Tarasha 2 Chapter 6 Part 6 – Oyin Oluwatosin Emmanuel
Henry kept stealing glances at her face as he carried her in his hands into the passageway, one hand by her waist and the other supporting her bare thighs below. His hand had gotten under the loose mini skirt she wore.
He glanced at her face again, her eyes were firmly shut. He could feel the warm air escaping through her nostrils on his chest. Her back, especially the part where she had a wound rested on his chest gently. He had been very careful in lifting her into his arms so as not to cause her pain by touching the wound. He got to the door to her room and was confused about how to open the door as his two hands were used to carry her. He tried his foot on the door, pushing it gently and it opened to her surprise meaning she had not locked the door after she had a bath.
He struggled to balance her in his hands as he entered in through the door. He was struggling not because her weight was too much for him to carry but because he didn’t want to touch the wound at her back in anyway.
He got to the bed and placed her leg and bum in it after sinking his knee in first. Her back rested on his other hand and knee. He tried to place her back and her head gently but she turned over instead, making him also fall back with one foot touching the floor of the room and the other leg whose knee was in the bed before folded still in the bed. She placed her head on his chest and her legs in between his spread thighs.
Henry was shocked for a moment but on looking at Tara’s face, she didn’t seem to be awake or doing what she did on purpose. He stretched the other leg which was folded and raised the one on the floor into the bed making Tara’s waist downward lay in between his legs and her head on his chest.
He remained still, confused as to what to do. Whether to move her away from his body or remain there neglecting the intimacy between them. But while he was still thinking, she adjusted again and moved up slightly, pressing her breasts hard against his chest and her waist on the organ between his legs.
He held his breath and heat rushed through his body from head to toe as he felt her calm breathing sweeping across his chest and shoulder.
_______
‘Rex, what exactly do you want with the couple?’ Chief Rikau’s voice sounded hard from the other end of his phone.
‘I need to make a brief video with them, one minute will do.’ Rex replied, one hand with the phone to his ear and the other on the steering wheel.
‘And what are you planning to use that for?’ Chief Rikau questioned.
‘I want his son to know I really do have access to them,’ Rex replied briefly.
‘But you don’t have access to them, that’s what you’re pleading for me to give you.’
‘Who the hell is pleading with you? Don’t you know the difference between a plea and a request?’
‘They are…’
‘Damn it! You talk too much IG,’ Rex cut in angrily. ‘I could decide to do it the hard way and get them from city gate hospital with violence but I decided to request peacefully from you.’
‘So what do you want me to do now, it’ll be absurd for me to request that a stranger be allowed to see them and even record a video with them.’
‘Find a way to do it man, I’ll get to the hospital in ten minutes and will get in my way if you do not instruct your men before then.’ Rex said and cut the call, he could see some law enforcement agents far in front and didn’t want any delay they may cause him by attempting to punish him for making a phone call while driving.
He placed the second hand on the steering wheel and concentrated on his driving. He increased his speed some metres after the security post.
Three minutes later, Chief Rikau returned the call. ‘Rex, I’ve just called the officers in charge and I told them that an NIS official is on his way there. So you act like the NIS official.’
‘NIS is national intelligence service right?’ Rex questioned.
‘Yes, it is.’
‘A secret agency, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, you’re right.’
‘Okay, I’ll get back to you if I face any challenge.’
‘Take it easy Rex, I don’t want to hear of any violence.’
‘Don’t bother man, as far as your don’t give me issues.’ Rex replied.
_____
28 minutes later
Stainless was already dozing off when his phone began to ring in his pocket. His eyes popped open and the first thing he saw was Cole staring at him with a scary look. Stainless stared back wickedly as he reached for his phone in his pocket. He could see it in Cole’s face that if not for the chains that restricted Cole, he would have been attacked and there would have been a scuffle.
‘Rex,’ Stainless said as he answered the phone call.
‘Open the Camee App and log in with the password ‘Cole’, I sent a video there for Cole to see.’
‘Okay,’ Stainless replied and ended the call. He dropped his phone and turned to Cole. ‘You have a message from Rex,’ he said as he got up and moved to the first system Rex was previously seated on.
‘Rex?’ Cole asked with a questioning look.
‘Yes, from Rex.’ Stainless replied again before realizing his mistake. His eyes widened in reaction and he turned back to Cole to correct himself, ‘Not Rex please, I mean Elvis. Rex is someone else.’
‘Oh!’ Cole’s eyebrows were raised and dropped almost immediately. ‘Rex,’ he repeated under his breath. That was the real name of the guy and not Elvis.
In two minutes time, Stainless had been able to download the message for Cole from the Camee App and opened it. It was a video message and it showed Rex disguised with makeups but with the same cloth he had on before. Then Rex walked into a room where Cole’s parents were seated, they looked more relaxed and healthy. Rex made them stare straight into the camera and wave. He said some more words to them before the video ended.
‘So that Elvis is a black guy?’ Cole asked Stainless after the video had finished playing.
