₦airaland Forum

CHAPTER 32

4:03pm

Freelance journalism can feel like a constant battle: to come up with good ideas, to pitch them to the right places and to land assignments that both pay well and have enough room for more writing.

Many reporters turn to freelancing at some point in their careers. They may be fresh out of college and hoping to build a broad range of clips.

They may be victims of downsizing who are trying to keep their bylines out there. Or they may be in a situation where they need the flexibility freelancing can provide.

Freelancing has its downsides, including instability, serving as your own collections agency and waiting months for payment.

But it also has a major upside, says Reporter Danjuma Umar: “Freedom. You are free to rise when you please, quit when you please, travel as you please”.

In a market crowded with freelances, it helps to know how to find and create more opportunities.

Danjuma Umar, an indigene of Kaduna State started his freelance journalism at the age of twenty-two.

He started as a freelance sport writer in the mid 1990s, he got his first freelance jobs through personal contacts.

Later, he worked for print newspapers, getting to know dozens of journalists and editors.

After his daughter was born and he returned to freelancing, that network helped him to find editors looking for freelancers – and even a few who weren’t looking, but were willing to assign him stories because they knew him.

Thanks to social media, connecting with fellow freelancers has never been easier.

Knowing who’s writing, and who they are writing for, gives Umar a good sense of which publications are open to taking freelance work.
Umar was in his hotel room number 248, he was going through some research he is making for a very wealthy woman.

Umar is now a big fish in the freelancing journalism arena. Mixing and touching shoulders-to-shoulders with political figures had helped him get to the hilltop.

Whenever he looks down or back, at where he was coming from. He always praise Allah, the Merciful One.

Lying down on the hotel bed, facing his laptop, a knock came from the door.

“Who is that?” he asked

“This is Detective Jonah from Kaduna District Unit” Charles said further “I would like you to open the door, Mr. Umar”

Umar was dumbstruck “What does the police want with me?” he said in his mind quizzically.
“Give me a sec.” Umar said.

He quickly close his laptop and gathered himself up from the bed, with the laptop in his hands, and opened the bed foam and hid the laptop there, closed and dress the bed sheet back in a neater way.

He looked around and saw nothing else can incriminate him for anything, and he went to the door and opened.

Two male human beings were standing at the door, one looked older while the other younger.

“Can I see your identity card first of all?” Umar said to Charles.

“Yes you can” Charles said this with a smile as he brought out his fake identity card from his left breast pocket.

Umar studied the identity card and saw no discrepancies on it said “Come in”

“Thank you” Charles said this as he and Anthony stepped in.

Umar closed the door, as Charles and Anthony stepped in. Charles was surveying the hotel room with a keen eye, looking for anything helpful to nail Umar and let him sing like a bird. But he found none.

Umar not offering them seats, went for a chair by his bedside and sat there, looking at them. “How can I help you officers?”

Charles replied “It’s officer, this is my P.A” pointing to Anthony.

Anthony surveyed the hotel room, how luxurious it is. He wish he could free his mind from all his problems and lodge into this hotel, him and Tina.

He went on to sit on the bed while Charles maintained his standing position facing Umar.

Umar looked at Anthony as he sat on the bed, not knowing that his laptop was there, with painful eyes and said in his mind “Idiot, must you seat?”
But Charles shook him off his thought and said “Mr. Umar, I am here because of the murder of Chief Fredrick, I am well aware that you know Chief Fredrick and have wine and dined with him, right?”

“Yes, I have.” Umar said.

“We are every right to believe that Chief Fredrick specifically gave you something to hold on to, till he comes and retrieve it from you, right?”

“Something like what?” Umar asked.

“Am the one asking the question here, Mr. Umar, yours is to answer” Charles said.

“Look, look, yes, Chief Fredrick hired him during the last General Election last two years.

I was hired to publish and publicize untrue stories about the opponent in the Presidential race and I did. I got paid.

Since then, Chief Fredrick never called me. What am telling you right now is a secret among reporters, we never divulge our hirers.” Umar said with look that tells Charles and Anthony to believe him.

Charles was silent.

Charles studied him for a minute before saying “Anthony?”

Anthony looked at Charles “Yes”

“Get up from that bed.” Charles said this like an order.

Anthony stood up without arguing “Alright” and stepped back.

Charles neared the bed to open up the foam, but Umar beat him to it, as he blocked his path “What do you want to do?”

“Step away or I will arrest you for obstruction of justice” Charles said with a mean face.

Umar couldn’t bear the public scrutiny if he was arrested and the public will always make the wrong deduction about reason he was arrested. He stepped away sluggishly.

Charles took another step, opened the bed foam and said “What do we have here?”

He brought out the laptop, and opened it. All this while, Umar was cursing under his breath.

Anthony came forward to peep at what was on the laptop.

“Mr. Umar, your research is quite interesting, am sure that the public will be interested in this marvelous and exciting research.” Charles said with a smile.

Umar spoke up “It is for a client, please close the laptop and I will tell you what I know.”

“Shoot”

“Chief Fredrick is a very strategist man when it comes to politics, although he doesn’t fight dirty, he is has his own demon.” Umar said.

“That’s not what I wanted.” Charles snapped.

“Am getting there, in a long run, Chief Fredrick made me run some research on Gen. Audu of the Nigeria Defence Academy, who is backing him and when I made my inquiry. I found out that Gen. Audu heads a secret organization known as Latnoc. A body of assassins. That’s all I know.” Umar said.

“And who gave you all this mumble-jumble stories?” Charles said.

“It is factual, my sources doesn’t deliver fictitious intel.” Umar said with certainty.

“Ok, well I will have to warn you that if in the course of our investigation and we discover that you lied to us, we will brand you as a suspect in this murder investigation and charge you to court.” Charles said as he study Umar’s face.

“I am telling the truth.” Umar said.

“Alright, thanks for your cooperation. Anthony, lets go.” Charles said.

CHAPTER 31

Okotie Eboh was stalled and blocked by Scorpion on his way out of the courtroom.

Scorpion sat down as a spectator as the court proceedings was going on, immediately the court trial ended, Okotie Eboh stood up from his seat after taking notes of the court actions in his notepad, as he was about to exit the court room, Scorpion intentionally stepped tightly on his toes.

Making Okotie grab his toes in pains, Scorpion quickly said ‘sorry’ to Okotie. Okotie had to limp out of the courtroom, and sat down on a long bench as people pass by in an orderly manner, chatting and conversing with each other.

“Am so sorry sir” Scorpion sat down with Okotie and said further “Hope the pain is relieving you?”

“It …. It is, thanks.” Okotie said as he tried not to cry, squeezing his face in a fake smile.

“Okay.” Scorpion said.

The orderly manner people were passing by was breached as noise swallowed up the section of the building.

Scorpion broke the silence between him and Okotie by saying.

“Do you care for a cold drink?” Scorpion asked Okotie Eboh.

“Yes, I do, thanks.” Okotie smiled sheepishly.

Scorpion stood, he was wearing a suit, an expensive suit as that. He strolled out of the court building and passed many people by.

Out of the court building, and crossed the road to the other side of the road, into a supermarket, he bought two bottles of Coca Cola drinks and five well packed doughnuts. He paid and retraced his steps back to the court building.

Okotie collected the Coca Cola drink from Scorpion with all smiles. ‘In this hot sun with an unbearable heat, this gentleman is a savior’ are Okotie’s thought as he drank the Coca Cola.

“My name is Okotie, Okotie – Eboh. Am a famous reporter” Okotie said this trying to break the silence between him and Scorpion.

“You?” Okotie asked.

Scorpion outstretched a two doughnuts in a white nylon to Okotie before answering his question.

“I am Sylvester. Am a detective from Kaduna District Unit” Scorpion said this with a straight face.

Okotie coughed as a small piece of doughnut got stuck in his lungs and he coughed again to get it out, and it came out.

“Sorry, drink your Coke, it will step it down or should I get you bottled water?” Scorpion asked with cynicism hidden in his statement.

Okotie swallowed his saliva before answering “Am fine. Thanks.”

“Isn’t this a coincidence Mr. Okotie?” Scorpion asked with sarcasm.

Okotie looked at him “That what?”

“That we meet in the court house and I accidentally stepped on your toes. Because I called your media house and they told me that you are here taking notes of the court proceedings.” He said further “So I came here, now here we are. Fate is wonderful.”

Okotie looked baffled “Yeah.” He said further “Why do you want to meet me?”

Scorpion touched his head as if he forgot something “Yeah, look at me, always forget things.” He said further “I am the lead investigator of Chief Fredrick’s murder that took place at the Nigerian Defence Academy. As a reporter, you know quite well of the details of the happenings on that day. This is a murder investigation Mr. Okotie and I plea with you to tell me the truth. Because if you don’t.. ”

Scorpion neared Okotie as he speak in his ears “It wouldn’t end well.”

“What do you guys want again, I…. I… I… already told the other detective like you that, I don’t have anything that belongs to Chief Fredrick with me.” Okotie said this almost in tears.

Scorpion said without remorse “I know of the bribe you took from your editor and some other deadly deals you made with reputable people in this country. You sold out to the highest bidder. Creating deceptions was your watchword.” He said further as he leaned back from Okotie’s ear “Beware, because nobody, nobody can save you if I decide to look into your discrepancies and bring them to the limelight.” He smiled as he said this.

“Am… I swear to God. I never and didn’t collect anything from Chief Fredrick” Okotie said this as his heartbeat accelerated.

“Okay. I believe you.” Scorpion said. “Oh. You are sweating” he said further "let me wipe off your perspiration"

Scorpion brought out a white handkerchief from his trouser pocket and leaned forward to wipe the shaky Okotie’s face.

Okotie allowed him, in the process, Okotie inhaled a colourless and odourless substance from the handkerchief, flowing into his nostrils, going into his brainwaves.

Scorpion stood up and faced Okotie “Am so sorry for hurting your toes, have a wonderful afternoon.”

Scorpion turned sharply as he said this, leaving Okotie on the bench.

Okotie looked at Scorpion with scornful eyes and said “I dare you” in a low tone.

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TWENTY minutes later, Okotie was in the court taking records and notes of the court action.

Then suddenly, Okotie’s right hand was shaking, knocking out the pen out of his hand, he tried to shake it off but the hand continued to shake.

A young lady sitting next to him noticed that his hand was shaking, she was looking at him weirdly.

Okotie cursed under his breath and used his left hand to hold his right hand. Instantly his left hand started shaking too, this made Okotie nervous.

