Alli was behind the wheel and he tore down the road like a speedster, eating up the tarred road like a concrete snack.

Clyde was in the passenger seat whileKirsten was in the back. None of them said any word. Neither did Alli no joy. He was stone silent apart from a grinding sound as he crushed his teeth together with intensity.

When they got near the neighborhood, they could see the thick black smoke still rising high into the night sky, however as they got closer it was obvious the fire service had the fire under control.
There was a small crowd huddled to the corner shaking their head in pity, and silently thanking God the fire hadn't spread to their homes.
Alli parked to the side and hurried out of the car. He had kept on dialing his son's number but he wasn't getting any connection.

He noticed his neighbor who had called to alert them about the fire. Alli tapped him on his shoulder.

The man turned around, "Ah...oga Alli...oooh sorry o...."

"Wetting cause the fire?" Alli asked observing the house.

Only the kitchen was still burning fiercely, the rest had been extinguished or about to.

"We don't know...me I just heard people shouting fire and I ran outside and called you immediately."

Alli nodded, "thanks for that....errm have you seen my son?"

"No I've not seen him..its like nobody was at home and they left something on, which started the fire."

Not satisfied, Alli drifted away from the man.

Clyde and Kirsten had come down from the car but they remained standing behind the open doors, watching the burnt house with trepidation. They had been there just hours ago. Slept there the previous night....

One of the firemen who remained by the truck, constantly adjusting and readjusting the pressure valve glanced at Alli as he approached.

"You need to stay back sir...you're not allowed to be this close during-"

"I need to go in there...I think someone is trapped in there..."

That caught his attention. He stopped his fiddling and straightened up. "who?"

"My....son....it's my house"

"Sir I assure you there was no shout for help from inside if not we would have gone in immediately. If he was trapped he would have raised the alarm or -"

Again Alli interrupted him impatiently. "Do you know how long it took you to get here...do you know how deadly that smoke is? It's even deadlier than the fire and can choke someone unconscious. How will someone who is unconscious be able to raise alarm?"

"I can assure you sir our response time is one of the best nationwide-"

"This is a fuckin waste of time." Alli charged past the truck and towards the house. The kitchen was now under control and the fire seemed to have been totally defeated. Yet the four firemen cointinued aiming their hoses through the windows....like they planned to extinguish even the smoke.

The man who was apparently the fire captain ran after him. "Okay wait! I'll send my men in right now...they are geared up for this kind of scenario. You just hold on"

Alli paused. Truth be told he could feel the heat even from this distance. The smoke had already begun to sting his eyes also.

"Hey Hey.... Nankling you and Fredo go in for a thorough sweep, it's possible we got trapped Vic's." The captain shouted at the firemen.

The pair snapped off their hose, hoisted helmets and charged into the house. One of them held a fire extinguisher in case of small bouts of flame still inside the house. The other held a small axe to hack down any obstacles.

Alli paced worriedly then he picked up the hose from the floor. It was heavy and he struggled to set the aim and perfect the arch but then it felt lighter suddenly. Clyde had come from behind and hefted the remaining length up. Alli opened the valve and the water gushed out.

There was no more fire to put off anymore and it felt like a futile effort to rinse the dark sooth off the blackened walls, still they kept aiming the gushing water at the house.

Finally the captain shut off the main supply valve from the truck.

Alli glared accusingly at him.
Although it was clear they were just wasting water, it was deeper than that for him. This was his house, he had built it from scratch....literally. He had been involved in every brick laying due to his skills as a civil contractor. It was a big blow to his heart to see the house he and Martha had started their family in such a state.

But then one of the firemen came back out. Even under the mask he was sweating profusely. He took off his helmet hurriedly then took a deep breath. "There's a body in the house...around the dinning area. Totally burnt without recognition....it's strange, but it seems the fire started from him and spread to the rest of the house because of the state it's in compared to the rest of the house furniture. It's like...he was doused in gasoline."


:::::
Lagos (Brota Hq)

After Ada and Beatrice left, Bami drove the two trucks to block the damaged portion of the gate again. He was still numb in shock since the news. So caught up that he had forgotten the promise he made himself to arrest Beatrice and make her pay for all what she had put them through with the kidnapping saga. But he had let them go. His mind was so caught up on his Buddy and wishing he was alive and there was some kind of mistake, nothing else mattered.

He re-entered Brota after reactivating the security system. It was more or less an alarm system now as there had been considerable damage.

Sparrow and Dagnet were in the lobby, he had his arm around her and she was leaning on his shoulder. She had been through a lot. They had all been through a lot....she had been flung around a couple of times from the force field of explosives, while Sparrow had been shot in his gut...
Same with Bami although he had been saved by his Kevlar

When Dagnet had inquired worriedly about Sparrow's bullet wound he had assured her...stating his "Qi" was much too potent to be snuffed by a bullet.

Bami remembered running around frantically to stop the bleeding and disinfecting the wound with liquor. He said nothing however, he was beat...mentally and emotionally. He still held on to a tiny hope that Rex was alive.

Rex was like a cat with 9 lives. He had faced the almighty shadows, taken them down, taken down assassins and faced several deadly situations and come out unscathed. Like a cat with 9 lives.

He nodded assuredly as his thoughts took hold. Rex was alive, definitely.
But then another morbid thought crossed his mind; a cat had 9 lives....9. Not infinity, 9 was the limit.

A shiver ran through his spine as he strolled into the corridor to the kitchen,followed by S.s and his family before Dagnet and Sparrow.

He entered the code on the microwave and the hidden door slid open to p and they all filed in.

The walls were padded and on the other side was a password digit box. Bami entered the combination and the door slid shut.
Short Sam and his wife looked around in awe. Two sofas, a 2 seater, a flat screen television, with decoders and even a PlayStation console. There was a sink on one side beside a cabinet and drawers filled with snacks and canned food. Then there was a 7 foot double door fridge. Opposite was a small door with the toilet sign.

At the extreme end of the bunker was a couple of roll up camp beds.
The place was quite humid but it was fast changing as the a/c was put on full blast.

"Why didn't we come here straight when the attack started." S.s mused

"It was all very sudden, they managed to infilterate the premises through a well known affiliate." Bami explained

Bami was still busy with his phone, trying the hospital, trying to reach Jimoh and find out about Andy.
There was also no connection.

He faced an internal battle as apprehension grew. He could wait till morning...then go check up on Andy immediately....but what if....oh shit...they couldn't afford to lose Andy....he almost added (too)

Bigelow...Buzz.....God rest their souls. Despite his earlier betrayal Buzz had fought bravely with them.

He was aware he didn't add Rex to the list. That was because Rex Obasi was still alive. And no, he wasn't in denial.

::::::

The first minister took a swig from his drink. He was worried he hadn't gotten feedback on the Brota strike. But then again there was plenty reason to celebrate. Rex was dead. Which could finally persuade sir Holly to let the family be.
"I'm not a bad person....Rex was just a necessity...he kept on digging too close...atleast I kept the family safe by my orchestration....I'm not cold blooded...I'm a good man..."
He spoke to himself softly, sitting on the chair and staring at the wall mirror. He seemed to be trying to convince himself he was indeed a "good man"
When the knock sounded he burped loudly. He was already halfway drunk. "Who...(hic) who is it?"
The voice was sexy and purred reply was, "batgirl"
"Oh yes...about time you showed..."
He yanked the door hurriedly and licked his lips hungrily as his eyes almost fell off.
"Oh just what I imagined...come in come in...have a drink..."

The lady walked in quickly. And dropped her bag on the floor. She shrugged out of her trench coat a bit too quickly revealing a red lingerie that had him licking his lips like a hungry dog that just stumbled on a pot of biscuit bones.
"There's plenty of time for that later...but bat girl needs some good cobtact baby." She dragged him roughly to the bed seeing he looked like he was about to complain it was going too fast...she hadn't even worn the mask yet.
She silenced him with a deep kiss. And he smiled like a kid when she pulled away. He quickly tore away his Robe and underwear and voluntarily lay on the bed and offered his hands to be handcuffed to the head board.
She quickly removed a pair of handcuffs from her bag, after digging in for some seconds and removing several devices.
She sashayed over to the bed, making sure to feed his lustful eyes with her exaggerated curve not
She straddled him on the bed and handcuffed his left hand to the head board...she licked his neck and bit his ear a bit...making him shudder. "Honey you're in for a real surprise..." She purred
She snapped the second handcuff to his wrist and the headboards and her countenance changed immediately.
She straightened, got down from the bed and picked her coat from the floor and shrugged into it. She dug into her bag and picked up a red ball with an elastic strap.
"Hey hey hey... what are you doing? What's going on?" He asked frowning with worry as he started to recognize her intent.
This was sure going to shut him up. She pulled the elastic past his head but he kept his mouth shut, refusing to open it so she wouldn't stuff the ball in. She solved the problem by grabbing his balls and squeezing. He yelped and she released the ball, the elastic sent the ball straight to his mouth and it sure would have shattered his teeth if she had aimed for it.
She stared at him for a full ten seconds then without uttering a word, she picked her bag and exited the room, closing the door gently she placed the 'do not disturb' sign the cop lady had given her outside on the door knob.
She walked down the corridor and into the elevator. She was a single mom with 2 kids. Whatever she had to do to prevent an arrest she was going to do it. Besides she had been paid handsomely.

::::::::
From the shadows, Tonye watched the lady exit the hotel doors, she had a Uber waiting for her as promised and the woman hurried towards the car.

The operation seemed so flawless that Tonye almost didn't want to spoil it by speaking but she had to confirm.
"Is it done?" She called out

The call girl jumped, startled. "Yes...just as you said."

"Good...not a word, remember"

She nodded vigorously and hurried into the waiting car.
Tonye watched the car drive away and stepped back into the shadows. Her phone was in eye Care mode so the glare wasn't bright and would be barely visible from anyone far off.
She accessed the web page and reloaded the chat page once more. Her gun was fifteen minutes away...the saw 30.

