UNWITTING VESSELS (sequel To Vessels Unknown)

FOURTEEN

FEMI

  From the shadows, I watched Adrian and his cohorts embrace each other outside his multimillion Naira church.

I'd been keeping tabs on him since I was informed of Thunder's death. His boys confirmed how he was almost drained by Adrian.

       I scoffed at their assertion. But when I asked them if they saw him kill him. Nobody had been able to answer that question.   

That morning, I was informed by one of Thunders men three days after the mission. When the news got to me, I couldn't move or eat for hours. I decided to go see things for myself. Before I got there, they'd already buried him.

         "It couldn't have been Adrian. That man couldn't just hurt a fly." I argued.

Second argued that he saw Adrian suck life out of him but couldn't give me a complete story on how Thunder actually died.
I moved out of the trimmed flowers where I'd been hiding. He winced when he laid eyes on me.
             "What are you doing here?" He barked, walking towards me.

I edged closer, hoping to make this night memorable for both of us.

          "You sent him!" He yelled.

The ground shook beneath me. I'd been caught! How could he have known that? I played the game in my head before he could get his hands on me.

            "Who?" I feigned ignorance.

His eyes narrowed while his gaze stayed on me. He moved to put his hands on my wrist, I backed away. Second had informed me how Adrian effectively dismantled Thunder by mere holding of hands.
His mouth curved in a very suspicious smile. "You know who!"

         I focused on his sandals and then quickly checked mine. I couldn't compare or compete with Adrian's money or fashion sense. Guy was just too much for a street runner like me.

I denied again. "I don't know what you're talking about!" We stood face to face with each other, pumping carbon dioxide into each other's faces.

     Suddenly, I felt a grip on my hand. I fought and tried to pull away from him. He held on and was about to close his eyes when a guy called from the behind him.

             "Can I go home now sir?"

Slowly his grip loosened but I still stood there watching him.

          "Yes, Isaiah. Go home." Turning to face the guy, remind HR to add overtime pay to your check."

The young man nodded. But he continued to stand there. Adrian eyed me before walking into his office building.
I stood there, not knowing what to do. My actions tonight may have blown my cover and gained me an extra enemy.

His car was till parked there when he emerged to go home. I glanced at my old Nokia phone, it was 12:26Am. I stood by his car waiting for him.
Emass held unto his bag when they approached. The guy moved into the drivers side while I blocked Adrian from getting into the owners side.

He curved a smile. "You sure want some trouble."

I gawked at him in disdain. I was here for one reason and one reason alone. Money. "Give me the money I asked for and I'll let you be."

Adrian scoffed. "Go home Femi. Go home."

With that, they drove off, leaving me on the lawn of the church premises. I went back to the church campus hostel and paid for a night. As crazy as I was, I could never go back to Ibadan at that ungodly hour.

Five am the next morning I ran to the motor park and boarded a bus going back to Ibadan.

By late morning, I was already home. And as expected, Nara was no where to be seen. I checked through the house, no one. Quietly I took a sleeping position on my bed and dozed off.