₦airaland Forum

2008

The courtroom was set, the judge was seated and the jury all in position. This was the last shot. Maryam prayed before she took her seat. She turned round and realized that Jezebel was not in the courtroom.
Did she change her mind?
The battle began and Okorie seemed to be having an upper hand. He even called for the striking out of the appeal case due to lack of evidence.

Then Maryam took the final stage. The moment she had been waiting for. The reason for her trip to Kano, Kebbi and Ibadan.
He was called to the witness box. He was the last person Ameer expected to see. He got into the witness box, and stood.

“ Can we know who you are, sir?”

Maryam asked.

“ My name is……….”

Gajere moved with the stealth of a slow moving air, making sure his short steps were jaunty, until he stopped before the door. Without hesitation, he knocked at the door, and then moved aside to pave way for his two henchmen.
The boss was jittery and impatient. There was no need for hanky-panky any longer. They had to confirm the mark by force and nepotism would come to play in case of any threatening reprisal.

He nodded at one of the henchmen who in turn looked at a CCTV camera and fired something which was dark and opaque to cover the face.
Then the other man used a master key and silently opened the door. They went in silently into Adnan's room.

" Where is this boy?" Gajere said as he saw nobody in the room. It was 1:00 am and he was sure Adnan had not gone out since he saw Naairah off.

" Search the toilet." Gajere ordered.

One of the men went into the toilet but found it empty.

" Nobody." He said.

Gajere grimaced.

He looked round then settled his eyes on the wardrobe door.

"Open the wardrobe." He ordered.

One of the men went and tugged the door. It was locked. He used a master key and opened it with ease.
What he saw was a set of computers, piled meticulously, with big books stashed. The wardrobe could not contain the books, some were arranged near the bed. Gajere frowned. What on earth was he doing with over fifteen laptops and such big books?

" Where the hell is this boy? " He wondered. " Get those laptops out. We will ransack this room."

The man stretched his hand towards the laptops but quickly withdrew it with a reflex action.

" What are you doing, TJ?"

" Something shocked me."

" Get the hell out of there. I think you are high."

Gajere took quick steps, shoved TJ off his way with his short strong arms and powerfully tried to pull a laptop out.

" Wayoooo!" He screamed as a painful wave, which felt like an electric shock, with a force that sent him into the air to land with his head first.

He could not shout. His eyes bulged out, his mouth was dried up at once and he felt his body so hot internally.
He was panting, gasping for breath. His men quickly got him water, gave him to drink, poured some on his head before he lay, closed his eyes and felt his breathing normalising.

He lay there for about fifteen minutes before he was able to sit up. He said nothing but simply got on his feet. He carried his phone and put it in his pocket.
Without a word, he began to walk out of the room. His henchmen glanced at each other, pressing the urge to burst into laughter.
They walked out, closing the door behind them.

Tj looked at Gajere.

" Sannu fa ( Sorry)!"

" Ubanka ( He insulted him)!" Gajere said angrily.

They left the hotel premises at once.
Adnan who was hiding in the ceiling chuckled as he watched everything via his PDA. It seemed they did not know who he was. There was no where he stayed that he did not wire because he knew what was at stake.
Then he wondered who they were. He caught them on camera. Where they part of Bash's men?

Then he remembered Bash. Well, he guessed it was time to start the game!
He got down from the ceiling, then carefully set some radiations towards the door. If anyone opened it without his consent and tried to come in....phew!
Then his phone rang.

" Adnan." Someone said from the other end.

" Bash."

" News just came to me." He said. " Doctor Abbas suspects that you are alive. They want to find out if you have a mark. Do you have any mark?"

" I don't know what you are talking about."

" Do not play ignorant with me. They are after you. Gajere, his short right-hand man is handling it. I think we are running out of time."

" I have made up my mind." Adnan said. " I am in."

" Good! Very good!" Bash said excitedly.

Adnan ended the call.
He thought of Naairah. Only if she was not in the picture. He was never scared of anything in the past. Now he was sure his life did not belong to him alone. He was plunging into a very dangerous game.
A dangerous world!

2008

Maryam alighted her car at the court parking lot and saw them come out of a big SUV. This woman had guts. She had the effrontery to come to the court after what happened. She had thought of reporting to the police but changed her mind.
She knew they would have been out of there before she got any police team there and it was going to be her word against theirs. She did not even tell her parents.

Seeing Jezebel dressed in rose patterned atamfa, followed by a short stocky man made her felt chilly and the devil was smiling at her. What did she have up her sleeve? What? Was she walking up to her? Security…but she could not harm her here.

“ The sagacious and ambidextrous lawyer.” Jezebel said with a roguish grin, “ I am pleased to meet you. My name is Binta, a big fan of yours.”

“ It’s been a long time, Jezebel.” Amaar said from behind. She turned to see his hard sapphire eyes piercing through her with hot grudge. As he looked at her, he remembered the night………..





Jezebel turned the door knob, pushed the door and walked into the room. Her thin red eyes travelled to the bed and frowned. The bed sheet was to clean for her liking. But she had come to press her hears to the door and heard the shaking sound and her cries at night.
She did this twice and was sure Amaar was doing a good job. She could not travel out as a virgo intacta, she needed to be ready for the heavy task ahead. This business needed skills, endurance and thrills and she hoped Amaar could lead her through the learning processes.

She also noticed slight change in the way she walked that morning. A little limping. Hmm…Amaar must be a bad soul.
Soon, she would be looking for it herself. Hmmm…taste of forbidden fruit was sweet. She remembered her first time, she cried and regretted. And for days she ran away from the guy but after a second one, and a third, the feeling of remorse vanished.
But the sight of the clean bed sheet broke her heart. She wanted to see it crumpled and insalubrious.
She looked round the room, moved to the closet then pulled the door. She saw a bed sheet folded and hidden. She brought it out and unfolded it then smiled.
Blood stain!
Very good!
The girl has been baptized. Now, what is left is for Amaar is to give her more experience. Okay, she did not know how skillful Amaar was. Should she try him?

No! He seemed to be stubborn. She would save that for his twin brother when the time came. Time? Yes, time to kill his fiancee and her entire family members.
A better idea. She would give him porn movies to improve on his skills. She wanted the little girl to be real dirty. The business was dirty so the participants must be dirty.
She left the room then went into her room. There was a man waiting for her.

At that time, Amaar was treating his lacerated hand. He made sure the cut was where would not be conspicuous. Besides, it was just a small cut.

Last night, as they entered the room, he locked the door and he saw fear on the girls face. She was crying bitterly. He told her to hush and listen. Jezebel needed a doze of her game. Then he set the plan.
It was simple. He cut his hand and produced a blood stained bed sheet. And he kept bouncing on the bed and told the girl to pretend to be crying in pain. Then he taught her how to limp slightly.

“ When you wake up, avoid everybody’s eye. Pretend to be ashamed because everyone knows what happened. Cry when alone but knowing someone will come and see you then pretend to wipe your tears like you did not want to be seen crying.
They would be watching you and if you fail and she finds out that nothing happened, I guess you saw how Jib was looking at you. And this may keep happening but I would not need to cut my hand again.

Amaar and Ameena continued this guile for a while, giving the impression that they were dating. Jezebel loved this because she could imagine the pain Amaar would feel when he woke up one day to find her gone out of the country.

Then the day came when they would go to Shere hills. Unknown to Amaar, she had planned to get him initiated into the cult which they claimed was a secret vigilante group.

Shere hills were a range of undulating hills and rock formations on the Jos plateau, in Jos city. The highest peak reached 6,001 feet above sea level.
The arrangements were made and twenty members were to attend the initiation ceremony. Amaar was not aware of the plans.
He was told that they were going for a vigilante meeting. And there was information that seven Ake boys were having a ritual somewhere before going on the yearly massacre galore. It was a sanguinary act perpetuated by cultist where they went on shooting spree, killing innocent citizens and causing terror.

That information was true and when Amaar was told to climb a hill which he did, he peeked and saw seven of them sitting round a black stone, smoking and probably planning the ritual. It was at the top of the hill he received a call.

“ It is Tessy. Please don’t break the call.”

“What is wrong?”

“I am sorry I lied to you. But I swear I developed feelings for you…”

“We have been over this, Tessy. I am not angry with you.”

“Listen. I never told you the truth. I am under Jib’s protection and I know he killed Teks.”

“ I know he killed Teks but never knew you had something with him.’

“That is why you must listen to me. I was set up to lure you in. You are at Shere hill right?”

“ Yes.”

“Two things are going on there. Seven chosen Ake boys will be going on a shooting spree so the are preparing. They would kill not less than a hundred innocent souls. Then you are to be initiated and you know you would be beating severely during initiation. Jib plans to kill you then. He would make it look like you engaged in a battle with the Ake boys because Smalls and Murphy are there.
He beefs you. He said you took something of his. You stopped him from having it and Queen gave it to you. You must find a way and escape. I guess they sent you up the hill to peek. And they know Smalls and Murphy are part of the group. They know you are after them. They would kill them, kill you and frame you up. Then Jib would tell Jezebel it was your fault. They got a photograph of you going up.”

“ Why are you telling me this?”

“I said I fell in love with you …before giving my life to Christ. I am sick of this life. I am born again and the spirit burns in me now. I need to go.”

The line went dead. Amaar knew about the shooting spree and also knew it was a cult activity. He imagined the innocent people they were going to kill moving around without the slightest idea of what awaited them.

Amaar peeked again and saw the seven all lined up in a strange ritual. He saw a heavy rock close to the edge of the cliff. There was no way he could push it. Then he checked carefully. It was not attached to the rock beneath. The ground was parallel.
He checked and saw stones in front of the rock. He needed a slope, create an inclined angle. Then he began to remove the stones, making sure the ground sloped. This done, he peeked again. Yes, the direction was perfect.

He went behind the rock and tried to push it. It was too heavy. He looked at the rock, added a few stones underneath, thought of the people about to be killed then pushed, his biceps, triceps all rippled, veins bulged and a low roar escaped his mouth as he rolled the rock, the small stones which reduced friction and helped by the inclined angle.

The rock left the cliff, down it went and the first person it crushed was Murphy before it rolled on the rest as the lined up performing their strange rituals.
He quickly began to remove the stones he used to make the inclined angle and threw them down. Making sure the ground was leveled, he took another way and went down the hill. As he got down, knowing Jib and his group would be waiting for him, he walked deeper down the hills while the only thought on his mind was how to get Ameena away from that house. Unknown to him, Ameena was already out of the house. She was just running, further away from the house without a slight idea of where to run to. She had no one to run to, or anywhere to go but leaving the house was better than anything.
She did not know that Amaar was going to risk his life trying to find her.

He hung his clothes on the wall, spread mat at a corner where he prayed .

" Welcome my son." The old man said warmly. Fahad guessed he was around seventy five years old. From his sitting posture, Fahad guessed he was a tall man .
He was very light in complexion with white beard and eyebrows. He was dressed in a Fulani traditional bijimi. Even at that age, he was very handsome.

" Thank you, sir. I am happy to meet you"

" Serve him food, Sady" He told his granddaughter.

" I just had...." Fahad began.

" You cannot refuse to eat.....Sady is a good cook, you will love it."

Halima served him food. He was sitting on the mat because there was no chair or sofa in the room. He washed his hand, then began to swallow. What! The tuwo and miyan kubewa was delicious. She used a local seasoning called daddawa, and the stew was blessed with drops of mai shanu.

" Halima told me a lot about you. You are my first real threat."

Fahad paused, the old man looked him at then giggled. " The first one that I feel will take her away from me. "

Then he recalled that grandparents, in the north, used to jokingly refer to their grandchildren as spouse. Fahad now smiled and bowed his head.

