Episode 2: The Gunshot
The moment I pressed the accelerator, everything happened at once.
The Lexus surged forward like an animal released from a cage.
Then I heard it.
BANG!
The gunshot exploded behind us.
Adaeze screamed.
“JESUS!”
My ears rang for a second. I didn’t know if the bullet hit the car or not.
I didn’t look back.
I couldn’t.
My eyes stayed on the road.
The man who had been standing in the middle jumped out of the way just in time as the Lexus flew past him.
In my rearview mirror I saw chaos.
The men were already running toward the Sienna.
My heart sank.
The Chase Begins
“Chinedu…” Adaeze whispered.
Her voice was shaking badly.
“Did they shoot us?”
“I don’t know.”
“Are they coming?”
I checked the mirror again.
And that was when my stomach dropped.
The Sienna engine had started.
The car spun onto the road.
And then it began to follow us.
Fast.
Too fast.
“Adaeze…”
“Yes?”
“They’re coming.”
Her breathing changed immediately.
“Oh God…”
“Oh God…”
“Oh God…”
She started crying quietly.
I could hear her whispering prayers.
“Jesus please… Jesus please… Jesus please…”
Speed
I pushed the Lexus harder.
The road ahead stretched through thick bushland.
That Enugu–Nsukka road can feel lonely sometimes especially late in the evening.
Long stretches.
Few houses.
Mostly forest.
Exactly the kind of place kidnappers love.
My speed climbed.
100 km/h.
The engine hummed smoothly, but my palms were sweating.
I checked the mirror again.
The Sienna was still there.
And it was getting closer.
“How are they that fast?” I muttered.
Adaeze looked back through the rear window.
Then she gasped.
Panic
“Chinedu they will kill us!”
“They won’t.”
“Stop the car!”
“No.”
“PLEASE STOP!”
Her voice broke into full panic.
“You heard the gunshot!”
“If we stop, we are finished.”
My voice sounded calm, but inside I was terrified.
I had heard enough stories.
Kidnappings on that road.
People taken into forests.
Families forced to pay millions.
Some victims never come back.
I imagined Adaeze in their hands.
And my stomach twisted violently.
No.
Never.
Another Shot
The Sienna was now dangerously close.
Then suddenly—
BANG!
Another gunshot.
Adaeze screamed again and ducked down.
“Chinedu!”
“Stay down!”
I heard something crack.
My heart skipped.
For one terrifying moment I thought the bullet had entered the car..
The Lexus swerved slightly.
“Careful!” Adaeze cried.
I gripped the steering wheel harder.
My mind was racing.
If they kept shooting, they could hit the tyres.
And once the tyres burst…
It would be over.
The Decision
Up ahead I saw a small junction.
A narrow road branching toward the hills and farmlands.
It wasn’t a major road.
Mostly used by villagers and farmers.
But it had one advantage.
Bush.
Thick bush.
My brain made a decision instantly.
I slowed slightly.
Adaeze looked up.
“Why are you slowing?”
“I’m turning.”
“Turning where?”
“You’ll see.”
The Sienna behind us was getting confident now.
They probably thought we were about to surrender.
Big mistake.
As we reached the junction—
I suddenly swerved hard into the narrow road.
The Lexus tyres screamed against the asphalt.
Adaeze grabbed the door.
“CHINEDU!”
Dust exploded everywhere.
The road immediately became rough.
Gravel.
Potholes.
Sharp bends.
But one good thing happened.
The Sienna behind us overshot the junction.
They had been moving too fast.
I saw them brake violently in the mirror.
For the first time since the chase began—
We had a few seconds of advantage.
Into the Hills
But the road ahead was worse than I expected.
It climbed into the hills.
Bush everywhere.
Twisting paths.
No streetlights.
No houses.
The sun was already setting.
Adaeze looked around nervously.
“Where are we?”
“i don’t know.”
“This place looks scary.”
“It is.”
She swallowed.
“Will they find us?”
Before I could answer—
Headlights appeared behind us again.
The Sienna had turned into the road.
And they were coming.
The End of the Road
After about five minutes of rough driving, the road suddenly narrowed.
Too narrow.
Then it became worse.
It turned into something like a bush path.
Even the Lexus couldn’t continue.
I stopped the car abruptly.
Adaeze looked at me.
“Why did you stop?”
“Because we can’t drive anymore.”
Her eyes widened.
“Then what do we do?”
I looked toward the forest.
Dark.
Silent.
Unknown.
Then I said the words that would change the rest of that night.
“We run.”
