Seven Ways To The Abyss

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Wandering through the city, her body ached. She was still worn out from the fight, despite having fed.

Maybe I need more, she thought.

The sun had risen, and people were starting to emerge from their homes. She glanced at the passers-by—each person was a potential meal, but she had to be reasonable. This was Abuja, after all.

Why did Elaina bring me here again?

As she ventured deeper into the city, she got closer to her intended destination: the house of one of her candidates. First was Amaline Unane, a single woman in her thirties, no record of marriage, childbirth, or divorce. Financially stable, no living relatives. Then there was Daniel Prince: records of a divorce but no marriage, one living family member—his twin sister—whom he had a restraining order against. He lived a life of solitude, wealthy, worked from home, and avoided people. Complicated. Too complicated.

Sofia decided to go for Amaline.

Amaline lived in Maitama, Barama Street, number 16. Sofia didn’t know exactly how to get there, but she'd let her instincts guide her, although her senses were rather dull at this point.

Wandering somewhat aimlessly, glancing at street signs and road maps, she eventually reached her destination, but she had no idea what Amaline’s house looked like.

The houses on Barama Street were breathtaking. Each one was a mini-palace in its own right, not particularly grand but awe-inspiring in their design. After a while of walking, she spotted house number 16.

This is it, she whispered to herself.

She considered approaching Amaline head-on, like she did with Mr Benson, but her instincts urged her otherwise. She circled the house, looking for any gaps in the construction that would allow her to sneak in. A door or window—anything besides the main gate that would draw too much attention. She searched around, hoping to find some small mistake that would give her entry.

Damn, the architect did a good job, she thought, frustration setting in, until she noticed the back fence. It was shorter than the others.

Maybe I could jump it.

Even though it was shorter, it was still quite tall—about six feet.

Why the hell are the fences so tall?

But she could do it. It would be  one of her highest jump yet, but she was sure she could make it. She took a few steps back, then ran toward the fence, leaping over it and landing with a thud.

No bush?

Sofia had expected to land on some small trimmed bushes that most people kept in their backyards, but it seemed Amaline had taken a different approach. She dusted the dirt off her clothes and turned to face her next challenge: smooth infiltration. She crouched down, listening carefully to her surroundings.

Eleven cameras.

She had to avoid all of them and simultaneously sneak into the house unnoticed. What did she want from the house? She wasn’t entirely sure, but her instincts were never wrong.

Sofia sat cross-legged in the shadowy corner where she'd landed, taking advantage of the fact that no cameras were facing her. She listened, eyes darting, as she planned her next move. There were three potential entry points, but the cameras restricted her options.

The first option was the back door to the kitchen, but she’d have to avoid two cameras. They were sweeping the area, left to right, and she'd have to move faster than both of them to avoid detection and plus, the door could be locked. The second option was reckless—she could break some cameras and walk straight through the front door like she owned the place. It would be bold, but it would work.