 
~Akintayo Akinjide~

DON'T! LOOK CLOSER

A Thriller

Novella

© Copyright, 2019 Akintayo Akinjide

Published through

Writertain E-Publishers

Contact: writertain@gmail.com

Other Books Akintayo Akinjide

- The Thorny Path

\- Purified Tomorrow: The Mad Awakening
FOR EVERYONE IN FORTUNE CITY NIGERIA
~Chapter 1~

Whatsapp Groups are great especially when they are instrumental in the money-making process. That particular Saturday morning, a Whatsapp group that started five months before had suddenly gotten a change of name- THE D-day. The members of the group need not worry about other messages burying that of the group because they all got phone numbers that no one but the group knew about. Thus, the sim cards in the phone could only be reached by members of the group. To work effectively, they all saved every other person's name the same way.

However, that morning, unlike other Whatsapp groups, everyone was waiting for the next post. And it came from WATCHER

Cake has arrived. Plan 10 in motion.

[><]

Plans were useless if everyone involved wouldn't execute their parts adequately. Ireti George hated when everyone involved in any plan couldn't keep up with their parts of the plan. She hated that she had to keep calling her friend to keep her end of the deal. The day was supposed to be the best day for the one she loved but it was transforming to something else.

She intended surprising her boyfriend, Ayo, for his birthday before noon but everything was going south because everyone couldn't uphold their parts of the plan. She tried calling Tolulope again. Tolulope had never been late for anything but that day she couldn't get hold of her.

Ireti stepped into the compound as she tried calling her cousin, Kike George. Ireti's father, an art collector, had expended a major part of his wealth on the security of their home. The security men looked fierce and desirous of a form of action, which the compound lacked. It must be frustrating for them because Ireti was sure she had never seen them laugh.

Every time, they would be seen harassing everyone, including the family member with their metal detectors. She glanced at the big cage that housed their hounds and hissed. Despite watching them grow to that stage, she detested them and everyone in the house was aware of her hatred for the dog. Most of the time, Kike did most of the works pertaining to the dogs.

Kike informed her that she was already at the gate and that gladdened her heart. Ever since she graduated from the university and finished her schooling as a law school, everyone in the family- Ireti, her father, and her mother- suddenly loved her. Before she went to school, they complained about everything Kike did. On her own side too, she hated the family because she grew up with them instead of her murdered parents. Rumour had it that Ireti's parents maltreated Kike, yet she fared better than most orphans.

Some of those days, actually, Ireti would have loved to step in for her but she always harbored the fear that Kike's works would be apportioned to her. So, she ensured she warded off the thought of lending a helping hand to Kike before they grew wings.

Delayed at the gate, Kike looked calm. Whatever happened to her in school was really something Ireti would love to try. Although they noticed the silence before she left for school, it became glaring only after she returned to the house. Now, she was collected and calm. This new demeanor attracted her father and caused him to employ her as his PA. Indeed, she did most of his hard work. Even her mother loved taking her about like her handbag. Kike had stopped being the fierce demon they grew up with. Ireti now banked on her to do things for her.

"But you know she's family. C'mon, let her pass through. I'm late. Jones, she needs to hurry. We are going out together", Ireti complained and checked her blue bodycon dress again. Sometimes, she wished she had those hourglass shapes that made all the boys' heads turn. But her body shape could only do half of that. Regardless of her shape, her body evoked some desire in men and she utilized it.

She, sometimes, couldn't tell if it was her body or her money that acted as the attraction for these men. But she was definitely sure it wasn't her brain. And that was the reason she fell for Ayo. He was the only one that took time to appreciate her brain. He would definitely enjoy her that day. She turned to Jones Uche, who was in charge of scanning the cars, and imagined touching the navy blue, laced with yellow stripes, uniform. When her father brought him from Spencer Guards, she had to restrain herself from asking him out on a date he was too cute. Nevertheless, Jones wouldn't look her the way she did.

Every time, his icy glare would scare her out of his presence. The only thing she had ever used to hold herself was always her anger. It worked every time.

"Madam, we're only doing our job", Jones replied as he was focused on the other car. Angry, she turned to her father, Chief George, who was seated in the balcony and was fiddling with several newspapers. For some odd reasons, he became frightened about everything as if people had the intention of killing him. But she knew nothing could happen. After all, he was only an art collector. Even politicians don't leave in such fear as her father.

"Daddy?" Ireti called. He peeped.

"Let them do their jobs. I paid them for it".

"They are delaying us. What's all the fuss about? They should hurry about it if it's in their wisdom to do what they are doing".

Chief George waved at the security men to continue their jobs. Ireti turned and hissed.

"All these are for you. Don't you know it's all for you? They check us too"

"Then, let her enter the house without fuss"

"Impossible!!! Guys, carry on with your job".

The men did a thorough scan of the car. Ireti flung her wallet away. Kike, on the other hand, remained calm. After a while, the security team allowed her to pass through. She drove to the park. Their family park had about six different cars including her own. Ireti always had a knack for jeeps and had opted for Kia Sportage when her father asked her to pick her choice.

The day he gave her the car felt like the best day of her life. She travelled all around the city with it and made everyone aware she had gotten the best of car. She went clubbing and returned home drunk. But for Kike, she might have been robbed. Even till date, she still wondered how Kike could work so fast and intentionally. She, basically, controlled everything in the house. Ireti too loved to make her see life the way it was. But Kike wouldn't even touch some things like alcohol or anything to smoke.

The other car in the park belonged to her parents. Ireti hurried off to meet Kike. Then, she remembered her wallet and went for it as she shouted, "even hotel own no reach this one. Mummy's hotel doesn't have this strict measure".

"Why didn't you throw your phone today? I would have shown you what stuff I'm made of", Chief George said and went off to keep reading his newspaper. The news was his information. He always looked for loopholes with the intention of banking on them for money.

Kike hissed and rushed to meet Kike, who was battling with a bag and the cake at the same time. If the table turned and Kike was the daughter of her father, men would have scrambled and fought for her attention. She held the power of men's gaze any time they were together. But without much action, she always had a way of redirecting men's attention to Ireti.

Before Kike could explain herself, Ireti grabbed the cake and rushed off. She dropped it on the roof of the car and fetched her key from her wallet.

"Babes, no vex. I was delayed in the traffic", Kike muttered.

"No worries. Let's go. I can't get hold of Tolu".

"Well, I'm here for you".

Ireti turned and dropped the cake at the backseat. Kike battled with her seatbelt while Ireti started the car.

"You can't understand. I've explained the details more to her".

"God will save us from this your three-month-old best friend", Kike interjected.

Ireti smiled. "It seems like forever"

She couldn't believe they could be that close within a very short period. Tolulope had saved her from being raped or being used. She met her at a friend's birthday party. That night, Ireti drank herself to stupor and redirected the attention of everyone to her that night. When she woke the next day, she met herself beside Tolu, who explained that she had to drag her to her own place, since her friends also were drunk and couldn't drive.

Ireti was so grateful that she took her as the best of her friends. And truly, Tolu was better than every friend she had ever had. They enjoyed everything together and even her parents gave Tolu the same access Ireti had in the house.

Just as they drove off the park towards the gate, her mother stood in front of her car. Frowning, they both knew they were in for trouble.

'What have you done this time?' Ireti asked. Her hair was flowing with such grace that she couldn't help smiling when she caught a reflection of herself in the mirror.

'I'm not sure it's me'.

'It's not me. I've been in this house since you went out to get the cake. She could have harassed me all these while'.

Mrs George came to Kike's side of the window and knocked. "Where are you going with her, Kiki...?"

"Ma... Erm... We want to visit someone".

"Have you forgotten I told you we were going to the supermarket together?"

"But... You were. I thought you were joking"

"Joking kwa!"

"Ah! Ma, we have somewhere important to be"

"More important than what I want from you".

"No ooo. It's just that..."

Ireti frowned. "Her mother... We will soon return. It's a very quick one".

Mrs George shook her head. "It does seem you two want to spend the rest of your day in my room".

"Ah! Kiki, go o. Go. We will meet... You might still meet us there".

Kike climbed down but didn't complain. The manner with which she had been punished and flogged for doing such when she was still a teenager had helped her inculcate the good soldier habit. Mrs George made eyes at Ireti playfully. Ireti frowned and drove off.

Just when she got out of the earshot of her compound, she dialed Kike's number.

"Hello... Are you alone? Can you talk?'

"Yes..."

"Since you are no longer in the plan, it is still almost the same. The only slight difference here is that I'll beep you as soon as I leave A.Y's place. Your guys are to cross me at the junction opposite my house. Remember, you're to make him or those crazy security men see that I have been kidnapped".

"Alright. Everything is set. All the best".

'Good!' She disconnected the call and hissed. 'Stingy man'.

{)(}

WATCHER typed: 'Humming bird's on the way'.

~Chapter 2~

Everyone deserves a good and shocking experience once in a while, Ireti thought as she sneaked through the little steps that led to Ayo's flat. Unlike Ayo, though, the house was silent, sending her a wrong signal. He was either sleeping or not home. She remembered the first time she visited him; he was blasting music from his home stereos. She had to plead with him to reduce the noise because they were shouting instead of conversing,

However, at that point, she didn't need to debate whether he was home or not because his door was slightly opened. The lemon color rugs that spread through the room and had been spiced with cream cushions were littered with red petals of roses. Her heart skipped beats as she looked at the different sides of the rooms.

She couldn't contain her joy any longer but she was aware that screaming might ruin the surprise for Ayo. So, she dialed Tolu's number but it was still switched off. How could Tolu forget such a day as this or even have her number switched off? No matter what happened, she needed to tell someone before she screamed her head off as a result of the excitement building up in her chest.

She dialed Kike's number. The room was a small one with Ayo's pictures framed and hanged on the army green wall serving as its major decorations. He could have put a big picture of her in a visible area of the room, she imagined. However, this was enough for her. She could use that idea whenever she was setting up a surprise wedding proposal for her clients.

Being one that loved surprises, she had established herself in creating memorable surprises for people as long as they could pay well. The day was always spiced with various photographers and some other things. Ayo must have picked an idea or two from her.

When the call to Kike got connected, she whispered "Hello, Kiki... Kiki... I think he wants to propose".

Kiki screamed, "Oh! My God!!! Oh my God!!!"

Ireti froze. "Don't ruin the surprise with your noise. I'll call you later".

She sneaked into the other part of the house. Where could he be hiding? She would have loved to capture the moment whenever they both surprised each other. She brought out her phone to take video coverage of the red petals scattered everywhere.

Her attention, however, was caught up in something new that made her take the video coverage with lesser concentration. The petals had been stepped upon in an erratic manner. How could Ayo plan to surprise her and still step on the things he got for her? She spun from side to side as she noticed that the petals reduced. Instead, she was now faced with Ayo's red t-shirt, a lady's blouse, Ayo's belt, and a lady's bra. Irked by their presence, she picked them like one picking worms off her path. She cringed and dropped the lady's cloth immediately, hurrying off to his room. She stopped at the door. Holding her breath as if she was underwater, she opened the door.

'This is a lie!!!' She screamed and dropped the cake. Ayo was with someone else. Her scream jolted him to reality and made the lady poke her head. Tolulope, her friend, shrunk her head immediately and hid it beneath Ayo's bewildered face.

Ireti dropped the cake. "What is happening here? What is this?"

"I thought... You said you travelled".

"Tolu... You and my man! You're both dead today. Oh! Oh!" She yelled and barged into the room. As she did so, her hand hits the key in its hole. She paused and spun towards the key as a crazy idea formed in her head. She stared at them for a while as Ayo began to mumble his plea. She pointed into the air. "I know what to do with you two".

They trembled but she was less concerned. She removed the key from its hole, rushed out of the room and closed the door, which got stuck from the cake. She kicked the cake away, not minding the irritating effect it had on her footwear, dragged the door and finally locked it. If they knew what she wanted to do, they would cry for help. But she would make them taste hell and go to the place immediately. Their nemesis would have to happen faster than they anticipated. God would take the time to judge them or even forgive them. Karma, that bastard, will take time to judge them. But she would let them understand the rawness of immediate judgment.

She rushed to the kitchen and screamed as she switched on the gas cylinder. It hissed and she nodded satisfactorily. She picked a box of matches and walked out. She will destroy them. Ayo couldn't fit into the range of even an average guy but she gave him everything and now he had taken her for granted. The two of them shouted and banged the door. They would assume she had left.

