OPEN HEART SURGERY

PEACE TALKS

Zak had a bad feeling about traveling that morning, but a human life was at stake. He had been called to assist in a surgery at a federal hospital in Niger State. He was on his way back to Abuja when the news got to him. Almost in tears on the phone, he asked if she made it to the hospital but the answer he got was far from consoling.

I should be in Abuja in an hour, Zak had thought. But he had made it in forty-five minutes. At the West gate check point, his eyes searched for Diana so he could ram the Benz G-Wagon into her and smile to the guard room without an apology but luckily for both of them, she was nowhere to be found. Staff Sergeant Diana had been arrested five minutes after her tyrannical act and arraigned twenty-five minutes later.

The soldiers Zak saw at the West gate were not the familiar faces but they acted overly nice and Zak knew why. One of theirs had just stabbed him in the heart and they did not want to be the ones to twist it in. They had barely checked his vehicle before they let him speed off. The soldiers always knew more than they said, information circulated around Top View security in real time. The soldiers at the last two checks before Ezimma Street were even nicer and smarter. No one wanted to cross the General's son in his time of grief.

Zak drove past his father's house and headed for plot 137, he had barely stopped the Benz when he jumped out and ran into the living room, but it was empty. He ran upstairs to Nicole's room and found her lying lifelessly on her bed with Mrs. Sambo seated beside her.

Nicole turned as Zak reached out to touch her. She saw the fear filled expression in his eyes and tears filled hers and she began to cry. He hugged her passionately with the whole of his soul. He touched her hair, her lips and kissed her to ascertain she was flesh and blood, not spirit and ghost.

Zak had kissed a woman who wasn't his wife before Mrs. Sambo, that was inappropriate and that was exactly how Zak felt, inappropriate. He had blamed himself on the attack on Nicole, he should have put her through the rules before letting her take the car and he should have threatened that military madness of the female gender not to try anything stupid with her. "Sweetheart, I'm so sorry!" He said, and made her seat on the bed between him and Mrs. Sambo.

Mrs. Sambo had driven to Top View Villa after Nicole's arrest, to save the day. "You'll be fine dear.” Mrs. Sambo said. "I'll be back after the presentation.”

“What are they going to do to me?" Nicole asked, in tears as she sat in detention.

“They only want to find out whose car you were driving and why you went against check rules." Mrs. Sambo explained to Nicole whose phone had been ceased. "Dr. Emem suggests you put the blame on Zak." Mrs. Sambo said.

“Why should I do that?" Nicole replied.

“She said he would know how best to handle it once they got to him, and besides, they won't touch him." Mrs. Sambo said. "I have to go get ready for the presentation dear."

Nicole cried because she knew if her man was in town, he would not let them hold her in that room as long as they did, harassing her with questions they already knew the answers to.

But now, her man was back but she was still crying. "I was so scared, Zak" She said, between sobs.

Dara and Aunt Rose rushed into Nicole's room. Nicole had only called them few minutes earlier. “Honey, are you okay?" Dara asked, and hugged her consolingly.

Zak gently touched Dara's shoulder. "She's fine Dara, she just needs to-”

Dara shut the rest of the words in his mouth with a thunderous slap to his face which cut off blood from the left side of his face for some seconds. It was so loud that Mrs. Sambo who was a Muslim, exclaimed. 'Jesus!' Zak's brain shook within his skull and the air molecules froze and instead of chills, the room became heavy and hot.

Aunt Rose was the first to regain composure. These kids could shoot and slap themselves but Top View was her city and the house was still hers, she had to take charge. "Wow! That was loud." She said, with a half-smile on her face as she turned to Zak. "I'm sorry about that Zak, I hope that settles it."

Aunt Rose knew Zak and Dara better than they knew themselves. She could read their eyes, motives and emotions. She could also feel their pains a hundred yards away. From the first day Dara and Zak had walked into her house with Nicole, she had watched the love triangle begin to form and with each passing day, she watched the angles solidify.

Zak stood up, sighed and rendered his speech which was probably written down by the slap. "Alright, thanks Mrs. Sambo for everything. I might have to leave you ladies for a while." He said, quietly, and kissed Nicole on the cheek. "I'll call back later.”

“Where're you going?" Nicole asked.

“I'm going to find the shooter!”

“Zak, please don't do anything stupid, that girl is crazy!" Nicole pleaded.

“I need to go finish what I started, I guess that's why you got shot, and I got slapped." Zak let out a dry smile. Nicole had begun to calculate that there could be more to why Dara slapped him with so much hate, It Couldn't just be because His ex, had fired three rounds at her best friend? "I hope that's the only reason Zak." Nicole said.

