~Chapter 17~


Idowu excitedly led the family out from the back of the house. They thought they were smart but he caught them hurdled up in a corner of the house. Chief George made many claims about him calling his army of lawyers but Idowu knew from what they planned, the case was a done deal.
Of all the criminals on their watchlist, Chief George was always evasive. They have tried imprisoning several times but their efforts have always been futile. When Kike proposed the idea to him, he never guessed it would work. Now, they were pushing the family to the van.
He looked at everyone in the compound and couldn’t see Kike anywhere. That shouldn’t be. The way things had gone and had been planned, Kike should be with the family. That spurred Idowu to hurry towards the family members that were led away. They looked stunned.
“Where’s Kike?” He asked Chief George.
“We don’t know”, Chief George replied. He turned to the other members of the family but met a negative response. Chief George held on to a key. Idowu found it absurd.
“What’s that?” He asked and grabbed the key off Chief George’s hand before he could react.
“That’s nothing…” Mrs George snapped.
Idowu looked from one person to another and couldn’t help but catch the cold look Mrs George threw at Chief. A strong feeling of helplessness overwhelmed Idowu. Kike couldn’t possibly disappear on the brink of her harvest. The situation spelt danger.
Idowu spun his fingers in the air. “Guys! Take them away!”
When they were gone, he rushed back into the house. The house remained silent and brought back memories of some evil they have encountered in their line of duty as policemen especially in the area of empty huge houses. Some of his colleagues had given their lives to prove cases. Kike shouldn’t undergo the same pain. He warned her against confronting the family but she adamantly wanted to accuse them to satisfy her ego about being right.
“Kike! Where are you? He called out and brought out his phone to call her. Not wasting any time, he climbed the stairs to the top of the house. She must be somewhere in the house and that should have been the best news. Yet, the nagging feeling that he should hurry couldn’t leave him. Could it be that the family had done something wicked to her? The phone kept ringing but she didn’t pick it up.
By this time, Jones, the one they had placed in the security rushed in to join him. The security team had delayed them when they first arrived and that made Jones lose his cover as one of them.
‘Boss, we should join them at the station’, Jones said.
“Have you seen Kike?” He asked. Jones shook his head.
“She didn’t come out!” Jones said and stopped as if he realized something. “That’s true. She didn’t come with them. Everything happened so fast”.
“Why are you her partner? You were supposed to keep an eye on her. Not this freaking gate”, Idowu yelled and stormed to the gate to meet the other guards. They weren’t part of their team but they could be assets. “Guys, spread out and find Kike. She is somewhere in this place”.
They looked at him as if they couldn’t understand the language he spoke. Jones, who had been coming behind him, noticed their hesitation to heed his command.
“Una deaf?” Jones shouted. “Find Kike. You, move towards that side. Yes, that side. And you Mike, join for the other side”.
Idowu ran into the house and was followed by Jones. They went separate ways in search of her. The house became too big for him but he just had to move into the house to search for Kike. His eyes roamed everywhere he went.
“Kike!!!” He shouted and dialed her phone number again. She couldn’t have left the house. Her instructions had kept them outside the whole time. How could she be nowhere?
Suddenly, he heard a muffled grown from a room. That could be it. He sped off and felt dizzy the moment he got to the door of the room. But the door was locked. He pushed it hard but it didn’t budge. That rattled him that he raised his gun to shoot the door. Then, he remembered the key he was holding and with that, he unlocked the door.

