Capital crime episode 8

CAPITAL CRIME EPISODE 8
The Same Night
KELLY
A quick jolt and bump snapped me out of my prolonged knockout. I guess I had passed out during the “Fall”
Strange, as it felt I tried to figure out where I was. The only familiar figure after a brain racking session and unconslidated confusion was the small wrist watch round my wrist. Mom had given it to me on my 14th birthday. The wrist watch has never moved since then. It had always been broken. I had tried fixing it but mom had said it would work again one day : By itself. Funny things parents would tell their children to make them feel better. All of a sudden I missed mom with great and unimaginable passion.
“Just like all broken relationsh¡ps will still find ways to mend.” She had said while stroking my hair with tenderness and love. Sweet creatures, they are. All mothers. “ He loves you so much baby. Remember this fact”
A tear drop blinked from my left eye and touched the wrist watch. Indeed it became my most priceless gift.
Reality caught up again and I tried to recall how long I had been out, cold.
There were six people in,side the same location with me. It was like a box, with glasses. Four actually or windows. It is moving. Yes, it’s a car.
I moved my palms. Stiffened. Only now did I see the bound holding my palms tightly together. And it was night outside the cars. Trees and shrubs everywhere.
Beside me was Tamuno on the left and Seth at the far left. Closeby on the other side was a man named Vincent and two men at the front who were new to my memory.
Another jolt came, mildly.
“ I envy you a bit” Seth said, seeing I had come through“ let’s say I admire you. Your ability not only to just sleep soundly and beautifully when you like but also your academic prowess and outstanding achievements so far. You deserve some accolades, baby!” He said.
“ When I was your age” He continued after clapping alone – two claps actually, “or maybe older. I hated school. I was never at home either and my mom abhorred me for this rebellious acts. Most times I found comfort in the hands of esc-rts at brothels and clubs” He paused “ Yet, ofcourse. I never learnt to command the English language, but I was forced to ” He began to laugh, having realized he was the only one talking. Vincent joined him. The two agents at the front joined. Even Tamuno wanted to.
“What’s funny? You this mad man!” Seth asked “ huh? He referred to Tamuno ” You think this is funny? Is it?
Tamuno shook his head in disapproval.
“ Better. My dear Kelly. I was forced into studying and learning the language just to make sure. Just to make absolutely sure that– it’s crazy, the wh0le idea, it was , believe me, given I never liked it. Yet now I’m grateful I did. Hell yeah! I’m grateful I did”
I had heard enough. He seemed too proud of his evil deeds. Such self righteousness erked me. “Eeeerrpheerrrppp! Disgusting.
“ Why are you doing this? Where is the car headed? Stop this madness. Please, I beg of you”
“ Calm down Ms Kelly” Seth admonished ” You will soon find out why I can’t stop this madness”
With that statement, he revealed a headmask which hadn’t been visible before. He covered Tamuno’s face and patted his shoulder.
“ Good boy! Keep this up and I may kill you last of them all”
He gave out a wicked shrill of laughter. Vincent’s laughter was even more scary as it came thundering into my ears. Another black head cover appeared from behind Seth’s back. It was now within view and I noticed a bag beside him, near the left door.
Is he going to cover my face..?
Fear tightly gripped it’s claws round my spine. I could feel my heart race, leap and bounce like a hotball of meat. My temperature wasnt normal no more. Like Im thinking “this aint funny, wtf is happening?
Out of impulse, I did what anyone in my condition would do.
I scre-med. Kicked. Bounced and twisted. My legs kicked the driver’s ear. The car skid off it’s tracks with a loud screech like rubber grinding over a sulphur coated metal.
“ Let me out!”
“ Shit! Seth yelled when he hit his head against the window. The derailment of the car had affected him. He didn’t expect it.
“ Let me out of here! I want outta here!” I hit Vincent with my right elbow.
He fought back. He held on to me. I bit his arm. It was so intense that the impact of my teeth on his flesh was like a dog clenching tightly to it’s breakfast.
“ Damn it. She bit me! The biatch bit me” He said and gro-ned.
I tried the doors. Jammed. I could see Seth from the driver’s mirror. He used his left hand to bring Tamuno’s head foreward while he stretched to grab me with the other.
“ Fuxk it! Arrh She bit me!”
The driver almost regained control when I accidentally kicked his head, again. This time I was even happier than the first attempt.
The other agents in front joined the war of three men against an angry lady who fought for her life. I was not ready to loose this one.
Vincent gro-ned in pain.
“ Damn. ‘ He yelled out in anger
It was sharp. Short and painful. I did not know what hit me. And the last thing I saw was a white beautiful light that exploded in my head.
