Episode 11
Detective Ahmed opened his
small gate and entered his house.
He was wearing a Manchester
United Jersey and joggers. He
was sweating lightly as he had
just finished a 40minute jog. This
had been the psychologist’s
prescription as a way to get
some of his memories back. It
had been four days since he was
discharged from the hospital. He
was angry for his inability to
recall events from the past five
weeks. He had a terrible feeling
that it was not as a result of the
accident as the doctors were
trying to make him believe. They
told him he was suffering from
partial amnesia. What bugged
him most was the fact that it was
only five weeks of memory loss
he suffered. Why not more? Why
not total amnesia? He was not
satisfied with the mere fact that
his past five weeks were blank.
No matter how hard he tried to
recollect, he simply did not find
any headway. This to him was
more annoying than being alive.
The jogging cleared his head.
Made him think.
He sat down on his long couch
and closed his eyes. He felt good.
He was getting back in shape
and he was feeling alive again.
He was almost drifting into sleep
when his phone beeped. It was a
text message. He did not know
the number.
“We want to thank everyone
who was present at the burial of
our beloved sister, friend, aunty
and daughter Miss Mercy Etiebet.
May God continue to guide and
protect you and your family.
Thank you. Felix Etiebet for the
family.”
He could not believe his eyes. He
read the message again. His own
Agent Mercy? She was in an
undercover assignment. He
spoke to her a few days ago.
What was happening? He called
his Boss. She did not pick. He was
very distressed. What was the
cause of death? What other thing
happened in his absence? He had
to find out. He had a quick
shower and change of clothes.
He got his keys and got into his
black Toyota Corolla. He was
going to the office. He needed
answers and he had to find out.
His instincts were never wrong
and he had a very strong feeling
that something was just not
right.
A ‘red cab’ taxi was parked two
houses away from Ahmed’s
residence. Brenda and Iyke were
on duty this time. They had
watched him every day since his
discharge from the hospital. They
always came in different cars to
avoid suspicion and never
parked at the same spot twice.
Ahmed’s whole house had been
bugged. Every sound coming
from his house could be heard.
His phones were bugged too.
They listened in on every
conversation and saw every text
message and email. They knew
when he got the condolence text
message. They were supposed to
keep an eye on him and report
anything unusual to Shina. They
were aware that he tried to
reach his Boss but was not
successful. So when he got in his
car and drove off, they followed
him making sure they were far
behind not to be noticed and
close enough to monitor him.
When Ahmed slowed down and
turned to enter his office at
Osborne Foreshore Ikoyi, the red
cab sped off, the two agents
inside acting out a heated
discussion at the back while the
driver acted uninterested. Ahmed
did not suspect a thing.
When they got on Third Mainland
Bridge, Iyke called Shina and
informed him about all the things
that happened that evening.
Ahmed was at his office on a
Sunday and was acting weird. He
was also freaked out by the
news of his ward’s death.
Shina called Ambrose. Ambrose
did not pick.
He sent an encrypted text:
“The mouse is in the hole. Your
move.”
Ahmed put on his computer. He
entered his password and
another window opened. He
typed his special code and was
granted access. He clicked on
Agent Mercy’s profile. A red
branded mark appeared on her
profile “DEACTIVATED”. He could
not believe his eyes. He clicked on
the cause of death. He saw his
own report on the page. The
picture of the bullet and the
finger print reports submitted by
Tunde. All that information was
too much for him to handle. He
quickly shut down his computer
and rested his head on the table.
He was not emotionally and
mentally ready for this. He got his
keys and left the building. He
promised himself he was going
to get to the b0ttom of this early
Monday morning. He got in his
car and headed home.
Ambrose was at a bar drinking
when Shina was calling. He was
not in the mood for any work. He
just wanted to drink, and drink
and get a babe and go home. So
he ignored the calls. He was
already on his third bottle of beer
and already eyeing a dark
skinned plump girl when the text
got in. He opened the message, it
was encrypted. He decoded it
and read the content. He was
fuming. His fun had been cut
short. He exited the message and
his phone reset itself to factory
settings. He was prepared for
this. He had his plans already
mapped out. The file under his
pillow had given him just one
simple message:
“Be prepared to wipe out the
Intelligence Operation”. Since
then he had always carried his
kit in the trunk of his car. And
now, the time had come. It was
his time to move.
He left the bar and got to his car.
He drove to Bar Beach and
parked. The ‘rude boys’charged
him 200naira as parking fee. He
paid 500. He changed into his full
black ninja costume and wore a
hat. He reversed and faced the
freeway heading towards The
Intelligence Operations Head
Quarters in Osbourne. He parked
five minutes away from the
entrance of the office. He got out
his briefcase and crossed the
road. He walked to a restaurant
that stood directly opposite the
Intelligence headquarters. There
was a building undergoing
construction. He took the steps
to the 6th floor of the unfinished
building and placed his briefcase
on the floor beside him. He got
out his binoculars and scanned
the Intelligence Premises. There
was a guard just outside the
gate. He was not armed and was
half asleep. Easy to take out.
There was an armed guard
parading the open space just
inside the premises. He would be
the tricky one. He noticed that
the armed guard went out of
sight for 15seconds before
appearing again. He was
probably on patrol, checking out
the other parts of the open
space. The guard spent another
50 seconds before he was out of
sight again. He turned on the
thermal view of the binoculars.
He scanned the whole three
floors of the building. Not a
single soul was in. It was going
to be an easy job.
He took off his black ninja
costume and wore a tight black
shirt, black jeans and black
gloves. His army boots were still
on. He reset his stop watch. He
calculated his movements
carefully. Once the guard went
out of sight he initiated his stop
watch. He got off the 6th floor of
the uncompleted building and
walked quickly down the steps.
He crossed the road. 15 seconds
gone. The guard was now in the
compound. He waited and
watched his stop watch. After 50
seconds, he moved fast. He
walked in the shadows till he got
to the sleeping guard outside. He
put his hands around the guard’s
head and snapped. There wasn’t
a sound. The guard was dead.