“Kike!!!” He yelled when he met her tied and her chair on the floor. Even his eyes were trying to shut themselves from the stuffiness of the house. He removed her gag. Her breath was shallow.
“The can. Gas… Cylinder”, Kike moaned weakly.
Idowu, not wasting another second, scrambled to the place the cylinder was kept. He switched it off. Then, with he himself becoming weak, he dragged the chair out of the room. Like a drunken man, he barely saw things in the right way. When they were in the passage, he slammed the door and shouted for Jones. He untied her and hit the floor the moment he was sure she was safe. By this time, they were both weak and he couldn’t talk much.
Jones rushed towards them. Idowu weakly pointed at Kike and Jones understood him. He lifted her and took her outside the house. They weren’t equipped with the necessary things to resuscitate someone that had been exposed to such gas but he understood that with fresh air, Kike would be fine.
Idowu dragged himself away from the passage. The gas still filtered into the passage and had a negative effect on him. Only God can save the George family now. They have added a murder charge to their case. He would ensure they served their life in prison. Killing them outrightly would be abysmal as well as merciful. They needed to suffer the pain and wallow in the regrets of their actions.
Jones rushed to help him too. Soon, he was placed near Kike, who had tears in her eyes. Fresh air flung themselves at his nose and he couldn’t help but appreciate God for such opportunity to survive.
“They did this?” Idowu asked.
“They all!” Kike replied and coughed.
“They all?
She coughed again. “I recorded....”
He patted her shoulders. “Careful! Careful…Did he take the bait? It’s his confession we need.
She nodded. “He has recorded all his atrocity. Stop the video. It’s inside”.
“Don’t worry”, Jones replied. “ I’ll get it”.
Idowu felt relieved. The haziness that overtook his body system had died down. “We will edit it. Has he awarded the document to you?
“Yes. Thank you”, Kike said and shifted to hug him. Not minding the presence of Jones, he kissed her and she reciprocated. They would have to make it official later but for now, they had to savor the moment.

{)(}

~Chapter 18~


The few days they spent dealing with the case in court seemed to be the best for Kike. Since she masterminded everything, she had ensured that she stripped off any power the family had before they got arrested. She had gained the role of the P.A to their numerous companies, which gave her access to the company and the workers. In fact, the workers loved her being around than when the other members of the family were around.
Within a few time of gaining access, she had understood the parts of the hotel as well the other legal businesses they owned as a family. Everyone had been analyzed and she knew those that were the George’s loyalist so as to relieve them of their duties as soon as she got to power. They would be her weak link and might eventually cause problems for her and her team.
So, as she sat in the visitors’ room of the prison, she couldn’t imagine the anger that seethed through her. Chief George, in a bid to prove how much of a man he was, had done some things he normally wouldn’t have done. His wife utilized this weakness and made him her puppet. She couldn’t help feeling bad for him as her lawyer tried her case.
When a warder directed him towards her, she couldn’t help but wish they could remove the chain from him. Before he killed her father, he was always kind to her. Even when no one was around, he always had a way of showing her how he cared about her. As much as she hated him for raping her, she couldn’t help but remember how drunk he was that night after fighting with his wife. Yet, she wouldn’t make excuses for him.
Immediately he saw her, he burst into tears. The scanty room had nothing but a pair of chairs and a table but it felt as if they were squeezed among a lot of furniture. She had to restrain herself from hugging him. How could she still feel bad for him despite what he had done?
“I’m sorry”, he said.
She smiled as she remembered the shock on the family’s face when they saw that she had recorded them. People in the court yelled in horror when they saw how Kike fought for her life before Idowu came to her rescue.
“I’m sure you never expected everything you saw in court?” She said.
“You planned everything and it worked”, he said and shook her head. His eyes still blossomed with the look of admiration, he always gave her. Aside Idowu, he had always been the one telling her how wise she saw. Even when bitterness took root in her heart, she still enjoyed those moments.
She gave him a wry smile. “Yes. It worked. Everything I planned has worked”.
Chief grabbed her hands. The jailer around shouted for him to retract his hand and he heeded. “Please, when my daughter comes out in the next five years…”
“That’s forty-five months”, Kike added.
“Yes. Anything. Please, help me take care of her. And keep the businesses”.
She shook her head. “I just want to look at you in the face one more time. Your daughter will be in jail for a lot more than that. I have paid all these men well and I will continue to pay them…”
“But…” Chief interjected but she raised her hands to make him know she was still talking.
“To make sure your family doesn’t end their careers in the prison, learn everything you can. None of your former business partners knows you’re here. I’m talking of the legal businesses. That’s why I made sure the media didn’t broadcast the news. In other words, everybody thinks you have travelled out of the country. I made sure the narrative of the news changed and now your name is still intact. Rather, the family name’.
Chief smiled. “You’ve always been about family. Thank you”.
She gestured for the jailer to take him away. She handed a bulky envelope to the jailer as he took Chief away. Now, she awaited Bayode. Her mind went back to her first encounter of the crazy criminal. She had told him how she desired to go to University. All the money she saved to go to school. Her family wouldn’t give her the chance to go to a regular university. From doing menial jobs and stealing money from them, she made enough to go to the National Open University of Nigeria.
Bayode served as her liaison to the payment of the school fees. A lot of students had recommended him because he made the process smoother but many of them assumed he was a lady. And she agreed to follow his short cut.
He still looked bemused when the jailer brought him into the visitor’s room. She didn’t appear as a witness when his case was tried because she really had no affiliation to that case. He sat while still staring at her.
“Sorry, I don’t know you”, he said.
“I know, right! Remember, the students of that university you duped!”
He frowned. “But there were many…”
“I know, right? But I promised to get back at you”, she said with a big smirk. She just wanted him to know she did it.
“Well, I’m sorry. At least, I’m in prison now”
She sat straight. “You still don’t remember me. I told you I’ll find your face”
He shook his head. Then, she proceeded to tell him how she got him roped. He shook his head in utter disbelief.

