He pauses for a heartbeat, without thinking he pulls out his gun and runs the rest of the way reaching the church..
With one quick kick he hits the door off its hinges as it rolls back hitting the wall.
He enters the church, raising his gun, looking around as he points in all direction.
The prayer room was empty.,
”Juliet?” he calls out.
No answer
”Juliet?”
No answer
He must have her, ”this is the police, you are surrounded Vampire, the police is on their way, so it would be nice for you to come out with the gun above your head and we can talk about it like nice gentlemen” he calls out as he makes his further into the prayer room..
No one was here. He points the gun at the door that leads to Father Cosmos’s room..
Counting one to three, he kicks the door open, it bounces back. It wasn’t locked. Raising his gun ready to fire just incase, he enters the room, pointing it round.
It was empty, he frowns.
He smelt the smoke before he smelt it. It was coming from the hidden room behind the shelve.
Quickly he reaches for the unicon’s horn and uncorks it, pressing the button the shelves swings open slowly.
The entire room was engulfed in smoke as a tiny fire already covered one side of the room.
”Fxxk!!”
”Juliet!!!!”
”Juliet!!!!!!!!!!!!” he screams out her name as he fears the worst has happened .
One thing was clear, Vampire found out, must have escaped some how, was on the run and burning every evidence, but did he kill her? Or take her along.
But where, how did he pass, from where.
”Juliet!!!” he screams coughing as the fire intensifies. Closing his nose with his arm, squinting his eyes he enters into the room, just searching for anything…anything at all .
It was already too thick for him to see, ”Juliet!!!!!!” he screams again as he coughs.
She wasn’t here. And there was no way he can safe anything,…the fire was spreading.
He needs to leave here else he would burn down with the building as it goes up in flames.
He hits something as he turns moving back towards the door, staggering he steadies himself, trying to see through the fog of the smoke as the heat makes his skin crawl, he coughs again, tears coming out of his eyes as he reaches down, trying to reach down to move what is blocking his way so he can leave before he chokes to death.
When he felt it, his heart catches in his chest when he realized that it was a hand.
Feeling it more, he touches what felt like a face, hair.
Juliet!
”Juliet!!!” he coughs shaking the form as he reaches her shoulders, his eyes cloths, his lungs closing, the fire reaching behind him, coughing hard and nearly passing out, he grabs her by the shoulders and pulls her out of the room as the fire engulfs the inner room. Leaving her on the floor, he coughs hard. He hears voices, people screaming from the outside,…
”Fire!! Fire!! Church is burning oh!! Fire fire!!!” he could hear people scream ”Father Cosmos, fire o fire!!!” their wailing increases, same as the intensity of the fire is fanned as it stretches out it’s hands through the opening of the room, coming towards them..
Ikena is coughing hard, trying to clear his eyes, putting the gun back behind his jean, he grabs her, lifting her up he flings her over his shoulders, covering his nose and squinting, he runs out of the church, coughing as the smoke blinds his eyes, the fire takes the room and chases them out as he bursts through the church doors.
He fills something dripping down his back to his legs, not stopping to check he runs outside, meeting a crowd of people standing at a safe distance pointing and screaming as the church is engulfed in smoke..
”Hey Father Cosmos oh!!! Hey!!!” they have their hands on their head, helpless, pointing, jumping and screaming. A few people run away only to return back with buckets of water to quench the fire..
As the water reaches the fire, with a loud mouth and a high cry, it implodes spreading more, bearing out it’s fangs and swallowing up the house.
Parting the way for him as he runs through, they gather him as he runs to his car..
”What of father Cosmos, did you see father Cosmos!! Is he dead? Please go back and safe him, hey God!!!” a few people tug at his shirts, he hits their hands away trying to open his door, pushing them aside he places Juliet in the car..
Not bothering to check if she was dead or alife, unable to think he screams..”Get out of the way, get the hell out of the way” he screams finding it difficult to see, tears leaving his eyes due to the sting from the smoke, he puts the key in the ignition and waving at them ”Get out of the way damnit, get out of the way” he shouts as his vision blurs ..
He refuses to look at her, he refuses to see if she is dead.. he just needs to drive away from here, …maybe then, maybe then…
”Father Cosmos!!”‘ they hit his car screaming for him to go back as more and more people fill the streets joining voices and efforts to quench the fire to no avail. Soon the church is left to red flames, ashes and smoke like incense ascending up to the heavens..
Soon, they jump out of his way as he speeds away with the body of Juliet in his car.
His knuckles tightens as he squeezes the steering wheel, his heart beating in his chest.
No, his chest is pulling in pain, excruciating pain.
He paddles hard on the acceleration paddle as he speeds to the hospital.
*
Alex Ojukwu removes his priestly gown as he climbs down from his window, throwing it into the bush as he removes his cap and glasses, he flings them away and replaces it with a face cap. Grabbing bags he throws it over the fence from the back, once it hits the ground with a large thud, he throws the second and third one over, he climbs the fence and lands on the ground. Grabbing the heavy bags he begins to drag them with him in anger.
”Stupid bitch!!! Stupid stupid bitch!!!!” he mutters as he swings the bag he had over his shoulders ”Stupid bitch !!”‘ he spat again as he takes the next street, passing the little girl who is seated under the shed of her kiosk as she presses the keypads of her phone.
Alex nears her dropping the bag ”Come, give me Mtn call card, 500 quickly”
”Uncle, do you have change?” she asks him without looking up, she moves her hands from side to side as both hands hold the phone, her body moving in the same direction both her hands goes.