Ireti shouted, "You will die today".

The two of them went silent and Ayo called to her. He told her how he loved her and how he could do anything for her. Indeed, he loved her and it wasn't because of her rich father. In fact, the first time he met her was in a local canteen, Buka. That day, she wanted to enjoy herself without anyone using her as a case study that a rich person came to the canteen to eat. So, she and Kike boarded a bike to a Buka not very far from their home to have a great enjoyment of Amala and Gbegiri soup.

That was where he met her and told her she was acting with a class on her own and he would love to talk to her later. And that was their first meeting, so she couldn't understand how he could stoop so low as to have sex with another woman. It had been rumored that a man could cheat and still loved his spouse. She wouldn't need him to come back to declare his love to her.

She hurried out of the house and held her breathe. Panting like an athlete, she lit a stick of the matches, threw it into the house, locked the door, and sprinted off to her car with the speed of light. When she was sure she was somewhere safe, she stopped running and waited for the effect.

But nothing happened. She was stunned. Smokes from the fire ought to have shown in the house by now or was it because she closed the door. Nothing happened in the house and that rattled her. It would be a disaster for her to move near the house and be blown apart by it. She decided to countdown to ten. That would really help her in sorting her emotion.

They both betrayed her. The most annoying thing was that Tolulope was aware of her visitation. Why would she choose a day like that for her antics? At least, she could have deferred their illicit act and pretended. The only explanation she could give herself was that it was a confrontation from Tolu. She had been eyeing Ayo since she introduced them to each other. Most of the times, Ireti would assume she was only pulling her legs by telling her how sexy Ayo was.

The guy was bald naturally but he had a way of keeping his beard that enthralled her always. The beards made her heart skip beats anytime she saw him. Tall, dark and bearded, she had always dreamt of sons like him and didn't bother about the incessant rants from her mother to avoid sex before marriage.

"Nothing is happening? What's happening? Why is nothing happening? She muttered as she watched the house.

She hurried back to the door. They couldn't have gotten out of the room to quell the fire. She moved nearer, hoping to hear cackles from burning materials. She touched the house and the door and was disgusted at their normal temperature. It meant the fire didn't attract the gas she leaked into the air. Something was definitely wrong and she would get to the root of it. Her revenge must happen and nobody would stop her.

She gently opened the door, anticipating a blast but nothing happened. The air was rid of any stuffy smell. It could be she didn't open the gas well. She sniffed the air to assure herself she wasn't running into her death. But the air was clean.

Upon getting to the gas, she got the shock of her life. The gas cylinder wasn't wheezing like it ought to. The air wasn't choky; instead, it was normal. She bent near the gas and discovered it was empty.

"Ah" She cried as turned the screw repeatedly.

Her cried made those inside realize she was still around; they banged the door and called her name. She rushed over to the room to inflict her judgment on them but changed her mind

Tolu cried. "BFF, please..."

"BFF kill you there. I'm not those foolish girls you've encountered. The two of you will rot there."

"Baby, please. I can explain. It was so sudden", Ayo pleaded.

"Like rapture, idiot. That's how you would have rotted in hell. Faggot. Whitewalker. Wildling. You, Tolu, you're Ayammataga, you're cursed. You will die like the leaves without water. Hunger will kill you here. Luckily for you, the door is not made of wood and there are burglaries here. You will die. Die and I will dance on your graveyards. You will die. I will be so happy that you won't understand what has gotten over me. You are forsaken..."

She burst into tears and rushed to her car. Still blinded with tears, she didn't see the nemesis awaiting her. She was still inserting her key into its hole when she noticed a flat tire.

{)(}
~Chapter 3~

Her mind razed every idea that popped out for help in her head. She had no option than to call Kike again. The innocent girl would be her savior again. Different scenarios played in her head as she still couldn't wrap her head around the fact that Ayo and Tolulope were together on the bed.

"Kiki, where are you?"She lamented when the call connected.

"We're stuck in the spa. Mumsy wants to have massage and facial by force. And she made me also..."

"Can you come for me? My car's tyre has deflated".

"What of A.Y?"

"Leave there or that house will be a hell hole for you".

"She won't allow me. And you know I'm just courting her favour after these years".

At that time, a bike man drove into the street with no passenger. Ideas formed in her head. What would people say about her using a bike for transport? She couldn't even imagine the disdain it would bring to her reputation.

She knew Kike wouldn't be able to leave her mother's side until she wanted to release her. But she still had to try her luck again."Will you come or what?"

"What's wrong? It will take a while to get to you... We are on the Island".

"You know what? Don't bother. I'll come home myself. I'll find my way..."

"But babes..."

Ireti disconnected the call. For some odd reason, the bike man drove so slowly and she couldn't fathom the reason for such awkward riding. Nevertheless, she needed to leave that area before she changed her mind about the duo in Ayo's flat. She opened her car and picked her bag. Just as she locked her car, the bike man drove past her. She waved it down and had to withdraw because of the irritating way the man sneezed.

"George Avenue..." She murmured when she was sure he wouldn't sneeze again. Despite her disconnection from the present world, she wouldn't want to be bathed with the deadly mucus of a strange man.

"Ah! That place too far." The bike man replied.

"Any amount you want to take", she announced as she climbed the bike.

"If I say 700 naira, e no go do", the bike man said. 'We never talk about money finish you don climb bike!"

"Let's go. I'll give you 2K".

"Challe!!! Let's go".

The bike man drove off and her mind read like the novel, Helter Skelter. If the world could do just what she wanted, those two would have lost consciousness. Suddenly, the bike man stopped, jolting her back to reality. The street was empty. The estate, like one of those numerous expensive ones, housed the most silent people Ireti had ever encountered. Her mind needed solace. Tolu would have been the one to take care of that for her; however, she caused the pain.

Kike might eventually take the place of Tolu in her life. Nothing would make ever forgive Tolu. Her action portrayed how much of a backstabber she was and she wanted nothing to do with her anymore. Their relationship had snap short from that day. In fact, the sight of Ireti might eventually unearth the devil hidden in her. She preferred Tolu stayed in her own house and they not meet again because her life depended on her. The most painful aspect was that if they were on a war front, she would have allowed Tolu man the back because of the level of trust she had for her.

"Madam... Sorry o", the bike man pleaded.

"What?"

"Please, get down"

"Are you for real?"

"Na for your good"

The bike man hit different places on the bike and wouldn't stop sneezing. The silence of the area was enough for her. The man's disturbance would soon end. The rest of the week or month would be spent in her room and the only songs she wanted to listen to were all the songs titled betrayed or those with its theme. She would download them and put the playlist on auto-repeat.

"What's all these? Why the delay?"

"Madam, no vex. The thing just dey act like say he don drink kain kain".

She moved a bit far. Her anger ought not to be expended on someone as useless as the bike man, whose cloth was enough to make one have an infection. All that mattered there was that she got home. And like out of fairy tale, a red Mustang drove into the area. Comparing it to a fresh tomato wouldn't be enough to do it justice. The owner had taken the time to pimp it and that gave it an appeal she couldn't understand.

Her heart lurched for it. Her prince charming had come, almost immediately to get her off the rubble her former lover and best friend had put her. She would jump at any opportunity. Her skin tone was enough to show any man how important she was. Luckily for her, her car's key still hung from her hand.

The car slowed down in front of her and the driver wind down. He was one of those beard-gangs and that made her spin in her imagination. She totally forgot all her home training. Times like this happened once in a lifetime and she wouldn't dare lose it to arrogance. The odor from the car was enough to show how classy the young man was. The air was lavender mixed with a little piece of rose and the coldness of the car's AC.

That was what she always told men to do for ladies. They ought to give them the best treatment and scent always. Women were creatures of the nose. Like dogs, they had a sensitive nose.

"Beautiful wonder, why are you frying yourself in this wicked sun?" He asked in a cool voice that almost made her forget her name. The dream of every princess, looking glamorous, had just used a hot pickup line. Nothing could stop her from following him.

"My car had a flat tire and this bike I decided to take also stopped. I've got to get home".

"No worries. Where's home?"

"George Avenue".

"Not my way but get in".

"Aunty! My money", the bike man called.

She opened the door and spun around with the most venomous look on her face. "Have we gone anywhere? Don't let me display for you here".

She climbed the car and could hear the faint yell of the bike man calling her stingy witch as she closed the door. She wouldn't mind being whisked off the world to dreamland at that point in her life. The young man, who looked like one in his early 30s, had the features she needed in a man.

Where are your manners? She chided herself.

"Thanks".

"Typical thing! Those things called vehicles- they can be both devils and angels. The car of a beautiful wonder breaks down. A handsome man like me sees her and gbam! We are married. I'm Bayode".

"Ireti"

She wondered what his problem was. He was too pompous for her liking. Very soon, they might clash as her egoistic part detested such men. If they eventually have things to do together, she wouldn't want a man that might later have the desire to be her lord and savior. Wait! Why was she even thinking of a relationship with him when men had just shown her how much they could do? After her period of depression, she would show men the true color she was made of.

"Are you sure...?" Bayode asked. But she couldn't take his repugnant nature anymore and she needed to put him in his place.

"Mr Man, shut up... If you want to..."

"Easy. Please, calm your nerves. Look at the car following us. It started since we left the other time?"

"How's that my concern? I just want to get the hell out of here!"

Bayode peeped. Truly, a black 2015 Honda Civic trailed their path. She had no fear; the kidnappers were coming at the wrong time. They could have waited till she got to the gate. Everyone just had a problem with keeping their part of any deal. She hissed.

"It's just that..." Bayode voice lingered off. A black Toyota Camry headed their way. His eyes darted between the side mirror, the windscreen, and the rearview. She wanted to tell him to calm down but it would do no good if she made him aware of the situation. Everyone talks eventually. He might rat her out and her father would definitely look for a way to make her pay everything she took from him.

"Why are they chasing you?" Bayode asked as he glanced about.

"Chasing me? They can't possibly be chasing me?" She feigned ignorance.

"It's not me. You must have done something to them!!!"

"If you don't know what to say, don't talk to me", she retorted. Despite knowing he was right, she couldn't allow him to go on with his belief. It would ruin everything.

"I've been driving through this area for years and I can categorically state this is the first time of seeing this rides".

The car coming from the front obstructed their path and the occupants climbed down. They looked fiercer than regular fraudsters or was her mind playing a trick on her? They shouldn't make her afraid. However, Bayode needed to have his share of fear and the best way to ensure that happened was when she ensured he had the same fear as she. She screamed.

One of the men, another equally handsome beard gang, marched towards them. These men would ruin every of her plan. Her father would only heed their calls if they had done it in front of the building. Now, he might demand a part of her body to ensure she was definitely the one they kidnapped. He always believed she doctored everything to swindle him. Yet, his fear had elements of the truth: all she did have always been to make money using the simplest of things, thanks to Kike.

"Get out", the leader barked. Despite his goatee, she couldn't endure the cracks in his voice. They reminded her of her Ayo.

"What do you want?" Bayode screamed as he covered his head with his hand. The men brandished crude weapons such as cutlass and she would have hissed had Bayode not being there. How could they have imagined anyone would be afraid of such ludicrous weapons?

"Get down before I decapitate you. I'm sure you know the meaning of the word. De- means to extract from something. Cap means to... You understand what I mean. I'll have your head rolling on the street", the leader yelled.

They led Bayode and Ireti into their own Camry and drove them off. One of them followed them in Bayode's car. She glanced at Bayode and mirrored him by whimpering. They couldn't possibly harm him.

{)(}
~Chapter 4~

Their journey took them a while but she wasn't in the least concerned. Her heart was too broken to fiddle with the idea of knowing where they were. No matter where they were, she needed a space to herself. Her mind was befuddled at the moment and she just couldn't understand how to stop the pain. Tolu had really made her go through a pain she couldn't recover from.

If she was a regular girl, Ireti wouldn't have found the situation painful. Now, she couldn't think much about any other thing. To her chagrin, Bayode kept shouting at the men to release him. The blindfolds prevented from seeing what was happening around but she preferred it. She hated Bayode's egoistic view of life. She lived a better life than he but she had kept quiet and only feigned tears for the few times. Why can't he learn from one that lived in wealth?

The men dumped her into a chair. They were too rough for her liking. They didn't take a second glance at her but she wouldn't even know because of the blindfolds. She banked on the moment to cry her eyes out. The surreal view of Tolu and Ayo lingered on her mind. Tears found its way through her cheek to her nose, and she sniffed.

