Chapter 33

CHAPTER 33

(Sarku and the rest are totally confused about the situation they are in. They analyze the issue and try to find a solution to it. Sarku's phone had been off since they left Janet's place and he still did not put it on. They try to figure out what to do...)

SARKU : you are all fools! All of you!
EGOH : you know this is the first time we will be kidnapping nau, haha...this is not our line....
SARKU : shut up! No be your mates dey kidnap?
SARKU : I can't put on my phone now because that man will call me back immediately and I don't know what I'll tell him. We can't keep lying to them. The woman is dead, now the girl too.
JANU : as far as I am concerned, dwelling on the past won't help this situation at all. I think we should rather think of what to do, so we don't end up losing.
EGOH : that's true...I mean, those people sat there while we were the ones doing the job....(Turns to Sarku)...Sarku, what exactly is the story behind all this first, let's know what we'll do.
TIMO : yes that's true, you only told us that it was for money and we'll be given twenty million each.
SARKU : yes. But I believe the Boss is not alone. There's someone else I think he's working for.
JANU : and you don't know who the person is?
SARKU : no. I only heard him say, he will tell someone first and get back to me or something.
EGOH : hmm....I believe the person is hiding from us.
TIMO : I think so too.
EGOH : and if we're not careful, with the situation of things, we won't get anything out of this except we play smart.
TIMO : we can't  afford to do all this in vain...
SARKU : so what do you advice we do then?
EGOH : we can set them up somehow...that way we can get our money back.
SARKU : them?
EGOH : yes them. The Boss and whoever he's working for.
TIMO : hmm.....so, how?
EGOH : firstly, we shouldn't tell them what happened. Let's just keep them in suspense.
SARKU : continue...(Paying more attention to Egoh)...
EGOH : don't look at me...(Turns to Janu)...are you not the brain here? Tell us what we can do nau...

(Janu thought for a while and they discuss the way out)




(Meanwhile Henz and Andy are becoming really furious for not hearing from Sarku. They waited for hours, but heard nothing....)

ANDY : I think it’s time we paid those boys a visit...
HENZ : yes...I smell a rat...why didn't they get in touch?
ANDY : I don't just know what to think anymore. Or do you think they have outsmarted us? Remember we gave them that boy's number and they have his family, we don't. What if they told him to transfer the money somewhere else?
HENZ : (becoming really furious)....oh my God...that may be possible....but no! They dare not!
ANDY : let's find them.
HENZ : maybe I will just go down to the house myself.
ANDY : no, you won't go without me!
HENZ : em...okay....but I'll have to finish up from work.
ANDY : no problem....I'll wait for you.
HENZ : alright chief.

(Impatiently, Andy stayed with Henz throughout, just to make sure he does not call or go and see the kidnappers behind him, or before him. He does not trust Henz.

After work that day, the duo set out for the house where the abductors had taken Sola and the kids, they were taken to the place by Henz's driver.

Unknown to Andy and Henz that Sarku and the rest had set themselves in strategic places. Sarku and Timo were outside. Immediately they saw Henz and Andy coming (being the only car expected to come towards the lonely house), they hide themselves away from the light ray.

Sarku quickly calls Egoh telling him they are around. Afterwards himself and Timo hides away till Andy and Henz had entered into the compound.

Egoh was set inside the ceiling in the same room where they had kept Bola's body. They had removed a slate from the ceiling, allowing Egoh to climb up and had covered the ceiling back though not totally.

After Egoh received Sarku's phone call, he checks his phone to ensure it’s in silent mode. The quickly bars all his calls and ensure the space left in between the ceiling slate is large enough for his phone to capture the scene properly. He waits in his post patiently.

Janu was hiding away somewhere in the backyard, exactly behind the hostage's room. The backyard is not illuminated, making it easy to see whoever is inside the room. He keeps checking when the men will enter inside the room in order to record all their conversation with his phone. Earlier on, he had opened the sliding window and made a little hole (one just big enough for the camera lens), in the net that is covering the window so that the phone can capture the scene in the illuminated room.

Andy and Henz got there quite late and everywhere was totally quiet since there are no houses around.

When they got to the house, they asked the driver to park outside the compound...)

ANDY : is that the house?
HENZ : yes sir....let me go in and find out what's going on...(he was about leaving the car but Andy holds him back)
ANDY : we'll go together...(Feeling uncomfortable about leaving Henz with the abductors since he can't trust any of them)
HENZ : okay…

(They both enter into the compound and found the toyota sienna there...)