" Your relationship seems auspicious. You seem to make her happy and I am very jealous. She has always felt her relationship with Hande was insipict. I never liked it myself. I knew his grandfather, I know when they gave birth to his father.....They are ferocious. But these children would not listen. They don't obey parents anymore. "

Fahad washed his hands after the meal.

" If only Ardo was alive. He wanted her to go to school. Halima is very smart. She did not have formal education but would read anything that comes her way. She is my joy. She takes care of me. She makes sure I get breakfast and lunch before she goes for grazing, She gets back and cook supper, packs my dirty clothes and wash them, comes to sit and keep me company, read books for me."
He was almost in tears. " But My greatest wish for her is to get married and live happily. My days are numbered. I feel you can take care of her. Salim lives here with me. He is stubborn and won't tolerate his uncles. But he is a man."

" I can get someone to take care of you. I can get you a house in the city.."

He shook his head.

" I don't want to live in the city. I love the quiet here, the fresh air void of pollution from cars, electric generators, smoke, and all the urban madness."

" Then we have to build houses here. "

" I don't want any of those. I tell you, if you build anything big here, I would be dead before you know it. They will kill me and inherit it. They are avaricious. All I want is the safety of my granddaughter. I have over one hundred grand children but only this girl looks after me."

" Then I will have to hire you a cook, a guard and you must have a phone in case of emergency. Please don’t say no."

He looked at Fahad and smiled.

" May God bless you. I have a phone and I will accept a cook but only after she is gone."

He raised a pillow, brought out a small sack, removed the phone which was wrapped in a woolen cloth.

" This is my phone. " He said proudly. " Salim use to take it for recharge every market day."

It was a Nokia 33. It still looked new. He cherished the phone and really took care of it.

" Are your parents aware of your relationship with Sady?"

Fahad shook his head.

" No, but I will tell them as soon as I go back home."

" She said you are a bakatsine (of Katsina origin)."

Fahad nodded.

" I hardly interfere in their matters these days. They treat me as a victim of senile dementia but I know what I do. I will be stern on this. Sady will not be forced to marry Hande. Just send your parents for formal introduction and we would accept you. If anybody has been collecting money from Hande's father, it is his business. But as a standard procedure, we will have to find out more about you.”

"Thank you, sir." Fahad said, " was any effort made to search for her parents?"

" Eighteen years is a long time to think Ardo and his wife would abandon their children. Sady was just one when they left. They are dead, son. It pains me that we could not even bury them or know how exactly they died. We could not even reach Ted or his girl, All the Americans we know told us nothing. We tried to reach their embassy but nothing came out. I sold over sixty cattle in search of them. The siblings would not even release funds for the search. They wanted him dead, can you imagine? I got a stroke and got bedridden for two years. It is a miracle that I still walk and not deformed even though I never recovered fully." He paused, coughed then continued, " Ardo made money like no one ever did in this village. Ted fixed him up but it turned out to be an euphoria. I just could not understand somethings."

Fahad knew Ardo and his wife were killed in Vegas, but it was best to keep mute.

" Who is Ted?"

He sighed, stood up, walked slowly to a wooden box, opened it then brought out a big envelope, walked back slowly to the bamboo bed and sat. He increased the intensity of the lamp that illuminated the room, and began rummaging through the pictures.

" This is Ted and Ardo as kids."

Fahad put on the flashlight of his phone to get a better view. Ted was a white boy, standing with Ardo who looked like an arab. They seemed to be around ten years old. They held each other, standing in front of a herd of cattle. They looked lovely and happy.

" Ted was Dr Maxwell's godson. His father brought him to Nigeria when he was only four. The father was Dr Maxwel's friend. Ted was happy and had Ardo and Amanda to play with. Amanda was Dr Maxwel's daughter. They all grew up together."

He showed Fahad another picture with Ted and Amanda. She was a very beautiful girl. This time, they were in their teens and the way they held each other was too intimate.

" Dr Maxwel was my friend. He lived here for many years. The white people are enigmatic. They could live anywhere just to study. Some lived in jungles in West African countries studying animals and making documentaries. Dr Maxwel was an American and came here for a research. I don't know the nature of the research but they were always working in that room called......."

"Laboratory." Halima said.

" Thank you, my Sady. My son, I am changing my mind. You are not taking Sady away from me. Who would remind me of things I forget or read stories for me? Now, leave my house."

They laughed .

" Mr Maxwell helped us in this community. He developed vaccines for our cattle, did a lot of things like what he called cross breeding, He used to cure our cattle. He was said to be a biochemist. Ted's father seemed to be a biochemist too. Dr. Maxwell and his wife died in a car crash in 1990. Soon afterwards, Ted and Amanda left for America, maybe to meet Ted's father. They were now grown then and Ted and Amanda were into a relationship. After a few years, Ted and Amanda came to visit and made Ardo very rich. They introduced him to business and just two years later, they invited him and his wife to America for a business trip. That was the last time I ever saw them. "

When he showed Fahad the picture of grown up Ted and Amanda, Fahad realised Ted and Amanda were actually Richard and Maria Cliff. Fahad felt a subcutaneous frigid feeling. This explained the vacuum in their profile. They grew up here, faked their nationality and left a trackless footpath. So it was his childhood friend he killed after enticing him with millions of dollars. Savage! He let them enjoy the money for two years, gave them the best trip in America then killed them to cover his tracks.

" There are things I did not understand. After Dr Maxwell's death, some white people came to pack some documents and left. I think I saw Ted's father that day. But I don't have his picture."


Fahad needed to drop this on Damon's lap. This was news and the conspiracy seemed to be more complicated than they thought. Who was Ted's father and why did he bring him to grow up in Nigeria? How come no one could trace Ted to his father?
Biochemists? Why was it all revolving around them?

They had a few more chats before he advised them to leave because it was getting late. They left after he reluctantly collected the two hundred thousand Naira Fahad gave him. He had been given Halima money to inprove his cuisines because what her uncles used to give was trash.


It was now dark and cold. It was 9:07 PM.

" I never stay this late." Halima said as they walked through the narrow ambulatory path.

" I would accompany you home then call for the bike boy." He said, " I can't believe your granddad just approved our relationship. I am on top of the world."

" You have not spoken to your people. I am still scared."

" You don't have to be scared, this is twenty first century, Sady."

She chuckled.

" He calls me Sady....from Sadiya." She said.

" Thank you for your kindness. You elate my soul." She said." You did not just elate my soul, you revivified it. The pleasure is mine."

" I tell nobody pak with me!" Hande's dreadful voice emerged. " I am westside niggaz, and a Lagos baboon. You eben carry inside the bush in the night, ko? What is you doing in the bush if you are responsibility? You think you come from city to strangulate her into sexual abusive and escaped? I am also a city west side nigga, a Lagos Tupac, so pak you, pak you shit men."

They were about twelve of them, coming out of the vast grassland and surrounding them. No one held a stick. They all had knives and machetes.

" Wallahi, if Salim and his small niggaz come, I will kill am all. Halima, Your family can't fit chop my money and refuse to strangulate our lob. I will kill him. He is using voodoo to paralysis your brain."

Halima became confused. She knew no one could save him now. They were well armed and high on drugs. She just kept begging, saying she would marry Hande but Fahad should be spared.

" No, if we leave am to not die, he will came back."

" Hande, I need you guys to go home in peace." Fahad said suddenly." You don't have to do this."

" Pak you, pak you marapaka, shit men! Dam! You close your mouth. I am not permitted you to talk. Niggaz, kill am."

As they made a rush, Halima screamed for help then a blasting sound brought them to a halt.

" If any body moves," Fahad said, "I will blast his blocked head. What I'm holding is called Desert Eagle .50 caliber. Who wants to have a feel?"

Nobody moved.

That was what he went to pick. He knew he needed his gun after what happened. Halima took in a deep breath.

" Hande or whatever you call yourself, if you don't get your shitty head together, I will drop on you and your family. You can't go about trying to kill me like a piece of ant. Just a phone call, your family is wrapped up and if you attack me again, I swear I will blast your head and that's it. I got boys in the hood to bring your shit heads down but I don't need to go there. I got contacts to the peak of the law and could get your governor hitting your as*. Now, I need you to leave this place now and never show your face close to me or else, you will rot in jail if you survive my rod."

" He is army roba, let’s gerrat." Hande said and they left." I am no scary of you, pak you, pak you, pak Halima, Pak all of una! " He said from afar.

Bang! Bang!! Fahad threw two shots in the air and they heard them scampering. As he took her home, he realised that his discussion with the old man was the opening of a can of warms.

MhizFavour:
Oh SokoDobo !. U are the best

Thank you

abubakarbabang7:
sokodobo u don get wife o

Lol. Abeg oo. No let my wife hear you ooo.

" I was involved in a plane crash." Walter said. There was a pilot who jumped out with an infant and Aadila fell into the ocean. I don't know the connection between us but I am sure about that. I need your help, doctor. It was a private jet. I got some data that could help in finding out who the owner is. I need your help."

Doctor Mark nodded.

" How may I help you?"

" I need a to know where the aviation authority is."

"That is no big deal."

" Who is Don Vasitto?"

Walter did not know how he got the name. It just came out but the reaction he saw on the doctor's face shook him.

" How did you come up with such a name?" Dr Mark marvelled , his façade displaying astonishment, shock and a tinge of fear.
Don Vasitto?



The bald headed man with Maya had just arrived Bolivia. A Cadillac was waiting for them. Arrangements had been made. Doctor Abbas may be alive and they were going to find him, except if it was someone else who made the EBM beep but who else had the code?
They got into the backseat of the car without a word.
There was a huge man with pony tail and tobacco stained teeth sitting on the passenger's seat. The driver was a short, slim man wearing a bowler hat.

" Mr Mason, I am sorry about this...." The huge man began.

" Shut the fuc* up!" the bald headed man, Mason vituperated. " I got in touch with Tiger 606. You never found his body."

"The plane crashed. They could not have survived it."

" I guess he did and you know what that means.......we must find him!"

"Where is Don Vasitto?"Maya asked.





" I have not heard of him." Dr Mark said. "I think I have done enough. You are back on your feet and with time, maybe, you will recover your memory. I think I have something for you." He got up, went to a drawer and brought out some notes of money.

" Have this. It will keep you for a while but you have to leave now." He said. " And I will appreciate it if you keep our encounter a secret. Beg Carlos to do the same. I am just a medical doctor and anything outside my profession is out of my business. I don't want to know what you are involved with. Thank you for understanding and please, you do not need to come back here to thank me or visit because I will be very busy."

Walter watched him for a few seconds. The name Don Vasitto must have prompted such a reaction and instant decision to send him off. Then it must have been a lie when he said he had never heard of the name.
There was no point of arguing or pleading. He collected the money.

" I have two pairs of clothes to spare." Said Dr Mark. " Wait for me."

He came back with small duffle bag.

" Two pairs of clothes, toothbrush, toothpaste and biscuits."

"Thank you very much." Walter said. " Can I have a street map of this city?"

" I don't have one with me but I guess you can get that elsewhere. Thank you. I think I have to get back to work."

" I will never forget what you did for me. I know it is circumstances beyond your control that led to this. I hope to resolve whatever it is...."

"It is nothing Walter."

Walter collected the bag and left. He walked hurriedly down the street after putting the EBM inside the bag. He reached the end of the street, walking without an idea of where he was going. He took a narrow street which was bordered but tall buildings.

"Walter" He heard someone call. He turned to a lady walking briskly towards him.