The young lady bent and looked at Okotie before saying “Are you alright sir” in a low tone.

“Am….am….fine” Okotie said faking a smile. “I am nervous, that’s why. Thanks.”

Okotie quickly deposit his two hands into is trouser pockets before saying in a hush tone “What’s wrong with me?”

Before he knows, his whole body started trembling wildly, he was freezing, the young lady by his side called the attention of everybody.

“Sir! Uncle! Call the doctor.” The young lady said.
The court proceedings was altered due to this, the judge presiding the case had to bang his gavel on the wooden structure before him and ordered for a temporary recess of thirty minutes time.

Everybody’s attention diverted to Okotie as he slumped on the seat, wildly shouting and raving of pain. ‘The doctor is not around’ someone said.

And they quickly rushed Okotie out of the court room, and approximately everybody in the court room followed suit.

Okotie’s brain activity and nervous system were affected, causing his muscles to freeze or twitch uncontrollably.

The substance Okotie inhaled was called Clostridium Botulinum also known as Botox, which was invented by the Japanese scientists during the Cold War to bring enemies into subjection and control but later on, it was modified and turned into a brazen and lethal way of killing people, inducing the victim into unbearable pain and agony.

The victims always wish instant death than the former. Botox disrupts communication between nerves and muscle cells, gradually paralyzing Okotie and opening nerves’ ion channels, causing respiratory failure.

Two bottles of water was poured on Okotie, but it didn’t yield any result instead triggering a range of unpleasant effects which culminate in death by asphyxiation.

“Out of the way, please, out of the way” the doctor shouted as he was coming towards where Okotie laid down.

But it was too late, Okotie – Eboh as united with his dead love ones, in a new body, in the heavenly realm.

CHAPTER 30

“The Sketch Artist has submitted the sketch of the suspect of the hotel assassin” Abu said as he came into the Evidence Room.

He looked at his co-workers and the DPO first before continuing “This is the sketch of the plausible suspect” he attached the sketch on the board with a pin to pin it down.

The sketch was in portrait, an A4 size paper. The Sketch Artist used a powered professional pencil, adding to the sharpness of the sketch.

The artist then moved on to other prominent features like face shape, nose, mouth, cheekbones, jawline, eyebrows, wrinkles, smile, and teeth.

Literally, every single feature on the sketch’s face was addressed, including the symmetry of it. For example, the bridge of the nose; it was kinda skinnier.

The artist used her in-progress sketch as reference. When the gateman who described Marcus to the Sketch Artist could not describe how far his upper lip was from his nose, the artist took an outline of lips on a piece of tracing paper, started at his nose and moved the paper down.

Every feature of the sketch’s face was went through like this, and the artist was able to show the gateman a very basic draft of the attacker, which really resembled him already.

The artist moved on to the Police picture book, where there were hundreds, maybe thousands, of pictures of people (non-criminals) separated into different features – from face features to type of hats to hair.

The artist needed more detail to complete the sketch, so the artist took the gateman through the different sections and asked him to take a look at the pictures and identify the closest picture to the feature.

The gateman originally described the jawline as “strong and defined”, but once the gateman looked at the jaw section of the Police book, he was able to point out that it looked very similar to one specific picture, and so forth.

The artist made notes of each picture the gateman cited for in each feature, and then the real magic happened. There it was, Marcus.

“So, I have processed the sketch with all the faces in our database, but I found nothing” he said further “It was as if this guy is a ghost”

“What do you mean that you found nothing? There must a face or picture that can pinpoint and put a name to the face on that paper” DPO pointing at the sketch on the board.

“Sir, whoever this guy is, he is not in our database, I even crosschecked it with our general database in Abuja, I found nothing. No fingerprints, nothing” Abu said.

Detective Niyi heaved a sigh and said “Well, according to the hotel personnel, they don’t know the suspect neither does he frequent the hotel.”
He said further “This is the first time the young lady and the assassin came to the hotel.”

DPO shaked his head “So, what about the identity of the young lady?”

“Yes sir, according to our database in Lagos State. The young lady’s name is Mrs. Susan Akiobe” he said further “She resides in Lagos State, Nigeria and she is married but not living in her matrimonial home because she had a fight with her husband, according to what our sources in Lagos told me” he adds “She has a young son and she is a lip reader by profession.”

“Lip reading? What kind of profession is that?” the DPO asked.

“Well, she is a professional at reading lips according to our intel.” Detective Abu said.

“Did anyone knows what she came to Kaduna to do?” the DPO asked.

“Nobody knows, even our sources. But I digged into her bank account and found out that someone wired a large sum of money to her, which she couldn’t have earn in ten years.” Abu replied and said further “I tried to follow the cash and to pinpoint where it came from, but I met a dead end. Nothing. The trace went cold.”

“What do you mean the trace went cold?” the DPO couldn’t bear having nothing substantial.

“Whoever transferred the cash, he or she made sure that the money cannot be traced using a proxy server from Caymans Island Bank Ponto” Abu said.

The Divisional Police Officer breath out carbondioxide before saying “We are dealing with a big fish here. Anyhow person can’t own a bank account in Caymans Island especially Bank Ponto” the DPO said.

“And Bank Ponto is not liable to give any details of transaction made from their bank cos that is their principle and the law backs it up.” The DPO said further.

Detective Niyi said in a low tone “We have nothing”

“What about the blood from the hospital?” Niyi asked.

“Yes, the blood. The blood we took and believe to be that of the assassin distinct from Susan and Detective Shola's traits of blood, yields nothing according to the report from our lab.” Abu said further “According to forensic and lab specialist; the DNA contained in the blood didn’t show that it belongs to anybody in our system. I mean the assasin’s blood is not registered in our database.”

“Did you check it with other international criminal database overseas?” the DPO asked urging to get a positive answer.

“Yes sir I did. I assessed the CIA, MI6, MI5, FBI, Russia Intelligence and other Anti-Criminal databases in the world. I found nothing sir.”

The DPO buried his face downward, in a thinking pattern “And the Commissioner of Police is interested in this case. What report am I to give him?” shaking his head as he said this.

“Sir, there is 50% guarantee that if we find this man, which we wil,l if we diversify all our resources into it, that this man” he touched the sketch on the board “will lead us to who his affiliates is or are, cos am sure he is not working alone.”

The DPO brightened up “Then what are you waiting for? Alert all media houses and our online platforms, distribute the sketch to them. Tell them that there is a five million naira bounty on the man, it goes to the first person that finds him and alert us.” He said further as he rose up from his seat “Do that.”

As the Divisional Police Officer was about to go, he turned to Detective Shola. Detective Shola as plunged into deep thoughts.

“Detective Shola, whats up, you didn’t contribute to anything we said.” The DPO said.

Detective Shola jolted from his thoughts as the DPO’s voice pulled him from the black hole of thoughts.

He faked a smile “Sorry sir, the pain on my cheek is excruciating, but it is relieving me. I was thinking about how the assassin nearly ended my life. It shocked me that this line of work is scary sometimes.”

“Yes it happened, even to me. But we must not be a coward. We must stand up for what is right and do the right thing so that the society can be a safe place to be. This is not a lost cause. It is about protection of lives and properties.”

The DPO placed his right hand on Detective Shola’s shoulder and said “All is well Shola, brighten up and use that energy to look for that son of bitch.” And he smiled at him.

Detective Shola returned the smile back in a fake way “Thank you sir.”

“Good.” The DPO said.

The DPO turned and faced Detective Abu once again.

“Have you contact her next of kin?” the DPO asked.

“Her next of kin is her young son, but we contacted one of her family relatives, he promised to come to Kaduna to retrieve the body of Susan tomorrow morning.”

“Good” The DPO turned and left the room.

CHAPTER 29

There’s a tremendous sense of comradeship in a newsroom and it adds to a cozy feeling of family, although in modern day media there’s a bit of hardball rivalry that did not exist years ago.

On-air personalities like anchors, reporters and meteorologists are the most visible members of television news teams, but television newsrooms are filled with many more people. Without them our nightly or 24-hour broadcasts would cease to exist.

Life in the newsroom is fast-paced, competitive, exciting and stressful. Since news happens around-the-clock, the staffing of newsrooms usually follow suit.

A career in television news can mean irregular schedules, long hours and meeting tight deadlines.

To viewers, the news anchor is the face of the newsroom. Although he or she is just one member of the team, it is this person whom the public identifies with the broadcast.

Securing an audience’s trust and loyalty is important because once that relationship is established; viewers will continue to turn to that channel to get the day’s news.

News anchors usually have a background in journalism. Many work as reporters early in their careers.

They work their way up through the ranks, sometimes anchoring weekend broadcasts or filling in during vacations.

Adeyemi Adesida is on air currently, going through the news report and reading it to the public.

He first started as a reporter, then he got trumped up in post. Adeyemi dream was to be a reporter, so he majored in journalism.

The news writers had edited the scripts and projected it for Adeyemi to read it out.

The studio floor is an actual stage on which the actions that will be recorded and viewed take place.

A professional video camera was mounted on the left hand side taking the left view of Adeyemi as he broadcasted the news for the day.

There were stage lighting rigs and the associated controlling equipment with several video monitors for visual feedback from the production control room (PCR).

While the production is in progress, a floor manager, who has overall charge of the studio area stage management, and who relays timing and other information from the television director nearly fell down as a thick wire caught his leg, which led to the malfunction of a professional video camera that was operated from the PCR using remotely controlled robotic pan tilt zoom camera (PTZ) heads.

He cursed under his breath, removed the wire and readjusted the video camera and went his way.

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FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER, Adeyemi was ended the morning news line with “That is the Morning News for today. Have a wonderful day.”

A female assistant came to Adeyemi as he stood up from the seat and stepped off the news stage.

The cameramen and the technicians switched off the lightings and powers, as they packed up the equipments for later use.

“Mr. Adeyemi” the female assistant called for Adeyemi’s attention.

Adeyemi turned around and noticed the female assistant is calling on him “Yes?”

“Someone wants to see you at the visitors’ section. They are two.” She said in a modest manner.

Adeyemi had a curious look on his face, he couldn’t recall having a meeting with anyone this morning “What do they want” he said.

“I don’t know sir” the female assistant said innocently.

“All right, thanks” Adeyemi said.

He strolled out of the studio, following the path that lead him to a door. He used the stairs as he head downstairs to see the gentlemen.

Adeyemi is a purist that always refuse to play the political game in his professional field. Believing it to require underhand tactics and a malicious intent.

