by A. Achaka
As he hit the showers his mind was drifting from, the dream to the phone call, what a terrible turn of event. He didn’t waste any time, scrobbed some soap and let the water washed the foam down and he was out. Straight to his wardrobe and dressed in his khaki and his boots with a belt around his waist.
Out to the kitchen he make himself a cup of coffee, he knew the doctor had warned him from too much caffeine but he wouldn’t listen, he was more like addicted to it, always hide it, at the top self in case any of his children who comes to visit, so they wouldn’t find out.
He took the coffee with two slice of toasted bread, just about finishing the second cup his intercom buzz, he went and answers it, it was his driver a coporal, looking at his watch, it’s almost five, he got everything ready and left the house.
“Morning Sir” saluted the coporal also in khaki, when the Lieutenent saluted back he opened the door for him and they drove out of the neighbourhood.
“Sir, to the office or the prison?”
“Take me to the prison” he scroll down his contact and dialled a number, they spoke for a while before changing the plans to the office. He refused to live in the barracks instead he bought a house miles away from the barracks, which he lived alone, all his children were grown either working or schooling.
He lost his wife to an accident, she was a loving woman, he shared everything with her and they still leave happily until, the accident claimed her life. She was travelling to her home town, and they collided with a big truck, it was a fatal accident with no survival, the whole scenario affected him for a while, he took a vacation to another country to get himself better, before reporting back to his duties.
He had work hard in this job and he always want to retire at a good age and settle down doing what so ever. This was his last mission as a Lieutenant and probably be promoted before he finally step down from the military. He always prefer Comander to Lieutenant.
Lieutenant General Ahmed Lawal, was the name written on his khaki shirt, a very principle man, never took his job for granted, his children loves been around him for so many reason, on like other military men whoes children run from. The Lieutenant kept his military self in his job and try hard being a normal father when he comes back home.
He could remember when he first joined the academy, he was the smallest in his set, and they would make jokes of him, because he was very quiet, he never talks too much but he was a man of action.
The first time they stop teasing him, was the time he fought one of the biggest guy in the camp, it was just a normal wrestling game, which they do to test their abilities but it turn out different because the huge guy called ‘Beast’ took it personal and for some reason, he got every one shocked and mute at the end of the game. Beast got anger issues, while Ahmed was a calm observant type, he watch him closely knowing his every moves because he was the top winner in the camp, He always come through with his whole body, and once he get hold of his openent, its a tap out.
From the moment the wrestling started, he was too careful to allow beast, get a hold of him, they circled the ring for about four times, getting the beast very angry enough to want to devour without any strategy or style. The beast was indeed provoked and pissed even started calling him names and when the beast advance, he had all his musles and strength at the chest and other part vulnourable. Ahmed wasn’t heavy and could move like a boxer, so he waited and slided right and had a pin to beast leg and down the beast goes. the whole building went numb and since then no one messed with him in the camp anymopre.
In the car he had a quick thought about the days activity and what to expect, at the disheartening news that showed up at his bed side that morning. He picked up the morning paper, the driver bought on their way and the front page was the picture of the massacre on the road with the titled ‘THE SPILLED BLOOD’ (Massacre of the month), on another sub-head was the name of the duputy speaker house of assembly displayed, he couldn’t watch it but flip over to the other page.
The cover page was a disaster to the state and even the country, they should have allowed such a thing to reach the masses, he is sure every radio or T.v station is cooking up some mystical story, to bombered the mind of every one.
His anger pushed down to the commissioner of police, He was too eager to make a statement for a job he didn’t have a hand, after the arrest of the five criminals, he drove with his convoy to the barraks and took the murderers to the police prison in the state. Lieutenant Ahmed wanted to continue the case but the police said they will take it from there and would inform them when it get worse. Now this morning, He got a call that evey thing had gone really worse.
Maintining the 80kh, they were at the main entrance of the barracks, the soldiers at the gate saluted as they drove passed, he don’t seems to see the fun in the barracks as when he had completed his course at the academy.
As a young captain he was unmarried and full of life, He thought that was when the barracks was fun, but now he sees the new recruits and captains, waisting their lifes in artificial things, he never sees them as confused and they don’t know what they want in life.
The car pull up at his parking space, he always comes down before the driver turn round to open the door, he believ in excersie, its just enough driving him but opening the door he has his hands to do that, most young cadet loves him for that. He walks with so much strength and in some steps he was in the office.
His secretary Anna, an average lady, she might have been married or still single he had no idea, but their work relationship was very fine, she was fair and loves fashion, normally she would wait for him with a cup of coffee by the door but there were two uniform men waiting for him, when he got in, they were up on their feet and saluted, he did the same,
“Morning Sir” Anna greeted
“Morning Anna” and went into his office.
He got in and said a little prayer, and took off his top and sat down and ask Anna to let them in, by then the sun has started coming up.
