THE PRESIDENTIAL VILLA chapter 20

“Just keep trying.” The vice had said, pacing with the First Lady.

“Is there something wrong?” Henrietta asked as she walked close with folded hands.

“No dear, it’s nothing. Go back to the sitting room and we will be there soon.”

“Why do I feel you’re not telling me the truth.” She said as she saw worry in her mother’s eyes. “Where’s dad?” She asked and they glared at each other.

Jack and the few men that were left were winning the battle, they had gotten control of the first floor and the second floor but he hasn’t seen the general yet. Hopefully he was in the third floor.

“The situation is critical sir. We’re running out of ammo,” Jack reported and checked his gun then leaned weakly against the wall. “I’m out of ammo.” He said quietly, he knew this was the end.

“You can’t go in there sir.” The soldier man tried to stop him again.

“You just head what he said. He’s out of ammo__”

“Yes, but there’s nothing we can do from here__”

“Of course there is,” the president interrupted back. There’s ammo left in this van, I can take it to them__”

“Never!”

“Fine, you take it to them then.”

“But I can’t leave you here.”

“Take me with you, cover me while I hold onto the ammo.”

The soldier sighed deeply, no matter how hard he tried to stop him, the president had seemed to have gotten what he always wanted in the first place. To be in the fight, even though he had never held a gun before, let alone how to use it. And after several minutes wasted and thoughts bashed, the man had no choice but to do what the president had suggested.

“Careful.” The soldier whispered as they jumped down from the van. His hand was tightly on the president’s shoulder. “Come on.” He said and they headed to the building, ducking their heads. They entered the building with him still holding the ammo bag to his chest.

Dead bodies everywhere they stepped, both with uniforms. They couldn’t know which was theirs as the two teams of inform men killed their own in support of a criminal. What a world!

“Jack!” The president called and he turned with a shock expression.

“Sir, what’re you doing here!” Jack queried.

“I came with more ammo.”

“I made it clear to you to stay in the van and stop him from going out!” Jack was worried that now he didn’t have to worry about himself or his partners but the president too.

“I’m sorry sir, he forced me__” a bullet whizzed pass the president’s ear and buried itself inside the soldier’s neck. He fell to the ground as someone who was pushed hard. Jack quickly drew the president to him and held him there. They couldn’t help but watch as the soldier gagged and gasped for air with blood gushing out like a water coming out of a tap. Soon, the struggle stopped and he died, it was a terrible death.

“Stay down, I’m getting you out of here.” Jack shouted and stood up from where they hid, he took a few shots and the president saw General Tukur running out the back, and he quickly followed him. Leaving Jack there, bullets flew around the surrounding as he kept running. “No!” Jack shouted and wasted all his eight rounds and ran after him.

“Stop!” The president ordered, panting as he ran after Tukur. In an instant he found himself closer and the he grabbed Tukur from the back and they fell to the ground. Tukur tried to use his gun but the president kicked it away and they started rolling side to side. The president sat on Tukur and began punching him hard, he didn’t care if his knuckles were hurting. He kept punching and punching and punching, breaking Tukur’s mouth, nose, cheek, his upper eye too.

“You came after my family!” The president shouted still punching him as if he had a vendetta against him. And he sure did. General Tukur pushed him off of him and crawled to where his gun was and the president tried to stop him but Tukur still picked it.

“No!” Jack ran as fast as he could. Jack was a step closer when he heard a gunshot. He paused vehemently. Who fired the weapon? He didn’t know as both of them didn’t move. And as he rode his gun at Tukur, the president collapsed. He had been shot. “Mr President!” Jack called as he carried his head on his arms. Tukur tried to shoot Jack also but he was out of bullets and he just threw the gun away and laid there. Just immediately reinforcement arrived.

General Tukur was handcuffed and taken away. “We did it Jack! We did it!” The president managed.

“Sir.” Jack glared down at him with a worried hot sick gaze. The president’s stomach was bleeding.

His hands finds Jack’s and fumbled at it weakly, Jack also clasped his hand tightly in his own.

“We need paramedics in here! Now!” Jack shouted.

He was being rushed into the nearest emergency clinic. White lights everywhere he looked, then he looked to his legs and saw his family racing with the doctors. “How could you let this happen.”

There was so many shouts and they suddenly became whispers as his eyes began to close. Just then the doctors stopped his family from entering the theatre. “Oh lord please, lord please, save my father!” Bisi cried out.

“How could you let this happen Jack? I trusted you to keep him safe at all times. How did you allow this to happen!” The First Lady yelled at him, he only stood with his head down.

“He did his best mum. Please calm down.” Jake said with a hand on her shoulder.

Mahmoud had embraced his wife tightly as she was panicking too much. “He was willing to sacrifice his life for us, and now maybe he won’t get the chance to see his first grandchild.” She cried again.

“Hey, the president will recover from this. Stop thinking that far. Just keep praying for him inside and everything will be fine.” Mahmoud consoled.

Taye rushed in but Jake quickly approached her. “You people need to stop all this crying and worrying. He’s not going to die.” He said with confidence.

“And how do you know that, because you’re God?” Taye asked.

He laughed a bit and added. “A lot of people get shot everyday and not all of them dies. Besides,” he thrusted his hands in his pockets. “I know my father, he’s a very very strong man.” He said.

A month later, the threat passed and the president could walk, talk and do things on his own. Everybody was happy he was back on his feet again, the country was forever grateful for what he did. Jake later proposed to Taye and she agreed to marry him, while Henrietta was put to bed and she delivered a baby girl who was named after her mother. Sola and Adewale were best friends again, like old times.

THE END

written by Abdulrahman Muhammad

Follow him @IAmSparghz