" Miss Angela." Walter said as the nurse caught up with him. He studied her for the first time. She was a little below average height, chubby with dark bobbed hair. Out of uniform, she looked more matured. He guessed she was around twenty- four.

" I heard what happened." She said at once. " I guess you don't have a place to stay."

Walter nodded.

" Let us leave here fast." She said. " I don't want to be seen taking you away. The name you mentioned scared the hell out of him and you just talked about a private jet which you crashed along with." She said . " He has a reason to be scared. You must have known Don and probably the jet belonged to him. Nobody wants to mess with him. Let us get a cab. I think you can stay in my place. I am very curious about you and I hope I am not making a mistake."

" Mistake?"

" I think I am taking a great risk doing this." She said. " If doctor knows I am harboring you, then my job is at stake but that is the least of the worries. If really you are on the wrong side of Vasitto, then I am a dead meat."

Vasitto!

He saw sputtering images, flying in scabs, not really making any sense to him but something that looked like suits were visible. He could hear the rumbling of a boat, and the cry of an infant.

" Hola." She said at a cabbie, " me lleve a la cathedral parque ( Can you take me to the cathedral park)?

" Muy bien,pero le advierto que ahora mismo hay mucho trafico por alli ( sure, but I should warn you that there is a lot of traffic around there)."

" Pero coja el camino mas rapido por favor ( but take the quickest route, please)." She said.

"Ok senora(ok ma'am)."

She opened the car door.

" Get in." She told him in her Spanish accent.

They got into the taxi and he drove off. They talked less in the car, not trying to say things the cabbie might eavesdrop on. The cabbie was right when he talked about traffic jam but Angela was not surprised. It was her route to home.
They alighted near the cathedral then she called on another cab which took them to Gremaro Crescent. They went down the street until they arrived an old, neat small building. She opened the front door and led him into a small averagely furnished boudoir. It seemed she loved purple colour.
The walls were purple; dark and light. Then purple damask flowered curtains.

" This is my home." She said.

" You stay alone?"

" Yes. I used to live with my father who passed away three years ago. My mother died since I was five and I am alone."

She studied him.

" I have a spare room." She said. " But as much as possible, I will like you to remain incognito. The people around love to gossip. If it would have only stopped at calling you my lover, it would have been okay but I suspect that there is something more. Let me prepare food."

" Why do suspect that there is something more? Why are you so curious?"

She took a few steps towards the kitchen, paused and then turned at him.

" Don Vasitto is a millionaire and philanthropist." She said. " He draws a lot of water around here. He is the leader of the Vasitto family. My father knew his father. They were both military men who fought the second world war. Something happened which I would not tell you now. I am yet to know how much you are involved with them.
But I know some secrets which I learnt from my father. Don's father, David Vasitto died about twelve years ago..... he wanted my father dead and my father lived in hiding throughout his last years. He was crippled, bomb blast, and I did everything for him.
The Vasittos are a dangerous family. You were in his private jet, with a woman and infant. That I am sure of because while you were in coma, you used to come out some times and say things. I am the nurse. The doctor is not always around.
You were not only mentioning the woman and the boy.....you also called a man who I know to be a pilot. A trained killer and one of Vasitto's men. The reason for giving you a benefit of doubt is the fact that you were a target from what I deduced. He must have been asked to crash the plane and kill you. That means there is something very important about you that could make Vasitto crash a plane to kill you.
And that means you are of importance to some people. If you were not, Vasitto would only shoot you and nothing would happen. So they tried to make it look like an accident. In the course of your subconscious talks, you said something........my father was never part of this, I am moving out of here, get the fuckin* pilot and take me to the ranch. The Bastions of Ethics will never be happy."

She paused and gave him a searching glance.

" Bastions of Ethics..."she repeated. " My father mentioned it. BOE. And he told me it was a secret word and he never told me the details. He said it was dangerous. He was involved. David Vasitto was involved.....and your father was involved because you mentioned it. I never told the doctor this. I think we can work together. I want to find the reason my father lived in hiding and by doing that, I guess you would find out who you are and why you are here."

Walter frowned.

" BOE." He whispered. " They can't have my son!"

"Your son?"

He raised his face.

"They wanted my son! I have a son! They can't do that to him!"

"Do what?"

He grimaced.

" I don't know. I can't remember. I need to find my son!"

EIGHT


Addy was an impressive, charismatic young man who looked very calm and vain glorious. He was tall with broad Spartan shoulders. His aggressive jaw was square, with hawk nose and protuberant eyes. Heavily built and athletic, he carried himself with ease and splendor, making his movements like a programmed drone.

He lay on an expensive poolside lounger, watching Lori as she enjoyed a swim in the Olympic sized swimming pool of Daralin hotels, one of the most expensive hotels in Abuja where he had a permanent suite and barred swimming pool.
He was delighted to watch her moving her body in the pellucid water, clad in bikini, showing him her youthfulness, and a feeling of satisfaction clouded in him.

That was Lori Jayden, a twenty year old American model. He had a taste for expensive girls, girls that sent upcoming millionaires bankrupt. He met her six months ago in Atlanta and their first date was on a private jet lunch.
Then she accompanied him to an invitation for dinner with a governor of one the states in USA. Somehow, he fell in love with her and suspended most of his girls. She had been in Nigeria for three weeks and he had been organizing parties for her. Such parties were only attended by the children of billionaires and multi-millionaires.

But these other kids respected him because they knew it was not just about money, there was something else about Addy: Power. International power. Addy himself did not know why he had such powers and connections.
What did he care? He was living the life to the fullest.

Lori came out of the pull, and he gawked at her slim shape as she took jaunty and calculated steps, shook water off her blonde hair, used her hands to pack it backwards, then came, kissed him on the lips and lay on the poolside bed next to him, and then drew her bottle of champagne and glass closer. That wine cost two hundred thousand naira.
And she loved it a lot. That was her second bottle for the day. All on him.
But that was nothing to him. He could do anything to keep her. She stretched her long smooth legs, took a sip, then relaxed.

Life was good.

Then he frowned.
The latest discovery bothered him. He could see fear on Dr Abbas's face. The idea that Adnan was alive was scary, not after knowing what was at stake.
The future was bleak with the existence of Adnan. And what would happen if the truth was found?
Oh no! That was unthinkable.
They had to be sure it was him. But something told him it was Adnan.
Uncle Mukhtar's house! That was where he saw him. Doing what there? Okay, it was on Naairah's birthday. He did not go there for the birthday. They were not in his class. He saw Zayyad there too. And Zayyad was feeling like a big boy because his father was a governor. Zayyad was not in his class. He would not even invite him for any of his parties.
He had only gone to see Uncle Mukhtar when he caught sight of him and it seemed the guy who looked like Adnan was trying to hide his face from him.

" What is going on that mind of yours, baby?" Lori said with a coquettish manner. Oh no! He knew when this money and power were no more, she would leave him. He could not bear that. What would happen to his status?

" I am good." He said. " Let me pop some champagne, darling."

As she passed it to him, he swore to kill Adnan if he was found. He was not going to allow Dr Abbas depend on Gajere. He would get involved now. Adnan had to die!

2005

“ Come here!” Saratu shouted.

Ameena walked back to the older lady and stood expectantly.

“ Why are you always wearing a veil? Don’t you see how we dress? From which village were you brought?”

Ameena said nothing.

“ Talk to me. You act as if we too are not Muslims. Always reciting the Qur’an, praying and covering your body. Munafiqa(hypocrite)! We know your types. Remove that veil!”

“ But I don’t feel comfortable dressing the way you people dress in public.” Ameena said.

“ Oh!” Another girl, Lubabatu exclaimed. “ So this house is a public place, right?”

“ I don’t mean it that way. But men do come in here and …..”

“Shut up!” Saratu shouted.

“ Men! You are scared of men. Well, I don’t blame you. This is your second month and you have not been baptized. Very soon, you would be the one flaunting…” she started swaying her hips, pushing her buttocks backwards and her chest forward, “ you will be begging with your eyes for attention because babes must what?”

“ Live large.” The other girls answered and they clapped.

“ I can’t wait to leave this country ni kam.” Said Lubabatu. “ By the time I come back and start cruising Hummer enh!”

“ I said pull off that veil!”Lubabatu said, “ and you would learn how to cat walk today. You have a nice shape and you must flaunt it. That is your asset, your power to rule over men, control them and make them bow. That is your capital, girl. Wake up.”

Ameena was sick of this! This was not what she bargained for. She never wanted any of this. But she felt it was better than living with her horrible aunty. At least living abroad, working and schooling would help her and plan to help her siblings.
But she was having a second thought. She did not like the setting. From Hajiya Binta to her girls. Why did Gogo Uwale decide to take her through this? Oh. How could she handle this for the next four months?

“ I am sorry, I can’t.” she said almost in tears.

Saratu jerked her, and Lubabatu tried to pull off the veil. She struggled, begging them to leave her alone.

“ Stop it!”

Everybody went silent and calm. That was the voice of the queen. Most of them were stubborn girls but when it came to Jezebel, they mellowed.
She stood by the door, a big wrap of hasheesh between her fingers.

“ Come with me, Ameena.”

Sobbing, the girl followed her. She took her to her living room.

“ Have you ever done it?” she asked her.

Ameena bowed her head.

“ Done what?”

“ That thing girls do with a man.”

“ I have never been married.” She replied feeling embarrassed.

Jezebel chuckled then busrt into laughter.

“ Jib did you hear that?”

Jib exhaled a thick cloud of smoke then grinned.

“ Yarinya ce(she id a little girl) .”

“ A’ina? When I was like her, boy, I knew what’s up.” She said proudly. “ She is fifteen.”

Ameena still had her head bowed. She was sick of this.

“ You will get married someday but you are here for a purpose. You are here to make money…..and school. You are too naïve for my liking. I don’t know why I accepted you. Was it your beauty? But it is sometimes like that from the start. Jib, you remember when Lami first came?”

Jib nodded.

“She would cry when we ask her to meet a man but today……even me dey fear that girl. Phew!” she regarded Ameena, “ You are going to that room with Jib. You need to be babtised.”

Ameena did not know what they meant by baptism. She only knew what it meant as used by Christians. But asking her to go into a room with Jib or whatever he was called was sticky.

“ To do what?”

“Are you asking me?” That was the scariest voice Ameena had ever heard. The intensity of the voice hit her brain and stomach. She was now quivering and her eyes full of tears.

“ Please, I want to go home. I don’t want to go abroad again.”

“ You are wrong there girl. The woman who brought you knew what she was doing. Jib! Go and baptize her.”

“Please, Hajiya! I don’t want to do this!”

“ I swear nothing will make me change my mind. And if you piss me off, I will show you the other side of me.”

She was now crying. Jib was happy. He had been eyeing her since she came. She was one of the not beautiful girls there and fresh. He had fantasized and it seemed his dreams would come true today.

“ Please this can’t happen.”

Amaar who had been sitting in silence said. He had been boiling inside, feeling his hands clenched in anger.

“ What did you say?”

“ This should not happen.” He said sternly.

Jezebel loved it when he was like this. She wished he was as spoilt as she wanted. He never smoked, drank or took drugs. He never had women. Tessy said nothing happened between them and the stupid girl started falling in love with him.
Amaar had stopped seeing her. She would spoil him, get him dirty because he had the potential of been a rugged fearless soldier and his handsomeness was a big advantage to business.

Then the idea dropped into her evil mind.

“ It must happen Amaar and there is only one option….”she looked into his eyes, “ If Jib would not have her, then you would have her and that means….through out the night. She is a virgo intacta and I want her really drilled. You know me Amaar, if you don’t do it, I swear nothing would stop Jib from doing it.”

