A New Creation episode 23
A New Creation
Chapter 23A
“Which of you guys tampered with the weapons?” Oj barked at the members of the Tigers who were assembled for the emergency meeting. There was a deep silence amongst them, nobody dared to move or make any sound.
Oj stared at his boys in pity, they were the only few left of the war that was led by their former leader, Screw. Only three more boys had been recruited after the last war and they were untrained and inexperienced, so they were more of liabilities than assets. Even when they had a larger team, they couldn’t beat the Arch Angels, what happens now that they are very few?
“No one wants to talk right?” Oj barked again and everyone was still in silence.
Their attention was divided as the entrance door flung open and Small entered noisily. The boys parted and made way for him as he trudged forward to where Oj was standing.
“Baba!” He saluted, taking slow heavy breaths.
“Yes?” Oj stared at him with a questioning look.
“Baba, somebody here may be betraying us.” He began to speak to Oj in low tones. “Out of the two boys killed this evening, only one was killed by the Arch Angels.”
“What do you mean?”
“The second wasn’t killed by the Arch Angels,” Small said softly to Oj. He then turned to the larger members and raised his voice, “he was killed by one of us here.”
“Huh? What are your suggesting?” Oj turned Small back to himself.
Small stared at him without responding.
“You know what? Give us five minutes, we’ll be back. In the meantime, nobody should leave this place.” Oj ordered and dragged Small away into another room. “Can you repeat all you said to me?”
“Baba, someone is playing us.”
“Okay, first, where is Hercules?”
“Hercules? I don’t know where he is,” Small replied.
“But you guys went out together,” Oj retorted.
“We went to arrange different things,” Oj answered. “Baba, let’s leave Hercules out of this first.”
“Explain yourself please.”
“The guy that was killed in the Cyber Cafe was not killed by the Angels. I believe the guy was part of those who went to kill Gentle,” Small began.
“One of our boys?” Oj cut in.
“Yes, he was one of our boys. In fact, one of those involved in the recent gun training.”
“Oh!”
“That explains how our weapons went missing.”
“Maybe he smuggled it out after one of the trainings,” Small suggested.
“But which boy is that who had the audacity to smuggle out a weapon after a training session?” Oj asked, amazed that the weapons could have gone missing under his own watch as he was the one who conducted the trainings himself.
“It’s Ijapa,” Small revealed the name.
“Ah! Ijapa, no wonder. We were training the guy to relieve you of some of your responsibilities,” Oj said, shaking his head. “I don’t think he took it after the training.”
“Baba, I don’t understand too but the important thing now is that we must find the rest of the people who joined him in that troublesome adventure.”
“But how are you sure that he was part of Gentle killers?” Oj raised a doubt.
“He was with our handkerchief tied to his elbow, he was with one of the missing daggers. He was wearing a strange kind of cloth, it looked like a uniform from another group which I’ve never seen before.”
“When was he killed?”
“Between seven pm and seven thirty.”
“That was not too long after Gentle’s death.”
“Yes, I strongly believe that he was killed by the rest of his group. They may have had a disagreement or killed him so that he could keep his mouth shut,” Small said.
Oj paused for a while and pondered on Small’s words. He scratched his head with his fingers, trying to reason out the truth.
“Where was Hercules at that time?” Oj asked.
“He said he wanted to get something in town, I don’t know where he went.”
~~~
Roy was still feeling very uncomfortable even though he was now in the mission’s house. In a large fully air-conditioned room was he fixed, the room also had a TV and an InfinityTV decoder in it. There was a table on which Christian materials and novels were neatly arranged. Roy couldn’t remain seated or in one position, he kept on pacing up and down the room.
While the Pastor was driving him to the house in the mission’s car, they had seen crowds of students with their bags hurrying out of the school campus and it’s environs. They wondered how the news had spread so quickly. The Pastor then turned on the radio in the car and they needed not to wonder how the news had gotten everywhere anymore. Every five minutes was an announcement made over the school radio station for students to vacate the school premises as soon as possible as reports had gotten to the school authorities that a top member of a cult group was killed and the attacked cult was threatening fire and brimstone.
A knock on the door startled Roy, he paused to listen and the knock came again.
“Who’s it?” He spoke out.
“Food is ready, Pastor is waiting for you at the dining room.” An unknown female voice rang in.
“Thank you,” Roy replied.
He quickly straightened up his clothes, the same he had put on when he left the now late Gentle in the house. Then he proceeded out of the room after making the sign of the cross.
“Bro Roy, you’re still not looking relaxed.” The Pastor commented as Roy approached the dining room.
Roy sighed and shook his head in self pity.
“You need to be calm brother, the book of Philippians Chapter six, verse six to seven tells us to be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, we should make our requests known onto God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” The Pastor quoted to encourage him.