{)(}

Chapter 19

8 Months Ago
Kike sat beside a graphic designer as he tried to alter Chief George’s she snapped after convincing him to take a picture of him holding a fake statue in his hand to advertise to a doubting client’s. Chief obliged her and that made it easy for her to use the same picture to trick Bayode. He was a nuisance to the world of scam because no one could really catch him in any act and when they did, the team members were never always together, making his release easy.
Idowu recruited her help to catch him. Being a victim too, she had ensured she used everything she could to bring him down. So, as the graphic designer dabbled with the images, she could feel satisfaction already.
“Put the image of that money in the background and change that statue to the original”, she instructed.
The graphics designer manipulated the images and turned towards her. “Like this?”
She smiled. “Good! Now, send it to me”.
The copy with her would be the bait. By this time, Idowu was already working with the team underground. He hated the fact that EFCC focused on only scams that were glaring. Bayode had trained his team to be always well-dressed and presentable. He even ensured they never walked together. Every one of them had their perfect national ID cards.
Kike dialed Idowu’s phone number and talked excitedly. “I just sent the picture to the forum!”
A noise erupted in the background. “I think he has seen it. He is calling a meeting. We have the notorious biggest con artist. Bayode and his crew!
“Remember, patience…” She said as she remembered the words of her father.
“Yes. A wise dog knows when to snatch the biggest bone. I’ll wait”, he replied.
“And remember to cut your hair again today”.
“Yes madam”.
She smiled. Her idea about changing his look had worked for Idowu. Despite not seeing his face before, Bayode and his team couldn’t get a picture of his skinned head in any database.