Ameena was crying. No doubt she was going to be raped. Suicide? No! That was straight way to hell. This devil was not going to change her mind. She had noticed how Amaar had been looking at her, and trying to get closer but she had been pushing away with taciturnity and lackadaisical approach . She did not want to get close to anyone there.

She felt there was no single responsible person there. But he seemed to be a better devil. He never mixed with the rest, or give attention to the girls that try to talk to him. He seemed to be disgusted with them. But why was he with them?

“ I will do it.” Amaar finally said and turned and started walking out. Ameena began to follow him, still crying to the room set for them.

“ I will check.” Jezebel said after them. “ No tricks.”

They entered the room and the door closed and a clicking sound told them the door was locked. That was the day Jib began to hate Amaar.

“ So, what's next?” she asked.

“ I need to move my things to safe place.”

“Where ?”

He kept quiet.

“ I will figure it out.”

“ I can give you some amount of money to stay in a hotel for at least one week before we sort things out and get you a permanent place.”

“ Yeah but…..”

“Please don’t go there. I understand your ego and I know a lot of ladies who help men later turn out to say things like ‘I took you out of the gutter, I did this and that,’ at the slightest provocation but this is different. I will never do that. You did not ask for it. I offered. We are meant to lean on each other, help each other when in need.
Please let me have the honour of being there for you. I just want to help and I consider it a privilege.”

“ Do you know my problem with you?”

“ No?”

“ You are too sugary.”

She blushed.

“Thank you.” She said. “ And I loved the way you put the cap on him and guess the crazy thing I did..’

“What?’

“I got the picture on my phone.”

They laughed.

“ About the marriage, did you really say yes or that was just to piss him off?” He asked.

“ Now you will be the one to piss me off if you ever think that was a joke.”

He kept quiet.

“ I told your father that I could not remember the people who adopted me.”

“Yes. And I wish you did. You could reconcile and let them stand for you.”

“ I do remember them.”

“What?”

“I saw his son, who bore the same name with me in your house one day.”

“Addy?”

“ Yes?”

“He is my cousin.”

“ What?”

“ He is the son to Dr Abbas, my father’s elder brother. Wait! Ya Salam! You mean you were with them? Adnan Abbas. Is that the Abbas you bear?” Then something nudged her brain. “ The mark! I told you I have seen it before! Addy has the mark. Same point, same mark.”
Damn! Adnan now remembered some strange things that happened when they were kids.

“ They must not know that I am alive.”

She was forced to stop the car abruptly.

“ What is going on? It is getting spooky.”

“ I was young but I noticed some things. I cannot figure it out but they would not be happy to find me alive.”

A blue car drove past them. Gajere was at the passenger’s side door.

“Move on.” He told the driver. “ They might get suspicious.”




" Tell me more about Addy." Adnan said as he arranged his laptops in a wardrobe of the hotel he just checked into.

Naairah was sitting on a chair, playing a game with her phone.

" What do I know about him? Addy has always been a mystery. Okay, we were based in Lagos when I was a kid but their father came back from Bolivia and based here in Abuja. I never met Addy until I was eleven and he was twelve. He had always been taken so special by his parents. I guess that is why I never met you.
The father is stupendously rich and Addy attended all his schools abroad. He never schooled in Nigeria. A grade school kid in America. And he never really mixed up with kids. His siblings were normal kids but he was not.
But when we met, we used to play and his father would call him. He had a personal playground which was like an amusement park. It was during those times I saw the mark. So I know little about him and being the person I grew up to be, I never cared to give him a second look.
He bought a car worth two hundred million naira for his eighteenth birthday, brought in Raymond G from US to perform along with Di Crystals.

So he got this class that makes him feel on top of the world. And his father was the one who raised my dad. I was told that things were rough for us. My elder brothers told me how they would 'smoke' garri thrice a day. So Abba has a lot of respect for him. Addy is currently in Nigeria but travels out frequently. I don't know what to say more."

Adnan closed the door to the wardrobe, standing with hands akimbo, he smiled.

" You have said enough." He said.

" So why do you think they would not want you to be alive?"

" I just feel there is a form of impersonation in play." He said. " But I can't figure it out now. As a kid, they used to collect my blood yearly, and some part of my hair. A white man used to do this. I dared not ask why. But as I grew older, I became more inquisitive.
It was the first time I heard the word DNA and that single word led me to science world. I was eight years old then. One day, after collecting my blood, I hid and heard them talking about sending Dr Abbas' blood too.
Then they called Addy in, induce my blood into his arm. I don't know how they did it then. It was later I realized it was a trick. The induced blood would be at a trapped vein which they used some tubes to trap, then they shot a video of them collecting his blood whereas it was my blood they were collecting.
They were sending my DNA somewhere. And they would also send DR Abbas'. I just can't figure it out."

Naairah frowned.

" This is spooky."

" Many things about my life is." He said. Adnan believed that Dr Abbas was trying to make whoever he was sending it to believe Addy was him. And if he sent his, could it be that Dr Abbas Was his father? If that was true, then Naairah was his cousin and her father his uncle! No! He took the thought out of his mind. There had to be an explanation.

" I guess Abba does not know this."

" I don't think so but the first time I saw him, I knew the face was familiar then it added up the day I saw Addy. But he would never recognise me. He rarely visited the house then and any time he came, he went into Dr Abbas' chamber and I dared not go close to that place."

Naairah was silent for a while.

" I always felt something strange about Addy. He was just not a normal kid and I wonder how he made so much money though his father is rich. I mean rich and he made Zayyad's father a governor. He is politically strong. All he did was to flick a finger and Abba was a strong man in the government."

" What was he doing in Bolivia?"

She shrugged.

" I don't know. He was in America before we went to Bolivia." She said. " I was not born when he was in USA. They said he came back one year before my birth."

Adnan thought of what Bash told him. Some conflicted with what he heard now while some correlated. There seemed to be a lot of mysteries and he was bent on finding out. He had to know who he was.
Adnan thought for a few seconds and then went into the wardrobe and brought out a PDA.

" This is the peak of my trust for you, Miss Sunshine." He said as he handed it to her. It was an Apple product. " I am going to teach you something. Something I have never trusted anyone with. But you must promise me that if......if anything happens to me, you will destroy it. Burn it because if this goes into the wrong hands, there would be turmoil in the world."

She frowned.

" Now, I am confused."

" It is confusing and do not bother asking about technicalities." He said. " I will only teach you its application and how to use it. You will be the only one, apart from me who knows about this." He put on the PDA.

It looked so ordinary to Naairah. The applications were conventional.

" Look at this." He said.

" What?"

" Can you see this dot?"

She looked closely.

" Yes."

" That is an icon."

"What?"

" That is an application that I would not sell for one hundred billion dollars. If it falls into the wrong hands, like I said, the upheaval and atrocity that will follow will be extremely destructive. I have not been using it myself. It was what led me to the micro-chip era.
Only I can control it. That is why I said if anything should happen to me, burn this PDA." He said. " That PDA is customised. I upgraded it and changed some devices. It has a RAM of 1000GB. The speed is supersonic. You can download thousands of movies within seconds. I don't use it for movies. It is far deeper than you can imagine.
I will not bore you with technicalities. I have a mini of it on me. I will teach you how to use this. I think it will be important. I am dealing with some people I don't trust but I have decided to play along.....cause they have some answers to some of my questions. I must find out who I am. Please do not ask me of details.
Knowing will not be healthy for you. I don't want to get you in trouble. Getting my crazy ideas to this level took almost all of my time and resources. See why you see me with crazy textbooks and numerous laptops with a maverick nature.
Please never have a best friend you will tell this. This is like handling my life to you. And there are codes, and biometric measures needed to use the app. Only you can use it."

She sighed. This guy was more enigmatic than she had anticipated. Who could have thought that the bread seller and 'maigadi' was an ICT wizkid?

" I don't get the part of if you are no more...... what are you keeping? Don't tell me you will die on me.....are you in trouble? Are you expecting your death?"

Before he could explain, she broke into tears.

He had never dreamt of having someone who would miss him when he was gone so he did not care much. Now, as he saw the fear and care on her, he felt tears in his eyes. He had a life now and he wanted to live it. He wanted to be there for her.

" No, Miss Sunshine." He said. " I am just nineteen. We will get married on 10th of March, four years from now, insha Allah. Mark that."

The words which he said with seriousness and consolation made her glance at him. Amid tears, she blushed and smugly smiled as she wiped off tears.




Gajere was sitting in a car outside the hotel.

" I think he has settled in." he said. " We will find out tonight, sir, if he has the mark or not."

It was lunch break, Naairah walked gorgeously and men stared tantalizingly at her. There was a time that it meant everything to her but not anymore. She appreciated being admired and making her feel attractive was good. At least every woman did want that but she was beginning to have a different perspective.
She saw him sitting alone on a chair, sequestered from the workers who were eating around the canteens. Naairah saw a guy split bread into two, then poured zobo juice and groundnut in the middle part then munched.

What!

Another held the bread, and then compressed it until it became so dense and looked very small. He had dan-wake by his side and a palatable meal was in place. Naairah realised that this was a place where bread was taken in various styles.
The men began to gawk at her.

Whoa!
What a chic.

“ My guy,” one of them said to his friend in a low tone, “ this kind girl dey mess ( do such a girl fart)?”

“ How fine girl go mess ( how can such a pretty girl fart)?” his friend replied.

“She go mess only when she chop bread.( She would only fart when she eats bread)” A third guy said sarcastically. “ Idiots.”

“ O boy, money good o ( oh boy, money is good). I hear say na the new oga get am( I heard she belongs to our new boss).” The first guy said. “ Dem say na SWEEP she come sweep ( They said she came to sweep). Which kind subject be that for ogba( What kind of subject is that in the university)? Wey fine girl go come sweep ( making a beautiful girl to come and sweep)?

The two other guys laughed.

“ Chai! Ado, you no go kill me( Damn! Ado, you will not kill me).” The second guy said. “ No be SWEEP na SWEP(It's not SWEEP but SWEP). I no know the full meaning but e be like say na workshop something something wey them they do for university JSS2( I don’t know its full meaning but it has something to do with workshop which is usually done in university JSS2)”

“Which one be university JSS 2 again( What is university JSS2)?” the third guy asked. “ 200 level.”

“Thank you.” Said the second guy. “ But I remember, the time wey we live near Ekpoma, mostly na for school them dey do am (But I remember, the time we lived near the university of Ekpoma, it was mostly carried out in school.) .”

“ I for say o.” Ado said. “ O boy, see belewu! E be like say she dey measure her steps, you no se say e dey equal? “

“If you like no chop your bread, sit down dey look something wey pass poor man power.” Said the third guy.

“ Wetin she dey find here nah?” Ado asked, all of his attention on her. “ Wait o, nah Adnan place she come o”

“ Na lie.” Said the second guy.”

“ Maybe e want send am. Adnan don become messenger nah.” Said the third guy.

“ Chai! Person wey we dey say don promote go distributor come back to messenger with uniform wey be like Captain Kolo own.”

They burst into laughter.

She went straight and sat next to him. The way she looked at him, and the smile that radiated from her eyes was an epitome of love and affection.
The men there were more than shocked.

“ I have been looking for you.” She said.

“ It was lunch time and we usually have lunch here.”

“ But you are not eating.”

“ I had a swell breakfast…..”

“ That is not true Ya Hayati.”

The way she pronounced the name was so sensuous, infectious; compassionate which made Adnan felt a swirl of love that erupted like a blizzard, so powerful it could clear all obstacles.

