Sylvester descended the flight of stairs into the underground room with Ngozi trottling behind him. “Be careful with the last step dear, its slippery.” Sylvester warned. “Okay.” A minute later, the two officers are still standing before the keyboard attached to the wall without anyone making a move. “Unlock it now.” Ngozi drawled. “Not today. I can’t risk it.” He replied. Sylvester was wary of what could happen if he made the move to provide the passcode, he remembered the first and the last time he tried, it led to the death of a fine and handsome youngman, a computer analyst who had a bright future of working with the CIA in the near future or the MOUSSAD. Ngozi bravely stepped a bit forward and started fumbling with the keyboard like she knew what she was doing. She was randomly pressing the buttons and the percentage unlock was increasing as she did this, but she wasn’t concentrating of the screen, as the percentage increases by five percents when she press a random button, so also it reduces by 5% when she presses another random button. Sylvester watching as she was progressing and retrogressing. “Wait! Wait!.” He screamed at her. “What?” She asked angrily. “You already reached 65% but you are back to zero percent simply because you weren’t concentrating on whatever you are doing.” “Oh! So what do you suggest we do?” She asked. “Can you still remember the keys you pressed?” He asked. “How possible is that? In the last three minutes, I pressed the keys in not less than fifty times, how on earth do you expect me to know the right keys?” She asked. “You know what? Try the first set of numbers that comes to you mind and lets see what we have.” Sylvester said. Ngozi was not convinced of the strategy but she still had to try anyways since she had no better plan. “5-2-4-7.” were the first set of numbers that came to her mind and she punched the corresponding keys on the keyboard. Suprisingly the percentage unlock increased to 55%. Sylvester was not only bewildered, he was suprised at the same time. “Four keys, 55%? That’s gross!” He exclaimed while Ngozi smiled at her success. “What next?” She asked. This is the tricky aspect of it, one right key 65% which is all that is needed to unlock the underground or one wrong key and it returns to zero percent which also implies that, the four keys which skyrocketted the percentage to sixt-five won’t do the same if used for a second time. Random keys does the trick from what he has seen so far. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++ A blue hilux van was being loaded with trunks and bags as supervised by Kelvin. “Khan, how far have you gone?” Kelvin asked a whiteman, a German who was checking each trunk and its content after which he’ll write it down. “We are olmost done.” He replied in his not so clear english. “How many trunks do you have there and what are the contents?” Kelvin asked. “About fi-ty five. Twenty-five arms trunk and fi-teen bombs and explosives. Clothes and other things are in the rest.” Khan replied. Kelvin wanted to laugh, especially at the way he call ‘fifty’ but he managed to stiffle it and and a smiled escaped his lips. “What time do you intend leaving?” “10pm, we’ll be camping in Ghana for a day or two after which we’ll take off by air to Freetown.” Khan explained. “Are you taking Mike… Sorry, Clement to Hezboellah?” Kelvin asked. Khan gave him a suspicious look, but he couldn’t question his boss, and not just any boss, Danger-kelv. “Yeah. Maleek insisted even though we all voted for Al Queda, Maleek insisted he wanted Hezboellah.” Khan replied. “Don’t be suprised, Al Queda are traitors. They betrayed Maleek’s trust last year when one of our men here, Al Bashir was sent to learn how to make explosives on a four months course. At the end of the four years, Al Queda refused to release Bashir and they went on to make him carry a bomb into an aeroplane which had the Isreali Prime minister and America’s Vice President.” Kelvin explained. “I heard ’bout it. Sucide bomb right?” Khan said. “Yeah. So Maleek want to create close ties with Hezboellah to hit back at Al Queda.” Kelvin explained. They continued chatting for the next few minutes before Kelvin announced his departure. “See you around soon.” He said patting him on the back before strolling back into the building. — Sylvester skipped the last flight of the ladder that connects from the underground room into the underground and jumped several feets below the earth. The sight that greeted him scared him off, but he knew had to be strong, if he wants to play a convincing role until the police lost out with no one to suspect. Ngozi as if seeing things from Sylvester’s persepective also skipped the last flight of the ladder and landed into the underground with her flashlight in her mouth. She would have being a lot more happy if she had landed on solid floor or rock but what she landed on was neither a rock nor the floor. It was quite soft