“Citizens of Sekondi, remain indoors! Evacuate the roads immediately! This is for your safety. I repeat, evacuate the roads immediately!”

Normally bustling with life, from children playing soccer on street corners to traders doing business and taxis honking their way through chaos, the city of Sekondi suddenly looked like a ghost town that late afternoon.

The emergency broadcast blaring for the past half hour had done its work; people had vanished indoors, peeking cautiously through curtains, while a few brave onlookers dared to perch on rooftops, anticipating the chaos.

A major chase was going down. And it was not safe for anyone to be found on the road at that time.

***

The roar of the mini-truck’s engine shattered the silence around as it sped down the main road. Inside, Kosys sat in the passenger seat, a steel look on his face. He cast a glance at Rumble, whose knuckles squeezed against the steering wheel as he navigated the deserted streets.

“Where the fuck is everyone?” muttered Stefeus from the backseat, craning his neck to peer out the window. “It’s like a fucking ghost town now.”

Dephios leaned forward. “Chale, no be joke! It’s like the city’s been wiped out. Did someone tip them off or something?”

Kosys turned to them, his expression icy. “Does it matter, Dephios? Whatever it is, it’s to our benefit. If the roads are clear, it means fewer obstacles. That’s good for us. We’ll get there faster.”

Lycipus smirked faintly, leaning rather comfortably in her seat. “Yeah, you’re right. We’ll reach the harbour in no time.”

The sound of muffled cries reached them from the truck bed, where the bound captives struggled futilely against their restraints. Kosys glanced back, his gaze narrowing as he addressed them sharply.

“You people better keep quiet back there! Save your strength for when we get to the harbour. You can scream all you want there before you die!”

Stefeus chuckled darkly, leaning back as Dephios grinned half-heartedly. The latter and Lycipus had not been very enthusiastic about Kosys’ plan, thinking they were better off carrying out the slaughter in the hotel. However, aside Kosys’ psychotic switch, the thought of making a statement against the president by carrying it out in the open was quite exciting. Any opportunity to punish Ansa-Obiaka was one they’d happily take.

Kosys returned his focus to the road. “I’ll admit,” he briefly commented, “I didn’t expect the Americans to react so quickly. They’re usually so… sluggish.”

“They must really want their man back,” Rumble snickered, turning sharply onto a coastal road.

Kosys laughed coldly. “Let them come. We don’t turn back now.” His voice hardened as he ordered, “Chale, Rumble! Step on it. We need to get to the harbour as quickly as possible, so we can finish the job. There’s a world that needs to see they shouldn’t fuck with the Dead Eyes.”

The mini-truck’s engine roared louder as Rumble pressed down on the gas. In the distance, the faint sound of heavy engines echoed.

The chase was on.

***

The US military Humvees rumbled down the empty streets of Sekondi, their powerful engines growling like restless predators.

In the lead vehicle, Captain Jackson Matthews gripped the radio receiver tightly. His sharp blue eyes narrowed as the battered mini-truck came into view.

“Command, this is Falcon One,” Matthews announced, his voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through him. “We have visual confirmation of the target vehicle, heading east on the coastal road toward the harbor. Roads are clear, over.”

The reply came swiftly, crackling over the radio. “Falcon One, this is Command. Confirmed. Proceed with extreme caution. Hostages are onboard. Do not engage unless fired upon. Neutralize the captors and secure the prisoners. Repeat: only engage if fired upon. Over.”

Matthews exhaled through his nose, feeling the tension in the enclosed space of the Humvee. He glanced at his team.

Sergeant Miller, his second-in-command, sat in the passenger seat, checking his rifle, while in the back, Privates Alvarez and Dunne were already bracing themselves for the chase, their faces a mix of determination and readiness.

“Caution, huh?” Miller commented, his tone dry as he locked the magazine into his weapon. “That’s cute. These Dead Eyes bastards don’t exactly scream ‘diplomacy’, the way they riddled their victims with bullets.”