10seconds. He carefully dragged
the guard’s body to the side of
the building and put him in a
sitting position. 55 seconds. He
made it back to the gate in time
to see the armed guard moving
to the other part of the
compound. He opened the gate
silently and stepped in. He hid in
the shadows, following the route
he had already memorized from
the plan of the building he
already had.
He got to the server room and
entered inside. He inserted a USB
drive and copied all the
information according to Tawo’s
instruction. He removed it and
put another USB drive. He left
that USB inside the main server.
It contained a deadly virus.
He left the server room and went
upstairs to Ahmed’s office. He
opened his computer and
yanked out the hard drive. He put
it in his sling bag. It was time to
evacuate. His stopwatch read 20
seconds. The guard was still in
the open space. He had to wait
10 more seconds. He was relaxed
and calm. 10, 9, 8…
He was counting. Suddenly an
alarm went off in the server
room. And there was only one
entrance! He had no weapons!
He heard footsteps. He backed
himself up on the wall. There was
nothing he could do. Once the
guard turned he would see him.
The armed guard saw him and
corked his rifle.
“Put your hands up. Who are
you?” He said looking at
Ambrose suspiciously, especially
his black gloves.
“I am the new IT person. I was
just leaving.” Ambrose said.
“Show me your ID card!” the
guard yelled.
“It’s in my bag. Can I get it?”
Ambrose asked
“Okay. But don’t try anything
funny.” He said pointing the gun
threateningly at Ambrose.
Ambrose took off the sling bag
and pretended to search for his
ID. Suddenly he threw the bag at
the guard’s face, at the same
time moving very quickly to the
side. The bag hit the guard’s face
as he screamed and shot at
Ambrose. Ambrose moved away
just in time to avoid the shot. The
gunshot pierced the night air.
Ambrose was fast. He moved very
fast behind the guard and kicked
his ball5 from behind. The guard
dropped his gun as the pain tore
through his whole body.
Ambrose kicked the gun away
from him and twisted the
guard’s neck.
He dragged the guard behind to
the back and left him there, his
gun on his body. He picked up
his sling bag, confirmed the
contents and hung it on his neck.
He got out of the compound,
shut the gate behind him and
walked to the other side of the
road.
He got to his car and called Tawo.
He picked at the first ring.
“I’m done. Pick the exhibits at the
mansion.”
He pulled off his gloves and
started the ignition. As he got
onto the expressway he began
to whistle
“Oh happy day…”.
PREVIOUSLY ON “AN EVENING WITH EVA”:
“This is code Amber. Gather all Super Agents
and the Tactics team at the Watch Tower. We
meet at 21:00 hours.” – Major General.
“This would only hurt just a little.” – Sophia.
“Welcome agents. Our organization has been
infiltrated. This has never happened before.
The threat has been nullified. However, this is
to warn you that you should be on the alert
now than ever before. There could be others
like her as there is also a more desperate
detective who wants to get behind the
situation. Temporary steps have been taken.
Be on the lookout. As from now, you will
resume normal jobs at various offices
assigned to you. You will find a file under your
pillows when you get home. You would be
contacted if we need you. That will be all.
Super Agents wait behind.” – Major General.
“I am coming home. Okay. I am fine. See you
soon.” – Detective Ahmed
“How may I help you Mr. Ahmed?” – Tawo
“Please doctor, where am I? Where are my
phones? How long have I been here?” –
Detective Ahmed
“You have been poking your nose into
business that is bigger than you. The crash
should have killed you. You are lucky to be
alive. Ï just injected you with a form of
Amnesia virus. When you wake up you will
lose all memory of the past five weeks. I was
never here. Good day Ahmed.” – Tawo
“I’m done. Your turn to move.” – Tawo
“Sean, we need to have a small talk” – Sophia
“I am going to ask only one more time. Where
is Eva?” – Thug
“The mouse is in the hole. Your move.” –
Shina
“Put your hands up. Who are you? Show me
your ID card!” – Guard
“It’s in my bag. Can I get it?” – Ambrose
“I’m done. Pick the exhibits at the mansion.”
– Ambrose
“Evening General.” – Sophia
“Initiate Operation Eva” – Major General.
AND NOW.
Episode 12
He gave his opponent a ‘close line’ and his
opponent fell down, knocked out. He looked at
the crowd and waved his hand before his
eyes. The fans shouted, “You can’t see me!!!”
He picked up his opponent and launched his
trade mark finishing move. His opponent lay
on the floor of ring, dazed. Not moving. No
one was yet to survive this deadly finishing
move. The champion went on top of his
opponent and raised the left leg. The referee
rushed to their side, and began hitting the
ring floor:
“One. Two. Three!!!” and the bell rang.
John Cena had just defeated The Undertaker
to retain his crown as the WWE Champion. He
crawled away from the body of his opponent,
stood by the ring side and posed for his fans.
They were chanting his name and raising
placards which had boldly inscribed on them,
“WE LOVE YOU JOHN” “YOU CAN’T SEE ME”
“JOHN CENA, SIMPLY THE BEST.” Sean was
delighted. He had been counting with the
referee and jumped when John Cena won. He
loved wrestling. John Cena was his Idol. What
made it more special for him was that The
Undertaker had previously defeated John Cena
during Royal Rumble when they were the last
two people in the ring. There had been a cheat
when John Cena’s rivals came into the ring
and hit him with an iron chair. This gave the
Undertaker an advantage which gave him the
victory. It was payback time.
He was still basking in the euphoria of this
victory when there was a knock on his door.
He turned down the volume of the plasma
television on the wall and listened again. The
knock came again.
“The door is open.” Sean said as he half
guessed who it was.
“I need some help with the door please.” A
female voice replied.
It was Sophia as he suspected. He got up and
opened the door allowing her to come in with
the tray she had in hand. She dropped the tray
on the small bedside table and opened the
contents of the covered china glass plates. He
closed the door and joined her on the bed
keeping considerable distance.
“I brought dinner Sean. Let’s eat.” Sophia
said. It was more of a command than a
request.
They dug into the Amala and Efo riro eating
the Amala from one huge plate and also the
Efo riro from another huge bowl. After the
meal, they took turns washing hands in the
sink in Sean’s bathroom. Sophia went first.
