Elvis Chapter 35(FINALE)

CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE(FINALE)

MSN had been pronounced the most wanted man in Nigeria after his attempt on the life of the president. The military had stormed and ransacked his house but he had successfully gone into hiding beyond the reach and scope of the whole military. His location is unknown and a bounty is placed over him.

Ellie spoke to Elvis about a particular building MSN do go to get rest and leisure from the tumoils of Lagos due to the serene and quiet environment. She was sure that is where he’s be hiding. The building is located on the outskirt of the town, far from the bustling of Lagos, deep in the forest.

Elvis relayed the piece of information to the military and the building was located and stormed. A shootout ensured with both sides losing a sizeable number of men but MSN’s more. MSN was caught trying to escape the scene in a vehicle, he was arrested and detained.

He and the Vice President were tried for the attempted assassination of the president, the possession of illegal drugs, conniving to oust the president and many other charges. They were later sentenced to eighty years imprisonment each, the Vice president’s without hard labour.
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Elvis was proclaimed a national hero and was commended for his outstanding feat, a mansion, fleets of cars, national awards and many other privileges where made his.

His parents were so proud, his mum couldn’t hold back the tears of joy that streamed down her face on the day the awards were bestowed on him. He can confidently say he saw his dad crying for the first time as his father muffled and cried while hugging his son.

Jane couldn’t stop taken pictures and selfies of him, her social media were streaming with comments and follows as she bustled in joy.

Dauda recuperated and got better after about three weeks, he went back to work after a month of MSN’s arrest.

Ben and Timi were all smiles, Ben still his outspoken vibrant self, Timi his normal timid self but a confident timid self.

Esiogu retired and the IG’s post became vacant, Elvis was automatically offered the post, he declined it respectfully…

“Someone else deserved it more than me” He had said before nominating Dauda, who was moved to tears with the remarkable and unthinkable gesture Elvis offered.

Dauda became the IG but was transferred to another state, he however took Ben and Dauda along.

Elvis tendered his resignation letter claiming he did because of his health issues – his fits – but all he wanted was a reprieve. He started a private firm and lived off the proceeds from it although he’s already materially endowed.
…………………………………………………………………………………

“You know we have an unfinished business” Elvis said to Ellie who lie leisurely on the bed in a red gorgeous gown, already approaching her.

“Business?” Ellie asked feigning ignorance

“Hmmmmm” Elvis hummed already over her.

“My father will kill us both if he should get out” She said as his lips met hers.

“He’s faraway…” Elvis managed to say before meeting her lips and they release themselves to the quickly amassing romantic chemistry between them.
Each of them knows, deep within themselves that MSN’s release is precarious but they opted to revel in the immediate lust.
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High fences with barbed electrical wires running over them stands as the first line of seclusion, iron doors, thick walls, heavily concrete floors and heavily armed guards are the little of the resources in place in the United Maximum Correctional Facility, a prison for high profile criminals.

MSN lay on his bunk, lost in thought……….

THE END

Hopefully Elvis will return.


SHADOW: Kindly drop your comments in the commentary box. Thanks for reading

Elvis Chapter 34

CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR

Elvis groaned again, now out of displeasure negating the earlier versions of the groans after Timi closed the door almost immediately after his intrusion, breaking the flowing chemistry of passion overwhelming the two lost sexually excited grownups, he was kind of embarrassed by his inability to compose himself and conceal his emotional cravings and lust; making him become less than a gentleman. A nudge to his side and a soft voice made him feel better.

“Go on, we can continue this later” she said lustfully although contravening the urge to pull him closer and make him continue.

“Would you like to?” He asked with a mocking lustful smirk on his face.

She blushed.

He drew her head closer and kissed her fully on the lips – he can’t stop wanting that sexy pair of luscious lips, he managed to stand up reluctantly, arranged his disheveled cloth, he waited for her to do the same trying hard not to look at the two m----s he was so close to holding- in flesh-, he had to hold his manhood between his two laps to avoid it bashing him.

They walked out towards Timi’s cubicle.

“See what I found out sir, the flash contained everything we’ve been investigating from the bombing to the death of the late Honourable and the attempted assassination of the president.” Timi said after clearing his throat unceasingly, silently appraising Elvis, Elvis saw and heard it but managed to keep a straight face although internally smiling sheepishly.

“Let’s hear it” Elvis said sitting down but not before been gentlemanly – offering Ellie a seat.

“It all revolved around a certain goal, the president was to be deposed, a coup was planned by a Vice President, the goal of this whole façade is to kill the president and get the Vice President to replace him, but not as a democratic leader but has a dictator. He needs someone who can give him power in the underworld, someone everyone feared on his side, that where MSN came in” Timi said, giving them a reprieve; letting it to sink in.

Elvis glared but it seems Ellie was unperturbed; she seems to have an inkling on this but a cloudy inkling.

“What of the military forces in the country…” Elvis started but was cut off.

“Military forces? It’s simple, shoot the shepherd and the sheep will lost their coordination, moreover it wasn’t planned to arouse an uproar, it was a proper sketched out plan that would have seemed like an accident.” Timi said.

Elvis was now getting impatient but very interested.

“The military follows the president, a sworn in president, something the Vice president will be after the death of the president, but a lot of high profile killings and dirty jobs had to be done to make the Vice President impose a new constitution, MSN will take care of the dirty jobs” Timi explained.

“What will he get in return” Elvis asked, “as in what is MSN been offered for him to take the deal”

“Its kind of complicated, I don’t know how to explain….”

“A whole border” Ellie said.

“What? International border” Elvis said turning to her.

“Something like that” Ellie started, “He was to be given the control of two major international borders, a free path for his drug dealings and smuggling”

“Will it be smuggling when it’s not been smuggled?” she asked rhetorically

Now Elvis was getting more confused.

“MSN will be given two borders where he will have the dominion, total power through which he can have free access and passage for his contrabands and trafficking business, he doesn’t need to bribe his way through, just some killings and he won’t be a fugitive in his own country.” She explained

Now Elvis is a bit absolved.

“How did the honorable get into this mix?” Elvis asked.

“The honorable was just used as a card, used and later killed, like a pawn. MSN needs to strike a deal with some Niger terrorist to form an alliance and he needs a large amount of something to offer as a part of his proposition, the offer is a large quantity of drugs which was latter confiscated by us at the old warehouse but that his after the Honorable’s death.”

“A large amount of money was needed to employ a world-class assassin to assassinate the president but nobody wants to fund such a massive amount but it had to be paid….” Timi continued.

“So the honorable was made to steal the parties’ money but has to wire it privately into MSN’s account” Elvis said nodding knowingly.

“Oh yes, you got it but the honorable still had use, one more use, he had to create a safe place for MSN’s ‘offering’…..yes….his firm, the emerald, the stack of boxes where previously kept in the emeralds before been moved to the location where the proposition will take place, Emeralds serve as a safe haven, beyond the reach and suspicion of the NBI and us, no one would have suspected the Honorable and it did serve its purpose, the Emeralds held the goods during the turbulent times; the times MSN was been heavily investigated.”

Elvis was now nodding hardly.

“When it was seen that the honorable had been compromised by you” Timi continued “there arose the need to kill him, the meeting with the ex-governor was just used as a decoy to mislead us, he was later killed and silenced before he could be taken in for questioning.”

“The deal with the militants didn’t go through because of our intervention and some were arrested and the goods confiscated but the grand plan is still in motion, the deal with the militants can wait but the assassination can’t, MSN saw you are becoming more of a threat so he had to think of a plan to cut you off, hence Jane’s abduction and your kidnapping.” Timi continued.

“Now the remaining story is known to you” Timi concluded.

Elvis heaved a sigh of relief, it had all been brought to light, he felt lighter, but happy, he doesn’t want one thing thou, he doesn’t want to have anything to do with MSN, partly to him wanting to leave the whole system and partly because of Ellie’s safety.

“Send this whole classified data to NBI, we don’t have the power to arrest the Vice President and capture MSN but they can. Peter knows what to do.”

Elvis said finally rising up a new man.

Later in the week, the Vice President was impeached and arrested.

The bad news is that MSN disappeared.

Elvis Chapter 33

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE

“So there was no truth in the previous ‘long story’ you told me” Elvis said softly and inquiringly after he had settled into the chair opposite her.

“It was the partly true but wasn’t the entire truth” Ellie replied.

“My parents died just as I said, Andrew saw me and raised me giving me a new life, he introduced me to MSN, MSN was interested in me and took me like a child. He decided to adopt me when he learnt I’m an orphan, I consented happily because he so much cared about me, doting on me and making me happy, Andrew too wasn’t left out, Andrew was personally glad because he rose through the ranks easily under MSN.” She started.

“After I consented to been his daughter, MSN started teaching me stuffs, how to be a strong woman, how to make a guy fall helplessly in love with me, how to cloud my emotions, how to shoot, how to drive haphazardly, and many other things” she continued.
Elvis felt his heart twitch when he heard the “make guy fall helplessly in love” part.

“MSN was astonished and very happy with my rate of development, I was equally happy, happy to be repaying him for taking care of me, we got closer and he entrusted me with secret missions, telling you about them will make you dislike me and bring back bad memories for me too…….he later told me he wanted me to infiltrate the ICO, I jumped at him and agreed happily.” She continued her voice breaking a bit.
She recovered and continued.

“I started and released information from the ICO to him, he was glad and showered me with care and affection even to the extent that Andrew got jealous at a point, I had to explain and tell him there’s nothing to fear before he was at ease, I have been releasing the information right before you come, meeting you make me even think you’ll make my job easier because you ended up falling in love with me.”
Now Elvis can hear his heart cracking in him… he feared for himself, she had betrayed him but that didn’t affect the voluptuous love he had for her. He had to keep his cool and fight his emotions if he’s to get to the root of this story.

“When I overheard you speaking with the IG about the BTU bombing, I relayed it to MSN and he told me to give you the file on it, having sketch out a trap for you, that’s why I did come with the file that day” she continued avoiding his gaze.

