The Voice Episode 8 – 9

The Voice – Episode 8

A story by Alabede Jude

Hours ago

Cole was in Mr Akinola’s office, he had his head bent low in a way which seemed like he was being reprimanded.

“Cole!”. The DG called with an angry venom in his voice but that didn’t shake Cole a bit.

“What is this am hearing.. huh?”

“Sir!” Cole interjected. “believe me, I have no hand in the murder, it was only a ploy to set me up”

“You think its a set up?” Mr Ryan asked doubtfully.

“Yes sir”

“But who would want to set you up over this case? or do you have a rival?”

He himself hasn’t thought about it, but come to think of it, who would want to set him up?

For what reason?

“No, I don’t think I have one” Cole said shaking his head . “I enjoyed living a carefree life, a life free from trouble nor rivalry”

“Then the question is who is behind this?” Mr Ryan said..”Or do you think it could be the forensic?”

“I can’t really say because I ran another test myself and the result was the same”

The DG took a deep breath, stood up and faced Cole.

“We have to be more careful, one of us might be a mole, working with the killer”

A knock sounded on the door and the door opened almost immediately, a young man of about 25 years old walked in, dressed in a police uniform. He was dark, tall and muscular in shape

Both the DG and Cole gazed at the man surprised.

“You two look surprised” the man said and sat down on a chair beside Cole without greeting.

The DG and Cole quickly regained themselves and sat down.

“I know you weren’t expecting me this soon but I have to be here” the man paused and look at their faces, he could tell they were not happy about his arrival.

“Anyway, I’m inspector kunle from the state CID police, hope am welcomed here”

“We know that already” the DG said.

“Oh sorry, its just for official introduction… you know” inspector kunle said.

“I’m detective Cole” Cole said extending his hand for a handshake.

“Its a pleasure to meet you sir” inspector kunle said and shook hands with him.

“I heard you are in charge of the murder case” inspector kunle said..

“Yes, any problem?” Cole replied.

“No, not yet for now.. ” he said and dropped a case file on the table. “Can you transfer the case to me?” Inspector kunle asked looking at Cole in the eyes.

PRESENT

•••••••••••
Cole’s device gave a beeping sound while he was in the elevator, he checked it and saw the video footage of the bug he planted on the Gateman’s wrist. He had slid the tiny silver bug into the man’s wrist when they both shook hands which was unknown to the man. He could see the man conversing with Emily.

Emily? what’s Emily doing there?

The elevator door opened and he stepped out to meet agent Bola who was waiting patiently for him.

“Haclve you seen Inspector Kunle?” Bola asked as they both walked down to Cole’s office.

“Yes I have, he want me to handle the case over to him” Emily’s jaw dropped, surprised.

“What game is he playing?” agent Bola asked but Cole didn’t reply, he was too engrossed with the video footage he was watching.

“what are you watching?” agent Bola asked and immediately snatched the device from him.

Cole quickly retaliated, and went for it but it was too late as agent Bola held it with a firm grasp.

She checked it whilst running, she suddenly stopped and looked back at Cole who walked in a depressed manner.

“Don’t tell me you bugged her”

“No.. I didn’t, I bugged Alex Dollinger’s gateman only to find out that Emily also wants to interrogate Alex” Cole replied catching up with agent Bola and they proceeded into the office.

“Have you interrogated Alex?” agent Bola asked as they settled down on the chairs respectively.

“No I haven’t, I wasn’t granted entrance”

“So you went without me .. huh? .. what am i your assistant for?” agent Bola asked ln a playfull manner.

“Sorry mumu, i just had to go”

“But wait, you said you didn’t?” agent Bola asked alarmed standing up.

“what’s the problem?” Cole asked surprised.

“we have to do that now or we file an arrest” agent bola said and sat down back.

“we? or I?” he asked with a crooked smile.

“No we joor” she smiled back. ” then later, we go for lunch together” Cole hummed, “let Nora catch you, you are good as dead”

“let’s go joor”

They both walked out to the carport, hopped into the car and drove off. Cole joined the lane driving slowly, he watched many other cars sped past him but he was less perturbed by it.

