THE RISE OF MARSHALL

THE RISE OF MARSHALL

CHAPTER ONE

Have you ever been cornered so badly that your entire life flashes before your eyes "Ray what the hell happened, why the hell are so many cops behind us and yet we were supposed to stay low today?". I asked to pray as I drove past a trash can that my lambo barely missed. "I don't know man, I thought we were alone but it's like someone saw us and reported us" Ray said. Damn the car fuel was running low and we were nowhere near a filling station.

"We will love to abandon this baby girl here Ray, grab the guns and move now!" "Abandon the lambo, you are not serious mate we just bought this one bro." "You want to be in prison or have freedom to buy another lambo tomorrow Ray?"I asked Ray as I stopped the car and book and the looked at him in the eyes. He gave me that look that he always does whenever I ask him a challenging question. I look that I always interpret to I agree with you bro.

The police cars were already few yards away and had started coming into a halt with furious door opening and irritating sirens making all the noise that I hate. Ray gave me my favorite gun, the one I had acquired from a friend a few months ago as a gift, I like it because it is reliable for such situations as it did not jam easily whatever the conditions. I opened the door and aimed directly at the front most vehicle which had come to a halt.

I opened fire and a shot several rounds at the door and the wheel to ensure no one gets out and it won't easily move out of the way for others to pass giving us some seconds to disappear into the darker side of the building that we were now in front of and get lost from them forever. This guys though had come prepared than we had anticipated. Because as soon as I stopped firing and signaled Ray for us to live, a helicopter came hovering above us and we heard the police announce,"Mr Marshall, together with your accomplice come out now with hands above your head and don't try anything stupid cause you will make things ugly."

Well it's not like they could really do that but why bother them now and then miss all the fun of escaping from their custody later on? I usually enjoyed that a lot cause I knew the officers involved had to answer to their bosses until they regreted arresting me in the first place. That's the fun of being the most wanted man and richest cause the bosses usually hope to get something from you but as you escape they get furious and they take it out at the officers who were with you. You would wonder why don't why they won't come themselves but that is the system.

We did as instructed and moved forward with our hands on our heads and walked straight to the police, we then give them their hands to hand curve. As they were taking us into the car, I saw a young boy with tattered clothes and a dry mouth as if he had not seen food for a while. He sat behind the trash can that I had barely missed earlier and looked so scared maybe due to the commotion we had caused in the area.

As the police drove us to the station I couldn't help but think of that boy, a lot went through my mind and I couldn't stop it as much as I tried to. Then without warning the memory of my whole life came rushing into me. It was ugly, I really tried to stay strong but tears betrayed me as they blurred my vision and slowly slipped down my cheeks.

*CHAPTER TWO*

At the police station in the interview room, I sat there quiet my eyes a bit red from the tears that had come out earlier. The thought of that boy and my whole life still in mind so I sat there saying nothing even as the officer in charge of interview asked me questions. Since I got a reputation in the underworld, I usually try my best to avoid remembering my past life but now I couldn't anymore.

Years back, probably 20 years now I got my long life worst experience. My whole family succumbed to a road accident which I usually think I could be part of if it wasn't for school commitments. I was still young then, about 10 years old so I couldn't stay at my home after the funeral. I went to stay with my father's elder sister and for a while it felt like home and I was comfortable. But as time went by my aunt grew more aggressive with each passing day sometimes even beating up for no reason. I had nowhere else to go so I had to adapt and keep on studying because I knew education was the best weapon ever. It was until one day that I decided it was enough.

It was a Sunday morning and I had done all the chores as usual and sat down to catch my breath a bit. My aunt found me and it became a problem. I was beaten up and shouted at repeatedly until I couldn't respond anymore. My whole body became numb and I just lay there in the ground motionless. I had to endure the pain for some days before I could finally get up and function normally. I knew I had to do something before this peculiar looking woman ended up damaging my body for good.

I ran all possible solutions to my problem in my mind and only one stood out, running away from that woman's house and go to any place I could find suitable. I set out one evening to where I didn't even know with no means of transport other than the God given. I walked and walked till it was all dark around me and I still couldn't see anywhere to reside. A simple sit-down rest was all it took for me to fall into a deep sleep in the middle of nowhere. I was shaken awake and when I opened my eyes I couldn't believe it.

