HUNTED

HUNTED EPISODE 4

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HUNTED

An Mma Moses mindset

4

"sit down" my husband said to me. His whole body shaking.

"the officer that called now is asking that I report to the station. From the tune of his voice, it seems they have someone from our office in custody"

From the way his voice was shaking, I knew there was a big problem. I had a lot of questions to ask but, this isn't the right time. He grabbed my hands. I could feel his shaking vehemently

"Imaa mi. Whatever happens, I want you to know that I love you so much. I want you to take care of our daughter and please live your best life"

"Ima mi... Stop talking like that, this is just an accident, it happens everywhere in the world to just about anybody. I trust the people who will handle this case to know that it's a mere accident and no harm was intended"

My husband was calm. I saw guilt in his eye. I was scared for the first time since I married him.

"or was it intentional?"

He was quiet.

"I'm asking you Mr. Basey Kufre Atang. Was it intentional... Did you intentionally set a trap that will one day kill people?"

"I'm so sorry my love. I didn't know any better. My boss told me nothing will happen. Whatever happens Ima mi. Don't ever forget that I love you and would do anything for you"

He stood up and left amidst tears.

Ahhh. Who have I been married to? I don't believe this ooo. Jesus. I wept.

By 4pm, I didn't see or hear from my husband. I went to area command that day and saw him. I asked the officer in charge and he told me that my husband was kept there for questioning as a primary suspect. Alhh, you mean you've been questioning someone for straight 4hours plus now.

I called our family lawyer, he said it was already late and he couldnt come until the next day. My husband had to sleep in the station till the next day. Few hours after the lawyer went to the station, he came back with my husband. But he made us understand the velocity of what we were dealing with. He said he might not be able to save my husband from going in, but he might be able to get him a lighter sentence and the only way was to pin it on his boss's head.

Mr. Edidiong, my husband's boss has been nothing but good to him. He gave my husband link to the top. He has protected my husband in that company like a father would and have loved my husband to the extent that everyone thought he was favoring him above others. But then, he was using my husband to commit all kinds of atrocities and I wasn't even in the know until now. How can Basey now pin such a man down. But then, that's the only way Basey can get out of this mess or get a lighter sentence.

"no Ima mi. I can't mention his name no matter what. I have spoken with him and he begged me on his bended knees not to mention his name"

"and why is that. Why can't he use his contacts. He isn't a commoner. He is a politician. If he wants this case dead today it will die. Why isn't he using his power the way he should. I thought he promised you protection?"

"yes baby. Remember that when he promised me his protection, PDP was the ruling party and he could do whatever he wished. But now, it's APC and his greatest rival is preceding over this case. Once his name is heard. It will be an opportunity for them to nail him. He has a case to answer on embezzlement, once they have him, he may never come back. Please try to understand"

"you be mumu? So I should understand that my husband is Jesus Christ. Saving another man's life with his. He gave the order for you to use substandard materials and build that house, it can be proven, this won't be the first time he is doing it, you ain't even the first person he is using to enrich himself as minister of housing and electricity and now you want to save a corrupt politician at the detriment of your own life. I give you this night to do the right thing. If you refuse I am going to go on TV, radio and new paper to announce his name. I have everything you said to me on record. So don't even dare me. I am not ready to become a widow yet. Once they convict you, he will pay people that will kill you in prison just to protect his name. You're barely 58and he is 73. I am not saying you shouldn't pay for your crime. But, know where to draw the lines, you pay for yours he pays for his. Period!" I picked my pillow and left for the parlor where I will be spending the night.

My husband followed me, pleading but I refused.

How can my husband be so Daft Punk that he wants to go in for an old corrupt politician who merely pacified him for years for a day like this.

In the morning, I told the lawyer everything and he promised to do the right thing. I in turn promised to pay him handsomely.

Before the next sitting he had already gathered all evidence to nail my husband's boss which he did.

They apprehended the man and sent him to jail too.

Basey was sentenced to 3years imprisonment. While his boss was sentenced to 12years with 3 other of his bosses. The lawyer did a good job and delivered his promise. I wailed like a kid. Basey has been wise all these years, he had no

Huge amount in his account. He saved the greater percentage of his money in our daughters account. So, when his account that was having just 9million naira was frozen, we didn't even feel it because we had a lot of money lying elsewhere. I was gonna fight with the lawyer to get him bail on parole and we did.

One year later Basey was out of prison on parol. But before then, we were receiving death threats.

I and Ini who was now in the uni woke up to laters of death threats every morning.

It has become a regular occurrence that we pick later in brown envelopes every morning from our gate with short inscriptions like "HOW DOES A SINNER FEEL AT THE MOMENT OF HIS DEATH?" or "EAT AS MUCH AS YOU WILL TODAY, FOR DEATH MAY NOT ELUDE YOU TOMORROW" and so many like that. This started the week that Basey was sentenced.

We had heightened our security operators. Yet, those laters found its way to our door step every morning.

When Basey was out he was so terrified because sometimes these laters are written with human blood, we could smell it, we could feel death, real death each time we read these laters with trembling hands.

"I and this girl have been managing since you were in. This was the reason why I begged her to leave the hostel and go to school from home. I have been pretending to be strong since you were gone, Ima mi, the truth is I am really terrified. How come our security personnel have not been able to see who drops this laters every morning? Thank God you're back because I am gradually dying inside. I was being strong for Ini"

"you've done a good job Ima, I must commend you, you're a strong woman. I apologize for putting you through this whole mess. This isn't what I promised you. I think we need to sack all our security men and domestic workers and employ new ones. One of them might have been bought over by whoever that is seeking our downfall. How come no one has a clue of how these laters get here despite our gate being heavily guarded by professionals? It might be that someone who is here with us is being paid to do this because if not they must have apprehended whoever it is that comes here to drop these laters, every single morning or night"

I thought of what Basey said and I saw sense in it. Omo, how can we have 5 security officers, doing shift at the gate and yet, for one year, we do not know how these laters get into our compound. Not outside ooo but into the compound. My husband is right. Goodbye to all my incompetent workers.

The following morning, I paid them their salaries and laid them off. I employed new set of security men, gateman, 2house help, a cook and a chauffeur. The only people who were left and given assess to go and come as they wish were Rita who works in my shop and her kids.

That night, I slept like a baby for the first time in a year and few months. For what it's worth, my husband made perfect sense and all those idiots are gone. I'm sure we will wake up to no later and death threats in the morning. But I lied, we woke up to the most shocking death threat.

There was a basket containing a goat head, neatly and freshly cut off, dripping of blood right in the middle of our parlor with a note written; "IF YOU LIKE, SACK YOURSELVES FROM THIS LIFE I WILL STILL FIND AND KILL YOU WHEN THE TIME COMES. AN INNOCENT GOAT WENT DOWN FOR YOU TONIGHT, WHO IS NEXT?"

I and Basey trembled greatly. Our new staff didn't know what was going on. Clearly, they were unaware of what was happening because we didn't tell them.

The question now is how did the person who delivered this Shiit in our living room get in and who exactly is after our lives.

Which one of us is the person refferring to and how does this person manage to be consistent?

We need to search ourselves and we need to find out who exactly is hunting us!.

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