Nearest Love- the Only Crime Is Love...

by Eu Aristos

  "How did you find me?" She said as he continued working on her face.

  "I never lost you. I followed you.” He said proudly.

  "How is that possible..? You were dosing..."

  "I was wide awake." He said, while he tried to replace the water.

  She was enjoying this care at the moment. Little he said was entering her ear.

  "So I just made sure you were out of sight and then I followed."

  "Uhmmm... Thanks for coming."

  He looked her in the eyes as he applied the last hot water. He made it painful this time.

  "Aaaahhhwww..." She shouted heavier this time.

  "It’s time for bed. Tomorrow is a big day. We need to go retrieve the documents while also avoiding detection by all means." He looked serious while he said that. She didn't like it. The smiling him was cuter. She imagined.

  "Hello... I'm still here…" Kunle said.

  "Ooh sorry... What about mama? What do we do about her?"

  "She's not a threat to them now that she's in coma again. We have to find the file first. "

  ∞∞∞

  8:45am

  "Hello Pastor Bawa."

  "Hello Bosse. How are you?"

  "I'm OK. And you pastor?"

  "I'm fine. Mm mm. I see you are now so busy that you can't pick my call?"

  "No. I was in a meeting."

  "What's up with the documents?"

  "We gave him three days. Its two days now."

  "He'll come through."

  "I don't want any traces. Remember what you stand to gain from this."

  "I do sir. But the plan wasn't that she gets hurt."

  "Who..?"

  "Mary…" Bosse said calmly.

  "Are you mad?! Bawa asked. "Remember why you are doing this. Remember how miserable your life was before I met you. At least you can better that miserable life. The money involved is huge. Get the fucking document!"

  Bosse didn’t respond.

  "Think about that before you come here showing any form of emotions for Mary!"

  Bawa dropped the call.

  ∞∞∞

  Bosse, or The Boss, as his boys reduced it to, was Mama's former husband. The long lost husband who left her for good supposedly because she could not have kids. The truth is that he got his present wife pregnant during the time he was with mama. Mama suspected his dealings and movement and confronted him. But he denied it. And when she was almost close to finding out, he planned and executed his disappearance.

  That and the fact that mama was older than him was why he left. Considering that the new wife was way younger. But he still had feelings for his boyhood love and wished he could see her. So he decided to go see her at the hospital as soon as the coast was clear.

  ∞∞∞

  "Hello Harry..."

  "Yeaa... It’s me..."

  "Can I see you??? It’s urgent."

  "My place... Yeaa…"

  In 15mins Harry drove down and was with him.

  "Hey bro what's up..?" Harry said.

  "Hey... Welcome bro..." Nelson said drunkenly.

  "Shit man! What's up?! You stink…" Harry said with his hands over his nose. "Its 10am in the morning and you are all boozed up???!" Harry collected the last bottle he had in his hands. "Get up... Get up. Get up!" He shouted at Nel as he assisted him up from the floor of his indoor bar. He got him to the shower and turned the water up on him.

  "Hey... Thanks man. You are the real gee... Nelson said. If you had a female version I'd take two."

  "Hehehehe, Funny man…"

  There was a brief silence between them.

  "Sorry I had to pull you from work." Nelson said.

  "What's it? Why are you in this mess man..?"

  "She bailed on me man. She fucking bailed on me!"

  "Who..?" Harry scuffed.

  "NK man... she came here with some stupid guy and tried to kill me."

  "What?! No no no that's not possible..!" Harry chose not to believe.

  "They fucking pulled a gun on me in my own house! I've got it all recorded by the CCTV." He scrambled for his phone and scanned through. He played a video and showed it to Harry. Harry was dumbfounded.

  "You believe me now?" He still staggered to where harry was and held Harry's shoulders.

  "You have to help me take this to the police. They can't believe me cause they'll feel I am too drunk to be real."

  "No I can't. It’s not my fight."