“When I saw you unconscious in your office, I would have called the whole department on you and get you sacked, I didn’t and decided to keep it to myself, was thinking you didn’t pose much of a danger and a part of me wanted to keep your health issue secret too. When you opened up and told me your past with an innocent and straightforward mind, I was touched to my bones and felt a part of me wake, a part that has never been reached before by anyone, I felt you could grow to be a threat, that’s why I called you my hero and watched your reaction, you swallowed it hook line and sinker, I felt guilty; it’s part of my job to make you trust me, but not my job to make me feel guilty, then I sensed I’m feeling something for you.”

He felt a bit relieved but puzzled.

“I decided to trust what you felt for me and staged the picture on phone and crying façade, the hurt in your eyes said it all, you are in love with me; but what I couldn’t explain was what I felt, I felt much more hurt, I felt myself become lonely despite my adopted father and fiance’s attention, I felt sad. Then I know I’m in love with you, what a dilemma”
Now he’s more relieved.

“I’m at loss of what to do or say, I tried to approach you and tell you something, just to say something; although I didn’t even know what to say , I was glad when you keep on rebuffing my advances, but the guilt got thicker and heavier hence my heavy face then” she continued with a heavy voice.

“I was the one who stole the recording and gave it to MSN, I saw Timi hiding it and I know it must be very important……I gave it to MSN after he told me to find anything concerning the second bomber” she replied now close to tears.
Elvis was numb and couldn’t bring himself to sooth her, she recovered and continued.

“MSN started sensing reluctance in me and therefore staged the Andrew harassment to make me rethink and make re return to my usual fluid and free-flowing self. When I learnt Andrew was part of the plan, I was over the edge, wanted to tell you everything and found you’ve left, I rushed to Ben and Dauda and told them not to let you go home and they followed you.”

“When you came back, having seen Andrew, I would have told you the truth but decided to tell you the story I’ve memorized…..” Ellie continued.

“Why?” Elvis hear himself ask, with a voice he can vouch doesn’t belong to him.

“”Because I was suspecting I was been bugged” she replied.

Elvis heaved.

“The bug was confirmed when Andrew knew you were with me during his call, I was shocked when I learnt Jane has being kidnapped, I knew telling you the truth then would jeopardize her and your life. I knew you would be abducted but could do nothing to help, hopine my plan would work.” She continued.

“What was the plan?” Elvis asked, getting impatient but awed.

“I ran back to MSN like a prodigal daughter, had to prove my disdain to you; that’s why I hurt you before him in his house, I did that to get entrusted with Jane’s location which I got. However I do come to feed you after drugging your guards, you ate drowsily and unknowingly but that’s the most I can do; just to keep you alive. I now have to get both her and you out, something rather impossible.”

“I got my chance a day before the election, after Jane’s meal have been served and taken to her, I know no one else will be coming to visit her, so I struck and rescued her after killing her two guards, I took her to a safe abode and went quietly to my room before my absence is noticed, luckily no one did notice both my absence and the death of the two guards and Jane’s escape.”

“The following day I offered to take the guards’ food to them to avoid detection. I now have t wait for a chance to free you, I feigned sickness not to go with Elvis to the grand plan, he was disappointed but wanted me to be healthy so he had to leave me be, I mistakenly slept off and woke up late to watch all the actions”

“I however did succeed in saving you, of that I’m glad, I might have painted a bad picture for myself, I might have misjudged your feelings, I might have been unladylike by accepting that I love you but I did all of this out of love, I endangered myself, MSN will be after me if he finds out I betrayed him but I’m willing to face it all, I’ve decided to follow my heart and I’m relieved I did. All I just want to say is that I’m sorry, I’m sorry for everything, I’m sorry for the series of emotional traumas I have caused you, the betrayal I had done and the misgivings I’ve created, I’m sor……uhmmmm” she was interrupted and stopped by Elvis’s lips on hers, she hadn’t seen him coming.

The kiss was so mind-blowing and passionate that she doesn’t want it to stop, she responded eagerly and submissively as she allowed herself to be allured by the passion oozing into her mouth from the soft lips- something she didn’t envisage Elvis possess from her flirt and stolen glances at him- of Elvis on hers.

She wrapped her hands around his neck when his hands had wrapped her and drawn her closer to him, she was lost in the obscure euphoria she had been drawn into by his tempting lips, she felt him moan and groan in ecstasy setting her own off too, she had been trying to hold back the moan but it came freely when he moaned. She felt his hands getting bolder as they squeezed her back pushing her deeper into her chair with the increasing urgency his lips demanded of her pink pouting lips.

Elvis stumbled but dragged her along as they fell on the floor wallowing in the ravenous and demanding feeling filling the room. They took turn to gasp and moan, releasing each other for several seconds to catch their breath before attacking each other’s lips again. She felt his hands moving to her b**bs, she let him; she had wanted this for so long; not denying herself now, she let him squeeze her m----s, through her blouse, she moaned in pleasure, relieving pleasure, she wants more…..more.

He felt her wringling and moaning in pleasure and that encouraged him, he squeezed the most succulent b**bs he had touched, it felt different, it felt maiden – something it’s not, but to him it is – he ravaged her lips as he unloose the passion right from his recesses, he started fondling her blouse’s buttons, he succeeded in loosening the first two, he was wild with passion when he saw a red laced bra holding the two aroused, fully engorged and perfectly placed m----s when the door opened…….

“Sir, you have……….I’m sorry sir but you have to see this” Timi said panting and shocked.

Elvis Chapter 32

CHAPTER THIRTY TWO
The president was shocked when he saw the security running towards him fall down, blood trickling down his neck from a precise gunshot wound, he was mortified and would have continued standing with his dropped jaw in shock if not for the guards that pulled him down behind the dais blocking off the line of sight of the suspected shooter, the guards surrounded him with the president bent in between them as they whisked him away to a waiting car away from the scene.

He was frustrated that he missed the president, he saw men pointing fingers in the direction of the building he is, he knows it’s time to go. He dissembled his sniping rifle and put the parts in a long briefcase, he wore the briefcase on his back like a school bag with the two straps attached to it. He put on his face cap and his sunglasses; he looks cute as he exited the room and down the stairs.

Elvis was already breathing heavily when he got to the podium, the square is really a long one, he saw the president been whisked away, he was glad the president was still alive. He saw a man shouting orders at a group of men pointing at a skyscraper that stood elegantly directly opposite the square. He walked towards him to inquire about what’s going on as the men ran towards the building at top speed.

“I’m detective Elvis, from the ICO” Elvis said walking towards the man.

“Detective…I’m in a bit of a fuss right now….wait Elvis?” the man said darkening his eyes.

“Yes, I will like to know what’s going on” Elvis replied his following the group of men running towards the building; the men are now at the base of the building.

“Do you know me, and how do you know about the impending attack towards the president?” the man asked softly.

“Sir, I don’t know what you are talking about; I don’t know you sir……” Elvis stuttered

“I’m Peter Christopher, the commander of the NBI” the man replied smiling. “We’ll talk later, right now we have to catch the sniper, the shot was taken from that building, Peter said walking quickly towards the building while Elvis trailed him.

Ellie couldn’t keep up with the pace Elvis walking with, she resolved to walk slowly after him, she saw him speaking with someone, afterwards he and the person started walking towards a building, that’s how far she can go, she decided to go and check how bad her car is, courtesy of the rugged path and stairways her car had to go over.

He had gotten to the ground floor of the building, he saw the men running towards the building shouting, he looked around and saw a guy playing a guitar, he walked towards him and borrowed the guitar for the façade he’s about to create. He collected the guitar and started playing a tune on it, singing aloud as he walked towards the main door of the building towards the approaching men.

“Stop there, nobody vacate the building” a man shouted at him. He stopped singing and feigned the meekest look he could avoid.

“I have to be in my band practice, I’m late already” he said softly. The man looked at him with disbelief lurking in his eyes.

“What is in your bag?” the man asked looking at the bag, studying his face at the same time, he however didn’t flinch

“It’s my guitar bag, I want to keep practicing that’s why I took out my guitar out” he lied softly, his eyes not betraying his pounding mind.

The man was about to make check the bag when Peter voice came after him.

“Have you checked the building?” Peter said, Elvis flanking him as they walked quickly towards the men.

“Not yet sir” the man accosting him replied turning to face Peter, he saw this as a glint chance, he grabbed it with both hands as he scurried away slowly trying not to attract much attention to his bid to escape.

“Who’s that guy?” Elvis asked

“Just some band kid” the man replied turning his head towards the direction of the guy walking away quickly.

“My guitar, my guitar” a lad ran out of the building shouting and waving towards the quickly departing figure. He dropped the guitar and started running towards a power bike he had parked earlier.

“F--k, that’s him’ Elvis said giving him a chase, the other standing officials followed suit.

He kicked start his bike to life, it responded gleefully, he stepped on the gear and held the throttle, the bike gear forward as he headed towards the dense traffic. He rode towards the oncoming lane and meandered his way between the cars; an unassailable lead and also impossible, they can’t chase him, not into a lane of oncoming vehicles.

“Shit, how did you let him out of the building, the order was nobody must leave the building” Peter shouted in frustration at no one in specific, the men bowed in shame.

“Search the building and find the room he used, search it for any bit of evidence” Peter ordered angrily.

The room was located, searched and dusted but nothing fruitful and appealing was found.

…………………………………………………………………………………………..

Several hours later, in the headquarters of the NBI, Victoria Island Lagos, a large edifice bustling with activity as staff walked around swarming like bees. In a large office, adored, furnished and spiced to the taste of its occupant. Elvis sat on a chair, looking bemused and beclouded at the earlier disappointment; the sniper slipping right through their fingers.

He and Peter had had a long talk, he explained everything right from the piece of action at the old facility, he was however surprised when Peter told him the unfortunate circumstance with Cedrick claiming it was part of the unfortunate accidents and risks of their work. Elvis was relieved to hear that; Peter said he had had a long talk with Esiogu earlier last week.