Zak wanted to handle it right, so he drove into Camp Gideon with a million thoughts on his mind. The Camp was often referred to as an army Barracks but in reality it was an army housing estate. Zak drove the Benz to 'House E47', Staff Sergeant Diana stood by her door, in a blue T-Shirt and a pair of bum shorts.

She chewed, rolled and blew the bubble gum in her mouth like a high school harlot. "Hello Mr. Doctor, please come right in." She said, with a grin like a Cheshire cat. Zak walked into the house without a word or a smile and the soldier shut the door behind them. "Is that my gift for a job well-done?" She continued, reaching out for the small package in Zak's hand.

Zak smiled but held on to the package. "You must be really proud of yourself Diana.”

“I hope that's not an atomic bomb, let me guess, it's a music box." Diana laughed. "Please make yourself comfortable. What can I offer you?”

“Since you're a man in a female casing, why don't you seat your ass down and let's talk man to man.”

“Yes sir!" She said, and took a seat. "So where do we start from?”

“Why aren't you locked up?"

Diana laughed. "Why should I be? Do you think you run Top View because your father is The General? Besides, your father doesn't even like the girl.”

Zak was not surprised to learn that she knew that. "Did he send you to shoot her?"

“Your father might be one of the gods on Mount Olympus but he's not Zeus himself, give the poor man a break." Diana said. "He doesn't call every shot in Top View."

“So why did you shoot at a scared and confused innocent girl?”

Diana jumped to her feet. "I did not shoot at her!" She corrected vehemently. "That's the news going around town and that's an insult to my target result.”

“Can you please sit down?" Zak said, quietly.

“No! I can't, because I graduated best in my target class. I shot down ten hanging teaspoons with nine bullets, which means, I shot the ninth teaspoon at an angle such that it struck the tenth teaspoon at a tangent divisible by an odd number, to produce the force required to pull the tenth teaspoon to the ground." She narrated, with enthusiasm.

“You've said so much, yet you've said nothing." Zak informed her.

“I just said, I shot three bullets, through the windscreen, into the headrest of the front passenger seat, because that was my target and that was what I shot. Not your white girlfriend!" Diana explained, with intensity.

“What if there was someone in that seat?" Zak asked.

Diana plumped down into the seat. "Don't be ridiculous Zak. We see the inside of every car from the gate until it drives past the second check point.”

“Why then do you guys keep wasting people's time?" Zak yelled.

Diana smiled. "So we can keep you believing you're smart until you decide to play stupid, like your stupid girlfriend.”

Zak just wanted to cut to the chase. "Diana, how much do I have to pay for you to take your eyes off Nicole?”

“Oh lord! That sounds like love Zak, and it sounds really sweet, but you don't have to pay a dime.”

“Then what's the competition all about?"

His question only angered Diana. "I'm not, and I won't be in a competition with a dumb blond because she'll bring me down to her level and beat me with experience." She said, walking away into her kitchen.

Zak followed her. "She's not in a competition with you either.”

“Zak darling, I don't give a s**t about your girl friend." Diana said. "I just needed to prove a point and I have.”

“What were you trying to prove Diana?”

“That the sun does not rise and set at your door step." She smiled. "I heard Dara told you something like that, recently."

Zak was beginning to hate these people and how they got into every body's business. How they knew everything about anything about their business and as well as those that were none of their business. "You guys are cheap spies." Zak said, in frustration.

“Yea and your father is a General!" She replied. "Look Zak, I respect the fact that you've been able to learn how to love. So I'm not going to be a problem to you and your girl friend, that's a promise."

Zak knew she meant what she had said. "I start falling in love with you when you talk like that." Zak smiled.

“I never loved you and you never really cared. We made hay while the sun shun." She said. "Everything has an expiry date and I guess this is it for us.”

Her speech was short and touching and Zak felt like he was watching a tragedy. "Thanks for your understanding, I really appreciate it." Zak didn't want to say much for fear that he might say something to make her change her mind. She would keep to her words. That was the part of Diana Zak loved. She could be trusted. If she ever promised to be on your side, you can be sure she'll be there until happily ever after or death do you part.

Zak tried to stretch his luck by stretching his phone to Diana. "You can't be serious, go to hell!" Diana said, and laughed afterwards.

“Common! Tell her whatever you want."

“Okay, let me see that," She took the phone from him and went through the recent call log. "Dr. Sean, Tayo, Diana, Beautiful, Beautiful, Emem, Beautiful, Diana... "Thank God you didn't save my number with 'DianaSex!'." She said, and dialed 'Beautiful'.

“How did you save mine?" Zak said.

She ignored his question. "You know, everyone says I'm beautiful but I must confess, she beats me in more than one way." She lighted up. "Hello Beautiful." Diana teased into the phone.

