Chapter 10 A Gang's Visit

Later that day in the hotel…

"So you couldn't even wake me up, Valeria!" Khair brought up immediately she entered.

"I didn't remember, sorry." Valeria replied in a low voice.

Mtweeew! How would you ever remember? You always forget everything! Well, I don't blame you. If not for stupid alarm I set that didn't ring…" She threw her bag at the edge of her bunk and laid down on her bed.

Valeria didn't bother herself to reply back. She already know the kind of girls she is living with.

***

Later That Evening,

At Doctor Ashley's house, it was couple minutes past 12:00p.m when the gun shot started. The sound woke Doctor Ashley that she wondered what the sound was all about. Untill she peeped through her transparent window and saw them. It was just inches away from the side of her window. She could easily stretch to check from her bed, so she could clearly see outside. It was in the mid-month of September, so the moon was bright in the night sky.

Doctor Ashley caught the view of the gang of armed robbery shouting across the street. Outside, she saw them leaving their neighbor's compound and jumping over the fence, into there's.

They were very young boys of between 16-20 years of age. Each had cigarette on their hand as they walked in.

'Maybe they're from this area.' She thought as fear took over her mind.

They were seven of them and they were already inside her compound.

Vividly reciting silent prayers before they get to her.

Where they live was an estate, its been years since she got married but not once in her entire life hs she been robbed… Not until now.

As a matter of fact, Doctor Ashley is a very brave woman. But this very minute, her heart was racing inside of her like a small child. It's also the first robbery incident she'll ever witness.

She quickly came downstairs and was surprised to meet Scarlett there already. She was so scared to death. Immediately she saw Doctor Ashley coming down, she ran towards her and threw a hug at her in relieve.

"Is everything going to be alright?" Scar muttered, already sensing the danger outside the building.

"Don't worry my dear, everything would be fine by the God's grace… Just come here." Doctor Ashley held her hands tight and ask her to keep praying.

The Doctor herself, was so confused on what prayer to say or who to call. She quickly picked her phone, scrolling through the contacts. She saw 'Mr. August' and decided to call his number.

'Grrriin!'

'Grrrriiiiin!'

His number wasn't reachable. She dialed it over and over again but he wasn't picking. All her effort to reach him that minute turned abortive.

"Knock knock!" They banged the door abruptly instead of using the alarm bells. Their knocking went aggressive, as if they would pull the whole building down.

"Anyone in?! Open this fucking door?!" A thick masculine voice called from outside.

The one holding a very sharp cutlass seemed to be their leader. He tied a red handkerchief on his head and all the gangs were all in black, sweating.

"Anyone in?! You're fucking wasting time, you know?! And I'll burn down this fucking house!" The leader grumbled.

"Y...yes... I'm coming!" Doctor Ashley answered from inside as she ran to open the door, the seven of them entered. They were all tall, huge, well built and dark complexioned. They all seem to belong to a cult group or something.

Immediately they entered, their dark eyes glinted with malicious intent. Doctor Ashley and Scar trembled to the unknown strangers standing in front of them at the middle of the night.

"To the ground!" The leader commanded.

The both of them went down immediately, lying as flat, like two pieces of pancakes on hot frypan. The tattoos on their bodies too were visible. Especially that on the leaders body. It covered both of his arms as if it was a black lace.

Scar was shivering. Her head drooped low to the cold tiles, her two hands, robbing each other in fear.

Pleading.

"Please, don't kill me…" She begged, tears pouring down her eyes like that of a baby. For some reason, Scarlett felt she was too young to die. She had a lot of things to accomplish in life too.

While weeping, her beauty struck Scorpion's eyes, he loved her reaction and anxiousness.

To Scarlett, it was also the first time she experience something like this. Armed robbery, gunshot and everything involved with a rough, thug life.

"Mario! Bring her forward!!" The leader of the gang ordered.

With just a fist, Mario grabbed and throw her to the ground, before his master. She just loaded on the ground firmly, they were both scared.… Who's ready to die?