*CHAPTER THREE*

The handcuffs on my hands and Ray's hands were secured to the table D-ring. Both of us looked so calm nobody would think we were in police custody. Then walked in the interviewer, a tall man with medium built body and greying hair in a neatly ironed khaki trousers with a blue shirt sleeves folded up. He introduced himself as detective James and sat down infront of us on the other side of the table and looked at us alternatively without saying anything.

Ray was the one who broke the silence in the room, " will you do what brought you here or ate you gonna look at us the whole day? Marshall can you believe this guy?" Ray said as he laughed a bit at the end of his statement. "What should I do when you already know why you are here boys, mine is to see whether you agree or deny your wrong doings." James said each word with finality in his voice clearly showing that he was irritated with us and had no choice but to be here with us. Well who wouldn't be irritated after all we have done around the city and beyond.

I was the one who spoke up next, "Of course we deny your accusations detective James or I actually should not talk to you till my lawyer sorry our lawyer gets here." I then looked at Ray and both of us smiled and looked at the even more irritated James pick up his stuff from the table and got up to leave. "Well if that's the case gentlemen, I've no objection see you when he comes by." James said as he headed to the door and left us in the room with two guards.

"It's time Ray, let's go before we are late for our meeting with the client."I told Ray Ray and as the guards panicked and charged at us, Ray dealt with the cuffs the usual way and without hesitation I grabbed the guard who was in my direction by the arm and squeezed it hard making him to almost let out a cry. I then twisted his hand to his back in a blink of an eye and immediately reached for his free hand to prevent him from reaching for his pistol and immediately hit him with my knee from the back sending him flying and hitting the wall infront of him. I then followed him and held him tightly by the hands with one arm and the other one held his mouth to prevent him from shouting which could alert the others. I then placed one knee on his stomach to pin him tightly on the ground.

Ray was still exchanging blows with the other guard and Ray seemed to hold back I guess because he was trying to avoid hitting him so hard which would make him call backup. I guess the officer enjoyed hitting Ray thus did not try to call for backup. He could not see that I already had his workmate pinned down. "We gotta go Ray, enough with the games get done with him so we can go." I told Ray and without warning Ray gave the guard a blow that sent him flying back. Ray followed him and gave him some more. As Ray stopped, I heard it and the guard under me did too that both of us gasped with eyes open wide. It was a gun shot.

CHAPTER FOUR

When I opened my eyes, I found myself lying in a ditch with a shadowy figure looming over me. I screamed, and the figure retreated—then sat back and burst out laughing. I rubbed my eyes and looked again. It was only a boy, not a shadowy figure. Fear and a night spent sleeping outdoors in an unfamiliar place had probably played tricks on my mind. "Who the hell are you? You scared me!" I asked.

The boy stopped laughing and stared at me coldly. After studying me for a moment, he smiled. "My name is Ray McMillan. And you are?" "My name is Marshall Vinci." Something about Ray seemed peculiar, though I couldn't say what. "Nice to meet you, Marshall. But why did you sleep in a ditch when you know where we homeless kids usually sleep?"

I had no answer. I hadn't thought about what being homeless meant. I had simply left that woman's house without considering what would happen next. "To be honest, Ray, I'm new around here. I don't even know where I am. That's why I ended up sleeping here." Ray's expression softened. "Don't worry. I, Ray McMillan, swear to guide you through this town, from every corner to every hidden pathway."

I was still light-headed and barely heard him. His words faded as I struggled to clear my head. Eventually, he waved a hand in front of my eyes. "Are you coming or not?" I got to my feet and followed him. Ray walked so fast I could hardly keep up. We passed through several narrow paths before stopping in front of what looked like an abandoned barbershop.

*CHAPTER FIVE*

I had just heard the gun go off. I didn't know who had been hit or who had fired the gun. Confused, I stood up immediately and ran towards Ray. "Ray, have you been hit?" I asked. Ray turned around and looked at me with a pistol in his hand. "What the hell have you done, Ray? Why would you shoot a guard? We don't do that, man. Have you forgotten how we work, man?" I was so furious that I almost slapped Ray right there and then. But we had a task: escaping from police custody.