  "Harry someone is after my life! Your Guy's life! Remember all we've been through. All I had to do for you. Come on man... You owe me this..." he pushed Harry on the shoulder but he was silent. "Unless you want me to tell Vicky what I know." He looked Harry in the eyes. Harry transferred the video to his phone and left without a word. He seemed out of options.

  ∞∞∞

  Chapter 15

  Coincidentally Mama woke up that very moment as he came in.

  ∞∞∞

  3:50pm the next day.

  "Hello Sir. We are here for safe L560 please." Nk told the attendant in the safe bank. The attendant who was a lanky looking matured woman looked her from hair to toe. She was dressed all classy so she had nothing to worry about. So too was Kunle who was dressed like her security detail.

  "Hope you have your key?" The woman said finally.

  Nk looked at Kunle who produced a key from his left chest pocket. She was surprised but didn't want to show it. In fact she didn't know of any key. With her goggles on her eyes, she was led to the safe where they retrieved a bunch of documents. Photocopied them and returned the original documents to the safe.

  At 4:30pm they were done and decided to pick up Frankie before they proceeded home. Still disguised, it took some convincing for the security to release Frankie because he was scared they were not his guardians. Coming back, NK noticed that car that usually followed her had started following them again.

  "Don't look back. That car has started following us." she panicked.

  "Which car..?" He used the rear mirror

  "The one I told you was always trailing me."

  "Let's lose it then."

  With that, Kunle drove roughly and fastly until they were out of sight. They decided to hide out in a hotel that evening until dark so that they could request for a taxi service and go back home. Once in the room they shut the door and made sure there wasn't any lacuna.

  As soon as Frankie fell asleep, Nk and Kunle sat down for a while.

  "You are a target too now NK" Kunle said apologetically.

  "I know... I just don't understand why..." she tried to relax on his body.

  "Cause you mean a lot to me. He said while not looking at her. They'll want to coerce me or to get back to me by harming you or Frankie or Mama." He said with tears in his eyes.

  She was between falling in love with him and crying out in fear. "What have I gotten myself into?!" She asked herself.

  ********************

  Time check, 6:50pm

  "Boss," said the voice on phone.

  "Yes..."

  "We found them. What do you want us to do sir..?"

  "Wait for them to come out then you grab the little boy."

  "OK sir..." The caller dropped the call.

  ********************

  Since they wanted to be off grid, they had to turn off their phone. So there in the hotel room, Nk decided to turn hers on for updates from work or home. That was when Basil's message dropped in.

  Please get me a good lawyer. I have been picked up by the police for my life in the past. I need you more than ever now. Do not believe whatever they tell you. The message read. Obviously I can't. Nk thought. She felt disappointed at him and all she saw in the documents given to her by Nelson.

  "What's it?" Kunle asked after observing her.

  "A friend of him was picked up by the police for cyber crime related offences." She said sitting down.

  "Oh... What's your problem with it then..?" He looked at her steadily

  "He needs my assistance
." She looked forlorn.

  "Uhm… we can’t do anything about it now. You know we have very little time frame and..."

  "I know I know..."

  She stood up from the chair, paced around and sat down on the bed. Kunle barely looked at her. Except for the humming of the AC and the breath of Frankie who was still sleeping, there was silence in the room.

  "See... this is why they need these documents. The land is some kind of goldmine; rich in titanium and related minerals."

  Kunle who was scanning through the documents said.

  "What's?! Those are expensive stuffs."

  "Yea… and we aren't giving it to them anymore."

  "Who's this Bosse..?" Nk asked pointing to a particular name.

  Kunle breathed out heavily. "That's Mama's former husband" with his hands over his head

  Her phone rang...

  "Shit... You still left that phone on…?" He queried.

  "Sorry..." She apologized while fidgeting

  "Who's that?"

  "It’s Kola." She gave the phone to him.

  There was silence as the phone rang. When the call dropped, Kunle gave the phone back to her.

  "Pick it up." Kunle told her when he called the second time.

  "Heeey.... Kola..." She tried to laugh deceptively.

  "Hello Ms NK. Please where are you at?"

