Oaths - Season 1 - Episode 31

6 years ago

Oaths - Season 1 - Episode 31

.
Three days.
• • •
We abducted the rival gang guy and held him
in our custody for three days. Three days of
merciless beatings, terrific torture and brutal
starvation like they did to me, yet, he refused
to talk or say anything concerning his gangʼs
whereabout and location.

We deviced all sort of methods, all sort of
techniques and also tried all types of styles of
torture on him, but still, he didn’t budge. He
acted abrasively stubborn!

So, having no other option, Simonʼs next idea
was to cut off his ears and his fingers, and
maybe a toe from his foot too. Maybe by that,
according to Simon, he might surely speak up
to confess. But I decided against it! I decided
to intervene.

I asked them to take me to the torture room
so that I could speak with him one on one. At
first, Boma was reluctant and declined
adamantly about me going there, but after
much plea and pressure from me, he hesitantly
allowed me to go.

I was led outside to the corridor, behind the
building where there was another small
secluded boys-quarters. It was locked with two
padlocks and chains fixed onto it. After
opening the locks, we went inside.

If I hadn’t seen this guy before we abducted
him three days ago, I would have said he
wasn’t the same person I la!d eyes on as I
walked in. His face had really changed,
probably from the endless beatings every day.
His eyes were swollen and soggy, as well as
his cheeks were bulgy. His lips had lost shape,
and his body was something else to look at.
He was cuffed and chained to a chair, wearing
only a trouser as his bare wounded body
remained visible. I would have felt pity for him
if they had also felt pity for me, too.

I drew a chair and placed it directly in front of
him, and I sat. Boma stood behind me, while
Simon moved behind the hostage and stood
there. I paid rapt attention to his face to try
and study him. I watched as his eyes flickered
as he raised his head up slowly to face me.

For a moment, he looked like he was shocked
as we made eye contact, gazing at me
intermittently. In another moment, he fixed a
frown quickly with his face sq££zed, showing
no facial expression.

“You again?!” he exclaimed with an anger-
vested tone. “So na you them use catch me?
God punish you!” he cursed.

From the back, Simon lashed him a swift blow
on his neck. He yelped in pain from the
impact.

“Say one more word, Iʼll give you double!”
Simon warned menacingly, tightening his fist
for another blow, but I stopped him. I raised
my hand and gestured to him to calm down.
“You should be thanking me you are still alive
now,” I said, referring to the hostage.

“I should be thanking you? I swear na God go
punish you!” he cursed again.

Despite my raging countenance, I still
managed to keep calm and tolerate him.
“I want to help you, only if you behave and
cooperate with us.” I said, trying to reason
with him.

“So this one wey una do me never satisfy una
abi? You tortured me for three good days
without food and water, yet you still get mind
come back dey yarn me bullshit!” he fumed
angrily.

This time, I just lost it! I snapped my fingers
and right away, Simon lashed him heavily from
his back. He screamed!

“Whatʼs your problem? What is wrong with
you?” I was forced to yell out loud, “I am
trying to be nice here. I’m trying to reason with
you. Itʼs for your own good! Donʼt make me
change my mind!”

“If you change am, wetin go happen?” he
spoke again.

This guy had guts! He was probably trying to
show us how stubborn he was.

“Simon, maybe you should tell him what we
actually planned to do to him before I pleaded
on his behalf.” I exclaimed to Simon.

“I been wan cut your fingers, cut your ears,
chop off one of your toes, and finally I go
come gouge out one of your eyes then cook
am give you chop…” Simon explained.

On hearing that, I could swear I saw him shiver
instantly from those words. He looked terrified,
scared and shocked at the same time.
“So you see why I said you should cooperate?”
I asked.

He nodded almost immediately, filled with fear.
That fear was the exact thing I needed to
proceed.

“So tell me, who do you work for?”
Silence.

“I said who do you work for?” I repeated.
Silence again!

Simon was about to raise his hand and lash
him heavily from behind, not until the guy
opened up his mouth to speak.

“I work for a set of confidential people… I
don’t think you would know them…”
“Just talk!” I urged him on.

He heaved a sigh and continued, “Our major
aim is to help them win the upcoming election
in any possible way, regardless of any
obstacle we might face. We were given orders
to waste anyone that proved to be a threat to
us. I was only following my orders I swear to
God… I didn’t do it intentionally!”
“But you kidnapped me.” I said.

He remained silent.

“You kidnapped me and you also killed my
friend, you murdered her in cold blood. Isnʼt
that enough reason for us to kill you now if I
decide to?”

Again, he remained silent.

“Let me take over from here.” Boma said from
behind me and walked closer to the front.
“If I ask you anything, just dey give me
answers straightaway” he warned cautiously.

The guy nodded.

“First of all, wetin be your name?” Boma
asked.

“Scorpion Bite!” the guy answered.

“The name wey your mama and papa give you,
idiot!”

“Bolaji na my real name,” he replied.

“So Bolaji, who exactly are these people you
work for? We already know of Senator Randy
Ogbonna, we know of Big Tiny and also that
other idiot called Lady Tee. Who else is
attached to the list, and secondly, how do we
track them?” Boma queried.

“I don’t know anything about the Senator I
swear on my life, neither do I know anything
about Big Tiny or Lady Teeʼs whereabouts.”
“Bolaji, don’t lie to me!” Boma warned.

“Bros I no dey lie… If you don’t believe me
thatʼs your bloody problem!” he answered.
Three hot slaps followed suit immediately after
that statement. Boma didn’t waste time.

Three hot slaps followed by a kick to his
stomach and a blow to his face.

“Boma stop!” I quickly stood up to hold him
down.

“Fifi leave me alone!” he yelled furiously. I
didn’t release my hold on him nevertheless.
“Leave him alone, please. Just let me talk to
him one more time…” I pleaded with him.
Slowly, Boma shifted backward and gave me
space to come closer. I released my hold from
his arm and stepped closer to the guy,
bending slightly in front of him.

“Bolaji, this might probably be your last
chance. I don’t want you to die here. I want to
help you. Let me help you… Try to cooperate
with us, please.” I said, trying to reason with
him.

“F--k you!” he said next.

I was baffled. Upon how nice I tried to be,
upon how nice I sounded, that was the best
way he chose to respond back.
“Do whatever you want to do with this guy, Iʼm
done here!”

I turned back and began walking towards the
door angrily. I walked out of the boys-quarters
and I heard footsteps following me behind. I
looked back, it was Boma. I faced front and
walked faster, but I could hear him calling out
to me. I didn’t respond. I didn’t stop.

Suddenly, as I made to take another step, a
sharp pain scourged through my stomach. I
screamed.

From behind, Boma hurriedly ran towards me
with panick evident on his face. I bent low with
one hand on my thigh and another hand
holding my stomach.

“What happened?” Boma asked as he got near
me and held my shoulder.
“I felt a sudden pain.” I said, still holding my
stomach.

“Stand up first,” he said and held my hand to
try and lift me up, but the moment I lifted my
legs, the sharp pain emerged again more
painfully. I screamed and fell back down,
breathing heavily.

The next thing I knew, I felt this sudden urge
to throw up as a bile of saliva hung to my
throat. I felt something rushing up to my throat
and, within the blink of an eye, I vomitted the
bile out.