Welcome, dear reader!

We’re delving into the world of crime thrillers for this one. This should be a captivating read as we take a trip to the city of Sima Hills. Let’s get started!

It was always a sight to behold whenever the amber glow of a setting sun shimmered upon the city of Sima Hills. The end of a regular working day always brought the city to life in more ways than one would ever expect.

From the high-rise buildings dotted with lit offices to the bustling heart of Market Square, the city pulsed with life. Holographic billboards around the streets lit up in a kaleidoscope of colours, advertising everything from high-tech gadgets to the latest movies in the cinema. Commuters, done with another 8 to 5 shift, spilled out of sleek silver trains and modern buses, filling the streets with hurried footsteps as they rushed home after a long day at work.

The air carried a mix of aromas. From the delightful scent of freshly baked bread from the artisan bakery on Fifth Street, to the tangy spices of street food vendors lining the main boulevards, walking through the city in the evening was bound to make one hungry, with a variety of delicacies guaranteed to satisfy those cravings.

Children laughed as they chased after glowing drones controlled by their parents in the parks, while lovers strolled hand-in-hand along the lush green pathways. The evening markets buzzed with the sounds of negotiating customers and the exchange of coins and notes, and music spilled from open-air cafés, blending jazz, classical, and Afrobeats tunes into a harmonious backdrop.

If there was one thing that could never be disputed about this city in the southern part of Ghana, it was this: in the evenings, it transformed into a city alive with opportunity, activity, and a deep, undeniable charm.

But… another indisputable fact about Sima Hills existed.

Whenever the last vestiges of sunlight dipped below the horizon, its darker side came to life.

In the shadow of its glimmering high-rise buildings, crime prowled around the streets like an ever-watchful predator. Gangs marked their territories with graffiti that glowed under ultraviolet lights, a silent warning to passersby to tread cautiously. Pickpockets moved through the crowded train and bus stations with uncanny ease, carrying out their nefarious activities quietly, while cybercriminals used the city’s advanced tech as both tool and weapon, their virtual heists as devastating as any physical robbery.

Despite the city’s best efforts to combat this vice, dotting the streets with patrol drones and surveillance cameras, safety was far from guaranteed. Strangers pulled jackets closer around themselves and quickened their pace, avoiding eye contact with anyone they passed by. The regular citizens were always on edge until they arrived home safely.

Indeed, Sima Hills was a city of beauty and innovation, but a simmering chaos that emerged with the dark lay beneath its polished exterior.

***

The residential road stretched long and lonely, swallowed by a suffocating darkness.

Lilian looked around nervously as she walked along the cracked pavement, feeling uneasy with the eerie stillness. Another evening walking through this dark street after her daily shift at the Sima Hills Mall’s premier coffee shop.

The streetlights nearby stood as lifeless metal poles, their bulbs shattered or unlit. She hugged her bag tightly to her chest and muttered under her breath, her words trembling in the cold night air.

“Honestly, this is ridiculous,” she whispered, glancing over her shoulder. “How can the city council let this go on? No lights, no security… it’s a disaster waiting to happen. Only God knows what kinda crimes can happen in this darkness…”

Her heart skipped and she stopped as a sound echoed. She thought she heard footsteps behind her.

She turned around.

The road was empty. Thankfully.

She exhaled shakily and pressed on, quickening her pace. “God, please, let me get home safely,” she prayed silently. “Please, please, don’t let me run into any of these criminals. Abeg…”

Suddenly, a shadow darted out from the side of an alley, cutting her prayer short.

A man in a tattered hoodie, his face hidden beneath the brim of a cap, stood before her path, the gleam of a knife flashing in his hand.

It looked like her prayer had come a little too late. She opened her mouth to scream.

“Hey, hey, hey! Keep quiet!” he growled, stepping closer and placing a finger on his lip. “Quiet! Give me your bag, your phone, everything. Now! Hurry up before I use this thing to cut your neck!”

Lilian froze, her breath caught in her throat. Her shaking hands fumbled to comply, pulling her phone and wallet from her bag.

“P-please,” she stammered, tears threatening to spill as she handed it to him. “Take it—just don’t hurt me. I beg you, please don’t stab me–“

“Shut up and drop them on the floor! Be fast! Include the bag!”

Trembling with terror, she quickly obeyed, laying them all on the floor.

“Now step back!”

She duly did so. Continuing to shake with fright, she could only pray this guy chose to walk away with the items. Some criminals weren’t so charitable; they’d hurt you in addition, just because they could.

Before the robber could grab the items, however, a deep voice called out from the other side of the street.

“Drop the knife and let her go! Now!”

Both Lilian and the robber turned to see a uniformed police officer emerging from the shadows, his weapon drawn and his gaze steely. He crossed the street quickly, his steps swift but controlled.

The robber hesitated, his grip tightening on the knife as his snarl deepened, but the officer’s commanding presence left little room for resistance. He dropped the blade and raised his hands in surrender, looking extremely peeved at getting caught.

“Gather your things, Miss,” the police officer instructed without looking away from the suspect. He then maneuvered behind the robber, swiftly pulling out his handcuffs. With practiced efficiency, he secured the robber’s wrists, reciting the regular rhetoric. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law…”

Lilian’s chest heaved with relief, her knees almost buckling. The prayer might have been late, but thank goodness God brought an officer her way. “Thank you, thank you so much, Mr. Police Officer,” she gasped. “God bless you.”

The officer nodded respectfully at her.

Then suddenly, a sharp whistling sound cut through the air.

A split second later, the robber’s head jerked violently back, and he crumpled out of the officer’s grip to the ground.

With a large ninja star embedded deep in his forehead.

Lilian covered her mouth in shock. That was totally out of the blue.

The officer’s eyes widened in horror. This was not a good thing. And if previous occurrences were anything to go by, he had a horrible sinking feeling about what the next two to three seconds were gonna bring.

“Oh my God, no, no, no–“

Another whistling sound pierced the air.

And a sickening stabbing sound and a muffled groan followed.

Another ninja star landed, striking him square in the chest. His eyes bulged and widened as he staggered backward, wincing for a moment before collapsing beside the robber, convulsing violently.

A raw and terrified scream erupted from Lilian’s throat as she stood paralyzed by the gruesome scene. She had seen nothing; only the sharp whistling sounds, the two fallen bodies, and the glint of the stars that had ended them.

He had struck again.

In discreet and terrifying fashion.

Instinct took over, and she ran as fast as she could, her screams echoing through the empty street.

Well, who just did that? Killing criminal and police officer? That’s not right! We gotta know who’s behind this, and why…