Binary Hearts

75| The Last Rescue 😬🏃

Tunde finally arrived home around 9 p.m., exhausted from the day's hustle. As he stepped into the living room, he spotted Sam, still engrossed in a game on his newly acquired PS4. The sound of button mashing filled the room, as Sam barely acknowledged Tunde’s presence.

“Where did you get a PS4?” Tunde asked, his tone a mix of curiosity and disbelief.

“I’ve been saving up for it,” Sam replied, not breaking his focus from the game.

“To buy a PS4? Is that really what you think is the best use of your money?” Tunde questioned, his voice now holding a sharper edge.

Sam hesitated, unsure how to respond. The comment stung, leaving him momentarily speechless.

Tunde sighed, softening. “Well, it’s your money. Do what you want,” he added, dismissively.

Turning his attention away from Sam, Tunde scanned the room, searching for any signs of Adeola. “Where’s Adeola?” he finally asked.

Sam, finally pausing his game, looked up. “She’s not home,” he replied flatly.

Tunde raised an eyebrow, clearly concerned. “Where did she go?”

“I don’t know. She didn’t seem happy, though. She’s been waiting for you all day, I think.”

Tunde sighed again, this time deeper, as if the weight of the day had doubled. He walked over to the dining table, where a plate of spaghetti and fried snail was waiting for him. The aroma immediately lifted his spirits. Sitting down, he took a bite, savoring the rich flavors. The snail was perfectly seasoned, the spaghetti just the right texture—simple comfort food that momentarily helped him forget the nagging feeling that something was wrong.

As he ate, Tunde pulled out his phone and called Adeola. The phone rang, but no answer. He frowned, his thumb hovering over the call button, unsure of whether to try again. Instead, he opened WhatsApp and sent a quick message to his girlfriend, Adaora.

“Hey,” she greeted him almost instantly. “Today’s been really nice.”

“I’m glad,” Tunde replied, distracted.

“You shouldn’t have gone home,” Adaora teased. “I had a surprise for you.”

“A surprise?” Tunde asked, finally allowing himself a smile. “What is it?”

“You’ll find out another day,” she responded playfully.

Tunde chuckled, shaking his head. “You always like to keep me guessing.”

“That’s the fun of it! How’s Sam and Adeola? I’m sure they’re both asleep by now.”

Tunde glanced over at Sam, now slumped on the couch, the PS4 controller still loosely gripped in his hand. “Sam’s asleep, but he was playing PS4 when I got in.”

“Oh? He bought a PS4? Let him enjoy his freedom,” Adaora said lightly.

“I guess,” Tunde responded. “I just don’t get why he’d spend all his money on that.”

“Maybe he’s just trying to have fun, Tunde. Don’t be too hard on him.”

Tunde sighed. “You’re right, I already told him he can do what he wants with his money. Still…”

The conversation drifted for a moment before Adaora brought up Adeola again. “What about Adeola? Is she asleep?”

“Oh… she wasn’t here when I got home,” Tunde admitted, his unease returning.

“Where did she go?”

“I don’t know. Sam said she left earlier in the evening and wasn’t happy. She’s not picking up her phone.”

Adaora’s tone shifted, now filled with concern. “You should try to find her. Call again, Tunde.”

“I’ve already tried. She’s not answering.”

“Maybe ask around,” Adaora suggested, her worry evident. “Don’t leave it like this.”

Reluctantly, Tunde agreed. “Okay, I’ll check. I’ll talk to you later.”

After ending the call, Tunde dialed Paul, one of Adeola’s friends. But Paul hadn’t seen her either. The feeling in Tunde’s gut deepened. Something wasn’t right.

Not wasting any more time, Tunde quickly changed into something simple, grabbed his car keys, and headed out. The night air was cool, but it did nothing to calm the anxiety building inside him. As he drove down the street, his mind raced with thoughts of where Adeola could be. He stopped by a couple of cafés and restaurants, showing the workers her picture, but no one had seen her.

Finally, a woman at a small shop remembered seeing Adeola earlier that night. “She bought something from here, but she left,” the woman explained.

“Do you know where she went?” Tunde pressed, but the woman shook her head.

Frustrated but determined, Tunde continued down the street, eventually pulling over at a bar. As he stepped out of his car, another vehicle nearly sideswiped him, speeding recklessly down the road. He shook his head, irritated, as he approached a man outside the bar and showed him Adeola’s picture.

“Oh yeah, I saw her,” the man said after a moment of squinting. “She left with those two guys over there,” he added, pointing toward the car that had almost hit Tunde.

Without hesitation, Tunde jumped back into his car and began following them. The car sped through narrow streets, twisting and turning, but Tunde stayed close, his heart pounding with every second. They finally stopped at a house, and Tunde watched from a distance as the two men escorted Adeola inside, her arms slung lazily around their shoulders.

Tunde knew he couldn’t approach them directly—they might be armed. His mind raced for a solution when a pizza delivery man pulled up to the house. Tunde flagged him down, offering him money to switch clothes so he could deliver the pizza instead. When the man refused, Tunde, now desperate, knocked him out cold, hastily putting on his uniform and grabbing the pizza.

Back at his car, he opened the glove box and pulled out a gun. He checked it briefly, then stashed it inside the pizza box. Taking a deep breath, he walked up to the house and knocked.

One of the men opened the door, music blaring from inside. Tunde handed over the pizza, trying to keep his voice steady. “Here’s your order.”

Just before the man could close the door, Tunde caught a glimpse of the other guy already undressing Adeola. Fury boiled up inside him.

“Wait,” Tunde said, stepping forward and pulling out his gun. The man at the door panicked, raising his hands.

“Please, boss! Don’t shoot!” he stammered.

Tunde stepped inside, his gun now trained on both men. “What are you doing with my girl?” he growled.

“We didn’t know she was yours! I swear!” one of them pleaded. “We just met her at the bar, and nothing’s happened yet. Please, boss!”

Adeola, clearly drunk, smiled lazily at Tunde and clapped. “My hero,” she slurred.

Tunde’s anger flared again, but he realized she was too drunk to understand what was happening. Slinging her over his shoulder, he turned to leave, keeping the gun aimed at the men.

But just as he reached the door, one of the men made a move, pulling out a gun from the side table. A shot rang out, and Tunde cried out as pain exploded in his arm. He fell to his knees, still holding Adeola, as blood began to flow from the wound.

The two men rushed over, disarming him and dragging him and Adeola back inside. They beat Tunde mercilessly until everything went black.

As the men turned their attention to Adeola, they suddenly spotted a boy outside the window, his phone raised as if recording the entire scene.

The two men, distracted by the boy outside recording the scene, dropped Adeola and bolted out the door. They ran after the kid, their heavy footsteps echoing through the quiet street as they yelled at him to stop. The boy, realizing the danger, sprinted faster, weaving between alleyways and parked cars, his breath quick and shallow.