While Sean was washing, she called someone
to bring them refreshments.
Sean broke the silence.
“How did you know that I like efo riro and
amala?” He asked smiling.
“We know everything about you. We have been
watching you for quite a while. Have you read
the files I gave to you?” She asked.
“Yes I finished reading last night.” He
answered.
“So you know what you are in for?” She
queried.
“Do I have a choice?” He replied.
“There is actually a choice. You can walk out
that door and call the police. You will not be
alive to finish and drop the call. And they will
never find your body” Sophia said with a
deadly smile.
Sean was scared but did not show it. He had
somehow gotten tougher by all the events that
had happened to him and eventually landed
him here. His next statement was a mistake.
“I know I am supposed to be scared right now.
But the funny thing is, I am not.” Sean
boasted.
Sophia shined her pretty teeth.
“No one is asking you to be afraid boy. You
see in …” Sophia began but was interrupted by
a knock on the door.
A young man came in with a bucket
containing a bottle of McDowells, two bottles
of Vodka and many cans of Power Horse. He
had ice in a smaller bucket. He served the
contents and took away the tray with the
plates of food. He was leaving and almost at
the door when, Sophia called him back.
“Thomas.”
“Yes ma’am” He replied.
In one very quick motion, she pulled her pants
(Trousers) up at the ankles and brought out a
small gold embroidered pistol. From her
sitting position, five meters from where he
stood she pointed the gun at him and pulled
the trigger. Blood splattered on the wall
behind him as he fell down in one heap, the
tray falling from his hands. He was breathing
softly and was in pains. He groaned. Sophia
got up, walked to the body and stood in front
of Thomas, looking at him. She aimed at his
heart and shot him again. He was dead.
Sean was shocked. He had already peed on
himself. He was scared and afraid. He was
shaking visibly. Sophia slowly put her gun
back in the holster strapped to her ankle and
covered it up with her pants. She smiled very
warmly at Sean.
“Lesson number one: Be Ruthless. Be very very
ruthless. Be as gentle as a dove and as
dangerous as a shark. Stop shaking and clean
up this mess. You have two hours to scrub
this room clean and get rid of the body. Chop
it into pieces and feed it to the dogs in the
fortress. Bring the head to me. See you at
11pm.” Sophia finished and walked out of the
room.
Sean was speechless.
Eva woke up in a very strange room. She got
up slowly from the bed as she squinted at the
lights that were almost blinding her. Tzhe
room was painted in white. Everything was
white and clean. The sheets, the bed, the
curtains, and the walls were all white. Was she
dead and in heaven? She thought to herself.
There was a man sitting a few meters away
from her, legs crossed, and watching her. He
was dressed in a black suit, white shirt and a
black tie. He had slippers on. What kind of a
bush man is this one? She thought. The man
was incredibly handsome though. She sat
upright on the bed. She yawned.
“Hello Eva.” Shina greeted
“Where am I? Who are you?” What’s
happening?” Eva asked.
“You have been here for two days. My name is
Shina. You are at The Mansion.” Shina replied.
“A lady took me from the Dinner and Award
party. I want to speak with her. Please.” Eva
begged.
“She’s dead.” Shina replied and got up.
Eva moved into her bed, folded her arms
around her legs and looked scared. What was
happening? She thought to herself. She was
promised a safe return by the woman who
took her away. Now she is dead? He must be
bluffing. As she thought about all these, she
began to recall the events of that evening. She
remembered the woman in the bathroom at
the Hall and how she got out. She
remembered stopping at Law School by the
Lagoon. Then she gasped. Everything was
coming back to her now. She remembered how
Shina had ordered everyone to come down and
how the agent was killed. She remembered
how her body was dumped in the lagoon.
These people were not jokers. Her heart began
to beat fast. Shina walked towards her and sat
at the edge of the bed. He was calm. He
smiled.
“Beauty was a double agent. She was a spy. I
had to take her out. And just so you know, I
was glad to. This is a huge corporation and
we will not allow anyone to foil its operations.
If I got an order to kill you Eva, you would be
dead. I do not know what The General has
planned for you, but I am sure you mean a lot
to him for him to use his Lieutenants in
missions as these. Everything you need has
been provided for. You have everything you
might need in the wardrobe. We got you new
clothes, shoes and underwear from your
favorite store, Kinky Women. We also got you
a pack of Tampon because we know your
period is starting tomorrow. Your special
cream, soap and shaver have also been
provided for. If there’s anything else you need,
just dial *345# for the list agents at your
command and their designations.” Shina said.
“How do you know all these things?” Eva
asked. She was shocked and inwardly
impressed.
“We know everything about you Eva. We do
our homework well.” Shina replied.
“But I have to be at work. My mother would be
worried sick because I see her every day. I
have a fiancé. He would have started a search
party by now.” Eva said.
“Your Boss received your letter of resignation
last night. Your fiancé is out of the country for
4 months. He got a promotion at the Dinner
Ceremony and resumed immediately. Your
mother is safe and taken care of. She has been
getting text messages from you and your
fiancé telling her not to worry and that both of
you are together. We have your phone. We
hacked into Kunle’s phone. Not a big deal. We
have made him so busy; he doesn’t even have
time to suspect a thing. Your mother’s phone
is controlled too. We interrupt her outgoing
and incoming calls to any suspected number.
We are everywhere.”Shina replied.
Eva was shocked. She wanted to speak but
Shina asked her to be quiet. He brought out
his phone and dialed a number. It rang once
and the line clicked. Someone was on the
other line. Shina put the phone on speaker.
“Francis, what’s the target’s status?” Shina
asked.
“She’s preparing Aditan soup in the kitchen.
Wearing a long blue dress over an Ankara
wrapper. She just finished her daily
devotional. She is singing and cooking in the
kitchen.” Francis replied.
“I need visual confirmation. Initiate video.”
Shina commanded.
Shina placed his phone on the bed in front of
Eva as she watched the camera zoom in on
her mother. She was convinced beyond doubt.
