Eric watched the Black Chevy driving off to join the traffic on the main street. Alex was standing beside him and wore a hooded sweater with the hood covering his head. After the vehicle had disappeared in the traffic, Eric turned to Alex.

"So, what is this all about?", he asked his twin brother.

"I'm just as confused as you are, man", Alex shook his head. "I just woke up this morning to mother's text message, saying that we will be going somewhere. Now I am miles away from home and standing here with you", he continued.

"What exactly really happened in Easthill?", Eric demanded with an inquisitive stare at Alex.

"We were summoned by the state's new chief prosecutor", Alex exhaled, digging both hands inside the pockets of his sweater. "A very fine-looking lady who happens to be our mother's classmate back in high school, and also her greatest enemy", he continued with his eyes taking cursory glances around the place their mother had left them.

"And?", Eric raised his eyebrow at him.

"Well, apart from being someone that runs an open door policy in between her leg.....", Alex chuckled. ".....the woman didn't present herself as a serious trouble for us. She only called us to break the news about the case being closed. Nothing out of the ordinary happened", he said.

"So what is this situation that mother is talking about?", Eric asked.

"I don't know", Alex shrugged. "You know how mom can be whenever her spidey senses start getting tingling". Then he thought for a few seconds. "The woman also mentioned something else though", he continued. "She broke the news of Angel's father's death", he mentioned.

Eric gazed at Alex on hearing that.

"Suicide, according to her", Alex went on. "The man woke up in the morning and decided to blow his brains out. He also killed his wife too, did the deed first before taking his own life".

Eric gave his brother a long thoughtful stare. Then he turned away with the thoughtfulness still written on his face.

"So what's the cause of the enmity between her and mother?", he then asked.

"From my guess, I think mom's boyfriend back in high school, cheated on mom with this woman", Alex replied. "Must have been a real heartbreak for mom cos she was just totally rude to the woman", he added. The sh!t happened two decades ago, but she doesn't wanna let go of it", Alex shook his head.

Eric then stole a glance at his wristwatch. "I think we have to be going now", he murmured. "Wait here till I bring the car around", he told his brother and started making his way toward the place where he had parked his car.

On his way to his car, Eric's attention got drawn to Terry. Terry was now sitting on the ground, his head bowed, looking defeated with a pitiful image, and seemingly reevaluating his entire life.

Eric then made a beeline toward Terry and stood before him. Terry slowly looked up and stared at his nemesis. Eric stared back at Terry for a while and then bent over him with a hand being placed on his shoulder.

"There are a lot of things that I hate", he began with the hand giving Terry a somewhat friendly pat on the shoulder. "Guys that threaten a female that did no wrong to them is one. But insulting my mother tops that list", he said.

Terry remained silent. The fear of something else terrible happening to him was written on his face that was red and swollen with imprints of fingers.

"I'm gonna just let it slide this time", Eric continued. "But if you ever disrespect my mother again, then it's gonna be a different show for all these people cos they gonna watch me opening up all medieval tactics on your ass", he warned. "Do i make myself clear?". Then he calmly straightened up, left Terry, and continued towards his car.

Alex remained in the corner that hid him from onlookers till Eric's car engine turned over. The Toyota drove towards his position and Eric brought it to a halt a few metres away from him.

Alex quickly proceeded to the car and slid in the front passenger seat. Eric then hit the gas pedal and started heading to his new destination.


******************************************

Nina sighed, remained silent for a few seconds, and then said, "We seem to have some kind of a situation in Easthill".

"Okay", Eric murmured.

"I'm still yet to determine its gravity", she continued. "But it requires your presence in Easthill".

"So...what is this situation?", Eric asked.

"It has to do with the investigation of Angel's death".

"I thought you said that it was under control".

"Yes. In fact, it is now a closed case".

"So how is it a situation for us? And why is my presence in Easthill needed?".

Nina kept silent for a short while. "There seems to be something else at play", she then replied. "And as I said, it is yet to be determined. That's why I want the both of you to stay together in Easthill, where I can keep a close watch on you boys", she stated.

Eric thought for a moment. "For how long?", he asked Nina.

"How long do you have left on your holiday?", Nina asked him.

"About three weeks", was Eric's reply.

"Then you will be spending your holiday in Easthill with Alex".

"All of it?!",

Yes...and even more if it comes to that".

"Shiiiiit", Eric heaved a frustrated sigh and looked outside of the car.

"You have to cancel all your plans in Metro-city and you will be flying out with Alex tomorrow", Nina ordered.

"So soon?", Eric glanced at Alex and gave Nina a baffled look. "So what are we gonna be doing throughout our stay in Easthill?", he asked her.

"Whatever it is that you young guys do during your vacation", Nina replied. "But it's going to be very discrete and mostly indoors", she warned. "And never to be seen together in the same place if you boys happen to go to a public place".

"This is going to be pretty hard", Eric muttered and shook his head.

"The investigation is now closed for sure, but some people might be watching. So you boys have to do that just in case".

"It's gonna be just you and me, bro", Alex grinned at Eric with a hand patting his back.

"Keep your hand to yourself before I break it", Eric muttered to his brother and the hand withdrew immediately.

Nina then opened her black leather handbag and took out a thick white envelope.

"These are your flight tickets", she said and tossed the envelope at them. "I am expecting to hear that you boys are together in our secret location in Easthill by tomorrow evening".

Eric picked up the envelope that had landed on his lap. "By the way", he began and peaked at its content. "Why is he here with you in Metro-city?", he asked Nina, jerking his head at Alex.

"He is here just in case of the need to convince Esther that your stay in Easthill will be nothing that would be of great concern to her", Nina replied.

Eric nodded his agreement with Nina's reply. His foster mother had been highly protective of him ever since he established contact with his biological mother.

"And one more thing, and this is the most important of all", Nina continued. She took off her shades, looked over her shoulder, and stared at Eric. "I don't want you to meet that girl", she warned sternly.

"You mean Lisa, she is not even in the country", Eric reminded her. "I thought you already know that".

"Whatever her name is or wherever she is, I forbid you to have any contact with her", Nina insisted. "And no matter the circumstance, don't even try to do it", she slowly gave Eric the warning that sounded like a grave one.

Eric sighed with a thoughtful look on his face and dropped the envelope beside Alex.

"So, anything else?", he asked.

"That's all for now", Nina replied. Then she called Max and gestured at him that it was time for them to leave. "You boys can now get down, and make sure that no one sees the both of you leaving together, including those idiot friends of yours and the other idiot that you had manhandled", she gave her final orders.

******************************************

Vidamia:
Always delivering blockbuster..... there's are some errors especially typographi ones but I ain't know how to bring them out for you to see because I'm using phone to type

Thanks. Gone through the posts and made the corrections, but probably not all of them though.

doctorexcel:
omo, the slap is out of this world. Thanks op and please check the fifth paragraph from the end of the last post, it should be "she" and not "her"

Thanks man!, I was about to make the correction before posting it, but something got my attention, probably my daughter, and I forgot about it. It was suppose to be "where she had parked her car", and i ended up writing what Terry would be saying after waking up from that slap . Thanks anyway. Pls do bring up other mistakes if you see any.

Eric stepped out of the restaurant and into the chilly weather of the evening. He straightened up his white tee shirt as his eyes made a quick survey of the surrounding. He took a short look at his silver-coloured Toyota Camry that was among the line of cars parked in front of the restaurant and started walking towards the side of the building with quick strides. As he approached the place, he caught sight of Max, who was in his usual all-black suit outfit, and "still as a statue" posture. The man was standing near a black Chevy suburban SUV with a rental plate number.

Max was Nina's number one bodyguard and a behemoth of a man. He has a towering height, hugely muscular arms with shoulders, and a trunk built like a Mack truck. A man of very few words and only speaks when answering his boss' questions or threatening individuals that are foolish enough to give his boss a bad attitude, on how he will take them to a place far worse. He has several strongman contests under his belt and is a skilled boxer with knuckles that could punch through a brick wall. He had also done a short stint in prison; six year bid for manslaughter. There, he singlehandedly put the fear of God in the C.Os and a prison gang that tried to act unruly towards him. He was indeed a beast of a man with supreme strength.

Eric came over and Max moved his large body aside to open the back door of the SUV.

"What's up bro-bro", Alex greeted his twin brother with a smile as Eric sank his weight in the backseat of the vehicle. "Longtime no see. What have you been up to these days?".

Eric gave Alex a brief expressionless stare and looked at Nina who was in the front passenger seat, dressed in an all-black suit attire with dark shades on her face.

"It's like you have picked up a new hobby of tracking my movements?", Eric began at his biological mother. "Are you that bored?", he asked.

"This meeting is on short notice", Nina said coldly with her face staring ahead. "I don't have time to make calls for a scheduled one and I will be flying back to Easthill immediately".

"Well, you picked the wrong time cos now I'm in the middle of something that I really need to sort out", Eric said impatiently, looking out of the car window and staring at the restaurant building.

"That something will have to wait cos you have an errand that's of utmost priority", Nina stated as a matter of fact.

Eric's cell phone made a brief vibration in his pocket and his hand immediately reached for it.

"I thought I had mentioned my disapproval of checking cellphones when I'm talking", Nina muttered impatiently as Eric checked the new text message that he had received.

"Nah, that was me", Alex said to his mother. "And you better put that thing away before you get beat to every sound it makes", he warned Eric.

Eric ignored both of them with his eyes on the text that was sent to him by Janet. She was demanding the reason for his sudden disappearance and asking where he was at. And she must have been frantic in her typing from the numerous misspelled words in her message.

"Boy are you even listening to me?!", Nina then asked with a hard voice.

"My other mother disapproves of me not answering her call or replying to her text", Eric said coolly as he stared at his cell phone. "And I take hers more seriously".

Then his cell phone started vibrating with an incoming call. Janet's number flashed on its screen. At the same time, she appeared outside the restaurant with her cell phone held close to her ear. The rest were following after her with Terry quickening his steps to catch up with her.

