Daniel sat at his desk, still holding the heavy resignation letter in his hands. The paper seemed heavier than it should have. Each word was a step away from everything he knew. His phone buzzed, and the name Amina flashed across the screen.
He answered right away. "I did it, Amina." I quit.
"Good," she said, her voice firm but with a hint of worry. "Then we're moving forward. I have the first part of the media plan ready.
Daniel ran his fingers through his hair. "What if they come after us?"
Amina answered, "They will," without any doubt. "But the truth will always keep us one step ahead. "We'll leak the proof, and the news will do the rest."
Daniel looked out the window, where it was dark and peaceful at night. "But what if the truth isn't enough?"
Amina took a while before answering. "Then we fight harder." We do what we need to do. "We won't let them get away with it."
Daniel let out a slow breath. "I agree with you." Let's get started.
His phone buzzed again, this time with a news alert, just as he was about to say something. His heart stopped for a second.
The headline said, "Ex-Soldier Daniel Okoro Charged with Treason." The military says he is a threat to national security.
He felt like he was about to sink. He was already behind the military, which was undermining him before he could even speak.
The room was too hot. Daniel walked back and forth with the phone in his hand. Amina's call earlier had lit a fire in him that he hadn't felt in years. But he was quite worried about what might happen next.
He said to himself, "What have I done?"
Tunde's door creaked open, and he went inside with a worried look on his face. "Are you okay?"
Daniel turned and looked Tunde in the eye. "I don't know anymore. This war... it's bigger than anything I ever anticipated it would be.
Tunde scowled and moved closer. "You are doing the right thing. But you need to be ready for what happens next. "They'll come for you."
"I know," Daniel murmured, scratching his temples. "But the lies, Tunde." I've been a part of this for a long time. "I don't know if I can handle the truth anymore."
Tunde's eyes softened, and he put his hand on Daniel's shoulder. "You've been carrying this weight for long enough. It's time for other people to take care of it. "You can't fix everything by yourself."
Daniel gazed out the window again. The city seemed to make fun of him because it was so quiet and didn't know a storm was coming.
Daniel murmured, "I can't back down." "I have to get this done." But I'm putting everything on the line. My life. "My family."
Tunde's face hardened. "Together, we'll confront it. But you need to keep focused. "Don't let them win."
Daniel's phone buzzed again just as he was about to nod. A different message. This is from Amina.
Daniel, they have threatened me. They want me to stop. What should I do now?
Daniel stood at the edge of his flat and looked out over the city below. It felt like the weight of the world was in the air, making it hard for him to breathe. The choice to go public was made. Even if every cell in his body told him to go, he couldn't go back now.
He thought about what Amina had said to him earlier. They've made threats against me. He felt sick to his stomach at the notion of her being in danger because of him.
He looked at the duffel bag that was next to him. He was ready to move away, even if it meant going underground. He couldn't let Amina or anyone else get hurt.
A tap on the door brought him back to reality. He quickly reached for his revolver.
"Tunde?" Daniel called and opened the door. But the person in the doorway wasn't Tunde.
It was a face I didn't know, yet I did know it. A soldier in the same uniform he used to wear.
The soldier stated in a stern voice, "You made a mistake, Okoro." "The general wants to talk to you."
Daniel's heart skipped a beat. He knew the general wouldn't be happy with his resignation, but this was different. They were getting closer to him faster than he had expected.
Daniel said, "I'm done with you." His voice was firm, even though his heart was racing.
The soldier's hand slid towards his sidearm. "This isn't a request."
Daniel's mind was racing. He didn't have time. He got the chance he needed when the back window suddenly broke. He ran for the door, but the soldier surged forward and grabbed his arm.
Daniel broke away and rushed for the fire escape, his pulse thumping. He could hear footsteps behind him.
He wasn't just a soldier anymore. He was a fugitive.
Daniel sat in the dark of his flat and stared at the television in front of him. The video was done. His hands hovered over the keyboard, and his fingers shook. This was it. The time when everything would change.
Amina's voice came over the phone in his grasp. "Are you sure about this, Daniel? You can't go back after you hit "send."
Daniel leaned back in his chair and thought about what she had said. This moment was the most important thing in his life, work, and relationships. But the truth had to come out. It had to be.
Daniel said, "I'm sure," and his voice was steady even though he was upset. "The world needs to know what's actually going on. I can't just sit back and act like I don't know.
He looked over the papers, pictures, and recordings on his desk. The evidence that high-ranking officers had been working with terrorists and using their own soldiers as pawns in a deadly game for money and power. He had put everything on the line to get this far. Now it was time to show it.
His finger was on the mouse. He clicked with a sharp gasp.
The video is up. The papers came next. The truth was out.
The screen blinked. Daniel's heart raced in his chest. A message came up. The video was uploaded without any problems.
But his phone buzzed again before he could do anything with it. A text message from a number you don't know says, "Daniel, you've made a dangerous mistake." The results will be terrible.
Daniel got the call less than an hour after he uploaded the video. People reacted right away with fury, astonishment, and shock. The truth was out there now, like a wildfire spreading through every news site and social media site.
Amina's voice crackled across the phone. "Daniel, it's happening." "It's all over. The military is in a hurry to hide what they did.
Daniel walked back and forth, his mind racing. "I never thought it would hit this hard." We just got started.
"Don't worry about that." Stay safe first. I've had folks taking care of the media. "But we're not out of the woods yet."
He was just about to answer when there was a loud bang on his door. His heart skipped a beat. He knew they would come for him eventually, but this quickly?
He hurriedly went to the window and looked through the blinds. There was a black PEUGEOT parked outside with its engine running. They weren't here for tea.
His phone rang again. This time, Amina sent the message. Daniel, I'm in trouble. They know what we did. Please be careful.
The door to his flat broke open before he could even think about the warning. Military people burst in with guns drawn.
"Captain Okoro, you're under arrest."
Daniel's heart sank when he realised what was going on. They were coming for him; he was their target. And the conflict was just getting started.