She was looking happy and was dancing at
intervals while slicing the Aditan leaves. Tears
welled in her eyes. Shina grabbed the phone
and spoke to Francis.
“Stay alert, Francis. Good job.”
“Oga mi, I want some real action. This woman
is boring. Can I go in and kill her? I really…”
Francis was still speaking when Shina cut him
off.
He smiled at Eva.
“Please I would do anything you want. He
should not harm my mother.” Eva sobbed.
“He won’t touch your mother. No one will. As
long as you behave yourself, everything will be
fine.” Shina assured her. He held her right
shoulder and shook her a little.
“Can I speak with her? Please?” Eva begged.
“We have arranged for you to visit her tonight
and spend the night with her. You can
convince her you are travelling or anything.
Just let her know you won’t be seeing her in a
long while. Don’t try anything funny sweety.
We will take you out. Trust me. We have back
up plans just in case you try anything funny. I
won’t think twice about killing your mother
and leaving you in the hands of Francis. He
loves dead pretty women.” Shina said, getting
up from the bed.
“Thank you so much.” Eva replied. Shina
ignored her.
He looked around the room, wore his slippers
and grabbed his ‘panama ‘cap from the chair
he was sitting on.
He faced her. She was still sobbing. She will
get over it, he told himself.
“If you need me for anything, just press and
hold 0. It’s my speed dial number.”
Eva nodded.
He was halfway across the room when he
turned.
“One more thing. Breakfast is at 8am.
Someone would like to meet you.” He looked
at his wrist watch and continued, “You have
less than two hours. She hates to be kept
waiting.”
He walked out and shut the door.
Detective Ahmed was woken up by a very loud
bang in his compound. It sounded like a
gunshot. His dogs were barking frantically
and all of a sudden went quiet. He was
automatically alert and reached under the bed
to get his pistol. At the same time, his right
hand traced the wall above him and found the
light switch. He turned it on. There was a
huge white paper on his door with a message
written in red ink:
“BE CAREFUL AHMED. YOU WILL NOT BE
WARNED AGAIN.”
He got up and inspected the ink. It was bl0*d.
He checked the door. It was not forced. It had
been opened from the outside. He got out of
his room and went to the sitting room. He
turned on the lights. The same message was
on the left wall of his sitting room. He smiled.
He went outside and found his two dogs dead.
He was angry. He knelt beside his best friend,
Jimmy. The dog had been with him for 5
years. It was his best friend. He got up. His
eyes were red.
These guys had just messed with the wrong
cop.
He paced for a while, circling his dead dogs.
He moved them beside each other, sat down
on the floor beside his them in a yoga
position and closed his eyes. He put his naijacard.com
hands on his laps and said to himself.
“THIS IS WAR
Episode 13
Ahmed stayed up in his yoga posture for
about 50 minutes. He sat deep in thought and
seriously meditating. He thought about the
trend of events that had happened to him
lately. He had been hospitalized, there was the
death of his protégé Agent Mercy, there was
the attack and theft at the office, and now his
dogs had been killed. The first conclusion that
came to him was that the incidences were
related, most probably carried out by the same
group of people. He marveled at the organized
way in which the actions were perpetrated.
What did his dogs do to deserve their fate? He
decided it was time for action. No more lying
down and taking hits. He needed to be a step
closer. He opened his eyes. His usually white
clear eyes were now red and bl0*d shot. He
was angry. Very angry. He got up and went
into his room. He searched his drawer and got
out a torch and a plier. He took them with
him to the front of his compound where his
electricity meter was connected. He pulled
down the lever on the meter to shut out the
current. All electricity in his compound went
off. With his torch, he carefully traced the
cables that supplied current from the meter
into the main house. He found them and cut
them with the plier. He turned the lever on the
meter back on. The security lights around his
compound came on. His house was dark. He
had a feeling that whoever had been causing
him all this trouble somehow had access to
his home.
With his torch switched on, he found his way
to his bed, sitting at the edge. He looked
round his room, pointing his torch at every
corner, and studying every nook and cranny
for anything suspicious. When he was
satisfied, he picked his phone and dialed the
number of the only person he trusted; his
uncle, Retired Colonel Giwa Haruna.
Colonel Giwa Haruna was the younger brother
to Ahmed’s father. He took care of Ahmed
when he lost his father at age 4. He took care
of Ahmed up until military school. They had
only seen each other twice in the past three
years. The Colonel was the complete detective
during his active days. Complete in every
sense of the word. He was physically well
built. He was 6ft.5inches tall, had broad
shoulders, bulging muscles, and a handsome
face. He was vast in English, Igbo and Yoruba.
He also spoke French and German at an above
average level. He was the smartest man on
the force. His ability to decipher codes,
retrieve destroyed evidence, and sift clues from
debris made him the most respected agent in
the field. He had a reputation for hard work
and never left any stone unturned in his bid to
solve a case. He was famous for his famous
bust of the Marine Mafia and Drug Cartel
which had been terrorizing and killing police
officers for over 8 years. He went undercover
and infiltrated the Cartel. He was put to
various tests. He faked the deaths of police
officers and transportation of guns and hard
drugs to rise to the level of Trusted Knight.
There were only two people who had this
position and they protected the King of the
cartel. For years no one heard about the
Colonel until one day he brought the Cartel to
the cleaners. He single handedly destroyed the
organization.
He retired seven months after the operation at
the age of 45. No one knew what he looked
like after undergoing facial reconstruction. He
had many dark organizations on his tail. He
retired into a deep village in Ibadan and had
been living peacefully since.
He had made many enemies. He had to cool
off. Two years had passed without incidence.
Only six people had his number. The person
calling him had to be family. The Colonel
picked Ahmed’s call at the second ring.
“Hello.” A hoarse voice spoke from the
background
“Uncle, it’s me.” Ahmed replied.
“Son! It’s been a while. How are you?” The
colonel asked
“Hello Uncle. There is something going on I do
not understand.” Ahmed replied.
“What is the matter son? You sound very
worried.” The colonel replied.
Ahmed could visualize the frown on the
colonel’s face as he spoke the words.