'Aww... She's crying', someone said. If life could give her one chance at this, she wanted to keep running from everything and this kidnapping was the only way to do that. Nothing spoke of wealth in her life. Her stingy father couldn't part with his money easily for her to travel the way many others have. The emptiness of her life kept gnawing at her. Even the alcohol she found solace in hadn't been able to fill it. She wanted an out of everything she knew and this was the perfect way to do that.

Someone pulled their head covers and that gave Bayode the opportunity he sought. He lamented about how much he must have been mistaken with someone else. Ireti stared at them for a while, hungry and wishing that she could understand why her day seemed cursed. But she accepted the blame. When Kike came late from getting the gate, she should have understood that life meant something else for her. Now, she was soaked in the pain of the knowledge. She moaned again as the memory of her naked lover and best friend came again.

"If life gives you a lemon, make lemonade out of it" read the cloth of the head kidnapper. It disgusted her.Everything about it made her squirm. A wise criminal should understand that nothing of such should be seen around them. But what did she know? Moreover, the maxim repulsed her. It would have been better if nothing bad had happened to her that day. Now, she couldn't help but compare her situation with lemon. No lemonade can be birth from it. The soar taste clung to her heart and she couldn't see the honey that would reproduce it for her.

A young man who would be in his late teens tied them and she wondered if he would get his right cut of whatever money they made. As much as she might want to find it interesting, these guys were beginning to take it too seriously. The plan should have been that she would sit on the couch while they carried out the transaction with her father. Now, the boy tied her as if everything in him hated her for being rich. With Bayode present, she couldn't have a straight conversation with them.

The young guy moved over to Bayode, who only sat still because the one with the motivational polo pointed cutlass at him.

"Rasheed!!! Come here, now!" Someone shouted from the other rooms in the building they were taken to. She looked about and couldn't help but detest their taste. They should have gone for something more comfortable. Now, she would have to keep up with their impoverished lifestyles.

The young man ran off. The one with the motivational cloth walked to and fro the room. He spun like someone controlled and pointed the cutlass at them.

'Now, you will call your father', he ordered.

Bayode sat up. The redness of his eyes made her feel like laughing at him. She couldn't believe he could exhibit any form of fear when she looked calmer. If they hadn't brought him, she wouldn't have had to keep up appearances. His eyes bulged as he looked from the door to their assailant and the cutlass.

"Why will you call my father?" Bayode asked.

Their assailant shook his head, disgusted. "Why will anyone call your father? Is he a rich man?

Bayode shook his head. She loved to watch the event play out. Her mind played on the words she would use whenever she recounted it to Kike. Tolu wouldn't hear a word of it.

"Is he a renowned art collector?" The kidnapper questioned again.

Bayode shook his head again. She wanted them to skip to the part where they were threatening her but there was no harm in having a little fun while doing it.

"Then, you keep your mouth before I ruin it with my fist", the kidnapper said.

Bayode seized the moment. "If so, let me go. I don't have any reason to be here".

The kidnapper smiled and strutted towards him, hitting his palm with the side of the cutlass. She felt like spending the whole year watching their drama. But Bayode wouldn't keep his mouth shut. From the way he handled her the other time, he wouldn't have guessed she was Chief George's daughter. Nothing could come out of him. His presence was tainting what they could have started.

"When your mother was praying for you, she forgot to pray about you not helping the wrong persons. This, lady, here has been under our radar for a while", the kidnapper said.

"Please. Cover my face. Our faces were covered before we entered this compound. Do the same. I just want to get home to my wife".

Infuriated, the kidnapper shook his head. "Heys. Kingston... Bring me that second cutlass. I need to cut someone's lips".

Her eyes widened because the kidnapper looked serious. She couldn't watch such a thing happen to someone because of her. They could reach an agreement without anyone getting hurt. The only person she would love to punish was her father. No other person should be involved and she knew she had to interfere but if he refused their offer they could do anything they wanted with him.

"Please, leave him. He's not involved. He just helped me. He's not part of us", she said and looked away.

"Part of whom?" The kidnapper asked.

"Us..."

"What do you mean us?" The kidnapper asked again. This time, he looked too serious for her. She didn't like the way he was taking the pretence too far.

"The plan we had".

"I don't understand you", the kidnapper said.

"The plan we had with Kiki", she blurted out. The look on his face made her fear for her life. Why will Kike make the men forget their duty? Their treatment to her should be only psychologically and not the awkward sneer she saw on his face.

The kidnapper laughed. She sighed. He edged towards her. "Well, I don't love Kiki. Only Drake does. I don't know any Kiki".

She squirmed at his bad breath. "What do you mean you don't know Kiki? We planned all these together. She just refused to make me know you guys because we had the intention of making sure I'm surprised".

The kidnapper swallowed hard. Everything that had sound suddenly seemed to have lost them. She tried to remember the place she had seen that look before. Kike always had that look whenever one was giving wrong information or had missed the topic of discussion. The kidnapper's drama was having its negative effect on her and she couldn't take it anymore.

He shook his head like before. "This is madness. You're mad. You can see your life in public. You're so used to AC and the first time you'll experience real heat, you became mad".

"Please, I don't like this joke", Ireti cried. She glanced at a daze Bayode.

"So, your... What's that name again...? Do you love me? Yes... Kiki. Your Kiki got me to be your comedian".

"Is the cut not enough? We will increase it. Don't do this. We can do other businesses together. Don't be greedy".

He placed the cutlass under her nose. The wetness shook her "Are you out of your mind? This isn't a joke. This is you leaving your father's life unless he pays us. Can you smell it?"

The kidnapper's fierce look said it all. She had truly been kidnapped. Her mind raced through all the things she had hoped to do with the money. Why was life treating this? She burst into tear. Bayode shifted in his seat and turned his head towards her.

"So, you planned all this?" He yelled. Her mind couldn't contain the shock. Bayode faced the kidnapper. " Bros... Bros... I'm not a part of this nuisance. Let me go".

Ireti cried louder. The kidnapper placed the cutlass under her lips. She muffled her tears. Without any iota of doubt, she had played herself into the hands of real kidnappers. Her life had just become ruined by the error on her part.

"Madam, stop crying".

She nodded but couldn't stop the flowing tears. Now, someone was truly getting the money she wanted all along but she wouldn't get a share of it.

The kidnapper moved back and brought out a phone from his pockets. "Whose phone is this?"

"It's not mine". Bayode replied. She didn't have to look at it.

"Then, it's the crying baby's own. See, we are not maltreating you. When we are done, you can still do what you and your friends have planned. All of you are thieves. You, your father... And everyone in Nigeria. Do you know how much he sells one of those arts? He made billions from the last art he collected. The man is a thief. You too, his daughter, are a thief. All of you".

Bayode interfered. "We are sorry".

If the Kidnapper hadn't been angry the whole time, he became angry that he ran toward Bayode and waved the cutlass at him. Ireti watched as the sharp cutlass danced in front of Bayode's eyes and couldn't help imagining the pain it would bring if it touched her.

"Are you deaf? Don't you know your father again? Please, don't ruin my happiness. Don't you dare! I'm happy and I'm enjoying the imagination of joy. Don't make me angry".

"Sorry, sir. But plea..."

Ireti cried, "please, let us go".

"Look at their mouths like please... Yen... Yen..."

He stopped talking and looked down at his hand like someone hallucinating. Like one on fire, he hurriedly pressed every button on the phone. She could do anything to get out of that place. Her life had never been this threatened. She burst into tears.

The kidnapper hurried off to the door. "One of you, guys come o. This phone is off".

"It's the battery o. Or it wants me to touch it", she called.

The kidnapper hissed. "Why do you like to scheme. You are not going anywhere".

Rasheed, the kidnapper that tied them, hurried into the house. His tennis boots made the impression that he had made a lot of money from the business of kidnapping. She wondered how much he must have made to wear such expensive one at a location as that. Her eyes roved over him.

The kidnaper torturing them pointed it at the new one. "Open our new car and plug this phone in it"

"Which new car?" Rasheed asked.

"I hate you. You don't know simple coded language. New... Did we bring any car here? In fact, I'll do it myself".

He collected the phone and marched out of the room, banging the door behind him.

{)(}
~Chapter 5~

She sat in silence and waited for Bayode to berate her as if she brought the kidnappers upon them. But he didn't talk and that roused her curiosity. She glanced at him only to see him battling with the rope used in tying him. How could he have loosened the rope? The boy tied hers so tightly that her wrists were hurting. She took it upon herself to listen for their kidnappers while Bayode wriggled out of the rope. Instead of their impending fury, all she could hear were rancor from them.

Within a few seconds, Bayode's hands were tugging at the rope used in tying her. Her heart yearned for a way to thank him. She wanted to hug him at the same time run for her life. She chose the latter because he did the same. They listened at the door for a while and didn't hear anyone approaching. Assured of their safety, he opened the door and ensured it didn't creak. The men kept yelling and hurling abusive words at each other. She wouldn't mind running all the way home and was excited when they met Bayode's car door opened and ready for them. The men had plugged her phone to a charger and left the door ajar. They sneaked into it. The gates were left ajar too.

But she didn't and wouldn't mind. As she settled in the car and expected him to drive off, Bayode longed for the dashboard, not minding that his hand was grazing her breast. He took a screwdriver from the dashboard, rushed out and pushed it into the valve of the tires of their kidnappers' car. She was mystified. Had it been she escaped without his help, she wouldn't have thought of that.

Without wasting any time, Bayode grabbed the hand gear and released it. Her mind couldn't contain it anymore. Nothing could beat his sluggishness. They should have been speeding off but he didn't even start the car. The noise from the guys stopped. Her heartbeat increased as she cringed to hear them continue in the making of their noise. The car drove off without making any noise. Luckily for them, the slope allowed it and the car sped off without him starting it. She couldn't take it anymore.

She whispered, "drive".

He leaned towards her and gave her a cold glare. Nobody would have gone scot-free from her razor tongue had it been on another occasion, but the occasion warranted that she kept her cool.

"Watch me".

That spooked her. "Drive, my friend".

"Shut up or I send you out".

"Eh! Please ooo..."

Bayode started the car and zoomed off. The men were now outside. They rushed after them and Bayode didn't give them another minute before they were out of view. He exhaled and yelled. He picked his phone and dialed a number. "Baby, help me thank God!!!"

She hissed and wondered if she should call her father and explain the situation to him or simply call Kike. She chose the latter.

{)(}

~Chapter 6~

Their journey away from their kidnappers became a wearisome one after they had driven for a while. They weren't been followed any more but they kept travelling at a high speed. Ireti had tried to contact her father but her network's reception was poor. She hissed and shifted in the seat. Everything made her sad. She needed hot water to bathe. Her head swirled with imaginations of the things Tolu and Ayo might have done to each other.

With the little knowledge about sex she garnered from Tolu, she could only imagine half of what she would have done to him. Nothing felt could clean her thought off it. At other time, the thought of what the kidnappers might have done to her made her squirm. Bayode reduced the speed of the drive and looked about.

"Do you have an incline of where we might be?" He asked.

"How will I know?"

He sneered. "Were they not your people?"

Rolling her eyes, she turned to stare at the bush. The leaves laid on each other in perfect harmony and her heart yearned for such experience.

"I don't have time to discuss this rubbish with you... You know what? Call... No... Switch on your Google map", Bayode commanded.

"What's that?"

He glanced at her and back at the road. "Don't let me change it for you".

She sat straight and shrugged. "When I don't understand what you mean?"

"How will you understand when the only thing you know how to do is to scheme up evil plans", he mumbled.

"Please, don't try to be a sanctimonious person here".

"Open your apps. Look for Google map and in fact... Where's my phone?"

He picked his phone and unlocked. Her eyes followed his action as his eyes swung between the content of the phone and the road. Without knowledge of what he meant, she couldn't render any help. Yet, she looked at his phone intently, hoping to understand what he needed and reduce the stress on him. At that point, something caught her attention. She edged nearer and saw his wallpaper.

"What picture is that? It looks like that of our house", she commented.

Bayode stared at her for a while and hissed. "This house is popular. We all know it. Wait... Is this your house? You're Mr George's daughter?"

She looked away. "That thing you did to their tyre...You seem good at it".

"Anybody can do it".

