The man chuckled, blood dripping from his split lip. "You really think you can fight your way out of this?"

  Mike tightened his grip on the guy’s collar. "Depends. Who exactly are we fighting?"

  The man smirked. "Ever heard of Colonel Wafula?"

  Amina stiffened. Felix muttered something under his breath. Mike frowned. That name carried weight.

  Colonel Wafula wasn’t just another corrupt officer. He was the kind of man whose name made people disappear.

  Mike exchanged a glance with Amina. "What does Wafula want with us?"

  The man wiped his mouth. "Let’s just say… you’re in possession of something he’d kill for."

  Mike’s stomach tightened. That was a problem. A big one.

  Felix groaned. "This just keeps getting better."

  Amina released the man, letting him slide down the wall. "If we’re already dead men walking, what’s stopping us from killing you right now?"

  The man smiled, unbothered. "Because if I don’t report back, someone else will come. Someone much worse."

  Mike exhaled. "Great. So we have Kamau’s gang on one side and a rogue colonel on the other. Love those odds."

  Felix crossed his arms. "What do we do now?"

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Amina’s eyes were sharp. "We find out what we’re carrying. Now."

  ---

  They didn’t waste time.

  Back at the rundown lodge they’d booked in Makutano, Amina locked the door while Mike and Felix emptied their bags onto the rickety wooden table.

  Amina’s fingers ran over every item they’d been carrying since the ambush. Something here was worth killing for.

  Felix lifted a small brown envelope. "This was inside that crate from the truck."

  Mike grabbed it, turning it over. It looked like nothing—just an ordinary manila envelope, slightly crumpled.

  Amina narrowed her eyes. "Open it."

  Mike carefully tore the seal.

  Inside was a single USB drive.

  The room fell silent.

  Felix stared. "Seriously? All this over a flash drive?"

  Amina took it, inspecting it closely. "Not just any flash drive. Whatever’s on this… it’s worth blood."

  Mike exhaled. "We need to see what’s inside."

  Felix scoffed. "Yeah, sure. Let me just pull out my state-of-the-art hacking laptop from my ass."

  Amina didn’t laugh. She reached into her bag and pulled out a small burner laptop.

  Mike raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? You’ve been carrying that this whole time?"

  Amina shrugged. "I plan ahead."

  Felix shook his head. "Remind me never to play chess with you."

  Amina ignored him, plugging in the drive. The screen flashed.

  A single folder appeared.

  CLASSIFIED – EYES ONLY

  Mike and Felix exchanged glances.

  Amina clicked it open.

  Inside were dozens of files. Documents, videos, audio recordings. The names meant nothing, but the first one was labeled:

  OPERATION SCORCHED EARTH – MANDERA

  Felix frowned. "What the hell is ‘Scorched Earth’?"

  Mike’s face darkened. "I’ve heard whispers. Something bad."

  Amina clicked the file. A video opened.

  The footage was grainy, night vision. Soldiers. Kenyan military uniforms. They were raiding a village, armed to the teeth.

  A shadowy figure appeared on screen. His voice was low, calm. "Burn it all. No witnesses."

  Gunfire erupted. Flames lit up the night. People screamed.

  Felix’s breath hitched. "Holy shit…"

  Mike clenched his fists. "This isn’t just a raid. This is a massacre."

  Amina’s face was stone. "And we’re holding the proof."

  Felix ran a hand through his hair. "Which means… Kamau and Wafula aren’t after money. They’re after silence."

  Mike exhaled slowly. "If this gets out, a lot of powerful people burn."

  Amina shut the laptop. "Which means they won’t stop until we’re dead."

  A beat of silence. Then—

  Felix clapped his hands together. "Awesome. So, do we run, fight, or die horribly?"

  Mike cracked his knuckles. "I say we make them regret ever coming after us."

  Amina’s lips curled into a smirk. "Now you’re talking."

  They had a target on their backs.

  But they also had the only weapon that mattered—

  The truth.

  ---

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