“Uncle, you know that I only call you when
situations are out of hand. I am sure you can
vouch for me that there is hardly a situation I
cannot handle. However, this is beyond me.
Believe me when I say you would be very
interested.” Ahmed replied.
There was a pause at the other end of the line.
“Hmmm. You have my attention. What do you
need?” The Colonel said.
“I need your help Uncle. I know you are retired
but this is beyond me. And I think it started
when you were in office.” Ahmed said
“What started? How do you need my help?
Come out with it son.” The colonel said
hurriedly and impatiently.
“Uncle, we need to talk about this. Face to
face. I can be at the villa in 3hours.” Ahmed
said.
“No. Don’t come. I will. I haven’t been out of
this place in three weeks. I need the journey. I
will be with you in two hours son.” The Colonel
replied.
“Thank you Uncle. Please be careful.” Ahmed
said.
“I may be retired son, but I am still an agent.
Old soldier never die!”
They both laughed at his joke. After
exchanging pleasantries and asking about
loved ones, the colonel was about to hang up
when Ahmed said
“One more thing Uncle. Mercy is dead.”
He could feel the tension. He imagined his
Uncle’s stony face all soft at hearing the
news. Ahmed had never seen him shed a tear.
He always held it back. After a few seconds,
the Colonel replied:
“I will see you in 2 hours son.”
He hung up.
Directly to the right of Ahmed’s compound,
there was a brown painted bungalow which
had just recently been completed. Bruno and
Marshal sat opposite each other in the living
room by the door, with a wooden table in
between them. There were earphones in
Bruno’s ears. He was listening in on the
phone call Ahmed was making. There were
various boxes scattered on the floor, some
were open while the rest were locked. The only
other piece of furniture was a huge mattress
which was placed on the ground in the middle
of the room. Marshal was cleaning his gun
and settling it into a briefcase. He left Bruno
on the chair and carried a small gallon
containing the remaining goat bl0*d he had
used to write the inscriptions on the huge
white papers. He poured the contents in the
toilet, flushed and covered the gallon. He
dropped it on the floor and resumed his
position opposite Bruno, awaiting his orders.
A few days earlier, Detective Ahmed was in his
office trying to decipher the status of Agent
Mercy, when Bruno and Marshal entered his
compound. They had gotten a copy of his keys
and entered the house with ease. Bruno
marked the spots while Marshal planted the
bugs. Tiny powerful micro cameras, which
were the size of a Coke bottle cork. They were
designed lemon green, the same color with
which the rooms were painted. There were two
in his bedroom, four in his sitting room, and
one each in his bathroom, toilet, kitchen and
store. After assessing the work and confirming
the stealth settings, they exited his house. It
did not take 20 minutes. The Ghosts
Corporation had previously bought and
renovated the bungalow beside the detective’s
compound. They were only waiting for the
right time to move in.
Bruno brought out the keys and entered the
bungalow, with Marshal following just behind.
There was just a bed and a table with two
chairs. That was all they would need. They set
up the devices and Bruno left Marshal in the
bungalow. Marshal was to watch Ahmed for
two days before they made their move. He
could take care of himself.
At 6pm on the night of the scare, Bruno took
a taxi into the detective’s estate while Ahmed
was at work. He brought the guns and the
bl0*d that would be used for the job. Marshal
woke up when the door opened and went
immediately back to sleep when he saw it was
Bruno.
10pm.
Bruno woke Marshal. Marshal carried his
heavy frame out of the bed and sat on the free
chair opposite Bruno. Bruno had already set
up the small palm top screen which had four
different views. The bedroom, sitting room,
bathroom and toilet. They went over how the
operation was to be done for the third time,
covering all possibilities and loop holes.
Bruno gave Marshal the artillery, while he took
the huge white paper and spread it on the
floor. He scribbled a message on three of the
papers.
At 12:17am they played cards over a light
bottle of Vodka. Bruno was letting Marshal
win the games and the bets were getting
heavy. That was his strategy. Marshal always
performed excellently when he was in a
fantastic mood. Bruno increased the bet to
5000 naira per game. Bruno lost the next four
games. Deliberately. Marshal did not suspect
a thing. All the while they were watching
Ahmed sleep in the palm top monitor on the
table.
At 3am, Marshal made his move. He sneaked
to the front of Ahmed’s gate and watched for
any movement within the premises. There was
nothing. He threw his knapsack over the gate
into the compound and jumped over the short
gate. Gun in hand he moved slowly and
stealthily towards the front door. He got to
the door, kept his gun inside his belt and
entered with his spare key, shutting the door
behind him noiselessly. He checked the
countdown timer on his left wrist. He had four
minutes and fifteen seconds more. He was
already behind schedule. He opened his bag in
the sitting room and pulled out one of the
huge papers. There was a small white earpiece
hanging in his ear. Bruno was watching him
from the bungalow and directing him. He was
done in 90 seconds, hanging the two papers
in the sitting room. The tricky part was the
bedroom where Ahmed was lying down,
asleep. Bruno had watched him for close to an
hour. He decided that they could enter.
Marshal tip toed into the bedroom and opened
the door slightly, just enough for him to
squeeze through. As he was about to go in,
Bruno spoke into his ears
“Hold on. Don’t go in yet. He is stirring.”
Ahmed turned in his bed and changed his
position. He was now sleeping with his back
to the door. After 26 seconds, Bruno said,
“Go in now. And please, hurry!”
Marshal entered the room and pasted the
white paper with the inscription on the door.
He was done in less than 20 seconds. He
didn’t bother to lock the bedroom door behind
him. He checked his wrist. 1min 59ecs left. He
picked his knapsack and zipped it as he
walked out of the sitting room. He closed the
door shut and was locking the door when he
heard the wicked snarls of two huge
Rottweilers. He was taken aback. He left the
door and backed up on it as the bigger of the
two dogs came towards it. They were angry
and snarling, saliva dripping from their
mouths.
“I have a situation here Bruno. Two dogs.
What do I do?” Marshal said through clenched
teeth. His hand was going to his gun.
“I can see. Take them out. Use your silencer…”
Bruno was saying but did not finish.