”Yes, give me the damn card and fast!!! ”
She doesn’t answer as she swerves her hand and body to the left and to the right, as one moving an invisible car breaking corners.
”Eyiesssh!!! O girl, if you no get up give me card now I go break your two legs give am duck-fowl to chop. You dey mad? Give me card you dey press phone…are you…are you!” he angrily grabs the phone from her hand, she jerks up as he does so.
”Give me back my phone!!” she says stretching out her hand to him, a frown disfiguring her small face
”Give me the card now!!”
”Give me my mother’s phone else I will go and tell her”
”Go and tell her, you dey mad!! Give me the card or I will smash this phone!!!!” he thunders. He is in a hurry and this frog of a child is delaying him.. he turns back to view the building he just left. Soon, the smoke would be noticed and when the fire starts, it would be too late to turn it off, and before the police comes, he ought to be long gone by now.
His eyes turning to slits when he remembers the reason for running from the police again, all because of that bitch!! That Juliet Bitch. He should have killed her the first time she tried to run after her kidnap from those fraudulent police men who raped her for days and asked for a ransom for her head. Ofcourse he wouldn’t have bothered but she knew too much, so he gave them some drugs for keeps while they returned the slut to him, but the bitch tried to run away when they released her, and one fool, one fool who had no idea who he was tried to help. Like those girls who tried to turn him in to the police once; his body is buried with theirs under the foundation of the church he is now running away from. The church, the house-church which had been his hiding place for years, where he carried out all his dirty little deeds under the nose of the MOST HIGH and in the view of the police, the law and it’s fxxking rules against men like him.
And when he passes them on the streets, him that they wanted to rot in cell, him that they wanted him to get the gas chamber because of so many deaths on his hands, him that they want to sink all because he was a terror to those who know about him… the same him had police men, the law and all other fxxking person gets to bow down to and say ”Father, pray for me”. Him, that all those people who want to put him in the dungeon and throw the keys all because he stole more than Aladdin the thief but the difference is that he doesn’t steal for the good of the masses and for the masses, he steals for him, and he is king or as the Igbo’s would say ”MAZI”. The same him, all these people coming to his church to give him their offering and tithes which he uses to smuggle little girls out of the state for prostitutions, do cocaine business, and fxxking run his little empire from the church, with about eight other branches all over the fxxking city. The same him they think a saint is non other than vam-fxxking-pire!!! And he was enjoying everything . it took him a year to change his identity, it took him months to learn how to preach and act like priest, be able to talk and behave like them.
It took him about three years to be able to start his business from scratch, recruit new people. Get the branches set up and operate from his church with no one knowing who the fxxk he is..
And give it another couple of years, he would have been one of those pastors that rises like an eagle and soar and no one, absolutely no one would have been able to suspect a thing. He is rich? Riches comes from the lord. He has a car? God blesses him by using others to bless him.
He has a lot of girls around him? Choir practice. Women program. Youth conference. Men? Hain! Men fellowship. What else. Night movement in the church premises? Night virgin, prayer band meeting. Warfare program. Load of things in Ghana-must-go-bag? Prayer manual. Bibles. Church supplies.
He has answers, justifiable answers for everything. No one stops a pastor to search his car or bag or anything, even if he had a girl in his booth, no one ever realizes.
A pastor is one whom people see like a man higher than them; pure, saintly, void of corruption and sin and as such…
Father Cosmos Ijorla was the best cover for him, until Juliet ruined it.
He remembers the way her eyes grew big when he appeared behind her. After the church members had left, he watched her for a few seconds, realizing that she had to be waiting for something or someone to come and it was something or someone who would have been bad for him.
She was nervous, edgy.. unfocused.
He grabs the shut gone, dropping his bible and walked slowly to her. On nearing her he heard her talking to herself, that was when he freezed..
”He lied; he said he was going to safe me from this monster, you lied. You aren’t coming back. ”
For that few seconds he saw red. She wanted to leave, escape? Who was He? Who the hell was he who dared to try it.
Then it dawns on him; if Juliet was planning on leaving, who was she leaving with and most importantly. What the hell did she tell the person?
”No one can safe me from this monster, no one will ever will. He lied; he said he was going to help me. He said he was going to safe me from him, he lied. No one can safe me, no one can safe me from the monster. He lied, he was never going to come back”
He heard her, and what she said made his heart catch in his chest, he asked her as soon as he could open his mouth as he takes the gun close to her, deciding then and there that her time had come. ” What have you done? What have you done Juliet?” he asked
She had been shocked to turn and see him standing behind her, so close, and when she felt the barrel of the shotgun close to her tummy, her eyes had grown bigger than it’s sockets. She looks down just to make sure that what she felt was indeed a gun..
”What have you done!!!?” he screamed at her raising his hand to hold her at the back of her neck and press her forward towards him causing the gun to press into her abdomen, she winces in pain as her eyes clouds with fear..
”I..i didn’t do anything father ” She stammers, but her eyes betrays her, it pools, it was fear, fear of the unknown..
”I heard you- you slut!! You stupid cunt. What have you done? What have you done you fxxking bitch!!! Who are you waiting for? Tell me, why were you watching the door, waiting. Eh!!! You didn’t even realize when it was time for offering and Holy Communion, you didn’t realize when I ended the service and sent them away and stood behind you. Who is he? Who is the fool you are waiting for that will never come back and safe you from this monster? You mean me right? I am the monster you want saving from right?”
‘No..No ..no!!! “‘ she cried.
