THE EYE OF THE NEEDLE

The betrayal didn't break her.It refined her.

When you thread a needle, the thread must pass through the tightest hole first—that's how you know it's about to sew something strong.

Zainab had passed through fire. Now, she was the fire.

Obi was recovering slowly at a discreet clinic in Ikoyi.Zainab hadn't spoken to Fatiha since the confirmation.

She needed a plan. Not vengeance.

She spent three days in silence. No calls. No online presence. No leaks.

Let them think she was scared. Let them believe they'd won.

But in those three days, Zainab was stitching her masterpiece—The Final Thread.

Day four.She appeared at the mosque in Surulere under the name "Sister Mariam."

After prayers, she slipped into a quiet room where two young men waited.

Both wore black. Faces calm. Eyes sharp.

"Raji told us to meet here," one said.

Zainab nodded. "Are you still in?"

"We never left."

She pulled out a folder.Inside: updated names, offshore accounts, military codes—even screenshots from a satellite feed.

They stared in disbelief.

"Where did you get all this?"

She answered simply:

"I let them think they erased me.I watched from their blind spots."

Then she added—

"I'm done exposing them bit by bit.It's time to destroy the nest."

Later that evening, she returned to her hideout to find the unthinkable.

Her door—ajar.

She paused.

Breath shallow.Heart still.

She entered slowly.

And froze.

Fatiha.

Sitting on her bed. No fear. Just waiting.

"I knew you'd figure it out," Fatiha said softly.

Zainab said nothing.

"I didn't come to justify anything," she added. "I just came to tell you… he's planning your end."

"Raven?" Zainab asked.

"No," Fatiha whispered."The Ghost."

Zainab walked over and stood in front of her.

"You tracked me. Fed them my moves. Framed my father. Nearly got Obi killed."

Fatiha nodded.

"I did. And I'll pay for it. But I've switched sides again. You have to trust me now."

Zainab laughed bitterly.

"Trust is not a scarf you remove and tie again. It tears."

Then she added:

"But if you want redemption… you'll help me finish this."

Fatiha stood. "I will."

Zainab reached into her drawer and pulled out a phone.

"There's a villa. In Gwarinpa. It's where the Ghost sleeps.We strike there tomorrow night."

Fatiha blinked. "Just us?"

"No," Zainab said."The whole world will be watching."