“Pastor sir, there’s no way I won’t be anxious. My life is not safe anymore, a top cultist called Gentle died in my house, he’s not just a top cultist, he’s the second in command and the twin brother of the Capon. Now the wh0le group is after me.”
“Don’t talk like that brother,” the Pastor scolded. “Colossians chapter three verse three tells us who are born again that, ‘For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.’ That’s for all of us who have received Christ into our lives, our lives are hidden with Christ in God. No man can take our lives, he has to defeat God first before he gets to us.”
“But Pastor…” Roy stammered, tears were already forming in his eyes. “I’ve not surrendered my heart to Christ and how will my life be hidden in him physically?”
“Why have you not given your heart to Christ?” The Pastor asked in a surprise tone. “Well you can, right now and right here, then you don’t need to bother how he would protect you physically and spiritually, just do his word and leave that to him. Are you ready to do it?”
“Yes Pastor,” Roy replied tearfully.
“Give me your hands and repeat these words after me,” the Pastor took Roy’s hands in his and led him to Christ right there, according to the Bible’s given order in rom-ns 10:8 – 10.
Chapter 23B
“Kolawole, You guys did what? ” Malia scre-med.
“You heard me right sweetie” Kolawole replied as he rushed to change his clothes.
“That was not the plan you told me about, you guys were just supposed to loot his house and not kill someone there” Malia still scre-ming.
“You had better just shut your before someone hears you” Kolawole barked.
“Why did you decide to involve me in all of this, now my conscience will haunt me for life” Malia sobbed
“Involved you? How? “
“If hadn’t not agreed to help you guys distract that Roy guy, he might have been able to get back just in time to save his friend”
“Didn’t you just tell me that the guy saw you and followed you, did antibacterial force him to follow you, did you put an hex on him, we only lured him with what he does best. Moreover he owes you his life because if he had returned while we were there, he would also be dead by now” Kolawole walked out of the room afte stating his points.
Malia kept on walking around the room, she just got herself in a plan that resulted to someone’s life, though she knew nothing about the guy that was killed she still felt guilty. Thoughts of Roy flooded her mind too, all she knew about Roy doesn’t go further than his name but she was still concerned about how he must be fell right now, if only she knew someone was going to die she wouldn’t have agreed to help Kolawole her boyfriend in distracting Roy. If only she knew then she would have sticked to the plan of giving Roy a wrong number but she gave him her real phone number after Roy displayed his intelligence, she has made a lot of errors.
“Am sorry Roy” Malia whispered to herself.
________
Rofiat walked in,side her house and saw Halimat and Hadijat sitting down in the lounge.
“Welcome” they greeted but got no response from Rofiat who just walked straight to the sofa to sit. They both walked closer to where she was sitting.
“Rofiat what happened” Hadijat asked.
“Gentle is dead” Rofiat announced
“What” Halimat and Hadijat Exclaimed “How, When, Where” Halimat rained questions.
“He was shot dead earlier today at his friend’s house” Rofiat replied.
“Ohh my God, but who killed him” Hadijat asked.
“The white tigers” Rofiat replied.
“What” they both exlaimed again “How can they be so sure that it was the White tigers that killed him” Halimat
“We saw an handkerchief with their emblem on it and a gun that has been confirmed to be the tiger’s” Rofiat
“How is Slimmy taking this” Hadijat asked as Halimat picked up her phone from the couch and dialled Oj’s number.
“Slimmy has gone mad, like raving mad. He wants to kill all white tigers” Rofiat.
“Oh my God” Hadijat.
“Hello Oj” Halimat spoke on the phone. “Why in God’s name did you kill Gentle, what sort of an animal are you, didn’t you know how close we were to him” Halimat shouted
“Babe I swear to you, I didn’t order anyone to be killed talk less of Gentle. You know what, let me call you back, I need to see all my boys right now”
“What did he say” Rofiat asked after Halimat dropped the phone.
“He said it’s not them, that he didn’t order Gentle’s death” Halimat explained.
“Do you believe him Rofiat” Hadijat asked.
“It doesn’t matter what I believe, Gentle’s death must be avenged.” Rofiat replied
“Maybe I should go and talk to him” Hadijat suggested
“You will do no such thing” Rofiat barked and at that moment, her phone beeped. She checked the phone and saw a message from Slimmy “Okay girls, I have to go right now and by the time I come back we will plan on how to sneak you two away untill all of these are over”
“We are not leaving without you because…..” Halimat was about to object but Rofiat interrupted her.
“You two had better not try nonsense this time around” Rofiat scre-med and both Halimat and Hadijat trembled “The other war is different from this, you girls are two Capon’s girlfriend and a sister to a cultist, you will be the highest targets. You are leaving when I get back and that is final” Rofiat picked her car keys and left the house.
—–
+++
“Slimmy,” OJ called as his call was finally answered. The emergency meeting with the Tigers has ended and Small and Hercules were the only ones left with him.