The fresh scene that was unfolding caught Eric's attention. He watched what appeared to be a heated exchange of words between Janet and Terry. Terry was constantly trying to get a hold of Janet's arm and done quite forcibly while she furiously freed her limb from his grip each time he got hold of it. Josh on the other hand was trying to get in between them, but he was being prevented by Terry's friends.

"So...is that the something that you wanted to sort out", Nina began and pointed at them. Her attention had also been drawn to the situation and she also saw how Eric's attention was keenly focused on it. "So you rather settle a dispute over a damn girl than listen to what I have to say", she irritatedly asked Eric, taking off her dark shades to glare at him.

"Looks more like a fight waiting to happen", Alex murmured as he observed the brewing tussle.

"I thought I warned you to never get involved in inconsequential situations....", Nina angrily continued.

"Look....", Eric quickly interrupted. "We can either start having an endless argument, or you let me handle this real quick so that you can tell me why I am here and have enough time to catch your flight", he seriously stated.

Nina scoffed, slipped on her shades, and turned away. Without waiting for words from his mother or her approval, Eric immediately got out of the vehicle and went over to Max.

"What is he doing?", Alex murmured, glancing at Nina and curiously staring at his brother as he whispered some words into the ear of their mother's huge bodyguard and pointed in the direction where Janet and Terry were seen going back and forth with each other. This went on for about a minute before Eric got back inside the car with Max giving him a curious stare.

Then Max lowered his wide trunk, peered into the vehicle, and looked at Nina. "Mam", he said to her in his hoarse voice.

Nina looked at Max, glanced at Eric, and sighed. "Do whatever it is that he told you", she ordered with a hand motion and then stared ahead.

"Yes mam", Max nodded respectfully. He then adjusted his suit and started heading in the direction where Terry and Janet were having their arguments that were now getting very heated.

"Let go of me!", Janet bawled at Terry as she struggled to free her arm from his tight grip.

"Do you think am gonna just let you disrespect me like that?!", Terry countered with a fierce glare at Janet. "Who the hell do you think you are?!".

"I said leave me alone before I call the authorities!".

"Oh yeah? Go ahead and f@cking do your worse!".

Josh was trying to save his girlfriend from her dilemma. But he still couldn't get through Terry's stronger friends that prevented him from doing so. He had even been threatened with harm by them. But seeing Terry forcefully handling Janet, made his anger know no caution.

Then, on seeing Max who had briskly come over and stood in front of them, they all stopped what they were doing. For a while they all remained still, staring at the towering avalanche of muscles before them, and wondering the reason for his presence. Terry did so with the boldness that he had, speedily fading away. His hand which had a tight hold around Janet's arm was now loosening.

Max gave every one of them a cursory glance and then moved closer to Terry. "Are you Terry?", he slowly asked in his growling voice that would make one fold in fear.

Terry stole a short glance at his friends that were now slowly and fearfully backing away from him and nervously nodded at Max.

Max regarded Terry with his bear-like eyes running from the young man's head to his feet. Turning those fearful eyes at Janet, Max motioned for her to step aside; she immediately did so. Max turned his attention back at Terry, his massive left hand casually moving from his side till it was held up in front of the large man's face. Then Max gave his spread-out palm and fat fingers a brief look, as if examining it, gave Terry one more look, and without warning, he swung the huge left hand at the unsuspecting young man.

Terry didn't see the slap. But the three effects that came with it, he experienced before taking a speedy trip into oblivion; his face feeling like it got hit with a cinder block, a bright light exploding in his eyes, and his body hitting the hard ground almost immediately.

"Godaaaamn!", Alex almost yelled after the involuntary accident sent Terry almost flying in the air and crashing to the ground. "Dude! what the hell?", he said out loud and looked at Eric.

"He gonna be alright", Eric replied with less concern as he dialed Janet's number on his cellphone. "I told Max not to kill him".

"Did you even see what I just saw?!", Alex protested but was seemingly very excited about what Max had done to Terry. "The guy took off but his shoes are still right where he was standing! How hard do you have to hit someone for that to happen?", he chuckled and looked back at the scene where Terry was lying motionless on the ground with Janet and Josh looking extremely terrified, and Terry's friends nowhere to be seen.

Janet was completely motionless as Max casually walked back to where he came from. She was too terrified to even move a limb after seeing the beatdown Terry had taken. Josh looked the same too. He only stood next to her after seeing Max in a safe distance between them. A small crowd of customers that had seen the action, gathered outside the restaurant. They were all curiously staring at the couple with whispers among themselves, and giving the victim who was still lying motionless on the ground, lots of concerning gaze.

Janet's cell phone then took her eyes away from Terry with an incoming call. She saw it was Eric calling. She immediately pressed the 'Answer' button with her fingers slightly trembling.

"No time to talk now. I want you and Josh to leave immediately", Eric's voice rasped into her ear and the phone call ended.

Janet gave her cell phone a short stare and immediately got hold of Josh's hand. She then quickly pulled him and started heading in the direction of the parking lot where she had parked her car.

Eric ended the call and slipped his cell phone inside his pocket with his eyes on Nina, fully aware of her dark shades-covered glare directed at him through the rearview mirror. Max was now standing in his former position. And Alex was still staring at Terry who was now waking up from his unconscious state and moving on the ground.

"I might order Max to do the same thing to you if you ever pull that stupid shenanigan of yours again", Nina then warned Eric.

"Okay. So shall we begin". Eric tapped the face of his wristwatch.

Eric watched as they made searching glances around the place and at the tables with customers having their snacks. Then one of them that was sporting clean braided hair, and wearing a sweatshirt and pants with a considerably built physique, looked in their position. He rested his gaze on them for a short while and started heading toward their table. The other two immediately followed him. He bumped shoulders with Josh as he approached, paused to give him a brief glare, and continued. Josh shortly regarded him curiously before making his way toward Janet, following the three boys behind.

The three guys came over to the table and stood before them. Janet turned to see who they were. And she immediately furrowed her brows at the one with the braided hair. He gave her a mischievous smile before dropping his weight on the chair that Josh had vacated, moving his body very close to Janet. This caused Janet to abruptly move hers away from him like something very foul had been dropped beside her, and she gave him a long incredulous glare.

"Terry?", Janet began at him.

"Hello Janet", Terry said quietly to her and ran his eyes from her face down to her chest region. "It been quite a while, baby", he continued, his eyes dwelled on Janet's bosom before slowly running back to her face.

"What baby?". Janet visibly showed her anger for him calling her that. "Why are you here?", she asked rudely.

"Well I don't see any sign saying that I am not allowed to eat here", Terry replied with a mischievous smile. Then he looked at Eric, gave him a brief suspicious stare, and turned back at Janet. "So...why are you not answering my calls?", he asked her, still bearing the mischievous smile on his face. Eric slowly reclined in his seat and very much knew what was going on. He gave the two guys that came with Janet's ex-boyfriend a casual glance and then turned his gaze outside the window.

"Are you now stalking me?", Janet replied with her question.

"Just came to eat with my friends", Terry replied. "But first, I wanna know why my numerous calls are not being answered", he continued with a fixed gaze at Janet. She hissed and turned her face away from him.

Terry then rested one arm on the table with the other arm on the top rail of the chair he was sitting on and looked at Eric again.

"What's up", he began nonchalantly. This time, his eyes resting on Eric with a cold look that overshadowed the smile on his face.

Eric looked at him. "I'm good", he said coolly and stared back at Terry.

Josh, who had been standing behind Terry's friends that blocked his path to his chair, was staring confusedly at the new situation. He didn't know the guy that was sitting on his chair and neither has he ever seen him before nor could he come up with any clue as to why he was sitting at their table. With that in mind, he decided to act.

"Excuse me", Josh began quietly and tapped one of the boys' shoulders.

The boy looked over his shoulder, glanced at Josh, and then stepped aside. But he didn't give enough space for Josh to pass as he had to squeeze himself in between them to be able to go through and stand next to their friend that was sitting on his chair.

"Excuse me", Josh said to Terry and drew his attention away from Eric.

Terry looked at Josh. A smirk formed on his face as his eyes sized Josh's rather slim stature for a long while.

"Yeah?", Terry then muttered nonchalantly at Josh.

"That's my seat", Josh noted.

"Well I am sitting on it now, go sit somewhere else", Terry said with less concern and turned his eyes away.

Josh was baffled by the response that he got. He threw a surprised glance at Eric who appeared to be noncommittal to the situation, shifted his eyes which were clouded with confusion to Janet who appeared to be uncomfortable with Terry sitting next to her, and then turn his sight back to Terry.

"But this table belongs to us", Josh protested. "And that's my girlfriend that you are.....".

"Go sit somewhere else or I bash you up in this motherfucker", Terry quietly interrupted Josh with a sinister voice and flashed a fierce angry look at him.

"Enough with this rubbish!", Janet spat at Terry, drawing a cold stare from him. "I thought I had made it clear to you that it's over between us", Janet continued irritatedly.

"And why is that?", Terry asked coldly.

"Is this some kind of a joke?". Janet glared at Terry, looking mightily taken aback by his irritating attitude and getting more confused than angry. All through her short-lived relationship with him, she hadn't for once, seen him display this level of arrogance towards her. "Is this Liz's idea? Did she send you to pull off this nonsense with me?", she asked and steadily losing her patience.

"Don't bring Liz into this", Terry put in immediately and it sounded like a warning.

"Ha!, you sound like you are still into her. Aren't you suppose to be with her than to come here and embarrass yourself?"

"I told you to just see her and what we did as nothing".

"Yeah, I have already done that, and so to you and what we had between us. All are nothing to me now".

"Janet", Eric then interrupted their argument and placed both palms on the table to get to his feet. "I think I will have to leave you guys", he said with glances at Janet and Josh. "Let's continue some other time".

