THE GUARD AND THE DRUG

 'Quiet!' Eric whispered. 'Keep quiet, Mr. Potter!' 

Mr. Potter stopped laughing. My heart rammed at my chest so loud I was afraid the guard could hear it from where he stood. 

'Eric, where are—?' Maria whispered.

'Keep quiet,' Eric whispered back. 'Keep quiet.'

'Is anyone in here?' the voice called out again, much closer to the door now. We could hear the footsteps now—hesitant, but nearer.

The door to the room creaked and closed home. I couldn't see who closed it but my guess was Eric. I tiptoed toward the door and I heard the steps outside the door drawing closer to our door. I saw the beam of light coming from under the door; he was close. 

Mr. Potter giggled.

'Be quiet,' Eric snarled at him. 'Be quiet or I will cut your tongue out.'

The steps outside came one at time now, cautious and silent, as if the person sensed our presence. He took two more steps and stopped in front of our door. I felt a grip on my arm at that moment and I jumped, startled. 

'It's me,' Eric whispered. 'Be ready. Let's jump him once he opens the door.'

'Okay,' I said, my heart racing faster and my throat dry.

 'Be careful,' Eric whispered. 'He may be armed.'

I nodded. 

'Did you remove the key from the door?' Maria whispered behind me, her voice wobbly, as if she had seen Lord Lugard's ghost.

'I did not,' Eric whispered back. 'There was no need—.'

'Be quiet,' I whispered. 'He can hear us.'

The light stood directly under the door. There was another pause, and another long silence. Maria's breaths warmed my arm and she held my hand. We waited in the silence, like helpless victims hiding from a hacksaw murderer in a Stephen King's novel.

He is locking us up! I thought. And then he will get the police.

The handle on the door squeaked and the door opened inward, pushing Maria and I against the wall. The rays from the flashlight rushed into the room, spreading as the door moved backward, lightening the parts of the floor and fell on Mr. Potter sitting on the floor in the middle of the room.

'Now!' Eric cried.

I pushed the door backward with all the force I could muster. It collided with the man and bounced back, hitting me in the process. 

'My God!' the man cried in surprise, and I heard the wham of a body hitting the floor.

I came out behind the door and rushed to the door. I saw Eric in the hall way and he dove forward, falling on the figure on the ground.

'Hold his legs!' Eric shouted. 'Pin them down!'

I found the man's kicking legs and pinned them down.

'Don't hurt me,' the man cried. 'Please don't kill me.'

His legs trembled and they jerked to the left and right, but I held them to the floor. I looked up and saw Eric sitting on the man's stomach.

'Please don't hurt me,' the man cried again. 'Please.'

'Eric,' I said between deep breaths. 'Relax; he's an old man.'

'Check his body,' Eric said. 'See if he is armed.'

'I am not armed,' the old man moaned. 'I have no intention of hurting you.'

I checked, searching hurriedly through his pockets and the sides of his waist. 'He is unarmed.' 

'Please don't hurt me,' the man cried. 'I don't have any weapon.'

'Relax, old man,' Eric said, but his voice carried the threat of a military voice. Do you have any weapon on you?'

'I dropped it,' the old man said. 'It's on the floor.'

Eric looked at me over his shoulders. 'Pick the flashlight and look for it.' He turned to the old man. 'Don't make a move.'

'Yes, sir,' the man said.

I picked the flashlight and searched the floor. Eric got up from the man and turned toward the store's door. 'Maria, bring the gun.'

'Please, don't kill me,' the man cried. 'I have grandchildren and a wife. I mean you no harm; I was checking to see who is here. I mean you no harm.'

I moved from one side of the hall to the other, and finally returned to the door, stepping over the man. Maria came out of the room in a rush, colliding with me, holding the toy gun. Eric collected the gun and moved to the left of the hallway. He pointed the gun at the man.

'Stay down,' Eric commanded. 'Any wrong move and I will blow your brains all over the floor.'

The man covered his face with his hands as if Eric would shoot him there. I turned away and continued my search for the weapon, and I found the knife three paces away. I picked it and walked back to the door, chuckling.

'Here,' I said, showing Eric the knife. 'It's good enough to cut a lizard's throat.'

Eric collected the knife and placed it in his pocket.

'Who are you?' Eric asked.

'Please, let me go,' the old man said in a weaker voice. ''I don't want any trouble.'

'I said who are you?' Eric shouted. The gun in his hand was now close to the old man's face. 'Tell me who you are, or I will shoot.' 

The old man's body shook some more. 

'My name is Adekunle,' he said. 'I am the guard in this place. I don't want any trouble. Take everything you want. Please don't kill me. I have grandchildren and an old wife. Please don't kill me.'

'Nobody is going to kill you,' I said, squatting beside him. 'Are you alone?'

'Yes. I am alone. Please don't kill me.'

'Okay,' I said, rising up. I pushed Eric's hand to the side, forcing the nozzle away from the man's face. 