Alvarez snorted from the back. “No kidding. You think those psychos are gonna roll down the window and surrender just like that? We’re gonna get shot at for sure.”

Dunne leaned forward, tightening the straps on his helmet. “All I’m saying is, when they do, I’m calling dibs on that bitch ass driver.”

“Cut the chatter, ladies!” Matthews interrupted sharply, though his lips twitched into a faint smirk. “We follow orders. Hostages come first. Engage only if we have to.”

Miller raised an eyebrow. “You think they’re planning to stop, Captain? That truck’s headed straight for the docks. They’ll kill the hostages the second they get there if we don’t stop them first.”

Matthews didn’t respond immediately. He simply inhaled and exhaled, his eyes fixed on the target ahead. He knew Miller was right. This wasn’t going to end without a fight. But Command had to be obeyed.

“Command’s orders stand,” he said finally. “But let’s be ready for anything.” He leaned forward and tapped the driver’s shoulder. “Punch it, Thompson. We need to close the gap before they get any dumbass ideas.”

“Yes, sir,” Thompson replied, and the Humvee surged forward, its massive tires chewing up the asphalt. Behind them, the other Humvees followed suit, their headlights cutting through the growing darkness.

“Eyes on the prize,” Matthews declared, more to himself than anyone else. “They’re not getting away. We won’t let them.”

***

The harbor was still a few miles away, but the tension inside the vehicle was as tight as ever. Kosys leaned forward, gazing at the side mirror. His expression darkened as he saw the unmistakable glare of headlights gaining ground.

“Shit, they’re getting closer,” he muttered, his voice low but sharp. His grip on the knife tightened, the irritation on his face apparent.

Dephios turned to look out the rear window. His face paled as the Humvees grew larger in the distance. “Ugh, for fuck’s sake! How the fuck did they find us so fast?”

“They’re Americans. Always sticking their fucking noses where they don’t fucking belong,” Lycipus snarled, cradling her rifle in her arms.

“What do we do?” Stefeus asked.

Kosys didn’t answer immediately. For a moment, he seemed frozen, his mind racing through a myriad of options. Then, with a sharp exhale, he barked an order at Rumble.

“Rumble, start swerving! Make it hard for them to follow. Don’t let them line up a clean shot!”

Rumble glanced at him briefly, but didn’t hesitate.

“Hold tight, motherfuckers!”

He jerked the wheel to the left, then immediately to the right, sending the mini-truck careening across the road in unpredictable arcs. The tires squealed, and the whole vehicle lurched violently, throwing everyone inside against the walls and each other.

The hostages in the back screamed as the truck swerved. Their muffled cries grew louder, desperation tinged with fear.

“Stop, please!”

“Let us go, we beg you!”

“Shut the fuck up!” Stefeus bellowed, slamming the butt of his rifle against the metal divider between the cabin and the truck bed. “You think screaming’s gonna help you? It won’t do shit for you, you hear me?”

Dephios turned back to Kosys, gripping the seat in front of him as the truck rocked. “Kosys! You think this is gonna work?”

Kosys shot him a cold glare and nodded. “It’s worth a shot, no be so?” He leaned forward, bracing himself against the dashboard. “If it doesn’t, we’ll have to go dirty.”

“Dirty how?” Stefeus asked, though a grin was already creeping onto his face.

“Are you speaking my language there, Kosys?” Lycipus leaned in, her eyes gleaming with excitement at the prospect of getting violent.

Kosys didn’t reply, but his eyes flicked to the duffel bag on the floor of the truck, its zipper partially undone to reveal a glint of extra magazines for their rifles.

As Stefeus and Lycipus beamed with glee, the mini-truck swerved again, its back end fishtailing dangerously close to the edge of the road. The hostages’ cries grew frantic, the sound grating on Dephios’s nerves.

