Tarasha - Season 5 - Episode 76

4 years ago

Tarasha - Season 5 - Episode 76

Elvis Richards felt his blood rush through his veins as he confirmed the story through the headline on the news section of the youngicee website. The headline was short but it captured the whole message he needed without having to read the full news. It read: ‘Hoodlums Attack Special Care Center And Escapes With A Patient’.

He stared for some seconds at the face of his assistant who was still standing in front of him, after that he returned his focus back to the tablet device on his laps, his finger hovered around the link for a while before he finally decided to click on it and read the full story.

It took less than ten seconds for the new web page to load. Elvis Richards quickly scanned through it and according to the article, a woman was taken from the Special Care Center after some hoodlums attacked and injured some of the security officers. It was also reported that the only registered family member of the kidnapped sick woman had called few hours before the accident requesting for the management of the care center to discharge the woman with immediate effect and telling them she was coming to pick her. The sick woman’s name was Atinuke George.

Out of frustration, the Vice President dropped the tablet device in his hands on the stool and took out his phone. He opened the call records and dialed Rex’s number again. It rang for several minutes without being answered. The same way it had been since he had been calling the number the last night.

Elvis Richards heaved a sigh of frustration. He should have allowed his assistant hand over the job to someone else, maybe it would have been successful and easier but he had asked the assistant to contact Rex instead,’ Chief Elvis thought. He stared at his assistant’s face for a while again with so many thoughts running through his mind.

‘Do you think they won’t trace the incident to us?’ Chief Elvis asked his assistant. ‘I hope you didn’t leave any trace behind at the Care Center when you went to make the investigations.’

‘Sir, we didn’t leave a single trace. No one can connect it to us except the guys that were sent to carry out the job are caught and they open up.’

‘And that’s why I’m bothered now, I don’t know what happened exactly. Rex called me yesterday to complain that you didn’t send him the accurate information.’
‘We gave him the accurate information,’ the assistant responded.
‘Maybe he was successful with the job then,’ Chief Elvis said. He stopped to think for a while and then a frown appeared on his face, ‘But he told me he was going to go in alone, the news reports that they were more than one.’
‘Maybe something went wrong and he had to involve more of his men,’ he assistant said.

Chief Elvis shook his head and heaved a sigh. He wondered what could have happened. Now, he had to make sure that the media doesn’t investigate the kidnap of the sick woman further to find out who she was. That was the reason he wanted the death of the woman to be as silent as possible.
Troubling him more was the news of Madam Henrietta’s death which hadn’t been announced. He had read on the news the last night that four dead bodies were found in the woman’s house while the woman and her daughter who were in the house that evening were nowhere to be found. It gave him serious headache as he couldn’t reach Stainless also, but it was evident from the news report that some men attacked Henrietta.

ABUJA
‘Are you back with the answer from the Housing Ministry?’ Inspector Dakolo said to his junior partner who stood beside him.
Inspector Dakolo was squatting on the field at the right side of the house. It was the second time he was coming there. Dead bodies had been found around the house at evening the day before and the neighbours and passersby had quickly informed the police. Inspector Dakolo led his team there that evening.
The house was in an unfenced compound and had some little grasses at the left side. Neighbours who rarely passed through or visit the compound had noticed the last evening that there was an unusual gathering of animals and flies in the compound.
When Dakolo and his men came there the day before, they first moved the dead bodies outside and inside the house carefully into the vehicles meant for carrying the dead. Then, they gathered evidences and pointers that could help them in their investigation of what happened. They also asked the neighbours about the inhabitants of the house and the most useful answer they got was that two ladies were seen there the day the incident happened, one was older and the other was a young woman.

‘Yes sir,’ the junior replied Dakolo, holding a flat file with him
Dakolo rose from his squatting position and looked around the house for some seconds. ‘Thomas,’ he called out loud to his team mate who was in the building, making his investigation.
‘What’s the name of the house’s owner and its history?’ Dakolo asked the junior while waiting for Thomas.
‘The present owner’s name is Henrietta Williams, it was initially built by Elvis Richards but ownership was transferred to Henrietta Williams ten years ago. Then, it was renovated four years ago.’
‘Okay, have you traced which Henrietta Williams it is?’

‘We’re doing that already sir,’ the junior replied.
‘Inspector, I’m here.’ Thomas announced as he joined them at the side yard of the house through the kitchen door.
‘We now know that the house is owned by a certain Henrietta Williams,’ Inspector Dakolo said to Thomas. ‘I was also called from the office few minutes ago that some of the dead bodies have been identified and two family members have showed up. With that, we can make some progress on this case.’

11:10AM
LAGOS
‘Please, I beg you. Allow them take my mother to a hospital to save her life, please.’ Stephanie pleaded, kneeling before Tarasha.
‘Get up on your feet,’ Tarasha said in an unmoved voice. Tarasha was in the room Stephanie and Madam Henrietta were given to use in the house. She was standing beside the door and resting against the wall with her arms folded. Stephanie had a knee on the ground and her hands curled around Tarasha’s legs. Madam Henrietta sat at corner edge of the bed, watching quietly.
‘It’s a pity your mother is unconscious but I can’t do what you and the doctor are asking for, the best I can do is to bring the equipments they need here.’ Tarasha added in a cold voice. She was just talking to make Stephanie calm. She knew it was impossible to get the equipment the doctor needs to the house, the doctor had explained that it wasn’t something that could not be gotten easily or even stolen from a hospital.
‘When will you bring the equipment?’ Stephanie asked, still holding her legs.
Tarasha shook her head and sighed. ‘Stephanie, you’re wearing me out, get up.’ She said in a harsh tone.
Stephanie was forced to stand up, she stood in front of Tarasha and folded her arms.
‘I’ll get it as soon as I can, soon enough to save your mother. I need her alive too,’ Tarasha said.
‘Okay,’ Stephanie sighed. She remembered that Samantha had come into the place to speak to her before she changed the topic to her mother. ‘You wanted to tell me something else.’
‘Yes, I came in here to tell you that the work against the Vice President has continued. I just posted an article on my blog and I’m going to be uploading some shots of the documents you have with you soon. There’s just one thing I need for you to do to make sure our plans do not fail,’ she said and paused to look at Madam Henrietta. ‘And you too.’

