CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

The EFCC and its Operation Water team were also not left out in the quest to apprehend the Free- Hands as they continued with their strategy the next day Friday. The team of Mai-Coins, Etim and Diza had briefed the Chairman and the Head of Operations on Thursday night after Diza conversation with Elizabeth on the Internet. This was a routine exercise every day after their operation. The Chairman had specifically directed the team to report to him directly with the head of operations always present during the briefing. Seated around a conference table inside the spacious office of the chairman, Mai- Coins had briefed them on their success so far, explaining the bait with the Free-Hands via the Internet and how they had luckily chatted online with a female member of the gang and the arrangement for a pending meeting at Obudu Resort.

‘’ Fantastic –good work.’’ The Chairman clapped his hands and beamed happily at the team, his shaved head nodded approvingly to all he heard.

He was so excited with the news and could not hide his feelings. Therefore, he pushed his bulky frame from his chair at the head of the table and shook the team one after the other happily. ‘’ This is the sweetest news I have heard so far since we began this operation, and I must tell you all that you have really done a wonderful Job.’’ He told them. ‘’ So we now have a picture and a face?’’ He asked excitedly.

‘’ Yes sir, two faces actually. Victor and Lizzy, (alias Franca).’’ Mai-Coins answered with a grin.

‘’The same Franca, I believe?’’ The Head of Operations asked with a wry grin.

‘’ Yes, the same Franca, we lost her and Victor at our last operation.’’ Mai-Coins answered.

‘’ Nothing yet about Smoke? No photo? No face?’’ The Chairman asked and sauntered to the opened window, his eyes in a thoughtful mood.

‘’ Nothing yet sir, no photo, no face, but we will get him soon.’’ Mai-Coins assured him confidently.

‘’ So, how prepared are you for Obudu’’ The chairman threw this question at Diza.

‘ We are ready, sir’’ She responded also confidently.

The Chairman stood at the window thoughtfully for some minutes while they all stared silently at him. Then finally, with a grin on his face he returned to his seat and rolled out his command.

‘’ Okay, here is what I want. I want you to bring me Smoke alive. Smash his syndicate and bring in everybody you can find in it. You have all my authorization and support in whatever way. Just bring me Smoke.’’ He told them and dismissed the meeting.’’ Go and discuss your plan of operation with your head and all other necessary financial and logistic details.’’ He added and then returned to his large desk. ‘’ Agent Mai-Coins’’
He suddenly called out as they near the door. ‘’ Hope you and Etim didn’t forget to tell Agent Diza that you might both be returning to your old station if you failed to bring in Smoke and his gang this time around? He said loudly from his desk with a serious look.

The statement took Mai-Coins and his team by surprise. However, Mai-Coins already aware of the unpredictable character of their new Chairman paused by the door and grinned broadly at him.

‘’ Yes, sir, we told her everything.’’ He responded, bowed and eased the team out of the office.

Back inside their office, after arranging all the logistic and financial implication of their trip to Obudu the next day, they left the office and headed for their respective homes to prepare for their all important meeting with the Free-Hands at Obudu resort with an agreement to all meet at the airport the next day. Hence, it was on this important Friday that they all boarded an Arik Airline plane on their way to Obudu Resort in Cross River state to meet the two-renegade members of the Free-Hands. They all met promptly at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport around 10:00pm as scheduled, and moved into one of the busy bars, were they held a brief meeting and arranged their plans. After a short brainstorming, the team left the bar and boarded the flight individually with Mai-Coins and Diza taking adjacent seats and Etim sat three seats away from them with a worried look. The treat of returning back to their last station tormented his mind throughout the journey.




*********
The Free Hands woke up as usual that Friday in their individual rooms at the Tinapa, feeling high and lively. After all, they now have millions of dollars in their possession and were enjoying each day as it rolled away. Skinny had woke up more lively than the rest around 6:42am, smoked three rolls of weed in-between doing his morning toilet and a quick breakfast of fried egg ,toasted bread and black coffee. He then built up his shaky nerves with some glass of whisky, checked his time and made his way to Smoke’s room at the other end of the building. Walking confidently along the wide lobby of the Blue Water Hotel, he paused at the secluded floor housing the Presidential lodge and rapped twice in a coded sign on the door at the far right. There was a short pause and the luxurious door opened gently to admit him in. Smoke still dressed in a white bathrobe stared questionably at him and lock back the door.

‘’ Wetin de happen?’’ He asked sauntering back to the sitting room.

Skinny’s intuition quickly told him that the boss had a female guest in his bedroom. Therefore, he followed him quietly to the expansive sitting room and dropped his skinny frame in one of the sofas around.

‘’ Nothing. I just want tell you say I want take a quick look at Obudu make I see wetin we fit achieve for there.’’ He whispered to Smoke who was already lighting a cigarette.

