Tarasha could feel Henry’s eyes peering at her as she dropped the bag into the backseat of the car and closed the door. She took a glance back to the house and saw him peeping behind the window, he quickly withdrew himself as she looked in his direction. She smiled to herself as she turned to the driver’s side and entered into the car. She started the car engine and then put on her seatbelt. She turned on the air-conditioner in the car as she wind up the window glasses and began to drive towards the gate. She took a small sized remote from the passenger’s side of the vehicle and tapped a button on it towards the gate. The gate split open and the car drove out before the gate closed back.
_______
‘Sir, are you ready to go see the doctor now?’ A corporately dressed man asked the Vice President, bending a little to show courtesy as the man rose up from the three seater sofa.
Flanked by two huge bodyguards, Chief Elvis replied the man with a sigh of tiredness as he proceeded towards the door supporting his leg with the walking stick.
‘You guys should get the cars ready, I don’t think I can wait for any appointment anymore or even attend Rikau’s daughter naming ceremony. I think I should just go and rest at home.’ Chief Elvis said tiredly.
He had a quite tight schedule that day. After an early morning closed door meeting with the President in the Aso Rock Villa, he was sent to supervise an ongoing construction work in a two town outside. There he didn’t spend more than an hour and half but he had been so tired as if he spent the whole day there. He still had two appointments to catch, so he decided to take a rest in his office but His attempt to rest had only proved futile as he only felt weaker. His assistants had earlier advised him to see the doctor but he discarded the advice saying it was just a sign that he needed to rest a little.
‘You have a call sir?’ his assistant came from behind with a ringing phone in his hand.
‘Who’s it?’ Chief Elvis asked with a raised eyebrow.
‘It’s an unsaved number,’ the man replied as he handed the phone to the Vice President.
The number was unsaved truly but Chief Elvis recognized it, it was Rex calling. He took a quick glance at the men behind him and his assistant. They understood what the look meant and quietly excused him to answer the call. By the time the men were gone, the phone had stopped ringing. Chief Elvis dialed back and put the phone to his ear. The call was answered after a ring.
‘I thought you were done with the President’s meeting a long time ago,’ Rex snapped with his arrogant voice.
‘Huh? Who told you I had a meeting with the President?’
‘That’s not necessary now, you should just learn to always answer immediately you see my call.’
The Vice President sighed loudly, he hated Rex’s arrogance.
‘Are you at your office now?’ Rex voice came again.
‘Yes, I’m in my office, I want to attend to a couple of appointments before I leave.’ Chief Elvis replied.
‘Oh Good! I’ll be coming to your office right away,’ Rex said.
‘Are you crazy?’ chief Elvis asked and quickly stared around to see if anyone is watching. ‘How can you come here?’
‘You don’t want me to come?’ Rex asked in a taunting manner.
‘Why should I want you to come?’ Chief Elvis said, angry at Rex’s unreasonable request.
‘It’s better you allow me come because she’s not going to get permission from you before she comes.’
‘Huh?’ a look of confusion appeared on the Vice President’s face. ‘Who are you talking about?’ He stared around again to see if anyone was watching.
‘Don’t worry, you’ll see her when she comes.’ Rex said and the call was cut.
‘Who? Who…’ the Vice President tried to ask but the beeping sound was the reply. He took the phone off his ear and stared at it for some seconds before dialing back.
‘Am I coming to your office?’ he heard Rex say without waiting for him to speak first.
‘Rex, what are you talking about?’
‘Bad manners! Don’t answer questions with questions. I’ll ask again, and maybe I better rephrase; should I start coming to your office?’
‘Rex, you know that’s a tough decision to make. There are several eyes keeping watch over this place…’
‘And you don’t want them to see us together?’ Rex cut in.
‘No, that’s not…’
‘Never mind, they won’t be able to see you with her when she comes, you’ll be helpless.’
‘What are you talking abo…’ he tried to ask but the line went dead again.
This time he paused and took in a deep breath before dialing back. ‘Okay Rex, what actually do you want? If you want to come, I’ll wait for you and allow you in but you must promise me to make it the first and the last time.’
