Everyday at the airport shopping complex is always filled with activities and events. The shopping complex or mall is the largest in West Africa built many years ago by the Federal Government of Nigeria. It was a big complex which has two buildings adjoining to a third with over fifteen floors making a total of three building connected and a total of 45floors all together if counted per building.
The complex which was named the airport shopping complex was aimed at providing certain services to the airport users and non airport users. The shopping complex serves many functions, such as supermarkets, hospitals, guest houses, event hall to mention a few.
Some big league companies and firms have their offices situated at the airport shopping complex. The shopping complex could be likened to the world trade centre in the United state which was blown by the Al-queda forces led by Osama bin laden. The Airport shopping complex in 2010 was named the largest shopping mall in West Africa and third largest in Africa.
A black van drove into the parking lot where hundreds of cars were parked. Five men dressed in maintainance uniform overall. They walked into the mall and proceeded to the ventilation unit. All floors in the complex jointly make use of the same ventilation system, a room which has a big machine which in turn pumps air into the thousands air conditions in the complex. A security man approached them.
“Hey! We didn’t call for maintainace.” He said to them but they ignored him and continued walking. He was running after them, calling them to talk to him but they refused. They took the first turning by the right into a deserted area and he foolishly followed them. One of the men stopped walking and turned to face him. he walked closer to the security guy and stabbed on the neck. He fell down and died. They continued their journey towards the ventilation control room.
“Guys. We need to be fast with this. You know it won’t take time before the other security men notice the absence of their colleague. They’ll come looking for him and our cover will be blown.” Kelvin adressed as they approached the control room.
They all emptied the contents of one of the bags with them. One of the men removed a drilling machine and drilled the door lock open, the door which was made of iron gave a croacking sound as they pushed it open.
“You stay here and look out for any intruder.” Kelving ordered the guy who drilled the door. The other four men walked into the hall where giant machines were knoted to the floor. Kelvin squatted beside the box which connect the two largest machines together. He opened the cover and the air which passes through the box into the second machine blew on his face causing him to shiver.
“It won’t take time before they notice something is going on here. The air being pumped is now blowing elsewhere. Lets get down to work.” Kelvin said. A small cylinder was passed on to him.
“The activation chip please.” He requested as a motherboard was passed on to him. He attached the chip on the cylinder and connected a tablet to the chip’s port. He punched in some activation codes and the cylinder increased in length making humming sounds.
“We have fifty seconds. Get this thing bolted.” he ordered. He walked outside to join the man who was looking out for any intruder.
“Go and get the engine running. Tell us if anything strange is going on outside.” He told the guy who removed the car key and walked away leaving the others behind.
“Lets get out of here.” They all filed out walking back towards the parking lot as fast as they could.
“Are we clear to move out?” Kelvin asked the driver through the communication device attached to his ears. They moved out at once and hurriedly walked towards the van in which they had come, the door was opened already and the engine was running. Immediately Kelvin hopped in beside the driver, they swung the car out of the parking lot towards the always opened gate. He swerved to the right unto the main road.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
****
Darasimi fearfully led Clement and his partner Habeeb into her room. The two men sat on the stool and the only plastic chair available while their host sat on the bed.
“Dara, are you aware that your friend Chioma is dead?” Clement began. Darasimi kept quiet for a few seconds pretending to be processing the news that was relayed to her.
“I don’t get.”
“As in, your friend Chioma was found dead this morning.”
“Yeh! mogbe.” She screamed as she flung herself unto Habeeb and they both landed on the bare floor. Her weight seemed to be the major factor in their fall while Habeeb’s weight is nothing to write home about.
“Take it easy dear. I know it’ll be very hard on you. Sorry for the loss.” Habeeb consoled as he pulled her up.
“Ah! Chiiiiii….. Chhhhhhiiiooooomaaaa.” She screamed again as hot tears trickled down her cheeks. Habeeb was filled with pity as he looked at her sympathetically. How easy it is for evil doers to pity others. He, who is head bent on making the country pay for something she knew nothing of by liasing with the terrorists is here pitying someone who could not be trusted entirely.
“From our investigations, we learnt she didn’t return home yesterday and the last time she was seen, you were with her. So tell us anything that can be helpful to us in our investigations.” Clement said immediately the wailing and consoling stopped.
“Who told you Chioma was with me? The last time I saw her was two day ago.” She replied. Clement smiled knowingly.
“What happened to you on your arm?” Clement asked pointing to the burns she sustained when Chioma attacked her the previos day. She was wearing an armless pink top and a black leggings.
“Oh! This?” She asked foolishly. Clement only nodded, urging her to spill whatever is in her.