”Yes Yes Yes!!!” he slaps her hard, ”Who is he? Is he a cop? Who the fxxk is he? Your boyfriend? Does he think he can save you from me?” he shakes his head and laughs ”No one, not even God can save you from me. I know you have done something horrible. I know what you have done involves me so tell me now…tell me what you have done now that you have breathe still inside of you because today, today is the day you die Juliet. What the fxxk have you done tell me and I may spare you before death comes knocking for me because I will take you with me if you have done what you are not supposed to do Juliet” he presses the gun higher up, causing her face to squeeze even more in pain
”Please” she begs, the tears is falling down her eyes now ”I didn’t do anything, I am not waiting for anything, I was just not feeling well and …ahhhhhh!!” she cries out as he pulls her hair and slams his gun over her nose, she tries to hold her face he slaps her and kicks her to the ground, again and again and every kick he screams at her
”I. Know.You. Juliet, You. Have . Done . Something. Fxxking. Tell. Me..So. I. Can . Send. You. To . Your. Early. Death” he screams breaking at each kick, she cries out as she folds into a ball.
He grabs her by her hair and begins to pull her out of the prayer room as she trashes her hands to stop him, pleading with him to let her go. He drags her down the two steps to his door, he opens it in and drags her inside, once there he pulls her up with both hands and smashes her to the wall causing her to hit it with her back, she groans in pain as she falls to the ground. He looks around.
”Tell me Juliet, what have you done?” he is checking to make sure everything is in place, it seems perfect. But something isn’t right.
”He lied. He said he was going to come back and safe me from the monster, he lied.” He repeats her words to himself , putting the gun to his temple repeating the words as he runs the gun through his forehead, allowing its mouth brush against his head as he keeps repeating her words to himself , then he looks at her, with the gun he puts to her…”You tell me what that means Juliet, tell me or I will kill you and I swear it”
He knew it meant something, but what. If she doesn’t tell him he would kill her anyway, it was time he get rid of her. She was a loose cannon, and he can’t have her near him, no, whether she did anything or not for real, he would still have to kill her.
”Tell me!!!!”’ he screams at her when she shakes her head. Her nose is broken, thick cloats of blood pours down to her mouth, she is covering as she tries to get up, he moves closer, grabs her face and urges her to open her mouth as he squeezes her jaw, forcing the gun inside her mouth as she struggles, he places his feet on one of her hands and steps down hard, the other one he places his knee to lock her shoulders as he presses her to the wall, forcing the gun into her mouth and deep into her throat…
”Okay then, maybe you will tell me when you feel the bullet deep into your throat and you are in the other side of life where you fxxking can’t do anything ever in your life” he sneers
She is choking, her eyes turning red, she is struggling but both hands are locked, she can’t stop him, his hand pressing her jaw to remain open causing his fingers to eat into her skin, the other hand forcing the gun deeper into her mouth as spittle falls out of her mouth mixed with blood as she chokes, tears leaving her eyes.
”TELL ME!!!!” He thunders, impatience giving way for menacing grip..
She can’t do anything to save herself. Yes, today was the day she dies. She couldn’t fight anymore, or struggle. It’s enough. Whatever would be would be.
Her time had ended, but she prays his too would come, if not today, tomorrow. And if not Ikena , someone else would find the devil and run a spear through his heart and when they are doing that, they should run one through his anus too, and it shoots out from his mouth, may he die a horrible death worse that the way he had killed others.
I curse you Alex Ojukwu Aka Vampire, I curse you!!
She cries within as she continuous to choke her, she feels weak, unable to struggle again. Her eyes closes briefly and opens, closes and opens, closes and opens..
Father Cosmos watches her as she stops struggling , her eyes closing and opening, her choking coming in less and less feats, he pulls out the gun from her mouth.
She coughs and coughs as she holds on to her throat, she spits out the blood and coughs again..
”Tell Me!!” he puts the gun to her head this time
”Kill me!!” she whispers
”What?”
”Kill me!!! KILL ME!!” she shouts as her throat hurts her, she coughs as her eyes leaks more tears.
”You are not afraid to die?” he chokes as he tears at her
She stares at him, her body and mind weak; she begins to laugh, those painful laughs that you can tell is from a place of heartfelt pain..
”You will die a wretched death Vampire, for every blood you have sucked and for every life you have taken, you will die a painful death and you will die alone. I curse you. I curse you.!!!” She spat
He stares at her ..
She laughs again ”you want to know who I am waiting for? The one who would make sure that what I say comes to pass. The one whom you tried to kill one of his own..that one would come for you”
”Who, who?”
She laughs as she chokes again ” You tried to kill a boy did you not, you sent your people, to kill a boy, now, the one who protects him came for you ”
He frowns ”A boy, which boy did i tried to kill? I have killed a lot of boys, be fxxking specific”
”The last one whom you killed before your phone was ruined by the tea I carried. That one.”
He laughs ”Well, the fxxker is dead, so what?”
She shakes her head ”You must have bitten more than you can chew Vampire, because the one who cares for him came for you..and he would get you!!”
”And I will kill him too” he says it matter –of-factly
She laughs again, wiping her nose ”Did you, kill him? Did they kill him? Or you did not hear me say they tried to..?” she smiles
What does that mean ”What the fxxk are you saying ”
”I am saying ”Tried” that is the word he used”
”He? Who is he..tell me damnt!!”