“Arrgghhh! These fools are pissing me off! Can we just shut them up already?” he snapped, his voice cracking with anger.

Kosys ignored him, his focus locked on the headlights that bobbed and shifted with every turn the truck made.

“They want to play, abi?” he murmured to himself, his lips curling into a sinister smile. “Let’s see how far they’re willing to go.”

***

Captain Matthews gritted his teeth as the vehicle jolted violently. The mini-truck ahead swerved erratically, zigzagging across the road like a cornered animal.

“They’re all over the place! Fucks sake!” Miller growled, bracing himself against the door as the Humvee veered slightly to avoid the truck’s unpredictable movements.

“They’re trying to shake us off,” Alvarez commented from the back, clutching the handle above his seat as the Humvee bounced. “Not bad for amateurs.”

“Amateurs don’t carry hostages,” Matthews snapped. “Eyes on them, Alvarez.”

“I’ve got eyes,” Alvarez replied, though his usual cocky tone was subdued.

Just then, as they followed the trail of the truck, the lead Humvee hit a pothole. A loud bang reverberated through the cabin as the entire vehicle jolted violently.

“Jesus Christ!” Miller barked as his head smacked the roof.

“Hold on!” Thompson shouted, wrestling with the steering wheel to keep the Humvee from swerving off the road.

The impact threw Dunne forward in the back seat, his helmet clattering against the front headrest. “What the fuck was that?!” he shouted, clutching his shoulder.

Matthews winced, his jaw aching as he felt the vehicle recover from that shock. “Pothole. Slowed us down a bit, but don’t lose them!”

“Yes, sir,” Thompson grunted, his knuckles tight on the wheel as he eased off the gas momentarily to regain control.

The Humvee slowed just enough for the soldiers to catch their breath, but Matthews’s glare stayed locked on the mini-truck ahead.

Miller rubbed the back of his head, still scowling. “Is there a single damn road in this country without a fucking crater?”

Alvarez shook his head, his rifle clutched tightly against his chest. “You’d think the Americans dumping billions of dollars into aid would’ve paved a few more decent streets for them by now.”

“Quit griping,” Matthews barked, his tone sharp enough to silence them. “Focus up. They’re not stopping, and neither are we.”

Thompson slammed his foot on the accelerator, and the Humvee roared forward, the engine growling with renewed intensity. The vehicle bounced slightly as it powered through the uneven road, but the soldiers were ready this time, gripping whatever they could to steady themselves.

“They’re swerving to keep us off balance,” Miller said, squinting ahead as the truck weaved again. “But that kind of driving doesn’t last long. We’ll catch them.”

Matthews nodded. “Exactly. And when we do, we’re taking them down. Hostages or not, those bastards aren’t walking away from this.”

The pothole was already a distant memory as the Humvee surged ahead, the other vehicles in the convoy close behind. The soldiers inside were battered but determined, their focus razor-sharp as they bore down on their quarry.

***

“They hit something! They hit something!” Rumble shouted, his voice tinged with excitement.

Kosys turned in his seat to confirm, his eyes narrowing as the Humvees slowed briefly in the distance. A slow grin spread across his face. “Looks like a pothole. Ha, the roads are on our side.”

Dephios let out a sharp laugh, slapping the back of Rumble’s seat. “Can you imagine? A pothole helping us? When all the time we’re insulting that useless ministry of roads for their shit work, and now their laziness has inured to our benefit.”

Kosys smirked and nodded in agreement. “Say it again! Who would’ve thought their incompetence would ever work in our favour? Thanks to them. But fuck them regardless!”

“Oh yeah! Fuck them all!” Lycipus agreed.

***

Thelma could only cry bitterly as the truck moved on. Lying next to her husband, she could virtually see her life flash before her eyes.

Meeting Jacob, marrying him, seeing their three children grow up, moving to Sekondi, starting Utopia Hotel…

Beautiful memories, all of them.