  "I traveled… I'm out of town." she lied.

  "Oh… since when..? It’s been like two days now..."

  "Oh... I see... do you in anyway know where Kunle and Frankie are..?"

  "Nope, I left them in the hospital."

  "Uhmmm... Why is your car still in the hospital???"

  "It has issues. I had to use a taxi."

  "Hahahahahahahah" Kola laughed.

  "What's funny?" Nk asked unimpressed.

  "For how long did you think you'll keep on lying?" He sounded resolute. “I watched you Kunle and Frankie leave the hospital that faithful night but I decided not to raise my voice because I suspected this was taking a new turn and you guys needed to stay quiet and safe."

  Nk was silent while he spoke and Kunle could read that Kola was unto them through the expression on her face.

  "I don't care where you are. Just tell me why all these are happening. Make me understand. I hate that you both are keeping me in the dark when I'm in the position to..."

  "Hello Kola." Kunle started talking

  "Oh Kunle, I suspected you would be there." Kola’s voice warmed up.

  "Meet us at the Central park south of town. How fast can you get there?"

  "Give me 20 minutes."

  "Please come alone. Or..."

  "Trust me." Kola said assuringly.

  Frankie was awake and hungry so Nk went down stairs to get them something to eat. Since the restaurant part of the hotel was detached she had to walk through the car lot to it. When returning she cited that trailing car, and hid until she got into the hotel and to their room.

  "I saw them again! They've found us. They followed us here." She panicked.

  "Calm down Nk. Kunle said as he looked out the window and into the car park where he also saw the car."

  "What do we do now?!" Nk asked.

  "Shit!!!"

  "We can't go out to meet Kola, at least not tonight." Kunle said. "We'll have to stay the night or even the entire day."

  That night Kola got to the location but could not find them. He tried calling but couldn't connect. A message dropped into his phone "We will set up another time to see." He was disappointed because he had imagined he'd be making a breakthrough that night.

  Time check 10pm

  ∞∞∞

  The next day at 9am, Bosse arrived the hospital alone. At the reception, he acted all cool and friendly until he was shown Mama's room. Coincidentally Mama woke up that very moment as he came in.

  "Who are you?" She asked with her eyes half open and scared from her last trauma.

  "It’s me... Bosse..." He said trying to take her hands.

  Mama shivered as she removed her hands. "Am I dreaming? Am I dead?” She asked rather loudly.

  "No no Mary. It’s me Bosse your husband, I came to visit you. After I heard what you've been through. I'm so sorry... It wasn't meant to be this way..." He faked.

  "What are you talking about?" She asked rather confused. "Are you trying to tell me that you have no hand in this??? Oooh I forgot... It was only you who knew about the land aside that crook Bawa!"

  "Calm down Mary..." He smiled at her.

  "So you are this stupid to have fallen for his enticement..? Oooh Bosse...” She cried. “So you aren't tired of breaking my heart eh? Oooh Bosse..." She sobbed.

  Mama felt heartbroken as she turned towards the window of her room. Her tears flowed.

  "Where are the documents Mary? You can save us all the stress and tell us where it is"

  She cleaned her eyes. "What do you even need it for?" She turned back to him.

  "It’s our property. Not just yours. So I've got a right to it too!" He argued.

  "It’s my property! Fool! I got it with my money!" Mama thundered. "That I added you to the deal was because I felt you were human! I wanted to help your sorry pitiable and miserable life! To give you a name! How unfortunate that has turned out! You ungrateful bastard..!"

  Bosse gnashed his teeth as she blasted him.

  "If you wanted it... Why didn't you just ask?!!! You chose to use the stupid force that has never gotten you anything! Dumb ignorant man..!"

  Bosse felt his self esteem leave him.

  "How's your new family? I hope they know you have a new job..?"

  "Where are the documents? Mary!"

  "Your voice can't move me boy. You are toothless without your kidnapping boys, so calm down."

  Bosse paced up and down.