”He, the one who wants to makes sure you pay for all that you are. You touched someone who he cared for, you tried to do evil to him I think, no I know. But, he came on time. He came for you, looking for you, how he found out I don’t know, but he came and I told him what you are…he would come back for you”
Cosmos is thinking ”Koko, koko sent me a picture that the boy is dead and I sent it to the client. The boy is dead, he is dead. They killed him and tossed his body in the canal. ”
”Then, maybe he has come back to take a life for a life then” she laughs coughing again a lot more than the previous, blood follows.
”Who is he? Is he the one…the one the client called Brian Andrews, the one that protects him, he is coming for me. Is he the one you are waiting for, the one that protects the boy, the one that came on time, that means, the boy isn’t dead, that means..that means” he is thinking
Now, he finds it strange that neither of the boys had tried to contact him after then. Even if that phone was bad, somehow they would have gotten in-touched with the others from the other team, one of them would have gotten across to him with a code..
But nothing. He thought it was great that they were keeping a low profile since they killed his client’s target, and was waiting like good boys when he pays them.
Yes!! It was strange that he hadn’t heard from them. Does it mean that, this person, whoever he was got there on time, saved the boy and dealt with his three boys..
Did that same person find out who the fxxk he was and came for him to, is it that same person whom she is waiting for during the service when it was almost over.. Who is he, who was the person who sat in the church and yet wished to kill him ..Who?
He is thinking hard, trying to recall faces, of the people he had met that Sunday, remembering faces, when they came in, how Juliet received them. Most faces he had seen before, a few were new..aWho, who was the person who came for his head all because he had that Brian Andrews killed.
And ”Tried” she said he said. That meant he was still alife and if that is the case, it meant that they caught his boys. Which was why they couldn’t communicate with him and he didn’t bother to even communicate with them because he was keeping the money for himself. He should have tried to contact them, he should have; But, someone got there on time to safe the kid. Someone did. Who was the kid, who the hell is Brian Andrews? But most importantly, who was the person who came to pay tit for tat, an eye for an eye. Who was that? What does he look like? Was he in the congregation, had they spoken before, had he prayed for the person,…who the fxxk was ”He”? Who?
”He is coming for you, ” she repeats with a smile disrupting his thoughts, ”and even if he doesn’t come back…I pray who he takes those things to come for you, so kill me, but you will not be able to escape this time. They are coming for you Vampire, they are coming and they know everything about your little hideouts by now, your set up shops for prostitution and drugs and your smuggling business and your changed alias and everything you have been up to since you went into hiding? I gave it all to him, the phone you use to do your dirty business and calls?” she laughs ” I gave it to him to, and and-” she coughs ”I pulled out that brown file in your draw, the one you mark confidential? I gave it all to him.. and he would take it and do whatever he wants and maybe he can bring the police to you. They will know all the identities you use, they would catch you and burn you and all the other to the ground and they would save the other girls and your little empire? It would burn with you as well” she laughs, cleaning blood from her nose
”You lie!! You wouldn’t dare!!” he says in disbelieve
”Check and see if I am lying. You will burn. You may kill me now, I am done fighting. I am not afraid to die but you are afraid to. So kill me, but i rather see you rot in hell than die knowing that you will be free. It might be too late for me but they would come for you, today, tomorrow, one day, but you cannot hide ever…ever” she spits.
He looks at her before turning away to the unicorn. He uncorks it’s on and pressed down the button, the shelve gives way opening slowly. He drags her by her hair into the room and flings her to the corner, she groans as she hits the table. She holds her stomach and struggles to laugh , she begins to sing ” One day, the devil ran to the place of worship, he ascends the pulpit and takes the word and tells the truth in lies, bringing folds of men to him, not for God, and children, young girls barely a woman and used to his dirty satisfaction. One day, the devil ran to the light, dressed in black not white ”she laughs ”One day, one of those girls sent him to hell, and prays he dies in gnashing of teeth and smoke with dynamite” she laughs as she sings ”One day, the devil would burn, and even death would do it with a smile ” she sings
”Shut up!! Shut up!!!!” he yells at her as he rushes to the drawer, pulls it to check. There were a few files there, but the most important one where he had practically details of his activities were not in it, alias over the years, list of clients ..everything.
”No no no no!!!” He exclaims as he rushes to the table, the phone, I wasn’t there. Turning around he looks around. He noticed the stash of his cocaine had been tempered with. He had ten bags there, small bags..one is gone. Then he notices about two pictures missing. He turns round to stare at her as she is singing…
”YOU!!” He exclaims in shock
”One day..” she sings ”Even the devil would applaud the girl whom he sent to his temple to pray, one day that girl would make him pay!” she smiles in her tears ”Yes Me!!” she spat struggling to get up ”Yes Me” she says holding onto the table and stands up.
He stares at her,
”I should have killed you right from the start” he tells her
”I wish your mother had aborted you when she realized she was pregnant with you” she throws back at him
He smiles cynically , as he raises the gun back to her
”Fxxking ironic isn’t it, say hi to her when you meet her in hell, I sent her there so many years ago when she thought she could hand me to the police for killing her sister who was going to rat me out. And she had that look on her face
”You are my son, you will kill your mother?” and guess what I told her before I ripped out her heart?
”You are my mother, yet..you dare to send me to my death” and she said ..she said ”You are a monster Alex..those innocent girls, your aunt…” and I tell her
”Exactly mama, monsters don’t fxxking care” he smiles at Juliet ”Tell her, I said…fxxk you mama. And fxxk you too Juliet!!”’ he says and releases the trigger .
The gun shot resounds in the room, vibrating the walls as Juliet staggers back, holding onto her tummy as she felt it pierce through her, she staggers back again..hitting the table as she looks down, then back at him..she has a smile on her face as it gave way for resignation.