She shrugged and relaxed. Like one drunk in the process of seduction, she allowed her hands to roll her hair. She had to take his mind off who she was. "It's just too convenient. You have a screwdriver. You met me on the way".

"What are you insinuating?"

"I don't know. I'm just saying..."

"Say what you want to say and trek to your house" Bayode replied as he fiddled with his phone. He clicked repeatedly and that got on her nerves. She couldn't understand why he didn't feel charmed by her or her father's name.

"I'm not saying anything. You know my tire too became flat for no reason".

Bayode looked up at her with a big scowl masking his beauty. "What has that got to do with me? Now, you're getting on my nerves. Keep shut before I decide you're no longer worth helping".

She gave the air a backhand slap. "Have you gotten the place?"

Bayode mumbled. "No wonder she is spoilt".

"Manners".

He dropped the phone and faced her. "Call your parents."

"I'm not your servant".

"So, they will know where to pick you", Bayode said as he started the car.

She blinked repeatedly and slowly turned towards him even as she pulled the seatbelt across herself. "What do you mean?"

{)(}
~Chapter 7~

They travelled for a while in silence and Ireti adored the moment until Bayode began his rants about her mischievousness. She refused to take the bait to have another squabble with him. Well, if she didn't intend to talk, he finally found the way to get to her because, in a short while, her voice escalated as she pelted him with insults. If one could find words on the body of the receiver, Bayode might have been disfigured by her vulgar words but she didn't relent. He had removed the lid of her basket mouth and she would suffocate him with her foulness.

Suddenly, he swerved to the side of the road and stepped out of the car. She realized what he intended to do and it occurred to her that she had gone beyond her boundaries. So, she held tightly to the seat. Nothing could get out of the car. Bayode marched to her side of the car and swung it open, while a big scowl configured his face.

"Get off! You're cursed. Your day is cursed".

She shook her head and held on to the chair as if it was her saving grace. Her eyes dashed from the surroundings to the place they were. If what she saw in the place were true, she couldn't remain alone in the place filled with forest and tall trees. Funnily, they all chose that period to remain still just as the sound of people cracking sticks got to her.

"Please. Just help me home. I don't like you but I trust you".

He scoffed. "Have I also told you that your mouth is uncouth? You are rude. Just leave. Get down".

That was the height of it. She couldn't stand him for talking to her as if he gave birth to her. Despite the wealth and affluence of her father as well as the authority he should have wielded over, her father respected her and never talked to her in such a demeaning manner. Nothing could have been as disastrous as that.

She climbed down the car but refused to give him room to lock the door until she knew her stand. Bayode moved to the side and waited for her to move out so he could close the door of the car but she held on to it with all her strength. She hated the situation she was in. Whoever those kidnappers were, she couldn't help but pray that ill luck ruins each of their endeavors. Firstly, they made her keep up with the ego of Bayode and then they made her miss the opportunity to get enough money from her father.

She dialed her father's number and watched with trepidation as Bayode fought the urge to pull her off his car. He continually twisted his head from side to side and the only thing she could assume was that he was battling his demons. She knew how repulsive she could be if she wanted to be and also knew nothing could move her from her present position. Her phone vibrated.

"Daddy! Help me!"

"Baby girl! Where are you?" Her father asked.

She heaved, knowing it would take her a lot of convincing to prove that she had been kidnapped. "I was kidnapped".

"Liar!"

"I should have called mummy".

Her father scoffed. "She doesn't think. I do. Let's hear your lies".

I escaped. Someone helped me". She then proceeded to explain everything to him and the way Bayode decided to leave alone on the empty scary road.

Chief George shouted, "Are you serious? Who dares kidnap my child?"

His behavior mystified her. She didn't need him to care about her at that point, all she needed was for him to either send a rescue team or talk some senses into Bayode.

"Daddy, leave that one. The guy is refusing to bring me home. He wants to dump me on the side of the road".

"Is he insane?"

"I'm thinking so too".

"Give him the phone".

Ireti wheezed and pointed the phone at Bayode. "My dad wants to speak with you".

He shook his head and gestured that she left the side of the car. "I'm not talking to anyone. Just leave".

Nothing could hurt her than what she needed to do but at that point, none of her array of wealth could be as powerful as his stance. So, she chose to do it anyway. "I'm sorry".

He stared at her for a few seconds. "Good! Your brain is working..."

"If I..." She started saying but paused. They both stared at each other. But for what had happened, she might have spurted out every detail of imperfection about him and how it hurt her to be at his mercy.

"Talk. You were saying? Say something and end your chance".

Bayode collected the phone. "Hello!"

She shook her head at the thought of her father saying her mother wasn't a thinker. He had always belittled the smartness and craftiness of Ireti and her mother. If life had done it better, he probably would have made Kike his daughter. She had overheard him at numerous times telling his business partners how much he loved Kike because she had proven she was of their blood. That always aggravated Ireti but she had no jurisdiction in her father's company and wouldn't want to go through the gruesome methods that involved the production of the money. To her, Kike acting like their factory worker could continue in the production of money for the family while she remained the heir. Most times, the thought of that gave her hope and made her ignore her father's snide comment. Kike displayed overzealousness but Ireti would be the fox, looking for a loophole. She had to remain the fool so that her father wouldn't see her coming from another corner. Despite the failure of her kidnapping, she still had more craftiness in her purse.

Bayode eyed her and said, "Yes sir. But she won't stop talking to me as if I'm her slave. So, I'm dropping her here".

She wished to snatch the phone off his hand and drive off but she couldn't pull the phone off his hands and still have the time to lock every part of the car just to escape. Moreover, she couldn't point to their present location on a map. Bayode argued with her father and finally accepted that he would leave her if she acted rudely to him again. Thus, he pointed the phone to her and trudged towards the driver's seat.

She hurriedly talked to her father to be assured of her fate. "Thank you. Hello! Daddy! Please, I don't what you told him but let him keep doing it".

"Yes, my dear. He has agreed to bring you home. Just come home safely and don't abuse him".

She wished she could abstain from give him a good description of how obnoxious he was. Nothing could ever happen between them even if he was dying. She used to be a good girl, one that rarely talked but when she got to the University, her parents ensured she became friends with some rich spoil saucy twats. Although she had her way of making snide comments but being there with those girls made her blossom like a flower. She became an expert in berating others and making them stay in their places.

[><]

Like before, everyone from the group awaited the next post. It had been silent after the last person updated that he would be among them soon. The group members, at their different locations, were on the lookout for something positive. Their plan, like always, was working. And they all waited for the one everyone named "T. Horse". And it came at last:

Ready for extraction.

{)(}
~Chapter 8~

Bayode drove on and she couldn't even remember if they travelled that far when they were kidnapped. After what seemed like forever, they drove into their street. She had never wanted to get home like she did that moment. Bayode reduced the pace of the car and parked outside their home. Her parents, Kike, Ayo and Tolu awaited her return. She had every inclination to jump on both Ayo and Tolu to injure them for their betrayal but she held her calm as she climbed down. Moreover, everything about her spelt tiredness.

Tolu shifted from side to side like a water lily. She wondered why Bayode refused to drive into their compound. Others would have killed to enter their compound but the egoistic idiot refused to enter their compound. Well, she was aware that her father will give him a certain amount of money and she will pay people to help her siphon the money from his account. With every ounce of strength remaining in her, she could vouch for Kike that she would have people to handle the case. Eventually, they would share the money in the ratio fifty, thirty, and twenty.

Her mother rushed towards her and in fact helped in the opening of the door. As expected, her mother cried like a baby. "Ah! My daughter. God. I thank God o".

She rolled her eyes in disgust. At the moment, the only thing that mattered to her was a hot bath and a long sleep. Yet, she couldn't let the situation at hand pass without her making them run for her life. After her recuperation, her fury would destroy the lives of the two that betrayed her. "What are those two doing here? How did you get here? How did you get out?"

They looked morose. She flipped her hand and walked by her mother's side towards the open arms of her father. He had never found the time to hug her and there he was doing so. She remained in his arms for some seconds and couldn't explain how she found solace in them. The last time she ever got such an opportunity was when she graduated and ran to hug him in appreciation of his help.

Chief tapped her back and urged her on by holding her shoulder. Then, he gently pushed her forward as he stared into her eyes. She saw a genuine appreciation in them. Luckily for them, the members of her street spent the majority of their rich lives in their various compounds; she would have been disgusted by the embarrassing situation.

Chief turned to Bayode. "My son, please, drives inside. I want to hear how it happened".

Ireti smiled. She knew her father had the intention of getting to the root of the situation, to be sure they were truly kidnapped and she would bank on that for the next phase of action.

"Dad! Hope you have the intention of giving him something?"

"Of course! I promised him something", he replied as he strutted towards the frustrated Bayode.

"What did you promise him?"

"It's between us", Chief murmured and placed a hand over Bayode's shoulder. That disgusted Bayode in a sort of way because his frustrated look changed to bewilderment.

Ireti turned to Bayode. "How much did he promise you?"

"Don't worry", Chief retorted and pointed towards Bayode's car.

"Idiot. Don't let him give you 100k. Because, if not for you, maybe he will be paying those people hundreds of millions".

That rattled Chief. "You belittle me. I promised him a million naira".

"I knew it. Ah! A million naira when you could have lost more than 100 million. Will 5 million or even 15 million naira do anything for you. You're..." Ireti yelled and walked away but was stopped by Kike, who hugged her tightly. She felt like crying into her shoulder. The one they had always taken for granted had become the cornerstone of the family and had become her own most trusted ally. She needed her shoulder to make her feel she was back at home.

"I will increase it" Chief George shouted after her then turned toward Bayode. "My son, come in".

"Sir, let's do what we want to do here", Bayode replied. Ireti couldn't be more irritated.

"My son, don't mind my daughter's behaviors. Come in. Let's talk. I want to know my enemies".

Mrs George interfered. "The car is disfiguring the house. Bring it inside".

Ireti moved out of Kike's grasp. She had finally gotten the opportunity to rant her head off. She gave her father a cold glare and hoped he didn't understand what she had running in her mind

"Jones! Jones! Open the barricade", Chief George called.

Jones stepped out. "But boss! We've not scanned his car".

Chief George nodded and glanced at Ireti. The look on her face said it all. He turned towards the ready Jones. "Open something before I terminate your job here".

Ireti sighed and moved aside as Bayode drove into the house. With the pace of a snail, they entered the house and she slumped into a bed. Kike raced off to get her a cold bottle of Ciroc. Her mother always disapproved of it but she dared not give any of her crazy warnings at that moment. Mrs George owned a hotel that had been patronized by the high and mighty. From her experience as the owner of the hotel, she always believed taking alcohol would alter people's state of mind.

Ireti became lost in her thought and didn't realize when Bayode finished explaining how things happened. Her father probably didn't believe and she didn't care. All that mattered at that instance was for him to forward the money to Bayode's account. She glanced Kike, who kept moving about in the house, helping out in one way or the other.

At one time, she came to whisper something to Chief and that made him look flustered. He whispered back at her, she nodded and whispered at him. Whatever she said brightened his face; he nodded, looked at her, shook his head in admiration and patted her shoulder.

"Do that", he commanded loudly.

Ireti needed an out at the moment. But for a little respect for her parents, she would have been out of the parlour and in the comfort of her room. Then, Tolu started crying as she began to explain what transpired between her and Ayo. They went on their knee to beg her. She couldn't look for a more degrading way of going down than what the two of them had done for her. Now, she would get to the club, when she was fully rested, look for any available orgy and return home drunk and wasted.

With her legs on her favourite wing chair, she clamped the cushion to her body and watched the event unfold. Her parents became the judge and the jury of the case, forgetting the agitated Bayode.

"What do you want me to do at this time? You all heard their journey and how it was. Let's settle this some other day. They need to rest", Chief George said.

"I'm really disappointed in you especially Tolulope", Mrs George added.

That excited the anger in Ireti as she shook her head despondently. "And I took her like a sister".

"I've told you to stop talking like a fool. Sisters do worse. Were you not here when your mother's sister wanted to..." Chief grumbled as his hand caressed the artificial flower vase on a stool beside his seat.

Her mother shot him a killing look. "Ahn Ahn! Chief... We have a stranger among us".

"There are no strangers... Who... They are all part of the... Oh! My son! He will soon be my son. The boy helped our daughter".

Mrs George nodded and rolled her eyes. "Indeed".