 'Get up,' I said. 'But don't be smart.'

The old man nodded.

'Get up,' I said again.

He struggled and shuffled around before he got up.

'We can't let him go,' Eric said. 'He knows enough to cause trouble.'

'Please don't harm me,' Adekunle cried. 'I won't tell anyone I have seen you. Please believe me. I am an old man, I can't lie.'

Eric pointed the gun at him. 'I can't trust you. Once you leave, you will go quacking like a disturbed hen. I can't let you do that.'

'Please sir,' the old man bellowed. 'I won't tell a soul. On my honor, I won't do that. I won't—'

'We can't keep him for long,' I said to Eric. 'They will come searching for him by tomorrow's afternoon and they will meet Mr. Potter.'

'Let him go,' Mr. Potter said from the room.

Eric flashed the light back to the room. Mr. Potter sat where he had sat for the last ten minutes.

'He's an old man,' Mr. Potter said. 'He is the father of all old men.'

'He needs his drugs,' Maria said. 'That's what will stop him from speaking gibberish.'

'Take,' Eric said, and stretched the flashlight to Maria. 'Search the room and find the drugs. He's better asleep anyway.'

Maria glanced between Mr. Potter and the other parts of the room. She turned to me with alarmed eyes.

'Go ahead,' I said. 'We are watching from here; he won't harm you.' 

Maria collected the flashlight and looked at Mr. Potter again. She walked to the opposite part of the room and began to look over the floor, moving around slowly, the rays of the flashlight leading the way. She looked up twice, checking on Mr. Potter, and then resumed the search.

'Let's tie him up and keep him in another room,' Eric said. 'I don't want him yammering when he goes back to the village. The police will come after us.'

'Please, sir, let me go,' Adekunle cried. 'I have grandchildren and a wife. Please don't kill me.'

'Listen,' Eric said. 'We either kill you or make you stay in one of the rooms; choose which you want.'

'I will stay in the room, sir,' Mr. Adekunle said quickly. 'I will do whatever you want. Don't waste your bullets; I will stay.'

'I found it,' Maria shouted from the room. 'I found his drug.' She came to the door and raised it, shaking it. 'I knew it must be somewhere.' Then she lowered her hand and peered at the pack. 

'It's called Zaponex,' she said, and walked toward us. 'Give it to—?' 

Mr. Potter's white arm flashed in the air and circled Maria's neck. She gasped and screamed. Mr. Potter dragged her back into the room, moving with the swiftness of a lioness on a wounded gazelle. 

'Give me the drug,' he demanded. 'Or I will pluck your head off.' 

'Help me,' Maria cried in a croaky voice. The flashlight dived from her hand and clanked unto the floor, bouncing and rolling off. 'Help me.'

Eric and I got to the middle of the room at the same time, Mr. Potter pulled Maria to the wall, keeping a wide space between us.

'Keep away,' he said in a threatening voice. 'Keep away or I will kill her.' 

'Mr. Potter,' Eric said, his voice agitated and tender at the same time. 'Let her go; she found your drug; take it and let her go.'

'She stole my drugs,' Mr. Potter retorted. 'She stole it from me.'

'No,' I said. 'She was showing us—to take it back to you.'

'You lie,' he screamed again. 'She stole it.'

Maria moaned and her big eyes gleamed around like disco lights. Mr. Potter's right fiddled with the buckle of the belt on his waist, loosening it. He pulled it away from his waist, and, in one swift movement, wrapped it around Maria's neck. 

'Please help me,' Maria cried in a low voice. 

Mr. Potter held the belt with both hands now, drawing her to stand in front of him, as if she was a shield against us getting to him. Maria's hands held the belt around her neck, clawing at it, with the pack of drug still in her hand.

'Mr. Potter,' I said in an imploring voice. 'Please let her go; you are choking her.'

'She took my drug,' Mr. Potter said. 'She took it away!'

Maria's breath came in gasps.

'Let her go, Mr. Potter,' Eric said again. 'Let her go and I will let you go. I swear.'

Mr. Potter dragged Maria a step backward. 'You are a liar,' he said and laughed. His right hand crawled up to Maria's hand, grabbed the pack of drug and yanked it away.

'Don't steal my drugs,' he said. 

He pulled the belt away from Maria's neck and pushed her forward. She bumped into Eric's arms, coughing and crying at the same time.

Mr. Potter peered at the drug closely. He inserted the belt back on his trouser, dragged it round the trouser and clipped it home. 

He raised his head and looked at Maria. 'Don't touch my drugs again.'

Maria clung to Eric like a baby chimp to its mother, her sobs rising and falling. 

'I am going to kill you,' Eric said. 'I will kill you.'

Mr. Potter laughed as if Eric paid him a compliment. He sat on the floor, kept the pack of drug inside the bag and clamped the bag to his chest.

I turned to the door then, remembering the old guard we left standing in the corridor. 

He was gone!