Elvis continued his narration, from his suspicion of the spies till his discovery, his sister’s abduction till his own kidnapping, his near death escapades and his rescue till his discovering of the assassination attempt on the president.

“That’s an interesting story you’ve got there” Peter said obviously fascinated

“Interesting but a nightmare” Elvis said smiling.

“Wait, what did you say the dying man who gave you the flash says?” Peter said with an eager look on his face

“Something about telling Pacquio clandestine did his job” Elvis replied without interest.

“Pacquio? Clandestine? Wow, so he wasn’t dead the whole time? ” Peter said excitedly getting Elvis confused. Peter seeing the confused look on Elvis’s face, he sat down to explain.

“My undercover name is Pacquio, many years ago when MSN obliterated the other drug lords, we tried on nail him but we couldn’t, we decided to send Clandestine in, his real name is Durojaye Stephen to serve as an undercover cop and give us a sustainable piece of evidence with which we can nail him. We were always in contact with him till many years ago he suddenly ended all links with us. We had hoped he had gone dark and completely dark at that, we lost all contact with him, atimes we thought he’s dead, that’s why we sent Cedrick to be a spy at arm’s length till he met his unfortunate end too” Peter summarized.

“I’m sorry” Elvis said sulkily

“It’s okay, would you like to check the content of the flash with us or at your office” Peter asked.
Elvis remembered Ellie and his team members; he rather goes to his office.

“I’ll rather leave now; have some loose ends to tie.” Elvis said standing up.

Peter greeted him smiling and commending him for his efforts shook him before Elvis took his leave.

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The office was quiet when he got to the office, stunned look are glaring at him from the workers who sat in there cubicle; they must have been surprised to see an alleged kidnap detective walking confidently in the office. He answered their petrified greetings calmly has he walked towards his office.

He met Ben who almost jumps at him in joy, asking thousands of questions at once, asking on his health and many more. He managed to call him down, postponing answering the questions.

He walked towards Timi’s cubicle, he saw Timi sitting calmly on his chair; an unusual position granting Timi’s hands reprieve. He would have asked Timi how he manages to get to work so soon but he had other things on his mind, Ellie’s ‘long’ story.

He dropped the flash with Timi telling him to assess all the contents in it and for him to get back to him, he headed towards his office, he’s sure Ellie must be there. He opened the door and walked in, truth to his words; Ellie was sitting at his chair.

Now is the time for a long story-telling.

Elvis Chapter 31

CHAPTER THRITY ONE
Elvis and his entourage had gotten into Ellie’s car which she parked at a safe distance from the mansion, a rendezvous she had pre-arranged. Elvis was dazed when he saw Ellie’s car, a 2014 Toyota corolla, he hadn’t thought she had a car at all due to her perkiness and impertinence; he was awed by the social status and quality of the car. She saw the dazed look on his face and she smiled at the thoughts she felt is going through his head.

“Surprised?” she said pressing the unlock button from her remote.

“Maybe, you have a car?” he stuttered

“Of course, I guess you’ve met my father” she retorted compounding his already clouded and confused mind.

He opened the door and slumped into the front sit, the maid entered the back sit while Ellie took the wheel.

“We have to hurry, the president will take the podium by noon” She said as she kicked start the car which hummed softly in response.

“Where’s the campaign taking place?” Elvis asked.

“Precinct square” She replied putting the car into gear, the car sizzled gently on the tarred road; the sun’s heating capability gaining momentum.

Time checked: 10:50AM.

“That’s about one hour journey, if there’s no traffic.” Elvis said

“We’ll be too late by then, the president will ascend the podium by noon to address the crowd” Ellie lamented pressing the accelerator without remorse and running a red light, narrowly missing running into a car crossing the lane.

“Give me your phone” Elvis said, he hadn’t set his ocular organs on his for several hours which he had earlier learnt to be 6days, “You have Timi’s contact number don’t you?”

Ellie handed him her phone, her eyes trained on the road, speed nerve-wrecking as she meandered her way through the seas of cars plying the major road joining Ikeja to the mainland, a kilometer ahead, the longest traffic jam ever is increasing momentarily.
…………………………………………………………………………………………….

“No answer sir” the young man who had dialed the number said.

MSN held his cup midway through its journey to his lips, thought for some seconds before dropping his hands, hips lips quivered in disappointment.

“Call Erinyes then” he said before satisfying his lips lust with the wine.

“No answer sir” the man said again.
Now he dropped the cup and sat up, concern evident on his face.

“Keep on trying it…..” he said softly trying to hide the concerned countenance sitting gently on his face. “Bring me the phone” he added, the already shaking guy handed him the phone before disappearing; he surely don’t want to be around at the time of wrath.

He’s face had a split glint of relief when the phone was picked, but it darkened when it wasn’t answered by his expected person and voice.

“Who is this?” he said

“Where’s Stringer…what…what of Erinyes…..dead….the two of them dead?” he went still for some moment, the phone glued to his ear, his mind had drifted afar, he regained himself.

“What of that detective……what……gone?” he flared up in fury, his agbada flurrying through the air in a dignified and proud manner contradicting the storm fierceness of its wearer. He threw the phone angrily out the window unto the hard road, the phone tearing apart as it bounced selflessly.

“F--k, f--k….f--k…….f--k” he shouted angrily punching the soft cushion of the limousine, he wanted to rise up in anger but hit his head against the roof of the car, he sat down fuming and rubbing his head roughly.

The man who had brought the phone rushed inside on hearing the frustrating and angry gibberish his boss is uttering, on seeing the blood shot eyes of his boss, he made to retreat but wasn’t that lucky.

“Get me another phone” MSN barked at the retreating figure.

The young man brought another phone, the reluctance on his face shows it must have been his, it truly is; it was the phone he bought with an amount equal his three month salary, he prayed in his heart for the phone not to suffer the same fate as the previous one. He’s however skeptical about this, his boss will get him another phone if ‘things’ get better, what of if it doesn’t?

“You have to do the job immediately, there is no time, the nosy detective has escaped, get it done it immediately he gets on the podium.” MSN barked into the phone before ending the call abruptly.

He sat down, tapping his foot on the rug of the car, waiting patiently for the president to climb the podium. He checked his wrist watch, 11:00AM.
……………………………………………………………………………………..

“Timi, where are you?” Elvis said immediately Timi answered the call.

“I’m at home…..who is th…..sir? is that you?” Timi said excitedly into the phone.

“Yes I’m the one, I need your help” Elvis replied

“Sir, how did you get out….and wait…this is Ellie’s number” Timi said gasping.

“It’s a long story, where are the others? What of Dauda?” Elvis added quickly.

“Dauda is still in the hospital, pretty bad but the doctor said he’ll pull through, he just got out of coma, Ben’s been working himself up looking for clue on how to get your location, I’ve been racking the net looking for anything unusual…..” Timi explained.

“So you are with a system?” Elvis asked.

“I sleep on it…oh yes one’s with me” Timi joked still excited he is speaking to his boss.

“Can you trace this call?”

“Yes I can”

“Do it, get my location and get me a clear and quick route to the Precinct Square”

“Okay sir, right on it….wait Precinct Square, is there not where the campaign is been held?” Timi asked as his hands stopped working on the keyboard.

“That’s it”

“Is anything up? You sound tensed” Timi enquired

“I must get there before the President climbs the podium to give he’s speech, he’s about to be assassinated.” Elvis briefed.

Now Ellie has joined the increasing record breaking traffic jam, she hits the steering in frustration.

“Climb the side walk and follow it, I’ll lead you” Timi said, his hands punching on the keyboard audible over the phone. Ellie obeyed swerving dangerously over the sidewalk getting angry retorts in response from other drivers and sellers with mobile shops (hawkers and road side sellers).

“I’ll send you the map of the route you’ll take; it seems the car you are in has a navigation panel?” Timi asked.

“Expensive technology” Ellie replied smiling and winking at him.

“She’s there?” Timi asked.

“Long story” Elvis replied “Trust me” he said looking at Ellie, she smiled reassuringly, her smiling face releasing arrays of colourful butterflies.

“I’m sending it to you in 3….2….1…done” Timi counted and the car navigational system came to life immediately showing the map of the city, a blue line depicting the route they are to take and a thick blue dot showing the location of the car.

“Thanks Timi” Elvis said softly.

“Wait, what of the traffic lights?” Ellie asked concerned.

“I’m with you all the way, I’ll have hacked and held it up for you, just run all traffic lights you see” Timi said confidently.

“Wow, you are a genius” Ellie said, pressing the accelerator hard as the car sped away, bumping and galloping through the rugged terrain of the ghetto the map led them.

Timi was silent.

“Thanks Timi, is there any way you can make the president’s ascension of the podium tarry?” Elvis asked.

“Let me see what I can do, but not promising yet.” Timi said.

“Thanks bro” Elvis said.

“Maybe you should call Ben he is there looking for any bit of lead that could be used in locating you.”

“Really?, I’ll do that right away, thanks bro” Elvis thanked again with Timi blushing on the other side, his round cute face looks flushed.

Elvis put a call across to Ben and he was able to brief him the situation on ground, Ben was very elated to hear from Elvis and was gleeful all through the briefing. He agreed, he had a plan already, today he had been giving the permission and effrontery he needed to display his troublesomely and naughty self, he was so glad. He looked around and was however at loss of what to do.

Time checked: 11: 30
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25 minutes later.

The sniper is lying on the table, he had dragged the table to the window, his eyes are on the focusing lens, he could see an announcer on the podium speaking into the microphone he’s holding, the crowd cheering in response. He waited patiently as the announcer started clapping and the crowd follow suit, now is the time for the president to address the audience.

The president was all smiles as he moved towards the dais; he waved at the people cheering him acknowledging the risen members of the high table in obeisance to him. He was really a man of the people. The focusing lens followed the moving president, his finger on the trigger looking for a clean shot something he’ll get when the president get to the dais. He waited patiently for the president to get to the dais. The president got to it and rested his hands on it, the crowd still cheering, the president waited for it to die down.

