Capital Crime episode 1

Capital Crime
Episode ONE
KELLY GREEN
The wind was intense below the airplane shaft. The altitude stabbed angrily with a negative attitude and I was in no haste to sweep this fact under the carpets of my imaginative mind. One could see, if they were calm enough, to slow down time, and their heart pumping furiously in,side it’s space, that the terrain down was a blind blanket of blue deadly greyish clouds. A death trap.
“No!
“ What?” He yelled back at me.
I replied with fear “ I’m not doing this. I’m not jumping”
He grabbed his parachute and wore them.
“ Can you fly this thing? He came at the top of his voice.
“ No! – but I’d rather die up here than down there”
“Be my guest“ he replied” the pilot is dead by the way” he decompressed his oxygen mask. “ But I’m not leaving you here. I’ll kill you myself, with my bare hands when you are useless”
“ My dad will get you for this. For this – arrrrrrrghhhh ” My yelling was cut short when a force kicked me from behind.
I found myself in mid air with no one beside me but the devil himself , smiling while we floated aimlessly in the sky. We dropped down super fast. And it was super scary. I scre-med all I could. Or did I picture myself scre-ming? Strange!
He held on to my palms and smiled away. In seconds , a white light and darkness covered my eyesight.
★★
JERRY
“ You’d make a hell of a hitman one day. I believe so much in it. I know what I’m planning for you. Plans not of bad intentions but to bring hope and respect back to the brotherhood” Ray’s words came like a thunderbolt in a mild milkshake to my memory.
He had casually tapped my shoulder. This happened at an abandoned warehouse immediately after a gun fight with Phillip’s faction of the Kvng Naziz- our gang – a year ago and a half.
There had been something in Ray’s eyes. Something more than mentorsh¡p, mentorsh¡p? No! Give or take dictatorsh¡p in a friendly manner: an elder brother’s care; Ray had adjusted my collar“ one day, Number Twelve. One day. Come hell or highwater and guess what son, : I am hell and I am highwater! ”
************
“ How can Matthew request we pack up in such a short notice. It’s simply outrageous! It’s a Sunday morning for God’s sake. Arrrghhhh!!!!- and why the heck-? Ife brought me back to the present day with her voice.
“ Jerry? Oh God! Jerry?! Another endless mind mapping. You know what? – just forget it”
She struggled to haul a luggage to the centre of the room. For a moment she must have wished she had a magic wand to move the bags.
I geared up from the cushion. My black hoody highlighted my broad shoulders and it made my alpha male figure to glisten marvelously. Ife loved it, and so did a lot of girls, but only her opinion mattered to me.
Tapping a finger on my jeans, I eventually smiled at her adorable but weak display of feminism.
I moved towards her. The bullet piece- necklace around my neck oscillated back and forth. Then rested gallantly on my chest.
I grabbed the bag from her, wondering why she’d need so much luggage for a two day trip- Although Matt hadn’t been specific.
“ We don’t really need our village people following us to Abuja, you know?
I tried to make humour out of the statement.
“ They will be grateful if we traveled light and more, if we leave all their hokus pokus wears. Besides it’s the capital not a family reunion. Hmmm?
Ife stared into my eyes. She searched for something to say. I knew this fact. Then it came out“ Such a nice comment from the king of scatter scatter community. I bet your subjects will have luck locating your last washed t-shirt.” She hissed“ Abeg lemme pass! As if it’s only my belongings that are in here.”
I insisted. “But babe. We don’t-”
The door bell rang and cut me short. A stressed out but agile Matthew walked in, accompanied by a younger man. A half of the dozen men who had been guarding the premises lined up behind the duo.
“ I’d be damned. Oh my! _ ” Matt uttered a bit too surprised when he saw us _ Ife and I, struggling with bags-especially Ife. Yeah , especially her. I noticed his gaze rested upon her. But why? I’d find out soon.
Ife stood speechless. Obviously, she had been angry at Matt for the late night call.
I wished I had met him in a different situation than we did in the past.
Well, let bygones be. We were now best of buddies, not that close, yet not withstanding age gaps, we had rapport.
Tension was rife in the room. I felt it.
“ Hey! I uttered, cordially calm.
“ Is that how you welcome an old friend? Matt queried” Something’s definitely wrong with these walls”
“ Formatted your brains, did they?
The young man that arrived with Matt smiled for a milli- minute and stopped as his eyes focused on Ife. He was seriously taken aback .
“ Wow! He blurted out. Still in shock.
*****
I watched this young man. Marveled and angered. Really? What could be the fuss with this one? Who was this mumu?
“ Who is this? Your new errand boy? I enquired.