{)(}

~Chapter 20~

Six Years Ago
Kike meandered around the weeping students as tears dripped down her own eyes too. Aunty Janet had just escaped with the money she was meant to use for their school. Unknown to all of them, she had been redirecting the money to a personal website, which had been cloned to look like that of the government’s.
Many of the students cried theirs out because the amount used in making one’s way in NOUN was really expensive. Words failed her as the only thing that crept into her mind was the way she would ruin Aunty Janet. In total, Aunty Janet had redirected about 20 million Naira to her account. The funniest part of the whole ordeal was that their accounts had a semblance of being paid and they gained access to their portals on NOUN’s portal.
“You’re a thief”, Kike cried after she called Aunty Janet’s number. This time, she didn’t encounter the tiny voice of Aunty Janet; rather, she encountered the voice of a man, who later turned out to be Bayode.
“Wrong number… A lot of your people have called me today inquiring about one Aunty Janet. This person must have given you a wrong number. I’m not a thief”.
Kike had always watched Aunty Janet from afar and couldn’t stop noticing the façade. Nothing about her had a tinge of reality in it. Her breasts were too tight just like her backside. She had muscular hands like men’s. Yet, she trusted him because she got the job done faster than her competitors. Moreover, people favored her shop. So, calling her phone number and meeting a male’s voice didn’t really rattle her like it did the others.
“It’s you. It’s you. I always knew you were a man. But everyone said your place has the best function. That I would be sure of my admission here. I suffered for this money. Please”.
“Hmm. The first to decode. But what can I do? You weren’t wise”.
That struck her hard. Everyone at home had always told her the same thing directly and, sometimes, they insinuated it. Now, another person had just told her the one statement that brought out the beast in her always.
“I will catch you. I will send you to prison”, Kike cried. “Please…”
“In another life. Get off and be a good girl”.
Kike burst into tears. Idowu tapped her shoulder. She looked up into his face. Despite being older than she was, his height gave him a younger look. She was sure he was one of those students that got their admission late.
“Is that Bayode?”
“Who’s Bayode? This man is saying he is Aunty Janet”, she replied as her mind wandered off how she would have to start the journey again. She burst into tears.
“That’s Bayode”.
She wept and sniffed for a while. “I’ll catch him. My dad will say ‘patience can be useful to catch a wise thief’. I will catch him”.
Idowu looked at her intently and that didn’t rattle her belief. ”Why are you so sure?”
“Is it not me?” Kike said. “I’ll catch him and make him rot in prison”.
Idowu stared at for a while and smiled. “Hmm… Follow me”
They moved to a corner of the school and he made her calm down a little before finally sitting beside her. “I like your resolution. We need to catch him. He keeps getting off court case because of evidence and godfathers”.
“But it’s not as useful as the horror I have to face again”, Kike said.
“I can help with your fee!”
The effect this had on her was instantaneous. She went on her knees to thank him and he shook his hand in disagreement. At that time, different questions sprang up in her mind.
“Thank you!” She cried.
“It’s a federal school o. Not NOUN”.
“Anyone. I couldn’t go to a normal school I don’t how I’ll take of myself. But with this, I can do that”.
"Don’t bother. We will deal with that later. But note, it’s not a free one. You will work for the government. You will study hard and train hard. It’s an ongoing project. You might need to help us catch some horrible people in the future. But you are the second recruits in the university”.
She stopped and stared at him for a while as she weighed the option in her mind. Living with her only family members would never make a cut in her most desired place to stay. So, she nodded. “Thank you! I will do anything?”
Some years later, they spent most of their lives shuffling between their reading their educational materials and the various books the government set for them to read. Most of these books were those that dealt with wars. They plunged them into reading the laws of Games, the laws of power, the laws of wars, and so many books. They were also made to undergo rigorous training sessions including physical and mental ones.
Later, Kike got a plan that could catch both Bayode’s crew and Chief George’s family and she laid it out for Idowu, who accepted it.