He had gotten a clean shot and he’s about to take it, he saw the crowd getting unsettled as people started running, the president looked dazed and he cowered in fear of the unknown, people could be seen rushing. He knows he had to take the shot now, he did and someone fell.

At the extreme corner, Elvis and Ellie are seen running out of a badly injure motorcar, the car is now a body parts is so disjointed just like a pile of metals glued awkwardly together with an running engine dumped rudely in it. They ran into the square towards the podium.

Elvis Chapter 30

CHAPTER THIRTY
Words got stuck in his throat when he turned and saw Ellie pointing her gun sternly at him. Her face fierce darted quickly around the room before resting sternly on him. He felt his heart leap not out of fear but out of awe; for a split second he forgot a gun is about to release a bullet into his body, he forgot the impending danger he’s facing and relish in the euphoria of her beauty. Her eyes depicting fury were gorgeous, her frowning face looks like that of a cute small girl who just had her chocolate snatched, the way her flowing hair glide through the air before landing softly on her shoulders looks like cat landing softly on the rug as she scanned the room quickly. He felt the world seize, leaving him to revel in his monstrous euphoria.

He regained his senses to see her still pointing her gun at him with a querying look on her face, he must have been lost his own world to realize what he’s facing. He thought he had been looking at her for ours but all those fantasies glided through his subconscious in a matter of a few seconds; a world record for the fastest time a human brain used in processing such a large amount of data; he tried to speak again but ended up swallowing hard, now in fear of death, for the second time in the space of a few minutes. He was really lost for words when he heard what she said next.

“We need to get out of here now?” she said

He couldn’t believe his ears, its now his turn to glare at her quizzically as his eyes rose to her face in disbelief and shock. She looked unperturbed as if nothing is wrong before casting worrying glances over her shoulder into the hallway she had entered from.

“Let’s get out of here Elvis” she said again.

“What?” He heard himself say.

“Time’s not on our side, you have to stop the assassination of the president” She replied immediately.

The name president really hit him hard as he grinned in interest.

“What? What’s happening with the president?” He asked like someone who had a cork in his ears.

“Today’s his visit to Lagos, he came for his campaign, MSN is conniving with someone else, someone in a high rank to assassinate him, today’s the best day to carry it out” she replied sternly still glancing behind her back with worrying looks.

“What… I mean why are you telling me” He replied gulping and sweating, although relieved she had lowered her gun after scanning the room the other time.

“It is a long story, you have to trust me, please” she pleaded.

The word ‘trust’ awoke his angry spirit which speedily rushed to fore as he rushed towards her and holding the nape of the neck of her black fitted blouse, shaking her furiously.

“Trust you? Trust you? I should trust you?” He screamed into her face has he shook life out of her, her face had fallen and now housing a pleading meek countenance, he was however not to be swayed by emotions at least not now.

“It’s a long story, please you have to trust me, just for once, let’s get out of here, and I’ll explain everything to you I promise.” She pleaded; Elvis released her and laughed sarcastically which pitch gets higher with each passing second.

“You want me to trust you, you sold me out, gnashed my emotions, sold me out again and now you are trying to lure me into another trap, am I a fool or rather do you take me for one?” he poured out with malicious sarcasm.

She didn’t reply, just dumbfounded, at loss on how best to explain to him, she took her phone and dialed a number on it. Elvis was insouciant to whatever she was doing; he turned and beckoned to the maid who was still stunned at unusual and unexplainable trend event had turned.

“If you are here to kill me, you have to get it over with, if you aren’t, I’m walking out of here, I’ve got a sister to safe” Elvis said, holding the maid’s hand before walking past Ellie who still have her phone glued to her ear, her countenance still not changing.

Elvis had walked out of her, the maid still following him like a cow been led to slaughter, he was expecting to fall and die from a shot from her gun with each step he takes each step which takes him farther away from her. He would have strangled her to death but he just couldn’t bring himself to do that, her meek face had reached deep into him, touching his recesses, he had managed to feign emotional stability but that’s the most he could do, he can’t go beyond that and kill her. He knows he still loved her but been unable to hurt her hurts him more than he could envisage, he hates her so much for the hurt he’s feeling, for her betrayal, the hatred is so much even more than is needed to kill her, but he loved her nonetheless. What a perplexing oxymoron.

“Someone wants to speak with you” Ellie said bringing him to a halt. She put her phone on speakers and stretched it out to him.

“Elvis, it’s me Jane” the voice said over the phone.

“Jane?” Elvis screeched in joy as he ran towards Ellie snatching the phone from her.

“I’m safe, she rescued me, she’s not what you think she is, please just trust her for once” Jane pleaded over the phone.

“Are you all right?” Elvis asked concerned

“I’m fine bully bro” she joked from her end bringing a chuckle to Elvis’ face.

“Please just trust her, she’s my savior, she saved me, she’s good” Elvis was so confused, after several seconds of discussion which looked like hours before the grumbling impatient Ellie, Elvis ended the call and turned to her.

“We’ve overstayed, guards will be here any moment, let’s get out of here” Ellie said immediately he dropped the call.

“So you saved my sister? Why?” Elvis asked defeated.

“I’ll explain everything to you, let’s just get out of here” she replied getting very impatient.

He felt defeated and remorseful but also felt justified for his earlier actions, she had come back to save him after scampering his sister to safety, but why did she release information about ICO in the first place.

Approaching footsteps could be heard at the far head with occasional shouts of rage and anger seeps to them and no telling needs to be done, the guards are coming.

“This way” Ellie said turning towards where they were coming from, Elvis followed bluntly and foolishly garnering his last self to trust her basically on his sister’s recommendation. They got to his ‘ought-to-be’ Golgotha, Erinyes and Stringer’s body still lie on the blood, still looking fresh, he saw the flash Stringer had given him lying on the ground, he quickly took it and tucked it into his trouser carefully.

Ellie led them to a door located on the east wall of the room, not easily noticeable because it is hidden by deposited furniture; they got out and got to a smaller passage, which they followed till they got to the backyard of the mansion. A ladder lies on the ground across the huge fence.

“Who’s the girl?” Ellie asked as she made for the ladder with Elvis rushing to her side to help.

“Long story” He replied has they put the ladder across the fence.

“Wow, I underestimated you, you killed both Stringer and Erinyes, that’s a great achievement” She hailed him has they each climb the ladder.

“Long story too, wait, you said the president is coming today for his campaign? Is today 26th?” he asked.

“Yes, today is, and you have to save him” Ellie said landing softly on the soil of a garden in the other side of the wall.

It now dawned on him that he had been abducted for six days, the date he last remembered was 20th, he hadn’t ate or drank anything at least to the best of his knowledge, but he wasn’t feeling weak, maybe his strength is from the drug been used to sedate him or he do eat unconsciously, he never knows. Erinyes is dead, so is the secret of the person behind the bombing of the BTU, he had hoped to catch the real culprit and not the pawn but he had caught neither.
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At the Precinct square, a massive crowd of more than 100, 000 persons are already gathered awaiting the arrival of the president, loud cheers welcome the blare of sirens of the motorcycle escorts which are followed by the train of cars escorting the president.

Inside a grand white limousine, MSN sat with a glass of wine in his hand, he sips tardily relishing and savouring the taste of the wine. Grinning like an idiot.

“Put a call across to Stringer” he said to no one in particular but someone dialed the number immediately.

A 24PG sniping rifle sits leisurely on the table, the sniper lie wearily on the bed facing the window overlooking the square. The sounds of approaching sirens arouse him and made him start preparation in earnest.

Elvis Chapter 29

CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
Elvis had resigned to fate, nature is unfair; the table has turned and he’s about to meet his death in the hands of a criminal, if nature was fair and its rules re-visited, it ought to be the other way round, MSN ought to be the one with his life at stake, but we don’t always get what’s rightfully ours, that’s part of the mystery of life.

He pondered on how the case had twisted, he had expected something so simple, something he can handle with ease but he had got a lot more than he had bargained for. The vendetta he had harbored since the BTU bombing had fueled his desire of being a detective just for him to catch the culprit but he had ended up getting himself wound up in a much bigger net, much bigger than him, which had led him to the current situation he is. Still he’s yet to find out who’s behind the BTU bombing.

The cases he had opened and lunged into had no specific bearing, the Honorable is dead, the mystery behind his death is still unknown, the big deal going on with MSN is unknown, the evidence linking MSN with the death of the of the Honorable is unavailable too. All he had been able to get was the stack of boxes which the department procured from the shootout at the warehouse, he hadn’t been able to have a look at the contents because Jane’s issue came up almost immediately and then the emotional walloping and betrayal from Ellie or is she Bridget?
All the pre scheduled meetings with the NBI chief commander and the ex-governor, with which he was hoping to make a headway, he hadn’t been able to attend any, events has been coming up which had always make him to postpone the meetings, till he finally got his mind off it.

He had been lost in his thought all through the journey to his execution yard; he was brought back when he was roughly dumped on the floor in his own Golgotha. The Golgotha is a room that must have been located at the extreme end of the building, the layout of the room is a stark contrast to the room he was taken from, the floor is not tarred and untilled too, the earth is damp, the wall is unpainted and rough, lying around are old furniture and kitchen utensils, it must have been used as a store/ dumping ground. The atmosphere is clean, a contrast to the usual atmosphere of a dumping ground.

He decided to have a last rethink of his ending life, he thought of his parents for the last time; the pictures depicting his mother’s happiness and agony ran across his inner sight, his dad’s astute and emotional impervious nature came next, he remembered Jane’s naughtiness since her been a kid, the journey from the airport, he remembered Ben’s contorted face, Timi working on his computer, Dauda’s straight face and above all Esiogu’s loud croaking laughter. Ellie’s pictures ran across last but slowly, her provocative hips swinging as she walked, her long a bit robust legs but unspotted, her round face, her pouting lips…….he was cut short when he heard two gun shots.