And in a short period of time, they were possibly going to be the last memories she and her husband would ever make on this earth.

Looking around, the sorrow was all around. Everyone was an emotional wreck, devastated that their moments on earth were numbered.

The truck swayed again, and the hostages in the cab resumed their conversation. Kosys spoke, his tone smug. “Relax, Dephios. Let them cry. They know what’s coming.”

Next to her was Jed Murphy, who had squeezed his eyes shut. A silent prayer, maybe. Or a final goodbye. It couldn’t have been more depressing to see such a lively man give in to death.

The conversations in the main cab continued, gleefully anticipating their evil scheme. Thelma looked at Jacob. They shook their heads.

They might not have opened their mouths, but their eyes said all that needed to be said.

Then, another voice. Higher-pitched, nervous. “Uh… Kosys? They’re back.”

The atmosphere in the cab shifted instantly. Tension replaced smugness.

“What the fuck! They recovered already?”

“Of course they did.” Kosys’s anger was palpable. “Stupid Americans don’t know when to quit.”

Americans? A flicker of hope.

Their minds latched onto the word like drowning men grasping at driftwood. Someone was chasing them. Someone was fighting back. Someone wasn’t going to let them die just like that.

Salvation was right behind them!

“What do we do now?”

“Keep driving,” Kosys snapped. “And get ready. If they think they can take us, they’ve got another thing coming.”

The hostages trembled in the back of the truck, their fear warring with a fragile thread of hope. The chase was real. The chance of getting out of this hellish nightmare was real. In that moment, even as sobs reigned loudly, everyone had the same plea for the military team behind.

Don’t give up. Please don’t give up. Please save us.

***

Inside the Humvee, Captain Matthews watched the mini-truck grow larger in the windshield. His hand shot to the radio as the gap between them closed with each passing second.

“Command, this is Falcon One. We’ve regained ground. Target vehicle is approximately 400 meters ahead and accelerating erratically. Over.”

The radio crackled before Command’s voice came through, calm but firm. “Falcon One, maintain pursuit. Hostages are still the priority. Remember: these captors are highly dangerous. Exercise extreme caution. Do not engage unless provoked. Repeat, only engage if fired upon. Over.”

“Roger that, Command. Falcon One out.”

Matthews replaced the receiver, glancing at Miller beside him.

“Command’s not telling us anything we don’t know,” Miller mumbled, double-checking the safety on his rifle.

“They’re not the ones in this deathtrap,” Alvarez muttered from the back.

“Focus, men, focus,” Matthews cut in, his tone surprisingly less sharper than before. “Focus on the mission.”

The movements of the mini-truck before them were erratic and desperate, but it certainly wasn’t enough to shake them off.

“Thompson, keep us steady,” Matthews ordered the driver. “No more surprises.”

“Yes, sir,” Thompson replied, his grip firm on the wheel as the Humvee surged forward.

Alvarez leaned forward, peering out the side window. “Looks like they’re panicking. You can tell they didn’t think we’d stick with them this long.”

“They’re going to get sloppy,” Miller noted, his voice low but confident.

“Or reckless,” Matthews countered, his jaw tightening once more. “And reckless means they’re more dangerous. Keep your eyes open.”

The Humvees maintained their formation, closing the gap bit by bit. In the cabin, the air was electric with tension, each soldier acutely aware of the stakes.

“They’ve got nowhere to run,” Matthews murmured, almost to himself. Then louder, to his team: “This ends here.”

***

Kosys slammed his fist on the dashboard, his patience fraying with every second the headlights loomed larger in the mirrors.

The Americans were getting closer and closer. At this rate, only a drastic action would push them back.

And the time for that was now.

“Enough of this!” he snarled, whipping around to glare at the others. “Dephios, Stefeus, Lycipus! This ends now! Open fire! Now!”

Oh no! The soldiers are in trouble! Is this absolutely absorbing chase coming to a bloody end?