CHAPTER 14

Sani emerged from the building, his brow furrowed with concern. He inquired urgently, "Where exactly did the location show within the camp?" His voice carried a sense of urgency as he arrived at another building. Faruq, who had been busy scrutinizing the gathered information, looked up and replied, "It's as we suspected, from where the recruits stay. We've done some digging, and we've narrowed it down to four suspects."

With determination etched on his face, Sani wasted no time. "So what exactly are you waiting for? Apprehend those four and make sure you find the rat. I'll be here waiting," he commanded, taking a seat as his men acknowledged with a resounding, "Yes, Sheaku."

....

Meanwhile, Hamza pressed on toward the IT building, each step heavy with anticipation and trepidation. Upon reaching the IT base, two sentries looked at him, and one of them stepped forward to block his path. However, the other person inside the building, seemingly recognizing Hamza, intervened, saying, "Don't you know who that is? He's the Sheaku's new errand boy."

Though the sentry directed his gaze at Hamza, the young boy remained silent, not to explain his presence. He proceeded to enter the building, his heart pounding so vigorously that he feared he might collapse at any moment. Summoning every ounce of his composure, he ventured further into the building, following Nurudeen's instructions to avoid being seen.

Hamza ascended the stairs cautiously, his senses on high alert. Fortunately, luck was on his side as there were no guards present at that moment. He made his way to the left, where he discovered a door. With a sense of purpose, he entered, and his eyes fell upon a telephone. He retrieved the piece of paper that Nurudeen had provided; containing the number he needed to call, and dialed it, the tension in the air palpable as the phone began to ring.

....

In the military convoy, Major Abdullahi was growing impatient. He knew that the longer they waited, the harder it would be to find the terrorists and rescue the captured children. He felt frustrated as he thought about the situation.

Suddenly, one of his commanders sitting nearby whispered something important in his ear. Major Abdullahi listened carefully, his face showing that he was worried about what he had just heard.

Reacting swiftly, Major Abdullahi instructed the driver to halt the vehicle. He disembarked, his boots meeting the sand of the desolate desert. He retrieved his phone and answered it with a hint of exasperation, "Hello, Nurudeen."

The voice on the other end, however, clarified, "I am not Nurudeen. I am one of the hostages. Nurudeen seems to be under investigation, and he will be discovered at any moment. Please, hurry."

Taken aback by this unexpected revelation, Major Abdullahi replied with newfound urgency, "Alright, we've tracked your location. Stays put and hide. We will be there within three hours." As he concluded the call, he turned to one of his captains and issued a directive, "Change our route. We've found the location." His eyes briefly met the rearview mirror before he lapsed into a contemplative silence.

....

Back at the camp, Hamza knew he had to make his move. He stood up, his heart pounding like a drum, as he heard voices approaching the room he was in. He hastily retreated behind the door, his breath held in anticipation of what was to come.

The door swung open, revealing the silhouettes of two individuals who entered the room without a second thought. Hamza, ever vigilant, gently pushed the door ajar from behind to peer inside. He waited in silence for what felt like an eternity, nearly half an hour, as the two men went about their business.

Finally, as the two men began to back out of the room, Hamza acted swiftly and quietly. He gently opened the door from behind and moved out with the grace of a shadow. Just as he exited, one of the men inside asked, "Did you hear something?"

The other responded with a mocking laugh, "You've started taking hard drugs, right?" They continued to joke; unaware

that Hamza had slipped away.

Outside, Hamza let out a sigh of relief, but his concern for Nurudeen still weighed heavily on his mind.

....

Meanwhile, four men were brought before Sani, their faces etched with fear and uncertainty. Sani's gaze pierced each of them in turn as he demanded, "Which one of you is the rat feeding the soldiers information?" He locked eyes with each of them, forcing them to bow their heads in fear, unable to meet his intense gaze.

Nurudeen's thoughts were consumed by the hope that Hamza had been successful in contacting the military for their rescue. Then, an agitated figure rushed into the room, hurrying up to Sani and whispering urgently in his ear.

Sani's countenance shifted from bad to worse as he considered the gravity of the news. He turned his attention back to the four men, frustration and anger evident in his voice. "Who among you is the traitor?" he demanded, met with nothing but silence.

Without hesitation, he reached for the weapon at his side and fired a single shot. The first man dropped to the ground, lifeless, sending shockwaves through the room. The silence was deafening.

"Take them and torture them swiftly," Sani commanded with a cold determination. "Prepare everybody. The army already knows our location, and we need the rat to buy us time to move to another base. Cut off a few parts if you have to."

Sani's gaze then shifted to Faruq, his voice laced with urgency as he asked, "What time was our location leaked out?" The room hung heavy with tension as they braced for the impending storm brought on by the military's arrival.