"No!", Janet immediately got hold of Eric's. "I want you to stay", she said to him, tightening her hold on his hand. This made him look at Janet's soft hand holding onto his strong-looking hand and then stared at her. "Eric, I want you to stay.....please", Janet pleaded quietly.

Eric could see the look of one that was feeling very unsafe, written on Janet's face. But it was the contemptuous glare from Terry on seeing Janet's hand on his that made him go against the decision of leaving them alone to go mind his own damn business. With that in mind, he slowly dropped his weight back to his former position. Then he analyzed Terry and his two friends with a few casual glances before turning his attention to the one place that he was now doing one too many times; staring at the parking lot outside the restaurant

For almost a minute, Terry trained an unblinking hard gaze at Eric after he had taken his seat on Janet's insistence. His eyes looked heavy with a barely contained anger and hate for the guy that he was seeing for the first time. The skinny goofball standing beside him was no doubt, Janet's new boyfriend. But she was really into the one sitting in front of him. And everything about the guy; his demeanor, his physique, and his adamant attitude towards what was going on before him, somewhat speaks of a serious threat.

But Terry cared less.

"So...", Terry then began, pushing Josh's food tray to rest his elbow on the table as he eased closer to Eric. "Can you explain your presence here with her?", he asked with a frown. Then Janet started saying something. But Terry immediately shut her down with an overly murderous glare that he angrily flashed at her. One that she had never seen him display.

"Are you the one pulling her chain in this sh!t?", Terry asked again with his eyes back at Eric. "Or just one of those losers trying to go up in her skirt".

Sniggers were heard from Terry's friends. Josh was enraged by those words. He made glances at Terry's friends with a crossed look on his face and then focused his expression of disapproval on Terry. It was all that he could do for now. Even if there were two of him, he will probably do the same. All the other guys there with him were bigger and seemingly tougher than him. He wouldn't risk starting anything that would result in a physical confrontation. He stands no chance at all. And he wished that he had taken the Taekwondo class or other martial art, as his father had insisted. Can't blame a child from a rich household where all the chores and heavy activities were being handled by the house helps.

Terry's words made Eric to slowly turn away from the parking lot. He trained his eyes on Terry for a few seconds.

"What is he talking about", he then asked, looking at Janet.

"That doesn't answer my question, and look at me when I am talking to you, not her!", Terry put in rudely.

"And may I know why am being pulled into this situation that you are having her?", Eric quietly asked Terry and furrowed his brows at him. "My presence here is only to help her boyfriend sort out a few things on her request", he stated coolly.

"I am her boyfriend. And I don't remember telling her that I have a problem that required your assistance", Terry sneered. "So you can as well get your ass up and get the hell out of here", he motioned his thumb at the door.

"Look man," Eric sighed, now maintaining his cool with a lot of effort. "I don't know where you are heading with this", he continued. "I am not the reason for her not wanting anything to do with you. So what's the point in this beef that you are so bent on starting with me?", he asked.

"Sound like bullshit to me", Terry countered.

"Okay, but if you are finding it that difficult to understand, even with all the physical evidence right before you, then I can't help you", Eric grunted as he reached into his pocket and took out his cell phone to check on the number of the call it was vibrating.

"Perhaps, I should ask your mom to help me understand", Terry curtly said.

Eric slowly raised his eyes from the screen of his vibrating cell phone and narrowed them at Terry. "What did you just say?", he slowly asked with a low throaty voice.

Janet saw the expression on Eric's face and her concern grew more. She knew that he was highly insulted by Terry's last statement. She had known him long enough to be aware of what he was capable of doing. And there's no telling what might happen next.

"Eric, I think we should leave now", she then said immediately to diffuse the situation. Saying the same thing to Josh, she then made a move to get to her feet. But Terry put his hand on her shoulder and forcefully sat her down.

"You are going nowhere cos we haven't finished", Terry curtly said to her. "Your pussy-boy and this smart-ass can leave", he continued with his eyes still gazing at Eric.

"What is the matter with you?", Janet protested out a bit loud and angrily pushed Terry's hand away from her shoulder. Her sudden outburst attracted a lot of curious stares from the customers in the restaurant.

Eric then pressed a button on his cellphone that was still vibrating. He held the device close to his ear without taking his eyes off Terry who was now staring at him with a smug on his face.

"Yeah", Eric murmured at the phone mouthpiece. He listened for a short while and then shifted his attention to the parking lot. "Okay, I will be there in a sec", he concluded. He ended the phone call and got to his feet. "I will be back soon", he then said to Janet, and he started making his way to the door.

Where are you going? Eric heard Janet say after him as he left the table. He didn't give her an answer, and he also didn't utter a word to Josh who watched him leave with a lot of concern written on his; Eric leaving them with Terry and his intimidating friends, seemed to have increased Josh's agitation.

"See", Terry then chuckled at Janet. "Your guy is just a punk motherf@cker. Probably going to cry to his mother". His friends sniggered and glanced at Eric as he exited the restaurant.


******************************************

CHAPTER TWO.


Eric paused to yawn, rubbed his somewhat tired-looking eyes with the back of his hand, and then went back to the papers he was holding in front of him. He had been going through them for a while at a corner table in the DAMMY DINERS fast-food restaurant, positioned near the window with a good view of the restaurant's parking lot.

It was half past 5 o clock in the evening. He had arrived at the place about thirty minutes ago and was introduced to Josh, a friendly-looking young man that was around his age, by Janet, a girl that he was well acquainted with, and Josh's girlfriend. After the introductions, he was presented with several sheets of printed documents by Josh, which he was still staring at now.

In his plaid light grey shirt with darker grey pants that covered his slim body, Josh watched attentively as Eric went through his final year assignment on Chemistry. His head was slightly bowed with his clasped hands resting on his thigh as he waited for the final verdict from one of the best in his field of study. Janet was seated next to him with her eyes keenly staring at Eric's face. And she has been doing so for quite a while.

"The presentation seems quite okay to me", Eric then began after a long silence between them, with his eyes running back and forth on the countless but well-organized words that were typed on the paper. "But some of the equations and calculations are wrong". He reached for the pen on the table, circled all the wrong equations, and scribbled the corrections beside them.

"Make these changes and you are good to go", he then said after he was done and pushed the papers across the table to Josh.

Josh nodded and quietly picked up his assignment. He held the documents in front of him and started lingering over them.

Eric reclined in his seat and ran his fingers on the black jean pants he wore to match his plain white tee shirt and black sports sneakers. He made several casual glances around the fast-food restaurant that was steadily filled with customers picking up an evening snack or munching it in the place. And then he folded his arms with his eyes staring outside the window, gazing at the orange-coloured sun that was slowly retiring for the day.

After a long while, Josh then nodded with a smile of satisfaction. He was done going through his school project. He said a timid thanks to Eric who acknowledged with a slight nod of the head. Then Josh murmured his excuse to use the restroom at Janet, to which she gave no reply as he quietly got to his feet.

Janet had been keenly staring at Eric all the while that he was busy sorting out her boyfriend's assignment. And she was still doing so after her boyfriend had left to drain his bladder. Eric was well aware of what she was doing, and it was the reason for his constant focus on the parking lot. He was only trying to avoid making eye contact with her.

"You have been avoiding me", Janet then broke the silence between them.

Eric sighed uncomfortably. "Your boyfriend is here with us", he then muttered and still not looking at Janet.

"So?", Janet shrugged.

Eric took his eyes off the parking lot and regarded her with a baffled look on his face.

"You don't see anything wrong with what you are doing?", he asked, narrowing his eyes at her. "Or the fact that you are crossing the line with the countless messages that you have been sending to me, even after making it very clear to you that it ain't gonna happen".

Janet sighed, and calmly said, "It's just a casual date. It's not like I am asking for your hand in marriage".

"Yeah right, a casual date", Eric snorted with a mirthless smile. "And then what?", he asked. "Is this your plan on how to get back at Liz?".

"What do you mean?"

"Stop pretending. You very well know what I'm talking about".

Janet reclined in her seat, arms folded with an unblinking gaze at Eric and looking quite surprised. She neither expected him to have the knowledge of what was going on between her and Liz nor to have easily figured out the plan that she had in mind.

Liz, her one-time best friend and now bitter enemy had taken from her a guy that she had been seeing and wanted to make her boyfriend. And it left her desperately looking for a way to take revenge.

Lowering her head with a downcast gaze in her eyes, she trained her eyes on the food tray in front of her that contained an empty soda cup and a sandwich that was half eaten. Her eyes stared at none of them in particular as she remained still and thought to herself. The shapely mounds underneath the black short sleeve blouse that she wore, slightly rose and fell as she then heaved a deep sigh. Her caramel coloured beautiful face with its silky smooth skin was now clouded with a look of despair after realizing that her set-out plan has been busted.

"I know what happened between you and Liz. And the fight that you had with her", Eric continued. "It's no surprise that you are so bent on trying to make this hook-up happen. Probably your strategy to get back at her". Eric gave Janet a look of intent.

"So", Janet then looked at Eric. "Are you on her side?", she asked.

"It would have been better if you had told me everything", Eric replied. And I don't take sides when it comes to bullsh!t circuses", he continued.

Janet sighed again and tightened her jaw with a bitter look on her face. "Liz. That b!tch!", she swore with some anger in her voice. "Even after telling her my feelings for Terry".

"Is that the guy's name?", Eric asked.

"I didn't know that she had been planning on how to get her filthy hands on him", Janet continued. "Why would she even do that to me?", she muttered. "I didn't do her wrong in any way, nor ever thought of it. Why would she do this to me?".

"Well, you know Liz", Eric shrugged and looked at the glass of water in front of him. "If she sees something that she likes, she will go for it. You cannot blame her, she is a spoilt girl from a very rich family", he said quietly.

Janet considered what Eric said. "Anyway, I'm sorry for coming at you this way", she then apologized to him. "All I really wanted to do is to pay her back", she explained.