“ I know you are perturbed.” She said. “ Don’t let Zayyad’s childishness get over you. The more they try to take me away from you, the more I feel more attracted to you. If you feel so bad, you can resign. I will find something to keep you going.”
Adnan looked at her, and his eyes expressed brio, affection, sensitivity and glamour. She loved him more than she could imagine. There was no man she had ever felt this for and she was scared she would never again. She prayed that he should be the one that she would call hers.

“ I cannot resign now. You are still a student and all you get is from Abba. I don’t want to live on that. Zayyad is bent on destroying me. I lost my night job..”

“What?”

“ Yes. Some materials were stolen and I was summoned. It had never happened and I was accused. The manager wanted to get me arrested so Zayyad moved in. How did he know? He promised to pay for what was lost and he paid.
I was now homeless. He took me to a house, and asked me to clear a room where I could stay. It was used as a poultry. I have no savings. I just finished paying my debts so I had to swallow my pride. I swept the room, washed it and moved in.
He also made his father buy this place just to get at me. He sacked me before given me an offer of messenger. I never told you because you would be disturbed. Now , he feels I am completely under him.
But there is something he does not know. I got that place wired and automated. I saw them stealing the things. Zayyad organized it. I have it on record. I could have electrocuted them if I wish. That is how I have been guarding that place. Anything weighing more than two kilogram cannot go there without my PDA notifying me and I can control it from a distance of three hundred kilometres.”

“ What? How? Wait, Why did you let them go away?”

“ Because there will be questions. How did I do it and I have secrets. I have a past. It was a period I called the micro-chip era. It will not be healthy for you to know the details. I have something that if it gets into the wrong hands, there will be disaster. It was also destroying me so I let it lie low. I have never told anyone this. I trust you, totally. So I let Zayyad fool himself. I will hang on for a while.

Miss Sunshine, even when I try to leave, go far away from you, scared that if you are given to someone else I would be annihilated, hoping to forget you and move on, not because I want to, because I have to. I see a wall in-between us, unbreakable, impenetrable, inscrutable, and I fear what will happen if you are made to leave me.
But now my heart is ebulliently filled with zestful love which I find so indestructible, unshakable, undeniable, and indubitably spread out for you and just for you. This love for you that I feel inside me can destroy that wall. I am not scared anymore. I am going to fight for you. We have to fight for what we want and Allah will be our helper, insha Allah. I love you, Miss Sunshine”

She was speechless for a few seconds, trying to register his words which were just stimulating inside of her, along with a sweet sensation, and invigorating wave which merged to make her heart so sacchariferous.

“ I don’t care about your past. We all have past mistakes. What really matters is the present and future. And deep down I trust and love you. Whatever it is, I want you to know that I will always be there for you. I am willing to be there whenever you need me.”

“ I know this sounds crazy but….okay, I know we are so young and I am not in the right position to ask this but…..” he hesitated, “ I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Can you marry me or…..will you marry me?”

The time was here.

She covered her face in shame, with a smile. She was trying to say something when a voice interrupted.

“Messenger!”Zayyad called and his jaw clenched. His heart rate increased and he felt hit internally. He was finding hard it to control himself. The manner at which they sat, the expression on their faces showed a serene lovely moment of two people madly in love.

Adnan looked up shocked.
Ado pointed his mouth.

“ O boy!” he whispered. “ E be like say na action film we dey watch here. Na dis part wey you go hear ghen ghen! Ghen ghen ghen ghen!”

“ Adnan don enter gbege.” Said the second guy “ the girl go enter him senses now.”

“ E be like say Adnan and the chico don sabi each other like tey tey. The kind munye munye wey dem dey do no get part two. E be like say na Leonardo Caprison( Leonardo DiCaprio) and Kate Henshaw ( Kate Winslet) dem be. Then oga na Cal Hockey ( Cal Hockley portrayed by Billy Zane).”

The second guy chuckled.

“ E’e na Leonardo Bobo and Mercy Johnson no be only Kate Henshaw.”

Adnan looked at Zayyad . Why must he come at this moment? What was wrong with this guy?

“ Sir?” Adnan replied. “

“ I need you to go and wash my car. I want to go out.”

“ It is lunch break time, sir and washing of cars is not part of my duties.”

“Ghen ghen.” Ado said excitedly but making sure he was talking low.

“ What? Did you just say that to me?”

“ Have I said anything wrong, sir? I am a company messenger not a personal house help.”

“ But I own the company you idiot! How dare you talk back at me you street tout!”

“ I know your father bought the company.”

“At least I have a father who can buy this for me!”

“ Zayyad what is wrong with you?” Naairah cut in. “ You are acting rather childish. Can’t you see that you are ridiculing yourself? If you made Abba work my SWEP here in other to humiliate him, or get me closer to you, then you have failed because you end up humiliating yourself.
He is not your personal cleaner and this is lunch time and we need to be together. Can you please leave us alone?”

“ Kpakam!” Ado exclaimed. “I no dey wey e happen!”

Naairah turned at Adnan.

“ Yes, I will marry you my Adnan.”

Adnan smiled.

What ? Zayyad could not take it anymore. He was boiling. He took quick steps and went to where they sat.

“ You idiot, I saved your ass from the people you stole from! I gave you a job and a home!”

He raised his hand attempted to slap Adnan who quickly blocked him and pushed him.

“ I respected her brothers and never fought back.” He said. “ I don’t think I will do the same with you.”

“Are you trying to fight me? “ Zayyad asked.

“ What is wrong with you? I can’t believe you are like this!” Naairah said.

Adnan removed the shapeless cap and placed it on Zayyad’s head.

“ Have your cap! I am out of here, Damn your job. And I will leave the chicken cage you put me.” He said, even though he had nowhere else to go but he could not take it anymore. It would not be his first time of being homeless. “ And mind you, I know you and your thugs moved those items. You were dressed in brown top and white chinos. I can tell you how you did it in details. I got it on tape. That place is wired so be careful how you rant.”

“ What?”

“It is a shame, Zayyad.” Naairah said. “ I guess I am out of here. I am not doing any SWEP here. I am going to do it in school. Have a nice day.”

She turned at Adnan. “ Please let’s go, Hayati…..my future husband insha Allah.”

They left him standing there.

He picked his phone and began to dial a number. Alhaji Mukhtar must hear this but…..did Adnan just say he has the moving of things on tape? He had correctly described the scene. Okay, he had to play it more tactically. He ended the call.

God! This just happened in the presence of his members of staff.

Naairah and Adnan left in her car after he carried his belongings.

Gajere sat near a tree and lit a stick of cigarette.

" Good morning doctor."

"Morning. What did you find?"

" I followed the girl and she led me to a confectionery. I am afraid the girl is your niece."

"What girl?"

"My lead to the boy. I told you about a family that knows him."

" Hmmm...."

" The boy works there. I think it is going to be easy."

"How?"

" Alhaji Ibrahim Tofa bought the place for his son, Zayyad. It would be easy to plant someone."

" They must not know what we are into." He said. " Just keep the boy on watch. I just want to be sure he has that mark."

" I will doctor." He said. " Have you talked to Addy."

" Yes. " Said Dr Abbas. " He is in the loop."

"Very good, sir. Bolivia is a long time from now."

" Now shut up!"

" I will shut up. It is part of my duty." Gajere said. " I think I have an idea....."

Walter closed his eyes and felt as if he was falling from the sky, he could hear sound of wind, roaring engine, woman screaming and he was holding on to something or...someone.
He opened his eyes and looked at the debris again.
Aadila fell into the ocean, he was almost certain. Who was Aadila? He knew the name and she was there but why?

Parachute.

Pilot.

Let him go! Let him go!

He frowned.

There was a boy, an infant with him. What happened to the boy?
He rummaged through the debris but found nothing substantial. He checked again, trying Hard to remember something, just to give him a clue of his identity. Then he saw a small bag. He picked it, opened it and saw a small cradle.
The cradle sparked up some images in his head.
He could see a woman holding an infant, and the infant was crying, and a man was with her, smiling and then kissed her.
He looked at his reflection on a fallen glass. Was he the man with the woman?
Was that Aadila? What happened to the boy?

Hold on to me! I have him! I have the boy!

Aadilaaaaaaaa!!!

She fell into the ocean.

Then the boy?

The pilot jumped off with the boy. A boy in a cradle.

But he could not remember where they took off from or how he came into this country. Where were they going to? This was a private jet.
He remembered mentioning private plane to Dr Mark. That was before he saw this.
He carried the bag and put the EBM inside. There was nothing more to find. He could not remember what the EBM was used for but he knew it. He had subconsciously used a code to open it and something told him that the code was very private and important.
He walked down the slope and headed towards the ocean. Unknown to him, the bald headed man and Maya were on their way to Bolivia.

She wished she could run and embrace him. She felt alive when she was with him. He made her felt secured and served as a light in the darkest part of her life. His visage was hope to her, his smile was healing, his voice was food and she wondered what his touch would feel like…...when they got married.

Married?
She felt that sharp pain in her heart again. Was getting married to Fahad not just a fantasy, wasn't it too good to be real, would her terrible uncles agree?
Ya Jabar (O Lord), help me, help us and save my life.

" Hey, my love." He said softly.

" Hi, my ...." She turned away, “my love”

" I missed you."

She raised her eyebrow.

“We just parted when I left to cook.”

"That was like two hours ago." He said, " Do you know what staying two hours without seeing you means?"

" It's like been pricked with a sharp pin, and hope you know I miss you more."

"I love you, Leema."

For the first time, she looked straight into his eyes and said, " I love you , Bappy."

" So you know how to play lob?" Hande's deadly voice shook her. " So it is true. Kai, Halimatu, you know how to say miss you, lob you and eben call him lob name."

He came out of the thick grass and his eyes scared her. The funny, soft eyes were now a mask of horror. She had never seen him like this. He was holding a stick and machete. Then three of his friends appeared, all holding machetes. She knew what they could do, their sight sent a shiver through her. No doubt they were intending to kill Fahad.

" Hande please don't touch him.” She began to cry

" You have increase the criminal (crime). You are trying to showed me that you lob him, ko?" He turned at his thugs." Barimo! Barimo!!(Kill him! Kill him"

Fahad looked terrified as they made a rush to attack him with machetes. Halima screamed for help and wrapped her hands round Fahad. It was better she died with him, but one of them pulled her and she saw him raise his machete to strike Fahad.....My Fahad, Oh no!




Immediately Hande forcefully pulled her away from Fahad’s body, Fahad saw a machete travelling with force towards his face. It was intended to split his head.
He saw death as close as his skin. He made a swift move of his body and Hande narrowly missed. Fahad could not face these armed wild guys. The short swarthy one sent his machete and Fahad knew he could not dodge this time around. So, this was it, sending him to quietus. He closed his eyes, expecting a broken skull.

A crashing sound!

Fahad opened his eyes just to see the jamming of two metals that produced a sharp sound. Another machete from nowhere had thwarted his killer's .

Boop!

A stick hit the swarthy guy on the back. He jumped back and the four of them regrouped, glaring at the three guys that came to save Fahad. Halima was still crying, struggling to come to Fahad. She now ran to him and held him crying. Halima holding him? She had never made the mistake of letting her body to touch his.

Hande looked surprised.

" Salim? You is fight us because of this kado (outsider)?"

Salim, Halima's twin brother, was panting and puffing with a grim face. He held a machete with one hand and a stick with the other just like his two friends.

" Why do you want to kill him? What crime did he commit?” He barked. His two friends stood alert, waiting to strike .

" Crime? Which criminal is big more pass a kado coming to strangulate my wife?"

"She is not your wife!"

" Salim!" Hande said in astonishment.

