The Prodigal Daughter: Episode 25 & 26

The Prodigal Daughter: Episode 25

Episode 25: The Escape

Sandra’s pulse thundered in her ears. The man standing in front of her was a wall of muscle, his gun pointed directly at her chest. For a moment, everything went still—every breath, every heartbeat, every thought. She couldn’t afford to blink, couldn’t afford to make the wrong move. The warehouse, the chaos, everything faded into the background, leaving only the danger in front of her.

“Drop the bag,” the man growled, his voice low and menacing. “Now.”

Sandra’s hands shook, but she held her ground. She didn’t have a choice. The evidence they’d just gathered—everything they’d worked for—was in that bag. If she dropped it, if she let him take it, all of this would be for nothing.

“Please,” Sandra said, her voice barely above a whisper. “We don’t want trouble. Just let us go.”

The man’s lips curled into a cruel smile. “Too late for that, sweetheart.”

Behind her, Deborah was already moving, her eyes scanning the room for an escape. The officer stood to the side, tense and alert, ready to make a move. Sandra could feel the weight of their desperation—their lives hanging by a thread.

“We don’t have time for this,” Deborah said, her voice sharp. “Move.”

In a flash, Deborah lunged at the man, throwing her full weight into him. Sandra watched in stunned silence as Deborah tackled him to the ground, causing the gun to fall from his hand. The man grunted, scrambling to regain control, but Deborah was already on top of him, trying to subdue him with all her strength.

“Sandra!” The officer shouted. “Get the bag and run!”

Sandra’s heart skipped. She didn’t need to be told twice. She grabbed the bag and bolted for the exit, her feet pounding against the floor. Every second counted. The sounds of shuffling, grunts, and shouts filled the air behind her, but she didn’t dare look back. She couldn’t afford to waste time.

The back door of the warehouse burst open, and she ran out into the cold night air, the world spinning around her. She didn’t know where she was going, but she couldn’t stop now. Not when she had everything they needed to end this. Not when she was so close to exposing Mr. Leke for the monster he was.

She glanced over her shoulder. Deborah was right behind her, the officer trailing close. But the sound of heavy footsteps told her that the guards weren’t far behind either. She could hear their shouts in the distance, their footsteps growing louder.

“Get to the van!” the officer shouted. “Move, move!”

Sandra’s legs burned as she pushed herself harder, running faster than she ever had before. She could see the van up ahead, its headlights cutting through the darkness, but it felt like it was miles away. She had to make it. She couldn’t let Mr. Leke win. Not after everything.

A shot rang out.

The sound of the bullet whizzed past Sandra, and she instinctively ducked, her heart leaping into her throat. She didn’t dare look back, but she knew they were closing in. If they didn’t get to the van in time, they’d be trapped.

Just as Sandra reached the van, a hand grabbed her arm. She spun around, ready to fight, but it was Deborah—her face flushed, her eyes wild with determination.

“We’re not done yet,” Deborah said, breathless. “Get in!”

Without hesitation, Sandra climbed into the van, clutching the bag to her chest. The officer slammed the door shut and jumped into the driver’s seat, peeling off in a hurry. The van screeched down the street, the tires leaving marks on the asphalt as they sped away from the warehouse.

Sandra leaned back in her seat, trying to catch her breath. Her heart was still racing, her mind spinning with everything that had just happened. They had gotten the evidence, but the fight was far from over. Mr. Leke wasn’t going to give up easily. He would come after them, harder than ever.

As they drove through the streets, the officer glanced over at Sandra. “You did good, but this is only the beginning. We’re not safe yet.”

Sandra nodded, knowing the truth of his words. They had just made the most dangerous move of their lives, and now they had to deal with the consequences. But for the first time in a long while, Sandra felt a flicker of hope. They had the evidence. The truth was in their hands. And no matter how hard Mr. Leke fought back, they weren’t going to stop. Not now. Not ever.

Deborah sat quietly beside her, her eyes on the road, but Sandra could feel the tension between them. They were in this together, and Deborah wasn’t just fighting for Sandra’s freedom. She was fighting for her own, too. And together, they would make sure that Mr. Leke paid for everything he’d done.

As the van turned a corner and disappeared into the night, Sandra’s mind raced with thoughts of what lay ahead. The next step was clear—they had to expose Mr. Leke. But first, they had to make sure they were safe.

And the real battle? That was just beginning.

To be continued…

The Prodigal Daughter: Episode 26

Episode 26: The Reckoning

The sound of tires screeching echoed in the stillness of the night as the van swerved through the empty streets. Sandra sat at the back, clutching the bag of evidence so tightly her fingers ached. The weight of the documents inside felt heavier than ever, and her mind was a storm of thoughts, all swirling in confusion and fear. They had what they needed, but the hard part was far from over.

