Capital crime episode 29

Capital Crime episode 29
Continued
Jerry
A metallic cry came from the doors. Two soldiers came in and without explanations, they hulled and whisked me out of the cell.
***
Kelly
The cell doors cried like a racoon in labour. Sharp and piercing into the calm of the night. The poor women scamper away from the door like chickens, trying to escape the butcher on the other side of the door.
Everywhere was calm, a while ago.
I only realised just now why these women are so afraid and the words Seth spilled out on Sunday evening echoes in my head “ Throw them in the cells. With the other prisoners. All of them.”
Prisoners. That’s what they are and how they feel. Terror had followed their stay in here. It didn’t take long before one of them- a fine young lady, Salamatou- explain their ordeal to me.
Earlier before these, I thought I had seen an angel in a trance when I was thrown into the dark cell on Saturday night. The same angel I thought to be my mom.
After the fall, the blow to my head from Vincent’s gun left me a bit unconscious.
The next morning being Sunday, before I could regain consciousness, I was whisked away and made to undergo psychological torture from Seth. He tortured the Senators and made me watch. His aim was to get the password to Caiden. The device in my possession.
After many failed attempts, he spat ” Throw them into the cells… With the other prisoners..all of them..”
It’s now clear to me what he meant. I saw the look in their eyes when I returned- fear. They were all afraid of me. And I could only imagine.
Salamatou seems to be the bold one who had any form of humanity left in her- the angel I saw in a trance on the night of my arrival; she had torn a piece of clothing from her hijab and wiped my temple that bled tingly- as she took care of me and the rest was history.
She told me a lot about herself, her little daughter who had been captured alongside her. And about all these women who were captured from different parts of the country.
After a while, it seemed their families gave up on the chances of ever seeing them again.
She explained how gun men had invaded the school where she taught English language in the northern part of the country. She was young and her daughter was rather unfortunate. How unfortunate. They bundled them both into a van with other women and girls.
Since that moment up until this hour, they use them to satisfy all manners of can-l desires and when they become useless to the men, they are either killed or sold off .
Her daughter, Aisha will be 7 in three days and Salamatou narrated that it would be the second birthday her baby celebrates within this confines.
Too bad.
“ Dont worry” I had assured her “ we will leave together” I said “ I promise.”
“ I’m afraid for my daughter’s life” She said“ Aishatu is innocent. She doesn’t deserve any of these”
As these women scamper away from the door, our conversation in the past, hits reality.
I stand in awe but I’m taken by surprise.
Two hefty men led by Kendrick grabbed me.
“ No. Let me go!
“ Be quiet!”
Kendrick moved beyond my position and entered the cell. He searched for someone.
He grabs her away from Salamatou’s embrace.
“ Please I beg you. Not her. Take me instead” The poor mother cried.
Then she began to speak in a language I picked to be Hausa. Other women started in the same tone. More different languages. But it seemed the Hausas were much than other tribes.
I fought him. Trying to take Aisha from his grip.
The little girl cried “ Mama! Mama!”
Salamatou wailed. The women scre-med loud but their voices were just lullibies to the wickedness of these men. Their hearts must be darker than the night outside.
“ Stay down!” Kendrick snapped. “ Shiru!” he said
That meant “ Quiet!”
My head had already been covered with a black cloth.
I heard a loud clap of metal against somebody’s skull.
Salamatou was still pleading. So it couldn’t have been her.
“ Mama!” Aisha scre-ms. Such an innocent voice to behold.
“bring the mother too” Kendrick ordered.
She must have resisted. A hot slap overpowered her. They dragged her out like a piece of rag.
Pushed me on like a log of wood. No respect for the opposite gender. Such barbaric traits in these criminals.
In a space of minutes, the head covers came off and behold, before me is Seth- in his grandeur of evil genius and wickedness. He had a metal cup in his hands.
I look round and see a young man with almost a blackened eye and cuts all over his face. He had a rubber glove on him, up to the elbow region.
“ What’s going on? I finally mustered courage to ask the son of the devil, Seth.
He stares at me with contempt, his eyebrows carved into his eye sockets and almost resembled an arrow head.
The story continues…