ONE
12, Balogun street was finally in sight for Gregory Nwabuike who just alighted from a bus he had taken after closing hours from his workplace at Apapa. He was one of the workers whose job was to load up trailers at Tin Can Island.
As he approached the two-storey apartment in which he lived with his wife and kids, he shook his head in disappointment as he looked at the worn out green painting of the building, as well as the broken glasses of some windows. This was not the kind of place he had ever imagined to live in, yet alone raise a family.
A little stream of water flowed by the side of the compound's fragile gate, and into the street. Its source was from one of the building's leaking pipes.
Sadly, Greg climbed sluggishly to the first floor of the building. He got to his apartment's entrance and inserted his key into the keyhole.
" Daddy! " six year old Kelechi Nwabuike, yelled with so much excitement on his face.
"KC how are you, " Greg asked his eldest son as he embraced him.
"I'm fine," he replied.
Following closely behind Kelechi was Silvia, his four year old sister whose hands were stilled soiled in egusi soup which they were having for dinner.
"Welcome, daddy," she managed to say regardless of the food in her mouth.
"Ada m, " Greg said as he swept her off the ground and into his arms. "How are you? "
"Fine."
Just then, his wife, Catherine came towards them and greeted her husband.
"How was your day, dear?" she asked.
He just answered with a look of despair on his face.
In her arms was their one year old son, Obinna, who was eager to jump on his father.
"Allow your father in first, than having him stand at the door, " she said to the older kids.
Greg sat on one of the sofas in the parlour while his children surrounded him and bombarded him with stories of today's event. They had not gone to school today because their fees had not been payed. This really hurt Greg.
"Dear, your food is ready, " Catherine said to her husband from behind the sofa he was sitting.
He got up and went to join his wife on the dining table that still had three chairs out of six, in good condition. She held up the bowl of water for him as he washed his hands. He opened the two bowls in front of him and marvelled. Even with the little money he gives his wife for foodstuff, she always has a way of making their meals come out right. One thing he loved about her was that she knew how to handle things regardless of the situation. He kept smiling at her as she sat beside him, and didn't even know when he reached close to her and gave her a peck on the cheek.
"What was that for? " she asked in awe.
"I'm just glad to be with someone like you," he replied his twenty-two year old wife
She just sat there, blushing.
Few minutes later, he was done with his meal and now sat in the parlour with his wife who cuddled him. It was 9:30 PM and the kids had all gone to bed. Electric power supply was just restored as music played from the radio which now stood where the TV used to be. Just then a knock was heard on the door.

if u are following, let me hear u sey, "yeah, yeah "

TWO
"Who is it? " Cathy asked as she approached the door.
"Its Gozie."
Recognising the voice, she opened the door. "Good evening, Gozie. How are you? "
"I'm fine, Cathy. How are you and the kids doing? "
"We are fine " she replied.
"I hope Greg is around?"
"I am. Come inside," Greg answered.
Greg stood up and shook his long time friend and colleague at work. Gozie was a very close friend of the family.
"The car is parked outside. Are you ready?" Gozie asked.
"Yeah. Let me get the bag," Greg replied as he went into his bedroom and came out with a black bag.
"You counted it? "
Greg nodded. "Yeah, 50 bags." They were set to go.
"You guys be careful," Cathy said as she embraced her husband. "Come back safe. "
"We sure will, " Gozie replied.
Greg kissed her before they finally left the apartment.
Parked outside was a Toyota Land Cruiser. As they got into the SUV, Greg didn't need a soothsayer to tell him that the car had been stolen by Gozie,for the business they had to take care of tonight.
They were going to make an exchange with one of their drug clients in the city. The two of them worked for Lagos' notorious drug Lord known as 'Mamba'.
Greg checked the bag once again to make sure the cocaine was intact, while Gozie slipped his hand underneath his seat and pulled out a pistol and handed it to Greg, who sat next to him.
"Just in case things go south," he said.
Greg took it and hid it inside his jacket.
In less than an hour, they had arrived their rendezvous point. An abandoned warehouse close to the shores of the ocean. As they drove into the warehouse, a grey, Kia Sorento was parked with its headlights partially lit. Gozie parked in opposite direction as both cars faced each other. The Kia Sorento flashed its headlights three times and Gozie responded by doing the same. This was a sign they had agreed on before meeting here.
Greg and Gozie got out with the bag in the hands of the former. Walking cautiously towards the other car, the occupants of the other vehicle came out. Greg noticed something and instantly stopped walking.
"Why are there three of them? Thought we agreed on just two," he asked Gozie.
"Yeah, thats true," Gozie replied. He too had stopped walking.
Just then, Gozie felt the vibration of his phone in his pocket and pulled it out. It was a text from Ratty, a close friend and erstwhile partner in crime with the duo.
"Its a setup. Those aren't your client. Its the police. Get out of there now!"
Gozie quickly turned to Greg and told him what he had just found.
"Na setup be dis o. Get back to the car!"
They swiftly turned around and ran back to their vehicle.
"Freeze! L.S.P.D! You are under arrest!"
It came from one of the three men who were thought to be their client. Within a few seconds, sirens of the Lagos State Police Department, began to blare everywhere.
As they got into the car, Greg yelled, "Get us out of here!"
Gozie quickly got the car in motion and swerved through the police vehicles that tried to ram them. They managed to get out of the warehouse and that was then the hot pursuit began.
Having been a taxi driver in Lagos, Gozie drifted his way through the streets like a pro. But no matter how hard he tried to loose the police, the more they gained on him.
Greg pulled out his gun and began firing at the police. After a few attempts, his shot caught one of the drivers of the police cars and it lost contol and bashed into one of the other police cars in pursuit.
"They're everywhere," Greg yelled as he got back into his seat while Gozie made a sharp turn to the road on the left. Both men were looking really nervous. It looked like they were soon going to be spending the rest of their lives behind bars. Greg was more worried. What was going to happen to his wife and kids? How will they survive? All these thoughts ran through his head as he kept turning back to see the police still on their tail.
They were getting close to a bridge when, Gozie finally spoke.
"Greg, I'm going to make a turn towards that bridge. As I make the turn, I want you to jump out immediately and run for cover."
"Huh? Wetin you mean? Wetin go come happen to you? " Greg asked, looking confused.
"Between the both of us, you know sey if we go down, your family no go find am easy. You have people to take care of. Me, it has always been me myself and I."
"Bro, no. I can't let you go down for this, "Greg said sadly.
"Don't worry, its my call." Gozie said. "Make a call as quick as possible to Cathy so that she does what she has to be done."
Greg just nodded. This was a huge risk Gozie was taking. He was ready to take the fall for both of them.
"I would never forget this," he said sadly.
Gozie just smiled as they approached the bridge. On Gozie's count from one to three, Greg jumped out of the moving vehicle, landing on the sideway, and tumbled down the slope close to the bridge. The police cars in pursuit hadn't caught up with them to have seen such action.
Greg quickly caught his balance and hid behind one of the huge pillars that held the bridge. He kept still, as the police cars drove across the bridge. Their loud sirens still scared the death out of him
When he saw that the coast was clear, he reached for his mobile phone and dialed his wife. It was already thirty minutes past two in the morning.
"Hello, Cathy. The eggs got attacked by the snakes. Its hot right now.You know what to do. I'll see you when the fire goes down," he said and quickly disconnected.