She would wait. That way the Coke in the dispenser would bubble more and be closer to boiling point when she would need it.


:::::::::

At the Apapa General hospital, pandemonium had ensured for hours. The explosive hadn't been massive enough to shake the over 3 story building but still the whole hospital was shaken.

The young man who had the misfortune of opening the envelope had died instantly. Half of his face had been blown away and it was a really really really really graphic image.

Jimoh, a young man of only 24 had been killed on the spot. Maybe, just maybe if he hadn't been inquisitive...maybe if he had dropped the envelope in an uninterested manner, flinging the so called "get well soon" letter on the edge of the chair, the weight of the explosive would have toppled the envelope over to the floor. Causing the bomb to explode on contact with the floor. From that angle, the explosion wouldn't have been as potent. Maybe he would have lost a leg, maybe both legs but he would live.
Maybe. Maybe. Maybe.

All maybies.

Reality is often disappointing, and in a snap, Jimoh had opened the seal and curiosity had killed the cat.

In the inner room, a couple of feet from Jimoh's corpse, Andy sat, staring out the window at the corpse of his colleague in horror. He had somehow managed to sit up and had his back against the wall. There was a male nurse attending to him, taping the needle to his forearm to administer the drip.

There was another doctor and for a doctor he looked like he was about to vormit. The corpse was graphic. Very graphic. Thankfully Andy's view of the corpse was obscured but still he wondered...

The Doctor rushed into Andy's room, grabbed a sheet from the second bed and hurried out of the room.

Trying his best to avert his eyes from the face, (or remaining face) he covered up the dead body with the sheet and shouted at a nurse who was gaping in horror from the doorway.
"Go get Suleman to take this to the morgue!"

Andy was still in a kind of daze. As a matter of fact he had been in a kind of daze ever since the explosion had gone off and claimed the reporter's life. There had been some kind of shrill sonic beep that refused to go off when the bomb had gone off.

At first it had just been the ringing in his ear...now as a matter of fact it was closer than that...more personal...like, it kept tickling his brain all the way from his ear drum.

And then just when it seemed to get a little better, another bomb had gone off.
A brother couldn't even catch a break.

As Andy watched the doctor fuse over him, he knew it would be so easy to give in. To cave into the insanity. There would be no turning back if he did but he'll find respite in craziness.
The offer was tempting. He closed his eyes and cocked his head a little, as if to hear the suggestion clearly from the imaginary pitch fork wielding, devil on his shoulder.

But then he had the flashes....images playing in his mind like a kaleidoscope....his mother, Monna, Rex, Bami, Olivia, Jimoh, Tonye, Helen....Helen.

The Article they had been working on was saved in a flashdrive in a....in a....in the kitchen....in a...tin.." he grimaced as he struggled to remember everything. And he did; It was a Danish cookies tin on a cupboard in the kitchen.

He still had to go on. He had to keep pushing, keep living. It wasn't for his sake anymore.

So he opened his eyes and was surprised to see the doctor's lips moving. The man was looking at him expectantly as he spoke, probably waiting for the feedback for whatever he was asking about.

Andy couldn't hear anything. He heard nothing but the Sonic beep.

souloho19:
::::::::::
According to the instructions, the first step was to mark out the intended area with a chalk. It seemed Beatrice or whatever her name was had typed the message herself, she was terrible with spellings and found a way to shorten every word to maximum of 3 letters.

Tonye didn't have any chalk, but one thing she did have was her lipstick. In a small purse which contained her driver's license and cash.

She had to climb the bed, and lie down horizontally to figure out where exactly to draw the hole. She was going for a head shot. One bullet should be enough for what she had in mind...bug only if executed well. For a second she considered knocking on the door and blowing him to bits as soon as he opened up.

That would also be effective and she won't need to go through the stress of the hole and what not. But then again it wasn't just about killing him. It was about making a statement. Not just a statement, one with a big exclamation mark also.

The m.o of the first kill had been symbolic enough, killed through the hole in the wall. And even though they hadn't known the significance then, now she had an idea how big killing the first minister via a hole in the wall would be. The hole had struck them with power and crippled Brota terribly. So many lives had been lost and were still hanging in the balance, Andy for instance...no one knew the latest news from the hospital.

Killing the first minister wouldn't just be a counter strike, but a bullet in the head to the figurative head and brains of the hole. Of course a stake to the heart would have been better, but sir Holly or whatever his name was surely going to get it. He was the heart and soul of the organization after all.

She glanced at her watch frequently...taking note of the 30 minute window she had before the arrival of the call girl. When she was sure she had the right spot (slightly above the headboard) marked, she used her lipstick to draw a big circle.

The second instruction was to apply phosphoric acid on the wall and leave for hours. Tonye frowned a bit and scrolled down, prepared to hit the home button and call or consult Google. However she saw an alternative instruction and wondered why she didn't think of it earlier.

Phosphoric acid was an oxidizing agent used to give coke the tangy flavour. Colas were actually more acidic than lemon and vinegar altho the vast amount of sugar helped mask and balance the acidity. In bracket was the suggestion to heat coke with the explanation that more phosphorus is produced by heating the calcium phosphate. ..

Well there wasn't any hot plate, kettle, stove or gas in the room but there was a dispenser. Hot and cold water, the 20 litre gallon was half full and she removed it and placed it face down in the wash hand basin till all the water had drained. Then she made a call to room service for a litre bottle of coke....and ice....and a bottle of wine. She was cajoled into adding the latter two because she got the hint she'll wait a long time if she ordered for just one coke.

She checked her watch again....she had a little over 20 minutes more.
Room service was swift, as she had guessed. She paid the lady cash, responded to the discreet cough with a 100 naira tip and quickly turned the contents of the litre bottle into the bigger bottle of the dispenser. The red button for the hot switch was on and she guessed in the next ten minutes it will be hot enough...at least upwards of 70°

The 3rd instruction was going to be quite a challenge...she had never heard of a circular saw with a 7 inch diamond blade before. But she had an idea of how she could get it.
Bami had also suggested it, she knew he was responsible for the bracket explanations...he was just so sweet.

She would also need a gun. Tonye was partial to Berettas and had to leave hers in the glove compartment of the ambulance she drove to the airport. But with the right amount of cash, one could get anything at anytime, anywhere. You just had to know your way round the dark web. And as a forner government intelligence agent, she still had lots of connects and skills she employed in her Brota work frequently.
She entered a website, on her phone, and when she right clicked the logo three times, another window opened. The first was a popular sponsored bet ad page. She closed the tab and tripple clicked the logo again..this time a well known gossip blog, she closed it yet again. On the fourth try, the opened window loaded what looked like a general chat room...she navigated from the sexual themed group to the section she was likely to find what she sought. This one was a totally different type of bad.
After hinting what she wanted, she got multiple personal reply requests and enaged a handful, screening based on location and amount demanded. Until she had a handful, then she requested to see pictures and compared with the downloaded ones from Google. She selected the most impressive one and beat down the pirice to 150 thousand. That was one thing with people. Once they sensed you were in urgent need of what they had, they looked to take advantage. Although the man kept emphasizing on the late night delivery risk for the saw.
Glancing at her watch in dismay, she hit up her usual weapons contact. Although she hadn't needed anything from him in years. He replied immediately, these people were as nocturnal as koalas.
Getting a Beretta M9 to the island from the extreme mainland where he was located would take too much time. However, one of his boys was in Surulere and could deliver a weapon in about an hour. It wasn't a Beretta however but a colt....colt45.
"Well I'll be damned...a colt45. Was also the murder weapon from the first scene.
Tonye placed her order then hurried out the room to the elevator to intercept the incoming guest.

::::::::::
There was pandemonium in the house the minute Utebo shared the devastating news from the phone call; The house was on fire.
Martha sparked the confusion when she fainted upon hearing the news. Through out the day and infact ever since she learnt of Emma's kidnapping, her pulse had never really settled down. She seemed to have been in a state of worry so deep, it held held her in a hypertensive state. Seeing their mother faint and slide to the door was too much for Utebo and Cynthia to take and both sisters gave startled shouts and screams, "Jesus!" "Mummy!"
Alli had his heart so far up his throat he could practically spit blood. Thankfully, Martha was revived with few drops of water and Alli rushed to his phone where it still lay on the floor. The call was still on and the man was still talking. Alli recognized the voice belonged to their neighbour on the right, Pa Ayewa. He was still blabbering excitedly ...."two trucks! Two trucks! The thing is still burning! I'm just hoping breeze will not carry-"
"Wait....hold on....is anybody there?"
"What....yes of course the fire service trucks are here..they brought to trucks and they-"
"No I mean...no one was around.."
"No of course not....the person would have shouted since or run out before it got to this stage. Hmmmm..."
"What is it?"
"There's a car parked near the fence...that long car that look like limo, it's in front but nobody is inside. I can't see the driver anywhere...I even thought he had driven his boss back only to see the car now.
Pa Ayewa was an observant or nosy neighbour. It depended on your view or tolerance. Alli didn't care either way, he had just confirmed to him Rex was in the house. Or maybe he had abandoned the car or swapped vehicles.
Swapped the stretch with what? He asked himself.
In times of distress, the greatest favour one can do for himself is to be blunt.
"Alli what is it?" Jimmy asked him as he placed the bowl of water on a table. Martha was now sitting up, steadying her breath and sipping from the tea mug. Alli knew she was steadying her nerves to ask the next question, where is Rex?
He watched his phone screen briefly as the call went to voicemail yet again. His son's line wasn't going through. "I need to go home."
"I'll come with you."his friend said
"No you should stay...it's not safe for the head to abandon his house in the dead of the night..." He looked at the worried faces. They were all in shock, worried and pretty much scared. And they looked to him for the next step.
"Errr...you...Carl..."
"Clyde..."
"Clyde let's drive to the house and see what's really happening.." he struggled to keep his voice calm, looking at his wife as she stared at him. Cynthia was still patting down her brow with a warm towel.
"I'll come with you." The other lady (Kirsten) got up from her chair after the announcement.
Alli wanted to object at first but on secomd thought, he didn't see any reason to.