"And the casual date which I'm pretty sure is just a ploy to get me in bed with you, how is it even gonna help you with that?", Eric asked.

Janet gave Eric a short funny look. "You are the one person that Liz cannot have", she replied. "She told me that on several occasions. And she said that she's willing to give anything and everything just to have a guy like you. So I kind of thought that having you before she does, would give me the upper hand".

Eric snorted and shook his head. He was aware that Liz wanted him. But her willingness to give anything and everything to have him, was new to him, especially for a girl with an endless supply of boys who are willing to do the same to have her. And most of them do have all the packages that girls have in mind for boyfriend material.

"Well, I think you made a very poor plan", Eric then told Janet. "You didn't think it through. If you had done so, you will know that there is the possibility of me informing Liz about the setup that you are trying to orchestrate", he continued. "Even though you have an axe to grind with her, I still consider her a friend".

"But you just told me that you don't take sides", Janet frowned.

"Yeah", Eric agreed. "But the case could be different if it was someone else", he stated. "And if that person fancies Liz more than you, he might probably formulate a different plan with your enemy, thereby making things to even end up getting worse for you".

Then silence settled between them. Janet rested her hand next to her food tray. Her fingers slowly ran around her gold wrist bracelet; the gift that her mother had given to her as a charm for good luck, while thinking about what Eric had just told her, and how she got played by someone whom she had always seen as her best friend. Eric on his part was busy throwing steady and confused glances at the corridor to the restaurant's restroom. He was wondering what was taking Josh so long to finish. And with a lot of curiosity written on his face, he was now asking himself if the guy was pissing an ocean or finding it very difficult to perform one of the simplest things in life to be taking that long to finish.

After a long while of silence between the two of them, Janet then shook her head.

"Damn", she murmured inaudibly after realizing the foolishness in her plan. "So what do you think I should do?", she asked and looked at Eric, her face showing him that she needed his advice.

"Nothing", Eric replied almost immediately as he kept his line of sight at the restroom corridor.

"Nothing", Janet repeated with a flabbergasted look on her face.

"Yep", Eric nodded. He then leaned closer to Janet, resting his elbows on the table. "The truth is you ain't gonna win this fight that you girls are having", he stated. "You are not as resourceful as Liz is, she done put down a lot of girls that went against her, and she has a lot of influence in your girls' circle of friends, more like the leader. She has enough influence to turn your friends against you", he continued. "Sometimes, the best way to win a game is not to play at all", he advised.

Janet nodded, but with a frustrated look on her face.

"But on the bright side of this situation, you now know that you have been dealing with a guy that's nothing but human trash", Eric continued. "So just move on, use your time and energy to do something good for yourself, and let the trash collectors deal with the trash".

Eric's words brightened Janet's face with a smile. It was her first time showing that expression since arriving at the restaurant.

Then Josh reappeared from the restroom, staring at his cell phone as he headed towards them. Then he stopped in his tracks to take a closer look at the device in his hand. While he was doing so, three young men stepped into the eatery and walked past him. Eric's attention was immediately drawn to them due to the way they carried themselves. Their demeanor speaks volumes of them being there for something else other than coming to have a taste of one of the best fast food served in town.

yungbanks:
is there going to be a new sequel??

I just started it. Haven't you seen it yet?

....

......

nellyme, mzzkismet, Essyprity, JOSH002, Eli360, fabulousbrainzz, Ollyfad, Missmossy, nobletitus, Feyikemi12, Aishiat39, omotol, alleazadous, Ice4jez, ninja4life, STARSHYNE, labaski, olaitan3784, motawlahnee, seanixking, jummyjagz, holysin5683, iAreMozelle, princessadeola, kayceerilyn, Vimlady, Profmaojo, Slingkey, adeh39, khamdallah, Dahprech, missybenign, TemieTee, michaelmo11, Olorlahdeh, omotalkie, shegs2009, kelsmic, sKiLLzTohSLick, dimssy, valli8, boladex1, writywave, Tonalphs, korel, jarizod, amyvals, ezystar, ayolight, derinanne, Niwdog, Shakyroh320.

...

Deasegun19:
I thought Alex's father ended his marriage with his legal wife to be with Nina.

what changed?

Part 3 is based on the events that happened before part 2.

That's all for today. Chapter two will be uploaded tomorrow.

"That's quite a meeting", Alex sighed at Nina as he shut the car door and reached for his seatbelt. "And what is it about this Desmond? and who is Anna?", he asked as Nina buckled her seatbelt.

Nina said nothing as she adjusted her seatbelt strap and hit the car 'Start' button. Then she paused, staring ahead as the engine turned over. She remained still for a while with a thoughtful look on her face as the engine hummed with life.

"Something doesn't feel right at all", she murmured to herself.

"Doesn't feel right with what?", Alex demanded.

"With everything", Nina replied.

"Well, for starters, Mr. Adams' demand and offing both himself and his wife is one for sure", Alex noted. He too knew Mr. Adams very well. "But that's none of our concern", he added.

"I'm talking about Priscilla, and her reaction to what I said about Desmond", Nina muttered.

"You spent ninety-nine percent of the time saying words that would piss off any person. And succeeded in getting that reaction from her", Alex snorted. "Which is normal for anybody".

"That's what I'm talking about", Nina said thoughtfully. "I know that woman like the back of my hand. The only thing that pisses her off is if she had ended up with a man that can barely last in bed, and she doesn't even get too emotional about it. Nothing gets that woman angry at all. I have said far worse things to her before and didn't even get the faintest reaction of anger. But from what I just saw, she was controlling herself from raising hell, with a lot of effort. That's kind of new to me...and not normal for that woman".

Alex chuckled. "Maybe this guy Desmond must have aged in reverse in his....bed performance", he smirked. By the way, who is this Desmond?", he asked again.

"You not getting the answer from me means that it is none of your business", Nina replied curtly.

"Okay", Alex heaved a sigh and gave up trying to get that information. "So what's next?", he asked.

"We are going to Metrocity....today", Nina replied and then put the vehicle in motion.

Priscilla nodded a few times as she regarded Alex with a delightful smile. She took one more drag from her cigarette and quietly extinguished the flame in the ashtray. She then slowly paced to her seat and dropped her weight in it with a thoughtful gaze on her face.

"I like this young man", Priscilla began as she reclined in her seat and held her steepled fingers in front of her face. "I would have recommended an award for what you had done for your friend, instead of going through all the stress of trying to prove that you have no hand in what happened to the victim who, to me, is no less of an animal in human skin". Then she got hold of the book that she had been reading. "But that's not how our justice system works", she concluded with a faint smile at Alex and opened a page.

Then Priscilla went back to her brooding on the page of the thick book. A long silence settled in the office as Alex waited for more questions, or any other words from her with Nina constantly shifting her weight impatiently and fidgeting in her seat. She too was waiting for the woman to say something, or perhaps, give them her verdict.

When the silence grew longer with Priscilla being focused on the book as if the two visitors weren't in her office, Nina grew tired of the waiting game.

"So....what's the deal now?", she asked impatiently.

Priscilla lifted her eyes from the book and looked at Nina. "The case has been closed", she replied. "In fact my secretary sent the document stating the order to the investigators yesterday. And I just received their written compliance to that order this morning".

Nina furrowed her brows and stared at Priscilla confusedly

"What? aren't you happy that your guy and every other suspect have been let off the hook?", Priscilla asked on seeing Nina's reaction.

"So, why the sudden change of mind after all these years?", Nina asked as she regarded Priscilla with a suspicious look on her face

"Well, the investigators couldn't come up with a clue as to who's responsible for the murder", Priscilla sighed and turned her eyes back to the book. "And neither do they have any evidence against all the suspects, including your guy".

Alex heaved a low sigh of relief and looked at Nina with a weak smile. But his mother still has the suspicious look on her face.

"And something else also came up", Priscilla continued. "The victim's father, Mr. Adams, came to my office last week. He demanded that we put an end to the investigation", she stated. "And he was very serious about that demand which came to me as a surprise considering the boatload of money that he had spent in the services of private investigators so as to find the individual responsible for his son's death".

Nina was very aware of that. Mr. Adams had also confronted all the individuals listed as the possible suspects in his son's murder, including Alex and Mr. Philips; Her sons' father and her secret lover.

Priscilla heaved a sigh and paused for a short while, thoughtfully staring at the ashtray in front of her. "And more surprised when I got the news of his death", she continued and looked at Nina.

"What?", Nina surprisingly furrowed her brows at Priscilla and gave her an incredulous stare.

"He died in the early hours of today. Murder-suicide is what I was told", Priscilla said quietly. A brief look of concern flashed on her face. "The man offed his wife before pointing the gun to his head".

"Any reason for his action?", Nina asked. She was quite taken aback by the news. Trying to get her son off the hook and Mr. Adam's actions toward his son's death had made her get to know the man very well. And he wasn't the kind of man that would even think of taking his own life.

"The investigators are still trying to establish a motive", Priscilla replied. "And just like his son's murder case, this one also seems to be pointing to a damn roadblock", she added.

"And I hope you didn't summon us here to ask if we have anything to do with it?", Nina asked suspiciously.

"Of course not. I'm very sure that you have nothing to do with it", Priscilla assured. "But I have just one question that I want to ask you". She then gave Nina a fixated gaze. "Have you in any way contacted Desmond after he had gotten out of prison?", she asked quietly.

"I've never contacted or even spoken to him.....after the day I found out that you opened your legs for him", Nina replied bluntly with an equally fixed gaze at Priscilla.

"And what if he tries to do so?", Priscilla asked again.

"I have no intention whatsoever in meeting that man", Nina insisted.

Priscilla nodded. "I hope it stays that way", she then said quietly. "You must have heard the stories about the things that he had done", she sighed. "And also what his father did to our friend, Anna, which Desmond also played a part in".

"Yeah, I heard that", Nina muttered.

"And I am sure that you have now realized that Desmond is not the kind of Romeo that you would wanna ride off to the sunset with. Don't you think so?".

