Chapter 8

Panyin had split up with Nonso and Omari after their hidden surveillance feed confirmed a grim reality.

Hez and his men had murdered the diner’s elderly owners for deliberately pointing them in the wrong direction.

A thud echoed in the dark alley behind Panyin. Before she could turn, a pair of slender, iron-strong arms wrapped around her throat, choking off her air.

She gasped, her hands flying up to break the hold.

"Safe word?" a voice hissed in her ear.

"Star apples are not apples!" Panyin choked out. "Star apples are not apples!"

Benita released her from the headlock, stepping back. "My bad. You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah," Panyin coughed, rubbing her neck.

"What's your name?"

"Panyin. I'm under your mother's division."

"Nice. Do you have a phone?"

"Uh, yeah." Panyin pulled the device from her pocket and passed it over. "Do you have all your memories?"

"A good chunk of it. It's still a shitshow in my head though." Benita muttered, her thumb whipping over the screen as she tapped a series of digits.

"Who are you calling?"

"Eliav. Someone is compromised on our side." The line clicked open. "Hello? Karama, it's Benita. Hook me up to Eliav right now."

A second later, her husband's voice crackled through the speaker. "Baby, where are you?"

"Somewhere. Don't worry, I'm with Panyin. Mumsi sent her. Where is Gina?"

"You're sounding yourself."

"Yeah, but this headache is still a b!tch though. I don't know what's wrong with me. Babe, Gina, where is she?"

"Back at Base. We found her earlier, she said you were both—"

"She injected me."

The line went dead silent for a beat. "What?"

"She was acting mad weird. I think she's under duress. Keep her in check." Benita gasped, the phone almost slipping from her hand as she sank against the brick wall, clutching her temples. "My head... Panyin, please... talk to him."

Panyin took the phone. "Hello? This is Panyin."

"Hey, what's wrong with her?" Eliav’s voice was strained.

"She's just in a lot of pain."

"Look, just keep her safe until we get there. We got y'all."

~•~

"Come out, come out, wherever you're hiding, Hez." Omari stepped lightly over the damp leaf litter, sweeping his assault rifle past the thick trunks of the forest with a cold smirk. "Your death is guaranteed, but suffering doesn't have to be. I'll make it quick. I promise, bro."

Nonso moved parallel to him a few meters away, tracking a blinking icon on his tactical screen before signaling a halt.

Adjusting their night-vision goggles, the two men circled a massive mahogany tree, creeping up from opposite sides with weapons raised.

​They found nothing but a discarded, blood-soaked electronic node buzzing on the damp earth.

Nonso scoffed. "He took it out."

*Twenty minutes ago...*

"She killed Langa," Hez hissed into his phone, leaning against the SUV. "...whatever, just execute the siblings and meet me at the white water tower— Sh!t!" A sharp intake of breath escaped his teeth as his phone clattered to the pavement.

His right hand was dripping a heavy stream of blood.

His personal guard rushed around the side of the vehicle. "Sir, what hap—"

"NO. STAY BACK!"

Too late.

Two suppressed rounds cracked through the night air, striking the guard squarely in the jaw and throat. He slumped instantly over the bonnet of the car.

"Sh!t, sh!t, sh!t!" Hez ran around the bulletproof vehicle. He pulled out his pistol with his left hand.

Only one maniac could shoot with that kind of precision in pure darkness.

"How fahhhhh" Omari’s voice taunted from the treeline as he reloaded his rifle.

Nonso's voice cut through the air. "We know it's you, Hez. Only you are sick enough to kill innocent old people."

Using the armored chassis as a shield, Hez stayed low and bolted blindly into the thick brush.

As he ran, he slammed his weight against the trees, dry-heaving from the pain of his shattered hand.

Finding a temporary cover in the shadows, he ripped a handkerchief out with his teeth and tied a clumsy, one-handed tourniquet around his forearm.

Grimacing, he drew a switchblade, bit down hard on his jacket collar to stifle a scream, and sliced deep into the meat of his hand to gouge out Omari's tracking bullet.

*In the present time...*

​Omari and Nonso stared down at the discarded tracker.

"He didn't forget our tricks." Omari nodded.

"You never miss."

"Hm?"

"Oma, you were supposed to—"

Eliav's voice echoed in their earpieces. "Nonso. Omari."

"Hail, boss man!" Omari chirped.

"Shut up. E, we can hear you."

"Where are you now?"

"On our way to the white water tower. We suspect Hez is trying to rendezvous with a partner over there."

"Forget that. Pivot and get to Benita instead."

"But E, we have Hez cornered."

"We'll get him another day," Eliav commanded, his voice leaving no room for argument. "Right now, we're juggling too many loose ends. When we hunt down Hez, I want it to be our only objective. Today's priority is bringing my wife home safely."

​Nonso sighed, a new set of coordinates flashing onto his screen from Karama. "Alright, E. I've received her location. We're rerouting."

~•~

"Can you walk?" Panyin knelt beside her, placing a hand on Benita's trembling shoulder.

​Benita pushed herself up to her feet, but her head swerved violently as she staggered. Panyin caught her before she could hit the bricks. "Hey, hey. Are you okay?"

​Benita opened her eyes, staring at Panyin with a creased brow.

"Benita, can you hear me?"

"Benita?"

"Yes. Benita, God, you were remembering everything just a minute ago."

Benita's shoes scraped the gravel as she backed out of reach. "Who are you?"

"I'm Panyin. Your mother sent me to get you. *Star apples are not apples*, remember?"

"My mother?" Benita squeezed her eyes shut. "I don't know... I don't know any of this. I'm sorry."

Panyin breathed out. "It's okay. You can just come with me."

Benita's gaze traveled down to the twin blades at Panyin's sides.

Panyin raised her hands. "These are to protect you, I promise."

"I don't know you," Benita whispered. "I'm sorry. I can't come with you."

"That's okay too. We can just stay here. Your husband is—"

Benita didn't wait for the rest. She spun on her heel and sprinted away.

Panyin's jaw dropped. "Wait! No! Come back!"