Politics is automatically bad is what his thoughts are. It usually involves going through informal channels rather than officially sanctioned ones.

A female colleague of his went to the point of breaking and entering a fellow reporter’s house, inorder to get the latest genuine secrets the reporter got in the political arena, manipulated the secrets, which hurts many people and broke many homes.

She tried to take the glory. But she was tarnished with the label of being “political”, which made people not to trust her again.

First she lost her job and was blacklisted not to be employed in any media houses she went to. So effective politicking has to be as much about give as it is about take.

So, play the game or get left behind. Which are you going to do? Adeyemi is not going to do none.

He stands neutral. He got his way up the promotion ladder through hardwork and diligence, without faking anything.

As Adeyemi decended from the step, he saw two gentlemen at the visitors’ section. He headed towards them.

On getting there, the two gentlemen rose up from the seats to commune with him.

“Are you Mr. Adeyemi Adesida?” Charles said pretending.

“I am Mr. Adeyemi Adesida, and who are you?” Adeyemi behaving like a gentleman.

Charles raised up his identity card to Adeyemi’s face “I am Detective Jonah from Kaduna District Police Unit” he said further “And this is my P.A.” referring to Anthony.

Anthony was studying the man. Looking intently at him, trying to figure him out.

Adeyemi looked opaque “How can I help you Detective?”

“I and my team are looking into the death of Chief Fredrick, I assumed you know him.” Charles asked.

“Yes, yes, I know him.”

“We are investigating a murder case here, and we discovered something in the course of our inquiry.” He said further “We discovered that Chief Fredrick gave you something for you to hold on to for him.”

“Something for me to hold on to?” Adeyemi asked Charles this question in a quizzically manner.

Adeyemi was now shaking his head “No, he didn’t give me anything for me to hold on to.

I am very sure. I remembered five months ago, we meet at a dinner conference, he never gave me anything, and that is the last time I saw him.”

“Think again Mr. Adeyemi. Are you sure that Chief Fredrick didn’t give you anything? Cos this something will help us solve this murder” Charles asked in a mean manner.

Adeyemi looked disgusted “Aah. I told you that he didn’t give me anything, and you are still enforcing me to think again. Am I a child that wouldn’t know when someone give me something?” he said further “What is this? Is this an interrogation session or what?”

Charles looked him in the eyes “Mr. Adeyemi, be very sure, cos if we find out that you lied to us, we will brand you as a suspect in this murder investigation and charge you to court.”

Adeyemi stepped back a little. He couldn’t believe his eyes “Is this a threat?” he asked.

Charles smiled “No sir, it is just a warning. Take heed.”

Adeyemi snapped at him “What kind of warning is that, I know my rights. You can’t just come to my place of work and start raving and asking me about absurd things.”

“Ode” Adeyemi abused Charles in his native Yoruba language before arrogantly leaving the presence of Charles and Anthony.

Anthony understood Yoruba a little and knows Adeyemi's last word, replied “Omugo” in a low tone.

Charles said “Let’s go Anthony. This is not our man.”

"How do you?" Anthony asked.

"I am very good at studying people's facial expression, so I know he doesn't have what we are looking for" Charles replied.

Three more to go.

Sorry for the late update.

CHAPTER 28

Gen. Audu took the call in the nude, the way he always slept in the heat of summer.

Glancing at his watch, it says 1:20am, he put the caller on hold and pulled on a light robe.

A moment later he picked up the phone in his study, clicking on the desk light as he did.

It was Scorpion that was calling him “Hello, General”

“What do you have for me Scrop?”

“I have found out five reporters that are linked to Chief Fredrick” Scorpion let this sink in first before continued “And they are all in Kaduna”

“Good, find them, find the evidence and dump them and leave no traces” Gen. Audu said.

Scorpion understood “All right”

“How is Marcus doing? I heard he had a wound to the stomach” Gen. Audu asked

“Marcus was too sloppy, he is recovering, but we have to wait for him to gather strength before we move to the next phrase of action.” Scorpion replied.

“Marcus is going to delay our plan” Gen. Audu cursed under his breath.

“Fine, if the reporters yield nothing, we will turn to the boy” Gen. Audu said further.

“Okay sir, I will keep you updated” Scorpion said.
Gen. Audu hanged up the phone.

He brought out a cigarette from his drawer and placed it between his lips. He dragged hard from it and puffs it upward.

A figure emerges into his study room. It was a tall light skinned lady with sharp features of beauty, soft and tender was her skin.

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ANTHONY walked toward the Colossuem, head down, unmindful of the rush of morning traffic passing beside him. At this point, motion was everything.

The only way to keep from losing what small splinter of sanity he had left. Car. Buses. Motor scooters. Roared and putted past.

An entire society going about their own personal business, their thoughts and emotions focused wholly and innocently on the day before them, the same way he had every morning of his professional life until he had come to where he was now.

It had been as routine and comfortable as old shoes.

Up at six, exercise for an hour in the gym off his bedroom, shower, then hang out with friends, that was his norms.

But it had changed ever since Gen. Audu entered his life. Security operatives are now stationed in front of his house.

He couldn’t hang out with his friends any longer, but with Charles.

Suddenly he walked from bright sun to deep shade. Looking up, he saw that he stood in the shadow of the Colosseum.

As quickly, his eye caught a movement in the dimness, and he stopped.

A woman in a tattered dress stood watching from the base of the arches. He wondered what the woman is doing in a stadium.

He came to the stadium to relieve his thoughts, and get his mind off the scenario that is currently playing in his life.

Maybe he should have listened to his Dad, he thought. But it was no use now that he was in the shackles of evil.

Dead faces flashed at him, he remembered the dead eyes of Saheed and Chief Fredrick seeking into his soul, to avenge for their untimely deaths.

But, who is he to get even with the assailants. I don’t even know any military combat.

At the far side of the stadium, he saw footballers warming up for a match or just prep exercise to get them in shape.

He buried his face in his palm; he muttered something as he did. Erecting out his face, he glanced at the time on his android mobile phone; it says 10:00am.

Time to meet Charles and find the second reporter.

tripletees1:
Then tell the bartender to serve me!!!

Bartender, pls serve this man now.... He as been waiting here for ages.

CHAPTER 27

“Damn it” The Divisional Police Officer of Kaduna District Unit said as he scattered his table wildly.

“How did assailant know the hospital and the ward the young lady was admitted into?” he asked as he looked at the detectives’ faces for answers.

He looked up at his ceiling and couldn’t believe it, what is going on. Then he realized.

“There is a leak. There is a traitor amongst us” the DPO said looking intently at the three detectives in front of him.

The three detectives didn’t say anything, neither did they looked up, they were facing down.

He said with conclusiveness “I trust you three, to be the most trusted detectives I have ever worked with. So from this point onward, the four of us are going to investigate matters relating to his case on our own. No other police officers must know about this case, irrespective of their ranks.”

Detectives Niyi, Shola and Abu was still looking down silently. They could see and feel that the DPO is disappointed by their incompetence, failure and ineffectiveness.

But what could they do, nothing. The deed has happened, they have to move on and deal with the aftermath. Which is the DPO abusing their stupidity.

“Understood?” the DPO asked.

“Yes sir” the three detectives said in unison as they clip their hands to their side in attention.

“Dismiss, and keep me apprise about any latest developments on the case.”

“Yes sir” the three detectives said in unison again but this time it was with vivacity.

The three detectives matched out of the DPO’s office to their cubicle. Detective Shola has a plaster attached to this cheek, making the movement of his cheek more stressful, but he managed to move it.

Detective Shola sat down on his swivel chair in his own cubicle, almost in pain.

But not for the pain that was coming from the wound on his check, but the pain of selling his soul to Gen. Audu.

It started five years ago, when he was an Inspector in State Police Command, Lagos Branch.

They were investigating a drug lord that smuggles drugs overseas.

The drug lord also cooks meth and some other hazardous drugs that are harmful to the environment, even to humans.

Whenever the drug lord was dragged to court with evidence to send him to prison for his crimes.

Suddenly, evidence magically disappears from the Evidences Room and Lab.

This acts infuriated Shola, as a young Inspector, his Divisional Police Officer and other people that their rank is higher than him, told him to drop the investigation since the evidences are nowhere to be found.

And the drug lord was a murderer, a rapist and havoc doer. The murder of two young girls of seventeen years of age, firstly raped and murdered by the drug lord, was the deed that enraged Detective Shola into a point of no return.

His heart was turned into bitterness, bitterness for the drug lord. So he did it.

On one sunny Monday, the police found new evidence on the drug lord and went to one of his hideout to fish him out.

Detective Shola was the lead officer of the case. As the drug lord tried to flee the hideout through a back door, Detective Shola was already at his back.

“Stop there, if you move, I will blow your brains out” Detective Shola said this with hatred.

“Easy tiger” The drug lord said as he turned to face Detective Shola.

“Let me see those hands up” Detective Shola said.

The drug lord neglecting the order to Shola, moved in a slow pace as he said. “Don’t trouble yourself kid, like they always do. They will release me.”

“Just as they always do. Trust me Shola. Your boss will release me. That is how the world works. Money will always buy you freedom” the drug lord said further, smiling.

“Shut up! Shut the Bleep up!” Detective Shola said further “Those girls, those girls you killed. You animal”

“Oh, those sweet honey girls. Detective Shola you are a missing, those girls’ sweet holes, you shou…….”

Before he could complete his statement, Detective Shola angrily shot him in the forehead, point blank.

The drug lord knelt down on the floor before his face graced it. Detective Shola couldn’t believe his very eyes.

He quickly ran to him, knelt down beside him, touching and calling out his name, but there was no response.

Then he saw a shadow dominate his body, he turned. There he was. Gen. Audu as he looked straight into Detective Shola’s eyes.

“You killed him” Gen. Audu said with no expression on his face.

“No….No…… It was a mistake” Detective Shola trembled as he said this.

“Who will believe it was a mistake? The Judge, the juries, your fellow police workers? Comon, Detective Shola, admit you killed him to me now and all this will be resolved.”

“Everybody knows how much you hated the man, so common sense will be used to solve the case ‘Detective Shola killed the drug lord in cold-blood’ would be the headline on every newspaper.” Gen. Audu said this with an evil grin on his face.

“I…..I didn’t kill him, it was accidental” Detective Shola said further “By the way, who are you?” he aimed his gun to Gen. Audu. “Who are you? Are you among the drug workers?”

Gen. Audu was wearing jeans with an overall coat on top. Gen. Audu was now the one pacing.