HENZ : the gen is on. That means they are in. Let's go in sir...(Still walking towards the house)
ANDY : (looking around)...okay.

(They look around briefly but found no one in the compound. Henz became confused and started wondering where they have all gone. They enter into the house and starts checking each room for the boys...)

HENZ : what the hell is going on here? Where are this people?...(Looking around)
ANDY : I thought you said this is the place?
HENZ : yes it is.
ANDY : how come they're not here?
HENZ : I don't understand myself.
ANDY : even the hostages...where are they?...(Still looking around, wondering if he had been brought to the wrong place…)
HENZ : (confused)...but what's going on?

(Finally, he opens the room where Bola's body had being kept and finds her.)....oh my God!...(Rushes to the body…)
ANDY : (following Henz)...what is....(Sees the body)...what the hell happened here?

(They were surprised. Henz rush up to Bola’s body to check her pulse....)
HENZ : damn it! She's dead!...(Looks at Andy)
ANDY : of course she is…can’t you see she’s white already? Could she be one of the hostages?
HENZ : (cuts in)...definitely sir. It should be one of the hostages. This should be his daughter.
ANDY : what the hell were they thinking killing the girl for god sake! Is that what we asked them to do?
HENZ : there must be a reasonable explanation for this sir…
ANDY : and...wait a minute...(remembering they did not see any other person apart from Bola)…we asked them to take the wife and kids isn't it?
HENZ : yes.
ANDY : then where are the rest? We have checked virtually every room here and no one is here...where did they keep them?...and how come this?
HENZ : I can't believe this...(Putting his hands on his waist)...why won't these boys follow simple instructions?

(As they were talking, Sarku who had been creeping inside the house opens the door and enters)...
SARKU : good evening sir…
HENZ : high time you showed up!...what the hell happened here?
SARKU : sir, that's the girl, one of the family you asked us to kidnap...
HENZ : of course I know that!
ANDY : why not explain why she's dead instead? We asked you to abduct them so I can get my money back? How come she's dead? And where are the others?
SARKU : you mean my boys?
ANDY : who cares about your boys? I'm talking about the wife, damn it!
SARKU : oh...that is another story. We lost them somehow.
ANDY : what!…(on hearing that, he grabs Sarku out of annoyance)...what do you mean you lost them!....what useless story are you talking about? I asked you to abduct someone so I can get my money, you ended up messing up...
HENZ : sir, please take it easy...(Trying to release Sarku from Andy's hands)
ANDY : (turns to Henz)....shut up, damn it!...I thought you told me that these fools are professionals?
HENZ : em...ye...
ANDY : (cuts in)...just shut up...(Releases Sarku, pushing him away as Sarku staggers behind)
HENZ : sir, why don't we think of the way forward...
ANDY : (hisses and walks away)...I can't believe I'm working with fools!...(He leaves the room)
HENZ : sir...(Going after Andy)...let's talk about it...

(Sarku leaves the room and follows them as they leave the house for the car…)

ANDY : I can't trust these fools again...(Walking towards the car)
HENZ : (following Andy as he hurries towards where the car is parked)...sir let's even ask them exactly what happened...(Looking for Sarku behind)....hey you come here!
ANDY : (on hearing that Andy stops and turns around)...you have five minutes...(Turning to Sarku)
SARKU : on the day we got here, the woman tried to escape, so she stabbed one of my men. Out of anger, he shot her, though he didn't mean to kill her....
ANDY : (cuts in)...is he stupid! How could he have killed her! She was supposed to be exchanged for the money, damn it!
HENZ : how can he be so foolish! Couldn't he have controlled his anger?...damn it!(Kicks the sand with his feet)..
ANDY : now, what's the essence of all the kidnap when you have killed them all!
SARKU : no we didn't kill them all.... My boy didn't do it intentionally, he only wanted to stop her from leaving....it’s just that the bullet got her in the wrong place so she died.
HENZ : and you didn't tell me?
SARKU : well sir, that's because we felt there's a way out. We went to get a lady to act like the woman on the phone.
HENZ : to speak with the man?
SARKU : yes and that was when, the boy and the girl tried to escape too when they noticed my men were ill-disposed. While chasing them, the boy got knocked down by a car. So my men brought the girl back. She died because she's sick. I think she's asthmatic or so and she died because of the weather or something.
ANDY : damn you people! You can't take care of a simple woman and two kids!...(Hisses)...how do I get my money back now?....my seventy billion cannot go in vain.
SARKU : (shocked to hear the amount of money in question, but pretends not to be)...erm...but....there's something we can do if you allow me suggest sir...I believe this can be at our advantage.
ANDY : what stupid advantage are you talking about when we don't have any bait!
HENZ : (turns to Sarku) what do you want to say?
SARKU : we can use the girl's body to get to him...(He explains what they can do to them)
HENZ : (after thinking about it for a while)...I think I like your idea...(turns to Andy)...or what do you think sir?
ANDY : (thinking about what Sarku just said)....well, let's try that...
SARKU : we'll kick that off tonight.
ANDY : I hope it works.
HENZ : it should.
ANDY : fine. It had better work. (Turns to Henz)...Let's go...
SARKU : okay sir.



