Chapter 76

"Are you saying that what I heard about you is false then? You came highly recommended and I was told that you'd go any length to get any woman you so desired. What a shame that you allowed a junior soldier to make a mockery out of you in a restaurant."

Col. Anthony's face hardened now. "And how did you get to know that?"

"Oh, let's just say that I've my sources and good money can buy almost any information you want anywhere in the world, Colonel." She said with a smug smile.

"I didn't forget about that incident; I'm just waiting for the right time to strike." Col. Anthony answered.

"Well, your time to strike seems to be taking forever, isn't it, Colonel?... Anyway, are you aware that Stephen Michaels will be wedding Violet next week Saturday which is eleven days from now?"

"What!" Col. Anthony suddenly exclaimed in shock. "They are getting married?!"

"Yes, they are!... From your reaction, I'll take it that you had no idea." She chuckled. "I'm sure that he asked for permission for a two-weeks leave and I'm sure that he must have stated it in his letter that he was getting married too. In fact, I'm almost certain that he must have attached an invitation card to the letter... You approved his leave, didn't you?"

"Yes I did but only because the General called again on his behalf. Like a few soldiers, the lieutenant has connections on his side and I simply granted the permission because I was told to. Submitting a letter are just mere formalities, nothing more." Explained Colonel Anthony.

"Which means, you didn't check the contents of the letter then."

"No, I didn't." He answered. "It's not necessary."

"Well, those two lovebirds are going to tie the knot next week Saturday, and not only will it be a slap on your face, but you'll also end up being the loser if you continue sitting on your ass and do nothing about it." Mrs. Eweala stated.

"I'd advise that you watch your tongue, madam! I'm still a high-ranking officer in charge of this barrack and also representing this country, so I demand that you give me my due respect!" Col. Anthony said sternly now.

"Oh, there's no disputing that you deserve your due respect, Colonel, but we still need to work together to attain our common goals. I'll simply help you get what you desire while you'll help me likewise; not to mention that you get to keep one point five million naira for yourself."

"When do you want the job done?" He asked now.

"A night before the wedding. I want to cause the Michaels a second big embarrassment that they'll never forget in their lives, and I want it done so quietly that no one should notice the bride's disappearance until the morning of the wedding day."

"Fine... How do I find her? I have gone to the club on several occasions and I was told that she doesn't work there anymore." Col. Anthony said.

Mrs. Eweala pulled out a piece of paper from her handbag and slid it on the desk to him. "She lives in that address and I've confirmed it for myself through a drive-by... The house she lives in is one of Mr. Michaels' houses. He asked her to move in there a month ago. The house is filled with almost ten ladies including my daughter who are to help her prepare for the wedding. As for Eric, he arrived in Nigeria again two weeks ago and is lodging at Sky Hotel. You can abduct him from there, but it must be after my daughter leaves because I've confirmed much to my chagrin that she goes to see him there every day. Silly girl!" Then she pulled out a picture and placed it on the piece of paper containing the address. "This is Eric. I don't want you abducting someone else."

"Alright then..." Col. Anthony said as he reached for the money, threw them into a drawer, slammed it shut, locked it and put the key in his pocket. "You'll have your wish done."

"I expect nothing less, Colonel... No mistakes and no excuses..." Mrs. Eweala said as she rose. "And just so you know, in case things go wrong, we never met and we never had this discussion, is that clear, Colonel?"

"We are soldiers, ma'am. We have been trained not to crumble under pressure or give out information that we are not supposed to, so you have my word, madam." He assured her.

"I'm pleased. I just hope everything will go as we have planned with no hitches whatsoever." Mrs. Eweala said, slipping her handbag on her forearm. "Do have a nice day."

"Escort her out to her car, Nosa." Col. Anthony said and Nosa obeyed.

After they left the office and walked several feet away from the building where her car was parked under the shade of several trees, Mrs. Eweala stopped and turned to look at, Nosa. 

"I was told that you bear a grudge against the stripper, is that right?" Mrs. Eweala asked.

Nosa stared at Mrs. Eweala, trying to hide his surprise at her question. "I don't know what you speak about, madam." He firmly answered.

"Oh, cut the act!" Mrs. Eweala said with a small smile. "My informant gives credible information so you do not need to pretend with me."

Nosa cleared his throat now. "Alright, madam..." He reluctantly said after throwing a wary glance towards the office. "I really do not like her. In fact, I have a score to settle with her."

"Good, likewise me." Mrs. Eweala said. "I did not tell your boss the entire truth about this deal in there, because I have chosen to reserve that part for you." Then she dipped her hand into her handbag, pulled out a bundle of money wrapped in black nylon and handed it to Nosa who peeked into it. "That's five hundred thousand naira and you are to play a very important role for me in all these which your boss must not know about."

"What is it that you want me to do, madam?" Nosa asked, tucking the money under his arm.

"Since you don't like her, this is your chance to settle whatever score that you have with her. And why I have decided to hand this part of the deal over to you is because I know that your boss might not carry it out nor let it happen because of his interest in that girl; but you on the other hand will like to see her suffer, don't you?"

"With such good money, I don't mind what she goes through." Nosa answered, his eyes glinting wickedly.

"Very well then, when those two are kidnapped, I want you to force them to have sex and make sure he ejaculates inside her. While they are in the act, I want you to video them and send a copy to me. You can release him after maiming him once the deed is done. I want his two legs broken and his face disfigured so that my daughter will never look at him the same way again. And as for the stripper, I know that your boss will find it difficult to resist sleeping with her, and he would not even know that the child is not his when she falls pregnant. 