“Morning sir” the two uniform men saluted
“Ease” he said and they remained standing, while he was looking through his drawer, when he raised his head, he saw them standing and show them to seat down.
“You remembered, what I told them yesterday” he said without raising his head to look at them “but they wouldn’t listen, only when the war is too much for them, they call on the military, just common criminal they couldn’t keep”
“I can’t wait to see the look on the commissioner of police face, when he comes to beg for help” one of the uniform man said, he was called captain Musa Sani, he was tall and fearless, he always tell people that the commander was his role model and he would want to be like him.
He was so happy when he was assign, join his mentor on the mission, he was assign along side Lieutenant Gabriel John, a short man but principled, the first thing people ask was ‘how did he get into the academy with such height but his toughness was a life for the military. The two of them, were the leaders of the troop that was commanded by Lieutenant Ahmed. Captain Musa’s group caught the five murderers in their hide out while the other caught the mask man in search of his second.
“How is our man doing?, its a good thing we didn’t disclose him, we could be looking at a ground zero.” The Comander
“We checked on him, before we came here, still intact sir” Musa said
The commander had a feeling about the escape of the other masked men, He always hate the guts of the police, ‘very lazy and incompetent’ always the first to make the noise.
So after the whole incident, the commander took the first to be capture with him to the barracks, while the others were taken by the police who claimed the instate case was for them and now the news would stun the place.
“No one should know about, the masked man here, am i clear?”
“Yes sir”
“Alright go and assemble your men, I’ll be with you shortly” They got up saluted him and left the office.
He relax back i
n his chair and said a short prayer, he so wants to retire a hero, even though he already was, but since he got the case, he should come out victorious no matter how it end up. After being satisfied with his prayer, he pull the drawer and brought out his weapons, his personal pistol and his knife which he always keeps him,
“I wish not to use any of you but duty calls” he said, as if talking to someone, when his desk phone came ringing
“Hello” he answered, he heard the caller speak a lengthy massage, he was rotating his eyes, all through the talk and then “thank you” he said to end the conversation, laughed after it. ”I thought as much, I know he would call for help” feeling proud, he got up from his seat and properly put his weapon in its holster and left the office.
The day began already, it was more than bright outside, the sun was making its way up, and the atmosphere was as dry as it could be. HE was out of the office after making a little joke with Anna, He sometimes make little jokes tomake her feel comfortable, He could remember the first time she was brought as his secretary, she thought he was a womanizer as the others, She would dress sometimes naughty, but he took time and scolded her since then, she had been decent and scared of him.
The barracks has already come to live, people had reported for duty already, he made his way to meet the team he had made assembled for him. On his way he passed some soldiers on their routine exercise, others matching and still others on cleaning.
He prefer walking within the barracks, than using the car any time as some of his collegues do, the field was somewhat at the centre of the barracks and where he was headed was at the far end of it.
He always preferlittle men who are focus than multitude with no vision, He made the selection himself for the various teams. He made two stops on the way greeting colleagues of his and then proceeds to the ground.
The men were already lined up, waiting for the address and the instruction to be carried out. He was a principled man, with a slogan ‘Never do the same thing twice’ his entrance to any place had never been the same twice. The view he caught from afar gave him a good impression, couldn’t help but think way back, when he was a cadet, his platoon had won the best posture ever, it was in the magazine for months. He came through the back unexpectedly and passed through them to the front, the captain gave the command and they saluted him, he did the same and told them to ease up, he call captain Musa and Lieutenant Gabriel a side
“you know these mission is a strategic one, and too many heads will draw up attention, since we know how corny those bastered are, so what we will do is divide the head into two, one main team and two back-ups, the main team should be the smart ones, is that understood”
“Yes sir” they chorused about to turn when interrupted by his voice
“Lieutenant Come with me, Captain do the Job, we are going to the cell, to visit our visitor” the lieutenant throws in a laugh as they walked out of the ground.
The masked man was kept in a cell alone and was untouched, because the commander said so, his cell had a small mattress in it, it wasn’t like the other cell which had nothing, the prisoners in them slept on a bare floor even during cold. He was still on the bed, when the cell door opened, turning around he was jumped by two uniform men with blows to his ribs, it seems they were hungry to toture someone and they cuff him.
They seem’s satisfied with what they had done, because they were in charge of the cell inmate and they virtually beat any inmate of what so ever. They drage him to his feet and pushed him forward into the intorrigation room. The two chairs were already rusting and the metal table peeling off, it was air tight and had no opening apart from the door. Once inside they pushed him hard almost crashing into the table, He used one of his leg to support himself and sat down immediately on the the chair. He was facing the door, and was relaxed and tonting the uniform men, he stretched his hands even before they got further into the room, one of them cuffed him to the table, so tight that he could bend a little to touch his nose.