He looked at Olivia. She sat alone, the wheelchair a little to the side away from the 3 seater where the other Obasi sisters sat, nursing and fussing over their mother. Alli saw the fear in her eyes, and for a second he could feel the love his son and Olivia shared. It was powerful....and achingly beautiful.
He smiled assuringly at her, "the neighbour says Rex car is there, once I get there I'll call immediately so you can all speak to him."
Olivia nodded gratefully.
Hope was also very powerful.

::::::::::::
Bami went to the gate house to activate the deactivated alarm system once more. Sticky brain matter was splattered all over the screen. And he hit the shortcut command key from memory as his vision was impaired. After which he exited the gate house and joined Sparrow to study the damaged gate in silence. Two vans were parked against the gate, blocking the open space from the damaged bars.
"I'm thinking we should fix remote controlled explosives under the van. That was if we catch any movement from the cameras we'll detonate the bomb."
"There'll be no need for that....they aren't coming again." Sparrow said
"What do you mean...how do you know?"
"I just do...trust me no one is coming to attack again this night...let's just keep watch and bunk down for the night. We all need to get some rest.
"Okay I'll forget the bomb....let's go in, and have your wound properly dressed.
The mood in Brota was still a very gloomy one. Bami hadn't said anything about the shocking news Tonye had given him. As a matter of fact, after she said it the first time and he called back to clarify since he obviously didn't hear her right she had ignored the part and started about the hole in the wall. With a racing pulse, Bami had cowardly let it slide. His wife was stressed, she had travelled a lot in the past couple of days and had been in the thick of things, right here in Lagos and now in Benue. She was definitely stressed and hallucinating about the Rex dying scenario. Pffft...Rex dead? Rex couldn't die, it was absurd.
Milking the instructions for creating the hole from Beatrice had engaged his mind for the next few minutes until he hit send and began to wonder why they were about to murder someone. It was murder no matter how you looked at it.
Then the answer began to make him sweat. Revenge. It was a revenge killing.

Now he whispered to Sparrow....even though just the two of them were outside.
"When Tonye called me earlier, she told me that...." He looked away and paced a little bit. His lips quivered and he couldn't seem to being himself to speak.
Sparrow waited him out. Understanding and looking straight ahead, but listening.
"She told me Rex was dead."
There. It was out in the open. And saying it was a very big deal for Bami because it meant subconsciously he had accepted it even if he still chose the temporal respite of denial.
Sparrow didn't say anything for a long while then he looked at Bami, who was strangely looking at him, eager to hear something. "I'm sorry." He said.
That was even worse. "Sorry? Are you mad? It's obviously a like...or a mistake, she's under a lot of stress over there which is why she's making such errors. She couldn't even tell me where she heard it from."
Sparrow looked at him, there was no skepticism on his face, neither was there any doubt or pity. He was extremely conscious of that.
"Okay, I've heard you."
"Good...let's go in, it's getting cold."

.::::::::::::::
Inside, Beatrice had been gearing to leave. She had some how mobilized Ada and the latter was prepared to leave with her.
Bami and Sparrow met Dagnet trying to convince both women to stay till the next morning.
"It's too dangerous, it's better to wait till things settle down in the morning."
"Unlike you people no one knows where I live. I'm hudred percent sure they're not aware of my. Existence..unlike the lots of you they know everything about. The price of Fame, remember?"
"What are you talking about? I'm also a cop with a secure place but it would be extremely selfish if-"
"Then go home...you don't have the right to force anyone to stay just because you're staying....and don't you mean ex cop?
"What's going on here?" Bami asked as he entered with Sparrow.
"Ada and I are leaving. Whatever is going on here, you guys can handle it. When you're ready for action we'll talk about the plan Mr X had before you guys frustrated him to suicide..."
"Ada..." Bami interrupted, "you're going with her?"
No reply.
"Why don't you speak to your dad first, he called earlier and I'm sure he'll want to speak with you now that you're back and fine."
No reply.
Bami shrugged. Right now he was past caring. Everyone was responsible for his/her decisions. He still refused to believe the Rex news, (he didn't even permit himself to think the word Rex and death in the same context.)

::::::::::::
Tonye purposely looked down as she walked past the lobby of the hotel. She was conscious of all the cameras at different angles and had scoped it all out the first time she entered the hotel.
If everything went according to plan, tomorrow there were going to be policemen and crime scene officials swarming round the hotel, poring through the video tapes. When they check the records and discover one Fathia Adams had lodged in the room next to the deceased.
She was already thinking of him as the deceased. He was as good as dead.
She chose a good vantage point, where she could observe the coming and goings, checking each car and person that got too close to the lobby.
Then she saw a particular car and just had the hunch it was Uber. True enough a young, voluptuous woman stepped out of the car, and after making payment, headed towards the entrance. She had a bag that was larger than the avergae hand bag and Tonye guessed was filled with all manner of intimacy gadgets.
Just before she could reach the main entrance, Tonye intercepted her.
"Room 498?"
She was shocked obviously...she looked frightened for a second then seeing Tonye, seemed to calm down. "Yes..."
Tonye held her hand and dragged her a little forcibly out of the camera range.
"Do you have a handcuff in that bag?"
She nodded, the frightened look was returning. It had dawned on her that this woman may not be on her side after all.
Tonye let her see the badge. It glinted in the night.
"This is what you're going to do...."

To be continued. .

My people while I clean up the thread...you may need to refresh your memory with the last update. My sincere apologies for the delay. Jah bless

domido:
Souloho19 I hope you're well!!!!

I'm good brother thanks for asking

bigbauer:

How about you fix your billing system before you come o Nairaland to poach writters?

@Souloho19, this is so unlike you. what's with the new method of updating the thread once in 4months? Hope you're alright?

Bro I'm alright...maybe I just need to get my mojo back.

Napoleonsammy:


Its truly not fair.
I also did the same thing. Now I'm thinking of starting the devil wears okrika again.

Oga soul just come and finish one time kawai

Bro just a little research is holding me up rn, plus I'm just recovering from a little fever bout. In the next couple of days the finale will drop.

beckyhils:
I'm new on NL and this is the first time I'm commenting. Stumbled on/Started from delayed diagnosis now I'm here and all I can say is wow, I can't even classify this as a story but rather a fully action packed movie and I must say kudos to the brain behind this great piece but pls update us your fans plsss

Thanks a lot and welcome on board

Smooth278:
#actornodeydie!!!

#spoileralert!!!



Rex Obasi is not dead... The grenade exploded and the house caught fire so Mynet could not confirm if he died or not... He will return as an avenging shadow in part 3...

Osheeey

Mynet11:
Hmmm... with the possibility of Sparrow having a child somewhere, am not seeing 'The Hole In The Wall' coming to an end anytime soon. But please as the headmaster of Twist & Turns, please TwistTurn Rex back to life (which I strongly believe he's not dead)...actor no de die for movie na atleast not the few I've seen. #TeamRex

Rex is dead bro. His remains will be discovered in the next update

Ann2012:


That's what Souloho19 will expose for us oooo

queenitee:
So like play like play, agent Sparrow might have a child? Hmmm, who could that be o?

The child would have to be mixed race because of the Chinese girl and Sparrow himself is of mixed race, i haven't introduced anyone like that yet. But my guts tell me he's going to be bad.

Reva1:



There's an edited version of TDWO?! Point me to the link biko

Sabali bro...sabali

Just stumbled on Sparrow's past...there may be something here..maybe a child he knows not about
Whoever liked this post thanks

souloho19:



::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Sensei Sparrow was quite akward with children, he didn't have kids of his own and of course to have kids one had to have sex first.

Agent Sparrow was meant to be a virgin. The monks back in the temple had practised the very highest form of abstinence which meant most of them even though very brave and fearless, 'didn't have the balls' but Master Wong hadn't let Sparrow become an eunuch. Castration shouldn't be forced on any man but has to be a conscious and deliberate decision the wise man had admonished.

The highest level of life essence the 'qi' was richest in a man's semen and he weakened himself with every ejaculation and basically reduced his life span spiritual purity.

There was another way; An ancient practice (Taoist sexual practice) from the Han dynasty in which the man forces the semen back before climaxing hence not releasing anything, but two things made the young Sparrow reject the practice;
1. What was the use in having sex without spilling any fluid?
2. Master Wong secretly advised him that although it was effective in preserving qi and spiritual advancement, there were very few cases where if done incorrectly could cause retrograde ejaculation, redirecting the semen from the urethra to the urinary bladder hence causing a UTI in the lower bladder (Urinary Tract Infection)

Sparrow decided to stay celibate with his manhood intact, but maybe it was the Nigerian blood in him because the few times he left the temple he began to find out he liked girls. There was this particular girl in the market who sold vegetables to the monks and Sparrow began to find out his meditation time was spent repainting her face over and over in his mind. Over time he began to sneak out of the temple to spend time with her. Her name was Chuan Li and Sparrow who was just 17 years at the time began to feel both love and lust in exponentials for the young beauty. One faithful day they went all the way. He had sex and he couldn't even hold himself or implement the taoist practice but it didn't matter in the end, nothing mattered when master Wong called him apart that same day as if sensing the sexual energy round the young boy and told him a story about the father he never knew. Since then Sparrow Ayara had been driven by one goal. Nothing else was important to him, Chuan Li was quickly forgotten and he hadn't touched another woman or even thought about any.
He had completed his martial arts training, gotten his black belt and the order Sensei 5th Dan and then he had come to is fatherland.....his father's land......his father......