He moved with dominance on his prey. From where they are, they could hear sounds of bullets exchange happening in their surroundings.

“I am Gen. Audu of Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna. I am here to help you. The drug lord you killed is my client.

I was at that other room when you two created a beautiful scene. And I must say that, I am very impressed.

Very impressed that you took the weight off you and delivered what others couldn’t do. You did what is right” he slammed his left hand in a punch on his right palm.

Detective Shola still leveling the gun in Gen. Audu’s face said. “I could kill you too here”

Gen. Audu laughed hard “That’s where you are wrong boy, I didn’t come alone.”

After Gen. Audu said this, other men, armed men emerge from the other room and stood at the back of Gen. Audu.

Detective Shola now trembling, as his gun fell out of his hand, unto the floor. He quickly picked it up and leveled it back at Gen. Audu “You don’t have evidence”

“I do, I have a recorded footage of how you killed the drug lord. And it beautifully shows in bright colour, how you mercilessly killed an innocent man in coldblood” Gen. Audu trying to get in his head.

“He wasn’t innocent; he killed two seventeen year old girls. Two.” Detective Shola could feel the pain in his lungs as he said so.

Bringing out a phone from his pocket, Gen. Audu said “Your crime is here, right here in this phone.” He waved it at him.

“I will work your transfer to Kaduna State, as a Detective there” Gen. Audu said further “For me not to reveal your crime, you have to sell your soul, do my bidding”

That was the thing Detective Shola had been doing ever since he was transferred to Kaduna State, doing Gen. Audu’s bidding.

Detective Shola wiped off the tears on his face; he looked around his cubicle, stared at the ceiling and muttered something to it.

CHAPTER 26

At 9:50pm.

Gen. Audu was alone in the small chapel, sitting in a pew three rows back from the altar, he wore a black beret that is now tucked inside his jacket pocket, his head bowed, seemingly in prayer.

He’d been there fifteen minutes when the door opened and a man in a short-sleeved shirt and what looked like a short nicker came in and sat down nearby.

Gen. Audu glanced at his watch and then back toward the door. A certain man was to have met him there twenty minutes ago.

It was only when he decided he would give the man another five minutes and then leave that he looked again at the man who had come in and realized in amazement that it was the certain man he wanted to meet.

For a long while the man remained still. Head bowed, silent. Finally he looked up, made eye contact, and nodded toward a door to the left.

Then he stood, crossed himself before the altar, and pushed through the door.

At the same moment, a young couple entered, knelt before the altar and crossed themselves, taking seats together in the front row.

Gen. Audu counted slowly to twenty, then got up, made the sign of the cross and went out through the same door the man had taken.

On the far side was a narrow hallway, and the man stood alone in it.

“Come with me” the man said.

Their footsteps echoing on the worn black-and-white tile floor, the man led Gen. Audu down the empty corridor and into an older part of the building.

Turning down another hallway, the man opened a door, and they entered a small private room which was another sanctuary for prayer.

Dimly lit, more intimate than the first, it had a stone floor and several polished wooden benches facing a simple bronze cross on the wall opposite.

Above, on the left and right, high windows, now dark against the night sky, touched the ceiling.

“You wanted to see me. Here I am.” The man closed the door and turned in such a way that the lights of the room cut him at an angle that left his eyes and the top of his head in shadow.

Purposeful or not, it underscored his authority, reminding Gen. Audu that whatever else he was, or might be, the man was still a major figure within the hierarchy of the country. Hugely forceful, and larger than life.

Still, Gen. Audu could not let himself be intimidated. “I wanted to see you because of the plan we had on ground.” He said further “When are we to execute it?”

The man was silent.

“Days had gone-by. Even years. Still nothing is being done to this evil and mischievous people.”

Gen. Audu knew the man was watching him, the eyes he couldn’t see searching his own.

“Do you meditate like a monk?”

Gen. Audu dumbstruck by his question. But he answered “Once in a while”

“Okay. Do-you-love-your-country-Nigeria?” the man asked. This time more deliberate, demanding, unforgiving.

“I love my country Nigeria” Gen. Audu replied as he cleared his throat.

“The time has come for us to remove these, erm, pieces from the chessboard” the man said.
“Before they retaliate and counter-attack” the man said further as he folded his arms to his body.

For a long moment the man said nothing, then he stepped forward out of the shadow, the light touching his face, illuminating his eyes for the first time.

What was there was no longer an influential brute but a lone man who was twisted and torn and filled with fear.

More than Gen. Audu thought anyone capable of. And it caught him wholly by surprise.

“Everything is already in place. You just give us the order.” Gen. Audu’s eyes were riveted on the man’s.

“I have already gained their trust. They trust me completely, like a mother who trusts her son.”

Gen. Audu said further with a monstrous’ grin.
“Alright. Make it happen Audu and no mistakes, because the minute you do. You already know the endgame.”

“I understand.” Gen. Audu felt the chill, the immensity of it, even as he said it.

The man stared for the briefest moment, then abruptly turned, pulled open the door, and disappeared into the hallways, his footsteps fading to silence.

tripletees1:
urghrrrrrrrrr Brother why?? u actually killed Susan and u made Marcus escape!!!! This is inhumane.. #sobs... I will get Marcus and Gen. Audu myself and put them to justice.

bro should i drink my hollandia Youghurt or make i mourn small

Drink your yoghurt before it become coldless.

Creeza:
You finally kill susan. Why?

Bros. No be me oo ... Susan is a slut assuming she had taken her money and head to the airport, it would have been a different story.

And sometimes there must be a tragedy in a thriller story.

I know you love her. God loves her more.

lols. Take heart

.............. ..................Continuation............. ............


“Drop the gun slowly and turn around, slowly” the voice said again.

Marcus dropped the gun on the floor and turned slowly as he was being told. When he was face-to-face with the person using the voice. It was Detective Shola.

Marcus dropped his hands immediately and said “Did Gen. Audu send you?”

“Yes, he did, to clean up your mess” Detective Shola said this as he lowered the gun.

“Get out of here now. And use the stairs, when you get to the second floor. I have opened the back-door for you. Use it. Now go” Detective Shola said further.

Marcus ran out of the room and went straight for the stairs.

Detective Shola entered the room and surveyed everything. He looked at Susan on the floor and tried to imagine how a beautiful lady like this died to waste. Fate is a bitch.

He brought out a glove from his pocket and picked up the scissor that was lodged in Marcus’ stomach.

Picking it up, he used it to cut himself at the cheek, and deposit the scissors in his trouser pocket. Pain surged into him as he did so.

His cheek was remitting blood, he used his hand to cover it.

There was sounds of boots marching the floor, as other policemen came into the room including Detective Niyi and Abu.

They looked at Detective Shola and could see the pain in his eyes and asked “Are you alright? What happened? And where did the assailant go to?”

Detective Shola pointed at Susan on the floor.

“Damn, she is dead? The DPO would be very mad at us.” said Niyi.

Shola shouted at the other policemen and said “He ran downstairs, quick, get him”

More updates coming.

...................................Continuation..........................


He turned to search around. Susan appeared from nowhere and stabbed him with a scissor on his abdomen.

Blood was erupting out of Marcus, but he was already trained how to handle pain and blood.

Susan tried to push the scissor into him further, which made Marcus stagger towards the hospital bed, this made his gun fell out of his hand.

But he regained with strength as he headbutted Susan on nose, making Susan release the force she was using on the scissor.

Susan shifted back a little as blood released out of her nose, breaking her nose structure.

Marcus lunged after her neck and slammed her head on the wall, and he used his ring finger to press the chest wound on Susan.

Susan not well enough, fell down on the floor, in pain and agony. All her strength was gone, as the chest wound that was formerly recovering now spring forth blood.

Marcus removed the scissor from his stomach slowly and dropped it on the floor.

She nearer shred tears of blood. Marcus picked up his gun and leveled it at Susan.

Susan was exhausted “Marcus, don’t, please don’t kill me. I … have a son. My baby boy” Susan said this as tears flowed down from her eyes.

“Am sorry.” Marcus said with fiendful look on his face.

And he fired two succession shots in an execution way into the forehead of Susan.

Susan gave up the ghost immediately as her last tears descended from her eyes.

Marcus was losing a lot of blood. His blood was already on the floor. As he was about to turn, there came a voice.

“Stop there, let me see your hands up” the voice said.

To be continued.

...............Susan in the hospital....... .......................

There were only fifteen people in the hallway when Marcus did a head-count.

“I can handle them all, if they were all police officers” Marcus said this in his mind.

He stepped, walking, every step echoed through the hallway.

He intentionally did that inorder to get the attention of people, to see their face and know who is a police officer.

People who are sitting on a long bench traced where the echo was coming from to Marcus.

Marcus looked and surveyed their face and saw that they were only civilians.

He stopped in his tracks; Susan’s room was already guarded, guarded by two policemen.

They both stood at full alert, watching people that passed them by. They had a gun in their holster.

“I can take them down” Marcus smiled a bit as he said this.

He turned sharply and entered into a toilet at the far end, far away from Susan’s room.

There were four washing sink and four flush toilet bowl were in a small cubicle that only accommodate two persons maximum.

He entered the four toilets at the end of the toilet room, which was closer to the window where you could see outside.

Marcus brought out his gun from the back of his trouser and affixed the silencer at the beak of the gun.

He puts the gun back to his former position, and came out of the toilet, out of the toilet room.

He started again, this time his footsteps are like that of a cat walking soundlessly inorder to catch a mouse by surprise.

When he was about to near where Susan’s room, he brought out his gun in a fast and swift way.

And aimed and shot at the heart of the two policemen stationed in front of Susan’s room before they could twitch.

The two policemen dropped on the floor like a sack of tomatoes.

The people sitting on the long bench runned for their life. Some shouted “Jesus” “Oh my God” as they ran towards the stairs without looking back.

Marcus stepped into the room, but Susan was not on the bed.

To be continued.

iamloyalty:
Please the updates should be a little bit longer. Gud job......

Thanks dear. It will.

CHAPTER 25

Life as a news reporter is exciting. In the old days, reporters were not paid very well but more than made up for it from the excitement of the job itself.

That’s the way it remains today. Charles and Anthony sat in a Peugeot 2001 model car, as they watched correspondent Okotie – Eboh come out of The High Court of Kaduna State.

Okotie was a young ‘beat’ reporter for a local daily newspaper, he had more than his fair share of interesting and exciting assignments.

These included scores of fires, murders, plane crashes, automobile wrecks and accidents as well as politics and sporting events of all kinds.

