LET’S ESCAPE

As Andrew stood staring at Vivian holding his pistol, he thought of what to say and do. Should be just kill her and kill Ella too, then return to Nigeria to continue his normal life as an assassin? Or should he lie to her about something? Telling her it's just for protection or should he just tell her the honest truth?

But what if he tells her the truth and she starts running from him or even reports him to the police? He thought carefully but couldn't get an answer on time.

"Why is a gun in your wardrobe?" Vivian asks but there was no response. "Can't you hear me? Why do you have this?" She asks in a loud tone.

The atmosphere was a tensed one, any single mistake and he was going to loose the pretty woman in front of him. But he still decided to come clean. "Have a seat." He says pointing to the bed.

"Answer my question!" Vivian retorts.

"Have a seat!" Andrew shouts.

"Andrew!" Vivian calls calmly, she was surprised he raised his voice at her.

"Please, have a seat."

He was begging her now, with a lot of pain and sincerity in his eyes so she had to obey him.

"Why do you have a gun." Vivian asks still holding the object in her hand. "What are you using it for?"

"Let me have that first." Andrew takes takes the object from her and head to his wardrobe to hide it well, if he had done that a day before Vivian wouldn't have seen it. In a matter of seconds he was done and he sat close to Vivian. "I will tell you nothing but the truth, but please promise not to leave me when you hear it."

"Promise you?" Vivian scoffs. "Why didn't you tell me about this from the beginning? Why did you lie to me from the beginning?"

"I am sorry, if I told you about that, you wouldn't be here with me and you might have reported me to the police."

"Tell me what you were using the gun for." Vivian whispers ignoring his apology. "You didn't kill anyone with it right?"

"I did."

That answer made Vivian heart ache all of a sudden, she grabs her chest in pain and shock. "You did what?"

"Yes." Andrew nods. "I am an hired assassin. I killed people for money."

Vivian opens her mouth in disbelief and tears dropped from her eyes. "Please tell me this is not true." She whispers.

"It is true. I know who Ella is and I know why she is here."

Another damaging statement, this time Vivian holds her head. "Who are you exactly? and what do you want? Why did you pretend not to know anything?"

"I did it for our own good." Andrew sighs. "If I wanted to react, it would have been so dangerous."

"Dangerous? How?"

The words were difficult for him to utter but he had already started spilling the beans, so it is best he finish what he started. "I killed Ella's grandparents and parents."

Vivian moves backs hastily and looks at him dead in the eyes for a second or two. "What did you just say?"

"Yes I killed them on Mrs Jessie Paul's orders. She is looking for Ella too."

"Please stop." Vivian whispers with tears dropping off her eyes. "What do I do? What do I do?"

"The other day I told you my cell phone got stolen, it was a lie."

"What? You lie about everything you idiot."

"I know you are frustrated." Andrew sighs. "But it is the honest truth. I destroyed the phone so that I could cut ties with everyone in Nigeria and start a new life here. I did it for our sake."

"For our sake you say? The fact that you are an assassin and you killed Ella's parents and grandparents doesn't go anywhere." Vivian wipes her tears. "So what do you plan on doing now? Kill Ella or what?"

"Ella is in danger, Jessie is looking for her and if she does, it will be over for the both of us. She would have no mercy on you because you are her guardian, and no mercy on me because she specially assigned me to kill her but I turned a blind eye."

Vivian eyes made some movements, she was trying to think about what Andrew had just said. It happens to be true, if Jessie finds Ella it would be over for her too. "So what do you suggest we do?"

"Let's escape." Andrew whispers. "I am ready to risk it all for you and start afresh. Let's go to a small country and live our own lives, I have saved enough."

"Saved enough?" Vivian scoffs. With the money you collected in return of taking people's life?"

"Yes I know, but I can start a decent job anywhere we find ourselves." He moves closer to her and holds her hands. "Please, come with me and let start a new life."

"Who asked you to kill them?" Vivian asks changing the topic.

"Jessie Paul."

"Was her husband involved in the case too or just her alone?"

Andrew smiles briefly. "Just her alone, her husband is living under pressure right now, he is aware of why she did but dares not utter a word."

All this while, she and Ella had thought it was Paul's doing. Vivian got another reason to leave with Andrew, Jessie is a dangerous woman. The kind of woman that Ella shouldn't think of messing with at all.

"Okay." Vivian whispers. "When should we leave?"

"As soon as you are ready." Andrew says smilingly.

Vivian felt bad, she thought of Ella leaving her would almost kill her. But there was nothing else she could do, it was almost claiming her life. She loved Ella so much, but not to the point of dying for her. To Vivian, life is now the survival of the fittest, everyone every single person has a story to tell.