And what do you guys think of the chief's death?

That's the end of the road for chief Amunike. He was a worthy villian most of the time but the height of his evil was the widows initiative where he amassed massive health.

And was there any meaning to the 'heir' reference from sir Holly, also considering he sanctioned his death by saying.....good bye 'son'....Or it was more likely just in the heat of the moment.

I just remembered the widow and her son Arinze, too bad she loses Bigelow after they found comfort with each other when his elder brother died. The Bigelow boys were brave and honourable men and their legend is certified in the next book. The shadow slayer

Napoleonsammy:
That's what I wanna hear.Its like impossible for Rex to die.

When I first saw that name Dagnet, I assumed her to be some elderly person, but it looks like she must be young, to be falling for sparrow.

Soul good job and thanks for the update.

Thanks bro...Dagnet is in her early fourties...I think 43. Sparrow is almost a decade older than her

Evold:
Rex should be on his way to hell, it's time to get a new leader for BROTA to lead the war

Lol bro this is hurtful to we Rex fans, but it looks like you're right

Oroolorun:
Oga Souloho19, don't you think the silent around BROTA compound made it appears as if the house was located in one bushy forest? In Lagos, it's difficult to see a part of the city where heavy gun battles would be heard without mischievious people coming to investigate what is going on. If the men in black, out of fear, failed to visited the scene, I trust the 'I SEE EVERYTHING WITH MY KOROKORO EYES' people would surely jump out of their beds with phones in hands coming to cover the incident as to be the best person to post the attack of the famous agency on social media.



Thanks for the update. Still following

Hmm...I admit you made really valid points boss. Brota isn't in a secluded area per say, I just remember describing a drive way which branched out of the highway. The men in Black have always been known to be perennial latecomers and remember the director of the mpd is the member of the hole. Another thing is every update on NL is more like a rough draft/blueprint...as I imagine it I write down, it would still go through major chiselling later on. For example in the edited version of TDWO, there's no palm wine accident and pa Kenneth doesn't get stoned to death but receives another end entirely. Remember the observations about the palm wine being inappropriate and all? I took the critic and I admit it turned out better. So I appreciate and note your observations bro. God bless!

Kaycee9242:
Thanks for the update and happy birthday bro

Thank you bro

Eberechi24:


someone should take back to where I stopped, I have missed aloooot

Happy birthday, Soul. may your soul be filled with much inspiration and motivation

Lol just take your time and catch up...thanks and God bless

Obioramichael:
Nice story...Nice writeup

Gracias bruv

Ann2012:
Thanks for the update boss

Happy birthday Souloho19, wishing you more greatness

I appreciate this

rattyo3:
Happy Birthday Oga Souloho, wish you prosperous years ahead. May the Almighty grant your heart wishes.

Thanks brother!

HelenBee:
Happy birthday to you Soul. I wish you long life and prosperity in good health and mega riches. More wisdom bro...❤️

Thank you

::::::::::
According to the instructions, the first step was to mark out the intended area with a chalk. It seemed Beatrice or whatever her name was had typed the message herself, she was terrible with spellings and found a way to shorten every word to maximum of 3 letters.

Tonye didn't have any chalk, but one thing she did have was her lipstick. In a small purse which contained her driver's license and cash.

She had to climb the bed, and lie down horizontally to figure out where exactly to draw the hole. She was going for a head shot. One bullet should be enough for what she had in mind...bug only if executed well. For a second she considered knocking on the door and blowing him to bits as soon as he opened up.

That would also be effective and she won't need to go through the stress of the hole and what not. But then again it wasn't just about killing him. It was about making a statement. Not just a statement, one with a big exclamation mark also.

The m.o of the first kill had been symbolic enough, killed through the hole in the wall. And even though they hadn't known the significance then, now she had an idea how big killing the first minister via a hole in the wall would be. The hole had struck them with power and crippled Brota terribly. So many lives had been lost and were still hanging in the balance, Andy for instance...no one knew the latest news from the hospital.

Killing the first minister wouldn't just be a counter strike, but a bullet in the head to the figurative head and brains of the hole. Of course a stake to the heart would have been better, but sir Holly or whatever his name was surely going to get it. He was the heart and soul of the organization after all.

She glanced at her watch frequently...taking note of the 30 minute window she had before the arrival of the call girl. When she was sure she had the right spot (slightly above the headboard) marked, she used her lipstick to draw a big circle.

The second instruction was to apply phosphoric acid on the wall and leave for hours. Tonye frowned a bit and scrolled down, prepared to hit the home button and call or consult Google. However she saw an alternative instruction and wondered why she didn't think of it earlier.

Phosphoric acid was an oxidizing agent used to give coke the tangy flavour. Colas were actually more acidic than lemon and vinegar altho the vast amount of sugar helped mask and balance the acidity. In bracket was the suggestion to heat coke with the explanation that more phosphorus is produced by heating the calcium phosphate. ..

Well there wasn't any hot plate, kettle, stove or gas in the room but there was a dispenser. Hot and cold water, the 20 litre gallon was half full and she removed it and placed it face down in the wash hand basin till all the water had drained. Then she made a call to room service for a litre bottle of coke....and ice....and a bottle of wine. She was cajoled into adding the latter two because she got the hint she'll wait a long time if she ordered for just one coke.

She checked her watch again....she had a little over 20 minutes more.
Room service was swift, as she had guessed. She paid the lady cash, responded to the discreet cough with a 100 naira tip and quickly turned the contents of the litre bottle into the bigger bottle of the dispenser. The red button for the hot switch was on and she guessed in the next ten minutes it will be hot enough...at least upwards of 70°

The 3rd instruction was going to be quite a challenge...she had never heard of a circular saw with a 7 inch diamond blade before. But she had an idea of how she could get it.
Bami had also suggested it, she knew he was responsible for the bracket explanations...he was just so sweet.

She would also need a gun. Tonye was partial to Berettas and had to leave hers in the glove compartment of the ambulance she drove to the airport. But with the right amount of cash, one could get anything at anytime, anywhere. You just had to know your way round the dark web. And as a forner government intelligence agent, she still had lots of connects and skills she employed in her Brota work frequently.
She entered a website, on her phone, and when she right clicked the logo three times, another window opened. The first was a popular sponsored bet ad page. She closed the tab and tripple clicked the logo again..this time a well known gossip blog, she closed it yet again. On the fourth try, the opened window loaded what looked like a general chat room...she navigated from the sexual themed group to the section she was likely to find what she sought. This one was a totally different type of bad.
After hinting what she wanted, she got multiple personal reply requests and enaged a handful, screening based on location and amount demanded. Until she had a handful, then she requested to see pictures and compared with the downloaded ones from Google. She selected the most impressive one and beat down the pirice to 150 thousand. That was one thing with people. Once they sensed you were in urgent need of what they had, they looked to take advantage. Although the man kept emphasizing on the late night delivery risk for the saw.
Glancing at her watch in dismay, she hit up her usual weapons contact. Although she hadn't needed anything from him in years. He replied immediately, these people were as nocturnal as koalas.
Getting a Beretta M9 to the island from the extreme mainland where he was located would take too much time. However, one of his boys was in Surulere and could deliver a weapon in about an hour. It wasn't a Beretta however but a colt....colt45.
"Well I'll be damned...a colt45. Was also the murder weapon from the first scene.
Tonye placed her order then hurried out the room to the elevator to intercept the incoming guest.

::::::::::
There was pandemonium in the house the minute Utebo shared the devastating news from the phone call; The house was on fire.
Martha sparked the confusion when she fainted upon hearing the news. Through out the day and infact ever since she learnt of Emma's kidnapping, her pulse had never really settled down. She seemed to have been in a state of worry so deep, it held held her in a hypertensive state. Seeing their mother faint and slide to the door was too much for Utebo and Cynthia to take and both sisters gave startled shouts and screams, "Jesus!" "Mummy!"
Alli had his heart so far up his throat he could practically spit blood. Thankfully, Martha was revived with few drops of water and Alli rushed to his phone where it still lay on the floor. The call was still on and the man was still talking. Alli recognized the voice belonged to their neighbour on the right, Pa Ayewa. He was still blabbering excitedly ...."two trucks! Two trucks! The thing is still burning! I'm just hoping breeze will not carry-"
"Wait....hold on....is anybody there?"
"What....yes of course the fire service trucks are here..they brought to trucks and they-"
"No I mean...no one was around.."
"No of course not....the person would have shouted since or run out before it got to this stage. Hmmmm..."
"What is it?"
"There's a car parked near the fence...that long car that look like limo, it's in front but nobody is inside. I can't see the driver anywhere...I even thought he had driven his boss back only to see the car now.
Pa Ayewa was an observant or nosy neighbour. It depended on your view or tolerance. Alli didn't care either way, he had just confirmed to him Rex was in the house. Or maybe he had abandoned the car or swapped vehicles.
Swapped the stretch with what? He asked himself.
In times of distress, the greatest favour one can do for himself is to be blunt.
"Alli what is it?" Jimmy asked him as he placed the bowl of water on a table. Martha was now sitting up, steadying her breath and sipping from the tea mug. Alli knew she was steadying her nerves to ask the next question, where is Rex?
He watched his phone screen briefly as the call went to voicemail yet again. His son's line wasn't going through. "I need to go home."
"I'll come with you."his friend said
"No you should stay...it's not safe for the head to abandon his house in the dead of the night..." He looked at the worried faces. They were all in shock, worried and pretty much scared. And they looked to him for the next step.
"Errr...you...Carl..."
"Clyde..."
"Clyde let's drive to the house and see what's really happening.." he struggled to keep his voice calm, looking at his wife as she stared at him. Cynthia was still patting down her brow with a warm towel.
"I'll come with you." The other lady (Kirsten) got up from her chair after the announcement.
Alli wanted to object at first but on secomd thought, he didn't see any reason to.

