CHAPTER SIXTEEN

The Mercury Hotel Abuja is a lively place anytime. Located around the ever busy Central Business District of the Federal Capital Territory, the hotel offers visitors a blend of business and pleasure. It has to its credit the ability to provide exquisite African tradition and the highest international standards of hospitality at any given time. The five stars hotel over the years had undergone different re-structuring, both physically and administratively. It is no doubt, one of the biggest hotels in Nigeria and African as a whole. It main competitive edge was its various conference and meeting centers, spread across the imposing structure. A day hardly passes without one form of seminar, conference, or launching taking place inside the ever-busy hotel, with different characters mingling freely in and out of the busy lobbies. Again, the hotel ability to mix business with pleasure over the years placed it as one of the most frequented five stars hotels in Nigeria. Therefore, it was no surprise to regular visitors to the place that evening when the sleek Range Rover Jeep convening Mai-Coins and his group drove into the over filled parking zone of the hotel. It took the driver close to ten minutes before he could finally find an empty space to park, this after another car had decided to leave. This was part of what make-up the Mercury, over filled parking space.

Victor presently had his eyes wide alert and slowly surveyed the busy environment. His eyes picked some uniformed armed mobile police men and other alert security operatives in mufti. He also noticed various men and women, flamboyantly dressed in ceremonious clothing. Most of them were top government officials with their wives, mistresses, concubines’ or girlfriends. Other conspicuous guests he noticed included top diplomats, flamboyant politicians and their returnees of aides, including other hanger on who never missed the opportunity to grace rich functions like the one presently going on inside one of the banquet halls, invited or not. Victor, a hidden grin on his face could not hide his excitement as he quietly surveyed the gathering. This was just the perfect setting, he concluded silently. He had refused to tell Colour his plan, but had confidently assured him that he has everything under control and that everything will be okay.

“Relax your fear, just cool down, I go job this people and you go see. Trust me and leave everything to me. I go show them say I be true Flame…” he assured him boastfully.

Colour stubbornly insisted that he must know his plan, but the equally stubborn Victor refused to let him into his secret, insisting that the plan was top secret and the only way they could free themselves from their captors. He once again assured him confidently that he had everything under control, and the little Colour know about the plan, the safer for him. Therefore, with this final caution of safety, Colour finally closed his curiosity and let him have his way. Right now, the moment was here and Victor was already busy on his plan, fast calculating with his corny brain.

“Alright gentlemen, just as we agreed.” Detective Mai-Coins suddenly announced as if reading their thoughts. “We are to go out slowly and walk down casually as friends and ordinary business associates without arousing any suspicious. Hope you both remember?” He asked, and grinned at both of them.

Colour stared quietly at him, nodded and glanced at Victor who grinned thoughtfully and nodded finally.

“ Good, and let me also inform you that I am a good shoot and believe me, I will not hesitate to shot any one of you who try to escape or run from us.” Mai-Coins added, and then paused to light a cigarette, allowing the flame from his lighter to dance across their faces for some seconds. He lit up and then continued. “Believe me; I am always at my best when aiming at a moving target …” With this, he grinned once more at both of them, dragged his cigarette and then casually stepped out of the car.

“ Okay guys, time to go”

Etim commanded and guarded them out of the backseat, followed by a confused looking Richmond who adjusted his suit and trailed after the group from behind with the driver who smiled at him and nudged him on casually with the barrel of a concealed gun. They moved in three friendly groups with Victor leading the way, and an alert Etim by his side, and Mai-Coins and Colour closely behind them while Mr. Richmond and the driver took up the rear. They made their way casually towards the busy glass entrance with various characters busy going in and out of the crowded lobby. The group finally made their way to the lobby and Victor suddenly paused, turned right and stared attentively at the big digital noticed board close by as it red digital alphabets flash in succession, indicating the various events taking place inside the hotel that evening. The group also paused and stared at the board. They all scanned the writing but failed to understand and see the reason why Victor had paused to scan the board attentively.

“Just move straight to the elevators. We have already cleared with the reception. “Etim commanded him softly with a tough voice.

However, Victor just grinned at him, stared once more at the board and then continued towards one of the elevators.



********
Part of the facilitating features of the Mercury Hotel was its state of the art banquet hall, built to accommodate a large number of dinners and tourists who over the years have come to warmly agreed that the hall was one of the best in sub-Sahara Africa. Tonight, the hall was hosting an international economy dinner. Various guests were seated in orderly formation, scattered around the various spontaneous tables; radiant looking government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, oil moguls, top notch of the banking industry, showy politicians and other top business moguls in company of their wives, mistresses, girlfriends and what have you, these including smart gate-crashers. The banquet hall glowed brightly with its bright shining lights, stimulating an excited atmosphere as quests enjoyed their various rich buffet, chatted gaily and relax amidst the evergreen song of Juju maestro, King Sunny Ade ‘s ‘Welcome to Nigeria’ that filtered from the inbuilt speakers inside the lighted ceiling.

The dinner that night was actually in honor of the new inaugurated Presidential Economy Committee, headed by the Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with the country minister of finance acting as the secretary and presently the chubby looking minister in his flamboyant cap was reading the vice president address as the top government official delegated to chair the occasion. The hall was filled to capacity with stern looking security men and women in both uniform and mufti closely monitoring the various activities going on. A good observer would quickly deduced the importance of the occasion, this given the caliber of guests that were present.

The elevator conveying the group finally paused at the carpeted floor of the banquet hall, a soft click and the door of the elevator slides aside, and then ushered out Victor and his crew.

“Remember we go in two, two as usual.” Detective Mai-Coins whispered to the group as they casually stepped out of the crowded elevator.

Victor, a happy grin on his face, nodded silently and led them towards some suspicious looking police orderlies and other equally alert security operatives in mufti who all stared suspiciously at them as they approached.

Colour being a very prudent observer, quickly deduced that something was not right at the moment. However, he realized that it was already too late to do anything. Therefore, he wisely slowed down his steps and observed as Victor walked up to two of the uniformed men and confidently planted himself in front of them. The group paused in their strides and watched with keen interest.

“Who is in charge here?” Victor demanded from one of the uniformed men, a corporal who kept staring suspiciously at him.

“ Yes, what can we do for you?” A stout looking man in a black suite suddenly stepped out from the shadow and glared at the group. Colour had a quick glimpse of a canceled weapon between his protruding stomach lines.

“ espirit de cop.” Victor stepped up to him with a fake smile

“ espirit de cop, yes, can we know you?” the man replied, still searching him suspiciously.

“Yes, we are from the EFCC.” Victor responded, and proudly indicated his group who all stared silently at the unfolding drama. “ We are here on a mission, a very important assignment.”

He continued as if he was really an operative of the EFCC, instead of the suspect that he was. His fake smile now broader on his face, he stared at the security operatives with confident.

“Yes- EFCC.” Detective Etim suddenly flashed his badge, stepped forward and took over the talking. Mai-Coins also stepped forward with his badge and flashed it to the men.

“ ASP Mai-Kudi, EFCC…” He proudly announced loudly.

After much bravado, rank and agency intimidation and clarification, they finally drew the stout SSS officer aside and quietly told him their mission. They told him little and finally requested him to assist them make an arrest inside the lively banquet hall.



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