Xandra

by Kiru Taye

  The reception area was empty apart from the guy at the desk. While there didn’t seem to be any immediate threat, the quietness made her uneasy.

  “Give me the keys to the truck,” she said to Ebuka. “I’m going to load our things in.”

  “Okay,” he said and pulled out the fob and bunch. “Give me your room card, and I’ll check out for you.”

  She slipped it out of her pocket and handed it to him before taking Ginika’s suitcase. The sliding doors opened, and she stepped out into the sunshine.

  The parking area was filled with cars. Theirs was in the second row to the right. She looked up at the buildings across the road, looking for any tell-tale signs of a sniper on a roof like glinting metal or glass reflecting the sun. Finding none, she listened for sounds that could be out of place. But with the flowing traffic and pedestrians, nothing stood out.

  Luggage left outside the building, she walked down the steps to the truck and listened for any ticking devices. Nothing. Although some explosive devices only ticked when armed.

  Tyres screeched, and a blacked-out SUV sped from the road into the car park, nearly hitting a pedestrian on the pavement.

  Xandra’s nape prickled. Shit. Something was wrong. She swivelled towards the hotel entrance.

  Ebuka and Ginika sauntered out of the building, smiling, chatting, unaware of the danger.

  “No!” She shouted, waving hands as she ran in their direction, pulse racing. “Get back!”

  Ebuka stopped, held onto Gigi. “What is it?”

  Xandra didn’t have time to respond. She was at the edge of the ramp about five metres away.

  The car slowed as it neared. A round metal object flew out of the car window. A grenade.

  Shit.

  On instinct, she jumped, placing her body in its path. She used her palm like a racket and swiped the weapon, changing the direction. It smashed into a nearby parked vehicle.

  An ear-deafening blast went off. The force lifted her about ten feet into the air and onto the bonnet of another car.

  She must have blacked out for a few seconds. When she opened her eyes and tried to move, everything ached. Disorientated, her ears rang. Blood dripped from a cut on her head. Pushing past the pain, she slid down and planted feet on the tarmac, gaze sweeping the environment frantically.

  Mangled cars lay amongst the fire and smoke. The speeding blacked-out SUV was gone. Ebuka cradled a shocked Ginika as they ran in her direction.

  “Thank God. You’re okay.” Ginika hugged her tight.

  Ebuka’s eyebrows were drawn together, his expression pained as he placed a hand on her shoulder and looked her over. “Are you hurt anywhere? We need to get you to the hospital.”

  “No. I’m okay. We need to get inside,” she said, conscious of being out in the open. The assailants could return with more weapons.

  She leaned weight on her left leg and winced.

  “Let me help you.” Ebuka bent and swept her up in his arms.

  She didn’t argue with him as she might have done with another person nor spend time analysing why when she was trying to protect him. It was more important to get indoors quickly.

  The car park was now filling up with onlookers and staff from the hotel. Inside, Ebuka lowered Xandra into a chair. Ginika and the team brought their luggage back in.

  “What happened?” Ginika asked.

  “I don’t know. I was going to put the luggage in the truck, and then a car came speeding past. I just felt something was wrong and ran back towards the hotel. Next thing I knew, kaboom.”

  She met Ebuka’s gaze. He looked as if he thought there was more to the story, but he didn’t say anything.

  The emergency services turned up. The police asked questions, and Xandra kept to her story. Onlookers backed her up about the blacked-out speeding car before the explosion. When they asked about her address, Ebuka gave his residence and contact details in case they needed to get in touch.

  The medical team wanted to take Xandra to hospital, but she refused, so they bandaged her sprained ankle and sealed the cut on her head. The fire service extinguished the flames and confirmed the cause had been an explosive device of some sort.

  With the amount of police around, Xandra relaxed a little. The attacker wouldn’t try anything with so many law-enforcement officers everywhere. He or she would wait for another opportunity without the fuss.