Priscilla then heaved a sigh and paused for a short while.

"Desmond is a fine man, with all the good looks, and armed with words that make him easily get his way with women", she continued. "And men are like wine, they get finer and better with age".

"So?", Nina gazed at Priscilla intently.

"I'm saying this in case you somehow get in contact with him", Priscilla said. "You have to think About Anna if that happens", she advised.

Then Nina hunched forward and rested both elbows on the table. "You failed to also mention that it was you that got Anna drawn into that situation", Nina muttered to Priscilla with a sneer. "Afterall you were the person that made her ride along with you when you were playing your stupid games. I even heard that you brought up her name when things started going sideways for you. Probably the reason why she was murdered, and I heard that the perpetrator was never caught".

A sudden look of anger clouded Priscilla's face

"You are also guilty as well. The only difference between you and Desmond is that the both of you are sitting on opposite sides of the law" Nina continued. "Anna knew very well what she was doing when she was giving you all the info about my relationship with Desmond, telling you everything that I had told her. So why should I think, or even have feelings for someone who also had a hand in destroying the only thing that gave me happiness and some sense of being human as of that time?", she asked with a look of intent still on her face.

Priscilla remained silent and still stared at Nina. The anger written on her face, increased.

"If Desmond happens to succeed in getting in contact with me just like you did, I might listen to what he has to say", Nina continued and reclined back in her chair. "Especially if he is offering something that I cannot resist. And you know very well that I am not the type of person that discriminates", Nina added, seemingly enjoying herself.

"I think we are done here", Priscilla then muttered with an unblinking hate gaze at Nina. "You can now get out of my office", she waved her hand at the door. "And make sure that I don't see you again, cos I won't be so lenient", she warned gravely and then turned her attention back at the book in front of her.

"It's a pleasure meeting you too", Nina said and got abruptly to her feet. She tapped Alex on his shoulder and walked towards the door with quick strides.

Alex was still trying to process all that he had just heard between the two women. Seeing that Priscilla was in no mood for any other words and Nina now reaching for the door handle, he was left with no choice but to leave the office too. And he did so after giving Priscilla a nod with a low "Thank you mam" to which she didn't respond before he followed his mother as she walked out of the office.



*****************************************

Nina smirked, thinking to herself that even if the woman puts a barrel of a gun in her damn mouth and pull the trigger, it won't bring about her forgiveness. Though she will enjoy watching her do it.

"I've already moved on long ago, but there are things that can never be forgiven", she muttered.

"As far as I am concerned, me taking Desmond off your hands might probably be the best thing that I have ever done for you", Priscilla said. "I'm sure you have heard what became of him".

"So, am I supposed to be thankful or what?", Nina asked, narrowing her keen eyes at Priscilla.

Priscilla pursed her lips with a faint smile. "I have always seen you as a very strong person...perhaps the strongest woman I have ever met, and with a lot of determination", she said. "But when it comes to a man that gets your attention, your determination and by-all-means attitude, make you fail to see the big picture. And that's your weakness. Desmond wasn't the right person for you".

"And you think someone like you is in the position to say what's right from wrong?", Nina scoffed.

"Well, me being in this office shows that", Priscilla replied, waving a hand around her office. "I am being trusted to make proper judgments", she continued.

"I guess it took a lot of...'thrusting' to put you in this position", Nina muttered and looked away.

Thoughts of the chief prosecutor being bent over her desk and taking a hard thrusting from behind made Alex steal a gleeful glance at her with a suppressed snort. His mother does indeed have a bitter grudge against the woman. And to his understanding, it must have been due to some kind of a love triangle battle between them for someone by the name of Desmond. A battle that his mother must have lost, probably her first heartbreak for her to have so much animosity towards the chief prosecutor and former schoolmate.

"Nina", Priscilla then sighed and gently rubbed her eyes with her forefingers, feeling quite insulted by Nina's last words. "I know that I am the last person that you would want to set your eyes on, but you do have to show me some respect", she said quietly and firmly.

"What's the matter? Did I touch some nerve for mentioning your favourite activity back in high school?", Nina sneered. "You are the one that wanted to play catching up with an old friend, don't you?".

"And this brash attitude of yours will neither help this young man's case, considering the gravity of the situation", Priscilla continued.

Alex somewhat agreed with what Priscilla just said. He stole a cautionary glance at Nina, wishing that she would tone down her aggressive attitude towards the woman with the power to determine the outcome of their situation.

"Then let us just focus on the reason why we are here with you", Nina said bluntly. "I don't have the time to waste on familiarization".

"Okay then", Priscilla sighed with a blank gaze at Nina and then proceeded to open her desk drawer. She took out a pack of cigarettes, still maintaining her gaze on Nina. "Do you mind if I smoke?", she asked and turned her sight at Alex.

"Go ahead mam", Alex replied politely.

"Hm". Priscilla lit a cigarette and dropped both the pack of tobacco and the lighter on the table. "You calling me mam kind of makes me feel too old", she said in between puffs. "You are in your early twenties, right?", she asked.

"Twenty-three to be exact", Alex replied.

"Young enough to be my son, but still old enough". A faint flirting smile formed on Priscilla's lips. She glanced at Nina and saw a frown on her face. Then she quietly stood up, got hold of the ashtray on her table, and paced towards Alex's side. "I'm quite surprised to see how polite you are", she continued and stood beside Alex, the edge of the desk digging into her soft buttocks as she leaned on it. "It wasn't what I had expected, you know, for someone being investigated for a murder case. But you know what they say, looks can be deceiving atimes".

Alex maintained his silence.

"So, how did a fine-looking young man like you get yourself into a mess like this?", Priscilla sighed. "Are you familiar with the victim?", she asked.

"No mam", Alex replied.

"Were you also part of his so-called, 'Happening guys' crew?".

"I don't even know who they are".

"So what brought about your listing as someone of interest in this murder case?".

"Didn't you read the statements that he gave to the investigators?", Nina suddenly put in rudely. "Why are you....".

"I am asking the young man, not you!", Priscilla interrupted Nina and flashed a glare at her. "As long as you are not his lawyer, if you are uncomfortable with my questions to him then you go wait in the lobby, or I will have you thrown out of this office if you interrupt me one more time", she warned seriously.

Nina regarded Priscilla with a scowl on her face and then looked away without saying any other word.

"I saved a friend of mine that he wanted rape after he assaulted and drugged her", Alex answered the question that Priscilla had asked. "That was the only interaction I ever had with him", he added.

"And in your statement, you also mentioned that he also threatened to harm you and your mother", Priscilla further asked.

"Yes mam", Alex answered.

"So you decided to be the one to make the first move before he could get the opportunity to carry out that threat I guess", Priscilla smirked and gazed at Alex with a keen look on her face.

"I was on a holiday outside the country when he got killed. It's also written in my statement", Alex coolly noted to Priscilla, staring right back at her with an expressionless look.

"You could have hired someone else to do the deed, and do a clean job".

"And why would I do that?"

Priscilla shrugged at Alex and gave Nina a glance. "You are from a rich family, and money won't be a problem though", she said.

Alex sighed. "Mam, I will call myself a bloody liar if I told you that I never had the thought of doing something terrible to him for what he had done to my friend", he began quietly. "But I'm also well aware of what the consequences would be for me and my family", he continued. "And to my knowledge, there are a lot of people who wanted to see him dead because of the worse things that he had done to them or someone very close to them. From what I heard, most of them surely won't give it a second thought if they intended to kill him which I do understand considering what he had done. But I am not the guy with that kind of intention", he concluded.

"Mam", the plain and skinny-looking secretary who was neatly dressed in office clothing, began and ushered both Nina and Alex into the office that was moderately lit.

The chief prosecutor, a woman in her mid-forties sitting behind a mahogany desk, acknowledged the secretary with a nod without taking her eyes off a thick book that she was brooding on.

The secretary made glances at Nina and Alex with a superficial smile and then walked out of the office, closing the door after her. Nina stood still and regarded the woman behind the desk with an expressionless stare while Alex the office that has a judicial setting, and then rested his eyes on the female chief prosecutor.

The woman then lifted her eyes off the book and regarded Nina with a Duchenne smile. She stood up and crossed the office floor. Alex's eyes caught her full figure. And he was impressed. The woman was as tall and beautiful as Nina, with luscious curves underneath her official clothing of all-black attire of suit and pants with an inner white official shirt. Her movement and demeanor were as graceful as that of a cat confidently pacing around its territory.

"Hello Nina", the woman began with a smile still on her face as she stood in front of Nina.

"Hello Priscilla", Nina responded, but without a smile.

Priscilla then moved closer, wrapped her arms around Nina's shoulders, and gave her a tight hug. Nina slowly raised her hands and suspended them over Priscilla's shoulders for a short while with a suspicious look on her face before doing the same.

"It's been a very very long time", Priscilla continued. Then she broke away from the hug and stared into Nina's face. "And I miss you a lot....my good friend".

"Good friend?", Alex murmured to himself, confusingly staring at both women. What he was seeing now, contradicts everything that his mother had said about her relationship with the new chief prosecutor, whom he was also equally surprised to see was a woman.

Then Priscilla turned her attention to Alex. An intriguing smile formed on her lips as she stared at him.

"And this fine-looking young man must be Alex....Alex Philips, right?", she asked, her pink coloured lips slightly parted and showing her good set of white teeth.

"Yes mam", Alex replied, sounding as calm and as polite as he can.

"I see", Priscilla nodded several times. Her eyes ran from Alex's face down to his strong shoulders and shortly dwelled on his chest before they went back to where they started. A lot of interest in them as she regarded him.

Alex was already having the impression that the chief prosecutor was a kind woman and probably a considerate person; far from the harsh no-nonsense individual that he had expected. That was his thoughts before his eyes saw something in the woman's eyes when her line of sight moved back up from his shoulders and trained on his face.

