The Faintest Dawns - S01 E16

3 years ago

The Faintest Dawns - S01 E16

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 16

***

Ola took Laura to an incomplete building, a building hidden from the streets. It was more like a deserted area, it was surrounded by bushes. The building had an inner room, a well furnished room. It just lacked electricity and that could be fixed. He had a rechargeable lamp in the room. Laura couldn’t help but cry, though, she had been threatened, she didn’t care. She was a kid who hadn’t seen any familiar face. Ola stopped threatening her, when they got to the house, as her screams would not be heard by anybody.

Ola had been waiting for Felix. He sent the text three hours ago. Even if, there was traffic, he wasn’t supposed to waste too much time. He was short of airtime so, he sent a text message and flashed him, to ensure that he had seen the message.

***

Victoria and James boarded a bus to Tina’s bustop, after twenty minutes on the bus, Felix’s phone started ringing.

Victoria: The phone is ringing.

James: Whose phone?

Victoria: this phone.

She showed Felix’s phone to him.

James: Ignore it.

Victoria: Uhm, I don’t think, he wants to speak to him. He’s calling because, he wants to be sure, this message has been seen.

James: What message?

Victoria opened the message, it read,

“Guy, where are you?, abi you no know the place?”

James: Okay, we’ll reply the text.

Victoria: What would you type?

James: Just watch.

He took the phone from Victoria and typed,

“I know the place, I’m on my way”

Victoria: (clenched her teeth) and you want to send that?

James: Of course, it will wade off any suspicions for now, then, when we get to Idowu’s house, we’ll strategize.

Victoria: Who is Idowu?

James: The name of the person we are going to meet now.

Victoria: Okay oooo.

James sent the text message to Ola.

Victoria: How long before we get there?

James: Soon enough. There’s no much traffic, we’ll be there soon.

Forty minutes after, they got to the bustop. They got down from the bus and James kept on walking.

Victoria: Don’t tell me we are not there

yet.

James ignoreed her, instead he held her hand, he was about to cross over to the other side of the road. Telling Victoria would delay him further as she would ask questions….

Victoria: I just asked you a question.

James: Let’s cross the road first.

They crossed over to the other side of the road. Victoria released her hand from his grip but, James kept on walking into the main street. Victoria followed behind.

Victoria: Where are we going to?

James: We are almost there.

***

Idowu paced in the living room after savouring the noodles prepared by Tina. Tina sat down to relax. She was stretching her arms as she was stressed out.

Idowu: James has been gone for so long.

Tina: Idowu, he is not a baby, he will be back soon.

Idowu: Besides, my battery is low. I left my charger at home.

Tina: Use mine.

Idowu: We don’t use the same charger.

Tina: Later, put your SIM in my phone to make any phone calls, if necessary.

Idowu: No, I don’t think so sha, if there’s any one to call, it’s my client and we have finalized things. Though, I may need to call him when I get to the club on Friday, then I may use your phone.

Tina: Okay oooo.

They both heard a knock on the front door.

Idowu: That might be James.

Tina: I don’t know, check na.

Idowu rushed to the door, how pulled it open to find the gateman.

Gateman: (Frowned) Tell Tina sey, one man and one woman dey find am.

Idowu: Okay, Tina..

Tina shrugged and walked towards Idowu at the door. Before she got to the door, the gateman had turned around already.

Tina: (hissed) What did he say?

Idowu: He said, a man and a woman are outside looking for you. Are you expecting people?

Tina: No but, that could be James.

Idowu: Why is James with a woman?

Tina: It could be his wife.

Idowu: I thought, Ola would have taken his wife and daughter.

Tina: Nawa oooo, you want them to be kidnapped?

She left the door and went towards the gate.

Idowu stood watching from the door.

Tina took a peek through the small opening of the gate.

Tina: James!

She opened the gate immediately she figured it was James.

James: Enter na.

He tried to persuade Victoria.

Victoria reluctantly followed him into the gate. Victoria was stubborn and sometimes ride to her husband but, she wasn’t rude to strangers. She acknowledged the presence of Tina, before asking her husband, “Is this the Idowu you were talking about?”

James: No, this is Tina and this is her house. That’s Idowu coming towards us.

He pointed at Idowu coming towards them.

Idowu: James, I’m not really happy with the decision you too but, it’s good you’re with your wife.

James: Yes, this is Victoria. (stared at his wife)

Victoria could not smile so, she just gazed at them.

Idowu: I’m Idowu. Your husband’s friend.

Victoria: Okay, that’s good.

Idowu: what about your daughter?

Tina: Are we really going to start discussing this issue outside here? Let’s go inside.

James: She’s right, let’s go in.

Victoria stared fixedly at James. They came for help, why were they going inside? What about her daughter?

***

Ola imagined snapping Laura’s neck. Her screams were becoming unbearable. No matter how he yelled, she just wouldn’t stop crying and screaming. She wasn’t the one, he wanted to kill, he was beginning to think of making money, if he held her hostage, he would demand ransome.

To avoid doing something, he might regret, he left the room locking the door, which only increased Laura’s screams.

