Muur Chronicles

EPISODE - 2

After leaving, Elvis had went to somewhere far from home and away from the public scene, apparently having an epiphany and retrospection of the embarrassment he suffered at the hands of Steve. A lot of thoughts rushed through his mind immediately he left Steve, but he figured his best course of action in the circumstances was wait it out somewhere. The events were still very much fresh in his mind. From his observations, something was odd about Steve.

Thinking on the next course of action, he remembered how he was wearing only his boxers and singlet. He ran as fast as he could till he besieged and waylaid a guy, taking his clothes and shoe in the process. He went into hiding, believing that absconding from his duty post but reporting same act with the tell-tale of what happened to him was not a welcome idea. He still went back to the area, but stayed just within distance from a vantage point. It wasn't long after before the widespread destruction occurred and he saw one person walk out of there alive. The memories of the blast were very vivid in his mind; it wasn't a dream. He didn't believe what he saw, and dodged just by the corner to avoid getting seen by Steve while he crossed and entered a taxi. He wished he had listened to his wife and avoided the day. Now, the day is a permanent scar in his memory; it keeps rewinding endlessly, it's teeth’s sharpened to haunt his feeble Durian mind.

In the early hours of the next day, he disguised himself and went to a News stand by Ardent Avenue; News Stands are usually popular in the town. What he saw next shook the life out of him. As he glanced through the pictures depicting the havoc and destruction wrought by Steve, his heart hardened with anger, resentment, and self hatred.

He remembered the events of the previous night, but he was too afraid then to go back to the scene of the havoc for the second time. He never thought in his wildest imagination that that was what Steve meant when he told him he was going to attack the place. He regretted not reporting to the station as he should have. He regretted everything, every action he has taken since the night before and kept calling himself a coward as he angrily left the News Stand. Everyone he knew may have been victims of the blast judging from what he read and saw, and he couldn't forgive himself. He wanted to go to the Headquarters straight away and report himself but decided against it. He didn't want to go home, for all he cared; Steve might be monitoring, following or even watching him out rightly. He got scared, and thought about going to the media to report his account of events as an anonymous person. From what he read in the media, it's obvious everyone was clueless about everything.

His wife and children came to his mind again, and this time around he decided its best he went to check them though afraid that other Officers may be in his home. But, he banked on the fact that their hands are full with the events of the previous night to even bother his home for anything.

When he reached home, and after telling the wife about what happened to him, she convinced him to go to the Headquarters and report himself. His wife was of the opinion that at the moment, he is too valuable and that any sanction would wait with what he knows.

"I have to do something first." he finally said.

"What is that?" the wife inquired.

"I have a friend at Herald Newspaper, and I have to first make sure that he has this story." he ended.

"You are not supposed to do that Elvis." the wife alerted.

"You didn't witness what I saw sweetheart. I don't trust the force, and for all i care they still may not believe me or may even term me an accomplice along with abdication of duty. I don't want to take chances Evelyn, a lot of things may be at risk. You have seen the news, heck you were scared and even thought I was dead like everyone else who was assigned to that area. You have to trust me on this one, people need to know." he ended.

"You are making me scared Elvis. Since when are you this afraid?" the wife asked.

"I'm beginning to think you should not go to the Headquarters again."

"No, I should" he said, holding her hands very calmly.

"It's the right thing to do, but after I meet with my friend at the media house." he assured.

"What If they don't believe you at the Headquarters?" she queried, seriously concerned.

"Once you don't hear from me after two days or once you read or hear a news about an officer who encountered the criminal that unleashed the Ledding Mayhem, take our kids and go to this address!" he stated.

"Jesus Christ! Elvis you are scaring the hell out of me" the wife retorted immediately.

"I hope it doesn't come to that my dear, I hope so." They talked at length on a few other things before he left.

Every eye turned and stared at him on reaching the Headquarters soon after his meeting with the media friend. He walked straight to the Office of a ranking Officer and demanded for the CP, stating that he has valuable information with regards to the events of last night. It was the PR officer's office. He simply told him to wait after getting his details. The PR Officer went to the Human Resources Department to confirm and it checked out. He promptly got three officers who followed him to his office and ordered that Mr. Osakwe be arrested immediately for abdication of duty. "This is a very big mistake. I need to see the CP" he kept screaming, causing a ruckus in the hallway as he was being dragged by the other officers to a cell.

"You are a disgrace to the Force" one of them echoed as he was finally thrown into one of the empty cells in the place and locked up.

"You guys don't understand. Let me out of here, i need to see the CP! " he kept shouting.

"If I were you, I would shut up. No one is happy, I repeat, no-one. The CP is the last person you want to see at this moment, trust me!" the PR Officer said and left!

After holding on to the iron stringed doors for a while, and downcast, he figured all is now in the hands of his media friend. He had told him that if he doesn't hear from him before the day runs out, he should print the story with his full details.