"But don't assume things about family and what they can do. The only thing you should do is to express your disappointment with your friend".

Ireti yawned. "Me. I'm tired".

Bayode edged forward in his seat and glanced at Mrs George. "Please, can I use the toilet?"

Chief George nodded repeatedly. "Of course. That's why I insisted that you must eat here. My wife has big plans for you. Kike is cooking".

Mrs George agreed with him. "Yes o. God will never leave you, and we too. You will see the true reward for helping our daughter even before God blesses you".

Kike!!! Where are you?" Chief called.

"I'm in the kitchen".

Ireti wished she could whisk Kike to her room for a full body massage. Chief turned to her and she would have loved to reject the offer but that would be the best chance for her to escape.

"Ireti, take your savior to the toilet", Chief said. That hit her hard.

"God is my savior and I'm not returning to this parlour again. I'm fagged out".

She rose and gestured for him to follow her as she heard her father say, "back to you two. What type of feeling could make you betray your friend? If you haven't done that, my daughter will be safe".

She hissed. She knew what he actually meant was that he wouldn't be paying Bayode if nothing had happened.

{)(}
~Chapter 9~

The moment Ireti pointed the toilet to him and left, Bayode brought out his phone and checked out for the map Insider gave to him. Despite studying it for days, he still found it hard that he needed the picture to get to the back of the house. He hurried to the back of the house and met it opened.

He sneaked out through the back of the house and crawled towards the garage. Luckily for him, the Spanish garage tiles gave him a higher chance of moving without much noise. He opened the trunk of his car and Idowu, the head of the kidnapping team, T.Horse short for Trojan horse, climbed out of the car.

"What took you so long? I could have been suffocated?"

"Like hell, you could" Bayode replied and crawled off. Idowu followed his cue. When they got to the back of the house, they stood upright. Bayode wondered why a large house as that wouldn't have maids. Insider had complained about the tightfistedness of Chief George but he never assumed it would be as worse as that. The man had the gut to promise him a million naira despite the collections of arts and the money he made from it. He was willing to pay a million naira.

Had he conceded to the desire of the members to kidnap the saucy girl, they would have been left with a few million. Then, he caught sight of something with Idowu. He spun towards him and whispered, "I said no guns".

"That's your rule".

Bayode stared at him "That's our rule. If you kill someone what will happen?"

"It's only for precaution. This money is now or never".

They entered the house and he pointed out a room to Idowu. "She said the room is there. Good luck!"

Bayode rushed off to the room as he reined his anger to shout at Idowu, who despite being smarter than any other person he had ever worked with, loved flaunting rules. That could be the bane of the group. He typed into the group: T. Horse is broken. Rendezvous in 20m at Queenitee's.

{)(}
~Chapter 10~

8 hours before, Bayode tailed Ireti after he had typed 'Cake has arrived'. Their journey took a while but he had to stick to following her from afar. Luckily for him, he didn't need to worry about being discovered because she wasn't knowledgeable about counter-surveillance.

He stopped at the corner of the street and was met by the one the group named Bike man, Moses Pedro. Bike man, who was his partner, parked his car near him, looking ecstatic. His dreads, spicing his fair complexion, always made him different from other members of the groups since he was always careful about his fashion sense. It took all the time in the world to convince him to wear the drabbest cloth they could ever find. Yet, he still had the whiff of perfume on him that made Bayode shake his head in revulsion.

They exchanged greeting by only hitting their knuckles against each other's and they leaned against his bike, which was at a vantage point to watch the house Ireti entered. But they didn't have to wait for long before she ran out of the house like one that was chased by a wild lion. They jumped into hiding.

Moses couldn't see well from his new position. "What's she doing?"

"She's running towards her car".

Excited, Moses spun around and called out, "my turn..."

"Wait..." Bayode groaned.

This brought the bike man to a halt. He peeped again. "What is she doing?"

Bayode placed his hand on his lips as he watched her stare at the house. He had heard of her antics and wondered what she was doing. " She hasn't seen the tyre".

"Don't let us miss her before she calls someone for help".

Bayode glanced at him and back at her. "Are you daft? How can she board the bike when she hasn't seen the car?"

"What's the hold-up?"

"Calm your nerves", he said and gritted. Everything in him wanted to scream at him to keep quiet but he didn't need to before Moses talked again.

"Why can't you just ask for ransom for kidnapping her? Instead of all these processes..."

Bayode grunted and refused to answer until a young girl hawking goods walked passed them. " Don't be a fool. All you will get is roughly a billion. Then, the police will trace our lives. We might kill her mistakenly because we are threatening her. But this one... We will steal a simple bust and auction it on the black market for close to fifty billion".

Bayode's mind went to the number of small art thieves that must have been patronizing Chief George, the African richest art collector. He just couldn't bring himself to be under him for any reason. The foreigners paid well and it was better he sold the arts before those press began reporting the estimated price of the art. That had always devalued the price of the arts on the black market.

The artwork Chief George had been rumoured to be what everyone in the world wanted but they couldn't look for it publicly. The people that owned had always kept in secret. So, anyone who had the privilege of seeing couldn't take a picture of it. So, seeing this same art on a forum spooked him to drop every other work he aimed for and planning towards it. Now, the idiot, Moses, wanted him to aim for something lower.

They waited a bit at the corner, with Moses, pacing. Then, Ireti rushed out and saw the deflated tire. He snapped his fingers repeatedly at Moses.

"Go! Go! She's on the phone".

Moses drove off and Bayode sped off to his own car. Nothing could change the plan.

{)(}

~Chapter 11~

Kikelomo George swung between ensuring everyone in the parlour got what they needed, and taking care of Ireti. Living with the family had its perk but they were her best chance of survival. So, if she had to be their maids and P.As at the same time, she would. As she sped off to the kitchen to tend to the food she was cooking with the aim of microwaving it when Ireti felt like eating, she met Bayode.

He stopped in front of her and she couldn't understand how she quickly became drawn to him.

"Have we met before?" Bayode asked.

"I don't think so", she shook her head slowly. She looked at him over as if assessing him and shook her head again just as she heard Chief telling those in the sitting room to go after Ireti to apologize. Bayode refused to leave as he looked her over.

"Uncle! Bros! I need to get to that kitchen", Kike muttered. People always told her she was too soft. Bayode glanced back and nodded.

"Yes, the one behind you", she said. He nodded and stepped aside.

At that time, Tolulope emerged with the intention of going to Ireti's room. Kike felt like telling her and Ayo that she hinted Ireti that such a thing might happen and had advised her to go to her own room. Kike knew Bayode must have been stunned by her curves. She always had that effect on men.

"Thank you for saving my friend", Tolulope said.

"We thank God. If the door was locked, it would have been worse", Bayode replied and rubbed his beard.

"God will lock the door on their lives", Tolulope answered. Chief George, who was coming towards the kitchen, overheard her.

"Hypocrisy. Come, my son. Let's talk", Chief George interrupted.

And Kike couldn't help but laugh at him. He was always too funny a man.

"Alright sir", Bayode replied and left.

She became engrossed in her duty and couldn't help but wish she could have another time to stare at Bayode. His features longed at her emotions and she wanted to utilize it. Yet, now that they have had contact, they would definitely meet again. She would make sure of that. Such men are not to be allowed to go without one having another opportunity to have a proper conversation with them. She smiled. Ireti sneaked down to the kitchen and Kike turned just as she entered the kitchen.

"Thank God, you are safe", Kike said again. "What are you doing down here? You should be hiding from those two idiots".

"I couldn't take this out of my mind. What happened to your guys? And who were those ones?"

"I called it off when you told me about the proposal. So, I was surprised to hear they still car kidnapped you".

Ireti shook her head and rested on the wall, making her beauty splashed with grey glass tiles used to design the kitchen. She had changed her clothes to a bumshort and a cropped top.

"They weren't the ones. These were some other miscreants. And why did you call off that one?

"I thought we... You wouldn't..."

"You know what?" Kike said and flipped the air. "Forget it..."

"Other times, perhaps!"

"I'm just too tired", Ireti said and sneaked off again.

Kike nodded as glanced at the time with a bright smile because in the next twelve hours. She would be in wealth and in the arms of the man she loved.

{)(}
~Chapter 12~

Bayode wheezed as soon as he was out of George Avenue. He parked at a crossroad and rushed off to unlock the trunk of the car, while the other members leveled up with him. Idowu climbed out, sweating. In no time, they were on rushing to Queenitee's hotel. This hotel started out on a great island called Fortune City and had been one of the top five hotels in the city. The owner expanded to places in Lagos, giving Bayode the chance to patronize the hotel.

He played Ella Fitzgerald, his favorite jazz singer, as they drove off, attracting a ridiculous look from Idowu.

"Jazz is life", Bayode explained.

"Just hurry and put me out of this misery".

They drove off and were in the grandeur of the hotel in no time. As much as he loved the galaxy of stars, he couldn't compare its beauty to the hotel. He had heard the story of the owner, of how she rose to fame after many years of the plan and starting a little in Malachy town of Fortune City.

They entered their room and were too happy to have escaped the security men of the hotel. She hated any illegal activities in her hotel and that made him suspicious about the way they gained entrance into the hotel without so much as a question about what they had in the trunk. However, nothing pleased him more than that.

Every of their operation had been smooth. Well, except the last one when a certain group of people called the Gragus Team targeted his crew. But he outsmarted them and even got the attention of one that called herself their sponsors, Chloe Kings. Now, his intuition wanted him to raise an alarm about the last phase of the operation but the only person still not with them was the Insider. They needed her there before they could make any change in plan.

As it was their rules, they couldn't drink any alcohol until they had kept their money somewhere safe. Thus, they gathered around the bag of money. Luckily for them, the receptionist left her post before they entered the part of the hotel. Bayode loved the coolness but couldn't shake the fear that lingered in his mind.

When they entered, Moses spoke up first. "Are we to wait for insider?"

Bayode crashed into the bed as the men dropped the bags in the middle of the room. "You don't need to use nicknames anymore? And no, she will meet her share when she arrives".

"Good", Idowu said, dragged the bag nearer and opened it.

"Bust first. Give me the statue", Bayode said.

One of the young bloods, their intern, Kingston, spoke up as expected of any agitated person when it came to money matter. "Abeg! Statue can wait. Money first".

"Bright brain", Yusuf said and pointed at the bags. "This one is present. The buyers can wait".

"Anything you say", Bayode said, rested on the bed and stared at the ceiling. He needed to shake off the feeling that something big would happen. He glanced at them as Idowu opened the bag with glee. Like hungry ants, they were gathered around the bags and pulling off the bale of cash on the top layer. Then, they all exclaimed their horror, making Bayode rise to investigate the matter. He also shouted when he saw they saw. Only the top layers contained money. The remaining part of the bags contained books and paper.

Kingston shouted his disgust. "Who did this?"

"You followed us immediately we left the house", Idowu said.

Moses shook his head. "Insider".

They nodded. But Bayode disagreed with them. "It can't be. She can't do this".

"This is a setup!" Idowu shouted. "We need to know where she is".

Yusuf slammed the wall and turned towards them. "Impossible! We're the best in this game. No one can play us".

Everyone looked confused. Bayode rose as he realized something. He wouldn't want to believe it. "The statue. Give me the Bust".

Idowu passed it. Bayode examined it.

Moses shook his head. "Still intact".

"It's fake", Bayode muttered and moved back as if he had just been hit with a plank on the chest. Every pulse of his body warned him against the image when he first saw it. But there had been rumors about Chief George being unwise and had always run his business through his P.A. Bayode assumed Chief George posted the picture on Instagram, which leaked to their forum. And to be sure he was doing the right thing, Bayode followed Chief George's page and noticed the picture was taken down after a while. So, that means the picture was genuine.

Despite that, he still felt his fear racing with full force. Yet, he couldn't understand why. No one had ever beaten him in the game as he always had plans. The plan for the statue and money had been on for months. They built the plan, planted everyone that should be planted, and followed their plans to the letter.

"What do you mean by fake?" Rasheed asked.

Kingston snatched the bust and accessed it."This looks like an original".

"What do you know?" Bayode retorted.

"Don't you dare say that again!!!"

Bayode ignored him and grabbed his phone, muttering, "What's happening?"

He dialed Tolu's number.

Tolu replied in a low tone," I'm on my way o. Nothing must happen to the money o..."

"The bag is fake. We got the wrong bag. The statue is fake. Get back inside and check for the statue..."