The officer drove with an intensity that matched Sandra’s unease. His knuckles were white on the steering wheel, his eyes scanning the rearview mirror every few seconds. Sandra could tell he was just as aware as she was that they weren’t safe yet. Not by a long shot.

“We need to get to the safe house. Fast,” the officer muttered, more to himself than to anyone else.

Sandra nodded, her gaze flickering between him and Deborah. Deborah, sitting beside her, was uncharacteristically silent. She had been like that since they left the warehouse—her face unreadable, her eyes distant. It was as if her mind was still processing everything that had just happened, everything they had just risked.

Sandra wanted to say something—anything—to break the tension, but she couldn’t find the words. Instead, she just squeezed the bag tighter. They couldn’t afford to lose this now. This was their ticket to ending everything—ending Mr. Leke’s reign of terror, his manipulation, his lies.

They passed through a quiet neighborhood, the occasional streetlight flickering as they sped by. Sandra could feel the sweat on her palms, her heartbeat still pounding in her chest. They were so close, but the closer they got, the more she felt the weight of the danger they were in. If they were caught now, all of this would be for nothing.

Deborah shifted in her seat, and Sandra glanced over at her. She could see the conflict in her friend’s eyes, the same determination that had been there when they first set out on this mission. But now, there was something else—a coldness, like Deborah was preparing for the worst. Maybe she knew something Sandra didn’t.

“Are we sure this is the right move?” Deborah asked quietly, her voice steady but filled with something Sandra couldn’t place.

“What do you mean?” Sandra asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Deborah turned to look at her, her face calm, almost too calm. “We have the evidence, but do we really have enough to bring him down? We know what he’s done, but does the world know? Will anyone believe us?”

Sandra opened her mouth to respond, but the truth of Deborah’s words hit her like a punch to the gut. They had the evidence, yes, but in the world of lies and deceit Mr. Leke had built, would anyone care? Would they believe two women, one of whom had once been part of his inner circle? Or would Mr. Leke’s power and influence be enough to bury the truth?

Before Sandra could speak, the officer slammed his foot on the brake, jolting them all forward. The sound of tires screeching against the road filled the air as the van skidded to a stop. Sandra’s heart skipped a beat.

“What’s going on?” she asked, panic creeping into her voice.

The officer held up his hand, signaling for silence. He reached for the glove compartment, pulling out a gun and checking the chamber. The calmness in his actions only made Sandra more anxious.

“There’s a checkpoint up ahead,” he said in a low voice. “We need to be careful.”

Sandra’s stomach dropped. A checkpoint? At this hour?

“Are they after us?” Deborah asked, her voice tight.

“Most likely,” the officer replied, his eyes scanning the street. “I don’t know how they found us, but they know we’re coming. They’ll have roadblocks, people everywhere. We can’t risk being seen.”

The officer glanced at Sandra, then at Deborah. “Listen carefully. We have two options. We can try to go around the checkpoint, take a detour and head for the second safe house, or…”

He trailed off, and Sandra could feel the weight of the decision pressing down on her. The second safe house was farther, and the detour would take them through more dangerous areas. But it was their best chance to avoid capture. If they stayed on this road, they would be caught. There was no doubt about it.

“We’re taking the detour,” Sandra said firmly, making the decision for all of them.

Deborah nodded without hesitation, her eyes narrowing. “Let’s do it.”

The officer turned the wheel sharply, veering off the road and into a side street. Sandra’s grip on the bag tightened once more. Every second felt like a countdown to disaster. They could hear the faint sound of sirens in the distance, growing louder with each passing moment.

The van lurched as they hit a pothole, but the officer kept his foot on the gas, speeding through the narrow streets. Sandra could feel the tension in the air, the pressure building as they raced against time. Her mind raced with possibilities—what would happen if they got caught? What would happen if they didn’t make it to the safe house in time?

Suddenly, a flash of headlights from behind them broke through the darkness, and Sandra’s heart stopped. A vehicle was gaining on them.

“They’re right behind us!” Deborah shouted.

The officer swore under his breath, his eyes scanning the road ahead. “Hang on! We’re almost there!”

But the vehicle behind them wasn’t giving up. It sped up, pulling alongside the van, and Sandra could make out the dark shape of the car’s driver in the rearview mirror. It was too close. They couldn’t outrun them—not in this tight space.

“Brace yourselves!” the officer shouted.

Sandra had just enough time to see the road ahead clear when the car behind them swerved, coming directly toward the van. The officer jerked the wheel, swerving to the right to avoid the crash. The van skidded out of control, its tires screeching in protest as it careened toward the curb.

For a split second, Sandra thought they were going to flip. Then, with a sickening jolt, the van hit something hard, sending them all flying forward as the world went black.

To be continued…