and mobile, a bony structure. “Jeeeeeeeesus!” She screamed as she fell down flat on her face her breathing inconsistent and her lung having difficulty in taking the considerable amount of oxygen needed to respirate. She had landed on the chest of a dead man who was dressed in the army uniform, the leafy-green khaki. “Are you okay?” Sylvester asked with concern. Ngozi did not budge and at the same time refused to stand up or reply Sylvester’s question. After a few minutes of stealing glances at the dead body, she stood as fast as she could when she realised that she was at arms length with the dead body. And the thought of it alone made her heart race with great abandon. “Lets get out of here.” She sobbed into Sylvester’s broad shoulder. Sylvester held her firmly and they went deeper into the underground, the first time that Ngozi would be entering the underground and Sylvester’s second attempt. “So, how far are we?” Ngozi asked judging by his experience. “I can’t really tell you that specifically, but I am sure we are close by, with the bodies we have seen on the way. And when Ngozi was getting impatient and tired of the journey, they came to a spot where the underground was divided into two equal tunnels. The tunnel on the left beared total darkness that even with the help of their flashlights, they could only see the rocky walls of the tunnel and nothing else, while the other tunnel on the right was dark like the first, but once could stil make out a few things that lies ahead. “Lets go in there.” Ngozi said pointing her flashlight to the less darkened tunnel and without hesitation, Sylvester followed her in silence, which was later broken by him as he recounted his last visit into the tunnel was, how he felt the strange feeling at the entrance into the two tunnels and had to leave only to meet his dead wife at home. Ngozi was half listening and half looking at the empty cells and a few gunmen who were lying dead on the floor. “What else?” Ngozi asked as they came to a dead end. “I don’t know.” Sylvester replied cluelessly as he flashed his light at the rocky wall opposite them with the hope of an imaginary door appearing. “Don’t you think we should use the second tunnel?” Ngozi asked. “The dark tunnel?” Sylvester asked alarmed. “Yes. Anything wrong?” “Not at all. Its just that the only officer who went into the tunnel never came back. Till now, Leiutenant James is yet to return from his journey into the tunnel. If he is alive, we don’t know. I don’t think I will enter the tunnel with you.” Sylvester replied. “The fear of the unknown is one of the reasons why people fail in their endeavours. The fact that James didn’t return doesn’t mean we won’t. Moreso, James might have lost his way and as a result killed by the enemies. We are two and we can watch each other’s back.” Ngozi explained. Sylvester tried to keep a straight face, he didn’t want to lookk like a weakling even though he knew he was one that could easily be manipulated and influenced to switch alleigiance. But he had to show Ngozi that he was not just and ordinary FBI agent whose brain is filled with detective and investigative techniques, he wanted to show her that he had the balls to work in the America’s CIA or DOD. “Lets go in then.” He blurted out.He was careful to walk behind her as they entered the dark tunnel afterall. As a kid, he had always feared darkness, because from stories and things he had heard, evil is easily perpetrated in the dark. It is only in the dark that a group of angry boys would lay ambush for a girl who thwarted them in a test at school or a quiz, then molest her until she passed out, even though such cases hasn’t been heard of, but evil guys tends to molest the girls who in a way or the other had angered them. It is only in the dark that most cases of armed robbery takes place and assasination is also very rampant in the dead of the night when even the police or the security agents are more like a dead wood who requires about five minutes to shake off the feeling of relax and put of the active feeling, and in most cases, those five minutes is all the criminals needed to escape. “Are you there?” Ngozi asked. “Yeah.” He replied even though he was unsure if he spoke out because he couldn’t hear himself. His mind drifted back to the extensive mind drill he is having concerning darkness, he himself as a man has had several encounters with dangers in the dark. As a student he once had a late night run off with a very popular fraternity back then in school known as the ‘Dark angels’ presided over by a ‘dark queen.’ A group that was widely dominated by the female specie of man. He could remember sometimes during his service year when he met a friend who was fortunate to own a television and a dvd back then and he was able to watch a couple of films on it, one of them is the ‘Harry Potter’ series. Even though he only saw it to the end of the third series, he could remember the very popular dark lord known as ‘Voldermot’ in the series. From what he saw, the dark lord was the most feared wizard whom other wizards dare not mention his name except for a few brave ones who had little or no fear for the dark lord. “Are you still with me?” Ngozi asked. “Of course, you know I just want you to be in front so that if things threatens to go wrong, you can quickly take cover behind me, meaning you are serving as a first hand spy. They are now well deep into the tunnel and from the look of things, Ngozi seemed to be getting stronger as the seconds of the cloth ticked away. Silence enveloped the whole of the tunnel as their footsteps echoed around the castle. As they continued their silent journey, Sylvester’s mind drifted to another dark night which defined his life, defined his future and to his own suprise he accepted wuthout thinking twice. He remembered how he had met Hakym five years ago on a sunny summer afternoon in Canada, they had chatted like the next door neighbour that they were, but unknown to Sly, the meeting of their defined their future. Sylvester who returned to Nigeria almsot five years ago met with the Ministry of defence and after a brief discussion with the minister, it was agreed that he be drafted into the FBI Nigeria and a few months later to save time, the FBI was drafted into the police force. After a promising first week of working with police, it all looked like they’ll be stopping Khal corp within three days, but things doesn’t turn out with our prediction. A few weeks after he started working with the police, a recieved a phone call from an annymous caller who claimed he had both his parents in hostage. Sylvester laughed it off and counted it as one of those things, ploys to make him drop the case. He continued waxing stronger by the day and the called who claimed to be holding his parent’s hostage kept disturbing him with calls which he didn’t take serious. But who would take such person serious when at the end of every conversation with the man he would always put a call through to parents who reside in Canada and from their voice, it seemed like they are in no trouble neither are they being held hostage because they sounded perfectly okay, without the feeling of being under duress or being forced to sound normal. It was only a few weeks afterwards that he recieved a picture message of his parents tied to a chair each with troubled look and bruised faces. At the same time, the anonymous caller revealed himself as Hakym, the man he had met five years ago and he stated what he wanted. First hand information as an insider with a reward of ten thousand dollars per week. He refused to play along, but his troubles began when at the end of the first week, his account was credited and the following week, he led the team that invaded Mr Ayo Okorie’s residence. — After he successfully forced Mr Ayo to flee, he recieved an immediate alert from his bank account even though it was still the middle of the week. He felt he was safe and as every right thinking Nigerian who has been a finance manager right from the time he/she was born decided to as a result of the goody he is recieving decided to live in affluence till he’ll return to Canada to sort out his parents. You can call him whatever you like. From recent research, it was revealed that an average Nigerian man is a manager who out of a hundred available resources will manage at least ninety eight of them while the last two would be enough for him at a particular time, but the next minute, he’ll be trying to economize the use of it. Research revealed that Nigerian’s manage even water which was believed to be one of the available resources in abundance to human. The stress involved to get drinkable water in some areas will make a family of six share a one litre jug of water over a very peppery meal. And while some doctors who were lucky to live in areas where water flows like honey just like the biblical Shecem, the doctors went on to tell us that at every c–k crow, we should endeavour to take two cups of water before any other thing and for a family who manages a one litre jug, two cups removed from a one litre jug for one person leaves the other mmbers of the family with two and a half cups. Sylvester found himself in the managing screen of the average Nigerian man and just like in the case of water, if one sunny afternoon, one of the water pipes created by the government some twenty years ago come back to life and water started gushing out, every right thinking family will know what to do. They store water in all manner of things because they knew any moment, the water flow could stop, therefore, Sylvester thought the cashflow would stop, he decided to spend the money and enjoy it while it last. He started off by purchasing a house inside one of his dream estates and a day later go a brand new car. Unknown to him, he was being watched and when he was living comfortably like the rich man that he was, trouble started when his employers started demanding for the commodity they are paying for ‘INFORMATION.’ He tried his best not to succumb to the demands of the corporation who demanded that he returned all they had given him. He knew how impossible that is and decided to just play along with the aim of stopping them before it is too late. He made a mistake one day by giving a wrong information to the corp and as a result of that and the fact that he was their employee and still went on to attack Mr Ayo, they gave him series of punishment which he was to pick just one. In the end, he agreed that his wife be killed, afterall, there are many beautiful ladies out there, but the realisation that hit him after his wife’s death was the reason why he broke down. Even though now he had decided to play on a safe side, by providing informations to the corporation and a the same time working tirelessly with the police to make sure they stopped Khal corp. And his major concern is to kill Hakym before anybody else because he was the only one who could recognize him and to avoid stories that touch, Hakym’s death is a plus to his chances of living a happy life after the end of Khal corp or the defeat of the police. “What do you think is going on? This tunnel seems to be endless o.” Ngozi asked. Shebi na you want make we enter the tunnel, winch. He wished he had said that, but decided against it. “Sly, are you there?” She asked stopping in her tracks. “Of course. The tunnel, he must be mad.” He replied. Ngozi gasped. “Sly, are you okay? I mean the tunnel and not the colonel.” Ngozi said. “Yeah, its endless, maybe we should just go back.” Sylvester replied. “We have come a long way to go back.” Ngozi said. “Rrrrrrrroooooooooaaaaaaaaarrrrrr!” “Did you hear that?” Sylvester asked. “Yes, what is that? A lion?” Ngozi asked. “Am not sure.” The roar came sounding once again and this forced Ngozi to jumped on Sylvester and held him tight. “Let’s get out of here.” Sylvester said at once.THE FINAL BATTLE. Just as Sylvester took off to escape from whatever danger could be lurking around, Ngozi did not move. “What’s the matter?” He asked. “Do you think that thing.” She said turning her head in such a way that even a kid would know that she was referring to the roaring sound. “Is a lion?” She asked. “I don’t think a lion could be kept in an underground such as this. But chances of it not being a lion is as high as the chances of it not being a lion. But what is it?” Sylvester replied. “I don’t know, but it sounded more like a man.” She replied. This time, the sound was getting closer and Sylvester was moving backwards with Ngozi holding his arms tightly. “That’s impossible, a man cannot roar. I have never heard of it, maybe.” Sylvester began and paused weighing his words. “A zombie?” Ngozi asked, more like an addition rather than a question. The sound was covering more distance towards them as they covered more distance backwards still chatting, but not planning to run because they felt running may spell doom for them. “What do you suggest we do?” Sylvester asked already considering and exit from the underground which ever ways. “Lets hang around, maybe we could see what was producing the sound.” Ngozi replied, uncertainty evident in her voice, but all the same she doesn’t want to sound as weak as her partner. “The other cave would be a nice place to do that.” Sylvester said and at once turned back as he fled out of the tunnel. “Wait up sly.” Ngozi called as she ran after him, glancing back as she did so. Just when she was loosing her mind, brain and breathe all because the monster was seemed to be running after them too and since she was the one behind, she was at greater risk. Just when she wanted to give up and pass out, a stong hand gripped her and pulled her into what looked like another tunnel. “Sorry dear.” Sylvester said as he lowered her to the ground to sit her chest going up and down abnormally. Sylvester motioned her to keep quiet as they listened to the footsteps of the monster which now audible enough that they could hear it. “What’s it?” Ngozi asked silently. Sylvester didn’t reply, as he placed his ear against the rocky wall of the cave listening. “It has stopped moving.” He replied silently. Then they could hear whatever was standing at the other side sniffing so loud probably trying to percieve and odour. “Why is it sniffing?” Ngozi asked, this time she had stood up and standing behind Sylvester. “Did you wear a perfume?” Sylvester asked. The question did not only throw her off blance because she wasn’t expecting such question, she was suprised too. She nodded her head in affirmation. “Remove your shirt and give it to me.” He said. Ngozi almost slapped him for making such request. If at all he wanted to steal a glance at her boobs, he should be man enough to rip off her shirt himself, and moreso, not in this period will she allow a