Must Read: The Cartel (18+)

Episode 7 years ago

Must Read: The Cartel (18+)

The fear of spirits had surpassed that of my gun bearing assailants, so I was in a hurry to get out of the plantation rather than go deeper into it. Besides, they was the high probability the guys had left in that vehicle. Luckily, I found my way through the same path I had come from and eventually stumbled upon the spot where the action took place.

The torchlight was gone, but thanks to ray of light from the half-moon which found its way to the floor of the forest, I could see the bodies the big guy, the small guy, and not too far away that of Coco. A little feet away was that of another guy, which I concluded was one of the persons that had probably come to check what resulted in the earlier gunshot by Coco.

Again filled with a sudden fear of standing next to dead bodies, I proceeded towards the direction leading to the building. Approaching the building, I discovered there was no light and I began to wonder if it was a trap. But after observing for about five minutes from what I felt was a safe spot, I walked to the front and discovered only my car was parked there and the gate was left wide open.
“Were they abandoning this location?” I wondered
A feeling suggested I went inside the building, but a second voice suggested I simply got into my car and leave as soon as possible.

But walking towards the car, I noticed the right rear door was open and there was a body lying on the seat.

I paused briefly, afraid I had walked into a trap.

But after just about 30 seconds, I realized the body was still. Moving closer to the car, I discovered it was a probably Unclad female, placed face down on the backseat. No one needed to tell me that it was Vivian as I hurriedly rushed to the other side.

Opening the door, the first thing I did was to reach for her wrist and tried to feel a pulse.

I wasn’t sure I felt any, but something told me she was still alive, probably unconscious.

I hurriedly locked both doors and got into the driver’s seat hoping for a miracle that the car key should be in the ignition. Luckily it was there. I started the car and drove out of the compound and was immediately faced with a dirt road that went in two opposite directions.

Remembering that the first sharp turn and subsequent I had experienced in the trunk of the car when I was being taking out of the compound was to the left, I concluded taking right was the correct direction. Again, it was surprising to see a couple of houses just close to the one I was coming from even though the village looked really sleepy.

The drive before linking the highway took me ten minutes after which I was heading to Calabar. The only place on my mind was the UCTH. Briefly turning on the inner lights in the car, I realized for the first time that her body had whip marks and blood stains all over it.

Turning off the light off the lights and returning my gaze to the highway, I couldn’t fight back my tears as I kept making promises of being a better person, boyfriend, husband, dad etc. if she stays with me.

They were two checkpoints just before one gets to Calabar from Akampka. I passed the first one before Odukpani junction but it surprisingly had no military personnel in sight or I didn’t take note of any. But by the time I got to the second check point, there was a queue of about ten cars ahead of me. Not until the car directly in front of me was cleared to go did I realized Vivian was lying nak3d on the seat, with visible whip marks and a bloodied skin.

There was no way I was getting out of this one if I didn’t act before the army officer approaching with his torchlight sees her.

Getting Vivian to the hospital was all that mattered to me at this point and I didn’t care if I was shot at. “I’m not dying tonight” I said to myself and steeped on the pedals just as the officer said “inner lights”
“Hey.. Hey.. Hold it” I heard him scream.

The next thing I heard was two loud shots (Probably in the air to scare me) but I continued.

The slit second I looked at my rearview was all in needed to see their parked van by the side of road driving into the highway and siren blaring.
“No, not today.” I swore as I changed gears.

Now this stretch of the road until one gets to 8th miles (outskirt of Calabar) have some terrible bends and hills, but I overtook all the cars I saw without caring for oncoming vehicles. The soldiers must have decided to get me at all cost because they too followed. I had all the opportunity of losing them (by driving off the highway into inner roads), but getting Vivi to the hospital was what I really cared about.



So I drove on down to the stadium, negotiated left towards Eta-Agbor, satellite town, and finally found myself at the teaching hospital.

Driving and pulling over at the A&E section with Sirens behind me, the doctors and nurses on hand must have felt we were together. Though technically, we were.

I got out and opened the back door shouting “Somebody please help. Save her life. She’s Doctor Abang’s daughter”. At the mention of Dr Abang, I remember watching as the doctors and nurses on call swung to action just as I got a kick, a punch to the stomach, and a rain of thunderous slaps from the soldiers who had jumped down from their vehicle charging at me. Till this day, I’m curious as to why they never called for back-up or shot at me while the chase lasted.

I woke up the following morning with my right hand cuffed to the bed. There were two drips hanging just above my left. One was already empty, the other was half full and dripping.


Looking down, I confirmed I was on drip. But how did I end up in the hospital with my hand cuffed?

My ordeal had just begun.