Marshal was trying to locate his silencer from
the knapsack when the huge dog came at him.
He turned just in time and shot the dog
squarely in the face. There was a loud bang. It
fell to the ground. The other dog began to
bark as loud as it could. Marshal had gotten
his silencer now. He shot the second dog.
There was no sound.
“Shiiiittt! He is awake. Get out of there,
now!!!!” Bruno said.
Marshal ran to the gate and escaped just in
time. He took a back entrance to the
bungalow and sat on the bed panting. His
hands were bleeding. He went to the
bathroom, washed off the bl0*d and came to
sit with Bruno. Bruno looked at him and
nodded. Marshal nodded back. They both sat
down to watch as Ahmed paced, sat beside
his dogs and after a long time went to his
room. They saw him get some items from his
drawer and go to his electric meter. A few
seconds later, they could not see anything
anymore.
The screen went blank.
Bruno was pissed.
“Shiitt!!!” He cursed.
He buried his heads in his hands. Suddenly an
idea occurred to him.
He brought out a small device, turned it on
and adjusted a knob by the side. After a while
he got the correct frequency and smiled.
Voices came on from the device. One of the
voices was Ahmed’s. He was making a call.
He quickly called Tawo.
“Hello” Tawo answered with a very alert voice.
Music was playing softly in the background.
“Trace Ahmed’s call. It’s a code 11” Bruno
said.
Bruno, Marshal and Tawo listened to Ahmed’s
conversation with the Colonel till the very end.
When Ahmed dropped the call. Bruno asked,
“Did you get the location?” Bruno asked.
“Positive. Well done, Bruno. I’ll take it from
here.” Tawo said.
Tawo called Shina.
“The Colonel has finally come out of hiding.naijacard.com
Dispatch some of your guys at Berger and I’ll
be at the other entry point to Lagos. Ready
some of your best buggers. The Colonel is
coming to town.”
Episode 14
Eva stepped out of her room at a few minutes
to eight. She looked very pretty and sweet. She
wore a short red flowered gown which stopped
just above her knees. Below that was a tight
ash colored jegins which accentuated her hips
and brought out her bum. She looked good.
She walked into the sitting room and went left
towards the dinning. Shina was already seated
and he beckoned her to come and sit beside
her. There were two other men with stern
looking faces. She sat at the table and joined
the others as they waited for Sophia to arrive.
She came in at exactly 8am, looking fresh as
usual. She wore a pink silk shirt with stopped
just after her elbows. She was in a blue bum
short jean. Her ars3 was out of this world. Eva
found herself staring at Sophia’s hips all the
way from the door to the dining table. Sophia
got to her chair and Shina immediately got
up. The other two guys got up too. Eva joined
them. They waited for Sophia to sit first, after
which the rest followed suit. Each person had
his favorite meal already prepared and covered
in front of him. Sophia said a very short prayer
and opened the cover to her plate. Every other
person did the same. Eva concluded that they
all had to do what Sophia did. Eva was
amazed at what she had in front of her. She
had indomie in her plate. Not just any kind of
indomie but her favorite kind. It was
garnished with diced carrots, green pepper,
prawns and best of all two huge snails. She
looked at Shina with a wide smile on her face.
Shina nodded back at her as if to say “We
know EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU DEAR”. Sophia
had a small grin on her face too.
“Let’s eat” Sophia commanded. Eva could not
wait.
Colonel Giwa Haruna got out of his house and
walked to his garage. He had previously given
his driver a key and asked him to wash the
red Murano jeep, informing him that he should
get ready to drive him to Lagos. He was ready
in record time wearing a body hugging black
t-shirt and white loafers. He added a brown
‘kangor’ cap to the mix and was ready to go.
His driver started the ignition as the Colonel
approached the car. He got into the back
seat.
“Let’s go” He ordered his driver.
As the driver shifted the gear to reverse and
began to move the car, the colonel stopped
him.
“Stop the car James.” He said.
James stopped.
“Drive back into the garage.” The colonel
commanded. James obeyed.
When James was back in the garage the
Colonel opened the door and got out of the
jeep. He went inside the house, without saying
a word to James. In ten minutes he was out.
He had changed his clothes. He was now
wearing a pure white linen attire, with
matching trousers. He still retained his
‘kangor’ cap and loafers. He had a key in
hand. He walked to another car, a black 2003
Honda Accord and opened the door.
“I changed my mind. I will drive myself. You
can take the rest of the day off. I will call you
when I get back.” He said to a bewildered
James.
“Okay sir. Thank you sir.” was all James could
say.
James watched his ‘Oga’ drive out of the villa
and into the dirt road that led out of the
premises.
He picked his phone, pressed and held 0 on
his phone.
“He decided to drive himself. I had planted the
tracker in the car he asked me to wash. He is
currently driving a black Honda Accord with
plates AA106SMK. It is a very ordinary and
plain car. His rims are alloy and gold plated.
He just left.” James said to the mouthpiece.
“Where is he likely to pass through? Challenge
or Sango?” Tawo asked.
“Sir, I cannot really say. His actions this
morning took me completely unawares.”
James said.
“Ok Agent James. Keep this up.” Tawo said
and hung up.
Tawo had been waiting a long time to take
out the Colonel. Tawo hated him because he
was the only one whom he could not figure
out. The Colonel was the General’s ward in
military school and loved him like a younger
brother. That was the only reason he was still
alive. Moreover, the Colonel had done The
Ghost Corporation a huge favor by taking
down a huge rival, The Marine Mafia and Drug
Cartel. The Cartel was loud and everywhere
and raking up the profits. They blocked
business for The Ghosts Corporation who
preferred to operate in the shadows. The
General’s gift to the Colonel for his effort was
his life. However, the General made sure that
the Colonel was being watched at close range.
They had place over fifteen different agents
around him in the past three years. Cooks,
drivers, fiancées, hookers, personal assistants,
and even family. They knew where he lived.
They knew when he had facial reconstruction.
They knew everything about him. It was their
job to know. Just in case a day like this came.
And that day had finally arrived. Tawo was so
happy his father, the General had entrusted
him with this operation. He had also warned
him in clear terms.
