ELVIS (ACTION) EPISODE 29&30

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 a-s, 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.

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.
……………………………………………………………………………………

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.