He looked at Olivia. She sat alone, the wheelchair a little to the side away from the 3 seater where the other Obasi sisters sat, nursing and fussing over their mother. Alli saw the fear in her eyes, and for a second he could feel the love his son and Olivia shared. It was powerful....and achingly beautiful.
He smiled assuringly at her, "the neighbour says Rex car is there, once I get there I'll call immediately so you can all speak to him."
Olivia nodded gratefully.
Hope was also very powerful.

::::::::::::
Bami went to the gate house to activate the deactivated alarm system once more. Sticky brain matter was splattered all over the screen. And he hit the shortcut command key from memory as his vision was impaired. After which he exited the gate house and joined Sparrow to study the damaged gate in silence. Two vans were parked against the gate, blocking the open space from the damaged bars.
"I'm thinking we should fix remote controlled explosives under the van. That was if we catch any movement from the cameras we'll detonate the bomb."
"There'll be no need for that....they aren't coming again." Sparrow said
"What do you mean...how do you know?"
"I just do...trust me no one is coming to attack again this night...let's just keep watch and bunk down for the night. We all need to get some rest.
"Okay I'll forget the bomb....let's go in, and have your wound properly dressed.
The mood in Brota was still a very gloomy one. Bami hadn't said anything about the shocking news Tonye had given him. As a matter of fact, after she said it the first time and he called back to clarify since he obviously didn't hear her right she had ignored the part and started about the hole in the wall. With a racing pulse, Bami had cowardly let it slide. His wife was stressed, she had travelled a lot in the past couple of days and had been in the thick of things, right here in Lagos and now in Benue. She was definitely stressed and hallucinating about the Rex dying scenario. Pffft...Rex dead? Rex couldn't die, it was absurd.
Milking the instructions for creating the hole from Beatrice had engaged his mind for the next few minutes until he hit send and began to wonder why they were about to murder someone. It was murder no matter how you looked at it.
Then the answer began to make him sweat. Revenge. It was a revenge killing.

Now he whispered to Sparrow....even though just the two of them were outside.
"When Tonye called me earlier, she told me that...." He looked away and paced a little bit. His lips quivered and he couldn't seem to being himself to speak.
Sparrow waited him out. Understanding and looking straight ahead, but listening.
"She told me Rex was dead."
There. It was out in the open. And saying it was a very big deal for Bami because it meant subconsciously he had accepted it even if he still chose the temporal respite of denial.
Sparrow didn't say anything for a long while then he looked at Bami, who was strangely looking at him, eager to hear something. "I'm sorry." He said.
That was even worse. "Sorry? Are you mad? It's obviously a like...or a mistake, she's under a lot of stress over there which is why she's making such errors. She couldn't even tell me where she heard it from."
Sparrow looked at him, there was no skepticism on his face, neither was there any doubt or pity. He was extremely conscious of that.
"Okay, I've heard you."
"Good...let's go in, it's getting cold."

.::::::::::::::
Inside, Beatrice had been gearing to leave. She had some how mobilized Ada and the latter was prepared to leave with her.
Bami and Sparrow met Dagnet trying to convince both women to stay till the next morning.
"It's too dangerous, it's better to wait till things settle down in the morning."
"Unlike you people no one knows where I live. I'm hudred percent sure they're not aware of my. Existence..unlike the lots of you they know everything about. The price of Fame, remember?"
"What are you talking about? I'm also a cop with a secure place but it would be extremely selfish if-"
"Then go home...you don't have the right to force anyone to stay just because you're staying....and don't you mean ex cop?
"What's going on here?" Bami asked as he entered with Sparrow.
"Ada and I are leaving. Whatever is going on here, you guys can handle it. When you're ready for action we'll talk about the plan Mr X had before you guys frustrated him to suicide..."
"Ada..." Bami interrupted, "you're going with her?"
No reply.
"Why don't you speak to your dad first, he called earlier and I'm sure he'll want to speak with you now that you're back and fine."
No reply.
Bami shrugged. Right now he was past caring. Everyone was responsible for his/her decisions. He still refused to believe the Rex news, (he didn't even permit himself to think the word Rex and death in the same context.)

::::::::::::
Tonye purposely looked down as she walked past the lobby of the hotel. She was conscious of all the cameras at different angles and had scoped it all out the first time she entered the hotel.
If everything went according to plan, tomorrow there were going to be policemen and crime scene officials swarming round the hotel, poring through the video tapes. When they check the records and discover one Fathia Adams had lodged in the room next to the deceased.
She was already thinking of him as the deceased. He was as good as dead.
She chose a good vantage point, where she could observe the coming and goings, checking each car and person that got too close to the lobby.
Then she saw a particular car and just had the hunch it was Uber. True enough a young, voluptuous woman stepped out of the car, and after making payment, headed towards the entrance. She had a bag that was larger than the avergae hand bag and Tonye guessed was filled with all manner of intimacy gadgets.
Just before she could reach the main entrance, Tonye intercepted her.
"Room 498?"
She was shocked obviously...she looked frightened for a second then seeing Tonye, seemed to calm down. "Yes..."
Tonye held her hand and dragged her a little forcibly out of the camera range.
"Do you have a handcuff in that bag?"
She nodded, the frightened look was returning. It had dawned on her that this woman may not be on her side after all.
Tonye let her see the badge. It glinted in the night.
"This is what you're going to do...."

To be continued. .

My people thanks for your comments...Jah bless you big time. The story just continues stretching but don't worry, the end is very near
Enjoy your weekend fam!

::::::::::::::
The Omirida's had a lovely home. They lived alone in a 4 bedroom bungalow, as all their three children were out of the Country. Which was yet another reason they were so close to the Obasi's . Two old couples with children far away....there was a lot to bond over.

The children had been tucked in bed and Mrs Omirida had insisted on making tea so she had served the unexpected guests hot beverages or green tea...depending on preference. There was also cookies which they all devoured. Afterall they were unaware Alli no joy had done a mouthpiece job for the group earlier and passed on any dinner.

No one bothered to talk about the reason for the visit and they all thread around it, talking about other things, mostly politics.

Jimmy was a good host, and he and Alli told Paul, Kirsten and Clyde adventures from their younger days.
Utebo and Olivia had definitely heard it before and Olivia couldn't pretend to be alright and listen to anybody when she was yet to see her husband.

She signaled Utebo, trying to appear calm when she was filled with uneasiness and impatience. "please can I use your phone to call Rex? I've still not spoken to him."

" Ok....dad even said they spoke and exchanged texts some hours ago....but that's true where is Rex...he should be back by now..oh-oh"

"What is it?" If it was possible for someone sitting upright in a wheelchair to sit up, then that's what Utebo did.

"No...it's my phone...I think I left it at home."

"Oh..."

"Wait lemme ask my dad....Dad can I use your phone...I want to call Rex."

Alli broke off in mid sentence and dug into his pockets. He handed it to his daughter....looking round the room with a sudden strange expression on his face.

"What's the matter...?" Martha asked worriedly.

"I just hear a lot of sirens that's all....does anybody hear it?" He asked, looking at his son in law.

They all shook their head. Nope....no one could hear anything.

"Haha Al is this old age or what...?" His friend laughed at him and Alli shrugged but he still frowned.

Meanwhile, Utebo had tried dialing the number twice but it went straight to voicemail. Then she tried her own line but there was no answer.

She was in between dials, when the phone vibrated in her hands. The number calling wasn't saved and she glanced at her father before deciding to answer it.

"Hello..."

"Hello sir....hello ma....! Na pa Ayewa dey talk....your house dey burn! Your house dey on fire...everything Don dey burn reach roof!"

The voice sounded frantic and there was lots of commotion in the background....at first Utebo didn't understand what she was hearing. Then the key words; house, burn, fire, seemed to spark her brain.

"Oh my God!" She gasped and the phone fell from her hands.

Everyone in the parlour fell silent and looked at her.
It was like the phone was a time bomb, about to go off with whatever explosive news Utebo had just received. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath, waiting for the blast.

It was Martha who said, for the umpteenth time that night, worriedly, "what's wrong."


::::::::::
Back in Lagos


Bami didn't say anything for a long while then he coughed and said..."it's not possible...are you sure?....wait lemme find somewhere private and call you back." She heard him shuffle his feet and call to someone; "I'll be right back...I have to take this call outside..." He ended the call and Tonye thought she had heard Short Sam's voice, but she wasn't sure.

She was not even in the frame of mind to break the news that still felt surreal to her. Her mind right now was fixed on a goal, Revenge.

Creating a hole in the wall was no small task. There were lots of variables that come into play....hardware...drilling the wall? Or getting a sledgehammer and just knocking a fucking big hole into it (sorry for the cursing but Tonye was fucking pissed....fuming with anger and the need for revenge).

The scene back in serenity suites in what felt like a thousand years ago, had been smooth, almost too professional to be criminal. The hole had looked like it had been carved into a wall.

Andy had said something about a fancy kind of saw being used to cut holes into walls of not so thick diameter.

Then again there was the fact that the shadow...or fake shadow as it will turn out had been sedated....drugged out of his senses, as the autopsy had revealed.

The bastard in the next room wasn't drugged but he was quickly getting drunk and lousy. She could hear the murmur of his voice again so she went to the mini bar and retrieved another glass. This time she had her nerves in check, there wasn't anything he could say that would make her drop the glass again.

The first thing she heard however gave her an idea.

"Hello....yes...I said send another bottle upstairs..."

Her phone rang again but she silenced it and her automatic options tab came up...she pondered for a second and selected the option, 'cant talk now, busy'

Almost immediately came the reply, Are you okay? What do you need?"

I need to carve a hole in the wall... She typed....

If she knew her husband, he would know what she meant immediately. And he did, cause the phone vibrated once more. However she was caught up in the call the first minister was making.