It was an unusual look that flickered across the woman's face. One that he doesn't usually get from most females that he had had the chance to meet. Only a few had shown that expression. And they all have one thing in common; the burning desire to be "taken", there and then, and done with reckless abandon.

He could feel the woman's eyes stripping him of his clothing, and also sensed the vibe of promiscuity from her.

"Please....do have a seat". Priscilla then waved at the chairs opposite her swiveling leather-covered seat and walked towards her chair.

Alex took a glance at her well-rounded and attractive buttocks as her curved hips wiggled to her steps before he and Nina made themselves comfortable on the opposite chairs.

"Unfortunately, it has to take a situation like this to bring us together", Priscilla sighed and closed the book on her desk, and sat down. "It's been years since I heard that you were back in the country", she continued and moved the book on her desk aside to rest her elbows on its polished surface. "I have sent countless messages to you...with numerous phone calls". Then she steepled her fingers and gazed at Nina with a wistful smile. "But it's like you don't want to get in touch with an old friend from back in high school days".

"I prefer you stop using the term, 'friends', to describe our relationship, cos there had never been anything friendly between us", Nina muttered with less concern as she glanced around the well-organized office and at the several bookshelves filled with countless thick-sized books. "These days I have very limited time for friendly activities and I only meet individuals according to their priority in my list".

"Hm, I guess I am way below in that list for you to blatantly ignore my calls and messages", Priscilla quipped.

"You are not on that list either", Nina coldly put in.

"Aww come on Nini", Priscilla mentioned Nina's nickname during her school days. "It's over twenty years now, and you are still holding on to this grudge. Isn't it way past the time to have moved on?... or do you want me to roll on the floor and beg for forgiveness?", she chuckled.

Nina scoffed again and clenched her jaws. Alex's remark had made it clear to her that he hadn't been paying attention at all. And probably to every other instruction that she had stated to him on their way to the state prosecutor's office building.

"It's not like they gonna be asking me that question", Alex continued, turning his attention back to his cell phone while his mother remained silent, face deadpan, and her frustration now reaching the sky.

Nina's hand slowly slid away from her seatbelt buckle to reach for the pack of cigarettes beside her. And she was being made to listen to the "tock-tock" sound from Alex's cellphone.

Alex continued working his fingers on the screen of his device with a lot of interest and little regard for his visibly crossed mother. Not knowing that she was staring at the pack of tobacco that she was holding in front of her with a burning urge to do the two things that were now in her mind; one is to light tobacco, and the other is to angrily and if possible, violently express her soured feelings at her son. The silence was her contemplating on which one to do first, or perhaps the possibility of doing both at the same time.

"Alex, between you and Eric, I don't know who gives me the most headache", Nina then said frankly. "These behaviors that you boys are perpetuating, especially when it comes to my orders. Does it have something to do with the attitude of today's youths? or are you boys born with some kind of an element of irreducible rascality?", she muttered the question.

More 'tock-tock' from Alex's cellphone, followed by a notification bell.

"And I will beat you to every sound that damn thing makes if you don't switch it off and listen to me!", Nina suddenly barked and glared at him. "Don't test me, boy! Don't do it!", she gave the stern warning even louder, gesticulating the cigarette-holding hand at him.

"Okay...jeez", Alex murmured with a shocked stare at his mother and then did as he was told. He needn't be told the terrible things that would happen if he disobeys. He was very aware of his biological mother's physical capabilities.

Nina then hissed and roughly took one stick from the pack of cigarettes, almost flattening the rest in the process. She left the car driver's door ajar, lit the cigarette, and tried to calm herself with tobacco smoke gently filling her lungs and exhaling out of her nostrils.

As the silence that had settled between them grew, Alex watched Nina as she smoked, stealing glances at the stick of tobacco that decreased with every drag that she took, and the ash flicked into the ashtray.

In recent days his mother always seemed so worked up, with constant flare-ups to even the slightest provocation. He had initially thought of it as just one of those bad runs that she usually has with the Family organization, the organization that she was working for. Or perhaps, she had been ordered to accomplish a task, one that would most likely end up being a kick in the teeth for her, by the head of the organization who happens to be her father, the grandfather that he was yet to meet, and a heartless old man who's yet to find out that he has a grandson. Two to be exact.

But the sudden outburst made by mother moments ago, now made it clear that it was more than just the occasional hassles with the Family organization, or her finding it difficult to accomplish a less desirable job they had given her.

"Mom", Alex began quietly and fixed his mother with a searching stare.

Nina sighed, stubbed out the flame of the cigarette in the ashtray, and then turned her gaze to Alex. The maternity instincts that she had developed since establishing a relationship with her boys, were now kicking in and leaving her with a twinge of regret for raising her voice at her son. A weakness to her, and one that she very much hates because a woman in her position shouldn't have any at all.

"What?", she muttered quietly.

"What's up with you?", Alex asked.

"What do you mean?", Nina asked quietly and looked away, knowing full well what her son meant.

"These days you always seem so unhappy", Alex noted. "What's the matter?", he asked.

Nina said nothing.

"Is it because of dad?", he asked again.

"It's because of everything", Nina began quietly. "Your dad, you boys, this damn case,....Everything!", she grumbled.

The inquisitive stare returned to Alex's eyes.

"If it's about dad, even though I hate every moment that he spends with that meat sack of his wife, I still understand his situation", he then said. "He is doing what he is doing for the best, for all of us", he explained.

"Yeah, running off to go on a vacation even after all that I had told him", Nina muttered quietly with a scoff. "Even with all these things that are going on".

"He didn't just run off to some vacation", Alex continued. "That woman was getting suspicious of him. I've heard her asking him several times if he's seeing someone else. That woman always makes a fuss about every feeling that she happens to catch. And she's the one that suggested that they go on vacation, it wasn't dad's idea. So he had no choice but to give in to her demand, to put an end to her suspicions....and her endless stupid naggings", he stated.

"So I should be the one to take all the damn heat while he gets to go on a stupid vacation that she proposed cos she wants some quality time to ease her nerves about the situation that she created", Nina muttered with some anger in her eyes. "What about me? And who the hell does she even think she is?", she scoffed with some jealousy in her tone of voice.

"That woman is dad's legal wife", Alex answered the question. "By the way, I thought you said you have everything under control", he put in immediately before Nina could continue with her distaste for his adopted mother - his father's wife - and the woman whom she's competing with for his father.

"That was before the new chief prosecutor stepped in", Nina sighed.

"And what about the new chief prosecutor?", Alex asked.

Nina clenched her jaw. "I'm very familiar with the person", she replied. Then she looked at Alex. "And also the person that tops the list of the people that I loathe the most", she muttered. "Someone that I had sworn never to look in the damn face unless I happen to be given the opportunity to eliminate".

"Who is this person?", Alex demanded.

"Someone that I had known long ago". Nina's gaze turned distant, the unhappy look of someone recollecting some bad memories, written on her face. "Someone that had always been the one problem that I just can't take care of, and always seems to enjoy messing with me. I have always avoided any situation that would make me see or put me in a mix with this person", she muttered. "And with this case, this person won't hesitate to use it as an edge to mess with me again". She sighed. "I don't like being in a helpless situation, and this looks like one. And I will mostly hate it if it's going to be caused by this individual".

"Well granddad wields a lot of power and you report directly to him. I'm sure there is a way that you can convince him to step in if this new chief tries to make things get too complicated", Alex suggested.

Nina snorted and shook her head. "I might as well go and tell your grandfather that I have two sons whose father happens to be the son of his greatest and most hated enemy", she chuckled at Alex.

Oh", Alex then realized the senselessness of the statement that he had just made.

"Worst of all, your grandfather getting to find out what I have been hiding all these years could be made possible by this person", Nina continued. "Especially now that he seems to be watching every damn move that I'm making like he is suspicious about something". She then paused and heaved a sigh again. "I'm doing all these without the knowledge of your grandfather and the Organization. This person that we are talking about might bring their attention to it. And you know very well that it could be a life or death situation if your grandfather finds out that I am doing all this without his knowledge".

"Why don't you just take this person out if it is that much of a problem", Alex suggested.

"Son, I only do an ordered hit, don't confuse me for a crazy serial killer", Nina muttered. "Maybe..i..am crazy, but not a serial killer", she added quietly with her eyes taking cursory glances around the parking lot. "Besides, I only deal with criminal individuals. And the hits are the only last resort on the table. This is a person of the law that we are talking about".

"So is there nothing that could be done about it?", Alex asked with some concern.

"Of course there is", Nina replied and looked at Alex. "You keeping to my instructions, being on alert all the time, and taking everything seriously", she stated. "But for some damn reason only known to you, you seem to be having a problem doing so, and taking things for granted. And neither is your brother helping with that attitude of his too", she hissed and looked away.

"Well I don't see any difference it will even make if this person intends to create problems", Alex muttered. "Besides, to me, Eric and I are living and doing things that every normal person does, just as you had always instructed us. To avoid anyone getting to know about this crazy situation that we were born into, to keep the knowledge of our existence and us being twins out from certain individuals. We are even doing more than enough if you ask me".

"I know", Nina agreed. "But I am talking about staying sharp and being a very thorough human being, I'm saying this most especially to you. Be like Eric minus his irritating attitude, or even best him if you can", she said to Alex and gave him a hard gaze. "That's what I have been trying hard to put in you. I don't know why you are always giving me the impression that you will keep falling very far behind your brother even though I know very well that you are as intelligent as he is".

Alex hissed with a crossed look on his face. He hated to be made to hear the comparison between him and his brother. "Eric might be my brother, but we are two different human beings", he muttered. "I never said I wanted to live like this or even be like him", he stated with a serious tone of voice. "All I ever wanted is to live a normal life, just like every other person". He heaved a sigh and looked at Nina's pack of cigarette with the urge to smoke, but unwilling to ask his mother for one. "I just don't know why everyone around me can't understand that fact", he muttered quietly and stared ahead.