There was silence from the other end of the line, OJ was sure that Slimmy was listening. He thought of how best he could explain his not picking Slimmy’s two calls earlier that day.
“Slimmy, I didn’t order for anyone to be killed. Believe me I couldn’t have ordered for Gentle to be killed, I have no reason to do that. Someone somewhere must be playing a game with us.” Oj paused to listen, he didn’t hear any response except for movements at the background. “See Slimmy, I would fish out anyone of my boys who secretly knows about this and I’ll personally hand them over to you to punish.”
OJ heard a short hiss and then the line went off.
+++
**15 minutes later**
“We’re not leaving any one of the Tigers alive, wipe out every single person, wipe out anything or anyone related to them. I don’t want to find a single trace of them anymore. Let their names be erased completely and forever in the books of history.” Slimmy stood in front of the gathered members of the Arch Angels and charged them up for the battle. The members who were deeply agitated about the loss of Gentle and we I already gearing up for a fight became more provoked in their spirits as they could feel Slimmy’s pain in his voice as he spoke to them..
“I heard that one of the Tigers have been taken down already just as the news came to you, kudos to you guys, that’s the way to go. From this night, the numbers of the dead bodies would increase and we’ll continue with the same tenacity. I want us to wipe out the Tigers in two weeks time.” Slimmy continued his speech. There were no cheers from the crowd as they all were in a sober mood, mourning the death of their beloved Gentle. “What did I say?” Slimmy asked his listeners.
“Two weeks!” They all chanted.
“Good, you can all go back now. Remember, stay safe and stick together, ” Slimmy charged. “Does anyone have a question?” Slimmy paused to look around. He saw two hands raised. “Yes, what’s your question?”
“Boss, the weapons, who do we report to this time around?” The junior asked.
Slimmy paused and thought for some seconds. The last war, he had been the one in charge of that process since Host was alive but now he couldn’t be because of his new position as the overall boss.
“Kong would take care of that, report to him tomorrow morning by 6am.” Slimmy said and turned to the other person who raised his hand. The hand was down already.
“I wanted to ask you the same question,” the person said.
“Okay, in the absence of any question. You can go now,” Slimmy said, dismissing the crowd. After a minute, the place was almost empty except for the inner circus and two other girls who were discussing with Rough. Rough tapped one on her wa-ist softly and the other on her back as she concluded their discussion. Rough as the top female member was responsible for relating with other female members directly.
After the girls had gone, she turned to face the guys who were patiently waiting for her. Slimmy, Nazaretha, Kong and Rough, each of them, their faces depicted deep sorrow. There was silence for a long moment. Slimmy then took off the hood cap he was putting on which he used in concealing his face from the clear view of the younger members. His eyes were teary for the first time but he received to let any drop from it. He sniffed in and began to talk.
“Kong, Nazaretha,” he called softly and slowly. “Please make sure that the boys are well conducted and watch out for anyone who tries to disobey orders or sell us out to the enemies.”
Kong and Nazaretha nodded their heads in response, they couldn’t find words to say to console him or encourage him, the loss and grief was for all the members of the Arch Angels. Slimmy closed his eyes and rubbed his palm on his face, he took a long deep breath. Kong placed his palm on Slimmy’s shoulder and shook him softly, closing his eyes too as if to absorb the pain. Kong who didn’t go with the rest of the Angels to Roy’s house, had called Nazaretha to tell him that he had returned from the assignment and ask why he had so many missed calls, that was how he got to hear the story from Nazaretha.
“Boss, you gotta be strong for us.” Kong finally spoke. He shook Slimmy softly again and dropped his hands. He slowly walked away into another room in the mansion. Nazaretha also paused to stare at Slimmy for a while, then he followed Kong. Slimmy was left with Rough.
Rough for a while didn’t talk. Slimmy’s hand had been taken away from his face now, they were both looking at each other. Slimmy could connect to the grief in Rough’s eyes, it was the same intensity as his. She walked closer to him, slowly and stopped at his front. She looked into his eyes again and took in a breath, then she hugged him, for the first time. Slimmy did not respond at first but after some seconds, he wrapped his hands around her too. He could hear her sobbing and could feel the tears dropping from her face on his shirt.
The embrace lasted for almost five minutes and she released him, holding his two hands in hers. She stared into his eyes for a moment, then she stepped forward and placed a very brief k-ss on Slimmy’s l-ips. Slimmy was lost for a while, he didn’t understand what he was doing but he couldn’t reprimand her.
“I wished I had expressed how I felt about Gentle to him,” Rough finally spoke closing her eyes. “How I wish he would have able to receive that k-ss.” She released his hands and walked away, out from the lounge and the house.
Slimmy stood still and his mind dwelt on different thoughts. Rough had loved Gentle? He asked himself. But why hadn’t Gentle noticed and returned the feeling? That way, there would have been no clash with them. But life was really unfair, sometimes, we tend to not even notice those who truly care and show deep concern for us.