Chapter 55 - the general. sanctuary

The contrast between the outside world and the interior of Chief Solomon's private mansion lounge was completely chaotic. On the massive, muted 85-inch television screen in the corner, the morning news was broadcasting pure state emergency. Thousands of market women and youths from the mainland had flooded the expressway holding cardboard placards demanding an apology for Chief Solomon, only for masked DSS operatives and police trucks to unleash teargas canisters, chasing them back into their compounds.The state was boiling. But inside the lounge, the atmosphere was thick with the scent of premium tobacco, vintage whiskey, and pure, roaring laughter."Papa, I swear, you need to see his face!" Amina bounced across the plush rug, dramatically twisting her mouth and shrinking her shoulders to mimic Damini, the Lekki crypto-billionaire. "The moment Sledge's four hundred boys surrounded his G-Wagon, his posh Island accent vanished! He was shaking, telling Corporal Titus, 'Please, officer, my smartwatch is highly encrypted, don't rough-handle the data!'"Chief Solomon sat back in his deep leather armchair, a glass of whiskey in his left hand and a smoking cigar in his right. The strict, terrifying military General who had just ordered a live TV execution completely disappeared. He burst into a massive, booming roar of laughter that made his heavy shoulders vibrate, tears of pure joy leaking from his eyes."My baby, stop!" Chief Solomon roared, pointing his big, ring-adorned finger at her as he tried not to drop his cigar. "You want to kill your father with laugh in this room tonight? So the flashy Island boy actually cried like a woman?""He didn't just cry, Papa, he almost wet his designer trousers!" Amina giggled, sitting right on the rug by his legs, completely carefree.To the rest of Nigeria, Chief Solomon was an untouchable, unhinged dictator who the President couldn't even arrest because he was the godfather of the entire cabinet. But to Amina, he was just her father. She didn't inherit the troublesome, arrogant blood of her brother Adekunle; she was calm, respectful, and her gentle voice was the only leash that could pull the tiger back when his military temper exploded. She was the living ghost of his late wife, the woman the General had wept for in front of his entire army years ago, and he loved her more than his own life.The lounge door opened, and Adekunle walked in straight from the Apapa port. His face was tight with corporate street stress, holding heavy tactical folders containing intelligence on their new 200 million dollars maritime logistics routing and General Bello's shadow movements.But the moment Adekunle saw his sister making their father laugh like a little boy, his corporate kingpin armor melted away. He smiled, sliding the dangerous intelligence files behind his back."Papa, turn off that television completely," Adekunle chuckled, walking past the General's chair and tapping his sister's head. "Amina, what did you cook today? The native aroma from the kitchen don follow me from the expressway come house."Chief Solomon's face remained relaxed as he looked at his son. "Your sister made that special native soup, Adekunle. Sit down make we chop first. Forget about General Bello and the President for tonight. Inside this house, my wife is the only commander we follow."Amina stood up, dusting her skirt, but her playful eyes suddenly turned serious as she looked at her father. "But Papa... I saw the news before you muted it. Why are the police using teargas on the marketplace people? They were only holding placards for you. Why are you fighting the whole government?"The laughter in the room instantly chilled. Adekunle froze near the dining table. Nobody in the entire country—not the judges, the billionaires, or the politicians—dared to question Chief Solomon's violent actions. But Amina looked straight into the General's hardened eyes, demanding accountability.Chief Solomon took a slow sip of his whiskey, the smoke from his cigar wrapping around his face like a shadow. "My baby... the government wants me to step down and hand over my life's work to General Bello. A ceremonial novice from the North who got his ranks through political connection inside air-conditioned offices. He has never fought a war. He has never taken a high risk. I studied Forensic Science at the Borno Military University, and I earned my stars with blood and brain. They want to use a viral phone video to rob my honor. I will never bow to a fraud."Amina opened her mouth to speak, but before she could utter a word, Chief Solomon's private satellite phone on the glass table violently vibrated, flashing an encrypted incoming video call from General Bello himself. The chess game outside the fortress was knocking on the door.