Tarasha 2 Chapter 7 Part 7 – Oyin Oluwatosin Emmanuel

Tarasha 2 Chapter 7 Part 7 – Oyin Oluwatosin Emmanuel

Rex took a step backwards and stared at her body. It was time to finish off his business in Nigeria.

The gate sounded from behind as he dipped his hand into his pocket to take out something. He took a glance back immediately and saw someone opening the gate. He removed his hand from his pocket and stared for a moment, then a car followed in slowly. His gaze remained there until he recognized the car as Chief Rikau’s own. 

He turned and moved closer to Tarasha slowly and stood beside her, now facing the gate directly and watching the car which had parked just about two metres away from the gate. 

His eyes left the gate and he took out his gun from the other pocket, he stared at Tarasha’s body and pointed the gun down at her, hovering over as if he was searching for the best place to sh00t on her body. He looked up again and Chief Rikau had come out of the car and was heading towards him alone.

Rex returned his gun and took off his mask after. He then dipped his hand into the pocket at the other side. He took out a small thin metal case with the shape of a pentagon and placed it by his feet as he bent down beside Tarasha. He began to search her body and all the pockets in her jacket and trousers. He took out a set of knives from the inner pocket of the jacket after opening it. Then he took off her jacket entirely, following that by taking off the white round neck top that was underneath, exposing her white bra which covered her breasts and then a white belt which covered her tummy for protection. He took off the belt and flung it away. Then he knelt and took out a small knife from his pocket with which he used to cut Tarasha’s trouser from the feet up to her waist on both legs and both sides. He flung away the separated part of the trouser which was on top first and it landed close to her bag, making a loud noise because of the weapons in the pockets. He pulled out the second part from underneath her legs and thighs which was now covered with only her pants of some strips of white bands on her thighs and below her knees worn to hide tiny weapons. He flung the other part away and it landed with a piece of cloth without any sound like the first part. He took off the bands from both thighs and the one below her knees. Her body was now left with the bra and the pant alone.

Then he brought the metal case he took from his pocket closer to himself and turned her body face flat. He paused to look up briefly, chief Rikau was closer and just about ten metres away. He pulled her two hands behind her and then unlocked a button on the thin metal case and began to pull out a rope from it. He fastened Tarasha’s both hands together, then he moved to her legs and repeated the same process there. He turned her body to lay on the side and rose up to return the metal case into his pocket. He dipped his hand into the lower pocket and took out a flat and small rectangular shaped material. He bent down again and peeled a thin sheet from the rectangular material, he covered her mouth with it. Chief Rikau was only three metres away now.

‘You were not supposed to ki*ll her,’ the man shouted in a scolding manner. 

‘Does she look dead to you? Why should I be trying up someone who is dead.’ Rex replied without looking up. He turned Tarasha’s body back with her face to the ground and rose again to take something from the pocket of his trouser. He brought out a small purse and then took out a very small transparent nylon containing a white powdery substance. He turned back and search around for some seconds before he located his bag. He proceeded there and took out a syringe and an ampoule from the bag. 

He placed the syringe and ampoule on the floor beside Tarasha, then he made a tiny hole in the small nylon. He opened up the cap of the ampoule and poured in part of the powdery substance from the nylon into the transparent liquid in the ampoule. The white powdery substance turned transparent as it mixed with the liquid. Chief Rikau was standing before him and watching closely.

Rex took off the covering of syringe and inserted it into the ampoule. He drew the liquid into the syringe and then turned to Tarasha’s body. He surveyed her body briefly before opening a part of her pant and injecting her the liquid. He looked up at Chief Rikau’s face as he did.

‘You’ve come to get her right?’ he said to Chief Rikau.

‘You didn’t reply the Vice President’s message,’ Chief Rikau replied, instead of answering the question. 

‘I didn’t need to, why should he send a message at a time I’m supposed to be working for him?’ Rex replied him with a raised eyebrow as he flung the used syringe away and rose up slowly.  

‘We thought you didn’t see the message,’ Chief Rikau said. 

‘I wouldn’t have agreed to change terms at the final point, I only did because of the money he added.’ he said, dusting off his hands. ‘I could use the money to get a taste of some of those big a$$ Nigerian ladies before I leave the country.’ he added with an evil smile. 

Rikau joined in the smile and then stared down at Tarasha’s body. He squatted and then his eyes followed her body lustfully. He placed his hand on her bum and squeezed it in his palm and gave a laugh of victory. 

‘She’s unconscious and I injected her something that’ll prolong her darkness for six hours more and make her very weak even when she’s awake.’ Rex said with a serious tone, looking straight into the Inspector General’s eyes. He continued, ‘The ropes are strong enough, don’t take it off even while she’s still unconscious except you have something stronger to tie her up. But I’ll advice that you should be done with her before you take off the ropes.’

‘Done with her?’ Chief Rikau asked with a raised eyebrow. He was offended, thinking that Rex meant being done with her sexually.