”One day..a girl would die, but one day..the devil would fall too in that same line” she says before dropping to the ground. Her eyes opening, her lips moving..jerking, and jerking until she laid still on the floor, a pool of blood forming as it drips to the floor.
He spared no time, he grabs three bags, and grabs what he could. Cash, bonds, drugs, guns; he fills the bags. He takes a change of cloth and a face cap, which he stuffs into the bag, he puts the gun behind him into his trousers. He Looks around. He leaves the enclosed room, goes to the kitchen, grabs kerosene he stored under his kitchen cabinet, for emergency purposes. He begins to pour on the walls that had pictures, places and his face, on the table, on other things he could do without and wouldn’t be able to carry along. He empties the can of kerosene and then throws away the container. He leaves the room, grabbing the bags.. he take out a lighter, and puts it on, and throws it into the room at the far corner and leaves.
He spread out the kerosene evenly. The fire would start from the back side of the table, engulf the paper on the wall, spread to the floor and then take the entire room, then enter his own room, get to the prayer-room, her room; kitchen and then the entire church would be gone. By the time they get here or if they get her at all, he would be long gone and no one would ever catch him, no one.
And with that he had dragged the three bags out of the room, following the kitchen window he had broken it, kicking the iron down. He had purposely told the plumber to leave it loose. Throwing the bags down he climbed out after it, removing his priestly cloths, he wears the cap and flings away the glass.. Landing on the ground, he had pulled the three bags with him, with all his street, following the bush part at the side of the house, he pulls it reaching the fence he had begun throwing each bag over it, climbed to the other side and here he was..
”Stupid bitch!!” he spits again
”I am not a stupid bitch!!” the little girl tells him, it booths him out of his reverie
”You will be a dead little bitch if you don’t disappear now!!” he takes out his gun and puts at her. No one would stand in his way, no one, not even this little cunt of a child. He had killed less her age, she wouldn’t be missed.
She gasps in fear and backs away, ”Now be a good girl and give me credit cards, quick!!”
She fearfully grabs the bag and gives to him as she begins to cry, ”I want my mommy!!” she begins to hiccup and tear heavily
”Shut up!!!” he looks behind him, he could hear voices now, he looks to see that the smoke was visibly, people on this side of the streets are running towards the church as the fire gains momentum, he looks away, he have to leave here fast before someone recognizes him.
He loads the card in the girl’s phone and makes a calls, the line is picked on the third ring ”It’s me Vampire, change of plans, gather the units and the cargo, leave your place of operation now, I repeat now. Pass the information in one minute to the others, we have been compromised, I repeat this is not a drill. ” he cuts the call and flings the phone at the little girl, he begins to drag the bags, one at a time and flags down a taxi and it comes close to him
”Mudacat, Abuluma. ”
”Oga, na two thousand naira you go give me for your load!!” the taxi driver eyes his load, maybe he should charge more ”I mean na three thousand five naira you go bring” he corrects ”Mudacat for Abuluma far, you go get come out from this Odili area, go down to Trans-Amadi con dey go turn to reach- ”
He has no time for this
”Get the fxxk down ”’ he brings out his gun and puts it directly to the man’s chest, from the bag you would think he leaned in to whisper into his eyes..
”Ha!!! Oga!!” the driver raises up both hands, fear gripping him
”Down! Drop the keys, now!!”
The man quickly jumps out of the car ”Load those bags now ” Cosmos orders, he stays close to the man, gun places directly close to his waist so the driver could feel its coldness.
As the taxi driver loads the three bags into the booth with shaky hands? , Cosmos tells him to turn and walk away, else he would kill him, as the driver does so, Cosmos enters the car and zooms away.
The driver brings his hands to his head as he begins to jump and lament ”My car!! My car ehh!!!! Hey thief thief!!!” he laments pointing at the direction the car went, a few passersby come to him as he begins to narrate the incidence.
Cosmos looks at his rear mirror to see a tiny crowd covering the man, a few pointing at him as the man is jumping and crying. He looks further, the smoke overhead had turned black as it rises…No one would ever find him now, No one
Then he begins to laugh ”Stupid Cunt!! Stupid bitch cunt Juliet!! No one would come for him, no one”
Then he frowns as he remembers what she said ”The boy, the one you ‘Tried’ to kill, the one who protects him came for you”
Who the hell did John contact him to take care off? Who the hell is Brian Andrews for him to have someone who is obviously skilled and smart to find out about him?
Who is ”He”? The one who came looking for him? And why the hell did John get him into this mess. All this was John’s fault, that fxxker just ruined his life. He took care of Juliet, he would take care of John too.
And then , maybe he can take care of that Brian Andrews if he finds him, then…he can get to find that He and make sure he didn’t get to the police but even if he did as Juliet says, that he was going to take what she gave him to them, ”Them” meaning the police right? They would never find him. Not when he has torched up the place, destroyed all the evidence, cleared out of there. They would only come back to find a burned up church, a dead body and nothing else.
He needs to gather his units, regroup somewhere else, and rebuild. He did it before, he can do it again.
He can’t go with a priest again alias, the police would be looking for a ”Father Cosmos Ijorla” he laughs , ”who the fxxk is Father Cosmos Ijorla?”
Oh he loves his alias, once he is done with them, they seize to exist, like ghost they go back into thin air and in a few weeks, everyone who mourned the priest , would shed a few more tears for the good pastor who died with his usher in the church.
And he would be far away, maybe in another city, as what? He thinks to himself..