"Tell her to make a video call with you", Idowu suggested and Bayode heeded his advice.

He waited agitatedly and others remained calm, seeing that he had lost his cool. He hadn't been known to farewell when angry.

Tolu did a video call to him and the others gathered around him. He felt cold.

"Are these ones fit to be taken?" She asked. The room was filled with busts that have been broken into pieces. He couldn't see anything real about those busts. They were probably made by amateurs.

"Are you blind? These ones are fake? Wait! What are those things on the side?" He said and directed her to the bag behind her than contained some folded material. They looked used.

"Pants. They are..." She replied and sniffed them. They disgusted him at that point. He always had a penchant for hot girls but seeing their pants without them turned his stomach.

Tolu spat. "Yuck! They are used pants".

Her hand was shaking terribly as she rushed away and peeped.

"Oh! My God! In Ghana Must Go Bag", he exclaimed.

Idowu popped his head. " Record that".

"Why?" Bayode and Tolu asked.

"We can use it to blackmail him".

"Wise choice", Bayode agreed and nodded. That was the reason he kept Idowu close. "Send it to... Go off the video call. Whose phone is free? In fact, send it to our Whatsapp group".

The others looked at him with wonder. She sent it to her Whatsapp group. He rose to see Idowu forwarding the video to a second number. But Bayode felt betrayed by everything in the world to even take that as something serious.

Their rule in the group had always been that whenever they were done with their work. Everyone would clear their messages in front of everyone and would send screenshots of their cleared messages, showing the time, which much be the exact minute the message was sent to the group; the screenshots of their email addresses; the screenshots of the bar showing their emails, if they had more than one; the screenshots of their sent messages from every of these place; the screenshots of their documents; the screenshots of their messages; the screenshots of their Whatsapp message and all these must be within three minutes of their conversation. They just didn't always leave anything to chances.

"Leave there before they get to you", Bayode told her.

"I have to stay a while. They think I'm here to plead with Ireti. I must get her angry".

Moses shook his head and joined others in the sitting in the rich rug of their room. "What's next? We have been duped. We've been played".

Bayode looked about. "I'm thinking..."

Idowu removed his gun from under his jacket and walked towards the door. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you, guys. Two fishes in one can".

Bayode, like the others, looked at him with calmness but everything in him was rattled. There had been news that Queenitee, the owner of the hotel, was a formidable force in Fortune City and that she was part of a group that hated injustice but the few times he had spent in her hotels hadn't shown she suspected him of anything, even when they went to the one at Maroon City, co-owned by the owner of the town (Ann), for a job that involved taking some artworks out of Suncity.

Now, he felt he should have seen the signs. Ever since they arrived in the hotel, her crew had been cold but he took that for granted. Idowu opened the door for four plainclothes policemen.

"What's this? I.D" Bayode asked.

"Judgment day".

"You've been playing us".

Kingston rose and placed his hands on his head. "Ah! I should have known".

Idowu walked, happy at the prospect. He pointed at Bayode. "Remember, you have the badass brain. I just used it to my advantage. You're under arrest every one of you. You see: reading Miranda's right is only a fallacy because we don't use it here in Nigeria. Nevertheless, you have the right to remain silent. Whatever you say would be used against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney, those idiots. But I'll be ready to testify against you all. I have enough and substantial pieces of evidence against you".

The police came for them and pushed them away. This time, one of the police vans had been stationed outside. The policeman taking Bayode away reduced his pace and asked Idowu "What of the girl?"

"We're heading there for her and chief's family. Are your men ready?"

"More than ready!!! They are around the house".

"Good", Idowu replied. "These men are good".

Bayode swallowed hard. Ever since he had been operating as a scam or art collector, he had never been caught, even when he first used an Open University as well as some jambites as his first sets of experience.

{)(}

~Chapter 13~

Everything Kike understood about fear came to her the moment she saw that news. She shouldn't be the one afraid here. She should be the level headed one but her fear, like a wildfire, rocked her whole body and made her wheeze. She couldn't do much than to text chief to meet her in the room they preserved for their illegal activities.

She hugged the several envelopes containing documents that she had prepared for a day like this. Her world shook under her feet and she needed to stabilize it before everything turned out bad. She had been distilling the process for months through tidbits of information and decisions that will definitely tilt Chief George to her side.

Chief in his pajamas hurriedly opened the door. He looked about and at the envelopes in her hand. Then, he glanced at her laptop and the printer beside it.

"What's happening?" Chief George asked.

"We have a big problem", she replied and dropped the envelopes. Then, she brought out her phone. Her mind raced through all the possible outcome of the situation on ground and knew that was the best play.

Chief George stood aright. "Throw it at me.

"Someone uploaded a video of our pants business online", Kike said weakly.

"Who? How far? How was this exposed?"

"I think it's Tolu".

"Let me see the video".

She remembered the day she got out of law school, she wanted to leave their home but then remembered how much she couldn't really survive the world unless she returned to them. Some days after her return, Chief invited to the room they were at the moment and told her he had been noticing her behavior ever since she got to the University and that he loved what he saw. He pleaded with her for not paying her tuition fee and told how he impressed he was that she struggled through school, still making to Law school. As a means of showing her how sorry he was, he decided to make her his P.A. From the way he had seen her handle her life, career, and some little jobs he had been testing her with, he knew she would do well.

A few weeks into accepting the job, he made her aware of the fact that the statues they sold out and displayed were mostly stolen from their original owners. Moreover, most of the arts in another section of the room were fake. They only used it as a decoy to sell ladies' pant to boys and people who were ready to use them. The pants were gotten from his wives' hotel. Some boys had been positioned there to steal pants and they had other miscreants from other sources.

This terrified Kike but the end game played on her mind- making as much money as she can. When Chief saw the video, he yelled and muttered some regrets before pointing at the video. "She came back to beg my daughter and she just left. We should have sent boys after her... Do that now".

Kike shook her head and dropped her phone on the table. His lack of mental stability had always ruined things and she wouldn't be a subject of failure at that point in her life. She needed to seize control. "We will deal with that later. But chief it's over the news and the police are on their way. My contact said they are surrounding our house now".

"What do we do? You know this internet behavior and law than I do?"

"Yes. I've thought up a way to keep the business going and for you to keep the house. Because I can't imagine how our enemies want to destroy our family", she said and shook her head despondently. All she desired now was an escape.

Chief George agreed. "They want to destroy everything about us. We will have to run away".

"It was my contact at the police that told me they are on they have surrounded us. The only way to escape is to make future plans", Kike reiterated and felt like punching him in the face for putting her in such a situation.

"Your contact should have called you earlier. What do we do now? We can't fight them. That will be worse".

She pretended to think for a while and then stood straight. Her decision had been made even before she texted him. Now, he would have to flow with it.

"How about this? I know you might not like it. But it's the best. We will hand over every of the business to Ireti. She's innocent".

Chief George placed his hands on his head."Ireti! Ireti! Kike has killed me. You want to hand over everything to Ireti. All this money we've made will be squandered in a minute".

"I've printed the contracts. All I have to do is to give it to her. Okay, let's give me change it to mummy's own", she said and turned towards her laptop to type out Mrs George's name.

"Don't you think we should run?" Chief George asked and looked out the window into the night and the little light that splashed the area.

"It's too late. They are only waiting for their leaders. They have surrounded everywhere. Let's face with what's on ground, sir".

He matched about in the large room. As a base of operation, she had witnessed firsthand the things they did there. Their home only served as a transport. Some boys, paid enough money, would mold the pants into the statue and sell it out. She couldn't report or do anything without implicating herself. Now, she regretted not speaking up in time, many women wouldn't have had to suffer the cruel punishment meted out to them.

"Ah! See my life", Chief George lamented. "And I didn't want to do this. I said it's a sin. But this Jezebel. She pushed me into it. Look at you that I made to suffer, you're even helping me".

"Chief!!! Calm down!"

"I can't!!! Don't you dare ask me to calm down".

Quickly, she typed to her contact in the police for an update.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm asking for updates!"

"Good! You're an asset. I wonder what we would have done without you. They would have caught us without plans".

"What about your wife, mummy?"

Chief George shook his head. "That's the Jezebel I was talking about".

"Oh! You mean mummy..."

"Yes. She needs to suffer too".

"What do we do? You know they will take me too" Asked Kike.

"She's not wise too. More so, she should be caught for it too. We are in this business together. Remember, the pants are gotten from the big men that use her hotel. And she gives the big men the site to visit. And some of those boys you see coming in here, they got their pants from her. Some of them buy them from her. She's the intermediary. She is the architect. They even sell at her hotel".

"There's no proof", Kike noted.

"What's proof?"

"Like evidence".

"I know the meaning of proof".

"Evidence".

He became rattled. "I know the meaning. Mumu! I'm not going down for this alone. I am the proof. I will show the world how bad she is".

"But I thought she's your wife. She will be the one to get lawyers and so when we are in prison".

That aggravated Chief George's anger and he began to speak rapidly."God will punish wife. She started the idea. She will suffer for it. Look at this life. You that she always wanted to take the fall are even ready to go with me but she the original plan maker won't suffer. Over my dead body!"

"You mean she initiated the idea?"

"Have you not been listening to all I've been saying? But can't you stay back? Let them all follow me".

"Ireti is innocent", Kike said and sighed.

"She must follow me. They will only come out when I come out. Ireti will spend all my money. She must follow me! Stay back".

"Ah! Chief! That's not good for you"

"I trust you".

She shook her head. "Trust yourself only!"

"You have the brain. Time is not on our side".

"We will have to think of something. Like everything will have to be in my name. The paper will be fake of course".

"Even if it's not fake, I trust you. You're always about family", Chief said, hurried to the door, and hurried back.

"We will record a video to show that we planned it. That one will be a safety measure in case money wants to seduce me".

"Good idea".

{)(}

~Chapter 14~

Kike couldn't be faster in her life. She had to put up a show that she wasn't afraid, but she definitely was and that fueled her speed. Then, she and Chief recorded a video to show they were in collusion after he had rushed upstairs to get his documents. After that, she printed the papers and directed Chief George on where to append his signature.

He lifted the paper into the light and dusted it and turned to Kike."Signed. But we could have escaped".

"And that's it. You didn't even read it", she asked, knowing that he wouldn't have understood the jargons she used anyway.

"Read what? You're my lawyer. You are my niece. You're my P.A and my daughter".

She smiled at the trust he had for her. Her life had never been simpler as when she decided to be gullible and be used by the family. They started using her as a slave her from childhood but she restricted. She felt she deserved better and that the family ought to do more for her but they were the one that only took her in since she had no other family member left to meet. He was her father's twin brother. Most times, people mistook them for each other.

She could have escaped from them but her father always told her "a patient dog eats the fattest bone". The sight of the fattest of the bone didn't come until she ran off to school and returned later. They decided to cut some slack in the way they handled her.

So, now that she had the opportunity to escape, she would give in her best. She inserted an empty CD into her laptop and also plugged her phone to the laptop with a USB cord. From there, she copied the video into the CD for chief. He looked at her in wonder.

"You're really proactive. How do you know to get all these things?"

She smiled up at him. "Chief. I've learnt from you, the best".

"That's true".

As soon as he turned towards the door again, she clicked the Shift and Delete keys on her keyboard and in a millisecond of a pop-up message asking if she was sure she wanted to permanently delete it, she pressed enter. The video disappeared. Chief turned back to her just when the board showing the deleting video disappeared. She removed the empty disk and gave it to him.

"This is the recording where we agreed and signed the contract", she said.

"I'm so glad you overlooked all the wickedness we've done for you".

She smiled. "You're my father and you were training me".

Chief hugged her and she felt like crying because she had never been hugged by any member of her family since she came of age. He returned the CD to her.

"Take the other one too. Hold it. I know you can't do anything evil. You've changed for almost 10 years now. You're trustworthy. Keep the business running. What am I saying? You've been the one handling the legal and illegal ones all these while".

Sirens blared from afar. Kike hid the documents and also hid the key in her bra. Then, she pressed the video recorder of her phone and when Chief George's back was turned, she placed it somewhere it would capture the whole room.

She tapped Chief George and whispered, "Chief, get ready for this!"

He turned to her, looking stunned. "What else are we doing?"

She had a smug across her face and withdrew from his bulky body that now covered most parts of the doorway. She brought her small Nokia phone and dialed a number.