‘I mean after you ki*ll her or whatever you plan to do with her,’ Rex explained and then looked away. He took in a breath and looked around the place, searching for anything that was left undone. His eyes met with Tarasha’s bag and the materials he had flung from her body. He ignored then and looked towards his car. He remembered that Henry was still there. Henry would still be asleep but Rex had no business with him anymore as the main target had been captured. ‘When will my flight back be?’ he turned back to ask Chief Rikau.

‘I don’t know, Chief Elvis should be the one to answer. But I think he still has other jobs for you,’ Chief Rikau replied.

Rex stared blankly for a while. ‘This contract is expired already, I hope he knows any new one would involve fresh terms and conditions?’

‘He’s ready to sign anything new with you. But it’s not really something that should take your time, he only wants you to help him with her sponsors,’ he said looking down at Tarasha’s body. ‘It’s not something new.’

‘It’s new even though it’s connected to this,’ Rex replied. ‘This has ended now because I’ve released her body for you to take to him and that was the deal.’

‘It’s okay Rex,’ Chief Rikau agreed. 

‘Cool,’ Rex smiled faintly. ‘Bye for now,’ he said and turned back. He proceeded towards his backpack and picked it from the floor and then began to walk back to the car. 

_____

Hot balls of sweat formed on Cole’s body as he watched through the hole of the gate. He had seen Rex flinging off the white pieces of cloth from a female’s body which laid on the floor. He couldn’t see the lady’s face from where he was but he remembered that he had seen Tarasha putting on all white that day. He watched silently while Rex and the Inspector General spoke but he had no idea what was being discussed. 

He shifted back from the gate uncomfortably, something fell on his shoes from his trouser and startled him. He looked down and looked back to see if nobody threw it from behind, there was none. He picked it up, it was a small piece of tracker that was attached to his body. He opened the detachable cover and removed the micro card from the space, which will ensure the person tracking him does not find him again. He returned it into his pocket and then returned back to the gate to peep. Then he saw the car he and Rex’s team had come with, driving from afar towards the gate. He quickly turned back and crossed to the median of the road, he paused and watched carefully before crossing to the other side of the road. 

He watched as the car was driven out of the gate and down the road. He continued to watch until the car turned into the side of the road he was on, he quickly hid himself behind a parked bus and continued to watch from there. 

Rex’s car got to where he was in some minutes and drove past. Cole stepped out from behind the bus and watched, expecting the car to drive out of sight but it took a U-turn again into the road leading to the Computer village undergoing renovation. Cole hid himself behind the bus again, expecting Rex to drive back into the mini computer village but Rex drove past again. He came out from behind the bus, looking confused as to why Rex seemed to be going round in circles. But then as he watched on, he could see Rex slow down beside a car, the same car he had broken the window and come out from. Rex parked in front of the car and came out to check the car. He didn’t spend up to a minute before he returned into his car and drove off. Cole watched on until the car finally drove out of sight. He realized that he was the one Rex was searching for but wasn’t able to locate him because of the unconnected tracker. 

He hurried out from behind the parked bus, crossed to the other side and proceeded to the gate. He peeped through the space between the opened gate and the fence and saw the Vice President’s car driving towards the gate from the center of the facility. He tried to confirm if Tarasha was still on the floor but couldn’t as the car obstructed his view, he had to leave the gate before the car got there.

________

‘Fool! Didn’t you see me drive past you?’ Stainless heard Rex’s voice sound angrily through the phone’s speaker. 

‘Ermm… I didn’t s..s…see you,’ Stainless stammered in reply. 

‘How would you, you were just standing like a drunk.’ Rex sounded really angry. ‘Have you gotten Cole?’

‘No, I couldn’t find him and Tarasha.’ 

‘Did you even see their car at all?” Rex asked.

Stainless’s reply was delayed as he tried to think so as not to give a stupid response. ‘Their car didn’t pass through here at all,’ he finally said.

‘Fool!’ Rex cursed again. ‘The car is still there right now, Cole escaped and took the tracker off his body.’

There was no reply from Stainless.

‘Meet me at our base as soon as possible,’ Rex ordered and the call ended.

Stainless hissed and sighed. He looked around for signs of Rex and Tarasha’s car which Rex claimed to be around but he saw nothing. He hissed again and then turned towards his car. 

_______

Cole proceeded into the place after the Vice President’s car was totally out of sight. He walked hurriedly to the middle of the large area where he had seen the lady’s body laying. He could see nothing there as he approached but he kept on moving. 

He finally got to the centre and located the point where Tarasha’s body was previously placed, there were traces of blood there and pieces of the white material. Fear gripped his heart as he saw the white jacket. That was the jacket he had seen on Tarasha earlier. His heart began to pound heavily as he picked up the jacket. He was sure of one thing, Tarasha was dead. Rex had killed her.

He tried to hold himself back but tears filled both eyes as he proceeded towards the white pieces of cloth he had seen flung around. He picked it up and checked the pockets which still had weapons in it. The jacket and the white piece of cloth dropped as his hands grew weak. 