His current assignment was to interview or gather comments from the ongoing murder trial; Federal Republic of Nigeria (Applicant) versus Alhaji Ganiyu Usman (Defendant).

He also had the opportunity to interview famed defense attorney Moses Igoh during a local murder trial.

His all-time favourite though remains the running commentary of footballs finale in the live television that is being broadcasted all round Kaduna and its environs.

There were many other highlights, but the fact is, reporting is a great job, and remains so, and is a tremendous training ground for any future endeavour.

It’s also a heady job because everyone wants to be close to a news reporter, after all, a reporter has the ability to put someone’s name in print, or promote a favourite cause, and that’s a heady stuff indeed.

Charles said to Anthony “Why don’t you let me handle this?”

“We are in this together, remember Charles, that your superior gave me the go ahead” Anthony said with clarity.

Charles nodded his end in a surrendering way, as he looked at Okotie heading out of the Court’s gate into the harsh sun.

The reporter used one paper to guide his face from the sun as he walked to his car.

“Now” Charles said this to Anthony. And they both stepped out of the car and started walking towards Okotie.

Charles was wearing a black jean with a light short sleeve top while Anthony was wearing a blue long-sleeve shirt with chinos trouser.

They both looked left and right before they crossed the street to Okotie, who was about to enter into his car.

Okotie opened his car door and was about to enter but was cut short by someone, someone he hasn’t meet before.

The person used his left hand to slam the car door back in. Okotie stared at the person and his accomplice.

“What is the meaning of this?” Okotie asked looking baffled by this action.

“Am so sorry to disturb you sir.” Charles said “I am Detective Jonah from the Kaduna Police District Unit.” He raised his identity card to his face and Okotie studied the card that was shown to him.

“This is my P.A.” Charles said as he threw his head a bit to Anthony on his right hand side.

“All right” Okotie swallowed hard and wondered “What does the police want with me or do they know about the bribe I received from my editor?”

“How can I help you sir?” Okotie asked as he gained his composure.

“Well, I am investigating the murder case of Chief Fredrick. I believe you know him and you also have put him to interview, am I right?” Charles asked Okotie.

The sun was very harsh and unbearable for Okotie as he stood in the burning sun and was sweating profusely, so he decided to spill the bean and get this over with “Yes, I know Chief Fredrick. May his soul rest in perfect peace. He was a good man. And I have interviewed him before in the National Assembly”

Anthony was already feeling fatigued as the sun heated his head, making him thirsty for very cold water.

But Charles seems to be used to the sun’s heat, he said “I see. Did Chief Fredrick gave you any documents or video or anything”

“And I advice you to think very well before you answer the question, because if I find out later that you lied to me, you will be a suspect in the death of Chief Fredrick” Charles added calmly.

This shaken Okotie for a bit and said “I…..I…..I…..didnt collect anything from Chief Fredrick neither …. Neither did he give me any bribe or money. I swear.”

Charles first breathed out carbondioxide before asking “Are you sure Mr. Okotie – Eboh?”

“I……I swear to God. On my oath. Yes, positive” Okotie was now searching Charles’ face for mercy and forgiveness for something he didn’t commit.

“Believe me” Okotie quickly added.

Charles studied his face for any clue, but there was none. “Very well. Thank you for your time Mr. Okotie. It is highly appreciated.”

He moved away from Okotie and Anthony followed suit as they crossed the road and went back to their car.

Okotie quickly entered his car and did a cross sign on himself before driving away.

One down, four to go.

CHAPTER 24

A doctor in a yellow jogging suit ran through the swinging doors at the end of the emergency hallway and said something to the receptionist sitting behind the dirty sliding windows.

She pointed, and he approached some people seeking medical attentions.

Some people hurried away, down the narrow hallway, dodging nurses and orderlies, darting around gurneys and parked beds, and disappeared through the swinging doors.

The Admissions section was crowded with dozens of sick and struggling patients-to-be.

There were no empty chairs. Family members filled out forms. No one was in a hurry.

Marcus in doctor’s robe walked through a busy hallway, down a flight of stairs to the basement where a mass of anxious people roamed the corridor. Another hall led to a large open area.

Like most big-city government’s public hospitals, St. Jude’s had been built over time whenever there were funds could be squeezed from the government, with little thought of architectural symmetry.

It was an expansive and bewildering design of additions and wings, with a maze of hallways and corridors and mezzanine trying desperately to connect everything.

Elevators and escalators had been added whenever they would fit. At some point in history, someone had realized the difficulty of moving from one point to another without getting hopelessly lost, and a dazzling array of colour-coded signs had been implemented for the orderly flow of traffic.

Then more wings were added. The signs became obsolete, but the hospital failed to remove them.

Now they only added to the confusion.
There were many doctors there, Marcus was trying to keep his head low so that no one would recognize that he was not a doctor.

One chubby dark nurse called out to him.

“Doctor, a patient need your attention in Ward B”

Marcus bringing his head down without turning, said “Oh, call another doctor, I have a throbbing stomach” He said this as he pressed his left hand on his stomach.

The nurse was suspecting something odd about him, but she let go of it when another nurse called out to her.

Marcus moving at a faster pace now, he was wearing a eyeglass, like that of doctors and having a note book on his right hand, with a stethoscope hanged around his neck.

He darted through now familiar territory and used the stairs because he knows where he was going.

Susan’s room number is 179. He was heading upstairs, didn’t want to use the lift because people could really recognize that he was fake and also as to avoid security cameras.

Security cameras were not installed in the stairs section.

Marcus mounted the stairs with less energy as he was used to the training of mounting things.

Katrina is outside the hospital building, in a car, she would drive away the minute Marcus step into the car, with the mission accomplished.

Now Marcus is there, in the hallway where Susan is being laid to rest and recover her strength.

More updates loading.

tripletees1:
boss....i dey gbadun u.. abeg we need update... uv captured my heart bro..
#adjust his table and chair..
#Sips_holandia_youghurt..
pile no fit reach myside..

Lols. Am blushing. Updates on the way.

tripletees1:
boss....i dey gbadun u..
abeg we need update...
uv captured my heart bro..

#adjust his table and chair..

#Sips_holandia_youghurt..

pile no fit reach myside..

Lols. Am blushing.

saxwizard:
this one that you are writing medical details. u be doctor?

One must spice up the story very well now.

saxwizard:
this one that you are writing medical details. u be doctor?

One must spice up the story very well now.

saxwizard:
this one that you are writing medical details. u be doctor?

One must spice up the story very well now.

CHAPTER 23

People sat down on different benches, waiting for the nurse in front of them to call out their names.

The nurse calling the name of the people sitting in front of her, as she consulted the form in front of her.

Each time she calls a name, a person step up from the bench and went forward to sit on the chair by the table the nurse is sitting on.

The nurse has a sphygmomanometer on her table. She placed a cuff around the person’s arm and inflated with a pump until the circulation is cut off.

A small valve slowly deflates the cuff, and the nurse measuring blood pressure uses a stethoscope, placed over the person’s arm, to listen for the sound of blood pulsing through the arteries.

The first sound of rushing blood refers to the systolic blood pressure; once the sound fades, the second number indicates the diastolic pressure, the blood pressure of your heart at rest.

Blood pressure is measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg) and recorded with the systolic number first, followed by the diastolic number.

In the surgery section of the hospital, Susan was being operated on by professional Medical Doctors. The struggle between life and death.

The gunshot wound is caused by penetration of the bullet, which travels through a projectile path after being shot by Katrina’s pistol.

The bullet, on hitting the chest, punctures the tissue it first encounters with, the bones or the muscular chest wall.

The extent and severity of the injury depends on the characteristics of the bullet and the pistol, the position at which Katrina shot the gun and the distance of the victim, the projectile path and the nature of the tissue penetrated.

The bullet can cause entry and exit wound, but there were no exit wound in Susan’s case.

The bullet hit the vital organs like lungs and pleura. This is a common injury in gunshot wound to the chest, when a bullet gets lodged into the lung tissue. In this case, the chances of hemorrhage as well as infection are high, says the operating doctor to his co-worker.

Complications due to retention of the bullet in the lung caused severe damage to her lungs.

The doctors immediately looked for airways, breathing and circulation. Susan was presenting a rapid breathing, use of accessory breathing muscles, stridor and anxiety in case of airway obstruction.

They also checked the breathing sounds, location and intensity of pain, Susan’s alertness, mental status, confusion, pulse and respiratory rate, blood pressure and bluish discoloration or cyanosis.

The doctors covered the opened wounds appropriately with sterile dressing to prevent air entry through the opening.

They used a procedure called chest tube insertion which was followed by chest wall surgery.

The airways were established for normal ventilation; any blood or mucus was aspirated. Needle aspiration of the pleura was performed as appropriate.

Chest x-rays was runned after Susan was stabilized, which may reveal additional injuries.

Underlying medical conditions and associated injuries are appropriately treated before Susan was rolled into the recovery room.

And two policemen were stationed in front of her room.

More updates coming.

CHAPTER 22

A tricycle was parked across the street in front of a house painted in yellow.

With some other cars lined up on both side of the street, even though the government authority told the residents not to park their vehicles on both side of the street.

Because this will hinder the free movement of other vehicles to and fro, but Nigerians will always be stubborn.

Nigeria a lawless country. This are the thoughts of Katrina as she surveyed the area through the window.

Katrina was born in the United States, she meet Marcus due to fate.

They were both trained by the Russian brute, Sir Vladimir Kasparov. A rogue. A former Central Intelligence Agency, CIA Top Secret Operative.

Sir Vladimir Kasparov went dark when CIA was headed by a dirty Director Miles Gains. Miles Gains secretly ordered the elimination of Kasparov’s wife and children inorder to conceal his darkest secrets.

He went over to falsely brand Kasparov as spy working for the enemies.

Kasparov had to flee for his own life. He fled. He formed an organization of sleeper cells containing; terrorists, spies and assassins.

Their aim is to evoke chaos on every country especially CIA of United States of America.

Kasparov always nursing hatred and grief lost his sense of passion and compassion.

He killed people with hatred, mutilated them beyond recognition. That is his M.O.

He inducted Katrina and Marcus on the same day into the organization. They were trained and tested using different weapons, guns, bomb test.

They were also unknowingly tortured in order to know if they will spill the bean if they were ever captured.

Katrina and Marcus went through thick and thin, but they survived. Katrina and Marcus went on different missions to Pakistan, Senegal, Sudan, Europe etc, creating havoc and mayhem everywhere they were sent to go, sparing none, not even the children, the babies.