*

  Normal activities returned soon afterwards at the Headquarters and no-one informed the CP of Elvis nor of the information he claimed to possess. He slept in the cell that day and the next morning, the news broke. Every major News outlet in the country picked up and ran the story. When the CP heard about it, he was furious, so angry that he slapped the Force PRO for acting voluntarily and performing an act above his rank when he ordered him to his office to explain his actions. The news rattled everyone in the Headquarters really bad, which necessitated Elvis being demanded by the CP. They were about to go bring him when the lights in the building started rattling a bit, while shouts started echoing here and there.

"What is happening?" the CP asked no one in particular.

"We will find out sir!" one of the officers with him replied and rushed out.

The shouting continued at a distance, walls vibrated a bit in the process, crashes can be heard. Then the gunshots began, and everyone including the CP went for their weapons immediately, fingers loosely on the triggers.  They tried to communicate with people outside through walkie-talkie, but the signals were not going through; it has been jammed. They all became terrified including the CP, yet afraid to leave the office while expectantly pointing their guns at the door, the only entrance to his office.

     The surrounding noise shook and put Elvis at alert; he was still in the cell at the moment of the chaos. He didn't know what was happening, but his thoughts ran wild thinking that Steve has come for him. He was fully aware that by now, his media friend should have run the story and that Steve may have read it and has come to finish him off. Looking through the open stringed iron cell, he saw people running off fully armed, scared and shooting continuously. He started shouting for someone to let him out but no one was listening nor heard him.

"No more hiding in here!" the CP said, tired of being reduced to a spectator when he should be organizing and coordinating everyone else.

"I have to get out there and know what's happening" he finished.

"We do not advise that sir, we don't know what is happening out there." one of the officers replied.

"Right now, your protection is our priority!" another added.

They were still talking when they heard a heavy blast accompanied by a massive vibration. It knocked out almost every light in the building, reducing most structures to rubbles in its wake. The CP rushed out immediately from his office while the other officers followed him.

     Still in the cell as the light went out, Elvis' fright level heightened. Most of the noise within his surroundings has stopped, adding to his fright, and forced him to increase the tempo in his voice as he shouted for someone to let him out. Then, he emerged out of the darkness right in front of him; it was the man who killed the odd fellow for failing to retrieve the artefact. It wasn't Steve as he feared.

***

"You are addressed the way you dress. Is it just the dressing?" Steve asked Christie as they both lay in bed.

" Wait, that's the first thing on your mind this morning?" Christie queried.

"Seriously, just tell me. Is it just the dressing?  What of the other stuffs like facial facades and expressions, movements and speeches? " he added.

"Steve? " she called.

"Yes! " he replied.

"Please stop" she requested.

"Okay, okay, I have stopped...From the ethics to the mundane or from the mundane to the ethics. Which is the right placement?" he asked again.

"Someone really woke up excited this morning!"

"Well, what can I say...Someone really gave a surplus last night!" he said, making Christie to laugh uncontrollably, touching and beating him playfully in so many romantic ways. But, his mind was really occupied with something else. "Wait, wait, wait... One last thing..." he didn't say it before his phone rang. It was his sister, Annie.

"How are you two lovebirds doing?" she asked as soon as Steve picked the call and put it on loudspeaker.

"Your brother is definitely going mad this morning, please come and carry him! "Christie spoke immediately.

"Steve?" Annie called.

"Yes love!" he answered.

"What is happening?"

"Ask your friend."

"It seems like you guys are having a good time."

"Steve is having a euphoria, sorry, epiphany!" Christie joked, making them laugh hard with the way she said it.

"How are Tracy and Nora?" he asked.

"Still asleep... Those are two wild girls!" Annie replied.

"Really?" Steve asked.

"Yes. We had a lot of fun when you guys left!"

"That means you should really thank me with a nice breakfast this morning for bringing good company to you!" Steve stated.

"You can say that again!" Annie replied.

"Anyway, we will be waiting for you guys!" she added.

"Alright, we will be coming very soon. Right, Christie?" he asked.

"I don't know!" Christie replied.

"Is that shakara you are doing?" Annie asked, causing them to laugh.

"Let me not look for you!" Annie said.

"We will be there! " Steve interjected and they ended the call.

"What is it this time?" Steve asked her as soon as he turned to face her.

"Don't pretend like you don't know!"

"I really don't know."

"It's so easy for you to say!"

"You are yet to tell me what is really bothering you!" he simply stated.

"Of course you know what is bothering me!" she told him as a matter of fact, feigning annoyance.

"If it has anything to do with Tracy and Nora, then really you are just overreacting unnecessarily!" he told her.

"Oh, my feelings are overreactions right?" she asked.

"It's really too early in the day Christie, don't you think?" he asked.

"I don't like that I had to know about them the way i did. You should have told me earlier!"