"Alright, Guys! Come on, we are done".

{)(}

~Chapter 15~

The look on Chief's face said it all. Despite being huge, she could surely bring him down with a few punches but that would invalidate her claim when the matter got to court.

"Who are those?" Chief George asked.

"Police", Kike sneered.

"Is this part of the plan?"

"So, you thought I will let you go after you killed my parents?" She scoffed. Her eyes darted for the door as she hoped Idowu will make his way through.

"I didn't kill your parents. Your mother killed your father".

That statement sparked an unacceptable emotion within her. "You liar! You killed them and stole their business documents... All their documents and then you took me in. You took our house and maltreated me. You even raped me. Have you forgotten the night you raped me when I was just 16 years?"

"It was a mistake. I was drunk And I have begged you".

"But you still killed my parents", Kike yelled at him. The fury in her glowered for a while that if she hadn't learnt restraint, she would have flung herself around his neck to tear off his eyes.

At that same time, Mrs George and Ireti shouted from the passage and Chief poked his head out of the room.

"What's the noise about?" Mrs George asked the moment she entered. She glanced from Chief to the ferocious look Kike had.

"Daddy, something is happening in this area. Siren!!!" Ireti shouted.

"Kike has killed me", Chief shouted in fear. "She called the police. You, ungrateful bastard. This is why I killed your father. He was foolish. You're just like him. And we will all go down for this together".

"Ah! Daddy!" Ireti cried.

Chief George spun towards her with a shot of anger in her eyes. "Shut up! And bar the door. She's not leaving this place. If she leaves, all of us will end up in prison".

Kike wailed this time and she felt the anger in her bone. She couldn't hold back the tears that sprouted from her eyes. "You killed my parents. Ireti, your parents killed my parents".

Mrs George came to the rescue of her husband. "Shut. Your. Nasty. Mouth. Your father duped us. He was making more profit from the business we introduced him to. He should pay for it.

"We killed them", Chief George said, bemused. "But nobody knows. I thought you are now our family. You've changed for ten years or so now".

Kike clapped repeatedly. "I know. You killed my family".

Chief George looked about and smacked his head. "The police are coming".

Kike's mind now wrestled between killing these people herself or allowing herself to remain the victim. Anger surged through every pulse of her body. She looked from one person to another and knew her ability for a future survival remained with her being composed.

Mrs George rushed to the passage and returned. "Let's end her life. Like we did her parents'"

That shocked Kike to the bone.

"No", Chief George disagreed. "Police couldn't prove the death of her parents. They will prove this one. We will let her suffer. Tie her".

"Good one", Mrs George shouted and smacked her hands. "We will let her die of hunger. If we come back, we can dispose of her, whether she's dead or not".

Kike looked from one person to another. Their plan seemed good because she had people coming for her. Moreover, she had all the training needed to untie herself if they eventually tied her.

Ireti screamed. "Ah! Daddy! That's wickedness".

Kike hissed. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Poison though it might be".

"Keep quiet", Ireti yelled. "I hate all these. That's why I wanted to get my share of this money and escape".

Kike spun, smacked her own head with regrets on why she was born into the family and pointed at Ireti. Words refused to form in her mouth because of the anger that clouded her mind. "Your daughter wanted to fake her kidnap but it backfired. I wanted to tell you but she promised to send an assassin to me if I didn't help".

"I didn't promise to kill her. I just wanted the money", Ireti pleaded with her parents.

Mrs George shook her hands "Quit the talk. The police might find us here and save her".

"Let's catch her", Chief George cried.

Mrs George and Chief George rushed toward her and tried to hold her down. She loved the way they came out at her in the view of the phone. So, as not to show complacency, she fought back in the simplest of way. She tackled them and struggled a little.

"If she goes, we are all going to jail... She knows all those computer things", Chief George shouted.

Mrs George screamed. "Ireti, hold...her".

Ireti joined the struggle and they eventually overpowered her. They tucked her under their arms and Chief George had his bulky hands around her neck, making her groan from the discomfort. He yelled as he held her down. The police siren became louder. They dragged her to the nearest chair and tied her with one of the ropes to the chairs available in the room. She kicked the air and wished she didn't have to pretend but they were under the coverage of her phone's recording and she had to keep up the pretence.

They have tied her in such a way that even a baby would unknot immediately but she held her cool. That way, she would have enough evidence against them.

She yelled with all her strength, "my ghost will haunt you".

Ireti stared at her sadly. "Kiki, I'm sorry".

She turned to her parents. "But we have to gag her".

Mrs George removed the small flowery head-tie she wore to bed and pointed it at Ireti. "Take this!"

They gagged her despite her yells. Now, she never saw this coming. It hit her with the waves of surprise that she couldn't even resist her. Idowu wouldn't know her present location with her being gagged. Ireti looked at her for a while, untied the rope and made a type of knot Kike had never trained with. It might just be sheer luck that she did it but Kike was sure she had no way of untying it.

{)(}

~Chapter 16~

They must have seen the horror on her face because Chief laughed and beckoned on Ireti and Mrs George for them to leave the room. Kike blinked back tears.

"You can't enjoy this wealth. I collected it from your father and I can't allow you enjoy it. You will die here in this room. No one will come to help you. Everything belonged to you but everyone that knows this is dead. Even that lawyer. I killed them all I should have known that was your plan".

Kike moaned something.

"I will not let you enjoy this wealth while I'm in prison", Chief George cried.

"Now, we can even escape prison", Mrs George suggested as they were about to lock the door.

Ireti turned when they almost got out of the door and looked at Kike. "Is she well tied? What if she doesn't die?"

Mrs George turned. "Let's just kill her".

"No", Chief George objected.

"Let's do something else", Ireti said and her father stared at her with admiration. "Gas can kill without fire".

Mrs George looked puzzled. "So...?"

Ireti shrugged. "We will lock her up with a gas-filled room".

"What if the house blows?" Chief George queried.

"Nothing will happen", Ireti replied and moved towards the passage. "And if it happens, it will bury the pieces of evidence".

"I don't like it", Chief said and shook his head.

Mrs George touched his cheek. Noise had erupted at the gate. Kike wondered what the delay was all about. "It's a good one. No choice".

Ireti ran off. Mrs George looked around, took another rope, and tied her shabbily, yet, it made a mess of the one Ireti tied before, making it more complicated. Ireti returned, carrying the heavy gas cylinder. Kike had never seen her carry the cylinder before. So, seeing her using her strength to lift the cylinder surprised Kike. She moaned as Ireti dumped the cylinder on the floor. She was definitely sure Idowu would get there before they got out.

Ireti took charge and soon the gas hissed out of the cylinder. They rushed out of the room and locked it. Kike couldn't help but fear Idowu might not find her.

{)(}

~Chapter 17~

Idowu excitedly led the family out from the back of the house. They thought they were smart but he caught them hurdled up in a corner of the house. Chief George made many claims about him calling his army of lawyers but Idowu knew from what they planned, the case was a done deal.

Of all the criminals on their watchlist, Chief George was always evasive. They have tried imprisoning several times but their efforts have always been futile. When Kike proposed the idea to him, he never guessed it would work. Now, they were pushing the family to the van.

He looked at everyone in the compound and couldn't see Kike anywhere. That shouldn't be. The way things had gone and had been planned, Kike should be with the family. That spurred Idowu to hurry towards the family members that were led away. They looked stunned.

"Where's Kike?" He asked Chief George.

"We don't know", Chief George replied. He turned to the other members of the family but met a negative response. Chief George held on to a key. Idowu found it absurd.

"What's that?" He asked and grabbed the key off Chief George's hand before he could react.

"That's nothing..." Mrs George snapped.

Idowu looked from one person to another and couldn't help but catch the cold look Mrs George threw at Chief. A strong feeling of helplessness overwhelmed Idowu. Kike couldn't possibly disappear on the brink of her harvest. The situation spelt danger.

Idowu spun his fingers in the air. "Guys! Take them away!"

When they were gone, he rushed back into the house. The house remained silent and brought back memories of some evil they have encountered in their line of duty as policemen especially in the area of empty huge houses. Some of his colleagues had given their lives to prove cases. Kike shouldn't undergo the same pain. He warned her against confronting the family but she adamantly wanted to accuse them to satisfy her ego about being right.

"Kike! Where are you? He called out and brought out his phone to call her. Not wasting any time, he climbed the stairs to the top of the house. She must be somewhere in the house and that should have been the best news. Yet, the nagging feeling that he should hurry couldn't leave him. Could it be that the family had done something wicked to her? The phone kept ringing but she didn't pick it up.

By this time, Jones, the one they had placed in the security rushed in to join him. The security team had delayed them when they first arrived and that made Jones lose his cover as one of them.

'Boss, we should join them at the station', Jones said.

"Have you seen Kike?" He asked. Jones shook his head.

"She didn't come out!" Jones said and stopped as if he realized something. "That's true. She didn't come with them. Everything happened so fast".

"Why are you her partner? You were supposed to keep an eye on her. Not this freaking gate", Idowu yelled and stormed to the gate to meet the other guards. They weren't part of their team but they could be assets. "Guys, spread out and find Kike. She is somewhere in this place".

They looked at him as if they couldn't understand the language he spoke. Jones, who had been coming behind him, noticed their hesitation to heed his command.

"Una deaf?" Jones shouted. "Find Kike. You, move towards that side. Yes, that side. And you Mike, join for the other side".

Idowu ran into the house and was followed by Jones. They went separate ways in search of her. The house became too big for him but he just had to move into the house to search for Kike. His eyes roamed everywhere he went.

"Kike!!!" He shouted and dialed her phone number again. She couldn't have left the house. Her instructions had kept them outside the whole time. How could she be nowhere?

Suddenly, he heard a muffled grown from a room. That could be it. He sped off and felt dizzy the moment he got to the door of the room. But the door was locked. He pushed it hard but it didn't budge. That rattled him that he raised his gun to shoot the door. Then, he remembered the key he was holding and with that, he unlocked the door.

"Kike!!!" He yelled when he met her tied and her chair on the floor. Even his eyes were trying to shut themselves from the stuffiness of the house. He removed her gag. Her breath was shallow.

"The can. Gas... Cylinder", Kike moaned weakly.

Idowu, not wasting another second, scrambled to the place the cylinder was kept. He switched it off. Then, with he himself becoming weak, he dragged the chair out of the room. Like a drunken man, he barely saw things in the right way. When they were in the passage, he slammed the door and shouted for Jones. He untied her and hit the floor the moment he was sure she was safe. By this time, they were both weak and he couldn't talk much.

Jones rushed towards them. Idowu weakly pointed at Kike and Jones understood him. He lifted her and took her outside the house. They weren't equipped with the necessary things to resuscitate someone that had been exposed to such gas but he understood that with fresh air, Kike would be fine.

Idowu dragged himself away from the passage. The gas still filtered into the passage and had a negative effect on him. Only God can save the George family now. They have added a murder charge to their case. He would ensure they served their life in prison. Killing them outrightly would be abysmal as well as merciful. They needed to suffer the pain and wallow in the regrets of their actions.

Jones rushed to help him too. Soon, he was placed near Kike, who had tears in her eyes. Fresh air flung themselves at his nose and he couldn't help but appreciate God for such opportunity to survive.

"They did this?" Idowu asked.

"They all!" Kike replied and coughed.

"They all?

She coughed again. "I recorded...."

He patted her shoulders. "Careful! Careful...Did he take the bait? It's his confession we need.

She nodded. "He has recorded all his atrocity. Stop the video. It's inside".

"Don't worry", Jones replied. " I'll get it".

Idowu felt relieved. The haziness that overtook his body system had died down. "We will edit it. Has he awarded the document to you?

"Yes. Thank you", Kike said and shifted to hug him. Not minding the presence of Jones, he kissed her and she reciprocated. They would have to make it official later but for now, they had to savor the moment.

{)(}

~Chapter 18~

The few days they spent dealing with the case in court seemed to be the best for Kike. Since she masterminded everything, she had ensured that she stripped off any power the family had before they got arrested. She had gained the role of the P.A to their numerous companies, which gave her access to the company and the workers. In fact, the workers loved her being around than when the other members of the family were around.

Within a few time of gaining access, she had understood the parts of the hotel as well the other legal businesses they owned as a family. Everyone had been analyzed and she knew those that were the George's loyalist so as to relieve them of their duties as soon as she got to power. They would be her weak link and might eventually cause problems for her and her team.