I knew we had to put our differences over the shooting aside and work on getting out of that station first. "We have to go, Ray, and fast in this case," I told him as I made my way to the door. Ray immediately followed. Just outside the door to the interview room, I collided with James, who was seemingly headed to the interview room at very high speed. It was obvious he had heard the gun go off and was going to check it out. Being taller than me, he took the worst of the impact when my forehead struck him near the neck. Perhaps because I was used to heavy weights, the impact was more forceful on him. He fell backwards with a thud.

Surprisingly, he had quicker reflexes than he seemed to. Before I could fully regain my composure, he was already standing up, trying to charge at me. I managed to land a single blow to his cheek before fully regaining my balance, sending him back down. I then knelt on his stomach with my right knee and gave him a knockout punch. "There, there, good boy. Sleep tight," I said to him as I hurriedly got up and sped towards the hallway. Ray had already disappeared around a corner at the far end of the hallway. I quickly followed the path he had taken.

Before long, I caught up with Ray. He was standing behind the door that led to the reception room. He had pressed his left ear against the door and was holding the doorknob. Looking at me, he signaled me to remain silent, which I obeyed. "It seems like there are two or three of them in there. We can take them all with the right moves," Ray said. I nodded in agreement. He then opened the door slowly, and together we peered through the small opening. The officers behind the counter were indeed three, just as Ray had suspected. Ray then opened the door fully, and we burst into the reception room, startling the three officers.

Without giving them time to even fathom what was happening, we immediately charged at them. Ray caught the one nearest to us with a kick, sending him flying over the counter and falling on the other side with a thud. He might have been unconscious as a result of the fall. I then charged at one of the remaining officers and Ray at the other. Ray and I were now directly in front of each other, each of us holding an officer and punching him. Ray looked at me and raised his eyebrow, and I did the same. We then simultaneously threw the officers we were holding at each other, ensuring they didn't collide. Almost simultaneously again, we each delivered a blow to the officers thrown at us, knocking them out.

CHAPTER SIX

We immediately made a hasty move towards the door, acting as if nothing had happened in there. I was the first to get out, followed by Ray. We had built a hideout near the police station specifically for situations like this. We headed to the hideout to prepare for our escape from the city and lay low for some time. Ray suggested that we call our men to escort us, but I refused because that could attract too much attention. There was a Porsche in the hideout's garage that Ray loved so much. I told him we would use it for the escape, but he was reluctant to agree.

He finally agreed because we had no other choice. We picked two pistols from the armoury in case of any emergencies. We then took our seats in the car, and Ray drove us out of the hideout's garage. Once we were out, I felt a kind of peace that made me close my eyes to enjoy the moment. Suddenly, Ray slammed on the brakes, throwing me forward. I would have hit the dashboard if it weren't for the seat belt I had fastened as a precaution against Ray's reckless driving, something I had already grown accustomed to. However, when I opened my eyes, I realized that Ray hadn't been driving recklessly this time. He had hit the brakes to avoid colliding with a van that had crossed directly in front of us.

Another van immediately stopped in front of us. The doors of both vans opened almost simultaneously, and about fifteen men emerged from their dark interiors. Then the front door of the second van opened, and a figure dressed in black stepped out. He removed his hood, and the expression in Ray's eyes confirmed what I had begun to suspect. Indeed, it was Dominic. But how was that possible? We hadn't heard anything about him since our fight all those years ago, when I was still new in town. However, I could never forget his face. He had given me a very warm welcome to town, one that involved a dozen kicks from him and several more from his boys to my stomach and back. The beating had left my entire body sore for a whole month.

We stepped out of the car, only to find more than a dozen AK-47s pointed at us. "Don't make another move, boys," Dominic said in a deep, elegant voice. I froze where I stood, and Ray cooperated as well. "Do I really have to say it, boys?" Dominic asked. Both Ray and I immediately understood what he meant. I slowly removed my pistol from the back of my trousers and dropped it to the ground. Ray did the same, and Dominic seemed to enjoy the moment. "I've been watching your moves for a very long time, boys, and I'm happy that you've finally slipped into my hands like s*******r pigs," Dominic said. I looked at Ray, puzzled, and he returned the same look. We couldn't understand how Dominic had managed to keep track of our movements when we had always been so thorough in everything we did.

