ERIC'S THREATS

Mrs. Joan Potter replied Eric's email that evening. It read: Acknowledged. Take a picture of him and send to ensure you have him. How much? No police will be involved. Waiting for your reply. Mrs. J. Potter. 

I read the email three times before handing it over to Tolu.

I turned to Eric. 'What did you write to her?'

He smiled. 'That we have her husband and that she should not contact the police if she doesn't want him dead. I told her to prepare to send money via the mail. That was it. I am surprised she replied so quickly.'

'She is too business-like,' I said. 'There is no begging, no pleas to keep him alive. She is either glad to have him in our hands or she is a stoic.' 

'She is not a good wife,' Tolu said. 'No wonder their marriage is falling apart.'

Eric tapped Tolu on the back. 'That's their problem. I hope she is still good enough to pay for her husband's release; that's all that matters.' He turned around. 'Where is Mr. Potter?' 

'He is in the bathroom,' I said. 'He just woke up; the drugs are wearing off.' 

'Watch him,' Eric said. 'I don't want to take chances. It's possible for him to commit suicide while in there. Let's take a picture of him and send it to the wife ASAP. That will hasten the payment.'

Tolu and I exchanged a glance. 

'Eric,' I said. 'Tolu and I had a talk after you went to send the mail: we don't want to be part of it.'

Eric looked up, his eyes shifting from my face to Tolu's. He stared at us for a long time, and I knew what will come next will determine our friendship forever.

'Are you afraid of the police?' he asked. 'Is that why you are backing out?'

'It's not the police,' I said. 'It's the morals behind what we are doing. The man is losing his mind; how can we take advantage of someone in this situation? We should be helping him, not getting a ransom out of him.'

'But you heard the man!' Eric shouted. 'The wife doesn't love him anymore and they had tones of money. What's wrong with sparing a little for us? What's wrong with that? This is the only opportunity we have to be self-employed and you are treating it as if we have another chance to make it in this life.' He took a step and stood in front of me. 'Once we receive the money, we will take him close to the British embassy and set him free. Then everybody will be happy.'

'Eric,' I said. 'I don't want that kind of money. I won't mind if he was in his right mind; but he is going mad. If not for the drugs he would probably be walking on the street naked a long time ago! How can we take advantage of someone that helpless?'

'Eric,' Tolu said. 'Mr. Potter is sick; he needs help. We should take him back before his condition gets worse or the police find us. That's the right thing to do.'

'Okay,' Eric said, sighing deeply. 'Okay.' He looked at me and then at Tolu. 'If you want out, you have to wait until I collect the ransom. If you walk out now, I will go to the police myself and all of us will have tales to tell the police. None of us will escape the net of the law, be assured of that; no one will escape.'

I said: 'You can't force us to be part of it if we don't want to be. You can't force us, Eric.'

'I can do whatever I want,' Eric retorted. 'We had an agreement to start and finish this together and now you want me to give up when we are so close? That's not possible. We finish what we started, or I go to the police. I have nothing to lose and going to prison will keep me preoccupied.' He shrugged. 'If you walk out, all of us will have a long vacation in the prison.'

'Eric, you have gone mad,' I said. 'You can't force us to be part of something we don't want to be part of. You can't do that.'

Eric pointed his index finger at me. 'You can't also abandon me at the end of a deal and expect to go scot free. We either finish what we have started, or we go down together. Either way, we will be together; so, take your pick.'

We faced each other like rams about to smack their horns in a fight. I saw Eric's hands had turned into fists, poised and waiting, but it was the determination in his eyes that assured me there was no way of escape for us. Mr. Potter, Tolu and I were stuck. 

'Okay,' I said. 'Have it your way.'

'Yes,' he said. 'Let's have it my way.' 

I saw his fists relax. 

I will go with your plan, I thought. Until I find a way to outsmart you and get us out of this jam.

I felt like a king under check in a chess game. I must find a way to free myself and to win the game. I must find a way and I must find it quickly or it would be checkmate.