“ Meet private detective in training- Abasi Itoro from the south south command. Specialist in Biometric Engineering and Cyber security’ Matt recounted proudly. “ From the University of Ohio, U.S.A”
He turned to Ife“ Howdy do? Still maintaining the looks?
A smile grew on her cheeks. She sat down and said “ Well, I’d have been my best on your arrival if you hadn’t come knocking on such a short notice”
“I’m sorry , my dear. Pardon me this once. Nevertheless, you look stunning as always. I was caught in a dilemma myself. I thought you were in Abuja with me”
“ Huh? I don’t understand”.
“ You’d be surprised if I told you. Don’t worry”
My eyes were still on the young Itoro Abasi whose gaze stayed confidently on Ife.
“ And why the hell is this one day dreaming about my woman?
“ Sorry. Mr Osas.” Itoro slipped out. He motioned his fingers as if to say something to Matthew. Matt in turn, gave him signals to sit down and keep quiet.
He handsake clasped mine. “ I’ve heard so much about you sir.” His eyes went downwards a few inches and rested on the necklace. “ Stories would be told about you sir. You’re a true patriot. It takes courage to do what you did. A legend indeed”
Matt bossed his P.A to his senses.
“ Arrrghhhh.!!! And they said * show me your friend and I’ll tell you who you are. Please nobody should associate me with this mumu. Oga sit down o! I’ll buy you Star Radler later, not just Legend extra. Just shut up and sit down abeg you”
Ife chuckled a laughter. She has always liked Matt for his sense of humour with a touch of arrogance.
Itoro sat. He began “ But Sir!
The info. The pictures. I mean they look exactly alike. Her face, Kelly’s face, their physique-”
Ife pulled me down to sit down beside her.
But I was curious to know. I queried.
“ Who is that? Who looks like who?
Matt changed the topic. “ Don’t mind him”
He has a crush in the office who probably doesn’t care if he exists. He refers to your girlfriend, Ife here, on this note to be a carbon copy of his crush. Yet I think there is an exception. Don’t you think so too, Itos? Look again. Just once more and you’d see it. The age. That too.
Itoro understood.
“ Really? Ife enquired’ I’d love to meet her”
“Unfortunately. I wish to disappoint you my dear. She has been transferred to Kaduna. At least for now”
Oh. That’s serious.
“ Yes. So you see why my P.A was a little bit haughty a while ago. His brains went for a mandatory leave too.
He playfully covered his mouth and drew inches closer as if he wanted to whisper to her hearing but he knew he was loud and everyone heard him. He said “ YOU did not hear this from me but I think his village people are s.eriously working.
Ife caught the drill as she gasped for air with shock.
“Yeah, like seriously ”
He shook his head in a bid to reaffirm the fact to her.
Matt stood to his feet. Something is going on. I knew something was fishy. I will find out soon enough. I don’t really like what I’m feeling.
“ Well if you are ready. Shall we?
“ Oh leave the bags” Matt continued “ My men will get those for you. What are they being paid for?
And they did.
Outside the premises, I breathed in fresh Benin- City air. It had been long I was out in the open like this, not that I could not if I wished. Yet , why stress out and only watch the exit gate like a cinema screen, when I can’t go through it?. It would drive me nuts ,daily.
Itoro was ordered to deactivate the strap on my feet. Finally!
A sinister thought captured my criminal mind. Bolt for it!! Right now with one of these cars; stupid boy! Yet something else came to mind. A budding feeling deep down in my graceful heart. I drew Matthew closer and whispered:
“
We are not coming back anytime soon, are we?
“ Not exactly! ” Matt replied in the same undertone.
“ But Ife has classes- lectures ,alot of them”
“ Let her stay back. I’ll have men guard her 24/7”
“ I’m not going to do such- going nowhere without her. ” I protested“ We can’t leave her here. You know how risky it is”
Matt looked at the young lady in,side one of the Mercedes. She smiled back and waved. It seemed the only normal thing to do under these circ-mstances“ Then Keep an eye on her”
“ We have a flight to catch” his voice became louder.
“ I’ll brief you on Intel while we are airborne”
I just gave a nod, heaved a sigh of relief and my hoody covered my head, then my hands came down to the pockets of the hood.
“ Let’s get at it. Get going, I mean” Matthew called out before saying underneath a smile “ Youngest Hitman of the Naziz’s”
We smiled. Memories of the last twelve months came flashing into our minds. It was a nice joke which I understood and I couldn’t be more glad that Matthew had arrested me when he did. Infact, it was the best thing he or anyone could have done for me.
A favour worth milions of Naira.
Tbc Oh leave the bags
 
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