Deadly as trust

Thirty-one: Miriam

The door to the room I was in creaked open. I was blindfolded again and gagged so I couldn't see who it was or ask.

My hands were tied behind me too, only my legs were free.

Whoever it was carried me up like a sack of beans and threw me on their shoulder.

I didn't object.

I felt the person move out of the room and drop me on a chair eventually.

My blindfold was removed and I sat staring at an empty, dirty room. The place looked like it hadn't been used in years.

"So, how are you feeling?"

I froze.

I knew that voice all too well, even if I hadn't heard it too often.

He chuckled.

"Scared?"

I heard his footsteps clearly as it resonated in the empty room. He moved to the space in front of me and stopped with his hands tucked in his pockets.

Then he removed the gag from my mouth.

"You know, I really considered you a threat when I heard you survived my gunshots. You were so lucky. Are you aware?"

I didn't answer, I was still frozen in my seat.

He cupped the left side of my face.

"All you went through."

A smirk played on his lips.

"Now, tell me. What was your relationship with my brother like?"

Reminding me that Jide was related to this brute stiffled any words that would have made its way out of my mouth.

I bowed my head, to avoid his intense and steely stare and tried to push the fresh feeling of betrayal I was feeling away.

It wasn't possible he just brought me here to chit-chat, something was definitely going on.

"You don't want to answer me?", it came out more as an observation than a question.

"Look at me."

He shouted it again when I hesitated. I looked up at him, at his fierce steely gaze.

"Answer me when I'm talking to you."

"What do you even care?", I almost whispered back but he heard me. I was scared he would retaliate with a slap or something but I waited and I didn't come, so I relaxed a little.

"I should. What was it like? Did he use you? Betray you? Is he still a traitor?"

I exhaled, trying to calm my fears. I tried to think under the pressure he was putting me under but the first thing that surfaced was how Jide abandoned me and the case with another officer, how he didn't even look back.

"He still is, isn't he?", it sounded like he had concluded.

He turned away from me and walked idly to the wall far opposite from me and pounded on it, making me jump a little.

"To think that bastard would change."

It suddenly seemed like he was just trying to take out his agression without me in mind.

"He's going to pay for what he did. I swear it."

Then he walked towards me and brought a gun out of his pocket. My heart fell to my stomach.

"You're going to be keep his attention on me. I don't know what games he wanted to play. He was pulling strings and messing with the master. Nobody is going to play with Gabriel and get away with it."

He wrapped an arm around my neck and squeezed while the other pointed the gun at my head.

"And you, I should have killed you long ago. I shouldn't have missed. You remained too stubborn to die."

He squeezed tighter and I could slowly feel my windpipe closing. I was shaking against his grip as my lungs were burning because the shortage of air. My heartbeat was accelerating.

He put the gun on my temple and squeezed tighter.

"You are going to die for even bringing my name to the hearing of the police. You don't know anything about me."

I closed my eyes and stopped struggling but my rapid, short breaths continued.

Then suddenly it was all over. My lungs were slowly reviving and the coldness on my temple disappeared.

He stood a small distance from me and watched me cough and wheeze a little.

"If you mean that much to him, I prefer that he watches it too. Something about a parting gift."

I, however, was more interested in letting air fill my lungs.

"So tell me, how is Jamilah doing?"

I hesitated, still trying to fill my lungs with air.

"She's... hurt.", was the only thing I could mutter.

Then sadness engulfed me, remembering what had happened.

A teardrop had somehow found its way to my cheek.

"Jamilah had always been the wise, calculating one. Now she made a terrible mistake. Shame."

I was lost in whatever he was saying but I didn't reply.

"I bet Jide feels he failed her too. They've never liked me that much."

He turned away and walked to the wall again.

"She thought I was crazy too but she didn't know what I was doing was all for that bastard."

He turned to me and I could see pain hidden somewhere in his eyes.

"You don't understand, do you?"

Then he chuckled and walked back to me. My mind was in a frenzy, he was being too suspenseful and I felt things could get worse at any moment.

What he wasnted to say was interrupted by Majoress walking in. She threw me a scornful look and gave him a respectful look.

"The guy don come o, wetin I go do?"

"Let him in. I'll speak to him one on one. Meanwhile, feed this one or something. She shouldn't die... for now.", he replied referring to me.

Majoress agreed commenting on how pale my face looked. After that, they walked out.

I wasn't hungry but I was too scared to say it. I was all other sorts of things though.

I remembered crying my eyeballs out the day before, after Jide left. I hated him for hiding everything and letting them pop at the wrong time. Maybe he let Jamilah have that terrible accident and get into coma.

Jamilah.

I couldn't believe I was only remembering her now and that overpowering feeling of sadness still stuck. I clenched my fists.

I had to make it out alive, for her. I wanted to do something for her since she had welcomed me into her space.

I felt a little flicker of determination.

~~~

See you all next weekend 😁