Chukwuma stopped at the door and tried to pull himself together. It was not the end of the world –yet. The police had promised to do their best and he knew he would need to pressure them to remind them of what needed to be done to the monsters that destroyed his building. For all he knew, the devious and ambitious Adebayo Olanre was behind it but it was not yet time to start pointing fingers.
As he parked his car, he noticed Ifeoma’s car and he tried to smile but failed terribly. She had her spare key and he knew she was already inside. He had completely forgotten about James and the power outage issue until he opened the front door. It was just 12:50pm. There was still time.
“Ifeoma” he called dryly as he locked the door behind him. She had not even opened the windows to let in air and he was sure she would be shocked at the power outage.
“Ifeoma” he called again and pulled open a curtain behind one of the sofas in the living room. The moment he put his hand on the window, something hard hit his head and he fell to the floor with a heavy thud.
*****
Her eyelids fluttered but she instantly closed them shut. She could not move. Her hands were tied behind the chair she was sitting on and legs tied to the two fore legs of the chair. She knew her father was a rich business mogul with many enemies and competitors but she had never been kidnapped before and dread was all that filled her. Her father had just lost so much in the fire and he was equally going to pay for all the injuries and casualties sustained and also the damage done to hired equipments. She really wondered how her freedom would be negotiated.
She finally opened her eyes and looked around. She was seated at a round table and there was someone else at her opposite equally bound to a chair but the head was bowed with a cloth over his face. She wondered if he was dead.
The thought sent shivers down her spine. Maybe they had not paid the ransom money and the kidnapper had killed whoever it was and then came after her as a secondary source. What if her father could not meet up with his demands? What would become of her, her son and her husband whom she loved dearly? She could not begin to imagine how life would be for them without her.
She turned her head to the left and then to the right. There was only one bulb at the centre of the room and she felt it was already nightfall because the place was so quiet. Maybe she was in the woods where nobody would ever find her or even think to look for her.
She soon heard footsteps behind her and closed her eyes shut immediately. The steps went past her and the next disturbing sound was a painful gasp and for the first time she felt relieved that the person at her opposite was not dead.
She then felt a strong hand take hold of her face but she managed to keep her eyes tightly shut.
“Open your eyes” the deep voice said to her and she opened them immediately.
The surprise that filled her eyes was unmistakable. A gasp would have escaped her but for the tape over her mouth; she was staring at her father who equally stared weakly at her.
“Ify?” he called quite unsure of who he was staring at.
Ifeoma was confused; if he had kidnapped her father also, what else did he want? Her husband was an honest police officer who had a lot of principles and one was not accepting bribes. She wondered how the kidnapper planned to get a good amount from him.
The man behind the mask made them sit beside each other and he then sat at their opposite where he would be able to take in whatever expression they would have in the course of their interaction. Father and daughter could only stare at the cold eyes that penetrated the cloth mask as he reached out and forcefully removed the tape from Ify’s mouth.
Ify winced in pain and almost tried to scream but the moment her eyes caught sight of the gun he placed on the table, she thought better of it. With the cold look in his eyes, she was certain he would not hesitate to shoot either of them.
“What do you want?” Chukwuma finally asked as the masked man managed a chuckle.
“Nothing from you, bloody old bastard” he replied with so much malice that Ifeoma cringed. He turned to her and said slowly, “I know you two must be wondering where you are” he paused. “Enugu State…I know it’s quite a distance from home but –”
“Why are we here?” Ify cut in completely forgetting who was in charge.
He shot a cold yet surprised look at her and took out two pieces of dirty old materials that made Ifeoma feel nauseated immediately. “I wouldn’t like any more interruptions during this out little session” he explained in his usual unfriendly tone as he folded the rags and put in their mouths and finally put a duct tape over their mouths.
He smiled at their disgusted expression. “Now” he continued. “This isn’t supposed to take long, so let’s get this over with” he began.
“Do you remember Onyinyechi Nwodo ?” he asked as Ify stared at him. “I asked you a question” the masked man said angrily and held up the gun and she nodded immediately and the masked man took out the piece of cloth from her mouth.
“Who was she?”
“She was a girl I met in Enugu-” she answered wondering what the connection was.
“Where is she?” he asked as she looked down and remembered what had happened.
“She’s dead…a fire accident” she replied as the masked man glared at her making her wonder if she had said something wrong. “Could you please go to the main reason why we’re here?” she asked politely as the masked man nodded slowly.
“I just wanted to make sure you at least know why you’re going to die” he said and took in their confused and surprised expression.
“What? Why?” Ify asked in a shaky voice as he ignored her and took out the piece of cloth from Chukwuma’s mouth.
“Do you know Chidimma Okeke?” he asked as Chukwuma tried to remember and then nodded. “Where is she?”
“I think in a mental asylum…or probably dead” he said casually.
“I’m glad you two know everything. Karma is wonderful, isn’t it? You two are going to have to pay for what you did ten years ago” he said as they both stared at him confused.
“Look…young…man, I think you have got this all wrong. These ladies you mentioned were not even so close to my daughter and I” he explained. “Just do your research and -”
He was cut short by the masked man hitting him with the gun and putting the piece of cloth back in his mouth. He then put a piece of cloth over his head and turned to Ify whose eyes were pleading.
She could not leave her husband and her little Chidi. Why would this man want to kill her?
“Please” she begged as he put a similar cloth bag over her face. “We didn’t do anything…who are you?” she asked as he put the cloth in her mouth and leaned close to her ear.
“Your death warrant” he replied and pulled the trigger.
*****
His head throbbed with pain. He managed to open his eyes and saw two figures standing above him; one in a police uniform and another in a corporate suit.
“Don’t move” he heard as he tried to get up so he remained lying on the floor. “Drop the gun slowly” they ordered with their guns pointed at him as he looked puzzled.
What gun? What were they talking about? Why were they pointing their guns at him? What did they take him for? He had been kidnapped…
He turned and actually saw that he was holding a gun. Impulsively, he flung it and turned to them in utter confusion.
What was going on?
The officer walked to him and pulled him up while the one in a suit still had the gun pointed at Chukwuma.
“You are under arrest for the murder of Mrs. Ifeoma Iloh…” his voice trailed as he turned to look around and noticed a lifeless body facing the wall lying in a pool of her own blood.
“Oh my God” he gasped and put his hand over his mouth. “I didn’t. That man killed my daughter” there were tears in his voice now. He had been framed.
“Anything you say or do will be used against you in the court of law” the officer said.
“No, officer. You have to listen to me. There was a -”
“Take him out” the man with the gun ordered.
“Officer” he protested as he was pulled away. “This is a set-up”
No comments:
Post a Comment