"Well i told you that a normal life is a luxury that you will never have, as long as your grandfather is not aware that you exist", Nina noted. "Things will even get very bad for you boys and worse for me if he happens to find out who your father is", she stated. "You might think that I'm pushing you too hard, but I'm only trying to get you prepared for every eventuality. To make you to be able to take care of yourself cos there will be a day that I might not be around to do that.

Alex nodded a few times as he listened.

"It's neither your fault to be born into this crazy situation, nor was it any intention of mine to put you, boys, in it", Nina continued. "Having kids wasn't even in my life plan in the first place". She paused and lowered her gaze to her hands resting on her lap.

And for a while, she pondered on the events that had led to the conceiving of her twins as she stared at her well-manicured nails. She wondered how a mission that she could have easily accomplished but blatantly failed to do so, almost ended up altering the course of her life and also left her always walking the dangerously thin line between life and death.

Then she looked at one of her twin sons; one of the results her undoing had brought forth. "So the only thing that you can do about it is to be prepared for whatever it brings. Eric knows that very well", she added.

"Yeah", Alex agreed. "But you know very well that I'm not wired like Eric and neither do I have his abilities", he complained.

"Then take off your skirt and start learning how to have his abilities, than be whining all the time about how incapable you are!", Nina's harsh tone returned with a frown on her face. And she proceeded to unbuckle her seatbelt, muttering, "And you don't have to be..wired like him to remember all the instructions that I had given to you".

"As I said, I have been paying attention to your instructions, mom", Alex insisted, he unbuckled his seatbelt too and alighted from the vehicle with Nina. "And the address is two nine five dash six three, Allen-way",

"Correct address....but the wrong answer to my question cos I didn't mention the address", Nina muttered as she shut the car door. "You weren't paying attention". She started heading towards the revolving glass door of the building lobby.

"At least I still know the address without being told", Alex put in as he followed her, trying to catch up to her quick strides.

"Eric would have not only answered that question, but he will also tell you the number of streets and even the number of cars that we had passed. And you expect me to be impressed by the reading ability of someone who is not visually impaired".

"I'm not like my brother and neither do I have any interest in an activity that would turn one into a spectacular butcher man".

"Yeah, sounds like you are even wearing a shorter skirt".

******************************************

CHAPTER ONE.


It was past 11 o clock in the morning of the first Thursday of March. The day had started with bright sunshine and clear skies in the city of Easthill. The weather was forecast to be in good condition throughout the day as the cold harmattan that had swept through the country for months, was now in its final stage.

The day looked promising, and the vibe in the city was positive and full of energy with the school vacation in full swing. The school-age population were in a merry mood and the working-age population, for the time being, was equally satisfied because the vacation meant a crowd less of commuters to contend with for the public transportation during the city's wild rush hour. And it was one day left for everyone and in their various ways, to go unwind from the week's ever-growing epidemic of big city hustle-n-bustle and get recharged for the next.

But despite the positivity in the air and driving through Chamberlain main street at an hour when the traffic was bearable, Nina seemed to be having a bad day. The frown that darkened her face with the hard stare in her eyes that glared right back at her when she glanced at the car's rearview mirror, said it all.

She turned on the car's right blinker light after checking the distance between her and the car following behind, and slowly decelerated the vehicle. The cream-coloured 2012 Porsche Cayenne pulled away from the main street with her hands diligently working the Oakwood steering wheel. The vehicle diverted into the spacious compound of a large modern ten-floor administrative building. She brought the SUV to a stop in an empty spot in the parking lot and killed the engine.

Releasing the hold on the steering wheel, Nina then made a casual scan around the place and sighed at the slight cramps in her wrists as she rotated them. She had been driving with a constrained grip on the steering wheel due to some thoughts that she had been having throughout the journey. Thoughts that were giving her a lot of concern.

"We are here", Nina began coldly to the young man seated beside her. The leather-covered cushion of the car seat gave a faint squeak as she reclined with eyes staring at the tall building in front of her.

The tall crescent-like shaped architectural structure looked impressive with the way its glass exterior gleamed to the bright mid-day sunlight. But its beauty was a far cry from the purpose that the place served. The building housed the offices of the state's prosecutors, a place where the fates of individuals on the wrong side of the law are being decided and the decisions being put in motion.

It wasn't Nina's first time being there. But it was her first time coming to the place with a lot of concern. And she was having a lot of reservations about the safety of the secrets that she had been keeping from a lot of people, her father most especially. And she feared the meeting that she was about to have in one of the offices might air out those secrets, and possibly bring her other scandalous activity to light.

"We are here", Nina said again, moving a hand to her seatbelt buckle. "Remember everything that I've told you, stick to it, and only answer the questions that you have the answers to", she continued. "The rest, I will handle myself".

The young man didn't respond. This made her take her eyes off the building and fix a gaze on him.

The young man looked to be in his early twenties, immaculately dressed in a black suit with a matching necktie to fit. He was also quite built for his age both in height and weight. He's quite the handsome young man and one of Nina's twin sons.

He was busy browsing the internet with his cellphone and nodding to music that was playing in the ear plug connected to it. Too immersed with what he was doing with the device to even hear his mother.

Alex!", Nina called his name and still didn't get a response from the young man. "Aww for heaven's sake", she muttered and then irritatedly got hold of the earphone wire, snatching it.

Alex's head made a sharp jerk as if warding off an irritating Fly that had buzzed into his ear, as his mother forcefully yanked the earphone out of his ear-hole. The sudden movement made his cellphone almost fall out of his hand and left him making a clumsy struggle to get a hold of the device that he had recently bought.

"Sh!t!", Alex cursed, made a quick check on his new model iPhone and then flashed an irritated stare at Nina. "Really?!.. Do you have to do that?", he protested.

"Do you want to see what I had intended to do?", Nina narrowed her eyes at Alex and contained her anger with a lot of effort. "What did I tell you about staying focused and being alert?", she asked him.

Alex made a cursory glance around the parking lot and gave Nina a sheepish look when he noticed for the first time where they were at.

"Who said that I wasn't focused?", he then murmured, lazily folding the wire of his earphone. "I have been doing so...and I'm also alert", he continued but sounding not sure of what he was saying.

"I see", Nina scoffed. "Okay, now tell me the address of this place that we are right now....and the floor that we will be going to", she demanded intently.

"Address?", Alex furrowed his brows at the demand that sounds ridiculous to him.

"You heard me right. Gone on, tell me", Nina insisted.

"Why?....are we lost or something?", Alex asked, trying to deflect from providing the answer.

RIGHTS RESERVED.........NO PART OF THIS STORY MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION OF THE AUTHOR.


Contact the author at damien0224@gmail.com or Whatsapp: 82-1039360456.

Criticism and grammar or spelling corrections are highly welcomed.

This work contains alot of explicit language and highly graphic contents......readers discretion is advised.

samebony1
Tech01
Vidamia
kingphilip
Ibunkun1
yungbanks
Omoakin5
alleazardous
King2019

AUTHORS NOTE.


I still can't believe that 5 years had passed after posting the last page of the second book. I can't really blame myself for waiting that long. Being a father, and lots of family issues back home that is still at play, had tied me down alot. Not to talk of the Covid-19 situation that almost kept me in a "Hamster's endless wheel-run" situation. And i had earlier said that there won't be a third part of this story, and finally decided to rescind that desicion. Anyway, here it is, the third part of this story. It is still in the making though and i can't say if it would be as captivating as the first part or a blockbuster as the second. Your comments and criticism will help me with that. And five years of not writing anything might have downgraded my writing abilities to "Rubbish level", that's just incase you guys get disappointed. But all in all, i will do my best to keep you all entertained.

By the way, the literature section is slowly becoming a graveyard, a shadow of its former self. What's happening? Is it because of the state that our country is in?. Anyway let me mention the names of my fans and those that had requested to have theirs mentioned if i start posting.

Note: If you want to get a good picture of this write-up, you will have to read all the posts about this story; from the prologue and all the way to the second part because this part is about the events that happened inbetween the first and second part with some characters from the prologue.

Links to the other parts of the story.

Bloodline: Prologue - https://www.nairaland.com/2218652/

Bloodline: Part one - https://www.nairaland.com/2268155/bloodline.......part-one-family.

Bloodline: Part two - https://www.nairaland.com/2721688/bloodline.......part-two-blood-diamonds.

One of the virtues of a matured person is the willingness to take corrections. The matured of all matured makes responses that is not driven by emotions. That's why I respected Larrysun's first comment to the OP's unwarranted and clearly blind criticism of his works. It destroyed what she had earlier said about him and also what she will ever write, even if she put up a beautifully written book about how shitty she thinks his works are.

Moreover, the literature section isn't labeled "Section for Nigerian writers with Grandeur skills". It is a testing ground for individuals that are aspiring to be a writer. In this case, you will most definitely see several narratives that would make you wonder if it was a drunken monkey behind the keyboard. So it is always moving on to the next story if the one you are reading doesn't appeal to you. If you dont see any story at all, you leave the literature section or the blog page entirely and move on to the next.

Someone even made a comment about he thinking that he was reading the journal of a psychopathic serial killer, in one of your posts and you took alot of offense to it. Why are you getting so riled-up for the same treatment that your are dishing out to someone else?.

Finally, you really have to take heed to the advice that i earlier gave you in my first comment. I am saying it once again to Just leave that alone. Attacking a well known person, especially online, is also attacking the person's teeming fans. And you know how Nigerians can be when it comes to online dramas. So just take the advices from those that knows better, take the L's that you have been getting so far and just move on or even delete this post before the unruly characters start lining up for you. For sure you wouldn't want it to degenerate into a total sh!t-show that you might end up regretting.

Hermix:


Slaves to mediocrity. Shameful.

It's like you just came here looking for trouble. Baby-girl, please don't do that with me. Just leave that alone.

LarrySun:
LOL! Have a nice day.

And that's how a BOSS responds.

kingphilip:
ironkurtain you still have it in you boss.

