The Faintest Dawn

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 15

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James didn’t really know his way out of Tina’s vicinity. He had to ask questions, fortunately, he was given directions to the bustop. It was dark, the bustop was far from his own bustop, taking a bike would be too risky or expensive. He checked Idowu’s wallet and found cash, enough cash to do whatever he wanted to do. He boarded a bus that would take him to their bustop then, he’d take a motorcycle to his house. He wasn’t sure, if his decisions were naive or not, even if, he met Ola in his house, there was very little he could do but, he still had to go, at least, to be with his family.

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As Victoria lit the lamp, she saw Felix clearly in his own pool of blood. He had been lying there for an hour and thirty minutes, all the while, she had been waiting for a text message on his phone showing the details of her daughter’s whereabouts after she took it from his pocket. He was dead, she didn’t want to believe it. She dropped the phone on the table, she somehow tried to believe that, moving his shoulders consistently would revive him. It started with a gentle tap on his back, then it became heavy slaps. He still didn’t wake up, lines of sweat could be seen on her forehead, her eyes were wet, she sobbed softly to avoid suspicion from neighbors. She sat on the floor beside his body wondering if kidnapping her daughter was a justifiable reason to kill a man. While she contemplated on these things, Felix’s phone vibrated twice. She picked it up and it was the message, she had been waiting for. The message of her daughter’s location. She was thrilled and scared at the same time. Thrilled because, she would see her daughter. Scared because, there was little she could do, when she got there. She stood from her position and decided to neglect the odds. She had taken down a man with a gun for the first time, doing it again was not going to be a problem. She ignored the body besides her and had a change of clothes and packed her weave into a Bon. She looked at the body once wondering what she would do with it, when she got back. That is, if she decided to return to the house. Her new intentions were, if she succeeded in getting her daughter, she would run back to her parents house, she didn’t care, if she had to marry Nonso. She picked up the phone and blew out the candle. The house became frightening for her as she remembered she was in the dark with a dead body, she quickly removed the keys from the hole in the door, opened the door and went outside, shutting the door in a haste. Her heart beat rapidly increased, it seemed that the fresh breeze on the passage way awakened a new fright in her. The passage was a little dark but, she could find her way go the front of the compound. The place was dark, so, she could avoid inquisitive glances from those tiring neighbours.

She was almost at the front of the compound, when a motor cycle alighted in front of the compound. Soon, she heard from the guys outside, “Papa Laura, welcome oooo”, “e Don tey ooo”.

Victoria: My ears must need cleaning.

She increased her footsteps and met a masculine figure at the square entrance that lead to the compound. She didn’t see his face clearly but, she was sure, it was James. She recognized that shape anytime. She wanted to jump for joy at the sight of James but, she was way too furious. There was nothing to be happy about. A dead man was in her room and their daughter had been kidnapped and for all she knew, it was all his fault.

James saw Victoria coming towards him, he opened his arms wide to embrace her, only to be turned down, when she said.

Victoria: (angry) if you don’t get out of my way, I swear, I could kill you right now.

She didn’t seem like she was bluffing so, he made way and followed her behind as she dashed out angrily. He still had a clumsy smile on his face to prevent the guys outside from noticing anything. When they had gone quite a distance from the compound, approaching the bustop, James grabbed her hand, bringing her to a halt.

Victoria: What?

James: Victoria, how, how, how are you?, I thought, something had happened to you and………

James realized, he hadn’t seen Laura, had Laura been around, Victoria would never leave her at home, especially at that hour. He suspected something was wrong still, he refused to jump into conclusions.

Victoria: Let go of me.

Victoria knew she was being too stubborn, she had to just open and let James know what was going on. There was no way, she could handle it all.

James: Where is Laura.

Victoria: James, leave me alone. I will still listen to you.

James released his grip.

James: Okay, fine, why are you alone?

Victoria: He took her.

James: Who took her?

Victoria: (furious) How am I supposed to know? I think, I should be asking you that question. Who took her James?

James: What do you mean by that?

Victoria: I was made to understand that the new rubbish you are into has put my daughter and I in trouble. He said he’s taking her because of you and once you show up, he’ll let her go.

James: Wait, wait, slow down. They took Laura? And what did you do?

Victoria: Don’t you dare blame me for anything. I did the best I could. If I did anything stupid, they would kill her. (sobbed).

James: (scratched his head) Where is she? Do you have any clues on where she was taken?

Victoria: Yes.

James: How?

Victoria: from his partners’ phone.

She brought out the phone from her pocket.