‘What the f***! Who the hell wants to come to your office? But you need to stop arguing with me if you want to save your life. When I tell you what to do, it’s for your safety and not mine,’ Rex said in a serious tone. ‘She’s coming for you soon. Very soon, I mean. Could be today or tomorrow. I’ll be right outside your office, tell me if you notice any strange thing or get an unusual phone call.’
‘She’s coming? Should I wait here or…’ the line went dead again. ‘Damn!’ he cursed and dialed Rex’s number again. The network assigned voice answered him, saying the number he was calling was not reachable. He tried again but this time it was switched off.
‘Damn!’ he cursed again, pressing his phone against his lips as he thought of what to do. He finally turned back and proceeded back to his office, his assistants who had been lurking around came back with him.
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_____
Rex turned off the car engine after parking by a side of the road, he wound down the window to allow fresh air in. He took a look at his wristwatch again and then took off his seatbelt. He then stretched backward to take his tablet device, he turned on the screen and swiped it unlock. He clicked on the menu box and then began to scrolled down to the apps with names starting with ‘S’, he clicked open the security cameras monitoring app.
He was in the dark as there were lots of things he didn’t know yet and this disturbed his ability to make plans. He hadn’t been able to find out Tarasha’s location as that would have given him an edge over her but one thing he was sure of was Tarasha’s next plan. He knew she wasn’t going to leave with Cole and Aisha, rather she would want to seize the opportunity to attack the Vice President or the Inspector General. He knew this was bound to happen as it was the same steps he would have taken if he was in the same shoes as hers and wasn’t aware that an assassin at the same level with him was monitoring.
He looked into the tablet device after the app loaded, several options of playing clips were being showed and on the top was ‘Abuba Street’ written.
_____
She slowly pulled up to the curb in front of the abandoned building, she stared out at her environment through the glasses for some seconds before taking off the seatbelt. She was no longer on the same cloth she was putting on when she left the house, she was now donned in a flashy Hausa attire made of the lace material, she had a scarf neatly tied to her head and her makeups had also changed her looks entirely. She now looked like the lady who had joined the other pilot in flying John Obiano’s plane.
She turned off the car engine and picked up her medium sized party bag from the backseat – medium sized- meaning it was big enough to be used as a hiding place for up to three takeaway plates filled with party jollof rice. She put her dark sunglasses and stepped out of the car, she was putting on a high shoe which could make men and even other ladies intimidated by her presence when talking to her while she stood.
She hung the bag on her arm properly and began to take careful but fast steps away from the car, she moved some distance away from the car and stood by the side of the road, waiting for a cab.
‘Abuba Street,’ she said as a cab came by. The cab driver replied with a nod and gestured for her to come in.
_______
**Lagos**
The blue Toyota Sienna drove carefully into the noisy garage and parked. The place was rowdy as usual as several arriving travelers and yet to board travelers moved around, some with their luggages and only few without luggages.
Aisha who was seated at the front seat of the vehicle had put on her dark shades and carried her small handbag before the car halted. She was the first to step out of the car, she took two steps away from the door of the vehicle and paused to look around briefly, then she proceeded briskly out of the garage.
She was used to Lagos city very well, so she had no difficulties knowing the road and where to go. Soon, she joined a bus going to Ikeja sat with three other people at the first seat behind the driver’s. She had an earpiece fixed into her ears but she remained observant, knowing that someone could be monitoring her. She carefully took note of every other person that entered into the bus after her but she found none looking suspicious.
After twenty minutes drive, she dropped at a junction to wait for a cab, two other people stopped at the same junction with her. Soon a tricycle came by and she flagged it down. ‘I want to stop at Bevo Hotels,’ she said as she entered to sit at the backseat of the tricycle. Two other people were already in so she sat at the right edge, she took out a little mirror from her bag and stretched it forward, she couldn’t get a good view, so she stretched forth her hand slightly outside the tricycle, she then used an handkerchief to clean the sweat that was forming on her forehead.
___
‘Hey, she’s headed for Bevo Hotels.’ a guy on a green top said into his communication device.
…to be continued
