The Bodyguard – episode 3

The Bodyguard – Episode 3

By Tisa Phiri

I silently went back to the small house avoiding being s₱0tted by the guy standing by the door. Peeped through the window and there she was, a coloured girl tied to a chair her hair ruffled and looking like it was blown by the wind all over her face.

I watched the guy I had seen near where I hid stand before her and scre-med at her.

“shut up! Now you b****! or I will send you to your grave…”

” please my father will give you whatever you want just let me go now” she cried.

I looked at her and felt for her, I was brought up and trained to respect a woman and whatever i did, I would never deliberately hurt a woman. Seeing the man in that room slap and hit that poor woman made me furious. I couldn’t tell what had transpired but I wasn’t going to stand and watch that psycho mistreat a woman. Before I could talk myself out of it, I charged forward my gun pointed forward. I took some quick but silent steps towards the front, bowed a bit and saw a clear view of the man by the door.A strip of smoke emerging from his mouth. he held a cigarette and it seemed he was enjoying the effect it was impacting on him.

I looked further away and s₱0tted two other guys seated in a shed the opposite side their backs towards me, making some calculations, I knew I could take down the man by the door without making noise and slip into the room. I had to be careful as four against one would not work so good for me if i didn’t play it well.

Slowly I stepped forward, I held the man by the door and he tried fighting it but i was quick, I twisted his head like I learnt from the military how to put out someone without killing them. Slowly i lay him down and checked on the guys in the shed. Their faces where still turned the other way, satisfied, I pushed the door slightly and walked in. The woman saw me and I held my finger on my mouth to silence her. The guy before her had his back turned to me.

Before he could turn to look at what the lady was glancing at, I held him from behind and he tried fighting back. I didn’t give him an opportunity to produce any more noise, so I slid my small knife from my pocket in his throat. placed his dead body down as blood flowed down creating a pool around his back.

The woman looked at me her eyes filled with fear.

“who are you?” She asked shaking.

“please don’t kill me.. please.. ”

“shshshshs” I whispered to her.

“I just want to help you and if we have to escape this place alive I need you to do as I say okey?” I asked untying her hands which were tied to a chair.

“okay ” she nodded her l-ips still shaking..

I held her small hand and slowly opened the door, after I was satisfied the guys in the shed were still in the same position, I pulled her out and ran to the back as fast as she could go. Just then, the guy by the door winced and shouted making the friends startle and went to him.

“what hapened here? ” one of them asked the guy on the ground.

“the girl !” he shouted.

“Damn it! ” They shouted back and one of them ran towards the back and another went searching in the front. I quickly led the woman to the bushes and asked her to lay flat down. I saw the man look around and when he realised it was quite, he went back running.

“where did they go? ” he shouted..

Some minutes later I raised the woman and told her to ran as fast as she could. I follwed behind as we ran further away from the house not even knowing where we were going. I could see the way she was running that she was a fast runner. If i wasn’t as fast I could have lagged behind. I really don’t know what inspired her speed, whether it was fear or it was just in her to ran.

She stopped after we covered a reasonable distance, to my surprise longer than I anticipated a woman to go. p-nting, she leaned on the tree. I stopped before her..

“are you okey? ” I asked her..

“Who are you and why have you come to my rescue? Who sent you? Was it my father? ” She asked me. Though it was a dark night, i could tell her eyes were on me. I was sure she was wondering how a man in a combat looking like one from the dept of the forest was doing saving her life..

“Well,” I finally told her..

” my name is Akim and no i wasnt sent by anyone. i just happened to be passing by and saw those guys holding you there, my instincts told me to help you and I pray to God I have not just made the biggest mistake of my life” i added serously..

I indeed hoped I hadn’t burried myself in more trouble rescuing the woman I didn’t know and had no idea why they held her.

“anyway” I thought to myself..

“I did what I could and I would go my way”

She sighed..

” thank You Akim”

“you saved my life. Am Paula.. ” she added..

“What did you do for them to hold you like that in such a place? ” I asked her.

“I don’t know but i think it’s about my father’s political issues or something. I was just held as a bet.”

“oh I see” i looked at her..

“anyway, you are on your own from here. I also have my journey to Persue and I don’t plan on tagging you along, you can stay here till morning and find your way back home. I have to go before dawn. I need to cross the boarder.”

“Wait !” she called me before I started moving.

“you can’t just leave me here in the dark alone. where are you going? I can go with you and what boarder are you talking about? Where is this place?” She was now panicking I sighed..

“my dear, we are somewhere near the Zambian boarder in congo. I should cross before morning. so you have any idea how you got here?” I asked her..

“Oh no don’t tell me am in Congo. I have no idea cause i was brought here unconscious, that explains why my father’s men have not found me those b******s crossed the boarder, this is hell I can’t believe this is happening to me. Do you have any phone? ” She asked..

“no I don’t and I have to go. If you are coming lets start walking now and by morning, you will head your own way.. ”

“Okay thank you” she nodded as she walked behind me. I switched on my touch and lit the way. I pointed it on my hand and checked the time. It was almost 03am.

After going for a mile I noticed Paula was lagging behind..

“you are tired, we can rest here” I indicated searching the area around the tree. she sat down and hugged her self. I noticed she was cold, I looked at the sky and the clouds had cleared.

” It would not rain until hours later” i thought to my self..

I sat next to her and she moved closer.

“am scared” she whispered.

“It’s okey” I told her

“we will be fine, there’s nothing to fear, even snakes are hiding from the cold they won’t come out.” I felt her shoulders shiver with the cold, removing my heavy combat jacket I covered her.

” hope you won’t mind the stench” I joked. I felt her shoulders relax she had smiled.

“thank you Akim” .

I smiled too and couldn’t help feel that she felt safe, leaning her head on my shoulder after some minutes she fall asleep.

My mind went back relieving what I just did. It was risky but I felt good about my act. It had been long since I did something I was proud of. Leaning my back on the bark of the tree I fall asleep.

To be continued

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