  She reminded Ebuka that they had to get Ginika to the airport. He agreed. Although Ginika protested about leaving now, he insisted she couldn’t stay until they found out what was going on.

  Xandra excused herself and headed to the ladies to clean up. Checking the cubicles to make sure they were empty, she pulled out her phone and sent an encrypted message to Osagie.

  I need your help to make someone disappear. Alive, but invisible. Urgent.

  Putting the phone back in her pocket, she changed out of the bloody t-shirt into a clean one. She was washing her hands in the sink when Ebuka walked in.

  He stood beside her, looking into the mirror at her reflection. “Is someone trying to kill you?”

  Her mouth dropped open, and she turned to stare at him. What an irony. He thought she was the one in danger. She couldn't lie to him about this.

  She lowered her voice. “It’s not me they’re trying to kill. It’s you.”

  His eyes widened, and he stumbled backwards. “What? Who wants to kill me?”

  She stepped close to him and whispered, “Nweke.”

  “You’re out of your mind. He might be a lot of things, but he’s not stupid enough to try that. He was my best friend, for goodness sake, even if we don’t see eye-to-eye these days.”

  She lifted her shoulders and eyeballed him. “He wants you dead now.”

  He stared at her for a minute and then said, “We’re going to take Ginika to the airport and then we’re going to see Nweke.”

  THIRTEEN

  EBUKA’S GRIP on the steering wheel of the truck tightened.

  Every time he remembered stepping out of the hotel and finding Allie flying due to the impact of the blown-up car, a chill ran down his spine even as his blood boiled.

  Dread and anger warred within him.

  When Allie had landed with an almighty thud on the car bonnet, his gut rolled as he imagined the worst—her not getting up again. Last night’s dream of finding her dead had flashed through his mind.

  He’d wanted to rush to her side. Only the sight of Ginika crumpled to the ground in shock had stopped him. She’d been upset too at the thought of Allie being killed. She cared about her, perhaps as much as he did.

  Gigi was close to her age, and they got on very well. Being on the ranch was tough on her. She didn’t get to interact frequently with people her age. So, Allie’s arrival had been a godsend.

  He glanced over to where they both sat. Ginika had her head on Allie’s shoulder, and Allie had her arm around her.

  A vice clamped his chest. He struggled to breathe.

  Allie was quickly becoming a part of their family. And the idea that someone was trying to hurt a member of his family infuriated him as much as it filled him with dread.

  Crazy thing. Allie thought Ebuka was the one in danger.

  What would be the reason for his life being threatened? He’d disengaged and distanced himself from the lawlessness of his youth.

  The only question mark was Ralph Nweke. Had their disagreement degenerated to the point of Ralph wanting to kill him? Would his former best friend stoop to that level?

  He would find out soon enough when he confronted the man.

  He glanced at Allie. He’d only known her a short while. But she made him feel alive for the first time in years. The thought that something could happen to her made his heart skip a beat. Perhaps he should also send her somewhere safe while he dealt with Nweke.

  However, she behaved like someone who could handle any situation. Even though she’d had minor injuries, another person would have been more distraught about nearly being killed. />
  Instead, she’d been composed and coherent as the police officers had questioned her. Since they left the hotel, occasionally, she would twist to look out of the back window. Ebuka recognised the action. He’d been that cautious once upon a time.

  She was checking to see if they were being followed.

  He started checking the rear-view mirror too. Traffic wasn’t heavy, so if someone was following, it wasn’t obvious.

  Ebuka met Allie’s gaze over his sister’s head. Her chin was set with purpose, but the lines wrinkling her brows also showed she was worried. Concern for him lay in the depth of her amber eyes.

  Lifting one hand from the steering wheel, he covered her arm with it and squeezed to reassure her.

  If Nweke was involved with the explosion, then Ebuka would make sure he paid. No one threatened his family and got away with it.

  He found a spot in the busy airport car park. Allie helped Ginika out of the truck while he brought down her luggage. Luckily, she still had time to get on the flight. She was teary-eyed as she hugged Allie and him goodbye, making them both promise to be safe.