Nice one.

Will be waiting for subsequent updates.

BTW why don't you open a new thread for the Part Three?

I will do that. I am not posting it here

kingphilip:

Boss no be so we agree o.

So we wey no read am as you delete nko?

Sorry o. I mentioned you but I didn't know that you haven't read it. Anyway let me post it again.


DEMO 1.

The three men came over and stood close to the edge of their table. Eric regarded them with a benign smile while Lisa gave no attention to their presence. He took a quick note of their faces and saw that the short one wasn't handsome either. The short man gave Eric a brief stare with an indifference that showed a clear disregard for his presence and turned the somewhat cold beady eyes of his at Lisa.

"Hello young lady", he began at Lisa, his lips curving into smile that made his face look worse. "Good to see you again my dear", his lips parted to show his clean white teeth.

Lisa sucked her teeth, remained still for a few seconds and then looked at short man. "Hi", she began with a quiet noncommittal tone of voice.

"How are you doing?",

"Just minding the business that i'm having with my boyfriend".

Eric's eyes moved from the short man to the other two men that flanked him. Both of them were standing with their hands in the pockets of their jacket, chests puffed up with the stance of men that had spent alot of time in the gym lifting irons. They were staring down at him with a blank expression and poised as if they intend to start something very unfriendly with him. Perhaps they were trying to intimidate him into not getting between the discussion the short man was trying to start with his female friend.

"I see", the shortman continued with a nod. "Anyway, like i told you earlier, my friends here do agree with me that you are definitely the most beautiful chick in the bar. And they also agreed that....i should give it another try".

"Thanks for the compliments", Lisa said coolly. "But i have already given you my answer, which is, that i'm already taken". She looked at Eric. "He is here with me too. Though am quite flattered by your insistence to hook-up with me, but i am very happy with what i have". Lisa turned her eyes back to the short man. "So it's no use wasting all these time and efforts", she concluded and then turned to Eric to continue their conversations and hoping that the man would finally get the message and leave her alone.

The short man nodded with a smirked. He made a few glances at the other two men with him and made a cursory look around the bar. Lisa, pretending like they don't even exist, tried to carry on with her conversations with Eric who only nodded with his eyes on his beer but with his full attention at the men beside them.

"So is that it?", the short man then asked, interrupting Lisa in her conversation.

"Yes, that's it", Lisa gave an immediate reply without looking at him. "And also bear in mind that it will remain the same...if we happen to see each other again", she added.

"Okay then, but you should have atleast showed some....appreciation", the short man stated with a cold tone that signalled a change in his seemingly friendly attitude that he had been displaying. This prompted Lisa to furrow her brows at him. Eric who appeared to be unbothered already knew what he meant.

"Appreciation for what?", Lisa asked, looking confused.

"Well, even though you wanna pass on the offer from a guy that will really take good care of a girl like you, aleast you should have shown some appreciation for my little generosity", the short man coldly said.

Lisa then got the gist of what he was talking about. "Oh, so you want me to show some appreciation for the drink, a drink that i never asked from you and not even drinking in the first place?", Lisa sneered and pointed at her cocktail.

"Seems necessary to me", the man shrugged and slipped both hands inside his brown coat. "And my friends here kind of agree with me".

"And i guess it was also necessary to bring your friends with you just to tell me all these?". Then Lisa looked at the beer on their table. "Or was there some kind of a crowd-funding for this one beer?", she asked coolly and looked at the short man. Eric rubbed his nose bridge with a faint smile that came out from a suppressed sneer.

"It doesn't matter how the drink was bought", the short man said curtly and glanced at Eric, knowing what Lisa had said was funny to him. "What matters to me right now is my kind gesture being disrespected".

"Okay", Lisa began and folded her arms. "So which one is it? Here with your friends to hit on me infront of my boyfriend or just looking for trouble?", she asked indifferently.

"Well, i came here with the former in mind. But the later could happen if i am given a reason to be unhappy", the man replied, regarding Lisa with an expressionless look on his face.

"Well, me and my boyfriend might have considered giving you your fifteen seconds of fame if it was clearly just the former. But from what i have seen so far, it's like you are more into the later. And we really dont want to waste our energy on that", Lisa retorted, her patience for the short man now exhausted.



DEMO 2.


The door to the kitchen was ajar with the light in the room left on and illuminating into the living-room.

Seeing nothing of interest in the living-room, the men silently paced towards the stair that led to the bedrooms on the second floor. A sudden faint sound from the kitchen made them pause in their tracks and point their weapons at where it came from. The sound continued with a steadily rising pitch. The men stayed still in their position, tight grip on their weapons with eager breaths till the whistling sound of a boiling tea kettle audibly echoed in the living-room.

Sensing that someone might still be awake or probably woken by the noise, the first man motioned at the stairs and quietly paced towards the kitchen while the second man did the same towards the stairs.

On reaching the stairs-landing of the second floor, the second man pressed his body against the wall and peered into the dark corridor. He made a quick observation of the doors of the rooms as his eyes adjusted to the darkness; there are five of them, three on the left side of the corridor and two on the right. Then he noticed another low sound emitting from one of the doors, the one closest to him.

With his gun pointed and a finger on the trigger, he cautiously went straight to door, the soft cushion of the rug covered corridor floor silencing his footsteps as he moved. He gently reached for the door handle and saw that the door was unlocked when he turned it. He slowly opened the door and saw it was the bathroom. The light was on and it flooded into the corridor as he pushed the door wide open.

The bathroom shower curtain was drawn, the sound he heard being the running tap in the bathtub behind the curtain with a silhouette of a head-shaped figure resting on the edge of the tub.

Maintaining his tight grip on his weapon with his breath getting overly excited, the man took a quick glance over his shoulder as he inched closer to the bathtub and his glove covered hand reaching for the shower curtain. And he failed notice the figure stealthily sneaking up from behind him with a waistbelt strap.

The first man turned the knob of the gas range burner to end the whistling sound from boiling kettle. He stared at the tea kettle as the whistling sound that was too loud for his liking, died down. His hard eyes regarded the utensil suspiciously for a shortwhile, glanced around the spotless clean kitchen and at the cutleries that were properly arranged in their racks. Getting more suspicious, he stepped out of the kitchen.

The nervous feeling then made the man to head towards the stairs with silent quick strides. He was thinking that by now there suppose to be some commotional sound of his partner holding up their targets, or should have radioed the message to him if it had been done silently. But the sustained eerie silence in the entire house after he had turned off the gas range, says otherwise. And he was now beginning to have a creeping sense of dread too.

He reached the second floor, pressed his body against the wall and paused as he listened for any sound that might signify a failed mission. At first he heard nothing. Then a low sound suddenly echoed in the corridor and it made him to slide his finger to the trigger of his weapon and very ready to use it. The sound was a moan. And the voice was that of a woman.

The man immediately peered into the dark corridor and saw that the sound was coming out of the rooms that has its door left ajar with the light turned off.

"Son of a b!tch", the man fumed under his breath, thinking that his partner whom he had known to be very mischievous, was taking his turn with their target; raping the woman. This prompted him to immediately barge into the room. He saw the outline of a figure on the bed in the room and slammed his fist on the light switch on the wall near the door post.

"Shit!", he bawled after the light the illuminated the room and his eyes caught the sight of his partner lying on the bed, a belt strap tightly wrapped around his neck with the distant gaze of a dead man in his lifeless eyes. Then a movement from behind caused him to make a quick turn with his weapon. But he wasn't quick enough to dodge the blow that knocked the handgun out of his hand.

The assailant grabbed the man's shirt as his weapon tumbled into the bedroom and sent him into the corridor with enough force that caused him to lose his balance. The man immediately pick himself up, furiously pulled out a wicked looking knife from the sheath strapped around his waist. The bedroom light that flooded into the corridor made him to recognize the face of his assailant as he launched a wild attack.

The assailant dodged the blade of the knife with a sharp step to the side. With a flash, his hand wrapped around the wrist of the man's knife bearing hand and executed a wrist-lock that dispossessed the man of the knife, sending the blade to the floor. Then he swung at the man's jaw and the stunning blow fell him to the floor.

Immediately shaking off the concussion that he had taken, the man wildly got to his feet again and aimlessly launched another attack with alot of rage. And it proved to be a fatal move for him to make.

One moment the assailant moved a hand behind his waist. The next, he too was going at the man with the hand clutching a claw hammer. Ducking down, he swung the hammer at the man's right kneecap. The man bellowed a loud groan when the hammer head met the appendage with brute force, dislocating it and incapacitating the leg. The hammer got redirected to the man's face and knocked him down with a broken jaw and some teeth hanging loose. The assailant made another move to use the metal wrecker again, but the man stopped him short with a left leg kick to his gut.

The blow that was thrown out of desperation didn't faze the assailant. It only seemed to have upped the ante in the ferocity of his attack as he blocked the man's second desperate attempt and started swinging the hammer ferociously.

Vidamia:
Welcome back boss of the all nairaland writers.......I really missed your stories....more ink to your pen, more vigour to your wrist, more health to your body and soul and more wealth to your account.......

Amen my long time friend. Wishing God's blessings in all your endeavors.

samebony1:

You may be rusty, but only by writing can you flush out the rustiness and get back to being your writing self.

True. But trying to do so with an overly energetic daughter running around the house like it is Christmas, everyday, is one heck of a difficult situation if one intends to write. Not to talk of the attention that I have to give to the yarns of the lady of the house after work. Anyway, I'm still working on it. Three chapters down, but I want to make it six or seven before I start posting.

yungbanks:
So Boss should we be in anticipation that it is dropping soon?? Because you have really aroused my taste buds for sweet stories and my anticipation level is damn high

Now you are putting alot of pressure on me

samebony1:

Hi IronKurtain,
Instead of deleting, you should post the complete version. I need to read it

My brother, it is still in the making. I just wanted to see if the story will have some substance cos I haven't written anything for quite a long time.