So, as she sat in the visitors' room of the prison, she couldn't imagine the anger that seethed through her. Chief George, in a bid to prove how much of a man he was, had done some things he normally wouldn't have done. His wife utilized this weakness and made him her puppet. She couldn't help feeling bad for him as her lawyer tried her case.

When a warder directed him towards her, she couldn't help but wish they could remove the chain from him. Before he killed her father, he was always kind to her. Even when no one was around, he always had a way of showing her how he cared about her. As much as she hated him for raping her, she couldn't help but remember how drunk he was that night after fighting with his wife. Yet, she wouldn't make excuses for him.

Immediately he saw her, he burst into tears. The scanty room had nothing but a pair of chairs and a table but it felt as if they were squeezed among a lot of furniture. She had to restrain herself from hugging him. How could she still feel bad for him despite what he had done?

"I'm sorry", he said.

She smiled as she remembered the shock on the family's face when they saw that she had recorded them. People in the court yelled in horror when they saw how Kike fought for her life before Idowu came to her rescue.

"I'm sure you never expected everything you saw in court?" She said.

"You planned everything and it worked", he said and shook her head. His eyes still blossomed with the look of admiration, he always gave her. Aside Idowu, he had always been the one telling her how wise she saw. Even when bitterness took root in her heart, she still enjoyed those moments.

She gave him a wry smile. "Yes. It worked. Everything I planned has worked".

Chief grabbed her hands. The jailer around shouted for him to retract his hand and he heeded. "Please, when my daughter comes out in the next five years..."

"That's forty-five months", Kike added.

"Yes. Anything. Please, help me take care of her. And keep the businesses".

She shook her head. "I just want to look at you in the face one more time. Your daughter will be in jail for a lot more than that. I have paid all these men well and I will continue to pay them..."

"But..." Chief interjected but she raised her hands to make him know she was still talking.

"To make sure your family doesn't end their careers in the prison, learn everything you can. None of your former business partners knows you're here. I'm talking of the legal businesses. That's why I made sure the media didn't broadcast the news. In other words, everybody thinks you have travelled out of the country. I made sure the narrative of the news changed and now your name is still intact. Rather, the family name'.

Chief smiled. "You've always been about family. Thank you".

She gestured for the jailer to take him away. She handed a bulky envelope to the jailer as he took Chief away. Now, she awaited Bayode. Her mind went back to her first encounter of the crazy criminal. She had told him how she desired to go to University. All the money she saved to go to school. Her family wouldn't give her the chance to go to a regular university. From doing menial jobs and stealing money from them, she made enough to go to the National Open University of Nigeria.

Bayode served as her liaison to the payment of the school fees. A lot of students had recommended him because he made the process smoother but many of them assumed he was a lady. And she agreed to follow his short cut.

He still looked bemused when the jailer brought him into the visitor's room. She didn't appear as a witness when his case was tried because she really had no affiliation to that case. He sat while still staring at her.

"Sorry, I don't know you", he said.

"I know, right! Remember, the students of that university you duped!"

He frowned. "But there were many..."

"I know, right? But I promised to get back at you", she said with a big smirk. She just wanted him to know she did it.

"Well, I'm sorry. At least, I'm in prison now"

She sat straight. "You still don't remember me. I told you I'll find your face"

He shook his head. Then, she proceeded to tell him how she got him roped. He shook his head in utter disbelief.

{)(}

~Chapter 19~

8 Months Ago

Kike sat beside a graphic designer as he tried to alter Chief George's she snapped after convincing him to take a picture of him holding a fake statue in his hand to advertise to a doubting client's. Chief obliged her and that made it easy for her to use the same picture to trick Bayode. He was a nuisance to the world of scam because no one could really catch him in any act and when they did, the team members were never always together, making his release easy.

Idowu recruited her help to catch him. Being a victim too, she had ensured she used everything she could to bring him down. So, as the graphic designer dabbled with the images, she could feel satisfaction already.

"Put the image of that money in the background and change that statue to the original", she instructed.

The graphics designer manipulated the images and turned towards her. "Like this?"

She smiled. "Good! Now, send it to me".

The copy with her would be the bait. By this time, Idowu was already working with the team underground. He hated the fact that EFCC focused on only scams that were glaring. Bayode had trained his team to be always well-dressed and presentable. He even ensured they never walked together. Every one of them had their perfect national ID cards.

Kike dialed Idowu's phone number and talked excitedly. "I just sent the picture to the forum!"

A noise erupted in the background. "I think he has seen it. He is calling a meeting. We have the notorious biggest con artist. Bayode and his crew!

"Remember, patience..." She said as she remembered the words of her father.

"Yes. A wise dog knows when to snatch the biggest bone. I'll wait", he replied.

"And remember to cut your hair again today".

"Yes madam".

She smiled. Her idea about changing his look had worked for Idowu. Despite not seeing his face before, Bayode and his team couldn't get a picture of his skinned head in any database.

{)(}

~Chapter 20~

Six Years Ago

Kike meandered around the weeping students as tears dripped down her own eyes too. Aunty Janet had just escaped with the money she was meant to use for their school. Unknown to all of them, she had been redirecting the money to a personal website, which had been cloned to look like that of the government's.

Many of the students cried theirs out because the amount used in making one's way in NOUN was really expensive. Words failed her as the only thing that crept into her mind was the way she would ruin Aunty Janet. In total, Aunty Janet had redirected about 20 million Naira to her account. The funniest part of the whole ordeal was that their accounts had a semblance of being paid and they gained access to their portals on NOUN's portal.

"You're a thief", Kike cried after she called Aunty Janet's number. This time, she didn't encounter the tiny voice of Aunty Janet; rather, she encountered the voice of a man, who later turned out to be Bayode.

"Wrong number... A lot of your people have called me today inquiring about one Aunty Janet. This person must have given you a wrong number. I'm not a thief".

Kike had always watched Aunty Janet from afar and couldn't stop noticing the façade. Nothing about her had a tinge of reality in it. Her breasts were too tight just like her backside. She had muscular hands like men's. Yet, she trusted him because she got the job done faster than her competitors. Moreover, people favored her shop. So, calling her phone number and meeting a male's voice didn't really rattle her like it did the others.

"It's you. It's you. I always knew you were a man. But everyone said your place has the best function. That I would be sure of my admission here. I suffered for this money. Please".

"Hmm. The first to decode. But what can I do? You weren't wise".

That struck her hard. Everyone at home had always told her the same thing directly and, sometimes, they insinuated it. Now, another person had just told her the one statement that brought out the beast in her always.

"I will catch you. I will send you to prison", Kike cried. "Please..."

"In another life. Get off and be a good girl".

Kike burst into tears. Idowu tapped her shoulder. She looked up into his face. Despite being older than she was, his height gave him a younger look. She was sure he was one of those students that got their admission late.

"Is that Bayode?"

"Who's Bayode? This man is saying he is Aunty Janet", she replied as her mind wandered off how she would have to start the journey again. She burst into tears.

"That's Bayode".

She wept and sniffed for a while. "I'll catch him. My dad will say 'patience can be useful to catch a wise thief'. I will catch him".

Idowu looked at her intently and that didn't rattle her belief. "Why are you so sure?"

"Is it not me?" Kike said. "I'll catch him and make him rot in prison".

Idowu stared at for a while and smiled. "Hmm... Follow me"

They moved to a corner of the school and he made her calm down a little before finally sitting beside her. "I like your resolution. We need to catch him. He keeps getting off court case because of evidence and godfathers".

"But it's not as useful as the horror I have to face again", Kike said.

"I can help with your fee!"

The effect this had on her was instantaneous. She went on her knees to thank him and he shook his hand in disagreement. At that time, different questions sprang up in her mind.

"Thank you!" She cried.

"It's a federal school o. Not NOUN".

"Anyone. I couldn't go to a normal school I don't how I'll take of myself. But with this, I can do that".

"Don't bother. We will deal with that later. But note, it's not a free one. You will work for the government. You will study hard and train hard. It's an ongoing project. You might need to help us catch some horrible people in the future. But you are the second recruits in the university".

She stopped and stared at him for a while as she weighed the option in her mind. Living with her only family members would never make a cut in her most desired place to stay. So, she nodded. "Thank you! I will do anything?"

Some years later, they spent most of their lives shuffling between their reading their educational materials and the various books the government set for them to read. Most of these books were those that dealt with wars. They plunged them into reading the laws of Games, the laws of power, the laws of wars, and so many books. They were also made to undergo rigorous training sessions including physical and mental ones.

Later, Kike got a plan that could catch both Bayode's crew and Chief George's family and she laid it out for Idowu, who accepted it.

{)(}
~Chapter 21~

So as she stared at Bayode in his prison's uniform, she couldn't help chuckling at the surprise on his face.

"After all these years", he muttered and nodded. " Damn, you're patient, girl".

She smiled and rose. "Indeed. I'm not waiting for you to steal my bone anymore. I'm snatching the damn thing off your hand before you steal anything from anyone".

He nodded understandably and gestured for her to move nearer. "As much as you try, I will get out"

She shrugged. "Before that, you will suffer a great deal. I wish I could bring all those students here to see their Aunty Janet".

Bayode altered his voice to sound like that of a lady, "you got me again. We will meet one day"

She smiled at him and moved towards the door.

He banged the table. "Wow! You set the picture as a trap and I fell for it. That beats my imagination. One day, I'll get out of here and we will continue this battle. I will show you a bigger me then".

"Not possible".

She smiled and drove home. Her work had only begun. Later, they would have to go undercover to catch some other miscreants but now she had a better cover. She could pose as a rich person and court the favour of the wealthy corrupt people.

As she went home, her mind slipped back to 22 years before. She was just four years old when her parents were killed. That Saturday evening had been a happy one because her mother decided to engage her in a hide and seek game after many months. She hid well under the bed and wished her mother wouldn't find her in time. Her mother suddenly popped her head under the bed.

"Baby, no matter what happens, don't come out", her mother instructed.

"But you have found me. I'm the next seeker. Go and hide", Kike said and crawled out of the bed. Her mother shook her head and pushed her back into the bed.

"Stay there! There are bad men! Don't shout! Hide well".

Then, after a few seconds, she heard Chief George's voice and saw his leg. Her parents' feet moved backwards. That astounded her little mind but she had to obey her mother.

Someone shouted, "Lie down! Both of you".

"I warned you both... Kill them", Chief George commanded.

The men shot her parents and they wailed as gunshots spattered into their body. Kike had to hold herself from screaming. She covered her mouth as her mother's eyes locked with hers. Her dying lips curled into a smile.

"Search the house for a little girl. If she is around this place, kill her. But if she's lucky, she won't have to die".

They left the house in a hurry. She didn't know if her parents were still alive or if the men were still in the house and that made her remain there till night fell. She got out the next day, crying as kept walking away from the house. For hours, she kept walking until a man saw her and took her to the nearest police station. They asked for her name and she told them who she was but couldn't bring herself to tell them what she saw.

Chief George came to get her later that day. At first, he treated her like an egg but when they got to their house, everyone began to maltreat her and soon became part of them. As soon as she came off age, they reduced the number of maids in the house and she did most of the jobs. In Mrs George's words, "why shouldn't we train you to be better? This is our opportunity to train a woman out of you?"

As she drove into her house, she couldn't stop the tears the flowed down her face. Now that she had all to herself, she had no other one to call a family member. So, she drove out of the house to the nearest orphanage home. Two children would enough for her. She would train them as family members. As much as she and Idowu loved to have an affair, she couldn't go on with it. He was married and that would ruin them. She wanted the relationship nonetheless, but he wouldn't go on with it.

On her way, she received a message:

We need your financial help to keep our city intact- Fortune City League of Rebels.

She didn't understand what that meant but it was comforting to know she can also be of financial help to a dying Island.

The End...

Writertain E-Publishers

Contact: writertain@gmail.com

Other Books By Akintayo Akinjide

\- Purified Tomorrow: The Mad Awakening

\- The Thorny Path to Libya

Acknowledgment

All thanks to the almighty God. This story started out as a script, then became a prose and here we are. I really appreciate everyone from Nairaland, the Fortune City Citizens- Oyelami Oyebisi, Skubido, Ann, Fijumokesayo and the ever growing citizens.

Then, I want to thank Oluwapamilerin for her patience when I started out writing this story. Thank you! Thank you all!!!