" Did you hear her shouting for help when you saw them? Did you see her tarciturn like she does when with you? What part of she-does-not-love-you you can’t be quick witted enough to understand? Why do you guys have to destroy her happiness? I think I am going to rebel. To hell with the uncles. It's enough! We were robbed off our inheritance, stopped from schooling and now my sister is going to be subjected to eternal melancholy. Sam!"

Hande kicked the air.

" Wara shit! Salim, you is pakin (Fu..k.n) with me. Nobody is pakin with Crem Dabis and sleep well. Your ankles is been collecting money from us for years and you say is melancholy. What is melancholy? Kai, I don eben want to know but no melancholy is chopping my money and go scot-free. If she like am or not like am, me Crem Dabis Seven Days alias Lagos Wizzy is going to marriage her. This one, how many cows his father get? He no get anything but you like am give am Halima, Pak! Pak you, Salim! Pak all your family!

He left angrily with his thugs .

Fahad sighed. That was close. He just dined with death. Phew! These guys could be brutal and pugnacious.
Salim said he was told by an acquaintance that Hande was setting a trap and he vowed to kill Fahad. Fahad thanked Salim and his friends. He also asked them to meet him at the hotel first thing in the morning. He called his bike man, asked him to come down. The bike man met them on the way to her grandfather’s house.

He was a native so he knew all the nooks and crannies. Just before they got to the house, Fahad told Halima to excuse him for twenty minutes. She protested but he promised on coming back soon. He asked the man to take him to the hotel. He went and changed his clothes.
He met Halima waiting for him under a tree in front of the house. There were only three huts in the middle of grasses and trees. The fence was made of dried sticks tied with ropes.

" I am sorry." She apologised." That was Hande.."

" You don't need to feel sorry." He said.." You are too expensive to be gotten without troubles and risk. This is just part of the small price."

" You are trying to ameliorate it. They nearly killed you."

" I am not pusillanimous. I need you to pretend it never happened."

She nodded.

" I owe Salim. He is a hero." He said.

" He just got himself into trouble with my uncles. Hande is going to tell them. But he is stubborn and blunt. "

" I can't wait to get you guys out of here."

He saw fear on her face but she tried to hide it.

" Let's go in. My grandfather is dying to meet you."

She led him to a big, round hut at the center of the compound. They had to bend down before they could enter because the door was just a little above four feet high. The old man sat down impressively on a bamboo bed, holding a locally made hand fan. He seemed to be a very neat man. Everything seemed to be in place. There was a claypot at a corner which served as a refrigerator.

NINE

Halima hurriedly put six wraps of tuwon dawa ( guinea-corn meal) into the food flask, poured miyan kube'wa ( okra soup) stashed with fish and well cooked meat into a flask. She put everything in a polythene bag and then placed it by the door. She looked round her rounded hut in search of her earpiece.

The hut was built with mud and the roof was thatched. At a corner was a bamboo bed on which she put a small flat mattress, a pillow and bed cover. In a small metal box were her few clothes, and three pairs of shoes juxtaposition on the floor.
She hated the bare mud wall, so she used white plain sheets of paper with pap serving as adhesive to make a wallpaper. The same paper served as ceiling, giving the room a beautiful white color. The bare floor was covered with straw mat which she made herself and made sure it was colourful.

She looked at the small mirror again, satisfied, she brought out her i-phone7 and gave herself a snap. Fahad called it selfie. She took another shot, this time pushing her lips forward to form an 'o'. Pouting? Well, that was how she saw most of her new friends on Facebook, Instagram and other social networks snapping.
She quickly posted it and before she left the room, she started getting barrages of likes and comments. Meeting Fahad was like going through a door which led to a land of honey.

Fahad was sweet. So sweet she feared it was not real. He was caring, loving, romantic, humorous, and everything good. She used to hate grazing, being alone in the hummocks, under harsh conditions, having no one to talk to, just cows as companions and what did she get for it? Food and clothes during festive peroiods.

Her uncles were wicked. They wasted her father's wealth, lavished the money and made her a slave. She was treated differently from other children. Joro once asked her to run away, but she refused. Run to where? Many girls had done this and ended in prostitution and drugs.
She kept praying, hoping that someday something will pop up and give her life a lift. She thought Fahad was an answered prayer. He treated her like a queen. They reared cattle together but it was more of fun than work. He would come with delicious cuisines, snacks, drinks and they will eat, drink and enjoy. But he always insisted on having fura da nono which she always prepared for him.
In the past, she used to go into her hut after Ishaa (night) prayers and lay on the bed brooding for hours before she slept. It was so boring and dolorous.
Sometimes her so-called fiance came to visit. She would be forced to attend to him. He would bore her to death then leave her in a fit of pique. But now, she would lock herself and bring out her phone and chat with the love of her life, or go on Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, or watch movies.

She saw the world from her bed. And it was a world indeed. The social media had it all: the men of God, the idiosyncratic users, girls that went unclad and post nude pictures, people out there just to do business, name it-it was there. So the choice was yours. She nearly fainted the day her brother, who happened to be her only biological brother, saw her i-phone. He had screamed and told her how expensive it was. She told him everything about Fahad, and showed him all the three phones. He went raptures about it. Fahad had employed someone to make sure she never lacked charge because they had no electric power. When she told Fahad about her brother, who happened to be some minutes older than her, he got him an i-phone too. It seemed Fahad was richer than he claimed.

She carried the polythene bag and left her hut, locked the door and then walked out of the large compound. The compound had over sixty huts. It was a family hamlet. Her grandfather had twenty two children out of which eleven were male. Two died, including her father, four left the village, while the remaining lived in the hamlet with their wives.
Immediately she got out of the compound, she felt her hackles rise as she saw Hande waiting for her. Subahanallah !Why now?

Hande was twenty three years old, four years older than her. He was lanky, and good looking with brown eyes and very curly dark hair. His father was a local chief and had a big ranch. This was the guy she was betrothed to since she was four. He wore tight light green shirt over purple slim pants and had a big chain round his neck. His eyes were behind dark sun glasses. A radio hung over his shoulder. He spent three years in Lagos after she left her job as a maid. He said his mission was to go and learn how to speak English because she now spoke good English.

After he returned, he stopped speaking fulfude to her but insisted on impressing her with his English. He also said he hung out with the biggest boys in Lagos so he was now sophisticated. This was the incipience of his megalomaniac syndrome.

" Uhuhu! See my bek." He started. By bek he meant babe. " I knows you is exposing outside now to import foods to your grafada (grand father), nigga."

He smiled, resting a hand on his radio and flaunting his odd colored clothes.

" I think I am company you to your grafada house. "

" I don't think I need company. You cannot accompany me."

He laughed lightly.

" Bek, bek, why are you still behave like a bilej ( Village) bek? In Lagos, When a boy and a girl are strangulating ( in a love affair)......"

That was one of his characteristics: trying to impress her with big words he did not know how to use.

".....they hold hands and kissing, but you , eberything is Islam, Islam, no touch, no kiss. Haba! " He flashed his wristwatch so she could see. " I knows you lob (love) me bery (very) bery well but you are shame. Why? Shit! Wara damn! Nigga"

Sometimes he amused her because of his comedy. He was trying to behave like the American hip hop stars he saw on TV.

" I want us to marriage. You is always sick when the day of our marriage strangulation is fix. This time, my faza (father) say no cancel, Arado (I swear)"

She felt a bang in her head as she skipped a heartbeat.

" Have they fixed the date?" She asked.

He smiled.

" For the fisrt time you is show happy. I knows you lob me but we Fulani is so shame. I see your ankle (uncle) and my faza talk am but me is not know the date. You know is our parents who is fix it and don't told us."

" I have to go." She said.

Some boys were passing by, they saw Hande and hailed, " Crem debis! Crem Debis!"
He laughed, raising both fingers in the air, and kicked the air." Yo, yo, yo, my niggaz. Wazap men"

" Cool am, cool am" One of the guys said, raising his fingers in the air.

" Kai, Jibo, you looking delicious." Hande said.

" Sank you, sank you, Crem Debis."

It was of recent she came to realize Crem Debis was actually Craig David who was his favorite artiste.

" Kai, if we marriage, I will took you to Lagos and see things. I will took you to Mr beans (Mr Biggs) and Choprice (Shoprite) to chop ass-cream...."

“Ass cream?"

"You don't know it? It is ass in rubber with small spoon and sweet.”

He meant ice cream.

" I have to go. You know Baffa would be waiting for his dinner."

" I say let me go..."

" I don't want you to come with me."

Then he made a face and she knew what was coming next. Oh my God, he is going to sing for me.

" Monday.." He started," wiki wiki wiki Tuesday, meri meri meri lob on Wednesday ana Thursday, Friday sartuday achili an Sunday...amaka maka Monday, wiki wiki wiki on Tuesday, meri meri meri lob on Wednesday, ana Thursday Friday sartuday achil an Sunday."

He laughed proudly.

" That is the music of Crem Dabis, is call seben days."

She began to walk away.

" I will see you, Hande." She said and walked away quickly.

“I lob you bek." He said after her. She walked quickly through the narrow foot path that led to her grandfather's new home. He was the founder of the hamlet but left due to the troubles of her uncles.

After a ten minute walk she paused, removed her phone and dialled.

"I can see you, my love." Fahad's voice emerged."Look beside you."

Her heart melted as she saw him walk towards her. She had been telling her grandfather about him and he was going to meet him. Only her grandfather and brother, Salim knew about him.

SEVEN

" What a coincidence!" Nadia said over the phone. "You are going for SWEP (Student Work Experience Program) in their place?"

"I was seriously surprised."

" I guess Abba does not know Adnan works there, he could have made them change it."

" I pray he never knows." She said. " At least I will get a glimpse of him daily."

" Are you saying he has stopped talking to you?"

" No but....he does not come to my house anymore. Not after what they did to him. And I can't go to his house."

" Naairah dear, you are so in love."

"You can say that over and over and over again my dear."

They chuckled.

" So now you have gotten the chance to see more of him."

" Yeah, even though he is a distributor and rarely stays around. But I will be glad to see him even if it for a minute."

" Are you sure about this?"

" About what?"

"Falling in love with someone and there seems to be no future between you."

" I don't know."

"The more you fall in love, the more it becomes more difficult to pull out. Can't we face reality?"

" That is reality dear. I love him and I can't just stop.....even Mama Loves him. She has not officially given me a green light but I know it. I don't want to pull out Nadia."

" I am not asking you to pull out. I am just scared of what will happen if Abba decides to marry you off to someone else."

" He won't force anyone on me."

" Yes but he can stop you from marrying the person you want."

" Till then."

" Okay dearie, what if Abba agrees that you should get married to Adnan, have you considered his financial status? How can he take care of you
with distribution of bread?"

" He is entitled to two loafs of bread daily so we would survive."

They laughed.

"You are making a joke out of it." Nadia said.

" Okay, I don't care. Adnan is not a lazy type. We will survive besides he is just nineteen and I am eighteen. We are not getting married tomorrow. He still has the chance to grow."

" Grow without education?"

" He has a GCE certificate and can still further his education, besides, what matters most is achieving your goals. MarK Zuckerberg started Facebook in the dormitory in Harvard. Facebook was originally meant for Harvard Students. When it expanded and its popularity exploded, he packed up his bags and relocated to Palo Alto, California, forever leaving behind Harvard.
He is the fifth richest person in the world today and very young. Tom Hanks also dropped out, same as Harrison Ford, Tiger Woods. Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard just two years after entry and became the richest man in the world. And you dare not call them illiterates.
It is not everyone that is bent on using certificate to make it. Get the knowledge. I am not saying we should not go to school or having a certificate is not important but don't write off someone who has no certificate or consider him a failure.
So if anyone thinks Adnan, my Adnan is a write off, I say ntoooh, insha Allah....."