They destroyed and killed mercilessly.

Gen. Audu brought them to Nigeria on contract to run some operations here in Nigeria.

Marcus had turned Katrina into a sex slave, well, they both enjoyed it. Living together and having sex as if it was nothing.

Marcus never had feelings for her neither do she had feelings for Marcus. It was symbiosis relationship or sex.

They both enjoyed the sex, relieved urge off them.

Marcus came out of his study and he and Katrina sat opposite each other, playing a game of Chess.

Marcus playing white started with pawn to e4, while Katrina playing black brought her knight forward playing knight to d6.

A timer was set on the table. As both made a move and they clicked the timer, stopping and continuing.

1 MINUTES Later, Marcus’ phone rang to life, playing the song of Ken Owens’ Blue Night. He picked it and said “Hello?”

“Why did you do such a clumsy work?” Gen. Audu asked.

Marcus set a puzzled emotion on his face and asked “Sir, What do you mean?”

“Turn on your television and set it to Channel 5” Gen. Audu said.

Marcus quickly rose up from his seat and gunned for the TV remote control.

All this while, Katrina was looking at Marcus, wondering what was going on.

He pressed the remote and changed the station to channel 5.

It was broadcasting a repeat series of Susan nearly killed in the hotel room and now struggling for her life.
Marcus was mystified by this “What? She didn’t die? Oh my God”

“You better fix this now” Gen. Audu said this and hung up.

Katrina saw the broadcast and opened her mouth a bit before saying “But, but I shot her twice to the chest” she said further “How possible?”

“Means you didn’t aim next to the heart enough” Marcus said this in a rage.

“You are making me rerun this again, Katrina. And you know I hate rerunning things, it is not my style.” He said further.

“What are you going to do?” Katrina asked in a surrendering voice.

“I will contact my contacts and find out which hospital she was taken to and finish the job”

Marcus said this as he went back to his Chess game. He moved the queen capturing the king with the aid of the bishop.

And he said “Checkmate, Katrina, Checkmate”.

More updates coming. Stay glued.

Am so sorry for the late Post my people. The story continues with more betrayal, suspense and action. Stay glued.




CHAPTER 21

Sitting with Charles Armstrong has he operated the computer in front of him.

He mounted his fingers on the keyboard as if he created the keyboard itself, inputing commands and instructions. Charles’ room was spacious and well organized, from where you stand, you could see the three paintings on the wall, expensive paintings as that.

The one that captured Anthony’s attention was the painting of Vase with Fifteen Sunflowers.

The painting was made by Vincent Van Gogh.

The world’s most famous paintings, especially old master works done before 1803, are generally owned or held at museums, for viewing by patrons.

The museums very rarely sell them, and as such, they are quite literally priceless. On permanent display at The Louvre museum in Paris.

The room has an aura of a man; Charles is a classy, smooth bachelor. Who would have known that he was a secret operative or a smooth operator? As he led Anthony into the living room. He said “Sit, what can I get you?”

“Am not here to wine and dine, let’s get straight to business.” Anthony said this while standing.
Charles looked at him for a bit and said “Okay, follow me then.”

He led Anthony to a door, instead to inserting a key into the key hole, Charles pressed the key hole itself and a numerical keypad brightened and emanated from the wall.

He pressed the keypad and there was a sound, the door opened by itself. Charles stepped in, followed by Anthony.

Anthony was fascinated by the bank of high-tech computers in front of him. overhead lightings came on, followed by the air-condition.

The computers beamed to life as Charles pressed a key on the keyboard.

“This is my workstation” Charles said as he searched Anthony's face for amazement signs.

“This …… wonderful.” Anthony replied with amazement on his face.

“Now” Charles said this as he sat down on a swivel chair.

Anthony took a seat opposite Charles and said “Where do we start?”

“Why don’t you first tell me what Chief Fredrick told you before he died?” Charles said with an expressionless face.

Anthony cleared his throat before saying “Well, when Chief Fredrick was shot by the assailants, he lost a lot of blood, as he ran towards me and knelt down beside.

He mentioned something; find that video …. It is in the hands of Reporter ….” He said further “That’s all.”

Charles heaved a sigh and said “The first thing we are going to do now is to find that reporter and find the evidence, an unknown reporter, ” Charles smiled a bit.

“How are we going to do that?” Anthony asked in a quizzical way “I mean, Chief Fredrick must have meet with different reporters.”

“Technology, technology my friend has made everything easier. In a digital world like this, you can get all you want at your fingertips.” Charles said.

Turning to his computer, Charles started punching his fingers on his computer, beating his fingers on the keyboard.

Entering different commands and codes, using different softwares and programs.

Anthony thinks this is a waste of time, as he sat down comfortably, watching Charles wander his way through the computer finding a needle in a haystack or a certain hay in a haystack.

Any which way, Anthony couldn’t comprehend it. It couldn’t be done. Chief Fredrick is a famous man, he must have meet with reporters indoor and outdoor, overseas and so on.

Now, something pop up from the computer, Anthony and Charles was seeing a figure or an image of a female in the computer.

She was wearing an eyeglass, as a suit covered her unclothedness.

She was conversing with Charles “What do you need Charles?” she asked.

“I need you to narrow down someone’s activities relating with reporters he met” Charles replied.

“Alright” She said further “And who is that?” Referring to Anthony.

Anthony’s eye lids jerked up and surveyed the lady in the computer “He is my associate” Charles said this blankly.

Playing dumb, Anthony kept his mouth shut and watched other computers as they displayed graphical presentation.

The lady tortured her fingers by punching hard on the keyboard and said “I have narrowed them down to the finalist. I am sending them to you now.”

There was a short beep and Charles said “I have received it. Thanks.” Charles said his appreciation without mentioning the lady’s name.

“You are welcome.” The lady said as she went off the computer screen.

Charles licked his bottom lip and said “Here it is.” As he opened the message.

“There are five reporters that have been narrowly linked to Chief Fredrick” he said further “And they all reside in Kaduna, here.” Charles smiled a bit.
Anthony stared at the pictures and names, address, current locations of the five reporters.

jagugu88li:
Detective make sure you nail them. You and Charles are my soon-to-be heros, don't disappoint me.

Mr. Author, I think from... I think you should have used present tense when narrating.

One you are supposed to accept going in. It is tragic and sad, but it is reality.
And when it comes, you are supposed to be prepared to deal with it professionally.

I understand the detective is thinking about the past but, because he is still in the police force, the training given is expected to be carried out throughout his career. He still feels that sense of not accepting death as simply death.

I hope I make sense and please do correct me if I'm wrong.

You are right. There is always margin of errors.

Thanks. You are a true reader.

.....................................Continuation....... ...... ......

It was almost white in colour that almost stained the bed. So asked a young forensic specialist to hand an ultraviolet light to him.

He did. And Shola on the ultraviolet light, and to his amazement, the ultraviolet light detected ejaculated fluids on the bed.

The ultraviolet light discovered another evidence as Shola used the ultraviolet light to scan the bed.

There it was, dried diaphoresis on the bed, all scattered on one portion of the bed. “So this is where the sex went down” Shola said this to himself “Very well”.

Detective Shola moved out the room for the forensic teams to gain more grounds on the crime scene.

Downstairs in the hotel, Detective Abu and Niyi depose and collects statements from the hotel manager and staffs.

“This occurrence will affect your hotel and business, so sorry” Detective Niyi said this with concern.

“Yes it will” the hotel manager said as he heaved a sigh.

“Please sir, can you tell me where you where when the crime happened?” Niyi asked.

“Sure. I was at the office upstairs, during some paperwork and calling out debtors to remind them of their debts. Just that.” The hotel manager replied.

“Did you see anything out of the ordinary? Anything at all?” Niyi asked

“No, I didn’t, I didn’t even come out of my office on till the secretary phoned me that there was a crime in one of our rooms.” The hotel manager replied.

“Okay thank you.” Niyi said and wrote something down on the notepad on his hand, he excused the hotel manager and moved on to the secretary.

Detective Abu was facing the gateman. The gateman was sweating profusely like a man that carried twelve tons of wood.

“Where were you when the crime occurred?” Abu asked the gateman with a wary look on his face.

“I …. I … I was at my duty post as at the time of the event” the gateman replied, sweating more and more.

“Do you have an alibi to strongly support that you were at your duty post when the crime occurred?” Abu asked.

“Alibi?” the gateman looked quizzical.

“Do you have a strong reason or a witness that will support you?” Abu asked with more verve.

“Ye..ss, I do.” The gateman was pointing at the cleaner.

“She was chatting with me when the crime occurred sir” the gateman said further.

“Good, and you better be sure because I will interrogate her and find out if what you told is true” Abu said.

“And if I find out that you lied to me about your alibi, you will be branded as a suspect. Do you understand?” Abu asked.

“I … do sir” the gateman said as he uses his cap to clean off the sweats on his face.

“Who came with the young lady that was nearly killed today?” Abu said.

“Erm, erm” the gateman was scratching his head as if the answers were imprinted on his head.

“eh eh, now I remember, the young lady came with a one handsome guy” the gateman replied.

“Can you be able to describe this handsome guy to our sketch artist? And will you recognize if you see him again?” Abu asked with a deducing look on his face.

“Yes, I can. I can” the gateman replied.

Detective Abu lead the gateman to the sketch artist inorder for to give a detailed description of the features and facial appearance of Marcus.

Detective Shola was outside the room where the crime scene occurred and tried to fall into different theories.

But his mind whirled into something else, he remembered how one of his detective partner was killed in Lagos, just like how this young lady was shot twice in the chest, it happened before he was transferred to Kaduna.

James Akinloye, a friend indeed. Questions and sadness. James Akinloye was godfather to his children and had been his friend and partner for more than eight years.

He remembered the day he had to go and deliver the sad news to his wife and children, that their father had been died in the line of duty.

He got there and found out that his wife and already there, giving what little comfort she could – Shola Ogunlami tried to keep his personal feelings at a distance.

He had seen policemen dead. Judges dead. The bodies of murdered women and children.

Tragic as they were, he’d been able to distance himself professionally. But not now.

Shola is a policeman, and policemen got killed all the time. it was a truth drummed into you day after day at the institute.

One you were supposed to accept going in. it was tragic and sad, but it was reality.

And when it came, you were supposed to be prepared to deal with it professionally.

Pay homage and move on; without anger, outrage, or hatred for the killer. It was part of what you were trained for in the career you chose.