After eight months, when she's inevitably heavily pregnant, I want you to release her... It's either she runs back to the Michaels with a bastard in her or she'll be too ashamed to, then have no choice but to flee the state and go into hiding; but either way, I win. While she and that Eric boy are still in your custody, I'm sure that my daughter and Stephen will have no choice but to seek comfort in each other's arms since there are no external stumbling blocks in their way to cause any form of distraction. 

And when they finally get the video from an anonymous sender, which would be me, they'll be so heartbroken because I'm going to make them believe that Violet and Eric ran off together to continue their secret affair... If all this plan of mine falls into place, then I shall have the last laugh. As a matter of fact, I can't wait to see the look of horror on Eucharia's face and how helpless she'd be when she has to seek my forgiveness and beg us to be in-laws once again."

"I'll do everything you have said and you'll also get your video too." Nosa assured her.

"Here's my number." She handed him a piece of paper with her number written on it. "Call me once the kidnap is successful and I'll tell you what to do next"

"Alright, ma." Nosa, took the number from her and Mrs. Eweala got into her car and drove off.

After she left, he walked back into the office, hid the money in his camo bag then walked into Col. Anthony's office.

"Is she gone?" Col. Anthony asked.

"Yes, sir," Nosa answered.

"Good, gather the best three of our trusted men and fill them in on the details of this job then get back to me as soon as it is done."

"Yes, sir." Nosa stated and left the office.

                                                                                          ★★★

After Susan had escaped from the hospital, nothing was heard about or from her for weeks. However, she had gone to seek refuge in a church and the pastor had picked interest in her when he had seen her sleeping in a corner inside the church one morning. He had woken her and after buying her some food, he had listened to her story and had prayed with her. In order to give her a better place to stay, he had rented a self-contain apartment that was close to the church for her after she explained to him that she didn't want to go home because her materialistic and overbearing parents pushed her into a wayward gold-digging lifestyle. 

The pastor had also suggested that they undergo three-week fasting and prayer which after they would pray to God to deliver her womb from the Alhaji and also save her soul from eternal damnation. On the last day of the prayer, Susan felt sudden hotness in her stomach and slumped during intense prayers. When she later came to, she found herself in her room and she wept bitterly when she realized that God had indeed done a miracle in her life by restoring her lost womb.

After her deliverance, Susan had immediately delved into being a staunch Christian. She got baptized and started working in the church by sweeping, cleaning the chairs, joining the prayer team and also the choir. A few days later, the pastor found a job for her at Chicken Republic where she was to work as an attendant and she humbly took the job and had been working there ever since then, shutting her past life out. While she sat at the counter one afternoon with her cheek in her hand, she lazily drew invisible drawings on the counter's surface with a finger. When a shadow suddenly cast over her, she looked up to find a familiar face smiling down at her. Straightening up now, she greeted the customer.

"Good afternoon, what will you like to order?" She asked.

"Hi." The young man who seemed to be in his early thirties smiled warmly at her. "You attend the big church in Barnawa, right?"

"Yes, why?" She asked.

"And you are also part of the choir, in fact, you were the one who led the worship on Sunday, weren't you?"

"Yes, I'm... Is there a problem?" She impatiently asked, eager to attend to him so that he would leave and she could return to her moping.

"My name is Cephas." He stretched a hand over the counter towards her.

"Susan." She hesitantly but briefly shook his hand. "What's your order going to be?"

"I was here to buy something earlier today, remember?" He asked.

"Is that not the same reason you are here now?" She asked.

"Well, not really. I actually came back here so that I could talk to you."

"Is there a problem?" She questioned, scratching her hair which had grown a bit after the operation.

"No, I actually wanted to ask if I could take you out on a date sometime." He said.

"No, I'm busy and you shouldn't be doing this while I'm still working. Do you want to get me fired?" She asked in displeasure.

"I'm really sorry about that but there was no other way that I could meet you to ask you out on a date. I would have come to you in church on several occasions, but you are either always in the midst of other choristers or you are so busy that I can't get your attention. I would have come to you after you closed too, but I don't know when you get off from work."

"Why do you want to take me out on a date?" Susan asked.

"Honestly, it's because there's something about you that keeps pulling my attention to you in church, but I cannot quite figure out what it is yet."

"Right... What a cliché... And it didn't occur to you that I might have a boyfriend?"

"Well, it did, but I've been watching you for over a month now and I've never seen you with any guy." He confessed. "If anything, you pretty much keep to yourself. You don't even have any friends."

"So, you've been stalking me, uhm?"

"No...please don't see it that way. Let's just say that I've been studying you." He answered.

"What do you do for a living that you have so much time in your hands?"

"I'm actually a junior lecturer at Ahmadu Bello University. I teach Physics."

"Alright then, Lecturer Cephas, I'll go out with you on one condition."

"Anything!" He smiled in anticipation now. "Just name it."

"I don't want to go to popular restaurants or eateries. I'll prefer a local one... I've my reasons so please don't ask."

"Um...okay then, if that's what you want... I know a woman who cooks good food close to the roundabout." He said. "How about I pick you up after you close from work today?"

"No, I have choir practice after I close. Make it tomorrow."

"Alright then, it's a date." He smiled. "Can I at least have your contact so that I can at least keep in touch with you before then?" He held his phone towards her and after she typed her number on his phone, she handed it back to him and when he dialed it, her small Nokia phone rang, she shook her head slowly and asked as she ended the call.

"So you don't trust me?"

"I just wanted to be sure that you gave me the right numbers." He said apologetically.

"Alright, now that you have my number and you have done all your talking, you have to at least buy something for taking my time."

"Okay then, I will." He chuckled and began to make his orders.