‘He is black American,’ Stainless replied ignorantly.
‘He sounds so,’ Cole replied and nodded thoughtfully.
‘But why didn’t he allow me hear what my parents said?’ Cole questioned.
‘I think that’s a question you should ask him when he returns,’ Stainless answered him and got up from the seat. He returned back to the place he was seated previously and placed his hand on the table, placing his forehead on it.
_______
Jumoke lay on the three seater sofa of her living room with her head resting on the armrest of the chair and her phone held upwards as she played her favorite Android game. The game had made her temporarily forget about everything else including Samantha Osman. Music videos from Life City music show was been played on random on her TV and she nodded her head to the rhythm occasionally when a song she loved was being played.
A knock on her door distracted her, she paused her game and stopped to listen. The knock came again. Then she slowly put her legs down and put on her slippers, she stood up after and pulled down her casual gown which had rolled up halfway her thigh.
The knock sounded again as she proceeded to the door. ‘Who is it?’ she asked and paused to listen.
‘It’s David,’ the knocker replied.
She sighed and turned the key and the handle and walked back in. David gently pushed the door open and entered, he stood at the entrance on the doormat. He was putting on a white round neck top with a blue jean, he had a black canvas on his feet and a black school bag strapped to his back.
‘Please close the door,’ Jumoke said, as she returned to her position on the three seater.
Dave closed the door and proceeded towards her slowly, she already continued with her game. He bent down before the sofa and placed a hand on her waist. He attempted to kiss her on her lips but she turned her face away and he kissed her hair instead.
‘I’m sorry babe, I had to attend to something very important.’ he apologized, pulling back a little from her.
Jumoke gave no reply but continued with her game.
‘I see you’re really angry with me, I…’
‘Please Dave, spare me the talk.’ Jumoke cut in harshly. ‘It’s not your first time of disappearing like this, so why are you making a big deal out of it?’
Dave sighed and stared at the wall for a while. ‘You sound very pissed with me and I understand. If only you know the nature of my job, you would know why I do all these.’
‘Damn it Dave! Damn that job! I’ve asked you several times and you keep on escaping the question,’ she spoke angrily.
‘I’m sorry but it wasn’t just the right time,’ Dave said in an apologetic tone.
‘When will it be the right time?’ she said and sat up, looking at his face for the first time since he entered. All these while she had placed her look on the phone’s screen only. Dave gave no answer to her question, so she continued speaking. ‘Look Dave, I don’t really know what we are. I mean I don’t know how to qualify what we have between us. You never make it possible for us to sit down and have a discussion about ourselves. I’m sick and tired of everything and it has to be defined today.’
Dave gave no reply but gently rose up and took off his bag. He dropped it on the floor and placed a knee on the floor beside it as he unzipped the smaller section. He took out a wallet and closed the bag. He looked up and stared at her angry face for some seconds before moving on his knees towards her.
‘Look here,’ he said as he placed his two hands on her knee.
She stared at his hand intently and he displaced an ID card to her, one he had made by himself, giving information that he had been working in the company for three years
‘You work with the Desert Reporters?’ she asked in a soft tone.
He nodded gently in reply.
‘But why didn’t you tell me?’
‘I work as a journalist and I expose top criminal cases,’ he answered, showing her a line at the back of the ID card. ‘It’s not supposed to be known by anybody.’
‘And you work at the Head office in Abuja?’
‘Yes. I was called urgently last night and I had to drive to Abuja immediately. I took a flight back here.’
‘But if you work in Abuja, what have you come to do in Lagos? What’s your business with Sa…’ she stopped and coughed for some seconds. Then she looked around the house as if to check if anyone was around and listening to them secretly.
‘What’s my business with Samantha Osman?’ Dave asked. Jumoke appeared scared at the mention of the name again and looked hurriedly around with her body trembling. ‘What’s the matter?’ Dave asked with a side look, noticing her uneasiness.
‘Nothing,’ she replied and tried to calm herself but Dave wasn’t convinced.
‘Don’t lie to me,’ Dave cautioned. ‘It looks as if you’re afraid of someone or something,’ he said and rose up to his feet. He began to walk around the living room, searching around and looking behind the chairs and curtains. ‘Is anybody in the house?’ he turned to her and asked.
‘No,’ she rose up and rushed to him. ‘There’s no one in the house,’ she said as she pulled him back to the chair.
‘Why did you start shaking all of a sudden then?’
‘Shaking? Am I shaking?’
Dave paused and took in a deep breath, staring into her eyes. Both were now seated on the three seater sofa side by side and holding each others palm. ‘Jumoke, tell me if there’s any problem. I may be able to help, you know?’
‘No Dave, there’s no problem.’
‘Or is there something you know or you just recently discovered?’ Dave pressured.
‘No, there’s nothing.’ she replied and tried to fake a smile.
‘Did you find out anything new about Stephanie Williams or Samantha Osman?’
‘Dave, I said No. I’ve not found out anything,’ she said in a strong tone.