Maybe, a teacher, a clerkyman or maybe a cleaner in hospital, or a doctor. Yes, a doctor..
But first, he needs to find away to contact that fxxker john and ask him one delicate question before he runs a knife through his chest…”Who the hell was Brian Andrews and why the hell did he bring trouble to his doorstep and ruined his life”
Then ”He would get the Brian, kill him but before that, he needs to tell him who the ”He’ is. That person seems like a lot of trouble and he hates troubles, and loose ends. He knows his face, knows what he is, he must be put down. Infact, all of them must be out down; John, Brian, ‘He’. Then, he can disappear and rebuild.
”Alex Ojukwu, AKA Vampire isn’t going down today, not anytime soon. Till heaven comes, and we all know that heaven and hell is just bullshit” he says to himself ”Stupid cunt!!” he spits remembering Juliet again as he speeds the car away and disappears.
*
”Doctor, I need your help!!!” Ikena rushes into the hospital and approaches her, she looks up and stares into his face, she frowns..
”You again?” she closes her file and stares at him
”Yes me!!” he says panting, ”Please, help”
”Don’t tell me that you have a bloodied man in your car again, same person? What are you into Mr Ikena, I think I should call the police”‘ she reaches for a phone, he stops her by placing a hand over hers, lowering his voice as people stare at him. His cloths is blackened with smoke, some parts of his cloths is blooded.
While driving the car he had taken a look at her, she wasn’t breathing, and he had looked at his hands, it was blooded as he held on to the steering-wheel. When he got out of the car, he realized that his wet back wasn’t sweat but blood. Then he had really looked at her…she had been shot..she was bleeding from her stomach. She wasn’t moving, she wasn’t breathing. He fears she is dead…but..he just..he just couldn’t leave her there to burn up with the church.
He killed her, he sent this girl to her death because he was trying to save Brian from whoever sent the hit on him.
Yet, he had killed another innocent trying to save an innocent. He rubs his chest as pain grips his heart.
He had vowed to protect lives, not end it. Vowed to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves, and end those who threatened to take another…
And yet, she, he sent her to her death.
He shouldn’t have asked her to help him, he shouldn’t have, ”Doctor, please?” he begs ”Follow me to the car please, it’s a girl, not him,..please”
She stares into his hers, seeing his pain, she sighs ”Find, lead the way”
*
She frowns seeing the girl in the car..she looked dead.
”Mr Ikena, what happened to her?” she climbs into the car,”
”She was shot, and I think she choked in the smoke, the house she was in was engulfed in fire, I got there too late didn’t i? She is dead doctor?” he asks
She picks Juliet’s wrist and drops it, takes her fingers to feel the pulse to her neck, she shakes her head as she stares at the gaping hole in her stomach , she pulls away
”She is dead Mr Ikena, I am sorry. Even if she had been able to survive the gun shot which she could have, the smoke killed her. If you can see here” she points to her nose ”’Her nasal area was already congested with black sooth due to smoke, and her lips equally but see her throat” she points , ”it is swollen, like something was forced down her throat..whatever it was-was hard enough and see ” she shines her small touch into Juliet’s slightly open mouth ” coated blood, she must have been injured in her throat as well. So many factors.. she looks as though she was brutally beaten, from the marks here on her stomach, caused her abdomen to dent inwards..like one used a booth to constantly kick her there and ” she checks her body by moving her to the side ”And she looks like one who suffered a lot of beatings, who did this Mr Ikena? Whoever did this to this girl is a monster ”she says pulling away and alighting from the car.
Ikena is quiet.
”I will kill him, I swear I will kill him ” he says as his eyes turns red ”I will make sure his death is worse than a thousand deaths, I will make sure that hell is too hot to accept his body. I will kill him I swear it” he says
”Mr Ikena?” she touches his arm ”I am sorry, but I have to call it in, cases like this I have to call it in, this is death, someone is dead. I have to report this to the police and maybe you can write a statement to us of who did this to her and how she died, so we can attach this to her file and accept her body to the morgue! I would have to inform the police so that they can be able to catch whoever did this and put him in bars, he needs to be punished and only the police can do that, Mr Ikena are you listening to me, I have to inform the police” she tries to read him, hoping he listens to her.
Ikena moves away from her, his face clouding as he opens his driver’s side of the car ”I am the police and I will make him pay” he enters the car and zooms off leaving her standing there, at lost of what she could do.
He seemed pained, like as though he blamed himself.
But she couldn’t overlook it, she is obligated to report cases like this, the only reason she didn’t report the case of the Brian Andams because he pleaded and said the young man was mugged, but this..this was inhuman, the girl dying like this and she could only imagine imagin what she had gone through in the hand of the killer.
She has to report this. She walks back into the hospital and gets to the phone registered for cases like this, she waits while it rings, someone picks on the third ring.
”Hello? This is Police Central District, how may I help you?”
”Hello, My name is Dr. Becca Nwanebe, I am calling from St. Martins Hospital at Staduim Road.” She says
”Yes Doctor, what is the situation report at the hospital?”
”I am calling to report a case of death of a young girl, between the ages of 19 to 23. She appeared to have been shot, a gun wound to her stomach, which would have killed her eventually but her quick death occurred due to smoke inhalation and suffocation which blocked her nasal area and resulted in dark sooths to her nose and lips. Aside that she had a ruptured esophagus, which also resulted in swelling and clotted blood and bruises, old and new all over her body as well . Which meant that she was been abused physically, and also she had a dented abdomen. I did not get her full name so she is a Jane Doe.”
