Someone was trailing Laila.

Cyber trailing.

Laila clutched the phone tighter to her chest as her body wiggled due to the impact the bus on the patchy highway was experiencing.

Whoever that was, probably some of Daddy's men, heard her voice and knows she wasn't kidnapped.

They know she was on the bolt.

Shehu had hinted that the Sultan and the detective were starting to suspect the issue. They were getting to the conclusion that she wasn't kidnapped. It was only a matter of time before they realized that. As such, he had given her the remaining cash she had sent to him while she prepared for her next move.

Now that she had bought time by staying right under their noses and still being undetected, she had decided to bolt.

They were out there thinking she was in a place far away from home, but she wasn't.

She was about to be though.

5 hours ago, she got on one of the busses in the bus station and was headed to the one and only state; Kano, chunkus dakin tsunma.

If her Dad thought he was smart with all his power and people, she wanted to see how he would find her there.

It wasn't a game to her but to him, she was was.

So, why not seemingly play against him?

Laila had spent the first 2 years of her junior high school in Kano, in an all-girls boarding school before she moved to Niger, Minna for the rest of her high school life. And, with frequent visits, she pretty much knew the state.

At the bus station in Kano, and with slightly narrowed eyes, Laila held a rickshaw and directed the man to an address to the cheap hotel she could find online.

Although it was Sunday afternoon like always Kano was packed like trees in a forest. It took an hour and a half long painful hours to get to her destination.

She numerously sighed and hissed. And briskly shook her legs, gritting her teeth just to hold herself back from screaming.

She walked amongst scattered people past the dirty and stenchy roads over the sound of the Magreb Adhaan being called toward the 2 story building with its light already shining.

She took a single room, paid cash for 2 days, and lodged her self.

At the room, which was okay for an 8k rental per day, she threw her hefty backpack onto the 1-seater couch, her flats and jilbab to the side, unclipped her bra, unpeel her shirt, and finally her pants.

She then proceeded to take a quick shower and hit the bed.

Laila woke up the next day at 7 Am with excruciating pain all over her body. She reached for the fridge to find it stuffed with only 2 little bottles of water. She brought the 2 out.

Against medical science, she downed 3 painkiller pills and 2 sleeping pills with the cold water.

She let out a loud sigh, stood up, peed, then offered her subh prayer. She wasn't going to pray her missing prayers, she was too tired.

On her last raka'at, Laila had to gather all her strong will to not let sleep take over her.

With slowed, altered state of consciousness, Laila let the drugs sack her body right after she had concluded her prayers.

How many hours did she sleep again? She didn't know. It did look at least afternoon.

And, she was surely not going to try that again. Her sleep was anything but good, nightmares threatening to consume her.

Over the years that consisted of constant painkiller pills, Laila had grown certain immunity toward them.

When she had done research on addicts in her textbooks instead of studying for her exams, she learned that when people do drugs-painkillers included, over time, the chemicals in the brain that makes them heal up so that the pain can stop start to slowly decrease because the brain keeps getting it artificially. Then, they eventually grow immune to it; the antibodies fight against the foreign antigens to eliminate it. As they go along, the longer they use it, the stronger the antibodies are reproducing and fighting. But, due to the human body being 'human' it gets to a point where the antibodies become to weaken and wither-most times due to aging and lack of young blood- until it falls off and experiences something called Necrosis; a type of cell death that occurs due to external, unexpected or accidental damages.

In Laila's case, even though she still wasn't at the cell death stage, it was external and unexpected.

After four years of medical school, Laila depended on painkillers. She started with a single pill, mostly for her agonizing back and neck pain, then it hiked to 2 pills, and now it was 3, or else, the pain was just not going to go away.

And, she didn't have time to be going for frequent checkups when she was occupied 247.

Laila sighed, discarding her jilbab and stretching with a loud yawn. She gently wiggled her neck to get some sort of sensation. In the process, she brought her arm up to smell her armpit.

