Chapter 71
ASHER
“A Nigerian guy lived with me for five years so I definitely learnt a little”
“Wow”
“Did you bring our money”
“Of course. Chen” he unzipped the big bag which contained the money. They smiled seeing the money.
“Dollars? oh God Dele. We don hammer”
“Take me to him and I’ll give the money”
“Of course, this way please”
We walked into a room and I think that was the only room in the house apart from the sitting room and a chair was in the middle of the room. The chains and shackles were on the floor. He had escaped.
“Where is he”
“We left him… here with Jide” Dele started crying and the others too.
“Who send me? I swear I would never had involved Jide”Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.
“This one na bad market”
“10 million dollars just go like that”
“And I tell my mama say I go buy Benz”
“I swear if I caught that guy I go kill am”
“Now is not the time to lament. They wouldn’t have gotten far. Find them!” I said with gritted teeth. Damn, that bastard!
“He is right. We need to find him. No one knows this place better than we do”
“True talk”
“All of you, split up and find him. I’ll stay here with him”
“OK” they scurried out of the house through the back door.
***
DELE
I can’t believe Jide could be this stupid. He is about to make us loose a large sum of money. I hope they find him, I hope they do.
“Will you stop moving around? it’s making me dizzy” Asher said.
“You don’t understand what that money means to us”
“Of course, I understand”
“I expected you to yell at us or something”
“Yelling won’t solve anything besides I’m not in my country but yours so I definitely need to try to cool down a little”
I sighed. “Why do you guys want this guy so much”
“Because, he’s dangerous and he seeks to destroy our family”
“Now I understand why you guys want him so much and I’m sorry Jide had to put the lives of your family at stake”
“It’s not really your fault you know”
“Of course, it is. I’m their leader and I brought him on this mission”
“Dele, Dele, Dele” Tosin and Uche and they Jide was on Uche’s shoulders.
They laid him on the ground and he looked pretty much lifeless. Blood was dripping from his head What happened? even though he betrayed us Jide and I were still very close friends.
“What happened”
“We found him a few metres from here with pieces of block scattered on his head. He’s not breathing Dele”
“No, Jide wake up” I held him and started shaking him but he refused to walk up.
“Bolin, take off your jacket and apply pressure to his head to stop him from bleeding”
“Yes boss”
“Boss he suddenly stopped bleeding”
Asher bent and touched his neck. “No pulse”
“Crying won’t wake him up. Hugo give thirty chest compressions and Fengge, two rescue breaths”
“Yes boss’
They laid him flat on the floor and began the chest compressions.
“It’s of no use, he’s dead”
“The reason why people die, it’s because you guys think they are dead. He bleed because he had a pulse and now he lost it. The chest compressions are to help his heart pump blood and the rescue breaths are to fill his lungs with air. Didn’t you attend rescue classes”
“No”
“Call an ambulance now”
“OK”
I put a call across to 112.
“112 what’s your emergency”
“My friend collapsed and he has no pulse” Like I know what that means
“Give us your location”
“Dele, he has a pulse and he opened his eyes”
I gave them our location.
“I got your exact location on my screen. Try to keep your friend alive as long as you can. Help will be on the way soon”
“OK”
GREG
? About 15 minutes earlier?
“You can’t possibly hand me over to him”
“Why not”
“He’s going to kill me”
“Like I care and shut up”
“I still have 7 million dollars in my account. You can have it”
“Why should I trust you”
“Do you think Dele will give you your money? Dele is cunning and greedy, he will run away with all the money but you have a chance to save me and get 7 million dollars. My debit card is here and you have my pin. Think”
“I’ll help you but I’m taking this” he took my card and loosened my chain carefully to be sure no one heard and we both fled through the back door. The place was an isolated place and I couldn’t sight any humans.
“This is where we part ways. I helped you already”
“I’m not really familiar with this place. Can you lead me to town”
“That will cost extra money”
“Don’t worry, I’ll give you more at the hotel”
“OK”
“Lead the way please” I followed him closely behind and not until I sighted a building brick that was cut into half”
I pretended to fall. “I’m hurt” I sobbed.
“What happened” he bent down to touch my leg but I hit his head with the brick. He fell to the ground and his head was bleeding.