”Okay Ma’am” she could hear the person taking notes . ”Who brought her in?”
She hesitates
”Ma’am?”
”Er I do not know his full name either other than the name he gave me, Mr Ikena”
”Okay Ma’am, has the corpses been taken to the morgue?”
”No!”
”Why?”
”He took the body”‘
”He took the body? Ma’am, need I remind you that in cases like this the police would want to investigate. This wasn’t an accident , this was a premeditated murder and that means that whoever is that girl’s murderer is out there or could very well be the person who brought her in. ”
”But Mr Ikena cannot be the murderer”‘
”Everyone is guilty unless proven innocent Ma’am. Where you able to get any further details on this Mr Ikena? Credit card information, the car plate number, where he said he was coming from, where she died and where the fire happened? Anything else?”
”Er, I think, the plate number is erm…” she thinks ”A78 erm..456 SR” , I am not sure. But he wouldn’t bring her to the hospital if he killed her. I believe he is taking her to her family or I don’t know” she bites her lips, she hopes she hasn’t put him in trouble, he didn’t look like a murder.
”Ma’am, we would sent a team to the hospital to talk to you in the main time we would run this by our channels to find out of any case of fire outbreak in the area. Thank you Dr. Becca”
The line cuts, she sighs looking at the direction the car went. She hopes she didn’t put him in trouble; he didn’t look like a murder.
*
Ikena drives for a long time, just circulating with the dead body in the car. After about two hours he drives into a cementary and goes to talk to the care taker. After about another couple of hours they come to him..
”It is ready Sir, what did you say we should write on her tombstone?”
”Juliet lays here, a child, a daughter,,” he pauses wondering if she had sibling , then he shakes his head ”She was fearless, strong and brave. Now she rests” he tells them,
He watches them dress her for burial, and then he tells them to lift her coffin on his shoulders as he carries it himself to her grave, they help him take it down, down, down into her dugged grave. They wait, two of them as he stares down at her..
”I am sorry Juliet” he says, ”I am really sorry. I kept my promise, I came back..but it was too late. I am sorry. But I promise you, I promise it standing her by your grave, that I will make him pay for what he has done to you and to others before you and others he will harm. I promise that I will make him suffer, and his death would be more excruciating than all the deaths he had caused put together. I know you wanted out, you asked me to help you and I also asked you to help me and sent you to your death. I do not know you Juliet, I do not…but your death is enough reason to make the heaven rain down fire and brimstone of Vampire’s head and I will be the rainmaker…and I will find him and I will make him pay, I promise you. I am sorry. Your pain has ended, I pray you find peace, I pray you forgive me for my delay…I pray…you find peace. Be rest assured, he wouldn’t be at peace, not until he goes down below like you have” he bends picking up sand and pouring it into her grave ” Go ahead” he tells them.
He watches them cover her up, place the tombstone they had carved as he had directed. He stands watching it for a few minutes, his eyes red, his chest constricting, then he turns and walks away. Ignoring Teka’s call for the hundredth time as his phone kept ringing nonstop.
*
”This is your department isn’t it Teka, this is from the St. Martin’s hospital, ” someone drops a note pad on his table as he looks up, sighing he drops his phone, he would call Ikena again soon. He picks up the pad and reads, he frowns ”When did this come in?”
”A few hours ago”
”How come you are getting it to me now?”
”I went out for a quick job down in town, but I am giving it to you now.”
”Mr Ikena, a dead girl..gun wound to her tummy, died of smoke” he reads… ”Holy fxxxk!!” he exclaims as he stands up
”What is it?”
”I think…I think his girl is dead. This is…” he grabs his phone and calls again walking away, he grabs his jacket and heads out of the office as he shouts to them ”Assemble the team when I get back”
”What for?”
”The files on my desk, you will know who for” As he exists the building he jumps into his car and begins to drive, ”Pick up Ikena, please pick up”
Where would he go? Home, or to do something crazy.
”Pick up Ikena!!”
If he knew Ikena well enough, he would be beating himself up for this. When his father and twin died, he went on a fxxking depressing state, it was that state that earned him his name ”Ikena the Terrible” No had no mercy for killers, with his hand he could literally rip out their heads…
That was the reason he was asked to leave the battle ground for a year, to get back in touch with his humanity, to reality. He was too good and yet too dangerous when he was in this mood.
And the fact that he may have sent that girl to her death would tear him up real bad, and then ..it would make him want to do something even more dangerous to the killer.
If Vampire thought the police was evil, he hadn’t meant Ikena the Terrible, and he has to get to him before he becomes that. He dials his number again, ”Pick up Ikena,”
No answer
*
Ikena turns off his phone.
He enters his car and makes his way to a car wash and watches as they wash his car and dry it up. He takes a drive back to the church. By now everyone had left. He begins to look through if he could find anything, any information whatever it is that could lead him to where Vampire had gone.
Leaving the ruins he takes from the file all of Vampire’s picture and shows it round to people who stayed around. Most of them couldn’t tell who he was, ofcourse they couldn’t ..he didn’t look like Father Cosmos anymore.
But he kept showing them pictures and asking if they had seen anyone who looked like him at all.
He goes round the street, then he crosses to the other street..he begins to walk down , no one had seen him.
He was about to leave when he gets to the little girl’s shop. She is seated, her eyes red.
”Oga goodevening, weitin you won buy?”
”Nothing. Can I ask you a question though, have you seen anyone who looks like this around here today, maybe he passed here, from that church that got burnt today?”