man get pleasured through her body. “The scent is strong and it could detect our hide out.” He explained without looking back. Ngozi carefully unbottoned the two buttons atop of her police t-shirt and at the same time Sylvester was removing his shirt. He handed it to him. “Wear this.” He said thrusting his shirt backwards. And immediately, Sylvester threw the t-shirt a little bit forward to bring the monster out. He wasn’t disappointed as the monster started moving once again and in what seemed like eternity, the figure came into view. “Oh my God.” Ngozi had screamed her lungs out and immediately, the monster turned to face them and was dragging its feet towards them. Sylvester was cursing Ngozi as the monster inched closer. – Sylvester was still visibly shaken as he led a medical team back into the underground and towards the tunnel where the dead monster lay dead. The dead monster was no other person that Leiutenant James who didn’t return after he was asked to spy into the dark tunnel a month ago when Clement led a team of police officers and soldiers into the underground. James over the week had grown longer nails and from the look of things, he had been feeding on human flesh, no wonder the dead bodies they met on their way into the underground were not always in whole. From the doctor’s explanation, she claimed that there is every possibility that James had consumed a harmful gas, or chemical liquid. The doctor even though not sure said that the first time human beings behaved abnormally like Sylvester and Ngozi explained that James behaved before he was shot was in North Carlifonia, about a century ago. The doctor claimed that, miners inhaled a harmful chemical from inside the earth and emerged after many months of futile search for them. The miners still wore their uniforms and spread accross the street biting people off and spreading the virus. The doctor explained that the scene according to history with pictures to back was just similar to the emergence of Zombie apocalypse, many centuries ago. Even though Sylvester was not convinced, but he was tempted to be convinced because the doctor’s explanation seemed true a bit, but he couldn’t understand how the consumption of a gas or chemical could turn one into a zombie. He was tempted to be convinced because sometimes ago, he was listening to a programme on radio and the issue being discussed were ‘world weird news.’ He remembered the programme anchor said something like a girl who was suffering from asthma was injected with a drug that will stop her from having crisis, even though every sane person knows it is impossible to cure Asthma, for the records, no one has ever being cured of Asthma. But white doctors will always want to use every patient admitted in their hospitals as specimen for practicals. The injection in turn cured the young lady of Asthma, but she ended up having a nameless disease which has never been recorded anywhere in the world. The sweat pores on the lady’s skin instead of producing hairs, produced nails. Meaning, in every pore on her skin, there is a nail growing out of it. You can imagine how scary that one is. Sylvester concluded that if a curative injection could do as much damage as that of the young lady, then a deadly chemical or gas could do more to turn one into a zombie. “Doctor, what are you trying to do?” Sylvester asked. “We are taking him with us.” The lady replied. Sylvester just wanted to remove his gun and shoot the young lady in front of him. “Take who with you?” Sylvester asked to be sure that his ears are not playing tricks on him. “We are taking him with us for further test on the real cause of his deformation.” The lady explained. Sylvester slowly inched backwards in fear. “That means, I am no longer needed here. Or am I?” Sylvester asked. “Not really, unless you want to help us in lifting him up.” The lady replied. This time they had turned James into a very big bag which was in turn sealed with only God knows what. “count me out please.” Sylvester said and everyone else in the tunnel bursted into laughter. “So, we’ll be sanitizing this place in a bit and by tomorrow, you should be able to walk through here without masks or anything.” The lady explained. “That means I can’t remove my mask now?” Sylvester asked. “Its dangerous if you do. And if you’ll please lead the way out of here.” Together with the medical team and James bagged up body, they filed out of the underground where Ngozi was still lying lifeless. “How far?” Sylvester asked squatting beside her after he had removed his mask and the polythene overall he was wearing. “She will come around very soon, still sleeping.” The man attending to her replied. Ngozi had fainted when James stretched his hands towards Sylvester in an horrific manner, blood dripping from his mouth, his fingernails long and dirty. She didn’t bother to see how Sylvester shot James or how he fell down and died. –to be continued–
