and the most educated. He finished his Higher National program in his State’s Polytechnic and could not further his education due to lack of funds. For five years after his graduation, he roamed about the street without getting a job. He maintained himself by doing menial jobs and in the sixth year was able to get the police recruitment form. He was selected and he went for training. It was during his training he met with a young policeman, officer Elvis Richards. After he finished his training, he went on a visit to his hometown and that was when he was offered a huge some of money to implant a bomb at a certain location which he agreed to and after that he joined the terrorists group fully when they promised to pay him more when he becomes a full member. When he got to find out that he was deceived, it was too late to turn back. He had to accept their philosophy of killing unbelievers for their god to receive a reward of paradise and virgins though it never really made sense to him. He rose speedily in rank amongst the terrorists and soon was one of their top leaders, fifth in command to the leader Shekau and a director of most of their affairs because of his literacy.


‘Mallam Rikau,’ Shekau shouted the group’s leader’s name and Rikau replied with a loud voice with words in Hausa and Arabic languages. He came forward and they conversed with each other in Hausa briefly before Shekau turned to the whole group of men and addressed them. Rikau was to leave them for somewhere else and another man was introduced to them as their new leader.
That night when Rikau left the troop he led with Shekau was when he discovered that their Insurgent’s group as a whole was also being used to achieve selfish interests of some influential men in the society. It was during their meetings with some of the meetings with an influential man that Rikau got to meet with Elvis Richards again, this time he had risen so high in the force rank.
A year after, he was contacted by Elvis Richards to carry out few assassinations for him and it was done together with the usual Boko Haram attack, giving no room for suspicions. The most notable assassination he carried out was that of the Danjuma’s family.
Years later, Elvis Richards became the Inspector General and helped Rikau escape death and punishment which other Boko Haram members faced after their defeat. He also put Rikau into the force, making him start at a high rank. But all these Chief Elvis never did on his own, he had someone backing him, a notable person Rikau never got to know.


**Present**
Time: 12:25am
Location : University Of Abuja Teaching Hospital
Chief Rikau finally opened his eyes to meet himself on the hospital bed. He wasn’t surprised because he could remember clearly how he was taken from the scene and all that led to his hospitalization. All through his sleep, he kept having dreams reminding him of his younger years and of the Danjuma’s family. This made him believe more that Samantha had to be the Danjuma’s daughter. He tried to move on the bed but he stopped when the pain in his legs and back was unbearable. He had never in his service as a policeman been hospitalized for gunshots. A tear dropped from his eyes as he thought about his life, was nemesis finally catching up with him?
_____