Must Read: A man

Episode 7 years ago

Must Read: A man

“You can’t talk here, what’s your problem?”
Pemisire shouted at her
“Do you want me to die? I am afraid of death.

She said softly.

“That is a good thing. If this.. I think you are
the Helen, if you wish to talk, don’t worry you
will be freed.” He said moving toward her.

“I don’t know..” She said as Lawrence stood before her.

“Do you think we are here to play? See guys, if
they refuse to talk, torture them!” He
commanded.

“Yes boss.”

“I’ll be leaving in a moment, when it is 12pm
and none of them fail to tell you, kill the two,
to hell with you!” He turned back indignantly.

“Now, where are the documents?” The guys
swum them like bees.

“Kill me! Even if she tells you where the
document is, she doesn’t know the actual
place. Kill me!” Pemisire said.

“Is this one insane? I can shoot you!” He said
and pulled out a gun.

“Do you think that is a new thing? How did
you terminate my parent’s lives? Either you
kill me or excruciate me, I’ll still keep my
secret to myself.”

“This girl is seeming too bold for her age, I
don’t have time for any nonsense, is she
mad?” One of the came closer and slapped her again.

In no time, the guys started their work of
beating them up so as to tell them where the
documents are. After some minutes of torture,
they stopped to ask them where the
documents were. Then, Pemisire was focused
on because she was the one who knew the
nook and cranny of the documents. She had
started bleeding, the guys didn’t pity the lady
in them, they didn’t act as if they were beating
ladies up until they were satisfied.

“No!” Pemisire said as she was pouring out
blood from her mouth. She glanced at Helen
and still smiled in her problem. “If it is my
destiny to die, I know I will.” She said.

“Why has she been adamant? You don’t fear
death? You don’t care?” One of them said,
laughing slightly. “Where are the documents?”
He asked her again.

“How many times do you want me to tell
you?”
“I pity no man! If not for the Boss’ command,
I’d have killed you. I am waiting for twelve pm
before i send you to your grave.”

****

“I have cooked rice for you, it has been
packaged on the dining, make sure you eat!”
Uche told Richard as he sat beside him.

He looked into his eyes and saw that he had
been crying. He sighed and scratched his
head. “Richard, did you sleep at all?” He asked him.

He was mute as he picked up the best of his
sister’s photograph and stared at it again.

“Go to your place of work, I will eat my food.”

He told him.

“Can you do me a favour by giving me this
picture with you?”
Richard gave him. “Do you think I still don’t
have a whole lot? I thank God she wasn’t
inflicted with a disease people would have
been running away from her, I thank God she
didn’t go crazy before her death. Thank God
for her kind of death, even though there were
pains.”

Uche smiled. “I don’t know where God sent
that lady from, I am sure she did all these to
you! If not, you’d be abusing God.”

“I don’t have a choice.” He smiled faintly.

“Go to work now before the Director threatens you.” He patted Uche.

“Okay, bye.” Uche grinned and walked out.”

****

10AM.

“Have they told you?” Lawrence stormed in
again.

“No boss.” They echoed.

Lawrence became frustrated. “Are you mad?!”
He yelled, breathing heavily.

“Don’t spare them! We will waste them if they can’t offer anything!”
“Boss when are we going?” One of the guys
asked.

“I even almost missed my way the other time,
this their Ibadan is annoying. How can they be
calling a place Iwo road when and it is far
from this our.

We will leave when we finish killing them.”

“I am strict with time, you have less than two
hours to die!” One of them announced.

11AM.

“Just an hour to go!” One of the guys
proclaimed.

Helen glanced at Pemisire and smiles slightly.

“We are going to die for real, Pemisire.” She
said.

“I don’t think I have a choice, you are the one that still have a choice. Tell them the truth
but they can’t get Richard.” She replied.

“Really?” She asked.

“No! I see no possibility of you being released
because you’ve known their secret now.”

She said.

“See, that’s exactly what I have been thinking too. I caused it all, if you die, we should go along.”

“I wish a miracle can happen, I wish someone
should just appear and set us free.”

“What are you saying? Planning to run away?”
A guy approached them.

Pemisire hissed. “I don’t care.” She said.

“Talk back you can, your life is about to end,
anyways.” He laughed monstrously.

Pemisire smiled.

“Have they talked?” Lawrence came in again.

The other guys came of the small place where
they have been, to meet their boss. “None.”

One said.

“Alright, since morning! I see that you really
wish to die but I won’t hesitate to kill you. I
got some slow and painful ways to die, you
will soon tell me the truth.” He moved closer.

“What is it sir?” One of the guys asked.

“Untie them! I am sure they will confess now.”

He smiled.

The two ladies were untied. Pemisire was very
tired, she stood at the same spot and looked
backward, it was an opening that had not be
closed. She could see a big soak-away down
there and quickly raised up her head.

“Go and get me the kegs of water and buckets
at the back of my car.” He told his guys.

The guys were going when they heard multiple
voices. “Freeze!”
Lawrence looked back instantly and saw five
armed policemen coming toward them. He
brought out the gun with him instantly and
rushed to meet Pemisire as his hostage. He
held her by the neck and pointed the gun to
her head. “If you shoot, she dies!” He shouted.

Just then, Richard walked up and joined the
policemen. “Pemisire!” He shouted her name.

“I repeat, if you try to move closer, she dies!”
The policemen stood firmly too and still
pointed the gun at him. Suddenly a gunshot
was heard.

——-

“Pemisire!” Richard shouted shivering already,
but Lawrence fell.

His eyes widened as Lawrence was trying to
fall and pushed Pemisire away. It seemed he
had been shot by the Policemen that were
downstairs, behind him. Pemisire lost control
due to the gunshot and the push and fell too,
just down the building to the open soak-away
she saw ealier.

Just then, they all heard a splash. Richard ran
to the place and saw that it was a soak-away
that was there. “Pemisire!” He shouted as he
ran back. “It seemed she fell inside the soak-
away.” He shouted.

The policemen stood firmly, still pointing the
guns at the remaining guys when Richard
rushed down the stairs to go and check. He
got there and didn’t meet the policemen that
shot. He kept staring at the big soak-away
filled to the brim and tears rolled down his
cheeks. “Pemisire!” He screamed.

“Pemisire!” Helen too screamed as she ran
downstairs to meet Richard.

Then, the policemen downstairs that had gone
into hiding, after shooting Lawrence came out.
“We heard a splash, how can we get her out
now? Soak-aways are usually deep, she must
have reached down there.”

“No-o-o-o!!” Richard screamed and seated on the floor.

“We must go together!” He rushed up.

The policemen got hold of him instantly, then
Lawrence’s guys were matched downstairs and Lawrence that was shot by his leg. He was
still alive.

****
*****