I woke up later and found myself on the floor in,side a dark location. I still felt the unceasing sharp pain behind my skull. I mumbled but the words didn’t come out right. I heard myself saying quietly“ Please. Let me out of here. Let me out. I promise I won’t be stubborn anymore. I won’t be stubborn again. Daddy! Please let me out. Daddy let me out.”
I went into a trance and it was nice being twelve again but the feeling of joy turned a nightmare when I was whisked away from the garden and off mom’s palm. Dad came yelling from the backyard porch and argued with mom on a lot of things, Instantly I was locked up in the basement by dad.
His only reason being that I defiled his order and still played with his expensive toys.
“ Daddy.. please let me out?? I sobbed. I could see both my parent arguing from a distance. Mom begged but Dad was non-submissive to her pleading. He said “ She went too far this time..”
‘ She is only a child, Arnold. She will learn. Please…” Mom pleaded.
Then their voices became inaudible and I couldnt see them no more. Just someone approaching and it was blurry.
“ Mom?” I paused” Is that you? I said faintly as I relaxed into the arms of an angel. Or was it my imagination?
★★
Today, Sunday
Abuja
IFE
“ And he said : Itoro you are mad. I guess your senses are the most vital ingredients for your village new yam festival.” Itoro said “ How can you be trying to crack a case where there is none? The man died as you know, trying to prove to his wife that he was Superman”
I laughed again.
“ Then.. I said: there was something there. Maybe he was forced into the act.* But Mathew gave me this stern look like a lion targeting the neckline of it’s prey. After which, he replied : The man must have been a weakling then. He took Viagra and died on top of his wife at the third round…Come, are you sure you are not related to him? Your people can be funny sometimes and do crazy things. Eheh! Don’t give me that look young man. Am I lying? Calabar people, fear them’ Matthew contined‘they have s€×ual fantasies of machines and robots.”
I held myself from laughing and asked “ Really? Hmm. I think it’s the lady’s fault. The man was only doing her bidding. I’m guessing: Matthew must have been very mad at you right? Even when your were making sense”
“ Of course- that was even the first time we met in Calabar. And he-”
Itoro was cut short when a familiar figure walked into the chapel. It was obvious he would have to leave.
Jerry had entered the Chapel where I had been chatting with Itoro for a while now, since the church service ended.
The president had been present too. She had arrived late into the service and left before anyone else after the closure. However, I had a conversation with her, briefly. Then Itoro had taken over when he saw me alone and quiet in,side the chapel. He had asked me a few questions. They led to now. This point in time.
“ Hello! ” My boo boo said“ Here you are”
“ I’ll be on my way now” Itoro ch¡pped in.
“ Sure!”
“ It was nice talking to you” Itoro said as he grabbed some files.
“ Yes. Same here. You made my Sunday!
Itoro acknowledged Jerry who stood, staring at him. I noticed he was not so insecure anymore, unlike he had been at Benin- City. Strange!
“ I’ll just- Excuse me. Okay ” Itoro tried to pass through the isle.
Jerry was in his way.
“ Uhmm … Okay. Lemme pass. Just … Coming through if you don’t mind”
“ Oh sorry! ”
As Itoro dazzled in confusion, we both wondered what was wrong with him. He left and returned only milli- minutes later. He had forgotten something.
“ Uhm… I forgot ”
“ Your pen. ” I replied when I noticed it.
Itoro brushed his files against the arm of a seat. Everything crumbled to the floor. Impulsively , I bent down to pick up the files- I was sitting. And Jerry assisted.
Itoro joined us after a second of delay. I hit my head against his forehead during the collision.
“ Ouch” I blurted.“ That hurt”
“ I’m sorry. I’m really sorry about that.”
“ Don’t worry. You will be fine” Jerry said as he helped “ I’ve got this. Bro”
“Thanks. Sorry, I – I”
“ No problem” I said “ Easy-pizzy. I’m fine”
Itoro zoomed off like the wind chasing it’s ancestry. Incredible pace and I was awestruck.
“ Funny guy” I broke the ice when he was out of sight. A lot went through my mind from our discussion earlier. I had noticed he was trying too hærd to impress me. I enjoyed it sha. But Nah! He ain’t my type. Someone else was on my mind.
“ Indeed” Jerry cut in “ But smart nerd.”
“ The nerds are always smart and funny” I retorted.
“ Yet this guy is cool. He is good at his job” My boo said.
I told him that a while back he had been so insecure. Thinking that Itoro was making passes me. He smiled. He said jealousy can make a man do crazy things.
“ Obviously, and you missed service”
He smiled cheaply and squinted twice “ Have I been to one in years?
“ pagan!
“ Hahahaha”
“ Like seriously, it’s not funny” I added.
He stopped laughing.
“ The president was here though” I continued “ she even threw questions at me”
“ Like ?
“ Nothing much. My name. Nativity. How long I’ve been with you. Those other boring stuffs”
“ Hmm. So I’m boring” He played about it.
