The shock of seeing him there sent a cold wave down Mike’s spine.

Kamau.

Seated in the black sedan, arm draped casually over the window, sunglasses reflecting the dim moonlight. A knowing smirk played on his lips, like he’d been expecting this moment.

Mike’s fingers curled into a fist. "You have got to be kidding me."

Amina’s face was unreadable, but her breathing had gone shallow. Felix? He looked like he wanted to rip Kamau’s head off.

The truck lurched forward, the driver pushing it to its limit. The sedan kept pace effortlessly, smooth, controlled—predatory.

Kamau tilted his head, then casually reached into his jacket.

Mike’s gut screamed.

"DOWN!"

He tackled Amina just as the first bullet ripped through the side of the truck.

Felix swore and returned fire from the passenger seat. The sedan veered slightly, but Kamau wasn’t rattled. If anything, he seemed amused.

Amina shoved Mike off her. "We can’t outgun them!"

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Mike wiped sweat from his brow. "Yeah? Any brilliant ideas?"

Felix shouted from the front, "Hang on!"

The truck suddenly jerked left, off the road, straight into the bush.

Branches whipped past, slamming against the windshield. The truck bounced violently, barely avoiding massive rocks. Behind them, Kamau’s car skidded, struggling on the uneven terrain.

Mike exhaled. "Okay, that’s one way to—"

The truck hit a massive root.

Everything flipped.

The world became a chaotic blur of metal, sacks of charcoal, and flailing limbs. Mike felt himself slam into the roof, then the side, before crashing onto the ground.

For a few agonizing seconds, everything was still.

Then—a groan.

Mike blinked dust out of his eyes. His body ached all over. Amina was already pushing herself up, blood trickling from a gash on her arm.

Felix coughed, voice hoarse. "We… alive?"

The wreckage of the truck lay behind them, steam hissing from the shattered engine.

A low chuckle cut through the night air.

Mike stiffened.

Kamau stood a few meters away, completely unharmed. His car had stopped just before the crash site, and his men were fanning out.

Kamau took off his sunglasses. "Damn, Mike. You really don’t die easy, huh?"

Mike spat dust. "You’re enjoying this a little too much."

Kamau grinned. "It’s nothing personal, bro. Business is business."

Mike’s hands curled into fists. "You set us up."

Kamau’s smile widened. "I saved you."

Amina growled. "Bullshit."

Kamau held up a hand. "Think about it. If it wasn’t me, it would’ve been someone else. The kind of people we pissed off? They don’t play fair. I cut a deal to keep you breathing."

Felix scoffed. "And you expect us to believe that?"

Kamau sighed, shaking his head. "Felix, always so dramatic. Look—this whole thing was never about you guys. It’s about what you stole."

Mike and Amina exchanged a glance.

Felix’s eyes darkened. "We don’t have it."

Kamau’s expression didn’t change. "Yeah. But someone does. And the people looking for it don’t believe that."

Mike frowned. "So what, you’re here to… rescue us?"

Kamau smiled. "More like… make sure you don’t die before we find the real culprit."

Amina laughed coldly. "And if we say no?"

Kamau’s men cocked their rifles.

Kamau sighed. "Come on, guys. Let’s not make this harder than it needs to be."

Mike exhaled slowly. His mind raced. Every instinct screamed not to trust Kamau—but if what he was saying was true…

They had an even bigger problem than they thought.

Kamau smiled. "So? We working together or what?"

Mike locked eyes with Amina.

Then, without hesitation, he grabbed a handful of dirt—and threw it into Kamau’s face.

Chaos erupted.

Gunfire. Yelling. The night turned into a battleground.

And Mike?

He ran.