{)(}

Chapter 21


So as she stared at Bayode in his prison’s uniform, she couldn’t help chuckling at the surprise on his face.
“After all these years”, he muttered and nodded. “ Damn, you’re patient, girl”.
She smiled and rose. “Indeed. I’m not waiting for you to steal my bone anymore. I’m snatching the damn thing off your hand before you steal anything from anyone”.
He nodded understandably and gestured for her to move nearer. “As much as you try, I will get out”
She shrugged. “Before that, you will suffer a great deal. I wish I could bring all those students here to see their Aunty Janet”.
Bayode altered his voice to sound like that of a lady, “you got me again. We will meet one day”
She smiled at him and moved towards the door.
He banged the table. “Wow! You set the picture as a trap and I fell for it. That beats my imagination. One day, I’ll get out of here and we will continue this battle. I will show you a bigger me then”.
“Not possible”.
She smiled and drove home. Her work had only begun. Later, they would have to go undercover to catch some other miscreants but now she had a better cover. She could pose as a rich person and court the favour of the wealthy corrupt people.
As she went home, her mind slipped back to 22 years before. She was just four years old when her parents were killed. That Saturday evening had been a happy one because her mother decided to engage her in a hide and seek game after many months. She hid well under the bed and wished her mother wouldn’t find her in time. Her mother suddenly popped her head under the bed.
“Baby, no matter what happens, don’t come out”, her mother instructed.
“But you have found me. I’m the next seeker. Go and hide”, Kike said and crawled out of the bed. Her mother shook her head and pushed her back into the bed.
“Stay there! There are bad men! Don’t shout! Hide well”.
Then, after a few seconds, she heard Chief George’s voice and saw his leg. Her parents’ feet moved backwards. That astounded her little mind but she had to obey her mother.
Someone shouted, “Lie down! Both of you”.
“I warned you both… Kill them”, Chief George commanded.
The men shot her parents and they wailed as gunshots spattered into their body. Kike had to hold herself from screaming. She covered her mouth as her mother’s eyes locked with hers. Her dying lips curled into a smile.
“Search the house for a little girl. If she is around this place, kill her. But if she’s lucky, she won’t have to die”.
They left the house in a hurry. She didn’t know if her parents were still alive or if the men were still in the house and that made her remain there till night fell. She got out the next day, crying as kept walking away from the house. For hours, she kept walking until a man saw her and took her to the nearest police station. They asked for her name and she told them who she was but couldn’t bring herself to tell them what she saw.
Chief George came to get her later that day. At first, he treated her like an egg but when they got to their house, everyone began to maltreat her and soon became part of them. As soon as she came off age, they reduced the number of maids in the house and she did most of the jobs. In Mrs George’s words, “why shouldn’t we train you to be better? This is our opportunity to train a woman out of you?”
As she drove into her house, she couldn’t stop the tears the flowed down her face. Now that she had all to herself, she had no other one to call a family member. So, she drove out of the house to the nearest orphanage home. Two children would enough for her. She would train them as family members. As much as she and Idowu loved to have an affair, she couldn’t go on with it. He was married and that would ruin them. She wanted the relationship nonetheless, but he wouldn’t go on with it.
On her way, she received a message:
We need your financial help to keep our city intact- Fortune City League of Rebels.

She didn’t understand what that meant but it was comforting to know she can also be of financial help to a dying Island.
{)(}



The END



Thanks for following me on this journey

well presented and interpreted. read from a to z but i don't know why my mind lept running back to "The Thorny Path To Italy" even while still reading, i guess that story touched alot of my feelings to make me feel that way for it.

germaphobe:
well presented and interpreted. read from a to z but i don't know why my mind lept running back to "The Thorny Path To Italy" even while still reading, i guess that story touched alot of my feelings to make me feel that way for it.

Awwwawnnnn... I'm glad it did o..

This life, it's true the people we love/trust the most hurt us the most and it's just difficult to forgive most times.

It was Ade who betrayed his brother in the thorny part to Italy and now chief George betrayed his brother also. Is it envy, jealousy, selfishness or whatever that makes people betray each other?

And most times, I can seem to decide which is better, getting a revenge or not? Like now, I dunno if I'm okay with Kike getting her revenge or not

queenitee:
This life, it's true the people we love/trust the most hurt us the most and it's just difficult to forgive most times.

It was Ade who betrayed his brother in the thorny part to Italy and now chief George betrayed his brother also. Is it envy, jealousy, selfishness or whatever that makes people betray each other?

