in the rise of the dark

last gasp

I know its not the villagers and neither is it the government authority. Those I would have thought of, if I wasn't in the fray of things.
The fact remains that I don't even know where I was driving to, my first aim at the time was to escape from the bullets, and the sounds of the bullets was following us, as if the shooters are on our heels. But then it stopped, and where we were at the time was extra dark and quiet, then I remembered when Mr Salahadine told me, when he was giving me the accounts of the guys with me.
- Somadina! You and the guys with you disappeared from the world for two years, until you pop out again at doctor Akatugba place, don't do that again or the world will be ruined. They don't care if you stay away for life, but the world needs you alive. -
I made a sharp turn and continued back to where we were escaping from, it has started getting bright, then to my shock the map app announced, " welcome back to your app map, you've been away for twenty two hours. I stopped the jeep jumped out of it and was going crazy, somebody was desperately selling us out, and I need to be careful with everybody to avoid mistake in identity, and thus making the informant understand that I have come to know what's going on. They all surrounds me and was inquiring, what the problem is.
I know someone had tampered with the map, or is controlling the map with a gadget, someone has enabled a people to hack the map app, and the question remains, who.
The map app I want to believe now, is leaking our destination. Its bright now, few minutes past 7am. I told us that we are safe from the attack now and needs some rest. Few minutes after they all exited the jeep, some taking a bit walk away, at once I rushed to the jeep and loose the map app box, and discovered that, even after disengaging it from the jeep, it was still working. I unscrewed it and found a beeping red light " warrah ", I pulled it out of the box, and noticed Mrs Amankwa hurrying back to the jeep. Quickly I fixed the app back, she was talking to someone touching her ears, I screwed the map app back, and tuck the smallish red beeper in my shoe, pulled the driver's seat back and pretend to be napping, she came and was looking worried, disturbed at something, but didn't say it. Everything looked okay to her, I had turned the ignition on, and at that the jeep is alive, she couldn't tell anything, if she was coming because of the map.  Then she spilled it out.
- have you been here Somadina, or are you just coming? -
At once I knew it was a technical one, I now know who the true enemy is, but I have a duty to keep them in the dark. If I lie that am just coming, she would know, and I would have ended up letting her know what's going on, then she came raw at me.
- did you touch anything in the jeep? -
- what's going on madam, what up with all the questions? -
She have blown her bubble, Mr Salahadine was actually playing the school game.
She walked up to Uche, and they were discussing, then Mr Salahadine video call came through immediately I fixed the chip in my phone.
- You are almost surrounded, do whatever you could, and get Amaka son, yourself and Ebere away from the rest, drive to southeast of where you are, my men will take over from there, the chip has been hacked and only the video call seem safe, they don't know the configuration. -
Emeka, as if he knew what was going on, came to ask if we could leave.
- tell Ebere to bring me the baby, and come with her -
Gabriella followed Ebere, and I told Gabriella to get me Lotanna, I made Ebere and Emeka enter the jeep with the baby, and as Gabriella was going to call Lotanna, I turned the jeep facing southeast, Uche and Mrs Amankwa seeing what had happened began running after us, Gabriella had informed Lotanna, and he understood the message, and landed a vicious blow on the cheek of Gabriella, dropping her to the floor, he ran after the jeep and hopped in. Mrs Amankwa and Uche I do not know how, opened fire at us.
Lotanna was the one that alerted me, concerning the misbehaviour of the map app, and if he has been my father's right hand man, then I need him with us, because I know my father, he takes time with keeping people around him, and there must be something about Lotanna, for him to make Lotanna his right hand man.
I broke the red beeping stuff, and the light went off, then I hand it to Ebere.
They continued shooting at us, as I drove deep into the straight path.
- Ebere! -
- sir! -
- keep that stuff with your life, till when ever I ask after it. -
- okay! -
To be sure of my choice with Lotanna, being incensed with the scheme of things happening the past days, I decided to know the true nature of Lotanna. Giving him the chance of knowing that I know what's up, I threw tantrum at him, waiting for his blisters.
- which of the group do you belong? -
For a moment, no one was coming up with an answer, I matched the break shouting on the top of my voice.
- I said, which group do you belong? -
No one answered, but instead was looking at each other, that was a first pass, but I wanted more, so called Lotanna and asked him directly, why I move the jeep.
- I swore an oat with your father to work for him, and I have served him diligently, even after death. He is the source of my wealth, and general living. I owe him a lot, which informs my honesty with you. -
Lotanna, said he was shocked that my father came home with a foreigner, and when he asked, my father made him promise, that whatever happens to him, that his son must not suffer, as a result of his absence.
- I know chief always tell of a certain Mr Salahadine. -
- what about Mr Salahadine? -
- He said Mr Salahadine, was a dangerous man. But when sheeps come to shore, only Mr Salahadine will I trust and work with. -
- so? -
- so what? -
- how sincere and honest have you been to he, Mr Salahadine? -
- I have never met him, I don't even know him. Are you he? -
I did not answer him, but continued driving, there was some sort of silence until Emeka broke it.
- I know Mr Salahadine -
Slowly I turned to look at him, and he was facing down. I slowed down minding the road, he then raised his head.
- Mr Ahmadine Salahadine. -
Emeka told us that his mother was an ally of a certain Mr Allahabad, but never got to meet him in person, and that frustrated her.