Ep 34b


(After they left, Sarku had hardly gotten back when Janu runs to him...)

JANU : Sarku!...we got ourselves a big fish!
OTHERS : (coming towards Sarku and Janu, they are surprised at what Janu is saying)...what?
TIMO : how?
JANU : that man is the former minister for Pet!
TIMO : pet? Is there a minister for pets?
EGOH : Petroleum and Gas, fool!
TIMO : haa!
JANU : so we are not losing!
SARKU : hmm....
SARKU : I hope you guys got everything, just in case?
EGOH : I did. But like we had imagined, not their faces.
JANU : from my position I got their faces well....
SARKU : well, leave that apart, we have another job to do...(Seeing the surprise on their faces...)...yes....(Looks at the time)....Janu and Timo go and get a bedsheet or wrapper, let's wrap the girl's body...




(Lekan and Charles managed to find out where Sola's body had being taken. In tears, he deposited her body in a morgue at Shagamu and comes back home while Charles leaves for his place.

It’s around past twelve, Lekan had just parked his car when he saw a white package on the floor, in front of his house. He wondered what it is as he walks towards it.)

LEKAN : (seeing a note pinned to the body he picks it up to read)..."this is what will happen to your wife and son too if you don't comply within 24 hours"...(Looking around)....who the hell wrote this?....my wife...(he touches the package with his leg and noticed it’s an heavy stuff)....what is this?...who put this here....(Bends down to unwrap it)...what could this be in front of my house...(Then he sees the body and the dress)...oh my God...(Opening it faster now)...Jesus...oh my God…it’s Bola...(He goes for the face and bursts into tears. He picks up his phone and calls Charles)...Charles! Please come over....God.... this is too much…
RECEIVER : what happened? Talk to me Lekan...
LEKAN : just come over, please I beg you...
RECEIVER : alright, I'll be right there.

(Lekan hangs up and carries Bola's body into the house, crying like a baby. About twenty minutes later, Charles arrives, going inside the house, he saw Lekan holding tight to a little girl's body ...)
CHARLES : what's going on? Who is this...(Still crying, Lekan stretches a note to him and he collects it to read)...oh my God!..(Looks at Lekan)...she's your daughter...
LEKAN : those bastards killed her!....Charles, they killed her...
CHARLES : oh my God...this is too much...(Confused about what to say to Lekan, he could only pity him)....
LEKAN : they have to pay for this...

(Charles stay there with him till the following day and they take Bola's body to the morgue.

When they got back from the morgue, Lekan took the note and re-reads it...)

LEKAN : those bastards are going to pay...
CHARLES : they have to...but have you noticed the discrepancies in all this?
LEKAN : how...
CHARLES : they said your wife and son...
LEKAN : (thinks for a while)...that means they don't know my wife is dead or what I still can't understand....
CHARLES : well...we have found your wife's body since yesterday and from what we found out, she died about two days ago or so...this people are either bluffing or....maybe they have the wrong woman....
LEKAN : I can't even think well....(Stands up)...do you think my son is alive?
CHARLES : oh well..... they said they're giving us the next 24hours, let's see what they do after then.
LEKAN : what if they have my son? What if they kill him?
CHARLES : (takes a deep breath)...I don't think they do....remember that when you asked to talk to your son they didn't put him on the line....and they said they have your wife...who is dead?...maybe they don't know what we know.
LEKAN : my son....Bolu.
CHARLES : let's wait for them to get back to us, then we strike a bargain with them, provided we talk to your son.
LEKAN : damn it! If I'd given them their money, all these wouldn't have happened...
CHARLES : it’s okay....let's just hold on. We need to make this people pay for what they did to you. And if you just transfer the money like that we won’t be able to.