Driving at a low speed wasn’t his thing but today’s own was uncalled for. He enjoyed driving at maximum speed always hitting the 220km/hr, he wouldn’t carry last if he were to feature the fast&furious guys in a race. He tried reminiscing about his past life but it was void, blank and blunt. Nothing came to his head, but he knew who he was anyway.

A detective, but in the past he couldn’t tell who he was, and nothing seem to trigger his memory to remember, no matter how hærd he tried, he couldn’t. It was like reading a blank book.

“Hey Cole watch out!” agent Bola shouted very alarmed and terrified but Cole seemed not to hear at all. She kept on shouting but still, nothing entered his eardrum. It was when she hit him at the back before he regained himself. He looked up and a terrified look appeared on his face. He was about running into a tall building. He quickly long pressed the break and swerved left in a swift turn. The car screeched and it halted.

“That was close!” he said exhaling deeply.

“what were you thinking before?” agent Bola shouted hitting him hærd on the shoulder.

He winced and contorted his face in pains.

“ouch! that hurts!” he said rubbing his shoulder.

Cole’s phone suddenly beeped, the screen lights came on, he took the phone from the dashboard and checked it.

An image appeared, it was a lady strapped to a chair with bomb tied on her stomach.

“Emily!” Cole gasped out of shock and fright.

Episode 9

Nora paced around the house, obviously in a devastated mood. She couldn’t fathom why Emily was not picking her calls. She’d tried countless times but it was never answered but rather busied . She’d left a lot of messages and yet, none seem to be working.

Exasperated, she made to dial Cole’s number but before she could, an image appeared on the screen of her phone and she checked it out, it was the answers to the unanswered questions that had been throbbing her heart.

“Omg! Emily?”

She could see Emily tied to a chair, her mouth was gagged and on her stomach was something scary and frightening. bomb was attached to her stomach and the timer was reading but she couldn’t make out the figures as her eyes went dim and weary, it started getting blurred.

••••••••
Cole pulled the car to a stop beside the gate of Alex Dollinger, he picked up the bottle of water on the dashboard and downed the entire content of the bottle.

Agent Bola glanced at him, shook her head and stepped out of the car while Cole followed suit. They both walked to the large gate, Cole rang the bell and the gate opened slightly revealing the gateman who peeked at them.

“Detective Cole from the CIB” Cole shoved his ID in the man’s eyes.

“we need to see Alex Dollinger” agent Bola ch¡pped in.

“Abegi no vex, my oga no dey house, he just comot now now” the man replied…

“which way did he take?” Cole asked.

“Na straight he go, hope say he no get am for wahala”

“Not yet” agent Bola replied

••••••••••
“Quickly check out the location of where Emily is kept” Cole said to agent Bola who immediately started working on her device as they walked back to the car.

Cole hopped in first followed by agent Bola and he ignited the car engine.

“I’m done” agent Bola said showing him the device.

“Outskirts of the city?” Cole asked

“Yeah and we have no time”

“We need to come up with a plan, but we have no idea of what awaits us”

“Do you realize there is a timer reading on Emily’s chest?” agent Bola asked fidgeting with her device.

Cole’s eyes popped out open, “Are you serious?”

“Do I look like am joking” agent Bola snapped and looked at him angrily.

“What’s the timer reading?” Cole asked stepping on the accelerator and sped off

“30 mins 59secs”

He changed gears and increased the speed driving recklessly, overtaking many other cars in the process.

“That means we have less than 30 minutes to…..” Cole’s phone rang out loud interrupting him in the process.

He used one hand to pick it from the dashboard while the other hand is on the steering wheel.

“Hello baby” Cole said immediately he picked it.

“Don’t baby me joor” Nora replied jokingly.

“Cole something terrible has happened to Emily” Nora said in a serious and trembling tone.

“Yes I know and I’m on my way to rescue her”

“Please make sure she’s safe, please”

“I’ll do my very best”

“And please stay safe also”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be fine” Cole said and hung up the call.

He noticed Bola’s gaze was on him throughout the conversation with Nora, he could tell the look on her face, it was an envious look. It was an open secret that Bola is tripping on Cole. Cole knew this himself but he rather chose to play cool with it, though he had nothing for her, she was just his assistant and junior at work. She might one day go beyond boundaries, but he couldn’t tell if that would happen.

