FicStorm's The Chase

Chapter Two

07:54

"The caller said she was alive." Benjamin, Detective with the Nigerian Police scribbled on a notepad as he spoke to his partner Detective Chase who was just arriving at the scene. Detective Benjamin who was twenty five years old had just been promoted to the homicide division a few months ago and assigned to Detective Chase. His Hugo Boss suit brought out his five feet seven inches, one hundred and twenty pound frame very well. The detectives of the police were told to dress corporate always so Detective Chase also had on a suit, but his was not as nice as Benjamin’s. Benjamin was one of those Detectives who came from a wealthy background. He was one of those who joined the Force just for the thrill. But Detective Chase depended only on his monthly earn which was never enough even though he was still a bachelor at age 52. There were many times Chase had wished he had the same qualification Benjamin had. Benjamin had sat for the bar exam and passed. He was a qualified lawyer. But Chase on the other hand was just a graduate from law school. He felt he would have made a lot of money from his clientele which would have included one of the big companies. Nigerians were always scared of law suits and jail. There was a lot of money to be made from them. He would have had a big house in the G.R.A just like this one he was standing in and a nice jeep that purred when he started the engine and produced less smoke. He would have been a happy man. But sad as he was about his condition, he was perfect at his job. He had a streak of closing cases while they were still hot. His picture was already hanging on a wall in the hall of fame of the Ikeja precinct. And anywhere he went, his name always went ahead of him. His successes had earned him a medal of honor, a nickname, a couple of friends in high and low places and also a lot of enemies.

"I guess she couldn't make it. Have you been able to identify the caller?" Chase asked. He had a clean and fluent English accent just like Benjamin and that was one thing they had in common along with the fact that they both grew up in Lagos. Aside from that, everything else was different. While Benjamin was Yoruba, Chase was Igbo. Benjamin was light skinned and Chase was the dark one.

"No, but we would soon." Benjamin said. "It seems like the caller left his fingerprints on the phone." Benjamin added pointing at the desk phone with his pen. Chase moved towards the phone. His six feet three inches, two hundred and fifty pound frame was perfect for his job as a detective. He could move swiftly with long strides and people were known to fear a big guy who carried a badge and a gun.

"Has the medical examiner been here?" Chase asked studying the bloodied fingerprint on the phone's receiver.

"Negative. The medic was here though. They thought the woman was still alive. They only confirmed she was dead and I told them to leave that it was a crime scene."

Chase gave a slight nod and stepped away from the phone. The young detective was learning fast. Chase had always wondered how Benjamin had climbed up to detective so fast. No one had ever managed to climb up to detective within three years in the Force and not even at the age of twenty six but Benjamin had pulled that off. The youngest detective in the whole of the CID and he didn't see it as a difficult thing. He never even bragged about it. Chase always had the impression that since the kid was from a wealthy family he might have pulled some strings but that looked less like the case for Benjamin was living up to expectation. Being the youngest detective in the precinct had earned Benjamin some enemies and Chase had taken it as his job to watch the kid's back. That was what partners did after all.

"I actually took my time to get here hoping the coroner would have gotten here and performed whatever rituals." Chase said looking out through the window at the stream of reporters and neighbors behind held back by the uniformed men.

"I wish they'd just go away. The reporters." Benjamin said.

"Same here."

"I saw your friend."

"You mean Ann?"

Benjamin nodded.

"She's not my friend." Chase said bitterly causing a smile to form on Benjamin's lips.

"The victim has been identified as Dr. Boyle Sarah."

"Who wants to kill a doctor these days?" Chase said looking away from the window. He had asked the question without expecting an answer but he got one anyway.

"A psychopath."

"I pray not."

"Anyway, she's not a medical doctor. She's a scientist specializing in cybernetics."

"What's that? Internet?"

"How information is passed between computer and the brain."

"Oh, I never knew that was possible."

"Beats me," Said Benjamin with a shrug. "For one thing, this could be a robbery-homicide. There's an open safe upstairs but we found it empty and there's more bloodied fingerprint on it."

“Obinrin yen ko kin se alariwo!” The loud cry came from outside the house and though Detective Chase’s understanding of Yoruba was very low he could understand that the person was saying the deceased was a gentle woman.

“Who was the first officer on scene?”

“Femi is his name. He went round to check if the neighbors could…” Benjamin stopped as someone rushed into the house. “He’s here. He’s a true son of his father.”

“There’s something you have to see.” Femi said looking from Benjamin to Chase.

