Boom
I have to do this.
Ifeanyi made his way down the lonely upper new market road leading to Ogbommanu junction. He held his bag closely for fear of being robbed. The cool night breeze was strong but he found himself sweating. His mind was racing and his heart was beating fast. He drew consolation from the fact that everything he needed to do will be done inside that restaurant. He clutched his bag tightly and moved down the road. The bag was a bit heavy and he had wondered what was inside, but he received specific orders not to unzip the bag, else he will be blown open by the wind. He found consolation in the fact that the instructor told him that the content of the bag was perfectly safe. He didn’t care much about the bag but rather about what the man had told him.
Everything ends when I do this
He looked at anyone who passed by him like the person was a potential robber. Cars passed by in opposite direction and the headlights shone on him with great intensity. He felt naked and guilty as those lights made him feel like he was already exposed. He shut his mind and made his way to the restaurant. Few seconds out, a phone rang in his pocket and he was startled by it. He brought the phone out of his pant pocket and looked at the screen. It was the same number that had instructed him on what to do. He felt his heartbeat increase and he exhaled deeply before picking up. He brought the phone to his ears and the distorted voice spoke.
“Are you at the restaurant yet?” asked the voice over the phone.
“Not yet. I’m in front of the place.” He answered as he tried to contain his fear.
“Look at your watch and tell me what the time is.”
Ifeanyi looked at his wristwatch. It was 11:39pm. He was about to miss the time he was given to deliver the bag. He suspected he was in trouble.
“What is the time?” the voice asked again, this time with more intensity.
“20 minutes to 12.” He answered.
“Our deal was that you should drop the bag and leave the building by 11:45pm and you are delaying me. You really don’t want to annoy me. Do you?”
Ifeanyi’s mind trailed what the voice had told him previously. He can’t risk it.
“I know. I will drop the bag soon. No vex please. No vex.” He replied and the call was ended.
He exhaled and looked up at the magnificent gate he was in front of. He put the phone inside his left pant pocket and then reached into his right pant pocket to pull out the keys to the building as he knocked on the gate. He knew Paul would be sleeping by that time but what he was being instructed to do was more important than Paul’s sleep. He knocked again and waited a few seconds before he heard a door open inside.
“Who be that?” A voice answered from the inside of the compound.
“Paul na me. Ifeanyi.” He replied. “Abeg open the gate. E dey important.”
“Haa.” Paul exclaimed in surprise. “Oga wetin you dey do here by this time?” He asked as he ran to the gate to open it. Before a minute was up, the smaller gate swung open and Ifeanyi stepped inside.
“Oga, everything dey ok?’ asked Paul as he stepped aside for Ifeanyi to enter.
“Yeah. Close the gate. But no sleep o. I go leave soon.” He answered as he made his way to the entrance of the building. He didn’t turn back but he felt that Paul was prying into the bag he was carrying to know what was inside. It became weird how he didn’t even know what was inside the bag he was carrying. The orders he received from the man who instructed him to pick the bag was not to open it for any reason or he will regret it from both sides. He knew one side already and it was already a dangerous path. The other part was still a mystery to him. His orders were clear though – Take the bag to the office of the Owner of the restaurant and leave the restaurant before 11:45pm.
He got to the front door and tried to slide the key into the keyhole. He didn’t even realize how visibly shaken he was until he tried to slot the key into the keyhole but had troubles keeping himself together. His hands were shaking. He took a deep breathe in, steadied himself and was able to put the key in after another trial. He opened the heavy door and stepped in. He had always stepped into this building as a very happy man, willing to do his job as the chief security officer perfectly. Tonight, he’s breaking his own protocol.
The irony.
He closed the door, reached into his breast pocket and got out his smart phone and turned on the torchlight. He then headed past the reception and entered the door on the left. He went down the hallway, past 2 doors and then stopped in front of the 3rd door. On it was inscribed “Director’s office” in block letters. For a normal person, opening this door without the director being present was highly prohibited and it was ensured by him, being the chief security officer, that no one enters the office without his or the director’s permission. The director had trusted him so much with the job and he had always repaid his trust with good work. Today, he was about to break that trust. He knew the implications of what he was doing. If the boss gets to work the next morning and sees the bag, there will definitely be troubles, but it wasn’t the issue at the moment. He would have to worry about it later. Right now, he has to do this one thing and protect his secret. No one should know.
He checked the keys he was holding for the right one and when he found it, he slid it into the keyhole, opened the door and headed in. He checked his watch and it was 11:43pm. On time. He instantly dropped the bag on the desk and left the room. He locked the room behind him, slid the keys into his right pant pocket and moved towards the reception area. He opened the door and walked outside. The cool breeze hit him and it felt a bit refreshing. He looked at the gate and Paul was still standing and waiting for him. He walked straight to the gate.
“Paul lock this gate abeg. Make sure nobody enter.” He said as he was about to exit the gate. He realized at that point that he was no longer scared of the secret that was in the person’s possession but rather, what was inside the bag.
