Chapter 36 - the parking lot dialogue

Damini's expensive diamond rings began to clink together as his hands shook. He stared at his dead smartwatch screen, his face turning from fresh light-skin to a pale ghost white."Adekunle... you don't know what you are doing," Damini stammered, his smooth composure completely evaporating. "Those vans contain high-grade servers. If anything happens to that tech equipment, my international investors will—""Your investors are on the Island, Damini. But right now, you are on the edge of my border," Adekunle interrupted calmly, standing up from his chair. He didn't even touch the premium steak he ordered. He buttoned his suit jacket, threw a crisp bundle of Naira notes onto the table to cover the bill, and looked at Damini's two security guards. "You two want to follow us outside, or you want to eat your dinner in peace?"The two suited bodyguards looked at each other, then looked at Adekunle's dead, uncompromising eyes. They slowly lowered their hands away from their tactical earpieces and sat back down, picking up their forks. They knew a losing battle when they saw one."Good choice," Adekunle murmured. He looked back at Damini. "Oya, stand up. Let's go and inspect your high-tech investments."As they stepped out of the tinted glass doors of the restaurant into the humid night air of the parking lot, the classical piano music faded, replaced by pure street chaos.Two massive, high-roof cyber vans—the ones Damini's hackers used to intercept local banking networks—were parked under the streetlights. But they weren't operational. The back doors were flung wide open, exposing bundles of ripped blue internet cables hanging out like intestines.Sledge was leaning against the side of the lead van, chewing on his signature bitter kola, holding a heavy iron spanner. Surrounding the vehicles were ten of Sledge's top mainland boys, armed with heavy sticks and local irons.On the asphalt floor, three of Damini's high-tech Island mercenaries—guys dressed in expensive tactical gear—were currently sweating profusely, hopping up and down in a perfect line."Down! Up! Down! Up!" Kazeem shouted, holding a pair of heavy wire cutters like a military baton. "You say you be cybersecurity expert Abi? Frog jump go reset your server sharply! Move!""Chief pikin!" Sledge grinned, walking over as he spotted Adekunle. He pointed his spanner at the cyber-vans. "Omo, these Island boys get packaging o! Look inside the motor, everything na computers and screens. Kazeem just touch two wires for the engine block, the whole system commit suicide instantly!"Damini gasped, rushing toward the van, his expensive shoes slapping against the pavement. "My servers! The encryption keys are gone!"Adekunle walked up behind him, placing a heavy, calloused hand on Damini's shoulder. The grip was tight enough to bruise."This na the first warning, Damini," Adekunle whispered, his voice cutting through the humiliation of the Island tech-kingpin. "You have the data, but I have the physical ground. If I see any of your cyber-vans or hackers on the mainland axis again, we won't just rip your cables. We will dump your premium servers inside the Lagos lagoon."Adekunle signaled his boys. "Sledge, collect their car keys and their phones. Let them trek back to Lekki phase one. The exercise go good for their tech body.""Standard!" Sledge laughed brutally, snatching the car keys from Damini's trembling hand.As Adekunle walked away toward his own vehicle, his phone suddenly rang a strange, encrypted tone. He pulled it out. The caller ID was completely hidden, showing only three letters: M.P.He answered it, stepping away from the shouting in the parking lot. "Who be this?"A low, familiar, and terrifyingly cold voice echoed from the other side—a voice that was supposed to be locked behind the heavy iron bars of a maximum-security prison cell."You did well with the tech boy, Adekunle," Chief Solomon's voice laughed darkly over the encrypted line. "But you forgot one thing... I am the one who introduced Damini's father to the international investors. You think you took my crown? The game just started, Boy."