Nadia laughed.

" Ntooohh?"

" Yes. Like lolling tongue with widened eyes. But seriously I don't care what anyone thinks. I am perfectly okay with Adnan and I find joy, solace and satisfaction in him."

" Okay, this is the point where I give up and give you my blessings and support. Bring your head closer..."

" Bless who? When did we become age mates?"

Naairah swung the car out of the high way and climbed a boulevard.

" Now I'm sure my friend is in love." Nadia said. " And it seems there is nothing anyone can do about it."

" Mark that, stamp it, seal it, and store as a theory."

" Whoa! Okay, I have heard."

" See you dearie."

" Sure. My regards to....."

" Hayati."

"Toh?"

" I am sorry I never told you. I have been calling him that for long."

" Hmmm...so you have been keeping this from me..."

" I saw you as part of those who were not too keen on the relationship. I know you are just trying to protect me and you have your reasons so do not think I am reproaching you. I just want to be left alone to love and feel loved ."

" You have been left alone. I am solidly behind you."

" Okay baby, I think I am almost there. My heart is already beating faster. I am going to see him...."

" Just be careful.""I am. Bye."

" Bye."

She drove into the premises and parked the car in the parking lots. She alighted, locked the car doors then walked into the administrative building. A security man smiled at her.

" I guess you are Miss Naairah Mukhtar, the SWEP student?"

" Yes."

" The CEO has been expecting you." He said. " You will be taken to his office."

"Thank you." She said. Another man who looked like a messenger led her to a big, palatial office where the CEO sat majestically.
She stood for a while, watching in befuddlement as he smiled at her.

" What is going on here?" She asked with a frown. " What are you doing here?"

He broadened his face into a wolfish grin.

" I am the CEO of this place which we just acquired." Zayyad said proudly. " Welcome Miss Naairah Mukhtar. I hope you would enjoy your SWEP
here. I will personally see to that." He pressed a switch and talked through an electronic messenger.

" Please let my messenger bring cappuccino." He said. " Please sit down."

" What is this all about?" She asked. " Was it you and Abba that made them bring me here?"

" Let us say it is just a sheer coincidence." He said. " Please sit down and I would appreciate it if we keep personal issues aside and be more professional. You have something important to do here. Our report matters."She reluctantly moved and sat down at a chair opposite him.

" Can I have your letter please?"

She opened her bag, brought it out and passed it to him.

There was a knock before the messenger came in. Naairah had never seen such a uniform. It was badly sawn and made oversized. The Cap was like a paper cap children made in primary schools but this one was so shapeless you could hardly tell if it was a face cap, beret or bowler hat.
Then the word 'messenger' was boldly written on the chest.
He brought in a big percolator and dropped it on the table.

" Thank you ....messenger." Zayyad said.

Naairah was shocked to see that Adnan was the messenger.

2008

“ My name is Danjuma , AKA Black. They say I am dark, is it true?” Black said as he sat opposite Maryam in a room somewhere around Abattoir, Garki.

Maryam said nothing. She kept muttering Ayatul khursiyu, Suratul Falaq, Ummul khitab.

“ It seems you are praying. Do yo think we don’t pray?" black smiled, “ back in my secondary school days, we had a gang. We specialized in goats and rams before we graduated to cows. Before we go out at night, for operation, we would perform 2 raka’ats and pray. And we do succeed. We pray for success. We had mallams who gave us things for protection.
I know what you are thinking. How can we pray for success when what we intended to do was a sin. Okay, back to history. When Iblis (Satan) disobeyed Allah and refused to bow before Annabi Adam, and he was cursed by Allah, he begged for a chance and he was allowed.
Did he pray for forgiveness? No. What did he pray for? He prayed for respite, to be given a long life, so he could make Allah’s servants derail from siratal mustaqim (path of righteousness) except a few and he was granted.”

“ Will that stop him from been punished? Will that stop you from Allah’s punishment if you don’t repent?”

“ So you talk? Hehehe.” He sat forward, “ I don’t care about that. The qiyama (Day of Judgement) is tomorrow but the world is today. Let me tell you this, I have plans. If I am about to die, I would recite the kalima and …..that is it.”

“ Who told you have the power to recite the kalima without Allah’s will?”

“ This is not a court and don’t ask me stupid questions. I will not be buried in the same grave with you but……” he glanced over her body, “ it wouldn’t be a bad idea to be buried with you . Like together in that tight hole.”

God! Was this guy normal?

“ Queen is on her way and that means ….today could be your last day on Earth. I hope you would behave. Why did you travel to Kano? You went to meet somebody. Who is it? Better talk to me before her majesty comes.”

Maryam was now sure it was Jezebel behind this. God! Where had she been all these while? Was she going to kill her? And what happens to Ameer? The case would be dismissed because only she found what may help him if at all it would work out.

“ I went on a personal trip.”

“ On the eve of a major case? You lawyers always call yourself learned and think everyone else is a fool, ko? You have been travelling about, going to place to place, trying to dig things up. You are lucky we found about you late but…it is not too late.”

“ Your queen has nothing to fear. Nobody knows anything about her. She is very smart.”

“ I know but we don’t trust you. Someone called her and he sounded worried about the way you were going with things. You bloody family of lawyers. What is wrong with you? I know of a family where there are six lawyers. Gani Fawehinmi has a son who is a lawyer. There is a guy who I know, he is aspiring to become a musician and plans to start professionally next year, he is called Falz the Badguy.
His father is the famous lawyer, Falana the activist and his mother is a also a lawyer. One day ,you will turn it to inheritance.”

“ I like your sense oh humour.” She said, “and your shiny black skin.’

“Ke dan Allah! My skin is shiny ko?”

“ If not for the kind of job you do, I would have invited you for a lunch.” She rolled her eye.

“ You are trying to trick me. I am not that expendable. But what is wrong with my job?’

“You just kidnapped me. That is a bad job.”

“ But……”

She took the gutsy step. Like a wild cat, she sprang on him with fingers which she transformed into claws and scratched his eyes. She had it well calculated.
He lost balance and the gun he was holding fell off his hand, and he covered his eyes with his hand, moaning in pains. His eyes!
She got off him but he sent a blind kick which blundered into her side. She hit her back on the floor and it hurt. She gave a short cry but when she thought of Jezebel, she managed to get up at once. Black was still covering his eyes. She had really injured him. She hesitated then picked his gun. She did not know where she was.
At a point when they were coming there, he asked her to pull up, then he put her in the boot,turned and brought her to Garki.
She ran out and realized it was an uncompleted building. Her car was parked in the compound. It was an estate under construction. She ran to the car, opened the door and slid in. Damn! The car keys.

She got out of the car and ran back. She did not want Jezebel to meet her here. She had heard a lot about her to scare the hell out of her. She met black still moaning in pains. She could not risk going close to him.

“ The car keys!” she said with an authority in her voice that brooked no joke.

“ Get out!” He barked, “ they will soon be here and you will pay for this!”

“ I guess you won’t be alive then. I swear, I will shoot you and get the keys off your filthy dead body.”

“You are a fuckin* lawyer. You can’t do that.”

“ Be my guest!”

She pulled the trigger and the gun almost fell off her hand. She had never fired a shot and did not know the impact felt like that. If he could open his eyes, he would have seen how bad a shooter she was. But it worked. He flinched and removed the keys from his pocket.

“ Throw it here!”

He obeyed. She picked the keys and ran out. If Jezebel caught her. Phew!
She was shivering as she got under the wheel, started the car engine with a shaky hand then reversed with an incredible speed.
She had to leave. Damn! Her first case! Advocating was a job for the brave. In the line of duty, you step on toes, learn secrets, and prone to many hazards. But with God, you overcome all hurdles. She would never be deterred. She had made up her mind. She would fight it to the last.

She drove the car at a high speed on a dust road that met the highway. She nearly hit a coming SUV with a woman behind the wheel. The woman glared at her and cursed before she drove on. Just a few yards away, she guessed that she just drove past Jezebel. Subahallah! She pressed her leg on the accelerator. She only decelerated when she climbed the highway. Then she set the car in a slower motion. Watching her back frequently to avoid a trail.

Alhamdulillah! She escaped.

California, USA.

“ The EBM beeps!” a lady screamed, her face on a computer screen. “ The EBM beeps.”

A bald headed man rushed to her and paused.

“What?’

“It beeps.” The lady said excitedly.

“Are you sure it is his?”

“ Yes.” She said . “ But he kept the code secret. I know the wave length.”

“Good Job, Gwen.” He said. “ But I am not completely convinced. What is the location?”

She turned at her computer and did some manipulations.

“ 16.2902 degrees South and 63.5887 degrees West.” She said. “That is Bolivia.”

The bald headed man frowned.

Bolivia!

Oh no!

“When did you discover this?” He asked her.

“ The first beep was yesterday morning but I could not get the wavelength. “She said. “ Then it came up again this morning and kept coming. I deduced that there was a distance between the EBM and CS. Like the CS was been used to locate the EBM. The last beep showed they were relatively close.”

“ Hmmmm…..” It made a lot of sense to him.

“ Who else knows this?”

“ No one.”

“ Good work.” He said, looked round then pressed her neck, and with a single twist, he broke it and left her lifeless body on the floor.

He went to the CCTV camera and unplugged it, then removed the tape. He knew where it was. He was part of those who set it up.
He dialled a number, waited for the call to be picked.

“ I got bad news.” He said in a low dangerous tone. “ It seems Abbas, the Nigerian comrade is alive. There has been beeps from his EBM. Location: Bolivia. Get prepared. We are going to Bolivia. I hope he is not alive. This is not good for us.”

“ What about Aadila?” A female voice said from the other end.

“ I am not even sure it is him. Gwen discovered the beeps.”

“She is going to talk.”

“She has been settled.”

“Dead?”

“What else do you expect. I am going to lay it Van. She is not a problem.” He said and snorted like a pig. “ I will get in touch with Tiger 606. I hope it is a wrong information.”

“But only he knows the code to the EBM. I am scared.”

“We ought to be. The sky will tear apart. But Tiger 606 got the boy.”

“ Holy Mary!”

“ Get ready, Maya.”

He ended the call, and then stared at the computer in front of the dead girl. He deleted some things, removed the hard disc, then went out silently.

“ Gwen just fell. Come clean the mess before anyone finds out.” He said into the mouthpiece as he left the Organization's secret building.

2005


She had only spent five minutes in the DPO's office when he accompanied her out and it was conspicuous that he revered her.Amaar was released at once, given back his belongings and they left the police station Located at Laranto. She got under the wheel of her 2005 Ford Escape SUV, and a very dark complexioned guy sat at the passenger's side. Jib and Amaar took the backseat.

All these while, she never said a word to Amaar. Jezebel was dressed in a black jeans, black T-shirt and a black bowler hat. She had bling-bling round her neck, diamond bracelets round her wrist and a big Rolex wristwatch.

Immediately she started the car engine, she lit a cigarette ,and slot in a Cd and a song which 50 Cents featured Olivia began to blare. The CD player and speakers were so heavy that Amaar felt as if the beats were been made in his stomach.

She began to rap along

I'll take you the candy shop

I'll let you lick the lollipop

Go ahead, girl, don't you stop

Keep going 'til you hit the spot, whoa

When it got to the part of 'til you hit the spot' she hit the steering wheel and exclaimed " Whuuu!! I love them lyrics!"
Now it was Fifty's part. She was shaking her head to the rhythm, waving her hands, twisting like the rappers do. Amaar remembered his grandmother who once came into their room to find them watching rap musical video. When the old woman saw how a rapper was twisting, gesticulating, and waving his hands, she said, " Allah Sarki (O God). He is epileptic and yet he can sing."