  Allie promised she would take care of Ebuka.

  A lump lodged in his throat. They waited and watched as she disappeared through the security checkpoint.

  They walked side by side back to the truck in silence. Remembering the explosion, he checked for any cars or people behaving suspiciously.

  “Just wait here a minute. Let me check the truck?” she said, glancing around.

  He glanced at the truck, looked around the area and back at her. “Check the truck. Why?”

  She lowered her voice and leaned into him. “Just in case there’s a bomb.”

  “A bomb?”

  “Shh.”

  He lowered his voice. “You think someone planted a bomb on the truck? That’s crazy.”

  “If they are crazy enough to throw grenades out of a moving vehicle, they are crazy enough to install explosives onto a car. We have only been gone a few minutes. A bomber wouldn’t have had the time to plant one properly. But I want to be sure.”

  She had a valid point. Whoever tried to kill them at the hotel could have followed them. She stepped forward.

  Ebuka gripped her arm. The image of her flying through the air this morning replayed in his mind. His blood ran cold. “I’ll check it.”

  She raised her brow. “Do you know what you’re looking for?”

  He grimaced. He wasn’t a bomb expert. “Not exactly.”

  “Then let me do it.”

  “No. We’ll both do it.”

  She nodded and pulled a small device from her back pocket that looked like a phone. She pressed a button, and a blue light flashed at regular intervals. She held it out toward the truck and got on the ground as if searching for something under the car.

  Ebuka’s body flushed from hot to cold as he knelt on the concrete, looking under the truck for anything out of place.

  “What does that thing do?” he asked, rolling his tight shoulders, expecting to hear a ticking sound or worse.

  “If it starts flashing red, that means there’s an explosive device on the truck,” she replied as she moved around the vehicle.

  He followed her, keeping pace. He wasn’t big on technology except where it helped to run the ranch. There were now apps for practically anything. “You have an app that detects bombs?”

  She glanced over her shoulder with a wry smile and shrugged. “Comes in handy occasionally.”

  He frowned at the implication of his words. Why would she need a bomb detection app? How did she know what to check for? Who was she? So many questions he would ask. But not right now.

  They completed the circumference of the car, and she stopped. “There’s no bomb here.”

  Exhaling in relief that they weren’t going to be blown to bits, he gripped her shoulders and squeezed.

  They stared at each other for a few seconds both aware of the reprieve.

  The world around them seemed to stand still.

  He wanted to kiss her. Instead, he pressed the fob to open the door.

  She nodded, accepting the unspoken wariness. There were things they needed to resolve before they could relax. She walked around to the passenger side as he climbed into the cab.

  “What’s your plan with regards to Nweke?” she asked as she got in and shut the door.

  He started the ignition. “I’m going to confront him about the incident at the hotel.”

  “You think he’s going to tell you the truth?”

  “Maybe not. But I’ll know if he lies.”

  Glancing in the mirrors, he reversed out of the spot and drove out of the airport towards Nweke’s house. He took the highway that bypassed the city as the location was at the other end and it was quicker than being stuck in Saturday traffic.

  He glanced at Allie, who was typing something on the smartphone with her thumbs. What was that about?

  He shook off the need to question her and focused on the road, checking the mirrors occasionally.

  “We have a tail,” she said eventually as they neared the turn off they needed.

  “We have?” He checked the mirrors. The cars behind kept the required distance for the speed. None drove erratically like you’d seen in the movies. “Where?”

  “Two cars back on this lane. Black saloon. It’s been there for about twenty kilometres.”

  He looked again and saw the car. He flicked the indicator and changed lanes. Sure enough, a few seconds later the vehicle changed lanes too but didn’t come any closer.

  “They seem intent on following us, but they’re not doing much else,” he said as his body tensed and his pulse sped up.

  “Yes. I suggest we carry on as if we haven’t noticed the car. We’ll wait and see what happens.”