Dave heaved another sigh and there was silence for a few seconds.
‘But Jummy, I want to ask you this again and I want to tell you to tell the truth.’ Dave began again, staring into her eyes as he squeezed her palms in his softly. ‘Did you see Samantha Osman that day she came to drop Stephanie Williams and the old couples?’
‘No, Samantha Osman? No,’ she said shaking her head. ‘The person that came to drop them that day wasn’t Samantha Osman and I’ve told you the little I can remember about her already.’
‘The person wasn’t Samantha Osman?’
‘Yes, it was someone else.’
Dave stared at her suspiciously. ‘How do you know it wasn’t Samantha Osman? Have you seen Samantha Osman before?’
Jumoke’s heart skipped a beat. ‘No, how would I see her?’
‘But you just said the girl that dropped them wasn’t Samantha, it means you know how Samantha looks.’
‘No o, I mean the lady that brought them was a police woman. The officers confirmed that she was one of them,’ she said.
Dave released her hands and moved back from a bit, he stared at her with disbelief in his eyes but he decided to halt the questioning. He moved back closer and held her palms again. ‘Please do tell me when you find out anything, it’ll be useful to my job.’
‘Okay, I will.’ Jumoke said and let out a deep breath now feeling relieved.
Dave pulled her closer in a warm embrace and placed her head on against his chest, fondling her hair gently with his fingers.
_______
‘Sorry for taking so much of your time,’ Rex said as he entered into the computer lab, rolling a bunch of keys in his hands. He walked straight to Cole and bent down beside him. In less than one minute, the chains were off from his legs and hands.
‘Have you seen the video I sent?’ Rex asked as he returned to the first seat.
‘Yes, but why did you mute the audio?’ Cole replied.
‘You don’t need to hear them, do you? All we agreed on was for you to see them.’ Rex tapped the keyboard and typed in the password to unlock the screen. ‘Turn on that computer, I’ll send a form there now.’
Cole tapped the keyboard and it opened without any security lock. He waited for about twenty seconds before a window opened on the system. It loaded for five seconds and a form appeared.
‘What’s this?’ Cole asked.
‘It’s the form for the deal, after filling your data and agreeing to the necessary conditions, you make a thumbprint and submit.’ Rex explained without taking his eyes off the computer.
Cole heaved a sigh of frustration and faced the computer. He began to type in responses to the questions on the form one after the other. After five minutes of silence. He stopped in shock as he saw a particular condition he was to agree to.
‘Damn it! What’s this?’ he asked, with his eyes widening in shock.
Rex looked into his desktop screen to see what Cole was showing him.
The condition read;
‘Acting contrary to the conditions of the deal will attract the death of your parents. Their bodies will be separated into ten parts each and you’ll receive the two body bags the within forty eight hours of your failure.’
‘Accept or decline,’ Rex said without any expression on his face and turned back to his computer.
‘What the hell is this? I can’t agree to this,’ Cole shouted.
‘No deal then,’ Rex replied calmly.
‘But the deal is highly unreasonable,’ Cole complained bitterly.
‘Are you planning to falter or go against the deal?’ Rex flashed a quick mean look at him.
‘No, but…’ Cole was short of words to say.
‘Then complete the form and let’s get started,’ Rex stated.
‘This is unfair, I need to make my own conditions to.’ Cole complained as he clicked on agree.
‘You’re under our custody, you don’t have choices here neither do you have the opportunity to have your own conditions.’
Cole completed the remaining parts and submitted the form in less than ten minutes altogether. Rex received it on his own computer after the submission.
‘Good,’ Rex gave a evil grin on seeing the submitted form. ‘Just a minute and we’ll fire on,’ he said and busied himself with the keyboard. According to his words, he was done in one minute time. ‘I sent something there,’ he said to Cole.
Another window popped up on Cole’s computer and he clicked on the maximize tool. It was a E-teller for the payment of seventy percent of the money Rex agreed to pay him.
‘How do I know this isn’t fake? You didn’t even take my account number from me,’ Cole complained on seeing the teller.
‘Here,’ Rex dipped his hand into his pocket and took out a phone, he handed it to Cole. ‘That’s your phone, you can confirm the transaction yourself.’
Cole collected the phone and turned on the screen. It took him sometime to unlock the phone as he had almost forgotten the lock code because he had not been allowed to use it for days.
‘Confirmed,’ Cole said in low tones after ten minutes. He stared at the teller on the system again and heaved another sigh. He was now a millionaire, one in chains. The deal had been signed now and he had no other choice than to comply.
‘The first thing I want is to break her access from the security cameras all over the nation,’ Rex began immediately. ‘You log in with her password and username.’
‘I don’t have her password, she created a separate profile for me.’ Cole replied.
‘Your account is connected to hers, we can break into hers through the data she sent to you from her account.’ Rex replied him, still facing his own computer. He then turned and met Cole’s eyes, ‘I’m aware you also use the same secret code, we’ll make use of all that.’
