BLOODLINE Episode 8 by Ironkurtain

BLOODLINE Episode 8 by Ironkurtain

Nina stood In the balcony of the two storey villa with one hand holding a wine glass and the other resting on the Ceramic handrail. Wearing a sleeveless velvet night gown that draped around her knees, the bright morning sunshine made her Caramel colour skin and her Nefertiti face with strong jawline to glister.

She took a sip from the glass and keenly watched the sweaty workers cleaning up the villa in their overall khakis. They didn’t seem to notice her except for one that got her attention. He is the swimming pool cleaner. Several times he had paused to look up and smile at her. The smile wasnt a casual one. It was kind of playful and he seemed to be expecting something because Nina had being staring at him. And she knows what it is.

Nina took another sip and shift her attention to other workers as she drummed the fingers of the other hand on the rail. Lucky creatures, she thought. When they are all done, some will go back to their families and loved ones while some will go socialize, have a few drinks with friends and later on go to their sweet hearts to get laid. Nina couldn’t remember the last time she socialized without it being part of the job. The last time she got laid, that was some years ago, was only done to remind herself that she is a woman. In one particular case it got out of hand. In the middle of the act, she lost interest and had told the guy to stop. But he was already too deep into it to stop so he refused. Nina left the motel room just minutes before the medic had arrived to rush his mangled body to the hospital.

She finished the wine in the glass and turn to the pool man. He is now waving at her with the same playful smile. Nina smiled back at him and slide open glass door of the spacious living room. She entered and left the empty glass on the Center table beside a black suit case. Then she picked up the phone and dialled a number.

“Yeah……”, she began after the line was picked. “…..please send the pool cleaner upstairs and make him comfortable in the living room”. she left the phone on the table.

“Leave a clean towel on the sofa and leave”, she ordered the house maid who was rearranging and cleaning the furnitures in the living-room.

The maid nodded with a “yes mam” and left. Nina head straight to the bathroom. She closed the door and stared at herself reflection in the bathroom mirror. Then she Took off the night gown gently to reveal a wonderful lean figure with strong abs. There is a thin scar below her belly button and many more on her back. She reached for her back and touched some of the scars.

Staring at her image in the mirror and feeling the scars, Nina thin lips curved into a smile. She remembered something; her first love. He was a subject the Family had marked for elimination and her first job. Her mission was to gain his trust and make him sign some paperworks before taking him out. But she failed in her mission. She failed because she had fallen in love and worst of all, he was married.

The mission was jeopardized and he got to live while she earned those scars and an exile to a backwater and conflict ridden country to work her way up back into acceptance to the family. The Sosai of the family, who was particularly enraged by her actions made sure it was a near impossible task for her. But she still succeeded and gained back her position. After a number of years.

Nina reached for the shower faucet and let a steady stream of cold water pour all over her body. She chin up and reached for the body wash.

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After five minutes Nina emerged from the bathroom wrapped in a wet towel. She head straight to the living-room and saw the pool cleaner sitting on the sofa. Seeing her, the man immediately stood up.

“Good morning mam”, he began with a playful smile as his eyes travelled all over her body and rested on her partly covered thighs.

“Good morning”, Nina replied and smiled back at him as she rubbed her wet long hair. “How is your day”, she asked.

“Oh it is…….wonderful”, the man stammered and swallowed hard.

Rubbing her wet hair, Nina undo the wet towel and let it fall off her body to the floor. The man gasped as he stared at her n@dity with his mouth open. He seem to be breathing fast as an uncontrollable bulge formed in his trouser. His eyes were glued below her tummy.

“Hand me that towel”, Nina said to him and pointed at the clean towel the maid left on the sofa as Nina had instructed her.

The man almost stumbled as he immediately took the towel handed it to her. She gently wrapped it around her body as the man stood infront her, expecting something.

“Bring that suit case on the center table”, Nina said again and went over to the dining area of the living room.

The man sheepishly grab the suit case and followed her. Then he saw some of the scars on her back and the excitement in his face begin to fade. Nina sat down on one of the dining chair and collected the black case from him.

“So……..”, Nina began as she placed the suitcase on the dining table and punched in the key combinations to unlock it. “Are you married or have a girlfriend?”, she asked and unlocked the suitcase.

“No mam”, he answered.

“Really?……..”, Nina asked again and opened the suit to reveal It’s contents. Lots of guns. “…….i don’t like liars…..infact i hate them with a passion”, she continued and took out a Glock 19 handgun and examined it.

“Errrm…….actually i…….there is this girl seeing me……sorry i mean……..seeing her”, the man stammered uncontrollably with beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

“Really?…….”, Nina dislodge the magazine from the gun and the bullet in it’s chamber. The sound of the bullet dropping on the floor made him to flinch. “……..so do you love her?”.

