《Beneath Lagos Rain》全部章節：第 171 章 - 第 180 章

The emergency stairwell was filled with smoke.Firefighters pushed upward carrying hoses and breathing equipment while frightened employees stumbled downward, helping one another through the choking haze.Justice Sani pressed himself against the wall."Single file!""Keep moving!"Samuel supported an elderly accountant whose leg had been injured during the evacuation."Lean on me.""We're almost there."The woman looked at him through tear filled eyes."Thank you."Samuel simply nodded.This was no longer about Horizon.It was about people.Three floors below, they reached a fire door that had not yet been touched by the flames.The group entered a conference room overlooking Victoria Island.The air was clearer.Nathan immediately switched on a television.Every channel carried the same story.Live images showed firefighters battling the blaze while police established a security perimeter around the headquarters.Reporters speculated about sabotage, but no one yet knew what had happe

Every eye remained fixed on Elias.Outside, the sound of helicopter rotors faded into the distance, but inside the conference room, the silence grew heavier.Richard broke it first."You've remembered something."Elias did not answer immediately.His eyes remained on the frozen image of the lion headed cane."I remembered..."He said slowly."...what I forced myself to forget."Michael frowned."You don't forget something like that."Elias gave a weary smile."You do when remembering it gets people killed."He pulled a chair closer and sat down."For years, everyone believed Magnus held the final meeting alone.""That wasn't true.""There were three people in the room."Samuel folded his arms."Magnus.""You.""And the man with the cane."Elias nodded."I never saw his face.""He kept his back to me.""But I remember his voice.""What did he say?" Amara asked.Elias closed his eyes, replaying the memory."He told Magnus..."'People will always choose comfort over conscience.'"And Mag

The first ferry sounded its horn.A cheerful blast.To the children gathered along the dock, it was the beginning of an exciting journey.Teachers smiled.Volunteers adjusted backpacks.Younger children laughed as seabirds circled overhead.Nothing about the scene suggested danger.That was exactly how Horizon wanted it."They've rehearsed this."Victor's voice was barely above a whisper.Justice Sani looked at him."How do you know?""Because every evacuation plan was designed to look ordinary."He pointed at the screen."No panic.""No running.""No armed escorts.""If anyone is watching...""...it looks like a school trip."Nathan zoomed in on the marina.The children were boarding in groups of twenty.Each group was led by an adult carrying a blue folder.Elias frowned."Those aren't teachers."Victor nodded."They're handlers.""They've memorised every child's profile.""They know who is obedient.""Who asks questions.""And who needs... encouragement."Amara felt her stomach tig

The office was impossibly ordinary.Books lined polished wooden shelves.A globe stood beside the window overlooking a wall of surveillance monitors.Fresh flowers rested in a crystal vase.A fountain pen lay uncapped beside the still warm cup of coffee.It looked less like the headquarters of a criminal empire...And more like the study of a university professor.Amara stared at the envelope bearing her name.Her heartbeat quickened."He knew we would come."Justice Sani nodded."And he knew you would be with us."Samuel stepped forward."Don't touch it."Nathan removed a portable evidence kit from his backpack."Let's process it first."He carefully dusted the envelope."No fingerprints."He held it beneath an ultraviolet lamp."No chemical residue."Michael examined the seal."Ordinary wax."Nathan looked at Justice Sani."As far as I can tell...""...it's safe."Justice Sani nodded toward Amara."It's your decision."Amara walked slowly to the desk.For a moment, she remembered an

The convoy reached the coast just as the sun began its slow descent over the Atlantic.The sky glowed with deep shades of gold and crimson.Far beyond the shoreline, the old lighthouse stood against the horizon.Its white walls were weathered by decades of wind and salt.Yet it remained standing.Like the man waiting inside.Justice Sani studied the area through binoculars."No visible guards."Samuel frowned."That's exactly what worries me."Nathan sat inside the mobile command vehicle, surrounded by monitors."Drones are airborne.""Thermal imaging is active.""Marine Police are in position."He pointed to the digital map."The lighthouse is completely surrounded."Richard looked at the screen."And he still asked her to come."Victor gave a slow nod."Because he believes control begins long before people realise they're being controlled."Amara stood quietly beside the vehicle.The Chairman's letter rested in her jacket pocket.She read the final sentence once more.Come alone.Sh