Nicole's heart jumped into her mouth for fear of something she couldn't explain at the sound of a female voice on Zak's phone. She replayed the voice in her mind and connected it to its owner as she regained composure. I'm not going to take any more trash from this soldier. I love Zak and it's going to stay like that, she told herself. "Diana?”

“I know you love Zak Nicole," Diana's voice answered her unspoken words.

Do these guys also read minds as well? Nicole asked herself, afraid that Diana's next set of words might be, 'but I love him too'.

"I never loved him and he never loved me. You have given him something I couldn't give him-"

“I guess that was why you shot me?" Nicole cut in sharply.

Diana gasped, but struggled not to lose her temper. "Nicole, I know I scared you but I did not shoot you!" Diana spelled out her words.

Nicole still felt threatened by her confidence. "I think you're a coward, "Nicole said. "If you had a problem, you should have worked it out with Zak and not come after me with a gun.”

Diana turned to Zak and whispered, "Sweetheart, your girlfriend is as dumb as a bag of hammers." She grinned and spoke into the phone again. "Nicole, I know you love Zak but I hope you can also give him the kind of s*x I used to?" Diana teased.

“What was it like b***h?" Nicole fired.

“It used to be military and hardcore, b***h!" Diana replied, and laughed, obviously enjoying the game.

Zak went for the phone. "What do you think you're doing?" He asked.

Diana moved away, "Shush! We're having girls talk here." She walked back to the living room. "I'm sorry, your zealous boyfriend interrupted."

“Did you call to lecture me on s*x?" Nicole voiced, tiredly.

“No, I called to say I'm sorry about what happened today, it's never going to happen again." Diana said into the phone as she turned and eyed Zak.

“Is he holding gun at your head?" Nicole asked.

“Let me borrow your lines Nicole, 'I love your lab coat sense of humor." Diana laughed. "And he's not holding a gun at to my head.”

“I don't care what you guys are, but you don't have a right to spy on people, dub their words and take their pictures just because you can." Nicole vented.

“Just because your boyfriend is a heart surgeon doesn't mean you should give yourself a heart attack, please relax!" Diana teased. "Forget about what we do, all you need to know is that I'm sorry and I'm not going to scare you again.”

“Delilah said sorry, so Nicole, please start dancing and clapping." Nicole said, in malicious irony, and her tone finally pulled the pin.

Diana exploded. "What did you just call me?" Diana asked, incredulously. "I told you 'I'm sorry' and if that's too hard for you to comprehend or to accept, you can go fry your left n****e!" Diana blasted, cut the line and threw the phone at Zak.

Zak laughed. "You thought she was going to be an easy one, right?”

“Damn! Your girlfriend is as dumb as a stump, a blond stump.”Diana said. "Tell her not to test me." She left the living room for her bedroom. Zak followed her and she shut the door in his face.

He opened and walked in. "Nicole has no idea that you were born to annoy people, so you don't expect her to be friends on the same day you shot her.”

“I did not shoot her!" Diana screamed. "Anyway, what's your blond going to do when you're called in the middle of a hot s*x, in the middle of the night to come save a dying old broken hearted man at the hospital?" Diana continued, as she began taking off her shirt.

“Unlike you, she'll wait!" Zak said. "She's not a nymphomaniac." Zak knew he could infer Diana was, and get away with it. Her anger never lasted more than five minutes. She was the most understanding person he had ever met with a big heart that accommodated her unique loving style. Diana was like a mother and a comrade to the soldiers she commanded.

“Boy! I thought you were a cardiologist but you've got a fowl mouth like a Gynecologist." She said. “One point for you and zero for me.”

“Since we now have an accord, I think I should let you get ready for your next assignment." Zak smiled and stretched out the package to her. "Here you go!”

Diana, unwrapped the gift with more suspicion than excitement. "Oh s**t Zak!" She had imagined it would be something funny but not in a hundred guesses would she have expected it to be a vibrator. She threw the pack at him and he dodged the missile. "I knew you couldn't be a good boy to the end. Two for you, zero for me!”

Zak stood up to leave. She gave him her back to help her unhook her bra. Zak did, and she turned to face him. "I could fight you to a draw but I'm going to let you win because of Nicole." Diana said, looking into his eyes with seriousness in hers, she kissed him on the lips. Zak responded in a cold manner, then in a warm one and soon it was a hot burning kiss which he synchronized with the movement of his hands all over the pretty soldier's body. He was drawn deep into every piece of his emotion but Diana was in full control of hers, and she knew when it was time to put Humpty Dumpty Zak together again.

Diana gently withdrew, but her eyes still searched his. "It's written in your eyes Zak, you love her but you're bound to break her heart." Diana said. Zak had never heard her sound so much like a woman. “You're as unstable as the waters." She continued, and moved away from him sadly.

