Her big break came on a rainy Tuesday night.
Lena was at her favorite diner, sipping black coffee, when a sharp pain shot through her temple. A vision flashedтАФa dark alley, a glint of metal, a body slumped against a dumpster. She didnтАЩt know where it was, but her gut told her to move. She jumped in her car and drove, letting instinct guide her.
Twenty minutes later, she pulled up behind an abandoned warehouse. Police tape hadnтАЩt even been strung yet. The victimтАФa city councilmanтАФwas still warm. Lena snapped photos, noted the odd placement of a playing card (the Ace of Spades) near his hand, and called it in. By the time detectives arrived, she had already pieced together a theory: this was a hit, not a random crime.
Her article,┬а"The Ace KillerтАЩs First Hand", went viral. She was the first to connect the playing card to a rumored underground gambling ring. The police followed her lead, and within weeks, they made an arrest.
From then on, Lena was unstoppable.
SheтАЩd get a┬аtingleтАФa headache, a sudden chillтАФand within hours, sheтАЩd be at a crime scene before the cops. A missing person case? SheтАЩd dream of a location and find the victim. A corporate scandal? SheтАЩd sense deception in a CEOтАЩs press conference and dig until she uncovered fraud.
Her reputation grew. Newspapers fought for her exclusives. True crime podcasts begged for interviews. She wrote bestselling books, launched a documentary series, and even consulted for the FBI. The media dubbed her┬а"The Prophet Reporter."
Of course, not everyone believed her. Skeptics called her a fraud, a profiteer of tragedy. Cops sometimes resented her for showing up before they did. But the results spoke for themselvesтАФcases solved, justice served, and a trail of shattered conspiracies in her wake.
By 35, Lena was a millionaire, living in a penthouse with a view of the city sheтАЩd helped clean up. But the visions never stopped. And neither did she.
Because somewhere out there, another crime was waiting to be uncovered.
And Lena Carter would be the first to know.
Chinedu Nnadi is an acclaimed novelist and cultural historian, known for his dynamic range spanning high-octane electrifying political, psychological and romantic thrillers and the timeless magic of African folklore. A former advocate for social and political justice, he brings raw authenticity and gripping suspense to his novels, drawn from a deep understanding of global politics and covert operations. As a leading expert in African oral traditions, myths, and legends, Chinedu also dedicates his work to preserving AfricaтАЩs narrative heritage. Through his writing, he captures the spirit of silent warriors and ancient storytellers alikeтАФensuring their voices resonate across continents and generations.