“DO NOT ENGAGE TARGET.”
Tawo was a very patient agent. He had a
strong feeling that a day would come when he
would finally conquer a worthy opponent.
Even though he could not still do anything
now, he was happy that the Colonel was
finally making a move. A very silly move. He
had initiated and planned the ‘scare’ at
Ahmed’s residence hoping that Ahmed would
contact his beloved Uncle. All was going
according to plan.
He went into his control room. There were
three touch screen plasma monitors on the
wall. Two trusted agents sat adjacent each
other decrypting codes and aligning
coordinates on keyboards connected
wirelessly.
‘Where are we?’ Tawo asked.
“We are currently monitoring the status of Iwo
Road and Ring Road. We are watching other
major areas Challenge, Sango and Apete. All
lights are green at the moment sir.” One of the
agents said.
“The situation is dicey sir. He is driving a very
common car and he is going to be hard to
pick out.” The second agent said, zooming in
on the images on the large screen.
“Which satellite are you connected to?” Tawo
asked looking closely at the screen.
“The Saturn-U134 sir.” The agent replied.
“Not good enough Ope. Merge the connection
between Saturn –U134 and Mecury-00A.”
Tawo said.
The agent did as instructed.
“Now, bridge them and merge their
transitions. Use the WSPTA protocol to rewrite
the imagery and log into all CCTVs, mobile
phone and every fuccking device that has a
lens and is in proximity. Launch a new
search.” Tawo commanded.
He watched intently as the agent obeyed his
command, moving his hands on the keyboard
in light speed and writing codes. After a few
minutes a new clearer map appeared on the
screen, different lines and route lined up the
screen. Tawo nodded.
“Parameters sir.” The agent asked.
“Begin Ibadan, End Lagos. Data ID: Number
plates. Content: AA106SMK. Database:
Vehicle Registration. Unique Search: Plate
Numbers.” Tawo spelled out.
Ope entered all the details swiftly and a red
button flickered atop the screen. A search
sequence was initiated and the screen began
to change in milliseconds. Images and images
flashed on one section of the screen while the
other screen had a small dot running around
in all directions on the map.
“Now all we have to do is wait.” Tawo said.
Thirty minutes later, the screen stopped
moving with a large rectangular box showing
a message: “MATCH FOUND”
“We have got a hit sir.” Ope announced,
hitting a key on the keyboard.
Tawo rolled his swivel chair beside agent Ope
and watched as a green dot was moving
slowly in the map.
“Zoom in on that.” Tawo ordered.
Ope zoomed in and they got the location of
the Colonel.
Tawo called Shina.
“The Colonel is about to pass through Mowe.
Set up your guys at the MFM area. This
should be as easy as taking a pee.” Tawo
said.
Shina hung up.
45 minutes later a black OPMESA patrol Van
was parked across the Lagos – Ibadan
express way on the route coming into Lagos.
The 3-lane road was now reduced to one as
men in military uniforms were stopping and
checking cars. Shina did not get down from
the Van but had given directions for the plate
number they needed. After a while the army
officer doing the search radioed Shina that
they had the car in view. Three cars away.
Shina was excited.
“Make sure he parks and do as instructed.”
Shina radioed back.
They motioned the black Honda Accord to
stop. They directed it to pull over just behind
the patrol van.
The man knocked on the door.
“Can you roll down your mirror?” The man
asked.naijacard.com
The mirror rolled down.
A young lad who looked like he was in his
early twenties was at the wheel.
The Colonel was nowhere in the car.
Episode 15
Two years ago after the Colonel had brought
down the Marine Cartel, he was riding on his
success. His name was on every islander’s
lips. Criminals feared him. Mobs shook at his
presence. He got a letter from Headquarters at
the Silicon Place in Abuja, asking him to
appear for a second debriefing and a possible
promotion. Although no one knew this, he was
overjoyed. People still saw him with his
trademark straight face and no signs of
flooding emotions. However deep inside, he
was very excited. The Silicon Place was the
highest command of hierarchy of the West
African Union Intelligence Force. The Force
was overhead by a group of seasoned spies,
exceptional detectives with unbelievable IQs
and soldiers who had fought in the fore of the
2015 West African War.
He was shocked and delighted when he
entered the Conference Room at the Silicon
Place and saw that his mentor, The General
was part of the board. After the debriefing,
cross examination, and encouragement, he
was dismissed and told he would be
contacted. The General showed no sign of
recognition and he felt bad. He was surprised
however when later that evening, he opened
the door to his hotel room and saw the
General standing in his room, his back to the
door.
“Come in Giwa Haruna” The General said in an
unfriendly tone, still backing him. The
Colonel’s smile disappeared.
“Good evening General. I thought this was
supposed to be my room sir?” The Colonel
asked.
“It is your room. No one knows I am here. I’ll
be quick.” The General said. He turned to face
the Colonel and took of his glasses.
“You did a good job with your last operation.
No one thought you would pull it off. For that
I am going to give you the best gift you could
ever imagine. Your Life. Leave town. Go
somewhere remote. Resign. It is for your own
good. You have another option. You can
ignore my advice. You won’t live to celebrate
your birthday. Good day Colonel.” The General
finished and walked out of the room.
The Colonel was surprised and dumbfounded.
He watched as the General left the room and
shut the door behind him. This was hardly the
man who he took like an elder brother. This
was not the man who dotted on him all
through his stay in Military School. Something
had definitely gone wrong. He was not about
to dig into the General’s past. He knew better.
He did as the General commanded.
From his experience on the force he knew
better than to trust anyone, so he always took
extra precautions. He always had plans A-Z
just in case. He was aware that there were
spies set up around him in his villa. He did
not know who exactly the spies were but he
was very sure at least one of the people
around him, from domestic staff to Personal
assistant was a spy. He shuffled his staff
randomly without warning. It kept the number
of spies reduced but did not totally eradicate
them. He knew this, so he was always private.
Always. He always stayed one step ahead.
So right from the time he received Ahmed’s
call, he became extra vigilant. He called one of
his mechanics who ran interstate errands for
him.