He was sure he wasn’t dead yet, he hadn’t been dead before but he knows that dead people don’t hear….do they? The immediate environment felt paused as he kept expecting his spirit to leave him like he had always seen in movies, his line of obscene abnormal thought was truncated by the soft thuds of two bodies on ground. He looked around to see the body of the two guards who had dragged him here lifeless on the floor, a clean shot for each of their chests. He looked up to see Stringer putting away his gun.

What the heck is he doing?

“Take this, all you need to know about MSN is there” Stringer said looking around unceasingly holding a flash drive to him “You have to get out of here now”

“What? You aren’t killing me?” Elvis asked puzzled.

“I’m not, it’s a long story, just get out of here now, the gun shots will attract more guards” Stringer said apprehensively.

Elvis was all the same bewildered, he doesn’t know what to do or what to believe, he rose drowsily to his feet and walked gingerly towards Stringer, he collected the flash.

“Who are you?” he asked Stringer whose still glancing behind him.

“I am…” The sentence got stuck in Stringer’s throat as blood spurted in place of the sentence, Stringer looked down to see blood seeping out of his chest, a bullet hole, from the gun that was shot milleseconds ago.

Elvis dived to cover as another shot followed him missing him by millimeters. Stringer managed to turn around to see from who’s gun the bullet came from before falling holding his chest tightly, trying endlessly to reduce the blood loss, his vision his blurry, but not blurry enough for him not to see is old foe, Erinyes walking in, stroking his gun laughing menacingly.

“I’ve always known there’s nothing good about you, never thought you were a detective, a f-----g detective who had risen to the second in command to the great MSN, you came from nowhere with your cool demeanor and deposed me of my position, my right, you can never know how many times I’ve wished to kill you, although not a wish anymore, I’ve hated you so much when you became entrusted with very important missions something I’m entitled to, something I deserved for all the time I’ve been suffering with MSN, but you snatched it from me, a f-----g fringing policeman, how the heck did I not suspect such? F--k” he said in frustration and anger, kicking the fallen Stringer, who’s still spurting blood, hanging loosely to the life leaving him.

Elvis was hiding behind a large gas cylinder, that’s how far he can hiding, he was thinking of diving into the back of a worn out sofa but Erinyes’s gaze never left his hiding place, a gun still in his hand. His mind’s is thinking in a million ways each of them awaken to the thoughts of escape. Humans can be so unpredictable; few minutes ago he had resigned himself to an impending death, now he’s hiding from the same death. Elvis saw Erinyes give Stringer a last kick before gripping his gun tightly and advancing towards Elvis’s cylinder of succor.

Elvis saw Stringer’s gun lying on the ground, it must have fallen when Stringer fell, he was thinking of how best to get to the gun but Erinyes is standing or rather walking between him and the gun, to get to the gun he had to get past Erinyes first.

Erinyes must have perceived his thoughts because he reduced the speed with which he’s advancing towards Elvis, he walked sideways in an arc-like manner till he’s directly beside Elvis but at a safe distance, not close enough for Elvis to attack, his gun pointing shrewdly towards Elvis’s head, his face cracking into a sarcastic ugly smile.

“It’s over boy, all games do have an end, yours is in the epilogue already, it has already ended” Erinyes said barring his evil teeth.

Elvis knows all is up unless a miracle happens something he immediately started praying for, he raised his head to look up Erinyes but was shocked by a new revelation, he could see the tattoo right beneath Erinyes’ thumb, Erinyes was the bomber of the BTU, the picture of the tattoo has been etched into his memory from his dreams, he can never forget it, it isn’t a common tattoo, not one to be found on ordinary civilians, it is a tattoo of a dragon emitting fire to the moon, it seems cuter in existent than in dreams. A new born anger rose in him, but a very obnoxious anger at that, he had nothing to convey it through to Erinyes, who just keep on rambling on about stuffs and his belated felicitations for Elvis’s accomplishments.

“Why did you bomb the BTU?” Elvis asked cutting him short.

Erinyes was stunned and his face contorted into an unexplainable expression, he quickly regained himself and looked squarely at Elvis, his gun still pointing squarely ate Elvis, no one had known about his connection to that apocalyptic mission, at least not someone outside there group. The expression on Elvis’s face shows that he hadn’t told anyone before or he hadn’t heard it from someone too, it looks sincere but hides uncertainty and indecision. Elvis was only riding his luck and trusting his dream.

“Who told you that?” Erinyes managed to ask after sometime, “oh wait, you are the young boy who tried to save them all?” he asked.

Elvis’s countenance answered him.

“Wow, thought you died, if I had thought you’ll be a pain in the ass, I would have killed you then, this is my entire fault” Erinyes lamented.

“You’ve lived long enough and you’ve known too much” he made to press his trigger, a shot was fired.
Erinyes fell down with a bullet hole in his neck. The sulking of someone could be heard, and the sound of something dropping.

Close to the door, a lady in pinafore which shows she’s a maid was sulking and Stringer’s gun is right before her, she must be sulking for killing someone. She had wound herself up, crying in guilt for just claiming a man’s life. Elvis rushed towards her cooing and thanking her at the same time, Stringer’s still grumbling on the ground, he rushed towards him.

“Tttt….tell……Pacquio……Clan….des…clandestine……..finished……….his….du..” he managed to say before giving up the ghost.

The sulking girl is already standing before him; she had managed to recover from her self-guilt. Elvis was bending over Stringer with his back to the door; the girl is opposite him looking clueless at the just departed soul of Stringer on the floor. Elvis heard her gasp, he raised his head to see what made her gasp, she was staring fearfully at the door. Elvis turned and met the shock of his life.

Bridget was standing at the door, with a gun pointing sternly at him.

Elvis Chapter 28

TWENTY EIGHT

Shambolic is an absolute understatement of the state of mind Elvis is after Ellie’s revelation. He felt his heart been wrenched away from him, just like pair of thongs are been used to pull his heart out of him. The woman he had loved, whom he’s planning of making her happiness his topmost priority peradventure he made it out of this alive, whom had tormented his emotions both knowingly and unknowingly for the past few days or rather few weeks, he woman he had been envisaging spending his entire life with, the height of betrayal was too much to handle for his already weak heart. Tears flowed down freely.

MSN has resumed his leaning on the wall, his lanky figure resting heavily on the wall. A wry smile played around on his face as he enjoyed the embarrassing state of mind and emotional meltdown Elvis is displaying. He was proud of himself, of his daughter; she was a genius, bringing down the man who had foiled his plan, twice. He was however intrigued by the shrewdness and astuteness of the young man, his intelligence and level of reasoning made him like him. he had played the game with this young man and he had enjoyed every bit of it, just like all good things; they always have an end. He waved his hands and two guards standing by entered holding a small medical box.

He had been crying, trying hard not to give in to the emotional landslide and deteriorating mental state he’s experiencing but he’s fighting a losing war, a war he’s not strong enough to fight; he doesn’t have a heart no more; it has been thrown, it has fallen, it got broken and completely grounded all by a person. He had never felt so broken in his life, losing someone he loved, someone he had thought he had lost but miraculously found now it all came crashing down, like a scaffold which base has been eaten by termites. He let himself loose as tears flowed down freely down his face, right now, Elvis means absolute dejection.

He was so deeply engrossed in his emotional trauma, blinded in his own tears so much that he didn’t see the two lanky beings walking towards him. They laid down their portfolio before him, one of them brought out a syringe, he set up the syringe, drew some liquid from a small bottle, satisfied with the quantity drawn into the syringe, he tapped the needle severally to shake off any lingering drop, the other man took Elvis’s hand and raised it high enough for his accomplish, the accomplish took the hand, pressed a blood vessel around his upper arm till it bulges out. He injected the syringe and pressed its contents into the waiting bulging blood vessel.

Elvis felt his hand been lifted but he was both physically and emotional wasted so much he couldn’t fight or rather he has nothing left to fight for, he felt a quick piercing pain on his arm, but he was less concerned, his eyes grew cloudy and he felt lighter, he was relieved of his crying spree as he fell into unconsciousness.
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She had lost count of time; all she could do is roll herself up in a dark corner of the windowless small room. She doesn’t know how long she had been abducted; she had heard nothing about what’s going on in the outside world. A plate of uneaten savory meal lies at a corner of the room.

Her designated guards doesn’t speak to her, she would have taken them to be deaf if not for their whispers and laughter she do hear at nights, all they do is enter and drop a plate of meal on the floor and taking the plate of the uneaten previously deposited meal out with them before locking the iron door after them. If they have been given the order to ostracize her, they are doing a pretty good job at it.

All she could remember was the call her abductors made to Elvis many hours ago, because she had lost count of days, she later found herself lying on the floor or rather dumped roughly on it. She was however glad she hadn’t been sexually harassed just yet, seems her abductors have a tinge of morals.

She heard two low groans outside her door before hearing the sounds of two bodies falling softly on the floor. She stood up in fright, her time has come to die, she looked around for a way of escape; she had forgotten she had harbored the same thoughts countless times but have always discovered its impossible; realizing there’s no way out, she resigned to fate and gripped the wall behind her frightfully and tightly as she await the person turning the lock on the door.

The sound of the unlocked lock drifted to her in her corner of cowering, the door opened and a woman she envisaged to be almost her age entered with a torch in hand, she turned the torch around the room obviously searching for Jane, the torch rested on Jane’s face after it had found her and the lady advanced towards her following the beam of the torch.

“We have to get out of here, now” the lady said abruptly without greetings or acknowledgement .

Jane didn’t respond out of fear and mistrust.

The lady advanced towards her and took her hand and started dragging her towards the door.

“I’m not going with you, who are you?, please don’t kill me” Jane poured our switching between resilience and sympathy. She fell on her feet and started crying and pleading.

“I’m not going to kill you, I’m your brother’s friend” Jane’s face lit up, glittering like a fluorescent bulb.

“Where’s is my brother?” Jane asked.

“Your brother is in trouble trying to save you, I’ll explain later, right now we have to get you out of here” the lady replied. Jane was relieved to know the lady was her brother’s friend but alarmed to hear Elvis is in trouble. A nudge on her shoulder brought her back.