She hummed, not really smelling anything other than the smell of half-dried cotton.

She scanned the small room with only a small bed, a small wall mirror, a nightstand, and a short wooden drawer with her backpack on top, the pile of t-shirts she wore yesterday, and her phone by the side.

God.

Where did she forget her brain?

Laila quickly placed her palm on the rug to support her body as she stood up to go pick up her phone. She did a long press on the switch-on button but all she got was a flicker of the red box before it disappeared.

She had no charge.

She hissed, rummaging through her backpack for a charger.

Her fingers paused, her eyes narrowing. Subsequently, she went on, digging her fingers through the side pockets of the backpack. In frustration, she raised the backpack upside down and tipped its entire content out. She vigorously searched further with her fingers.

Stupid.

She must've left the stupid item while packing.

What else did she forget to pack?

Items went sideways as she inspected them. For the most part, she seemed on the clear. She didn't forget anything.

Laila let out a breath and moved her weight from her knees to her butt to sit down. Her muscles relaxed and she cleared her throat, almost as if she wanted to speak.

With little to no energy and a headache-definitely caused by hunger- she sorted her items and put them back into the backpack, making sure to fish out some cash for the food.

She stood up and rework her jilbab to grab a few stuff. Including a charger at the gadget shop, she noticed a few blocks from the hotel.

Some fresh air will do her good.

But, before that, Laila had to get something important; Food.

She locked the room and stuck the key into her wallet which she then strapped to her arm under her jilbab.

She asked for the hotel restaurant from a random guy and he lead her right to it. She got rice and asked if they had any Capri sun. The man at the drinks station gave her a weird look, almost as if he recognized her but still shook his head.

For someone who claimed she was hungry, she left half of the content on her plate. Her main reason, was the food was shit. She had enough to keep her moving, anyway.

Full or maybe 75% full-even with the shitty food, Laila stepped out to the half gate of the hotel, calculating and fortifying how she'd get to the shop.

A deep breath in and she was walking hastily while trying her best to be steady, towards the shop.

Now that she remembered, her dumb ass left the phone in the room.

It was okay, it was locked.

Was it her jilbab? Did she have anything on her? Why all the weird looks then?

She clasped her fingers to keep them from shaking at the thought of getting caught. Who the hell would catch her there anyway?

But, when you're where you're not supposed to be, everyone and everything seems suspicious.

Despite wanting to run back to the hotel, Laila steadied herself and made herself busy by bouncing on her feet as she waited for a woman to finish up.

After the woman, Laila demanded a charger and the man took a while studying her before doing his job.

Maybe it was just her paranoia, but she could swear she heard whispers from around her, and, even felt fingers point at her.

The man handed her the charger and she struggled to get her wallet out.

"I am sorry, you look familiar..." the man started while taking the money from her.

She shook her head, grasping the box as she turned.

"Mutumina suna kama ko? The lady from the tv?"

Laila halted, despite every bone in her body telling her to keep going. She turned, raising her brows and hands. "Sorry? What lady?"

The man waved a boy over and they both gawked at her.

"Wallahi suna kama."

"Eey, mutumina. Sede na TV in tafi wannan yarinya."

Laila pupils constricted and she inched further. "Tv?"

"Eey. Hajiya akwai wata sak irinki sede kinfita haske, ta bata. Ansa kudi wa duk wanda ya same ta."

Laila's hands flew to her chest, then she saw the men's eyes constrict, and then she got the memo. She quickly turned around, muttering. "T-thank you."

She pulled the edge of her jilbab over her forehead until it was almost obstructing her view.

The journey to the shop was long but her journey back seemed longer despite her long strides.

She bumped into people here and there. Some were rude enough to push her away and some just stepped back to watch her agape, wondering if she was a thief and was being trailed.

