King

Chapter 10

In heat of the afternoon's sun, the men who were about taking Leah, were running to go tell their boss Joe what had just happened. As they got to Joe's place, they saw Scorpion and told Scorpion about what happened, so Scorpion would relay the information to Joe, since he was his right hand man. And because Joe hated to be disturbed by his men, so they held in mind the possibility that he won't give them an audience, making Scorpion their best bet. Joe was seated om his favourite chair in his living room, when Scorpion walked in briskly but came to a halt when he stood in front of Joe.

"boss!" Scorpion greeted.

"Scorpion. Wetin dey occur?" Joe asked.

"boss J. our boys just come back from market, and they tell me say, they see King's men for market.

"that one no be news. The market is for everybody" said dryly as he remained relaxed on his chair, his back resting on the back of the chair with a newspaper in hand, which he was reading.

"no be that one boss, na the thing wey sup. They come help one babe like that. Boys say like from nowhere, they just appear come carry the babe dey go" Scorpion said, trying to get his boss to be interested in the very important information he had for him.

"but you sabi say King, him get soft spot for women. E no dey like make them do them anyhow" Joe said, still unmoved by this conversation that somehow sprung some sort of interest in Scorpion. Was he just looking for someone to chat with? Joe thought.

"but na the thing be that. The babe she no come from this place. Boys tell me say they sure for that one. But see as battalion of him boys just come pack the girl go" Scorpion said and Joe stopped reading the newspaper in his hand. He looked at Scorpion, his rapt attention all Scorpion's.

"so why did he rescue her?" Joe asked.

"gbam! Na the question be that. You know the boys told us that they saw King's men at that car side this morning. Then that message Baba Sege sent, saying he is looking for a girl, and he also mentioned a car. I just dey wonder say, maybe na the babe be that. I no sure, but you know say na always King's place, all this babe's dey run go" Scorpion said.

"you have a point. But we need to confirm it. Before we tell Baba Sege" Joe said, knowing it will infuriate Baba Sege more if they came without proof, than whatever good news they had brought.

"just go King place na" Scorpion suggested.

"you know I no fit enter King place just like that na. I gat get reason" Joe said and he and Scorpion went into thinking. What excuse could they possibly come up with to go to King's place, one that would let him gain audience with King and would keep him for some time in King's house, so he could possibly see the girl for himself. As they were thinking about it, one of the men King had, beaten up for almost raping that girl, walked past them. Joe and Scorpion then share a look. They already knew what to do.

* * * *

Evening had come and it was much awaited time for Joe. He quickly set out to King's place in the hopes that King had come back. When he got to King's, he told Scorpion to sit in the car. He wanted to make the visit as casual as possible. When he got to the entrance, he stated that he had something important to say to King, so thy let him in.

When he got to King's living room, he saw that King was on the phone and took his seat as he waited for D he was in front of him, having being the one who led him to King, he waited for him to alert T. When he did, T walked up to King whose back is facing them and whispered something to him. As T, did that King turned around and saw Joe. Joe waved at him and flashes him a smile. T turned around and went back to where he was standing. After some seconds, King rounded up the call and turned around.

"Joe. How I fit help you" King asked.

"boss. Respect. I been just say make I come greet you" Joe hailed, the sham in it very evident to everyone in the room. King being a man who didn't like his time wasted, especially to playing of games, walked over to where Joe was seated and sat in front of him, with every intention of stopping this madness. It was hurting him more to see Joe act that way.

"Joe, I am a busy man, tell me what you came here for so we can get on with it" King said drily, obvious not interested in going at it with Joe that night.

"I heard" Joe said, then gave a short dramatic pause. Quite unnecessary King thought, but he ignored and waited for whenever Joe was ready to say what was supposed to come next. Joe continued speaking.

"about what you did to my boys. Then I said "King can't be that cruel? What happened". At first, they no wan talk oo. But I come beat am out from their mouth. That's how they started a, you said, he said story.

"those two, a very capable of the act" King said remembering the drama the two boys put up on that day.

"so I came to apologize. Especially as I came here that other time and was saying what I was saying" Joe said and kept looking around as he was talking. King noticed.

"you keep looking around, you drop something for here?" King asked, hoping that Joe was not casing his house. He couldn't be stupid enough to try come steal from him, not even as much as think of it. He couldn't be that stupid. King said to himself. Joe laughed nervously before he collected himself and composed his next words right.

"no oo. I just..." he was saying but trailed of saw Leah, standing across the room. This caused King to also turn back to see that Joe was looking at Leah. King turned back and looked at D and D went to take Leah away from Joe's eye sight. Who knows, he might have been the one chasing her that night.

"Joe. Are we done here?" King asked, using words asides from "get out" to tell him to leave.

"um, yes" Joe said. He knew King was chasing prepping to chase him out but he wanted to wait for some more time. he needed to stall.

"thank you for coming, you can leave" King said and J came closer to where Joe sat to escort him out but Joe did not get up.

"but wait, I've not asked if the packages were safely delivered back to you?" Joe said. He knew it wasn't his best, but he hoped that it would led to something.

"they were. Thank you" king said with a note of finality in his tone and was getting rather a bit upset that Joe was not leaving already. Did he want him to say the words out loud? King thought.

"and then..." Joe was going for another line of stupid, but King came in and cut him short before he went any further.

"Joe! Leave" King said in an authoritative voice, sounding a clear warning to Joe. Joe gulped and with it he took in the warning King was giving. He stood up and left with J escorting him out. When J came back in, King tells him to go get D and Leah. When they come, D saluted King and both of them stood before him.

"now, T no dey part of this parol as him be dey with me since morning. So I go ask una one time, wetin sup?" King asked, already suspecting something had happened, given Joe's strange visit that late at night and his reaction to seeing Leah. He wanted answers. What happened when he was gone?