“What’s your name/” she asked the lady as they made for the door.

“My name is Emily, you can call me Ellie” the lady replied now opening the door for them.

Jane gasped when she stepped on something sticky she later learnt to be blood and saw the body of the two guards watching over her lying on the floor dead, she looked at Ellie who nodded in the direction of the exit, Jane followed her into the darkness of the hallway.
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He was just sleeping and waking, not voluntarily though, induced by the incessant sleeping injection been admisnistered to him endlessly by the two men who keeps on entering at intervals, pre-calculated intervals, intervals very precise that they coincides with the time he regains consciousness.

Today, the administering men did not come, something must be up, he cared less notwithstanding, he just wants it all to end, he would have thought of a quick way to die if he had been in control of his sanity all these while. The afternoon sun of God knows which day shine brightly outside, its rays slicing through the already hot atmosphere easily and gleefully at that. The sun seems to be out of place to him, something smiling in this world of abject betrayal and misplaced trusts, the sun must have no idea whats going on with him with its incessant infuriating smile.

The giggling of keys brought him out of his reverie, the door opened to show MSN wearing a flowing agbada with a matching cap, a bright red ostrich feather on the cap depicting the Igbo tradition and the cane sandal and walking stick representing the touch of Hausa. Standing on each sides of him stood a man each, Stringer whom he recognized from the warehouse on MSN’s right and a fear looking devil (Erinyes) on his left. Seems MSN came for the last view if Elvis alive.

“Erinyes, finish him, but don’t stain my tiles so do it somewhere else” MSN said drawing a wicked smile to Erinyes’s face.

“I’ll do it personally sir, I’ve wanted to kill him at the warehouse but he managed to escape, moreover, he crashed the deal with the Chad militants, I’ll be glad if I’m given the honour sir” Stringer said in his usual cool manner drawing a nasty growl and mean look from Erinyes.

“Make it as humiliating as possible, wants his parents to have his two eyes and heart and his testicles too, eyes to see, heart to feel and the testicles will denote his unborn children.” MSN said. “Erinyes lets go” he added.

The stare on Erinyes face could sink the titanic as he gave Stringer the most scornful and hate-filled look he had ever dished out.

“Now is your time to die” Stringer said, he waved to the two guards standing around and they dragged out the weak Elvis.

Elvis Chapter 27

CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN

“Officer down, officer down” Ben screamed into his earpiece as he rushed towards the fallen Dauda while the van sped away, blood is already streaking out of Dauda’s mouth through the valley-like creeks on either side of his lips. He coughed lightly and more blood streaked out, a gunshot wound standing confidently on his chest; his cloth getting more soaked with each passing second, the blood diffusing from the source using the cotton material he has on as a medium till his whole cloth is bright red.

Ben took off his cloth and pressed it to Dauda’s chest in a bid to scale down the rate with which blood is been lost by Dauda all the while shouting to the other teams to get closer with the car, he was breathing heavily murmuring words of encouragement and hope to Dauda, who tried to smile but ended up in spurting more blood and wincing his face in a funny contorted manner, he demeanor depicts pain which gathered courage with every failed attempt of smiling. Ben is already crying, pleading for the other teams and Dauda not to go.

Within few minutes which seemed like decades to Ben, a car was brought and Dauda was lifted into it, Ben held his head in his laps encouraging him to hold on and also urging the driver to go faster, his cloth drenched in bloeat (a mixture of sweat and blood).

At the office, Timi is dutifully eating his fingernails, befuddled by the ease with which their plan has been vanquished and speed with which it went down the drain, losing two men –Dauda et Elvis- as casualties, one been rushed to the hospital the other’s lost into the thin air with the way the tracker dot went offline few minutes ago, how did they lose it, they have been easily outwitted and circumvented, he hugged the rushing feeling of disappointment and frustration as he held his head in his two hands conceding defeat.

Afar off the spy smiled and nodded satisfactorily with the perfect execution of his plan.
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He had been floated in and out of his unconscious state for the umpteenth time, he must have been injected with something which made him so weak, a punch can’t do that. His whole body is aching-a similar feeling to that of a man who a train just ram through- his heart’s pumping rate is very low about 50beats per minute, each heart beat stressed, his whole head have a large amount of furious Igbo women, who were pounding with maximum dexterity and total abandon, they are tearing his head apart, the low point is that he couldn’t raise his hands to hold his head because his hands have shot-put weights attached to each of them mentally, they weight like a sack of cement. All he could do is lie in the astride manner in which he was dumped and hang onto the ironical slogan ‘hope for the best, expect the worst’ before he glide into another state of momentary unconsciousness.

The heat from the afternoon sun was scorned him, worsening the pain in which he was before, the pain dragged him out of his unconsciousness, he couldn’t shield his eyes from the piercing sun rays he managed to turn his head from the piercing rays; seems he’s finally awake. He laid still has he took his immediate environment. He was in a small room, small but exquisite judging from the foreign tiles and the superfluous design of the ceilings. Apart from himself, the room is bare; totally empty. The window blinds have been open wide with the burglary-proof metal bars crushing every weak hope of escape; he must have been placed at his exact position so as for him to feel the wrath of the hot dry-season sun of September.

After lying still for some minutes, he managed to drag himself from his lying position to his a sitting one with his back against the wall. His abductors must be very confident of his slim chance of escape with the unbound nature of his hands, or maybe the building his heavily fortified, he thought, right now all thoughts of escape aren’t forthcoming, replaced with Timi’s mutual feeling- disappointment and resignation-, all he could think of is how best he would plead to die, hope he would be given the privilege to choose how he wants it, he had always hated gash deaths, he preferred serene ones or quick ones.

He remembered Jane, her location is currently unknown, what his parents must be passing through right then; when the realization of the unknown location of their only pair of children hit them; his mother must have cried herself to stupor, he tried to guess the present countenance of his hard dad, he hadn’t seen his dad broken before even after the death of his elder brother many years back, his dad had handled it like a man. He wished to see how well his dad will handle the loss of his last pair of children alive, what word of condolence and self-pity will he come up with, what word of commiseration will he sooth his wife with?.

He remembered Dauda who had tried to save him, he could recall seeing him fall, Dauda’s dead, dead while trying to save him, what must his sick wife be passing through. He remembered all Dauda has discussed with him and confided in him. how he had lost his sterility to the Craters Empire (a smuggling and crime ring before its wiping out courtesy of MSN), Dauda had been the inside agent in the Craters for many years before his cover is blown, he narrowly escaped with his life, he did escape but not as a man but an eunuch. His wife had been fighting a battle against cancer for many years; they have two kids who are just in their junior secondary schools.

After escaping the gang narrowly, his escape been made easy with the coming of MSN into the picture, his wife’s health deteriorated, his first child died miraculously from a water disease epidemic, left with only a child and a dying wife and above all an eunuch. He took to drinking to avoid slumping into the emotional crater building up. The drinking smeared his medical record at the organization and the credibility of his utterances and actions are always doubted, which led to him been suspended and his well-deserved promotion to the post of the IG was denied.
After years on the sidelines, things turned a bit better, his wife’s health got better and she was discharged, his only son left gained admission into the university and nature seems to be smiling at him, he went back for his job and got it, hence, him working with Elvis.

Elvis had lost track of time, he doesn’t know how long he had slept or how long he had been thinking, all he knows is that he’s still alive at least for now. Now he could arguably criticize and fight in support of two different sayings: the lazy hand is not the devil’s workshop because right then all he could do is lie down just thinking, maybe thinking is the devil’s handiwork; he commended the man who said ‘the prison is the best place to think’ because you’ve got all the time in the world especially if you are not getting out soon, you’ll see things in a different and unbiased sense and your thinking expanse would be greatly enlarged. He felt woozy and then passed out; into his fits.

“Get me a fan, he had had this before” he heard a familiar voice commanding someone else.

After some minutes he managed to regain his consciousness, he was dumb-stricken to see Ellie bending over him.

“Ellie?” He said softly, “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, welcome back, I’m sure you’ve met my daughter Bridget” MSN said leaning on the wall of the room.

“Bridget?” Elvis said confused, “Ellie, what’s going on?”

“I’m not Ellie, I’m Bridget, so you’ve heard, I just saved your life needs at least a gesture or sign of appreciation” Ellie or Bridget replied.

Bridget stood up gloriously and walked towards MSN, she gave him a warm full hug.

“I miss you dad” She said.

“Well-done my daughter, I missed you too” MSN said returning the hug.

The hug was broken and Ellie (forgive me, still trying to get used to Bridget) made for the door exiting the room, she stopped at the door and faced the dazed Elvis.

“I never attended Hallmark” she said before walking majestically out of the room, swinging her hips provocatively and seductively, he knee length down flowing with the sway of her hips.

Elvis couldn’t close his mouth, his jaw had lost its retractiveness as it dropped

Elvis Chapter 26

My name is Shadow, I hope you're enjoying the story. Lets continue, shall we??? 🔽🔽


CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
Elvis almost slumped after the connection went stale. He couldn’t believe his sister; his only sister has been captured. He was dumbfounded and perplexed. His CNS went offline and he felt an emptiness feeling deep within him. Everything around him became still and he couldn’t breathe. His stiff self didn’t notice when the phone fell off his hands and hit the floor with a shattering sound, parts flying around on the tiled floor.

Ellie on the other hand was visibly shaken and couldn’t utter a word. She sat still in her previous location. Elvis was losing the inner war his mind is fighting against the dementing feeling quickly gathering within him. He will surely lose his saneness at this rate. The pounding on the door has increased and the apprehension shouts of his teammates reached him faintly as he sink deeper into himself. He managed to make for the door and open the door to meet the confused looks on his team members, other teams are already gathering at the door and some are already planning on breaking down the door.

Timi and Dauda rushed in and was relieved when they saw Ellie safe and sound; they must have thought there leader has gone to the extreme. Confused and questioning looks could be seen from the bystanders at the door, Elvis beckoned to Ben- who was totally lost- to come in before slamming the door shut on the face of the nosy bystanders.