And you thought you were trained – until the day you walked around your partner’s body and saw the blood and shredded flesh and shattered bone.

Then saw it all over again when the medical people began their work in the morgue.

That was when you knew you aren’t prepared for it at all. No one could be, no matter what he was trained for, or taught, or what anyone else said.

Loss and rage stormed through you like wildfire, overtaking everything. It was why – whenever policemen were killed – every policeman who could, sometimes from across other states, came to the funeral.

What is more important is.

The finding of who attempted to murder this young lady.

CHAPTER 20

Detective Shola arrives on the crime scene or the room where the attempted murder took place.

He made his initial walk through as he tried not to step on dried blood without scraping it off for prints.

He looked at the scattered bed and tried to see if he could see several hairs without disturbing any trace evidence.

Looking away from the bed, he noticed that forensic scientists are already around, taking photographs of the blood splatter to conduct blood pattern identification, and they will also conduct some trajectory determination, serology which includes the blood and blood fluids and photography.

Shola surveyed the crime scene as his fellow co-workers Abu and Niyi depose and collects the statements of the hotel management and staffs about their knowledge of what happened in the crime scene.

Shola’s job as a detective is to get an overall feel for the crime scene, to find out if anyone had moved anything before she arrived, and generates initial theories based on visual examination.

He’s notepad was already in his hand, as he makes note of potential evidence.

At this point, he touches nothing as the forensic teams’ takes photographs, videos and drawing sketches.

It was time he started touching stuff; Detective Shola neared the table where Susan’s briefcase had grace four hours ago.

Personal effects of Susan was collected from the floor before anything is moved or even touched, the entire scene was being fully documented to ensure a permanent record exists of the scene in state in which it was found.

This documentation may include written notes, photographs, video recording with a modified Sony MegaHi-9, and sketches.

Extensive notes was being kept for each item of physical evidence recovered from the scene which are Susan’s personal effects, including location in which it was found, who collected it and at what time, and a description of the item itself.

General notes regarding the scene itself will also be taken, including environmental details, information on the state in which the room was found, and any other details that may be relevant.

Sketches are frequently used to show the locations, dimensions and orientations of objects of significance found at the scene, and relevant measurements.

Photography is perhaps the most important form of crime scene documentation, producing a permanent visual record of the crime scene and discovered evidence.

Extensive photographs were taken of all areas of the crime scene and every item of evidence collected.

Shola made his way to the bathroom, stepping like a man that has a question to an answer; he looked up at the ceiling, scratching down all anomalies.

He looked into the bathtub and noticed that there were traits of water in the bathtub. “Interesting” he said to himself.

Outside the hotel, the barriers of a crime scene are established, ensuring that all vital pieces of evidence plus entrances and exits are included, and a physical barrier placed around the scene.

This barrier may be crime scene tape, police officers standing guard at the gate of the hotel, their barricades and vehicles.

This barrier essentially controls who enters the scene, aiming to exclude all non-essential personnel.

A log is produced noting all individuals who do cross the barrier and the times at which they enter and exit.

As the scene and its evidence may be partially or wholly exposed to the elements, protection from weather damage may be required.

This can be accomplished by simply using clean cardboard boxes to cover the relevant areas, or in some instances a tent may be erected.

At the crime scene, Detective Shola went back to the bed where plausibly the young lady and the culprits had mated to search for something of importance.

But nothing interests him, so he shifted his weight to move out, but something caught his eyes.

CHAPTER 19

Anthony found himself in a three storey building situated in Tafan Sani, Kaduna. Charles lived here, but which flat is it?

In retrospect, after Anthony’s dad made his opinion known, Anthony received a call from Charles. “Hello Anthony”

“Hello Charles, what do you have for me?” Anthony asked this with anticipation.

“Well, my supervisor has taken your deal.” He replied.

“When are we to start work?” Anthony’s heart skipped a beat before he asked.

“That’s the reason am calling you right now, meet me at Tankarau Estate.”

“You know the place?” Charles said further.

“Yes, I do” Anthony is now concentrating on the news that was showing in the television.

“Meet me there in an hour’s time” Charles said this and hanged up the phone.

Anthony dropped the phone slowly into his trouser pocket, he was now obsessed about the news that on the television, the male correspondent said “A young lady came to Kingview Hotel with a man, but the young man checked out. While the hotel room service went to the room to conduct room cleaning, they found the young lady on the floor, naked and were gunned down by two bullets to the chest. The hotel management hurriedly called emergency line and an ambulance came to transport the young lady to a hospital for more medical assistance. The Police of Kaduna District Unit are already on the crime scene, surveying and looking for evidence that would lead them to the culprit. Any further developments will be broadcast, Ahmed Sanni, Voda Television.”

After this was said, Anthony didn’t know what compelled him to be so obsessed about the news.

He feels connected to what is going on. Being gunned down by cold-blooded animals with no conscience terrifies him a lot.

And the cravings of the flesh buttressed by fear told him to back down and retreat. Live to fight another day.

There is no other day to fight, you better fight now or never fight.

Anthony went to his room, kneeled down by his bedside and recited Psalm 91 of the Holy Bible.

His mom always said “If you are in the midst of your enemies, and no way out.

Just recite this Psalm and your enemies will scatter. Making a path for you to go through and excel”

Fifteen minutes later, he rose up from the bedside and sought for money from his wallet that was inside the drawer, putting the wallet back to its former place, he went his way, into the hot weather of Kaduna.

Into what appears to be evil conspiracy and pythons of deceptions.

He was being jolted back to reality by the noise that was coming from the road.

He looked towards the road and saw two men arguing about whom first bump into the other.

One was a foreigner while the other was a Nigerian by his Yoruba accent.

“Mr. man, you have a side-mirror for Christ’s sake.” said the Nigerian.

“I didn’t see you coming, you were on speed, and moreover I have apologized to you” the foreigner said.

“To hell with your apology” the Nigerian said loudly “Is your apology going to fix my car, tell me?.”

“I can’t fix your car cos it wasn’t my fault, we were both at fault. Both cars got a scratch by the impact, so its fifty - fifty.” the foreigner replied calmly.

This statement infuriated the Nigerian and he launched after the foreigner, but didn’t get to him as a roadside vulcanizer stepped in his path to stop the Nigerian from causing a scene.

“You want to fight me?” the foreigner repeated this twice as he pointed his ring finger to himself.

“I will break your head, look at this slowpoke, you think you are in your country that you can just speak to anyone like that. Do you know who I am?” said the Nigerian.

There were onlookers by the roadside, as adults and children stood to watch the scene in real time.

Some other people came to address the matter, as they calm the Nigerian down by speaking his language.

Cars were honking and horning at the two men to remove their cars from the road, so that they could pass through.

The foreigner had quickly went into his car and brought out a Glock 3HT 15 roller gun.

His stance was like that of a bodyguard using the gun to cover a part of his manhood section of his trouser.

The right hand was holding the left hand by the wrist, holding the gun with his left hand, and as he stood watching the Nigerian without saying anything.

The Nigerian saw the gun and said “You want to shoot me? Go ahead and do it. I dare you!!” He shouted loudly.

Anthony was disconnected from the scene by a mosquito that nearly entered into the inner section of his nose.

He waved it away as he pressed forward to meet an old man that was going downstairs.

“Good Afternoon sir” he said this respectfully.

“Afternoon son” the old man gave Anthony his attention.

“Sir, I want going to Flat 10” Anthony said.

“Ooh, you see that step, climb it and go up, the first turning by your right is Flat 10” The old man directed him using his hand as an instrument to elucidate more.

“Thank you sir” Anthony showed appreciation. He went forward to climb the stairs.

More updates to come.

....................... Back to Susan..............................

She quickly used the bed sheet to cover her naked body, before saying “Hello is there?”

There was a reply “It is room service”

She wondered “Room service? We didn’t order for room service” she asked Marcus loudly “Marcus did you ordered for room service?”

Marcus shouted from the bathroom, with the water still rushing he replied “Yes I did darling”

“Okay” Susan said, as she rose up from the bed, with the bed sheet wrapped around her.

She went straight for the door and opened it a little bit, that the space only accommodated her head, all other part of her body was behind the door.

On opening it, she was a tall, dark hotel attendee; it was a female “Am sorry, can you come back later, maybe when we check out” she asked.

But the hotel attendee kicked her in the face; she went backwards, stumbling onto the floor.

Susan’s lips erupted blood due to this action.
Susan wanted to shout for help, but it was too late, before she could say jack-robinson, the hotel attendee had already brought out a GK100ZH Pistol Silencer from her chest pocket and fired two silence succession shots into the chest of Susan.

Susan slumped back on the floor, not moving.
Then the hotel attendee with gun pointed forward, went straight to the bathroom to where Marcus was having his bath.

On getting there, Marcus was standing by the bathtub, but she didn’t shoot him. Marcus was there in the bathroom, he didn’t bath.

He just turned on the water and waited for the murder to occur.

“Drop the gun, Katrina” Marcus said this with less energy.

“You were meant to kill her and not have sex with her” Katrina laid her complaint.

Marcus looked her in the face and said “Shut up and hand me the damn burner phone.”

She brought the burner phone from her trouser pocket, handed it over to him with scorn on her face. He took it and asked “What is our next operation?”

“We are to pick up a boy named Anthony” she replied.

“Who is he?”

“I don’t know, I think he knows something, but call Gen. Audu and let him tell us the game plan.”

He picked up his trouser that was at the edge of the bed and he dialed a number, the number was routed to Pakistan, then to Bahamas, then to Qing, it processed and accessed using digital analyzer back to Rome and then rerouted using proxy internet server to Singapore and back to Nigeria, Kaduna “As it being done?” Gen. Audu asked.

“Yes, sir” Marcus replied as he cleared his throat.

“Standby for my new instructions, on these new instructions, you will be working with Scorpion” Gen. Audu said and hanged up.

He quickly wore his clothes back. Katrina handed him a handkerchief.

Marcus used the handkerchief to clean all the places where he laid his hands on, from the moment Susan and he entered the room.

He recalled all the spots where he puts his hands; he also went to the bathroom to erase all evidences that might lead the murder to him.

Marcus is careful, a sadist, an assassin, he and Katrina were both in the same sleeper cell.

He picked up Susan’s briefcase, and surveying the room for the last time for anything he is missing, but there was none.

He and Katrina stepped out of the hotel room and he looked at Susan for the last time.

There she was, lying in the nude, lifeless and murdered. “Well, she didn’t suffer before she died” Marcus said this in his mind before he closed the door.