***

08:11

Robin Hood was not his real name. His real name was a top secret and he rarely used it. He was a man who operated in deep secrecy. Never in one place for too long and his circle of friends was very thin.

Right now, he was seated in National Stadium in Surulere. The game was going to start anytime soon and there were still vacant seats both to his left and right. When it came to football, Robin had no interest in Nigeria’s league. He’d rather seat down and read Supa Strikas than turn up for a match between Enyimba FC and Kano Pillars. So, definitely he wasn’t seated at the stadium to watch the match. He was there for business. The business meant for professionals alone.

At thirty four, Robin boasted of a five feet nine inches and a muscular frame with one hundred and thirty pound of pure muscles. He had on a fitted Hackett polo, red and black in color that displayed his muscular features. He wore that with a black Ralph Lauren face cap which covered most of his eyes. He had a chocolate skin that sparkled brightly. His stubble blended nicely giving him handsome features and he had a light moustache too. And by his watch, it was obvious that the time was far spent.

"If I didn't know better I would have thought you were here for the game." A voice spoke as someone sat beside him.

"And if I didn't know better, I would have told you that seat was taken." Robin said without taking his eyes off the pitch.

"I have bad news and good news." The man said getting straight to business. That was how the professionals worked.

Robin frowned, he was expecting to hear just that, but he didn't like the sound of it.

"You failed, didn’t you?"

"I wouldn't use the word 'fail'. Someone got there before me, made a mess and got away."

"The woman's dead?"

"I'm afraid so."

"That means..."

"....it doesn't mean anything. The person who did it was an amateur, we'd be unto him soon and then we'd find out if he got anything from her before we silence him."

Robin detected a smile on the man's face and kept quiet for a few seconds and then he spoke.

"You know, Victor, you're the first person I've seen that calls killing someone good news."

"You figured that out!" Victor said. "Plus I retrieved her laptop from her house. She was wise enough to crash it with a virus but our experts are working on it. They claim to have a solution.

“Till then, we have to find the doctor’s daughter. If Labyrinth was hidden, nobody would have a better idea to where it is than her daughter.”

***

On the other side of the stadium, another professional sat doing his job. His camera was one of a kind and his pictures were perfect. He examined the pictures he had taken and zoomed in. Impressive. He thought.

"Hello, Robin. You're my ticket back in." He said tapping his camera lightly and a smirk appeared on his face.

***

08:15

Blackhawk stood still staring at the rooftops around with his hands at his back. It was always a good view from the rooftop of his own building where he stood at the moment a foot taller than all the other buildings in the vicinity. The rooftop also served as a helipad and the helicopter was visible from where he stood. He smiled. It was not the kind of smile you returned. It was the type that you dread. At age 62, Blackhawk was still very strong. His gray hair was not seen as a sign of old age to him. Rather, it signified his strength. His muscular build made people refer to him as He-man. His six feet frame made him more menacing and those who knew him well enough were careful around him. Some even held their breath when he was around.

At this moment, he wasn't alone. Two of his minions stood behind him-one in front of the other-waiting in silence for him to turn around. They gave him a respectable distance. There had been a rumor that the man's slap had decapitated another minion

"I'm afraid you've outlived your usefulness, Tony." Blackhawk said turning around with grace. His voice was gruff and had a very thick bass line to it as he addressed the minion who stood in front.

"I can exp..." Tony started but stopped when he felt something hard against his head. The minion behind him had pressed a gun to his head and c****d it. Tony shut his eyes, he knew what was coming. His partner wasn't going to waste a moment. An act of hesitation in front of Blackhawk was the same thing as begging to be killed. Tony took in his last breath and the trigger was pulled. His body fell to the floor.

"What a waste." Blackhawk said looking at the body without any form of remorse. It was something he was used to. He looked up at the minion who had pulled the trigger. This one was way much younger than himself. He had on a black overcoat on a deep blue turtle neck and a pair of neatly pressed black trousers. Blackhawk could tell his shoes were Italian. His short goatee and his bald head was a nice sight. Blackhawk thought he would do well.

"The doctor hid it. She has a daughter. Her name is Essy. Get her and bring her to me." Blackhawk said. After a pause he added. "And while you're at that, I want you to check out every member of the Zyberdine team that worked on Labyrinth. If not Boyle or her daughter, somebody else would know about the whereabouts of Labyrinth. Get whatever information you can from them before you take them down."

The minion bowed and turned to leave.

"One more thing, Bright!" Blackhawk said calling him back.

"Sir." Bright said turning back to face his boss once more.

"No mistakes or you'd end up like Tony." Blackhawk said and then he added. "I want her alive."