At her hotel room, Laila locked the door as she hastily stuck the head of the charger into the socket and wedged the USB into her phone. Her finger painfully pressed the start key. She waited long until the phone booted up and her server came through.

Chop-chop, her fingers hovered over her screen as the line rang just to die without response.

After her third attempt, Laila concluded that she might be overreacting.

The world didn't revolve around her.

She was in kano. A thousand miles away from home.

She was just overreacting.

She placed the phone on the floor and sat beside it to stare at it and try to calm her nerves down.

Laila breathed deeply and sharply.

The air was starting to get clogged off, she withdrew her jilbab off her, then her T-shirt, and finally her slacks.

She turned up the fan and went searching for the vest she bought at the bus station. She placed it over her body with a new pair of pants and looked down at her thick stretched mark thighs.

She sighed, sitting on the floor and hanging her head forward.

Laila didn't know what she was feeling. All she knew was that it didn't feel good.

She hadn't had time to sit and process what the hell just happened to her. But, here she was, on the bolt. No matter how insane it sounded, she liked it better like this.

At least she wasn't under another man's control-a stranger at that too. She was standing up to her dad. And it felt good to finally do that and—

Laila jumped, the vibration from her phone stunning her. She gathered her shock before she picked up the phone, already knowing who it was.

"Where the hell have you been? I've been calling you."

Her chest rose,"Menene? Kama san mei- naje wani sha—"

"Do you have access to tv?"

She shook her head-almost as if he was there- and answered. "No. Why would i? I am not-"

"That's why i have been calling you! Daddy put out a national notice on you!—"

Laila's breath hitched, the strong hold on her phone faltering as she felt her head sway without moving.

"—Tin da safe nake neman ki."

"No-notice? Wha-where...but how like how?" Laila stammered, her hand crossing to hold her other upper arm and hug herself for some sort of comfort.

"Kinsan Daddy. Yau da safe kawai ya sa aka qira press. He briefed the public that his daughter has gone missing. He has your pictures all over the media. He also put a 15million price tag on whoever finds you. All they got to—"

"A price tag?" She yelled, her hand flying into the air.

In a fast string, he affirmed. "Price tag me kyau. He is convinced that you planned this. He'll try to keep you away from making any major move. The channels, radio, social media platforms have your pictures and they're serious because we're talking about 15 million. People won't overlook this. They can...kai! I don't know. Maybe...kingane? We're like irin going too fast? Kina ina? I can't even speak without watching my back. Daddy and this stupid man they want to call your husband are getting along too well. The man has too many people...connections? Ke, Laila? Are you even hearing me?" He slowed down until his heavy and deep breaths were heard.

Laila's folded legs skimmed up and down as she gently swayed her head.

She forgot where she got her intuition from.

Of course, he'll put a notice on her. Just to make her helpless and get into her head that she'll never escape. Sometimes she wondered if her old man was some sort of psychologist who mastered manipulation.

She examined the room, the voices in her head battling with who wins and who doesn't.

"Kina jina?"

"Laila!"

She jerked, "Yes, Shehu! I'm listening."

"You need to lay low. And let this news dial down before you proceed."

She brought her palm to her forehead and leaned her upper body forward. "It's cool. I leave the country in less than 24 hours anyway."

"What? We had no plan for that."

She let out a humorless chuckle, unconsciously shaking her toes. "I did."

The line went silent for a minute before she heard a loud sigh. "To be honest Laila, where is this going? I thought the idea was good for you at first, but now, it's um...it's just. Kai. You can't run forever."

She knew. "I'll try."

"You have a career that awaits you. A family too. And even though i hate every nerve of this guy, you're still married to him. Ansako Allah da annabi kam, there's no going back." Laila's agitated movements ceased along with her breath.

She didn't want to think about it. Why did he have to bring it up?

His words definitely hit a nerve and in a more firm voice, he pumped. "Where. is. this. going?"

She ended the call. She didn't need more reminders that she had too many cracks in her glass.