"Alright, noted! It won't happen again, i promise."

"On a side note though...They both love you!" he said.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Tracy thinks you would have made for a very good partner!"

"Good partner? Oh!" She said smiling at Steve, and caressing him gently on his arms. She understood!

"So, as I was saying previously, the embers of wretched ruins or the ruins of wretched embers?" Steve asked.

"It's the Steve of Tracy and Nora!" she replied, causing him to laugh hysterically.

"Keep laughing!" she added.

"You know I really do love you very much?" he asked, turning to look her deeply in the eyes, holding her very closely to him by drawing her close and making sure she was well rested on his arms and her legs crossed over his in embrace.

"I know!"

"Plus, you are even more beautiful when you smile!" Steve added, smiling himself.

"And you are handsome with honey lips and sugar tongue. Stop flattering me Steve!" she said.

"Okay." he said and tried to leave the bed, but she held him back.

"Sorry, didn't mean it that way!" she assured, and he smiled.

"Wait, what is that doing?" She asked.

"Nothing!" he replied.

"Are you sure about that?" She asked, and he laughed casually.

"The 'that' wants what it wants." he said, both of them full of smiles.

They ended up having s*x severally that morning before leaving for his sister’s place at about 10:00am. On their way, they noticed unusual activities and gatherings of people in small clusters as they drove by.

*

"So, what's up for today?" Steve asked as soon as they were through with the usual pleasantries and breakfast.

"Gossip I guess!" Tracy said immediately.

"Maybe we go back to the hotel, they have a swimming pool" Christie said.

"That will be wonderful." Nora added immediately, excited.

"Definitely wonderful" Tracy added.

"You all do know i can't swim right?" Annie said.

"They have tubes!" Christie assured.

"And you will be in safe hands. Your brother is here!" Tracy chipped in, and he smiled.

"It's best i leave you girls to do girls stuff!" he simply said.

      At that, he walked across the room and switched on the television as well as the satellite decoder. The moment it came on, "Breaking News!" splashed on the screen on one of the popular television stations, piquing everybody's attention.

"We are Live now at the Police Headquarters, Owerri. As you can see, a massive attack was launched and a lot of Police Officers has been reportedly killed or injured in the process. Preliminary reports say that the attack is similar to the one that occurred two days ago, and that the perpetrators of the heinous crimes are still at large. However, we can verifiably surmise that the attack is related to the News that broke out yesterday about Police Officer Osakwe Chinedu Elvis who claimed to have been a witness to the Ledding Street m******e. Unfortunately, as at the time of this report, Police Officer Osakwe Chinedu Elvis is nowhere to be found at the moment since the attack at the Headquarters this morning. Already, we got anonymous information that he was reportedly locked up for abdication of duty when he availed himself at the Headquarters. We will keep you informed as things develop." The reporter ended.

"That's odd!" Steve let out.

"More like frightening. A whole Police Headquarters was attacked!" Tracy said rhetorically.

"That means no one is safe anymore in our State. And all these events are not unconnected." Nora added.

"I'm very sure they will settle whatever it is. The only times our Force men are overly serious are when one of them is a victim!" Christie said.

"You think so?" Nora asked.

"It's the reality of things!" Christie said.

"They can be good when they want to; there is certainly no doubt about that. When they are not playing there petty politics that is!" said Annie, who has been silent all the while.

    Deep in his mind, he started planning out on what his next course of action is going to be and didn't bother to join their discuss. Even though he has perfected his plans, which is the major reason why he is in his sister’s school, he still knows that something is not right and that figuring out what happened at the Police headquarters is important. It did cross his mind though that maybe Linagu was trying to tie loose ends by attacking the police headquarters and probably killing the officer, but he doubted it. 

"When in doubt, focus at the task at hand", flashed through his mind.

"Let’s not kill the vibe. Sad as it may seem!" he told them soon afterwards.

"Are you coming with us?" Christie asked.

"Nah; this is an all girls affair, so you girls should go and do your girls thing!" he answered.

"What will you be doing then?" Christie asked.

"See old acquaintances." he said, smiling.

"Your old girlfriends you mean!" Christie said jokingly.

"And that too!" he replied. Everyone laughed.

"Don't let this girl's...uhmmm!" Christie didn't finish.

"Uhmmm your head. Please let's start going before the place gets crowded" Annie interjected.

"Yeah, that's right" Steve added.

"Don't worry Steve; your sister and your girlfriend are in capable hands!"

"I believe that the reverse is the case here my dear. Annie is a better swimmer than all of us and this is her school. Don't mind her!" Steve replied Nora.

"You have spoilt the surprise Stephen!" Annie said while they all left, leaving him behind.

