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Here is episode one in case you haven't read it

I was so excited about coming back to Lagos, that all I could think about during the long drive from my hotel to the airport was how to flaunt my new found wealth, and most importantly how I’d use it to upgrade my social status.
I slept through the six hour flight and didn’t wake up until the flight attendants announcement that all passengers should fasten their seat belts came through.

Yawns.
Tired and jet lagged, I fastened my seat belt, wiped my face with my hand and looked through the window and I could see the aerial view of the airport as we approached the runway.
We were three minutes away from landing and this increased the anxiety in me.
After clearing myself with immigration and getting my luggage, I set out to hire a taxi to take me to the hotel where I was to meet up with Lateef and Chairman when I heard someone call out my name. It was Lateef.
I was surprised to see him because I called him a day before, reminding him of my purported arrival so he could make arrangements to come pick me up but he instead advised I hire a taxi. Anyway I walked to where the car was, exchanged pleasantries and in no time we were on our way to the hotel where chairman was anticipating my arrival. Inside the car, I took out the envelope Subusiso gave me and handed it over to him. He opened it and took out the content which was obviously stacks of money, counted it and gave me the – You did a good job look.

We arrived at the hotel and found Chairman in the hotel bar having drinks by himself and smoking his cigarette effortlessly.
One could tell something was wrong.
“Welcome back Michael, how was your trip?” He asked me forcing a smile on his face.
“It was good. Hoe gaan dit met sir? I replied chipping in a bit of Afrikaans I had learnt just to lighten up his mood.
“He laughed out loud – I see you had it good over there. Well I don’t understand what you just said but I’m guessing Lerato taught you well”
We all burst into laughter as he walked out of the bar into the lobby with one of his bodyguards and Lateef just behind them. In the time while I waited for them to get back, I ordered myself a cold bottle of Star and a plate of eba and edika ikang.

That rubbish they served on the place didn’t fill me up at all.
I was barely halfway into drinking the beer while still expecting the food to arrive when they came back into the bar. I didn’t need anybody to tell me whatever they talked about had a lot to do with me. It was all over their faces, and the way they kept staring got me so uncomfortable, I almost spilled half a glass full of beer on my pants if not for my quick reflex.
Then Chairman walked up to me and sat on the table-
“You did a good job and I must say I’m impressed”
“Thank you” I said with a bit of fear in my voice
“I have something bothering me and I need you to take care of it for me”
“Ok…ok. I stuttered. How can I be of help” in a more relaxed tone
“You see there’s this boy that works for me, or let me say used to work for me. He delivered a parcel to someone in Abuja a few months back and has yet to pay me my money”
“I see, and how do I come in? You need me to go get the money for you?” I asked looking a tad confused.
“Well that’s a part of it, but what I really need you to do is get rid of him. I hear he has plans of leaving the country. I don’t want that plan materializing”
“With all due respect, if it’s what I think it is you want me to do, then I’m sorry I can’t do it, not now, not in the future. I just got in from a six hours flight not long ago, I haven’t even rested and I’m in dire need of sleep. I can’t even do it, I’m sorry.”
He took a glance at Lateef who was a few steps away from him, looked at me, and then counted forty notes of $50 bills and placed it on one side of the table and his gun on another.
I swallowed a large amount of saliva.
“Make your choice.” He said
Bleep!!! What have I gotten myself into? I didn’t bargain for this? All I came here to do was push drugs and make money, and now I’d have to kill too? I couldn’t get my eyes off the money and also couldn’t picture myself killing someone.
But after a few minutes I had come up with a decision and it wasn’t a difficult one to make.
“I would do it”.

Whatever would make me wealthy, money is the motive anyway.
“Perfect. Lateef would give you every detail you need about our guy and that’s the gun you would use – pointing at the gun on the table – but you would have to get it over with tonight; else I’d be the one pulling the trigger on you”
“You have nothing to worry about”
“You would get the balance of $1500 when the job is done.” He said, then he came closer, held me by my shoulder and whispered in my ear – I trust you mike, I really do, but whatever you do, make sure you don’t leave traces behind. Make sure he’s dead before leaving the scene, because if there’s a slip up, and its traced to me, I’d track every member of your family and kill them one after the other before taking your head” He said wearing an evil grin on his face as he smoothened the part of my shirt he had rumpled. Then he stood up and left the hotel with his bodyguards with Lateef once again behind them.

So Lateef knew about this and didn’t let me in on it. Damn it – I said hitting the table hard.
I was literally shaking in my seat. I could still hear his voice playing in my head, he sounded angry and furious and I could sense the need for urgency in his voice. I had never killed anybody, I barely used to fight but the money was too tempting – I agreed to it and now there’s no turning back.
I was hours away from pulling my first hit and I must say I was very scared. When Lateef came in, I didn’t know whether to get angry and put up a fight with him or just keep calm and follow up with the plan; the latter seemed the better thing to do. He gave me all the information I needed to know about the boy including his pictures and left a few minutes later.
The said boys name was Robert Ikueku, UNILAG undergraduate and PR to a popular club on the island. After giving it a series of thoughts, I reasoned the best way to take him out was to accost him on his way home from the club, when there won’t be many people on the road and kill him.

The food finally came, but the urge to eat had disappeared so I guzzled down the remaining beer, picked the money and gun then retired to one of the rooms that Chairman had on his tab.
At 11:30pm I decked up wearing a black v-neck shirt on faded blue jeans and blue tennis shoes, picked the already loaded gun and headed to the club in one of Chairman’s cars. I got to the club, left the gun in the car and went in. I sighted Robert soon after and I felt sorry for him because of what I was going to do to him, but my life was also at stake – there was no going back.

At 4:30am the club was getting empty so I went out into the car and waited for him to drive out. I forced myself to stay awake by playing loud music and smoking cigarettes but I found myself dozing off most of the time. After dozing off again I woke up to his car driving out of the club, by this time it was 5:30am already. My heart started beating fast and for a few seconds I was numb, then I got myself together, started the car and drove slowly behind him. We drove steady behind each other for a while till he made a turn into a quiet street off Ozumba-Mbadiwe.

Now is the time.
He slowed down a bit; I pulled up beside him and fired several shots into the car. I looked around and when I didn’t see anybody coming my way, I got down went towards his car and fired more shots at him. When I was sure he was dead, I started laughing. Something about seeing a dead body fascinated me so much that I went into the car trunk, got the car jack and hit his head continuously until his brain popped out.

In less than one week, I had grossed an equivalent of what I’d have made in a year and I just committed my first murder.

It felt good.

Thanks For Reading. The next episode (3) would soon be available at www.prisonerofclass.com

Please continue here------>https://www.nairaland.com/1086700/memoirs-drug-lord-episode-1