“You…” he closed his eyes and I think he died.
“In your next life don’t be greedy” I took my card and fled. I will be back Darrell and I will wipe out your whole family.
DELE
“You’re finally awake”
“Dele”
I frowned. “Dele, I’m sorry. I was stupid and I should never have been greedy. I regret everything”
“It’s okay I guess”
“You won’t shout at me or something. I ruined the whole plan”
“Shouting won’t bring back the money we lost”
“Do you know who you let go Jide? a wanted fugitive and our only chance of becoming rich. You be mumu” Uche yelled walking into the room.
“I’m…”
“Everybody dey vex for you. You almost lost your life in the process. If not for Asher, you would have been long dead. I feel like killing you right now” he said with gritted teeth.
“I’m sorry”
“Fuck you Jide, you’re so stupid”
“Uche, it’s fine”
“No, it’s not fine. The worst mistake was letting you into this mission” he yelled and stormed out of the room.
“I guess he hates me now”
“Not just him, the whole crew does”
“And you don’t”
“I am still mad at you but what’s done is done. At least, we still have 5 million dollars that’s almost 2 billion naira; though it’s not much compared to what we would have had, but it’s still enough. We all get about 200 million each since we are eight”
“You’re one in a million Dele”
“You really haven’t told me what happened”
“He hit my head with a block. I’m surprised I didn’t really die but I pretended to die so he won’t kill me for real. I bled out seriously and I thought I was gonna die. I couldn’t even move my hands. It felt like I was paralyzed and I fought to keep my eyes open but I couldn’t. I saw that light in tunnel and I was gonna cross over not until I opened my eyes”
“That was when we were trying to resuscitate you”
“I owe you guys my life”
“Well, not me. We thought you were dead, Asher suggested we tried CPR on you”
“I’ll like to meet this guy”
“He’s a nice guy, I mean he’s rich and we still call him by his name”
“You sound like you like this guy” he gave me a weird look.
“Yeah, who wouldn’t”
“Don’t tell you are thinking of becoming gay, remember it’s forbidden I’m Nigeria”
“Of course, not. I’m hundred percent straight”
“Yeah, right and it should stay that way”
*1 week later*
CLAIRE
It’s been a week since Greg escaped and still no news of him. Darrell and I have been planning for our wedding and also for Lora’s funeral. Asher came back home two days ago and Daniela had missed him so much.
The rest of the family will be arriving for my wedding in four days from now. I can’t wait to see mom and dad and Danielle and Owen. I miss them so much.
Today is not a happy day but a sad one that’s because it’s Lora’s funeral and we are all on black. A lot people attended her funeral including her Aunt and she’s been crying since.
“Zach this is your mummy” I said referring to the half opened coffin.
“Mummy” he muttered and started crying.
“It’s okay Zach, everything is gonna be alright” I tried to pet him and so did Darrell. Asher was particularly sad, we all were and when the funeral ended, Zach’s grandaunt called me aside. I think her name is Loretta. I guess Lora was named after her.
“I called you Claire cause I wanted to tell you something” her eyes were all red. She really cried a lot.
“What is it ma’am”
“Now, that you’re gonna be marrying Darrell. I want you to take good care of my grandnephew. Please do not mistreat him”
“You don’t need to tell me that ma’am, I see Zach as my son and it’s gonna stay like that”
“Thank you Claire, you’re such a nice woman no wonder Darrell loves you so much”
“I guess” I smiled.
“I bet my niece will be happy knowing her son is in safe hands”
“Yeah, she would be” I muttered sadly.
“Her obsession for Darrell caused her death. I know it’s not his fault but she died because of him and it hurts so badly. Lora was a lively girl, very nice and she treated everyone as family. I just can’t get over it” she broke into fresh tears.
“I’m sorry”
“When she went missing, my sister lost her mind. We all felt her departure, we looked for her, we all did not until my sister died of depression” she half yelled.
“I know how it feels to lose a loved. I felt that way too when I thought my mother died but the thing about life is that we all have to move on no matter how hard it is”
“I like you a lot Claire for your way of reasoning. I’m sorry for my outburst”
“It’s fine. I understand how how you feel”
“We should better start going before they start looking for us”
“Yeah, we should”