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Ify's hands shook, her heart pounded in her chest, her mouth, dry but her facial expression remained calm. Naeto's eyes stayed locked on hers from across the room. He was obviously doing better than her. His hands didn't shake, his pose was confident and sure and his eye sharp and alert.

She could see Aisha and Ebuka on her right through her peripheral vision but she didn’t dare look at them; she was too afraid to even look away from Naeto.

He had told her not to.

“Whatever happens.” he had said, when they were being led away from the room, "Try not to act on impulse. Look at me.”

The room was silent except for the sound of the heavy boots of the man she assumed to be the leader, who moved slowly around, examining each of them.

They seemed like professionals, their captors; the boots, the clothes, the masks and headbands, their measured footsteps. They were all heavily built men that she feared a single blow from them would render her useless. She had counted twenty of them.

They were highly trained.

And it made her fear the more. If they were rough inexperienced people, she would have been less afraid, perhaps they would indulge themselves in a ransom but these men smelt of money, they seemed like people that could kill in the blink of an eye.

“Do you know why you’re here?” the leader finally asked.

Nobody replied.

“Do you know why you’re here?!”

“No sir!”They chorused, their voices betraying their fear.

Ify could barely recognize her own voice

The leader smiled, "Good”

Ify looked up, noticing eyes on her. Her heart palpitated in her chest. It was the leader, he had removed his glasses and his bright unusually solemn eyes stared directly at her. He was directly behind Naeto.

She swallowed.

She looked back to Naeto, his eyes were questioning.

Something hard hit her head and she barely managed not to scream.

“Move.”

It hit her again. She stumbled forward, Naeto’s eyes went wide.

“I said move!”

She quickly moved ahead before she would get hit again.

“Stop.”

She stopped.

She was at the centre of the circle, circle formed by them, the captives, at the order of the leader. Each of them had a man behind them with a gun pointed at their heads, the cause of the fear.

She had been hit and ordered by the one behind her. The leader, she noticed upon looking up, still watched her.

She looked down at the floor, not daring to look at Naeto.

“Look at me.”

She looked up. Silence reigned.

“I need an answer from you.”he spoke,hands behind his back, "and I need the truth and nothing but the truth…lest you risk your death”

She swallowed again.

He moved his hands from behind his back and clasped them in front of him. The action drew her attention to the gun strapped to his waist. Perhaps that was his motive.

“Who do you hate most among your friends?” he àsked, stressing the last word.

She blinked, her eyes dropping to Naeto’s worried ones.

“I’ll assume he’s the one.” was the leader's next words accompanied by the cocking of a gun. Her eyes went back to that of the leader and she let out a gasp.

His gun was no longer strapped to his waist; they were in his hands, his left hand, pointing directly to the back of Naeto’s head.

“No!” she shouted, her eyes wide.

She glanced quickly at Naeto. His face was expressionless.

The leader cocked his head, ”But you looked at him after I asked my question?”

She opened her mouth then closed it.

“Then I’ll assume he’s of some importance to you."

“No!” she shouted again.

His eyes were mischievous.

“Then I can kill him.”

“No!” was the only thing she could let out of her mouth.

The rate at which her heart pounded was alarming.

He straightened his head, it seemed like he was smiling, a wicked smile, she assumed. The mask and the distance made it difficult to tell and his eyes, she could see even from the distance had no iota of warmth in them.

"I will still keep the gun pointed at him either way." The leader stated, "Now to my first question."

She felt like crying. What was she supposed to do or say? She didn't want to be responsible for someone's death!

"Clock is ticking, seconds to his death."

"Please." she cried out before she could think, tears running down her face.

"Please..."

"Pretty girl, don't cry. Its just one life." the leader spoke, hitting Naeto's head to emphasize his point.

She was fully crying now.

"Take her away."

She was dragged back to her previous position by rough hands before she could react. The gun was no longer pointed at Naeto's head.

"You!"

Philip was dragged forward.

She placed a palm over her mouth, trying to stifle her tears. Her eyes were cast to the ground, she couldn't bear to look at Naeto. What if he had been killed because of her hesitation?

Her heart murmured thanks to Mother MARY that that wasn't the case.

"Answer the question."

"Or you die."

"Jide"Philip quickly responded. Ify's head shot up, her hand dropping to her side.

"What?"Jide shouted. A hit to his head silenced him.

The leader smiled, "Thank you Jide for revealing yourself. Give him a gun."

A gun was tossed into Philip's hands. It slipped and fell to the floor. Philip quickly picked it up.

"Point the gun at him." the order came. Philip did.

"Do your will."

Philip stared at the gun as everyone watched with bated breath. Jide was in shock.

"Sir I can't." Philip spoke instead.

"Shoot him." was the leader's reply.

Philip looked at the leader, "Sir please, I can't..."

"Shoot him."

Zubi bursted into tears. Naeto's eyes were fearful, Aisha was expressionless, Ebuka's mouth was agape, Lizzy and Fireboy were in silent tears. She couldn't see Philip's expression, he was backing her.

"Sir please..." Philip's voice broke, the gun wavered.

The man guarding Philip gave a sudden blow to Philip's head. Philip jolted forward, the gun went off, Jide fell to the floor.

Ify's screams blended with many others. Something hard hit her head, she fell into darkness.