“Come here,” Kong dragged Halimat into the building with him, placing a gun on her neck and holding her hair.
She tried to resist as they got to the stairs of the balcony, struggling to free herself and fighting him with her elbow. Kong got infuriated and dished out a thunderous slap to her face which sent her to ground below. He stepped down and pulled her up by her blouse, he dragged her up and pulled her inside. In anger, he was kicking open all the doors and dragging her, now she was on the floor but he was still pulling her by her hands, mercilessly and deaf to her cries. He succeeding in dragging her into the room in which she and Halimat were kept previously. He pulled her to the middle and went back to close the door. Hadijat was screaming and shouting for help but there was no one forth coming.
After locking the door, Kong walked back to where he dropped her and pulled her up. He brought closer the chair on which she was previously tied to, he lifted her up and made her to sit forcefully, landing blows on her face at every attempt she tried to resist. He was furious with everyone, furious with himself, his plans were not working out well. Even though his boys were still much more than the opposition, he was sure that they had no wisdom to outsmart or resist Slimmy for long. He couldn’t allow Slimmy win him again like their earlier days when they had been given tasks and Slimmy had excelled better. He had to win this, once and for all.
He stared at Hadijat’s face again and placed his index finger below her chin to raise up her head and make her look into his eyes. Her face had been battered and bruised, a result of his blows and slaps. Her eyes were pleading for mercy and freedom but he was unmoved. He stepped back and stared blankly at the wall, still keeping an eye on her. He began to think of what to do in case Slimmy overcame the boys outside. An idea came into his mind. He glanced at her face again and gave a wicked smile after which he stepped back and began to search for ropes which were used to tie both Hadijat and Halimat before. He walked back to Hadijat and began to tie her legs together with the rope. After tightening it around her legs, he extended it to her hands; the rope was long enough to tie up the whole of her body. He fastened the ropes and her hand and there was still left a longer part which he could use to pull her outside.
His intention was to place a call to Terror’sc assistant and offer him another huge sum of money for more boys urgently. Then he was going to drag Hadijat like a goat, outside the house and wait in the compound for Slimmy and Rough to enter, he was sure that both of them would not like the scene. Then he would threaten to kill her if they made any attempt on him, he was sure they’ll dare not and would even stop Oj from attempting, that was if Oj remained. Then he would waste time making a fruitless negotiation with them, he expected that Terror’s boys would have arrived by then. He would escape with Hadijat as an hostage and command the boys to war with Slimmy and the rest.
++++
“Dear Lord, we pray for peace in our school. We pray for the souls of all those who are involved in these vices; that their lives may be turned around for good and that they’ll come to know the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and they’ll accept it and surrender their lives to you, in Jesus name.” Roy prayed, kneeling before the altar with his two hands clasped together and placed on his nose.
“‘Amen,” a tiny voice sounded from behind him.
Roy made a sign of the cross before getting up and turning back to see the person who had joined him in the prayer. It was Angela, she was smiling broadly at him, her Bible held with her two hands.
“Sister Angela!” He exclaimed on seeing her. He had not laid his eyes on her since when they had parted ways and he was taken to the missions house.
“Brother Roy, I got the testimony of your salvation,” she said all smiles. “Congratulations and welcome to the family of God,” she extended him a handshake.
“Thank you,” he said, smiling back as he received her warm handshake.
“You’re welcome,” she exhaled and began to take a leisure stroll towards the choir stand. He followed by her side and they counted their slow steps in silence, just enjoying the cool breeze entering from the church windows.
“So what did you come to do in church this morning?” Roy broke the silence.
“Well, I just finished praying and studying at home and had nothing else to do, so I came to check if there was any work I could help with in church.” She replied.
Roy stared at her in silence and disbelief, “you’ve not gone home yet? A lot of members don’t come church anymore except for those who stays in the missions house and those whose parents’ houses are very close to school.”
“Yes, but I can’t go home yet,” Angela said in a stressed tone. “You know I’m in a key leader in church and in the choir.”
“‘Hmm… You guys are trying o,” Roy commented.
There was silence between them again. They had gotten to the choir stand and Roy had gone to sit behind the drums set although he had no idea on how to hold the drums sticks.
Angela laughed as he turned the sticks upside down, trying to figure out where to place his grip. “Don’t tell me you never watched anyone play the drums.” She said jestingly.
“‘Ermm… I never came close to the choir seats or choir stands. My parents weren’t really church people, so as a child I only attended when there was a party coming up in a friend’s church, the jollof rice was always very tasty.” He replied back jokingly. “But I’ve seen drummers on TV.”