James: How did you get this phone?

Victoria: (stuttered and burst into tears)

James: shhhhhhh, Vicky, please be quiet, I don’t want passers-by to start staring at us.

Victoria: (sniffed) An accident occurred.

James: What kind of accident?

Victoria: I was made to stay in the house with one of them.

James: Them? How many came?

Victoria: Just two.

James: Then?

Victoria: One left with Laura and the other one stayed with me, to make sure, I didn’t try anything fishy.

James: Then, how did you manage to leave the house if one of them was with you?

Victoria: I tried to make a deal with him, to share the content of the text message, whenever it arrived with me but, he refused.

James: (rolled his eyes) Then?

Victoria: It got out of hand, he slapped me and, I uhm hit him with a pestle.

James: Oh, God, for a moment there, I thought you wanted to say, you killed him.

Victoria: (Frowned and laughed scornfully) No, I didn’t kill him, that seventy inches pestle will certainly not kill a man, in fact, he’s fine, he’s watching TV in our house.

James: Wait! What? You killed him?

Victoria: Yes, I killed him and don’t give me that judgy look. If I hadn’t done that, you would probably return home to find me sobbing with no clues on how to find my daughter.

James: Our daughter.

Victoria: Just shut up or else your fate will be worse than, that guy in our room.

James was trying to wrap his head around the situation. Yes, Victoria was aggressive, he was aware, he didn’t know she could kill a man in cold blood. He knew it was “self defense” but, a certain fear for her, gripped him. Besides, he couldn’t accord any blames on her.

James: Okay, now we have two situations. Our kidnapped daughter and a guy in our room.

Victoria: Which is more important?

James: The guy in our room.

No matter how Victoria tried to reason with him, she just couldn’t understand how the dead guy was more important than their kidnapped daughter. Victoria couldn’t help it, she slapped James.

James dragged her to a corner by the street.

James: You slapped me.

Victoria: Another one will arrive, if you say pointless things again.

James: I wasn’t. (Angry) just listen to me.

Victoria: listen to what?

James: You said it yourself. No one will harm Laura, till I show up.

Victoria: How are you so sure?

James: James, I’m so sure. I know the guy, it’s me, he wants.

Victoria: So, finally, you acknowledged that you know them.

James: But, that guy in our room will be discovered, sooner or later. It would leave us in big trouble.

Victoria: I don’t care, let me get my daughter.

James: Besides, where were you going to?

Victoria: To the police, of course. I wanted to show them this address.

The police would be a good idea but, that would unveil a lot of things and put both him(James) in trouble.

James: No, no, no, no. The police?

Victoria: No, the army.

She turned around to leave, when James held her again.

James: Let’s go.

Victoria: To the police?

James: No!

Victoria: Why not?

James: Let’s just go.

Victoria: I’m certainly not going to that house with you.

James: Who said, we were going to the house? We are going to get help.

Victoria: From your goons abi?

James was offended by that statement.

James: Just trust me.

James held her and moved towards the bustop.

Victoria couldn’t refuse him, she heard this confidence in his voice that she had never heard from him and for the first time in a long time, she choose to trust him.

James was taking his wife to Idowu’s house. He was confident that, Idowu would know what to do, especially about that body in their house.

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Gbenga received a call from Idowu’s client. The client was a regular customer, they always supplied drugs to him. He thought, Gbenga and Idowu were still on good terms, therefore, he decided to call Gbenga to confirm the venue of the exchange and transaction as Idowu’s phone was switched off.

Gbenga: (smiled) Yes, yes, I know that hotel.

Client: okay, it will be quick, I don’t want delays, since, I’ll be coming in person.

Gbenga: No problem. So Golden dragon right?

Client: Yes, golden dragon. Be sure to inform your boss for me. Let him know, we have finalized the plans for tomorrow night.

Gbenga: I will.

Client: Thank you!

Gbenga: No, thank you. (hung up)

Gbenga couldn’t help but laugh out loud. He was finding it hard to trace Idowu, had this client not called. He would be completely ignorant about the fact that, Idowu would be at the club in two days. The club opposite the house. Gbenga was thrilled, he didn’t want anything to spoil the plan, hence he called the client again.

Client: Yes, hello

Idowu: You don’t need to call my boss anymore.

Client: Why?

Idowu: He said, you’ll talk to me alone. He’s very busy right now.

Client: That’s not a problem. You’re his right hand man afterall.

Idowu: Exactly.

Client: okay (ended the call)

Gbenga: (wide grin) So, finally, I will get rid of this man.