Staring at the open trunk, David shook his head in disbelief. “My Lord,” he whispered, “this is nothing short of incredible!”

Helping himself out, David pushed it open and climbed out of the car. He stood back to observe the car, and he gasped.

It was ruined. Totally ruined.

The driver had been moving at top speed, so it appeared that he had been unable to stop the car in time to lessen the impact. It was crushed, with bits of glass and twisted metal lying all around.

David’s heart beat intensely. He had never been involved in anything like this; this was literally his first time standing at the scene of a deadly car crash. What was crazier was the fact that he was in the said car, and yet not even a scratch could be found on him.

It was obvious whose doing this was. It certainly wasn’t his, or else Sika would be the most heartbroken widow on the planet once she caught wind of it.

It was the doing of Yahweh.

Pastor Tsedeq’s words echoed through his mind…

Keep your strength renewed. For when that day comes, that strength will see you through, and the power of God will manifest like you’ve never seen before.

This was it. This was the manifestation he had prophesied about.

This was his Paul and Silas moment. His sacrifice of praise had wrought deliverance for him. He shook his head as it sunk in. “Elohim, thank You,” he whispered gratefully. “Thank You.”

Continuing to observe the surroundings, he saw something that made him briefly jump for fright.

Two of the abductors, who had subjected him to hours of fear and uncertainty, lay motionless on the ground.

He didn’t need to go near them to know the truth; he knew they were dead. There was little chance that they would survive that collision.

He cautiously sauntered towards the driver’s side. The little sight he saw was too gruesome to want to inspect any further. If any of them had suffered the most horrific fate, it was definitely the driver. “Lord, I don’t think that sight is something I’ll ever get over,” he muttered to himself, feeling a hurl in his stomach.

His gaze then turned to the last abductor, who was lying a short distance away.

He was groaning in pain. The man was in critical condition, and David, despite a bit of fear still lingering within him, felt a surge of compassion. It was evident that immediate medical attention was needed.

Yes, the young man might have shown him evil, but David was not going to retaliate. He needed to be saved.

He quickly stumbled toward the nearby road, desperation etched on his face. The early morning was silent except for the distant hum of traffic. He strained his ears for the sound of an approaching vehicle, praying one would show up quickly.

After about ten very tense minutes of waiting, an empty trotro speeding in his direction slowed down as he waved wildly at it.

“Stop! Stop! There’s been an accident! Stop!”

The driver slowed down and parked by the side, then stepped out and looked at David in utter surprise.

“Ah, Osofo Mensah-Jones, what are you doing here?” the driver asked in Twi.

David shook his head. He had forgotten for a moment that he was that well-known in the country, the way this trotro driver mentioned his name so quickly. “It’s a long story. Please, for now, there’s a man in the ditch who needs to be taken to the hospital right away. Please help me take him, and I’ll let you know everything that happened…”

***

“And it was a bigwig in the ruling party that ordered this?” Chief Inspector Morris Azumah asked, disbelief all over his face.

David nodded solemnly. “Yes, Mr. Officer. Because of the assignment God has given me, one of them sent those boys to come and kidnap me. Right in front of my house.”

Seated at the reception of the Asamankese General Hospital with the senior police officer, David had received a prodding from the Spirit that it was time to let the entirety of his encounters with Roger be known. The police had been duly informed about the accident, with some of them at the scene. David had a slight headache from the bump, so he was given some paracetamol. While sitting with the chief inspector, he had given his amazing testimony, which provoked more questions.

The main one simply being, why was he around this side of town?

“Osofo, please, can you start from the beginning? I beg, I want to understand this thing very well,” Chief Inspector Azumah requested.

David took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay, let me start. Once I’m done, I’ll let you know who it is.”

The chief inspector nodded. “I’m listening.”

He began.

“So you probably know by now that I’ve become… should I say, infamous, for the way I’ve been calling out the wrongs of this government. I don’t know how you feel about it personally, but that is the burden God placed on my heart, and I’m sticking to it. So one Sunday evening, when I was looking to spend some time with my family, I hear our doorbell ring. I step out, and there is this… bigwig, standing in front of my gate. Wanting to talk to me. I’m not in the mood for any funny shenanigans, so I tell him to be straight with me. You know what he does? He indirectly offers to bribe me, just so I won’t have any moral right to speak about their wrongs.”

Chief Inspector Azumah’s jaw dropped. “Wow! You don’t mean it!”