"....yes....it's a disgrace but this one better be better...if not you know what I can do to your agency...that's right...yes in fact now you're talking...of course...hand cuffs, whips, masks and all..Batgirl mask is my requirements....I'm in room 479...no no no...minimum of 30 minutes if not I'm never patronizing your agency again...and the girl better be perfect, you know my taste, good!"

He ended the call as Tonye heard the knock....his drink had arrived.

She dropped the glass and sank in one of the chairs, rubbing the back of her neck which was aching her. She remembered Bami's message and unlocked her phone.

there's someone here who can help with that. Rem the Beatrice kidnapper lady? She's here. I'll text instructions from her..give me a min.

Tonye remembered the girl she had encountered earlier, who had been making away with the stolen Rolex. So, the first minister was into kinky stuffs and he had ordered another girl...30 minutes, he had said.

Tonye smiled wickedly, half an hour was too long for a plan, she had one already...and on cue, her phone lit up with an incoming message.


Tbc..

:::::::::

The news stations were all running the story of the letter bomb which had gone off hours earlier in the Apapa general hospital. Some stations reported, people had been gravely wounded and others reported there were no casualities.

In actuality, the young man who had opened the letter bomb had part of his face blown off for his trouble. He died half an hour later as a result of the grave injuries.
However, the intended target was still recovering in the inner room. And when Jimoh detonated the bomb, the tremor forced his eyes open, as the EKG in the corner went through fluctuations for a brief period.

Andy stared at the ceiling, scenes of last night played in his mind; working on the news paper report with Helen, then having the quick snack of peanut butter sandwich on the kitchen floor, after which they spent time talking about themselves, goals, drems and family. And finally, making love with the fiery reporter. He had fallen for her in such a short time, was that even possible? And by the way....where was she? He moved his head, scanning the room. It was a private room and vaguely farmiliar...in fact he had a nauseating feeling he had been exactly in this position before....maybe when the shadow had shot him.

Why wasn't anybody here with him. Where was Rex, Bami Tonye? Helen?

"Helen..." He managed to whisper, his lips were patched and his throat dry. He had difficulty talking and gave up.

A telenova was showing on the TV in the corner and he watched for some seconds, as a man sporting a bushy mustache, tore open the outer garment of a younger woman. Who gasped in shock and slapped him, trying desperately to hold on to her dress. And then suddenly she abandons the cloth and grabs the man, and they indulge in a steamy kiss.

Looking at the video with an eyebrow raised in amusement, Andy suddenly gave a short start and subconsciously sat up. He had just remembered the bomb blast.

Him and Helen.

She had been behind the wheel....inside the car, he had been standing a little away, waving as she began to reverse.

Oh good God....Helen!
He lay back down slowly, staring at the ceiling, a tear rolled down his eyes, but because of his horizontal position, trickled down his ear, causing irritation. He couldn't itch it if he wanted.

Every woman he seemed to fall in love with always suffered horrid deaths, at least two had. How many times did a man get to love in a lifetime for God's sake?

Maybe he was cursed or something.

:::::::::::::
Benue
(Omirida's residence)

Meanwhile Alli was outside, trying his best to pacify his friend, Jimmy who still seemed surprised with the visit.

"Alli what happened?...this is no random visit, not at this time." He looked through the window, into the parlour where the family were seated...or more aptly, clustered. His eyes settled on the woman in the wheel chair. She looked like she had gone through a lot, the knee casts implied that, her eyes implied that, her whole demeanor implied that.

Most of the children were asleep, carried by the adults. Martha and his wife were close friends also, at first as a result of the tight bond their husbands shared but now they had basically been best friends for the better part of two decades. The two women carried two little girls, who were fast asleep. Then a much younger woman he didn't know carried one of the twin boys, Utebo carried the other. There was yet another strange young man, beside the Utebo's husband the major, who carried the last twin.

Jimmy glared at Alli, "you guys are ten! ten!"

His recent survey had also been a census.

Alli rolled his eyes, "Jim relax we have other things to talk about...I heard the fight season will soon start, are you getting a ram?" Alli knew how to push the right buttons when it came to his friend. He no longer contested in the ram fights, not since the days of Rambo(of blessed memory)...about 2 years ago.

His friend still looked worried but his voice grew excited. "I plan to go to uptown market to buy one by weekend. But Simon says he has one available, from Lagos, former Champion in 2014."

"Hmm...that one na veteran oh." Alli said with a half laugh

Jimmy chuckled but Alli noticed he still glanced through the window.

"Jim, you're my closest friend and that's my family in there. We're in some kind of fix at the moment and you should know how I feel moving my family to someone's house in the middle of the night...don't make it worse for me."

His friend looked a little surprised. "Haba, it's not that...I'm here thinking if I can still catch Kingston Jo to buy food for everyone because if Nanama starts cooking now it may be too late to eat when she finishes.

Alli waved the suggestion away. "We're not hungry at all...we had dinner first, and you see those children? Till tomorrow morning before their eyes would open. They're done for the night."

"Tooh...in that case no problem. I have already eaten since 6 because of the drugs."

Alli nodded slowly, "how are you feeling?"

His friend lowered his gaze, "Nwokem, let's go inside and talk about better things."


:::::::::::
Lagos


There was an emergency meeting at Brota headquarters. It was difficult to tell if there was going to be a second attack, so they had driven all the trucks, pickup vans, and private cars, forming a sort of barricade against the damaged main entrance.

Sparrow had remained outside, to parade the grounds and lookout, in case they had any unexpected guests. This time he was armed to the teeth with a wicked looking assault rifle. No matter how fast and sleek one was, you couldn't outrun or dodge a bullet. He had learnt this the hard way and still had the pain in the gut to show for it. His shirt had been ripped by Bami, during the frantic effort to save him and now he wore a navy blue polo shirt with the words; Brota Security Consultant in block letters on the chest and back.

Inside the building, in a slightly bigger than average room called Hall 1, the surviving members of the attack held their emergency meeting. Dagnet, Ada, Beatrice and Short Sam.

Bami had gone down to the weapons room and brought out the big guns. A collection of hand pistols, sub machine guns and assault rifles, rpgs, flash bombs, grenades...

He decorated the gadgets on the Formica table in the center. A subconscious gesture to instill confidence in himself and the shaken individuals in the room.

Short Sam's wife was out with her son in the pantry. The boy was ravenous and eating a late night snack and his mother was not letting him out of her sight for a second. She was still jittery and terrified at how close they had come to loosing their lives.

Short Sam himself had just re-entered the meeting room, having gone to check on his wife and son, for the fifth time in ten minutes.

"How're they?" Dagnet asked

"They're fine.. Junior's still eating."

"That's encouraging."

There was a short silence and finally Bami cleared his throat. "Ok, I called this meeting cos we need to plan our next action...I don't think it's wise to continue staying here. But then again, we have nowhere to go...we can't go home cos there's every possibility our homes are being targeted. That's why the best option we may have is to bunk here for a night. We have a secure bunker panic room, which is bomb proof and comfortably stocked. We can wait out the storm in there..."

"I don't think it's fair and safe to leave Sparrow all alone outside while the rest of us bunk down till morning." Dagnet interrupted.

"No one needs to stay outside...we have surveillance systems in the panic room, we activate the cameras and alarm system once more and keep watch from in there. That way if anyone shows up we can strategize properly on the best way to neutralize the threat."

S.s nodded, "I think that's the best we should do...what about the bodies?"

"They remain in the van where we piled them.. tomorrow I'll drive it myself to dispose or maybe straight to the mortuary."

"I mean...I meant ours....our people?" He shivered.

"Body not bodies..." Dagnet whispered softly. The haunted look was back in her eyes again. Bigelow blowing himself up would never leave her memory.

"Yes...Buzz..I'll reach out to his next of kin...he has an elder brother who was a guarantor in his application I think....so sad, their sacrifice will never be in vain."

"It's easier to talk and form hard but we both know the truth..you guys are cowards. And if you hadn't messed up the sarin gas plan two years ago, at least 60% of the hole would have been wiped out. Making it easier to end them completely. But instead hero Rex saves the day and smiles sheepishly as they hand him awards after awards...enjoying the recognition, not knowing he's being patted on the back, like a kid who has done good!" Beatrice spat the words at Bami, each syllable dripping with bitterness.

He stared at her, imagining taking the sawed off shortgun from the table and shooting her in her venomous mouth.

Beside her, Ada remained silent. Arms crossed and not really looking at anyone.

Bami stared Beatrice in the eyes and said, "don't think this is over...your're still going to pay for what you did to Olivoa. And thanks for reminding me to call Rex. I need to update him on the latest developments."

Beatrice just glared at him, at a loss for words.

Bami fought the urge for a cigarette and dialed his friend. He hadn't smoked since he got married, one of the habits he had to give up because Tonye was really anti-smoke. Lung cancer had killed her father so even the mere thought felt like betrayal.

He frowned. "Rex isn't picking....lemme try again."

After three more tries and no response, he called his wife instead. They were supposed to be together after all.

She picked after what felt like forever. "Hello.."

He immediately noticed something was wrong....her voice....she sounded like she had been crying.

"Tonye....baby what's wrong? What happened? Are you okay?"

"Yes...I'm okay ...it's Rex.. "

"Rex....what happened to Rex?"

".....he's dead.."


:::::::::
In kirikiri maximum prison, the man had spent hours patrolling round his small villa-like cell. He had gone through every emotion available. He had shouted, he had cried, he had wailed, pleaded and hoped. On his knees as he prayed to his god. Fervently, with the phone pressed to his ear.

But sir Holly had told him, his voice strained but clear, raspy and annoying....no not annoying....his voice had a way of tingling with one's ear drums, and drifting through the mind like smoke...it was invasive and unsettling.