This...this was never going to work.

Her father was a stubborn man. And, she took after him.

He wasn't going to let her tarnish his reputation further.

She was scared but she was also not going to give up her dreams for him, or the stupid man he got her married to.

So, Laila, what the hell are you doing?

***

Earlier on...

After Sultan El-Amin's mini heart attack, the family was once again gathered in one of his numerous chilly front rooms, except Baba Alhaji who was taking a nap. 

The elders; translating to Daddy, Mami, and Mama Adda, each sat on different couches while the rest sat on the rug, each in their corner.

They'd been like that for almost 15 minutes. Each too stunned to speak; in the case of the elders and the rest waiting for the next words to follow.

Each fidgeted with whatever they could place their hands on, while Daddy tapped his flats on the floor with his head hung low and his hands clasped.

A few more minutes into it, Daddy rose to a rigid stance and cleared his throat. He started, firm but low. "I am in shock..."

Well, that was obvious.

"I am angry...and-and disappointed," His tone hitched higher with every word, "Yarinyar nan, i married her off for her own good. I set her up with someone worth her despite what she has done. Sannan," he pointed an accusing finger at the floor. "Ta daga kafa ta gudu. It wasn't enough, she had to lodge in a whorehouse? A princess? Haba donAllah!" Besides the anger, he was also pained. His eyes were now half closed with moisture.

He clapped, leveling his breath, and then briskly nodded. He stood up, stretching out his arm. "Zaku je ku samo ta. She has to be there or somewhere close. And if she's not, we'll look everywhere and we'll find her and you will bring her to me!"

The youngsters nodded, not knowing what to say. And if they did, they held it back.

"5 minutes. Abba, Modibbo, Murtala, and Muslim, get dressed and go search for her. If she's not there, there must be something de da zaku samu. Go!"

Less than 10 minutes later, Modibbo was driving them to the place.

Parking by the other side of the road, Modibbo briefed them on what their goal was. "Okay. We just ask around with her picture until it leads us straight to her. We're most likely going to have to step in the house," he gestured at the peach house across the road. "We split." After that, each unlatched the door at their sides and they scattered.

More than half an hour later, the tetrads intercepted at the gate. From the grimaces on each face, they knew their adventure went fruitless.

Sudais raised a brow, stance wide and akimbo. Muri shook his head. Modibbo shrugged and Muslim gave no reaction at all.

"Did anyone have anything interesting to say?"

"Nop." That was Muri.

Modibbo shrugged again. And Muslim gave no reaction as he pulled his phone out.

"Are you guys serious? This is your sister! She might be in danger." Sudais reasoned, finding it frustrating how nonchalant the siblings were.

"I seriously came here because Daddy said so and because I don't want my accounts frozen."

Modibbo crossed his arms over his chest. "Exactly. Laila is fine. She'll be alright. I would've bolted if they married me off haka kawai nima ai."

Sudais twisted his body until he was facing away just to bend down, his palms grabbing his knees as he inspected the busy roads and pedestrians.

It was useless. These boys were useless.

Their sister was on the run and they weren't killing themselves to find her? What sort of family was this?

She was on the run. Probably in danger. Or running out of insight, shelter or clothing, or money to keep going. What if she—

Money?

She needs money.

His muscles tightened as he rose the boy. "She left, that's for sure. And she's going to need food, and shelter because she won't ask from anyone. If by chance she decides to travel, which is most certain, she'll use money..." he trailed off, clasping,  "If she keeps going, she's going to need money. You guys said you have her broken-off atm card? Can you find it?"

Muslim took interest, "Does it involve computers?"

Sudais nodded.

"Let's go. Let's go." Like a flash, the kid was crossing over the road and waiting by the driver's door to drive them home.

Thankfully, Mami didn't discard the broken atm card.

Lips coiled into a frown, Sudais examined the plastic in his hand.

He fished out his wallet in search of his zenith bank atm card to examine it along with the broken-off one.