David nodded. “As long as Elohim lives, I’m telling you the whole truth. He offered me not less than one million dollars to shut my mouth. At that point, I was so angry, I sent him away. But he claimed he would come back in a week’s time because he was sure I’d change my mind. Officer, as I said, I won’t lie to you. I was honestly considering taking it at a point. The temptation was really high, and I literally made up my mind one evening to take it. That night, the way God dealt with me, eh, nobody had to tell me to drop that nonsense.

“So yes, he came that Sunday, and by then, my convictions had been strengthened, so I told him I would not take the money. In fact, I was led to not even meet him at the gate, but to just give him a note rejecting the bribe. Officer, since then, this bigwig made it his life’s mission to torment my life as punishment. That’s what has brought me here. From destroying the church auditorium to threatening me and my family to this…”

“Wait, wait, wait, wait. You mean the one behind this was the one who orchestrated what happened at your church?” the chief inspector asked.

David nodded.

“And he threatened your family?”

“He sent boys to follow us one evening. They tracked us for a long distance, then came to block our path and told us they’d hurt us all if I didn’t do what I’m supposed to do. Which is to stop talking about the government’s wrongs.”

Chief Inspector Azumah shook his head in disbelief. “Incredible!”

“Hmmmm. Officer, I’ve been through so much. It’s only the finger of God that has kept me. Especially with this accident. You heard it for yourself when your subordinates gave you the update; there’s no way anyone should survive that accident. Yet, here I am.”

The chief inspector sighed. “Hmmmm, God does mysterious things indeed. So please, Reverend, respectfully, who is this-“

“Officer! Officer!”

Chief Inspector Azumah’s attention was nabbed by the nurse who rushed toward him. He rose to his feet. “Is it about the suspect?”

The nurse nodded. “Yes, please. He’s still in critical condition, but he claims he has something important to tell you.”

Chief Inspector Azumah and David exchanged looks. This sounded serious.

“Alright, let’s hear what he has to say!”

***

The chief inspector and David entered the emergency room, full of frantic activity, with the scent of antiseptic and the low hum of machines filling the air.

On the bed lay the young man, his breathing labored and weak, looking terribly out of shape. The chief inspector cautiously approached the bed, ready to gather any information that might be of major use to their investigation.

“Papa Police…I need… to tell you something,” the surviving abductor wheezed, his eyes darting around the room. The urgency in his voice prompted Chief Inspector Azumah to nod, signaling for him to continue.

“Mm-hmm. Go on.”

With great effort, the young man rasped out. “It’s… it’s-it’s Mr… Mr. Roger… Wakefield. He’s the one who sent us. He sent us to kidnap the pastor… he wanted us to torment him until he promised to never talk about the government again.”

The revelation hung in the air, a shocking twist for those who had no idea.

Chief Inspector Azumah stared at David, astonishment all over his face. David simply shook his head, while the medical staff also shook their heads in amazement.

The injured abductor, with a look of resignation in his eyes, seemed to understand the weight of his disclosure.

“Roger Wakefield? You mean, the owner of Fitase Press? Are you sure about this? You’re sure he’s the one?” Chief Inspector Azumah pressed.

The young man nodded weakly. He then continued.

“Th-th-this is not the first time mpo. He… he sent people to… to destroy the church. Then he… he sent us to go… go and harass him and his family…”

Chief Inspector crossed his arms and shook his head. “Unbelievable! But why was he so intent on hurting him?”

The young man, struggling with the last ounces of strength within him, managed to whisper, “I don’t… know. I… I was… j-j-just following… orders…”

Before further questions could be asked, the injured abductor’s breathing became even more strained. His eyes glazed over, and his hand went limp. With a final, shuddering breath, the man flatlined.

As the medical team around tried their best to resuscitate him, which was sadly in vain, Chief Inspector Azumah turned to David and shook his head. “Reverend… I’m lost for words. Honestly. The man virtually corroborated every single word of yours.”

David nodded. “Yeah, yeah, he did,” he agreed.

“Listen, come with me! We’re going to the station right now. File your complaint. I’ll speak to my superiors and ensure this reaches the IGP. Then when we’re done, some of my men will take you back to Accra, while we issue a warrant for Roger Wakefield’s arrest. I’m sure those at the scene have gotten extra evidence to affirm what we’ve heard. Let’s go!”

As he followed the chief inspector out of the room and out, David shook his head.

Yep, this man’s cup is finally full. I told him, but pride… pride. Hmmm, his cup is finally full…

Oh yes, it is full! His plans didn’t work, and now it’s time for him to face the music as he should…