Life Of Imani

chapter 25

Nassim stood in the middle of the dimly lit office, the weight of what was happening heavy on his shoulders. He could feel the clock ticking in his head—every second wasted meant the Ravens were gaining more ground. His fists clenched as he paced back and forth, waiting for Jason to gather the team.

A few minutes later, the door swung open. Jason led in a group of men, all nervous, their eyes shifting from each other to Nassim. They knew something had gone horribly wrong, but none of them were ready for the storm that was about to hit.

Nassim wasted no time. "Everyone, sit down." His voice was cold, calculated, the type of tone that made the air in the room feel heavier.

The men sat, their gazes avoiding Nassim's. He stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. "One of you screwed us. And you're going to tell me who." His words were slow, deliberate, each one landing like a threat.

He could see the tension ripple through the group. Jason stood by the door, keeping an eye on them, but it was clear he was just as nervous.

"I want to know how the Ravens got access to the warehouse," Nassim said, his voice laced with anger. "Someone let them in, either on purpose or by being careless. I don't care which, but I *will* find out who."

The silence that followed was thick with fear. No one spoke, but the shifting eyes and fidgeting hands gave them away. Someone in that room knew something.

Nassim took a step closer, locking eyes with each man in the room. "If I have to go one by one to find out who sold us out, I will. And you all know how that ends."

The room remained still, until one of the men—a tall, lanky guy named Azeez—shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Nassim's eyes zeroed in on him. "Azeez, you’ve been quiet. Too quiet."

Azeez swallowed hard, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. "Boss, I swear, I didn’t—"

"Save it," Nassim interrupted, taking another step forward. "You’re sweating like a rat. What did you do?"

Azeez’s hands shook slightly as he tried to come up with an answer, his eyes darting to Jason, then back to Nassim. The other men sat rigid, afraid to make any sudden moves. They knew what came next if Azeez didn’t give Nassim the answer he wanted.

"I didn’t mean for this to happen," Azeez stammered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I just... I got a message. I didn’t know it was the Ravens. I thought it was just a regular deal, but they knew too much, and they offered too much money..."

Nassim’s jaw clenched. His anger flared, but he forced himself to stay calm. "You sold us out for money?" he asked, his voice deadly quiet.

Azeez nodded, the shame and fear visible on his face. "I didn’t know they’d go this far. I thought it was just one shipment..."

Nassim stared at him for a long moment, then took a step back. The room was thick with tension, everyone waiting to see what Nassim would do next.

"You just made the biggest mistake of your life," Nassim said coldly. He turned to Jason. "Take him to the back. I’ll deal with him later."

Jason grabbed Azeez by the arm and dragged him out of the room, the sound of the door slamming behind them echoing in the silence.

Nassim turned back to the rest of the men, his expression hard. "The rest of you, get out of my sight. And if I find out anyone else had a hand in this, you’ll wish you were Azeez."

The men quickly stood up and filed out of the room, leaving Nassim alone. He sank into his chair, the weight of the situation settling in. The Ravens had infiltrated their operation, and it wasn’t just about the money or the shipment anymore. It was about control, about power.