And most times, I can seem to decide which is better, getting a revenge or not? Like now, I dunno if I'm okay with Kike getting her revenge or not

Na so e do us for games of thrones..


By the way, can you please drop your comments. Especially this at place....https://m.okadabooks.com/book/about/dont_look_closer/27130

queenitee:
This life, it's true the people we love/trust the most hurt us the most and it's just difficult to forgive most times.

It was Ade who betrayed his brother in the thorny part to Italy and now chief George betrayed his brother also. Is it envy, jealousy, selfishness or whatever that makes people betray each other?

And most times, I can seem to decide which is better, getting a revenge or not? Like now, I dunno if I'm okay with Kike getting her revenge or not

.

I was wondering the same thing, was revange the best thing she would have done?. But then i concluded that chief really deserve it and for the fact that the wife and daughter supported him they deserve it too. At least the revange wasn't entirely personal to kike.

By the way, I didn't catch a lot of people here but Lightqueen and Ewawunmi thanks for following....

germaphobe:
.

I was wondering the same thing, was revange the best thing she would have done?. But then i concluded that chief really deserve it and for the fact that the wife and daughter supported him they deserve it too. At least the revange wasn't entirely personal to kike.

Yesooooo

Wonderful story, thanks for the update

Divepen1:




Na so e do us for games of thrones..


By the way, can you please drop your comments. Especially this at place....https://m.okadabooks.com/book/about/dont_look_closer/27130

Gladly, lemme go

germaphobe:
.

I was wondering the same thing, was revange the best thing she would have done?. But then i concluded that chief really deserve it and for the fact that the wife and daughter supported him they deserve it too. At least the revange wasn't entirely personal to kike.

Maybe, maybe

queenitee:
Gladly, lemme go

Thanks a lot.. Seen..

izaray:
Wonderful story, thanks for the update

Thanks a lot....

Nice wan boss, it make sense pa ni


Jah bless

skubido:
Nice wan boss, it make sense pa ni

Jah bless

Thanks. Amen O

This one na family of criminals!,God have mercy.
By the way Divepen1 nice thriller,it actually 'thrilled' me

Divepen1:
By the way, I didn't catch a lot of people here but Lightqueen and Ewawunmi thanks for following....

Thanks for feeding our appetite with this too, uncle Divepen!!!

MichaelBlake40:
This one na family of criminals!,God have mercy.
By the way Divepen1 nice thriller,it actually 'thrilled' me

Awawnnn.. Thanks..

ewawumi:

Thanks for feeding our appetite with this too, uncle Divepen!!!

Thanks for commenting at last...

Divepen1:
Thanks for commenting at last...

Don't mind me jare, its God that will have mercy on my forgetfulness. Hope something big is coming soon?

Thanks for the update Boss

ewawumi:

Don't mind me jare, its God that will have mercy on my forgetfulness. Hope something big is coming soon?

Well, I'm torn between editing a romance I wrote once or keeping it for a while. It's a Fortune City Story but an aside

Since, you asked. I'll just post it and hope to God you love it. Meanwhile, properties should be available for sales later in Fortune City for almost free points..

Ann2012:
Thanks for the update Boss

You're welcome and that's the end....

weldone Divepen1... sorry am late Traffic dey my area thank God i met the bus abeg shift make i sit.

dammyd46:
weldone Divepen1... sorry am late Traffic dey my area thank God i met the bus abeg shift make i sit.

Ehya .. We don dey go Fortune City...
While I'm Editting book 2, I'll post a romance I wrote once about Fortune City.

Divepen1:
Ehya .. We don dey go Fortune City...
While I'm Editting book 2, I'll post a romance I wrote once about Fortune City.

okay bro.. make we dey go

https://www.nairaland.com/5195097/dark-garden-hearts



This is the link to the new story

This is a very beautiful story. Thanks for sharing this with us.
Revenge isn't the answer because it always leaves all parties involved bitter at heart.

I love the twists and turns in the story. Nice thriller