Man In Black Episode 24

Tobi pulled his car out of the car park and through the gates. As he did, through his windscreen he saw the bumper of Kunle’s squad car, white tail lights on as he reversed in front of Tobi. They pulled their cars out of the department, then into Abagbon Close. No media people were outside the gate. That was because the Chief had tried to keep the news about the call they had recieved within the department. 

Tobi dreaded the day they would learn of it, and still worse the day they knew the caller had kept his promise. When that day came, he would just confine himself to the department jeje. 

Tobi drove the car out from the close, seeing Kunle following behind in his side mirror. As he drove, what he thought of, of all things, was how he would introduce himself to the people at the ministry that would increase his image. In what order should he list his job description? He knew it was a silly thing to think of, but when he was going to meet those who worked at the federal level, he couldn’t help it.

As he approached the Agbaje junction, Tobi reflexively laid his foot down on the brake, slowing the car down.

He had just begun to turn his steering wheel when the BMW swerved in from the right.

The car was going along Ologun Agbaje street, but it seemed to slow to a stop as it got in front of his car. Tobi noticed the tinted windows in passing, before the one on the driver’s side slid down, and a slim, well-manicured hand came out.

Holding a gun.

Tobi’s eyes went wide at the sight of it, and he swerved his own car as well to the left just as he heard the pop-pop-pop-pop of the rifle going off. Tobi could only dimly hear it over the loud screech of his tyres as they continued turning with the brake still down, as well as the pounding of his own heart in his ears. But his front passenger window was facing the BMW, and he saw the holes opening in the glass one by one.

What was going on? Was this an armed robbery, or, worse, an assasination? Where was Kunle for God’s sake?

There was only one thought in Tobi’s mind. Return fire.

He reached one hand for the door handle, but immediately the window exploded over his hand as a shower of bullets poured through, raining his hand with glass. He drew his hand back as quickly as if he had been bitten, then hunched down low in his seat, covering his head with his arms. His passenger window was already shot to nothing more than a few jagged pieces of glass at the edges.

The bullets just didn’t want to stop.

One of those bullets came through and just nearly missed his head, ricocheting off his dashboard and then bouncing all over the inside of his car, making him shout and more or less enter into the footwell below the dashboard. 

The bullet must have come through the back of his seat, because it took him in the back, just above his waist.

Tobi’s mind went blank, except for the pain in his back. He reached behind him and felt at his back, his hand shivering, knowing as his hand squelched on his shirt, a shirt that was supposed to be dry, what he would see when he brought it back. But he did, anyway.

His hand was sheeted with blood.

He only dimly heard footsteps outside his door, heard the door open and felt sunlight on his face as he lay there, bleeding all over his car seat.

“Sir? Sir, who was— They shot you! God of mercy. . . ” 

Tobi’s eyes were wide open. He couldn’t have closed them if he tried. Why was Kunle out of his car? Had the shooting stopped? He saw Kunle’s face loose color as his eyes found the blood.

Tobi raised one hand. “Call. . . Call someb. . . ”

He felt dizzy, his head swam, and he couldn’t move his legs. 

Detective Tobi Akano was unconscious before the first police cars arrived from the department.

Tbc