............................Back to Anthony........................


ANTHONY’s Dad was in the sitting, clasping a newspaper in his hands. He turned the newspaper with no interest to read more, his expression showed that he was sick of reading more, but just wanted to keep turning the newspaper.

Anthony was standing in the dining section, wondering what does his Dad want to talk about.

He was reluctant to go and see him, but he changed his mind and went ahead to meet him.

“Good Afternoon Dad” Anthony said as he showed sign of respect.

His Dad first surveyed him from the top of head to his toe before replying “Afternoon”.

His Dad didn’t say anything further as he went back to his newspaper, turning.

Anthony wondered why his Dad is not saying anything, so he said. “Mom said you wanted to talk to me, sir”.

His Dad dropped the newspaper and said all of a sudden “Anthony, do you want to kill yourself?”
Anthony looked puzzled “No Sir”

“Then why are you being stubborn, you transform yourself into a he-goat that doesn’t obey and comply with advice.” His Dad said.

“In what sense sir” Anthony looked more puzzled.

His Dad picked up the newspaper back and said “Look at what Dailytrust Newspaper wrote down.”

On the frontpage of the newspaper, Anthony saw writings in block letters, written as ‘Bloody day at Nigerian Defence Academy as an eighteen year old boy was killed.”

“So this is all it was about, another lecture” Anthony said this in his head.

He dropped the newspaper on the table and said “Dad, what happened in the Nigerian Defence Academy was a shooting that we all couldn’t predict and the young boy was killed accidently, he wasn’t the target, the target is----”

“Shut that trap you call a mouth” His Dad cut him short.

“Now listen to me, quit that Academy now.” His Dad said this loudly.

“Am sorry, I can’t sir, because it has been my dream to be a soldier since I was little, I can’t back down now because of fear of being killed.”

His dad shaked his head and he said in a hushed tone “You this boy, you are so naïve, you are ready to die for a lost cause, what is your cause Anthony? To die for your country? A patriotic slave is what you want to be become. Don’t my son, evil lies deep within the beehive.”

“I have made my decision sir” Anthony said with no emotion on my face.

His dad had a stoic look on his face and said “Very well” as he picked up his newspaper and left the living room.

More updates to come.

....................Continuation...........................

30 MINUTES later, they lodged into a fancy hotel, Susan was holding her briefcase has they entered the room.

“Waoh, this place is spacious, the bed is good and it is smelling ni--”

Before she could continue her comment, Marcus had started kissing her roughly, her tongue exploring his as she set the briefcase on the table nearby.

The back of his hands so gently and expertly running over the top of her dress, teasing her breasts. Feeling her nipples harden as he did.

Her hands opening his slacks, taking down his shorts. Taking his hardness in her hand, stroking him, then lifting her skirt and rubbing him against the thin silk of her underwear.

All the while kissing and deep breathing as if it were for all time. And Marcus slipping off her underwear, sliding her dress over her head.

Unhooking her bra and throwing it on the floor as she eased him down onto the couch, slipping his shorts from his ankles and moving up, taking him into her mouth.

His head rolling back, letting her, then raising up on his elbows to watch as she did. Thinking he had never felt so enormous in his life.

Finally, after minutes, easing her head away, lifting her up, carrying her through the orderliness of the room – a giggle formed on her face as he almost fell down.

Waiting, vamping really, as he pulled a condom his trousers that was already on the floor – swearing under his breath, struggling to tear open the foil – then, succeeding, taking it out, and easing it down around himself.

“Turn over” he whispered.

Her smile enraptured him as she did, so that she faced the head of the bed.

And he mounted her from behind, feeling the insertion into her warmness, beginning the stroking, and the slow in and out, that he sustained almost forever.

He could see her pleasure as he came into her. saw it intensify all the more with each deliberate stroke.

His jaw set. Firm. Becoming more so as the force and rapidity of his thrusting increased.
“Yes” she breathed. “Yes - ”

With her sound, his own being faded and he saw only her as she threw back her head, her eyes closed, gripping his with her secret muscles, magnifying each stroke for both of them.

“More” she whispered. “More. Harder. Yes. Break me. Marcus. Break me….”

He felt his pulse go up and the heat of her body grow against his.

Both of them glistening with sweat. Spots danced in front of his eyes.

His heart pounded. The sound of her breathing was like a roar overlapping the slap of their flesh as it came together. Again and again. And again.

Then suddenly she cried out and he saw her head dip between her shoulders. At the same time he ejaculated. It felt like a cannon.

One that kept on firing, round after round, all on its own, with no control at all. And then his knees buckled.

Her moaned stayed in his mind for a long time. By Marcus’ count he’d come five times in two hours, not bad.

How, and if, she kept score of her own orgasms he had no idea.

Marcus left with little energy, he stood up and kissed Susan, she smiled at him.

In the nude, he went to the bathroom to wash up. Susan was in the nude too and was very tired; she tried to rest a bit before going to the bathroom to clean up.

She glanced at her briefcase and noticed it was still there.

She heaved a sigh. There was a knock on the door.

To be continued. Stay glued more updates to come.

......................Continuation,............................

Why did you say that?” Marcus said with a curious look on his face.

“Marcus, I think I have seen him somewhere, but I couldn’t recall it.” She said.

Marcus heaved a sigh and said “Alhaji Muhammed Gafar is a well known man in Nigeria; he controls the oil and gas industries in Nigeria. He is fucking rich.”

“Really? Alright.” She said as she surrendered.

The sexual feeling came back to Marcus; he stopped the car and looked at Susan with passionate eyes “Can we go to a place we can relax a little bit?”

Susan understands where he is getting at, and she said in her mind “It wouldn’t be bad if I enjoy myself before going back to Lagos.”

“I feel like exercising my body a little bit, it has become stiff due to the long flight journey.”

“All right my lady, I know the best place to exercise your body” Marcus said with a smile on his face.

......................Back to Susan.............................

As Susan Akiobe descended the staircase, her mind went whirling inorder to recall where she knows Gen. Audu from.

The staircase was very slippery that it almost swept Susan off her feet, but she quickly grabbed the staircase iron holding by the left, gaining her balance, in the course of this her right leg ankle was wristed.

She sat down on the staircase, removed her shoe, and cross-checked the area the pain was originating from, her right leg ankle was almost red, as if blood stored up there without progressing to and fro around the body.

Using her hand, she pressed the ankle and the pain mounted up, she withdrew her hand and wore her shoe gently, she stood up to continue her journey downstairs.

Marcus King is a handsome boyish man of twenty three, still somehow fragile, with a delicacy inherited from his British mother.

He was born in the United Kingdom, his mother Chloe married a Nigerian engineer but the marriage ended with a divorce due to Chloe sleeping around during the regime of their marriage.

It didn’t end there; Chloe had not being a good mother to her son Marcus King.

Young Marcus King at the age of fifteen was already used to be alone, abandoned; he started embracing sadistic aura into his body and soul, because love was never shown to him.

Trait of smiles appeared around Marcus’ face when he saw pretty Susan heading his way, she was kind of limping.

He smiled to himself, and said “Damn, this lady is hot and way out of my league but she will fall.”
Susan came nearer to the car, upon seeing Marcus; she said “Hello, you are driving me right?”

“Yes, I am, my lady” Marcus said this as he opened to the back car door for her to enter and she did.

Susan smiled at how Marcus reacted as if she were his princess or something.

“He isn’t bad” Susan said this in her mind blushingly.

Marcus turned around to seat in the driver’s seat, he turned on the ignition key and went swerved the car towards the gate.

The gateman hurriedly ran out of his station to open the gate for the oncoming car.

He greeted Marcus by raising both hands up to hail him, Marcus waited at the mid-entrance of the gate and lowered his door glass, smiling at the gateman; he outstretched five thousand naira notes to him saying “Use it to buy soft drinks”.

The gateman, over joyous stained his uniform by prostrating on the ground to Marcus, showing appreciation in his own native Yoruba language “Ese gan ni oo. Owo yin a ma roke o. Eni jamu oo.”.

Before he could continue with his appreciation, Marcus had already driven away.

Susan wondered how a handsome guy like Marcus be doing the job of a driver, he even gave the gateman some cash. “He is handsome and rich, hmmm I like him” She said this in her head.

Looking at the rearview mirror, Marcus glanced at Susan who upon seeing Marcus’ eyes on her, looked elsewhere.

“I must play hard to get, so that I wouldn’t appear cheap” Susan said this in her head.

“What is your name?” Marcus asked Susan.

“Don’t tell me, let me guess it” Marcus said this quickly.

“All right, go ahead and guess it then” Susan said with less concern.

“Erm, erm, first of all, are you Igbo or Yoruba?” Marcus asked.

“But you said you could guess it on your own” Susan said it with disrespect.

Marcus always smiling said “Just tell me which tribe you came from”

“I am a Yoruba girl” Susan said this without looking at Marcus.

“Then, your name must be Kafila” Marcus said as he hid his face from the rearview mirror.

Susan looked astonished, she couldn’t believe her hears “Kafila? Of all Yoruba names”

“You dropped the bomb and looked elsewhere, right? You couldn’t look me in the face to say it, right” she said this without knowing when she started smiling at Marcus.

Marcus smiled “Okay, am sorry, what is your name?” he asked again.

“My name is Susan, Susan Akiobe” she replied.
Marcus touched his chest, acting as if he was struck with an arrow. Susan looked at him with caring eyes “What’s wrong, Marcus?”

He smiled for five seconds before saying “Susan, what a beautiful, that name struck me deep down my heart, I could feel my breath leave me.”
She smiled at him and said “You are so so not serious at all.”

“And you look so hot in that dress” he eyed her seductively.

She smiled and returned the seductive look back to him.

Marcus changed the conversation and said “I have your money in the briefcase here” pointing to the briefcase sitting next to him.

“Pass it” she said.

Marcus hand over the briefcase to Susan in a modest way. “Here you go.”

“Thanks” she said.

She opened the case and found dollar bills in it and she said “These are dollars” it was more of a question.

“Yeah, Alhaji Muhammed Gafar said you did well, so that’s why he is paying you handsomely” Marcus said.

“Waoh, am flabbergasted” Susan smiled, taking the dollar notes from its position and counting it.

“You don’t need to count it” Marcus said “It is one million dollars in total, save yourself the stress”

Susan kept the dollar notes back to its former position and closed the briefcase before saying “There is something odd about Alhaji Muhammed Gafar”

To be continued.