After flurry of questioning and pleading questions, Elvis managed to explain in details to his teammates, from the very beginning with Ellie to the call, they listened with rapt attention, the atmosphere in the room got thicker as they each tried to think straight. Their team leader has given them the first details of a mission without him diving into it alone, but this is quite bigger than they could manage.

America doesn’t bargain with terrorists but we are currently in Nigeria where terrorism walks nakedly on the highway daring anyone to come near. Elvis going will be a as disastrous as him not going, his sister’s life is at stake and his too is at stake if he goes; if they could abduct his sister, his whole family is at stake too.

“Wait, you said they sent you videos of them torturing Andrew, are they still on your phone?” Timi said suddenly breaking the silence at Ellie.

“I deleted them, they are too gruesome to look at save the last one they sent yesterday” Ellie replied.

“Where’s your phone?” Timi asked, now catching the attention of them all.

All eyes turned to the shattered pieces of the phone Elvis has unconsciously thrown down, the battery and casing are light-years away from each other, and the screen is broken. Timi rushed towards it and started breaking it further apart to the dismay of others, he kept breaking it till he got to the micro hard disk of the phone. He made for the laptop on Elvis’s table and managed to connect it to the computer after a visit to his own desk.

He rummaged through the files on the micro hard disk with the mouse. He had been joined by the other members of the team including Ellie; they had stood around the desk watching in awe at the screen of the monitor as Timi ransacked the files of the phone memory.

“It’s not here” Ellie said, “It’s on the memory chip” she added. All eyes turned to the phone mess on the floor again like they are automated. Timi hurried towards the mess and found the memory card, after a few clicks……and with Ellie’s guidance, he found the video.

The video showed Andrew tied to a chair and him being oppressed by some assailants who’s face weren’t shown, only threatening words and hands of the assailants could be heard and seen as they slap and beat Andrew who groan and mumble in pain as he was being beaten. One of the hands of the assailants has a tattoo below his thumb which Elvis has seen somewhere before. His crisp sense of recollection came into play and he remembered the tattoo located in the same position on the hand of the man from his dream, the man who was examining the unconscious boy-himself. That is why the dream keeps coming back, its showing him something, and right before him in the video is the BTU hall bomber. He tried to recollect the face from his dream but he couldn’t, the identity of the man before him is also unknown.

After threatening words meant for Ellie has been said, urging her to leak more information or else her fiancé will be the casualty, the video went blank but the audio was still on-a mistake on the recorder’s part- the voice of Andrew could be heard laughing hysterically mocking Ellie’s gullibility and credulousness before reiterating the impending storm on Elvis’s house to a group of men who must be close by with the proximity of their response to the recording area. The audio scrambled before stopping finally. The all heaved and took deep breathes as they excogitated over what they just heard. Ellie for one is already crying apparently at her absolute dumbness and sheer gullibility.

“What is the plan?” Ben asked after some minutes of silence.

“The plan is for me to go and get my sister out” Elvis said.

“You can’t go alone, it’s too dangerous, and there must be a way” Dauda said still trying so hard to think.

“We have to tell the other teams and storm them before they could react” Ben suggested.

“Jane will serve as forfeiture” Ellie replied between sobs, wallowing in the guilt of the consequences of her downright stupidity. Elvis patted her softly and understandably, she sniffed in response.

“Something is certain, we can’t alert the other teams and you can’t go in alone” Timi said bringing them out of their individual reveries “But we can do it as a team” he added.

“I agree with Timi, we’ll sneak in on them as we did at the Emeralds, we have to come up with a convincing plan of annihilating them before they could act, we can rescue Jane and if possible arrest some of them” Dauda added.

“We don’t know how large they’ll be in quantity” Elvis asked

“Abduction and terrorist negotiations doesn’t need large amount of personnel, maximum is six, that’s the basic” Dauda said.

“Okay, I think the plan should be like this, Sir, you have to get close enough to the terrorist and make sure Jane’s safe, Ben and Dauda will be close by on hand to act as a first hand help, the other teams will lie in wait at the adjoining street ready to attack in civilian vehicles and clothing.” Timi summarized like a pre-crammed memory verse.

“That’s fair enough” Dauda agreed.

“Great thinking Timi” Ben said knocking Timi’s head, “thought you have only computers in this head” he added playfully before readjusting himself to the sober atmosphere at play.

“I’ll brief the IG of the situation at hand and prompt him to get the other teams ready” Elvis said.

Since no objection is raised, they all set to work, Ben and Dauda working on how to be in the vicinity of the upcoming event, Timi went to get to work on the Information amenities the team’s going to need for the mission. Elvis was left with Ellie, he made to go to the IG’s office but was pulled back by a hand, he turned and a pair of luscious lips met his, he responded as he kissed Ellie deeply. They were in each other’s hands for some minutes before they broke apart with Elvis still trying to recover from the sudden moment of bliss he just enjoyed.

“Save Jane and kill that b*****d of a thousand fathers for me” Ellie said softly before nudging him softly to go on.

Elvis nodded stupidly, still flushed as he turned and made for the IG’s office. Few minutes later, he walked out of the IG’s office smiling, all plans are in place, this is going to be good.
…………………………………………………………………………………….

10:15 PM

Elvis had been under the Erinpa Bridge for the past 30minutes, he’s punctual against his usual self maybe due to the sacrosanct nature of the situation at hand but there has been no glimpse of Jane’s abductors. Ben and Dauda are lurking under some large pillars of the bridge, his communication gadgets are in place and functioning pretty well, even Timi had insisted on injecting him with a tracker in case something unprecedented comes up, it’ll serve as a contingent to lead them to him. The other teams from the office are lying in wait in the adjoining street waiting patiently for any sign of suspicious movement.

The sound of a car rushing at him at full speed made him turn, just in time for him to jump out of the path of the onrushing van, two men in face masks jumped out of the van which has stopped right beside him, they rushed towards him and picked him forcefully, dragging him towards the van. Dauda saw what’s happening he rushed towards Elvis to help, a shot rang and he fell. Elvis was dumped inside the back of the van, an electronic device was used to scan him, it beeped at the location where Timi had injected the tracker, a knife is produced and the tracker was forcefully removed and squashed. He was searched and all communication devices are strapped off him and squashed. He watched helplessly has four masked men glare at him and one is holding him down, something he doesn’t think is needed; he can’t fight through five men.

“I told you to come alone, but cops are stubborn especially naïve and emotional ones” Andrews said smacking his lips lustfully.

Andrews dealt him a blow that was aimed to knock him out, it did its job, he felt himself falling helplessly as his eyelids close like a reflex action. Darkness engulfed him as the van gathered speed towards its location.

Elvis Chapter 25

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE.

02:00 AM

The ride to ‘work’ was a disparaging one, he almost ran into a truck, he knocked over dustbins lying on the sidewalks in a bid to avoid onrushing cars after turning to the wrong side of the lane, he disobeyed all traffic laws and ran all red lights leaving colliding cars and strings of accidents in his wake. Curses and abuses- a normal vocal interacting medium in Lagos- flew after him after been thrown by incredulous and angry drivers and pedestrians.

He kept on rummaging about how dumb and blind he had been, his stomach churning in fury impregnated with anger. He slammed on the brake as he turned into the compound housing ‘work’. He slammed his door in anger as he walked furiously towards the lounge and towards the elevator. He tapped his foot in anger as he waited endlessly for the elevator to ding and stop at the 19th floor. It did and he stormed furiously towards his office.

Ellie’s not at her table, he walked into his office and saw her coming from his restroom, he slammed the door shut before rushing towards her, he gripped the neck of her flowing gown and dragged her to his table throwing away everything on it, he raised his fisted right hand to strike her face, but his hands stopped in its tracks when he saw the pair of swollen blood-shot eyes looking meekly at him.

He couldn’t do it. All his anger dissappeared, her eyes are well swollen, she must have been crying for long, the swollen eyes reached into the recesses of his inner self, he saw love and pleading behind the pair of bulging eyes. He felt himself going numb and falling back. He hit the floor weakly with his buttocks and felt himself crying. He now knows how much he loved her.

“I’m sorry” he heard, he raised his head to discover that Ellie had raised herself off the table, she’s now sitting at the foot of the table, he gown dishevelled but she heed not to that. her make-up is ruined, he cheeks paler and she looks forlorn.

“I learnt about it yesterday’ She managed to say.

“What?, learn about what?, you’ve been leaking everything about us, did you do all those yesterday?” Elvis asked getting worked up.

She was silent.

Elvis walked up furiously, and went to her bag, rummaging all through it, spilling and knocking out some items, he found her phone and marched towards her angrily. He had selected the picture and showed her.

“Who is this?” Elvis asked.

No answer.

“I said who is this?, did you just meet him?” Elvis asked again getting angrier.

Yet no answer.

“I said who is this?” he said shaking her furiously

“He was my fiance.” she replied shaken.

“was……your…..fiance?, so you met all those YESTERDAY?, he’s a key member of MSN’s gang” Elvis said screaming.

Knocks could be heard from the door, with Timi requesting what’s going on. Elvis entreated him to leave, saying all is fine.

Ellie was all the while silent, sucking underneath the furious Elvis. She kept on sulking, which wetted the remorse appetite of Elvis. He felt hurt but still reeling in anger.

“After my graduation from Hallmark, my parents died in a ghastly motor accident with my siblings, I was the only one left, jobless and felt abandoned. I was a stranger even to my extended families and relatives, no friends, I was alone in the world. I was so sad so much that I was closing in on committing suicide, then I met Andrew.” Ellie started.

“Andrew gave me everything most importantly happiness, he made my happiness his sole responsibility, gave me a reason to live. He was handsome and I was attracted to him, but wasn’t in love with him. I felt indebted to him and felt the least I could do is give in to his proposal for all he has done for me, and we started dating before he got me this job” she poured out

“How he did it, I don’t know but he said he wants me to put my brain into work after a long time of none, I oblidge and was glad I could do something myself and not burden him too much, more glad because I could go a long way in fighting the insecurity of this nation. It changed when I met you, a hero from my past, you captured my heart but I can’t hurt Andrew, so I decided to bottle up my feelings.”

