Mr. Bankole and his thugs scrambled out of the back entrance of the abandoned building.
Their faces were a mixture of desperation and furious determination.
Mr. Bankole, clutching a terrified, sobbing Victor, rushed to the getaway car, a battered black sedan parked in the alleyway.
The car's engine roared to life, but before the driver could slam it into gear, the blaring sound of sirens pierced the night.
The commissioner's backup team, a second wave of police cars, screeched into the alleyway, blocking their path.
Trapped, the thugs drew their weapons, their faces contorted into masks of pure rage.
Mr. Bankole, holding Victor, his body trembling, saw his perfectly executed plan unraveling before his eyes.
Tade and Anwana, watching from the first police car, saw the scene unfold. Their hearts stopped.
There he was—their son. He was weak and exhausted, his small body limp in Mr. Bankole's grasp.
"Victor! Victor!" Anwana screamed, her voice a desperate, raw cry.
The boy, hearing his mother's voice, raised his head. His eyes, though weary and filled with fear, found hers.
"Mama!" he whimpered, a weak, broken sound that tore through Anwana's heart.
Tade's body went rigid with a mix of fury and relief.
He wanted to get out of the car and run to his son, but he was held back by a strong arm.
He watched, helpless, as Mr. Bankole's face hardened with a cold, malevolent fury.
"Tade," Mr. Bankole's voice, thick with defeat and rage, carried across the alley.
"This is the final destination." He pulled a gun from his waistband, his hand shaking slightly as he aimed it directly at Victor's head.
"I can't lose this game."
The commissioner, emerging from his vehicle, his gun drawn and pointed at Mr. Bankole, spoke in a firm, commanding tone.
"Senator, can you put down the gun and kindly follow us to the station?"
But Mr. Bankole's eyes were fixed on Tade, a final, spiteful look of hatred.
"I've lost everything," he snarled, his finger tightening on the trigger. He wasn't going to surrender.
He was going to take everything from Tade, and he was going to start with his son.
A single gunshot rang out, and in the split-second of shock and chaos, Mr. Bankole fell, a cry of pain escaping his lips.
He was on the ground, his gun clattering to the floor.
The commissioner, acting quickly, had ordered one of his men to take a shot, a precise aim at Mr. Bankole's leg.
The wound, though painful, was not fatal.
"He's down! He's down!" a police officer yelled, as the rest of the team rushed in, disarming the remaining thugs and handcuffing them.
Tade and Anwana didn't wait.
They were out of the car in an instant, running toward the boy, their hearts pounding in their ears.
"Victor!" Tade yelled, his voice thick with emotion.
Anwana, her knees weak, fell to the ground beside Victor, pulling him into her arms, her sobs a deep, wrenching sound.
She buried her face in his hair, a wave of immense, indescribable relief washing over her.
"My baby," she whispered,
"My baby, you're safe."
Tade fell to his knees beside them, his hands shaking as he touched his son's face, his tears mixing with Anwana's as he held them both in his arms.
He was a billionaire, a CEO, a man of power, but in this moment, he was just a father, overwhelmed with a gratitude so profound it hurt.
***
At the hospital, the bright lights and the sterile smell of antiseptic were a stark contrast to the darkness of the alley.
Victor was weak but stable.
He had been fed, but the food had been poor, and he was malnourished.
The doctors assured them he would be fine, but he would need to rest and recover.
The ordeal had taken a physical and emotional toll on the small boy.
Anwana sat by his bedside, gently stroking his hair, her eyes never leaving his face.
Tade sat beside her, his hand wrapped around hers, their silent communication a testament to the ordeal they had just endured.
The police commissioner walked in, his face etched with fatigue.
"We have them all, Mr. Adebanjo," he said, his voice quiet.
"Mr. Bankole and his men have been arrested.
They will be charged with kidnapping, attempted murder, and a number of other crimes."
Tade nodded, his gaze fixed on Victor. "Thank you, Commissioner. Thank you for everything."
The commissioner nodded, giving a small, sympathetic smile before he left the room.
The two of them sat in silence for a long time, their hands clasped together, watching their son sleep.
The fight was not over,
but for the first time in a week, they had a reason to hope.
Victor was safe.
He was home.