“Wait for me at your shop. I will be there
soon.” He said.
He knew he was going with the black Honda.
The black Honda was a brand new car that he
had not used before now. He was saving it for
a day he would need to get Watchers off his
back. He knew there were eyes on him, but he
has not had any cause to shake them off
recently. Now that he did, he deliberately had
his driver get the Jeep ready. He was not
ready to make his movement known to
anyone. He saw the alarmed look on the
drivers face when he switched cars. He had
suspected James for a while and his actions
that morning sealed the coffin. He wanted to
sack him immediately. But he knew that
whoever planted him there would suspect that
he knew about James and would probably
plant someone else who would even be
deadlier than James and that would take him
sometime to figure out. So he decided not to
sack him. He planned to give him a raise
when he came back. This way he could
monitor him closely, at least now he knew who
his enemy was.
When he got to the Redeemed camp, he picked
the mechanic he called earlier. They did not
stop the car. The Colonel moved very slowly
allowing the man to jump in. He opened a
lower compartment in the car and brought out
a brown envelope. He handed it to the
mechanic.
“Did you bring your passport photograph as I
texted you to?” The Colonel asked.
“Yes Oga.” The mechanic replied.
“Good. This is what you will do. You will drive
this car like a normal human being from here
to Ojota. Don’t drive the car like it’s your
Danfo. Do not over speed. The envelope in
your hand contains the particulars of this car.
Everything is in your name. If any policeman
harasses you, give them my number. Do you
understand?” The Colonel asked.
“I dey feel you baba.” The mechanic said
nodding his head. The car was moving slowly
at snail pace.
“Good. When you get into Lagos, go to that
Total filling station at Ojota and act like you
want to buy fuel. Stay in the car. When the
attendant is done fuelling the car, come out
and create a scene. Make enough noise and
demand to see the manager. He is tall, fair,
has a moustache and is bald headed. He will
ask you if you want to go with him to his
office. Tell him you need to pee first. Don’t
forget! You need to pee! He will show you the
rest room, and then take you to his office. He
will ask you for the thing and give you a small
paper. Write your account number on that
sheet of paper and the account name. DO NOT
SAY A WORD. 100,000 naira will be credited to
your account in two weeks. The manager will
give you 40,000 for the trouble. Remember, do
not say a word!” The Colonel finished, stapling
the mechanic’s passport photograph on one of
the papers.
“Na the job be that, Oga mi?” The mechanic
asked.
“That’s all you have to do. After you get the
money, you leave the premises then do
whatever you like with the money and the car.
If anyone asks you how you got the car, after
today, tell them it was a gift from me. And if
police gives you trouble give them my
number.” The Colonel finished, stopping the
car and getting out.
The Colonel moved to the service lane of the
road while the Mechanic got into the driver
seat. He pressed the horn a few times and
was so excited to own a new car.
“Tuale!!!! Baba o!!! You are mouthed. Iyalaya!!!
Won gbe leko yi se! Awon omo covenant ma
ku. Olosho meta ati Ogidida!!! Lale yiii!!!!!
Let’s go to Moscow!!! Baba o!!!” The Mechanic
was saying and pressing his horn.
“Hey!!!” The Colonel said bending over at the
passenger window and showing him a finger.
“From now till you leave the filling station,
behave like a human being! Or else!!!! Am I
clear?” The Colonel warned.
“Oga mi, you clear pass pure water o.
Olorun!!!” The Mechanic said.
The Colonel frowned at him.
“Sorry sir. I will totally ‘behafe’ myself.” He
said and drove off.
The Colonel stopped a Danfo and entered it.
Shina approached the Black Honda. He could
not believe his eyes. They had monitored the
car all the way. This could not have
happened. How did the Colonel get out?
“Yes officer, what is happening here?” Shina
asked the man who stopped the Black Honda.
“Sir, I am guessing this car is stolen property.
He says it was a gift and the number he gave
is not going through.” The man replied.
“What about his papers? His license? Are his
documents complete?” Shina asked frowning.
“Everything is perfect sir.” The man answered.
“Olorun oba, Wahlai na dis kain tin na him dey
vex me pass wahlai. Wetin be dis na? Which
kain yawa be dis? I say dem give me gift, na
offense? Mo ma bora sibi yi o.”
Shina had a bug between his fingers. It was a
very tiny pin that he would insert into the
wrist of his target. It was the size of a rice
grain. Even experts had a hard time figuring it
out when it was inserted in a target’s body.
He approached the Mechanic and spoke to
him.
“Sorry for taking your time sir. But next time,
try and make sure that the number you have is
always reachable. Other police men may not
be this nice. Thank you for your time.” Shina
finished, outstretching his hand.
The mechanic took the hand and the shook.
As their hands met, Shina inserted the bug in
the mechanic’s wrist. The mechanic did not
notice a thing.
“Have a good day sir.” Shina said as the
mechanic entered the car,
“Thanks sir. Jabor lona fun mi jare. Olobe!” He
said to the man who stopped him.
He drove away.
“Let’s pack up boys. Today’s done.” Shina
said to the leader of the pack.
He got into his own car and started the
ignition. He picked his phone and called
Tawo.
“Target was not in the vehicle. He somehow
maneuvered his way and we lost him. I put a
tracker on his decoy. Trace it and have a man
on him.”
Ahmed was woken by a ringing bell. The bell
rang only in his room and the sitting room.
The ringing continued. He opened his front
door and stood at the entrance. He stared for
a long time at the person at the gate. The
man at the gate was looking like a hippie.
Dark shades, huge T-shirt, baggy jeans and
white trainers. He wore a hood over his head.
He looked like a mistake from a fashion book.
He was waving at Ahmed beckoning him to
come closer. Ahmed wasn’t scared. He just
did not want another mugger. He felt his gun
at his sides, covered by his pyjamas.
After serious thought he approached the gate,
all his senses alert.
He was at the gate and looked at the man. He
did not recognize him.
“How can I help you?” Ahmed asked the man.naijacard.com
The man pulled his dark shades a little low
just above his nose and said,
“Don’t you recognize me son?”
Ahmed opened his mouth, surprised.
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