The wall clock was ticking slowly, making a "tick-tick-tick" sound. It was already 1:30 AM, and the Samsung Galaxy phone placed on the bedside drawer started ringing loudly. The man, deep in sleep, did not hear it at first. The call came in three times, but he didn’t wake up. On the fourth ring, the loud sound finally reached his ears. He woke up suddenly, startled, and called out to God. He was wearing a white singlet and shorts. He was about 40 years old, with dark skin. Struggling to open his sleepy eyes, he looked at the large bed he was lying on. Slowly, he turned his gaze toward the wall clock, then rubbed his face and softly whispered a name, "Angel!"

Before he could remove his hand from his face, the phone rang again. He quickly reached for it, wondering who could be calling him at such an odd hour. Was everything okay?

When he looked at the screen, he saw the name Aminina. He sighed in relief and picked up the call. Before he could even say hello, he heard gunshots. Shocked, he shouted, "Aminina!"

Before he could say anything else, Aminina’s panicked voice interrupted him, "I am finished! I am doomed!"

Frightened, he asked, "Calm down! Tell me what is happening?"

"They caught me spying on them! They are chasing my car now! I know they will kill me. And they will not spare you either. I don’t want you to die like me. Please, run away with Angel! I don't want my mistake to destroy you too! The secret information I took from them is in my memory card. That is the only proof to expose them…"

Before he could finish talking, the call was cut off.

The man quickly redialed the number, forgetting that the call had already ended. When he tried calling again, someone picked up. But instead of Aminina’s voice, he heard terrifying screams. Then, a harsh voice said, "If you want to know what’s happening, look at your phone screen."

His hands were shaking as he lifted the phone to look at the screen. The call had switched to a video call.

Terrified, he jumped out of bed, his eyes wide open in shock. He saw Aminina’s car burning in flames. Right before his eyes, he saw people pouring fuel on the car. Through the car window, he could see Aminina’s fingers. The fire was burning his body.

Sweat covered his face as he panicked and shouted, "No! No!" Then, they ended the call.

A sharp headache hit him. He sat on the side of the bed, trembling. For the next fifteen minutes, he was in shock, unable to think straight.

Then, Aminina’s words echoed in his ears again: "Run away with Angel! I don’t want my mistake to destroy you!"

Yes, they would come for him next. They would kill him just as they had killed Aminina. But he was not afraid for himself—he was afraid for his only daughter, Angel.

In a panic, he jumped up. He didn’t even put on a robe. He grabbed his car keys and, in his confusion, ran toward his wardrobe instead of the bedroom door. He bumped his head against it before realizing his mistake. Quickly, he ran toward the real door, rushed downstairs, and entered the living room. Without stopping, he climbed the stairs to the upper floor.

He headed straight to Angel’s room. With one push, the door swung open. The room was dark. He turned on the light, filling the room with brightness. His eyes landed on Angel, peacefully sleeping under a soft blanket.

Without wasting time, he rushed to her, climbed onto the bed, and called her name, "Angel! Angel, my daughter! Azeezaty!"

She did not wake up. In desperation, he picked her up and placed her over his shoulder. He quickly left the bedroom, went downstairs, and stepped outside to where the cars were parked. He opened the backseat of his Range Rover, gently placed Angel inside, and then got into the driver’s seat.

As he started the car and reached the gate, he quickly jumped out to open it, then rushed back inside the car and drove off at high speed.

Just as he left, six large cars turned onto the road leading to his house. They had seen his car and immediately began chasing him at high speed.

His heart pounded. Looking through the rearview mirror, he saw the cars chasing him. He pressed harder on the accelerator. His lips trembled as he repeatedly whispered, "La ilaha illa anta, subhanaka, inni kuntu minaz-zalimin!" (There is no god but You, Glory be to You! I have been among the wrongdoers!).

He had no idea where he was going. He was just driving blindly.

Angel’s soft crying snapped him back to reality. She had woken up due to the rough driving. Her head kept hitting the car, and now her nose was bleeding.

Panicked, she cried out, "Daddy… What’s happening? Where are we going in this dark night?"

She was just an 11-year-old girl. She could barely speak through her tears.

Tears rolled down his face. He regretted ever becoming a journalist. That job had brought him nothing but danger.

"Angel, I’m really sorry! I have ruined your life! Tonight, your daddy will not be able to save you! I can’t bear to lose you, but I don’t want my mistake to destroy you!"

Angel touched her bleeding nose with her small hands. Her face was covered in blood. Crying, she said, "Dad! My nose is bleeding! I’m going to die!"

He was completely broken. He had no words to comfort her. All he could say was, "I’m sorry."

The chasing cars were still behind them. Then, suddenly, he heard gunshots hitting the back of his car.

Panicking, he swerved off the road and entered a dense forest. It was very dark. He had no idea where he was going. The trees were thick, blocking the way.

He parked the car, jumped out, and rushed to the backseat. His hands were trembling as he picked up Angel. She was wearing only her nightdress, and her hair had fallen over her face.

With her in his arms, he ran deep into the forest. The only light he had was from his car, which he had left on.

As he ran, he suddenly stepped on a sharp, rusty metal buried in the ground. It was as sharp as a knife.

Pain shot through his foot as the metal pierced through his flesh and came out the other side. His body stiffened as blood poured down his leg.

Sweating and shaking, he whispered, "Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un!" (Indeed, we belong to Allah, and to Him, we shall return!).

Angel’s voice brought him back to reality.

"Daddy, let’s go home! This is a forest! There are hyenas and lions! They will eat us! Daddy… Are we dreaming?"

She was still sobbing as she spoke.