At Gun Point

~16~

Melinda veered my wife's car towards where we were standing,she held the empty flask in her left hand. We had just broke the hug and I was handing over my wife the empty plate and bottles for her to pack them. Melinda's mouth went ajar as she looked at me with a surprised face. She then thanked my wife for the food and told us she ate at her granny's. Her granny told her the muffins were delicious and she was going to invite my wife to her homestead in the farms to bake a cake for her. Melinda's granny was turning seventy eight in two months time. We all laughed at her granny's invitation. My wife looked at me for approval and I slightly swayed my head perpendicularly,showing it was a good idea. She then told Melinda she had agreed to her granny's offer.  She always loved socialising. This had something to do with her upbringing.

"Did you see my phone anywhere?" Melinda asked, with her eyes fixed on me.
"Do you mean a Sony Ericson Experia Z? Umh I think I have seen it in my truck, in a black plastic bag."
I then offered to go and collect it whilst they have girl talk. I strode to my car,unlocked it and grabbed the plastic bag. I took Melinda's phone and was about to leave when I remembered I had to separate the cell phones of the two guards I shot in the office. I wanted them for analysis when I was back at home in my study room. My curiosity was to have more information on Bastion and his men. Information like who they were communicating with? Who in the government and army was involved in these illegal activities. What were their motives and plans? I knew the information in my hard drive,plus that of Bastion's mobile phone in my laptop and the two guards cell phones,were going to unleash all the hidden culprits.

When I went back to the two women,I saw them chatting and laughing. I couldn't make the contents of their conversation, but it showed they were enjoying themselves. Melinda was seated on the wooden bench and my wife cleaning a notable bruise that was on her forehead.
I handed Melinda her smartphone and gave it to my wife who put in the small travelling bag. I was surprised. My wife then told me to leave since she wanted to clean Melinda and I had to make sure no man comes to them for the next ten minutes. I then laughed saying,what if the man was to come from the shrubs that were behind us. They all laughed and said go.

I obeyed and moved towards the group of people who stood at the back of one of the loaded lorries. It seemed they had completed the packing and were ready to take the impounded goods to the local police station. The dead farm workers and guards were all packed in the big police hearse. The injured were no longer there,the Medicare choppers had taken them all to the capital. Bastion's stretcher was now in one of the police helicopters, with the two police in guard,both facing opposite directions seated at the thresholds of the two doors of the chopper. They had their guns pointing to where the people were moving. Nobody came closer to them. People fear guns,this is world wide phenomenon. The situation showed people were now ready for dispersion.

Brian and the commander saw me coming and they removed themselves from the group of fellow cops and villagers. We met half way and they told me one of the police officers told them the police Sheriff had called him with a Buntuland mobile operator number,saying he had resigned himself and was not coming back. He had escaped to the neighboring country. The commander then started to be bothered by the disappearance of the Sheriff. It vividly came to me that he had something to do with all this. Why was it always he seemed to be bothered? I wanted to find out.

He then dismissed Brian telling him to go and tell the police drivers to go with the drugs and ammunition;and to make sure both the vehicles were well guarded with  armed police officers. He himself was also to board one of the choppers to aerially guard the vehicles in case there might be an attack on the road. It was not apparent if Bastion was the only threat or there were others who were working with him. The war was far from ending. Brian went away to carryout the duties he had been delegated leaving the two of us facing each other.

The commander then  took further towards the end of the mall area. He then he needed two things from me. One, he wanted Bastion's laptop and his phone ones Brian was in the air and,two,he wanted me call Melinda for him,he was interested in her so he wanted to court her. He proceeded to tell me that he and his wife were no longer having a working relationship. Sometimes they slept in different bedrooms. I just laughed inside and said to myself,what woman would love a placid and frigid asshole like him. I couldn't hold his facial appearance for long,what about a woman. I just believed his wife was just brave to have him as her husband. His countenance was unwelcoming,always. If it was because he was the police chief,then his work was destroying him. I then told him I will do that for him.

I then remembered the ten minutes had lapsed,so I told him we can go and see her. When we reached the parking lot, my wife came and gave me a slight hug and proceeded to greet the commander. Melinda also came from behind the car. I was surprised to see that she had changed into my wife's clothes. A purple skirt and a white blouse. They fitted her perfectly. Her braided hair was now pulled backwards to form a pony tail. Her light skinned face was now cleaned and she looked more fresh. She was exhilarating. I saw the commander's face brighten a little bit. He was really into her.

I then told her Commander Gezza wanted to see her. She agreed and they both walked to where we have been standing earlier. I was left with my wife,looking at them as they walked away. I told my wife I had to go and take Bastion's gadgets from my car for the commander wanted them. She dismissed me as she walked back to where they have came from with Melinda. As I turned away towards my car,I caught a glimpse of the commander and Melinda. Melinda was swaying her head side ways and the commanders held a despondent and disappointment look. I just guessed the commander's wishes had hit rock bottom. I knew Melinda was not going to agree. She would have been stupid if she has said yes to police chief's plea. It would be ludicrous.

When I returned a couple of minutes later,my wife was packing her things back to her car. Melinda and the commander were coming back to us. She held an infuriated look and he also reciprocated her facial appearance. When they reached us I handed him over the briefcase and the smartphone. He then said her goodbyes to my wife and gestured me to accompany him towards the remaining chopper,where Bastion was. He then started to tell me Melinda had refused,saying she had a boyfriend who was about to wed her. She told him that is the reason she had come to the rural areas,to tell her grandmother of the news. He told me her granny was the one who raised her after her parents had in a public bus accident. I didn't know anything of this about her,this is because we didn't have the chance to talk about ourselves.

The broadcasting journalists were seated behind a tree opposite the remaining chopper and most of the people who have gathered were already gone. Leaving a few villagers from nearby farms who wanted to see to the end of it. A gathering of people from the city especially in a remote area like this causes a lot of spectators to come. I still remember when I was growing up in the rural areas,we used to run after vehicles on gravel roads, shouting. We used to even run towards the direction of a passing aeroplane. It was stupid but funny. They were things we were not used to. This is what I was now observing on the remaining villagers. You could tell by the way they looked at us.

Brian's chopper was in view now returning from escorting the two lorries and the hearse. It landed latter and the media guys came and occupied their chopper,but they were now six in it,with three cops,Brian included. The commander boarded the other one with two police officers guarding Bastion. I told them I was going to follow the following morning trailing behind the bus. They all waved their hands as the choppers rose from the ground into the sky and off they go towards the capital.

FROM THE AUTHOR: Thank you for reading!If you have enjoyed the story,please remember to vote and feel free to comment below. Note: All comments,good/bad,are also very welcome. I'd really like to know what you think. It would mean a lot to me as a budding writer, and may help my career.

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