Stephanie flashed a glance at the woman behind and then looked back at Tarasha’s face, ‘What do you need us to do.’
‘It’s simple,’ Tarasha replied. She took a pause and drew in a short breath, she then narrowed her gaze at Stephanie’s face. ‘I want you to cut off all communication with anybody outside, you should not call or receive calls from anyone, send messages or receive from anyone or try to meet anyone outside this place.’

Stephanie paused to think for a while, she wondered if she could do as she was told to do. Her school had just resumed and she needed to be in contact with her course mates to be kept abreast of what was happening in school. She also needed to communicate to members of her SWAD team and give them directions on how to go about the new semester’s meetings.
‘We don’t have the time for you to start considering all you would miss,’ Tarasha said, as if she could read her thoughts. ‘You have to make a quick decision.’
‘How long will this have to be?’ Stephanie asked.

‘Until it becomes safe for the both of you to make contact with others,’ Tarasha replied.
‘But can I make a call or send a message right now?’ Stephanie asked.
‘No, you cannot.’
Stephanie sighed. ‘Okay,’ she said and shrugged. ‘That means we have to turn off our phones?’

‘No, it means you have to hand over your phones to me and every communication device with you. I would return them when the right time comes.’
‘Wow!’ Stephanie opened her mouth in surprise.

‘We would provide other devices for you with which you can communicate with me and others who you are allowed to talk with. You can also surf the internet, but would not be able to use some sites, especially social networks.’

Stephanie heaved a sigh of relief. She turned back and walked straight to where her bag was to take out her phone. She collected Madam Henrietta’s phone also and submitted the both of them to Tarasha.
‘Thank you,’ Tarasha said before turning to walk out of the room.
‘Please don’t forget the equipment my mother needs,’ Stephanie said as Tarasha was about to step out through the door.
Tarasha nodded her head but gave no verbal response before walking out of the room.
She got back into the medical room and didn’t find Dr Ekwueme there. She proceeded to the bed where Mrs. Atinuke was laying. She stopped beside the woman and stared at the gentle face for a while until she got distracted by the sound of the door opening.

She turned and saw Dr Ekwueme coming towards. She noticed that the doctor had just shaved his beards and was looking younger than his age. She smiled as he approached her.

‘Doc, you’re looking younger and more handsome,’ she complimented.
‘Oh! Thanks,’ the doctor smiled back. It was his first time of hearing her make a compliment of someone and also his first time of hearing someone compliment him after a long time.

The smile on Tarasha’s face faded away quickly. ‘I’ve been thinking about the lack of the equipment needed to treat this woman, but an idea just came to my mind as I was looking at her.’
‘What’s the idea?’
‘First, I need to know how long you will need the equipment for.’
‘I can’t really tell, but not less than twenty four hours.’
Tarasha sighed.

The doctor raised a brow.

‘What if we make arrangements with a hospital, a private hospital?’ she asked.
‘There are very few private hospitals that have or know how to use this equipment and not even all government hospitals in the country has.’

‘You should be able to help us locate a private hospital that would have,’ Tarasha suggested.

‘That would be difficult, the doctors in charge of the few ones I know would not allow us, it would only work if we force them to.’

Tarasha closed her eyes for a minute to think, she knew it wasn’t advisable for them to apply force, especially because they needed to use the equipment for more than twenty four hours. Compelling them would only work for few hours.

She opened her eyes. ‘What about your hospital? Don’t you have it?’
Dr Ekwueme was quiet for a while. ‘Yes, I do but I’m the only doctor who handles it there.’

Tarasha shrugged. ‘That should be no problem, you’d handle it.’
‘But they’ve been searching for me for a long time, what happens when they see me?’

‘We would make sure nothing happens when they see you,’ Tarasha replied confidently.

‘I hope we can do that,’ the doctor said with a doubtful tone.
‘We would,’ Tarasha reassured. She glanced again at the face of Mrs. Atinuke as it was time to leave the place. ‘Now, I have to go check the reactions to my new blog post. I’ll need this woman conscious as soon as possible, I need to hear more secrets from her.’

Elvis Richards was trying to get some sleep in his room after taking the drugs that was supposed to be taken at 12pm but all his attempts were futile as he kept turning around restlessly in the bed. After ten minutes of restlessness, he reached for his phone and opened the call records. He was about to dial Rex’s number again when he heard a knock at the door. He locked the phone and kept it aside.
He sat up and stared at the door, waiting for the knock to sound again before responding.
There was no other knock, instead he heard the voice of his assistant, ‘Hello sir, are you sleeping already?’
He heaved a sigh. He wondered what the assistant had to tell him, but he was sure it was something important as he trusted his assistant not to call him for trivial matters.
‘Come in,’ he said on top of his voice.