“It all started when I got a call from someone telling me they need me to do something for them, that is to release information about the ICO to them, I declined but they sent me a video of Andrew tied to a chair with scars all over him, he had been beaten to stupor and they are threatening to kill him if I decline their request, I owe him my life, now is my turn to save his. I complied and give out the information in exchange for Andrew, but they never released him.”

“I was crying over the issue when you saw me crying on my desk that day, I saw the hurt in your eyes, too timid to be betrayed especially by someone you love, I’ve been wanting to tell you but you always turn me down, or wasn’t available, I did it all to save my own good Samaritan”

“I learnt I was been used yesterday and also learnt of their impending attack on your house, that’s why I tried to warn you, but you have gone.” Ellie said.

Elvis was dumbfounded when he learnt all that, he couldn’t say anything, its true he had been turning her down, also he had been coming to the office less often, due to him not wanting to see her and also to him been busy.

The shrill from the phone with him broke the silence, Ellie’s phone. The caller is Andrew. He handed it to Ellie to pick it, she did grudgingly and put it on speakers.

“Hello” Ellie said into the phone.

“Why did he give you the phone?, give it to him” Andrew said curtly. Ellie handed it to Elvis.

“If you dare talk to her like that again, I’ll kill…….” Elvis ranted but was cut short.

“Shhhssss……she’s mine remember, but seems I’ve lost her, but I guess you have other things to worry about” Andrew replied coolly.

“What will I worry about from a s**tload like you” Elvis replied shaking furiously.

“Someone wants to speak with you” Andrew replied.

“Elvis….please…..who are these people……..came to your house and met……..pls dnt let them take me…” Jane’s voice rang out from the other end. His head went numb again.

“Jane….Jane..Don’t you dare hurt her……I’ll kill you bastard……sone of a b***h……” Elvis screamed into the phone after Jane’s voice ended.

“Shsssh….you like shouting, bad for your health, if you want her, meet us under the Erinpa bridge by 10:00pm today, come alone and no foul play…..if you do, she’s a goner.” Andrew replied sternly…”Say hi to my sweetheart for me” He added sacarstically before dropping the call.

“Wait….wait….don’t hurt her please…. hello…. please……” Elvis pleaded into the dead connection.

Elvis Chapter 24

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

Elvis was stunned when he saw the face, the evil smile adorning the handsome face he had seen on Ellie’s phone, it’s the same face that had brought tear to the pretty pair of eyes Ellie has. If this is Ellie’s boyfriend, then Ellie must have a part in this or better still Ellie’s the snitch he had been frantically looking for. She must have been planted in the ICO to pass information across to the MSN camp.

His height of thinking got invigorated as he was been ushered into the middle of the large area, he was oblivious to the jeers and gibes been thrown at him by the standing guards, seems they haven’t known his identity yet. He remembered that Ellie was always passing or loitering around their meeting places. She had successfully and deceptively clouded his mind with illusions of emotional legerdemain, and he had fallen into it headlong and he couldn’t come out of it unscathed. He had fallen in love with her.

He regretted for the umpteenth time the rash and hasty decision of jumping into conclusion with Timi while Ellie was the real spy. He remembered her bumping into him on his first day at work right in front of the IG’s office, later that day she brought a file on the BTU bombing, something he hadn’t spoken with her with yet, logically she has a crisp sense of hearing; all their subsequent meetings, she had always been around the meeting area, feigning visits to the washroom, feigning illness just not to conjure suspicions against her and he had been blind to it all. He hated himself for that.

He had been ushered into the middle of the gathering, a blow from the butt of a gun to the back of his knee sent him to his knees beside Ben, he groaned in pain as the pain shot through his back to his brain. Stringer walked silently with a hard face towards him, he raised the head of Elvis examining him censoriously and dutifully.

“What is your name?” Stringer asked after his inspection

No response.

A jab to his face sent blood trickling out of his just busted lips, he was sent sprawling to the ground, he managed to drag himself to his previous position.

“I asked you a question, and when I ask the questions, you answer.” Stringer said coldly examining the cup of wine he’s still holding before taking a sip. Stringer flicked his finger towards Elvis, four guards advanced towards Elvis immediately.

Elvis face had gotten a new shape; the trickling blood has now started trotting down a side of his face, his breathing has gotten heavy and his eyelids could house a ship with their new sizes by the time the guards were through with him. He coughed hardly and moaned in pain as he painfully tried to pick himself up from the sprawling position he was just given.

“Let’s start again, you know the logic, it doesn’t get easier but otherwise and personally I love being obeyed” Stringer said nonchalantly as he took another long sip from his cup. Elvis smiled awkwardly when he remembered Esiogu’s ‘been obeyed’ fanatics.

The smile caught Stringer’s attention.

“You are Elvis aren’t you?” Stringer asked. The silence from Elvis made Stringer laugh hysterically; he dropped his cup on the table and started clapping his hands. All the while, the guest and his men were watching in awe and obviously befuddled by the turn of events.

“Wow, Bravo, you are the man that almost stop my plan if not for contingency, you would have soiled everything” Stringer said all the while clapping admirably “Wow, you are really a hero and pious detective too, let me add nosy to that”

“The great Elvis right in my grasp, that is some achievement, I’ll add that to my C.V” Stringer continued still reveling in awe.

A foreign language incomprehensible to Elvis broke Stringer’s dominance of talking. All eyes turned to the speaker, it was the guest, he must have inquired about what is going on. Stringer stopped abruptly and replied him in the same language.

“Tie the two of them up” he said to some of the guards, the guards complied immediately and set to work, dragging Ben and Elvis to a new location while Stringer started a conversation with the guest in the foreign language.

The guard tied Elvis and Ben with their hands on their back to an iron pole in a secluded section of the warehouse, each sitting on the floor opposite the pole with their back on the pole. The guard left not after giving each of them a good punch on the face worsening the grotesque shape Elvis’s face is having.

“How did you find me?” Elvis managed to say after sometime.

“Your secretary came to us immediately you left, she was very concerned when we told her you have left, she was all mumbo jumbo about you going home. She said your home is dangerous and there are some people waiting for you at home to hurt you…..” Ben replied

“She was the spy amongst us…..wait, my house?” Elvis said.

“yes your house, we tried your mobile number immediately, it was switched off, that’s why I and Dauda decided to follow your car and tried to stop you.” Ben said

“You and Dauda?” Elvis said.

“Yes, Dauda is outside in the car, waiting for us” Ben replied.

“But how did you track my car?” Elvis asked.

“Timi tracked it using your car GPS, he directed us on where we should take, we were all surprised when he led us here, to the warehouse we were supposed to look into tomorrow….why did you come alone?” Ben asked.

“I was thinking Timi was the spy found it difficult to trust anybody again, that’s why I ventured into this alone, I regretted the decision on getting here and almost collapsed when I learnt that Ellie was the spy.” Elvis replied.

“Me?, a spy?” Timi said into the earpiece with Ben.

“Your secretary?, Ellie was the spy?” Ben said as if he could just decipher the sentence.

“Yes, her boyfriend was the guy that found me.” Elvis said “You have a wire on you?” Elvis added.

“I have the micro earpiece on, so she’s the spy we have been looking for?” Ben replied.

“Yes she is, I’m very sorry Timi, I know you can hear me, I’m very sorry to you guys too” Elvis said.

An uncomfortable silence engulfed them, each lost in their thought.

The silence was broken by strings of gun shots and shouts from the large area of the warehouse. Groans and bullet sounds reeling off the tanks ricocheted around the whole warehouse. Their view was blocked by the two large tanks so impeding their line of sights, making it difficult for them to see what is really going on. A guard rushed towards them a gun in hand; he walked haphazardly before falling down right before them, a bullet hole in his head. That summed up the situation of things going on outside. They have to get out of there ASAP.

They have not even thought of escaping, the thought exploited the situation at hand as a medium to get across to them.

“We need to get out of here” Ben sounded alarmed.

“The ropes are too tight and strong, we can’t wriggle out of it, any knife?” Elvis said.

“None” Ben replied getting more alarmed already trying to wriggle his hands out of the tight ropes.

Elvis started tugging at the rope too, but the rope held firm, he realized his hands slipped an inch in the tight rope, he remembered his oil smeared hands, he tugged harder and saw it slipped a bit more. After several minutes of exhausting tugging and pulling, he managed to wrestle himself free; he freed Ben too who was amazed when he discovered Elvis was free.

They both walked quietly towards the large space in the middle of the warehouse, bullets flying around; one specifically missing Ben’s head by a few centimetres, they lowered their heads and meandered their way between the tanks holding each other like kindergarten pupils. In the middle of the warehouse, a miniwar is ongoing, Elvis had always watched it in movies, now he’s having a live and free view, the men of the guests are at war with the men of MSN. Dead bodies littered the floor and more bodies are falling. They turned back and looked for another way to get out of the warehouse. They stopped in their tracks when they saw Stringer pointing his gun at them.

A shot rang and one of the guest’s men fell behind them, Stringer turned and walked away. They hurried to one of the windows and went over it, they landed outside the warehouse and hurried towards the space in the wire fencing through which they had come in. they met Dauda at the front of the warehouse.

“I’ve called the other teams, they’ll be here soon” Dauda said on sighting them.

Sirens could be heard closing in on the warehouse. Elvis had other plans. He collected the mini earpiece with Ben and hurried to where he had parked his car.

“Timi, is Ellie still at work?” Elvis said into the earpiece.

“She refused to leave sir” Timi replied.

“Don’t let her leave, I’ll be there right away” Elvis said opening his car.

“Okay sir” Timi replied.

“The pen you put on me in the old facility, does it record?” Elvis asked.

“It does sir, but it was stolen yesterday” Timi replied.

“I’m sorry I suspected you” Elvis said into the earpiece, kicked his car to life and zoomed of towards his place of work. He will surely kill her.