She chuckled, “now do you want to learn how to play the drums?” She asked approaching the drum set.
“Yes,” he replied and got up from the drums seat. He gave way for her to sit and handed over the sticks to her. To his surprise, she began to make the beats just like a professional. He stared at her with his mouth wide open, he had never seen a lady playing the drums so well before.
Kong rushed to the living room to pick his phone and rushed back to the room, he started dialling the number of the present leader’s of Terror’s squad, the guy picked up at the first ring.
“Hello Young, na Kong” He spoke as he kept on pacing round in the room while Hadijat just kept staring at him.
“How far Kong, My boys don finish der job der?” A very tiny voice replied.
“Noo Young, na why I dey call you be dat, I need more guys, dem don drop most of us” Kong explained.
“What do you mean”
“I mean that most of my boys, your boys are down”
“Kong, my boys die and you still dey alive, you kan still dey demand for more boys” Young replied angrily “If I do mistake come der and I meet you alive then na me go kill you myself”
Kong was surprised and angry at how the guy threatened him and even cut the call on him, his anger doubled and he stoned the phone to the wall. His plans had just been foiled again.
“They were right when they said there is no peace for the wicked” Hadijat spoke behind Kong who was still gazing angrily at the pieces of his phone, Kong turn around and gave her a evil stare.
“You think you are bold yeah?” Kong landed another round of slaps on her face and then he heard a bang at his gate, he rushed out of the room and quickly looked through the window and saw Oj and Slimmy matching in. He rushed back into the room and he quickly began to drag Hadijat outside with the rope.
“Kong!!!” Slimmy yelled his name as he and Oj stood in the compound and faced the entrance, after the gun battle outside, it was only Slimmy, Oj and Small that was left alive, Small was instructed to take Halimat and Rofiat to the hospital.
“Kong!!!” Slimmy yelled again and Kong appeared at the door holding Hadijat with a gun to her head.
“Why did you do all these Kolawole, Why?” Slimmy asked.
“So you still remember my name? I thought you must have forgotten by now,” Kong replied smiling at the back of Hadijat “I don’t need to explain why I did whatever I did.”
“Okay then, I’m sure you have said your last prayers” Oj cuts in.
“There’s no death in my face Oj, it’s you and Slimmy that should say your last prayers” he tightened his grip on Hadijat and she started crying.
“Let the girl go,” Slimmy said authoritatively.
“Haha, he thinks he is still the boss here, Okay Okay I will let her go only if the two of you drop your weapons” Slimmy looked at Oj and they both stared at him suspiciously, they dropped their weapons slowly.
“Now take some steps back from the gun” Kong ordered again which they did.
Kong dragged Hadijat with him to where the guns were, he picked them stepped back. Then he took a knife and cut the ropes on her legs. “Here’s you boo?” He said to Slimmy as he released her to him, firing two shots into her body as ran towards Slimmy, she fell on the way. He tried to shoot Slimmy also but Oj brought out the gun from his back and quickly shot him.
Unluckily for Oj, the bullet had entered into Kong’s left shoulder and had no more bullets in his revolver. Kong turned his gun to him and sent three bullets immediately into his body.
Slimmy who had also sprang into action delivered two quick shots to Kong, one to his hand making the gun drop and the other to his knee.
He moved close to Kong, pointing the gun at him.
“I have taken everything from you, Your brother, your boys and your girlfriend” Kong started his evil grin even though he was in pains, Slimmy picked up the gun that fell out of Kong’s hand and started shooting him in the face till his face became grilled and unrecognizable.
He dropped the gun and stepped back in tears. Hadijat’s eyes were were wide open, he rushed to where her body was laying to check if she was still alive, she was already gone. He gave a loud cry of agony as he hugged her body, tears rushing down his face like water from a river.
“Arrrghhh!” He screamed till he lost all of his strength.
He glanced around the place, he was the only one alive in the midst of several dead bodies.
_
_________
****** Few Weeks After ********
“May his gentle soul rest in perfect and everlasting peace” The Pastor said.
“Amen” they all chorused
Halimat held Slimmy’s hand as they watched them lowered Gentle’s body into the ground below. That was the third burial they all attended in the space of 2 weeks, The first one was Hadijat’s burial that was done in her family house, the second was Oj’s burial which Small conducted in honour of his boss and very good friend. Unluckily for Nazaretha, he didn’t get to have a befitting burial as his body was taken by the police.