“Yes mam! “

Nina placed the Glock on the table and took out a sheathed knife tucked inbetween a stainless steel Desert eagle and .45 ACP Smith and Wesson pistol. She pulled it out from it’s sheath and felt the shiny and wicked looking serrated edges of the blade with the tip of her finger. The Pool cleaner was trembling visibly.

“Do u really love her?”, Nina asked again as she pointed the knife, twisting her arm left and right as she checked the blade.

“I love her so much… mam”, this is definitely not the time to piss off his madam. One or two swings of that knife at him and he will see pieces of himself on the floor.

Nina dropped the knife on the table looked at the man. He is now half the man she saw when she stepped into the living-room.

“I want to ask you one more thing…….”, she then said and crossed her legs; exposing most part of her thigh. “Have you ever killed someone?…….” she asked him with smile. “………i mean….actually use a weapon to end someone’s life?”, she gestured at the ‘hardwares’ on the table.

The man shook his head and tried hard not to look her in the eyes. He is now sweating profusely, wishing he should have mind his work and never tried his luck with this woman.

“There is this overwhelming feeling that comes with killing someone…..”, Nina continued and placed her hand on the knife. “…..especially if the person is a sworn enemy or someone you despise. Me, i like using the knife because i like it being up and close…….”, she grabbed the knife and pointed it at his direction. “……..Though it might get messy but when you push the blade into that individual…….”, she then made a stabbing motion at him. “………and feel the life leave the body as you look the person in the eyes, it makes you feel supreme, feel invincible like a god or goddess in my own case”.

Nina cellphone begin to ring. She glance at the direction where the ringing was coming from and got up. She got so close to the pool cleaner that her breasts pressed against his chest. It made him to quiver abit.

“So……”, she began as she caressed his sweaty cheek with her middle and index fingers. “You can see am not the type of woman you would want to have any kind of relation with…….”, she said sweetly and played with his lips. “Unless you want to live a short life”.

Then Nina back away abit and pointed at the door

“Get your things and get out of the villa……if i see you here again, you will be in hell watching another man f*@king your beloved girlfriend after she is done mourning your death”, she said in a cold and stern voice.

The man took off without waiting for her to finish the last words. Then Nina went over to the living-room and took the cell phone that had being ringing in her handbag.

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“What is it now?”, Nina asked with a stern voice as she answered the phone call.

“Sorry am i disturbing you?, i can later”, it was Eric.

Nina sighed and asked the reason for him calling with a calmer voice.

It’s about your client…..as usual”, Eric replied.

“Yes what about him now?”.

“I did alot of digging and found out alot of things about him. But i wouldn’t want to go into that……..anyway i called because of his situation in school”,

“What kind of situation?”, Nina asked as she sat on the sofa and crossed her leg.

“The dude is a complete wussy boy in school. He and his best friend called Chris”, Eric replied. “Atleast i understand his friend’s situation because he always keep reminding himself that his small stature is a challenge and therefore thinks he doesn’t have the talent to put trouble makers in their rightful position”, he continued.

“Whatever………”, Nina murmured. “So what does that have to do with what you have been instructed to do?”. She asked.

“Well, there is this bully boy who seems to take great pleasure in torturing wussy boys in this school”, Eric said. “Him and his friends. And the entire students seem to be scared of this guy. Worst of all the school authority seems to be giving him so much free pass because his uncle is the school proprietor”.

“So?”.

“Madam……am sure u know very well that am not the type of guy that run for the hills whenever there is trouble…….”, Eric said coolly. “…….especially the one that involves bullies because that is the kind of trouble that just don’t seem to go away”.

“Yes i know you are not the type that run for the hills…..you reminded me of that with what you did to those three guys”, Nina said. “But the instruction remains the same. And don’t do anything that will raise questions”, she continued.

“Oh well….. you better think of something else because i can’t just sit back and watch that douchebag give me headache on top of the headaches am having now”, Eric warned. “Am trying to follow your instructions and live like Alex ‘p#ssy boy’ Philips. But that bullying bullsh!t really gets on my nerves and if i take it too personal, then a ‘Watergate Scandal’ grade questions will be raised”.

“Do i have to remind you that you are in no position to tell me what to do because you have no choice here”, Nina retorted. “You have to do as you are instructed. And as from now on, no more phone calls from you, not anymore. I will be the one doing the calling from now on”,

Then Nina ended the call before Eric could say anything and dropped the phone carelessly on the sofa. She rest her head on the sofa back cushion with a frown. She must have underestimated Eric too much, she thought. It’s like she was wrong to think that him being raised by a soft woman like Esther would have made it easier for her to make him do her biddings. Anyway she just hopes that he doesn’t end up doing something drastic till she is done with her mission.

