topher052:
EPISODE 24
Jude came down immediately, went straight to Mary, begging her on his knees. I was confused, I didn't know if to go or remain in the car. This was relationship issue, I knew how complicated it was, coupled with my issue with Jude.

Calista moved to where they were and stood beside them watching in silence.

Mary's voice was loud, she was yelling and trying to move away but Jude held her hand begging. She pushed him off her and slapped him severely, he didn't retaliate. He grabbed her waist begging still on his knees. Calista then joined Jude in begging Mary.

" it's over! My mind is made up! Leave me alone, go!". Mary kept yelling.

" I'm sorry! I was drunk! I'm sorry, please forgive me! I'll die without you! I'll kill myself! Please forgive me!". Jude begged.

" Mary, a man is begging you . Please consider him, please forgive him". Calista joined Jude.

I sat in the car watching the drama that took up to 30 minutes. And after a while, Mary seem to be giving in, she had stopped resisting and was now crying. Jude slowly stood up and hugged her while she dropped her hands by her sides but made no attempt to hug him back. I knew the battle was over, Jude's spell on her was a strong one. He slowly pulled her into the house.

Jude was good. Now I realized what grandma meant by Mary being a good girl. She really was a good girl under the influence of a skilled manipulator.

I engaged the engine and wanted to leave, Calista came to me and said.

" her things in the boot!"

I opened if for her to get them out, and after she was done, she came to the car by the front seat passenger's side and opened the door, bent over.

Calista: I love how he talks. Let me try again now he knows Mary is taken. I can gain from this guy.

" thanks for dropping by, you're such a nice guy". She said.

I nodded smiling waiting for her to leave.

" are you new in town? Your ascent. You sound foreign".


" I believe Mary told you I'm new in town". I said carelessly.

She seem slightly embarrassed but waved it aside. " well, I know this town like the back of my hand. If you need someone to show you around, please call me".

I nodded and waited for her to leave.

" but you don't have my number". She said.

" I thought you're Mary's friend, why are you hitting on her visitor without her consent?"

She was startled and then covered it up with an in innocent smile.

Calista: don't show anger, calm down...calm down...

" am I hitting on you? What an insult. Do you think we are mates for me to hit on you? I'm just trying to be friendly, showing my gratitude for helping my friend".

" I'm sorry, but I have to go". I said and waited for her to shut the door while her face was gradually changing into a frown.

Calista: forming hard to get. I know your type, looking down on everyone, thinking everyone is below him, proud fool! Because Mary is young right? Idiot that doesn't know anything.

" can I go please? My door!". I yelled immediately.

She banged the door looking menacing at me and I was about reversing when Jude rushed out shouting and waving his hand for me to stop. I thought of ignoring him, but then thought I owed him nothing, even the money he claims I owe him was a change to me. So I stopped.

He came towards the frontseat passenger side and I rolled down.

" Sir. You again?" He asked with a satisfied smile on his fave. "I'm very glad you brought my girl back. Thank you so much!"

Jude: don't ask him anything that will provoke you! Mary is your LovePeddler, your money bank and you know it. Let him go.

" it's okay" I said unsteadily.

" please, let me buy you a drink at least ". Jude said.

" some other time please. I have to be going ". I said and added. " I'll call you later for what we discussed".

" Okay. Thank you again". He said moving away from the car.

As I was rolling up the glass, I saw Mary peeping. She wasn't happy. I looked away and drove off feeling my heart breaking. I then decided to take Mary off Jude's hands. Even if it means for me to fly her abroad. She was too pretty and young to be going through such stress.

I got home and grandma was surprised I wasn't with Mary. I lied that she decided to stay with her friend. Grandma saw reason with that and we moved on.

I had to challenge my fear the day by meeting Jude as I agreed I would. We met a place he suggested; a lounge around zik road. I followed the description he sent to my phone and met him there already waiting with another guy. They had drank two bottles of beer each already.

"Here he comes!" Jude shouted as he saw me coming, standing to face me.
I noticed he whispered something to the guy seated. the guy smiled and turned to me. Jude moved to a seat opposite his on the table and wiped it clean with his handkerchief. The few people present at the lounge were laughing laughing at his gesture.

" let my boss come and seat here!" He shouted pointing my chair to me.

I wasn't comfortable with his display but took the seat anyways. He rushed back to his chair and shouted like a tout. " bar man!"

A smart looking teenage boy dressed in white shirt tucked in a black pant walked up to Jude from the counter.

" get my man anything he wants". Jude said to the bar man.

An hour later, I was still ina bottle, Jude and his friend were on their 6th. They would laugh at anything and were talking about their driving jobs and the funny passengers they've carried. I saw this as an opportunity to bring up Mary's case.

I began by joining in their jokes and chipped in amidst laughter. " You're bad! A real bad guy! you sent your babe to me, so could fvck her for the night".

He stopped laughing and asked. " which babe?"

I turned to his friend who was keen to know who I was talking about.

" the girl I was with the day I came into town". I carefully said.

He looked at me ominously and asked. " did you fvck my babe?"

I was scared and turned to his friend who picked up a bottle looking at me same way as Jude. I swallowed hard looking pitifully at them both.

" I'm sorry. I....I...didn't know...I .... Thought she was...em...a...a... You know...a " I stuttered looking for avenue to escape.

To my surprise they exploded in laughter that made Jude's eyes filled with tears. I was confused, what was so funny in what I said?

Jude raised up his hands laughing and then pointed at me " we got him! "

They were apparently drunk and were displaying drunkenness.