You never relaxed when you spoke to Sir Holly, you were constantly on your toes.

"Look, look, Amunike... You were my heir, the future of the hole but you turned out to be such a disappointment. You were the one meant to take over....you were meant to be the first minister...but you were so stupid you couldn't see the bigger picture...instead you were running around with your wife...acting like some kind of infallible syndicate..." the voice faded off and there was a hard spitting noise.

"You betrayed the hole, and yet you're begging me to spare your family? You should have been killed long ago, but I showed you mercy...one of the few times in my long cursed unending life I've shown mercy and this is what happens. The sacred list of the brotherhood handed on a platter to the enemy! No not enemy...you see how you rubbish me, making me refer to small weights as the enemy? I can't show mercy twice. It isn't possible.

The time is up, but you have to know first, your daughter's dead. Your son's dead, your whole family is dead...wherever Emenike thinks he can hide he can't, your precious Ada is missing she'll never be found but be rest assured your wife will receive a body part in prison this week..and I won't be surprised if she dies from shock...and your little boy in Netherlands studying to be a doctor..."

His voice faded again but this time there was no spit. The venom was gone now, and there was almost emotion. "That's enough....right now you're going to end the call and take a nap. Save me a plate when you get to hell, bye son."

Dial tone.

After which, the warder had taken the phone and looked at him with pity eyes, as if to say...'I'll miss you sir' and he turned and left but didn't shut the gate.

Less than a minute later, the priest was there. Well, not really a priest, but he was dressed like one, but instead of a Bible he held a shinny silenced Brownning in his gloved hands. This was no priest, this was death.

"Please let me make a call first, I have to make a call...." The Chief pleaded.

The killer obviously knew him....had probably taken orders from him some point in the past and now he nodded slightly.

Chief Amunike...removed a smaller phone from the drawer and made a call.

He gave a huge sigh of relief after hearing something on the other end. "Oh thank you...thank you so much...I'll like to speak to her...she won't?...okay." He ended the call and heaved almost peacefully.

His Adagbeke was still alive. The center of his whole universe. Bami had said she was in shock and wouldn't talk to him. He had been driving and was in a hurry to end the call but, Amunike was going to die with the knowledge that his daughter was fine.

Now he needed to make some other calls, for his children...and also in any way he could help Rex. They had saved his daughter and that was all that mattered. He was going to do all he could to help them, cause they were really in for it.

"Time's up." The priest announced

"Please just a minute for one call..." His heart began to race as he dialled a number from memory.

Two minutes later, he removed the Sim card and swallowed it, then climbed into bed, properly tucked himself in and took a nap.

When two bullets shattered his head, he didn't feel it...didn't know.

genius43:


Am literally grinning.

Welcome back Souloho19, Mr Writer, king of twists.

Thank you my good man!

:::::::::::
They Needn't have bothered. Bigelow had gone the Way Of the Marty, his sacrifice, placing himself between the attackers and the family when he realized the gunmen were catching up, and finally exploded two grenades in their midst, making sure none of them would get past him, even if it meant, they'll hardly see any of his body parts to bury.

This meant all gunmen had been killed. The attack on Brota, code name The purge was unsuccessful. The second part of the purge was currently not faring any better at the moment, as the whole family had thankfully missed 11.

However the main actor had Just shown up and his head was definitely the price asset....

:::::::
Benue....Obasi Residence


Mynet11 slipped into the compound noiselessly, his prize goal now was Rex. Cutting off the head Of Brota was surely going to destabilize the organization. He stuck to the shadows and peeped through the crack in the curtain. He could see the the back of the second man. Rex was infront of him, peering into what looked like the bathroom.

11 opened the door a bit and entered. However, the door creaked.

:::::::::
I was convinced no one was in the house. And also, the discarded clothes strewn about pointed to the fact that they had all left in a hurry. I held myself from calling out. My phone pressed to my ear as I heard the phone ring. The ringing phone was in the bathroom, on the Wash hand basin. I ended the call and picked the phone, staring at the Screensaver of Utebo's three children with the message; 6 missed calls. All From Me.

Now, without the ringing, there was a sudden silence. That was when I heard the door creak open. I turned and noticed Junior was practically shaking. It seemed he had also heard the door. I cocked the gun and suddenly felt the sharp pain in my shoulder from where Junior had stabbed me with the wood earlier. Why would the pain decide to rear it's head now of all times.
Maybe it was the tension, cause I'll be very honest with you, I was very tense. Junior scrambled out of the way, the coward rushing to hide behind the 3 seater couch.

I kept my hand steady, grinding my molars together as the shoulder sting intensified. I could see the main door leading outside was ajar, the rusty old thing didn't open or close without a peculiar shriek. I had heard it, low and quick as it was, I knew the sound well enough. Someone was in the house.

I had an obvious advantage here. This was my turf, I grew up in this house. I had played numerous shooting games when I was little, armed with an ak47 or in my case our family umbrella and with just my imagination.

Having no brother and three sisters who were too old to engage in my "rough play" had made me act out different adventures in the house and I had the blueprint stamped in my memory. I knew the best place to hide, the best angles to take aim, how to link the patio without going through the parlour...everything. I began to advance slowly. Whoever this intruder was, I was going to kill.

Junior suddenly decided standing behind me was safer than cowering behind the couch. He scampered to his feet, and rushed behind me. The fool was using me as a shield. I Knew I should have killed him earlier.

But i couldn't afford any distraction. With my Glock 9 raised and pointing in front of me, I moved slowly forward. Approaching the corridor slowly....the store, locked as usual. I couldn't remember when last that door had been open. Approaching the kitchen...I spun into the kitchen, scoping the length and breadth of the kitchen with the gun. There was no one in the kitchen, however I could sense a foreign presence. A dangerous aura.

I considered slipping out through the kitchen exit and turning round the compound to enter through the dining door. I'll just remove my shoes and move around with my socks to avoid making noise band giving away my position. I heard a peculiar noise behind me and turned around, ready to caution Junior. He was jittery and scared but he had to calm down and not get in the way.

"Ssshhhh-" My eyes widened as I saw Junior spitting blood. Or to be candid, the blood was gushing out of his mouth.

I saw the bullet wounds immediately, two small holes in his chest, right in the heart area. A professional execution.

Junior fell to his knees, ready to breathe his last. I hadn't even heard any sound, how did he get past us to shoot Junior who had been hiding behind me?

My eyes strayed to the body, there was nothing I could do, he was dead already. Shit.

My eyes caught movement at the extreme end of the house and I fired immediately. Squeezing two shots and finally getting a glimpse of the killer as he ducked into the room. I went down on my knee, one eye closed as I took aim. I had the room entrance in my scope, any slight movement, even if he peeped and all I got was a fraction or an inch of his hair I was going to shoot it.

Five seconds and counting, nothing yet, no peeping, he didn't even stretch his hand to shoot. I began to get worried. But there wasn't any exit from the room. The windows all had burglary and this was the only entrance/exit. Unless....unless my bullet had got him and he was on the floor, bleeding to death in the room...that would be the best.

As I considered my options, an object came sailing into the room. It took a fraction of a second for me to realize it was a grenade. My defense mechanism kicked in and I struggled to get out of harm's way. The grenade landed close to my feet and I kicked it away and dived backwards, aiming to take cover behind the 3-seater. The bomb exploded and the force field caught me in the air, converting my dive to a smackdown. I crashed against the wall and landed on the small glass table.

There was too much pain to contemplate, that I hardly felt it. I just knew my head was killing me. Crashing head first into the wall with such force, it was a miracle I hadn't broken my neck. And my leg....my right leg was hot and heavy probably due to the fact the grenade had gone off a second after I kicked it.

My back was also killing me. Aches, cuts and bruises. Shards of glass from the table were scattered around me. Piercing me and I was still a little dazed and shook my head, pointing my gun at the toilet, shaking my head again and pointing it at the room door. Then I realized I didn't have my gun. I was pointing my index finger, with my thumb cocked, ready to pull an imaginary trigger.

I struggled to sit up...or to be frank, I prepped myself to think about sitting up. I didn't feel like I could move. Hell, I couldn't even feel my body. It felt like I was outside, looking in. Or maybe on the inside looking out. But in reality I was on the floor, in the middle , ooking around. The ceiling was still spinning but becoming clearer. The ringing in my ear was becoming faint also.
Where was my gun? I struggled with the pain and raised my head, just in time to see the form emerge from the room. Gun in hand and pointed at me. He was dressed in all black and I wondered about the scar on his face for a second. Then I thought of my wife and daughter, and mother and father...as I waited for the blackness.

::::::::::::::
As Beatrice approached Brota building, her resentment and hardened countenance began to give way to shocked gasps and wide eyes.

The building was literally smoking, the gate was destroyed partially, with two vans crushed together and partially blocking the gate. Then there were bodies scattered around, about half a dozen.

Beatrice came down from the car, instinctively clutching her small revolver in her purse. What the hell happened here?

Then she saw Ada. Caught off guard by the young girl's stance as she stared down at the man lying down and groaning in pain at her feet.

Speaking of feet...Beatrice glanced down again....yes she was stepping on the man privates, crushing and grinding balls with her heels adorned feet...

Beatrice winced, almost feeling the pain on his behalf, then she smiled, thinking she wouldn't mind crushing Rex's balls in such a manner too.
She liked this girl....she reminded her of Fome...a lot.

::::::::
Bami and Sparrow stumbled past the corridors shooting every dead body on the floor again.

Two shots each in the back, chest or head. One of the bodies actually jerked and Bami buried two extra slugs in the chest and in a sudden burst of frustrated anger, shot the head too.

Sparrow signaled for him to calm down. "I can't talk too loud...call out for them...let them know it's us to avoid friendly fire."

"Yeah...good idea." Bami agreed. He called out, "Bigelow! Dagnet? Sam?"
"Bigelow? Dagnet? Sam...it's us... we're here...they're all gone!"

