THE GHOST ASSASSIN ☠️

"I'll try to trace the IP address," Lena said, her brow furrowed in concentration. "But if they're using a proxy server, it could take some time."

"Keep working on it," Kael said, his eyes never leaving the screen. "We need to know who's behind this."

Ava closed her book, her eyes fixed on Kael. "What do you think it means? 'The silent ones remain'?"

Kael's expression was grim. "I think it means we're not out of the woods yet. There are still people out there who want us dead."

Elara's eyes narrowed. "But who? We took down the Division. Who's left?"

Kael's jaw clenched. "That's what we need to find out."

Lena's fingers flew across the keyboard, her eyes scanning the lines of code on her screen. "I think I've got something," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

The room fell silent, waiting for Lena to reveal what she had found.

Lena's face was scrunched up in frustration. "I couldn't trace the IP address. Whoever sent this message covered their tracks too well."

Kael's eyes narrowed. "We need to think about who could have sent this. Who's left from the Division?"

Elara's eyes widened. "Rachel. We locked her up after Arlo's death. She's the only one who could know what's going on."

Ava nodded. "Bring her out. Let's ask her some questions."

Kael nodded, and Ava left to retrieve Rachel from her cell.

A few minutes later, Rachel was brought into the room, her hands bound by cuffs. She looked at each of them, a smirk on her face.

"So, you think I know something?" she asked, her voice dripping with amusement.

Kael's eyes locked onto hers. "We know you do. Who sent that message?"

Rachel laughed, the sound sending chills down their spines. "You think you're so smart, don't you? Locking me up, thinking you've won."

Elara's eyes flashed with anger. "Answer our questions, Rachel."

Rachel's smile grew wider. "Oh, I'll answer your questions. But you won't like what I have to say."

"We're not playing games, Rachel," Kael said, his voice firm. "Who sent that message?"

Rachel leaned back in her chair, her eyes glinting with amusement. "You really think I'd tell you that? After what you did to me?"

Ava's eyes narrowed. "We didn't do anything to you, Rachel. You were involved in the Division's plans. You helped them try to kill us."

Rachel's smile faltered for a moment, before she regained her composure. "You'll never understand what's going on. You're just pawns in a much bigger game."

Elara's eyes locked onto Rachel's. "What do you mean?"

Rachel leaned forward, her voice taking on a conspiratorial tone. "Let's just say that the Division was just a small part of something much bigger. And you've just made yourselves targets."

Kael's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

Rachel's smile returned, wider than ever. "You'll find out soon enough."

Kael's face was inches from Rachel's, his eyes blazing with intensity. "Tell us what you know, Rachel. Now."

Rachel's smile never wavered. "I'm not afraid of you, Kael. I've seen the truth. And soon, you will too."

Ava's eyes flicked to Elara, who nodded slightly. They knew they had to keep pushing Rachel to get to the bottom of the mystery.

"Rachel, listen to us," Elara said, her voice calm and measured. "We're trying to protect ourselves, and others like us. If you know something, please tell us."

Rachel's gaze drifted to Elara, and for a moment, her smile faltered. But then, her expression hardened again. "You're too late. The wheels are already in motion. And soon, you'll be the ones who are silenced."

Suddenly, Rachel's eyes flashed with a fierce light, and she leaned forward, her voice dropping to a whisper. "You should have stayed hidden. Now, you're just prey, waiting to be hunted."

The room fell silent, the tension thick and heavy. Kael's eyes never left Rachel's face, his mind racing with possibilities. What did she mean? And who was behind it all?

Kael's eyes narrowed, his grip on Rachel's chair tightening. "Who's behind it, Rachel? Tell us."

Rachel's smile returned, her eyes glinting with a knowing light. "You'll find out soon enough. But for now, let's just say... the shadows are moving. And you're right in their crosshairs."

Ava's eyes flicked to the window, her mind racing with the implications. Were they in danger right now?

Elara's voice cut through the tension. "Rachel, we can protect you. If you tell us what you know, we can keep you safe."

Rachel's laughter was like ice. "You can't protect me. No one can. The shadows are everywhere. And soon, they'll consume you all."

Kael's face was inches from Rachel's, his eyes blazing with intensity. "Last chance, Rachel. Tell us what you know."

Rachel's smile never wavered. "I've said all I'm going to say. You'll just have to wait and see."

The room fell silent, the tension thick and heavy. Kael's eyes never left Rachel's face, his mind racing with possibilities. What did she mean? And who was behind it all? Suddenly, the lights flickered and died, plunging the room into darkness.

The darkness was absolute, the only sound heard was the heavy breathing of the four women in the room. Kael's eyes strained to adjust, but there was no light to be found.

Ava's voice cut through the darkness, her tone low and urgent. "What's going on?"

Elara's response was immediate. "I don't know, but we need to get out of here, now."

Rachel's laughter echoed through the darkness, her voice dripping with malice. "You can't escape the shadows. They're everywhere."

Kael's eyes narrowed, his mind racing. This was no ordinary power outage. Someone or something was playing a sinister game.

Suddenly, the lights flickered back to life, revealing a figure standing in the doorway. Tall, imposing, and shrouded in shadows.

"Ah, perfect timing," Rachel said, her smile gleaming with triumph. "The shadows have arrived."

The figure stepped forward, its features slowly revealing themselves.

The figure stepped forward, its features revealing a tall, imposing man with piercing eyes. He was dressed in black, his face obscured by a mask. In his hand, he held a small device that emitted a puff of smoke.

The smoke spread quickly, filling the room with a sweet, acrid scent. Ava was the first to fall, her eyes drooping as she slumped to the ground. Elara followed, her body going limp as she collapsed. Rachel's smile faltered, her eyes widening in surprise before she too fell unconscious and then Lena.

Kael tried to resist, but it was too late. The smoke enveloped him, and he felt his consciousness slipping away. He tried to fight it, but his body betrayed him, falling to the ground with a thud.

The Assassin stood amidst the unconscious bodies, his eyes fixed on Kael. He knelt beside him, his gaze lingering on his face.

The Assassin moved forward with his eyes never leaving Kael's face. He scooped him up, lifting him effortlessly into his arms. And with that, he vanished into the shadows, leaving the unconscious bodies behind.

*******************

Nigeria, we hail thee,

Our own dear native land,

Though tribe and tongue may differ,

In brotherhood we stand,

Nigerians all, are proud to serve

Our sovereign motherland.

Our flag shall be a symbol

That truth and justice reign,

In peace or battle honour'd,

And this we count as gain,

To hand on to our children

A banner without stain.

O God of all creation,

Grant this our one request,

Help us to build a nation

Where no man is oppressed,

And so with peace and plenty,

Nigeria may be blessed.

**"In unity, we find strength; in diversity, we find beauty. Together, we shall rise and build a nation where peace and justice reign."**

Happy Independence Day, Nigeria! 🇳🇬