Ex Vivo (#2 EX TRILOGY)

Chapter 23

Meanwhile, Adiepena sat at the edge of the bathtub in silence with no clothes on. She was staring down at the gleaming promise ring on her ring finger and stroking it in admiration. An audio was playing from her head on repeat, and it echoed on the bathroom walls. The voice that spoke belonged to Otuo. The instance that was being replayed had occurred few weeks earlier when both of them were making love together as always.

"Drown me in your love, baby," Otuo groaned pleasurably in the audio. "Drown me. Take me in!" It played on and on, and Adiepena listened to it as though it were a relaxation song. She sighed and reached for Otuo's phone lying in the sink, and she quickly dried her wet hands on a towel before opening the Ex Vivo app on his phone to sign him out. She quickly wiped his phone memory and chucked the phone into the bathtub before smiling at Otuo's blank eyes staring lifelessly at her from beneath the foamy water in the bathtub. Obviously, she had drowned him literally in her love while both of them made love in the bathtub. She rose to her feet and walked out of the bathroom to the bedroom where the white box in which she was delivered sat in a corner. She walked to it, touched it with her hand and watched as it opened to permit her to crouch into it, and then it sealed her in. The audio stopped playing instantly.

Less than two minutes later, three uniformed men walked into the house to collect the box and Otuo's corpse, and after tagging his body, they packed them into the cargo truck and drove off.

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Akoma could not believe her eyes. It did make great sense how Poku had pulled off some daredevil feats that were humanly impossible in most instances she had encountered him. One other thing that could have betrayed him as part of Ex Vivo was the use of those acupuncture needles he often pulled from odd places like his mouth, but Akoma had been so busy taking his kiss and enjoying the role of damsel in distress that she had missed all these details that could have saved her life. Here she stood unarmed and defenceless before a gentleman she had almost trusted with so much. Poku blinked and his eyes returned to normal again. He closed in on Akoma with an expressionless look on his face. Akoma was not only terrified by this revelation, but she was deeply hurt that someone like Poku had deceived her.

"Why?" she gasped and bumped into the car as she stepped backwards. "Why did you risk your life to keep me alive until now?"

Poku shrugged. "Ex Vivo needs someone so badly, but first, we must have you," he replied. "You are the only one who can lure her out of her hole if the mass murders in her name won't be persuasive enough."

Akoma shook her head and glanced around her for a way out. Poku noticed it and leaned over to block her on her left and right with his hands against the roof of the car. Akoma held her breath as he leaned closer to brush his lips against her cheek. "You're wicked!" Akoma whispered. "You kept me alive just to sacrifice me as bait? What about my mother? You allowed that robot to kill my mother, didn't you? It was part of your plan, wasn't it?" Poku stared in silence. "Answer me!" Akoma spat angrily. "I have nothing to give you! I don't know where Ender is. If you want her to come to you, find her yourself. Leave me out of this. I have been under her spell for months with no will of my own. Everything I have done has been under her command. I recently broke free when I met you, and - and - now? You think I still have something to do with her?"

"You said it yourself. It is not your MO, which means you are still devoted to Ex Gratia."

"No! Not anymore. I don't want to be there. It was a mistake. I thought I could get away with it when - when I was deceived into joining this syndicate. I was just there - minding my own business and newly wedded to the man I loved, only to later find out that he was an Ex Agent gone rogue - whom Ender wanted to destroy. She used me. She used me and enslaved me afterwards. I didn't sign up for this on my own. I was deceived. Please believe me. You are a good person. You have kept me alive until now. Please let me go. Mama needs a proper burial. Please let me go."