‘ Are you for real right now?
“ Ohh. We are kidding around right? Sorry your highness”
“ Better! Tell me, what happened in her office? How’d you even find me here?
He answered my last question, first. “ Sam told me that I’d find you in the Chapel”
“ Sam? Who is that?
“ Madam President’s security adviser. Samantha Walsh. The fair lady that’s always around her like a shadow”
“ Oh! The ski-ny pretty-goddess of a lady”
“ Yeah. The pretty-goddess of a lady” He said.
“ Hope you are not even thinking about it” I attacked him. Mischief was written all over his face.
“ Me? What? Never ” he became defensive“ when you are here. I blind ni?
“ Jerry. I don’t trust your last sentence. You -” I pointed at him“ I’ve got my eyes on you. If I so much as suspect anything… ”
“ Relax baby. Relax. What’s yours is yours. I go dae your body like skin tight.”
“ Awnnn..” I cooed “ Thank you and I’m not even willing to share” My seriousness returned.
It came suddenly to me as I recalled an event.
“ Shadows! Remember the night Ray was arrested.
“ And what about it?
“ All those officers in the shadows. The lightning and the thunderstorm”
“ Yeah go straight to the point”
“ And I was shocked to see you were still alive” a grin stretched on his face“ Ray must have been too. And Matthew ordered him to lay down his weapon. Which, of course he refused’”
“ He released fire.”
“ Yeah he did. He f-cking did” I said ” and_”
“ Shuush. This is the house of God”
I chuckled“ Okay ” My undertone resurfaced “ Okay. Okay . He did and you jumped Matthew off the way to save his life.”
“ Damn. Ray was fast” He said ” And if not for Charlie’s phone, this bullet on my chest would have been in,side rather.
“ He told me you were killed” I said.
“ The mother fuvker had-”
“ Uh- huh. See who corrected my ethics a while ago.”
He laughed. “ Okay. The guy had shot and left me for dead in a field. And I came for revenge”
“ Yet , I was the one who made him loose balance remember? I smashed his skull from behind with the bottle of wine he poured me”.
“ Ife the gangster. Oshheeyy!! ” He paused” and you created an enemy for yourself that night”
I learnt from the best and had no regrets whatsoever.
Suddenly, my mood changed again. As caring as always he noticed and enquired what had happened.
“ Sometimes, I feel like there is a part of me that just want to be free. Like a chained soul that wants to roam freely” I knew I was not telling him everything, just beating around the bush. I was scared of his reactions if he got to know everything.
“ Stop saying stuffs like that– you don’t really mean them do you?
“ I do. The feeling started when we arrived Abuja ”
“ Alright. Everything will be fine. You had me believing you wanted to come here.”
“ I did”
“ It’s okay. This case will be over soon and we will go wherever you want to”
I asked him about the case at hand.
He told me everything from the beginning , through the resemblance and the miscellaneous stuffs.
“ Hmm. This one is quite strong” I replied and breathed twice.
“ Matt even says we look alike- me and you, you and I. The two both of us” I teased him, trying to pull his legs and pull my mind away from negativity.
“ The ‘ one’ two of us? I know. He told me same, in the past. Only twist being : I’m finer than you are”
“ Ta- I’m fairer than you are. You black mamb-” I bit my l-ips to exaggerate the forthcoming words.
See this chocolate skinned nigga, forming melanin poppin.
“ Not fair” He corrected, jokingly ” Finer, like finer.”
I hissed.
“ Still think I’m boring? He teased me
I hissed again” Nonsense! In your mind o! Fine boy! I’m just managing you. Finer ko plier ni. ”
He laughed and threw his grasp round me. Squeezing so passionately, that I felt like the luckiest girl alive. Oh I don’t want this to end. Squeeze me. Love me. Hold me, baby.
“ Ife !!!” He said again still hugging me.
Before this one starts feeling himself to do rubbish in,side church, and I know I can’t resist him, I better form and push him away. Local woman can’t can
“ Leave me- le- a-ve me!” I said.
“ Make me!.
“ Is you that know o” I said again“ Ehen, talk to me oga.” I finally had a reason to end the hugging“Are you really going to help them – rescue the hostages I mean.”
“ Definitely” He said, releasing his grip round my bosom.
The answer came like a wind in autumn to the shores around my ear. I had something else in mind, eating me up. Yearning to be said. To be set free. A part of me eagerly begging to be free from it all.
“ Can I tell you something baby?
“ What’s it? He asked, looking deep into my eyes.
How do I start? Sadly, I said“ Dad called again. Today ”
“He did?
“ Uh huh!” I feigned calmness. But it was obvious that my eyes gave me away. Jerry will have to find out the wh0le truth. Sooner or later.
“ What did he say?” He asked, gazing at me with so much enthusiasm.
To be continued.