You could have it your way, how do you want it?

You gonna back that thing or should I push it up?

Then she was silent, just shaking her head to the rhythm. Amaar was a bit uncomfortable with the speed at which she drove. What a rough driver she was. Smoking, dancing, rapping and driving all at once.

When fifty got to a part which seemed to thrill her, she joined him, raising her voice.

If you be a nympho, I be a nympho
In the hotel or in the back of the rental
On the beach or in the park, it's whatever you into
Got the magic stick, I'm the love doctor

And Amaar had a second thought about hip-hop. He was a hip-hop lover but it was obvious the lyrics had subliminal messages. It was either about sex , drugs or violence. And there was no doubt, it had negative effects on youths.
Hip hop aside. Who was this bizarre woman, dressed like this yet seemed so powerful? Jib said she was his what? Did he even mention anything about their relationship? Okay, whatever, she just saved him from a real tragic ride.

They finally arrived a storey building located at a lonely place behind Farin Gada. She drove in and parked the car while the gatekeeper locked the gate at once.
The building had eight bedroom and six rooms at the back. It looked like a girls hostel. Amaar saw girls, scantily dressed all around. They were mostly young girls between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five. Amaar was taken to a room upstairs and asked to take a bath. The room was fairly furnished and clean. He needed the bath actually after spending two days in cell.
Immediately he came out of the bathroom, he met a girl standing in the room.

" Subahanallah!" He exclaimed and ran back into the bathroom. He was naked because he did not want to use the towel he saw. He never shared towel.
The girl laughed.

" What are you hiding?" she said, " I have seen them in all colours and sizes yaro. Queen asked me to bring you clothes, shikenan. Sakarai kawai (idiot). If it was sharp guy, you could have e' kagane ai (you understand na) " She laughed and went out.

Making sure she was gone, he peeped, then ran to the door and locked it. Who were these people? He was glad to see the neat multi coloured cotton top and black straight jeans. After dressing up, there was a knock at the door.
He opened the door and found Jib standing before him with a smile.

"You look better. Come and have dinner."

Amaar followed him to a large living-room with variety of food displayed on the dining table. There was rice, sauce, chicken, mutton pepper soup, gurasa, miyan taushe , qashi, tilapia pepper soup ,and varieties of drinks.

" You look freshened up." Jezebel said with a wide smile as she came out of a bedroom. She was now wearing a pyjamas. It was a few minutes after eight o'clock in the evening.

This was the first time she was speaking with him. She joined and took a seat.

" My name is Binta." She said, "but you can call me Jezebel. Amaar wondered if she knew what Jezebel meant when she proudly asked him to call her that. If he could remember, it meant a woman who was sexually irresponsible. But on a second thought, the name seemed to suit her.

" Amaar Adam. I am pleased to meet you ma."

" Come on, dude, cut that ma off." she said , " Let us eat. I am sure you did not enjoy the nonsense they fed you there. It's not really fun to be a police guest."

" Yes."

They began to eat. Amaar was hungry and the way he consumed the food showed that.

" I guess you wonder about what is going on here, right?"

Amaar just nodded.

" Okay, let us just say, I care for the youths and I do whatever I can to give them a voice, a choice and a life. This I have been doing since my university days. This led me to SUG and Later NANS and I fought relentlessly for the right of students and youths.
These girls you see here were going through different difficulties in their lives. I chose to help them. Send them abroad and get them schooling and working Some are sent to Saudi, while some go to Italy, France, USA, and many more."

Did she think he was nipper? Was this what they called women trafficking? Sending girls abroad to prostitute and subject them to slavery. What did he get himself into?
He was right. Women trafficking was one of her many shady businesses. Jezebel also had a contact with almost all cult groups in Universities. She used them for business. Being an active member herself during her days, she knew the routes round the underworld. When she was a NANS executive, she made sure the NANS president was her underworld protégée , and acquiesce was in play. He was the figure head, while she ruled ruthlessly from behind the scene.

She would instigate students, make the protest against the authority and NANS would be called in. Then would promise to talk to the students and that meant settling some of the unscrupulous executives.
Even after leaving the university, she ruled Jezebels for one year before Comfort Arinze took over.

" Your life was in danger." She said, "and could still be in danger. Jib is one of the beneficiaries of my scholarship program. And he belongs to a group of secret vigilante group protecting students against cultists.

That was how he found you and saved you that night. But Teks was bent on killing you. You could have been in your grave by now. And it would have been a painful death because you were probably on Tessy then."

Damn! So vulgar!

" So, Jib swung in and saved you."

So it was Jib who killed Teks.

" Unfortunately it was reported and the policemen on patrol were alerted. You know the rest of the story. Jib did not abandon you. He called me and explained everything to me."

That was lie.
It all started when she was stalking Uthman who was her greatest pain in the neck. When Fateemah got admitted into University of Jos, she began watching the poor girl. Then Ameer came into the picture.
Jib was assigned to do that. He did not know that Ameer had a twin brother. He kept trailing both of them thinking it was one person, until things began to add up. He noticed a slight difference in personality. Amaar was more on the quiet side and never really mixed with girls.
When it was established that Ameer and Fateemah were in a relationship, Jezebel began to plan a way of wiping the whole family and pinning it on Ameer which she did.

She began stalking Fateemah and Ameer herself while she sent Jib on Amaar. Jib told her that Amaar was a potential material. It seemed he was after Smalls and Murphy.
She asked him to find out if they ever had a rift. Yes, Ameer or Amaar was mugged by the group. He could not find out if it was Amaar or Ameer that was mugged that day but he knew it was one of them.
So she said Amaar should be initiated. Jezebel was a matron in the cult Jib belonged to: Wings. Tessy was used as a bait. She had broken off with Teks who belonged to a rival cult. Jib had been protecting her so when he asked her to date Amaar, she obliged.

He knew Teks would find out and react. And from what he saw in Amaar, he was a stubborn guy. He would fight them but would soon realise he could not face guys like that on his own. Teks fell for the trap which got him killed.

Jib was a dab hand when it came to slaying. He had snuck after Teks, gave him a fatal knock, then used a club to hit his head and chest. Using a thin wire he called road to hell, he wound it round Teks' neck and finished the job.

Amaar needed to feel unsafe and need their protection. Then, without knowing it, he would be drawn closer until he is in and once you were in, there was no going back.....alive.

That was what they were doing now. Trying to get him sitting on the fence, not by the fence.


He may not know the details but he was sure he was at the wrong place. He just did not feel comfortable around them. He would cut all relationship with them.

" I hope you know how to keep secret." Jezebel said. " Telling this to anyone means putting the person's life at stake. Not even your twin brother."

" How did you know I have a twin brother?"

" I would not accept to help you without a little background check. The police said I should watch your behaviour. Closing or reopening the case depends on my opinion about your behaviour..."she set her thin, red eyes on him, " I hope you would be of good behaviour. When this is let out, you would not have only the police to reckon with, but the Ake boys will come all on you for killing their soldier."

" Are you blackmailing me? You know I did not do it?"

She smiled.

"Figure it out yourself. I hope you will be of good behaviour. You stand to gain a lot. Do this for your brother and your widowed mother."

Oh my God! I am trapped! Amaar bleated in his heart.
It was at that point a lady came to announce the arrival of Uwale.

" Who is Uwale? Oh...the woman who has been bugging me. Did she come along with her?"

" Yes, Your Majesty."

" Shoot them in."

" Pardon?"

" Send them in and don't go shooting them."

" Okay, Your Majesty."Five minutes later, an elderly lady came in with a young girl.

The woman should have been between fifty and fifty three. Jezebel asked them to sit down after salutation.

" I am listening." Jezebel said.

" This is the girl I was telling you about. She is an orphan. Her parents died three years ago and I have been taking care of her. Her two younger sisters are with her grandmother. I am her father's elder sister. I cannot afford to keep sponsoring her education.
The money she inherited was lost when armed robbers attacked me when I was travelling to Kano to buy goods which I sell to make gain for her. I was told that you help people. Please Hajiya, I want her to go to Saudiya and work so she can be sending what she makes home and I would help her take care of it."

Jezebel looked at her and smirked. It was obvious this woman was just using this girl. The claim of been robbed was a cockamamie. She embezzled her inherited money and now she wanted her to go and hustle for her.

"She would stay with me for six months while I study her. I am based in Abuja but I come here frequently. This house is mine and I have people to take care of. She would stay here for six months before she goes out but not Saudi....she will go to Italy." " Alhamdulillah!" the woman said happily.

" How old is she?"

" Fifteen."

Amaar who had bowed his head and not looked at them, feeling disgusted raised his head when he heard that she was only fifteen.
She looked older than her age. She was slightly chubby ,and had an expression that broke his heart. You could see pain in her large eyes which was adorned with long eyelashes and arching eyebrows. Her nose was hooked and lips tight and firm.
There was something serene and seraphic about her that sent a chill through Amaar's heart. She looked innocent, and broken. She was beautiful, and he guessed she was either shuwa'arab or Fulani. How could they subject this girl to prostitution? It was obvious she was naive and did not know what was at stake. No!

" What is her name?" Jezebel asked, impressed with her beauty.

" Ameena."

This was the day Amaar met Ameena. He changed his mind about leaving these people. The image of this innocent looking girl would hunt him for the rest of his life. He would hang on and do what ever it took to extricate her.

Ameena raised her face for the first time and their eyes met. She quickly took off her eyes but the impact lasted on Amaar for one week. That glance was the glance of the century because he made up his mind.

This was the beginning of the story of Amaar and Ameena.

2008

Maryam came out of her car, took nimble steps into a supermarket, bought a few groceries then walked back. She opened her car door, sat under the wheel then took a sip of fresh milk. She was exhausted.
It was a long trip back to Abuja and she had driven herself. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, pictured her bed then decided to go and have a good rest before the next day which may be the final battle.

She was not sure of a total success. She did not trust him. But she hoped it would be dug out. It had been two years of fear and silence. This could be a panacea if he was smart.

She started the car engine, then cringed as she felt a cold rod touch her neck.

“ If you shout, I will shoot you.” Black said from behind. “ Now move the car according to my direction. Welcome back from a safe trip. What do you have for the boys?”

2005

“ They are trying to pin the murder on me.” Amaar said, as he was led out of the police cell. “ I have been here since yesterday.”

“ Teks was there to kill you.” Jib said.

“ I guesses so.”

“ Now you gotta leave here.”

“ I don’t want my people to know. I was with Tessy at 1:00AM . what will I say? Sleeping with a girl that is not legally married to me?”

“ What have they done to you?”

“ Three slaps and a promise of torture. They said he was after me, he asked for my house so I must have known something.”

“ Okay. I called someone who can help talk to the DPO and your name will be completely out of this case.”

“ Seriously? They have been using big law terms.”

“ Big terms have big neutralizers. Okay, she is here.”

It was the first time Amaar saw the big fair complexioned woman with thin, fiery eyes: Jezebel.
She walked in majestically. All she needed was a flick of finger and Amaar was out. But it did not end there. This was the day Amaar met Jezebel

Fijumokesayo:
I don't know what to say about this story, it is a fantastic job and I'm saying thank you for sharing it with us. God bless you

Amen. Thank you

orangeberry2:
Nice one sokodobo, more power to you

Thank you

MrsEvakinqz:
Make I just dey observe first...

But you deserve somtin more dan an accolade

Thank you

olukuewu:
Its a great thing having you here .you are on the way to greatness. Keep doing what you know how to do best.

Thank you