He fell to his knees and buried his face in between his laps. He thought about the emptiness of life. If the great Tarasha who appeared undefeatable could be brought down, then what was there in life? After all her strength, training, intelligence and bravery, she still died like that – just like a goat will also die- then what was the need for the struggle for power? 

He rose up to his feet and wiped his face after some minutes of muttering words to himself. He looked around again as he sniffed in, he could see something like a human body straight at the beginning line of the two buildings in front. He wiped his face again as he gathered his eyebrows together and picked a gun out of the pieces of cloth, he proceeded towards the place. 

It took him about five minutes to walk there and he found a man’s body laying on the floor. He bent down and placed his palm on the man’s chest to check if he was still breathing. He could feel the chest slow rise and drop. 

He got up and stared at the man’s face for a while. His eyebrows gathered together again. Then he moved closer to the man’s head and touched the face with a finger, his fingertip was stained with a white substance. He then used his palms to rub the man’s face, until the real colour of the face began to show.

He rose and his eyes widened in surprise as he recognized the man. It was Henry. He stood still for a while, confused as to what to do next, his eyes blinking and head shaking. Then he froze as an idea came to his mind. He let out a deep breath and began to walk back towards the gate like a robot. 

It took him another ten minutes to get to the gate. He walked to the side of the road and waited. Soon, a taxi without passengers came by and he waved it down. 

‘I want to pick something inside here?’ he said to the cab man, pointing into the place. 

‘What do you want to carry?’

‘A board and some buckets,’ he replied.

‘To where?’ the cab man asked.

‘Just a shop along the road,’ he answered.

‘Hope my boot can contain it?’

‘Yes,’ Cole answered after pretending to examine the boot by looking towards the back of the car. 

‘Okay, I hope it’s not something too heavy, your bill is five hundred naira.’

‘Five hundred naira is okay,’ Cole replied as he opened the door to the passenger’s seat and hopped in. 

The cab man looked at the side mirror for a while before he reversed the car a bit and turned into the place. 

‘Just go straight,’ Cole said as they drove past the gate. 

‘Okay,’ the man replied and continued silently for some seconds. ‘Do you work here?’

‘Just shut the hell up and drive,’ Cole slammed, now pointing his gun at the man. 

________

2 hours later 

Henry felt the gently breeze blow on his chest as he opened his eyes and yawned. He stared at the ceiling with his eyebrows gathered together, wondering where he was. He turned and realized he was laying on the backseat of a car which had the door opened at both sides. He sat up and stepped out on his bare foot, buttoning his shirt which he didn’t remember unbuttoning. He looked around and realized that he was back to the base. Then he remembered his experience at the NSCC and his encounter with the man who knocked him out. He turned to look back and stared in shock as his eyes met with Cole’s. 

‘You’re awake now,’ Cole said, walking towards the car from the other side of the front yard.

Henry ignored his statement but stared at the cab and the building for a while, then he looked back at Cole again as he suddenly remembered that Cole was supposed to be with the enemy. 

‘What are you doing here?’ Henry asked Cole, staring thinly into his eyes as the latter drew nearer. 

‘I’m back now,’ Cole replied briefly, stopping by the bonnet of the car. He turned briefly to look at the building and then returned his gaze to Henry who was still looking lost. 

‘Who brought me here and where is everybody else?’ Henry asked. He fixed his eyes on Cole’s face and noticed the dull look. 

‘Everybody else?’ Cole asked, raising a brow. ‘There’s no other person here, it’s just the two of us.’

‘I mean where is Tara? Is she in?’ Henry asked and began to walk towards the entrance of the building.

‘Stop!’ Cole shouted in a loud voice, preventing Henry from moving further. ‘The security lasers are still on, your body will be cut into pieces if you proceed.’

Henry stared back at him with a questioning look. ‘Why is it on? Where has Tara gone to?’ he asked, staring keenly at Cole’s face. 

Cole folded his arms and looked away. 

‘I said where is Tara?’ Henry walked to him and pulled his hands.

‘Tarasha is dead,’ Cole stated blankly, looking straight into Henry’s eyes. 

It took Henry some minutes to process Cole’s words in his mind. He released his grip on Cole’s hands slowly and began to laugh.

‘What’s the matter with you?’ Cole asked in concern, shocked at Henry’s response. 

‘Come on, stop the joke and tell me where she is.’ Henry said, tapping Cole on the shoulder as he stopped the laughter. 

‘I’m not joking, she died while trying to rescue you from Rex. He killed her,’ Cole replied him in a serious tone.

‘I don’t believe you.’ Henry’s face turned cold now, with his eyebrows gathering together. 

‘Better do, the Inspector General has taken away her body and I don’t know where he’s taking it to.’

Henry did not want to believe Cole’s words but the look on Cole’s face was a very serious one. He considered the possibility of trueness of Cole’s words and his knees buckled and touched the floor.