"Emma! Take the Doctor inside to get the cash!" Scorpion who is the leader commanded.

The two guys went in with the Doctor. They were both armed with guns so Doctor Ashley didn't waste time or think twice about cooperating with the armed robbers.

"You and you!" Scorpion pointed with the cutlass, "bring her with me."

"But boss! The CEO said we shouldn't touch the small girl!" One of them muttered.

He was the skinniest one among them and seemed to be a J.J.C (Jolly Just Come). Well, that was his nickname.

"Are you fucking crazy?! You drunk?! It's not your fault, it's because I brought you here today which I shouldn't. Now, if you don't fuck the hell up, I'll shoot you as well! Got that?!" Scorpion answered him in disgust.

J.J.C just kept quiet. He feared to lose his life as well but he was just being observative. It was as if he wasn't used to the system yet.

"Aboi!" He called another. "You! Follow me!" He ordered as they seized Scarlett at both arms and dragged her along like their new puppet.

"Please, don't hurt me.. I beg of you!" Scar cried as they threw her into a dark room it was the closest where they usually keep spoilt stuffs; cloths, bags, and others. The closet was a room beside the kitchen. The two hefty men that brought her in threw her to the ground as if she meant nothing. They went to stay outside. One by the doorway while the other stood by the entrance.

Whatever Scorpion does was finally, his words are law. As they all know, anyone that opposed his order would either post his life or his family. That was their path and watchword the gang keeps; to work together and never betray.

"Please, don't hurt me… I'm only a child!" Scar cried once again, her whole body shivering like a wet chick.

"I already know that you're a child, I'm not blind." He moved closer to where she was and squart, close enough to whisper in her ears.

"Don't worry, what I'm going to do isn't going to hurt. Just like down and close your eyes. It might be a nightmare but I'll be fast about it."

"Please sir!" She catch his legs in the darkness. "Just let me go, please." Her heartbeat raced in fear.

"Shhhh!" He placed his index finger on her small lips and wipes away her tears.

"Just do as I say, I don't have time to waste." With this, he stretched the cutlass to her neck.

"Okay…" She muttered and took off her wrapper.

Happy to see that she was complaining, he dropped the cutlass and wanted to take off his belt when she hit and iron bucket on his head and ran out.? And because it was dark, he couldn't see clearly but Zainab know everything in the store so well.

About to run out, she met Aboi by the entrance. He didn't hesitate to clutch her by the wrist but she managed to kick him at his balls. He let he go immediately and just blat the entrance to the living room, she net the other guy. He was holding a knife so he slit her by the right shoulder.

Scar fell to the ground, crying to the pain. Her flesh was wide open and as she was about to push him, he grabbed her by the neck, punching her quite hard and leaving her with a bloody nose.

Scar tries to lift her hand up to smack him back but she suddenly felt weak and dizzy.

Tobi, the guy that slit her, carried her on his shoulders like a bag of rice. He took her back into the store room. And there she was again, with the gang leader, Scorpion.

Scar couldn't even move or speak. She only speak incoherently. "P...please, don't h...hurt me." Was what she could say, as her heart was buried in fear of what would happen next.

***

Meanwhile, Valeria was having a nightmare this very minute. It was a very deep forest and it was also dark as well. Doctor Ashley and Scar missed roads as very terrible cultists wanted to kill them… use them for ritual or something. Both of them were scared and bleeding. It was really dark and scary. They're were strange voices of women shouting in terror from the dark forest but they approached without even thinking. Running for their lives blike being chased by dreadly wolves. Just about when one of them wanted to catch Scar, Valeria screamed from the dream into reality. She was sweaty and shivering as well, it looked so real.

"I rebuke evil in the name of Jesus!" She mumbled and? jumped out of bed.?

Still shivering, she felt beads of sweat lingering down her forehead. She looked around her, others were still sleeping. It was just 12:45 a.m.

Valeria decided to do special prayers for both of them. She held her Bible and closed her eyes, amidst the tears and fears flooding in her mind.