- Mr Allahabad, when he informed my mom that he is in Nigeria, and because she has joined forces with Salahadine, she made us hide in the room where you found us, the day you came to our place, she was always on a video call with Mr Salahadine, but till now she is dead, Mr Allahabad, she never gets to meet. -
Emeka told us, that Amaka was a special agent in the military with lots of medal, but unfortunately unsung. No one interrupted him, as he told his innocent story.
.          .          .          .          .
- you are five thousand meters away to the chopper I sent for you -
As soon as that message came into my phone, an explosion shook the jeep off it balance, that was when it occurred to us that we've been followed. A barrage and intense gunshots followed. There were number of vehicles on our heel, then my phone began to ring. It was baba.
- Idiot! You think, you and your stupid king father can ruin the project I've spent billions to get to this point? -
- Baba! -
I was flabbergasted and totally taking aback, I still have my regards for him.
- baba? -
Lotanna's question confirmed to me that am with a real brother.
- you either work with me and live, or I destroy this world with you inclusive. The world is already in turmoil, so save it and give me the the " BILE SALT " you prepared in your school laboratory, you do not know how to get the world body pay for this things, let me do it and compensate you handsomely -
Wow! So this is what all this is about?
After the usual class with the sage, Mr Salahadine while at school in Morocco. He called me to his office, and warned me to come alone, but I can't do without Sarahdina at the time, so I went with her.
He was dejected, and grab me to the side asking me why I could not cone without her. I told him that she is my twins, and that if she is not invited, then I should not either.
- you have never failed in any task I gave you, even the unimaginable ones, even the ones I know nothing about, and so I want you alone on this one, my boy please. -
- can I leave then? -
He was disappointed, and looked dismayed with my answer.
- it with taw'am or am sorry sir -
- one day this taw'am will break your heart, and I pray you are alive to cry the cry. -
I held Sarahdina's hand and was leaving his office, when he called.
- little genius! I want you to know this. In life you must not do everything having someone beside you. Think about this, when you go to poo-poo, does she follow you to the toilet? My boy! It simply means, that there is limit to where she can follow you to. -
I left that day with Sarahdina, and a month after, he called me back and gave me the task.
He said that the investigatory unit of the world body, has been able to note that a certain group is preparing a daredevil illness that will ravage the world. And as it is, no one has been able to come up with a scientific solution for this illness, should it be injected into the world.
- you are the only one I wanted to know this, but your taw'am cannot leave your side. -
Then he gave me a bind blue print of paperwork of what he was talking about, the formulae played itself in my head, it was a well documented stuff. For good three hours, I was reading and going through it. It really took over me, as I found myself walking and working it out.
- Sir! -
I called him, he was already sleeping, I woke him up, and he was tired, Sarahdina was sleeping on a long cushion by the side.
- I want to believe you are joking telling me that this simple work is difficult for the great scientists around the world to handle, I know you just want to test me, the way you always do everybody, but anyways sir, am done with your assignment, and I have the answer, can I go now or do you want to have them? -
He scrambled, and scrambles around to fetch something, then he opened his laptop and gave it to me.
- put it here -
As I was about typing them down, Sarahdina yawned and woke up, and immediately he snatches the laptop away from me.
- don't worry my boy another time, another time. -
Baba's mention of bile salt, rung a bell, and saddened me. If I have not been stupidly and blind in this thing called love, most likely people would not have died the way they did. Tears began to stroll down my cheek, as I stepped harder on the accelerator, and watched the speedometer race to four hundred, and exit it. I screamed very loudly, crying on the top of my voice, as the memory of all that I saw die flashes back to my brain. The chef that was the first scathed to die from me killing it, to the one that held us hostage in my father's house, their memories flashes in my head, then I broke to pieces when Amaka's smiles rented my view, I cried and stepped on the accelerator the more, then I remember how the first horror happened to me, how my father's head was unplugged from his neck. This time I groaned and stepped the more on the accelerator, and watched it hit the last number on the speedometer. Then from far away I could see a thing hanging I the air, they are suppose to have landed, then I began to release the accelerator, as we drew closer, I saw why they are hanging in the air. There are hundreds upon thousands of scathed beings pouring at them, while they in return were shooting freely at the scathed beings, quietly I was crying no, then I continued to say no, then I cried bitterly as I watched helplessly as the men in the chopper shoots mercilessly and relentlessly at the scathed beings. I cried till I rests my head on the steering of the jeep, for minutes they were shooting at them, then we began to hear gunshots from behind again.
- which of the cars are you in? -
It was Mr Salahadine, I sniffed, my heart heavy, and ruptured with grief.
- the white jeep -
Immediately, the chopper rained bullets on the cars, causing them to tumble and explode. They landed and a heavily dressed old man and two other guys with him walks up to us.
- who is the Summerman, Somadina Odinike, we are from Mr Salahadine, the sage. -
He then brought out a far more advance phone, and gave it to me.
A video call from the sage, Mr Salahadine, and we are onboard in the chopper, I picked my bag and the spear along with me, and as the chopper flew away amid my downcast mood, my father's voice sunk into my head, as he said to me.
- do not begrudge yourself, for the evil you know not it genesis. And are not the cause or it creator. -
I said " okay " in a light tone, as my heart clears up, and my mood relaxed.