Ola was being suspicious of the text message. Felix didn’t always text him. Felix always called.

Ola: Abi, wetin dey do this guy sef?

Ola’s thinking was far from the fact that Felix could be harmed. He left her with a woman afterall. He just thought, Felix had decided to stop at a place, before coming.

***

Tina: Wait, she killed Felix?

James: Yes.

Victoria sat on the sofa, tapping her left foot. She didn’t care about what they said. Her daughter was the only thing on her mind.

Idowu was astonished. He knew that they were all in big trouble. If Ola could kidnap a man’s daughter, for the death of one man(Richard), what would he do, if he discovered, Felix was dead. The only partner, he had left. From the stories, Idowu had heard concerning Idowu, he was well aware that Ola was brute.

Tina was sad, that Felix was dead. To her, Felix was an innocent orphan who had to make a living by doing all sorts of jobs. Felix had killed a man once in self defense and he had terrible nightmares and swore never to do it again. Though, Felix could seem wicked but, there was little he could do to anybody. Tina despised Victoria right away. Victoria heard James saying it was self defense but, she was angry.

Tina: So, you hit him with a pestle, did he attack you?

Victoria felt guilty at the sound of that statement. All Felix did was, slap her and she killed him

Victoria: He slapped me, aggressively. I got angry and….. Well, killed him.

Tina: what did you do before he slapped you?

Victoria: I was trying to find out my daughter’s whereabouts.

Tina: And, he just slapped you?

Victoria: See, it’s not like, I did it on purpose.

Idowu: It’s okay… We can talk about this later.

Tina: Idowu, you know, what would happen abi?

Idowu: I know but, we can solve this.

Tina: How exactly? Ola will kill all of them.

Idowu: We will sort out something, calm down.

James watched Tina and Idowu rant about the issue. He wasn’t even concerned. His daughter was the only person on his mind.

James: Tina, Idowu, let’s discuss this calmly. We all know that Ola is expecting Felix, the text he sent, indicates that. So, is there a way to get my daughter back before informing him, that Felix is dead.

Tina: Ola loves Felix, like his own brother.

Victoria stood up from the sofa.

Victoria: So, how do we get my daughter back?

Tina frowned at Victoria.

Tina: I don’t know.

Idowu: Please Tina, if there is anybody, who can get his daughter back is you alone. Please Tina.

James: Please, Tina, what do we do?

Victoria said nothing, she was beginning to despise Tina too.

Tina: I’m not just happy about Felix’s death.

James: I’m sorry, we are both sorry.

James looked at Victoria and signalled her to apologize.

Victoria was reluctant but, her ego had to drop at the moment.

Victoria: I’m sorry, it was a mistake.

Tina was astonished to hear those words from Victoria. Those three words seemed to have hit a soft spot in Tina.

Tina: (Softly) Okay, thank you..

Tina: So, we’ll call Ola, tell him, we are holding Felix as a hostage. We won’t give him any location. Let’s start from there.

Victoria: What if he harms Laura?

Tina: He won’t.

Idowu & James: How are you sure?

Tina: He loves Felix so much. We’ll make a deal. Felix for Laura.

James: Would he buy it?

Tina: That’s all I can think of for now. You won’t let him know, I’m involved.

Idowu: What if he asks for proof that we haven’t harmed Felix?

Tina: Remember, he doesn’t know you and I are involved. So, Ola is never going to believe that James and Victoria would kill Felix, since, he has their daughter.

James: Okay, so when do we make the call?

Tina: Now.

Victoria: No, wait, hold on. I’m not sure about this. What if he suspects the truth and kills Laura?

Tina: Calm down, we have to try something at least. If we don’t call Ola, anytime soon, he will know, something has gone wrong and I can’t guarantee the safety of your daughter, when he gets to your house.

Idowu: Victoria, just calm down. It’s a small issue. Let them call him.

Victoria felt like slapping Idowu. How could he say, her kidnapped daughter was a small issue?

James: Okay, we’ll call him now.

***

Ola was still outside, thinking of how to get airtime to call Felix. He had becoming suspicious.

Ola: Oh, good!

He exclaimed looking at his phone. Felix was calling finally.

Ola: Hello, guy where you dey now? Wetin dey work you sef? Since when I on text address give you.

The next voice Ola heard was not Felix’s

Ola: Hello, if you’re not Felix, then who are you?

Few minutes later, Ola was visibly vexed after hearing the terms and conditions given to him by James. Yes, he loved Felix but, if it had come to someone daring him, then, he didn’t care if Felix was dead or not.

Ola: So, you will kill Felix. Go ahead. But, hear my terms too.

Ola: Now, you listen to me, I will give you from now till 4:00pm, when I say, 4:00pm, I mean, 4:00pm. If you don’t bring Felix to the address, I texted to Felix, I swear, your daughter will be dead. You’re James right? So, I’m sure you would know Tina too, although, I don’t know if she’s with you. But, ask her, I don’t bluff. If Felix is not here by 4:00pm or if something happens to him, I repeat, I will kill your daughter.