"You can't believe it, can you, boys? Now, you once almost killed a man named Sulaa. I believe you still think you killed him, though," Dominic said. I was stunned because, just as he had said, I had always believed that we had killed Sulaa six years ago during our introduction to the criminal world. But now, from what Dominic had revealed, it was crystal clear that Sulaa was still alive to this day. But how? Dominic then took a step forward from his men and began explaining. "Sulaa is my older brother by blood, boys. When you were looking for a gang to join six years ago, he had already risen to the top and was Ortega's personal assistant. He was sent to assess you and recruit you if he thought you were suitable."

"You looked young and naive back then, and Sulaa trusted you. But you betrayed him and tried to kill him. He let you believe you had killed him, allowing you to gain connections to Ortega. When you killed Ortega, Sulaa began assembling a few men and re-established connections with some of the men who had previously belonged to Ortega. He then lay low, waiting for the right time. And now, that time has come," Dominic concluded. I couldn't believe what I was hearing, but I wasn't entirely surprised. I knew that some of Ortega's men had once answered to Sulaa, so it made sense that they would follow his orders even while working for Ray and me. Dominic then clapped his hands in satisfaction and ordered his men to lower their weapons. He explained that since we hadn't used weapons against Sulaa, his men shouldn't use theirs against us either. After they lowered their weapons, Dominic gave his final order. "Kill them with your bare hands." The men immediately charged at us.

CHAPTER SEVEN

We ran so fast that I couldn't even get a chance to ask Ray what was going on. I didn't know my way around the streets, and we were being chased by some furious boys. I followed Ray closely, but at some point, I remember turning in a different direction from him, forcing me to turn back and follow him again. The boys were too fast for us to outrun. We hadn't even run for five minutes before they surrounded us, furiously panting and holding their knees as they struggled to catch their breath. Their leader, the one I assumed had called Ray back earlier, stepped forward. "You thought I wouldn't get you, Ray, didn't you?" the boy asked.

I had no idea what was going on, so I looked at Ray with an inquisitive expression, but he said nothing. "For what you did, Ray, you must pay," the boy continued. "As for you, I'm sorry you were dragged into this, but whatever befalls Ray will also be your fate." He concluded by pointing at me. I was terrified. I had never been in a fight before, let alone knowing how to throw a punch. I had never imagined life would be like this in this town. At that moment, I regretted leaving that woman's house. I thought to myself that it would have been better to do house chores and endure being shouted at than find myself in a situation like this. These boys looked like they could kill someone with their bare hands. What could a young and helpless boy like me possibly do against them?

Without warning, they charged at us. Before I could even react, a punch landed on my right cheek, sending me tumbling to the ground. I fell on my side, and immediately, some of the boys rushed towards me and began kicking me repeatedly. Some kicked me in the stomach while others kicked me in the back. In the middle of it all, I managed to steal a glance at Ray, and he was in no better situation. He had been surrounded by five boys, including their leader, and was being kicked mercilessly. The leader eventually stopped kicking Ray and headed towards me. He ordered the boys who were beating me to stop, then delivered one final kick before telling them to leave me alone. After all, he said, I hadn't done anything to them.

They weren't done with Ray, though. They all turned towards him and continued beating him. There was nothing I could do to help because I had sustained so many injuries that I could barely move from where I lay. Luckily, someone happened to be passing by. When he saw Ray being beaten, he shouted at the boys and ran towards them. Frightened, they fled, leaving Ray lying on the ground. The man then squatted beside Ray and asked if he was okay. Ray nodded in pain before gesturing towards me, asking the man to check on me as well. Perhaps Ray thought I was in a worse condition than he was. The man was kind enough to help me stand when I assured him that nothing felt broken. I was surprised to see Ray get to his feet on his own after all those kicks.

"I think you boys can manage from here," the man said as he turned to leave. "Thank you for helping us, stranger," Ray said. "It was no big deal, boys. They had no right to do that to you, and as an elder, I had to help," the man replied before continuing on his way. We then struggled back to the abandoned barbershop where Ray lived and sat down. Once we had settled, Ray began explaining who the boy was. His name was Dominic, and he was somewhat of an influential figure on the streets, with many boys following him.