2 numbers were missing from the debit card's front 20 digits.

With no other choice, he sent Modibbo to get him the runaway princess's phone as Muslim had refused to leave his side, claiming he didn't want to miss anything, Sudais placed the MacBook on the rug and adjusted the screen to his convenience.

Wasn't his first time hacking into a bank account. He had done it several times on his account just to test how good he was.

He took hold of the phone handed to him before he proceeded to get the account details he saw from earlier.

Eyes watched the screen light up in white and red, the download ceasing midway. 

Sudais repeatedly cracked his knuckles until the joints cracked no more. He clenched his teeth, waiting for the link he had set up to finish loading.

ZENITH BANK SIGNAL ACQUIRED.

He grabbed the laptop again, announcing. "I'm in." And started to scroll through the page with disappointment at how easy it was to bypass the bank's security systems.

"So, how do you get into her account without her password?"

Sudais' finger halted at the insult. He turned to give Muslim a once over. "I got into the bank's security system, unnoticed. I have her BVN and you're asking me how i get her details without her password?" He felt the need to address the insult. What did the boy take him for? An amateur?

Muslim looked away, nodding his head at his stupidity.

Extra waiting was needed due to the laptop not being the most appropriate when it came to hijacking security systems.

Lines of details filled the screen in just a moment.

The tensed man's eye's constricted as he craned his head forward in concentration, his mind, eyes, and fingers doing all the work.

"It says here that she hasn't made a transaction since Friday, 11th January 2019...she transferred 450k..."

Muslim and Modibbo's eyes widened and in sync, they exclaimed. "To who?"

Sudais shrugged, scrolling further. "I don't know. But...let's check."

The idea of mixing his breath with theirs had him lifting a hand, "You guys need to stop breathing so obvious and let me do this."

They visibly relaxed.

He hummed, reading the next details that showed up. "Okay...guys... they've improved their security system. I have to log out." He disclosed, kicking off the system and cracking his knuckles.

"Improved?"

He nodded. "Improved, yeah. I reconned their system some months ago for Si-nevermind...i reconned their server and it takes longer for them to realize the compromise. They've improved now since it took them less than 5 minutes to detect and try to kick me out."

With no regard for their reactions, he edged forward to breaking the bank's network, again. This time faster and more accurate now that he knew their weaknesses.

"Kai..." he scoffed, tilting his head and widening his lips. "I'm guessing she did this so smoothly because she had somebody here..."

Modibbo's face wrinkled, knowing well he wasn't the one and she fought too much with Muslim to let him on this. Besides, they arrived Gombe the day she bolted. "Who?"

Sudais nodded, his expression emotionless, words sarcastic. "You know the fair medium height guy? The one who doesn't like me much? The Shehu Usman Amin?"

"Eh?"

To warrant his words, The trio closed in on Sudais.

When they all did, even whispering the details to themselves, Sudais nodded.

If there was anything he had learned in his life, it was always have prove. He took 3 pictures of the screen, in case anyone tried to deny it.

Any bank transactions before Friday 10th January were pretty much useless. With that in mind, he logged out of the network and set the MacBook aside before facing the two brothers.

He rubbed his agitated palms, his eyes pink from all the screen time and lack of good sleep as he fleetingly blinked. "So...are you going to tell your dad or should i be the bad guy again?"

Modibbo shook his head in incredulity and rose from the couch, "Is that how you guys roll in your family?"

Sudais glanced at Muri and nodded. "Yeah, when a person is in the wrong and requires some discipline."

"Are you done with the laptop?" Muslim didn't wait for an answer as he grabbed his MacBook and headed for the door.

Modibbo stood up, "I can't force you, but please, we keep this to ourselves. Daddy won't take it lightly. Karka hada su fada. Don't stab us in the back-more like front again this time."

And...Stabbing in the front or back was definitely Sudais' hobby.