Chapter 9: Mercy's Secret

The ambulance arrived within minutes.

Paramedics rushed the elderly librarian onto a stretcher while police officers cordoned off the railway station.

Adaeze stood silently, tears welling in her eyes.

"Do you think he'll survive?" she asked.

Michael looked toward the ambulance.

"I hope so."

"But before he lost consciousness..."

"...he mentioned someone."

"Mercy."

Adaeze nodded.

"She's our next clue."

The police questioned them for almost an hour.

Unfortunately, no one had seen the hooded shooter clearly.

The CCTV cameras around the station had been out of service for months.

It was as if the attacker had planned everything.

When they were finally allowed to leave, Michael picked up the sealed envelope from Locker 27.

"For Daniel Only."

He stared at it.

"We promised not to open it."

Adaeze sighed.

"If Daniel is still alive..."

"...then this belongs to him."

Back on campus, they searched old student records again.

After hours of flipping through dusty files, Adaeze found a familiar name.

Mercy Eze.

Department: Nursing.

Graduation Year: 2008.

Address...

Blank.

Michael frowned.

"Someone removed her contact details."

"But they forgot one thing."

He pointed to the emergency contact section.

It listed a small mission hospital on the outskirts of Port Harcourt.

The next morning, they travelled to the hospital.

It was a quiet place run by elderly nurses and volunteers.

A middle-aged nurse welcomed them warmly.

"We're looking for someone named Mercy Eze."

The nurse's smile faded.

"I haven't heard that name in many years."

"So you know her?" Adaeze asked.

The woman hesitated.

"She no longer uses that name."

Michael exchanged a glance with Adaeze.

"Then... what's her name now?"

The nurse lowered her voice.

"Mrs. Mercy Johnson."

She led them to a small office at the back of the hospital.

Moments later, a woman in her late forties walked in.

The instant she saw the photograph of Grace...

Her face turned pale.

She slowly sat down.

"I prayed this day would never come."

Adaeze spoke gently.

"Were you Grace's friend?"

Mercy nodded.

"My best friend."

Tears filled her eyes.

"I've carried this burden for eighteen years."

Michael carefully placed the sealed envelope on the table.

"It was meant for Daniel."

Mercy's hands trembled.

"I never thought I'd see that again."

She looked at both of them before whispering,

"You deserve the truth."

She took a deep breath.

"Grace did not disappear because she wanted to."

Adaeze held her breath.

"Then why?"

Mercy's eyes filled with pain.

"She was forced to run..."

"...because she witnessed something powerful people wanted buried forever."

Silence consumed the room.

Michael leaned forward.

"What did she witness?"

Mercy slowly reached into a locked drawer and removed an old flash drive.

"I've protected this for years."

"It contains everything Grace gave me."

Before she could hand it over—

The lights suddenly went out.

The entire hospital fell into darkness.

A loud scream echoed from the hallway.

Footsteps raced toward Mercy's office.

Someone grabbed the door handle.

It began to turn slowly.