THE NEXT TWO DAYS

Part Seven

  CHAPTER SEVEN
It felt like she had only slept for thirty minutes when Jason woke her up.
"Cindy, we have to get moving" he said gently pulling her away from him.
Thirty seconds later, they were out of the shelter. As she battled with the heaviness in her eyes, Jason was already pulling down the shelter. She wondered if Jason slept.
The night was still the same. There was no sign of dawn when they started going to where Jason knew best. Jason had his big bag on his back. Her laptop bag was on his left shoulder. The time on her wrist watch was 4:15pm. Her wristwatch was on her right because on her left wrist was a pink hand band Jason forcefully gifted her. She followed closely. It was easier to follow Jason this time because of the night-vision spectacle she was still wearing. There were so many things she wanted to talk about. She even wanted to continue from where they stopped but the past few hours had taught her to know when to talk. She tried to be as noiseless as Jason but failed woefully. She never missed stepping on any stone or hole that at a point, Jason's back prevented her from falling face down on the ground. Of course he did not complain nor hurry her. He was all Jason throughout their walk.
After a very tiring long walk with Jason looking at his watch most times, they burst out on a road, in fact exactly where Jason stopped the car before they ran inside the bush. Although she was not expecting a car with a gentleman-looking driver in Jason's team to be waiting for them, she was still disappointed that there was no car.
"First, you have not explained what happened to our car. Secondly, please tell me we are not trekking to....just tell me we are not trekking" she said fearing what Jason would say.
"Our car is inside the river. I wanted them to believe we crashed into the river due to over speeding. That would have given us enough time to escape."
"And it turned out that they were actually tracking us. Great. Just great. The car is gone for no reason. So how are we going to leave this place?"
"We will hitch a ride"
"How?"
"Five minutes" he said and she just knew that would be his final answer.
She could wait. It was just five minutes, and their gentleman driver would come with a better car. That was the way it normally happened in movies. Jason must have contacted them when she was sleeping.
Five minutes came and with it, a petrol tanker. Jason waved at the tanker driver to stop. The man actually slowed down, but increased his speed after looking at them, the reason was best known to him. As the tanker disappeared from sight, Jason spoke again.
"Another one will be on us in three minutes."
She seriously wanted to know how Jason knew when a tanker driver will drive by but she was more curious on why Jason waved the first one to stop and also the direction.
Just as he said, another tanker arrived, but to her great joy the driver completely ignored Jason when he waved for him to stop.
"Another in six minutes" Jason said.
"Jason I really don't want to enter a tanker. Even if I want to, nobody will stop for two strangers at 4:50am in the....."
Jason pulled her to him, then used his hands to wrap her closer.
"You are cold Cindy. I'm sorry" he whispered to her ears.
That was when she knew she was actually shaking from cold. Her sweater was not helping. She placed her hands on Jason's hands.
"Why are you even stopping tankers going towards Benin?"
She asked not because she was curious but because she wanted something to distract her from the feelings of being too close to Jason. It was becoming worse each passing hour.
"Because that's the way to Lagos. I can't run anymore."
A voice in her head told her that Jason's words had deeper meaning. She did not ask further because she was not ready for the answer she would get.
Another bigger tanker came by and surprisingly the driver stopped without Jason's funny waving.
"Are you stranded? Why are you taking a lady out at night?" the driver shouted from his seat.
He was an elderly man, not supposed to be driving that early.
"Come on, hop in, except you are going the other direction" the driver continued speaking, he was coming down from the tanker.
Jason's only response was to make her move with him to the passenger's seat, that was after he had seriously and inquisitively looked at the man.
"Thank you" she said to the man who had opened the passenger's seat for them.
At least the man would not conclude that they had no manners.
"You are welcome my daughter" the man responded immediately almost as if he was waiting for it.
The drive back to Benin was quiet. Too quiet. Nobody spoke. Just when they entered Benin, Jason surprisingly ended the silence.
"When did you retire from the military?"
"Ha, how did you know?" the man asked surprised.
"The army emblem on the driver's door."
"That emblem have been there for a long time, since I started driving this tanker, but nobody have ever asked me about it" the man said in an exciting voice.
Jason did not repeat the question and the driver must have gotten the idea that he would not ask again.
"I retired few years after the end of the civil war, you kids were not born then...."
"Can I make use of your phone" Jason asked interrupting what was going to be a long speech.
She punched Jason on his shoulder with the hope that Jason would get the hint that interrupting an elderly man's speech was rude. He did not bulge, only her hands suffered.
"Why do you want my phone? I don't like giving my phone to strangers" the man answered.
Jason brought out his ID and showed it to the man who glanced at it.
"You are in the army, oh! No wonder my spirit told me to carry you, my comrade. What rank are you?"
"It's very important I make this call now. I cannot use my phone nor hers because our lines have been compromised."
The way the driver gave Jason his phone was funny to her. He was acting as if he knew what was about to happen in Nigeria in less than two days.
Jason dialed some numbers and was soon speaking to someone.
"Still compromised, straight to location, ready for obstacles" he said cutting the call.
She might have understood what he meant if she could hear what the other person was saying. That was if someone was really at the other end. Jason gave the phone back to the driver without saying thank you.
"You can stop us here Sir, thanks for your help."
And he was coming down just like that. Before she could properly appreciate the man she was lifted from her seat and found her feet on the ground.
"Let's go" he said, taking her hand.
She really wanted to say something to him but she could not find the right words to use. The driver did not move immediately. She wondered what was on his mind. She looked around to understand her environment. They've not gotten to Ajip Junction but she was sure they had passed Winners Chapel. They did not walk far before they got to Jason's destination. The place was looking odd as if something was missing. It was when Jason pulled off a big clothe that was used to cover a car she discovered what was amiss. They sold cars there but only the car Jason was already entering was there, the other spaces were empty.
"What are you doing Jason? You can't steal a car."
"Get inside Cynthia, we must move now."
He was calling her Cynthia again. She did not need anyone to tell her danger was close. The car was on the road less than ten seconds after she entered. First thing she did was to put on her seat belt.
"It's not a stolen car. It's one of my back up plan. We always have back up plans for movement anywhere we are going" Jason said.
One could never predict when he would give an explanation. Jason was on top speed although not like the last time.
"How long before we get to Lagos?" she asked after some time, but did not get any response.
She removed her spectacle. It was becoming clearer.
"Put your SIM card in this phone and switch it on" Jason said giving her a techno android phone.
She did as instructed. Jason took the phone, slowed down, and threw it into a nearby grass.
"Hey, what are you doing with my SIM card" she shouted.
He did not respond but increased the speed of the car.
"Get down Cindy" Jason shouted pushing her down with his right hand.
Almost at the same time, bullets were rained on them.