Delayed Diagnosis {Book 1 of the Rex Obasi Trilogy}

Chapter 22

Even Mona who held a deadlier and scarier gun also jerked her hands to try and shield her face as though if I were to pull the trigger her hands would magically stop the bullet.

"Chief look at these faces well or better yet, look at the mirror because I know you care only about yourself...I would blow everybody here up if I don't get that paper…" I looked away from Ada to the chief. (I at first made a conscious effort not to point the gun at her but I got carried away.)

I pointed the gun at the chief again."You know why? Because that paper is my life line right now, thanks to you by the way and without it I'm dead"

I made as if to cock the gun and chamber a round but it had none. It was a suitable assassin's weapon. Once the safety was off you fired away without having to cock each round into the chamber.

My hand movement was very believable it seemed because I heard the gasp from around me and the chief shut his eyes probably thinking it was over.

"I won't die alone. I would need friends to take with me to the other side. Starting from you and if the devil loves alcohol you won't run out of business. Ammunition would sell well there I'm sure." This was directed at the Chief.

My eyes narrowed and my index finger moved as if to caress the trigger. But to be truthful I had no plan to get too close. Like my people always say 'when there is life there is hope' and if it's only 36 hours I had, then I'd use it to say a proper goodbye to my family instead of speeding it up.

But no one had to know my true thoughts and I asked the Chief harshly, "so what's your call? The ball is in your court"

He looked at me for seconds then sighed.
"Rex when you found those papers, that was just a little mind trick. I needed someone in the banking industry that would...should I say look the other way while I passed billions of naira through the bank. I chose you because you were close to someone I saw as my daughter (he turned to Fome) God knows I thought wrong but I liked you and I thought to myself why not link this boy so millions would touch his hand. The night I called you after Fome left you, I never knew you were halfway gone already and I decided to pump you with liquor. That night I told you about it but you kept on drifting off then you would wake up lamenting about Fome. I brought you here....to this very house, but you passed out and I decided to mess with you the next morning." He broke off to catch his breath. The gas smell was thick in the air and beginning to choke.
But everyone was paying attention to the Chief and no one seemed to notice it.

"In my haste something else got mixed up with the papers" he walked to his wardrobe and brought out a slimmer brief case.
"Rex, don’t believe the news about sleeper cells. Whoever sent you here is just using you. The coordinates you seek does not contain sleeper cell locations. I’m a bad man but I’m not a terrorist.”

He had the case open and was leafing through its contents.

"Actually I doubt that." I replied.

He looked at me then smiled, "Rex my boy what have you gotten yourself into?"

"You mean what did you get me into and stop calling me your boy." I snapped

"But I never forced the papers into your hands, you snooped around and you stole it," he laughed crazily and I thought to myself 'this is the real joker' maybe the gas had begun to affect his brain.

However he was sober suddenly. "Rex once you leave here with the papers your clock starts ticking"

"You don't understand, it is already ticking"

He shook his head.
"Then it’s unfortunate, you are just delaying the outcome" he glanced at the old crooner. "This ancient hag should have done you the mercy of ending your life but I'm afraid she spent more time planning to steal from me"