‘’ Obudu, wetin dey happen there?’’ Smoke asked and stared disinteresting at him.

‘’I hear say the place na correct hide out and say correct business opportunity dey there.’’ Skinny lied.

‘’ Obudu, I don hear about the place. You and who dey go?’’ Smoke asked blowing smoke across his face while his attention was on the naked girl on his bed.

‘’ Na only me I get plan for, but I be dey think say you fit tell Lizzy or Victor make them follow. But you know wetin woman fit do sha?’’ Skinny suggested cautiously.

‘’I know, no wahala. I go tell her make she follow you. Just survey the place, see if we fit spend some few days there and watch out for any trouble.’’

Smoke told him, pushed his sexually motivated frame from his seat, and then made his way towards the bedroom to end what he was doing before the sudden interruption.

‘’ Okay, see you later, we go talk for phone.’’ Skinny replied, hiding his excitement. He quickly eased his frame from the room and headed to Victor’s room.

Getting to Victor’s suite he rapped on the door, waited patiently as a half naked Victor opened the door and glared at him.‘’ How far’’ He asked suspiciously with a sleepy voice.

‘’ Make I leave you, e be like say sleep still dey your face.’’ Skinny told him with a smile his sharp eyes half-glancing at two naked girls on the wide bed from the wall mirror in the room.

‘’ Guy, I dey busy and true sleep dey my eyes. Wetin dey happen?’’ Victor asked yawning.


‘’ Nothing, I just think say you dey alone. But, all the same go back to sleep and enjoy yourself. We go yarn later’’

With this, Skinny smiled at him and eased out of the room. He grinned and made his way to John Bull’s room. There he also met a naked John Bull with an underage girl on his bed. The Bull glared angrily at him from his half-opened door and demanded his mission that morning.

‘’ Come , make una let man enjoy him sleep, wetin dey happen again? He demanded, half clutching his robe with sleepy eyes.

‘’ No vex, I think say you dey free, but no wahala we go see later.’’ Skinny told him and walked away with a grin on his face.

However, what the other member of the Free-Hands never knew was that Skinny made all these early visits to ascertain their activities for the day and at the same time also nose around any suspicious from them about his plan. Therefore, satisfied that the rest of the gang were sexually engaged that Friday morning, he made his way to Lizzy’s room and was admitted by a ready and excited Lizzy who was already waiting for him as arranged.

‘’ How far?’’ She asked eagerly as he sauntered into the expensive looking room.

‘’ Cool- Everything- dey work fine.’’ He told her with a smile.

‘’ Smoke just call me. He say make I follow you.’’

‘’ Good. Hope you don ready?’’ Skinny asked staring at her well-dressed slim shape, looking curvy in her trademark African Print.

‘’ Na you I dey wait for.’’ She replied sauntered to her bed and picked her traveling bag.

They both left the hotel few minutes later in a chartered car and headed to Obudu resort to prepare for their visitors as the rest of the gang enjoyed their lives with the female companions in their individual rooms at the Blue Water.



*********
Colour and Ken Solomon picked Chambers at the popular Berger Junction around 1:33pm that Friday afternoon on their way to Kaduna as arranged. Chambers had earlier called Colour on his phone and informed them that he was on his way to their pre-arranged rendezvous. KS on Colour's suggestion had bought a fairly used Ford Jeep from a car dealer. This was necessary as Colour explained to make a good impression on Chambers and especially on the Free-Hands.

‘’ My people believe in big cars and big house. So to make a good impression as a rich American oil tycoon, you must look it and smell it.’’ Colour lectured him with a grin.

KS nodded and saw the sense in what he was suggesting. So he had followed his suggestion just like the other strategies Colour had suggested since they began their hunt. Chambers who was standing eagerly by the bus stop with other commuters was perplexed when a big tinted black Jeep parked in front of him that afternoon, and Ken Solomon who was on the passenger seat rolled down his glass and smiled at him.

‘’ Hello- Mr. Chambers,’’ He called out with a smile.

Chambers gaped at him and the car, and then suddenly felt very important and impressed as other commuters watched the unfolding drama. ‘’

Hello, Oyinbo.’’ He replied as the back door pushed opened remotely.

‘’ How far bros, you don ready?’’ Colour asked jokingly with a smile from the wheel.

‘’ Good, and set to go.’’ Chambers announced and jumped into the back seat proudly and they zoomed off through the roundabout and hit the express way.

Chambers stared admiringly at the cozy leather seats and the various interior decorations and computerized gadgets inside the spacious car and his ravenous mind told him he was in the right company at the moment. The cool breezy air of the AC knocked him off few minutes later and he fell into a relaxed sleep as the big car eat up the 190 kilometers road that lead to Kaduna State, in North-West Nigeria.