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Sitting on a wooden bench in the garden behind the Philips’ mansion, Eric was busy browsing the net with Alex’s laptop under the shade of an outdoor canopy. Also with him in the garden were the Philips kids and their cousin, Mary. Victoria and Mary were chattering happily while Suzanne sat on the chair of the garden swing playing a Sony psp game that seemed boring to her. Daniel was busy practising his karate kicks and punches that made Eric to glance at him several times and shake his head.

For over half an hour, Eric had being going through Alex’s social networking sites and emails to see if he could get some clues or any kind of communication he might have had with Nina or any other person who is not from his school. Eric had checked Alex’s Facebook and saw that the last time he updated his statues was almost six months ago and the only message he had was a two weeks old message from Chris, wishing him to come back home. The twitter account was logged in only once, the same day the account was created which was about four months ago. Eric then decided to check his emails. There were three of them and Eric had gone through the first two emails; he checked the inboxes and trash and saw nothing but the usual mail ads and website notifications.

Eric sighed and rubbed his eyes. Glancing at Vicky and Mary whose laughters distracted him, he logged into Alex third email account. The inbox contained alot of mail……eighty-six to be exact…..and almost half of them is unread. All of the unread mails were received within a two weeks period and the most recent one just yesterday. The unread emails were from the same sender with a user i.d called ‘Chunky-guy’.

Chunky-guy, Eric thought as he scrolled the page. The name gave him an image of an overfed kid from a rich family. He pursed his lips and started reading their contents.

“Who is this comedian?”, Eric muttered to himself after reading some of the emails sent by Chunky-guy. They were really insulting, condescending and threatening. The kind of words been thrown back and forth when people are having an argument after an online discussion forum had degenerated into a show of ignorance and dumbing down of humanity. Some of the lines he read were really amusing even though to some degree quite depressing.

“Hm this guy is being hit from every angle……at home, in school, online…..”, he muttered again and shook he head.

The phone in his grey sweat pant pocket notified him of a new text message. He took out the phone and shift his eyes from the laptop screen to the device.

“Please don’t take your pills…….i dont want you to forget that tomorrow is my birthday”. It was a text message from Lisa and it ended with smiling emoji.

“Don’t worry i won’t but i might forget the gender of the celebrant. So i hope you will forgive me if you get a present meant for a boy from me”, Eric sent.

Then he received more smiling emojis and Lisa also told him that she is on her way to the mart to get all that are needed for tomorrow’s occasion at her place. Eric wished her goodluck and slipped the phone back into his pocket. He sighed and thought about Lisa.

Six hours ago in school he had done his best; or at least tried to, in teaching her chemistry. But it seems as if she wasn’t interested in the explanation he was giving nor the methods of solving chemical equations he had scribbled on the notebook. Half of the short time they were together, she was staring at him and trying to change the topic. Neither did Eric even cared to know if she was learning at all. His mind was on Greg’s reaction if he happened to walk into the classroom and see them sitting together. The luxury that Greg never got from Lisa. Eric was glad that it never happened till he excused himself to go to the library and left. But not after Lisa had stored his number in her phone and made him to promise that he will attend her birthday party that will be held tomorrow in her family’s house.

Eric sighed again and shift his attention to the contents of the email on the screen of the laptop resting on his laps. Staring at the words, he wondered what was the bone of contention between Alex and this Chunky-guy. From what he read so far, this is a back and forth situation that had been going on for sometime. Whatever it was, it had turn one person into an unrelenting internet troll and the other almost having a mental breakdown.

Eric thought for some minutes and decided to send a reply to chunky-guy. He typed a few lines and clicked the send button. Then he glanced at Daniel performing his karate moves again and shake his head. This time Daniel saw his gesture.

“What is your problem?”, Daniel asked rudely.

“Oh nothing…….just….”, Eric began. Almost thirteen years of hard karate training had made him to involuntarily show his distaste for anyone training with little dedication and poor form. Especially the boy infront of him who seems to be showing off rather than training.

“Just what?”, Daniel cut in, glaring at Eric

“Just wondering what you are doing”.

“Well…..you can see am training”, Daniel said proudly. “And it is called karate in case you don’t know”, he continued arrogantly.

“You have being doing this for like over half an hour and i can barely see the energy and sweat”, Eric said.

“If i don’t sweat so what?”, Daniel asked.

“Sweating means being serious, doing it with passion and much focus. Not fooling around”, Eric replied.

“Oh so when you were sweating while Greg was kicking your ass, where you sweating because of too much focus and passion?”, Daniel sneered and looked at Victoria who sniggered and covered her mouth with her hand.

“Yep….. if that is what happened that day”.

“And you cried like a baby”,

“If that is what you all saw that day then am not disputing it”.