Twenty minutes into the journey and they were out of the city, driving through a tarred road with bush paths. Cole still drove at high speed, he swerved right and cut into another road which was more of a bush part. He pulled to a stop beside a fenced uncompleted building and both hopped out of the car.

“We’re moving in” Cole said into the earpiece stuck in his ear.

*************

“What’s the status over there?” Mr Sylvester’s voice rang in Cole’s ears as he walked stealthily to the fenced wall. He looked behind his shoulders, agent Bola was following behind with her revolver leading the way.

“We are yet to move in, just keep track and send us backup if the need arises” Cole spoke into the earpiece checking the surroundings of the building.

The building was extravagantly tall, ten stories but it was an unfinished structure. The planks for roofing were still up and the sheaths only covered a small part of the building . He wondered why such a building would be put up in a remote village where bushes were its only neighbours. He pressed himself against the tall fence and peeked through the h0le of the gate, there was no one in and it was void of movements. He gestured towards agent Bola and she moved towards him.

“Are there guards in there?” agent Bola asked leaning her back on the wall.

“No, no one is in there”

“Do we still move in?”

Cole looked at her surprised, he couldn’t believe agent Bola could ask such a frivolous question.

“Why not, you know Emily is still in there”

“How are you so sure?” agent Bola asked.

“I don’t know yet, but the tracker Indicated here” Cole replied and loaded cartridges into the short guns. He tucked two shortguns into his hostler, one by his left thighs and the other by his right. He brought out a loaded 43 gold plated automatic pistol from the inner pocket of the suit he wore. It was his favourite, though he rarely use it but he just had a fetish love for it and he knew well enough to bring it along since it would be a life saver and a life companion.

Cole looked at the gate handle, it wasn’t locked but was slightly opened.

“Let’s go in now” Cole announced to the hearing of Bola as he walked towards the gate, he pushed the door open and both walked in stealthily making no sound.

The compound was large and almost empty except for some bricks which were arranged on the ground at the far end in the compound.

Cole walked past the main door leading to the building, he bent low as he walked, and moved towards a window which enclosed a room. He peeped in through the window, he saw nothing. Cole shook his head, they were taking more time than expected, yet there was no guard in the building but he couldn’t be so sure, his instincts still got him playing cool but there was the case of the timer reading fast on Emily’s chest, he knew they had less than five minutes to locate her.

“What do we do?” agent Bola asked whispering, hærdly could Cole comprehend what she said but he reciprocated in a matter of seconds.

Cole waved her over and put a finger to his l-ips, signaling her to keep quiet.

“I’ll have to go in” Cole whispered to Bola. “Stay by the door and don’t come in except you hear gunshots or I call for help, okay?”

“Wait for gunshots? You could be dead by then.” agent Bola said.

“Or we could go in together and both die. Just do what I say, the world needs you alive.” Cole said and turned towards the door.

“Please be careful” agent Bola called after him.

Cole stood by the main door, it was opened wide ajar. He peered in but still there was no movements. He stepped his foot in,side on the ceramic tiled floor and walked on, moving sideways and his gun pointed straight. He looked backwards and sideways and continued moving stealthily. It was a long hallway, there were two doors at the far end of the hallway.

The doors were opposite each other, he opened the one at the left hand side and peered in, the room was empty. He closed it gently and opened the other one at the right, but Oops! …It was locked. It wasn’t a problem though, he had a way of opening locked doors, something he couldn’t remember where he learned it from.

He brought out his pick and wrench and he went to work. He had to resist the urge to hum while his fingers twisted and turned, he was enjoying this, something he should be afraid of. He made the last twist and waited for the click. It came and he stood, a job well done. He pushed the door open and he stepped in, closing the door behind him.

He looked up to see the staircase which led to the rest top floors. He began climbing avoiding making a sound, he finished climbing the stairs and another hallway came into view. He walked sideways using the walls as covers, he stopped at a door which was opened ajar. He peeked in, but only ended up opening his mouth widely in surprise. It was a grotesque outline of a lady, the back was turned to him but he could tell, it would be Emily.

His legs sprung into action and he ran in,side stopping at her front, it really was Emily but she was blindfolded. He couldn’t. believe, it would be that easy to rescue her.

Cole freaked out as the door suddenly jammed and locked behind him

“It’s an ambush!” he scre-med over the earpiece but it was already disconnected.

To be continued…