“Two points for me, one for you!" Zak said, trying to cover up his embarrassment.

“Zak, any girl would beat you hands down. What you lack has killed many men. It's called s****l discipline." She said. "Without it, you'll hurt yourself and the girl that loves you the most." Diana continued, sounding very professional on the matter. She picked up the vibrator with a serious look on her face, looked up at him and they laughed quietly at each other.

Zak had heard her talk differently for the first time, he had seen her in a different light and he also knew he liked her differently. "I'll remember everything you've said. Why don't you go take your bath now?”

Diana smiled and waved the vibrator at him. "Thanks for this." She threw it on the bed and walked into her bathroom.

Zak had only one prayer on his mind, Lord! Please don't let the devil talk to Diana about Nicole anymore. It was a dark night and there were no stars in the sky, he drove slowly back to Top View and into Aunt Rose's compound but what he saw frightened him, an ambulance from Top View Medical Center. What had Nicole done to herself? She couldn't have taken Diana's advice and roasted her left n****e but she could have done something worse. He also noticed two military vehicles and a few soldiers. Had they called for her arrest? Maybe an officer had decided to push Nicole's case.

Zak bumped into the living room and found five pairs of eyes staring at him. Col. Jason was the man in command of Top View Gates Security. The officer who sat beside him was the woman that saw to the enforcement of security check rules, Maj. Fortune.

"Zak! You're late, please join us." Col. Jason said.

“I was not aware of this meeting sir." Zak replied.

“Zak, that's just the Colonel's way of saying, 'Please take a seat and take it easy'." Maj. Fortune said, pointing to the chair beside Aunt Rose.

“It's okay, I'll be fine standing. So what have I missed?" He asked.

Col. Jason smiled. He was a very special friend to Late. Col. Ekanem. "I was telling Mrs. Ekamen and the ladies how sorry we are about what happened to Nicole this morning." He said. "It was just an unnecessary action from an overzealous soldier.”

“Zak, you're going to have to teach your girlfriend how things work around here." Maj. Fortune said.

"I'll be responsible for that, Major." Dara said. "I made a mistake to think Zak could handle it."

The Major smiled, she was the only one who seemed to liked Dara's tone "Please do, she might not be so lucky next time. We only let her walk, out of respect for Mrs. Ekanem."

“She might not be so lucky not to actually get shot next time if the adrenaline in one of our trigger happy soldier drives her hyper." Col. Jason reaffirmed.

“If I may ask, Colonel, do you mean that if one of your soldiers jumps out of line, no officer can tell them to get back in line?" Nicole asked, like a teacher would her student. Zak wished Nicole would stop seeking revenge on Diana and just let him handle it.

"Are you aware that the girl who shot you was your boyfriend's ex?" Maj. Fortune replied sharply, and the house went quiet for a moment.

Is there anything this people don't know? Nicole thought. But Zak had told her that his relationship with Diana was a secret. "Yes, I'm aware!" Nicole answered, smartly."

Aunt Rose jumped in. "Please forgive Nicole, she's still very upset and i think she still has a right to be." Aunt Rose said, trying to intervene.

Nicole was beginning to piss The Major off. "I don't think an Oxford graduate, lecturing at Irvine University will need a lesson note to figure out that if she goes after a soldier's boyfriend in Top View she's got to be ready for anything.”

Nicole could not believe her ears, her uncontrollable shock found a way to express its self in two words. "Like seriously?" And her two worded outburst made everyone laugh.

“Nicole, Major Fortune is usually not a very friendly officer, because her assignment in Top View is to make sure we're not taken for granted," Col. Jason said. "And I'm sure you know women don't like that."

“Yes sir, I understand." Nicole replied.

The Colonel hesitated but decided to keep talking. "But if you're so curious to know, Staff Sergeant Diana and her troop have been moved from Top View Gate Security." The Colonel immediately noticed that the news had brought some bright red to Nicole cheeks, and he decided to give them more information about Diana and her men, although there were two ladies in her troop, they always addressed all of them as her men. "They have been moved to 'Raid and Action'." The Colonel said.

The nature of their assignment was synonymous with the name of their department, 'Raid and Action'. They clamped down on, and pulled down criminal hideouts with no regards for social status. They were the soldiers that shot first and asked questions after. Their responsibilities were much higher than Gate security. They had minimal restrictions since they functioned as both Federal and State forces. They received more honors and were treated like warriors. The promotion of a Raid and Action soldier was much faster than that of Gate security, and was also as sure as rain contains water.

Everyone in the living room except Nicole understood that Staff Sergeant Diana had been indirectly promoted for shooting at Nicole. But Nicole was only happy that she would not have to use the North Gate and drive half way around town in a bid to avoid The Devil and her West Gate of hell.