ELVIS (ACTION) EPISODE 31&32

CHAPTER THIRTY 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.
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“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.
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“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.

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.

“S--t, 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.

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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.