“This started before I met you.”
Emeka’s words followed them through the alley.
Zara stood barefoot in his shirt, clutching the evidence bag.
“How long before?”
“Six months.”
“Six months?!”
“Zara, we need to move.”
“You have had six months to find words!”
Headlights turned into the street.
Emeka caught her hand.
They ran.
Mariam collected them two blocks away in an unmarked vehicle.
She opened the rear door.
“What happened to your clothes?”
“Drive!” Zara shouted.
Mariam looked at Emeka.
“He is not wearing a shirt.”
“Mariam!”
“I am driving.”
They reached an EFCC safe house in Maitama.
Mariam gave Zara a tracksuit and Emeka an old T-shirt.
Once they were alone, Zara faced him.
“Talk.”
Emeka sat carefully.
“Dele approached me before the tender was announced. He wanted Nnadi Construction ready to accept certain partners.”
“AEGIS.”
“I did not know the name then.”
“You knew enough to be suspicious.”
“Yes.”
“And you let me investigate half the truth.”
“I thought I could understand the trap before stepping into it.”
“You wanted to control the risk.”
“I wanted you to see me before you saw whatever Dele had placed around me.”
“That is not romantic.”
“I did not say it was.”
Mariam entered with a first-aid box.
“Your flat was searched,” she told Zara.
“The evidence?”
“They found an empty case. They damaged the rooms but did not burn anything.”
“They were looking for the records,” Emeka said.
Mariam pointed at him.
“Shirt up.”
“This evening has been difficult for my dignity.”
“You were not worried about dignity earlier,” Zara replied.
Mariam paused.
“I am not asking.”
A dark bruise covered Emeka’s ribs.
“You need a hospital scan,” Mariam said.
“I am fine.”
Zara’s voice became quiet.
“You will go.”
Emeka looked at her.
“Yes, ma.”
Mariam closed the box.
“I understand the attraction now.”
Emeka’s phone rang.
Adeyemi.
He answered on speaker.
“I am at the Idu warehouse,” Adeyemi whispered.
“What are you doing there?” Emeka asked.
“I came for the ledger. They are moving everything before morning.”
“Leave,” Zara ordered.
“I cannot. They locked the outside gate.”
Mariam began recording.
“Who is there?”
“Two AEGIS men. Maybe more.”
“Where is the ledger?”
“Wall cabinet in the back office.”
A crash sounded.
Adeyemi lowered his voice.
“They found me.”
The call ended.
Mariam stood.
“We move now.”
“It is a trap,” Zara said.
“Definitely,” Emeka agreed.
She looked at him.
“You are not coming.”
“We just discussed taking away choices.”
“You are injured.”
“And my company’s name is inside those records.”
Zara stared at him.
Emeka stood carefully.
“I will not hide anything again. But I am not staying behind while you enter that warehouse.”
Mariam looked between them.
“I need an answer.”
Zara picked up the evidence bag.
“He comes.”
Emeka smiled.
“But he follows instructions.”
“That sounds familiar.”
“This is not teasing.”
“I know.”
His smile vanished.
That frightened Zara more than the bullets had.