“Its just a burn as a result of some child’s play around the hostel. Those guys were chasing we the girls with stick with fire.” She explained.
“I see.
“Believe me, guys can be annoying at times. Thank God I am not a guy.” she replied trying to add humor to lighten the tension in the room. They all gave short laughs and it did the magic as Darasimi felt relaxed afterwards.
“I remembered when we came in, it was like you had a travelling bag with you. Are you travelling or what?” Clement asked.
“Yes, I am.”
“Why?”
“This killings. First it was Hadiza, then Dayo, now it is Chioma. Only God knows who is next.” She replied.
“You knew Chioma was dead before we came in?” He asked as he scanned the whole room with his eagle eyes. Then his eyes strucked something.
“No, I don’t know. The last time we conversed was two day ago like I said the other time.” As she was saying, Clement had already stood up and followed the direction where his eyes strucked something strange.
“What’s this?” He asked picking a yellow top from the floor near the wardrobe. It had blood stains on it.
“That?” She asked foolishly propbably because she was caught unawares.
“Yes.”
“I was on my period and it got stained.” She replied.
“I see.” Clement said as he dropped the cloth and sat down and jotted some things on his notepad. Darasimi knew she had fumbled by lying that she had her monthly discharge while putting on the top and not a skirt. She could have said she used the shirt to clean up.
“You know what? We’ll like to see you in our office right away for questioning.” Clement informed.
“Your office? As in police station. What did I do?” She asked almost in tears. Habeeb whispered to his boss and they both nodded at the same time.
“This is it. You have to report to the school’s security complex today and you’ll do that for the next five days when investigations must have been concluded.” Habeeb informed.
“We’ll like to take our leave now. Bye.” Clement said as he stood up with his partner and walked out of her room.
***
Sandra Oselu walked into the living room dressed in a black tank top and a blue flying short skirt that stopped just above her knees. Her phone rang as she approached the centre table.
“Who could this be?” She asked rhetorically as she approached the dinning area where she left her phone when she had her breakfast one hour ago. She checked the number displaying on her screen but she discovered that the number was unlisted.
“Hello.” She said unsure of how best to start the conversation.
“Is this Sandra Oselu?” A male masculine voice asked.
“Yes. Its me. What can I do for you?” She asked.
“One of your dirtiest secrets is with us and you have to pay a sum of ten million naira for a start.” The voice said going straight to the point.
“Excuse me?”
“We have some of your raunchy pictures and we won’t hesitate to post them on social media to tarnish your celebrity status.”
“Fine, I think I know who you are. You are that popular comedian that play pranks on people especially celebrities or that fraudster that find joy in extorting celebrities to save their as5 from trouble like you said. I don’t have your time.” She replied. He gave a short laugh.
“I am no comedian, neither am I a fraudster. You’ll recieve a media message on your phone in a matter of seconds now. Call this number in two hours, eleven o’clock to be precise.” He explained.
“Mr man, I don’t have your time this early morning. If you don’t have a job please go find one. And if you are interested in being my anonymous public relations officer, you just got yourself the job. I can see you are fluent in your command of english language.” She said.
“Call me back by eleven o’clock. If you are a minute late, you are in trouble. If you are a minute behind the time, remember, you are in trouble. We’ll negotiate when you give me the call. Enjoy the rest of your morning.” He said and hung up.
She dropped her phone on the dining table angrily and made to walk back into the living room where she was headed in the first place to watch a live broadcast of a fashion show in paris. “Dumbas5.” She muttered and walked away just when her phone beeped. She walked back to the table and picked up the phone and opened the message. She opened her mouth in shock as million of thoughts ran through her mind.
A picture of her and her lawyer Barrister Benson in a compromising postion. Lying half Unclad on the bed with the duvet covering their unclothedness.
“Oh my God!” She exclaimed in fear as the phnoe almost dropped from her hand. She had one person in mind as the perpetrator of the act. She will surely get to the end of this.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Barrister Benson walked out of the gate and headed for the end of the street where a car was parked. Immediately he got near the car, the front door opened and he hoped in without much ado.
“Welcome Ben” The man behind the wheel said.
“Thank You.”
“Now, straight to business. I guess you already received those pictures. I know you won’t want me to send those pictures accross to your wife or put them on social medias. You’ll pay me if you want this buried.” The man began.
“How much are we talking about here?” Benson asked.
“Five million naira or you face the music. Get back to me once it is twelve o’clock. I believe you still have my number on your phone. By for now.” He said igniting the car.
Ben got down from the car and the man who refused to introduce himself formally drove out of the street.
to be continued–