  "Well... The only people who know where the documents are Kunle and NK because it now belongs to them. I willed it to Kunle long long ago! So, I don't have the documents anymore boy. It’s obvious I'm gonna die soon after all."

  Bosse was walking towards Mama when the security and the doctor walked in.

  "Who are you..?" The doctor asked.

  "I'm her special guest of honor." He smiled and gave them handshakes. Turning to mama he smiled too. "You'll hear from me soon Mary." He said as he finger-waved at her.

  They couldn't confront him much because he was dressed as though he was a person of influence and didn't look harmful. They watched him leave. As soon as he left, the Doctor and security detail did not hide their joy that she was awake.

  "He had to come call me when he noticed your body movements. We are glad to have you back." The doctor smiled.

  Once outside, Bosse called his men.

  "Hello..." The voice said as it picked up.

  "Yes it’s me... The target has changed. Get either the girl or Kunle. We don't need the little boy. Or better still, just get all of them!"

  "OK sir." He responded.

  ∞∞∞

  Chapter 16

  Gunshots filled everywhere; they were not there for fun. They were assassins. With the speed of light Kunle and Nk were on the floor.

  ∞∞∞

  "Hello Vicky..." He sounded panicky

  "Yes sweet..."

  "When was the last time you saw Nk?"

  "Uhmmm... She sent me a message that she'll be unavailable for a while so..."

  "Owk... Don't worry."

  "Any problem..?"

  "No oo..."

  "Uhm… Ok. Will you be coming?"

  "Sorry?"

  "Will I be seeing you today..?" Vicky asked him sweetly.

  "No... I need to put something together..."

  "Is there something you want to tell me???" She quarried.

  "No." Harry dropped the call.

  ∞∞∞

  "Hello Nelson..." Harry called "Man why not just let this pass?"

  "Let it pass??? For what???! They pulled a gun on me. You have the video...can't you see it? Don't tell me that you've lost all
your manliness from way back!"

  "Man you don't understand. Doing that to me will mean pitching me against Vicky my fiancée and you know..."

  "...Fiancée..? Hahahaha when did that happen..?” Nelson disrupted him, sounding impressed. “Congratulations man. I'm happy for you."

  "But still you have to take that video to the police, unless you want me to take your info to them."

  He was no longer laughing.

  "Guy don't be bringing up our past now. Remember you aren't immune to the fire that will come from it."

  "Are you threatening me Harry???" Nelson asked with mean voice.

  "It’s not a threat man. I just want to talk sense into you. That's all." Nelson was silent.

  "Hello..."

  "...Hello?"

  "See you later Harry." Nelson dropped the call.

  From indication Harry knew that his friendship with nelson was on a crossroad. But he wasn't ready to throw away this new life that he was trying to build with Vicky for some stupid friendship. He didn't trust Nelson anymore. That means he had to come clean before Vicky asap.

  ∞∞∞

  Nelson was burning with anger. He wondered that even his friend took him for granted now. He paced up and down his office feeling crazy and drinking. The knock came on the door... He dismissed the person.

  "It’s the time for the meeting sir"

  He ignored them

  "Imagine he even wants to get married before me. Nonsense! I'll destroy every-every. So Harry has forgotten who I am. I'll ruin him!"He picked up his phone.

  "Hello...." Nelson called.

  "I need you to take someone down, some bastard trying to play me." "No no no... Just not him. I want him awake and watching as his life falls apart." "Take down his girlfriend first!" He said as he sipped his drink. "Her name is Vicky and her shop is 17F Bastian House. If not just get to the house. I'll forward her address to you."

  ∞∞∞

  From her end, Vicky knew something was up and didn't like that Harry was keeping her in the dark. But what could she do..? Harry asking about NK was not normal. It had to be related to Nelson. She decided to visit him after work that night. Looking into his eyes, he'd be forced to speak out. There's nothing he could do now that is new in the face of the earth. She wondered. Picking up her phone she tried to call NK but her number wasn't available so she made no move to call again. "My friend that acts weird sometimes." She said while dropping her phone.