THE NEXT TWO DAYS

Part Twenty Five

CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE
      “How long do we still have?”
“We are just starting, we still have nine gates to cross.” Ebuka answered.
It must have taken up to twelve minutes before they had gotten to the first gate. This meant they had hours left before they got to their final destination. She was not feeling any pain and the dizziness had reduced but she knew she would not be able to make it that long. She wanted to protest but could not. Ebuka was escorting her back to Jason and she should be grateful.
Her fear came back again as Jason popped into her mind. If they had hours to walk through an underground tunnel then Jason must have the same time and he would be exposed. What if he could not make it? She shook her head with the hope of stopping the terrible images her mind was forcefully producing. 'He will be safe'
“Who?” Ebuka asked.
She did not know she had said it aloud.
“Jason” she answered.
“ I’m also wondering how he is going to meet you at the hut. The distance is not that far but considering the people he has to fight, it is very long.”
“You know you are not helping.”
“Hmm, I read those files about The Circle and the things written about them are not attributes of average humans. How much do you know?”
“Nothing, you should know more than I do. I just know Jason is a Nigerian soldier and had met George during military training. I only discovered who he really is on Wednesday.”
“I was there in that last meeting and I never doubted the man we were calling Mathew was an imposter. We discussed where the bomb should be located at the stadium and how we were going to do the life call. We got to know he was an imposter through Nick. Nick had arrived few minutes after the meeting. He had told Faceless to leave them to him because we cannot handle them. Faceless allowed it because it was BlueAI company representative they killed. Later, we got a call that George was dead but the other was nowhere to be found. Nick had told Faceless that the missing soldier was extremely dangerous and the only way he would come out was to get you. Faceless had approved it with the mind of just keeping you hostage, because Nick made us believe Jason was going to Lagos to defuse the bomb.”
As Ebuka spoke she tried to digest every word. Things were getting clearer. She had seen what Jason did to the assassins who had ambushed them on their way to Lagos and had wondered why George could not get out. Now she was beginning to fix the puzzle. It was Nick and his men who went after George. From the conversation she had heard between Nick and Faceless when she was brought to the underground house, Nick had the criteria of The Circle Team and it meant Nick was very good. If only Major Ahmed had known the dangers of what he was doing.
       They had crossed up to seven gates after a very long tiring walk. It was remaining three. Ebuka had not spoken another word since he ended his long speech. They were both lost in their thoughts.
“If those things I read are true, I believe you will see Jason. He was the one who suggested it. I think he would have done his math already. I read he has partial autism” Ebuka spoke again.
He must have thought that was what was occupying her mind not knowing that he just brought back Jason and danger to her mind.
“Okay. She said.”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Okay.”
“Is there any probability that what Jason said about the bombs are not true?”
“No. Jason is a stock human being. He does not know how to make jokes. He takes everything literally, although I think he is changing. But I’m very sure of the bombs. You said it yourself. George had impersonated one of BlueAI representative. That must have been how they got the information and if not for Nick, they would have defused those bombs long ago.”
They were already by the ninth gate.
“I just hope Jason and his team will be able to handle Nick.” Ebuka said after closing the eight gate.
They continued walking with nobody talking. The pains on her shoulders and knees were coming back and Ebuka must have noticed it.
“The Diclofenac is wearing off. Take this” he said giving her a malt drink he brought out from his bag.
“Thanks” she said after gulping a mouth full.
Ebuka brought out paracetamol tablet from his bag.
“Take this with the malt” he said giving her the drug.
“Cynthia, let’s go” Ebuka said after she had finished drinking.
“My friends call me Cindy. You can call me Cindy.”
“But Cindy and Cynthia don't sound the same.”
“They are not the same. It was Jason who gave me the name. He said Cynthia is not suitable me.”
“Okay Cindy let’s go” Ebuka said smiling.
                 They had not walked for a minute when she heard an unusual sound. It reminded her of Wednesday night when her door was being sliced with an equipment. Ebuka heard it too.
“They now know.”
“I don’t understand.”
“They have discovered we’ve escaped. They are coming. Can you run?”
“I think so” she stammered
“Run” Ebuka said already running.
She immediately followed suit. But her mind was trying desperately to understand what was going on. They had just one more gate to cross. There was that sound of that instrument. It was close. It was coming from the last gate they just passed. Even though the distance was not close, she could still hear that horrible sound. They were too fast.
“Hurry up Cindy” Ebuka shouted.
He was already opening the last gate. She doubled her speed. They were just entering the other side when she sighted them. One of them fired same time Ebuka closed the gate.
“Cindy, listen to me. I know the drug you took won’t hold out the pain but you have to bear it. You have to run like you've never run before. You will see a ladder, climb it till you get to the top. There is a horizontal door, and this is the key, open it as fast as you can then close it when you are out. I pray Jason will be there to pick you” he said giving her a key.
“Uncle Ebuka I don’t understand. Why should I go by myself? We can make it together.”
“Cindy, this is the only way, I will withstand as much as I can. Go.”
“Is this why Faceless was crying? Both of you knew this was going to happen. You did not tell me. You did not give me the opportunity to make my choice. No, I’m not going anywhere except you come with me. I can make my own decisions too. I can’t let another person die because of me.” Tears were already coming out of her eyes.
“Cindy, we don’t have time. Don’t let your uncle and Jason’s effort to be in vain.”
“No, I’m not going.. please come with me.”
“Then we will both be dead.”
“So be it, I can’t allow you to die, please lets go” she cried pulling at his hands.
“Cindy please, I’m begging you, help me, help us, help all the Biafran soldiers. This is the only way we can protect them. Please go. They are close. Go.”
This was hell, it was worse than torture. She threw herself on him.
“How do you want me to live with this? How?”
“Live with honour, Cindy Biafran soldiers will live because of you. Take it as a sacrifice. Go Cindy” he said gently pulling her away after kissing her forehead.
He bent down and started bringing out weapons from his bag. She could hear sounds of approaching footsteps. Ebuka turned and signaled for her to go. She turned and started running. She was a coward, she was saving her life with the blood of another she barely knew. She almost felt like turning back when she heard the sounds of gun battle, but she ran, she had to believe Ebuka, she had to believe it was the only way. Her shoulder felt like it was being sliced over and over again, her knees felt like it was being scrubbed by a sharp stone but she ignored everything and ran, she would never allow Ebuka’s death, no efforts to be in vain. She should not be thinking of his death, there could still be a way out, she could see the ladder. Jason would be there waiting for her and he would come down and help. With that tiny hope, she doubled her speed. She was already opening the door few seconds later. Just as the door gave way and she was almost at the surface, there was a bomb blast from where she was coming from. The bomb blast shattered both her tiny hope and her heart. It shook the tunnel and she was almost falling back but someone grabbed her and pulled her to the surface. It was Jason. She should be happy but there was no joy in her anymore. He pulled her to himself, he was saying something but she could not hear anything, she was tired, tired of everything, tired of the nightmare that wouldn’t stop. She felt darkness enveloping her. As she welcomed the darkness that would give her mind a little peace, she prayed she would wake up to discover it was only a nightmare.