She shakes her head without touching the picture or looking at it ”No Sir, what do you want to buy?”
He sighs, ”Water”
As she hands it to him and takes his money, he uncorks it and drinks, the pictures slip to the ground, she bends to pick it up and hands it to him, then pauses when she takes it back, then she begins to cry.
Ikena stops drinking and looks at her, ”What is it, why are you crying?” he frowns staring at her and the picture
”This brother point me gun today, he took my mother’s phone to make call and didn’t return it. My mother beat me. but he point me gun and curse me and said I will die if I don’t give him credit to call” she cries
Ikena bends to her, pointing at the picture ”Are you sure?”
”Yes, he was wearing this shirt and cap. He is bad, made my mummy beat me”
”where did he go??”
She points to the opposite side of the road, ”that way, he even stole my uncles car, he is a taxi driver”
”where is your uncle?”
”’House!!”
”where?”
”who are you?” fear lights up in her eyes as she wonders why he has his pictures ”Are you a bad man?”
”No, I am a friend, I want to stop the bad man, take me to your uncle, am from the police, maybe he can point me to a place, a name anywhere where he went and I will make sure he returns your phone okay?”
She nods smiling, she grabs his hands and takes him down the street, to her uncle’s house who is still lamenting about his car.
He tells him after introduction how the man stole his car pointing a gun at him and where he wanted to go to.
Ikena leaves a few minutes later telling them to inform the police.
Now he has an area, he would comb Mudacat, Abuluma if he has to. He would find Vampire before the police does, then he would send him to his own hell.
******
What we have been doing all day is watch movies, talk, eat and jist.
It was a quiet Sunday, but it was a beautiful one for me. I mean, I had never had to spend this quality time with a guy like this before..
One minute we are talking about anything which is anything and the next, he has my feet on his thighs as he massages them, or later on he has me sitting on his thighs as he savours my lips with his own sweet lips.
Majority of the time I am tempted to ask him for more, especially when I cling to him much more than I should, he would kiss me so sensually I swear he had to have some extra will power to stay in control and it doesn’t help me much because I could literally feel his rising bulge close to my thighs and all I want to do is…
Arghhh!!
”What?” he says against my lips
”Nothing !!” I lie, he smiles
”Come here, sit!!” he moves from his thighs to the chair ”Are you okay or I have kissed you too much for one day?”
”You haven’t kissed me enough!” I say blushing, he laughs
”’I like that, you being expressive”
I smile , turning to look at the clock ”It is getting late, I should go home”
”Come on”
”Work tomorrow, we both have work”
He sighs ”You can go from here”
”With cloths I wore on Friday?”
”It’s washed, I brought it out of the washing machine”
”still, ”
”Fine, let me just call Ikena okay?”
I nod sadly. I really didn’t want to go but if I spend another night with him, I may not be able to think straight. Maybe, what I am beginning to feel for Brian is much more than I realized. I wanted more….what the more is, I don’t know. I just wanted more..and I loved this…feeling. It was scary and made me nervous but still. If anyone had told me that I would be in his house, getting all mushy with him, him that I hated a few weeks ago I would have slapped that person silly, but here I am..here we are..and all I want to do is lay in his arms all night and maybe have him do a repeat of his tongue down there..
Damnit!!
What is he doing to me?
Brian is frowning, he puts the phone to his ears, ”His line is switched off, his phone is never switched off”
”You think he is okay?” I lean in to him, brushing the frown crease smearing his handsome face
”I do not know. It is strange. Let me try again”
After a few minutes he gives up
”switched off. I hope he Is okay. ” then he turns to me ”On a lighter note, there is no way I am letting you out of the door on your own this night, you are spending the night here, tomorrow you get home first, changed and get to work, by morning Ikena would show. Okay?”
I pout
”Okay. thank you” he says
”But I didn’t say anything ” I laugh
”Hehe, doesn’t mean. I for one is happy so what you say doesn’t count. So come on, lets go inside”
I blush ”why?”
”Unless you want to sleep in the palour there is a bedroom”
”I know, but I am not sleepy…yet”
He smiles down at me as he struggles to get up ”I know the right thing to put you to bed, you want me to tell you?”
”Tell me!!”
He shakes his head ”I rather show you and by the way you look really sexy in my shirt”
”I think you told me that already” I laugh holding onto him as he pulls me up
”I know, just want to tell you. And just so you know….i am fighting everything within me not to ..erm…” he smiles ”Come on, to bed. I don’t want you blaming me for going to work late tommorow”
”But you can’t go to work na, you will call in sick”
”Like hell I am”
”I am your Boss, you do what I say”
”but..” he stops
”No buts!!!” I say walking away to the room
”No buts!!” he mimics as he laughs walking slower after me ”Madam Boss Ko, Madam Boss ni. What would I be doing at home, I am not baby, I can go to work, I feel fine . I had a great nurse” he calls after me as he enters the room
”whatever, you will stay home, I will tell Mr Emeka you are ill. That is it. Now come to bed, I need some loving !!!” I say smiling, I notice I feel less shy and more expressive. I am already on the bed, lying and facing him as I sit, legs crossed, hands spread to both sides.
”Damn Baby, don’t wake the dragon!!” he says leaning at the door.
I blush as he walks slowly to me, climbs the bed slowly because of his wound, I watch him as he continues to move towards me, above me as he pulls me down beneath me..
He stares down at me, a few minutes go by as we stare at each other..
”You just made my heart stop Adora” he whispers to me before he captures my lips in a sensual kiss.
*
TO BE CONTINUED.