When he settled, he said. " it's okay bro. I'm her pump. Was just fooling around with you"

" as in P.I.M.P!" His friend added.

" she's just a little girl I'm helping " Jude said.

" so you are not her boyfriend? " I asked

" we are living together doesn't make her my girlfriend. is that what she told you?"

" why did you beat her up if she meant nothing to you?" I asked puzzled.

" well, I warned her not to bring clients home. You see, bringing strangers home is risky in her line of business, but she never listens" Jude said and whispered leaning closer. " do you like her?"

I turned to his friend gulping the last content in his bottle and returned to Jude. " she's a likable person"

Jude looked at me thoughtfully and said resting his back on his chair's back rest. " then you can have her!"

Jude: as long as you keep paying she's yours ( smiled )

" no, no, no! I can't" I protested.

" she has already told me she likes you. She can pass the night at your place if you like" Jude said and called the waiter, ordered for another round including mine.

" no, I'm okay" I said.

It was already getting dark, the place was now getting full, the music had increased. I gave him an envelope and stood up. He was overjoy and thanked me wholeheartedly.

I sat in the car thinking of what to do with Mary when a man ran past and three others followed. I turned to the gate, the security men were closing it. I stepped down and held a man running pass me.

" what's going on?"

The man was overtaken by fear. " they are close!" He said.

" who is closed?" I asked looking at the security men moving away from the gate.

" the resistance. They're here!"

Gunshots echoed, the man pushed me away from him and ran inside.

Immediately my mind ran to my grandma. Just then I saw Jude and his friend running towards me. I waved them over.

" sir. You can't go out oh. Heard the resistance are around" Jude said to me.

" I have to. My grandma lives here!" I said , then turned to the security men seriously shutting the gate and wondered how to get past them.

He looked at me and asked. " you said you live with your friend"

I ignored him and made to rush into the car, Jude held me back.

" you can't go out there!" He yelled.

" you can't!" His friend said behind Jude.

I hesitated, but I couldn't. I removed Jude's grip from my shoulder and entered the car, engaged the engine and drove to the gate.

The security men pointed me back. I rolled down and yelled." open the gate!"

" sir go back!" One of security men yelled back authoritatively.

I stepped out of the car and held the security man's shirt. " open this damn gate! I said despiratly between my teeth.

The man pushed me off him and made to throw a punch but stopped at the sound of gunshots fired again. The security man moved away from the gate frightfully.

I rushed over to the gate but it was padlocked. I turned to the three security men and went to the gentle looking amongst them " please open this gate!"

" do you want to die? We can't". He answered.

Just then Jude and his friend came to meet I and the security men.

" sir. You can't go out there it's risky!" Jude said to me.

I turned despiratly to him and held his arms. " do you have a mother? Won't you do what I'm doing if you suspect she's about to get hurt?"

He nodded, heaved and turned to his friend. His friend nodded and they turned to the security men.

" please open the gate he has to go!" Jude said .

" not possible. You better go inside!" One of the security men retorted.

Jude's friend held the one who spoke on his shirt and said. " you know me very well, you know what I can do. Open this gate before you regret it".

The man he held nodded , urned to his colleague and said. " open the gate let them go with their problems".

The gentle one among them went to the gate and began opening it. I rushed into the car and waited impatiently for him . Jude opened the other side of the car and entered the front seat, while his friend entered the back seat. I turned surprisingly at them.

" what?"

" you won't last a second out there. Just drive ". Jude said looking in front of him frowning.

Jude: I can't allow my office waste just like that.

I was really glad I had them. The gate opened, I zoomed off and drove speedily towards my grandma's house direction.

When I got to the junction to my grandma's house, I saw some group of men walking down the road shooting in the air.

" stop the car!" Jude said looking steadily at them.

I turned unbelivably to him " that's where my grandma lives".

My sense of judgement had disappeared. All I was thinking was to get granny out of there.

Jude turned to me. " you can't save her dead. Lets see where they're going first".

I waited impatiently in the car. The men got to the estate gate and stopped, then began shooting in the air. I was hopelessly confused, immediately, I took out my phone and called Mary.

" hello" I said as the phone connected. " please call your police friend, grandma is in danger!"

" what's happening?". She asked in a worried tone.

" just call him! Call him now!" I yelled into the phone and forgot to ask how she was.

The men had started shooting at the gate. That moment, everything went silent, it's like I zoomed the men closer and every other thing faded out. I didn't know when I dropped the phone and pressed hard on the throttle towards the men.

" what are you doing? You want to get us killed?" Jude yelled.

I ignored him and pressed harder on the throttle.

The men turned to us looking, then they opened fire when they saw me driving towards them. I bent over and the bullet bored holes on our glass.

The car ran into them; few rolled over from the bonnet through the windscreen and over the car and I felt the car galloping on something I suspected to me human beings, then ran into an electric pole and fell it on the opposite direction with flickers or electric lights.

I slowly raised my head and looked behind me. The men where now few and soon began firing at us.

Jude turned behind him and when he saw the attack on us, he yelled hitting the dashboard" reverse the car. Run them over again!"

With a shaky hand, I put the car on reverse and drove backwards but ran the back tire into a gutter and got stuck.

Now the bullets was raining heavily on the car, i had to bury my head. It felt like a bullet would hit me any minute, hearing the sounds of broken glasses and gunshots.

A pistol appeared in Jude's hand he and said to his friend. " take the right, I'll take left".

I was so surprised. So he had a gun with him all these while?