Michael Makinwa was in his office going over some documents when the door flew open and a haggard woman rushed inside. She was in her thirties, her hair in disarray and her native attire was very rough.

His secretary rushed inside too after the woman. “I’m sorry sir, I tried to stop her…”

“Don’t worry, just give us a minute,” Makinwa said, waving the secretary away.

When the secretary walked out, Makinwa faced her. “So who are you and how may I help you?”

“I need your help sir. My daughter has been taken as a sacrifice and I don’t know what to do. They are having the sacrifice now…”

“Calm down, just calm down. Start from the beginning. What happened?”

The woman took a deep breath and began. “My late husband was a member of a club that lends money to its members. What my husband didn’t know was that the club was also an evil cult. They used humans as sacrifice. My husband was stuck. They threatened to kill me and my daughter if he ever told his secret to anyone. He had no choice but to stay.

“He died last month and since he couldn’t pay back the money he borrowed, my daughter was taken to be used as sacrifice. My husband owed them 2 million naira. I took a loan to pay the money but they didn’t accept it saying that they needed a human for their yearly sacrifice. They told me my husband had already pledged my daughter as sacrifice, but I know him; he would never do such a thing.”

Makinwa wanted to tell her that no human really knew the other but he didn’t. “So, what do you want me to do?” He asked instead.
“I saw your picture in a magazine yesterday. You won the Man of the Year award. I was wondering if you could reason with them or offer them more money with the one I already have. I want my daughter back.”

“Do you know where the sacrifice will take place?”

“Yes sir.”

“How will I get in?”

“They are rich men so they allow any rich man to join them.”

Makinwa brought out his phone and dialed his assistant’s number. “Hello Damola, we have some criminals to catch.”

***

Makinwa drove his Murano Jeep to the front of the mansion. He was dressed in an expensive suit. Two armed security men walked over to him.

“Yes sir?” One of them asked.

“New member,” Makinwa said, following the instructions of the woman who wanted her daughter back.

“What is your name sir and name of your organization or company?”

“Makinwa Enterprises.”

“Wait while we check sir.”

A minute later, the guard returned. He was smiling. “You can come in sir.” He gave Makinwa a pass. Makinwa gave him 5000 naira. “Ha, thank you sir. Thank you very much sir.” He prostrated.

Makinwa drove in and listened to Damola through the tiny earpiece in his ear. “From satellite feeds, there are ten security guards at the gate, all armed. There are twenty vehicles, and I can see twenty people in the main building with a person lying on something like a table. Must be the girl.”

“Thanks Damola. So, have you thought about my proposal?”

“I have told you many times that I can date my boss,” Damola said from far away. She was a hacker whom Makinwa had hired after she had been forced to hack his account.

“You are single, I am single. Do the math.”

“I can’t date my boss.”

“What if I fire you?” Makinwa asked smiling.

“Then I would date you.”

Makinwa laughed. “You are not serious.”

Makinwa parked among the expensive cars in the compound. He got out and put on a customized pair of glasses. He pressed a button on the glasses.

“Are you reading this?”

In the faraway place where Damola was, she could see all what Makinwa was seeing. “Live, direct and clear. Recording in progress.”

Another guard led Makinwa past a tastefully furnished living room the door of an inner conference room. He was patted down. The guard brought out a pen and a small square object.

Makinwa saw the guard’s questioning gaze. “That’s my MP3 player. Can you hold on to it until I am done here?”

“Okay sir.”

Makinwa walked inside. There were twenty men dressed in suit surrounding a table on which was a frightened girl who was dressed in white. A tall man held a knife close to the man’s head.

“Members, welcome our newest member, Mr. Michael Makinwa, one of the richest men in Africa.”

“Welcome,” the men all said as one.

“Mr. Makinwa, our club is all about opening doors for one another, lending money and making more money. However, we need human sacrifices to make us live longer and peacefully. We do this every year. I hope you are not afraid to see so much blood?”

Makinwa shook his head and smiled. The girl on the table squirmed and shook but her hands and legs were tied to the table. There was a single bulb above the girl that gave light to the room. Makinwa made sure that the camera in the glasses caught the face of each man in the room.

“In the name of Shkalama, we offer this human as sacrifice,” the tall man said.

“Amen,” the men responded.

Before the men finished their response, Makinwa was already moving. With his two arms, he elbowed the two men on his right and left, and then jumped over the table. He dived over the girl and crashed his boots against the tall man’s face. He brought out his pen, pointed it at the bulb and pressed the bottom. The bulb exploded and the room was thrown into darkness.

But the glasses could see in the dark. While the men shouted, Makinwa picked up the knife and cut the ropes tying the girl. He lifted her on his shoulders and ran towards the door. He kicked men out of his way.

In the living room, he crashed into the security guard. He ran out of the house towards the parking lot. Makinwa opened the Jeep and pushed the girl into the back. He ran to the front and started the car.

As men poured out of the house, he drove the vehicle towards the gate. Security guards stood, blocking the way, pointing their guns at the vehicle. Makinwa stopped.

Makinwa put his head out of the window. “Han han, didn’t I give you 5000 naira the other time?”

“I know,” the guard said. “But it’s too small. Step out of the vehicle sir.”

Makinwa rolled up the glass and pressed a button. A computerized voice said. “Car wings activated. Have a safe flight.”

The vehicle suddenly began to rise up. The guards could only stare. The vehicle flew out over the fence. When the vehicle landed, Makinwa said. “Call the police.”

***

Makinwa returned the girl to her mother and the cult members were arrested and indicted.

THE END.

Source: https://opinionsandstories.com/the-sacrifice-a-thriller/