“Remember me” A voice said as the door was pushed ajar, he raised his head and recognise the commander, sudden fear gripped him, all his life he had never been afraid of the prision or force but there seems to be something about the commander he hasn’t got a grip of, since he threatened him with the knife. The commander closed the door and sat down
“Have you eaten?” the commander asked, he stared at him in disbelieve, he expected some else, Maybe a little agrevanting and yelling or even punching to get him confused, but ‘have you eaten?’ that seems to weakens him to his bones. He could only shook his head to the commander, he watched him got up from the table and left the room, He had never seen any uniform man so calm and organized as this, in all his criminal life being to the prision or police cell has been his routine roll call, one of which he was starved for about two days to get him talk but never has he encounter such.
There is no measure of thought that had not crossed his mind about the commander, May be a new skill brought up to make all the suspect comfortab le before drilling them or He has no other idea to fill in the gap. His mind was wandering with empty thought, when the door was pushed opened again, the next thing was the aroma of the meal, whiche followed, it went straight to his brains. There he knew how hungry he was and his mouth was already salivating when the tray was place on the table, his brains went food and food and food alone, totally forgotten where he was, there has never been a real gesture with any force, its either they want something or they want you to do something and honestly he didn’t even care what they want as long as the food went down his stomach. The commander entered and sat down looking at him
“You can eat, you must be hungry, I can see it in your eyes” the man could not talk but nod his head, he reach for the spoon but the cuff in his hand wouldn’t let him
“Oh sorry, sergeant” the Commander called and a uniform man came in and salute him “take off the cuffs” he looked at him for a second in surprise, before doing as he was bid, he took off the cuffs and left the room
“Enjoy Mr...” waiting for him to respond
“Seth” he was looking back at him
“Mr. Seth what a lovely name, I will be outside just so you could finish eating and then I will be back” he got up and left the room.
From the other room he watched Seth devoured the meal in front of him, without mercy “He must be really hungry” he said to himself. Still watching when captain Musa came in and inform him they had finished setting the men into two the groups he had commanded
“That’s good, watch him eat” he said to the captain, they both watch him swallow the food.
Mr. Seth was in high spirit, while eating the food, the kind commander he said gave him, he wandered how, he became so hungry like that by merely seeing the food or has he sprinkiled something to lure him to eat. He was still devouring the meal but thinking twice, the first condemned everything and said it was a trap bu the other said the commander was a kind man, and that he continue eating, and finally it came down to the giant meat ball his eyes have ever seen.
“No Mercy in this” he said and deform it, without mercy.
Immediately he had finished chewing the last of the meat, his senses gave in to the instruction the herbalist, they consulted before the Job, He was specific “NO MEAT SHOULD BE EATEN” he imeediatly felt very weak and tried to bring out the what he ate but that wasn’t possible, he knew that he had just sold himself;f short because of food. ‘What an Essau’
The commander came in after watching him perform all the crazy attitude, He was seating helplessly in the chair, he called again and the uniform man came in and cleared the plate from the table, then the commander sat down facing him.
“I believe you are satisfied” still looking into his eyes
“What do you want?” Seth asked, he had just believed, he had lost the battle already so he would just comply
“Why do you say so, I just want us to talk” still looking at him, but now he had taken off his eyes, looking at the wall.<
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“I will tell you, but you will not put me in the same prison with those bastards, or else I will be there meal alive”
“As you wish boss” the commander said and sat back to listen to the easy information he was going to drill him for.
“The thing is, we were suppose to have a smooth operation, and if anything happens, we will all vanish back to the tent and vasnished to a warehouse, almost outskirt of town or another along Bukuru” He was so friegtened as he speak, he didn’t want the crazy eyes looking at him to turn red, “the ware house is located along Zaria Road, it was abandoned for years, we were to get there the moment we touch each other. Once you get there, don’t allow them touch each other or else, you can’t get them at all” He kept quiet after spilling the secrete.
The commander was totally shocked but didn’t act it, never in his life has any one gave out information just like that, His plan was to be nice and play dirty until the truth is revealed, but now his case has been made very easy.
The captain on the other hand have seen somethings, and he told the commander that He didn’t just gave out the information but was scared that his charm was broken, “You remember, what he did after eaten the last of the meat, he wanted to throw it out but he couldn’t, that was the charm being broken” Well aleast it brought an easy, answer to the question.
Seth was taken back to his cell, he knew very well that he had broken the code of the brothers, but one thing still remain, none of them knew if he was captured or vanished, He silently prayed for them not to be caught.
The commander and the two teams, selected for the mission, got ready both arm and in combat, properly addressed never to let either of them to get hold of the other and they went out for the search of the other bastards as he called them.
Out side the Barracks, it was almost noon by then, the sun was scotching hot, overhead, the commander had made a plan for both their hide out to be visited, but in his mind still doubt the information Seth had provided. He was looking at the possibility all the information might be a scam, ‘who gives up such delicate information without an arguement or a threat, certainly not criminals that have massacred almost fifty people in cold blood. May be the captain was right, he had been weakened from his charms, and was afraid so he spill the whole truth, But there is only one way to find out, if it’s true or not.