Chapter One

The lecture hall emptied almost as quickly as it had filled.

Students poured through the doors, talking over one another as they stepped into the afternoon heat. Some headed toward the cafeteria, others toward their hostels, while a few stood around in small groups, laughing and complaining about the lecture they had just survived.

Maria Benson adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder and stepped down the stairs.

Her mind was still stuck on the lecture.

Biochemistry wasn’t exactly the easiest course in the world, but Maria had grown used to it. She actually enjoyed the subject, at least when her lecturers weren’t trying to murder her with assignments.

She pulled out her phone and glanced at the time.

Then she heard someone shout.

“Maria Benson!”

She stopped.

The voice sounded familiar.

Maria turned around.

A young man was running toward her from across the walkway.

“Olu!”

She immediately recognized him.

Before he could say anything, Maria rushed toward him and wrapped her arms around him.

“Olu, where the h£ll have you been?” she asked as they separated. “You’ve been gone for weeks! Why weren’t you in school?”

Olu took a breath, still recovering from his sprint.

“My mum.”

Maria’s smile disappeared.

“What happened?”

“She’s sick. She’s been in the hospital.”

“Oh sh!t.” Maria’s voice softened. “I’m sorry.”

“Yeah. Things got complicated at home. My elder sister eventually came down and took over watching her, so I decided to come back to school.”

Maria sighed.

“How’s she doing now?”

“Better, I think. Still weak, though.”

“I hope she gets better soon.”

“Thanks.”

They began walking together toward the university exit.

For a few minutes they talked about school, assignments, lecturers and all the things Olu had missed.

Las Vegas, Night

Music shook the walls of the casino.

Bright lights flashed across the massive gaming floor as wealthy customers drank, gambled and laughed without a care in the world.

Behind all of it, however, was Devin.

He sat in a private room overlooking the casino.

He wasn’t smiling.

A man was dragged into the room by two of his men.

His shirt was torn. Blood covered one side of his face.

“Please,” the man begged. “I can explain.”

Devin slowly looked up from the glass in his hand.

“You stole from me.”

“I didn’t…”

Devin raised one finger.

The man immediately stopped talking.

“You stole from me,” Devin repeated. “And then you thought you could run.”

“I was desperate.”

“So am I.”

Devin stood.

He walked toward the man and casually struck him across the face.

The guards held him upright as Devin continued.

One punch.

Another.

Then another.

The man’s pleas eventually became nothing more than desperate gasps.

Devin finally stepped back.

“Take him outside.”

The guards dragged the man away.

A gunshot echoed through the corridor a few seconds later.

Devin returned to his chair.

His phone rang.

He answered.

“What?”

His expression changed.

“What do you mean the shipment was seized?”

He stood abruptly.

“A metric ton of cocaine doesn’t just disappear!”

Silence.

“Find out who took it.”

He clenched his jaw.

“And recover every f*cking kilogram.”

He ended the call.

For Devin, business had just become personal.

Abuja, Dawn

Maria screamed.

She opened her eyes suddenly.

Her breathing was heavy.

Sweat covered her forehead and neck.

She sat upright in bed and looked around her room.

Nothing.

Just darkness slowly giving way to the pale light of dawn.

Maria wiped her face.

Another nightmare.

But this one had felt different.

She could still hear the voice.

Her great grandmother’s voice.

Sarah.

The old woman had been standing somewhere in the darkness, desperately trying to reach her.

“Maria…”

Maria had tried to move.

She couldn’t.

“Maria…”

The voice became louder.

“Maria!”

Maria woke.

A knock came from the door.

She froze.

Another knock.

“Maria?”

She recognized the voice.

“Henry?”

She got out of bed and opened the door.

Her boyfriend stood outside, smiling.

“Morning.”

Maria managed a tired smile.

“Morning.”

Henry looked at her face.

“Another bad dream?”

She nodded.

He studied her for a moment before smiling again.

“Get dressed.”

Maria frowned.

“Why?”

“I’m taking you out.”

“But…”

“But nothing,” Henry interrupted. “We’re skipping school today.”

Maria laughed.

“You’re serious?”

“Very.”

“Henry, I have classes.”

“And I have decided that you don’t.”

She shook her head, smiling.

“You’re crazy.”

“Probably.”

They ended up at a quiet park away from the noise of the city.

Maria and Henry lay on the grass, staring into the blue sky.

For once, there were no lectures.

No assignments.

No exams.

No responsibilities.

Just the wind moving gently through the trees.

Henry turned his head toward her.

“Isn’t this relaxing? Just looking at the sky during the day?”

Maria smiled.

“I prefer the night.”

“Of course you do.”

She laughed.

They stayed there for a while longer.

Eventually, they got up and left.

Olu sat at his desk that afternoon, reading through a textbook while copying notes.

He had a lot of catching up to do.

The silence was broken by a knock.

He looked toward the door.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Nicholas.”

Olu sighed.

He opened the door.

Nicholas stood outside with a grin.

“Come on, let’s hang out.”

“I’m busy.”

“Bro, you’ve been gone for weeks.”

“I have schoolwork.”

Nicholas stepped inside anyway.

“You’re coming.”

“No.”

“Nicole will be there.”

Olu stopped.

Nicholas smiled.

“Thought so.”

Olu stared at him for a moment.

“Give me five minutes.”

9:00 PM, Abuja

Maria returned to the park.

The place looked completely different at night.

The noise of the city seemed distant.

The trees swayed gently in the cold breeze, and the moon hung above the sky.

She sat on the same patch of grass where she and Henry had spent the afternoon.

Except this time, she was alone.

Maria tilted her head back.

She loved the night.

There was something peaceful about it.

Something honest.

She closed her eyes.

The wind brushed against her skin.

Then she heard it.

A faint hiss.

Maria opened her eyes.

She looked around.

Nothing.

Another hiss.

Closer.

Her body stiffened.

Slowly, she turned her head.

A snake was coiled only a few feet away.

Its body tightened.

Its head rose.

Maria barely had time to react.

The snake lunged.

She screamed.

But before its fangs could reach her, something stopped it.

The snake froze in midair.

Maria stared.

She hadn’t touched it.

She hadn’t moved.

The snake simply hung there.

Suspended.

Her breathing became shallow.

“What the…”

The snake began twisting violently.

Maria instinctively raised her hand.

The snake was suddenly pulled backward.

Its body slammed into the ground.

Then,

CRACK.

Its head crushed against the earth.

Blood spread across the grass.

Silence.

Maria stared at the dead snake.

Then at her hand.

Then back at the snake.

Her heart pounded.

She slowly stood.

“What the f*ck just happened?”

She took a step backward.

Her hand began trembling.

She hadn’t touched the snake.

She knew she hadn’t.

Yet somehow…

She had killed it.

Maria looked around the empty park.

Nobody was there.

She immediately ran off the park, wondering about what has just happened but unknown to her this is only just the beginning.