The reason he wanted to beat up Ray was that Ray had refused to submit to his demands. Dominic had wanted him to join his gang, and together, they would steal to earn a living. Ray had refused, not because he was against stealing, but because he knew he wouldn't benefit from anything they stole. Ray had rejected Dominic's demands several times. The last time Dominic confronted him, he threatened to beat him up if he didn't join the gang. He had certainly kept his promise, judging by the state we were both in.

Ray went on to explain that he had grown used to being beaten up now and again because Dominic's boys would always attack him for the most trivial reasons, such as looking at them, passing near them, or simply being on the streets. Previously, it had only been Dominic's boys who harassed him, but this time, Dominic himself had joined in because Ray had openly refused to submit to him. "Do you think they'll come back again?" I asked Ray. He simply looked at me with an expression that suggested he didn't know either.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Like what had happened when we were kids, we had nowhere to run from Dominic's men. The only difference now was that we could put up a fight. Dominic, nevertheless, had an advantage over us because we were outnumbered. Deep down, I knew that even though we could fight, it would all be in vain since we could never win.

"We'd better call for backup, man," Ray said as the first man reached us. I agreed, but before Ray could even act, he was hit with a heavy uppercut that forced him to stagger a few steps backwards to regain his balance. I was in no better position because the first punch I threw was caught mid-air with far more ease than I had expected.

Then one punch landed on me, followed by another and another, until I could barely feel the pain of the blows anymore. At one point, I managed to land a punch on the cheek of one of Dominic's men, causing him to stumble and fall backwards. That gave me hope that I could still fight. I threw a kick and caught the man closest to me in the groin. He fell to the ground with a thud, causing his colleagues to hesitate for a moment. They stepped back, adopting fighting stances with their teeth clenched. For a moment, we stared at each other with cold eyes. Then, in the blink of an eye, they came at me again. Six of them were on me, while the others were dealing with Ray. This time, they seemed more determined than before.

I raised my fists, ready to throw a few more punches. Little did I know that I would soon receive the same kind of kick I had given that man. It came unexpectedly, followed by a punch to my right cheek and then another to my left. The last blow I felt landed on my neck before my body went numb again. I watched as the world in front of me slowly faded away. As I fell, it felt as though the ground was taking longer than usual to reach me. When I finally hit it, a sharp pain shot through my side, jolting me back to reality. I tried to stand, but I couldn't. I pressed my hands against the ground and tried again, only to fail. This time, a kick to my back forced me down again. Ray was on the ground too, surrounded by men who took turns kicking him in the stomach, back, and ribs.

I felt so helpless at that moment. I regretted not calling our men when we had the chance. The attention I had been trying to avoid had clearly found us long ago. I looked at Ray. He was lying on the ground in a foetal position, barely moving. One of the kicks I had seen land on his body had caused him to vomit blood. He coughed and then lay still. I knew I had to do something, no matter what. I mean, we couldn't die here. Not like this. Not after everything we'd done to get where we were. I forced myself up, ignoring the pressure of the man who had pinned me to the ground. I managed to lift his foot and free myself, allowing me to stand again.

I gathered the last of my strength and landed a blow on the man closest to me, sending him stumbling backwards. Then I threw myself towards Ray, paying no attention to the men surrounding him. I had a mission to accomplish, and I didn't care what they did to me. No matter what, I had to reach the watch strapped to Ray's left wrist. It was one of our most valuable gadgets. We'd bought it some time ago just for fun and had never imagined that we'd actually find ourselves in a situation where we'd need to use it. It was linked to all the computers in our hideouts and had a special button that, when pressed, sent a message to all our hideouts. The message would also include our exact location.

I landed beside Ray but was immediately met with a vicious kick to my abdomen. I gasped in pain but stretched my hand forward anyway. I caught Ray's hand and pulled it towards me, exposing the watch. Another man kicked me, forcing me to roll onto my back as I clutched my side where the blow had landed. I quickly forced myself to turn over and reach for the watch, ignoring the pain. I managed to reach it just in time and pressed the button. The screen lit up instantly, displaying the words, 'Message successfully sent. Scanning for location.' Before I could look away, another message appeared: 'Location verified and sent.'

Seeing that, I relaxed and fell back onto my back. I received a couple more kicks afterwards , but I wasn't worried anymore because I knew everything would be all right in a few moments.