(Later that night, Lekan receives an anonymous call...)
LEKAN : hello!
CALLER : you are so stubborn...you didn't comply right? Now we're taking down your wife first...
LEKAN : you bastard, let me speak to my son!
CALLER : if you really want to, then transfer the money immediately if not, we'll send your wife's body to you!
LEKAN : you bastards!...(The line went dead and he looks at Charles)....they didn't allow me talk to him....
CHARLES : what did they say?
LEKAN : they said they're taking down my wife next.
CHARLES : if you ask me, those guys are either bluffing or something. We both know they don't have your wife...except if she's a twin...
LEKAN : (shaking his head)...I've told them to let me talk to my son...
CHARLES : how are we sure they have him?
LEKAN : or...they may have killed him too...
CHARLES : calm down...let's work on the information we have to locate your son.
LEKAN : but how? We don't have that bastard's number, so...?
CHARLES : (cuts in)....I know his house, let's send him a note too.
LEKAN : what do we tell him?
CHARLES : that he should assure us somehow that your son is safe, then we will send back his money. We both know he doesn't have your wife like he claims....(Then an idea comes to his head)... but wait, what if he doesn't have your son too?...we need to be able to nail this bastard.
LEKAN : why not wait till he calls, then we tell him on the phone? Why sending it to his house? That's a long process.
CHARLES : okay...we're sending it to his house so he knows that we know he's the one behind it all...
LEKAN : but don't you think that will be dangerous? He may end up doing something to my son...
CHARLES : that's if he has him...
LEKAN : or hasn't killed him like he killed my wife and Bola
CHARLES : if he has him, the money is the only thing that will make him keep your son alive....I mean, why killing them in the first place?
LEKAN : he's a bastard that's why...
CHARLES : (Thinks for a while)...better still we talk to him when he calls and also send the note to him.
LEKAN : (takes a deep breath)…God! What have I done?....(Sits on the ground)...if I'd known that this will go this way, I wouldn't have touched that money...
CHARLES : take it easy. If really he has your son he will not kill him, except if he doesn't want his money back, what's more, if he really has him, he will let us talk to him.

(As they were discussing, Lekan's phone rings and he picks it...)
LEKAN : hello?
CALLER : was it really my sister?
LEKAN : Kanmi, I'm afraid it is.
CALLER : my God!....
LEKAN : hello, Kanmi....Kanmi!....he hung up.
CHARLES : the news must have come as a blow.
LEKAN : she was his only sister. They were so close. He doesn't do anything without telling her. He loves her like anything....I don't know how he will be able to handle it.
CHARLES : oh....

(They waited for the abductor's call but it never came.)




Andy and Henz decided not to call back. They made other plans.



Lekan decided to do an autopsy at one of the best hospitals in Lagos on his wife and daughter. He found out Sola was shot and Bola died because she inhaled dust mites.

Lekan decided to bury both Sola and Bola immediately.

Charles did not leave Lekan in all the problem he got himself.

On Saturday morning, Sola's brother shows up at Lekan's house without any prior notice. He was devastated.

Lekan explains what happened to Kanmi, and how they found out who kidnapped them...)

KANMI : wait did you just say Andy Silva?
LEKAN : I tell you...that Bastard!
KANMI : the former minister for Pet and Gas?
LEKAN : yes....
KANMI : (shocked)...oh my God!...(He breaks down)

(Lekan was still wondering why Kanmi reacted like that after hearing Andy Silva”s name, when Charles shows up...)
LEKAN : oh Charles...(looking at him as he enters into the house…)
CHARLES : Lekan...how's it going?
LEKAN : well...what can I do....here's my wife's brother...Kanmi...Kanmi....(Looking at him still perplexed)...this is the Charles I was telling you about.
CHARLES : (looking at Kanmi)...I’m really sorry about your sister
KANMI : yeah thanks....(Looks at Charles)
CHARLES : erm....sorry, your face kinda looks familiar....(Trying to recall)
LEKAN : oh...he's a lawyer too...though, practicing before he went to the US and came back to Port Harcourt. You guys must have met at the court or something...
CHARLES : (still trying to recall)....em...may be...Not sure…
KANMI : (looks at Charles)....oh my God!.....(Breaks down totally)....oh my God!....now my past is hunting me....
LEKAN : what are you talking about?
CHARLES : yes! Now I remember!...you are that Boy...erm...(Trying to recall).....Ji...de....yes! Jide! You're Jide's lawyer, right?


To be continued....