That night, Taye didn't pretend anymore.
Not with himself.
Not with the situation.
He sat at his desk, the room dimly lit by a single bulb that flickered every now and then like it couldn't fully commit to staying alive.
The notebook was open again.
But this time, he wasn't writing.
He was staring.
The events of the day replayed in his head with unsettling clarity.
The call.
The warning.
The man in the alley.
"You're not ready…"
That line stuck with him.
Not because it scared him.
But because part of him knew it was true.
He wasn't ready.
He didn't have resources.
Didn't have connections.
Didn't even fully understand what he was dealing with.
And yet…
He was already involved.
Taye leaned back slowly, exhaling through his nose.
"If I keep going like this…" he muttered under his breath, "…I'll get buried before I even see anything."
That wasn't fear speaking.
That was logic.
He needed help.
Not from family.
Not from friends who would panic or try to stop him.
He needed someone who understood this kind of world.
Someone who lived in it.
His mind drifted to one name.
Kola.
They weren't best friends.
But they had history.
Enough to trust each other at least to a point.
Kola knew people.
Not the kind you introduced to your parents.
But the kind you called when things got complicated.
Taye picked up his phone.
Stared at the contact for a few seconds.
Then pressed call.
It rang twice.
"Guy!" Kola's voice came through immediately, loud and full of energy.
"Where you dey? I've been calling you since!"
Taye didn't respond to that.
"I need your help."
The tone alone made Kola pause.
"…what kind help?"
"Serious one."
Silence.
Kola exhaled on the other end.
"You dey scare me small," he said. "Talk."
Taye hesitated briefly.
Not because he didn't want to say it.
But because once he did…
There was no going back.
"I need someone who can track a phone."
The silence that followed this time was longer.
Heavier.
"…Taye," Kola said slowly, "this one no be normal request."
"I know."
"So why you need am?"
Taye's grip tightened slightly.
"Because the people I'm looking for don't want to be found."
Another pause.
Then,
"You don enter something, abi?"
Taye didn't answer.
That was answer enough.
Kola let out a low breath.
"You remember that guy I told you about before?" he said.
"Which one?"
"The one wey dey fix things… computer, network, all those kind stuff."
Taye's attention sharpened.
"He's good?"
"He's not cheap," Kola replied.
"I didn't ask that."
A small pause.
Then,
"…yeah," Kola said quietly. "He's good."
"Link me."
Silence again.
Then,
"I go send you location," Kola said.
"But Taye…"
"Yeah?"
"If this thing spoil, no say I no warn you."
Taye looked ahead, his eyes steady.
"It's already spoiled."
The call ended.
The message came minutes later.
A location.
No name.
No description.
Just coordinates.
The next day, Taye didn't tell his mother where he was going.
He just said,
"I'll be back."
She looked like she wanted to ask more.
But she didn't.
Maybe she could feel it.
That something had changed in him.
The place wasn't what he expected.
A narrow street.
Tucked between older buildings that had seen better days.
Nothing about it stood out.
No signboard.
No obvious activity.
Just quiet.
Too quiet.
Taye checked the number again.
Then looked up at the building in front of him.
This was it.
He hesitated for a second.
Then stepped inside.
The air hit him first.
Warm.
Stale.
Heavy with the faint smell of electronics and something burnt.
The room was dim.
Old monitors stacked on one side.
Wires running across surfaces like veins.
And in the middle of it all,
A man sat behind a desk.
Typing.
He didn't look up.
"You lost?" he said casually.
Taye stepped forward.
"I'm looking for someone."
"Everybody is," the man replied.
Taye paused.
Then said,
"Kola sent me."
That did it.
The typing stopped.
Slowly, the man looked up.
His eyes were sharp.
Not curious.
Not friendly.
Assessing.
"…name?" he asked.
"Taye."
Silence.
Then,
"What do you want?"
"Tracking."
The man leaned back slightly.
"What kind?"
"The kind that doesn't ask permission."
A faint smile appeared.
"Good," he said. "Because I don't do the other kind."
They sat across from each other minutes later.
Taye placed his phone on the table.
"This number," he said.
The man glanced at it.
Then back at him.
"You sure?"
"Yes."
A pause.
"You know this kind thing fit bring trouble, abi?"
Taye didn't blink.
"I'm already in trouble."
The man studied him for a moment.
Then nodded.
"Alright."
He pulled a laptop closer.
Started typing.
Fast.
The screen filled with lines of code, data, signals.
Things Taye didn't fully understand.
Minutes passed.
Then the man stopped.
"…interesting," he muttered.
Taye leaned slightly forward.
"What?"
"This number…" the man tapped the screen.
"…it's not normal."
Taye's chest tightened.
"How?"
The man turned the laptop slightly.
"It moves too clean."
"What does that mean?"
"It doesn't stay in one place long enough to track normally," he explained.
"It's being rerouted."
Silence.
"Through what?" Taye asked.
The man looked at him.
Then said quietly,
"Something organized."
That word again.
Organized.
Not random.
The man clicked again.
Zoomed in.
One location blinked on the screen.
"This is the only stable point," he said.
Taye leaned closer.
An address.
Plain.
Ordinary.
But it didn't feel ordinary anymore.
"What is it?" he asked.
The man shook his head slightly.
"I don't know exactly."
A pause.
"But I know people like that don't use places like this for nothing."
Taye stared at the address.
Memorizing it.
"How much?" he asked.
The man named a price.
High.
Taye didn't argue.
"I'll pay."
The man watched him carefully.
"You sure you wan continue this path?"
Taye met his gaze.
"I don't have another one."
Money exchanged.
Information secured.
But as Taye stood to leave,
The man spoke again.
"Be careful."
Taye paused.
"Why?"
The man leaned back slightly.
"Because whoever owns that number…"
A small pause.
"…they already know you're looking."
Taye didn't respond.
He just nodded.
And walked out.
Outside, the air felt heavier.
Not because of the weather.
Because of what he now carried.
A direction.
A place.
A door.
He didn't go there immediately.
Instead, he stood across the street.
Watching.
Observing.
Same as before.
Because rushing now…
Would be a mistake.
The building looked normal.
People went in.
Came out.
Nothing unusual.
But something felt off.
Subtle.
Controlled.
Then,
A car pulled up.
Black.
No plates.
Taye's eyes narrowed.
A man stepped out.
Well dressed.
Composed.
Not street-level.
Something higher.
He walked into the building like he belonged.
No questions asked.
Another car followed.
Same pattern.
Different person.
Same energy.
Taye exhaled slowly.
This wasn't random traffic.
This was a system.
He stepped forward.
Crossed the street.
Each step measured.
Deliberate.
As he approached the entrance,
A man stepped into his path.
Security.
Calm.
Polite.
"Good afternoon," he said.
Taye nodded.
"I'm here to see someone."
"Who?"
Taye paused.
Then said,
"I was told to come."
The man studied him.
Then smiled slightly.
"That's not enough."
Silence.
Taye held his gaze.
"I'm looking for answers."
Something shifted.
Not obvious.
But real.
The man stepped aside.
"Wait here."
Seconds passed.
Then a minute.
Taye didn't move.
Didn't fidget.
Didn't look around.
Then,
The door opened again.
"Come in."
Taye stepped inside.
And the world changed.
Not visibly.
But unmistakably.
Everything felt controlled.
Clean.
Quiet.
But underneath it,
Power.
"Follow me."
He did.
Because now…
There was no turning back.