Now the burial was Gentle’s own, Slimmy insisted that his parents shouldn’t attend the burial so as not to cause them more grieves. Slimmy fought so hard to hold back the tears but when she saw Rofiat crying profusely on the wheelchair as they sealed Gentle’s body, he shed tears, Halimat squatted and held Rofiat closer, the gunshot she received affected her spine, her case had been made worse when the doctors did not treat her immediately but demanded for a police report. Now, she would never be able to work again, she was confined to the wheel chair. Slimmy also walked towards her and held her hands tightly.
After some minutes, they were done sealing Gentle’s body, and everyone at the burial started leaving one after the other after saying their goodbyes to Slimmy. Small also came along to say goodbye to Slimmy with the little boys he had started recruiting to start of White tigers again.
“We have to start leaving now, our flight is in less than three hours” Halimat said to Rofiat and Slimmy who were the only ones left at the burial ground.
“You people should have a safe trip,” Slimmy hugged Halimat tight and then squatted to hold Rofiat again.
“Slimmy you should start leaving too” Rofiat said softly amid tears.
“I will, I just want to say goodbye to my brother, my kid brother” Slimmy remembered how they used to argue about who is older and he started shedding tears, Rofiat held him closely and Halimat also joined them as they all cried.
Slimmy watched as Halimat wheeled Rofiat to the car and watched them drove away as they kept on waving, Their parents had decided to withdraw them from the school and had ordered them to travel out of the country to complete their studies, they were headed straight to the airport from the burial ground, that might be the last time they will see Slimmy, hence they waved at him until he was out of their sights.
Slimmy stood transfixed to the ground in front of his brother’s grave..
“My brother, my blood, not a day has passed that I didn’t remember or miss you and am sure that’s how it will be for the rest of my life, you will always be remembered… ” Slimmy was still talking when he sighted a black SUVslowly, he could bet that something bad was about to happen but he felt weak inside, he felt no need to run and didn’t even have a gun with him. In a slow motion like, the window of the SUV was lowered down and Slimmy saw the dread locks first before seeing his face.
“Ace” He said softly. Now he knew something had to be done or they’ll make him join his brother soon.
“Home Boy, say hello to ya brother for me” Ace said as he rained gunshots on Slimmy. Slimmy tried to run but was hit by a bullet at right side of his stomach. He fell to the ground and waited until the SUV was out of sight before he dragged himself up and struggled to his car, he entered the car, ignited the engine but drove slowly due to his weakness, at first he wanted to rush to the hospital but later decided against it as he felt no need to live again, to him there’s nothing to live for again, he had lost it all, he kept on driving and was losing a lot of blood.
He hadn’t drove too far when he started hearing a familiar song, he parked his car and listened on to remember where he used to hear the song, after few minutes he remembered it was Nazaretha’s ring tone when he first joined the Arch Angels, they all used to make mockery of him with the ringing tone back then, Slimmy took his gun as he dropped down of the car and walked towards where the song was coming from.
“The world behind me, the cross before me;
The world behind me, the cross before me;
I have decided to follow Jesus;
No turning back, no turning back.”
The choirs sang melodiously as the Pastor asked people who wanted to give their lives to Jesus to come forward. Few people came out and just as the pastor was about to start praying, he noticed someone at the main entrance of the church, someone with a gun in his hand and blood all over his clothes. As soon as every other members saw him entering the church, most of them ran away through the other entrances. Only the pastor stood his ground as Slimmy struggled to get to where he was and fell to the ground.
“Pastor, help me tell God to forgive me” Slimmy struggled to say.
“The Lord can forgive and give you a new life,” the pastor replied as he moved closer to Slimmy and squatted beside where he was lying down “Now drop that gun and take this bible” the pastor told Slimmy
He dropped the gun and took the bible from the pastor.
“Do you believe that Jesus Christ died for your sins?”
“Yes,” Slimmy answered in pains.
“He was buried and he rose three days later for your justification. Now repeat this words after me. Oh Lord God.”
“Oh Lord God.”
“I come to you in the name of your son Jesus Christ,” the pastor continued slowly, allowing Slimmy to repeat as his strength allowed. “Your word says if I believe and confess your Lordship, I would be saved. I believe that you died and rose for me and I ask that you be the Lord of my life from today.”
Slimmy repeated slowly.
“Hallelujah, you are a new creation!” The pastor announced, then Slimmy closed his eyes.
“Pastor what’s wrong, what happened here, I saw people running away from the church premises” a member asked as he rushed towards the pastor.
“Let’s rush this young man to the hospital” the pastor ordered and they were about to pick Slimmy up when the member saw his face.
“Slimmy!” Roy screamed.
___________________THE END_____________________
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