“Sure oga. Na my work be that” Replied Paul as Ifeanyi made his way to the junction. He heard the gate behind him lock and then exhaled deeply. He checked his wristwatch and it was 11:47pm. He made his way back to the road he came from. He saw a beer parlor still open with a few people drinking and discussing. He realized that he was almost mentally exhausted and was in need of a bottle of beer. He made his way to the pub. Halfway there, the phone in his left pant pocket rang again. He knew it was the person who sent him on this crazy errand. He got out the phone and pressed the receiver.
“Status?” asked the doctored voice on the other end.
“Done” he replied.
“Good. You can leave the building now.” Said the voice and
“I’m out of the building already. What about what you have?” asked Ifeanyi, trying to make sure that this whole stunt won’t be for nothing.
“That? Consider it deleted and forgotten.” Replied the voice.
“May I ask what was inside the bag?” Ifeanyi asked, without expecting any answer.
A little silence ensued between them.
“Redemption.” The voice finally said and the line went dead.
Redemption? What does it even mean? Ifeanyi wondered as he walked towards the beer parlor. He basked in the cold breeze and dragged his feet. He was mentally exhausted to even think about following up on who this person was. He got to the beer parlor, pulled a seat and ordered for a bottle of Hero. He sat down before the events of the night flashed back into his mind. He was enjoying the night with his fiancée when he received a text from an unknown number to go to a specific location. He was going to see a car and all he has to do was follow the instruction on the paper in the car. He had written it off as a joke or a prank. He had always assumed that things like that only happened in Hollywood movies and maybe in some parts of Yankee but in Nigeria? No. He had continued with his night when the second text came in 15 minutes later repeating the same thing and this time, with a threat about how his fraudulent scheme will be revealed to his boss if he doesn’t do as he was told. It was a secret that he alone knew and he wondered how this person got to know about it. He had gone to the location and there was a black SUV parked there. He had wondered if the car was open but decided to try. He tried opening the car and it opened. There was a piece of paper on the driver’s seat and on it was written:
“Carry this bag to your boss’ office and keep it there. There is a phone under the bag. Call the only number in the dialed list for more instructions. Don’t think about rejecting this offer. You may also want to call the police but remember that your secret leaks even before the police makes their way to this place. Weigh your options properly.”
He wanted to write it off as a prank but the whole thing was too real to be a prank. He wondered if one of his friends was playing games with him but he knew none of them had that car, none of them would waste their time on this useless game, and most importantly, none of them knew his secret. Whoever this person is knows him way too well. Maybe a co-worker who had done the math and found the 2.6 million naira. He picked up the bag and picked the phone under it. He pressed the home button and realized that the phone was unlocked. He checked the dialed list and saw the number. He dialed and waited. The line connected and before long, someone picked up.
“Ifeanyi Ogbonna,” said the voice at the other end. Ifeanyi couldn’t make out the owner of the voice because it was doctored. The voice continued, “31 years old, birthday on 4th of July, only son among 4 children, late parents, about to get married next month, graduated from…”
“Stop.” Ifeanyi commanded. “Who the hell are you?” he was so eager to know who this person who knew this much about him was. He was convinced it was one of his friends now because they’re the only ones who knew.
“I was about to get to the private information, but seeing that I already have your attention, it’s a good thing I don’t have to.” Said the voice in a very calm manner. “Did you read the information on the paper? Yeah. Because you wouldn’t call me if you didn’t. You’re going to follow those instructions without questions asked. If you don’t, you are going to lose your job when you wake up in the morning.”
“Who are you?” asked Ifeanyi was becoming annoyed with the whole stunt. He felt like his time was being wasted but he knew that such information being presented to him was crazy and he should know who this person was.
“Don’t you get it?” asked the voice and then a chuckle followed. “You’re never going to know who I am. Just do what I asked. You need to keep the bag in your boss’ office before 11:45pm, and if you check your watch, you have just 20 minutes to do that. If I were you, id hurry. Do not open the bag for any reason. The content isn’t yours to worry about. And before you ask, yes, it’s safe. Remember not to be foolish enough to call the police because if you do, you will be the one in handcuffs. Go with this phone, I’ll keep in touch.” Said the voice and the line went dead.
Ifeanyi had promised himself to track this person later silently and involve the police in it. But right now, he needed to go home and rest. He stood up, disregarding the fact that he had made his orders, when he heard a thundering sound. Everyone at the beer parlor stood in reflex, security alarms of cars around the place went off. Ifeanyi looked around for where the noise came from and saw that people who were walking down the junction started running back. He saw dust particles rising in the air, and then was followed by a black smoke. He then saw flashes of fire. He stepped back into the road to know which property was on fire. He was surprised when he saw it was the same building he had exited minutes ago. It was then that it dawned on his what had happened.
No. The bag. I’m finished.
