The Sound

Everything froze.

My finger tightened on the trigger—

Then—

A loud sound exploded in the room.

BANG!

But it didn’t come from my hand.

I flinched hard.

My ears rang instantly.

For a second…

I didn’t even understand what happened.

Then I saw it.

The man staggered back slightly.

His expression changed.

Not fear.

Not panic.

Just… irritation.

Like something unexpected had happened.

Behind him—

Tobi was on the floor.

Breathing hard.

His eyes wide.

Looking just as confused as I was.

“Omo… wetin—”

Another sound.

Closer this time.

BANG!

The wall beside me chipped.

Plaster scattering.

My heart dropped instantly.

“Omo!!”

Gunshot.

Real.

Not from me.

From outside.

The man moved immediately.

Fast.

Different from before.

Now there was urgency.

He stepped back from me.

Eyes scanning quickly.

Focused.

Alert.

My phone buzzed violently in my hand.

Message.

“STAY DOWN.”

I didn’t think twice.

I dropped immediately.

Flat.

Heart racing.

Breathing heavy.

Another gunshot.

BANG!

This time louder.

Closer.

Outside the building.

Everything became chaos.

No more calm.

No more control.

“Move!” the man snapped.

Not to me.

To someone outside.

Footsteps.

Running.

Voices.

Shouting.

Tobi crawled toward me.

Slow.

Confused.

“Guy… wetin dey happen??”

I shook my head.

“I no know!”

And it was the truth.

I didn’t know anything anymore.

Another message entered.

“Don’t move.”

My body stayed frozen.

Flat on the ground.

Heart pounding like it wanted to escape.

The man looked at me again.

Quick.

Sharp.

Like he was calculating something.

Then suddenly—

He turned.

And ran.

Straight out of the room.

Silence.

For one second.

Two seconds.

Then more footsteps outside.

Different ones.

Heavier.

More aggressive.

“Clear the area!”

A voice shouted.

Loud.

Commanding.

My chest tightened.

Because that voice…

That didn’t sound like the same people.

Tobi looked at me.

Fear written all over his face.

“Guy… we don enter trouble.”

I didn’t reply.

Because right now…

Trouble was an understatement.

My phone buzzed again.

“Stay where you are.”

Another message.

“Say nothing.”

The footsteps got closer.

Coming toward the door.

Fast.

My heart started racing again.

Because now…

A new question entered my head:

Who just came in?

The door burst open again.

Hard.

But this time…

Different people.

Three men.

Armed.

Serious.

Focused.

One of them pointed immediately.

“Hands up!”

I froze.

My brain empty.

My body slow.

Tobi raised his hands instantly.

“Officer! Officer! I no know anything o!”

Officer??

My head snapped slightly.

Police??

But something didn’t feel right.

Their faces were too hard.

Too serious.

Too… controlled.

My phone buzzed again.

I didn’t even need to check.

I already knew.

Then one of the men stepped forward.

Closer.

Looking directly at me.

And what he said next…

Made everything worse.

“Where is the bag?”

My heart stopped.

Because now…

Everything had changed again.

To be continued…