Daniel laughed and looked at Victoria and Mary. He made a gesture to them that Eric is crazy.

“Anyway……..”, Eric began and pretend not to have seen the gesture. “……..all am implying is you have to get serious with your ‘Equipping myself to kickass’ hobby. Stop those lazy arms and leg stretching you are doing to impress these girls and then walk around me like a tough guy and talk like you gonna kick my ass from here to the moon. Boy, you are only lying to yourself and will one day make a fool of yourself.

Daniel stared at Eric without saying anything. The girls stared at both of them intently and wondered what’s going to happen next.

“Anyway i don’t have any problem with you walking up to me and talking trash”, Eric continued. “Neither am i willing to engage you to any verbal exchange. But i will give you an advice as a big brother; or rather as most of you all say, an orphan. If you are training because you intend to beat someone or anybody then i advice you to get serious and train harder than the next guy in your dojo. Messing around like this and feeling tough at the end of the day is bad…..really bad. You may be getting free passes from me and from other people in this house. But there are bad people out there. I mean……very bad people that can be best described as a ‘one man human abattoir’. One day you might get too stupid and encounter that kind of human being. And daddy and mommy won’t like the end result.

Daniel was stunned by those words. The orphan who barely knows how trade words is schooling him big time. Mary stared at Eric and seem to be admiring the way he responded to Daniel’s insults. Victoria saw it in her face and frowned. She is wishing that Daniel would do something like the way he did last time.

“What is this orphan boy talking about?”, Daniel managed to say and looked at Victoria.

“Victoria shrugged, saying, “I don’t even know”, and looked at Mary who smirked at Daniel’s weak come back.

“I don’t want to deal with you because you are still taking your medicine”, Daniel blurted out.

“Well that’s not an excuse”, Eric admired his audacity.

“Why don’t you bring your ass here let me teach you lesson like i did last time”,

“Eric ignored him and continue browsing the internet.

“Oh are you scared?, perhaps that’s why your bloody mother dumped up and they brought you to this house”.

Eric heard those words and stop what he was doing. He gently place the laptop on the bench and got up. Straightening his white T-shirt, he calmly walked towards Daniel and stood infront of him.

“Okay big boy, am willing to learn that lesson you intend to teach me”, he said quietly to Daniel.

“You guys should stop that”, Suzanne began but Daniel barked at her to shut her mouth. It’s no secret to him that Suzanne likes Eric alot.

“I will beat you like…….”, Daniel threatened.

“You talk too much”, Eric interrupted. “Just go ahead and show me what you got”.

Immediately Daniel threw a punch at Eric but he effortlessly blocked it and put him on arm-lock.

“Wide motion punches…….i can see the punch before you even throw it”, Eric said to him and pushed him away.

Daniel angrily threw another punch which Eric blocked and put him in another arm-lock again. Everything done effortlessly.

“Your punch is too slow……i can as well go into the house, get a glass of juice and still have enough time to return and block this punch”, Eric said and pushed Daniel away again. This time a bit harder and Daniel almost stumbled.

“Use you legs”, Eric reminded him. “Or have you forgotten that you can also use you legs in karate?”.

This infuriated Daniel and he threw a round house kick. But before it could hit the target, Eric had moved in and gave him a shove. Daniel lost his balance and crumbled to the ground.

“First get your balance before you execute a kick”, Eric said to him.

Daniel got up wildly and threw another round house kick. Eric raised his leg and defended it with his shin that had being conditioned for years. Daniel’s leg met the hyper-hard shin bone and he backed away with a limp. The expression on his face showed that of pain. Alot of it.

“First, you have to know where you are directing your kick because mistakes like that will end up snapping the bone in your leg”, Eric noted. “I bet you have eaten noodles. So am sure you have heard the sound an uncooked noodle makes when you break it in two. That’s what you will hear if you kick carelessly.

Not knowing what to do, Daniel stood and stared at Eric, sweating and breathing rapidly. He was done and defeated. And have lost the will to fight.

Then Eric walk up to him, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer.

“Now listen to me and listen good”, Eric began sternly. “If i ever hear you mention my mother again, it’s not going to be that sweet dance we just had…..am gonna beat you so bad that the doctors will have a hard time finding words to describe it…..do i make myself clear?”.

The flame Daniel saw in Eric’s eyes made him to nod involuntarily.

“Good…..now why don’t you be a good boy and go put some ice on that leg”, Eric gestured at his hurting leg. “Unless you want to be walking around with legs of different sizes tomorrow”, he said and watch Daniel limp towards the house.

Eric sat down on the bench without looking at the girls. He could hear Mary asking Victoria who he really is because he is not the Alex she had known. Victoria was too shock to even know what she was saying

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BLOODLINE Episode 8
#OpraDre

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