Dagnet emerged from behind the stairs, her gun was in her hand and her jacket was torn and she was shaking badly. She looked mad. And indeed she was desperately holding on to her sanity. It felt like it was just a thread straining to keep her mind and soul together and it felt like it could rip any moment. She had witnessed Bigelow pull the grenade pins. Seen him blow himself and the four attackers to bits, before her very eyes from her spot under the stairs.

Sparrow emerged and she ran into his arms, finally breaking down and thus preserving her sanity as his hands held her tightly. "It's okay....it's alright....let it out..." He patted her back softly.

Dagnet was pressed against his bandaged bullet wound under his shirt but he didn't feel any pain. Only concern.

:::::
Short Sam heard the calls and gave a sigh of relief. Even his wife heaved visibly. She hugged her son, drying his tears and trying to get him to stop crying. The gun suddenly felt too heavy in his hand and he couldn't wait to discard it. He looked around and finally dropped it in the sink.

"It's okay Sam Junior...the worst is over...it's okay."

:::::::::
Whoever first thought of this hollow method of eavesdropping was a genius. The glass cup was face-up against the wall and her ear was pressed to the base of the glass. Luckily the wall wasn't very thick.

The first minister had been on the phone for the past ten minutes. And he hadn't yet said anything remotely interesting. His replies were basically two syllables; "yessir"

Finally he said; "I will sir..right away. Yes sir......before the strike they were primed and ready.......yes sir."

He cut the call and grumbled under his breath. "Retire and hand me the reigns completely you this old man."Then he chuckled, and Tony heard the admiration in his voice. "But he's still very sharp...very very."

He dialed a number, punching the digits roughly that Tonye heard each button.

But it was the hotel room service. "Hello...this is room...eh 429...I need something sent to my room.....drink...I don't know, something strong...what do you have? Okay bring the red label."

There was silence for a while and this time he must have used his mobile phone because she just heard him speak.

"Talk to me"

"Hmmm...are you sure he's dead? Okay remember your instructions...torch the place, burn it to the ground......what about them? Forget the family, they're gone. Rex was the main target and now that he's dead your mission is a complete success. Now burn the place to the ground."

Tonye gasped and the cup slipped from her hand. It smashed upon impact with the floor, breaking into a million pieces. She moved back in horror, as if the wall had bitten her. She wished she could unhear what she just heard. Rex was dead? Rex was dead.

Her eyes hardened as she felt a pang in her chest. Rex was like a brother to her, "Oh my God Olivia." Her friend was going to be devastated. And his daughter Emma....

Tonye who rarely cried couldn't stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks.

When there was a knock on the next door, she guessed correctly that room service had delivered his drink. He wanted to get drunk....maybe toast to killing his brother in-law.

Tonye suddenly wanted revenge so bad. She clenched her fists and stared at the wall. The first Minister's voice had been clear enough which meant he had been on his bed and the bed was against the wall.

She remembered how the craziness had began, from a hole in the wall and a dead body in a random hotel. And yet here they were again...her eyes changed suddenly as purpose and determination set in. She knew what she must do.

:::::
The Obasi family stormed their oldest friends, the Omiridas house in full force. Both cars stopped in front of the steel gate and Alli no Joy got down from the car and banged the gate with such force it felt like it could come off it's hinges. He looked around frantically, although the neighborhood was deserted.

"Who's that?" His friend shouted, stalling to open the gate. "Alli...is that you?"

"Yes Jimmy it's me...please open your gate let me drive in, I don't want to leave the car by the road."

"Okay."

Jimmy was two years younger than Alli no Joy but he looked older. While Alli was still fit as a rock and in terrific shape, Jimmy was pudgy and beginning to bend over a bit. He was seriously considering getting a cane, that should reduce the pain in his lower back.

He winced as he bent down to unhook the gate. He was definitely paying for years of youthful exuberance. He had been given the nickname, 'sex machine' in his younger days. Now he was feeling the pain for all those years upon years of perpendicular motion.

He opened the gate, shielding his eyes from the pair of headlights as the cars drove into the compound. Wait a minute....cars?
There were two cars and he could tell they were both full.

To be continued

:::::::
Junior the driver collected the key and immediately began fumbling with the lock. I turned round, observing the compound while he unlocked the door. It was clear nobody was home but how could I be sure we weren't followed?

What's more, I could hear the phone ringing inside the house as I continued to dial and I couldn't help but begin to imagine all sorts of scenarios.

But hopefully, Utebo had forgotten her phone...probably they all left in a hurry and she would have had her hands full...kids and all and forgot the phone.

"What's taking so long, there are only three keys there, it shouldn't be hard to figure out the right one." I said over my shoulder. My eyes on the gate, I didn't know why but there was some kind of heaviness, some kind of foreboding hanging on my neck like a chain. It made me all the more restless and I shuffled my feet as I swayed from left to right as though I was extremely pressed. I guess you could say my soul was pressed.

I fervently hoped I wasn't going to see a bloody massacre on the other side of the door. I was about to shout at him and collect the keys when he got the door open. I brought out the revolver which had been tucked in my trouser and earlier.

I didn't have any flash and had to activate my phone video camera so the flash light illuminated the house, then I found the switch.
"wait here, keep an eye out." I instructed Junior, almost forgetting he was a driver not an agent.

The minute I proceeded into the house however, he followed me. I swept the parlour with my gaze, redialing the number to hear where it will ring from. I didn't understand why no other call was going, but it was definitely giving me the wrong ideas. The parlour wasn't sparkling or spotless but it was in decent condition. A couple of children's clothes were tossed on the chair, a toy piano and dolls on the other chair, papers, small tables, sweet and biscuit wrappers, and some other miscellaneous junk were strewn here and there, evidence of four playful children.

But there was no shell casings, no sign of any struggle and most importantly, no drops of blood anywhere. I kept my hand high, gripping the gun steadily with my wrist parallel to my chin like Bami had trained me, for optimal clarity, he called it.

:::::::::::
Dagnet had finally managed to get Buzz partially to his feet. Her shirt was tied round his midriff and it was already crimson. It wasn't really stopping the blood. "come on....you said it yourself, there's medical supplies in the panic room, don't give up yet...hold on.."

"when you...when you get to the microwave....aaah (he winced) you'll press a...."

There was a loud explosion from the main corridor and the shock wave actually threew them off balance.
She made contact with the wall and fell to the ground at the mouth of the emergency stairs.

While poor Buzz was thrown forward and stumbled at the mouth of the kitchen. Unable to cry out the pain his body felt from his nasty landing, which was mostly on his right side.
Same side he had been shot..

::::::
The family was huddled beside the fridge when the explosion hit. The tremor made little Junior start crying immediately. Short Sam wanted to hug his wife and son, protect them like a mother hen, gather them both in his arms, but he wasn't physically equipped to do that.

For the second time in his life, he cursed his height...or lack thereof. The first time was when he first started dating his wife and they went dancing. She had worn a snug short gown which accentuated her killer curves, which was literally out of reach. Apart from that he was at peace with his 5'5 frame.

He peeped from behind the fridge and saw Buzz laying still on the ground. "Oh shiit!"

"Honey, language." His wife whispered and he almost retorted, screw language we all going to die!

:::::::::::
Sparrow had been shot in his stomach and Bami knelt over him, assessing the bullet wound. "These people are packing real firepower, there's a first aid kit in the car. I'll be right back."

He looked around, there was no other gunman standing. Two were groaning and rolling about.

Ada had come out of the car and it occurred to him that the car belonged to 3f, so there wasn't likely to be a first Aid kit in The Booth, like it was in his car.

"help me up, there's still a family in there." Sparrow said.

"Sparrow you're bleeding, badly. You can't go in like this."

"I know..." He winced a bit and took short breaths, in and out.

Back in his monastery, a significant exercise which the grand master often required was the act of subduing the flesh, i.e; Putting their body into extreme conditions and not caving in. Either through hunger and thirst, physical conditions that test stamina and exercises that test mental strength, will and resolve.

That had Been a dark time for a 16 year old Boy at first, but as he grew older, he fully began to master one of the most Misused phrase; mind over matter. However this was the first time he was getting shot....he was that sleek. Bami was right about the bleeding problem, but he had thought of a solution already.

"look in the pickup truck they came with, there should be ductape in there somewhere..."

"okay Great Idea....I'll be right back. Here let me help you sit up."

Bami still kept a wary eye on Ada, she just stood outside the car, staring at one of the men who was dying slow.

He frowned in thought and hurried to the truck. Sure enough there was a huge roll of ductape in the back, along with pliers and some wicked looking torture devices. He grabbed the tape and saw a bottle of vodka sticking out under the Seat. After a moment's hesitation he grabbed the bottle. On his way back, he shot the man he hit with the car earlier. He was sitting up, groaning In pain and disoriented when Bami shot him in the head. He died confused.

Ada was directly infront of the second man, still watching him die slowly.

So, Bami hurried to Sparrow's side. Although he couldn't help glancing every now and again. He tore sparrow's shirt and tried to place the bottle In his mouth for a Drink, but Sparrow Shook his Head Vigorously.

"I'll recommend you take a swig of this first, to grab your mind off the pain."

"No....no alcohol."

"okay....this Is Going to hurt like crazy but it's the closest method to fight infection. He poured the Vodka spirit on the bullet entry point which was still bleeding and poured the contents directly on the flesh wound. Sparrow didn't even tense or grimace. Next, Bami placed his Handkerchief on the spot and Applied the ductape round his torso. "This ought To hold you very Well for now. It's a good thing the bullet exited, cause there's no way I could dig in to retrieve it." He shuddered, no doubt imagining the scenario. He wasn't a fan of too much blood.

There was a loud explosion from inside the building.

"The Family is trapped In there..." Bami Shouted.