     In his time, and deep within his well layered and coated good guy no ruffled nature, Steve always took and rightly categorized himself as a reserved guy. It has always served him as he wanted; he made it a part of his essence down to his core. Always never involved, far from what is happening but always in the know if he desired. That pretty much summed up his life while in school. Walking down one of the pathways around a Science Block building, he remembered all the memories of his time in school, sad and fun alike. It used to be about the books, lectures, lecturers, petty student politics or the girls sometimes. But, not this time he figured. He had other things in mind this time, and his only focus as he made his way through was to meet a girl, Esther. This time as Steve recalled properly is usually a busy period for cultists, especially as it is the period for most of their usual initiation procedures and the initiation proper. He just needed to set up a few things, and he knows this is the way he must go about it. From afar, he saw her waiting at the spot he knew she will be in, dressed in a free flowing black gown and blue skinny jean.

"I was beginning to think you will not meet up again and chickened out!" the girl said.

"Sorry, had other problems to deal with; sorry!"

"What do you have for me?" he asked.

"I managed to get the location!"

"You managed to? You are funny!"

"It's more complicated than you realize. You know how secretive they are with such information."

"Okay. Well?"

She turned around and then pointed at two of the mountains not much far from where they were.

"It's either of them!"

"In the school premises?"

"Yeah... I'm surprised too."

"It's good. Thank you!" Steve told her.

"So, what are you going to do?"

"Nothing... I just want you to go to the police station outside school and make a report that you overheard some people talking about initiation going on somewhere around the school... Do it now, i know It's going down tonight." he said.

"Tonight?" she asked.

"Yes, it's why you got the information you got. It would have been useless to us after today."

"What if they detain or suspect me or something?" she asked.

"They won't. Say you are doing it as a good student and citizen who doesn't want to see his mates waste their future. Improvise!"

"I'm still not sure if I can..." she didn't finish before he interrupted her.

"Plus I'm a lawyer now. And you have my number. Call me if anything, and I will be there." he reassured her, calmly looking her in the eyes and rubbing her shoulders reassuringly.

"And you will be getting the justice you deserve. Hope you have not forgotten!" he ended.

He could clearly see she was afraid despite all the early big girl tough talks and courage what-have-you she has been pulling off since Steve met her.

"You know all the right things to say, isn't it easier and better if you did it yourself?" she asked.

"It will be more believable coming from a girl. You just do your girl thing, put up all the innocence you can lay your hands on and sell it" he said.

"You lawyers and your sweet words!" she let out, making him laugh out casually.

"You can do it, I know you can. You have already done great." he praised.

"Alright, I will do it. So what will you do?  You are yet to tell me, and I don't want all my risks to be in vain!" she said.

"Just promise not to say anything to anyone. And when in doubt as to what you want to do next, call me!" he said, dodging the question.

"Okay... I will keep it in my mind."

"Thank you!"

"Come and buy me a meal" she demanded. He wanted to put hands in his pocket and bring out his wallet, but she stopped him.

"I want you to come and buy me a meal!"

"Really?  Like, you want me to walk with you to where you will...?" he asked but didn't finish.

"Yes!"

"Alright... Anything for you sweetheart"

"Wait...One more thing!"

"I'm all ears!"

She stood up and told him to stand up, which he did. Then she told him to cross his arms around her neck like in an embrace but more like to make her lap into him. He did, and she crossed her left hand across his waist.

"It’s been long I wanted to do that!" she said. He simply smiled and said "You are very funny!"

"People are going to be looking at us though!" he said.

"I don't care!" she uttered immediately as they left where they sat.

"Wow!" he let out.

"There is one more tiny favour i will hope to get from you."

"I hope it's not s*x!" he said immediately, but as a joke mostly.

"Yeah... It is." she said laughing.

"Awww... Sorry, taken!"

"Really?”  She inquired as they entered another pathway leading to a well furnished canteen within the school premises.

"Will you still do as we agreed if i refuse?" he asked.

"Of course... That one is already concluded" she assured.

"I'm just a one person at a time kind of person. Sorry!" he replied. She pinched him a little and laughed.

"No harm in trying though!"

"Maybe when you leave, you will have a rethink and think about banging this big ass and see this pretty face scream your name." she cajoled.

They both started laughing really hard as she finished talking.

"You didn't just say that, right?" he asked, still laughing.

"You heard me!" she said and walked off from him a bit to allow him view her backside before returning back to his embrace.

"Don't worry; you may get your wish...Just not today. I have things i want to make sure they are set up properly and accordingly. I will take you up on that someday... Who knows, it may even be sooner than later!" he reassured.

"It's that a promise?" she asked.

"Yeah!" he answered.

"You are really handsome when you smile" she remarked.

"Thank you!"

"Do you want me to eat with you?" he asked as they entered the canteen.

"Sure, why not. And don't worry, I will buy!" she assured.

"You keep surprising me!"

"I am full of surprises. You will see!" she said before asking him what he wants and made the order.

*