  Made sense. There wasn’t much they could do until whoever it was did something.

  Still tense and with all senses heightened, he carried on as usual. He lost sight of the car when he drove up Nweke’s tree-lined avenue. At the gates to the mansion, the security men let them in.

  He drove onto the drive and parked in front of the house. At least the truck was safe from tampering, here. If it was Nweke sending killers, he wouldn’t want to blow up his own home in the process.

  “I have the number plate details of the car, and I sent it to your phone,” Allie said as she got out and waited for him to come around.

  “You got it? Great. We can give it to the police, and they’ll pull the driver.”

  They walked up the multi-tiered steps of the white mansion. The massive door had an arch carved into the wall around it and a solid black iron knocker which he used. A few minutes later, the slab swung back, and they were let in by a woman in the uniform of a housemaid.

  “Oga is by the poolside. Please follow me,” she said. She led them through a well-lit corridor with arches cut out of the wall instead of square windows.

  The pool was a rectangular shape with terracotta tiles decked around it. Plants in decorated pots stood the low walls at the edges, along with two palm trees. Lounge chairs occupied by Nweke, who was dressed in white lined shirt and trousers and a woman in a red bikini Ebuka didn’t recognize.

  Ralph had done well for himself. No doubt about it. And he’d offered Ebuka the opportunity to get in on the money. Ebuka didn’t want any of it.

  “Ralph, we need to talk,” he said when he approached his former friend.

  “Ebuka, how now?” he said, sounding more cheerful than he’d been in recent times, and waved to the chairs. “Come and sit.”

  “In private.” Legs planted apart, Ebuka didn’t move from the spot as his jaw set with suspicion.

  “Of course,” Ralph said, smiling and standing. “Bridget, entertain the guest.”

  Ebuka nodded for Allie to stay and followed Nweke into the house.

  In the living room, Ralph walked over to the bar and pulled out a bottle of whiskey before pouring some into two glasses. Then he came back and handed one over before sitt
ing down.

  Holding the drink, Ebuka sat opposite him on a cream brocade settee.

  “Have you changed your mind about what we discussed?” he asked after taking a sip of his whiskey.

  “No. I’m here because someone tried to kill me this morning in an explosion,” Ebuka said in a slow, deliberate tone, watching the other man.

  His welcoming actions came across as forced. Something wasn’t right with him.

  Ralph frowned and then his eyes narrowed. “What? That was you? I saw something about an explosion at a hotel in the city. Are you okay?”

  “You mean apart from nearly being blown to bits? Yeah, I’m okay. But it seems someone is trying to kill me. We were followed on the way here.”

  “You think someone is trying to kill you? I’m sure the police will do their best.”

  Ebuka’s spine stiffened at his dismissive attitude.

  “I need you to make sure they investigate and keep my family safe,” he replied in a stern voice.

  “Well, I can make sure nothing happens to you and your family. In return, you can do me a favour and allow your ranch as one of the stopover routes for the business we discussed.” He relaxed into his chair.

  Ebuka leaned forward. “Hang on a minute. Are you blackmailing me?”

  Two years ago, he’d offered a proposal to use the Njoku ranch for one of his business partners. Ebuka soon found out the business involved trafficking people. Because they were close to the borders of two territories, they were in a strategic location.

  Ebuka had rejected the deal, and their friendship had disintegrated afterwards, especially when other revelations came to light.

  Ralph shrugged. “I’m asking you to do something for me while I do something for you. It’s a simple exchange.”

  “It’s your job to keep the citizens safe. That’s why you are the State Attorney General.”

  “If you’re murdered, I’ll be sure to prosecute the culprit. Until then, my hands are tied. The explosion at the hotel could be attributed to other things. It’s happened before.”

  Slamming the glass on the table, Ebuka jerked upright and strode across to where he sat, leaning over him. “Listen up, Ralph. If anything happens to any member of my family, I’ll kill you. You know what I’m capable of doing.”